Kirtland Chronicle 5-05-2023

By Donna L. RoBinson news@geaugamapLeLeaf com

For more than 30 years, Sausalito on Ninth has been an establishment in Downtown Cleveland.

Its success inspired current owner Saravanan “Babu” Chandrababu to expand its reach — into the heart of Kirtland.

“The Sausalito name has been in the city of Cleveland for more than 30 years. This is our second location at 9270 Chillicothe Road … and our grand opening in the city of Kirtland was on April 12,” said Natalie Stetz, manager at the new location.

“I was originally hired to manage the Sausalito Kirtland restaurant in July of 2021. The owners did not anticipate the renovation project taking as long as it did, so in the meantime, I was trained and got plenty of field experience with restaurants/catering/weddings… while working on Kirtland ‘remotely’ from Downtown Cleveland and

began shortly after the 2022 new year.

“I was appointed manager even before the renovations began and I’ve been learning everything from the ground up,” she said. “This is a great location for the restaurant because it’s located in a central area right next to other local businesses/attractions, as well as being near the local schools.”

Stetz said she also runs the front space of the Kirtlander Party Center for catering purposes and rents it out for different events.

“As of right now, our staff consists of about 10 employees, but we are still actively hiring hosts/hostesses, waitresses, cooks, busboys and dishwashers,” she said.

When asked why Kirtland for the new digs, Chandrababu said Kirtland is a “very nice community” and he knows several prestigious people from the area.

Plus, he liked the idea of having

“There is not much competition in the area with regard to the menu we provide,” Chandrababu said. “So far, I’ve received lots of good comments since the restaurant opened and I look for ward to giving the community a nice place to dine with family and friends.”

Menu items currently in clude classics like calamari, crab cakes and seafood bisque; various salads with options to add tofu, chicken, shrimp or salmon; handhelds like a wagyu beef burger, smoked chicken sandwich or lobster roll; and main plates such as a southwestern rice bowl, panseared blackened salmon, penne alla vodka, ribeye, or lobster mac

Fusion. We switch the menus quite often, sometimes pasta menus, sometimes Indian foods, whatever our customers love, we try to accommodate all their tastes,” Stetz said, adding she’s excited to bring something different to

“I believe that the Sausalito restaurant provides a unique menu and atmosphere different from many of the other restaurants/bars that are in Kirtland,” she said. “We have a large dining area for customers to enjoy a nice sit-down/dine-in experience with their friends and/or family. Our menu is very diverse in its offerings and the Sausalito name

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The Kirtland Public Library is located at 9267 Chillicothe Road. Hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Summer Reading is Not Just for Kids!

“All Together Now” is the theme of Kirtland Public Library’s 2023 Adult Summer Reading Program. This online program is designed for adults age 18 & up. To register your account on READsquared, go to kirtlandlibrary.readsquared.com/ or download the app.

Read whatever books interest you and log the titles on your account. Earn 200 points for each book/audiobook/ebook that you read.

Earn additional points by playing Book Bingo! Each row that you complete on your Bingo card is worth 100 points. Points can be used to purchase raffle tickets for prize drawings. The more you read, the better your chance of winning. The fun begins May 26. Questions? Please call the library at 440-2567323.

Adult Programs

Color Me Calm Club

May 20 • 2 p.m.

Sign up and show up. We provide the supplies. Please register for this program.

No Pressure Book Discussion

May 22 • 1:30 p.m.

Kirtland Public Library

No assigned reading. Just come talk about what books you’ve recently read. Feel free to bring a bag lunch.

Cookbook Club: Breakfast for Dinner

May 30 • 6 p.m.

Bring in food that will fill crepes, sweet or savory. Please register for this event.

Friends of the Library Book Sale

May 6 • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Friends of the Library will be sponsoring a book sale in the Book Cellar. Enter from the back door and find some bargains in the basement. Fill a grocery store bag for $4 or a larger bag for $7.

Jane Austen Tea Talk

May 8 • 6:30 p.m.

Tea Sommelier Patricia Dennison will use the writings of Jane Austen to explore the role that tea played in Regency Era England. Tea and scones will be served. Space is limited, please register at www.kirtland.lib.oh.us.

Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies

May 9 • 6 p.m.

Creating a habitat for other creatures can add another dimension to your garden. Learn what to plant, where to plant it and how to identify your garden guests. Sign up for this free program, which is presented by Master Gardener Kathy Terrell. Please register for this program.

Weird Moments in Cleveland Sports

May 10 • 7 p.m.

“Weird Moments in Cleveland Sports: Bottlegate, Bedbugs, and Burying the Pennants and More!” with Vince Guerrieri. He will share a plethora of stories sure to keep you entertained. Space is limited for this event, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Kirtland Public Library.

Youth Programs

Lapsit

Tuesdays • 10 a.m.

Bounces, rhymes, one book, scarves, and shakers, geared for families with children under the age of 3. Make friends as you enjoy stories with your child.

Storytime

Wednesdays • 10 a.m.

Enjoy great books, rhymes, songs, and surprises with your child. This storytime is geared for families with children age 5 and under. Make new friends and have fun at the library.

Meet Me On The Courtyard

May 12 • 10:30 a.m.

Families with children age 5 and under, meet on our gorgeous courtyard to try lots of fun activities. What will you find to explore this month? Come move those muscles, enrich your brain and make new friends as you find out what fun awaits you this time. In case of inclement weather, we will meet inside in the Children’s Department. Please register for this event.

Dr. Alex’s Learning Lab

May 13 • 3 p.m.

Dr. Alex Pesch, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Youngstown State University, will lead kids in grades 6-12 in a science experiment. Please register.

Allen Memorial Art Museum of Oberlin College

May 16 • 4 p.m.

Kids, bring your favorite adult. Since May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heri-

tage Month, Allen Memorial Art Museum of Oberlin will lead participants ages five and up in an East Asian art history lesson and art project. Please register every adult and every child attending.

Lego Club

May 20 • 10:30 a.m.

Families, spend an hour creating with the library’s LEGO brick collection. Once you have completed your creation with our bricks, we will place it in our display case for all to see. Please register for this event.

Cleveland Geological Society

May 24 • 4-4:30 p.m.

Kevin Magee of the Cleveland Geological Society will present geology and rocks of Ohio to third- to sixth-graders. Please register.

Summer Reading Kickoff

May 25 • 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Visit the library anytime between 3:30-4:30 p.m. to explore the activities in the Children’s Department and create a craft to decorate the department all summer. Pick up a paper reading log, but be sure to install the READsquared app, as we will again be using this app to officially log your reading. Please register.

Summer Reading Begins

May 26

Enjoy your summer while reading any books that you choose. Use the READsquared app to log your reading and to enter the raffle. Each minute that kids read is worth one point. Earn a raffle ticket for every 100 points. When you earn 1,000 points by July 22, you have completed Summer Reading and can register for our End of Summer Reading Party the following week with Outback Ray. (And did you know that adults have a Summer Reading Program just for them?)

HowMoneyWorks

May 31 • 4 p.m.

Grace Himmelright of Kirtland’s How Money Works will discuss money fundamentals and money management with kids ages sixth grade through 12th grade. Please register.

Restaurant from page 1

is very well known for the quality of our food. We are also offering a handful of craft cocktails and a hand-selected wine menu.”

The owners wanted to stay true to their roots in Cleveland when planning the menu, Stetz said.

“We tried to keep everything consistent with our existing Sausalito restaurant in Downtown Cleveland … same type of food, so we can stay consistent with the Sausalito brand,” she said. “So far, our happy-hour menu items have been a hit, pickled cauliflower, calamari, etc. Off our main menu, I’d say I’ve gotten the most positive feedback from our pan-seared smoked salmon entrée.”

Stetz said guests have confirmed their hopes for the new restaurant.

“I have heard from many guests that they have been waiting for a place like Sausalito to come to Kirtland so they have a place to bring friends and family and have a nice sit-down, dine-in dinner with family and friends,” she said. “We are featuring a handcrafted cocktail and hand-selected wine list with unique beer offerings. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback on the food thus far. Most all of, the reviews and feedback we have received have to do with the quality of the food and service that customers have received.”

Once the restaurant has been further established, the owners hope to grow their catering business, Stetz said.

“We offer office catering, off-site catering and we can accommodate any other special catering needs that people may have,” she said. “Most of all, we want to build a great relationship with the community of Kirtland. A

goal we also have is to offer an outdoor patio for our customers.”

Sausalito Kirtland has catered several events thus far at the Kirtlander Party Center and has provided boxed lunches for some of the tours that come through the Kirtland Temple, the manager said, adding they also offer curbside pickup.

“For reservations or pickup, we don’t need much notice. For catering, we need about a week’s notice because we special order all of the inventory for our catering menu,” Stetz said. “We do not have the same catering menu and restaurant menu. They are two separate things.”

On a personal level, Stetz said she’s gained a lot of satisfaction and gratification as manager of the restaurant.

“Sausalito Kirtland has been like my baby. I have been employed by this company for almost two years now and we just now got the Kirtland restaurant open and off the ground,” she said. “It has been a learning experience for me, coming into this without any experience. I think I have learned more over the last two years than I have learned my whole life and I’m very grateful for that. I never thought I would see the day that there were actually customers in the restaurant and now to put names to the faces of the people who have been helping me along the way is such a rewarding thing for me.”

Stetz added, “We are so incredibly grateful for all of the community’s support thus far and we look forward to continuing to build strong and meaningful relationships with the residents of Kirtland and surrounding areas.”

For more information, call Sausalito Kirtland at 440-596-4300 or visit www.sausalitokirtland.com.

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Kirtland Flag Football Having Fun in Third Season

By aLan KoRnspan spoRts@KaRLovecmeDia com

Tiger LaVerde, head coach of Kirtland’s state championship football program, has also been busy the past three spring semesters coaching the Kirtland Hornets flag football team.

And, as you might imagine, Kirtland flag football has been extremely successful.

The Cleveland Browns began the high school flag football program during the pandemic. The first season was spring of 2021.

Under LaVerde’s leadership, the Hornets won the first two Northeast Ohio High School Flag Football Championships in 2021 and 2022 and made the final four this season.

On April 30, the Hornets began their post-season with a 20-0 playoff victory over Bedford at Shaker Heights High School.

Battling extremely cold and rainy weather conditions, the Hornets focused on their running game, as conditions made it difficult to gain yardage through the air.

And just like LaVerde’s fall football teams, the Hornets flag team also turned in a dominant defensive performance.

“It was really wet, cold and windy,” LaVerde said. “It was very hard to catch. The ball was very slippery, so we ran the ball a little more than we typically do. But the girls did a great job; they played very good defense.”

LaVerde also discussed their main scoring plays.

“We got one at the end of the half, to go up 7-0, and we got one in the second half to go up 14-0. Then we got that last pick-six at the end.

“Julia was just playing safety; she read the quarterback, stepped in front of it, and ran it to the end zone.”

After the game, Kirtland players also provided their thoughts on the playoff victory.

Sophia LaVerde discussed getting the touchdown to take a 7-0 lead going into halftime and how the Hornets scored in the second half.

“We tried to go fast that whole time so that we could get our touchdown, because we were running out of time,” Sophia LaVerde said. “(In the second half) we got an interception, and then we scored again on a touchdown.”

The next day, May 1, the Northeast Ohio Flag Football Championships were held at Mentor High School’s Jerome T. Osborne Senior Stadium — and Cleveland Browns players Michael Ford, Greg Newsome, Thomas Graham and Anthony Walker were in attendance.

The Hornets won their quarterfinal matchup, but were defeated by Willoughby South in the semifinals. In fact, Kirtland’s only two losses of the season were to Willoughby South, the team that ultimately won the 2023 Northeast Ohio High School Flag Football Championship.

Coach LaVerde reiterated that the purpose of the program is just to have fun playing the game of football, as most of the student-athletes participate in other sports throughout the year.

Still, his team finished 10-2.

“These girls play all kind of sports.They all play track, soccer and basketball. They are very athletic,” he said. “We just do this for fun.”

Kirtland Garden Club Plant Sale

The Garden Club of Kirtland’s Plant Sale will be held May 11-13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until sold out, in the garage across the drive from the Kirtland Kiwanis Rummage Sale at Pumpkinville on state Route 306.

Also, only two remaining beds in the Kirtland Community Garden are still available for rent. Contact patriciaballo@hotmail.com or call 440-256-1341.

The next garden club meeting will be 6 p.m. May 4 at the Kirtland Community Center, 7900 Euclid-Chardon Road in the Craft Room. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome.

The speaker, Bob Pindell, of Rockefeller Park & Botanical Garden, will talk about Irises and their care.

Kiwanis Students of the Month

The Kirtland Kiwanis “Students of the Month” for May 2023 are fifth-grader Cecilia Slomo, of Kirtland Elementary School, eighth-grader Lucas Dahlhofer, of Kirtland Middle School, and ninth-grader

By Jim poRteR

The Kiwanis sponsors the “Students of the Month.” The principal and staff chose one student from each school to be recognized. Each student has their picture taken, receives a certificate and a T-shirt that says “Student of the Month.”

Kiwanis Corner

pick-up. The club cannot accept TVs, any chemicals, upholstered furniture or tires.

The Kirtland Kiwanis Club and the city have put the finishing touch on the playground that was added to the ballfields at the Kirtland Community Center.

Installation of the costly swing for children with physical disabilities means all members of the family can enjoy the fun together. Funds to purchase the swing were provided by the club, proceeds of the Shannegans event and generous donations from community members. Again this year, the club will hold the Rummage Sale at Pumpkinville Barn on May 11-13. All proceeds of the sale provide scholarships.

To donate items for the sale, bring them to Pumpkinville during the week of May 7 or call Mike Sams at 216-244-7335 for donation

Spring means garden to many and the Kiwanis Club will be making the Community Garden ready on May 6. Already more raised beds have been added. You can reserve a bed by contacting The Garden Club of Kirtland, patriciaballo@hotmail.com.

Kiwanis is a service club, not affiliated with any religious organization, made up of men and women who love helping make Kirtland a great place to live and raise a family. The club meets weekly at the community center. For more information on membership, contact Mike Sams, president, at 216-244-7335.

CHUCK BICKART/KIRTLAND KIWANIS

From left, “Students of the Month” Cecilia Slomo, of KES, Lucas Dahlhofer, of KMS, and Jared Cottrell, of KHS.

Jared Cottrell, of Kirtland High School.

A Note from the Mayor

Although the weather may not have been the best, from a community and city standpoint, April finished in terrific fashion. I’d like to thank councilmen Richard Lowery, Joe Smolic and Eric Ziegler, and an army of volunteers for going out with me and Service Director Joe Fornaro to cleanup eight of our local seniors’ and veterans’ properties.

In addition, thanks to Teresa Szary from the community center for organizing and coordinating the day. Sgt. Mike Valenti of the Kirtland Police Department also lent a hand in picking up brush and raking leaves on that damp and chilly Saturday. I know the recipi ents of the service were more than appreciative.

Some sad news to report as Kirtland recently lost a respect ed and dedicated servant to the community, Mr. Robert Murch. A lifelong resident with more than 40 years of service on the Kirt land Board of Zoning Appeals, Mr. Murch will be sorely missed. Thank you to Bob for his commitment to Kirtland and our condolences to his family.

May is off to a great start as Sue Grazia was appointed to fill the Ward 4 city council seat recently vacated by newly-appointed Common Pleas Judge Jeff Ruple. Mrs. Gra zia, another lifelong Kirtlander, will make a terrific councilwoman. Sue first joined city government in 2016 when she was appointed to the Kirtland Board of Zoning Appeals by former Mayor Doug Davidson. Bringing a fresh perspective and one of a successful local businesswoman, I welcome the opportunity to work with Mrs. Grazia in her new role.

Over the last several years, we’ve worked to gather input about the needs and direction of our city. Our residents have suggested we energize a town center that is livable, walkable and offers shopping, dining and profes-

sional services. Many seniors have told us they would like to downsize and stay in Kirtland. And we know that new revenue sources are needed to fix our roads.

Appreciating community feedback, we have been working with Marous Development Group and Kirtland native, Ray Sankovich, sharing with them our residents’ ideas. As a result of these discussions, we now have before us a conceptual plan that includes a food market, dining, a coffee shop, as well as other retail and services consistent with a small-town commercial district. In addition, the plan would include office space and residential living opportunities suited for seniors and professionals seeking to reside in a small-town center.

In the coming weeks and months, with input from the community, we will work to refine this conceptual plan. We see this as an exciting first step that could help Kirtland reestablish a downtown that best serves our residents.

As always, May will be a busy month with community volunteer opportunities. Kiwanis will hold its annual Veterans Memorial cleanup on May 20 at Kirtland City Hall. Thanks in advance to Kiwanis, the Garden Club of Kirtland and the Barber Williams American Legion Post for beautifying the memorial and grounds.

This year’s Memorial Day parade will kick off from Kirtland High School at 11 a.m. and will proceed to city hall for a ceremony honoring soldiers who paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedom. I had the honor to ask former U.S. Army and Kirtland police Lt. Jamey Fisher to be the event’s speaker.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming events.

Mayor Kevin Potter

Mayor Kevin Potter