2017 Commerce Queen deserves recognition

BOUQUETS >> To Debbie Morris, on being crowned 2017 News-Herald Lake County Fair Commerce Queen on July 25 at the 162nd Lake County Fair in Painesville Township.

Morris, who is a medical receptionist at Erieside Medical Group in Willoughby, was selected as this year’s queen because of her dedication and excellent customer service.

“Debbie is a polite, kind and knowledgeable receptionist,” wrote the reader who nominated her. “She greets all people in a cheerful manner. She is especially kind and patient with the elderly.”

Morris, who has worked at Erieside for six years, said she enjoys “being able to interact with the patients and make them more comfortable with the process.”

Morris tearfully thanked family, friends, co-workers and the community for their support.

WINT Radio’s Ray Somich announced the winner and recognized all of the nominees at the 44th coronation of The News-Herald Lake County Fair Commerce Queen.

Hundreds of votes were cast for about a dozen nominees, who each have touched their customers through their dealings with the public.

We congratulate Morris on reigning supreme as Commerce Queen for 2017.

BOUQUETS » To the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Willoughby Branch, on marking 25 years of vocational opportunities for county residents with developmental disabilities.

According to a news release, the Willoughby Branch was built in 1992 to provide vocational opportunities to more than 150 adults. Occupational opportunities have included packaging for Dirt Devil, EZpole Flagpoles and Fibercore, along with electronic document storing, mailings, light assembly and complex motor assembly.

“There’s opportunity for everybody depending on their abilities and their interest in work,” said LynnMarie Phillips, the director of marketing. “We have a lot of different jobs here and our job procurement specialist goes out and is really good about finding opportunities that everybody can be a part of.”

Gary Metelko, executive director for Deepwood Industries, said that in order for the program to survive, they have to be cost effective, provide quality and be on time.

“For us to compete in today’s world we have to produce the quality, we have to get it to the customers on time,” he said.“If we lose those factors, we won’t have any work. It’s just like a regular company you see in the community.

“We are saying, ‘Give us the work because we can do it and do it well,’ ” he said.

Here’s hoping that the Willoughby Branch keeps up the good work and continues to achieve success for many years to come.

BRICKBATS » To Clarence Davis of Willoughby Hills, after he pleaded guilty July 25 in Lake County Common Pleas Court to felony counts of abduction and kidnapping, plus two mandatory gun specifications.

Davis, 24, prompted an Amber Alert in his hometown on April 4 when he threatened his girlfriend with a gun and then drove off with her two children, according to prosecutors.

Officers were called to the 27600 block of Chardon Road around 8:20 a.m. that day by a woman who claimed Davis took her car and then left with her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.

The children were found unharmed that day, but Davis remained at large until he turned himself in to police two days later.

Last week, Davis — who is being represented by the Public Defender’s Office — withdrew his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in Lake County Common Pleas Court.

He is now scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 28 by Judge Vincent A. Culotta.

We believe he deserves to spend time in prison for the serious crimes he committed.

BRICKBATS » To Lori Conley of Reynoldsburg, the baby sitter who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other crimes for giving a fatal dose of Benadryl to an 8-month-old boy in her care.

Conley also pleaded guilty July 24 in a Franklin County court to child endangering and tampering with evidence in the 2016 death of Haddix Mulkey. She’s in her 40s and could be sentenced to up to 17 years in prison.

Prosecutors says Conley gave an adult dose of the overthe-counter allergy medication to Haddix to try to get him to sleep while she was baby-sitting him May 13 at her suburban Columbus home. She called 911 after finding him unresponsive.

Authorities say Haddix died that day at a hospital from the overdose.

Conley is a prime example of why parents need to be very careful about choosing a baby sitter for their children.