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Cynthia and Eric Eakin, pictured in Rose Hill Museum, were chosen as Bay Village’s Citizens of the Year by the Community Council of civic organizations. Photo by Denny Wendell

Eric and Cynthia Eakin have been named 2015 Bay Village Citizens of the Year, and the Bay Village Fireworks Fund has been named 2015 Project of the Year by the Bay Village Community Council.

Eric and Cynthia were honored for their many years of service and leadership to a wide variety of Bay Village organizations and community events. Cynthia is currently a board member of the Bay Village Historical Society and previously served as president. She also works on numerous other projects, including Relay for Life and Friends From the Start Foundation, which provides support for those touched by cancer.

Westlake High School has been approved as an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, adopting the Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum through the International Baccalaureate Organization.

WHS joins schools worldwide that share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education with a focus on rigor and inquiry. The Diploma Programme is for juniors and seniors and will offer students the opportunity to graduate with an IB Diploma Certificate. 

Village Project has announced plans to serve Westlake, in addition to Bay Village, Avon Lake and Rocky River. According to Executive Director Barb Harrell, "The decision to expand was driven by frequent requests to assist Westlake families struggling with the often overwhelming cancer challenges. Thanks to our over 500 volunteers and generous donors, we are now able to offer much needed services to our Westlake neighbors."

The evolution of Village Project has been swift and steady. With a mission to provide nourishment and care to individuals and their families who have been touched by cancer, the Village Food Project (as it was originally named) began in February 2011 by cooking three nutritious and delicious meals a week for three Bay Village families in the basement of Bay Presbyterian Church.

Bay Village residents will soon be able to listen to recordings of City Council meetings via the web, thanks to a $10,000 donation for microphones from Bay's chapter of the League of Women Voters.

The microphone project began a year ago in a conversation with Council President Paul Koomar about how Council could be more visible, open and transparent to citizens. Under Mr. Koomar's leadership, Council has since offered a series of town hall meetings covering timely and important topics. He also initiated posting meeting packets on the city's website, so citizens can review many of the materials behind agenda items.

Westlake officials will present a report on Jan. 27 detailing the usage of the Rec Center and recreational facilities citywide.

The City of Westlake would like to invite residents to the presentation of the steering committee’s Master Plan report on Citywide Recreational Usage. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. in the chambers of City Council at Westlake City Hall.

The purpose of this plan is to address the needs of the community. A primary focus of the master planning process was to identify those needs. A number of methods were utilized to determine the needs and desires of Westlake residents for parks and recreation facilities and programs.

"Vermilion Beacon" by Mary Burkhardt captures a "fleeting moment" on the Lake Erie shoreline.

Don't let the snow keep you isolated this January. Your go-to, local arts spot (BAYarts), has two new exhibitions that will be holding opening receptions on Friday, Jan. 30, from 7-9 p.m.

In the Sullivan Family Gallery, artists Moira Beale, Sue Peplin, Jessica Ramage and Erin Stack will present "Small Still Voice." Textural elements are at play in works of ceramic and mixed media pieces.

Established in 1917 as an organization that promotes brotherhood, boy’s baseball, community and scholarship for Bay Village students, the Bay Men’s Club has embarked this winter on a mission to lose a half-ton of weight.

One thousand pounds may seem like a lot, but not for the men of BMC who hope to lose the weight while raising money to support their scholarship mission.

Clague Playhouse, 1371 Clague Road, Westlake, will hold auditions on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 7-9 p.m. for "Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)" by Donald Margulies. Rougemont was a real man who told a not-so-real story that so captivated and entertained audiences that he derived a living from its telling for much of his life.

The Bay Village branch of the Cuyahoga Library Public Library will hold its annual winter book sale from Jan. 24 through Jan. 27. The hours of the sale are: Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.; Monday, 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m., and Tuesday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Bay Village Library.

The Friends of Porter Public Library will be having their Annual Book Sale on Feb. 5-8 with a preview night for members of Friends on Feb. 4 from 4-7 p.m. Memberships will be available at that time. 

Regular sale days will be Thursday, Feb. 5, and Friday, Feb. 6. The half-price sale will be on Saturday, Feb. 7, and the $2 Bag Sale will be Sunday, Feb. 8. No special priced books will be available at the Bag Sale.

Sean O’Reilly, center, accepts the 2014 Hugh Dawson Award from (left to right) George Hillow, 1995 award recipient; Mayor Dennis Clough; West Shore Chamber President Susan Uranker; and Chamber Executive Director John Sobolewski. Photo by Tammy Bertrand

The West Shore Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Sean O’Reilly as the recipient of the 2014 Hugh Dawson Award. Sean received this award at the monthly chamber luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at LaCentre. The Hugh Dawson Award is the highest award a chamber member can receive. In addition to the award, Sean was also presented with a proclamation from Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough.

"Sean has been involved in the West Shore Chamber of Commerce for nearly 20 years and has served on the board for approximately 17 years," said John Sobolewski, Executive Director. "He has shown outstanding leadership, previously serving as president. Sean also shares his financial expertise to help keep the chamber financially sound." O'Reilly is senior vice president, investment officer, at Wells Fargo Advisors.

Local Scouts, from left, Brian Meermans, Robert Finicle, Nico DiGiulio and John Hessler, recently earned the rank of Eagle. Photo by Dave Pfister

On a cold January afternoon, Boy Scout Troop 41 from Bethesda-on-the-Bay Lutheran Church in Bay Village honored Brian Meermans, Nico DiGiulio, Robert Finicle and John Hessler as they earned the elite rank of Eagle. 

The Boy Scout Court of Honor included recognition from local political leaders including State Senator Tom Patton, State Representative Nan Baker, Bay Village City Councilman Paul Vincent, Rocky River Mayor Pamela Bobst and Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough.

The rank of Eagle Scout takes several years to earn and includes the completion of a major local service project. Only about 3 percent of the boys who become Boy Scouts finally earn the highest rank of Eagle.

“A designer what?” I asked my wife who was telling me about the puppy our friends brought home shortly after we had adopted our dog.

“A labradoodle is a designer dog,” she explained.

I remembered designer jeans from the 1980s. Those were a terrible idea. I wondered if a designer dog was an equally bad idea.

Wednesday, Jan. 7 (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. Please arrive early to receive a ticket at the Preschool Desk.

Wednesday, Jan. 7 (4-5:30 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by the Youth Services Department each Wednesday and sign your child up for a 10-minute reading time with a reading therapy dog! Bring your own book or choose one of ours. Registration begins each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 7 (7-8 p.m.) Healthy Eating for the New Year – Heinen's Supermarkets will teach us about a variety of healthy food options to help reach and maintain our balanced eating goals. Please register.

Thursday, Jan. 8 (7 p.m.) Non-Fiction Book Discussion – The January selection is "The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Book Lover’s Adventures" by Josh Hanagarne.

Friday, Jan. 9, and Saturday, Jan. 10 (see times below) Music Therapy & More – Join us as we play instruments, sing, move to music and discuss how to carry over the music therapy experiences into the home. This program is geared toward children struggling in an area of development. RSVP required; call 440-250-5563 or visit connectingforkids.org. Sessions: Jan. 9: Family Session: 9:30 a.m.; Toddler Session: 10:30 a.m.; Preschool Session: 11:30 a.m.; Jan. 10: Family Session: 9:30 a.m.; Preschool Session: 10:30 a.m.

As we start off a new year of books, you may be anticipating some of the titles to be released in 2015, but what great books of 2014 did you miss? Join us at the Bay Village library on Wednesday, Feb. 4, as Bill Kelly, branch manager of Beachwood Library and "Book Guru," presents a list of notable books from 2014. He'll introduce you to books that won awards, notable books, and a few of his favorite titles. So while you wait for the release of 2015 titles, come hear about last year's great reads.

And, don't forget to stop by the library for our next Friends of the Bay Village Branch Library book sale which starts on Saturday, Jan. 24, and ends on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT

Storytimes: Caregivers and their children are invited to enjoy rhymes, songs, fingerplays, books and stories together. No registration is required.

While this is a small replica of an old police cruiser, it helps set the tone of the story. It was a gift to a real retired police officer, however.

"Calling all cars… Calling all cars…"

That’s a phrase one in the Cleveland area may have been able to hear on the family radio set in late 1929 or early 1930, provided they happened to have just the right model.

In September 1929, the Cleveland Police Department initiated operation of radio station WRBH on a frequency of 1,712 kilohertz (kHz), which was just above the upper frequency edge of the AM broadcast band. The Cleveland Police Department’s (and region’s) first foray into the then-new world of radio communication with their patrol cars was supposed to be unavailable to the ears of the general public.

Learn more about the Westlake City Schools’ kindergarten experience for 2015-2016 by attending an information night on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 6:30 p.m.

Each neighborhood elementary school will host an informational session:

• Bassett Elementary School, 2155 Bassett Road
• Dover Elementary School, 2300 Dover Center Road
• Hilliard Elementary School, 24365 Hilliard Blvd.
• Holly Lane Elementary School, 3057 Holly Lane

Watercolor artist Yuki Hall will lead an April workshop at BAYarts. Pictured is "Rainy Day - Main Street" from Hall's Dayton cityscape series.

Reference your calendars now, and mark down Saturday, April 25. BAYarts is offering a special, one-day workshop for those interested in pursuing their watercolor skills.

Visiting artist Yuki Hall will be leading the day of hands-on education. Hall is known for her particularly beautiful and proficient impressionistic watercolor work.

Participants in the workshop will be learning to achieve stronger atmospheric moods in their landscape, waterscapes and cityscape paintings through the studied use of "reducing the subject matter into a simple pattern of shapes and tonal values, and expressing it with one’s personal visual language without being bogged down with unnecessary details."

My primary care physician called me as soon as an email notification arrived with my electronic health record. She said my recent blood work didn’t show RBC or WBC counts; only a note saying that I had too many 0’s and 1’s (aka language of computers) running in my veins. Then I woke up – whew, it was just a dream! Note to self: do not read fan mail before going to bed as the last one questioned me if I follow what I preach!

Yes, I do “talk the talk and walk the walk.” I also “talk the walk” as I learn something new everyday. How’s that for a mouthful? Anyway, I thought it would be fun to take a look at how yours truly uses his digital world tools.

Judge Francis Biddle (Robert Hawkes) knows all about the law, but seems less certain about assistant Sarah's (Debbie Jenkins) home town in Canada. The two characters butt heads in Clague Playhouse's production of "Trying." Photo by Terry Schordock

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Clague Playhouse’s production of "Trying" delights audiences with its humor and the strong acting by Robert Hawkes and Debbie Jenkins.  Playwright Joanna McClelland Glass writes about her real-life experience as secretary to Judge Francis B. Biddle who had been U.S. attorney general from 1941-1945, serving first under Franklin D. Roosevelt and then Harry S. Truman. 

“What gives the distinct sound of truth to the script,” said Director Douglas Farren, “is that the story comes out of a real life experience.” Farren believes that the short relationship Glass had with Biddle led her into the world of writing.

Frances and Lucy Bement's father, Lorenzo, owned Bement's Country Store and Post Office at what became the southwestern corner of Bradley and Center Ridge roads, where Wagner’s Country Inn is now located. Courtesy Westlake Porter Public Library

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Dr. Lucy P. Bement and Frances K. Bement were brave sisters who served as Christian missionaries to China in the early 20th century. Also, from 1912 until the 1940s, they owned the little stone home at 30419 Center Ridge Road in Westlake.

They were born in Dover Township (as Westlake was originally known) just after the Civil War and Lucy lived until the eve of World War II, Frances until after the end of it. Their father, Lorenzo C. Bement, was a postmaster in Dover who owned a grocery store at what became the southwestern corner of Bradley and Center Ridge roads, where Wagner’s Country Inn is located today.

Are you familiar with the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Women’s Board? Perhaps you have heard of us but are unaware of our history, which dates back to 1954. Let me share a bit of our heritage.

We trace our roots to the Center’s founder, Elberta “Bert” Fleming. This amazing young woman, with hopes and dreams of creating a museum to stimulate and encourage interest in nature and the environment among young and old, founded the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, then called Lake Erie Junior Museum. Her home and backyard were the “beginnings” which she funded by writing articles for local publications.

Westlake Porter Public Library will hold a used furniture and computer sale on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until all items are sold. Also being sold are miscellaneous other items. All items will be sold as-is and all sales will be final. Payment may be made by cash, check or credit card. Please call 440-871-2600 for further information.

Susan Fabian of Bay Village captured this scene of a frozen Lake Erie from Huntington Beach.

Westlake Porter Public Library users can now borrow digital albums with their library card via the Hoopla service. The music module joins the digital movie and television show collection the library offers through Hoopla, as well as the library’s other digital music service, Freegal.

“We’re very excited to offer music through Hoopla, because now our customers will be able to access more digital music than ever from the library,” said Mary Worthington, the library's collections, outreach and programming coordinator.

This report is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Mayor Sutherland’s office prepares official minutes, which are posted on Bay Village’s website.

Present: Mayors Sutherland (Bay Village), Bobst (Rocky River), Summers (Lakewood), Clough (Westlake), Patton (Fairview Park)

Absent: Mayor Kennedy (North Olmsted)

Also present: Fiscal Officer Renee Mahoney; District 1 County Councilman Dave Greenspan; Legal Advisor Gary Ebert; Jason Phillips (Clean Fuels Ohio), Christina Yoka and Scott Sanders (Clean Cities Coalition); and Fire Chiefs Lyons (Bay Village), Hughes (Westlake), Hernen (Avon Lake), Raffin (Fairview Park) and Leonard (Rocky River)

RTA: Increased sales tax collections are improving RTA's budget outlook. Bay Village's Lake Road bus shelters have been replaced.

NOACA: Cuyahoga County is 86th of 88 counties in license plate fee retention. NOACA is considering hiring a lobbyist to increase funding from these fees and ODOT.

LBMS Geography Bee winner Christopher Haddad with advisor Anne Dill and Principal Paul Wilson.

Christopher Haddad, a seventh-grader, won the 2015 Lee Burneson Middle School Geography Bee and will take a written test in hopes of advancing to the state Geography Bee for the chance to represent Ohio in the National Geography Bee.

Advisor Anne Dill will work with Christopher to prepare him for a written qualifying test. The top 100 ranked students in each state will qualify to represent their school in the state Bee on March 27. The state champions attend the national championship in Washington, D.C., in May.

Cleveland Clinic teamed up with the City of Bay Village and several community partners to offer a new community outreach and wellness program called “Be Fit in Bay.”

Part of Cleveland Clinic’s healthy communities initiative, the goal of the new program was to promote optimal health and wellness and positively impact the community through education and awareness. “Be Fit in Bay” was created as a result of the community health needs assessment, combining resources within the Bay Village community to target education, nutrition and physical activity.

Westlake Porter Public Library’s late January adult programs cater to a variety of interests. In addition to the monthly Investor’s Interest Group and Small Busine$$ Lunch & Learn, the library is also offering programs focusing on de-cluttering your home, energy healing, and how to take apart computers. Here are the details:

Wednesday, Jan. 21 (7-8:30 p.m.) Take Apart Computers! – Ever wonder what’s inside a computer that makes it work? Here’s your chance to take one apart! Computer knowledge is not required, and no, you don’t have to put it back together! Safety glasses and tools will be provided. This is part of the monthly Maker Club Emerging Technology Program, which explores Maker Movement projects. Please join us for an E-Tech Lab, bringing emerging technology to our club. Please register.

Saint Bernadette School in Westlake will be hosting an Open House on Sunday, Jan. 25, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saint Bernadette School educates grades pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade children in faith and academics. Tours will be given of our 25-acre campus, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art computer lab, large plentiful library/media center, beautiful new gym, art studio, science lab, brand-new preschool, new playground, baseball and football fields and so much more!

Nan Baker was recently sworn in for her fourth term in the Ohio House of Representatives.

State Representative Nan Baker has been named the chairwoman of the Ohio House Economic and Workforce Development Committee for the 131st General Assembly.

"I am excited to again chair the Economic Development Committee with a focus on workforce training. Since I began my service at the Ohio House, creating an environment to retain, create and bring jobs to Ohio has always been our goal,” said Baker.  “In this 131st General Assembly, we will also focus on encouraging our Ohioans to obtain the skills they need to obtain a good paying job."

The Regional Income Tax Agency is offering help to all taxpayers who are required to file a municipal income tax return for any RITA municipality with free taxpayer assistance events across the state. The Northeast Ohio regional session will be held Tuesday, March 3, 1-7 p.m., at North Ridgeville City Hall, 7307 Avon Belden Road.

It has come to this writer's attention that during the recent cold snap (temperatures of 0 degrees actual and -20 degrees with wind chill) Bay's relatively new police station was totally without heat.

Built with a considerable cost to local taxpayers, the new building is poorly designed. The heating unit is housed in the attic area which is unheated and receives the full brunt of cold weather, ditto the air conditioning units with an extremely hot spell.