Finally an Amphitheater!

Finally an amphitheater is coming to the City of Brunswick!  As part of the development of the Brunswick Lake Park area, the Architectural Justice Amphitheater is scheduled to be built in the near future.  Permanent seating will provide visitors a beautiful view of the amphitheater and Brunswick Lake behind it.  Concerts and other summer events are already being planned for the site.  Residents can become a part of the history by purchasing etched granite inlays that would hold their name or personal sentiment as part of the stone structure. 

The beautification and development of the lake area has been in the works for quite a while and it is great to see it actually happening.  Bring on the summer concerts!!

Donna      

Choice or Requirement

Legislation has been enacted in the State of Ohio with the purpose to promote healthy lifestyles and combat childhood obesity.  Substitute Senate Bill #210 will affect the nutritional standards of food and beverages sold in schools, it will provide for the periodic monitoring of students' body mass index, and schools must institute 30 minutes of physical activity daily for students.  The Brunswick City Schools decided to request a waiver from the state that would delay the implementation of the new state law based on a vote by the school board on Monday, March 21, 2011.  State legislators approved the Healthy Choices for Healthy Children Act last year.   The Act requires body mass indexing be done for kindergarten students, as well as the third, fifth and ninth grades.  The school district claims it does not have the adequate resources to implement the program and has received complaints from parents who do not want their children tested.  Ohio statistics show one in three children are overweight by the third grade.  The state government is accepting responsibility for the health of children, shouldn't the parents and schools also?  The requirement of physical activity for 30 minutes a day has already been dropped from the legislation.    Parents can choose to have the testing done by their family physician or elsewhere outside of the school system.  All testing results are kept private.  Currently state required hearing and vision screenings are being done on students.  Couldn't the BMI testing be included as part of this screening process?  A healthy weight is important to the overall health of a body and there is no harm in having the test done.

If young children do not learn how to live a healthy active lifestyle from their parents and the school system, how are they going to learn it?  What do you think?  The BMI testing is mandated by state law for a reason.  Shouldn't it be enforced?! 

A complete summary of the Act can be found on the State of Ohio General Assembly web page
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=128_SB_210.

Thanks,
Donna
    

Under The Mechanic's Thumb

Recently I took my car in for repair to a local shop to have the muffler replaced.  I had used the shop's services a couple of times in the past and thought them to be reputable.  I asked them to take a look at the serpentine belt also.  The mechanic said the belt might last a couple more months, but since it had been making noise since last fall I told him to go ahead and replace it.  I was concerned about the cost because my clothes dryer had died that same morning, but did not want the car to unexpectedly break-down somewhere.  The mechanic calls again to tell me the belt tensioner assembly broke while they were taking off the belt, and needed to be replaced.  The car was now inoperable so I had no choice.   The tensioner was the most expensive part and now the bill was more than double the original cost. 

So the question is whether or not the tensioner actually broke, and if so was it because of wear, by accident, or on purpose.  I asked to see the broken part but was told they couldn't find it because the part had been thrown into a dumpster.  When in a position like this how do you know whether or not you can trust what you are being told?  The economy is bad and everyone needs the business but I felt like I was under the mechanic's thumb so to speak and he was applying pressure.  Do businesses wait until they have your trust and then maybe stretch the truth a bit?  When a single woman walks into the door of a repair shop it is more likely she will be taken advantage of more than a man who walks in the door.  I have talked to enough people to know this to be true.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle the situation?  Names and phone numbers of trustworthy reliable mechanics are also welcome.
Thanks,
Donna            

Spring Is In The Air!

Spring is in the air at the Medina County Home and Flower Show.  Everyone attending the show had the chance to win a mini English garden valued at over $2,000.00.  I already have a place picked out for it in my backyard!  A 2,000-square-foot English garden with stone walls was the featured garden this year.  It was like being in a small park with all the colorful spring flowers and curved walkways.  Besides the gardens, there were over 130 exhibitors from the extended Medina County area that had products and services that would interest probably just about everyone.  My hands were pampered at a Spa Escape booth, I had a five minute back massage, and tasted a delicious frozen wine frappe that was very tempting.  I also had my blood-pressure and adrenaline levels checked.  It was a fun time visiting with the exhibitors and I gained new ideas for things I would like to try myself.  I am an outdoors type of person and days like today make me even more anxious for the spring and summer weather. 

Spring is on the way!

Donna     

Brunswick Brought It On!

The Bring On Brunswick and Health Fair held yesterday at the high school had something of interest for everyone.  Kudos to the Brunswick Area Chamber Of Commerce for a successful event.  Booths and displays lined the halls of the high school with information from local businesses and groups of all kinds.  Set up like a maze, there was something of interest around every corner.  Children were greeted by costumed cartoon characters, there was the sights and smells of different kinds of food everywhere, and over 140 businesses had their products and services on display.  There were also churches, schools, day care centers and medical groups represented.  Karate demonstrations and dog shows were held in the gymnasium.  It was great to see the community come together for the event.  It made me feel proud to be from Brunswick and I am looking forward to next year's event on March 31, 2012.

This event proved there is something for everyone in the City of Brunswick!

Donna   

World Clock

Fellow Bloggers,

Check out the web site below.  It is so astonishing I had to post it to my blog.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.poodwaddle.com%2Fclocks%2Fworldclock%2F&h=5ae1d

Have a great day,
Donna

Bring On Brunswick & Health Fair

The Bring On Brunswick & Health Fair will be held this year on Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brunswick High School.   The free event is sponsored by the Brunswick Area Chamber of Commerce and Cuyahoga Community College. 

The high school is located at 3581 Center Road, Brunswick, OH 44212.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a donation of canned or dry goods for the Brunswick food pantry.  

Come and check out vendors from local Brunswick businesses and share in the Brunswick spirit!

Medina County Home & Garden Show

The Medina County Home & Garden Show will be held on March 26 and 27 at the Medina County Community Center at 735 W. Lafayette Rd. (US 2) in Medina, Ohio.  The show will run on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  An English garden will be the main focus of the gardens this year, and all attendess will have the chance to win the grand prize of a mini English garden planted at their home.  Besides the beautiful gardens, there will be over 140 exhibitors, mini-seminars and delicious food.  Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors 60 and over, and free for children under 12. 

                    
For more information, visit http://www.medinahomegardenshow.com/

                                                     Spring is finally here, come out and enjoy it!!
                                                                                 Donna

 

Green Energy Blowing Into Ohio

Renewable energy in the form of wind turbines, solar panels and animal waste is being discussed throughout the farm land of Ohio.  Currently Bowling Green has one of the largest operating wind farms in the Midwest and within 10 years there may be hundreds more found throughout Ohio.  According to Ohio law, by the year 2025 alternative energy sources must be used to generate at least 50 percent of  electricity distributed, up from the current rate of 25 percent.  Several counties in Ohio, including Medina, may see commercial windmill projects that would reap the benefits of the required 15-mile-per-hour winds blowing through the state.
  We need to start planning for the future now by accepting some of the responsibility for alternate energy sources that do not depend completely on utility companies and traditional sources of electrical power.  With the passing of Ohio Senate Bill 221 in July of 2008, legislative policy is moving towards major changes in Ohio's energy industry. For more information about energy requirements, the construction of solar ready schools, and greenhouse gas emission reporting throughout the state, log on to Ohio State University's web site at http://ohioline.osu.edu/. 
Go Green!!
Donna    

 
   

Brunswick University Center is now open!

After much anticipation, the Brunswick University Center is now open.  Residents watched as the University Center was built next to the Brunswick Recreation Center and adjacent to the high school.  Classes offered at the Center, which is an extension of the Tri-C Western Campus, are transferable to four year colleges and will help students earn associate degrees, bachelor's degrees and master's degrees.  Other universities have signed on as partners, including Cleveland State University and Tiffin University.  Four other colleges are expected to join the Center in the near future.  The $10 million, 30,000 square foot building has 20 classrooms and includes computer and science labs.  Students of all ages are welcome to participate in college courses, summer camps for children, college credit classes for high school students, certification and self-improvement classes.  The new educational presence is a huge asset to the community, not only to students, but also to surrounding businesses that will reap financial benefits.

The Brunswick University Center is located at 3605 Center Road, less than a mile from Interstate 71.  If you would like more information or register for classes the website is www.tri-c.edu/brunswick.  The phone number is 866-933-5182.
Good luck!
Donna
  

Internet Sweepstakes Gaming

Controversy continues in Brunswick over internet cafes and whether or not they should be allowed to operate in the city.  No new Internet cafes may move into the city until City Council and the Planning and Zoning Committee have determined the best way to regulate the influx of these business into the community.  Applications are streaming into the city at about two or three a week so the issue is a top priority in regulating new business activity.  While a six-month moratorium is in affect, the four cafes already in the city limits can continue to operate.  Licensing fees and annual fees for each computer terminal on which gaming would be done can have a large impact on the financial income the city would generate when the gaming ordinance takes affect.  Acccording to law the city council can not outlaw these businesses, but can control the physical locations in the city limits where the cafes would operate.  It is a concern cafes should not be located near areas frequented by children and families, such as  schools, day care centers, parks, playgrounds and places where families worship.  The cafes sell phone cards to customers who then use them to play online games that look like video slots.  Customers are then entered into sweepstakes offered by the individual cafes according to how much money they pay for the phone cards.  The big question is whether the cafes are promoting gaming or gambling.  The more internet time a customer purchases, the more sweepstakes points they accumulate.  The results of the sweepstakes are pre-determined by computer, not by skill or chance, making them legal in the State of Ohio.  Cafes are appearing throughout Northeast Ohio in Brook Park, Garfield Heights, Cleveland, Seven Hills, Cuyahoga Heights, Bedford and Brunswick.  So is it gaming or gambling when people use money to buy phone cards with the hope of winning money through a sweepstakes?  It sounds similar to playing the lottery to me.  It also sounds like something people could become addicted to, especially children.  What do you think, yeah or nay?
Donna