Fairview Park

Those who lack the confidence of a green-thumbed gardener may want to stop by Fairview Park City Hall this weekend for the Fairview Park Garden Club’s first-ever plant sale.

The sale will feature nearly 1,000 plants to choose from, including ornamental grasses, ground covers, native plants of all varieties, shrubs and a wide variety of hostas, according to Ann Kreps, club and publicity committee member.

“Most of our plants have come from our members’ homes or homes of garden tour locations,” Kreps told West Life. “So they’re hardy for this area.”

Ninety percent of the plants will be priced at $5, with nothing selling for more than $10. The event is a fundraiser for the organization, which Kreps said has about 40 members.

“We’re going to have information sheets above the plants, similar to (the displays at) garden centers,” club President Pat Longoria said. “We’ve taken photos of a lot of the plants last year, and they will be attached to the information sheets. Each plant will have a stick with the name, color and height, and sun and shade (requirements). We will also have take-home sheets that will list all the plants and indicate sun/shade (needs).

“The established gardener will be able to pick up unusual perennials to add their gardens and have a chance to purchase vegetable and herbs plants,” Longoria added.

Used garden tools and accessories, such as birdhouses, will also be for sale this weekend. And a hand-painted rain barrel will be raffled off.

Sales will be by cash and check only, Kreps said. The sale will take place in the Dunson Community Room of Fairview Park City Hall, 20777 Lorain Road. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

BAY VILLAGE

Officials expect to see the new Kiddie College day care facility in the old Bayway Cabin open in time for the new 2012-13 school year.

City Council, acting in both its municipal capacity and in its role as the Cahoon Park trustees, May 7 reversed its previous vote and approved an agreement allowing the Kiddie Kollege day care program for latchkey children into the facility. A similar city youth center program had been run in the facility for several years until city officials axed it last year as part of  their efforts to deal with the tight municipal budget.

Attorney Brian Cruse, who represents Kiddie College, said he expects the business to be ready for children when the 2012-13 school year starts.

“My understanding is that as soon as the city gets finished with the work it’s doing on the building, my clients will begin getting in there and getting ready to open up,” Cruse said Friday. “They’re ready to get going on it as soon as they can.”

Bay Village Law Director Gary Ebert, who helped shape the new agreement along with Cruse and Councilman Clete Miller, said Friday city workers are already making needed modifications to the building.

“They’ve already gone in and started to work,” he said. “The work on installing a new fire system is already under way, and the other work should be completed as well by this summer. I would expect that they can get the Kiddie Kollege in there in time for when the school year starts.”

Council initially rejected the proposal by a 4-3 margin in late April, with opponents citing concerns about allowing a commercial business into the Cahoon Park area saying Cahoon Park will regulations should prohibit it.  There also were financial concerns about who would pay the real estate taxes, the money being received and the cost of the fire alarm system.

However, adding provisions to the agreement that provided for rent payments going to Cahoon Park maintenance and improvements and an increase in the first year’s monthly rent from $2,000 to $2,200, as well finding a way to drop the fire system installation work cost from an estimated $18,000 to $12,000, helped convince Miller and council Finance Committee Chairman Mike Young to change their no votes to yes.

Miller reiterated his belief that with the changes, the agreement can meet the provisions of the park governing laws, while still providing a needed service for city residents and their children.

Other council members maintained their previous votes on the issue, with council President Paul Koomar, Dwight Clark and Scott Pohlkamp voting for the proposal and Karen Lieske and Dave Tadych voting against it. Lieske said she supports Ebert personally in his work as law director, but said she has concerns about the appearance of a possible conflict of interest, since Cruse works for Ebert’s law firm. Ebert disclosed that fact early in discussion on the proposal and has reiterated it, while also noting that Cruse has represented the college since before he joined Ebert’s firm. Tadych continued to express concern about having a corporate entity in the park.

Rocky River

According to Rocky River Municipal Court Clerk Deborah Comery, a proposal to institute a mayor’s court by North Olmsted Mayor Kevin Kennedy will be potentially devastating to the municipal court.

“It will have significant effect. North Olmsted has traditionally been the jurisdiction with the largest volume of cases. Obviously, this will have a large financial impact,” Comery stated in a phone interview. She said that she has done some preliminary figuring, however her work so far “does not even begin to factor in the entire effect.” She also predicted layoffs as a result.

The Rocky River Municipal Court serves the cities of Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake as well as the Cleveland Metroparks and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department. For the past 16 years, according to Comery, the court has been self-sufficient, requiring no financial support from the host city. The 2011 annual report states that the court generated $3,086,217.83 last year.

Comery said that when meeting with Kennedy, the mayor had stated that he wants to reduce the operating cost of the court as well as provide a convenience for payment of traffic violation fines and minor misdemeanors.

She explained that a mayor’s court could handle such offenses as a first-time OVI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated) and small thefts. “If a defendant who is cited pleads not guilty, the case is transferred to municipal court,” said Comery. However, Comery said that according to studies, 50 percent of those committing a first time OVI offense do have an addiction problem.

“These individuals would simply go to (a mayor’s) court be assessed a fine and ordered to attend a program,” said Comery, adding that there would be no follow-up. “That’s the critical piece. Rocky River Municipal Court has an exemplary probation department,” she stated. Comery said that under the current system, individuals are evaluated and recommended for treatment if needed. Those not able to afford help are assisted by the court.

Comery added that the mayor’s court also blurs the line between the executive and judicial branches of government. She pointed out that municipal court judges are elected by the people, while mayor’s court magistrates are appointed by the mayor.

Ohio is only one of two states, the other being Louisiana, that allows mayor’s courts. She said there was talk of abolishing them several years ago in the Ohio legislature, but nothing ever came of the discussion. These courts outnumber municipal courts in the state, according to Comery, who estimated the number of mayor’s courts at 200.

While Comery said that she appreciates Kennedy’s candor on the subject, she questions whether or not he has considered the consequences. Kennedy wants to see the mayor’s court in place by January 1, 2013.

Rocky River Mayor Pam Bobst agreed with Comery. “This is a concerning note,” she stated at a recent City Council meeting. Kennedy had verbally contacted her about the plans and Bobst said that she had presented him with findings from the Citizens’ League in the 1990’s addressing the problems of a mayor’s court system. “Mayor Kennedy indicated the decision has been made. We will continue to communicate with him,” she stated.

Westshore

North Olmsted Mayor Kevin Kennedy has revealed plans to pull his city’s traffic citations and misdemeanor arrest work out of Rocky River Municipal Court by the end of the year, saying his city will save money by forming it’s own mayor’s court.

Kennedy told the mayors from the other cities (Bay Village, Fairview Park, Rocky River and Westlake) involved in the Rocky River Municipal Court of his plans last week. Officials from the other cities, as well as at the court, reacted negatively, saying it would have an adverse effect upon the court.

If done, the move to a mayor’s court would follow through on an idea Kennedy has explored since he first ran for mayor several years ago. In explaining his plan, Kennedy said it’s primarily motivated by economics.

“We’ve been reviewing the idea for several months and have decided that, effective January 2013, it would be more cost efficient for the city of North Olmsted to have its own mayor’s court where we handle traffic citations and misdemeanor charges,” Kennedy said.

He said the city of North Olmsted has had about 7,400 traffic and misdemeanor citations a year.

“We have the highest numbers of any of the cities involved in the court,” he said. “We’re better off keeping that money in the city of North Olmsted instead of giving the lion’s share of it to another entity in Rocky River.”

Kennedy said he and a committee he formed to study the benefits of a mayor’s court have figures which show North Olmsted would be better off with a mayor’s court instead of remaining in Rocky River Municipal Court. Kennedy declined to release those figures right now, saying he wanted to discuss the plan with city council first.

“I’ll release the figures later,” he said. “I need to get it to the most important people first for the discussion.”

Kennedy currently plans to hire a full-time clerk, plus a magistrate and two part-time staff positions to handle the workload. The court would be held in the City Council chambers at North Olmsted City Hall one or two days a week, he said. Kennedy said he also is strongly considering having evening hours.

“We will also consider having court sessions in the evening so the defendants will not have to adjust their work schedules,” he said.

Kennedy said his first hire would be the full-time clerk, followed by the magistrate. He said he does not have anyone specific in mind for the positions at this point.

“I would like to get them on board by October so we can have a good start on this,” he said.

In addition to evening hours not currently offered by Rocky River Municipal Court, Kennedy said having the court in North Olmsted would benefit many North Olmsted residents who have been given citations or misdemeanors.

“It’s easier for them to come to North Olmsted than it is to have to go to Rocky River,” he said. “I would also expect the court costs to be lower in a mayor’s court, which will save the defendants money.”

He said the software needed for a courtroom can be obtained relatively cheaply, noting Cuyahoga Falls got its for about $9,700.

North Olmsted Law Director Michael Gareau Jr. said his department can handle the change from a municipal to a mayor’s court.

“We might have to tweak our schedules a little bit, but we can do it,” he said.

He said it also can still handle the citations and misdemeanors via a mayor’s court.

“We would still be able to meet our prosecutorial obligations,” he said.

Kennedy said he did not say anything about his plan to the other mayors in Westshore Council of Government meetings or other arenas because he needed to decide first if it was an idea worth pursuing.

“Once we decided to move ahead, I let them know,” he said.  “I’ve given them several months to prepare for the change.”

Kennedy said he plans to formally discuss the matter with his city council shortly. He said he expected  some adverse reaction from other cities.

“I know it’s not popular with them,” he said. “But I serve the citizens of North Olmsted. This is best for our city.”

Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland said she would have preferred to hear about the plan sooner.

“He didn’t discuss it at all with us in COG meetings or anywhere else,” she said Thursday. “The first I’ve heard of  it was earlier this week.”

Sutherland questioned whether North Olmsted would realize the cost savings Kennedy said will be there.

“You’re talking about hiring personnel, court time and hours, particularly if you add more hours,” she said. “It’s not cheap, it’s one of the reasons the five cities all came together for Rocky River Municipal Court.”

Bay Village Law Director Gary Ebert said he would be examining the agreements which set up Rocky River Municipal Court.

“I want to make sure that this something they (North Olmsted) can do,” he said. “The cities had to agree to work together and I want to make sure all obligations are met.”

Sutherland also said having North Olmsted pull away from other Westshore cities now is questionable.

“It’s unfortunate that at a time when more and more cities and other governmental agencies are working together to be more efficient and utilize money efficiently, North Olmsted is looking at a move like this,” she said.

BAY VILLAGE

Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland expects her city’s ship of state to keep sailing ahead despite rough financial waters in recent years.

Shortly after making her annual State of the City address to the Westshore Chamber of Commerce May 8 at LaCentre in Westlake, Sutherland acknowledged that the last year hasn’t always been easy.

“It’s been an interesting year,” she said. “But I expect us to keep on course. We have a great city and great citizens who take an interest in our community.”

Sutherland admits to taking great pride in being a native of  Bay Village.

“It’s a great place to raise a family and be involved in what’s going on,” she said.

Sutherland lauded  Bay Village’s blend of  a lakefront community with an active citizenry, and cited its city mission as showing why it is successful.

“The mission of the city of Bay Village is to continue our heritage as a desirable lakefront community by preserving and enhancing our quality of life, natural surroundings and residential character, strengthening our business environment and striving to provide superior services in a fiscally responsible manner,”  she said.

She said the tight finances due to drops in state funding and other smaller sources of revenue have made working in government a challenge.

However, she cited the opening of the new city website, the revamped Reese Park playground, which contains equipment purchased with a $68,976 Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, and the Bay Skate & Bike Park as signs of progress despite the tight economic times.

She said the city finance department deserves praise for again receiving a strong unqualified (meaning no financial issues) rating from the state auditor’s office as well as maintaining a strong Aa1 bond rating with Moody’s rating service, while other cities have dropped.

She cited an assortment of  building department figures while noting service Director Dan Galli added directing that department to his workload after Bay’s former building director, Doug Milburn, retired.

Sutherland said community services Director Debbie Bock and her staff have maintained a wide range of activities for senior residents, lauding in particular the work done by the Village Food Project for starting home delivery of  meals to Bay residents dealing with cancer. She also praised work by the Green Team and people in the Community Garden.

Bay’s safety forces also drew praise, with the mayor noting that for a time, the police department had reached full strength for the first time in several years, adding that since that point it has again dropped down three officers.  She praised Patrolman Mark Palmer for being selected by MADD as one of the Top Cops in Cuyahoga County for DUI enforcement. Sgts. Mark Gillespie and Kathy Leasure graduated from the Police Executive Leadership College.

Sutherland said a wide range of programs provided by the police and fire departments benefit the community, and noted the fire department had received a $100,000 federal equipment grant. It also had several promotions during the year with  James Schmitz and Joe Wallenhorst becoming captains and Kevin Somerville, Daniel Uldrich and James Walts taking posts as lieutenants.

Service department workers were also praised, with work on the Bradley/Naigle Road roadway project cited as a major project nearing completion, as well as an assortment of other work in the department.

She said the recreation department continues to provide an assortment of activities for the community, while she also praised volunteers like the Green Team. She said the start of a recycling/automated trash pickup was an upgrade for the city and its residents.

Sutherland also noted that since she is now the longest-serving mayor in Bay Village history, having been appointed when Tom Jelepis took the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections director’s post in 2000. She said this also has made her the first mayor to actually see two charter review commissions in action, the first in 2002 and the one meeting this year.

Sophomore Jessica Minotti attempts to drive safely while fielding texts on the Distracted Driver Simulator as fellow Westlake High School students look on. (West Life photo by Kevin Kelley)

Sophomore Jessica Minotti attempts to drive safely while fielding texts on the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Distracted Driver Simulator. (West Life photo by Kevin Kelley)

A student-created poster warns against distracted driving. (West Life photo by Kevin Kelley)

Madison Dunlap avoids other cars on the Distracted Driver Simulator. (West Life photo by Kevin Kelley)

By Kevin Kelley

Westlake

A current television commercial for Subaru features a father lecturing his toddler on how to be a safe driver.

“Leave your phone in your purse; I don’t want you texting,” the father says.

“Daddy, okaaaayyyy,” replies the toddler, who is suddenly a teen the next moment.

Will teen drivers heed the warnings from parents to refrain from texting or even talking on the phone while driving?

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) hopes that letting teens experience what it’s like to try to text and drive at the same time will keep them safe.

With sponsorship support from Nationwide Insurance, ODOT is inviting students to try its Distracted Driver Simulator to educate them about how important it is to keep one’s eyes on the road while driving.

Essentially a video game, the simulator consists of a three-screen interactive display of a windshield, a steering wheel, turn indicators, and gas and brake pedals. During the simulation, a backseat driver needing a ride home gives sudden directions. The “driver” is challenged to respond to incoming text messages, all the while trying to navigate the roadways with other drivers who may or may not be obeying the traffic rules. During the simulation, police are on patrol looking for speeders, and deer are crossing suburban and rural roads.

On May 9, the distracted driving simulator was at Westlake High School, where students from Marcia Faber’s health class tried to avoid accidents on the virtual road. Since being introduced at the Ohio State Fair in August 2011, the simulator has made its way to high schools and community centers across the state.

Last week, the simulator, one of two ODOT owns, was at four high schools and Cleveland State University, said Amanda Lee, an ODOT spokesperson.

“They think they’re very confident of their (driving) abilities,” Lee said of young drivers. The simulator reminds them they have to be very attentive while behind the wheel, she explained.

“They often end up getting into an accident, so it gives them an idea of what can happen in real life,” Lee said of teens who use the simulator.

Despite having twice failed the test for her temporary driver’s license, sophomore Jessica Minotti managed to successfully navigate the simulator’s challenges. Still, she said the simulator underscored the importance of keeping one’s eyes on the road while behind the wheel.

“It’s easy to get off track, just by looking away for a second,” she said.

Madison Dunlap, another sophomore, also avoided any accidents while operating the simulator. But Dunlap, who has her driver’s license, said it was very authentic, even to the point of including other bad drivers who cut you off.

“It felt like it was totally real,” she said.

An earlier driver crashed the simulator car while he was trying to dial a cellphone.

Students waiting to drive the simulator watched videos on safe driving practices. School officials also made available pledges students could sign in which they promise to not text while driving.

A pledge prepared by AT&T read in part, “Remember it’s your phone. You decide if and when to send and read texts, so take control. Consider turning your phone off, setting it to silent or even storing it in the glove box before hitting the road.”

The Distracted Driver Simulator is part of ODOT’s safety campaign called “Every Move You Make, Keep It Safe.“ (For more information on the campaign, point your Web browser to http://www.everymove.ohio.gov/.) ODOT has set a goal of reducing statewide roadway fatalities by 5 percent, or 150 lives, by 2015.

Second-graders get a lesson on the judicial system from Rocky River Municipal Court Judge Donna Congeni Fitzsimmons during their Lolley the Trolley tour of the city. (West Life photo by Sue Botos)

Rocky River

By Sue Botos

A defendant was tried for theft of personal property in the courtroom of Rocky River Municipal Court Judge Donna Congeni Fitzsimmons last week. Witnesses were questioned by a team of prosecutors so successfully that the defense had nothing to add. But the jury, upon a quick deliberation, found the defendant innocent.

What sounded like just another day in court actually looked a bit different. The “defendant,” Wade, accused of taking a classmate’s backpack, was a second-grader from Goldwood Primary School, as were the attorneys, bailiff, jurors and “co-judges” who heard the case along with Fitzsimmons.

The mock trial was part of the annual second-grade Lolley the Trolley tour of the city and featured stops at the city clock tower, service department, mayor’s office, police department and municipal court for six trolley-loads of students. At each stop, a student “trolley guide” gave a brief background talk about what the class would be seeing.

The second-graders had been preparing for the tour by studying various aspects of the city, including government and history. In April, several members of the Rocky River Historical Society visited Goldwood and gave students the chance to see old pictures of the city and hear about the greenhouses and other things unique to the city’s history, such as Cowan Pottery and the “plank bridge” children had to cross to get to school.

At the City Hall campus, teacher Kristen Hargett and class stopped into the office of Mayor Pam Bobst, where they heard a bit about what it takes to run the community. Bobst impressed the group with a thick binder containing the city’s laws, then asked the students about what types of services are offered by the city. They were quick to talk about the trash transfer station, which they had just visited, and snow plowing – “So you don’t have to have a snow day,” said Bobst. One student even offered the story of how his shoe had been sucked into the leaf vacuum after he had been playing in the pile.

At the police department, Detective Tracey Hill guided the group through the radio room, booking area and jail cells, which held no prisoners at the time. They then had the opportunity to pile into a police car and get a firsthand look at the onboard equipment, including the radio and computer.

The tour ended in Fitzsimmons’ courtroom, where the judge gave the attentive students a lesson on the judicial process, which includes the defense’s attempt to prove reasonable doubt. “This case is looking good for the defense,” commented Fitzsimmons after it was determined that no eyewitness actually saw “Wade” take “Kai’s” backpack, which was identified by the iPhone inside.

“But there’s more to the story. To find someone guilty, the decision by the jury must be unanimous,” explained Fitzsimmons to the student jurors. She invited the group to come back to her courtroom to observe a real trial, adding she hoped to see them someday as real jurors.

Hopping onto the trolley for the next stop, the students agreed that the trip to the City Hall campus was fun and interesting. “The police car was cool,” said one, while another added, “The courtroom was kind of scary.”

Choreographer Twyla Tharp is the creative genius behind the show. More than two dozen songs performed by “Old Blue Eyes” have had the vocal track extracted. They are combined with an on-stage big band of 12 instrumentalists and melded seamlessly. In front of the bandstand, a dozen dancers inhabit the fantasy club in which the show is set.

Fans of musicals will find so much to relish. The flashy opening of the show is “Luck Be a Lady” from “Guys and Dolls.” Later, we hear “Makin’ Whoopee.”

The cast of "Come Fly Away"

Christopher Vo and Ramona Kelley are two of the principal dancers. They establish character immediately, he as a waiter in the “club” and she as the object of his affection. Their “You Make Me Feel So Young” is exuberant. In “Witchcraft,” Meredith Miles in a bright red dress dances with all of the men of the ensemble. Anthony Burrell and Ashley Fitzgerald execute a thrilling “That’s Life” that is almost violent in its movement. The show’s vocals come from one man, but the variety is wide.

“Come Fly Away’s” dancing cast is composed of eight meticulously cast principal dancers and six ensemble members. When they all take the stage, they fill the huge Palace with their energy.  Men remove parts of their clothing in “I’m Gonna Live ‘Til I Die,” giving the show a new look. Lest you think “Come Fly Away” is all flash and frenzy, there’s a beautiful adagio danced by Anthony Burrell and Ashley Fitzgerald to “One for My Baby.”

The cast of "Come Fly Away"

The onstage instrumentalists are at the top of their game. The audience cheered Mike Herriott’s trumpet solo in “Face the Music and Dance.” Even on opening night, the blending of the older vocal track with the live musicians was flawless.

James Youmans’ set is a club that could never exist, with stairways that go nowhere rolling on and off stage, a wide bandstand and lights that are technologically advanced from Sinatra’s era. The set combines with Tharp’s vision that is shared with the audience. By the show’s end, everyone was ready to stand and cheer. How can you not when the finale is “My Way” and the curtain call is “New York, New York”?

I came away from “Come Fly Away” with a new appreciation of the breadth of Sinatra’s work.  An intense, intermissionless 75 minutes, “Come Fly Away” exceeded my expectations. It runs through Sunday at the Palace Theatre.

NORTH OLMSTED

City residents were scheduled to get their first look Tuesday at the new sewer vacuum truck purchased by North Olmsted earlier this year as part of  the Mayor Kevin Kennedy administration’s efforts to deal with flooding problems.

Kennedy said Friday afternoon he was pleased to have the $277,500 truck in action already.

“It’s great follow-through,” he said. “We said we were going to take steps to deal with flooding, and this is one of them. We wanted to get it out on the streets and working on cleaning up the sewers.”

Earlier this year, City Council approved using the state of Ohio equipment purchasing plan, which brings a lower price. The city borrowed the funds to purchase the truck from Jack Doheny Supplies in Northville, Mich., and has a five-year payment schedule to pay it back during the current period of low-interest rates.  City workers had the truck on a demonstration loan for several weeks during the winter and were impressed enough with its capabilities to recommend its purchase.

North Olmsted officials and workers were kept busy for much of 2011 dealing with flooded basements and yards and other related issues prompted by the record-setting rainfall in northern Ohio during 2011.

“When someone has a flooded basement, there’s no other issues in North Olmsted that’s going to concern them as much,” Kennedy said. “We’re going to continue to work on short-, mid- and long-term solutions to dealing with our sewers and flooding issues.”

In addition to purchasing the new truck, the city has put together a work crew to deal with sewer issues, borrowed Cuyahoga County trucks and worked on and approved projects and plans for dealing with sewer issues.

City Council Finance Committee Chairman Paul Barker was pleased at the news that the new vacuum truck was going into service.

“The street crews and administration did a great job last year in trying to deal with all the problems,” he said. “I’m sure that they’ll be doing a fine job again this year, particularly since we have new equipment like this and are making it better in other areas as well.”

Safety/service Director Scott Thomas said the new vacuum truck gives the city options.

“We wanted to get it out there as quickly as possible,” he said. “We originally planned to put it out there Friday, but we were getting all the equipment just right and moved it to Monday.”

Thomas noted that with the new truck, the city now has three vehicles capable of handling sewer-related work.

“We have the two now in the service department and one for the sanitary (sewer) board,” Thomas said. “We should be able to get a lot accomplished.”