In the wake of the Board of Education’s decision to include Lincoln Elementary and not Grant Elementary in the third and final Phase of the district’s Master Facilities Plan, much discussion has occurred within the community about when Grant may close its doors. Discussion has also turned to concern with what the Board and district’s plan is for the school properties that remain vacant.
H2O, Lakewood’s youth volunteer program set records in 2009.
Tom Ostromek has been hired by the Lakewood Municipal Court to assist with the probation department for building, housing and health code violation cases. Tom is a retired building inspector with the City of Lakewood. Since his retirement, Tom has worked with the Building Department for the City of Fairview Park.
Beginning this year, the Lakewood Municipal Court, with the cooperation of the Lakewood Law Department, Building Department and LakewoodAlive, will establish a diversion program for building, housing and health code violation cases. The purpose of the diversion program is to assist homeowners to fix their homes and achieve compliance with the housing and building codes.
Beck Center for the Arts, in collaboration with Solon Center for the Arts, is proud to announce Focus 2010, a photography competition bringing communities together through art. Amateur photographers (adults and students) are eligible to submit their competition entries no later than April 10, 2010. The competition is juried with cash awards in all categories—people/portraits, architecture/cityscape, nature/landscape, animals, botanicals, macro, and “Best in Show.” Applications are available on the Beck Center website at www.beckcenter.org. An opening ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 23 at the Solon Community Center at 35000 Portz Parkway. The FOCUS 2010 photography exhibition will be on display May 4 through May 23, 2010, at the Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. For exhibition hours, call the Beck Center at 216.521.2540 ext. 10.
The March 1, 2010 meeting of Council was called to order at 7:41 P.M. by Council President Kevin Butler (Ward IV). There were few open seats remaining in the City Hall Auditorium at the start of the meeting as this was the night Council would potentially decide the fate of the ordinance allowing leashed dogs into Lakewood and Kaufman Parks.
Hungarian immigrant Theodor Kundtz came to Cleveland at age 21 to work as a cabinetmaker. He soon established his own business producing sewing machine cabinets for White Sewing Machine Co., as well as bicycle wheels, car and truck bodies and church and school interiors.
By 1910, the company employed more than 2,500 workers at its five plants in the Flats and a huge lumberyard between Clifton Boulevard and the railroad tracks, between Manor Park and Giel avenues. Many fellow Hungarian immigrants worked for Kundtz and sought inexpensive housing in Lakewood.
Sadly, tragedy struck close to midnight on May 20, 1920, when the Kundtz Lumberyard burst into flames and burned for two days, leveling an area larger than Lakewood Park. Enterprising developers jumped on the chance to create four new streets of housing on the former lumberyard site: Chase, Bunts, Hathaway and Merle.
All events are free and open to the public.
“Photography is truth. The cinema is truth twenty-four times per second”---Jean Luc Godard.
Children ages 7- 12 are encouraged to join us for this exciting new program. Help your child to bone up on their reading skills by reading to a dog. Drop in for a one-on-one session with one of our dogs and owners that have been certified through Therapy Dogs International.
“It was a dark and stormy night….” You scratch your head. Now where do you go from there? If you are in the midst of writing a short story, a book, or would simply like guidance on how to perfect your writing skills then this is the workshop for you. Geared toward students in sixth through twelfth grade, "Write Time" librarians will help focus participants on detailing a scene, delve deeper into the creation of their characters, and partake in writing exercises that will help with the free-flow of thoughts and ideas.
According to Scottish lore the Stone of Fal, or Lia Fail (pronounced Lee-uh Fall), was an enchanted, earthy measurer of kings. High kings were chosen by the stone. A handful of earth from the four corners of Ireland would be placed on the stone, and the successor to the throne would set his foot atop the soil. If he were the chosen one, the ground would shake. And the stone would keen and proclaim him king of all Ireland.
GrafTech won a $965,000 grant to commercialize new products at its Lakewood, Ohio location. The award comes from Ohio’s Third Frontier Program, which is a competitive grant program designed to fund innovative, job-creating technologies in Ohio.
GrafTech, which has a site in Lakewood, will be the beneficiary of the newly commercialized product, a “thermal management solution for lithium ion batteries.” GrafTech seeks to commercialize a product that keeps lithium ion batteries cool, which improves the batteries’ performance, durability and safety. GrafTech’s partners in the program include Mobius Power, Nexergy, and the Center for Automotive Research at The Ohio State University.
The West Shore Career-Technical District’s 2010 Outstanding Work Ethic Award winners were honored at a luncheon at Lakewood Hospital’s Wasmer Auditorium on February 19th. The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and the Lakewood/Rocky River Sunrise Rotary Club welcomed over 100 members, students, parents, employers, work supervisors, and guests to the 4th annual awards event, sponsored by Fitzgibbons Arnold & Co. Twenty West Shore Career-Tech students, one representing each program at West Shore, were recognized for their exceptional dedication to their studies, extra-curricular activities, and, most importantly, to their places of employment.
Justine Endress presented her Senior Recital at the University of Akron on Saturday, February 20th. Accompanied by pianist Kim Bakkum, the cellist presented a varied program of technically difficult works, including Violada Gamba Sonata by Johann Sebestian Bach, 3 Phantisiestucke by Robert Schumann, the Mendeldssohn Sonata for Violoncello in B-flat Major and Pampeana No. 2 by Alberto Ginastera.
Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau asks our nation to stand and be counted. The numbers garnered from this nationwide population count are used by the federal government to determine where to spend its taxpayer dollars, including how much money school districts should get. In an environment where school districts are in desperate need of revenue, every penny from every source is of critical importance. That is why it is so imperative that every resident be counted come April 1, National Census Day, so the amount of federal dollars that flow to our city and schools are not at risk.
Lakewood School Board Meeting, Board Auditorium, 3/1/2010 7:00 PM.
In the atmosphere of shock and frustration for many community members since the February 16th Board meeting, some members of the School Board attempted to present their reasoning for voting four-against-one to circumvent normal process and choosing to rebuild Lincoln Elementary (thereby closing Grant Elementary). After additional pleas for rationale this night from several community speakers and lone dissenting Board member Matt Markling, some Board members offered statements.
The first project H2O members are helping with is the “Warm Up America” campaign. This campaign, sponsored locally by Pat Catan’s, involves making afghan blankets from 7”x9” knitted or crocheted squares collected by Pat Catan’s Craft store on Berea Rd. H2O middle and high school members are helping by sewing the donated squares together.
Emma Razum, a middle school leader with H2O who assisted the kids from Garfield as they pieced the collected squares together commented, “The kids were really excited to work on the project by giving back and helping in any way that they could.” She continued by saying, “It was the favorite part of their day."
We hear a good deal about the so-called “empty nest syndrome.” It is a time when our children are spreading their wings into adulthood. A time when the dinner table becomes less populated and the young adults who we have seen on a daily basis, mentored and disciplined, cajoled and congratulated, are now only sometime visitors.
For their second monthly meeting, The Eaters of Lakewood sank their teeth into Lakewood’s Buckeye Beer Engine, a locally owned restaurant and bar known for their gourmet burgers which perfectly compliment a wide selection of over a hundred different beers (some of which brewed right in their own basement). The Beer Engine prides themselves on their unique and ever-changing draft list, which creates a new dining experience for their patrons on a nightly basis. They are constantly putting new beers on tap, holding special events, beer dinners and glass promotions.
Over the last few years, a strong link between oral health and overall health has been proven by several studies. Specifically, the bacteria and inflammation found in patients with periodontal disease has been shown to play a role in several systemic diseases. For example, evidence has linked oral bacteria to cardiovascular problems such as heart disease, blocked arteries, and stroke. Some studies have shown a link between diabetes and periodontitis as well. Diabetics are more likely to develop severe periodontitis and some studies suggest that it may be more difficult for diabetics with periodontitis to control their blood sugar. Diabetes has also been associated with worsening other oral problems such as tooth decay, dry mouth, fungal infections, delayed healing, and altered taste. Other diseases such as blood disorders, HIV, and other immunodeficiency diseases can have the effect of making periodontitis more severe as well. Other studies have suggested that pregnant women with periodontitis are at an increased risk for delivering preterm and/or low birth-weight babies. A recent study has also shown the possibility that bacteria from the mouth can get in to the mother’s bloodstream and infect the unborn baby.
Jazzercise. People say it’s been around ‘forever.’ It’s been in business for a long time-over 40 years but is unique because it retains an enthusiastic and youthful energy that I experienced firsthand on a Tuesday evening at Harding Middle School. Twenty Four years ago, instructor, Karen Kilbane, left her job at the phone company after the birth of her son to teach Jazzercise classes. She’s fit and genuinely friendly. “Jazzercise is always able to find what’s a keeper in fitness- Pilates, dance, cardio, etc” she explained. “The dance/exercise routines are set to great music and change 5 times a year so it never becomes old."
Eating well doesn’t have to cost you a bundle or suck the flavor out of life. In fact, by mindfully chewing your three meals a day – ones chocked full of healthful and tasty ingredients -- you can keep a list of chronic diseases at bay and give you energy to live a life indulgent in activity, not food.
Chicken Divan
A festival service was held at Trinity Lutheran Church of Lakewood on February 28th, illuminating the Lenten season with a celebration of last summer’s vote of the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to allow the ordination of partnered gay or lesbian clergy. The Reverend Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Northeastern Ohio Synod preached to members of several local Lutheran, Unitarian Universalist, and United Church of Christ congregations and guests from Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, Lutheran Chaplaincy, and Dennis Kucinich’s office. Pastor Paula Maeder Connor of Trinity had chosen texts about Ruth’s steadfast love for her mother-in-law Naomi in spite of the social liabilities of such loyalty (Ruth 1: 8-19), Christ’s call to us to resist slavery (Galations 5:1), and Jesus’ relaying His Father’s commandment that we love one another (John 15:9-17). Bishop Eaton thanked the GLBT people and their friends and families who had patiently endured their second-class status within the church for so long. She also expressed a hope that the rocky reception of this vote across the country will resolve into positive innovation in the church. During the prayers, one of the parishioners thanked God for giving us the gift of love in all of its many shapes and forms. Joyful music was given by Trinity’s choir, soloist Brenna Connor, and organist Dave Debick of the Brecksville United Church of Christ.
Does the word Lent immediately conjure up images of your brother or best friend? “Hey, can you lend me fifty bucks?” (Bad joke.) The word Lent, which describes the forty day penitential Christian season before Easter, comes from the German (Lenz) and Dutch (lente) words for spring. It also relates to the Germanic root word meaning long. That makes sense: in the spring the days lengthen. It will probably be a long time before your brother gives you your $50 back, too. (Sorry.)
You can't miss it if you've ever attended any event at the Lakewood High School Civic Auditorium. I'm referring to Viktor Schreckengost's compelling sculpture of John Chapman (also known as "Johnny Appleseed") kneeling above the doors of that facility. The sculpture has been used as a logo for the Lakewood Schools ever since its inception.
I had chicken pox when I was a kid; it got me out of the final week of school. I got mono in high school, have suffered food poisoning, and have had more than a few cases where the flu knocked me out for days. I’ve known family and friends who have suffered and died from some of the more deadly diseases, including AIDS. But despite even the recent calls for concern about H1N1, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Mad Cow Disease, or even Killer Bees, I must admit that there is only one virus right now that scares me; and, while it’s been around for centuries, a potentially devastating strain seems to be building in at least one eastern US city.
Actor Morgan Freeman suggested this in an interview with the Associated Press, saying that the concept of dedicating a month to black history is “ridiculous.” For Freeman, black history is synonymous with American history. Continuing to label people “black” and “white” and setting aside a month to honor African-American history does little to eliminate racism in society.
I am legally-blind. I live in Lakewood. I am also a graduate student in the School of Social Work at CSU. I am stating this to prove that I rely on public transportation to get around.
The Lakewood Earth And Food Community invites you to attend our first educational session of our 2010 Third Thursdays series, on Thursday, March 18th at 6:00 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room of Madison Library. Every third Thursday of the month LEAF features an expert on pertinent urban agriculture issues and provides the Lakewood community an opportunity to learn how we can all participate in this movement for the betterment of our community and our environment.
The March event will focus on Lakewood's agricultural heritage. Chickens in Lakewood? It's true. What about local vineyards, orchards, and farms within our city’s boundaries? They all were part of Lakewood’s landscape at one point in time. The Lakewood Historical Society’s Mazie Adams joins LEAF for the first Third Thursday of the season to discuss Lakewood’s agricultural heritage and to illustrate that growing local foods is not a new concept to our city. Join us at the Madison Branch Library (13228 Madison Avenue) to find out more about what was growing near your neighborhood in the not-so distant past.
With sunshine and warm days nearly upon us, the new growing season just around the corner. Start your preparations for spring by joining the Lakewood Earth & Food Community (LEAF) at its 2010 Open House on Sunday, March 14th from 2:00 to 5:00 at the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library in the Multipurpose Room. This is your opportunity to get information and ask questions about LEAF programs. There will be representatives from our educational series, bulk buying, community gardening and our Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA).
You can sign up for the CSAs and community garden plots at the meeting or you can print the applications at www.leafcommunity.org and mail payment for both programs (checks made out to LEAF) to: LEAF, PO Box 770374, Lakewood, OH 44107. First week's payment for City Fresh is due with the application and must be received by May 15th. If you are interesting in volunteering this year, please bring your calendar as we will be taking signups for LEAF Night volunteers. A limited number of garden plots are available, and they sell out quickly, so get yours soon! And don't forget to check out our free Third Thursday Educational Series, featured in this issue of the LO.
When a buyer decides on a house, I am always asked about the price and what their offer should be. That is when I do a custom market analysis for them. I show them what has sold in the last six months in the area where their desired home is. Comparing condition is usually easy because in most cases they have looked at several other homes in the same price range and area of the home they have decided on. This, more than anything, helps them understand market value. But it doesn’t always convince them of what they think market value should be. Buyers always want to get the best value for their money.
The March 7, 1918 edition of the Lakewood Press saluted several enterprising men and Realty companies who were largely responsible for Lakewood’s significant growth. A.B. Smythe Realty Company, Fowler-Worman & Kelly, the Mars Wagar Realty Company, the Cleveland Trust Company, L.H. Heister, Jr., Oscar Kroehle, and Phil Marquard were named as those who were not just in business to make money on real estate investments, but who actually resided in Lakewood and were largely responsible for making Lakewood a beautiful city. Lakewood not only had paved streets and well-kept lawns, but “character homes” that “kept one guessing as to the type of home they like best”. The Press predicted that Lakewood would grow to a city of 100,000 because of “the energetic, wide-awake, patriotic men” in the business community and the “class of citizenship found here”.
In medieval Europe, the corbels tucked under cornices and propping up porticos roofs were often grotesque, even scary, by design. The history of corbels in America is far less macabre. They were often positioned at a 90-degree angle between porch posts and the ceiling overhead and were integral to the “gingerbread” millwork decorating Victorian-era facades in the later 19 century. ( What could be less threatening than details named for cookies?) In Lakewood, we see many fine examples on the Queen Anne-style houses lining Grace, Cohasset, and Clarence Avenues. These exterior corbels are also common on Craftsman bungalows built in the early 1900’s and are sprinkled throughout our community. The Craftsman corbel designs are far simpler than the Victorian era ones, possessing clean lines and sharp angles that emphasize strength over ornament.
The Board of Education at its Feb. 16 meeting voted to amend the Lakewood City Schools Master Facilities Plan to include renovating the eastern half of Lakewood High School, rebuilding Roosevelt Elementary and rebuilding or renovating Lincoln Elementary. That decision would mean that Grant Elementary would be closed as part of the third and final phase of the plan.
The plan for the 10-year rebuilding of our school district required modification due to the State of Ohio’s revision of its original plan to help fund seven elementary schools in our district. When the district was notified that due to continued declining enrollment it will only be given funding for six schools, a decision had to be made whether to fund a seventh school with taxpayer money.
The decision came after a year-long process that included 9-months of work by a citizens’ Phase III Steering Committee. The Board formed the committee in January 2009 to study how the Schools should proceed with Phase III of the district’s facilities plan. The committee worked through February and March to prepare for its first public forum in April 2009. Most people attending the forum agreed that the school district should proceed with six rather than seven elementary schools.
In 2009, the City of Lakewood launched the first phase of a new initiative to collect delinquent income taxes. This first phase, a one-time income tax amnesty program was implemented to ensure that every taxpayer is aware of and contributing to the funding of city services (police, fire, street maintenance, waste collection, etc). Many took advantage of this opportunity to “wipe the slate clean” and from July 21, 2009 until September 30, 2009, the City of Lakewood collected $567,000 in delinquent tax dollars and processed 2,200 delinquent tax returns.
The second phase of the City of Lakewood’s tax compliance initiative will be a more thorough identification of noncompliant taxpayers. A recently formed partnership with the City of Cleveland and the Central Collection Agency (CCA) allows the Income Tax Division access to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax records. This increases the City of Lakewood’s ability to identify taxpayers who did not file and/or pay the proper city income tax. Identified delinquent taxpayers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Lakewood Income Tax Ordinance and be held responsible for all penalties and interest levied against any outstanding tax balance(s).
There is still time for taxpayers to file delinquent tax returns before the second phase is instituted in early 2010. The Lakewood Municipal Income Tax Division is located at 12805 Detroit Avenue in the City Hall Annex Building on the corner of Detroit and Alameda Avenue. No appointment is necessary. The Income Tax Division will assist with free Lakewood tax return preparation or assistance during regular business hours, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
The Division can address any questions or concerns in person, by phone at (216) 529-6620, or by email at taxdept@lakewoodoh.net during their regular business hours. Frequently asked questions, additional information, and/or tax forms are available on our website at www.onelakewood.com.
The City of Lakewood has been awarded $50,000 from NOACA’s Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative Program to undertake a study of strategies to improve the pedestrian access, traffic movement and the streetscape on the eastern end of Madison Avenue.
“We are pleased to be receiving these funds from NOACA to study the eastern end of Madison Avenue,” stated Mayor Ed FitzGerald. “The Detroit Avenue Streetscape study has been a great development tool the past couple years, and we look forward to seeing similar results on Madison Avenue.”
The City of Lakewood applied to the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) for the funds in October of 2009, competing against other communities throughout Northeast Ohio. NOACA distributes federal transportation dollars throughout the five county region, including funds for transportation planning activities that promote sustainable development and economic development. It is the same source of funds that funded the Detroit Avenue Streetscape Plan.
At last weeks Council Meeting Councilwoman Nickie Antonio asked City Hall to give a communications update on the current status of bringing Lakewood a "Shopper Day" bus service. Mayor Fitzgerald who has been leading the effort to press RTA in restoring the Lakewood circulator services was not in attendance. Nate Kelly of Planning and Development reported a contract was issued to RTA by the City the week before and they expect an answer by the end of this week.
The contract asks for the Shopper Day to be run on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The route will be the same as the former RTA Community Circulator route, which makes a circle around Lakewood's entire Detroit and Madison Avenues, includes W. 117th St. and The Gold Coast to the far east of town, and Sloane Ave to the far west. As W. 117th St. coverage also benefits the City of Cleveland, City Hall negotiated with the City of Cleveland to share the cost of the $15,000 required by RTA to provide the service. The City of Cleveland is asking that the route include Giant Eagle and Target on W. 117th St., which was not part of the former Lakewood Circulator route.
Citywide, residents continue to invest in their homes. From fresh paint to new kitchens, proper maintenance and valuable upgrades improve property values and quality of life. In challenging economic times, it can be more difficult to finance the larger improvements, especially in recent months where equity lines of credit and second mortgage loans are harder to secure.
The City of Lakewood’s Division of Community Development is bridging the gap to make it easier for home owners to continue to improve their properties by offering low interest home improvement loans to its residents. The City of Lakewood’s Division of Community Development offers a variety of programs to help Lakewood property owners maintain their homes. The Low Interest Home Improvement Loan Program is available to qualified Lakewood residents and rental property owners at low, affordable interest rates.
Council President Kevin Butler (Ward I) called the February 16 meeting of Council to order at 7:40 P.M. Even though this meeting was taking place at the same time as the much anticipated School Board meeting, in which they would vote and decide which elementary school to close, there was a sizable audience at City Hall.
