Message From The Superintendent - April 2022
Greetings!
We hope everyone is doing well! Here are the updates.
Since January, we are happy to report that nobody has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Work has begun on repairing Brady Lake Park to be ready for our Special Olympic athletes. Islerscaping, out of Windham, has already started the repairs. They have started putting in the three new bocce courts. We should have the soccer goals and the field ready for the spring.
Bocce and Soccer should be ready sometime in April. The softball field and fences should be ready in July for the softball season. Thank you to the Franklin Township Trustees for partnering with us to make this happen for the athletes.
We are accepting applications for the Portage Trailblazer camp. We fund the Akron Rotary camp to provide this opportunity for all Portage DD eligible campers ages 6 to 21. This camp is free, and you can sign up at: www.gotcamp.org/rotary-camp-day-camp-programs
We had a setback with our youth respite home. It flooded twice, and now the provider we partnered with has backed out. Fortunately, Buckeye Residential Solutions is working with us to get things back up and running for the upcoming summer. More details will come as they develop. Thank you, Buckeye!
Portage DD is funding a new youth social recreation program for kids ages 12 to 17 eligible for services. We fund this through Unified Resources Recreation (URR). This just started at the end of February. For more information, call the URR office at 330.297.0078 or email Ashleigh Lawerence at alawrence@fcsohio.org.
We wanted to thank Investigative agent Kim Sumwalt and SSA Judy Fetterolf for coming out of retirement in March to help us out. We had an investigative agent resign in February and two SSA’s out on medical leave. Thank you, Kim and Judy!
We are welcoming two staff in April. Jessica Howler will be our new Developmental Specialist. She will start on April 11th. Jessica had worked previously at Portage DD from 2010 to 2014. Tammy Lyons will be a new administrative assistant starting on 4-18-22. She has worked in the DD field for about six years previously.
We wanted to thank State representative Gail Pavliga for stopping out to honor the Portage DD Special Olympic Softball team for winning the state softball tournament last summer. Congrats to Portage DD Special Olympic athletes again!
We wanted to thank the Portage DD staff who worked tirelessly to make DD awareness month impactful and fun. We had the DD Pride Rally at the courthouse, Special Olympics basketball game at Kent State, State DD Awareness and Advocacy Day, movie nights, art nights, OSDA regional meetings, hike club, t-shirt contest, cardio drumming, and the first-ever Portage DD Art show. Thank you!
Thank you to the DD Awareness/Pride Month Committee Members: Ashleigh Lawrence, Eric Larsen, Jason Survey, Becky Neal, Colleen Brown, Laura Fechter, Tiffany Jones, Barb Cooper, George Winsen, Tim Torch, and Michelle Dolensky. Thank you!
We also wanted to continue to thank the providers who help make lives better for the people we serve. Thank you!
Thank you again for your continued support. We are incredibly grateful for all the families, providers, staff, community, and people we serve! Portage DD will continue to strive to meet and exceed your expectations.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
Sincerely,
John Vennetti