Take just a brief moment and think what would go through your mind if tomorrow you woke up and you no longer had health insurance. You just returned from the doctor with a worrisome test result or troublesome diagnosis; or learned that your medication might cost several hundred dollars a month. Where would turn?

For over 25 years, the Lorain County Free Clinic (LCFC) has played a significant role in bringing access to health care to the medically uninsured in Lorain and eastern Erie counties.

The LCFC is located at 3323 Pearl Avenue in Lorain, Ohio at Christ Lutheran Church, and was the brainchild of group of local clergy, physicians and community activists to help respond to the growing needs of the uninsured, primarily in the city of Lorain during the recessional period of the 1980’s. The Lorain County Free Clinic originally began service to the community in March, 1986, and was set up as a temporary program.

The Free Clinic is a volunteer driven organization. Area hospitals and medical professionals continue to volunteer time and donate services, usually on a rotating basis by referral, or after normal office hours at one four (4) Free Clinic locations in the county. Last year alone, the medical community donated $3.1 million in charitable care.

The medical and lay communities donated over 6,500 hours of time on a budget less than $400,000. For every dollar donated to the Free Clinic, $8 in care is provided to an uninsured patient between the ages of 19-65. The Free Clinic is a service of last resort for many and does not provide care to the Medicaid or Medicare populations.

In 2011, the Free Clinic registered over 6,500 patient encounters. Currently, over 200 individuals volunteer in some capacity for the Free Clinic. The Clinic has locations in Lorain, Oberlin and Elyria.

The community as a whole has sustained the work of the LCFC through generous grants from private foundations, private contributions from individuals, corporations, religious institutions and civic organizations, as well as funds generated from special events.

This year it is estimated that 48 million Americans will go uninsured. With ever-increasing health care costs, including escalating costs for employer sponsored insurance plans and prescriptions, Lorain County will continue to experience its ever-increasing share of uninsured individuals—estimated to now be 35,000 people at any given time throughout the year.

Today, the Lorain County Free Clinic needs support now more than ever. With the sluggish economy in Northeastern Ohio, the strong competition for available charitable dollars, the decline in volunteer availability and the ever increasing patient demand has pushed the clinic to near capacity. The clinic seeks medical providers to volunteer once a month. (Medical Liability insurance coverage is provided at no charge)!

Despite the uncertainty of health care reform, the LCFC must and will remain a key component to the health care delivery system in the community well into the future, as there will most certainly be a percentage of the population that will be uninsured. Any version of health care reform will not begin to make a sizeable impact until 2014, and the uninsured, under/unemployed need help today, especially when fuel, food, clothing and utility costs leave little left for health insurance premiums or co-pays.

Once a month is all it takes! The time commitment is minimal, yet the impact enormous! The LCFC seeks medical volunteers at all levels…Physicians, Nursing Professionals, & Pharmacy Professionals.

PLEASE CALL PAUL BAUMGARTNER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 440-277-7602 TO ENLIST YOUR VOLUNTEER SUPPORT, MAKE A PERSONAL FINANCIAL DONATION OR LEARN WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUR CORPORATION/OFFICE OR CHURCH IN SUPPORTING THE LOCAL FREE CLINIC AND THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. www.lcfreeclinic.org

NOTE: If you would like to publish a guest post on this blog about your Lorain County organization or group, please email it to philvant@gmail.com.  I will be happy to publicize it to my 3,000 Lorain County blog subscribers and Facebook fans.

The Amherst Special Olympics is in its third year and celebrates over 40 athletes representing all grade levels of our district.

Our 2011 – 2012 schedule includes:

– Participation in our Homecoming Parade & Comets Football Game

– Swimming lessons

– A group trip to see the Cleveland Browns

– Bowling, fitness training, and Corn hole games

– A social dance for older athletes

– Basketball skills camp & cheerleading camp

– Participation in the county track meet in May 2012

– An awards banquet to celebrate the activities of the year

Throughout this year, we will host various fundraising events. Our kick-off fundraiser, a Steak Fry, was held on October 22, 2011.

Our Special Olympics program is completely funded through donations, fund raising and enthusiastic volunteers from our community. Your donation will go directly to help Amherst Special Olympics athletes with the cost of participating throughout the school year.

Feel free to visit our website for pictures and activity updates at: http://www.amherst.k12.oh.us/specialolympics/

and be sure to “Like” our Amherst Special Olympics FaceBook page.

To get involved or inquire about our program, contact us through email at: special_olympics@amherstk12.org.

Thank you for your time and continued support.

NOTE: If you would like to publish a guest post on this blog about your Lorain County organization or group, please email it to philvant@gmail.com.  I will be happy to publicize it to my 3,000 Lorain County blog subscribers and Facebook fans.

It’s something I hear everywhere I go: voters in both parties are just plain angry this year about reckless government spending.  The federal government isn’t the only focus of this anger; Lorain County residents are starting to become more aware of the huge amount of wasted taxpayer dollars at the county and local levels, as well.

Elyria Mayor Holly Brinda

I often remind my supporters that fiscal responsibility has no political party.  In fact, you can find examples of both Democrat and Republican politicians who treat taxpayer money with disrespect and spend it like it’s their own.

Elyria Mayor Holly Brinda and I are in different political parties.  But in her first month of office, she is already challenging conventional political wisdom by cutting unnecessary spending from her city’s budget and keeping promises that she made about saving taxpayer money.

This kind of fiscal responsibility should be applauded whether it’s shown by a Republican or a Democrat.

Earlier this month, Mayor Brinda followed through on a campaign promise to pay her own transportation costs and return a portion of her salary to the city.  This week, Brinda has proposed slashing the salary of her administration’s legal council by tens of thousands of dollars.

A few of our elected officials on the county level could learn a thing or two from Holly Brinda’s actions during her first month in office.

Lorain County is facing a deficit of more than $10 million next year, and it doesn’t seem that the Board of Commissioners can agree on cutting even the small stuff from their budget.   Although it’s good that the Lorain County Commissioners made minimal cuts to their own department’s budget in 2012, they need to do a lot more leading by example.

Lorain County is facing a $10 million deficit in 2013.

Lorain County voters overwhelmingly shot down a proposed increase to the sales tax last year, and made it very clear that they want our elected officials to focus on cutting unnecessary spending instead.  In spite of this, some commissioners are still hoping to increase the county sales tax.

It’s time for Lorain County residents to make it clear to our elected officials that raising taxes isn’t an acceptable solution when so much of our money is being wasted on unnecessary expenses.

One good way to start is by thanking Mayor Brinda for setting the example . . . regardless of whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Independent.

Women Business Owners Network (WBON) of Lorain County is not your typical networking group. Membership is complimentary (no cost), and we don’t enforce attendance at every meeting or referral quotas. Our members know that they will get the best results by attending meetings and getting to know fellow business owners on a personal level.

How do we do this? At our twice monthly meetings, each attendee presents a 30 second commercial for her business and passes out business cards or brochures. One member, usually the one who has arranged the meeting, provides a more in-depth look at some aspect of her business. During dinner, we chat with the people around us to learn more about each other and our livelihoods. We also occasionally have a social event with more informal networking in lieu of our
regular meeting. The better we know someone, the more comfortable we feel referring others to her.

But we don’t stop there! We each want to make our business the best it can be, and one way we do that is by learning from other business people, both men and women, who come to speak to us and to share their knowledge and experiences. We’re also a resource for women who are considering starting a business. The path to your own business is fraught with twists, turns and potholes. Chances are, someone in WBON has already traveled that path and can help you avoid some of these setbacks and make your road a little less bumpy.

Our membership consists of women who own businesses, women who make significant managerial decisions at their place of employment, women who have started their own businesses as a source of additional income, and women who are planning to start their own business.

WBON meets the first and third Thursdays of the month at 6 P.M. at various locations. Most of our meetings are in Lorain County, but we do occasionally venture into Western Cuyahoga County. Our calendar is posted at www.wbonlorain.org (under the Meetings tab). Come discover this hidden networking gem!

NOTE: If you would like to publish a guest post on this blog about your Lorain County organization or group, please email it to philvant@gmail.com.  I will be happy to publicize it to my 3,000 Lorain County blog subscribers and Facebook fans.

Welcome to the Lorain County Woodcarvers’ Club. Our mission is to promote and encourage wood carving throughout the county. This includes chip carving, relief carving, whittling, in-the-round carving, pyrography (wood burning) and much more. The level of experience of our members range from “Beginner” to “Master Carver”.

We have a business meeting the second Tuesday of each month at the Lucy Idol Center (see map on our web site). Also, we have an “OPEN CARVE” night every other Wednesday at the same location – check the calendar on our web site for dates.

Not sure if you have an interest in carving? Stop in on an “Open Carve” night and chat with the members. See what members are working on. We have wood, extra knives and safety equipment so you can do a little carving yourself to see what it’s like!

New members are ALWAYS welcome!

Hope to see you there!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LorainCountyWoodcarversClub?sk=info

Web Site:  http://loraincountywoodcarversclub.shutterfly.com/

NOTE: If you would like to publish a guest post on this blog about your Lorain County organization or group, please email it to philvant@gmail.com.  I will be happy to publicize it to my 3,000 Lorain County blog subscribers and Facebook fans.

Mayor Taylor:

I would like to provide you with an update on our service improvement project and the excavation at the intersection of North Lake and Milan. We are approximately 80% complete with our work on this project and expect to have the final service improvements completed next week, save for any cold or snowy conditions. We have successfully worked around some of the cold snaps we’ve experienced as we bring an improved delivery system to the residents in this area and the City’s Service Garage complex. This improved delivery system will position the area for future growth and development.

The excavation at the intersection of North Lake and Milan is the site of the interconnection of the new system and a temporary regulating device. The final work at this site will be completed the first week of February and the excavation will be filled in and restored as much as possible with final restoration scheduled for the spring. We appreciate the opportunity to invest in the infrastructure in the City of Amherst and for the patience the residents have exhibited during our work. Please contact me with any questions you, City Council, or the residents may have regarding any of our work.

Thanks,

Ray Frank

The Amherst Rotary Club has been instrumental in providing scholarships for Amherst and Firelands High School seniors. They also implemented the SOS program that pays high school students to tutor younger students in a formal setting.

Internationally, they have been instrumental in providing the Tarahumara Indian children of Chihuhua, Mexico, with much needed educational and vocational supplies, and have aided in the solar hot water project with the Rotary Mexico Mission Project. Currently, they are working on providing a roof for a children’s cancer clinic in Guatemala.

President Dr. Jeremy Watson hopes to get an ambulance donated for this small clinic. If all goes well, he and a few others will be driving it down sometime in 2012. “This is what Rotary is all about: Providing humanitarian assistance in education and healthcare to better the lives of people all over the world. I am very proud to be associated with such a fine organization,” said Sterna.

This event has grown in popularity from the first year’s 80 attendees to last year’s over 350 guests. The increased success is attributable to the dedication of the Amherst Rotarians and the generosity of it Corporate Sponsors….Amherst Manor Retirement Center and Key Bank.

Lorain County Commissioner candidate Phil Van Treuren said today that he believes the board of commissioners has violated Ohio Revised Code over the last several years by not publicly bidding out projects that consistently exceed $25,000.

Ohio Revised Code Section 307.86 requires that any purchases in excess of $25,000 be subjected to a public bidding process.  Van Treuren pointed to records that show the Lorain County Commissioners have routinely approved more than $25,000 in expenditures for Technivision video filming and editing.

“I’m not suggesting that the Lorain County Commissioners are purposely violating the Ohio Revised Code,” Van Treuren said, “but such a clear pattern of exceeding the spending limits creates the impression that they are sidestepping the law.  This might simply be a case of carelessness, but it’s hard to believe that no one has noticed it yet.”

According to public county records, the amounts approved for Technivision by the commissioners were $28,785 in the year 2007; $28,000 in the year 2008; $28,000 in the year 2009; and $28,000 in the year 2010.  In 2011, the total amount of taxpayer funds spent on Technivision was $25,800, which is also in excess of the limit.

Ohio Revised Code section 307.86, which governs competitive bidding requirements for boards of county commissioners, states the following:

“Anything to be purchased, leased, leased with an option or agreement to purchase, or constructed, including, but not limited to, any product, structure, construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance, repair, or service, except the services of an accountant, architect, attorney at law, physician, professional engineer, construction project manager, consultant, surveyor, or appraiser, by or on behalf of the county or contracting authority, as defined in section 307.92 of the Revised Code, at a cost in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars . . . shall be obtained through competitive bidding.”

(NOTE: you can view the Ohio Revised Code section that details these requirements by clicking on this link).

Van Treuren said that the law is clear, and that this oversight adds to a narrative that taxpayer money isn’t being spent responsibly by the Lorain County Commissioners.

“These expenditures simply do not qualify as emergencies, and a real pattern of careless spending and disrespect for taxpayer dollars is starting to emerge here,” Van Treuren said.  “The public bidding requirement is in place for an important reason: because it often results in saving taxpayer money.  I’m calling on the commissioners to start taking this requirement seriously.”

From the Amherst News-Times

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

No more pet parade.

No more pizza-eating contest.

After nearly four decades of fun, the Old-Time Jamboree has been retired.

“It’s just run its course and it’s time to move on to something different,” said Bob Pallante, president of the Amherst Historical Society.

The society held the even each July in downtown Amherst, moving the Jamboree in recent years from city hall to the municipal parking lot on Park Avenue.

Sponsors, vendors, entertainment, and civic groups will receive a letter in coming weeks from the society explaining the situation.

“When the festival started some 38 years ago, the volunteers were a younger, vibrant group of people dedicated to the history of Amherst,” it says.  “Basically, the same group has been organizing and running the Jamboree for for all these years.  The board feels that it is time to pass on the tradition of a community festival to younger organizations.”

“Since the Jamboree was initiated as the major fundraiser for the society, we can no longer afford to put in the time, effort or financial support to continue the tradition,” the letter says.

Pallante said the cost of running the fundraising festival has risen sharply over the past few years while revenues have dwindled.  He called it a “sign of the times.”

Though attendance has also fallen in recent years, it did not play into the decision, Pallante said.

The society will cooperate with any community organization willing to run the Jamboree.

Now the historical society will focus more on developing family-oriented and educational events at the Amherst Sandstone Village on Milan Avenue, Pallante said.

He said a major highlight of the 2012 calendar will be the German Fest, scheduled for the third week in August.

From the Amherst News-Times

Wednesday, January 11 2012

When the lights go out at Shupe Elementary in May, they might never come back on.

In a unanimous decision, the Amherst school board voted on Monday to lock Shupe’s doors and move preschool, kindergarten, and first grade to Powers Elementary along with second grade.

Third grade classes will be shuffled from Powers to Harris Elementary, to be combined under the same roof with fourth grade.

The changes were part of a $1.55 million cost-cutting plan to stave off a $2.5 million budget deficit.

The move will happen over the summer break.  During the next month, local school officials will develop specific plans for consolidating class materials, technology and bus routes.

Board president Rex Engle said there is no plan right now to knock down Shupe; in fact, he hopes enrollment will pick up enough in coming years to re-open the elementary school.

In November, a presentation by superintendent Steven Sayers showed it would cost $200,000 to demolish the building.

Letting Shupe stand will mean the district will have to pay to replace its roof–a $320,000 cost.  The school needs another $34,000 in structural and parking lot repairs, Sayers said.

“We take no pleasure in sitting here tonight having to make this decision,” said board vice president Ron Yacobozzi.  “This is not one of the better things we’ve done during my tenure here.”

Administrators say they are losing dozens of students each year to other districts and private schools.

They’re also fighting rock-bottom income from property taxes as the foreclosure crisis continues.

Topping it all off, Ohio legislators have made more budget cuts and ended tangible property taxes that previously helped schools.

Closing Shupe wasn’t the only cost-saving measure passed Monday.  The school board also voted to downsize 19 staff positions.

The list includes nine teachers: two preschool, one each from first, second, fifth and sixth grades, a junio high computer instructor, and an English teacher and tutor from Steele High.

An additional junior high math teacher and Steele media specialist will be cut to part-time.

The vote also called for nine custodians, secretaries, and aides to be cut.

The board also opted to freeze textbook purchases, reduce summer maintenance staff, and eliminate an administrative position.

Beginning in the fall, Amherst will also offer all-day, everyday kindergarten.

It will not be free.

Parents will have to pay a $500 deposit and a $2,400 tuition to enroll children in the program.  That money will help offset budget problems, Sayers said.

At least 20 students are needed to launch all-day kindergarten.  A parent information night about the new program has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24.

All the board’s actions won’t be enough to cover costs unless the voters pass a new operating levy in November, Sayers said.

“If we don’t, we will be here this time next year looking at another $1.5 to $2 million in cuts,” he said.