“Chardon has many possible locations for a new hotel, but the beautiful Uptown Square area has great potential to be the ideal spot for a new hotel,” City Manager Randal Sharpe stated in the release. “The Chardon community attracts a great deal of both business and leisure travelers to the area and is currently losing those travelers to neighboring communities.

“This local, economic loss can be recaptured with a new, upper scale hotel product.”

“We knew anecdotally that Chardon has a strong need for a hotel, but we knew that we needed to quantify that need in order to attract the best possible developer or hotelier,” Councilman Kyle Martin, chairman of the Economic Development Committee, said in the release. “With the clear results of this study, we can confidently say to prospective investors that our community can support a hotel, and we look forward to working together to welcome a new hotel to our city.”

The community took the initiative to make the investment in a hotel feasibility study in March. In the following months, Chardon welcomed a representative from Core Distinction Group into their community for a tour and to sit down with local demand generators and community leaders, according to the release.

“Chardon offers two of the major elements that we look for in the task to understand additional need for accommodations, strong business and leisure traveler potential,” Core Distinction Group Partner Jessica Junker stated in the release.

“These two features, along with, the severe lack of current lodging, hotel supporting amenities, and growth friendly, community leaders, sets the community apart for a potential hotel development,” she added.

The feasibility study indicated a need for an upper midscale hotel with 70-90 guest rooms. They
also indicated the property should offer amenities including but not limited to, wi-fi, complimentary breakfast, meeting room and business center.

That means it is time for the Tony Awards — the biggest awards event for Broadway. But here in Cleveland, our area young thespians have already had their big night as this past May 20 many of them got to participate in the Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman at Playhouse Square.

This program took place at the KeyBank State Theatre and celebrated every element of area high school productions from the past school year, from behind-the-scenes work creating costumes and set designs to orchestras playing iconic scores to, of course, the actors performing onstage.

This educational program celebrated the talents of more than 2,100 students from 32 schools around Northeast Ohio.

The Dazzle Awards are affiliated with The Jimmy Awards/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards and honors the hard work, dedication and excellence seen in the region’s high school theater programs. In addition to the end-of-year awards night, this regional program offered arts education opportunities throughout the school year.

The program culminated with the annual awards ceremony hosted by Fox 8’s Natalie Herbick. Students participated in a ceremonial walk the “PNC Red Carpet” as they entered, then took the stage to perform.

In addition to master classes and audition workshops for those on stage, interested students applied to be a Dazzle Awards student reporter, technical apprentice, and new this year, musical apprentice.

Through these programs, they learned firsthand from industry professionals, including the Dazzle Awards director/choreographer, music director, musicians, stage managers, lighting and sound designers and local reporters.

The following students were chosen based on an application process and letters of recommendation, and many of them were from our readership area:

• Musical apprentices: Grace Burdorff (Saxophone), Midview High School; Miya DeBolt (Flute), Bay Village High School; Audra Incledon (Cello), Orange High School; Ewan James Colin Moss (Trombone), Bay Village High School; and Drew Straub (Trumpet), Independence High School

• Technical apprentices: Joelle Billson, Willoughby South High School; Emma Kovach-Uzl, Eastlake North High School; and Rebecca Zwick, Medina High School

• Student reporters: Sarah Keller, Brunswick High School; Mackenzie Kirkpatrick, Midview High School; Lauren Sams, Thomas W. Harvey High School; and Britta Sevcik, Avon Lake High School

At the May 20 ceremony, Dazzle Awards were presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 13 categories, including the “Spirit of the Dazzle Awards” category, awarded to the student who most embodies camaraderie, passion and an infectiously positive attitude throughout rehearsal week as identified by the creative team.

The Best Actor and Best Actress will represent Northeast Ohio at The Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre in New York in June.

Winners are listed below by school, with individual actor nominees listed in full with winners marked by an asterisk. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants!

Best Student Orchestra

Hudson High School, “The Addams Family”

Best Technical Execution

Rocky River High School, “Bright Star School Edition”

Best Scenic Design

Bay Village High School, “Disney’s Newsies”

Best Costume Design

Hudson High School, “The Addams Family”

Best Choreography Execution

Magnificat High School, “Chicago: Teen Edition”

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Magnificat High School, “Chicago: Teen Edition”

The Spirit of the Dazzle Awards

Cindy Little, Mayfield High School

Best Supporting Actor

Alex Dale, Hudson High School (‘Lurch’ in The Addams Family)

Nathan Hill, Chagrin Falls High School (‘Kevin G’ in Mean Girls High School Version)

Kaden Jones, University School (‘Joe’ in Merrily We Roll Along)

Jack Lange, Rocky River High School (‘Daryl Ames’ in Bright Star School Edition)

Aidan Moll, University School (‘K.T.’ in Merrily We Roll Along)

Jacob Rentas, Lutheran High School West (‘Marcellus Washburn’ in The Music Man)

*Graham Wilde, Mayfield High School (‘Younger Brother’ in Ragtime School Edition)

Best Supporting Actress

Elizabeth Axelrod, Mayfield High School (‘Evelyn Nesbit’ in Ragtime School Edition)

Dani Buyanksy, Independence High School (‘Dragon/Ensemble’ in Shrek The Musical)

Izzy Kreeger, Eastlake North High School (‘Mushnik’ in Little Shop of Horrors)

Rebecca Leist, Lutheran High School West (‘Eulalie McKecknie Shinn’ in The Music Man)

Marta Minarik, Magnificat High School (‘Mona/Ensemble’ in Chicago: Teen Edition)

Tana Preseren, Eastlake North High School (‘Audrey 2’ in Little Shop of Horrors)

*Nora Stipanovich, Magnificat High School (‘Hunyak/Juror One’ in Chicago: Teen Edition)

Best Actor

Sam Brown, Bay Village High School (‘Davey’ in Disney’s Newsies)

Lukas Cinko, Archbishop Hoban High School (‘Ren McCormack’ in Footloose)

*Savon Harris, Mayfield High School (‘Coalhouse Walker Jr.’ in Ragtime School Edition)

Kyle McFalls, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Jesse Tuck’ in Tuck Everlasting)

Stanley Niekamp, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Miles Tuck’ in Tuck Everlasting)

Zhavier Nurse, Thomas W. Harvey High School (‘Agwe’ in Once on This Island)

Nicholas Szekely, Bay Village High School (‘Jack Kelly’ in Disney’s Newsies)

Best Actress

Paris Bunch, Mayfield High School (‘Sarah’ in Ragtime School Edition)

Laila Christian, Shaker Heights High School (‘Sandy Cheeks’ in The SpongeBob Musical)

Fiona Coughlin, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Mae Tuck’ in Tuck Everlasting)

Claire Marchant, Nordonia High School (‘Ursula’ in Disney’s The Little Mermaid)

Kate Pawlowski, Hudson High School (‘Wednesday Addams’ in The Addams Family)

Lindsey Ross, Hudson High School (‘Morticia Addams’ in The Addams Family)

*Calista Zajac, Magnificat High School (‘Roxie Hart’ in Chicago: Teen Edition)

Best Musical (Tier 1 – musical budgets less than $13,000)

Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC, Tuck Everlasting

Bay Village High School, Disney’s Newsies

*Rocky River High School, Bright Star School Edition

Best Musical (Tier 2 – musical budgets greater than $13,000)

Hudson High School, The Addams Family

Magnificat High School, Chicago: Teen Edition

*Mayfield High School, Ragtime School Edition

Coming Up

Here are some additional productions you can expect to hear about in coming weeks:

• “The Who’s Tommy” at Fine Arts Association, June 9-25

• “Anything Goes” at Rabbit Run Theatre, June 16- July 9

• Wildwood Theatre Camp, June 22

Young Thespians is a column that focuses on youth theater. If you have a story idea or a comment, message stevecouch@windstream.net  or follow and/or post in the “Young Thespians” Facebook group.

Fundraising opportunities have already begun to help fund the overall cost.

The Band Boosters had a Coffee Sale fundraiser with an incentive that gave students who sold 20 or more items an opportunity to smash a pie in the face of Band Director Jason Branch.

Many students rose to the challenge and Branch was a great sport being covered in pie, according to a release from the school district.

Following the worship service, the Chardon Polka Band will be in concert from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  During this time, a free picnic-style lunch will be provided by church members, according to a news release.

Those attending are encouraged to bring children as there will be activities for them and also to bring lawn chairs. If the weather is inclement, the event will be held indoors.

Donations will be accepted during the worship service and concert to benefit Project Hope for the Homeless and the Lake County Humane Society, the release stated.

This national distinction celebrates UH Geauga Medical Center’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors, according to a news release. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.

“UH Geauga’s high-performing teams work daily toward improving patient outcomes,” stated Jason Glowczewski, chief operating officer of  UH Geauga, Conneaut, and Geneva medical centers, in the release. “All caregivers are encouraged to actively advocate for their patients, which leads to our culture of shared responsibility and accountability.

“We are a community hospital that truly values our sense of community amongst our caregivers, residents, physicians, non-clinical staff and leaders – and we are a provider of choice for our community.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, stated in the release. “But this hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients, according to the release. The grading system is peer-reviewed, transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

To see UH Geauga Medical Center’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

With the Lions Club closing on June 20 due to aging and declining membership, Scholarship Committee member Gloria Majeski said it’s a pleasure to see young people continue the club’s motto, which is “We Serve.”

“The Lions Club was pleased to review the resumes of these fine students with incredible grade point averages and community service,” Majeski said.

For the last 68 years, the Lions Club has served the Willoughby Hills community. Over the course of their existence, the club as awarded 142 scholarships to graduating seniors, organized a Run for the Hills 10K from 1979 to 2017, and held pancake breakfasts from 1962 to 2021.

It has also provided city community days booths, and organized a Poor Man’s Raffle and Dinner and Halloween Boo Bash for charity.

From 1975 to 1990, the club organized Sunday night Bingo, which raised funds to help build the Community Center. In order to continue their humanitarian efforts, the club’s current members are able to join other clubs, including the Willoughby Evening Lions Club or the North Coast Lions Club.

“It has been fun to help so many during the Lions’ existence,” Majeski said. “It will be nice go to out by helping some graduating seniors who are the leaders of tomorrow.”

At South High School’s recent Scholarship Awards Banquet, the following scholarships were awarded:

• Grace Murray received $1,000 and plans to attend Bowling Green State University to pursue a degree in marketing.

• Megan Carroll received $1,000. She plans to use the scholarship toward pharmacy school tuition.

• Sydney Farinacci received $1,000, which she plans to sue toward tuition as she pursues a career to be an athletic trainer.

• Risa Gejendran received $1000 and plans to attend the University of Illinois Chicago to pursue a degree in psychology.

Additionally, Lions Club Scholarship Committee members delivered checks to Connor Valaitis, Mitchell Dodd and Alicia Santagata.

Valaitis, a North High School graduate, received $1,000, which he plans to use to attend Ohio University to pursue optometry.

A graduate of Cornerstone Christian Academy in Willoughby Hills, Dodd received $1,500. He plans to pursue a degree in premed at either Ohio State University, the University of Akron or Toledo University.

Santagata is a Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin graduate and resident of Willoughby Hills. She received $2,000 and plans to attend Ohio University to pursue a career in marketing.

That’s because the historic site in Burton Village is hosting its annual Civil War Encampment on May 27 and 28.

The event is highlighted by a daily battle between Union and Confederate forces who are comprised of re-enactors. Visitors also can watch various military units conduct drills, and talk with soldiers from both sides.

Jeff Houston of Wadsworth is participating as a Confederate soldier at the 2023 Century Village event.

Houston said he has been a Civil War re-enactor for 42 years.

“I’ve just always been a history guy,” he said.

One of his fellow Confederate soldiers, Will Davis, began performing as a Civil War re-enactor four years ago.

Davis, of Van Wert, said joining a re-enactment unit has provided him with a great opportunity to learn about the Civil War.

“The history is a lot of fun,” he said. “There’s so much stuff you don’t realize about the Civil War — so many details.”

The battle at the May 27 edition of the encampment took place at 2 p.m., while the May 28 clash is slated for 1:30.

Troops for the confrontation are assembled from the lineups of many Civil War re-enacting groups who participate in the yearly event. One Confederate and one Union commander are chosen from among the re-enacting groups to lead each side during their two-day stretch on the Century Village grounds.

One area resident who visited the encampment on the morning of May 27 was John Evans of Willoughby. Evans, who has attended the event a couple of times over the years, credited all the re-enactors at the encampment for their dedication.

“The time they put into recreating all of this stuff — it’s remarkable,” he said.

Other activities on the first day of 2023 Civil War Encampment at Century Village Museum, located at 14653 East Park St., included musical performances by the Raccoon County Ramblers, Crooked River Fife and Drum, and Song Bird; a program titled “Spy Talk: Connivers in Corsets”; and speeches by re-enactors playing the roles of Jefferson Davis, who was the first and only president of the Confederate States of America; and U.S. President James Garfield.

A nearly identical schedule of events is slated for day two of the encampment, which takes place between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

This contest seeks to promote the beauty and benefits provided by the county’s biggest and oldest trees, along with their contributions to clean water and healthy soil, according to a news release.

With eye-catching shaggy strips that curl and peel off the trunk, the bark is one of the most distinct in North America making the Shagbark Hickory easy to identify year-round, the release noted. In addition, this shaggy bark provides shelter for bats, butterflies, and insects.

These slow-growing native trees reach an average height of 60 to 80 feet and they are frequently found in dry uplands or moist valleys in association with other hickories and oaks.

The exceptional strength of their cut timber is prized for making tool handles, athletic equipment, furniture, firewood, and chips for smoking meats, the release stated. A member of the walnut family, the Shagbark Hickory produces edible nuts which are eaten by squirrels, mice, wood ducks, wild turkeys, cardinals, and foxes, to name a few.

The leaves are compound with typically 5 leaflets, which turn a rich golden mustard-brown color in the fall.

Participants will submit a nomination for a Shagbark Hickory which they believe might be the largest in the county.  After all nominations are submitted, qualified personnel will verify the measurements using the ODNR Division of Forestry’s Champion Trees Program procedures, according to the release.

Each tree will receive a score based on trunk circumference, crown spread, and total height to determine the winner. In addition, the district will consider each tree’s ability to capture stormwater along with other economic benefits.

For example, one Shagbark Hickory with a diameter of 45 inches can absorb as much as 6,213 gallons of stormwater runoff each year.

The objectives of this contest are: To engage residents in the management and enhancement of the county’s tree populations; to showcase the critical roles that trees play in sustaining healthy soil and clean water; and to recognize that each healthy tree in the county reduces flooding and improves water quality.

Big Tree Contest Guidelines:

• Nominated trees must be Shagbark Hickories located in Geauga County.

• Only one nomination per individual tree. The first nomination received will be the official entry.

• The tree does not have to be on the property of the nominator; however, permission from the landowner must be obtained prior to nomination.

• Nominations must be submitted to Geauga SWCD no later than Sept. 8. Email to gprunty@geauga.oh.gov or submit in person or through the mail to the Geauga SWCD, 12611 Ravenwood Drive Suite 240, Chardon, Ohio 44024.

Qualified District personnel will verify all nominated tree measurements and use the national tree benefit calculator to provide the stormwater runoff reduction capability. The decision of the District will be final.

Geauga County’s Biggest Tree will be recognized and awarded at the district’s Annual Meeting in the fall. If on public land, the biggest tree on private land will also be recognized.

Those with questions can contact geaugaswcd.com, 440-834-1122, or gprunty@geauga.oh.gov.

However, if schools do cover that topic, you also kind of wonder if a lot of students didn’t pay attention during the lesson or forgot what was taught.

We raise that point after reviewing the results of a survey focusing on Memorial Day that was conducted in 2020 by OnePoll for the University of Phoenix.

The survey of 2,000 Americans revealed that just 43 percent were aware Memorial Day is a holiday honoring those who died in service while in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Twenty-eight percent mistakenly believed Memorial Day was a holiday honoring all military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces — which is actually Veterans Day.

A third of respondents — 36 percent — also admitted to being unsure of the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Granted, the OnePoll survey was conducted three years ago. But we don’t think public awareness about Memorial Day has increased dramatically since that time.

Unfortunately, the true purpose of Memorial Day seems to be overlooked every year, as many people focus more on the occasion being a holiday that marks the unofficial start of the summer season.

Plenty of people look forward to Memorial Day because they get a paid holiday from work, and can use their free time for having cookouts or heading to the beach or an amusement park for recreation.

Sadly, many of these same people never carve out time on Memorial Day to attend a community observance, where they could pay tribute to American military members who have died in service to the United States during peace and war.

Here are some of the Memorial Day ceremonies slated for May 29 in Lake, Geauga and eastern Cuyahoga counties:

• Eastlake will be hosting a service at 11 a.m. at the Boulevard of 500 Flags, located at 35150 Lakeshore Blvd.

• Perry area activities will take place at several times and locations. An initial program will be held at 9 a.m. in North Perry Village at Townline Park. Next, there will be a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. at Perry Cemetery on Center Road in Perry Township. Then at 11 a.m., the parade in Perry Village steps off at Harper Street, and marches along Main Street to the Perry Historical Museum. Finally, at 11:40 a.m., there will be a veterans recognition ceremony outside the museum.

• Kirtland will host a parade and ceremony at 11 a.m. in conjunction with Barber-Williams American Legion Post 609. The parade will march from Kirtland High School, 9150 Chillicothe Road, to City Hall, 9301 Chillicothe Road. A service will follow at the adjacent Kirtland Area Veterans Memorial.

• Euclid will start its events at 7:45 a.m. with a graveside service led by Euclid Joint Veterans Council at Euclid Cemetery, 20239 Concordia St., the city’s oldest cemetery. A parade, featuring more than 30 community groups, will start at 10 a.m. and go from Lakeshore Boulevard near Sims Park to Euclid City Hall on East 222nd Street.

• Mayfield Heights will hold a service at 10 a.m. in the City Hall East Parking lot, located at 6154 Mayfield Road. The event’s keynote speaker will be Tim Coffey, a combat airborne corporal of the 20th Engineer Brigade.

• Chardon Veterans of Foreign War Post 6519 will hold a ceremony at 11 a.m. at Chardon Municipal Cemetery, located at 201 Park Ave.

• Painesville will host a parade and ceremony in conjunction with American Legion Post 336. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Riverside Cemetery, 385 Riverside Drive, and march to Evergreen Cemetery, 501 E. Main St. After the parade, the American Legion will conduct a service at Evergreen Cemetery.

• In Munson Township, there will be a service at 8:30 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery, 13480 Auburn Road. The speaker will be Brigadier Gen. James R. Parry.

Make no mistake: Memorial Day is intended to honor those Americans who died in military service to our nation. Please take time to salute these people, who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedoms that we enjoy today.

The following four camp experiences are still accepting new campers, according to a news release. All are Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and cost $150 for Geauga residents and $175 for out-of-county residents, unless otherwise noted.

Nature Adventure Day Camp

• Youth entering grades 3-4: July 10-14

• Youth entering grades 5-7: July 24-28, July 31-Aug. 4

• Teens entering grades 8-10: June 19-23, July 10-14

Campers can bike, kayak, try archery, explore nature and more. Campers entering grades 5 and up begin and end Monday/Tuesday at Claridon Woodlands, Wednesday/Thursday at Headwaters Park, and Friday at Observatory Park; the younger campers begin and end each day at The West Woods’ Affelder House.

X-Treme Cuyahoga Kayak Challenge

• Teens entering grades 8-10: one day only, July 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost is $30 for Geauga residents, $35 for out-of-county residents

The wilds of the Upper Cuyahoga River at Eldon Russell Park are home to a variety of birds and animals. Join camp staff on this “X-Treme” adventure as they paddle their way, discovering plants and wildlife in and along the river.

X-Treme Evening Adventure

• Teens entering grades 8-10: one day only, Aug. 2, 5 to 11 p.m.

Cost is $30 for Geauga residents, $35 for out-of-county residents

Join other teens for an evening adventure at Observatory Park, featuring a craft, astronomy, a campfire, a night hike and more.

Check out current availability, or register a camper today at www.geaugaparkdistrict.org.