Hello!
From the Mayor’s Desk
February
Inside This Issue
From the Mayor’s Desk
1
From the Mayor’s Desk
continued
2
About Black History Month
2
Black History Tidbits
2
Valentine Facts
3
Valentine Recipe
3
Council Organizational
Meeting
Woodmere Inaugural
3
February Calendar
4
4
Woodmere’s economic development continues to
flourish as we regularly welcome new businesses to
the village. Most recently we have seen the opening
of California Closets, Lucio Vani and 7 Keys to Health.
Opening soon will be Child Lab and Mattress Firm.
As 2013 would down, it also marked the completion of
the study in which I participated – The Merger/Shared
Services Study. This study explored all aspects and
possible advantages of sharing services.
At this time, I am happy to announce that Woodmere
is officially a part of the state of the art Chagrin Valley
Regional Dispatch. Besides enhancing our dispatch
capabilities, we will be saving an enormous amount of
money. This collaborative effort, under the umbrella
of a Council of Governments, is the perfect example of
“regionalism” that is a “win-win” for all.
The Woodmere Fire Department was very fortunate to
have been one of the recipients of a life-saving Lucas
device that was donated by University Hospitals Ahuja
Medical Center.
Yadda
Yadda
February Food Facts 2014
Super Bowl Sunday and Groundhog’s Day fall
together this year. Some fun food facts for that day
are:
Avocado growers began promoting guacamole for
Super Bowl Sunday. As a result, Americans are
expected to consume 79 million pounds of avocados
around the championship game. For those keeping
score, that's roughly 158 million avocados.
The Kiwi Commission, wanting the same kind of
success the avocados were enjoying, tried to run a
promotion around Groundhog Day because kiwis
and groundhogs are both fuzzy. Unfortunately, it
never got off the ground.
Moreland Hills Elementary and the Friends of the Orange
Library Present to the Students and Families of the
Woodmere Community:
WE ARE
NOT
INFALLABLE
Mama Fasi "The Drum Woman"
If you have
not received
a printed
copy of our
newsletter,
please go to
the
Woodmere
Village
website to
view the
electronic
copy.
Through exploration of African percussion and rhythms,
students practice discipline and collaboration. By playing
rhythms alone and with others they become responsible
for their own behavior while also recognizing their
importance to the larger group. Students learn how
music is constructed and experiment with creating
unique rhythms. As they listen to others they begin to
appreciate that everyone in the world has something to
say. This program may include creating individual drums.
Happy February!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Yadda
Providence House
About Black History Month
This past holiday season the Woodmere Police Department
sponsored a collection of toys, clothing and household items for
Providence House, a local non-profit crisis nursery located in
Cleveland. The police department partnered with other
employees of Woodmere Village for a very successful drive. All
of our donations will help the amazing volunteers at Providence
House continue their selfless work to help children in need.
Black History Month originated in 1926 by
historian Carter G. Woodson as "Negro History
Week". Woodson chose the second week of
February because it marked the birthdays of
two great Americans: former President
Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former
slave Frederick Douglass.
Black History Month Tidbits
1.
In the month of February, the United States observes Black
History Month. This tradition began in 1976 when Negro
History Week was expanded to Black History Month.
2.
Established May 22, 1863, the U.S. Colored Troops allowed
the recruitment of black men into the military as volunteer
units. These brave troops became known as the "Buffalo
Soldiers."
3.
4.
Ensign Jesse L. Brown was the first African-American naval
aviator. Tragically, he died in December 1950 when his plane
was shot down over the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military
aviators in the United States armed forces. During World War
II, African Americans in many U.S. states were still subject to
the Jim Crow laws and the American military was racially
segregated, as was much of the federal government.
Until the study of black history, blacks were
absent from history books. Carter G. Woodson
established the Study of Negro Life and History
in 1915, and a year later founded the widely
respected Journal of Negro History.
Other important dates in February that align
with a study of black history are:
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2/23/1868 - W.E.B. DuBois was born civil rights leader and co-founder of
the NAACP
2/03/1870 - The 15th Amendment
was passed - allowing black men to
vote
2/25/1870 - The first black U.S.
senator took office (Hiram Revels).
2/12/1909 - The NAACP (National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People) was founded.
2/21/1965 - Malcolm X was shot
CHOCOLATY RASPBERRY CRUMB BARS
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-ounce package) chocolate chips, divided
1 can (14 ounces) CARNATION Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
BEAT butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in flour,
sugar and salt until crumbly. With floured fingers, press 1 3/4
cups crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan;
reserve remaining mixture.
BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
MICROWAVE 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk
in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1
minute.
STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If
necessary, microwave an additional 10-second intervals,
stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread over hot crust.
DROP teaspoons of raspberry jam over crumb mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining morsels.
C
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.
COOL completely in pan on wire rack.
Council’s Organizational Meeting
The Woodmere Village charter mandates that the council
hold an organizational meeting during the month of January.
This year, the meeting was held on Sunday, January 5, 2014.
Attending the meeting were Mayor Charles Smith, Law
Director Frank Consolo, and Village Council members
Tennyson Adams, Lisa Brockwell, Benjamin Holbert, Glenda
Todd Miller, and Craig Wade. The assembled members
elected third-year councilman Ben Holbert as President and
the following committees were organized:
FINANCE COMMITTEE – Lisa Brockwell Chairwoman, Glenda
Todd Miller, Craig Wade.
LEGISLATION COMMITTEE – Ben Holbert Chairman, Lisa
Brockwell, Craig Wade.
UTILITES COMMITTEE – Tennyson Adams Chairman, Ben
Holbert, and Jennifer Mitchell Earley (unconfirmed at press
time).
YOUTH/EDUCATION COMMITTEE – Azaad Singh Chairman,
Mayor Charles Smith, Clerk of Council Sheryl Blakemore.
The Rules and Interviewing Committee are both required by
charter. Council agreed that the committee will be
comprised of all council members and will meet at the call
of the Chairperson.
Walking in a Winter Watershed: Storm water Pollution Solutions for winter
Wintertime creates special pollution concerns to watershed health. Frozen ground acts as a hard surface like asphalt or concrete and can’t soak up water very well.
Pollutants accumulate in snow banks and ice all winter long. When the weather warms, all the grime, grit, road salt, and other substances caught up in snow and ice are
washed into Woodmere’s storm drains and straight into the Chagrin River and ultimately Lake Erie. You can help reduce the amount of pollution getting into our water by
taking the following easy steps:
Be careful with your salt application and consider alternate salting methods. If you do apply salt, shovel first and apply as minimally as possible. Mixing salt with natural
substances like beet juice can increase the salt’s effectiveness at lower temperatures, reducing the amount of salt needed for application.
Be mindful of garage rinsing! Residue left from de-icing materials, oil, gas, and other road pollutants drips from your car and ends up on the garage floor. Your garage
runoff likely drains into a storm sewer drain or ditch, which means you’re flushing pollutants from your garage right into our streams and eventually into Lake Erie.
Dump snow in areas where it will minimally impact streams. Stockpile snow in flat areas at least 100 feet from waterways, to allow slow melting and some infiltration to
occur. Planting snow stockpile areas with salt-tolerant plants will help filter out road salt contaminants, and removal of sediment and debris from dump areas each spring
will minimize the chances of these pollutants being washed directly into storm drains and streams.
Watch your waste! Picking up your animal’s waste is important. Pet waste can be a significant source of harmful bacteria and doesn’t break down quickly in cold weather.
It accumulates on the surface and is then washed directly into storm water systems during melt periods, sending a large amount of potentially dangerous bacteria and
excessive nutrients into the Chagrin River.
Orange Community Education & Recreation announces
Winter Drivers' Education for Teens
Monday-Thursday
February 24-March 6
5:30-8:40 PM at the Pepper Pike Learning Center
For more information visit
www.nationaldrivertrainingohio.com/orange
OUR DISPATCH CENTER WILL BE MOVING 01/15/2014
Chagrin Valley Dispatch Center
88 Center Rd
Bedford, Ohio 44146
Non-Emergency number (440)703-3400
Emergency number 911
Village of Woodmere’s Calendar Month of February, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014 – Ground Hog Day, Super Bowl Sunday
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 – 6:30 PM- Utilities, 7:30 PM – Planning & Zoning
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 - 6:00 PM – Finance, 7:00 PM – Legislation, 8:00 PM - Safety
Friday, February 7, 2014 – Special Pick-up
Monday, Februaruy 12, 2014 – 7:00 PM – Council Meeting
Friday, February 14, 2014 – Valentine’s Day
Monday, February 17, 2014 – Presidents Day
Thursday, February 19, 2014 – 7:00 PM – 8:0 PM – The Drum Woman presentation
COMMUNITY ALERT!
OUR MRS. FANNING
Siren Testing
Will be
Friday, February 21, 2014
Between 1:00 PM and
2:00 PM
Woodmere’s oldest active resident, the
indefatigable Mrs. Fanning, was the first to arrive
at the inaugural event on one of the worst nights of
the winter. Determined not to miss history being
made, Mrs. Fanning drove herself to Village Hall,
and stayed and chatted with everyone until it was
time to drive herself home.
X
What a role model!
WOODMERE VILLAGE INAUGURAL 2014
On January 2nd, the snowiest day of the year,
Woodmere’s’ bravest residents came to Village Hall for
the inauguration of Mayor Charles Smith and
Councilpersons Lisa Brockwell, Glenda Todd Miller and
Craig Wade. Judge Pinkey Carr presided and added her
own very special beauty, warmth and delightful humor to
the event. After the swearing-in ceremony which was
hosted by Councilman Ben Holbert, refreshments were
served and pictures were taken by David Kadosh of
Magnet Me Now. The complete collection of photos from
the evening can be seen on our website.