City

In a campaign that saw the main contenders punching and counter-punching in the final weeks, Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik topped a four-candidate field to earn a third four-year term in office. But the victory didn’t come quite as easily as he expected earlier in the year.

            Cervenik, a lifelong Euclid resident and former City Council president, got 6,492 votes in the Nov. 8 election to outdraw runner-up Charlene Mancuso, a former councilwoman who was picked on 4,193 ballots. Mancuso, a registered nurse who has held executive positions at Cleveland MetroHealth, ran a hard and clearly well-financed campaign.

            Finishing third in the mayoral contest was Jack Johnson, the former city finance director who had hoped to become Euclid’s first black mayor. He won the support of 2,479 voters, while political neophyte Chris Litwinowicz garnered just 278 votes.

            “Considering all the challenges, I’m very pleased with our victory margin,” said Mayor Cervenik, who first won the mayor’s post in 2003. “The voters spoke loud and clear, saying that they support the policies of this administration as well as the direction we’re headed and the progress that we’ve made. They want to see it continue—and it will.”

continued.

The newly opened Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) waiting area at the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard, Babbitt Road and Bliss Lane is now official, with its dedication Sept. 29.

RTA chief executive officer and general manager Joe Calabrese, along with the city of Euclid mayor Bill Cervenik, brought the project to Euclid, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and its Transit Waiting Environment (TWE) Program.

The project is a prominent feature of the redevelopment of downtown Euclid, highlighted by a beautified waiting environment.

Bus routes 30 and 94 service the shelters. The upgrades include two new covered areas, seating, trash receptacles, landscaping and planters, along with additional electronic signage.

Two candidate forums scheduled at library

The Euclid Public Library and the Euclid Chamber of Commerce will co-host a pair of October forums featuring candidates on the November election ballot.

The forums, which will take place at the library, are intended to give Euclid residents and business owners a chance to hear from the candidates seeking local government and school board positions.

On Sunday Oct. 9, candidates for the Euclid Board of Education and for municipal court judge are scheduled to appear from 2 to 4 p.m. Two weeks later, on Oct. 23, candidates for Euclid City Council and for the Euclid mayor’s position will discuss where they stand on important local issues, also from 2 to 4 p.m.

Both forums will be held in the Euclid Public Library’s Shore Room.

Have you noticed the reduced lack of community spirit in our city? Gone are the summer festivals and Ron Emser's Sunday Sunset gatherings on our beautiful lakefront. Cancelled is the fabulous Fourth of July fireworks display due to gang troublemaking. 

What happened to the tennis courts, miniature golf and sand volleyball? Our Shoe Center post office is closed. Can you tell me where to find a mail box that you can d A rop a letter without getting out of your car? .Sure you can go to the marginal post office  using precious gasoline to get there.

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Summer is such a fantastic time of the year. It is a season of warm weather, colorful flowers, fresh fruit and chats with our neighbors, those we typically only wave to after the cold temperatures set in. But I believe that for me and many others, the season offers us opportunities to de-stress and relax.

In Euclid, and throughout northeast Ohio, we have many avenues to escape stress and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of summer. One way is to take a walk through Euclid Creek Reservation trail with its wooded hillsides that run the length of the reservation. I personally love the sights and sounds of Lake Erie. Whether boating, fishing or swimming, the lake is beautiful and mesmerizing. The park benches at Sims Park and the Lakefront Park offer front row seats to the nightly sunsets.

The season comes and goes quickly. Take time to relax and enjoy the simple beauty of nature.

Virginia Evans was born on June 18th, 1911 in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

Mrs. Evans moved to Cleveland, Ohio when she was 12yrs old. She grew up on E.55th and Outhwaite, attended Cleveland Public Schools.

She currently is a Resident at Indian Hills Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation center. She has resided there since February

8th 2007.

Mrs. Evens was married (husband deceased) and raised 2 children. She has 6 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Mrs. Evans was employed at Metropolitan General Hospital and St. Vincent Charity Hospital as a nursing assistant. She also worked at Cleveland Clinic in the food service department. However she was a seamstress by trade.

Her Hobbies include reading autobiographies and history books.

When asked what her favorite foods are she replied, fruits and vegetables. When asked what her words of wisdom are she replied: IF you are somewhere standing and there is a place to sit, go sit. If you are sitting and there is a place to lay, lay down. Get plenty of rest and be silly, laughing is good for the soul.

Heavy-duty equipment, including this device that looks a bit like something out of a “Star Wars” movie, has been dominating the landscape, and creating a traffic nuisance, in the Eastlawn neighborhood for the past six months or so. The excavating and road-building machinery is engaged in replacing sewer and water lines on the sidestreets running between South Lakeshore Boulevard and Newton Avenue. The project, which will culminate with the repaving of South Lakeshore, is expected to continue through September.

One of the latest enhancements in the renovation of downtown Euclid is this electronic community bulletin board, which cycles through a series of colorful messages about upcoming community events. It is a distinct improvement over the former, static bulletin board with lettering that had to be changed by hand.  The new board, at East 222nd Street and Lakeshore Boulevard, can accommodate many more announcements – and with eye-catching graphics to boot.                               (Photo by John Sheridan)

For the second year in a row, a student from Euclid High School won top honors in the annual 11th District Congressional Art Competition. This year's Best in Show award went to Anastasia Soboleva, a junior at Euclid High School. Anastasia's drawing, a self portrait, will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year, along with the artwork of first place winners from each congressional district across the nation.

Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge sponsored an awards ceremony May 14, and congratulated all the students who participated. High school students from various communities in the 11th Congressional district submitted more than 200 works of art. The public is invited to see their work on display through the end of May at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 1962 Stokes Boulevard in Cleveland. Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik, Euclid school board member Donna Sudar and Euclid City Council president Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, as well as Anastasia's proud family, were on hand to congratulate the talented young artist at the congresswoman's award ceremony. 

Visit Congresswoman Fudge's website for a list of winners from all competition categories.

It’s “kitten time” at the Euclid Animal Shelter, 25100 Lakeland Boulevard, where staffers are now seeking good homes for more than 20 of the cuddly critters.

Patti Burlingham, treasurer of Euclid Pet Pals, the volunteer group that supports the shelter, reported recently that the organization currently is caring for three litters of kittens that were born at the shelter. About a dozen of the kittens were available to be adopted, while the others were still too young to be separated from their mothers.

For information on adoptions, contact the shelter at (216) 289-2075. The $70 adoption fee for kittens covers spaying or neutering, the first vaccination, a bath, and worming (if necessary). Seniors adopting pets receive a $10 discount.

The animal shelter is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings.

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Hello again citizens of Euclid! I hope spring has been a safe season for all of you. As of this writing, the Euclid Fire Department has surpassed 3,000 responses sooner than in any other year in the history of the department, and we’ve responded to more than 3,000 alarms. The last six weeks have been especially busy and dangerous, as firefighters have responded to several fires, and one life-threatening car accident 

During the early morning hours of April 14, Euclid firefighters responded to 27801 Euclid Avenue for a fire inside the seven-story Omni-Park Building. On arrival, firefighters found heavy fire coming from the windows on the second floor of the east side of the building. The fire was spreading up to the third floor from the outside. Due to the large amount of fire in a large building, we were fortunate to receive help from surrounding fire departments to help us extinguish the fire.  

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Clean-Up Euclid Day, sponsored by the Euclid Chamber of Commerce, generated over 30 bags of paper, trash, car parts, old shoes and various other unsightly refuse from the streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots and playgrounds. Over 35 people participated in this worthwhile event, held May 7,which, very fortunately, occurred on a rare rain-free Saturday morning.

Community leaders pitched in with volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 143, the Euclid Youth Soccer Organization, American Sign Language and Euclid Hospital, as well as students from Ss. Robert and William, Notre Dame Cathedral Latin and Euclid High School to make the morning a successful event. Thanks to all who came and invested their time and energy to make our town more attractive.

I am happy to inform you that the Cuyahoga County Council approved a Brown Field Grant to the city of Euclid at their recent meeting in the amount of $150,000 for asbestos remediation of the buildings on the former St. Robert's property. Economic Development Director Frank Pietravoia and I presented our case before the Economic Development Committee to explain the importance of this property in relation to Euclid's Lakefront Development Plan.  They wholeheartedly agreed. Thank you to the Euclid Economic Development Department and especially our intern Eugene, who really took this challenge to heart.

Cuyahoga County Councilperson Sonny Simon supported the grant strongly and talked about the great initiatives that are taking place in the city of Euclid. It is great to have her support.

Thank you to all that are working with us to keep the renaissance of Euclid moving forward.

Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik

 In the March issue of the Observer, the first of a two-part series reported on Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik’s assessment of the “state of the city,” including progress on major initiatives to enhance the city’s future prospects.  In this installment of our question-and-answer dialog, the mayor offers insight into some of the troublesome issues that the city has to contend with.

             We made it through another winter!  If you’re like me, you’re ready to get outside and get your property cleaned up and ready for summer and maybe even do some spring cleaning inside.  This article will offer useful advice and safety tips on protecting yourself and your property from the dangers of fire.  

Eastlawn residents get answers on sewer, water line projects

The city of Euclid has completed a comprehensive rehabilitation of two formerly vacant and abandoned foreclosed houses located at 324 East 195th Street and 21700 Priday Avenue. The properties were renovated using Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The federal NSP funds were awarded to the city of Euclid to help address the negative effects of such abandoned, vacant, and foreclosed properties in the community.

It is hard to believe that 2010 is coming to a close and soon it will be 2011. Over this past year, the downswing in the economy has in some ways touched or affected each and every one of us. As mayor of Euclid, I, like others, faced many challenges as well. Expenses and programming had to be cut as we all tried to do more with less. Yet, in spite of these difficulties, I am grateful that many of our goals for this past year were achieved. Projects such as the renovations to the Shore Center Plaza and Marc’s Plaza are near completion. The intersection and Transit Waiting Environment renovations at Lakeshore Boulevard and Bliss Lane are nearly completed. Several new businesses now call Euclid home, such as the Great Lakes Expo Center featuring the Cleveland Home and Garden Show, and the Bluestone Business Park (former Chase Brass site) received its Jobs Ready Site designation. Ground has been broken at Century Corners for the new Dialysis Center, along with numerous small businesses and restaurants. The replacement of the old sound walls along the highway is well underway and should be completed by spring. Curbside recycling has returned on a weekly basis and at no additional cost to our residents, and the response during the initial week of collection has been tremendous. Formerly vacant homes are being rehabbed through our Neighborhood Stabilization Program, bringing new life and stability into our neighborhoods. Lakefront Development is moving forward and will transform our community and the Lake Erie shoreline to an exciting and vibrant destination.

Ostellafran Adult Day Service, located at the Shore Cultural Centre, invites you to join us as we celebrate our grand opening! On Jan. 3 we will be opening our doors to the senior community of Euclid and surrounding areas. We will be offering free and discounted services until Mar. 31. Our services include: caregiver assistance and education, activities, nursing, respite care, occupational therapy, socialization, personal care assistance and more. Our center is handicap accessible and we assist with transportation. Interested volunteers and potential clients can contact Marlon Duncan COTA/L, director, at (216) 253-5116. Our staff members are dedicated to giving back to seniors the care, attention, appreciation, consideration, and respect that is truly deserved.

For many of us, we are approaching a special time of the year where family and friends gather together and celebrate the holidays and the good food and fun that go along with them.  As we are enjoying the season, please remember neighbors and other acquaintances that may be less fortunate.  Check in on elderly neighbors that may need to see a friendly face and reassurance that help is near by. Many elderly need extra assistance during the winter in taking their trash can to the curb or back to the house. Some may need snow shoveled off their steps or drive or their newspaper brought to their door.  

Euclid Public Library Director Donna Perdzock was honored with a Community Service Award on November 11 by the Cleveland Clinic Hospital System. This award was presented to Perdzock in appreciation for her contributions in making the community of Euclid one of the “best places to live.” In her nearly 40 years of service to Euclid’s library, she has had one goal in mind: to “provide the community with a good library they see as a resource for information, for entertainment and for education.” In this, the library’s 75th year of service to Euclid, the library has been recognized as being one of the “Top Ten Libraries in the Nation” by the Hennen Awards as well as a “Four Star Library” from Library Journal.

Eleven Euclid firefighters were recognized and honored by the Cleveland Clinic last month for their actions while rendering patient care on two separate incidents that occurred in 2009.

Lieutenant David Rowell, Fire Fighter-EMT Randy Potts, Fire Fighter-Paramedics Eric Patterson, Jim Retallick, and Nathan Barry were recognized and honored for their treatment and expert care of a 32-year old pregnant woman who was complaining of tightness and discomfort in her chest.  This patient was 37 weeks into a healthy pregnancy and had no prior medical problems.  The chest discomfort had progressed to include shortness of breath.  Following their protocols, the members found an abnormal EKG.  Because she was pregnant and exhibiting signs of an impending heart attack, she was transported to Hillcrest Hospital.  While transporting to Hillcrest, these men continued emergency treatment to stabilize the patient’s cardiac condition while preparing for the possibility of cardiac arrest and impending delivery of a baby.

Every year when the weather turns colder the Euclid Fire Department (EFD) responds to hundreds of calls relating to odors, smoke scares, illnesses, fires and carbon monoxide (CO) detector activations.  Most of these CO alarms turn out to be false.  However, a small percentage will reveal high levels of CO within a structure.  This article will help make you aware of the following:

Those of us who live in the neighborhood of Ross’ Meats have grown up with the tradition of going to the meat market on Saturday mornings, catching up on the local news with our fellow shoppers.  This legacy has been with us since Joseph Ross’s dream came true. He opened his own Meat Market in 1970, after many years working as a butcher for Fisher Foods.  His son Larry and daughter Karen joined him in the family business until Joe retired in 1985.  After more than 40 years, the news came that Larry was going to close the store and retire the at end of October, which set off a buzz heard around the city.

Weekly curbside recycling is returning to Euclid! Recently, the city entered into a new solid waste contract that is not only more cost-effective but offered us the opportunity to make way for curbside recycling as well. The new contract charges the city per ton of trash collected, not a per household fee, as in the past.

Euclid Fire Department crews answered a late afternoon call Sept. 14, at 282 Buckner Avenue. On arrival, crews faced heavy smoke as well as flames shooting from a back kitchen window of the condominium complex, and an occupant trapped inside.  According to Lt. Jay Northup of Ladder 1, “A neighbor placed a mattress on the ground and the occupant dropped from the second floor window right before we arrived on scene”.  Firefighter and paramedic Jeff Mann treated the occupant, who complained of smoke inhalation, while another team of firefighters attacked the fire.  Other crews assisted simultaneously in searching all of the attached condos, ventilating the smoke and hot fire gases from the building, and searching for hidden pockets of fire that could have extended undetected behind walls. 

Do you know the location of the closest firehouse to your home or business?  The Euclid Fire Department operates three fire stations throughout Euclid.  Station 1, located at 775 East 222nd Street, is the fire department’s headquarters and it an ambulance (Rescue 1), a ladder truck (Ladder 1), and a command vehicle (Car 23) that the on-duty officer in charge uses.  Staff personnel also work out of Station 1.  Station 2, located at 1500 Chardon Road, houses one ambulance (Rescue 2) and one fire engine (Engine 2).  Station 3, located at 25970 Lakeshore Boulevard, contains one ambulance (Rescue 3) and one fire engine (Engine 3).  Two staff members serve each ambulance and at least three firemen staff each fire apparatus.  Euclid had a fourth station, located at 1395 East 260th Street, but budget cuts forced its closure. While the site no longer houses any firefighting personnel or apparatus, it is currently being used as a police mini-station.

Up a creek without a paddle? We can help!! Attention all caregivers and seniors! Ostellafran adult day service is coming to Shore Cultural Centre January 2011. If you are caring for a love one or a friend, and are overwhelmed by the demanding day-to-day responsibilities, perhaps neglecting your personal day-to-day responsibilities, as well as leisure activities, then Ostellafran may be a choice for you. Seniors looking to get back into exciting daily activities are welcome too.

Public employee ethics and transparency in county government were the themes of the day as the three candidates for the District 11 county council slot met with voters while fielding questions at a recent candidate’s night.  The 11th District council position will represent Euclid, South Euclid, Richmond Heights., Lyndhurst, Beachwood and University Heights. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters and held at Brush High School Oct. 6, the three candidates found more to agree than disagree on as each fielded questions on topics ranging from the economy to the transition process for the county government.  Each mentioned the need for ethics training by all elected officials and county employees as top priorities.

The Euclid Parks and Recreation Department is conserving water this year by recycling water from Memorial Pool to make the ice at the C.E. Orr Ice Arena. The maintenance employees made up a device by using the pool vacuum pump and a one-inch garden hose from the pool to the arena. There will be 16 sheets (layers) of ice and two layers of paint before the rink is ready to open. Each sheet takes about one and a half hours to do, and each sheet must freeze before starting a new layer. We will be using approximately 10,000 gallons of water to make the ice usable for all. The C.E. Orr Ice Arena will open its doors Sept. 25, with a season opening special from 1 to 2:30 p.m., $3 admission, includes skate rental.

This & that: What Lakefront development could mean to the shoreline of Euclid east of the Sims Park area towards the location of the planned Marina.

Memorial Park, Euclid’s sprawling 52-acre public park bordered by Babbitt Road and East 222nd Street, is the topic of ongoing discussions among a 15-member visioning team appointed by City leaders. Over the past several months the group has been meeting and talking about ways to update and potentially upgrade the park, which has been serving Euclid for more than 50 years.

Hello citizens and business owners of Euclid!  I’m excited about the chance to write for The Euclid Observer.  My goal with each article is to help educate the public about the Euclid Fire Department (EFD), fire prevention topics, and life safety issues that can affect us all. 

My first article coincides with a very important week in the fire service.  This year, Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 3 - 9.  This year’s campaign theme is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!”  This week is designed to educate people about the importance of smoke alarms and encourages everyone to take steps necessary to update and maintain home smoke alarm protection.

Euclid received more great news concerning Lakefront Development from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  The City was awarded $600,000 in the form of three grants to assist in implementing the initial phases of the Lakefront Plan.  The first grant, for $350,000 is to be used for land acquisition of property needed for development.  The second grant in the amount of $150,000, will be used to begin the creation of a series of paths and trails beginning at Sims Park, that will eventually connect to not only Memorial Park but hopefully to the Metro Parks  and beyond.  The third grant of $100,000 is to be used to begin the expansion and lengthening of the fishing pier at Sims Park.

Recently, Councilman Daryl Langman and long time city activist Jerry Corbran wrote articles for The Euclid Observer detailing the new plans for the lakefront development and the Marina Project.  And more recently, the News-Herald published a story about the storefront renovation at the Lakeshore Plaza (Marc's) at the eastern edge of the downtown area, which also alluded to the lakefront development project and its importance to Euclid. This project has been at the forefront of Euclid politics discussions for over a decade and finally the city seems to be moving forward on the project rather than just talking about the project.

Plans are forging ahead for breaking new ground in Euclid. In May, the Memorial Park Community Garden Committee formed to initiate the city’s second community garden.

The City of Euclid has committed a piece of land in Memorial Park, and committee members are itching to get their hands in the soil. But first, they are working hard to create a solid foundation for the organization. With the help of OSU Extension employees and advice from experienced workers from the city, the committee has put together preliminary bylaws and an initial working design of the site, which will include a 2-3 year implementation plan.

This year the Euclid Parks & Recreation Department is conserving water and recylcing the water from Memorial Pool to make the sheets of ice for the C.E. Orr Ice Arena.  Our Parks & Recreation maintenance employees made up a device to use the pool vaccuum pump and a 1 inch garden hose from the pool to the arena. There will be a total of 16 sheets (layers) of water and two layers of paint that will make the ice usable for all.  Each layer is spread on the ice rink floor, taking about one and a half hours for each layer.  After each layer is put on the rink pad you have to wait for it to freeze before spreading the next level. Total amount of water that will be used is approximately 10,000 gallons of water.  The Arena is scheduled to open on Saturday, September 25th, with a season opening special from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.  $ 3.00 admission, includes skate rental. 

On behalf of the Euclid Parks and Recreation Department we would like to personally thank all of the residents for their support to the department this summer. Many assisted us by volunteering their time to help coach a team, teach a swim lesson, adopt a spot and many other tasks. We would never survive without the help from these wonderful individuals. Thank you again for everything.

Kathy Will, Parks and Recreation Director and Staff

The mayor and The Coral Company must be commended for working throughout this past holiday weekend on Shore’s behalf. Mayor Cervenik put together a creative package that not only allows for an extension of Coral’s contract, but he found the money to purchase a new energy-efficient boiler, recondition the old one for back-up, and purchase new energy-efficient thermostats for the entire building. These items total $85,000 and will be paid for out of the 2010 capital budget excess, which can only be used for equipment. 

Need a roof? A new furnace? Buying a Euclid home? You may want to consider contacting EDCOR first. Euclid Development Corporation (EDCOR) is offering qualified Euclid homeowners three percent loans, up to $30,000, to fix violations and home improvement. Applicants must own and reside in the home in which the improvements are to be made. A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant, under the Housing and Community Development Block Grant program, and the HOME program provide funds for this program.