Community Events

The highlight of a festive evening on April 19 celebrating the finest attributes of young women of Irish heritage worldwide occurred when Kelsey Higgins of Springboro was crowned as the 2013 Ohio Rose by 2012 Ohio Rose Ashley Speaker. Higgins’ achievement is the first step in a year-long reign that will be punctuated with travel and celebrity appearances. Members of the 2013 “Rose Court”  created a very tight field of competition. They are: Mary Clare Cooper of Euclid,  Kathleen Drescher of Rocky River, Colleen Gallagher of Fairview Park and Alannah McCarthy of Akron.

Kelsey Higgins is a language arts education major graduating in May from Ohio University. She is active in her sorority, student senate, works as a facilities assistant for the university’s recreation center, fashion stylist and teaches Irish dance. Higgins is an avid supporter of Locks of Love. She was among a group of Ohio University volunteers in New Orleans to assist restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Bay Rockets Athletic Boosters celebrated the organization's first-ever SNOBALL Race/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run with 771 registered participants! Top finisher and overall male winner was Stephen Benesh, age 33, from North Ridgeville with a time of 15:47.4 and overall female winner was Bay High School varsity cross country and track athlete Maddie Britton, 16, with a time of 18:07.3.

Coaches, students, teachers and community members of all ages participated in the run and the Bay High Pep Band added spirit on the chilly race-day morning. Chaired by Bay's Tim Brajdic, the event drew runners and walkers – and even a few pooches – from Bay Village and surrounding communities. Some participants traveled from as far away as Wooster, Columbus and Falls Church, Virginia.

The Bay Village, Rocky River, Fairview Park, Lakewood and Westlake/North Olmsted chapters of the League of Women Voters-Cuyahoga Area are sponsoring a voter education forum on regionalization Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m., at the Dwyer Memorial Senior Center, 300 Bryson Lane, Bay Village.

The forum speakers are Cuyahoga County Council member Dale Miller and Ed Jerse, Cuyahoga County’s director of regional coordination. The speakers will discuss how Cuyahoga County can provide some services more effectively than individual city governments, how competition between cities may weaken us all, whether the reduction in state funding makes it especially important to think regionally, and what functions are best kept at the local level. Audience questions are encouraged following speaker comments.

Saturday, Feb. 23, marks the date for the first-ever Bay Athletic Boosters 5K Race/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run with a start and finish at Bay High School, 29230 Wolf Rd.

“We thought it would be fun to celebrate the snow and shake off the winter blues with a mid-winter run/walk for the whole family," said Tim Brajdic, chair of the SNOBALL Run. "The Bay Athletic Boosters are embracing Northeast Ohio weather with a great fitness opportunity and a new way to raise funds for our athletic programs.”

Managed through Hermes Race Systems, the SNOBALL 5K Race/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run will kick off at 9 a.m., with packet pickup and day-of-race registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the Bay High School gym corridor. Pre-registered participants will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a snowman graphic, a roll of Duck brand duct tape and post-race food and beverages.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The Bay Village Kiwanis Club has set up its annual Christmas tree sale at the Cahoon Park Gazebo area, and is now selling trees.

Three Christmas tree varietals are available, including Fraser Firs, Douglas Firs and Colorado Blue Spruces. Prices are as follows: Fraser Firs, 6-7 feet tall, $60; Fraser Firs, 7-8 feet, $70; Fraser Firs, 9-10 feet, $115 (limited number of these trees); Douglas Firs, 6-7 feet, $45; and Colorado Blue Spruces, all sizes, $45. Delivery is available for a donation.

The Bay Ministerial Association is sponsoring a Community Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 7:00 p.m. This service, hoped to be the first of an annual tradition, will be held at the Bay United Methodist Church, 29931 Lake Rd., at the corner of Lake and Bassett roads.

This service will be the opportunity for anyone who is interested in giving thanks for the many blessings of our lives to gather together and do so. Several of the pastors of Bay Village will help to lead this service and the choirs of all the churches will be joining in one group anthem, estimated to be over 100 voices strong. Fr. Tim Gareau of St. Raphael Catholic Church will bring the message for this ecumenical service.

Please join us in supporting a very worthy cause, the Village Food Project, Saturday, Jan. 28, at Bay Lanes for a great evening of live music, dancing and bowling – the second annual Rock-N-Bowl! Last year’s Rock-N-Bowl was a huge success and the talk of the town.

Beginning at 8 p.m., local classic rock and pop bands The Feedbacks (including Bay residents Dave MacAskill and Chris Gillespie) and DDK (featuring Keven Blake and Dave Lowery) with special guests Elvis Pohlkamp and comedian Delmar Everheart (Randy Geise) will perform live at Bay Lanes.  Find a lane, grab a ball and have a ball while enjoying great music and fun.

Hundreds of athletes converged on the Bay Village lakefront July 24 for the yearly Huntington Triathlon/Duathlon. Men and women of all ages crashed into the calm morning waters of Lake Erie to kick off the quarter-mile first leg of the triathlon, followed by a 12-mile bike and 5K run through the streets of Bay Village. NCN Racing’s 12th annual event also featured a duathlon, with an equally challenging 5K run/12-mile bike/5K run.

Visit our photo gallery to view more pics of the event.

It was a beautiful Saturday in Westlake that second day of July…gentle winds, warm skies, puffy clouds – the first of a three-day weekend celebrating Independence Day. Picnics were planned, residents were walking, biking and swimming. Who would want to be inside on such a wonderful day? As it turned out, over eighty individuals interested in their family history.

They came to Borders Books & Music in Westlake with briefcases and file folders full of family information, envelopes containing carefully folded – albeit yellowed and stained – documents, pictures that spanned generations, and some came with just a smile and a family name and nothing else.

Drizzling rain and temperatures in the lower 50s didn’t deter runners and walkers in the fifth annual WEB S.W.A.T. 5k/1mile run-walk on Sunday, May 15, in Westlake. Organized by the Westshore Enforcement Bureau, the fundraising event helps provide resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of the surviving families of Ohio law officers killed in the line of duty. All proceeds benefit the Ohio Concerns of Police Survivors, (Ohio C.O.P.S.) The WBV Observer is proud to have participated as a third-year supporter of the annual event.

Spring is in the air! What better way to celebrate than to join us for the opening of the eighth season of the North Union Farmers Market at Crocker Park? 

This year’s market opens on April 16 at 9:00 a.m. and is located on the corners of Crocker Road and Market Street. Join us in welcoming back your favorite farmers with spring greens, apples, maple syrup, honey, dairy, pasture-raised meats and much more! You’ll even see some new faces behind the table with new products!

Our staff has worked hard throughout the winter contacting farms and vendors to continue this treasured community market. We even hosted a farmers’ conference – A Time to Grow –in January which focused on growing the quality produce and pastures through healthy soil. Through this type of programming, North Union Farmers Market is ensuring that the highest quality produce, meat and dairy is being offered at the market!   

Bay Village City Council recently approved an initiative to convert our municipality's traditional trash collection process to an automated system. The new format, which will be handled in mechanized fashion, will be implemented around the middle part of April 2011.

The city will hold an informational meeting for residents on Wednesday evening, March 23, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Council chambers of Bay Village City Hall. We will be joined by Dave Kidder, Area Municipal Services Manager for Republic Services. In addition, Republic has scheduled information mailings to all residents, with the first mailing by mid-March, to provide timely updates on program workings, logistics and relevant answers to questions which will likely surface in advance of this change.

The Village Food Project is an opportunity for our community to respond to our neighbor’s cancer crisis with the gift of nourishing meals. We have  all  been touched by cancer in some way; whether through a friend, a family member, or a neighbor who has fought or is fighting the disease.

The Village Food Project sees this health challenge as an occasion to make a positive difference in the lives of those experiencing cancer. By cultivating community support and working together we can  provide delicious and nourishing  meals to our neighbors in Bay Village.

 The mission of the DARE Program is to educate youth, not only about the dangers of drugs, but also about other dangers in our society. As a Westlake DARE officer, I try to use the DARE curriculum to help the students of Westlake understand these dangers. But DARE officers are also involved in instruction regarding bullying, internet safety and relationship abuse.

Toward that end, I will be doing a pilot presentation for parents of possible new student curriculum. The program, “Love is not Abuse,” is about teen dating abuse and digital dating abuse. It will be held Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. at Westlake Porter Public Library.

Alcohol usage and drug experimentation, abuse or addiction are not at the top of a parent’s list of what they dream for their children. A natural response to any of these would be NOT MY CHILD! Unfortunately, experimentation, abuse and/or addiction occur among our children.

• Do you know that marijuana is “the drug of choice” of the majority of teens who seek treatment for drug abuse or dependence?
• Do you know that experimentation starts in middle school but parents don’t learn about it until they discover their child has a problem?
• Are you aware that teenagers whose parents talk on a regular basis about the dangers of drug use are 42% less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t?

The parent drug awareness education program, NOT MY CHILD!, returns to Bay Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. The program, developed by local parents who know because they lived it, aims to teach parents how to recognize the signs of adolescent drug use. Presenting will be Bay parents and expert panel members, who will also be ready to answer your questions.

Please join! All are welcome.

PurpleStride Cleveland 2010 took place Saturday, June 12, at Cahoon Park in Bay Village. The event was a 5k run and 2 mile walk to benefit The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The event was a huge success, attracting more than 1500 people and raising over $115,000. The run/walk included a silent auction and other family-friendly festivities in the park. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths but has the least amount of federal funds being spent on it’s research. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network wants to change that by advancing research, supporting patients, and providing hope to those affected by this horrible disease. Please visit www.pancan.org.

The weather was perfect for the second running of Emily’s Rainbow Run and Wellness Walk on Sunday, April 25, in Westlake. Although the forecast called for rain, the race participants enjoyed close to ideal conditions for the event which included a 4-mile race and a 2-mile run/walk.

Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit Emily’s Rainbow Fund, a member of the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Circle of Friends, to support pediatric cancer research. The Fund is named in memory of 12-year-old Emily Lewis of Westlake, who, on August 8, 2009, passed away after a courageous three-year battle with cancer.

Click here to see more photos of the event.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is calling on area artists of all ages to create animal-inspired original art for the official, 2010 Center t-shirt design contest. The winner will receive $100 and a limited edition t-shirt featuring the first-place artwork.

Contest guidelines require designs to include 3 or more of the Center’s resident animals and be colorful, fun and kid-friendly. Artwork cannot be larger than 8” x 10” and should be completed on plain, white paper (no t-shirt outlines around your art). The official Lake Erie Nature & Science Center logo and name will be added to the t-shirts during production, so artists should leave these elements (and the “LENSC” acronym) out of their designs.

Last year’s winner was a Bay Middle School student but the contest is open to children and adults! Entries must be submitted by February 28. The shirt with the winning design will debut for sale at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's annual Family Fun Fest on Sunday, June 6.

The weekend is one of the great oxymorons of family life. In theory, it’s a time to re-connect with your favorite people after a hectic week of work, school and other commitments. In reality, it’s a sprint until Monday morning reappears.

Here’s a low-stress option from Lake Erie Nature & Science Center: Ease your family into the weekend by taking part in a Fall Hayride Night. On Friday, Oct. 5, enjoy a pizza and salad dinner followed by a 20-minute hayride through the Cleveland Metroparks’ Huntington Reservation. Join the kids as they make an autumnal tree mosaic or fall-themed felt door hanger, meet and greet wildlife and visit the planetarium. And what’s more, you can do any or all of these activities at your own pace, hang out with old friends and make a few new friends too!

Between 1861 and 1865, more than 600,000 men died in the American Civil War. Where were they buried? Who buried them? How do we locate their graves? 

Harold A. George, author, lecturer and Civil War re-enactor, will be the invited speaker at the Cuyahoga West Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the Porter Room at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Rd.

Mr. George will discuss his eight-year genealogical project to locate and photograph the graves of 240 Civil War veterans from northeastern Ohio. He will also provide insight into the burial procedures observed during the Civil War and share some of the genealogical techniques that he used to complete this project that culminated in his book, “Men of the 9th Ohio” and his DVD, “History of the 9th Ohio Light Artillery.”

July 13 is finally here and we are ready for a great event at the Westlake Recreation Center. Many fun games and activities are being planned. We will have a DJ all night and movies starting at 10 p.m. on a big outdoor screen.

Our Survivor Dinner is really coming together with many local restaurants sharing in the pasta-themed night. You can still register online or even at the event. The dinner will begin at 4:30 p.m. After the dinner, we will announce the teams and start the walk. 

We have 12 teams but there is still time to enlist your own team or join one that is looking for members. Around 9 p.m. we will have our Luminaria Lap with all the bags to light the way. A luminaria is a great way to honor someone who is fighting a cancer battle, a caregiver or a loved one who has passed. It is a heartwarming event that should not be missed. These may be purchased the night of the event.

The Westlake-Westshore Arts Council will participate in the Westlake Memorial Day Parade with a 4-by-8-foot vinyl banner of a Phyllis Fannin lithograph, “Last Moment in My Arms.” The litho is from a series of artwork entitled "So Far Away Suite" about military families – their emotional good-byes; their welcome-home moments filled with abounding relief; their anxiety as they wait silently for the safe return of their loved ones; and fighting their own battles in canyons of separation. 

Phyllis has personally experienced these feelings. Her two sons, Matthew and Mark, have been deployed to the Middle East, at locations in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. They are currently in the U.S., with Mark preparing for his second deployment to Afghanistan in July. They are graduates of the United States Naval Academy.

The culmination of the April 27 Northern Ohio Rose Selection Celebration was the crowning of Ashley Speaker, of Southington, Ohio, as the 2012 Northern Ohio Rose. Speaker was selected as the winner ahead of five other contestants after a round of judging that consisted of on-stage interviews with emcee Dan Coughlin.

The evening featured a gala reception at LaCentre that included U.S. Marine Corps escorts, piano and violin duo from the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, a bagpiper and male and female vocalists.

The Bay Village Green Team is sponsoring a new program called “Green Your Life” Educational Series. These upcoming classes are FREE and open to the public. Click Events on www.bayvillagegreenteam.com for more information.  

Want to Lower Your Gas Bills and Increase Your Home's Comfort?

Then come to the Green Team's first "Green Your Life" presentation featuring Ray Frank of Columbia Gas.  He will be speaking about Columbia Gas' three subsidized programs that can help lower your home's energy usage. You must be a Columbia Gas customer to take advantage of the programs but anyone who is interested in learning about ways to reduce energy usage should attend.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant received by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and their collaborating partners is designed to educate families and teachers about water quality issues and to demonstrate how individual actions can impact the watershed. 

The project is also designed to improve recreational water quality by identifying potential pollution sources within the Porter Creek Watershed. The book "All the Way to the Ocean" by Joel Harper is an uplifting story about the cause and effect relationship between our cities’ storm drains and the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers. 

Join us for our All the Way to the Ocean Fun Fest on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Educator’s Market & Toy located at 25923 Detroit Rd., in Westlake. This event will engage families in water-related, innovative activities and lessons that are aligned to Ohio’s Science Standards. We will have crafts, hands-on lessons, and light refreshments. We will also have three readings of "All the Way to the Ocean" at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

To celebrate the bicentennial, an old-fashioned bake-off will be held in conjunction with the free Community Block Party on August 27 at Westlake United Methodist Church. Baked goods will be judged in the Sweet Treats category and can include any homemade cake, pie, cookie, dessert, sweet bread, etc.  

All submissions must be homemade and received at the church between 9:30-11 a.m. the morning of judging to qualify. Award announcements will be made at 2 p.m. during the free Community Block Party at Westlake UMC.

Judging criteria will include taste, appearance and creativity. There are three categories for prizes: Adults; 16 & under; and Friends of Westlake (for non-residents). Judges for the event include Mayor Dennis Clough, Joe Schlott of Gray House Pies, Lysa Stanton of the Westlake Historical Society and Rev. John Butchko of Westlake UMC. 

Read full story for details about WEB's teen quiz contest!

The Westshore Enforcement Bureau (WEB) was granted funding last summer by the State of Ohio to provide alcohol and other drug prevention services to middle and high School students in six Westshore school districts. Over the past year, a variety of events have been hosted by WEB for the Westshore Young Leaders, the program established by the grant.

On June 29, several members of the Westshore Young Leaders Network played volleyball at the Lakewood Park sand courts and enjoyed a picnic supper. Weshshore Enforcement Bureau's Special Agent in Charge, Jeff Capretto and School Prevention Specialist, Carole Ochs, hosted this event for teens in the community.

The Westlake Kiwanis, along with the Westlake School District, will be holding their second annual “Westlake Kiwanis Family and Westlake School District Special Olympics” on Saturday, July 9.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. with a parade around the Westlake High School track, which will be led by the Special Olympics Torch followed by the participants, parents, caregivers and members of the Westlake School District, Westlake Kiwanis, Westlake Key Club and Westlake Aktion Club. There will be competition in the various events: the 400-meter run, softball throw, standing long jump, 25-meter walk, 50-meter dash, 25-meter wheelchair run and the 25-meter assisted walk.

Bay Village's 59th annual Independence Day celebration, Bay Days, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Bay Village, will take place June 30 through July 2, shut down on Sunday, July 3 (in accordance with the Cahoon Will agreement), and then resume on Monday, July 4 – all at Cahoon Park.

Booths and rides will be open from noon to 10:30 p.m. daily. From noon to 4 p.m. each day, thrill-seekers can ride to their heart's content for the flat rate of $15 with a ride wristband.

Bay Village hosted three events this May – the dog-friendly Bark for Life, May in Bay 5K and Fun Run, and the 18-hour Relay for Life – to raise funds, remember loved ones and fight back against cancer.

PICTURED: Relay for Life participants walk the Bay High track in the evening of May 28. The luminaria each bear the name of someone special who has been profoundly affected by cancer and the family and friends who continue to fight back in their honor. Click View Image Gallery to see more photos of the Relay events.

Mel Maurer, Westlake's preeminent Lincoln scholar and Civil War historian, will give a talk and slide presentation on the escape and eventual capture of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. The talk will be held Feb. 11, 10-11 a.m., at the Westlake Community Center, 29694 Center Ridge Rd.

Contrary to what many people think, Booth was not caught immediately after firing a bullet into the president’s head. He escaped Ford’s theater, the city and Maryland before Union Cavalry cornered him in Virginia.

How did he manage to stay free with the whole country looking for him? Where did he go? Who helped him along the way? Did he almost get away?

The Westlake High School Class of 2011 Parent Committee is sponsoring a fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8-11 p.m. at the Ironwood Cafe Copper Cup Annex 680 Dover Center Rd. The adult affair will feature unlimited gourmet appetizers, adult beverages and soft drinks.

Guests will be able to participate in a Chinese raffle, featuring tickets to Cleveland sporting events, Titleist golf items, beauty salon services and products, a lottery tree, wine basket, Polish pottery and other "high end" items, plus a 50-50 raffle.

 

The Westlake Kiwanis Club will be holding a pancake breakfast Sunday, Oct. 31, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Westlake High School cafeteria, 27830 Hilliard Blvd.

The breakfast includes all the pancakes you care to eat, plus sausage, orange juice, milk, coffee and tea.

The price will be $6.00 with children under 6 eating for FREE.

This breakfast helps support the many Kiwanis Projects throughout the Westlake community such as scholarships at Westlake High School, Westlake Memorial Day Parade, Westlake Salute to Excellence, Westlake Relays, Westlake Special Olympics and many, many more worthwhile causes. So come on out and enjoy a good breakfast while helping your community.

Just in time for Halloween and the holidays, Clague Playhouse will hold its annual Costume, Jewelry and Miscellany Sale on Saturday, October 16, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.  
 
The sale offers great values on vintage, costumes, daywear, eveningwear, accessories and decor items. Local boutiques also donate NEW elegant, evening wear and bridal gowns for purchase at the sale. Payment by cash, check, MasterCard, Visa and Discover will be accepted. For more information, call the Clague Playhouse Box Office at 440-331-0403 Wed.-Sat., 1:00-6:00 p.m.

Highlights include live music, Classic Car Cruise-In, bike parade and fireworks

Bay Village's annual Independence Day celebration, Bay Days, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Bay Village, will take place July 1 through 3, shut down on Sunday, July 4, (in accordance with the Cahoon Will agreement), and then resume on Monday, July 5—all at Cahoon Park.

Booths and rides will be open from noon to 10:30 p.m. daily, and from noon to 4 p.m. each day thrill-seekers can ride to their heart's content for the flat rate of $15 with a ride wristband.

The Kiwanis Club of Bay Village, along with the city of Bay Village, has once again lined up a spectacular Independence Day celebration for young and old alike at this year’s Bay Days celebration. Come on out and enjoy the rides, help local civic organizations raise money at their booths and of course, take your entire family to the incredible fireworks presentation on Monday.

The Bay Village Women’s Club and Foundation began 92 years ago when the women of Bay Village first gathered. Their first project was for the children who attended the Little Red Brick School House for whom they provided stools on which the children placed their feet to keep them off the cold floors. The club continues to contribute to the community each year to provide scholarship funds to select graduating seniors of Bay High School and to make civic contributions to non-profit community organization projects.

The first scholarship was given in 1935 in the amount of $50.00. Unlike today, the money was to be paid back, so that it could be used by another student.

Bay Village Education Foundation, Bay Alumni Foundation and Bay Rockets Athletic Boosters are teaming up once again for their annual golf fundraiser. On Friday, June 14, Sweetbriar Golf Club, 750 Jaycox Rd., Avon Lake, will serve as the site for the Tri-Bay Golf Classic. The annual golf outing is a popular, fun-filled fundraiser for the three non-profit host groups and promises to be a good time for all involved.

Every year since 1955 the Westlake Town Criers have sponsored the annual city Easter Egg Hunt. This year the event will be held on Saturday, March 23, at the playground in front of the Westlake Recreation Center, 28955 Hilliard Blvd.

Promptly at 1 p.m., children ages four to six will take off on a scramble for wrapped candy and in search for special eggs redeemable for prizes. The scramble will be repeated at 1:30 p.m. for ages seven to ten.

Andrea Sheppa has been named 2013 Bay Village citizen of the year, and the Village Food Project has been named 2013 project of the year by the Bay Village Community Council.

Sheppa, who is a retired math teacher from the Lakewood school system, was honored for her years of service to Bay Village schools, most recently for her work to raise money for new marching band uniforms.

The Friends of Westlake Porter Public Library, Westlake City Schools and St. John Medical Center will present CBS correspondent Jim Axelrod on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Westlake Performing Arts Center. Axelrod will discuss his book "In the Long Run." Copies will be available for purchase and signing.

"In the Long Run" is the story of Axelrod’s quest to run the 2009 New York Marathon and beat his late father’s finish times doing it. With his personal and professional lives at a crossroads, his effort becomes about more than a marathon and running – it ultimately is about confronting change, life lessons the dead can still teach us, and finding happiness.