LocaL PostaL customer ecrWss/eDDm
Volume 54, No. 5
stanDarD Postage & Fees PaiD WiLLoughby, oh Permit 42
CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Chester Zoning Recommends Denial Of Change to Commercial District By Valerie S. Clause editor@karlovecmedia.com Over 250 people filled the West Geauga Middle School cafeteria July 13 for the Chester Township Zoning Commission Hearing on modifying commercial district zoning to include congregate care as an allowed use.
After almost three hours of comments from various interested parties, zoning board members voted unanimously to recommend the denial of the proposed amendment to Chester Township Trustees. Applause erupted from the audience when zoning board vice chair Anthony Nastasi said he would make a recommendation for denial.
“This proposal is probably one of the most substantial that this board has seen,” Nastasi said. “For me personally, there’s a lot of work that needs to go into this. I feel that for a facility of this nature to be approved by the trustees and the board of zoning appeals, we need to have way more restrictions — restrictive conditions on it. I think
there’s really too much to modify, if you will.” David Mitchell, the attorney representing the zoning amendment applicant Biltmore Health Care LLC and Caves Road LLC, offered a number of changes to the proposal that the client was willing See Zoning • Page 8
New Food Service to Up Quality In West G Schools
Aug. 20, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chesterland Historical Village will host its annual Flea Market On The Greens where bargain hunters can find books and comic books, handmade items, jewelry, glassware, kitchen items, furniture, antiques, day lilies from Great Expectations, fresh produce and flowers from Rogish Farm and more. Freddie’s Fabulous Franks will be at the flea market. The village is located on the corner of Caves and Mayfield roads in Chester Township.
A Great Day for Arts in Geauga
By Valerie S. Clause
editor@karlovecmedia.com
Students may notice a change in cafeteria food selections this fall, as the West Geauga Schools Board of Education contracted with a new food service company for the coming year. Board members voted unanimously July 6 to approve the contract between the district and AVI Foodsystems, Inc., a War- Markwardt ren-based company. “One of the benefits from AVI is that their food is really almost, pretty much, restaurant quality. It’s very good food,” said Superintendent Richard Markwardt. “I know this from experiences earlier in my career.” Included in the contract is a $17,000 consulting fee that covers a variety of services, including culinary training and workshops, purchasing and standards control, culinary audits, menu and recipe development and safety program training. The contract also provides for See Food • Page 5
Flea Market on the Greens
VALERIE S. CLAUSE/KMG
Gayle Tuttle, left, owner of Passion for Fashion in Chester Township, chats with a customer while wrapping her purchases.
Store Celebrates a Decade of Style Passion for Fashion Offers Upscale Consignment with a Smile By Valerie S. Clause editor@karlovecmedia.com Tucked in the corner of a well-established sales strip in Chester Township, is an unassuming upscale women’s consignment boutique. Passion for Fashion, at 12767 Chillicothe Road, has been in the same spot for 10 years and celebrated a decade in business July 16. Yet, upon a recent visit to the store, a customer walked in surprised at what she found. “I never knew this was here,” she said. “I thought this was a
store that had very pricey items, but I’m looking around now and everything is so nice — and wellpriced. I’ll definitely be back.” While a new customer was just discovering the boutique, the success of being in business for a decade has also come from a loyal customer base — one that owner Gayle Tuttle has built based on relationships. “I’m a very relationship-driven person, so it’s about the relationship with my customers and what they feel when they’re here — and how they feel when they leave,” Tuttle said. “So it’s more about
the relationship than the transaction.” Unlike the mall store or big box chain, Tuttle says she knows around 95 percent of her customers by first name. She feels connected to her customers because they have known each other through the years with all the ups and downs. Tuttle even remarked some of her customers know about her family well-enough that they bring baked goods to the shop for Tuttle to take home to her husband. See Fashion • Page 6
Geauga Park District debuts a different kind of arts festival in 2022 with a greater focus on the natural inspiration behind the art – the Nature & Arts Fest, happening Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The West Woods. The festival also still runs parallel with Chardon Square Association’s 41st annual Chardon Arts Festival, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on historic Chardon Square. Both include free admission and parking. Juried artists at both festivals will represent many different genres. Guests to The West Woods will spend time outdoors discovering nature with exhibits and activities including interactive booths, hikes and live animals, while artists inside and out display and sell their nature-inspired artwork. Find a complete schedule of events and vendors list on the park district website at www.geaugaparkdistrict.org. Learn more about the Chardon Square festival at www. chardonsquareassociation.org.
facebook.com/chesterlandnews @chesterlandnews