Auroraadvocate.com - In The Community

Homes, other buildings

OK'd by review board

At its April 12 meeting, the city's architectural board of review gave the go-ahead for Jim and Greg Best to build a house on Page Road.

The home will be a ranch style and will replace a house on the property that will be torn down. There will not be any shutters, but all windows will be wrapped.

The board also approved residences to be built by Hersh Construction on Trails End Classic Homes on Lookout Point.

Other projects given the OK were a 12-by-16-foot shed for Michael Zdanowicz, a garage for Patrick Goggin, home additions for Alan Shorr, Chuck Stevens and Kim Jarvis and a shed for William Knowles.

No action was taken on three signs at the soon-to-be PartsSource facility on Lena Drive because a representative of the firm was not present.

Annual paint dropoff

will be April 28 in city

Aurora's annual paint dropoff will be April 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Brown Keidel Service Center off West Pioneer Trail.

Only paint and paint products in original containers will be accepted. No empty or dried up cans of paint will be taken; those can be placed in the trash after lids are taken off.

Small amounts of paint can be dried up with cat box filler or sand. Paint from contractors will not be accepted.

The paint dropoff is offered to residents in conjunction with the Portage County Solid Waste Management District. Questions should be referred to the district at 330-678-8808.

Fashion show planned

Aurora Library will host a "Be In Style for Spring" fashion show for teens April 28 at 1 p.m. in the Center for Performing Arts.

All area high school and middle school students are invited at no charge. Fashions for young women and men courtesy of Aurora Farms Premium Outlets will be featured.

Door prizes include a gift certificate from the Outlets. To register, stop at the library or call 330-562-6502.

Governor to visit city

According to his aides, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland will speak the morning of April 27 at the KnowledgeWorks 2007 annual leadership institute at the Bertram Inn in Aurora.

Video games, e-mail

newsletters available

GameCube and Wii console video games are now available in the Portage County district Library's newest collection. They are available for checkout on an adult PCDL card.

The library also has introduced two new e-mail newsletters -- "Picture Books" and "Kids Books."

"Picture Books" is written for parents and other interested adults and showcases the best new picture books and thematic lists of picture books of interest to children.

Kids Books is for late-elementary through middle schools students and gives readers a steady supply of recommended reading from the library.

The newsletters are part of NextReads, an e-mail newsletter subscription service available through PCDL's Web site at www.-portagelibrary.org.

Library patrons without e-mail addresses can take advantage of the newsletters by viewing them online at the library or from another Internet access source.

Information on the new services is available by stopping at the library, calling 330-562-6502 or visiting the Web site.

City reps attend annual

Tree City USA banquet

Mayor Lynn McGill told City Council on April 23 that several city representatives attended the Tree City USA 2007 banquet April 17 in Cuyahoga Falls.

Among the local reps were the mayor, arborist Courtney Schumm, Parks Coordinator Bill Fellenstein, tree commission chairman Dr. Jim Tomko and five members of the tree commission.

Aurora was honored for its 15th year as a tree city. McGill said this year the city will plant more than 250 trees, including 56 accolade cherries on Campus Drive in the southern industrial area.

"These are large calipher trees from Davey Tree Farm in Wooster," the mayor said. "Each tree and ball weigh more than 900 pounds. Next spring, the blossoms will be a glorious sight."

Bissells are honored

for land conservation

Aurora residents Robert and George Bissell were among those recognized for their contributions of land and conservation easements at the ninth annual Portage County Environmental Conservation Awards benefit dinner April 14.

The event in Kent's American Legion Hall attracted more than 200 people, and included a silent auction.

Along with many community groups, this year's event was co-sponsored by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, which will receive the more than $13,000 raised.

The evening's speaker was Richard Cochran, president and chief executive officer of the Land Conservancy. Charles Ramer was master of ceremonies.

Awards were given to the Hiram College Student Environmental Action Coalition, Waterloo High School Committee on Climate Change and Kent Roosevelt High School Zoology Club.

In addition to the Bissells, Sugarbush Farm and the Echelberrys of Mantua, George Faddoul of Roostown and Glenn and Judith Goodrich of Freedom earn-ed environmental awards.

Arbor Day coming up

Arbor Day will be ob-served April 27 in Aurora.

A tree planting and poster contest awards ceremony will take place at 1:40 p.m. at Valley Christian Academy on East Boulevard and 2:40 p.m. at Leighton School.

Both ceremonies will involve the mayor, tree commission, arborist Courtney Schumm, fifth-grade students and principals.

Abatement considered

The city's economic development board will meet April 26 at 4 p.m. to review an abatement application for Mike Meredith, owner of the Workshop, Wirecut & Machinery Co.

City meetings planned

City government meetings coming up are: tonight (April 25) -- civil service commission at 6:30; April 26 -- architectural board of review at 7 p.m.; May 1 -- service-utilities committee at 6:30 p.m.; May 2 -- planning commission at 7 p.m.; and May 3 -- parks-rec committee at 6:30 p.m.