Hope Chest congratulated on anniversary

BOUQUETS >> To the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization Hope Chest, on marking 50 years of helping to clothe needy children in Lake County.

Hope Chest had its humble beginnings five decades ago when a group of teachers belonging to Hope Ridge and Painesville United Methodist churches noticed that some youngsters weren’t attending school in bad weather because they didn’t have sufficient clothing.

Taking matters into their own hands, they began to collect items in a home’s garage and pass them out to those in need.

Quickly, members from several other area churches joined the cause and a bigger location was needed. Space was found at a location in downtown Painesville. After a few more moves, Hope Chest landed at its current home at 1 Victoria Place on Painesville Square.

Since 2004, more than 15,000 individuals or client families with about 22,000 children under age 18 have benefited from the agency’s work.

Although remaining true to its original mission to “provide clean clothing and new shoes, socks and underwear to school children in Lake County so they can attend school with dignity and pride,” Hope Chest now also aids adults by offering clothing and household goods.

We congratulate Hope Chest on its golden anniversary and hope that the organization’s future is just as bright.

BOUQUETS » To the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority, on its decision to issue bonds for the development of a senior assisted living and memory care facility in Wickliffe.

The Port Authority’s board approved an inducement resolution at its most recent meeting to start the process of issuing up to $48 million in bonds to finance the project.

Minnesota-based LaSalle Development Group Ltd. initiated the project that will be developed and eventually operated by Tapestry Wickliffe LLC.

The facility will be located at the former Mosley Select Suites sites at 28500 Euclid Ave. The site has been vacant since 2014 after the hotel was determined to be a nuisance because of safety issues, unsanitary conditions and violations of the zoning code, specifically fire codes.

According to the Port Authority, Tapestry will completely renovate the facility and create 167 unites. Of that, 111 will be senior assisted living and 56 will be memory care units.

Once fully occupied, the facility is expected to create about 80 full-time jobs and 20 part-time jobs.

We commend the Port Authority on playing a pivotal role in securing financing for what sounds like a significant and positive project.

BRICKBATS » To Lauden Sullivan of Painesville, after he was sentenced May 23 to 6 ½ years in federal prison stemming from his arrest in one of the largest nationwide sting operations targeting a child porn website in history.

Sullivan, 21, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Sara Lioi in Cleveland to one count of knowingly receiving and distributing, by computer, numerous computer files, which contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

In exchange, a second count of knowingly possessing a tower computer that contained pornography with at least one minor under the age of 12 was dismissed.

He committed the offenses from Jan. 4, 2015, to Jan. 21, 2016, according to the indictment.

During his five-year period of supervised release, Sullivan will be banned from possessing pornographic materials, must undergo sex offender treatment and will not be allowed to access the Internet without permission.

Hopefully, all of the terms of Sullivan’s sentence will help him to steer clear of child pornography once he regains his freedom.

BRICKBATS » To North Korea, after the nation fired an apparent ballistic missile that landed in the waters of Japan’s economic zone May 29, the latest in a string of launches as the North seeks to build nuclear-tipped ICBMs that can reach the U.S. mainland.

The suspected Scud-type missile launched from the coastal town of Wonsan flew about 280 miles, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

North Korea is still thought to be several years away from its goal of being able to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear ICBM, but each new test puts it closer to success. The North has a strong arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles that target Japan and South Korea and U.S. forces in the region, and it is working to perfect longer-range missiles.

This most recent incident is a reminder that President Trump needs to work diligently to establish a policy to deal with North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.