Kirtland Chronicle 11-3-2023

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Volume 10, No. 4

Kirtland Senior Earns Perfect ACT Score

Friday, November 3, 2023

Kirtland Grad Continues Track Career at Highest Levels

By Jamie Ward jamie@karlovecmedia.com

CHRONICLE

The Olympic decathlon is not a women's sport. But Katie Straus wishes that it were.

D Straus, who competed in track

By Allison Wilson TLANand field and soccer four years with R I K editor@karlovecmedia.com the Hornets — leaving the track program as the school’s record holder Kirtland High School senior in the 100-meter hurdles, 300-meAdriana Freitas took her Septemter hurdles and high jump — began ber ACT with the intention to do competing in multiple-event compethe best she could. titions as a freshman at the UniverWeeks later, she opened her sity of Cincinnati. results and found she had scored Running fast and jumping high a perfect 36. was fun. But there were so many “I was just hoping to do my other events out there, Straus best. Honestly, I wasn’t expectthought. Why not try shot put? ing anything at all,” Freitas said “In high school, we weren’t alduring a recent interview. “Like, lowed to do more than four events I went out of the test thinking per meet, and I always wanted to I did worse than I did the first See ACT • Page 6 See Track • Page 5

BOE Recognizes Student’s Achievement

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ONICLE

PHOTO BY PETE SOTHERLAND

Katie Straus prepares for the 400 meters Aug. 13 during the Women’s Decathlon National Championships in Walnut, Calif. It was Straus’ first decathlon, and she won.

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Children, police and event volunteers pose in the book nook after it was unveiled Oct. 14 at the Kirtland Police Department.

Kirtland Police Chief Brian McCallister reads children’s book “Bone Soup” to a room of attendees at the unveiling of the station’s book nook.

Police Build Community Bonds Through Books

By Allison Wilson editor@karlovecmedia.com Despite the dreary weather, the Kirtland Police Department was bright and bustling Oct. 14 as families with children gathered there to celebrate the unveiling of the station’s new book nook. The book

nook, a small reading area set to the side of the police department’s lobby, is equipped with a rug, beanbag chairs and shelves lined with children’s books — all donated from the local community.

The nook acts as a spiritual successor to a reading program the department already runs at Kirtland

Elementary School, which allows the police to interact with children in a more personal and less intimidating capacity.

“We thought it would be a good idea to have a place here, given the size of (Kirtland) City Hall, that the families could come and be able to interact with police on a more

personal level, kind of taking the authority out of it and being able to have a one-on-one,” Kirtland Police Chief Brian McCallister said.

A desire to build a better relationship with the children of the community sparked the original reading program, the chief said.

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The News You Need Kirtland City Council held a nearly 28-minute meeting Oct. 16.

On third reading, council passed 6-0 a resolution authorizing Mayor Kevin Potter to accept the bid of Waste Management of Ohio and to enter into a five-year contract for solid waste and recycling collection. Councilman Eric Ziegler was absent.

The contract will run from Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028. The parties will have the option to mutually extend the contract for two additional years.

According to its bid documents, Waste Management will charge $13.35 per month for weekly solid waste collection with a 96-gallon cart in 2024, increasing annually to a charge of $15.62 per month in 2028.

Recycling prices will start at $3.85 per month with a 64-gallon cart in 2024, increasing annually to $4.50 per month in 2028.

Waste Management also will provide container services at city locations and a 5% discount for seniors 65 and older.

Mayor’s Report Potter said economic development consultant Eddy Eckhart would attend the Nov. 8 city council meeting. Potter said Eckhart has identified a wastewater grant from the Ohio Department of Development, with the next round of funding opening soon.

In addition, Eckhart has identified several infrastructure grants, particularly for trails and improving community walkability.

Potter also said Eckhart told him he has been meeting with industry professionals and incentive experts to better understand and offer guidance on how to pursue incentive structures for any potential development in the city.

Finally, Eckhart said he has been discussing some opportunities in downtown Kirtland with a “successful local restauranteur.”

Potter thanked Councilman Scott Haymer for spearheading the expansion of high-speed broadband and fiber optic in the city and surrounding communities.

Department Reports • Fire Chief Anthony Hutton did not have a formal report at the Oct. 16 council meeting.

• Police Chief Brian McCallister did not have a formal report, but thanked the community for attending the Oct. 14 grand opening of the book nook inside City Hall and outside the police department.

Officers will growing out their beards as part of the “No Shave November” campaign to raise awareness of men’s health issues, McCallister said.

In addition, the Thanksgiving food drive is starting and there will be a table inside City Hall for donations.

• Service Director Joe Fornaro did not attend the Oct. 16 meeting.

• City Engineer Doug Courtney had no formal report, but did answer questions from council.

The Rockwood stormwater basin project was scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 16.

Berms were being installed on Blueberry Hill and Fox Hill, and the rehabilitation of Crestwood from Oakwood south to the cul de sac also was scheduled to begin.

• Finance Director Louis Slapnicker reported city’s healthcare renewal for 2024 was upcoming. Also upcoming in late November or early December is the city’s temporary 2024 budget.

Industrial appraisals are coming onsite beginning Nov. 6 and should take two weeks to complete.

• Law Director Matthew Lallo reported a resident had raised the issue of business permits. City policy provides business permits are issued upon the approval of the director of public service. However, for more than 20 years, it appears that approval has been made by the zoning department.

Lallo asked council if it wanted to amend that language to provide the zoning inspector issues the permit or keep it as the director of public service.

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Police chief Brian McCallister reading at the opening of book nook.

Councilman Ron Fenstermaker asked Lallo to look into how surrounding communities handle approval and issuance of business permits.

• Kirtland Community and Senior Center Coordinator Teresa Szary said Kirtland’s annual community fall service day will be Nov. 11, from 8-11 a.m. Volunteers are asked to meet at the community center.

Also, a Veteran’s Day ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Barber Williams American Legion Post 609.

Friday, November 3, 2023

Track

from page 1 try more,” Straus said. “One time when I was complaining about being limited to four, my sister Liz told me about the multis since she did them herself, pointing out they’d be a good fit if I wanted to do more. I was immediately hooked.”

Soon, she was participating for the Bearcats in the heptathlon — seven events that, together, are a women’s Olympic sport. She graduated ranked sixth all time in school history.

A heptathlon is a two day event in which competitors take part in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run.

But seven wasn’t enough.

After graduating from UC with a degree in environment engineering, Straus now wanted 10 events, adding long jump, discus and longer running events.

“You don’t notice the difference because you’re just sore, hungry and tired,” Straus said.

The physicality of a decathlon is grueling, Straus said. But she thinks mental toughness is the key.

“In my experience, it’s the mental game," she said. "You only get 30 minutes to prepare for the next (event). So when you have a really bad mark, you can’t dwell on it at all, you have to be very stoic or unattached the whole weekend. Especially because the results can be a rollercoaster of PRs, possibly worst marks or even fouling out, and you can’t control things like the weather, which impact the results to some degree.”

On Aug. 13, Straus won the Women’s Decathlon National Championships in Walnut, Calif. It was her first time competing.

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“It was the only event I could find for women in the world,” she said. “But there are others I’m now aware of. There just aren’t many meets.”

She’s now ranked second in the United States and world behind Jordan Gray, the face of the women’s event.

It was Gray who started a movement called Let Women Decathlon that is now a passion for Straus. Adding the women’s decathlon to the Olympic games would add the event to the world stage, since the Olympics is the gold standard of international track and field events.

Straus thinks the pushback to adding the decathlon is that it would make the Olympic heptathlon much less relevant. Yet there are precedents. The pentathlon wasn’t added to the Olympics until 1964, and it was replaced by the heptathlon in 1984 at the Los Angeles Games.

Although adding the decathlon in 2024 for the Paris Games was the original goal, the 2028 games are in Los Angeles again.

Also, the decathlon would almost surely replace the heptathlon as the event that determines who will be the world's greatest athlete, making the latter redundant.

Could the decathlon be the next step? Especially considering the 2028 Olympics are back in Los Angeles?

When not training, Straus still loves science and math, passions that developed in her Kirtland High School classroom.

“Those were my two most enjoyable classes,” she said. “I’ve always loved learning.”

She’s studying for a Masters and Ph.D. in atmospheric science, wishing to study climate and weather — all while chasing the title of World’s Greatest Athlete.

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Friday, November 3, 2023

ACT

from page 1 time I took it.”

This was Freitas’s second attempt at the ACT. She considered her first attempt to be a litmus test of what she would need to work on.

“The first time I took the ACT for the school, I didn’t do any studying,” Freitas said.

“I kind of just took it as a benchmark to see where I was at because I knew I’d probably take it again.”

She scored a 34 on that attempt. Freitas, believing her score had been affected by outside factors such as a busy schedule and bad night’s sleep, thought she could do better.

She began studying a month and a half before her retake, using the practice resources available on the ACT website. As her scores were stronger in math and weaker in English and grammar, she focused more on the latter.

ALLISON WILSON/KMG

Kirtland High School students, from left, Tabitha Blankenship, Vincent Eveland and Adriana Freitas are all recognized for their outstanding PSAT scores and National Merit qualification during the Oct. 16 Kirtland Schools Board of Education meeting.

“What I really needed help with overall is just grammar and English conventions because I just always have struggled with commas and apostrophes, I don’t know why. But it was just a lot of making sure I had down the

basic English rules,” Freitas recalled.

She found herself much more nervous leading up to the test than she was on the actual day of.

“Once I got there, I just felt like whatever happens, happens and that I can always take it again,” she said. “Because I didn’t want to be too tough on myself and put too much pressure on myself while I was in the testing center.”

She received her results back approximately a week later and was stunned to see her score.

“I think I was in lunch at school and I was half paying attention to my friend’s conversation and I was checking my scores at the same time, and I think I just stopped their conversation and was like, ‘Wait, I just got a 36!’” she recalled. “I was shocked but I was also really happy because I know it’ll extremely help me out in the future with college applications and also it just, I don’t know, it’s a big accomplishment, so I felt good about it.”

Her ACT is not her only high scoring standardized test. Freitas is also in the top 1% of SAT takers with a score of 1550 and was

recently recognized at the Kirtland Schools Board of Education meeting Oct. 16 along with several other students who scored highly enough on their PSATs to qualify as National Merit Scholars. Freitas’s advice to other students is to not put too much pressure on themselves and to remember that retaking is always an option.

“I would definitely say just to try not to stress out about it, study a little bit, but not so much that it drives you crazy and to just focus on your weaknesses and know that you have your strengths already there for you,” she said.

Freitas has been applying for colleges and has been doing early action in order to get results back sooner to open up more opportunities for scholarships. At the time of writing this, she had already received an acceptance from one. Freitas plans to major in the science, technology, engineering and math field, having previously completed a pathology internship at the Cleveland Clinic.

While she is not set on a career, Freitas is strongly considering research and lab work.

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Kirtland Third- and Fourth-Graders Win Championship

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The Kirtland Hornets youth team, made up of third- and fourth-graders, were 7-2. The team beat Solon 13-12 and Mentor 32-6 in the first two rounds of the playoffs before knocking off rival Riverside 19-8 in the championship. The roster included: Caden Baldrey, CJ Jurrus, Chase Dennison, Cooper Prosuch, Gabriel Savelli, Grant Behrens, Grayson Caimi, Harlan Carkhuff, Jack Havranek, John Bernot, Mattej Osenar, Michael Echon, Nate Keller, Preston Blanton, Reid Rascan, Spencer Jaros, Tucker Johnson, Tyler Diggs, Winston Kelly and Xavier Babic.

Lake Gets Healthy Aging Grant Lake County will be awarded $447,953.61 in Healthy Aging Grant funds from the Ohio Department of Aging.

Established through House Bill 33 of the 135th General Assembly, Healthy Aging Grant funds will be used by ODA to provide grants to all Ohio counties to address social determinants of health and to foster improved quality of life for older Ohioans so they may remain in their homes and connected to their

communities, preserve their personal assets, and promote a healthy, independent, active lifestyle.

“These grant funds will enable us to continue to recover from the recent COVID-19 pandemic by supporting older adults disproportionately impacted. Many older adults continue to struggle with health and economic consequences, these funds will help address that,” said Commission President John R. Hamercheck.

“This support from the state will enable us to infuse the community with additional funds, enabling older adults to remain in their homes and communities,” said Commissioner John Plecnik. “We will be making these funds available to the community as soon as possible.”

“Lake County’s focus as it relates to the Healthy Aging Grant will be in alignment with Ohio’s 2023-2026 State Plan on Aging,” said Commissioner Richard J. Regovich. “The goal is to ensure older adults in Lake County live longer, healthier lives with dignity and autonomy.”

The Healthy Aging Grant period runs through Sept. 30, 2024.

Coffee with Council Coffee with Council is Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10-11 a.m., at Kirtland City Hall. For more information contact Joe Smolic at 440-487-8984 or JSmolic@ kirtlandohio.com

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Police

from page 1 “We wanted to give them a message that you know, we’re just like them, we enjoy reading and interacting and building those relationships and reading’s been a great way to do that,” McCallister said, adding he is not aware of any other police departments with a similar library setup. The Kirtland department is somewhat unique in the amount of lobby space it has, the chief said. Without similar antecedents to base the project on, he believed they were taking a risk with creating the nook — albeit one he considered worthwhile.

“The bottom line for me was, I felt like even if we were dealing with families that were here filing reports with their children, a way to keep their children occupied while we’re able to deal with them, while we’re talking about hard things is a lot of times very beneficial,” McCallister said.

The call for book donations went out May 2 and was met with enthusiasm.

“For the book nook, specifically, it built very fast,” McCallister said, explaining that alongside publicity from Facebook posts, a Channel 5 reporter had run a story on the endeavor, which helped it pick up steam.

“We were getting boxes of books just dropped off in the lobby every day,” he said.

“It was just nice to see the community get behind something that we were kind of just putting out there to see if it could get any traction.”

Books weren’t the only thing donated, either. Private donors provided funds for the furniture, the chief said, adding the presence of the book nook has had a noticeably posi-

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tive impact on the lobby and families entering the station.

“Everybody that comes in the lobby likes the look,” he said. “It kind of tones everything down and I guess it provides an ambiance to the lobby that wasn’t there before. People automatically feel more comfortable coming in and even sitting and talking with police officers, they just feel more comfortable.

“The kids come in, they go to it right away and we’re able to freely talk with the parents and take reports and kind of streamline things for them, and so they’ve been very appreciative that the books and everything have been there,” he added.

Approximately 20 small children and their

families attended the unveiling of the nook, which featured food, coloring activities, face painting by Lake Catholic cheerleader volunteers and a live book reading by McCallister.

McCallister said projects and events like this, where the police are able to work positively within the community, are an incredibly important aspect of the job.

“While law enforcement is our primary duty, building relationships and having trust from the community is probably an even bigger part of that because we can’t do our jobs if we don’t have those things,” he said.

Books are not the only way the department has been trying to connect with the local community, the chief said, adding they

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will be donating turkeys and pies to families in need for Thanksgiving, participating in Christmas gift donations for area children in need and are working with the Kirtland Area Service Council and local churches to fund those projects.

They will also be re-implementing DARE into the schools and using The Prom Promise to educate high-schoolers about the dangers of drunk driving, McCallister said.

“I think Kirtland expects (community engagement) of the police department and I think it’s a good expectation to have because it really does, it helps when you’re on a firstname basis with your officers and the residents in the community,” he said.

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Friday, November 3, 2023

A Note from the Mayor Over the last few months, that encourageAs election day approaches, I thought it important to thank the residents of Kirtland ment from my wife stuck with me. Whether for giving me the opportunity to serve as it was on a doorstep or at a football game, mayor these last four years. It has been my throughout this campaign, I never cease to be amazed by this community. The privilege and I truly hope I have the pride and spirit, the humble nature honor to continue as your mayor. of our residents as they talk about The decision to run for mayour city and all that is good, or all or, at least in my case, didn’t come we can still do, together, is simply on a whim or because a person or amazing. Jeni’s words were so true group said I should. Knowing the — this is about the community. work involved and the time it takes, As much positive dialogue deciding to run for office was a famas there has been this election ily decision. This past spring, as my Mayor season, I have, at times, been wife, Jeni, and I were having the disKevin Potter disheartened at some of the percussion about the upcoming re-election campaign, she said, “You love this job. So sonal attacks designed to hurt good people. much good stuff has happened and there’s so An October advertisement by a group that much more that can be done. This really isn’t seems committed to dividing the community in hopes of electoral success, made wild and about us, it’s about this community.” baseless assertions. They went as far as impugning the good name of long-time zoning board member and commission Chair Mike Denk. They suggested Kirtland Schools was part of a conspiring effort to waste taxpayer dollars to line the pockets of a local developer. They lied about the construction cost of the stadium renovation. This ad by the Davidson, Webbe and Martz “ticket” tore at the integrity of City Engineer Doug Courtney.

Their attempt at character assassinations was wrong and yet the members of the “ticket” have made no apology.

The good news is Kirtland voters are wise and redeeming. And I have heard from many residents, saying, “That’s not Kirtland” or “Doesn’t the Davidson, Webbe, Martz ticket realize we are smarter than that?” I have no doubt this type of negative campaigning will be but a blip in the fine history of Kirtland politics.

As we look to the next four years, I am not only intent, but utterly confident that our focus will continue to be on how we continue to work together to build our community. Kirtland is a special place because of our people, our churches, our civic groups and our schools. My commitment to you is that, if re-elected, we will continue to build on our successes, our traditions and from our spirit.

There is so much more we can do if we do it together.

Thank you, Mayor Kevin Potter

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Cookbook Club Encourages New Members to Join

By Donna Robinson editor@karlovecmedia.com With the holiday season fast approaching, menu-planning is in the air.

And while the internet has transformed the ritual of recipe-sharing, for the Kirtland Library Cookbook Club, the art of the hard/ softcover cookbook is alive and well.

“The cookbook club is a close-knit group who works with other members to make decisions about their meetings each month and incorporates different cooking/baking recipe ideas,” said Marie Grmek, a librarian for Kirtland Public Library. “The cookbook club will not be meeting in November due to the Thanksgiving holiday. But, on Dec. 12, the cookbook club will be meeting in the community room for our annual cookie exchange, this year for the benefit of our first-responders of Kirtland, and that’ll be a good time to ask a member a question or two about a holiday dish.”

Club members share a vast array of cookbooks and recipes each month, encouraging participants old and new to be adventurous.

“We don’t have a specific time for mentoring new cooks throughout the holidays;

DONNA ROBINSON/KMG

A sampling of holiday cookbooks available at the Kirtland Public Library.

however, we always welcome new people,” said Grmek. “Each month, when we get together, we have a different theme and we love to help each other out in the kitchen.

Kiwanis Students of the Month

CHUCK BICKART/KIRTLAND KIWANIS

The Kirtland Kiwanis “Students of the Month” for November 2023 are fifth-grader Claire Emlaw, of Kirtland Elementary School, eighth-grader Naomi Trillo, of Kirtland Middle School, and 10th-grader Matilda Jankowski, of Kirtland High School.

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

We are always trying to learn to make new dishes and explore unfamiliar cuisines. The Kirtland Public Library has a great selection of cookbooks.”

Grmek encourages patrons to be on the lookout for a display of cookbooks closer to the holiday season for patrons to peruse to gain inspiration for their menus.

Some of the club members holiday dessert recipe favorites include chocolate pistachio biscotti by Zada Brenner; pecan pie bars with shortbread crust, by Carol Brenner, who said it’s an easy pick-up and eat dessert for the holidays; molasses butterballs, which member Janet Johnson found in a Better Homes and Garden Magazine; and gingerbread man cookies.

Librarian Jamie Frank started the cookbook club in 2012 with roughly 15 members.

Currently, they have about 12 members.

“Should anyone need help during the holidays with cooking advice, Butterball is always on standby,” Grmek added. “You can go to their website, www.butterball.com, or if you don’t have access to a computer, you can call 1-800-288-8372 or text 844-877-3456 with questions.”

For more information about the cookbook club, or to join, call the Kirtland Public Library at 440-256-7323.

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Kirtland Elementary Hosts 9th Annual Walk-A-Thon Staff Report Kirtland Elementary School hosted its ninth annual Walk-A-Thon Sept. 15. Kirtland students, faculty, staff and families came together to walk the track before the varsity football game against Cuyahoga Heights.

It was an experience enjoyed by all. Many staff members joined the students to walk laps. Kirtland teachers JP Moran and Bob Lasecki served as the emcee of the event, playing music and announcing raffle winners.

The Kirtland community helped make this event a success. The PTA welcomed families at the gate and Kirtland Middle School students helped participating KES students count their laps.

Several organizations including the football moms, Boosters, PTA and other community partners also came together for this night of wellness, fun and support.

Funds from past events have gone to enhance instructional technology opportunities at KES, such as interactive view boards in K-3 classrooms and Smart TV’s for screen casting capabilities in grades 4-5.

The school also created a student wellness/fitness room. The room currently has student-size stationary bikes, trampolines, steppers, yoga equipment, bosu balls and Smart TV’s (for Just Dance, Go Noodle, and/ or other movement platforms). They are waiting on the final delivery of a Railyard obstacle course. Once that is complete, the room will be ready for student use.

During the week leading up to the Walk-A-

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Thon, students walked laps during their physical education classes with Mary Grdadolnik.

They used lap counting cards created by Emily Ridegway, a Kirtland High School student in Brian Harvey’s art class.

With the funds raised, KES will be able to purchase specific items for students to use and enjoy, determined by specials and grade level teachers. They are working on wish lists.

The top overall class won naming rights to the KES Wellness Room and will have an opportunity to use it as a class with Principal Katy Nagaj. Additionally, PTA is sponsoring a popsicle treat for the highest earning class in each grade level.

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Kirtland Chronicle

Kiwanis Korner

By Jim Porter Kirtland Kiwanis held their annual installation dinner Oct. 5 at Sausalito at The Kirtlander.

In attendance to preside over the ceremonies was Ohio District Kiwanis Gov. Jason Miller and Immediate Past Ohio District Gov. Dave Kuhn. Forty-eight guests gathered to honor all those who were selected to lead our club in the coming year.

Representing the club for the 2023-2024 Kiwanis Year are: President- Jerry Bartels, President-Elect Kathy Talty, Secretary Rick Fox, Treasurer Kiki Murdock and Immediate Past President Mike Sams. Serving on the board of directors this year will be Mary Sams, Phil Johnson, Pam Cancelli, Nick Angie, Frank Lyon, Jason Patti and Shane Duncan.

The club also inducted new members Scott Barrick and Doug Grow. Outgoing

President Mike Sams was presented with a plaque in appreciation for his year of service as club president. Both visiting governors were presented with strawberry-themed gifts, in representation of our annual Strawberry Festival.

Kirtland Kiwanis boasts its service leadership programs at every level of growth for students: The Key Club at Kirtland High School, Builders Club at Kirtland Middle School, Aktion Club (adults with disabilities) at Deepwood in Mentor and the brand new K-Kids at Kirtland Elementary School, which is targeted for a Jan. 1 startup. We are excited to extend the opportunities of service, volunteerism and leadership to all these groups.

If you are interested in being a part of Kirtland’s premier service organization, visit kirtlandkiwanis.org or call Rick Fox, club secretary, at 216-952-6496, or kirtlandpc@aol.com.

Many members means more service.

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Down the Block owner Frank Wagner passes a $1,000 check to Kirtland Kiwanis Foundation President Mary Sands that will go toward the foundation’s scholarship program.

Kiwanis Recognizes Down the Block Submitted Kirtland business owners Frank and Mimi Wagner from “Down the Block” were recently recognized for their continued support of the Kirtland Kiwanis Foundation.

In the month of August and September, Frank and Mimi ran sandwich specials for the benefit of the Kirtland Kiwanis Foundation Scholarship program. With every specialty sandwich that was purchased, 10% was donat-

ed to the scholarship fund.

As a result of their generosity and continued support of our local students, a check for $1,000 was presented to the foundation Sept. 28.

The Kirtland Kiwanis thank Frank and Mimi for their continued support and generosity in helping the Kirtland Kiwanis Foundation continue with the success of the scholarship program.

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Kirtland Chronicle

Kirtland Public Library The Kirtland Public Library is located at 9267 Chillicothe Road. Hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about any of these programs or to register, please call the library at 440-256-7323 or visit www.kirtland.lib.oh.us.

November Adult Club Programs Knit & Crochet

Nov. 6 • 6 p.m.

Open to anyone who enjoys knitting, crocheting or is interested in learning. Bring your own supplies and join the fun the first Monday of the month from 6-7 p.m.

Drop in and get hooked.

Color Me Calm

Nov. 10 • 2:30 p.m.

Come relax and color with us. We supply the coloring pages, pencils and music. Feel free to bring your own supplies if you like.

Just sign up and show up.

Registration requested.

No Pressure Book Discussion

Nov. 27 • 1:30 p.m.

Join us in the Community Room to talk about books...any books you’ve read recently that you want to recommend to others.

Cookbook Club

Dec. 12 • 6 p.m.

Due to the holiday, there will be no Cookbook Club in November. The next one will be a Cookie Exchange on Dec. 12 for the first responders of Kirtland.

Call Marie at the library, 440-256-7323, for more information.

Special Adult Programs Book Sale

Nov. 4 • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Friends of the Kirtland Public Library host a used book sale in the Book Cellar at the library. Price is $4 per plastic grocery bag and $7 for a larger bag. Cash only.

Technique-Based Card Making Class

Nov. 7 • 5:30 p.m.

Pat Bowman will be here to show us different techniques for card making. You will

leave with three beautiful cards you have made. This cost for this class is $10 cash at the door. Please sign up on the library’s website.

Laura DeMarco, Author

Nov. 8 • 7 p.m.

Local author Laura DeMarco will be here to discuss her latest work, “Lost Civil War.” Registration is required for this event, sponsored by the Friends of the Kirtland Public Library.

How to Avoid Getting Scammed

Nov. 13 • 6 p.m.

This program is for anyone. Learn about the most common types of scams — email, phone and website scams — and how to avoid them.

Presented by The Center for Internet Security. Registration is requested due to limited space.

Bookpage Pumpkin Craft

Nov. 28 • 6 p.m.

Turn an old book into a pumpkin with a little work for this craft. Sign up is requested so there are enough supplies.

November Youth Programs LEGO Club

Nov. 4 • 10:30 a.m.

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

Stories and More: Harvest!

Nov. 10 • 10:30 a.m.

Stories and activities all based on the same theme. Families with kids age 5 and under listen to stories and explore activities about apples.

Taste different apples, make patterns and more. Please register for this event.

Patriotic Pastime

Nov. 11 • 3 p.m.

Kids, bring your favorite adult. Veterans’ Day is Nov. 11.

This is a patriotic kids’ craft for parents and kids (grades second and up) to create together.

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Participants will use sand, a glass and a battery-operated tealight to create a home decoration to light up on a dark November night and to spark discussion about Veterans’ Day. Please register every adult and every child attending.

Thanksgiving Bonanza

Nov. 14 • 4 p.m.

Kids kindergarten through second grade will pay Cornucopia Catch (candy toss), Leaf Roll (a race to who can use their turkey baster to propel their leaf most quickly), shake their turkey tails and color a little Thanksgiving book to take home.

Please register every adult and every child attending.

A HISTORY OF CITY FINANCES AND COMMENTARY

I am writing this article on my own volition. No input from any candidates or outside parties has solicited. Data presented comes from reports by the City Finance Director, Police Chief, Fire Chief, City Engineer and the City Service Director.

City Revenues per 12/31 reporting RITA taxes collected 2020 Income tax collected - $3.78 million 2021 Income tax collected - $4.15 million 2022 Income tax collected - $4.81 million 2023 Income tax collected - $4.80 million projected, (budgeted $4.6 million, $200k ahead of schedule per last finance committee meeting) Up 26.9% over the last 4 years Property Taxes 2020 Property tax collected - $651,785 2021 Property tax collected - $644,000 2022 Property tax collected - $743,901 2023 Property tax collected - $758,000 Up 16.3% over the last 4 years Total Outstanding Debt end 12/31 2019 - $4.380 million 2020 - $3.620 million 2021 - $5.070 million 2022 - $4.509 million 2023 - $3.850 million (expected) There has been a decrease of debt of ~$530,000 over the last 4 years. The $2,000,000 interest only floating rate loan to fund the 2021 road program has cost the city thus far $65,000 in interest charges. Anticipating the interest rate in 2024 adjusts significantly upward, the cost to the city could be an additional $60,000 - $100,000, annually. The Mayor has offered no plan as to how to pay this off either by locking into a bond at fixed rate or to continue to roll the bond anticipation note (BAN) forward annually. (Rolling BAN’s can only occur for 5 years).

The city over the course of the covid pandemic has been very fortunate to have received millions of dollars worth of county, state, and federal grants.

Annual Road Paving Program 2020-2023 the program accomplished a total of 8.02 miles of rehabilitation (asphalt resurfacing) costing $3,775,800. Additionally, $659,226 has been spent on maintenance activities (chip seal, spot repairs, potholes, crack sealing) Final costs are not compiled for the 2023 road paving program due to it still being under contract.

North and South Locust has been treated two times (2021 & 2022) resulting in a waste of taxpayer dollars of $54,740. Residents filled city hall because they didn’t care for the quality of the double chip seal treatment completed, resulting in a commitment from the Mayor to asphalt pave in 2022 for an additional $189,134.

Kirtland Police and Fire Dispatch Savings/Costs Let me share my thoughts on the elimination of dispatch and the supposed savings that after four years keeps being mentioned. (Full disclosure, I voted for dispatch to remain in-house under Mayor Davidson and Mayor Potter). In the 8/7/2000 edition of the Chronicle, Mayor Potter stated that the elimination of Police & Fire Dispatch would save the city $1.5 million over 5 years ($300,000/ yr). Mayor Potter then stated net savings would decrease to $800,000 over 5 years ($160,000/ year) due to addition of two new full time (FT) police officers. The payroll cost of one new FT officer is roughly $113,000 (including overhead). Mayor Potter has over the course of his tenure added a total of 3 new FT (2020-2023) officers (including Chief) totaling roughly $365,000/year. The total head count is at 15 officers. (13 FT & 2 PT). The savings has been reallocated to the department to help alleviate PT overtime hours.

Lastly, Willoughby court costs have increased over 100% in the last 4 years from $18,028 in 2020 to $36,480 as of 8/31/2023 with a budgeted amount of ~$65,000.

Fire Service Two additional full time firefighters were added due to the award of a one time grant in the tune of $593,000 for a two year period, expiring 12/31/2024. Further discussion is needed to ensure proper staffing is maintained. (1 FT position remains open that requires funding).

This councilman appreciates the many compliments shared regarding the professionalism and care our police and fire departments provide. I surely hope that Mayor Potter is as generous with our full time staff during ongoing union negotiations as he has been over the last several years with some part time directors/managers receiving double digit pay increases.

Responsible Economic Development On Saturday 10/28, 178 days after council passed 23-R-35, I received a copy of the signed MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the city and the Marous Development Group from a concerned citizen. (Due to the concern over signature identity theft the city does not place signed/ dated copies of legislation on our website. Only upon a public records request is the fully executed document provided.) It appears Mayor Potter signed this MOU agreement 5/1/023 two days before council passed the resolution on 5/3/2023.

What was the point of the resolution?

What also concerned me through the process of investigating the sale or lease of the city hall

property was that the economic development committee of council was not involved in the process. The Mayor, unilaterally, appointed a “special committee” that does not need to report to council, nor notice and hold open public meetings (because there is not a quorum of council committee members) and meeting minutes do not need to be publicly posted or approved by committee.

Lastly, as part of the annual budget process the department heads make requests to the Mayor for work to be completed. With respect to work on city hall the 2021 and 2022 requests have received little funding however that work was not completed. These requests include a new generator, roof repairs, stucco repairs, concrete walk repairs, HVAC, carpet replacement and parking lot paving. The total of these requests over the last three years at most is $187,500. With more than enough resources why hasn’t this work been completed? Did the town center proposal delay these?

Top Notch Nursing Care Facility (Northwest Corner of Chardon Rd and Chillicothe Rd.) Mayor Potter’s September Mayor’s message (see online) cited he facilitated discussions for the development of this vital corner within the city.

He is claiming 100 good paying jobs generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in city revenue without any financial analysis as to what costs the city would incur relative to police and fire support.

Once this news hit the newspaper I received a lot of feedback from residents who work in fire service in neighboring communities that these establishments tend to require a significant amount of squad calls. Will Kirtland need to add another two firefight/paramedics ($226,000/year) and ambulance ($317,000) to service this facility?

Lastly, over a month ago I inquired with the city engineer and the Mayor as to when a decision would be made surrounding the needed sanitary system for that development. The reason for my inquiry was to ascertain the unintended impact to the roughly 135 parcels that lie between city hall and the proposed development. Will those parcels be mandated by the county or the Ohio EPA to tie into the new sanitary sewer? This mandate could cost each parcel owner between $10-$20k depending on grant monies received. To date, I have not received confirmation if tie-ins will be mandatory.

Thank you for your consideration, Matthew G. Schulz 4 term - Council at Large (not currently in 2023 race) Chairman Finance Committee Chairman of Police & Fire Committee Paid for by the committee to Re-Elect Matthew G Schulz

Talk & Paint with Artist Sam Roth

Nov. 15 • 5 p.m.

Abstract artist Sam Roth will lead students in grades sixth through eighth in experimentation with abstract art.

Participants will use acrylic paint and should wear clothing that can get paint on it.

Please register every adult and every child attending.

Make an Apple Pie

Nov. 20 • 6 p.m.

Kids in grades kindergarten and up, bring your favorite adult to assist you as you create an apple pie completely from scratch.

You will create the pie dough, peel and sweeten the apples, then assemble the pie to take home to bake, or freeze to bake at a later date.

Besides your favorite adult, bring an apron, a rolling pin and either a pastry cloth or a clean pillow case. Please register for either the morning or the afternoon session.

Weekly Events Lapsit

Tuesdays • 10 a.m.

Bounces, rhymes, one book, scarves and shakers, geared for families with children under the age of 3. (Note: No Lapsit on Nov. 7.)

Storytime

Wednesdays • 10 a.m.

Enjoy great books, rhymes, songs, and surprises with your child. This storytime is geared for families with children age 5 and under

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Classifieds

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Submit resumes to editor@karlovecmedia.com

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To advertise in the Classifieds, contact the advertising department at 440-729-7667 ext. 500 or email your ad directly to ads@karlovecmedia.com

CLASSIFIED DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT NOON PRIOR TO PUBLICATION DATE

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.

All classified line ads run in The Geauga County Maple Leaf on Thursdays, and in the Chesterland News and Middlefield Post on the weeks each newspaper is published. The Chesterland News and Middlefield Post are published every other week on opposing weeks.

KIRTLAND CHRONICLE

☐ Here is my ad. The per week cost is $12 for the first 20 words, plus 50¢ for each additional word. ☐ I am a PAID MAPLE LEAF SUBSCRIBER entitled to 20 WORDS or less FREE each week. (Words over 20 will be billed at 50¢ per word.) NO BUSINESS ADS. Please include subscriber number ___________ (found on mailing label)

☐ I would like to be a MAPLE LEAF SUBSCRIBER and advertise for FREE. Enclosed is $50 for an in-county 12-month subscription (subscription rate valid through 12/31/23).

Write Your Classified Line Ad

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Number of weeks to run ad: Free Subscriber Ads can run a maximum of four weeks, then MUST be renewed.

INFORMATION FOR OFFICE USE BELOW THIS LINE – WILL NOT APPEAR IN PRINT

NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP PHONE EMAIL PAYMENT INFORMATION Make checks payable to “Karlovec Media Group.” Credit card charges will appear as “Karlovec Media Group.”

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