Perry teacher lauded for winning award

BOUQUETS >> To Perry High School family and consumer sciences teacher Jennifer Bezzeg, on being selected by the Greater Cleveland Association of Family and Consumer Sciences to receive the 2017 Outstanding Teacher Spirit Award.

The award is given to an educator who has elevated and brought life to their family and consumer science program, recognizing those who go above and beyond the classroom by participating in outside activities which enhance their work, according to a Perry Schools news release.

FCS is a set of courses that draws from a range of disciplines and contexts (education, business, social, economic, cultural, technological, geographical and political) to achieve optimal and sustainable living for individuals, families and communities.

Bezzeg was nominated by FCS teacher Kerry Banks of Memorial Middle School in Mentor.

Bezzeg created five FCS class offerings — Career Search, Positive You, Textile and Interior Design, Global Foods and Child Development — that provide life experiences and 21st century skills to students at Perry High School.

“I am passionate about FCS and could talk for hours about its importance and need in public schools,” she said.

We believe that Bezzeg is an ideal recipient for this award.

BOUQUETS » To University of Akron pole vaulter Matt Ludwig, a graduate of Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, on winning the NCAA Division I pole vault championship.

Ludwig, a sophomore, captured the crown June 7 at the outdoor track and field meet at Eugene, Oregon.

The Zips sophomore used a bit of drama to win the NCAA title. He cleared 18-4 ½ on his third and final try.

Zips coach Dennis Mitchell was impressed with Ludwig’s ability to stave off tricky conditions in Eugene on June 7. Competitors battled a drizzle and head winds throughout much of the day.

“Matt kept battling as the conditions continued to change with the wind and rain,” Mitchell told GoZips. com. “He just kept it all in stride and stayed focused and pulled it off against a very talented field.”

The competition came down to him and Cincinnati’s Adrian Valles.

They were the lone competitors to clear 18-2 ½. Ludwig cleared 18-4 ½ on his second attempt, but the bar fell to the mat. Valles also missed his second attempt.

When Valles missed again on his third jump, the stage was set for Ludwig to get the national title and avoid a jump-off.

“He stayed true to his form and made the winning bar on his last attempt,” said Mitchell. “(Matt’s) an extremely tough competitor.”

We congratulate Ludwig on his towering achievement.

BRICKBATS » To the wife and children of a bedridden Euclid man who died from gross neglect, after they pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with the man’s lack of care and eventual death.

Debora Brichacek, the wife of Richard Brichacek, was sentenced to seven years in prison June 7. Last month in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Debora Brichacek, 60, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the December 2015 death of Richard Brichacek, who suffered from a neurological disorder.

Prosecutors say 63-year-old Richard Brichacek had maggot-infested bedsores that exposed a bone in his leg. He weighed just 93 pounds when he died and was severely malnourished. The family’s home in Euclid was declared unfit for habitation.

Daughters Wendi Brichacek and Debbi Brichacek were sentenced to 12 months of community control plus community service and counseling. Son Brian Brichacek received 18 months of community control plus community service and counseling.

Wendi Brichacek, Debbi Brichacek and Brian Brichacek pleaded guilty to attempted felonious assault in May.

All four family members originally were charged with murder.

It’s sad to think about what Richard Brichacek endured because of his family members’ actions or failure to act.

BRICKBATS » To anyone swimming in Lake Erie this summer who doesn’t take precautions needed to stay safe.

Some of those measures include swimming only on beaches protected by lifeguards; wearing Coast Guard approved life jackets if you’re a nonswimmer or weak swimmer; the need for parents to accompany small children into the lake (and not sit a long distance away on the shore to watch them); and to not go swimming in Lake Erie while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Have fun frolicking in Lake Erie, but always do so with safety in mind.