Around Aurora you’ll find all sorts of yard and house displays. We’ve collected a sampling of the beauty of the season for you to enjoy!
(click the pics for larger images)

The city’s century homes look beautiful in their simple and stark lighting. Inflatable yard decorations add holiday themes to the colored light strands. In Four Seasons there’s is a huge tree decorated in white lights, (how did they get them up there?) and a minimalist group of trees that look like modern art. Geauga Lake has some great decorations.

Hawthorne is decorated with an assortment of displays, lights and spotlighting. Make sure to drive through the historic district and see the City’s display of lights!

If you are getting the family in the car for a road trip to look at lights, here’s three that you won’t want to miss. At the corner of Egglestone and Taylor May Rds. in Bainbridge is a drive-thru yard, off Bainbridge Rd. west of 306 turn left on Kenston Lakes Dr. you can’t miss it, a huge display and lastly take Bartlett Rd. east a couple of miles and look on your left. Here’s some more in Aurora.

Saw an interesting show about Zombie Highways. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/zombie-highways/overview/782/

Seems the Aurora situation happens everywhere. Old traffic studies, changing traffic patterns, government $, and then the project won’t be stopped IT BECOMES A ZOMBIE! Wasting money and coming to eat you.

It all adds up to highways built when they are not needed.

by Miles Jung-Kilbreath, ReporterAurora — A new plan to bring back a joint economic development district (JEDD) for the Marketplace at Four Corners could see Aurora and Bainbridge each receive 10 percent of income tax receipts for four years, with developer, the McGill Group, receiving 80 percent, according to Mayor Lynn McGill.

“Right now, [Four Corners] uses our police and other resources, but we don’t get any income tax money from them,” he said. “This would allow us to recoup the cost of those services.”

The Marketplace encompasses shopping strips on both sides of Route 43 across from and north of the former Geauga Lake amusement park.

An original agreement between Aurora and Bainbridge was favored by Aurora, but turned down by Bainbridge trustees.

It would have had the McGill Group, which has no relationship to the mayor, being paid a one-time upfront sum of $1.2 million.

But the new proposal would spread payments to the developer over four years at an estimated $160,000 a year, while Aurora and Bainbridge would get an estimated $20,000 a year each.

McGill said after the first four years, Aurora and Bainbridge would divide the annual income tax revenue equally.

“I’m not betting on anything happening right now until Bainbridge passes an agreement,” McGill said.

BAINBRIDGE Trustee Linda White said an idea to expand the JEDD to include the Geauga Lake property and possibly other businesses along Route 43 needs more work to see if it would be feasible and beneficial for all parties involved.

She said township officials have not received the “hard income tax revenue numbers” they have asked for, and that information is needed before Bainbridge can make a decision.

“I think it’s good that we’re looking at the issue again, but more work needs to be done,” White said.

She has suggested the original JEDD zone be expanded to include the Cedar Fair-owned land formerly occupied by Geauga Lake and Sea World, but said it may be better to deal with the Four Corners area first and talk about future sites later.

Because townships can’t receive income tax from businesses or a commercial development, McGill explained forming a JEDD with an adjacent city or village is the only way a township can collect income tax.

In the future, McGill said, the city plans to work with Bainbridge on JEDD agreements before a shopping center is constructed.

He added the city had tried to work with Bainbridge on a JEDD for Four Corners when it was constructed six years ago, but that discussion “fell apart.”

According to a press release, the country club will have “free golf for the opening weekend” with guests only having to pay cart fees. It also says the club will offer “season passes, a junior golf program and various tournament formats.”

The press release does not mention whether the club is being run by the owners, Aurora Recreation LLC, or a third party.

The following points were made in a recent e-mail that is being spread among Aurora residents.  Unfortunately it is based on incorrect information, poor assumptions and the unfounded fears of a few residents that are a very small minority trying to have a large voice.  It is our experience that the negatives voiced by a few are never aggressively countered by the common sense majority based on the theory that the minority is so small that it cannot win.  Our fear is that people will be as misinformed as the author(s) or will be too shortsighted for the long term benefit of this great community.

As the e-mail states “As citizens of Aurora, we have many questions and concerns regarding the purchase of this property.”  Those questions and concerns are repeated below along with the actual facts/issues presented in the italics below each of the 8 points mentioned and the conclusion.

1)   The city does not appear to have a written business plan, detailed budget or defined20written strategy for operating the 226 acre ACC property.  Council’s and the Mayor’s comments were vague and were stated as a “giving it a shot” approach to operating the golf course.  There is no apparent recognition of the costs to maintain the 12 buildings, swimming pool, or golf course (the course alone costs nearly $450,000 per year to maintain).  These costs are readily available from the former ACC treasurer and we would like to see them factored into the city’s equation for maintaining the overall property, as a golf course or simply as green space.  There is no clarity regarding what the city would operate and what a third-party firm would operate, nor who that firm might be.  Twinsburg and Solon and other municipalities have purchased golf clubs and they have had to subsidize operating losses each year…and those properties are FAR simpler to maintain than ACC.

The former ACC Treasurer (who failed to pay the City and State Taxes on his watch) fails to point out that The City put forth an opportunity to bid to at least three, and as many as five, Golf Course Management Companies.  After reviewing the proposals the city began negotiations on a lease.  Currently there is a preliminary contract negotiated that puts the budgeting responsibility on the tenant, which is to be a golf course management company (it obviously cannot be finalized until the City owns the course).  If the Property cannot make it as a course then the City will control its ultimate use.

a)     If it doesn’t work and someone else owns it then it has the chance of becoming anything.  While it is currently zoned for 80 houses, if the City declines to take the opportunity presented to create “green space”, then a=2 0developer would have good precedent based on adjacent parcels being rezoned to obtain zoning for close to 300 homes.
b)     If the course is successful (if the city supports this great golf course it will be successful), then the city will benefit economically from taxes and profits.  According to EOS, the proposed management company, the course will be profitable (largely because there is no debt to the lender) which is evidenced by the fact that EOS is willing to bet $300,000 in working capital.  The naysayers of course are betting nothing.

The concept that city courses need subsidies is an incorrect conclusion.  Ownership typically does not dictate whether a course needs subsidy or not, it is the quality of the course and it’s business model.  This course should not be compared to lesser quality20city courses but to higher quality public play courses such as Stonewater (less land recently sold for more than $4,000,000), Little Mountain, and Red Tail.
According to EOS, Aurora Cou ntry Club is a great course that will be utilizing a business model similar to these other high quality courses that divorced themselves from the country club model and became profitable.  Business rounds will be deductible (where country club dues were not) and busy families can pay as they play (compared to monthly dues that are charged).  In addition, Aurora Country Club has the added revenue opportunities of pool passes, sledding passes, meeting halls, reception areas, weddings, etc.

2)  The purchase price City government has agreed to is $3.1 million plus $200,000 in added costs.  In a marketplace of rapidly declining real estate values a Council member stated it was a good deal as it stands and that Council had the authority to go ahead with the purchase regardless of public opinion.  The purchase price has not been negotiated. We would like to know why Mr. Banbury’s initial offer was accepted without negotiation.

The assumption that declining real estate values make this asset worth less is fictitious.  Aurora property values have lost only a small percentage of their value.  The demand in the community remains strong.  Only those who must sell are selling at a steep discount.  Additionally, the 226 contiguous acres of this beauty along with the existing clubhouse won’t come along again.  Less demand for an asset only means that motivated sellers might take less for that asset.  The fact that this asset was purchased by an investment group (Aurora Recreation LLC) indicates that it was purchased with the intent to profit and that it can withstand the economic conditions for its profit interest.  It also means that their perceptio n of value must be much higher than “concerned citizens.”

Mr. Banbury is a real estate developer who happens to be an Aurora Resident.  He has stated that his first priority was to preserve the land for the City; however, he has also stated that their company would make more money developing the land.  There is no debt/mortgage on the property; this is does not appear to be a distressed sale.

The 17,000 sq. ft .. clubhouse alone would cost over $2,000,000 to replace not to mention the several hundred thousand dollars of equipment and fixtures.  If you deduct the value of the improvements the land is being acquired for less than $5,000 an acre.  This is an outstanding deal.

3) The Mayor stated in his proposal that funding would come from the Aurora Land Fund.  (Voters approved in 2001 the creation of a Green Space Fund of $6.5 million financed by the sale of Aurora municipal bonds and so far has purchased 1550 acres of land). In his report, he did not mention the fact that there is less than $80,000 left in this fund.  This fact came out later, only as a result of a question to Council from a resident.

The Mayor and the Council have stated that they are going to sell certain, currently owned, parcels to pay off this new debt.  The fact that the City is borrowing the money at what is most likely less than 2% interest shows us that our government is smart enough to use cheap money now in order to secure a higher sales price in the future.  If the Council waits for prices to come back up, this 226 acre parcel in the heart of our city with a large commercial pool, the 2nd largest meeting areas in Aurora, and contiguous to other current green space will not be available, or will only be available for millions more.

4) Several Council members said that if the golf course operation fails, they would be satisfied to have it as green space.  It would appear that the city’s true interest is buying the property as “green space”. Yet, there are no funds available to do so, nor is there voter authorization to do so, given that the Land Fund is virtually exhausted.  Only after further resident questioning did city officials state the y would have to  issue $3.3 million of new bonds/notes to fund the purchase and then pay off the debt with the sale of currently owned green space land (which for some reason in now expendable).  When? That time is unknown.  To Whom…that is also unknown. Is this is a classic case of “buy high and sell low”  In t erms of beautiful green space…if the golf course were abandoned, within a year the former course areas: tees, fairways and greens, would look like eyesores, not attractive natural areas.

This is not a classic case of “buy high and sell low.”  It is a case of taking advantage of an opportunity and preventing a problem.  The premise of a Land Fund is to protect and to control development.  “Trading” good land for better land is a good idea. Furthermore, the improvements made to this land make it truly unique to anyone with a creative mind.  T he clubhouse and cart paths alone make this incomparable to other assets in the Land Fund.  Redeployment of unused acres provides countless opportunities (cross country skiing, snowmobiling, pool, camp, walking trails, ball fields….).
Additionally the equipment being acquired can be employed to maintain the course with no additional capital costs.  Mowing and maintenance, if not as golf course but simply green space, would be a fraction of the costs described by “concerned citizens.”
As stated above the City’s low cost of capital and ability to take advantage of this opportunity in fact makes this acquisition the perfect “Buy low sell High” scenario.

5) City authorities have apparently refused to obtain a current app raisal for the property.  The existing appraisal is over 2 years old and was completed under the assumption of a going golf course operation with several hundred equity members owning the club and paying predictable monthly dues and fees in a good economic environment. (And, it still failed as an entity). As we all know, economically things have gone downhill radically since then.  But yet, No appraisal, and No negotiation of the purchase price. Our question is…why not?

The City has been negotiating the purchase of this property for 8 months.  The City persuaded Aurora Recreation to maintain the course in the fall and winter and to incur substantial costs associated with getting the Property properly clean of all encumbrances and lia bilities.
A current appraisal is meaningless in the current economic times if the intent is to hold the asset long term.  However, the Court Appointed Receiver did perform an appraisal.  Both the current and two year old appraisals confirm that the land is worth in excess of $5 million dollars and that the highest and best use for the land (for the owner) is as a residential development.
The reason that it failed as a private club is that successful private clubs are dying based on the lifestyle of today’s family.  Residents expect more from the community and tax laws have killed the cou ntry club.  Public play, country club caliber courses w ith country club amenities are now more successful because they offer the country club experience to families that could not afford or were willing to pay for that experience for a “few times a month.”

6) According to a former board member of ACC, the ACC members attempted to sell the club directly to the city a few years ago for $2.5 million…that offer was refused.  We do not understand why this lower offer price was refused and why this higher offer is acceptable in a far worse marketplace for property and golf course operations.

The above information is incorrect.  According to the f ormer President of ACC the City offered to buy the Property for 3.5 million plus certain liabilities.  The members rejected the offer and wanted 3.8 million plus certain costs.  The City has gotten a better deal, clean title, and no liabilities from Aurora Recreation.

7) A few Counci l members have stated that it is necessary to buy this property to cut off a developer who has expressed interest in purchasing the land and then building 500 homes, which would put excessive stress on the city’s infrastructure. The maximum number of homes that the property could support per current zoning (which Council, of course, fully controls) would be 84 units.  So, this justification/rationale would perhaps appear to be another scare tactic by the city’s government to push through an emergency measure to complete this purchase NOW.  Even if Council did for some reason, rezone this property to higher density…the EPA and a raft of other issues would likely limit building sites severely, and current ingress/egress would not support the traffic generated by 500 homes.  Nonetheless, has the city’s government considered the added tax revenue that could be generated versus anyrequired infrastructure enhancements?  We don’t believe so. Is it the case that spending more of our tax dollars, stressing the city’s budget and putting each resident further in debt is more acceptable in this case than looking at the creation of new tax base opportunities?

It would be a hard argument to sell that this property shouldn’t be rezoned for additional housing, especially if it is true that the property cannot make it as a golf course.  This property sets up very well for development (maybe or maybe not for 500 homes but at what number does it beco me a negative for the city?  Most residents would prefer to protect against any additional growth when possible—be it 84 homes, 200 homes or 500 homes).  This property is so vast and beautiful that many business models could work here for developers.  The=2 0Fact that Mr. Banbury’s group, who are themselves developers, bought the Property implies it is developable.

Unfortunately, from a City’s perspective, residences are the least beneficial and most expensive on a tax base.  This is why cities without industry (such as Shaker) have such high taxes.  It is why Hudson recognized that they had to limit resident growth and why Aurora is trying to do so now.

Furthermore, where is the discussion of the jobs created and taxes collected if it maintains itself as a golf course and community center?  It would provide meeting, wedding and banquet space that are currently not available within the community.  According to the Advocate, area golf courses employ 40 plus people (not including recreation amenities such as a pool, catering, restaurant, wedding hall etc).  C2These jobs are significant in a town the size of Aurora; do we want to lose these jobs in today’s market?
As for the current homeowners living adjacent to the Property, their home values will crash should the course be developed.  Are “concerned citizens” looking out for them too?  Do any of them live on or very near the course?

8) Regarding the Ohio EPA and Federal EPA, because of the use, over many years, of chemicals /pesticides / herbicides on the operating golf course, all of the streams and lakes on this property are on the EPA “Watch List” for environmental pollution.  Should the property lose its golf course operating status, has city government investigated the possibility of or potential liability from an EPA cleanup order? Have they conducted any environmental impact studies?  Could this be a ticking time bomb?  Additionally, because of the golf course “pollution”, the property is NOT considered “Green Space” for purposes of conservation fund assistance.  Therefore, financial or operating aid would likely be unavailable from any of the conservation funds.

We are betting that the previous lenders and the most recent, Aurora Recreation LLC, were20comfortable with the environmental studies conducted and have more knowledge of the environmental status of the property than “concerned citizens.0  They would not have lent on an environmentally polluted piece of property.  This is just ranting and fear mongering.

These are only a few of the questions that need to be asked.  Action needs to be taken by Council and the Mayor to conduct proper due diligence and to provide adequate studies, answers and documentation prior to purchasing this property at any price.  As Concerned Citizens of Aurora, we implore every resident to voice your opinion on this matter.

And remember while everyone argues over the positives20and negatives of this acquisition that the investment group will most likely get tired, impatient and move quickly to achieve its profit motive.  Under the current arrangement the course will open as a golf course within weeks. The pool will be open this summer.  A restaurant and rec center are in the works as well.  If the course is not acquired by the City, the investment group could cease maintaining it as a golf course and then it will have only one option which is to develop it into something the residents don’t really want.

It is our understanding that the investment group, at its own expense, paid to maintain the course in its championship condition even though it was shut down with the city and the residents in=2 0mind.  Its preference was to do something good for the community at a less profit than to maximize profit at the detriment of the citizens (due to the ties that Aurora Recreation has with the community)

Mr. Banbury has also stated that two other national builders are interested i n the property and that he will move forward in that direction should the City decline their offer to sell it to them first.

If we don’t attend the meeting on March 9th, we could very well be $3.3 million dollars more in debt by the end of March. That, plus the $6.5 million for the existing land purchases in the Land Fund, added annual operating and carrying costs for the ACC property, and loss of the current ACC tax revenue could easily amount to a debt/tax burden of $3500 or more for each and every homeowner in Aurora.

Most importantly the City will have acquired property with value in excess of $5 million dollars.  We will take $3500 of debt (at a very low interest rate) for $5000 dollars of assets. However, as stated by the Mayor, the City intends to sell less desirable land to reduce this debt and, worse case, it can eliminate the operating and carrying costs by converting the property to green space. So we citizens will have less debt and more assets—seems like a good deal.

Best case the city will economically benefit from the property and will have its own golf course for its residents that is comparable to other high end courses fr om a design, layout and maintenance prospective.

The positive options are many and hard to quantify.   A great course that every resident can enjoy at a discounted rate, a junior golf program, league play and an exercise facility are good for the community.  The ability to drive non-aurora residents to our community will be good fo r all aurora businesses.  If the course is public, numerous outings will be marketed and sold.  Aurora will have the opportunity to make itself a recreational destination for NEO.

Also, as announced today, with the jobless rate in Portage County hitting 10.2%, up 57% from a year ago and now the highest in the region; and the City’s tax base and tax revenue heading downward, now is not the time to be creating more debt and diverting operating revenue to buy and support  the significant carrying costs for 226 acres of  added green space…

If the property is maintained as a golf course it will add jobs and collect taxes.  Otherwise we are going to be adding to the jobless rate.

Most importantly we are at a crossroads for the City.  This is the largest, most beautiful, centralized piece of land in our community.  We can choose to control it, always selling later if necessary, or we can abdicate control to Aurora Recreation or other potential Buyers.  Would we not rather have this land than 80 acres on the outskirts of town?    Would we not rather have this recreation center than buying time or space in other communities?  Would we not rather have hiking, biking, golfing, skiing trails now than having to create and spend more later?  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city.  It has been privately owned for almost 100 years.  It will not be available again.  Don’t let the naysayers and doomsday folks bargain away our future in fears of the present.  Stand up and be counted.

Aurora friends and neighbors attend this very important meeting on the 9th.
Best Regards,
Concerned Citizens of Aurora

Counterpoint Provided by:

Citizens of Aurora with Facts and Vision

In a comeback that will go down as one of the biggest in tournament history, Aurora scored six straight goals to earn a 6-5 overtime victory over Bay Village in the first round of the Baron Cup III tournament Monday at the Brooklyn Recreation Center.

Junior wing Aaron Jaskiewicz scored the game-winning goal with almost two minutes expired in overtime, erasing what had been a 5-0 deficit entering the third period.

Jaskiewicz and linemate David Walker, a senior, had hat tricks, and linemate Jester Sandsjo, an exchange student from Sweden, had five assists.

Buddy Martin had a hat trick for the Rockets, who went scoreless over the last 17:55.

“We were joking that the goals were going to come in bunches once we got that first goal, but we never dreamed they’d come in bunches like that,” said Aurora coach John Sheridan. “You just can’t imagine a comeback like that until it happens.”

From the Plain Dealer staf reports

Effective February 23: Monday, Tuesday: 11:00 – 7:00; Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 – 6:00; Saturday: 9:00-5:00 Closed on Thursday and Sunday

Seems as though there is a union involved in the negotiations, that might be why they can’t use volunteers.  More about it here

Portage County health officials said the infections occurred in December, and the department was working with the nursing homes to make sure recalled products were not being served. The agency declined to identify the nursing homes.

The salmonella outbreak, linked to a Georgia processing plant, has sickened more than 500 people in 43 states.

The Ohio Department of Health has reported that two open containers of King Nut peanut butter from a Delaware County nursing home tested positive for salmonella. King Nut Co. of Solon distributed peanut butter processed at the Georgia plant of Peanut Corp. of America.

The government has accused Peanut Corp. of knowingly distributing salmonella-tainted products as far back as 2007.

More than 400 kinds of cakes, crackers, cookies, ice cream and pet food containing peanut butter or peanut paste have been recalled. The Food and Drug Administration maintains an interactive list of the recalled products that it updates regularly.

Today marks the end of an era, albeit, a short era. But a very important era.
Today (Jan. 7) is my last day with the Advocate. It’s been a little less than three years since I joined the staff, and in that time I’ve really enjoyed myself.
This was my first “real job” out of school and I appreciate the Record Publishing Co. taking a chance on a young kid right out of school with no newspaper experience.
I am leaving to go back to college. I plan to pursue a master’s degree in education at the University of Akron.
My goal is to become a high school history teacher and get involved in coaching. I should be done in about two years, so I hope Aurora Superintendent Russ Bennett will keep me in mind then.
I’m not sure if my leaving will be a good thing or bad thing for my co-workers. In one respect, I was voted Mr. Popular by my peers at last year’s Presidents Day party.
But on the other hand, it will give all of them a chance to win some of the writing awards this year after I won the most (four) last year.
Before I leave, I have to share one story with readers. It’s a mystery and I’m up to any suggestion of what conclusions can be made.
It was about three weeks ago, right before the Salad Gal (my fianceé) and I went to New York City. We were driving to a buddy’s house to pick up his GPS.
When I pulled out of my street and on to a busy one, I saw a bright light in the sky up ahead to the left, but didn’t know what it was.
Was it a plane? No, too close to the ground and not moving. Was it a blimp? No, again, too close to the ground and too small.
Was it a tower they put in and I didn’t know about it? No, it was too close to the road and I know Silver Lake (where I live) isn’t building cell phone towers.
I HAD TO figure it out. I turned off the road to Village Hall, which is an open parking lot with a field to the left. There was nothing for the light to hide behind.
I pulled almost directly underneath it. I still had no idea what the thing was. I stared up at it and by then the Salad Gal and I were confused.
Then, like a scared cat, it took off. The bright light was moving across the sky like a dog had just seen a squirrel and was chasing it. The light moved across the sky until it disappeared behind some woods.
As it moved, I guess it was no more than 200 feet in the air, maybe less. It was about the size of a large truck or conversion van.
It looked like a spy plane. Or maybe it was a UFO.
I don’t know and we’ll never know because the Salad Gal didn’t let me chase it. Maybe I was abducted and probed, and the aliens erased my memory.
Anyone have an explanation of what I saw that night? Why would someone spy on me? Why would a UFO want to come to Silver Lake? It doesn’t make sense.
Send your thoughts, along with how much you’ll miss me and donations to pay for grad school to bhovey15@yahoo.com.
I truly have enjoyed my time working with and getting to know the people of Aurora. It’s a wonderful city and hopefully I’ll be around town sometime in the future.
What I’ll miss most is hanging out at sporting events and with players and coaches, especially being in the pressbox for football games and sitting in the sun for baseball games.
But my new career hopefully will give me a chance to do more of that — just from a different perspective.
I’ll also miss the Monday night City Council meetings and even the off-the-wall, always entertaining comments of a particular “government watchdog.”
Today might be the end of an era, but it’s not the end of it all.

Recent stories in the Adovcate has sparked discussion from Mr. Squarepeg,  read one here.  And read about Volunteer of the Year– Don Arbuckle and Heinens. 

<this is Aurora assistant football coach Brian Wervey.

It always amazes me how quickly a stadium empties once a state championship trophy has been handed over to its new owner. If it was me on the winning side, I’d want to stay all day, or all night, just to make the moment last longer. Once you exit the stadium, it’s just a memory.

Maybe that’s why Aurora defensive coordinator Brian Wervey was the last to leave the field  more