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Members of "Lots In One," a Westlake Relay For Life team, carry signs advertising their June 1 garage sale. Pictured, from left, are: (back row) Sarah Drago, Akshyasri Dhinakaran, Talya Jeter, Talia Zheng; (front) Mia Jeter, Rayna Jeter. Photo by Heather Drago

"Lots In One," a Westlake Relay For Life team comprised of fifth- and sixth-graders from Parkside Intermediate School, is working hard to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The group of 11- and 12-year-olds will walk in Westlake’s Memorial Day Parade on May 27, hold a major fundraiser on June 1 and participate in Westlake’s Relay For Life event on July 13 at the Westlake Recreation Center.

The Lots In One kids have set a big goal for themselves, a whopping $5,000. They’re hoping that funds from the sale, participation at the Relay event in July, and direct donations to their team’s Relay web page will help them meet this challenge. In addition, the group creates and sells hand-made items, such as friendship bracelets and duct tape crafts to fellow students and others in the community.

Parents, including Dave Tomcho, posing here with Alex Brown, impersonated their favorite rock stars at Bay's after-prom event.

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Bay High School seniors were treated to a “rockin” good time on Saturday, May 11, after they attended their prom downtown at the Cleveland Browns' FirstEnergy Stadium. The senior parents hosted the 2013 After Prom event at Bay Middle School. This year’s theme was “We Will Rock You” and featured everything rock 'n' roll inspired.

The night of fun featured everything from a rock band to a gymnasium full of inflatables to a country-theme mechanical bull to a Latin salsa-inspired outdoor cantina. Each area included food, music and elaborate decorations to fit the theme. After jumping for hours on the inflatables and getting tossed around by the mechanical bull, the seniors could chill in the VIP room and listen to their friends sing karaoke while they relaxed on the leopard-print chairs and overstuffed couches. Or they could visit the VIP candy bar, dessert bar and the iced coffee bar and then head over to Santana’s Cantina, complete with an outdoor tent decorated with cantina lights and blankets to ward off the cold.

Tennis icon and 2012 state champion Colton Buffington has moved on but the 2013 Westlake Demons men's tennis team worked hard in the off-season and has returned with plenty of fire-power.

Led by ebullient senior captain and doubles wizard Kevin Wang, the Demons season has exceeded all expectations. Coach Jeff Mannies has expertly shuffled a deep roster of players.

Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland discusses the successes and challenges of the last year with the West Shore Chamber of Commerce on May 7.

It’s been an up-and-down year for Bay Village. In the past 12 months, the city has garnered local and national accolades, faced budget challenges due to decreased revenues, completed a major infrastructure improvement and got slammed by one of the worst storms in decades to hit the region.

In her 13th annual State of the City presentation to the West Shore Chamber of Commerce on May 7, Mayor Debbie Sutherland’s focus remained on the positives – and the lessons to be learned from the negatives.

Since her last State of the City address in May 2012, Bay Village has been recognized as the No. 1 suburb in the region by Cleveland Magazine, was named to Family Circle magazine’s top ten best towns for families and received the state auditor’s award for “exemplary financial reporting” in last July’s audit for fiscal year 2011.

It’s a simple idea... with far reaching ramifications! Christian musicians come together for an evening of celebrating any and every musical genre from contemporary, to hip-hop, rock, country, rap and gospel... any others? 

The first JAM Nite held in March had a small turnout with two bands and several individuals. On April 20 the event grew to four bands and several studio musicians who played spontaneously together. That was definitely fun! Two individuals came to sing with trax and one solo accompanied herself on the keyboard. It was a fantastic night; laid back, enjoyable, fun... a real celebration!

Elisabeth Rudge was awarded the Bay Village Historical Society's 2013 scholarship.

Bay High School senior Elisabeth Rudge has been selected to receive the Bay Village Historical Society’s $1,000 scholarship for 2013.

Rudge, the daughter of Antoinette and Scott, will be attending Cleveland State University, where she will be majoring in business and marketing.

Rudge was active on the softball team and soccer team, participated in HUDDLE (a tutoring program where younger Bay Village students are taught leadership qualities), Rachel’s Challenge (an anti-bullying program) and the Key Club.

Rudge was selected by Bay High School Social Studies Department teachers for her love of history.

Is regionalization a good thing or a bad thing? Those who have been following the League of Women Voters (LWV) forums on regionalization know that the answer is, "It depends." Regionalization itself means different things to different people, and the meaning can vary depending on the context. 

In the first forum, featuring Cuyahoga County's Director of Regional Collaboration Ed Jerse and Cuyahoga County District 2 Council member Dale Miller, we learned that collaboration between county and city governments can offer unique opportunities for efficiencies and can strengthen the entire region. Yet both speakers agreed that merging political entities is not a first choice: most local communities want to preserve their identities, and mergers are so time-consuming and expensive that the costs often outweigh the benefits.

Hanna Tegel in Columbus with her parents, Carl and Cheryl Tegel.

Hanna Tegel, a senior at Westlake High School who was Lt. Governor for Key Club from 2011-2013, has earned the Robert F. Lucas award at the Ohio District Convention held in Columbus April 12-14. This award is given to outstanding Lt. Governors that have gone above and beyond their call of duty and had to fulfill 11 requirements.

The requirements included holding a division trainer meeting for the officers of the clubs within the division by November 15. Within the trainer the Lt. Governor has to explain to the officers their position responsibilities, how to improve relations with Kiwanis, a major emphasis on programs and youth opportunities fund. Other requirements include having at least 50 hours of service to their home, school and community.

There is a bridge that crosses over the First River in Stellenbosch, South Africa. I can see it from my house. People walk and drive over it everyday, going to their jobs, going out to eat or going home. But under the bridge, there are people who don’t have anywhere to go. They are homeless. They are hungry. They live there.

I have met so many people who are homeless. One person I met is Martin. He had open sores all over his hands and arms and was very, very skinny. His face looked sad, sweaty and tired. He told my mom that he had AIDS and was in so much pain. He asked for money because he needed treatment. My mom doesn’t normally give money, just food, but Martin started crying and said that he was dying.

Students and staff arrive at Bay Middle School during Bike to School Challenge. Photo by Tracey Bradnan

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Bay Bike to School Challenge (BTS) is off to its best start ever and is putting Bay Village in the national spotlight.

During the first week of BTS on May 6-10, Bay Middle School averaged 576 bicyclists to school – an astonishing 70 percent of the school. That’s up 22 percent over their 2012 per-day average of 474. Bay Middle School also had 634 bicyclists to school on Wednesday, May 8 (a whopping 77 percent of the school) – a new record for the school and the challenge. Bay High School averaged 123 bicyclists to school during the first week, down 9 percent from their 135-per-day average in 2012.

Bay students are taking out their bikes for the annual Bike to School Challenge. It is a three-week bike challenge to get kids out and about on their bikes.

Each day they earn a stamp if they biked, and on some days they can earn extra for wearing a helmet. Also on some days they can earn a prize, including Subway coupons, water bottles, T-shirts and ice cream.

It started on Monday, May 6. Also, on the first day, a TV news crew got footage of the students to be put on the 6 p.m. newscast. On the first day there were already 544 bikers at the middle school and others at the high school not yet added to this total.

Enjoy a concert of Dylan classics on May 22 at 7 p.m. featuring Cleveland's acoustic duo "Muscle and Bone." Susan Weber and Walt Campbell meld their voices and instruments with songs that span the decades of Bob Dylan's career.

Weber and Campbell had previously worked collaboratively in a rock band for years, but a different path led Campbell to New York City where Weber called him one night to reunite in Cleveland, but this time to play Dylan's music.

Student Acheivement Award winner Jaclyn Maat, left, with Westlake Rec Center supervisor Rachel O'Malley and WSCC education chairman Andrew Mangels. Photo by Carol Maat

The West Shore Chamber of Commerce Education Committee presented the annual Student Achievement Award to Jaclyn Maat at the May 7 Chamber luncheon. Jaclyn is an employee of the Westlake Recreation Center, where she has worked since shortly before graduating from Westlake High School in 2011. The award is given to recognize West Shore Chamber business members and their student employees or volunteers that show an exemplary work ethic.

Jaclyn is a full-time student at Cleveland State, plays volleyball for the CSU club team and still finds time to work at the Rec Center on evenings and weekends. She works year round in the child care room, staffs the monthly "parent night out" program, serves as a summer day camp counselor and helps out with keeping score for the youth baseball program.

The Village Foundation will hold its annual Memorial Day celebration immediately following the Bay Village community Memorial Day activities, at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 27, at Cahoon Park on Lake Road.The event is chaired by trustee Gary Heldt.

The Foundation's 11th annual Memorial Day Bronze Plaque celebration will include the Bay High String Quartet (featuring musicians Jackson Brothers, Ashley DeYong, Gail Foster and Aubrey Theobald), under the direction of Ms. Carrie Singular, and a performance by soloist tenor Troy Ayers II. Local resident and meteorologist Jon Loufman will serve as master of ceremonies. All friends and family are invited to come to the tent at Cahoon Park lakeside.

Richard Weiner, retired principal percussionist for the Cleveland Orchestra, engaged an audience at Westlake Porter Public Library on May 9 with tales from his 48 years as a member of the world-renowned orchestra.

The discussion, sponsored by the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council, was met with rave reviews from those in attendance, including Sharon Huelsman, who commented: "Mr. Weiner was articulate, engaging and witty. I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation and could have listened to him all evening. The stories he shared about his experiences with the various Cleveland Orchestra directors were delightful and entertaining!"

Director of Curriculum Char Shryock, right, with BVEF trustee Jacquie Mayer. Photo by Ellie Bricmont

In November 2012, the Bay Village Education Foundation awarded grants to several innovative educators in the district. Director of Curriculum Char Shryock, along with educators Kelli McMaugh, Ali Volkman, Gail Hartman, Meredith Myatt, Barb Marsh and Darci Sanders, received $1,500 for the district-wide Bay Vocabulary Initiative. This project will span across all grade levels and incorporate support from the community with the goal of growing the vocabulary of all Bay students. It was therefore chosen as the winner of the Waldron Award for literacy.

With just 60 days until Westlake's Relay For Life on July 13-14, we are pushing forward. Calls are being made, donations are coming and volunteers are roaming the city for teams, goodies and help.

We are pleased to announce that Carrabba’s in Westlake is donating our Survivor Luncheon this year. A great menu is planned and our famous baker and luncheon chair, Karen Cook, will be making the goodies for after the meal. If you are a survivor and would like to join us for the day, please visit the website and sign up. We need an accurate count soon so don’t delay.

When I was considerably younger, my parents had a favorite restaurant we visited on a regular basis. Sure, we tried other eating establishments from time to time, but like the bird which flies south for the winter, only to fly thousands of miles back north to the very same tree the next spring, we always gravitated back to the same place eventually. (Feel free to insert "family of bird-brains" joke here).

For the record, the restaurant no longer exists, but for all I know there may still be relatives in the area, so in the interest of not wanting to offend anyone, nor possibly having my legs broken, I shall defer to not mentioning the name of the eatery in question. Just for giggles and grins, let’s call it “The Wigwam.”

My family came to this country from Europe and settled in Cleveland in the latter part of the 19th century. Being an inquisitive child I encouraged my parents and grandparents to tell me stories about their lives.

Both grandfathers were storytellers and didn't need much encouragement to talk about themselves and their lives. These stories have stayed with me throughout the years. I wish I had written them down as they were told to me. Memory has a way of erasing some things as we get older.

As it celebrates its 100th birthday, The American Cancer Society is looking for residents of our community to help continue the fight against cancer by reaching full enrollment in a historic research study currently taking place. While tremendous progress continues to be made, the effort to eradicate this disease has never been greater.

Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) will give scientists a better understanding of cancer causes and prevention. The Society is looking for local men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer to help reach a national enrollment goal of at least 300,000.

Wednesday, May 1 (1-2:30 p.m.) Cuyahoga West Genealogical Society – Stuck on your genealogical research? Not sure how to get started? Stop by for a free Help Session!

Wednesday, May 1 (7-8:45 p.m.) Energy Therapy and Chakra Cleansing – Reiki master Linda Street, returns to speak about Energy Therapy in more depth. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; presentation is from 7-8:30 p.m. Q & A to follow. Please register.

Friday, May 3 (10-10:45 a.m.) Come Play With Me! – Open playtime with age-appropriate toys, songs and rhymes. For children ages 2-5 with a caring adult. Registration begins one week before each program.

Friday, May 3 (Toddler session: 10:30-11 a.m.; Preschool session: 11:30 a.m.-noon) Music Therapy & More – Connecting for Kids and the Music Therapy Enrichment Corps invite you to a music therapy group. Learn how parents and caregivers have a direct role in bringing music to life. The toddler session is geared for children under 3. The preschool session is geared for children ages 3-6 (siblings are welcome). Caregiver must stay in the room. No registration required.

Saturday, May 4 (All Day) National Free Comic Book Day – In partnership with Carol & John's Comic Book Shop we’ll be giving out free comic books (one per person) all day while supplies last!

Saturday, May 4 (10:30-11:30 a.m.) Kids in Motion Sensory Time – Join us for stories, activities, music and more! Program consists of a 30-minute storytime followed by a 30-minute social-sharing time for the group. No registration required. Program is designed to engage children with autism or other special needs/sensory challenges. Each child must have an adult caregiver.

Saturday, May 4 (1-2:15 p.m.) Connecting for Kids Parent Discussion & Facilitated Playgroup – Participate in a discussion group led by a pediatric expert while your children play in a separate room with a CCBDD facilitator. You must RSVP for the playgroup starting one month before each session by calling 440-250-5563. Children do not need a formal diagnosis to attend. Topics listed at connectingforkids.org.

Saturday, May 4 (3-4 p.m.) Derby Day Fun! – Join us for horse stories, games and light refreshments. Create your own Derby Day hat, too! Ages 7-11. Registration begins April 27.

After much anticipation and planning, construction will begin this summer on the "Karen Ryel Ceramic Studio" on BAYarts' campus. With the blessing of Cleveland Metroparks (BAYarts' landlord), the studio, named in memory of Karen Ryel, ceramic artist and dear friend of BAYarts' close-knit ceramics community, was made possible by a gift from Gretchen Colleran, Karen's daughter, and her husband Brian.

The existing studio has been in the basement of the historic Huntington House for decades. Although there have been electrical and equipment upgrades in recent years, there is much room for improvement both for safety and esthetic issues. The new studio will be located behind the Huntington House, west of the Fuller House.

An antique table and chairs fit the English garden patio theme. Photo by Rachel Polaniec

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Having decided on a theme and come up with a goal for my garden in progress, I knew the most important part was having a place to sit and enjoy it. Therefore, I set out to find two chairs and a table. In keeping with my English garden theme I wanted them to be wrought iron, to be small enough to fit on the balcony but sturdy enough to withstand wind, rain and the inevitable northeast Ohio winters. In this I ran upon a problem: Most of what is available in stores is not wrought iron, but rather flimsy metal substitutes.

So I abandoned the stores and went antiquing instead. One of the best tips I can give anyone who is looking to decorate any area of the home, indoors or out, is to hunt through antique stores. The items you will find are often better than anything currently on the market (at least for reasonable prices), and they are built to last (they made it this far, right?).

The Italian Cultural Garden features interpretations of that country's architecture. Photo by Regina McCarthy

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On May 7, the Westlake Garden Club sponsored a bus tour of Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens. Wonderfully organized by Ruth Bertrand, with reservation assistance by Nancy Chopp, we were accompanied by historian Rebecca McFarland. 

Located in Rockefeller Park, a 254-acre expanse of land John D. Rockefeller donated to the city in 1896, the first garden was created in 1916 as a tribute to William Shakespeare. Ten years later, the Hebrew Garden became the first “culture” garden and the Shakespeare Garden was renamed the British Garden. Following the Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided funding for 13 new gardens.

Her death notice would have caught my eye even if I had not known Emma Meluch. After noting her age (94) and her surviving family, the May 1 notice said she was "instrumental in the passage of two Westlake Charter Amendments.” 

I first met Emma when I moved to Westlake 18 years ago and transferred my League of Women Voters membership to the chapter here to which she belonged. Right away I learned that Emma was an astute person, well informed on what was happening or about to happen in city government. I lost touch with Emma when she was no longer able to attend League meetings, so I missed my chance to let her know personally that she was inspiring to me. But it is not too late to take notice of Emma’s legacy to good government by telling a little of her story.

"Black Tie" director Douglas Farren and wife Gloria greeted Clague Playhouse patrons at the Opening Night Reception on May 3. Photo by Mary Levtzow

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On Friday, May 3, Clague Playhouse held its Opening Night performance and reception for A. R. Guerney’s "Black Tie" directed by Douglas Farren. The outstanding sensitivity and social comedy concerning events that could happen on the night of one’s wedding rehearsal will touch each theater patron’s heart and memory chords on whatever can go wrong will. The set is phenomenal for a quaint upstate New York resort hotel. One must call for tickets now before this opportunity to laugh and reminisce over wonderful events ends on Sunday, May 26.

Bay Rec Extended Hours

We’ve extended our hour summer hours: Saturdays, May 4, 11, 18 and 25 and June 1 and 8 from 10 a.m.-noon.

Pool Passes

Summer is just around the corner! Beat the heat at the Family Aquatic Center. Opening Day is June 1! Don’t miss out on the fun, get your pool pass today!

Summer Tennis

Put a little sting in your swing! Join Kris and staff for another fun-filled summer on the newly renovated Dover Center Tennis Courts! Youth and adult summer tennis programs begin June 10, with morning and evening classes being offered.

The Women’s Board of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center will be sponsoring our annual Huntington Playhouse play to benefit the Center. We have chosen the musical comedy, "9 to 5: The Musical." Here is a brief synopsis of the story as provided by the Playhouse:

“Pushed to the boiling point by their boss, three female co-workers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. They conspire to take control of their company and learn there is nothing they can not do – even in a man’s world. Set in the late 1970s, this is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick; it is based on the 1980 hit movie, 'Nine to Five'.”

Pictured at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., are: Diane Matheson, Cindy Griffiths-Novak, Josh Faiola, Robyn Gayle, Steve Lahn of Ingelside at King Farm and Steve Gurney. Photo by Steve Novak

The Belvedere of Westlake garnered national media attention in 2009 by becoming the first assisted living facility in the U.S. to serve as the summer home for a minor league baseball player when it hosted Lake Erie Crushers pitcher Josh Faiola – and has hosted a player every summer since. The most recent chapter in the story of this unique arrangement finds the intergenerational living movement propelled to the national stage with a suburban Washington, D.C., retirement community now housing two Washington Spirit soccer players. 

It's still one of my very favorite shirts. It is a Levi's long-sleeve denim with metal buttons and the small red Levi tag on the front pocket. I bought it at the GAP many years ago.

I looked "urban cool" when worn with a just-pressed pair of khakis and "spit-shined" round-toe cordovan shoes.

It got faded, old and worn but I could not put it in the Goodwill donation bag. I still loved it so, even with all its frayed cuffs, washed-out color and worn collar. By now it was super soft and sooo comfortable.

Well, it's been about six months since Sandy visited us. Rain, wind, downed trees, power outages and no heat or T.V. were what Sandy brought to town. With only an electric stove, I had no hot food. Dry cereal, cold canned food, what a treat. The stores were closed, the power lines were down, so what's a guy to do? Mixing powdered milk with cold water on dry cereal started to taste pretty good after awhile.

Volunteers and residents work on bicycles in the new workshop.

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The nonprofit Village Bicycle Cooperative kicked off the warm weather biking season with the opening of its new workshop space in the Bay Village Community House on Saturday, May 4.

The new space enables the nonprofit to provide a great new area for volunteers to repair and upgrade donated bicycles for resale at affordable prices. People are welcome to stop in to have their bicycles' safety checked, volunteer, obtain assistance with their own bicycle repairs or purchase bicycles.

Local teacher Janet Vinciguerra is awarding scholarships to fellow teachers again this year to attend a national character education conference in Washington, D.C., in October. Last year’s recipients from Rocky River, Avon Lake and Cuyahoga Falls attended, gained strategies and shared 10 “best ideas” with their faculty. 

MedWorks will partner with North Coast Health Ministry to host a one-day primary care clinic on June 8 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The clinic will take place at North Coast Health Ministry, 16110 Detroit Ave., Lakewood.

Appointments can be made by calling the MedWorks Appointment Line at 216-201-9325. Walk–in patients will also be accepted between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. All area residents, including residents of Westlake and Bay Village, are invited to participate.