Archived Columns - Chagrin Valley Times The Solon Times, The Geauga Times Courier

Columns
	Voting rights have ups and downs 04/27/2013 They’re talking about lowering the legal voting age to 16 in Orange village. Seriously, folks. Mayor Kathy U. Mulcahy downplayed the notion after hearing the recommendation during a recent visit with third-graders. But she followed it up with some researc
	Facebook connects generations 04/27/2013 Don’t like to think of myself as “an old fuddy-duddy” but rather an old-fashioned kind of gal. That means there are no granite countertops in my kitchen or stainless-steel appliances, and my cellphone just sends and receives calls. It can do more, but why
	This good deed is simply done 10/17/2012 Let me tell you about my up-street neighbor, a wonderful woman who works in one of what we have come to call �the helping professions.�
	Ohio should have four senators 10/17/2012 This being a national election year, it�s a good time to ask why North and South Dakota are entitled to four United States senators, while Northern and Southern Ohio only get two, despite having eight times as many people.
	Annual tradition needs to roll back 10/12/2012 It�s October, and you know what that means. No? Then let�s review.
	Musical chairs isn�t re-election 10/12/2012 Many of her constituents would agree that Mary Samide has done a good job for them as a Geauga County commissioner for the past 8 1/2 years. But, contrary to campaign signs posted along local roads, she is not running for re-election next month.
	American flag shows true colors 10/04/2012 We used to have a guy around here by the name of Barney Hoopes. He was one of those town characters we don�t seem to attract anymore.
	Wealth redistribution reappraised 10/04/2012 When it was revealed a month ago that the latest Cuyahoga County property appraisals showed values shooting through the roofs for homes in Chagrin Falls and other upper-income communities, there were questions about how that happened.
	Memories march on with band 09/27/2012 Funny thing about memories. You never know when they are going to stop you dead in your tracks. Maybe it's a song on the radio, a word or an old photo that has fallen from a book.
	Dying doesn't make man honest 09/27/2012 Of course, Arthur Modell, the back-stabbing former owner of the Cleveland Browns, was a liar. Dying doesn't make a man honest. And it shouldn't land his bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame either, no matter what the talking-head apologists would have us
	Complainers walk narrow line 09/19/2012 There�s a lot of complaining going on around here lately, and I ought to know, because I am a world-class complainer. You know it too if you read this space on a regular basis.
	Political runaround is unlimited 09/19/2012 It recently was reported that the Ohio General Assembly is overloaded with appointed, as opposed to elected, legislators � nine of the 33 Senate members and 16 of the 99 House members � and there�s some suspicion that this is due to t
	Beloved cars are just like family 09/14/2012 It has been said we Americans, like no other people, love our cars. There is good reason for this.
	Yes, we taxpayers did build that 09/14/2012 For the nine years that our sons attended St. Joan of Arc School in Chagrin Falls, I took for granted that a Kenston School District bus would pick them up at the end of our Bainbridge driveway in the mornings and drop them off in the same spot each after
	Gateway dream tumbled downhill 09/07/2012 It started as a simple idea. The village would buy the ramshackle properties barely clinging to the hillside along a substantial stretch of West Orange Street and in their place would be create something special.
	Pay-to-play politics all relative 09/07/2012 The world is now safe from former Cuyahoga County Commissioner and county Democratic Party Chairman Jimmy Dimora, who has been sentenced to 28 years in prison as the key figure in a mediagenic corruption scandal.
	Patriotism alive through labor 08/30/2012 Monday is Labor Day, and you know what that means. It’s over. The day summer officially comes to a screeching halt.
	Washington calls to prosecutor 08/30/2012 Some parallels have been drawn between the sudden rise in prominence of U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, R-Bainbridge, 22 years ago and the sudden anointment of his heir apparent, Geauga County Prosecutor David Joyce, three weeks ago.
	Old wives� tales get reality check 08/24/2012 A group of us was at the lake enjoying a post-lunch loll by the shore when one of the kids asked to go in the water and was given the thumbs up by her parents.
	Best places earn their notoriety 08/24/2012 After many minutes of research, our English-speaking telephone-call specialists in downtown Hyderabad, unlike their imported counterparts in downtown Cleveland, have determined that Auburn Township is not Chagrin Falls.
	Movies reel deal for Chagrin 08/21/2012 �Chagrin Falls: Movie capital of the Midwest�? Hey, it could happen. In fact, that�s what members of Chagrin Falls arts commission are hoping.
	Funding has upside, downside 08/21/2012 �Where�s my bailout? Where�s my zero-interest loan? Where�s my federal subsidy? Where�s my state grant?�
	Maybe congressman too honest 08/10/2012 Congratulations to Congressman Steve LaTourette for speaking truth to stubborn last week, when he stood before the media and announced he was calling it quits.
	Booming economy within range 08/10/2012 In the wake of last month�s massacre in Aurora, Colo., where 12 innocent movie viewers were slaughtered and another 58 were injured, gun sales reportedly shot through the roof.
	Tax collecting gets burdensome 08/02/2012 This probably is perfect logic for financial wizards. But a working stiff like myself is a bit confused by a change in the city of Solon municipal income-tax ordinance.
	You can go home but can't stay 08/02/2012 The guy who said you can't go home again didn't know what he was talking about. I did it. I went home to the house where I grew up.
	COUNTY LINE, BY DAVE LANGE 07/26/2012 Here's a novel idea for the champions of privatizing public roads, such as Gov. John Kasich's ongoing crusade to lease out the Ohio Turnpike. How about privatizing private roads?
	Americans still fight good fight 07/26/2012 Our yoga classmate Maggie won't mind if we tell you about what happened to her last Friday after she left her home in Chagrin Falls and drove downtown, raised her right hand, swore to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic and be
	Before you know it, teen dynamo is there 07/18/2012 My daughter Katie is a super-hero and also a time traveler, and I'm pretty sure she is part vampire. It's the only way I can explain how she does what she does.
	This 'granddad' doesn't fall for it 07/18/2012 Legendary circus owner P.T. Barnum has been credited with saying, "There's a sucker born every minute." He was referring to his customers who paid to see his hoaxed-up sideshow scams.
	Former principal left his mark 07/18/2012 Some folks may recall that the late E. James Kotora, who served as principal at Solon High School from 1972 to 1994, had a mischievous side, along with his fine reputation as an educator.
	Chardon water rates spill over 07/11/2012 Chardon City Council just spent a couple months agonizing over increasing water and sewer rates, finally voting 4-2 to raise them by 9.4 percent.
	Babies have miraculous power 07/11/2012 It's been a long time since we had a baby in our family, so it was quite a thrill July 4 to meet the newest addition to the clan -- Cameron Michael James Miller.
	Tax burden widens with sprawl 07/09/2012 A recent report by the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium revealed that sprawl -- the phenomenon in which population spreads farther and farther away from the central city and inner suburbs -- places a heavier burden on taxes and resources.
	Saying what we mean isn't easy 07/09/2012 Maybe you've heard the story of the American who won the lottery, decided to see Paris but, when he got there, found himself perplexed by what he experienced and, upon returning home, told friends he knew he was in trouble from the minute he got off the p
	Slice of life served up in school cafeteria 07/09/2012 Never have there been two words that evoke memories so vivid or emotions so raw as these: school cafeteria. Think about it. When adults recall their school years, they may shake the cobwebs loose from vague memories of teachers, classmates, recess or perh
	Religious dispute not hate crime 06/27/2012 We share the same last name, but we're not related. He is a man of the cloth, and I am a man of the press; thus we both speak our minds, his being a biblical calling, mine being a calling to the First Amendment.
	Theater is parcel to community 06/27/2012 It's hard to believe, but did you know there are towns that don't have their own community theaters? In fact, its downright unthinkable any city, town or burg could exist without a place where make believe is the one and only goal.
	Bigger isn't better for the mail 06/21/2012
	Questionable activity scrutinized 06/21/2012 We here at Window Central apologize. This week we have no answers, only questions. Shall we reason together in search of answers?
	Beauty contest exposes its flaws 06/13/2012 Just laid down the six bucks, so you won't have to.
	Graduates shouldn't do this stuff 06/13/2012 Good afternoon, graduates. It is afternoon, isn't it? I'm honored to be here. I would have been at your actual graduation ceremonies, but nobody invited me. Same as last year. And I would have delivered this speech a week or two earlier, but I must have
	Beauty contest exposes its flaws 06/13/2012 Just laid down the six bucks, so you won't have to.
	Government operates in secret 06/06/2012 As a member of the public, as opposed to a member of the government, I can only imagine what goes on beyond those closed doors that separate us from them in executive sessions.
	Creaks and groans go hand in hand 06/06/2012 Yes, they have creaks and groans, and yes, they are always in need of something, but, to their owners, there is nothing like an house with a little bit of age to it.
	Teen activities keep parents active as well 06/06/2012 My 16-year-old daughter, Kate, participates in a long list of extracurricular activities. Two of her most time-consuming are the dance team and the softball team.
	Fracking signs free as the wind 05/30/2012 Driving along Munn Road, I was struck by a couple of signs posted in front yards -- but not quite in the same way that they struck a resident who complained about them to Auburn Township Trustees. The little signs read, "Frack on."
	Summertime swings into action 05/30/2012 So, did you have a good time last weekend? Well, my little party animals and culture vultures, you should know the fun has just begun. It's summer, and there is something going on all the time around here.
	Once novelty wears off, 'Dreams' is a yawn 05/23/2012 There is a wonderful Gary Larson "Far Side" cartoon about what a dog hears. Her master says, "OK, Ginger, I've had it. You stay out of that garbage! Understand?" But what the dog hears is, "Blah, blah, Ginger, blah, blah, blah."
	Working people get no bailouts 05/23/2012 I don't think remains in graves at Evergreen Hill Cemetery really care, but people who decry "taxing dead people" soon will have their way in Ohio. The estate tax, inheritance tax, death tax or whatever you want to call it will be history, and many local
	Big weekend arrives in valley 05/23/2012 It's here. The biggest, most anticipated weekend of the year -- at least here in our town, Chagrin Falls, and the rest of the Chagrin Valley.
	These good old shoes are made for walking 05/23/2012 I have been thinking about getting new sneakers, which is not a big deal, really. Except in my case.
	Zero probability is unreasonable 05/16/2012 Today's review, Chagrin Falls High School students, is about probability and reasonableness. Your teachers may have taught you the meanings of such words in the lower grades, but school administrators now want you to forget about that.
	New Rec never can be old Rec 05/16/2012 Expansion committee members have done a terrific job planning for the new and improved Chagrin Valley Rec Center -- from defining potential users, identifying their needs, designing a facility around them to finding a place to build it. Good for them!
	Stalls in barn collect memories, other stuff 05/16/2012 As soon as I finish this column, I'll head down to the barn and slide open the door to Teddy's stall for the first time in eight months. No need to call the humane officer. Teddy passed on decades ago, and there hasn't been an actual horse in that stall f
	Cleveland schools aren't worst 05/09/2012 For years, the Cleveland Municipal School District has been the guinea pig for advocates of simplistic education experiments, from vouchers to mayoral control. By every comparative measure, most notably state proficiency tests, the experiments have borne
	Start asking questions this day 05/09/2012 Everyone has a mother. No one should need proof of this, but just in case you need confirmation, look at your belly button.
	Craziness is general rule among dictators 05/09/2012 Am I the only one who has noticed that real-life dictators closely resemble their cartoon counterparts?
	Feel-good act just passes blame 05/03/2012 Michael Spellman, Geraldine Kanieski, Dominic Bisesi and Vincent J. Frustaci have something in common.
	Hope brightens for historic house 05/03/2012 There is good news to report this week. A contract has been signed for the purchase of the once-doomed-by-demolition Sears-Adams House in Chagrin Falls.
	Deep health-care lesion festers 04/25/2012 Three items crossed my desk last week that caused me to think about the most divisive issue in America today.
	Rules for writing much like living 04/25/2012 I have been thinking about Anne Lamott since hearing her talk about what she does for a living. The unconventional, dreadlocked California writer took center stage at the Ohio Theatre in downtown Cleveland recently in a program appropriately named Writers
	Inspiration from trees grows above poetry 04/25/2012 "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree." As a youngster, I learned about the Joyce Kilmer poem that includes this line, because my grandparents lived near Joyce Kilmer Avenue. I thought then, and I think now, that the line of the poem
	Voters finally may get their say 04/18/2012 It's been said that what goes around comes around. A lot has been going around with the 98th District Ohio House seat, which includes all of Geauga County and a small corner of eastern Cuyahoga County.
	Taxpayers inherit the expense 04/18/2012 It's safe to say a vast majority of the elected officials in our largely Republican Chagrin Valley communities voted for Gov. John Kasich.
	Thinking about stress is too stressful 04/18/2012 So how are you doing today? Things going OK? Feeling pretty mellow? Keeping that stress under control? Well, I'm glad to hear it.
	Criticism need not be partisan 04/13/2012 "Sometimes you surprise me. Just when I thought you went off the deep end into liberal never, never land, you seem to have been stricken by a sudden stroke of sanity."
	Renewal is all on their heads 04/13/2012 Where do you go to experience acceptance and renewal?
	Annoyances are easy come, not so easy go 04/13/2012 Sometimes 24 hours can be defined by how many things were annoying that day. Into each day, a little annoyance must fall, but it's worthwhile to look past those to whatever didn't annoy us instead.
	Former mayor left holding bag 04/27/2012 According to the Ohio Elections Commission, Robert A. Paulson should still be the mayor of Solon. OK, that's a stretch by 14 years.
	Letters popular among readers 03/28/2012 Being in the midst of one of our occasional readership surveys, I was pleased to learn that the letters-to-the-editor section is among the most popular ones in our newspapers. It reconfirms my belief that freedom of the press is a two-way street.
	News today, history tomorrow 03/28/2012 What follows is as plug for the Chagrin Falls Historical Society. Well, maybe not a plug exactly, because that indicates the promotion of a profit-making business, and the historical society is a not-for-profit organization. Let's say it's a tribute ... a
	Artwork at any age is created to please 03/28/2012 There is a piece of art hanging on our kitchen wall that makes everyone smile.
	Dirty politics are easy winner 03/21/2012 "Due to one of the most creative gerrymandering schemes found anywhere, three of the four congressional races in Greater Cleveland affect communities of the Chagrin Valley. It is that fourth race, however, that generates passions regionally and interest
	There are profits from every ill 03/21/2012 Question: Do you know what happens when good old American ingenuity meets our good old self-absorbed American society? Answer: Our good old American over-the-counter-drug industry, that's what.
	For hellacious treat, try shitake mushroom 03/21/2012 Curse words are curious things. Constructed of letters from the same alphabet as more agreeable terms, these words elicit all kinds of interesting responses. Whatever sociology or politics are behind the utterances, there is no denying their impact.
	How tragedy coverage differed 03/14/2012 On Feb. 27, a large contingent of professional journalists from Northeast Ohio and far beyond converged on Chardon, the Geauga County seat.
	Grandma's pride has rich history 03/14/2012 From an early age we are taught pride is bad and humility is good.
	When magic arrives, it's not hard to spot 03/14/2012 Back when I was helping Geauga Humane Society build Rescue Village, our family had a dog named Kojak. He appeared one January morning, a tiny puppy all alone, waddling like a tumbleweed across the snowy landscape of our front yard.
	Responsibility remains elusive 03/08/2012 Whenever horrific acts of violence occur, as one did last week at our own Chardon High School, we human beings feebly attempt to make sense of them. We cannot make sense of the senseless.
	Weather holds small talk together 03/08/2012 What is it about the weather that so fascinates us we can't stop talking about it?
	Failure rules Cleveland schools 02/29/2012 Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has proposed a new plan for the municipal school district that serves most, although not all, of the city he was elected to lead.
	Some things belong in bedroom 02/29/2012 We here at Window Central are not in the business of fashion, but we know fad from style and what is proper dress in public.
	Orchestra is treasure on many great levels 02/29/2012 What do you get when you cross the Cleveland Orchestra with Randy Newman?
	Corporate persons are special 02/22/2012 On a 5-2 vote earlier this month, Orange Village Council decided that the municipal government needs to keep an eye on residents' homes to make sure their kitchens aren't too cluttered, their toilets flush and dog poop gets picked up.
	It's good day to leap into action 02/22/2012 It happens every four years. Leap Year, Feb. 29, that extra day on the calendar which was computed eons ago by the big brains of early times.
	Double dipping does double take 02/15/2012 Dear County Line: Since your publication has frequently reported so-called "double dipping" by public officials who "retire" to collect their pensions and then are rehired, because they're supposedly so valuable, you should expose a real double dipper.
	Valentine sent to heartbreaker 02/15/2012 This is a belated valentine to a man who we have heard is out there telling people how we will never ever write anything nice about him. Never. Ever.
	Shopping local is far from times passed by 02/15/2012 My love for Chagrin Falls is well known, but I never felt it more than on the day of the "cash mob" at Chagrin Hardware.
	Build bridge to somewhere first 02/08/2012 After the Ohio Department of Transportation announced in January that the planned $377 million bridge to somewhere will not be funded until 2023, political leaders in Northeast Ohio went ballistic.
	Shop-local movement has its day 02/08/2012 Back on Jan. 21, people from across the Chagrin Valley demonstrated what the power of community is all about. If you were not among those demonstrating said power, you missed out on a whole lot of "warm and fuzzy."
	Justice sometimes is dead wrong 02/01/2012 I'm in favor of the death penalty. But I don't believe in it.
	Name mergers reach for laughs 02/01/2012 Before "Saturday Night Live" there was a groundbreaking TV comedy show called "Laugh In." You may remember it.
	Local farms connect with healthy produce 02/01/2012 Local farms connect with healthy produce
	Coaches get sacked by politics 01/25/2012 In high school football circles, Canton McKinley and Kenston are in different orbits.
	Fires bring warmth, conversation 01/25/2012 We can only imagine the reaction of the caveman who discovered fire. He must have had a range of emotions, from awe-struck to fearful.
	Burning sensation is one of many oddities 01/25/2012 I think I should donate my body to science. But rather than wait till I am in the Great Beyond, science may be better served if they take me now.
	New plates license for ridicule 01/18/2012 When Gov. John Kasich announced a new design for vehicle license plates in November, I thought it was plain ugly and somewhat stupid. I now have no doubt in my mind.
	Parting ways wear on old friend 01/18/2012 It's washed, out of the dryer, folded and put away. It should have been thrown away or used for rags, but I just can't do that to my old friend.
	Fake fur coat faces new, hidden dilemma 01/18/2012 Please don't throw paint. I know, it looks real. If you read my column regularly, you might even think I've let Ralph out of the closet. But you'd be wrong.
	Citizens get in government's way 01/11/2012 We've run news stories over the years about fast-food restaurants winning generous zoning exemptions from township government to build within earshot of neighbors' bedrooms.
	'Oops' can thaw brain freezes 01/11/2012 Brain freeze. No, not the headache you get from eating ice cream too fast but the embarrassing brain freeze you get when your mind goes blank in front of a lot of people and you realize your gray matter is not going to retrieve whatever it was you were ab
	Let 'freedom' ring for mayhem 01/04/2012 "You lamebrained, loudmouthed liberals really are going too far now!"
	Whole world may be too handy 01/04/2012 I am the proud new owner of a Kindle Fire, the newest wi-fi and Internet-ready edition of Amazon's wildly popular e-reader.
	Death and taxes still certain in this world 01/04/2012 My father-in-law passed away nearly two years ago. Since that time, I have often replayed in my head conversations I had with him in the last few years of his life. From this distance, I can see the forest that I couldn't when I was amidst the trees.
	County Line Awards strike again 12/28/2011 Happy New Year! It's time for the 22nd annual County Line Awards, recognizing those who make life interesting in the Chagrin Valley and beyond, whether they know it or not.
	Crystal ball showed some cracks 12/28/2011 Last year at about this time, we made some predictions about what 2011 would bring. Now that the year is drawing to a close, let's climb aboard our "way back machine" and see how we did in the soothsaying department. As it turns out, not hot.
	Christmas lesson is more good than bad 12/28/2011
	Christmas spirit alive even if gifts forgotten 12/22/2011 Yep, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas out there. Actually, it's been looking a lot like Christmas since the middle of September in most drug and department stores, but I'm going to keep the Christmas spirit and not complain.
	News makers deserve presents 12/22/2011 It's that special time again when we here at Window on Main Street check our list and gift all the good, little news makers with presents in thanks for making our job so delightful.
	Wishing for peace, joy, goodwill 12/22/2011 Merry Christmas! If you're offended by that, too bad. Happy holidays! If you're offended by that, too bad. Allow me to toss in a little peace on Earth, season's greetings, joy to world and goodwill to men and women.
	Village, township aren't at war 12/15/2011 Here we are in the midst of the holiday season, and I feel sad. I keep thinking, if we only had some snow, things would be cheery. But that's not it.
	Guardrails present new danger 12/14/2011 I've been driving on the Route 422 freeway between Interstate 271 and progressively more distant points east from the time it opened as the Harper Road Extension.
	Two men left mark on Chagrin 12/07/2011 Steve Shields and Wes Brewer were the "Kings of River Street" because of the benevolent way they ruled their respective realms -- aka their side-by-side commercial buildings at the nook-and-cranny end of the street.
	Partnerships have pros and cons 12/07/2011 Dear County Line It seems to me that the 14-day jail sentence, $84,000 in restitution and five years of probation imposed by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Matia on former government worker Dominic Bisesi for helping contractors rip off
	Depending on wearer, sweater fits occasion 12/02/2011 Figuring out how to prepare for the changes that will occur when your college-age child returns home for the holidays is an open-and-shut case.
	More hocus-pocus isn't reform 11/30/2011 For more than a decade, Ohio's public schools have been rewarded or stigmatized by the annual release of State Board of Education report cards.
	These gifts must have reason 11/30/2011 Congratulations! You have survived pre-Black Friday, Black Friday and Cyber Monday but still haven't gotten a gift for that one person who is so relentlessly hard to buy for.
	Christmas shopping is over top 11/23/2011 So when did Christmas and the holiday shopping season become basis for our whole economy? That's what it seems like anyway. We love the holidays and Christmas as much as the next guy or gal, but when does this beloved time of the year become
	Some things are not worth being thankful 11/23/2011 Another Thanksgiving is in the history books. Another turkey is reduced to bones, more cranberries are smooshed into the carpet, and way too many empty liquor cabinets litter the American landscape.
	Commandments provoke anger 11/23/2011 After reading a reflection on Scripture in a recent bulletin of a local church I attend on special occasions, I thought of Judge James DeWeese, of the Richland County Court of Common Pleas in Mansfield.
	Union busters rightly stomped 11/17/2011 The dust is still settling over the most divisive issue to raise its ugly head over Ohio in a long, long time, but a number of things are perfectly clear about the attempt by Gov. John Kasich and his Republican majority in the state legislature to gut pub
	Coffee cures election hangover 11/17/2011 Three old guys walk into a coffee shop. No, really, it's not a joke.
	These truths offer little solace 11/11/2011 Unlike Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judges Forrest Burt and David Fuhry, who have recused themselves from the impending trial in connection with the death last May of former Geauga County Juvenile Court Judge Charles "Chip" Henry, I will not recuse
	Dim light needs clapping hands 11/11/2011 Remember the stage version of "Peter Pan," when Tinker Bell is dying, her light slowing dimming, and we kids were asked to bring her back to life? Remember how we were told the little fairy would live to fight another day if only we could clap long and ha
	Neighborhood makes people feel welcome 11/11/2011 They say fences make the best neighbors. In my neighborhood, there are no fences, so it must something else that made my neighbors so good. I really like them.
	What a deal from governor! 11/03/2011 A big announcement by the big-spending governor was big news last week, generating such big newspaper headlines as, "Northern Ohio to get at least half of pike lease proceeds, Kasich says."
	Talent runs deep off Bell Road 11/03/2011 Ripley said it first and best -- "Truth is stranger than fiction." And we have some of that strange truth going on right here and right now.
	Rearview mirror puts age 16 in perspective 11/03/2011 There's a great new book out titled, "Dear Me: Letter to Your 16-Year-Old Self." The author, Joseph Galliano, compiled letters from the rich and famous about what advice they would give to themselves at age 16, knowing what they know now.
	Land of opportunity fading fast 10/26/2011 This is an obituary for an old automobile manufacturing plant and a eulogy to a fading American way of life. I would not be here if it were not for the Ford Motor Co.'s Cleveland Stamping Plant in Walton Hills and the United Auto Workers union.
	Small town is where people care 10/26/2011 Here is my favorite story about life in a small town. I know it's true, because it happened to me. It also likely broke several U.S. Postal Service regulations.
	This Halloween trick is no treat after all 10/26/2011 There are some holidays that get better as your children age. Halloween is one of them.
	Sunshine Law too often unread 10/19/2011 Every so often, the Fourth Estate, otherwise known as the press, must remind those in the three estates within the government that it's watching and that they are not immune from the laws of the land.
	Love story shines on Cleveland 10/19/2011 I am in love with Ivan Schwarz, and it doesn't matter that he's married and has two kids or he looks a bit like an unmade bed or that I am not alone in my adoration of this man.
	Pedicure for pet also is cure for furniture 10/19/2011 One of our cats, the fat white one, is extremely docile. He will sit and purr no matter what. You can move him, pick him up, put him down, reposition him or carry him any way you like. He just keeps purring.
	Laughter steps up often at CVLT 10/13/2011 When we first meet Richard Hannay on stage at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, we recognize him right off. The tall, dashing yet bored Englishman might be Cary Grant or any number of 1930s movie gentlemen who get themselves into a host of trouble.
	Politicians throw more money 10/13/2011 When a government program has been shown to be a dismal failure, wasting millions of taxpayers' dollars, and survey results show a solid majority of citizens opposed to it, those citizens know what politicians are likely to do -- throw more money at it.
	Film festival is good place to be 10/13/2011 Good news! If you are reading this before Sunday night, then you are in luck. There is still some good film festing to be part of. That would be the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.
	Expiration date isn't one that matters most 10/13/2011 There are some things in life that don't have an expiration date, but should.
	Tax convolution goes overboard 10/05/2011 Bainbridge Township Trustee Matthew J.D. Lynch, who will leave his current political office at the end of the year, has great expectations of moving up to the elected office of Chardon Municipal Court judge.
	Skillfully, Barbie comes of age 10/05/2011 Its 8 o'clock Tuesday night when the phone rings. It's granddaughter Evie calling from New York, and she is so excited her words are getting all tangled up in squeals of pure, unfiltered joy.
	With reason, poetry also needs to rhyme 10/05/2011 When I listen to the radio in the car when my kids are with me, they take control and play their music, but when I am alone, I always tune to 90.3 FM, National Public Radio. I really like their mix of news and talk.
	Ideology exposed by trash talk 09/28/2011 There's been a lot of trash talking lately regarding the great divide between conservatism and liberalism in our "one nation indivisible," as the original Pledge of Allegiance had it.
	Ideology exposed by trash talk 09/28/2011 There's been a lot of trash talking lately regarding the great divide between conservatism and liberalism in our "one nation indivisible," as the original Pledge of Allegiance had it.
	Village is stuck inside the box 09/28/2011 They should have given it a try, at least for a couple of months to see if would work ... to find out if there was any truth to the dire predictions and feared consequences. A couple of months. What could it have hurt?
	New football league may not be taking off 09/28/2011 The Cleveland Crush. Sounds like a professional wrestling team or what happens to our city's professional sports teams at the end of the season, doesn't it?
	Tornado didn't hit Chesterland 09/22/2011 If the tornado that registered 1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with winds of 95 mph wreaked havoc on Chesterland shortly after midnight on Aug. 25, then Hawken School's upper campus surely is in Gates Mills.
	Chagrin election gets interesting 09/22/2011 We are still more than a month from Election Day, but it's shaping up to be an interesting race, at least in Chagrin Falls, where there is rarely competition for the seven two-year-term Village Council seats.
	Chagrin election gets interesting 09/22/2011 We are still more than a month from Election Day, but it's shaping up to be an interesting race, at least in Chagrin Falls, where there is rarely competition for the seven two-year-term Village Council seats.
	Kennel's report card earns barking rights 09/22/2011 It's been said that our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.
	Local product still has benefits 09/14/2011 You may have noticed we've been on a rant recently about old versus new and progress versus the value of what we have. All that ruminating has us wondering about another "benefit" of living in modern times and an era when instant gratification is king.
	Good old values depend on which way wind blows 09/14/2011 "Praise be to Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge David Fuhry for having the common sense to uphold Auburn Township's courageous stand against the liberal onslaught that is running roughshod across our once great country. But I suppose a left-wing enem
	Theaters next stage for political theatrics 09/09/2011 In warfare, the word "theater" describes a specific geographical area where conflict occurs.
	Top of welfare ladder gets pass 09/09/2011 State Sen. Timothy Grendell, R-Chester, has a peculiar sense of timing.
	Keep the Rec in Chagrin Falls 09/09/2011 You've got to give credit to the Chagrin Valley Recreation Center folks for looking toward the future as they meet the challenges facing the non-tax-supported, all-volunteer summer swim and fun program.
	Words keep flowing as ideas come and go 09/09/2011 This is my 100th Vital Trifle column. They run every other week, and, since each column averages 900 words, that's about 90,000 words.
	School buses called to rescue 08/31/2011 A strange thing happened Aug. 18 in Bainbridge Township.
	Historic home deserves better 08/31/2011 Of all the things that should not be going on in the world, one of them is happening right here in Chagrin Falls.
	September is better for starting new year 08/31/2011 Happy New Year! That's right. Pop the champagne and put on the party hats, because I'm celebrating New Year's on Sept. 1 instead of Jan. 1.
	Animal stories are worth retelling 08/25/2011 Just about any week after our newspapers roll off the press, especially during the warm months, there are reminders of how much animals, wild and domestic, are part of life, for better or worse, in Geauga County and the Chagrin Valley.
	In with the old, out with the new 08/25/2011 The stock market had a minor hissy fit, with announcement that new home construction is the lowest it's been in 40 years.
	Big payback in store for non-endorsements 08/25/2011 Used to be that major corporations paid people millions of dollars to wear their clothing, names or logos.
	Thousands of jobs on horizon 08/17/2011 Count me among the diminishing numbers who believe that job creation remains the highest priority for our country in these tough times.
	Cultural hub is more than dream 08/17/2011 Remember a few years ago when we first heard about Chagrin Falls' newly identified destiny? That of an art and culture hub for the region. Remember how we smiled and thought, "Well, isn't that a nice?" Remember how some of us snickered and said, "Yeah, ri
	Spa fixes dog's smell, but house needs help 08/17/2011 You've got to come over and smell my dog. Really. It's a miracle, but you won't get the significance unless I take you back a week or so, when things were very, very different.
	Tough words better than bullets 08/11/2011 This is America, and William Bartlett, 52, of Brewster, a semirural town in southwest Stark County, had every right to be cruising the inner-city streets of Canton at 1:38 a.m. on June 8.
	CVLT readies web of 'Murder' 08/11/2011 You know for sure summer is drawing to a close when news of the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre's annual fundraiser "Murder by the Falls" begins to appear in your favorite weekly newspaper.
	Four mayors put on good show 08/03/2011 Whether they call it Chagrin Hills, as one news source suggested, Morechagrin, Chagrin Pike, Chagrinmere or Chagorange, it's not going to happen. Neither is it "A tale of four cities," as suggested in a news graphic.
	Political comeback right on cue 08/03/2011 Over at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre these weekend evenings, actors Don Edelman and Frank Mularo are playing cantankerous old showmen on the brink of making a comeback in Neil Simon's comedy "The Sunshine Boys."
	Excitement fizzles out in memorable movies 08/03/2011 My daughter is not one of those teens who refuses to participate in any activity with her mother. But she does refuse to watch any movie with me if I am the one who has picked the movie.
	'Rocky Horror' has shock value at CVLT 07/28/2011 Greta Rothman has created something rare as a director. She has taken a raunchy, nearly plotless rock musical and turned it into a comic sensation.
	Lost in Chardon, not in Solon 07/28/2011 Readers of our Geauga Times Courier newspaper were not treated to a favorable story out of Solon last week that reported on the value of on-site inspection services provided to the city through contract by Quality Control Inspection Inc., of Bedford.
	Motorcycles welcome on bridge 07/28/2011 One minute the women in my group were talking about Ernest Hemingway and Paris in the 1920s, and the next we were discussing the motorcycle riders in Chagrin Falls in 2011.
	Pets' Best Friends put their best feet forward 07/28/2011 "Oh, what a night!" I haven't been able to get that song out of my head since I went to see "Jersey Boys" a couple of weeks ago, but it's been a constant refrain since last Wednesday evening, when some 175 local animal welfare enthusiasts came together
	Governor knows big business 07/21/2011 Now that the man who was partly responsible for Ohio's public pension systems losing $480 million has successfully placed the blame on the public employees themselves for their retirement predicaments, it seems just as illogical for Gov. John Kasich to te
	Hillside answer growing in wind 07/21/2011 If it's Thursday, then the person calling first thing in the morning has to be my old friend Miss Demeanor.
	They value your call over and over again 07/21/2011 It all began with four little words: "We value your call." You know when you are on hold for a very long time and the recorded voice tells you that they value your call that they don't really value your call.
	Rainy days could be much worse 07/15/2011 "Into each life some rain must fall," goes the old saying. Lately, around here, it's been a monsoon. Let me explain. In the space of a single week, I broke a tooth, a huge tree limb came crashing down in our front yard, and a little-used outside faucet s
	Confusion reigns with legislator 07/15/2011 Dear County Line: I can't remember whether Tim Grendell is a senator, representative or a judge, but I do know that he's been very good for the people of his district.
	'Best location' really hasn't left 07/07/2011 If you have lived around here for a while, then you probably remember the slogan, "Best location in the nation."
	Political bent is fair to middling 07/07/2011 It's been quite some time since I got out the trusty old spectrometer to measure how far left or right I may have drifted on the spectrum of political thought. Three incidents precipitated this self-introspection.
	Fuzzy math sweeps City Hall 06/29/2011 Journalists are not known for their mathematical acumen.
	You get tagged coming and going 06/29/2011 The keys I carry every day weigh in at about a pound. That seems a lot. But it's not really the house, car and office keys that are weighing me down.
	There's more to story on taxes 06/22/2011 Ohio Gov. John Kasich has scored a lot of points since he began his campaign for the state's highest office many moons ago, and he has continued to do so since his election last November by claiming that we are overtaxed.
	Benefit of this doubt is stretched 06/22/2011 It's well documented that different people learn in different ways. Perhaps you, like me, can't just look at a two-dimensional drawing of something and see what it will look like in real life.
	Cleanliness is elusive for well-used garage 06/22/2011 My brother and sister-in-law have a spotless garage. Not a speck of dirt on the floor.
	Agriculture has many meanings 06/15/2011 Last month, after Burton Village Council took up a recommendation from the planning commission to lift a prohibition against having chickens on residential lots, I wrote what I thought was a witty headline for the story. It read: "Burton may cluck, but it
	Don't bury this recommendation 06/15/2011 Recently, Mayor Tom Brick asked educators at a well known area business school to assign students to the task of studying Chagrin Falls. The goal: Find ways to cut costs, raise revenues and improve efficiency.
	Toe-tapping evening brings old memories 06/15/2011 When I was a little girl, I spent my summers in Vermont -- not the fancy Vermont we read about in lifestyle magazines. No, my Vermont was right up on the Canadian border, where straggly dairy herds roamed hillsides by day and retreated to graying barns da
	Unfortunately, 'doomsayers' right 06/09/2011 Some very unfunny things have occurred on the way to Ohioans getting the go-ahead to carry concealed weapons into restaurants and nightclubs.
	Fewer females stuck with barbs 06/09/2011 When I was in grade school, there was no end to the Barbaras who populated my class. There were so many of us the teacher had trouble getting a particular Barbara's attention. We all turned when she called "our" name.
	Sports rules confuse sense with nonsense 06/09/2011 I try to pay attention. I try to understand. I ask my husband and my son to explain the NBA draft, the voting for the MLB all-star game, the politics of the Heisman, the reality of the salary cap.
	Judge Henry's influence lives on 06/01/2011 Journalists aren't supposed to be friends with politicians. In reporting and editing the news, we have to remain independent, and we must not create any appearances that might compromise our objectivity. But I couldn't help it.
	Congressman is full of surprises 06/01/2011 One thing is true. Just when you think you have them figured out, people will prove you wrong. Take our congressmen, Steve LaTourette.
	Rainy spring brings on good, bad and ugly 06/01/2011 When someone like Donald Trump emerges as a presidential candidate --
	Price of equality isn't so equal 05/25/2011 There's been a lot of hand wringing by area school officials lately over Gov. John Kasich's proposed "Robin Hood" redistribution of tax dollars from wealthier districts to poorer ones. The money generally flows from Northeast Ohio south.
	Journalism future is reaffirmed 05/25/2011 They arrive every spring. Fresh-faced college-bound high school seniors shadowing people in the careers they hope to pursue. This year, the Times had two such students, Mitchell Joseph from Orange High School and Marc Golsmith from Chagrin Falls High Scho
	Family of fans teams up for sports on TV 05/25/2011 When the TV is on at our house, it is most likely tuned to ESPN. Or ESPN 2, or ESPN Classic, or ESPNU, featuring nonstop college sports, or ESPNews. We are a family of sports fans.
	Politicians dip into pocketbooks 05/18/2011 Two years ago I wrote about a friend who lives in Auburn and who was the victim of reverse discrimination by the school board in an inner-ring suburb that was eliminating his position after 38 years of loyal service.
	Fun, reflection have their places 05/18/2011 The biggest weekend of the season in these parts is just around the corner. We are, of course, talking about Blossom Time-Memorial Day weekend May 26 to 30 in Chagrin Falls.
	With new friend, Lex is sticking around 05/18/2011 We adopted Lex today. Lex is the handsome chestnut thoroughbred we "borrowed" from Rescue Village to keep Token company when Polly died. That was two years ago before Xenia and April.
	Entitlements are busting budgets 05/12/2011 Two seemingly unconnected stories in our newspapers a couple weeks ago struck me as being related -- probably due to society's intensifying obsession over taxation.
	'Grins and groans' worthy of note 05/12/2011 A lot of newspapers and bloggers do it so why not us? Talking about those "pat and pans" features which, in a brief sentence or two, give praise and poison-pen remarks on whatever is bugging the writer that day.
	Unhelpful post office form 3602-NZ not EZ 05/12/2011 Quick. What is 1,607 times 0.229? How about 107 times 0.346? I learned these answers and more on a recent visit to the post office. I was not on a field trip with school kids. I was there on official volunteer work from the PTO from my kids' schools.
	Perfect actor elevates 'Lintel' librarian 05/04/2011 By the time we catch up with the Dutch librarian, he has lost his job. Now he feels compelled to tell to the world, at least the small part of the world willing to step into his rented lecture hall, a rambling story about an overdue book.
	Facts get lost with deer debate 05/04/2011 With the deer debate unabated -- especially in Solon, which spent $735,000 over three years to shoot and butcher 1,327 of them -- I feel a responsibility as an animal lover and a meat eater to cull some myths.
	Things do happen 'Only in Solon' 05/04/2011 "Only in Solon." We used to say that a lot back in the day before that city was as sophisticated as it is now.
	Wildlife encounters don't require vacation 05/04/2011 On a recent vacation in Cancun, Mexico, with my extended family, we enjoyed the expected sunshine, swimming and tropical scenery. What we didn't expect was to have a close encounter of the furry kind with the local version of raccoons.
	Citizenship lesson goes to dogs 04/28/2011 The Chagrin Falls School District has joined many others with its recent decision to implement random sweeps of the high school hallways and parking lot with drug-sniffing dogs.
	Gunslingers must be teetotalers 04/28/2011 Those fun-loving legislators in Columbus, the ones who are elected to represent our best interests, have come up with a really good idea. Here's what they asked themselves: How about we pass a law allowing people to carry concealed weapons in bars and res
	Each princess shines with unique brilliance 04/28/2011 Not everybody can be a princess. Somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as I go by. I don't know who said that quote -- but it's one of my favorites, because it makes me want to sit up straight, put on my tiara and pretend I am sitting atop a floral-co
	Blossom to be reel homecoming 04/25/2011 Is it spring yet? Just as we thought it was never going to get here comes that first sign it's time to turn the furnace thermostat to "off." Spring, thy name is Blossom Time!
	Four men's deaths perplexing 04/25/2011 Every once in a while, some horrific occurrence hits close to home that leaves us wondering why.
	Blossom to be reel homecoming 04/25/2011 Is it spring yet? Just as we thought it was never going to get here comes that first sign it's time to turn the furnace thermostat to "off." Spring, thy name is Blossom Time!
	Getting summer job could be taxing effort 04/25/2011 It's no coincidence that April 15, the nation's tax-filing deadline, is about the exact time that parents throughout the country begin nagging their teenage children to get off the couch and get a summer job.
	Easter eggs can unite country 04/14/2011 Happy Eostre to Munson Township Trustees, those poor souls who thought they were doing something nice for the children of their community when they decided to hold what they originally billed as the "First Annual Egg Hunt" at the town park.
	Geography is getting lost in time 04/14/2011 Those pundit people who talk on the TV say there is an anti-smart movement going on in the country, a kind of backlash backhand directed at the current occupant of the White House 'cause of all his book larnin' and such.
	Running on fumes is one step from empty 04/14/2011 Life is full of warning signs.
	Tax quandary is matter of trust 04/07/2011 I'm being torn by two competing philosophies. On the one hand, there are local political leaders whom I know and trust, including Geauga County Commissioner and former South Russell Mayor William Young, current Mayor Matthew Brett and Councilman Jack Bi
	Winner, loser will take a licking 04/07/2011 They're already calling it "the ice cream wars." But that's what they said when Ben & Jerry's opened a shop in town a few years back and before that when Scoops occupied a space on Main Street.
	With camera in hand, life is full of pictures 04/07/2011 Officially, a photophile is an organism that thrives in and requires abundant light, but I prefer the colloquial use: a person who loves photos and photography. I am one.
	It's boardrooms vs. classrooms 03/31/2011 Schoolteachers have had a profound influence on my life.
	Topsy-turvy reality goes adrift 03/31/2011 Sometimes you just have to say, "Huh?" We found ourselves muttering that word multiple times last week after hearing three pieces of "Huh" worthy news.
	Deals are so untrue they can't be any good 03/31/2011 Have you heard about the fabulous new gadget? It performs every task you need performed. It comes in every color.
	Truth eludes ambulance-bill chasers 03/24/2011 Bainbridge Township Trustees are considering a policy to begin billing their own residents for emergency rescue runs.
	Grocery shopping is adventure 03/24/2011 Grocery shopping. Everyone does it, unless he happens to be married, and his wife won't let him near the supermarket, because last time she did, her hunter-gatherer came home with a 5-pound bag of beef jerky and a dozen fresh clams but not the mayonnaise
	Tributes to old friend still have some bounce 03/24/2011 It must be spring, because our back yard once again resembles the world's largest flea market.
	Swimsuit season is no time to lose sleep 03/17/2011 We all talk about what a long, long winter it's been -- but has it really? It seems like Labor Day was just yesterday and I was happily putting my bathing suit away and swearing that I would be rewarding myself with a smaller one by the time the next dre
	Time's past to let Christmas go 03/17/2011 It has come to our attention that some of you are living in the past. Now, that's fine, to a degree. Who doesn't love nostalgia, and who among us has not been transported back in time when we are reminded of the good days of our youth? And who doesn't
	Bipartisanship leads to nowhere 03/17/2011 Dear County Line: I am terribly disappointed in my congressman, U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, who has been bandying about some bipartisan baloney about his fellow Republicans being too tough on cutting certain federal programs in their genuine efforts to s
	Messy divorce story goes public 03/11/2011 Readers of our Geauga Times Courier newspaper were treated last week to a front-page story headlined, "Handcuffed ex-wife points finger at mayor." With handcuffs, an ex-wife and a mayor, that story was irresistible reading to anyone with normal human curi
	Meter's running on parking hogs 03/11/2011 When last we left our town's parking commissioners, they were talking about bringing parking meters back to downtown Chagrin Falls.
	Cleaning advances are not about saving time 03/11/2011 I am having a love-hate relationship with my new Swiffer cleaning products. Everyone in the Swiffer TV commercials looks so happy, except the old mops and brooms, which are sad to have been cast aside in favor of the new Swiffer replacements.
	Gripping drama drips through 'Steady Rain' 03/03/2011 Joey and Denny are a couple of frustrated patrolmen. Best friends since childhood, they long to be promoted to detective. They never make it. Joey calls it reverse discrimination. We later find there are other reasons.
	Salt rubbed in taxpayer wounds 03/03/2011 In the snow capital of Ohio, the City of Chardon spreads an average of 4,000 to 5,000 tons of road salt each winter to help clear safe and timely passage for motorists. At today's prices, that's about a quarter million dollars worth of salt eating away at
	Open mind may be hard to keep 03/03/2011 From all reports, our local state representative, Marlene Anielski, is a nice woman who listens, takes notes and has a winning smile.
	Concept of genius is relative to delegator 03/03/2011 On Saturday at 10 a.m., the following conversation took place: "Jack! Go out and shovel the snow!" John yelled at our son one snowy, cold morning.
	Jail for thieves is nothing new 02/23/2011 Liberals with wild notions about wealth redistribution have been jumping up and down like Egyptian protesters over the recent jailing of Kelley Williams-Bolar, the Akron mother who illegally snuck her two daughters into the neighboring Copley-Fairlawn Sch
	Thanks for generosity, Jaycees 02/23/2011 Rome is unlikely to canonize the Chagrin Valley Jaycees, nor will anyone nominate the organization for a Nobel Prize. But in this little corner of the universe, there is ample evidence for an award honoring its generosity.
	Trusty old duct tape sticks to his identity 02/23/2011 Last Saturday, I returned from the grocery to store to find my husband rummaging through the coat closet. "What are you doing?" I asked.
	Cleveland isn't Steelers country 02/17/2011 All right, all you Pittsburgh wannabes with the Steelers caps and jackets can take them off now. Lower those yellow flags from your porches, and remove those terrible towels from your aerials.
	Shop Chagrin; keep the change 02/17/2011 It's time once again, moms and dads, boys and girls, for our semi-regular virtual stroll through downtown Chagrin Falls to see what's happening or, as we here at Window Central call, the "Dead of Winter Retail District Trot."
	TV simplicity displaced by modern complexities 02/17/2011 Is it just me or has watching television become more challenging than sending astronauts into space? It used to be so simple. Three stations. One remote. Press on. Press the channel button. Watch Mary Tyler Moore or Johnny Carson. Press off. Go to bed.
	'South Pacific' lacks passion, not power 02/11/2011 "I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific. The way it actually was. The endless ocean. The infinite specks of coral we called islands. I wish I could tell you about the sweating jungle, the full moon rising behind the volcanoes, and the waiting. Th
	Russell is ready for bottoms up 02/11/2011 It was a historic event. In an honest-to-goodness break from their prohibitionist past, the denizens of Russell Township now can buy beer and wine without skulking across the border to Bainbridge, Chester, Chagrin Falls or Newbury.
	Stage remains set for reporters 02/11/2011 It's been an unusual few weeks, and it's made us feel like an old-time newspaper person.
	Big trophy is waiting if this player scores 02/11/2011 "Welcome, sports fans! My name is John 'Cupid' Jones, and next to me is Stan 'Sweetheart' Smith. The big game is just days away, and we're here to walk you through every play by play to ensure you don't end up on the bench."
	State should put up or shut up 02/03/2011 The Chardon Board of Education is bracing for the anticipated announcement Feb. 14 by School Superintendent Joseph Bergant II of $1.2 million in budget cuts that he has said will affect teaching positions and educational programs. District Treasurer Ste
	Celebration due for centenarian 02/03/2011 It's not spring yet, but we are cleaning anyway. The target of this burst of energy is our computer monitor here in the penthouse offices of Window on Main Street Central.
	Tiger Mom's growl worse than her bark 02/03/2011 "Do you want to be the best mom in the whole wide world?" my son asked me one evening. Considering I usually lose my nomination for Mother of the Year by the second week in January, his question piqued my curiosity.
	Here's salute to retiring chiefs 01/26/2011 Due to the nature of the jobs, the working relationships between newspaper editors and police chiefs can be harmonious one day and adversarial the next.
	Gun violence shoots down reason 01/26/2011 What can be said about gun violence that hasn't already been said about gun violence?
	Stars may be aligned for change after all 01/26/2011 I wouldn't call myself superstitious. Maybe just-a-little-stitious. But there are some things in life I don't mess with. Just in case.
	Cast makes its case for 'Bloody Murder' 01/20/2011 Few forms of storytelling are more formulaic than the murder mystery.
	Communities reap tax windfalls 01/20/2011 "I'm celebrating the election of our new governor, John Kasich, who's going to kill the death tax first and then go after the repressive income taxes that have caused so many businesses to leave Ohio, so you must be crying in your beer."
	Journalist with spirit moves up 01/20/2011 To my dear friend Joan Brandon: Remember that time at the newspaper office years ago when you looked across our desks and asked me to write your obituary?
	It may not be so cute, but 'We are Family' 01/20/2011 So there I am, sitting in traffic with nothing to do but listen to my '70s music and stare at the snow-covered minivan in front of me.
	Voters chose business as usual 01/12/2011 The new speaker of the House of Representatives from Ohio, U.S. Rep. John A. Boehner, R-West Chester, took the oversized gavel with great fanfare and his customary tears last week from outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Speaking with the political co
	New Year could drop in Chagrin 01/12/2011 Are you tired of watching the same old Times Square New Year's Eve falling-ball schtick? Me too. That's why it's time Chagrin Falls had its own party, complete with a midnight object drop from the top of the Shutts family Chagrin Hardware store, the talle
	Cheap furniture just keeps hanging around 01/12/2011 A few years after Brent and I moved to the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria, Va., an Ikea opened up nearby. It was somewhere around 1987. We were in our 20s, not yet married and living in a rented house without much furniture.
	Show us interest -- with money 01/05/2011 Here's a bit of advice for the folks who are exploring the possibilities for a "bigger and better" Chagrin Valley Recreation Center in Chagrin Falls. Hang onto your wallets!
	Hurray for snowplow drivers 01/05/2011 We scanned the weather reports two days before leaving Chagrin Falls, fearing another wintry blast across Lake Erie would cancel our flight to New York and a family Christmas.
	Discerning dogs pick best bargain in water 01/05/2011 It's definitely a dog's world out there.
	Year ahead due for surprises 01/03/2011 It is at this time of year when newspapers across the land board their trusty time machine, throw it into reverse and take one last look at the year that is disappearing in the rearview mirror.
	Time to wipe slate lean for new year 01/03/2011 I hate this time of the year. Not because Christmas is over and I feel stuck in limbo until Jan. 2, but because I never have windshield wiper fluid when I need it.
	It's wonderful time for reflection 12/22/2010 This being the time of year for reflection, among other wonderful things, I'm reflecting on some of the wonderfully outrageous things I've written in this space over the past 12 months.
	Spirit of giving spreads good will 12/22/2010 'Twas two days before Christmas, and all through the land everyone waited for gifts Santa will hand out. OK, so it isn't a perfect rhyme, but it comes with good intentions.
	Importance of family rings true for holiday 12/22/2010 Today is the eve of Christmas Eve, and, as I reflect on this holiday season, I realize I waited too long to open my heart to the spirit of Christmas.
	Newspaper opens to surprise 12/15/2010 When I opened my fresh copy of our Chagrin Valley Times-Solon Times newspaper to Page 3 two weeks ago, I was surprised to see an attractive, full-page, color advertisement in support of building a new McDonald's restaurant in Solon.
	Santa and Scrooge are for real 12/15/2010 In 1897, back in the day when everyone believed what they read in the newspapers, an 8-year-old girl wrote a letter to the New York Sun, seeking the truth about a disturbing rumor. Her friends said there was no Santa Claus, and she wanted a definitive ans
	After remote control, technology runs amok 12/15/2010 Technology has invaded every aspect of our life.
	Government no longer of people 12/09/2010 It may be paradoxical or merely coincidental that, seven score and seven years ago, the words, "government of the people, by the people, for the people," were spoken so eloquently in the Gettysburg Address by the "Father of the Republican Party," Presiden
	Good old tap water still a bargain 12/09/2010 Chagrin Falls water rates are rising by 12 percent and sewer costs another 10 percent.
	Trip back in time is like second-run flick 12/08/2010 When I was a newborn, my family moved to Simmons Lake, a small, manmade lake surrounded by approximately 40 houses in the tiny rural town of Sussex, in the northwestern-most tip of New Jersey.
	Teacher bashing escapes reality 12/03/2010 On Nov. 2, voters approved 21 of the 47 school tax issues on local ballots in Ohio, including a 1-mill permanent-improvement levy for the Newbury School District.
	These gifts are sure to satisfy 12/03/2010 It's Dec. 2, and that means there are just 22 more shopping days until you know what.
	Life's very interesting as it passes in blur 12/03/2010 Am I the only one who feels like time is moving way too fast?
	Fewer flushes add up to higher bills 11/29/2010 Sewage treatment -- as I prefer to call the process of treating sewage -- is getting mighty expensive. The bureaucrats who'd rather call it waste-water enhancement or water reclamation may be to blame for skyrocketing costs.
	Thanksgiving is worth repeating 11/29/2010 Since the Times did not arrive in the mail as it usually does on Thursday, it being Thanksgiving, you are likely reading this a day or two after the holiday.
	Man with many hats wore his civic pride 11/29/2010 Most small towns can claim several residents who, through their personalities, actions and lifestyles, make living in a small town very interesting.
	In sports, winning defeats truth 11/17/2010 Dishonesty is acceptable in sports. It's acceptable in American politics as well, but that's a more important story than this.
	Bird watching has pros and cons 11/17/2010 Some of you will be relieved to know that I am giving up political punditry for a while and have taken up bird watching.
	We could be thankful and water own grass 11/17/2010 As the waiter turns the pepper mill over our salads or a friend adds cream to our coffee, they always ask, "Tell me when."
	Big-spending city wants bail-out 11/11/2010 Shortly after the president of the United States visited the Chagrin Valley on a campaign swing, the police chief of a neighboring community reported that his department spent over $4,000 in overtime. He employed 45 officers to cordon off streets and busi
	Traditions are slipping downhill 11/11/2010 We here in the Chagrin Valley are all about tradition. So let's discuss two that could disappear altogether if we don't keep an eye on them.
	Dance floor beckons all onto equal footing 11/11/2010 My husband and I recently attended a cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful, formal, extravagant affair with plenty of lavish flowers, be-jeweled gowns, tuxedos and gourmet food.
	Scary times can be amusing too 11/03/2010 It may be mere coincidence that Election Day arrives on the heels of Halloween. During the month prior to the holidays that dredge up scary beings like witches, goblins and politicians, local police departments receive numerous reports of petty thefts inv
	Safe Routes savvy worth sharing 11/03/2010 The Safe Routes to School team is taking a run at another round of government funding, the same government funding that brought over half a million simoleons to Chagrin Falls earlier this year.
	New driver practices from comfort of couch 11/03/2010 The following public-service announcement must be taken seriously. This is not a test. Please stay off the sidewalks, your front lawn, the front porch, if you have one, and even your living room, if it looks out onto the street.
	They're whining to government 10/27/2010 The American Civil Liberties Union, an often lonely voice in the crowd standing up for certain freedoms that some citizens can't stand, is at it again.
	Even so, retirement must wait 10/27/2010 Pardon the Rodney Dangerfield imitation, but I get no respect. Or maybe it's my age and "wisdom" that get short shrift.
	Bullying makes news, political commercials 10/27/2010 The news -- online and off line -- has been filled with horrible stories of bullying. Kids being harassed, physically and mentally, simply because they don't look or act the same as others.
	Right from left is hard to figure 10/20/2010 As an observer of politics who often is confused by the dichotomy between conservatism and liberalism, I am especially perplexed over how they apply to the upcoming election.
	Overuse takes away some awe 10/20/2010 Can we please stop using the word "awesome"? It's supposed to describe the extraordinary, but it's become so ordinary that it's the verbal equivalent of kudzu.
	Bar can't be undone, even with switch off 10/20/2010 "Ooowwwww!" I heard my mother-in-law scream from the kitchen.
	Respect trumps radical notions 10/13/2010 Dear County Line: Although I wish our quaint little village could stay the way it used to be, I understand the desires of certain individuals to turn it into a tacky tourist town full of bars, restaurants, art galleries and the like.
	Film festival has its own story 10/13/2010 I hope you are reading this on Thursday, because, if you are, that means you have not missed one of the biggest events to hit Chagrin Falls in a very long time -- the first-ever Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.
	Hunger for reading loses more than page 10/13/2010 Forgive me if you've already read this column, but I can barely remember what I ate for dinner last night, much less what I wrote a month ago.
	Buying BP gas poses dilemma 10/07/2010 By now, anyone who paid attention, knows that the explosion of BP Oil's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, which killed 11 workers, was no accident.
	Arts picture has strong focus 10/07/2010 Last spring we took a virtual walk through town to see how it had fared the winter of our economic discontent. We found that the state of our village's business district was strong.
	New cell-phone apps apt to appeal aplenty 10/07/2010 Earlier this year, my family insisted that I get a new cell phone. Apparently, my then-current model was an embarrassment and bringing disgrace upon our family. I wasn't carrying a 20-pound cell phone bag from the 1980s, but it was close. I think it still
	Government makes people angry 09/30/2010 Being an angry white man, I need to blame everything on the government. Plus, I'm very afraid of what the socialists are going to do next. I want my country back.
	Complex paper trail is best left to experts 09/30/2010 A career as an accountant or an attorney has always seemed to me like something to force upon your enemies, rather than something to willingly choose to occupy one's time. Besides the technical aspects of the jobs, which run contrary to the wiring of my b
	Flag now hangs with divisiveness 09/30/2010 This may not be the last word on the subject, but at least it's the next word.
	Roller coaster plunges into past 09/23/2010 It's funny how certain memories from your childhood remain vivid throughout your life, while so many others fade away.
	Town that time forgot still exists 09/23/2010 Radio personality Garrison Keillor has for years charmed listeners with tales of Lake Wobegon, his mythical hometown somewhere in Minnesota.
	New cell-phone apps apt to appeal aplenty 09/23/2010 Earlier this year, my family insisted that I get a new cell phone.
	Voters trust politicians after all 09/15/2010 After last week's primaries, Cuyahoga County voters are well on their way to the heralded county-government reform for which certain political and media types have been yearning. By all indications so far, it's more politics as usual.
	Trouble brews over flag display 09/15/2010 A couple Sundays ago, I found myself waiting for the light at Bell and Chillicothe roads. I had done this a thousand times before, but something was different this time.
	Editorial writers do have lives 09/09/2010 Editorials are opinions that represent the official positions of newspapers in seeking to illuminate the best interests of their communities.
	Trickle-down baby here to stay 09/09/2010 I may be an illegal immigrant, at least as far as the right wing of political thought in this country would have it these days. But I'll get to a full confession later. For now, let's turn the page to more recent history.
	Garbage dispute is at top of pile 09/02/2010 If you can judge communities by their controversies, there is the case of Russell Township and garbage.
	School week can put some people to sleep 09/02/2010 Well, we did it. We made it through the first week of the new school year. This was no easy feat for three teenagers who haven't risen from their beds before noon in the last 65 days.
	Bizarre, gentle days are natural way 'out' 09/02/2010 My father-in-law recently passed away at the age of 88, after he requested that we place him in hospice care so he could stop fighting the forces of nature he knew would soon overcome him.
	Going back to school isn't easy 08/25/2010 Now that children are heading back to school, I thought it would be helpful to point the way for newcomers in our area who may not yet know exactly where to go.
	Fruit of sturdy tree ready for new roots 08/25/2010 One beautiful August morning, the fruit of a large, long-standing tree considered aloud that perhaps it was her time to disembark from the tree and go out on her own.
	Thrills of victory will be lost in time 08/25/2010 Sam is at that perfect grandson age -- just going into second grade. The world is still all shiny and new, but he's old enough to beat me at Marco Polo, put together a jigsaw puzzle in a flash and share favorite poems.
	Property rights are tough issue 08/18/2010 "What is it that people in this country don't understand about the Constitution of the United States of America?"
	Going back to school mighty hard on wallet 08/18/2010 "Ooooo! I like the lime green one and the neon pink. Which one do you like?" one of my daughters asked her twin sister.
	High rollers shake down public 08/11/2010 Judge H.F. Inderlied, who presided over the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas for 23 years, retired in 2004. Like many government retirees, he's still working for the public.
	Anniversary plus one makes it even better 08/11/2010 Yesterday, my husband, John ,and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Some of you may want to send congratulation cards, others sympathy notes.
	Recipes, old or new, stir tasty adventures 08/11/2010 Perhaps the question asked most in homes across the world as evening approaches in high rises, bungalows and mansions alike, is, "What's for dinner?" Answering the question can bring anxiety, remorse, conflict and guilt as often as joy, love and hope.
	Facts revealed on old gunfight 08/05/2010 The latest procedure boldly announced by Ohio's largest newspaper to expose political mendacity opened with an examination of an often-quoted remark supposedly made by Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lee I. Fisher about gun control.
	Great idea doomed from start 08/05/2010 One of the best ideas ever investigated by the powers that be in our town went no place fast, and you have to wonder if it wasn't doomed from the start. I think it was premeditated murder
	Last ride in old car comes to halting end 08/05/2010 Earlier this year, we traded in our family car for a new one. The decision wasn't mine. I liked the old car, not just because it was reliable but because it was paid for. John, on the other hand, would buy a brand new car every week if he could afford it.
	Payroll taxes going everywhere 07/28/2010 There's been a lot of talk lately about income taxes.
	Independence isn't only question 07/28/2010 Now we have gone and done it -- riled a reader to the point of him or her lodging breathless accusations of wrongdoing by our village leaders.
	Shopping excursion is exercise in inclemency 07/28/2010 Oh, how I long for the days when I was 10 years old, and the only things I needed to carry with me were a big fat comb that fit in my back pocket and my Orange Crush-flavored lip gloss that fit perfectly into my left front pocket.
	Stressful job can cause mistakes 07/21/2010 Often lost in the fog when police are accused of abuse and excessive force is the stress that officers face in protecting the public and apprehending criminals.
	Like elephant, mom didn't forget 07/21/2010 Parents feel all kinds of things when it comes to their children. Love, of course, and pride. There is joy and even terror. But the most unwanted feeling of all has got to be guilt.
	If simple words fail, book learning works 07/21/2010 I have found that what is lost in translation is often gained in anticipation. Meaning that most people anticipate a certain response before they even ask a question, and they only hear what they want to hear.
	And now for some consequence 07/14/2010 It's been a week since the sky was supposed to fall on Cleveland, but our championship-deprived city hasn't even fallen into our Great Lake. If the vast majority of actual scientists are right about global warming or if the drill babies keep throwing caut
	For seniors, moment has come 07/14/2010 Have you noticed? Old is becoming fashionable, again and those of us who have reached that golden pinnacle are crediting Betty White for our new glamorous profile.
	Sheepherding scheme ends in wink of eye 07/14/2010 There will be no Sullivan sheep. As you can imagine, this has been quite a disappointment, but you can't have sheep without a shepherd, and, as we recently learned, our beloved Rosie has "no work ethic whatsoever." Here's how it all went down.
	'Foreigner' still brings laughter 07/07/2010 Larry Shue's "The Foreigner," arguably one of the most foolproof comedies ever, is creating side-splitting laughter at the Porthouse Theatre these summer nights.
	Hostage story deserves scrutiny 07/07/2010 The bizarre case involving David Carrasquillo, 48, of South Euclid, who was arrested and jailed following a 10-hour standoff with police June 12, when a Moreland Hills woman was held hostage in a Beachwood office building, has been tough to follow.
	Hope not 'Lost' for good drama 07/07/2010 In her recent column, Timy Sullivan did a great job reviewing the sad state of television comedy today. We do not disagree and would second that for TV drama. It's not much better.
	Family activity is ripe for blueberry picking 07/07/2010 Two miles from our house, there is a blueberry farm. Eleven months of the year, it appears dormant but remains charming and quaint, with its red-roofed barns, crops in neat rows, surrounding forests and a weathered country road winding past.
	Illegal immigrants get free pass 06/30/2010 Dear County Line: I fully support the governor of Arizona and her state's new law to help stop the invasion of our country by illegal aliens.
	Police station is up against wall 06/30/2010 The folks charged with selling a new police station to Chagrin Falls voters are becoming their own worst enemy.
	Family gets its kicks with goal over rooftop 06/30/2010 Our family once had a special game. We live in a two-story century home and had built a garage and office onto it. Our kids had a jungle gym in the back yard, and, after office hours, we used the parking lot for bicycles, skateboards and go-carts.
	'Sweeney Todd' still cut below entertaining 06/23/2010 When "Sweeney Todd" opened on Broadway some 30 years ago, audiences flocked to hear what kind of music Stephen Sondheim could put to the story of "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." Hugh Wheeler's book created nearly as much interest. The publicity was ov
	NIMBYs now tilting at windmills 06/23/2010 We can add wind turbines to the NIMBY list. "Not in my back yard" now is the rallying cry for residents in the area of Lindsay and Jennifer lanes off Munn Road in Auburn Township. Owners of the nearby 20-acre Wind in the Woods horse farm are planning a 12
	Lazy summer days last longer 06/23/2010 Before you know it, we will be asking each other, "Where did this summer go?" It's the season of the year that seems to travel at light speed. So how do we make it last? How do we put summer on slow-mo?
	'Joseph' prevails over craziness 06/16/2010 The 40-year-old "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" has played just about everywhere by now.
	Presumption of innocence foiled 06/16/2010 In speaking with the mother of young man whose name had been included in one of our recent police reports, we had a conversation that I've had dozens of times over the years.
	Tim Conway still hometown boy 06/16/2010 A wise man once said, "Never meet someone you admire, because they will always disappoint." That is never the case with Tim Conway.
	Floating on water is better than underwater 06/16/2010 Try it; you might not like it. For several years I'd been white-water rafting with my kids or friends. Starting on "easy" rivers, we gradually progressed to more difficult ones with huge rapids.
	There will be more disasters 06/09/2010 As gushing oil continues its assault on the environment and economy in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding states after British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and killed 11 workers on April 20, the cozy relationship between the industry and g
	Now, fingers just do stumbling 06/09/2010 Do you remember the days when we got just one telephone book? White pages in the front and yellow pages in the back.
	Hope for clear water fades but doesn't sink 06/09/2010 At the end of the summer of 2008, my kids and I began to envision a pool in our back yard.
	Hi-jinks run wild in busted bust 06/02/2010 The recent episode involving the scuttled Highway Patrol sting at the Ohio Governor's Residence in suburban Columbus deserves a segment on the Comedy Channel. It involved an entertaining cast of characters, even though they appeared to hold their pants up
	Beatlemania missed Blossom beat 06/02/2010 It's random tidbit time. Let's begin with the sad but true. Beatlemania was not on the bill under the Blossom Time big-top tent last weekend. To find out why, we called "the voice of Chagrin," aka John Kline.
	Language no barrier to fun game of tennis 06/02/2010 People who are good in a particular sport, who know all the rules, have proper clothes and excellent equipment can't imagine how much fun you can have without all that refinement.
	Rental controls are tough call 05/27/2010 The City of Solon, like many municipalities, has an ordinance that prohibits multifamily occupancy in single-family residences, but it appears to be virtually unenforceable.
	Restore decorum to observance 05/27/2010 "Well, what do you intend to do about Memorial Day?" Miss Demeanor screamed into the phone. Miss D, you may recall, is my devil's advocate and sometimes one of my better angels. Not this day, however.
	Human mind boggled by mysteries of time 05/26/2010 Time marches on. But as anyone who has seen the Best Damn Band in the Land create its complicated script formations knows, marching is not always done in a straight line.
	Home of searched, land of seized 05/20/2010 Maybe there's more to the story than is being told in the lawsuit recently filed against the Chardon Board of Education and School Superintendent Joseph Bergant II. But based on what a Hambden Township mother claims in the suit she filed on behalf of her
	Column off the cuff, on the run 05/20/2010 So here I sit in front of my computer monitor, watching the cursor mock me. My fingers are posed over the keys, but nothing is coming. In short, I am having trouble coming up with a column for this week. What to do, what to do?
	New gripe will cure health-care brouhaha 05/20/2010 Now that the brouhaha over the health-care bill seems to be simmering down, and everybody has criticized it one way or another, here is what I think about it.
	GOP sipping tea is no guarantee 05/12/2010 According to corporate media reports following the May 4 primary elections, traditional Ohio Republican Party candidates prevailed against upstart challenges from darlings of the reactionary wing known as the Tea Party. But that's not entirely true.
	Village is buzzing with business 05/12/2010 Grab your hat, and let's take a walk. No need for the sensible shoes, because this is a virtual walk. We are going to find out how downtown Chagrin Falls fared after this winter of discontent.
	Old Italian card game spreading with ease 05/12/2010 I once had a million-dollar idea that didn't earn me one red cent.
	Ohio's Gen. Grant under attack 05/06/2010 Folks down in Clermont and Brown counties, near Cincinnati, have gotten themselves all atwitter over a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to put the face of former President Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill.
	Ideology hopes for invisibility 05/06/2010 By most standards, we live in pretty affluent communities in the Chagrin Valley, and so we have this bubble philosophy that tells us, "Nothing bad ever happens here."
	Blooming wildflowers are pretty as picture 05/06/2010 Little wildflowers have so much delicate beauty.
	Mystery enshrouds Orange deal 04/29/2010 Mark Twain said, "Truth is stranger than fiction."
	Left and right brain see the light 04/29/2010 As a rule, artists and business people operate in different worlds, but they doesn't mean they can't bee great allies. Case in point is how they might work together in securing Chagrin Falls' future as the place for all things cultural.
	Worst part surely is to get ready, set, go! 04/29/2010 In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Harry and Professor Dumbledore find themselves in a tiny boat crossing an eerie lake inside a dark cave. At the center of the lake is a basin full of green potion.
	Flame throwers lose anonymity 04/21/2010 It was bound to hit the fan eventually. And what better fanners of anonymous flame throwing than Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold and the Cleveland newspaper that cavorts with incendiary online ranters.
	Old standby makes new friend 04/21/2010 Confession. In the 43 years I lived in Chagrin Falls, I had never joined "the Rec" -- aka the Chagrin Valley Recreation Center -- the epicenter of all summer fun in our town and beyond.
	Living to 130 or more could have downsides 04/21/2010 Live to be 200 years? It might not be all rosy bliss. My friend Joan was bubbling over. "You know what I heard on TV yesterday?
	Socialism flies, drives and bikes 04/14/2010 "Listen, you lily-livered liberal, I'm getting ready to board a flight to Costa Rica, so I don't have time for chitchat. But even you have to admit that the so-called 'stimulus' money that's being thrown around by the Democrats in Washington is getting
	New political movement gets going 04/14/2010 Are you looking for a political home but find the Democratic Party too liberal, the Republicans too conservative, the independents too wishy-washy and the Tea Partyers just too darned scary? Geauga County resident Roy Nichols says he has the answer for p
	Parents shortchanged on their sleep quotient 04/14/2010 I tend to spend a lot of days fighting yawns, with eyes begging to be closed and a mind a little foggier than I'd like. No one in our house gets enough sleep due to the simple fact that we choose to keep our schedules full. Sleep patterns tend to change i
	Petitioners try again in Orange 04/07/2010 Democracy is alive and well in Orange Village -- sort of -- just like it was in the past. Once again, the citizens have circulated a referendum petition in an attempt to overturn action taken by their elected representatives.
	Bullying problem won't walk away 04/07/2010 You may have read a recent police brief which reported a fight between two teen boys as a crowd of Chagrin Falls Middle School students watched.
	Snowflakes and stars swim over night sky 04/07/2010 It was our first winter vacation out West. Jeff was then about 9, and my husband, Tom, although he didn't ski, came along. Because it was late in the season, we went to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, Ore., where they have snow until July. The brochure ha
	Having fun is often hazardous 03/31/2010
	Police station on deck -- or not 03/31/2010 A thus-far anonymous Chagrin Falls citizens group began sending angry e-mail alerts to area media last week, the object of their ire being Village Council's plan t A thus-far anonymous Chagrin Falls citizens group began sending angry e-mail alerts to a
	Easy come, easy go for second-hand stuff 03/31/2010 Some people seem to go through life with "kick me" signs on their backs.
	Miserable criteria full of bugs 03/24/2010 Soon after the Forbes business publication ranked Cleveland as America's most miserable city, I did what any sane miserable person would do. I got out of town.
	There's something fishy going on 03/24/2010 Some ideas are better than others, and the very worst end up on the list of Darwin Award winners. Then there are ideas that are not good or bad. Let's just call them questionable.
	Cool things happen on cold day at beach 03/24/2010 One year when Chuck had spring break, no school, he came early in the morning. He was 12.
	Kent State history lost in time 03/17/2010 Sandra Scheuer, William Schroeder, Jeffrey Miller and Allison Krause are history.
	Health-care irony is contagious 03/17/2010 Don't you just love irony. Take, for example, the current debate over health-care-insurance reform. Today, March 18, is the deadline set for Congress to deliver a health-reform bill to President Barack Obama. It is also the day Chagrin Falls officials we
	Time comes to tell it like it is 03/11/2010 My mother told me it would happen, but I didn't believe her. She said there is a trade-off for the indignities of old age, and it is the ability to say exactly what you think with no holds barred.
	Communist invaders taking over 03/11/2010 As a capitalist who believes in my fellow American workers -- what there are left of them -- I try not to support Communist China.
	Cash goes fast without rail line 03/03/2010 On a recent trip to Columbus, I had occasion to ponder the $400 million federal stimulus that President Barack Obama is sending Ohio's way to launch "high-speed" passenger rail service connecting our state's three largest cities.
	Literacy doesn't cause stupidity 03/03/2010 As species go, we humans must be stuck on stupid. Why do I say that? Have you read the directives that go along with just about everything we do or use?
	Life marches along as parades left behind 03/03/2010 Every Friday for seven years, my daughter Katie attended practice as a member of the Kenston Sparklette junior drill team, a group that performs dance routines while marching in area parades.
	Valley gets gerrymandered again 02/25/2010 People who live on the Cuyahoga County side of the Chagrin Valley are no strangers to gerrymandering.
	Dogged fashion sense is off track 02/25/2010 The gods of serendipity smiled last week when they picked up their New York Times and read that Fashion Week and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show were being held at the same time.
	Unusual passengers turn into easy riders 02/25/2010 On a snowy day, Mr. Williams (the name has been changed) was in our office for his regular eye checkup.
	Tea Party bags discontentment 02/17/2010 Dear County Line: The Chardon Board of Education has driven me to join the Tea Party, which is opposed to the government continually raising taxes, which are getting out of hand.
	Restore Downtown's good name 02/17/2010 The fallout from Your Home Town -- Chagrin Falls' firing of its hardworking director, Nancy Haag, has begun, judging by the communications we have received on the subject.
	Mother's law applies to supply and demand 02/17/2010 Because of the recent economic disaster, which occurred in part because so many people spent more than they made for years on end, some educational organizations are pushing for schools to teach "personal finance" to students.
	Religious freedom under attack 02/10/2010 Scores of students and community members in the Lake Local School District of Stark County have been wearing T-shirts that proclaim, "We value a belief in God." Their right to bear that message is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, even
	Your Home Town less welcoming 02/10/2010 On Feb. 1, after years of working her heart out for Chagrin Falls' Main Street cum Downtown cum Your Home Town organization, Nancy Haag was fired from her job as its director.
	Happiness from past fleeting for old woman 02/10/2010 By now, I'm a really old woman, stooped from severe arthritis of the spine, often in pain.
	Heavy reporting exposes 'Light' 02/03/2010 On most days, if you're into anonymity and the fakery that frequently accompanies it, you can open up Cleveland's daily newspaper to Page 2 and get a dose of letters penned by unnamed originators.
	Streetlights in eye of beholder 02/03/2010 Pet Peeve Number ... Oh, heck, there have been so many over the years, and since they are never ending, why start numbering them now? Just add streetlights to the list. Or, more to the point, lack of streetlights.
	Valentine's Day event set for fantastic finish 02/03/2010 The world holds many mysterious questions -- the answers to which we may never know. Like why do we get stopped by every red light when we are frantically trying to get to a late appointment, yet they remain green for hours on end when we are trying to ki
	Good senator faces term limit 01/28/2010 State Sen. Timothy Grendell, R-Chester, whose district includes Geauga and Lake counties, along with the northeast corner of Cuyahoga County, is a man who stands up for his people.
	True patriotism is close to home 01/28/2010 Patriotism. We think we know what it's all about, right? After all, we are Americans. There is a new patriotism you may have hard about, and we're all eligible to enlist, even if we have flat feet.
	Turkey-pot resolution is worth one whisper 01/28/2010 It took nearly 2,000 years to build the Great Wall of China and over 30 years to build a single pyramid. Yet it only took my husband, John, 59 days to wash the greasy, dirty Thanksgiving Day deep-fryer turkey pot.
	Politics great fun for spectator 01/21/2010 I'm a politics junkie. Some people are hooked on spectator sports. I can't get enough of watching local politics, and, lately, I've had plenty to cheer and jeer about.
	'Chagrin Falls' tribute inspiring 01/21/2010 Elected officials and local politicians are used to citizens attending meetings to yell at them or ask for something unreasonable. In short, there are more brickbats than bouquets in public service, but once in a while, someone does deliver flowers.
	Thank-you notes are words, so much more 01/21/2010 My kids think I am the most outdated person in the world.
	Schools shuffled without full deck 01/13/2010 The bold "transformation plan" announced by Cleveland schools Chief Executive Eugene Sanders last week for the city's beleaguered school system was hailed as being on the leading edge of educational reform.
	Wear boots for sidewalk solution 01/13/2010 "Hi, it's me," the voice on the other end of the phone said. "We have a problem, and I have the answer."
	Dead Christmas tree entitled to last laugh 01/13/2010 This is the week of Christmas-tree death. Families throughout Northeast Ohio are finally putting away their Christmas decorations and dragging their beloved Christmas trees to the curb to be picked up by the garbage man or city services.
	Entitlement isn't for everybody 01/07/2010 "Hey, numskull, I know what the problem is with the depressed real-estate market, and we have to do something about it real fast."
	Truce broken in canine kingdom 01/07/2010 It all began 18 months ago while perusing the online animal-rescue sites -- a practice I have now forbidden myself to do, lest I end up one of those old ladies they find dead, her legs eaten half off by her dogs.
	Battle of turkey pot starts war of attrition 01/07/2010 Any marriage counselor will tell you that the first rule to a successful marriage is to pick your battles.
	County Line Awards strike again 12/30/2009 Happy New Year! It's time for the 20th annual County Line Awards, recognizing those who make life interesting in the Chagrin Valley and beyond, whether they know it or not.
	New year should go beyond self 12/30/2009 There is something about a new calendar that makes us think of fresh starts, new beginnings and goals for another year.
	Early risers treated to incredible scenery 12/30/2009 I have to admit that I'm usually still asleep when the sun comes up. If it's a drizzly, foggy day in winter or humid and hazy in summer, I didn't miss much. Nevertheless, if I did get up early, I could often observe nature's unique beauty.
	Hunting Valley secrecy unbound 12/23/2009 Contrary to common belief, the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote in federal, state and local elections by secret ballot.
	Wrap these up for fantastic gifts 12/23/2009 Have you been naughty or nice this year? Assuming it's the latter -- and when you snuggle down for your long winter's nap tonight -- what is it you would like Santa Claus to set down under your tree?
	Giving on Christmas is for goodness sake 12/23/2009 While I do miss celebrating Christmas through the eyes of my children when they were very young, there are a few advantages to celebrating with teenagers.
	Guilt is for courts to determine 12/16/2009 In America, citizens are considered innocent of crimes unless and until they are found guilty in a court of law. But there are those who don't believe in such constitutional rights -- including some who really should know better.
	There's no denying good TV fare 12/16/2009 They have been around from the beginning. The television snobs. You know them.
	Payback time arrives with explosion of gifts 12/16/2009 This Christmas it's payback time.
	Offensive cartoon made its point 12/09/2009 It's somewhat unusual for one newspaper to assail another one for exercising freedom of the press. But that's what the metropolitan daily did last week in piling condemnation on the weekly Call & Post, which primarily serves the city's black community.
	Guilty pleasures found in blotter 12/09/2009 The definition of a "guilty pleasure" is enjoying something in private you would never admit in public. Say you are an intellectual who is conversant on the subject of great world philosophies.
	Christmas-tree hunt knows no boundaries 12/09/2009 I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened.
	Voters smarter than naysayers 12/02/2009 Dear County Line: I'd say that the intelligent voters of Chester and Russell showed you how dumb your favorable reporting on West Geauga School Board member Michael Kilroy -- and especially your opinion column attempting to enhance his credibility -- re
	Breathe easier through ingenuity 12/02/2009 We Americans are a pretty inventive lot; thus the phrase "American ingenuity." But we don't have a perfect batting average. Wouldn't you agree, not every idea is a winner.
	Cool country welcome chills ex-city slickers 12/02/2009 For us ex-city slickers, living in the country was full of surprises. We had moved from Cleveland to Geauga County early one summer.
	Therorist postulates conspiracy 11/25/2009 As conspiracy theories go, the one about a back-room deal to boot Burton Village Councilman Craig Ronyak out of office because of his illicit "Re-elect Ronyak" campaign signs is more silliness than surreptitiousness.
	Gratitude is for family together 11/25/2009 Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? Did you survive the annual turkey-induced coma and all those football games? Good. We did too. Thanks for asking.
	Leaky issue sinks Chardon pair 11/18/2009 Political fortunes are subject to change, which certainly was evident to Chardon City Council members Mary M. Bramstedt and Jefferey J. Campbell Jr. on the recent Election Day.
	Column suggestions just fall short 11/18/2009 Over the years, you folks have been kind enough to offer suggestions about what would be good subject for extrapolation in this space.
	Independence can take break for dependability 11/18/2009 There is little else that Americans fight more fiercely for than our independence.
	Chagrin's clueless minority wins 11/12/2009 Various reasons could be explored as to why the majority of Chagrin Falls voters agreed on last week's ballot to provide operating funds for a new village police station that the majority declined to build.
	Waiting room means exactly what it says 11/12/2009 Perhaps the problem is in the name: Waiting Room. Perhaps if we called it the "You're Next" room or the "We'll be Right With You" room, things would be better. But, as things stand now, there is entirely too much waiting happening in the waiting rooms of
	Start over to plan police station 11/12/2009 It would be a mistake to blame a bad economy as the only reason voters said no to the bond issue for a new Chagrin Falls police station.
	School-levy opposition is news 11/04/2009 Some hackles were raised by our decision two weeks ago to run as the lead story in our Chagrin Valley and Geauga County papers the opposition by one West Geauga School Board member to renewal of the district's "emergency" operating levy on Tuesday's ballo
	Fakery, gossip turning into news 11/04/2009 What is news and what is not used to be simple enough to define. Reporters and editors lived by such quaint and literal phrases as, "If it bleeds, it leads." It's not that easy anymore.
	Strolls on cul-de-sac are real eye-openers 11/04/2009 We live on the corner of a minor thoroughfare and a little side street, which is exactly half a mile long, a cul-de-sac and has about 15 homes. All the houses are set back from the road some 250 feet.
	Dissent shouldn't be discouraged 10/29/2009 Racism really hurts. As a white person, I cannot tell you how much, because it is people of other colors who almost always suffer its consequences. But I can tell you, as an editor, that "racism," as in referring to actions by white people in a newspaper
	Horror flicks have strange effect 10/29/2009 Do you love going to the movies? Me too. There is a particular kind of movie that can make me drop everything and head over to the Chagrin Cinemas. Horror flicks. Not all of them. They have to be special.
	Halloween frights got nothing on teen years 10/29/2009 A neighbor up the street has a great sign in her Halloween decorations that is appropriate all year long. It says, "You can't scare me -- I have teenagers."
	Turnpike E-Z Pass isn't easy 10/21/2009 The new electronic E-Z Pass tolling system began on the Ohio Turnpike this month with great fanfare and long lines at the toll plazas. Knowing that this technological wonder soon would be arriving in Ohio, I decided to get a jump on my fellow Buckeyes in
	What if Rush moved to valley? 10/21/2009 The pity parties going on over Rush Limbaugh being denied membership in the good old boys club known as the NFL owners, is mystifying.
	Marriage offers gift that keeps on giving 10/21/2009 Last week, I could feel the beginning of a sinus cold coming on, so I treated myself to an extra long hot shower in an effort to beat the tension out of my shoulders and the snot out of my nose.
	Allegations aren't always news 10/14/2009 Journalists sometimes are confronted with the question of whether something is newsworthy just because politicians or other publications say it is. That was the case with recent allegations that former Solon Mayor Robert A. Paulson, who is seeking to rega
	Thumbs down to text messaging 10/14/2009 Remember the good old days when we complained about rude cell-phone users? There must be more cell towers around, or the phones are better, because you don't hear as much shouting out of personal business as before.
	For easily annoyed, 'whatever' is answer 10/14/2009 You know, like I kinda agree, but I think that like, there are other words that are like, kinda more annoying.
	States' rights may be unhealthy 10/08/2009 State Sen. Timothy Grendell, R-Chester, has won passage of an Ohio Senate resolution to slap the meddling federal government silly.
	Hometown heroes do it their way 10/08/2009 Call it a labor of love. because that is exactly what it is.
	Trip into future goes downhill by lunchtime 10/08/2009 I've seen the future, and it's not pretty. Although my husband, John, is years away from retiring, this weekend I got a taste of what it might be like to have him around. All the time.
	Gambling laws confuse issues 10/01/2009 I've read various reports and analyses of the latest casino issue heading for the Ohio ballot and the on-again-off-again scheme to install slot machines in the state's seven horse-racing tracks. But I'm still confused.
	Signs of intolerance get outed 10/01/2009 Promise, this is the last time we will mention it. But over the past few weeks, so many people have asked that it would be unfair to ignore the concern out there.
	Las Vegas visit was one big losing streak 10/01/2009 On a recent five-day trip to Las Vegas, my husband and I had this much fun: none. We were there on business, and neither of us enjoys gambling or wanted to see a show. Even so, we did find quite a few ways to avoid anything pleasant.
	Name new park for what it is 09/23/2009 A group of volunteers has been raising money and formulating plans for eight years now for the Geauga County Veterans Memorial on county-owned land in Claridon Township.
	Incendiary rhetoric needs rebuttal 09/23/2009 So you don't like being called a racist. Bet the president of the United States doesn't like exposing his wife and daughters to racism either.
	World record in sight with world's best job 09/23/2009 In this economy, most people are happy just to have a job. But if you could pick the perfect job, what would it be?
	Opting out is educational lesson 09/16/2009 Dear County Line: Back in 1969 when I was in summer school, our teacher brought in a TV set and made us students watch as astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin supposedly walked on the moon.
	Everybody can beat their drums 09/16/2009 You say you are disappointed with your schools, because they caved to a handful of deluded parents whose pre-existing condition is ignorance and who are now so empowered they are getting ready to take over the libraries?
	Stupid-husband trick will go up in flames 09/16/2009 Throughout the years, I've written a lot of stories about the crazy things my husband says and does. In fact, many of his friends beg me to write "stupid John" stories. Not because they look forward to my weekly column, but so they can show the column to
	County reform built on distrust 09/10/2009 When political leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties agree on something, they must be right. Right? Well, those who lead the two parties in Cuyahoga County evidently agree that the voters are incompetent.
	Schools bow to panicked reaction 09/10/2009 Statement from Chagrin Falls schools: "On Tuesday, Sept. 8, President Obama is addressing the nation's schoolchildren at 12 noon to talk about the importance of hard work and taking responsibility for their own success in school. The White House had indi
	Post-birthday gift is sure to get good use 09/10/2009 "I bought you girls a new, fancy and very expensive present today," I told my three daughters when they returned home from school.
	Meaning of freedom put to test 09/03/2009 One thing that the great majority of Americans can agree on about our close neighbor Cuba is that freedom is not a hallmark of its communist dictator, Fidel Castro. But we seem to have trouble agreeing on what freedom means in America.
	There's more story between lines 09/03/2009 If you enjoy reading between the lines, then good old-fashioned, hand-held newspapers are your answer.
	Meals are grand with loving ingredient 09/03/2009 "Nonee doesn't use spaghetti sauce in a jar," said one of my twin daughters as she watched me make lasagna for dinner later that night. "She makes her own baloney sauce."
	Deadening silence is deafening 08/27/2009 Three would-be killers remain at large in the Chagrin Valley. Their identities are known to some of our fellow citizens, but, for Godforsaken reasons, they have chosen to condone behavior that deliberately endangers innocent lives.
	Naked meters are less indecent 08/27/2009 We have always admired Cleveland Heights for a number of reasons. Its lovely old homes, diverse population, political activism, its Bohemian beat, hip street scene and proximity to the big city.
	Honesty is last resort if Sweet, Kind falter 08/27/2009 Most of my shopping excursions can be filed under "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." And definitely not in that order.
	Best medical care is left to fate 08/19/2009 When my father, Charles Lange, retired in the early 1980s, he was fortunate to have excellent health insurance -- thanks to the United Auto Workers but not to the political forces that have been working to undermine labor unions since that time.
	Some parents flunk Safety Town 08/19/2009 May I suggest that next summer the Chagrin Falls Police Department require all parents to take the classes too.
	Darn it anyway, life is so full of surprises 08/19/2009 Just call me the Travel Queen. That's right, most of my summer has been spent exploring exotic locations. In fact, within three weeks, I managed to go through Lebanon, London and even East Liverpool.
	Newspapers are own enemies 08/13/2009 The practice known as "rip and read" is as old as radio news itself. In fact, there never would have been much radio news to speak of, if broadcast "news" people hadn't been able to rip off most of their reports from local newspapers.
	Only one ingredient is missing 08/13/2009 I am in love. Never thought it would happen at my age. I had been hurt before, disappointed, embarrassed and frustrated too often, but here I am in love again with the city of my birth.
	Knowing neighbors is wiser than break-in 08/13/2009 Last week, one of my dear friends, who was the neighbor directly across from our home, moved to Atlanta. This week, our immediate next-door neighbors put a for-sale sign in their front yard.
	Leakers, squealers have price 08/06/2009 Dear County Line: I have a suggestion for the free spenders on Chardon City Council who are wasting $15,000 of taxpayers' money for a senseless investigation into a purported leak of so-called privileged information.
	Too many choices stifle progress 08/06/2009 The full-page ad in the big-city newspaper hit me right in a sore spot. It showed a man standing before several TVs with a headline that blared, "It's good to have choices." No, it's not.
	Cost-saving supervisor gets ax 07/29/2009 My friend Allan Paradise, of Auburn, is out of work again. His position is being eliminated in the wake of a scathing state auditor's report that said the Warrensville Heights School District spends too much money.
	Growing old is laughing matter 07/29/2009 Was contemplating a new ache in my leg and watching floaters dance across my field of vision, accompanied by a symphony of tinnitus-inspired trills and buzzes, when it occurred to me that my parents were right.
	Swans' grace, beauty belie nastier nature 07/29/2009 Oh, the graceful beauty of swans. When both our kids were teenagers, one summer we went for a week to Michigan, to the northwestern area of the lower peninsula.
	Stimulus package hard at work 07/22/2009 I haven't received one thin dime from the federal stimulus package, but I'm stimulated. It must be working -- the federal stimulus, that is. It's supposed to put Americans to work, reinvigorate production and get the economy back on track.
	Diversity has been long in coming 07/22/2009 I was talking to a woman from Cleveland Magazine the other day, and she congratulated Chagrin Falls on rising higher on its list of best suburbs.
	Cool cats at college take on new meaning 07/22/2009 Youth is wasted on the young.
	Free speech supersedes zoning 07/15/2009 Let me see, freedom of speech or enforcement of zoning rules? What would George Mason and the other founding fathers who insisted on including the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution do? More to the point, what would Burton Township Trustees Louis Muc
	Living in Chagrin Falls, oh, my! 07/15/2009 Bet this has happened to you. You are in a room with strangers or at a party among people you have just met. Someone breaks the ice by asking, "So where do you live?"
	Not just temperatures rising in summertime 07/15/2009 As I made summer plans for my family earlier in the year, I was determined that this would be the "slow-down dummer."
	Crusade for reform is diversion 07/09/2009 Even though the mail that arrives at my office and my house is addressed to Chagrin Falls, I don't work or live in Cuyahoga County. Chagrin Falls is wholly within Cuyahoga County. South Russell and Bainbridge are in Geauga County.
	Police station needs more cutting 07/09/2009 Elsewhere in this edition is a story about Chagrin Falls Village Council's pending decision on whether to put the police station bond issue back on the ballot in November.
	Smells of yesterday worth one more sniff 07/09/2009 The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play.
	Politics can go beyond residency 07/02/2009 State Sen. Timothy Grendell, R-Chester, might have a split personality. On one side, he has been an outspoken critic of Ohio House Bill 278, the state law passed in 2006 to gut the home-rule authority of communities to regulate gas and oil wells.
	Here's the beef, and it's not pretty 07/02/2009 There are things in life we can control, and then there are those that we cannot. It's the cannots that will drive you batty. Here are a few, along with a couple of solutions, observations and theories. RELENTLESS MEDIA WHORES: Jon and Kate. Need I say m
	If old house is hot, cool overrules charm 07/02/2009 People who own old homes, and, by old, I mean well over 100 years, are just plain stupid. I should know. I'm one of them.
	This time, secrecy has reason 06/24/2009 Like the boy who cried wolf, City of Chardon officialdom again is beside itself over a mole who has betrayed its sanctum of executive sessions.
	Early risers may be big talkers 06/24/2009 They say all politics is local. I'm not sure. What I am sure about is that people representing the main political persuasions are either conservatives or liberals.
	Summer break goes from freezer to roof 06/24/2009 Wow! I can't believe school has already been out for two weeks. I guess time really does fly when you're the mother of four and heavily medicated.
	Pork could come with terrorists 06/17/2009 The telephone rang me out of a dreamless sleep in the dead of a misty spring night, and my hunch was right. "Hollow Larynx," the self-deluded authoritative source with connections to a high-ranking official in the Washington disestablishment, was on the o
	'Hometown' rates catchy nickname 06/17/2009 We hate to say we told you so, but we told you so. That name is just too hard to remember. The subject once again is Your Hometown Chagrin Falls, the new moniker for the group formerly known as Downtown Chagrin Falls.
	Border collie's calling leaks into public domain 06/17/2009 Rosie's agility career is at risk, and I'm just not sure there's anything we can do about it.
	Firefighters don't deserve guilt 06/11/2009 Many years ago, when my father was a young man and I was a small child, I remember the pride I felt when he wore the jacket identifying him as a volunteer fireman with the Hilltop Hose Co., of Natrona Heights, Pa.
	Friendliness ends at parking lot 06/11/2009 A while back, someone showed us a clipping from an old Chagrin Falls newspaper.
	Sometimes, it take's a child to teach an adult 06/11/2009 "Ah..." said my husband, John, as he made himself comfortable in a lounge chair on our back deck. One hand was strategically placed behind his head and the other held a very cold beverage. "Now this is why we have children."
	Weapon permit is dead giveaway 06/04/2009 One of the victims of the armed robbers who busted into an after-hours "friendly game" of poker at a Solon business April 17 at least will be getting his concealed-carry permit back. Not that it did him much good.
	Memorial Day deserves respect 06/04/2009 Maybe it comes with age, but, as the years go by, I find myself becoming more impatient with my fellow man and woman.
	Graduates can grow beyond big challenges 06/04/2009 I've been waiting for my invitation to be a commencement speaker for the graduation ceremonies at an institute of high learning.
	Chrysler can't win for losing in Twinsburg 05/28/2009 Much hand wringing, gut wrenching and bipartisan finger pointing occurred in the wake of recent revelations that the bankrupted Chrysler Corp. would be shutting down its Twinsburg Stamping Plant and sending 1,250 workers to the unemployment lines.
	Beatles music is 'greatest ever' 05/28/2009 There is one thing about Blossom Time we would miss, if one year it was not on the schedule. Saturday evening's Beatlemania, the Beatle tribute band that has been the highlight of the big-top-tent entertainment since it first appeared on the scene lo thes
	Mulch mover, shaker is fit to be like Mom 05/28/2009 My mother used to think it was crazy to drive her teenage kids to the high school so we could run laps on the track. Driving somewhere just to get out and run seemed silly to her.
	Capitalism tossed in trash heap 05/21/2009 "Well, I see that socialism is rearing its ugly head just about everywhere you look these days."
	Peace had chance but was subbed 05/21/2009 Have you seen the new psychedelic paint job on the front of Dave's Sub Shop over on River Street? It fits the sandwich shop's back-to-the-'60s theme. Proprietor Dave Lombardy, a child of the '60s himself, has decorated the inside of the shop as a shrine
	For rich and famous, truth is tough to hide 05/21/2009 As I stood in the checkout line of the local grocery store, I couldn't help but stare at the cover of the National Enquirer. Prominently posted on the front page were pictures of famous models and movie stars, unknowingly photographed during private beach
	Flag-draped casket is great honor 05/13/2009 To U.S. Army Spc. Brad A. Davis, I say, "Welcome home, brother."
	Make police-station case clearer 05/13/2009 We hope, after town leaders stop scratching their heads, they will use them to find out why voters said no to a much-needed police station. Yes, $5.4 million is a big number, but it would not be wise to write off the near miss vote to the economy alone. W
	Make police-station case clearer 05/13/2009 We hope, after town leaders stop scratching their heads, they will use them to find out why voters said no to a much-needed police station. Yes, $5.4 million is a big number, but it would not be wise to write off the near miss vote to the economy alone. W
	Cure for this flu is worse morning after 05/13/2009 "I don't feel so good," my daughter moaned to me last week. "What's the matter, sweetie?" I asked.
	Mother's Day for memories now 05/06/2009 I'm well into my 60th year, but this will be my first Mother's Day without my mom.
	'Downtown' becomes 'Home Town' 05/06/2009 Downtown Chagrin Falls board President Lisa Turner got a drum-roll moment at last Friday's annual meeting, when she announced a new name for the hardworking community and business booster organization.
	Mother's love can be tough, but it's genuine 05/06/2009 It's been said there is a fine line between love and hate. Both are strong emotions that can provoke extreme reactions. However, it's only a mother's love that can discern the difference.
	Fairness is key to school funding 04/29/2009 People are always talking about school funding in Ohio.
	Healthy skepticism is lost in blog 04/29/2009 A bunch of us were talking about the state of the newspaper business and what appears to some to be its imminent demise. It seemed impossible that newspapers would cease to exist.
	$25 carry-on saved is $8 cocktail earned 04/29/2009 The economy may be tanking, but you can't blame me. Just ask my husband. I have done more than my share to pump money into retailers throughout the country.
	Bargain Box benefits variety of charities 04/22/2009 Before 8 a.m., women line up from the door at St. Christopher's by-the-River Episcopal Church along sidewalk on Old Mill Road in the heart of Gates Mills. It's one of a handful of mornings in the village every year where it's almost impossible to find a p
	Bainbridge had real 'tea party' 04/22/2009 Some 1,000 people showed up in downtown Cleveland last week as part of a national protest against higher taxes and federal spending.
	Arts, culture get boost in valley 04/22/2009 Just came from a great event, Sunday's party to announce the unveiling of the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre's 80th season.
	Bicycling fun passed on to next generation 04/22/2009 When Jeff was about 9 years old, bicycling was his favorite hobby. The parking lot beside our home and office was -- after office hours -- an ideal place for a little kid to ride his bike. First, Jeff used the one his big brother, Pete, didn't like any lo
	It's Chicken Little vs. fairy dust 04/15/2009 Truth No. 253: There are those who walk among us who are more afraid of living than they are of dying.
	Friends of past found by modern connection 04/15/2009 I was about 8 years old when I first heard about contact lenses.
	Good jobs not waiting for vets 04/09/2009 My dad, like so many men of his generation, came home from World War II and went to work in a Pittsburgh steel mill. When that work dried up, he got a job at the Ford Motor Co.'s Cleveland Stamping Plant.
	Chagrin Falls springs back to life 04/09/2009 Ah, spring! We come creeping from our homes, blinking at the sun and then at the ground to see what the cruelest season has deposited in our gardens. Ah, discovery! Such exotica.
	If doomsday can wait, so can other matters 04/09/2009 Well, the Conficker computer virus came and went with little more than a whimper. Its anticipation certainly caused a frenzy though. Heaven forbid anyone is without access to their Facebook Friends or Twitter Tweets or whatever you call them.
	Anonymity leaves trust in dust 04/02/2009 In the eyes of the public, anonymous signatories, like anonymous news sources, are not trustworthy. That's why our newspapers do not publish anonymous letters to the editor and why we make a
	Women might as well 'shut up' 04/02/2009 We drew some blood recently when we suggested a "SHUT UP" go to the Village of Moreland Hills for going along with the closing of Chagrin Boulevard without checking in with Chagrin Falls.
	With expired license, it's time to get away 04/02/2009 Last week was the week of expirations. The milk expired, my one house plant expired, John's Playboy subscription expired, because I refused to renew it, and my driver's license expired. Thankfully, no family members expired last week. We'll see what this
	Earmark takes walk in Chagrin 03/26/2009 There's so much money flying out of Washington these days that it's hard to keep score.
	Caring people deserve bonuses 03/26/2009 Our story begins in 1974. We were turning the attic of our post-World War II Cape Cod into bedrooms for our two children.
	Kindness even better when it's not random 03/26/2009 This Sunday, March 29, is "Random Acts of Kindness Day." However, I think the name is somewhat misleading.
	Cartoonists don't owe apologies 03/18/2009 A cartoon, according to Webster, is "a drawing, as in a newspaper, caricaturing or symbolizing, often satirically, some event, situation or person of topical interest." The dictionary also describes a cartoon as "a humorous drawing."
	Some things worth shouting about 03/18/2009 You have no doubt seen them and read them. Many newspapers have them. Those columns that give attention to news subjects deemed worthy of a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
	New family member has unwelcome traits 03/18/2009 I hate daylight-saving time. Not only do I lose an hour of much-needed sleep, but the new angle of the sun in the mid-morning and late afternoon does nothing but perfectly illuminate my dirty windows and the specks of falling dust. Lots and lots of fallin
	Statistics not too bad for 2008 03/12/2009 Statistics can provide fascinating nuggets of information, particularly when they apply to the things we hold near and dear. Like life here in the Chagrin Valley.
	Despite all bad news, there's rest of story 03/12/2009 Listening to the television as I fixed dinner one night, I found myself feeling burdened and depressed by the onslaught of bad news followed by more bad news.
	'Things racial' are ready topic 03/04/2009 A couple weeks ago, Eric Holder, the new attorney general of the United States, called us cowards.
	This is wrong time for roadblock 03/04/2009 When it rains, it pours, the saying goes, so just a note to Chagrin Falls merchants, residents and visitors. We are about to get dumped on.
	Birthday celebrations are due just deserts 03/04/2009 Today is my daughter's 17th birthday. She thinks I should throw her a birthday party, but, after very careful consideration, I've come to the conclusion that she should be the one throwing me a party.
	Unforgettable ski trip went mostly downhill 02/25/2009 Our memories usually retain the pleasant and delightful events of a vacation and, fortunately, let us forget the nuisances. When you think of times spent at a beach, it's the beauty of the sea, the pleasant company and the delicious dinners that you re
	Cleanup crew wipes out stimulus package 02/25/2009 "I think we need a stimulus package," my husband, John, said as he helped me dry the dinner dishes. The evening news was on in the background, and the pundits were arguing the benefits and pitfalls of the president's economic-stimulus bill. "Ssshh! The k
	Payday lenders get no bailouts 02/25/2009 Here's a question for the 72 percent of Ohio voters who cast their ballots last November in favor of driving so-called payday lenders out of business. Why are they still in business?
	Choosing dog gets it backwards 02/18/2009 It was during the Chagrin Falls Fire Department Chili Cook Off a few weeks ago, between helpings of the savory stew, when
	Ex-chief sought by drug agents 02/18/2009 My father-in-law is not a fugitive from the law. But he was holed up at my house in Geauga County on a recent Friday evening when two
	Some signs stick out, tell more than others 02/18/2009 Life gives us signs every single day. Some tell us to stop. Some tell us to go. But as Neil Diamond said, "Some are born w
	Watch out for stimulus package 02/11/2009 It had been a mighty long time since I heard from "Hollow Larynx," the self-deluded authoritative source with connections to a high-ranking official in the Washington disestablishment. I actually thought he had gone the way of "Deep Throat," his second co
	Granted fair warning, let's get with program 02/11/2009 For two years, the American public has been told repeatedly that, on Feb. 17, 2009, all television signals will be converted from analog to digital.
	Overpopulation heads to diminishing returns 02/11/2009 This is just a thought. I don't want to offend anyone. Among the major problems that beset us now, such as financial crisis, global warming, energy shortage, fossil fuels, human rights, there is one which is not being publicly addressed: overpopulation.
	Clear roads are no entitlement 02/04/2009 Last Wednesday's snowstorm, which measured 9.4 inches officially at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and 11 inches in western Geauga County, was somewhat unusual due to the direction from which it came.
	Healthy laughs lighten hard times 02/04/2009 Granted, there isn't much to smile about these days, what with the economy, weather, cost of groceries and (put your personal frown maker here).
	Hearty signature has smile turning around 02/04/2009 "Please tell me that you did not just sign your first legal document with a heart," I said to my daughter as she admired her carefully penned signature on her brand new driver's license. The "i" in Jessica was topped, not with a quick dot, but with a fat,
	Citizens have right to disagree 01/29/2009 A couple weeks ago, we printed a large photograph of two local middle-school students creating a banner supporting Israel in its ongoing conflict with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
	Sleepless night worth writing about 01/29/2009 Maybe it was the late night out or that afternoon cup of coffee, but whatever "it" was, it caused one sleepless night and a brain that just would not chill. As I lay there in the dark silence, ideas and thoughts crossed my mind, and they seemed profound a
	Visitor stuck in ditch; hosts catch his drift 01/29/2009 All the little events of many Geauga winters are a bit blurry in my memory, but one day stands out clearly. Overnight, a storm had dumped more than a foot of snow, and the wind had piled up high drifts on the road.
	Constitution overrules expediency 01/21/2009 "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated." So says the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
	Noise ordinance needs tweaking 01/21/2009 One of the more interesting things local governments do from time to time is try to legislate sound. They call this the "noise ordinance."
	Dresses are poor fit for teens in T-shirts 01/21/2009 Last week, I experienced something so terrifying that it pushed my physical limits and my mental endurance to the absolute edge of insanity. I can honestly tell you that I have stood on the brink of the dark abyss, and I have survived. Barely.
	It's not parks that are mixed up 01/15/2009 "Haayy, ma-a-a-a-n, how ya doooon?" It was my old pal, Mush Limburger, on the line. Mush, have you been drinking?
	'Terrible two' has family on heels 01/15/2009 Spent a week in the company of a human hurricane, a tiny person who leaves a trail of rubble wherever she goes.
	Hubby's business trip is vacation for family 01/15/2009 It's 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and I'm still dressed in my pajamas, have yet to take a shower, and I've gone through a box of Kleenex watching stupid, sappy movies on Lifetime.
	Double dipping is duly recorded 01/07/2009 Dear County Line: I'm outraged over the avaricious double dipping that seems to be pervading government jobs. The latest example is newly elected Geauga County Recorder Sharon Gingerich, who decided that she also will continue to hold her elected positi
	Chagrin Falls due for headlines 01/07/2009 You know how at the start and end of ever year, newspapers all over the world do their roundups of the year just past? Here we are, eight days into a fresh 12 months, and you are not going to get that here. Instead -- and since this is a time of change --
	Don't contact husband for pressing situation 01/07/2009 If there is one thing in the human experience that can put each man and woman on an even playing field, it is a medical physical.
	Calendar has dates to remember 12/30/2008 Seven out of every 10 people get calendars as Christmas or Hanukkah gifts. OK, I made that up. But you will agree that, as gifts go, calendars do make nifty ones.
	COUNTY LINE, BY DAVE LANGE 12/23/2008 This being Christmas and all, with many of us being warm and fuzzy for peace on Earth and all, I thought I'd take a look at love and goodwill in the community where I live. According to definition, community is applicable to common interests and fellowshi
	Grandma's guidance not forgotten 12/23/2008 No doubt about it, this is a wonderful season. And, if you are of a certain age, there will be sadness for those who are not with us, at least not physically. We miss them and remember them perhaps more vividly than at any other season.
	Squirrel phobia isn't just nutty overreaction 12/23/2008 Last summer, after a visit to the West Side Market, our family and a visiting friend returned to our car loaded with fresh bread, succulent fruit and other goodies from the market's many vendors. We set up some folding chairs -- which I keep in my car all
	Facebooking facts is for friends 12/17/2008 An open letter to my Facebook pals: You flattered me when you asked me to be your friend, because, as you know, one can never have too many.
	Court's contempt is commanding 12/17/2008 The American Civil Liberties Union won a 2002 case in which a Richland County Court of Common Pleas judge was ordered to remove a poster of the Ten Commandments from his courtroom. The ACLU successfully argued that it was a violation of the constitutional
	Wishes for joy, hope have season, reason 12/17/2008 In a small town very much like mine and very much like yours, stood a single pine tree. Maybe it had been there 20 years. Maybe it had been there 50 years. Maybe at one time it was surrounded by other trees larger than itself. No one in the town really kn
	Claridon meetings are priceless 12/10/2008 Claridon Township Trustees voted 2-1 recently to pay an attorney $200 per hour to attend their meetings.
	Dark reminder knots family ties 12/10/2008
	Upside to being sick gets lost in the sniffle 12/10/2008 'Tis the season. Not for tinsel and merriment but for colds and the flu.
	Shooting star meets falling star 12/04/2008 Joe the Plumber's monkey wrench couldn't turn John the Maverick into John the President, but it could turn Helen the Database Searcher into Helen the Job Searcher.
	This is best time of year anyway 12/04/2008 Hate to go all Scrooge on you. That's the last thing we want to be called this time of year. But ... Seems that, in the age of enlightenment, some of us still have an issue with what name we give to
	Dreary winter days can have bright spots 12/04/2008 My husband and I were driving to Chester. It was a dreary day, drizzling, foggy, cold. "Don't let the weather get you down," said Tom. "Think of that beautiful day when we drove to the Cleveland Clinic."
	Election took some local twists 11/26/2008 In the days following the historic national election, readers of the Times newspapers learned that another Newbury school levy had been rejected, but a renewal levy for Berkshire schools had passed. They learned that rezoning issues to permit the construc
	This gift list is sure to satisfy 11/26/2008
	As kitten takes over, Dad could be left out 11/26/2008 "I thought I said no more breathers," my husband, John, seethed as he looked at the new little pile of fur curled up and sleeping precisely in the middle of his chair.
	Scourge of socialism is rampant 11/19/2008 The recent presidential election campaign brought howls against the scourge of socialism. But even hypocritical howlers love socialism. It was no mere happenstance that one
	Don't tell teenagers where to go 11/19/2008 Teenagers. If you have ever had one of these creatures around the house, then you know how they can try the patience.
	Turkey-day wisdom has thankful message 11/19/2008 'Twas the week before Thanksgiving, and all through the land, people were watching their savings disappear like quicksand.
	Religious convictions undermined 11/12/2008 Among my deeply held religious convictions, I am opposed to forcing my neighbors to yield the use of their property for my personal gain. I also would not want to jeopardize their lifeblood and perhaps their very lives in a quest for self-enrichment. I
	Pumpkin roll not for spectators 11/12/2008 Let's put the pumpkin roll in the same category as the wilderness. No one needs to see it to appreciate it. It's just nice to know that it's there. Over the years, that's changed to a point where it has become a spectator sport, which is how a Solon ma
	Men's inflated needs roll round and round 11/12/2008 Home expenses are never fun, but some, like new paint or wallpaper, a new couch or a new landscaping, can be exciting for the instant gratification they bring. Other expenses, like a new furnace, hot-water heater or roof, just lack that sexy feel-good-ab
	Straight-ticket voter says no way 11/05/2008 Now that the 2008 elections are over, I can safely reveal how and why I voted on key issues that appeared on Ohio's statewide ballot without being accused of trying to influence the outcome.
	Depression stories worth repeating 11/05/2008 As kids, there was nothing that could make our eyes roll back in our heads more readily than when one of our parents would begin a dinner-table conversation with, "During the Depression, we ..."
	Decision at crunch time is tricky compromise 11/05/2008 Last Thursday, the day before Halloween, I was combing the aisles of Costco, trying to determine what I kind of candy I should distribute the next night.
	Names don't fool higher learners 10/29/2008 Michael Schwartz, the president of a large state university in a big city not far from here, wants to change the name of his institution of higher learning. How about THEEEEEE Cleveland State University?
	There's no excuse for undecided 10/29/2008 Here we are less than one week away from the most historic presidential election in 40 years, and there still are some people out there who can't decide who to vote for. They are termed the "undecided."
	Dog deserves respect in Halloween costume 10/29/2008 Growing up on Lake Michigan, it never really mattered what I was for Halloween, because, without a doubt, snow would have fallen well before Oct. 31, and my mother would force me to wear a snow parka, hat, gloves and boots.
	No thank you for petty politics 10/22/2008 Politics can be a thankless job. Take the political-action committee known as Citizens to Preserve Chardon Traditions, for instance. The PAC was formed during the 2007 election season in a campaign to prevent candidates supported by the Geauga County Dem
	Ghostly tales stretch over valley 10/22/2008 Journalists are skeptical by nature, rarely taking anything at face value. Here's an example: The legendary City News Service of Chicago had as its motto, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out."
	If laundry list needs bucket list, call Dad 10/22/2008 TGIF no longer stands for "Thank God it's Friday." In our house, TGIF means, "the God-blessed (insert name of household appliance) is Fried!"
	Free money has color of green 10/15/2008 Bainbridge Township Trustee Matthew J.D. Lynch wants to give me money. I like Matt Lynch. Bainbridge Trustees have been debating what to do with the approximately $6 million that remains of the $15 million Paul Frohring estate-tax windfall that was besto
	Small town cares for its own 10/15/2008 The good thing about living in a small town is you know everybody, and everybody knows you. The bad thing about living in a small town is you know everybody's business, and everybody knows yours too.
	For frightful events, ghost must get in line 10/15/2008 It's October -- the time for scary stories about lurking monsters and the mysteries of the unknown and unimaginable. No, I'm not talking about the election and the financial crisis. Those stories are far too scary to repeat.
	Chagrin Falls envy goes two ways 10/09/2008 If you live in Chagrin Falls Township, you do not live in Chagrin Falls Village. Mayor Thomas Brick is not your mayor.
	Bring troops home for holidays 10/09/2008 If you have ever been apart from the people you love during the holidays, then you know how lonely it is.
	Exercise motivation is more than T-shirt 10/09/2008 It has been my experience that most boys need very little encouragement to try a new sport. For years, we reign in their testosterone and tell them they can't kick, they can't throw things, don't push other people, don't run and be quiet. But sports give
	Law on side of uncensored art 10/01/2008 The 18th "People's Art Show" will open Oct. 24 at Cleveland State University. Billed as "a free, unjuried, uncensored exhibition celebrating creativity, diversity, imagination and freedom," the show has generated some controversy in the past.
	Zoning board stuck in wonderland 10/01/2008 Came home from last week's Chagrin Falls zoning appeals board meeting with a headache. I cover these meetings about once a month but never got a headache before, except that this time it was our ox being gored.
	Communicable stress has gnawing symptom 10/01/2008 After making the pediatrician's office my second home for so many years, I have probably absorbed enough knowledge to earn a
	Ohio weathers storm on its own 09/24/2008 About 300 First Energy Corp. workers reportedly returned to Ohio from Texas last Wednesday. I was among the power company's estimated 111,000 customers in the Cleveland area eagerly awaiting their arrival, because, three days after wicked winds generated
	Taxing goes with bragging rights 09/24/2008 "Now, you've gone and done it," Miss Demeanor said as we settled into a corner booth at Yours Truly. "You have told folks from South Russell that they don't live in Chagrin Falls, and they are very upset." "I know, got three calls about my trespasses thi
	It's about time media get to bottom of this 09/24/2008 From the election coverage and the government bail-out of major financial and insurance institutions to the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Ike, the media has been packed full of breaking news stories. So many newsworthy stories that you may ha
	Fashion police ready for undercover work 09/19/2008 The "Priorities of the Panties" is coming to a showdown. Throughout the country, cities are placing House bills known as the "Baggy Pants Bill" on the books of their local legislatures, making it illegal for boys and men to expose a large portion of thei
	It's no-brainer for left-brainers 09/19/2008 Full disclosure first. I am a member of the board of trustees of the Valley Art Center. Sometimes Chagrin Falls takes itself too seriously. Much of it emanates from our by-the-book village government, which is guided by laws drafted by lawyers and ad
	Detours don't deter big spenders 09/19/2008 "Would you do me a favor and explain what it is that people around here have against shortcuts." It was my old pal Mush Limburger on the line. I'll try to do that, Mush, if you could just explain to me what the heck you're talking about.
	Right to petition often repressed 09/11/2008 The good citizens of South Russell Village and Chester Township who recently circulated referendum petitions in the good faith that they hold for democracy, only to have them unceremoniously dumped by local government, are understandably disillusioned. Th
	Words' intents need some 'vetting' 09/11/2008 It's funny how you can go your whole life and never hear a particular word, then hear it a dozen times in the course of one week. Language is a funny thing and in many ways is at the mercy of those who have the ear of the world, the taste makers and talk
	Dad gets polished up on back-seat position 09/11/2008 The good news is that I now have a 16-year-old daughter who is more than happy to drive the entire 4 1/2-hour trip to my parents' home in Michigan. The bad news is that I now have a 42-year-old husband who insists on sitting in the back with the other thr
	Drivers waiting for more signs 09/03/2008 When a Chardon Township resident asked his elected trustees for an additional sign reading, "Cross-traffic does not stop," on Clark Road last spring, I thought it was a reasonable request. He said the warning is needed at the existing stop sign where Clar
	Lines drawn over Chagrin Falls 09/03/2008 OK, let's go over this again. Just because your post-office address says you live in Chagrin Falls, that does not necessarily mean you live in Chagrin Falls. A mailing address is one thing, but where you really live -- nice places like South Russell, Bain
	Women are too wise to opt for polygamy 09/03/2008 I just finished reading "The 19th Wife," by David Ebershoff, the historical fiction account of polygamy and the subsequent divorce of self-proclaimed prophet and leader of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, and his 19th wife, Ann Eliza. Bouncing between th
	Naming names has consequences 08/27/2008 People who read more than one newspaper sometimes may wonder why a particular story receives conspicuous play in one of them and no coverage whatsoever in another. A variety of factors can account for those occasions, such as reporters having different ne
	Murder mystery due in Chagrin 08/27/2008 Labor Day is upon us, so can "Murder by the Falls" be far behind? Yes, it's that time again for those lucky enough to score tickets to the annual Chagrin Valley Little Theatre solve-it-yourself mystery benefit set for Sept. 5 and 6.
	Late summer lessons come in small doses 08/27/2008 It was one of those hazy, hot days of August before school began. My kids had had enough of the swimming pool, but I still relished one or two more days in the sun, so I forced them to go. I know -- I'm a terrible mother.
	Aberrant capitals miss spaces 08/20/2008 They could call it the AmphiTheater. A capital "T" in the middle of the name might distinguish the modest outdoor entertainment venue being proposed for the hillside at Riverside Park in Chagrin Falls from what some people apparently fear could be confu
	Olympics feature late-night drama 08/20/2008 The Olympics? Are they over yet? We all have to get some sleep. We can thank the time change from here to China for napping at our desks. I didn't think I like the summer Olympics. So why was I sitting in front of the TV in the middle of the time watchin
	Swim suits give men competitive advantage 08/20/2008 "I used to look like that," said my husband, John, as he watched me act like a love-sick schoolgirl every time Michael Phelps got out of the water during the Beijing Olympics. "I'm sorry, what did you say, honey?" I asked, just a little perturbed that he
	County Line - If stuff happens, so do lawsuits 08/13/2008 When I first learned about the 66-year-old Bainbridge man who is suing the Wal-Mart corporation over injuries he suffered at his local store, my thoughts turned to David and Goliath, one of the classic journalism angles. Some people may not know that Samu
	Window On Main - Opportunity takes some knocking 08/13/2008 We have questions. Why are some of the good people of Chagrin Falls looking a gift horse in the mouth? It's just another day at the office as far as we're concerned and one more example of how nothing ever happens in our town without a controversy. You m
	'Shoe tree' gives way to trucks 08/07/2008 Dear County Line: First of all, Bainbridge Township doesn't need any more high-speed thoroughfares, so it's ridiculous to spend over $1 million of the taxpayers' money to widen and repave Savage Road. Secondly, if they cut down the world-famous "shoe tree
	Time is right for Chagrin Falls 08/07/2008 In case you have not noticed, Chagrin Falls is one happening place these days. I am not sure when the renaissance began. Maybe when streetscape was done. The wires came down, and our "cool quotient" went up. Or perhaps it was the revamped village governm
	Window on Main Street 073108 07/30/2008 There they go again. The guarantors of greatness, the emperors of expectations, the pundits of pride, the witnesses of a winning Browns season. They are sports writers, commentators and columnists who, at the beginning of each football season, hand out
	County Line 073108 07/30/2008 The local police reports this summer have included the usual array of alcohol-related incidents. A Chardon man was charged with assault July 13 in connection with a fight between two stepbrothers at a party on North Main Street in Chagrin Falls. Another
	Window On Main Street 07/23/2008 My sister Carole, God love her, is organizing the family archives. By that, I mean all of the photographs that have been stored for years and years in hat boxes on the shelf of the hall closet in our parents' home. From the contents of those