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Volume 11, No. 7
Friday, February 6, 2026
‘Selfless’ Service Earns Sams Kiwanis Citizens of the Year Honor
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Coffee with Council Coffee with Council is Saturday, March 21 10-11 a.m., at Kirtland City Hall. For more information, contact Joe Smolic at 440-487-8984 or JSmolic@ kirtlandohio.com
CHRONICLE By Brandon Lichtinger editor@karlovecmedia.com
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CHUCK BICKART
Mary and Mike Sams showcase their Kiwanis Club of Kirtland’s Citizen of the Year award during a banquet in their honor Jan. 15.
On a frigid Jan. 15, Kiwanians and their friends and family braved the snow to honor the Kiwanis Club of Kirtland 2025 Citizen of the Year award recipient at Sausalito Kirtland. A tradition dating back to the club’s founding in 1961, the award recognizes an individual or couple who has made a positive impact on the city. Recipients are chosen through nominations and are not notified in advance. The announcement is a surprise, with family and friends hidden backstage until the winners are revealed. This year, Mike and Mary Sams were among the first to arrive. Mary needed to put the finishing touches on the table centerpieces. As guests filtered into the banquet
hall, she moved from table to table placing plates beneath the arrangements, unaware that she and her husband would soon be named the 2025 citizens of the year. “We sent out a nomination to the whole Kirtland community,” said Tom Dice, a Kiwanis member for 52 years and a member of the Citizen of the Year award selection committee. “It’s (meant to recognize) people in the community who do things in the community.” The award may be given to Kiwanis or non-Kiwanis members, Dice said, adding that slightly more than half of the recipients over the years have been club members. Once attendees came in from the cold, greeted one another and took their seats, the Sams were formally announced as this year’s honorees. Family and friends emerged from back rooms where they had See Citizens • Page 4
‘TSTLE’ Guiding Philosophy for Girls Basketball By Alan Kornspan sports@karlovecmedia.com What is the purpose of high school sports? That, of course, is an important question to ponder. Certainly, a main goal for team sports athletes is to try to outscore an opponent or to strive to win, but hopefully not at all costs. But maybe even more important than striving to win is the fun and life lessons our student-athletes learn on their journey towards autonomy. For Hornets Girls Basketball Head Coach Paul Force, a sound philosophy of purpose is the building block of which his program is built. Coach Force calls his philosophy “TSTLE.” TSTLE is an acronym for the five guiding principles which Coach Force teaches: Trust, Strength, Togetherness, Love and Enthusiasm. “We talk about being a basketball family,” Coach Force said. “At the end of the day, with high school See Basketball • Page 5
ALAN KORNSPAN/KMG
Anna Dumstorff, jump shot right, scored 14 points against Madison.
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