Junior's '10 For 10' Videos Highlight Reasons to Support the Levy

An Avon Lake videography student has created a series of videos supporting Issue 10 that include a host of familiar faces.

Take a look and you’ll see a bevy of Avon Lake “who’s whos” as well as some everyday folks with one thing in common: They all support passage of Issue 10, the 10-year levy that will provide more than $6 million a year for the Avon Lake School District.

Junior Andrew Larson, a videography student at Avon Lake High School said the medium is both a hobby and a passion.

“The videos were not my idea,” Larson said. “I was approached by (Avon Lake School Board member) Ron Jantz to help create them.”

The end result is a series of pro-levy videos titled “10 for 10.” The quick moving videos  feature a community member telling why they support the levy and include parents, students and graduates as well as a clever final video giving examples of why the number 10 is important.

"He is another shining example of the quality of students in our Avon Lake City Schools," Jantz said. "It was a real blast for me to work with a student with so much talent and the desire to learn and do well. He wanted each piece to be the best it could be. He really cared about the production."

Although only a few minutes in length, each video (click on names below to see video) required significant effort.

“Each video was very different depending on the speed and the talent of the actor,” Larson said. “With that in mind I would say the average time was three hours to shoot and edit each video.”

Those featured were not chosen haphazardly.

“The subjects in the video were chosen by Ron Jantz,” Larson said. “He wanted to choose people from all walks of life to appeal to everyone in Avon Lake.”

Angela DeRosa spoke of why she selected Avon Lake.

“I knew the number one thing we would be looking for was excellent schools,” DeRosa said.

Also featured are Lisa Kinsner Scheer, a lifelong Avon Laker and Realtor and 2009 graduate Trisha Wladecki, who talks about taking AP classes that gave her an advantage in college, where she earned a degree in biology and chemistry while playing college soccer at Valparaiso.

“There is a direct correlation between strong home values, strong community and strong schools,” Kinsner Scheer said.

Parent Don Moracz said his three children have all attended private and public schools

“It was refreshing (that my children) have excellent choices,” Moracz said. He also noted the cooperation between St. Joseph School and the Avon Lake School District

High school senior Whitney Craigo who earned a full scholarship to college, junior Ben Glasure who participates in choir.

“Music is our greatest teacher,” Glasure said.

Parent of five Julie Norris talks about how her son graduated with 28 credit hours to college. Twenty-five year resident Ron Sommer is the parent of Scott and Eric became drum majors and both went on to Ohio State where both were drum majors marking the first time brothers at the university became drum majors.

Tom Hamilton, the “voice of the Indians” lives in Avon Lake and said he put four children through the district.

The final 10 for 10 video features individuals including Superintendent Bob Scott, music director Bill Zurkey, parents, teachers and seniors who support the issue, cleverly incorporating the number 10.

“Ten years of excellent with distinction on Ohio’s report card,” Scott said.

“Ten years ago, and 10 point and solid defense won Avon Lake a state championship,” former ALHS football coach Dave Dlugosz said.

“For us the top 10 students in the class of 2013,” this year’s top seniors said.