December 2014
Established in 1836
Message from Mayor Cyril Kleem
Winter arrived a bit early this year. The city
plows and salt trucks hit
the
streets
before
Thanksgiving in what
promises to be another
long, snowy season.
With that in mind, I’d
like to remind drivers to
be especially careful
when snowplows are on
the roads. Those trucks
are huge. They carry 3 tons of salt and that snow
plow blade is 10 feet across. Spray from the salt
and snow can blur vision if drivers are following
too closely or trying to pass. Please drive slowly,
make sure wipers blades are operable and tires
have sufficient tread and are properly inflated.
Couple that with caution around vehicles that are
plowing our streets and we should have a safe
and enjoyable winter.
Winter, which doesn’t officially begin until Dec.
21, is also welcomed with Berea’s annual Jack
Frost Festival of Lights – this year on Saturday,
Dec. 6. The parade steps off from the Municipal
Parking lot behind City Hall at 5 p.m. Remember, you must be pre-registered to take part in the
parade. The spectacular tree-lighting and fireworks display on the Triangle will follow around
6 p.m. New this year is an “iceless” ice rink in
McKelvey Park. Santa will be on hand and there
will be rides on the Ferris Wheel and Merry-GoRound plus hot chocolate and cookies. All of this
is free and family-friendly.
For more information, see this issue of The Berean or visit the City Web site, cityofberea.org. I
look forward to seeing you as Berea kicks off its
own Winter Wonderland at the Jack Frost Festival.
Have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and a Happy New Year!
Work begins on Coe Lake renovations
Crews have begun planting trees and removing
the pavilion at Coe Lake.
ProTouch Groundscapes of Seven Hills is
planting 76 additional trees and will be improving the trails. Stone blocks will be moved
along the shoreline near the pergola to create a
breakwall-like feature that will help prevent
erosion, said City Engineer Tony Armagno.
Several nodes, jutting out into the water, also
will be built along the shoreline so visitors can
more easily fish, sit and relax and otherwise
enjoy the Coe Lake area.
The trees are expected to be installed before
the end of the year. In the spring, ProTouch
will plant perennials such as sweet bay magnolia, service berry, red cardinal flame, ostrich
ferns, walker’s catmint plus 600 smooth solomon’s seals to add color and stabilize the
ground. Sweet spire shrubs also will be planted.
“This will help prevent erosion and add some
color to the area,” Armagno said.
The pavilion at the Lou Groza Baseball Fields
off Woodmere Drive has been demolished.
Zerbe Construction of Mentor is the contractor
for the Lou Groza Pavilion Project.
A new pavilion for the Coe Lake area is currently
being designed. It will have enhanced features
and will be able to accommodate larger events
and several events at the same time. The pavilion
will be nestled in the woods and will include a
fireplace.
Purchase this beautiful 3-inch brass ornament with a picture of the
Lindsay-Crossman Chapel of Baldwin Wallace University as the
centerpiece drawn by Mayor Cyril Kleem. With every ornament
purchased, receive a signed 5x7 print of the original drawing.
Proceeds to benefit SCAN, Berea Community Outreach and
All Pro Dad from Grindstone Elementary School.
Like us on Facebook to stay
updated on Berea’s community
news and events.
Items can be pre-ordered by calling
Megan Pochatek at (440) 891-3316
or [email protected].
Items will also be available for
purchase at the Recreation Center
or City Hall after Nov. 17.
Our page name is:
City of Berea, Ohio
Check or cash purchases only.
Visit our website
www.cityofberea.org
The pavilion at Coe Lake also will be taken down
and reutilized at Groza Field. The Kiwanis sign
also will be relocated to Groza. The Groza pavilion should be completed by the time baseball season begins in the spring, Armagno said. As the
Coe Lake pavilion is dismantled, only the concrete slab will remain until a new pavilion is
built.
Make checks payable to:
City of Berea
Monthly Berean
Nominations sought for
Grindstone Award
The Berea Chamber of Commerce is accepting
nominations for its annual Grindstone Award,
given to an outstanding Berea citizen.
Nominations are due by Feb. 16, 2015. The
Grindstone Award will be presented during a
banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on April 21.
Chamber of Commerce members, local organizations, churches and residents are invited to
submit nominations. The individual should be
someone who has contributed significantly to
the quality of life of the community through outstanding achievements, service to or support of
residents in a way that has “made a difference.”
Nominations should be sent to the Berea Chamber of Commerce, 173 Front St., Berea, OH
44017 and should include a summary of the
nominee’s accomplishments. For more information, call the Chamber at (440) 243-8415.
TOYS FOR TOTS
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s
Annual toy collection for needy children
Drop off NEW, UNWRAPPED gifts at:
State Farm Insurance
Ryan Devins, Agent
529 Front St.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday-Friday
By Dec. 14
For more information, call (440) 243-7926
Visit www.ryandevins.com
e-mail [email protected]
Page 2
Robbie Robinson honored for military service
World War II Army veteran Robbie Robertson
has been honored with the Col. William H. Beyer Commendation for Outstanding Military Service.
City Council presents the award twice a year at
meetings held near Memorial Day and Veterans’
Day. The award is named for the late Bill Beyer,
a Berea businessman and Marine Corps veteran
who was the first recipient of the award earlier
this year.
Robinson received the Beyer Commendation at
a City Council meeting on Nov. 17.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,”
Robinson told Council. “I accept it on behalf of
the 16 million men and women who recognized
in 1941 that there was a job to do and they did
it.”
Robinson said he also wanted to dedicate the
award “in memory of the 400,000 Americans
who gave their lives to preserve the freedoms
that we have.”
Robbie Robertson enlisted in the Army in December 1942 and was a member of the 8th Armored Division, Ninth Army. He was stationed
in England. Robertson’s job was to install telephone communication networks that helped direct artillery fire. He took part in major cam-
Mayor Cyril Kleem
Linda G. Kramer, editor
Megan Pochatek, design editor
To submit information, contact:
[email protected]
(440) 891-3316
Please submit stories and information
by the 10th of every month.
Born in Michigan, he graduated from Michigan
State University with a degree in chemical engineering and worked at Union Carbide for many
years. He has been very active in the community, as a lay minister at the United Methodist
Church of Berea and as a volunteer with the
American Field Service foreign student exchange program at Berea High School. He also
is a member of American Legion Post 91. In
1997, Robertson received the Grindstone Award,
given to outstanding Berea residents by the Berea Chamber of Commerce.
Sports Shorts
BMHS football team is conference champ
The Berea-Midpark High School football team is
the Southwestern Conference champion for
2014.
Only in their second year since the merger of
Berea and Midpark high schools, the Titans went
8-2 in the regular season and 6-0 in the conference. The team was ranked fifth in Division I,
Region I. Unfortunately, in their play-off game
at Finnie Stadium on Nov. 7, the Titans lost to
Canton Glen Oak to end their season.
The Monthly Berean is published
monthly by the City of Berea and is distributed to residents, organizations and
businesses in Berea.
paigns in the Rhineland, Central Europe and The
Ardennes, The Battle of the Bulge.
During the season, Matt Owens was named
cleveland.com player of the week and Justin
Harris was named STO player of the game.
Quarterback Nick Gassman, a junior, was selected as the Southwestern Conference Football
Most Valuable Player.
The team included 75 players, 11 coaches, four
equipment managers, two trainers and one water
girl.
Coach Ray Hradek said he is frequently asked
about the merger of the two schools and how that
affected sports. “It’s been seamless,” he said. “It
was great to get back together. How effective
that can be is proved by the championship.”
Hradek was named Football Coach of the Year
for the Southwestern Conference.
Berea City Council honored the team with a resolution naming Nov. 7 as Titans Day in Berea.
Boys’ soccer is No. 1
The Berea-Midpark High School boys’ soccer
team repeated as Southwestern Conference
champions this season. The team was No. 1 in
the conference last year in its first year. The
team was undefeated this year in conference
play and 12-5-1 overall. The Titans finished the
season with a 10-game winning streak. Coach
Steve Blatnica was named Southwestern Conference Soccer Coach of the Year.
Lady Titan finishes 2nd in state
Lindsey Scarton, a sophomore at Berea-Midpark
High School, finished second in the state Division 1 Cross Country Girls’ Championship with
a time of 18:14. That’s a personal best for Lindsey, who shaved 33 seconds off her previous
record.
Lou Groza teams win titles
Congratulations to both of our Lou Groza Football 8u Bantam Division teams and our 9u JV
Division team for making it to the NOYFC
Championships. 8u LGF Brown edged out 8u
LGF White 7-0 to become champions, and 9u
LGF Brown beat Medina in overtime 12-6 to
also become champions.
Monthly Berean
At the Library
Music, puppets welcome the
holidays
Get in the holiday mood with Music of the Season by Consortium Musica, a musical group that
plays the recorder, a woodwind related to the
flute and piccolo. The performance is 1:30 p.m.,
Sunday, Dec. 7.
A Holiday Puppet Show will be presented by
Nancy Sander at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 8. Both
of these shows are appropriate for the family.
Reservations are requested for all adult programs. Register at www.cuyahogalibrary.org or
call (440) 234-5475.
Tween Time Tuesdays: The program includes a
variety of activities plus light refreshments and
some service opportunities for students in grades
4-6. A parent/guardian must sign a release form
before the program. Registration is required. 7
p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 9.
From the Page to the Stage: Movement, singing, musical instruments and children’s literature
come to life in song. Through gesture, movement and song, children in kindergarten through
3rd grade will learn how music, words, pictures
and movement can work together to tell a story.
7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Builder’s Club: Club members will construct
with LEGO bricks once a month. For grades 4-8.
Registration is required. 10:30 a.m., Saturday,
Dec. 13.
Jazz for All Ages: The Biasella Trio will take
listeners on a musical journey through America’s jazz history from swing to Latin to blues
and ballads. 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18.
Robotix Blox: Students ages 11-18 can build
and program a robot to free the dwarves from
trolls, escape the goblins, defeat Smaug and
complete Bilbo’s quest in Tolkien’s classic “The
Hobbit.” Space is limited. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Kiwanis Pancake Festival
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 7
All-you-can-eat Bob Evans pancakes
Sausage –syrup – beverages
Visits with Santa & Mrs. Claus
Photos – face-painting – crafts
Music by Marlynda
$7 per person
No charge for children 5 and younger
Tickets at the door
Or call (440) 238-8351
Berea-Midpark High School cafeteria
Page 3
Training to become the ‘ironlady’
of the Ironman
Beth Darmstadter of Berea is giving herself an
unusual birthday present. She’s training for her
first full Ironman competition next August.
Darmstadter, who will turn 50 next year, said she
had promised herself to do something special on
her 40th birthday, such as run a marathon. “Well,
40 came and went. That’s when I decided to start
training,” she said.
So far, she’s completed two half Ironmans. In
June, she placed second in her age category. In
July, she came in seventh. She’s also run the
Olympic Distance Nationals in Milwaukee, a half
marathon and is the five-time winner of the stair
climb race at the Terminal Tower in downtown
Cleveland. She’s also a member of a bike racing
team.
The Ironman is a grueling competition that combines a 2.4-mile open water swim, a 112-mile
bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. That all adds up to
about 140 miles plus. She figures it will take her
13-15 hours to complete. Transition time between events is only a matter of minutes – 2 to 4
at the most, Darmstadter said.
She said she got hooked on fitness as a child. “I
watched the Ironman on TV as a teenager,” she
said. “It’s a crazy endurance sport.” She knew
she wanted to try it someday. “But you put those
dreams away,” she said. She went on to college,
earning a degree in public health at the University of Michigan and master’s at San Diego State.
She spent 12 years in fundraising at the Cleveland Foundation and now heads up fundraising
for The Gathering Place, a non-profit that provides free support to cancer patients and their
families. She first encountered The Gathering
Place as a client. Her husband passed away from
cancer 12 years ago. Now she is responsible for
raising around $2.5 million a year for the organization.
While working for The Gathering Place helps her
give back to the community, working out is
something she does for herself. In good weather,
she trains outdoors going on long bike rides,
swimming in Lake Erie. When weather is particularly bad, she heads for the Berea Recreation
Center where she does some weight training, hits
the treadmill and takes Spinning classes.
She has registered for the Ironman in Ontario,
Canada, which is set for Aug. 30. Formal training will start in January. Darmstadter said she’ll
begin with 7-10 hours a week and then work up
to 15-20 hours. Her biggest challenge: “Getting
motivated to get out of the house and then not
falling on the ice this winter.”
While she played soccer in high school, Darmstadter said she never was “into” competitive
sports. But soccer gave her confidence and selfdiscipline. After working in a previous job that
promoted wellness and AIDS prevention, Darmstadter says it’s “important to take advantage of
being healthy. It helps with stress, for one
thing.”
Being a tri-athlete can be a solitary sport. “You
are the one to get you to the finish line but you
have to have support along the way,” Darmstadter said. That includes volunteers who provide water and nourishment, fellow runners and
bike riders and family to cheer you on. Her
daughter, Emily, a sophomore at Oberlin College, encourages her fitness routine.
“I’m turning 50 next year, so why not,” Darmstadter said. “I’m healthy.”
Bulk Trash Collection
Friday, Dec. 19
“Training is year round,” she says. “I run before
the sun comes up except when it’s just treacherous.” Since tri-athletes compete in the outdoors,
“you have to train in the elements,” she said.
Bulk trash includes large items such as furniture, appliances, carpeting & any large objects
that will not fit into the regular blue trash
container.
In her last race, a half Ironman at Cedar Point,
Darmstadter said she had to contend with 5-foot
waves in Lake Erie. “They had to pull people out
of the water.”
Freon must be removed from refrigerators &
freezers before being left for pickup.
Questions: Call Republic Services,
(800) 433-1309
Monthly Berean
BW HAPPENINGS
Baldwin Wallace University is offering three
holiday concerts in Gamble Auditorium at the
Kulas Musical Arts Building, 96 Front St. The
Symphonic Wind Ensemble & Symphony Orchestra Concert is free and no reservations are
necessary. The others require tickets. Tickets are
available at www.bw.edu/tickets. Details are below.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble & Symphony
Orchestra Concert: 7 p.m. Dec. 5. Free.
Men’s Chorus Holiday Concert: 5 p.m. & 8
p.m., Dec. 6. Holiday favorites along with student ensemble, Mr. Sun’s Echo. Candlelight processional, soloists, organ, brass ensemble, audience sing-along. Tickets, $20 & $15.
Conservatory Annual Holiday Concert: 3
p.m., Dec. 7. Music of the season. Sponsored by
the BW Conservatory Women’s Committee.
Tickets: adults, $20; seniors, $15; students, $5.
Other BW programs in December are:
th
The 5 Biannual 10-Minute Play Festival:
7:30 p.m. Dec. 3-4, William Allman Theatre,
Kleist Center for Art & Drama, 95 E. Bagley
Road. A collection of short plays directed by
BW students. Free.
Music Theatre Senior Recitals: 7, 8 & 9 p.m.,
Dec. 4-5; 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9 p.m. Dec. 6, John Patrick Theatre, Kleist Center for Art & Drama, 95
E. Bagley Road. Music Theatre seniors perform
a self-created, self-directed 45-minute cabaret
program of acting, song and dance. Free.
TESTING GROUND, Dance Works in
Progress: 6 p.m. Dec. 5, William Allman Theatre, Kleist Center for Art & Drama, 95 E. Bagley
Road. Choreographers showcase new dance
works that are in the development stage. Audience members are invited to provide feedback.
Free.
Victorian Tea
Berea Historical Society
Mahler Museum & History Center
118 E. Bridge St.
Sunday, Dec. 14
Two seatings:
1-2:30 p.m.
3-4:30 p.m.
Tea – punch – finger sandwiches – desserts
Entertainment & door prizes
Tickets: $12
Available at the Museum
OR CALL
(440) 243-9244
(440) 234-8664
(440) 234-3448
Page 4
World War I – 100 years later
World War I, billed as the War to End all Wars,
obviously wasn’t, but it did have an enormous
impact on society, here and in Europe.
Berea resident Jach Schmoll should know. His
mother, now 103 and living at the Northwestern,
lived through it as a child and his grandfather
fought in it. Schmoll, who retired after 35 years
as a history teacher at John Marshall High
School, has made studying World War I and its
aftereffects a major avocation.
Fighting broke out 100 years ago in 1914. The
United States didn’t get involved until April
1917 and boots on the ground didn’t happen until April 1918. America had to play catch-up,
Schmoll said. We had all of three Army planes
and an ill-equipped Army in 1917. The fighting
was over by Nov. 11, 1918 – what used to be
called Armistice Day to mark the truce. In
America, the holiday morphed into Veterans’
Day.
Schmoll, vice president of the Berea Historical
Society, collects military memorabilia from that
era – from a German helmet to U.S. Army kit
bags. Much of it is on display at the Mahler Museum & History Center. He said the war left its
mark on the Berea soldiers who fought in it and
their families.
One was Lt. Albert Baesel after whom American Legion Post 91 is named. Baesel earned the
Congressional Medal of Honor after losing his
life near Ivoiry, France, in September 1918 attempting to save a wounded comrade. He was
the first Ohio soldier killed in action in World
War I. A member of the 148th Infantry Regiment
of the Ohio National Guard, he was buried on
the battlefield. A French farmer found his grave
in 1926 and the remains were eventually buried
in Woodvale Cemetery.
Thomas Marks, the father of noted Berea historian Dorothy Marks McKelvey, fought in both the
Spanish-American War and World War I. He
used his bugle to entertain children, Schmoll recalled. Others who made it home bore scars,
both mental and physical.
John R. Southam fought in the same unit as
Baesel and was badly wounded. His legs were
shattered and he underwent years of surgery to
enable him to walk again. Southam went on to
become mayor of Berea in 1926.
Schmoll said he remembers one neighbor, Art
Winbrier, whom the kids in the neighborhood
nicknamed “The Monster.” His face was badly
scarred and the children were frightened by him.
One day he startled Schmoll, who as a young
boy was gathering eggs in Winbrier’s coop.
(On left) Jach Schmoll displays a helmet worn by a German soldier early in World War I. The spike at the top
attracted sniper fire so the Germans changed the design. (On right) Lt. Baesel won the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Schmoll screamed and ran home. His mother
demanded young Schmoll apologize.
“I need to give you an explanation,” Winbrier
told the boy. It was then Schmoll learned that
Winbrier had been badly wounded by mustard
gas. The soldiers were issued gas masks in tote
bags but Winbrier and others had filled the bags
with donuts from the Red Cross and then pitched
the masks. Shortly thereafter he suffered a mustard gas attack. The gas left his face badly pockmarked and disfigured.
The backstory to World War I can get complicated, Schmoll admits. Queen Victoria of England was related to the heads of state of all but
three European countries at the time. In the end,
they all took sides in a squabble that began over
the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his
wife by an anarchist in Sarajevo. Emperor Franz
Josef of Austria, Ferdinand’s father, wasn’t
about to let that go unpunished. “Every extended
family has its problems,” Schmoll said.
The war led to great technological strides in
equipment from 1914 to 1917, Schmoll said. In
the beginning, armies were fighting with cavalry
on horseback and some troops were fighting
with spears. By 1917, they had invented the tank
and magazine-style rifles. Plus the Germans developed the submarine.
The war also led to changes in a very hierarchical Europe. “The war didn’t end all wars,”
Schmoll said, “but it did change society.” England alone lost more than 800,000 soldiers, essentially destroying the middle class and greatly
changing the aristocracy. It drew America ever
closer to becoming a world power. And it left
Berea with war heroes and monuments and a
sense of involvement in a larger world.
Monthly Berean
Historical Society announces
Grindstone Heritage Awards
Fletcher Hulet, one of Berea’s first mayors, and
Frances Foster Mills, an historian at BaldwinWallace College, have been selected for the
Grindstone Heritage Awards.
The Heritage Awards are given annually by the
Berea Historical Society to honor posthumously
those outstanding Berea residents who contributed significantly to the community. Nominees
must have been deceased for at least five years.
Hulet, 1803-1883, was an entrepreneur. He constructed the first buildings on the college campus. The former Hulet Hall was named in his
honor. He also was elected as Berea’s third
mayor, serving from 1855-56.
Mills, 1875-1963, was a graduate of Baldwin
University and worked at the college, gathering
information about alumni. She was BW’s official historian from 1937-1963.
Heritage Award winners’ names are engraved
on plaques in the Grindstone Heritage Park display near the Triangle.
Recycle Christmas
lights & trees
Strings of Christmas lights, power strips or extension cords can be dropped off at the Berea
Recreation Center, 451 Front St., for recycling.
No bubble lights, tinsel or snow spray will be
accepted.
Lights will be accepted from Dec. 1 through
Jan. 5. Lights can be dropped off 5:30 a.m. to 9
p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Rec Center will be closed on Christmas Day and on
New Year’s Day.
The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Management District is also recycling holiday lights
through Jan. 16. Lights and power cords can be
dropped off at the district’s office at 4750 E.
131st St., Garfield Heights. The hours are 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The City of Berea will pick up Christmas trees
for recycling on Jan. 9 and Jan. 16. Trees
should be left at curbside without lights or tree
stands attached. Trees should not be placed in
plastic bags.
For further information, contact the Service
Garage at (440) 826-5853 or e-mail [email protected].
Page 5
Keep a safe distance from snowplows and salt trucks
We remember the Polar Vortex of the winter of
2013-14. It was snowy and cold with 86.1 inches of snow and an average temperature of 25.4
degrees, according to the National Weather Service at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
The average snowfall for this area is 68 inches.
Of course, other regions in northeast Ohio got
much more snow. Chardon in the Snow Belt
recorded 142 inches and closer to home, North
Royalton got 102 inches. Last year was the 8th
snowiest winter on record.
With that in mind, the Berea Service Department is preparing to keep city streets as drivable
as possible.
Snowplows will be out in force once the winter
weather hits and drivers are reminded to be cautious and courteous when approaching or following snowplows. Keep your distance. Spray
from snow or salt can impair lines of sight.
Berea’s plows carry a 10-foot-long blade and
three tons of salt. Fully loaded that truck can
weigh 38,500 pounds. Passing should be done
very carefully especially when visibility is low.
Snowplows tackle primary and secondary roads
first with neighborhoods, cul de sacs and deadend streets next on the list. Main roads as well
as curves, hills and bridges are fully salted.
Neighborhoods are spot-salted. That means
trucks spread the salt every couple of hundred
feet. As traffic moves along, it spreads the salt
further on the road surface.
City snowplows follow a pattern when clearing
streets. They remove snow from the center of
Rotary Club of Berea
Reverse Raffle/Silent Auction
Saturday, March 21
Cleveland Browns Training Facility
Lou Groza Boulevard
Berea
Gourmet Buffet
Catered by Bucci’s
Cash Bar – Sideboards
Tickets $100
Contact any Berea Rotarian
Or call (440) 236-9055
(440) 234-5966
Proceeds benefit Rotary community projects:
Shred Fest – Electronics Roundup – Dictionaries
for 3rd graders – Scholarships – Youth Sports
the roadway first. Then they do the curb lanes,
trying to get the snow all the way to the curb to
expose the catch basins. Keeping the catch basins open is important, for they allow melting
snow to flow out and away from the streets.
The CODERed emergency notification system
will alert residents when driving conditions are
especially hazardous and roads are closed. Information will also be posted on the city’s Web
site, www.cityofberea.org and on Facebook. To
check driving conditions on state routes, go to
www.buckeyetraffic.com.
The best defense against winter driving conditions is to be prepared. Make sure your vehicle’s
windows are defrosted and lights are operable,
give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination and drive defensively.
Snowy sidewalks
Shoveling snow from sidewalks is an important part of keeping safe this winter. Snowfree walkways help students walking to school
and postal employees delivering the mail. It
also makes it easier for friends, family and
emergency crews to reach the house. Make
sure you follow these safety tips from the
American Society of Orthopedic Surgeons:
Check with your doctor before shoveling.


Pace yourself. Take breaks and drink
 plenty of water.



Dress in layers with light-weight,
water-repellant clothing. Wear a hat.
Push the snow instead of lifting it.
Do not throw the snow over your shoulder
or to the side. This stresses the back.
Monthly Berean
How tax levies will affect you
There were three money issues on the November ballot for Berea voters to consider. Two
of them were approved and one was not. Issue
2 was a 3.9-mill levy to support the Berea
Schools. It failed by a vote of 8,553 (54 percent) against the levy to 7,254 (46 percent) for
the levy.
Issue 16 was the renewal of a five-year, 1-mill
levy for Southwest General Health Center.
Issue 16 was approved by a vote of 3,112 (61
percent) to 1,953 (39 percent). Since this was
a renewal, taxes will not increase. It costs the
owner of a $100,000 home $5.36 a year in
property taxes.
Issue 6 was a county-wide issue to support
Cuyahoga Community College. This was a
1.2-mill renewal with an increase of 0.9 mills
for 10 years. Issue 6 was OK’d by voters, with
185,463 (57 percent) for the tax levy and
140,637 (43 percent) against. This will mean a
tax increase. The issue will cost the owner of
a $100,000 home $68.25 a year in property
taxes. This year, before voters approved the
increase, the owner of a $100,000 home paid
$36.69 a year in property taxes to support TriC. With the levy approval, taxes will increase
by $31.56 a year.
The new tax rate will go into effect in 2015.
Southwest Community
Nurses
Healthy Events
Free Memory Screening
9-11 a.m. Dec. 3
Are you saying, “Sorry, I forgot,” a little too
often? It’s normal to forget a name from time to
time. It’s not normal to keep forgetting days of
the week or when to pay bills or take medicine.
A free screening by the Community Nurse
should indicate whether you should consider
seeing a doctor. For an appointment, call (440)
816-4037.
How Can I Manage Stress?
8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Dec. 10
9-11 a.m. Dec. 30
It’s important to recognize how stress affects
you. What is stressful for one person may not be
for another. Visit the Community Nurse table
for more information on what stress is, how it
makes you feel and how you can cope with it.
Free blood pressure screening.
Healthy Events are at:
Berea Recreation Center, 451 Front St.
Page 6
NEWS BRIEFS
Trash pickup delayed for
Christmas, New Year’s
Because of Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 25,
curbside trash collection will be delayed one
day that week until Saturday, Dec. 27. Trash
pickup also will be delayed the following week
because of New Year’s Day on Thursday, Jan.
1. That week, trash will be picked up on Saturday, Jan. 3. Place trash bins at curbside no earlier than 4:30 p.m. the day before scheduled collection. Bins should be stored within 24 hours of
trash pickup. Questions, call Republic Services,
(800) 433-1309.
Small business seminar set
for Jan. 21
A small business seminar on hiring employees
will be 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 in the Center for
Innovation & Growth, 340 Front St., on the
campus of Baldwin Wallace University. Guest
speaker will be Vince Howard of Ohio Means
Jobs, an agency that helps connect businesses
with potential employees. Also speaking will be
Bryan Humphrey, who will explain the American Express Open Program, a financing program for business operations. The seminar is
jointly sponsored by the City of Berea and the
Berea Chamber of Commerce. For more information or to register, contact Matt Madzy,
[email protected] or call City Hall at
(440) 826-5800.
Southwest General wins awards
Southwest General Health Center has earned a
Berea police chief,
patrolman cited for valor
Top Performer award from The Joint Commission, an agency that rates hospital performance
and is a leading accreditor of health care organizations. Southwest was one of only 712 hospitals nationwide to achieve the Top Performer
designation for the past two years.
Southwest was cited for attaining and sustaining
excellence in four care areas – heart attack, heart
failure, pneumonia and surgical care.
For the third consecutive year, Southwest also
was recognized for patient safety. The hospital
received an A grade from the Leapfrog Group,
an independent industry watchdog. Leapfrog
uses 28 measures of safety to produce the final
grade, which is based on the hospital’s capacity
to keep patients safe from possible harm. More
than 2,500 hospitals were rated with 31 percent
receiving the A grade.
ARF sets volunteer
orientation sessions
The Berea Animal Rescue Fund is looking for
volunteers in a variety of roles from dog walker
and foster parent to cat monitors and aluminum
can recyclers. A new volunteer orientation will
be 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 in the Berea Library and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14 at the
Strongsville Library. Volunteers must be at least
18 years old. For more information, e-mail [email protected],
visit
www.bereaanimalrescue.com or call (440) 2342034.
Making blankets for charity
Police Chief Joe Grecol and Patrolman Ted Makrinos have received Citations for Valor for
their part in resolving a hostage situation in
Brunswick.
Grecol, then a sergeant, and Makrinos were
members of the Southwest Enforcement Bureau
team that responded to a home in which an
armed suspect was holding his ex-girlfriend
hostage in November 2012. Grecol is a crisis
negotiator and Makrinos is a sniper with SEB’s
SWAT team. The incident ended with SWAT
officers entering the home after a 30-hour
standoff, killing the suspect and rescuing the
victim, who had been shot in the leg by her exboyfriend. Officers reported that the suspect had
the gun pointed at the woman’s head as they
broke down a door and entered the house.
The citations were issued in November 2014 by
the Ohio Tactical Officers Association to all
members of the SEB team who responded to the
incident.
More than 100 volunteers helped Mayor Cyril
Kleem and his family create fleece blankets at
the Berea Recreation Center on Nov. 15.
More than 80 blankets were donated to Fill
This House and Restored Path Ministries. Fill
This House is dedicated to improving the living conditions of young people aging out of
the foster care system. Restored Path Ministries is a mobile unit that provides hot meals
and emergency supplies to the homeless living
on the streets of Cleveland.
Monthly Berean
Page 7
Ponytails earn donations
for The Gathering Place
Jim Walters, Linda Van Duyn and Lisa Kimpel show
off their sheared ponytails, which will be donated to
Locks of Love.
They took up to three years to grow but three
ponytails were lopped off recently to be donated
to Locks of Love. Proceeds from the benefit
went The Gathering Place, which provides free
support to cancer patients and their families.
Berea Law Director Jim Walters, who also donated his hair three years ago, said it took him 2
½ years to grow out his hair this time. Walters
organized the hair fest at American Legion Post
91 in Berea on Nov. 7 along with fellow donors
Lisa Kimpel of the Berea Post Office, who grew
her hair for three years, and Linda Van Duyn,
who is retired from the Berea City School District and spent two years without a haircut.
The three sold chances to cut off the ponytails at
$5 a ticket. In the end, $1,000 was donated to
The Gathering Place. Winning hair-cutting tickets went to Brian Higgins, Brook Park city councilman and Parma service director, who cut Walter’s ponytail; Rita Barr, who cut Van Duyn’s
hair; and Jim Duktig, who gave Kimpel a haircut.
Hair stylist Barbara Davis donated her services
to touch up the trims.
Locks of Love creates wigs for cancer patients.
The Gathering Place, with facilities in Westlake
and Beachwood, offers free support services for
cancer patients and their families.
St. Thomas Episcopal celebrates its 150th anniversary
Members of St. Thomas Episcopal Church plan
a number of events to celebrate the congregation’s 150th anniversary.
The official anniversary was in October but
events will continue through February 2015. St.
Thomas can trace its roots to the neighboring
towns of Albion, now known as Strongsville,
and Columbia, now known as Columbia Station.
The churches in those communities faltered because the route of the major railroad traveling
through those areas was changed. The railroad
was rerouted through Berea, and thus, many residents relocated. Once in Berea, a small band of
worshippers from the Albion and Columbia
churches gathered in Berea’s old Congregational
Church and formed the St. Thomas parish in
1864.
Lacking a sufficient number of parishioners, St.
Phillip’s Church offered its building to the new
Berea congregation. That building, which was at
the corner of Bridge Street and Prospect Street,
was eventually dismantled. A gas station now
sits on the spot. The present church building was
constructed in 1893 at the corner of Bagley
Road and Seminary Street. Several renovations
and additions were built over the years.
Shortly after the establishment of St. Thomas in
Berea, the Bishop of Ohio declared the church as
fiscally unable to continue and declared the congregation defunct. But a former member of the
St. Philip’s Church, John Ogilvy, left a generous
bequest of $5,000 to St. Thomas in his will. Although Ogilvy was not a member of St. Thomas,
his gift enabled the church members to build
Ogilvy Chapel. A picture of John Ogilvy now
hangs in St. Thomas’ Ogilvy Chapel.
Past history is apparent throughout the chapel.
Three stained glass windows pay homage to former vestry members of 100 or more years ago.
These dedicated people gave their time and effort to see that an Episcopal Church would grow
and be sustained. The three windows honor John
Nichols, a former mayor of Berea; Marvin Stone
of Strongsville who brought the St. Philip’s congregation into the St. Thomas fold; and William
James of Middleburg Heights who was a staunch
supporter of the church and of the Diocese of
Ohio.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary, five major
events were planned. An all-parish dinner was
held in October using original recipes from previous decades. In November, a 21-piece praise
band, Gabriel’s Horns, performed.
Upcoming events include a traditional Evensong
Service at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, which will feature the St. Thomas choir and guest musicians.
The service coincides with St. Nicholas’ Saint
Day and is equivalent to Vespers. The performance is free and refreshments will be served.
St. Thomas’ annual Medieval Dinner will Jan.
24, 2015. The evening will take diners back 550
years to medieval times with authentic food and
costumes. The cost is $27 per person. Reservations are needed.
The final anniversary celebration event will be
the annual Devonshire Tea – an opportunity to
return to the past and Downton Abbey. The tea
will be Feb. 28. Seating is limited and reservations are necessary.
Reservations for the Medieval Dinner and Devonshire Tea can be made by calling the church
office at (440) 234-5241 during the week from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m.
Volunteers made Learning Farm a success
The Berea Community Learning Farm ended its
first year with most of its goals accomplished
thanks to the many volunteers who donated time
and energy to the project.
New soil was created and installed, crop rows
and beds established, the barn was built, a deer
fence installed and an irrigation system and rain
barrels put in place. A grant from the National
Resource Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture will enable a 30-foot by
72-foot tunnel greenhouse to be erected before
the end of the year. The greenhouse will mean a
nearly year-round growing season. The fall
growing season ended with the planting of winter rye and bulb vegetables.
Lori Hanson, manager of the Learning Farm,
said a goal next year will be to rent plots to
community members who want to grow their
own vegetables using organic methods. The
farm also hopes to increase production so that
more produce can be delivered to area food pantries.
Hanson said the farm’s success was due to
many volunteers. Girl Scout Troop 7113 and
leaders Kristen Koss and Erin Barrett worked
the farm two days per week beginning in April.
Mary Draves and the Berea-Midpark High
School Environmental Club and APES students
also helped. Members of the Kiwanis Club of
Berea also volunteered. Mr. Greer of Emerson
Avenue mowed inside the fence every week.
The Berea Community Learning Farm is located
off Emerson Avenue on the site of the former
Riveredge School. It is a joint project of the City
of Berea and the Berea City School District.
Next fundraiser: February 2015 at American
Legion Post 91. Details will be posted.
City of Berea
11 Berea Commons
Berea, Ohio 44017
PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. PAID
BEREA, OH
PERMIT #333
ECRWSS
POSTAL PATRON
Phone: (440) 826-5800
www.cityofberea.org
Upcoming Community Events
Dec. 6: Jack Frost Festival of Lights, downtown Berea, Parade 5 p.m.; Tree lighting & fireworks 6 p.m.; rides, iceless rink, Santa through
9:30 p.m.
Schedule of Events
Light up Berea Parade
5 p.m.
Registration forms are
available at cityofberea.org
located on the special
events page
_____________________________
Tree Lighting Ceremony
& Fireworks
Starting after the parade
Approximately 6 p.m.
Located at the
Berea Triangle
_____________________________
“ Iceless” Skating Rink
5:30-9:30 p.m.
Located at McKelvey Park
___________________________________
Meet Santa
6:30-9:30 p.m.
Located in Downtown Berea
___________________________________
Ferris Wheel,
Merry-Go-Round,
Hot Chocolate and Cookies
6:30-9:30 p.m.
Located in Downtown Berea
For more information, please contact Megan Pochatek
at (440) 891-3316 or email [email protected]
Dec. 6-7: Greenery Sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec.
6 & 1-3 p.m. Dec. 7, by the Berea Garden Club.
Loose greens, swags, wreaths, table top fresh cut
arrangements. Hand-knit items also available.
Proceeds benefit the Garden Club Scholarship
Fund. Mahler Museum & History Center, 118 E.
Bridge St.
Dec. 7: Kiwanis Pancake Festival, 8 a.m. to 2
p.m., Berea-Midpark High School, $7 per person, no charge for children 5 and younger.
Dec. 8: Grindstone Elementary School, Third
Grade Holiday Concert, 7 p.m.
Dec. 9: Berea Garden Club Christmas Tea,
noon Dec. 9. For more information, call (440)
243-6514.
Dec. 11: Berea-Midpark High School, Holiday
Band Concert, 7 p.m.
Dec. 14: VictorianTea, 1-2:30, 3-4:30 p.m., Berea Historical Society, Mahler Museum & History Center, 118 E. Bridge St., Tickets $12, available at the museum or call (440) 243-9244.
Dec. 15: Berea-Midpark High School, Holiday
Orchestra Concert, 7 p.m.
Dec. 16: Chanukah begins at sundown.
Dec. 18: Berea-Midpark High School, Holiday
Choir Concert, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 22-Jan. 2: Winter Break, Berea City
School District
Dec. 25: Christmas.
Jan. 1: New Year’s Day.
SCAN PANTRY
Holiday Hours
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 12
4-7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 19
Call (440) 826-1127 for more information.