Briefs

March 7, 2013

Chardon Fire Damages Garage
A fire damaged a garage at 307 Irma Drive in Chardon last Friday morning.
Chardon Fire Chief Larry Gaspar said firefighters responded to the residence after receiving a 10:41 a.m. call reporting smoke in the residence.
On arrival, firefighters found fire coming from a detached garage at the home, which belongs to Raymond Ianiro, according to Access Geauga.
The fire was brought under control in about 15 minutes, the chief said.
The garage sustained structural and interior damage to its interior contents, Gaspar said.
There were no injuries, he said, adding the fire’s cause remains under investigation.
Chardon Fire Department received automatic mutual aid from the Hambden and Munson fire departments, the fire chief said.

Chardon Income Tax Help Available
A representative of the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) will be available to assist with preparation of 2012 Chardon City Individual income tax forms on the following dates:
March 21 from 2-7 p.m. at Willoughby Hills City Hall, 35405 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills.
March 30 and April 6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Painesville City Hall, 7 Richmond St., Painesville.
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. until April 15 on the second floor of the Mentor Municipal Center, 8500 Civic Center Blvd., Mentor.
Questions regarding the taxpayer assistance should be directed to Deputy Tax Administrator Barbara L. Raikes at 440-286-2696 or City Finance Director Mate Rogonjic at 440-286-2602.

GGP Offers Entrepreneur Boot Camps
The Geauga Growth Partnership has announced a new series of “boot camps” for Geauga County residents who are thinking of starting or expanding their own businesses.
Three Saturday morning programs will take place on March 16, April 20 and May 18 at the Kent State Geauga campus.
Topics include: defining the business and its strategy, legal formalities, accounting requirements, sales and marketing, and financing.
The sessions are free for any Geauga resident and advance registration is required.
“The Spring 2013 program is our third boot camp series,” said Christian Klein, founder of Company 119 in Chardon and chair of the GGP Entrepreneur Task Force.
“But, listening to business experts and our past boot camp participants, we’ve improved the program by adding a financing component to each session,” he said. “We encourage anyone, any age, with any idea for a business to come to these sessions and learn how to get started.”
John Epprecht, GGP chairman and executive vice president of Great Lakes Cheese, said Geauga is a “great place to start a business and the Entrepreneur Task Force boot camps are a great way to begin.”
The GGP task force recommends attendance at all three sessions. Registration is now open.

West G Kiwanis Kicks Off Pancake Fundraiser
Neither snow nor freezing temperatures slowed down the pace of syrup pouring on steaming fresh pancakes March 3 at the opening day of the West Geauga Kiwanis club’s annual pancake breakfast fundraiser.
Despite the winter weather, customers poured in the West Geauga High School cafeteria to enjoy this annual rite of early spring, timed to coincide with Geauga’s maple syrup production.
Only locally produced pure maple syrup is served.
The Kiwanis were as prepared as the Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops that helped serve customers.
They ordered two tons of sausage, 60 cases of pancake mix, 120 gallons of maple syrup and enough juice, coffee, French toast and other items to feed thousands of people over the four weeks of their breakfast fundraiser, said member Andrea Milnar.
West Geauga students, members of the school board and others helped prepare, cook, serve and clean up.
The breakfasts are being served 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays through March 24 in the cafeteria, 13401 Chillicothe Road in Chester Township.
The all-you-can-eat menu features blueberry, buckwheat and buttermilk pancakes, French toast, sausage, pure maple syrup, juice, coffee and milk.
The cost is $7 for adults, $3.50 for children age 6-11, and free for children 5 and younger. There are early bird specials for early risers between 8-9 a.m.
Proceeds benefit community projects undertaken by the Kiwanis club and help scholarships for area students.
Those interested in volunteering should call Dave Fowle at 440-567-3094, Rock Pistillo at 440-487-4240 or Les Scott at 440-221-0112.
For more details, visit wgkiwanis.org.

FPA Opens South Russell Location
The Family Planning Association of Northeast Ohio (FPA) has opened a new location for the provision of services in Geauga County.
Services will be offered on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the South Russell Medical Center, 5192 Chillicothe Road, Suite 104.
“We’re excited to finally have this clinic established, so we can more effectively meet the reproductive healthcare needs of Geauga County residents,” said Mary Wynne-Peaspanen, executive director.
Established in 1970, the FPA has provided reproductive healthcare services to over 60,000 women and men in Lake, Ashtabula, and Geauga counties, most of whom are uninsured and living at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Services provided by the FPA for women include annual exams and valuable cancer screenings, prescription and nonprescription contraceptive/birth control methods for the prevention of unplanned pregnancy, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infection (STI), prenatal care (at the Painesville location only), and pregnancy testing.
Services for men include limited medical exams, contraceptive methods, and STI testing and treatment.
Other funding supports school and community sex education programs, which the FPA has been providing in Geauga County for decades.
For more information about the Family Planning Association, visit www.fpaneo.org or call 440-352-0608. Individuals interested in scheduling an appointment should call the Painesville office at 440-352-0608.