Seniors entering military get community support
Rev. Fred Grimm said he believes it is important to support the students entering the military.
'When I graduated in '66 they said goodbye and keep your head down,' he said with a laugh.
He said it is important to let these seniors know they are appreciated. Grimm spent many years in two different branches of the military, and has long supported veterans causes while serving as a Lutheran pastor.
Bruce Hook, of Geneva, said he, too, thinks it is important to support the young men and women willing to serve their country.
'I went in 1978 and we just turned all-volunteer [military] and everyone thought we were losers,' he said.
He said he wanted to serve, but was scared when he was dropped off to start his life in the military.
'My parents had to work so my sister took me,' he said.
Hook said he spent two and a half years active duty U.S. Air Force and 20.5 years in the reserves.
The Rite of Passage Ceremony was started by Ben Schwartfigure, executive director of the Ashtabula County Veterans Service Commission, with the assistance of a variety of veterans organizations.
Schwartfigure said he believes it is important to let the high school seniors know the community appreciates them serving their country. The event also introduces them to the services offered by the VSC.
'When they get out of the military in four years, 20 years or 30 years, they need to go to their county and sign up for benefits,' Schwartfigure said. He said it is important for them to know the benefits that will be available to them for the rest of their lives.
Pymatuning Valley High School Principal Mark Mollohan said he believes the ceremony is very important, because students going to the military often get lost in the spring celebrations of athletes, academic achievement and college choices.
'Last year, we had one enlisting in the Army, this year we have two, one in the Army and one in the Marines,' he said.
Schwartfigure opened the ceremony, and Edgewood High School Principal Mike Notar thanked the students for their service.
'We stand behind you as you make the bold step,' he said.
William Runyan, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was the keynote speaker for the event.
'Thank you all of you in the front row [where the soon-to-be graduates were seated] who have made a commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces,' he said.
The students honored as they enter the U.S. Army were were Makayla Spaid of Edgewood High School, Alexander Battaglioli, A-Tech from Jefferson, and Landen Coder, of Pymatuning Valley High School.
Aiden Farr, of Edgewood High School, Nicholas Hezebicks, of Jefferson High School, and Timothy Frabotta, of A-Tech from Geneva, are entering the U.S. Army Reserves.
The U.S. Army National Guard has three Edgewood High School seniors: Brayden Vatananonh, Aidan Burch and Chris Skwera.
Three county seniors, Daniel Hutchins, of Saint John School, Jerrod Addair Jr., of Lakeside High School, and Damon Brainard, of Pymatuning Valley High School, are enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The final three students that were honored were Jayden Dragon, of Edgewood, entering the U.S. Air Force, and Jaiden Ralston, of Conneaut High School, and and Colin Cantrell, of A-Tech from Geneva, joining the U.S. Navy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
7 hours ago
- Washington Post
A historic Swedish church embraces inclusion with minority languages
KIRUNA, Sweden — The members of Kiruna Church primarily worship in Swedish, their country's main language . But this Lutheran church some 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages — Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli – into worship services , carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912. 'We are talking about the language of the heart,' vicar Lena Tjärnberg said. 'That's very important, that you can hear some of the words in your language.' The church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, moved 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of Kiruna's relocation because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town. The church closed its doors a year ago in preparation for the move. The inclusion of the minority languages — particularly the Northern Sami language with Kiruna's population of Indigenous people, including reindeer herders — reflects the church's history. The building itself was a gift to Kiruna from state-owned mining company LKAB, whose manager in the early 1900s decided that the entire community should feel welcome there even if they are not Lutheran. Its exterior was designed to emulate the Sami style, and there is only one cross in the entire structure to avoid an overemphasis on Christianity. And a 1912 altarpiece painted by Prince Eugen, a member of the Swedish royal family and a renowned landscape artist, features a sunlit forest grove to represent nature as spiritual instead of the traditional religious scenes. On Wednesday, the church settled into its new, safer home in Kiruna's revamped downtown. Worshippers are expected to be back inside by the end of next year, in a return to the pews that have carried the smell of tar to preserve the historic wood for generations. While the Kiruna Church currently has a good relationship with the Sami people, historically the Church of Sweden was complicit in Sweden's racist campaign against Europe's only recognized Indigenous people . The Sami culture, traditions and languages were suppressed for decades. Beginning in 1913, the church and state ran so-called 'nomad schools,' mandatory segregated boarding schools where Sami children experienced racism, bullying and abuse until the 1960s. In 2021, the archbishop delivered the first of two formal apologies to the Sami people for the Church of Sweden's role in oppressing them. 'Within the Church of Sweden, Sami spirituality was despised. Instead of recognizing the image of God in our Sami sisters and brothers, we tried to remake them in the image of the majority culture,' Archbishop Antje Jackelén said at the time. 'We did not see your obvious relationship with the Creator and with the lands. We did not understand that Sami spirituality expresses itself in everyday actions.' A truth commission, set up by the Swedish government in 2021, is expected to address the nomad schools' lasting trauma on the Sami people and conclude its work by Dec. 1. On a typical Sunday, 40 to 50 people sat in the pews — though more always crowd inside for weddings and funerals. Anna-Kristina Simma, a worshipper who is a member of the Sami people and grew up going to the Kiruna Church, said it is a mainstay in everyone's life in this part of Swedish Lapland, even if they aren't going to weekly services. 'You start from when you were a child, a baby, all your life until you get old,' she said. Monica Nutti Blind, a deacon in the church who also is a member of the Sami people, said the church's architecture reminds her of the area's seasons. The dark wood inside is like the long, dark northern Swedish winters, she said, but the windows allow the summer's Midnight Sun to brighten everything. 'If you look up in the church, you see the light that reminds of spring and the light and the vegetation,' she said. On Sunday, two days before the move began, the church held a lakeside service 87 kilometers (54 miles) northeast of its historic location. With a fire burning to keep the bugs away, six worshippers bundled up in hiking boots, long coats and hats to keep warm amid temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). The small summer congregation, seated on wooden benches or camping chairs, sang from hymnals and listened to Nutti Blind as she read a passage from the Book of Proverbs in the Northern Sami language. The verse reminded the community of its responsibility to be good neighbors. But before the 35-minute service concluded — with an early fika, the traditional Swedish coffee break — the worshippers paused to reflect upon the upcoming move. Nutti Blind offered a prayer, this time in Swedish, for their spiritual home's safety. 'We pray for the move of the Kiruna Church, that the church will be preserved and that the move goes well,' she prayed. 'And that we once again will use this beautiful church.' ___ Pietro De Cristofaro in Kiruna, Sweden, contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
7 hours ago
A historic Swedish church embraces inclusion with minority languages
KIRUNA, Sweden -- The members of Kiruna Church primarily worship in Swedish, their country's main language. But this Lutheran church some 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages — Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli – into worship services, carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912. 'We are talking about the language of the heart,' vicar Lena Tjärnberg said. 'That's very important, that you can hear some of the words in your language.' The church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, moved 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of Kiruna's relocation because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town. The church closed its doors a year ago in preparation for the move. The inclusion of the minority languages — particularly the Northern Sami language with Kiruna's population of Indigenous people, including reindeer herders — reflects the church's history. The building itself was a gift to Kiruna from state-owned mining company LKAB, whose manager in the early 1900s decided that the entire community should feel welcome there even if they are not Lutheran. Its exterior was designed to emulate the Sami style, and there is only one cross in the entire structure to avoid an overemphasis on Christianity. And a 1912 altarpiece painted by Prince Eugen, a member of the Swedish royal family and a renowned landscape artist, features a sunlit forest grove to represent nature as spiritual instead of the traditional religious scenes. On Wednesday, the church settled into its new, safer home in Kiruna's revamped downtown. Worshippers are expected to be back inside by the end of next year, in a return to the pews that have carried the smell of tar to preserve the historic wood for generations. While the Kiruna Church currently has a good relationship with the Sami people, historically the Church of Sweden was complicit in Sweden's racist campaign against Europe's only recognized Indigenous people. The Sami culture, traditions and languages were suppressed for decades. Beginning in 1913, the church and state ran so-called 'nomad schools,' mandatory segregated boarding schools where Sami children experienced racism, bullying and abuse until the 1960s. In 2021, the archbishop delivered the first of two formal apologies to the Sami people for the Church of Sweden's role in oppressing them. 'Within the Church of Sweden, Sami spirituality was despised. Instead of recognizing the image of God in our Sami sisters and brothers, we tried to remake them in the image of the majority culture,' Archbishop Antje Jackelén said at the time. 'We did not see your obvious relationship with the Creator and with the lands. We did not understand that Sami spirituality expresses itself in everyday actions.' A truth commission, set up by the Swedish government in 2021, is expected to address the nomad schools' lasting trauma on the Sami people and conclude its work by Dec. 1. On a typical Sunday, 40 to 50 people sat in the pews — though more always crowd inside for weddings and funerals. Anna-Kristina Simma, a worshipper who is a member of the Sami people and grew up going to the Kiruna Church, said it is a mainstay in everyone's life in this part of Swedish Lapland, even if they aren't going to weekly services. 'You start from when you were a child, a baby, all your life until you get old," she said. Monica Nutti Blind, a deacon in the church who also is a member of the Sami people, said the church's architecture reminds her of the area's seasons. The dark wood inside is like the long, dark northern Swedish winters, she said, but the windows allow the summer's Midnight Sun to brighten everything. 'If you look up in the church, you see the light that reminds of spring and the light and the vegetation,' she said. On Sunday, two days before the move began, the church held a lakeside service 87 kilometers (54 miles) northeast of its historic location. With a fire burning to keep the bugs away, six worshippers bundled up in hiking boots, long coats and hats to keep warm amid temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). The small summer congregation, seated on wooden benches or camping chairs, sang from hymnals and listened to Nutti Blind as she read a passage from the Book of Proverbs in the Northern Sami language. The verse reminded the community of its responsibility to be good neighbors. But before the 35-minute service concluded — with an early fika, the traditional Swedish coffee break — the worshippers paused to reflect upon the upcoming move. Nutti Blind offered a prayer, this time in Swedish, for their spiritual home's safety. 'We pray for the move of the Kiruna Church, that the church will be preserved and that the move goes well,' she prayed. 'And that we once again will use this beautiful church.' ___
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
A historic Swedish church embraces inclusion with minority languages
KIRUNA, Sweden (AP) — The members of Kiruna Church primarily worship in Swedish, their country's main language. But this Lutheran church some 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages — Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli – into worship services, carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912. 'We are talking about the language of the heart,' vicar Lena Tjärnberg said. 'That's very important, that you can hear some of the words in your language.' The church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, moved 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of Kiruna's relocation because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town. The church closed its doors a year ago in preparation for the move. The inclusion of the minority languages — particularly the Northern Sami language with Kiruna's population of Indigenous people, including reindeer herders — reflects the church's history. The building itself was a gift to Kiruna from state-owned mining company LKAB, whose manager in the early 1900s decided that the entire community should feel welcome there even if they are not Lutheran. Its exterior was designed to emulate the Sami style, and there is only one cross in the entire structure to avoid an overemphasis on Christianity. And a 1912 altarpiece painted by Prince Eugen, a member of the Swedish royal family and a renowned landscape artist, features a sunlit forest grove to represent nature as spiritual instead of the traditional religious scenes. On Wednesday, the church settled into its new, safer home in Kiruna's revamped downtown. Worshippers are expected to be back inside by the end of next year, in a return to the pews that have carried the smell of tar to preserve the historic wood for generations. While the Kiruna Church currently has a good relationship with the Sami people, historically the Church of Sweden was complicit in Sweden's racist campaign against Europe's only recognized Indigenous people. The Sami culture, traditions and languages were suppressed for decades. Beginning in 1913, the church and state ran so-called 'nomad schools,' mandatory segregated boarding schools where Sami children experienced racism, bullying and abuse until the 1960s. In 2021, the archbishop delivered the first of two formal apologies to the Sami people for the Church of Sweden's role in oppressing them. 'Within the Church of Sweden, Sami spirituality was despised. Instead of recognizing the image of God in our Sami sisters and brothers, we tried to remake them in the image of the majority culture,' Archbishop Antje Jackelén said at the time. 'We did not see your obvious relationship with the Creator and with the lands. We did not understand that Sami spirituality expresses itself in everyday actions.' A truth commission, set up by the Swedish government in 2021, is expected to address the nomad schools' lasting trauma on the Sami people and conclude its work by Dec. 1. 'All your life until you get old' On a typical Sunday, 40 to 50 people sat in the pews — though more always crowd inside for weddings and funerals. Anna-Kristina Simma, a worshipper who is a member of the Sami people and grew up going to the Kiruna Church, said it is a mainstay in everyone's life in this part of Swedish Lapland, even if they aren't going to weekly services. 'You start from when you were a child, a baby, all your life until you get old," she said. Monica Nutti Blind, a deacon in the church who also is a member of the Sami people, said the church's architecture reminds her of the area's seasons. The dark wood inside is like the long, dark northern Swedish winters, she said, but the windows allow the summer's Midnight Sun to brighten everything. 'If you look up in the church, you see the light that reminds of spring and the light and the vegetation,' she said. Final service before the move On Sunday, two days before the move began, the church held a lakeside service 87 kilometers (54 miles) northeast of its historic location. With a fire burning to keep the bugs away, six worshippers bundled up in hiking boots, long coats and hats to keep warm amid temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). The small summer congregation, seated on wooden benches or camping chairs, sang from hymnals and listened to Nutti Blind as she read a passage from the Book of Proverbs in the Northern Sami language. The verse reminded the community of its responsibility to be good neighbors. But before the 35-minute service concluded — with an early fika, the traditional Swedish coffee break — the worshippers paused to reflect upon the upcoming move. Nutti Blind offered a prayer, this time in Swedish, for their spiritual home's safety. 'We pray for the move of the Kiruna Church, that the church will be preserved and that the move goes well,' she prayed. 'And that we once again will use this beautiful church.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
