Honoring those who helped Kourageous Keith
By Linda Stocum
The committee meeting room in Stow City Hall was full Thursday night as the city council honored members of the community for raising money for Kourageous Keith.
Keith was a local 12-year-old boy who battled a rare form of cancer called undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma. He gained support from the community through social media.
On October 21, the community met at Stow-Monroe highschool and held an early Christmas parade for Keith. He rode in a firetruck and wave at the community that helped put the parade together. At the event, merchandise was sold, and it raised money for Keith’s family. Later, Stow-Munroe Falls Rotary Foundation gave the family a $10,000 check.
The event was put on by several charity groups, the ones listed on the event Facebook page is: Jeepalooza, Kourageous Keith, More than a wave, Long’s Shoes, Open Road Apparel, and Kiely’s Lemonade Stand.
“I never understood what it meant when people said, ‘It’s a Jeep thing,'” Mayor-elect John Pribonic said, “After the parade, I understood.”
Keith died on Monday, November 12. His mom, Taylore Woodard, said in a Facebook post on the page “Korageous Keith,” that Keith had, “earned his angel wings.”
Pribonic handed a pin and a certificate to each member being recognized for their contribution to helping Keith. Some of the groups given pins were Stow-Monroe Falls athletic boosters club; the Stow-Monroe Falls transportation department, Stow-Monroe Falls cheerleaders among others.
“I didn’t recognize you without the elf outfits on,” Pribonic said to the cheerleaders, which made the room laugh. “Our buses looked like the Polar Express.”
He talked about the number of people who came to the event.
“There were so many Jeeps,” Pribonic said, “We had to keep some decorated in the parking lot because there was not enough room for them all.”
After the members were recognized for their efforts, Mayor James Costello addressed the fact this would be the last meeting with him as mayor.
“I am going a little off track today if you don’t mind,” Costello said. “I want to point out this council’s dedication to teamwork.”
He talked about his history with the city and how the council will be changed by the next meeting.
“We are losing a lot of institutional knowledge because of term limits,” Costello said. “Let me tell you a brief history of Stow.”
After his speech, the meeting continued, with the city council giving Costello their thanks.
“Has anyone heard any complaints about Jim as mayor?” said Douglas Herchick, the representative for Ward 2. “Any complaints now?”
The city council repealed one ordinance, number 142, and adopted the rest of the ordinances 139 through 151. Bellow is a copy of the agenda for the meeting.
No member of the audience commented during the discussion of the ordinances.
This meeting was the last for this makeup of city council. When the council was adjourned many members stayed afterward to talk. Next meeting a new group of council members will meet in the city council chambers.
“This is the last time we will meet like this,” Costello said.
Stow City Council honored those who helped create Kourageous Keith’s Christmas parade happen.
— Linda Stocum (@linda_stocum) November 16, 2018
Current Stow Mayor James Costello gave advice to those who will join the city council in 2019.
— Linda Stocum (@linda_stocum) November 16, 2018
The meeting ends with hugs for city council members who will not be there in 2019.
— Linda Stocum (@linda_stocum) November 16, 2018
