Chris Assenheimer

The Gazette

CLEVELAND — Trevor Bauer had plenty of excuses not to pitch well in the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. He didn’t need to use any of them.

Pressed into service for an ill Danny Salazar on a chilly night at Progressive Field, Bauer rose to the occasion and then some, helping the Indians to a 3-1 victory.

Bauer, a routine-focused pitcher, was in the comfort zone all night, allowing a run on five hits and three walks, while striking out seven over eight innings. He didn’t allow a hit until Albert Pujols’ two-out double in the fourth inning of his second straight quality outing after a lengthy series of poor ones.

“I thought tonight he did a much better job of mixing and matching pitches,” said manager Terry Francona, whose team has won six of its last eight overall, and seven of its last nine home games. “One run in eight innings, we’ll take that every time. He made more better pitches. He’s evolving as he learns, but he’s trying, which is good.”

With his two-seam fastball as good as it has been in a while, Bauer, who with Thursday’s off-day, was actually pitching on regular rest, induced a career-high four double plays.

“It was big,” Bauer said of his two-seamer. “It’s nice to finally have that pitch back. It disappeared for a couple months. It was really good last game and it was good again tonight. I think I had four or five strikeouts on it and two double plays.”

Bauer said pitching out of his turn did not affect him.

“You never know about stuff like that,” he said. “I try not to worry about it. ‘Just tell me when I’m supposed to pitch and I’ll get ready to pitch and go out there and try to do my best.”‘

Though they had 10 hits on the night, the Indians’ weren’t able to score off Angels starter Andrew Heaney, who allowed six hits over six innings.

Cleveland got all of its runs in the seventh, overcoming a 1-0 deficit against three Los Angeles relievers.

Abraham Almonte tied the game with his first career RBI as a pinch hitter — a double to left-center that scored Jose Ramirez with one out. Jason Kipnis followed with an RBI single that scored Almonte with the go-ahead run, then Carlos Santana’s two-out single plated Kipnis with the Indians’ final run.

“When you pitch like that, all of a sudden you get a couple hits, and they’re clutch hits instead of feel-good hits,” Francona said.

The Indians amassed 10 or more hits for the 10th straight game at Progressive Field, which is the second time they’ve been able to accomplish that and the first since 1936 (13 straight home games).

Bauer (10-10, 4.31 ERA) has struck out 152 batters over 26 starts, joining rotation mates Corey Kluber (213), Carlos Carrasco (173) and Salazar (162) to reach the 150 plateau. It is the first time in club history that four pitchers have struck out at least 150 batters.

“You’re talking about a staff with really good stuff all the way around,” Bauer said. “It’s fun trying to compete with those guys. “

Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on Twitter.

WESTFIELD TWP. — A pair of teams plagued with struggles and losing seasons lined up across from one another Friday night.

Cloverleaf was coming off a winless season and Northwest was coming off two years of humiliating losses. Both had experienced teams and were looking to right the ship.

The Indians took out the struggles of their pained past and walloped the Colts 55-8 in the non-league season opener at Gene Clark Stadium.

“We’ve got 15 starters back,” Northwest coach Vic Whiting said. “The last two years we’ve taken a pounding because we played six sophomores and a freshman two years in a row. When we played varsity football, it was like playing jayvee vs. varsity. We just didn’t have enough seniors. I thought we played very well tonight.”

Northwest dominated throughout and was never threatened, building a 28-0 at intermission and putting the game away with a big third quarter.

“We just weren’t doing what we were supposed to do,” first-year Cloverleaf coach Justin Vorhies said. “It’s on ourselves. We need to do things the right way on the field and, until we get that done, we’re going to struggle.”

Northwest was a model of efficiency, scoring on all but one possession, while the Colts were the exact opposite and struggled on both sides of the ball.

The Indians took advantage of four Cloverleaf interceptions — at least one from all three players who attempted passes — and rolled through the Colts defense with 345 total yards.

Nasir Martin (2 int.) and James Nicholson each returned picks for scores as the Northwest defense didn’t break until the backups let in a Diego Rivera 28-yard score with 1:34 to play.

“The defense set everything up,” Whiting said. “We played great defense, we had a great goal-line defense, we had four picks and two were returned for touchdowns and the third set up a touchdown. The defense set the table.”

Spearheading the Indians’ offensive attack was senior tailback Joe Waring. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder proved tough to bring down all night, whether taking a handoff or catching the ball out of the backfield. Waring accounted for 147 yards from scrimmage (64 rushing, 83 receiving) and a pair of scores before taking a seat in the third quarter.

“This year our offense has really come together,” Waring said. “We are really tough to stop and with our momentum we just kept driving down the field.”

Throw in 99 yards and a score from Michael Roman and a strong performance from Briar Barabasch (8-for-13 passing, 147 yards, 2 TDs) and it was all she wrote for the Colts.

Indians backup tailback Brian Hull set the running clock into action with 10:21 left in the third.

Cloverleaf had 145 yards and failed to score on first-and-goal from the 6 late in the first half.

“We have to worry about us and do things the right way every play and not lose focus,” Vorhies said. “We can’t worry about what the guy across from me is doing. Just do your thing and do it right.”

Rivera’s late rush to paydirt earned him team honors with 34 yards rushing.

Contact Chad Grant at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Northwest 55, Cloverleaf 8

NORTHWEST                           14  14  20  7  — 55

CLOVERLEAF                           0    0    0   8  —   8

First

N — Joe Waring 2 run (Noah Donatelli kick), 6:11.

N — Michael Roman 1 run (Donatelli kick), 3:05.

Second

N — Waring 8 pass from Briar Barabasch (Donatelli kick), 8:57.

N — Nasir Martin 40 interception return (Donatelli kick), 6:50.

Third

N — Brian Hull 2 run (kick failed), 10:21.

N — James Nicholson 11 interception return (Donatelli kick), 8:19.

N — Martin 28 pass from Barabasch (Donatelli kick), 4:00.

Fourth

N — Kyle Gajovski 1 run (Donatelli kick), 10:36.

C — Diego Rivera 28 run (Michael Rohde run), 1:34.

Scott Petrak

The Gazette

Josh McCown is friendly, accommodating and thoughtful with reporters. But he was curt this week when asked to reflect on his time with Tampa Bay.

“I’d rather not,” he said.

McCown has good reason for not wanting to spend too much time thinking about his year with the Buccaneers, whom the Browns visit tonight. He signed a two-year, $10 million contract in 2014 to be the starting quarterback, but won only one game in 11 starts and was cut after the season.

Despite his objection, McCown quickly obliged the questioner.

“There are some great people there, and I have great relationships with the players and coaches there for sure,” he continued. “We didn’t get done what we wanted to get done there, obviously. But it’s another game and another opportunity for the Browns to get better. So I’ve kind of moved on from that standpoint.

“It’s not like I was there for 10 years. I was there for a year. So I’m just focused on what we’re doing and us trying to improve.”

McCown was considered nothing more than a journeyman backup until he filled in for Jay Cutler with Chicago in 2013. McCown went 3-2 as a starter with 13 touchdowns, one interception and a 109.0 rating — the only rating above 74.9 in his 12-year career.

Coach Lovie Smith, who had been with McCown in Chicago, was hired by the Buccaneers in 2014 and brought in McCown to be his starter.

As bad as last season was for McCown — 56.3 completion percentage, 11 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 70.5 rating — it didn’t deter the Browns from pursuing him when Tampa Bay cut him. The Browns won a battle for the now-36-year-old, signed him to a three-year, $14 million contract with $6.25 million guaranteed and installed him as the starter.

Coach Mike Pettine has stuck with McCown atop the depth chart, even with the much-discussed improvement of backup Johnny Manziel. With Manziel sidelined for the final two preseason games with a sore throwing elbow, McCown’s hold on the starting job appears tighter than ever heading into the “dress rehearsal” third preseason game tonight.

“It feels no different. I prepare no differently,” McCown said. “I’m going to come out here and work and get myself ready to play and go in and focus on those things: playing efficient football, completing the ball at a high percentage, staying in manageable downs and getting us up and down the field. So that would be my mindset no matter what quarter I was playing in.

“The mindset of a quarterback never changes. Everybody’s goal is the same. You want to move your team and get in the end zone. So that’s my focus no matter what.”

Tonight could be the last time McCown and many of the starters play before the season opener Sept. 13 at the New York Jets. A strong half or three quarters would do wonders for the outlook of the fan base, but McCown downplayed its significance.

“I don’t know if it’s big,” he said. “You get extended work in it and it can be viewed that way, but at the same time, I would be interested to look and see if you go out and win the third preseason game you’re going to have a great year and if you don’t …

“I think you just want to go out and get efficient work and continue to build. So it’s important from that standpoint because you know you’re going to be on the field longer and you get an opportunity to get in rhythm and put drives together.”

The offense should look a lot more like what first-year coordinator John DeFilippo envisions for the season. Veteran receiver Dwayne Bowe and rookie running back Duke Johnson returned to practice this week following hamstring injuries, are expected to make their preseason debuts and should provide a boost. Bowe has 532 catches in his career, and DeFilippo has big plans for Johnson in the run and pass games.

“I’m really excited to see what Dwayne Bowe and Duke Johnson can do on the field,” DeFilippo said. “Obviously Dwayne has shown what he can do in terms of when he was with the Chiefs, but he hasn’t done it here, I want to see it firsthand. I think it’s very important that we get those two guys involved. I’m not going to say I’m going to tailor the whole game plan around those two guys, but we need to see what they can do.”

Johnson, a third-round pick, missed three weeks of camp with the hamstring injury, but Pettine saw his signature explosiveness right away when he returned. He has the ability to turn a short pass into a long gain.

“I’ve seen enough from Duke in the spring where I have a feel for what he can do and what the skill set is,” DeFilippo said. “At the same time he’s never been in a live situation before. It’s important to see Duke out there.

“He’s going to have a significant role, I would think, in this game. I’m hoping when he’s in there he can show us what he can do.”

DeFilippo could also have receiver Terrelle Pryor at his disposal for the first time. Pryor was sidelined with a hamstring injury until Wednesday, and his availability for tonight was less certain. The former quarterback has a week left to show enough to the decision-makers to give him one of the precious 53 regular-season roster spots.

“It is a projection and the projection is we have less information to make that projection based on how training camp went for him,” Pettine said.

McCown jammed a finger last week against the Bills, but hasn’t missed any time. He threw two interceptions in that game, alarming fans and jump-starting a conversation about whether Manziel should be the starter.

The reality is McCown, with the exception of a tipped interception and an ill-advised jump ball downfield, has been sharp. He led a touchdown drive on his only possession in the opener, rebounded from the interceptions for a field-goal drive against Buffalo and is 12-for-15 for 90 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions, three sacks and a 74.3 rating.

“I liked how I played the other day,” he said. “We ended up in third-and-longs, we’ve got to stay out of those and you don’t want to put two interceptions on the sheet no matter how they come. I just don’t like it obviously. None of us should.

“But I want us to continue to play like we did the first game and even (in the second) game I felt like in the passing game we were playing efficient football as far as throwing and catching. We’ve just got to keep that up. I feel like we’re completing at a high percentage. But staying in manageable downs I think is the biggest key.”

Contact Scott Petrak at (440) 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on Twitter.

YORK TWP. — At times Friday, it looked like the only thing that could stop the Buckeye football team against Revere was the Bucks themselves.

If not for cramping issues — it seemed like it happened almost every play in the second half — Buckeye put together a very impressive 35-14 season-opening win over the Minutemen.

Buckeye’s Trevor Thome looks to avoid Revere’s Logan Bergh in the first quarter. JUDD SMERGLIA/GAZETTE

Nathan Scott ran for 96 yards on 12 carries and scored three touchdowns, while Trevor Thome had seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown and added a two-point conversion.

Defensively, Kyle Svagerko (2 sacks), Josh England (2) and Jack Schroeder (1, fumble recovery) stymied Revere quarterback A.J. Hughes at almost every stop.

Aside from when Buckeye was trading yards for time off the clock in the fourth quarter, the Minutemen didn’t do much when the game was in question.

Revere had 227 yards of offense, but most of it came deep in the fourth quarter with the game long decided.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled,” Bucks coach Mark Pinzone said. “We certainly had our problems with health on the defensive line, which is also our offensive line. We definitely had the cramping issues, and we’re concerned about Brad Calta with his hand, but I couldn’t be happier with what the guys did.”

What the guys did for Pinzone was take out close to 10 months of frustration on Revere. A squad that made the playoffs last season by winning its last eight regular-season games, Buckeye had a rude ending to the season when Bowling Green wiped it up in a 41-7 first-round playoff beating.

Players like Scott and Thome stewed all offseason, waiting to get back at Revere. When the Minutemen stepped on the field, the Bucks never really let off the pedal.

“That played a huge factor coming in for our goals and determinations,” Scott said. “Getting blown out in the first round two years in a row really sucks for us. We really take that to heart as we’re reaching for new things this year.”

One of the other things the squad took to heart was the fact the Minutemen rolled Buckeye 55-7 and 43-21 in the last two openers. With that on their minds, the Bucks came out and built a 14-7 halftime lead.

“This one was a big one for us,” Thome said. “Two years ago, they came here with our new coaching staff. We were excited and they hit us hard and pounded us. Last year, we were feeling good again and they smashed us again. This was a huge win and a confidence booster for us.”

That came in large part because of a patient Buckeye team that took advantage of Revere mistakes.

The first came on a fumble from Devin Olsafsky that Thome eventually turned into a 1-yard touchdown run to open the scoring.

The next came at the start of the third quarter, when a 10-yard punt by Nick Johnson gave Buckeye the ball on the Revere 30-yard line. Five plays later, Scott went in from 4 yards to make the score 20-7.

That’s the way the Bucks rolled Friday, as their scoring drives took up 2:12, 1:11, 1:32, 2:56 and 1:52.

“It was great to show them how much we’ve improved,” two-way lineman Schroeder said. “I just hope Rocky River was watching that because they can’t stop that, either.”

Note: While he didn’t have a triple-double, Roberto Lebron did get in the books for Revere. The junior carried the ball one time for 3 yards in garbage time.

Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Buckeye 35, Revere 14

REVERE               0  7   0   7  —  14

BUCKEYE            7  7  14  7  —  35

First

B — Trevor Thome 1 run (Richard Gatt kick), 5:57.

Second

R — Nate Predojev 22 pass from A.J. Hughes (Matt Giltner kick), 10:09.

B — Nathan Scott 49 run (Gatt kick), 8:58.

Third

B — Scott 4 run (kick failed), 8:26.

B — Scott 8 run (Thome pass from Nathan Polidori), 3:18.

Fourth

R — Clayton Langdon 9 run (Giltner kick), 6:30.

B — Thome 39 pass from Polidori (Gatt kick), 4:38.

Steve W. Anderson, Jr., 78, beloved husband and devoted father, passed away Tuesday, August 25, 2015, in Punta Gorda, Florida. Steve was born June 18, 1937 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to the late Steve and Phyllis (Heeter) Anderson. He graduated from Swissvale High and attended Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Steve served his country proudly in the U.S. Army in Germany before starting his lifetime career in sales. On a whim, Steve moved across the country to Huntington Beach, California where he met his wife of 44 years, for which California has always held a special place in his heart. He stayed true to his Pittsburgh roots and was an avid lifetime Steelers fan. Steve was always smiling and finding humor in life for which he will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife, Linda (Bilinovich); children, Steven Anderson of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, Cara Anderson of Chicago, Illinois and Erik of Newport Beach, California; sister, Connie Nichter of Louisville, Kentucky and a host of nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, September 1, 2015, 11 A.M., at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 606 E. Washington St., Medina. Fr. Thomas Kowatch will officiate. Burial with military honors will follow at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman. Family will receive friends Monday, August 31, 2015, from 5 until 8 P.M., at the Waite & Son Funeral Home, 765 N. Court St., Medina.
In lieu of flowers, Steve’s family suggests memorial contributions be made to your favorite charity.
Online condolences may be left at waitefuneralhome.com

The Medina County OVI Task Force and Ohio Highway Patrol are holding a sobriety checkpoint tonight in Sharon and Granger Townships.

The checkpoint will begin at 9 p.m. on the 200 block of state Route 18 in Sharon and Granger Townships.

MEDINA – Knock off the sixth-ranked team in the nation and second-ranked team in the state according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.

Check.

Get a bit of revenge on the very school that knocked you out of the playoffs last season at the district final level.

Check and check.

Send an early message to the district that the Medina boys soccer team is the one to watch this season after knocking off returning state semifinalist Copley 2-1 in come-from-behind fashion.

Check. Check. Check.

The Bees (2-1) did all that Saturday in an epic early season win over the Indians (1-1) that had all the feel of a playoff game.

“I spoke about confidence and this should be a springboard for the season,” Medina coach Simon Spelling said. “We are capable of playing against the best teams and getting results. I hope they believe it now. I hope they see it in their training and consistency. They now have the knowledge that they can win and that they will win.”

How Medina won should show teams in the future just how much heart the Bees have. After a defensive mishap gave Copley a 1-0 advantage on a goal by Jarod Deagan with 38:52 left in the second half Medina went to work.

Bees forward Justin Libertowski was able to tie things up when he won a 50/50 ball, beat keeper Jake White to the dribble, and pocketed the equalizer with 9:47 remaining.

Showing it wasn’t content with a tie, Medina kept the pressure on and found the game-winner when Libertowski sent a back heel pass to Brad Fogel. Fogel beat White to the right corner with 2:40 remaining and a packed house at Memorial Stadium erupted.

“When Justin scored the first goal he came up to me and was like, ‘I know we’re going to score another,’” Fogel said. “He flicked it back and I just put it on goal.

“When it went in, all I thought was, ‘We just won the game.’ It’s the best feeling ever. It makes your heart race. This is huge for us. They’re ranked No. 2 in Ohio and we just knocked them off. It proves how good of a team we are.”

It also shows that the Bees are a squad that never gives up. While some would get upset after coming up empty on more than a few chances, Medina kept pushing.

When the game-winner finally found nylon, the end of a hard-fought match culminated with a Bees’ victory they can build on the rest of the season.

“This means so much,” Libertowski said. “They kicked us out in the district finals last year. We knew we had to beat them. This is our time. It was our game to win.

“This really puts us out there as a threat to other teams. That’s a really good team out there and we just beat them. It was just a good win.”

Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Medina 2, Copley 1

COPLEY 0 1 – 1

MEDINA 0 2 – 2

Second

C – Jarod Deagan, 38:52.

M – Justin Libertowski, 9:47.

M – Brad Fogel (Libertowski), 2:40.

Shots – Medina 6, Copley 3. Corner kicks – Copley 3, Medina 3. Saves – Jake White (C) 4, Tyler Vogrin (M) 2. Records – Copley (1-1), Medina (2-1). Junior varsity – Medina 2, Copley 0.

Brunswick Hills fire Lt. Rich Dalziel oversees a crowd of children taking part Saturday in a ceremonial washing of Engine 21-2. (NIKKI RHOADES / GAZETTE)

The Brunswick Hills Township Fire Department hosted a groundbreaking and “housing” ceremony Saturday to celebrate upcoming renovations to the 35-year-old Fire Station No. 2 at 4875 Grafton Road and to place two new engines into service.

Chief Anthony Strazzo said the No. 2 station was constructed in 1980. At the time, Brunswick Hills had a population of 3,324 and the department responded to 38 alarms that year.

Now, the township has more than 10,000 residents. In 2014, the department responded to more than 750 calls. That growth in demand caused a need for the expansion of Station 2, he said.

Township trustees John Witthun, Michael Esber and Christina Kusnerak ceremonially scooped dirt with golden shovels to mark the beginning of the renovation project. Construction on the $550,000 project is set to begin Sept. 8 by Seitz Builders. It will add approximately 2,000 square feet and renovate about 750 square feet of the existing station.

The department learned last year it needed a new engine after a Fire Station No. 1 vehicle failed to pass its annual recertification testing. After the department sold its aging ladder truck, it spent about $940,000, Strazzo said, to purchase Engine 21-1 and Engine 21-2, which were placed into service at Saturday’s “housing” ceremony.

Strazzo said department members worked together to determine what features would be most beneficial to add to the vehicles.

“I can tell you, literally hundreds of hours were spent by department personnel coming up with the specifications for these vehicles,” he said.

“Everyone in the department had a chance to put some thought into it and make recommendations. We asked them what we currently had that was working well and what they thought we would need in the future.”

The department decided to purchase engines from Ohio fire truck manufacturer Sutphen Corp., based in Dublin near Columbus.

“My wish today, my hope as we dedicate this equipment, is for it to serve the township for many, many years to come,” Witthuhn said of the new engines.

“And my prayer is that everyone that uses this equipment will return safely at the end of every shift.”

As a part of the ceremony, St. Ambrose Catholic Parish’s recently ordained the Rev. Rob Ramser blessed the new engines with prayer and holy water.

“I am very excited, because this is the first time I have ever done anything like this,” Ramser said.

“We hear in sacred scripture that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us … Christ, who is our strength, support, our guide and our protector. Let us ask God for blessings upon these new fire engines and upon all those who use them.”

Following the blessing, children from across the community grabbed hoses and towels to wash and dry the engines before they were put into service.

Strazzo then put in a call to alert the department’s dispatch unit the engines were ready, and a call was sent out to place the engines into service.

“Attention Brunswick Hills and monitoring departments,” came the report from dispatch.

“Brunswick Hills Engines 21-1 and 21-2 are hereby placed in service and available for response.”

The firefighters concluded the ceremony by pushing the new trucks into Fire Station 2, a tradition that dates to when horses were unable to push horse-drawn fire engines back into the station.

Coby Toth, 8, of Medina, is baptized Sunday by Brad Jones, family pastor at First Baptist Church, Medina Township. (KATIE ANDERSON / GAZETTE)

Hundreds of people crowded under tents and umbrellas Sunday morning at Medina’s Uptown Park for a Christian service and baptisms.

First Baptist Church, state Route 18, Medina Township, and Second Baptist Church, Bronson Street, Medina, combined their Sunday services for the eighth annual Service on the Square that lasted from 10 a.m. to noon.

“We’re so thankful to be able to do a service like this in the heart of the city,” said the Rev. John McCaw, pastor of First Baptist. “In a world where religion and race divides us so much, we’re glad to be able to come together like this to worship our Savior.”

The Rev. Cornell Carter of Second Baptist Church said that in the 1920s, when Second Baptist first was established, the First and Second Baptist churches in Medina worshipped together. Now, nearly 100 years later, that tradition continues.

“It’s kind of ironic that we returned to our beginnings,” Carter said. “I view this as a foretaste of what heaven will be like — everyone worshipping together.”

The service was delayed slightly by a downpour about 9:30 a.m. The worship music team from First Baptist had to put a tarp over their equipment and wait for the rain to clear before they started playing.

“This isn’t going to dampen our spirits, is it?” McCaw asked the crowd of people who had flooded the square. “We can handle a little rain.”

After choir performances from both churches and a sermon from McCaw, eight people were baptized in a large plastic tub of water that First Baptist brought to the square.

“This service is very important to us because we want our people to live their faith out publicly,” McCaw said. “We love our community and as long as we can have this service, we want to do it.”

Tasha Marason, 23, of Medina, was one of the eight to be baptized.

“I’ve had a rough, rough, rocky road,” she said. “I had to make a big decision. I gave my life to God Thursday morning and I wanted to be baptized.”

Colleen Johnson, 10, of Medina, was another to be baptized. She said she wanted to do it because she knows “that Jesus loves me.”

“Baptism means I’m showing everybody that I accepted Jesus into my heart,” she said.

After the service, lunch was provided to all in attendance and inflatables were available for children to play on.

Scott Ciupak, an 11-year member of First Baptist, helped hand out coffee, doughnuts and popcorn to people attending the service.

“What I love most about this event is being able to give somebody something for free,” he said. “What a perfect picture of God’s free gift and how God has blessed us with the gift of His Son.”

Connie Lurtz stands with the 12 Vietnam war veterans who received quilts that she made as part of the national nonprofit Quilt of Valor Foundation. From left, front row: Scott Kopfstein, post commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5137 in Medina Township; Paul Kari; Dennis Brown; Henry Silverhorn; Thomas Corbett; and Robert Reimer. From left, second row: Thomas Minich, Donald Brown, Patrick Pinkerton, Jack Forster, Henry Stroud and Rodney Rush. (LAWRENCE PANTAGES / GAZETTE)

Bob Finnan and Lawrence Pantages | The Gazette

A Sharon Township woman just wanted to give back.

Connie Lurtz, 65, presented 12 quilts on Sunday to Vietnam veterans at a ceremony at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5137, 3916 Pearl Road, Medina Township.

She started making the quilts last January and estimated it took about 560 hours to finish them.

“One of the Vietnam vets (Paul Kari) was a prisoner-of-war for eight years,” Lurtz said.

Nine were presented to former classmates of Lurtz from the 1960s at Highland High School. All 12 veterans were part of active duty in Vietnam or part of a support group.

Her work was inspired by the Quilt of Valor Foundation, a nonprofit that was organized in 2003 by Catherine Roberts of Seaford, Del., whose son served in Iraq.

She said she finished the project a week ago.

Lurtz said she got the idea at a Memorial Day picnic last year that was attended by her son, a Marine, and two brothers-in-law, who served in Afghanistan.

She said each lap quilt is 76-by-94-inches. Each one has decals from all four branches of the armed forces, along with stars and stripes. She purchased the materials from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store.

“I absolutely love to sew,” Lurtz said.

Each quilt has a label with the veteran’s name on it.

Lurtz’s brother-in-law, Chuck Callen, visiting from Iowa, and VFW Post Commander Scott Kopfstein of Medina, coordinated the ceremony. As Callen named each veteran, he listed their branch of service with details and names of their groups and Lurtz wrapped the quilt around each one.

The program for the event also credited the Ladies Auxiliary of Post 5137 and Sharon Printing for their efforts.

In a welcome note in the VFW program, Lurtz wrote that making the quilts “was nothing compared to what each of the recipients gave of themselves, for all Americans. I am grateful for their sacrifices, risk of life, and fearless guts, just to assure the freedom that I, and all Americans, enjoy to this day. Freedom is indeed not free!”

The honorees were:

• Scott Kopfstein, Navy;
• Donald Brown, Marines;
• Thomas Minich, Army;
• Henry Silverhorn, Army;
• Dennis Brown, Marines;
• Patrick Pinkerton, Army;
• Robert Reimer, Army;
• Jack Forster, Marines;
• Henry Stroud, Army;
• Thomas Corbett, Army;
• Rodney Rush, Army;
• Paul Kari, Air Force.

William T. Ensor, 77, of Medina, went to be with our Lord Saturday, August 29, 2015. He passed away peacefully at Hospice of Medina County surrounded by his family. Bill was born February 12, 1938 in Towson, Maryland, to the late Truman and Evelyn (Segafoose) Ensor.
His family moved to Buffalo, then to Cleveland where he grew up. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High school and went on to receive a bachelors in Business from Bowling Green University in 1960. During his senior year of college he was offered and accepted a position with IBM. After working for IBM for 27 years he took an early retirement and went on to work for multiple companies selling IBM computers until he fully retired in 2003.
Bill married Carol J. Smith, his college sweetheart, June 17, 1961. They moved to Lakewood, Bay Village and Canton, Ohio, then to Rochester, Minnesota and finally settled in Medina, in 1977. They had recently celebrated their 52nd anniversary when Carol passed in 2013. After retirement Bill put great time and effort into researching the genealogy of his family. Through contacts he made and places he visited he collected enough information to write a book. He enjoyed traveling and taking vacations with his family. Continuing a tradition from his parents, the family spent time every summer in Ocean City, Maryland. He was a longtime member of Medina United Methodist Church and Medina Presbyterian Church where he enjoyed various men’s’ Bible study groups.
Bill is survived by his loving children, Robert, (Lisa) of Sheffield Lake, Susan (Kenneth) Picklesimer, of Cleveland, and Karen (Robert) Youngs, of Toledo. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Noah, Jacob, Carol Ann, Evan, Jason and Ryan and one great-granddaughter, Hailyn; his dear friend and companion, Frances Ryan of Wadsworth and sister, Carolyn Barry of California.
His strength and compassion, when taking care of his wife through her struggle with cancer, was an uplifting and powerful example to his family of his love and faith. After suffering a stroke in 2014, Bill was determined to regain his mobility and independence. He unfortunately lost his battle with Leukemia before he had reached his goal. He will be sorely missed.
Services will be held Wednesday, September 2, 2015, at 10:30 A.M., at Waite & Son Funeral Home, 765 N. Court St., Medina. Dr. David Wallover will officiate. Private burial will be at Spring Grove Cemetery in Medina. The family will receive friends from 3 until 5 P.M. and 6 until 8 P.M., Tuesday, September 1, 2015, at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of Medina County, 5075 Windfall Road, Medina, OH 44256.
Online condolences may be left at waitefuneralhome.com

Karen Ann Echols, 67, of Doylestown, died peacefully Saturday, August 29, 2015, at Barberton Citizens Hospital following a brief battle with cancer. Karen was born February 15, 1948 in Medina, to the late Lawrence and Margaret M. (Huffman) Horner Sr.
She attended Cloverleaf High School. She was a dedicated employee at the Pilot Station in Burbank and had made her home in Doylestown for the past 10 years, previously residing in Creston. Karen was a member of Reimer Road Baptist Church and enjoyed watching the Cleveland Cavs, attending softball games, shopping trips to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and gatherings with family and friends. She loved collecting Elvis memorabilia, butterflies and ducks.
Surviving are brothers and sisters-in-law, Jimmy and Kelley Horner of Doylestown and Lawrence and Billie Horner, Jr. of Atlantic, Virginia; a sister, Patricia Putney of Taylor, South Carolina and nieces and nephews and cousins.
Services will be Tuesday, September 1, 2015, at 11 A.M., at Murray Funeral Home in Creston with burial following in Creston Maple Mound Cemetery. Friends may call Monday, August 31, 2015, from 5 until 8 P.M., at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 525 N. Broad St., Canfield, OH 44406.
Tributes may be shared at www.Murray-Funeral-Home.com

Medina’s Loren Sefcik, left, and Janiece Joyner celebrate Sefcik’s game-winning goal. (JUDD SMERGLIA / GAZETTE)

MEDINA — Loren Sefcik certainly knows how to make an entrance.

Making her first varsity start for the Medina girls soccer team, the sophomore forward scored the winning goal in the waning minutes of a 3-2 victory over Westlake on Saturday.

Not bad for someone who was playing club soccer for the Internationals at this time last year.

“It was amazing,” Sefcik said. “But without the help of my teammates, I couldn’t have scored the goal. We all put forth an effort to score it.”

That came at the right time, as the Demons (1-2) had mounted an incredible comeback to tie the game with 4:50 left.

But Olivia Sency beat her opponent to the end line and sent a pass to Sefcik at the goal mouth. Sefcik one-timed the pass off her right foot and beat Katarina Jamsek easily for the game-winner with 2:40 remaining.

“I had previously missed a pretty wide-open shot, so I knew when I came in I had to make improvements in my play,” Sency said. “It was 2-2 and we needed to score. I looked up into the box to find a white shirt and found Loren.

“There was a sense of relief for sure when I saw the ball go in the back of the net. It made me realize we can’t stop for five minutes because everyone wants to beat Medina.”

That is what the Bees, who are ranked fifth in the nation and first in the state by TopDrawerSoccer.com, got to see against a very game Westlake team.

For 60 minutes, Peyton Rimko and Rebecca Essig led a Demons defense that hounded Medina (2-0).

The Bees owned the stat book, outshooting Westlake 13-3 and taking an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks, but had been empty where it mattered most.

That was until Liz Ash rifled a shot off a pass from Sefcik that just about tore the hand off Jamsek before hitting the back of the net with 20:35 remaining.

Just 117 seconds later, Tarah Roller pocketed a pass from Sydney Leckie and it looked like Medina was going to cruise, but Gabi Kasakowski scored with 7:16 left to make it a one-goal game before scoring again — this time off a corner kick from Rimko — to tie the score.

“The bottom line is we took our foot off the gas 15 minutes too early,” Medina coach Doug Coreno said. “Westlake has a very proud tradition of soccer. They’re a very good team. We counted the victory a little too soon and they made us pay.

“We showed a lot of character and a lot of maturity to come back and secure a win. Usually, when teams learn a lesson, they learn it with a bad result. We learned it and still managed to get the result and that says a lot about our team.”

No. 5 rankings don’t come around often, so when they do, everyone will come with arrows sharpened.

“We have to play our best every single game,” Sency said. “If we do that every single time, we’ll win. If we take our foot off the gas, it’ll be a game.”

Note

The Medina junior varsity won as well, taking home a 4-0 decision. Emma Bulan scored twice.

Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Medina 3, Westlake 2
WESTLAKE 0 2 — 2
MEDINA 0 3 — 3
Second
M — Liz Ash (Loren Sefcik), 20:35.
M — Tarah Roller (Sydney Leckie), 18:38.
W — Gabi Kasakowski, 7:16.
W — Kasakowski (Peyton Rimko), 4:50.
M — Sefcik (Olivia Sency), 2:32.
Shots — Medina 13, Westlake 3. Corner kicks — Medina 8, Westlake 1. Saves — Katrina Jamsek (W) 10, Sophia Weidner (M) 1, Cameron Olin (M) 0. Records — Medina (2-0), Westlake (1-2). Junior varsity — Medina 4, Westlake 0.

Quarterback Josh McCown and many of the Browns starters played their final preseason snaps Saturday night at Tampa Bay. They finished on a high note with a third-quarter touchdown drive, a 31-7 victory — Cleveland’s first of the preseason — and plenty of good vibes heading into the regular-season opener Sept. 13 at the New York Jets.

The Browns enjoyed the night, but weren’t getting carried away.

It was the most important preseason game, but it’s still the preseason. The Buccaneers are a severely flawed team, and the Browns couldn’t get away from the injury bug that’s stung them throughout camp.

Rookie running back Duke Johnson returned from a hamstring injury only to suffer a concussion after a 4-yard carry and a 1-yard catch, leaving his status for the start of the season in doubt and the front office considering adding another runner. Backup cornerback Pierre Desir also sustained a concussion, and rookie backup cornerback Charles Gaines left with a leg injury after a solid performance that featured an interception.

“Yeah, there were a lot of positives. A lot more positives than negatives,” coach Mike Pettine said Sunday on a conference call. “The negatives were still there. The injury stuff is a little concerning.

“Overall, we accomplished what we wanted to. We went down there and came out of it a better football team. We put a lot of good things on tape. There are also a lot of situations that came up that are good teachable moments.”

Pettine said McCown won’t play in the preseason finale Thursday night in Chicago. The final decision hasn’t been made for the remainder of the starters.

“But we will rest a number of guys on Thursday,” Pettine said.

Sitting McCown is a no-brainer. He played well Saturday — 17-for-23 for 117 yards, two touchdowns, 113.9 rating — and the Browns can’t risk an injury in a meaningless game so close to the season. They dodged a few bullets Saturday when McCown was forced from the pocket and exposed himself to dangerous hits.

He lowered his shoulder on a scramble to pick up a first down and was later drilled by linebacker Kwon Alexander instead of settling for a sack. Pettine said McCown’s decision-making was good overall, but he showed poor judgment on the scrambles, which earned a warning from Pettine to finish the game in one piece.

“He is a competitive guy. I knew that it meant a little bit more to him being Tampa,” Pettine said, referring to McCown’s rough season with the Buccaneers last year. “He has to understand that it is a long season and we need him out there.”

McCown’s willingness to sacrifice his body earned more points with his teammates.

“He is a guy that came in and took hold of the job and hasn’t let go of it,” Pettine said. “He earns their respect more and more every day. Last night was just another example of it.”

Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who ran for a touchdown Saturday, will get the start against the Bears and likely will be followed by Pat Devlin, who was signed last week following the return of the soreness in Johnny Manziel’s right elbow. Manziel won’t play, but could return to throwing this week.

“I just think there’s a prescribed rest period,” Pettine said. “I’ll get the medical update today, just see what their plan is for him, when to start throwing again. Given that the MRI was negative, we think rest will be the answer.

“To me, there’s no need to think beyond that until we get to that point, and if it looks like it is more than that, then we’ll address it appropriately.”

McCown, 36, again showed surprising athleticism for his age. He rolled right on his pinpoint touchdown pass to Brian Hartline and avoided a sack on numerous occasions.

He finished the preseason 29-for-38 (76 percent) for 207 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, four sacks and a 92.8 rating.

“We put drives together, we finished drives with touchdowns, we had some good runs, things like that,” McCown told reporters after the game. “So I think, for the most part, the preseason has served us well as far as getting the work in we needed.”

A noticeable improvement was third down on both sides of the ball. The offense converted seven of 15 chances and the defense held Tampa Bay to 4-for-15. The first-team defense didn’t have a three-and-out in the first two games, but had four in the first half against the Buccaneers.

The revamped defensive line, which included another good outing from rookie first-round pick Danny Shelton, manhandled Tampa Bay’s offensive front and harassed rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 pick. Cleveland limited the Buccaneers to 10 first downs and 177 yards.

“We have a great rotation, get in there early, make a couple plays and let the other guys go in there and eat,” said defensive lineman Desmond Bryant, who had 1½ sacks. “This is our last chance before the regular season to make a statement.”

Contact Scott Petrak at (440) 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on Twitter.

MEDINA — Knock off the sixth-ranked team in the nation and second-ranked team in the state according to TopDrawerSoccer.com?

Check.

Medina’s Brad Fogel celebrates after his game-winning goal against Copley. (AARON JOSEFCZYK / GAZETTE)

Get a bit of revenge on the school that beat you in the district finals last season?

Check and check.

Send an early message to the district that the Medina boys soccer team is the one to watch this season after knocking off returning state semifinalist Copley 2-1 in come-from-behind fashion?

Check. Check. Check.

The Bees (2-1) did all that Saturday in an epic early season win over the Indians (1-1) that felt like a playoff game.

“I spoke about confidence and this should be a springboard for the season,” Medina coach Simon Spelling said. “We are capable of playing against the best teams and getting results. I hope they believe it now. I hope they see it in their training and consistency. They now have the knowledge that they can win and that they will win.”

How Medina won should show future opponents how much heart the Bees have. After a defensive mishap gave Copley a 1-0 advantage on a goal by Jarod Deagan with 38:52 left, Medina went to work.

With Adam Hocevar and Jacob Schaefer sharing marking duties on Bowling Green commit and 2014 Mr. Soccer Chris Brennan, the Bees ratcheted up the defense.

Copley managed just one shot after Deagan’s goal and Medina’s offense responded.

“It was a close game,” Spelling said. “I didn’t want a defensive error to be the deciding factor. When we let up a defensive goal two minutes into the second half, I thought, ‘Oh, crikey.’ I wanted it to be a beautiful goal to win the game.

“It was a terrible goal, but to our credit we have some resilience. We have some good players and we kept plugging away. We didn’t play the football we’re capable of, but against what I perceive to be the best team in Northeast Ohio with the best player in Northeast Ohio, we came back in the last 15 minutes and won 2-1.”

Bees forward Justin Libertowski was able to tie things up when he won a 50/50 ball, beat keeper Jake White to the dribble and pocketed the equalizer with 9:47 remaining.

Showing it wasn’t content with a tie, Medina kept the pressure and found the game-winner when Libertowski sent a back heel pass to Brad Fogel. Fogel beat White to the right corner with 2:40 remaining and a packed Medina Memorial Stadium erupted.

“When Justin scored the first goal, he came up to me and was like, ‘I know we’re going to score another,’” Fogel said. “He flicked it back and I just put it on goal.

“When it went in, all I thought was, ‘We just won the game.’ It’s the best feeling ever. It makes your heart race. This is huge for us. They’re ranked No. 2 in Ohio and we just knocked them off. It proves how good of a team we are.”

It also showed the Bees never give up. While some would get upset after coming up empty on more than a few chances, Medina kept pushing.

When the game-winner finally found nylon, the end of a hard-fought match culminated with a Bees’ victory they can build on the rest of the season.

“This means so much,” Libertowski said. “They kicked us out in the district finals last year. We knew we had to beat them. This is our time. It was our game to win.

“This really puts us out there as a threat to other teams. That’s a really good team out there and we just beat them. It was just a good win.”

While the Indians lost quite a few players off of last season’s history-making team, they beat the Bees handily in the 2014 regular season by the score of 5-0 and then bounced Medina in a 5-2 district final.

Brennan is still the focal point for Copley, but the Bees were able to turn around momentum quickly.

“I think 5-nil, 5-2 last year, we flattered them a little bit,” Spelling said. “They still were the better team by far, but we’ve matured. We have more balance, more discipline, more shape on our team and we’re a better team this year. This is going to be big for us. We’ll have training (Sunday) and will use it as a mechanism to build some confidence.

“We’re not looking at the postseason, but certainly we’ve got a target on our back now. We’ve earned that target and we love that target. We’re going to work hard to keep that target on our back. They were the No. 1 team in the district. Now, we’re the No. 1 team in the district. Try and beat us.”

Note

The Medina junior varsity took home a 2-0 victory thanks to two goals by Connor McLeod.

Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Medina 2, Copley 1
COPLEY 0 1 — 1
MEDINA 0 2 — 2
Second
C — Jarod Deagan, 38:52.
M — Justin Libertowski, 9:47.
M — Brad Fogel (Libertowski), 2:40.
Shots — Medina 6, Copley 3. Corner kicks — Copley 3, Medina 3. Saves — Jake White (C) 4, Tyler Vogrin (M) 2. Records — Copley (1-1), Medina (2-1). Junior varsity — Medina 2, Copley 0.

Project: LEARN of Medina County is looking for volunteer tutors in Lodi for a program to help residents prepare and study for a GED certificate.

The nonprofit will have an informational meeting 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at Lodi Library, 635 Wooster St.

Karla Robinson

Project: LEARN received a $7,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in May to provide the programs for literacy and English as a second language for adults in Lodi.

“Lodi is probably the greatest area of need,” Karla Robinson, executive director for Project: LEARN, said. “We have a higher percentage of adults without their GED there than anywhere else in the county.

“The school districts do very well, but some people slip through the cracks, so, we are the entity in the county that steps into that breach and tries to provide those services.”

Robinson said because Lodi is generally a rural area, it is difficult for residents to access services. “The closest place to study for the GED is the Medina County Career Center,” she said.

Before she started with the nonprofit, Robinson said Project: LEARN tried to have a “consistent presence” in Lodi, but its attempts didn’t last.

“Sometimes the partnerships just haven’t succeeded,” she said. “Lodi’s a tough nut to crack. It’s hard to get the people of Lodi to trust that you’re there to help and that you don’t have some sort of hidden agenda.”

Project: LEARN has been in a partnership with the nonprofit Lodi Family Center for the past year to offer GED and literacy classes.

“They have allowed us to use space at their location,” Robinson said.

The Dollar General grant will enhance that partnership and allow for the tutoring program to run until June of next year. The $7,000 will provide for equipment, workbooks, calculators, GED prep work and computers, Robinson said.

“It’s a computer-delivered test, so we’ve ordered some computers so students can practice,” she said.

The group has hired a “supervising tutor,” Jeff Vogel, who will supervise the tutoring staff for the Lodi location.

“We are very excited to be adding to our service offerings in southern Medina County, where the need for our services is great,” Vogel said in a prepared statement. “If you have a flexible schedule and a desire to help another adult to change his or her life, I promise every volunteer that they will find the experience very rewarding.”

Robinson said they offer one-on-one tutoring with residents based on the residents’ schedules. All of the materials are provided to the student and the tutor.

Volunteers must be at least 21 with some college education or teaching or training experience. Robinson said she is hoping for between five and 10 tutors from the Lodi area.

“It would be very neat to have community members in that area who want to give of their time in that way,” she said. “The main thing we look for in tutor volunteers is someone who has an enthusiasm to help other adults learn.”

For information or to register for the informational session, call (330) 723-1314 or email projectlearn.medina@gmail.com.

A defense attorney Monday asked a Medina County judge Monday to examine confidential grand jury transcripts to determine whether prosecutors used “mistaken” information to indict Eric Warfel.

Warfel, 34, of Medina, is accused of hiding his toddler’s death from doctors, family and police. His failure to report the death of Ember, 20 months, resulted in her body decomposing in her crib for more than a month before she was discovered July 29, police said.

Eric Warfel listens to proceedings in Medina County Common Pleas Court on Monday. (NICK GLUNT / GAZETTE)

In initial reports, prosecutors said Warfel admitted to storing “trash in the deceased child’s bedroom to disguise the smell of the decomposing body.”

Later, county Prosecutor Dean Holman said that accusation was based on a miscommunication between police and prosecutors.

Holman and defense attorney Michael O’Shea clashed over the issue in common pleas court Monday — escalating when Holman told the judge that O’Shea “can’t be truthful” in the courtroom.

Despite their differences, the attorneys agreed that Warfel’s apartment was filled with trash, and the trash was not placed in the girl’s bedroom with the intent to mask any odor.

“That mistaken information has never appeared in any court documents since the municipal court,” Holman said.

Still, O’Shea said he wanted to ensure the inaccurate information was not mentioned to grand jurors, who indicted Warfel on charges of gross abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering — felonies that could land him in prison for up to four years.

Warfel has pleaded not guilty to the charges by reason of insanity. He would be sent to a mental institution if he’s found to be legally insane. Otherwise, his case would go to trial.

Additional charges of child endangering, drug possession and murder could be filed once an autopsy of the girl’s body is completed. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, where her body was transferred, has not yet determined the cause of death.

“I would be remiss not to ask you to do that,” O’Shea told Judge Christopher J. Collier, stressing the importance of knowing whether Warfel was indicted using mistaken information.

Holman countered that the trash allegation is not relevant because the charges against Warfel don’t refer to garbage in the home. Instead, he said, the charges refer to the state of the girl’s body when it was found.

“It’s based on the defendant’s conduct of allowing a baby to rot after she died, thereby hampering the autopsy,” the prosecutor argued. “He knew there would be an investigation — that’s tampering with evidence.”

Holman cited a 1981 ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court in which justices ruled grand jury transcripts should remain confidential unless “a particularized need for disclosure exists which outweighs the need for secrecy.”

To ensure the transcripts remain secret, O’Shea suggested the judge look at the documents in private and report whether the mistaken information was mentioned.

Collier said he expected to rule on the motion by next Monday.

The arguments this week were the latest developments in Warfel’s case, which began in July when his daughter’s body was discovered by a cable TV technician.

At the time of his daughter’s death, Warfel had full custody after a divorce from the girl’s mother, who now lives in New York state. According to Cuyahoga County Domestic Court records, a judge gave custody to Warfel in part because of his estranged wife’s drug addiction.

Another of the couple’s children, a 7-year-old girl, was with Warfel when he was arrested in July at Crocker Park in Westlake. She was released to the custody of Warfel’s parents, who live in Montville Township.

The couple also had a daughter who died in 2013 at age 5 months. Medical examiners ruled her death a “sudden unexplained infant death.” Police have said her death now might be investigated further.

Warfel is being held on $1 million bond at the county jail.

Lisa Locklear’s father Gregory Graham is shown with grand­daughters Isabella and Hannah at the family vineyard in California. (PHOTO PROVIDED)

A new winery is bringing a little bit of California sunshine to Medina County.

Wadsworth residents Lisa and Mitch Locklear opened Filia Cellars in May of this year in Guilford Township. Housed in a Gothic Victorian manor on Greenwich Road, the winery offers red wines by the glass, bottle or case made from grapes harvested at the owners’ family vineyard in California, as well as white and rose wines made from Ohio and Michigan grapes.

Filia Cellars is serving reds from the family’s 2012 California crop, including Zinfandel, and various blends made with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, Grenache or Malbec grapes.

Locklear, co-owner of Filia Cellars in Guilford Township, is shown with some products. (NANCY JOHNSON / GAZETTE)

“Guests can enjoy a tasting flight, a glass or a bottle of wine in one of several rooms,” Lisa said. “All the furniture is designed to be moved around. We want our guests to make themselves at home. We also have a screened-in porch with a chalkboard ceiling, a patio and an acre of land with picnic tables and a duck pond.”

Guests also may choose from several small plate appetizers and are welcome to bring picnic baskets to the property.

“We just ask they don’t bring any beverages of any kind,” Lisa said, “due to our liquor license. We sell soft drinks as well as wine on the premises.”

Local food trucks are scheduled weekly and the winery offers a wine club, live music on weekends, open mic nights and painting parties.

“Check our website for special events,” Lisa said. “We’re planning sushi-rolling parties and wine-making classes soon.”

Mitch is the accountant for the winery. Lisa is the winemaker — one of very few professional female winemakers in Ohio.

“I’m just a few credits away from earning my degree in oenology and viticulture at University of California-Davis,” said Lisa, who was born in Cleveland but raised in Napa. “I’ve worked in the wine business with my father, Gregory Graham, for 20 years. Filia means daughter in Latin. It’s an appropriate name for the winery since my dad has been my mentor and my teacher.”

Crimson Hill, the Graham family vineyard, is in the Red Hills region of California.

“It’s just north of Napa Valley,” Lisa said.

She travels to the vineyard every other month and helps harvest the grapes in the fall.

“I make the wine in California and ship it to Wadsworth. What’s great about being the grower and the winemaker is that you have control throughout the winemaking process,” Lisa said. “I focus on making excellent wines and that starts with excellent grapes. With great grapes, you can make a great wine. But you can’t make a great wine with bad grapes.

“At the end of the day, as the winemaker, you have to be happy with what’s in that glass.”

Lisa’s great-grandfather began growing grapes in Northeast Ohio in 1902. Her family relocated to Napa in 1978 where her father continued producing award-winning wines. As an adult, Lisa moved back to Northeast Ohio, settling in Wadsworth, where she lives with Mitch and two daughters, Isabella and Hannah.

Mitch’s college-age daughter, Callie, is a frequent visitor.

The winery offers three different wines named after each of the girls.

The winery also offers two wines packaged in environmentally friendly pouches.

“We’re boaters,” Lisa said, “and we wanted something more convenient to take on the boat. Our Enventure wine (Environmentally Friendly Adventurous Red Wine, a Zinfandel blend) has an 80 percent smaller carbon footprint.”

The couple had been planning to open a winery when Lisa spotted the Greenwich Road property while bicycling.

“When I saw it, I knew it was perfect. We bought the house in October 2014. It had been vacant for over a year. It was built in 1864 and up until the 1950s, it had been a Brahman bull farm.”

The house needed work. The Locklears enlisted the help of family and friends to restore the exterior and first-floor interior, including renovating the floors, walls and ceilings, and decorating each room with elegant and whimsical touches. The Locklears now are restoring the second floor, including a studio where Lisa teaches Vinyasa yoga on Wednesdays.

Filia Cellars is a dog-friendly property.

“Friendly, leashed dogs are welcome,” Lisa said. “Thursdays are ‘Dog Daze’ and furry friends are treated to my special recipe dog treats.” The winery also offers Thursday wine and chocolate pairings.

“This winery has been about family and friends from the very beginning,” Lisa said. “They supported us every step of the way in opening Filia Cellars. They understood our vision. I hope that our guests come to the winery for a great glass of wine and leave feeling like family.”

The Potak family of Medina walked into the Medina Library to look for books Saturday. To their surprise, Anna and Ryan Potak were greeted by Werner, a Guiding Eyes service dog.

When the family got past the tail-wagging welcomer, a dog in training with Ronald Reust, they found 29 organizations that had come to the library as part of Volunteer Fair looking for people willing to donate their time to help serve the community.

The Guiding Eyes organization provides specially bred and trained guide dogs to help blind and visually impaired people. The group came to the fair looking for puppy trainers; that is, people who will take 8-week-old dogs into their homes for a nurturing atmosphere for about 12 to 16 months.

The group said the dogs need to grow up in an atmosphere of love while learning the necessary social skills to be of service to the visually impaired.

In 2007, the organization launched Heeling Autism to train dogs that provide safety and companionship for children with autism. To become a puppy trainer, go to www.guidingeyes.org.

The Buckeye Community Theatre was another group offering information about its activities.

Piper Nelson, a 12-year-old from Brunswick, was the group’s official greeter and enjoyed telling her story to library visitors.

For her on-stage debut, she played one of the “silly girls” in “Beauty and the Beast.”

The group said it conducts classes for children ages 5 to 18 at Buckeye Elementary School, and always has work for people who can make costumes, paint scenery and do other activities.

Information about the group may be found at www.buckeyecommunitytheatre.com.

Another group at the fair was Project: LEARN. The nonprofit offers one-on-one tutoring, including a GED program.

Karla Robinson, executive director, said she is looking for people and businesses to help people with workplace and social skills. The group can be reached by email at projectlearnmedina@gmail.com.

The Volunteer Fair was organized by Jamie Stilla, volunteer coordinator, and Tina Forhan, circulation manager.

“The greatest reward for me is seeing this event come to fruition,” Forhan said. “We didn’t expect so many exhibitors and so many people.”

ORGANIZATIONS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

The following organizations participated in Saturday’s Volunteer Fair at the Medina Library:

• Battered Women’s Shelter
• Buckeye Community Theatre
• Caring Therapy Canines
• Children’s Center of Medina
• Family-A-Fair
• Feeding Medina County
• Goodwill
• Guiding Eyes for the Blind
• Habitat for Humanity Library Friends Live Inspired
• Friends of the Buckeye Library
• Medina County District Library Ambassadors
• Medina Schools
• Medina Creative Housing
• Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities
• Medina County Community Services
• Medina County Clerk of Courts, Senior Walk/Love Inc.
• Medina County Home
• Medina County Historical Society
• Medina County Park District
• Medina Relay for Life
• Medina County Show Biz Company
• Medina County Office for Older Adults
• Ohio Regional Music Arts and Culture
• Operation HOMES
• Project: LEARN
• Rape Crisis Center
• Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

A woman gazes at Mount McKinley in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska on Aug. 3. On Sunday, the White House said President Barack Obama will change the name of North America’s highest peak to Denali, restoring a native Alaskan name with deep cultural significance. (ANDY NEWMAN / HOLLAND AMERICA LINE VIA AP)

Staff and wire reports

The renaming of Mount McKinley was criticized Monday by Republicans representing Medina County and the state.

The White House announced Sunday the name of North America’s tallest peak would be renamed Denali, the traditional name used by native Alaskans.

Jim Renacci Bob Gibbs Rob Portman John Kasich Sherrod Brown

U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, of Wadsworth, slammed President Barack Obama for snubbing Ohio-born William McKinley, the nation’s 25th president.

“I am greatly disappointed to see Mount McKinley — officially named in 1917 by an act of Congress to honor the legacy of a great Ohioan and his accomplishments as our country’s president — renamed by administrative fiat,” Renacci said in a statement Monday.

He said Obama is circumventing the will of Congress.

“The naming of our nation’s highest peak — which is on federal land — falls under the jurisdiction of the House Natural Resources Committee, not the executive branch,” Renacci said. “When the legislative process is ignored, the basis and values our country was founded on become diminished.”

Renacci represents the eastern portion of Medina County, part of the 16th Congressional District.

U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, of Lakeville, echoed Renacci’s opposition.

“President Obama has decided to ignore an Act of Congress in unilaterally renaming Mount McKinley in order to promote his job-killing war on energy,” Gibbs said in a statement. “This political stunt is insulting to all Ohioans, and I will be working with the House Committee on Natural

Resources to determine what can be done to prevent this action.”

Gibb’s 7th Congressional District includes portions of Medina County.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, of Cincinnati, protested the decision in a series of tweets, saying the name was a way to recall the “rich legacy” of William McKinley, who was assassinated by an anarchist in 1901.

Gov. John Kasich, who’s running for the Republican presidential nomination, said in a tweet that Obama “once again oversteps his bounds.”

During a campaign stop Monday in Michigan, Kasich said the name should remain McKinley.

He said people in Ohio feel the name is appropriate and there is no reason to change it.

The move to change the name to Denali was applauded by leaders in Alaska who have been asking for the change, and the announcement was made as Obama began a three-day visit to the state to discuss climate change and arctic drilling.

The name Denali means “the high one” in Athabascan, a native language used in parts of Alaska, Canada and some parts of the continental United States. Natives have called the mountain Denali for centuries.

The White House said the mountain was given the nickname McKinley in 1896 by a prospector exploring mountains in central Alaska. The prospector named it after hearing the news William McKinley had been nominated as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate for 1896.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, of Cleveland, said in a statement: “This announcement is about honoring the Athabascan people who call Alaska their home and its highest mountain, ‘Denali,’” Brown said in a statement. “President McKinley is a great Ohioan and streets and schools throughout the Midwest bear testimony to his legacy. I will continue to work with the Administration to ensure that future generations of Americans are aware of McKinley’s legacy.”