News Flash

A tri-city committee putting together plans to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year will unveil the various activities at two community meetings in March.

The presentations will be Tuesday, March 3 at the Middleburg Heights Community Center, 16000 Bagley Road, and Wednesday, March 18 at the Berea Historical Society, 118 E. Bridge St. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.

Mayor Kleem’s office is designing a tri-fold pamphlet that will include maps and information plus a QR code for further details. The pamphlets will be available at the March presentations.

The cities of Berea, Brook Park and Middleburg Heights are collaborating to make plans for the local America 250 festivities. All three communities were once part of Middleburgh Township. The township was founded by Jared Hickox, who arrived  in 1809 to claim 50 acres in the Western Reserve.

Representatives of each community plus civic organizations are meeting at the Berea Historical Society to brainstorm. The big push will launch in time for the Fourth of July.

Members have listed designated sites in each community that will be included on historical tours. The tours can be in person or virtual.  The committee will set up a web site where visitors can view the locations and read their history. 

The committee is hoping to highlight about 10 locations in each city. Berea’s list includes the Tree of Knowledge, which was commissioned by the Berea Board of Education and mounted on Berea High in 1968. It was removed when the school was razed in 2020 but was renovated and remounted on the new school.

Other Berea sites to be noted are Buehl House, home of the Berea Historical  Society; Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds; Baldwin Wallace University; and the Pearl Street neighborhood, among others.

Brook Park will feature Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, NASA Glenn and the IX Center. Middleburg Heights will highlight the Little Red Schoolhouse, the Lake-to-Lake Trail in the Metroparks and Woodvale Cemetery, among others.

Lisa and Gene Zacharyasz of Luna Marketing are creating a logo for America 250 T-shirts and other apparel. Those items will be available at Luna’s online site, lunamarketinginc.com.

Bill Boone, a teacher at Berea-Midpark High School, is working with his AP History students to research various aspects of the project.

The next America 250 committee meetings are set for 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 and Feb. 25 at the Berea Historical Society, 118 E. Bridge St.

America 250 is a national program through the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission encouraging communities to celebrate the 250^th birthday by emphasizing local history. 

VFW Post 6676 donated $15,000 to the Northern Ohio Veterans Association for the Military Tribute planned at McKelvey Park.

VFW Commander Andy Dickson presented the check to Chaplain Willie Springer at the annual Spirit of Community Awards banquet on Jan. 20.

Plans call for the pergola at McKelvey Park to be converted into a tribute to active-duty military and veterans. Each pillar of the pergola will display a bronze symbol of one of the branches of the armed forces. The plaques should be in place in time for America 250 celebrations in July. 

The U.S. Flag will be front and center, replacing a potted plant, and the flags of each branch will be located to the rear of the pergola. Floodlights will be installed.

Donations to the Military Tribute project can be made via PayPal or Zeffy. Checks can be mailed to NOVA, 398 W. Bagley Road, Unit 4, Berea, OH 44017. 

Two newly-elected members joined Berea City Council during inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 4.

Vance Redding is the new council representative for Ward 1 and Michael Kurtz represents Ward 2. They were sworn into office by Mayor Cyril Kleem.

Redding is a retired Teamster and member of Local 507. He worked as a painter at the I-X Center and was security manager at the Variety Theatre on Cleveland’s West Side. He spent his childhood in Berea, attending Loomis School. He is a graduate of John Marshall High School where he was captain of the football and wrestling teams.

Kurtz is from the Akron area where he was active with Special Olympics and other community projects. He was twice named Akron Volunteer of the Year. Kurtz is an 8^th grade science teacher at a charter school on the East Side. In Berea, he coaches through the Berea Recreation Center a girls 7/8 softball team, the Berea Youth Running Club and sponsors the Kurtz Classic basketball tournament for children in grades 1-4, now in its third year. 

Also receiving their oaths of office at the ceremony in Berea Municipal Court chambers were council members who were re-elected in November. They are Jim Maxwell, president of council; Chris McManis, council at large; Lisa Weaver, Ward 3; Erika Coble, Ward 4; and Rick Skoczen, Ward 5. Gene Zacharyasz, council at large, was on vacation and will be sworn into office when he returns.

In his remarks, Mayor Kleem said it was important to develop a relationship with council members. “I find out what’s important to them versus what’s important to me,” he said.

Maxwell noted that this is the 12^th time he has been sworn into office, first as a ward councilman in the early 2000s. He said all council members share a dream of giving back to the community. “I grew up in a home where serving the people of Berea was important,” he said. Maxwell’s late father, Stan Maxwell, was also council president, and his mother, Beverly Maxwell, owned a small business in Berea.

Retired Berea police officer Dave Kammerman served as master of ceremonies. He said, “Sitting on City Council isn’t about recognition. It’s about responsibility and an opportunity to move the City forward.”

Following the inauguration ceremony, there was an organizational meeting. Chris McManis was voted by council members to be president pro tem. He will serve as council president in the absence of Council President Jim Maxwell. Alycia Esson was elected as council clerk.

Maxwell made committee appointments. Building & Zoning – Zacharyasz, chair; Coble and Skoczen.

Coordinating – Maxwell, chair; all members of council.

Court – McManis, chair; Kurtz and Zacharyasz.

Economic Development – McManis, chair; Skoczen and Zacharyasz.

Facilities - Weaver, chair; Coble and Redding.

Finance – Skoczen, chair; McManis and Zacharyasz.

Public Safety & Service – Redding, chair; Skoczen and Weaver.

Senior & Community Services – Coble, chair; Redding and Weaver.

Utilities – Kurtz, chair; Weaver and Zacharyasz.

Kurtz, Maxwell, McManis and Skoczen were appointed to the Mayor’s Ad Hoc Water and Sewer Rates Committee.

Council members serve two-year terms.