Latest News

View Image Gallery

When the Bay Village Fire Department began back in 1915, the mission was primarily focused on intense and sometimes chaotic efforts by volunteers to douse fires using a horse-drawn wagon supplied with a dozen pails and a ladder. Since those early days, the fire department has evolved into a fully-staffed professionally-trained complement of firefighters, who utilize the latest advancements in technology to respond to fires, as well as a whole host of other emergency situations.

In fact, the modern Bay Village Fire Department – the BVFD – trains daily in order to be prepared to respond to all hazards, including such varied dangers as drownings and water rescues on Lake Erie, calls for emergency medical assistance, motor vehicle crashes, elevator search and rescue, surface ice rescue and, of course, structure fires.

Westlake UMC's Trunk or Treat event features creative trunks like this Candy Land scene from a previous event.

View Image Gallery

What do Candy Land, fossils, rock-climbing, bubbles and Hamilton all have in common? These are just a few of the creative trunks we’ve spotted at Trunk or Treat in the past several years. Who knows what great adventures you’ll be able to take at Trunk or Treat on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 4-6 p.m. at Westlake United Methodist Church!

Adventurers of all ages are welcome at this free, family-friendly evening of trick-or-treating in our church parking lot. Wear your costume and enjoy games, prizes, food, live music and more! All are welcome to this rain or shine, fun-filled event.

For more information, contact the church office at 440-871-3088 or visit www.westlakeumc.org. Westlake United Methodist Church is located at 27650 Center Ridge Road.

A student from Marion C. Seltzer School in Cleveland, with a bicycle he earned by demonstrating responsible behavior at school. The bike was donated by Village Bicycle Cooperative in Bay Village.

View Image Gallery

Every now and then, we have a chance to witness greatness. For this story, "greatness" can be defined as the effort of a small group of people providing happiness and reward for others that are less fortunate. At the Village Bicycle Cooperative (VBC) in Bay Village, we were given the opportunity to witness greatness at a Cleveland school.

In late summer, VBC was approached by assistant principal Dave Funk from Marion C. Seltzer School, a Cleveland public school on West 98th Street near Madison Avenue. We were told that an Earn-a-Bike program was created for kids from kindergarten through eighth grade. Here is how it works:

A StarBuck, a Marion C. Seltzer-exclusive dollar, has its principal's image along with its greatness motto: "We Believe in Our Greatness." Kids can earn StarBucks.

Mayor Dennis M. Clough

View Image Gallery

The Westlake/North Olmsted chapter of the League of Women Voters sponsored a Candidate Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Porter Library. The following article contains highlights of the issues and candidates presented that evening. A full video can be seen on youtube.com (search "westlake league of women voters").

Westlake Issue 71: Renewal of Infrastructure Tax

Westlake voters will be asked on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot whether to renew a 0.375% income tax specifically designated for infrastructure needs. This includes funds to repair roadways, storm sewers, water lines, and retention basins in the city. Mayor Dennis Clough explained that 68% of Westlake residents who work outside the city receive a 100% tax credit. The remaining 32% who live outside Westlake but work in the city pay a 1.5% income tax. The 0.375% is part of this 1.5% tax that brings in an estimated $8 million per year to fund infrastructure needs.

The 1923 Lora A. and Russell A. Pease home, 2570 Dover Center Road. Photo by Will Krause

View Image Gallery

Dover Center Road house, circa 1923, was one of first built as Westlake transitioned from farmland to suburb

Most of the nearly 200 century homes in Westlake are vernacular farmhouses rather than “high style.” That is, they were built to be functional domestic dwellings rather than making an architectural statement or appearing monumental.

The exception are some of the homes along the section of Dover Center Road between Hilliard Boulevard and Center Ridge Road which include  a cluster of existing “high style” early homes in Westlake which were designed to make an architectural statement and appear monumental. This area is a prime candidate for a local historic district designation one day. One of enigmatic jewels of this stretch of road is a substantial brick home on the northwest corner of Dover Center Road and Seneca Drive.

Participants with dementia and their care partners created large flowers at the Center for Artful Living using recycled bottle caps.

View Image Gallery

On the grounds of the Carolyn L. Farrell at the Center for Artful Living in Westlake are six large garden flowers. Each represents the Foundation’s mission and celebration of care for individuals affected by dementia. The Farrell Foundation was created in 2011 and serves the community with a variety of arts enrichment programs at its Detroit Road location along with community outreach in Cleveland, Parma and Beachwood.

The large, three-dimensional flowers were created to raise awareness of dementia and its impact on society, families and the community. The Foundation stresses and supports a positive approach for dementia care. The flowers are a beautiful statement and were the vision of artist and Westlake resident Lee Ann Eyre.

Eva and Madelyn showing off their mealworms!

View Image Gallery

Third-graders study many different areas in science, but life science is one of their favorites. In our life science unit, the students explored animal grouping, life cycles and adaptations. Our science textbook included a study of animal life cycles by looking at frogs and monarch butterflies. The students only read about them and looked at photographs; for a fun hands-on experiment, each student got a mealworm so that they could see a life cycle in action. The mealworm is really the larva stage of a black mealworm beetle. Students had fun experimenting with their mealworms and then watching them go through two life stages: pupa and adult. After the four-week lesson, a few students chose to write a paragraph about what they learned. Here are two great articles written by my third-graders. – Kristen Thomas, Westerly School

Mealworm Life Cycle

by Madelyn Hughes and Eva Maile

Our third-grade class at Westerly School has been studying mealworms and its life cycle. We already knew about a butterfly's life cycle but not a mealworm's so this was new to us! We learned a mealworm turns from an egg to a larva. Then it turns into a pupa. The last life cycle stage is a beetle. In the wild, mealworms are hard to see.

Our first week during the experiment, our class had 23 larvae. We kept the larvae in small containers with a small amount of oatmeal. The mealworms were small but such a handful. First, you had to watch your mealworm all the time when it was out of the container. Mealworms are really fast! Second, you don't have to feed them a lot. Some larvae ate potatoes but others were not interested. Third, you can't put water in the oatmeal or the oatmeal will get moldy and your mealworm might die.

The Friends of the Bay Village Library Fall Used Book Sale begins Saturday, Oct. 26, at 9:00 a.m. and runs through Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7:00 p.m. The sale is held in the meeting room of the library during regular library hours.

For those of you who are championing for the planet at home, at work and at school, please know that I understand it is not easy, but small, local victories are what matter the most. We may not all be Greta Thunbergs with a global voice, but without those of us out here fighting the good fight everyday, her work would be futile.

It is hard and it can be very stressful when trying to help people understand why their choices matter. For example, you may get a laugh from somebody if you tell them that water from the tap is better for them than drinking water from plastic. This idea may take some processing time because there are many people who have gotten into the bad habit of bottled water. However, if you continue to gently remind friends and family that tap water is clean and safe and a much better choice than bottled water (and cheaper) you are indeed making a difference for the earth.

During World War II, more than 6,000 prisoners of war resided at Camp Perry near Port Clinton and its branch camps at Columbus, Rossford, Cambridge, Celina, Bowling Green, Defiance, Marion, Parma and Wilmington. Dr. Jim Van Keuren will delve into the neglected history of Ohio's POW camps when he joins us at the Bay Village branch library on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. He will sell and sign his book, "World War II POW Camps in Ohio," following the presentation.

CHILDREN

Weekly Storytimes:

• Mondays (10 a.m.) Toddler Storytime – ages 19-35 months
• Tuesdays (10 a.m.) Toddler Storytime – ages 19-35 months
• Tuesdays (6:45 p.m.) Family Storytime – for all ages
• Wednesdays (10 a.m.) Baby and Me Storytime – ages birth-18 months
• Thursdays (10 a.m.) Preschool Storytime – ages 3-5 (not yet in kindergarten)
• Fridays (10 a.m. and 11 a.m.) Family Storytime – for all ages

Saturday, Nov 9 (10 a.m.) Preschool STEAM – Ages 3-5: Join us for stories and a hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) activity. Space is limited. Registration required.

TEEN

Wednesdays, Oct. 16, 23, 30 and Nov. 6 (3-4 p.m.) Teen Zone – Grades 5 & up: Hang out with something fun to do after school – gaming, art, movies, technology and more! Parents/guardians must complete a Release and Hold Harmless form.

Wednesdays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30 (9:30 & 10:15 a.m.) Let’s Sing and Dance! – Sing and move to the music with Miss Nancy! For children ages 2-6 with a caregiver. Please arrive early to receive a ticket.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (3-4 p.m.) Ocean and River Cruising – Which type of cruise is right for you and your family? Karen Kulow helps you figure out which cruise will maximize your fun and time. Please register.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (3-4:30 p.m.) Tween Scene – Drop in after school to play board games and video games with your friends. Snacks will be provided. Grades 5-6.

Wednesdays, Oct. 16, 23 and 30 (4-5:30 p.m.) and Thursday, Oct. 17 (6:30-8 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by Youth Services to sign up for a 10-minute reading time with a reading therapy dog. Dogs will stay for 10 minutes past the last registered reader or 1.5 hours, whichever comes first. Sign-ups begin Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (6:30-8:45 p.m.) Cuyahoga West Genealogical Society – Dorothy Titera from the Westlake Family History Center will present "Genealogical Roundtable: Honoring Our Military Ancestors."

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (7-8:30 p.m.) Garden Club Presents Medical Marijuana – Dr. Dvora Nelson of Lakewood Medical Clinic will discuss the benefits of medicinal marijuana for some common diseases that fall under Ohio’s qualifying conditions. Please register.

Thursdays, Oct. 17, 24 and 31 (4-5 p.m., Grades 3-4) and Mondays, Oct. 21 and 28 (4-5 p.m., Grades 3-8) Code Club! – Learn how to build an app, design a video game, and change the world through code! Registration begins a week before each session. Please register for just one session per week.

Andrew Lipian

View Image Gallery

Oberlin Opera Theater will present a preview of its upcoming production of Benjamin Britten’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the FYI: Opera program on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The Westlake Westshore Arts Council sponsors this event at Porter Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road, and offers it free to the community.

However, this 2019 event is steeped in history. "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" was written by Shakespeare in the late 1590s. Almost four centuries later, in June 1960, Britten's opera based on Shakespeare’s play, premiered.

"9-1-1. State the nature of your emergency."

"Yes, I would like to report a kidnapping."

"Kidnapping? That's serious, sir. The name of the victim?"

"Actually, it's more than one person ..."

"What? Okay, then how about you tell me the names of the victims?"

"I'd like to, but actually, I can't recall all of the names."

"Listen pal, are you aware that prank calling this number is a serious crime? We have more serious things to attend to here ..."

"Oh, did someone just arrive with a box of donuts?"

"Okay wiseguy, now you are in serious troub–"

"I'm sorry, I'm just distraught about the kidnappings."

"Then give me some names, and pronto."

"Like I said, I can't recall all of them, but I do know most of ..."

"Sir, are you calling from a retirement home? Mental institution?"

"Just hear me out. I'm calling about the Cleveland Browns."

On Oct. 1, the Annals of Internal Medicine published several studies on the health consequences of consuming red and processed meat. Their conclusion: Cutting down on red meat did nothing to smaller-ish nothing to improve our health.

The scientific and public health sectors are incensed.

The World Health Organization lists processed meat as a carcinogen, red meat as a potential carcinogen. The 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting red meat to one, 3 ounce serving per week (steak the size of a deck of cards). The Harvard School of Public Health pitched a fit. Their 2012 study showed each extra daily serving of processed meat could increase the risk of death by 20 percent.

That’s 91 days, 2184 hours, 131,040 minutes, or 7,862,400 seconds. The writing on the wall is unmistakable: for most of us, we have to move off of Windows 7 before Jan. 14, 2020!

Sure, there is an annual paid option to extend, up to three years, the ability to continue to receive monthly security updates. Narrow criteria exists to use this option, officially christened as the Extended Security Update program (“ESU” for short), which requires your Windows 7 computer to be part of a volume licensing contract with Microsoft; it also has to be a certain “trim level” of Windows 7 operating system to even qualify. Hence, most residential users and many small businesses too are out of luck.

View Image Gallery

Do you love a good ghost story? Are you drawn to the paranormal? Westlake Porter Public Library welcomes ghost hunter and author Greg Feketik on Monday, Oct. 28, from 7-8:30 p.m. Join us for “Insights into the Unknown” and hear about Greg’s ghost-hunting adventures as chronicled in his first book of the same title and his newest release, "Roads into the Unknown: A Ghost Hunter’s Journey Continues." Books will be available for purchase following the presentation.

On Sunday, Oct. 20, fans of anime, comics, video games and movies are invited to BAYarts for the first annual BAY-CON. This family-friendly (free) comic and art convention will be packed with activities and vendors. Students of BAYarts will be featured in an art show of their work during the event.

Jeff Ritchie, a teacher at BAYarts, has been instrumental in the day and he talks about the event with great excitement. "Some of the students will do free sketches for visitors," Ritchie explained before elaborating on the activities. "There will be a trivia contest, pumpkin decorating, a chance to draw with one of the teachers of BAYarts, and panels with local artists and comic book creators!"

New President Ray Budoi receives the Kiwanis gavel from Past President Suzanne Rusnak as Recording Secretary Norm Resko looks on.

View Image Gallery

Oct. 1 ushers in a new Kiwanis year and the Westlake Kiwanis installed their new officers. Immediate Past President Suzanne Rusnak passed the gavel to incoming President Ray Budoi at their October meeting. Rusnak thanked the club for all their help during her term, helping making it a successful Kiwanis year. Budoi thanked Rusnak for her service.

Budoi laid out his agenda for the coming Kiwanis year, hoping to connect with the local community and to continue to serve the children of Westlake. Please consider joining the Westlake Kiwanis to help serve the youth of Westake.

Alan Waddle, left, serves up spaghetti featuring the special, homemade sauce of Tony Dostal, right.

View Image Gallery

The Bay Village Kiwanis Club Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser is just around the corner, on Saturday, Nov. 9. The location is Bay Presbyterian Church, 25415 Lake Road. Pasta along with salad, dessert and a beverage will be served from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Master chef Tony Dostal will be serving up his special homemade pasta sauce, the result of hours of painstaking preparation. Tony has been making this sauce for the past 42 years. You can dine in or carry out, but either way you owe it to yourself to try Tony’s pasta dinner for the low cost of $10 per adult, $5 for children 6-12, with children 5 and under free.

Sacred Conversations will continue at Dover Congregational UCC with a presentation of the one-act play, "Bound Together," on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 7:00 p.m. The play is about Frances Ellen Watkins Harper who was born in 1825, a "free woman of color" when others of her race were enslaved. Frances was an extraordinary "person of color" – poet, abolitionist, essayist, public speaker, journalist, suffragist and published novelist.

"Bound Together," written by local playwright, Kelly Boyer Sagert and directed by Dave MacKeigan, explores Harper's life, revealed while she and Hannah, a fictional white nurse with her own history, are caught in a blizzard in Harper's home. Debra Rose stars as Frances and Judy MacKeigan plays the role of Hannah, a poor Southern white woman who has lived a different sort of life.

"Scarecrow" Dave Pfister of the Westlake Historical Society is getting ready for the society's many October events.

View Image Gallery

October is a very busy month for the Westlake Historical Society and the historic Clague House Museum! Here are the programs we have coming up:

Teddy Bear Sleepover: Our fall Teddy Bear Sleepover is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 19th. Children are invited to drop off their teddy bear at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, to spend the night at the Clague House Museum. Teddy bear check-out is 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Children and their bears are invited to stay for our Fall Open House and Kids Sunday.

Open House: The Sunday, Oct. 20, open house at the Clague House Museum is 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a kids craft table, museum guided tours, and harvest-themed refreshments. Those wishing to take part in the Teddy Bear Sleepover, please contact the society at 216-848-0680 to reserve your spot. There is no charge for the overnight or the open house event.

Join Bay Village Community Theater for a scary good time when they present a staged reading of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Adapted and directed by Preston Postle, Irving’s 1820 tale is considered one of America’s first ghost stories … and its scariest.

Featuring the talents of Jenny Erbs, Zack Mitchell and Ben Saylor, performances are Saturday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m., at O’Neill Healthcare Bay Village, 605 Bradley Road; and Sunday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m., at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Parkside Hall, 468 Bradley Road. Performances are free!

Interactions with Lake Erie Nature & Science Center wildlife are part of the Halloween fun during the annual celebration and hayride. Photo by Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

View Image Gallery

Join Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on Friday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. for its annual Halloween Celebration & Hayride.

Put on your costume and trick-or-treat through the Center's Wildlife Gardens. Make a Halloween craft, hop on a hayride and view the stars at a family-friendly holiday show in Schuele Planetarium. Dinner is included at this non-scary celebration. 

This program is for all ages. Fee: $15/adults; $5/children; children 2 and under are free (includes dinner). Halloween Celebration & Hayride sells out each year, please register in advance at www.lensc.org or by calling 440-871-2900. Hayrides run rain or shine.

The Westlake Area Youth (WAY) Group of St. Ladislas Church in cooperation with the St. Ladislas Knights of Columbus will host a Browns football watch party at St. Ladislas in Cullen Hall on Sunday, Nov. 3. This game is against the Denver Broncos and game time is 4 p.m. Admission is $2 which includes your first hot dog. Other goodies are available. If you bring a canned good, you can receive a second hot dog.

View Image Gallery

Each year, not long after I take in the various figures my wife, Elaine, and I have out on our driveway and porch in October for Halloween, I’m asked who I will be making next. My short answer always, “I don’t know.” I don’t give any thought to that until the following spring, usually after some sort of inspiration.

This year the great success of the last Avengers movie encouraged me to make Ironman, and a request by our great-grandson, 5-year-old Stephen, prompted me to make a second figure, his favorite – Black Panther. Before these, I was able to make Linus to join my Peanuts family. Linus was completed in time to join all my figures on display at Porter Library in May.

The Westlake Women’s Club will present its annual Basket of Treasures Craft Show and Marketplace. This long running annual event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Westlake High School on Saturday, Nov. 9.  

Once again, this show will feature a variety of artisans offering holiday items, home decor,  jewelry, art, clothing, pottery, gifts and so much more. Over 50 vendors will be selling their handmade items this year, including several new artists as well as old favorites. There will also be a bake sale, raffle baskets and a lunch menu. The admission is $3 per adult with 12 and under free. No strollers are allowed.

CrossPointe Community is offering a training seminar from a new book by author Dr. Myke Merrill from Hilton, New York. Dr. Merrill will be at CrossPointe on Saturday, Oct. 26, 5-8 p.m., and Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m. The cost for the training is $20 and includes Dr. Merrill's book, "Why Do People Act That Way ... And What Can I Do About It?" plus a pizza and beverage.

Dr. Merrill will teach practical skills to disentangle complicated or difficult situations and relationships. It will give you insights into the four key complexes of the mind and how they shape our sense of reality, while also offering tools for accurate understanding and effective resolution of the five emotional systems. It will help you ask questions, get answers, and then ask better questions. Finally, it will help you to identify your own storyline in a way that may help you resolve some lifelong issues.

Westlake Recreation is currently registering children for our Youth Basketball Leagues. Children who live in the city of Westlake or attend a Westlake school are eligible to participate. Grade divisions are: Boys K, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 and High School. Girls K, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7-9. Child must be enrolled in kindergarten to participate in the kindergarten program. Practice will be held once a week beginning Nov. 18.  Games will be held on Saturdays, Dec. 7 through Feb. 29. Volunteer coaches are needed for all divisions.

October is Kindness Month. Do you know a child who goes above and beyond to help others? If so, nominate him or her for the Connecting for Kids Kind Kid Award.

The Kind Kid Award is given to a child 12 years of age or younger who demonstrates kindness and compassion to peers. The nomination should include specific examples of acts of kindness performed by the nominee.

The IRS-sponsored AARP Tax Aide Program is looking for volunteers for the 2020 tax filing season. AARP Foundation Tax Aides provide free personal income tax assistance and tax form preparation for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to those age 50+.

During tax season, we set up tax preparation sites, many of them at public libraries and senior centers in the area. Last year, about 30,000 volunteers across the country helped prepare more than 1.5 million free federal tax returns at over 5,000 sites.

Zentangle Art

View Image Gallery

A new exhibit is coming to the Center for Artful Living in Westlake, featuring work by local Zentangle artists. The artists are students of Judy Montgomery from Lakewood, who is a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT). Judy has been teaching Zentangle at the Rocky River Senior Center for the past seven years. She has a large following of local Zentangle practitioners and 15 of those artists are participating in the exhibit at the Center.

Zentangle art is a method of drawing structured patterns that helps artists relax, focus and expand their imaginations. The patterns are used to fill what are called “strings,” various shaped spaces that fill an artist’s piece. Shading with pencil is usually added to show dimension and contrast.

Each Memorial Day, The Bay Village Foundation hosts a well-attended public ceremony in Cahoon Park. The event honors friends and family with the dedication of a beautiful bronze plaque. For some families in the past, this was their perfect gift for a loved one.

A bronze plaque is engraved with personalized text and permanently installed on the footbridge of the T. Richard Martin walking trail overlooking the lake in Cahoon Memorial Park.