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In 2000, when the city of Westlake accepted the gift of the 1844 Lilly Weston house and one acre of land abutting the Westlake Recreation Center Park from Alice Ladanyi, a Weston descendant, they set aside $50,000 to stabilize and button up the exterior envelope of the building and install the historic marker.

The city hired Lewin and Associates, consulting engineers, to do a structural analysis in 2017. The city of Westlake and the Westlake Historical Society shared the cost of the $7,000 study. The city’s $3,500 share of the cost of the study was taken from the original $50,000 set aside by the mayor and City Council, which now has a remaining balance of $5,000. The rest of the original $50,000 was used to remove a 1960s addition and modern improvements from the interior of the house, re-construct a portion of the rear wall, put on a new roof, chemically strip mustard-colored paint off the exterior stone and brick, repair and paint exterior windows, doors and trim, and repoint the mortar.

Bay Village resident and former Bay High principal James Cahoon has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Cleveland Chapter. Mr. Cahoon will receive the award during the 34th annual Greater Cleveland National Philanthropy Day luncheon on Nov. 2. He was nominated for the award by The MetroHealth Foundation.

Beth Darmstadter, MetroHealth Foundation’s Director of Individual Giving, characterizes Cahoon as having incredible humility and passion for the causes he believes in – most importantly cancer care, preventing opioid addiction, and helping those less fortunate than himself. Since 2013, Cahoon has served on The MetroHealth Foundation board of directors where he has mentored new board members and coordinated a showcase of Bay High School student artwork in the lobby of MetroHealth’s Cancer Center to brighten the walls for patients.

Rick Grane and WPD Captain Jerry Vogel with donated items

The Westlake Police Department, the City of Westlake and Westlake Kiwanis have joined together to gather donations for the victims of hurricanes Florence and Michael. They need your help to help them. There is a great need in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Bring your donations for the victims of Florence and Michael to the Westlake Police Garage, 27700 Hilliard Blvd., throughout the month of October. Items that are needed are: bottled water, non-perishable food items, gently used or new clothing, pet supplies and food, toiletries and household items.

For more information contact Rick Grane of the Westlake Kiwanis Club, 440-892-0974 or rickgrane@aol.com.

Cuyahoga Community College will examine the Syrian refugee crisis during a Learning for Life lecture series program Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Corporate College West.

The free program will focus on the human toll of Syria’s ongoing civil war and the limitations of the international response. Speakers include three aid workers working on the front lines of the relief effort.

The Westlake Recreation Center will commemorate its 20th year in operation throughout the month of November, beginning with a special Open House celebration on Nov. 3.

During its "Get to the Rec! 2.0" membership campaign, the Rec Center will offer several incentives to purchase or renew a membership in November, including:

• A "Try Before You Buy" free two-week trial membership which can be used anytime during the membership drive. The trial membership allows residents and employees of Westlake businesses (who have not been a member in the past year) to tour the facility, use the indoor swimming pool, and take advantage of the facility's many fitness rooms, walking/jogging track, weight room and exercise equipment.
• A "Throw-Back to 1998" opening day membership special which offers 13 months for the price of 12 for any new or current Rec Center members who join or renew.
• A 20% discount for all corporate members.

Additionally, the Rec Center will offer free admission to all Westlake residents on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during a special Open House event commemorating its 20-year anniversary. The celebration will feature music, inflatables, super-heroes, face-painting, refreshments and a variety of chances to win prizes, including a free membership, swim class, birthday party package, gift cards, personal trainer session, group exercise pass, rounds of golf at Meadowood Golf Course, and Lake Erie Monster hockey tickets, among other prizes.

Bay Village police, fire and city officials at Bay High during an active shooter simulation.

The Bay Village City School District will host a Community Meeting on School Safety on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 7-9 p.m. in the Bay High School auditorium.

Superintendent Jodie Hausmann will moderate and present a lineup of speakers on various topics about how the district is addressing school safety. Bay Village Mayor Paul Koomar and police Chief Mark Spaetzel will speak about school/city safety collaborations.

Bay Village police detective Kevin Krolkoski will review how police train in the schools with school staff for violent intruder situations.

Bay Middle School principal Sean McAndrews, Bay High principal Jason Martin and Bay High assistant principal Aaron Ereditario will address how safety threats and concerns are handled at the adolescent level.

Amelie, who moved to Westlake from Germany, bikes to and from school – and down to the West Side Market. Photo by Megan Stewart

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Amelie, 17, was born and raised in Berlin, Germany. She moved to Westlake last year because of her father’s work. A fearless traveler, she was excited to leave Germany and eager to start a new life at Westlake High School.

On Amelie’s first day of high school, she was surprised by American patriotism. Unaware that American students must pledge their devotion to the flag every day, she didn’t stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance.

The second surprise was American kindness. At the beginning of each class, Amelie’s teachers announced she was a new student from Germany. Classmates inundated her with questions about her life in Germany. “Why would other kids be so interested in my life?” Amelie wondered. But her new peers seemed genuinely curious about her world.

"Respectful of its Roots" by Allison Polgar

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The October gallery exhibitions at BAYarts are unified in their coincidental theme of finding beauty in unexpected, overlooked places. For "Re-Source-Full," Martha Cliffel uses discarded items to create her masterpieces. And in "Tall Walls," Allison Polgar focuses on the allure of overlooked scenes of life.

Finding cohesion in the mix, Artistic Director Karen Petkovic says, "Martha is an intuitive builder and gleans meaning from the juxtaposition of disparate and sometimes haunting objects – quite like the objects and scenes depicted in Polgar's paintings."

Cliffel's exhibition in the Sullivan Family Gallery displays assemblage work shown both as wall hangings and sculptural pieces. Petkovic shares, "We will be exhibiting work of all sizes and price points. Our hope is that everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy the work and add it to their personal collections."

The community is invited to a spaghetti buffet – featuring Bay Kiwanis’ own “chef” Tony Dostal’s special sauce – on Saturday, Nov. 3, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Bay Presbyterian Church, 25415 Lake Road.

Continuing this annual fall tradition, we hope you will “come as you are, eat as much as you can or take it to go” all for the reasonable cost of $10. Children 5 under will eat free and those 6 to 12 years old will cost $5. The meal includes salad, bread, spaghetti with meat or meatless sauce, beverages and dessert..

Tickets may be purchased at the door or from any Bay Kiwanian. For questions or tickets contact Linda Potter at 440-899-9343.

Jack Miner, releasing a Canada Goose. Photo courtesy of the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Foundation

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Part three in a series on Westlake native Jack Miner.

As we learned in parts one and two of this series, Jack Miner was an eminent naturalist, conservationist and humanitarian who in 1904 established a bird sanctuary on the north shore of Lake Erie at Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. He began attracting geese and other migrating birds to the water-filled clay pits on the family property with grain and shelter.

Before the creation of the bird sanctuary he hunted on this same land and had an epiphany of sorts and realized that he wanted to attract the birds there rather than hunt them.

Author H.G. Wells and actor Oson Wells.

When two bigger-than-life personalities cross paths something interesting is bound to happen.

On Oct. 28, 1940, KTSA radio in San Antonio, Texas, arranged for an on-air meeting between a 74-year-old H.G. Wells, commonly referred to as the father of science fiction, and Orson Welles, a 25-year-old stage actor that had become rather famous two years earlier when he preformed a radio adaptation of "War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells which was originally published in 1897 in serialized form in Pearson's Magazine in the UK and Cosmopolitan in the U.S.

This is the third in a series of articles about mobile phones and plans.

When buying your first smartphone, questions such as “which mobile service provider (aka carrier),” “which mobile data plan,” and “which smartphone” are common.

Although you may get the urge to walk into a carrier store without any research, I recommend doing this first: ask your neighbors about their signal quality of their carrier. Signal quality, i.e. reception, at your abode is important so basic functionality such as calling and texting are reliable.

If you’ve ever wondered “how-to” do something, Saturday, Oct. 20, from 2-4 p.m. may be your chance to find out! Instructors will show attendees how to perform a variety of tasks, skills and crafts in brief presentations throughout Westlake Porter Public Library’s meeting rooms during the library’s first How-To Festival. The open house-style event will cover how to make smoothies, origami, composting, 3D printing, making pop-up books, knitting, panning for gold, and much more. No registration is necessary.

For more information about the How-To Festival, call 440-871-2600 or visit westlakelibrary.org/node/6376.

This just in: Browns playing .500 after five games; now the most exciting team in Cleveland ...

Yeah, right. That'll be the day. In a city where the Cavs went to the NBA Finals last spring and the Indians have made three consecutive trips to the postseason? What are you smoking, dude?

My, how quickly things can change. At first, it doesn't seem possible that the Browns – the most pathetic excuse for pro football over nearly two decades – are now the apple of the city's eye? How could this happen? Well, let's take a look:

Take the Cavs (please): Do we really need to go any farther than to say LeBron packed up his basketball and headed west? This on the heels of their second-best player, Kyrie Irving, leaving for greener (as in Celtic green) pastures in Boston? Even in the horrifically weak NBA Eastern Conference, the Cavs will struggle to win 30 games this season.

Westlake High School senior Brian Knott was named a National Merit Commended scholar in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Brian is among the 34,000 high scorers on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to be recognized for their outstanding academic promise. These students can become candidates for special scholarships provided by corporate and business sponsors.

He joins our nine previously named National Merit Semifinalists:Claire Brewer, Isabella DiGiulio, Ella Gray, Nate Gray, Hyun Park, Akhilesh Reddy, Mihir Shetty, Meghana Tandon and Talia Zheng.

Sean Gulley, Eagle Scout

Sean Gulley, Bay Village Troop 41, earned the Eagle Scout rank on Oct. 8. Sean is the Troop's 159th Eagle Scout since 1964. He is the son of Susan and Michael Gulley of Bay Village.  For his Eagle service project, Sean's team installed a wireless internet network at Bethesda on the Bay Lutheran Church. Visit troop41.wordpress.com for more information about Boy Scout Troop 41.

For this article, I diligently researched incontinence jokes, but none put me in stitches. So I'll lay it out straight.

Women lose urine. And it’s not an “old-woman’s” thing. One-third of women between the ages of 30 and 50 report urinary incontinence.

If you can handle the occasional accidents and still find pee jokes funny, then do what you’ve always done. But if you sleep poorly, have tripped and fallen while rushing to restrooms, or find these accidents annoying, depressing, embarrassing and activity-limiting – know there’s help.

Westlake Porter Public Library has been honored with a Community Partner Award from the United Cerebral Palsy Center of Greater Cleveland. The Community Partner Award recognizes an individual or organization that has excelled in partnering with UCP to advance its mission and serve the interests of people with special needs.

In her nomination letter, UCP Activities and Training Manager Amy Vedova said, “The library is more than just a place to go for information and resources for the individuals we support; it is a place where they feel welcomed, encouraged, and are viewed as contributing members of and active partners in their community with a purpose!”

A selection of lollipops. Photo by Rachel Polaniec

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October’s Magical History Tour will get you all set for trick-or-treating, at North America’s largest candy store: B.A. Sweetie’s on Brookpark Road in Cleveland, conveniently located right off of I-480 East.

If you’ve ever used I-480, odds are you’ve passed B.A. Sweetie’s on more than one occasion, with its large, rainbow-swirl lollipop loudly proclaiming to all far and wide that there is candy to be had within these walls.

Is there ever. Walking into the warehouse calls to mind the (paraphrased) words of Willy Wonka: “Don’t lose your head! Don’t get overexcited!” This is quite a tall order, as the 40,000-square-foot candy store is stuffed to the brim with every kind of candy imaginable. Meandering through the soaring rows of sweets, one is greeted with stacks of chocolates, Pez, lollipops, bubble gum, pretzels, candy sticks and jelly beans.

"The Wolf Man," "The Bride of Frankenstein," "Creature from the Black Lagoon" – these horror movies from Hollywood's Golden Age catapulted the characters to cult status. On Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m., Largely Literary Theater presents lighthearted sketches, props and costume pieces to explore Hollywood's Golden Age of Horror. Join us for a monstrous good time that shows how famous film fiends became beloved characters. This presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. There will also be a book signing featuring many of Mark Dawidziak's horror-centric titles. You won't want to miss this fun program just in time for Halloween!

CHILDREN

• 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. and 11 a.m.) Family Storytime – for all ages

Wednesday, Oct. 24 (7 p.m.) National Chemistry Week: Chemistry is out of this World! – Grades 2-6: Come join us for fun, hands-on activities that let you get close to the action! Be prepared to get in and get messy. Led by volunteers from the American Chemical Society. Registration required.

Wednesdays, Oct. 3, 10 and 17 (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.

Wednesday, Oct. 3 (1-2:30 p.m.) Cuyahoga West Genealogy Society Help Session – Please join the genealogy group for an informal walk-in help session.

Wednesdays, Oct. 3, 10 and 17 (4-5:30 p.m.) and Thursdays, Oct. 4, 11 and 18 (6:30-8 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by Youth Services to sign up for a 10-minute reading time with a reading therapy dog. Registration begins each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 3 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Horror Film Club – Calling all horror film fans: Join us for another creepy classic from the vault ... if you dare! New members are always welcome, but children under 13 should be accompanied by an adult. Please register.

Wednesday, Oct. 3 (7-7:45 p.m.) Mix-It-Up! – Let’s mix it up with pumpkins and apples at our exploration stations! Use your senses as we have fun playing and discovering! Ages 4-6. Please register.

Thursday, Oct. 4 (1-7 p.m.) American Red Cross Bloodmobile

Thursdays, Oct. 4, 11 and 18 (4-5 p.m.) Code Club! – Learn how to build an app, design a video game and change the world through code! Grades 3-4. Registration begins one week before each session.

Friday, Oct. 5 (4-5 p.m.) Got Science? – Join us as we delve into the world of science. This month’s topic: Spooky Science! Grades 1 and 2. Please register.

Thursday, Nov. 1 (1-7 p.m.) American Red Cross Bloodmobile

Thursdays, Nov. 1 and 8 (6:30-8 p.m.) and Wednesday, Nov. 7 (4-5:30 p.m.) Bow Wow Books – Stop by Youth Services to sign up for a 10-minute reading time with a reading therapy dog. Registration begins each Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 1 (7-8 p.m.) Teen Meditation – Achieve mindfulness through meditation! Meditation has proven helpful with concentration and navigating the challenges of being a teen. Grades 7-12. Registration begins Oct. 25.

Friday, Nov. 2 (4-5 p.m.) Got Science? – Join us as we delve into the world of science. This month’s topic: Apples! Grades 1 and 2. Registration begins Oct. 26.

Saturday, Nov. 3 (10-11:30 a.m.) Beginning Coding for Adults – Learn the basics of coding through self-paced online modules. An instructor will be on hand to help get you started and to facilitate lessons. Please register.

Saturday, Nov. 3 (10-11:15 a.m.) Tai Chi – Discover the healing effects of this movement therapy. Wear comfortable clothing. Please register.

The Bay Village Democratic Club has launched a massive canvassing project to reach voters before the Nov. 6 election.

More than 20 club members visited homes of 2,206 Democrats or unaffiliated voters before Oct. 10 during canvassing that has largely been conducted on weekends. In a three-day period in late September, volunteers stopped at 339 homes.

“We’re focusing on Democrats and unaffiliated voters,” said Tom Ryan, canvassing coordinator. “When we talk to Republicans, we stress that we hope they vote and will consider Democratic candidates.”

Cleveland Angels' President Gretchen Dupps speaks to guests about her personal connection to foster care and the organization's mission.

On Oct. 5 at BAYarts, a new nonprofit organization held their first fundraiser under the lights. Cleveland Angels, the first chapter of National Angels outside of the state of Texas, began their mission in the spring. The Cleveland Angels' mission is to walk alongside children in the foster care system, as well as their caretakers, by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building and mentorship.  

Their first fundraiser at BAYarts was a clambake that included a silent auction, raffle prizes, personal testimonies, live music and more. Through this fundraiser, Cleveland Angels raised over $21,000.

This report is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Mayor Kennedy's office prepares official minutes. These minutes have been abridged. For complete minutes, see the LWVGC Westshore Facebook page, facebook.com/lwvgcwestshore.

Present: Mayors Kennedy (North Olmsted), Koomar (Bay Village), Clough (Westlake), Bobst (Rocky River), Patton (Fairview Park), Summers (Lakewood), and Renee Mahoney, COG Fiscal Officer.

New Business: Julie Morron, RRPD Youth Service Officer and Westshore Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) coordinator, reported on current activities and requested input from COG on direction forward. The question is whether CERT should continue. The volunteer responders are a valuable resource, helping but not replacing first responders with things like traffic control and crowd control at community events. Morron requested support from COG to get fire chiefs involved. They have training and ability to train others. Morron proposes to attend twice per year as liaison and trainer, along with one police chief once a year. She would have fire chiefs paid overtime to do training for 20 people. Individuals can also take free training through FEMA and continuing education courses. She suggested the program leader could rotate annually through the COG. Program has cut costs through COG sponsorship; a little over $16,000/year shared by the 6 cities, about half what it was before. In response to question, Morron described typical volunteers as a wide age group, between 30 years old and retired, who are interested in public safety, want to learn what police do, and want to know how to be prepared  for crisis situations. They like appearing at public events. The Citizen Police Academy could be a feeder organization for CERT.

Nancy Christie

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Westlake Porter Public Library will be hosting a free interactive workshop on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 2-3:30 p.m. with author and speaker Nancy Christie who would like to invite aspiring writers of all levels with these words:

"Are you in a writing rut? Has your muse moved and left no forwarding address? Are you having trouble deciding what to write when you sit down to write? Not to fear! 'Jump-Start Your Creativity' will help you rev up your inspiration engine so you can continue on your writing journey!"

A picture by 2018 Kind Kid winner Kyleigh Briggs of Olmsted Falls.

Do you know a child who goes above and beyond to help others? If so, nominate him or her for the Connecting for Kids "Kind Kid Award."

The Kind Kid Award is given to a child under 13 years of age who demonstrates kindness and compassion to peers. The nomination should include specific examples of acts of kindness performed by the nominee.

The free speakers’ series at the Reuben Osborn Learning Center in Bay Village will conclude the year with a presentation of “Christmas through the Trenches” on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m.

Mary Louise Daley will explore how our parents and grandparents kept Christmas celebratory for their families during difficult wartime periods. Daley is an advocate of history, with a graduate degree from Case Western Reserve University, and has developed various historic period programs.

The Reuben Osborn Learning Center is located at Lake and Cahoon Roads in Bay Village. For additional information, phone Dean Brennan at 440-892-2877 or visit bayhistorical.com.

The Women in Transition program at Cuyahoga Community College celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall with another session of classes in Westlake to empower women in their pursuit of education, training and a career.

Classes will be held at Corporate College West from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Oct. 29 to Dec. 12. The eight-week course is designed to assist women in transitional periods of their lives, such as a career change or return to the workforce.

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Do you wish there was a cute little shop located very close to home in which you could pick up healthy, delicious food and unique specialty items for family enjoyment and gift-giving?

Village Project would like to introduce you to Project Shoppe. In response to folks asking if they could purchase some of the tasty and wholesome foods that VP has shared with their clients, the local nonprofit organization has opened a retail shop in their newly, expanded headquarters building to do just that.

Project Shoppe offers specialty vinegars, granolas, herbed salts and even dog treats made right in the Village Project kitchen with the freshest, organic ingredients. Treat your pooch to Doggie Fresh Breath Treats with parsley and mint from the VP garden and Vegetable Dog Treats with organic veggies, like zucchini, carrots and spinach.

Arden Courts Westlake received the Excellence in Action award from NRC Health. This honor, awarded exclusively to NRC Health post-acute clients, recognizes organizations that achieve the highest overall resident or employee satisfaction scores in the NRC Health database – the largest source of long-term care and senior-living satisfaction metrics in the nation. Arden Courts received the customer satisfaction award.

“It’s NRC Health’s great pride to partner with organizations that show such a strong commitment to service,” said Helen Hrdy, senior vice president of client services. “Their sense of mission, and their ability to realize a compassionate vision of care, has elevated them to peak performance in the long-term care and senior living industry. They couldn’t be more deserving of this award, and we’re thrilled to commend and congratulate them.”