All three were sworn in during the transit agency’s May meeting and will serve three-year terms.

Falkowski, who serves as board president, is the chief operating officer of Cleveland-based Singerman, Mills, Desberg, and Kauntz and has served the Laketran board since 2011.

During his tenure, he’s led the agency through a financial recovery plan, launched two alternative-fuel fleet transitions, including operating Ohio’s first battery-operated electric bus, expanded services to Tyler Boulevard in Mentor and successfully passed two sales tax referendums.

“During this past three-year term, we navigated the pandemic, while still keeping promises we made to the public like service along Tyler and expanded hours,”  Falkowski said.

“While ridership was recovering, we took the time to add passenger amenities, building our new indoor transit centers, and now we’re now looking at how to improve services with the pandemic behind us to make sure we can meet the demand of our aging population here in Lake County,” he added.

Sheets, the former owner and president of Diversified Business Systems, brings 40 years of IT and engineering expertise to the agency and will be completing his third term on the board.

Stenger’s reappointment begins her first full term with the agency, as she was first appointed last July to fill a vacant seat.

Stenger is a legal researcher of the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, a past board member of the Lake County Society for Rehabilitation and a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities.

The board is responsible for the general oversight of the Lake County public transportation system, including the annual budget and fare structure.

Trustees serve the agency voluntarily. Meetings are open to the public and are held on the last Monday of each month.

Rider Alerts

This week, Laktran’s Route 4 detour, in both directions, began due to bridge construction on U.S. Route 20 over the Grand River between Casement Avenue and Fobes Street in Painesville Township, agency officials announced.

Construction will continue through Oct. 31.

Details of the detour are as follows:

Eastbound

• Right on Erie Street

• Right on North State Street

• Left on Main Street

• Left on Casement Avenue

• Right on East Erie Street

Westbound

• Left on Casement Avenue

• Right on Main Street

• Right on Nprtj St. Clair Street

Buses can be tracked during the detour by using the Laketran Real-Time map at info.laketran.com/RouteMap/Index.

Festivities begin at 6 p.m. and the free concerts begin at 7 p.m.  All events take place at the Gazebo in front of City Hall, 9301 Chillicothe Road in Kirtland.

The public is invited to bring a blanket or chair and relax with friends and neighbors and enjoy the music. People also can bring a picnic or take advantage of the city’s grill masters or checkout the available food trucks, according to a news release.

These concerts are sponsored by the Friends of the Kirtland Public Library and the City of Kirtland and paid for, in part, by a grant from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, or NOPEC.

There will also be a trivia contest at every concert.

Attendees can pick up a trivia sheet between 6 and 7 p.m., and answer as many questions as you can by the end of the concert. The turn the sheet in at the Friends of the Library table. Answer sheets with at least 10 correct answers will be entered into a prize drawing.

The concert schedule will be:

• June 28: Beauty Night with the Chardon Polka Band

Visit with representatives of local parks, then show off polka skills with The Chardon Polka Band. There will be food available for purchase.

• July 12: Faith Night with Perfect Choice

Meet representatives of the local churches and faith communities. Perfect Choice is a 10-piece party band with a four-piece horn section. There will be food available for purchase from Fungry Food Truck!

• July 19: City Night with The PopTarts

Curious about local businesses?  Meet the people that work in the community. There will burgers and hot dogs on the grill.

The PopTarts are “four groovy chicks who sing the most popular hits from the ’60’s girl groups. With their mini-skirts and big hair, they are hoppin’ and boppin’ with their choreographed movements,” according to the release

• July 26: “City Night” PrimeTime Big Band

Cleveland’s PrimeTime Big Band plays swing, big band, jazz and ballads with Debbie Gifford as the featured vocalist. There will burgers and hot dogs on the grill.

• Aug. 2: Dog Days of Summer  with Debbie Gifford Quartet

Kirtland’s own Debbie Gifford is back and keeping it jazzy with her quartet. Attendees are invited to bring their dogs. Also, there will be hot dogs available.

The parade is scheduled for June 4 and will begin at 12:50 p.m. at Manry Park, located at 30100 Arnold Road. Participants will then head down Arnold, turn north on East 305th Street, venture up Willowick Drive and end at the St. Mary Magdalene Parish Festival, 32114 Vine St.

Last year, Willowick’s police and fire departments kicked off the parade. Willowick City Council, the Recreation Department, elected officials, classic cars and North High School’s marching band were among the many who then followed.

Sponsored by local business, the parade used to start at Shoregate Town Center, but has since been changed. Previously, the city had a year where it thought about not having the parade, but the residents thought otherwise, according to Council President Bob Patton.

“The residents made it clear they want the parade and we’re here to serve,” he said.

In last year’s parade, roughly 52 vehicles and more than 200 walkers participated.

“I think it’s a great thing for the residents and then it’s also good for the church because it ends at the church, and everybody can be together at the festival,” said Recreation Director Julie Kless. “It brings all the sports leagues together and it’s just a great community event.”

Kless credited the parade’s success to Maureen Brennan, recreation administrative assistant who has been with the city for 25 years and the head of the parade.

“We wouldn’t be able to do it without her,” Kless said.

The agreement was part of a buildings, grounds and operations consent agenda approved in a 4-0 vote on May 25, with board member Jennifer Harden absent.

Four firms responded to the district’s request for qualifications document, Platko said at a May 11 special board meeting. Bialosky and another firm “ranked very similar” in the top two, but Bialosky’s price was nearly $86,000 lower.

Assistant Superintendent Charles Schlick said the district was “unable to find anyone that would have a difference” between the two firms, with both receiving positive reviews from their clients.

Board member Belinda Grassi said she was “extremely impressed” with Bialosky’s personnel, adding that the results will provide “complete data about what’s in our buildings, what needs to be done.”

“It’s just going to be a really great road map for us, to be able to figure out what our next step is going to be,” she added.

Board member Thomas Hach said the agreement was “not an insignificant decision.”

“This is really where we’re starting to put the rubber on the road as far as redoing things in the campus and other buildings,” he said.

The request for qualifications document noted that the assessment process includes three phases.

The first phase will include an assessment of the buildings, infrastructure and maintenance plans. Bialosky will also inventory the facilities and their infrastructure, take photographs and speak with managers and maintenance personnel.

Platko added that this work will take place in the summer.

During the second phase, he noted that the firm will “develop a comprehensive list of recommended projects for improvements, repairs, renovations and capital improvements.” This list will prioritize the improvements and estimate the cost of each one.

As noted in the RFQ document, each item on the list will receive a priority rating of one through five. Items given a rating of one are considered “critical.” Items given a rating of five do not need to be addressed unless the district engages in “substantial work.”

For the third phase, the RFQ document notes that Bialosky will be required to submit a written report and a spreadsheet with its findings.

Platko said that the “target date” for the final report is Sept. 30, though he added that “that date may be subject to change.”

School officials and Bialosky are currently considering an early June date for a “kickoff meeting,” Platko said May 25.

“We talked about possibly doing one of the assessments first and then doing the other three concurrently, just to save time and to make sure that what they’re producing is what we expect,” he said.

Platko added that the overall cost was broken down by school and phase. The costs are $12,763 each for Melridge and Buckeye, $25,526 for LaMuth and $51,052 for the Riverside Campus.

The board has been considering a new facilities plan following the defeat of a bond levy in May 2022. It hired NV5 Global as an owner’s representative in September.

NV5 strategic project manager Orli Perez spoke with the district’s “key stakeholders” before a Feb. 2 work session, where she discussed options for a potential plan. She recommended that the board conduct a facilities condition assessment and start with changes that will not require a bond levy.

According to the RFQ, the projects proposed during the assessment process should be phased over a ten-year period from 2024 to 2034.

The $1,000 scholarship is given in the name of Milavec, a longtime Wickliffe educator, coach, administrator and public address announcer who died in 2016. To be eligible for the scholarship, graduating seniors from Wickliffe must intend to major or minor in education, communications, English, journalism or public relations.

Sturniolo was a three-year member of the Wickliffe swim team as well as being a four-year member of the Wickliffe Swing Band and Jazz Band, a four-year volunteer mentor through the school’s Torchlight program, and a member of the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Gaming Club and Learn Lead Serve.

Sturniolo also delivered the school’s morning announcements each day for the past two years and was voted as Wickliffe’s 2022 Homecoming Queen.

She plans to attend Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communciations this fall to major in animation and minor in film with a focus on narrative storytelling.

“This scholarship helps to keep alive the memory of one of the greatest educators, coaches and PA announcers Wickliffe has ever produced,” said Scott Tennant, director of the scholarship process. “Ray was one of those people who was not only good at everything he did but who also cared deeply for the people he taught, coached and served.

“From him I learned the No. 1 rule of PA announcing: The focus should always be on the athletes and never on the person behind the mic.”

The sale will feature lots of fiction, non-fiction adult and children’s books, and the shelves are overflowing with CDs, DVDs and audiobooks, according to a news release.

“There will be lots of surprises as well,” the release stated. “Everything will be marked with reasonable prices.”

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.

The bobcats’ stay at the Kirtland center started in July and ended with their May 23 release in southern Ohio, explained center Wildlife Care Manager Tammy O’Neil. The cats will now seek out territory and produce litters, contributing to what she called the state’s “ever-growing bobcat population.”

O’Neil noted that their new home is a wildlife area in Jackson County with “rolling dense forests, thickets, swamp area and several small lakes teeming with wildlife.”

The orphaned bobcats were thin and dehydrated when they arrived from a rehabilitation facility in southern Ohio, center Wildlife Care Assistant Manager Traci Keller explained in August. The female, from Jackson County, was smaller and had an estimated birth date of June. The male, from nearby Scioto County, was larger and “likely born in early spring” 2022.

They were moved to a rehabilitation enclosure in September. According to Dan Burnett, the park district’s chief of interpretive services, the enclosure was designed so that the bobcats could test their agility, hear the sounds of the natural world and catch small creatures that squeezed through the barrier.

A webcam feed allowed the public to virtually observe the rehabilitating animals.

Staff limited human interaction to prepare the bobcats for life in the wild. Their goal was to prevent the cats from growing dependent upon people or comfortable with them.

The park district did not encounter any unusual or unforeseen challenges while caring for the cats, O’Neil added.

She noted that community members contributed to the cats’ diet.

“Raising the bobcats is a lot of work and a group effort,” she said. “The wildlife center staff is extremely appreciative to the several park staff and the public for almost 250 pounds of donated meat to feed the bobcats, saving us several hundred dollars.”

O’Neil noted that bobcats are typically released in their home counties since they are a rabies vector species. Because the center had already cared for them for more than a year and vaccinated them, staff were comfortable releasing both in Jackson County.

“Raising the bobcats is a lot of work and a group effort. The wildlife center staff is extremely appreciative to the several park staff and the public for almost 250 pounds of donated meat to feed the bobcats, saving us several hundred dollars.”

— Wildlife Care Manager Tammy O’Neil

Lake Metroparks Executive Director Paul Palagyi previously noted that bobcats are often released in the spring since their food is most abundant and they have the most time to prepare for winter.

The center has rehabilitated 12 bobcats since the first two arrived in 2013, said Burnett and Keller. At that time, bobcats were considered a threatened species.

The state’s bobcat population has grown in recent years, O’Neil explained, adding that vehicle collisions are their biggest threat. As a top predator, she said that the felines are an important part of balancing the food chain.

Ohio’s bobcat population is primarily concentrated in its southeastern counties, as noted in a 2021 Division of Wildlife report, though less frequent sightings have been reported in other portions of the state. Noble County has had the most confirmed sightings in recent decades, with a total of 340 from 1970 to 2020.

The report stated that Lake County had one confirmed bobcat sighting in that same time period, which was reported in 2004. Cuyahoga County had none, while Geauga County had two reported sightings in 2018 and a third in 2020.

“We are thrilled to be one of four cities in Ohio selected for this funding,” said Mayor Bob Fiala. “This award is a critical step in protecting scarce land along the Chagrin River and increasing public access.”

Willoughby has plans to partner with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Chagrin River Watershed Partners going forward.

The overall project includes the creation of wetlands and vernal pools, decommissioning of an idled nursery, removal of evasive plant species, implementing walking trails, water quality improvements, riverbank erosion controls and the development of an environmental studies curriculum for students in kindergarten through college.

This conservation project is not only intended to provide critical habitat to increase climate resiliency but to improve public access and contribute to a growing conservation and recreation corridor along the river from Downtown Willoughby to Lake Erie.

“The benefits of this project are immense for the entire region,” said Judean Keller, director Willoughby’s Parks and Recreation. “We are protecting 105 acres of land that will now have public access while improving the water quality of the Chagrin River. This is a win-win for the community.”

The newly acquired acres are a key link in starting the Chagrin River Trail portion of Willoughby’s vision. This trail would be a 1.5-mile path connecting Daniels Park to Todd Field along the Chagrin River. The end goal is to provide better public access to the Chagrin River and connectivity between two existing parks.

The city has secured funding from various sources to start this project and is actively seeking other grants to assist.

Cost for breakfast is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 3-12, and free for those younger than 3.

Weather permitting, there will be airplane rides for children ages 8-17. Parent/guardian permission is also required.  Register at https://youngeaglesday.org/.

Attendees can also see local aircraft and meet the pilots.

For more info, call 440-321-9036.