SHEFFIELD LAKE — When the Gaspar family received its June water and sewer bill in the mail, they thought they’d soon be drowning in red ink.

Sheffield Lake residents Joseph and Stephanie Gaspar show their water bill, which added up to $48,955.33. They’re smiling because the city has resolved the error. (CT photo by Bruce Bishop.)

“I called my husband as soon as I saw it and asked him if he thought we could have a bad leak somewhere,” Stephanie Gaspar said. “When he heard the amount, he said we would have had a sinkhole.”

The couple, who reside on West Shore Boulevard with their two children, were initially shocked to see a June bill totaling $48,955. The amount rose to an even more eyeball-bulging $55,829 if they dawdled and didn’t pay up till after the July 15 due date.

After the shock wore off, they figured it was a simple error, which it was.

“The machine simply added an extra digit,” Len Smith, Sheffield Lake’s service director said in explaining how the household’s typical monthly bill of approximately $100 rocketed into utility heaven.

The family wasn’t exactly sure how much water they typically use, but knew they hadn’t had any overflowing sinks, toilets or garden hoses left on.

“I posted in on Facebook and was getting back the usual ribbing,” Stephanie Gaspar said. “There were things like, ‘You must have got the village’s bill, too,’ or ‘You gotta stop taking those long showers.’ ”

A nursing student, Stephanie grew up in Cleveland but has lived in Sheffield Lake for years. The family moved into their West Shore Boulevard home from another address in town about three years ago.

Joseph works as a supervisor for Time Warner Cable. The couple’s two children, Emily 15, and Jake, 13, also were amused by the monstrous bill.

“That’s probably what Kalahari’s bill is a month,” Jake said.

The $48,955 figure included $33,851 for sewer charges, and $14,858 for water usage.

Once the bill was recalculated, it showed a much more manageable balance of $70.46, according to Smith.

The city Service Department realized the error about as quickly as the Gaspars did and sent a brief letter of apology that arrived Wednesday, a day after the city heard from the bemused household.

“Naturally we’re sorry for the error, and let them know that it was a miscalculation,” Smith said. “Our girls are really good at what they do.”

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

CLEVELAND — Orlando Cabrera has officially fought off Cord Phelps’ bid to replace him as the Indians’ second baseman.

Phelps was demoted Thursday to Triple-A Columbus, ending his 29-day stay in the majors. The rookie batted .196 with one home run and five RBIs in 19 games with the Tribe.

“We decided to send him down so he could play every day,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “Since Orlando has been playing so much of the time, and playing well, I didn’t think it was fair to Phelps to be sitting so much.

“When I talked to him last night, I told him he should consider himself blessed and grateful. How many kids can play big league baseball when you’re only three years out of Stanford? That’s what he did.”

Phelps was called up from the Clippers on June 8, largely to put a fire under the 36-year-old Cabrera, who was not playing well in the field or at the plate.

Not coincidentally, the “O-Dog” turned things around at that point, going 21-for-71 (.296) with 10 runs in his next 20 games.

Phelps, meanwhile, not only struggled with the bat, he was very shaky playing second base.
The 24-year-old switch hitter committed five errors in his first 12 major league appearances — just one fewer than Cabrera has in 73 games at second.

“Phelps struggled defensively up here, but we know he’s got a very good glove from the minors,” Acta said. “He wishes he had played better defense, but he felt the same way we did that he hit pretty well for us.”

With Phelps back in the minors, third baseman Jack Hannahan served as utility infielder for the series opener vs. Toronto.

However, Acta hinted that Hannahan will only spend one night in that role. Pitcher Zach McAllister was sent to Columbus after the game, allowing the team to promote third baseman Luis Valbuena. He can also play second base and shortstop.

Valbuena is batting .314 for the Clippers and was named to the International League All-Star team. Jason Donald, another candidate to be called up, is at .286 after missing 60 games with knee and hand injuries.

Second baseman Jason Kipnis also was chosen for the Triple-A All-Star Game and is hitting .301, but Acta said he would not be getting the call.

Feisty Fausto

Pitcher Fausto Carmona, who is on the DL with a right quadriceps strain, tossed the baseball from 60 feet prior to Thursday’s game. He will throw a bullpen session on July 13 when the Indians return from the All-Star break, then return to the starting lineup five days later.

“We’re going to push Fausto to the back of the rotation so he’ll have as much time as possible,” Acta said, breaking into a smile. “I’ll give you the rest of the news about my rotation in a couple of days, but if you want to start working backward from Carmona now, be my guest.”

Carmona is 4-10 with a 5.78 ERA in 18 starts this season. The 2010 All-Star has given up an American League-high 67 earned runs and ranks second in the circuit with 10 losses (one behind Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie).

Scuffling speedster

Left fielder Michael Brantley went 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base Wednesday in the series finale against the Yankees, preventing him from going hitless in the three-game series.

After batting .297 in April, the Indians’ leadoff hitter has seen his average drop in each successive month. Brantley hit .278 in May, .231 in June and was at .208 in July before Thursday night’s game.

“He went through a rough spot, but Michael knows the strike zone real good, so those guys can work their way out of things pretty well,” Acta said. “I was really happy with the way he swung the bat last night.”

Brantley went 0-for-8 in the first two games of the New York series, making him 16-for-87 (.184) over his last 22 games.

Minor details

• Columbus closer Zach Putnam allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in 11⁄3 innings Wednesday, allowing the Louisville Bats to steal a 3-2 home victory. It was Putnam’s first blown save in eight opportunities this year and ruined a terrific performance by Justin Germano, who took a perfect game into the sixth while making a spot start.
• Second baseman Tyler Cannon had a run-scoring double among his two hits, but Double-A Akron dropped a 4-1 decision to the Altoona Curve. Joe Gardner took the loss after allowing four runs in six innings.
• Ace pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz tossed eight shutout innings for Single-A Kinston in its 3-1 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats. The talented lefty, who is 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, is rumored to be in line for a promotion to Akron next week.

Roundin’ third

• McAllister became the sixth Indians player to make his MLB debut this season. The others are Phelps, outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, reliever Josh Judy and starter Alex White.
• The Tribe owns the best home record in the AL at 27-15 and is 3-1 on its seven-game homestand following the win Thursday night.

Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.

CLEVELAND — Matt LaPorta took full advantage of the national spotlight to announce his return to the Cleveland Indians lineup Wednesday.

Laporta

Just hours after coming off the 15-day disabled list (right ankle sprain), LaPorta showed a national ESPN audience why he was the cornerstone of the trade that sent 2007 Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers three years ago today. He went 2-for-4 with singles in his first two at-bats in the Indians’ 5-3 win over the New York Yankees.

LaPorta, who was receiving treatment on his ankle after the game and was unavailable for comment, also made a pair of fine defensive plays, one diving to his left to snare a shot by Nick Swisher that looked destined to be a double down the right-field line in the second inning to preserve Cleveland’s 2-0 lead.

“When the defense makes plays like that it gives me extra confidence to just go out there and pitch,” said Justin Masterson, who pitched eight shutout innings to earn his seventh win of the year.

For LaPorta, the injury gave him a chance at a new beginning. Prior to turning his ankle while getting caught in a rundown in a June 17 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was mired in a 17-for-85 slump over his previous 25 games.

“This is a really important year for (LaPorta) for his development,” manager Manny Acta said. “We need him to stay healthy and continue to learn and improve.”

Since making his major league debut, LaPorta has yet to live up to the hype that came along with being one of the top prospects in all of baseball and being selected with the No. 7 pick in the first round by the Brewers in the 2007 draft. He was also a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team that brought home the bronze medal from Beijing.

Over his first three seasons, LaPorta’s career average is just .234. His home run numbers have increased from two in 52 games his rookie season to 12 in 110 games in 2010. So far this season he has hit eight homers in 60 games.

If he’s to ever claim his place among the elite first basemen in the American League, however, his home run output likely needs to double. After hitting .254 in 2009, he slipped to .221 last season. He is hitting .248 this season.

Even after his early season struggles, LaPorta ranks ninth among American League first basemen in batting average and RBIs (31).

One thing LaPorta has done well in his career is hit against the Yankees. He had the highest career average (.303) against New York of any Indian in Wednesday’s starting lineup. Earlier this season, he had a two-hit, two-RBI game in an 11-7 loss at Yankee Stadium.

“He’s definitely an important bat to have back in the lineup,” Acta said. “He’s been up and down this year but he’s always a threat every time he steps up to the plate.”

Contact Todd Shapiro at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

Elyrians need to look no further than Lorain’s Lakeview Park for an example of what the Lorain County Metro Parks can do when it partners with a city to operate a park.

The road’s deterioration has led to the closure of the loop that runs through the east end of Elyria’s Cascade Park. (CT photo by Bruce Bishop.)

In less than five years, the Metro Parks has resurrected Lakeview Park, renovated the bath house for daily use and restored the rose garden, including the introduction of the Rose Cafe, which is operated daily by DeLuca’s Place in the Park. The Metro Parks took over operations of Lakeview Park in 2006 after Lorain City Council agreed to a 50-year lease and the results speak for themselves.

“It’s a beautiful and safe place to go,” said park lover Kim Aulisio of Elyria. “That’s not to say Cascade Park is not those things, but there is a big difference.”

Click here to view more photos.

It was former Lorain Mayor Craig Foltin who asked the Metro Parks system to assume control of Lakeview Park in 2005.

“We did the best we could do, but make no mistake: No one can do what the Metro Parks do. That is their expertise. They have the horticulturists, the expertise and the wherewithal,” Foltin, now the current executive vice president of administration and finance at Cuyahoga Community College, said Wednesday.

Looking back, Foltin said it was the best decision for the park, and he is not surprised to hear Mayor Bill Grace is leaning toward doing the same thing with Cascade Park.

Tuesday night — the same night City Council voted to accept the Cascade Park Redevelopment Plan, which is a 25-year master plan for the park, which was bestowed to Elyria by city founder Heman Ely — Grace spoke candidly about possibly giving Cascade Park to someone else. He reiterated those ideas Wednesday.

“For every person I talk to that says we need to keep the park, there are 10 who encourage me to look to the Metro Parks,” he said. “Cascade Park is just not meeting its potential right now. It’s been slipping since probably the late 1960s, and now we are in a position where we just can’t keep up with what the park needs.”

The Metro Parks is not actively looking to take over the park, and Council has yet to formally ask the parks system to take over Cascade Park.

But that doesn’t mean some kind of Metro Parks involvement is not on the minds of many residents.

“Just think about how long the bathrooms have been out of order or the water fountain broken. It comes a time when we can’t be afraid to swallow our pride and let someone else do it,” said Aulisio, 40.

Walking through Cascade Park on Wednesday night with a water bottle and large walking stick, 61-year-old Harold Moore said he has seen fights and vandalism in Cascade.

“The Metro Parks are kept up and are very nice,” he said. “Cascade is going down.”

Getting funds

Metro Parks Director Dan Martin said a lot of factors must be considered before any partnership agreement can be forged. He said he knows the questions he is going to be asked by the Metro Parks board before he even opens his mouth with the idea.

“We have done partnerships with lots of other communities and would go through the same review process in looking at Cascade Park,” he said.

Martin said city elected officials must be on board, the public must be in favor of the partnership and a community leader must be present in Elyria to rally community support to make the partnership work.

“It takes a strong community leader to make such a partnership possible,” Martin said. “The only way you are going to fix Cascade Park is a partnership.”

The Metro Parks pumped $3.5 million into improving Lakeview Park and $1.9 million of that money came from the community through a fundraising campaign spearheaded by business owner Bob Campana.

Planning

Next, Martin said crafting a doable plan for Cascade Park is important.

“Every project we do is something we know we can accomplish with community support and a reasonable amount of money,” he said. “I think what the Metro Parks is known for is saying what they are going to do and then doing it.”

The Cascade Park Redevelopment Plan does not include any mention of the city not operating Cascade Park, but it does spell out how changing the image and look of Cascade Park and the surrounding area will not be cheap or easy. Costs estimates range from $4.45 million to $35.81 million over 20 to 30 years.

“We have meager means to act on this plan right now,” Grace said.

Martin said it would be premature for him to comment on how much it would take to turn Cascade Park around.

“It’s a spectacular place,” he said of the park. “But do we fix it or does someone else fix it? I can’t answer that question. I can say it would be a challenging project. I would be glad to listen to what the public has to say.”

Seeking input

To that end, Grace said he is planning to hold at least two meetings this summer to gauge public opinion. The meetings would be followed up with a phone survey.

“We want the community to weigh in on this,” he said. “And, I think by those talks taking place now it would take away from the political partisanship that could take place with the next administration. I am obviously not doing this for any political motive. I just know this park is deteriorating by the month.”

Foltin said a Lorain resident put the bug in his ear to contract with the Metro Parks.

“We were in the process of trying to raise money to renovate the rose garden and realized that even if we raised the money to restore it, what it took to maintain the park would be more than the city could ever afford,” he said. “I think hindsight shows it was the right decision for the city and the park.”

Foltin said the initial idea was met with a lot of backlash. But in the end, he thinks a good agreement was worked out with the Metro Parks.

“Giving away the jewel of the city is not necessarily a popular decision,” he said.

Under the contract between Lorain and the Metro Parks, Lorain has the opportunity to weigh in on the master plan, though the parks system has the final say. The Metro Parks is in total control of Lakeview Park including capital improvements, employment, maintenance of all buildings and grounds, and development of an overall master plan.

In addition, Lorain can evaluate the arrangement every 10 years and end it if necessary. However, if Lorain decides the arrangement should be terminated, the contract requires city officials to reimburse the Metro Parks for all money it invested in capital improvements.

“I wouldn’t look for that to happen any time soon,” Foltin said. “Not under the city’s fiscal situation.”

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.