Hello Residents,

As you might imagine, as I write this letter our Service Department crews have already been out on multiple occasions clearing the roadways and keeping us safe. Each year I like to remind our residents to be patient. Northeast Ohio throws us some significant curveballs when it comes to snow. Our crews start with primary routes which are hilly and considered dangerous. Oftentimes, once they have completed these routes and before some neighborhoods have been plowed, the snow has accumulated at a rate, which makes the primary route take priority once again. Don’t ever think we are ignoring your neighborhood. If there is significant snow, we are out there plowing. It is not a haphazard approach and the game plan considers the most dangerous and heavily travelled routes first.

As you receive this newsletter we will have a new member of Village Council. Councilwoman Laura Kozminski-VanderHart resigned her position in October therefore creating the vacancy. As Chair of our Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) and Planning Commission, Councilwoman Kozminski-VanderHart played a crucial role navigating very complicated zoning and appeal issues. Her experience and dedication will be missed and she has left some large shoes to fill. Her colleagues on Village Council and all of Administration will miss her for her experience and leadership. Ten residents responded to our requests for anyone interested in the remaining balance of the term which will be approximately one year. Our next newsletter will highlight the candidate that was selected by Village Council as dictated by our Village Charter.

On Veteran’s day we were not blessed with good weather. However, we were blessed with our guest speaker who spoke to the gathering, which had been moved inside to Council Chambers. Alan Kleinman is 101 years old and served in Patton’s Army during WW2. Alan was in a Tank Division and saw fierce combat activity. He and his late wife Millicent have lived in the Village for over 30 years. His words commemorating the day were laced with personal anecdotes on his experiences as well as his modesty that he is only one of many who served during WW2. Alan represents what I love about this job, meeting new people with experiences to share. I’m grateful to call him a friend.

In November I attended an ODNR Wildlife seminar in Columbus. Tim Jasinski from the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center (440-871-2900 or call ODNR at 1-800-WILDLIFE) was presenting on the ability for the agency to trap injured wildlife in urban areas. A few items to note: the agency will NOT trap, relocate or pick up certain specific animals that you find injured on your property. The animals defined in the previous sentence include White Tailed Deer, Raccoons and domestic animals. Again, they will not come out for these animals so please do not call. An abandoned animal should simply be left alone. It may be hard but nature has a plan. Remember that an animal “Born Wild Should Stay Wild”. Do not feed deer, coyotes, raccoons or any other wildlife (birds are an exception). Our local wildlife includes animals that are quite smart. If you have a local infestation of raccoons, it is most likely because there is opportunity in your yard. This includes pet food placed outside, garbage bins easily opened, dirty grills and other food sources. In northeast Ohio there is a comparatively higher percentage of rabies when compared to other parts of the state. For that reason, if you hire a private trapper (must be registered with the state) the animal will have to be destroyed. A reminder that we DO NOT ALLOW THE USE OF FIREARMS TO REMOVAL ANIMALS FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY. A violation of this policy will most likely result in prosecution.

My family would like to wish you all the happiest of Holidays. Stay warm and stay safe.