West Side News & Notes
By Stephanie Kist
Former trustee mourned in
Bath
BATH — Former Bath Township Trustee C.J. “Al” Alameda passed away Nov. 27.
According to Township Administrator
Bill Snow, Alameda was a trustee from Jan. 1, 1981,
until Dec. 31, 1997. In his 16 years as trustee, he
embraced township government
with a passion, often saying township government gave
the taxpayer the “best bang for your buck,”
Snow stated in a press release.
A native of San Francisco, Alameda
traveled the world with his family as an executive with
Goodyear International before settling in Bath. The
Alamedas lived in South America for a time, and he always
had a heartwarming story to tell about their adventures,
Snow said.
Alameda was instrumental in forming
the Summit County Council of Governments (COG) and,
in 1981, he initiated a consortium study group with
Bath, Copley and Northampton (now a part of the city
of Cuyahoga Falls) townships to negotiate cable TV service.
The consortium recommended, and the COG agreed, that
Complexicable Inc. should be awarded the contract.
Alameda also served as president
of the Summit County Township Association of Trustees
and Clerks. He participated in Ohio Senate hearings
battling for the rights of townships against annexation,
gas and oil well drilling operations, and sand and gravel
operations.
Alameda also worked toward the
purchase of the Bath Nature Preserve and a subsequent
bond issue to finance it.
Snow said he was the consummate
township trustee.
Alameda was preceded in death
by his wife, Anita, and is survived by his three children,
Linda, Michael and Patrick, and their families.
He was memorialized Dec. 1.
Akron General Health System,
Cleveland Clinic form affiliation
NORTHEAST OHIO — Akron
General Health System and Cleveland Clinic announced
Dec. 3 they have agreed to form a clinical affiliation,
effective immediately.
This affiliation will provide
opportunities for Akron General and Cleveland Clinic
to work together in areas that may include an expansion
of clinical services at Akron General, collaboration
on research, assistance with physician recruitment and
improving educational opportunities for medical staff
at Akron General.
As clinical affiliate of the
Cleveland Clinic, Akron General will be able to enhance
clinical care capabilities currently offered, while
retaining self-governance and independence, according
to hospital officials. In addition, the affiliation
will serve as a catalyst to develop new programs.
“This innovative approach
will serve to enhance patient care and allow both organizations
to explore truly meaningful ventures
together,” stated Alan Bleyer, president and chief
executive officer of the Akron General Health System,
in a press release. “This is a positive development,
and it comes closest to achieving our vision while recognizing
the responsibilities we have within our community.”
Currently, Akron General and
the Cleveland Clinic are working together in a program
that brings Cleveland Clinic physicians to Akron General
to treat patients at its Heart & Vascular Center.
This new agreement provides potential to replicate this
model in other clinical areas at Akron General.
‘Goods for Guns’
set for Dec. 7-8
WEST/SOUTH AKRON — In an
effort to secure as many illegal and unregistered firearms
as possible within Summit County, “Goods for Guns,”
a gun buyback program, will take place Dec. 7-8 from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, at two Jerusalem Baptist
Church locations in Akron: 1225 Vernon Odom Blvd. and
270 E. Wilbeth Road.
Participating agencies in-clude
the Summit County Sheriff’s Department, the Akron
Police Department, the Summit County Prosecutor’s
Office, Summit County Juvenile Court, Crimestoppers,
the church and Ryden Enterprise.
Guns will be exchanged, no questions
asked, for $100 gift cards for groceries or athletic
goods, according to Chris Dennis, of Ryden Enterprise.
Fund-raiser planned for
local family
WEST AKRON — A spaghetti
dinner fund-raiser is planned to support Hilary Karamas
Dec. 8 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian
Church, 1250 W. Exchange St.
The daughter of Andrew and the
late Linda Karamas, of New Franklin, Hilary Karamas
grew up in the Stow-Munroe Falls area. She is 27 and
has suffered from kidney disease as a result of a birth
defect. She received a kidney transplant in 1994, but
it failed in October 2006.
According to the family, Karamas
is undergoing hemodialysis but struggles with complications
with her central venous catheter, which was replaced
with a fistula that also is causing complications.
Karamas’ sister is slated
to donate a kidney to her Dec. 17. Hilary currently
lives with her sister and nephew in Bath and is facing
financial hardship due to medical bills, which will
continue to multiply after the surgery.
For details, call Hilary or Holley
at (330) 867-6556.
Area post offices add hours,
offer tips for holiday mailing
AKRON/FAIRLAWN —
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is expecting a busy holiday
mail season again this year, according to spokesman
Dave Van Allen, which is why the agency again will extend
its hours at area post offices.
The Akron Main Post Office will
remain open late Dec. 8 and 15, until 4 p.m.; the Fairlawn
Station Post Office will be open until 4 p.m. Dec. 8
and 15 and from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16; and the
Chapel Hill Post Office will be open Dec. 8 and 15 until
6 p.m. and Dec. 9 and 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When using first-class mail to
mail cards and packages domestically, the USPS recommends
mailing by Dec. 20. The same goes if using priority
mail service. After Dec. 20, the USPS recommends using
express mail.
The USPS advises customers mailing
to military servicepersons overseas and to international
locations to mail those packages as soon as possible.
Military mail destined for Iraq or Afghanistan should
have been mailed by Dec. 4. Other holiday overseas military
and international mail should be sent by Dec. 11. Express
mail is available after those dates.
The USPS recommends the following
additional mail-by dates: Dec. 15: parcel post; Dec.
20: first-class mail; Dec. 20: priority mail; and Dec.
22: express mail.
For more information, visit the
Web site www.usps.com.
Kostandaras forms District
1 Citizens Advisory
Committee
NORTH SUMMIT COUNTY — County
Council President Nick Kostandaras (D-District 1) has
announced his intention to form a District 1 Citizens
Advisory Committee.
The Citizens Advisory Committee
will meet semi-annually to address concerns and needs
in Summit County’s District 1, which includes
Bath, Boston, Richfield Township and Village, Peninsula
and portions of Cuyahoga Falls and Akron.
Each community in District 1
will have one representative on the committee.
“In our ever-changing county,
it is extremely important to understand the concerns
of the political subdivisions in District 1,”
said Kostandaras. “These semi-annual meetings
will serve as a bridge between the communities I represent
and the political subdivisions in which they reside.”
Annual humanitarian award
honors Salem
AKRON — The Akron Office
of Community Relations is seeking nominees for the 13th
Annual Charles Salem Humanitarian
Award to be handed out at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day
program in January.
Salem, who died in 1990, was,
according to city officials, a thoughtful, gentle and
positive man and a humanitarian as well as a strong
advocate for social justice and improved human relations
for all citizens in his community and elsewhere.
A graduate of John Carroll University,
he became an educator at The University of Akron (UA)
and was also director of admissions at UA for three
years.
This award goes to an Akron resident
and recognizes outstanding community service, high ethical
ideals, fairness, goodwill and friendship.
Last year’s winner was
Pam Hawkins, deputy director of housing operations at
the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority.
The ceremony for the 2007 recipient
will take place during the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition
Celebration Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. at the Arlington Church
of God, 539 S. Arlington St.
For nomination forms, call Billy
Soule at (330) 375-2660, or download a
form from www.ci.akron.oh
.us.
Forms are due Dec. 21 to: Billy Soule, assistant to
the mayor for community relations, 200 Municipal Building,
166 S. High St., Akron, OH 44308.
Nominations also may be faxed
to (330) 375-2468.
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