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Volume 51, No. 17
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Trustees Set Sights on Town Center
By Jennifer Mckevitt editor@geaugamapleleaf.com
Though Chester Township Trustees met just ahead of Winter Storm Harper, they nonetheless faced a storm of commentary during their Jan. 17 meeting. Chester Township Planning Committee Chairman Anthony Nastasi gave a presentation on the town center and asked the board to approve a request for proposals. “We’re at a point where we need professional planning services,” Nastasi said. “A planning service can help us develop an analysis of existing conditions regarding the town center.” The planning committee intends to advertise the RFP in relevant places, such as the American Planning Association, before reviewing and grading the submissions. Though the RFPs alone cost nothing, once the planning committee understands and approves a proposed project, the cost can be introduced into the 2019 budget, Nastasi said. Studies have shown both millennials and baby boomers prefer a walkable town center, he said. The area of specific interest See Trustees • Page 8
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Chester Township resident Michael Douglas, second from left, recently received the 2019 Community Building Award during Ohio’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration Jan. 17 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus. To his left is King Jr.’s cousin, Rev. Joel King Jr., and to his right are Lt. Gov. John Husted and Ohio Casino Control Commissioner Will Lucas.
Douglas is a ‘Community Builder’ Chester Resident Wins State MLK Award By Jennifer Mckevitt editor@geaugamapleleaf.com When there’s a topic nobody wants to discuss or address, that’s usually when Chester Township resident Michael Douglas comes to the rescue. “I go into schools and companies to talk about how people are feeling,” said the Chester Town-
ship resident and former West Geauga Schools Board of Education member. “Often I’m called in when people don’t know how to facilitate conversation on difficult subjects. It’s when people don’t want to touch a topic that they find a need for my services.” Douglas’ talents for creating dialogue and building trust between diverse groups of people were recently acknowledged by the state of Ohio. He received the 2019 Com-
munity Building Award as part of Ohio’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration — held Jan. 17 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus. According to Ohio.gov, the criteria for the award requires its recipient to have made “significant contributions toward building a sense of unity among Ohio citizens,” as well as having “demonstrated the ability to build safer See Award • Page 4
Wolverines Looking for Strong Finishes in Postseason By Haley Adams sports@geaugamapleleaf.com
The West Geauga Wolverines came into the CVC swim meet Jan. 19 looking for consistency. The women’s team finished seventh, while the men’s team came in eighth, both hoping to use this momentum to finish strong in the
postseason. Led by a strong group of upperclassmen, the Wolverines look to send some of their most decorated swimmers to sectionals and maybe even states. Senior Lindsey Kulp delivered a strong performance. She thought she started a little slow, but was pleased when she saw her perfor-
mance pick up as the meet went on. “I started off OK, it got better as I went. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied,” said Kulp. Kulp When asked what she hopes to leave behind as
a Wolverine, Kulp said inspiration. “I hope to inspire, especially the freshmen, to stick with it and keep swimming at the best they can,” Kulp said. With a transition late in her sophomore year, Kulp would switch from diving to swimming, making See Swimming • Page 9
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