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Senior center directors Jackie Chavez-Anderson from North Olmsted, Deb Huff from Rocky River and Lydia Gadd from Westlake, with Tak Sato from Center for Aging in the Digital World, get ready to present at the Aging in America Conference. Photo by Cat Chia

Three Westshore senior center directors, along with their technical partner, were chosen to speak about their collaborative website at the national Aging in America conference in San Francisco last month.

Senior center directors from Westlake, Rocky River and North Olmsted, and technical partner Center for Aging in the Digital World, represented the eight senior centers that comprise the collaborative behind www.westshoreseniors.org. This website was launched last December to provide a “one-stop shop” experience for anyone looking for senior center information on the west side, a concept that was recognized for its innovation by the American Society on Aging. Visitors to the site can find program and social service information for Avon, Bay Village, Fairview, Lakewood, North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Rocky River and Westlake. Community West Foundation provided funding for the site.

Clint Keener's interview with incoming Bay Village Schools Superintendent Jodie Hausmann, featuring special appearances by staff and students, is available on the Bay Schools website.

The Bay Village Board of Education is inviting residents, staff and students to attend a "Meet and Greet" reception for incoming Superintendent Jodie Hausmann on Monday, April 23, 3:30-6 p.m. at Bay Middle School, 27725 Wolf Road. Visitors can introduce themselves and chat with Hausmann. Light refreshments will be provided.

Hausmann was selected by the school board in February to replace retiring Superintendent Clint Keener. She is currently the superintendent of Perkins Local School District. She begins her new position with the Bay Village Schools on Aug. 1.

To further introduce Hausmann, the district has published a video interview with Keener and questions asked by a number of Bay Village Schools teachers and students. The video can be viewed at bayvillageschools.online/HausmannInterview.

Katie with the two Language Library carts.

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Westlake Girl Scout Katie Cirincione, who is a 16-year-old junior at Westlake High School, recently completed her Gold Award project. She is an Ambassador Girl Scout and this is her 10th year in Girl Scouts. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouts and can be earned by scouts in grades 9-12. Less than 6 percent of eligible scouts complete the award, which requires a girl to complete an 80-hour project that makes a lasting impact on her community.

For her project, Katie put together two “Language Library” carts. These carts each contain about 140 books in other languages. One cart went to the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland to offer books to those who may already know other languages. The other cart is in the cafe of the Westlake Porter Public Library in order to give those learning another language a resource to practice with, as well as to inspire cultural and lingual diversity. The public is encouraged to utilize the resources on the carts to help better their linguistic abilities.

Dan Overfield, 44, of Bay Village spearheaded the "Bright Idea" event and requested permission from the Bay Village City Council to light up the skatepark on April 11.

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The Randy Stang Memorial Skatepark has been a popular fixture in Cahoon Memorial Park for nearly a decade. The skatepark itself is the result of many years of tireless public advocacy led by a middle school teacher, Lawrence Kuh, his students at the time, and many other community members who generously gave their time and efforts to see the project to its current state. I want to highlight the extensive advocacy required for the current skatepark because it represents a model that everyone can value.

Mr. Kuh, who was recognized for his work by the Bay Village Community Council as “Citizen of the Year” in 2010,  demonstrated to his class, and to his entire school, the importance of civic engagement, the importance of being prepared to defend a position, the ability to reach compromise and find common ground between those holding opposing values, and that of the extraordinary persistence often needed to reach one’s goals.

A red-winged blackbird feeds babies in the nest. Baby wildlife receives the best care from natural parents; human intervention shoud be a last resort.

Spring is here and wildlife reproduction will soon be at its peak. As Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s wildlife staff prepares for their busiest season of the year, Director of Wildlife Amy LeMonds answers the most common questions her staff receives about baby wildlife.

Q: I noticed a fawn alone in the grass. Is it abandoned?

A: Baby wildlife is rarely abandoned in nature. Mothers will often leave their young unattended for several reasons. For instance, a fawn lying quietly by itself with no mother in sight is perfectly normal. Deer do this to protect their young, as the presence of an adult would attract the attention of predators.

Bay Village theater-lovers are headed back to their seats. The Bay Village Community Theater players will stage “Over The River And Through The Woods,” by Joe DiPietro, in five performances in Bay Village during the last week in April and the first Sunday in May, as their opening salvo for area live theater-lovers this season.

Returning to last season’s venue at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Parkside Hall in Bay Village, the play, a family-friendly Italian-themed comedy, pits a footloose young man against his cagey Italian grandparents, who are intent on keeping him from moving away from them to the other side of the country.

Young Nick is a single, Italian-American guy from New Jersey. He sees both sets of grandparents every Sunday for dinner, but tells them during one meal that he is going to take his dream job in Seattle. They resort to all-out warfare, including bringing the lovely – and single – Caitlin in to help him change his mind. BackStage called it, “A hilarious family comedy that is even funnier than his (DiPietro’s) long-running musical review, ‘I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change’.”

The Westshore Campus of Cuyahoga Community College will examine human trafficking in Northeast Ohio at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, as part of its Learning for Life lecture series.

The free program will identify the myths, realities and red flags of human trafficking and highlight efforts to combat the criminal industry often linked to the sex trade. Ohio reported a surge in human trafficking investigations last year.

The session will include a panel discussion featuring Karen Walsh of the Cleveland-based Collaborative to End Human Trafficking; Teresa Stafford of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center; and Detective John Morgan of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department.

The Story of Elizabeth Tryon Sadler and the Bay United Methodist Church

The Bay United Methodist Church is receiving an Ohio Historical Marker to commemorate the site and give credence to the importance of this church in our town. The new marker will be arriving in June, our 191st anniversary. Many of Bay Village’s first settlers were members of this church. The names of Sadler, Cahoon, Osborn, Foote, Aldrich, Drake, Tuttle, Eddy, Dodd and Mathews, to name a few, are written in the history kept at the church. Their work ethic, will to succeed, thrust for knowledge and strong faith are the backbone of what Bay Village is today. 

Elizabeth Tryon Sadler, (1792/3-1872) grew up in Pennsylvania. Her parents were strict and devoted Methodists who didn‘t play cards, dance or drink. She was named Elizabeth, the connotation being consecrated to God, and she was true to her name. With prior training and Christian example she was early led to give her heart to God, and united with the Methodist Church when about 10 years old.

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Far West Center invites you to come share our inspirational art exhibit on display during the month of May at Westlake Porter Public Library. This community exhibit will showcase the artwork created by individuals in recovery from mental illness. These unique works of emotional expression are captivating and demonstrate how artistic opportunities provide tools for recovery and healing. 

Far West Center is a nonprofit community behavioral health services agency located on the West Shore Health Campus. The Art Helps and Heals (AHH!) Open Art Studio program helps adults managing severe mental illness, and teaches ways to identify and express emotion using artistic tools. Creating artwork offers persons new feelings of success and accomplishment. 

AHH! Art Helps and Heals Open Art Studio is supported by the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County and also supported by the Cuyahoga Arts and Culture Council. We also appreciate support from the Bay Village-Westlake Rotary Club to offer this unique program.

Bay Village Mayor Paul Koomar, pictured with Anna Grossman, left, and Jennie Koomar, demonstrates good environmental practice by washing his car on the lawn.

This is the third in a series of articles written by Explorer Club 360 on the health of Porter Creek.

Over the winter Explorer Club 360 conducted an environmental study of Porter Creek. We found that its watershed needs help to reduce the negative impact that runoff is having on the creek ecosystem. As a positive and first step forward, we are suggesting the promotion of the Wyland Mayor's Water Conservation Challenge to the citizens of Bay Village and Westlake.

The challenge requires individuals to take the My Water Pledge, “a friendly competition between cities across the U.S. to see who can be the most 'water-wise.' Mayors nationwide are challenging their residents to conserve water, energy and other natural resources on behalf of their city through a series of informative, easy-to-use pledges online. Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge in their population category win.”

The Friends of the Bay Village Library's spring used book sale begins Saturday, April 28, at 9:00 a.m. and runs through Tuesday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m. The sale is held in the meeting room of the library.

There is a large selection of books for readers of all ages as well as magazines, DVDs, CDs, audio books and more. All materials have been categorized for easy shopping. Tuesday, the last day of the sale, is bag day when a full bag of books costs $1. Bags are provided by the library. Proceeds from the sale are used to support upcoming library programs and activities.

For more information on the book sale, volunteering to help with sale, or becoming a member of the Friends of the Bay Village Library, visit the library at 502 Cahoon Road or call 440-871-6392.

The Bay Village community is invited to attend a reception at the Community House on Saturday, April 29, 2 p.m., to celebrate the 2018 Citizen of the Year, Catherine Flament, and Project of the Year, the Community Yard Sale to benefit hurricane victims.

Mayor Paul Koomar and other elected officials will recognize the honorees in a brief ceremony, followed by refreshments and tours of the Rose Hill Museum and Osborn Learning Center. The event is free and open to all.

Flament was chosen for the award by the Bay Village Community Council for her work with the Bay Village Historical Society, Destination Bay, Girl Scouts and other community organizations. The Community Yard Sale, organized last October by Annie Nock, raised more than $10,000 for the victims of hurricanes that struck Texas, Florida and the Caribbean.

Nayoung Yeo, London Long-Wheeler, Kaylee Norris and Benjamin Liu end FYI: Opera with “The Drinking Song.” Photo by Louise Seeholzer

The ageless music of five renowned composers was beautifully performed by four gifted singers to an appreciative audience on April 3 at Westlake Porter Public Library. The event marks the 27th year that the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council has sponsored FYI: Opera, an invaluable gift, offered free to the community.

From Bizet to Bernstein, with Donizetti, Mozart and Verdi mixed in, David Bamberger, Opera Artistic Director at Cleveland Institute of Music, offered introductions and interesting asides for each of the CIM voice students and their selections.

Kaylee Norris enhanced her lovely soprano voice with cunning actions to interpret an aria from Mozart’s "Cosi Fan Tutte," suggesting women should have the ability to wrap men around their finger.  Following his beautiful rendition of Donizetti’s popular tenor aria “Una Furtiva Lagrima,” Benjamin Liu acknowledged the expert piano accompaniment of John Simmons, CIM’s coach-accompanist.

Since all stormwater flows directly into Lake Erie untreated, removing trash and other debris from the streams helps keep this vital resource vibrant.

The Westlake Watershed Group will hold the Community Spring Stream Cleanup on Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are asked to dress for the weather, bring gloves, and meet in the gazebo BEHIND Westlake City Hall at 27700 Hilliard Blvd. Pizza will be provided at noon for all who help!

Please RSVP by emailing sukipu@gmail.com by Monday, April 30. Details at www.cityofwestlake.org/Go-Green.

When winter is over (will it be over? Ha ha!) do you like to spring clean your home? Many people enjoy clearing stuff out of their home in the spring and giving it a good cleaning before summer arrives. I want to offer suggestions that will help you dispose of unwanted items in an environmentally friendly way. 

The No. 1 thing you should think about when wanting to get rid of things is if they are in good enough condition for donating. Donating used items keeps them out of the landfill, and also helps people with limited means. When looking to get rid of used clothing, toys, furniture, housewares, shoes, books, small appliances, etc., please make sure you donate what you can. There are many services that will come pick up your items from your house, such as AMVETS, Easter Seals and Volunteers of America. It is easy to Google these organizations and check their websites for how to set up a pick-up at your home. Donations are also tax-deductible so keep track of how many bags you are donating and their estimated value.

The Knickerbocker Senior Center, located in the Knickerbocker Apartments at 27100 Knickerbocker Road in Bay Village, will be hosting a “wine & cheese” fundraiser, a “last hurrah” of sorts in the building’s original glory before construction begins this summer. Come and celebrate this historic building on Thursday, May 10, 5-8 p.m.; sip and eat and win some amazing prizes with all proceeds to benefit our senior residents. The event will be the last in the building before remodeling and funds will serve the residents for activities, meals and outings during the lengthy construction period.

Bay Inter-Faith Housing, LSC Service Corporation and PIRHL Developers have partnered to rehabilitate and recapitalize Knickerbocker Apartments. It was originally developed and is still owned by Bay Inter-Faith Housing, which is a consortium of four Bay Village churches (Bay Presbyterian, Bay United Methodist, Bethesda on-the-Bay Lutheran, and St. Barnabas Episcopal), that organized in the late 1960s to address the growing need for senior housing and services in the area. Constructed in 1974, the property is restricted to seniors over age 62.

Tuesday, April 17 (1-3 p.m.) Career: Roadmap Your Future – What is your direction or plan? Have you laid out the map to get there in the quickest, most direct route? What obstacles will be in your way? Do you see a barrier or two stopping you? Come to this session to lay out your road to success.

Tuesday, April 17 (7-8:45 p.m.) Believing in Cleveland – CSU professor J. Mark Souther’s new book "Believing in Cleveland" explores the city’s downtown revitalization and renewal projects in its various neighborhoods, beginning before the 1970s and through the 2000s. He shows how the city shaped its image even while managing decline. Please register.

Tuesday, April 17 (7-8 p.m.) College Resumes & Essays – Your college resume and essay could have a huge impact on getting into the school of your dreams! Learn tips and strategies to improve yours and make it the best it can be. Grades 9-12. Registration begins April 10.

Wednesdays, April 18 and 25 (10:15 & 11 a.m.) Let’s Sing and Dance! – Sing and move to the music with Miss Nancy! For children ages 2-6 with a caregiver. Arrive early to receive a ticket.

Wednesdays, April 18 and 25 (4-5:30 p.m.) and Thursdays, April 19 and 26 (6:30-8 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by Youth Services to sign up for a 10-minute reading time with one of the reading therapy dogs! Registration begins each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, April 18 (6:30-8:45 p.m.) Cuyahoga West Genealogical Society – Ohio Genealogical Society trustee Eric Johnson will discuss "Ohio and World War I: Reconstructing Your Ancestor’s Military Service Records."

Wednesday, April 18 (7-7:45 p.m.) Buckeye Reflections, Local Authors Visit – Authors Maureen Zappala and Jack Park will talk briefly about their new book, "Buckeye Reflections: Legendary Moments from Ohio State Football," and will sign copies. Books will be available for purchase. Please register.

Thursday, April 19 (noon-1:30 p.m.) Small Business Lunch & Learn: Developing a Business Plan, Part I – A business plan is your business’s road map. Whether you’re just starting a business or already have one in operation, you’ll want the direction that a business plan offers. We’ll explore how to get started, the elements of a business plan, and issues to consider when developing yours. Please register.

Thursday, April 19 (2:30-6 p.m.) CPR Certification – CPR and AED certification for adult, child and infant. Instruction by certified instructor/paramedic Ken Hehnen. Must be 13 years of age. Please register.

May the Fourth Be With You when you join us at the Bay Village branch library on Friday, May 4, at 3:30 p.m. to celebrate Star Wars day. We'll have coding, gaming and Jedi training activities! Don’t forget to wear your Star Wars gear! Space is limited, so please register to reserve your spot.

CHILDREN

• Mondays and 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.) Family Storytime – for all ages

Thursday, April 19 (4 p.m.) American Girl: Maryellen – Grades 2-4: Learn about the times and cultures represented by the dolls. Feel free to bring your doll to the program if you have one.

TEEN

Wednesday, April 18 (3 p.m.) Teen Zone – Grades 5 & up: Chill with something fun to do after school – gaming, art, movies, technology and more!

Monday, April 23 and 30 (7 p.m.) Girls Who Code – For girls in grades 6-12 who want to explore coding in a fun and friendly way! Our club will meet weekly on Mondays.

Thursday, May 3 (3 p.m.) Write On! - Join us for fun, quirky and challenging writing exercises and activities to get your creativity flowing. Registration required. 

ADULT

Wednesday, April 18 (7 p.m.) The Problem of Wildlife in Our Gardens – Do you have deer, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and skunks frolicking in your garden and dining on your carefully-tended plants? The Cuyahoga County Master Gardeners will focus on these problems and what we can do about them.

Join the Bay Village Historical Society on Thursday, May 17, as it celebrates the “Life of Eleanor Roosevelt,” an American politician, diplomat and activist.

Guest speaker Ruth Pangrace will give her portrayal of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving first lady of the United States during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office. Eleanor Roosevelt served as the United States delegate to the United Nations, chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights and oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She later chaired President Kennedy’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.

“Baskets and Bonnets,” the latest exhibit at Rose Hill Museum in Bay Village, celebrates the return of spring and the reopening of the museum for 2018.

The exhibit, which debuted on April 15, features bonnets dating back to 1818 through 1940. The bonnet collection has never been displayed and is complemented by baskets from the same period.

Adding to the display in time for the Bay Village Historical Society’s June 16 “Cahoon in June” antiques, crafts and collectibles show will be a collection of individually boxed miniature vignettes from the Cleveland Miniature Society. The Cleveland chapter of this international organization is accepting members and membership forms will be available at the June show. The local group meets monthly at the Rocky River Memorial Center.

Jane Mueller stands between David Bamberger and his wife, Carola, at the reception held by the WWAC for the Bambergers. Photo by Robert Pearl

All of northeastern Ohio opera lovers and aspiring opera singers from near and far owe more than they know to David Bamberger. But recently, when he was being honored and thanked by the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council, he quickly pointed out the immeasurable contribution made by Jane Mueller, longtime Westlake resident and WWAC member.

In 1991, when Mueller was fairly new to the WWAC, she suggested a program that would preview upcoming Cleveland Opera productions, which would provide information to those who might attend or just be interested in learning more about opera. Mueller said she recalled that in past years when the Metropolitan Opera toured and performed in Cleveland for a week each spring, Lakewood Library had a similar program.

Christine O'Hare's photograph, "Kenopsia," earned the Governor’s Award of Excellence.

Bay High School senior Christine O’Hare cracked the elusive “Top 25” in the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibit with her photograph “Kenopsia.” The honor earns O’Hare the Governor’s Award of Excellence and the possibility of a scholarship offer by over 30 universities and colleges of art.

O'Hare has been inspired by photographer Fredrik Marsh's "Dresden Project," which explores abandoned residences in East Germany before their demolition to make way for modern spaces. "I wanted to create an Ohio version of that," Christine said of her work.

Bay High students Allie Maust and Ana Baron also had paintings selected in the 300-piece Governor’s Youth Art Exhibit. The competition received about 11,000 entries from schools across Ohio.

Maybe no one explained how the two worlds complement each other. Perhaps the lines were more lucid 10 years ago but now they are blurred. “Shaken, not stirred,” just like Ian Fleming’s British spy agent likes his martini.

Every morning your cerebral cortex signals the idiom “clear as mud” when you try to understand the two worlds but said signal is not accompanied by a sense of urgency. You face another day without grasping the consequences that your actions in the digital world invites in the real world.

While waiting for your afternoon cuppa joe, you learn about the 141st data security breach of 2018, this time affecting 1 million customers; you quickly swipe to the next news story. As common as your customized morning commute traffic reports you get through the “Waze” app on your smartphone, you came to learn that initial numbers in most data security breach news are under-reported. You cynically blame that as crisis management M.O. (modus operandi)!

A number of years ago – okay, a really, really big number of years ago – when we thought a microwave was only a modest ripple in Lake Erie, Cleveland was known throughout the sports world as the “City of Champions.” No, not Cleveland, Tennessee, smarty pants, Cleveland, Ohio. If you’re too young to know what an “I like Ike” button meant, you probably think I’m making this up. But I’m not. I deal in facts, baby.

Back in the 1940s and '50s, Cleveland was the envy of the rest of the nation because all of Cleveland sports teams won pretty much all the time. The Browns, for example, won championships with more regularity than MiraLax.

The Indians, although they didn’t have many championships to show for it because of the domination of the mighty New York Yankees, were the only team to consistently give the Yanks a run for their money year after year. Check this out: from 1947 through 1958, the only team NOT named the Yankees to represent the AL in the World Series was our beloved Wahoos. Not too shabby, eh?

Artwork by Olivia Williams. 

On the weekend of April 6, nearly 300 pieces of art entered the Sullivan Family Gallery on the BAYarts campus. After careful selection, judges Bellamy Prinz and Jason K. Milburn selected nearly 60 pieces to adorn the walls.

The exhibition has a range of art pieces in all mediums, including oil paintings, mixed media, encaustic, ceramics and more. Artists 18 and older were invited to submit. It will be on display through April 27.

BAYarts would like to thank all participating artists.

Best in Show: Donna K. Bargar, "Robin #1"
First Place: Chris Gray, "Missing in Action"
Second Place: Sharon Pomales, "1540 Broadway NYC"
Third Place: Lisa Schoenberg, "Earth Vista, Coral and Blue Moon"
Honorable Mention: Misty Hughes, "Hoboken"
Director's Prize: Larry Kasperek, "Patriotic Youth"

Ann Hasenorhl, Julie Davidson and Melissa Barth received grants for courses to develop their skills.

Three Westlake High School teachers were selected as 2018 Fund for Teachers Fellows and will spend this summer in field seminars that will support authentic learning.

Science teacher Melissa Barth, and language arts teachers Julie Davidson and Ann Hasenorhl, were selected by Fund for Teachers and the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation as 2018 fellows.

Hasenorhl and Davidson received $3,860 each to participate in Kristin Linklater’s Advanced Course on Shakespeare’s Monologues and Scenes in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. The program applies innovative and differentiated strategies that bring Shakespeare to live for diverse high school students.

What will libraries be like in the future? I hope they will be a lot like what we have right here, right now, at the Westlake Porter Public Library.

Our library has a large, high quality collection of books and other materials. It has creative spaces for children and teens to learn and grow, and places for quiet study or noisy activity. It has the latest technology, and many opportunities for meetings large and small. Our library is a great place to connect with your family, with your friends and neighbors, or your community organization.


The Bay Village Kiwanis and Bay High School Key Clubs held their annual pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny and the Fairytale Foundation Princesses on Sunday, March 18, in the Middle School Cafetorium. We would like to thank the local community for their generous support without which the Bay Kiwanis Club could not continue their community service efforts.

If you would like to learn more about Bay Village Kiwanis and what we do, join us for dinner on Tuesday nights, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Bay United Methodist Church at the corner of Lake and Bassett roads. Visit bayvillagekiwanis.com for more information, or visit our Facebook page, Bay Village Kiwanis.

The St. Ladislas 50+ Club of Westlake is sponsoring a June 20-22 bus trip to magnificent Michigan. It will combine the elegance of a plush five-star resort, the beauty of Mackinac Island and the charm of Bavarian Frankenmuth. Package prices range from $399 to $579. Anyone interested should contact Ann Beck at 440-871-1914. Deadline is April 30.