Westwood Walk Raises Funds

The annual Westwood Walk gave students the opportunity to raise funds for their school. All students participated in the walk with the support of the staff and the PTO. The walk raised $19,017 for the school.

Mrs. Nanney got in on the fun and agreed to a special haircut with the letters WW engraved in the back that was provided by stylists from Avanti Salon in Chester Township. Select students got to smash pies in their favorite teachers’ faces as a reward.

Fire Safety Week Observed

Ledgemont Elementary School students had the special opportunity to meet members of the Thompson Fire Department and get an up-close look at safety trucks and equipment as part of Fire Prevention Week Oct. 7-9.

The outdoor presentation featured a tour of an ambulance and fire truck, as well as a presentation on how the various equipment and technology is used by safety personnel to help people in the event of an emergency. Students also learned important fire safety tips and given a turn at spraying water from fire extinguishers.

Thank you to the members of the Thompson Fire Department for providing the students a fun, interactive and educational fire safety program.

6th-Graders S.T.E.A.M. Experience

Burton Elementary School sixth-grade students traveled to Geauga Airport earlier this week to participate in a practical and hands-on learning experience to reinforce the science, technology, engineering, art and math (S.T.E.A.M.) and project based learning curriculum in the district.

In addition to touring the life-sized planes in the hangar, students had the chance to fly their very own planes that they constructed in class and make assessments about their flight capabilities. Their goal was to compete with themselves and improve their airtime by charting actual data and brainstorming improvements in the building process. Students will have the chance to upgrade and enhance their planes in class next week.

Thank you to Amy Hochschild, sixth-grade science/social studies teacher, S.T.E.A.M. and Science Olympiad advisor, for developing the interactive project based assignment.

Multiplication Secret Agents

In a fun, academic and project based learning approach, fifth-grade students at Burton Elementary School recently disguised themselves as secret agents and traveled around a make-believe world at the building to solve multiplication problems. Specifically deploying detective skills to solve two-digit by two-digit multiplication factors, students had a fun and interactive time as they learned about this set of important math skills. Special credit goes to Sara O’Connor for the creative manner by which the elementary students absorbed an important math lesson.

Scarecrow Narrative Adventures

Burton Elementary School fourth-grade language arts students, with some guidance from Mrs. Neumore, Mrs. Burnett and Mrs. McCandless, have been busy this past week taking literary concepts and skills and putting them into practice with a seasonal hands on project.

The students first read “The Little Scarecrow Boy” by Margaret Wise Brown. Then, they designed their own scarecrow. Finally, they brought the scarecrows to life through their narrative writings. Students included story elements, such as characters and setting, dialogue and sensory language in their work.

The young authors’ works will be on display in local Burton storefronts during the Apple Butter Festival and the weeks that follow. Stop by and read about some of these amazing adventures that the scarecrows have experienced.

The Kenston boys cross country team was very impressive this past weekend as the Bombers won the Western Reserve Conference meet with a perfect score of just 15 team points.

Fifteen points is the lowest a team can score in a meet, and the Bombers’ top five runners were also the best five runners in the WRC meet Saturday at Kenston High School.

Not only did the Bombers have their top five runners come out first through fifth, but they saw two more runners finish in the top 10 — a dominating performance for Kenston.

Kenston cross country coach Chris Ickes is in his 13th year leading the Bombers.

“It was a good start to the post-season,” Ickes said.

Painesville Riverside placed second with 59 team points, followed by Chardon with 73.

It was the fifth straight WRC championship for the Bombers.

“Our conference is tough,” Ickes said. “I think this group is pretty determined. They have pretty heady goals. Three weeks down the road is what we’re focused on.”

Ickes was referring to the Division I state meet on Nov. 2 at National Trail Raceway in Hebron.

Kenston senior David Rosinski came in first with a time of 16 minutes, 9 seconds. Right behind him was junior Dennis Princic at 16:13. Rounding out the top five for the Bombers were junior Jack Turk in 16:20, junior Tyler McMahan in 16:34, and junior Garrett McConnell in 16:38.

“Everyone thinks you just hop out there and run fast,” Ickes said. “With our program, it’s a lot of hard work. All of our boys continue to improve. They work hard and they work smart. They work with each other.”

Also in the top 10 for Kenston was junior Maxwell Reardon, who was ninth in 16:57, and junior Nathan Bertman, who was 10th in 16:58.

That doesn’t even include senior Casey Pleune, who didn’t run due to future college commitments. Five of Kenston’s top eight runners have experience running at state.

“We’re far away from our peak yet,” Ickes said. “We have the luxury of patience with our training. The guys are very strong. They have improved every race. Every week, we’ve run better. We’re going to continue to get stronger.”

The next step for the Bombers is a district meet Saturday at Madison High School. They are hoping it will be the next step to what could be their fourth straight trip to the state meet.

Asked about aiming for the team title at the district meet, Ickes said: “The goal is always to win, but we don’t want to sacrifice the bigger picture. Our focus is Nov. 2. But it’s not going to be easy.”

Kenston does own a team state championship back in 1983, but that was in Division II. The highest finish as a team at the Division I state meet for the Bombers was 13th, from both 2016 and 2017. Right now, the Bombers are ranked seventh in the state in Division I.

“Our goal is to be the best team at Kenston,” Ickes said. “We have to be a tight pack, close to each other. We’re a small school (for Division I). Our runners have to be 15 to 20 seconds apart from the first runner to the last.”

The Berkshire women’s cross country team watched the Chagrin Valley Conference (Valley Divison) title slip away a season ago, but this year would be a different story.

The team was led by senior Madison Romask with a time of 21:06, helping her to a first-team all-conference honors, her fourth honor in her career.

“We came in and did what we were supposed to do. Finishing second in the Valley individually, and first as a team, we are all really excited,” said Romask.

Behind Romask, Maria Przybyla, Maitland Fuentes, and Gabby Adams, also earned all-conference honors, by finishing in the top 16. With a time of 22:00, Przybyla earned first-team, while teammates Fuentes and Adams earned second-team.

“We were hoping to make it far, we knew we were going to have a good team and we want to fulfill that and our goals,” said Adams. The Badgers are looking to make it back to States this season, and by claiming the conference title, the team has a lot of momentum heading into the postseason.

“This win is really important especially with (Romask). We have been on this ride together since the sixth grade and it’s been a lot of fun,” said senior Morgan Scott.

The Badgers will have a lot of momentum heading into the postseason after picking up the title and having some of the best times for the season.

“It gives us a lot of confidence and knowing that we can do it and achieving one of our goals and we are going for our second which includes going to States,” Romask said.

It was a Thursday evening. And it wasn’t exactly how the Hilltoppers drew it up.

Coming into the game, they were just 6-16, 3-11 in the Western Reserve Conference. But seniors would remember this game for years to come.

The team has three sets of sisters. Coincidentally, each set has a sister that was honored for her senior night. And seniors Katie Susyznski, Ashley Paterson and Flora Frieden, all with younger sisters in the program, had the honor of playing with all of them together for the first time this season.

After Chardon gave a hard fight against the Rangers of Eastlake North, dropping set one 21-25, second-year head coach Alison Fisher had something different up her sleeve.

To start the second set, out came Fisher started Paterson and her younger sister, sophomore Lauren; Suszynski and her younger sister, sophomore Claire; and Frieden and her younger sister, freshman Annabel. A moment no one would forget.

“I wanted to give them the opportunity to all play together on the court,” Fisher said. “I started my lineup with those three seniors, and then their three younger sisters. It was really cool for them to get to play together; they, at spurts, played together on the court, but never all at one time.”

When asked what Annabel (Frieden) learned from her older sister, she stressed the grit her sister always displayed this season: “She never gave up and she kept swinging, and that’s something I want to take away from her.”

“I though it was a really special moment; it was us coming together as one unit,” she added. “This game is something we will never get back, and it was really special for the both of us.”

Outside hitter Ashley Paterson sees herself in her younger sister.

“She always kills it over me, and I think to myself, ‘Lauren is so good, I have to step it up’ and she always pushes me, even though she is my younger sister,” said Ashley, laughing at her.

“I look at my sister as someone who always has positive energy,” Lauren said in response. “She always has a good attitude no matter what, and always on the court. Ashley is always cheering everyone else on, and I think that’s a great quality to have, especially in volleyball.”

The Paterson sisters had been playing together since Ashley’s fourth grade year, but this was the first time they played a set together.

“Some of our favorite memories are growing up together and practicing in the front yard, and we just grew up together with the sport,” Lauren said.

“Especially sharing varsity court together is a huge experience for us,” said Ashley.

As for the Suszynski sisters, both have been inspired to be the setter for their team. “It being my last time to play on the home floor, being able to play it with my sister was really nice,” Katie said. “And although we have been doing it all season, it was a different kind of special.”

“We’ve been playing volleyball for a long time, and I think it’s fun to play together, and it’s a special moment,” Claire said. “We have a close bond together.”

Asked what their biggest challenged has been playing together, both sisters started to chuckle, and in unison, talked about when they get mad at each other.

“When we get mad at one another, we will yell at each other, but in the end, we know it’s only to help each other and make each other better,” Katie said.

Coach Fisher didn’t struggle to put into words what these seniors mean to the program: “They have put in a lot of leadership, on and off the court. They are great people. It’s not always about being great athletes, it’s about being great people, and my seniors repeatedly set the example for the younger players and the underclassmen. They do things without me having to ask them to do it, and it’s the little things that they do that any coach would want,.”

On the other side, Fisher said she is excited to see the younger siblings grow.

“I am excited to see them improve their consistency,” she said. “That is something we have struggled with all year, as a team, is the ball control and the consistency. Seeing them bring better consistency is going to be awesome.”

Although Chardon would lose set two, 14-25, and drop the third set 18-25, losing the match 0-3, the Hilltoppers left with a smile on their faces. At a moment like this, they understood that it was more than just a game.

Geauga County

Foreclosure Auction

Case# 18-F-000900. Bank of America, N.A. vs Wayne White, et al. The description of the property to be sold is as follows:

Property Address: 11117 CLARIDON-TROY ROAD, Chardon, Geauga, Ohio, 44024;

Legal Description: Full Legal Listed on Public Website; Parcel Number: 12-082000

Bidding will be available only on www.Auction.com opening on 10/22/2019 at 10:00 A.M. for a minimum of 7 days.

Property may be sold on a provisional sale date should the third party purchaser fail to provide their deposit within the allotted time.

Provisional Sale date: 11/05/2019 at 10:00 A.M. Sales subject to cancellation. The deposit required is $5000.00 to be paid by wire transfer within 2 hours of the sale ending. No cash is permitted.

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

To view all sale details and terms for this property visit www.Auction.com and enter the Search Code 18F000900 into the search bar.

Oct 3-10-17, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO

19-F-000667 – Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee, on behalf of the holders the WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-AR6, Plaintiff vs. Brenda Henderson, as heir to the Estate of Marshall D. Henderson, et al., Defendants.

Brenda Henderson, as heir to the Estate of Marshall D. Henderson, whose last known address is 13389 Shady Lane, Chesterland, OH 44026, John Doe Name Unknown, the Unknown Spouse of Brenda Henderson (if any), whose last known address is 13389 Shady Lane, Chesterland, OH 44026, will take notice that on August 19, 2019, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee, on behalf of the holders the WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-AR6 filed its Complaint in the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas at 100 Short Court, Suite 300, Chardon, OH 44024, assigned Case No. 19-F-000667 and styled Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee, on behalf of the holders the WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-AR6 vs. Brenda Henderson, as heir to the Estate of Marshall D. Henderson, et al. The object of, and demand for relief in, the Complaint is to foreclose the lien of Plaintiff’s mortgage recorded upon the real estate described below and in which Plaintiff alleges that the foregoing defendant has or claims to have an interest:

Parcel number(s): 11-291300

Property address: 13389 Shady Lane, Chesterland, OH 44026

The defendant named above is required to answer the Complaint within twenty-eight (28) days after the last publication of this legal notice. This legal notice will be published once a week for three successive weeks.

Deutsche Bank National

Trust Company, as trustee,

on behalf of the holders

the WaMu Mortgage

Pass-Through Certificates,

Series 2005-AR6

By Ann Marie Johnson, Attorney for Plaintiff; Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, P.O. Box 165028, Columbus, OH 43216-5028. (614) 220-5611.

Oct 10-17-24, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE

ADVANCE NOTICE OF PUBLICATION OF DELINQUENT LAND TAX LIST

Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code, Section 5721.03, notice is hereby given of the forthcoming publication on November 14 and November 21, 2019 of the delinquent land tax list of Geauga County.

The delinquent tax list will contain the name of the most current owner and any unpaid tax, penalty, or assessments.

Delinquent taxes may be paid at the office of the Geauga County Treasurer, 211 Main Street, Chardon, OH, 44024, Monday through Friday, (except holidays) between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. on or before Thursday, October 31, 2019 to avoid publication.

Taxpayers who are unable to make full payments may enter into a written agreement (installment plan) with the County Treasurer to pay unpaid taxes.

Beginning December 1, 2019 an interest charge will begin accruing on all unpaid taxes not having a written agreement with the Treasurer.

Charles E. Walder

Geauga County Auditor

Oct 10-17, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE

ADVANCE NOTICE OF PUBLICATION OF

DELINQUENT VACANT LAND TAX LIST

Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code, Section 5721.03, notice is hereby given of the forthcoming publication on November 14 and November 21, 2019 of the delinquent vacant land tax list of Geauga County. Said list are lots and lands on which taxes have remained unpaid for two (2) years after being certified delinquent and that are now subject to foreclosure and forfeiture proceedings as provided in Ohio Revised Code, Section 5721.14 within twenty-eight (28) days after final publication of said list.

Delinquent taxes may be paid at the office of the Geauga County Treasurer, 211 Main Street, Chardon, OH, 44024, Monday through Friday, (except holidays) between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. on or before Thursday, October 31, 2019 to avoid publication.

Taxpayers who are unable to make full payments may enter into a written agreement (installment plan) with the County Treasurer to pay unpaid taxes.

Said list will contain the names of the most current owner and any unpaid taxes, assessments, penalties, and interest.

Charles E. Walder

Geauga County Auditor

Oct 10-17, 2019

Geauga County

Foreclosure Auction

Case# 17-F-000597. Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America vs Lisa K. Kraushaar-Miller aka Lisa A. Kraushaar-Miller, et al. The description of the property to be sold is as follows:

Property Address: 11355 Spruce Drive, Chesterland, Geauga, Ohio, 44026;

Legal Description: Full Legal Listed on Public Website; Parcel Number: 11-275100

Bidding will be available only on www.Auction.com opening on 11/05/2019 at 10:00 AM for a minimum of 7 days.

Property may be sold on a provisional sale date should the third party purchaser fail to provide their deposit within the allotted time.

Provisional Sale date: 11/19/2019 at 10:00 AM. Sales subject to cancellation. The deposit required is $5000.00 to be paid by wire transfer within 2 hours of the sale ending. No cash is permitted.

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

To view all sale details and terms for this property visit www.Auction.com and enter the Search Code 17F000597 into the search bar.

Oct 17-24-31, 2019

Geauga County

Foreclosure Auction

Case# 18-F-000967. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. vs Macek, Sarah E., et al. The description of the property to be sold is as follows:

Property Address: 16191 East High Street, Middlefield, Geauga, Ohio, 44062;

Legal Description: Full Legal Listed on Public Website; Parcel Number: 19-048400

Bidding will be available only on www.Auction.com opening on 11/05/2019 at 10:00 AM for a minimum of 7 days.

Property may be sold on a provisional sale date should the third party purchaser fail to provide their deposit within the allotted time.

Provisional Sale date: 11/19/2019 at 10:00 AM. Sales subject to cancellation. The deposit required is $5000.00 to be paid by wire transfer within 2 hours of the sale ending. No cash is permitted.

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

To view all sale details and terms for this property visit www.Auction.com and enter the Search Code 18F000967 into the search bar.

Oct 17-24-31, 2019

Geauga County

Foreclosure Auction

Case# 19-F-000257. Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs Cecelic, Matthew R., et al. The description of the property to be sold is as follows:

Property Address: 14790 Cedarwood Court, Middlefield, Geauga, Ohio, 44062;

Legal Description: Full Legal Listed on Public Website; Parcel Number: 19-060650

Bidding will be available only on www.Auction.com opening on 11/05/2019 at 10:00 AM for a minimum of 7 days.

Property may be sold on a provisional sale date should the third party purchaser fail to provide their deposit within the allotted time.

Provisional Sale date: 11/19/2019 at 10:00 AM. Sales subject to cancellation. The deposit required is $5000.00 to be paid by wire transfer within 2 hours of the sale ending. No cash is permitted.

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

To view all sale details and terms for this property visit www.Auction.com and enter the Search Code 19F000257 into the search bar.

Oct17-24-31, 2019

PUBLIC NOTICE

Portgage-Geauga Joint

Board of Commissioners

The Portage-Geauga Joint Board of Commissioners will convene a regular meeting on Thursday, October 24, 2019, at 10:30 A.M. at the Portage County Commissioners’ Office, 449 South Meridian Street, Ravenna, for the purpose of appointing to the Portage-Geauga Joint Board of Trustees and any other general purpose business to come before the Board. Please direct any questions to the Portage County Board of Commissioners’ Office at (330) 297-3600.

By Order of the

Portage-Geauga Joint

Board of Commissioners

Amy Hutchinson, Clerk

Oct 17, 2019

PUBLIC 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: 614-644-3037 email: HClerk@epa.ohio.gov

Approved Permission for Open Burning OAC Chapter 3745-19

Samuel Matthews

13617 Chillicothe Road, Novelty, OH 44072

Facility Description: Air

ID #: LK0577

Date of Action: 10/07/2019

This final action not preceded by proposed action and is appealable to ERAC.

Approved permission to open burn residential waste generated on the premises in accordance with OAC 3745-19 and local guidelines.

Final Drinking Water System Classification

Centerville Mills Park PWS

17826 Chillicothe Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023

ID #: OH2831012

Date of Action: 10/07/2019

A proposed action was issued 09/05/19 to remove the public water system classification. This action is now final and appealable to ERAC.

Final Issuance of Renewal of NPDES Permit

Master Rentals

12550 Claridon – Troy Rd, Burton, OH

Facility Description: Wastewater-Semi-Public

Receiving Water: Swale which flows W to UT of W Bran

ID #: 3PR00628*BD

Date of Action: 11/01/2019

This final action not preceded by proposed action and is appealable to ERAC.

Final Issuance of Renewal of NPDES Permit

KCZ Enterprises Ltd DBA Kens Auto Body

14330 Main Market Rd, Burton, OH

Facility Description: Wastewater-Semi-Public

Receiving Water: Existing catch basin on Main Market

ID #: 3PR00633*BD

Date of Action: 11/01/2019

This final action not preceded by proposed action and is appealable to ERAC.

Oct 17, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VARIANCE TO THE

CHARDON TOWNSHIP

ZONING RESOLUTION

Notice is hereby given that the Chardon Township Board of Zoning Appeals will conduct a public hearing for Conditional Zoning Certificate Renewal and variance on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, 9949 Mentor Road, Chardon, Ohio.

CASE 2019-6 – Chris Giorgi of Giorgi Commercial Contracting LLC located at 11145 Chardon Road, Chardon, Ohio requests to renew his Conditional Zoning Certificate. According to Section 803.00(B) of the Chardon Township Zoning Resolution, a conditional zoning certificate shall be valid for a period not to exceed five (5) years from the date of issuance.

CASE 2019-7 – Gregory C. Soukup, 11115 Courtney Court, Chardon, Ohio 44024 requests to construct an accessory building on the property located at 11115 Courtney Court. The proposed accessory building would be located twenty (20) feet from the left-side lot line. Section 500.03 Minimum Yards of the Chardon Township Zoning Resolution requires a minimum of thirty (30) feet from the left-side lot line in the R-2 Residential District.

Linda Kerry, Secretary

Oct 17, 2019

LEGAL NOTICE

ADVANCE NOTICE OF PUBLICATION OF

DELINQUENT MANUFACTURED HOME TAX LIST

Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code, Section 4503.06, notice is hereby given of the forthcoming publication on November 14 and 21, 2019 of the delinquent manufactured home tax list of Geauga County.

Said list will contain the name of the most current owner and any unpaid tax and penalties.

Delinquent taxes may be paid at the office of the Geauga County Treasurer, 211 Main Street, Chardon, OH 44024, Monday through Friday (except holidays) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on or before Thursday, October 31, 2019 to avoid publication.

Taxpayers who are unable to make full payments may enter into a written agreement (installment plan) with the County Treasurer to pay unpaid taxes.

Beginning December 1, 2019 an interest charge will begin accruing on all unpaid taxes not having a written agreement with the Treasurer.

Charles E. Walder

Geauga County Auditor

Oct 10-17, 2019

In the last 365 days, the Kenston Bombers have lost two football games — both now to the team that has become their biggest rival, the Chardon Hilltoppers.

Winning a Division III state title and being 20-2 over the course of the past two seasons is quite an accomplishment.

Having those losses come in the fourth quarter to Chardon? In a 17-16 final score?

Well, it stings.

“Let it motivate you. Let it eat at you a little bit,” said Kenston head coach Jeff Grubich after the game. “Turn a negative into a positive. Let it sting. Now get a break.”

It was eating at Grubich afterward, as he searched for words.

“This senior class is used to having success and everything like that,” Grubich said. “Hats off to Chardon. They had a great game plan coming in. And we need to make some adjustments, continue to get better. That’s on me. I have to be better.”

The Hilltoppers trailed 14-0 in the first quarter on two long passes from Kenston senior Jon Tomcufcik to senior Tyler Mintz. After the long, almost effortless, pitch-and-catch plays, many at Memorial Field had to wonder how Chardon would respond.

The Bombers were the favorites.

And two upsets in two seasons would maybe be just too good to be true.

But Chardon stayed the course. Continued to run the football out of the Wing-T offense with Joey Trivosonno at QB leading the way.

A James Pettyjohn touchdown in the second quarter was followed by a D.J. Bowman one-yard dive into the endzone to tie the game at 14 at the half.

Kenston’s special teams were the most improved out of the locker room as Tomcufcik, who is also the punter, put the Hilltoppers’ return team in some tough situations on fourth down.

After pinning Chardon deep, the Kenston defense recorded a safety to lead 16-14 headed into the fourth quarter.

The Bombers were driving late with an opportunity to kick a field goal on fourth down that would have extended the lead to five points, but Grubich and the coaches elected to keep Blake Torres on the sideline. Grubich said the kicker was “banged up.”

The Hilltoppers took over and drove down the field with one timeout. With seven seconds to play, then, Chardon senior Keaton Ziegenfuss came on to try a 26-yard field goal.

After being iced twice, the senior stepped up and booted a kick — which would have been good from 50 yards — through the southern uprights into a clear night.

“No,” the senior replied when asked whether Kenston’s timeouts made him nervous. “I couldn’t do it without my whole team.”

Chardon ended up with 311 rushing yards with their three leaders: Pettyjohn (123 yards), Trivisonno (95 yards) and Bowman (61 yards).

Nick Fay is one of the Hilltoppers’ leaders on the offensive line. As the team moved on that last drive, Fay said the line had one mantra: One more step. One more step.

“We were practicing all week. We just executed very well the whole game,” Fay said. “After that safety, we did not let ourselves get down. We promised each other when we got that ball we were going to march down the field.”

Chardon’s defense held a Bombers’ potent offense to just 14 points, 85 yards rushing and 184 yards passing.

Chardon’s defense has not allowed a point in the fourth quarter of any game.

“Our game plan was incredible,” said senior defensive end John Dinko, who hit Tomcufcik hard twice after he released the ball. “They knew we were blitzing six, and they left me unblocked. The more you get a hit on the quarterback, the less he’s able to move around, the weaker he feels throughout the game.”

Kevin Doyle had a key interception that stymied a Kenston drive with a takeaway, one of the first signs that the Chardon defense would not allow Kenston to do Kenston’s thing.

Doyle said one of his teammate had warned him of a seven-yard out. And that’s what it was, allowing Doyle to jump the route.

“We’ve been practicing hard all week,” Doyle said. “They have talent, but we just stuck to our assignments and executed.”

NOTICE OF SALE UNDER JUDGMENT

OF FORECLOSURE OF LIENS FOR

DELINQUENT LAND TAX

Revised Code, Sec. 5721.191

Case No. 17-F-000435

CHRISTOPHER P. HITCHCOCK, TREASURER OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO, Plaintiff vs. BRIJOVIA PROPERTIES LLC, 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): 10-165264 – 0.43 acres.

Address: known on the tax duplicate as 10-165264 – 403 CHARDON AVENUE, CITY OF CHARDON, 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: BRIJOVIA PROPERTIES LLC, 6520 HOPKINS ROAD, MENTOR, OH 44060.

MINIMUM BID: $17,924.19

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 14TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2019, 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 WEDNESDAY, THE 27TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2019 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

Oct 17-24-31, 2019

Sheriff’s Sale of Real Estate

General Code, Sec. 11661

Revised Code, Sec. 2329.26

Case No. 18-F-000970

The State of Ohio, County of Geauga, ss:

BRANCH BANKING AND TRUST COMPANY, Plaintiff vs. GERALD T. FRYE, ET AL., Defendants

In pursuance of an Alias 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 14th day of November, 2019, 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 Wednesday, the 27th day of November, 2019 the following described real estate, situated in the County of Geauga and State of Ohio, and in the Township of Montville to wit:

Situated in the Township of Montville, County of Geauga and State of Ohio, and known as being part of Section 22 in said Township, and further bounded and described as follows:

Beginning at a 1” iron pin found in monument box at the centerline intersection of Hautala Road and Clay Street;

Thence North 84 degrees 27’ 30” East, along the centerline of said Hautala Road, a distance of 848.23 feet to an angle point;

Thence North 85 degrees 11’ 15” East, continuing along said road centerline, a distance of 703.81 feet to a point at the northwest corner of land conveyed to Marie V. Carney, Trustee by deed recorded in Volume 1315, Page 838 of Geauga County Record of Deeds and the True Place of Beginning for the parcel herein described;

Thence South 0 degrees 56’ 30” West, along the west line of said Marie V. Carney land, and passing over an iron pin set at 30.15 feet, a distance of 1192.16 feet to a 5/8” iron pin found at the Northeast corner of land conveyed to D. & T. Hofstetter, Sr. by deed recorded in Volume 1317, Page 982 of Geauga County Deed Records;

Thence South 89 degrees 56’ 15” West along the North line of said Hofstetter’s land, a distance of 250.04 feet to an iron pin set;

Thence North 00 degrees 56’ 30” East, and passing over and iron pin set at 1141.05 feet, a distance of 1171.20 feet to a point on the centerline of said Hautala Road;

Thence North 85 degrees 11’ 15” East along said road centerline, a distance of 251.27 feet to a point and the true place of beginning.

Subject to and together with all easements, restrictions and legal highways, if any, of record.

Being the same property conveyed to Gerald T. Frye and Bonnie K. Frye, Husband and Wife by Deed, dated October 20, 2008 recorded on October 22, 2008 in Book 1850, Page 3064 of the Geauga County Ohio records.

Address of Property: 16165 Hautala Road, Montville, OH 44064

Said Premises Located at: 16165 HAUTALA ROAD, MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP, OH

Permanent Parcel Number: 20-090784

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 ($175,000.00) and cannot be sold for less than two-thirds of that amount ($116,667.00). 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

Ethan A. Hill, attorney

Oct 17-24-31, 2019

DATE OF SALE: Thursday, October 31, 2019 — 10:00 A.M.

APPRAISAL    MINIMUM BID

Chester Township

Case No. 18-F-000727 — NewRez LLC, f/k/a New Penn Financial, LLC, d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing vs. Unknown Heirs, Legatees, Devisees, Executors, Administrators and Assigns and their Spouses, if any of Jeanette R. Stopek (Deceased), et al., 12905 Cherry Lane (1.00 acres). PPN: 11-332800. Carrie L. Davis, atty.

$55,000.00      $36,667.00

Newbury Township

Case No. 18-F-000879 — Christopher P. Hitchcock, Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio vs. Daniel K. Redfern, et al., Vacant Land On Lake Shore Drive (0.11 acres). PPN: 23-116800. Kristen K. Rine, atty.

Set Minimum Bid: $8,555.04

Case No. 15-F-000216 — Christopher P. Hitchcock, Treasurer of Geauga County, Ohio vs. Karen Peterson, et al., 16076 Auburn Road (5.00 acres). PPN: 23-259020. Kristen K. Rine, atty.

Set Minimum Bid: $53,302.54

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.

Continuous Property Tax Levies

I have recently read levy language that is important for all taxpayers to understand. The terms used to describe some property tax levies appearing on the November ballot are worthwhile to recognize. Property tax levies must state the millage (the tax rate to be charged) and the period of time over which the tax will be collected.

If a tax levy on the ballot uses the phrases “continuing period of time,” “CPT” or “continuous”, that means that the tax levy has no expiration date. When you see this language, you are voting for a property tax that will be collected forever. In this way, voters relinquish their right to hold the political subdivision accountable in the future. It’s a lazy way for the taxing subdivision to get property taxes from the voters.

It is becoming a trend for political subdivisions to add “continuous” terms. There will be several “continuous” levies on the November ballot. We must be alert and diligent in protecting our resources and rights.

I recommend that taxpayers not give up their right to future votes on property tax levies.

Please read the levies carefully and vote no on all levies that are for a “continuing period of time.”

Tom Niewulis
Claridon Township

Quigley a Tireless Worker for Newbury

As a former Newbury trustee, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with many talented and dedicated individuals handling the business of the township and solving problems for residents.

Public service takes time, lots of time and dedication. It also takes the type of maturity that Glen Quigley has in spades.

Glen has always been focused on delivering the correct decisions for Newbury without reservation as to how much time it took to study the issue, talk with residents, create solutions or even alternative solutions.

That’s how our new Veteran’s Park came to be. Glen often shared his dream of creating the Veterans Park to honor veterans and provide a central place for us to gather. Many of us understood the difficulty of such a project. Glen conceptualized it and got it done for the township. He did it by applying for grants and convincing others to be generous.

Glen will tell you that he was just one among many who helped create the park, but we all know that it was Glen Quigley who shared his vision convincing us it could be done, sharing his talent and then spending endless hours on the project.

Glen Quigley deserves to be re-elected. He is a tireless worker for Newbury and I strongly recommend that you vote for Glen as Newbury trustee.

Newbury is fortunate to have such a dedicated individual like Glen and Newbury’s future will be brighter if he continues as a Newbury trustee.

Jan Blair
Newbury Township

Democrat Defection

We have a Democrat defection: Matthew Rambo.

On Oct. 7, he cancelled his (Democrat) voter registration, immediately re-registered and filed for a run at the juvenile/probate court as a Republican, challenging sitting Republican Judge Timothy Grendell.

The tactic of infiltrating the Republican Party and infecting it with Democrat philosophies is reprehensible. Hopefully there’s no welcome mat placed by the leadership of the Republican Party again, as when now RINO Jim Dvorak jumped ship and challenged Commissioner Skip Claypool in the 2018 primary.

One would think Republican leadership would be wise to this transparent scheme, but that assumes they oppose such behavior. I don’t know what they think, but they should be aware that the eyes of all Republicans are directly upon them as again, one of our incumbents comes under infiltrator attack.

They better not pave the way for Rambo the way they did for Dvorak, who frequently abstains from votes. I suppose this is because he lacks experience to pass an intelligent judgement on some of these really difficult matters that come before him, other than voting against Claypool for mental health board. There was a huge mistake given Claypool’s investigative bulldog performance at the recent commissioner-board meeting. We know that was an easy vote for Mr. Abstainer.

Rambo is high on experience as a reason why a judicial candidate should be elected. Odd thing though, he has no experience in or before a juvenile or probate court. This contrasts with Judge Grendell’s record of excellence throughout his entire career: President, OH Association of Juvenile Court Judges; VP OH Association of Probate Judges; elected to National College of Probate Judges Board. No other Geauga judge has achieved such recognition of excellence.

Attorney Rambo and Republican leaders, all eyes are upon you now. Let’s see how both sets of experience play out as events unfold.

James R. MacNeal
Troy Township

Time is Now. Plan is Right

What’s in a school? Students. Teachers. Staff. Textbooks. Lab Equipment. Technology. All necessary components that make a school a school. Perhaps the better question is, “What is a school in?” The answer: A community.

As the former superintendent of the Ledgemont Local School District, I understand too well the importance of community and the outcome of a once proud school district that did not receive the support it needed to stay viable. Friendships were lost. Families were strained. All in part because the community at large was unable or unwilling to support its strongest bond: its school.

For Ledgemont, this lack of support did not occur overnight. It lingered and waned for years, even decades. To some degree, the community historically did not support its school. The list of levy failures shows that, as well as the fact in its last throes, Ledgemont was taken over by the state fiscally.

The entire staff of the Chardon Schools are committed to providing the best education for the district’s students with limited funds. They are passionate about improving education and learning opportunities for kids.

Personally and professionally, my goal has always been to educate children in a supportive, kind, loving environment where they are able to express themselves, dream for the future and learn about the world, their community and themselves. Having two children in the district, I can attest that all of the teachers, support staff and administrators strive and work hard to provide as many programs and opportunities as possible, despite the limited funds available to them.

To the community of Chardon: Our school facilities do not meet the needs of today’s teaching methods. The State of Ohio has determined that replacement is more cost-effective than renovation. A dedicated committee worked to ensure that this plan meets the needs of the children and community. It is important that everyone works together to ensure that Chardon stays a strong and viable school district.

Support and strengthen your school, the lifeblood of your community today. Support Issue 21. The time is now. The plan is right.

Julie Ramos
Concord Township

Vote Yes for Parks

Would you invest in land that protected your property value, helped keep your drinking water clean and provided the oxygen you breathe? And all this at no more cost than you are currently paying?

It gets better. You also can to use the land for picnics and family parties. You can take advantage of fun nature programs available at no cost for everyone from toddlers to seniors, provided by an incredible group of naturalist and staff.

Whether you are an ardent hiker, horseback rider or you just want to sit in a beautiful quiet space and eat your lunch, Geauga Parks are a treasure that belongs to all of us. Park administrations come and go, but this 20-year reduced renewal levy helps to ensure that a baby born this year will be able to enjoy the benefits of the Geauga Parks throughout her/his entire childhood.

Protect Geauga Parks continues its mission to Conserve, Preserve and Protect our parks. We understand the value of Geauga parks, both now and into the future.

The trustees of Protect Geauga Parks strongly support the passage of Issue 23.

Vote yes for parks!

Kathryn Hanratty
On Behalf of Protect Geauga Parks
Chardon Township

Support 4 Berkshire

On Nov. 5 we’re voting for the team of Bryan Wadsworth, Mary Goff Hipp, Linda Stone and Jody Busby Miller for the Berkshire Local Board of Education, and we’re respectfully asking other Berkshire voters to do so, too.

All four of the candidates have been active in our schools for years, with Bryan and Jody presently serving on the board of education. We appreciate how all four have been willing to give of their time and energy on various levy committees, the elementary PTO and the Berkshire Booster Club.

Linda is even a retired Berkshire teacher. They have shown time and time again that they are willing to do the work that has to be done if we want great things for our kids.

They also understand the PRIME Initiative and its tie into project-based learning and the construction of the new all-grade school that was recently approved by Berkshire voters.

The transition for the students and staff to this new school is so important and Bryan, Mary, Linda and Jody want to help make that transition as smooth and positive as possible. Their aligned vision, working towards academic excellence while being fiscally responsible, is something we all can get behind.

So please join us on Nov. 5 and vote for Bryan Wadsworth, Mary Goff Hipp, Linda Stone and Jody Busby Miller for Berkshire Local Board of Education.

Ellen and Mark Edeburn
Burton Village

Voters Rejected Claypool

I am writing to express my opinion in the Chester Township trustee race between Walter Claypool and Frank Kolk. For the record, I do not know Mr. Kolk personally, whereas Mr. Claypool is my neighbor.

I first decided that I could never support Mr. Claypool for any public office when he flew the Tea Party flag above the American flag in front of his home. The way I was raised, in this country, no flag flies above the U.S. flag.

Moreover, I cannot understand why we should vote for Walter Claypool when he was rejected in the Republican primary for the seat he held as a county commissioner. When an incumbent loses a primary to a challenger in his own party, that tells us something.

By all reports, as a county commissioner, Mr. Claypool was confrontational in public meetings. Not only is this unbecoming of a public official, but it is certainly not the way to accomplish anything positive.

Good government should serve the people, not the ego. For these reasons, I will be voting for Mr. Kolk. I urge Chester voters to do the same.

Rosemary Macedonio
Chester Township

Why did Petruziello, Claypool Lose

Before voting in the upcoming general election on Nov. 5, ask yourself these questions:

After serving four years as a Chester Township Trustee why did Mike Petruziello lose his re-election for Chester Township Trustee in 2017?

After serving four years as a Geauga County Commissioner, why did Walter “Skip” Claypool lose his Republican primary re-election for Geauga County Commissioner in 2018?

In June of 2019, Mr. Claypool announced he was going to run for the Ohio Senate 18th District seat in 2020. In the meantime, he is running for Chester Township Trustee.

Chester Township does not need career politicians who will just run to get into office.

The League of Women Voters has scheduled a candidates’ night in Chester Township on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at West Geauga High School. Plan to attend and take the time to find out “why” before going to the polls.

Pat Mula
Chester Township

Time for Change in Chester

I witnessed Chester Township trustees meeting of Oct. 10 that was astounding, not because it was well run and handled professionally. Several motions weren’t correctly written, one motion was pushed through without any reason for its rush except Radtke’s political agenda.

This isn’t the first meeting I’ve witnessed from the current elected officials like this. The elected officials on the ballot are Ken Radtke and Craig Richter running for re-election, and Frank Kolk running for election as he was appointed. Their gross lack of knowledge of township government; their disregard for following the township’s policy manual; the lack of professionalism; bullying residents; the errors meeting after meeting; and the worse thing is their lack of transparency. Examples: Richter updates the Ohio Checkbook once per year; they get frustrated during meeting when residents want clarifications; they will just cut the residents off and say we don’t have to answer that.

There’s been a question of how Kolk’s wife earned and was paid eight hours of vacation in her first paycheck as assistant to the fiscal officer. Even though it’s been asked several times, there’s been no answer.

This is the second time Richter got a job for a friend at the township. He led elected officials in creating a full-time position for part-time secretary because she was in need of benefits. Now it was for his neighbor, Kolk, where he pushed to get Kolk’s wife hired as his assistant. He neglected his prior assistant, very dedicated 13-year employee, great at her job and at anything that was asked of her.

Kolk’s wife makes $4,022 more, gets preferential treatment on vacation time and more benefits. There were 39 applicants and we have no idea of how Kolk was picked. That’s not transparency.

Radtke is governing our township for his own political gain. Radtke, per his words to me, hates Judge Grendell. At Rep. Diane Grendell’s fundraiser, Ken was like Judge Grendell’s best friend. How can he be two-faced. Radtke is not the same person that we elected eight years ago. It’s time for him to go.

Karen M. N. Austin
Chester Township

Keep Berkshire Great

The Berkshire Schools community has been fortunate over the years with the supporting of our school district. Local businesses, families, elected officials, school administrators, faculty and staff continue to make Berkshire Schools a leader in the state.

We were the first school district to pass an income tax levy instead of a property tax in Northeast Ohio. We also were the leaders by providing a permanent improvement levy to maintain our facilities.

We have been a leader in providing educational opportunities to more kids in Geauga County, as witnessed by our merger with Thompson and Montville townships to include more students within our district.

Now we are one of the first school districts to transition to a project-based learning model.

We also passed the largest levy in our school’s history to build a new state-of-the-art K-12 campus.

Berkshire Schools was the first district to implement a joint venture with Kent State University and various businesses to complement our academic programs as well as providing a quality future work force. The district was also the first school system within the State of Ohio to use USDA for bond funding for our new campus. This saved our taxpayers millions of dollars.

All of these accomplishments are the result of quality people working together with common goals and harmony.

I am proud to be a business owner, a resident and a graduate of the Berkshire Schools. Our children are also graduates of Berkshire. Now it is time to prepare for our grandchildren’s quality education. Therefore, I am endorsing whole heartedly Bryan Wadsworth, Linda Stone, Mary Hipp and Jody Miller for Berkshire school board.

All of these candidates are highly qualified to serve on our school board. I ask that you join with me supporting these qualified candidates for Berkshire school board as we work to continue to be a leader for quality education within the Berkshire communities.

Jerry Hiscox
Burton Township

Right Team at Right Time

After the Berkshire Community overwhelmingly passed the levy for the new K-12 facility on the Kent State Geauga campus, the physical realization of that dream has finally started. The site is being prepared and the building design is being finalized.

But, there still is a lot of work to be done. The next three years will require a board with a common vision that will work closely together with the administration and staff to complete this project on time and within budget to make Berkshire one of the premier school districts in the State of Ohio.

I feel that the board candidates Bryan Wadsworth, Jody Miller, Linda Stone and Mary Goff Hipp, along with the proven leadership of John Manfriedi, are the team that can work together to accomplish those goals.

Please support Bryan Wadsworth, Jody Miller, Linda Stone and Mary Goff Hipp on Nov. 5. The right team at the right time.

Lee D Imhof
Troy Township

Keep Chester Moving Forward

I had the privilege of serving as your trustee for almost a year and a half. I experienced firsthand how negative, rude, demanding and just plain evil people can be. Unfortunately, those type of people exist in Chester and made it nearly impossible for me to continue doing what I felt was best for the township.

Now that election time is right around the corner, that same type of behavior is on display. The petty and condescending, negative propaganda is being circulated in mailers, social media and community information groups.

Some people will do or say anything to make someone look bad or give their favored candidate or themselves the superior “smarter than you” image.

I would ask you all to please do your homework, get the facts and seek the rest of the story before casting your votes.

I will be voting to keep Chester moving forward and maintaining the levels of service that we as residents need and deserve. Please join me in supporting OUR Township Police and Road Departments, along with retaining Ken Radtke, Frank Kolk and Craig Richter as our elected officials this November.

Bob Rogish
Chester Township

Misinformation in Chester

I would like to address some misinformation contained in political mailers from my opposition that you may have received. First, there is a claim that the fiscal office is not using the Uniform Accounting Software (UAN) that was created by the State of Ohio Auditor. This is not true. In fact, we have been using the UAN software since May of 2004.

Prior to taking office, the budget that was presented to me was kept on a year-by-year basis.  This did not allow for a historical look at expenses or a future forecast needed for better management of finances. I gathered records from various sources and created a spreadsheet that now has the township budget information from 2008 and estimates the next five years. This was done in order to help both the elected officials and department heads better manage the township.

The second claim is that currently the township trustees are not receiving up-to-date financial reports at the regularly scheduled meetings. This is deliberately misleading. The UAN system tracks all revenue and expenses, and has a number of financial reports that are provided to the trustees and department heads biweekly. I have found that providing these reports prior to the meeting — instead of at it — gives everyone time to properly prepare for the township meetings, so that they can be as productive as possible.

In addition, the fiscal office works directly with the trustees and department heads to determine any financial needs on a daily basis.

Third, I would like to reiterate that the required filings, payroll and informational returns are approved by the trustees and filed in a timely manner. I have developed procedures and controls that have been reviewed with the state auditor and the trustees to safeguard the township assets.

All checks and electronic transfers that are created by the assistant fiscal officer are reviewed by and signed by the fiscal officer and two trustees.

As far as general claim of a lack of transparency and accountable, the township financials have been put on the State of Ohio Checkbook since 2013. I have reduced the turnaround time of public records requests, which includes financial information to anyone who requests it.

I am in the office every night and weekend, so if you like to know more about your township finances, please feel free to stop by.

I take the position as fiscal officer and the protection of your tax dollars very seriously and hope I have your support on Nov. 5.

Craig Richter, Fiscal Officer
Chester Township

Answer to Don Rice on Issue 24

I read in earnest the letter to the editor from Don Rice concerning why everyone should vote for a renewal levy for Metzenbaum.

In paragraph 1 he states, “I would also like to point out that the renewal of the Metzenbaum levy does not increase taxes.” I talked to Mr. Rice at one of the ESC meetings since he, too, is a resident of Newbury. I talked specifically about a renewal of a 1.3-mill levy for Newbury Schools and he said that asking for a renewal is asking for tax money that the people of Newbury don’t have.

Funny how they only have the money for his school, but not our local school. I think maybe he is right, we should not ask the people of Newbury for money they don’t have. Therefore, everyone should vote NO on Issue 24.

You can spin it any way you like but, in the end, you are paying taxes and everyone here wants a tax break. Therefore, you can get a real tax break by voting NO on renewal levies like Issue 24.

Phil Paradise Jr.
Newbury Township

Re-elect Justin Madden as Russell Trustee

 Since being appointed as fiscal officer in 2018, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Trustee Justin Madden on numerous matters – large and small — and I urge voters to re-elect Justin Madden on Nov. 5.

First and foremost, I have found Trustee Madden to be honest and true to his commitment to transparency. Not only his insistence on open meetings by all Russell Township entities, but also his availability to our residents regarding specific issues, problems, questions or comments.

This extends to his spirit of cooperation with the other elected officials in the township. In his capacity as chairman of the Board of Trustees and one of three elected trustees, I have observed both Trustee Madden’s passion about issues for which he cares deeply (local control of Parks, protecting our zoning, fiscal responsibility) as well as his openness to respectful dialog of opposing views with his fellow trustees.

In my experience, a township form of government works best not because everyone agrees, but when everyone feels they have a voice. In Trustee Madden, our residents can be confident that all views are considered.

Russell Township also benefits from Trustee Madden’s collaborative management style, in which he seeks recommendations of our experienced department heads, as well as guidance, when necessary, from our township’s legal counsel. In this way, Trustee Madden looks at the “whole picture,” so as to not only understand and comply with the requirements of law, but also to understand the operational aspects associated with implementation.

It takes a lot of effort to fulfill our resident’s desire to “keep the character and nature of Russell the way it is.” As the world and our communities evolve, change is inevitable. With Trustee Madden’s support, Russell Township has adopted a five-year planning and budgeting process, which not only ensures that Russell Township remains in sound financial condition, but that our important assets, history and zoning that make up the fabric of our special community are preserved and protected.

As a practicing attorney, Russell Township benefits from Trustee Madden’s experience in legal matters. But as Russell’s fiscal officer, I can also attest to his dedication to ensuring that the approximately 20 cents of every tax dollar that funds our township government is spent responsibly. I urge all Geauga County residents to exercise their right and privilege to vote, and I urge Russell Township voters to re- elect Trustee Justin Madden.

Karen Walder
Fiscal Officer, Russell Township

Keep Chardon Chardon

Mrs. Deb (nee Lehmann) Chuha is running for re-election to Chardon City Council. She is Chardon born and bred – a lifelong resident, a mother and grandmother. Deb is aware of the importance of local history and places, and well knows what the monthly water and sewer bills mean to a Chardon family.

Deb consults with local residents and business owners to discuss upcoming issues before council, and with that critical input, forms her vote. She is truly a voice of the people in council.

As Chardon continues to grow and change, improvements are many, including things like single-hauler trash disposal, road repair and sidewalk installation. At Chardon City Council, we have an ally in investigating funding options to keep costs to a minimum and delivering citizen input, tempered with our remarkable history.

Keep our voice for the people. Re-elect Deb Chuha.

Dennis Killeen
City of Chardon

No on Issue 21

I’m a concerned resident living in Chardon. I’d love for it to be addressed that the superintendent has perks like a car, credit card, taking 1.5-mile runs during school hours, paying his continued education credits and sending him on trips.

Last Thursday, a 9-year-old son walked home from CMS. The bus driver didn’t know and the school didn’t know. Negligent in so many ways.

The Friday before the substitute driver flew past my house, refused to turn around and my son was second stop. He was hysterical. Both the school and the driver tried to blame it on my son, who is an excellent student but has bronchial asthma, had a seizure in kindergarten and ADHD.

The driver told him he couldn’t hear. If you can’t hear, you shouldn’t be driving a school bus.

The superintendent is snooping around on my private Facebook page during school hours. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

I will be voting no on Issue 21.

Kristy Filla
City of Chardon

Devoted to Chester Township

 I am responding to Gayle and Linda Gifford’s letter to the editor Oct. 10, 2019, regarding my candidacy for Chester Township Fiscal Officer. My name is Patricia Jarrett and I am a Certified Public Accountant.

First of all, the correct spelling of my name is J-A-R-R-E-T-T. Patricia Jarrett, CPA.

FACT: Since 2005? Why where concerns expressed by the Geauga County Auditor Walder at the 2020 budget meeting with county officials over the use of an Excel spreadsheet instead of the UAN Software for the Chester Township budget? Mr. Richter responded that with the hiring of his new assistant he would be using the UAN accounting system within a year.

If I am elected fiscal officer, I will within six months be using the UAN software created by the State of Ohio Auditor.

FACT: Since retiring, I become involved with our community and have regularly attended meetings and reviewed plenty online and have yet to see proper financial reports submitted to trustees.

On the State of Ohio Auditor’s website, it says that if using the UAN software the fiscal officer should on a monthly basis present the following to the trustees: appropriation, revenue and fund reports, investment journal, fund statues, bank reconciliation, payroll summary, warrant summary and anything else they would like to see.

If I am elected fiscal officer, I will be presenting these recommended financial statements to the trustees on a monthly basis. The trustees need solid financial information to be able to make good decisions for our township.

My concerns over these issues and others is the reason I decided to run for Chester Township Fiscal Officer. I am a very hard worker and I care about Chester Township. I am a retired CPA and willing to devote the time needed to do the best job I can possible do for the residents of Chester Township.

Patricia Jarrett, CPA
Candidate for Chester Township Fiscal Officer

Re-Elect Chuck Strazinsky

We write this to encourage you to cast your vote to re-elect Chuck Strazinsky as our Chardon Township Trustee.

Chuck along with Mike Brown and Tim McKenna bring professionalism to their work as trustees. Chuck has built a collegial rapport and works cooperatively with the other trustees to address the needs of our township. We can attest to his dedication to public service, his integrity and his understanding of the importance of protecting the proper use of taxpayer dollars to maximize services to our township.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that Mr. Stazinsky’s opponent has spent little time attending trustees meetings since he lost his last attempt at being elected. We have been present at many meetings since that time and his opponent has not been in attendance. We need an elected official that is willing to be continually informed and committed to our township, not just showing up when he wants our votes.

Chardon Township is in good hands with the trustees that are currently serving. Re-electing Chuck Strazinsky will help ensure that Chardon Township continues to be a great place to live.

Tim and Sandy Smith
Chardon Township

Love Geauga Parks

I am writing to give my wholehearted endorsement to Issue 23 on the ballot Nov. 5 and to encourage others to check out the “Case for Support” and do so, too.

I love our Geauga Park District. Headwaters Park is my happy place. I take my kayak, my cup of coffee, and go sit by a campfire for an afternoon. The moment I slip that kayak into the water, everything settles out. It’s one of my best thinking places, one of my best praying places and I didn’t have to travel hours to get there.

I have made use of the parks since my children were little, over 38 years now. In those years, I have seen the parks stewarded well. Everything has been done in keeping with the idea of conserving, managing and using the property to the benefit of our communities with an eye to future generations.

The properties are so well maintained. Everything that I have seen added over the years, from lodges to bike trails, fits in beautifully with the natural habitat. It has been done with excellence.

Geauga Park District is asking us to approve renewing an existing 1-mill levy with a renewed and decreased 0.9-mill levy. That’s about $22 a year for the owner of a $100,000 home. Talk about a return on investment. Where else are you going to find a bargain like that?

Year-round free family activities, lodges and shelters, kayaks, educational programs for all ages, and miles of beautiful hiking and biking trails and much, much more. I am more than happy to vote yes and contribute a few of my tax dollars toward our Geauga Park District’s ongoing upkeep, care and preservation. I consider it a blessing to have this resource in my backyard.

Jenny Jerman
Troy Township

Retain Justin Madden as Russell Trustee

I had the pleasure of working with Justin Madden for five years at Russell Township and found him easy to work with, dedicated to maintaining large lot zoning and open to considering new ideas and better approaches in response to township challenges.

Justin’s leadership as chair of the Board of Trustees contributed significantly to the township’s saving of over $1 million in operation and maintenance expenses from 2013-2018. His initiatives included merging the township maintenance department into the road department, outsourcing the township landscaping work and improving the township town hall, cemetery and administration buildings.

While many townships are just now reacting to the reduction of local government funding and the loss of estate tax, Justin recognized the need early on to move each township department’s budget to become self-sufficient.

Please retain Justin Madden as Russell Township Trustee.

Charles E. Walder
Russell Township

Chardon Needs Your Vote

To all registered voters residing in the Chardon Local School District, I am the mother of four children and I choose to live in Chardon because of the reputation of the local schools. Our youngest is now a senior; we have a child in graduate school and two in undergrad working their way towards bachelor’s degrees.

With four active children, we have traveled all around northeastern Ohio for tennis matches, swim meets and basketball and baseball games, not to mention the travel programs outside of Chardon Local Schools.  Our community needs your vote.

Being a graduate of the Leadership Geauga Class of 2019, I toured our county learning about education, businesses, technology, etc. We are not in the 20th century anymore. The world is changing; jobs are changing; education is changing.

I saw our country rally after 9/11. I saw our community rally after 2/27. I see our teachers, administrators, coaches, parents and community members rallying for a positive turnout on Nov. 5.

We are at an inflection point. The time is now. The plan is right.

Voting yes for Issue 21 is a yes vote for our entire community.

Jen Scerbo
Munson Township

Outdated Facilities

Chardon High School continually produces well-rounded students who enter the next stage of their life well prepared for the world around them. They keep the strong knit Chardon community with them as they continue in the world.

However, as the students and teachers advance at Chardon High School, the building does not. The building has deteriorated as weather and age take its toll on these halls.

Chardon students reach high for their dreams, however, that doesn’t mean there should be no ceiling tiles within the classrooms.

Chardon students enter new worlds around them, however, that doesn’t mean that the world should be growing within these classrooms in the forms of weeds.

Chardon students take risks and excel, however, that doesn’t mean there should be risks within the school in the form of water dripping from the ceilings.

Chardon students have learned to adapt to their surroundings, they know how to flourish despite their location, but that doesn’t mean it is the standard. The state of the high school simply put is outdated and crippling. It does not meet the standards of the flourishing students within.

Kaylie Malloy, CHS Senior
City of Chardon

The following is a sampling of the calls handled by the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office Oct. 4-10, 2019. In total, the sheriff’s office handled 372 calls during this period.

AGENCY ASSIST

Oct. 5

10:50 p.m., South Ridge Road, Ashtabula. SWAT call out in Ashtabula. Barricaded gunman. Deputy advises male suspect in custody without incident.  

CITIZEN DISPUTE

Oct. 9

9:53 a.m., Edgewater Drive, Newbury. Caller says her neighbor is feeding her cats and now they won’t come home. Complainant says the neighbor is an alcoholic. Complainant says she took one of her cats to keep for her grandson. Complainant says she won’t release the cat to her or out of the house. Deputy advised. Complainant was thinking the neighbor took her cat. Deputy went to neighbor’s house and only a dog was present. Advice provided. 

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Oct. 6

1:25 a.m., Lake Shore Drive, Newbury. Father and son beating each other up. One is outside, one is inside. Three people. No weapons. They have been drinking. No drugs. They both have bloody faces. They are both outside. Caller can hear them screaming at each other. Son is walking to his mother’s house. Report taken. Two arrested.

FRAUD

Oct. 5

2:47 p.m., Twin Creeks Drive, Auburn. Caller was scammed out of over $26,000. She said this began on Oct. 3. She said she received a call from someone who said he was her grandson. The male told her that he was in jail in Cleveland and only had a few minutes to talk. The male on the line said an attorney would call her about bail. The attorney called and advised she needed to send $14,900 in cash money to an address in New York, which she did. She said they called back and requested more money, which she sent. She finally called her grandson on his cell phone. This is when she discovered she had been scammed. Report taken.

Oct. 8

5:24 p.m., Williams Road, Hambden. Caller needs to make a report for internet fraud for a boat sale. Caller bought a boat online, by wiring the money to a seller in New York, and paid $15,000. He was notified the truck delivering the boat as well as the boat were involved in a crash and the boat was totaled. He was notified today that his money would be refunded in 2-3 days. Caller is suspicious this might be a scam since some of the email addresses are no longer valid. He will wait the 2-3 days to see if he gets his money back.

GUNSHOT

Oct. 7

9:37 p.m., Old State Road, Middlefield. 26-year-old male accidentally shot himself in the thigh, 9mm. Gun on dresser. Medivac on standby. Middlefield PD first to respond and reported back to dispatch. They were with the victim, gun was on the dresser and gunshot was accidental. Male transported victim to an accessible location to meet up with Medivac and victim transported to UH downtown. UH main campus removed the bullet from the male’s leg. Will be placed in evidence. If bullet not needed, contact so it can be disposed of properly.

INJURED PERSON

Oct. 6

1:37 p.m., Dewey Road, Thompson. 32-year-old male crushed by a bobcat, injuries to the pelvis and leg. Conscious and breathing. Male has been removed from under the bobcat; he is moaning. Advised not to move. Assisted Thompson FD with stabilizing patient. He was transported by squad across the street to Medivac and flown to UH downtown.

INMATE TRANSPORT

Oct. 8

1:12 a.m., Merritt Road, Munson. Inmate swallowed an unknown amount of meth. BP and pulse continuously rising. ER notified. In hospital. Inmate transported back to the jail at 7:58 p.m. She was very loud and using foul language as she was leaving the hospital.

MEDICAL

Oct. 9

10:20 p.m., Clay Street, Huntsburg. 30-year-old male has taken meth and is throwing up blood and is out of control. History of drug use, no weapons. He is not being physically violent, but was throwing things and was running around outside naked. Male now in bathroom and is aware police have been called, and will be upset when he finds out. He is acting like he is under the influence of drugs, but caller is not sure if it is meth or something else. He does not have access to a car. Caller does believe there is a possibility he might try to take off on foot when the police arrive. He is still naked. Just got out of rehab on Saturday. Squad transported.

SUSPICIOUS

Oct. 5

4:17 p.m., Stone Road, Newbury. Caller states there is something suspicious going on. Two older cars at the end of the driveway. Several men with tattoos. Caller thinks they may have been up to no good. Deputy advised. UTL. Nobody in the driveway. One minivan in parking lot and other cars at the rental house.

Oct. 7

7:53 p.m., Robinson Road, Chardon. Someone killed the caller’s chickens. He found the rooster in the driveway and a board that had blood all over it. He left his property at approximately 6 p.m. and returned just after 7 p.m. He located his rooster, deceased, on a stump in his driveway. Believes an unknown person struck his rooster with a piece of a pallet and killed it. He had located the wood piece earlier with blood on it, but could not locate it again when the deputy was present. Report to follow.

THEFT

Oct. 7

5:08 p.m., Auburn Rod, Munson. Theft complaint in the lobby. Complainant reported several hand tools and a welder stolen from his residence. He located the tools he believes are his at Geauga Pawn. He also believes he knows person who stole the tools. Report to follow.

TRAFFIC CRASH

Oct. 9
2:16 p.m., Kinsman Road, Middlefield. Buggy vs. semi. Injuries appear to be very serious. Deputy advised. Called Medevac for helicopter to standby. One male entrapped under buggy, but they were lifting it off him. Women and child involve ed. Looks like all are breathing, but unsure. Medevac will be at the airport base in five minutes.

VANDALISM

Oct. 6

1:56 p.m., Auburn Road, Munson. Someone vandalized his anti-school levy sign. He is in Hawaii, but would like a call. Deputy advised. Spoke with the male on the phone. Advice provided.

Following is a list of real estate transfers for the week ending Oct. 4, 2019, provided as a public service by the Geauga County Auditor’s Office. Transfers may involve the sale of land only.

AUBURN TOWNSHIP

Ante Turcinov, 11625 Lancaster Drive, to Ted S. and Elizabeth M. Bunton, $597,500. (2.04 acres)

Tracy Kruger, 18260 Quinn Road, to Douglas McIntosh and Suzanne Harker, $412,000. (4.02 acres)

Jeanette J. Marinello (trustee), 10460 Auburndale Drive, to Daniel and Wendy Kunzler, $322,500. (3.00 acres)

Anthony R. and Ruth M. Hall, 10760 Robert Lane, to Sherry L. Davies, $385,000. (2.00 acres)

Dwight E. Otto, 10007 Sunset Drive, to Christopher James and Noel Bliss Deviney, $299,900. (3.91 acres)

Christine Thompson, 724 Sagewood Lane, to Ronald R. and Sally A. Lewis, $349,900. (0.00 acres)

Ronald E. Jr. and Dena M. Grissman, Stella Lane (s/l 3), to Anthony and Justina M. Cappelli, $88,000. (2.13 acres)

BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP

Charles L. and Susan L. Rettig Drufke, 7540 Fields Road, to Brian Edward Blanchard and Sophia Floarta, $300,000. (3.42 acres)

James Alan and Melody V. Sago, 17645 Merry Oaks Trail, to Carey L. Boylan, $252,500. (0.54 acres)

Russ C. and Nancy F. Valentine, 17412 Beech Grove Trail (Unit 22), to Barbara H. and Thomas D. Rooney, $589,000. (0.00 acres)

Jeff and Sandra D. Hall, 8185 Carrington Place, to John E. Ericson III and Kathryn C. Nemec, $485,000. (0.59 acres)

John Sarkissian and Janice Vitullo, 7065 Cedar St., to Hugh G. Pike, $346,500. (0.25 acres)

John A. and De Ann M. Brett, 8836 Taylor May Road, to Cameron J. Clines, $250,000. (1.54 acres)

Michael J. Weston (trustee), 16460 Majestic Oaks Drive, to Dean K. Ganzhorn (trustee), $730,000. (1.00 acres)

BURTON VILLAGE

Mary Kathryn Rountree, 14050 Goodwu Ave., to Victoria M. Katai and Benjamin W. Stiegemeier, $278,000. (0.99 acres)

CHARDON CITY

Robert McDougall, 438 North St. (Unit 11A), to Taylor R. and Rebecca M. Emmons, $62,000. (0.00 acres)

CHARDON TOWNSHIP

Anthony E. Jr. and Kay B. Mueller, 9315 Roryanna Drive, to Troy T. Duncan and Kymberly A. Nicholas, $522,000. (3.01 acres)

CHESTER TOWNSHIP

James G. and Helga M. Wright, 7641 Puddingstone Drive, to Gerald A. and Wendy Wiegand Pliml, $600,000. (3.01 acres)

Richard V. and Dona M. Zucco, 12453 Bentbrook Drive, to Greg Alan and Sarah Link, $408,000. (5.06 acres)

William J. Vencl (TOD), 9210 Mulberry Road, to Chase M. Calabrese, $365,000. (7.20 acres)

Innova Property Investments LLC, 7387 Greenfield Trail, to Fatima U. Kasymova, $216,000. (1.37 acres)

Angela L. Kercher, 11463 Willow Hill Drive, to Christian M. and Mary E. Perry, $289,000. (1.53 acres)

CLARIDON TOWNSHIP

Ray E. Jr. and Rachel E. Hutchinson, 14035 Claridon Park Drive, to Christina M. and Christopher K. York, $293,500. (5.08 acres)

HAMBDEN TOWNSHIP

Lost Pond Properties LLC, 13176 GAR Highway, to Cuzn Properties LLC, $325,000. (3.12 acres)

Arthur T. Bresse, 9877 High Country Lane Drive, to Daniel J. Larosa and Jessica L. Cianfaglione, $250,000. (2.17 acres)

MIDDLEFIELD TOWNSHIP

Daniel A. Ida Mae Fisher, 13649 Madison Road, to Jacob W. And Arlene J. Hostetler, $127,000. (3.49 acres)

Melvin R. and Mary Ann Mullet, 17710 Peters Road, to Alvin A. Miller, $245,000. (2.50 acres)

MIDDLEFIELD VILLAGE

Jack E. Boardman, 15876 W. High St., to Brenda M. Dryer, $90,000. (0.57 acres)

MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP

William M. and Judith L. Trader, 10714 Plank Road, to Craig R. Kaser, $268,500. (11.87 acres)

MUNSON TOWNSHIP

12330 Waterfowl LLC, 12230 Waterfowl Lane, to Joseph S. and Nancy S. Zuccaro, $490,000. (7.50 acres)

NEWBURY TOWNSHIP

Susan Rose, Deborah Fitzgerald and Janet Platenberg, 15484 Lake Shore Drive, to Brenton J. Bomback, $94,600. (0.10 acres)

PARKMAN TOWNSHIP

Edward E. Dobra, 19071 Nelson Road, to Marvin M. and Nancy J. Miller, $12,000. (2.00 acres)

William R. Stepnicka, 15340 Agler Road, to Aaron J. and Jenna E. Stenta, $260,000. (10.00 acres)

RUSSELL TOWNSHIP

Howard M. Schmies and Timothy Pritchard (co-trustees), 13814 Fox Hills Drive, to Mark A. and Laura L. Dalessandro, $200,000. (1.50 acres)

Julien L. McCall (trusgtee), Partridge Lane (s/l 16), to Anthony and Mary C. Musso (trustees), $349,500. (5.03 acres)

SOUTH RUSSELL VILLAGE

Keith Carl Kwaczek, 5149 Chillicothe Road, to Trisha Hodel, $249,000. (1.52 acres)

THOMPSON TOWNSHIP

Richard P. and Linda A. Kaplan (trustees), 16980 Burrows Road, to Jeffery and Jacqueline Ward, $150,000. (9.00 acres)

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 440-285-2015 or email editor@geaugamapleleaf.com no later than Monday noon. These meeting notices are NOT legal notices. 

Geauga County: Oct. 17, 9 a.m., Board of County Commissioners; Oct. 21, 2 p.m., Family First Council, at 13244 Ravenna Road, Munson; Oct. 22, 9 a.m., Board of County Commissioners. All county commissioners meetings are held at 470 Center St., Bldg. 4, Chardon, unless otherwise noted.

Auburn Township: Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees; Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Administration Building, 11010 Washington St., unless otherwise indicated.

Bainbridge Township: Oct. 17, 7 p.m., Board of Zoning Appeals. All meetings are held at Town Hall, 17826 Chillicothe Road, unless noted.

Burton Township: Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Township Administration building, 14821 Rapids Road.

Burton Village: Oct. 17, 7 p.m., Burton Public Library Trustees. All meetings are held at 14588 W. Park St., 2nd Floor, unless otherwise noted.

Chardon City: Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m., Planning Commission. All meetings are held at Municipal Center, 111 Water St., unless otherwise noted.

Chardon Township: Oct. 21, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at Township Hall, 9949 Mentor Road, unless otherwise noted.

Chester Township: Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m., Planning Committee, Chesterland Innovation Center, 12628 Chillicothe Road, Unit D; Oct. 24, 6 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at the Township Hall, 12701 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.

Claridon Township: Oct. 21, 6 p.m., Board of Trustees. All trustees meetings are held at Administrative Building, 13932 Mayfield Road, unless otherwise noted. All Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals meetings are held at Town Hall, 13930 Mayfield Road.

Montville Township: Oct. 24, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings held at the Montville Community Center, 9755 Madison Road, unless noted.

Munson Township: Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m., Board of Zoning Appeals; Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m., Board of Trustees. All meetings are held at Township Hall, 12210 Auburn Road, unless otherwise noted.

Newbury Township: Oct. 23, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Town Hall, 14899 Auburn Road. (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.)

Parkman Township: Oct. 22, 7 p.m., Zoning Commission. All meetings are held at the Community House, 16295 Main Market Road, unless otherwise noted.

Russell Township: Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., Zoning Commission. Meetings are held at the Fire-Rescue Station, 14810 Chillicothe Road, unless otherwise noted.

Cardinal BOE: Oct. 23, 6 p.m., meeting/work session, BOE Office, 15982 E. High St., Middlefield.

Chardon BOE: Oct. 21, 6 p.m., regular meeting. All meetings held at Ira A. Canfield Building, 428 North St., Chardon, unless otherwise noted.

Kenston BOE: Oct. 21, 7 p.m., regular meeting. All meetings held at Timmons Elementary School, 9595 E. Washington St., Bainbridge.

Ohio Means Jobs – Geauga County Job & Family Services along with The U.S. Census Bureau will be hosting the 2020 Census Job Fair on Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Geauga County Job & Family Offices, 12480 Ravenwood Drive, Chardon.

The U.S Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of workers for temporary jobs available nationwide in advance of the 2020 Census.

Available jobs include:

Recruiting assistants travel throughout geographic areas to visit with community-based organizations, attend promotional events and conduct other recruiting activities.

Office operations supervisors assist in the management of office functions and day-to-day activities in one or more functional areas, including payroll, personnel, recruiting, field operations and support.

Clerks perform various administrative and clerical tasks to support various functional areas, including payroll, personnel, recruiting, field operations and support.

Census field supervisors conduct fieldwork to support and conduct on-the-job training for census takers and/or to follow-up in situations where census takers have confronted issues, such as not gaining entry to restricted areas.

Census takers work in the field. Some field positions require employees to work during the day to see addresses on buildings. Other field positions require interviewing the public, so employees must be available to work when people are usually at home, such as in the evening and on weekends.
Applicants will be placed in an applicant pool for 2020 Census field positions for positions they qualify for and will be contacted as work becomes available in their area.
More information can be found at the 2020 Census Jobs page or the Census Bureau’s Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

Geauga County Sheriff’s Office K9 Argo has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass., whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests, and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.

The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided more than 3,500 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 million.

The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950. Each vest has a value between $1,744 and $2,283, a five-year warranty and an average weight of 4-5 pounds. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 508-824-6978.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

Following is a list of real estate transfers for the week ending Oct. 11, 2019, provided as a public service by the Geauga County Auditor’s Office. Transfers may involve the sale of land only.

AUBURN TOWNSHIP

Michael C. and Germaine K. Lux, Edinboro Lane (s/l 14), to Bravo Homes Inc., $78,000. (2.57 acres)

Addy E. Barr (trustee), 18065 Chanticleer Court, to Frederick and Roberta Baltz, $410,000. (2.06 acres)

Gary A. and Deborah L. Sakmar, 133 Signal Hill (Unit 27C), to John Anthony Haviland III, $338,500. (0.00 acres)

BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP

Marcia A. Szell (TOD), 16565 Wren Road (Unit 2H), to Cheryl Napoli Koncler, $118,000. (0.00 acres)

Ironside Properties LLC, 8446 Rockspring Drive, to Vincent J. II and Hayley E. Iosue, $305,000. (0.34 acres)

Matthew and Tram Brandenburg, 9665 Nighthawk Drive, to David Scott and Erin K. Ballantyne, $625,000. (5.09 acres)

Virginia B. Rady (TOD), 17064 Catsden Road, to The AEM Services LLC, $110,000. (1.53 acres)

Kenneth P. and Sally A. Harrold, 19120 Cascade Court, to Mark R. and Sharon E. Kertis, $72,000. (1.61 acres)

Matthew P. Kittle and Elena R. Williams, 9380 Rail King Court, to Andy and Heather Manchen, $589,000. (5.01 acres)

Jacalyn Saks, 17535 Fairlawn Drive (Unit D2), to Sandra Luby, $144,000. (0.00 acres)

CHARDON CITY

Kenneth P. Kampman, 140 Pine Hollow Circle, to Gina Louise Toigo, $220,000. (0.21 acres)

Jeffrey M. and Maggie A. O’Reilly, 303 South St., to Frank M. Kaminski (trustee) and Lauren A. Wade (trustee), $174,000. (0.19 acres)

Theodore F. and Melissa L. Russo, 461 N. Hambden St., to Sommers Real Estate Group LLC, $210,000. (2.00 acres)

Josef and Charmaine Kotar, 123 Ferris Ave., to Ferraro Properties LLC, $167,000. (0.26 acres)

James G. and Teresa M. Gerson, 412 N. Hambden St., to Joseph Meyer, $120,000. (0.58 acres)

CHARDON TOWNSHIP

Cornelis D. and Antionette Vanderberg, 10009 Crestridge Drive, to T L, $220,000. (1.08 acres)

Diane F. Farinacci, 11971 Wintergreen Drive, to Justine Sherry, $36,300. (1.81 acres)

James M. and Lorrie M. Anderson, 12456 Woodin Road, to Mary M. and Jonathan M. Smoley, $254,600. (3.00 acres)

CHESTER TOWNSHIP

William D. Thomas and Heidi A. Honner, 12780 Sperry Road, to Mikhail V. and Alena S. Vlasenko, $369,900. (2.50 acres)

Kevin M. and Jennifer R. Zebrowski, 12860 Woodside Drive South, to Stephen and Rachel Chase, $270,000. (1.50 acres)

CLARIDON TOWNSHIP

Beverly Palinsky, 13216 Aldenshire Drive, to William A. Toth, $90,000. (1.00 acres)

HUNTSBURG TOWNSHIP

Robert C., Kathleen A. and Robert Michael Adams, Mayfield Road, to John A. and Dona J. Adams, $470,000. (37.60 acres)

Anita Marie Adams, 15292 Mayfield Road, to John A. and Dona J. Adams, $100,000. (2.14 acres)

Michael F. Maruna (TOD), 12330 Flowerside Road, to Ervin R. Miller, $126,000. (3.50 acres)

Andrew W. and Tara M. Hickin, 13031 Madison Road, to Adam C. Winemiller, $155,000. (0.84 acres)

MIDDLEFIELD TOWNSHIP

Owen Ray and Mary Ann Miller, 15675 Durkee Road, to Chester J. Miller and Erma Detweiler, $220,000. (3.14 acres)

Paul A. and Willis O. Jackson, 15822 Old State Road, to Willis O. Jackson and Richard Sedlack, $20,000. (0.29 acres)

Willis O. Jackson and Richard Sedlack, 15822 Old State Road, to Richard Sedlack, $20,000. (0.29 acres)

MIDDLEFIELD VILLAGE

Carrie and Slone Sarita Barcikowski, 15122 Timber Ridge, to Ramon Arellano, $225,000. (0.20 acres)

MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP

Justin Levine, 9012 Plank Road, to Michael A. Risko, $44,000. (3.91 acres)

NEWBURY TOWNSHIP

James Daniel Grazko, 11106 Kimmeridge Trail (Bldg. 3 Unit A), to Thomas and Mercedes Kniss, $110,000. (0.00 acres)

Sherman E. Williams (TOD), Kinsman Road, to Amy H. and Philip J. Kassouf (trustees), $125,000. (1.63 acres)

PARKMAN TOWNSHIP

Noah N. Yutzy and Marie R. Bender, 17141 Bundysburg Road, to David John and Barbara Edna Frecka, $200,000. (4.00 acres)

RUSSELL TOWNSHIP

TGUJ Ltd., Fedeli Lane (s/l 4), Brian Douglas Moore and Giuliana Arcarese Moore, $85,000. (6.10 acres)

Patrick J. and Jana L. Gannon (trustees), 8414 Music St., to Adam Lariccia, $246,400. (2.04 acres)

SOUTH RUSSELL VILLAGE

Kevin S. and Margaret O. Lynch, 15 Daisy Lane, to Anne K. Gruettner and Janet L. Boehler, $265,000. (1.00 acres)

THOMPSON TOWNSHIP

Lausin Ledge Company Ltd., Philips Road, to Meggan E. and Brandon J. Dwyer, $153,100. (54.32 acres)

Lausin Ledge Company Ltd., Philips Road, to Oak Mill Ranch LLC, $107,400. (124.00 acres)

Harry Clinton Jenkins Jr. and Dorretta Elizabeth Huffman, 15961 Thompson Road, to Garrick Ramsey, $202,000. (5.27 acres)

Mardon Properties LLC, 17707 Stocking Road, to Susan M. McDonald and Brian J. Zappia, $40,000. (5.00 acres)

Four Candidates Do What’s Right

When I was a young kid, my father was always helping other people. I asked him do the people pay you? He said it was our duty to help your fellow man and you do that because it’s the right thing to do.

His example led me to helping others my entire life and I see why he did this.

We have an upcoming election for Berkshire school board and there are candidates that follow my father’s example. They give their time and abilities so the students of our district can be given the best opportunity for an education and success for the students future.

They not only give their time, but also will donate money for items such as scholarship funds to be used towards their education.

While not all the candidates are willing to do anything more than attend meetings, and believe they have fulfilled their obligation, it’s the minimum of being a board member.

We have three positions open that you will have a choice of the board members you want to lead this district.

Mary Goff Hipp has been a devoted community member who has always given to children. When she was young, she worked at a horse farm that gave special needs children the opportunity to ride horses. It took patience and understanding along with responsibility. She always donated time to coaching and she brings that same compassion and talent to do grant writing for us to help with needs for the new school. Her experience in the business sector and connections will be an asset as well.

Linda Stone is someone that worked in our district as a teacher and effected over 1,000 students in her 30 years of service. She has been chairperson of two successful campaigns, one raising money that built the current wrestling room and locker room addition, and the second was converting our 0.75 percent income tax to a 1 percent earned income tax in 2007 that helped our retirees and people on disability. She has always been community minded and donating countless hours to our district.

And finally, Bryan Wadsworth. He has served on the school board for just under four years and he has been a catalyst to the young parents with children in the district. He took it upon himself to go to Cincinnati to visit and spend time with John Stoddard prior to him being hired. His trip proved to be vital in the hiring process because he was able to elaborate as to the job John had done at Oak Hills. Project-based learning will be the platform of our education because Bryan took the time to visit John.

He has given unlimited hours to help pass the bond issue as well as spending time encouraging local business to be involved with our school, one such member is the YMCA. His passion to be involved as a board member, coach, booster member and recreation board member shows his commitment to the district.

I have heard comments that the board needs to have representation from certain areas. Our district is 118 square miles and it spans from Troy to Thompson. It is important to have the right people in place who willcommit time and resources to all our children that are special needs, typical, gifted, etc. It should not matter where a child lives, who their parents are, open enrolled, etc.

What matters is the board should be committed to educate every and all students. Past board members like Roger Miller, Tim Honkala, Val Timmons, Jim Koster and Lee Imhof, all of whom I had the pleasure of serving with, always donated their board income back to the Berkshire School Board Scholarship fund.

These scholarships were awarded to four students annually at graduation time. You have current board members like Jody Miller, Bryan Wadsworth and myself that continue this tradition, and still award these scholarships to students within the entire district. Yet, you have other board members who have never donated anything to this important fund.

This is why I am endorsing Mary Goff Hipp, Linda Stone and Bryan Wadsworth. With Jody Miler and myself, this team will maintain a common sense approach to supporting education at Berkshire, and do it with complete resolve to be there for all our students.

And for the community, you can expect doing this with continuing the history of balancing our budget.

Thank God for Joe Manfredi, he certainly was a wise man and kind as well.

John J. Manfredi
Board Member, Berkshire Schools

Good Schools = Good Communities

In the early 1970s, my family of six moved to Chardon. From that time on, our four children attended Chardon Schools, where they actively participated in activities, sports (our son Hank was the last state wrestling champion from Chardon) and academics. Our children were average to above, no valedictorians!

The education my children received while attending Chardon Schools prepared them so that they all graduated from college, three with graduate degrees, and have been successful in their chosen careers.

Though I am almost 80 years old, I will vote yes on Issue 21! Let’s insure that future generations of students will continue to become productive members of society.

Please join this retired teacher and vote yes in November. Good schools and good communities go hand in hand.

Vote yes on Chardon Bond Issue 21.

Barbara D. Inderlied
City of Chardon

‘Keep What Works’ in Newbury

My vote for Newbury Township Trustee will be Glen Quigley. I like his slogan “keep what works.”

There are two people challenging Glen this November. I’ve done my homework on both and found Glen to be the wise choice.

With Glen, you know what you are getting. Glen is professional, researches the issues of the township and makes informed decisions.

Mike Reardon is running against Glen and aggressively fighting to keep Newbury Schools independent and end the consolidation. He does not understand government funding. He disputes our county auditor and claims real estate taxes will not decrease by joining West Geauga Schools. He is wrong; the auditor is correct. Our real estate taxes will permanently decrease by approximately 25 percent beginning with our January 2020 tax bill.

When Reardon hears someone question his motives, he becomes angry and threatens legal action or calls the sheriff like he recently did against one member of the Teague family. If he cannot maturely manage differing opinions or conflict, how is he going to handle public office?

My fear is having another hot head in office. By supporting an independent school system he supports higher taxes. The whole time he was asking for support of keeping Newbury Schools independent, he open enrolled his children into the Kenston school district. He kept this quiet, only to place a “Kenston Bombers” sign on his lawn the day after the referendum was officially dead.

Two candidates for Newbury school board baffle me. Marty Sanders is fighting hard to end the territory transfer with West Geauga. He has been abrasive — yelling, name calling and repeatedly calling fellow board members liars. He opposed the transfer at the Geauga ESC meetings and gathered signatures for the referendum. His behavior is interfering with helping our children in the transition. Since his battle to stay independent is over due to the lack of support from the community, he suddenly had an epiphany and wants to help.

Jessica Alldredge is running alongside Marty Sanders for school board. She is championing to stay independent, fighting for the referendum and making the transition harder for our children. Alldredge also has an anger issue, threatening to “throat punch” a Newbury trustee.

According to the sheriff’s report filed by Deputy Pavlick, Alldredge stated “she was upset with the way Newbury Schools were headed and was upset about how she never received information regarding other Newbury Township Trustees.”

In an email to the West Geauga school board members, she stated, “you would be better off as a district to ‘cherry pick’ students with open enrollment. That way you are not dealing with the kids and their parents that don’t want to be at West Geauga, and you can get the money that you need that way.”

Sanders and Alldredge will only create more havoc at meetings until the transfer takes place. I’ve had enough of the circus on display during the meetings.

Think before you vote!

Rose Yaecker
Newbury Township

McMullen for Munson

Vote to re-elect Irene McMullen, Munson Township Trustee. Her dedication to Munson is unmatched.

Irene has been serving Munson for a decade and her creativity in finding funding for Munson’s needs without tax increases is extraordinary.

For example, one project I would like to highlight is the new raingarden at the township park. The township had a drainage problem caused by runoff from a pavilion, so Irene McMullen applied for funding from The Bingham Foundation and the Master Gardeners of Geauga County to build a garden to store excess water. She then coordinated lots of volunteer labor to build the raingarden. Students from all grades at Munson Elementary made stepping stones. Chardon High School’s varsity baseball team provided the labor for planting and the students were coached on how to plant by Master Gardeners. This project was one example of how the use of tax dollars was avoided by Irene’s encouragement of creativity and community participation.

Irene has since moved on to administering a $174,000 grant that will help reduce sediment and maintain drinking water supplies for our community. Getting grants such as these minimize the need for our tax dollars to go to these projects.

Let’s keep our community strong. Please join me in voting for Irene McMullen, Munson Township Trustee.

Donna Platek
Munson Township

Children are Worth It

Let’s build this new school.

Let’s make it an amazing facility for our kids.

Let’s raise the value of our community by investing in our school system.

Let’s invest in the future of our children and give them every opportunity to succeed.

Hitting someone’s pocketbook is always a tough pill to swallow, but we must see past this challenge. The old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child,” is so relevant here. I am not voting yes just because my children will be going to this school or it will raise my property value. I will be voting yes because I want every child in this community to have a safe, happy and amazing place to learn.

I want every child in this community to be inspired when they get on that bus to go to school.
I want every child growing up in this community to know we love them, even if we have to sacrifice a bit. They are worth it.

Greg Potts
ClaridonTownship

Quigley Committed to Newbury

I enthusiastically support the re-election of Glen Quigley for Newbury Township Trustee.

As a 30-plus resident of Newbury, and an owner of a business on Route 87, I have a unique perspective on Glen’s commitment to local businesses and his unwavering devotion to Newbury’s nearly 6,000 residents. I like to quip that Glen is green on green: he protects our zoning, our property values and our rural atmosphere while cultivating a tax base to support our township services.

Through Glen’s conservative management on taxes and spending, Newbury Township has the lowest tax rate of any township in Geauga County.

Glen also realizes the pending Newbury/West Geauga Schools consolidation will lower overall real estate taxes approximately 25 percent for residents and businesses, facilitating a huge and effective economic stimulus for the entire township.

Glen has been the steady hand and voice of reason at township meetings, especially over the past couple of years as our community has fractured over the fate of the Newbury Schools system. Glen has not taken sides or advanced his personal opinions and agenda like his opponent Mike Reardon, who has been pushing hard to stop the Newbury/West Geauga Schools consolidation — and the improved real estate market, better education for our kids, and much lower real estate taxes — that come with it.

However, now that the school consolidation is certain to happen, Glen is showing leadership in representing the township’s interests and guiding the fate of the Newbury Schools land and buildings to ensure their future use will benefit the township, and potentially create a huge source of pride and additional tax revenue for the township.

As a local business owner, I need the assurance of stability and confidence in my local leaders.  As a homeowner, I need to feel my trustees are protecting my property values and the rural atmosphere which is why I live in Newbury. Glen has proven he can do both. Glen knows why I live — and do business — in Newbury.

Charles Davis
Newbury Township

Chuha, Grau Deserve Re-Election

This November, voters will again be asked to select councilmen for the City of Chardon. Current council members Deborah Chuha and Christopher Grau are seeking re-election. Both of these individuals have served the citizens of Chardon well during the last four years. Both have served with honesty and integrity. Both have always acted with the best interest of Chardon citizens uppermost in their minds. Both have a strong history of where Chardon has been, with a clear vision of what Chardon yet can be.

We strongly urge Chardon voters to join us in voting for Deborah Chuha and Christopher Grau on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Dave and Freddie Lelko
City of Chardon

Blankenship, Brewster, Wilson For Chardon BOE

I hope the community will support the three candidates for Chardon Local School Board who have a proven track record of working in the best interests of our students.

Karen Blankenship, Keith Brewster and Guy Wilson demonstrate their commitment to our students through not only their past board service (in the case of the incumbents, Blankenship and Wilson), but also their additional volunteer efforts. They take their responsibility seriously and exhibit professionalism and a willingness to listen.

I have personally worked alongside all three on various committees and projects, and I am constantly humbled by the dedication they have to improving and maintaining our school’s excellent performance.

While this is an elected position, it is not a political office and should not be treated as such. I know that these three candidates understand the role of the school board, but I do not believe the other two candidates have the best interest of the students at heart, and are instead motivated by a misguided idea that the school board is the appropriate place to further their political agenda.

Please join me in voting Blankenship, Brewster and Wilson on Nov. 5. It’s the best thing for our kids, our district and our community.

Gabrielle Royle Boose, CHS Class of ‘99
Munson Township

Jarred Miller for Burton Trustee

I would like to encourage Burton Township residents to elect Jarred Miller for Burton Township Trustee.

Jarred has been a valuable addition to our Board of Trustees and has learned his duties rapidly. He has a true desire to forge a prosperous future for the wonderful place that is Burton.

Jarred is a lifelong resident of the community and has shown a true dedication to Burton Township, where he resides with his wife and four children. He is involved in several volunteer organizations within our community in addition to his role as trustee. He takes time to coach youth sports, teach within the children’s ministry at his church and assists with fundraising efforts for our schools.

Jarred is accessible, approachable and patient. He possesses integrity, strong character, common sense and follow through. He has over 20 years of business management experience and fiscal responsibility. He truly understands what impact residents because he is involved in his community.

Vote for Jarred Miller for Burton Township Trustee and he will continue to support our home.

Elisabeth Clark
Burton Township

Keep What Works in Newbury

I’ve lived my entire life in Newbury Township. I graduated from Newbury Schools. I raised my family in Newbury. The people of Newbury have honored me with their trust and recently re-elected me as their township trustee for a fifth term, so I am familiar with the type of individual who makes a good trustee for Newbury.

That’s why I’m asking you to re-elect Glen Quigley.

Glen has worked with me on the Board of Trustees for well over a decade and during that time I have witnessed Glen’s ability to do what’s in the community’s best interest without regard to politics.

By working together in a cooperative spirit, we’ve been able to manage our township budget so carefully that we have achieved some of the lowest township property taxes in Geauga County.

Clearly, township government is working for Newbury residents. Let’s keep what works and re-elect Glen Quigley as Newbury Township Trustee.

Bill Skomrock
Trustee, Newbury Township

Quigley is Caring, Authentic

Newbury is about to get a new resident. Glen Quigley’s mom just turned 101 years old and asked Glen if she could come home to him. So, this upcoming week Glen is traveling to Indiana, packing his mother up and bringing her to live with him in Newbury. You might see her sitting on Glen’s screened porch or even at the grocery store; make sure to say hi.

That’s the kind of person Glen Quigley is and is just one of the reasons I support his re-election for Newbury Trustee.

Glen is caring and authentic. He does the right thing for the right reasons. We can be very proud that we have the best Trustee in all of Geauga County working for us.

Catherine Leffler
Newbury Township

Issue 21: Help Build Something to be Proud Of  

We were born and raised in Chardon, and are proud graduates of Chardon High School. After college, we couldn’t wait to move back to Chardon to raise a family of our own, in the town that we love.

Now that we have school-aged children we are shocked at the quality of our school buildings. We have seen firsthand just how amazing our children’s teachers are, but sadly the current school facilities do not match the level of education that is being provided.

This is a proud community and our schools do not represent this pride. We need to do better for future generations, which is why we passionately support Issue 21. This new 6-12 building, that has separate middle and high school wings, isn’t a luxury or an overindulgence; it is an absolute necessity.

The children of this community deserve spaces that are more functional and technologically appropriate for today’s education. An investment in schools is an investment in our community and it is time to make this investment for our future.

We will be voting Yes for Issue 21 and urge our neighbors to join us.

Chris and Melanie Scanlon
Munson Township

Parent of a Child in Elementary School 

I am a parent of a child in elementary school and my major concern is what the high school is going to be like when my child is ready to attend.

What I see firsthand while attending events and taking tours of our high school is a deteriorating building. A building that has a roof that is leaking, inadequate heating and electrical systems, and outdated fire, safety and security measures. This building has served our community well for decodes, but it is time to pass Issue 21.

Issue 21 will provide us with a new school for grades 6-12, with age appropriate division and shared areas. It will provide our teachers and students with adequate heating and air conditioning, updated fire, safety and security measures, and updated electrical capacity that will provided our teachers with the ability to use classroom technology.

The Time is Now and the Plan is Right. We owe this to our children and our community. Join me on or before Nov. 5 to vote for Issue 21.

Larry Maniche
City of Chardon 

Vote Diemer Sekas, a New Vision for Chardon

A candidate for Chardon City Council in the upcoming November election that all voters in Chardon must consider is Hannah Diemer Sekas. She should be considered for your vote based on her education, dedication to serving the people of her community and enthusiasm for finding solutions to issues surrounding the beautiful Chardon City.

The youngest candidate by far, and yet the wisesty beyond her years. Her juris doctor degree from Dayton School of Law has earned her a career in being an attorney, focusing on domestic relations law. She is currently on the Chardon City Planning Commission and has the pulse on all what is happening in Chardon related to business growth, residential growth and issues related to this booming Northeast Ohio town.

Issues related to the Courthouse offices potential move from the county seat are addressed by her respect for the preservation of the current county building and keeping this important building and offices in Chardon.

Hannah Diemer Sekas authored and led issue 14 (November 2018 election), “A People’s Mayor,” which provided for a directly elected mayor. The current Chardon Council did not wholly support this issue, yet, the people of Chardon supported Hannah’s vision and voted ‘yes’ for the issue by about 66 percent.

The residents of Chardon need a cohesive council with Hannah Diemer Sekas on board, addressing this and all citywide issues, including the outcome of the Chardon school bond Issue 21.

Your vote for Hannah Diemer Sekas is a vote for a new vision and future of Chardon. She is ready to tackle this public office with integrity, honesty, and clarity.

Laura Diemer
Hambden Township

Keep What Works

No one is born with leadership ability or wisdom. Those skills are hard to measure and develop over years of experience, training and reflection. One candidate can look and even sound like another candidate, but they can have vastly different levels of skill and insight.

That’s the way I see the race for Newbury Trustee. We have one candidate with proven wisdom and leadership ability in Glen Quigley and two other candidates for Newbury Trustee that are unproven and untested.

We know about Glen’s leadership through his good works. He’s kept our township taxes the lowest in Geauga County all while providing high quality township services and adding places where we can gather and enjoy family and friends. I’m thinking of the Veteran’s Park, where we can honor our veterans and enjoy outside concerts and gatherings.

I’m also thinking of Glen’s approach to sticky problems and hurt feelings. He’s thoughtful and measured. Glen is a peacemaker. That’s the sign of an individual with wisdom and great leadership skills and that’s why I’m supporting Quigley for Newbury Trustee.

Let’s keep what works.

Steve Hoffman
Newbury Township

Mayor Garlich for Middlefield

As a member of Middlefield Village Council and 20-year resident of Middlefield, I am proud to enthusiastically support Ben Garlich for reelection to Mayor of Middlefield.

Ben Garlich’s leadership during his tenure as mayor is distinguished by a number of impressive accomplishments, most notably in the area of improved economic development. Under his watch, the village has seen vacant storefronts renovated and reoccupied, resulting in more than 60 new businesses.

More recently, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Mayor Garlich’s administration, Middlefield was selected as one of only 320 Opportunity Zones in Ohio, and the only Opportunity Zone in Geauga County. This is a major achievement resulting directly from Mayor Garlich’s determination to enable Middlefield’s readiness to meet the demands of the future relating to business investment and job opportunities, and represents a positive breakthrough towards our community development.

Beyond advancements in economic development, Middlefield has benefited from Mayor Garlich’s consistently aggressive foresight and planning towards infrastructure improvement projects to address Middlefield’s aging infrastructure systems. Projects completed to date have been successfully completed below budget, and have substantially improved the quality of life for Middlefield residents.

In addition, planning and engineering work is currently underway to install two new fresh water wells in the aquifer north of the village to ensure a dependable water supply as we prosper, and grow, and move forward.

Ben Garlich is a dedicated public servant who truly cares about our village. His leadership is the motive force driving Middlefield’s strength and growth. I urge you to join me in voting to reelect Ben Garlich for Mayor of Middlefield on Nov 5.

Sam Morrow
Councilman, Middlefield Village

Negative Consequences

Chardon High School, built in 1951, is not in the state it once was. As any building that gets used daily for years on end, our dear facility has experienced some wear and tear.

Although we are still able to learn, there are some drawbacks to our days when parts of our building are falling apart. When there are multiple large garbage cans collecting water in the already crowded hallways, it is harder to navigate the school and get to our classes on time. When we sit by the windows during the winter and snow flies in, our solution is to duct tape them shut which takes time out of our learning.

When plants are growing inside our classrooms, bringing insects with them, it is hard to focus on the lesson. When ceiling tiles cave in with water and become a safety hazard, it is hard to feel secure in our classrooms.

The conditions of our building have negative consequences.

Gwen Avery, CHS Senior
Chardon Township

Time for a Change

To the residents of the City of Chardon, I was a member of Chardon’s 2018 Charter Review Committee and was glad to see last November’s ballot issue for an elected Mayor for Chardon City passed with over 65 percent of the public’s support.

Hannah Diemer Sekas was also a member of the 2018 Charter Review Committee and she initiated the referendum petition that put the mayor issue on the ballot.

Councilwoman Nancy McArthur was the only council member willing to put the issue on the ballot. All the other councilmen, including Mayor Jeff Smock, agreed to spend taxpayers’ dollars and use city resources by hiring expensive outside legal counsel and putting propaganda in the city’s newsletter to try to defeat the People’s Mayor ballot issue. They didn’t think that “We The People” should have a say in who serves as our mayor.

This past May, over 74 percent of voters agreed to postpone having an elected mayor to the year 2021 and to keep all council terms at four years. For the very last time in January of 2020, a majority of City Council members will elect Chardon’s mayor for the next two years.

Incumbent councilpersons who fought against the People’s Mayor issue do not deserve to be re-elected and should not be part of a majority of City Council deciding Chardon’s next mayor.

My father, Harry A. Walker, was elected to Chardon Council in the 1960s; he always said he was the employee of the Chardon residents, not the other council members.

I ask that on Nov. 5, please elect a major change on Chardon City Council by voting for Hannah Diemer Sekas, Barbara Simkoff and Heather Means.

Victoria Walker Nicholas
City of Chardon

Quality Berkshire Board Candidates

My wife, Marilyn, and I graduated from Berkshire as have our two sons, one grandson and we currently have five grandchildren attending.

As a former teacher, coach, administrator, board member and local business owner, I could not be more enthused about the quality of candidates for the Berkshire Schools Board of Education.

Bryan Wadsworth has been instrumental in hiring an exceptional superintendent, strongly encouraged and supported our statewide acclaimed treasurer, and participated in the extension of each of their contracts.

Bryan, a former teacher for Hawken Schools, worked tirelessly in the promotion and passage of the Berkshire Schools Prime Initiative.

Jody Miller was the chairperson of the Berkshire Prime Initiative and brought her young children to countless community meetings and public information sessions. She has been an extraordinary appointment to our board. You will not find a more dedicated or positive person than Jody.

Linda Stone, a retired Berkshire teacher and mother of two Berkshire graduates, has spent her lifetime as a member of our community and as a supporter of all things Berkshire.

Mary Hipp brings a broad range of business and community experience, and will work with our administrators and respective townships in our very innovative and exciting future.

Each of these candidates are Berkshire graduates. Bryan, Jody and Mary have young children in our district, and Linda has contributed in so many ways to the education of Berkshire graduates.

Please support them and encourage your neighbors and friends to do the same on Nov. 5.

Don and Marilyn Hornak
Burton Township

Chardon’s Own Triple Threat

The City of Chardon’s future and development has greater opportunity to prosper with the election of Heather Means to its City Council.

Currently a 12-year resident, she understands the workings and needs of the community from the ground level. An active participant with the municipal’s school system, her daughters have gained from the institution’s offerings. She had gone a step further to make sure other students had a greater educational future having steered the Chardon Square Association’s scholarship program, encouraging young adults to give back to their community.

Heather is well known throughout Chardon for her altruist pursuit of volunteerism devoting incalculable hours of her time with the CSA, even taking on the role of president back in 2016.

To name but a few projects she has spear-headed, she commanded the conceptualization and implementation of the digital sign located on the south end of the square, a benefit to everyone in keeping them linked to the city’s goings-on. She works extensively with local food pantries by means of the Community Giving Garden and The Little Food Pantry, of which she drafted and outfitted, and has also shared the space with the Girl Scouts for them to grow their humanitarian mission.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, Heather is a small business owner on Main Street. You can also find her working for the American Cancer Discovery Shop, a well-known non-profit.

To say that Heather Means has a finger on the pulse of the city is a gross understatement.  Electing her to this civic outlet, with all of the involvement she has within the different channels of the community, would clearly champion Chardon’s designation as being one of the best places to live.

Melissa Ricco
Chardon Township

Munson, No to McMullen

Munson, I am asking you to not vote for Irene McMullen.

Not because she isn’t a caring person, but because she has not done her job of managing tax dollars wisely.

Irene, appointed in 2009 by Todd Ray, started with a cash surplus of over $2 million. Today the surplus is less than $300,000.

In 2010, Irene decided not to include the Christian term “Easter” in the spring event name. That brought national outrage to Munson’s doorstep and angry residents to a special meeting to complain while Andy and Todd sat silent.

In 2011, the budget commission ordered Munson to explain plans for that $2 million surplus. Irene and Todd should have recognized the need for a financial forecast then.

In 2015, Irene voted to cut down historic trees on Fowlers Mill and ask the county to make plans to relocate ditches, stabilize the road and widen it to 26 feet, estimated at $540,000 to maintain less than a mile of our 48.12 road miles.

In 2016, angry residents “petitioned” Irene to just repave and save over $200,000. Irene fought the residents and ignored their majority petition. She was warned there may not be enough cash to pay contracted bills.

In December 2016, the township could not pay the contract amount of $116,656.75 due the fire department. Nor could they pay the same in December 2017 and 2018. Is that “fiscally responsible?”

Go to “fowlersmill.org” and play the 2019 budget hearing. Spend some time on the site. Listen to what the commission thinks about Munson and why we need to prevent another four years of Irene.

Listen to the county treasurer call our budget a “joke” and ask Irene when Munson could deliver a five-year budget plan. Her response after 10-plus years in office is absurd and unacceptable.

And, if your vote elects the combination of Irene and Todd, who will build a long-term plan, Irene, who told the county treasurer she couldn’t commit to deliver one, or Todd, an educator, with no financial planning experience?

During candidates night Irene told us she garnered over $440,000 in grants since 2017. Our 2020 revenue report, the same one the commission used, totals grants received since 2015 at $73,301.52. Not even close Irene.

Want details and documented truth, visit “fowlersmill.org” and look around to learn why many of us are frustrated with her.

Rich Ferlin
Munson Township

Issue 21: Fairly Large Cost

I’m a graduate of Chardon Schools. When I was in high school in the late 1980s, the building lacked the amenities that other schools in the area had. I can understand that now, 30 years later, the students and faculty might see the facilities have fallen further out of step with neighboring communities.

I think Issue 21 offers a good lesson for families and students today in making hard decisions and paying for those choices.

Effectively the issue asks the community to go into debt collectively for a building. The 8,000-plus households in the district will be shouldering about $9,000 in debt each. The total of $76 million will come out of the pockets of families in the community over 37 years to pay the debt off.

If Issue 21 passes, the families who could use that money for improving their own homes, paying off their own debts or even investing in the future of their children will instead pay for school facilities. It’s a good question whether it’s wise to sink a painfully large amount pf resources into something like a new school building all at once in an era of rapid change.

The Internet just barely existed when I was in school. Today, it’s a repository of most of human knowledge and is steadily transforming the economy and the world in ways that are yet to be realized completely. Many institutions are being transformed or made obsolete by the widespread, low cost availability of knowledge. The educational system, and the teaching profession and public school system, are certain to be challenged and probably radically altered in years to come. Schools as they existed 30 years ago are obsolete already.

A school building and the public education system I grew up with is out of step with the times. Technology makes any teacher in the world accessible by any student that actually wants to learn. A centralized institution that consumes lots of resources and needs constant support via taxes probably won’t be able to compete with that model. A $76 million debt-financed facility seems like a monument to obsolescence.

Issue 21 would make the rat race for everyone in the Chardon school district a little bit harder. Its passage might result in a fancy new building in 2025 and help people in the school system keep up with their peers in other districts, but it comes at a fairly large cost.

Kevin Kimmich
Chardon Township

Rebuttal to ‘Time for Change in Chester’

As your township trustee, I am responding to Karen Austin’s recent letter to the editor and social media postings to correct her spurious claims.

First, I don’t “hate” Tim Grendell. Judge Grendell (a) is a resident of Chester Township, (b) he asked to speak with me, (c) as trustee, my personal opinion of someone is irrelevant, and, (d) if establishing a relationship and talking with a person will benefit the residents of Chester Township, that is what I will do. That is the role of a public servant.

Mrs. Austin does not like the wording in some of the motions made by trustees and claims a “gross lack of knowledge of township government.” I have been trustee for nearly eight years, a regular attendee at trustees meetings for more than 25 years, and serve on multiple public committees. I understand my responsibilities as your trustee. The Board of Trustees and fiscal officer have confirmed with the Auditor of State that our motions have been accurate and correct.

The Chester Policy Manual is a guide adopted by trustees. Through public motions, changes can be made as specific circumstances warrant. Vacation time as part of a negotiated benefits package offered to professionals who have decades of work experience is not unreasonable, nor improper.

The township’s budget of more than $7 million contains hundreds of line items and thousands of transactions. It is not always possible to answer a very specific financial question during a meeting. In those cases, we get the answer to the question and respond in a timely manner via email. This is not a lack of transparency.

Regarding my alleged “lack of transparency:” The motion to approve Cleveland State University to assist with the public survey (the first one in 17 years) was done in a public meeting.  What is more transparent than that?

Mrs. Austin has been using a neighborhood social media platform to deceive the public. She used the dubious phrase, “I heard, don’t know if true…” and went on to make false statements about me regarding a specific commercial property and zoning matter. This is an outright lie. I have not expressed any public opinion on this matter.

Chester residents deserve the truth. If you would like to discuss anything related to your Chester Township government, please feel free to call me at 216-926-8883 or email me at ken4chester@gmail.com. Thank you for allowing me this time, and please remember to vote.

Ken Radtke Jr.
Trustee, Chester Township

Candidates Committed to Berkshire

On Nov. 5, 2019, Berkshire school district voters will have the opportunity to choose school board members who will continue the hard work that those who came before them started.

The new K-12 school that is currently under construction on the grounds of the Kent State-Geauga branch in Burton is a result of the vision, collaboration and persistence of former school board members, our current superintendent and many of our community leaders.

We need a school board that has the personal and professional skills, and determination to oversee the school construction project, while at the same time maintaining the existing buildings, working to build on the district’s strengths as well as making improvements to Berkshire’s current educational programs.

I am choosing Mary Goff-Hipp, Linda Stone, Bryan Wadsworth and Jody Miller when I vote for the Berkshire School Board on Nov. 5. Each of these candidates has a commitment to both the school and the community. They have shown this over the years by volunteering and working for many successful organizations such as Berkshire PRIME, Berkshire levy and bond issue campaigns, the Berkshire Educational Foundation, Berkshire Booster Club and Rec Board, WomenSafe and their own local churches.

This volunteer involvement has helped them to understand how the decisions made by the school board impact the students, administrators, teachers and staff, and the Berkshire community at-large. Each candidate with professional backgrounds in education, marketing and local business ownership will bring an important skill set to their work on the board.

Join me in supporting these candidates and helping to shape the future of the Berkshire school district and community.

Karolyn Squire
Burton Village

I Believe in Chuck

I am writing to my fellow residents to give my wholehearted support to Chuck Strazinsky for re-election as a Chardon Township trustee.

I have known Chuck for 37 years and have served beside him on the board of trustees for the last 12 years. I can say without hesitation that he is the most honest and hard-working person I have ever met.

Chuck has been self-employed pretty much his entire adult life and has successfully built his business by providing high quality work and treating his customers with respect and integrity. I have been amazed at how easily he was able to do the same with being a Chardon Township trustee.

Chuck has used his experience as a small business owner to the benefit of all the residents of Chardon Township, and he deserves the opportunity to continue to do so for another four years.

Please join me and vote for Chuck Strazinsky for Chardon Township Trustee on Nov. 5.

Michael Brown
Trustee, Chardon Township

Support Geauga’s Parks

For nearly 30 years the Foundation for Geauga Parks has provided financial support to the Geauga Park District. We helped purchase the land that is now The West Woods, the Rookery, and Observatory Park. We funded the building of West Woods Nature Center and the rehabilitation of the Nassau Station telescope and facility. We purchased binoculars and field guides for more than 10,000 Geauga County fifth-grade students participating in the park district’s Nature Scopes program. The tremendous support we received when raising these funds clearly demonstrates the passion our community has for our parks and the environment.

With that in mind, we encourage Geauga County residents to vote “Yes” in support of the upcoming park district levy. This renewal levy is one of three voter-approved operating levies that supports the maintenance of our beautiful parks, the salaries and benefits of the dedicated and talented people who work for the park district, and the many fantastic programs that educate young and old about the importance of nature to our physical, mental and emotional health.

Parks protect the watershed, clean our air, enhance property values, and make Geauga County a more desirable place to live and work.

Please join us in supporting this worthy cause.

Jeff Hyde
President, Foundation for Geauga Parks

Re-Elect Mayor Garlich

To the residents of Middlefield, for the past 14 years I’ve had the privilege of serving the residents of Middlefield Village as your councilperson and for the past few years, as selected by my peers, I have served as your council president.

Prior to this, for my first six years on council, I served with Mayor Bill Poole and for the past eight with Mayor Ben Garlich. For 10 of those years, I have served with Councilman Wiech, who is currently running against our village mayor, Ben Garlich.

I am a longtime village resident and care deeply about my community, which prompts me to write this letter. I take pride in my involvement and contributions to making this village a better place for our residents to call home. I am perplexed as to why Councilman Wiech has decided to run for mayor, other than the fact he seems to like to run for office. Besides finishing fourth in his last village council election, he has also recently unsuccessfully run for mayor and Geauga County Commissioner, losing both times.

I question his motivation, as while serving with him for 10 years, I have witnessed firsthand his lack of involvement in any of our village functions or events. I can’t name one initiative or accomplishment with his name or fingerprints on it during that time.

Whereas Mayor Garlich invests immeasurable amounts of time, sweat, ingenuity, creativity, vision and energy — traits that have benefitted our village immensely.

Mayor Garlich brings a mindset of efficiency, increased visibility, accountability and measurable benchmarks, and, as a result, we are all more effective.

I strongly support and encourage all Middlefield Village residents to re-elect Mayor Garlich on Nov. 5. He has the ability and energy to keep our village moving forward.

Scott Klein
Councilman, Middlefield Village