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LISBON -- While the pandemic continues many people are shopping local, including at the Reach for the Stars gift shop in downtown Salem.
Educational Service Center superintendent Anna Marie Vaughn told the board this week the gift shop has had phenomenal amounts of sales the past six weeks as people are often purchasing locally made gifts for the holidays.
Vaughn said the shop currently has a lot of really nice vendors offering merchandise there and the student employees are working hard. During this week's meeting the ESC board approved agreements with five more vendors for the shop -- Nichole Book, Joyce Fowler, Andrea Coleman, Torched Metal LLC and Elizabeth Orlando.
In an unrelated matter, Vaughn reported to the board the legislation in Ohio which would fix the state's funding system more than 20 years after it was ruled unconstitutional appears to be going nowhere.
Additionally, she reported that while many of the local schools have gone remote or doing a hybrid system, several county schools will not return for in-person learning after the holiday breaks until Jan. 11 or even Jan. 18.
During the meeting, it was noted the board wants to thank county commissioners, especially Tim Weigle, for moving the recycling bins to near the governmental building down the street instead of in the ESC parking lot.
In other matters:
-- The board approved Jennifer O'Brien and Matthew Brooks as student teachers at Reilly Elementary and Elizabeth Willis as a student teacher at Garfield Elementary.
-- The board hired Marian Dangerfield as a family school liaison for the school year, a position Vaughn explained will provide help for those children falling between the cracks, especially during this year. It is being funded through a grant from the Ohio Department of Education.
-- The board approved an agreement with the county health department allowing clerical workers to provide support to the vaccine clinics that are expected to begin with the arrival of coronavirus vaccines.
-- The board approved Thomas Burkett as a technology consultant/computer network technician for the school year for one of the partner schools.
-- The board approved hiring Fredda Hawkins and Kara DiLudovico as activity leaders for Lisbon McKinley's Learning's Cool After School. The board accepted the resignation of Lucas Cooper, fiscal intern. The board approved hiring Harry Simms and Raeyonna Martinez as student workers through the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities program.
djohnson@mojonews.com