Happy New Year!, Farmland Preservation Funds

Issue #005

In this Mentor Local Buzz Issue…

 🗓️ Events around the community

🌨️ Weather Forecast

 🎉 Welcoming 2024: A New Year's Message to Our Readers

 🚜 Over 40 Ohio Entities to Receive Farmland Preservation Funds

📻 "Our Aging World": Lake County's Weekly Radio Show for Seniors

 🏀 Mentor Cardinals Fall to Mater Lakes in Arby's Tournament but Secure Fourth Place in High Scoring Affair

 🏈 Cleveland's Comeback: Browns Turn Skepticism into Nationwide Praise

❓ Local Trivia Question

 

January 3rd

January 5th

January 7th

January 9th

January 13th

🎉 Welcoming 2024: A New Year's Message to Our Readers

It is with joy and hope in our hearts that we, the team behind Mentor Local Buzz, extend our warmest wishes to each and every one of our cherished readers for a Happy New Year in 2024!

A Time for Reflection and Renewal

The turn of the year is a profound moment for reflection and renewal. It's an opportunity to look back at the lessons learned, the challenges faced, and the triumphs achieved in the past year. It's also a moment to set our sights on new horizons, to dream bigger, and to set goals that push us to be our best selves.

Celebrating Community and Connection

In this digital age, where distances shrink and connections grow stronger, we are reminded of the power of community. With this new endeavor of ours, we hope to build a stronger, more informed community here in Lake County, but specifically Mentor Ohio.

Embracing the Future with Optimism

As we step into 2024, let's embrace the future with optimism. The world is changing rapidly, presenting new challenges but also new opportunities. Let's approach these with an open mind, a spirit of innovation, and a commitment to making a positive impact in our community and beyond.

Our Commitment to You

Our pledge for 2024 is to continue delivering insightful content that informs, inspires, and entertains our readers. We promise to be a source of trustworthy information that seeks to bring our community closer together.

A Year of Hope and Prosperity

We envision 2024 as a year of hope, prosperity, and joy for all our readers. May it be filled with health, happiness, and success in every endeavor you undertake. Let's make it a year to remember, a year of growth and fulfillment.

From all of us at the Mentor Local Buzz, we wish you a prosperous New Year. Here's to a fantastic 2024!

 🚜 Over 40 Ohio Entities to Receive Farmland Preservation Funds

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is making strides in farmland conservation through significant funding allocations to various organizations. This initiative, funded by the Clean Ohio Fund, is focused on preserving Ohio's agricultural land through the Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP).

Under this program, a total of 41 entities, including nine land trusts, seven counties and townships, and 25 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, will receive financial support. These funds will aid in selecting, closing, and monitoring agricultural easements across Ohio. Notably, Geauga County commissioners are set to receive $110,554, and Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District is allocated $108,637.

The LAEPP allows Ohio landowners to sell agricultural easements to the state voluntarily, ensuring their land remains dedicated to agriculture permanently. To be eligible, farms must be at least 40 acres, actively engaged in agriculture, enrolled in the Current Agricultural Use Valuation program, and exhibit responsible land stewardship. Additionally, they should have local government support and not be located in imminent development paths.

Landowners interested in participating can apply through their county's LAEPP sponsor organization, with $6 million available in this round of funding. While the proceeds from selling these easements can be used at the landowners' discretion, many reinvest them into their farming operations.

This conservation effort is an extension of the voter-approved Clean Ohio Conservation Fund (2008) and has been a key factor in preserving over 105,000 acres of farmland across 62 counties, encompassing 704 family farms.

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

📻 "Our Aging World": Lake County's Weekly Radio Show for Seniors

Lake County seniors have a weekly radio treat with the Council on Aging's show, "Our Aging World." Hosted by CEO Joseph Tomsick, this program airs every Saturday afternoon from 2–3 pm on both 1330 AM and 101.5 FM. Tailored specifically for Lake County residents aged 60 and over, the show delves into various topics relevant to this demographic. It highlights issues, resources, and opportunities available to them, making it a valuable source of information and community connection. For those preferring online listening, the show can also be accessed via the internet by visiting tunein.com and searching for WINT.

🏀 Mentor Cardinals Fall to Mater Lakes in Arby's Tournament but Secure Fourth Place in High Scoring Affair

The game between Mater Lakes Academy and Mentor High School was a high-scoring affair! The final score of 105-90 in favor of Mater Lakes Academy highlights an intense and competitive match.

Mater Lakes Academy’s Tai Bell had an epic performance by scoring 27 points and shooting an impressive 7 out of 12 from the three-point line which was just two shy of tying the single game record.

On the Mentor side, Matt Biddell's contribution of 31 points made him the key player for his team. His efforts played a crucial role in keeping Mentor competitive in this high-scoring game. Ian Ioppolo netted 24. Ioppolo was hot through three quarters but went scoreless in the final period, missing all four of his shots. Mentor shot just 5-for-17 in the final period after entering down six, 83-77.

Mentor initially lead at the end of the first quarter 29-26 but Mater Lakes Academy rallied to take a lead into the half at 59-55 before eventually pulling away and winning the game 105-90.

This kind of game keeps the fans on the edge of their seats and embodies the spirit of competitive sports. Such games not only highlight individual talents like those of Tai Bell and Matt Biddell but also their teammates.

Congratulations to Mentor for securing fourth place in the tournament as the Arby’s Classic is considered one of the top high school basketball tournaments in the United States. This team has a lot to be proud of with regards to their fourth place finish!

We saw a quote from Mentor’s head coach, Robert Krizancic, which talked about the great benefits that playing in a tournament like this can have for his team. Coash Krizancic said, “It’s huge! Six nights here with a practice or walk-through every day, watching film of some of the best teams in the best teams in the country. It’s a unique experience.”

🏈 Cleveland's Comeback: Browns Turn Skepticism into Nationwide Praise

The Cleveland Browns have been turning heads in the NFL, impressing fans and experts alike with their remarkable performance despite numerous challenges. Initially facing skepticism due to mounting injuries, the team, under the guidance of quarterback Joe Flacco, has been on an unstoppable winning streak. Their journey, marked by overcoming adversities including the loss of multiple quarterbacks and their star player Nick Chubb due to injury.

The Cleveland Browns, under Joe Flacco's leadership, have defied initial skepticism to become a formidable force in the NFL. Overcoming those injuries and challenges, they've impressed experts and fans alike, earning high praise for their resilience and performance. With a playoff spot clinched and a dynamic team spirit, the Browns are looking forward to continuing their remarkable journey.

The NFL Network’s Rich Eisen praised the Browns for their resilience and effective offense and defense, calling them "real and dangerous". Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniels highlighted the team's focus and determination, which led to their "galvanizing experience".

Read More Here at Fox 8 News

Local Trivia Question

Mentor, Ohio earned a unique nickname due to a particular type of plant that was abundant in the city. What was this nickname?

A) The Oak City
B) The Rose Capital of the Nation
C) The Maple Metropolis
D) The Daisy Domain

(Answer below)

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Local Trivia Answer

Answer: B) The Rose Capital of the Nation. Mentor was known as "The Rose Capital of the Nation" due to the abundant rosebushes that grew throughout the city, particularly during a time when Mentor's tourist industry was booming​.