Firelands Auto Group wins Tradition of Service Award

NORWALK — "You don't have to be Catholic to get a good education for your children." With that being said, Stephanie Kluding kicked off this year's Norwalk Catholic Business & Professional Breakfast Thursday morning. The 29th annual event gives the school and church an opportunity to say thank-you to all of its supporters. Kluding, engagement director for the Firelands Catholic Education Development Office (FCEDO), and her husband, Mark, have three children attending St. Paul High School and Norwalk Catholic School. Even though the family was not Catholic at the time, the couple did their homework and decided this was their best fit with everything the school had to offer. The highlight of Thursday's breakfast was the presentation of the Tradition of Service Award to Pat O'Brien and Firelands Auto Group for its support with much of the school's stream work the last year-and-a-half. School president Martin Linder said the improved streaming has led to Chrome Books for all students in grades K-12 and improved internet speeds at the Early Childhood Center which helps "connect that campus to this campus." Linder said the school has interactive TVs coming (he just got word they are stuck in a container ship off the coast of California). When they do arrive, Linder said, they will be installed immediately. "We have been adding classes ... we have been able to take and accelerate our curriculum (with the improved internet)," Linder said. Here are all of the Tradition of Service Award winners: 1993-94 — Maple City Ice Co. 1994-95 — Boose's Farm Market Inc. 1995-96 — Schild's IGA. 1996-97 — Barman Construction. 1997-98 — Outdoorsman. 1998-99 — Domino's Pizza. 1999-2000 — A.J. Riley Inc. 2000-01 — Wasiniak Construction Inc. 2001-02 — Newcomer Concrete Services Inc. 2002-03 — Smith Paving & Excavating Inc. 2003-04 — Lake Erie Construction. 2004-05 — Fisher's Transmission Center, Inc. 2005-06 — Mark Schaffer Excavating & Trucking. 2006-07 — Miller Landscaping & Gardens. 2007-08 — Wheeler Sheet Metal. 2008-09 — Buckeye Excavating Construction. 2009-10 — Riley Contracting. 2010-11 — Larry Opper & Jake's Radiator, Inc. 2011-12 — BOCA Construction. 2012-13 — Oglesby Construction Inc. 2013-14 — Payne, Nickles & Company. 2014-15 — Norb Barman. 2015-16 — Marvin Ott. 2016-17 — Rev. Frank Kehres and Smiley Automotive. 2017-18 — Fisher-Titus Medical Center. 2018-19 — Don Tester Ford-Lincoln Inc. 2019-20 — Dave's Food Mart. 2020-21 — All area contractors. 2021-22 — Pat O'Brien and Firelands Auto Group.