Geauga Maple Leaf 3-2-23

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Vol. 29 No. 9 • Chardon, Ohio www.geaugamapleleaf.com

$1.00

Chardon Schools

GCPL Expansion Could Ease School Traffic Woes

By amy PatteRsoN amy@kaRlovecmedia.com

Park Elementary School may have improved parking and traffic flow if tentative plans to share some of its property with the Geauga County Public Library move forward.

Chardon Schools Superintendent Michael Hanlon told the board of education at its Feb. 21 meeting GCPL has preliminary plans to expand the library, situated on East Park Street on Chardon Square, northward toward the elementary school.

“Through discussions that we’ve had with the library, if the board of education was to grant use of the property for this purpose, then we, in turn, would receive use and access to the (GCPL) parking lot there,” Hanlon said. “We know that that’s a problem for us in the morning with parent drop off and in

Parkman Wells Likely to Reach 300 Feet in Depth

By aNN WishaRt aNN@kaRlovecmedia com

The seven wells being drilled on residential properties around the Ohio Department of Transportation salt shed in Parkman Township will probably have to go down about 300 feet.

Township Trustee Henry Duchscherer said during a trustees meeting Feb. 21 that years of runoff from the shed have contaminated the aquifer at about 100 feet. That has been the depth of most wells in the area, but tests have shown water in that aquifer near the salt shed is no longer potable.

Also, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is dealing with the train wreck and chemical spill in East Palestine and he has not

A conceptual drawing prepared for a planned expansion of the Chardon branch of the Geauga County Public Library shows an expanded parking area for patrons, which could help streamline drop-off and pick-up at Park Elementary School if plans for the district to share property with GCPL move forward.

the afternoon with student pick up at the end of the day.”

Currently, buses and parents share Goodrich Court and a portion

of the driveway that extends off that street to the square. Newer schools are designed to separate bus traffic from parent traffic, Hanlon said.

“We don’t have that luxury here,” he told the board. “So, this would presumably enhance the sitSee Expansion • Page 6

Cold Nose Companions Leads

Warm-Hearted Rescue Mission

By Rose NemuNaitis editoR@kaRlovecmedia

Rook is an energetic and sweet 1-year-old terrier pit bull mix who spends most hours of his life in side a kennel waiting for his forev er home.

Cold Nose Companions Dog Training, in Hambden Township, is hoping to make a howling differ ence in the lives of shelter dogs, like Rook, by offering no-cost train ing to open spots in their classes.

Wednesday afternoons are a priceless treat for Rook thanks to CNC and City Dogs of Cleveland.

“Making a difference in the lives of these animals takes a vil lage,” said Emily Hesse, City Dogs volunteer. “Cold Nose Compan ions and City Dogs understand and embrace that philosophy.”

When CNC owner Christine Good assumed leadership of the company in 2021, it was import ant to her to use a strong voice to make the world a better place in whatever small ways she could.

Rescue from page 1

members already foster for shelters in the area and volunteer on a regular basis. The idea of the shelter program came from them.”

Prior owner Carol Peter, who built CNC, began fostering relationships with several rescue organizations years ago.

“By the time she was ready to retire in 2021, we had earned the trust of many rescue organizations, veterinary clinics and thousands of clients,” Good said. “Many shelters in our area are in very bad shape these days. They are overcrowded, understaffed and even the most perfect dogs sit for a long time.”

Rook joins nearly 175 City Dogs, working at maximum capacity, since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Good said their idea was very simple — if a class has open spots two days before it is scheduled to start, they offer those spots to a shelter or rescue dog at no cost.

“We accomplish two of our goals with this — dogs receive training and enrichment, which is good for their mental health and makes them more adoptable; and rescue volunteers and staff members learn free methods of dog training, which they can use on even more dogs at the shelter and in their own homes,” Good said.

Two main organizations making use of this program are Ashtabula County Animal Protective League and City Dogs.

“Both organizations work with minimal resources and are phenomenally dedicated to the well-being of their charges,” Good said.

Classes provide mental enrichment not just when volunteers are at a class, but throughout the week when the volunteer comes to the kennel to practice skills and strategies from class.

“Their focus is on positive reinforcement, which is the only training philosophy supported,” Hesse said. “Many of the dogs in a shelter situation require some level of

training, whether it be for general manners or something more involved, and partnering er, like Cold Nose Companions, (we) can help the transition go much more smoothly for both dog and person.”

Over 20 dogs from the organization have received free training and almost all of them have been adopted.

“This enrichment is priceless to a dog that spends 23 hours of its day in a kennel waiting to be adopted,” Hesse said. “It also brings a lot of value to our volunteers who are learning positive reinforcement strategies that they can access and utilize with every City Dog that they interact with moving forward. That value is immeasurable when you consider the large number of dogs with which our volunteers interact.”

Trina Jones, of Ashtabula APL, began sending staff to sessions last year and also has adoption success stories.

Tony, a pit bull mix, was left overnight in the APL’s outside kennels with three other dogs. He went through a Mind Your Manners class and visitor greetings with a staff member who ended up fostering him and falling in love.

“After over a year in the shelter, she adopted him and he's doing great,” Jones said.

CNC trainer John Swaney works with Rook, who came to Cleveland Animal Care and Control as a stray dog two days before Christmas in 2022.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to work with area shelters in an effort to shorten the time these dogs spend in shelter life,” Swaney said. “Since Christine started this cooperative program, we have seen the dogs do well from week to week with their new behaviors and that is attributed to all of the volunteers as they work with each dog.”

He said another important aspect is the feedback received from volunteers regarding every dog's overall behavior at the shelter.

“We are hearing that time spent training is helping the dogs cope better with shelter life and consequently allowing them to show their future families their true potential,” Swaney said.

Over the last year, CNC has brought about 40 dogs through their classes this way.

Good recalled a recent success story for one adoptee.

“We received an email about one hour before the start of the class that the pit bull who had been coming wasn’t going to make it to class,” Good said, adding apparently, the pit bull and its handler were walking out of the shelter and an adopter had seen him and shown interest.

“When the dog happily demonstrated his newly-learned skills, they adopted him on the spot,” Good said. “Best reason ever to miss a participant.”

The whole class cheered when they shared the news since they had all been rooting for the pup.

“We know we can’t save the world, but we are making a difference for these dogs and their families,” Good said. “And that is why we are here.”

If you are interested in adopting Rook – animal ID 51755966 - please contact City Dogs of Cleveland.

Community Meetings

Listed are public meetings and executive sessions in the county for the coming week, unless otherwise noted. To have a public meeting included in this section, fax information to 440285-2015 or email editor@geaugamapleleaf. com no later than Monday noon. These meeting notices are NOT legal notices.

Geauga County: March 2, 5 p.m., Board of Public Health, Ste. 350, special meeting to discuss a review of the Environmental Health Department’s permitting and inspection process; March 6, 6 p.m., Airport Authority, at 15421 Old State Road, Hangar 3 Pilot Lounge, Middlefield; March 7, 9:30 a.m., Geauga County Commissioners. All county meetings are held at the Geauga County Administrative Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive (Ste. #), Claridon, unless otherwise noted. County commissioners meetings are held in Suite 350.

Auburn Township: March 6, 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees; March 9, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Administration Building, 11010 Washington St., unless otherwise indicated.

Burton Township: March 6, 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Township Administration building, 14821 Rapids Road, unless otherwise noted.

Burton Village: March 6, 2 p.m., Board of Public Affairs. All meetings are held at 14588 W. Park St., 2nd Floor, unless otherwise noted.

Chardon City: March 9, 6:30 p.m., City Council. All meetings are held at Municipal Center, 111 Water St., unless otherwise noted.

Chardon Township: March 6, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at Township Hall, 9949 Mentor Road, unless otherwise noted.

Chester Township: March 9, 6:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Township Hall, 12701 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.

Claridon Township: March 6, 6 p.m., Board of Trustees. All trustees meetings are held at Administrative Building, 13932 Mayfield Road, unless otherwise noted. All Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals meetings are held at Town Hall, 13930 Mayfield Road.

Hambden Township: March 6, 6 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Town Hall, 13887 GAR Highway, unless otherwise noted.

Huntsburg Township: March 7, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings held at the Town Hall, 16534 Mayfield Road.

Middlefield Village: March 7, 5:30 p.m. –Streets, Sidewalks & Utilities, 7 p.m. –Planning Commission; March 9, 9 a.m.

– Records Retention, 12 p.m. – Housing Committee, 5:30 p.m. – Recreation, 6 p.m.

– Finance & Ordinance, 6:30 p.m. – Safety, 7 p.m. – Village Council. All meetings are at the Municipal Center, 14860 N. State Ave.

Montville Township: March 7, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings held at the Montville Community Center, 9755 Madison Road, unless noted.

Parkman Township: March 7, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Com-

munity House, 16295 Main Market Road, unless otherwise noted.

Russell Township: March 2, 2 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at Russell Town Hall, 14890 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.

Thompson Township: March 6, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees, at Thompson Branch of Geauga Public Library, 6645 Madison Road. All trustees meetings are held at Ledge Park Building, 16713 Thompson Road.

Troy Township: March 2, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission; March 7, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at Troy Community Center, 13950 Main Market Road, unless noted.

Cardinal BOE: March 8, 6:30 p.m., regular meeting. All meetings held at BOE Office, 15982 E. High St., Middlefield, unless otherwise indicated.

8389 Mayfield Road, Suite B5

Chesterland, Ohio 44026

Phone 440-729-7667

FAX 440-729-8240

ads@karlovecmedia.com

Phone 440-285-2013

FAX 440-285-2015

editor@karlovecmedia.com

Jeffrey B. Karlovec, Publisher

John D. Karlovec, Editor

Cassandra C. Shofar, News Editor

Jamie A. Ward, Sports Editor

Ann Wishart, Staff Reporter

Amy Patterson, Staff Reporter

Brian Doering, Staff Reporter

Clay Karlovec, Sales Representative

Clinton Sestak, Sales Representative

Gayle Mantush, Sales Representative

Jayne Kracker, Sales Representative

Barb Fontanelle, Sales Representative

Regina Swinerton, Classifieds

Pamela J. Molnar, Production Supervisor

Karen S. Kaplan, Graphic Design

Submissions and Deadlines

• Editorial submissions are printed as space is available, at the publisher’s discretion, and may be edited for length, clarity and grammar. All submissions are due by Monday at noon for consideration for that Thursday’s edition.

• Email all editorial submissions and questions to editor@karlovecmedia.com.

• The space reservation deadline for paid advertisements in that Thursday’s Geauga County Maple Leaf is the preceding Friday by noon. Late ads may be accepted at the discretion of management.

• Email advertising requests and questions to ads@karlovecmedia.com.

Subscription Rates (valid through 12/31/22)

Weekly Issue (in Geauga County)

One year: $50 • Two years: $90

Senior Citizens one year: $45 Single copy: $1

Weekly Issue (outside Geauga County)

One year: $65 • Two years: $120

Weekly Issue (snowbird/seasonal address)

One year: $65

Online Only (No Mailed Copy) $50

NewspaperandOnlineSubscriptions are Non-Refundable. YoucanviewtheRefundPolicybyvisiting: www.geaugamapleleaf.com/refund-policy/ orbyusingthe“More”menuonthewebsite.

• Geauga County Maple Leaf is a newspaper of general circulation published weekly. Contains general, legal, real estate, insurance and commercial news.

• Copyright © 2022 Geauga County Maple Leaf LLC. All rights reserved. Material published in Geauga County Maple Leaf is prepared at substantial expense and is for the sole and exclusive use of the subscriber. It may not be republished, resold, recorded or reused in any manner, in whole or part, without the publisher’s written consent. Any infringement will be subject to legal redress.

• Geauga County Maple Leaf (USPS 011-535) is published weekly by Geauga County Maple Leaf LLC. 101 South Street, Chardon, OH 44024. Periodicals postage paid at Chardon, Ohio 44024. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Geauga County Maple Leaf, P.O. Box 1166, Chardon, OH 44024-5166. Subscribers should notify the publisher in writing of address changes or unsatisfactory delivery.

• Under no circumstances will any record filed in the county be suppressed at any time for anybody, except by order of court.

• Attorneys placing legal advertisements are responsible for payment.

• The publisher is not responsible for errors in advertisements after first publication if not advised by the advertiser.

Commissioners Create Resource Officer Position

By BRiaN doeRiNg BRiaN@kaRlovecmedia.com

After holding discussions around hiring a deputy to man the reception desk at the county office building, Geauga County Com missioners created the resource officer posi tion Feb. 23.

Commissioners approved a request for the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office to estab lish a building security position.

“I talked with the sheriff and (Chief Depu ty Tom Rowan) about a plan about how we are going to do this going forward,” said County Administrator Gerry Morgan. “We are look ing for the commissioners to authorize the sheriff’s office to create a deputy position at the front desk for security purposes.”

The officer will be on duty from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for a max imum amount of 50 hours per week with an amount not to exceed $150,000 per year.

Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand and Rowan ap peared before commissioners to share the plans for the position.

“We’ve got to get access to the building, get a phone down there, a computer and that kind of stuff,” Hildenbrand said. “Then, we talked about having a calendar for the build ing of what’s going on. That’s going to be the first place somebody goes and is going to ask

Wells

from page 1

been able to get much information.

“There’s an awful lot of people not returning my calls,” Duchscherer said.

Mack Daniel, of Tavern Road, asked trustees if he could get in line for a new well. Daniel said he has had to replace his hot water tank every year for 15 years and installing a water softener has not improved the situation.

Duchscherer recommended Daniel have his water tested, but his property might be too far from the salt shed to qualify for a new well.

In September, Geauga Public Health Administrator Adam Litke told Parkman Township Trustees a $300,000 grant is coming from the state agency working with Gov. Mike DeWine’s office to address the salt contamination of some wells in the township. Litke said the OEPA plans to test wells further out from those originally determined to be contaminated.

At the Feb. 21 meeting, Duchscherer said he understands no more wells are being tested at this point and the grant may not be large enough to cover the costs of drilling any more.

Three wells have been drilled and tested, he said, but drilling has been paused temporarily due to wet conditions and concerns moving the rigs would destroy lawns and

gravel driveways, Litke told the GPH board at its Feb. 22 meeting.

He said he plans to ask OEPA to extend the grant past the end of February and drilling can start up again when the ground is firm.

Litke said if a certain number of wells are found to be contaminated, the OEPA might decide to drill a community well for homes to tap into.

Original complaints of salt contamination were brought to the trustees and first reported by the Geauga County Maple Leaf in the summer of 2021, when a property owner on Tavern Road said his horses refused to drink water from his well and testing showed a high salt content.

When more tests showed several wells south of Tavern Road had a high content of sodium, chloride and bromide — all found in rock salt — ODOT moved a loading ramp, built an asphalt berm around the base of the structure and re-routed the state’s salt truck routes so their loads are not as large, In other business, trustees discussed methane remediation at the community house.

A Kinetico employee tested the water for methane recently when people complained the water smelled bad.

The methane remediation system will cost about $6,700 and testing one to four times a year will cost $175 each visit, Duchscherer said.

KIS Set for Roof Replacement

By BRiaN doeRiNg BRiaN@kaRlovecmedia com

After exercising patience to get all its funding ducks in a row, Kenston Intermediate School is finally slated for a roof replacement this summer.

During its Feb. 21 meeting, Kenston Schools Board of Education approved a resolution to hire Cleveland-based Garland/DBS, Inc. for the project at a cost not to exceed $323,479, which will be paid by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

“We were looking to do this project last summer. But the funding that we wanted to utilize were the ESSER funds,” said School Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations and Strategic Initiatives Jeremy McDevitt in a follow-up interview. “Since those are federal dollars, there's more hoops you have to jump through before spending that money. We wanted to make sure that everything was handled properly before those funds were designated for the roof repair. That got cleared up this fall and so we went ahead and scheduled the project for this summer.”

The school has been battling leaks for the past two years.

“Our biggest concern is anytime you have a roof over a gym, you have to take into consideration the gym floor. Gym floors are taking on moisture, you get warping and bowing and next thing you

know, you're replacing the entire floor, so we have had some problems over the last couple of years,” McDevitt said, adding the school has been chasing the leak around the entire roof and the logical step is to do a full replacement.

“As those arise, we've been having them addressed, but what we're finding out, as you find in a lot of roof leaks, you fix one area, then the leak moves somewhere else,” McDevitt said.

He said Garland/DBS has worked with the district for four to five years and used them for the shingle roof replacement project for Timmons Elementary School in 2019.

“They serve as kind of an owner representative. We're in a purchasing consortium with a company called the Equalis and Garland is part of that, which allows us to work with Garland without going through a formal bid process,” McDevitt said. “They did work for us previously and we really liked the work that they did.”

He added the roof project certainly helps the building.

“It's kind of a catch-22. You hate to put too much money into a building that's as old as KIS is, but at the same time, we don't have the funds, nor are we looking to replace this building in the next five years,” he said. “It'll be good. Anytime you make a building better is a good thing.”

The roof replacement over the gym is scheduled to begin in June and will be completed in July.

Budget Commission Questions GPD Finances

By BRiaN doeRiNg aNd amy PatteRsoN BRiaN@kaRlovecmedia com

The Geauga County Budget Commission has several questions for the Geauga Park District related to its finances, after it tabled an amendment to GPD’s budget Feb. 22.

Since last December, GPD attempted four times to submit a request for the budget commission — comprising Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder, Treasurer Chris Hitchcock and Prosecutor Jim Flaiz — to certify that the district’s budget appropriations for the coming year fall within its available funds.

After multiple submissions showed a mismatch between those numbers, the budget commission set a meeting for Feb. 22, but no one from GPD showed up.

GPD sent its 2023 appropriations measure to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office Dec. 15, showing a total appropriation of $12.4 million. Walder said his office “tested” that amount against a certificate of estimated resources prepared by GPD on Aug. 31, 2022, which showed the park district having a total of $10.4 million in certified revenue.

“This is crazy. I’ve never heard of somebody over-appropriating without taking a corrective action,” Walder said during the budget commission meeting.

The latest GPD appropriation also included a transfer from the general fund into the capital fund, Walder said.

If the commission accepted the GPD revenue requests as submitted, he said, the park district would “right the ship legally,” but would be appropriating 99.2% of their money.

“If they perform to that level, they will have no money in January of next year,” Walder said. “I don’t want to wait ‘til we are in budget season in August to tell them we’ve got to fix this.”

On Jan. 6 and Feb. 6 of 2023, GPD requested resource certification amendments in the amount of $12,014,890 and $12,015,482, respectively, which continued to be insufficient

to cover their appropriations.

Even after GPD resubmitted certifications and appropriation measures, Walder said in a phone interview GPD is appropriating in excess of 90% of its resources, meaning it could come up short on its financial obligations in the first quarter of 2024. He noted this warning was given in detail during GPD’s 2023 budget hearings in August 2022.

Flaiz said he would be happy to invite the park district to appear but said GPD has spread “misinformation” about the budget commission. He did not think they would have a frank discussion about their finances.

“I’m willing to try anything, but they’ve wasted so much of our time and energy. I’m kind of just tired of it,” Flaiz said, adding GPD is seemingly in a fiscal crisis and he is thankful citizens post their meetings online for public viewing.

“I watched the last meeting. I think there was more debate and discussion at the last communist Chinese party meeting than there was at the last park meeting,” Flaiz said. “(Park District Executive Director John Oros) pretty much spoke the whole time. (Sweeney) presented the financials and one of the board members asked a question about the train derailment.”

Flaiz said GPD should at least have a fiscal representative with him when they appear before the budget commission.

“I don’t want Oros to come here and listen to this nonsense. They’ve got to have a fiscal person with them,” Flaiz said. “Not this stuff they’ve done in the past where the person is hidden away at the headquarters.”

Walder said there is value in GPD leaders appearing at a meeting like the budget commission’s that is open to the public and at which the public is invited to comment.

“It’s publicly available to be memorialized. They don’t do that with their meetings. They don’t let the public weigh in,” Walder said. “Part of the frustration is we asked them as a courtesy, please just open up your entity

Thompson Residents Survive Fire

staff RePoRt

Two Thompson Township residents were transported to University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center for smoke inhalation that oc curred when their mobile home caught fire on the morning of Feb. 25.

Thompson Fire Chief Dorothy Battles said her station received a call at 7:40 a.m. about a mobile home fire at Rustic Pines Mo bile Home Park at 17748 Rock Creek Road.

“When we arrived, the fire was fully in volved,” she said. “The male got out and the female was rescued by neighbors.”

Raif Covey, 55, and his sister, Yvonne Cov ey, were taken to UH-Geauga Medical Center, then transported to Cleveland MetroHealth to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Battles estimated the mobile home was built in the 1960s and she said it was total ly destroyed by the fire, but firefighters con tained the blaze and no neighboring struc tures were damaged.

“It was a hot fire,” she said, adding one of three cats died in the fire and one was missing. Firefighters rescued one dog, Daphne, and a cat, Mingo. The dog was taken to a vet for smoke and fire injuries and the cat was taken to Rescue Village in Russell Township.

No firefighters were injured and Battles’

Geauga County Fire Investigation Unit, Bat tles said.

Firefighters responded from Thompson, Hambden, Montville, Chardon and Middlefield fire departments in Geauga County, from Leroy Township and Madison Village in Lake County and from Trumbull Township in Ashtabula County, she said.

to the public and a lot of this would have been identified early in the year. There’s people in the public that understand (you) can’t appropriate more money than you have.”

Hitchcock said his disappointment in the park district’s leadership continues.

“They are trying to right the ship, but without any concern for sustainability,” Hitchcock said. “Our job is to ensure what they do is appropriate.”

Hitchcock said it was incumbent upon the budget commission to approve what GPD submitted, but the approval would come with serious ramifications.

“I think we have to accept this, but do it knowing that they are getting themselves in deep budgetary trouble,” Hitchcock said.

After GPD separated from the county’s fiscal oversight in 2021, their financials are subject to review by the Ohio Auditor of State’s office. Walder warned GPD about being too reliant on that oversight.

“They think the state auditor’s looking over their shoulder helping. The state auditor will only tell you — after you’ve had the collision, the airbags went off and there’s no living bodies left — you are in trouble,” Walder said.

The commission invited comment from two members of the audience, David and

Barbara Partington of the nonprofit Protect Geauga Parks, an advocacy group dedicated to promoting conservation. Both shared criticisms of GPD and the importance of public comment.

“We have known for quite a while that they have financial chaos. They are not meeting their obligations,” David said. “They put a column in their budgetary amendment called worst case scenario. I’m no fiscal officer, but I don’t think you need to do that.”

Barbara said members of the public would be able to help GPD with their budget if they were able to have public comment.

“It’s an embarrassment for the county to be involved in this sitting. They really, I think, are clueless on how to make a budget,” she said.

The GPD has not allowed the opportunity for public comment since July 2016.

Oros said in a follow-up interview both he and Sweeney will attend the March 6 budget meeting.

“Dawn has established positive communication with the commission through Deputy Auditor Kristen Sinatra,” said Oros. “We are happy to answer any questions the commission may have and look forward to working collaboratively.”

Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coming to West Geauga

By BRiaN doeRiNg BRiaN@kaRlovecmedia com

Girls lacrosse has officially become a varsity sport at West Geauga Schools’ after the board of education passed a resolution Feb. 27.

During the meeting, Athletic Director Brandon Stewart appeared before the board to advocate for the addition.

“A lot has been made about boys sports and girls sports, and having as many boys and as many girls. As an athletic director, we want to have every opportunity for everyone to compete,” Stewart said.

According to Stewart’s presentation, the athletic department is currently working with school boosters to provide goalie equipment due to the high costs of gear. Expenses for the program include $3,700 for officials, coaching contracts of $4,482 for the head coach and $3,318 for the assistant coach and $400 for a PA announcer and event workers.

An additional $500 in supplies/equipment will need to be added to the athletic budget to cover the cost of balls, scorebooks and any other costs that may rise during the season,

Newbury Township

from games.

If a student needs to travel to an away contest on their own, written permission will

they need to be and can we provide an experience that is worthy of a varsity sport,” he explained.

at $7 per ticket for adults and $4 for students with student ticket sales ending at 3 p.m. the day of the game.

Zoning Commission Seeks Vision for Kinsman Corridor

By aNN WishaRt aNN@kaRlovecmedia.com

Newbury Township Zoning Commission agreed to informally poll property owners along Kinsman Road as to their preferences on a zoning change along the state route from professional office to … something else.

Specifically, the commission is looking at changing the zoning of a number of properties at the intersections of Munberry Oval and Kinsman Road and Sperry and Kinsman roads that are zoned for professional office development — a category that has not drawn in doctors, lawyers and accountants as expected 30 years ago.

Commission Chairman Jerry Hudak said during the Feb. 22 meeting he learned from Geauga County Assistant Prosecutor Linda Applebaum the commission can’t hold special meetings to discuss the idea with one or two property owners at a time.

“I was looking at it as more of a fireside chat (to) get the opinions from people who own the professional office properties who are going to be most affected,” he said during the lengthy meeting, adding their neighbors would have been consulted, as well.

However, Hudak said he was advised

Expansion

from page 1

uation a little bit by providing additional parking and some traffic flow enhancement. The big trade-off, of course, is that we would lose that playground space and we would have to figure out how to address that.”

Hanlon said plans shared with the GCPL board have not yet been approved, but were being presented that same night by GCPL Director Kris Carroll.

“(Carroll) asked that I share this with our board this evening … just so that everyone’s on the same page and at the same starting point with what the concept is,” he said.

In an email, Carroll said the conceptual

such discussions would violate the Open Meetings Act.

He recommended editing the letter the commission had proposed sending to property owners that would have invited them to private meetings.

Commission member Steve Boughner said a letter to them could explain why the township is considering the change.

“There’s a reason we are doing these things. It’s not for personal gain. We’re looking to better our township,” he said, adding the properties could be rezoned to permit commercial, residential or industrial development.

Township Trustee Bill Skomrock, sitting in the audience, said he doesn’t oppose changing the zoning, but wants to be sure the properties adjoining the rezoned parcels are protected with a buffer.

“I don’t want smokestack business in Newbury,” he said, adding small business is appropriate and good for the township.

“I don’t want to send people away,” he said.

While the township has seen significant business growth on the eastern side of the township, the properties from Munn Road to the Russell Township line that are zoned for offices have gradually been granted variances

plan Hanlon shared with the BOE was designed with the help of an architectural company to ensure GCPL gets a realistic cost estimate to begin budgeting for a planned modernization of the Chardon branch.

“The tentative project includes the library collaborating with the Chardon public school district to address current parking and traffic issues occurring on the east side of Chardon Square,” she said.

Hanlon said some discussions have taken place among the board’s Facilities Committee, which includes board members Keith Brewster and C.J. Paterniti, but there have been no decisions made, yet.

He shared conceptual drawings by the architect working on the GCPL Chardon expansion and indicated blacktop space between

to open businesses.

“We haven’t had substantial growth in Newbury Township for quite a while (between) Auburn and Sperry,” Baughner said, asking Skomrock and township Trustee Greg Tropf, also in the audience, what the trustees’ vision is for that stretch of Kinsman Road.

“I want to hear your vision,” Skomrock said.

Baughner said the board has been talking about the zoning issue at those main intersections for 10 years and needs to think about what will be best for the community.

“It’s such a limited number of properties we need to consider where they are, what can go there, how it will affect things. (State Route ) 87 is a commercial corridor,” he said.

Chris Yaecker, a member of the township board of zoning appeals attending the meeting, said there are about 20 parcels at the two intersections that could be affected by a zoning change from professional office to business.

“This is huge. It’s a massive change. You’re talking about completely changing the character of Newbury,” he said.

Residents value land use first for residential, followed by agriculture, professional office, commercial and industrial in that order,

Park Elementary School and the Park auditorium — which serves as the school’s gymnasium — that will soon be torn up as part of a project to repair the underground tunnel students use to access the auditorium.

Hanlon said if the district was able to share parking and turnaround space with the library, it may be possible to create more green space while the blacktop is removed for tunnel repairs.

Board member Todd Albright asked whether there is any possibility the parking lot north of the school, which is owned by the county and used as overflow parking for the courthouse, would be available for purchase by the school district in the future.

Hanlon said that lot will eventually be improved as part of an agreement between the

according to a community survey taken more than 10 years ago, he said.

“This is not a community that wants to see commercial and industrial (development),” Yaecker said, adding he fears seeing more burning piles of mulch, vehicle repair shops, construction equipment suppliers and landscapers along Kinsman Road.

He noted his family owns property near the intersection of Sperry and Kinsman roads.

Hudak said he talked to another resident near Sperry and Kinsman who has the same concerns as Yaecker. He urged the board members to contact other property owners along the corridor, which he said is legal as long as a majority of the board is not involved in the meeting.

“I’d still like to do meetings, even if it’s one-on-one. You talk to somebody then bring it back here and we chat about it. See what their vision is,” he suggested, adding the board can make an informed decision then.

Hudak asked the zoning secretary to distribute a list of affected property owners and the commission members each can choose those they will talk to.

“Maybe we should have done this from the start, but we weren’t at that point,” he said. “Now, we know what we can and can’t do.”

city and county to repair the historic Chardon Courthouse, which will further reduce the availability of parking while the building is being renovated.

“The long answer to your question is no, the county wants to keep that (lot) and they will be developing it into parking for the courthouse renovation,” he said. “That being said, I’ve had conversations with the county about potentially some shared access to that parking lot, maybe to promote traffic flow behind Park Elementary School.”

Hanlon said the county was receptive to ideas about sharing the lot, but likely will not be at the point of planning repairs to the lot until at least 2025.

Melodye Ruth Nickita

Melodye “Mel”

Ruth Nickita, age 67, went home to the Lord on Feb. 15, 2023.

She was born to William and Eileen (ne: Starkvick) McCoy, on Oct. 7, 1955, in Ashtabula.

Mel met the love of her life in high school, Nick Nickita, and they later married on April 17, 1982.

She was an avid reader and retired after 33 years working at the circulation desk at the Geauga County Library. Mel loved participating in the book discussion club held at the library.

She enjoyed the simple things in life, like sitting on the porch watching the hummingbirds and spending time with her dogs.

Mel is survived by her husband, Nick; sister Susie (David) Renkel; and half-brothers, Timothy and Jimmy Mason. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded by her parents; and siblings Kimberly (Nicholas) Salvatore and Devon (Doug) Patterson.

A celebration of life will take place at a later date.

Family asks the donations in her name be made to the Geauga County Dog Warden, 12513 Merritt Road, Chardon, OH 44024; or the Geauga County Library Foundation, https://geaugalibrary.net/about/gc-library-foundation/donate-to-gclf/.

Arrangements made by Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Chardon. Information and condolences online at www. burrservice.com.

Barbara Joan Doss

Barbara Joan Doss (nee Ware), age 90, of Newbury Town ship, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at Briar Hill Nursing Home in Middlefield.

She was born Aug. 26, 1932, in Grundy Center, Iowa. Bar bara was the youngest of eight children. She grew up on a corn farm and was educated in a one-room school house.

On the way to school, Barbara and her brother Charles tended to his muskrat traps. She helped care for the family home and livestock. She had fond memories of curling up in her grandmother’s lap and falling asleep as a child.

Barbara met Max Albert Doss when he came into the malt shop where she worked. She was impressed with his talent for whistling tunes and fell in love with him. They were married in Cheyenne, Wyo., before his deployment for the Korean War in 1950. They were married for 50 years before he passed away in 2000.

Barbara was a very loving, protective mother to her four children. She enjoyed painting and learned by watching Bob Ross’ shows on PBS. She was a talented baker and often made cakes, cookies and bread. At Christmas time, she made Stollen and can-

dy-divinity, caramels and fudge.

She liked to go for drives in the fall and look at the beautiful foliage, especially along the Blue Ridge Parkway. She liked playing cards, especially Rummy, Hearts and Canasta. She enjoyed Dean Martin, Kenny Rogers and Frank Sinatra’s music.

Barbara loved her grandchildren dearly, providing toys and many things for them to play.

She enjoyed tending to her flower gardens during the warm months.

Barbara enjoyed shopping and was rarely seen without her red fingernail polish and red lipstick.

She is survived by her sister Joyce Petersen; brother Charles Ware; son Steven; son Calvin (Rhea); daughter, Julee Sedivy (Rick); son Max Doss Jr. (Rebecca); grandchildren, Eric (Alex), Amy, Nathan, Logan, Michael, Rosemarie, Ben, Chris (Sheonna), Mary, Anne, Teresa; and great-grandchildren, Landon and Lillian.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Susan (nee Hess); siblings Jesse Ware, Alice Schwarck, Clyde Ware, Chester Ware and Louis Ware; and husband, Max A. Doss.

The family received friends Feb. 28, 2023, at Burr Funeral Home, 116 South St., Chardon.

Following on March 1, 2023, an additional visitation was held from 10-11 a.m., with the funeral service at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment followed services at Maple Hill Cemetery in Munson Township.

Arrangements were made by Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Chardon. Information and condolences online at www. burrservice.com.

Benjamin Frederick Freeble III

Benjamin Frederick Freeble III, age 88, of Burton, died on Dec. 21, 2022, at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center.

He was born in Mercer, Pa., on Sept. 1, 1934, to Benjamin F. and Mary (nee McEl heny) Freeble Jr.

After graduating from high school, Benjamin was a cadet in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. He then graduated from Fenn College (Cleveland State University), where he met Sally J. Willer. They married on Sept. 3, 1960, and moved to Highland Heights, where they started a family. Then they bought a house in Kirtland.

Benjamin began working at American Greetings, in Cleveland, then took a position as a general accountant for Imperial Wallcoverings, in Cleveland, where he worked until retirement. He then enjoyed a few years working at Techtron Systems, Inc. in Highland Heights.

Benjamin got up every day at 5:30 a.m. to jog before work. He worked long hours, but he enjoyed his free time with his wife and family. He enjoyed golfing, watching sports, especially baseball and basketball, reading non-fiction, fiction and doing research on genealogy.

He went for constitutionals and always kept a journal. His nature was calm and easy-going, always charming everyone. He loved dogs, but his cats, Boots and Shadow,

were his favorites.

Survivors include his much beloved wife; daughter, Brenda A. Freeble (Charles C. Fischer), of Pacific Palisades, Calif.; son Douglas S. Freeble, of Boone, Mo.; grandchildren, Hope Palmer Gnad (Michael Gnad), of Mentor-on-the-Lake, Josephine Freeble and Julia Freeble, of Medina; great-grandson, Austin Gnad, of Mentor-on-the-Lake; and sister, Dawn F. Schabner (Donald Schabner), of Montpelier, Vt.

He also has many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son Jeffrey D. Freeble.

Benjamin was a proud direct descendant of Thomas McKean, of Delaware, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Funeral services were held at the Old South Church, 9802 Chillicothe Road, Kirtland, on Feb. 28, 2023. Interment took place in the South Kirtland Cemetery.

Arrangements by Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Chardon. Information and condolences online at www.burrservice. com.

David James Yates

David James Yates

“Old Crow” peacefully passed away on Feb. 22, 2023.

He was born on Feb. 15, 1930, and was named by his Great-Aunt Sister Mary Herman.

David had many accolades, among those were Golden Gloves champion boxer, criminal investigator and Geauga County deputy sheriff, and ran for sheriff against his longtime friend and boss, Louie Robusky.

He loved his gardens and inventions. One of his greatest joys was the annual family camping trip to White Fish Falls in Quebec. He had fond memories of all his trips with his good friends and son-in-law, George. They ventured Newfoundland, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia and so many great outdoor places for the big-game hunts and fishing. He even worked on a fishing boat in Alaska, bringing the fresh catch experience to Geauga County.

David ran Yates Electric (Local #38) on Yates Corners, where he and daughter Carey had a few business ventures. Longtime family owned and operated Geauga Septic Service Inc., where the children got their first excel-

lent customer service experience.

He was a great man who will be greatly missed.

Survived by his sister Gloria Kniss; daughters, Lynne (Michael, Erik David and Nathaniel Edward), Carey (George) Lanesky, Linda (Skip) and Wally, Danny, Chris and Pat; and many terrific nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-grandchildren.

David is preceded in death by his mother, Catherine Barbara Strasser; father, David Edward Yates; sisters, Laverne Yuranko and Mercedes Mayher; wife, Virginia Lee Flannery; and son, Marcus Flannery Yates.

Family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. on March 8, 2023, at St. Helen’s Catholic Church, 12060 Kinsman Road, Newbury Township. The Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. and burial will take place immediately following services at Shady Side Cemetery in Auburn Township.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations be made to the Hospice of the Western Reserve, 17876 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44110 or go to www.hospicewr.org.

They would like to say thank you to all the staff at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center for their loving care.

Arrangements made by the Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Chardon. Information and condolences online at www. burrservice.com.

Rick D Robinson

Rick D. Robinson, born July 8, 1951, passed away peace fully in hospice care near Brandon, Fla., on Feb. 16, 2023. He was 71.

Rick is survived by wife, Beth Huber; sons, Ryan (Leigh-Ann) and Randy (Jen); stepson, Stephen Calderone (Emily); brother Darrell (Wendy); and six wonderful grandchil dren.

He was proceeded in death by his par ents, Donald and Elaine; stepfather, Gene; and brother Richard.

Rick was an engineer for 34 years, loved fishing, the outdoors and cherished spending time with his grandchildren.

A memorial mass will be held at St. Gabri el parish in Concord Township and interment in Bristolville, date to be determined.

Parents of LGBTQ Speak

We are parents of LGBTQ children who participate in Geauga SOGI Support Network (GSSN) support groups. We are disheartened by the disparaging comments recently made by a county board member regarding this organization, mental healthcare and LGBTQ people. Such pronouncements dehumanize our children, our families and other county residents, and are antithetical to the doctrine of parental rights.

The one thing all parents should have in common is their unconditional love for their children. As parents, we dream for our kids, love them and guide them. Some of us even pray for them. We want our children and their future adulthood to be happy, healthy and safe. We want them to feel at home in this community where we live.

The thing about kids, though, is that the road is never exactly as parents imagine. And sometimes, we find that what we thought our child’s journey would be and what actually is are not the same. This is especially true for parents of gender-diverse people.

Parenting a transgender child does not come with any road map. It can be very lonely. Other parents don’t understand your walk. Faced with a challenging set of circumstances, most people seek aid and information from others in similar circumstances. Parents of gender-diverse youth in this county have been fortunate to have the option of seeking support from GSSN. GSSN re-

sponds to people who reach out with a need, it does not create one.

GSSN hosts support groups for middle- and high-school youth and a group for LGBTQ adults and family members of LGBTQ individuals. For many of our children, the youth support groups have been a literal lifeline. Our children don’t participate to CHANGE who they are, they go to be ACCEPTED for who they are.

Some of our kids are not even part of the LGBTQ community, but attend as siblings and allies looking for a supportive environment. As one youth says, “I go because I know this is the one place no one will bully or harass me. I can just be myself.”

For many of us parents, the adult support group has also been essential. It is a relief for us to be with others who share our experiences as we navigate complicated and private family situations. Our families have experienced so much joy from finding a community where we are all accepted.

We invite anyone who wants to brand organizations like GSSN as dangerous to think about what they would truly do if faced with parenting a gender-diverse child they love. What resources would you want? And how would you feel to hear your government officials denounce you for merely parenting with love and acceptance?

We wish it was safe for us to have our names published because we are proud of our kids; they are amazing people who are doing remarkable things. Unfortunately, for their privacy and security, we must remain anonymous. We look forward to the day

when all families can live their lives openly, without fear of being exposed to harassment.

Anonymous

Editor’s Note: The Geauga County Maple Leaf has verified the names of nine signatories to this letter, all of whom confirmed they signed and submitted this letter for publication. We allowed this letter to be published without the parents’ names for the safety and protection of the families.

Gov. Mike DeWine, Why the Plume?

East Palestine recently experienced a chemical mushroom cloud containing a deadly toxin, dioxin. Neil Donahue, a professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University. basically said the controlled burn and explosion unleashed a dioxin nightmare, possibly impacting future generations.

Scientists have warned that those living within a 100-mile radius could be exposed. The EPA defines dioxin as highly toxic and carcinogenic. One researcher said the maximum exposure of dioxin is measured in less than trillionths of a gram over a lifetime.

I live exactly 66 miles from East Palestine. This past Sunday, my dog, Millie, refused to drink from my pond. Knowing some pets and wildlife have recently died near the toxic plume, her refusal caused me to ponder what protocols are happening to keep us safe.

Also, I’ve been told there were options to neutralize the chemical rather than create a massive plume. This decision to ignite rather than contain and neutralize is beyond puzzling. Especially as I consider all the possible lives that will be shortened due to a potential spike in cancer.

Gov. DeWine blessed this toxic plume. Therefore, I request from Mr. DeWine his justifications for making a chemical disaster exponentially worse for millions of Americans. In my opinion, Gov. DeWine, along with others, need to be held accountable.

Joe DeBoth

Geauga County Republican Committee Member

Precinct #1: Auburn Township A

Claypool Needs to Step Down

Dear Geauga County Commissioners, I read with both interest and despair the article entitled, “Claypool Rants on Mental Health Spending, Targets LGBTQ Support Group,” Feb. 16, 2023, by Amy Patterson.

In that article, the author explained that Skip Claypool, an appointed member of Geauga County’s Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, took a stand against any financial support (from Geauga County) going to any LGBTQ organization, ever!

While I do not forsake Mr. Claypool’s right to his opinions, I do feel he has a responsibility to honor and uphold the tenets of the Mental Health Board. Clearly written in the ‘What We Do’ section on the website of the Mental Health Board are the words, “It is the primary responsibility of the Board to develop, promote and monitor services, facilities and programs that are responsive to the behavioral health care needs of the citizens of Geauga County.”

Since Mr. Claypool is not able to support the citizens of Geauga County who are LGBTQ, he is clearly in opposition to the very tenets he is responsible to uphold. Consequently, he should either step down now or at the very least I implore you to not re-appoint him.

Brenda Goodman Healing With The Horses LLC Munson Township

NOACA Disrupters

I’m sure many of you were aware of the NOACA meetings at the various libraries last month regarding the development of a regional Climate Action Plan. I was not able to attend at the Middlefield library, but several of my friends did.

Due to the disruptive activity of a number of people who apparently attended just to disrupt the meeting, most of my friends, unable to hear the presentation, quickly left.

The NOACA folks specified rules at the beginning of the meeting, but apparently the disrupters ignored the rules and shouted out rude comments to the extent that my friends

See Letters • Page 9

Auditor Recognizes National Weights & Measures Week

staff RePoRt

National Weights and Measures Week, March 1-7, commemorates President John Adams’s March 2, 1799, signing of the first United States weights and measures law.

This law ultimately led to the establishment of today’s enforcement framework assuring equity and protection in the marketplace for the consumer as well as the seller. Pursuant to Ohio law, Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder is the Sealer of Weights and Measures for Geauga County.

“Weights and Measures Inspector Rob Stanton is tasked with overseeing transactional accuracy to achieve an equitable and fair marketplace in Geauga County,” Walder

Letters from page 8

left disgusted.

One friend was especially fearful of the situation getting physically out of hand. Safety officers were there, but it seems they were just acting as room decorations rather than escorting disrupters out of the meeting room as they should have.

Those disrupters seem to have been egged on by a past county commissioner, present at the meeting, who lost his reelection attempt as commissioner. So much for his views representing the will of the people. Like the old saying states “empty heads always rattle.”

Many of those present should go back to high school and learn about scientific methods, peer review and the value of science in determining truth. The alternative is believing the earth is flat and the center of the universe, the holocaust never occurred and astronauts never landed on the moon — an invention of NASA, the Donald actually won the last election, but was cheated.

Hey, disrupters, show me evidence for any of these.

So sad!

John G. Augustine Parkman Township

Claypool’s Rant

As reported in a recent paper, Mr. Claypool has yet again provided us with a misinformed rant and wild accusations for which he provides absolutely no evidence. This is his schtick. When he doesn’t like something, he makes inflammatory statements against an organization or person without providing evidence, attacking the bearer not the data.

In this case, he would be very hard pressed to provide evidence, because it all points the opposite direction that he claims. He states with no evidence whatsoever that mental health activities in our schools are making kids worse. Where he gets this information, he doesn’t say; indeed, he can’t say because such data does not exist.

Claypool claims that GSSN, or as he prefers to say SOGI, harms children. It’s hard to understand how GSSN could be making schools and children worse off since it makes no presentations and teaches no lessons in our schools. The only time GSSN sees school-age children is in its facility at the re-

said. “These daily efforts provide an assurance to Geauga County consumers that items sold by count, measure and weight are accurate, and customers are provided with the information to make an informed decision when purchasing goods.”

Stanton regularly attends meetings and trainings to gain insight on new standards impacting county jurisdictions, explained Walder.

“Last year, he visited and inspected 35 gas stations and 150 small scale locations, and worked with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to inspect 19 vehicle truck scales and six distributors of liquid propane, fuel, oil, and gas in Geauga County,” Walder said.

quest and with the permission of parents.

The tone and content of Mr. Claypool’s rant provides a thin cover for his dislike of LGBT+ individuals. Moreover, like many on the right, he appears to believe that transgender people do not exist. He cites a conversation with an unnamed psychiatrist who appears to think that gender identity issues are nonexistent.

The American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, using scientific data (which Mr. Claypool seems to think is worthless), are quite clear that issues of gender identity, including transgender individuals, are real. As Ms. Steigerwald notes in her comments in the article, the antipathy of people like Mr. Claypool serve only to make LGBT+ people less secure and more frightened.

Even beyond his issues with the gay community, his denigration of mental health issues and mental health providers is detrimental to all children and adults.

But I guess Mr. Claypool got what he wanted, another week with his name in a headline.

Michael E. Maguire Chester Township

Trio of Road Projects OK’d

By BRiaN doeRiNg BRiaN@kaRlovecmedia com

Geauga County Commissioners Ralph Spidalieri, Jim Dvorak and Tim Lennon greenlit three more road repair projects scheduled for the summer during their Feb. 28 meeting.

Commissioners approved asphalt resurfacing on Fairmount Road in Russell Township and Clay Street in Huntsburg and Thompson townships.

“This is part of our continuation of our 2023 road program and in alignment with our five-year plan,” said Deputy Engineer Shane Hajjar.

Each resolution will have a bid opening date set for March 22 and the notice of the bid openings will be advertised March 2 and on the county website.

Hajjar said the Fairmount project will cover 2.2 miles from County Line Road to state Route 306.

“It’s a pretty straightforward mill and fill resurfacing project due to start in early June and traffic will be maintained during the project,” Hajjar said.

Hajjar said Clay Street will be two separate projects with one covering 1.9 miles to Chardon-Windsor Road and the other covering 2.7 miles to Thompson Road.

“These are two portions of that road that have reached the end of their useful and safe service life,” Hajjar said. “We'll be going in there and doing some modifications to the existing surface, repatching, repairing and then putting a new surface course on top of that.”

Hajjar added the engineer’s office looks at the roads annually.

“We inspect the roads and we also look at historically, when was the last time it had an improvement?” he said. “Roads in the southwest part of the county have a lot more traffic and typically need to be rehabilitated more frequently. Our northeastern part of the county has quite a bit less traffic volume, so they tend to hold up a little bit longer so all that factors into the decision of where to work and which projects to prioritize.”

Each project is expected to begin on June 1 and be finished by Aug. 30.

S P O R T S

Geauga Wrestlers Win 5 Sectional Titles, 26 Qualify for Districts

By alaN koRNsPaN sPoRts@kaRlovecmedia com

Wrestling programs at Berkshire and Kenston hosted OHSAA sectional tournaments Feb. 25.

In addition, wrestlers from Cardinal, Chagrin Falls, Chardon, NDCL and West Geauga traveled to various Northeast Ohio sites to compete in other OHSAA sectional wrestling tournament.

Geauga County wrestlers had great success at sectionals, as five wrestlers won individual titles and 21 others qualified for districts, which will take place across three divisions at different locations this weekend.

Sectional championship winners included Josh Brown (Berkshire), Brian Denamen (West Geauga), Josh Ripley (Cardinal), Will Vucetic (Chardon) and Bryce Wheatley (NDCL).

Five wrestlers from Berkshire qualified for districts, including Josh Brown (1st - 150), Johnny Heiden (2nd - 138), Colin Hering (2nd - 113), Alex Munn (2nd - 157) and Amadeus Kosava (4th - 144).

With his sectional title, Brown remained undefeated on the season and is currently ranked 5th in the state.

"So I came into this tournament, made 50 again; it was going real well," Brown said. "Worked my fundamentals, got to my pin combination, and made it happen today.

"Excited to wrestle those guys (at districts next week) who have more fundamentals and more skills and better movement."

Hering, who also qualified for districts, talked about the importance of the mental game as you move on through the postseason.

"Having a great tournament so far,” Hering said. “It's all about believing in yourself, just hitting your moves like you do in the

room every day.”

Also competing at the Berkshire sectionals were the Chagrin Falls Tigers. Two Tigers wrestlers qualified for districts: Jay McGinnis and Hunter Blair, who both finished in fourth place at sectionals.

"My first match I pinned the kid,” McGinnis said. “It was a pretty tough match, it got pretty aggressive, but I came out on top.

"The second match, I had some trouble. Got stuck. I got pinned. But just wrestled my third match and qualified for districts."

Blair also talked about his qualification.

"The first match was pretty easy for me — I pinned him in 24 seconds," he said, and also described the match he won to clinch his spot in districts. "A lot of hand fighting in the beginning. I shot in, I got a takedown, and then I was going for one move (but) it didn't work out so I switched it over for a head lock and got the pin."

Likewise, Kenston also hosted an OHSAA

Cardinal Hopes the Future is Brighter

Without a high school girls basketball program, it’s the middle schoolers that will lead the future.

By haley adams sPoRts@kaRlovecmedia com

Cardinal graduates Kim Domen and Jen Fekete did not think they would be in the position they currently are in.

Domen, a graduate of 1994, and Fekete, a graduate of 2003, have taken over the middle school basketball program at Cardinal. Both women spent numerous hours in the gymnasium, but never would have predicted their alma mater may not be able to field a varsity team.

Domen, who spent numerous seasons as a varsity assistant, had to watch a number of girls lose out on a special season. That’s when she decided to apply for the eighthgrade coaching position.

Fekete would begin her third season this winter.

“Once we didn’t have a high school team, I saw this group (of eighth-graders) play the year before and I knew they had a ton of potential — and I love coaching, it’s a passion

of mine,” said Domen when asked what her thought process was when applying.

On the other hand, Fekete talked about previous eighth grade coach Stan Barwidi, who inspired her to continue the trek of coaching young.

“I previously coached with Stan Barwidi,” Fekete said. “The man is a basketball genius. He has so much basketball knowledge, and I loved getting to learn from him. I am a middle school teacher and I love this age. They are still young enough to mold into good basketball players.”

Looking at the seventh grade team, Cardinal has a number of girls who have played the game of basketball two years or less. But it is a group eager to learn how to get better.

“When the sports are strong at the recreational and middle school level, it creates a level of community,” Fekete said. “Also (encourages them to be) active and healthy youth. With the decline of sports enroll-

See Cardinal • Page 12

BILL FUGATE/KMG

BILL FUGATE/KMG

Berkshire’s Colin Hering, left, qualified for districts at 113 pounds at the sectional tournament at Berkshire High School Feb. 25. Hering and other Badgers will wrestler March 3 and 4 at Perry High School for a chance to advance to the state tournament in Columbus.

Cardinal 8th grader Emily Pleva, left, guards an out-of-bounds play against Berkshire. The Huskies did not have a girls high school program because there were not enough players. The middle school program hopes to change that in the future.

See Wrestling • Page 13

Wolverines and Marlington Duke it out in District Semifinals

By alaN koRNsPaN sPoRts@kaRlovecmedia com

The West Geauga Wolverines took on the Marlington Dukes in the district semifinals on February 22.

In an extremely physical match up, the Dukes needed overtime to narrowly defeat the Wolverines 49-47.

The Dukes took an early lead going up 11-9 at the end of one.

The Wolverines were led in the first quarter by Alexa Hocevar who scored 4 points.

In the second quarter, the Wolverines outscored the Dukes 9-7 to tie the game at 18 going into halftime.

In the third quarter the Dukes jumped out to a five point lead as they led 35-30 at the end of three.

But the Wolverines did not quit.

They came roaring back behind Hocevar’s eight points as they outscored the Dukes 15-10 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 45 and force overtime.

The Dukes outscored the Wolverines 4-2 in overtime to gain the 49-47 victory.

Alexa Hocevar, who now moves on to play NCAA Division I basketball at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) this Fall, led all scorers with 25 points in the final game of her high school career.

Hocevar hit 4 three pointers and was 5 of 6 at the line.

For the game the Wolverines were 5-11 on three point attempts for 45% and they were 8-14 from the line.

“Alexa, you can’t really say enough about

her,” said Head Coach Brandon Stewart.

“She’s a special player, a special talent, we are lucky to have her as part of this program and her sister before her. They left a heck of a legacy in this program.”

After the game coach Stewart also mentioned how important this group of seniors was to the West Geauga Girls basketball program.

“We have 8 seniors who are all really special, they all contributed, some who haven’t played since their freshman year and they came back this year and we appreciate that.”

“You know, we started four seniors this year.”

“We got huge contributions out of all of them all season long, especially tonight, they did a great job.”

In addition to Hocevar scoring 25, seniors Ashlyn Drayer (5 points), Haley Ottman (3 points) and Grace Laster (3 points) also contributed to the scoring.

Although the Wolverines will lose eight seniors, the future is bright for the Wolverines Girls Basketball program.

Next year, the Wolverines will be led by current junior Maggie Furst.

Furst had a great game controlling the post and contributed 11 points on offense.

Thanks to Furst’s contributions in the post, the Wolverines won the battle on the boards for the game as they out rebounded the Dukes 42-34.

Furst talked about the importance of effort and staying focused on the task at hand.

Furst believed the Wolverines did a good job of staying present in this year’s playoffs.

“(A highlight of the game) was definitely

an effort thing, trying to pick up my team mates,” said Furst.

“We struggled with that a lot during the regular season and we knew we had to bring it for the playoffs or else we wouldn’t get too far.”

Coach Stewart also talked about the ex cellent play of Maggie Furst throughout the season.

“Maggie came on in the middle of last year and started dominating last year making first team in the conference.”

“She is going to make first team in the conference this year and she is just another one who has really came a long way, she just

The Wolverines conclude the basketball

Wolverines Cage Falcons Before Elimination

By Rich kelly sPoRts@kaRlovecmedia com

It’s tournament time for boys and girls high school basketball teams, and usually the first time out will see teams with sour records taking on winning teams, facing expectations that the favorite will enjoy a blowout win.

In Division II action this year, though, that situation changed.

Feb. 21 in Jefferson High School's Falcon Gym, the West Geauga Wolverines faced a team that, with a trio of sophomores in the starting lineup, claimed a tie for first place in the tough NE8 Conference. They sported a 16-6 record coming in, and had not played in a game this season decided by more than 10 points.

True to form, the Falcons took a halftime lead, but the Wolverines got hot from long range to open the third period with an 11-0 run, taking the lead. Then, after the Falcons tied the score late in the game, West G hit from long range to take a lead they held till the final buzzer, claiming a 51-46 victory that took the air out of Falcon feathers.

Landon Lear nailed a quick three-pointer to start the third period after WG trailed 2420 at the half. By the time the spurt was over, Lear had hit again, and Drew Prexta also hit from beyond the arc, to bring the Wolverines into the fourth period with a 37-29 lead.

Physical defense on Jefferson’s top point-producer, junior forward Joey DeGeorge, also played a huge part in the Wol-

verine comeback.

“We had scout ed Jefferson,” West Geauga Head Coach Micah Young said. “He’s a good player, but he’s more of a finesse-style player that has problems in a physical game. We wanted to take him out of the game as much as we could, and for a long while, we got the job done. It was enough to get a lead, and we hit some big shots, too.”

Jefferson clawed its way back to take a 41-39 lead with 3:30 left in the contest.

Lear tied it at 41-41 with a driving layup that began on the left side of the paint and ended with a crossover dribble to the hoop from the right.

Next time down the floor, the Wolverines got another three-pointer from an unlikely source, Jerry Kline-Ruminski, to take the fi nal lead.

Lear led the way with his second-half burst, scoring 18 points. Prexta added 10,

Drayer Hocevar Ottman

Landon Lear

Prexta

ment, it’s imperative that we team up with our youth teams and community to create a positive atmosphere around the sports team, which will cultivate successful and longstand ing teams for the future.”

The Huskies were a powerhouse program in the early 1990s and 2000s. They finished in the top of the ESC four years in a row, in cluding a first place seed in their district. The Huskies came up short in their run to a state title, but had the best finish in school history.

“In 1994, we had the best basketball team ever in Cardinal history under Denis Lory,” Domen said. “I could go on and on about my senior year. It was truly an amazing experi ence.”

Domen and Fekete both want to instill that same competitiveness, drive and love of the game in today’s young athletes.

“What I hope is that we establish funda mentals, good defense (any zone or man), and understand the differences and concepts of both. Help-side defense, this is huge in middle school,” Domen said. “What I also hope to accomplish is, basketball isn’t just about basketball; there are many things in life we can take from playing sports on and off the court. It’s about giving back, being role models for younger kids to look up to, learning that we have to work hard for what we want. It’s earned and not given, no one is entitled. It’s moving past our mistakes and not dwelling on them. It’s improvement, and it’s the little things you do that create big things.”

You can find Domen snapping a clipboard on the sideline and motivating her team

Wolverines

from page 11

Jesse Moriarity tallied eight, and Kline-Ruminski also ended with eight.

Kline-Ruminski was guarded much of the night by Falcon senior guard Grant Hitchcock, a good six inches shorter but a first team All-Ohio quarterback with quickness to match.

It took Hitchcock’s efforts driving to the hoop to keep the Falcons in the game, as DeGeorge could not get his normal shots. He did score nine, but it came on 14 shots from beyond his normal range. Meanwhile, Hitch-

through her loud voice. Fekete, on the other hand, shows her competitive side a bit differently.

“Coach Domen and I feed very well off each other,” Fekete said. “Kim brings a varsity level of experience to the table which is so helpful in intense game situations. She sees the court very well and is able to help instruct players mid-game, while I am coaching from the sideline. And while she is serious and has high expectations for the team, she and I are also all about creating a fun environment, bringing in drill and friendly competitions to keep it fun and engaging, as well as themed practices like craziest outfit or Valentine’s Day to keep the girls engaged in coming to

cock repeatedly attacked the basket on his way to an 18-point night to close out his high school career. He did it all, snaring seven rebounds and dishing for a trio of assists, but other than a brief spurt from sophomore forward Anthony Covetta, who tallied 15 points, the speedy rotations on the Wolverine defense kept Falcon efforts to a minimum.

“Hitchcock is some kind of awesome player,” Coach Young said. “One thing we noticed is that he’s just so fast, he’s tough, but his outside shot is suspect a little bit. So we felt it best to try to limit DeGeorge more and deal with Hitchcock. It worked out well.”

The Wolverines lost to Edgewood 70-62 on Feb. 24 to finish the season at 11-13.

practice. I only have three years of basketball coaching experience, and I am trying to soak in all of her basketball wisdom. She has been a fantastic mentor.”

While the seventh-grade team stands at a record of 4-9, Fekete said she saw her team’s turning point when they faced off against the Mustangs of Grand Valley.

“You could tell in their body language they were beginning to relax and understand the way plays work,” Fekete said. “Their defense has been a huge strength for them this season. I am very honored to get to coach them, and I am excited to watch them learn more and more about the game.”

Meanwhile the eighth-grade team is currently 8-3 overall, and 7-2 in their conference.

“We lost to Chagrin Falls earlier in the season, which is not a CVC game,” Domen said. “What I hope to accomplish for the season is win out the rest of the season and go into tournaments with fierce energy and enthusiasm, and buckle down and work hard to come out on top as winners in the tournament. More than that, my accomplishment for this season is to establish what I hope will be the base for years to come for the Cardinal girls basketball program to grow to its full

potential, where we once again have three teams in high school.”

This pair of coaches is excited to see what the future could be for the Huskies in the next couple of years — a time when the two could feel pressure from not fielding a varsity team. They both look at it as a challenge.

“I wouldn’t say pressure, but it’s very upsetting and heartfelt that we didn’t have a high school program,” Domen said. “This middle school team (eighth-graders) will be the core group next year for high school, provided they all stick with it, which I’m pretty sure they will. But my main goal currently is to get the fundamentals down, make sure they 100 percent understand the concepts of the fundamentals.

“I also tremendously feel that middle school kids shouldn’t be so one-dimensional. What I mean by that is: middle school kids need to play multiple sports, not just one all year round.”

And next year, not only will the Huskies field a varsity team again, but the future looks bright for a lot of these young girls. A coaching staff that has built a very strong middle school team will look for those young girls’ leadership next year.

Kaidence Wilson, Natalie Hardin and Cambrya Kitzmiller.

first round of the boys basketball tournament. The Badgers finished the season at 9-14.

By Rich kelly sPoRts@kaRlovecmedia com

The Friday night matchup between the Berkshire Badgers and Kirtland Hornets didn’t have a favorite. The teams had split their pair of CVC games this season, each winning on the home court of the other. But both games were hotly contested, meaning this tournament contest meant a bit more to the victor.

Sparked by a short surge by the Hornets to start the third period, which was sparked by full court pressure defense, Kirtland took advantage of the absence of Miles Miller, the Badgers’ top shooting guard, to record a thrilling 49-46 victory.

Berkshire (9-14) was aggressive in the first half, leading to a 22-19 halftime edge. A 10-0 run late in the first period, and a short 6-3 spurt late in the second quarter, gave the Badgers a 22-14 edge before a Vince Carreiro three-pointer and two free throws from Gino Blasini closed the gap before halftime.

But tightened defensive pressure to open the third period for the Hornets gave Kirtland (13-10) a small lead, and the Hornets nursed it the rest of the way.

Finally, after Berkshire closed to within 4038 on a pair of free throws from Mason Mendolera with 3:22 left in the game, Gino Blasini scored on a putback, then scored on the next possession on a sweet back door layup, to open a 44-41 lead.Gavin Hipp had nailed a long trey, and Carreiro hit both ends of a one and one free throw opportunity with 7.3 ticks left, making a long three-pointer from Jack Hastings at the final horn immaterial.

“We missed Miles tonight,” Berkshire Head Coach Joe Montanaro said. “That said, their defensive pressure in the second half was the difference. We also had some

Wrestling

from page 10

sectional tournament.

Qualifying for districts from Kenston were Ben DiMarco (2nd - 190), Sean Doyle (2nd - 285), Leo DiPadova (4th - 120), Carmen Fratoe (4th - 106) and AJ Pemberton (4th - 144),

Cardinal saw three wrestlers qualify for districts at the Independence Sectional. Winning the sectional title at 165 was Josh Ripley. In addition, Aiden Hatcher (2nd - 190) and Andrew Tucholski (3rd - 215) qualified as well.

West Geauga and NDCL were in action at

stretches where we didn’t get rebounds. That has been regular for us this season, but despite being a bit outmanned, the kids really stepped up big time tonight, and I can’t be any prouder of them.”

Blasini played a big part in many Hornet plays in the second-half comeback.

“They beat us on our floor and we beat them on their floor this season,” the junior forward said. “We thought our depth was better than theirs, especially with Miller not playing, so we just applied more pressure in the second half and it worked out well for us. We thought if we came out in the third period and put on full court pressure, we could take control, and that’s how it worked out.”

Blasini led a balanced attack for Kirtland with 12 points, as eight Hornets scored points. Nine of Kirtland Head Coach Sean McGregor’s players snared rebounds as everybody made big contributions.

“Gino is just one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached,” McGregor said. “He can do everything on the floor, and one of the best things he does is to see the entire floor all the time. That lets him make big plays and, along with his solid rebounding, he’s always a threat to do something good no matter where he is on the floor.”

The win sets up a contest with Lake Catholic for the Hornets this week in Salem. It will take a team effort to keep going down the tourney trail, but Kirtland got the job done well in this contest.

Hastings put in 20 for the Badgers, and Mendolera and Hipp each added 10, but missing the quickness of Miller handling the ball, and his outside shooting, proved to be just enough of a problem, and the Badgers were unable to overcome it.

the Harvey sectional.

Five West G wrestlers qualified: Brian Denamen (1st - 144 pounds), Ethan Bartlett (2nd - 165), Justin Artino (3rd - 157), Zander Joltin (4th – 113) and Nasir Levy (4th - 175).

Qualifying for districts for NDCL were Bryce Wheatley (1st - 190) and Tucker Pason (4th - 126).

Chardon's Will Vucetic won the title in the 165-pound weight class at the Wadsworth sectional. Also qualifying for districts for the Hilltoppers was Aidan Croyle (3rd - 175), Caden Foley (4th - 132) and Graham Husek (4th - 138).

District championships will be held March 4.

Bulletin Board

The Maple Leaf Community Bulletin Board is a public service of the Geauga County Maple Leaf. Notices of nonprofit organizations, schools, and churches will be published without charge. The Maple Leaf cannot guarantee publication, and reserves the right to edit, condense, cancel, or refuse any notice at any time. E-mail submissions to: cbb@karlovecmedia.com

Young of Heart

March 3, 11:30 a.m.

Geauga Young of Heart will meet at St. Anselm Parish Center, 12969 Chillicothe Road in Chester Township. Bring a brown bag lunch. Snacks and beverage are provided. Guest speaker is local author Marty Gitlin.

The group is open to Geauga County residents 55 or older. Yearly dues are $25. Come to a meeting to join or call Monica at 216-6598117.

The St. Patrick’s Day luncheon will be held at 3 p.m. March 19 at the Silver Skillet. For reservations, call Kim at 440-668-3293.

A trip has been planned to Thousand Islands, N.Y., for May 8-11. Includes tours of Boldt Castle, Singer Castle, the Antique Boat Museum, a winery and more. Cost is $785 per person, or $797 non-members. For information, call Nancy at 440-729-9684.

FGP Explorers Series

March 4, 5-7 p.m.

Join Foundation for Geauga Parks for an Explorers Series and Geauga Skywatchers crossover event at Observatory Park, 10610 Clay St. in Montville Township. During “Stars Above and Beauty Below,” Geauga Park District Naturalist Chris Mentrek will guide participants through an evening of outdoor stargazing.

For information or to register, visit foundationforgeaugaparks.org or call 440-564-1048.

Montville Chili Cook-Off

March 4, 5-7 p.m.

Montville Firefighters’ Association will host a chili cook-off at the Montville Community Center. A sample of each entry, crackers, beverage and dessert is $10.

Maple Driving Tour

The 2023 N.E. Ohio “How Sweet It Is” drive-it-yourself Maple Tour hosted by Maple Producers of NE Ohio will be March 4-5- and 11-12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Maple syrup producers across northeast Ohio will open their sugarhouses to visitors to learn about their operations and see how maple syrup and maple products are made.

For a complete list of participating producers and a map of locations, visit mpneoh. com.

Master Gardeners Offer Free Class

March 4, 9 a.m. to noon

Geauga County Master Gardeners volunteers Chris Pappas and Matt Valencic will present “Birds, Butterflies, and Pollinators” at the Geauga County Extension Office, Patterson Center, 14269 Claridon-Troy Road, Burton. Advance registration is appreciated

Burton Library

Burton Library is located at 14588 W. Park St. No registration is required unless otherwise noted. For more information, call 440-834-4466 or visit burtonlibrary.org.

Eli’s Spring Training Tour

March 2, 3-4 p.m.

Meet local author Mark Zimmerman as he discusses the Cleveland Guardians. Registration is required.

Movin’ and Groovin’ Storytime

March 3, 10, 17 and 24, 10-10:30 a.m.

All ages may join for a musical story time with Mr. Eli. Feel free to bring instruments and come ready to dance - perfect for kids who have trouble sitting still.

Baby/Toddler Storytime

March 7, 14, 21 and 28, 10-10:30 a.m.

Join for music, sensory activities and stories. Ages 0-3.

Preschool Storytime

March 8, 15 and 22, 10:30-11 a.m.

Join Ms. Amy for stories, song, dance and bubbles.

Yoga

March 8 and 22, 6:30-7:45 p.m.

Join an instructor as she walks through different yoga poses. Instructor fee is $5.

Bubble Storytime

March 9, 10-10:30 a.m.

Pop bubbles, blow bubbles and make bubbles at this all-ages special storytime.

Book Club

March 9, 1:30-3 p.m.

Discuss “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner.

Book Sale

March 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lego Tournament

March 18, 11 a.m. to noon

Youth can put their building skills to the test in the monthly Lego tournaments. All materials will be provided. Show up by 11 a.m. to be entered.

Burton Book Buddies

March 22, 3-4 p.m.

In the monthly book club for young readers, participants will work on projects they can put in a portfolio while reading new and interesting books. Registration is required.

for the free class by calling 440-834-4656; walk-ins are welcome.

Chesterland Village Open House

March 5, 12-4 p.m.

The Chesterland Historical Village will hold an open house, with all buildings open for the new season. Guest speakers Dan Best and Ron Whiting will present a program at 2 p.m. at the Olde Town Hall on the Ice Age, featuring the mammoth bones found on Sam Whiting's farm along the Chagrin River in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Village is located on the corner of Caves and Mayfield roads in Chester Township.

Mama Bears Documentary

March 5, 2-5 p.m.

Geauga SOGI Support Network (GSSN) is sponsoring an in-person and virtual screening of the documentary “Mama Bears,” followed by a panel discussion, at the Family Life Center, 16349 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge Township.

The feature film was shown at the Chagrin Documentary Filmfest in October 2022 and was awarded Best Documentary of both the Sun Valley Film Festival and Out Shine LGBTQ+ Film Festivals in 2022.

Tickets are free, but are required for each in-person attendee by 3 p.m. March 4.

Visit givebutter.com/hxpXEv. Free-will offerings are appreciated.

Virtual viewing is limited to residents of Ohio; email info@GeaugaSOGI.org to receive the link.

For more information, visit www.GeaugaSOGI.org

Geauga Skywatchers Club

March 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Join Geauga Skywatchers Club and astronomer Russ Swaney for “Beginning Astro-

Swinging Hams

photography” at Geauga West Library, 13455 Chillicothe Road in Chester Township. Visit www.GeaugaLibrary.libcal.com to register.

St. Patrick’s Day Party

March 11, 5-7:30 p.m.

Geauga Democratic Party will host a St. Patrick’s Day corned beef dinner at the party headquarters located at 12420 Kinsman Road, Newbury Township. Cost is $24. Seating is limited; take-out is available.

For more information, make reservations and prepay by March 8, visit www.geaugadems.com or call 440-218-2747.

CWC Lunch and Program

March 15, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join Christian Women’s Connection for lunch and a program at Family Life Center, 16349 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge Township. Cost is $16 at the door.

Sharon O’Donnell, of Shepherd’s Run, will discuss the process of raising sheep for wool and yarn. Featured speaker Jennifer Ebaugh will talk about choices and consequences in dealing with tough situations in life.

To RSVP by March 9, email cwcchagrin@ gmail.com or call/text 440-213-1205.

CWC Lunch and Program

March 15, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join Christian Women’s Connection for lunch and a program at Family Life Center, 16349 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge Township. Cost is $16 at the door.

Sharon O’Donnell, of Shepherd’s Run, will discuss the process of raising sheep for wool and yarn. Featured speaker Jennifer Ebaugh will talk about choices and consequences in dealing with tough situations in life.

To RSVP by March 9, email cwcchagrin@ gmail.com or call/text 440-213-1205.

4-H News

Swinging Hams 4-H Club’s first meeting of the year was held on Feb. 7. The club welcomed new members and talked about what projects everyone was doing. New poultry members will have to attend a poultry clinic. Addison Burnett presented a market hog housing supply project.

Next meeting is March 7 at 7 p.m. Anyone interested in joining may contact Joleigh Burnett at 440-785-2666. (Submitted by Thomas Skytta, news reporter)

Geauga Beef and Swine

The Geauga Beef and Swine 4-H Club had a meeting Feb. 5 in the school building at Geauga Country Fairgrounds. There were 31 members present. Members presented

reports about swine hair care, swine byproducts, vaccines/injections and getting beef ready for show. Some members have started taking care of beef project; pigs and lambs will soon be picked out.

The health and safety topic was about preventing house fires in winter. The energy topic was about atoms and electricity.

Four-H week is in early March; members will display information at G.A.R. Horizons on March 4. They did an activity with calendars on tracking the days until they weigh into Geauga County Fair so the youth can keep them in the barn to also write their projects weights on it and changes in feed. The next meeting is March 5.

(Submitted by Kaiden Wolcott, 12, news reporter)

Geauga Public Library

The Maple Leaf Community Bulletin Board is a public service of the Geauga County Maple Leaf. Notices of nonprofit organizations, schools, and churches will be published without charge. The Maple Leaf cannot guarantee publication, and reserves the right to edit, condense, cancel, or refuse any notice at any time. E-mail submissions to: cbb@karlovecmedia.com

Programs require registration unless otherwise noted. Visit www.geaugalibrary.net.

GCPL Mini-Golf

March 18 and 19

Join the 11th annual Family Mini-Golf event for a round of family-friendly mini-golf in between the tables, chairs and shelves of the Bainbridge branch March 19 at 10 a.m.

The annual family mini-golf event has expanded to include an adult-only mini-golf night, complete with adult beverages and mini-golf-based contests on March 18 at 6 p.m. Purchase tickets online.

Book Donation Drop-Off Days

March 3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Middlefield

March 4, 9 a.m. to noon

Drop off any unneeded or unwanted books and DVDs that are in good condition. No old magazines, textbooks, encyclopedia sets older than 2018, or VHS tapes, please.

Jazzercise

March 4, 10:30–11:30 a.m. • Bainbridge

A fun and effective total body workout.

Effective Communication

March 6, 2-3 p.m. • Geauga West

Learn how to effectively communicate

with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s so that their physical and emotional needs are met with love and care.

Mental Health

March 7, 3-4 p.m. • Geauga West Prioritize one’s mental health and learn about depression, delirium and dementia through a presentation by a University Hospital expert.

Cleveland Assoc. of Black Storytellers

March 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m. • Geauga West Presenters will illustrate the impact and importance of African oral tradition and its connection to Black storytelling.

Storytelling for Your Company

March 9, 12-1 p.m. • Geauga West Storytelling is a surefire way to boost business sales in the long term. Learn how to use storytelling to one’s advantage.

Maple Sugaring Time

March 9, 7-7:45 p.m. • Geauga West Geauga Park District will present the maple sugaring process and discuss how it is transformed into sticky syrup.

Arts & Entertainment

Fairmount Center for the Arts has offered visual art, theatre, dance and music programming to the Northeast Ohio community for more than 50 years. Recently, FCA announced its events and programming for March through May, including Kids Country, presented in memory of David Cockley, a well-known Cleveland writer and producer of children’s books and performances.

Community Connections Homeschool Program

Beginning March 15

Create and connect with other homeschoolers. Students will explore dance, music and visual arts. Social snack and lunch breaks are included.

Tales for a Budding Artist

March 16, April 20 & May 18

Join them on the third Thursday of the month for a fun-filled, interactive multi-arts experience for families. Listen to a story, create art, explore movement and discover musical instruments.

Faculty Musical Recital

March 4

Listen to performances by Fairmount's Music Faculty members. This event is free, but advanced reservations are requested.

Pull Back the Curtain Series:

Verb ‘Ohio Contemporary Ballet’

March 12

Learn about what goes into creating a production with Dr. Margaret Carlson, producing artistic director of Verb ‘Ohio Contemporary Ballet.’

Pull Back the Curtain Series:

In Conversation: Bill O’Connell

April 16

Explore the world of classical music with beloved WCLV host, Bill O’Connell.

Kids Country, A Family Musical

Presented in memory of David Cockley

April 21 & April 22

It’s a kids’ country! Fed up with the grownups bossing them around, the kids nominate a young girl, Mary Lou Gimble, to run for mayor of her small town. Her opponent is her uncle, the current mayor, Gus Gimble. The vote is tied. The only one who can break the tie is Mary Lou’s grandmother, who is also the mayor’s mother. Will the kids or adults prevail?

Tickets are required.

Student Music Recital

May 6

A recital featuring Fairmount’s music students and faculty in a variety of solo and chamber performances. This event is free.

Fairmount Dance Recital

May 13

This dance performance features each of Fairmount’s dance classes and performing groups. Guests can see dancers of all ages showcase what they’ve learned in this session. Tickets are required.

Additional classes and workshops are offered from March through May. More details can be viewed at fairmountcenter.org/workshops/.

For those interested in participating in the upcoming summer session that begins June 5, registration is underway. To receive a registration discount for the summer session, register before April 3.

American Legion Post 459

Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Atwood-Mauck American Legion Post 459 is serving its annual all-you-can-eat pancake, sausage and scrambled eggs breakfasts every Sunday through April 16, except for Easter, at the post located at 14052 Goodwin St. in Burton. Eat in or take out. For information, call Skip at 440-313-2095.

Berkshire Athletic Boosters

Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Berkshire Athletic Boosters are hosting all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts every Sunday in March in the new Berkshire High School cafeteria, 14155 Claridon Troy Road in Burton. Proceeds support Berkshire student-athletes.

There will also be a craft and vendor show hosted by the Berkshire Tunebackers in the Berkshire High School gym on the same dates from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Burton Fire Station

Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Burton Fire Station will serve all-you-caneat pancake and sausage breakfasts every Sunday in March at the station located at 13828 Spring St. in Burton. call 440-834-4416 for information.

Chardon VFW Pancake Breakfasts

Sundays, 8 a.m. to noon

Chardon VFW Post 6519 will be serving its annual pancake breakfasts every Sunday through April 2 at the post located at 752 Water St. in Chardon. Breakfast features three flavors of pancakes, French toast, eggs made to order, bacon, sausage, ham, home fries, toast and beverages. Call 440-285-3699 for takeout orders.

Geauga Historical Society

hosting all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts every Sunday in March, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Century Village Museum, 14653 East Park St. in Burton. Cost is $10 for adults; $5 for children 5-12 years and free to children 4 and under. Takeout is also available. For more information, call 440-834-1492.

Parkman Chamber Pancakes

Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Parkman Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual pancake breakfasts every Sunday in March at the Parkman Community House, 16295 Main Market Road. Enjoy the special recipe sausage and local pure maple syrup. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-10. Eat in or drive-thru/carry out.

Pilgrim Christian Church

April 29 and 30, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pilgrim Christian Church will host allyou-eat pancake and sausage breakfast at the church located at 202 S. Hambden St. in Chardon. Cost is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $5 for children. Children under 5 eat for free.

Seldom Seen Farm

March 4 and 11, 8-11 a.m.

Seldom Seen Farm is hosting pancake breakfasts during the Maple Tour at the farm located at 10055 Madison Road in Montville Township.

WG Kiwanis Pancakes

Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Kiwanis Club of West Geauga is hosting its 70th annual all-you-can-eat pancake, sausage and French toast breakfasts every Sunday in March in the cafeteria at West Geauga High School, 13401 Chillicothe Road, Chester Township. Cost is $10 for adults and $6 for children 6-11. Children under 6 are free. Early bird special is from 8-9 a.m. Curbside pickup is available. For more information, vis-

Legal Notices

Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate

General Code, Sec. 11661

Revised Code, Sec. 2329.26

Case No. 21-F-000652

The State of Ohio, County of Geauga, ss: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST, Plaintiff vs. UNKNOWN ADMINISTRATOR, EXECUTOR OR FIDUCIARY, UNKNOWN HEIRS, NEXT OF KIN, UNKNOWN SPOUSES, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES D. STONEMAN, DECEASED, ET AL., Defendants

In pursuance of an Order of Sale in the above entitled action, I will offer for sale at public auction, at https://geauga.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov/, on Thursday, the 16th day of March, 2023, at 10:00 o’clock A.M., and if the parcel does not receive a sufficient bid, it shall be offered for sale, without regard to the minimum bid requirement, at the same time of day and at the same place of the first sale, on Thursday, the 30th day of March, 2023 the following described real estate, situated in the County of Geauga and State of Ohio, and in the Township of Chardon to wit:

Situated in the Township of Chardon, County of Geauga and State of Ohio:

Being part of Lot No. 27, Tract No. 2, within the said township, and described as follows:

Beginning in the center line of Ravenna Road at a point which is South 21 deg. 22’ East along said center line 307.88 feet from its intersection with the center line of Woodin Road; Thence North 69 deg. 45’ East through an iron pipe 25.0 feet from said place of beginning a total distance of 288.3 feet to an iron pipe; Thence South 14 deg. 08’ East 160.89 feet to an iron pipe; Thence South 69 deg. 45’ West 268.04 feet to the center line of Ravenna Road; and through an iron pipe 30.0 feet therefrom; Thence North 21 deg. 22’ West along said road center line 160.0 feet to the place of beginning, containing 1.021 acres, as surveyed in October, 1958, by T.R. Root, be the same more of less, but subject to all legal highways.

Said Premises Located at: 9895 RAVENNA ROAD, CHARDON TOWNSHIP, OH.

Permanent Parcel Number: 06-050150

DEPOSIT: Pursuant to O.R.C. 2329.211, the required deposit for this offering shall be $10,000.00. Said deposit shall be CASH or CERTIFIED CHECK, payable to the Geauga County Sheriff. The purchaser shall be responsible for those costs, allowances, and taxes that the proceeds of the sale are insufficient to cover.

Said Premises appraised at ($225,000.00) and cannot be sold for less than two-thirds of that amount ($150,000.00). Please note: The appraisals are based on an exterior appraisal of property only, unless otherwise noted.

TERMS OF SALE: The FULL purchase price shall be paid to the Sheriff within thirty (30) days from the date of confirmation of sale, and on failure to do so, the purchaser may be held in contempt of court, the court may forfeit the sale and/or deposit, or the court may issue any other order it sees fit.

SCOTT A. HILDENBRAND, Sheriff Geauga County, Ohio Austin R. Decker, attorney Feb16-23Mar2, 2023

Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate General Code, Sec. 11661

Revised Code, Sec. 2329.26

Case No. 22-F-000141

The State of Ohio, County of Geauga, ss:

THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK, Plaintiff vs. SAMIRA SALIM, ET AL., Defendants

In pursuance of an Order of Sale in the above entitled action, I will offer for sale at public auction, at https://geauga.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov/, on Thursday, the 16th day of March, 2023, at 10:00 o’clock A.M., and if the parcel does not receive a sufficient bid, it shall be offered for sale, without regard to the minimum bid requirement, at the same time of day and at the same place of the first sale, on Thursday, the 30th day of March, 2023 the following described real estate, situated in the County of Geauga and State of Ohio, and in the Township of Chester to wit:

A copy of the complete legal description can be found in the Geauga County Recorder’s Office, 231 Main Street, Suite 1-C, Chardon, Ohio 44024, OR

Volume 2043, Page 1431

SHORT LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT 9 TR 3

Said Premises Located at: 13295 SPERRY ROAD, CHESTER TOWNSHIP, OH.

Permanent Parcel Number: 11-330550

DEPOSIT: Pursuant to O.R.C. 2329.211, the required deposit for this offering shall be $10,000.00. Said deposit shall be CASH or CERTIFIED CHECK, payable to the Geauga County Sheriff.

The purchaser shall be responsible for those costs, allowances, and taxes that the proceeds of the sale are insufficient to cover.

Said Premises appraised at ($395,000.00) and cannot be sold for less than two-thirds of that amount ($263,334.00). Please note: The appraisals are based on an exterior appraisal of property only, unless otherwise noted.

TERMS OF SALE: The FULL purchase price shall be paid to the Sheriff within thirty (30) days from the date of confirmation of sale, and on failure to do so, the purchaser may be held in contempt of court, the court may forfeit the sale and/or deposit, or the court may issue any other order it sees fit.

SCOTT A. HILDENBRAND, Sheriff Geauga County, Ohio

Maureen Zink Delaney, attorney Feb16-23Mar2, 2023

Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate

THIRD FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION OF CLEVELAND, Plaintiff vs. PATRICIA A. PFEIFFER, ET AL., Defendants

In pursuance of an Order of Sale in the above entitled action, I will offer for sale at public auction, at https://geauga.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov/, on Thursday, the 16th day of March, 2023, at 10:00 o’clock A.M., and if the parcel does not receive a sufficient bid, it shall be offered for sale, without regard to the minimum bid requirement, at the same time of day and at the same place of the first sale, on Thursday, the 30th day of March, 2023 the following described real estate, situated in the County of Geauga and State of Ohio, and in the Township of Chardon to wit:

A copy of the complete legal description can be found in the Geauga County Recorder’s Office, 231 Main Street, Suite 1-C, Chardon, Ohio 44024, OR Volume 1744, Page 1191

SHORT

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: S/L 27^ BERKSHIRE HEIGHTS ESTATES #2

Said Premises Located at: 11025 HENNING DRIVE, CHARDON TOWNSHIP, OH.

Permanent Parcel Number: 03-017600

DEPOSIT: Pursuant to O.R.C. 2329.211, the required deposit for this offering shall be $5,000.00. Said deposit shall be CASH or CERTIFIED CHECK, payable to the Geauga County Sheriff.

The purchaser shall be responsible for those costs, allowances, and taxes that the proceeds of the sale are insufficient to cover.

Said Premises appraised at ($200,000.00) and cannot be sold for less than two-thirds of that amount ($133,334.00). Please note: The appraisals are based on an exterior appraisal of property only, unless otherwise noted.

TERMS OF SALE: The FULL purchase price shall be paid to the Sheriff within thirty (30) days from the date of confirmation of sale, and on failure to do so, the purchaser may be held in contempt of court, the court may forfeit the sale and/or deposit, or the court may issue any other order it sees fit.

SCOTT A. HILDENBRAND, Sheriff Geauga County, Ohio

Maureen Zink Delaney, attorney Feb16-23Mar2, 2023

In the Matter of Foreclosure of Liens and Forfeiture of Property for Delinquent Land Taxes by Action in Rem.

Christopher P. Hitchcock, Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio vs. Parcels of Land Encumbered with Delinquent Tax Liens. 23-F-000058

COMMON PLEAS COURT OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO

Notice of foreclosure of liens and forfeiture of property for delinquent land taxes, by action in rem by Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio.

Public Notice is hereby given that on the 24th day of January, 2023, the Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio, filed a Complaint in the Common Pleas Court of Geauga County, Ohio, at Chardon, for the foreclosure of liens and forfeiture of property for delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest against certain real property situated in such county, as described in that Complaint in case number 23-F-000058.

The object of the action is to obtain from the court a judgment foreclosing the tax liens against such real estate, forfeiting the property to the state, and ordering the sale of such real estate for the satisfaction of the tax liens on it.

Such action is brought against the real property only and no personal judgment shall be entered in it. However, if, pursuant to the action, the property is sold for an amount that is less than the amount of the delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest against it, the Court, in a separate order, may enter a deficiency judgment against the owner of record of a parcel for the amount of the difference; if that owner of record is a corporation, the Court may enter the deficiency judgment against the stockholder holding the majority of the corporation’s stock.

The permanent parcel number of each parcel included in such action; the full street address of the parcel, if available; notice of where a complete legal description of the parcel can be obtained; a statement of the amount of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest due and unpaid on the parcel; the name and address of the last known owner of the parcel as they appear on the general tax list; and the names and addresses of each lienholder and other person with an interest in the parcel identified in a statutorily required title search relating to the parcel; all as more fully set forth in the Complaint, are as follows: The last known owner for all of the following parcels is Mary A. Briggs, P.O. Box 910, Lot 1081 Columbus, Ohio 43216:

1. PPN 02-000200: V/L Franklin St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $113.13; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1081.

2. PPN 02-000300: V/L Franklin St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $113.13; legal

description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1079.

3. PPN 02-159200: V/L Findlay St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $314.74; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1445, Page 795.

4. PPNs 02-159400 and 02-159500: V/L Findlay St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcels is $314.74 and $314.74, respectively; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1445, Page 795.

5. PPN 02-183100: V/L Findlay St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $314.74; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1083.

6. PPN 02-183200: V/L Findlay St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $314.74; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1085.

7. PPN 02-183300: V/L Findlay St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $314.74; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1089.

8. PPN 02-288700: V/L Huron St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $531.57; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1852, Page 2329.

9. PPN 02-288800: V/L Huron St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $531.57; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1852, Page 2327.

10. PPN 02-419526: V/L Kent St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $113.13; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1852, Page 2325.

11. PPN 02-419527: V/L Kent St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $113.13; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1852, Page 2323.

12. PPNs 02-289800, 02-289900 and 02290000: V/L Geneva St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcels is $531.57, $531.57, and $531.57, respectively; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1445, Page 801.

13. PPNs 02-368900, 02-369000 and 02-369100: V/L Geneva St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcels is $531.57, $531.57, and $531.57, respectively; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1445, Page 798.

14. PPN 02-306800: V/L Akron St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $531.57; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1091.

15. PPN 02-306900: V/L Akron St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $531.57; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1093.

16. PPN 02-307000: V/L Akron St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $531.57; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1087.

17. PPN 02-420358: V/L Country Lane Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $215.09; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1777, Page 2096.

18. PPN 14-024600: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Char-

don, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $91.37; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2473.

19. PPN 14-028300: V/L Cornelia Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $369.93; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2479.

20. PPN 14-044600: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2493.

21. PPN 14-083800: V/L Cornelia Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2489.

22. PPN 14-017800: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2487.

23. PPN 14-017900: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2485.

24. PPN 14-046100: V/L Cornelia Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2483.

25. PPN 14-046200: V/L Cornelia Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2481.

26. PPN 14-044500: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2477.

27. PPN 14-067700: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2475.

28. PPN 14-083900: V/L Cornelia Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2471.

29. PPN 14-084000: V/L Cornelia Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1749, Page 2469.

30. PPN 14-041100: V/L Goredon Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $326.58; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1095.

31. PPN 14-072800: V/L Goredon Dr., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $326.58; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1397, Page 1077.

32. PPN 23-338000: V/L Idlewood Dr., Newbury, OH 44065; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $386.71; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1268, Page 483.

33. PPN 14-084400: V/L Aquilla Blvd., Chardon, Ohio 44024; amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties and interest due and unpaid on the parcel is $43.46; legal description can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder in the deed recorded at Vol. 1777, Page 2108.

34. PPN 14-084300: V/L Aquilla Blvd.,

be received by the Geauga County Board of Commissioners at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite 350, Chardon, Ohio 44024 until 1:45 PM official local time on March 22, 2023 for The Asphalt Resurfacing of Sections K-L of Clay Street, CH-0037. Bids received will be publicly opened and read aloud the same day at 2:10 PM in room B303. The estimated construction cost for this project is $800,000.00.

Copies of the plans and/or specifications may be obtained digitally online at https://www. geaugacountyengineer.org/projects-bids/online-plans-and-specifications/ or a hardcopy is available at the Geauga County Engineer’s Office, 12665 Merritt Road, Chardon, Ohio 44024.

A copy of this legal notice is posted on the County’s website. Go to https://www.geaugacountyengineer.org/projects-bids/legal-notices/ and click on the project name to view this legal.

A bid guaranty in the amount of one hundred (100%) percent of the bid amount or a certified check, cashier’s check, or letter of credit pursuant to Chapter 1305 of the Ohio Revised Code in the amount of ten (10%) percent of the total bid amount shall accompany each bid. The bid shall be let upon a unit price basis.

Bids may be held by the Geauga County Board of Commissioners for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days from the date of opening, for the purpose of reviewing the bids and investigating the qualifications of bidders, prior to awarding the contract.

The Geauga County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive any informalities or irregularities in the bids received, and to accept any bid or bids which are deemed most favorable to the Board at the time and under conditions stipulated, all in accord with the applicable provisions of laws of the State of Ohio governing the conduct of the Geauga County Board of Commissioners.

THE

BY THE ORDER OF

GEAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Christine Blair, Clerk Mar2, 2023

Geauga County Sheriff’s Report

The following is a sampling of the calls handled by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Feb. 17-23, 2023.

ANIMAL BITE

Feb. 17

5:35 p.m., Old State Road, Claridon. 5-yearold male dog bite. Caller states the lip is missing. Dog is outside in a fenced in area. Dog warden paged. Female controlling the bleeding. Dog is the family’s dog. Caller advised dog has never done this before. 5-year-old was playing with dog. Male taken to hospital due to deep cut in his lip. Dog warden said due to it being their own dog to just keep the dog isolated for 10 days.

ANIMAL PROBLEM

Feb. 23

9:36 a.m., Munn Road, Auburn. Loose sheep, three of them. Checked area, UTL. Appears they are in the barn.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Feb. 22

1:58 a.m., Kinsman Road, Newbury. Male assaulted the complainant. He is at the gas station at 44/87 waiting. Male arrested for DV, disorderly conduct and violation of protection order.

FRAUD

Feb. 17

11:34 a.m., Pond Road, Burton. Caller stated her ex-husband has been scammed $25,000 for winning a fake lottery. The scammers call and say he won a vehicle and a large

amount of money. The male has been paying the scammers with gift cards.

1:57 p.m., Claridon Troy Road, Burton. Caller got scammed out of $6,390.18 from his crypto account.

7:18 p.m., Mayfield Road, Huntsburg. Caller gave money to scammer who was claiming to be her grandson asking for money to bond out of jail. They gave them $15,000 through a currier who picked it up from their home.

HARASSMENT

Feb. 22

7:55 a.m., Plank Road, Montville. Complainant is being harassed. She stated she has been communicated with another female who was dating the same guy as complainant. Text messages have started to get worse where she is threatening to post photos and leaving messages at complainant’s place of work. Complainant was instructed to tell female to stop all communications and block her number. Complainant advised to call GCSO if it continues. Deputy then contacted other female and left message to stop all communications with complainant.

OVERDOSE

Feb. 21

4:35 p.m., Plank Road, Thompson. 40-yearold male overdosing on heroin. Administered one Narcan. Breathing but not conscious. Caller advising he is talking. Female stated he started to talk and then

hung up. Caller will not pick up. UTL.

SUSPICIOUS

Feb. 21

3:07 p.m., Edgewater Drive, Newbury. Theft of jewelry and pills, suspicious cars for a house up the hill. Nature changed from theft to suspicious. Complainant advised someone is letting rats loose in her house and giggling next to her window at night. Advice given.

THEFT AUTO

Feb. 22

10:17 a.m., N. Cheshire Street, Burton. Stolen 2006 Ford F150 blue pickup truck from coffee shop in village. Taken within last five minutes. Unknown direction of travel. Deputy advised have Bainbridge set up on 422. Bainbridge, Chester and Middlefield units copy.

THREATENING

Feb. 18

4:54 a.m., Leader Road, Hambden. Caller states his daughter received a threatening voicemail that says they know where she lives and is going to cause harm to her and her family. Caller received random spoof call with someone using a voice changer. No direct threats made, only states they will find the caller or family members. The number the call is made from is not a legit number. Advice given and caller was advised to call back if anyone shows up to her home.

AUTOS & PARTS

‘99 Yamaha Roadster 1600: blue/white, bags, windshield, 2-to-1 header carb jets, scoop air cleaner, sissy bar. 24,000 mi. $3,000. Call 440-321-5389/no texts.

FOR RENT

Room for Let, $600, Russell. Call for details 440-3385201.

Auburn Twp: Studio Apt. No Smoking. No Pets. Heat, trash, lawn, snow-removal included. Quiet Country Setting, Kenston Schools. $750/Month. 440-336-3537.

EVENTS

An Al-Anon meeting is held at 10:15am Wednesdays at St. Martin’s Church, 6295 River Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH.

FOR SALE

Parkman area Barn Tear-down: Wood beams and siding available. Also variety of wood planks. If interested, call 301-471-4143.

Four Tires For Sale: Two LT225/65R17. Two LT245/75R16. Good tread, like new. Cash Only, $60/ each. 440-554-5731.

FREE storm windows with metal frames: (8) 56.5” x48.5”. (4) 59” x48”. FREE ping-pong table 54” x120”. 440-488-2851.

NEW Panasonic cordless phone, still in box, 2 additional handsets, can expand. White w/blue trim. 440-2239471. Also Wanted: Level/Transit.

Antique clocks, many. Oak crank wall-phone $369. Humpback chest $79. Wooden rocking horse $79. Kids spring rocking horse $49. 440-338-3563.

ALPACA FIBER for hand-spinners, crafters. Natural colors. Grades 3-5, mixed. Huacaya. 1.5” to 3” staple. Call/ Text 216-403-2312 for price.

Couch w/matching love seat. Old table. Bench. Cedar chest. Cabinet. Wall plate rack. Window mirror. 440632-9675.

Industrial Sewing Machine: with table, Kwonglam model KL-303, excellent condition, heavy duty machine, can handle canvas, jeans, leather; $1,200. 440-834-8943.

Windsor road-bike $500. Horse-drawn sleigh $500. Western saddle $500. Honda push-mower $300. (8) Fishing poles $200/for all. 845-987-0079.

Lincoln 255 Power Mig Prince XL spool gun, timer kit, large CO2/argon tanks, extra parts. $3,000. Call 440321-5389/no texts.

HELP WANTED

Veterinary Assistant Position available at West Geauga Veterinary Hospital. 440-729-9584. Full or part-time experience helpful, but not required.

Looking for a full-time work crew. Ford F150 with hitch and crew cab. Call 330-978-0367.

Full-time and part-time positions available for infant/ toddler preschool and school-age teacher. Experience preferred, but not required. Call Audrey 440-729-8255.

PETS & ANIMALS

Puppies for sale: Elkhound mix, very cute and playful! Shots and wormed. 9 weeks old. $50 each. 440-548-2484.

Lilly: 9-10yo lap cat, spayed, vaxxed, feleuk/FIV negative. Doesn’t like other cats. Rebecca 440-321-2485.

Mini Male Poodle: born 11-22-22, all white, mostly house-trained, very playful. UTD on shots and wormer. $600. 440-635-6607.

REAL ESTATE

We buy Houses and Land. Any condition or situation. Fast, friendly, local. Westwind Property Solutions. Text/ call Wayne today at 330-269-9595.

SERVICES

Sewing Repairs, Alterations & Custom Manufacturing: Snaps, Velcro, Zippers. Cloth, vinyl, nylon, leather up to ¾” thick. Leather sheaths, holsters, belts, pouches. Retail/Wholesale. 440-632-1505.

Joe Eicher doing roofing, siding, remodeling, cleanout houses, we do most anything. Call between 8a-4p, 440813-4272. No answer, leave message.

Offering special discounts for interior and exterior painting and staining. 20+ years experience. Professional and insured. Call Dan 440-342-4552.

WANTED TO BUY

Old fishing tackle wanted: fishing lures (wood or plastic), mouse to bear traps, wooden duck decoys. Call Lee 440313-8331.

Buying all Stanley Bailey planes and machinist tools. Call Karl at 440-812-3392.

4-wheelers, 3-wheelers, dirt bikes, mini-bikes, go-carts, golf carts, gators, farm tractors/equipment, trailers, riding mowers, snowplows. Paying cash. 440-413-3119. Will pay cash for sports cards & collectibles. Entire collections or individual cards. Organized or unorganized. Call or text Rich at 440-552-0691.

Following is a list of real estate transfers for the week ending Feb. 17, 2023, provided as a public service by the Geauga County Auditor’s Office. Transfers may involve the sale of land only.

BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP

Lynn M. Kupfer (trustee), 17987 Elliott Drive, to Brickman Rebuild LLC, $320,000. (1.61 acres)

Morgan Anderson, 7516 Creek View Trail, to Knollwood Investments LLC, $720,000. (0.20 acres)

Craig Allen Sr. and Pamela Ann Mast, 7481 Chagrin Road, to Carmen Amicone, $425,000. (3.40 acres)

Susan A. and Wayne A. Myers (TOD), 8163 Stoney Brook Drive, to Richard and Silvia Gudgel, $290,000. (0.00 acres)

8198 Washington LLC, 8200 Washington St., to Partnerless Productions Ltd., $1,200,000. (0.00 acres)

CHARDON CITY

Michael J. and Amy J. Tranter, 114 Moffet Ave., to Ashley D. and Christopher R. Kovacs, $315,000. (0.18 acres)

Probuilt Homes Inc., 202 Windflower Drive, to Michael and Amy Tranter, $495,400. (0.23 acres)

CHESTER TOWNSHIP

Darrin L. and Connie O. Gura, 8609 Prescott Drive, to Connie O. and Connie Gura, $104,000. (1.38 acres)

Real Estate Transfers

MIDDLEFIELD

TOWNSHIP

Jonas M. and Malinda Miller, 16765 Nauvoo Road, to Daniel F. and Rebecca U. Detweiler, $240,000. (5.11 acres)

Michael E. and Marcia Kuhns, 16907 Swine Creek Road, to David J. Miller, $220,000. (8.16 acres)

Mahon J. Burkholder (TOD), 17097 Kinsman Road, to Roy A. and Andrew R. Erb, $123,000. (2.37 acres)

MIDDLEFIELD VILLAGE

Enos G. and Miriam A. Miller, Bridge Road, to Andy C. and Emma D. Weaver, $62,900. (1.02 acres)

Kimberly Y. Breyley, 14939 Glen Valley Drive, to Richard A. Szasz and Megan Theresa Boye, $165,000. (0.29 acres)

MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP

Douglas A. Souders, Hart Road, to Jared J. and Krista M. Brown, $50,000. (5.01 acres)

NEWBURY TOWNSHIP

Robert A. and Laura C. Koch, 10033 Pekin Road, to Jonathan and Mary Ellen Ditrich (trustees), $40,000. (7.35 acres)

Joan Kudravy (TOD), 14485 Bass Lake Road, to Mercedes and Scott Pordan, $250,000. (5.00 acres)

Mark S. Lynn, 15485 Auburn Road, to Heartwise Home Buyers, $201,800. (2.17 acres)

Modello Investment Group LLC, 15485 Auburn Road, to Ailene M. Beyer (trustee), $325,000. (2.17 acres)

Michael C. Anderson and Jessica V. Fassett, 10360 Music St., to Roger E. Mcbride and Martha French Ackerman, $615,000. (5.43 acres)

PARKMAN TOWNSHIP

Melvin L. and Betty J. Gingerich and Jake

A. Byler, Madison Road, to Larry A. and Martha Wengerd, $168,500. (7.23 acres)

Melvin L. and Betty J. Gingerich and Jake

A. Byler, Farley Road, to Rock Solid Foundations LLC, $56,900. (3.45 acres)

Melvin L. and Betty J. Gingerich and Jake

A. Byler, Madison Road, to Mark D. and Linda B. Byler, $112,200. (8.01 acres)

Pennview Farm LLC, 16760 Main Market Road, to Douglas S. Smith, $40,000. (4.00 acres)

Pennview Farm LLC, 16760 Main Market Road, to David J. and Susan M. Miller, $200,000. (20.00 acres)

Pennview Farm LLC, 16760 Main Market Road, to Rigsby Farms LLC, $1,855,200.

(189.43 acres)

Joe D. and Leah H. Miller, 17307 Hosmer Road, to Chris M. and Kathryn F. Kauffman, $130,000. (1.00 acres)

RUSSELL TOWNSHIP

David J. and Kathie J. Duffy, 8612 Silvercreek Drive, to Edward D. Duffy, $260,000. (1.57 acres)