Summer youth boating class registration ends April 24
Safe Boating Class students motor out to the lake.
Registration for the Bay Village Spirit of America Safe Boating Program ends on April 24. Students in grades six through eight are eligible to participate in this hands-on boating program in May and June. The cost is $20.
The program will involve students taking the Ohio Boating Education Class on Saturdays, May 9 and 16, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Bay Community House. This mandatory course will teach all aspects of boating and will qualify students for a certificate required by Ohio law to operate a power boat over 10 horsepower. Bay Middle School and Westlake school students in band or choir can make up the May 16 session due to scheduling conflicts.
On Saturday, June 7, students will participate in a drowning prevention and equipment awareness class at the Bay Community Pool from 8:30-10 a.m.
The hands-on sessions will be held on June 16, 22 and 29 at Whiskey Island Marina near Edgewater Park. Students will operate power boats, PWCs, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and sailboats with a trained volunteer on board. These sessions are from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each Monday.
Applications are available at local libraries, online at cuyahoga.spiritofamerica95.org or by emailing cuyahoga@spiritofamerica95.org.
George Christ
I am coordinator of the West Cuyahoga Spirit of America Safe Boating Program. The program provides free boating education to 6th- 8th grade students. It is sponsored by the Bay Village Schools and The Spirit of America Foundation. A grant from ODNR -Watercraft helps fund the program. This is the 15th year this program has been in operation.