Geauga County Maple Leaf - Dec. 10, 2020

Leaf Thursday, December 10, 2020 Vol. 27 No. 49 • Chardon, Ohio www.geaugamapleleaf.com $1.00

Chardon Planning Split on Starbucks

By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com

SUBMITTED

The concept plan Sommers Development Group presented Chardon Planning Commission Dec. 7 was stalemated when three commission members voted to approve it and three voted against it.

Schools React As Pandemic Peaks

By Amy Patterson amy@geaugamapleleaf.com

Geauga County’s five school districts are adapting once again to an increase in COVID-19 cases and quarantines, with two districts — Chardon and Kenston — opting for 100% remote learning until the new year.

Berkshire Schools will continue in-person learning as long as Geauga Public Health Commissioner Tom Quade advises it is safe to do so, Superintendent John Stoddard said.

“I meet frequently with Tom Quade to assess our situation at Berkshire and, as of today (Dec. 3), we have no active student cases and one active staff case,” Stoddard said.

The district has a COVID-19 dashboard on its website which provides updated case numbers.

See Schools • Page 4

Jordak Teacher Enriches Nature for Second-Graders

By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com Cardinal Schools teacher Lisa Simms tells her second-graders, “A scientist always wonders.”

It is part of her program to teach students at Jordak Elementary School about nature and conservation.

For 10 years, Simms has been leading her small charges on outdoor forays to discover plants and animals in a program she calls Habitats Around Our Schoolyard and organizing field trips to the Holden Arboretum to enjoy the Growing Students in Science program.

“I like to get them outside and exploring, to enjoy our environment,” she said in a recent interview. “The kids take pictures, fill their bug containers. And there is a whole collection of stuff we use in the classroom.”

This school year, the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District recognized Simms for her efforts by deeming her the 2020 Conservation Teacher of See Teacher • Page 5

JIM KISH – WGLSD

SUBMITTED

Lisa Simms, right, was named 2020 Conservation Teacher of the Year by the Geauga County Soil and Water Conservation District. Gail Prunty presented Simms with a certificate of recognition.

Fallen Tree Strands Residents During Last Week’s ‘Snowmageddon’

By Diane Ryder editor@geaugamapleleaf.com

West Geauga Middle School teacher Jim Smrdel teaches remotely from his classroom.

The chance to choose between a pumpkin spice frappuccino, an iced matcha green tea latte or a simple café misto in Chardon could be denied if the city planning commission is not satisfied with more specific and diverse concept plans for a Starbucks coffeehouse.

The plan presented by the Sommers Development Group at See Starbucks • Page 6

Living at the end of a cul-desac, on a road with only one way in and out, provides privacy, but several residents on Whitewood Drive in Newbury Township learned the hard way last week when a major winter storm blocks the road, it can mean being stranded for days without power and heat.

“A pine tree up the street fell

across the road, so the snowplow couldn’t get to us,” said Carolyn Price, a 40-year Newbury Township resident who lives near the end of the cul-de-sac.

When the electricity went out, her family switched to their propane-powered generator, but when the fuel ran out, it was impossible to get through two feet of snow on their unplowed roadway, blocked by the fallen tree and electrical wires, to get more propane.

“Once we had another winter storm that left us without power for four days, so we got a generator,” Price said Dec. 6 during a phone interview. “The generator usually has enough propane for three days, but when it ran out, we were without heat for 12 hours.

“Luckily, I had just gotten food, so we were able to have cold cereal and part of that time, we were See Newbury • Page 5

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

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.

Geauga County: Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. – Geauga SWCD, at Patterson Center, Burton Fairgrounds, 9 a.m. – Geauga County Commissioners, 4 p.m. – Local Emergency Planning Committee, at 12518 Merritt Road, Munson, 4 p.m. – Public Library Trustees, at Administrative Center, at 12701 Ravenwood Drive, Claridon. All county commissioners meetings are held at 470 Center St., Bldg.

8, Chardon, until further notice.

Auburn Township: Dec. 10, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Administration Building, 11010 Washington St., unless otherwise indicated.

Bainbridge Township: Dec. 10, 11 a.m., Board of Trustees, work session to discuss Water Line Extension-Loop closure; Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees; Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Board of Zoning Appeals. (Bainbridge has been holding virtual meetings — Board of Trustees, Board of Zoning Appeals and Zoning Commission — which are posted at with links on township website.)

Burton Village: Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Village Council; Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Public Library Trustees.

All meetings are held at 14588 W. Park St., 2nd Floor, unless otherwise noted.

Chardon City: Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m., City Council, via Zoom conferencing; Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m., Planning Commission. All meetings are held at Municipal Center, 111 Water St., unless otherwise noted.

Chardon Township: Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at Township Hall, 9949 Mentor Road, unless otherwise noted.

Chester Township: Dec. 10, 1 p.m., Board of Trustees, special meeting for health insurance renewal, COVID monies, financial items and fire station construction update, town hall painting bids; Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Board of Zoning Appeals; Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission; Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Township Hall, 12701 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted. (Meetings are open to public, but seating limited to 10. Trustees, fiscal officer and department heads, if in attendance, are practicing social distancing.)

West Farmington Man Cited after Accident In Middlefield Staff Report A West Farmington man was charged with failure to yield the right-of-way following a traffic accident about 1:44 p.m. Dec. 7 at the intersection of Bundysburg and Burton Windsor roads in Middlefield Township.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Scott Schweinfurth reported Jeffry Martin, of West Farmington, was southbound on Bundysburg Road in a Chevrolet truck pulling a stock trailer containing cattle.

Martin failed to yield at the stop sign and was struck by a Dodge Durango driven by Cynthia Scott, of Middlefield, who was traveling west, Schweinfurth said.

No serious injuries to either driver resulted from the collision. Both drivers were transported to University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center where they were treated and released, the trooper said.

Middlefield Fire Department responded to the call and reported several cattle died as a result of the accident.

Hambden Township: Dec. 15, 6:30 p.m., Zoning Commission; Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Town Hall, 13887 GAR Highway, unless otherwise noted.

Huntsburg Township: Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Board of Zoning Appeal, public hearing to consider area variance application at 16355 Mayfield Road, followed by 8 p.m. public hearing to continue a Nov. 16 hearing for a conditional use permit at 11580 Clay St.; Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings held at the Town Hall, 16534 Mayfield Road.

Middlefield Township: Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All trustees meetings are held at Township Office, 15228 Madison Road, unless otherwise noted.

Middlefield Village: Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m. – Finance Committee, 7 p.m. – Village Council.

All meetings are at the Municipal Center, 14860 N. State Ave. Montville Township: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees; Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings held at the Montville Community Center, 9755 Madison Road, unless noted.

Newbury Township: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Task Force Committee, discussion about reuse of Newbury Schools property; Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. (Note: A majority of Newbury Township Trustees may be at each township board or committee meeting, but no decision requiring township trustees approval will be considered. Task Force Committee meetings also will be available virtually via Zoom. The Zoom link information will be available on the township website, www.newburyohio.com.)

Parkman Township: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Community House, 16295 Main Market Road, unless otherwise noted.

Russell Township: Dec. 16, 7 p.m. – Board of Trustees, 7:30 p.m. – Zoning Commission.

(Trustees have opted to resume their regular meeting schedule but has changed the location of future meetings to the Russell Town Hall, 14890 Chillicothe Road. Meetings will be held in the Town Hall until further notice. The location is changed to the Town Hall to better accommodate physical distancing advisories.)

South Russell Village: Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., Planning Commission; Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m., Village Council; Dec. 15, 5:30 p.m., Architectural Board of Review; Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Board of Zoning Appeals. All meetings are held at Village Hall, 5205 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.

Thompson Township: Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All trustees meetings are held at Ledge Park Building, 16713 Thompson Road.

Troy Township: Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at Troy Community Center, 13950 Main Market Road, unless noted.

Berkshire BOE: Dec. 14, 6 p.m., regular meeting; Dec. 17, 7 a.m., Berkshire Foundation, regular meeting. All meetings held at BOE offices, 14259 Claridon-Troy Road, Burton, unless otherwise noted.

Chardon BOE: Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m., virtual regular meeting. All meetings held at Ira A. Canfield Building, 428 North St., Chardon, unless otherwise noted.

Kenston BOE: Dec. 14, 7 p.m., regular meeting.

All meetings held at Timmons Elementary School, 9595 E. Washington St., Bainbridge.

West Geauga BOE: Dec. 14, 7 p.m., virtual regular meeting. All meetings are held at the BOE Community Room, 8615 Cedar Road, unless otherwise noted.

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Thursday, December 10, 2020

Common Pleas Court Suspends Jury Trials Until January

By John Karlovec editor@geaugamapleleaf.com The Geauga County Court of Common Pleas has suspended jury trials in all criminal and civil cases until at least Jan. 15, 2021.

Citing unique challenges jury trials pose during a pandemic, especially with selection of juries and the close contact between attorneys and clients, common pleas court judges Carolyn J. Paschke and David M. Ondrey decided to temporarily limit its operations, agreeing to reevaluate the date on or before Jan. 7. “(T)he court recognizes that jury selection involves jury venire pools. These pools often consist of individuals in the categories identified by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention as being particularly at risk, individuals involved in essential public functions and individuals responsible for children unable to attend school or daycare due to the

Schools from page 1

West Geauga Schools stayed on a remote model the week after Thanksgiving break, but all buildings except the high school returned to in-person learning Dec. 7. WGHS will return to in-person instruction Dec. 14, Superintendent Richard Markwardt told parents in an email Dec. 3.

“West Geauga High School has experienced a significant rise in positive COVID-19 cases this week. Although we were able to trace the origin and isolate those infected, the rise in positive cases has caused us to re-evaluate our ability to offer in-person instruction in the high school building at this time,” he wrote.

Markwardt said the district anticipated most WGHS students who tested positive for the virus in the week after Thanksgiving would be cleared by their physicians to return to school by the following week, allowing active cases to decline significantly.

While Cardinal Schools middle and elementary buildings remain open as usual, Superintendent Bill Kermavner told parents Dec. 3 the district’s decision to shift high school students to a virtual model for the remainder of the semester is due to a lack of ad-

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pandemic,” the judges’ five-page administrative order states.

The order also states “based upon recommendations from the Geauga County Board of Health, it will be a challenge to conduct jury trials while taking the necessary precautions to reduce the possibility of exposure to the (novel coronavirus) disease, not only for jurors, but other trial participants, as well.”

Last month, county Health Commissioner Tom Quade issued a Nov. 20 press release stating “the recent exponential growth of COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days is cause for substantial changes.”

Days later, on Nov. 23, Gov. Mike DeWine reported a record number of hospitalizations in Ohio, warning, “The virus is quickly spreading throughout our entire state and is dramatically impacting all of our healthcare zones and their ability to care for patients.”

The judges also said they considered “reasonable alternatives to conducting jury equate staffing because of illness, quarantine requirements and contact tracing efforts.

“Cardinal has only had three confirmed student cases from the beginning of the school year. We are struggling with staffing because illness and quarantines,” Kermavner added via text.

For students without reliable Internet connections at home, the district offered hot spots for pickup. CHS students can also attend classes virtually in the school cafeteria, with transportation provided for those students, Kermavner said.

Kermavner said while the district has seen a handful of positive cases among staff and students, COVID-19 is not spreading within district buildings. He credited the maintenance team, as well as students, staff and parents for following safety measures like masking, distancing, hand-washing, staying home when sick and following recommended quarantines after potential exposure.

“Though you may not be sick, staying home ‘just in case’ helps us greatly reduce the potential for a COVID-19 outbreak within our buildings. We want to avoid this at all costs so we can continue in-person learning for as long as possible,” Kermavner said.

Staff availability has remained a problem in Kenston, where Superintendent Nancy Santilli told parents Dec. 2 maintaining building operations has become an issue, and with substitute staffing levels extremely low district-wide, maintaining in-person instruction can no longer be guaranteed.

“Positive COVID-19 cases are being traced to exposures outside of school and we have seen an increase in cases and quarantines with our students and staff. While we believe that the mitigation strategies imple-

trials in areas other than the courthouse, but none as they currently exist provide the level of safety or security required to properly convene and conduct criminal jury trials.”

Importantly, the judges found the suspension of criminal jury trials due to current pandemic levels, the continued risk of community spread and the need to maintain public safety outweighed the “interest of the public and any defendant’s right to a speedy trial.”

The use of video conference and teleconference proceedings in criminal and civil proceedings will continue, the order states. If necessary, in-person proceedings and in-person chamber proceedings will be limited to the number of people that permits participants to observe six-feet physical distancing requirements.

Bench trials and domestic relations hearings are allowed under the order, provided proper protocols are in place to accommodate social distancing standards for

the safety of all parties.

Geauga County has 2,803 cumulative cases of COVID-19 as of Dec. 6, according to the Ohio Department of Health and is listed on Level 3 (Red) of the state’s COVID-19 Public Health Advisory System.

Of those 2,803 cases, ODH presumes 1,636 are recovered, defined as cases with a symptom onset date greater than 21 days prior to reporting, who are not deceased.

The county also has 212 total hospitalizations and 51 deaths due to COVID-19, according to ODH data. About 40% of Geauga County’s total cases have onset dates later than Nov. 15.

In Quade’s Dec. 4 “Straight from the Source” newsletter, data broken down by ZIP code showed 44024 – which houses Chardon and the courthouse – experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, with 29% of its cumulative total 711 cases appearing in the previous 14 days.

“Positive COVID-19 cases are being traced to exposures outside of school, and we have seen an increase in cases and quarantines with our students and staff. While we believe that the mitigation strategies implemented in our schools are working very well, we cannot control what is happening outside our school, and it is impacting what is happening at school.”

– Nancy Santilli

Hanlon

Kermavner

mented in our schools are working very well, we cannot control what is happening outside our school and it is impacting what is happening at school,” Santilli said.

She also referenced the district’s partnership with GPH and Quade, who Santilli said supported Kenston’s decision to temporarily transition to remote learning by “design and not by default.”

Chardon Schools Superintendent Michael Hanlon echoed Santilli’s concerns in his Dec. 2 letter announcing the district’s decision to transition to remote learning.

“While our positive COVID-19 cases are generally being traced to exposures outside of school, we have seen an increase in cases and quarantines with our students and staff,”

Stoddard

Markwardt

he wrote. “Unfortunately, substitute staffing numbers in all job positions are extremely low and at this time, we are no longer certain we can effectively and consistently maintain in-person instruction across the district.”

Hanlon included a quote from Quade, in which the health commissioner said the decision to go virtual has weighty consequences in both directions.

“Public health professionals recognize and value the many benefits to students of learning in a structured congregate setting with in-person professional educators to provide instruction and support in so many ways. Well-educated youth are far more likely to lead healthy lives,” Quade said.

Reporter Ann Wishart contributed to this story.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Derelict House Demolition Delayed Again in Newbury

By Diane Ryder editor@geaugamapleleaf.com Newbury Township Trustee Glen Quigley told the two other trustees at their Dec. 5 meeting he is frustrated at the lack of progress in demolishing an uninhabitable house on Portlew Road, a process that has been ongoing for two years.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” Quigley said.

The house at 11716 Portlew Road is one of two the Geauga County Building Department deemed unsafe in 2018. The other property, next door at 11708 Portlew Road, is being renovated by new owners and is no longer condemned, Quigley said last month.

The house at 11716 was purchased on Oct. 10, 2018, for $100 at a sheriff’s sale by William Nicolet, who has been demolishing the 80-year-old, two-story structure by hand during the last two years. Trustees expressed concern the process is unsafe and the remaining parts of the structure are not secure. A temporary plastic mesh fence currently surrounds the property.

“I talked to several demolition companies and they need to know how much asbestos is in the structure,” Quigley said. “It’s clear there is asbestos in the siding, but it’s not clear whether there’s asbestos in the plaster.

If there is, remediation could run as high as $25,000. It depends on the severity of the problem.”

Quigley said he discussed the issue for 45 minutes with Nicolet by phone Dec. 4 and the property owner agrees the remaining structure needs to come down.

“The question is, who pays for it and how?” the trustee asked. “We need more

Newbury from page 1

in bed, but the house was cold,” she added.

“Normally, we would have driven to McDonald’s or someplace for some hot coffee, but we couldn’t get out at all.”

Newbury Township Road Department workers tried in vain to reach them, but they had to wait until FirstEnergy Corp. could clear the wires.

“They’ve always been wonderful, but there was only so much they could do,” Price said. “Finally, someone lifted up the tree and tied up the wires so the snowplow could open up the street and we finally got plowed out.”

Newbury Township Road Superintendent Doug Zimperman told trustees Nov. 5 he had received complaints from frustrated Whitewood Drive residents that it took days

Teacher from page 1

the Year, according to a recent district press release.

“Throughout her teaching career, Lisa has incorporated as much science as she can through presenters and field trips,” the release said, adding Simms goes above and beyond, seeking opportunities to engage students, including programs such as Web of Life, The Incredible Journey, Freddie the Fish and Riparian Rescue.

Simms said she stresses using the scientific method while exploring the great outdoors, encouraging students to journal and

FILE PHOTO

The house at 11716 Portlew Road is one of two the Geauga County Building Department deemed unsafe in 2018. The house at 11716 was purchased on Oct. 10, 2018, for $100 at a sheriff’s sale by William Nicolet, who has been demolishing the 80-year-old, two-story structure by hand during the last two years.

information from the (Geauga County) Auditor’s Office and our legal advisor. But he understands the township’s financial position.”

Under Ohio law, townships can order cleanup or demolition of properties deemed unsafe, unsecure and uninhabitable. If the property owner fails to comply, the township can hire a contractor to demolish the structure at township expense and the cost is

placed as a tax lien on the property.

For more than a year, the township has been trying to get the house demolished, but legal glitches, missed filing dates and other issues have caused delays, as neighbors remain frustrated the structure still stands.

Quigley said because the property owner is hearing impaired, there are legal questions under Ohio law about the township’s right to

order a property demolished and cleaned up.

“The law is different in dealing with those issues,” Quigley said. “But we will continue to get estimates despite the legal questions.

We don’t want to create a legal misstep and cause a civil problem.”

He said he will continue to work with legal counsel, but the demolition will be delayed, again.

to make the road passable again.

“We did what we could do safely,” Zimperman said, adding FirstEnergy officials had to secure the wires before the roadway could be cleared and private snowplowing companies could plow driveways.

“We couldn’t get a fire truck there if we had to,” Zimperman said, adding he was as frustrated about the situation as the cul-desac residents had been.

“This storm made us realize that we need to step up our game because lives could depend on it,” Zimperman said. “We need to do whatever it takes, at the county level or with (Congressman) Dave Joyce, or the (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio). We all need to do better.”

Zimperman said he has contacted FirstEnergy about the problem, but the company’s priorities are to deal with major roadways first, so cul-de-sacs are among the last

areas to be served.

“My voice is not big enough, since we’re little Newbury Township,” Zimperman told trustees. “We need to step up and work together to solve this.”

Trustee Greg Tropf said he has already invited FirstEnergy’s field representative to attend an upcoming trustees’ meeting to discuss the problem.

“We need to address this,” Trustee Glen Quigley said. “This has to become Plan A. Thank you for taking the first step.

“You guys busted your tail during this

storm and we appreciate that you’re doing the best with what you’ve got,” Trustee Bill Skomrock added.

Zimperman said his road crews have spent the last two days cleaning up brush and debris to keep the township’s roads passable. He said complete clean-up could take months.

“It overwhelmed our department for sure and probably the rest of the county,” he said.

“It was one hell of a storm,” Quigley added. “My congratulations to you. Your department did something we can all be proud of.”

maintain binders of their discoveries and conclusions.

Besides encouraging students to recycle and respect nature, she invites science consultant Claire Zurbuch to assist with classroom learning opportunities, including the use of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Wildlife Treasures Trunk to investigate some of Ohio’s native critters.

Once a year, Simms provides opportunities for them to participate in Geauga Park District’s Geauga Wildlife, Insect Extravaganza, Portable Planetarium and Weather Wizardry programs, plus many science-themed field trips to Swine Creek and the West Woods, according to the GCSWCD.

Simms was not always a conservation crusader.

Her teaching career began 30 year ago when she became an intervention specialist at Parkman Elementary School. In 2000, she started teaching second grade, then moved to Jordak Elementary School in Middlefield in 2006 when Jordak consolidated with Parkman and Troy elementary schools.

A few years later, Simms took some classes at Hiram College in Portage County and one was taught by Matt Sorrick that implemented science and language arts.

Simms said she remembers creating science lesson plans and trying them out on the participants.

The class revealed a new dimension in

teaching for her, a hands-on, exciting activity for 8-year-olds laying a foundation for their inquiring minds for years to come.

“Her efforts fostering environmental stewardship in elementary students is helping to shape their future and the future of Geauga County,” according to the GCSWCD. Cardinal Schools Superintendent Bill Kermavner has followed Simms and her program with interest.

“Lisa is excellent at creating lessons that are interesting and engage students,” he wrote in an email. “She is committed to making sure students get experiences that are hands-on that make them aware of the environment around them and how it impacts students in their daily lives.”

“My voice is not big enough, since we’re little Newbury Township. We need to step up and work together to solve this.”

– Doug Zimperman

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Thursday, December 10, 2020

Bainbridge Trustees Hesitant about Plans For Former Ruby Tuesday Property

By Diane Ryder editor@geaugamapleleaf.com A developer’s plans to construct a 7,500-square-foot strip shopping center with two to three businesses on the former Ruby Tuesday property in Bainbridge Township have been changed to building two fast food restaurants with drive-thrus.

Bainbridge Township Trustees said during their Dec. 7 meeting the constant flow of traffic around the two buildings could make a current bad situation worse and hesitated to give their blessings to the new concept.

In May of 2019, representatives of Morgan Company, based in Charlotte, N.C., met with trustees to present preliminary plans to construct a small strip shopping center with two to three businesses — including a fast food restaurant with a drive-thru — on the former Ruby Tuesday site, 7135 Aurora Road, at the Marketplace at Four Corners.

Monday, the same representatives told trustees COVID-19 has changed the restaurant business, with less demand for inside seating and increased demand for outdoor dining and drive-thrus.

“So, instead of a 7,500-square-foot strip center, we plan to build two smaller free standing buildings with drive-thrus, for 4,000-square-feet total,” said John Wilson, director of development for Morgan Company during an architectural review with township trustees.

The 1.66-acre property sits on Aurora Road at the busy and often congested entrance to Marketplace at Four Corners.

“It’s an important corner in that corridor,” Wilson said. “We have two very good national tenants that are traffic generators.”

Starbucks from page 1

the Dec. 7 Chardon Planning Commission special meeting was stalemated when three commission members voted to approve it and three voted against it.

Chairman Andy Blackley led the opposition during the virtual meeting that was a continuation of the Nov. 16 meeting.

At the previous meeting, the commission approved three variances for the 2,231-square-foot building at the corner of Cherry Avenue and Center Street.

However, in November, they asked company Principal Greg Sommers to come back with plans showing the building on the 0.6acre lot turned 90 degrees so the drive-thru window isn’t visible to travelers coming east into Chardon.

Sommers told the commission Monday

JOHN KARLOVEC/KMG

Instead of the original proposal to construct a 7,500-square-foot strip shopping center with two to three businesses on the former Ruby Tuesday property in Bainbridge Township, Morgan Company, based in Charlotte, N.C., is proposing building two smaller free standing structures with drive-thrus for 4,000-square-feet total.

Wilson said the two fast food chains interested in locating there are Taco Bell and Starbucks.

Trustee Jeff Markley expressed concern architectural drawings of both proposed structures show modern grey squared structures with flat roofs, instead of the original plan for brick Western Reserve architecture that Markley said blends with the area.

All three trustees said constant drive-thru traffic could cause a major problem in the already busy intersection.

“That road sees 26,000 cars a day,” Markley said. “Traffic backs up from the existing Dunkin Donuts drive-thru there. I don’t know

how you’re gonna address that.”

Markley said Chik Fil A restaurants have a double circle drive-thru system that he called “extremely efficient” at getting large amounts of traffic through their parking lot safely.

“We definitely need assurances that traffic won’t stack up at that intersection,” Markley said.

“I have significant concerns about that,” Trustee Lorrie Sass Benza added. “Sometimes, it’s a nightmare there.”

Scott Friedman, also from Morgan Company, told trustees the restaurants that survive, or even thrive, during COVID-19 are the ones with outdoor seating and drive-thrus.

“Starbucks is infinitely more efficient at getting traffic through,” he said.

Friedman added Starbucks’ peak traffic times tend to be during morning commuting time, while Taco Bell tends to serve people at lunch or on their way home from work.

Benza also expressed concern about creating a lot split for the two businesses.

“Go offline and work with our planning staff,” Markley told the developers. “It’s not Western Reserve architecture. The site plan needs a comfort level for the drive-thrus. You need to address the backups on state Route 43.”

The developers agreed to do so.

“flipping” the building 90 degrees isn’t an option.

Moving the order window to the back of the property would cause traffic congestion on Cherry Avenue, he said, adding the parking lot would be in front of the structure facing Center Street instead of in the rear.

In addition, Sommers said he had asked Starbucks headquarters in Seattle if the 90-degree change was a viable option and was told it was not.

He presented some drawings of the flipped site plan to the commission Monday, but Blackley said he had anticipated seeing more detail in the plans.

For nearly an hour, commission members and Sommers volleyed over the orientation of the building, traffic patterns and locations of the patio and the Dumpsters.

Community Development Administrator Steve Yaney said he was not proposing the

change to an alternative for the Starbucks building because he hadn’t studied it with the same focus as he had reviewed the original plan. “(The plans) need more scrutiny if the site is rotated,” he said, adding he couldn’t make a recommendation because he and his staff have not reviewed the alternate orientation.

Commission member Colin Wantz said the original plan is effective and, with additional landscaping, should be acceptable.

“At this point, traffic flow is more important than appearance,” said member Hannah Sekas. Member Dean Peska said he was satisfied with the first plan.

Wantz, Sekas and Peska voted in favor of approving the site plan and Blackley, Mary Jo Stark and Lene Hill voted against approval, effectively leaving the proposal in limbo and Blackley’s request for more details plans still on the table. Commission member Chris Grau was absent Monday.

Sommers then continued the conversation “Starbucks is not going to buy into flipping the building. We tried that,” he said.

“Starbucks is not unreasonable. They’ve done this a thousand times.”

Ryan Tyler, representing Sommers Development Group, said he will call Starbucks Tuesday but, since the company already rejected the alternative site plan, he expects the answer to be “no.”

“Are there elements we can discuss to-

night?” Sommers asked the commission, noting he had provided the commission with background information and justified maintaining the original juxtaposition.

“You have to give us better justification,” Stark said.

Sommers said the company’s architect went to extremes to meet Chardon’s standards and Starbucks agreed to other suggestions, which is more than they do for other locations.

Yaney said if the appearance of the building is a problem, some architectural details could be changed and landscaping could be arranged so the building is more attractive.

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything tonight. Come back to the regular planning commission meeting,” Blackley said, recommending the front of the building be redesigned and the city architect should review those plans.

Hill said she would consider that option.

Blackley said a more serious effort needs to be made to draw up plans to change the building 90 degrees, but he is open to compromise.

Sommers said Starbucks would like to start on the site before the end of the year if an agreement can be reached.

Ryan said he will make the call to Seattle in the morning, but he doesn’t expect much.

“If its ‘no’ from Seattle, we probably won’t be back,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s not our call.”

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 7

Geauga Still on Front End of COVID-19 Battle Commissioners Receive Update from Health Dept.

By Amy Patterson amy@geaugamapleleaf.com Geauga County had more COVID-19 cases in November than in all previous months combined, said Geauga Public Health Commissioner Tom Quade Dec. 3.

While the challenge in the summer was keeping businesses open and the economy going, and in the fall, keeping schools open, the biggest challenge now is keeping hospitals and nursing homes staffed, Quade told Geauga County Commissioners during their regular meeting.

Geauga has yet to turn purple on the state’s Public Health Advisory System map, but Quade said it is likely to happen in the next three to four weeks as hospitals are chal-

lenged to maintain staffing with nurses and caregivers sick or quarantining.

Since the county has not taken any legal steps regarding enforcement of Gov. Mike DeWine’s COVID-related health mandates, Quade said county officials can help by reminding people to only leave home when they need essential services — going to work, getting groceries or medical care, for example.

Because of its smaller population density, Geauga’s COVID numbers trail state trends by about two or three weeks. However, on average, about every 20 cases will generate one hospitalization — meaning a continued rise in cases could overwhelm hospitals, he added.

Commissioner Tim Lennon said while he

understands the seriousness of the situation, people have to keep working and providing for their families.

Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri also asked whether Quade supports the idea of allowing the entire population to be exposed to the disease to avoid prolonging the damage to the economy.

Quade said herd immunity could be reached instead with a vaccine, which would not cause the number of deaths as would exposing the entire population to the active virus. He also told commissioners the real challenge for success of the vaccine is encouraging people to take it.

Commissioners also approved a $56,000 increase to the county’s contract with Willoughby-based ThenDesign Associates for additional design and electrical work for the

new county building on Merritt Road.

The work will allow for the Geauga County Board of Elections to move to the building’s basement, as well as some other changes to the layout requested by county departments.

Referencing comments made in the Nov. 17 meeting, Lennon said while he “ripped” the electrical utility FirstEnergy for lack of communication during a large storm-related power outage, communication was improved after the early December storm that once again knocked out power for a large portion of the county.

The company kept the county up to date and informed, and addressed his complaints, he said.

While commissioners discussed moving to biweekly meetings on Nov. 17, they continue to meet weekly in commissioners’ chambers.

HB 778 Would Require GPS Monitoring of Violators

By Becky Boban editor@geaugamapleleaf.com A new law could require violators of protection laws to be monitored by an active global positioning device that would notify law enforcement, as well as the potential victim, if a violator came within 500 yards of him or her, or breached an exclusion zone.

The changes are included in House Bill 778, which was introduced to the 133rd Ohio General Assembly last month.

Its primary sponsors, representatives John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake), said it would amend section 2919.27 of the Ohio Revised Code with a specific reference to GPS monitoring.

“An electronic device could be practically anything, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a GPS. By inserting the term GPS, we now

have modern technology that can pinpoint a person in real time,” Patterson said.

He has been working on HB 778 for a little over two years. An initial obstacle was the technology needed for pinpoint accuracy.

The active GPS device’s expenses have been another.

“I decided that the bargaining chip would be if they want to get out of jail, then they must, on their own, pay for this. The state or local government would not,” Patterson said.

The bill is long overdue for organizations like Women Helping Women Ashtabula County, which has championed changes in restraining orders since 2011.

“This is a big deal. This GPS thing is the way we’re going to finally be able to help,” said Robbi Zakowski, spokesperson for Women Helping Women Ashtabula County.

The organization used to collect toiletries

and school supplies for women and mothers in need. When Zakowski’s friend, Paulette Timko Propst, was murdered by her own husband, everything changed.

“I went to bed one day and my girlfriend was alive that morning, she talked to me… that very night he took her out,” Zakowski said. “We stopped caring about panties and crayons. We decided that we were going to get serious about GPSs.” HB 778 has been the result of Propst’s family and friends’ advocacy. The bill’s next steps are committee hearings.

Meetings were sidelined, however, while legislators ran for re-election, and COVID-19 has compounded the issue, with limited room in the state house for people to spread out safely for large hearings.

Patterson seeks to move the bill along until he terms out at the end of December, but

recognizes there are some challenges that need addressed.

“Let’s say that this couple shops at Walmart and they accidently are there at the same time,” Patterson said. “The alarm goes off, police show up and it’s not intentional.

(Also), the person who wears it has to have it recharged. And if it’s not recharged and the battery goes dead, guess what? The provider alerts the local law enforcement before the battery runs out and they are visited.”

Another concern is if the potential victim runs out of charge on their phone, or forgets it, as that is the means by which the proximity is tracked.

The introduction of the bill invites anyone to pick it up afterward though, and Patterson is working to hand it off if it doesn’t make it through the legislature before the end of his final session.

Newbury Receives Purchase Offer for Grange Park

By Diane Ryder editor@geaugamapleleaf.com Grange Park, once the site of picnics and summer events in Newbury Township, closed decades ago and has been on the market since 2012.

Trustees have had several offers over the years, but zoning complications and offers that they considered too low have kept them looking for the right buyer.

At the Dec. 5 Newbury Township Trustees meeting, Trustee Glen Quigley announced there is a potential buyer, but there is a snag: an inaccurate legal description that doesn’t match the Geauga County Auditor’s Office map of the 10.8-acre property.

“We will need a zoning amendment,” Quigley said. “It’s an interesting little twist we haven’t come across before.”

Quigley said zoning consultant David Dietrich is working on re-writing the legal description, which will necessitate a formal zoning amendment process that will take several steps over about a 90-day period.

“It starts with us, then goes to the zoning commission, then to the (Geauga) County Planning Commission, then back to the zoning commission, all with legal notices and

public hearings,” Quigley said. “The process is spelled out under the Ohio Revised Code.”

Quigley said the potential buyer, whom he did not identify, understands the delay is necessary and is willing to wait until the amendment is approved.

Trustee Bill Skomrock said he was upset the mistake was made years ago and never caught until now.

“There’s got to be some kind of checks and balances to make sure everything is correct,” Skomrock said. “This is a hassle.”

Sometimes, a mistake is made, Quigley said.

“The county has a lot of parcels to review and they can’t catch everything,” he said.

“It’s mind boggling,” Skomrock added.

“Well, we can’t sweep it under the carpet and we shouldn’t,” Quigley said. “It needs to be all proper.”

Trustees decided in 2012 to sell the property, on the south side of Kinsman Road adjacent to Sunrise Springs. They want to use the proceeds toward maintaining busy Oberland Park. The property was appraised in 2011 for $162,300.

Grange Park has very little frontage — only a flag driveway — on Kinsman Road. The front of the parcel is zoned commercial and

www.GeaugaMapleLeaf.com

the rear section is zoned industrial. About 70 percent of the land is buildable, with the remaining 30 percent wetlands.

The park was built in 1907 by businessman George Stafford, who owned a box factory and sawmill. He wanted a buffer between his businesses and the township’s first telephone company. The park was used by his employees and became a popular destination for Clevelanders in the early days of the 20th century.

At one time, it had a log cabin, dance hall, pavilion, bandstand, a swing, carousel, cable car and pond. A restaurant was also on the grounds. In 1917, Stafford deeded the park to Newbury Township and left money in his will for the park’s maintenance. But after the money ran out, the park fell into disrepair and was vandalized over the years.

It closed in the 1980s.

In 2012, a local resident offered to buy the property for $155,000 for a shooting range if the Newbury Township Board of Zoning Appeals would approve the use. The request was denied.

In 2013, Sunrise Springs Owner George Lanesky made a purchase offer, but trustees determined it was too low. In 2018, the owner of a tree service offered the township $170,000 for the property, but the sale did not go through.

Quigley said he hopes the latest offer can be finalized once the zoning amendment has passed and the mistake is corrected.

“Dave (Dietrich) is completing all the forms for the amendment and creating a punch list so we can move forward,” Quigley said. “It’s a long process.”

Page 8

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Russell Township

Park Board to Lease Upper Chagrin Preserve

By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com

Russell Township Citizens Park District is no longer without a park.

Russell Township Trustees voted 2-1 in favor of a five-year agreement with the district to allow the three-member board custodianship of about 120 acres of woods called the Upper Chagrin Preserve.

Last month, trustees asked the park board to lay out what they plan to do with the five parcels that are under a conservation easement with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

Friday, two members of the park board, Roy Podojil and Perry Howland, as well as secretary Maria Livers attended the trustees meeting after providing a thick proposal explaining their intentions.

“I received this book of proposals,” said Trustee Jim Mueller, hefting the document.

“I found them to be very good — precisely what we wanted (the park board) to do.”

Trustee Gary Gabram, who had requested a study at the November meeting, approved it.

“This is the goal everyone was looking to achieve,” he said, adding it includes projects that should have been undertaken in the past and some new ideas for the future.

Gabram and Mueller said the agreement needs to be formalized, giving the park district stewardship of the acreage with trustee oversight, so the arrangement is clear to future boards of trustees.

Trustee Kristina Port opposed the agreement, although she called for a formal presentation of the park board’s goals at the last meeting.

Port, joining the meeting virtually, said she had seen the proposal.

“It looked like a marketing brochure,” she said, adding it should have included more information.

“Those are just words,” Port said. “If you want to use taxpayers’ land, you need a land use plan.”

She also said a public hearing on the proposal should be held before trustees sign an agreement.

“We may be the owners of the property, but other people are paying for that land,” she said. “The public has a right to have input.”

Port said she was confused about which parcels would be included in the agreement and noted the only direct access to the property was across land that is partly in Chester Township and it is a half-mile hike through the woods to get to Russell Township.

Mueller said he has been trying to get stewards for the preserve for years.

“This process could go on forever,” Mueller said. “I’m just sick and tired of dragging this thing out.”

Because the parcels are essentially landlocked, access has been across The Illuminating Company’s right-of-way, which has never been a problem, he said.

A resolution will be necessary, but Mueller and Gabram voted in favor of the proposal and Port voted against it.

Township voters approved creating the trustee-appointed citizens park district several years ago, but failed twice to support a levy to provide the board with funding for projects.

When a levy to support the township’s

MARIA LIVERS

This Interurban Railroad bridge across the Chagrin River is part of the history of the Upper Chagrin Preserve. The Russell Township Citizens Park District board members plan to highlight it as part of educational programs when the board becomes steward of the 120-acre township park.

other park district — the Russell Township Park District — also failed, its board leased most of the township parks to the Geauga Park District for maintenance. That board’s members are appointed by the Geauga County probate court judge.

The citizens park board proposal’s introductory letter to the trustees outlines some of the plans the board has firmed up through contact with various environmental experts.

They include WRLC Director Pete McDonald, and Mike Sustin and Darci Sanders, who teach advanced placement environmental science at West Geauga High School and Gilmour Academy, respectively.

They hiked through the Upper Chagrin Preserve with Livers on Nov. 24, according to the letter.

“Ms. Sanders and Mr. Sustin have each offered letters (attached) explaining specifically how their AP Environmental Science students’ curriculum dovetails with access to the Upper Chagrin Preserve parcels,” it reads.

They also offered to help plan wildlife surveys, wetlands mapping, climate impact studies and more, giving students opportunities for hands-on learning.

The park board will schedule activities, provide funds for some study materials and equipment and a common location for database maintenance, the letter, signed by Howland, said, adding: “These important data collection efforts offer baselines for monitoring and managing the health of Russell’s water and environment.”

Russell Historical Society President Jeanne Schroeder said the society would be

ANN WISHART/KMG

Russell Township Citizens Park District members Roy Podojil, left, and Perry Howard, right, and board secretary Maria Livers were smiling behind their masks when township trustees voted 2-1 Dec. 4 to have the district be steward of the 120-acre Upper Chagrin Preserve for five years.

interested in highlighting and restoring the history of the park, including the history of the Interurban Railroad that ran through it, signage and contributions to history tours, environmental education hikes and other community education projects.

The society also would help research the Cuyahoga Indians Club (late 1800s to early 1900s) located on the river in the preserve and accessed via the Interurban by wealthy Cleveland families, the letter said. Parts of

the associated train platform, bridge infrastructure and buildings still remain.

In addition, ATV and snowmobile trails and deer blinds have been found on the park property and the board proposed posting signage at the park explaining the boundaries and limitations to adjacent landowners.

“We want to do our part in regularly collaborating with the trustees and local experts in this long-term commitment,” the letter said.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Page 9

Russell Township

Virus Out-of-State Travel Policy Confusing

By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com Russell Township Fiscal Officer Karen Walder asked Russell Township Trustees Dec. 4 if and how they would compensate employees who travel outside Ohio in light of the state’s COVID-19 quarantine requirement.

Although the Center for Disease Control might reduce the required number of days individuals must stay home if they have been out of state from 14 to 10, there are complications regarding payroll, she said.

Trustee Jim Mueller introduced the discussion during the meeting about a draft of the township’s out-of-state travel policy.

“We put a lot of work into this. Hopefully, in three or four months, we will not have to worry about it,” he said.

For now, Walder said the policy does not address all the potential financial ramifications created by required time off.

“Have we discussed if we have to pay employees if we enact a policy that requires

them to quarantine?” she asked.

Employees who can telecommute or work virtually from home can still function and get paid as usual, said Trustee Kristina Port.

She and Walder were both attending Friday’s meeting via Zoom.

Police Chief Tim Carroll said he has two employees — one full time and one part time — who have tested positive for COVID-19 and he asked officials to decide about compensation.

“I had to tell one full-time officer he couldn’t come back until he gets his test back,” Carroll said. The officer agreed to use his sick time so he would continue to be paid while not reporting to work, but that doesn’t necessarily cover part-time employees who are paid hourly and don’t have sick or vacation hours to use.

“We need clarity,” he said, adding if a person has to quarantine, how should he or she be compensated.

“If we pay people, where does the money come from?” Carroll asked.

Letters to the Editor I Would’ve Voted for Trump, But…

Disrespect for Friends’ Members

Now that the Electoral College has certified the 2020 presidential election, many Republicans are taking the position Donald Trump’s actions in 2020 caused his downfall.

Everybody knows he will continue to fight the results and desires to run again in 2024, “everybody knows” he won’t succeed.

While I have been a faithful lifetime Republican, I will vary when I believe it is more important to be a patriotic American, and to vote for the better candidate regardless of party. As a consistent regular voter, I am proud to say every president I have voted for has won.

In deciding who is the better candidate, a patriotic American looks to the guy in the White House to “lead” the country, and to set an example, first as an American, second as the leader of his party.

Unfortunately, Trump has not done this, clearly establishing a brand of loyalty from his Republican base to believe in him regardless of what he says or does. His approach is to tell lies and more lies so much that he hopes (using his famous line) “everybody knows” he is right even when his own colleagues know he is wrong.

Has he accomplished anything in four years? Yes. Look at the economy and jobs, which were both doing well until February of this year. Despite his narcissistic behavior, he might have won had some of his loyalists convinced him to change. He continued to say and do things that drove our country apart. Friends became less friendly.

Then, true patriotic Americans, many of whom are faithful Republicans, came out and voted with their hearts. Everybody knows who really won. Good bye Donald.

You’re fired.

Since I’m a snowbird and my copies of the Maple Leaf arrive late, this letter might be less timely than those I have recently read. I just wanted to voice my opinion on the efforts of the Geauga County Library Foundation and Geauga County Library Board of Trustees to dismantle the Friends groups who have supported the Geauga County Library System for many decades.

Their apparent theory is that when all these volunteers now raise funds, the money will be spent as the administration decrees.

I’m especially appalled by Director Ed Worso’s disrespect for the Friends’ members when he referred to them as “either too old or too tired” at the Aug. 17, 2020, trustees meeting and also made fun of one group for their lack of interest in Ms. Gierman’s help purchasing candy to sell.

Is this leadership? Are these remarks inspiring persons to step up and volunteer?

As a life member of the East Geauga Friends of the Library and a Life Partner of the Geauga County Library Foundation, this action and these remarks have ended my volunteerism, which included working in the Dorothy G. Allen Friends book sale room for 15 years, serving as secretary of the EGFL and being the “Friends’ Footnotes” newsletter editor for six years.

Thank you to all the Friends who have worked for so many decades to support their local libraries, to the Cardinal school district residents for financially supporting and building the Middlefield library, and especially to the late Chapman Award winner, Dorothy G. Allen, who worked on behalf of the EGFL six days a week up to two months before her 98th birthday and passing.

John Alan Lafler Russell Township

Kathy Moss, Member East Geauga Friends of the Library

Trustee Gary Gabram said if employees plan to go out of state, they know in advance they will have to quarantine for however many days the CDC requires at the time.

“This virus limits where people can go on vacation,” Gabram said.

He recommended when such cases come up, the department supervisor consults with the trustees on a case-by-case basis.

“Things change from one week to the next,” Gabram said. “We have to put some leeway (in the policy) to allow the supervisors and the board to make decisions as (circumstances) change.”

Trustees assistant Melissa Palmer said a consultation with a human resources expert might help make clear the final draft of the policy.

“We’ve been working on this (policy)

since September,” she said, urging trustees to provide guidance on how to finalize it.

As of Friday, an employee who travelled outside Ohio couldn’t return to work for 14 days even if that person has no reason to believe he or she has been exposed to the virus, Walder said.

“For us to handle payroll, we need absolute clarity for the department heads and my office,” she said, adding the policy needs to be understood before an event happens.

“Tomorrow, someone may be traveling. They need clarity on it if they are going to take a vacation,” she said.

Port said she would like to table approval of the policy so it can be revised before the next meeting.

Gabram agreed to investigate options and the policy was tabled.

Patrol Focuses on Impaired Drivers Staff Report As part of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s ongoing effort to make roadways safe, troopers continue to focus on impaired driving this month and throughout the holiday season.

“We take impaired driving seriously and remain dedicated to promoting safety on Ohio’s roadways,” said Col. Richard S. Fambro, patrol superintendent, in a statement.

“We need all motorists to commit to safer roads by planning ahead, designating a sober driver and ensuring that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up.”

Since 2015, there were 81,006 OVI-related crashes on Ohio roadways, killing 2,691 people and injuring 49,190 others.

During that same period, troopers removed more than 141,000 impaired drivers

from Ohio roadways. OVI-related crashes accounted for 40 percent of all fatal crashes in Ohio in the last five years, according to the patrol.

“Please don’t risk your life or the lives of others by getting behind the wheel impaired this holiday season,” said Lt. Larry Roberts in a statement. “You can save lives and ensure our roads are safe when you designate a sober driver.”

Last year, troopers from the Chardon post removed 390 impaired drivers from the roadways.

The public is encouraged to call #677 to report reckless or impaired drivers and drug activity.

To view a copy of the entire statistical recap, visit https://www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/ links/OVI_Bulletin_2020_Dec.pdf.

Page 10

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

School Funding Plan Passes House; Senate Silent So Far

By Amy Patterson amy@geaugamapleleaf.com

After a bipartisan vote, House Bill 305, named the “Fair School Funding Plan,” passed the Ohio House Dec. 3.

Nine Republican lawmakers voted against the legislation.

The bill represents three years of work by co-sponsors state Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima).

In a press release Dec. 3, Patterson said the plan would address many of the issues that have plagued the state’s funding formula, which the Ohio Supreme Court has found unconstitutional four times, beginning with the DeRolph v. State of Ohio decision in 1997.

“After 23 years, we finally have a real, comprehensive, and most importantly, constitutional, plan to fairly fund our schools and invest in our children’s future,” said Patterson. “So many hands have played a part in

this bill and to see it moving forward is a real win, but we can’t slow the momentum. I urge my Senate colleagues to take up this bill and pass — finally — a plan that benefits all of our students, districts and the taxpayers.”

Although HB 305 had nine committee hearings in the House, as of Dec. 7, the Senate’s hearing schedule did not show any indication the companion Senate Bill 376 would be taken up. The Senate adjourns at the end of December, meaning the bill must pass by then, or be re-introduced next year by a newly sworn-in legislature.

Guy Wilson, who sits on the Chardon Schools Board of Education, posted on Facebook Dec. 7 the lack of a scheduled hearing strongly suggests Senate leadership has no intention of addressing the plan before they leave for the holiday break.

“I am deeply concerned that the Senate would waste three years of work by the Cupp-Patterson Workgroup and the over-

whelming support of the House of Representatives for a definable, defensible school funding plan. This has taken hours of time and effort, above and beyond the usual responsibilities of many individuals, and I believe it is absolutely critical that the Senate allow SB 376 to move forward with committee hearings and a floor vote before this General Assembly ends this year,” Wilson wrote.

He asked the public to contact Senate President Larry Obhof, Senate President-Elect Matt Huffman, and Senate Finance Committee Chair Matt Dolan to ask for a hearing.

Chardon Schools Superintendent Michael Hanlon served as the distribution subcommittee co-chairperson during the multiyear process of writing the bill. On Dec. 7, he issued a statement urging lawmakers to “seize this moment to make history” for public schools in Ohio.

“Ohio’s current school funding model is not functioning for 100 percent of the

school districts in the state. HB305/SB376 represents a comprehensive solution to providing a stable, reliable and understandable school funding formula for Ohio’s 1.6 million students,” Hanlon said.

The plan, he said, is an improved and comprehensive bipartisan remake of Ohio’s current funding formula and focuses on what students need to ensure a high-quality education.

He added it also gives weight to supporting classroom instruction, as well as making sure Ohio public school students can learn in a safe and secure environment while having access to state-of-the-art technology.

Hanlon said four educational organizations, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, Buckeye Association of School Administrators, Ohio School Boards Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers and Ohio Education Association, have also declared their support for the plan.

Bainbridge Community UCC to hold Virtual Capital Campaign Staff Report For 153 years, the sanctuary of Bainbridge Community UCC has stood on state Route 306 with only minor changes.

Built before central heating, members brought hot coals from home to put in metal drawers in the floor to heat the building, said Pastor Brian Saxe in a statement.

“In 1871, a bell tower was added to the steeple and in 1914, a basement was hand dug,” he said. “Recently, we have discovered a basement wall was failing and required installing supports at a cost of over $5,000. Repairs to the steeple,

in order to keep it from collapsing into the sanctuary, cost a little over $10,000.

“This week, we learned our boiler was in need of $3,000 worth of repairs,” Saxe added.

“The boiler is essential as the Geauga County Department on Aging uses our building for it’s meals on wheels program.”

With the church’s very limited reserves and “small, but mighty” membership, these capital expenses will severely hamper the future ministry and viability of the congregation, Saxe said.

The congregation is holding an online fundraiser to raise $18,000, which can found at charity. gofundme.com/basement-and-steeple.

“With so many other buildings of Historic Bainbridge gone, this fundraiser helps to keep one of Bainbridge’s oldest structures still standing,” Saxe said.

Supporting Community Groups

Bainbridge Community UCC houses two large Alcoholics Anonymous groups.

The Geauga Department on Aging Senior Center, housed in the church pre-COVID-19, provided a place for Bainbridge area seniors to come and have social interaction, exercise programs and eat a nutritious lunch before the pandemic.

On average, 50 seniors a day utilized the senior center resources.

“The church still provides a base of operations for the centers directors to provide online engagement and Meals on Wheels programs during the pandemic,” Saxe said. “The church looks forward to a post-COVID future (where) community groups of all types and sizes have a place to meet and work for the embitterment of Bainbridge, Geauga County and beyond. In order for this to happen, these time critical projects must be accomplished.”

For more information on the campaign, email bainbridgecommunity@gmail.com.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 11

Geauga Cares 4U Delivers Thanksgiving

SUBMITTED

Claridon Township residents Mario Innocenzi and State Rep. Diane Grendell (R-Chester Township) deliver to more than 25 residents and staff meals and desserts at Amelia Grace Assisted Living in Chester Township Thanksgiving Day on behalf of Geauga Cares 4U.

This slide in Emil Liszniansky’s presentation to the Geauga County Planning Commission Dec. 8 shows the percentage of land in each township that is protected by a conservation easement.

About 12% of Geauga Properties Tax-Exempt

By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com

About 12% of land in Geauga County is tax exempt with many of those properties falling under conservation easements with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

The City of Akron owns about 31,000 acres of watershed land, including Ladue Reservoir, part of the Cuyahoga River and the East Branch, according to Emil Liszniansky, principal with Envision Group LLC. Envison was hired last year to help Geauga County Planning Director Linda Crombie update the county’s general plan.

He presented the research to the Geauga County Planning Commission during its meeting Dec. 8, including several maps showing property currently not being taxed or having a low tax rate because it is being farmed.

He and the planning commission collaborated since the last meeting to discover how much of the county is protected under conservation easements, but they also included acreage owned by schools, municipalities, townships and nonprofits such as churches that don’t necessarily have easements on them, he said.

Municipalities own about 10,000 acres across the county, he said, while parks own about 8,000 acres.

“The county-wide total of tax exempt land

adds up to 2.7 townships,” Liszniansky said, adding each township in Geauga County comprises about 16,000 acres.

While it seems like a lot of land that doesn’t yield taxes, or only yields taxes based on agricultural use, he noted much of the land is swampy and could not be built on.

Liszniansky said the Western Reserve Land Conservancy was very willing to share their information regarding land in Geauga County that is protected by the conservancy.

Other information was gleaned from county tax records, the Lincoln Institute and other sources, he said.

They also found Geauga County leads the state in conservation easements with Northeast Ohio property owners especially fond of the tax break an easement brings.

On average, about 20% of properties put under a conservation easement lost about 31% of their value while the rest have maintained their land value or seen an increase, Liszniansky said.

A conservation easement puts restrictions on a property.

“If you want to change your land, a conservation easement is a detriment,” he said.

Overall, 83.24% of land in Geauga County is taxable, Liszniansky said, adding some properties were not logged in for a variety of reasons.

Page 12

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

LG Alumni Open Hearts to Holiday Giving

By Rose Nemunaitis editor@geaugamapleleaf.com Leadership Geauga graduates are taught the value, meaning and responsibility of giving back to their community.

Some might argue there is no better time to put those lessons into action than the holiday season.

LG hosted a Festive Holiday Drive-Thru “Stuff the Van” event benefitting Family Pride of Northeast Ohio and raising $2,060 in cash and gift cards along with other donations Dec. 3 at Geauga Park District’s Veterans Legacy Woods in Newbury Township.

“We have neighbors here in Geauga County that don’t have food to eat, a warm place to stay or clothing to get through our winter,” LG Executive Director Melanie Scanlon said.

“That is absolutely unacceptable. We are proud to play a small part in making things a little easier for our neighbors in need all year-round.”

Due to not being able to hold LG’s regular alumni holiday event because of COVID-19 restrictions, this was LG’s way of continuing the tradition. This event generally falls at the end of Leadership Geauga’s Human Services Day with a collection of donations for a Geauga County nonprofit organization.

“Our committee decided rather than focusing on the social aspect of the event, we would put the main focus on giving back to our community,” said Sharon Roediger, LG’s alumni committee chair. “Family Pride was chosen by our committee for all the great services they provide and needs they meet for

ROSE NEMUNAITIS/KMG

Leadership Geauga alumnus Catherine Peters drops off a donation to support LG’s Festive Holiday Drive-Thru “Stuff the Van” event benefitting Family Pride of NE Ohio.

all our ages. Many of these people have been hit hard through the pandemic.”

Family Pride is a small but growing nonprofit mental health agency that helps individuals and families of all ages to reduce their stress levels and focus on their overall emotional well-being with offices in Chardon, Middlefield and Ashtabula.

“By the time someone calls to say they

need help, we want to make obtaining services as easy as possible,” FP Executive Director Angi Daugherty said. “We have a fantastic team of counselors, social workers and case managers that are passionate about helping our clients as much as possible to reduce barriers to their emotional well-being and daily success. One way is by meeting our clients where it is easiest for them — in their homes, at work or school, at one of Family Pride’s three office locations or, now, virtually.”

Daugherty said Family Pride is very grateful to have been awarded a grant from the Cleveland Foundation to support families throughout Northeast Ohio since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, to date, Daughtery said they have utilized almost all of the $30,000 grant to help individuals and families who are struggling.

This has included mortgage and rental assistance, food and clothing assistance, coverage of utility bills such as electric and heat, as well as technology support — laptops, tablets and access to Wifi.

“Another support that we have added is covering cost of healthcare,” Daugherty said.

“As this pandemic continues, our community’s mental health is being challenged. Mental health services are essential for many of our clients, but if you can’t afford to put food on the table, how can you justify the cost of counseling. We are lucky to be able to provide a variety of financial supports and scholarships to those who need it.”

Daughtery is a proud graduate of the LG Class of 2014.

“Leadership Geauga is an amazing nonprofit that provides leadership growth and networking opportunities to both residents and professionals throughout Geauga County,” Daughterty said. “You not only learn more about your personal and professional learning and communication styles, but you also learn quite a bit about the different business and services throughout Geauga County.”

She said the holidays always bring a larger need for individuals who struggle to make ends meet let alone covering the cost for a larger holiday meal, or getting presents for their children.

This year, needs are even greater.

“There are many ways that people can help Family Pride … monetary donations are great, but so are other items such as winter coats, gloves and hats of all sizes that can be dispersed out to our children and families,” Daugherty said. “In addition, individuals who are on food stamps are not able to purchase their food items online at grocery stores. Therefore, someone who is high-risk, immune-comprised would have go to the store and increase their chances of getting COVID-19. For this reason, we are asking for donations of gift cards to grocery stores such as Giant Eagle and Walmart that offer curbside assistance or delivery.”

She added the gift of time is always helpful to their agency and they are looking for dedicated board members, as well as community members, to sit on their board committees.

“This year, with the pandemic, we are always looking for new ways to engage our clients virtually, so even donating time for some virtual classes — art, yoga, cooking would be extremely appreciated — especially for parents who have been homeschooling their children since August of this year,” Daugherty added.

An open vehicle strung with white lights displayed bags of donations as LG alumni rolled into the park’s parking lot Dec. 3, waving and dropping off their donations to special greetings from Buddy the Elf, Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Catherine Peters, owner of PuroClean, said fond memories still linger of experiences gleaned from her participation in the LG experience.

“It was a great opportunity to get to know the county and the people in it,” Peters said.”I met and got to know the most influential people in the area. It’s been a challenging year for many and we want to do something to ease other’s struggles. Yes, leaders in the community have a higher duty to be positive role models and give back to those in need.

It’s always important to experience the joy of giving without expecting anything in return.”

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Page 13

Preston Ford Donation Makes a Splash for Rotary

By Kathy McClure editor@geaugamapleleaf.com A brand new sleek black 2020 Ford F-150 truck recently rolled up in front of wide-eyed Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield members.

The truck, donated by Pat Preston at Preston Ford in Burton, is the grand prize for the Rotary Club’s 2020-2021 Maple Splash Raffle.

Work is underway to unveil the annual raffle to the public in the hopes of selling all of their $20 tickets.

This is the second year for this big event, which has been designed to take the place of the enormously successful Rotary pancake breakfasts in the spring of each year.

After 70 years of providing these events, they were cut short and then cancelled due to COVID-19, said Rotary member Bob Johnson.

“Everyone misses the pancakes, but COVID stepped in the way,” Johnson said.

Rotary President Larry Fox told Pat Preston the truck is a big draw for their raffle.

Fox said while the rotary club is blown away by Preston’s generosity, it’s not entirely surprising.

“Pat is always helping the community in grand ways,” he said.

Preston said his family loves helping Geauga County.

KATHY MCCLURE/KMG

Pat Preston, left, donates a brand new 2020 Ford F-150 Super Cab to the Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield for their upcoming Maple Splash Raffle. This will be the grand prize, along with many other prizes for the raffle. The presentation was made to Rotary Club President Larry Fox and members Bob Johnson and Kathy Vatty. Tickets will be for sale soon throughout Geauga County for $20 each.

“We are dedicated to the care of those who need a hand,” he said. “Rotary lends that hand, too.”

Last year, Preston’s gift of a 2019 Chevy Equinox raised over $68,000, all put back into the community in the form of scholarships, money invested in Geauga veterans, the Geauga County Department on Aging, Red Tulip Project, Burton Historical Society’s Century Village Museum, Eagle Scouts and more.

Fitness Report

Avoid Surgery with Physical Therapy Dry Needling

By Dr. Adam M. Cramer At MyoFit Clinic we see patients whose whole quality of life has been put on hold while they wrestle with debilitating musculoskeletal pain. They want to avoid surgery and understand that seeing a independent doctor of physical therapy first is the safest and most effective option. It’s the best way to avoid surgery because independent doctors of physical therapy only offer conservative treatment solutions, never surgery. Seeing a provider who offers surgery will increase the risk of receiving a surgical intervention. You can reduce that risk by receiving a diagnosis and care at a independent physical therapy practice first.

Sometimes muscle pain centers in their shoulders, neck and back, or manifests itself with severe muscle spasms. Other times it appears as tendinitis, foot, hip or knee pain, muscle strains, and overuse injuries.

In treating all of these patients, we have achieved amazing results using physical therapy first and a treatment known as “dry needling.”

What is dry needling?

Dry needling is a skilled intervention that a Doctor of Physical Therapy performs using a thin needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying muscle and connective tissues to promote healing of neuromusculoskeletal pain (nerve and muscle pain) and movement impairments which leads to improved strength, mobility and activity performance.

When we initially recommend dry needling to patients, some of them confuse it with a traditional Chinese medicine known as acupuncture, where the same kind of needle is used.

But that is where the similarity stops.

Dry needling is different in that it is based on western neuroanatomy and modern scientific study of the musculoskeletal and nervous system.

Unlike acupuncture, the needles in dry needling therapy administered by a doctor of physical therapy inserted into trigger points in the body to elicit a twitch response. In essence, the needles release the muscle, promote blood flow to generate a new healing response so it can actually heal.

How it feels for the client

When we discuss dry needling, clients often express concern that it will be painful.

Actually, it can be quite comfortable to receive this therapy. Most of our clients cannot even tell when the needle has been inserted.

When the muscle twitch response happens, they may experience some minimal discomfort which they describe as a bit of pressure but then the individual experiences immediate pain relief!

When pain relief does happen, it can be an emotional experience for the client. To finally be rid of a pain they have shouldered for months or even years leaves them with a feeling of bewilderment and tremendous relief.

This treatment is very safe, cost-effective, low risk, covered by all medical insurances and requires no referral. To heal your pain fast and avoid surgery consult with our doctors of physical therapy first!

Dr. Adam M. Cramer, PT, DPT, is a licensed doctor of physical therapy, pain specialist and CEO/Founder of MyoFit Clinic in Chardon, Ashtabula & Middlefield, Ohio. Call 440-286-1007. References available at MyoFitClinic.com

This year’s prizes — donated by Preston, as well as a host of over 10 sponsors — will potentially raise over $100,000 to continue the Rotary’s work in its communities, Fox said.

In addition to the truck, the raffles will have prizes such a diamond pendant, chain saw package, big screen TV, snow blower and 30 cash prizes, he said.

Rotary member Kathy Vatty said the local club is made up of 42 members, all dedicated to both service in the community, as well as providing cash donations where needed.

The 2020 F-150 will be on display throughout the county during ticket sales, with the final drawing for it held on July 3, 2021. More info on the raffle can be found at maplesplashraffle.com.

Preston said he and his wife, Diane, take many things into consideration when they review who and how to help.

“Our Amish community is so deserving of support as are the clubs, businesses and organizations that support life in our communities,” Preston said. “When they are strong, we are all stronger and life is better.”

When talking about his business, Preston dedicates much of his success to his staff, or “teammates” as he calls them.

Many staffers have been at Preston for over 25 years. They are well trained and some had no auto experience when they started, he said, adding they have developed into “pros” and he is proud of the fact his staff is 45% female — an anomaly for the auto industry.

Preston credits his success to developing a relationship with his “guests” or customers.

“They come from all over to shop here,” he said. “They have a need to fill and we solve their problems.”

SPORTS Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 14

Thursday, December 10, 2020

WWW.GEAUGAMAPLELEAF.COM/SPORTS

Cardinal Boys Basketball Preview

Familiar Face Back with the Huskies Hoops

By Haley Adams sports@geaugamapleleaf.com It wouldn’t take long for long-time head coach Jon Cummins to return to the doors of Cardinal High School.

A season ago, Cummins looked to spend more time with his family and closed the doors of coaching. Fast forward a year later and Cummins is right back where he belongs.

“I missed the relationships that I have with the young men in my program and the Cardinal student body,” Cummins said. “The players that come through my program are a part of my life forever.”

A young roster will have Cummins looking to bring a sense of familiarity to the court.

Senior Joey Soltis will make his presence known for one of two reasons. The young team will need Soltis to create havoc on

the basketball court, much like he did on the football field.

Secondly, Soltis will have to show his varsity experience on the court after the Huskies graduated eight seniors.

Granito “I’m in favor of the offense. I’m used to it because that’s what we ran my freshman and sophomore year when he coached here,” Soltis said.

That offense looks a lot like running up and down the court and tiring out the other team’s defense: a lot of fast breaks, and no waiting for their defense to get settled.

Soltis will lead the pack, along with two other seniors for the team.

Sebastian Granito will see his minutes

Sheppard

Soltis

increase after suffering an injury that happened in football, which limited his minutes on the basketball court.

“With Cummins back, we are all out there going 100 percent, working, fighting for spots, and really getting after it at practice,” Granito said. “We’re competing as much as we can.”

Cardell Shephard rounds out the three seniors that are asked to lead Cummins’ team.

“We are asked to keep our heads up, and to keep the younger players’ heads up as well,” Shephard said. “We have to keep getting better each day, and to make sure that we win as a team.”

Though the Huskies are young, they bring a lot of talent with them.

A roster composed of one freshman, three sophomores, four juniors and three seniors are looking to turn the program around for the Huskies.

“As a group, they bring a lot of athleticism, and every player is eager to learn and get better at every practice,” Cummins said.

“We will see success if every individual in the program believes in the process, comes to practice on time, be willing to be coached every day, and put in the work that needs to be done to get better.”

Cardinal Girls Basketball Preview

Huskies Ready to Battle in DiMattia’s Second Season

By Haley Adams sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Wins were a hard thing for the young but relentless Huskies to come away with.

With just one senior on their roster a season ago, the Huskies are looking to be more mentally tough and battle hard in the competitive Chagrin Valley Conference.

Second-year head coach Joe DiMattia had a large task to overcome in his first season.

Losing his entire starting lineup, and then some, called for a rebuilding year for his young team.

“I thought we did pretty well, winning seven games after losing our entire starting lineup from the year before, but we can’t be happy with seven wins. No excuses this year,” DiMattia said.

Now, led by senior Bri Doolittle and junior Haley Domen, Cardinal is looking to pick up a few more wins than they did a season ago.

“Most of our varsity team is the same as last year,” Doolittle said. “Losing one senior will be a benefit for us. We will keep building onto the team chemistry this year, which will help us a lot.”

Doolittle returns to the floor as a captain, this time in her senior season. She looks to be her team’s vocal leader, and lead once again in the rebounding category.

“She’s a dependable player,” her coach said. “I can trust her to go out and do what she needs to do, and I know what I am going to get out of her each game.”

Doolittle’s counterpart, Domen, will look to earn her third letter in basketball. Domen has led her team in a multitude of ways, on and off the court.

“Domen is the backbone of the team,” DiMattia said. “She’s full of energy, super athletic, and a fighter. She plays through injuries, and doesn’t ever come off the court.”

Domen is a second-year captain halfway

Collins

Domen

to her 1,000th career point coming into her junior season.

Players like Doolittle and Domen will have a lot of defenders face-guarding them this season. If DiMattia and company can get a couple other girls to score, and become a threat to their opponent, they could make noise in the conference.

Some of those players look like sophomores Ronee Collins and Cassie Nguyen, who both saw varsity minutes and will again see those minutes increase.

“Cassie brings high energy, especially on the defensive end of the court,” DiMattia said. “Ronee is a scorer who will be able to help take the pressure off of cousin Haley Domen.”

Freshmen Anna Layman and Carly Ayer both will be getting varsity minutes.

“Morgan Soltis is new to Cardinal, but she knows a lot of the girls,” DiMattia said.

Junior Megan Ehrhardt will look to make a mark on the season as well.

“She is a hard worker that pushes the girls to do their best,” DiMattia said.

Joining Doolittle are seniors Lorena Fortenbury and Julianna Pollack. Forten-

Doolittle

Fortenbury

bury can score from behind the arc, and Pollack, coming off of a shoulder surgery, will look to contribute to the Huskies’ balanced offense.

“Julianna is always pushing herself, trying to get better. She will add another ball handler and shooter when she returns,” DiMattia said. “Lorena had a nice preseason, and was voted captain by her teammates.”

The one downfall Cardinal is facing this season: just 11 girls on the roster. Health will be key for the team.

“We can’t afford anybody to miss any length of time, and we have to stick together as a team,” DiMattia said. “A lack of height is another weakness for us. We are definitely going to have to outwork other teams to get rebounds this year.”

“We compete every game to our best,” Doolittle said.

And competing is exactly what the Huskies are planning to do. Returning their leading scorer, rebounder, passer and defensive player in steals in both Doolittle and Domen, the Huskies can be disruptive.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 15

Hilltoppers Late Surge Fails Fourth-Quarter Comeback

By Haley Adams sports@geaugamapleleaf.com If fifth-year head coach Chad Murawski had any concern for the start of the 2020-21 basketball season, it would be the lack of time he and his players had in the gym to prepare for the winter season.

Chardon had a tall task to overcome right from the start: opening their season against University Schools, a Preppers team that was returning their entire starting-five roster from last season.

“We wanted to get past their press and stop their transitional offense, a main goal of ours,” said Brady Toth.

A slow start cost Chardon the final, 79-71, at the Barn at Chardon High School.

The press that the Preppers brought quickly gave the Hilltoppers a headache to start the game. University started the game 4-0 off of back-to-back turnovers from the Hilltoppers. A three from sophomore Alex Henry put the first points on the board for his team.

Toth led the team after a tough first quarter with eight points, and he and his teammates found themselves in a 30-13 hole.

A spark that quickly came from the Hilltoppers’ bench was junior forward Cody Palovich. With a scoop and finish in the paint — and an assist to senior Elliott Tyminski, who connected on a three-ball — Palovich quickly helped his team set the pace in a big

second quarter. Murawski would call a timeout with 5:34 remaining in the half. Toth found an open teammate in Joshua Bruce, who connected on three three-pointers in the JV action and continued to stay hot in varsity action.

“My role on this team is to provide an energy boost for the team,” said Palovich.

“When we are lackadaisical, and we need some momentum going our way, I’ll go out there and take a charge and dive for a 50/50 ball.”

With 6.2 seconds remaining in the half, a hustle play from Palovich, who stepped in front to take a charge against a much taller defender, allowed Toth to score as time expired. The Preppers would lead 44-29 at the half.

A big second quarter would cut their lead to 15, but it would be the Hilltoppers who outscored University 16-14. Toth led his team with 10 points.

University would have a big quarter themselves, and outscored the Hilltoppers 26-15 in the third. Toth would pick up five more points, and Palovich added 10. After three, the Preppers led 70-44.

After a quick timeout from University with 6:35 left, the Hilltoppers wouldn’t go down without a fight. Senior point guard Drew Fetchik would score all six of his 11 points from the free throw line, all in the fourth quarter.

Four threes from Toth would start the

Huskies Muzzled by Mustangs

By Rich Kelly sports@geaugamapleleaf.com The Cardinal Huskies of coach Joe DeMattia have, except for one two week period of isolation, gone on with their plans for the upcoming season, working hard but battling inexperience and a lack of height along the way.

They hosted the Grand Valley Mustangs in their season opener December 5, and after battling to a 7-6 lead midway through the first period against a taller and more experienced team, reality set in and put the Huskies in their place.

Grand Valley danced off with a 62-33 victory in Chagrin Valley action.

Haley Domen will be the uncontested leader for the Huskies this year, and her great athleticism showed early. She converted a trio of steals near mid-court in the early going that achieved a 7-6 lead for interim coach Kim Domen, filling in for DeMattia.

“We’ve only had one two-week period where we had to quarantine from the virus,” coach Domen said. “I have stepped in to help out, since Haley is my daughter and is involved in just about every sport season you can imagine. All of the girls need support, so I’ve been happy to fill in for Joe. “Once we got back, we only had enough time for a couple of practices before today’s game. One positive test has cost us only two practices, but the girls really have worked hard to get ready to play games.”

Cardinal went against a much physically larger Mustang team than they are, and when shots didn’t fall early, Grand Valley (2-1) asserted itself on the backboards to gain multiple shot attempts, paced by 6-1 post Alexis Mahaffey.

Down 7-6 in the opening stanza, sophomore guard Shania Callaway came off the bench and nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing to give her team a 9-7 lead. Several

short spurts later in the first half, there was no doubt about the outcome of the game; Grand Valley dominated the backboards at both ends of the floor.

Mahaffey snared 19 caroms to go with 12 points, leading the way. Olivia Prah put home 12 points, and Kat Clason snared nine more missed shots as the Mustangs won the rebounding battle, 53-31.

Domen grabbed five misses to go with her five steals, leading the scoring parade with 13 points.

As might be expected in a hit-and-miss opener, when basketball instincts are not yet well rounded, Cardinal (0-1) had issues putting the ball into the basket. They hit on only 14 of 63 shots, for just over 22 percent, and turned the ball over 30 times, 16 of those coming in a fast-paced effort with little closing success in the first half.

The Huskies battled from the opening tipoff. As Grand Valley coach Bob McKinney attempts to build depth to go with his team’s experience, rotating players in groups of five at every opportunity, the Huskies just could not keep up the pace. But despite tired legs, Cardinal, with just three seniors on the roster, never gave up in any second, a good sign as the team regroups.

Ronee Collins and Brianna Doolittle provided some aggressive efforts at both ends of the floor for the Huskies. Doolittle led with a trio of assists along the way, but both of those ladies — along with Cassie Nguyen and Anna Layman in the second half especially — had issues with a lack of home court advantage.

Ball movement was good, so Huskies fans can expect better results as long as the team can keep practicing.

“I think we did a good job of moving the ball around and being aggressive today,” coach Domen said. “Shots just weren’t falling, and Grand Valley did a great job controlling the boards on us.”

BILL FUGATE/KMG

Cody Palovich scored 10 points off the bench in Chardon’s 79-71 loss to University. It was the Hilltoppers first game of the 2020-21 season. The team is currently on pause until Dec. 18 due to the coronavirus.

fourth quarter on a 13-0 run, and another timeout was taken by the Preppers with 3:42 remaining, their 26-point lead now cut to just 13. A charge taken by Henry with 2:28 left provided another quick turn for the Hilltoppers.

With just 42 seconds remaining, the Hilltoppers only looked at a six-point deficit.

Then University was rewarded by a controversial call from the official, whether it was a jump ball or a timeout by the Preppers.

“We were all playing together in the final

quarter when we were down big, but we were playing for one another,” said Palovich. “We want to use this family to win games.”

“Our main goal is to win the WRC this year, and we have a big shot at it,” added Toth, who would lead all scorers with 27.

Palovich added 10 points coming off the bench. Henry would add six, while Bruce contributed nine. Fetchik would have a big fourth quarter, adding 11 for his team. Chardon would go 10 for 17 at the free throw line, also draining 11 three-pointers.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 16

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Obituaries Peter C. Strmen

BURTON TWP. – Peter C. Strmen, age 73, of Burton Township, died at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center on Dec. 2, 2020.

Born in Scranton, Pa., on Aug. 29, 1947, to Karl and Olga (nee Sidor) Strmen, he has been a lifelong area resident.

Peter was an avid sports fan and his greatest joy was watching his kids and grandkids in all of their school activities.

He proudly serviced in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Peter is survived by his wife of 46 years, Joyce (nee Bland) Strmen, of Burton; sons, Gary (Nicole) Moneysmith, of Chicago, Ill., and Steve (Julie) Strmen, of Troy Township; and grandchildren, Wesley, Matthew, Laurel, Isabella, Andrew, Ella, Ava, Lila, Chase and Vinny.

He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Elizabeth Strmen; and sister, Christine Strmen.

The family received friends Dec. 6, 2020, from 2-4 p.m., at Burr Funeral Home, 116 South St., Chardon.

Private family Mass was held at St. Helen Catholic Church on Dec. 7, 2020.

Information and condolences online at www.burrservice.com.

Betty Jo Roose

MIDDLEFIELD – Betty Jo (Blackman) Roose, age 88, a resident of Middlefield for 55 years, passed away at Ohman Family Living at Blossom on Dec. 1, 2020.

Born during the Great Depression on Oct. 19, 1932, in Zanesville, Ohio, she was the only child to the late Charles and Florence (nee Minnick) Blackman.

Until her senior year of high school, she was educated in a one room schoolhouse.

Then, Betty attended Ohio Northern University, where she met the love of her life, Rick Roose. Married in August 1954, they were inseparable for 61 years before he passed in 2015.

For 31 years, she worked long days (six days a week and an hour on Sunday) beside Rick at Roose’s Drug Store. When at home, she loved reading and taking care of her roses. When not at the store or at home, she spent her time being a girl scout leader to Mindy and Joyce.

Betty was also active on several committees for the First United Methodist Church in Middlefield and served as past president for the Cardinal Music Boosters.

She was an active volunteer for the Middlefield Historical Society and the Middlefield Ice Cream Depot.

With Rick, Betty had many laughter filled nights at the Middlefield Model Railroad Club.

Upon retirement, it was hard to find Rick and Betty at home. Traveling the country in their RV off the highways, they met many people and had many exciting adventures. Spending a month in Alaska and flying to Hawaii were some of her most

memorable experiences.

Betty will be greatly missed by her three daughters, Mindy Sitko, of Middlefield, Joyce (Jeff) Merritt), of Windsor, and Cindy (David) Gubics, of Creston; grandchildren, Heather (Bryan) Vandermaas, Cory Merritt, Kelsey Merritt, Michaela Gubics and Alayna Gubics; and great-grandchildren, Caeleigh Evans, Hunter Mulacek and Ava Vandermaas.

She is preceded in death by her husband; parents; and son-in-law, Doug Sitko.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will no calling hours or public service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Betty’s name to the Geauga County Library Foundation, 12701 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon, OH 44024 or online at www.GeaugaLibrary.net.

Memories and condolences can be shared with the family at www.slyffh.com.

David Joseph Plickert

CHARDON TWP. – David Joseph Plickert, age 64, of Chardon Township, died at the Cleveland Clinic on Dec. 2, 2020.

He was born in Cleveland, on May 15, 1956, to Henry and Stella (nee Andrulis) Plickert.

Growing up in Euclid, he and his wife, Julianne (nee Raggets), moved to the Chardon area 34 years ago, where they raised their sons.

David attended the Church of St. Mary’s, in Chardon, and was a member of the Good Guys Car Club.

He is survived by his wife, Julianne; sons, Matt (Lindsay), of Charlotte, N.C., and Dan (Jess), of Chardon; grandchildren, Addy, Emily and Trevor; brother, Tom (Nancy), of Painesville; and sister, Donna (Tom) Dietz, of Eastlake.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cleveland Clinic at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/giving/make-a-gift.

Information and condolences online at www.burrservice.com.

Gary Albert Lundgren

CHARDON – Gary Albert Lundgren, age 74, of Chardon, died on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center.

He was born on March 6, 1946, to Nels and Agnes (nee Pearson) Lundgren in Conneaut.

Gary was married to Alberta June Pifer, who preceded him in death in 2011.

He is survived by his son, Tom (Diane) Lundgren, of Garfield Heights; and daughter, Tracy (Mike) Jannotta, of Chardon; grandchildren, Jessica, Jared, Hannah, Kyle and Krista, and three brothers and one sister.

A private interment will take place at the Greenlawn Memory Garden.

Information and condolences at www. burrservice.com.

Mary Lou Richardson

MUNSON TWP. – Mary Lou Richardson (nee Jones), age 90, of Munson Township, died Nov. 11, 2020, at home surrounded by her family.

She was born to Percy Louis and Gladys Nadine (nee Heichel) Jones on Dec. 20, 1929, in Fond du Lac, Wisc.

On June 6, 1953, she married the love of her life, Howard Spencer Richardson, in Chardon. Mary Lou and her husband ran the former Junction Restaurant, at the intersection of state Route 44 and U.S. 322. She later continued her waitressing career at the Plaza Restaurant in Chardon, and then the Viking Restaurant in Munson.

She enjoyed cooking and was an excellent cook and gracious host. Mary Lou also loved fishing and camping; she did both in Canada every summer for over 50 years.

Mary Lou was a people person. She loved people and never met a stranger. She had a knack for finding the good in everyone and gave sincere compliments to everyone she encountered. Her smile and warmth made everyone feel special, whether they had known her for minutes or decades. Her affection and sense of humor created a home filled with love and laughter.

Not surprisingly, she was loved by manyespecially her nieces and nephews, as well as the friends of her children and grandchildren.

Mary Lou was a model of quiet perseverance. She endured devastating heartbreak, first with the death of her only son, Howard Alan Richardson, to cancer in 1994, followed by the loss of her beloved husband just four years later. Yet, she faced each day with a smile and was a source of love and strength for her family during those difficult years.

Her family was the center of her life.

Nothing brought Mary Lou greater happiness than taking care of her family. She was proud of every accomplishment, big or small.

Mary Lou was her grandchildren’s biggest cheerleader and her daughters’ biggest confidant. In the past decade she also found great joy in her six great-grandchildren. Her family will always remember and be thankful for her love and selfless devotion to them.

She is survived by her daughters, Linda (Lad) Gaal, of Chardon, and Dawn (Bill) Alvord, of Munson; daughter-in-law, Jean (Mike) Uthe, of Chardon; grandchildren, Lanese (Jason) Nobbe, of Mentor, Sarah (Jacob) Park, of Chardon, Daniel (Sara) Alvord, of Munson, Rebecca (Taylor) Emmons, of Fairport Harbor, Julie (Lee) Thomas, of Hambden Township, and Michael Richardson, of Chicago; six great-grandchildren; and sister Kay (Jim) Sojka, of Chardon.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her husband, on Feb. 11, 1998; son, Howard Alan Richardson, on April 29, 1994; her loving parents; and three sisters.

Private family services have been held.

Donations may be made in her name to the Geauga Park District, 9160 Robinson Road, Chardon, OH 44024, or the UH Seidman Cancer Center, 11100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106.

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

Roy D. McGary

PORT CLINTON – Roy D. “Butch” McGary, age 79, of Port Clinton, Ohio, formerly of Liberty Center, Ohio, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, at Edgewood Nursing Home, Port Clinton.

Butch, the eldest of five children, was born Sept. 10, 1941, to Roy D. McGary Sr. and Lucille (nee Murdock) McGary. He graduated from Liberty Center High School in 1959 and went on to attend the University of Toledo.

First employed by Goodwill Industries, he then was employed by the Social Security Administration until his retirement.

After retiring, he moved with his wife Nancy to Put-In-Bay, Ohio. While living on the island he was a dispatcher for the Put-In-Bay Police Department.

Butch was also a member of St. Paul Episcopal Church, Put-In-Bay, and the Masonic Lodge, Liberty Center.

On Sept. 28, 1968, he married Nancy Duggan, who preceded him in death on Oct. 15, 2012.

He is survived by his mother, Lucille McGary, of Liberty Center; sisters Claudia (Jim) Funkhouser, of Mesa, Ariz., and Catherine (Loren) Gentry, of Granger, Ind.; brotherin-law, Clifton Martinez, of Midwest City, Okla.; nephews, Miles (Janice) Martinez, of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Chad Martinez, of Midwest, Okla., Chris (Maureen) Funkhouser, of Phoenix, Ariz., Phillip (Keely) Funkhauser, of Marietta, Ga., Lucas (Ruthanne) Gentry, of Nile, Mich.; and Charles “Chip” Duggan, of Put-InBay; nieces, Mischa (Matt) Okuley, of Wauseon, Ohio, Leah (Kurt) Weber, of Winston Salem, N.C., and Dianne “Dee Dee” Duggan, of Put-In-Bay; as well as many great-nieces and great-nephews, cousins, Aunt Helen, Aunt Delores and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy; father, Roy McGary Sr.; sister Colleen Martinez; and brother, Roscoe (Rocky) McGary.

Funeral service and memorial to be announced at a later time.

Donations may be made to charity of donor’s choice.

“To Butch all things were possible you are only limited if you choose to be.”

Arrangements by Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 116 South St., Chardon.

Information and condolences online at www. burrservice.com.

Notices should be sent in writing by the funeral directors and memorial societies to: Geauga County Maple Leaf, P.O. Box 1166, Chardon, OH, 44024-5166, or faxed to 440-285-2015. The Maple Leaf charges a flat fee of $75 per obituary or death notice, including a photograph.

Geauga County Maple Leaf 440-285-2013

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Page 17

Obituaries William Edward Armstrong

CHARDON – William “Bill” Edward Armstrong, born of Albert Earnest Armstrong and Anna Murray Armstrong on Nov. 22, 1938, peacefully passed away on Dec. 4, 2020.

A graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, in January 1957, Bill then became a student at Ohio University in Athens. He joined Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business.

Upon graduation, he started his commission in United States Army with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Bill served two years in Germany in the Army Signal Corps followed by several years in the Army Reserve. He was offered a promotion to Captain, but decided to end his military service as a First Lieutenant.

On June 20, 1964, Bill married Judith “Judy” Lynn Smith, also a graduate of Ohio University and a grade schoolteacher.

Later, he was admitted to the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University and graduated with honors in June 1967 with a Juris Doctorate. Bill truly enjoyed the distinction, tradition and comradery of being a Buckeye.

After starting a family in their first home in South Euclid, Bill and Judy built a home on six wooded acres in Chardon, overlooking the Chagrin River valley, where they raised their family and resided for the rest of Bill’s life.

In his free time, when Bill wasn’t attending his sons’ wrestling meets or engaged in activities with church, family and friends, he enjoyed do-it-yourself home improvement projects and often could be found spending time enjoying the outdoors.

Bill began and conducted his litigation defense law practice for over 35 years in Cleveland, as a partner in a few different law firms. After retiring from Buckley, King & Bluso, Bill continued practicing law in Cleveland with colleagues, and then finished his career as a sole practitioner in offices in Willoughby, to be closer to his home in Chardon.

What began as a desire to own a canoe, throughout the years Bill fulfilled his dream of building and owning a cottage on one of many thousands of islands on Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, in Ontario, Canada. He and Judy vacationed there each summer with their family on Pentecost Island and shared the natural beauty with friends.

Bill and Judy practiced their Christian faith and developed many life-long friendships at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Chardon. Bill served on the church Vestry and wore many hats.

In his retirement, Bill spent time outdoors, with the church, family and friends. To stay in shape, meet new friends and engage

in friendly competition in his retirement, Bill discovered developed a love for playing pickleball at the Geauga YMCA. Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Judith Smith Armstrong; three sons, William Armstrong, John (Kathleen) Armstrong and James (Christine) Armstrong; and five grandchildren, William Armstrong, Megan Armstrong, Paige Armstrong, Elliott Armstrong and Laura Armstrong.

A funeral service honoring Bill will be held at St. Luke Episcopal Church, 11519 Wilson Mills Road, Chardon, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, at 11 a.m.

The family requests donations be made in Bill’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Research at www.michaeljfox.org, or to St Luke’s Episcopal Church, Chardon.

Information and condolences online at www.burrservice.com.

Dorothy Mae Dolsen

BURTON – Dorothy Mae Dolsen, age 99, of Burton, passed away at The Residence of Chardon on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020.

She was born on June 19, 1921, in Cleveland, daughter of Raymond and Hazel (nee Comstock) Knapp.

Dorothy married Robert Dolsen and they lived in Chardon for years.

She was a paper carrier for Geauga Times Leader and loved spending time in her flower garden.

She loved traveling and went to Japan and Australia, and also rode a camel in Egypt.

She enjoyed making Sunday pot roast for her family, whom she loved, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be missed dearly.

Dorothy is survived by her son, William (Donna) Dolsen; three daughters, Susan (William) Fluhr, Diane Dolsen and Joanne Dolsen; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband, Robert.

The family wishes to thank all the staff at The Residence of Chardon and Crossroad Hospice for taking such wonderful care of Dorothy.

A private graveside service will be held at East Claridon Cemetery.

Sly Family Funeral Home assisted family with arrangements. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.slyffh.com.

(440) 632-1695

Call Ahead for Guidelines

TOTAL FAMILY EYE CARE 10 Locations to Serve You Better

www.geaugavision.com

Donald A. Dull

CHARDON – Donald A. Dull, age 81, a lifelong Chardon area resident, died on Dec. 2, 2020.

He was born on Oct. 10, 1939, in Johnstown, Pa., to Forrest and Marvel (nee Uncapher) Dull.

Don served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Chardon Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Survivors include his wife, Nancy (nee Jurek) Blankenship Dull, whom he married on May 28, 1983, of Chardon; sons Michael Dull, of Chardon, Dewey Blankenship and Glenn Blankenship; daughter Melissa Holben; many grandchildren and five great-grand-

children; and brother Randy Dull.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Patsy Dull; sons Allen Dull and Leo Blankenship; daughter Robin Dull; grandson Mark; and five brothers and one sister.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Interment will be in the Riverside Cemetery, Painesville.

Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Chardon, is in charge of arrangements.

Information and condolences at www.burrservice.com.

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Page 18

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Chester Government Update The Chester Township Board of Trustees met on Nov. 19. Gary Neola, of Cornerstone Architecture, presented a set of recommendations for improvements to the forestation to cure an issue with the living arrangements, which do not meet current COVID-19 compliance and/or building codes.

The federal CARES Act provided significant dollars to the township to be used to offset COVID-19 related expenses. The dollars were given to each township, the county and other government organizations and the only choice was to give it back for others to use.

Chester Township received $529,726.11 to offset COVID-19 expenses. To be clear, there are different opinions on the board about the money, including if and how it should be used. There have been many open, honest and hard conversations. Some think it is great and that every dollar should be used. One trustee, however, expressed strong opposition to using the dollars because doing so contributes to the national debt and lowers the value of every dollar in the pockets of hardworking Americans. It is debt that the nation will have to repay.

Moreover, the township is sound financially, did not have significant COVID-19 expenses and does not need the dollars. At least one trustee thought the money would have served a better purpose if given directly to struggling businesses or suffering out of work citizens. There was agreement across the trustees that if valid COVID-19 expenses were identified, it was easier to justify use of some dollars.

All said, there were several CARES Act motions in the meeting that were discussed and passed. They covered: $15,000 for firefighter gear; $1,629.96 for fire

department non-contact thermometers; $1,881.65 for fire department binder lifts; and $166,858.22 in salaries and benefits for public safety forces.

There have been ongoing discussions about using some to the COVID-19 dollars to modify the fire station to provide more comfortable and safer living arrangements for the firefighters. The cost to make the modifications was estimated to be approximately $200,000. Given the legal and audit requirements and constraints associated with the money, it was decided to use the money to offset salaries, freeing those salary dollars to be used to make the modifications.

In other business, the senior trash pickup schedule is being worked out for the spring of 2021. Legal fees were approved for RLS & Associates.

AeroMark Company LLC was approved for repainting lines on Cedar Road at a cost of $6,088.96. The resignation of paramedic Austin Georskey was approved.

Motions were made to approve Chagrin Valley Paving for work to be done on various roads in the township. Trustee Skip Claypool discussed a plan to reduce the township phone bills by approximately $13,000 per year along with plans to modernize the system.

The planning committee met to discuss the recent township survey and future actions. The outcome was to develop a tool that allows prioritization of the most important issues and areas of interest to develop an action plan.

There is ongoing discussion to create improvements to the recycle park that will lead to reductions in abuse and to provide ongoing monitoring.

Submitted by Walter M. “Skip” Claypool, Chester Township Trustee

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Bulletin Board The Maple Leaf Community Bulletin Board is a public service of the Geauga County Maple Leaf.

Notices of nonprofit organizations, schools, and churches will be published without charge.

The Maple Leaf cannot guarantee publication, and reserves the right to edit, condense, cancel, or refuse any notice at any time. E-mail submissions to: cbb@geaugamapleleaf.com

Hot Cocoa Stroll

Zoom with Santa

Operation Santa Sleigh

Christian Women’s Connection

Dec. 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Chardon Square Association presents Home for the Holidays Hot Cocoa Stroll.

Stop by Beans Coffee Shop for free cocoa in a reusable cup, while supplies last. Letters to Santa can be dropped off at Antiques on the Square, Beans or the Nest.

Dec. 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Officers from the Chester Township Police Department, their families and Santa will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for the 10th annual Operation Santa Sleigh in front of the Chester Township Town Hall, 12701 Chillicothe Road. No toy guns, please. All donated toys will be given to Geauga County JFS to benefit local families.

Join Christmas Bird Count

Blackbrook Audubon Society needs eyes and ears for the 121st annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Dec. 26. Blackbrook’s CBC circle covers from Lost Nation Airport to Western Perry, Lake Erie down to Holden Arboretum and Big Creek Park in Geauga County.

The object of the Christmas Bird Census is to count all the bird species and number of birds in a 15-mile diameter circle in one 24-hour period between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5.

Participants within the circle can also report birds at their feeders.

To be assigned to a team covering a specific area or to report backyard feeder counts, contact Dan Donaldson, the compiler for Blackbrook’s circle, at danook057@yahoo.com.

Dec. 15, 7-8 p.m.

The Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Zoom With Santa event for families. Santa will read “A Night Before Christmas” and then answer questions. The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit chardonchamber.com.

Dec. 16, 11 a.m.

Join the women of Stonecroft Ministries Columbus and Cleveland for some holiday cheer with a Zoom event. Fran Carona, a clinical psychologist, author, speaker and blogger, will present “The Weary World Rejoices.” Lori Libka, of Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland Store, will join live from Frankenmuth, Mich.

R.S.V.P. to stonecroftcolumbuswomensconn@gmail.com. A Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

Live Nativity

Dec. 18 and 19, 6-8 p.m.

Huntsburg Congregational Church will present a live nativity at 12435 Madison Road, Huntsburg Township. Call 440-6365504 for more information.

VFW Schnitzel and Spaetzel

Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m.

Chardon VFW Post 6519 is serving schnitzel and spaetzel dinners every Wednesday in December at the post located at 752 Water St. Donation is $8.

Holiday Meal Drivers Needed

Volunteer drivers are needed Christmas Day, Dec. 25 to deliver meals to seniors who are alone for the holidays. All meals are delivered from the Chardon Senior Center, 12555 Ravenwood Drive in Chardon. Volunteers pick up the holiday meals at the Chardon Senior Center and deliver them to the assigned seniors’ homes. For more information or to volunteer, call Deana Catucci at the Geauga County Department on Aging, 440-279-2145.

Bloodmobile

As the U.S. experiences a new surge in COVID-19 cases, the American Red Cross is becoming increasingly concerned about the nation’s blood supply – including convalescent plasma. Donation appointments may be made by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-733-2767.

Dec. 11, Parkman Community House, 16295 Main Market Road, 1-7 p.m.

Dec. 13, St. Mark Lutheran Church, 11900 Chillicothe Road, Chester Township, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dec. 18, Munson Town Hall, 12210 Auburn Road, Munson Township, 1-6 p.m.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Page 19

Chardon CSF Auction Benefits Hilltoppers

Chardon Schools Foundation is pleased to announce that as a result of its successful community auction event held in March, it has awarded over $14,000 in grants to Chardon Schools this year alone. CSF, a non-profit organization run by a small, but mighty group of community volunteers, has helped fund creative and innovative educational grants to teachers in the Chardon Local School District since 1989.

The Foundation’s 2020 grants, awarded in response to faculty grant review sessions held virtually in May and November, will enrich K-12 student educational experiences at all five Chardon schools in a vast array of areas, including literacy, interactive learning, community service, woodworking, music, agriculture, stress management and forensic science, in the 2020-21 school year and beyond.

At Maple Elementary School, kindergarten classroom libraries will be home to 50 new VOX nonfiction audio books, including titles from the Community Helpers, Insects Up Close and Mighty Machines series.

In addition, school libraries at both Munson and Park elementary schools will grow virtually with the addition of over 250 licensed electronic-book titles, both fiction and nonfiction.

The Chardon Middle School teaching staff

SUBMITTED

Chardon Schools Foundation board members (l to r) Jenny Kelly and CoCo (Koren) Griffis field auction bids from community members during CSF’s annual online/live G-TV auction March 7.

is already in full swing with their CSF-funded subscription to Pear Deck, an interactive presentation tool that works in conjunction with Google Slides. Also at CMS, many hands will make light funding work as CSF and Chardon Schools jointly sponsor a ceiling-mounted LCD projector for the CMS band/choir room.

For the Chardon High School campus, a joint funding endeavor by CSF and Chardon’s Sherwin-Williams will enable Chardon Service Learning students to build contem-

West Geauga

plation benches for their recently initiated community garden project located near the tennis courts. CSF is funding the structural components for the benches, while Sherwin-Williams is donating the paint, stain, brushes and other items.

Also with their sights set on gardening is CHS’ newly launched Creating Reliable Educated Workers program for grade levels 9-12. CREW is an industry-driven, work-based model designed to prepare students for the

4E’s they will encounter after graduation: Employment, Enrollment, Enlistment and/ or Entrepreneurship. As one of their initial projects, CREW students have been busy researching the establishment of an agricultural center with hopes that it will span many grade levels and years at CHS. For a soft start to the agricultural initiative, CREW students will be conducting a pilot greenhouse project using a hobby kit greenhouse funded by CSF. All projects funded by CSF for Chardon Schools students are possible solely because of the Foundation’s strong base of community supporters, including sponsors, local businesses and individual donors.

CSF has a long-standing tradition of organizing two community fundraisers each year - the online/G-TV auction in March and the Firecracker 5K in July. However, in response to the pandemic, including restrictions on social gatherings and the understood economic impact on businesses, CSF did not host its Firecracker 5K in 2020 and will likely be forgoing its annual auction that would have been held in March 2021.

Community members interested in continuing to support the organization’s mission during this time are encouraged to send a monetary donation to Chardon Schools Foundation, PO Box 838, Chardon, Ohio 44024 or online through CSF’s website at http://www. chardonschoolsfoundation.org.

Chagrin Falls Student Recognized in Anti-Bullying Contest

JIM KISH – WGLSD

With her mom by her side, West Geauga High School senior Lauren Munko signs her National Letter of Intent to continue her basketball career at Penn State Shenango.

Munko Signs with Penn State Shenango

West Geauga Senior Lauren Munko will be taking her basketball skills to the next level in the fall. She will be playing at Penn State Shenango for the 2021-22 school year.

Munko has had an outstanding career as a Wolverine and is greatly looking forward to this new and exciting opportunity. She will still be on the court for this season, as games are scheduled to begin in January.

Chagrin Falls Middle School eighth-grader Jake Evans has won $100 after submitting a video to an anti-bullying contest from “Bullyproof by Oscar.”

Bullyproof by Oscar is a non-profit group that works to help victims of bullying to become stronger and learn how to stand up for themselves and others. It was created by a father and son after son Oscar experienced bullying himself. They created a video contest where students are encouraged to create a 30 to 60-second video that offers tips to “rise above and be kind.”

All video entries had to reflect the theme of anti-bullying and were open to individuals or collaborative entries. The video then had to be posted on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the tag @BullyproofbyOscar.

The winners were selected by a panel of judges who were chosen by the Bullyproof

by Oscar team.

Jake was notified that he came in fourth place for his video and was given a $100 Visa gift card as well as a T-shirt, bracelet and

SUBMITTED

The Chagrin Falls Middle School Speech and Debate Team participated virtually in Mentor’s Speech and Debate Tournament.

Fraya Brattebo and Eire Ratcluffe took third place in Public Forum in their first virtual competition this year. They swept every round in Public Forum. With a 4 and 0 start in such a weird structure this year and amidst the pandemic, the team is optimistic and excited for a busy and successful season.

challenge coin, which is meant to be carried with you as a reminder to act with kindness and compassion.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 20

Legal Notices

Legal Notices are also posted to www.geaugamapleleaf.com and www.publicnoticesohio.com

Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate General Code, Sec. 11661 Revised Code, Sec. 2329.26 Case No. 20-F-000155 The State of Ohio, County of Geauga, ss: DOLLAR BANK, FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK, Plaintiff vs. COREY B. PLIML, ET AL., Defendants In pursuance of an Order of Sale in the above entitled action, I will offer for sale at public auction, at the door of the Court House, in the City of Chardon, in the above named County, on Thursday, the 7th day of January, 2021, at 10:00 o’clock A.M., and if the parcel does not receive a sufficient bid, it shall be offered for sale, without regard to the minimum bid requirement, at the same time of day and at the same place of the first sale, on Thursday, the 21st day of January, 2021 the following described real estate, situated in the County of Geauga and State of Ohio, and in the Township of Newbury to wit: A copy of the complete legal description can be found in the Geauga County Recorder’s Office, 231 Main Street, Suite 1-C, Chardon, Ohio 44024, OR Volume 1820, Page 3285 SHORT LEGAL DESCRIPTION: S/L 268 ^RESTFUL LAKE ALLOTMENT AND S/L 269 ^RESTFUL LAKE ALLOTMENT Said Premises Located at: 14871 LONGVIEW DRIVE, NEWBURY TOWNSHIP, OH. Permanent Parcel Number: 23-025900, 23026000 DEPOSIT: Pursuant to O.R.C. 2329.211, the required deposit for this offering shall be $5,000.00. Said deposit shall be CASH or CERTIFIED CHECK, payable to the Geauga County Sheriff.

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

Said Premises appraised at ($60,000.00) and cannot be sold for less than two-thirds of that amount ($40,000.00). Please note: The appraisals are based on an exterior appraisal of property only, unless otherwise noted.

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

SCOTT A. HILDENBRAND, Sheriff Geauga County, Ohio Maureen C. Zink, attorney Dec10-17-24, 2020

Geauga County Sheriff – Scott A. Hildenbrand

GEAUGA SHERIFF’S SALE BULLETIN

SHERIFF’S SALES NOTICE OF SALE UNDER JUDGMENT OF FORECLOSURE OF LIENS FOR DELINQUENT LAND TAX Revised Code, Sec. 5721.191 Case No. 17-F-000477 CHRISTOPHER P. HITCHCOCK, TREASURER OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO, Plaintiff vs. STEPHEN G. PLOTTKE, ET AL., Defendants Whereas, judgment has been rendered against certain parcels of real property for taxes, assessments, penalties, costs and charges as follows: Parcel No(s): 18-061350 – 2.01 acres.

Address: known on the tax duplicate as 18061350 – 14520 OLD STATE ROAD, MIDDLEFIELD TOWNSHIP, OH. Description: “As Geauga County has adopted a permanent parcel number system, it has been determined that publication of the complete legal description is not necessary to provide reasonable notice of the foreclosure sale to potential bidders. The complete legal description can be located in the Court’s file located at the Geauga County Clerk of Court’s office, located on the 3rd floor of the Geauga County Courthouse, 100 Short Court, Chardon, Ohio 44024.”

Last known owner: STEPHEN G. PLOTTKE AND EDWARD PHILIP PLOTTKE, TOD, 14520 OLD STATE ROAD, MIDDLEFIELD, OHIO 44062.

MINIMUM BID: $8,668.53 Whereas, such judgment orders such real property to be sold by the undersigned to satisfy the total amount of said judgment; Now, therefore, public notice is hereby given that Scott A. Hildenbrand, Sheriff of Geauga County, Ohio, will sell such real property at public auction, for cash to the highest bidder of an amount sufficient to satisfy the judgment against each parcel at 10:00 o’clock A.M. at the door of the Court House in the City of Chardon, Ohio on THURSDAY, THE 7TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2021, at 10:00 o’clock A.M., and if any parcel does not receive a sufficient bid, it shall be offered for sale, under the same terms and conditions of the first sale and at the same time of day and at the same place, on THURSDAY, THE 21ST DAY OF JANUARY, 2021 for an amount sufficient to satisfy the judgment against the parcel.

Public notice is hereby given that all such real property to be sold at public auction may be subject to a federal tax lien that may not be extinguished by the sale, and purchasers of any such real property are urged to search the Federal Tax Lien index that is kept by the County Recorder to determine if notice of a federal tax lien has been filed with respect to any such real property.

DEPOSIT: Pursuant to Geauga County Local Rule 13, the required deposit for this offering shall be $300 or 10% of bid, whichever is greater. Said deposit shall be CASH or CERTIFIED CHECK, payable to the Geauga County Sheriff.

TERMS OF SALE: Cash if Purchase Price is $300.00 or less. If more than $300.00 Purchase Price is to be paid in accordance with the Rule of Court of Common Pleas, Geauga County, Ohio, governing Sheriff’s Sales.

SCOTT A. HILDENBRAND, Sheriff Geauga County, Ohio Kristen K. Rine, attorney Dec10-17-24, 2020

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Geauga County Sheriff – Scott A. Hildenbrand

Sheriff’s land sales are held at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday or date scheduled at the GEAUGA COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT HOUSE, 100 SHORT COURT STREET, CHARDON, OHIO, 1st floor lobby by the doors of the Court House.

1. Opening bids start at 2/3rds of the appraisal value. If the property remains unsold after the first sale with a minimum bid of 2/3rds of the appraised value, a second sale will go forward on the next scheduled date with no minimum bid and the property will be sold to the highest bidder.

However, the purchaser at the second sale is still subject to the costs, allowances, and real property taxes.

2. Deposit due at the time of bid, (if you do not have the down payment on your person at the time of the bid, property will be re- bid). Balance due 30 days after confirmation. NO PERSONAL CHECKS accepted by Sheriff’s Office. Deposit by CASH, BANK CHECK, or CERTIFIED CHECK at time of bid. Checks can be made payable to the Geauga County Sheriff or to yourself and endorsed over to the Sheriff if you are the successful bidder. A judgment creditor is not required to make a sales deposit.

3. Deeds are issued after the confirmation of sale, when the balance of the purchase price is received by the Sheriff’s Office.

4. You cannot view the inside of the properties for sale. They are owned by the defendants, and the Sheriff’s Office does not have access to these properties. You buy “AS IS”.

5. Information about the lot size, number of rooms, year built, etc. can be obtained from the Auditor’s Office for a small fee using the permanent parcel number.

6. Federal tax liens are filed in the Geauga County Recorder’s Office, Courthouse Annex, 231 Main St, City of Chardon 1st floor, and case files are located in the Clerk of Courts Office, 3rd floor Courthouse 100 Short Court, City of Chardon (www.co.geauga.oh.us click on Departments), and can be researched in the respective offices.

7. Legal descriptions for delinquent tax land can also be found in the Recorder’s Office.

8. Property taxes will be prorated by the Geauga County Treasurer’s Office and paid out of the proceeds of the sale. Tax amount will include arrearages and a prorated estimate to the second sale date.

9. Delinquent tax properties are NOT appraised. They are sold for DELINQUENT TAXES, COSTS, AND PENALTIES. The property is offered for sale two (2) times. If it is not sold on the first sale date, it will be offered again at a later date.

10. The purchaser is responsible for a $50.00 deed fee to be paid to the Sheriff.

DATE OF SALE: Thursday, January 7, 2021 — 10:00 A.M.

MINIMUM APPRAISAL BID

Middlefield Township

Case No. 17-F-000477 — Christopher P. Hitchcock, Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio vs. Stephen G. Plottke, et al., 14520 Old State Road (2.01 acres). PPN: 18-061350. Kristen K. Rine, atty.

Set Minimum Bid: $8,668.53

Newbury Township Case No. 20-F-000155 — Dollar Bank, Federal Savings Bank vs. Corey B. Pliml, et al., 14871 Longview Drive (0.14 acres). PPN: 23-025900, 23-026000. Maureen C. Zink, atty. $60,000.00 $40,000.00

LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE GEAUGA COUNTY Notice is hereby given that the valuations for tax year 2020, a triennial update year, have been completed and are now open for public inspection. Said valuations may be checked online at www.auditor.co.geauga.oh.us. Please visit our website for updates and “frequently asked questions”. Any further questions can be submitted by email to appraisal@gcauditor. com or by calling 440-279-1601. Due to the pandemic, please no walk-ins.

This legal notice is being made to comply with Ohio Revised Code, Section 5715.17 requiring publication in the newspaper and does not change any prior written notification.

Complaints against any valuation or assessment except those fixed by the Department of Taxation will be heard by the Board of Revision by Webex on January 11, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.

Public viewing by Webex at 470 Center Street, Building 8, Chardon, Ohio. Further information regarding complaints may also be obtained by visiting our website.

Charles E. Walder Geauga County Auditor Dec3-10, 2020

LEGAL NOTICE In Response to Newbury Township “Legal Notice” ad placed here in this section on Nov. 26, 2020 and Dec 3rd, 2020 accepting “bidders” to “demolish” 11716 Portlew Rd, Newbury, Ohio 44065 is deceptive and fraudulent as Newbury Township is not the legal owner of said properties and hereby did not follow proper procedures of TITLE II ADA Act of 1990.

I am the legal owner of 11716 Portlew Rd and any “contractor” who enters my property of both parcels will be charged with “Criminal Trespass” per to State of Ohio Revised Code 2911.21 and therefore will be sued to the maximum amount of the contractors liability insurance coverage.

Any questions you can contact Zach by text message at 440-856-9301.

Zach Nicolet Dec10-17, 2020

LEGAL NOTICE The following matters are the subject of this public notice by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The complete public notice, including any additional instructions for submitting comments, requesting information, a public hearing, or filing an appeal may be obtained at: http://www.epa.ohio.gov/actions. aspx or Hearing Clerk, Ohio EPA, 50 W. Town St. P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio 43216. Ph: 614644-3037 email: HClerk@epa.ohio.gov Final Approval of Plans and Specifications

Russell Shell 14900 Chillicothe Rd, Novelty, OH 44072 Facility Description: Public Water System ID #: 1356300 Date of Action: 12/02/2020 This final action not preceded by proposed action and is appealable to ERAC. Detail Plans for PWSID:OH2862312 Plan No:1356300 Regarding Hemlock Point Ventures.

Final Approval of Plans and Specifications Rothenbuhler Cheesemakers, Inc. 15815 Nauvoo Rd, Middlefield, OH 44062 Facility Description: Non-Transient Non-Community Water System ID #: 1369756 Date of Action: 12/02/2020 This final action not preceded by proposed action and is appealable to ERAC. Detail Plans for PWSID:OH2835412 Plan No:1369756 Regarding Gingerich Well.

Dec10, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE Portage-Geauga Joint Board of Commissioners The Portage-Geauga Joint Board of Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, December 10, 2020 beginning at 10:00 AM with public access to the meeting via live webstream only. The webstream can be found on the Commissioners’ webpage at: https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/portage-county-board-commissioners/pages/meeting-live-stream The purpose of this Special Meeting is to conduct general purpose business of the Joint Board of Commissioners.

If you have any questions, please contact the Board of Commissioners’ Office at (330) 2973600.

Amy Hutchinson, Clerk Dec10, 2020

BID NOTICES ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY GEAUGA-TRUMBULL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT The Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District will be accepting sealed bids until Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at 2:00 PM at 5138 Enterprise Dr., Warren, OH 44481 and opened and read for: THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING A GREENFIELD SITE AT 12685 MERRITT ROAD IN GEAUGA COUNTY AND BUILDING A NEW BUILDING FOR COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE. A copy of the drawings and specifications including proposal pages may be obtained from Phillips Sekanick Architects, 142 E. Market St., Warren, OH 44481. Hardcopies will be available for $200 non-refundable payable to Axiom

Architects. Electronic copies will be available free of charge. Contact Michele Schwartz at Phillips Sekanick Architects at 330-395-9518 to order hardcopies or receive electronic copies.

FAILURE TO OBTAIN PROPOSAL FROM PHILLIPS SEKANICK ARCHITECTS MAY RESULT IN BID REJECTION DUE TO NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FEE REQUIREMENTS AND OFFICIAL ADDENDUM NOTIFICATION/S. For all bids in excess of $50,000.00, a certified check or cashier’s check representing TEN percent (10%) of the proposal, drawn on a solvent bank, and payable to the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District, or a bid bond in the sum of TEN percent (10%) of the proposal in lieu thereof must accompany each and every proposal as a guarantee that if the bid is accepted, a contract will be entered into with the Geauga-Trumbull SWMD Board of Directors, in the manner provided by law.

A performance bond in the amount of 100% of the contract price will be required at the time the bidder enters into the contract.

Bids of Corporations not chartered in Ohio MUST be accompanied by proper cer­tifications that such Corporation is authorized to do business in Ohio.

Attention of the Bidder is directed to the requirements that each proposal must be accompanied by a non‑collusion affidavit, properly executed by the Bidder. Further, the successful Bidder will be required to execute an af­fidavit required by Sec. 5719.042 of the Ohio Revised Code. No payment shall be made on any Contract for which no such affidavit has been submitted.

The Geauga-Trumbull SWMD Board of Directors reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In addition, the Geauga-Trumbull SWMD Board of Directors reserves the right to participate in state contracts which the Department of Administrative Services, Office of State Purchasing has entered into for the purchase of supplies, services, equipment and certain materials pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 125.04. No bids may be withdrawn for at least sixty (60) days after the opening thereof.

Each bidder must insure that all employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, sex or national origin.

CLEARLY INDICATE THE ITEM BEING BID, DATE AND TIME OF SCHEDULED BID OPENING, AS WELL AS THE NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE PERSON OR BUSINESS SUBMITTING THE BID, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SEALED ENVELOPE CONTAINING THE BID. Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste District Board of Directors: Geauga County Commissioners: Jim Dvorak, Tim Lennon and Ralph Spidalieri Trumbull County Commissioners: Mauro Cantalamessa, Frank Fuda and Daniel Polivka Jennifer Jones, Director Dec3-10, 2020

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

SHERIFF’S SALE RESULTS

DATE OF SALE: Thursday, December 3, 2020 Chardon City Case No. 18-F-000613 — Northwest Bank, formerly Northwest Savings Bank vs. 408 Water Street, Co., et al., 400 Water Street (5.15 acres). PPN: 10-034800. WITHDRAWN — ORDER OF COURT.

Hunting Valley Village Case No. 18-F-000619 — Northwest Bank, formerly Northwest Savings Bank vs. Rollin G. Cooke, III, et al., 117 Partridge Lane (5.15 acres). PPN: 27-003920. WITHDRAWN — ORDER OF COURT.

Middlefield Village Case No. 17-F-000215 — Planet Home Lending, formerly known as Green Planet Servicing, LLC vs. Richard B. Matzek, et al., 14839 Lantern Court (0.28 acres). PPN: 19-080808.

SOLD TO CHRISTOPHER SHIPMAN FOR $121,000.00.

Sheriff ’s Report The following is a sampling of the calls handled by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2020.

CITIZEN ASSIST Nov. 28 11:04 a.m., Merritt Road, Munson. Subject in lobby to turn in some long guns. Three long guns turned over and entered into evidence.

GUNSHOT Nov. 27 3:10 p.m., Hayes Road, Huntsburg. Female accidentally shot in the back by a .22. She is alert and breathing. Female is in the home; she was shot by her 10-year-old son. Caller sounds intoxicated. Caller now states he’s not sure how bad it is. Caller is at a different location. Per deputy get helicopter on standby. Medevac checking weather. Rendezvous with Medevac at county airport. Report taken.

Dec. 3 5:05 p.m., Reeves Road, Parkman. Son accidentally shot by his brother. Shot in lower stomach. Male is in the shop building.

Caller disconnected; she was not with patient. Male was breathing when she went to the phone. Medical helicopter has accepted the flight and will be on standby at the airport. Female on the line upset the deputies are questioning their son without them. Mother wants to speak with deputy on scene. Report taken.

HARASSMENT Nov. 27 5:42 p.m., Clay Street, Huntsburg. Deputy

met with caller who stated she received a phone call from an older Amish male who asked if she would “sleep with him.” Caller stated no and then the male stated he knew where caller lived.

No threats of violence. It was determined the number used was a community phone and no suspects were able to be found. Dispatch attempted to call the number back but was unsuccessful.

Advice given to family.

SUSPICIOUS Nov. 30 7 p.m., Mayfield Road, Claridon. Caller states someone threw something on her porch.

Caller has a TPO against ex-boyfriend who lives in Rome. Caller did not see anything. Deputy observed a half-eaten burrito on the metal steps leading to caller’s trailer. She believes her ex-boyfriend is responsible and occasionally has retaliated after their break-up. Caller recently won a custody battle of their two kids.

Deputy attempted to contact ex-boyfriend and was unable to leave a message. Extra patrol will be provided.

TRESPASSING Nov. 27 1:34 p.m., Washington Street, Auburn.

Caller has been off the property for five years due to her husband’s job and one of the neighbors has placed a fire pit, disc golf course and hammocks on their property in the time they have been gone. Large ruts in the driveway; deputy can drive around it into the grass if needed. Deputy advised of pending call.

Report taken.

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Classifieds AUTOS & PARTS

PETS & ANIMALS

Selling A Pair Of AMF Snowmobiles.

Both Will Run, Not Run For Years. $800 For Pair. Call Joe 440-298-9810.

Starr – young-adult black cat needs new indoor home as the only cat. Talker, social, very sweet, spayed, vaccinated. Rebecca. 440-321-2485.

Bedliner Fits 2014-2019 Silverado 1500 6.5Ft Bed. Includes Tailgate Protector $50. 440-285-3729.

2009 Hyundai Elantra. Looks and runs well. $2,000. 440-465-0003 Cash for Junk Vehicles: running or not, classics/big trucks/etc., free removal, call/text Zac 440-679-7293.

FOR RENT Auburn Twp. Apt. 2 Bedroom, No Smoking, Pets. Heat, Trash & Snow Removal & Lawn Care included. Quiet Country setting. Kenston School District, $860/ Month. Contact Lou @ 440.336.3536.

FOR SALE

Purebred Labrador and labradoodle mix puppies. Calm temperament and great coats. 3 months old $1,000 each. 330-4426204.

MISCELLANEOUS Shop AVON at home or office. Delivery and a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

Bev Thompson Avon Independent Sales Representative Call: 440-708-8045 Visit my Web site: https://www.avon.com/ myavon/bthompson8804

REAL ESTATE INVEST OR LIVE Here- 2bdr. condo, Colonial Park, Chardon. New carpet, hardwood, luxury vinyl. Private end unit. $79,900 Call 440-632-8334.

SERVICES

CLASSIFIEDS 440-729-7667 Reliable Driver and reliable van with hitch. 330-978-0367.

Two Used JL Audio 12W6v2 Subs, Two Used Pioneer Mono PDX-M6 Amps. All Wiring Included. Excellent Condition.

Priced To Sell. $400. 440-552-4400.

Queen solid wood sleigh bed for waterbed: headboard 75” wide could be used on regular bed. Beautiful carved design, $40, SLW4134@att.net or 440-729-4134.

Brown eggs from free range hens, no antibiotics, no hormones. $3/doz. 13137 St Rt 608 Claridon. Some deliveries available. 440-636-5747 DeWalt 10” table saw w/extend table, mobile base, duck & geese decoys, Coleman stove, heater, waders, hunting boots, RC plane w/accessories. 440-8341850.

Thinking about the holidays? Vendor 2063 features Christmas decorations at Marketplace Mall, 15864 Nauvoo Rd., Middlefield (part of Heritage Marketplace). Open M-F 10-5:30 and Sat. 10-5.

True Full Spectrum Infrared Healthmate 3-Person Sauna Renew/Restore Series Professional Edition. W70” D63” H79.5” Like New. 440-983-9367.

Sewer Cleaning Company to any new client, free video line inspection of your storm or sewer line. Call today. 440-2906055.

Buckeye Stoneworks: we specialize in Amherst sandstone, we custom cut all projects for masons, landscapers, builders, contractors, and residential, by appt only, call 440-632-0188 leave message.

John’s Plumbing: Affordable and reliable. Water heaters, toilets, faucets, drain cleaning, gas lines, sump pumps, well tanks. 440-285-0800.

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

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

WANTED Retired nurse looking for employment.

440-834-8416.

Experienced amish house cleaner looking for more jobs. No cats and dogs due to allergies. Linda 440-548-2837.

GARAGE/ESTATE SALES

WANTED TO BUY

If you need to have a moving sale or estate sale call Kathy Willis at 440-8403226, partial estate buyouts also.

Wanted Upright Electric Freezer In Very Good Condition. 440-313-3718 or 440548-2657.

HELP WANTED

Old fishing tackle wanted: fishing lures (wood or plastic), tackle boxes, wooden duck decoys. Call Lee at 440-313-8331.

Farm help in Huntsburg. 440-636-5747.

First shift utility worker. Rotating weekends and weekdays. Visual inspection, packing according to spec sheet, count and label products. Assist other departments. Benefits. 440-974-7171.

MANCAN IS NOW HIRING GENERAL LABOR AND SKILLED TRADES IN LAKE, GEAUGA, CUYAHOGA AND ASHTABULA COUNTIES To apply, stop into the office Monday - Thursday, 9am to 3pm.

Be sure to bring 2 forms of ID. A resume is encouraged.

220 Center St. Ste B-2 Chardon, OH 44024 440-285-5627

Wanted ‘65-‘67 Mustang Convertible, and other muscle cars needing repair, call/ text 440-832-1465.

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

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Page 23

Real Estate Following is a list of real estate transfers for the week ending Nov. 24, 2020, provided as a public service by the Geauga County Auditor’s Office. Transfers may involve the sale of land only.

BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP Canyon Lakes Colony Co., Canyon Ridge (s/l 355), to John E. and Pauline Z. Morawski, $137,500. (0.29 acres) Annalie Glazen, 17540 Fairlawn Drive (Unit J3), to Gordon and Kristin Diemer, $225,000. (0.00 acres) Lynn Beth Simon, 17413 Beech Grove Trail (Unit 8), to Norbert and Sandra Truderung, $585,000. (0.00 acres) Robert A. and Monika Z. Vinson, 17833 Lost Trail, to Hien Q. Pham, $325,000. (1.03 acres) Gene and Lorene M. Morris, 19039 Hillside Lane, to US Bank Trust National Association (trustee), $93,400. (1.58 acres) CHARDON TOWNSHIP Envirotest Systems Corp, 10632 Auburn Road, to FIP Master Funding LLC, $721,600.

(2.92 acres) CHARDON CITY Ryan T. Carse and Melanie J. Bowders, 482 Myra Drive, to Elisabeth J. Giedt (trustee), $180,400. (0.28 acres) Elizabeth J. Ferrall, 110 Bentwood Drive, to Lynette S. Desantis (trustee), $395,000.

(0.31 acres)

Service Directory

HUNTSBURG TOWNSHIP Jody A., Daniel L. and Andrew T. Clinger, 17461 Huntley Road, to Dean Borntrager, $200,000. (28.51 acres) Jody A., Daniel L. and Andrew T. Clinger, 17461 Huntley Road, to Jody A. and Nicole T. Clinger, $128,800. (35.50 acres) MIDDLEFIELD TOWNSHIP Carline M. Troutman, 13784 Madison Road, to Cory L. and Wendy Burnett, $120,800. (1.00 acres) MIDDLEFIELD VILLAGE Christine T. Klomfas, 14938 Lake Ave., to Larry G. Moore (trustee), $95,000. (0.37 acres) MUNSON TOWNSHIP Kurtis G. and Christine M. Taylor, 11785 Tall Pines Drive, to Christopher John and Karla Leigh Caruso, $438,000. (2.59 acres) Jason L. Snider and Christina Yaros, 11676 Legend Creek Drive, to Jason L. Snider, $146,000. (2.00 acres) NEWBURY TOWNSHIP John G. and Diana M. Thimmig, 12072 Lakeside Drive (s/l 60-61), to Nicole A. Schurdell and Matthew P. Emrich, $174,900.

(0.22 acres) RUSSELL TOWNSHIP Trillium Woods Properties LLC, Wharton Road (Lot 3), to Mark and Amy Krantz, $500,000. (5.92 acres) Ryan J. and Lauren A. Bockmuller, Westcot Lane (s/l 1), to Patrick J. and Gina V. Flynn, $180,000. (3.82 acres) Vinka M. Lasic and Colin W. Knott, 7892 Woodsway Lane, to Mary J. Webster, $300,000. (1.55 acres) Susan Burruss (trustee), Riddle Road (s/l 20), to Hakan Ilaslan and Niguel Koceli Ilaslan, $420,000. (10.97 acres) SOUTH RUSSELL VILLAGE Gordon Lee and Kirstin M. Diemer, 150 Holly Lane, to Nick P. and Rebecca Mueller, $425,000. (0.16 acres)

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, December 10, 2020