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Volume 57, No. 3
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Wolverines Shine in Summer 7 v 7s By Alan Kornspan sports@karlovecmedia.com Under the leadership of firstyear head football coach Rossi Santo, the West Geauga Wolverines are shining bright and having fun this summer. In fact, the Wolverines displayed stellar offensive and defensive skills on June 25 in four 7 v 7 games at Gilmour Academy. Taking on the Kirtland Hornets, Edgewood Warriors, Mayfield Wildcats and Gilmour Lancers, senior quarterback Finn Keenan threw 12 touchdown passes throughout the day. Keenan said that this summer has been enjoyable, and he is focused on leading his team to a successful season. “It's definitely fun,” Keenan said. “I mean, it's fun getting in the weight room and competing every day on the field. I'm just focused (this summer) on growing and being more of a leader that I know I can be.” His coach said Keenan has played well this summer. “Finn's doing a really good job for us,” Coach Santo said. “He's working hard, he's watching a lot of film.” Demonstrating an excellent passing game at the Gilmour 7 v 7, the Wolverine secondary also showed very good coverage skills. Throughout the four contests, West
G’s defense got nine stops resulting in turnovers on downs. Three of the turnovers were made by seniors Tyler Fink (2 interceptions) and Charlie Culek (1). Against the Hornets, Warriors, Wildcats and Lancers, the Wolverines went 1-0-3. In the first matchup, the Hornets struck first on a touchdown pass by standout senior quarterback Jake LaVerde. Undeterred, Keenan and the Wolverines answered quickly on the next drive with a touchdown of their own. Over the next four possessions, the Wolverines and Hornets traded touchdowns. Then, with the game on the line against last year's Division VI state runners-up, the Wolverines defense rose to the occasion and kept the Hornets out of the end zone. In their second matchup, the Wolverines faced the Warriors. This contest also ended in a draw as both the Wolverines and Warriors found the end zone twice. See Football • Page 5
ALAN KORNSPAN/KMG
West Geauga wide receiver Dominic Paros hauls in a touchdown pass in the Wolverines’ 7 v 7 victory over Mayfield on June 25.
Commissioners Vote to Guarantee Engineer Seat on NOACA Letter to State Health Dept. Criticizes O&M By Allison Wilson wilson@karlovecmedia.com
Geauga County Commissioners voted in favor of giving up one commissioner seat on the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency board to give the county engineer a guaranteed spot June 17. NOACA recently approved changing its code of regulations to reserve one of the county’s three seats for Engineer Andy Haupt and now, individual counties must ratify it, Commissioner Carolyn Brakey explained. She and Commissioner Jim
Dvorak voted in favor of ratifying the amendment last Tuesday, while Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri was absent and, therefore, did not vote on the issue. “Our other member counties have their engineers on board as voting members now,” Haupt said during last Tuesday’s meeting. “It allows a voice that supports the taxpayers of rural, Amish communities.” Many of NOACA’s constituent counties are more urban than rural, he said. “(The guaranteed engineer seat) allows roads, bridges, safety
concerns to be paramount from (the) point of technical expertise and experience that the engineer brings to that table,” he said. “Chasing, supporting and advocating for funding that we are due is one of the most important things that seat has to represent …” All of NOACA’s other counties have their engineer as a voting member and that is all Geauga wants, as well, Dvorak said. Brakey wished Haupt could be added as a fourth seat, but Geauga County does not have the population for an additional seat, she said. Resident Skip Claypool, who is Spidalieri’s alternate on the NO-
ACA board, took issue with the change. “I’m very sad about this ratification because it actually is detrimental to Geauga County,” he said, adding it is removing a commissioner voice from the board. “What has been said is that we need a county engineer at the table,” Claypool said. “That’s true and we’ve always had our county engineer at the table. They’ve always been named an alternate.” Commissioners also regularly interact with the engineer to stay up to date, he said, adding this amendment shows a lack of integrity. See NOACA • Page 10
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