hudson monthly feb. 2013

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INSIDE | MEEt a local aDvENturEr, author

Take a hike

Combat the winter blues with an outing at CVNP

FEBRUARY 2013 • $2.00

PAGE 5

2 HUDSON MONTHLY February 2013

February 2013 HUDSON MONTHLY 3February 2013 HUDSON MONTHLY 3

5 A world of opportunity by Mariana silva robert and Eileen raun have always been adventurous. see where they have been and what they hope to do in the future.

4 lEttEr froM tHE Editor 22 Hot picks

11 running MAtEs by HEidi augustin Kandi and donna O’Connor looked to each other for support while they waged seperate political campaigns last november. Find out what prompted each of them to run, and what their plans are now.

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Vol. 14, Issue 6February 2013

1050 W. Main St., Kent, OH 44240

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Hudson Monthly is published 12 times a year by Record Publishing Co., David E. Dix—Publisher, P.O. Box 5199, Kent, OH 44240. It is included once per month with the carrier-delivered Hudson Hub-Times. Mail subscriptions are available for $36 per year. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the Record Publishing Co., L.L.C. © Copyright 2013 by The Record Publishing Co., L.L.C.

17 wintEr wondErlAndby stEpHaniE FEllEnstEin Even when the weather is frightful, head to the Cuyahoga valley national park to participate in a number of winter hikes and adventures.

insidEPark Ranger Brady Bourquin pauses near Blue Hen Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

pHOtO by stEpHaniE FEllEnstEin

ON THe COVeR

pHOtO by stEpHaniE FEllEnstEin


LetterI sat down a couple weeks ago to write a piece for the alumni

corner in my Alma Mater’s student newspaper. It was then that I realized I have been out of college for 20 years this May. And while I still identify with my friends’ college-aged children, I real-ized that I will have my very own college-aged child in seven short years. How did that happen?

A couple of years ago, the alumni relations department start-ed asking alumni to offer some advice to current college students. The columns could be about anything — life experiences, college memories or friendship. I read through some of the published col-umns just to see what they were looking for. There were columns about meeting spouses, late nights and friendships that have weathered the storm. Most of those writers had graduated within the last five years.

I felt disconnected. When I arrived on campus all those years ago, there were no cell

phones, Internet connections, email, Facebook or Twitter. Those lucky enough arrived with word processors, but I spent many eve-nings locked away in the computer lab printing out my papers on

the old dot-matrix printers.I decided to dedicate my alumni column to the journalism stu-

dents out there toiling away at my beloved college newspaper. I thrived on deadline night in the newspaper office.

Yes the industry is changing, I wrote. And because of that, it is more important than ever to balance the integrity of journal-ism with the instantaneousness of a Tweet. Sure there is the excite-ment that comes with breaking a piece of news first. But that thrill is only worth it if the facts are accurate.

I want future journalists to know that journalism is alive and well. And as long as we continue to embrace the technological ad-vances, while remembering to keep an eye on the fundamentals, it can remain that way.

Then I asked if they are up for that challenge. I know I am.

FROM THE

I feeL oLd.

edItor

February 2013 HUDSON MONTHLY 5

Feature

A world of opportunityHudson couple embraces life’s adventures

by Mariana SilvaPhotos Special to Hudson Monthly

There is something to be said about a man who sees an alternate scenic route when he is actually looking at a 60-mile drive down a mining road off the Cascade Mountains.

“We just do crazy stuff like that,” that man says. “We would rather take interest-ing paths than have a tour guide.”

This is not a famous quote but the words and life experience that sum it all up for Hudsonites Robert Raun and spouse/adventure partner Eileen, both 70, who have been through some bumpy roads as well as green pastures while living life to the fullest.

“It was gorgeous,” says Eileen about the drive through the mine. “And it was kind of scary,” she recalls after a short pause as if getting to once again experience the thrill of doing things she knows people their age just don’t do.

“It was extremely scary,” Raun com-pletes. “If one of the logging trucks had been coming the other way we would have no where to go.”

People say life is a great adventure but Raun is more than the average main char-acter hero in his story: he is the author.

A world traveler, Vietnam veteran, Bronze Star recipient, marketing con-sultant, entrepreneur, grandfather, book writer, publisher, campaign manager and founder of a non-governmental organiza-tion, he made sure to trace his own paths, taking his life experiences beyond the Ohio boarders, always guided by strong

Eileen and Robert Raun pictured on a trip to China.

principles of faith, family and fellowship. Far from a mere sightseer, Raun can tell

people all about how he camped a cou-ple blocks from the Eiffel Tower, served in Vietnam, fished in Kazakhstan, sailed in the Indian Ocean, and witnessed the smile of African people even after the Rwandan Genocide.

While he may have set foot in every continent but Antarctica, it was in Hud-son that he and Eileen planted their roots about 36 years ago in 1977 with their two daughters. Daughters Christine Smierciak and Kara Trem now live with their respec-tive families in Aurora.

Eileen may call herself Raun’s “sidekick” but the truth is that she is as much of an

adventurer as her husband. Kara describes Robert and Eileen as “a

very symbiotic couple.”“They really do complement each other,

they are the two pieces of a puzzle that you need to complete the puzzle of life,” Kara says. “Without them matching and con-necting it just doesn’t work.”

The couple, married for almost 48 years, met while attending high school in Dela-ware. Inseparable since then, they got en-gaged while attending the University of Delaware, from where he received a bach-elor’s degree in biology and an MBA and she got a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.

(It was at the University of Delaware, by the way, that Robert beat current Vice


Robert Raun on a sailboat in the Indian Ocean.


President Joe Biden in a race for senior class president.)

Tracing his own paths started early for Raun when he was selected as an Amer-ican Field Service exchange student to Germany while attending high school. He stayed there for about 10 weeks with the family of a German war veteran.

“My motivation to be an exchange student was to represent American youth overseas and to bring back to my school the experience of being in a different culture,” Raun says.

There he had the chance to camp in a tent a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and learned that American rock and roll songs and musicians were very much liked oversees.

Things just built from there.“We’ve been very fortunate,” says Raun about being all over the

globe and back. “Naturally I went to Vietnam and came back, so that’s an adventure, but we had an opportunity in 1984 to link with [Greenbushes], an Australian company mining some very exotic materials ... we were really just fortunate to travel and it was fun.”

Owner of his own company at that time, Trinitech Internation-al, Robert’s job as a third party consultant for Greenbushes was to visit processing sites around the world to understand how the company could expand their operations.

The job led the Rauns to plac-es like China, Russia, Kazakh-stan and all over Europe where they skipped the sightseeing to experience real life (and differ-ent cultures) with the locals.

“Witnessing the differences in what each culture viewed as a priority, the drivers for their business, and the importance to penetrate the U.S. market was an education,” Robert says.

He says traveling and being able to see other cultures is al-

most an anthropological experience in which he learns as much about the other as he did about himself and his faith and values as a Christian.

It was by choosing to take paths of their own that the Rauns vis-ited Rwanda in 1999 just a few years after the Rwandan Geno-cide in 1994.

Most people would rather not take time to witness sites left in-tact after acts of violence. But the couple learned from the Rwan-dese that the horrific view of thousands of exposed bones were to remind the world to never forget about the tragic moment that the country lived through.

“Seeing how the Rwandese handled conflict and resolution, forgiveness and grace was wonderful. They have a culture that we can learn from,” Raun says.

Their business ventures also took the couple on a “cruise” to Kazakstan aboard a converted Russian gunboat where they fished

The fun of experienc-

ing world travel together strength-ened and flavored our marriage.”

RobeRT Raun


and slept in hammocks around a crew who did not speak a common language.

“Bob and I also wandered though Ger-many, we wandered into Austria, we al-most wandered in places that we proba-bly shouldn’t have wandered,” Eileen says about traveling through Europe.

As Raun puts it, there is no definition to retirement in the Bible, so the couple nev-er stops.

“The fun of experiencing world trav-el together strengthened and flavored our marriage,” Raun says. “In addition, Eileen is a prayer warrior and shares the gospel. She had many chances to share and to re-ceive. This influenced her to organize LeP-apillon Foundation.”

LePapillon Foundation, which they run out of their own pocket, is dedicated to improve education and health care in cen-tral Africa and southeast Asia.

Back in the U.S., the couple operates EWRI (USA) Inc. and deals with high pu-rity materials and converting non harmful residues into useful products.

“They are very integrated,” says friend Bing Henderson. “They do all those dif-ferent things with quality, whether it be family relationships, church relationships, friend relationships with a depth of quality that is almost indescribable.”

The Rauns and Henderson met in 2004 when the Rauns were preparing the Hen-dersons, and a performance arts team, for a mission trip in Uganda. And who would have guessed that in 2010, despite no prior

experience as a campaign manager, Raun would help friend Bing Henderson run for Congress?

The latest chapter in the Rauns’ adven-ture began recently when Raun published his first book “Tales of the Clam Club: Turtle Soup,” which is the first of four books of a fantasy-adventure series fit for anyone older than 11. The book is also a Christian allegory.

The idea for the books came from sto-ries Raun told to his grandchildren and later emailed to bond with the grandchil-dren when they moved to Rwanda for a about a year.

Raun, of course, had the help of atten-tive editor Eileen.

“Telling stories to 5, 6, 7 and 8-year-olds is simply fun and you have as much fun as they do in seeing their reactions and ev-erything, you can just pull something off the wall and there is no character devel-opment,” but writing books was different Robert says. “I had to learn in essence how to write”

As if writing a book was not enough of a challenge, the Rauns founded RELAR Publishing to help friends and other writ-ers get published.

“I think a lot of people don’t have the confidence to go out there and start writ-

Robert Raun with his grandson, Alex, who is the main character in Raun’s new book, “Tales of the Clam Club — Turtle Soup.”

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Eileen and Robert Raun stand on the beach in front of a Russian gunboat.

ing, but it is just amazing that he was able to write and publish. It was very interest-ing for him, he looks at everything as a new experience, and is always learning,” his daughter Kara says.

Robert is currently in the process of get-ting his second book published.

“The perspective that I have as an adult daughter,” Kara says, “is that I am so thankful when I ask [my parents] ‘can you babysit Saturday night?’ and they say: ‘No. Sorry, we already have plans.’ I’m actually happy that they have such full and reward-ing lives.”

Though the Rauns very much enjoy watching their eight grandchildren at sports and school events, odds are that their Bucket List’s still unchecked items will prevent them from babysitting many Saturday and Sunday nights to come.

They still plan and hope to visit Yellow-stone, the Grand Canyon, the coast of Por-tugal, the Patagonia Desert and the Am-azon.

“I would say we both feel young at heart,” Raun says.

That might as well be an invitation to Eileen, who completes:

“Oh yeah, I mean, hey, there is a lot of living left to do.”v

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Feature

Running matesSisters, local grads test political waters

The O’Connor family gathered for dad Jerry’s birthday soon after the 2012 election. Pictured, from left, are Kandi, Donna, mom Bea, younger brother John, Jerry and older sister Theresa.

By Heidi AugustinPhotos Special to Hudson Monthly

At first glance, sisters Kandi and Don-na O’Connor couldn’t be more different, yet the election season of 2012 found both sisters doing the same thing — campaign-ing. And nothing could have surprised them more.

Until late Fall 2011, their lives were headed in what they thought were pre-dictable avenues. Donna was a special education teacher for 20 years at Dub-lin Coffman High School just outside of Columbus, and Kandi was a judicial at-

torney for Common Pleas Judge Patri-cia Cosgrove and an acting magistrate for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. Both sisters were, and still are, very devoted to their careers, and it is that de-votion that led each of them to run for of-fice in 2012.

Donna and Kandi grew up in Hud-son on Old Route Eight, the children of Jeremiah “Jerry” and Beulah “Bea” O’Connor. The middle daughters of the four O’Connors, they are fourteen months

apart, flanked by older sister Theresa and younger brother John. All attended Hud-son High School, but only Kandi and Donna continued their educations, put-ting themselves through college and then graduate school for Donna, and law school for Kandi. They are the first college gradu-ates in all of the O’Connor family line and have continued to distinguish themselves long past their graduations.

What with two sisters running for po-litical office in the same election year, it


might be easy to assume that politics were a staple of long family discussions in the O’Connor household growing up. That perhaps a politically inclined household was what inspired them to seek office, but they claim that politics were never really discussed at home. “It was not until later in life that we discovered the political affil-iations of our parents,” Donna says. “Our parents weren’t primary voters, they were average voters who voted in general elec-tions and for levies, but other than that, politics was never a big topic of conversa-tion in our family.” So what led to this in-teresting coincidence?

Within moments of meeting Donna, anyone would know that she is an im-passioned advocate for the causes of pub-lic education. She is attractive and engag-ing, and quickly gets down to the business of explaining the points of her recent cam-paign. November 2011 found her teach-ing her classroom of special needs students while also being very involved with issues pertaining to school funding, curriculum requirements and standardized testing. She dealt with these concerns first hand in the classroom and then again from a differ-ent perspective as the vice president of The Dublin Educators Association, a branch of the Ohio Education Association, and she

may have been fine to remain right there, but “it was Senate Bill 5 that just made something click in my mind, and I knew that I had to try to change things,” re-calls Donna. With the encouragement of the representative from her former district, John Carney, and the support of her hus-band, Roger Rabold, she filed the neces-sary papers in November 2011 and began the hard work of launching and running a campaign. According to Donna, District 21 is a very competitive district and was redrawn to favor the Republican incum-bent. This would be daunting to some, but as a natural leader with the gift for presen-tation that makes her such a good teacher, she felt could articulate important issues to her constituency and her community. She hoped that this ability, combined with her professional experience and her role as a mother of two boys, Colin, 6, and Reid, 2, would make her a candidate whom people in her family-oriented community could identify with.

It is no small feat to squeeze a political campaign into the calendar of a two-career family with two young children. Donna beat her two opponents in the Democrat-ic primary in March 2012 while maintain-ing her other commitments as teacher and mother, but the hardest part of the race

was still ahead. Since Donna was running as an upstart Democrat in a heavily Re-publican district she knew that she had a difficult battle. There were people to meet and important issues to explain to thou-sands of people and even though Donna is an especially energetic woman, there were still only 24 hours in her day. Once the primary was over, she knew she had to take a leave of absence from her teaching posi-tion to devote herself full time to the race.

Donna estimates that between the months of January and November she knocked on more than 17,000 doors pre-senting her case and asking residents to vote for her. After March, the pace inten-sified meaning that her sacrifices to her family increased. She stayed home cam-paigning while the family went on sum-mer vacation, and she can count on two hands the number of days she was not out working for votes. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to win the seat. She lost to opponent, Mike Duffey by a 52-48 mar-gin, which is quite close considering the make up of the constituency.

When asked, both sisters will agree that Donna is the born politician. “She was the ringleader in high school,” Kandi recalls. “Even though Donna is not the oldest O’Connor, we were still known as Donna’s

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The O’Connor family shows up in full force to help Kandi, left, and Donna, right, campaign.

sisters throughout high school.” Nonetheless, Kandi found herself wag-

ing her own battle for office in 2012. Anyone meeting Kandi for the first

time would find a woman of quiet con-viction with a finely tuned legal mind who thoughtfully considers issues and answers with the same gravity. Donna describes her sister as the peacemaker of the family who prefers to keep her opinions private. The hustle and bustle of the campaign trail may not be her natural mien, but the eth-

ics and consideration required to excel in the judicial field is second nature to her.

Kandi has always harbored a desire to be a judge, and running for clerk of courts was a career move in that general direc-tion. Since graduating cum laude from Kent State University and receiving her ju-ris doctor from Cleveland Marshall Col-lege of Law in 1996, Kandi has steadily worked her way through the system, first as a law clerk and then as staff attorney for the Ohio Court of Appeals in both the

tenth and twelfth districts before assum-ing her position as judicial attorney/acting magistrate. Her job as acting magistrate requires her to conduct criminal arraign-ments and civil protection order hearings and bench trials. She also worked concur-rently as judicial attorney for Judge Patri-cia Cosgrove until Cosgrove’s retirement in August 2011. In that role she was respon-sible for managing the civil docket of more than 450 pending cases, conducting le-gal research on both civil and criminal cas-

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es, drafting opinions and managing juries. Kandi also balances her busy professional life with the duties of a mother to her two children Bridget, 9, and Patrick, 6, and wife to her husband James Hill.

All of this experience, combined with her thoughtful temperament and ethical char-acter made her well-suited to be a clerk of courts candidate. The clerk of courts is the official record keeper of all court documents. The owner of this position is in charge of pleadings and motions, and manages the court docket, which is the list of pending cases and the courtrooms to which they are assigned. The clerk is also the administrator of the Courts of Common Pleas, Domes-tic Courts, and Court of Appeals for Sum-mit County, as well as the Title Division. The timing seemed right when Kandi was approached in July of 2011 by the Summit County Republican party to run for the seat currently held by Daniel Horrigan and so she too entered the political life. Kandi con-siders herself to be a moderate Republican, but with a natural inclination toward neu-trality that fits perfectly with her profession.

Kandi’s campaign was a completely dif-ferent animal from that of Donna’s. Kan-di’s Summit County race contained approx-imately 300,000 registered voters. With a district too large to wage the hand-to-

hand combat that Donna did, Kan-di had to spread her-self thinly over a large area. Parades, fairs, and other large groups were her fo-cus. The O’Connor clan all turned out to help her, with cous-ins riding on floats, walking in parades, and wearing a lot of green “O’Connor for Clerk” tee shirts. Unfortunately, Kan-di was not victorious either. She was a Re-publican running in a heavily Democrat-ic district and cites that as the main rea-son for her loss. She has returned to her position as magistrate and judicial attorney for Judge Amy Corrigall Jones who was ap-pointed to replace Judge Cosgrove and who retained her seat in the November election.

Both sisters agree on the impact that their campaigns had on their families. Donna re-lates that there were many teachable mo-

ments during the campaign, which became the family business in her house. The morn-ing following the election, her 6-year-old son, Colin, came downstairs as soon as he woke up to check on the results. “Did we win?” he asked, hopefully. Upon learning of ‘their’ loss, he cried. He was as disappoint-ed as she was. Donna says, “The campaign

Donna O’Connor with her husband, Roger Rabold, and sons Colin and Reid.

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became our family mission and what my kids learned was that I fought very hard for what I believe in. Even though I lost this time, what they know and what they saw was that I tried.”

Each sister has been the other’s biggest supporter. They talk-ed daily throughout the election commiserating on the sacrifices their respective families were making on their behalf and sharing the frustrations and excitement of the race. Knowing how hard the fundraising aspect of a political race is, each made financial contributions to the other’s campaign and they both cite fundrais-ing as the largest hurdle in a campaign.

They have vowed that they will continue to make contributions in the future to other campaigns they support. Going forward, both Donna and Kandi urge voters to attend the presentations of candidates in their areas. “It is the only way to really understand what the issues are about and where your candidates stand on the issues. You would be very surprised at what you will learn,” says Kandi.

Both sisters are public servants who have dedicated their lives and careers to public service.

Kandi knows she will run again and is readying herself for an-other election.

She is preparing to file petitions in February to run for judge of Stow Municipal Court. This jurisdiction spans an area from Twinsburg to Cuyahoga Falls and Tallmadge, and from Sagamore Hills and Macedonia to Hudson. She anticipates facing current Judge Kim Hoover who is also a Republican.

Even though she loves teaching, Donna would still like to affect public policy as a state representative, but must weigh her passion for change against her commitments to her husband and family.

It seems a fair bet that voters will hear the O’Connor name again regularly in the future. v

Kandi O’Connor with her husband, James Hill, and chil-dren Bridget and Patrick.

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Feature

Winter WonderlandCVNP hiking trails beckon

Article and photos by Stephanie Fellenstein

There is no need to spend the winter locked in the house when the Cuyahoga Valley National Park sits so close by.

With snow-covered trails, sparkling wa-terfalls and snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals, winter is the perfect time to check out what the park has to offer.

And Park Ranger Brady Bourquin says there is nothing better than a day with snow on the ground and blue skies.

“Winter gets a bad rap,” he says, adding that the gray overcast skies that Ohio is fa-

mous for in the winter tend to keep peo-ple home.

But why stay home when there is so much to see and do just down the road.

The birth of a National ParkThe Cuyahoga Valley National Park

covers almost 33,000 acres.The 51 miles of park land includes a

large chunk of the Cuyahoga River, sand-stone ledges, 70 waterfalls and 186 miles of trails, according to the park website.

The park also helps visitors learn about the Ohio & Erie Canal and is home to several re-established farms.

The land was designated a national rec-reation area in 1974 by then-president Gerald Ford. Key to the process were Ohio Congressmen Ralph Regula, John Seiber-ling and Charles Vanik as well as other rep-resentatives and elected officials at the lo-cal, state and national level.

Bourquin helps put the pieces into place.“With the creation of Gateway (New

Blue Hen Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park still flows freely despite the new layer of snow in late December.


Jersey) and Golden Gate (San Francisco) National Recreation Areas in October 1972,” he explains. “There was a push to cre-ate a similarly accessible national park experience in the middle of America so that urban dwellers in the mid-west would be able to have access to green space without needing to travel across the

country to do so.”And there is plenty of history floating around the valley to add

another element to the park experience.“Because this is a young park [CVNP officially became a na-

tional park in October 2000], people are still around who grew up in the area,” Bourquin says.

He remembers an elderly woman coming to one of the park sites. She came in and asked if Bourquin had ever been in the building that now houses the park headquarters. When he said yes, she described a back bedroom.

“I told her that room is now my boss’ office. Then she said that had been her grandparents’ house and she was born in that bed-room,” he says, adding it’s fun hearing the park’s history firsthand.

Hitting the trailIt is a mid-December day and fat snowflakes swirl through the

air for a couple minutes. The snow doesn’t stick and fall leaves still litter the ground.

Bourquin sets off from the Boston Store and quickly picks up the section of the Buckeye Trail that leads to Blue Hen Falls. He describes this particular hike as “strenuous with lots of elevation change culminating in a beautiful waterfall at the turnaround point.” The total hike is 3.25 miles round trip.

The Buckeye Trail is a 1,444-mile trail that follows the inte-rior shape of the state. Approximately 30 miles of the trail pass through the CVNP starting in the Bedford Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks and ending at the southern end of the park.

“A majority of this is “rugged” trail with some small stretches overlapping with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail north of Station Road and south of Peninsula,” Bourquin says.

A family hikes along the trail to Blue Hen Falls.

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According to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park website, there are several areas and trails that are ideal for cross-coun-try skiing and snowshoeing. Take some time to check them out this winter. Suggested areas:

Cross-country skiing• Bike & Hike Trail: a straight, flat area maintained by Met-

ro Parks, serving Summit County. An ideal section is north from Route 303. The trail follows the eastern border of the park for at least 10 miles.

• Ledges Field: (405 Kendall Park Road, Peninsula 44264) The field is next to the Ledges Shelter off Truxell Road. The large, flat open area is perfect for beginners.

• Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail: The 19.7-mile trail is an easy multi-purpose trail. According to the website, the Hunt Farm to Peninsula section is especially scenic.

Snowshoeing• Pine Grove Trail: Accessed through the Winter Sports Cen-

ter at Kendall Lake, the 3.5-mile trek is moderately strenuous

and includes some drainage steps.

Both cross-country skiing and snowshoeing• Boston Run Trail: (501 Streetsboro Road, Boston Heights

44236.) The trail can be accessed from Happy Days north parking lot on Route 303. The 3.5-mile trail is an advanced, intermediate route with steep terrain through mixed woodlands.

• Cross Country Trail: (5249 Quick Road, Peninsula 44264.) The 2.5-mile trail is designed for cross-country ski-ing. It can be accessed from Kendall Lake on Truxell Road or Little Meadow parking lot on Quick Road. The intermediate/difficult trail passes through mixed woods and old fields. It has several steep hills.

• Oak Hill Trail: (3901 Oakhill Road, Peninsula 44264). The 1.5-mile loop trail is accessed at Oak Hill Trailhead on Oak Hill Road. The easy-to-moderate trail passes through mixed woods and a pond.

• Plateau Trail: A 4.9-mile out loop around the Oak Hill pla-teau. The trail is described as moderately difficult with two steep hills.

• Tree Farm Trail: The 2.75-mile loop trail can be accessed at Horseshoe Pond on Major road. The easy-to-moderate trail passes through open fields, rolling hills and into coniferous tree stands.

Ski, snowshoe trails

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There are plenty of other choices avail-able for a winter hike other than Blue Hen Falls, Bourquin points out.

“It’s like a choose your own adventure,” he says, but does add that Blue Hen Falls is very popular during the winter.

Looking for a family-friendly hike? Bourquin suggests the 2.2-mile Ledges trail.

“It’s relatively flat with ‘spokes’ off the center part,” he says, adding there are many opportunities to get back to the parking lot.

Plus Ledges Field, near the Ledges shel-ter off Truxell Road, is perfect to play in or to try out cross-country skiing. The field is near the Winter Sports Center where the park rents showshoes and cross-coun-try skis.

For the more serious winter hikers, Bourquin recommends any part of the aforementioned Buckeye Trail.

“Boston to Peninsula is about 4.25 miles,” he says. “But really any point is beautiful with good climbs. It’s isolated.”

And then for the average hiker, the per-fect match is the Oak Hill Trail, Bourquin says.

“It is more intense than the Ledges Trail and is about a 6-mile loop.”

Hints for the hikeNo matter what trail park visitors

choose, Bourquin says to be prepared.The first step, he says, is to dress appro-

priately — layers, wind breaker and appro-priate shoes.

Next, plan ahead and check the weather.Third, let someone know where you are

going, in case something happens along the way.

Finally, take plenty of water, a few snacks and a cell phone. Bourquin points out that a lot of calories are burned in the winter.

“A great way for folks to start their ad-venture is to stop in at one of the visitor centers to get up-to-date weather and trail conditions as well as maps and ideas of what they may encounter along the way,” he says. “Stopping in to the visitor center also covers the ‘telling someone where they are going’ side of things. That way, we — the national park service or other manag-ing agency — have an idea of where folks are going to be over the course of the day.”

Bourquin unzips his own backpack. It is filled with lightweight jackets, water-proof mittens and gloves, hats, water, a first-aid kit, snacks, hand warmers, plus a cell phone.

“I over pack my bag,” he says. “I need to

be ready for any emergency that may befall not just myself and my group, but also any visitors we may encounter along the way.”

Bourquin says he and other rangers hope they never have to use most of their supplies.

“Ninety-nine percent of the time it is an exercise in caution,” he says. “It’s that one time. That’s what we’re here for.”

A park for all seasonsCVNP offers something for everyone

year-round.“Not only does this place belong to the

public, it is an oasis of green space in an otherwise urban area,” Bourquin says. “We take great pride in accessible, exciting, scenic trails. It is part of the American ex-perience, visiting the national parks.

Bourquin mentions a woman from New Philadelphia who had always want-ed to visit a national park, but thought she would have to travel out west to do so. Then she discovered CVNP and brought her family to visit.

“We can provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some,” he says. “And can enhance the experience for others.”

And the best part, Bourquin says, “CVNP is always open.” v


Feb. 1Lantern hikeJoin Park Ranger Mike Kosmos to explore the wonders of the

Cuyahoga Valley National Park by lantern light. The one-mile hike, which beings at the Kendall Lake Shelter at 7 p.m., will fol-low along the easy Lake Trail and end at 9 p.m.

Feb. 2Bird watching: early waterfowlPark volunteer Dwight Chasar will point out common mergan-

sers and other early-returning waterfowl along the Cuyahoga Riv-er. Those interested should meet at the Red Lock Trailhead and the program runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Off the Beaten Path Hike: Ravines at RestExplore the Columbia Run ravine and its ridges during the

winter from 9 to 11 a.m. Come prepared for hill scrambling and winter weather on this 3-mile exploration which begins at the Co-lumbia Run Picnic Area.

Cross-country ski program: beginners workshopLearn the basics of cross-country skiing at the beginning work-

shop which takes place with or without snow. Free ski time will follow approximately two hours of instruction. Dress for the weather and participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment. A limited supply of equipment will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee for the program is $10 with your own equipment or $15 with a three-hour rental. The pro-gram will meet at the Kendall Lake Shelter and run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To register, call 330-657-2752.

Feb. 3Winter Warm-up hikeMeeting at the Everett Road Covered Bridge at 9 a.m., a winter

warm-up hike will cover seven miles of the difficult Perkins and Riding Run trails. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. The hike ends at noon.

Feb. 9Winter Marshlands HikeExplore Beaver Marsh in the winter. Meet at the Ira Trailhead at

2 p.m. and join a park ranger for an easy 1.5-mile walk along the Towpath Trail. The hike ends at 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 15Campfire Tales: Whooo’s out there?Listen for owls and hear night stories around an outdoor camp-

fire at Kendall Lake Shelter from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Feb. 16Junior ranger bird watchingFor ages 7 and older, participants should meet at the Cuyahoga

Valley Environmental Education Center from 9 to 11 a.m. Each month, participants and a park ranger will explore a different birding spot. The program counts toward a 2013 badge or patch.

Evergreen Forests snowshoe hikeJoin a 2.5-mile moderate showshoe hike over hills and along a

scenic plateau from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The fee is $5 per per-son for snowshoe rental. No advance payment is required and lo-cations will be provided upon registration. To register, call 330-657-2752. When snow is less than four inches, programs are conducted as hikes without snowshoes and are free.

Junior Ranger, Jr.: Marvelous MoonWinter is a great time to get out and observe the largest “night

light” glowing in the evening sky. Explore the moon through ac-tivities, stories and a hike in the national park at night. The pro-gram runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Winter programs are free and a parent or guardian is required to attend with participating children. To register, call the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Cen-ter at 330-657-2796 ext. 100.

Feb. 17Winter Warm-up hikeHike seven miles of the difficult Buckeye and Valley trails from

9 a.m. to noon. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Meet at the National Park Service headquarters.

For a full list of winter activities or for more infor-mation on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, visit www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm.

Numerous winter activities offered at CVNP

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HUDSON MONTHLY HOT PICKSXIIXIX

IXVIII VII VI V

IVIII

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Jan. 27Seton Catholic School, 6923 Stow

Road, will host an Open House from 2 to 4 p.m. Meet faculty, visit the classrooms and tour the building. The school offers kindergarten (full day) through 8th grade with one campus schedule for all students — 8:20 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. An extended-day schedule also is offered from 7 to 8 a.m. and 3:15 to 6 p.m. Admission infor-mation, applications and registration for all grades for the 2013-14 academic year will be available. For additional informa-tion or to schedule a personal tour, call Pat Fritz at 330-342-4200 ext. 226 or email [email protected] and visit www.setoncatholicschool.org.

Feb. 3The Hudson Library &

Historical Society Music Series continues at 2 p.m. with “American Old Time and Celtic Music on Ham-mered Dulcimer and Bass” performed by Tina Berg-mann and Bryan Thomas. No registration is required for the free program. For more information, call 330-653-6658 ext. 1010 or visit hudsonlibrary.oh.us.

Feb. 4The Woman’s Club of Hudson will

present “Tying the knot: Cleveland Wed-ding fashions, 1830 to 1980,” at 1 p.m. at the Hudson Library and Historical So-ciety. Speaker Dr. Gainor Davis will base her presentation on the current exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society. She will highlight wedding dresses worn by Cleveland brides over a 150-year pe-riod. The club also will collect donations for Hudson Community Service. The sug-gested item for this month is ground cof-fee, however all donations, including cash, are accepted. For more information, call Lenore Yash-Cusumano at 234-380-1369.

As a followup to the presentation, the Woman’s Club is sponsoring a trip to the Western Reserve Historical Society Feb. 12 to view the Cleveland Wedding Fashions exhibit. For more information, contact Betsy Brennan at 330-656-4154 or Sherry

Bonhomme at 330-653-5934.

Feb. 8Campfire Tales: Lessons in the Under-

ground Railroad: visitors are invited to the parlor for a ladies’ antislavery meet-ing. Costumed characters share their sto-ries and visitors will need to decide with whom to trust their runaway slave. The event will take place indoors at the Happy Days Lodge from 7 to 8 p.m.

Feb. 9Countryside Winter Farmers’ MarketsThe indoor market at Old Trail School

offers fresh produce from high-tun-nel greenhouses and cold storage, meat, cheese, baked goods, confec-tions, artwork and more. The mar-ket runs from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 330-657-2538 or visit www.cvcountryside.org.

Feb. 10Ring in the Year of the Snake

with a special performance by the Cleve-land Chinese Music Ensemble at the Hud-son Library and Historical Society in the rotunda at 2 p.m. The concert, titled “Ele-gant songs of white snow,” will feature a se-lection of favorite Chinese New Year melo-dies performed on traditional instruments including dizi (bamboo flute), sheng (mouth organ), erhu and gaohu (fiddles), pipa (pear-shaped lute), guzheng (zith-er), gongs, drums and other percussion in-struments. The ensemble will be joined by marital arts master Shifu Gary Harris of the Center for Mind-Body Harmony of Tallmadge for a special performance of ba-gua and mantis style wushu (kung fu) with live musical accompaniment. The concert is free and open to the public. No tickets are required. For more information, call 330-653-6658 ext. 1010 or visit hudson-library.org.

Feb. 15Enjoy choice wines and a selection of ap-

petizers while riding along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad from 7 to 9 p.m.. Reservations are required for those ages 21

and older. The fee is $55 coach per person and the train departs from the Rockside Station. For winter wine themes and to register, call 800-468-4070 or visit www.CVSR.com.

Through Feb. 23The Hudson Library and Historical So-

ciety is once again offering the Adult Win-ter Reading Club with the theme “Read and Relax.” Participants ages 18 years old and older, who have a valid library card, can read any book or listen to any audio-book. They then should fill out an entry form to be included in the weekly prize drawing. Readers may enter as many times as they wish. All participants will be en-tered into the grand prize drawing. Prize winners will be notified by phone or email. Weekly winners will be drawn every Mon-day and the grand prize drawing will take place Feb. 25. For more information, con-tact the reference department at 330-653-6658 ext. 1010 or email [email protected].

March 2The Hudson PTO is seeking support

for its 56th Annual PTO Pancake Break-fast. The event is the PTO’s largest fund-raiser and all proceeds are given back to the Hudson City Schools as grants and scholarships. The PTO is introducing a multi-tiered sponsorship program this year, giving individuals or businesses sev-eral options to support the event. Spon-sors will receive benefits and opportuni-ties, based on their level of participations. For detailed information about the spon-sorship tiers and promotional benefits, vis-it Hudson PTO.org or contact Sue Carter at [email protected].

First ThursdayMembers of the New Clevelanders club

host a new members coffee the first Thurs-day of each month. The group is a social organization made up of women who have recently moved to the eastern suburbs. The group does group activities and volunteers all while making new friends. For more in-formation, visit www.newclevelanderseast.wordpress.com or call Jenny at 440-591-5408.


WORSHIP

A loving, caring community where hope is alive.

Wednesday Family Night 6:30 PMHope Preschool Program

Sunday Worship Celebration 9:30 & 11:00 a.m.Senior Pastor Jeff Schofield

330-655-51703033 Middleton Rd. • Hudson

www.hopecma.com

With Us!

Come

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRISTSCIENTISTP.O. Box 653

7200 Valley View RoadSun. Service & Sun. School 10:30 A.M.

Wed. Testimony Meeting 7:30 P.M.Reading Room in Hudson

Evaporator Works #7Tues., Wed., Thur., Fri. & Sat. 10-1

Sunday 11:45 - 12:30

330-653-6965

9:00 a.m. Sunday School

10:15 a.m. Worship

Northfield PresbyterianChurch

7755 S. Boyden Rd.330-467-4137

Dr. Arthur J. Helin, PastorCHILD CARE AVAILABLE

“Visitors Expected”7855 Stow Rd., Hudson, Ohio

330-653-5980Sunday Services: 8:45AM Formal Liturgy

9:45AM Sunday School11:00AM Contemporary Worship

Pastor Michael C. Conklinwww.rejoicelc.org

A Congregation of the E.L.C.A.

HUDSON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, EPCA Christ Centered Church

201 W. Streetsboro St., Hudson 330-650-1626

Sunday Worship Services:8:30am & 10:30am

Saturday Worship Service 6pmSunday School - all ages: 9:30am

Rev. Rob Sparr www.hudsonpc.org

hudson monthly feb. 2013

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