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Superintendent Jodie Hausmann announced her resignation effective July 31.

The Bay Village Board of Education accepted the resignation of Superintendent Jodie Hausmann at the June 14, 2021, Board of Education meeting.

Superintendent Hausmann has accepted a position as the Executive Director of Connect – formerly known as North Coast Council – the largest Information Technology Center (ITC) in the state of Ohio, which serves 66 school districts. Superintendent Hausmann will work for the District through July 31, 2021.

The Board of Education will conduct a search for an Interim Superintendent to be named in the near future.

“We are sorry to see Superintendent Hausmann leave the District, but we thank her for her leadership and service to our learning community – especially during these last 18 months through a national health crisis – and we wish her well in her new role,” said Board of Education President Lisa Priemer. “We are looking forward to Jodie having an even greater impact on our District via her new role with Connect. The Board will keep our community stakeholders informed as we move forward with our search process.”

Westlake High School senior, Blake Wolfe, accomplished an extraordinary feat when he walked into the school on Friday, May 21, his final day. The 17-year-old graduate has never missed a day of school as a Westlake School District student from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Blake is a well-rounded honor roll student, member of the marching and symphonic bands, basketball team and a long jumper for the track and field team. He will attend Bluffton University to major in business and sports management and will play basketball for the Bluffton Beavers.

Blake’s perfect attendance was a challenge at times, as his doctor and dentist appointments, college visits, etc. were scheduled around his school and extracurricular schedule. He was pretty lucky as Blake was an overall healthy kid the past 13 years which allowed him to go to school daily.

It’s not easy to have perfect attendance from kindergarten through 12th grade, but Blake Wolfe is able to add this to his list of accomplishments.

Jennie Koomar, pictured with her parents, Therese and Paul, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout after creating a compost system for the Village Project.

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Bay Village teen creates green solution for Village Project

Jennie Koomar, of Bay Village, has become the first female in Scouts BSA Troop 40 to complete the rank of Eagle Scout. To receive this honor, Jennie worked closely with the Village Project to design, construct and implement a food waste compost system.

The Village Project is a local non-profit organization that provides nutrient-dense meals to those who are fighting cancer in the surrounding communities. The compost system allows the Village Project to keep the compost on site and use it in their gardens to grow fresh and nutritious herbs and vegetables.

Jennie enjoyed activities as a member of the Girls Scouts from the time she was in kindergarten. Her troop eventually dissolved, and she joined Sea Scouts and then Scouts BSA to continue her Scouting adventures.  She was inspired to pursue this rank based on the experiences of her dad, Paul, who is also an Eagle Scout.

Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough cuts the ribbon at Clague Memorial Fields with the help of some ballplayers. 

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The City of Westlake and the Westlake Baseball League hosted a Ribbon-Cutting and Grand Opening Ceremony at the four newly-minted Clague Memorial Fields on Saturday, June 5.

Westlake Mayor Dennis M. Clough performed the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, with help from some local ballplayers. Members of Westlake City Council, Recreation Director Paula Horner and past Recreation Commission Chairman Dale Smith looked on, among others. 

Then it was time to play ball!

The Westlake-Bay Village Rotary is bringing back the Westlake Art Festival this July! Mark your calendars for this rain-or-shine fun day on Saturday, July 31, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

For years the art festival was held on the St. John West Shore Hospital grounds, providing an outdoor venue for art lovers. Thanks to the hard work of the Westlake-Bay Village Rotary, in partnership with Westlake Porter Public Library, Westlake Schools, and sponsors from Baird Investments and Jen and Joe Hudak, the Art Festival is back!

The Festival plans to be a pet-friendly, family fun event complete with live music, food trucks, ice cream, a wine and beer garden and plenty of free parking.

Jim Lupton carrying the U.S. flag in the 2019 Bay Days 5-Mile race. Photo by Dan Straitiff

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On Saturday, July 3, the Cleveland West Road Runners Club will be presenting the 46th Bay Days 5-mile & Kids’ Run live and in-person at Bay High School. The 5-Mile will start at 8:30 a.m. and the Kids’ Run will start at 8:35 a.m.

Changing the date to Saturday, July 3, became necessary back in January, because it was impossible to predict whether the Bay High School stadium and parking lot would be available. Thus, the CWRRC and police chose July 3 to ensure the date wouldn’t need to change if the race were forced to start at Cahoon Park like it did 5 years ago. Fortunately, the contractor for the new Concession Stand complex has worked hard to keep the Bay High School track and field available for our race and other athletic activities.

Bay Village Schools has won the Auditor of State award six of the last seven years.

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Earlier this month, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced that Bay Village City School District received the Auditor of State Award for its clean audit reports for the fiscal year ended 2020.

The State Auditor’s office shares information as far back as 2014, and Bay Village Schools has received the Ohio Auditor of State Award every year since 2014, except for 2017, so six of the last seven years.

“We are elated to share this wonderful news with our stakeholders, as it takes an entire district to win an award like this,” said Meghan Rohde, Treasurer for Bay Village Schools. “We strive to provide the best financial reporting to our local and state communities.”

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Summer is officially here! Mayor Dennis M. Clough opened the Westlake Aquatic Center & Peterson Pool on Saturday, June 5, by once again “testing” the waterslides at the facility.

This year, he raced his grandson, Danny, down the slide! The Mayor reached the bottom first and they both had a great time! Video of their trip down the slide is available for video-on-demand (VOD) viewing online and via the Westlake Community Access Channel streaming apps.

Before ascending the steps to the top of the steeper (and faster) of the two waterslides, Mayor Clough used the facility's PA system to address the early-birds who had filtered into the WAC on the sunny, hot summer morning.

Groundworks Contemporary Dance will be on the BAYarts summer stage in July. 

BAYarts loves nothing more than introducing new and innovative work to our Westshore campus, so when Groundworks Dance Theater, the groundbreaking contemporary dance company, was sidelined by the pandemic shutdown and needed open and outdoor venues to perform, the two organizations connected. Having never visited the campus before, Groundworks Executive Director David Shimotakahara was immediately taken by the beauty of the venue and possibility of creating something "out of the box" to fit the space. For BAYarts, it's a perfect fit for the return of the summer events season.

GroundWorks Dance Theater is a nationally recognized troupe headquartered in Shaker Heights with a mission to engage, educate and enliven communities, right in line with BAYarts' mission. This is the organization's first westside appearance for a night of vibrant and engaging modern dance.

So, here’s the deal: The local professional baseball team, soon to be formerly known as the Cleveland Indians, has succeeded in confusing the bejeebers out of me.

You’re familiar with the old idiom, “Caught between a rock and a hard place,” right? That’s where I am right now with our beloved – soon to never again be referred to as – our Tribe.

After a lifetime of living and dying on every pitch and every out of every game I could catch in person, on the tube, or on the radio, I doubt I could ever turn my back on them completely. Just the same …

The methodology of the current ownership is testing my loyalty – big time.

Hayden Coffman (Bay High School Class of 2021) was the winner of this year’s Veterans of Foreign Wars/American Legion Military Scholarship. Sponsored by VFW Post 9693 and Legion Post 385, this scholarship is awarded each year to a deserving Bay High School graduating senior who will be affiliated with the U.S. military while attending college.

The winner is selected on the basis of academic performance, community service, extracurricular activities, character, leadership potential, and expressed interest in military service.

Mr. Coffman will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Board President Lisa Priemer called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. The later start time was to accommodate the large number of community members. Also in attendance were Vice President Dan Vegh; Mrs. Beth Lally; Dr. Scott Schultz; and Mr. Paul Vincent.

Superintendent’s Report

Dr. Jodie Hausmann made two major points. The first point was regarding the use of the term “equity.” She emphasized that the Board and administration want to be prepared for learners to ensure that all voices are heard. The equity audit has been in the planning stage for over two years and grew from the Strategic Plan. The purpose of the slated equity review is to give more information on how to best serve all children. Although Bay Village does very well as it is, Superintendent Hausmann posed some theoretical questions. For example, she questioned whether more students would take AP classes if the District did something differently or whether some students would be more involved in Bay’s stellar music program if transportation were provided. She said that an equity audit is similar to a financial review.

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The City of Westlake’s annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks will return in 2021 for all to enjoy! 

Following a year in which so many special events had to be cancelled due to pandemic concerns, the City hopes this year's parade will be an especially memorable and unifying occasion for the community. 

The parade will begin after 1 p.m. so as not to conflict with Sunday religious services. It will depart from Burneson Middle School on Dover Center Road before proceeding onto Hilliard Boulevard and traveling east to Clague Park.

If you, your organization or your business is interested in participating in this year's festivities, visit the City’s website at www.cityofwestlake.org/684/4th-of-July-Parade-and-Fireworks.

Westlake Garden Club members at the group's flower box, from left: Marsha McEntee, Marge Emblom, Anne Engel, Lavinia Cozmin. Photo by Cathy Garlitz

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The Westlake Garden Club has gotten a great start on the gardening season for 2021.

The morning of May 22 found several members at the club’s Hilliard Boulevard flower box getting the plants in the ground. Cathy Garlitz and Marsha McEntee selected and transported the plants and planted them, along with Lavinia Cozmin, Marge Emblom and Anne Engel. Later that day, a group of members met on member Carolyn Steigman’s patio for the annual plant exchange where they brought divisions and whole plants from their own gardens to exchange for something different. There were also some house plants finding new homes.

The garden club again provided a wreath for the Memorial Day Ceremony at Clague Park. Carolyn Steigman put together the beautiful wreath this year.

Bea Jones, 2021 LWV Good Citizen Award winner

The Bay Chapter of the League of Women Voters awarded two Good Citizen scholarships of $1,000 each at the Kiwanis Awards Ceremonies on May 19 at Bay High School. We have received permission to announce one of the award winners here.

Bea Jones is a National Honor Society member who plans to attend Miami University this fall to major in biology on their pre-med track. She hopes to become a doctor or physician assistant working in pediatrics. She has made many positive contributions to the Bay High and Bay Village community, including as a Girl Scout (every year since kindergarten), BAYarts summer teacher’s assistant, member of the Peer Assisted Learning team, Youth Philanthropy Fellowship raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Multicultural Club.

In these activities, Bea exemplifies the qualities of good citizenship that the League of Women Voters hopes to encourage and support. Congratulations Bea and best wishes for your future success!

As this issue hits the newsstands, Father's Day is only five days away! Unlike last year, many will have the opportunity to hug them in-person again and celebrate together. To honor the fathers who went to heaven during the past year and a half when the physical distancing mandate made it ever more difficult to put closure, I've asked my wife, Mely, to share her story. This is her telling her story ...

My father passed away in October of last year in the Philippines. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to travel and be by his side. It was not easy, but something I had accepted, not being there to see him before he died. Like the rest of this country and the world, I could not attend his funeral to say goodbye. I still seek closure.

One of the fondest memories I cherish came when I gifted my parents a tablet for their 50th anniversary. When my dad saw my husband, who remained stateside, and I communicating via FaceTime, his eyes lit up. He asked me, "You mean I will be able to see you from thousands of miles away if I learn how to use this gift?" I said "yes" and knew I had his interest! He was determined to learn how to use it. Everyday during my visit, I would practice with him – how to turn it on, start FaceTime, and to accept video calls or make video calls.

Following is Westlake Porter Public Library’s late June 2021 calendar of events. All programs are subject to change. Please check westlakelibrary.org or follow the library on Facebook and Twitter (@WestlakePorter) for the latest updates.

Thursdays, June 17 and 24 (1-1:30 p.m.) Family Storytime (Live) – Join us on Zoom for an interactive storytime featuring books, rhymes, songs and movement. For families with children up to 2-6, siblings welcome. Please register. Participants must provide an email address to receive Zoom instructions.

Thursday, June 17 (7-8 p.m.) Writing the Rainbow: An Hour of Creative Writing to Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month (Live) – Join us for an hour of creative writing prompts to celebrate and nurture our own journey toward self-acceptance. All are invited. Please register and supply an email address to receive Zoom instructions.

Monday, June 21 (9- a.m.-9 p.m.) Celebrate Summer! Craft Bag Pick-Up – Celebrate the start of summer with a bag of fun crafts! Please register. Kits will be available for pick up until June 29 unless other arrangements are made.

Monday, June 21 (9 a.m.-9 p.m.) Crafty Adults Supply Pick-Up – Make a craft project of your own with this simple kit. For adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities. While supplies last. No previous crafting experience necessary. Some household items, such as glue, scissors, or markers will not be included. All other craft items will be supplied. Please register. Contact WPPL at 440-250-5471 if you need an alternate pick-up option.

Monday, June 21 (9 a.m.-9 p.m.) Teen Craft Pick Up – Come to the Drive-Up Window to pick up a craft kit from June 21 through June 29. Grades 7-12. Please register.

1914 Clifton and Adeline Aldrich home at 28905 Osborn Road. Photo by Will Krause

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Clifton Aldrich is the great-grandson of Aaron Aldrich III who constructed the beautifully preserved, circa 1829, home which still stands at 30663 Lake Road (on the south side of Lake Road just east of Bradley).

According to “Bay Village: A Way of Life” the Bay Village Aldrich family are descendants of George Aldrich who immigrated to America from England in 1634. Aaron Aldrich II was born in 1740 and served in the American Revolution. Aaron III and his wife Elizabeth Winsor Aldrich immigrated to Dover in 1816. Clifton’s grandfather William was their second child, born in 1817, he married Martha Bassett in 1840.

Clifton’s father William II was born in the Nathan Bassett homestead on Bassett Road (the barn still stands at 484 Bassett Road). William II married Jeanette Bates in 1862, and served in the Civil War. Clifton was their fifth child, born in 1878 in another now well preserved, circa 1862 historic home, which still stands at 366 Bassett Road.

Celebrating the awarding of Bay Men's Club scholarships are, left to right, BMC President Matt Williams; Dan French; Kate Feeley (mother of Kaylee Buehler); BMC Vice President Ed Robertson; Buehler; Morgan Fischer; mother Tammy Fischer; BMC Scholarship Committee Chairperson Peter Gierosky. (Not pictured: Levi Wunder.) Photo by Eric Eakin

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The Bay Men’s Club has awarded $1,000 scholarships to three very deserving Bay High students: Kaylee Buehler, Morgan Fischer and Levi Wunder.

The scholarships are awarded based on need, character, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities.

Buehler will be attending Kent State University studying nursing (her father passed away from lymphoma when she was 10 which motivated her to become a nurse). She was editor in chief of The Bay Tribune, class officer, member of the National Honor Society, YPF, swim and volleyball teams. She works at Arrabiata's and as a lifeguard at Bay Family Aquatic Center.

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Children and families of all ages can learn about the wonders of wildlife this summer in Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s new program. This 30-minute program features up-close encounters with a variety of the Center’s resident animals including mammals, reptiles and birds of prey.

Wonders of Wildlife costs $5/person (children 6 months and under are free) and will be offered on Thursday, June 17, and Friday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. More summer dates to be announced. Advance registration is recommended.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center continues to offer free general admission on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plan your visit at www.lensc.org.

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Judy Brody of Bay Village captured the simple beauty of roses in bloom at the Cahoon Memorial Park Rose Garden on Memorial Day.

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A food truck featuring gourmet burgers cruised onto Elmwood Drive on Thursday, June 10. The neighborhood was treated to a fantastic taste bud explosion and a chance to mingle with neighbors, friends and Betty's Bomb Ass Burger fans. This was a first event of this kind for the neighborhood association and by all the positive accounts, plans for future food truck events will be scheduled.

As in years past, I attended the Memorial Day service at the small cemetery in Bay Village. Normally, a parade happens immediately afterward, leading back to the town square. The parade was cancelled this year (in 1944, thousands of Americans paraded up a beach through deep water and withering machine gun fire, but now we are hesitant to stand by the side of a road catching candy, because we might also catch ... y'know).

Normally, there are a couple hundred people at the service – this year, a couple dozen. I counted a total of three children.

Apparently, sans a parade, there isn't a good enough reason for people show up to remember and show gratitude, and for parents to teach their kids a pretty valuable lesson about where they came from, and who they came from. Sad and inexcusable.

– Randy DeMuesy, Westlake

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