Street sign honoring Tomas Arias Jr. unveiled in Lorain

It was growing darker and the rain continued to fall when Julie Podomnik and members of her family gathered at the intersection of East 28th Street and Pearl Avenue on Wednesday evening to honor Tomas Arias, Jr. Arias, who was honored with a street sign, is remembered by many as a leader of the Puerto Rican community in Lorain roughly 70 years ago. But to Podomnik, Tomas Arias, Jr. was her father. "Surreal. It's so surreal," Podomnik said as she stood near the honorary sign. "Knowing that my dad fixed these streets, worked these streets … for me, this just means so much to my family." Lorain Councilman Angel Arroyo, Jr., said Arias shaped the Puerto Rican community in Lorain during his time and beyond. After traveling to Lorain for work at the National Tube Company steel mill, Arroyo said Arias became a bridge for both communicating and building the community as other individuals began moving to Lorain from Puerto Rico. "Tomas Arias Jr. was more than a steelworker," Arroyo said previously."He was a pioneer, a community organizer, a veteran and a leader who played an important role in establishing Lorain's Puerto Rican community. As hundreds of Puerto Rican men began arriving in Lorain to work in the steel mills, many spoke little or no English and were unfamiliar with their new surroundings." Arroyo said that connection was "vital" to both the workers and the steel mill. Beyond the steel mill, Arroyo said that Arias was a trailblazer in local politics, which opened up the possibility for future generations of Latino residents to become civically involved. Over the past several weeks, Arroyo has led the effort to commemorate the life and service of Arias. On Wednesday night, Arroyo spoke to family members and community leaders in attendance. "He was an advocate for Puerto Ricans and Latinos. He's the reason that Puerto Ricans came to the city of Lorain," Arroyo said. "When people talk about the city of Lorain and Puerto Rican communities throughout the country, it's because of a man that took a leap of faith and came to Ohio." Arroyo was joined by multiple city officials during the unveiling ceremony, including Ward 5 Councilwoman Sabrina Gonzalez. Gonzalez co-wrote the legislation with Arroyo that led to the dedication of the street sign. "If it wasn't for [Arias], I wouldn't be sitting right here today as the first Puerto Rican Councilwoman in the city of Lorain," Gonzalez said. "It's important for people in Puerto Rico to know that once we got here, we kept going. We grew." While Podomnik spoke of her father and the connection she had with him, she acknowledged the connection the rest of the community had with him, as well. "It's not just a street sign," Podomnik said. "It's all of you. It's the community." Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.