Grapevine
by Laura Bednar
Children’s author Denise M. Rose, of Independence, is celebrating the release of her third book titled Grateful to Be Me.
Rose published her first children’s book, Laugh for Heaven’s Sake, in 2020 in honor of her first grandchild, Grace. Her second book, Born to Be Strong, was written in 2023 in honor of her grandson, CJ, and Grateful to Be Me was written in honor of her granddaughter, Emily.
She said her grandchildren are a source of joy and inspiration in her life and she wants to write a book for each of them.
Her newest book encourages children to be grateful for who they are, appreciate the blessings God has given them and remember that there is no one in the world quite like them. Rose said her stories aim to help young readers recognize their God-given talents and share those gifts with the world. Themes in her books include faith, kindness, strength, gratitude and love.
Rose and her illustrator Linda Zust, of Richfield, will hold a book signing on Dec. 6 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the White Oaks Room at the Independence Civic Center. All three of Rose’s children’s books will be available at the event and the main characters from each book will join the author and illustrator in signing. Young guests can also enjoy kid-friendly activities.
Congratulations to Independence resident Andrea Klima, who was the first-place female finisher of the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon on Sept. 26 with a time of 2:42:08. The FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, half marathon and team relay drew 8,000 athletes from 34 U.S. states and six countries, according to a press release from the Akron Marathon Charitable Corporation.
She swept the 2026 Akron race series after winning the half marathon and 8K races earlier in the year. Her half marathon time was 1:19:43 and her 8K time was 28:40, a new event record.
She made it her goal to win all three races after running a personal best time at the Toledo marathon in the spring.
“I wanted a goal that wasn’t necessarily about the time on the clock but would challenge me to work on my speed and endurance over the summer,” Klima said.
Teammates and friends joined her during her training, which she fit in between working as a full-time quality engineer at a manufacturing plant. This was her sixth marathon, but first win, competing in both the Boston and Chicago marathons. She is also a member of CLE Racing, an all-women’s elite running team.
She has been running for seven years, starting as a senior at Independence High School and later joining the Akron Running Club while attending the University of Akron. It was there she met her fiancé Justin Zapotoczny, who competed in the Akron marathon with her. She said she caught up to him around mile 19 after running alone for the majority of the race.
“There are still several big climbs after this point in the race and it was so nice to have the company of my soon-to-be ‘teammate for life’ during a rather lonely and difficult stretch,” Klima said. “Getting to run side by side on the roads that ultimately brought us together just a few weeks before we get married was a moment I’ll remember forever.”