Salem Historical Society to meet tonight

SALEM — Tonight’s program of the Salem Historical Society & Museum will be presented at the Shaffer Library, located at 239 S. Lundy Ave. at 7 p.m. Non-members of the society are welcome to attend. Following a short business meeting, the program, “Inspiring Lessons from Anne Frank’s Diary,” will be presented by Father John Neiman.

Neiman was a Catholic priest and a close friend of Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father, as well as Miep Gies, who helped hide the Frank family. After reading Anne Frank’s diary in 1963, Neiman wrote to Otto Frank, initiating a correspondence that developed into a deep friendship. He dedicated his life to educating others about the Anne Frank story, sharing his unique insights and personal encounters with the Frank family through lectures and talks.

Neiman was born in 1953 in Santa Monica, California. He grew up in Encino, California and attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas where he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in History. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California and was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest on Feb. 1, 1986. As a fifth-grade student he couldn’t fully grasp the significance of Anne Frank and her diary. It took a second reading and repeated trips to the library for him to form a bond with the text that would change the course of his life. He was involved in Holocaust remembrance activities in the Los Angeles area for many years. He helped organize Holocaust education seminars for teachers and gave several talks at local schools and synagogues. In June 1981, he attended the World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Jerusalem and then the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Washington, DD, in April 1983. He served as an active priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angelous of 1986 until 2014 and retired in 2018. He currently resides in Chester, West Virginia.

For information contact the Salem Historical Society at 330-337-8514.

SHSAA K-12 teacher grants now available

SALEM — The Salem High School Alumni Association (SHSAA) supports its mission of fostering student development by offering grants of $100 to $500 to K-12 teachers in the Salem City School District. In 2024, SHSAA provided $11,538.79 to 28 classrooms in Salem.

The Classroom Grant Program helps teachers enhance educational opportunities, enrich the classroom environment, and support the academic, physical, and mental growth of Salem students. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 30. Requests must be made using an SHSAA Classroom Grant Form that can be found on the alumni association’s website at www.salemohioalumni.org. The school building principal and the superintendent of Salem City Schools must sign all requests.

Award decisions will be made by the Salem High School Alumni Association Scholarship and Grant Committee, and with the approval of the SHSAA Board of Trustees. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with disbursement of funds made directly to the school district. For information, teachers may contact SHSAA Executive Director Audrey Null at 330-332-1427 or audrey@salemohioalumni.org.

Columbiana Beerfest to support playground

COLUMBIANA — Columbiana Project Playground is the beneficiary for this year’s Columbiana Craft Beerfest, which is being held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at Firestone Farms.

Crafted to raise funds to support projects in historic Harvey S. Firestone Recreational Park, this year’s event benefits Columbiana Project Playground is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to replacing the existing Funland children’s playground with a new, dynamic, fun, safe and fully accessible playground for all.

Tickets for the event are $40 as the gate and includes 10 tasting tickets (5 ounce pours); a 16 ounce tasting glass; access to three food trucks, nine vendors and live music.

Thirteen breweries will be on hand with more than 40 beer selections.

Guests must be age 21 or older to enter. Save $10 when reserving wristbands now online at columbianacraftbeerfest.com.

To learn more about Columbiana Project Playground, email FirestonePlayground@gmail.com, or visit PlayAtFirestone.com.

Firestone Farms is located at 101 TownCenter Drive near the intersection of state Routes 7 and 14.

Lepper Library sets

September events

LISBON — Weekly Storytimes at Lepper Library resume on Tuesdays at 10 and 11 a.m. starting today

Moving and Grooving: Tuesdays at 10 a.m. This Storytime is geared toward babies and toddlers. Come sing songs, listen to a story, and play. Older siblings are welcome to join in also.

Preschool Story Hour: Tuesdays at 11 a.m. The group will sing songs, listen to stories, and make crafts. Stay and play after the program. Geared toward children 3-5 but younger and older siblings are welcome.

Both are brought in part by the OAC.

Other programming during September includes:

— Reading Dragons: Join for an exciting new reading adventure with Reading Dragons, a fun and rewarding program created by the Dover Public Library in Dover, Ohio. Kids can collect beautifully illustrated cards featuring dragons, unicorns, griffins, and more–just by reading. Stop by the library to get started.

— Dot Day: Monday, Sept. 15. During the month of September stop by the Children’s department and make your mark. Decorate a dot to be displayed in the library in honor of Dot Day, from the book, The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.

— Crystal Quest Scavenger Hunt: Search for treasure chests hidden in the library to find the missing gems and free the mythical creatures that have been trapped inside the gems. Get a small prize for completing the quest and an entry to win the grand prize, Dragon Squishmallow.

— September is Library Card Sign-up Month:

The campaign started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education William Bennett, who stated, “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.”

During Library Card sign-up month, get a mini dragon toy when signing up for a library card. For children and teens 0-17. Stop by the circulation desk for more information.

New and existing adult patrons can enter their name into a drawing for a small prize. For an extra chance refer a friend who signs up for a new library card and receive an extra entry ticket.

— JAF Quilt on Display: Stop by Lepper Library and see the beautiful quilt to be raffled at the Johnny Appleseed Festival Sunday, Sept. 21. Tickets for the raffle are available at the Chamber Office.

— September Craft Class – Fall Decoration: Thursday, Sept 11, choice of class times 5 or 6 p.m. This month’s class will feature a seasonal autumn decoration that participants will be able to display throughout the season. Participants will be decoupaging a napkin onto a tin can and adding a few fall embellishments. Brought in part by the OAC.