Talk of the Town by Patty Reiman

by Patty Reiman

Summertime can be a great time to reset the family calendar, relax, breathe a little easier and enjoy being outdoors.

This summer, being outside at Barlow Park’s baseball fields just got a little bit more enjoyable. Earlier this year, electronic scoreboards were installed at each of the four baseball fields at Barlow. Hundreds of players – both baseball and softball – and their families watching from the stands now have an easier way to track their favorite team’s performance and progress of the game.

Four electronic scoreboards keep track of games at the Barlow Park ball fields thanks to the fundraising acumen and community
spirit of the Kiwanis Club of Hudson. Image provided.

Leading up to the installation of these scoreboards, “a parent volunteer keeps the score in a paper book and then spends the game answering inquiries from anyone not really tracking the score. It can be daunting,” explained Kendra Morvillo, Hudson Kiwanis president.

Each scoreboard is controlled and updated through a cell phone app, and instructions for accessing the scoreboard are posted at each field so any team, home or visitor, can use the scoreboard during game play.

“As a parent of two Kiwanis baseball players, I have spent many years as the score bookkeeper on the sidelines, and this is an awesome update,” said Kendra.

She said the idea to install scoreboards at Barlow began last summer with Hudson Kiwanis Baseball President Dave Skoczen. Craig Kowalski, a baseball parent and volunteer coach, spearheaded the project and fundraising.

Total costs have been approximately $50,000, which includes $7,000 for each scoreboard, plus installation materials, electricity lines and labor. Three of the four signs were funded by three organizations: Kiwanis Club of Hudson/Hudson Kiwanis Baseball, Edinburg Tractor Sales and Steve Sogan Memorial Foundation.

Funding for the fourth sign is coming from anonymous donors and crowdfunding. Anyone interested in contributing can do so by clicking on the “donation” button at the Hudson Kiwanis website, hudsonkiwanis.com, which will remain active through the rest of the summer.

“As a thank you, we will collect pictures of all players from families that contribute and decorate a gratitude tree for the Case Barlow Farm Winter Festival 2024,” Kendra said. “We will also create a thank you video celebrating them.”

Another Hudson community group is thankful for the financial support recently raised through its first-ever mom prom in April. The MOMS Club of Hudson hosted “Mom Prom: In My Mom Era” and raised about $7,000 for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

Members of the MOMS Club of Hudson put on their finest to rock the organization’s inaugural “mom prom,” which raised money for postpartum depression research and advocacy. The event’s planning committee is pictured here. Photos submitted.

“It will go specifically to postpartum depression research and advocacy,” according to Gina Spinale, mom prom committee chair. “Stats show that suicides of women in postpartum are on the rise, sadly. We believe this is a major problem that is not talked about enough.”

Gina said about 85 women dressed in their best prom attire attended the event at Social House in Cuyahoga Falls. They enjoyed heavy appetizers, desserts, drinks, dancing and other fun activities like raffle baskets, permanent jewelry and a photo booth. The invitation to attend mom prom went out to all moms: “maybe someday” moms, dog moms and all women in general. No men! After all, it was a mom prom.

The event was the MOMS Club largest fundraiser yet, and Gina said the group is extremely thankful for the local businesses and ladies on the mom prom committee who made it all happen. A big shout out to these committee members who live in Hudson: Ashley Beegle, Skylar Blackwell, Jessica Cowie, Crystal Dittoe and Dani Pelletier; and to these Hudson businesses: Beauty Bar Social, Heinen’s, Meglio, Metropolis Popcorn, Pure Barre, Salon 180 and Stretch Lab.

“It was truly the best night. We recognized those we lost to suicide. We heard what a wonderful and successful event it was, which made it all so validating,” said Gina. “There absolutely will be a Mom Prom 2025, and it will be bigger and better.”

She said MOMS Club (Moms Offering Moms Support) is always welcoming new members. Find out more at mcohmembership@gmail.com.

If waiting patiently for the June 21 Hudson League for Service Ice Cream Social is just not happening, join family and friends of 10-year-old Lesley Isugi who will be dishing out the good stuff on Saturday, June 15, at 319 Ravenna St., from 3-6 p.m. Visitors can also enjoy face painting and games.

Family and friends of 10-year-old Lesley
Isugi, who attends St Mary Catholic
Church, are hosting an ice cream social to
raise money for her life-saving medical care.

Lesley, who attends St. Mary Catholic Church, is from Rwanda and has lived in the U.S. for more than four years while she has been treated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for a series of health issues. In March, Lesley had her pancreas removed as a part of a cutting-edge surgery in which insulin-producing cells are salvaged from the diseased organ, cultivated in a lab and reintroduced into her liver. She was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3 and fought several bouts of acute pancreatitis during two years of chemotherapy.

“Lesley is a brave and smart girl who has had an incredibly positive attitude since her leukemia diagnosis,” said Nicky Fox, a close family friend and former college classmate of Lesley’s mom, Angelique.

“We invite all students of Hudson schools and anyone who wants to support Lesley,” said Lauren Loboda, who knows Lesley from church and has been involved with Rwandan students coming to Hudson.

Visit cota.org/cotaforlesley/2024/05/01/fundraiser-for-lesley for more information or to make a donation.

Nadia (third grade) and Tessa (first grade) are following in the footsteps of big sis Mia Teusan (sixth grade) in flexing their visionary prowess. Last summer, Mia was a top finisher in NASA’s “Power to Explore Student Challenge” with her take on the unique power of radioisotopes. Now all three Teusans have been selected as winners in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Northern Ohio Section’s 2024 Young Aerospace Visionaries Contest. Mia and Nadia placed second in their respective age groups with Tess earning an honorable mention in the K-4 category. Another Hudson third-grade student, Shanaya Pandey, took first place in that age group. Students in both categories had to write an essay and create a visual to show their vision for the given topic. K-4 were challenged to come up with a vision for a “Space House.” Mia was prompted to give her vision on “A Sustainable Future in Space.”

Sisters (l-r) Nadia, Mia and Tessa Teusan were recognized for their visionary essays about life in space. Photo submitted.

Congrats to all you sharp-minded Hudsonites!

Kudos to Hudson High School senior Lindsey Ross and her peers involved with the HHS’s “Into the Woods” production who came up big winners in Playhouse Square’s 2024 Dazzle Awards last month. Ross won top honors in the “Best Actress” category.  Hudson also won for “Best Scenic Design” and “Best Student Orchestra,” an award the school also took home in 2022 and 2023. Overall, the “Into the Woods” cast won “Best Musical” for budgets of $13,000 or more and received $1,000 toward the next high school musical production. As recipients Best Actress, Ross won a $1,500 and will represent Northeast Ohio at The Jimmy Awards on June 24.

Lindsey Ross, a Hudson High School senior, won “Best Actress” for her portrayal of the baker’s wife in “Into the Woods.” Photo submitted.

HHS boys soccer Steve Knapp and boys wrestling coach Joe Caniglia were among Ohio High School Athletic Association’s  2023-24 Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award winners. Thanks  to both of you for being such great examples to our youth!

Enjoy these blissful Northeast Ohio summer days and reach out to us at news@scriptype.com if you’ve got a story idea or some special news to share. ∞