Leaf Thursday, April 24, 2025 Vol. 31 No. 17 • Chardon, Ohio www.geaugamapleleaf.com $1.25
Hambden Township
Thompson Township
Burrows Road Residents Asking Officials to Get in Gear By Cassandra Shofar and Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com
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Hambden firefighter/EMT Alexander Reed receives a meaningful gift at HFD’s recent annual banquet.
The “atrocious” condition of Burrows Road, which straddles the Thompson-Montville township line, has residents taking grassroots action for potential solutions. Jacqueline Ward, who lives on Burrows, said in a phone interview
she and several others who live on the gravel road are circulating three petitions addressing a speed limit, police patrols and a survey of the road by the county engineer to determine if it can support highload semi-truck traffic. Her actions originated from the Feb. 25 joint meeting of Thompson and Montville trustees, during which a plan was proposed to chip and seal the 2.2-mile stretch of road
this summer, Ward said. The project would have cost each township between $250,000 and $280,000, she said. At the meeting, Shane Hajjar with the Geauga County Engineer’s Office, outlined preparation needed, such as ditching, berming and replacing a culvert and driveway pipes. Since then, trustees have See Thompson • Page 6
Firefighter Returns to Service After Battle With Cancer
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LWV Observer Corp Keeps Eye on Community page 12
Maple Producers Honor Best of the Best
By Rose Nemunaitis editor@karlovecmedia.com Alexander Reed’s call to fire service came sometime between his sophomore and junior years at Chardon High School. A couple buddies were in the Hambden Fire Explorers program and would share how awesome their experiences were, convincing him to give it a go. “From the moment I walked into the station, I was hooked,” Reed said. “I knew right then that this was the career path I wanted to pursue.” At the time, he was enrolled in Auburn Career Center’s Automotive Technology program. He tried to switch classes, but it was too late in the year. After graduation in 2021, Reed continued with Explorers and worked a few automotive jobs, helping solidify his heart’s commitment to a future in fire services. In June 2022, he joined Hambden Township Fire Department as a probationary member and now serves as a firefighter/EMT. “I've been loving every moment of it ever since,” Reed said. Little did he know when he first See Firefighter • Page 4
Airport Authority Puts Counter-Offer on Table
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
Kimberly and Jimmy Gibson are shifting their catering business into a large entertainment center opening in early 2026 in the former Chagrin Cinemas building.
Buzzing with Big Plans The Hungry Bee is Building The Hive By Emma MacNiven macniven@karlovecmedia.com As Kimberly Gibson recalled her journey to owning her own catering business, The Hungry Bee, her emotions were palpable. “I'm a homegrown girl here,” she said during an April 14 interview. Kimberly grew up in Auburn Township, attending Kenston High School and Auburn Career Center while working her first job at the Timberfire restaurant in Bainbridge Township, which burned down in 2005. She recalled how Timberfire
wrote her admission letter for The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “I learned so many lifelong lessons at that restaurant, but the most important lesson I learned was to be humble, to be grateful for the people that patronize and support your restaurant and to appreciate your staff and co-workers,” she said. Her husband and co-owner of The Hungry Bee, Jimmy Gibson, was a chef at RED the Steakhouse in Cleveland and at Moxie in Beachwood, See Hungry Bee • Page 5
The Hive and Honey Hill, started by Kimberly and Jimmy Gibson, will serve as two separate entities. The Hive will have the restaurant, store and live entertainment while Honey Hill will serve as the event space.
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Sports page 18-19
Obituaries page 17
Sheriff’s Sales & Legal Notices start on page 20
Classifieds page 23 Single Edition $1.25