Lunch & Learn Series Gives

Students Taste of Careers

This group of third graders discussed their career ambitions with me.

Finance Director Vern Blaze talked about how he manages the City's finances.

Students listened as Vice Mayor Anthony Togliatti explained his position with the City.

Councilperson Dale Veverka found the students to be interested in a variety of careers.

Councilperson Jim Trakas discussed his career in the military and in politics with this group of third graders.

Fire Chief Steve Rega answered questions about his role with the City.

Students loved interacting with Police Chief Robert Butler.

Independence Primary School third graders hosted me, Finance Director Vern Blaze, members of City Council, and members of the City's Leadership Team during school's Lunch & Learn Speaker Series on February 27.

The event, organized through the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, allowed the students to participate in career exploration activities to start thinking about potential careers.

Thank you to CVCC Career Specialist Amanda Jaronowski for implementing this and other wonderful programs for the students. Thanks also to Principal TJ Ebert and third-grade teachers Deborah Klag, Denise Laich, Caitlin Sluka, and Heather Stevens for including the City in the Lunch & Learn Speaker Series.

Pickleball 101 Serves Up

Quality Family Time

Learn pickleball with the help of our instructors.

Several openings remain for our Family Pickleball 101 program scheduled for March 4 from 6 to 8 PM at the Independence Fieldhouse.

Instructors will help your family learn to play this popular sport. Please bring paddles if you have them. Snack provided.

Sign up now by clicking here.

Inquisitive First Graders

Make My Reading Visit Fun

I enjoyed interacting with the first-graders in Nicki Lee's classroom as part of Right-To-Read Week.

Finance Director Vern Blaze engaged students in Tari Mackanos' fourth-grade class with "A Kids Book About Money" and the fitness book "Stay Fit" during his classroom reading time.

I had the pleasure of visiting the first grade class of my niece, Nicki Lee, to read books to her Independence Primary School students as part of Right-To-Read Week.

I enjoyed how eagerly, and politely, the students participated by asking questions about my role as Mayor, and citing examples in their life when they showed acts of kindness as I read the books "Be Kind" and "Big Clean Truck."

To show my appreciation to the students for having me in their classroom, each received a water bottle and a copy of the book "A Little Spot of Kindness" to read on their own.

Tri-C Offers Informative

College Credit Sessions

Cuyahoga Community College will host a College Credit Plus Information Session on the dates, times, and locations listed above.

The session shows how to earn college credit while you’re still in middle school or high school. Qualified students can take a single course or enroll full time at Tri-C while working toward their high school diploma.

Cuyahoga Valley National

Park Sees 2.8 Million Visits

Hikers can enjoy more than 125 miles of trails through the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Fitness lovers apparently are passionate about hiking through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The park had 2.86 million visitors in 2023, the most it has seen since 2004 when 3.3 million people visited.

The National Park Service reports Cuyahoga Valley National Park is now one of the top-visited national parks in the country, and the top visited national park in the Midwest.

With Spring and warmer temperatures approaching, consider a hike through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Lanterns 'Light The Night'

And Elmwood Pond

These luminary lanterns helped to "Light The Night" on February 29.

Participants get ready to launch their lanterns on Elmwood Pond.

Lanterns make their way down Elmwood Pond.

The brightly shining luminary lanterns floating on Elmwood Pond on February 29 were quite a sight against the setting sun. The lanterns on the water capped off the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's "Light The Night" event that included a memorial walk before the releasing of the lanterns.

The memorial walk began at the Independence High School cafeteria and ended at Elmwood Pond. The handheld luminary lanterns were available for purchase. Every $10 donated allowed a lantern to be released.

"Light The Night" helps to fund research to find cures and ensure access to treatments for all blood cancer patients.

Upcoming City Council & Committee Meetings

March 5

Planning Commission, 5:30 PM

March 7

Architectural Review Board, 3 PM

Civil Service Commission, 9 AM

March 11

Mayor's Listening Night, 5 PM

March 12

City Council Caucus, 5 PM

Followed by City Council Meeting

March 21

Architectural Review Board, 3 PM

Board of Zoning Appeals, 5:30 PM

March Independence

Post Arriving Soon!

Watch your mailbox for the March 2024 issue of The Independence Post. You can read this edition now on our website by clicking here.

Sign of The Times:

Honor Your IHS Graduate

The Independence High School Athletic Boosters have Congratulations Graduate yard signs available.

Add a delivery fee and have the sign delivered to your house within 48 hours of availability. All other orders look for an email of pickup time and location.

Signs will be available 2-3 weeks after order dates. You can purchase your yard sign by clicking here.

Beware of Unwanted

Door-To-Door Solicitors

We have received reports of door-to-door solicitors posing as Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) employees. As a reminder, NOPEC NEVER goes door-to-door or calls residents or businesses to enroll them.

If someone knocks on your door posing as a NOPEC employee, ask them for a business card and call City Hall at 216.524.4131 or NOPEC’s Customer Care Center at 855-667-3201 to report them. Remember, NEVER share your utility bill or account information with anyone that contacts you unprompted. It could be a scam.

Independence Codified Ordinances require all solicitors who are attempting to sell goods or services to obtain a permit from the Police Department. This permit must be prominently displayed on the person of any solicitor who comes to your door to sell something.

Check Out The

Weekly Finance Review

Read Finance Director Vern Blaze’s Financial Update for March 1, 2024 by clicking here.

Subscribe Now To Receive

Mayor's Weekly Update

If you know someone who would like to subscribe to Mayor Kurtz’s Weekly Updates, please ask them

to email their name to: cityhall@independenceohio.org.