Perry business owners lauded on expansion

BOUQUETS >> To Ray and Jen Peteritis, owners of Perry Village Market & Cafe, as they prepare for the grand opening celebration of their business at 3752 Center Road.

The gala is slated for 11 a.m. July 15.

Although the Perry Village Market & Cafe has been operating since late April, Ray said he wanted to wait until nicer and less unpredictable weather arrived before formally declaring the place a part of the Perry community.

“The expansion was necessary to continue thriving personally and for business growth,” Ray said.

The new 4,800-square-foot store is more than twice the size of Ray’s original location, which he opened 10 years ago and still stands catty-corner to his new spot.

“Perry Village Market & Cafe is a completely new, stand-alone building, as crews broke ground last August,” Ray said.

“We’ve expanded our hours and provide far more services and fresh food items. We’ve also added 1,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor seating.”

It’s always great to see local businesses like this prosper and grow. Here’s hoping that Ray and Jen Peteritis enjoy many more years of success with the Perry Village Market & Cafe.

BOUQUETS » To two-time state wrestling champion Kevon Freeman of Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, on earning a ranking as the 13th best 152-pounder in the nation.

Freeman, who is entering his senior season at Lake Catholic, gained that ranking in the most recent polls by Flo Wrestling.

The ranking comes after Freeman went 46-3 as a junior 145-pounder at Lake Catholic, winning his second straight state championship, along with stellar performances this offseason at the NHSCA Duals in Virginia Beach and at the Freestyle National State Duals at Ohio Northern University.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Freeman of his national recognition.

“Looking back to my freshman year, I thought it would be cool to be ranked statewide. It was a goal of mine to be nationally ranked. It’s a nice honor.”

We always enjoy it when our local athletes receive national recognition.

BOUQUETS » To Gracie Fusco of Kirtland Hills, on being crowned Miss Ohio’s Outstanding Teen 2017 on June 14 at the Renaissance Theater in Mansfield.

She performed a high-energy jazz dance routine to “You Can’t Stop the Beat” for her talent. Gracie won a $2,000 scholarship and advances to the national pageant in Orlando, Florida, to be held July 24-29 for the title of “Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.”

The scholarship pageant is owned by the Miss America organization.

Gracie, 16, is the daughter of Matt and Gina Fusco.

She will be a junior this fall at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin in Munson Township.

We congratulate Gracie on capturing this prestigious statewide honor and wish her the best of luck at nationals. BRICKBATS » To Aaron Daniels of Columbus, after he pleaded guilty to a charge accusing him of trying to travel to Libya to join the Islamic State group.

Authorities allege Daniels, 20, wired $250 to an Islamic State group operative in January 2016 and told an undercover informant he was interested in traveling to commit violence overseas.

Daniels was taken into custody last year at John Glenn Columbus International Airport after a monthslong investigation.

Daniels pleaded guilty in federal court July 6 to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

With Daniels expressing interesting in joining a terrorist group and committing violence, we’d prefer if the judge sentenced him to a lengthy prison term.

BRICKBATS »To Uloma CurryWalker, after she was convicted of aggravated murder for soliciting the killing of her Cleveland firefighter husband to collect $100,000 in life insurance money,

A jury in Cleveland on July 7 found Curry-Walker, 45, guilty in the November 2013 slaying of William Walker.

Prosecutors said CurryWalker was nearing financial ruin and asked her teenage daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend to find someone to kill her husband for the insurance money.

Prosecutors said the boyfriend contacted a cousin, who found someone to kill Walker.

Curry-Walker could be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.

It’s interesting to note that Curry-Walker’s scheme was flawed from the start: His exwife was still the beneficiary of his life insurance policy.

Talk about a bad idea that backfired.