Stoneridge in Lexington creates auto parts with worldwide demand:
John’s Park:
Barb Queer gives final farewell after 40 years in Ashland public service:
Richard Wayne Compton:
Ā IGTV Source Daily 10.1.2021.mp4You’re listening to Source Daily. Join us Monday through Friday to stay up to date with what’s happening in North Central Ohio. Weāll be sharing a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other news, local history, memorials, answers to your questions, and more. Today – The semi trucks of the future might just be mirrorless.
In fact, since 2014, Stoneridge has been replacing commercial truck mirrors with a system of integrated cameras and monitors. The MirrorEye Camera Monitor System eliminates driver blind spots, improves safety and even cuts down on vehicle emissions.
Samantha Simmerson, global marketing and communications coordinator for Stoneridge explained that they basically identified a gap in the industry and designed and manufactured something to āmeet that need.ā
She told us that when you remove the external mirrors on the Class Eight vehicle or bus or coach, you can save two to three percent on fuel economy, which is a huge savings when you have hundreds of vehicles in your fleet.
MirrorEye was originally created for a customer in Europe, where fuel emission regulations are much stricter. But the benefits go far beyond saving a few bucks at the pump. The system consists of five mirrors — two on the driverās side and three on the passenger side. One camera on the passenger side looks straight down, eliminating a blind spot big enough for an entire car. And when the vehicle is not in use, the cameras fold in and the system sleeps in order to save battery life.
Removing mirrors from a commercial vehicle is illegal in the U.S.; but, Stoneridge got an exemption from the Department of Transportation that allows the company to retrofit client vehicles with the MirrorEye system. Today, the MirrorEye has been installed on 26 fleets in North America, meaning about 350 to 400 vehicles use the system.
Mario Gafencu has been driving commercial vehicles for more than 21 years. Heās driven more than 2.5 million safe miles in his career. Thatās about 431 round trips from New York to San Francisco. Gafencu said it took him about a week to get used to the MirrorEye system after joining the Stoneridge team in 2020.
The screens are mounted in a similar line of sight to the mirrors, but closer. Now, he thinks MirrorEye is safer than a traditional system because drivers donāt have to crane their necks to see whatās around them. For him, the mirrors deliver clear, crisp images — even at night and in bad weather.
The system can also reduce fatigue, since drivers donāt have to crane their necks to look around during traffic stops. And given the fact that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of the role truck drivers play in the economy – Stoneridge believes systems like MirrorEye can help improve retention by making driversā jobs easier and safer.
MirrorEye may be the most well-known Stoneridge product, but itās far from the only one. The company also designs and manufactures electrical and electronic systems, components and modules around the world. Its diverse customer base includes the buyers in the automotive, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, agricultural and off-highway vehicle industries.
The company was founded in Warren in 1965. Today, it’s a global company with locations in Europe, China, India, Brazil and North America. The Lexington location employs 580 workers. They mostly focus on electronic and mechanical components for the automotive industry.
Next, some local history. The land that is Johns Park was donated to the city in 1907, though the neighborhood around it ā known then as the Johns Addition ā had been in place since the 1890s.
The park originally had a few rustic picnic pavilions and a graceful fountain, but they were replaced during the Depression by a large brick pavilion funded and built by the US government as a WPA project. Johns Park was once the home of a vital and active baseball diamond used by city leagues, but that ball field is today a grassy meadow. It also had tennis courts that have since been turned into basketball courts. Head over to RichlandSource.com for more pictures of the park today and in the early 1900s.
Now, weād like to take a moment to highlight a few upcoming events. First, Alpaca Meadows is hosting their Fall Farm Days on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm. Meet and take photos with alpacas and angora goats and rabbits. Learn about all kinds of furry products made from their wool and fur. Food and baked goods will be available.
Next – the Pleasant Hill Lake Park 2021 Concert series has a DJ and karaoke from 11am until 3pm at the park. Admission is $10 per car. Enjoy the weather, swim, hike, and hang out.
Next, From Ashland Sourceā¦ A longtime county government worker ā who for the last three years served on the Ashland County Board of Elections ā retired for good after more than 40 years in various roles.
64-year-old Barb Queer started working as a senior in the office of Ashland City Schools. A few months later, she landed a job as switchboard operator for the county building. She then worked her way up to a position in administration, as the countyās business administrator in 1996. She held that job before being elected as a county commissioner in 2008.
By the time her second term as commissioner expired in January 2017, she had reached 40 years in public service. And all the while, Queer served in the community on various boards and causes. Her colleagues on the board of elections celebrated her service last week with cake, refreshments and gifts. Queer said changes to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System forced her to retire earlier than she would have liked.
She explained theyāve changed the rules to remove and withhold health insurance reimbursement money from them if they are currently re-employed in a public service role. Essentially, the move means state, county and city workers will shoulder higher costs for health care.
She said the move feels like a āstab in the backā after all the years sheās put into government work and is leading to a swell of retirements across Ohio. But she also noted that she wonāt stop volunteering around the community ā at the Historical Society, Friends of the Library and beyond.
It will remind her of what she enjoyed the most during her fulfilling career: being a resource to people.
Finally, weād like to take a moment to remember Richard “Wayne” Compton of Mansfield. Richard was born in West Virginia in 1947.
Richard was a Vietnam Veteran and proudly served in the U.S. Army. He was a hard worker and retired from CSX Railroad after 35 years. Richard was quiet, but had a great sense of humor. He loved to gamble and travel to casinos. He was an avid fan of sports, especially of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cleveland Browns and Indians.
His family meant everything to him and he loved spending time with them. He was sure to take care of both his family and friends and cherished the many memories they shared. Richard is survived by his wife, son, daughter, five grandchildren, his sister, his brother, and several nieces and nephews.
Thank you for taking a moment to remember and celebrate Richardās life.
