A Summer of Coming Together – City of Sheffield Lake Ohio

2022 has been a great year to date. While we continue to face challenges as a community and country, I believe it’s important to not lose sight of the many things being accomplished. I want to highlight a few and, going forward, department directors and I will provide updates about Sheffield Lake’s people and accomplishments on the city website. Mayor Dennis Bring

Volunteers from Russell Realty spruced up the Hanks Civic Center gazebo.

Pride Day

We are grateful to volunteers who helped spruce up parks and public areas during our annual Pride Day in May. Thanks to Russell Realty, Robert Murphy’s Lorain County Landscaping Co., Ohio State University Extension, Councilman Mark Erdei, Councilman Bill Wtulich and his wife, Angela. We were able to provide shredding services for residents – a first – thanks to a collaboration with Domonkas Library.

Return of Kids’ Summer Arts Program

Kids have fun showing off their creative talents during the Summer Arts program *Photo by Rosa Gee*

Thanks to resident Deb Suarez for reinstituting this program which ran six Mondays at the Civic Center with an average of 20-25 kids every session, accompanied by a parent or guardian. One highlight activity included learning about Lake Erie then having kids make a beach glass project. The Sheffield Lake Woodshop donated individual easels and wooden plaques for a painting project. At the final session, children learned about the jobs of city police and fire fighter/paramedics and explored the inside of police cars and emergency vehicles. Residents Meg Dietz, Adrienne Stevens, Council member Rosa Gee, Lynn Jones, and Leah Wright volunteered their help.

Community Days

A parade kicked off Community Days, July 14-17, and it was great to see so many participate – in the parade and along our streets to cheer them on. Fireworks on Friday night were really good and congratulations to the large crowd that attended, had fun and were respectful to each other. Saturday featured a cruise-in and corn hole tournament at Shoreway. Unfortunately, Sunday’s planned activites were canceled due to rain. We tried hard to secure an amusement company to bring rides but they could not find people to man the rides and handle set up and tear down. I noticed that North Ridgeville experienced the same challenge with their 2022 festival. Council member Steve Kovach and his wife Kathy, organized the parade and received help from residents Jess Resch, Mandi Lee Jason and Shannon Plum who organized Saturday’s and Sunday’s activities. Other volunteers included Jim and Amy McFaul, Mike Gorka and Neil Hamilton. Council member Rosa Gee provided a sound system for the parade and resident Gary Tollett, owner of WOBL/WDLW, simulcast Kool Kat Oldies on Saturday.

Adaptive Baseball League

Special kids got their chance to play ball this summer thanks to a new adaptive baseball program.

Congratulations to resident Ashley Kingsboro who wanted her special needs child to have a chance to play baseball. Fellow resident Gary Tollett saw her post and decided to help. With additional help from Ward 2 Councilman and SSLYBA President Rocky Radeff, it became reality. Now 23 kids from Sheffield Lake and Village in kindergarten through sixth grade play ball every week at Volunteer Field on Oster Road.

Boat Launch

Check out $36,000 in donated improvements made there thanks to Billy Votruba‘s company. Vandalism at the bathrooms is still happening. I hate to to have to close them, but we may be forced to if this vandalism persists. We’ve spent thousands of your tax dollars unclogging sinks and toilets and having to repair or replace expensive plumbing. Some have asked about cameras and they are installed outside but it is illegal to install them inside due to privacy laws. We need citizens to report suspicous activity to 440 949-7131as soon as you see it so police can respond.

Lake Road has been completely resurfaced across the city, in part, through $2 million in grants,

Lake Road Resurfacing Project

Hope you have driven along Lake Road recently. More than $2 million in state grants and local funding paid to resurface it. What a smooth ride. Plus, it provides a facelift to the main east-west route running throughout the city.

More improvements coming

We’re also getting ready to do more residential street resurfacing, as we have in recent years. As a matter of fact, the city has more than $4 million invested in active infrastructure improvement projects this year and another few million being planned for 2023.

We still have a lot to do, but I am proud of what we have accomplished in recent years. I hope you have begun to notice, too, and feel increasing pride about being a resident in our great little city. Know this story will be continued.