Bobst appointed as newest mayor
ROCKY RIVER — City Council President Pam Bobst was sworn in as mayor June 29 before family members and municipal officials. She will serve the unexpired term — through Dec. 31, 2007 — of former Mayor William Knoble, who resigned June 9.

School board drops request for reassessments
ROCKY RIVER — The Board of Education unanimously rescinded a request of the county auditor to reassess 33 taxpayers who bought residences in the city in 2004. The district believed the homeowners were not paying the correct amount of property taxes.

Police chief to retire after nearly 30 years service
NORTH OLMSTED — George Ruple will retire Sept. 1 after eight years as police chief and 29½ years as a police officer in North Olmsted. Both department captains, Kevin Whelan and Wayne Wozniak, said they plan to take the civil service test to succeed Ruple.

Sway to sounds of spiced-up jazz beneath the stars
UPensemble, a jazz band with an Afro-Cuban flavor, puts on a free show at Skyline Music in Westlake July 11 at 7 p.m. That's quite convenient for two of the band's members because they work at the Center Ridge Road music store.

HAITI JOURNAL
Journey of lifetime leaves unforgettable impression
Dan Dzurick, the father of West Life Sports Editor Zachary Dzurick, recently visited the Caribbean nation of Haiti with members of a church group and kept this journal of his trip.