The Walton Hills November 26, 2015Volume 4 :: No. 10

StandardServing the Walton Hills community

‘Lights Out for Hunger’ Campaign Going Through Jan. 10 “Lights Out for Hunger” raises funds

to support two of our local food banks and to raise awareness of the growing problem of hunger in our community. It is the vision of a local senior citizen who said, “ If all the towns in America, who have holiday lighting displays, turned them off just one night and then donated the cost of the electricity from that night back to their local food bank, we could stop hunger in America.” On December 16th, 2015 only, the cities of Bedford, Bedford Hts., Walton Hills and Oakwood Village holiday lighting displays will be turned off in support of the campaign. Individuals and businesses can support the campaign both visually and financially by turning off their lights on the 16th and donating their electricity savings to the campaign.

“Lights Out for Hunger” will run from Nov. 25th 2015- Jan. 10th 2016. Donations will be accepted any time throughout the campaign. Checks should be made out to the Southeast Clergy Council and sent to:

First Baptist Church of Bedford445 Turney RdBedford OH. 44146 Please include “Lights Out for Hunger”

in the memo section of the check. Funds collected will be split between the Southeast Clergy Hunger Center at South Haven United Church of Christ and Messiah International Ministries food bank in mid-January when the need to replenish food is most urgent. 100% of all donations go directly to the food banks and are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, or you would like to volunteer please contact Beth at 440-439-9755, Cheryl at 440-941-1648 or find us on Facebook; “Lights Out for Hunger” or www.bedfordoh.gov.

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

“Lights Out for Hunger”

December 16th, 2015 Please join the Cities of Bedford, Bedford Hts. Walton Hills

and Oakwood Village and turn off your holiday lights on December 16th, and then donate your electricity savings or

more to, the “Lights Out for Hunger” campaign.

Checks should be made out to The Southeast Clergy Council and sent to:

First Baptist Church of Bedford 445 Turney Rd.

Bedford, OH. 44146

* Please include “Lights Out for Hunger” in the memo section of check.

Proceeds will go to Southeast Clergy Hunger Center and Messiah International Ministries Food Bank.

Questions please call Beth 440-439- 9755, Cheryl 440-941-1648 or like us on Facebook

“Lights Out for Hunger” www.bedfordoh.gov

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.

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

The Walton Hills StandardNovember 26, 2015

102

Cleveland Metroparks Toboggan Chutes OpenCalling all thrill-seekers! Cleveland

Metroparks toboggan chutes open Friday, November 27 through Sunday, March 6 at the Chalet Recreation Area at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville.

Cleveland Metroparks toboggan chutes are the tallest, fastest toboggan chutes in Ohio! While riders prepare for the icy thrill, the Chalet’s lift system effortlessly transports the toboggans uphill where they are unloaded by Chalet

staff. The twin toboggan chutes plunge down a 70-foot vertical drop and travel along 700-feet of ice while reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. And, all season long, each chute has its own speed-reader so riders can record their top speeds.

In between toboggan runs, warm up inside the Chalet while enjoying a hot chocolate from the snack bar by the fireplace. The Chalet features two fireplaces, a large-screen TV and a loft

with video games.Grab friends, family and neighbors

and head to the Chalet Recreation Area this season! Toboggan hours are as follows:

Thursdays: 6 - 10 p.m. (January

- March 2016) Fridays: 6 - 10:30 p.m. Saturdays: noon - 10:30 p.m. Sundays: noon - 5 p.m.The refrigerated ice chutes operate

with or without snow, but if temperatures exceed 50 degrees or if there is heavy rain, tobogganing may be cancelled. Call the Chalet at 440-572-9990 for updates. For more information on holiday hours, admission and season passes, visit clevelandmetroparks.com/tchutes.

The Chalet Toboggan Chutes are located in Cleveland Metroparks Chalet Recreation Area, 16200 Valley Parkway, in Mill Stream Run Reservation, between routes 42 and 82 in Strongsville.

Presidential Award Given to Public Service Program Thanks to Efforts by Local Ophthalmologist

Dr. Sam Salamon’s Work to Restore Seniors’ Vision Gains EyeCare America a Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama

Ophthalmologist, Samuel M. Salamon, M.D. who has practiced eye care in Cleveland, Ohio for the last 31 years, volunteers with EyeCare America to restore vision for seniors. Thanks to the sight-saving contributions of these dedicated volunteers, the national public service program has just received the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

EyeCare America, a program of the Foundation of the American

Academy of Ophthalmology, is one of the largest public service programs in American medicine. In Ohio, over the last 30 years, the program has helped more than 20,521 people obtain access to medical eye care and resources through 257 volunteer ophthalmologists.

The program was recently recognized by the President’s Volunteer Service Award which is the premier volunteer awards program, encouraging citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national recognition.

“Thank you for helping to address the most pressing needs in

your community and our country,” wrote President Obama in a letter that accompanied the Award. “Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment to your community that moves America a step closer to its great promise.”

“Losing vision can be devastating, but some seniors may think it’s inevitable due to their age and suffer in silence rather than seeking help,” said Dr. Salamon. “Today, we are very fortunate to have several treatments to help stop and even restore vision loss for older Americans. It’s an honor to be part of a national program that helps make it so much easier for

seniors to access these treatments, and I’m pleased that my work has helped gain recognition of EyeCare America from the President.”

Those interested in the program can see if they qualify for a sight-saving eye exam and care at no out-of-pocket cost by visiting EyeCare America’s online referral center at www.eyecareamerica.org. This online referral center also allows friends and family members to find out if their loves ones are eligible to be matched with an EyeCare America volunteer ophthalmologist.

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

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

The Walton Hills Standard

The Walton HillsStandard

November 26, 2015

Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management Achieves Emergency Management Accreditation

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management (CCOEM) has become the first county Emergency Management Agency (EMA) in Ohio, and the 26th local EMA in the nation, to achieve accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP).

“Accreditation demonstrates that Cuyahoga County continues to make public safety a priority,” said George Taylor, Cuyahoga County Director of Public Safety and Justice Services. “The Office of Emergency Management has devoted significant time and energy to ensuring that public safety agencies

throughout the county are prepared for disaster or emergency. We are proud to be the first county-level emergency management agency in Ohio to be accredited.”

The two-year process required the Office of Emergency Management to comply fully with 64 separate performance standards that cover all aspects of emergency management including planning, training, communications, operations and administration. The capstone of the process was a week-long assessment visit by a team of EMAP assessors who painstakingly evaluated all aspects of the county’s emergency

management program.“Having gone through the EMAP

accreditation process here at Ohio EMA, we recognize the significant effort it takes, as well as the tremendous benefits of going through this process,”said Sima Merick, Executive Director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. This is a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to the work Cuyahoga County’s emergency managers do each and every day.

Barb Graff, Director of the Seattle Office of Emergency Management and Chair of the EMAP Commission, added that accreditation demonstrates a

community’s “commitment and desire to prove to their communities that their safety is the priority.”

Accreditation is valid for five years. CCOEM must maintain compliance with EMAP standards and be reassessed in 2020 to maintain accredited status.

The Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management’s mission is to protect lives, property, the environment, and the economy. For additional information, contact us at 216-443-5700 or online at http://ja.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/emergency-management.aspx

Chagrin Valley Dispatch Center Winner of 911 Leadership AwardThe Chagrin Valley Dispatch

Center, a state-of-the-art emergency dispatching agency that serves 12 municipalities within the Chagrin Valley area, recently won the National 9-1-1 Leadership Award from the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials.

To initiate, coordinate, and dispatch first responders, Chagrin Valley Dispatch certified staff members use advanced communication systems. The 9-1-1 system is used by all of

Cuyahoga County, which was built with room for expansion to include contiguous counties.

Congratulations to the Chagrin Valley Dispatch Center on winning the 9-1-1 Leadership Award,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish. “We are proud of the work our dispatch centers are doing across the County. Government that gets results is a core strategy in all that we do. Centralization and collaboration of services and the leveraged benefit

of upgraded services has allowed us to offer more, for less. We are proud of the work our dispatch centers are doing across the county.”

Chagrin Valley Dispatch prides itself on ensuring safe and effective emergency services are available to all residents of Cuyahoga County when they need it.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to Lt. Nick DiCicco, who had the vision to conceive and create the center,” said Kathy Mulcahy, Mayor of Orange

Village. “We are very proud of the first class safety service this provides to our residents.” “

We are so proud to work with the people like Lt. DiCicco, who have incredible vision and technical ability,” said Moreland Hills Mayor Susan Renda. “We are where we are today because of his leadership.”

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio4 The Walton Hills StandardNovember 26, 2015

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 December 31, 2015- Bedford Standard

Jane L. Dodson, DDSMychael Davis, DDS

Southeast Library SpotlightThe Southeast branch of the

Cuyahoga County Public Library is located in Bedford at 70 Columbus Road, 440.439.4997 (Programs where registration is required/requested are marked with an *)

Adult

Affordable Healthcare: Assistance with the Healthcare

Marketplace will be available at the Southeast Branch on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

Afternoon Book Discussion:

Wednesday, December 2 / 1:30 p.m. December title: Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb.

Children’s Programs

Family Storytime: Wednesdays / 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. (For

Caregivers & their children ages Birth - 8 years old) Join us for rhymes, songs, finger plays and stories.

Video Gaming Open Sessions: Wednesdays / 3:00 p.m. (Grades 3-6)

Play video games after school. Gaming systems include Kinect and Wii.

Make-It Take-It Craft: Monday, December 7th / 2:00-7:00

p.m. Drop in to create a North Pole Measuring Stick for winter snow.

Teen Programs

Anime Gaming Club: Wednesday, December 30 / 7:00—

8:30 p.m. (For teens ages 11-18) *Learning to Code for Scratch

Games: Wednesday, December 9 / 7 :00p.m. Join us in celebrating Computer Science Education Week by learning

how to code with Scratch to create a Pong game.

Mixed Ages

*Pen2Page Creative Writing Club: Saturday, December 12 / 3:00—

4:30 p.m. (Grades 4—10) If you enjoy writing stories, poems or song lyrics, we’ll provide writing activities and exercises to help you improve your skills.

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

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

Columbus & Ohio The Walton Hills Standard November 26, 2015

Our highly trained diagnostic imaging staff will see you promptly to determine the nature and extent of your injury. With state-of-the-art MRI, CT, ultrasound and X-ray equipment, we can ensure a quick and accurate diagnosis.

For injuries that require more extensive therapy, our Warrensville Outpatient and Neuro Rehab Center therapists will develop a plan that will get you back in the game.

A physician order is required for all imaging procedures and for rehabilitation services. Same- and next-day appointments are available.

© 2015 University Hospitals BMCRMC 00559

COMPREHENSIVE IMAGING AND REHAB

for athletes of all ages

440-735-3701 | UHBedford.org44 Blaine Avenue, Bedford, Ohio 44146

440-585-6333 | UHRichmond.org27100 Chardon Road, Richmond Heights, Ohio 44143

Warrensville Outpatient and Neuro Rehab Center216-765-28304480 Richmond Road, Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44128

Things Everyone Needs to Know about 9-1-1

Know WHEN to call 9-1-1. 9-1-1 is for emergencies only. You should only be dialing 9-1-1 if someone is hurt or in danger, or if you are in immediate need of police, fire, or medical assistance. If you aren’t sure if your situation is an emergency, you should err on the side of safety and call 9-1-1 and let the expert who answers your call make the decision whether to send help or not.

Know WHEN NOT to call 9-1-1. Don’t call 9-1-1 just because you burned dinner and your guests are arriving any minute, or because you are late for a meeting and need help finding an address. While those situations may count as emergencies for you, they aren’t for public safety. Inappropriate use of the 9-1-1 system wastes resources and ties up the lines at the 9-1-1 center, and nobody wants to be on hold when they are in the middle of a real crisis. Not to mention that in most states harassing or making prank calls to 9-1-1 is a crime, and you don’t want law enforcement showing up at your door.

Know the capabilities of the device you are using. 9-1-1 can be contacted from pretty much every device that can make phone calls (traditional landline, ell, VoIP), but the callback and location information that accompanies your call to the 9-1-1 center can vary drastically amongst technologies and between geographic regions. 9-1-1 and telecommunications professionals are hard at work to make sure 9-1-1 works the same on all devices in the future, but until then it is your job to be knowledgeable about benefits and limitations associated with various technologies. Contact your service provider(s) for more information.

Know where you are. This is probably the most important information you can provide as a 9-1-1 caller, so try to be aware of your surroundings. Make a real effort to be as detailed as possible. If you are outside and don’t know the street address, take a look around and try to find landmarks or cross streets. If you are inside a large building or one with multiple levels, you can help emergency services by letting them know which floor you are on, which apartment you are in, etc.

Stay calm. When you are on the phone with 9-1-1, you are their eyes and ears. Even though you may want to, try not to panic. If you are crying or yelling, it can be hard for the 9-1-1 operator to understand you. If you are able to stay strong, pull yourself together, and answer all of the 9-1-1 operator’s questions, the faster they can get the right services to your location.

Never hang up. You may have called 9-1-1 by accident, or your situation may have resolved itself, but it is important to let the 9-1-1 operator know this. If you end the call abruptly, the folks at the 9-1-1 center are going to assume that something has gone very wrong and will either call you back or send help anyway. This will take away from the 9-1-1 center’s ability to take calls and dispatch services to on-going emergencies, so make sure the 9-1-1 call taker tells you it is ok to disconnect before you hang up. And keep in mind that the call taker can dispatch responders to your location without disconnecting from the call, so, until you are instructed to do otherwise, make sure to hold the line so that you can provide any necessary information or assistance to the 9-1-1 operator.

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio6 The Walton Hills StandardNovember 26, 2015

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 CHER were a married song-and-dance team. It was great while it lasted. But then the kids came along, and Sonny and Cher needed regular jobs to make ends meet. As old age settles in, Cher 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 Chastity to get a used car after her old one falls apart. All the kids promise to pay it back, but they never do. Then tragedy strikes! Sonny gets killed in a skiing accident, and Cher has to go into a nursing home!

THE NEED FOR MEDICAID The 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 in the Cleveland area

costs $6,300+ a month! There is only ONE government program that will pay for your care in a nursing home after you become impoverished. It’s called Medicaid.

(Medicare is entirely different from Medicaid. Medicare is health insurance. Medicare pays for doctor visits and when you’re in the hospital. Medicare might cover short-term care in a care facility, but Medicare will not pay a dime for long-term nursing-home care.)

Sad to say, Medicaid is very complicated. That’s why you need to learn about it now, BEFORE you need the nursing home, BEFORE your mind goes, BEFORE the crisis happens.

THE MEDICAID PROCESS Cher is in the nursing home, and

daughter Cleopatra applies for Medicaid on Cher’s behalf. Cleopatra is shocked to learn that she has to provide financial paperwork for Sonny and Cher 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 $250 a day!

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

Remember, Medicaid is welfare. It’s financial aid for the poor. So, Medicaid will want to verify how poor you are. Medicaid’s attitude is, “If you could afford to give money away, then don’t count on help from us!”

Medicaid discovers the gifts that Sonny gave to his children in the past five years. These are called “improper transfers.” The

total is $31,500! What happens now?

MEDICAID PENALTY PERIODS Cher had some savings, but it’s all

been paid to the nursing home while her Medicaid application is pending. Now Cher has only $1,500 left, and so she’s finally poor enough to get Medicaid. But Medicaid refuses to pay. Why? Because Sonny gave away $31,500.

Medicaid imposes a “penalty period.” Medicaid won’t pay for Cher’s care for a period of time equal in value to $31,500. Medicaid divides $31,500 by $6,300 (which is the average cost of the nursing home for one month). The result? A penalty period of five months!

And when does this five-month penalty start? When Cher is “poor enough” to get Medicaid. In other words, just when you need financial help the most, NO Medicaid for you!

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

State money to pay for your care. You could be “dumped” out of the nursing home. If you’re sent to a hospital, it will “dump” you too. You could become homeless. You could die. Am I exaggerating? Here is a comment from a report called “Patient Dumping,” published in 2014 by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights:

“[People have] slipped through the holes in the Medicaid/Medicare [safety] net. Such persons are at greater risk of being refused [hospital] service, because it is in the hospital’s financial interest to do so 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: Do you see how serious it is to make “improper transfers”? Is it better to let your daughter’s home be foreclosed upon, to give money to your divorced son, to help your daughter buy a car – or to be dumped from the nursing home, to become homeless, or to die? If YOU worry that you might have created a Medicaid problem by making gifts, talk to an elder-law lawyer now. There may be ways to deal with 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). For the fall 2015 semester, Mrs. How is teaching a course called “Medicaid: From Application to Renewal” at Cuyahoga Community College’s Senior Enrichment Program. Also, 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 WORKSHOPS: Monday, Dec. 14, 2015 from 6 to 8 p.m. UPCOMING AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, from 2 to 4 p.m. To find out where the Workshops will be presented and to reserve seats, 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.

Denmark-Based Xellia Pharmaceuticals To Open Manufacturing Center In Bedford

D e n m a r k- b a s e d Xe l l i a Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on providing important anti-infective treatments against serious and often life-threatening infections, has acquired manufacturing facilities in Bedford, Ohio. The facilities were bought from a wholly owned subsidiary of Hikma Pharmaceuticals.

Under the terms of the agreement, Xellia has acquired substantial parts of the site including several new manufacturing units for sterile injectables which are not currently operational. Hikma will retain the

remaining facilities including the Quality and Development Center which has been operated by its subsidiary, West-Ward Injectables, Inc. since it acquired the site in 2014.

Carl-Åke Carlsson, CEO, Xellia said: “The US is a very important market for us, and as a region with a strong manufacturing heritage and a uniquely skilled and specialized workforce, Bedford, Ohio is an ideal location to expand our manufacturing capabilities. Together with our production site and new US headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, Xellia is in a great place to help make critical anti-infectives available to

the patients that need them. We are looking forward to being co-located at the Bedford site with Hikma and to continue to work closely with them in the future.”

Xellia intends to recruit around 170 new employees across a range of departments including; manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, quality, engineering, human resources and finance at the Bedford site over an initial twenty-four month period.

Company officials said Xellia plans to invest significantly in the facilities to resume manufacturing in the new units at the site and in the establishment

and training of a new organization to operate the plant. The Company will work closely with the US Food and Drug Administration to ensure a timely and controlled start-up at the facility.

Xellia plans to begin commercial production at the site within 24 months. The facility will operate alongside the Company’s existing sterile injectables production plant in Raleigh. The Bedford site significantly increases Xellia’s production capacity for sterile injectable products in the US, ability to meet the growing needs of its US customers and enables future pipeline expansion.

The Walton HillsStandard

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

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

Columbus & Ohio The Walton Hills Standard

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio8 The Walton Hills StandardNovember 26, 2015

Cuyahoga County leaders announce new efforts to remove crime guns from our communities

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, along with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County Coordinator Bill Jelenic, announced a new Crime Stoppers Crime Gun Initiative.

The goal of the Crime Gun Initiative is to remove crime guns from our communities—firearms that have been illegally possessed and used to commit a crime.

“We are witnessing an explosion of violent crime, and we are offering a program to help stop the killing,” said County Executive Armond Budish. “There is no one, simple solution. This is a complex issue that needs to be attacked with urgency and vigilance, and we hope this program provides the motivation to get people from every aspect of our society involved, so we can, together, work to make our streets safer.”

Details of the Crime Gun Initiative include the following:

• Crime Stoppers has established a dedicated hotline, 241-TIPS (8477), specifically for tips related to crime guns.

• Tips can remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $250, for a tip that leads to an

arrest or indictment. • This is NOT a replacement for 9-1-

1. This hotline should not be used to report crimes in progress or emergency situations

“It’s important that we find new strategies in eliminating crime guns from our neighborhoods. As we continue to collaborate between federal and local resources, our most important resource is YOU.” said Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County Board of Directors President Dr. Rustom Khouri. “An initiative like this cannot succeed without the support from our residents. If you know or suspect that a crime gun has been illegally possessed and used in a crime, do the right thing and let Crime Stoppers know.”

Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County operates as an independent o r g a n i z a t i o n , dedicated to providing local

law enforcement with information about crimes and criminals. Reward money paid out by the program is raised through fundraising and private donations, and $100,000 allocated by the county over the biennium to kickstart the program. Crime Stoppers has proven itself to be a successful program, not only in Cuyahoga County, but nationwide.

For more information about Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County, please visit:

www.25crime.com