MARCH 2026 VOLUME 43 NUMBER 3

BOSTON TOWNSHIP

The Boston Township minutes are posted on our website at www.bostontownship.organd outside the office of the Fiscal Officer in the Boston Township Hall. Our meetings are not currently being covered by The West Side Leader. Additionally, The West Side Leader did not cover Boston Township candidates or issues for the November 2025 election.

Zoning Update: To contact Zoning Inspector Ruben Miller, please leave a message at (330) 657-2601. Also, until further notice, the Zoning Commission will be having a work session at 5:30PM, prior to their regular meeting, on the second Tuesday of each month. They are working with zoning consultant Fred Guerra on revisions to the resolution.

Road Department: Special thanks go to Road Department assistants Jon Farmer and Tenille Craig who got us through the winter, enduring many sleepless hours. We were also assisted by Boston Heights, Cuyahoga Falls and Peninsula. Tony Chiancone from the Boston Mills Road station of the Summit County Engineer`s office gets a big shout out for all his help, not only this winter, but throughout the year. Due to the recent storms, we will be chipping branches early this year. If you have branches, please place them at the edge of your property with the cut side out. Call 330-657-2600 to advise the road crew.

Building Grant: In 2024, with the assistance of State Representative Bill Roemer, the township received a $50,000 grant for ADA improvements at the Township Hall. Recognizing that the cost will likely exceed that, the township has applied for a second grant of $50,000. Both grants would come from the state`s Capital Improvements Budget.

NOPEC No-Knock Program: NOPEC, which operates as a natural gas and electricity aggregator, has expanded their No-Knock program to townships. This program provides residents with the opportunity to register their address on a list to preclude door-to-door solicitations. At the meeting on March 11, the trustees voted to initiate this program. It will take a little time to get the program in place and when more is known, we will provide additional information.

WEBSITE: Visit our Website at www.bostontownship.org to find up–to–date Township information. Contact numbers for the trustees: Amy Anderson: 330–657–2439, Randy Bergdorf: 330–655–5698, and Mike Anderson: 330–523–8802: 330–657–4032. Fiscal Officer: Pam Schneider at 330–657–2059; Road Department: at 330–657–2600; and Zoning: Ruben Miller at 234–900–9145 or 330–657–2601.

PENINSULA COUNCIL

The village is happy to welcome new members to the Peninsula Village Team. A neighboring resident, Jacob Lovelace, is now a part of our road department. The village Board of Zoning Appeals is proud to welcome Matthew Padrutt as its newest member.

With nicer weather around the corner, the zoning department would like to remind residents to please contact the administration office if you are planning any construction work to be done on your property. This is to help ensure that you are following the zoning code before beginning any type of work. If you need an application, you may find it on the website under the zoning page and can email that to zoning@villageofpeninsula-oh.gov.

Council approved a bid project for meeting room video recordings from Great Lakes for up to $18,000 and has entered an agreement for the Valley Regional Water District feasibility study in the amount of $33,333.33. Council has curated a project list which will be uploaded to the village website for up-to-date viewing.



Upcoming Meetings and Events:
Upcoming Meetings; Council: April 14 at 7:00PM. BZA: April 28 at 6:00PM
Check the website website for any information regarding meetings, events, or updates.

Contact Information:
Administrative Office: admin@villageofpeninsula-oh.gov : 330-657-2151
Non-Emergency Police & Fire 330-657-2911
Website: www.villageofpeninsula-oh.gov

TOWNSHIP LIGHTING





Lumien Lighting of Kennesaw, Georgia featured the Boston Township school building in one of their LED landscape lighting demonstrations. The picture above is the result of their efforts.

TWO FIRE/EMS LEVIES FOR BOSTON TOWNSHIP AND PENINSULA

The May 5 Ballot will have two levies for voters to approve in support of fire and EMS services for residents of Boston Township and the Village of Peninsula. Both Capital Levies are for five years and will support providing and maintaining equipment and other related costs for the Valley Fire District. Issue 6 on the ballot is for a renewal at 2.5 mill amounting to $75 for each $100,000 in property value.

Issue 7 is for an additional 1 mill amounting to $35 for each $100,000 in property value.

Recent capital expenses have seen dramatically increased costs for replacing aging equipment.

WE ARE WOODRIDGE





Gavin Genovese placed second in the 120-weight class in the state wrestling tournament on March 15. Gavin finished the year with a 47-3 season. Congratulations Gavin.

PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP EVENT

Peninsula United Methodist Church and Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church will be joining together on Palm Sunday morning, March 29 at 9:30AM for blessing of palms and sharing in song in the lot on the corner of State Route 303 and Akron-Peninsula Road. We invite members of the community to join us.

PENINSULA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Easter Egg Hunt - Calling kids of all ages for an Easter Egg Hunt at Peninsula United Methodist Church. It takes place on Saturday, April 4 at 1:00PM in the church yard located at 1575 Main Street. The Easter Bunny will lead once again in the festivities.

Kids will be in three groups, according to age, and there will be beverages and snacks. There will also be crafts and activities. Please "bring your own basket." The event will be canceled in case of heavy rain.

Maundy Thursday Service commemorating Jesus` Last Supper is on April 2 at 7:00PM both in-person and via Zoom. The Zoom meeting ID is 734 940 8017 and the password is Pumc1575.

Sunrise Service on Easter, April 5 - We invite you to join us for Sunrise Service at 7:00AM at Pine Hollow, 5465 Quick Road. The service is outdoors (dress for the weather.) Following the service, join us for coffee, juice and donuts at the church.

Easter Morning Service will be at 10:00AM in-person at church and via Zoom. The Zoom meeting ID and password are the same as above. All are welcome.

Check our website (www.PeninsulaUMC.org) for more information.

MOTHER OF SORROWS CATHOLIC CHURCH

Residents and visitors are always welcome to participate in Holy Mass, celebrated on Saturdays at 5:00PM and Sundays at 9:30AM. When traveling, join us for mass wherever you are via live-streamed mass Saturdays at 5:00PM.

Faith and Fiction Book Club meet the second Wednesday of each month at 10:00AM for coffee with book discussion beginning at 10:30AM. Contact carolk4mos@gmail.com for location. The book for April 8 is House Calls and Hitching Posts: Stories from Dr. Elton Lehman`s career among the Amish. All are welcome.

Join us for Stations of the Cross every Friday at noon through the Lent Season. This change in time is due to the renovations occurring on the interior of the church. Weather permitting, and with the good fortune of extended daylight, we will be holding this outside. If inclement weather, then we will use our church basement.

Holy Week Mass Schedule:

On March 29 at 9:30AM, Palm Sunday Ecumenical Service with Peninsula United Methodist Church. We will meet at the SW corner of 303 and Akron-Peninsula Roads in the parking lot. Palm Sunday Mass will follow.

Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord`s Supper April 2 at 7:00PM.

On Good Friday, April 3, Stations of the Cross will be held outside, at noon. Additionally, on April 3, Passion of the Lord Good Friday Service at 3:00PM.

Easter Vigil at 8:00 PM on April 4.

Easter Sunday Mass on April 5 at 9:30AM.

Mother of Sorrows has hosted two of the three presentations during the Lent season. The presentation on the Shroud of Turin was informative and fascinating. Truly a thought-provoking presentation. The presentation by Father Lindholm, From Encounter to Discipleship, will have been enjoyed by the time of this printing. The Shroud of Turin and From Encounter to Discipleship can be watched on https://m.youtube.com/@motherofsorrows-peninsulao3151/streams. The third presentation is The Crucifixion in Art to be presented by Reverend James Daprile, Ph.D. on Thursday, March 26 at 7:00PM. Rev. Daprile serves as Pastor Emeritus of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and is a docent at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This event will be hosted at the Peninsula United Methodist Church. We are grateful to PUMC for agreeing to host this event and we look forward to sharing this experience with them. There is no cost to attend. For more information on this event contact via email carolk4mos@gmail.com or call 330.657.2361.

We are very pleased to announce that for three weeks, beginning the week of March 9, the interior of our church will be getting a fresh look. The walls and ceiling will be painted; the pews refinished and new flooring installed. This may impact some of the events that we have scheduled. Until further notice, please call 330–657–2361 or visit MOS website www.motherofsorrowspeninsula.org or email at mospeninsula@gmail.com to verify the location of any regularly scheduled meetings or special events.

VALLEY FIRE PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Valley Fire`s annual pancake breakfast will be held Sunday, May, 3, 2026 from 8:00AM until Noon. Tickets will be available at the door. Adults $12.00 and children ten and under are $6.00. The breakfast will be held at 5287 Dogwood Drive, Peninsula.

PENINSULA LIBRARY

6105 Riverview Road, Peninsula OH 44264 330-657-2291
info@peninsulalibrary.org
www.peninsulalibrary.org

Preschool Story Time
Mondays and Thursdays at 10:00AM.
Preschool Story Hour is at 10:00AM on Mondays and Thursdays. Miss Allie will share books, songs, dance, and more! This program is for ages two and up along with a parent/guardian. Please call the library to register. See dates below:

Mondays
April 6, 13, 20, 27
Thursdays
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Classic Movie Night
April 2 at 6:30PM
Captains Courageous (MGM, 1937, 117 minutes, Victor Fleming)

Tuesday Evening Book Club 6:30PM
April 14 House Calls and Hitching Posts: Stories from Dr. Elton Lehman`s career among the Amish. As told to Dorcas Sharp Hoover.

Wednesday Afternoon Book Club 1:30PM
April 22 My friends. by Fredrik Backman.

Air Dry Clay Diffuser Stones
April 29 4:00PM to 7:30PM
Make your own decorative essential oil diffuser stones using air dry clay to enjoy the aromatherapy benefits of essential oils. Reservations are requested, please call, email, or stop in the library to sign up. This program is for ages 18+.

PENINSULA POLICE ASSOCIATION

The Peninsula Police Association is holding a gun raffle. Only 200 tickets are available and the raffle will be held when all of them are sold. The donation is $10.00 per ticket. This is for a Rost Martin RM1C Bundle (Green dot Reflex sight, case, 5 mags) G-force GFY1 Bullpup Semi-Auto 12 ga Shotgun.

Contact Emily at 740-651-2014 to purchase tickets.

ANNOUNCEMENT

COUNCIL CORNER

I`m feeling very encouraged by the progress we`re making on council. Specifically, we`ve created a "Council Priorities List" that will be available on the village website. It`s a new way of working that allows council to focus on what is most important and urgent while not losing sight of other significant items. It`s also helping us assign ownership and dividing the load more efficiently so we can make steady progress. Using this list is already keeping our conversations grounded and making it easier to put our time and energy where it matters most.

I encourage everyone to take a look at our priorities list. If you`d like to provide input, reach out directly to the owner or send a message to any member of council sharing your views. If something is missing, let us know. The list will also give you a better understanding of when or where we will be working on these items. We are now meeting twice a month and we highly encourage citizen participation. The additional monthly meeting enables us to be more transparent, pass legislation more quickly, dive deeper on complex topics and devote more time to citizen participation. Hearing from you helps us make better decisions and keeps us connected to what the community cares about most.

I also want to recognize the hard work my fellow council members and the mayor have been putting in. Updating the Rules of Council was no small task and completing the newly required training has taken real diligence. These seemingly simple steps are setting us up for long term success. Recently a few of us attended a full day of training for newly elected officials. It`s the kind of behind the scenes effort that doesn`t always get noticed, but it makes a big difference in how effectively we can serve the village.

One of the next big subjects of importance to us is improving how we communicate with residents. I keep hearing "residents first" from my fellow council members. We know that keeping you informed and part of the conversation will produce the best outcomes. Over the next few months, you`ll see new efforts to share updates more consistently and opportunities for residents to engage more easily and directly. We want more feedback as we weigh decisions that impact our village. One example of improving communication is this monthly letter. We are also working on a permanent community events sign and posting video recordings of each meeting. Help us make it easier for you; we`d love to hear your ideas on how to keep you informed.

It feels good to see things moving in a positive direction. It`s true: "It takes a village" and I`m grateful for everyone who stays engaged and cares about what happens here.

Amy Frank-Hensley Peninsula Council Member afrankhensley@villageofpeninsula-oh.gov

PENINSULA LIVE 2026

The 2026 Peninsula Live events are just around the corner.

We are excited for you to join us Friday, June 5, July 10, and August 7. If anyone is interested in helping with the event please contact: Pam Schneider: 330-592-2707 (text or call) or pam9963@aol.com

For any vendors who are interested in participating or any sponsors who would like to contribute, please email admin@villageofpeninsula-oh.gov for an application.

Looking forward to another great summer.

CONDOLENCES



Richard (Dick) Stegal passed away February 22, 2026 at the age of 87. He was the son of the late Hazel and Nancy Stegal. Dick was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather and friend who proudly served his country honorably in the United States Marines. Dick was a carpenter and a member of Carpenters` Local Union #285. He was passionate about fishing and loved his time on the water.

Dick is survived by his wife of 64 years, Arlene, daughter Susan Stegal, sons and daughters-in-law: Richard and Sherry Stegal, John and Crystal Stegal, Paul and Heather Stegal; eight grand-children and one great-grandchild.

YEAR END REPORTS

The Valley Fire District Annual Financial Report for 2025 is available for review on the district`s website http://www.valleyfire.us/.

The annual report for Boston Township is available by contacting them at P.O. Box 123, Peninsula 44264.

The annual report for Union Cemetery Association is available by contacting them at P.O. Box 65, Peninsula 44264

The annual report of the Peninsula Library and Historical Society for the year 2025 has been completed. The report is available for public inspection at the office of the Fiscal Officer at 6105 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264.

WANT ADS AND SERVICES

ALEXANDER WATER: 330-923-0014.

GARAGE DOORINSTALLATION AND REPAIR: Serving our area for over thirty years Rickenbacher Door will provide garage door installation and repairs, opener installation and repairs. The owner grew up on Stine Road and is a Woodridge graduate. This business is now in their second generation of the Rickenbacher family. Call 330-794-7962. Office 3499 State Road Suite D. Cuyahoga Falls 44223
YCN rating 5+. I have been using them for all of their 30 years. Last time I called they were at my home within thirty minutes


FREE: Free aged horse manure for your garden. Will load your truck. Richfield. Balogh`s horse boarding 330-659-4748.

MOVING & JUNK REMOVAL: Helping local residents with junk removal, furniture removal and/or assembly, and moving assistance without the big price tag. Same-day & weekend jobs are welcome. Call Brad to get your quote today! (216) 299-0422

SWEETPEAS PAINTING LLC: Call local resident Shannon Sneider for all your painting needs. 216-970-8705
YCN Rating 5 Star. I was recommended to Shannon by a friend. She came soon after I reached out. She gave me a very reasonable quote. She was very personable, thorough and did an excellent job. I would highly recommend her.
YCN Rating 5 star. Wonderful job. Finished early and under estimate.


HELP WANTED: Pierogies of Cleveland in Richfield. Cashiers and Cooks. Stop in between 10:00AM and 3:00PM, Monday through Friday for an interview. 330-659-4309 https://www.poconlinestore.com/careers

TRAVEL ADVISOR: I am a travel advisor specializing in Princess and Royal Caribbean cruises and Sandals, Beaches, and Apple resorts and I can help you plan your best vacation ever!!! Contact me at LindaFisher@InfiniteMomentsTravel.com or Facebook Linda at Infinite Moments Travel and we can get you traveling.

TREE TRIMMING: Tree trimming, storm clean-up, general clean-up. Call Tom the Tree Guy at 330-760-4105.

SONSHINE CLEANING SERVICE: Residential (including Apartments), Commercial, Offices, Floors, Walls, Windows, Bathrooms, etc. $10 off first cleaning and $10 off for every referral that uses us. Three hour minimum please. Please contact Claudia Norris at (440) 915-9957. Local references available.

LICENSED ELECTRICIAN- Peninsula resident. Great rates/Quick service. Call Steve at 330-310-1061. Ohio license #El22934.


REAL ESTATE SERVICES: Your hometown Real Estate agent, looking to buy or sell your home call us. Sylvia Tonhaeuser/ Robin Shrader Remax Trends 330-329-1851. No one knows Peninsula or Boston Township better.
YCN rating 5. She was excellent as a real estate agent, very considerate, good communication and very caring of the property

PROJECT FEEDING KIDS: Find the best prices for every essential service, both residential and commercial while helping feed children in the community. We work with top brands, such as DirecTv, Dish, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, gas, electric, and merchant services. Call Kelly at 330-203-9713.

SAWMILL SERVICE: From firewood to tree removal, all the way to decks, porches, & more. We do it all, give me a call! Wells Construction/S & S Sawmill, Seth, (330) 352-0210.
YCN reader rating of 5, reporter very pleased with services.

DOG TRAINING/SERVICES: Whether you need help training your dog or help getting your dog out while you`re away, call Tim Dent 4 Dogs, LLC (330) 212–1181 or email timdent4dogs@gmail.com. Reasonable rates.
YCN reader rating of 5.

FOR SALE: Contemporary Furniture. Handmade in Boston Township. Bar Stools, Counter Stools, Side Tables, Coffee Tables, and more. Joe Griffith. (330) 701-9819. www.bluedogmodern.com. joe@bluedogmodern.com.


NEED A HAND? CALL THE HANDYMAN! Bath resident, Joshua Kastelic 15+ years experience. Honest, Quality, On-Time 330-289-8181 thehandyman_can@rocketmail.com
YCN reader rating of 5, reporter has used this service multiple times.

PET SITTING IN YOUR HOME: Precious Pets Sitting Service at 216-701-4181, precpetstr@aol.com, preciouspetsohio.square.site. Providing visits, midday walks, and overnights since 1997, rates start $20/day, Insured/Bonded, Vet Tech.

PHYSICAL THERAPY: Looking to rehab an injury or need a body tune up to prevent aches and pain? We are a concierge physical therapy that comes directly to you, gets you feeling your best, and back to doing what you love to do. We don`t treat you like another number, we treat you like family! Amy McMillin, PT, Owner of Custom Care Rehab https://customcarerehab.com. 330-618-5703 "We Are Bringing the House Call Back to Medicine"


GRIZZLY GARAGE DOOR SERVICE: "We Protect Your Door Like You Protect Your Cubs" New Door Installs - Service and Repairs…Door Revamp Package -Spring Replacement New Garage Door Openers and Repairs. WHS 2008 AlumTyler Barnhart Owner call 330-635-5565.