Kirtland Chronicle 12-9-22

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Kirtland Agrees to Accept State Grant, Hire FullTime Firefighters

By John Karlovec John@Karlovecmedia com

KIRTL

Kirtland City Council unani mously voted at its Nov. 21 meeting to accept a state grant to hire three full-time firefighters.

Council’s resolution authoriz es Mayor Kevin Potter to accept a $589,060 grant from the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention and Resilience Program, for pur poses of hiring three full-time fire fighter/paramedics. The two-year grant will run from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2024.

Prior to the vote, Potter said city officials have talked over the last 18 months about the reduction in applications in firefighter/para medic programs, which has made it harder for Fire Chief Anthony Hut ton to staff the department.

“So (the) chief going out and getting this grant is a really big deal,” said Potter, adding council

Naming Rights of Kirtland High School Stadium Secured

Staff report

Kirtland Schools has secured a stadium naming rights deal with 1980 alum John Wilson Jr. worth $200,000 over 10 years.

Wilson, owner of AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management in Munson Township, was intro duced to the football team in the

locker room prior to the Hornets’ Nov. 4 playoff game.

“Watching football in Kirtland is always so unbelievable,” Wilson said. “You have put yourself on the map and created a phenomenal pro gram. We want our home to be the best. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”

“Mr. Wilson is allowing us to

get exactly what we want in our stadium because of his generos ity,” Athletic Director Matt Paul told players.

“We are getting the best ma terials money can buy because of him,” added Coach Tiger LaVerde.

The district will receive

Kiwanis Donates $14,500 to Student-Athletes

By donna l roBinSon editor@Karlovecmedia com

Thanks to the Kirtland Kiwanis Youth Service Committee, Kirtland student-athletes and cheerlead ers will be receiving much-needed sports attire

In October, Chris Caimi, pres ident and coach of the Kirtland Youth Football League, approached the Kirtland Kiwanis to assist in funding for new helmets for his team and bows for the cheerlead ers, while Dan Cosimi, head coach and president of the Youth Wres tling Club asked for assistance in funding new singlets, warm-up tops and bottoms for his teams.

In response, Kirtland Kiwanis President Mary Sams applied for a grant from Kiwanis Internation al, and on Nov. 3, they presented the youth football team a check for $10,500 and the wrestling club, a check for $4,000.

“Our committee serves kids of

Kirtland from kindergarten to seniors in high school,” said Kathy Talty, chair woman for the youth service commit

tee. “Our group met and we agreed to fund the requests made by Caimi and Cosimi. The money comes from the

well

SUBMITTED

Kirtland Hornets head football coach Tiger LaVerde introduced John Wilson Jr., a 1980 KHS graduate and own er of AQUA DOC Lake & Pond Management prior to the Hornets’ Nov. 4 playoff game.

funds we made during our annual straw berry festival. We did exceptionally

SUBMITTED

Kathy Talty, right, chairwoman of the Kirtland Kiwanis Youth Services Committee, presents a check to Kirtland Youth Football League members, from left, Carl Jurrus, Mike Sams and Jesse Rascan.

Marching Band Explores Two College Campuses

The Kirtland Hornet Marching Band took their annual fall college visit trip Nov. 16. The ninth- through 12th-grade students visited both the University of Akron and Kent State University to experience different aspects of college life at the two different schools and got to see first-hand what music looks like at the college level, according to a Nov. 23 release.

The college visit trip is a Kirtland tradi tion in its 10th year — except during the pan demic — and gives the band students a muchearned fun field trip after a long marching season, the release stated.

The band rotates college destinations and, in the fall of 2023, the KHS band stu dents will visit the campus of Ohio University.

“The students get to visit five very differ ent campuses in a low key and low stress way if they stay in the program all four years,” said KHS Band Director Tom Dingeldein.

The visits take Dingeldein anywhere be tween three and six months to fully plan, and the final itinerary varies every year depend ing on the colleges and professors schedules.

The students were welcomed to the Uni versity of Akron by the Assistant Director of Bands Dr. Gretchen Pohlman-Bassett, who escorted the students to the school’s band room. Afterwards, the students met with saxophone professor Dr. Todd Gaffke and got the chance to observe a Saxophone Quartet practice. During this time they also got to ask questions about college, music, choosing a major and general advice.

Next, they got a taste of college music classes by sitting in on a Conducting Class for undergraduate music education majors where they got to participate in some of the warmups and conducting patterns. The col lege music students made time in their own schedules to give the KHS students a campus tour before they experienced an on-campus dining option, Rob’s Cafe, for lunch which was provided at no cost to KHS or the stu dents by the Dean’s Office and the School of Music.

The KHS students then got a chance to decide if they wanted to observe a percussion studio rehearsal or tuba/euphonium studio rehearsal depending on what their musical interests were.

The final stop on their Akron tour was stopping in to watch the UA Wind Symphony, led by Dr. Galen Karriker, rehearse before leaving.

With many things still on their itinerary

for the day, the KHS students headed to KSU, where their first stop was attending a game-day marching band practice with the Marching Golden Flashes inside of Dix Sta dium. Following rehearsal, the KHS students headed to the college bookstore for Kent gear and then for a taste of what KSU had to offer on the culinary side.

The final portion on their college tour was watching KSU play Eastern Michigan while observing and sitting next to the Marching Golden Flashes for the first half of the game.

The evening ended with an amazing halftime performance of the Marching Golden Flashes’ “Disney Show.”

While the cost for this trip is usually low

for the students, this year the entire trip was at no cost to the students because of the gen erosity of several organizations, the release stated. The Kirtland Music Boosters provid ed the charter bus funds, the University of Akron paid for the on-campus lunch, dinner was paid using KHS band funds and KSU cov ered the ticket cost for the game.

SUBMITTED

Kirtland High School band members at University of Akron’s Wind Symphony rehearsal, led by Dr. Galen Karriker.

A

from the Mayor

December began with a good dose of community spirit and we certainly have some folks to thank. First, to the Kirtland Garden Club for their holiday decorations at city hall and on our street posts. I am especial ly appreciative to this group for dedicating their time, resources and energy to beautify Kirtland. Speaking of hard work, the service department once again did a tremendous job lighting both city hall and the Christmas tree, generously donated by Dominic and Angela Farinacci.

Our municipal center and grounds were ceremoniously lit on Dec. 1 in the presence of a very special collection of guests. To kick off the holiday season, the Kirtland High School football team and its supporters made the tree-lighting countdown even more exciting this year. Immediately after the tree was lit, a boisterous and loyal con tingent of Hornet fans followed the team as they paraded back to Rogers Field for one last pep rally.

The air was brisk, but the energy and the community support for the Hornets made the descending artic chill almost exhilarating.

Although the Hornets came just short of another title, I have to say I couldn’t be prouder of the team. My hat goes off to the coaching staff and players for giving their ab solute all, right until the last tick of the clock. Not the outcome they were hoping for, but they sure did fight and once again demon strated class on the field and commitment to each other. Congratulations, especially to

Stadium

from page 1

$20,000 for the next 10 years, with $10,000 paid at signing of the agreement. Under terms of the deal, which Kirtland Schools Board of Education officially approved at its Nov. 28 meeting, the stadium will be known as “Wilson Stadium.”

“John is a great fit for the naming rights of our renovated stadium,” Kirtland Schools Su perintendent Chad VanArnhem said. “He is a Kirtland graduate and self-made success story from years of hard work. Mr. Wilson is a huge sports fan and loves following the Hornets.”

the seniors on the team, and thank you for a great season!

The city’s fiscal year will be closing soon and we are anticipating income tax receipts to finish well ahead of 2021. The additional revenue is attributed to more Kirtland resi dents working from home and paying a larger percentage of their income tax to Kirtland, as opposed to the cities they previously re ported to for work. We are hopeful this trend continues, but will budget conservatively in

Recently, the City of Kirtland was awarded a grant from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office to fund three new full-time firefighters for the next two years. I am proud to re port we worked to ensure the grant did not put any future stress on our city budget. Working with the finance director and Chief Anthony Hutton, we came to an agreement that includes eliminating an administrative position within the fire department, reduc ing overtime, decreasing part-time person nel hours and through future attrition. All told, the plan stands to save the city nearly $350,000 over the next 10 years.

As I write these community updates each month, I am appreciative of the opportunity to reflect on all that is good in Kirtland. We have a strong and faithful community. A city with residents that care for one another. A city I am proud to call home and to lead.

It is my great privilege to wish you all a healthy and happy holiday season.

Mayor Kevin Potter

In addition to allowing the district to up grade the stadium turf, the money will pro vide funding to facilities and programs , Va nArnhem added.

Kirtland Athletic Boosters also has donat ed $40,000 to the stadium project. The boost ers support has helped ensure the turf will be upgraded, said Van Arnhem.

“The Kirtland Athletic Boosters continue to be extremely supportive and helpful to the district’s athletic programs,” he added.

The district continues to pursue other sponsorships. Interested businesses, organi zations or individuals can contact VanArnhem at chad.vanarnhem@kirtlandschools.org.

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Conservation Efforts Help Kirtland’s Namesake Bird

By roSe nemunaitiS editor@Karlovecmedia com

Kirtland is known as the city of faith and beauty dating back to its beginnings.

In 1851, Kirtland’s Warbler was named for naturalist and physician Jared Kirtland — whose father founded the city — after the first described bird specimen was found on his family’s farm.

For years, birders have been on a quest to catch a glimpse of this yellow-gray warbler, known for one of the smallest breeding rang es of any North American bird.

William Rapai, Kirtland Warbler Alli ance’s executive director whose nonprofit helps support Kirtland’s Warbler conserva tion, presented a free program Nov. 15 called “The Kirtland’s Warbler: From the Brink of Extinction to a New Model of Endangered Species Conservation” at Holden Arboretum in Kirtland.

“It’s a good-looking bird,” Rapai said. “And, at the risk of anthropomorphizing, it’s charming. It will often come right out into the open to look at the humans who are look ing for it. Then, it will often throw back its head and sing as if to put on a show.”

In 2012, Rapai wrote a book on Kirtland’s Warbler, which breeds in young jack pine forests and builds nests on grounds needing sandy, quick-draining soil.

“This combination of young jack pines on quick-draining soil is rare, so the popu lation will always be small and self-limiting,” Rapai said. “Breeding birds can be found in Wisconsin and Ontario, but 99 percent of the population is found on glacial outwash plains in northern Michigan between Kalkasa and Oscoda. The towns of Graying and Mio are kind of the bullseye for the KW breeding pop ulation in Michigan.”

These warblers spend winters primari ly in The Bahamas and can occasionally be found on other islands in the Caribbean.

Kirtland provided the first-known speci men of a Kirtland’s Warbler in North America to Spencer Baird, the secretary of the Smith sonian.

Baird took the specimen back to the Smithsonian and compared it to all the other birds in the collection and realized that this was a new species that had not been previ ously recorded in North America.

The following year, Baird published a pa per describing the species and named it in

honor of Kirtland.

“As recently as 1987, there were fewer than 400 birds in the entire population,” Rapai said. “As you might imagine, it was on the brink of extinction. It shows how import ant the Endangered Species Act was at pre venting extinction. The Kirtland’s Warbler Recovery Team was established under the ESA and has become an international model for endangered species recovery.”

Naturalist Dan Best, recent recipient of Protect Geauga Parks Heroes in Conserva tion award, said Kirtland’s warbler being removed a few years ago from the federal endangered species list is a conservation success story, but one that required a heavy dose of active management to restore the species.

“Kirtland’s warblers occupy a very nar row habitat niche in a very limited geograph ical area in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan,” Best said. “Traditionally, this hab itat was perpetuated by naturally-occurring wildfire. Fire suppression let the forest out grow the young stage that the warblers need ed. Active management includes prescribed

burns and cutting out competing trees to maintain — that is, stop the ecological clock — to arrest the progress from field to woodland in the early jack pine stage.”

Best said on top of that, brown-headed cowbirds had a big impact on nesting war blers.

Cowbirds remove an egg of a host bird and replace it with one of their own, which is then raised by the host birds at the expense of their own young, he said.

“Cowbirds parasite nests of smaller birds so cowbird chicks outgrow and get the lion’s share of food,” Best said.

The combined efforts of habitat manage ment and predator and cowbird control has led to a significant recovery of the Kirtland’s warbler, he said.

The increase in the Kirtland’s Warbler population has increased the chances of see ing one in Ohio during their migration to and from the Bahamas, where they winter.

A Kirtland warbler sighting still causes quite a stir among birders.

Best has seen at least one, but it was at East Harbor State Park near Port Clinton some years ago.

“I just missed one by mere minutes that our local uber birders found at Headwaters Park on May 12, 2020,” Best said.

Among those lucky enough to see the bird was Jim Smallwood, a retired Lake Met

roparks ranger and an avid birder who now works part-time at For The Birds store in Chardon.

“It’s an exciting find for Ohio,” Smallwood said.

To Best’s knowledge, this is the only Kirt land’s warbler sighting thus far in Geauga County.

Geauga Park District Naturalist Trevor Wearstler is the current Blackbrook Audubon Society president.

He has seen a Kirtland Warbler three times.

“The first time in 2009 and all (of them) at Magee Marsh in Northwestern Ohio, where birders from all over the county and beyond flock to see these bright colorful war blers,” Wearstler said. “We have a limited time to see them during spring migrate. The Kirtland’s is notably one of the rarest birds in North America and the holy grail of war blers. They are also one of the few birds that can get 3,000 or more people to move in a semi-organized fashion just to get a peek.”

His biggest presentation takeaway was how intensive conservation efforts have been in Michigan.

“The Kirtland’s Warbler is a conserva tion-reliant species,” Rapai said. “It will de pend on continued human intervention on its behalf for as long as we can see into the future.”

Kirtland Church Pancake Breakfasts Regaining Momentum

By donna l roBinSon editor@Karlovecmedia com

Barb Eckart enjoys community outreach — especially when it simultaneously satisfies a sweet tooth.

The 50-year member of Kirtland Com munity of Christ Church has been organiz ing and serving pancake breakfasts at the church, 9017 Chillicothe Road in Kirtland, for over 10 years.

“We are not only serving and donating to the community, we are fellowshipping with others in the community and it gives us all a warm feeling,” she said. “Everybody goes away not only happy and pleased after eating a delicious breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sau sage and juice — all you can eat — but it’s a warm feeling to see the happy smiles on the faces of people we serve.”

Member Mark Batey originally came up with the idea and Eckart jumped in to help out and soon after took the helm, she said.

While the breakfasts, held the first Satur day of every month from 9-11a.m., are free of cost, the church asks for donations for local organizations and businesses, she said.

“The pancake breakfasts were halted af ter COVID-19, but a lot of happy people came back after restrictions were lifted and are still coming on a continuous basis,” she said. “I am very pleased that those who have come back are glad to see friends they’ve known for years, and some have even helped out in the kitchen … such a good team of workers. We couldn’t do it without them. We also have volunteers help from the Kirtland High School. It’s a good community service project for them.”

Eckart said she puts a sign out in front of the church on state Route 306 promoting the pancake breakfast and letting the community know where donations are headed. She espe cially enjoys helping the military veterans in Kirtland and surrounding communities.

“We have a big turnout for veterans every time,” she said, adding the veterans not only need cash donations, but also clothes.

“It is a free-will donation, but anything we receive is sent to the group that is being supported that month,” said Rosa Brettrager, who has been involved with the breakfasts since around 2008. “We average 30-40 regu larly in attendance, but a couple of the groups have had a large turnout and we have had be tween 100-200 in attendance then.”

The pancake breakfasts are open to both

Organizations and businesses on the donation list for 2023:

Jan: Kirtland Area Service Council

Feb: Outreach International

Mar: Sub-Zero Vets Mission

April: Friends of Recovery Homes NEO

May: Old South Food Pantry

June: Forbes House

July: Kirtland Community Garden

Aug: Hope Chest

Sept: Women Safe

Oct: Sub-Zero Vets Mission

Nov: Old South Food Pantry

Dec: Kirtland Area Service Council

members and non-members of the church and Kirtland community, but donations usu ally stay local.

“November donations went to the Old South Food Pantry. We mostly look out for local organization suggestions that usual ly come from those in the congregation,” Brettrager said. “The average donations giv en to businesses and organizations have been anywhere from $300-$1,000. Local Kirtland businesses and organizations that the church has donated to (include the) Kirtland Area Service Council, Old South Food Pantry and Kirtland Community Garden.”

Brettrager said guests love the food and camaraderie, and many have become regulars.

“We have had local people that have volun teered to help if we don’t have enough people,” she said. “We enjoy seeing the people from the community come and enjoy the food. We have many that you would consider to be regulars. They come and visit and enjoy the company.”

While the pancake breakfasts began years before Pastor Nancy Cervi arrived, she feels fortunate to be a part of them and have “very capable, organized folks in charge.”

“While feeding our guests is important, we also want them to feel welcome and that we appreciate their participation,” she said. “The congregation has many years of working, play ing and worshiping together. We can count on each other as a well-organized team. We just like being together. COVID really demonstrat ed how much the community appreciated our monthly breakfasts. We were closed for almost two years … and we know it was a large disap pointment for us and our visitors. We started back up in October after months of being shut down. So far, the turnout has not been the same as before, but as word gets out, I’m sure

our efforts,” she said. “We feel that it is a privilege to be able to support these worth while organizations. Scriptures remind us that when we are in service to our fellow man, we are in service to our God. Go and do likewise.”

rific and the people I eat with are very enjoy able to be around,” he said. “The local charities are very grateful for the donations they get.”

For information, visit cofchristkirtland. org/ministries/community activities or call 440-256-1441.

David Cool — a fifth-generation member whose great-great-grandmother came from

Hornets Nest

In Familiar Rematch, Title Not Meant to Be

By rich Kelly SportS@Karlovecmedia.com

Another state finals series is now history.

In seven divisions of play, high school teams gave it their best efforts, some suc cessfully, others coming up short.

Six games had clearly better teams com ing out on top. In the Division VI contest, though, two teams that operate exactly alike competed when Kirtland’s Hornets, unbeat en at 15-0, tangled with the Maria Stein Mar ion Local Flyers.

The teams had met in title games three times, with Kirtland holding a 2-1 edge. The most recent was in 2018, when the Hornets won the division title in a 16-7 win, the game every bit as hard fought as the score indicated.

With both teams entering with identical re cords this year, mirrors of each other’s game strategies, a tight game was expected. Nasty weather conditions happened to be coming through the area, though, and as the teams went back and forth, stuffing anything the other tried, the wind inserted itself into the mix just enough to force big plays into the equation.

In the end, the Flyers had just a couple more big plays in the middle parts of the game and escaped to only the fourth 16-0 season in state history, their second in the blend, with a 14-6 victory over the Hornets.

Both teams can strike in a hurry, pound opponents into submission with punishing ground games, and throw when they need to. Both smother foes defensively, too, and make big plays on special teams if needed.

This game, there was only one long drive in the game for either team, by the Flyers.

Additionally, a three and out, a very unfa miliar event for the Hornets this season, led to a punt. It was to be part of seven such oc currences in the game after the Hornets only

had 13 all season.

As the teams warmed up before game time, a heavy rain system drops its load on the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The winds gave a great show of their power by sending the rains sideways as fans huddled in stairways, hoping for it to stop.

Alas, the rain stopped five minutes before opening kickoff, but the winds stayed around. They played a big role in the second half.

Marion Local took the third period kick off and was driving in Hornet style downfield. Trying another trick play, Kyle Otte fired an airball downfield, but Gino Blasini, Kirtland’s top receiver who runs pass plays in what looks to be slow motion as he lines up passes from teammate Jake LaVerde, did the same defensively, picking off the pass at the 18 and getting it back to the 27. A personal foul pen alty set the ball at the Hornet 42, a Tommy Gogolin run set it two yards further, and an incomplete pass set up the next down.

LaVerde fired a long ball toward the right sideline, aimed at Blasini, but the wind had other ideas. Nathan Buscher was the only player in the general vicinity of the ball, snared it at the Flyers 43, and went un touched back the other way for a touchdown, giving Marion Local a 14-0 lead.

After another Hornet punt, Marion Lo cal started on its own 21. Rolling right with a pitchout, Meier was run down by a crazed bull named Boyd and separated from the ball, with Boyd coming up with it at the Flyer 22, the first big break of the game for Kirtland.

On fourth down from the 10, with every body rolling right, Jake LaVerde, playing in a state title game as a freshman, an honor for any young player, turned to the left and found Will Sayle alone crossing to the left from the right for a touchdown. Kirtland had the game chang er they needed in the moment with 3:35 left in the third period, but as both teams beat on each other defensively, stifling both offenses all day, that would be the end of scoring opportunities.

Still, the Hornets, trying for their seventh state title, were not done.

Forcing a punt with 29 ticks left, they went with a big rush. It didn’t get to the ball, though, and with a brisk wind at their back, Marion Local punter Carter Jones sent a low liner about 30 yards downfield. The breeze pushed it another 30 yards, finally stopping at the Hornet two yard line. With no timeouts left, the Hornets could only get to the nine after LaVerde hit Sayle again on fourth down.

“This was just a great game to be part of,” Kirtland Coach Tiger LaVerde admitted in the interview room after the game. “Our defense played a great game all day against one great team. I’m so proud of all of them. Marion Local is one great team that plays the same way as we do, all the way in each game.

“They are so big, strong and fast, it’s re ally tough to replicate them in practice, so we know coming into the game it would be a struggle. We couldn’t get any offense going. It’s tough, but we know that one team has to win and one has to lose, and we came up short today — but our kids have worked so

hard this year, with only 11 seniors, and the younger kids all stepped up.”

The teams combined for only 303 yards of offense. There were only 19 first downs. Pos sibly the biggest telltale stat of the day was that Kirtland passed 19 times. The winds had fun with that, as Jake LaVerde hit on only five for 52 yards. He also had a pair picked off.

Rocco Alfieri netted 77 yards rushing on 21 carries, attended by a plethora of Flyer defenders each time he got the ball. A key factor was that Marion Local cut off the out sides and stuffed the box area to stop off tack le traps, a staple of Kirtland football.

Hornet seniors, although disappointed, showed their true colors as teammates.

Phil LaVerde spoke first in the media in terview room.

“I wasn’t very good in the seventh and eighth grades,” he said. “Once I got into high school, I hit the weight room, worked hard because that’s what my dad and teammates did. At the upper levels, good things hap pened, for which I am so grateful for.”

George Prusock, an All-Ohio player who will be honored again for his efforts, thought of the legacy he leaves behind.

“I just hope I showed the younger kids how to be good in the locker room with friends,” he said. “To be in the state title game all four years of my high school career, I just hope the kids can learn from my efforts.”

As of right now, Gogolin does not have future football plans.

“I just want to thank all of you who have supported me and the team so much in my time here,” he said. “You’ve given me so many memories for the rest of my life. I am just so blessed.”

And Tiger LaVerde said he sees more greatness in his team’s future.

“This is just one of the best bunch of kids I’ve had in giving leadership where needed,” he said. “They’re great leaders on the field, they’re great leaders in the community. I’m just so blessed to be with them. You have to

Kirtland came up short 16-7 in its bid for a state title against Marion Local.

Kiwanis Korner

By Jim porter

October ended with members giving the Kirtland Community Garden a fall cleanup Oct. 22.

This year, all 24 beds were put to good use by community members who harvested bumper crops. Beds were cleaned out, with plans being made to expand the garden by a minimum of five new spots. The Garden Club of Kirtland manages the bed rentals.

Club President Mike Sams joined Mayor Kevin Potter at the Community Center to of ficially dedicate the new playground. Commu nity Youth Soccer held their year-end party/ picnic that evening and the playground got a very enthusiastic work-out by lots of very ex cited kids! It appeared that it got an excellent kid approval rating.

Kiwanis will bring back the Senior Christ mas Dinner Party program this year after the pandemic-caused ta wo-year cancellation. Kiwanis members will begin inviting senior community members who might be unable to

attend and offer transportation to and from it.

Also, Kiwanians who have moved into as sisted living facilities nearby will be invited to meet together with old friends at the din ner held at the Community of Christ Church Dec. 1. If you know of seniors who might be missed, please call Kiwanian Tom Dice at 440-256-8409.

Mighty Oaks from small acorns grow. So does Kirtland football, with our expert for ester Coach Tiger LaVerde. Kiwanis knows it takes a lot of community support to make safe equipment available for youth football players. Current youth helmets are 10 years old and cannot be reconditioned for further use. Kiwanis has approved donating $10,000 to Youth Football to assist in the purchase of new safely designed helmets.

Kiwanis is very proud of our sponsored Kirtland High School Key Club. With a mem bership of over 35 students, they are active ly planning a number of club activities. The club struggled to exist during COVID but has come alive and currently is active in state lev el programs.

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TOP: Santa drops by the kitchen for a picture with the Kirtland Community of Christ Church volunteers, who cooked the meal for the annual Christmas dinner party. BOTTOM: Santa poses

Kirtland Public Library

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

For more information about any of these programs or to register, please call the library at 440-256-7323 or visit www.kirtland.lib.oh.us.

Did You Know….

The Kirtland Public Library is part of the CLEVNET Library consortium? CLEVNET has 47 member libraries and operates in 12 counties. This allows us to offer you, our community, resources that might otherwise be out of reach.

CLEVNET formed 40 years ago on Dec. 1, 1982. Kirtland Public Library went ‘live’ with CLEVNET in September 1998.

Your Kirtland Public library card allows you to:

• borrow materials, place holds and have items delivered to any of the participating CLEVNET libraries,

• return CLEVNET materials to any li brary in the consortium,

• use the web catalog to check your ac count, place holds and renew material online at https://search.clevnet.org,

• access research databases, and • connect to eMedia, Libby and hoopla, to enjoy eBooks, audiobooks, music, comics, magazines and videos from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

CLEVNET has been a tremendous invest ment for the Kirtland community. Together, with 46 other library systems, we can provide you with more than we could afford on our own.

If you have questions about any of the ser vices mentioned, call the library at 440-2567323 and a reference librarian will be happy to help.

meet at library to try lots of fun activities. Come move those muscles, enrich your brain and make new friends as you find out what fun awaits you this time. Please register.

Make A Gift

Dec. 17 • 10:30 a.m.

Kids in grades K-5th, make a gift for someone for the upcoming holiday, wrap it and attach a gift label. You will then have a gift all ready to give. Please register.

Teen Book Discussion

Dec. 20 • 4 p.m.

Youth in grades 6-12, join our newest book discussion group. In December, the book to be discussed will be “The Lightning Thief,” by Rick Riordan, the first volume of his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Whether this is your favorite series or you have never heard of it before, read the book and come see what others thought about it. Please register.

Noon Year’s Eve

Dec. 31 • 11:30 a.m.

Families, join us for games, crafts and ac tivities, and then ring in the new year at 12 noon. Please register.

Adult Programs

‘Cool Man Lewk’

Dec. 12 • 4 p.m.

Ohio author Karl Lewkowski will be at the library to regale us with his stories. From his early days in an orphanage, to young married life, to an exciting career that started in gro cery stores and spanned from flight instruc tor in Ohio to law enforcement work in Alaska and PI work in Ohio, he has plenty of true tales to tell.

this past year and we are so excited to give these funds back to our community. Youth football, for example, needs to replace their football helmets, which are replaced every 10 years and they are reaching their expiration time.”

Youth football coaches Jesse Rascon and Car Jurrus, as well as youth. Wrestling club coach Mike Sousans were thrilled to receive the checks, Talty said.

“They discussed how the new football helmets have easy application for chin straps and inflatable pads to have a more secure fitting on the players’ heads,” she said. “The cheerleaders needed new bows. This year will be the first year the wrestling team will have warm-ups like in many other nearby communities.”

Sams added, “The need for equipment is determined by the individual groups that come to us for help. They need to present to us their budget and all necessary infor mation needed for us to determine if we will help and how much. If any group has a posi tive impact on their lives and the communi ty, we will listen to any reasonable request and all students are very grateful when we help them.”

Caimi, who grew up and played sports in Kirtland, said he is “extremely proud” to be a positive influence on his students.

“I remember many of my youth coaches and even the president, Melvin Lee, from years back,” he said. “Our group board members and coaches pride ourselves on ensuring that the kids learn the game while being good teammates/competitors and most of all, having fun. While winning is al ways more fun, it’s not the most important thing.”

The youth league is successful because of its volunteers, Caimi said.

day,” he said. “This room allowed us to fi nally have a club … that had a youth team, as well as offseason wrestling opportunities for students of all ages.”

Last year, the club had two youth league championship qualifiers, Luke Caimi and Mason Carter, as well as a girls’ state cham pionship place-winner, Ahnai Welchans.

“In fact, that was Ahnai’s fourth time placing at the girls’ state championships, Cosimi said, adding she is the first girl they’ve had compete for them.

“We would love to have a team of girls from Kirtland break into the sport but we haven’t had that domino effect of interest yet. I believe it will happen eventually,” he said. “This is the first year that girls wrestling is a sanctioned sport by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The high school girls’ individual state championships will be at Ohio State right along with the high school boys.”

Cosimi said the wrestlers’ success goes beyond the mat.

Weekly Programs For Youths

Lapsit

Tuesdays • 10 a.m.

Bounces, rhymes, one book, scarves, and shakers, geared for families with children un der the age of 3. Make friends as you enjoy stories with your child. (No Lapsit on Dec. 27.)

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. (No Storytime Dec. 28.)

Meet Me At The Library

Dec. 9 • 10:30 a.m.

Families with children age 5 and under,

He will have his book available for pur chase for cash only at $20 each. This event has no fee, but space is limited so please sig nup online.

Cookbook Club

Dec. 13 • 6 p.m.

Cookies for Kirtland city workers. Please contact Marie at the library for more infor mation.

The No Pressure Book Discussion

No meeting in December.

Let’s Talk About It Book Discussion

Jan. 23 • 7 p.m.

Read “The Dictionary of Lost Words,” by Pip Williams for discussion. There are copies available at the library and it is available in ebook and audiobook format via Libby.

“All of our football and cheer coaches do such a great job with the kids. They volun teer so much time to ensure a good expe rience,” he said. “The KYFL has 50 cheer leaders and almost 80 football players.”

He added, “Like any nonprofit, we are funded by fees and donations. Both the football and cheer equipment is extremely expensive. For the last few years, we have been discussing options for replacing these helmets and cheer equipment. When we heard that the Kiwanis was considering do nating to our league, we were very excited. Their donation of $10,500 is just amazing. We cannot even think of a way to express our gratitude. This provides so much clarity for the future for our league.”

Cosimi, who founded the wrestling club in 2008, said for many years, the students practiced in the boys’ locker room — which, for many reasons, including logistics, was not an ideal situation.

“In the winter of 2008, the then-new ad dition to the school opened. The addition included a wrestling room that we could then call our home, which it still is to this

“We have seen outstanding growth in them off the mats. We have a great group of kids who come from great families with great support around us,” he said. “I was very surprised and extremely pleased when I found out the club was receiving the donation for singlets and warm-ups. I don’t know that one specific response stands out, but the excitement was all over the kids’ smiling faces and we got a big cheer from them. We feel the kids will be excited about the new gear and it will be great to have a full set to have uniformity as a team when we go out there to warm up and compete.”

He added, “We are incredibly thankful to the Kirtland Kiwanis for their support. Organizations like them and people like them are a part of what makes our com munity great, and what helps individuals and groups within our community do great things.”

To become a member of the Kirtland Ki wanis, or for more information, visit https:// www.kirtlandkiwanis.org.

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Kathy Talty, of the Kirtland Kiwanis, gives Kirtland Youth Wrestling Club coach Mike Sousan a check to go toward team attire.

has worked hard over the last several weeks in analyzing the long-term costs of new hires.

The vote followed two public committee meetings — on Nov. 9 and Nov. 21 — and in ternal discussions, with a focus on how hiring new firefighters/paramedics could be made “budget neutral” over the next 10 years.

“Through a handful of different mecha nisms . . . plus the grant money, all told, worst case kind of scenario, over the course of 10 years, it’s a net positive to the city budget — to be able to bring on these three new firemen — of a minimum of $115,000 and could be even as high as $355,000,” Potter told council.

Some of those “mechanisms” included an ticipated reductions in the department’s parttime and overtime hours and costs, elimination of a part-time administrative assistant and two expected firefighter retirements, according to

Football

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realize that ... 19 passes is by far the most we’ve thrown all year, although we could have if needed. The weather caused some play to be sloppier, but both teams had to deal with it. I’m just so proud for what our kids have done this year.”

minutes from a Nov. 21 joint Finance Commit tee and Police & Fire Standing Committee.

Those minutes reflect Finance Director Louis Slapnicker ran four separate scenarios, two of which would cost the city an additional $156,000 and $400,000 over 10 years.

However, with potential retirements — in 2023 and 2028 — the net effect with Slapnicker’s origi nal analysis actually would be a return on budget of $355,000 over 10 years. The fourth scenario — a retirement in 2026 and in 2028 — showed a return on budget of $110,000 over 10 years.

In an earlier Nov. 9 joint meeting, minutes reflect Hutton said the department has been un able to recruit many part-time firefighters, even with a pay increase, has experienced higher call volumes — approaching 1,300 total calls in 2022 — and has seen an increase in overtime and un filled part-time shifts — up to 47 at the beginning of November — and overtime in recent years. He also noted the department has fewer “de pendables” to cover 24/48 hour shifts and that the department has lost approximately 25 part-

Kirtland’s defense allowed only 66 yards rushing on 37 carries. That shows how close this game really was. Of all the seven title games played over the weekend, few were this evenly matched.

Marion Local has won 13 state titles in Ohio; nobody is closer.

But with so many younger players lifting their skill sets under Coach LaVerde, expect Kirtland to be back again.

time firefighters to Euclid, which will not allow full-time firefighters to work part-time elsewhere.

Hutton has said he hopes to have the three new positions filled by Jan. 1, 2023.

In other business, Hutton extended thoughts and prayers on behalf of the fire department to fallen City of Cleveland firefighter and Kirtland resident Johnny Tetrick, who was struck and killed while responding to a motor vehicle crash on I-90 East the evening of Nov. 19.

“Sadly, this type of thing can happen to any of us,” Hutton said. “Drivers, please, pay attention, slow down when your approaching accident scenes, move over, please.”

Potter added he and Tetrick worked to gether for three year more than a decade ago.

“When I tell you that you won’t find any body that’s more committed to their profes sion, to their faith and to their family, you won’t find a better person than Johnny Tet rick. Tragic, tragic loss for the Cleveland Fire Department, his community and certainly his family, so our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the Tetrick family tonight.”

Also, Potter announced the 11th District

Court of Appeals agreed with the city’s deci sion to terminate the employment of former Police Chief Lance Nosse.

“That follows the common pleas court of Lake County, their decision that agreed with the City of Kirtland, the proceedings and the decision, and now the 11th District court has agreed as well.”

Potter also thanked everyone who worked hard to pass Issue 6, the city’s proposed charter amendment that would have allowed council to increase the city income tax from 2% to a maximum of 2.25%, with the goal of funding the city’s road program.

“It came up quite short last night, so our residents and taxpayers definitely spoke,” Potter previously said at a Nov. 9 meeting.

He said he would be meeting with City Engineer Doug Courtney and Finance Direc tor Joe Fornaro to figure out a path forward.

“What do we do next year, how do we fi nance any of that, it’s going to be patching, it’s going to be some rehabilitation, I’m hoping, but until the final numbers are in, until we sit down as a group and talk about some other options, we just don’t know,” said Potter.

Students of the Month

The Kirtland Kiwanis “Students of the Month” for December 2022 are fifth-grad er Delilah Dempster, of Kirtland Elemen tary School, sixth-grader Annalin “Annie” Sullivan, of Kirtland Middle School, and ninth-grader Faith Blankenship, of Kirtland High School.

The Kiwanis sponsors the “Students of the Month.” The principal and staff chose one student from each school to be recog nized.

Each student has their picture taken, receives a certificate and a T-shirt that says “Student of the Month.”

CHUCK BICKART/KIRTLAND KIWANIS

From left, “Students of the Month” Delilah Dempster, of KES, Annalin “Annie” Sullivan, of KMS, and Faith Blankenship, of KHS.