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Vol. 6 - Issue 12 Magazine

December 2013 Cost $1.50

ci cA Historic Holiday Season Begins

Independence Today, December 2013

One Patient at a Time

Making Every Smile Count… for 24 Years

We are here to help those who want to ride the new wave to total wellness…and it starts with our mouths. Our doc-tors and team have a new view: focused on preventive, comprehensive and total wellness.

Our methods are progressive and on the cutting edge of new knowledge and technology, combined with solid backgrounds in traditional dentistry.

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headaches without injections or extensive dentistry. Both doctors are skilled in diagnosis and bite force analysis technology. The TruDenta system evaluates range of motion of your jaw and neck. After the evaluation, in office physical therapy along with at home exercises eliminate headaches and TMJ pain 92% of the time.

Our Goals:• Share the message with our community• Help maintain healthy teeth and gums for life• Protect your smile, pocketbook, health and happiness…before it’s too late!

Our Strategy:• Listen and pay attention to you, and the concerns specific to you• “State of the art” 3-D imaging (cone beam technology)• Place teeth in a day-with dental implants to replace missing or broken teeth• Straighten crooked or crowded teeth in 5 to 10 months (compared to 16-24 months with traditional methods)• Create natural smiles - without those ugly black lines!• General everyday dentistry, as well

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Ask about our “Care to Share” new patient program and receive an exam, cleaning and necessary x-rays for $39.

1Independence Today, December 2013

On Our CoverThe lights adorning Independence Historic Hall and neigh-boring trees shine in a wintry scene from last year. This year’s Tree Lighting Ceremony, which also marks the start of the city’s 2014 Bicentennial celebration, will take place on Dec. 7. The following day is the city’s annual Holiday Fest, and throughout the month of December, Independence will display its Avenue of Trees near the Civic Center. See stories about these events on pages 4-5. Photo by K. Scott Sowinski

In this Issue

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PUbliSHERSue Serdinak

EdiTOR-in-CHiEfSue Walton

EdiTORAdam Spektor

WRiTERS Rachael Zimlich, Judy Hein Terrigno,

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indEPEndEnCE ACCOUnT REPRESEnTATivE

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Independence Today is a monthly publica-tion mailed free to every home in Inde-pendence. The deadline for all material is the 5th of each month. Subscriptions for nonresidents are $20 per year and can be sent to the address below.

2 ........... Independence Stadium Foundation launches 333 Club initiative

3 ........... Three newcomers to join council in 2014; school levy passes

6 ........... Council adopts five-year capital plan

12 ........ Homeowners pay more for new levies after tax structure changes

14 ........ Abandoned houses find final life as firefighter training ground

21 ........ VFW Post 3483, Ladies Auxiliary rebuild outside of Independence

24 ........ Avoid holiday scams

27 ........ St. Michael student’s prayer for Pope Francis seen around the world

28 ........ IHS inducts Hall of Famers

30 ........ Cafe Access prepares students for workforce

36 ........ Books will help bring garden delights to cold, wintry days


independence Stadium foundation launches 333 Club initiativeby dan baran

It was rivalry week for Independence High School. The Blue Devils football team was taking on crosstown rival Cuyahoga Heights, in a match up of two 5-3 teams fighting for the playoffs. Stan Skoczen Stadium was buzzing with argu-ably the largest crowd of the season out for the team’s last home game. It was the

I01 INDEPENDENCE STADIuM FOuNDATIONBlue Devils quarterback Thomas Hockenberry follows his teammates off Stan Skoczen Stadium’s grass field following IHS’s victory against Cuyahoga Heights on Oct. 25. The Independence Stadium Foundation seeks to replace this field with synthetic turf.

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Historical Society seeks input for

bicentennial bookMembers of the Independence Histori-

cal Society are in the process of research-ing and writing a Bicentennial Book, documenting the city’s 200 years of his-tory. If you have any artifacts, memora-bilia or memories about the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, contact Kim Scott Sowinski at [email protected] or drop them off at city hall during regular business hours by the end of January 2014. These can include family traditions, school or sports memories, business information, church and social club information, military service or government and city service. ∞

Three newcomers to join council in 2014;

school levy passes by Adam Spektor

Independence City Council will wel-come three new faces at its first meeting of 2014. Kathleen Kapusta, Robert Wagner and David Grendel will join incumbents Anthony Togliatti, Jim Crooks, Carl Asseff and Patricia Wisnieski on Independence’s next city council, according to final but un-official results of the Nov. 5 elections from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Incumbents James Riley, Thomas Nar-duzzi and Peter Nelson did not receive enough votes to maintain their seats on council, while challengers Dale Veverka, Jim Fletcher, Chris Zamborsky and Michael Meyer did not garner enough votes to join.

Togliatti received the most votes, 1,580, topping the second highest earner, Kapus-ta, by 135 votes. Wisnieski, who received 1,191 vote, topped Riley by 52 votes.

School boardIndependence’s school board, however,

will remain intact. Incumbents Lynne Laski, Jerry Narduzzi and Russell Fortlage defeated challengers Kim O’Malley and Bob Eisenmann.

Voters also approved the Independence Local School’s 10-year, 9.4-mill renewal tax levy by a 1,868 to 1,011 vote. The levy generates $4.2 million annually for the district, accounting for roughly 24 per-cent of overall revenue. The tax will cost homeowners $288 for every $100,000 worth of valuation, although the levy itself is not an increase. ∞

voters say ‘yes’ to all county issues

perfect condition for the Independence Stadium Foundation, the committee in charge of raising funds to resurface the stadium with synthetic turf, to advertise their latest fundraising effort – the 333 Club.

At halftime of the game, which turned out to be a nail-biting 35-28 Devils’ vic-tory, the Independence Stadium Founda-tion revealed the latest members of the 333 Club. The members were inducted into the club based on each members’ pledge to make three tax-deductible pay-ments of $333 over three years. Donned in 333 Club green pullovers, over 30 members will have their names engraved on an I-Pride monument to be placed in the proposed stadium.

However more help is needed. The goal for the 333 Club is to have 333 members by Dec. 31. Having 333 members would ensure that the school can go ahead with plans to renovate the field for use in fall of 2014.

Foundation Chairmen Bob Fields ex-plained the recent fundraising effort.

“If we were going to get [the field] done in the timeline we chose, which was to have the field done by next fall, we had to get started on the community and push for their support,” said Fields.

Fields also noted that Drug Mart’s $100,000 donation played a role in the

Club’s formation. “[Drug Mart’s donation] is not out there

forever. If we want to try and get [the field] done, guaranteeing ourselves that support, we need to start working on it.”

A lack of donations from additional businesses fueled the 333 Club initia-tive. Though there have been significant contributions from local businesses, like Vodrazka Funeral Home’s $10,000 do-nation, the Foundation overall has not received the funds that they were hoping for from the business community.

Still, Fields made sure to note that the Foundation was neither deterred nor disappointed.

“We went to the businesses and we’re going to continue to revisit the businesses, but to get it to move forward it’s probably going to be up to the community,” said Fields. “We have work to do still, but we’re pretty happy with what we’ve done. We’re finally getting some excitement.”

The funds generated from the 333 Club will only go toward the installation of the synthetic turf field. Plans for renovations to the press box and home bleachers will be relooked at after “phase one,” the in-stallation of synthetic turf, is completed.

Visit the Foundation’s website at inde-pendence.k12.oh.us/stadiumfoundation, email [email protected] or visit its Facebook page for more information. ∞

by Adam SpektorCuyahoga County voters stamped their

approval on every countywide issue on the Nov. 5 ballot, according final but unof-ficial results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

County residents showed overwhelming support for the Cleveland Metroparks, as its tax levy passed, 171,910 to 74,831. The 10-year, 2.7-mill levy is a 0.9-mill increase from the prior levy. The money it generates will be used to conserve the natural resources of the Metroparks and maintain, repair, improve, plan, acquire, develop, protect and promote the use of existing and future lands and facilities.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Author-ity was also victorious as its five-year, 0.1-mill tax levy renewal passed with a 156,615 to 85,113 vote.

The county’s five-year, 3.9-mill levy to supplement general fund appropriations for health and human or social services passed by a 130,894 to 108,681 vote. This levy marks a 1.0-mill increase from the prior levy.

Residents also showed their support for all four proposed county charter amendments on the ballot. The measures included an amendment to clarify the role of the board of revision. Other measures change the name of the Human Resource Commission to the Personnel Review Commission and authorize Cuyahoga County Council members to appoint and remove commission members; extend the term during which Cuyahoga County Council can act on executive appoint-ment; and allow council to make some decisions about internal operations with-out the county executive’s approval. ∞

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for the holidays, city lets residents, organizations pave the way with Avenue of Trees

by Jon HuffWith a chill in the air and the last

leaves dropping off trees, Christmas approaches. While Santa and his elves make their final preparations for the season, the City of Independence gets ready to celebrate with its annual Avenue of Trees.

The Avenue of Trees started around 2003, according to Darlynn Velotta, executive assistant to the mayor. But the origin of the idea is uncertain.

“It was a brainchild of the mayor’s of-fice, just a suggestion somebody made,” Velotta said. “Possibly even a resident that mentioned the idea to the city.”

Starting around Nov. 13, local orga-nizations began to decorate reserved trees and bring Christmas cheer to the

city’s Civic Center courtyard. The loca-tion has changed through the years; the city chose the courtyard as a matter of protection.

“The trees are more sheltered from the elements there,” said Kathy Alexie, execu-tive assistant to the mayor. “We’ve had the trees in various locations in the past, one year along Brecksville Road. When we had bad weather, the trees were just about destroyed.”

“They originally lined Pete Wisnieski Way along the entrance to Elmwood Park,” Velotta said. “Due to the elements and how the ornaments reacted to the ele-ments, being strewn all over, we decided to move the trees to the Civic Center.”

Organizations reserve a tree by calling City Hall. The city’s Community Services Department will put the organization’s name on a tree, allowing the organization to decorate it however it wishes.

“There is no theme,” Alexie said. “Each organization thinks of its own theme for their tree.”

“The organizations decide how creative they want to be and how much work they want to put into the tree,” Velotta said. “A lot of the ornaments tend to be homemade.”

When all the trees are done, judges will look at the decorations and pick a win-ner. Alexie expects judging to take place near the end of November. The winning organization receives a certificate and a $100 prize, while second place gets a certificate and $50.

While there are no guidelines for deco-rating, certain efforts make the winning trees stand out. According to Velotta, creativity, the amount of work, and how well a team’s theme is put together make for the best trees.

“The program has been very successful,” Alexie said. “The organizations are very creative in thinking of ways to decorate their trees.”

The event typically attracts around 20 trees. Trees will remain on display until Jan. 10. ∞

Independence Today is available at these locations:

The Independence LibraryBrielle’s Coffee & Tea Room


City readies holiday-themed events; prepares to kick off bicentennial celebrations

by Adam SpektorIn the midst of the oft-distracting and

stressful holiday hustle and bustle, the City of Independence is providing two opportunities for residents to take a breather and get into the festive spirit.

This year’s holiday festivities also mark an important occasion in Independence’s his-tory, as they serve as the official kickoff to the city’s yearlong Bicentennial celebration.

The string of events begins with the city’s tree lighting ceremony, which will take place Friday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. in the town square. Executive Assistant to the Mayor Darlynn Velotta, in addition to her role in assembling the Avenue of Trees, has been at work preparing the festivities surrounding the tree lighting.

“We hope to have a great turnout and that families will gather to share the spirit of Christmas,” said Velotta. “With the Bicentennial in mind, we would like everyone to dress in their finest 1800s a t t i re and stop by the Bicentennial Tent to re-ceive a com-memorative Bicentennial Christmas ornament.”

The ornaments are for residents only and are limited to one per family.

Assisting Velotta is the city’s service and technical services departments, which string the lights around the trees and city buildings. This year in particular, they will join the Bicentennial Committee in a fireworks ground display following the tree lighting.

“Every year, the service and technical services departments try to do something a little different and enhance the display in the square,” Velotta said.

Meanwhile, the Community Services Department is prepping the city’s Civic Center for its annual Holiday Fest, to be held the day after the tree lighting, Dec. 8, from noon to 4 p.m. The free event

features many of the city’s organizations coming together for both charitable and recreational purposes.

“This has been an annual, family event for residents before the holidays,” said Community Services Director Natalie Buc, who predicts the day will be just as much of a success as any of the city’s other seasonal offerings. “We get approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people coming through our special events.”

The event kicks off with the Indepen-dence Middle School Show Choir at 12:30 p.m. and continues with perfor-mances from the DNA of Dance studio, two magic shows from Rick Smith, Center Stage Dance Studio and the In-dependence High School Choir.

“We’ll have photos with Santa, DJ music, inflatables – including the new wrecking ball which allows four kids to play at the same time – games and crafts, balloon sculptures and holiday crafters, along with plenty of food and beverages,” said Buc.

In the true holiday spirit, the fest also allows local organizations to both donate their time and energy toward charitable causes and to give guests an opportunity to shop for holiday gifts for others. At the time of writing, 11 nonprofit vendors and 12 holiday crafters had signed up for the event.

“We help to provide nonprofit city, school and church organizations with a

I05 TREE LIGHT-ING ARTICLE

This commemorative Bi-centennial ornament is available for residents who attend Independence’s tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 7.

I10 COVER STORyThe city’s Christmas tree reflects on the ice-skating rink on Independence Public Square. Photos by K. Scott Sowinski

fundraising opportunity, bringing people to their booths to make their fundraising a success,” said Buc.

Buc strongly encourages guests to bring canned and non-perishable food items to the event. They will be donated to an area food bank.

The city’s Bicentennial committee will also host a booth at the event, and will solicit suggestions from residents as to what should be included in the city’s time capsule by writing their suggestions on ornaments that will hang on the city’s Bicentennial tree.

As for the details behind Santa and Mrs. Claus’ appearance, Buc chose to keep that under wraps.

“Santa is always himself and so is Mrs. Claus, straight from the North Pole,” she said.

For more information about Holiday Fest, contact the Community Services Department, 216-524-7373. For more information about the tree lighting, call City Hall, 216-524-4131. ∞


City Government l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Council adopts five-year capital plan, authorizes purchase of new fire truck

by Adam SpektorOct. 8 regular council meeting

Council unanimously passed all nine pieces of legislation on its agenda during a brief 90-minute caucus and meeting, including one that had been in the works for much of 2013.

After nine public meetings between city departments, council adopted the city’s five-year capital improvement plan, which budgets about $14 million worth of capital investments, and accounts for spending in 2013 and predictions for spending leading up to 2017. Items range from sewer repairs to street and sidewalk projects to building maintenance.

This marks the sixth year that Indepen-dence has maintained a five-year capital improvement plan, having begun the process in 2008.

“This planning process really began six years ago when the city leaders at the time saw a void for planning out these major projects,” said Councilman Jim Crooks, who, as head of council’s finance com-mittee, was one of the originators of the project. “There was a need for a plan at the time and they did something about it. They approved legislation then requiring council to adopt a plan every year which forecasts these purchases.”

The plan is intended as a guideline for future capital spending; each of the roughly 500 items currently in the budget is subject to change.

“Do I personally agree with every single purchase in the plan? No, I do not,” said

Crooks. “But a budget is a planning tool for the future.”

Major infrastructure upgrades to Rock-side Road, including adding a southern lane from West Creek Road to I-77 and landscaping improvements, amount to about $2 million budgeted over the five years.

Funds were also budgeted for resurfac-ing projects on several city streets through 2017. More than $400,000 apiece was budgeted for Beverly Drive, Beechwood Drive, Grandview Drive and Oaktree South, according to the plan.

An item for which Councilwoman Patricia Wisnieski said council has been saving since 2006 was finally approved. Authorization was given to the fire department to purchase a new E-One pumper unit for an amount not to exceed $580,000. Fire Chief Steve Rega predicts that with proper maintenance, the vehicle will last for 25 years.

“It’s going to be a much safer vehicle, easier to operate,” said Rega during cau-cus. “The storage has almost doubled in this type of vehicle, so we were able to consolidate some equipment onto this new truck … It should last us a while.”

The new vehicle will replace the fire department’s Engine 2, which has been in service for 17 years.

The city is also trading six old police cars for a new Ford E-250 cargo van for the service department. According to city officials, trading the vehicles in is more cost-effective than auctioning them off.

“We are finding new ways to get rid of some of the obsolete equipment and still get some value for it instead of the auc-tion, where it ends up costing us,” said Mayor Gregory Kurtz. “It was costing us more to prepare and advertise for auction than we were able to get out of the vehicles we were putting in.”

“I have seen vehicles go for $250 or $200. We aren’t getting anything at an auction,” said Service Director David Snyderburn. “They just don’t command enough money.”

The city acquired the vehicle for a trade amounting to roughly $18,000. The van will be used by the city’s technical services department and will replace an older vehicle.

The new pumper and van are not the only new vehicles residents can expect to see cruising the streets. The Cleveland Clinic’s police force will now have a pres-ence in the city, following a resolution by Council authorizing the clinic officers to exercise their police powers within Cleve-land Clinic locations in Independence.

Independence Police Chief Michael Kilbane presided over the mutual-aid agreement with assistance from Law Di-rector Gregory O’Brien.

“The agreement would provide for a clear understanding of the responsibilities of each agency where our jurisdictions overlap, and the clinic will agree to fol-low Independence Police Department protocols and procedures when operating within our city,” said Kilbane.

The agreement stipulates that Cleveland Clinic police would be able to exercise police authority on Cleveland Clinic properties, adjacent streets and alleys, while en route to or from Cleveland Clinic properties, and when in coopera-tive enforcement with the Independence Police Department.

During the meeting, resident and former city sexton Pat Woodrick called upon the city to enforce an ordinance prohibiting the cutting of grass at early hours of the morning and called council’s attention to private bonfires and potential dangers from antiquated incinerators in


old homes throughout the city.Woodrick also suggested that the city

expand its cemetery, using adjacent prop-erty that is currently for sale.

“We need that land. Go for eminent domain,” said Woodrick. “We are not hurting residents and forcing them off their property.”

Woodrick was not the only resident who suggested uses for property within the city. Resident Jeff Moore suggested that the city consider zoning land near the Kent State university School of Po-diatric Medicine for potential hotel and retail use, as a way to cater to students and keeping them supporting Independence’s economy.

“At the last council meeting, you were talking about how there was a loss of jobs,” said Moore. “Why not retain that with … students committed to being in the area?”

Kurtz directed Moore to continue discussions with the city’s building de-partment.

Councilman Peter Nelson, chair of the utilities committee, reported on the Eighth District Court of Appeal’s ruling against the storm water fee instituted

Letter to the editor l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

We encourage letters to the editor. Letters are limited to 250 words and must be signed and include an address and phone number for verification (not for publica-tion). The street name will be printed. We reserve the right to edit all letters for clarity and length only. We might not use letters for space reasons or those that have appeared in other publications or letters on a single topic submitted multiple times by the same individual or group.

family thankful for neighborly support

To the Editor:We would like to extend a sincere thank

you to the city of Independence and its residents, our family, friends and neigh-bors for the overwhelming support. your kind words and gestures mean so much to us during this difficult time.

Lynette, Alex and DeAnna GesickiHighland Drive

by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

“In the event that your next water bill has this assessment fee, [if ] again you will see $27.27… you are not required to pay that assessment fee,” said Nelson.

Council also adopted resolutions that:• Authorized Kurtz to enter into a wa-

ter quality drainage system easement agreement with a property on Pleasant Valley Road;

• Accepted a proposal from CT Con-sultants for construction inspection services related to phase three of the Chestnut Woods subdivision at an amount not to exceed $23,400;

• Authorized the purchase of an Enviro-sight brand lateral inspection camera for an ambulance at an amount not to exceed $108,646;

• Supported an effort to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.Of the last resolution, Kurtz said, “If

the carp really infiltrate the Great Lakes, it will be a disaster.”

“It will put some pressure on the federal government knowing that the communi-ties are also concerned,” said Councilman Carl Asseff. ∞


CominG events l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

At the library The Independence Branch of the

Cuyahoga County Library is located at 6361 Selig Dr. Register for programs in person, by phone at 216-447-0160 or visit cuyahogalibrary.org. Reservations are required for most programs.

Adult ProgramsThe Holidays Begin With the West Side

Market: Thursday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. Mar-ilou Suszko, author of Cleveland’s West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking, offers a look at Northeast Ohio’s famed

food destination for the winter holidays. The author will explore the ethnic foods and shopping traditions that are a part of many families’ seasonal celebrations. Books will be available for purchase. Sponsored by the Friends of the Indepen-dence Branch Library.

The Great Flood of 1913: Thursday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m. Costumed characters from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park explore this historic flood and the lives it changed. Sponsored by the Friends of the

Independence Branch Library.December Book Discussions: Wednes-

day, Dec. 18, 7:15 p.m. or Thursday, Dec. 19, 2:15 p.m. Share your favorite book from 2013.

Teen ProgramsG2P: Teen Gaming Club: Monday,

Dec. 2, 3 p.m. Ages 11-18. Wii open play. Sponsored by the Friends of the Independence Branch Library.

Middle School Book Club: Thursday, Dec. 5, 3:30 p.m. Grades five through eight. A different book discussion each month. Parents must sign a release form for you to have snacks. Sponsored by the Friends of the Independence Branch Li-brary. December’s book – The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott.

Children’s ProgramsSensory Storytime: Saturday, Dec. 7,

10:30 a.m. Ages 3-5. This storytime, designed specifically for children with special needs and their families, incor-porates a schedule board, double visuals, sensory opportunities and a half-hour of socialization time following the program.

Build a Winter Scene: Saturday, Dec. 7, 2:30 p.m. Grades three through five. use our LEGO blocks and your imagination to create a winter scene. The library will put the final creations on display. ∞

Additional copies of the magazine can be pur-chase for $1.50 each from our main office located at 4300 W. Streetsboro Rd., Richfield or visit us at www.scriptype.com to see the magazine online.

Get your photo with the Tooth Fairy at our Open House Saturday, December 7 from 10:00-1:00

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5 BR, 6.1 BA ALL BRICK MANOR BLT ‘065+car garage, porte-cochere, 2.23 privt treed acres, patio w/FP. Abundance of custom details. Porcelain tile flr in foyer & gourmet eat-in kit/custm cabints, granite tops. Formal DinRm. GrtRm/vault ceil, FP. 1st flr laundry & den/blt-ins, cofferd ceil. 1-of-a-kind MBR/huge walk-in closet, dr to balcony, glam BA. 7000sf w/fin. LL. Low taxes, great city services. $779,000.

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CUSTOM BLT 5BR/3.2BA BRICK CAPE/COL.$100K+ in updates, roof 2011. Open flr plan, 2-story foyr & FamRm/wall of windws, FP, newer carpet. Refin. wd flr in DinRm & eat-in kit/newer cabints, granite, SS appl’s. MBR/tray ceil, 2 lge walk-in closets, lux Ba on 1st. 2 offices, 3 BRs + bonus rm on 2nd. 6654 sf w/fin. bsmt w/Grt rm, bar, see thru FP, much more. Landscpd, patio, firepit, deck, view of pond. $665,900.

BRECKSVILLE

4BR/4BA ALL BRICK MANOR on 1.58 ACRES$138K invested since ’07: heat ingrnd pool, landscpng, 3 furnaces & A/C’s, cabints, countrs, granite, carpet, wd flrs, cooktop, dishwshr, sec systm, theater projecter/screen, more. 3 FP’s, palladium windws, archwys in 2-story foyr. Guest ste w/Ba, den & laundry on 1st. Luxury MBR & Ba. SunRm w/gorgeous views. 6700 sf w/fin. bsmt. 4-car side load, circulr drv. $823,500.

HUDSON

4BR/5BA BRICK MANOR, 2 WOODED ACRESValue $800K + w/investmnts & major updates. Custm moldng, wdwrk, blt-ins, tile, granite, hw flrs. 2-story FamRm/see-thru FP to den. Kit/top-of-line SS appl’s, granite tops. Din & liv rms/wd flr. Laundry on 1. All BR’s w/redone BAs. Lux MBR w/sit rm see-thru FP to BA. 6323 sf w/fin. LL in ‘12. Heat 3-car. Coverd porches. Stone patios, walls & blt-in BBQ. MORE! $789,900.

MEDINA

BRICK MANOR W/EXTENSIVE DETAILS5 BR/4.1 BA, updated, open flr plan. New roof ‘12. 2-story foyr/wrought iron staircs, ceramic flr. LivRm/windw seat. Den/custm panelng & blt-ins. 2-story FamRm/windw wall, blt-ins, FP. Forml DinRm. Kit/custm cabints, island. 1st flr laundry & MBR/vault ceil, lux Ba, 2 walk-in closets. Loft could be BR 5. 5898sf w/fin. LL. Landscpd, patio, circulr dr. Near Nat’l Prk. $699,000.

BRECKSVILLE

TOTALLY UPDATED 5BR/4.1 BA BRICK COL.In Weymouth Wds Golf Course w/breathtaking views. $300K+ in updates since ‘10 purchase. 2-story foyr/wrought iron staircs & great rm/windw wall, FP. DinRm/tray ceil, Butler’s pantry. Eat-in kit/granite, SS appls. BR & laundry on 1st. 2nd flr laundry & MBR w/vault ceil, sit rm/FP, lux Ba, balcony. 6080 sf w/newly refin. bsmt w/Grt rm/FP, more. Lge patio. $599,000.

MEDINA

1 OWNER 4BR/2.1BA COL. w/WALKOUT L.L.Great Value! Open w/neutral colors thruout. 2-story foyer/wd flr. Spacious FamRm/cathedrl ceil, FP. Kit/wd flr, custm cabints, island, pantry. Formal DinRm overlks LivRm. 1st flr Den & laundry. Mstr BR w/glamr Ba, walk-in closet. 3 additn’l BR’s & lge full Ba on 2nd. Full walkout bsmt. Side load garage. Deck, privt wooded landscapd lot. MacIntosh area amenities. $329,900.

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

A TRUE MUST SEE*CUSTOM 4BR/2.1BA COL Newer carpet, 9’ ceilngs, office/French drs & laundry on 1st. Newer windw treatmnts & custm blinds. Every toilet, faucet, dr handle, lite fixture replaced. 2-story foyr/wd flr. Eat-in kit/newer SS appl’s & granite tops, island. Din & Liv rms. FamRm/vault ceil,FP. Lux MBR/vault ceil, newer carpet, stunning refin glam Ba/tile shower/flr. Fin bsmt. Landscpd, deck, fenced yrd. $299,900.

SAGAMORE HILLS

2-3 BR/2.1 BA TOWNHOME IN GRAND BAYGreat valu, priced below purchase amt in ‘03 of $210K. Open flr plan. Lge FamRm w/FP, 2-story wall of wind-ws, newer carpet/paint. Kit/SS appl’s, maple cabints. DinRm w/sliding door to patio. MBR, Ba w/whirlpool tub, walk-in closet. 2nd BR w/full Ba. Loft could be BR 3 or office. Full bsmt w/fin’d great rm, wet bar, storage. Private setting, area amenities. $189,999.

BRECKSVILLE

UPDATED 4 BR/2.1 BA SPLIT LEVELNew electric box 2013, roof Oct. ‘11. Furnace, C/A 2011 & carpet in 2 BR’s up. Living & dining rms w/ca-thedrl ceil, newer carpet. Approx. 5 yrs old, fin’d bsmt/Great rm, storage & custm patio & drivewy. Newer Pella windws/blinds/screens. Kit/newer cabints. BR/Den & laundry on 1st. On .46 acre lot, lge patio, fenced. Low property taxes, great city amenities. $259,000.

INDEPENDENCE

4 BR ,3.1 BA COL/CAPE IN KINGS FORESTCustm blt 2001, loaded w/upgrades, can’t be dupli-cated for the price. 8’ drs, 10’ ceilngs on 1st. Andersen windws, extensv crown moldngs. GrtRm/cathedrl ceil, FP, newer carpet. Den/FP, French drs. Din rm. Kit/raised panel cabs, island, granite, dinette area w/FP open to SunRm. 1st flr MBR/BA, 2 walk-in closets. Pro landscapd, patio, 3.86 acres. Don’t Miss! $639,900.

RICHFIELD

CUSTOM BUILT 4 BR, 3.1 BA SPLIT LEVELKit/ceramic flr, island, custm cabints, Corian countrs, newer appl’s. Cathedrl ceiling in din & liv rms. Spacious FamRm/stone FP. 1st flr laundry. Main BA redone w/granite countrs. Mstr ste/BA, 11x10’ closet (the 4th BR). Gorgeous SunRm w/great views. Fin’d walkout bsmt/GrtRm, wet bar, BA, office. Landscapd, wrap-around deck, privt wooded w/lower deck. $259,900.

BRECKSVILLE

4 BR, 1.1 BA BI-LEVEL w/FULL BASEMENTTotally renovated inside & out. Newer siding, windows, custom wood floors. Remodeled full & half baths. Newer skylight. Living rm w/FPlc. Walk-in closets in 2 of the 3 1st flr bdrms. 1st flr laundry & office. Spacious 2nd flr bdrm. Wooded 2.39 acres on dead end street. Horse property w/pond. Great school system. $159,900.

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FORMER MODEL, 3 BR/4 BA CAPE BLT 2002Gorgeous views of golf course & lake. Priced below purchase amt. Pella wood windws, 9’ ceilngs on 1st, neutral colors. 2-story foyr & FamRm. LivRm/windw wall, stone see-thru FP to 1st flr MBR w/2 walk-in closets, luxury Ba. Eat-in kit/custm cabints, 11’ ceilng, granite tops, SS appl’s. Office & laundry on 1st. Loft area. Fin. bsmt. Lge patio. Area amenities. $375,000.

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

UPDATED, CUSTOM BLT 4 BR, 3.1 BA COL. Newer updates: roof, furnace, some carpeting + freshly painted thru-out. Foyer/ceramic tile flr. 1st flr Den/wd flr. Liv rm/bay window & crown molding. Eat-in Kit/island, custom cabints, pantry. Formal Din rm w/dr to 3-season sun rm. Brick FP in FamRm w/sliding dr to hot tub rm. Spacious MBR/luxury BA, closets. Fin’d bsmt. Deck, private wooded lot. $289,000.

BRECKSVILLE

4 BR, 2.2 BA TOWNHOME w/UPDATESCustm blt, priced below purchs amt of $223K in ’07. 2286sf w/fin. walkout LL. Ceramic flr in foyr & remod-eld Kit/custm cabs, Corian tops, island, pantry, SS appls. FamRm/cathedrl ceil, FP, wd Purgo flr, sliding dr to deck. Laundry & BR/Ba on 1. 2 lge BRs & remod BA on 2nd. LL/Grt rm, hlf BA, BR, dr to patio. Prime Locatn, walk to town/all conveniences. $199,000.

BRECKSVILLE


CominG events l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Save the Date – 2014January9 – Preschool Information Night,

Brecksville-Broadview Heights Preschool Mother’s Club

To have your future event included on this list, email a one-sentence date and title to [email protected].

Craft Showsnov. 23 – north Royalton High School PTA Craft Show

The 33rd annual North Royalton High School PTA Craft Show will be Saturday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Many new and returning vendors! All handmade crafts. Refreshments and Raffle! All proceeds benefit the PTA and the PTA Scholarship Program.dec. 6-7 – bethel lutheran Church Christmas boutique & Café

Bethel Lutheran Church, 3852 Ever-ett Rd, Bath, will hold its 44th annual Christmas Boutique & Cafe on Dec. 6-7. Handcrafted and painted holiday collectibles; decorative floral and wreaths; crochet and knitted ware; jewelry; home-made cookies and bakery; jams and jellies; wide selection of 18-inch doll clothing and accessories. Hours: Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Lunch served Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner served 4-7 p.m. Call 330-659-9069 or email [email protected]. dec. 15 – fair Trade Christmas bazaar

St. Mary Catholic Church, 340 North Main St. in Hudson, will host its first Fair Trade Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bazaar will include fair trade items from 14 vendors representing arti-sans and farmers throughout the Ameri-cas, Africa, Asia and the Holy Land. Fair Trade is an international movement to build equitable trading relationships be-tween consumers and the disadvantaged of the world, developing opportunities for change by providing them with skills, information, and resources; adapting tra-ditions and skills to compete in the world market; and sustaining a consistent flow of income to rise above poverty. Admis-sion is free. ∞

nov. 22 and 23independence Community

Theatre’s Once Upon A MattressIndependence Community Theatre

presents Once Upon A Mattress, directed by Jennifer Sindyla, along with Musical Director Gail Wirick and Choreographer Debbie Conway.

Performances are Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23, at 8 p.m. Show tickets are $12. For tickets or more information call 216-447-0443.

Performances are held at the Indepen-dence Old Town Hall, 6652 Brecksville Rd., Independence. ∞

dec. 3Heroin in the Suburbs

A town hall forum series with Judge Michael Astrab will be held Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. at the Broadview Heights Rec Center, 9543 Broadview Rd. ∞

dec. 8Community and Youth

Chorus Christmas ConcertCelebrate Christmas at 4 p.m. Sun-

day Dec. 8, with the Community and youth Chorus under the direction of Joy Parker at Brecksville united Methodist Church (Sanctuary), 65 Public Square, Brecksville.

Admission is free; a goodwill offering will be taken. Call 440-526-8938 for venue information or directions or email Chorus Marketing Manager: Shawana

P. Johnson at [email protected].

The Community Chorus was founded in 1991 to allow and encourage those who love singing with a group. Singers 16 years and older from all areas of Northeastern Ohio are welcome to join. ∞

dec. 10independence Art Guild Workshop with Holiday

GreensCarol Braverman will lead a workshop

for the Independence Art Guild to make an evergreen wreath and/or a boxwood topiary on Dec. 10, at the Independence Civic Center, 6363 Selig Dr. at 7:30 p.m. The Art Guild will furnish greens for guests. Participants can also bring either their own brown grocery bag filled with six-inch mixed cut greens for the wreath and/or one-half brown grocery bag with two- to three-inch cut boxwood for the topiary. Fee for members: $3 with your own greens or $6 with guild greens; Non-members: $6 with your greens or $9 with guild greens. Pruners or utility scissors will be needed as well. Call Carol Braverman for reservations at 216 524-1045. ∞

dec. 15YMb beethoven Recital

young Musicians of Brecksville presents its fall term recital, featuring piano music of Ludwig van Beethoven, 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, The Church of Saint Stanislaus, 3649 East 65th St., Cleveland. Free ad-mission. ∞

Experience Christmas Eve at St. Matthew’sTuesday, December 24 at 7:00 pm • All are welcome at this table!

St Matthew’s Episcopal Church9549 Highland Drive, Brecksville • (440)526-9865

www.stmatthewsbrecksville.org


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Homeowners pay more for new levies after tax structure changesby Judy Stringer

When North Royalton City School District voters headed to the polls on Nov. 5, they voted down the $49.8 mil-lion facilities bond issue that would cost homeowners about $7.12 a month per $100,000 of property value. Had a big-ger bond issue – $54.3 million – passed

when it was on the ballot in November 2012, those same homeowners would have paid slightly less, about $6.76 monthly per $100,000 of home value.

The discrepancy lies in the elimina-tion of a state-funded subsidy for local property taxes beginning with issues ap-proved on the Nov. 5 ballot. As a result,

taxpayers will pay more for new and replacement levies – $4.37 more per mill annually on $100,000 of property value.

The rollbacks – two different provisions that give most homeowners a combined 12.5 percent property tax break – have been on the books since the 1970s, according to Gary Gudmundson, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Taxation. under the rollback program, the state pays the first 10 percent of the tax bill for all property owners and another 2.5 percent for owner-occupied homes. This will still be the case for lev-ies approved before Nov. 5 and for any renewals passed in this or any subsequent elections. Taxpayers, however, will bear the full tax burden for new or replace-ment levies passed on and after Nov. 5, thanks to the 2014-2015 state budget that eliminated the rollbacks on new money.

Gudmundson wrote in an email that from the state’s perspective, the issue is one of timing and transparency.

“The rollbacks were adopted in con-junction with the implementation of income tax in the 1970s,” he said. “Now that the income tax rate is being reduced, it makes sense to reduce the rollbacks.”

The elimination of rollbacks also will make homeowners appreciate the true cost of the decisions they make at the ballot box, Gudmundson added.

“The state of Ohio has essentially subsi-dized property owners’ taxes with income and sales taxes paid by all Ohioans,” he said. “Now residential property owners will pay the full tax related to certain new levies.”

The biennial budget bill, enacted in June, also put an income prerequisite on the homestead exemption for prop-erty taxes paid by senior and disabled

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“Instead of taking some of the burden off the

homeowners ... we are placing new burdens on

them.” bill Zelei, executive director of

the Ohio Schools Council


homeowners. Those already in the program will continue to get the exemp-tion, which pays the tax bill on the first $25,000 of home value, but newcomers earning more than $30,000 annually will be ineligible, Gudmundson said.

While it is too early to predict if the tax changes will have a negative impact on new money requests, public finance experts say they surely will not have a positive one.

New levies were often a hard sell when homeowners were footing 87.5 percent of the bill and all seniors were eligible for the exemption. The task just got harder, said David Forrest, Revere Lo-cal Schools’ district treasurer and chief financial officer.

“I believe the effect will be that a levy will be more difficult to pass because there is an increased cost to the taxpayer that was passed along to them by the state,” Forrest said.

It is important for community mem-bers to note, he added, that school districts (and other public entities) are not getting more money from these tax adjustments. Forrest said for schools, the changes are just the latest examples of a troubling theme of shifting the cost of public education from the state to local homeowners. In recent years, districts have lost millions from the elimination of tangible personal property taxes, a for-mer tax on business inventory that went directly to schools. As a result, districts must ask voters for more money.

“Instead of taking some of the burden off the homeowners, which was the goal for some time, we are placing new burdens on them,” said Bill Zelei, execu-tive director of the Independence-based Ohio Schools Council. “This is not something that will destroy taxpayers or bring down a district in most cases, but it won’t help.”

Adding insult to injury is the fact that those with levies on the Nov. 5 ballot had little time to examine, and possibly respond, to the new code. Zelei said the changes were last-minute additions to the budget bill.

He and Douglas Evans, executive director of Ohio Library Council based in Columbus, said their respective orga-nizations asked lawmakers to reconsider, but because of the timing were not able to get a constructive conversation going.

“When you hear about things, typically they go into effect the next year or so and you have time to deal with them,” said North Royalton Superintendent Greg Gurka before the election.

This change was sprung on them. “We had already made the recom-

mendation to the board that this levy be placed on the ballot in November when HB 59 [the budget bill] came out,” Gurka said. ∞

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Abandoned houses find final life as firefighter training groundby Jon Huff

Independence residents who saw crews of firefighters and rising smoke at houses on Pleasant Valley and Chestnut roads need not be concerned. What may have looked like an actual house fire was part of a training exercise for the Independence Fire Department.

“We had two houses,” Assistant Fire Chief Jim Wheeler said. “We had one on Pleasant Valley Road then another one on Chestnut that we were able to work

in. We’re always looking for vacant struc-tures. It’s not very often we get a house. I think it’s been several years since we’ve had a structure.”

Using the two houses, both of which were slated for demolition, allowed the department to train for rescue situations in simulated conditions. Wheeler said burning structures is difficult in small-scale training due to Environmental Protection Agency regulations. But with blacked out windows and non-toxic

I14 ABAnDonED hoUsEs FInD FInAl lIFE As FIREFIghtER tRAInIng gRoUnD

The abandoned home at 6608 East Pleas-ant Valley Road became a practical train-ing facility for Independence firefighters in September. Photos by A. spektorsmoke, the department gave firefighters a feel of a real world emergency that “basi-cally provides the realism without the heat and the danger of the fire,” Wheeler said.

“We started out with search and rescue training. We did what’s called a vent-enter-search, where you would go through a bed-room window and then search a room. If we came on-scene and someone said, ‘I’ve got a child in such-and-such a bedroom,’ we would take a direct line right to that

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I13 ABANDONED HOuSES FIND FINAL LIFE AS FIREFIGHTER TRAINING GROuND

(l-r) Firefighter paramedics Joe Schuerger, Mike Keszei and Mike Wodarczyk await instruction to enter the house for training.

rial itself and the plywood,” said Wheeler. “It’s labor intensive to cut a roof so it’s good practice for the guys. It takes two or three people. There’s a lot of work, even with a chainsaw because you’ve got to cut the roof, then you’ve got to pull up or pop through the roofing material as well.”

Outside of training, the department has seen recent promotions. Since Aug. 6, the department filled three lieutenant positions. Jonathan Figliola and Russel Fedyk both moved into shift supervisor positions. Don Reis is now the depart-ment’s fire safety/building inspector.

“We finally filled our fire prevention lieutenant position,” Wheeler said. “He’s the liaison with all the businesses here in town, which is a good thing. We needed that for a while.”

Wheeler himself received a promotion to his position as assistant fire chief. With the promotion, he oversees training.

“I was promoted into this position which is actually the training officer,” Wheeler said, “so we’re really getting into a set schedule on the fire training versus each shift just doing what they think is necessary. We’re kind of getting everybody on board, on the same page with the overall fire training.” ∞

bedroom and send re-sources and guys with a thermal imaging camera to search that room. If they didn’t find anything they could branch off from there to other rooms.”

The department also geared its search-and-rescue training toward its own firefighters, in the event that one would be in peril dur-ing an actual fire.

“If we had a man down or a situation where he was running out of air or had a malfunction. We had stage smoke, so the guys were working un-der dark conditions and smoky conditions and they would have to fix the [Self Con-tained Breathing Apparatus] or transfill his bottle with another bottle, then lead him out or carry him out as necessary.”

Although the department did not burn the houses, the firefighters left some demolition behind them. Training with new tools left holes in the Pleasant Val-ley home’s roof. The procedure, vertical

ventilation, provides a means for letting steam and smoke out of burning homes.

“That’s something we don’t get to prac-tice very often because you are cutting up a roof. It’s not everyday training,” said Wheeler. “It was good to be able to do that. I’d say we cut at least a dozen holes.”

The procedure requires a specific chain-saw that prevents firefighters from cutting too deep into the roof, so as not the sever the rafters or any other structural supports.

“you just want to cut the roofing mate-

5CHST1409

12/31/13

Independence 6901 Rockside Road (216) 525-0210

Twinsburg 9224 Darrow Road (330) 405-6102

Mentor 8644 Mentor Avenue (440) 255-6824


7.5”

7”

8”

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howard hanna Brecksville Wishes You the Best for the holidays

and the New Year!Real Estate Mortgage Title Insurance

Cathy Andre216-577-0807

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Mary Alice Buckley 440-669-0987

Bill Burns216-509-0006Burns Group

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Linnette Chaney330-840-9506

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Maureen Downey440-476-5070The ClevelandHome Team

Nikki Dover440-390-1730Joeright Team

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Ann Rose Kijinski440-832-0700

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Sharon LaBuda 216-906-9047

John & SuzanneLambert

440-364-4545

Karen Leheney440-476-2422

Laura Lewis216-905-1893

PROOF


7.5”

7”

8”

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howard hanna Brecksville Wishes You the Best for the holidays

and the New Year!Real Estate Mortgage Title Insurance

Cathy Andre216-577-0807

Lorie Avon216-403-4996

Joe Bubnick216-901-4529

Mary Alice Buckley 440-669-0987

Bill Burns216-509-0006Burns Group

Jean Carney216-832-6260

Jo Marie Cerino216-559-3203

Linnette Chaney330-840-9506

Daniel Dabrowski 216-642-3001

Chris Davidson 440-263-2669

Pat Davidson 216-789-0799

Maureen Downey440-476-5070The ClevelandHome Team

Nikki Dover440-390-1730Joeright Team

Matt Duke440-781-5831

Nancy Gammalo440-223-6086

Gina Grassi216-952-9078

Georgia Ireland440-292-7031

Diane Joeright216-390-0127Joeright Team

Greg Jones 216-901-4662

Beverly Kaminski 216-262-2662

Ann Rose Kijinski440-832-0700

Pauline Kriynovich 216-999-0672

Sharon LaBuda 216-906-9047

John & SuzanneLambert

440-364-4545

Karen Leheney440-476-2422

Laura Lewis216-905-1893

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Polar Express seeks volunteers

Costumed Carolers available for events

The Broadview Heights Spotlights Community Theater’s Costumed Carol-ers are available to perform at holiday gatherings.

This a capella group performs in flowing skirts, capes and top hats. Directed by Tim Anderson, the group has entertained at the Disney Train Tour, the Cleveland Playhouse Festival of Trees, the Horseshoe Casino, Greater Cleveland Aquarium, Westwood Country Club, as well as various business open houses, community events, care facilities, church services and private parties.

Contact Annette Phelps at 440-227-1984 or email [email protected]. ∞

Yuletide Hunger Program is under way

The cities of Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Independence and Seven Hills are once again administering the yuletide Hunger Program.

Residents are asked to bring nonperish-able food items to the Human Services Centers in any of the four participating cities. Ready-to-eat items are at the top of the list with staples such as tuna fish, ready-to-eat meals, canned vegetables and fruit, spaghetti and sauce (either canned or packaged) and cereal. Paper products like tissues and toilet tissue are needed as well, along with toiletries such as tooth-paste and bar soap.

Families in need should call immediate-ly their respective city’s Human Services Department. Last year more than 130 families were served.

The program also needs volunteers to lift heavy boxes of food for recipients during the week of Dec. 9 and especially on distribution day, which is Saturday morning, Dec. 14. Anyone interested in helping should call 440-526-2499. ∞

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) is seeking volunteers to spread holiday cheer aboard The Polar Express, the holiday program based on Chris Van Allsburg’s book about a young boy’s trip to the North Pole.

Children clad in pajamas board the train in Akron or Independence and travel through Cuyahoga Valley National Park

to hear the story of the Polar Express, en-joy hot cocoa and cookies, and sing carols on their way to the North Pole. At the North Pole, through the train’s windows, children see holiday characters, elves hard at work … and Santa!

Volunteers are needed to play Santa and the elves who will read the story, assist in creating a festive atmosphere, serve cook-

ies and hot cocoa, and more. Training will be provided. The program runs from Friday, Nov. 15 through Saturday, Dec. 21 (except Nov. 27 and 28).

Those interested can complete the online volunteer agreement at cvsr.com/volunteer.aspx for details volunteer or call the Polar Express Hotline, 800-468-4070, ext. 236. ∞

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Reps. Grossman, Anielski wrap up fireball Run competition and reality show

State Reps. Cheryl Grossman and Mar-lene Anielski, who participated as “Team Ohio” in the seventh annual charity competition Fireball Run, completed the competition on Sept. 29, placing 30th out of 47 total participating teams.

Fireball Run is an annual eight-day, 2,000-mile journey to raise awareness of missing children, broadcast as an online reality show, complete with challenges and unique modes of transportation. Teams earn points based on results in individual competitions and compete ex-clusively for trophies and bragging rights.

Each team is assigned a missing child from their represented region, and along the way, they must distribute 1,000 post-ers in an effort to raise awareness and aid in the child’s recovery. The competition has helped recover 41 children in the six years prior to the 2013 event. Anielski and Grossman focused their efforts on Brett Wurm from Tiffin, who went missing at the age of 8 in June 2005.

Starting Sept. 20, the representatives drove a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am,

as made famous in the 1977 adventure film Smokey and the Bandit, from Long-mont, Colo. to Riverside, Calif.

“From start to what will soon be our fin-ish, Fireball Run has been a tremendous experience,” Anielski said toward the race’s completion. “Whether it was the support we had when our car broke down, the wonderful people we met at many stops along the way, or the fun activities we have participated in, this is a terrific event that serves the very important cause of finding missing kids.”

Along the representatives’ journey, they participated in various “missions,” which involved solving clues and accomplishing tasks based on cities, points-of-interest, history and culture. At every major stop throughout the event, the representatives helped to support a local children’s charity. Many of the events at these locations were streamed live and made available online.

“We have made great friends and had many laughs while participating in Fireball Run,” Grossman said. “I never thought this experience would lead me to do such things

as go down a waterslide, but I’m glad to do it for the sake of finding a missing child. So many people have come together for this cause that it is truly encouraging.”

During the course of Fireball Run, Team Ohio was joined by notable figures such as Astronaut Captain Jon McBride, Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey, the world women’s rodeo champion Kelly Kamim-ski, and Valentino Balboni, an iconic Lamborghini test driver.

Independence is hardly a stranger to Fireball Run. In its 2012 “Northern Exposure”-themed event, which took participants across the northeastern u.S., Fireball Run organizers used Independence as its kick-off location. The first episode of that year’s season focused on Indepen-dence, and the event itself brought not only competitors from around the world, but also a film crew to the city.

Supporters can learn more about Team Ohio at fireballrun.com/live/teams. The representatives are also tweeting from @teamOHfireball and blogging at TeamOhioFireballRun.blogspot.com. ∞

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vfW Post 3483, ladies Auxiliary rebuild outside of independenceby Jon Huff

Fire changed the future of VFW Post 3483, but like a phoenix, the post brushed off the ashes and currently looks toward new beginnings.

Construction continues on the post’s new home in Brooklyn Heights. After a long and sometimes frustrating process, its members are anxious to open the new locale.

“Everything’s going along good,” Post Commander Larry Miller said. “Funding, we’re waiting on a little bit more, but so far we’re paid up. When we’re going to open, though, you’ve got as good an idea as I do.”

The post’s move has been in the works since a fire destroyed its old building in 2011. Post members weighed their op-tions and tried to find a spot in Indepen-dence without luck.

“We messed around in Independence for about a year and we made a decision to change,” Miller said. “Then we found this location and made a deal on it.”

According to Miller, the post looked at the possibility of rebuilding the old build-ing, going so far as contacting architects to create plans for a rebuild. But in the end, cost and time spurred the Post to expand their search.

“We went through three architectural drawings before the [City of Indepen-dence] approved one,” Miller said. “Then when they approved the building [the architect] had designed, with all the new laws and stuff, we couldn’t afford it. That’s when we started shopping. The mayor of-fered us some property [in Independence], but the price he wanted was double what we bought this for. It had nothing on it that would make sense paying twice as much when we’d be getting the same thing for half price. That’s why we bought over here.”

“It was about 13 months,” Post Quar-termaster Bernie Borowski said. “Plus the fact we would have had to gone through that entire process again, which would have added another year onto be-ing closed. So you’re talking two years being closed. As long as you can tell the membership something’s going up, you hold onto your membership. But if you say, ‘Well, we got a piece of ground over there,’ you’re going to lose membership.”

But the members have supported the Post through the difficult transition, and the new location has raised interest and

new members.“I’ve even signed

up some new mem-bers before the building’s even up,” Miller said. “We’ll be the only watering hole they have in Brooklyn Heights. There’s nothing else here. There’s been a tremendous bunch of [locals] that are

wanting to join. It’ll increase our business and the population of the club, no doubt.”

“We’ll be able to draw from this area,” Borowski said. “We’re looking forward to it. With the addition of our members coming in, the new building, things like that, it increases the money that we can put into our charity fund. We’ll be able to do more, give back more to the com-munity with our charities.”

And the community is appreciative of the Post 3483’s work. Despite the coming move, the City of Independence looks to a continued relationship with the post.

“We understand the economics of re-building on Rockside Road made it too expensive for Post 3483 to rebuild in line with the City’s current building codes,” Independence Mayor Gregory Kurtz said. “We worked with the VFW Post to look for possible alternate locations within Independence, but the location on Schaaf Road in Brooklyn Heights was just too attractive for them. Independence will always consider VFW Post 3483 as a friend and partner.”

A ladies Auxiliary without bordersAs the post readies to settle into their

new home, the Ladies’ Auxiliary is go-ing through changes of its own. Garfield Heights Municipal Court Judge Deborah Nicastro has taken over as the Auxiliary’s president. Nicastro, a second-generation member of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, who succeeds prior president Carol Zembower, has her goals set.

“When I was little, the Ladies VFW did everything in town, had all sorts of activities,” Nicastro said. “We’re going to try to get back to that.”

In October and November, the Ladies’ Auxiliary will collect new clothing for veterans. The clothes will be taken to the Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Hospital for

recovering veterans.“Veterans come into Cleveland from

all over the world and they just basically come in with the clothes on their back,” Nicastro said. “They don’t have anything else, so we try to get all the extras.”

In the spring, the auxiliary will hold its Voices of Democracy essay contest for high school students, which Nicastro hopes to build up over the upcoming years. Come Memorial Day, the auxiliary focuses on their Buddy Poppy sale.

“There’s a group of disabled veterans who actually physically make the Buddy Pop-pies and that’s how they raise money for their activities,” Nicastro said. “Our goal is 500 poppies this year. We’d like to do 1,000, but that might be a little too much.”

Perhaps the most important goal for Nicastro is building new membership among an aging population. She wants to reach out to those involved with more recent wars.

“In Northern Ohio the predominant number of members in VFWs are World War II, maybe Korean War veterans,”

continued on next page

I15 VFW POST 3483, LADIES’ AuXILIARy RE-BuILD OuT-SIDE OF INDE-PENDENCE

Deborah Nicastro Photo by J. Bon


Quartermaster Bernie Borowski and Commander

Larry Miller stand outside of VFW Post

3483’s future home in Brooklyn Heights.

Photo by J. Huff

I16 VFW POST 3483, LADIES AuXILIARy REBuILD OuTSIDE OF INDEPENDENCE

The new Brooklyn Heights location of VFW Post 3483 undergoes interior renovations in early October. Photo by J. Bon

Nicastro said. “Vietnam and later, those folks just don’t join. Look at Iraq, look at Afghanistan, those folks are veterans.”

Nicastro also encourages family mem-bers of those who have served and are serving in the u.S. military to become involved with the auxiliary.

“There are a lot of people from Northern Ohio currently serving overseas, so that’s what we would like to focus on. One of the things we need are for those families – the wives, the sisters, the mothers – to join the VFW and let us know what those

needs are. Maybe just some groups, support groups,” said Nica-stro. “Say you have 20 wives in Garfield Heights that may not

vfW Post continued

even know there are other women out there in their situation, and we can pro-vide a support group.”

The VFW’s move to Brooklyn Heights inspired Nicastro and the Ladies’ Auxil-iary to look beyond city limits as well.

“We’ve decided to expand our territory beyond Independence,” Nicastro said. “So we’re going to go in any contiguous community where there isn’t a VFW and solicit membership.”

With her goals in focus, everything comes down to one simple idea for the new president and second-generation member, continuing the legacy the aux-iliary has built over the years.

“The ladies VFW has been in business in Independence for 75 years, as of this year,” Nicastro said. “We had a big debate about whether we were going to disband because a lot of the members are older and the post has moved out of Independence. After much debate and soul searching, we’re staying in business.”

The Ladies’ Auxiliary’s longtime trea-surer Marge Woodrick retired from her position, with new treasurer Linda Green taking over. The auxiliary’s leadership staff also includes vice president Rita Kotabish and secretary Ingrid Reynolds. ∞

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Simple measures can be taken to avoid being ripped off during the holidays

by Adam SpektorThe holiday season often can unveil

people’s spirit of generosity and selfless-ness. But another side lurks, waiting to take advantage of and exploit folks during this time of year.

“Everyone is out shopping during the

holiday season, including con artists,” said Cynthia Sich, director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Af-fairs. “They’re just shopping for your money and your identity.”

According to Sich, scams sent through email and social media are more prominent than ever. One particularly nefarious method scammers use is to set up fake websites that closely resemble legitimate ones, such as apple.com or amazon.com, that require people to enter sensitive information, such as bank account routing numbers or social security numbers, to proceed. These websites can be distributed through emails, Facebook posts, pop-up ads or e-cards and may get users’ attentions by proclaiming that there is an issue with one’s account or by offering a deal on a hot holiday item.

“Be sure to inspect every Web address to make sure it is legitimate, and never click on these links,” said Sich. “They can also transmit viruses to your computer. Enter in a trusted website’s address yourself so you know you’re going to the right place.”

One way for scammers to steal peoples’ money and identities is by advertising fake contests and giveaways on websites. These links will also direct Internet users

to sites that demand they fill out sensitive information to receive a prize.

“If it says it’s free, it’s not free,” said Sich. “Someone is behind the supposed ‘contest’ trying to take your money. Do not click on these links.”

Similarly, scammers will attempt to con people out of gift cards, especially in transactions over Craigslist, eBay and other user-driven websites. Some scam-mers will outright attempt to sell off fake gift cards, while others will pry gift card numbers from scam victims.

When dealing with gift cards over the holiday, make sure that the scratch-off numbers on the back are not exposed. If there is no scratch off area, the card may be counterfeit.

Sich suggests that online shoppers use credit cards and not debit cards and to print out hard copies of all receipts and refund policies.

The Internet isn’t the only place for cons during the holiday season. Occasionally, scammers disguised as representatives of a fake charity will solicit for money outside of shopping centers. Be sure to conduct thorough research on whatever charity they claim to represent before donating.

Websites such as charitywatch.org and charitynavigator.org are helpful tools to

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We’ve all had it – that awful feeling after we’ve eaten that something just isn’t right. Indigestion can mean anything from heartburn and gas to stomach ache and nausea.

Nerve interference can make it difficult for your body to properly digest food, causing indigestion.

Some nerves in the spinal column control and direct how much stomach acid you produce, how quickly or slowly your body digests food, and even how well your body tolerates spicy, fiber-full, dairy or “hard-to-digest” foods. Many patients report that chiropractic adjustments have shown to be effective in reducing indigestion that is caused by nerve interference.

However, there are many things you can do to help your body digest food along with chiropractic care. First, try not to drink fluids while you eat. This may seem counterintuitive, but fluids dilute the stomach excretions that are intended to help digest your food. You should drink plenty of fluids – water is really the only healthy thing to drink regularly – but not during your meals. Second, sit while you eat, chew thoroughly and relax. Third, don’t lie down after you eat. Fourth, add a PROBIOTIC to your diet; these healthy bacteria help “coat” the digestive tract which protects it from allergens, yeast, and harmful bacteria. (We carry a very effective probiotic in our office.) Finally, learn what constitutes a well-balanced diet, not just which foods are “low fat” or “low carb”. A diet comprised of whole grains (e.g., brown rice, whole oats, whole wheat), green vegetables and lean proteins (meat or fish), with modest amounts of fruits and nuts, is likely to decrease your chances for serious indigestion. Studies have shown that fad diets (such as Atkins, South Beach, “low fat” crazes, etc.) all lead to imbalanced diets, do not promote long-term health, and ultimately are difficult to maintain.

For persistent indigestion, seek chiropractic care – and remember to care for your digestive system by incorporating healthy eating habits into your daily routine!

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research charities. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office also maintains a database of charitable organizations at tinyurl.com/ohiocharity.

Holiday shoppers should also be mind-ful of their belongings. Increased traffic in stores gives thieves a much greater chance of pickpocketing or stealing from cars.

Be sure to store expensive gifts and personal items in car trunks whenever possible. Never leave desirable items in plain sight in vehicles.

When shopping, be sure to keep wallets, purses and shopping bags close to you and have belongings always in eyesight. When wallets are stolen, not only is money miss-ing, but access to credit cards and personal identity information also leaves victims prone to identity theft.

“Smartphone and tablet theft is huge this year,” said Sich. “I see people leaving their phones on tables at coffee shops and other public places and I think, ‘Would you leave cash around like that?’ People store so much personal information on phones and tablets and applications that it’s almost just like leaving a wallet unattended.”

Sich urges users to password-protect their devices and to log out of important websites whenever possible. She also warns against conducting online bank-ing or performing other sensitive tasks in public Wi-fi areas. ∞

local program brightens the holidays for Cuyahoga County seniors

This season, holiday shoppers in Cuyahoga County can give cheer to area seniors by participating in the Be a Santa to a Senior program.

The program – run by the local Home Instead Senior Care office in partner-ship with Cuyahoga Department of Senior and Adult Services, area retailers, volunteers and members of the com-munity – helps ensure isolated seniors receive gifts and companionship during the holidays.

Retailers participating in Be a Santa to a Senior will display Christmas trees

through Dec. 10 that feature orna-ments with seniors’ first names and their gift requests. Holiday shoppers can pick an ornament from these trees, buy the items listed and return them unwrapped to the store, with the orna-ment attached.

Volunteers will collect, wrap and distribute the gifts to local seniors who might otherwise spend the holiday alone.

For more information and for tree loctions, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call 440-914-1400. ∞

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by Kim Scott Sowinski

The Grapevine

I06 GRAPEVINEDareen Krolikowski and Joelle Bouge-brayel were crowned Homecoming King and Queen on Oct. 11.

Independence High School crowned its Homecoming King and Queen at the varsity football game against Hawken on Friday, Oct. 11. King darren Kro-likowski was escorted by parents don-

The Independence Today is happy to print wedding notices or engagement announcements (just one please), for residents of the community. To have the photo returned, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

ald and Cathryn and plans on studying medical technology at the univertsity of Mount union. Homecoming queen Joelle bougebrayel, was escorted by her mother nada and plans to pursue a de-

gree in the health field in the future. The school held its homecoming dance the following night, Oct. 12.

bethany Elliott, a 2011 graduate of In-dependence High School, is currently liv-ing and studying in Beijing, China. She is majoring in international marketing with a minor in Chinese studies through John Carroll university and was accepted to study abroad in the fall semester. Bethany will return to John Carroll university for the 2014 spring semester. Bethany is en-joying her time in Beijing and is learning the language along with the culture.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Northeastern Ohio Affiliate office award-ed Independence Police Officer Shane bates with a 2013 Top Cop award Oct. 24 for his work in removing drunk and impaired drivers off of Independence streets and highways.

Rev. denis St. Marie, Parochial Vicar of St. Michael Church in Independence from 1993 until 2000, passed away Mon-day, Oct. 28. He was Pastor Emeritus at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in South Amherst. Rev. St. Marie was known for his work with the school children at St. Michael School and for saying Mass during his eight years with the church. ∞

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PeoPLe l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

by bronwyn PiersonRocco Grassi of St. Michael School

in Independence is familiar both with the age-old tradition of prayer and the modern technology of social media. And the 9-year-old boy used both to spread his message around the world.

this (sic).” “A Prayer for the Gift of Wisdom,” a

Catholic prayer, was included in the post-ing as a response to “The Peace Prayer of Rocco.”

“I was shocked,” said Rocco of when his mom told him the news. As a makeup art-ist for WEWS Channel 5, Francine Grassi meets many celebrities, but she has never been overly impressed with the stories of her encounters. She admitted that the postings on Facebook were something that got her son excited.

Rocco even received a note from a priest at St. Basil the Great in Brecksville, which partners in its educational outreach with St. Michael. The priest told Rocco that it is good to know he is following the practices taught at their school and that he was proud of him.

M15, I50 BRECKSVILLE BOy’S PRAyER FOR POPE FRANCIS

Fourth-grader Rocco Grassi holds up a copy of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis. Attached to the paper below it, is a copy of Rocco’s interpretation, the Peace Prayer of Rocco. Rocco’s prayer was seen worldwide on Facebook. Photo by D. Jansik

St. Michael student’s prayer for Pope francis seen around the world

Inspired after reading the Peace Prayer of St. Francis, Rocco handwrote in pencil his own interpretation, titled the Peace Prayer of Rocco. His prayer reads, “Lord, make me an instrument of my work. Where there is hatred, bring peace. Where there is doubt, trust.”

After mounting both prayers on yellow paper and illustrating them with his own drawing of St. Francis, Rocco and his mother, Francine, decided to post the work to Facebook.

Francine took a picture of the prayer and sent it to a page dedicated to the pope that friends had recommended. There are several pages in the pontiff’s name.

She had few expectations, but within an hour, she was surprised to see the picture in her Facebook feed, with posts commenting on Rocco’s prayer from people all over.

“A 9-years-old child, call Rocco made

Although the church has always been an important part of his life, the experience has changed how Rocco feels about Pope Francis. Already recognized at his school with two Christian Citizenship Awards in the past, he said the pope has inspired him to “be kind and be nice.” Rocco thinks it is important to share his spirituality and his Facebook prayer story has encouraged others around him.

Inspired by Rocco’s story, the Spanish teacher at St. Michael School mentioned to Grassi that she will have her students write to Pope Francis as part of a class as-signment this year. The family also hopes to travel to Italy in the future and visit the Vatican. Based on the excitement that the posting of the prayer has brought to the family, Grassi said, “Maybe we will write him a letter before we go.” ∞

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independence High School inducts 11 graduates from the class of 2011 and 2012 to Academic Hall of fame

Eleven Independence High School gradu-ates from both the class of 2011 and class of 2012 recently were inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame during a dinner

presentation held in the school’s cafeteria. The selective criteria for the Indepen-

dence High School Academic Hall of Fame includes earning the “National Merit Finalist” distinction from College Board; earning a perfect score on at least one section of a major standardized test (SAT, ACT, PSAT); and earning at least two per-fect scores on Advanced Placement tests.

The five inductees from the class of 2011 were:• Nicole Butler, who earned scores of 5

on these Advanced Placement exams: English language, government, statis-tics, and united States history. She is pursuing a major in biological anthro-pology at George Washington univer-sity.

• Marissa Goebel, who received scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement exams: calculus, English language, govern-ment, statistics, and united States his-tory. She is studying at Walsh univer-sity, where she was inducted into the International Honor Society in Busi-ness Management and Administration.

• Annie Klindworth, who earned scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement exams: English literature and govern-ment. She studies at The university of Akron, where she is a member of the Emerging Leaders at Akron and secretary of the Society of Women Engineers, and has received the Out-

standing Woman Student award from Women in Higher Education. Klind-worth currently works at Goodyear in a co-op developing a new line of tires.

• Greg Krasnoschlik, who received scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement ex-ams: government, statistics and united States history. He now studies at Ohio Northern university where he is an ac-counting major, and currently interns at Marathon Petroleum in Findlay.

• Samantha Marek, who earned scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement ex-ams: calculus and statistics. She is pres-ently a student at Case Western Reserve university where she has participating in trips to South Carolina for Habi-tat for Humanity and Nicaragua for CWRu’s Center for Civic Engagement and Learning.

“The inductees will forever have their

profiles and academic accomplishments

mounted on the walls of Independence High

School.”Superintendent Steve Marlow

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The six inductees from the Class of 2012 were:• Tom Baran, who received scores of 5

on these Advanced Placement exams: calculus, English language, govern-ment and u.S. history. He currently studies at Loyola university Chicago, where he has earned a 4.0 GPA.

• James Cooper Jr., who earned scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement exams: calculus and government. He is at The university of Akron, where he earned numerous academic scholarships, made the dean’s list and is already a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

• Dominic DiBlasio, who received scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement ex-ams: calculus and statistics. During his days at Independence High, DiBlasio was also a vital member of the school’s Academic Challenge team.

• Danielle Kohut, who earned scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement exams: English language, English literature and government. She is currently get-ting ready for her second year at Hiram College.

• John Kominko, who received scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement exams: English language and government. He currently resides at The Ohio State

university where he has been elected an officer of the National Honorary Band Fraternity.

• Tony Narduzzi, who earned scores of 5 on these Advanced Placement Exams: English language, environmental sci-ence, government, psychology, united States history and world history. He has earned the most 5 scores on Ad-vanced Placement Exams in IHS his-tory. Narduzzi now attends Kent State university where he is enrolled in the honors college and the Provost Leader-ship Academy.“The inductees will forever have their

profiles and academic accomplishments mounted on the walls of Independence High School,” said Superintendent Steve Marlow.

The Academic Hall of Fame started in January 2006 and features plaques located in the lobby of the high school where students, faculty and visitors can see the faces of the school’s most distinguished academic achievers. These 11 individu-als join the existing 31 inductees in the Independence High School Academic Hall of Fame.

Sponsors of the Independence High School Academic Hall of Fame include the Independence Academic Boosters and Indiana Wesleyan university. ∞


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Cafe Access prepares students for workforce, provides others with breakfast

by dan baranWhen Independence High School stu-

dents oversleep and roll out of bed at 7:25 a.m., 15 minutes before school begins, it is their stomachs that suffer most. Break-fast is a luxury that simply cannot endure the rushed morning routine. However, there is hope at last, for in the school’s cafeteria lies a breakfast skipper’s haven: Cafe Access.

“The prices are fantastic, the food is excellent and I just love stopping by,” says junior John Belitz.

Classmate Luke George said, “The cafe is a great idea, and I love stopping here to get food.”

Independence High School’s special education students operate the stand, which is open from roughly 8 to 9:30 a.m. They prepare the food, handle the cash register and go to ends to do what other quick stop breakfast joints like

place to pick up an early morning snack; it is a preparation for the student employ-ees’ in the workforce.

Parent and helper Sylvia Marotta said, “This is preparing them to work at re-tail stores… There’s Just a Buck, a dollar store in Parma, where special needs kids run the whole thing. So this is kind of like preparation for that. It’s good.”

Emily, Marotta’s daughter, en joys

helping out and interacting with the other students. Fellow student worker

McDonalds do not: They deliver within the school.

However, the cafe is more than just a continued on facing page

I02 CAFE ACCESS PREPARES STuDENTS FOR WORKFORCE

(l-r) Cafe Access aides Mary Bertoncin, Brenda Niemiec, stu-dent worker Brian Basalla and aide Eileen MacDowell ready Independence High School’s one-stop nourishment stand for another school day. Photo by D. Baran

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M10, V51 TECH WORKSHOPS (STORy STILL BE-ING EDITED)

Students (l-r) Marianna Mendoza, Merl Dilley and Anastasia Iglai show what kinds of 3-D architecture can be created from computer-aided design. Photo by T. Began

Career center tech classes focus on girlsby Tia began

The Cuyahoga Valley Career Center is offering programs that focus on media, technology and digital game design for grade-schoolers, including a special series open only to girls.

“In most cases the classes are filled up fairly quickly,” said Nanci Coleman, community liaison at CVCC. She and Community Partnership Coordinator Patricia Coyne are pleased that area par-ents are taking the cue from their kids that technology is their passion. Topics and sessions vary.

“It’s important for girls to learn about technology from other females in the field,” said Coyne. “young ladies ages 11-14 should learn what specific skills lead to technology and media careers.”

Indeed, by 2020, there will be 1.4 mil-lion STEM-related job openings in the united States, according to data provided by CVCC. However, less than 14 percent of computer-science degrees are awarded to females. CVCC is working in conjunc-tion with Cleveland-based HER Ideas in

Motion to help girls achieve through tech and media arts.

“We track our prog-ress with students signed up to check their perception of what can be accomplished through technology,” Coleman said. “To see the comments pre- and post-class tells us we are reaching them with these classes.”

Girls definitely have a clearer grasp of what it takes to create the technology they love to use, CVCC officials said. They can put their thoughts into some-thing visual that others can enjoy or learn from.

The program geared for all children in grades three through six is the Digital Animation workshop, which is three hours long. The kids will work from ideas based on The Wizard of Oz.

Other classes, for kids grades four through nine, focus on other aspects of technology and media.

The video-game sessions include creat-ing a storyboard and maze game. Each designer gets his or her own computer station to make ideas come to life.

Ideally, Coleman and Coyne would like to see many students transition to one of the multiple programs involving technol-

Brian Basalla agrees that he, too, enjoys seeing the students in the morning and being able to serve them.

It is this social aspect of the cafe that per-haps prepares the students most for future jobs. They develop customer interaction skills that become key later.

Apart from customer interactions, the students also gain financial skills. Not only do they run the registers, they are also in charge of spending the profits. According to Marotta, the students go shopping together to buy food and sup-plies for picnics and it is up to them to figure out what they can or cannot afford.

The cafe offers a variety of breakfast op-tions, from granola bars and Pop Tarts to muffins and bagels, at prices students can afford. Almost all items are under a dollar. The cafe also offers a variety of drinks, like coffee and orange juice.

While Cafe Access provides students with their breakfast goodies, perhaps more significantly, it provides its workers with an invaluable array of skills. ∞


ogy, including computer-aided design and graphic arts, at the career center.

“We also are looking for partners in the community. Whether it is parents who work at related businesses or those who would like to volunteer time,” said Coyne.

Coleman also noted that the instructors for the Saturday classes are all “pros in their field and donate their time to the students.”

To see the class descriptions log on to cvccworks.edu, then view the Technology Workshops For Kids posting. ∞

Cafe Access continued

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I04 The Independence u10 Girls Travel Soccer Team wrapped up a successful season with 10 wins, two ties and no losses. They were both Ohio Travel Soccer League Champions and Ohio Travel Cup Champions for 2013. The team included (l-r): Maria Bellitto, Katie Pinjuh, Jordan Kohut, Alex Adams, Hannah MacRaild, Kelsey Buyansky, Hanna Wilson, Sophie George and Macy Mc-Namara. Coach Ryan MacRaild stands behind.

I08 Independence’s 12U Girls Emerald Necklace softball team won the Emerald Necklace tournament and placed second in the league’s overall standings. Front row (l-r): Erica Esper, Neenah Costanzo, Olivia Bilinovic, Sarah Piteo and Alexis Misconish; Second row: Angela Vitantonio, Katie Taliaferro, Ashley Caputo, Hanna Ben-nett, Lacey Palik, Jessica Massey, Abby Andryszczyk and Jenna Suhy; Third row: Coach Lou Vitantonio and Head Coach Mark Massey. Not pictured is team member Maddy Bilinovic.

12U Girls Emerald necklace is victorious in tournament

U10 girls travel soccer team goes undefeated

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Schools participate in fathers Walk 2013About 200 fathers recently walked their

children to Independence Primary School and Independence Middle School for the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative’s Fathers Walk 2013.

The annual event encourages fathers to walk their children to school as a means of involving them in their children’s education.

At Independence Middle School, once the fathers and children arrived in the building, they started their day together for a quick program in the auditorium, followed by coffee and doughnuts in the cafeteria. At Independence Primary School, dads were welcomed into the building and received a sticker and were treated to a granola bar. ∞

Thomas Walchanow-icz (center), interim recreation depart-ment director for Independence, walks his sons Joseph (left) and Victor (right) to Independence Primary School on in late September.

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High-tech,high-growthjobsofthefuture

byDr.CelenaRoebuckIndustries change, technologies change, economies

change – change is constant. Amid these changes, if you are making career decisions, observing some of the trends that shape the job market can help narrow your search. If you are looking for job security and growth, you will want to focus on the industries that are adding the most jobs in the coming decade.

The U.S. Department of Labor provides valuable infor-mation about careers with strong projected job growth. Almost all high-opportunity careers with strong future projections require a solid background in technology. Also, according to the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Job Outlook 2014 survey, employers look for team players who can solve problems, organize their work and communicate effectively.

Here are three careers that have promising futures:Networkingspecialist. Jobs in network systems are

among the occupations projected to grow most explo-sively by 2016. Today’s networking specialist integrates wireless devices (phones, laptop computers and pagers) into a company’s data structures. With new generations of networking hardware emerging every few years, this is a role that can never be delegated to overseas workers.Health information technology (HIT). Health infor-

mation technology has been an important emerging and developing career field in the health care industry since the HITECH Act became law in 2009. HIT professionals make it possible for health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of information. HIT includes using electronic records instead of paper ones. Engineers/engineeringtechnicians. Most engineer-

ing jobs are expected to grow at the rate of 10 percent over the next five years. Civil, computer-application and software engineers are particularly expected to enter a promising market. Engineering technicians, who assist en-gineers and scientists in solving technical problems, also will see an increase in demand. They have less respon-sibility than engineers and their work is more hands-on.

For a comprehensive list of Ohio’s high-wage, in-demand occupations based on employment projections from 2010-2020, visit the Buckeye Top Fifty (http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/file.asp?id=3579&type=application/pdf).

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Sponsored By

Roebuck is superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, which provides technical training to high school and adult students in over 20 career areas, including those listed above. (If you would like to see the pro-grams that CVCC offers in these areas, please attend our Student Information Night or contact me directly, 216-701-0686.)

Don’tskip theChristmascandy

byArleneJ.Coloma,D.D.S.,M.S.It is that holiday time of the year again! Candy canes,

gumdrops, chocolate Santas, and red and green gummy bears. Children are dreaming about sugar plums and fan-

tasizing about candy-filled gingerbread houses.

Parents may be frightened by the number of sweets their kids consume during the holidays, but a large con-sumption of candy itself is not enough to create new cavities.

Parents need to know that the fre-quency of consumption is far more important than the amount of sugar consumption. It is not how much candy children eat, but rather how often they eat treats that places them

at an increased risk for cavities. Children who snack frequently are at the greatest risk for

cavities, according to the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Every time they eat candy and other refined carbohydrates, bacteria in the mouth produces acid, which typically re-mains in the mouth for 20 minutes after eating.

If a child eats candy throughout the day, acid remains in the mouth for a long period of time. The longer that teeth spend in an acidic environment, the greater the risk they will develop cavities.

Let a child choose one or two pieces of candy after lunch or dinner because saliva production increases which helps wash away the acid in the mouth. Limit snacking to no more than three to four times per day. Finally, make sure children brush at least twice a day: once in the morning and once before bed.

Children wait all year for holiday treats, and parents need not worry about an increase in tooth decay from candy consumption during the holiday season. By practicing good oral hygiene and moderation, children can enjoy their candy.

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are located in Brecksville at 8869 Brecksville Road and in Strongsville at 15414 Pearl Road. Call 440-526-2350 in Brecksville or 440-878-1200 in Strongsville, or visit www.drcoloma.net. ∞


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Whatyoushouldconsider whenchoosingadoctorwhoisrightforyou

byBrandonBupp,D.C.Among the most crucial

steps in ensuring you lead the healthiest lifestyle pos-sible is to select an appropri-ate, qualified doctor. The key is to find a physician willing to enter into a cooperative re-lationship intended to closely monitor your health and offer innovative solutions to issues as they arise.

Several critical elements should be taken into con-sideration anytime you begin searching for a new physi-cian.

InsuranceIt may be the case that your choice

of doctors will be restricted by your health insurance carr ier. It is not uncommon for insurers to maintain contracts with particular groups or professional practices, and you will not be able to venture outside the insurer’s provider network without paying extra.

The role of a primary care doctor is to see to your medical needs in a global sense, as well as to provide appropriate referrals whenever you require the expertise of a specialist. The physicians comprising an insurer’s primary care network will have existing arrangements with the carrier. Using doctors outside the group can subject you to out-of-pocket expenses for amounts not covered by your policy.

There are, however, some insurance carriers that do not impose restrictions on physician choice. If you have this type of coverage, you only need look to the local newspaper or online adver-tisements in order to identify a number of experienced prospects.

Meeting your needsIt is usually wise to select a general

practitioner to serve as a primary care doctor. This could be a member of a family practice or an internal medicine doctor.

There are some circumstances, however, when it makes sense to select a doctor practicing within a particular specialty. For instance, a woman may feel most comfortable with a primary care physician who is

an obstetrician/gynecolo-gist (OB/GYN). Parents may prefer to have their children cared for by a pediatrician. Senior citi-zens may even decide to have a geriatric specialist serve as their pr imary care doctor.

Whichever type of doc-tor you choose, once you contact his or her office and determine whether it will accept you as a pa-tient, it is a wise to check with your insurance com-

pany and make sure that your visits will be covered.

Paying for medical care out of your own pocket can be a very expensive proposition.

Ask for referralsPerhaps the best way to find a new

doctor, however, is through referrals from friends, family and other trusted sources. Those who have had posi-tive experiences with their health care providers are generally eager to share their experiences.

Another useful source of physician referrals may be the local chapter of the American Medical Association or other professional physicians organi-zations in your area. Before you make your final decision, be sure to check with the state medical board to make sure the physician you have selected has a current license to practice. The licensing body will also be able to tell you whether the physician is facing any pending disciplinary actions or complaints.

Not every physician accepts new patients. Once you have narrowed your list of likely candidates, contact their offices to make sure that they are growing their practice by adding patients and that they accept the type of insurance you carry.

Under ideal circumstances, the very first visit you make to your new doctor will involve a routine physical exami-nation during which your new doctor will take a detailed patient history. It is sometimes the case, however, that insurance carriers decline payment for routine physical exams.

ConvenienceA significant factor in choosing a

doctor is convenience. You will want to make sure his or her office is easily accessible from either your home or your workplace. You should ensure that the physician you have chosen has admitting privileges at a hospital where you would feel comfortable in the event you need more substantial treatment. You should ask whether your chosen physician is able to per-form diagnostic tests and procedures in his or her own office, or if you will, instead, have to visit a separate facility when you need such services.

Finally, verify how long it typically takes to book an appointment. Not every one of your medical needs will require a same-day office visit, but when an emergency arises, you will want to know your new doctor has the ability to meet your needs.

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Brandon Bupp D.C. is co-owner of the Advanced Spine Joint and Wellness Center, located at 6900 Granger Road in Independence. For a free health as-sessment and consultation, please call 216-520-1220.

Perhaps the best way to find a new doctor, however, is through

referrals from friends, family and other

trusted sources. Those who have had positive experiences with their

health care providers are generally eager to share

their experiences.


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books will help bring garden delights to cold, wintry daysby Kathie vandevere

Books are among the most popular choices for holiday gifts not only because of their portability, but also because of the “snuggle value” of a good book by the fireplace on a wintry Ohio day.

The time in the garden reading about new and creative ways to appreciate nature inspires daydreams of spring walks and garden renovations. Three books in par-ticular inspire such feelings: The Trees in My Forest by Bernd Heinrich, Woods Walk by Henry Art and Bringing Nature Home, How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas Tallamy.

In his award winning book, Bernd Hein-rich quotes Mikael Gorbachev as saying: “The ‘ecologization’ of politics requires us to acknowledge the priority of human values and make ecology part of education at an early age, molding a new, modern approach to nature and, at the same time, giving back to man a sense of being part of nature. No moral improvement of society is possible without that.”

For that reason, Heinrich said this volume should be in the hands of every gardener, naturalist and parent of curious children. It is a walk in the woods with a poetic teacher and observer of natural his-

tory. Heinrich writes of teaching forestry at Vermont State university and of simple pleasures such as quietly padding through the woods on little cat feet, smelling the pine trees, searching out the mushrooms and seedlings, finding insects’ mast and butterfly cocoons. The illustrations are simple and direct, usable as an identifica-tion guide in the forest.

Heinrich describes an integrated forest as “an interdependent mix of species that grows best at all the different climatic conditions and aspects of drainage and soil that are unique to its space.” The variety of insects, fungi, birds and amphibians is outstanding. Consequently, the knowl-edge found here could help a homeowner restore his own landscape to a more diverse culture. The Trees in My Forest was pub-lished by Harper Collins Ecco books and is available at Amazon.com.

An informative and visual field guide for the youngest nature enthusiasts is Woods Walk. This children’s book brings to life what Gorbachev declares above: “make ecology part of education at an early age.” Woods Walk was written by Michael Robbins and Henry Art, the director of Williams College Center for Environmental Studies and the director of the Hopkins Memorial Forest.

Their prose excites the reader about spring in the forest. What is that smell? What is that green plant when everything else is turning colors? Through simple descriptions, photos and drawings, this field guide encourages children to use all their senses, even the sense of discovery to experience nature. Fun for winter days spent exploring outdoors, authors Art and Robbins provide an educational gift of expeditions into the wild for a child who can read or who enjoys being read to. Woods Walk is available at Amazon.com.

Dr. Doug Tallamy was recently in Ohio sharing his love and appreciation of nature as an entomologist – a zoologist who focuses on insects. With the publication of Bring-ing Nature Home, he has created a dialogue regarding the relationship between healthy local ecosystems and human well-being.

Tallamy instructs on the unbreakable link between native plant species and na-tive wildlife: Native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When invasive plant species take over the space of native plants, the insects that need those plants for food and reproductive activities disappear. Thus, the life chain is broken: Less food (insects and caterpillars, the base of our ecological system) is produced for the birds and other animals. In fact, in some areas of the world environmental devastation has become so great that the existence of some species is moving toward extinction.

What is causing these extinctions? Ac-cording to Tallamy, it’s the loss of habitat as a result of various types of development, examples of which include Haiti, where the trees were cut for fuel and home build-ing, and local areas, where acres of farms are devoted to single crops.

Tallamy uses photographs to help illus-trate how every homeowner can increase the number of birds and bird visitations by simply planting more native plants: trees, shrubs and perennials instead of grass. The lists of landscape plants that benefit the environment is extensive and one is sure to find some that will enhance their home or garden. Readers of Bringing Nature Home can design their garden based on the native plant lists in Tallamy’s book doing themselves and their own personal habitat a favor, and showing a little holiday spirit by giving back to the Ohio environment. ∞

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PoliceBeat

Sept. 27 – Police responded to a break-in at a Rockside Road gas station. The station manager reported that cash, keys and 257 packs of cigarettes were among the items stolen.

Oct. 1 – A guest at a Brecksville Road hotel notified a clerk about a domestic dispute in a room; while the clerk inves-tigated, the guest reportedly stole $300 from the desk.

Oct. 3 – Residents at a Firewood Circle home reported $2,000 worth of items stolen from their garage.

Oct. 4 – Residents at a separate Fire-wood Circle home reported a stolen vehicle, while another Firewood home had been broken into, with thousands of dollars worth of items missing.

Oct. 5 – A Rockside Road hotel em-ployee reported a radio was stolen from his vehicle in the hotel parking lot.

A Cleveland resident was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVI) on I-77 northbound.

Oct. 6 – A Brecksville Road resident reported four juveniles attempted to break into his vehicle, although they fled before any damage occurred.

Police responded to an intoxicated Parma Heights man in a Brecksville Road restaurant parking lot. The man had been reported missing and was returned to his family.

Oct. 7 – Police arrested a Cleveland resi-dent who was operating a vehicle stolen from a Tanglewood Drive home; she also had a crack pipe.

An Elmarge Drive resident reported two bicycles stolen from his garage.

An Akron resident and a Tallmadge resident reported separate thefts from their vehicles in the same Quarry Lane restaurant parking lot.

Oct. 8 – A Brecksville Road bank re-ported that an East Cleveland resident who opened an account online deposited a bad check.

Oct. 9 – Police arrested a Poplar Drive resident for OVI after finding her vehicle stuck on a barrier in a Brecksville Road business parking lot.

A Poplar Drive resident reported that an acquaintance had been stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from her home over a period of several months.

Oct. 10 – Police responded to an ac-cident on I-77 northbound; a number of those involved did not possess legal u.S. identification.

Oct. 12 – Police responded to a Colum-bus woman who reported being raped by a Winnipeg, Manitoba, man at a Rockside Road hotel.

Oct. 14 – A domestic dispute between two Garfield Heights residents involving a stolen tablet ended in an arrest at a Brecksville Road hotel.

Oct. 15 – Police arrested a Cleveland man at a Rockside Road business who aggressively demanded a paycheck.

Oct. 16 – Police arrested a Westland, Mich., man who was intoxicated and insulting police officers in a Rockside Road hotel lobby.

Oct. 17 – A Brookside Road resident reported a burglary from her home; the house had been burgled previously within the last two years.

Oct. 18 – For the second time in half a year, a dog owned by Maple Heights residents bit a person in a Quarry Lane hotel.

Police responded to an accident on Brecksville Road and brought the driver, a Brookside Road resident, to the hospital

after he may have overdosed on prescrip-tion pills.

Oct. 19 – After responding to a hotel eviction on Rockside Woods Boulevard, police found that their vehicle had been doused in soda and that someone had stood on top of it.

Oct. 21 – A Grandview Drive couple returned home to find a stranger leaving the home. Nothing was reportedly out of place inside, and the stranger fled.

Oct. 25 – A Canal Fulton resident re-ported that over $1,000 worth of items was stolen from his vehicle at a Quarry Lane restaurant parking lot.

Oct. 26 – Police responded to a tip that a Columbia Station vehicle-theft suspect was in a Quarry Lane hotel room. After the man escaped through a window, po-lice chased him on foot; he also possessed heroin.

Oct. 27 – A Mantua resident reported that over $2,000 worth of items was stolen from a vehicle in a Jefferson Drive hotel parking lot.

Oct. 31 – Police responded to a report of a broken window on a rental vehicle at a West Creek Road hotel parking lot.

Oct. 31 – Police arrested a Manassas Park, Va., man for OVI on Rockside Road after his vehicle almost hit a police vehicle.

Police conducted seven warrant pick-ups in the month of October. ∞

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Real Estate & Employment

Unclassified ads must be prepaid. They should be received by the 5th of the month at Independence Today, 4300 Streetsboro Rd., Richfield, OH 44286. Include 50¢ per word.

Condo Rental: Benita Springs, Fla., two-bedroom with den, available February-December, two-month mini-mum, tennis, bocci, lap pool, Coconut Point shopping, 440-526-8278.Office Space: 800 sq. ft. office plus 200 sq. ft. workroom with counters. Rich-field, on Rt. 303, near I-77, I-271 & I-80. Reasonable rent. Newer building. Call to see, 330-659-0303.

Organizations: We are happy to print your articles. We ask only that they be typed, with a limit of 250 words, and submitted by the 5th of each month. They may be emailed to news@scriptype. com or mailed to our office.

CLubs & ChurChes l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Adult Catholic Education Our Savior Christ: Reflections on the

Christian Mystery of Salvation will be presented 7-9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at St. Victor church, 3435 Everett Road, Richfield, by Joan Nuth, Ph. D., associate professor of theology at John Carroll University.

Nuth is also director of the Ignatian Spirituality Institute, a training program for spiritual directors. She is the author of two books: Wisdom’s Daughter: The Theology of Julian of Norwich and God’s Lovers in an Age of Anxiety: The Medieval English Mystics.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Free-will offerings will be ac-cepted. For more information, call 330-659-6591. ∞

Cuyahoga Valley Republicans The Cuyahoga Valley Republicans, (CVR)

has extended an invitation to their 2013 Holiday Meet and Greet Gathering at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the Brecksville Community Center, One Community Dr., in Brecksville.

There is no cost to attend. “Tailgate Party-” style main courses and beverages are provided by the CVR. Guests are asked to bring finger food appetizers or desserts.

The CVR is a 700-member grassroots organization and part of the Ohio Liberty Coalition. The public is always welcome to attend. Special guests to be announced. Visit cv-gop.com for more information. ∞

Cuyahoga Valley Genealogy Society

The Cuyahoga Valley Genealogy Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2. Members and interested public are invited to attend at the Inde-pendence Civic Center in the Willow Room, 6363 Selig Blvd., Independence.

Jean Hoffman will speak on “Using For-eign Language Newspapers for Geneal-ogy Research.” She will offer insights into what might be found in the many foreign language newspapers published for past immigrants to communicate.

All are welcome. Those attending are asked to bring a canned good to donate and a favorite baked item to share. Coffee and refreshments will be served. For more information, call President Mary Boehn-lein, 440-736-7180. ∞

Triune Lutheran Church4810 W. Mill Rd., Broadview Hts., 440-526-3676. triunelutheran.org. Sunday Worship 11 a.m. Saturday 5 p.m. Praise Service with live music, multi- generational, relaxed and casual. Come learn, renew & rejuvenate in Christian Worship. Wheelchair accessible. Hall for rent. We Welcome – We Worship – We Witness

Independence Presbyterian Church6624 Public Square (west off Brecksville Road), 216-524-6307, ipcusa.org. Worship for all ages: 10:30 a.m. Sunday school for adults: 9:15 a.m.; for children preschool-6th grade: after Children’s Chat to 11:30 a.m. We are family-centered, community-concerned, focused on faith, outreach, world needs. Leroy Ford, Pastor [email protected]

Area Churches Welcomes You

Kiwanis Club of IndependenceDeborah J. Nicastro was installed as pres-

ident of the Kiwanis Club of Independence during the club’s installation banquet on Sept. 23, at the Independence Civic Center. Also installed were President-elect Necia Spilker, Treasurer John Young and Secre-tary Edith Schilla. Donna Agan, Howard Benes, John Brunovsky, Gil Freilino, James Hudak, William Morrison, Chuck Schilla and Past President Anthony Togliatti will serve on the board of directors. The eve-ning recognized Gil Freilino as “Kiwanian of the Year” for his contributions to the club. William Morrison was recognized with “George F. Hixson Fellowship” for his contributions in the Objects of Kiwanis.

During the 2012-2013 year, club activities have included service projects such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Fishing Derby, Passport to Fishing and Santa Delivery. The club also sponsors the IHS Key Club, the IMS and St. Michael Builders Club and the IPS and St. Michael K-Kids. The club recently formed the Independence Kiwanis Foundation Inc., which holds an annual golf outing, two garage sales and a 300 Club Raffle.

The club has dinner meetings on the second and fourth Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Concordia Lutheran Church on Brecksville Road. For more information, contact Nicastro at 216-236-8772 or visit independencekiwanis.com. ∞

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Country BargainsCountry Bargains are $8

Country Bargain ads are $8 and will be printed in the Independence Today and ScripType magazines of Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Sagamore Hills, Richfield, Hinckley, Bath, Hudson and Twinsburg for a total circulation of 58,800. Listings are limited to 20 words and residents, not businesses or paid services. We must receive these by the 5th of the month. Please mail to: Country Bargains, c/o ScripType Publishing, 4300 Streetsboro Rd., Richfield 44286.

Country Bargains are $8

ForSale: Nascar jackets, #3 and #24, winter, never worn, $75 each; Welso treadmill and exercise bike, $75 each, 216-328-8552.ForSale: Miller Lite neon sign, four colors, two settings, 32" diameter, $150; also have Bud sign, 216-644-0574.ForSale: Crown Hill Cemetery lot, beautiful plot overlooking swans on lake, will sell below present market price, asking $1,500, 330-608-4498.ForSale: Sears Craftsman riding mower, $300; antique butcher block, $400; Craftsman radial arm saw, $300; bottle corker, $10; 330-666-2791.ForSale: dining table, 6 chairs, hutch, bookcase, $275; headboard, $30; 43" TV, $100; great dane cage, $50; Gazelle exerciser, $35, 330-225-8219.ForSale: Canon EOS Rebel XT 350D camera, ex-cellent condition, camera case, compact flash card included, $375, 330-278-2486.ForSale: Sears X-CARGO luggage carrier, 50"L, 34"W, 18"H, excellent condition, $75; multiple elegant light fixtures/chandeliers, make offer, 330-278-2486.ForSale: vintage two-story, tin dollhouse, great con-dition, w/inside & outside walls painted & decorated as originally, $50 OBO, 216-789-8600.ForSale: Malibu Pilates MP Pro-Chair, HHB's, DVD, new poster, mat, paid $280, sacrifice for $150, new, never opened, 440-526-8278.ForSale: NuWave Precision Induction cooktop, $70; fondue pan, $15; cast iron grill/griddle, $15 each, like new in original boxes, 440-526-8278.ForSale: Nikon 17-55 F2.8 zoom lens, excellent condition, $800, paid $1,400 new, 330-666-5706 or 330-801-5607, Matt.ForSale: Sears Craftsman 10-inch radial arm saw on cabinet w/drawers, $450; lighted Santa in sleigh w/reindeer mounted on 2x4, $75, 440-237-8823.ForSale: college beer glasses collection; 2 table lamps, $25; 2 leather jackets, his/hers, $35 each; 2 maple end tables, $25 each, 216-524-4709.ForSale: Pro-Form 590 LS Crosswalk treadmill, excellent condition, new $695, now $150, user's manual included, 330-666-1458.ForSale: Chevy Silverado 2001 4x4 w/Western plow, Rhino liner, Ziebart undercoating, 110,000 miles, good condition, well maintained, $8,500, 440-237-8823.Free: beautiful 10-foot artificial Christmas tree, great for church, school, business, excellent condition, 330-618-2675.ForSale: sofa and chair living room set, burgundy floral print, beige background, great condition, $500, 330-812-0700.ForSale: 2011 KIA Forte EX, excellent condition, 42,000 miles, new tires, moon roof, priced below book value at $9,950, 440-838-5272.ForSale: 4 office desks w/returns for computers, cherry veneer, very good condition, $300 each or make offer, 216-538-1920 or 440-838-1958.ForSale: Collectible 18" American Girl dolls, Eliza-beth, Molly, Samantha, Felicity, Josefina & Addy. Doll beds, beautiful doll clothes, 330-225-4440.ForSale: above-stove GE microwave, $65; Mag-navox speakers, $15; large diameter Xmas tree stand, $15; Stroh's, Blatz elec. beer signs, 440-526-8358.ForSale: B.K. Settergren baby grand piano, ap-praised value, $1,800, excellent condition, make offer, 330-666-3838.ForSale: old western trap, throws doubles, very good condition, mounted on wheels, 440-526-7852.ForSale:snow plow for tractor, never used, 330-467-8726.ForSale: seasoned firewood, split for easy burning, will deliver, hand stacked in 8-foot bed, call Joann, 440-552-4962.Wanted: collector buying watchmaker's tools, watch books, watch parts, old wrist & pocket watches, watch collections, no quartz (battery), 330-416-0336.Wanted: Brecksville collector buying antiques, col-

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Woody, 330-819-3274.Wanted: toy trains, model railroad enthusiast interested in purchasing trains for collection, call 330-310-1016.Wanted: buying cars/trucks in need of mechanical repairs. All others considered, call 330-523-0154, leave message.

lectibles, decor, one piece or entire basmt/attic, top prices paid, clear the clutter, Frank: 216-403-5884.Wanted: fishing tackle, boxes, lures, rods, reels; any fishing equipment; outboard motors, call Bill, 330-819-1115.Wanted: gun collector wants to buy hand guns, rifles and shotguns. All brands any condition. Please call


To Place a Listing in the Service Directory Call 330-659-0303

electRicalTIM'S CUSTOM ELECTRIC, INC.Residential & light commercial Remodeling, basements, generators, panel upgrades, landscape lighting. Richfield resident, Lic. #37393, 440-785-0862

FUNeRal HOMeVODRAzKA FUNERAL HOME6505 Brecksville RoadIndependence 216-524-3900

FORTUNA FUNERAL HOME7076 Brecksville Road, Independence 1/2-mile north of Pleasant Valley Road. 216-520-7335

HOMe iMPROveMeNtCORNWELL REMODELINGKitchens, baths, additions, basements, carpentry, windows, doors and painting. More than 20 years experience. Free estimates. Mike, 330-819-4942

asPHalt PaviNgMID OHIO ASPHALT & CONCRETEFree Estimates. Reasonable PricesSeal Coating, Driveways, Parking LotsPatching & Concrete. Licensed-Bonded-Insured 330-467-1378 or 330-963-4165

BUCKEYE SURFACE MAINTENANCEAsphalt, seal coating, crack filling, line striping. Parking lots/driveways. Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Angie's List. Free estimate 216-328-1322

cONcRete WORkSAL’S CONCRETE CO. 440-746-9788All Types of Concrete Work. Color Stamped Concrete, Driveways, Walks, Patios, Parking Lots. A+ BBB Member. No Subcontractors. Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Sals-Landscaping.com

Decks aND PatiOsCUSTOM DECKS BY KLASSIC 330-468-3476Wood or low maintenance materials available. Free in-home estimates. Attention to finished details. Licensed, bonded, insured. BBB members. Visit us online www.klassicdecks.com

SERVICE DIRECTORYkitcHeN & BatH sHOWROOMsFREEDOM DESIGN KITCHEN & BATH2483 Front St. Cuyahoga Falls • 330-929-1705 4944 NEO Parkway, Garfield • 216-587-7010 11683 Royalton Rd, N. Royalton • 440-877-9464 www.freedomdesignllc.com

INDEPENDENCE KITCHEN AND BATHFather-Daughter Team. 6485 Brecksville Rd., Independence Licensed plumber & electrician #28039. 40 years exp. No subcontractors. [email protected] or 216-789-5362. www.independenceplumbing.net

laNDscaPiNgROSA LANDSCAPING, INC. 216-328-8922Independence resident. Owner always on site. Member of Ohio Landscape Association since 1986. Commercial/Residential. www.rosalandscaping.com

PaiNtiNg/staiNiNg/WallPaPeRiNgSHOWCASE PAINTING & DECORATING INC.Painting & staining. Water damage & drywall repair. Wall coverings. 2-story foyers. Power washing. 32 years experience. Handyman repairs. Insured. Senior discounts. 440-877-1009

PlUMBiNgBRECKSVILLE PLUMBING - 8584 Riverview Master plumbers since 1942. We can fix any plumbing or drain problem. Senior 10% discount. Support your local business. Call Jim 440-526-7039

INDEPENDENCE PLUMBING Father-Daughter Team. You call... we come. 40 years exp. 6485 Brecksville Rd., Independence. License #28039 216-789-7544 or [email protected] www.independenceplumbing.net

ROOFiNgM.R. PLANK ROOFINGFamily owned & operated. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. Financing available.330-929-1785 or 1-800-457-8209

D&D ROOFINGCertainteed Master Shingle Applicatorand Shingle Quality Specialist.Angie's List - BBB AccreditedLicensed - Bonded - Insured. 216-986-1986

stORage sPace/U-HaUl ReNtalsBROADVIEW MINI STORAGE BROADVIEW U-HAUL 440-546-1000Inside and outside storageLocal and one-way truck and trailer rentals.Behind Broadview Hts. Post Office off Rt. 82.

tRee seRviceRICE'S LANDSCAPINGTree & shrub removal, brush chipping, lawn maintenance. In service for 24 years, Fully Insured. 440-582-7669.

WateRPROOFiNgDILIBERTO & SONS INC.Basement waterproofing, drain tile, foundation repairs, concrete work. Since 1986. Lifetime guarantee. Free estimates. Licensed, bonded, insured. 440-888-9180

WiNDOWs/DOORsWEATHERSEALWindows, Doors, Siding, Roofing. High quality, low prices. Windows starting at $159 installed. 330-920-4494

Action Plumbing ............................................ 27Advanced Spine ...................................... 19, 35Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. ................... 7Angies Pizza/Independence ............................. 23Aqua Clear .................................................... 28Ardent Piano ................................................. 14Asseff, Dr. ......................................... Back CoverBella Toccare .................................................. 26Bilski, Thomas M. DDS ......... Inside Front CoverBrandon, Edward S. DDS ............................ 12Brecksville Center of the Arts ............................ 2Brecksville Dermatology ................................. 18Broadview Heating .......................................... 4Broadview Mini Storage ................................ 27Caterina’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts ...................... 6Chippewa Place ............................................. 40Cleveland Clinic ............................................ 22Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty/DiBiase ........... 9Coloma, Arlene J. DDS MS ..................... 11, 34Covenant Books & Gifts ................................. 31Crafty Ewe ..................................................... 32Creekside Restaurant ...................................... 21Cuyahoga Valley Career Center....................... 34Davis, Sarah, DDS ........................................ 39Dermatology Partners .................................... 25Edible Arrangements ...................................... 15

Fortuna Funeral Home .................................. 33Giggles and Grins (Rebecca Kucera, DDS) ........ 8Haely Family Chiropractic ............................. 24Halpert, Jeffrey A. DPM................................. 39Heavenly Ham - Independence ......................... 8Howard Hanna/Brecksville ...................... 16, 17Huntington Learning Center .......................... 33Independence Coin & Collectibles, LLC .......... 38Independence Flowers & Gifts .......................... 2Jeff’s Computer Consulting ............................. 25Keller Williams/Weseloh ................................. 13Kozlowski, Mark DDS ................................... 36Lisco Heating & Cooling ................................ 20Petros Homes .......................... Inside Back CoverPine Tree Barn ............................................... 29Pleasant Valley Travel..................................... 14Raley’s ............................................................ 12Realty Store, The .............................................. 5ScripType Publishing ...................................... 25South Hills Hardware .................................... 24St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church ...................... 10Stage House Vision Center .............................. 29Tinker’s Creek Tavern .................................... 18UPS Store - Parma......................................... 30Vodrazka Funeral Home ................................ 28Yours Truly Restaurant ................................... 32

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Advanced Eye Care Centers of Cleveland6595 Brecksville Road • Independence • 216-520-2045

www.drasseff.com

Dr. Carl Asseff stands next to a portrait given to him by one of his grateful patients. –Photo by E. Henry

Essential Health Benefits Primer – Routine Vision Care Amy Asseff, Billing Manager, Advanced

Eye Care Centers of Cleveland, Inc.One of the Essential Health Benefits

(“EHB”) now mandatory for all new health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act is routine vision care. This means all children and adults will have coverage for one routine eye exam per year. However, not all eye care is “routine vision care.” Eye care coverage can be either medical or rou-tine. It all depends on what problems are being treated.

What is the difference between routine vision coverage and medical coverage? Doesn’t “vision coverage” just mean eye care?

The quick answer is no. The eye is an organ that is just as suscep-

tible to disease as the heart or liver. Diseases such as diabetes and hypertension can have a detrimental effect on your vision by dam-aging the structures of the eyes. However, not everyone has medical conditions that affect the eyes. Thus, unlike many other body areas, eye care is separated by insur-ance companies into two parts: routine vi-

sion coverage, which pays for vision exams, screen-ing for disease, and some-times eyeglasses or contact lenses; and medical cover-age, which pays for treat-ment of diseases of the eye itself, such as glaucoma, or diseases which affect eye health, such a diabetes.

Whether your exam will be billed as routine or medical depends on your chief complaint, which is your self-reporting of any problems you have experi-enced or your health his-tory, and your diagnosis, or the findings of the eye care provider.

If you are 40 years old with no medical history of eye disease and no present complaints, and you make an appointment to get new glasses, your visit will most likely be billed as routine eye care. However, even if you don’t have any com-plaints, but your eye care provider finds a medical problem that she or he must fur-ther evaluate, your visit may be billed under your medical care policy. This is especially true if your provider must write you a pre-scription for medication, perform addition-al tests, or schedule follow-up care.

If you arrive for your yearly routine vi-sion exam, but report problems such as pain, seeing floaters or flashing in your field of vision, allergies, redness, swelling, or headaches, your eye care provider will need to evaluate these complaints and determine the cause. This will not be billed as routine vision care because of your complaints. Any kind of eye injury or eye infection will also be billed as medical.

The older you are, the more likely it is that your visit will be billed under your medical policy. As we age, our eyes change and sometimes develop diseases or condi-tions that require medical care. Likewise, if you have a condition such as diabetes, for which you should see an eye care provider regularly, your visit will be billed under

your medical policy. Finally, it’s important to know who issues

payment for your routine vision care and to contact that insurer directly to determine if your eye care provider is in its network of providers. Just because routine vision care is an EHB does not mean that your medi-cal coverage will pay for the visit. Several major insurers, such as United Healthcare and Anthem, subcontract their vision cov-erage to another company with its own network of providers that is not necessarily the same network. United Healthcare uses Spectera for its vision claims, and Anthem Blue View Vision uses EyeMed.

Before you schedule your appointment, make sure to find out if your provider is in the vision coverage network, as this may not be the same as the medical eye care network. You may have to make a second phone call to get this info, as you will be calling the vision care provider. Always ask where vision exam claims are sent. This will give you a sense of who is paying for your vision claim. If your vision provider is not in your vision care network, you will be fi-nancially responsible for your visit, regard-less of the coverage under your vision plan. It’s better to find this out before you are seen, rather than after.

a historic holiday season begins - scriptype … historic holiday season begins. ineenene ta eeme...

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