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The number 12 has always had significant meaning throughout human history. 12 makes a dozen, 12 inches in a foot, 12 months in a year, 12 apostles, and so on. The fact that I have been publishing the Parma Observer for 12 years now is also very significant to me. I am inspired to think back to that first issue in October of 2009 and remember how different times were then compared to the present day. The Great Recession was in full swing when we started publishing in October 2009. Who knew that in the next 12 years, we would have a whole lot of ups, and a bunch of downs, and all throughout some really momentous times. 

RAISING AWARENESS:  Human Trafficking/Abuse:
 O  From The Greater Cleveland Coordinated Response to Human Trafficking (GCCR2HT):
      >>  Some possible Indicators of Sex Trafficking & Recruitment:  > Any minor engaged in sex acts for anything of value;  > Individual of any age or gender appears to be watching and approaching youth, systematically trying to befriend strangers, promoting ‘modeling agencies’, traveling crew employment, talent search websites or other employment;   > Crimes (theft, drug crimes) appear to be committed under the watch and for the benefit of someone else.
      >>  Some possible Indicators of Labor Trafficking:  > Individuals selling items to or begging;   > Signs of physical abuse, force, restraint, sleep deprivation, untreated injuries or illness. Groups of traveling sales or work crews sleeping in vehicles in parking lot;    > Lack of knowledge of whereabouts or destination, numerous inconsistencies in their story.
      >>  Go here to view/download related awareness material.
      >>  Know who to call….If you believe someone may be a victim of human trafficking call the Cuyahoga County Regional Human Trafficking Task Force Hotline at 216-443-6085 or 911 in the case of an emergency.
      >>  Learn more about how the issue of Human Trafficking is being effectively addressed locally. Follow the Collab on Facebook here and visit the Collab’s website where clicking on the PARTNERS tab will display the more than 60 organizations working together to address this issue. To stay current in regards to HT-related events and activities sign up for their E-newsletter here.
      >>  If you haven’t yet,  consider joining a “Human Trafficking 101” class. The next one is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7:00 pm.  Go here to register for this free, virtual session.

O  From Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (https://clevelandrapecrisis.org/) ...Services for Survivors During COVID-19, i.e.:  counseling, victim assistance and case management are available by telehealth and teleservices, accessible by smartphone, computer or phone.  Learn more about accessing services remotely. For an immediate response call (216) 619-6192 or (440) 423-2020 24/7, or request an appointment online.
   
LOCAL EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES:
O  From OCALI...Their InspirED Video Gallery has recently been reorganized by audience – for families and professionals – and by topic, including accessibility, autism, early childhood, family and community, PBIS, remote learning, transition, universal design for learning, wellbeing and self-care, along with assessment and data for professionals.

October is National Polish Heritage Month and October 8th is National Pierogi Day. So it’s time to celebrate in Polish Village. Come join us on Sunday, October 10th for the outdoor Pierogi Festival at the parking lot of Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union, located at 5839 Ridge Rd, corner of Ridge & Alber. You will enjoy the sounds of live Polka Bands, be amazed by the dancers of the Piast Polish Dance Ensemble who perform traditional Polish dances in the colorful traditional garb, imported from Poland, and fill your tummies with the delicious foods and beverages available for sale. Food trucks, arts & crafts vendor and the Polish American Genealogical Society will be on hand for your enjoyment. Free admission to this family friendly event under the tents. Hope to see you there, October 10th 2 PM to 6 PM. This event is brought to you by Polish Village Parma in partnership with the Polish American Congress in Cleveland, and Cuyahoga County Arts & Culture.

Photo by Sean Mabin

Whistling past the Graveyard; Cemeteries & Graveyards of Cuyahoga County is a one man photo exhibit of Sean Mabin’s photo tour of local cemeteries. This exhibit is at Negative Space Gallery, located at 1541 E 39th St and runs September 25th through October 27th. This exhibit is just in time for fall and Halloween. Sean has photographed over 40 cemeteries and graveyards around Cuyahoga County. His images capture their romantic beauty, forgotten monuments and statues, melancholic moods, gothic architecture, misty fogs and dewy spiderwebs. 

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103-Year-Old Veteran...Still serving

Parma children who are 3 and 4 years old can now participate in a FREE kindergarten readiness program known as SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids). Every month, a parent partner meets with the family, either in-person or virtually, to provide parents with the skills and confidence they need to prepare their children for success in kindergarten and beyond. The parent partner demonstrates a lesson that supports the state standards, then supplies a book, an activity card, and materials so that the parent can continue the learning between visits.

UH Parma Medical Center, where the Emergency Department is under the leadership of Dr. Christopher Dussel, has been recognized again for high-quality stroke care.

A local man who had a stroke after breakfast learned the benefit of living near a community hospital experienced in quality stroke care – and the advantage of his local hospital being connected to an academic medical center where the clot in his brain could be specially extracted before lunchtime.

Save The Date!! 4th Annual Parma Fall Food Drive and Shred Event, Saturday, Oct. 30th, From 10 am - 2 pm At the Parma Armory 5301 Hauserman Rd, Parma, OH 44130

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Our military veterans have always had a special place in my heart. This was probably triggered by the stories my grandfather would tell me about his service during World War II. This is why Honor Flight Cleveland is so near and dear to me. In fact, over the years I have acted as volunteer and raised funds for the organization. 

I’m writing in support of Issue 55, which would adjust the Mayor of Seven Hills’ salary to $40,000 for the next mayoral term (beginning December 10, 2023, basically 2024). When I was on council, I was very involved in correcting many long-standing issues in the City of Seven Hills. One issue important to me that we did address was correcting the mayor’s salary, but for one reason or another it did not make the ballot.

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The Bubble Blast 5K Run/Walk on September 18 at the North Royalton YMCA was a sight to behold. Early in the crisp late summer air, Many runners and walkers were gathered to take part in a race that raises money for great causes and at the same time honors the precious memory of an outstanding woman named Kathlene Cochrane DePiero, who left us way too soon. I cycled in from Parma, tackled the State Road hills, and was pleased to see her family members and so many supporters assembled there and ready to go, especially Dean DePiero, who keeps this event front and center in memory of his loving wife. 

The Parma non-profit We Are Parma Proud, is hosting a Trash Crawl on Saturday, October 16th along State Road from 1 to 4 PM. The Spring Crawl was such a huge success they decided to do it again! Meet your neighbors, support local businesses, clean up your city, and take pride in our community. Several rest stops are planned for along the way for food and refreshments. Door prizes, loads of fun, and supplies will be provided. For details and to register visit Facebook, We Are Parma Proud.

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Saturday, October 23, 2019, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Ridge Road in Polish Village will be teeming with young trick-or-treaters and their parents for the Annual Treat & Greet. This much anticipated family oriented annual event has grown by leaps and bounds over the years.

Food distributed by volunteers to people that drive up or walk through. Held in conjunction with Parma Heights Baptist Church on their grounds. Third Saturday of each month. 

One of the major reasons why it seems that the country is so divided and dysfunctional right now is that perhaps too many Americans have lost our sense of being part if a larger community and have retreated into our own little bubble of family and close friends. Of course, this has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Just some of the Sports Memorabilia at The Tavern on 42

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The only thing that makes watching the game even better is cheering for your team in a crowd of other folks ready to go just as nuts as you when Baker Mayfield lobs the ball to Nick Chubb in the end zone. Whether you're looking for the perfect place to find rabid fans or you need a hideout where it's okay to root for Tom Brady, Parma Heights sports bars are full of people that make games even more exciting to watch, win or lose.

Senator Antonio at the North Shore AFL-CIO's Labor Day Rally at Lakewood Park with David Passalacqua and Gary Kundrat, President and Executive Vice President of Communications Workers of America Local 4340.

On September 4th, I joined North Shore AFL-CIO for their Labor Day Rally at Lakewood Park to speak on the importance of workers' rights and protecting our unions. We have all heard about the labor shortage right now, but the fact is that there isn’t a labor shortage; there is a wage and workers’ rights shortage. During the early days of the pandemic, we celebrated frontline and essential workers. We cheered, banged pots and pans, and called them heroes, but we still do not pay many of those workers a wage they can survive on.

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Gilbillies at Medina Republican headquarter opening

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Convention of Conservative Clubs

October 16th at the Ascent Church

UH Parma Medical Center helicopter landing in the designated landing area in front of the Parma Justice Center.

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Parma has one of the best safety records for a city of 80,000 people. One popular innovation over the years has been the Annual Safety Fair, presented at the Parma Justice Center by the Parma Police Department. Featuring hands on demonstrations by uniformed safety forces, firefighters, medical rescue units, Life Flight helicopter, SWAT, Bomb Unit, K-9 teams, Citizens Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Auxiliary Police, and many other community oriented associations. The Safety Fair was cancelled in 2020 after the Covid 10 Pandemic swept over the nation. Usually held in the Spring, this year it was scheduled for the end of August. 

Covid 19 has touched us all in a variety of ways. One of the most difficult of those was the loss of loved ones who either died from Covid 19 or that were unable to fully celebrate their lives due to the restrictions in gathering for a service. The Ridgewood United Methodist Church , 6330 Ridge Rd., Parma, would like to invite you to a Service of Life, Death, and Resurrection for your loved ones. It will be a time to remember them, and to light a candle in their honor. Everyone who has lost a loved one to death (either from Covid or other causes) are invited to be part of this service.

Pete Seneff of UH Parma handling composting, which has contributed to the hospital's environmental sustainability.

Even during a global pandemic, UH Parma Medical Center was among the top hospitals in the country honored for environmental excellence from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

RAISING AWARENESS:  Human Trafficking/Abuse:

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Prama Artspace Gallery & Boutique, 5411 Pearl Rd., is now showing an exhibit titled “#naming Emilys Show; The Art of Emily Szalkowski”. Emily says “Welcome to the Little World Inside my Head.” Emily’s work is a whimsical characterization of the mischievous monsters she imagines. They are sure to bring a smile to your face. This exhibit is on display until September 12th. 

You are invited on Sunday, September 26, 2021 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Stearns Homestead, located at 6975 Ridge Road, will be showing us how life was on the farm during the WWII years. WWII re-enactors and historical interpreters will be stationed around the farm where you, the visitor, can speak with them to learn about the roles they played during the war era. The American Red Cross, Women's Army Corps, Rosie the Riveter, Victory gardens, rationing, US Crop Corps and Books for Victory will be represented. Also on display will be farm equipment from the 1940’s in the historic 100 year old Gibbs House. Of course the farm animals will also be there to greet you. It will be a free, fun, educational event for adults and children alike.  Stop by and learn about how people lived in the 1940's.

Cliff and Joanne Plants of Strongsville, Ohio are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on September 4, 2021.  The couple was married in Divinity Lutheran Church in Parma Heights, Ohio on September 4, 1971.  Cliff had a successful career in Industrial Sales. Joanne was in Information Technology sales. She sold Computer Solutions. The couple has been living in Strongsville, Ohio for the past 35 years. They will be celebrating this occasion with family and friends.

ORANGE PEELS AND SKUNKS

“Hey YOU!” “Hey YOU back!” I shouted. As I turned to see who was calling out with such a loud voice, there appeared an adorable little girl. She came barreling up the sidewalk on her two wheeler bicycle headed right to my driveway. Apparently, my drive had become the official turn around point and “that's as far as you are allowed to travel” location. It had been sometime since I saw children playing in the neighborhood. Children who are now older and heading off to college. It was good to see little ones once again.

For most teenagers and young adults, acne can be a frustrating part of daily life. Often the butt of jokes and teasing among friends, the common skin condition can prompt emotional pain as well. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne affects more than 50 million Americans each year with most sufferers falling between the ages 12 and 24. During this impressionable time in adolescent development, it is vital for parents to watch for the telltale signs that acne might be triggering psychological issues.

Hunting is inextricably tied to feelings of inferiority and atrocities against humans.
Hunters first learn to objectify, even sexualize the animals they kill, then transfer their pathology onto women and outside social groups. It's clear there's something sinister lurking in the brains of those who intentionally maim (bow hunting results in at least a 54% or higher wound rate) and slaughter nonhuman animals, particularly deer whose beauty, disposition, and comparable size are virtually unmatched in the natural world. In the foreword of Jim Robertson's Exposing the Big Game, the illustrious Captain Paul Watson states: " hunters can be described quite adequately as sadistic perverts and social deviants." Watson adds,  "there is nothing to be admired from those who kill for pleasure, sport and short term gratification due to frustrated sexual inadequacies."

Parma High Ridge Road

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The township of Parma was formed in 1826. In 1912, a portion of Parma broke off to form Parma Heights. Parma didn’t become a city until 1931. The U.S. Census from 1920 lists the Parma Heights population at 310, and Parma at 2,345, but by 1930 the population of Parma was over 13,000. Today Parma has a population of over 77,000 people. Parma was mostly farmland, but it was growing fast in 1921. By 1927 Parma was considered Cleveland’s fastest growing suburb. 

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The 70th anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of 10 year old native Clevelander Beverly Potts’ is coming up in August.. On August 24, 195I, Beverly went missing from Halloran Park which is on the west side of Cleveland. The park is located on West 117 Street north of Lorain Road. She was last seen attending the annual talent show event called the Show Wagon. The case stands alone because despite being one of the largest police investigations in Cleveland history, nothing has ever been discovered as far as the little girl’s fate is concerned.

Before I started writing this column, I received the news that the Phizer COVID vaccine has received the full approval from the FDA. No doubt that the other COVID vaccines will also receive the full approval from the FDA soon. As soon as the FDA gave approval of the Phizer vaccine, the Pentagon has ordered that all active duty and reserve troops must be vaccinated against COVD as soon as possible or face disciplinary action. At the same time I also saw that the city of New York has mandated vaccines for all public and school employees.

An event like 2ND Fridays is long overdue for Parma Heights and is a welcome addition to the city's entertainment offerings. Consider it a block party along Pearl road to help promote and maintain an economically vital business district that is attractive and accessible to people of all ages. After a soft opening last month, Friday September 10th highlights a Scavenger Hunt along Pearl road. One will explore Parma Heights like never before. Work by yourself or with a team to answer trivia questions and complete photo challenges. Forms will be available the day before on the Facebook page of Parma Heights 2ND Fridays. Admission: FREE  Skill Level: Competitive Fun  Travel Method: Walking 

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Back in July I directed the Parma Run-Walk for Pierogies for the tenth year. We hosted 499 runners and walkers at Parma’s own Cuyahoga Community College’s Western Campus. Thanks to the success of the event, once again we were able to raise thousands of dollars to benefit local charities and projects. Part of our success was due to the generous sponsorship of former Parma mayor Dean DePiero. 

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Frontline Workers….Our Everyday Heroes

Welcome to my first of a monthly column where I will bring you stories and reflections about our past and present hometown heroes. There are many definitions of a Hero….even one that describes a type of sandwich. But the one definition I find most encompassing says a Hero is: “A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.” Many people fall under this definition just in the performance of their everyday occupational  related duties, such as our Military, Fire Fighters, Law  enforcement officers, Nurses, doctors, nursing home and hospital workers.  Acts of heroism are also reported everyday by regular citizens and yes even on occasion a four-legged fur friend will perform a heroic act. Veterans will be recognized with past acts of heroism while serving, or after serving in the military.

Kareem Maine

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Leaders in business and medicine are the two newest members of the Board of Directors at University Hospitals Parma Medical Center.