Hudson’s Ice Rink at First & Main

If the next Peggy Fleming is living in Hudson, now we may be able to see her in action. It is exciting to see the new ice rink at First & Main in Hudson is officially open. The Hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you need to bring your own skates. Looks like these folks were having fun Sunday afternoon!

A special thank you to Hudson resident Connie Motter for spearheading the fundraising effort, the people who donated a total of $3,963, the Burton D. Morgan Foundation for its $2,100 challenge grant, the Hudson City Council, Hudson’s Fire Department, the volunteers who helped set up the rink, and local merchants, Caribou Coffee, Heinen’s, and McDonalds who provided food and refreshments to volunteers.

I am proud of this true community effort.

Even in the City of Hudson – Council approves Deficit Spending Budget

Has the fiscally conservative City of Hudson caught the Barack Obama financial irresponsibility virus? On December 16, 2009, Hudson City Council approved a 2010 budget that is unbalanced. Expenses ($18.8 Million) will exceed revenue ($18.5 Million) by about $300,000. The approval was a 6 to 1 vote, with Council member Kristina Roegner the lone opponent.

This is deficit spending though some on Council choose to hide behind more pleasing or confusing phrases like “negative run rate”.

In making its decision, the majority of members touted and relied on the $8.89 Million carry-forward balance accumulated by 10 years of careful fiscal management.  According to the Hudson Hub Times, Council President David Basil said the reason for the carry-over is to bridge the ebb and flows in the economy.

Really? The 10 year $8.89 Million carry-forward wouldn’t exist if prior councils tapped into it as easily as this Council.

Could the city slash 1.5% of the $18.8 Million budget, $300,000 in expenses, with sharper pencils?  Not sure anyone provided a convincing discussion of why not.  Leaf pick-up services didn’t need to be on the chopping block (it was saved, by the way) if Council adjusted its decision making for the economic downturn.  During a year when revenue was down $1 Million or so, Council saw fit to purchase 430 acres for $6.9 Million. That financial “bargain” created huge annual carrying costs for squishy undefined purposes.

Financial discipline is a cure to the financial irresponsibility virus. Catch it. No one knows what will happen in the future.

Getting to Know Seth Rodin, City of Twinsburg Councilor-Elect

Meet Ward 5 Twinsburg City Councilor-elect Seth Rodin. Seth beat incumbent William Hon with 600 votes or 53.72% compared to Hon’s 517 votes or 46.28%.  Bill Hon served the City of Twinsburg for over 21 years.  Recently, I had a chance to interview Seth. 

QUESTION:   Give a brief bio of yourself:  employment, education, hobbies, anything else you’d like people to know about you:
  
ANSWER:  I am 38 years old.  I have been married for over 10 years to my wife MaryAnn.  We have 2 kids, Max 8 and Sophie 5.  I am Director of Sales and Operations for Catered Elegance Inc.  I graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure Studies with a concentration in Commercial Recreation. 

QUESTION:  What do you hope to accomplish during your term?

ANSWER: I hope to preserve the hometown atmosphere we have in Twinsburg.  I would like to maintain the budget while still offering the programs and activities we have become accustomed to while living here.

QUESTION:  Who do you admire most and why?

ANSWER: My father Elliot Rodin.  He worked for a company for 40 years.  He started as a truck driver and when he retired he was Vice President of Purchasing.  He worked hard and many hours.  He always told me that you cannot tell someone how to do something unless you have done it yourself.  I have carried that with me through all my management jobs and have a good rapport with all my employees due to seeing things the way they do.  People have more respect for someone willing to do the work not just tell them what to do.  Hard work and honesty pay off in the end.  I still look to my Dad for his opinions on many situations I may face.
 
      
Seth Rodin was elected to a four year term of office that begins December, 2009.

Karyn Selle, Village of Northfield Councilor Elect, Wants to Attract New Businesses

Meet Karyn Selle, Village of Northfield Councilor Elect for Ward A.  Karyn Selle beat Mark Apana with 142 votes or 58.92%  to his 99 votes or 41.08% of the November 3, 2009 vote.   Mark Apana previously served on Council from 2001 to 2005.

The Village of Northfield has a population of approximately 3,800 residents and is located in northern Summit County and has its own Police and Fire Departments, Service and Building Departments, Village Engineer, and Mayor’s Court.  The Northfield Park Race Track is located in the village.

Recently I had a chance to interview Karyn  about how she might contribute to the Village of Northfield.

QUESTION:
Give a brief bio of yourself:  employment, education, hobbies, anything else you’d like people to know about you.

ANSWER:  I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the State University of New York College at Fredonia.  I work as a Project Manager in Bedford, Ohio at an environmental consulting firm and have been with this firm since July of 2002.  I have lived in Northfield Village since December of 2002 with my husband Scott and two dogs and two cats.  I enjoy riding on our motorcycle and visiting Berlin Lake with our boat as well as travelling and visiting family in Western New York.

QUESTION:  What do you hope to accomplish during your term?

ANSWER:  As I went around my Ward collecting signatures for my nominating petition I was startled to find that many residents did not know who their representative in council was.  I want to help to change that.  I have started a website as part of my campaign which I will continue to help the residents have a place where they can see at a glance what the hot topics are in the Village.  For those residents without access to the internet I will explore alternative ways to help them become involved by having something such as a ward meeting at Village Hall.  With the help of the Mayor and Council I would like to help to continue to improve the Village by attracting new businesses and making the Village an even better place to live.

QUESTION:  Who do you admire most and why?
ANSWER:  I do not have one particular person that I admire.  I find that I get inspiration from the many different people I encounter on a daily basis.

Karyn Selle’s four year term commences December 1, 2009.

Written by Carol L. Gasper

Meet Maureen Stauffer, Twinsburg City Councilor Elect

Meet Ward 4 Twinsburg City Councilor elect Maureen Stauffer, who beat incumbent Bill Furey with 625 votes or 51.82% to his 581 votes or 48.18% of the November 3, 2009 vote.  Recently I had a chance to interview Maureen.  Bill Furey, while not winning the Ward 4 race, continues to serve the City of Twinsburg as an At-Large City Councilor; his term commenced December, 2007 and will end December, 2011. Maureen Stauffer was elected to a four year term of office that begins December, 2009.

QUESTION:   Give a brief bio of yourself:  employment, education, hobbies, anything else you’d like people to know about you.

ANSWER:   My name is Maureen Stauffer and I am a 3rd grade teacher at Bissell Elementary in Twinsburg.  I am currently job-sharing.  I teach every day for half the day.  I have been a teacher in the Twinsburg City School District for the past 21 years.  I received my undergraduate degree and my master’s degree from Kent State University.  I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 23 years and I have 3 children.  A son Michael who attends The Ohio State University, a daughter Samantha who is a freshman at Twinsburg High School, and  my youngest son, Matthew who is a 2nd grader at Bissell Elementary.   My family and friends are amazing.
In my free time I enjoy working out and running.  However, I did not begin running until I was 42 years old.  I ran my first half-marathon last May and I am training to run my first full marathon.
QUESTION:  What do you hope to accomplish during your term?

ANSWER: My three main goals are as follows:
• To bring professionalism back to City Council by addressing every issue on its own merit — not on its political value.
• Ensure that the city maintains its resident services through sound business while being financially responsible
• To support our safety forces.  We need to keep officers in our neighborhoods and ensure that fire station 2 is manned and operating.

QUESTION:  Who do you admire most and why?

ANSWER: This is a very difficult question for me.  Personally, I admire so many people at so many levels……
• from the student who struggles to learn to read yet never gives up …
• to my husband who believes in me, loves me, and supports me.
• to my brothers and sister, who are four of the most giving and caring individuals I know…
• to my mother & father who somehow managed to raise 5 children  to become productive members of society….
• to my girlfriend who suffered through the loss of 2 children, battled breast cancer and continues to live every day with an amazing attitude and spirit.
• to any individual who believes “The time is always right to do what is right”.  Quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who I admire for not only having the courage and strength to stand up for what he believed in but also for his contributions to American society.

Maureen Stauffer was elected to a four year term of office that begins December, 2009.

Veterans Day – The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month

Some say the grass is always greener on the other side. As Americans, we know that the grass is greenest in America, land of the free and the home of the brave. November 11, 2009, Veterans Day, is our opportunity to show gratitude to those great men and women who serve our country so that we might enjoy freedom.

Veterans Day had its beginnings with President Woodrow Wilson’s ceremony on the first anniversary of  “Armistice Day”, November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m. which marked the temporary cessation of fighting between the Allied Nations and Germany in World War I.

In 1954, President Truman expanded the holiday “so that our grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all of its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation” stating further, “let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”

Perhaps you are interested in recording a veteran’s history. The Veterans History Project is featuring the stories of veterans throughout our nation. The story of World War II Veteran, John Ernest Dolibois, who attended school in Akron, Ohio, is featured on the site.

Let’s each take a few minutes to give thanks and private prayer for our veterans. Here are some local events on Veterans Day, November 11, 2009.

Macedonia — 8 a.m., observance at Nordonia High School gymnasium, 8006 S. Bedford Road. All military veterans and active duty armed services members in the Nordonia Hills community are invited to participate and are asked to assemble by 7:45 a.m. in the small gym at the rear of the building. A reception will follow the program.

Tallmadge —10 a.m., program in the Historic Church on Tallmadge Circle, followed by an 11 a.m. ceremony, including a rifle squad at the nearby Veterans Memorial. The speaker is George Baker, U.S. Air Force veteran and director of the Summit County Veterans Service Commission.

Cuyahoga Falls — 11 a.m., ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in the median on Broad Boulevard between Front and Second streets.

An Autumn Walk on the Bike and Hike Trail – Metro Parks serving Summit County

Last Sunday I had the chance to enjoy a brisk walk on the Bike and Hike Trail, a part of the Metro Parks serving Summit County.  I would like to call what I did a “hike” like the name of the trail, but I was too busy taking pictures, watching the deer graze on grass, and walking in the crunchy leaves to really believe that I was hiking.  But enjoy it I did!

This weekend’s forecasted warmer temperatures and sunny skies could make this a must destination.  Pictured here is an area of the 33.5 mile paved path just south of Boston Mills Road in Boston Heights where the Sharon Conglomerate rock walls of the Boston Ledges rise above the trail, creating a beautiful sight. 

Leaves
by  Elise Brady
How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.
At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

 

Northern Summit County Election Results, 2009. Spotlight on the Newly Elected Newcomers

Happy post-election day! I was watching some of the national coverage of GOP wins over incumbents and wondered how many of our local communities would be seeing new faces.  Whether ouster of incumbents will bring change to the business of government is a question for another day.

Some communities voted for significant shake up. I think the City of Twinsburg leads the pack, with all 3 seats going to the challenger over the incumbent. Gary Sorace (current Ward 3 representative with 4 years experience ) beat Steve Murphy (longtime Councilman) for the at-large seat while Maureen Stauffer unseated Bill Furey in Ward 4 and it was Seth Rodin over William Hon in Ward 5.

The Village of Reminderville also had significant change, electing three new faces to its City Council (4 seats): Mark Kondik; Thomas DiCarlo; and, Matthew King. Incumbent Pat McCarthy retained his seat while incumbent Wendell Phillips was not re-elected.

Other communities electing new officials include: Northfield Village (2 out of 4 Wards): Karyn Selle (Ward A) and John Bolek (Ward D); Twinsburg Township: Jamey DeFabio (Trustee); City of Hudson William Wooldredge (1 of 3 Council-at-Large seats).

Some communities did not add new faces.  Macedonia- Councilors Dave Engle, Ken Martin, and Shane Barker retained their seats and former Councilor Michael Miller was elected.  Northfield Center Township - Brent Sommer and Paul Beuscher retained their seats as Trustees against challenger and former Trustee, Mark Pepara.  Sagamore Hills Township -Rosemary Snell and Richard Barrett retained their seats as Trustees against challenger, John Zaccardelli.

 Will new faces bring fresh ideas? For a complete listing of newly elected officials see the Summit County Board of Elections website.

Summit County’s Issue 4 Cancels Our Right to Vote – Just Say No

On November 3, 2009, Summit County voters will be asked whether the elected position of county engineer should be abolished, with the powers and duties of the office transferred to the county executive.

I will be voting no on Issue 4 because it takes away my right to vote.

There is very little I found in the way of specific rationale for the measure, just an endorsement from the Akron Beacon Journal, and a mailer that states four times “Save Tax Dollars” without mentioning the elimination of the right to vote for Summit County Engineer.

Proponents say the measure can save $1.5 million in tax dollars – that is a mere three tenths of one percent (.003%) of Summit County’s 2009 $557,540,687 operating budget.

Can’t Summit County find a way to save three tenths of one percent of its operating budget short of taking away our right to vote for the engineer?

If tax dollar savings is the real goal (and I am skeptical given the relatively small amount of dollars that can be saved), it seems there is a current ability to make the engineer’s office more efficient without taking away our right to vote. For instance, the county executive could eliminate cited duplicate purchases for equipment, tools, and vehicles by careful management and cooperation amongst all county departments. In addition, the county engineer could consider outsourcing certain of its functions, reducing the work force, saving dollars.

The Akron Beacon Journal likens the duties of County Engineer to an administrative function stating that consolidation will allow “greater efficiency and effectiveness” and that “accountability would be maintained through the elected county executive and council”.   I find that conclusion hard to believe.

Apparently Ohio is the only state in the nation that elects engineers at the county level, a point the ABJ raises as a reason to go with the nation flow. But maybe Ohio is doing something right here. Just two short years ago 13 people were killed when the Minneaopolis Interstate 35 W Bridge collapsed. Throughout the country, and Summit County is no exception, infrastructure issues are enormous. The safety of our families requires more, not less accountability over the status of our roads and bridges.

Just say no to Issue 4.  For more information, visit Keep Your Vote Say No to  Issue 4.

Written by Clgasper, Summit County Life.

Dale Lumby Sworn in as Twinsburg Township Trustee

At the October 21, 2009  meeting of the Twinsburg Township Board of Trustees, I had a chance to see Dale Lumby,  longtime resident and township business owner, get selected to fill the remaining two months of my term as Twinsburg Township Trustee.  What an excellent choice! 

Dale has always shown a dedication and commitment to Twinsburg Township’s well being and growth.  He served on a parks board that helped transform the Twinsburg Township Square into the beautiful place that it is today.  As well, he continues to serve on the Joint Economic Development Board of Reminderville and Twinsburg Township. I found Dale’s input on township issues to be extremely helpful.

The Twinsburg Bulletin reports that “Lumby’s term will expire Dec. 31, when he will be replaced by a newly-elected Trustee beginning their term Jan. 1, 2010. Voters will choose two Trustees out of four possible candidates Nov. 3, including Don Marshall, Jamey DeFabio, Darrell Hensley and incumbent Tom Schmidt.”

Written by clgasper, Summit County Life.