Parma Observer

DeGeeter Debuts Mayor's In, Mayor's Out Program

Jeannie Roberts — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:47:09 EDT

Mayor Tim DeGeeter will begin "office hours" this month for residents who want to come and chat.

As recently promised in his State of the City speech, Mayor Tim DeGeeter will begin a new program this month aimed at directly increasing residents’ input and accessibility to the Mayor’s office. The program is called Mayor’s In, Mayor’s Out. “I want to use this program to help residents feel closer to their local government and to encourage them to actively participate,” DeGeeter said. “When I was a legislator, I often said the best ideas came from the constituents I served. And, as mayor, I still believe that that is true.”

Safety Walkabouts Off To Successful Start

Jeannie Roberts — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:47:10 EDT

Councilwoman Debbie Lime joins Mayor Tim DeGeeter on Ward 2 Walkabout
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By all accounts, Parma’s Safety Walkabouts are off to another rousing start, if the first two weeks are any indication. Parma safety officials visited residents on streets in two wards last month, and by the end of fall, hope to make it to all nine wards. This is the sixth year that members of Parma Police, along with the Mayor, and members of City Council, have visited Parma residents door to door in an effort to educate residents and to listen to their concerns about street or neighborhood safety. The program, says Safety Director Greg Baeppler, is all about communication. “It’s really an exchange of information,” he said. “We talk to them about basic household and property safety, things like ‘don’t forget to close your garage door’ and they have the opportunity to tell us about things going on in their neighborhood. It’s a great program all the way around.”

Parma Heights Mayor Delivers State Of The City Address

Christine Hnat — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:47:10 EDT

Parma Hts. Mayor Michael P. Byrne stands in front the video presentation screen for his first State of the City Address since he took office.

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Economic Development and Recreation Vital to City’s Future

Cox to Air Parma Heights Mayor Byrne's State of the City Address

Mike Byrne — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:14:04 EDT

On Thursday, April 19, at the Cassidy Theatre, I delivered my first State of the City Address. As the speech came at the mid-point of my first term, I gave an overview of where we have been, what we have accomplished and what we need to do now to face today's challenges and prepare for the challenges to come.

Cox Communications was on hand to record the address and report that they have added it to their Cox45 and On Demand programming.

The address can be seen on Cox45 on Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays at 8:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. The address will air throught the month of May.

According to Amy Krebs of Cox Communications, if you are a Cox Advanced TV subscriber and wish to view the address On Demand, simply "tune your TV to channel 1, select FreeZone, Cox Local, and then Events New & Info. Along the bottom of the screen, there will be different folders, scroll left or right to Parma Heights SOC and select the video".

Tot T-ball Registration Exceeds Expectations

Jeannie Roberts — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:47:09 EDT

City recreation officials weren’t quite sure what to expect from the first year of offering Tot T-ball to three- and four-year-old aspiring all stars. What they got was an overwhelming response – enough players to field 10 full teams. With 12 on a team, that’s 120 tots! Recreation Department officials are stunned at the positive turnout for the brand new program. "We are extremely pleased and proud with the overwhelming response to this new program,” said Recreation Department Director Mickey Vittardi. “Our department is always looking at offering different and/or additional recreational opportunities for our residents.” But who knew there were 120 Parma three- and four-year-olds who wanted to get a formal T-ball introduction? “I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Roberto Discenza, the Rec Department’s assistant director. “But the turnout has been really strong.”

Polish Celebration Just In Time To Show Off Village Improvements

Jeannie Roberts — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:47:09 EDT

Proposed artwork for the north wall of Colozza's Bakery, scheduled to be completed in early summer.

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While throngs of people are milling around Ridge Road before and after the Polish Constitution Day Parade on May 6, the newly updated Polish Village will shine with improvements. Over on State Road, in Ukrainian Village? Same thing.The city is using money from the Block Grant’s Streetscape Improvement Program, which provides funds to beautify and improve commercial areas of the city. Improvements for Polish and Ukrainian villages include benches – blue and yellow for Ukrainian Village and red for Polish Village – and new trash cans for each village in the same color. There are eight new trash cans in Polish Village, and two at Ukrainian Heritage Park. Additionally, there are 11 benches in Polish Village and four in Ukrainian Heritage Park.

Adopt A Pet From An Area Shelter

Amanda Cummings — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:06 EDT

We need you to come and take us to our new home; we'll always be grateful, and we'll never let you down.

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There are at least five animal shelters in or near the greater Parma area who share the same basic mission of protecting and placing lost and surrendered cats and dogs. They are: the APL on Willey Ave., the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter on Sweet Valley Drive in Valley View, the Parma Animal Shelter on State Rd., the SPCA No-Kill Shelter on Brookpark Rd. near Wal-Mart, and the City Kennel on West 7th in Cleveland near the Steelyard Commons.

Parma ABLE Teacher Wins State Award

Kimberly Merryman Sherer, MBA — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:06 EDT

Parma ABLE Staff at OAACE Conference
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Parma ABLE teacher Stephanie Schab was named The Ohio Association for Adult and Continuing Education's (OAACE) Teacher/Trainer of the Year for the Northeast Region of Ohio. The award luncheon was held in Columbus on April 20.

Photos For May 2012

Daniel P. McCarthy — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:52:07 EDT

The John Allender Band played at Shadows Bar in Parma Hts. on April 6.

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The President's Corner

Sean Brennan — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:06 EDT

Parma City Council President Sean P. Brennan

As President of Parma City Council, one of my priorities has been to inform the community about the make up, procedures and initiatives of Parma City Council. This article represents the latest in a series in which I will provide you, the reader, with a monthly glimpse into your local government. This month I have taken the liberty of informing you of how to contact your representative on City Council. I often have residents contact me requesting this information. Further, in light of the fact that we have three relatively new members of Council, this might prove especially helpful.

Guitarmania Blends With Tri-C Students For Artistic Tunes

Jack Marschall — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:18 EDT

Tri-C student Meghan Pierce puts the finishing touches on her Guitarmania artwork, "�Teach a Man to Fish and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.�
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Meghan Pierce speaks with a non-stop tempo that quickly displays her passion and determination for accomplishing goals. Her personality is appropriately built for speed because she has a lot on her plate. Her latest project is a nine-foot tall Fender® Stratoscaster® guitar.

A Small Wonder, Half A World Away

CJ Sheppard — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:18 EDT

David Paul was over 6,000 miles away, serving in Afghanistan, when his

Caregivers Kitchen: Are They Really All Right?

Patty Knox — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:06 EDT

One of the most frequent thing I hear in talking to others who have aging relatives they are concerned about is, “They seem to be doing all right.” Or, “There haven’t been any serious problems yet.” Or, “They haven’t asked for any help, and I don’t want to offend them.”

Joe The Coach; My View On Sports

JOSEPH L. FINDING — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:06 EDT

This month, I can see where the Browns and the draft are going to cause me problems and nightmares. I had lunch last week with ex-college coaching friends of mine and we had a good conversation of what we thought the Browns should draft. We came to the conclusion that they should not trade their draft positions, but keep them to draft what they really need. All of us but one thought we should draft a quality right offensive tackle to help our QBs. But who is that guy? Adams, from OSU, or someone else? We definitely see a need for an offensive right tackle who can block and physically hold up. Seeing that during free agency we didn't invest in a QB, the Browns must feel what we have will work out. We shall see. We also felt that a quality receiver is a real need and free agency didn't help us there, either. Justin Blackmom seems like he would be a good draft choice and a big wide out we need. The group thought that too. Oh, yes, we forgot Southern Cal's Matt Kallil. he might be a good fit in at offensive tackle if available at draft time. We thought if the Browns want a QB, Texas A.M. Ryan Tannehill might work out, but some of the coaches thought that Brandon Weeden might be able to work in; your guess is as good as ours. If Josh Cribbs keeps driving at 103 miles per hour, we might miss him. He is a good kid through a personal conversation, and I really don't want to see him hurt or killed. He truly wants to win, we need to use him more. From here on we really didn't agree on much except that we were all in favor of the overtime rule this year. And a couple of us have decided to donate our brains to science to study, from the number of concussions we've had. I just heard on ESPN that the NY Jets want to trade up to number 4 to get the wide out they want. I think the Browns would be hurting themselves to trade away the 4th pick, take the best athlete with it, they need a receiver too. Enough about football for now. Let me know what you think.

Asset Corner #29

Gene Lovasy — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:18 EDT

May’s Asset Category: Commitment to Learning
Education has improved immensely in the past 20 years. Today, more young people are taking high-level courses, fewer of them are dropping out, math and science scores are on the rise, and more students are entering college after high school. But that doesn’t mean a commitment to learning happens naturally in all young people. Instilling this important trait involves a combination of values and skills that include the desire to succeed in school, a sense of the lasting importance of learning, and a belief in one’s own ability. This commitment is strongly influenced by the school environment and relationships with family and peers.

Commitment to Learning Assets Include:
            #21 Achievement Motivation – Young person is motivated to do well in school. (65%*)
            #22 School Engagement – Young people is actively engaged in learning. (55%*)
            #23 Homework – Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day. (47%*)
            #24 Bonding to School – Young person cares about her or his school. (52%*)
            #25 Reading for Pleasure – Young person reads for pleasure 3 or more hours /week. (22%*)
            (* The percent of youth who experience or have this asset in their lives. Data based on an aggregate Search Institute sample of 148,189 students surveyed in 2003. The sample included students in 202 cities in 27 states.)

The Patriot Corner

Wayne Mahowald — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:48:06 EDT

Recently, President Obama’s campaign released a video called “The Road We’ve Traveled” about his first term in office. The title reminded of a book I was familiar with called "The Road We Are Traveling" by Stuart Chase. In that book, Mr. Chase outlined characteristics of political economies that he had observed among Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain between 1913 and 1942 as the influence of Fabian Socialism spread throughout Europe. Look carefully at this list of 18 characteristics and compare them with the United States of today.

What's Right? What's Wrong?

Daniel Taddeo — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:18 EDT

The topic for May is: Time. Time is something in a very limited supply. Why not invest it in our children? When parents spend time with their children, they pay them the highest compliment they will ever receive. The Bible cautions us about not taking time for granted. "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

Stroke Awareness, Caregiver Training Among Offerings At Parma Hospital

CJ Sheppard — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:18 EDT

Try yoga, sign up for a melanoma screening or ensure that your child is ready for Kindergarten. Each season, Parma Community General Hospital’s Health Education Center affords an opportunity to explore a new variety of personal wellness, fitness, mind/body fitness and youth classes.

Two Sonnets

Bryan N Griffin Jr — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:18 EDT

TWO SONNETS BY BRYAN N GRIFFIN JR

Get Aquainted With Cleveland Water

John Goersmeyer — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:37:29 EDT

Cleveland Water’s Clear Reads (Automatic Meter Reading Program) is coming to your neighborhood soon. Come learn more about the Clear Reads program and its benefits;