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Vito Dipierro presides over his first council meeting.

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Ward 1 Councilman Vito Dipierro started a new position on Parma City Council and now presides over meetings as council president. The seat was vacated in early January after Sean Brennan resigned. Brennan was elected in November 2022 as the new 14th Ohio House District state representative, serving Parma, Parma Heights and half of West Park in Cleveland. He was Parma council president for 11 years. Dipierro will serve the remainder of Brennan’s term through the end of 2023 and then will be on the ballot for the next term.

On Saturday February 25, 2023 from 5 to 7 PM Polish Village Parma, Inc., a non-profit, is holding the Taste of Polish Village. This very popular event is held at St. Charles Parish Hall Basement, located at 5891 Ridge Rd. For $20 per person you receive a sampling of the various foods the Polish Village business district has to offer and a beverage. With numerous food stations you won’t go home hungry. These are from local businesses you may have driven by and not yet had the opportunity to try out. Your old favorites from along Ridge Road will be there and you may find a new favorite from the among the multiple food stations. In addition there will be raffle baskets and side boards for your entertainment. Enjoy an assortment of good food with your neighbors for a worthwhile cause to help your community thrive.

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Spring is around the corner and the Parma Heights Recreation department is in full swing with the 2023 program and events calendar. Adults can lace up their dancing shoes and enjoy big band, ballroom and line dancing in February and March. Registration opens in February for T-Ball, Baseball and Softball.

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It was an honor to be sworn in earlier this month with my wife of 28 years, Deena, holding the family Bible and our children and friends by my side in the historic Statehouse in Columbus. To be one of 99 Ohioans to represent our fine state in Ohio House of Representatives is an indescribable honor. Rest assured that I will remember my oath “to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Ohio . . .as I shall answer unto God” in my daily work on your behalf.

Lots of folks came out to enjoy the end of the year at Winterfest at the Keystone Pavillion in the Metroparks Westcreek Reservation on 1-30-22. 

On December 30, Ward 6 Councilman Kevin Kussmaul and Ward 9 Councilman Robert Euerle began a new tradition when they hosted the first Winterfest at the Keystone Pavillion in the Metroparks Westcreek Reservation. Luckily for them and all of those in attendance, the weather was exceptionally mild for that time of year. There were many people who took advantage of the climate conditions to come out and really enjoy themselves in this beautiful outdoor setting. There was a wonderful fire in the grand fireplace, hot chocolate, s'mores and other delicacies, crafts for the children to keep busy, and plenty of good times and holiday cheer. Celebrating the end of another year among friends is a whole lot of fun, and since Clevelanders are such a hearty bunch, it didn't really matter much at all what the weather was doing, as long as citizens were enjoying themselves and the company of their friends and neighbors. Three cheers for our two young councilmen and their willingness to engage their constituents and try new things. 

US Congressman for the 7th District with Parma Police Chief Joe Bobak, Parma Police Captain Kevin Reilly Parma Police Detective Mark Karkan at the Open House Event on 1-12-23

Newly elected US Congressman for the 7th District Max Miller has opened a District Office in Parma at 7335 Ridge Rd. This same location housed a district office for former Congressman Jim Renacci. Congressman Miller held an open house event in January where people from the new district came to meet him. The newly created 7th District is quite large, running from south of Wooster all of the way north to Westlake and Bay Village, heading southeast to include Parma and areas as far east as Bedford. I am glad that Parma was chosen as the location for a District Office, the other being Medina. The previous congressman opted to not locate an office in Parma, so this gives people in our city direct access to their congressional representative, which only makes sense for the 7th largest city in the State of Ohio. 

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Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter’s State of the City address will occur before a live audience this year. “For the past two years, we have recorded my State of the City address and then posted it on our website and social media platforms. We couldn’t crowd a room with people during COVID restrictions or when cases spiked,” DeGeeter said. “I will enjoy being in a room filled with people again.” The address, however, will not be a traditional speech this year. Instead, it will be in an interview format, with local award-winning broadcaster Dick Russ asking the mayor questions about important city matters such as the local economy, infrastructure projects, safety services and other areas of city business.

The curtain had just closed on the community theater’s opening night performance of Macbeth when Elisabeth Roter collapsed. But the 57-year old University Hospitals’ physician and thespian who survived a cardiac arrest that night will always remember her good fortune to be in a theater – surrounded by bystanders who knew CPR, including a local primary care physician – when her heart stopped.

In theater circles, the famous Shakespeare play is marred by a curse that even uttering the name “Macbeth” in a theater outside of an actual performance conjures bad luck. Legend has it that the actor playing Lady Macbeth died on the opening night of the Bard’s play in London in 1606.

To Elisabeth, who does not believe the superstition, the play could not be luckier.

“It certainly was good luck for me that this happened in the theater,” said the actress and singer, who began performing on stage at the age of 9 and acted in community theater until medical school. "For this to happen right after the curtain call – the timing was perfect. At least it didn’t happen while I was driving or when I was at home asleep.”

A fellow cast member saw Elisabeth stumble and caught her, breaking her fall as she lost consciousness. They quickly called for back-up from medical professionals in the audience.

Michael Saridakis, DO, a UH family medicine physician who practices in Parma and Broadview Heights, was watching the play with his sister-in-law, an Akron-based emergency medicine physician. Her husband was in the play and summoned her backstage. Dr. Saridakis quickly joined her to see how he could assist also.

“I saw her on the ground, and they were attending to her,” he said. “While we were assessing her, she stopped breathing and we started CPR and called for the AED.”

While Dr. Saridakis checked Elisabeth’s pulse, another doctor performed chest compressions while a third physician began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When Elisabeth stopped breathing, he took over chest compressions while his sister-in-law, the emergency medicine physician, set up the automated external defibrillator (AED), which Ohio schools are required to have on site. The defibrillator jolted her heart back into a normal rhythm and she opened her eyes.

Bystanders performing CPR before emergency personnel arrive can double or triple a person’s chances of survival. Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital setting where trained caregivers know exactly what to do. In fact, cardiac arrest claims more lives each year than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, automobile accidents, HIV, firearms and house fires combined, according to the American Heart Association.

This is the fourth time that Dr. Saridakis has been involved in saving a life with CPR in a public setting. The other incidents occurred in his church, a restaurant and on a residential street.

“Oftentimes it happens with loved ones, and family members are right there,” Dr. Saridakis says of the 70 percent of cardiac arrests that occur at home. “We hear so many stories from patients, so we strongly encourage people to learn CPR. You actually can save a life.”

An ambulance took Elisabeth from the theater in Willoughby to UH Lake West Medical Center. A cardiac catheterization was performed and a small defibrillator was implanted in her chest. She was discharged a few days later.

“The faster you start CPR, the better off the person is, because you want to keep blood flow circulating so they will survive and not suffer brain damage," Elisabeth said.

About 90 percent of people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not survive. She is fortunate to be among the lucky 10 percent.

“Most people who have a cardiac arrest outside the hospital setting do not survive, because it’s not witnessed, or people don’t get there quickly enough, or they don’t know what to do,” Elisabeth says. “By knowing CPR, there’s a greater chance that lives can be saved.”

Contact the UH EMS Training & Disaster Preparedness Institute for American Heart Association CPR and AED training classes.

Portrait of Karlis Ginbergs on a paw paw leaf

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Prama Artspace Gallery & Boutique, located at 5411 Pearl Rd is featuring author Thomas Tobie, Friday, Feburary 3rd, 4:30 to 7:30 PM. Tobie’s new book titled “Bobby’s Shivery Shadow Book” is a fun and spooky book for tweens. Artwork by Laura D’Alessandro inspired by the stories is hanging in the gallery through Saturday, February 4th. Coming Soon, February 24 through March 19, is a group show, no theme, with numerous artists, titled “Now That’s What I Call Art #1” at Prama. Follow Prama on Facebook and Instagram for future events. While visiting Prama, stop at the many unique food and beverage establishments located on Ridge and Pearl Roads. Shop small, shop local and often. You won’t be sorry you did.

Over the past few years, the volunteers involved with the 501(c)3 non-profit, We Are Parma Proud, have worked tirelessly to advance and support the city’s image. They created and published the first ever, Parma’s Visitor Guide, hosted family friendly events like Picnic in the Park, and Frosty’s Fest, sponsored and organized Trash Crawls, engaged the community through online photo contests and brought you the fireworks after Rib ‘n Rock n 2022. 

The Parma Heights Branch Library of Cuyahoga County Public Library will host So, You’re Ready to Buy a Home on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Meeting Room C.  Presented by Akron Cleveland Realtors Association, learn about the home buying process from what steps to take and what to expect when entering the home buying market. In-person program. Registration required. To register, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.orgor call the Parma Heights Branch Library at 440.884.2313. 

The Parma Heights Branch Library of Cuyahoga County Public Library will host Meet Fox 8 Co-anchor and Author Wayne Dawson on Saturday, February 4, 2023 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in Meeting Room C. Wayne Dawson will visit and discuss his new memoir The Seeds of Greatness are within You. Eleven-time Emmy winner and Kent State University alum and co-anchor of Fox 8 News in the Morning and ordained minister, Wayne Dawson will share his inspiring journey towards achievement, excellence and purposeful living. Books will be available for sale and signing courtesy of the publisher. In-person program. Registration required. To register, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.orgor call the Parma Heights Branch Library at 440.884.2313. 

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Sunday January 22,2023 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Lyndon Johnson, our country’s 36th President. Many people my age remember the time when he was our President. To say that he was a unique character as well as a controversial President is an understatement. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the LBJ Ranch and National Historic Site near Stonewall Texas in the hill country about an hour’s drive west of Austin as well as the LBJ Library and Museum on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. Since President’s Day is this month, here is some information about our 36th President.

The 24th Annual Valley Forge High School Spring Craft Show will be on Saturday March 18th from 10am-3pm. 

Valentine's Day is tricky to shop for, but you want to mark the occasion with something special. While telling your significant other, best friend, or family member how much you love them is what matters the most, giving a small gift is always appreciated. Rather than shopping from big-box retailers, try buying your gift from a small business. Not only will it make your gift feel a bit more special and unique, by supporting smaller, local stores, you'll spread the love in more ways than one!

Longtime elected Law Director / Chief Prosecutor, Tim Dobeck, has announced his intention to run for Judge in the Parma Municipal Court for the term commencing January 1, 2024. Dobeck is currently serving in his 24th year, having been elected to Law Director / Chief Prosecutor for six (6) consecutive terms.

Parma Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Megan Cooney, Parma City Councilwoman Linda Kohar from Ward 5, and others join Parma Bazaar in cutting the ribbon for their new business. 

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The Parma Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed two new businesses to the Tri-City Area last month. The first was Parma Bazaar, at 8255 Day Drive in Parma. This is a year round inclusive indoor market, with different vendors featuring a diverse pool of local small businesses offering hand made products, arts and crafts, fresh produce, services, culturally diverse food, and a farmers market. 

Destiny Porter of Parma was paralyzed in fall 2020 by a mysterious virus two weeks before her wedding to Craig Pawlus. The couple were married the following Valentine's Day.

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Two years after a mysterious virus attacked her nervous system and paralyzed her from the waist down, Destiny Porter returned to University Hospitals Parma Medical Center with a present for her caregivers. They gathered around her wheelchair, overjoyed to see this young woman who at 25, on the verge of getting married and starting a new life, was struck down by a medical crisis and forced to learn how to navigate life as a paraplegic. The ICU nurses and physical and occupational therapists from the Acute Rehabilitation Unit were eager to hear how she had been faring.  

March 18th marks the 24th Spring Craft Fair at Valley Forge High School. Each spring the Cross Country and Swim teams host this annual event; the primary fundraiser for both teams. All proceeds are then funneled to support the athletes in their conditioning and training endeavors.

The Parma Heights Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, partnering with The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, will offer a monthly Mobile Food Pantry distribution on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Boxes of shelf stable food items will be available for curbside pickup—first come, first serve--at the Parma Heights Branch Library, 6206 Pearl Road, on Wednesday, January 18thfrom 10:00 a.m. -12 Noon for customers who are in need.  Please visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org or call the Parma Heights Branch Library at 440.884.2313 for additional information

  The Parma of today looks vastly different from the Parma of the 1970's.  Station wagons remember those? The Ford LTD once common are gone from our neighborhood driveways. Today Sport Utility Vehicles fill the void.

It’s a new year, which means you have goal setting on your mind to create a new, better you!  As a senior, it's never too late to learn something new. If you’ve always wanted to study history or art or one of the myriad other courses offered at TRI-C Community College, now might be the perfect time. Residents 55+ can sign up for Encore 55+ Classes. There are virtual sessions or on-campus sessions which run on Fridays only from Jan 27- March 10. Only $99 for up to 6 courses (bundle) or $30 per course (a la carte).

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program will be getting underway again this year starting the first week in February and ending the 14th of April 2023. This IRS-supported FREE tax service is offered on a non-discriminatory basis without consideration of race, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. We give special attention to those with low or moderate incomes and/or aged 60 and older. Taxpayers do NOT have to be retired or a member of AARP. 

The Parma of today looks vastly different from the Parma of the 1970's. Station wagons remember those? The Ford LTD wagons once common are gone from our neighborhood driveways.Today Sport Utility Vehicles fill the void. Pintos with the large goldfish bowl rear windows were popular and Volkswagen Beetles were seen, often a teen driver at the wheel new license tucked into her suede fringed purse. Parma Home Bakery & Kitchen Maid Meats, Baron's Bar and James Books a glimpse of yesterday. Time moves us forward. What has happened to Parmas trees?

The Parma Heights Branch Library of Cuyahoga County Public Library will host The Scale of UFOS in the United States and Ohio on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Meeting Room C. Witnessed a UFO sighting in Ohio or another area in the United States and filed a report? Linda Miller Costa, a Career Scientist and Environmental Researcher, and Cheryl Costa, Career Data Analyst and UFO Statistician, will present and examine the truth behind the number of UFO sightings in the United States and Ohio. In-person program. Registration required. To register, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.orgor call the Parma Heights Branch Library at 440.884.2313. 

I grew up around health care. My mother was a long time RN at Lutheran Hospital in the OB-GYN Department. Later in her career she became in instructor in OB-GYN at the Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing. She went to Ohio University right out of high school in 1936 and was in a six year cooperative program between Ohio University and the Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing that led to a BA degree and a RN certification. She finished that program and started her nursing career in 1942, the same year that she married my father. She retired in 1984.

The Parma Heights Branch Library of Cuyahoga County Public Library will host Eating Healthy on a Budget on Thursday, January 19, 2023 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in Meeting Room C. Learn how to eat healthy food inexpensively. The nutrition team from Greater Cleveland Food Bank will share tips for saving money, spending less cash on food and eating healthier. The nutrition team will talk about planning, gardening, shopping and preparing food along with eating out.In-person program. Registration required. To register, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.orgor call the Parma Heights Branch Library at 440.884.2313. 

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As the new year begins, many seniors are looking to get more involved. The City of Parma Heights Senior Center welcomes residents, 60 and over to join them at programs and events. The best way the staff describes the Parma Heights Senior Center is fun and laughter. It starts with the joke of the day that Trish James posts and everyone stops to read it. At the Parma Heights Senior Center, located at 9275 North Church Drive, seniors arrive as participants and leave as family!

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The last Parma City Council meeting of 2022 nearly had a full chamber when council members honored Parma City School District’s Valley Forge High School eighth grade football team. City Council President Sean Brennan and Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter gave multiple proclamations and awards to the jubilant players and coaches, who together achieved a perfect record. The team has been undefeated for the past two seasons.

So you want to be healthier in the New Year. Why go it solo when you can have company along the way?  Diamond Strength Fitness is teaming up with Charlotte Braun Dance Studio's Patty Nowak in a dual class for women. 30 minutes of Core Strength with Michelle downstairs and 30 minutes of Zumba with Patty upstairs. If you promised yourself 2023 was the year you'd start working out, you don't have to make your fitness journey alone.

Scott M. Tuma

Cuyahoga County Councilman, Scott M. Tuma has announced he is running for Parma Law Director in 2023. Tuma, an attorney in private practice for over 23 years, is looking forward to continuing to serve the residents of Parma, but in a new capacity. “I have worked tirelessly to make Cuyahoga County a better place to live, work and raise a family and as Law Director, I remain dedicated to continuing to serve in the best interests of my constituents and the City of Parma,” said Tuma.

The ball sailed out of sight that glorious, warm, summer night. We gathered at old Mr. Baker's lawn on the north side of Parma. We played outdoors. Mr. Baker was a favorite. He liked the neighborhood kids, and we liked him. To our amazement Mr. Baker shared his beer with his dog Pixie occasionally.

James Hill, MD, MBA, is a highly visible leader at University Hospitals Parma Medical Center, a high-volume community hospital that takes cares of many high-acuity patients. He can often be seen walking the nursing floors, getting a coffee at Healing Grounds in the hospital lobby or taking care of patients in the Intensive Care Unit. A practicing anesthesiologist, he worked in the ICU one full week each month on the pandemic front lines while also serving as Chief Medical Officer at UH Parma.

UH Parma is a high-volume hub for cardiac and vascular surgery through UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, as well as for gastroenterology and bariatric surgery through the UH Digestive Health Institute. The first Comprehensive Pain Center in the UH system was established at UH Parma, and the hospital has built up a busy Sleep Center and an outpatient Wound Center, as well as becoming a Level III Trauma Center under Dr. Hill's tenure.

We're a community hospital that does a lot of things really well," says Dr. Hill, who personally witnessed the second highest COVID-19 volumes in the UH system after main campus.

The son of a nurse and an electrical engineer, he learned early and often the example of serving others and solving problems with compassion, humility and respect. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine, Dr. Hill has mentored numerous medical residents and fellows. He also has conducted grand rounds for anesthesia residents at main campus and internal medicine residents at UH Parma.

Dr. Hill has two patents and has been invited to lecture nationally and internationally. He received NIH and state grants for the invention and development of Hemalogix, a program that looks at each transfusion and helps determine clinically appropriateness to reduce patient harm. His start-up company Hemaptics has received support from UH Ventures as it seeks to commercialize this patent for artificial intelligence, allowing Hemalogix to develop a more robust and accurate algorithm based on review of outcomes.

With several years each as the former UH System Medical Director of Transfusion Services and Blood Management and Division Chief of Trauma Anesthesiology, Dr. Hill has also presented at numerous national meetings of the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists and published several peer-reviewed articles. Last year, he was invited to lecture to an international audience on blood management during the pandemic.

When Dr. Hill isn't managing operations at UH Parma, he is busy at home with his wife and three young children. He lives in the nearby community of Independence, the hometown of his wife, Katie Day Hill, a former speech therapist. He is widely visible in the hospital's larger community, such as participating in the City of Parma's Independence Day parade.

At UH Parma, we care for family members, friends, the loved ones of people we know," Dr. Hill says. We have a vested interest in the larger community we serve."

The 12th Annual Parma Peanut Butter Drive will kick off on December 1st and run through the entire month of December. The Parma Peanut Butter Drive has been going strong since its start in 2010, when founder Sean Brennan, Parma City Council President, had the idea to collect peanut butter to help the community. It is estimated that in 11 years, the drive has generated over 10 tons of peanut butter through monetary donations and jars of peanut butter, thanks to the generosity of the community.   

As always, Broadview Multi-Care Center at 5200 Broadview Rd. in Parma spent Veterans Day on November honoring US Military Veterans at their facility and making them feel appreciated for their service to our country. People from all branches of our military have been included among those treated here for many decades, and every year they are recognized by everyone for filling their roles in serving our military needs around the globe.  

This month I am officially signing off on The President’s Corner. It has been a true pleasure over the past almost twelve years writing about the people, events, and places of Parma as your President of City Council. As you probably know, on November 8, I was elected by the residents of the 14th District to represent them in the Ohio House of Representatives at the Statehouse in Columbus.