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Mike Rump, left, with Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough and Recreation Director Bob DeMinico, during Rump’s retirement ceremony Sept. 16. Photo by Denny Wendell

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Have you noticed anything different lately around Westlake’s parks, golf course and recreation center? If not, you might want to check your spectacles and look again. A familiar presence disappeared when Mike Rump, a longtime public servant in the city of Westlake, retired as assistant director of the recreation department on Sept. 16.

Rump, a 51-year resident of Westlake, began his tenure with the city as a councilman in 1984, serving nearly 15 years. Shortly after the recreation center opened in 1998, Rump asked Mayor Dennis Clough for an appointment to work in the growing department.

On Sept. 15, the Ohio Department of Education released the 2015-2016 Ohio School Report Cards that for the first time gave school districts an overall A-F grade for six components – Achievement, Gap Closing, K-3 Literacy, Progress, Graduation Rate and Prepared for Success.

While the Westlake City Schools support high educational standards, quality measures and accountability to our local community, the state’s measurement system is not reflective of our expectations as a district.

Many high achieving school districts, including Westlake, are seeing much lower grades on this year’s report card than in years past. It’s important to know that the report card is just one snapshot into a school district and does not accurately represent the quality learning and teaching going on in our schools.

Clint Keener, superintendent of the Bay Village City School District, said that while school officials were warned by the Ohio Department of Education that test results this year would show lower achievement scores, he is pleased overall with the performance of Bay Village Schools students.

The 2016 report card test results represent the third year in a row of different state tests and varying standards. A comparison of the Performance Index percentages in the Achievement category, which factors in every test taken by every student, shows Bay Village achieving at the 6th highest level out of 31 Cuyahoga County school districts. The district scored 8th out of 20 top-scoring Northeast Ohio districts, and 18th out of 20 top-scoring districts in the state.

Sean Rossander paints a bench at the Knickerbock Apartments during his Eagle Scout project.

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Residents of the Knickerbocker Apartments for active senior citizens were the recipients of the Boy Scout Eagle Project of Sean Rossander, from Westlake Troop 208. Sean, 15, directed the group that completed an extensive refurbishment of the much-used benches and picnic tables at the Bay Village apartment building.

During the day-long active portion of his project, he supervised 17 volunteers for a total 109 hours of service donated to the project. Contributing their time and efforts were Troop 208 Scouts and leaders as well as adult volunteers from Bay United Methodist Church.

The work entailed stripping off the old finish, repairing broken and unstable portions of the items and applying stain and sealer to all surfaces of the heavy outdoor seating. The items refurbished were three picnic tables with benches from the building’s inner courtyard and seven additional outdoor benches that provide seating near the building’s entrances.

Visitors to last year’s Bay Cares Fall Fest event at Bay Village Library.

As the lazy days of summer come to an end, are you looking for activities to keep yourself busy? Maybe you spent some time around Bay Village enjoying all that the community has to offer and would like to become involved.

If so, the fourth annual Bay Cares Fall Fest and volunteer fair can help you find the perfect fit. On Saturday, Oct. 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., representatives from many of Bay’s civic groups will set up tables at the Bay Village Branch Library, 502 Cahoon Road, to share information about their organizations and the volunteer opportunities they offer.

The Westlake-North Olmsted chapter of the League of Women Voters filled the Porter Library display case with historical election items. Photo by Janice Patterson

4-1-1 has long been the phone number to dial for information ... and now that number represents election information too, via VOTE411.org, thanks to the League of Women Voters. This online tool confirms the goal of the League by empowering millions of voters with information and resources to include the election process in the state, county and community, including polling place hours and locations, ballot information, early or absentee voting rules, voter registration deadlines, ID requirements, the voter guide, upcoming forums and more. It is the go-to website for accurate, timely and straightforward information to enable all eligible voters to vote.

The League of Women Voters was founded in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle. The League began as an experiment designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters, encouraging them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy, knowing that these new women voters were going to need reliable information. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government.

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Learn about life in early Dover Township at a tour of Lakeside Cemetery on Oct. 16, planned in cooperation by the Bay Village Historical Society and the Bay Village Community Theater.

Tours will depart at regular intervals from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Lakeside Cemetery. Seven actors will be at the cemetery, where they will relate the intriguing stories of seven individuals buried there. The historic cemetery is the site of the first burial in what was then Dover Township, 200 years ago.

Works of two Italian born composers, whose lives slightly overlapped, will be center stage when David Bamberger, artistic director of the Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theater, brings talented voices to the FYI: Opera program on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m., at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road.  

The focus of this FYI: Opera program, sponsored by the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council, are two one-act operas to be performed by CIM Opera at its November season opening. From these operas, "Suor Angelica" (“Sister Angelica”) by Giacomo Puccini and "Amelia Al Ballo" (“Amelia Goes to the Ball”) by Gian Carlo Menotti, selected arias will be performed on Oct. 4.

Volunteers are invited to help clean up Bay Village creekbeds and shoreline on Sept. 24. Photo by Denny Wendell

Now in its tenth year, the Bay Village Waterways Clean-up Day, sponsored by The Bay Village Foundation and Bay High Project Earth Club, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24. All are welcome to meet at the Bay Middle School cafeteria to sign in before 11 a.m. Volunteers of all ages will go out in groups to clean up Bay's waterways and surrounding areas. Children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian or bring signed permission slip.

The city provides trash bags and gloves for use in picking up debris along Cahoon Creek, Columbia Park, Bay Boat Club, and other portions of the Lake Erie waterfront. Under the guidance of Bridgit McFarland of Bay High School and The Bay Village Foundation chair, Mike Romanchek, the group will work for approximately two hours and finish up back at the middle school where the student trustees of The Bay Village Foundation – Chris Eifert, Katherine Finley, Jack Lee and Maggie Williams – will plan and deliver the lunch, funded by the Bay Village Foundation, for the hungry crowd. Afterwards, city workers will pick up the bagged debris at the middle school.

Ready to serve you are, Key Club member Elyse Legeay, Kiwanis President Allen Waddle and Kiwanis member Kelly Baon. Photo by Jim Potter

As part of the Bay High School Homecoming weekend, the Bay Village Kiwanis Club, ably assisted by the Bay High Key Club, will hold a Pancake Breakfast in the Bay Middle School cafeteria, on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 8 a.m. to noon.

The menu includes all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausages, orange juice, milk and coffee. The breakfast price is $7 at the door; children 5 and under eat free. Presale tickets are $6 and are available from any Kiwanian.

If you have been interested in learning what Westlake Schools' combined bond issue is about, Superintendent Scott Goggins, Treasurer Todd Hopkins and Jennifer Frey from Citizens for Westlake Schools are heading out on a speaking tour around Westlake. Here are some of the upcoming places where they will be speaking:

• Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. Westlake Democrats Meeting. Western Cuyahoga Lodge Hall, 26145 Center Ridge Road.
• Monday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. Public Forum and Q&A presented by the League of Women Voters. Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road.

Last year, Village Bicycle Cooperative donated more than two dozen bicycles to the Salvation Army as part of the Fix-It-Forward program. Photo by Donna Wilson

Are you ready for some fun fall activities at Village Bicycle Cooperative (VBC)? Well, there are some great events planned and we look forward to seeing you at them.

Fix-It-Forward Program

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 6-9 p.m., learn about our volunteer Fix-It-Forward program at the Village Bicycle Cooperative, 303 Cahoon Road in the Community House. This program takes donated bikes and refurbishes them to be distributed to Salvation Army, Westside Catholic Center, Westlake Police Department and Lakewood Community Center. These organizations distribute the bikes to people in need to help them get to their jobs, school and also provide a good form of exercise. This year’s goal is to distribute more than 100 bikes. 

The "Supper Club" gathers for a backyard clambake in the late 1940s.  

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I was raised on fall clambakes. From as far back as I can remember, my family put on several clambakes every fall.

Over the years, my Grandpa Wurtz owned five Square Deal meat markets on the near west side of Cleveland. One day, a customer walked into the shop and told my Grandpa they were selling 50-foot lots in Avon Lake for $50 each. Grandpa drove out, took a look and purchased five lots on Woodstock Avenue. In 1922, he built a cottage in the middle of the five lots.

Every Labor Day, Grandpa would have a clambake. He had a shallow pit dug in the corner of the backyard which he filled with wood. The sides of the pit were made of stacked bricks and an iron grate was placed over them. On top of this large pit, he would place a huge, silver-metal square clam baker that had trays with holes in them that stacked inside it and a lid. There were probably 50 people attending for the day so you know how many bakes it held.

Max Kunze

Maxwell Kunze, Bay Village Troop 41, earned the Eagle Scout rank on June 12. Max becomes the Troop's 148th Eagle Scout since 1964. He is the son of Todd and Kelly Kunze.

For his Eagle service project, Max's team repaired and painted the BAYarts Huntington House porch in memory of Sally Price. Visit troop41.wordpress.com for more information about Boy Scout Troop 41.

I got my title from a quote in an Omnimax film called “A Beautiful Planet” that was playing at the Great Lakes Science Center this summer. The film is about how the astronauts living at the International Space Station see Earth, and it’s absolutely amazing. During the film, climate change is addressed, and how the space station crew can see the direct effects of climate change on the Earth.

This past July was the hottest month recorded on Earth since record keeping began in 1880. In fact, each month since October 2015 has set a new high for heat for that respective month. For example, August 2016 was the hottest August ever recorded. NASA has warned that warming of recent decades is out of step with any period over the past millennium. There is a 99% chance that 2016 will be the warmest year on record; 2015 beat 2014 for the warmest year and 2016 is on pace to beat 2015.

Any military officer will tell you that defining the objective is essential to any operation. If you don’t define the objective, how do you know if you’ve completed the mission? How do you know if you’ve won or lost?

The same can be said of family chores. “Will you do a couple of loads of laundry?” sounds simple enough, however, that request is almost as vague as the command, “Go win the battle.”

Stevie Wonder has provided us with wonderful music for decades. This influential musician is the subject of the Bay Village branch library's first Jazz/Music Icon series presentation. Join us on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. to hear live music and lecture on this popular American musician and his impact on the recording and music industry. Then join us again on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. for the second presentation, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

CHILDREN

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

• 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.) Family Storytime – for all ages

Thursday, Sept. 22 (4 p.m.)  Let's Play Library Bingo – Grades 3-5: Before we play Bingo, we'll share a story or two and talk about the library-themed categories in the game. Then it will be game on!

Saturday, Oct. 8 (11 a.m.) Kids Cartoon – Grades 3-5: Join a guest artist in the graphic design field as you learn how to draw cartoons and comic strips, and practice drawing your own! Registration required.

Wednesday, Sept. 7 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Horror Film Club – Join us as we explore some of the classic films from the genres of horror, science fiction and suspense. Children under 13 should be accompanied by an adult. Please register.

Wednesdays, Sept. 7 and 14 (4-5:30 p.m.) and Thursdays, Sept. 8 and 15 (6:30-8 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by the Youth Services Department 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. and each Thursday at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.) Non-Fiction Book Discussion – The September selection is "Theft of Memory" by Jonathan Kozol.

Friday, Sept. 9 and Monday, Sept. 12 (6:30-7:15 p.m.) Sensory Storytime – Features an adapted storytime for children with special needs and their caregivers. Siblings are welcome. Includes time for social play. Content is geared to ages 3-7. Registration begins one week before each session.

Friday, Sept. 9 (3-3:35 p.m. OR 4-4:45 p.m.) Fun Science Friday – Join Mrs. K as we explore the wonders of the world. This month we’ll explore our closest star and the changing seasons. Ages 4-6. Please register.

Saturday, Sept. 10 (10:30-11:30 a.m.) Pokemon Fun! – Bring your cards and accessories for a fun morning of Pokemon-themed play, prizes, and crafts! Ages 6-12.

Saturday, Sept. 10 (2-3 p.m.) Brick Builders – Bring your ideas and imagination to the club! Ages 3-12. Lego and Duplo bricks provided.

Marianne Peden and Oscar were both eager to receive a blessing from Deacon Larry Gregg at last year's pet blessing. Photo by Bill Bine

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Bearded dragons, hermit crabs and less-exotic household animals and their families are invited to the 12th annual Blessing of the Pets on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. on the front lawn of St. Raphael Church in Bay Village. 

Individual blessings will be given to each animal. Giveaways from Landmark and Hot Diggity Dog Pet Sitting will be distributed and a garden statue of St. Francis will be given away. The event is free and all are welcome! The event commemorates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. 

St. Raphael pastor, Fr. Tim Gareau, commented, “We welcome all our friends in the surrounding neighborhoods to join with us on this day, to give thanks for all God’s creatures – especially our faithful animal companions – and ask for his continued blessings on our families, our community, and on all living things entrusted to our care.”

The Bay Village Holiday Caring and Sharing Program was created to help Bay families in need at the holidays. Families with children under age 18 may qualify for our Adopt a Family program, and receive gifts for the children that may not otherwise be possible that year. In addition, a food pantry is also available to those Bay Village residents who qualify.

This report is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Mayor Bobst's office prepares official minutes.

Present: Mayors Bobst (Rocky River), Patton (Fairview Park) and Kennedy (North Olmsted)

Absent: Mayors Clough (Westlake), Summers (Lakewood) and Sutherland (Bay Village)

Director of Regional Collaboration Ed Krause, Director of Public Safety & Justice Services Brandy Carney, and Director of Regional Corrections Ken Mills spoke about the value of consolidating police, fire and EMS dispatch services within and across city lines. Centralized dispatch, now the national standard, changes the dynamics of responding to and resolving crimes and emergencies. Rather than transferring calls among agencies, all required services are marshaled at once. County Councilman Dave Greenspan noted that decreased response times translate to lower homeowner's insurance.

Good evening. We are pleased to welcome local historian Bill Rafalski to Westlake Library for an engaging presentation on the director and filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. From the chilling violin screech in "Psycho" and the flapping wings of "The Birds," to his classic voice and presence, Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most iconic names in film.  

Andy and Judy Daigle

Andy and Judy Daigle are coming to Westlake Library! We are very excited to join this folk-duo for an afternoon of music and fun on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m.

Andy and Judy have been peforming together since 2009, and make regular appearances at libraries, coffeeshops, and concert venues. They have been featured artists, openers and headliners blending popular folk covers with their growing list of original songs.

The Women's Board of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center kicked off our 2016-2017 with our first meeting on Sept. 7.  Catherine Timko, the Center's executive director, welcomed members and guests. She highlighted the Center's summer camps, the Summer Wildlife Reading Camp, and the recent cosmetic improvements at the Center. New paint and carpeting has brightened the interior. Wonderful programs are available for children and adults.

In a previous article, I explained that everyone has “skin in the game” when it comes to protecting personal information. That includes business entities, you and me. Since we discussed businesses earlier, let’s turn the focus to what you and I can be doing.

I've written about how local pharmacies are not maximizing the use of digital tools that they have at their disposal. Pharmacists continue to ask you to verbally verify your date of birth when instead they could be using the credit card reader with keypad and screen (or touchscreen) to be more discreet. The next time I’m at the pharmacy to refill my diabetes medication, I am going to show my driver’s license instead of verbally verifying my date of birth. This minimizes risk by sharing my birthday with one pharmacist instead of everyone within earshot.

“That does it!” a Westlake woman willfully exclaimed. “After recently reading the word ‘wonky’ in a newspaper not once but twice, I thought it proper to look up its meaning rather than to guess at it. Heaven forbid that I would choose to use the term myself someday, I’d want to get it right!”

Upon feeling chuffed for being so conscientious, this Westlake word wonderer admitted that despite having at least half a dozen English dictionaries around the house and countless more in foreign languages, she couldn’t recall the last time she had picked one up.

The Bay Village Community Council held its quarterly meeting on Sept. 7. Representatives of many of the city's civic organizations shared news and notes about their activities. Following are some of the highlights.

American Legion Post 385 recently co-hosted a supper and presentation on caring for veterans when they come home. Joining us in this program were VFW Post 9693 and St. Paul Lutheran Church’s Military Support Group. The program discussed the impact that war has had on individuals and their families when they return home.

Bay Village Community Theater has initiated a staged reading series called “All the World’s a Stage[d Reading]." Our next reading will feature the poetry/prose of Edgar Allen Poe on Oct. 9, 6 p.m., at Mojo’s Coffee. 

The Bay Village Foundation has made the 20-year refurbishment and renovation of Play in Bay their main focus throughout 2016. Major fundraising efforts have been targeted to every potential source with solicitations, presentations to groups, individual letters to every resident in Bay, plus some smaller efforts during the year. The project was begun last fall and is close to being a reality. Total costs were projected to be about $105,000 and we are now within about $1,200 of reaching that goal, and final renovation plans are on-going. Plans are underway for a “Recognition Wall” in Play in Bay  on which all donors of $100 and more will be listed. A “Summer Send Off” fundraising event will be held Sept. 24 from 3-5 p.m. The annual Bay Heritage Run will be Oct. 22. The race raises funds through sponsorships and runners. 

Satellite navigation is coming to Cleveland-Detroit airspace as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) NextGen Metroplex project. Most airplanes already navigate with GPS, but their routes are defined by land-based "navigation aids." Satellite navigation will free routes from these physical constraints and enable the FAA to draw new, more efficient highways in the sky. Benefits include fuel, personnel and time savings; increased safety, flexibility, capacity and reliability; and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Hopkins, Burke Lakefront, and Cuyahoga County airports are included in the project. Arrival flight paths are constrained by existing runways. Departure paths are more flexible, offering the opportunity for planes to get on route more quickly.

After a successful spring kick off, the Healthy Kids Running Series is returning to the Westlake Recreation Center this fall for five weeks of fitness and fun. The Healthy Kids Running Series is a 5-week running program for kids from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Races take place once a week and offer age-appropriate running events including the 50-yard dash, the 1/4 mile, the 1/2 mile and the one mile run.

Snowcones and smiles were the order of the day. Photo by Jared Olsen

Summer time is the season for BBQ  with tasty food, games, and most importantly time with family and friends. Now consider sharing this festive time with 500+ family and friends! On Saturday, Aug. 27, local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were able to spend a beautiful summer day together enjoying such times at their location in Westlake.

Chef Kevin Roberts, aka The Food Dude, will visit Tri-C in Westlake on Sept. 28 as part of his nationwide tour.

Anybody can cook quick, healthy and tasty meals on a budget. Want to know how? Then come listen and learn when the “The Food Dude” visits Cuyahoga Community College.

Chef and restaurateur Kevin Roberts — aka The Food Dude — will share the secrets to kitchen success during a free program at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Corporate College West in Westlake. The presentation and cooking demonstration is open to the public. Corporate College West is located at 25425 Center Ridge Road.