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📢 Local Events from Mentor & the Area: MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events!

📰 Local News: 📰 Mentor Questions Lagoons Engineering Firm as Council Holds Off on Contract Change

🍂 Mentor Leaf-Vacuum Plan Stalls After 5–2 Council Vote

🌿Evergreen: Teach One Useful Skill Without Taking Over

⚾ Sports:⚾ Guardians Storm Back, Beat White Sox, Force Game 5

🏈 Cardinals Head to Shaker Heights With Conference Title and Playoff Position at Stake

🏈 Lake Catholic Eyes Third Straight Win as Padua Comes to Mentor

🤔 Trivia Question

🤣 Something Funny

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Mentor's effort to protect the eroding shoreline at Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve has encountered an unexpected complication — and the city's top administrator is questioning the circumstances.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, City Manager Kenneth Filipiak recommended replacing SmithGroup, the engineering firm previously selected for the shoreline project, after staffing changes affected key personnel expected to perform the work.

But Filipiak's concerns went beyond staffing. He suggested the company should have known about its shrinking resources when Mentor entered into the agreement, raising questions about business ethics.

The city wants to shift the work to Kimley-Horn, where Michelle Johnson — the project's originally designated manager — now works.

Council members questioned the proposal, including whether ending the SmithGroup agreement could expose the city to legal action and why Kimley-Horn apparently had not submitted qualifications during the initial selection process.

Rather than immediately authorize the change, council advanced the proposal to a second reading.

The timing is significant. Filipiak reported that another approximately 15 feet of bluff eroded at the Lagoons over the preceding weekend, requiring another trail relocation.

The city also received federal authorization October 6 to proceed with the first phase of its approximately $3.5 million shoreline engineering program. Filipiak said the contractor review had not delayed the project because that authorization had only just arrived.

The central question now: Can Mentor move forward with the engineering team it trusts while addressing council's concerns about the proposed contract change?

➡️ Read more: What prompted the city manager's pointed remarks, why the project's original manager is now with another firm, and the legal and financial questions council wants answered before making a decision.

A proposal that could have eliminated the need to bag leaves for curbside pickup in Mentor has stalled after City Council voted 5–2 against taking the next step.

During Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Brian Cook asked council to authorize drafting legislation for a residential leaf-vacuum collection program. The idea had previously been discussed at a June 16 work session.

Cook argued that the service could make fall cleanup easier for homeowners, potentially reduce expenses under the city's existing Waste Management arrangement and come without an additional charge to residents.

But the October 6 vote wasn't about approving the service or spending money on equipment. It was about whether to prepare an ordinance for further consideration.

"I'm not arguing the merits of a leaf program tonight," Cook said, explaining that he wanted the proposal placed on a future agenda for public discussion and feedback.

Councilman Matthew Donovan joined Cook in supporting the request. The other five council members voted no, leaving the proposal without enough support to advance.

For homeowners, nothing changes this fall. Mentor's existing bagged yard-waste collection continues, with the weekly limit increasing from 12 to 25 units beginning October 26.

Whether leaf vacuuming would ultimately save money, how much it would cost to operate and what would be required to bring the idea back remain important unanswered questions.

➡️ What would leaf-vacuum collection actually cost Mentor, and could it save money? We examine the earlier June proposal, the financial and staffing questions, why the October vote matters and what homeowners need to know about fall leaf pickup. See the full article on our website here.

Sharing what you know can be one of the most rewarding ways to help someone. The secret is showing them enough to get started—and giving them room to discover the rest.

You know exactly how to do it. You've done it hundreds of times. And now someone wants you to show them how.

This should be easy, right?

Then you notice they're holding the tool differently. They're taking longer than necessary. They're about to make a mistake you could prevent in two seconds.

Before you know it, you've taken over.

It's an understandable temptation. Experience makes the right next step seem obvious. But what feels like helpful guidance to the teacher can leave the learner feeling like a spectator.

The better approach is to share the skill without taking away the discovery.

Start by asking what the person actually wants to learn. Someone interested in your family recipe may only want to master the sauce. A neighbor asking about gardening may simply want to know how to divide a plant.

Let their curiosity set the direction.

Next, demonstrate one manageable step. Explain what you're doing, but also explain what you're noticing. How do you recognize when the dough is ready? What tells you the soil needs water? Why does one approach work better than another?

Those little judgments are often the most valuable parts of experience.

Then comes the difficult part: step aside.

Let the learner work at their own pace. Unless safety is involved, resist correcting every movement or reaching in to finish the job.

Instead, ask, “Would you like a suggestion, or do you want to try it first?”

A little patience can make the difference between someone remembering your instructions and someone developing a skill of their own.

You don't need an afternoon, a classroom or a complicated lesson plan. Choose one useful task, share what experience has taught you, and give the other person a chance to succeed.

The goal isn't to teach someone to do it exactly your way. It's to help them discover that they can do it themselves.

➡️ The best teaching moments often come down to knowing when to help and when to step aside. In this week's full Evergreen edition, you'll find a practical 20-minute skill-sharing plan, examples of feedback that encourages rather than controls, and a simple planning card to help you pass along something useful.

Don't count out the Cleveland Guardians just yet!

Down 0–2 in the ALDS, Cleveland battled back Thursday night with a 9–5 victory over Chicago, tying the series and forcing a decisive showdown at Progressive Field.

José Ramírez homered and drove in three runs, while Patrick Bailey sparked the comeback with a pinch-hit homer in the fifth. After Chicago regained the lead, Cleveland erupted for six runs in the sixth.

Travis Bazzana tied it with an RBI double, Bailey delivered the go-ahead single, and Jo Adell added a two-run hit.

After dropping two games at home, the Guardians have scored nine runs in back-to-back victories in Chicago.

Game 5 is Saturday, October 10, at 8 p.m. on TBS. Win, and the Guardians advance to the ALCS.

Clear your Saturday night, wear your Guardians gear, and turn up the volume. One more win. Let's go, Guards!

See highlights at espn.com

Mentor looks to rebound from last week's loss as a four-team race for the Greater Cleveland Conference championship heats up.

The Mentor Cardinals have more than a bounce-back victory on their minds when they travel to Shaker Heights Friday night.

After last week's 56–30 loss to Strongsville ended their 21-game Greater Cleveland Conference winning streak, Mentor (5–2, 3–1 GCC) finds itself in a four-way tie for first place alongside Riverside, Brunswick and Strongsville.

The Cardinals also enter Week 8 ranked No. 2 in Division I, Region 1, putting a potential first-round playoff bye within reach.

Despite playing without senior quarterback Brogan Jones last week, Mentor's offense delivered several bright spots. Sophomore Corbin Bissett threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground.

Junior running back Braylon Callahan rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown, while Jeremiah Claridy caught four passes for 82 yards and a score.

Defensively, Mentor will be looking for significant improvement after surrendering 604 total yards to Strongsville, including 360 on the ground.

Shaker Heights (1–6, 0–4 GCC) enters Friday on a six-game losing streak following a 35–0 defeat against Lorain. Mentor won last year's meeting 49–0, but with conference and playoff implications growing, the Cardinals have little room for complacency.

Kickoff is Friday, October 9, at 7 p.m. at Russell H. Rupp Field in Shaker Heights.

With three regular-season games remaining, Friday offers Mentor a chance to regain momentum at a critical point in the season.

➡️ What will it take for Mentor to get back on track Friday? We break down three keys to victory, the quarterback situation, Shaker Heights' recent struggles and why the Cardinals' playoff ranking makes these final games especially important. Read our complete Week 8 game preview on mentorlocalbuzz.com.

The Cougars are finding their stride, and Friday night's conference showdown offers a chance to keep the momentum rolling.

Lake Catholic is playing some of its best football of the season heading into Friday night's home matchup with Padua Franciscan.

The Cougars (4–3) have won two straight, including a convincing 35–0 shutout of Elyria Catholic last week. Now, they'll try to make it three in a row when the Bruins (3–4) visit Mentor for a 7 p.m. North Coast Conference battle.

After scoring just 48 points through their first five games, Lake Catholic has erupted for 62 points over its last two contests, defeating CVCA 27–13 before blanking Elyria Catholic.

Quarterback Max Pisano has helped spark the turnaround, throwing three touchdown passes in each of those victories. Running back Giovanni Magistrelli has also emerged as a difference-maker, giving the Cougars a dangerous combination of passing and rushing threats.

Padua enters on a two-game losing streak, but the Bruins have a passing attack capable of creating problems. Quarterback Donavin Friscone has thrown for 1,004 yards and 10 touchdowns through seven games.

The Cougars won last year's meeting 30–0, but Friday presents a fresh challenge with both teams fighting for position as the regular season winds down.

Kickoff is Friday, October 9, at 7 p.m. at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium, 8620 Munson Road in Mentor. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

➡️ Can Lake Catholic make it three straight? Our full game preview examines the Cougars' offensive turnaround, Padua's biggest threats, three keys to Friday's matchup, and everything fans need to know about tickets, parking and watching the game. Read the full game preview on mentorlocalbuzz.com.

🐝 Buzz Fact: In the early days of automobiles, drivers sometimes had to stop because their cars frightened horses. Imagine calling your boss to explain you were late because a horse was having a nervous breakdown over a horseless carriage. Worse yet, the horse demanded to speak to the dealership manager.
Answer: Google

🤏 Missed it by that much!! Funny.