This Week in Shaker©

An Independent E-Letter for the Residents of Shaker Heights, Ohio

Founded April 14, 2003

     Volume 7, Number 28                   Monday, August 17,  2009

Jane Wood, Editor                                                                  Street and Alley, Proofreaders

This Week in Shaker will be emailed every Sunday night or Monday morning,
if news warrants.  Sometimes that schedule changes.
If you like it, pass it on; if you would like to be on the distribution list, email thisweekinshaker@sbcglobal.net. 

This issue has 3 pages.

Corrections

The Library Board of Trustees did not approve a proposed charge for 4-hour blocks of time for social gatherings in meeting rooms, but did approve it in for non-profits: “For social gatherings there is a $30 per hour, non-refundable fee for a room that accommodates up to 50 people, with an option of reserving two rooms to accommodate up to 100 people, for a fee of $60 per hour.  For non-profit organizations, there is a $20 non-refundable fee for each 4-hour block of time for large meeting rooms and a $10 non-refundable fee for each 4-hour block of time for small meeting rooms.  Small rooms accommodate up to 10 people and large rooms can accommodate up to 100 people.  A $5 fee will be charged for kitchenette use.” 

Ellen Kelly will teach English at the high school and Jeffrey Pattie will teach music at the middle school.  They had previously retired, as had Mary Ann Wonson, who will teach math at the high school.  A public hearing on their re-employment was held in June (TWIS Vol. 7, Issue 19, May 18, 2009).

News Briefs

• 2 members of the Board of Education members will present an update on the schools’ strategic planning process at tonight’s (Monday’s) Council meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.
• 3 members of City Council will provide an update on Lower Lake at tonight’s (Monday’s) Council meeting.
• The Board of Education last week placed on “first reading” 4 updated board policies, on human relations, evaluation of instructional programs, incapacity of treasurer (no changes), and incapacity of superintendent.
• L. David Lawrence has been re-hired by the school district, following a public hearing on re-employment.
• The Board of Education has approved an agreement with RTA regarding 1-year student “farecards,” the cost of which will go up Sept. 1.  However, cards purchased before Aug. 31 “will be honored without requiring any additional fare payment” after Sept. 1.
• On the Architectural Board of Review’s agenda for Aug. 17 is “banners” for Larchmere Boulevard, presented by Lee Chilcote of the Shaker Square Area Development Corporation: http://www.retailspacescleveland.com/shakerneighborhood.htm 
• Suburban Gardens, which owns property on Lee Road and Chagrin Boulevard, will go before the Architectural Board of Review for an “as-built” window alteration at 3591 Lee Rd. and for windows at 16229 Chagrin Blvd. (Kidz @ Play Child Care)

Candidate Watch

According to the Board of Elections web site, as of August 14, the following residents are on the candidate list to run for office in November:

City Council (vote for 3):

Brian Gleisser, 22162 Westchester Rd.

Richard Pace, 22099 Shaker Blvd.

Isaac Powell, 15820 Van Aken Blvd.

Lynn Ruffner, 3715 Warrensville Center Rd., #602

Rob Zimmerman, 23149 Shelburne Rd.

Board of Education (vote for 3): [All 4 have been endorsed by the Shaker Heights Citizens Committee; 75 ballots were cast.]

Norman Bliss, 17402 Van Aken Blvd., 64 votes

F. Drexel Feeling, 19223 Lomond Blvd., 39 votes

Jennifer Mearns, 2896 Claremont Rd., 38 votes

Annette Sutherland, 16817 Aldersyde Rd., 66 votes

Petitions must be filed by August 20.

City Council members whose terms will expire at the end of this year are Brian Gleisser, Lynn Ruffner and Rob Zimmerman.  Continuing members are Jim Brady, Al Foster, Nancy Moore and Earl Williams.

Board of Education members whose terms will expire at the end of this year are Norman Bliss, F. Drexel Feeling and Annette Sutherland.  Continuing members are Freda Levenson and Peter Robertson.

City Council members will earn $9,000 a year beginning Jan. 1; members of the Board of Education have traditionally served without compensation.

Real Estate Report

As of yesterday (Sunday), Realtors had listed 234 single-family houses for sale* (excluding condominiums and townhomes) in Shaker Heights, as follows:

• $100,000 - $199,000: 74 (71 last issue)
• $200,000 - $299,000: 63 (68 last issue)
• $300,000 - $399,000: 27 (27 last issue)
• $400,000 - $499,000: 22 (23 last issue)
• $500,000 - $599,000: 14 (14 last issue)
• $600,000 - $699,000: 14 (7 last issue)
• $700,000 - $799,000: 3 (5 last issue)
• $800,000 - $899,000: 7 (7 last issue)
• $900,000 - $999,000: 3 (3 last issue)
• $1,000,000 - $1,999,000: 6 (6 last issue)
• $2,000,000 - $2,999,000: 1 (1 last issue)
• 3,000,000+: 0 (0 last issue)

In addition, there are 30 (28 last issue) houses priced under $100,000, for a grand total of 264. 

As of Friday, there were 27 foreclosure sales pending (including 2 condominiums and 1 commercial property) and listed on the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s web site.**  In addition to those, there are sometimes foreclosure sales listed by the U. S. District Court.

[Editor’s note:  TWIS has been reporting these numbers since March 12, 2007.]

*230 last issue

**29 last issue; addresses include 3139 Albion, 14012 Becket, 3616 Chelton, 2666 Cranlyn, 3356 Daleford, 3646 Daleford, 3671 Daleford, 22450 Douglas, 22525 Fairmount, 20899 Farnsleigh, 3562 Hildana, 3560 Latimore, 3689 Lee (commercial), 16620 Lomond, 16713 Lomond, 17934 Lomond, 18133 Lomond, 3455 Milverton, 3585 Normandy, 3725 Palmerston, 3684 Riedham, 18721 Scottsdale, 3609-11 Strandhill, 3722 Townley, 16100 Van Aken, 3333 Warrenville #204 and 18412 Winslow.  [Editor’s note: This week’s foreclosed properties include those listed for Sheriff’s sale on August 17, 24 and 31 and Sept. 8, 14 and 21.  Foreclosed properties are listed every week until they are sold or withdrawn; the total listed here, therefore, always includes some properties that have been listed in previous issues.] 

The following commercial properties are still for sale: Tower East (designed by Walter Gropius), 20600 Chagrin; 3393 Warrensville Center (“redevelopment opportunity”—“The owner will consider leasing, ground leasing, joint venture or selling the property,” which “sits at the signalized intersection of Warrensville Center Road and Farnsleigh Road, across the street from Van Aken Shopping Center”); Kingsbury Building, 3427 Lee (corner of Van Aken); Warren Gardens, 3610 Warrensville; medical office building, 3645 Warrensville (will be auctioned Aug. 19); Lewis Electronics, 3536 Lee: http://www.loopnet.com/Ohio/Shaker-Heights-Commercial-Real-Estate/

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