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.”

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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.

ELYRIA — In the last two months, seven city employees have received pay raises and promotions.

Documents from the city auditor’s office show the elevations in pay and position all were done at the end of June by Elyria Mayor Bill Grace, who was defeated in May’s Democratic primary.

Those receiving raises are:

• Preston Curtiss, a 16-year employee in the Street Department, who went from a service worker Class 1 with a commercial driver’s license at the base salary of $38,916.80 to a foreman with a base salary of $45,736. The promotion was effective June 29.
• Gary Kothe, in the Water Distribution Department, who went from a service worker Class 1 with a base salary of $39,208 to a foreman with a base salary of $45,736. Kothe has been with the city since November 1999.
• Rodney Eye, who went from being the Sanitation Department foreman at a base salary of $45,738 to the assistant street superintendent with a base salary of $51,617. His raise was effective June 26.
• Richard Boone, a 17-year city employee, who went from being a leadman Class 2 with a commercial driver’s license to a foreman in the Sanitation Department. The promotion had a $4,326 pay increase as he went from making a base salary of $41,410 to a base salary of $45,736.
• Katherine E. Legard, who works in the Public Utilities Department, went from being classified as a computer operator Class 3 with a base salary of $40,803 to a foreman with a base salary of $45,736.
• Koury Henderson, who was named the new assistant information technology director effective June 26. The base salary of the new position is $53,766. Henderson was a system manager with a base salary of $51,418 prior to his promotion.
• Brian Rothgery, a 21-year city employee, who went from being an IT systems manager with a base salary of $51,418 to the new director of information technology with a base salary of $65,993. His pay increase was $14,575.

Mayor Bill Grace defended the promotions.

“These people have all proven themselves,” Grace said. “I stand by all of these individuals. There is not a single position anyone could make a credible claim that these are political appointments.”

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7146 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

ELYRIA — City Council is holding off on creating a new position in the Water Pumping Department that the mayor proposes to fill with a current employee.

On Tuesday night, Council did a first reading of the legislation so members, many of whom have said still have questions, could have more time to consider the creation of the new job.

The matter will be picked up at the Aug. 1 meeting at which Council members could vote on the legislation or give it a second reading and decide in September.

The new job would be that of associate superintendent of the Elyria Water Works plant and has a starting salary of more than $61,000. Mayor Bill Grace said the job would go to current assistant superintendent Sam W. Jacob, the son of plant superintendent Sam F. Jacob.

The younger Jacob could soon obtain his Class 4 water plant operator certification from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Grace said he believes more compensation and a change of title is in order. The proposed raise would increase his base salary more than $8,000.

The higher classification will make him a sought-after employee who could be lured away to another city because he will be considered underpaid for his credentials, he said.

“We need to create an infrastructure where we can develop staff within the plant that seeks to achieve the Class 4 classification because there is an incentive to do so,” Safety Service Director Chris Eichenlaub said.

However, Mark Craig, I-4th Ward, said unless the job description for associate superintendent specifically requires a Class 4 classification, the message and incentive will not be there.

Mike Settles, spokesman from the Ohio Environment Protection Agency, said the younger Jacob received his Class 3 certificate on Nov. 17, 2009.

In order to be eligible to take the Class 4 exam, one needs at least three years’ experience as a Class 3 operator, including two years managing at a Class 3 or Class 4 facility.

However, Settles said Jacob may have accumulated some overtime that could reduce the three-year time frame, so it would be difficult to say when he would be eligible to take the Class 4 exam.

Councilman Larry Tanner, D-1st Ward, said he can’t understand why Council is being asked to decide a raise before Jacob obtains his Class 4 classification.

“I say he doesn’t get the pay until he gets the classification,” Tanner said.

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

CLEVELAND — Under normal circumstances, banged up shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera would have taken the night off Wednesday. But there is nothing normal about Cabrera when it comes to sitting out.

“He never wants out of the lineup,” manager Manny Acta said. “I have to negotiate hard with him anytime I want to give him a day off.”

Cabrera was in jeopardy of missing his first game of the season after rolling his right ankle Tuesday on an off-balance throw in the second inning.

He stayed on the field for the remainder of the inning and played short in the third before being lifted for pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall in the fourth — but only after some prodding from Acta.

“He didn’t want to come out of the game,” Acta said. “He was saying it was still early and we could rally. He was feeling so good he sent text messages (after the game) about him being able to play (Wednesday.)”

The ankle injury came a day after Cabrera appeared to be battling a leg issue for much of the night in the series opener against New York and wore an ice pack after the game.

Cabrera’s desire to play through pain was evident last year when he returned prematurely from a fractured left forearm.

“He sacrificed his numbers and everything else,” Acta said. “We could see he wasn’t 100 percent. He came back early because he wanted to play. For us as managers, you want 25 guys like that.”

Cabrera’s goal during spring training was to play in all 162 games this season, but that likely won’t happen with Acta hinting that his All-Star shortstop would get a day off in the upcoming four-game series against Toronto.

Back in there

As was expected, first baseman Matt LaPorta was activated from the disabled list, where he spent three weeks with a sprained right ankle. He was in the lineup, batting eighth.

Reliever Josh Judy was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus to clear room on the roster for LaPorta, who entered Wednesday batting .242 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 59 games.

“It means a lot to our lineup,” Acta said. “Despite being up and down a bit, he ranks up there in home runs (third) and RBIs (fifth) on our club.”

Slidin’ Sizemore

Grady Sizemore has struggled at the plate for the majority of the season, entering Wednesday batting .230 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 52 games (68 strikeouts).

“What we’ve seen is clearly a player with the ability to be a good major league player,” general manager Chris Antonetti said. “Anybody’s going to go through stretches when he’s less productive than others.”

Sizemore and struggling right-hander Fausto Carmona are in the final year of their contracts, with the Indians holding options for next season on both — Sizemore at $8.5 million and Carmona at $7 million.

“Our collective focus is on this year’s team,” Antonetti said. “We’ll address those issues in the offseason.”

Next up

The Indians continue the homestand with a four-game series against Toronto that begins tonight at 7:05.

RHP Zach McAllister will make his big league debut for Cleveland in the opening game, opposing RHP Carlos Villanueva (5-1, 3.24).

Mitch Talbot (2-5, 5.60) starts for the Indians on Friday (7:05) against LHP Jo Jo Reyes (3-7, 4.85), while Josh Tomlin (10-4, 3.78) goes Saturday (7:05) against RHP Brandon Morrow (5-4, 4.73).

Carlos Carrasco (8-5, 3.95) pitches the series finale for Cleveland on Sunday (1:05), while the Jays counter with LHP Brett Cecil (1-4, 6.37).

Still waiting

The Indians have yet to sign their first-round draft pick (eighth overall), shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Cleveland scouting director Brad Grant didn’t predict a problem agreeing to terms with the
17-year-old native of Puerto Rico, and Antonetti didn’t seem concerned.

“We feel confident that Francisco wants to play baseball and wants to begin his professional career,” Antonetti said. “There is collective interest and we will work hard to bring him into the organization.”

Lindor has committed to Florida State University.

Minor details

• Reliever Chen-Chang Lee did not allow a run in his first four games for Columbus through Tuesday, striking out 12 over 62⁄3 innings. The non-drafted free agent (2008) from Taiwan was promoted from Double-A Akron after going 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 392⁄3 innings (23 games) for the Aeros.
• Akron’s T.J. McFarland, a left-hander with a 5-4 record and 4.09 ERA, was named Eastern League pitcher of the week (June 27-July 3) after leading the EL in WHIP (0.33), opposing batting average (.048) and ERA (0.00). McFarland was a fourth-round draft pick in 2007.

Roundin’ third

• Acta said outfielder Travis Buck (hamstring) was available off the bench and would most likely be in the lineup tonight. Buck hasn’t played since Friday.
• In honor of Asdrubal Cabrera (No. 13) and Chris Perez (No. 54) being selected to the All-Star Game, the Indians are offering $13 tickets in the mezzanine, lower reserved, upper box and upper reserved sections, and $54 tickets in the outfield club seats. The promotion begins today and runs through Sunday.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.