Behind The News-Herald

News on Mentor's housing market & more

2012-01-31T14:29:00.000-05:00

Mentor housing foreclosures have dropped, some patrolmen helped save lives, a pro ice skater is coming to town, and apparently people still need to be told not to leave their valuables in plain sight in their parked cars.

Those topics and more are part of the following list of excerpts from Friday’s city manager memo to City Council:

Economic and Community Development
• Housing foreclosures in 2011 declined 19 percent (80 homes) from 2010 levels.
• The unemployment rate in the city increased to 5.5 percent (from 5.2 percent in November) and at the county level increased from 6.2 percent to 6.6 percent. Mentor was “tied” with Cleveland Heights relative to unemployment for city’s 50,000-plus in population.

Police Department
• On Jan. 24, three vehicles were broken into and the owners’ purses were stolen. The thefts occurred between 8:25 a.m. and 9 a.m. Two vehicles were parked behind the Jazzercise business, 8701 Mentor Ave. and the other was parked behind Colonial Plaza, 7519 Mentor Ave. The driver’s window of each vehicle was broken to gain entry. Another vehicle was entered and a laptop was stolen from the rear of the Cruisin 50’s Diner, 8807 Mentor Ave. The vehicle was unlocked. This occurred between 12:30 and 6:50 p.m.
• There were seven catalytic converters stolen from vehicles the night of Jan. 24 to the morning of Jan. 25. One vehicle was parked at Value Place Inn, 5650 Emerald Ct., the other six vehicles were parked at Brunner’s Auto Service, 7121 Hart St. Video surveillance from Brunner’s shows two people in a mini van stealing the converters between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:12 a.m. on Jan. 25. Estimated value of the stolen converters is $1,400 dollars.
• Five officers will receive Life Saving Awards at the Lake County Association of Chief’s of Police luncheon on Feb. 1. The officers are patrolmen Kuret, Gerber, Bruening, Smelcer and Alvord. Kuret and Gerber performed CPR on a female who overdosed on Heroin. They successfully revived her and turned care over to Mentor Fire/Rescue. Bruening, Smelcer and Alvord performed CPR on a male who had a heart attack. They also utilized one of the departments AED machines to shock the male and then continued with CPR. Mentor Fire/Rescue arrived and shocked the male a second time with the AED machine, reviving the male. The actions of all five officers resulted in saving the lives of these two people.

Parks and Recreation Department
• Parker Pennington, a professional skater who got his start at the Civic Arena, is busy planning an ice show for late April. He and Terri Rosenwald, Civic Ice Arena manager, have been working together on this project.
• The Little Princess Valentine’s Dance and the Father-Daughter Skate are this weekend. Don’t get closed out sign-up now. The Little Princess Dance is 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Senior Center. The Father-Daughter Skate is at the Civic Ice Arena from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday.
• The grand opening of the Black Brook Golf Course Practice Center is May 5. Some activities are planned for the day, including free 10-minute lessons with the pros, a closest-to-the-pin contest and a putting contest.
• The Lagoons staff is working to enclose a small shelter near the boat ramp to be used for our rental business. This will provide a more convenient location for our customers wishing to rent lifejackets, paddles, kayaks and paddle boards.

Fire Department
• On Jan. 23 at 4:37 p.m., fire crews responded to Route 2 westbound for a reported fire between Heisley Road and Center Street. Crews arrived to find a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass fully involved in fire. The westbound lanes where closed for a brief period while fire crews extinguished the fire.
• A rescue squad that was hit and extensively damaged in an accident on Nov. 7 will be considered a total loss. The insurance company advised this week that they will provide $185,000 toward the replacement, which will cost $193,583. Legislation will be forthcoming to replace the unit.
• Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Georskey continues his recovery from his injuries from the squad wreck in November while at home. He is expected to be cleared to report for light duty in March.
• Great Lakes Mall has improved exit corridors from the main concourses. This was accomplished during its recent renovation and has significantly improved identification of the closest exit should an emergency occur at the Mall.
• On Jan. 19, Public Education Specialist Nate Peters attended a town hall meeting in Independence to participate in discussions targeted at reducing heroin drug abuse, as the city of Independence is experiencing a similar increase in heroin usage. Nate was able to secure information from the program and is sharing prevention ideas with other agencies in our community.

Engineering and Building Department
• On Jan. 20, the Code Enforcement Division of the Economic & Community Development Department ordered the boarding up of an apparently abandoned house at 5865 Heisley Road under the public nuisance code. This house is directly across from Steris Way. The combined staff of the Law Director’s Office, Police Department, Public Works Department, Engineering & Building Department and Economic & Community Development Department helped to complete this effort.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity Highlights last week were: Grading for new boat ramp — ongoing; fabricated steel rails for new boat ramp; fabricated and installed new debris cage for inlet behind Zappitelli’s; chipping discarded Christmas trees; painting at WWCC; storm sewer repair — Carolyn; Completed stabilization of section of Two Town ditch; attempted to locate gas line on Garfield Road as part of culvert replacement project; located storm lateral for resident on Green Valley; replaced curb back and sidewalk slab at 8765 Mentor Ave.; pothole patching; mailbox repairs; replacing ceiling tiles at the Senior Center; and established work zone for sanitary sewer televising on Route 306.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Fairport Harbor one year later

2012-01-24T12:38:00.003-05:00

To those who were not directly impacted by the explosions in Fairport Harbor last year, it's hard to believe the one year anniversary is today.

But for those who lost everything, every day has taken its toll, and they are quite aware of just how long it has been, and how long they have been displaced from their homes.

I started working for The News-Herald just over a year ago as well, December 29, 2010, and after covering general assignment features for a while, I was given Fairport Harbor - a little town where "not much happens."

The next thing I know, I'm in Fairport Harbor interviewing residents who literally just found out that their homes had been lost.

Bill Brewer was carrying a little plastic grocery bag full of whatever he had left - his home completely destroyed from the flames.

Marie Bonczek wouldn't go back to her home after she woke up to the sound of an exploding appliance in the early morning.

She was too distressed to see the house, and did not want to return until it was in a better state.
A year later, she still doesn't have a completed home.

Brandon Baker and I just worked on an anniversary article that will also appear online today but I really wanted to express just how crazy it was that day from my perspective.

A new reporter, fresh out of college... this little, tight-knit community was suffering, and I had to go in and ask, "how do you feel and what will you do?"

The residents of Fairport really did come together, and Christine Yano at the Senior Center did everything she could to bring residents into the warmth of the building, offering food and comfort.

Fortunately, somehow, no one was physically injured during the tragedy that day - but it is definitely still something on residents' minds.

The conversations I had last week were much brighter, and it was good to see Marie and Bill in a better state; not perfect, but certainly on their way.

I think I will always have a soft-spot for Fairport Harbor because of the emotional experience the residents shared with me recently, and one year ago.

Caitlin Fertal
CFertal@News-Herald.com
Twitter: @NHCaitlin

Some 'excitement' for shoppers at 2 Mentor big boxes

2012-01-23T11:40:00.002-05:00

Mentor is wooing a prospect for its slow-to-start business incubator, and the police and fire departments were called to unusual incidents at Target & Walmart, according to the latest weekly city manager’s memo:

Fire Department
• On Monday, Jan. 16 at 10:12 a.m., the department responded to Target at 9669 Mentor Ave. for a report of a “high pressure” gas leak inside the building. Crews arrived within four minutes to find a gas leak in the stockroom of the store. The leak occurred when a lift operator struck a 1” gas service line to a ceiling mounted heater, breaking the line at a 90 degree elbow causing natural gas to free flow throughout the stockroom. Their maintenance employee did a good job shutting down the service line valve which was located on the roof. The store was evacuated and closed for approximately 10 minutes while fire crews ventilated the building and ensured safe air readings inside the building. There were no reports of injury or medical complaints from the leak. The building was turned back over to the store manager at 10:37 a.m.
• On Jan. 17 at 3:25 a.m., paramedics responded to a possible drug overdose. Crews arrived to find a 21-year-old female in stable condition who felt her drink may have been “spiked” with “Ecstasy” while she was at a private party in Cleveland. Patient was transported to Lake Health West in stable condition.

Police Department
• A 49-year-old male was arrested for aggravated robbery at Walmart on Jan. 13. The male was shoplifting a 31” television when security confronted him exiting the store. The male fought with security trying to escape. The suspect cut a security officer in the neck with a pair of wire cutters. The cut was approximately 1” long but did not require any medical attention. This same male stole a purse from an elderly female’s arm in the lot of Walmart in 2009.
• On Jan. 14 at 9:07 a.m., police and fire crews responded to a fatal rollover traffic crash in the area of 8141 Tyler Boulevard. The single vehicle accident involved a 1997 Dodge pick-up truck with a snow plow driven by a 62 year old male. The male had been traveling eastbound on Tyler and went off the south side of the roadway. His vehicle flipped over and landed on a concrete culvert trapping him inside the vehicle. The male was dead on arrival and had to be extricated from his vehicle by fire crews. MPD and the Regional Investigation Unit investigated the cause of the crash.

Economic and Community Development
• Tom Thielman and Ron Traub met with Cliff Somerville of Lake Erie College to discuss the city’s business incubator and met with a “prospect.”

Engineering and Building Department
• Crossfield Avenue Waterline Replacement — A permit has been issued to Aqua Ohio for the installation of 850 feet of 8-inch replacement waterline. The new waterline will be installed on the south side of Crossfield Avenue between Midland Road and Broadmoor Road (SR306). D.B. Bentley, Inc. will be the contractor installing the waterline. Work on this project is expected to begin in early February and should take approximately three to five weeks to complete. Work hours will be limited to 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. During construction, all lanes of traffic will be maintained.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity Highlights last week were: two demonstrations of sewer cameras; snow and ice control; Christmas tree chipping; renovating senior citizens center kitchen; interior painting and staining at Wildwood Cultural Center; completed bid specs for phase 1 of City Hall HVAC improvement; reviewed/approved shop drawing for senior center generator installation — project ready to begin; pot hole patching; storm sewer repair at 6209 Carolyn; stabilizing small bank failure on Two-town ditch; mail box repair; and, continue to work on the board ramp at the marina.

Parks and Recreation Department
• The Lagoons Marina is making the final adjustments to the dock contracts for the 2012 season. In the next couple of weeks the next reminder for dock payments will go out to all dockers and they will then have the opportunity to complete their payments and sign their contracts for the upcoming season.
• The city is working with the Cleveland Rock Gym to offer Mentor residents a chance to learn how to rock climb in the controlled climate of the gym. This four-section class will introduce you to climbing technique. A session is being offered for those over 16 years old and a youth class for those under 16.
• The new recreation brochure will start to show up in resident houses the last week of this month.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Deer repellent that's cheap and really works?

2012-01-19T16:34:00.001-05:00

After seeing my latest article regarding the Mentor deer dilemma — at http://bit.ly/zIbpJN — a thoughtful Mentor resident emailed the following solution:

“… I’ve made my own deer spray for the last several years and I’ve saved a ton of money. … This stuff works and keeps the deer away from my wife’s perennial gardens. It has one draw back: It stinks and you must spray downwind. I make about 6 gallons during the year and I just use a quart hand sprayer to apply. The recipe is 1 cup milk, 2 whole eggs, 2 Tbl. of cooking oil in 2 gallons of water. Stir the mixture well and let sit for about 3 days in a closed container, then open and stir again.

“Before pouring into any type of sprayer, you first need to pour some of this mixture through a strainer (italics mine) into a smaller container, to prevent clogging of your sprayer. I use a paint mixing tool in my 18V drill to mix. The rain doesn’t effect the application, but one should keep an eye out for the deer in one’s yard; this will give you an indication that another application is needed. I live in the northeast corner of the city. Almost on a daily basis, I see two bucks and four doe pass behind my house. Hope this can help someone.”

For those of you following the issue, another work session on deer management is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday in City Council chambers (third floor of city hall).

For another reader’s take on the meeting/deer issue, visit: http://bit.ly/A7bc5y

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Mentor's week in review has bad news, good news

2012-01-17T16:35:00.000-05:00

Mentor’s retail sector has taken a turn for the worse and police patrols are being increased at the Lagoons marina, according to the latest city manager report to City Council. On the bright side, more grant money is coming in for safety forces and social media is helping to nab suspects:

Economic and Community Development
• The 2012 Retail Vacancy study reveals weakness in the retail sector. In the Regional Shopping Center sector, the vacancy rate increased from 5.2 percent to 6 percent, or 28,800 square feet more retail space availability in 2012 than in 2011. The vacancy in the neighborhood convenience sector also increased from 15.2 percent to 17 percent, or approximately 10,000 square feet. The overall vacancy rate for the city increased from 6.9 percent to 8 percent. These numbers will be “benchmarked” with regional data once it becomes available.

Police Department
• An investigation is being conducted regarding 10 boat props stolen from boats at the Lagoons. The Detective Bureau is working with other area departments to develop any leads. Patrol activity in the Lagoons area has been increased over the past three weeks and will continue throughout the winter months.
• The department is promoting its Facebook page by placing Facebook logo stickers on the rear of all of the marked patrol vehicles. The department has already identified one suspect in a case after his surveillance photo was placed on the page.
• The department continues to enforce violations of driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. As a result of enforcement last week, there were 12 arrests for DUI.

Fire Department
• The city received $225,000 from NOPEC for the energy savings grant to be used for the replacement of the 800 MHZ radio equipment used by the safety forces. The check equals the final distribution of the total $450,000 grant.
• The department was called to the Mentor Municipal Court Jan. 6 at 4:23 p.m. to investigate an odor of smoke in the court area. There was no fire, but rather a heating and air conditioner problem that the city contractor is working to resolve.
• There was another call related to heroin use on Jan. 7 at 1:09 p.m. The male patient was found medically stable.

Finance Department
• Initial audit field work is scheduled to begin on Jan. 30 and last two to three weeks. This is the third year of the five-year contract with the firm of James G. Zupka, CPA, Inc.

Engineering and Building Department
• Stoneybrook Lane/Garfield Road Culvert Improvements: The Engineering and Building Department and Three J Enterprises were scheduled to meet Friday to finalize various aspects of electric utility coordination for the culvert improvement project and also to set up a time for a pre-construction meeting. Dominion East Ohio Gas was to begin lowering its gas lines on Stoneybrook Lane and Garfield Road starting Thursday or Friday this week. Aqua Ohio will also begin lowering its waterline on Stoneybrook Lane starting the week of Jan. 23.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity highlights were: 707 Christmas trees chipped as of 1-11-12; interior work at Wildwood Cultural Center; Wall installation in Garfield concession area; floor care and painting in Garfield; replacing restroom doors at Civic Center pool; Senior Center prep for wall covering and counter top replacement; Two Town Ditch cleaning from Bellflower to Silvermound Pond; start rough grade for Lagoons boat ramp project; behind 6282 Chase — replaced existing dry well; storm sewer cleaning on Bellflower, from Spring Blossom to Camelot (main only); Reynolds Road at Two Town Ditch — cleaning box culvert 60 percent complete; 5809 S. Shandle — installed 12” crossover and inlet basin; 6275 Carolyn Drive — install inlet basin; Tyler Boulevard basin repair project, and maintain recycle center & litter throughout city parks.

Parks and Recreation Department
• The Chili Open is set for Saturday with tee times starting at 9 a.m. Space is going quickly and nearly 200 golfers were registered as of Friday.
• The Public Works Department is getting ready to start a few projects at the Senior Center, including replacing ceiling tiles, cleaning the vents and lights in the main hall, and starting the tiling and FRP panel job in the kitchen.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Monitoring personal info to prevent scams

2012-01-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

An astute reader pointed out some information missing in a Monday story about current scams being working the area. The story described so-called “grandparent scams,” in which suspects use real family information to convince their victims to send money out of the country via wire transfers.

Tom Burker Sr. of Concord, himself a grandparent, said many people unwittingly open themselves up to becoming victims simply by not being sufficiently careful with their personal information.

“I read your article with great interest this morning. One thing I was hoping you would mention in your article is the impact of social media (i.e. Facebook) on these scams. People post too much information and do not control their privacy settings correctly. A scammer can gather information regarding what part of the country a potential victim lives in, photos and names of family and friends, pets, surroundings, vacation plans, family events, etc. Grandparents are using social media to better connect with their grand children these days.

“Armed with all of this personal information, a scammer can sound very convincing over the phone,” Burker wrote.

Facebook explains its privacy settings here. In short, public profiles and public status updates may be viewed by anyone, even complete strangers, regardless of whether they have a Facebook profile themselves. Other social media and online networking sites have other privacy settings specific to those sites.

Scam artists need relatively little information to make their scams work, law enforcement officers told me for the original story. And, as with the social media privacy settings, victims may unwittingly provide scam artists with the clues they need to craft a convincing story.

The key, officials agree, is prevention and awareness. Never give out personal information unless you are confident you know who is getting it and how it’s being utilized.

Rachel Jackson | email Rachel | @nh_rachel

Mentor government back in full swing post-holidays

2012-01-10T18:28:00.001-05:00

Mentor police assisted an elderly Mentor couple who fell for a “grandson” scam and the new police K-9 saw some action, according to the latest city manager memo to City Council.

Those are among the highlights from the weekly report below:

Police Department
• While patrolling through Studio 6, 7677 Reynolds Rd., an officer saw a woman scream for help and saw her go into a room with two males. The officer responded to the room with another officer and found two males fighting on the bed. One of the males was arrested for assaulting the female who had been screaming for help. A search of the room by the new K-9, Titan, led to the discovery of cocaine and prescription drugs. The male was charged with assault, aggravated possession of drugs, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• An elderly couple was the victim of the “grandson” scam in which they wired $3,500 to Peru via Western Union. They received a call from a male claiming the couples granddaughter was arrested in Canada and needed money for an attorney. The couple believed the caller and wired two separate payments to “help” their granddaughter. They were suspicious of sending the money to Peru and not Canada but the suspects convinced them it was what was needed to be done in order for their granddaughter to receive the money. The police department has signs posted in all Western Union sites in the city warning of this type of fraud. We will revisit all of the sites to ensure the signs are still present; we posted a warning on the department Facebook page and will send out a press release warning people of this type of fraud.
• The police department responded to The Garden Apartments, 7559 Mentor Ave., for a male with a gun. A male was arrested without incident for threatening his former girlfriend with a shotgun. The shotgun was recovered from the suspect’s apartment.

City manager
• In preparation of the new Waste Management refuse contract and curbside recycling implementation, a letter has been prepared to all Mentor single-family homes from the Mentor city manager’s office informing them of the changes. The letter will be mailed by Waste Management prior to Jan. 11 and will be accompanied by a brochure providing necessary detailed information. Recycling cart distribution will begin Jan. 16 and all carts will be delivered directly to homes in time for the program start Feb.1.
• Phase 3 of the Heisley Road widening project has received STP funding at 50 percent through NOACA (estimated at $2.6 million). Upon learning that there may be additional funds available, the city recently submitted a request to the governing board to increase the funding level to 80 percent, which would result in about $1.5 million more.
• The total year income tax collections for 2011 exceeded $33 million and were favorable by over 8.5 percent as compared to 2010.

Fire Department
• On Dec. 30 at 11:58 p.m., the department responded to 7278 Justin Way for several active fire alarms at the “Old Towmotor” complex. Police and fire crews arrived a short time later, found the sprinkler protection system activated and smoke coming from the building. A fire was located in the northern portion of the manufacturing area of Interpak and was brought under control within a half hour. Crews remained on scene until after 3 a.m. ventilating smoke, protecting stock and “mopping-up” the excessive water from the sprinkler system. The cause of the fire appeared to be accidental and electrical in nature. It started in the lighting cable just before the transformer for the high bay ceiling lights. Damages are estimated at $50,000 and there were no injuries. All businesses were able to resume normal operations.
• On Dec. 31 at 4:47 p.m., fire crews responded to 9411 Hamilton Drive for a report of smoke in the multi-unit commercial building. Crews arrived and learned that the owner of one of the businesses reported smoke “banked down” to near the floor in his garage bay. A thorough check of the entire building was performed with no fire source found. A follow-up investigation revealed that another tenant had been melting metals and caught some plastic on fire prior to the smoke being reported. That tenant was gone upon our arrival and fire prevention has since followed-up with him.

Finance Department
• Assistant Tax Administrator Shearin Ferguson will be retiring effective Feb. 29 after more than 12 years with the city.
• The City received $112,500 from NOPEC for the energy savings grant to be used for the replacement of the 800 MHZ radio equipment used by the safety forces. The check equals another 25 percent of the total $450,000 grant.

Engineering and Building Department
• Bellflower Outlet Sewer Project: Lake County Department of Utilities has advised that the bids for the Bellflower Outlet Sewer Project were opened on Dec. 14. The bids came in high and the project will need to be rebid. The County is expecting to advertise for bids in the next several weeks.
• The Engineering Department has been working with ODOT to transfer about 7 acres of land at the southeast quadrant of the SR2/SR615 interchange to the city for storm water management purposes. It is expected that the property will transfer this winter. When transferred, the existing detention basin outlet pipe will be modified to better utilize the capacity in the basin. It is expected that up to 16 additional acre-feet of storage can be utilized with the modification. The proposed work is scheduled to take place this year. This improvement is expected to provide relief to an existing 60 inch storm sewer trunk line that runs south to north between SR 2 and Munson Road, west of Center Street, thereby, minimizing surcharge events and impacts to neighborhoods (Edgewood, Yorkshire, Berkshire, etc.) connected to the line.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity Highlights this week were: Snow and ice removal — Jan. 1 and 2; Two town cleaning — SR 306 to Savannah; drainage improvement at Chase Drive/bike path; installed section of 6” storm sewer — Meadowbrook; cold patching — SR 306, Jackson, Hoose; remove Christmas decorations; assist cemetery with burials; interior work at WWCC; interior painting at Garfield Park; and replacing restroom doors at Civic Center pool.

Parks and Recreation Department
• The Snow Fun 2012 will kick off on Thursday Jan. 12. So far, 29 students have registered and will head to Alpine Valley for downhill skiing and snowboarding lessons and more. The six-week program involves transporting students in grades three, four and five to and from Alpine Valley.
• The Lake County Chili Open is Jan. 21 at Black Brook Golf Course with tee times starting at 9 a.m. This United Way fundraising event is a sellout every year.

Economic and Community Development
• Staff has been coordinating with the Building & Engineering Department and, to a lesser extent, IT and Parks, Recreation & Public Lands, regarding the transition of code enforcement officers to the Economic & Community Development Department. The physical relocation is scheduled for this week.
• MEACO is coordinating loan closings for Parker Precision and Affiliated Podiatrists. The Mentor Small Business Loan Fund (revolving loan) was capitalized with $245,000, which was a combination of CDBG and MEACO dollars.
Currently there is $79,844 available for lending and maximum loans are capped at $25,000.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Willowick mayor's verbiage aids ordinance alteration

2012-01-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite moments of 2011 had to have been the surprising and truthful quote Willowick Mayor Richard Bonde gave me last fall.

“I’ve said over and over again that if an ordinance is on the books, we’ll enforce it, but this one is just stupid.”

Even though my story wasn’t solely about Willowick or the ordinance in question, I knew there was no way that would simply remain a quote in the report. It was headline material for sure. I mean, when’s the last time your mayor spoke that candidly?

The law he spoke of was one established in 2004 that made it necessary for the operator of motorized scooters to have a driver’s license. It wouldn’t be an issue if those who rode scooters like the Razor weren’t in the third grade.

In essence, Bonde saw the potential for youngsters throughout his city to be cited for having fun. He pushed council for an ordinance alteration, and he finally got it on Tuesday.

The new language lifts the prohibition of motorized scooters for those without licenses. Under the revamped ordinance, citations will only occur if the operator is using it in “any willful or wanton disregard or without due regard for the safety of persons or property.” The law is now in accord with those in most communities surrounding Willowick.

Bonde credited the city’s police department with the research and legwork needed for city council to make the best decision.

“We really thought having it under reckless operation made the most sense,” he said. “We’re talking about safety anyway, and it’s the kids who are riding those things.”

This always seemed to be more Bonde’s mission than that of council’s. Following that initial article, one council member indicated as much and seemed displeased it received any attention in the first place.

Understandable, but when a small suburban mayor calls a law “stupid,” the media’s usually going to listen.

-- Brandon C. Baker

Late presstime and the Iowa caucus

2012-01-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

At 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, The Associated Press moved an advisory that stated the following:

We expect actual vote results to begin trickling in by 9 p.m. EST. Historically, about 70 percent of the Iowa caucus vote is reported by 10:30 p.m. EST, but the race is close this year and that timing could be pushed back by many factors.

If only the AP editors knew just how much the timing would be pushed back.

The first run is at left, the final at right.

At The News-Herald, we are blessed (and cursed) with a late press start. I was advised that as long as we had our last page to the plateroom by 1:40 a.m., the presses would start on time. When it became clear that we weren't going to have a winner by then, I sent the pages with the earlier story (the paper on the left in the photo at right). I asked the plateroom what was the latest we could replate pages for an updated story, and heard what I didn't want to hear: "As late as you want, as long as the press is still running."

Let me back up and explain some of this jargon:
After stories are written, the copy desk uses a page design program to put the paper together. After a page is put together and proofread, a PDF is dropped on a server that takes it to the plateroom, where each page is printed on an aluminum plate. The plates are then put on the press to print on the newspaper. The press starts running by 2 a.m. every day, so the plateroom needs to have the plates to the pressroom before then, so the copy desk needs to get pages back to the plateroom before that -- a process that could take up to 20 minutes, hence my 1:40 a.m. deadline. When we have to send pages before stories are final (usually in sports, when a Cleveland team is playing on the West Coast [like the Indians with those darned 10:05 p.m. EST starts]), we can replate. The new story is put on the page, and the new page is (quickly) proofed and sent to the plateroom, so a new plate can be printed and put on the press.

So for the next hour we watched CNN talk to Edith and Carolyn from Clinton County. They were really the highlight of this night for me. Check out some of the footage from their phone call below:

Finally, after 2:30 a.m., we heard that Mitt Romney had won -- by just eight votes. The news came at just the right time, and I was able to place the updated story with the final count on the page in time to replate. So some of you were lucky enough to get one of the papers that came off the press after the replate. If not, here's the front page you missed:

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Federal funds & a grateful patient greet Mentor FD this holiday season

2012-01-04T16:48:00.000-05:00

Mentor City staff said goodbye Friday to longtime employee Sue St. Hilaire, who retired as police department administrative secretary after 12 years. Prior to that, she was an accounting assistant in the finance department, for more than 25 years total service.

Other recent goings-on in the city include:

Economic and Community Development
• Ron Traub met with Great Lakes Mall personnel to review the status of the current renovation and future direction. The current project is 98 percent complete and new signs at Mentor Avenue and Johnnycake Ridge Road are in the process of being installed.
• Tom Thielman met with Vida Novak, vice president of Air Technical Industries regarding its application for a Mentor Small Business Loan. Air Technical Industries is desirous of using the loan program to help finance the purchase of new CNC machinery. Air Technical Industries manufactures scissor lifts and material handling equipment.
• The Mentor Economic Assistance Corporation received approval from the U.S. Small Business Administration for a SBA 504 loan package for Cleveland Ge-riatrics. This is a $355,000 project which includes the purchase of an existing building and minor remodeling.

Fire Department
• Mentor will receive $119,600 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program to purchase 50 portable radios for use by fire personnel. The upgraded radios are required to communicate with Lake County’s new 800 MHz radio system.
• There were three full cardiac arrests over the holiday weekend. Another cardiac arrest patient, whom paramedics had treated the week prior, was well enough to visit the Fire Station to express his appreciation, with cookies, on Christmas Eve.
• On Dec. 22 at 8:53 p.m., fire crews responded to 8130 Deepwood Building “D” Apartments for a fire in the second-floor laundry room. Crews arrived to find the building evacuated and a fire in building. The fire was quickly brought under control and ventilated with fire crews checking for extension before allowing the apartments to be reoccupied. There were no reported injuries and all residents were able to return to their respective apartments. The fire was contained to the side wall of the laundry unit and the cause appeared to be a faulty dryer vent.
• On Dec. 23 at 8:00 p.m., the department responded to 7265 Commerce for a reported roof fire at SKF Machine Tool Services. Crews arrived to find smoke coming from the roof of the multi-bay, multi-office industrial unit and fire inside the building. MABAS Box 1142 was called for city coverage and additional manpower at the scene. The fire started in a women’s restroom, apparently from a ceiling fan. Crews were able to limit the extent of the damage to the loft area above the restroom and a small section of the roof. The building was not occupied at the time of the fire. Damage is estimated at $130,000 and there were no reported injuries. Business disruption is expected to be minimal. Mutual-aid crews responded to other city calls for service during the incidents as the city was busy with other calls.

Parks and Recreation Department
• The Mentor Civic Arena is the place to be during the holiday season. Every day during the school break, the arena had three open skates and we are averaging more than $3,500 per day in open skate revenue.
• The Civic Arena hosted the Lake Catholic Hockey Cougar Holiday Tournament for the fourth year, renting ice time for three days and hosting 15 teams. Lake won the tournament by beating Cincinnati Moeller in the final match.
• The Senior Center has had mirrors and a ballet bar installed in activity room 3 and changes continue to the kitchen area with a new refrigerator and shelving.

Police Department
• A 43-year-old male was arrested for inducing panic after he placed a suit case near the front door of Barnes and Noble, 7900 Mentor Ave. The suspect placed the suitcase during the early morning hours of Dec. 24. At 7:45 a.m., a customer spotted the suitcase and noted there was nobody around. The Lake County Bomb Squad responded to the scene. An x-ray of the suitcase showed a radio with a battery, wires and two containers (liquid). The owner of the suitcase was located loitering in the area. He originally denied the bag was his, but then claimed ownership. He refused to open the suitcase when requested. The bomb squad disrupted the suitcase using a robot. Nothing illegal or explosive was found in the suitcase.
• The police department responded to a call of a stolen purse at Cleats, 7693 Reynolds Rd. After reviewing surveillance footage of the theft, the officers were able to identify the suspect. Willoughby Hills PD located the suspect outside his apartment building in Willoughby Hills. Mentor Police responded to the apartment, spoke to the suspect and found the victims wallet in his pocket. The remaining contents of the purse were located in a garbage can at a Speedway Gas Station in Willoughby. The suspect was charged with theft.

Public Works Department
• Activity highlights last week: storm sewer cleaning — Bellflower; drainage improvement — Chase Drive; jetted trench drains — FS #4 and #5; R-O-W drainage improvement — Washington; installing 6” storm sewer pipe — Meadowbrook; roadside ditch cleaning/re-profiling — Clover; renovations — city manager’s office; opened Christmas tree drop-off at parks; interior repairs — WWCC; grinding bump on SR 306; durapatching and cold patching — various; and snow removal — Tuesday evening.
• Eclipse Co. preparing to rebuild 17 catch basins on Tyler Boulevard

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

New Year's Eve an OK time to let minors drink?

2011-12-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

Awhile back, I was working on story about underage drinking and how a grassroots group was trying to amend Ohio’s “Social Host Law,” in an effort to hold parents more accountable for allowing alcohol use by minors.

I tried to get a pulse on how parents and other adults feel about underage drinking by posing this question on my personal and the News-Herald’s Facebook accounts: Is it OK to allow your minor child a glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve.

Since that holiday is upon us — and I didn’t end up using the info in my story — I thought I’d share some of the responses here and now:

From the News-Herald site:
Joe Simonetti — A sip, no more.

Rebecca J. Wells — As long as the child is with parents, it is acceptable for them to have a glass of champagne.

Larry Puskas — Absolutely wrong. Would you give them a beer on their birthday?

Carie Beckwith Campbell — I think it depends on the age and the child.

Kathy Brownfield Dalton — Depends on the age...I have twin 18 year olds. Just went on a cruise to celebrate their birthdays and we let them have their first drink in the foreign ports where they are considered “legal.” They were with us (their parents) and as far as I’m concerned they are responsible adults.

From my page:
Ed Bonchak (Euclid Community Policing Officer and former DARE officer) — No one under the age of 21 is allowed to possess or consume any alcohol in any public or private place, unless the underage person is accompanied by a parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian. Also anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed to possess or consume any low-alcohol beverage in any public or private place, unless accompanied by a parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian.
Bottom line...You can offer your kid a glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve, as long as you are in his/her presence. Important note...I would not do it with his/her’s friends around. It might send the wrong message!

Charlene Martorana — With all the festive, sparkling ciders and juices, why would you have to?

Shelley Zeiger Evans — Why on earth would any parent want to promote drinking alcohol...I believe this law should be black and white not gray. You should be 21 to consume alcohol period. We send the wrong message to our young people when we promote laws with all the “ifs ands or buts”...

For more on underage drinking stats & the proposed Social Host Law amendment, visit http://bit.ly/svBYej.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Mentor offering first sports swap, New Year's eve fun & more

2011-12-27T13:36:00.000-05:00

The holidays usually are a time for employees to take those last vacation days of the year, but Mentor staff appear to be busy as ever, based on some items in the Dec. 23 city manager’s report to City Council.

Some highlights include a plan for New Year’s Eve family fun on ice and a first-time event involving a swap of used sports equipment. For more, see below:

Economic and Community Development
• Approximately a dozen economic development brochures were sent out to members of the greater Cleveland brokerage community.

Engineering and Building Department
• The Single Family Rental Inspection Program is ready to begin its third year. In 2011, there were 182 inspections performed. Forty-four of these were first inspections on new rental properties; the remaining 138 inspections were done on properties that were initially inspected two years ago. Of all the inspections performed this year, 95 properties required a re-inspection for code violation citations. Since the Rental Inspection Program began in 2009, about 58 percent of the code violations cited are in the area of general property maintenance both interior and exterior (i.e. unlicensed vehicles, debris in yard, holes in drywall, etc.). An additional 25 percent of the violations are electrical in nature. The remainder of the violations, approximately 17 percent, relate to plumbing or fire code concerns. The code enforcement inspector for this program continues to seek out new rental properties and to notify property owners when their property is up for re-inspection.

Finance Department
• The city’s application was approved by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for the retrospective-rating plan for the 2012 policy year. The city began participating in the retro plan in 2005, and as a result, continues to save significant amounts on our workers’ compensation premiums.

Fire Department
• Fire Prevention is continuing to monitor the bars and retail businesses with a focus on fire lanes, occupancy loads and clear exits to ensure that holiday celebrations continue in a safe fashion.

Parks and Recreation Department
• Plans for New Year’s Eve? There is a special skate from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mentor Civic Arena. All three rinks will be open for skating and the city will provide music and prizes to go along with the skating.
• On Jan. 7, 2012, the Recreation Department will have its first “Recycle Sports Swap” at Mentor Beach Park starting at 9 a.m. Bring all those outgrown shoes, bats, gloves, sticks, balls, skis, etc. Purchase a table and sell or trade your gently worn sports equipment. Call and sign up for a table soon; there is limited space and tables are going quickly.

Police Department
• Officers located a runaway juvenile at Americas Best Value Inn, 8370 Broadmoor. The juvenile and three young adults were located in a rented room. The room contained numerous open and unopened beers, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. All of the occupants were cited for underage possession of alcohol, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The juvenile was turned over to her father.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity Highlights last week were: Continued to repair failing spots on SR 615 bridge with flexset; installed new drainage basin — Hopkins at Markwood; emptied and cleaned cracksealer; coldpatching throughout city; repaired damaged pole at US 20 and Old Johnnycake; repaired signal interconnect on SR 84; Two Town ditch cleaning — 90 percent complete with section adjacent to Chestnut Commons; located laterals for residents — Frederick, Sugarbush; storm sewer cleaning — Bellflower; installing 6-inch pipe along section of Washington; inlet basin repair — SR 306 @ I-90; ditch re-profiling — Clover; taking advantage of warm weather to clean planting beds; replaced drinking fountain at Garfield Park; painting restrooms and repairing floors at Civic Center; and providing snowplowing instruction and training to city hall employees.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

A citywide CPR campaign among Mentor's goings-on

2011-12-20T17:37:00.000-05:00

The unemployment rate for Mentor remained at 5.3% in November (Mentor’s rate was 6.6% in November 2010). The City’s unemployment rate was last at 5.3% or lower in November, 2008. In Lake County, the unemployment rate increased 0.3% to 6.2%. The City has the second-lowest unemployment rate of the 65 communities in Ohio for which data is collected. The unemployment rate in Ohio declined to 7.6% (a 0.8% decline) in November 2011.

In other news (from the Mentor City manager’s weekly report to City Council):

Fire Department
• Mentor Fire is joining other Lake County agencies to develop a “hands only” CPR campaign called Cardio-Cerebral Resuscitation. The goal is to train 4,000 Mentor residents in this method of CPR. Cardio-Cerebral Resuscitation has been shown to greatly increase survival rates from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
• The Mentor Part-Time Firefighters Annual Auction raised $2,200 for needy families in the community.

Police Department
• On Monday, the Police Department promoted three officers. Acting Capt. Ken Gunsch was sworn in as captain, Sgt. Dan Molnar as lieutenant and Ptl. Mark Stansbury as sergeant. These officers assume their new duties Jan. 4.
• The City has received a $5,000 donation from Marc’s to help fund our second police canine unit in 2012. A ceremonial check presentation from Marc’s President Kevin Yaugher to City Council will be held at a January or February meeting of council.
• On the morning of Dec. 14, an officer stopped a vehicle on SR 2 for a license plate violation. When the officer approached the car he could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a hidden area under the floor shifter. In this compartment, the officer located 1.5 g of crack cocaine, 4.7 g of marijuana, a digital scale and empty baggies. The driver was arrested and charged with trafficking in crack cocaine and marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a citation for the license plate violation. The vehicle, a 1999 Chrysler 300, was seized and the Department will go after forfeiture of the vehicle.

Finance Department
• The City continued its evaluation of an automated time and attendance system by hosting a cost/benefit session with KRONOS. The forum provided a detailed explanation of several potential cost savings areas where automation provides a solution.

Engineering and Building Department
• Over the last several months, Code Enforcement has received numerous complaints regarding a single-family home located on Hendricks Road. The tenant of this property was running a tree-trimming business from the residence. While some progress was made in relocating the heavy equipment to an acceptable location, the property remains in violation of property maintenance codes due to the fact that excess amounts of firewood, cut trees and miscellaneous equipment continue to be stored at this location. A code violation notice was issued to the property owner. When full compliance was not met, a summons was issued. The owner has appeared in Mentor Court. Noticeable progress is currently being made at the property.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity Highlights this week were: repaired more of failing SR 615 bridge deck with flexset; cracksealing – Garfield Rd; coldpatching/durapatching – citywide; replacing old batteries in traffic signal battery backups; completed drainage assistance program Enfield/Erie; cleaning storm sewers – Bellflower; storm sewer repairs - Johnnycake, Dorrwood; drainage improvement completed on Roosevelt; drainage improvement on Washington; recontoured drainage ditch – Clover; Interior repairs – WWCC; bathroom repairs – Krueger residence; seeking quotes for Garfield building boiler replacement; and property cleanup on Rosemary per code enforcement.

Parks and Recreation Department
• On Jan. 7, the Recreation Department will have its first “Recycle Sports Swap” at Mentor Beach Park starting at 9 a.m. Bring all those outgrown shoes, bats, gloves, sticks, balls, skis. Purchase a table and sell or trade your gently worn sports equipment. Call and sign-up for a table soon, limited space and tables are going quickly.
• The Chili Open is about a month away. Call the Recreation Department for more information or to sign-up.
• There have been major phone problems with the phones at Wildwood. The line is functioning again.

Economic and Community Development
• MEACO conducted its quarterly Board of Directors meeting. Tom Thielman presented information regarding the current SBA 504 and Mentor Small Business Loan activity. Tom also updated the Board about MEACO’s finances, the Mentor Technology Greenhouse initiative, and the recent changes to some of the SBA programs.
• The MEACO Loan Review Committee approved an SBA 504 loan for Cleveland Geriatrics, Inc. for the purchase of a small office building in downtown Willoughby. MEACO is authorized by the SBA to provide lending across the State of Ohio. MEACO will realize approximately $8,000 in fees for this loan.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

There may be a remedy for sign clutter in your retail neighborhood

2011-12-12T17:35:00.000-05:00

Tired of seeing multiple cardboard signs screaming "sale" as you make your way down Route 20 near the mall in Mentor? Apparently, those are no-nos, according to city sign code.

Friday's Mentor City manager report to City Council noted that,
due to an increase in the number of sign code violations reported along the stretch, the city would be increasing its enforcement efforts during the holiday season.

A code enforcement officer worked Saturday and Sunday to monitor the commercial corridors and to remove signs placed in the right of way. Violations were be documented and processed.

"At the manager’s recommendation, we had one of our planners go out and canvass the retail corridors and meet with those business owners and representatives regarding signs that were in violation," Economic Development Director Ron Traub said. "The officer indicated what can and can’t be done. The offending signs were removed immediately."

Along with signs in the right of way, violations included multiple signs and retailers posting signs on private property. "Multiple signs, banners, pennants, search lights - that whole gammet of advertising parephernalia - can be a distraction to motorists passing by," Traub said. "Our requirements are fairly standard ... and it presents a cleaner, more business-like environment to the shopper."

Other highlights from last week in the city of Mentor are as follows:

Economic and Community Development:
•    An analysis of single-family home sales data for the City of Mentor and Lake County for the second quarter 2011 (versus second quarter 2010) revealed:
o    The number of homes sold declined 22% at the County; 10% within the City.
o    The average sale price declined 6% at the County; less than 1% within the City.
o    The average number of days a home is on the market increased 8% within the County and 20% within the City.

•    SOLD – Closings occurred on two more Neighborhood Stabilization Program homes this week, bringing the total to eight vacant homes renovated and sold to low- to middle-income buyers under this grant program. Three additional vacant homes are expected to be renovated prior to the expiration of the grant in March of 2013. Down Payment/Closing Cost assistance of up to 10% of the purchase price is available for qualified buyers. Interested persons can contact Tom O’Hara, Economic & Community Development Department at ext. 2454.

• Tom Thielman met with James Moll, President and owner of Sunbright USA, Inc., a Mentor business which is participating in the MEACO SBA 504 loan program to purchase a building located at 8909 East Avenue. Sunbright currently leases space on Tyler Boulevard and are experiencing 20% year to year growth. Sunbright USA is a wholesale OEM parts supplier.

Manager Comments
• On Dec. 2, the Police and Fire department responded to two separate cases of suspected heroine overdoses. The first incident involved an 18 year old female who, while operating her vehicle, passed out at a red light on Plaza Blvd at Mentor Ave. The two responding officers found her not breathing, and immediately began CPR. Paramedics arrived and administered Narcan to successfully revive her, after which she was transported. Hypodermic needles, suspected Heroin, and marijuana were found in her vehicle. The second incident involved a male staying at Value Place Inn, 5650 Emerald Ct. The male was reported not breathing at the time of the call. Police and Fire arrived at the same time and found him conscious but unable to speak. Narcan was again administered by paramedics and he was transported. A female friend in the room was arrested after attempting to dispose of hypodermic needles used by the male to inject Heroin. She also had unused hypodermic needles on her person.

• The City received a Bronze Award for our “Special Edition” community newsletter through the 2011 APEX Awards. Hosted by the Lake Communicators, the awards recognize exceptional advertising, public relations and marketing work.

•    The Finance Department was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers’ As-sociation of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its most recent 2010 comprehensive annual financial report.

Fire Department
• On Dec. 1 at 4:35 p.m., the department was called to West Jefferson for a child stuck in a tree. Paramedics arrived to find a small child wedged in a tree. A chain saw had to be used to free the ten year old girl. She was not injured.

• On Dec 3 at 12:36 a.m., the fire department responded to an injury accident (van vs. pole during police pursuit) at Hopkins and Lakeshore where a male was extricated from his vehicle, treated by paramedics and ground transported to the helipad at Lake Health West and then airlifted to Metro General Health in Cleveland.

• On Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7:53 p.m., the Department responded to a roll-over injury accident on Center Street at Station Street where the driver was trapped in his vehicle. Fire Crews extricated the driver, provided treatment and ground transported him to Hillcrest Hospital.

Police Department
• Adults and juveniles were located at Uncle Bob’s storage, 8650 East Ave. All involved were located inside a storage unit which one of the adults had rented. The adults were cited and released while the juveniles were cited and released to their parents.

Public Works Department
• The Public Works Activity Highlights this week were: Two town ditch sedi-ment removal ongoing – completed section near St. Johns (phase 1), now working near Carter (phase 2); Drainage assistance project – Enfield/Erie; Storm sewer repair – 7646 SR 84; Resolved drainage problem at Mentor Lumber by removing slat/calcium buildup in city storm sewer; Began drain-age improvement at 6910 Roosevelt (Mrs. Blevins); Interior painting – WWCC; Installing holiday lighting; Replaced lights at Ice Arena; Installing additional flexset on SR 615 bridge over RR; Applied brine to hills and bridges (Thurs) in anticipation of snow on Friday; Durapatching and cold patching – throughout City of Mentor; and, Secured traffic signal pole at Lakeshore/Hopkins and scheduling replacement.

Parks and Recreation Department
• The Mentor Senior Center had 70 people attend the Back to School Dinner Dance at Mentor High School. This event was sponsored by the Mentor High School National Honor Society. The high school students and the seniors alike danced the night away to the music of the Billy Kaye band. This was a truly delightful interactive evening with the seniors and the students. Dr Hoynes, Principal Bill Wade, and Food Services Supervisor Jenny Lange all volunteered their time to serve our seniors. We plan to continue the relationship with the National Honor Society group; we will host a slightly different event next year at the Senior Center.

• Safe Routes To School (STRS) coordinator Maggie Kuyasa started a new “Pedometer Take Home Program” at Orchard Hollow and Sterling Morton. The pedometers can be checked out from the school librarians. The children fill out a walking punch card, which they turn in for a chance to win prizes. The SRTS grant has provided traffic safety books and DVDs to the two elementary schools as part of the continuing education program for each school. Each of the schools has embraced the program and has permitted us to have a SRTS bulletin board.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Auction with Hal Lebovitz's sports book collection starts today

2011-12-09T12:32:00.000-05:00

If you haven't yet checked out Fusco Auctions to see what piece of Hal Lebovitz's collection you'd like to own, head over to do that soon. The live auction begins in just a few hours, and online bidding has already begun.

I went over to Fusco's yesterday to take a look at Hal's things and all of the other sports memorabilia for sale. Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Kleps wrote this great preview for the auction, and I even let Sports Editor Mark Podolski include me in his video about the auction, which I've embedded below:

Instructions on how to look at Hal's items up for auction are here, and more about my journey with Hal's books can be read here.

Happy bidding!

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

More on the auction of Hal Lebovitz's personal sports book collection

2011-12-08T09:28:00.013-05:00

I blogged earlier this week about Hal Lebovitz's personal sports book collection, which will be auctioned this weekend. Fusco Auctions now has the items to be auctioned posted on its website. After getting to the homepage, scroll down to the "Sports Card & Memorabilia Auction 88" and "Sports Card & Memorabilia Auction 88 Day 2," and click the "bid online" button in the lower left side of the box to check out the memorabilia. (Or, click here for day 1 and here for day 2.)

There's plenty of other sports memorabilia mixed in with Hal's stuff. Most of Hal's stuff will be auctioned on the second day. To find Hal's stuff in either of the auction, enter LEBOVITZ in the box that says "Search this catalog." You will have to search both separately.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Sawyer House will serve again & Mentor lands big manufacturing project

2011-12-05T17:45:00.000-05:00

Who says the holiday season is a slow-news time of year? Not in Mentor, anyway. The city has attracted a major manufacturing project and an award-winning restaurant to town.

First, the one that I’m guessing most readers will be interested in: Good food. Frank and Pauly’s will be opening at 9470 Mentor Ave. in the Sawyer House building.

The restaurant is being opened by Dennis Koury, who co-owned the Cleveland restaurant of the same name — formerly in the BP building off Public Square — with his brother. The latter opened a Frank and Pauly’s in Independence, but it closed after he passed away, Koury said.

The Sawyer House is on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the only stone homes in Lake County. “The Sawyer House had a reputation of great food and great cooking and taking care of its customers, and a great winery,” Koury said, when asked why he chose Mentor. “It’s a great historic building and we just thought it was the perfect place for Frank and Pauly’s.”

Koury, formerly a Kirtland Hills resident, also owns Midland Plaza at Midland Road and Route 20 in Mentor.
City Council will consider a liquor license for the establishment at Tuesday’s meeting. “We may be opening during the holidays without liquor — customers could bring in their own wine,” he said. “We will be doing catering for the holidays out of another restaurant (for now).”

Koury noted that Frank and Pauly’s, opened in Cleveland 1993, was voted Best Italian Restaurant several years by Cleveland Magazine subscribers. He said the new restaurant will use the same recipes and chef. For more, visit www.frankandpaulys.com or call 440-392-9500.

In other good news, a major manufacturing vacancy off Tyler Boulevard in Mentor will be filled by newly merged company Metal Seal Precision Ltd., formerly Metal Seal Products, Inc., of Willoughby and Arrow Manufacturing of Mentor.

I’m told the company will create a world-class facility in the former Tridelta Industries building — 158,000-square-feet of empty space on Corporate Boulevard.

The project, being done with more than $5 million in financing from the state, retains 135 jobs in Ohio and will lead to creation of up to 30 new jobs initially, company Treasurer Rick Sippola tells me. He credited State Rep. Ron Young with being instrumental in the process.

Metal Seal will make precision machined components and screw machined parts and assemblies, serving the automotive, propane, heavy-duty truck, natural gas and firearm industries.

The Willoughby business will relocate to Mentor. Willoughby’s loss is Mentor’s gain (again) as the move will bring 85 jobs with it. Sippola said the project was being pursued pretty hard by Michigan and Indiana.

Keep the good news coming, Mentor.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Weekly Mentor City Manager memo to Council

Hal Lebovitz's personal sports book collection to be auctioned

2011-12-05T09:13:00.030-05:00

I'm thrilled the personal sports book collection of Hal Lebovitz is ready to be auctioned by Fusco Auctions.

The Hal Lebovitz Collection contains hundreds of sports books, some dating back to the 1890s. I blogged about my work with Hal's books, which you should revisit if you would like to get a better idea of the types of items that are in the collection. Fusco's site says items in the auction will be posted, so I will add the link to it here when I get it.

I'm really excited the project I started nearly a year ago has finally gotten to this point. Be sure to check out the auction - especially if you're a sports fan or a Hal fan. There might be quite a few things on which you'd like to place a bid.

More about Hal:

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Route 2 work watch

2011-11-30T16:36:00.000-05:00

Due to the "significant amount of questions about the work in Painesville," ODOT District 12's PR gal, Amanda Lee, sent out the below info on the progress of the major rehab of Route 2:

All lanes now are open on Route 2 westbound between Newell Creek/Route 306 and Route 91. The added lane on Route 2 eastbound along the same stretch remains closed as crews complete safety items.

“Weather permitting, they anticipate opening this lane in mid-December,” she said. “Occasional lane closures may be utilized during nonpeak times.”

This Phase II of the Route 2 project — affecting Eastlake, Mentor and Willoughby — is tentatively scheduled for completion this month.

The recent rainfall has delayed work to perform striping and guardrail asphalt operations between Newell Street and the Grand River in Painesville, Phase V, where Route 2 remains one lane in each direction.
.
“The contractor cannot restore this area to two lanes in each direction until all items are in place and it is safe for the traveling public,” Lee said.

Like Phase II, the plan is to open all lanes in mid-December, should the weather cooperate, with potential occasional lane and ramp closures during nonpeak times.

Phase V includes work on eight bridges, along with rehabilitating Route 2. Tentative completion date is June 30.

Details will be forthcoming about the progress of Phase III, between Route 306 and Route 615, Lee said.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Updates on Mentor's trash service, Route 2 work & more in latest manager memo

2011-11-29T12:13:00.000-05:00

A shortened work week due to the Thanksgiving holiday resulted in a short, but sweet Mentor city manager report to City Council Friday. Below you'll see some good news about more savings for recycling residents the first year of the new trash-hauling contract, the latest on Route 2 construction, and some interesting police and fire incidents:

Manager Comments
• Because of significant logistical issues confronting Waste Management, it is likely we will have to delay the implementation of the curbside recycling program until Feb. 1 instead of Jan. 1. This will allow the 14,000-plus recycling carts to be produced, delivered and distributed. It will also allow the city to better inform the public of the changes. The terms negotiated for the delay will require Waste Management, at their expense, to continue collecting recyclables from the estimated 4,000 households voluntarily recycling now and keep the city’s drop-off site open through January. Because the majority of residents will not get recycling in January, the $2.66 savings will be absorbed over twelve periods, lowering the monthly rate from $7.64 to $7.42 in the first year.
• As reported earlier during our budget discussions, the city will be renewing its agreement with Medical Mutual to provide health insurance to city employees. The renewal rate is a 10 percent increase over the current year, but the administration has crafted language on a “contingent premium,” which will allow the city to realize up to a 5 percent discount from the renewal rate if our ratio of claims incurred to premium payments is favorable. The administration also decided to accept bids this year for both fully insured dental plans and access to dental plans as a self-insured product. The city is currently self insured for dental. The city accepted the quote of Delta Dental for its PPO plan. In addition to offering a few more preventative services than those currently offered under the city plan, employees will not be billed for balances through the providers beyond what is paid toward usual and customary charges. The change is also expected to save the city approximately $100,000.
• The unemployment rate for Mentor declined to 5.3 percent in October 2011 (Mentor’s rate was 6.4 percent in October 2010). The city’s unemployment rate was last at 5.3 percent or lower in November 2008. In Lake County, the unemployment rate declined 0.4 percent to 5.9 percent. The city has the lowest unemployment rate for any community in Ohio over 50,000 in population; six of the 20 communities still have unemployment rates over 10 percent. The unemployment rate in Ohio declined to 8.4 percent (a 0.1 percent decline) in October 2011.

Fire Department
• On Nov. 19 at 0058 hours, the department was called to assist Painesville City with an apartment fire at 1288 West Jackson Street, Apartment 102. One occupant was significantly burned, transported to TriPoint and flown to Metro burn unit. Mentor Squad 1112 transported three victims with smoke inhalation to TriPoint. The estimated damage was set at $250,000 and the cause is under investigation.
• Fire Inspectors will be checking retail stores to insure the safety of shoppers during the Thanksgiving Holiday/“Black Friday” event. Special attention will be given to fire lanes, exit ways and occupancy loads.

Police Department
• Two females were arrested for shoplifting at Target. One of the females had in her possession credit cards stolen the previous week from an employee at Millers Pools. Both females were charged with the theft from Target with an additional charge of receiving stolen property on the female in possession of the stolen credit cards.
• On 11/19/11 there were two burglaries on Seneca at the same house. During the second burglary a juvenile was captured inside of the house. The juvenile had on shoes stolen from the house earlier in the day. This juvenile along with three other juveniles were charged in connection with the two burglaries.

Engineering and Building
• SR2 Widening Phase 3 — SR2 median lighting parts remain on back order. It is anticipated lighting may operational during the month of December. Motorists are now operating on the reconstructed portions of the ramps at Center Street with full width completion of all ramps at SR615 anticipated by mid-December. Striping on SR2 has been placed for the winter configuration. SR2 westbound has been striped and paved three lanes from SR306 to the west corporation line. SR2 eastbound has been striped and paved three lanes from the west corporation line to SR615, at which point the third lane becomes an exit lane. The contractor is currently in the process of wrapping up a majority of the work for the winter. Minor work will continue throughout the winter with a majority of the operations resuming when weather breaks in the spring.

Public Works
• Work continues on dredging the Two Town ditch.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Brownfields, tax collection talk, ambulance accident victim on mend and more in Mentor

2011-11-21T17:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a snapshot of what city of Mentor employees have been working on, according to the weekly Mentor city manager memo to City Council:

Economic Development
• Tom Thielman is participating with the Lake County Port Authority and a coalition of Lake County municipalities’ in preparing a grant application to the US EPA for a countywide “Brownfield” assessment grant.

Finance
• State Auditor David Yost recently issued a letter to the Ohio Tax Commissioner outlining some of his concerns related to the state’s efforts to centralize the collection of local income taxes. Potential increased costs and delay in receiving local tax dollars were specifically mentioned in his letter.

Fire
• At 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 12, the Fire Department was called to assist Kirtland Fire Department with a technical rescue involving a 58-year-old male pinned under a large tree. The male was found trapped under a tree that he was cutting. The base of the tree measured 42 inches in diameter. The male’s hip and upper leg were pinned under the tree. The male remained conscious and alert throughout the rescue, which took about 47 minutes. The male was then flown to Metro Health Medical Center in stable condition where he was treated for his injuries.
• Firefighter Adam Georskey underwent surgery to repair multiple fractures in his hand sustained when Squad 1132 was involved in an accident last week on Center Street Bridge He is at home recovering and will be out for an extensive period of time.

Police
• On Nov. 11, a traffic stop was performed on a vehicle driving on I-90 for following too closely to the vehicle ahead. The officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle. Marijuana, crack cocaine and heroin were located on the male passenger. The driver received a traffic citation and the passenger was charged with several drug trafficking charges.
• Over the weekend of Nov. 12, someone stole approximately 3000 feet of cooper wiring from along the Norfolk and Southern railroad tracks behind Queensdale and Bumpers. An investigation has been initiated.

Public Works
• The activity highlights last week were: repaired garage door soffit and roof at Ice Arena; painted basement at Wildwood; removal of American flags from utility poles; repairing right-of-way sink holes — Maple, Wyant; replacing storm sewer crossover at Garden/Corduroy; inspecting (camera) storm sewer at Fortuna; raising storm manhole casting — Willowbrook; inlet basin repairs — Carter/Ford and Kellog Creek; slabjacking — Harding, Wilderness; cracksealing — Garfield; inventory of used traffic poles; issuing addendum to bid specs for Senior Center generator; and completing court/Mentor Police Department parking lot resurfacing.

Recreation
• The Recreation Department was notified that it received two grants for next year. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has awarded the City a Boating Safety Grant for $17,135. The grant will be used for the purchase of a kayak trailer and additional paddles and safety equipment. During the 10 years that we have offered the boating education classes over 1,700 people have attended. The second grant is from Kaiser Permanente through the Lake County Board of Health for $14,750 and will be used to install a water line, hoses, signage and fencing at the new Wildwood Community Garden. There is currently a list of interested participants that, if all commit, will fill 75 percent of the lots before the start of 2012. The program is open only to residents. Recreation Superintendent Paul Hegreness worked with the Health District to secure this grant.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

More jobs coming to Mentor? That and more in manager's report

2011-11-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

Mentor companies' expanding, a couple of hiccups in Route 2 work, changes you need to know at tax time and some recreation opportunities are among highlights from the recent weekly Mentor city manager reports to City Council:

Economic and Community Development
•    Ron Traub met with one of the city’s medium-size manufacturers regarding a potential significant expansion and another Mentor company regarding a significant building purchase and employment increase. The latter project will become public before Thanksgiving.
•    Tom Thielman prepared Mentor Incentive Grants for Progressive Insurance and Kaeper Machine.

Engineering and Building
•    SR 2 Widening Phase 3 – The central portion of asphalt paving on mainline SR 2 is anticipated to be complete by late November. Traffic will remain on the outside lanes through the winter and will be shifted onto the new asphalt in the spring when the center barrier wall has been completed. SR 2 median lighting has several repair issues and parts are on back order. It is anticipated lighting may be working by Thanksgiving. Noise wall work has been delayed as the contractor works out an issue with the support posts. It is still hoped that noise wall work can continue this fall/winter. Bridge sealing at SR 615 has been rescheduled for the spring. When it occurs, lanes on Center Street will be limited for approximately 1 week with daily temporary closures. By Thanksgiving motorists will be operating on 3 of four partial-width ramps at Center Street with full width completion of all ramps at SR 615 anticipated by mid-December.

Finance
•    Taxpayers’ use of electronic returns and professional tax preparation services has grown significantly. As a result, the Regional Income Tax Agency (R.I.T.A.) is discontinuing the automatic mailing of tax forms to individuals. Instead, the agency will mail a postcard as a reminder, encouraging taxpayers to use R.I.T.A. E-FILE or to visit the website at www.ritaohio.com. Other options for obtaining paper forms will also be offered such as obtaining tax forms at City Hall or calling the agency directly.
•    The City received $2,800 from its claim to recover costs incurred as a result of the Oct.12 incident that resulted in the closure of SR 2 due to a subcontractor striking a utility line.

Fire
•    Legislation will be on the agenda for tonight’s Council meeting for the purchase of new fire and police 800 MHz radios. Although the legislation authorized a purchase up to $646,836, all but $95,706 will be reimbursed through grants. This is needed now so that radio equipment can be delivered, programmed and installed by the expected Jan. 15 cut over to the new system.

Police
•    The police department has been investigating the recent rash of graffiti on businesses in and around the area of Center St. and Mentor Ave. As a result of the investigation, the department was able to identify four juveniles involved. The four confessed and were connected to a total of seven separate incidents of graffiti in the city.
•    The investigation of two night-time burglaries on Dellhaven Ave. resulted in a suspect being identified. The suspect is 38-year-old Warren Putnam of Painesville. He was arrested on Nov. 8 near his residence after a brief foot pursuit. He is being charged with several counts of receiving stolen property and misuse of a credit card. The department anticipates charging him with burglary once the case is submitted to the Grand Jury.

Public Works
•    The Public Works Activity Highlights this week were: Court parking lot resurfacing – under way; court roof project – under way; drainage improvement – Lakeshore and Coronado; storm pipe repair – Forest and Garden; basin repairs – Carter; Storm sewer repair - Dunbar/Campbell; restoration from dredging project at Whalers Cove; reviewing sewer tapes from Yorkshire/Berkshire; cracksealing – Garfield; durapatching – Hopkins Road; and contractor completed cracksealing of Heisley and King Memorial.

•    Recreation
Superintendent Paul Hegreness developed a draft set of rules for the Community Garden program that will be starting next spring at Wildwood. There are 32 garden plots available and, to date, 23 people are on a waiting list.
•    The Senior Center Arts & Crafts Show is Saturday, Nov. 19, starting at 9 a.m. This show is open to the public and there is no admission charge.
•    The Senior Center will be showcasing the 2012 Travel Program 2-4 p.m., Nov. 30. Tour operators will be on hand to present a synopsis of each trip that will be taken next year. This Travel Quest program has proven to be a hit with participants.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, Twitter: @ReporterBetsy

Looking out for military families

2011-11-14T14:56:00.000-05:00

This week, Sally Deutsch is beyond busy.

The Mentor resident is gathering and sorting supplies and people as fast as she can for what she hopes will become an annual project.

Her goal for the "Baskets of Appreciation" project is to provide a little extra kindness and assistance to those whose loved ones are deployed in the military during the holidays.

As the mother of someone who spent two tours in Iraq, Deutsch knows firsthand the stress placed upon not only the deployed serviceman but also the family remaining behind.

Working through the USO, Deutsch has a list of about 200 families in Lake County who qualify for the gift baskets, but the hard part is assembling all those baskets.

She has quite an assortment of donations already - so many that she can't fit her car in the garage anymore, she says - but what's still needed, more than any other gift, is items for teenage boys.

The gift baskets include anything from stuffed animals to cookie mixes, dishtowels, scented lotions or other items, be they fun or practical in nature.

Wednesday, all those items will be transported from her home to the Lake County fairgrounds for sorting and packaging.

Deutsch asks that anyone available and willing to help visit the 4-H building at the fairgrounds anytime from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, Friday or Saturday, when volunteers will be collecting, sorting and assembling the baskets.

The USO then will pick up the packages Sunday and deliver them to qualifying families in Lake County.

-- Rachel Jackson | RJackson@News-Herald.com | @nh_rachel

Election Coverage Provides View of Various Personalities

2011-11-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure most people would understand what it’s like to cover an election. I know I didn’t prior to this week.

Unlike interviewing business owners or politicians who were already in office, my experience interviewing candidates made me feel somewhat like a human resources professional. I had all these subjects describing their strengths to me and why they would be the best choice for certain positions. Of course, they did this so that I would relay that information to voters who read our newspaper, but it was still an unusual predicament to be in.

In all, it was hard work of the enjoyable variety. I’m game for just about any activity that enables me to interact with a wide range of personalities. Trust me, election coverage is just that.

Some candidates were reserved and got straight to business. Some were calm incumbents, while others were a bit nervous to be on video before potential voters.

The race for Willowick City Council was the best example of this variety. With 13 people running for six seats, interviewing all those candidates truly served as an exercise in interpersonal interaction. Some candidates’ campaigns were characterized by controversy, while others touted what they had accomplished in other roles and how that success might translate into a seat on the city council they were running for.

Between that race and those in Willoughby and Eastlake, there weren’t many surprises. Incumbents dominated those races except for Cindy Quinn-Hopkins in Eastlake, who will be sworn in after the new year.

It’s not something I’d be anxious to do next week or even next month, but covering candidates prior to the election provided a different communications task than what I had been used to, and that was fine by me.

Who doesn’t want a challenge on the job?

-- Brandon C. Baker

A little of this & a lot of that in Mentor

2011-10-31T12:39:00.000-04:00

Mentor staff appears to have been quite busy this past week, from meeting with multiple manufacturers to trying to track down graffiti artists:

Mentor Council Memo 10-28-2011

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Your Mentor tax dollars at work

2011-10-24T10:49:00.000-04:00

Here is a sample of what city of Mentor employees have been up to, from the latest weekly city manager report to City Council:

Fire Department

On Monday, Oct. 17, at 3:42 p.m., fire crews were called to State Route 2 westbound east of State Route 306 for a report of a fire on the freeway. Crews arrived to find four separate areas burning next to the new concrete jersey barrier. It appears that the strong winds blew straw into the storm sewers and perhaps discarded cigarettes from passing motorists ignited the straw creating fires in the storm drainage piping. Fire Crews worked with the police to divert traffic (using a small section of the new roadway) while they extinguished the fires underground. The City Engineer was alerted to the fact that the plastic drain piping in the affected area may be damaged.

Police Department

On Oct.14 a 23-year-old male was arrested while burglarizing an apartment at Mentor Garden Apartments, 7559 Mentor Ave. The male is also a suspect in a second burglary at the same apartment complex. Investigation is continuing regarding the second burglary.

Engineering and Building Department

ODOT SR2 Widening: ODOT will continue concrete demolition and removal over the next two weeks. The noise levels associated with this work should be reduced after that time. Work following the demolition of pavement will include base preparation and paving. Work on the SR 2 ramps at SR 615 continues. ODOT has switched traffic to the new pavement for the SR 2 eastbound on ramp to SR 2. It is anticipated that ODOT will wrap up a majority of its operations for the winter by Thanksgiving with work resuming in March of 2012.

Public Works Department

The Public Works Activity Highlights this week were: Roof and floor repairs – Old Council Hall; Plumbing repairs - WWCC basement; Electrical repairs/ improvements – FS #1, City Hall, SR Center; Preparing bid specs for Senior Center generator installation; Completed installation of motion sensitive lights at City Hall restrooms; Working with consultant to prepare bid specs for City Hall HVAC improvements; Cracksealing – SR 306; Chipsealing of Marina roads; Durapatching – Headlands area; Hotpatching – Kittery Cove, Ohio Street; Working on Center Street lights to allow for installation of induction lights; Created “punch list” for signal work at SR 306 and SR 2; Drainage improvement project on Coronado – 35 percent complete; Misc. storm sewer repairs – Ohio, Bauer, Mentor Ave; Began dredging of Whalers Cove pond; and, Inlet basin rebuild/concrete road replacement – Carter.

Finance Department

Preliminary 2012 budget reviews have been completed. Compilation of a line item budget and Capital Improvement Program for the 2012 budget is under way with the anticipation of a formal City Council budget work session prior to the City council meeting on Nov. 15.

Parks and Recreation Department

The Midwest Regional Skating Championships went so well that the city has been asked to submit a proposal to host the US Figure Skating Adult Nationals for 2013 or 2014.

Economic and Community Development

Ron Traub has been conducting limited retail outreach to national retailers exploring Ohio locations.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com, @ReporterBetsy

Done too soon

2011-09-19T16:48:00.000-04:00

The David Crowder Band made its second of 48 final appearances right here in Willoughby Hills. He announced earlier this year that this will be the band's final tour and yet-to-be-released last album together. They simply want to do other things, according to the website. The thousand-or-so concert-goers gave the Texas-based group a wholehearted welcome and exhuberant send off.

There was obviously a lot of love in the room. The band is extremely talented - gotta love the dueling guitars during the "rock opera" segment - and some of us feel we have come to know the congenial, fun-loving guys because of their clever YouTube skits. But it was clear that Crowder was the one that everyone wanted to see (despite his signature stand-on-end hair being stifled under a ball cap).

Ten of his final shows already have sold out. I am driving all the way to Cincinnati to see the actual "7 Tour," with the likewise talented Gungor, John Mark McMillan & Chris August. One of his fans quoted in my video (below) suspects a solo album may be on the horizon. I certainly hope so. If not, I will always remember the passion for God, joy and spiritual intimacy expressed in his music and lyrics, in a way I've never heard elsewhere.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

From bomb scares to jobs to rain-related news, Mentor's got it going on

2011-09-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder how your public servants are investing their time and your tax dollars? Here are some tidbits I gleaned from Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak's weekly memo to City Council (words in bold added by me):

Drainage woes being addressed
•   As part of our ongoing efforts to alleviate potential flooding concerns in the city, the Lake County Department of Utilities is televising sanitary sewers east of SR 306 in the “President Streets” area. They recently installed a flow meter in the sanitary sewer on SR306, just south of Chestnut Commons. A device to measure sanitary sewer surcharges was installed in the sewer serving Bellflower Terrace. We will continue to communicate and coordinate efforts with the County and report the findings.

Heroin a growing problem
•    We continue to respond to calls related to heroin use. The most recent occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 4:06 p.m. Paramedics responded to 6305 Meldon to treat a 28-year-old female, who was experiencing bad withdrawals from recent heavy use of the drug. She was treated and transported to Lake West Hospital.

Black Brook Golf Course is the bomb?
•    On Sept. 7 at about 1:20 p.m., officers responded to Black Brook Golf Course for a reported suspicious device located near the 10th green. The item was about the size of a cigar box, wrapped in duct tape, and had some sort of wick or fuse coming out one end. The Bomb Squad was called and determined the box contained fireworks. Due to the nature of the package, the fireworks likely would have caused no damage and minimal injury to anyone in the vicinity if set off. Two other firework devices were found nearby; one had been used, the other had a burned fuse, but had not functioned.

Weather delays Route 2 project
•    SR2 Widening Phase 3: ODOT’s contractor is approximately 30 days behind schedule due to weather delays and issues regarding the roadway subgrade. Subgrade issues have been worked out and mainline construction has resumed. The contractor is attempting to finish the mainline asphalt base paving from Newell Creek to Hendricks Road. When the asphalt paving has been completed, noise barrier foundations will begin to be installed. Ramp work at SR 615 continues. Upon completion of the ramp work, SR 615 widening will proceed.

Catching a vision for kick-starting economy
•    (Economic Development Director) Ron Traub and I attended a very informative presentation by Mark Kvamme, President and Chief Investment Officer of JobsOhio sponsored by the Ohio Venture Association. This organization is predominately made up of venture capitalists and Mr. Kvamme presented his Ohio vision and what it will take to jumpstart investment interest in the state. Ron and I represented the only city there, and we were fortunate enough to speak with Mr. Kvamme about Mentor. We also unexpectedly met up with Ray Kralovic (STERIS founder) and talked with him about his newest projects.

Wet weather didn't dampen pool season
•    The summer swimming season is over and all facilities are closed. We had an annual attendance of 84,240 swimmers, 15 percent above the five-year average. The revenue was $315,420, 2 percent above the five-year average. Considering the late start due to the rain, the numbers are good.

To read the entire memo, see below.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Mentor City Council Memo Sept. 9

The horror. The hope.

2011-09-09T17:20:00.000-04:00

I'm guessing I wasn't the only one at Mentor City Council's Tuesday meeting who was surprised, when reminded afresh, just how far reaching the devastation was following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Council passed a resolution, complete with slideshow, calling for a moment of remembrance at 1 p.m., Sunday, in response to a nationwide request from the U.S. Senate. City officials are asking area churches to ring their bells at that time.

The lengthy resolution read by council Clerk Elizabeth Limestahl mentioned in detail the events and impacts of that infamous day a decade ago. The city's Public Information Office put together the accompanying slideshow. As always, the pictures were worth 1,000 words.

I read over the resolution prior to the meeting and the thought that came to my mind was: Why are we giving the enemy so much glory by spelling out in detail how much havoc was wrought?

I completely agree that it should not be forgotten, that it should be marked and commemorated. It is a historic fact, like it or not. We all remember where we were when it happened or we first learned of it. We must allow grief its process.

I realize that turning a blind eye to the details may be perceived as putting one's head in the sand. I like detail and it was interesting to see the numbers anew. But I hope it doesn't result in people's righteous indignation taking the form of bitterness - a strenuous emotional exercise that hurts us - and likely those around us (Heb. 12:15) - most.

I don't pretend to know what it was like to lose someone in the attacks or in the wars since. But I do know the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3) who says, "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev. 21:5). The heroic efforts of those emergency crews who responded, those of the courageous Flight 93 members and the military personnel who have died in the wars since were not die in vain. I rest assured that God sees, God cares and He has the final Word.

That is in the future. Might we make the most of the present? Might America band together once more - one nation under God - as it did in the days following 9/11/01?

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Sept. 11th Moment of Remembrance

FISHing for good stories

2011-09-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

This morning we had a breakfast for bloggers in our Community Media Lab. I had a good conversation with Chris Lambert, who writes Comics: Don't Get Me Started. He suggested his alternative to the give Ws: Who, What, Where, When, Why.

His acronym is FISH:
F for facts.
I for insight.
S for speculation.
H for history.

This is another good way to make sure you're getting in everything you need to write a good story to keep your readers interested. I hope our writers can keep FISHing in mind while they're reporting so they can present their stories in an engaging manner.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Midge mania continues

2011-08-31T16:00:00.000-04:00

It's been more than five years since the Geauga County Sheriff's Office acquired Midge, the rat terrier-Chihuahua mix known for being the world's smallest law enforcement work dog.

Early on, she was pursued by the likes of Geraldo Rivera and Ellen DeGeneres for their TV shows, after word spread about her. (The media frenzy followed an article by former News-Herald correspondent and resident dog lover Diane Ryder.)

It appears that time has failed to diminish adoration for the diminuitive drug-sniffer, now nearly 6 years old.

Part of the sheriff’s office appears to have become a shrine to Midge. A larger-than-life statue of her sits in one corner. A pillow with her likeness is across the room, along with a cabinet covered with pet trinkets sent in by fans, testifying to her continued "pup"-pularity.

The media hound never fails to steal the show when seen around town with handler Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland.

He's used to it: "I always say, if she could drive and open doors, I wouldn’t have a job."

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

The International Space Station over The News-Herald

2011-08-29T21:59:00.000-04:00

The International Space Station passed over the U.S. on Monday evening, and I capture part of its journey on video. It's somewhat difficult to see on the video, so expand it to full screen and look for the flickering light toward the middle of the screen.

Visit iss.astroviewer.net to see the International Space Station's current position, and click here to find out when you'll next be able to see it over Cleveland.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Northeast Ohioans, others react to quake

2011-08-24T08:32:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick summary of what some people have been saying about the earthquake that struck Virginia on Tuesday.

Danielle Capriato | DCapriato@News-Herald.com | @DCapriato

What is a flash mob?

2011-08-23T08:34:00.133-04:00

Late Sunday night, @newsheraldinoh received an at-reply on Twitter from Lake Catholic student Jesseca Keller (@killer_keller17) asking if we had covered the flash mob at Lake Catholic's Freshmen Welcome. She sent me the link to the video, and I posted it on News-Herald.com. With so many schools in our coverage area and so many activities happening on any given day, it's impossible for us to cover it all. But sites like YouTube and people like Jesseca can help us expand our coverage by sharing what they see going on in the community.

Here's the video Jesseca shared with me:

I was expecting to see anonymous negative comments in response to the flash mob - mostly because I expect to see anonymous negative comments on every story posted on our website. But what surprised me was that several of the comments were arguments about whether the activity was actually a flash mob.

Some definitions of a flash mob:

Merriam-Webster: a group of people summoned (as by e-mail or text message) to a designated location at a specified time to perform an indicated action before dispersing
Cambridge Dictionary: a group of people who agree to come together suddenly in a place and do something funny or silly and then move away
Oxford Dictionaries: a sudden mass gathering, unanticipated except by participants who communicate electronically
Dictionary.com: a large group of people mobilized by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration

Depending on which definition you prefer, the event was or was not a flash mob. I'm not sure the exact methods in which the participants communicated prior to the flash mob, so I can't say if this incident fits any of the definitions perfectly. Given the way teenagers tend to communicate electronically, I'm sure that somehow fit into the planning of the performance. It was something fun and silly, and unexpected except by those who were anticipating.

Flash mobs are not illegal. Planning and gathering for flash mobs in which the purpose is to commit an illegal activity is illegal.

In June, a flash mob of mostly teenagers robbed a Sears department store in the Greater Philadelphia area (link has video of surveillance footage). I think it goes without saying that that sort of activity is illegal. More recently (and closer to home), a flash mob broke out at Coventry Fair in Cleveland Heights and turned violent. Cleveland Heights Police Chief Jeffrey Robertson told Cleveland Heights Patch:

"I use the term flash crowd. I don't use flash mob because these gatherings are crowds of kids getting together, and the vast majority of them are good kids. But there's always going to be a few in there, and that's when it becomes a flash mob and we get some of the bad influences in there ... that's when you have problems."

The comments left in response to the Lake Catholic Freshmen Welcome flash mob show me that the term "flash mob" has developed a negative connotation - without a doubt because of events like those described above. I left minimal description before the video because I didn't want to spoil what happened. (If you're looking for more information, Mentor Patch did a better job of showing and explaining what happened in the gymnasium.)

My intention with the video was to share something fun that happened at an event that The N-H was unable to cover. I didn't intend to misled anyone into thinking something awful or negative or illegal occurred at Lake Catholic. Now that I've seen the reaction to the term "flash mob," I'll reconsider using it in the future.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

More good news about Painesville

2011-08-22T17:19:00.000-04:00

I am happy to hear about the Open-Air Market coming to Painesville. It is to be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday, Aug. 27 through Oct. 29, in the Lake County Job and Family Services parking lot.

Vendors will be selling goods such as handmade items, fresh-grown produce and arts and crafts. This is to be held rain or shine.

Anyone wishing to sell homemade products in the market is asked to contact Fred Pollutro, 440-352-2872, or visit the Downtown Painesville website, http://www.downtownpainesville.org, to download the application and get more information.

Assignment of spaces will be based on availability, the need for the product and the maker’s ability to produce it.

By the way, I also really like the red paint color on the downtown Painesville crosswalks! The city does a great job of beautifying the downtown area. I've said here before I love living a couple of miles from the square.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Wyoming grizzly cubs coming to the Cleveland Zoo

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Two Cody area grizzly bear cubs are on a journey to the Cleveland Metro Parks Zoo.

The male and female cubs of the year, were orphaned after their mother was euthanized when she became a chronic problem bear to residents living in the Lower South Fork Shoshone River valley.

“The mother bear had been captured in the same general area for bad behavior in October 2006 and was subsequently relocated to the Caribou-Targhee National Forest 90 miles away.

Within 27 days of her relocation, she returned to the same general area and was trapped and moved again for causing property damage,” said Mark Bruscino, bear biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“This spring, several South Fork residents reported a sow with cubs of the year in the area and she had obtained several food rewards. Although we tried to capture her our attempts were unsuccessful until Aug. 7, 2011,” Bruscino said.

Under the federal nuisance grizzly bear guidelines, a female grizzly that becomes a chronic problem and is captured three times as a result of her behavior may be removed from the population, but only after consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

According to Bruscino, the young of the year cubs are very healthy, both weighing approximately 50 pounds each. They will be the main attraction of the grizzly bear display at the Cleveland Zoo.

Grizzly bears currently inhabit most of the suitable habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Yellowstone population continues to grow at a rate of 4 to 6 percent each year.

The most recent population estimate of grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is 601 bears.

Bruscino said that to date, the Game and Fish has responded to approximately 80 human-bear conflicts which resulted in seven grizzly bear relocations and three bear management removals. “So far, this has been a pretty normal bear conflict year,” said Bruscino.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Which Cleveland Zoo critter is most expensive epicurean?

2011-08-10T10:04:00.000-04:00

If you were asked which is the most expensive animal species to feed at the Cleveland Zoo, chances are you’d say elephant, lions or some other large critter.

And you’d be wrong.

The most expensive (certainly ONE of the most expensive) are the zoo’s koala bears from Australia.

Cleveland Metroparks’ three park commissioners are expected to approve on Thursday a bid for $105,000 for eucalyptus browse for the zoo’s koalas.

Then again, the commissioners have no choice. That is because there is just a single source for the vegetation which the koalas feed on exclusively.

Complicating matters is that the forage must be air shipped in every two days from just one supplier, the eucalyptus being grown only in Arizona and Florida, Cleveland Metroparks officials say.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Chagrin River Partners benefits from Lake Erie Protection Fund

2011-08-03T09:19:00.000-04:00

The Chagrin River Watershed Partners was awarded $15,000 by the Lake Erie Protection Fund.

Its project is to reduce sedimentation through improved roadside ditch management and to improve overall erosion and sediment control throughout the Chagrin River watershed.

The organization will develop information and training on innovative ditch maintenance best management practices (BMPs), demonstrate those BMPs on three sites, and work with communities throughout Chagrin River watershed on local codes to minimize erosion and sedimentation.

“Ohioans have donated more than $9.3 million to the Lake Erie Protection Fund by purchasing or renewing a Lake Erie license plate each year,” said John Watkins, interim executive director of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. “Lake Erie license plates displayed on vehicles give Ohio’s citizens an opportunity to personally help preserve and protect Lake Erie.”

The Lake Erie Protection Fund was established to help finance research and implementation of projects aimed at protecting and preserving Lake Erie and its watershed.

It is supported through the purchase of the “Erie...Our Great Lake” license plates, which display either the Marblehead Lighthouse or the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse, as designed by noted Lake Erie artist Ben Richmond.

Fifteen dollars from the sale or renewal of each plate is invested in the Lake Erie Protection Fund grant program. The Fund also accepts direct donations.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Can't walk there from here

2011-08-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

If you’re looking for a walkabout from home to grocery store then Ohio in general and Northeast Ohio in particular is not your likely mode of transportation.

WWW.walkscore.com has rated cities throughout the United States as to how favorable they are for walking beyond just for exercise. That would include opportunities to walk for shopping.

Ohio does not fare well.

In the 90 and above ranking (“Walker’s Paradise”), no Ohio community earned this distinction.

Neither did any Ohio community collect the “Very Walkable” status with a score of 70 to 89.

The best that any Ohio community could do was Lakewood’s score of 68.

Remaining are the “Somewhat Walkable” score of 50 to 69, “Car-dependent I” score of 25 to 49, and also - again - Car-dependent II of 0 to 24.

The description for the titles are: Walker’s Paradise - Daily errands do not require a car; Very Walkable - Most errands can be accomplished on foot; Somewhat Walkable - Some amenities within walking distance; Car Dependent I - A few amenities within walking distance; Car-dependent II - Almost all errands require a car.

A look at some area communities and their scores were: Ashtabula (42), Eastlake (39), Euclid (46), Mayfield Heights (54), Mentor (34), Painesville (48), South Euclid (56), Willoughby (42).

The web site does allow a viewer to see what their own home walkable score is. Simply follow the appropriate link at www.walkscore.com/how-it-works.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Potential Gulf storm could cause spike in gas prices

2011-07-27T16:17:00.001-04:00

-- 27 July 2011 -- AccuWeather.com reports with a tropical system headed toward the oil-rich Texas coast this week, concerns are being raised about what impact this will have on prices at the pump.

If you want to be safe, fill up now.

"If the system moves more toward the northwest than west, it could affect the western fringes of the oil field," said AccuWeather.com Tropical Expert Dan Kottlowski.

As evidenced in the past, temporary spikes in gas prices do coincide with tropical systems moving through the Gulf of Mexico. Just last year, spikes occurred in conjunction with hurricanes Alex and Karl, Tropical Storm Hermine and Tropical Depression Five.

The current system is expected to make landfall over Texas late Friday or Friday night. "It will probably be a tropical storm, but it is very possible the system could develop into a minimal hurricane," Kottlowski stated.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFRischkorn@News-Herald.com

Among those sorry to see Nagy leave

2011-06-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

I don't know Doug Nagy well. In fact I've never met the man. Only interviewed him a couple of times by phone. But his reputation is such that I have formed an opinion of the Downtown Painesville Organization's executive director.

I live in Painesville Township a couple of miles from Painesville Square and lived in the city prior to that - a total of 15 years in that area now. I often tell people I really like living in the Painesville area, because of the old architecture downtown, diversity, pedestrian traffic, unique mom & pop restaurants and lack of traffic congestion.

Mr. Nagy may not have had a lot to do with those things, but the overall impression I get is he was good for the downtown and, consequently, the city. My co-workers who have dealt with him can attest to his zeal for getting the word out about goings-on.

I think the most telling thing was when I was covering a Chardon City Council meeting awhile back and there was talk of needing a director like Nagy (don't think his name was actually mentioned) to lead Chardon's fledgling Main Street Ohio program. It seems he is held in high esteem among others who are familiar with his work.

So I was sorry to see when he recently announced he would step down from the Painesville position at the end of August to continue his education in the MBA program at the University of Chicago.

In addition to helping Painesville gain certification as an Ohio Main Street community, Nagy led the organization's revitalization efforts and developed one of the largest college intern programs in the area, recruiting more than two dozen participants.

"Downtown Painesville is making a big comeback," he said. "Over the last three years, more than a dozen businesses have opened, including three new restaurants and a winery. We have taken a hands-on approach to preserving the neighborhood's history and helping our small businesses."

According to a Downtown Organization news release, the neighborhood marketing strategy Nagy implemented in Painesville has become a statewide model for the Ohio Main Street Program.

I am not surprised. I only hope whoever succeeds him has the same tireless work ethic and vision for Painesville.

Thanks, Doug.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Relay for Life brings hope to many in Chardon

2011-06-25T23:39:00.002-04:00

Hope to fight cancer was a resounding message at Relay for Life at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin School in Chardon. The event began on 6 pm on Friday till noon on Saturday. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life, teams of people camped out at the local high school to take turns walking around a track. Each team was asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event because cancer never sleeps.

--Angela Gartner
AGartner@News-Herald.com

Cleveland VA forces last minute scrub of wounded vets fishing outing

2011-06-22T09:18:00.001-04:00

Members of the North Coast Fly Fishers are disappointed that the Veterans Administration nixed a fishing outing with wounded warriors that was scheduled for this morning.

The outing was set for 10:30 a.m. at Lake Metroparks’ Veterans Park/Grangers Pond in Mentor. It was to have included veteran patients with the VA’s Cleveland hospital on University Circle as a component of the national “Healing Waters” program that matches wounded armed forces veterans with volunteers.

All systems were “go” this morning when the Fly Fishers club received very late word that the VA could not find transportation for the wounded veterans.

“Very disappointed” is the word from the group, said one of its members, Andy Setlock, who helped organize the outing.

Setlock said the outing was planned months ago and several club members had arranged for time off, food was bought and even prizes were generated via Gander Mountain’s Mentor store, Setlock said.

The thing is, Setlock said, VA administrators had ample time to make arrangements and just as much time to notify the club that a transportation problem existed.

Instead, the VA waited until the last minute to inform the club that the agency had
no way to get the men to the fishing hole.

“We’ll try and reschedule it,” said Setlock.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Willowick kicks off summer program

2011-06-21T16:00:00.000-04:00

On Friday, Willowick kicked off a new summer program centered around one main word – motivation.
During the opening ceremony at Manry Park’s Activities Center gym, the mayor spoke to all 235 kids between ages 5 and 12 about believing in themselves and knowing that they can do anything they want in life if they’re motivated enough, said Mike Necci, program coordinator for the recreation department.
“It’s a four-week program that we will be doing here and it’s one of the programs we implement with Recreation Department Director Julie Kless,” he said. “Two days a week, we will have a work-book day. This is the first time we’re doing this program and this company is called ‘I Believe,’ and is run by a teacher. It’s done in hospitals, they do this program all over, not just in schools.”
For more information on this program or others, contact Necci at 440-516-3011.

-- Cassandra Shofar
CShofar@News-Herald.com

Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library gets creative with fundraising

2011-06-13T17:05:00.000-04:00

Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library wove history in with fundraising this past week.
The library held a fundraiser at the Penfield House in Willoughby Hills last Thursday, which was designed by well known architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Lor Sebulski, communications and development manager for the library said all the tours were sold out and 72 people had the “rare opportunity to see the inside of a local architectural masterpiece.”
A grand total of $1,800 was raised to support the library’s adult summer reading program, she said.
Having written quite a few articles now about the financial cuts libraries across the state have taken, I can’t help but be glad to hear about something creative like this being done to help keep a program in place.
Wright designed more than 1,000 buildings, of which over 400 were built, Sebulski said.
She also shared said unlike other architects, Wright continued to design private homes while at the height of his career, which he termed, “Usonians.”
“(They) represent the culmination of his residential work,” she said. “Barely 100 were built ... the Louis Penfield House is one of these rare homes.”
While there aren’t any other fundraisers coming up on the radar just yet, Sebulski said people can always check for anything coming up by contacting her at lori.sebulski@welibrary.info or 440-944-6900 Ext. 112.

-- Cassandra Shofar
CShofar@News-Herald.com

Lake Metroparks campout filling fast but family dog can't attend

2011-06-13T14:37:00.000-04:00

Though only 14 camping spots remain in Lake Metroparks' annual camp-about in Kirtland, one item won't be permitted: The family pooch.

Dogs are not allowed, says the parks system as it continues to field inquiries about the June 24 to 26 event.

The camping experience is slated for the parks system's Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland. It will include an entire package of family friendly activities from guided nature hikes (including one into the park's deep gorge) to story telling by a professional to, well, making the traditional sweet camping favorite treat, s'mores. Yum.

Camp setup and activities begin at 6 p.m., June 24 and will conclude at noon, June 26.

So far no one with a hard-sided camper had signed up, only tenters, says Lake Metroparks' registration manager, Nancy Adams.

Among the perks is that the agency will keep open all night the restrooms inside the park's Nature Center.

Adams also just answered a question not asked by anyone before, that being, "can I bring my pet?"

Her short answer is "no."

"We've adjusted our web site to show this," Martin said.

Even so, if you are new to camping or have the itch to stay close to home for a fun-filled weekend, contact the agency's registration office at 440-358-7275 or 800-669-9226.

One can also register online or seek additional information at www.lakemetroparks.com.

Note that there is a $50 fee per campsite though each site can accommodate up to two tents and a total for six people.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Ohio's two expanded concealed carry proposals set for hearings

2011-06-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, June 14, the House State Government and Elections Committee will hear Senate Bill 17, concealed carry reform, at 1:00 p.m. in Room 116 of the Capitol.

Also on Tuesday, June 14, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Criminal Justice will hear House Bill 54, which would provide individuals a pathway to restore firearm rights, at 4:00 p.m. in the North Hearing Room of the Senate Building.

Senate Bill 17, sponsored by state Senator Tim Schaffer (R-31), would eliminate the current confusing standards of carrying a firearm in a motor vehicle.

In addition, this bill would also allow permit holders to carry a firearm for self-defense in a restaurant that serves alcohol, provided the individual is not consuming alcohol, thus eliminating another “victim zone” in Ohio.

SB 17 passed in the state Senate by a 25 to 7 vote on April 13.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Chardonites open wallets for bigger boom

2011-06-03T17:29:00.000-04:00

Dave Jevnikar, one of the organizers of the Chardon Area Fireworks show, reports that donations are "streaming in" since a story ran this week on the front page about dwindling funds.

However, he reports that there's more to be done if upcoming shows are to be as good as past years.

"We have about $6,000 in hand at present," he said. "That will go to this year’s show, so who knows about next year. The problem is, without any, or only a little, carry-over, you can’t really commit as you would like to. In the past, we had a carry-over that provided some level of comfort. That may not happen this year, if there is any at all, and, thus, there isn’t any way to know about next year."

This year's show is July 2 on the high school grounds.

Jevnikar noted that he and Ed Babcock weren't alone in founding the event in the early 1990s. Jim Heighway also helped to launch the tradition.

"Jim made a considerable contribution to the event while he was involved," he said.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Willowick Students Go Green While Battling Bullies

2011-06-01T16:57:00.000-04:00

Willowick city and schools have been battling The Hulks of school bullying for awhile, but now they’re working a different kind of green.
Starting Thursday, Royalview Elementary’s fifth grade class will be planting a tree at Manry Park and mounting it with a plaque dedicated to the class for standing up against bullying.
“What’s neat about this is, for years to come, even if they come into that park as adult, they’re going to see their tree,” said Mayor Richard Bonde. “We’re going to continue this every year, so from the parking lot all the way down past the activities center, there will be a new tree planted each year.”
The initiative is in collaboration with DARE officer Carol Ice, Bonde said.
At the onset of next year’s DARE program, both Bonde and Ice will talk to the new fifth grade class to figure out what it is they want to stand up for, the mayor said.
“We’ll want them to think of a theme, something that is important to them that they want to stand up for and we’ll come up with a way they can show it,” he said.”
If you’d like to watch the kids in action on Thursday, check out the planting – between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. – at Manry Park, 30100 Arnold Dr.

-- Cassandra Shofar
CShofar@News-Herald.com

Mentor online registration option gets busy

2011-05-31T17:07:00.000-04:00

Mentor Recreation Program Manager Jill Korsok reports that, since the beginning of this year, the Recreation Department has seen a dramatic increase in the use of the online registration option.

"Compared to last year, we have seen a 43 percent increase in online registration," she says. "This can be directly attributed to our response to our customers by offering free online registration."

This year, the department also began permitting residents to renew swim passes online, to save them the time and effort of coming to the Recreation office in person. So far this year, 25 percent of the renewals have taken place online.

In other Mentor recreation news, the Just Kids Garage Sale is Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at Garfield Park. This annual event draws hundreds of bargain hunters to the park. For the best deals arrive early and be ready to barter, recreation officials say.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Mentor makes progress in union negotiations

2011-05-31T16:52:00.000-04:00

The Mentor City administration has reached a tentative agreement with the Mentor Police Patrolmen’s Union on a three-year collective bargaining agreement.

Specific language is still being worked out between the parties, and a vote of the union membership will be scheduled.

"I will share terms of the tentative agreement with Council as soon as a final version is ready," City Manager Ken Filipiak said in a Friday memo to City Council.

The city also is scheduled to engage in mediation with the Firefighter’s Union June 8, he said.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Mentor reaching out to retailers for mall and beyond

2011-05-31T16:40:00.000-04:00

Mentor Economic Development Director Ron Traub continues to wheel and deal for more improvements at the Great Lakes Mall.

He recently attended the International Council of Shopping Centers in Las Vegas and met with Simon Property Group’s leasing agent for Great Lakes Mall. They discussed both Mentor's strategies for attracting retail as well as Simon’s plan. Traub also met with several developers with centers in the city, as well as retailers.

Traub said Simon representatives have been bringing prospective tenants to the mall for several months and expect to continue to do so.

"While they didn’t share any specific names, we did discuss a strategy to overcome the negative perception of the Northeast Ohio marketplace," Traub said.

Negotiations are ongoing with existing mall tenants whose prime locations are sought by stores mall officials hope to bag.

Might we see an H&M? Forever21? Or personal favorites Banana Republic and J.Crew? Announcements are expected in 2012.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

April's stormy weather hard on Ohio insurance companies

2011-05-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Insurance Institute reports that dual April storm events cause over $123 million in Ohio insured losses

April will likely be known as one of the most active and destructive months for severe weather in US history. What may come as a surprise is that Ohio sustained a sizeable share of insured losses from two separate April storm events.

Preliminary losses in Ohio from the pair of storms are estimated at over $123 million from 23,600 claims. April 19-20 high winds, tornadoes and hail in Ohio caused at least $43 million in insured losses, according to the Ohio Insurance Institute (OII) with over 8,100 claims filed to-date.

Just two days later, the April 22-28 outbreak affecting Ohio along with a dozen other states caused at least $80 million in insured losses with 15,500 claims statewide, according to preliminary estimates from Property Claim Services.

Storm loss estimates don’t include flood insurance-related losses.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Kids take on bullying with stage performance

2011-05-24T11:50:00.000-04:00

The Geauga Lyric Theater Guild, in cooperation with Chardon area elementary schools, will present a program addressing the problem of bullying via a mini-musical, Bullies Anonymous.

The show will feature a cast of youth from Chardon, Mentor, NDCL, St. Mary’s, Willoughby, and homeschoolers, all of whom are volunteering their time and energies.

Special performances will be held for the general public at the Theater at 7:30 p.m., June 3; 2 and 7:30 p.m., June 4; and 2 p.m., June 5. The public performances are $5 per person. The Theater is at 101 Water St. Chardon.

On June 4, doors will open at the theater at 11 a.m. with a wide range of activities for the children, including a Karate for Kids demonstration, a local Polka band, a kid’s auction, face painting, refreshments and prizes. At 12:30, a special symposium will be held on the problem of bullying, featuring specialists from Cleveland Clinic, Ravenwood Mental Health Center and Crossroads. Sheriff Dan McClelland and Midge, the petite crime-fighting pup, are scheduled to appear. Admission to the programs on Saturday is $5, including the 2 p.m. performance.

Donations for the program have come from the Chardon Schools Foundation, area PTOs, WalMart, Home Savings Bank,the Chardon Eagles and the Chardon Community Action Team.

For more information, contact: Kelly Miloro Geauga Lyric Theater: 440-285-7701.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Chardon's snow fall total ranks third in record books

2011-05-20T10:56:00.000-04:00

It's official: This past winter was the third snowiest on record in Chardon with 151.30 inches of the white stuff falling.

This figure followed as Number Three with the Number Two snowfall total of 157.58 inches during the winter of 2004-2005.

The greatest total snowfall was the 161.45 inches that arrived during he winter of 1959-1960.

Chardon's least amount of total snowfall was the 46.40 inches that came during the winter of 1979-1980.

The city's average snowfall total is 107.88 inches.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Congratulations, Janet!

2011-05-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

It was a real treat today to be on hand as the Lake County Council on Aging honored my colleague Janet Podolak with its first-ever Hall of Fame Active Living Award.
In the 20-plus years I have worked with Janet she has always demonstrated a strong sense of curiosity about the world around here whether here or abroad.
She is an inspiration to those of us who have not yet achieved senior status.
Congratulations, Janet.

- Tricia Ambrose

Offering a helping hand to homeowners in need

2011-05-10T10:24:00.000-04:00

Two organizations have requested promotional assistance from the city of Mentor to locate homeowners who require help in maintaining their home.

Rebuilding Together-Lake County operates a program that coordinates volunteers and homeowners requiring assistance. Their primary mission is to assist low-income elderly and veteran homeowners.

Mentor Baptist Church operates a program using church volunteers to provide homeowners with home maintenance assistance. They have adult and teen volunteers ready to assist anyone in the community needing home maintenance assistance. The city assumes no responsibility for work undertaken by Mentor Baptist Church, City Manager Ken Filipiak noted

Both organizations are seeking the names of homeowners who may need assistance. The homeowner, or anyone on their behalf, should contact Tom O’Hara in Mentor's Community Development Department at 440-974-5740 ext. 2454, Greta Pate at Rebuilding Together, 440-944-9964, or Pastor Brian Landrum, Mentor Baptist Church, 440-942-8278.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Ask Hal

2011-05-04T17:47:00.000-04:00

I found several Easter eggs when I was going through Hal's books today -- so many, in fact, that I was disappointed when I opened a book that appeared to have no markings or papers tucked inside.

Many of the loose items I found in between the pages of Hal's books today were submissions for "Ask Hal the Referee," such as this one from a major in the Marine Corps about payment for NBA playoff games:

On these notes, Hal often scribbled (and I mean scribbled) his response on the letters and notecards, and I presume he turned them into his "Ask Hal" column.

One of the letters I found gave a detailed explanation of how a basketball team was fouled, and through a series of strange calls, the fouled player ended up getting a foul shot later in the game. The fouled team won by one point, and the coach was wondering if that was the right call. Hal's scribbled answer: "Good call."

Some other Easter eggs today:

The cover of this basketball guide from 1921-22 has the signature "F.J. Powers" across the top. A little bit of Googling later, I found out F.J. Powers was Francis J. Powers, a sports journalist who worked in Dayton then Cleveland then Chicago. I found an auction for a photo of Powers and other sports journalists, and the three of them had signed it; the photo was listed at $6,999. I'm not sure what that says about this particular book, but it sure showed me that Powers was an important person. Click here to read more about Powers.

This "news flash" was tucked in "The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Guide" from 1969, and notes changes of rules. I'm unclear as to whether these are rules for college basketball, but I would assume so because of where it was found.

The "National Basketball Association Official Guide for 1966-67" was in really good condition, other than some minimal wear on the cover -- except for two of the pages inside that had yellowed because of some acidic paper stuck inside. That acidic paper was a Western Union Press Message on the Cincinnati Royals trading George Wilson to the Chicago Bulls for Lenney [sic] Chappell, as well as a notecard with heights and weights for those on the Royals roster.

Some of the fun finds (though not exactly Easter eggs) from today:

Do Books Help?
In the early days when we began to publish books on sports, games, physical education, etc., we would trot down to one of our large wholesale booksellers to secure advance orders.
The first few years were rather discouraging, but gradually the buyer became convinced by sales records that people brought books to help them understand and enjoy sports. He told us one time that he would take the quantity we suggested (it was an ambitious suggestion), but he still didn't know why anybody bought the books. He knows now and is one of our enthusiastic supporters.
Books on sports do help, just as books on reading, writing and 'rithmetic. But practice is necessary, and also guidance by a trained teacher is essential. We have books covering practically every sport and will welcome your inquiry. If we do not publish the book you want, we will tell you where to obtain it.

That text was on the back cover of "The Official National Basketball Committee Basketball Guide" from 1941-1942.

Who wears short shorts?

The Hal Lebovitz Collection will be auctioned off, and all proceeds from the sale will go to a foundation in the Lebovitz family name at Lakeland Community College. (The date of the sale, along with other details, will be announced at a later date.) Lebovitz — a former News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal columnist, and longtime sports editor of The Plain Dealer — was inducted into the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He died in 2005. Learn more about the collection here, here, here and here.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

The Osama bin Laden death photo debate

2011-05-03T21:26:00.001-04:00

It's a situation right out of my ethics class in journalism school.

The White House, as I write this, is still debating on whether or not to release photos that allowed them to identify the body of slain terrorist Osama bin Laden. The conversation started here at The News-Herald yesterday as to whether or not we should print them if they do.

The ethics class debates I recall so easily (they weren't really that long ago) focused mainly on photos from Sept. 11. The iconic shot of the man jumping from one of the towers was a hot topic of discussion. Was it OK to print a photo that clearly showed a man about to die? What if we could identify him? Even if it's incredibly traumatic, doesn't the photo best capture and describe the situation?

Since my career in journalism has started, I haven't had to deal with too many similar situations. The situation I relate to most here is from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. We saw photos chronicling death, destruction and lots and lots of blood. Bodies crushed by rubble. Individuals with trapped limbs and looks of horror. The general consensus was not to print photos denoted as graphic by the Associated Press. There would be plenty of photos that told the horrible story of the destruction in Haiti that were less graphic. There was really no question in what to do.

Yesterday fellow copy editor Robin Palmer posed the question to copy editor Cheryl Sadler and me. Did we think we should publish the photo of bin Laden if it was released? We both agreed that we shouldn't print it. Robin and others said it should be printed. I was immediately intrigued.

I posted the dilemma on Twitter and got a few responses. After a day, they were pretty much split down the middle, which I suppose is to be expected. Opinions on the issue are going to be very diverse, especially among those not in the journalism business.

The issues in this situation are many and varied. There are individuals who don't believe bin Laden is really dead, and demand to see evidence. Some do believe he is dead, but want to see the evidence anyway. Others would never want to see something so gruesome and graphic. Some might want to see it, but wouldn't want to see it in their morning paper--or wouldn't want their kids to grab the paper and see it. (It definitely would not pass "The Breakfast Test.")

So, what do we do?

As a news organization, it is our task to deliver information to the public. As it says every day at the top of our editorial page:

“Search for truth is the noblest occupation of man; its publication is a duty.”

In the case of the death of one of the world's most dangerous terrorist leaders, we would be failing in our duty to deliver that information if we didn't somehow, in some form, publish such important photos from a critical moment in our nation's war on terror--and in our nation's history.

The News-Herald has a plan for if and when the photos are released. But whatever we do, I don't see an end to this debate. Should such graphic imagery be published in print? Should it be on the front page of www.News-Herald.com? Or should it be withheld entirely?

What do you think?

Let us know here in the comments, on www.News-Herald.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Of fish and computers

2011-05-03T17:44:00.000-04:00

Mentor Senior Center has some new offerings these days. New Recreation Programmer Nick Standering has formed a Fishing Club at the Center, for one.

He surveyed the seniors and noted a desire for the activity, and he will be overseeing the first meeting of the club soon. If you know anyone who would be interested, contact Nick at the Senior Center at 440-974-5725.

The Center also recently began a series of computer classes in conjunction with the Lake County Council on Aging. The four-part classes are designed to progressively bold the skills of the users to give the students a sense of confidence and ease in working with the computers.

The first class filled quickly and the city is working with the Council on Aging to provide another series.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

What a difference a decade makes

2011-05-02T16:06:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of talk today about learning the news of Osama bin Laden's demise being one of those you'll always-remember-where-you-were-when-you-heard events, much like the terror attacks of Sept. 11.
In my case, it'll be easy.
I was in the same place.Well, not exactly. I was sitting at a different desk. But on both occasions I was here at work.
Those are the kind of events that get the deadline juices flowing. When you become consumed with the need to learn more and to share what you've learned.
Much has changed for us in the news business between these two occasions.

I can recall the quick decision on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, to produce an extra edition (something that was once fairly common decades earlier, but a first in my career). We raced to gather material from wire services and phone interviews to get an eight-page section on newsstands by early afternoon.
That left time for a break; then it was back at it to produce the following day's complete edition. People read the news and shared their thoughts in letters they mailed or even faxed in.
What a difference an (almost) decade makes.
Last night when we learned that President Obama was scheduled to make an unscheduled late night speech on an issue of national security, we were able to immediately let people know and enable them to watch the livestream from the White House on our site.
Speculation began swirling immediately, and it only intensified each time the speech was moved back. The tweets were fast and furious.
Long before Obama stepped up to the microphone we had Facebook'ed and Tweeted and sent an email blast and text messaged and posted the news to our Web site.
This time there was no break to gather more information before publishing. It was a constant updating.
And those readers instantly shared their comments with us. (And we published them in the day's print edition .)
There was the same sense of exhilaration; the same spirit of working together in the newsroom to share historic events with our neighbors. Only this time we didn't have to wait for presses to start rolling and a lot of our neighbors don't live anywhere nearby.

- Tricia Ambrose

Who owned the books in the Hal Lebovitz Collection?

2011-04-26T18:26:00.001-04:00

All of the books in the Hal Lebovitz Collection were of course owned by Hal Lebovitz, but he wasn't the only person who was in possession of the guides, record books and more.

"PROPERTY OF WILL MCKAY, CLEVELAND LEADER" was stamped on a few of the books. In addition to writing for the Cleveland Leader, McKay served as the first president of the Cleveland Amateur Base Ball Association, elected in January 1910 when the organization was formed.

A stamp of the signature "Ed F. Bang" appears a few times in other books. Bang was sports editor of the Cleveland News for 53 years. Bang was elected the first vice-president of the Cleveland Amateur Base Ball Association in January 1910.

The handwritten signatures of Sam Otis and John Dietrich each appear in a book (of what I have organized so far). Otis was a former sports editor for the Plain Dealer (see his signature in the fourth image below). Dietrich was a member of the Plain Dealer sports staff for 41 years, and was inducted into the Media division of the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.

I'm tweeting my progress with the books using the hashtag #halsbooks, so you can follow that or my account (@nhcheryl). If you're not a Twitterer, you can visit either of those links at any time to see previous messages I've posted.

Below are images of interesting items I came across today.

From a Spalding's minor league baseball guide, 1904:
"We beg to call your attention to the fact that we have established a Base Ball Bureau for the purpose of assisting young players who are ambitious to play professional ball to secure positions with professional teams. We are in touch with all the base ball clubs in the country, and are in receipt of numerous inquiries every year for good young players.
If you will send us your name and address, giving age, height, weight and general qualifications, we will place your name on our record and will take pleasure in bringing the information to the attention of managers seeking new players. This is done without any charge.
Yours truly,
A.G. Spalding & Bros."
(Was it really that simple to get on a professional team???)

An ad from "Reach's Official American League Base Ball Guide for 1905." Did players ever wear these?

Mr. A.J. Reach himself

Former Plain Dealer Sports Editor Sam Otis wrote his name on the cover of this Reach American League guide from 1929.

Photos and diagrams of Municipal Stadium and League Park, from a 1944 baseball media guide.

"Baseball salutes its many players now in Big Game on Uncle Sam's team -- and the others who will follow them!"
(including Bob Feller, pictured at the bottom of the V)

The Hal Lebovitz Collection will be auctioned off, and all proceeds from the sale will go to a foundation in the Lebovitz family name at Lakeland Community College. (The date of the sale, along with other details, will be announced at a later date.) Lebovitz — a former News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal columnist, and longtime sports editor of The Plain Dealer — was inducted into the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He died in 2005. Learn more about the collection here, here and here.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Going back to the 1890s

2011-04-25T18:59:00.000-04:00

I spent most of the day with old books -- the kind that carry a distinctive old smell and slightly dirty your fingertips after holding them for a while.

I was going through the Hal Lebovtiz Collection, which will be auctioned off, and all proceeds from the sale will go to a foundation in the Lebovitz family name at Lakeland Community College. (The date of the sale, along with other details, will be announced at a later date.) Lebovitz — a former News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal columnist, and longtime sports editor of The Plain Dealer — was inducted into the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He died in 2005.

But before his books can be auctioned, they need to be organized and cataloged.

I've already spent some time organizing books from the last 50 years, but today I started working with books from two centuries ago.

I'll write more later about what I'm learning with this experience, but for now I'm just going to share some images from today's finds.

An ad in the back of "Spalding's Base Ball Guide and Official League Book for 1896"

A picture of the Cleveland Base Ball Club from "Spalding's Base Ball Guide and Official League Book for 1896"

The Cleveland Baseball Club, 1897, from "The Victor 1897 Baseball Guide"

Advertisements in an American League guide from 1905

Ad for Coca-Cola in "Napoleon Lajoie's Official Base Ball Guide" from 1908

Cover of "Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide" from 1911

Image and text honoring Henry Chadwick, "Father of Base Ball." Chadwick served as an editor for several Spalding's before his death in 1908. This tribute appeared in "Spalding's Official Base Ball Record 1909."

A.G. Spalding himself, photographed in 1879

Photo and text honoring Spalding after his death.

Continued text honoring Spalding after his death.

Graph following the 1933 American League pennant race, from the 1934 "Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide." I think the line follows the place each team was in. (Look at those damn Yankees!)

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Electronic waste a growing problem, environmental group says

2011-04-12T15:09:00.000-04:00

Wednesday the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) will announce an industry-wide electronics recycling initiative. The Electronics TakeBack Coalition (ETBC) has been grading companies’ takeback programs each year with a Recycling Report Card, which has found that most company takeback programs are underperforming, except in states which have strong laws that require companies to make significant efforts on recycling.

ETBC believes the companies and CEA won’t truly tackle our mounting ewaste problem unless they including various initiatives such as a ban on toxic e-waste being sent overseas, report on collection goals and volumes by each company each year, go beyond complying with state laws, and not allowing any hazardous e-waste to be sent to solid waste (non-hazardous waste) landfills or incinerators for disposal or energy recovery.

Ewaste Background:

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2009, the US generated almost 3.2 million tons of e-waste. But only 17.7% of that was collected for recycling. The other 82.3% went to landfills and incinerators, despite the fact that hazardous chemicals in them can leach out of landfills into groundwater and streams, or that burning the plastics in electronics can emit dioxin.

So far, 25 states have passed e-waste recycling laws. To learn more about toxics in electronics and the problem of e-waste visit www.electronicstakeback.com

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Proof that it's better in Mentor?

2011-04-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

For those of you who missed the State of the City address by Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak at a recent chamber of commerce luncheon, I am providing a link to the video that he used to open the presentation.

I think most everyone was impressed, and one couldn't help but think that the hearts of Mentorites swelled with pride as they watched.

To check it out, visit the below link and scroll down to the last line of the page to the "2010 Year in Review" video:

http://cityofmentor.com/live/

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Judging VGC Idol a privilege

2011-03-31T17:57:00.001-04:00

I had a fabulous afternoon. There's nothing like a break in your routine to leave you feeling refreshed and ready to dive back into things. And today's break was an extra special one.
I was privileged to be asked to judge the VGC Idol competition today at Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities in Mentor.
Superintendent Elfie Roman was kind enough to invite me, and believe me, the pleasure was all mine.
Actually I shared that pleasure with fellow judges Marlene Castilyn, president of the Western Reserve Junior Service League, Dave Noble, retired executive director of Lake Metroparks, and Brint Learned, executive director of Rabbit Run Theater.
And judging was no easy task. You think JLo, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson have it tough ...

Marlene, me, Dave and Brint attempt to join the performance of "YMCA"

How could I not love the performance of "I Got You Babe" delivered by Jean Gillispie and Todd Reider? I don't think I've enjoyed that song as much since I had my first dance with my husband at our wedding. But I'm a Barry Manilow fan, so the versions of "Can't Smile Without You" by Susan Murphy and "Copacabana" by Susan Taylor were special favorites. No one could help but get their grooves on to Richard Dawson's "Jump," Jonathon Wright's "Can't Touch This" or Canesia King's "Forget You." Anna Rodgers showered us with petals during "Rose Garden," and Christopher Dabson had us all swaying to "Just the Way You Are." Julie Underwood's rendition of "You Give Love a Bad Name" came complete with all the right guitar moves, and Nicole Memory worked the stage like a pro for "If I Could Turn Back Time." And I'm planning on trying out some of the jokes delivered by comedian Shelley Braden on my co-workers; though I doubt my delivery will be as good.
All too soon the performances were over and the scores tallied.
The contestants were mobbed with congratulations from family members, friends and folks from the VGC.
My hands stung from clapping so hard.
Every break from work should leave me so full of smiles.

Check out the fab photos, video and news story from Duncan Scott and Angela Gartner.

And, as if that wasn't enough, I was given this gorgeous work of art created by Roberta Ray to remember the day. Ray, who works with colored pencils and markers, was the first-prize winner of the Lake County Board of MR/DD Art Contest in 2008 and had a piece selected to be part of the Accessible Expressions Ohio 2009 visual arts exhibition.

- Tricia Ambrose

Opening Day? Snow-pening Day?

2011-03-31T13:22:00.002-04:00

        Mother Nature threw a curve ball Wednesday night to Progressive Field head groundskeeper Brandon Koehnke and his staff.
        The curve ball came in the form of an early spring snow shower that left about four inches of wet, white stuff on the playing surfaces at Progressive Field with Friday's home opener against the Chicago White Sox in the offing.
       That would be a problem anytime, but in the circumstances under which Koehnke and crew are operating this spring, it qualifies as a major annoyance bordering on crisis.
      Over the last three weeks, Koehnke has overseen the replacement of sod over the entire outfield and the rebuilding of the dirt part of the infield. The major reconstruction was necessitated by damage done by the huge sets built for "Snow Days,'' the winter sledding-and-skating attraction that was up set up on the field from late November to early January.
       Check out the story about the rebuilding project in The News-Herald.

- David S. Glasier

Autism Speaks, Panera Listens

2011-03-28T23:52:00.000-04:00

While I could easily write several blog entries on why I love Panera, I want to call attention to something very special they are doing. (Credit to fellow copy editor Cheryl Sadler for cluing me in to this.)

Starting at the end of this week, Panera will be selling shortbread cookies in the shape of puzzle pieces. The proceeds from these cookies will benefit Autism Speaks, an organization that seeks to bring awareness to Autism and help to fund scientific research into causes, treatments and potential cures of the disorder that is reaching epidemic proportions.

This was at my brother's graduation from Mentor High
School last June. He is shown with me and my dad.
(See the family resemblance?)

My younger brother Carmen has Autism, so this cause is very near and dear to my heart. I know many people who have family members or friends with the disorder, and I'm sure most who will read this do as well. The disorder affects many individuals in many different ways, and according to Autism Speaks, an estimated 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by the disorder.

Since just about everything Panera bakes is absolutely delicious, I have no doubt these cookies will be wonderful. They are a bit pricey, at $2 per cookie, and can be preordered here at $12 for a box of 6, or $24 for a box of 12. I've already preordered 2 dozen to pick up on Friday to share with coworkers here.

I urge you all to visit Panera for a cookie next week, and maybe a cup of delicious coffee or espresso. (I'm a big fan of the caramel latte--with skim milk and no whipped cream, though.)

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Death of Millie Waterman

2011-03-25T08:54:00.001-04:00

Long-time Mentor community activist and Mentor School supporter Millie Waterman died late Thursday following a lengthy illness.

Waterman was a strong advocate for the Mentor Schools and often appeared in Columbus, testifying on various related legislation.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Chardon leaders on snow patrol

2011-03-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

Chardon City officials are watching the weather closely. They report that the city is close to breaking its all-time snowfall record - set in the winter of 1959-60 - and more snow is possible overnight.

After the last big blast, the city was officially up to 148.1 inches, just about 13 inches under the 161.4 record.

"That's one good snowstorm away," said City Manager Dave Lelko, as he pored over statistics on the city's website at: http://www.chardon.cc/snowfall.html (This season's numbers have yet to be updated).

While this week's precipitation isn't expected to drop heavy amounts of the white stuff, the records - kept since 1952 - show that average snowfall for March is nearly 16 inches, and two feet of it has been dropped on the city in April twice within the last six years (three times since 1952).

Should no more snow drop this spring, the snow total would still rank fifth in recorded history. The closest the tally has come before is 157.6 inches during the 2004-2005 season.

"It's been a long winter, and I know everyone's tired of it," Lelko said.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Tales from my inbox

2011-03-22T23:47:00.000-04:00

Recently, the powers that be at the Journal Register Company, The N-H’s parent company, installed new spam filters on our email accounts. Funny enough, I’ve gotten way more spam than ever in my inbox since the filter was put in place. Most of the spam messages are news releases saying “hey, you should write about this really interesting product/book/website/TV show/topic!” I have been ignoring the majority of them, but some of them have some pretty interesting subject lines that make me chuckle. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites.

“Sammy Hagar on being abducted by aliens: ‘It was real. [Aliens] were plugged into me’ ”

Well, that’s an eye-catching subject line if I ever saw one. Fellow copy editor Robin Palmer said she actually heard that interview. She said she thinks Sammy’s OK. Whew. What a load off.

“Want to be a better manager at work? Get a dog!”

This one is regarding a book titled All I Know About Management I Learned from my Dog. Right. Because telling your staff to “sit” and rewarding them with cookies will totally work. Actually, on second thought… Yeah. That would totally work here.

“Author: ‘You can't fire everyone!’ ”

But you can make them lie down and roll over, if you read that other book!

“Win a Trip to New York, But First Tell Us What You Would Give Up To Find True Love?”

Is that a question? They’re not sure I can win a trip to New York?

“tip: Most Unique Dog Urine Spots in America? – Darren”

This one is apparently for a cleaning product. They were looking for photos of dog urine spots for an ad campaign.That's an interesting campaign you got yourself there, Darren.

“2 Advices to be a rich!”

This is the typical I’m-a-Nigerian-delegate-and-I-need-your-name-and-social-security-number-for-this-important-bank-transaction spam. But still... They’re offering not one, but TWO advices. How can I pass that one up?

“Hi editor! Mann! Don’t you know where to find a wife?”

No. No I don’t. Probably because I’m a heterosexual female.

“Do the Dead Stay Dead?”

Good question. I sure hope so. I’ve been operating under that assumption for years. (This was actually PR for a novel about death and dying, which could be interesting if you weren’t spamming me)

So there you have some of my favorite junk emails that are arriving unfiltered into my inbox. If anybody is interested in reviewing a "Psychological Suspense Novel from Academy Award Winner and screenwriter of 9 and ½ Weeks" or wants "Flooring tips for Pet Loving Homes," I'm sure I can get you the hook-up.

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

The cost and politics of invasive species

2011-03-21T14:20:00.000-04:00

Sounding the clarion call for more action to protect the Great Lakes, the environmental group Great Lakes United is urging more progress in keeping out invasive species for the basin.

The group says that 2011 is a pivotal year in the battle to protect the Great Lakes and other waters from the onslaught of invasive species."

Its warning comes on the eve of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, an important wterways for the movement of goods but also the chief venue for the introruction of such invasive species as the zebra mussel and the round goby. Critters like these cost the Great Lakes citzenry upwards of $200 million in damages and control costs, the environmentalists say.

To combat the spread and further introduction of more invasive species the environmentalists are calling for more rigorous action and stiffer laws to prevent invasive species introduction through the ballast water of ocean-going vessels that also move through the Great Lakes.

-Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Fix a faucet, save a few

2011-03-17T17:55:00.000-04:00

This week, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is promoting “Fix a Leak Week.”
Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® program, it is meant as an annual reminder to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.
If you're not doing so, you may want to start.
Across the country, household leaks are wasting more than 1 trillion gallons of water per year, the PUCO says.
“Many households can have leaks without the homeowner even realizing leaks exist,” said PUCO Chairman Todd A. Snitchler.
To help consumers save water, the PUCO, EPA and WaterSense are promoting ways to identify and repair dripping faucets, running toilets and leaky showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly, they say.
Introduced in 2006, WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by EPA that identifies water-efficient products, services and soon, new homes. The WaterSense label can be found on toilets and bathroom faucets. Products that have earned the WaterSense label have been independently tested to meet water-efficiency specifications set by EPA.
Below are a few water-saving tips:
•    Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet and showerhead washers and gaskets for wear and, if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense-labeled model.
•    Silent toilet leaks can be found by placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank and checking the bowl for color after a few minutes or before flushing. Replacing a worn rubber flapper is a quick, affordable fix.
•    For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.
-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Digging in to Hal Lebovitz's books

2011-03-15T09:25:00.044-04:00

Hal Lebovitz had a lot of books. And I mean a LOT of books.

In addition to my regular web, editing and layout duties here at The News-Herald, right now I'm working on a project to organize Hal's books. Last month Jim Ingraham wrote a column about the collection, which I would recommend reading to get an idea of the type of books I'm dealing with. In addition to the rare and old books Jim discussed in his column, Hal had a LOT of books published in the last 40 years, seemingly about every sport, athlete and writer that has existed.

The collection will be auctioned off, and all proceeds from the sale will go to a foundation in the Lebovitz family name at Lakeland Community College. (The date of the sale, along with other details, will be announced at a later date.) Lebovitz — a former News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal columnist, and longtime sports editor of The Plain Dealer — was inducted into the writer's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He died in 2005.

So far, I've just been sorting the books by sport. Further divisions will be team, year and athlete, as well as media guides. There are also several general books on sports, the science of sports, records, trivia, dictionaries, encyclopedias and more.

One neat item I came across in my first day of sorting was a copy of the paper detailing what each of the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians earned for winning the World Series. Most of the players got about $6,700. I'm not sure how that page will fit into the final collection, but it is probably my neatest find so far.

Once the collection is a little more in order, I'll take pictures of all the boxes to show the expansiveness of the collection. For now, here are a few books I came across last week that made me chuckle.

An Ohio favorite, and someone who ain't no bum (any ideas who that is?).

For the aspiring football players: how to handle the ball or how to kick the ball.

If "The Thinker" played hockey, and a good hit.

Love the illustration and the short shorts on this one.

Bobby Knight coaching at Indiana University. Check out that jacket!

I'll continue to post updates of my progress on this blog. Stay tuned!

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Unforgettable Prom

2011-03-13T14:29:00.001-04:00

Last night I attended a fundraiser at the Branding Iron Cookhouse in Mentor.
I could easily write a whole food post about why I love the BIC, but that's not the point today.

I was tipped off to the event from a blurb in Janet Podolak's food column and knew that this was something I had to attend.

The event was to raise funds and support for Unforgettable Prom, an organization that seeks to give teens with cancer a chance at their own prom. I didn't know much about the organization before I attended the fundraiser, but I thought it sounded like a great cause and would be a fun opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy a meal at one of my favorite close-to-home restaurants. I was wrong. Kind of.

Not only did I enjoy a delicious appetizer, great meal and drinks with friends, I had the opportunity to speak with Jane Knausz, the chair of the event here in Northern Ohio. She told us about how the group collected donated prom dresses and distributed them free to girls in a donated storefront at Tower City. The girls were also treated to mini-manicures while they looked through dresses, and the same organization will be doing all their hair, nails and make-up before the event. She was talking about a red carpet set up for the attendees before the event (April 1 at the Cleveland Ritz-Carlton) with a reporter to interview each guest, the limos donated to transport all the teens, the free tuxes the boys get to wear, and so many other details about the dance. Hearing about all the great things the teens were going to enjoy was enough to make my eyes--and my friends' eyes!--water.

And it wasn't just that the event was shaping up to be so special. Jane told us that this would be the first time the event was hosted in Cleveland, and the second time it would be hosted anywhere in the country. I had no idea Unforgettable Prom was such a new thing. Jane's daughter was involved with the first event last year in Florida. After hearing about the cause, Jane wanted to get involved... and now the event is going to be here.

I was really moved by the number of people who had donated services to make the event a success, especially considering this is such a new event. The people involved seem so caring, so enthusiastic about giving these kids a special night to remember, it's hard not to want to participate more.

For more on Unforgettable Prom, including finding ways to donate your time or money, visit the website here.

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Disaster averted?

2011-03-10T18:39:00.000-05:00

On Feb. 18, Mentor City Plumbing Inspector Dan Hummel was performing a final HVAC inspection at 7878 Munson Road. While the inspection was being done, Dan detected a gas leak and determined that there was a loose union on the hot water tank.

He was able to turn off the gas and have the homeowner tighten the union to stop the leak. The house was not occupied at the time and, had this leak not been detected, there is a good chance the house could have exploded, according to city officials.

"We appreciate the fine job being done by our Building Inspectors," City Manager Ken Filipiak reported in his weekly memo to City Council.

Kudos to Dan!

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Local civilian labor force estimates on the move again

2011-03-10T18:33:00.000-05:00

The unemployment rate for Mentor increased 0.8 percent to 7.6 percent in January and increased 0.9 percent in Lake County to 9.1 percent. The unemployment rate in Mentor increased 1.1 percent in the months of December and January.

Mentor has the second-lowest unemployment rate for any community in Ohio over 50,000 in population, behind Cleveland Heights. The unemployment rate in Ohio increased to 10.1 percent for the comparable period, a 0.9 percent increase.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

New Coffee Shop Hits Eastlake

2011-03-10T17:03:00.001-05:00

If you’re a coffee connoisseur like myself, then you probably enjoy the little coffee shops more than the Starbucks and Arabicas of corporate America.

Don’t get me wrong, I still get coffee at both of those places – though I do prefer Arabica over Starbucks – but when it comes down to the coffee drinking “experience,” nothing seems to beat mom and pop places.

They not only often have signature drinks and creative concoctions you won’t find at the chain stores, but the atmosphere can be just as magnetic to the customer as the product itself.

My recent business story, http://bit.ly/g9vkAm, on the opening of Blue Planet Coffee Co. in Eastlake, brought that feeling right back to the forefront of my mind.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a family-owned coffee shop. The last one I went inside was Enchanted Grove in downtown Willoughby (they have an excellent chai tea selection there, in my opinion).

What struck me about Blue Planet was not only the welcoming feel of the warm colored walls and artwork, but the owners, Gary and Alison Petric, and their crew’s enthusiasm for the job.

Gary, who was a pallet manufacturer for 28 years, decided to completely switch gears, open this shop and truly, it’s inspiring.

Not many people actually make that choice, take that leap and live a longtime dream like he has. I haven’t tried their food yet, but their fresh panini sandwiches and their ice cream selection definitely looks worthy of a sampling ... or two.

I did, however, try their Masala chai tea and it was very rich with flavor and went down smoothly.

In addition, they are featuring the pour-over coffee method, which basically makes individualized cups of coffee almost instantaneously after the beans have been grounded.

It’s a pretty entertaining process to watch and our photographer, Michael Blair, approved his sampling of the coffee.

Personally, I look forward to revisiting them and trying some myself. And this time not as a reporter, but as a customer.

If you're interested in doing the same, they're located at 35400 Vine St. in the shopping strip next to Classic Park.

-- Cassandra Shofar
CShofar@News-Herald.com

Willowick flooding to be addressed at Tuesday's meeting

2011-03-07T17:16:00.001-05:00

Well, as winter thaws out, let the flooding begin.

While Willowick is only one of many cities struggling with flooding issues in the recent weeks, it’s residents continue to ask the city for clearer answers.

“I have lived here over twenty years and have been flooded with raw sewage three times in the last five years,” said Nick Paradise, who lives on Willowick Drive, via e-mail. “This has become a most serious problem, both financially as well as the health issues involved with dealing with other peoples sewage pumped into your basement.”

He added, “We are at the end of our rope and don’t know where to turn, with the high taxes we pay in this city, we should not have to live in constant fear. Perhaps Willowick needs to examine it priorities and put the health and safety of its citizens first, ahead of sports, recreation and other non-essential expenditures until they solve this serious problem.”

Last week, after 54 reported flooded basements, Mayor Richard Bonde asked Willowick City Council, the city’s street, sidewalk and sewers committee, and sewer and stormwater task force to work with the city’s engineer and service department in looking at the flooding problems on a case-by-case basis.

Following that examination, the group would formulate a list of residences that experience chronic and severe flooding and those homes would then be eligible for work to alleviate the problem at the cost of the city.

But Bonde did emphasize only the worst affected basements would be considered.

“I believe if your basement has a little bit of water by your basin, that’s not severe,” he had said. “If you’ve got water in the corner of your basement, that’s not severe. But if you have raw sewage in your basement, you’ll go to the top of the list. It’s a health issue.”

Tuesday, the city’s Streets, Sidewalks & Sewers Committee and Sewer & Stormwater Task Force of Willowick City Council is holding a meeting at 7 p.m. to discuss basement flooding.

Perhaps as a team, both residents and the city can find a solution ... only time will tell. Check the News Herald on Wednesday or News-Herald.com for a follow up article on Tuesday’s meeting.

-- Cassandra Shofar
CShofar@News-Herald.com

Keep up with the Bushnells, their surgeries and recoveries

2011-03-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

     The stories published today (March 4) about Mike and Denise Bushnell are just a beginning. In weeks to come, The News-Herald will follow up with stories about their surgeries at Cleveland Clinic. Mike will receive a kidney donated by Denise. We'll also tell you about their recoveries from those procedures.
     As you've probably surmised from today's stories, Mike and Denise are salt-of-the-earth people who derive great strength from family and faith. It's been my pleasure to visit their home and spend time with them.
     I've also savored the chance to meet Cleveland Clinic surgeons Dr. Jihad Kaouk and Dr. Stuart Flechner, who will perform the transplant and donor procedures.
     Kidney transplant surgeries are routine only in the sense that thousands of them are performed every year in the U.S. at major medical centers like Cleveland Clinic. Thanks to advances in surgical techniques and post-surgical regimens for recipients, success rates are exceedingly high.
     From speaking to the Drs. Kaouk and Flechner, I've gained some level of appreciation for the complexities of donor and recipient surgeries. These procedures are intricately choreographed, with surgical teams in two different theaters working on precise timetables.
     Mike and Denise Bushnell have been married for 41 years and sweethearts since high school. These surgeries offer them the promise of many more years to enjoy each other and their family.
     David S. Glasier

Road closures coming to Route 615 under bridge tonight, tomorrow night

2011-03-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Today and Thursday crews will perform lane closures and intermittent complete closures of Route 615 under Route 2 in Mentor from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., in order to erect steel beams. Flaggers will assist.

It is part of ongoing work on the Route 2 bridge. Intermittent lane closures along Route 2 east and westbound are expected and will not impact rush-hour traffic, according to information released today by the Ohio Department of Transportation District 12.

Major work will resume this month on Route 2 between Route 306 and Route 44. Ramp closures will occur and details will be forthcoming.

The entire project rehabilitates Route 2, adds a lane between Route 306 and Route 44 and constructs noise barriers. Tentative completion date is Oct. 15, 2012.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Mentor business reaches out to one in Painesville

2011-02-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

I was saddened when I first talked to William "Willie" Rosario, chief cook and co-owner of Borinquen Restaurant in Painesville. I stopped in the restaurant with my boyfriend a couple of weeks ago because he (my beau) noticed the Puerto Rican flag in the window and was hoping the place served food (he is of Puerto Rican descent). The restaurant is in a small part of a large, residential-looking building and there is no professional sign that can be seen from a distance to reveal what type of business it is. Borinquen is written in the window, but it's merely a common reference among Puerto Ricans to the island nation.

As we talked with him, we mentioned the difficulty distinguishing what the place - opened last year - was about. He said he had a sign designed but the designer took his money and was never heard from again. It was one of those, "Pay me half now and the rest when the work is finished" deals. The man had appeared to come to the restaurant as a customer and offered his services. Willie says he can't afford to pay for a sign right now. Business has slowed a lot during the winter. It gets a lot of customers from foot traffic.

I asked my business editor if he wanted a straight business feature about the relatively new restaurant and included info about the sign woes. I asked local economic development folks what they could do for Willie. I learned they had no grant programs specifically for signs. Now why is that? From my personal experience, signs can majorly hinder or help curb appeal. They can serve to invite or repel. For example, when I see a makeshift one, I question whether the owner cares.

Well, I'm making kind of a long story out of this, but I am happy to report that today, the same day the story ran, a sales manager from Mentor Signs & Graphics, on Tyler Blvd., called to say his company wants to donate Willie a sign. I admit I had hoped the story would get him some help, but that's more than I had hoped for. The sales manager, Josh McDaniel, said it was because the company has also seen some hard times, is under new management and wants to help.

Sure, Mentor Signs could be getting involved in hopes of some good PR. But I'm still happy to hear about the prospect. I was just doing my job, but if it helps somebody, all the better.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Route 2/Route 615 bridge work postponed

2011-02-24T16:03:00.000-05:00

Steel delivery for the State Route 2 bridge over Route 615 in Mentor has been rescheduled and beams are now estimated to be assembled and installed on March 2 and 3, Mentor officials say. During the placement of the steel beams, there will be brief stoppages of both northbound and southbound traffic along the Route 615 corridor. The stoppages will last about 10 minutes while beams are set in place by cranes. It is anticipated that this work will occur between the hours of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

-- Betsy Scott, BScott@News-Herald.com

Keep the faith, warmer weather on way

2011-02-07T16:33:00.001-05:00

Bear with it pilgrims, after the bitterly cold weather forecasted for this week, much nicer conditions are coming. Really, they are.

Both the National Weather Service and State College, Pennsylvania-based AccuWeather says that much, much more decent weather is due to arrive. A slow build up will begin this weekend as warmer air slides east out of the Great Plains.

Temperatures will rise into the upper 20s and lower 30s for the weekend and by next Monday they'll climb into the lower 40s.

In fact, so warm is it expected that Dallas may see 80s by the end of the month and 70s for the Washington, DC area.

The reason is that the Jet Stream will (FINALLY!) slide further north, ushering in warmer air.

Fewer severe storms are anticipated, too.

Thus, the worst of winter should be over after we shiver under bitterly cold conditions Tuesday through Friday.

There is just one little fly in the soup, however.

A rapid warm-up very likely will lead to an increased chance of flooding. Such streams as the Chagrin and Grand rivers may experience this condition and thus require an appropriate response.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Reporting the news, helps remind me what needs to be done at home.

2011-02-04T13:58:00.002-05:00

The short time I've been with The News-Herald, I reported on many stories that haven't related to my personal life.
At "Give Kids a Smile" event at Lakeland Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic in Kirtland, I thought of my preschooler who I hope hasn't picked up my bad dental habits.
I have always been afraid of the dentist due to a bad experience when I was younger involving a "big" needle or so I thought it was.
The event today put on by Northeastern Ohio Dental Society and hosted at Lakeland's Dental Hygiene Clinic provided free dental services for children.
The first time in the event's history, they had preschoolers from Lake-Geauga Head Start programs. Most of the kids sat bravely in the dental chair to get their teeth examined and cleaned.
The hygienists and dentists reminded the preschoolers of proper brushing techniques.
I thought of my son during those moments and wondered, as a mom, if my fear of the dentist was affecting him.
He brushes his teeth twice a day, but I haven't put an emphasis on good dental practices.
Is he brushing properly or just going through the motions? What if he goes for his checkup and his teeth are in poor condition?
So tonight, when he brushes his teeth, I will tell him of those kids in the dentist chair and review proper brushing techniques I learned. The event reminded me how important this practice is.
Read next Thursday's edition when staff writer Janet Podolak gives a more in-depth look at dental health and the consequences of bad dental hygiene.

--Angela Gartner
AGartner@News-Herald.com

We're on the (long) road to winter weather recovery

2011-02-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

This, from State College-based AccuWeather, the world's largest private weather forecaster:

In the Northern Hemisphere, the darkest quarter of the year runs from the first week in November through the first week of February.

This period is referred to as Solar Winter. Long-term averages show the coldest quarter of the year as being from early December through early March.

This is what we call Meteorological Winter. Astronomical winter (approx. June 21 until March 21) is determined by the Earth's position with respect to the sun and only loosely correlates with temperature normals (averages).

Of course this doesn't mean much today and will mean less tonight and tomorrow. Wind chill values are expected to fall to minus-10 degrees and lower tonight and Friday.

Worse, even colder air is being forecasted for the middle of next week.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

Wintry mix at The News-Herald

2011-02-01T23:29:00.000-05:00

We could hear some freezing rain outside and were wondering how bad the weather was getting, so copy editor Robin Palmer and I stepped outside with my Flipcam to get a better look at the weather we would be facing on our drives home. Below, you can watch what we saw.

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Getting ready for spring at garden show

2011-01-31T18:14:00.000-05:00

It was was pleasure to spend a few hours with City Editor John Bertosa enjoying a bit of spring at the Cleveland Home & Garden Show.

The Great Lakes Expo Center in Euclid was a welcome respite from the blowing snow and chilly temps outside. Indoors, gardens were in bloom and we could almost remember what it was like to see the lawns out our front doors.

That time will be here before you know it, though. John and I had the chance to talk to some readers and hear their ideas for stories we could cover and other improvements we could be making. It's always nice to hear from folks who are passionate about their news.

We also got some gardening tips from Justin Houk. His Houk Landscaping in Mentor designed The News-Herald's Celebrity Garden at the show. (Not that anyone would mistake John or me for celebrities!)
The garden was stunning. Check out the video clip to get a sense.

To reach Houk Landscaping, call 440-346-1951, e-mail houklandscapes@yahoo.com or write P.O. Box 73, Mentor OH 44061.

Only 48 days till spring.

- Tricia Ambrose

My night as a Lake County All-Star (aka, the Washington Generals)

2011-01-25T21:21:00.004-05:00

By Kevin Kleps

We were billed as the Lake County All-Stars.

None of us, however, could compare to “Memphis” Michael Douglas, who puts the show in the Harlem Legends and keeps smiles on the faces of all who attend events at which his team plays.

I was asked to represent The News-Herald in Saturday’s game at Mentor High School, an event that raised funds for the Society of Rehabilitation.

There were 19 of us on the All-Stars, a group that was headlined by state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chester Township. There were notable area businessmen, a well-known prep football coach (Mentor’s Steve Trivisonno) and guys like me — someone who was all too happy for play for a good cause, knowing full well no one would be paying to see me shoot a basketball (which I used to think I could do quite well, though if you saw me Saturday, you will beg to differ).

We were matched up with the Legends, whose website says is a club consisting of former Harlem Globetrotters, NBA and NFL players, along with past Olympians and pro athletes.

The Legends were there to provide the show.

The Lake County All-Stars were there to play the role of the Washington Generals — the team that always assumed the role of the Los Angeles Clippers (pre-Blake Griffin) to the Globetrotters’ Lakers.

There were four 10-minute quarters, officiated by “referees” who were part of the Legends’ traveling band of characters.

We found out early on that we weren’t exactly expected to play defense — a point that was driven home to me when I “ruined” a fast-break attempt by talented Legends guard Brandon McDonald. I tried to strip McDonald on a drive to the basket, and it worked, though I probably fouled him in the process (good thing the fake official didn’t see it).

The next time down the floor, McDonald waited for me to be matched up with him, then blew by me on his way to the basket.

At that point, we had received the memo.

No one was there to watch a group who had never played together and couldn’t block a dunk attempt with a stepladder clumsily foul a team that is paid to throw alley-oops, no-look passes and buckets of confetti on unexpecting parents and children.

Douglas, who played for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1986 to ’93, was the MC, the comedian, the actor and the person the packed house at Mentor likely will remember for years to come.

As much as us All-Stars might have objected, they kept score, and the Legends didn’t try to keep it close.

We struggled to hit shots, despite an early 3-pointer from Trivisonno, but never struggled to laugh at our role in the event.

The United Way of Lake County, Mentor Schools, the city’s recreation department and the Society for Rehabilitation did an excellent job putting the event together.
There weren’t many empty seats.

And there weren’t many who came away from the game unimpressed.
It was for a good cause.

Thanks to the Legends, it was a great show.

Thanks to the All-Stars, there was a team present to get dunked on and have passes thrown between our legs by one former Globetrotter to another.

KKleps@News-Herald.com

— Click here for The News-Herald’s story and videos from Saturday night.

— For more information on “Memphis” Michael Douglas and the Harlem Legends, click here.

Adrenaline pumped covering ski lift rescue

2011-01-17T12:53:00.001-05:00

When I heard that more than 80 people were stuck on a ski lift Saturday afternoon at Alpine Valley Ski Area in Munson Township, I knew right away this was pretty big news.

I quickly called photographer Maribeth Joeright, who was finishing up another assignment, to let her know I was heading down to the scene. She would meet me there as quickly as possible.

When I got to the Mayfield Road entrance for the facility, there was a long line of cars with drivers unsure of what was happening as police authorities told motorists that Alpine Valley was closed.

I mentioned to the sheriff deputy my affiliation and soon found a place to park and grabbed my smart phone, Flip camera, digital voice recorder and shuffled along the snow as quickly as I could.

As soon as I got close enough to see what was happening, I was amazed. Dozens of skiers stranded on a chair lift.

I snapped a few cell phone pictures and immediately e-mailed them to Business Editor Brandon Baker, who was on duty.

He posted them to our website and I was soon shooting videos of people getting rescued. I found out later the Associated Press picked up my cell phone images and websites across the county began to post them with a short story synopsis, even www.msnbc.com.

While at the scene, I was simultaneously sending live Tweets from my personal Twitter account and from The News-Herald’s account.

Although it was cold, my blood was pumped full of adrenaline. It was hard to type on my phone’s keyboard with no gloves and the cold made it hard, and at times, painful to move my fingers.

I sought out interviews with people who were rescued, in between the Tweets and videos.

Soon Maribeth arrived and began to snap photos with better equipment than what I had. She got some really amazing and compelling shots.

We were running around all over the place trying to get the best photos, videos of actual rescues, and interviews we could.

I stopped for a moment to watch three young boys finally get their turn to be rescued. I thought about how nervous and scared I would be if it was my son stuck up there about 40 to 50 feet in the air with his feet dangling for hours.

Most of the people who were rescued were quickly whisked back down the hall to get warm and make sure they were OK.

But I was able to speak with a few people moments after they were rescued to see what it was like to be stuck for so long.

Each skier had a common theme, that it was no big deal and that this incident wouldn’t stop them from enjoying their passion again or even coming back to Alpine Valley.

I’m not so sure I would have been this optimistic.

One lady I spoke with was bound to get in her ski run. After we finished talking, she and the two children with her, grabbed their skis and poles and made it back down the mountain.

After a few hours, it was over, everyone was safe and sound, and I was back at The News-Herald’s office doing what I could to get the news out to people as quickly as possible.

It was exciting and fun to be a part of such breaking news. It’s what being a journalist is all about.

-- John Arthur Hutchison
JHutchison@News-Herald.com

Not quite keeping up with the teenagers

2011-01-12T17:49:00.001-05:00

It’s no easy feat chasing teenagers through snowdrifts and blowing snow, trying to capture video of their phys ed lesson without dropping equipment, while you yourself are on snowshoes for the first time.

That’s the rather comical situation I found myself in this morning.

I’d heard West Geauga Middle had organized snowshoe lessons for seventh-graders this week, so I corralled a photographer and a Flip camera and headed out, with no real clue what to expect.

I got there just as fourth-period students had finished strapping their feet into snowshoes and explained myself to the phys ed teacher, who promptly maneuvered me into her own pair of snowshoes. She watched from afar, thinking (I’m totally guessing here) amused thoughts as I struggled after her students and two Lake Metroparks employees through the field behind the school.

I only fell twice. But I wobbled several times, repeatedly stood on the tips of the snowshoes as I attempted to make a tight turn, and got thoroughly snow-covered in the process.

The teenagers, on the other hand, were in their second day of practice on Metroparks’ equipment and sped on ahead of me, leaving a trail of churned snowdrifts in their wake. They raced up and down hills, sprinted to a snowpile, and fell many times themselves – all in the space of a single class period. It was clear they were enjoying themselves, and so was I. I may have failed in my goal of staying ahead of them to capture video of their approach (I had to cheat once and take a shortcut across the field), but I got the video without dropping the camera into a snowdrift.

I’ll feel it tomorrow, though.

- Rachel Jackson
RJackson@News-Herald.com

Best wishes for a happy retirement

2011-01-06T09:27:00.000-05:00

Co-workers gathered in the cafeteria to share good wishes with pressman Howard Wheelock. Wheelock is retiring from The NH after 35 years of service. He's seen a lot of changes here since he started June 9, 1975. And we wish him nothing but the best in this new chapter of his life!

A new look in the newsroom

2010-12-29T00:37:00.000-05:00

The night desk at The News-Herald used to look like this:

As of Tuesday, the night desk looks like this:

The first image was after some initial dismantling, though parts of the unit had been dismantling on their own. General Manager Brian McCloskey located some unused desks in the building and configured an arrangement that provides all of us more drawers and more space to work in. We still have some unpacking to do, but I imagine we'll all settle in pretty quickly to our new digs.

-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

A very special trip to the post office

2010-12-23T01:01:00.000-05:00

I was among many area residents standing in a long line at the post office one recent afternoon.

Of course, I expected to wait a while as people rushed to send last minute packages to loved ones around the globe. But, my package was important, and hours-long lines could not hinder me in my quest to send it.

Some of my fellow comrades in queue were also waiting patiently. Other seemed more frazzled, and one post office employee was trying to help us all get through the process as quickly as possible. This employee, a woman, was offering to teach us all how to use the automatic postal machine, a rather handy device that allows patrons to skip the wait and process their parcels electronically. This is limited, not surprisingly, to domestic use. My package was destined for a more far away land, and therefore I was resigned to my wait.

When the helpful employee came to me in line to ask if I would like to use the automatic machine, I merely smiled and pointed to the address on my package. When she saw where it was headed, she asked if I had filled out the proper customs forms. Not knowing such forms were necessary, I told her I had not, and she gave them to me.

The woman in front of me in line turned to see what I was doing. She must have known I had never filled this form out, and she offered to help.

"Are you sending this package to a brother or a boyfriend in Afghanistan?" she asked after helping me navigate the customs forms.

I told her I was not. In fact, I have never met the young man who will receive my package. I know very little about him beyond his name. He is my adopted soldier.

The woman told me she was sending her package to her son in Iraq. I told her all about my adopted soldier, and how some of my colleagues here at The News-Herald generously donated to his (yes, late) Christmas care package. We sent him a bunch of snacks and other goodies as a way to thank him for his service.

I told her about Adopt a Soldier, a program that matches volunteers with brave men and women stationed around the world. Volunteers are encouraged to send letters and packages to these soldiers whenever they can, offering support and thanks. This cause is one I can appreciate because my big brother spent a year in Iraq while I was in college.

My new friend and I talked more about our soldiers. I told her that mine, Alex, turned 20 shortly before his deployment. I told her that I knew he liked country music and once worked as a ranch hand in Nebraska. I told her that it was pretty neat that he found me on Facebook, and how it was exciting to put a face with his name. And I told her that I hoped he liked the package and that it wouldn't be a big deal that I probably missed Christmas.

She assured me that he could hardly be disappointed in the package, late or not, and she knew from experience that soldiers were usually so excited to get mail that it rarely mattered what it was--any piece of home is comforting.

We were finally at the head of the line, and I approached the counter to have my packaged weighed and processed. As the woman was ready to send her own, she came over told me she would like to pay for the shipping on mine.

I was shocked. This kind woman was already sending her own soldier a Christmas package, and she was going to pay for another young man's gift.

I regret that I never got this woman's name. Her overwhelming kindness was moving. I already felt good having donated my time to supporting this unknown soldier, our adopted hero, and this woman's generosity made me feel that much better.

If she is reading this, and I hope she is, I just want her to know that her gesture will not soon be forgotten.

For more on Adopt a Soldier, click here.

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Yikes, time to think about county, state fair dates

2010-12-13T16:08:00.000-05:00

Good grief, it's still 12 days until Christmas, we are in the midst of a major winter storm and the Ohio Department of Agriculture has just released the schedule for Ohio's 94 county, independent and state fairs.

The fair season kicks off in Paulding County on June 13. It wraps up Oct. 15 in Fairfield County.

As for locally, Ashtabula's county fair dates are Aug. 9 through 14; Lake County's fair dates are Aug. 16 to 21; and the Great Geauga County Fair dates are Sept. 1 to 5.
All, of course, are for 2011.

Oh, one more thing. The dates for the Ohio State Fair in Columbus are July 27 to Aug. 7.

For a complete roster of fair dates visit the department's web site at www.agri.ohio.gov.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com

*NSYNC in the newsroom

2010-12-06T17:39:00.001-05:00

That's right, folks: The legendary 90s boy band has been spotted in the newsroom here at The News-Herald.

Well, maybe the *real* Justin, Chris, Lance, Joey and JC weren't here, but Executive Editor Tricia Ambrose brought in her daughter's old bobbleheads to show me and Cheryl since we're such big 90s pop music fans (examples A, B and C). They currently stand in a place of honor on the copy desk, next to Cheryl's desk.

Isn't it amazing how well the features of the figurines match up with the actual pop stars? Justin is probably my favorite of the bunch, as far as likenesses go. Although Lance and JC are pretty true-to-life as well.

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Fear keeps Muslim story out of print

2010-12-01T17:38:00.001-05:00

A pervasive atmosphere of fear has begun to affect my stories, notably one intended for the News-Herald's Religion page on Saturday. It was an interview with the two Muslims who will be speaking on Sunday at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirtland. Both are proud U.S. citizens and work with interfaith organizations to explain elements of Islam and answer questions from their audiences. It is their hope that with knowledge and solid information many misconceptions can be put to rest. But they are afraid of being targeted by hate-mongers, especially in the light of some current events.. At the conclusion of our fine interview they asked that their full names not be used.

Affi and Sahid

That's something The News-Herald does not permit. It's a policy rooted in the belief that readers have the right to reach their own conclusions about what others say. Attribution of statements to those who make them also causes the speaker to choose his or her words carefully, and hopefully accurately, knowing they will have to live with them once the story has run..We don't use just first names, fake names or run stories with nameless sources in them.

Until I began to read the anonymous comments on the online versions of stories the paper has published, I hadn't appreciated how a cloak of anonymity causes some people to say cruel things. Perhaps that very anonymity is one of the reasons for the widespread fear that seems to be everywhere these days.

One of my Muslim subjects once experienced a death threat against her then 8-year son after she spoke out. And both know how easily an address can be found on the internet once a name is entered. .

One of the points both made was the recent tendency by many to equate Islamic principals with the words and actions by various governments of the Middle East. Both came here from Iran several decades ago, a country where women had the right to vote, own property and be paid equally long before our own equal rights amendments. The woman made the point that the wife of the Prophet Mohammad was a business owner and the prophet worked for her. "He married the boss," she said. The rights afforded women in Islam are believed descended from that fact, she said. A woman who inherits money or property from her father or mother keeps that property and never has to share it with her husband. The local woman is a widow after a longtime happy marriage to an Irish Catholic.She's retired now but often volunteers as a translator from Farsi, the most widely spoken Persian language and her native tongue. The man is married, the father of a young child and works as an an engineer. Both came to this country as students.

When they are introduced to the audience at East Shore Unitarian Church only their first names will be used. Their fear goes with them even when they speak to those coming the hear what they say..

The session follows a noon vegetarian luncheon at the church, 10848 Chillicothe Road in Kirtland. Reservations for that are needed by today and the cost is $5. Call 440-256-3400. The presenters, members of the Unity Mosque in Strongsville, will not cover the history of Islam but instead will discuss how they see their religion, addressing why they have been hesitant to speak out in today’s world of 24-hour news showing the radical side of Islam.
It should be a real eye opener.

Janet Podolak

Too-early Black Friday video work actually a real hoot

2010-11-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

Arising early is part of the game if you are a hunter or angler.

But this morning's rise-and-shine call was not so that I could hustle to be archery deer-hunting blind. Nope.

Neither was it required so that I could thread my way in the dark to a pond where Canada geese frequently reside. Not there, either.

My task was to set a course to Gander Mountain's Mentor store and check in with its staff as well as customers. Fueled with a cup of regular coffee I was ready to do the Flipcam video interviews.

While most of the customers wanted to hurry in and hurry out of the store, I did find several shoppers who were relishing the opportunity to share their Black Friday experiences; for which I am grateful.

All in all the process was a blast with some really great comments coming from the store's manager and (especially) two shop-till-they-drop patrons.

Take a look at The News-Herald's web site and the "news video" portal.

Oh, yeah, one more thing. I took advantage of Gander Mountain's Thanksgiving Day-only set of sales items, on Thursday dropping what would have been nearly $90 but by using a $10 Gander-Buck card I was able to shave that figure a little bit.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com