LATEST LOCAL NEWS

Macedonia, Northfield, Northfield Center and Sagamore Hills

Funeral services for Gerald Kopp will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 at Johnson-Romito Funeral Home, 99. W. Aurora Road, Northfield Center. Mr. Kopp, age 70, of Macedonia, died Sept. 4 at Hospice of Cleveland Clinic in Warrensville Heights.

Mr. Kopp was a U.S. Army veteran. He is survived by his wife, Susan (nee Rutledge); daughters Dawn Kopp of Sanibel, Fla. and Tracey Holtz of Macedonia; a son, Stephen Holtz (Andrea) of Sunbury, Ohio; grandchildren Noah and Avery Holtz; sisters Dorothy Stump (Bill) of Stow and Mary Gapas (Floyd) of Parma; and brothers William Kopp (Grace) of Olmsted Township and George Veltman (Jean) of Fort Myers, Fla.

The family will receive friends 2-5 p.m. Sept. 7 at the funeral home. Burial will be at Northfield-Macedonia Cemetery.

The Nordonia Hills Garden Club will meet Sept. 17 in the Bedell Commons Room at St. Barnabas Church, 9458 Brandywine Road, Northfield Center.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for membership sign-up, raffle and announcements. Rob Cowie, director of operations in the retail division of Suncrest Gardens, will speak on the care of hydrangeas. Last winter and spring were especially hard on hydrangeas and very few have seen flowers. Members and guests can bring concerns to share with Cowie during the question-and-answer period.

Funeral services for Jack P. Main were held Aug. 30 at Ferfolia Funeral Home, Sagamore Hills. Mr. Main, of Sagamore Hills, died Aug. 26 at Brentwood Health Care Center. He was 93.

Mr. Main, the son of Henry and Charlotte Main, was born April 12, 1915 in Cleveland. He had worked as a general foremen for Eaton Axle.

He is survived by a son, Joe N. Main (Betty Jo, deceased) and daughter, Virginia "Jinny" Huml (Roger); nine grandchildren; and 16 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor (nee Nessley).

Burial was at Northfield-Macedonia Cemetery.

Funeral services for John S. Olszewski were held Aug. 30 at St. Barnabas Catholic Church. Mr. Olszewski, of Northfield and Charlotte, N.C., died Aug. 25 at his home. He was 65.
Mr. Olszewski, the son of Henry and Mildren Olszewski, was born Oct. 18, 1942 in Cleveland. He was a U.S. Army veteran who went on to work in the telecommunications industry.
He is survived by his wife, Beverly (nee Rygiel); daughters Sharon Carriker (Randy) and Kimberly Novak (Doug); a son, Joseph; five grandchildren; and sisters Melanie Willibond (Gordon) and Mary Ann Long (Kenneth).
The family requests memorial contributions in Mr. Olszewski's name to a children's charity of the giver's choice. Arrangements by Ferfolia Funeral Home, Sagamore Hills.

Motorists traveling State Route 8 will be encounter rolling road blocks as traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction from 7 tonight through 6 a.m. Friday morning.

The work is part of a $4.3 million project to perform minor repairs and diamond grinding to the concrete pavement from Graham Rd. to SR 303 as well as partial resurfacing from SR 303 to Hines Hill Rd. The entire project is scheduled to be complete by late May 2009.

The Northern Summit County branch office of the Title and Passport Division will relocate Sept. 8 to its new location at Northfield Plaza Shopping Center, 10333 Northfield Road, Northfield Village. The location is also the new site of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Deputy Registar's Office, formerly located on Valley View Road in Macedonia.

Full Passport services will be provided to individuals who need passports. They will be able to have their picture taken and be able to submit all forms necessary to obtain their passports.

"This new location will provide our customers with easier access, more services and a more customer friendly waiting area" Summit County Clerk of Courts Daniel Horrigan said.

Title and passport services will be available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours for the deputy registrar are 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Summit County Office of Consumer Affairs has issued a warning to residents about a telemarketing company selling a five-year subscription plan and device it claims protects consumers from identity theft.

A Summit County senior citizen recently received such a call, resulting in a charge of $399.99 for the services, which the consumer did not authorize. The consumer contacted the company after noticing the amount on her bank statement but received no results. She then contacted her bank to dispute the charge with them and filed a complaint with our office to alert other consumers.

"Stopping the telemarketers is the first step you can take to avoid unwanted calls that may result in unexpected charges to your bank or credit card accounts," said Cynthia Sich, Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs. "Signing up on the National Do Not Call Registry is one of the best protections you can take against telemarketing fraud and it costs nothing to join."

Consumers can also protect themselves by carefully reviewing their bills and account statements every month. Anyone who notices unauthorized charges should contact their bank or credit card company immediately to dispute the charge and follow-up in writing with the credit card company within 60 days of the initial bill. Consumers should never give account numbers or Social Security number over the telephone unless they know the company and understand why the information is needed.

For information on how to avoid identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission's web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm. To sign up on the National Do Not Call Registry, call (888) 382-1222 or register online at https://www.donotcall.gov/.

County residents who have been charged for services or products not ordered or authorized should contact the Office of Consumer Affairs, (330) 643-2879 or visit its Web site, http://www.co.summit.oh.us/conaffairs.htm and file a complaint.

Northfield Center officials were informed earlier today that a mosquito trapped in the Marwyk Drive area had tested positive for West Nile Virus.

The district has more than 800 traps collecting some 117,000 mosquitoes for testing this season. The Northfield Center pool is the ninth location in the county this summer from which a virus-carrying mosquito has been collected. Earlier in the season, virus-carrying mosquitos were reported from two pools in the Florence Drive area of Macedonia.

In areas where the virus has been reported, SCHD reduces the number of adult disease-carrying mosquitoes through evening spraying of residential areas. Mosquito larvae are reduced by increased treatment of mosquito breeding sites in those areas.

According to district officials, most mosquitoes are not infected with West Nile Virus and most people infected with the virus have very mild or no symptoms. Less than 1 percent of people infected with West Nile virus get seriously ill. However, people who have symptoms - including high fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting and loss of appetite - two to 15 days after a mosquito bite should see their doctor and tell him or her about the encounter.

District officials are advising residents residents take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus. To avoid infection, individuals should avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when the insects are most active; wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, socks and shoes when outdoors; use insect repellent containing DEET and follow manufacturer's directions -- a concentration of 30 percent for adults and 10 percent or less of DEET for children is generally recommended.

To reduce the chances of mosquito breeding sites, residents are advised to remove all discarded tires and other water-holding containers such as tin cans and unused flowerpots and elimninate standing water; make sure all roof gutters are clean and drain properly; clean and chlorinate pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs. Keep them empty when not in use and drain water from pool covers; change water in birdbaths weekly.

Anyone with further questions or concerns about the Summit County Health District Mosquito Control Program should calll (330) 923-5600.