Lorain shelter commended for spreading hope

BOUQUETS >> To the St. Elizabeth Center, 2726 Caroline Ave. in Lorain, for hosting Christmas Day dinner Dec. 25 for its volunteers and the community.

Lynn Wrice-Head, program director of St. Elizabeth Center, which opened in September as a men’s homeless shelter operated by the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland, said the Christmas Day event started off with a concert performed by staff and volunteers who sang for guests and men who stay at the center.

Wrice-Head and her family provided gifts, treats and cards to give away during the dinner so visitors could share in the feelings of hope on the holidays.

Wrice-Head said, “This is the meaning of Christmas. This touches my heart, because for many, they look forward to this. This dinner is all they have.”

Catholic Charities has a long history of helping the less fortunate.

We commend Catholic Charities for another great example of its exemplary work, and giving hope to those who are struggling.

BOUQUETS » To the city of Oberlin which was nationally recognized in a competition for its efforts in energy consumption.

Oberlin came in seventh place in this year’s Georgetown University Energy Prize.

The prize seeks to change municipalities’ thinking on energy use and to harness ingenuity and community spirit in small cities.

It is a two-year nationwide contest involving 50 communities.

Oberlin City Manager Rob Hillard was excited with the city’s ranking.

In an email to The Morning Journal, Hillard wrote, “Oberlin did place in the top 10 and we are very appreciative of this acknowledgement. Georgetown specifically noted Oberlin’s achievements in the efforts working with POWER (Providing Oberlin with Efficiency Responsibly).”

The judges for the competition, taken both from academia and industry, evaluated each community’s energy efficiency programs.

The 10 finalists then were scored in weighted categories: innovation; potential for replication; likely future performance; equitable access; community and stakeholder engagement; education; and overall quality and success.

Winners were chosen based on their scores and programs they created and advanced over the two years.

We congratulate the city of Oberlin for its recognition.

BRICKBATS » To the person responsible for placing a skimming device on the ATM at Chemical Bank, 361 Midway Blvd. in Elyria.

It’s not clear how many bank customers were victimized by the crook who placed the device.

Lorain County has not had a problem with this crime, but one skimming device is one too many.

Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino said Dec. 22 his officers are working with the FBI to identify the suspect.

Costantino said, “These skimmers are used to record PIN numbers and information from credit and debit cards. There is usually someone on a laptop, in close proximity to the skimmer, taking the information.”

Costantino adds, “It’s very concerning, because we’re dealing with people’s bank information.

“We found this skimmer because someone noticed it and told somebody. Contact police if you see anything odd or out of place at your ATM.”

We’re urging ATM customers to heed Costantino’s advice if something looks suspicious while banking.

BRICKBATS » To the person who broke into an off-duty Lorain police officer’s unmarked squad car Dec. 21 and stole his ballistic — or bulletproof — vest.

So, now, there could be a fake police officer patrolling Lorain streets.

Detectives said the vest is black and has pouches attached that carry police equipment, including a flashlight, handcuffs and spare magazines.

The officer’s gold metallic police badge also was stolen, as it was attached to the vest.

This vest is the type that officers wear over their shirts, often while in civilian or tactical clothing.

Authorities are urging citizens to be aware of this theft in the event the thief might attempt to pose as a police officer.

If you are approached or stopped by a police officer in an unmarked car and believe the person is not actually an officer, call 911 or the Lorain Police Department’s main number at 440-204-2100, and the officer’s identity can be verified.

This is good advice for motorists to follow until this equipment can be recovered.

Safety of citizens is the top priority.