Community News – The Oberlin Review

First Church to Undergo Historic Renovations

April 19, 2019

Members of The First Church in Oberlin, United Church of Christ believe it’s time to renovate the historic building that was completed in 1844. The renovations, which include window replacements, more accessible entryways, repointing old bricks, and a new elevator, and will cost the church around $1.45 million. First Church has already raised around $300,000 in grants and $500,000 in donations, as well as $350,000 that the church already had on hand. This means they only need to raise $300,00...

State Representative Speaks at Kendal at Oberlin

April 19, 2019

Ohio State Representative Joe Miller came to Kendal at Oberlin Friday, April 12 to discuss women’s rights, the so-called “heartbeat bill,” and the challenges he faced in the first four months of his first term. Miller was hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area at their monthly Legislative Luncheon. The audience included Kendal at Oberlin residents; members of the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area; Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy group; and Lorain Count...

Legion Community Garden Faces Uncertain Future

April 5, 2019

The future of Oberlin’s Legion Field Community Garden — which has been operating for nearly 10 years — is uncertain as it seeks to secure a new fiscal agent. The garden, which grows on city-owned land on South Professor Street, was previously backed by a 10-year contract between the City of Oberlin and the Zion Community Development Corporation. Zion CDC is now unable to provide the necessary funds to keep the garden open. However, the garden has found a new potential sponsor: a local organ...

Garrett Cultivates Opposition to Jordan in Ohio

Ella Moxley

March 15, 2019

Filed under Community News, NEWS

Former three-time congressional candidate Janet Garrett has formed The Jordan Watch Political Action Committee to generate support to unseat Ohio’s District 4 Representative, Jim Jordan. Garrett, a former schoolteacher and Oberlin native, ran against Jordan in 2014, 2016, and 2018. However, she will not be running in 2020, and is instead shifting her energy into this PAC, first announced in a March 5 press release. The goal of the organization will be to “work to expose Jim’s ideology to the people he is supposed to represent.” This is not the first time Garrett has organized to cultivate opposition to Jim Jordan. In her most recent campaign, she raised more than $900,000 and had over 500 volunteers. The Jo...

Windstorm Whips Through Northeast Ohio

March 1, 2019

It was a blustery weekend across the Midwest and Northeast, as winds reaching 65 miles per hour uprooted trees, damaged buildings and vehicles, and triggered power outages. Just down the road in Cleveland, a brick wall fell on a parking lot full of cars and left destruction in its wake, according to Cleveland 19 News. David Orr Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Associate Professor of Biology Roger Laushman said that the storm was caused by the interaction of two different pressure...

New Restaurant Aims To Provide Authentic Cuisine

March 1, 2019

After months of anticipation, Catrina’s Tacos y Margaritas has opened its doors and is now providing the community with culinary creations in a captivating dining environment. The restaurant, which opened Feb. 20, is located on West College Street between Hanson Records and Bead Paradise. Catrina’s owner Nicolás Vázquez has made authenticity a priority. After learning traditional Mexican techniques from working at his parents’ restaurant in Sacramento, CA, Vázquez decided to open his...

Local Convenience Store Mickey Mart Will Open 24/7

March 1, 2019

Mickey Mart, located at 155 South Main Street, is now open 24 hours a day, making it the only full-time business within reasonable walking distance of Oberlin College. Many students and community members are excited about the extended hours. Mickey Mart employee Tricia Phillips said that the decision to stay open later was a benefit to business as well as the student population. “It’s convenient,” she said. “They’re making good money; we’re very happy with it.” Previously,...

Protesters Stand Against National Emergency

February 22, 2019

A group of concerned Lorain County citizens convened in the southeast corner of Tappan Square on Monday to protest President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency. The demonstration was organized by local activist group Lorain County Rising. The protest began at noon and lasted about an hour, drawing 40–50 protesters from Oberlin and neighboring areas. Attendees braved the 25-degree temperatures and intermittent snows to stand by the flagpoles on the corner of Main Street and East College...

Residents Look to Form Community Land Trust

Nathan Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief

February 22, 2019

Filed under Community News, NEWS, Recent Stories

A coalition of Oberlin residents and business leaders is in the process of forming a local community land trust with the goal of increasing housing affordability and community investment in Oberlin. A CLT is a way for a group of stakeholders to acquire different properties in their community and assume stewardship responsibilities for them. While the CLT manages the land, residents still purchase or rent their homes. At its core, the model is meant to promote community land ownership. According to Marge Misak, a Cleveland-based independent land trust consultant, CLTs generally promote housing affordability. “Community land trusts fundamentally are a way for a community to control land for community uses and...

Three Alums Plan to Erect The Tappan

February 22, 2019

Three Oberlin alumni, Josh Rosen and Ben Ezinga, OC ’01, and Naomi Sabel, OC ’02, of Sustainable Community Associates have proposed a new development project called The Tappan in Tremont, Cleveland. The proposed building will house 95 apartments and is expected to cost 22 million dollars in financing. This is the trio’s fifth project together. Although the group predominantly focuses on historic restoration, the SCA is responsible for the East College Street Project, which houses local businesses...

Oberlin Community News Bulletin

February 22, 2019

Filed under Community News, NEWS

Debra Rose Honors Black Female Artists at Ben Franklin Local singer-songwriter Debra Rose will perform her original show Legendary Ladies, a tribute honoring five historical African-American women, at Ben Franklin this Saturday at 4 p.m. The tribute will focus on iconic figures Marion Anderson, Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Aretha Franklin. Rose is the founder of a musical ministry in Oberlin called Healing Melodies, which uses music therapy to stimulate memory and coordination for elderly patients. Learn to Plan for Success in Business CoWork Oberlin, a coworking community and office space, is hosting a workshop Feb. 26 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. to teach community members how to create business...

Community Pop-Up Museum Comes to Oberlin

Leo Lasdun, Senior Staff Writer

February 15, 2019

Filed under Community News, NEWS

The Oberlin Heritage Center will host a “pop-up museum” at the First Church in Oberlin, United Church of Christ on March 10 with the theme of “Older Than I Am.” The exhibit transforms community members into curators by sourcing items from their own personal histories. Anyone interested is encouraged to display their artifacts. Mary Anne Cunningham, assistant to the director of the Oberlin Heritage Center, explained that the pop-up museum will complement the OHC’s mission of connecting community members with history. “We’re always looking for new ways to connect people with history,” Cunningham said. “We thought this would be a really fun way to engage people with one another and allow them to...