School safety and security is always a top priority and topic of conversation in North Olmsted. Leaders from North Olmsted City Schools and the City of North Olmsted started having collaborative meetings to discuss safety. These meetings have included walk throughs of different safety scenarios, strategy planning in the event of a threat, and discussions detailing how each entity would respond and individual responsibilities based on role.
Before students returned for the new school year, all school district staff members participated in ALICE training. School Resource Officer Jim Carbone along with other officers from the North Olmsted Police Department ran multiple active safety scenarios in all of our school buildings. Each building debriefed and discussed each scenario after.
North Olmsted City Schools also hired a second school resource officer. Officer Joann Felton joined the district as a part-time school resource officer assigned mainly to North Olmsted Middle School. Joann comes to North Olmsted from the Solon Police Department where she earned State DARE Officer of the Year and National DARE Officer of the Year.
Pictured top: North Olmsted School Resource Officer Jim Carbone discussed the active shooter drill with staff members at the high school.
Pictured left: Leaders from North Olmsted City Schools and the City of North Olmsted came together to discuss safety both in the schools and in the community.
The Model United Nations Club (above) hosted Rev. Nta William Nche, a Cameroonian peace activist and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian faith. He shared his experiences and lessons from his peace building efforts. A select group of 6th grade students (above) had the opportunity to attend the Westshore Young Leaders kick off event. Students participated in leadership and teamwork activities while interacting with students from other local schools.
Fourth grade students (above) used LEGO Spike kits and Chromebooks to build and program their own cars! Students worked together as a team to problem solve and construct their car. These LEGO sets were purchased through grant money.
First grade students (above) were introduced to sphero indi - a robot car! Students used colored mats to create routes and patterns for the car. These kits were purchased through grant money.
Visit www.northolmstedschools.org for more information!
Two summer events celebrated the city's diverse community.
Check out the latest updates planned for the city's parks.
See how the business community is adapting to change.
14 Star Students
Meet two standout students from North Olmsted High School.
Discover a unique class that provides students with important life skills.
16 Faces of North Olmsted
Get to know community members making a difference.
Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones leads North Olmsted toward a bright future.
Welcome to this special edition of North Olmsted Magazine. It continues to be my great honor and privilege to serve as North Olmsted’s mayor. Our city is a vibrant melt ing pot of diverse cultures and people, and we feel it’s a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family, not to mention a great destination for visitors.
North Olmsted boasts close proximity to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and an abundance of amenities to enjoy, including beautiful parks and direct access to the Cleveland Metroparks, as well as major shopping at Great Northern Mall and a host of fantastic restaurants.
I invite you to explore all that North Olmsted has to offer. You certainly won’t be disappointed.
look forward to seeing you very soon.
Sincerely, Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones
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North Olmsted hosted summer events to celebrate the city’s Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
By Jamie BrianIn June, North Olmsted celebrated its di versity with Juneteenth and Pride events.
“North Olmsted is a melting pot of different communities,” says communi cations manager Julia Bejjani. “Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones has really made it a prominent issue to show our diversity.”
The Juneteenth commemoration, which took place June 19, showcased artists, performers and Black-owned businesses. Vendor selections includ ed clothing from Future Motives, sweet treats from Le’ Scoop Dessert Boutique and organic products from I AM Well
Holistic. The musicians Eroc and Anu Imani shared the stage, and writer Solé performed her poetry.
“It was a day for us to remember the generations that have been oppressed and to celebrate their achievements and ongo ing battle for racial equality,” Bejjani says.
On June 25, North Olmsted also honored the LGBTQ+ community with a Pride fes tival. Participants sang karaoke and created colorful chalk art. Local vendors Fortunes Cookies, Fosters Old Fashioned Fudge and Marissa McShepard sold their wares.
The Juneteenth and Pride events high lighted the resilience of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
“Both groups have struggled for de cades,” Bejjani says. “Both groups deserve the right to express themselves and to be themselves and to celebrate how far they’ve come.”
Family-owned and operated since 1984
300+ years of combined experience ready to serve you!COURTESY JULIA BEJJANI Destiny McGill showcases her artwork at the Juneteenth commemoration.
“North Olmsted is a melting pot of different communities.”
— Julia Bejjani, North Olmsted communications manager
Updates to North Olmsted Community Park will beautify the greenspace while eliminating maintenance issues.
By Jamie BrianVisitors to North Olmsted Commu nity Park will notice some changes to trails, fields and facilities in the coming months. Implementation of the master plan for North Olmsted Community Park is expected to begin in 2023 and will involve relocating the baseball fields from the south end of the park to the north end, connecting the park’s walk ing trails and adding fields for addition al sports, including lacrosse and soccer. Plans for a new stage for the band con cert series are also in the works.
“North Olmsted Community Park has remained the same for decades,” says Tim Pinchek, director of recreation and public engagement for the city of North Olmsted, adding that he hopes the up dates will eliminate maintenance issues, such as puddling of water on fields after heavy rain and poor electrical perfor mance. “This will be a beautification project that has been needed for many years and will be vital for the continued success of that park.”
With these improvements, fami lies can continue making memories at North Olmsted Community Park for years to come.
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To learn more, call (855) 667-3201 or visit nopec.org.
By Rachel Hagenbaugh
The first time Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones considered a career in politics, she was in junior high school. Her father, who had worked in factories his entire life, had lost his job for the second time. She remem bers watching TV with her parents, Greg and Arlene Dailey, in their small bunga low in Parma on Parklane Drive when she heard a disturbing message.
“The president at the time was doing an interview and made a comment about how if people are unemployed, it’s their own fault and they’re not trying hard enough to find employment. Watching my parents’ faces while that comment was being made on TV shocked me be cause my parents are two of the hardest working people I’ve ever met,” she says, crediting them with giving her the op portunity to become the first person in her family to attend and graduate college. “It all came to a head and clicked with me that if I ever had the opportunity to be elected to anything, that I knew I would remember that moment at all times and
make sure that the way that I treated whomever I was representing and what ever decisions I made in office would be reflective of the fact that every person out there is doing the best they can.”
Jones’ desire to effect change through government started at St. Francis De Sales in Parma, where she served as the vice president of student government. At Parma Senior High School, she served as the pres ident of her freshman, sophomore and ju nior classes, as well as senior president of student government. At Ohio Wesleyan University, where Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, government and international studies, she also participat ed in student government and was elected president during her senior year.
During college, Jones spent a semester in Washington, D.C., working at a strate gy firm, where she saw firsthand how poli cy was influenced through different groups and organizations. She also interned for
Mary Boyle, who was running for U.S. Sen ate in the state of Ohio, for two years during college. Upon graduation, Jones got a job in the U.S. Senate, where she learned how the legislative process worked.
“I had a great experience in D.C., but it was always in the back of my head that I wanted to return to Ohio and serve in the local government,” she says. “The best way to effect change was to be right here in my own community.”
When Jones moved back to Ohio, she chose North Olmsted as her new home and wasted no time getting involved in various volunteer boards and commissions within the city. When a position opened on city council, she ran and was elected as the Ward 3 representative, where she served for six-and-a-half years before being elect ed and serving as city council president for nine years. During her more than 20 years of experience in municipal, county and federal government, Jones also worked as a congressional aide to democratic U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur.
“Through all of those positions, you have the opportunity to make your own con nections with different people and orga nizations that help shape who you are and the way you approach problem solving, but also just observing,” Jones says. “You can learn a lot from how others around you deal with situations and have the oppor tunity to see a lot of different leadership styles. All of those experiences combined have been helpful leading up to this mo ment to serve my community as mayor.”
One of the aspects of North Olmsted that Jones appreciates most is its abili ty to change while also remaining true to its roots. During the 1970s through 1990s, the city experienced a tremendous growth period. Now, Jones is focused on what the next 20 years will hold for North Olmsted, which includes taking action to refill storefronts, attract new business es, rebuild the city’s streets and invest in quality city services.
“Retail is not going to look the same as it has in the past,” she says. “That’s one thing I heard as I was running for com munity office and sitting on city council and observing the changes that have been taking place. It’s been a really big chal lenge navigating how to position the city and allow for economic development and how we shape that and what kind of poli cies the city can implement to ensure that our trajectory into the future isn’t stag nant — that we’re not letting things hap pen to us — we’re shaping the future.”
A different kind of mayor — that’s the platform on which Jones ran and the rea son she believes she was elected.
“I think that the feeling in the commu nity was that we had remained stagnant for a long time and needed a fresh start. We needed to have some new eyes on chal lenges that our community was facing and present some solutions to those challeng es,” she says. “I believe that cities that con tinue to evolve and look at problem solving all of the time are the ones that are setting themselves up for success. Now is the time to make those changes and five to 10 years from now see some real change.”
Jones also is honored to become the city’s second female mayor and hopes to continue to inspire other women to pur sue their goals and dreams through her
service. What advice does she have for those looking to follow in her footsteps?
“I always encourage all young peo ple to serve their community — no mat ter what that looks like,” she says, adding that communities need people to be lead ers in so many ways, whether that’s serving on boards and commissions, volunteering through churches or other organizations or participating in groups such as the Junior Women’s Club or local garden club. “All of those organizations make a community a wonderful place to live. I want young peo ple to know that there’s leadership oppor tunities everywhere. Serving your commu nity doesn’t mean you need to be elected to city government.”
When Jones and her husband, Daniel Jones, decided to move back to Ohio, they considered many communities near her hometown of Parma. What attracted them most to North Olmsted is the big-city ame nities coupled with small-town charm. Ev erything is connected for those who live and work in the city.
“The proximity to whatever type of ser vice or need you could want is amazing,” says Jones, who has lived in North Olmst ed for 21 years. “You have access to any thing you could possibly want to get to, such as retail or any services you might need. Medical services, the airport, free way systems — everything is connected to you in North Olmsted.”
Jones also appreciates the city’s prox imity to the Cleveland Metroparks, which her family of seven enjoy great ly. Her five children, all of whom attend North Olmsted City Schools and range from a third grader to a high school se nior, are involved in scouting and spend a lot of time outdoors. The family also is active in St. Clarence Church, and Jones is an active PTA mom.
When it comes to managing a house hold and a city, Jones says it’s all about staying organized, finding balance and having a strong support system.
“My husband, parents and all of my children and their friends and families, we all help each other out,” she says. “That’s something I’m so thankful for in North Olmsted — the people around here and the people my children are growing up with — it’s such a great thing.”
Those who live and work in and around North Olmsted boast of its amazing ame nities. Within just under 12 square miles, residents and visitors are connected to any type of service they could need or want. North Olmsted’s reputation as a desirable destination to conduct business continues to garner the attention of national retailers and investors. During the fourth quarter of 2021, Bridge33 Capital, a commercial real estate investment firm in Seattle, Wash ington, purchased Great Northern Plazas for $63 million as part of a five-property acquisition featuring shopping centers in four other states. And the old Bed, Bath & Beyond space is being repositioned as an Amazon Fresh grocery store, bringing a new food concept to the city.
“One of the things we’ve seen nation ally is that the retail market is changing. What remains true for North Olmsted is that it continues to be a strong market,” says Max Upton, the city’s economic and community development director. “It’s really interesting that the innovators and disruptors who are changing the face of retail still view North Olmsted as a geographically significant and strong real estate market.”
Part of the reason, Upton says, is that people who live, work and play in North Olmsted spend a lot on retail services.
“Per capita, we spent three times as much as the state and national average on retail goods and services,” Upton explains. “Initially, I was shocked when I saw that. But, as I dug deeper and deeper, I realized it made a lot of sense.”
Great Northern Mall consists of 1.2 million square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment options, which include a diverse mix of more than 100 national, regional and local businesses.
Overall, malls throughout the nation are going through a period of transition, Upton says, adding that Great Northern Mall, which is at nearly 90% occupancy, is continuing to thrive due to its ability to find new uses for old spaces.
“Great Northern Mall continues to build on its rich, 46-year history and adapt to the changing needs of consumers,” says Dan Crandall, the mall’s marketing and business development manager, adding
“We plan to use this business to connect with the North Olmsted community and give back to the community we love.”
— Matt Rotheram
that in addition to being a popular desti nation with an inviting atmosphere, Great Northern Mall prides itself on its creative promotions, unique experiences and spe cial events (Kids Club, Princess Parties, Malloween and free community yoga classes, to name a few) to further engage visitors. “Stroll through Great Northern on any given weekend, and you may find yourself in the middle of a salsa dance class, a community bingo tournament or a family story time,” Crandall says.
been
quality skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term
more than
years in
west side communities.
been providing quality skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care for more than 60 years in Cleveland’s west side communities.
addition to special events, the mall adds special touches that make people’s visits even more enjoyable. Earlier this year, it commissioned the talents of local artists to create more than 20 new pieces of public art that are on display through out the property.
shopping trip or a quick errand, Great Northern is a convenient place to do it all.”
is achieving the highest level of function during a therapy stay, helping them return home as soon as they are safely able.
goal is achieving the highest level of function during a therapy stay, helping them return home as soon as they are safely able.
also offer Assisted Living
offer Assisted Living
allowing seniors to live in a community with services and amenities, with our exceptional medical team close at hand.
allowing seniors to live in a community with services and amenities, with our exceptional medical team close at hand.
those diagnosed with
with
Disease or dementia,
Disease or dementia,
designed memory support unit promotes positive
By the third quarter of 2022, Great Northern Mall had welcomed a dozen new businesses, including local kiosk tenants such as Go Games, RC Toys, Charging Cables and More and Alice’s Candy. Jo Jo’s Arcade and First Team Actors Stu dio brings Hollywood-caliber training to Northeast Ohio and adds a unique use of mall space. Meanwhile, Fiesta Grill, a new concept offering fresh Latin cuisine, opened in the food court. Before the holiday season, Kona Acupuncture and Zebrano Furniture will open.
One of the mall’s goals to ensure its success is to continue to fill retail spaces with options that will appeal to the greater community and keep the mall relevant for the next generation of shoppers.
“We want to further entrench Great Northern into the community through special events, partnerships and charita ble activities,” Crandall says. “In addition to everything happening inside the mall, it is also worth noting everything that surrounds it. Great Northern is ideally situated in the center of North Olmsted’s retail district, with its own highway exit off of Interstate 480. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is just minutes away, and a number of nearby hotels, offices and corporations contribute to the regular daytime traffic. So, whether it is a leisurely
As Great Northern Mall continues to experience success, the rest of the city’s business community also is booming. This year, North Olmsted welcomed a variety of new businesses, including Eagle Cabinet and Design, a kitchen remodeler; Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, offering tasty, tradition al American fare; Pathway Caring for Children, which helps children and families realize the possibilities of their lives through foster care, adoption and mental health services; K9 Resorts, a luxury pet hotel; and popular fast-food establishment Arby’s.
Also new to North Olmsted is Pulp Juice & Smoothie Bar, an Ohio-based franchise that offers more than 40 smoothie blends, as well as a variety of fresh-squeezed juices, wraps, salads and more.
“My wife and I have always had a plan to open a small business in our home town,” says Matt Rotheram, owner of the North Olmsted Pulp store. A former NFL football player, Rotheram adds that protein shakes and smoothies were a dai ly part of his life as a professional athlete. So, he was naturally drawn to Pulp’s fresh smoothie concept. “Pulp is a business model focused on the community. It’s a place where you can come with any one — young children, friends, parents, grandparents, etc. I can guarantee you will find something for everyone on this diverse menu.”
Rotheram says North Olmsted is a community that needed a food/drink concept such as Pulp.
“My wife and I both grew up in North Olmsted and graduated from North Olmsted High School,” Rotheram says. “We plan to use this business to connect with the North Olmsted community and give back to the community we love.”
In addition to new businesses, the city also is celebrating a variety of expansions for existing businesses. Earlier this year, Ashley furniture completed its expansion from 12,000 to near ly 40,000 square feet. RollHouse, formerly a bowling alley, is investing nearly $5 million to transition into an entertainment concept that will feature a private bowling suite, themed escape rooms, a patio and dining options that include burgers, wings, pizzas, ribeye bowls and more.
Although North Olmsted’s business com munity is thriving, Upton emphasizes the city’s urgency to maintain momentum. That in cludes the creation of a Community Improve ment Corporation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing and promoting the economic and civic development in a commu nity, as well as considering initiatives put into place by other cities and implementing strate gies that will allow for future growth.
“We’re trying to have a relentless urgency to succeed now,” Upton says. “That’s what we’re doing every day, and we’re just getting started.”
Check out these upcoming events happening at Great Northern Mall.
NOV. 6 AND DEC. 4, 2022
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
No prior experience is necessary, and children accompanied by an adult are welcome.
Location: Community Room
NOV. 18, 2022, 5:30 P.M. – 7 P.M.
This family-friendly event will include live entertainment, face painting, balloon artists and more.
Location: The parade will begin at 6 p.m. at the Regal Cinemas wing and end at Santa’s sleigh.
DEC. 18, 2022, 1 P.M. – 2 P.M.
Fun activities for little ones will include story time, crafts and more. There’s no fee to attend, but registration is required. Visit greatnorthernohio.com for regis tration information.
Location: Great Northern Mall Community Center
A gifted musician, honors student, swimmer and avid golfer, Nagy, 16, doesn’t let being visually impaired since birth limit his ambitions or over shadow his natural talents. In fact, this past summer, he golfed in the Firestone Junior Cup.
At school, he uses assistive tech nology provided by the district to help navigate schoolwork. One such tech nology, called Braille Note, converts worksheets and printed material into braille for Nagy and enables him to enter his information, which is then translated back to the teachers in their preferred format.
Nagy had the idea to make a video prior to starting his junior year that would share the accommodations he uses as well as some tips and tricks for his teachers ahead of the new school year.
at Petco at Steelyard Commons. “Things like getting project summaries ahead of time is really helpful for me.”
A member of Special Edition, an a cappella vocal group at the high school, Nagy wants to go to college to become a music teacher. “I’ve wanted to do that since I was seven or eight,” he says. “I’m really, really into music, and I'd like to start writing my own songs.”
Huston Nagy doesn’t miss a beat as he sings a cappella and moves through the halls of North Olmsted High School guided by his full-time aide.
“Since I’m blind, it usually takes me longer when we have a big project or something,” says Nagy, who had his first job over the summer stocking shelves
says the softspoken Sako, whose work entitled, “Fighting for Your Freedom,” stood out among the 7,000 submis sions from across the state. “It’s a pic ture of a veteran, but his face is my dad’s face,” she says.
Especially talented in colored pencil and oil painting, Sako says she start ed drawing when she was young but began taking it seriously around eighth grade. Always strong in art and math, she recently grappled with the deci sion of whether to pursue advanced studies in engineering or architecture.
“Anything that I wanted to do, I was allowed to do, and that was helpful in my personal growth,” she says with a smile. “That experience has been so valuable, and it improved my overall creativity.”
At only 18, senior artist Bianca Sako has amassed an impressive portfolio and a list of accolades that include one of her art pieces being named a Top 25 in the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, as well as yielding a Gover nor’s Award of Excellence — one of her proudest recognitions.
“I love realism. If I could do art for the rest of my life, I would just do that,”
But with the encouragement of her art teachers (especially Mr. K.), Sako is applying for early acceptance to Rhode Island School of Design, one of the first and most prominent art and design schools in the U.S.
While she considers herself selftaught, she credits her art instruction at North Olmsted High School with giving her the freedom and encouragement to focus on artwork she wanted to create.
North Olmsted High School’s Home Repair and Maintenance class offers life skills and a taste of the trades.
By Chrissy Kadleck
To fully understand the demands and complexities of homeownership, students in North Olmsted High School’s Home Repair and Maintenance class spend most of a semester building a house from the ground up — a very cozy house measuring about 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 6-and-ahalf feet high.
Open to all grades, this popular class teaches high school students how to mas ter skills related to residential repairs and provides a veritable toolbox of skills and knowledge involving home foundation, home framing, roofing installation and repair and electrical safety and repair.
“My big mission is, I want kids to under stand how a house is put together. What is underneath your house? What’s inside your walls? What’s above the ceiling? How was the roof framed?” says Todd Eberhardt, who has been teaching in the district for 29 years. “But we need a model to fix and
repair things, so we build that model first. Once the house is done and when the stu dents aren’t there, I’ll go through and pull shingles off or break holes in walls or I’ll mess with the electricity. I play it up like the houses have been vandalized. Then they have to troubleshoot and fix it.”
This non-traditional class appeals to all kids at all levels and abilities and encour ages them to consider career pathways into skilled trades.
“I come from a trades family,” Eberhardt adds. His father was a master craftsman, and even though Eberhardt showed inter est in following his family’s lead into the construction business, his father insisted he go to college. “I have many friends who worked in the trades and they make a very good living and they love it,” he notes. “I try to push that as much as possible, and I know we have had a lot of kids show in terest in the trades because of this class.”
Heights, Ohio 44130
www.polaris.edu
Children’s Services Supervisor, Cuyahoga County Library North Olmsted Branch
Since Anna Heinz started working with the Cuyahoga County Library, she has been spearheading changes that af fect children throughout Greater Cleve land. In her first role as the county’s toy librarian, she helped expand the Brook lyn Branch’s lending program so that toys could be sent to members throughout the library system’s 28 locations.
Heinz also was instrumental in bring ing a StoryWalk to the Brooklyn Branch. When she became the children’s ser vices supervisor for the North Olmsted Branch, adding one in her own commu nity was a top priority.
“The StoryWalk is a way to connect both exercise and physical activity, but also lit eracy and having something that families can do together,” she says, adding that the StoryWalk will be located at North Olm sted Community Park, beginning at the
Georgia Wilder Case Manager, Oxcart PantryToday’s Oxcart Pantry looks very differ ent from when it started nearly 50 years ago as part of the city’s human resources de partment. Located in the basement of Old Town Hall, it offered a minimal amount of food and didn’t have many clients. Now, the pantry serves about 120 people per month, offers a variety of canned and fresh foods and is nestled in a house that has been converted to serve the pantry’s needs.
“Now, we can develop very nice rela tionships with the clients, and I think the environment has a lot to do with that,” says Georgia Wilder, the Oxcart Pantry’s case manager, noting that the pantry, which serves North Olmsted residents who meet certain income guidelines, also hosts special events, such as mobile produce, fill your backpack and holiday
programs, as well as operates a com munity garden. Although most of the food comes from the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the pantry also depends on individual and group donations. “Every month, we distribute a flyer letting peo ple know what the pantry is in need of.”
Wilder is responsible for running the pantry, which includes stocking and or dering food, making sure products are rotated, assisting clients, making referrals and taking care of administrative duties, such as making sure the pantry is follow ing federal guidelines.
“When this position became available, I thought it was perfect for me because I’ve always been in social work,” she says. “It’s just natural for me.”
Although she’s vital to the pantry’s suc cess, she’s quick to credit the 30 volunteers who help keep things running smoothly.
“Without them, we couldn’t do every thing that we do,” she says, adding that her favorite aspect of running the food
playground and circling around the top portion of the new walking trail. It will in clude 18 posts, each of which will contain a page spread from a picture book, as well as questions and activities that help par ticipants engage with the story and trail. Books will rotate on a quarterly basis. For the first book, Heinz chose Someone Builds the Dream
“It’s such a beautiful story about how so many people come together to make this dream a reality, and that’s how I’ve always felt about North Olmsted,” Heinz says. “It’s a community that comes to gether to make it the best place possible to live and raise a family.”
As the children’s services supervisor, Heinz also plays a vital role in the creation and implementation of the branch’s vari ety of programs geared toward youngsters from birth through fifth grade.
“We’re trying to promote literacy skills and a lifelong love of learning, as well as community and social skills that will car ry children on through adulthood,” Heinz says. “All of these skills are essential for anything they’ll be pursuing in life.”
pantry is serving the clients. “When you have something that’s such a basic need that might not be being met complete ly and you can help someone with that, you give that person a little hope. That’s the best part.”
Michael Kovack spent his entire ca reer as a social worker interacting with children and their families. He never considered working with older adults. But last fall, the outreach coordinator position for the North Olmsted Senior Center became available.
“North Olmsted is near and dear to my heart,” Kovack says. “At no point in my ca reer was I able to work in a community that felt like home. That was the original driving force.”
Ready to try something new, Kovack was excited to take on the challenge. His responsibilities include everything from facilitating programming and health and wellness initiatives to acting as a social worker, helping the six to eight clients who contact the senior center daily.
“Whether someone needs assistance paying their utility bill or help with their lawn care — you name it — my job is to problem solve it and figure it out,” Kovack says, adding that he also
conducts home visits, performs crisis management and cooks for the center’s food program. “I want people to know that they don’t have to age alone. If you ever catch yourself being over whelmed by things like Medi care or Social Security or want to downsize and check out assisted living options, call me. Whether it’s a referral or something else, I’m going to help you out.”
In addition to assisting older adults with financial needs, activi ties of daily living and other inqui ries, Kovack is dedicated to out reach efforts, including educating the community about the senior center. He’s also spearheading a theater group to provide a fun way to engage with the community.
“We made a video, a parody of The Office TV show,” he says. “I write the skits myself and had someone from city hall film it and put it on Facebook and Instagram. The feedback was awesome.”
Kovack can be reached at 440-716-4264.
Jason Cooper grew up appreciating all that police officers do for the communi ties they serve. Now, working as a fleet mechanic for the North Olmsted Service Department, he’s able to utilize his tal ents to help ensure the safety of those he’s admired since childhood.
“I feel like it was always one of my goals to work in public safety, and I love that I’ve found my spot,” Cooper says. “My boss encourages training and self-improvement. It’s an atmosphere where you’re encouraged to grow.”
Cooper helps build and maintain ap proximately 140 vehicles and 360 pieces of equipment ranging from plow trucks to police cars.
“We’re kind of like family doctors for the city’s vehicles,” he says, adding that North
Olmsted’s service department is one of the few that performs all of its maintenance in-house. This allows for a lot of custom ization, specifically to the city’s police cars. Programming for the vehicles is written inhouse, and Cooper is constantly research ing ways to make them better.
“The cars are built to calm things down and deescalate situations,” Cooper says, highlighting features that include automat ically turning the siren off when a police vehicle is put into park, a low-frequency si ren that allows motorists to feel (rather than simply hear) when a police car is approach ing, vehicle-to-vehicle sync capabilities that allow the lights on police cars to flash together using global satellites and a sensor that dims police car lights by 20% when the sun goes down or during overcast days.
“One of the cool things that you prob ably won’t find in a lot of other places is that our police cars are personalized. If the officers need something, they can contact me through the chain of command, and I’ll research it and see what I can do,” he says. “I try to give the officers something that they can rely on and make their day a little bit easier and safer to give them more peace of mind and help them do their jobs the best they can.”
COURTESY JULIA BEJJANIFacilities
City Hall 5200 Dover Center Road 440-777-8000
Fire Station #1 24291 Lorain Road 440-777-1214
Fire Station #2 29592 Lorain Road 440-777-3544
Police Department 27243 Lorain Road 440-777-3535 (Non-Emergency) Recreation Center 26000 Lorain Road 440-734-8200
Oxcart Food Pantry Georgia Wilder, Case Manager 26272 Butternut Ridge Road 440-716-4165
Senior Center 28114 Lorain Road 440-777-8100
Springvale Golf Course and Ballroom 5871 Canterbury Road Golf Course: 440-777-0678 Ballroom: 440-777-0161
Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones
Director of Law Michael R. Gareau Jr.
Director of Finance Carrie B. Copfer City Council Lou Brossard, President of Council Christopher Scarl, Ward 1 Chris Glassburn, Ward 2 Mary Gilchrist, Ward 3 Mary Ellen Hemann, Ward 4 Patrick Kelly, At Large Duane H. Limpert, At Large Angela M. Williamson, At Large Bea Taylor, Clerk 440-777-8000
Building Jeffrey Grusenmeyer, Commissioner 440-777-8000
Economic and Community Development Max Upton, Director Kristine Jones, Administrative Assistant 440-777-8000
Engineering Pietro A. DiFranco, City Engineer 440-777-8000
Finance Carrie B. Copfer, Director 440-777-8000
Fire Edward M. Schepp, Chief 440-777-1214
Human Resources Lisa Kidd, Director 440-777-8000
Law
Michael R. Gareau Jr., Director 440-777-8000
Mayor’s Court Stacey Freeland, Clerk 440-777-8000
Mayor’s Office Rick Haase, Assistant to the Mayor 440-777-8000
Police
Robert Wagner, Chief 440-777-3535
Public Safety
Jennifer Scofield, Director Kristine Jones, Administrative Assistant 440-777-8000
Public Service
Kevin Kearney, Director Deborah Samrani, Administrative Assistant 440-777-8000
Recreation and Public Engagement Tim Pinchek, Director 440-777-8000 Deborah Samrani, Administrative Assistant
Senior Center Tiffany Hunt, Administrator 440-777-8100
Youth and Family Services Christine M. Allegra, Part-time Juvenile Diversion Coordinator 440-716-4166
Waste Water Treatment Plant Brian Blum, Superintendent 440-777-1881
Board of Education
Terry Groden, President Tom Herbster, Vice President Brian Hall, Member
Gina Lehmann, Member Megan Murphy, Member Administrative Offices 26669 Butternut Ridge Road David Brand, Superintendent 440-588-5300
North Olmsted High School 27301 Butternut Ridge Road Main Office: 440-588-5800
North Olmsted Middle School 27401 Butternut Ridge Road Main Office: 440-588-5700
Pine Intermediate School 4267 Dover Center Road Main Office: 440-588-5530
Birch Elementary School 24100 Palm Drive Main Office: 440-588-5400
Chestnut Elementary School 30395 Lorain Road Main Office: 440-588-5500
Maple Elementary School 24101 Maple Ridge Road Main Office: 440-588-5515
Cuyahoga County Public Library North Olmsted Branch 27403 Lorain Road 440-777-6211
Frostville Museum 24101 Cedar Point Road olmstedhistoricalsociety.org
North Olmsted Community Council nocc.clubexpress.com 440-777-4918
North Olmsted Chamber of Commerce nolmstedchamber.org 440-777-3368
VFW Post 7647 30036 Lorain Road vfw7647.com
Post Office 28475 Lorain Road 440-777-4225
Regional Income Tax Agency ritaohio.com 800-860-7482
