Local News

On Saturday, Nov. 10, the Bay VFW Post 9693, Bay American Legion Post 385, and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 249 dedicated a Veterans Honor Wall at the Dwyer Senior Center. This is the start of what we hope to be a lasting tribute to local veterans.

Our sincere appreciation goes out to the City of Bay Village, Mayor Paul Koomar and City Council, the service department, the recreation department and the Dwyer Center. We also wish to thank The Bay Village Foundation for their generous financial support critical for our initial efforts and the Kiwanis Club for providing funding for some of the work and materials. Finally, we wish to thank the many residents and veterans that joined us in this ceremony. Your presence and appreciation is why we do this.

Bay Village and Westshore veterans organizations (VFW Post 9693, American Legion Post 385 and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 249), combined with support from the City of Bay Village, The Bay Village Foundation, and the Bay Village Kiwanis, have joined to establish an ongoing tribute to Bay Village area veterans and established members of the three local veterans organizations.
 
A Veterans Honor Wall will be dedicated on Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:00 a.m., at the Dwyer Senior Center, 300 Bryson Lane. Bay Village veterans and residents are invited to attend.

Scout Troop 41 of Bay Village held a ceremony on Oct. 28 at Bay Middle School to honor four Scouts who recently earned the Eagle Scout rank. The four recipients were Dylan Gubanyar, Matthew Hengelsberg, Max Schell and Sam Warren.  

The Eagle Scout rank is the highest achieved rank in Scouting. In order to reach this rank, each Scout earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, demonstrated leadership and service within the troop, and designed and implemented a local service project, also known as their Eagle Project.

Parkside Preschool & Child Care Center at 23600 Hilliard Blvd., Westlake, Ohio 44145 announces sponsorship of the USDA-funded Child and Adult Care Food Program.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

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.

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.

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.

St. Paul Lutheran Church is presenting a special seminar series in celebration of its 160th anniversary year.

The 160th Anniversary Seminar Series begins on Saturday, Oct. 6, and continues through Saturday, May 4, 2019. Seminars take place from 9 a.m. until noon.

All seminars are free and open to the public, and will be presented in the St. Paul cafeteria. The church is located at 27993 Detroit Road, Westlake. Visitors for the seminar series are asked to park in the lot at the rear of the church.

Voters have many important decisions to make in the Nov. 6 General Election. There are federal, state, county and judicial candidates on the ballot. There will also be state and local issues to be decided by voters.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections advises people to be prepared to vote by taking a few simple steps: check their registration status and then select their voting method.

Voters should check their voting information to make sure they are registered at their current address. The deadline to register and/or update voter registrations is on or before Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 9:00 p.m. Voter registration is now available online at 443vote.com. Registration cards are available at all public libraries.

Although rain sprinkles fell, it didn’t dampen the joy and spirit of the day for the Bay United Methodist Church congregation when Pastor Jonathan McCleery, Scott Gregory and Mayor Paul Koomar unveiled the new historical marker for the Dover Lake Shore Methodist Episcopal Church. Spearheaded by Kay Laughlin, church historian, it all came to a conclusion with the unveiling and dedication of the marker during Rally Day, Sunday, Sept. 9.

Laura Russell presented proclamations from the Ohio Historical Connection and Governor John Kasich to the church and Bay Village Historical Society. She remarked about our furthering the knowledge of our state heritage and the governor recognized the Dover Lake Shore Methodist Episcopal Church on how we have encouraged the history of our past as we look to our future.

In Cuyahoga County, talking about a “charter” is a cutting-edge, 21st-century topic, not something from the old English history books. Cuyahoga is one of only two counties in the state that operate under a chartered, elected legislative body instead of three elected commissioners. Voter-approved charters such as Cuyahoga’s need frequent review and revision to keep the administration of county services in conformity with laws and best practices.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m., residents can hear about the proposed charter amendments that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot. The forum will take place in the Porter Room of Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. Charter Review Commission Chair, the Honorable Ronald B. Adrine, will be assisted by other Commission members in describing the proposals and in answering audience questions.

On Wednesday, Aug. 1, The Herb Guild Garden Club held its 34th annual scholarship luncheon. Two area students received scholarships, both of whom were present at the luncheon to receive them.

Jessica Mileski is a graduate of Lorain County JVS and Wellington High School and will be attending The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster. She will major in agriscience education and will transfer to the main campus in Columbus after two years. 

Tyler Edwards is a graduate of Midview High School. He will also be attending The Ohio State University ATI with a double major in agricultural systems management and agronomy. Both are looking forward to attending college this fall.

The streets and neighborhoods of Westlake are awash in color again this summer, as residents and businesses across the city competed in the annual Westlake in Bloom competition. The contest, which wrapped with an awards ceremony at La Centre on Aug. 8, honors the most talented and creative amateur landscapers with a gift certificate to one of Westlake’s nurseries – and more importantly, bragging rights.

Plaques are bestowed to the top three finishers in each of 17 different categories, from small window boxes to entire yards, apartment complexes, nursing homes, churches and businesses. Jim Bedell, the city’s planning director, visits each participating home and business, taking photos to share with a panel of 11 judges that includes avid gardeners, Westlake Garden Club members and master gardeners.

Tracy Mason, whose job includes watering the more than 200 flower boxes lining Hilliard Boulevard, judges that category. Gayle Hill from the Westlake service department is in charge of the Evergreen Cemetery fence gardens.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Bonnie Heim

Evergreen Cemetery Fence Gardens
First Place: Shawn Bledsoe and Family, In Memory of Charlotte Bledsoe
Second Place: Bill and Charmine Soeder, The Endress Family
Third Place: Marty Stein, In Memory of Chuck and Peg Stein

Hilliard Boulevard Flower Box
First Place: Kingsville/Westlake Sister Cities
Second Place: A Literary Garden for Our Little Prince
Third Place: The Barone Family

Community Garden
First Place: Lee Ding    
Second Place: Georgine Rak and Audrey McNulty        
Third Place: George Zheng    
    
Apartment or Condominium Complex Entrance
First Place: Remington Apartments, Detroit Road
Second Place: Sturbridge Square Apartments, Westford Circle
Third Place: Wyndgate Club, Wyndgate Court
    
Nursing Home/Assisted/Independent Living Facility
First Place: Rae-Ann Suburban Nursing and Rehabilitation, Detroit Road
Second Place: The Belvedere of Westlake, Detroit Road
Third Place: Rae-Ann Westlake Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, Detroit Road

Village Project is a grateful recipient of a $50,000 grant from The Black River Education and Wellness Foundation. The funds were presented to Executive Director Barb Harrell on July 31 by Francis Gardner, Joan Mason and Chris Mead.

The Black River Education and Wellness Foundation was organized in 1985 and originally chartered to support the operations of Elyria Memorial Hospital. Since 2014, after Elyria Memorial Hospital was acquired by University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Foundation broadened its mission and purpose beyond the support of just the UH Elyria Medical Center in order to maintain a commitment to the communities who have long been served by EMH and to have a meaningful impact upon health issues in those communities.

Westlake Meals on Wheels is thrilled to announce that its second kitchen opened on July 23. This additional location is in the community center in Olmsted Falls.  The nonprofit now can serve even more homebound residents in Westlake, Bay Village and surrounding areas. A hot and a cold meal is made fresh and delivered Monday through Friday. Our drivers also provide a daily well visit.

Meals on Wheels can be used by people of any age recovering from surgery or battling illness, and homebound senior citizens. Residents can sign up for as little as one week.

The Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Board is made up of our great state’s best and brightest young leaders, hand-picked to contribute to the success of the Ohio State Fair each year. Selected to represent their respective youth organizations, these students serve on behalf of thousands of students across Ohio. As ambassadors for 4-H, FFA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Farm Bureau, Grange and Tech Ed, they are able to share their experiences and emphasize the value of the Junior Fair with patrons throughout the 12 days of the Fair.

Kaitlin Willi of Westlake will be representing Technology Education on this year’s Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Board. Kaitlin’s public speaking, organizational and leadership skills will be an asset to this year’s board. In addition, her communication and hands-on teaching skills will ensure a successful Fair.

Recently, the Avon Lake High School boys soccer team and participants and volunteers from Youth Challenge joined together to celebrate the Paralympics.

Youth Challenge not only provides adapted sports and recreational opportunities to young people with physical disabilities and their teen volunteer partners, but the U.S. Paralympics, a division of the National Olympic Committee, designated YC as Paralympic Sport Cleveland.

Four YC Teams – The Vipers, Betty White Killer Clown Memes, Three Pointers, and Nacho but Fantastic Bears – competed at Avon Lake Memorial Field throughout the day in various Paralympic events including tennis, basketball, track & field, and (of course) soccer. Each team was led by YC staff members and two captains from the ALHS soccer team.

Save the date for Monday, July 30, from 6-8 p.m. for the Friends of Westlake Porter Public Library's Annual Ice Cream Social! Mitchell's ice cream sundaes will be sold for $1, with the cost being subsidized by the Friends of WPPL. The Big Daddies Band will be back, along with facepainters and a cakewalk.

There will be a half-price used book sale in the Book Nook and a Sidewalk Sale at Portables Gift Shop, located inside the library lobby. Come for the ice cream and stay for the fun and entertainment! We look forward to seeing you.

Dr. Philip Barry, the owner of Barry Chiropractic Wellness Center in Westlake, was the keynote speaker at the recent open house for Westlake Toastmasters Club 497 at Westlake Porter Public Library.

Dr. Barry's involvement with the club began 22 years ago because he needed to be able to speak publicly. He shared that his fear of public-speaking was so intense that he would rather have jumped out of a plane than give a speech!

The turning point came when he was asked to give a presentation at his church and he completely froze. "I will never put myself in that situation again," said Dr. Barry.

Q-Lab Corporation recently celebrated its third annual Westlake Police and Firefighters Appreciation Day. Held at its Canterbury Road headquarters, the event was organized to honor the men and women who put their lives at risk every day, in support of the local community. 

“Civilized life would be impossible without police protection,” said Doug Grossman, president and CEO of Q-Lab. "The police are required to put themselves in difficult situations in order to protect us. Fire has been destroying lives ever since humans built the first huts out of sticks and thatch. Nowadays, when fire gets out of hand, we, the citizens, can run away – because we know that the firefighters will run toward the danger.”

Do you want arts, crafts, antiques, music, bicycling, great food and family-style fun? Then “Destination Bay” is the answer.

Once again, a number of Bay Village organizations are teaming up to provide a unique community experience under the umbrella of Destination Bay. This full day of family-friendly events takes place on Saturday, June 16, all around the city. 

Free shuttle transportation to all Destination Bay locations will be available, courtesy of O’Neill Healthcare.

Visitors to any of the Destination Bay locations will have a chance to win prizes! Pick up a Walgreens “Passport to Fitness” at Cahoon Park and have it stamped as you travel between the events.

Only 4 percent of Boy Scouts worldwide attain the rank of Eagle Scout, and 18-year-old Drew Ware of Bay Village is one of them. The requirements necessary to achieve this rank take years to complete. Ware, a member of Troop 729 at Bay United Methodist Church, was awarded the honor by City Council President Dwight Clark at a recent ceremony.

Drew, who is the son of Julie and Steve Ware, built elevated garden beds and a picnic table to be used by people in wheelchairs at Our Lady of the Wayside as his Eagle Scout project. He plans to attend Cornell University in the fall.

Westlake High School senior, Catherine “Kate” Fulton, was awarded the third annual Jeffery Owen Marriott Memorial Scholarship at the Senior Awards Banquet Night. Fulton was selected from a strong pool of applicants based on her academic prowess, leadership roles at school, community involvement, and athletic success at Westlake – all attributes of WHS 1992 alum, Jeffery Marriott, for whom the scholarship honors.

Fulton ranks within the top 15 of her senior class, with a current weighted GPA of 4.863. She is a member of both the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. In addition, Fulton has been awarded for being a scholar athlete by the Student Athletic Leadership committee and became a member of The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Scholarship Society earlier this year.

Jeremy Louden has accepted the call to become the next principal of St. Paul Lutheran School in Westlake.

Louden is expected to begin his duties this summer.

“After just a few years in the classroom, Mr. Louden's superiors told him he was going to be an administrator some day. He continued teaching and added two Master's Degrees in Administration and is now primed to put all this preparation into his leadership of St. Paul Lutheran School,” said interim Principal Rev. Dr. David Buegler. “There is a verse in the Bible that says, 'For Such A Time As This...' I am thrilled to quote that verse to speak about our excitement in bringing Jeremy Louden from Texas to Ohio for such a time as this.”

The annual VFW Buddy Poppy Drive will be conducted on Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19.

The locations are the same as previous years, Walgreens at Columbia and Center Ridge; Discount Drug Mart at Detroit and Dover Center; Giant Eagle at the Promenade in Westlake; and Java Bay Cafe in the Bay Village Square Plaza on Wolf Road.

All sites will start donation acceptance at 10 a.m. Walgreens and Java Bay will end at 4 p.m. Drug Mart and Giant Eagle will end at 6 p.m.

Going on vacation this summer? Need internet at the pool? The beach? The mountains? The highway? Pick up a hotspot at the Westlake Porter Public Library!

The library has 40 hotspots available for two-week checkouts. The internet usage is FREE and saves you using your own data. Each hotspot can handle up to five devices. Any carrier that you go through will work. The wireless hotspot connects with Sprint towers throughout your travels.

The Bay Village Community Council held a reception April 29 in the Bay Village Community House to honor the 2018 Citizen of the Year, Catherine Flament, and Project of the Year, the Community Yard Sale to benefit hurricane victims.

The honorees are selected by the Bay Village Community Council from nominations submitted by residents.

Two Bay Village veterans organizations, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, are proud to announce the winner of the Bay Village Veterans Scholarship for 2018, Alexis L. Glover. Alexis is a senior at Bay High School. She has a 4.0+ GPA and is a National Merit Finalist, truly a fine and deserving representative of this prestigious award.

Alexis will be entering the Ohio National Guard after graduation and will be attending the University of Cincinnati this fall after a summer of military training. Her intended majors at UC will be law enforcement and computer science.

Alexis will receive a $1,000 check and certificate as our first-place winner during the BHS Awards Ceremony on May 29, presented by scholarship chairman Dr. Edward Horvath.

With the Indians off to a strong start and the Cavs playoffs on the horizon, there was excitement in the air at the Youth Challenge Annual Benefit & Auction on Saturday, April 14. Around 250 sports fans gathered at Ariel International Center in Cleveland to “Party Like a Champion” and support YC.

Guests helped raise over $220,000 – an all-time high – to fund the free adapted programs and transportation for children with physical disabilities and their teen volunteer partners. This support allows Youth Challenge to reach hundreds of children in the Greater Cleveland community, providing them with opportunities to play sports, make friends, and embrace their own unique abilities.

Three Westshore senior center directors, along with their technical partner, were chosen to speak about their collaborative website at the national Aging in America conference in San Francisco last month.

Senior center directors from Westlake, Rocky River and North Olmsted, and technical partner Center for Aging in the Digital World, represented the eight senior centers that comprise the collaborative behind www.westshoreseniors.org. This website was launched last December to provide a “one-stop shop” experience for anyone looking for senior center information on the west side, a concept that was recognized for its innovation by the American Society on Aging. Visitors to the site can find program and social service information for Avon, Bay Village, Fairview, Lakewood, North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Rocky River and Westlake. Community West Foundation provided funding for the site.

The Randy Stang Memorial Skatepark has been a popular fixture in Cahoon Memorial Park for nearly a decade. The skatepark itself is the result of many years of tireless public advocacy led by a middle school teacher, Lawrence Kuh, his students at the time, and many other community members who generously gave their time and efforts to see the project to its current state. I want to highlight the extensive advocacy required for the current skatepark because it represents a model that everyone can value.

Mr. Kuh, who was recognized for his work by the Bay Village Community Council as “Citizen of the Year” in 2010,  demonstrated to his class, and to his entire school, the importance of civic engagement, the importance of being prepared to defend a position, the ability to reach compromise and find common ground between those holding opposing values, and that of the extraordinary persistence often needed to reach one’s goals.

The Knickerbocker Senior Center, located in the Knickerbocker Apartments at 27100 Knickerbocker Road in Bay Village, will be hosting a “wine & cheese” fundraiser, a “last hurrah” of sorts in the building’s original glory before construction begins this summer. Come and celebrate this historic building on Thursday, May 10, 5-8 p.m.; sip and eat and win some amazing prizes with all proceeds to benefit our senior residents. The event will be the last in the building before remodeling and funds will serve the residents for activities, meals and outings during the lengthy construction period.

Bay Inter-Faith Housing, LSC Service Corporation and PIRHL Developers have partnered to rehabilitate and recapitalize Knickerbocker Apartments. It was originally developed and is still owned by Bay Inter-Faith Housing, which is a consortium of four Bay Village churches (Bay Presbyterian, Bay United Methodist, Bethesda on-the-Bay Lutheran, and St. Barnabas Episcopal), that organized in the late 1960s to address the growing need for senior housing and services in the area. Constructed in 1974, the property is restricted to seniors over age 62.

The Holly Lane Elementary PTA will hold its annual Big Kid resale event on Saturday, April 21, from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The event will be held at Westlake High School, 27830 Hilliard Blvd.

The sale will feature gently used kids’ clothing, size 5T to juniors, kids’ toys, games and books, as well as sports, music and computer equipment, furniture and miscellaneous items.

Many children labeled as a behavior problem, impulsive, overactive or shy may actually be struggling with sensory processing issues where the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. According to research statistics found on the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder website, “1 in every 6 children experiences sensory symptoms that may be significant enough to affect aspects of everyday life functions.”

The phenomenon may also explain some behaviors such as refusing to wear certain clothing, being bothered by noises or avoiding foods with unusual textures. Once families learn the root cause of these behaviors and ways to address them, they are given hope, but early identification is key.

The Westlake Police Department’s Community Police Academy, an 11-week police discovery program, will be held on Wednesdays, March 21-May 30, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The free course covers police procedures and provides hands-on instruction from department personnel, including patrol and traffic operations, SWAT, self-defense and firearms training, crime scene processing, and more.

The application deadline is Wednesday, March 14. Preference is given to applicants who live or work in Westlake but is open to all. The brochure/application and more details are available at www.cityofwestlake.org/Police-Academy.

The recent school shooting incident in Parkland, Florida, which took the lives of 17 innocent students and teachers causes us all to reflect on what our city and schools are doing to prevent and respond to such tragedies. It is a natural reaction for parents to be concerned about the safety of their children in the schools during such tragic incidents.  

The Bay Schools have Emergency Management Plans in place for each school building in the district. Safety plans are required by the Ohio Revised Code section 3313.536. These plans were promulgated and reviewed by school administrators; the police and fire departments; parent, teacher and non-teacher employee representatives and others. Within this comprehensive operations plan are procedures for active shooter incidents.

The Westlake Town Criers announce the 2018 Westlake City Easter Egg Hunt and Candy Scramble will again be held at the Westlake Recreation Center, 28955 Hilliard Blvd., on Saturday, March 24.

There will be two candy scrambles: the first at 1:00 p.m. for those ages 4 through 6, and the second at 1:30 p.m. for those ages 7 through 10. At these times the children will scramble for wrapped candy and also for special eggs redeemable for stuffed animals.

For children age 3 and under, there is a non-competitive Easter egg hunt where the child simply hunts for eggs that are redeemed for candy and prizes.

In an exciting show of confidence in the efforts of BAYarts to provide community engagement and restore the historical Huntington Playhouse for sustained use, BAYarts was allocated $100,000 from the state capital budget for the renovation.

State lawmakers announced their plan last Monday to spend more than $2.6 billion on capital improvements throughout Ohio for roads, bridges, parks, art and sport facilities and other initiatives. In addition, $20 million has been allocated for new scientific projects designed to fight opioid addiction, a rising concern in northeast Ohio.

“I’m excited to see funds proposed for Huntington Playhouse in the Capital Budget," said State Representative David Greenspan, a supporter of the project. “BAYarts has been working tirelessly to rehabilitate the facility and is an organization that provides excellent programming for Bay Village and the surrounding communities.”

Christian Giardini, a wealth management advisor with Giardini, Zavodny & Associates, won first place in the Westlake Toastmasters Club 497 evaluation contest and the international speech contest. The event was held at Westlake Porter Public Library.

Giardini joined Westlake Toastmasters 497 club in 2011. “It has helped me to become a more effective communicator and a dynamic leader,” he said.

The inspiration for his winning speech was his dog, Vader, who passed away at the age of 16. Giardini shared the many lessons he learned from his dog in a heartfelt and engaging way.