The results of an informal poll of Aquilla Village residents helped officials decide July 17 against plac ing a levy on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“It seems everyone is all about lowering taxes,” said Village Mayor Rich Wolfe in a phone interview July 19.
Aquilla Village Council mem bers, two of whom were recently ap pointed, discussed the issue during the meeting, the mayor said.
“We are not going to put a levy on. The consensus from residents — we talked to 75 or 80 residents — is that everybody is pretty much on board with going to Claridon Town ship,” he said.
Village voters number around 100 in an average election, Wolfe said previously.
In related business, council passed an emergency resolution Friday to place the village dissolu tion issue on the ballot.
See Aquilla • Page 4
Video Puts Spotlight on Racism at Kenston
Community Seeks to Create Non-Hostile Environment
By Allison Wilson editor@kArlovecmediA.com
A video of a Kenston Schools student saying racial slurs and making threatening remarks on social media recently sparked community outrage.
“The administration and board of education at Kenston Schools are aware of an off-campus incident involving students using threatening language and racial slurs on social media,” the district said in a press release July 16.
Safety is the school district’s top priority and discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated, officials said in the release, adding Kenston is committed to ensuring students are protected from harassment based on protected characteristics, and feel welcome, safe and respected.
“We are currently gathering information about the incident and will continue to do so. In addition, the Bainbridge Police Department is aware of the incident and investigating. The district will continue
See Racism• Page 5
Troy Township
Interim Fire Chief Resigns, Rescinds in Same Meeting
Bushek: ‘I’m Not Being Your Puppet Anymore’
By Allison Wilson editor@kArlovecmediA com
Tensions between the Troy Volunteer Fire Department and Troy Township Trustees came to a head July 16 when Interim Fire Chief Nick Bushek quit, then reneged his decision during the same meeting.
“I’m not being your puppet anymore. I’m done with it,” Bushek said at the beginning of the meeting, as
he handed his letter of resignation to trustees. “You (Trustee and fire department liaison Sharon Simms) want to threaten me with executive session because ‘the guys (trustees Donn Breckenridge and Len Barcikoski) don’t agree with the policies’ I’ve asked for three or four times now as far as staffing hours,” he said. “I am not going to be the one that tells anyone’s family in this room about why the squad didn’t show up
or why their property is burning down — anything like that.”
Bushek provided the trustees with a copy of the Ohio Revised Code, adding he had given it to them multiple times.
“Your last response was, ‘You do as you’re told’ and that you had not read these,” he said.
“No, I did not say that,” Simms
replied. “I said we have to go by what the attorneys told us.”
Regarding staffing hours, Barcikoski said he did not recall putting a weekly limit on them.
“I remember putting an annual limit on the hours,” he said.
“It’s 1,500 hours,” Bushek responded. “She’s (Simms) the one that put the weekly limit.”
Simms replied she did not limit weekly hours, the attorney did.
See Chief • Page 4
Bushek
Chardon Township on ‘Stable Financial Grounds’
By kAyleigh schArf editor@kArlovecmediA com
Chardon Township Trustees are confident in the township’s 2025 budget, which they approved during their July 3 meeting.
“We are on very solid footing, we’ve been very conservative with our funds. Now that that has been bolstered with the road levy, we can use some of the money we’ve set aside to do some maintenance at the park,” he said in a follow-up interview July 22.
Voters passed an additional 3-mill road and bridges levy in the March 19 election.
“That is bringing in an additional $680,000 to the road and bridges fund,” Brown said, adding that money allows room for projects in the general fund budget.
“Because of the condition that our road and bridge fund had been in, we’ve been very frugal with both the general fund and the road and bridge fund. We needed to have some funds in reserve in case of emergency,” Brown said. “Being very frugal has paid
off and we carried over a good amount of the general fund last year into this year. Since the road levy passed, we are going to do a couple of park projects this year with the money that we squirreled away. We are looking at redoing the walking path at the park and getting prices on a precast restroom facility.”
Brown also emphasized the importance of an upcoming 1.24-mill, three-year fire and EMS levy renewal on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The levy currently yields $233,000 annually and costs homeowners $36 per year per $100,000 property valuation, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.
“We have a fire levy that is on the ballot this year and because it’s on the ballot, you cannot include it in the budget,” Brown said.
“We have a carryover in the fire and EMS fund. If that levy passes, we are not going to collect it this year. The ambulance billing that we do has been very fruitful. It has exceeded expectations, so we’ve got some carryover in the fire and EMS fund.
“We did not want the levy to expire and become a new levy next year, so we kept it on the ballot as a straight renewal,” he explained. “We are telling the (Geauga County) Budget Commission that if it passes, we are not going to collect it for 2025.”
Brown added, “The township is on very stable financial grounds.”
In other business during the July 3 meeting, Chardon Fire Chief Justin Geiss announced the state approved a $1 million Strategic Community Investment Grant for a new ladder truck.
“We’re estimating around $2.2 million for that truck and it takes three years to get (after purchase),” Geiss said.
The truck will be replacing a 22-year-old ladder truck in three years, as the process for purchasing a new truck is just beginning.
Officials also announced the township’s Shredding Day event would be held Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 9949 Mentor Road, with a truck in the lot to discard any unwanted documents in a secure manner.
Montville Trustees Look to Place Fire Renewal Levy on Ballot
Montville Township Trustees voted to pass a certificate of need for a 2.4-mill, fiveyear fire levy renewal during their regular meeting July 16.
“A second resolution declaring it necessary to levy a tax will be discussed (and voted on) in a special meeting scheduled for July 30 at 6 p.m.,” township Fiscal Officer Karen Hawkins said in a follow-up call July 23.
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: July 30, 9:30 a.m., Board of 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.
Bainbridge Township: July 30, 6 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at Town Hall, 17826 Chillicothe Road, unless noted. Chester Township: July 30, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Township Hall, 12701 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.
Montville Township: July 25, 7:30 p.m., Zoning Commission; July 30, 6 p.m., Board of Trustees, special meeting to discuss necessity of a renewal fire levy. All meetings held at the Montville Community Center, 9755 Madison Road, unless noted.
South Russell Village: July 25, 7:30 p.m., Planning Commission. All meetings are held at Village Hall, 5205 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.
Troy Township: Aug. 1, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at Troy Community Center, 13950 Main Market Road, unless noted.
Berkshire BOE: July 25, 7 a.m., Berkshire Educational Foundation. All meetings held at BOE Auditorium, 14155 Claridon Troy Road, Burton, unless otherwise noted.
The renewal levy — which would be placed on the November ballot — yields $100,000 annually and costs homeowners $37 per year per $100,000 property valuation, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.
“The use of (the levy) would be for maintaining the fire department as a whole, including fire equipment and staffing, and ambulance services,” Hawkins said.
In other business, township residents will
soon see a new swing set being added to the park behind the Montville Township Community Center once the mulch is placed.
Officials are also continuing to plan for the Montville Community Day Sept. 14, from 3-7 p.m. The Last Chance Band is scheduled to perform at the event, which will be held, rain or shine.
Trustees encouraged residents to check the website for ways to get involved and vendors can inquire about available spaces.
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Unanswered Concerns
Bushek also criticized the department’s aging equipment and trustees’ lack of response to those concerns.
“They do not make any more parts for those two vehicles over there,” he said. “I just had to get a used motherboard that runs the whole squad and put it in there. We need to start planning. I have asked for that. I’ve gotten nothing.”
Bushek said he has also asked for a sexual harassment policy and a drug-free workplace policy.
“Right, but you didn’t give me anything,” Simms said.
Bushek replied the trustees are supposed to give him something he can enforce, not the other way around.
The interim chief also brought up concerns about the power line running across the station parking lot. The line is 220 volts and runs by a metal door, he said.
The line is currently being used to power the station’s well, which lost power prior to the Feb. 6 meeting. Trustees recently approved drilling a new well.
“That well pump draws 35 amps. The electric chair in Texas draws seven,” he said, for reference.
While Bushek said he regrets things reached the point of resignation, having to attend meetings before regular trustees meetings to tell him what he can say is ridiculous.
“I’m not a puppet, Sharon,” he reiterated.
Simms said she recently met with Bushek, and he did not mention these issues.
Barcikoski said Bushek had previously mentioned being uncomfortable going to Simms as fire liaison.
Bushek said he brought up being uncomfortable multiple times.
Simms pulled up an email from the township’s attorney regarding the hours and read out a section of it.
Aquilla
from page 1
Both decisions were based on the fact the village is running out of money to provide services to its residents.
In previous conversations, Wolfe estimated voters would have to pass, at min-
“This says, ‘...keeping within the hourly amount under 30 hours a week,’” she said.
Bushek and former Fire Chief Eric Mathews replied the hour-limit was for factory jobs, not public service.
“These papers that I gave you say the fire department is exempt, which you said you never read,” Bushek said.
Simms protested Bushek’s accusation, but the interim chief insisted she had said she never read the papers and he had been appalled.
Chief Search & Policy Woes
One fire department member told trustees if Bushek was resigning, so was he.
“He’s been here 20 years and he’s the interim chief,” firefighter Chris Wheeler said of Bushek. “That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Simms said they still hadn’t been through the interview process for fire chief, which sparked an outcry from the audience.
“It’s been 10 months,” Wheeler said.
Trustees accepted the previous chief’s resignation in December 2023. Bushek has served as interim ever since.
“He won’t be the only one that walks away,” Capt. Jeff Koehn said. “You’re going to lose a lot of people.”
Simms asked Breckenridge if he was agreeable to taking over as fire department liaison.
“Don’t pull me into this,” Breckenridge said.
Firefighter Mark Lewis said trustees lacked a true understanding of what they want for the department.
“We need something in writing,” Lewis said of policies, adding trustees should be the ones developing the policies.
“You can even ask us for our help, but we shouldn’t be developing it for you guys. You guys should be developing for us,” he said, noting he has never been in a department where its staff was in charge of developing policies solo.
The fire chief would sit down with the council, mayor or trustees, with help from an attorney, he said.
“All I want is what’s best for the town-
imum, an additional 10-mill general fund levy for Aquilla to continue as a village. If the village is dissolved, it reverts to being part of Claridon Township, with much lower property taxes.
Wolfe said Friday the timeline for dissolution is up in the air, but there will be enough money in the village coffers to continue operations until sometime in 2025.
ship,” Breckenridge said. “I think the fire department has been — they’re not happy. … they walk out of meetings that we have here and assume a lot of things.”
Liaison Restructuring
Breckenridge suggested having two trustees sit down with the department regularly to get on the same page or to put together a liaison board.
Mathews said a board isn’t necessary, just a trustee who would come and talk to members of the department without belittling them.
“You don’t need to have a special board, you just need to have someone who truly cares about the fire department and the community and not their own personal vendetta and agenda,” he said.
Barcikoski said the job of a liaison is to listen to the department and bring their problems to the board.
Bushek replied he should be able to manage his department without constantly being told what he can and can’t say, and accused Simms once again of telling him to do as he’s told.
“You said that when I asked for a policy for how many hours we can work — because I wanted that after the fifth time that I asked you for that policy — and you said, ‘I’m not giving you a policy, you just do as you’re told,’” he recounted.
Mathews implored Breckenridge and Barcikoski to look back into hours and staffing, adding whoever had been contacted does not understand public entity work hours.
“It’s no different than a road department,” he said, noting neighboring road departments have part-time employees who work 40-hour weeks for multiple months without going over 1,500 hours.
Simms said the person she contacted is a fire service attorney.
“If you cut the hours off of what you’re saying, so let’s just say you want him to enforce that. We have staffing issues as it is now,” said Wheeler. “What do you want him to do when the people that work a lot all of
Placing a levy on the ballot is expensive and, if the dissolution issue passes, the levy would be moot.
“If we put a levy on, it would cost more money and probably get voted down, anyway,” Wolfe said. “If the levy did pass and we did dissolve, it would be nullified.”
Also, getting more than 40 resident signatures on a petition to get the issue on the ballot was not easy because of the tight timeline.
“It was pretty hectic getting the petition ready and to the (Geauga County) Board of Elections,” he said, crediting Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz with helping to get things set up.
“Jim Flaiz helped us to get all the paperwork together,” he said.
The dissolution is not a done deal until
a sudden can’t now and now say the station’s only staffed 60% of the time? Or 50%?”
Simms said while she understands, the board has to follow what the attorney said.
The board broke into executive session to try and get ahold of legal counsel. The meeting reconvened having failed to do so.
Once the meeting reconvened, Breckenridge announced he and Barcikoski would be working together as fire liaisons for the rest of the year.
Chief Stays, Trustees Talk Future
Breckenridge asked Bushek if he wanted to rescind his resignation.
“Do you want me?” Bushek asked.
Breckenridge replied it was not his decision.
“I’ll tell you this, though, Nick, I feel bad that this has happened. I feel bad that you’ve put your resignation in. I think we could’ve worked something out. I really do think we could’ve worked something out with you,” Breckenridge said, calling it a shame Bushek put his livelihood on the line.
“We are in the process, and I don’t mean a monthly process, it’s gonna happen right away, of picking a chief,” Barcikoski said. “There isn’t that much time left and whether you’re the choice or you’re not, it doesn’t involve that much time and it will be between myself and Donn that you gotta deal with.”
“I’ll rescind it, then,” Bushek replied. “But, I need some communication if I’m working with both of you.”
Simms said she would be taking over as liaison for the community house.
Breckenridge said his intention is to make the department better than it is now and he hoped firefighters would be proud to work in Troy.
Barcikoski added the pressing issues would be straightening out the staff hours and getting interviews for a permanent fire chief set.
Trustees set the date for the interviews for Aug. 1, starting at 10 a.m.
While both Bushek and all three trustees were contacted for further comment, neither party responded prior to press deadline.
the votes are counted and the board of elections certifies them, he emphasized.
“It’s business as usual until November,” Wolfe said.
If the issue does not pass, council would have to regroup and brainstorm alternatives.
“It’s a good thing we have until November,” he said, adding new people on council might have some ideas between now and November on how to keep the village in the black if the voters don’t approve the dissolution.
“We’ll have to come up with a Plan B if the dissolution doesn’t pass,” he said.
The mayor appointed Kevin Knife and Kathy Arnold to council at the June 18 meeting to fill two seats on the six-seat council, leaving only one council seat empty.
from page 1
to update the community as additional information becomes available,” officials said in the statement.
When contacted for further comment, Kenston officials declined due to the incident, which was reported to police July 6, being under investigation.
“At Kenston, we use our PEAK (Peaceful Environment at Kenston) framework and tools to promote a culture of acceptance, understanding and achievement for all students and families,” district Communications Director Amy Sparks said in an email July 19. “It is clear there is room for improvement and collectively, our administrators will be meeting, as this will be a top priority for the upcoming year.”
She emphasized the need for the community to work together to fully address the issue.
The police department declined to comment on the incident due to its ongoing investigation.
Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz said his office received a referral from the police department, but they do not comment on matters involving juveniles.
Heated Board Meeting
Parents, teachers and community members spoke candidly July 16 at the Kenston Schools Board of Education meeting about a culture of racism they believe is deeply embedded in the district.
Parent Holly Rondo-Burge, whose family has been part of the school district since 1953, said she grew up hearing stories about racist staff and families in the Kenston community from her family members who were subject to such vitriol.
“It is despicable that 71 years later, the same abhorrent behavior practices have continued,” she said. “It has continued because it is a mindset, it’s a culture. It’s not only continued, but it has been allowed to thrive and flourish without being checked or challenged.”
And it really horrifies me sometimes, some of the things that they tell me,” she said. “I’ll say, ‘Why didn’t you speak up?’ And their an swer is, ‘No one does anything to stop it or change it.’”
Smith recalled a racist incident eight years ago in which students did not believe anything would change and, therefore, did not speak up. She and another teacher ended up speaking with high school Principal Tom Gabram, as well as Santilli and Poe, resulting in profes sional development sessions on inclusivity.
“Lo and behold, here we are, eight years (later) and it’s worse,” she said, imploring the district to implement age-appropriate di versity learning and to involve and listen to the parents of minority students.
Kenston alum Dorothy Watson — who has experienced racism at Kenston and worked in the district for 15 years advocating for mi nority students — asked the board what the protocol for racism is.
“Even this year, I had to make a surprise pop-up at the school because our freshman boys were being called monkeys and n*****s every day in the hallways,” she said.
There should be no tolerance for this kind of behavior, but it’s been going on for so long, it’s the norm, Watson added.
Samera Hollimon, who has been in con tact with Superintendent Steve Sayers about the video, called for the student’s expulsion.
“If any of these Black kids did what he did, they wouldn’t be here right now. They would be under the jail,” she said.
Parent Lynette Hairston said she has had multiple conversations about racial issues in the district over the past eight years and asked the board what actions would be taken to address them.
“It’s clear that we have some work to do as a district. And we are not only aware of this, but administratively, we are working on it.” – Supt. Steve Sayers
Rondo-Burge said her children, who attend Kenston Schools, have been called n*****s and monkeys, and despite meeting with Principal Dave Rogaliner, Assistant Principal Kristen Hasenohrl, former superintendents Nancy Santilli and Robert Lee, assistant superintendents Katie Poe and Jeremy McDevitt, and middle school teacher Michael Bates, all she has been given are empty promises.
Rondo-Burge said when an individual is emboldened enough to get on social media and say he wants to “kill all the n*****s,” it’s because he and his parents know they will only get a slap on the wrist.
“With all the mass shootings that are taking place at school and listening to this hate speech message, why wouldn’t we, us parents, believe he wouldn’t come to the school and shoot up our children?” she asked.
Kenston High School teacher Anissa Smith said she has seen and heard things that saddened her heart when it came to inclusivity and minority students feeling safe.
“Many of my minority students, after they leave, we talk and they tell me stories of things that happened in the halls of Kenston.
importance, regardless of race, sexuality, or physical or mental ability.
Theo Hudson, who has a student in Kenston, outlined agenda items — many still works in progress — the community aims to address by the next school board meeting. The first was revamping PEAK.
“Initially, derogatory words were just written on the walls, stalls and tables, where people hid behind their identities. But now, they’re making disturbing and threatening social media posts,” she said. “They are no longer afraid to hide their identities because nothing has been done. Now my son has to come to school in a few weeks and deal not only with the stress of high school, but worry about who simply hates him because he’s Black.”
Following public comment, Sayers addressed the crowd.
“We as a district are very much aware of this incident and it’s very disturbing,” he said. “And we are very, very concerned about it.”
There are policies in place in relation to harassment and discrimination and the board’s goal is for every student to feel safe, valued and respected, he said.
“It’s clear that we have some work to do as a district,” Sayers said. “And we are not only aware of this, but administratively, we are working on it.”
Since the school board speaks as one entity, not individuals, during meetings, board President Tom Manning said the board would follow-up on comments afterward.
Community Looks Forward
Kenston community members gathered July 22 to discuss how to best create a non-hostile educational environment for all students.
“We are here to coalesce, strategize and rally against racism, discrimination and bul-
“What we look to do is incorporate or implement some D (diversity), E (equity) and I (inclusion) principles into PEAK,” he said, which incorporates the embracement of everyone and the ability to acknowledge and correct behavioral biases.
If people catch themselves engaging in bias, how do they acknowledge that and move forward, he added.
The second item involved creating a diversity committee.
“What we would like to do with this diversity committee is have a collective of teachers, administrators and also parents from the community,” Hudson said, adding the committee could meet quarterly and meet with outside DEI professionals to create educational material for the Kenston teachers.
“Because while it is important for our students to learn about D, E and I, and being inclusive of everyone, it is equally as important for our teachers to also learn how to acknowledge when these incidents occur and how to properly address these or correct these behaviors when they see these incidents occur,” he said.
Rondo-Burge emphasized the diversity council is going to be all-inclusive.
“The diversity council is not just going to look like me,” she said. “We want it to include everyone.”
The last item discussed was incident transparency and consequences.
Community members have reviewed student handbooks and policies, Hudson said, noting this item was still fresh.
“The policy leaves a lot of gray area, the student handbook leaves a lot of gray area and so what we’re looking to do is get more engaged in that incident process,” he said. “So, whenever there’s an investigation, the findings are being identified, recommenda-
Hudson said he is aware there are legalities involved and they would be working with the board and administrators.
Courtney McIvor, who is on the advisory council for Chagrin Falls Park, provided suggestions for community involvement.
“One of the things that I encourage everyone to do, every parent — any interaction, it is your right that you have an interaction with a teacher, an administrator, as it pertains to your child. You have a right to email that teacher, that administrator, to recap that conversation,” she said, adding because something was said verbally does not mean it should not also be documented.
McIvor encouraged the community to contact the superintendent along with the Ohio school tipline, which is anonymous, with any concerns, and to engage the school district and local law enforcement.
Should parents feel their child needs a juvenile civil protection order, there is a form available for download with information on that process, she said.
“Policy change takes a long time, so it’s what we do while we wait,” said a DEI professional in the audience who works in a nearby community’s government.
She said after presenting these changes to the board, the board may take a year to say they are considering or implementing them.
“That doesn’t mean we have to wait until they decide things can change, that they can’t change until then,” she said, adding change will require difficult conversations on the agenda because these issues have roots in Kenston and are systemic, and an individual may not be equipped to have a conversation with people in their life who express racist sentiment.
“We can start to do the work to learn how to do that,” she said, noting most racism is not overt.
“These are our kids and we will not tolerate this in our community. So, we have to be able to speak truth to power. It cannot live here if we don’t allow it. We just have to decide we’re not looking past it anymore.”
County Quick to Solve CrowdStrike IT Failure
Geauga Officials Push Yost for Class Action Suit
By Amy pAtterson Amy@kArlovecmediA com
An international internet outage took out computers all over the world last week, causing delays and shutdowns across the airline industry, hospitals and crucial 9-1-1 phone systems.
The outage, caused by a faulty update pushed by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, also hit Geauga County.
The county first became aware of the issue shortly after midnight July 19, Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder told Geauga County Commissioners at their July 23 meeting.
“The early warning here in the county was, within approximately an hour or so, the sheriff detected two of his servers having communication issues,” he said.
Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand lost 9-1-1 service and any other server-based operations, said Walder, who also heads the county IT department under the Automatic Data Processing board.
Hildenbrand made the issue known immediately to Chief Deputy Administrator Frank Antenucci.
“Actually, he sent a cruiser, I think, to Frank's house,” Walder said.
County IT staff immediately tried to access their servers remotely, but realized that was not going to solve the problem, he said.
As news reports poured in, it became clear the problem was global and the solution would not be an easy one.
The fix required direct access to each computer and could not be managed remotely, Walder said.
All IT staff were summoned to begin to work on the issue and the county’s servers were up and running by around 6 a.m., although individual workstations took a little longer.
“Workstations, which we have 1,200 of, had to be gone to station-by-station and the same process had been gone through,” he said.
“Virtually, we had every student, we had everybody who had two good hands and could
type, basically, going in and doing this (fix).”
Walder said staff prioritized safety forces and triaged repairs through the rest of the day.
“The triage plan that we have in place worked like clockwork,” he said. “That's the good news. The bad news is we had to use our triage plan.”
Walder said while he had read estimates the outage affected about 8.5 million users worldwide — and Geauga County is a “small piece of the pie” in terms of those numbers — he and county Prosecutor Jim Flaiz are planning to ask Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost about the possibility of joining a class action suit against CrowdStrike to recover the cost of downtime caused by the incident, as well as the labor costs involved in the fix.
“It cost us roughly $340,000 for that upset,” he said. “That does not include labor. That is just what our budget burned in that window of time that we were unproductive.”
Walder said he believes that amount — when combined with the cost of repairs required in all 88 county governments and other entities that use CrowdStrike across Ohio — will cause Yost to take notice and hopefully take action.
He also gave the county credit for moving multiple servers into the cloud a few years ago.
If they had not, it would have taken days longer to restore functions like email for county employees, he said.
Commissioner Tim Lennon asked if the county should consider other cybersecurity options instead of CrowdStrike.
Walder said there are alternatives, but now is not the best time to move to a totally new system.
“I believe their technology is that much better (than their competitors),” despite them not doing an adequate job pushing out the update that caused the crash, Walder said.
Commissioner Jim Dvorak praised county IT staff for their dedication.
“You're like the fire department,” he said. “You have to put the fire out, no matter what time of day.”
‘The Quintessential Bully’
State Attorneys Recommend 2-Year Suspension for Grendell
By Amy pAtterson Amy@kArlovecmediA com
In a July 9 filing with the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct, attorneys representing the Ohio Disciplinary Council recommended a two-year suspension for Geauga County Juvenile Probate Judge Tim Grendell.
The ODC brought four charges against Grendell in November 2022, including alleged misconduct in a child custody case involving two juveniles; a public dispute with employees of the Geauga County Auditor’s Office and public comments disparaging other elected officials and news media; and improper statements made before the Ohio House of Representatives.
In their scathing 70-page post-hearing brief, ODC attorneys Joseph M. Caligiuri and Martha S. Asseff said Grendell used his judicial power to torment Stacy Hartman and her family by placing her two sons in juvenile detention during the summer of 2020, setting rules that disallowed contact not only with their mother, but with each other.
“But respondent — the quintessential bully — underestimated the Hartman family,” their brief said.
Grendell ordered the boys incarcerated after they refused to visit their father, the ODC attorneys said in the brief, adding a desperate Hartman was terrified her children would suffer in the detention facility — including by being exposed to COVID-19.
Hartman forced Grendell’s hand, the attorneys said, exposing Grendell as having “personally embroiled himself to such an astonishing degree that he began openly advocating in support of (the children’s father),” which included fabricating unruly charges out of whole cloth.
The attorneys said despite Grendell’s attempts in his response to their charges — and in his testimony during a hearing earlier this year — to convince the disciplinary panel the Hartman case was complex enough that only he could understand it, the facts of the case are simple.
“Our court has disciplined rogue judges in the past. But this state has never seen a judge inflict pain and suffering on two innocent, young and vulnerable children while claiming to have acted in their best interests,” the brief said.
A second count related to another juvenile case overseen by Grendell was dropped by the ODC. But, under a third count of misconduct, ODC attorneys said Grendell also “bullied law enforcement and elected officials and falsely maligned the criminal justice system,” a violation of judicial rules of conduct.
In June 2019, during a long-running conflict between Grendell’s court and the office of Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder concerning court expenditures, the judge verbally accosted Chardon Police Lt. Troy Duncan outside of Walder’s office. The ODC attorneys recounted testimony from several witnesses, including Duncan, who recalled being shocked at Grendell’s conduct and demeanor.
“(Grendell’s) public mistreatment of Duncan is a stunning example of conduct that
“Our court has disciplined rogue judges in the past. But this state has never seen a judge inflict pain and suffering on two innocent, young, and vulnerable children, while claiming to have acted in their best interests.”
— Ohio Disciplinary Counsel
Read the Ohio Disciplinary Council’s brief and Grendell’s response online at www.geaugamapleleaf.com.
undermines confidence in the judiciary,” the ODC said. “Respondent’s physical confrontation of a uniformed police officer while pointing at the officer and yelling loudly enough to be heard by bystanders — all while wearing his judicial robe — displayed a lack of dignity, courtesy and professionalism that negatively impacted the public’s view of the judiciary.” Their fourth count against Grendell said he improperly testified before the Government Affairs Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives in June 2020 — within days of the events in the Hartman case — in favor of House Bill 624, and on behalf of his wife, then-state Rep. Diane Grendell. The bill, introduced by his wife and known as the “Truth in COVID Statistics Bill,” alleged the state government was misreporting COVID-19 statistics.
The ODC attorneys said Grendell’s testimony violated a judicial rule of conduct that explicitly limits what judges can do and say when interacting with the executive and legislative branches.
“If (Grendell’s) testimony does not violate (the rule), then the rule should not exist,” the ODC brief said.
In addition, testifying on behalf of his wife — who was at the time in a contested reelection race to retain her seat — was a blatant abuse of the prestige of judicial office to advance his wife’s interests, the ODC attorneys said.
Although the panel set a limit of 70 pages for their filings — excluding appendices — Grendell’s own post-hearing brief, filed by attorney Kimberly Vanover Riley, drew a rebuke from the panel.
Two appendices contained testimony and evidence expanding on the 62-page brief, panel chair Peggy Schmitz said in an order filed July 12, adding while it adhered to the letter of the page limit, it did not comply with its spirit.
“By transforming argument into ‘appendices,’ thereby more than doubling the allowed page limit, (Grendell) has created for himself an advantage that was unavailable to (ODC attorneys),” Schmitz said, ordering both the appendices stricken from the brief.
The introduction to his brief said Grendell was admitted to the practice of law in 1978 and for nearly half a century, he has “amassed a distinguished history of public service with an unblemished disciplinary record.”
Further, individuals including judges,
Grendell
Grendell
Help With Cooling Bills: Summer Crisis Program
The Ohio Department of Development’s HEAP Summer Crisis Program began July 1. Geauga County residents may apply through Geauga County Job and Family Services.
The Home Energy Assistance Program Summer Crisis Program helps income eligible Ohioans stay cool during the hot summer months. The program runs from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2024.
To apply for the program, clients are required to schedule a telephone interview appointment with Geauga County JFS. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 440285-1299.
Applicants will need to provide copies of the following to complete the application:
• Copies of their most recent energy bills.
• Most recent 30 days income for all household members.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members.
The Summer Crisis Program assists low-income households with a household member 60 or older; households with an electric disconnect notice, disconnected service or need to establish new service; or households with a household member with a medical condition that requires air conditioning.
Households enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP) may also be eligible for assistance. Household income must be at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Level. Households may receive a payment up to $500 on their electric bill. Other benefits may include central air conditioning repair, air conditioner window units and fans for eligible households.
For additional information about the Summer Crisis Program and what is needed to apply, contact Geauga County JFS at 440-285-9141. Information is also available to www. energyhelp.ohio.gov or calling 800-282-0880.
Grendell
from page 6
elected officials, attorneys, mental health professionals and laypeople testified in his favor, the brief said.
“Now, after an unblemished 45-year career as a lawyer, legislator and judge, (Grendell) has become the subject of a disciplinary proceeding, the majority of which focused
upon his handling of a single extraordinary case in Count I — the only count arising from his judicial conduct — and two administrative matters in Counts III and IV,” the brief said.
Grendell’s brief further said the Hartman case was challenging and his decisions were motivated by his good faith desire to serve the best interests of the children.
Grendell now awaits the decision of the three-member BPC panel, who will recommend a penalty to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Ronyak Wins Maple Splash Fest Pickup Truck
By Ann WishArt Ann@kArlovecmediA.com
Scott Ronyak, of Burton, accepted the keys to a glacier blue 2023 Silverado 1500 pickup truck with a smile and handshakes all around July 19 at Preston Chevrolet dealership in Burton Village.
“This is the perfect retirement gift,” said Ronyak, who works in management at Ronyak Paving in Burton Village.
He won the truck at the Burton-Middlefield Rotary Club’s annual Maple Splash Festival July 13 at Century Village Museum in Burton.
Ronyak said he bought six bundles of raffle tickets, which cost $20 per ticket.
“I try to support Burton — I’ve known the Rotary guys most of my life. It’s a great organization,” he said last Friday. “I also want to thank Preston Chevrolet and the Chevy Network.”
When asked where he plans to travel on his first trip in his new truck, Ronyak responded, “Wherever my wife wants to go.”
Bill Preston, of Preston Auto Group, said the business is happy to contribute to the raffle every year.
“We did good this year,” said Rotarian Larry Fox, adding the BMRC raised an estimated $160,000 and about 1,240 people attended the Maple Splash this year.
The festival included booths for 35 nonprofit service organizations, he said.
Rotarian Jim Dvorak noted the funds are spent on scholarships, the annual fishing derby for special needs individuals, the Geauga County Veterans’ Food Pantry, among other projects. The Rotary contributes to an endowment for Kent State University – Geauga that is growing, Fox said.
Besides the Preston truck donation, a variety of other Geauga County businesses contributed raffle prizes, including: a Husqvarna X248F zero turn mower from First Quality Power Place in Middlefield; a timber frame shed from Pine Craft Storage Barns in Middlefield; a vacation package and $500 from Beaches and Dreams Travel, of Burton, and a Moritz 6×10 dump trailer from O’Reilly Equipment, of Newbury.
An online 50/50 auction raised more than 14,000, Fox said.
An appreciation dinner will be held in August in the big tent at Welshfield Inn in Troy Township.
Burton businessman Scott Ronyak won the glacier blue, 2023 Silverado 1500 pickup truck with the winning raffle ticket from the Burton-Middlefield Rotary Club’s annual Maple Splash Festival July 13 at Century Village in Burton. Preston Chevrolet, in Burton Village, donated the truck. Pictured are, from left, BMRC member Larry Fox, Ronyak, Bill Preston and BMRC member Jim Dvorak.
Spirited Entrepreneur Brings Latin Flavor to Newbury
By rose nemunAitis editor@kArlovecmediA com
Javier Huesca came to America 20 years ago on a work visa from Mexico City and met his wife, Courtney, while working at an Italian restaurant in Newbury Township.
The young entrepreneur started CJ Landscape in 2013 with a push mower, building a professional landscaping business and snowplowing company that now services all of Geauga and parts of Lake, Cuyahoga and Ashtabula counties.
Ten years later, he discovered an opportunity to branch out and bring a piece of his Latin roots to the heart of Newbury, opening El Flamazo Mexican Supermarket at 11400 Kinsman Road — diagonally across the street from his landscaping business — in July of 2023.
“We are proud to be supporters of the local community and serve the residents of Geauga County,” said Huesca, who settled with his family in Burton.
Huesca’s wife, Courtney, has been a huge supporter and helped develop the store.
“She is a full-time nurse practitioner and often visits with the kids to make my day,” Huesca said.
Together, the couple has six children.
“My mother and abuela (grandma) taught me to be hardworking, reliable and self-sufficient,” Huesca said. “I hope to teach my children the same values.”
Huesca is proud to be carrying on his Latino roots. Most of his workers are Latino, which was a big motivator for him to open the supermarket, noting the closest South American retailers from Geauga County are in Painesville and Bedford.
“I wanted to provide a unique opportunity for all residents to get fresh produce, dairy, meat and basic household staples in a place that is close and affordable,” Huesco said.
El Flamazo carries a large array of authentic foods from Mexico like beans, peppers, tortillas, a variety of snacks, spices, ice
cream, meat, as well as a large selection of candy, beverages and paper products.
They now have Geauga County grown produce, dairy and fresh farm eggs, as well as a wide variety of South American and American made beer.
“We offer authentic ingredients that are traditional to South American culture, such as locally made tortillas and fresh chips and salsa among tons of herbs and spices,” Huesca said. “On the weekend, we have a donation-based sampling of authentic homemade tacos that we get rave reviews from.
“I enjoy serving customers of all ethnicities and am proud to represent the culture from which I come from,” he added. “It’s neat to see Mexicans enjoy a taste of home locally, but also enjoyable to see the local community learn about South American culture and show interest in our foods and spices.”
Huesca hopes visitors learn about the culture and practices of Mexico and other South American cultures when they stop in.
Veladoras, candles decorated with religious motifs and symbols of faith and devotion — popular in Hispanic culture — line a shelf, along with pinatas near the entrance.
“Food plays a vital role in South American tradition and I am pleased to share that with the local community,” Huesca said. “I also hope to give immigrants and the local Mexican community a chance to visit a home away from home.”
Being an entrepreneur has always been Huesca’s vision, and moving to America from Mexico provided him with many opportunities he is grateful for, he said.
“It is my hope that it benefits the community and combines a touch of diversity while supporting other local businesses,” Huesca said. “I am proud to call Geauga County my home.”
El Flamazo Mexican Supermarket is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Parkman Township
Trustees Consider Fees for Overlook Park Pavilion Use
By Ann WishArt Ann@kArlovecmediA com
Summer parties and picnics at Parkman Township’s Overlook Park have increased demand for the pavilion, causing township trustees to consider charging to reserve the popular structure.
“The road guys are going up twice a week to dump the garbage. We’re putting in a lot of extra time up there,” said Trustee Lance Portman at the July 16 trustees meeting.
The township-provided Dumpster is often full after just two days of pavilion use, he said.
The park, located on state Route 168 northwest of U.S. Route 422, has recreational facilities. Residents who sign an agreement in advance can reserve the pavilion for free. The document specifies the individual is responsible to make sure trash is placed in the Dumpster and the restrooms are clean when they leave.
The park closes at dusk, but some groups want to party after dark, Trustee Joyce Peters said.
“One group didn’t leave until after 11,” Portman said, adding when they refused the request of a township employee to leave the park, a Geauga County Sheriff’s Office deputy was called to break up the party.
Another time, he was called to enforce the dawn-to-dusk rule, he said.
Peters said people also complain when they can’t set up at the pavilion because it has been reserved by someone else who comes along and asks them to leave.
Signage indicating when the pavilion is reserved might be in order, she said.
“It’s pretty popular,” Peters said, adding the township has covered maintenance, cleaning the restrooms and other costs, but that may have to change.
“We need to think about charging for the
“It’s costing us so much to maintain,” he said. Not everyone is careful about cleaning the area up when they leave, so township workers spend hours on the task, trying to keep the park neat between parties, he said.
During the summer, the pavilion is sometimes reserved four or five times a week, Duchscherer said.
Trustees may research how other townships are charging for reservations, he said.
“We’ll keep it as low as we can,” he added. In other business, trustees agreed not to place a fire levy on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“We are basically out of time,” Peters
The deadline for submitting paperwork to the Geauga County Board of Elections is Aug. 7 and trustees need to know from the county auditor’s office how many mills to put in a levy resolution, she said.
A levy of about 2 mills would yield the $200,000 the township needs, she said, adding it is a bad idea to rush the process.
use of the pavilion,” Peters said.
Trustee Henry Duchscherer said in a phone interview July 22 the pavilion is reserved on a first-come-first served basis now and trustees have resisted charging a fee because most of those reserving the facility are township residents.
However, upkeep is an increasing burden.
“I’d like to have enough time to reach out to the community and let them know we want to do this before we do it,” Peters said. “I don’t want anybody to think we’re trying to pull something over on them. We want them to know the issues. It’s all too quick.”
The levy can wait until next fall, she said.
Trustees voted to allow the road department to change its employee work schedule from five eight-hour days to four 10-hour days per week on a one-month trial basis beginning July 21.
friction among users. Township trustees said they may have to begin charging reservation fees to help cover the cost of clean-up and maintenance there.
Honest Scales Expands, Profits on Scrap
By Ann WishArt Ann@kArlovecmediA com
Paul Miller started recycling before many people even knew what recycling was.
Living on a farm on Burton Windsor Road just west of state Route 608, Miller sold some scrap metal to a guy he knew and it started him thinking.
“I was amazed at what it brought,” he said, sitting in his office at Honest Scales Recycling.
In 1996, he formed the business with a silent partner and started learning the process by which old junk becomes new money.
Today, the yard full of residential, commercial and industrial scrapped metal resounds with the racket of cars, trucks and trailers dumping loads after being weighed. Tow-motors roar around and other equipment move and sort materials by type of metal. The cacophony is ear-numbing.
Scrap metal waiting to be sold and transported occupies nearly all of the 1.5-acre parcel, as the aerial photo in Paul’s office showed.
As the only commercial scrap metal recycler in the county, the demand for Honest Scales’ services has grown, he said.
Meanwhile, the space to handle the influx of materials and the ability to get the scrap to market hit a bottleneck.
A few years ago, Paul and his son, Marty Miller, who manages HSR’s operations, took steps to branch out and expand the business.
“Since COVID, it’s been hard to find trucks to haul our scrap,” Marty said.
The market price of steel, copper, aluminum and brass can vary, he said. Being able to get loads from the yard in Middlefield Township to the buyer can be a race against time.
Rather than contract with a hauler for the service, the Millers formed a sister company, CBM Roll Off Services, buying Dumpsters and a truck to haul them.
A non-Amish partner helped HSR acquire the truck, Paul said.
“We have to be able to catch the market,” Marty said as a huge Dumpster was being pulled up onto a truck driven by CBM driver Quinton Grundy.
GCRTA Summer Potluck
Aug. 6, 11:15 a.m.
The Geauga County Retired Teachers Association will hold its summer potluck get-together at the Bond Activity Center at Century Village, 14653 E. Park St., Burton.
RSVP to Jean Paine, 440-823-4019, or Cheryl Sekura, 440-223-8711 by Aug. 1.
Bring paper products or canned goods for the local food banks and school supplies or a check for Geauga Jobs and Family Services’ Help Me Learn Day.
Besides hauling scrap metal to market, Paul said the Dumpsters, which hold 20 to 40 yards of material, can be rented out for demolitions and house clean-outs and trash, all going to a landfill.
The space issue was addressed earlier this year when the Millers bought about 3 acres to the east of the yard.
“In the future, we plan to build over there and get the traffic away from the house. We want to get the cars out of the private drive,” Paul said.
His vision is to move his center of operations to the east side of the weight scales so they can process the non-ferrous materials
— copper, aluminum and brass — on the new parcel away from his home on the west side of the existing scrap yard.
“We don’t know the size — we’re meeting with the architect this week,” Paul said during the interview July 22.
Middlefield Township is not zoned, but Paul said he will be working with the Geauga County Building Department and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to meet their regulations.
“I think Geauga County and Middlefield Township is a great place to do business,” he said.
The operation is a family-run business
with about 14 full-time and part-time employees — a number that may grow as HSR and CBM grow, Paul said.
Besides Marty, Paul’s two daughters, Katie Ann and Loma Mae, are involved day-today. Katie Ann runs pay-out and keeps track of sales and Loma Mae operates the scale and answers the phone for CBM, Paul said.
“Without Marty and my daughters, I’d be lost,” he said, adding, however, he doesn’t take credit for his success.
“We give glory to God for everything we have,” he said. “It’s not my business, it’s God’s business. He gave it to me to take care of. We’ve been very blessed.”
truck, driven by Quinton Grundy, and Dumpsters to haul scrap metal to market.
As July draws to a close, artists from across Northeast Ohio are working hard to put the finishing touches on pieces to submit to an exhibition now nearly 50 years running.
“The Fairmount Art Exhibition — we are in our 48th year and it’s a wonderful community arts exhibition that brings together artists from various disciplines, both people who are professional practicing artists, as well as people who maybe create art at their home, maybe they haven’t shown as much and yet, they’re still creating amazing works of art,” Fairmount Center for the Arts Executive Director Elizabeth Bolander said.
The exhibition, running Aug. 6-23, places Fairmount in a different light, Bolander added.
“We turn all of our dance studios that for 11 months of the year are filled with kids and adults doing dance and theater and music activities, and we turn them into this beautiful gallery space,” she said.
Around 140 art pieces were accepted
this year are being accepted July 27 and July 29, and are being juried on July 30.
“A juried show means that people bring their artworks in and then they go through this process where, for us, we have three jurors and they change every single year, who those people are,” she explained. “They meet and they look at every single artwork and decide whether it has the sort of artistic merit, or certain criteria that they’re looking for to be of a certain caliber to be included in the show.”
While the jurors vary each year, they will generally look at a piece’s technical merit — the emotions or reactions it may promote — as well as how it might work within the wider context of the show, she said.
This year’s lineup of jurors include encaustic wax painting specialist and photography major Dawn Tekler, metalsmith and educator Rachel Suzanne Smith and museum curator and wood and paper artist Michaelle Marschall.
With the wide range of artforms accepted See Art • Page 13
SUBMITTED
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3-D artist Randall Oldrieve with art piece “Time
Art
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by the exhibition, the organization looks to appoint jurors with varied backgrounds, Bolander said.
The exhibition features six categories — painting, fiber, photography, graphics, 3-D and watercolor. Submissions can vary from pottery to quilts to drawings made on an iPad. Categories encapsulate a wide definition of each medium.
“If you bring it, we will find a category for it,” Bolander said.
Though the community has always embraced the event, Bolander has seen an uptick in submissions in recent years.
“After the pandemic, when I began at Fairmount, we actually saw people who were like, ‘Oh I started doing this artwork during the pandemic and I really found my passion,’ and they were just bringing artwork that had never really been exposed to the general public and it was just really amazing to see the things people were making,” she recalled. “You know, (pieces) our neighbors are making behind closed doors in their homes.”
The fact the exhibition accepts widely from across Northeast Ohio, as well as from artists in various points across their careers, help to cultivate the exhibition into the experience it is today, Bolander said.
“This is one of my favorite parts of the entry days, when someone comes in and they’re maybe a little timid and we welcome them in and we ask them about their artwork, and they say, ‘Well, I’ve never submitted to a show before, but I wanted to try’ and they turn it around and we’re all just blown away by what we’re seeing,” Bolander said.
She advised the public to come in expecting surprises.
“Because we pull so many different media, you’re not going to see all landscapes or all portraits. It’s a really nice mix of different things,” she said. “There’s going to be, I think, things that you probably never expected someone would be able to do with a medium, as well as maybe things that you would expect to see in an art show.”
The variety makes this a great art show for both families and people who think art shows might not be for them, Bolander said.
Events related to the exhibition, such as Fridays at Fairmount Aug. 9 and 16, will
feature beer, wine and live music. There will also be a relaxation workshop involving yoga surrounded by art Aug. 17, Bolander said.
The closing reception Aug. 23 will feature live piano music, refreshments and an awards ceremony. Last year saw 150 in attendance. Each category will have a first and second place winner and there is also a best of show, which can come from any category.
Artists may also receive awards and prizes, totalling up to $2,800 across all awards.
Now being its 48th year, the exhibition features artists who grew up attending it.
“The first year I was there, a woodworking artist had come in with really an incredible piece,” Bolander recalled. “He and I got to talking and he said he remembers coming to the Fairmount Arts Exhibition when he was young with his family, and that he has strong memories of coming and seeing his dad’s artwork that was also in the show.”
While guidelines for art submissions can be found on the Fairmount website, Bolander advised artists to be aware of hanging and sizing rules.
More information can be found at www. fairmountcenter.org/exhibition/.
Best of Show 2023 Artist Joe Stavec and board member and sponsor Lorraine Szabo in front of his winning work, “Anticipation of a Moment.”
Splinter.”
Lake in the Woods Swim Team, Find Success
By AlAn kornspAn sports@kArlovecmediA com
Eleven local swim teams competed in the 53rd annual Chagrin Valley Invitational Relays on July 20.
Preliminary heats began early in the day as relay teams qualified for the evening finals.
Throughout the day, many Geauga high school swimmers competed, and a few high school swimmers also coached.
Luke Schmidt, a senior at Kenston High School and member of the Bombers Swim team, is currently also head coach of the Lake in the Woods Swim Team with his assistant coach, fellow Bombers teammate Connor Ward.
At the invitational, the two coached the Lake in the Woods team to success with four first-place finishes, two runner-up finishes, and three third-place finishes — overall, advancing to the finals in 16 events.
“Coaching is something I always wanted to do as a little kid,” Schmidt said. “I always dreamed about being the runner of the swim team, and starting two years ago, I was the assistant coach, and then last year I took the head coach job.
“It's just something I really enjoy doing.”
His team's performance at the meet was “obviously amazing,” he continued.
“The team and I have been putting in a ton of work recently, and I am very proud of how everyone did,” he said.
Schmidt also swam in all four of his team’s first-place finishes including the 133m Boys Breaststroke Relay, the 133m Mixed Medley Relay, the Boys 133m Freestyle Relay, and the 133m Mixed Butterfly Relay.
Other current and former Bombers swimmers were also instrumental in the success of the Lake in the Woods Swim Team.
In the 133m Mixed Medley Relay victory, Bombers swimmers Schmidt, Ward and Cate Zoltowicz, along with Bombers alum Cayla DiBernardo, won the relay in a time of 1:17.25.
DiBernardo, who will be a sophomore student-athlete on the swim team at Edinboro University, has had a very busy summer working and trying to swim as much as she can.
As the 2023 Bombers Swim Team MVP, she also had a fun freshman year at college.
“It was so fun — I loved it so much,” DiBernardo said.
In the Boys 133m Freestyle Relay, three current Bombers swimmers, Schmidt, Ward, and Jake Spencer, as well as Bombers alum Kaden Selby, finished first in the relay with a time of 1:06.5.
“We swam really hard, really well,” said Selby of the Lake in the Woods Swim Team. “Lots of medals came back to the tent today. It was awesome.”
In addition to swimming, Selby started a business during his senior year of high school.
“I started a clothing brand called Wondr Studios...in August of 2023,” Selby said. “I really love clothing and business, just the creativity process and everything around it, (and) running a business, too. It just keeps my mind healthy and gives me something to do, and also (helps me) develop in business. That's what I'll be going into in the future.”
Soon, Selby will leave for his freshman year at Ohio University and plans to continue swimming, possibly on the Ohio University Club Team or intramural swimming.
With the summer season coming to a close for the Lake in the Woods Swim Team, Schmidt has begun looking ahead to his senior year of Bombers swimming.
“Senior year, I'm very excited for it,” Schmidt said. “We got a strong team again this year. Some of our swimmers here at Lake in the Woods are going to be on the team, which I am very grateful for because we are going to have a strong, connected team.
“I'm looking to go to states this year. … I missed it by just a little bit the past two years, but I think this is the year, and I'm very optimistic for it.”
Bulletin Board
Effective Aug. 1, 2023, for-profit and nonprofit organizations or groups will need to purchase a paid advertisement for an event anytime tickets are sold, a fee is charged or a freewill donation is taken. If an organization or group does not wish to buy an ad to promote their event and connect with our readers, Karlovec Media Group will print a simple liner-type ad identifying the event, date/time/place and a number to call for more information. E-mail submissions to: cbb@karlovecmedia.com
Antique Power Exhibition
July 26-28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The 53rd annual Antique Power Exhibition, sponsored by the Historical Engine Society and Lake Metroparks Farmpark, will be held at Lake Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Road in Kirtland.
The event will feature live demonstrations, vendors, antique cars and trucks, gas engines, kid’s pedal tractor pull, barnyard animals and more.
Food Pantry Open
July 26, 10 a.m. to noon
The food pantry at the Chester Christian Center church is open to anyone in the community in need of food. One does not need to be a member of the church to attend. The church is located at 11815 Chillicothe Road in Chester Township.
Free Community Dinner
July 26, 5-6:30 p.m.
Mayfield United Methodist Church is hosting dinner at the church located at 7747 Mayfield Road in Chester Township. Carryout is available.
Free Drive-in Movie Night
July 26, 6 p.m.
Fair Housing Resource Center is hosting a free drive-in movie night at Mayfield Road Drive-In, 12100 State Route 322 in Chardon.
In addition to a free showing of “Shrek,” there will be free face painting, bouncy slide, children’s activities and Kona Ice.
Rubber Stamp Sale
July 27, 9 a.m. to noon
Montville Crafters will hold their sixth annual sale of new and gently used rubber stamps and paper crafting supplies at Montville Community Center, 9755 Madison Road, Montville Township.
The sale features 30 tables reserved showing rubber stamps, punches, card stock, embellishments and more. For more information, call Linda at 440-298-3476.
Entertainment in the Park
July 28, 2-3 p.m.
Thompson Township continues its free summer entertainment series on Thompson Square with the Great Geauga County Fair Band.
Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Well-behaved pets are welcome.
Refreshments will be offered by local organizations. For information, call Audrey Kerr, 440-862-0043, or Pat Downing, 440968-3558.
Century Village Speaker Series
July 28, 2-4 p.m.
Step into history as Brandy Hanusosky presents “Wildlife on the Ohio Western Reserve” at Century Village Auburn Church, 14653 East Park St., Burton. Cost is $5 per person. Children 6 and under are free. Call 440-834-1492 for information.
Veterans Resource Fair
July 31, 4-6 p.m.
Geauga County Veteran Services is hosting a Veterans Resource Fair Veterans Legacy Woods Park, 14085 Ravenwood Drive in Newbury Township.
Learn about resources available for veterans and their families while enjoying a free meal. Stop by the Geauga County Veterans Services table for a door prize.
For more information or to register, call 440-279-1860.
Benefit Auction
Aug. 2, 4:30 p.m.
The annual benefit auction for the Middlefield Care Center Amish birthing center will be held at Heritage Marketplace, 15848 Nauvoo Road, Middlefield.
The event includes live and silent auctions, raffle tickets, bake sale, food stand and a quilt auction at 7 p.m. Donations are needed and appreciated.
Back in Time Power Show
Aug. 3 and 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Step back in time to view all types of historic equipment at Century Village Museum, 14653 E. Park St. in Burton. The event includes daily parades, threshing, food, vendors, historic homes and live demonstrations.Those interested in displaying equipment may contact the museum at 440-8341492. There is no entry fee for participants.
Fortify Geauga Social
Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m.
Fortify Geauga will meet for a panel discussion of the pending issue regarding redistricting in the state of Ohio.
For information and to register, visit www.fortifygeauga.org.
CSA Arts Festival
Aug. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Chardon Square Association is sponsoring its 43rd annual Arts Festival on historic Chardon Square. The outdoor show features 100 juried artists. Admission and parking are free.
Geauga Public Library
Programs require registration unless otherwise noted. Include an email and phone number when registering for programs to receive updates about all programs. Visit www.geaugalibrary.net.
Discussion Groups
No registration is required.
• Virtual, July 25, 7 p.m., “The Forest of Vanishing Stars” by Kristin Harmel
• Middlefield, July 30, 7 p.m., “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick
• Geauga West, Aug. 1, 2 p.m., “Wizard of Oz” (1939)
• Geauga West, Aug. 7, 7 p.m., “The Secret Book of Flora Lea” by Patti Callahan Henry
• Middlefield, Aug. 8, 5:30 p.m., “The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff
Euchre Open Play
July 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m. • Bainbridge
Join for a friendly evening of euchre play.
Preschool Olympics
July 26, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. • Bainbridge
Preschoolers ages 3-5 will celebrate the Summer Olympics and “fly” to Paris while competing for medals in noncompetitive games and activities filled with summer fun.
Granny's Kids
Whose Idea Was That?
July 27, 2-3 p.m. • Bainbridge Ohio inventors gave the country traffic signals, astronaut suits, saran wrap, and Life Savers candy. Learn about the inventors and their inventions in a one-act play by Bette Lou Higgins.
Library Lock-In
July 27, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. • Middlefield Escape the chaos at home by spending the day at the library working on scrapbooking, knitting, research and more.
South Newbury Union Chapel
July 30, 7-8 p.m. • Bainbridge
Explore the fascinating history of Geauga County's South Newbury Union Chapel and learn how the quaint chapel operated as a hub for social reform and community activism.
Ready for the Library?
Aug. 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m. • Bainbridge
Discover if one’s child is ready for solo trips to the library. Learn more about resources and behavior guidelines for after-school visitors and answer questions. No registration is required.
4-H News
Granny's Kids 4-H Club held a meeting at 6 p.m. on July 21. The club extends happy birthday wishes to its president, Katy. Members were reminded to sign up for the Maple Leaf Spotlight. Reports were given by Lena, Yuna, Hanna and Meredith. This year's fair theme is "Hiding Out with Jr. Fair." The next meeting is at 6 p.m. on Aug. 4. (Submitted by Karolen Stoltz)
Seniors
Senior Technology Expo
Aug. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Geauga County Department on Aging, in collaboration with University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center and Ohman Family Living, will host a Senior Technology Expo at Lakeland Community College's Health Technologies Building located at 7700 Clocktower Drive in Kirtland.
The event will feature hands-on education with current technology, including smartphones, smart speakers and apps. Vendors will be onsite to assist seniors with understanding and connecting with the available technology. Attendees can receive one-onone tech help with phones and tablets, enjoy presentations from two guest speakers, and have opportunities to win door prizes and enjoy lunch.
Two technology classes will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The first class will cover how to use social media platforms for entertainment, education and staying connected, while the second class will focus
on safely using apps for finances, payments, banking, shopping and more.
The event is free to Geauga County senior citizens registered with the department on aging, but registration is required by calling 440-279-2130. The program is made possible by the Ohio Department on Aging’s Healthy Aging Grant.
Matter of Balance Classes
Geauga Department on Aging and University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center are sponsoring Matter of Balance classes to Geauga seniors 60 and older interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength and learning how to identify and control their fear of falling.
Class will be held every Wednesday and Friday, Sept. 11 through Oct. 4, from 1:303:30 p.m. at the Ohman Family Living at Briar entrance, 14807 N. State Ave. in Middlefield.
To register, call Melissa Wheeler at 440279-2167. Class is free for all registered seniors.
Patricia Ann Estabrook
Patricia Ann Esta brook (nee Lestico), of Chardon, passed away Feb. 4, 2024.
She was born April 20, 1939, to Le nora and Ray Lestico, in Minneapolis Minn.
Pat is survived by her brothers, Jay Warner, Mitch Lestico and Mike Lestico; brother-in-law, Gary Estabrook; son, Donald J Estabrook (Carolyn); daughter, Deborah Wolsley; stepchildren Darilyn (Dave) Landis, Donna Powell; grandchildren, Candice Estabrook, Gabrielle Landis, Grahme Landis, James Leach (Tara Sharma Leach); and greatgrandchild, Anja Sharma-Leach.
Obituaries
a devoted Christian and supporter of Teen Challenge of Ohio.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Darrel Estabrook; stepson Danny Estabrook; and stepson-in-law, Mike Powell.
Celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, at 3 p.m., at the home of Don and Carolyn Estabrook, 28 East Bel Meadow Lane, South Russell Village. This will be a casual picnic for family and friends for memories and remembrances.
In lieu of flowers, donations could be made in Pat’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.
Cremation handled by Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Chardon. Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.burrservice.com
Orrin Ole Bradley
Orrin Ole Brad ley, age 90, of Clif ton Forge, Va., and formerly of Chardon, passed peacefully to our heavenly Father on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Lewis Gale Hospital – Alleghany, Low Moor, Va.
Orrin was born on Oct. 21, 1933, in Bur ton, to the late Ralph R. and Rose Kedzuch Bradley, one of the founding families of Geau ga County.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 66 years, Amelia Bradley; two sisters, Erma Brown and Marcia Boytar; and two brothers, Cecil Bradley and Austin Bradley. He leaves behind three daughters, Heather B. Scheer, Holly B. Foecking and Laurel Bradley; two grandchildren, Noel F. Passerell and Nolan Foecking; and four great-grandchildren, Ellie Passerell, Elin Passerell, Henry Foecking and Isla Foecking.
In keeping with his wishes, his body has been cremated.
A memorial service will be held for the lives of Amy and Orrin at one of their favorite hangout spots, the Chardon Square, 100 Short Court St., Chardon. Please meet us near the southwest corner, where the bell is, on Friday, July 26, 2024, from 4-6 p.m., for an informal gathering to share stories and celebrate their lives. Drop by for a while, bring a chair or a blanket, and/or stay for the Friday evening musical performance from 7-9 p.m. if you choose to continue the celebration.
Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make donations to Teen Challenge of Greater Cleveland, P.O. Box 115, Perry, OH 44081.
To send condolences to the family online, please visit www.nicelyfuneralhome.com
Madeline Lee Ciarlillo
Madeline Lee Cia rlillo, 32, of Hambden Township, passed away Monday morning, July 15, 2024, at her home.
He graduated from Berkshire High School, in Burton, received his undergraduate degree from Miami of Ohio and his master’s degree from Kent State University.
Orrin taught biology at Chardon Schools for 39 years and was a cornerstone of the science department there.
He was an avid hunter, photographer, gardener, traveler and classic car buff. He was
She was born in Euclid, on April 23, 1992, to Anthony and Patricia (nee Cole man) Ciarlillo.
Maddie will be remembered for her em pathy, sense of humor and curious spirit. She was quick to laugh, fascinated by the world around her and passionately supportive of her friends and family.
Maddie will be greatly missed by her parents, Anthony and Patricia; brother, Alex (McKaila Boarman) Ciarlillo; twin-sister, Cassandra (Richard Giles) Ciarlillo; niece, Willa Ciarlillo; and many friends.
Thomas Michael Hill Jr.
Thomas Michael Hill Jr., 47, passed away on July 14, 2024, unexpectedly at his home.
Born on Jan. 25, 1977, to Thomas Michael Hill Sr. and Sandra (nee Shaner) Hill Smith, Thom was raised in Burton and attended Berkshire High School and Auburn Career Center, where he graduated in 1994.
During high school, he was active in football and wrestling. He went on to attend Johnson & Wales University, where he graduated with an associate’s degree.
After college, his love for adventure and the water took over and he moved to the Caribbean, where he worked as an excursion coordinator for several years. During this time, he became a certified scuba diver.
At the end of his time in the Caribbean, he moved to Indiana, where he managed a Hunt Club. Later, he moved back to Ohio, working as a sous chef for the former Bass Lake Tavern in Chardon, where he met Kelsey Hobbes, whom he married in 2011. For the past eight years he worked at Superior Beverage.
Thom was known for his infectious laughter as well as being a caring, patient and loyal person, especially to his close friends and family, but who could also make a friend in a minute. He was never afraid of trying new things.
Among his hobbies were cooking, especially barbecuing, which inspired him to make his own smoker. He also dabbled in painting and enjoyed customizing motorcycles.
Thom was an avid fan of tattoos.
He is survived by his wife, Kelsey (nee Hobbes) Hill; stepfather, Bruce Smith; as well as uncles and several cousins.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Sandra Smith; and father, Thomas Hill Sr.
A celebration of Thom’s life will be held at a later date.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Burr Funeral Home in Chardon. Information and condolences online at www.burrservice. com.
A gathering of friends and family was held at the Ciarlillo’s home on July 21, 2024.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Best Funeral Home, 15809 Madison Road, Middlefield, 440-632-0818. Online condolences may be sent at www.bestfunerals.com
Notices should be sent in writing to: Geauga County Maple Leaf, P.O. Box 1166, Chardon, OH, 44024-5166, faxed to 440-285-2015 or emailed to editor@ karlovecmedia.com. The Maple Leaf charges a flat fee of $125 per obituary or death notice, including a photograph.
Health
Bloodmobile
American Red Cross urges donors to give blood or platelets now to reinforce the blood supply. Donors are critically needed to help safeguard care for patients.
In thanks for answering the call to donate, those who come to give Aug. 1-31 will get a $20 Amazon gift card by email.
Make donation appointments by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-733-2767.
Aug. 1, Chardon United Methodist Church, 515 North St., Chardon, 12–6 p.m.
Aug. 1, Lord of Life Church, 17989 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge Township
Aug. 4, St. Helen’s Church, 12060 Kinsman Road, Newbury Township, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Aug. 8, Centerville Mills, 8558 Crackel Road, Bainbridge Township, 12-6 p.m.
Aug. 13, Bainbridge Library, 17222 Snyder Road, Bainbridge Township, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Aug. 13, Chardon Library, 110 E. Park St., Chardon, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 14, Mayfield Church, 7747 Mayfield Road, Chester Township, 1-6 p.m. Aug. 16, University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, 13207 Ravenna Road, Claridon Township, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 16, Munson Town Hall, 12210 Auburn Road, Munson Township, 12-6 p.m.
Aug. 22, Middlefield Library, 16167 East High St., Middlefield, 12-6 p.m.
Help for Mental Illness
NAMI Geauga offers mental health support groups and classes for families and persons affected by mental illness. There is no charge to participants. All offerings are 100% peer led and meet in person or on Zoom.
Check out NAMI’s calendar online for the latest listings: www.namigeauga.org.
Food Addicts in Recovery
Wednesdays, 6:45-8:15 p.m.
Obsessed with food, weight or dieting? Join every Wednesday for a Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous meeting at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 11519 Wilson Mills Road, Chardon. The free 12-step program is for those suffering from overeating, under-eating or bulimia.
For more information, call 440-2953353 or visit www.foodaddicts.org.
Life Recovery 12 Step Meeting
Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m.
The open group for men and women meets weekly at Horizons Christian Assembly, 14920 White Road in Middlefield and welcomes anyone struggling with grief, alcoholism, addiction, depression, co-dependency or any other habit that lessens the quality of life. The group offers support, encouragement, fellowship and discipleship.
Learn more at www.Horizons4you. com/LifeRecovery.
Legal Notices
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO
Case No. 24-F-000283 - Weststar Mortgage Corporation, Plaintiff, Vs. Leonid Strugatsky, et al., Defendants.
Unknown Spouse of Laura Shepard Dimitroff as of November 14, 2007, address unknown, will take notice that on April 22, 2024, Weststar Mortgage Corporation filed its Complaint in the Common Pleas Court of Geauga County, Ohio, 100 Short Court Street, Suite 300, Chardon, OH 44024, in Case No. 24-F-000283, on the docket of the Court, and the object and demand for relief of which pleading is to foreclose the lien of plaintiff’s mortgage recorded upon the following described real estate to wit: Property Address: 11060 Taylor May Road, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023 and being more particularly described in plaintiff’s mortgage recorded in Mortgage Book 2124, Page 1253, of this County Recorder’s Office.
The above-named defendant is required to answer within twenty-eight (28) days after last publication, which shall be published once a week for three consecutive weeks, or they might be denied a hearing in this case.
By Melissa J. Whalen – ARDC#: 0068316; Melissa J. Whalen (0068316); Richard Mark Rothfuss II (0087592), Trial Counsel; McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC; 1 North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200; Chicago, IL 60602; (312) 346-9088; 24-01499OH1036665; ohio.pleadings@mccalla.com Jul18-25 Aug1, 2024
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO
Case No. 24-F-000381 - Rocket Mortgage, LLC f/k/a Quicken Loans, LLC f/k/a Quicken Loans Inc., Plaintiff, vs. Andrew C. Carroscia, et al., Defendants.
ANDREW C. CARROSCIA AND UNKNOWN
SPOUSE, IF ANY, OF ANDREW C. CARROSCIA, whose last known addresses are unknown and all of whose residences are unknown, will hereby take notice that on June 6th, 2024, Plaintiff filed its Complaint in the Common Pleas Court of Geauga County, Ohio, 100 Short Court Street, Suite 300, Chardon, OH 44024, being Case No. 24-F-000381 in said Court against ANDREW C. CARROSCIA, et al. praying for Judgment of $69,579.09 with interest at the rate of 5.87500% per annum from December 1, 2023, until paid and for foreclosure of a mortgage on the following described real estate, to wit: PARCEL NO. 30-077300
STREET ADDRESS: 8259 Plank Road, Chardon, OH 44024
A COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PARCEL MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE COUNTY AUDITOR.
and that Defendants be required to set up any interest they may have in said premises or be forever barred, that upon failure of said Defendants to pay or cause to be paid said Judgment within three days from its rendition that an Order of Sale be issued to the Sheriff of Geauga County, Ohio, to appraise, advertise, and sell said real estate, that the premises be sold free and clear of all claims, liens and interest of any parties herein, that the proceeds from the sale of said premises be applied to Plaintiff’s Judgment and for such other relief to which Plaintiff is entitled.
Said Defendant(s) will take notice that they will be required to answer said Complaint on or before twenty-eight (28) days from final publication run date or judgment will be rendered accordingly.
By Ellen L. Fornash and Bethany L. Suttinger, Attorneys for Plaintiff; Padgett Law Group; 8087 Washington Village Drive, Ste. 220; Dayton, Ohio 45458; Phone:(850)422-2520; Fax:(850)422-2567; OHAttorney@padgettlawgroup.com
Jul18-25 Aug1, 2024
LEGAL NOTICE
Sale of Real Estate
GEAUGA COUNTY Foreclosure Auction
Case# 23-F-000585 - JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association vs Williams, Cheryl A., et al.
The description of the property to be sold is as follows:
Legal Description: Full Legal Listed on Public Website; Parcel Number: 21-116900
Bidding will be available only on www.Auction.com opening on August 20, 2024, at 10:00 AM for a minimum of 7 days.
Property may be sold on a provisional sale date should the third-party purchaser fail to provide their deposit within the allotted time.
Provisional Sale date: September 3, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Sales subject to cancellation. The deposit required is $10,000 to be paid by wire transfer within 2 hours of the sale ending. No cash is permitted. Purchaser shall be responsible for those costs, allowances, and taxes that the proceeds of the sale are insufficient to cover.
To view all sale details and terms for this property visit www.Auction.com and enter the Search Code 23F000585 into the search bar.
Jul25 Aug1-8, 2024
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
Troy Township
Notice is hereby given that the Troy Township Board of Trustees will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 10:00 am at the Troy Township Community Hall, 13950 Main Market Road, Burton, OH 44021. The purpose of the meeting it to recess into Executive Session to conduct interviews for hiring a full-time Fire Chief per Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22(G)(1).
Jane Grudowski, Fiscal Officer Jul25, 2024
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC VIEWING AND PUBLIC HEARING
TO CONSIDER THE VACATION OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY UPON A PORTION OF TULIP LANE (TR-0307), IN BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO
PURSUANT TO R.C. 5553.045
The Geauga County Board of Commissioners (“Board of Commissioners”) received a resolution on July 9, 2024 filed by the Bainbridge Township Board of Trustees requesting the vacation of the public right-of-way upon a portion of Tulip Lane (TR-0307), in Bainbridge Township, Ohio.
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Commissioners will hold a public viewing for the proposed vacation of the public right-of-way upon a portion of Tulip Lane (TR-0307), in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at the site of Tulip Lane at the driveway entrance of 8197 Tulip Lane, Bainbridge Township.
Notice is also hereby given that the Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for the proposed vacation of the public right-ofway of a portion of Tulip Lane (TR-0307), in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio, the location of which public right-of-way is more particularly described as follows: Tulip Lane (TR-0307), beginning at a point located in the west line of Original Lot No. 24, located 458.92 feet from the southwest corner of said Lot No. 24 at the intersection of the southwesterly extension of the southerly right-of-way line of said Tulip Lane, thence northeasterly along the southwesterly extension of said southerly right-of-way lane, 176.91 feet to a point, thence southerly, parallel with the west line of said Lot No. 24, 117.83 feet to a point, thence westerly, and on a line perpendicular to the west line said Lot No. 24, 170.00 feet to the west line of said Lot No. 24, thence northerly on said Lot line, 68.92 feet to the Place of Beginning, containing 0.3643 acres of land as shown on the survey plat titled “Vacation Plat for a portion of Tulip Lane, February 2024”
The public hearing for the proposed vacation will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 9:45 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite 350, Chardon, OH 44024, at which time the Board will hear evidence, comments and questions from any interested persons concerning the proposed vacation of said public right-of-way.
BY ORDER OF THE GEAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Christine Blair, Clerk Jul25 Aug1, 2024
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Russell Township
Notice is hereby given that the Russell Township Board of Zoning Appeals will be holding a meeting, (a continuance) on Monday, August 5, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Russell Township Town Hall, 14890 Chillicothe Road, Novelty, Ohio. Application #564: Continued from June 10, 2024. Submitted by Vocon Partners, LLC. On behalf of Laurel Schools Butler Campus, located at 7420 Fairmount Road, Parcel #26-707034. This Hearing is a continuation from the June 10, 2024 Hearing. The Applicant is seeking a Conditional Use Approval for the construction of an Environmental Science Building, approx-
imately 11,950 square feet, and an outdoor amphitheater.
The Board of Zoning Appeals welcomes factbased testimony to assist in making an informed decision. Shane Wrench, Zoning Department Jul25, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICE
Village of Middlefield
Notice is hereby given that during the Council Meeting held on July 11, 2024, The Village of Middlefield passed the following legislation:
RESOLUTION 24-11 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A TAX BUDGET FOR THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
RESOLUTION 24-12 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING AND AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DIVISION OF REAL ESTATE & PROFESSIONAL LICENSING AND OHIO CEMETERY DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMISSION FOR THE 2025 CEMETERY GRANT PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR TO ACCEPT ANY AWARDED GRANT FUNDS AND FILE ALL DOCUMENTS AND EXECUTE ALL AGREEMENTS NECESSARY TO RECEIVE ANY AWARDED GRANT FUNDS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
ORDINANCE 24-137 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CODIFIED ORDINANCE SECTION 135.04 ENTITLED “RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES” TO RAISE THE SPENDING AUTHORITY AND PUBLIC BIDDING THRESHOLD FOR THE VILLAGE ADMININISTRATOR, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
ORDINANCE 24-138 AN ORDINANCE
AMENDING CODIFIED ORDINANCE SECTION 1313.06 ENTITLED “PROCEDURES TO ABATE STRUCTURAL OR MAINTENANCE NUISANCES” TO CLARIFY THE APPEALS PROCESS, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
ORDINANCE 24-139 AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THAT THE REVENUE TO BE COLLECTED UNDER THE 1.45 MILL TAX LEVY FOR AMBULANCE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES APPROVED ON NOVEMBER 8, 2022 IS GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT NEEDED FOR COLLECTION YEAR 2025, REQUESTING THE GEAUGA COUNTY BUDGET COMMISSION TO DECREASE THE LEVY BY 100% TO 0.00 MILLS, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
RESOLUTION 24-09 A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE NECESSITY FOR THE RENEWAL OF A POLICE SERVICES TAX LEVY AND DIRECTING THE FISCAL OFFICER TO TAKE STEPS TO PLACE A RENEWAL OF THE EXISTING 2.0 MILL LEVY FOR POLICE SERVICES ON THE NOVEMBER 5, 2024 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
ORDINANCE 24-129 AN ORDINANCE EN-
1171.23 ENTITLED “RAIN GARDENS” AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Complete Text Of These Resolutions And Ordinances May Be Viewed Or Obtained At The Office Of The Fiscal Officer, 14860 N. State Ave., Middlefield, Ohio During Regular Business Hours.
Case No. 24-F-000327 - Christopher P. Hitchcock, Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio, Plaintiff, Vs. Kevin Neill, et al., Defendants
Kevin Neill, Unknown Spouse, if any, of Kevin Neill, whose last known address was P.O. Box 19, Novelty, OH 44072 and Unknown Occupants, if any, of 9843 Pekin Road, Novelty, OH 44072 whose last known address is 9843 Pekin Road, Novelty, OH 44072 address is unknown, and cannot, with reasonable diligence, be ascertained shall take notice; and, if deceased, their unknown heirs, devises, legatees, administrators, executors, and assigns will take notice that on the 14th day of May, 2024, the Treasurer Of Geauga County, filed a Complaint in the Court of Common Pleas, Geauga County, 100 Short Court Street, Chardon, Ohio 44024, entitled Christopher P. Hitchcock, Treasurer of Geauga County vs. Kevin Neill, et al., Case No: 24-F-000327, against the abovenamed parties, praying that the premises hereinafter described be sold for the collection of delinquent real estate taxes, owed and unpaid, is $9,942.91 together with accruing taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges; as well as court costs. Said premises is described as permanent parcel number(s) 23-225000. A complete legal description of the parcel(s) can be obtained from the Geauga County Recorder’s Office. The volume and page number for the parcel(s) can be obtained from the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.
The object of the action is to obtain from the Court a judgment foreclosing the tax liens against such real estate and ordering the sale of such real estate for the satisfaction of delinquent taxes.
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 a majority of the corporation’s stock.
The above-named parties are required to answer on or before 28 days after the last date of publication. Such answer must be filed with the Clerk of Courts, and a copy must be served on the Prosecuting Attorney.
By Kristen Rine, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Attorney for Plaintiff.
Geauga Sheriff’s Report
The following is a sampling of the calls handled by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office June 12 to July 18, 2024.
ANIMAL BITE
July 13
12:12 p.m., Whitney Road, Montville. Mail carrier bit by dog. Dog is now in the cage.
July 16
8:34 a.m., Nauvoo Road, Middlefield. Injury report requested for dog bite. Incident occurred on July 15. Deputy was at the residence trying to make contact with the homeowner. Two dogs came from the rear of the residence and one dog bit a deputy. The dog bite broke the deputy's skin and he was treated at the ER for his minor injury. See report.
ANIMAL PROBLEM
July 13
7:20 p.m., Bass Lake Road, Newbury. Three pigs running loose. Three pigs running down Bass Lake. Unknown who owns them. Could not see a tag. They were removed from roadway.
PROPERTY DAMAGE
July 12
5:51 p.m., Wilson Mills Road, Munson. Neighbor hit a golf ball and put a hole in the siding. Caller almost got hit by a golf ball. Happened July 11 in the evening. Will update with disposition.
SICK/INJURED
ANIMAL
July 12
10:42 a.m., GAR Highway and Morgan Road, Montville. There is a crane that has been hit in the roadway, still alive. Bird already deceased.
SUSPICIOUS
July 12
5:25 p.m., Main Market Road, Gulf, Parkman. Black Tahoe cleaning his car but keeps watching the customers. Caller advised that the male is ACTING like he is cleaning but he is not. Male is making people nervous. No known plate. Medium set white male with saggy jeans, work boots and appears dirty. Unknown shirt color. Suspicious male gone on arrival.
THREATENING
July 17
3:35 p.m., Main Market Road, Iron Horse Saloon, Troy. Former employee called stating: “If I don't get my payroll check I'm going to kill you.” Caller told him it was already mailed out. Male has been trespassed by deputy. Ongoing issue with prior employee wanting his paycheck. Suspect denied calling the business or threatening complainant and stated that he was already in the process of filing a claim in civil court. Was advised not to have any contact with the business. Complainant was provided information on obtaining a protection order.
Real Estate Transfers
AUBURN TOWNSHIP
Christopher P. and Lora F. Vest, 11730 Jensen Court, to Leonard G. Miller III and Audrey Miller, $750,000. (2.86 acres)
Melanie L. Webber, 11540 Frostwood Drive, to Robert P. and Wendy R. Seidel, $655,000. (4.06 acres)
Karen A. Kerrett, Taylor May Road, to Todd Hurley, $82,100. (5.00 acres)
BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP
Alexander A. and Nancy Jones, 9202 Moccasin Run, to Mark R. and Amy R. Swallen, $560,000. (1.56 acres)
Benjamin Pfouts (trustee), 7930 Chagrin Road, to Stacy Brown and Nigel Allen, $550,000. (2.15 acres)
Melissa M. Vlasak and Jason D. Bradley, 16775 Snyder Road, to Jacob Brent and Kelly Moss, $369,500. (1.60 acres)
Jason Padley and Amy Chang, 8255 Poplar Way, to Michael T. and Michelle Garver, $1,576,000. (0.80 acres)
Andrew M. and Amber C. Murphy, 7570 Cottonwood Trail, to Rebecca A. Senehi and George M. Pappas Jr., $805,000. (0.51 acres)
Adrianne Chance (successor trustee), 8398 Eaton Drive, to Jeremy Frey and Holly Hartman, $399,000. (1.67 acres)
Jeffrey J. Snell (successor trustee), 18190 Snyder Road, to David Bleich, $365,000. (5.32 acres)
BURTON TOWNSHIP
John S. Hollo III and Swedell Hollo Simmons, 13870 Hale Road, to Swedell L. Hollo and Charles M. Simmons, $80,000. (13.68 acres)
CHARDON CITY
FLG Chardon LLC, 211 High Fox Drive, to NVR Inc., $90,000. (0.17 acres)
FLG Chardon LLC, 141 High Fox Drive, to NVR Inc., $90,000. (0.20 acres)
FLG Chardon LLC, 217 High Fox Drive, to NVR Inc., $90,000. (0.17 acres)
Pumpkinpaducah LLC, 113 N. Hambden St., to Abruzzo Investments LLC, $600,000. (0.33 acres)
Andrew A. Tomaso and Carly A. Ibold, 415 Barrington Drive (Unit 30), to Jared Erasmus, $187,000. (0.00 acres)
Michele Horvat, 402 S. Hambden St., to Joseph Thomas Butler, $200,000. (0.31 acres)
Arthur J. and Stacie L. Kimpton, 115 Fox Pointe Drive, to Casey and Mariana Sullivan, $401,500. (0.21 acres)
CHARDON TOWNSHIP
Sara E. and Steven M. Newton, 9900 Mentor Road, to Christie M. Elig and Kelly T. Elig, $600,000. (2.00 acres)
CHESTER TOWNSHIP
Carol A. Rinehart, 12455 Sperry Road, to Olivia M. and Victor M. Arballo, $650,000. (4.09 acres)
Brett A. and Shannon L. Spyker, 13311 Shady Lane, to Bobby Joe Shepard Jr. and Cynthia Jackson Shepard (trustees), $305,000. (1.46 acres)
Donna M. Foraker, 11214 Caves Road, to Dimitry and Larisa Marmerstein, $432,000. (3.17 acres)
Elsie J. Fleckenstein (TOD), 12823 Lynn Drive, to Amy and Anthony Buttari, $332,000. (1.00 acres)
Daniel B. Thomasson (trustee), 13034 Woodcrest Lane, to John A. and Carrie L. Romanin, $330,000. (1.21 acres)
CLARIDON TOWNSHIP
Jerome Michael Mikonsky (TOD), 12643 Taylor Wells Road, to Josette M. Galiano, $409,900. (3.28 acres)
HAMBDEN TOWNSHIP
Troy A, and Kelly Yoder, 8565 Williams Road, to Dustin R. and Cynthia Keeney, $190,000. (11.82 acres)
Paul V. Craven, 10450 Kile Road, to Blake and Andrea Spaman, $750,000. (33.07 acres)
MIDDLEFIELD TOWNSHIP
AKLHA LLC and Michael Loza Jr. (TOD), Peters Road, to Michael Loza Jr., Nick R. Loze Jr. and Christopher M. Loze, $13,333,33. (12.00 acres)
Michael Loza Jr., Nick R. Loze Jr. and Christopher M. Loze, Peters Road, to Nick R. Loze Jr. and Christopher M. Loze, $6,666.67. (12.00 acres)
MIDDLEFIELD VILLAGE
NVR Inc., 15248 Timber Ridge, to Stewart C. and Veronique R. Wilson, $332,600. (0.21 acres)
Della Fay Long, 10792 Madison Road, to Rebecca Marie Long Burba and Jason Alan Burba, $205,000. (1.61 acres)
Julie Sollars, 8494 Murphy Road, to Western Reserve Real Estate Holdings LLC, $167,700. (2.06 acres)
MUNSON TOWNSHIP
Michael and Kelly Monaco, 12590 Rockhaven Road, to James Moweinski, $327,000. (2.00 acres)
Suzanne M. Gordon and Richard J. Boros, 13115 Heath Road, to Knapp Road LLC, $50,000. (3.51 acres)
Lawrence E. and Barbara A. Tarka, 13386 Hidden Oaks Drive, to Joseph Cianfarani and Jennifer L. Reda, $400,000. (1.50 acres)
NEWBURY TOWNSHIP
Lonny A. Beck, 14301 Sperry Road, to Brandon Molle, $65,000. (2.87 acres)
Hannah Mary O’Reilly (trustee), 15914 Ravenna Road, to Benjamin Walton Dundas, $180,000. (2.00 acres)
PARKMAN TOWNSHIP
William D. and Susan Gingerich, 15416 Agler Road, to Raymond W. and Amanda Hostetler Gingerich, $380,000. (10.40 acres)
Allen Ray and Laura Mast, 16850 Newcomb Road, to Mervin E. Miller and Emma Hershberger, $250,000. (2.00 acres)
RUSSELL TOWNSHIP
MJD Real Estate LLC, 7809 Fairmount Road, to Kristin Danae Brockway, $440,000. (1.67 acres)
Jordan Onderdonk and Amanda Saxe, 14861 Caves Road, to Annettee Amistadi and Bryan Wallace, $366,000. (1.50 acres)
Mary Roche and Robert Patrick, Dines Road, to Meghan Siddall and Matthew Simon, $575,000. (7.13 acres)
Classifieds
FOR RENT
Office Space in Chardon: second floor, Main Street, approx. 535 square feet. $600/month, includes HVAC and water. Call 440-285-2247.
EVENTS
FOR SALE
RARE His & Hers Honda Reflex 250 Scooters: 2002 and 2004, both VGC, low miles; $3,000 each. Call 440729-0663 and leave message.
Daylilies: over 450 varieties, $10 to $12 per large clump. Call 440-543-9303 or 440-570-1377.
Wicker Rattan Storage Chest: 27” long, 15” deep, 16” high, heavy duty, like new, $50. Two Wicker Rattan Stools: $10 each. 440-548-2678.
White Vinyl Cabana Kit: 12x12, new, still in package; paid $1,300, will sell for $900/OBO. 440-548-2657, let ring.
VEVOR Demolition Jack Hammer 3600W Jack Hammer Concrete Breaker 1800 BPM Heavy Duty Electric Jack Hammer 6pcs Chisels Bit w/Gloves & 360°Swiveling Front Handle for Trenching, Chipping, Breaking Holes. BRAND NEW, NEVER OPENED. $225. Email ads@karlovecmedia.com and write “Jack Hammer” in subject line.
Howard Rototiller: 42” wide, for compact tractor. Cat 1 three-point hitch. $1,800. 440-487-2955.
Matching Couch and Loveseat, floral print, in good shape, ready to sell; make offer. 440-632-9675, Middlefield.
John Deere Lawn Tractor: Model 314, 14-HP, auto-trans, hydraulic 3-blade 46” cutting deck, w/snow plow and trailer; $1,200/OBO. 440-564-1172. Small stack of lumber: multiple sizes. 2007 Dodge Dakota SLT: 161,000 miles, silver, 6’6” bed w/liner, body some rust-back fender wells. Call for details 440-2239471.
Ravin R10 Crossbow: like new condition, 450 scope w/ covers, quiver, crank, strap, (8) 400 grain, .003 carbon arrows, extra new 450 scope (in box); $1,200. Madison, OH. 440-477-2902.
GARAGE/ESTATE SALES
Second Hand Treasures. A unique shopping place. Something for everyone! Weekly Sales: Thursday, Friday, Saturday. 9a-5p. Many $1 bargains. 9098 Old St Road, Rt.608, Chardon.
Street Sale: Thur-Sat July 25-27, 9a-5p. Cranwood Drive, Chesterland, off 306 between Mulberry and Rt 6.
HELP WANTED
Lawn mowing and yard work help needed for residence in Novelty. Flexible hours (3-4/week); mower/equipment provided; $20/hr. Retiree or mature college student ideal. Text 216-496-8974.
PETS & ANIMALS
Free Bantam Roosters. 440-321-8152. Barn homes needed for semi-feral cats, as their elderly caretaker is being evicted. All cats are being fixed & vaccinated. Rebecca 440-321-2485.
German Sheppard puppies. $200/each. 330-5403447.
Free to a good home: 4yr old red & white Husky female, up to date on vaccine and wormer. 440-632-1505.
MISCELLANEOUS
FREE fact: PARENTS are key to protecting kids from addiction! Discuss the dangers with them now!
REAL ESTATE
Farm for sale: 17.64 acres, two parcels, adjacent to Headwaters Park and bike path. House: Three bedrooms, two baths, designated laundry room, living room, family room, pantry, skylights, two foyers, two porches, office, basement, two large barns, several outbuildings. Currently agriculture program, Geauga county; can be transferred. Taking bids, bidding ends august 31st. Reserve the right to decline any and all bids. Send bids: Stanley Darocha, 13110 Princeton, Huntsburg, 44046. Homes & Land Wanted: any condition or situation! Fast, friendly, local. Serving Geauga and surrounding counties. Text or call Wayne at 330-269-9595.
SERVICES
Albert’s Complete Tree Service: 45+yrs experience! Competent in all aspects of Arboriculture, Forestry and Land Clearing Also, Firewood, Excavation and Sewer Work. Free Estimates. 440-687-5404.
Did you know Karlovec Media Group prints business cards? Prices start at only $30 for 500 (B&W, 1-sided, no bleed). Call 440-729-7667 or email ads@karlovecmedia.com.
Joe Eicher doing roofing, siding, remodeling, cleanout houses, we do most anything. Call between 8a-4p, 440-813-4272. No answer, leave message.
Licensed caregiver: will care for special needs children/ adults in your home. Days, nights, or as needed. References. 440-313-1804.
Taxi Service: 4 passengers only, for cleaning crews, short and long trips. Contact Lisa at 440-708-4835.
WANTED
Wanted: Clean Fill. Clean fill wanted for new home. 9550 Music Street, Novelty 44072. Call Dave 440376-9310.
WANTED TO BUY
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. Old fishing tackle wanted: fishing lures (wood or plastic), mouse to bear traps, wooden duck decoys. Call Lee 440-313-8331.
Buying all Stanley Bailey planes. Call Karl at 440-8123392.
Small chest height freezer, prefer 4-5 cubic foot with display lid. 440-632-1415.
4-H SPOTLIGHT
Scan here to submit your photos and captions online or send photo and caption to: editor@karlovecmedia.com by August 1.
Junior Fair Spotlight
Luke Chongris, age 10, of Chardon Township is in his second year of 4-H. This is his first year doing a turkey project and he has been raising chickens for over 5 years. Luke also participates in an archery 4-H Club. His interests also include soccer, karate, and percussion.
Aubrey Gady,age 12, of Chardon, is showing her chickens at the fair this year. Her favorite bird is Fluff Fluff. She is a member of 4-H Club Feathers and Fleece.
