Today is April 2, 2021.
- The weather app says "not as cold" today, which strikes me as coy. High of 42 with lots of sunshine that should stick around through the weekend. Up to 58 tomorrow and into the 70s on Easter Sunday.
- Grazers in downtown Kent is back open after a few setbacks. They posted about their updated space on Facebook.
- Haymaker Farmers’ Market is opening at its outdoor location on Franklin Avenue. The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Here's a video of the prep work.
- Happy birthday, mom! The rest of you may know her as Jill. (Here's where we find out if she actually reads these emails.)
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County commissioners
Commissioners are divided over whether the sheriff's office is asking for too much money
Is Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski asking for too much money and stretching the county too thin? It depends whom you ask.
After the sheriff's office got an extra $4,000 at Thursday's meeting, reporter Wendy DiAlesandro compiled some of the reactions to the millions of dollars in requests that have poured in since Zuchowski's election. (Here's some of the background on those requests.)
- Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett: "We have a budget in place and we ask people to stay within that budget. There’s other wants and needs out there that haven’t been met. Now that this has happened, it opens the door for other people to come wanting money."
- Commissioner Vicki Kline: "I had no idea the sheriff had so many cars and covered so many miles. I do believe the sheriff’s department has been neglected for a number of years. I have a lot more information now."
- Acting Budget Director David Lair: "There’s money in the general fund that’s not been appropriated. I believe there is some money to do some of the things the sheriff wants. The department has been underfunded."
- We could not reach Commissioner Tony Badalamenti for comment.
The King Kennedy Center gym is set to move forward
 Commissioners recently approved funding for the King Kennedy Center gymnasium project, which will serve Ravenna's McElrath community as a recreation center and event space.
Frank Hairston, who has been working on the project for many years, says he hopes the project will be finished in time for summer programs, but there is no completion date estimated yet.
- “It’s been a year of hoping and praying that the project will continue,” Hairston told The Portager. “We’re looking forward to having a groundbreaking and getting this thing going.”
- Michael Indriolo covered the backstory earlier this year.
Hairston recognized Stacy Brown and her team at Neighborhood Development Services for putting the funding proposal to the commissioners.
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Covid-19
Almost 3,000 vaccine doses were administered this week
 The mass vaccination site at Kent State’s Field House has administered over 5,000 doses of Covid vaccine since it opened on March 23.
- The county’s registration system had a few hiccups last week, causing some scheduling delays. But after shifting to the state’s system, Portage County Health Commissioner Joseph Diorio says everything is back on track.
- Portage County will remain in Risk Level Red, however, because the average number of cases per day is increasing slightly.
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SPONSORED BY CRUISE PLANNERS
Witness this view from a luxury glass-dome train
When you’re ready to travel, consider this: sipping wine and watching the landscapes of the American West unfold with panoramic views from your glass-dome luxury coach. Kent-based travel adviser Pam Marshall will have more information about this overland experience at 7 p.m. April 6 via Zoom. Reserve your spot for free.
“The Rocky Mountaineer train has had so much success with tours in the Canadian Rockies that they’re now expanding to U.S. routes,” Pam said. “This nine-day trip includes a two-day journey from Denver to Moab, Utah, and includes amazing experiences in some of the national parks.”
- Any questions? Talk to Pam at 330-554-3711 or pammarshall@cruiseplanners.com. (The company is called Cruise Planners, but she’s an expert in all types of travel.)
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Place your ad on our new website. All our launch sponsor spots are sold out, but we still have many ad options available. Write to ads@theportager.com to learn more.
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Kent State
Why not write a verse while you wait?
The Wick Poetry Center is working on a massive vaccine poem. Volunteers will be at the mass vaccination site handing out writing prompts. People can contribute a stanza to the poem during the 15-minute, post-vaccine waiting period.
More university news:
- Kent State’s athletic director search committee has narrowed the field to three candidates. The candidates will be required to give virtual public presentations. Have a look at the schedule here.
- The LaunchNET Kent State program recently received up to $350,000 from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation to support its advising and programs into June 2023. (It's a great program. I got a free business consult from Zach before launching The Portager.)
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Cryptozoology
Anyway, here's Bigfoot
 Our readers are either extremely creative or have too much spare time.
Look, all I'm saying is Portager reader Ken Christensen and Bigfoot have never been seen in the same backyard together. His sister-in-law snapped this photo in the Rootstown swamps this week.
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News briefs
A few orange barrels never hurt anybody
Kent’s North Water Street is getting a makeover. New flower beds, angled parking and crosswalks are in the works, but Main Street Kent says businesses are still open in the meantime.
More news:
- Next week is National Library Week and Reed Memorial Library has a lot of fun activities and events planned. Check it out.
- Portage Park District is holding a virtual event on Tuesday on bald eagles, frequent visitors of Portage County's parks.
- Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce went live on Facebook Tuesday to show off the entries and announce the winners of Center of Hope's community coloring contest.
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 If you're looking for good stories and great music, treat yourself to our very own Roger Hoover, who appeared on Gage House Sessions last night. Something about having Roger in your ear for a couple of hours makes you a better person. And apart from being a hell of a guitar player, he's a talented photographer and designer. Longtime Portager readers are familiar with his work in these pages. Great to finally watch you play again, my friend.
That's all for this week, everyone. Thanks again for supporting our local journalism. Have a great weekend, and see you back here Monday.
Ben
330-249-1338
ben@theportager.com
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