Community News – Page 4 – The Oberlin Review

Residents Make Bullying Allegations Against Local Teacher

October 5, 2018

A group of Oberlin parents is calling for an investigation into Oberlin City Schools teacher Sharyle Strayer, citing allegations of bullying dating back to 2002. In a Sept. 25 email addressed to OCS Superintendent David Hall and members of the Oberlin Board of Education, the group said Strayer has had many complaints filed against her over her 16-year career with OCS. Strayer, who taught sixth-grade math during the 2017–18 academic year, is currently working as an intervention support instructor at Oberlin High School. The position will be re-evaluated at the end of the 2018–19 academic year. A 49-page document was attached to the email, which was signed by Oberlin residents Jeanne Lee Singleton, R...

Students Protest Open Carry

October 5, 2018

Three Oberlin students attended a demonstration at Kent State University to protest an “open carry walk” across campus on Saturday, Sept. 29. The walk attracted a large counter-protest from leftist groups, whose members outnumbered those of the far-right. College senior Maxim Mathee-O’Brien was arrested along with three other counter-demonstrators; all four were charged with misdemeanors, and one was charged with a felony. More police were in attendance than demonstrators. The demo...

Residents to Vote on School Consolidation

September 28, 2018

Oberlin residents will vote this November on Issue 11, a controversial proposed levy that would consolidate Oberlin City Schools into a single building by winter 2025. If approved, residents with a home value of $100,000 will see their taxes increase by $133 per year over the bond issues’ 37-year term, according to the school district. The proposal was motivated by declining enrollment in OCS, as well as concern over the state of existing facilities. Currently, the district comprises four sch...

Janet Garrett Gears up For Another Congressional Campaign

Jenna Gyimesi, News Editor

September 21, 2018

Democratic Congressional candidate Janet Garrett visited Oberlin Sept. 14 to speak with members of the community and drum up support for the upcoming election. Oberlin students are encouraged to vote in this election in particular because of the potential for upset. Garrett is running against Jim Jordan, who has represented Ohio’s 4th Congressional District since 2007. Jordan is a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus — the farthest-right group in the Republican Party — and has recently announced his intention to run for Speaker of the House. This campaign represents Garrett’s third run at Jordan’s seat. College sophomore Ilana Foggle works on Garrett’s campaign and is confident that Garrett would b...

Agave Staff, Patrons Allege Racial Bias in OPD Incident

September 14, 2018

Sergeant Steven Chapman of the Oberlin Police Department entered Agave last Friday night and engaged in what sources say was discriminatory behavior toward Black customers. An anonymous male called the Oberlin Police Department on Friday to report a group of people in the alley between Agave and Lorenzo’s the night of the incident, claiming he suspected the group of dealing drugs. Chapman advised OPD to dispatch two police units, both of which arrived at the scene before 11 p.m with a K-9 unit. ...

Lorain, Ohio Misses Deadline on Medical Marijuana Program

Anisa Curry Vietze

September 14, 2018

Medical marijuana dispensaries are still inactive in Lorain County even though they were expected to be fully functional by the target date of Sept. 8. Ohio legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes in House Bill 523. The bill detailed that the program should be up and running two years after it was approved. More than two years after its passage, medical marijuana is still not available in Lorain County — or anywhere else in Ohio. State Representative Dan Ramos helped craft House Bill 523 and expressed concern about the delay. “I’m very worried from a public health perspective,” he said. “We didn’t write a law that said ‘develop a medical marijuana program,’ we wrote a law saying ‘develop a ...

Community Members Debate Next Steps for NEXUS

Roman Broszkowski, Staff Writer

September 7, 2018

After failing to stop construction of the NEXUS pipeline, protesters and environmental activists are regrouping and planning for what comes next. Some are looking specifically at how to protect Oberlin, some argue that the way forward lies in regional coalitions, and others believe that only radical restructuring, such as creating a landfill gas pipeline, can produce a desired outcome. Pipeline construction was completed over the summer. On July 25, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected a request for a rehearing of the construction approval. The request was filed by multiple groups, including the City of Oberlin and Communities for Safe and Sustainable Energy. Reverends Steve Hammond and John Elder founded CSSE in 2012...

Oberlin Community News Bulletin

September 7, 2018

Face Your Fears at the Oberlin Firewalk Come see what Oberlin has to offer at the 12th annual Gregg Gilder Memorial Firewalk at Common Ground in Oberlin Saturday, Sept. 8th from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. After a demonstration by Dave Tuscany, a certified firewalker, you can test your gumption on the firepit. Participants of all ages are welcome. Children may walk with parental consent and supervision. Registration is $49 per person. Former Oberlin Exco Teacher Sentenced to Prison Robert Roche, a former instructor in Oberlin’s Experimental College program, has been sentenced to four months in prison and a fine of $77,097 for laundering more than $77,000 from a Native American Aid foundation. At the time of the theft...

Consignment Store All Things Great Opens Downtown

May 11, 2018

All Things Great, a consignment and vintage store, will open tomorrow on Main Street in the location formerly occupied by Ade’s Place. Co-owners Laurel Kirtz and Kate Harvey hope that the store will help students and community members repurpose their unwanted items and reduce waste, while acting as an outlet for the community — especially for artists. “I hope to reduce trash because I know that the students throw a lot of stuff away, and they don’t want to, but they don’t really have a l...

Issue 1, Joe Miller Sweep on Election Day

May 11, 2018

As the Ohio primary polls closed Tuesday evening, overall pivoting in numbers toward Republican candidates across the state, Oberlin’s District 56 came away with Rob Weber as the uncontested Republican state candidate and Joe Miller as the narrow winner among four Democratic state representative candidates. The ballot also showed that Issue 1, Ohio’s popularly discussed anti-gerrymandering bill, passed with a huge 75 percent approval. Miller’s platform focuses on addressing issues ranging fr...

New Restaurant Promises Friendly Local Experience

May 4, 2018

The Corner Joint has opened on East College Street as one of the newest restaurants in the area. Employing an eclectic, farm-to-fork menu, the restaurant opened its doors April 20 and has already attained a five-star rating on Facebook and Yelp. The Corner Joint is in the location formerly occupied by India Garden, which closed its doors in February after serving Oberlin for just under two years. Owner Dana Juliano and her boyfriend, Head Chef Brad Pickens, hope to revitalize the space and make T...

College Students Join McDonald’s Boycott

May 4, 2018

Members of Oberlin Animal Rights held a two-hour protest and posted flyers outside Oberlin’s North Main Street McDonald’s Monday to protest inhumane animal conditions and food sourcing as part of a nationwide campaign against the franchise. Although OAR’s effort was a small, three-person protest, the national mission of the campaign is to exert pressure on McDonald’s and convince the chain to adopt stricter regulations for suppliers in their treatment of chickens. “We’re working in conjunction with...