24th annual Skunk Fest invites visitors to change perspectives on skunks

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — The 24th annual Skunk Festival filled North Ridgeville's South Central Park with the black and white furry friends and their enthusiasts on Saturday. Festival organizer and longtime operator of Skunk Haven rescue Deb Cipriani started the event in 2001, a year after she received her first pet skunk and started the rescue. The annual event draws crowds from far beyond Northeast Ohio. One skunk owner, Robin Peterson, drove up with her 3-year-old black and white skunk, Rhody-Jamie, from Jacksonville, Florida. The 14-hour drive has been an annual tradition for Peterson for nearly a decade, she said. "It's a fun event, we don't have this in Florida," she said. For Cipriani, who has watched the gathering grow year after year, it is a chance to connect with fellow skunk lovers and educate the public about the often misunderstood creatures. "I want people to change their perspective of skunks," Cipriani said. "If they can see them up close, maybe they'll treat wild ones better." Unbeknown to Cipriani at the start of Saturday's event, longtime attendees and Skunk Haven supporters reached out to the Ohio governor's office to see the North Ridgeville woman honored for her 25 years in the rescue business. Gail Ceneskie, of Westerville, presented Cipriani with a proclamation from Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel honoring Cipriani for her work with the Skunk Haven Rescue and educating veterinarians on the proper temperatures, diets and other necessities for domestic skunks. The award left Cipriani speechless. "I'm just surprised — this is a great honor," she said. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.