April 14 - 28, 2016 Volume 7 :: No. 8

CommunityNews!

StandardServing Bedford 7 Years!

The Bedford

see APRIL 24 page 2

BHS Madrigal Singers take the Gold in NYCBHS MADRIGAL SINGERS TAKE THE

GOLD IN NYC

The Bedford High School Madrigal Singers traveled to New York City over their spring break to compete in the WorldStrides Onstage Heritage Festival. The chamber choir competed with 27 other choirs from around the country and earned the Superior rating of GOLD! This was the top rating at the Festival.

Students performed in front of three judges and a live audience at the Riverside Church in Upper Manhattan, a beautiful, historic church where Martin Luther King, Jr. once spoke. After the performance and a 15-minute clinic with one of the judges, the Madrigals managed to squeeze in some shopping and sightseeing on 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Center.

They reconvened back at the Riverside Church with 1,200 other student participants for the Awards Ceremony. Not only did the Madrigals receive their

Gold rating at this ceremony, but senior Shamari Jenkins was chosen for a Maestro Award for her beautiful singing and stage presence, which caught the eyes and ears of the judges. Shamari was one of only 14 students in the entire competition who won this prestigious award. After the Awards Ceremony, all of the participants boarded the Circle Line Cruise Ships for dinner and dancing, which was a huge hit with the students, as they reported that seeing the city skyline lit up at night was breathtaking.

“Prior to the competition, we were able to spend some time in Central Park, Times Square, had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, saw Aladdin on Broadway (which was spectacular), took a ferry boat to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and visited the 911 Memorial in Battery Park,” said Sarah Johncock, Bedford High School music teacher and director of the Madrigal Singers. “The students even did some singing while we were sightseeing,

drawing a large crowd every time. The students had such a good time and were so well behaved. They represented our school with much class and dignity and we all had an experience of a life time!”

The Madrigal Singers raised money themselves and as a group in order to attend this festival.

PHOTO: Row 1: Shamari Jenkins,

Sophia McDaniel, Ashonti Riase, Amber Childs, Khemi Salahuddin

Row 2: Kyra Wright, Diana Ndege, Danielle Harris, De’Shawna Riley, Imari Menefee

Row 4: Mansfield Johnson, Elijah Bell, Andrea Harris, Michael Britten, Sarah

JohncockRow 4: Brandon Thomas, Daykwon

Daniels, Antoine Magic, Sammie Johnson

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Bedford Historical Society SpotlightJoin us for our Annual Dinner on

Thursday, May 5th at La Casa Bella Party Center!

We will honor our Volunteer of the Year, get an update on goings-on at the Society and hear from Dr. Jarrod Burks about the Serpent Mound and other ancient sites in Ohio.

Tickets are $25 per person and must be

received by Friday, April 29th.Choice of Roast Beef, Salmon or Pork

Chop.

You can mail a check or pay by credit card:

Over the phone, call 440-232-0796On the Web: www.

bedfordohiohistorystore.org/

By mail: Check payable to Bedford Historical Society, PO Box 46282, Bedford, OH 44146

Call 440-232-0796 with questions or e-mail dbestmizsak@bedfordohiohistory.org

Upcoming Events

Saturday, April 23rd, 10amVictorian Tea, Old Church on the

Square Saturday, April 30th, 10am –4pmNortheast Ohio Local History FairEllenwood Recreation Center

Join in the Fun April 24 at Bedford High SchoolMark your calendars for April 24th,

which is “Sunday FunDay” in the Bedford City School District. Plan to spend the morning at BHS with neighbors, friends and family, and compete in a 5-mile or a 2-mile race or enjoy a more leisurely 2-mile walk, feast on a delicious pancake and French toast breakfast, and enjoy a

myriad of marvelous student artworks at the District Art Show.

Bedford Schools Foundation Run/Walk

The day begins with the 23rd Annual Bedford Automile Run/Walk sponsored by the Bedford Schools Foundation.

Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the race starts at 9 a.m. Participants can choose from a 5-mile Run or a 2-mile Run or Walk. Registration is $22 (postmarked by April 20) or $25 on race day. Age12 and under is $12. Registrants will receive a moisture management t-shirt, while supplies last, and a free all-you-can-eat

pancake/French toast breakfast (valued at $7) in the cafeteria. Proceeds go toward scholarships for Bedford High School graduating seniors. Event co-sponsors are the Bedford Auto Mile, UH Bedford Medical C e n t e r , Road ID,

2 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

2016

103

The Bedford Standard

Celebrate World Red Cross Day by Giving BloodThe American Red Cross encourages

eligible donors to make an appointment to give blood and help save lives in honor of World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

Each year, the local and global impact of the Red Cross mission is celebrated on May 8, the birthday of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement founder Henry Dunant.

Currently, donors of all blood types are needed to give and help save hospital patients’ lives. Every day, the Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood donations to meet the needs of patients across the country.

To make an appointment to give blood, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities

Cleveland Heights5/2/2016: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Cleveland

Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd.

Garfield Heights5/2/2016: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Garfield Hts

Civic Center, 5407 Turney RoadWalton Hills

5/9/2016: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Walton Hills Village Hall, 7595 Walton Road

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good

health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

Automated Packaging Systems, Morgan Stanley and Road ID. For more information, contact Bud McNellie at bud_mcnell ie@bedfordfoundation.net or call 440-247-3129. Flyers, course maps, photographs, online registration and race results are available at www.bedfordfoundation.net.

Bedford Rotary Club Pancake/French Toast Breakfast

The Bedford Rotary Club will sponsor its longstanding, popular all-you-can-eat pancake and French toast breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bedford High School cafeteria. Adult tickets (ages 13 and up) are $7; children (ages 6-12) are $3; and children five and under are free. Tickets are available at the door. Guests can also

enter a raffle for four tickets to a Lake County Captains game, a 32” television and gift baskets. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5. Ticketholders need not be present to win.

Bedford City School District Art ShowThe annual District Art Show will be set

up in the high school cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More than 3,500 student works of art from Bedford students in grades preschool through 12 will be on display, including paintings, drawings, hand-crafted jewelry, clay projects, masks and handmade dolls. High School students will demonstrate pottery making. Admission is free.

All activities are open to the public.

APRIL 24 FROM PAGE 1

April 14 - 28, 2016

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 3

Celebrating 5 Years of Award-Winning Journalism in Central Ohio www.thenewstandard.com

The Bedford Standard

Check out our new site at

thebedfordstandard.com

THE PURR-FECT PLACE 715 Broadway Bedford, OH (440)232-9124

Trinkets, Treasures and Collectibles Hours: M, T, W, TH, F, S

11:00 AM to 4:00 PM Closed on Sundays

All proceeds benefit

Valley Save-a-Pet, Inc.

Two Cleveland Metroparks Naturalists Earn Prestigious Educator Awards

Two Cleveland Metroparks Naturalists received awards at the National Association of Interpretation (NAI) Great Lakes (Region 4) Conference Tuesday, March 22 in Newark, OH.

Watershed Stewardship Center Naturalist Debra Shankland and Rocky River Nature Center Naturalist Jen Brumfield were honored by the NAI.

Shankland received the Master Front Line Interpreter Award, and

Brumfield was honored with the Outstanding New Interpreter Award.

Both awards were each presented to only one Region 4 NAI member who has worked in their profession for at least five years. Shankland is a 21-year veteran of Cleveland Metroparks, and is based at the Watershed Stewardship Center in Parma. She leads watershed and conservation-based programs for diverse audiences on a daily basis, and is widely-regarded as a front-line interpreter by her peers.

Brumfield has worked as a full-time Naturalist for Cleveland Metroparks since 2013, and as such has connected thousands of people to nature at both the Watershed Stewardship Center in Parma and at the Rocky River Nature Center. She is perhaps best known for her birding trips across Ohio’s lakefront. In 2015, she was responsible for an award-winning post on Cleveland Metroparks Facebook, which reached over one million people touting a

mass migration of Monarch butterflies at Wendy Park.

Brumfield also has illustrated six field guides in The Fascinated Naturalist’s Guide series, and has won multiple awards for the Birds of Cleveland Metroparks version. She currently coordinates the Birds of Prey weekend and the Steelhead Expo at the Rocky River Nature Center.

Bedford Household Hazardous Waste Round-UpApril 1 - April 29: Items may be

dropped off at the Service Garage, 100 Solon Road, between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (no after hours drop off ).

There will be a special drop off on Saturday, April 23 from 8:00 a.m. to

noon. The following can be dropped off:

oil or solvent based paint, sealers, primers, or coatings - Varnishes, polyurethanes, shellacs - Paint thinner, mineral spirits, turpentine - Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides

- Caustic household cleaners - Automotive fluids, motor oil, car batteries - Adhesives, roof tar, driveway sealer - Kerosene, gasoline, lighter fluid - Mercury, flouescent bulbs.

No latex paint accepted,

Bedford residents only. Any questions, contact the Service Department at 440-735-6583.

Linda J. How, Elder-Law Lawyer “Making Sense of the Law”

“ABD MEDICAID” PAYS FOR LONG-TERM CARE IN A NURSING-HOME FOR POOR PEOPLE WHO ARE AGED, BLIND OR DISABLED. AND QUALIFYING FOR ABD MEDICAID IS VERY COMPLICATED!

SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW TO PREPARE FOR “ABD MEDICAID”? Avoid any Medicaid “penalty period.” (If you don’t know

what that is or how to avoid it, you need help!) Save your financial records. (If you don’t know what to

save or what Medicaid is looking for, you need help!) Keep a medical diary. (If you don’t know what events you

should keep track of or why, you need help!)

And for FREE education on estate planning, attend Linda How’s Workshop, “Seven Threats to Your Family Security”

Presented at two different times (in Bedford): Monday evening, MAY 9, 2016 FROM 6 TO 8 PM

Wednesday afternoon, MAY 11, 2016 FROM 2 TO 4 PM

FOR AN APPOINTMENT OR TO ATTEND A WORKSHOP, CONTACT LINDA HOW AT 440 (786-9449) OR law@lindahow.com

Bedford Computer Round-Up

April 1 - April 29: Items may be dropped off at the Service Garage, 100 Solon Road, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (no after hours drop off ).

There will be a special drop off on Saturday, April 23 from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

Items accepted: CPU’s, monitors, keyboards, printers, software, and cell phones.

No televisions. Bedford residents only - no

businesses.

April 14 - 28, 2016

4 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio4

Standard

The Bedford Standard

As a new school year begins and summer slowly turns to fall, I think about how the world is constant-ly changing. For some people, change is feared and avoided, for others change is exciting and seen as presenting new opportunities. Whichever view you have, change is certainly inevitable.

Those of you who have been patients of Jane L. Dodson, DDS & Associates may have noticed changes in our office.

After meeting your dental needs at 88 Center road for the past 29

years, Dr. Dodson is making a change. She is transitioning into a new career about which she is very excited. We wish her well in her new adventure and know that she will be very successful. I am proud that she has chosen me, Dr. Mychael Davis, to carry on the tra-dition that she has established over these many years. High quality dental care in a caring atmosphere will continue to be the focus of our practice. I have practiced in this area for 29 years, and am honored that you have accepted me as your new dentist.

We’ve had some other staff chang-es as well, all with the never end-

ing goal of improving our service to you. And we’ve made a slight change in the name, to Bedford Dental Associates, to emphasize our commitment to our community and to you.

Thanks for your continuing con-fidence in us and for letting us be a part of your health care team.

Yours in Health,Mychael E. Davis, D.D.S.Dr. Mychael Davis

Changes

Bedford Dental AssociatesMychael Davis, DDS

88 Center Rd. Bedford #330, 44146 (Next to Bedford Hospital)In the University Hospital Health Center- 3rd Floor

bedforddentalassoc@gmail.com

www.BedfordDentalAssociates.com

CALL 440-439-2230 for an appointment!Financing Available - We Accept Many Insurances

Back to School teeth cleaningnew Patient exam & x-RayS

$79.00Bedford Dental AssociatesJane L. Dodson DDS and Associates

CALL 440-439-2230 for an appointment!Present this coupon at time of service. Cannot be combined with other coupons.

Expires June 15, 2016- Bedford Standard

Jane L. Dodson, DDSMychael Davis, DDS

This nationally recognized celebration was introduced by the ASPCA in 2006, to effect positive change in humane animal treatment nationwide. Valley Save-a-Pet asks everyone to support this initiative.

You or a friend or neighbor may witness animal abuse someday, so be aware. If you see

something, say something. Know the phone number for your city’s animal control officer, and be able to provide as much information as possible. Keep current with your state’s anti-cruelty laws. Set a good example in the way you care for your own pets. If you have children, educate them. Raise awareness in

others, both in person or online.During the month of April, use your

Facebook page, Twitter or blog to spread the word, and tag the ASPCA in your posts. Valley Save-a-Pet wants to hear about your efforts, and you can mail your ideas and successes to the Purr-fect Place, our resale shop at 715

Broadway in downtown historic Bedford, or email them to vsapcats4u@yahoo.com. As always, thank you for helping the animals! Valley Save-a-Pet longs for a future where people care about prevention of cruelty to animals every day of the year.

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

April 14 - 28, 2016

Metroparks Adds Acreage To “Heron Rookery Wetland” In North Royalton

Enhancing its ecosystem mission of conservation along the East Branch of the Rocky River, Cleveland Metroparks will complete the acquisition of another 14 acres of land in the “Heron Rookery Wetland” area of Millstream Run Reservation in North Royalton later this month.

The current 20-acre “Heron Rookery Wetland” in North Royalton is adjacent to an existing 88-acre Cleveland Metroparks property and a 70-acre Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District easement.

The properties, including the latest acreage will create a core nature resource reserve of 237-acres, the second largest wetland complex in the East Branch Rocky River corridor, and a Category 3 wetland.

“The acquisition of this land is vital to our continuing stewardship of the Rocky River,” said Cleveland

Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman. “It is imperative to helping us continue to improve the wetland landscape.”

Since 2010, Cleveland Metroparks has protected nine properties at a cost of just over $2.5 million, working in concert with the assistance of the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP). Of the approximate $2.5 million cost, roughly $2.1 million came from funding sources other than Cleveland Metroparks.

“The City of North Royalton and my administration enjoy a unique partnership with Cleveland Metroparks where we are able to provide our residents and surrounding communities additional recreational opportunities. In the future we will continue to work closely with

Cleveland Metroparks in identifying property that would enhance their mission,” said North Royalton Mayor Robert Stefanik.

The Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, a state program that provides low-interest loans to communities and sewer districts for sewer-related projects, encourages these entities to support local water quality projects by providing an offset to their loan interest rate if they support a WRRSP preservation or restoration project. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) agreed to sponsor Cleveland Metroparks Heron Rookery project and since the award, Cleveland Metroparks has utilized the funds to acquire 65-acres south of Edgerton Road and west of Ridge Road.

The West Creek Conservancy, an urban land conservancy and

watershed organization serving the Greater Cleveland region, partnered with Cleveland Metroparks on the project, and have been key collaborators since the creation of the West Creek Reservation in 2006.

“The Heron Rookery Project was a great opportunity to utilize the strengths of our partnership with Cleveland Metroparks, in which we were able to coordinate the preservation of over 50 acres along the East Branch of the Rocky River. West Creek Conservancy is proud to be part of such a unique initiative,” said West Creek Conservancy Executive Director Derek Schafer.

The Heron Rookery Wetland is part of Cleveland Metroparks larger preservation initiative along the entire length of the East Branch of the Rocky River.

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 5

Celebrating 5 Years of Award-Winning Journalism in Central Ohio www.thenewstandard.com

Columbus & Ohio The Bedford Standard April 14 - 28, 2016

Great Lakes Science Center opens new OMNIMAX film, preps for Great Lakes Adventure Weekend, ‘Mather’s Day’

Set a course for adventure as Great Lakes Science Center celebrates the spirit of exploration, industriousness and our most precious natural resource, Lake Erie, with Great Lakes Adventure Weekend/Mather’s Day and the debut of “A Beautiful Planet,” a brand new OMNIMAX Theater movie.

From the earliest days of mankind, humans have looked to the stars and planets in the night sky and wondered about their place in the universe. In the Science Center’s newest OMNIMAX film, “A Beautiful Planet,” the gaze and wonderment is reversed as astronauts aboard the International Space Station look down on planet Earth.

Filmed in cooperation with NASA and narrated by Jennifer Lawrence, “A Beautiful Planet” is a unique look at our world as captured by the astronauts on board the space station. Earth will certainly be a breathtaking sight as it

fills the six-story OMNIMAX Theater’s domed screen when “A Beautiful Planet” opens on Friday, April 29.

The focus shifts to a different frontier when the Science Center welcomes the seasonal re-opening of the historic Steamship William G. Mather and celebrates Lake Erie during Great Lakes Adventure Weekend and the all-new “Mather’s Day” on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8.

Get a firsthand look at what life was like for the crew aboard this 618-foot-long Great Lakes freighter during a special behind the scenes “hard hat” tour from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, May 7 or 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 8. Advance reservations are required and space is limited; tickets are $25 per person or $20 for Science Center members. Tickets include admission to the steamship after the tour.

Inside the Science Center, guests

will learn how a ship that weighs thousands of tons can float, but a tiny pebble sinks during the “Sink or Float Science Spectacular” that examines density, buoyancy and the amazing world of fluids.

Guests can put their buoyancy knowledge to the test by building their own cargo ship out of cardboard and duct tape and then seeing how much cargo it can hold at the DIY Duct Tape Cargo Ship activity station.

In the Science Center’s Demonstration Lab, guests will find an Oil and Water Workshop that explores hydrophobic materials such as oil, how those materials get into our water supply, and how science and technology aid in the clean-up.

Outside in the harbor area the Mather will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 8. Admission to the Mather is $9 for adults, $7 for

seniors and $6 for youth (ages 5-12). Discounted combination tickets for the Science Center and the Mather are available as well. During the Great Lakes Adventure/Mather’s Day weekend the harbor is also where guests will find the scholars and apprentices from the Great Science Academy demonstrating their Sea Perch ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) which they used to explore the lake underwater.

(Editor’s note: The Steamship William G. Mather is open weekends in May, September and October from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. June through August the ship is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The ship is closed on Mondays with the exception of Memorial Day and Labor Day.)

6 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio6 The Bedford Standard

Casual Updates Luxury Upgrades

Handyman WorkBathroom Remodeling

CarpentryAging in Place Upgrades

Sun RoomsSmall & Large Jobs

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Call 614-371-2595for Free Estimate

April 14 - 28, 2016

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 7

Celebrating 5 Years of Award-Winning Journalism in Central Ohio www.thenewstandard.com

Columbus & Ohio The Bedford Standard

Earlier today, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Council President Dan Brady appointed four new board members to the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation (“CCCFDC”), the non-profit oversight organization for the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and Global Center for Health Innovation.

“We wanted to add additional expertise and experience to this board in order to further maximize the current success and momentum of the Convention Center and Global Center,” said Budish. “These leaders will add significant value to ongoing operations and strategic long-term planning for these valuable, state-of-the-art facilities.”

At its meeting on April 18, 2016, the CCCFDC board will add four new members:

•Diane Downing, Chief Operating Officer, RNC 2016 Host Committee and Senior Vice-President, Huntington National Bank

•Brad Sellers, Mayor, City of Warrensville Heights

•Michael D. Siegal, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Olympic Steel

•Terry Stewart, Former Chief Executive Officer and President, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

“I am pleased that these skilled community and business leaders are willing to dedicate their time and lend their ideas to these important county assets. This is an opportune moment for the Convention Center and Global Center to make the most of the momentum we are experiencing in Greater Cleveland,” said Council President Brady.

The mission of the CCCFDC is to promote economic development and job creation in Cuyahoga County by utilizing the Convention Center and Global Center to attract local, regional, and national conventions and meetings to Northeast Ohio. The CCCFDC oversees the operations of the facility manager, SMG, to ensure that the facility is operated, managed and maintained as a state-of-the-art convention center and medical innovation

facility. The CCCFDC also coordinates with local stakeholders to promote tourism in Northeast Ohio.

In addition to the new members, the Board’s current members include Matt Carroll of the County Executive’s office, Trevor McAleer of the Council President’s office, and Joe Roman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Operated under the direction of the CCCFDC,

the Global Center for Health Innovation and the adjacent Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland opened in 2013 and were awarded LEED for Building Design and Construction (LEED-BD+C) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program in 2014. The Global Center serves as a catalyst for fundamental improvements in health and in healthcare quality, access, and cost through technology-driven showroom spaces

and industry-inspired meetings and programs. Connected to the Global Center, the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland hosts more than 200 events annually and features 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 32,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, 35 meeting rooms, and a 12-acre green roof with spectacular views of Lake Erie.

In 2013, SMG, the nation’s largest and most experienced convention center and facility management firm, assumed management operations for the Global Center for Health Innovation and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. SMG manages more than 230 facilities throughout the world, including convention centers, arenas, theaters and performance venues, stadiums, and equestrian centers. Founded in 1977, SMG is the industry leader in exhibition venues throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean and brings experience and significant connections to national conventions and trade shows within the convention industry.

County Executive Appoints New Board Members to the CCCFDC

VALLEY SAVE-A-PET, INC.P.O Box 39221, Solon, OH 44139

Valley Save-a-Pet Have a Heart Spring Spay Special! From April 1 through May 31, in addition to our always discounted prices for all dogs and cats, female cats will be spayed for $40.00, an even greater discount. As animal lovers, we know how hard it is to resist being smitten by a kitten. Throughout early Spring, however, we need to work together to minimize unending kit ‘n’ caboodles of them. By successfully curtailing new litters of critters -- no matter how adorable they are -- we can focus on finding forever homes for those who are already here. We encourage you to call the Valley Save-a-Pet Have a Heart Helpline at (440) 232-2287 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to obtain an authorization form which will enable you to schedule your pet’s surgery with a participating veterinarian. Note: If you are a feral cat caretaker, please call on Mondays only. As always, thank you for helping the animals!

INTRODUCTION: If you are older, you may worry about going into a nursing home someday. Of course, no one likes to think about that. Well, read on – because today’s column contains the most important information you’ll ever learn about Medicaid.

SONNY AND CHERYL are settling into old age, but it’s getting harder all the time. Cheryl develops severe dementia, and Sonny becomes her full-time caregiver. They sell their home and move into a senior’s apartment. Their adult children are having hard times too. Sonny gives $15,000 to daughter Cleopatra to prevent her home from being lost to foreclosure. Sonny gives $10,000 to son Caesar after he loses everything in a nasty divorce. Sonny gives $6,500 to daughter Virginity to get a car after her old one falls apart. Then tragedy strikes! Sonny dies from a stroke, and Cheryl has to go into a nursing home! What happens now?

THE NEED FOR MEDICAIDThe AARP estimates that seventy

percent (70%) of people over 65 will need to go into a care facility. Long-term care in a nursing home costs $6,300+ a month! There is only ONE government program that will help pay for your nursing-home care after you become impoverished -- it’s called Medicaid. Medicaid is a welfare

program for the poor.(Don’t confuse Medicaid with

Medicare. Medicare is health insurance for the elderly. Medicare pays for doctor visits and when you’re in the hospital. Medicare might cover short-term care in a care facility – for example, a few weeks of physical therapy after a fall. But if an elderly person needs long-term care in a nursing home, only Medicaid pays for that.)

Sad to say, Medicaid is very complicated. You can get yourself in big-time trouble without intending to, by breaking Medicaid rules YEARS before you even apply.

THE MEDICAID PROCESSCheryl is in the nursing home, and

daughter Cleopatra applies for Medicaid on Cheryl’s behalf. Cleopatra learns that Medicaid wants documentation for Sonny and Cheryl’s complete financial history for the prior five years. This is a mountain of paper! It takes weeks to get all this together. In the meantime, the nursing home is charging over $200 a day!

A Medicaid caseworker studies the financial paperwork of Sonny and Cheryl. Why? What is Medicaid looking for?

Remember, Medicaid is welfare. It’s financial aid for people who are financially destitute. So, Medicaid will want to verify (1) if you are “poor enough” and (2) if you broke any Medicaid rules during the five years before you even apply for Medicaid (whether you realized it or not). Medicaid’s attitude is, “If you want our money, then you must play by our rules. And if you could afford to give $tuff away, then don’t

count on help from us!”Medicaid discovers the paper trail

showing that Sonny gave $31,500 to his kids. Medicaid calls these gifts “improper transfers.” What happens now??

MEDICAID PENALTY PERIODSCheryl had some savings, but that’s

almost all gone. It was used to pay the nursing home while her Medicaid application is pending. Now Cheryl has only $1,500 left, which means she’s finally “poor enough” to get Medicaid. But Medicaid refuses to pay. Why? Because Sonny broke the Medicaid rules. He made “improper transfers” of $31,500 during the five years before Cheryl applied for Medicaid.

Medicaid imposes a “penalty period.” Medicaid won’t pay for Cheryl’s nursing-home care for a period of time equal in value to $31,500, which Medicaid calculates as five months.

And when does this five-month penalty start? When Cheryl is finally “poor enough.” In other words, just when Cheryl needs Medicaid the most, Medicaid won’t pay! What happens now??? This is a real tragedy!

WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOUIf you cannot get Medicaid, there is NO

other source of government money to pay for your long-term nursing-home care. Period. And it is 100% legal for nursing homes to evict you if you cannot pay. You could be deprived of the medical care you need. You could become homeless. You could die. Am I exaggerating? Here is a quotation from a government report

called “Patient Dumping,” published in 2014 by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights:

“[There are people who have] slipped through the holes in the Medicaid/Medicare [safety] net. Such persons are at greater risk of being refused service . . . if they are uninsured and unable to pay. Put only somewhat differently, such persons in theory (and sometimes in practice) run the risk of being left for dead.”

CONCLUSION: Medicaid is the safety net for the middle class, but it’s only available when you become poor. Making gifts now can ruin your Medicaid eligibility in the future. If YOU worry that you or someone you love might have created a future Medicaid problem by making gifts, talk to an elder-law lawyer right away! Let’s see what we can do to fix this.

THE AUTHOR: Linda J. How is an elder-law lawyer in Bedford, Ohio. She provides Medicaid counseling and estate planning. She has legal training from the national organization, Medicaid Practice Systems (now known as Lawyers With Purpose). To help people understand the value of legal planning, Mrs. How presents FREE estate-planning Workshops called, “Seven Threats to Your Family Security.” UPCOMING EVENING WORKSHOP: Monday, May 9, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m. UPCOMING AFTERNOON WORKSHOP: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, from 2 to 4 p.m. All Workshops will be presented in Bedford. To learn the location and to reserve seats at an upcoming Workshop, or if you just want an office visit, Mrs. How may be reached at law@lindahow.com or 440-786-9449.

When the Safety Net FailsMaking Sense

of the LawLinda J. How, J.D.

April 14 - 28, 2016

8 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio8 The Bedford Standard

“Pieces of Hope” for AutismIn honor of National Autism Awareness Month, the 45

Panera Bread bakery-cafés in Northeast Ohio are hosting

will be donated to Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for

Puzzle Piece Shortbread cookies can be purchased in the Cleveland, Akron and Canton area Panera Bread bakery-cafés or preordered online at covelli.com/autism.

Measles is often thought of as a

have occurred even in the last

decrease vulnerability to this highly contagious disease, there is a small

childhood, although those who weren’t vaccinated during childhood can receive the vaccinations as

14th Annual Minority Men’s Health FairThursday, April 21 | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.Cleveland Clinic main campus

cancer, kidney function, heart disease, cholesterol,

Visit clevelandclinic.org/mmhf to preregister. Registration is also available in person on the night of the event.

Speaking of Women’s Health: Cancer PreventionWednesday, May 45:30 to 6:30 p.m. – registration, health screenings and wellness vendors6:30 p.m. – dinner and expert panel discussionEmbassy Suites Cleveland-Rockside5800 Rockside Woods Blvd.Independence

sit-down dinner and informal Q&A discussion with our

recommended screenings, leading a healthy lifestyle and

Cost: $20 (includes meal and special gift.) Retail items will be available for purchase. Reservations required: clevelandclinic.org/swhindependence.

Measles is preventable: Get vaccinated to protect yourself.

Frederick Harris, MD

International travel is the most common way for Americans to get the measles – traveling abroad,

• high fever• cough• sore throat• red or bloodshot eyes

• runny nose• red rash (starting on

downward)

to a cold in that it needs to run its course, usually

and over-the-counter medications are recommended to

Dr. Harris sees patients at the Severance Medical Arts Building in Cleveland Heights. To make an appointment with Dr. Harris or another internal medicine physician on staff at South Pointe Hospital, please call 866.733.6363. Cleveland Clinic offers same-day appointments.

100 local addresses. All home to Cleveland Clinic care.

Same-dayappointments440.312.4533clevelandclinic.org/hospitals

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April 14 - 28, 2016