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Eight-year-old Finn Haselswerdt, a third-grade Westerly student, is featured in the 2023 performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Mimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square.

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Since 1989, the Great Lakes Theater’s production of "A Christmas Carol" has become a holiday tradition for many Northeast Ohio families, and it has become a new tradition for 8-year-old Finn Haselswerdt, who is featured as “Tiny Tim” in the 2023 showing of this holiday classic.

“When I first heard I was in the play I was so excited because it's a really, really, really old classic,” exclaimed Finn, a Westerly Elementary third-grader, “and then when I found out I was cast as Tiny Tim I could barely believe it!”

Among the youngest in the cast, Finn is actually double-cast in the dual roles of Master William and Tiny Tim because of the time commitment of more than 40 total performances through the holiday season. Despite the rigorous schedule, when asked what he enjoys most about the production, he says, “Everything! The singing, the dancing, the other actors … it’s just so much fun!”

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The community is invited to attend Westlake United Methodist Church’s highly popular live nativity celebration. Stop by after school for an opportunity to get up close with the live animals, all while enjoying story time, crafts, Christmas cookies and cocoa.

The highlight is a life-size manger scene built by members of the congregation. The volunteer cast members are groups of families that share the holy birth story through live music and, of course, the live animals. If you listen closely, you just might hear donkeys braying, sheep and goats bleating, and lowing steers … just like in the classic Christmas lullaby, "Away in the Manger." The majestic camels tend to be on the quiet side, but they will be happy to pose for a photo.

From left: Mayor Paul Koomar and Community Services Director Kathy Messeri accept a donation check from Kiwanians Warren Remein and Foster McMasters at the Bay Village Senior Center on Dec. 1. Photo by Tara Wendell

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Every year Kiwanis donates to the City of Bay Village's Holiday Caring & Sharing program to help Bay residents in need of a hand. This fund administered, by the Community Services Department, helps with utility payments, food and expenses a family cannot cover. We are proud to donate each year to help.

Every service the Kiwanis Club of Bay Village performs or helps to pay for is to support community and children. Our tagline is "Improving the world one community and one child at a time."

Can you help? Please donate cash or check to the Holiday Caring & Sharing program. Donations may be dropped off before Dec. 15 at the Bay Village Senior Center, 300 Bryson Lane. If you are in need of assistance or have any questions, please call the Senior Center at 440-899-3442.

This is a topic that I write about around this time every year because I think the message is so important. 

It is estimated that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, household waste increases 25%. I want to share some easy ways to reduce waste, and help make your holidays earth-friendly!

Parties: If you are hosting a holiday meal or party at your home, please use real dishes, napkins, silverware and glasses. Your choice to use “real stuff” will not only drastically reduce the waste your party will generate, but guests will appreciate eating and drinking out of real items. In my opinion, eating Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner off of a plastic or paper plate with a plastic fork and knife is just not the same.

Bay Village Women’s Club members (left to right) Sarah Urbancic, Nancy Trainer and Amy Margiotti present a check to Bay Village Historical Society President Cathy Flament (second from left).

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The Bay Village Women’s Club donated $5,000 to the Bay Village Historical Society to help refurbish the Victorian Parlor at Rose Hill Museum.

The Bay Village Women’s Club purchased the wallpaper and draperies for the parlor more than 50 years ago and pledged to help finance the upcoming restoration project. The project will be completed over the winter months when the museum is closed to the public.

The Bay Village Women’s Club was one of Bay Village’s first civic organizations, meeting in February 1917 in the one-room school house near where Bay Presbyterian Church now stands. Its second meeting of 107 members was in a two-room school house on Lake Road. In September 1921, the group convened at the Library of Dover by the Lake, now Rose Hill Museum.

Westlake Porter Public Library’s board of trustees has named Westlake residents Lauren Golick and Peter Schindler to fill positions open due to a trustee’s resignation and an expiring term.

Golick will step into the unexpired term, starting with the December board meeting. She will serve for three years. Schindler will fill the term that expires on Dec. 31, and will serve for seven years.

Bay Village Schools’ Athletics & Activities Director Matt Spellman, left, was recognized as an Ohio Athletic Director of the Year, as he is congratulated by Bay High School Principal Jason Martin.

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In March, Bay Village Schools' Athletic and Activities Director Matt Spellman received the Northeast Ohio Athletic Director of the Year award from the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA), and recently, he was named an Ohio Athletic Director of the Year recipient by the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA).

Spellman is one of only 12 individuals across the state to be recognized for this prestigious honor.

“The fact that more than 80 percent of our students participate in a sport and/or an activity illustrates how dedicated Matt is to our student body,” said Bay Village Schools Supt. Scot Prebles.

The Yamamoto family poses with Santa, Mrs. Claus and their elves during Cahoon Christmas 2022.

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The Bay Village Historical Society usually asks that visitors do not sit upon any of their antique collections. This December, there will be an exception. An 1800s sleigh will be available for picture taking with Santa Claus during the Cahoon Christmas event days.

It is unclear where and exactly when the two-seater sleigh was built. We do know that it was most likely made sometime in the 1800s. The sleigh was owned most recently by Bill and Grace Anderson Sebesta of Bay Village. Their niece, Bernardette E. Novy Enochian, donated it to the Bay Village Historical Society in 2019.

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Once again this holiday season, the Christmas spirit will shine a little more brightly in Bay Village.

The Bay Village Historical Society and the Bay Village Kiwanis are asking Bay Village residents and children of all ages to join them in celebrating an old-fashioned community Christmas in December.

Rose Hill Museum is beautifully decorated for the holiday season. This year’s display highlights the White House Christmas cards designed by artist and Bay Village native Thomas William Jones, along with other Bay Village scenes. While you are at the museum, you can search for the hidden holiday nutcrackers.

Following is Westlake Porter Public Library’s December 2023 calendar of events. All programs are subject to change. Please check westlakelibrary.org or follow the library on Facebook and Instagram (@WestlakePorter) for the latest updates.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 (4:30-5:15 p.m.) STEAM Club – Why do some trees stay green all winter? Join us as we answer this question and more during this festive holiday program.  Discover scientific principles with hands-on experiments, active participation and a simple take-home project. Grades 1-2. Registration begins Nov. 28.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 (6-8 p.m.) Documentary Film Club: "The Endurance – Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition" – Each meet-up we’ll watch a different documentary that provides a window into an area of society. We will discuss the topics after screening the documentary. This month we’ll be exploring explorers, specifically Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew. For adults and teens ages 13 and up.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 (7-8:30 p.m.) World at War Forum: General George Marshall – General George C. Marshall led a remarkable career in the U.S. Army. Daniel Zeiser will discuss the General’s career and how without him the Allied victory and the post-war world would likely be very different. Please register.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 (7-8 p.m.) Virtual Author Talk: Victoria Aveyard – Join us as the instant New York Times bestselling author chats with us about YA fiction, world building, and her incredible body of work. Streamed live. Please register.

Wednesday, Dec. 6 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Horror Film Club – Join us for another creepy classic from the Vault! New members are welcome, but children under 13 must be with an adult. Please register.

Wednesday, Dec. 6 (7-7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, December 16 (10:30-11 a.m.) Family Storytime - Join us for rhymes, songs and play! Children are welcome to wear their pajamas and bring along a stuffed animal to the Wednesday evening session! Ages 2-6 with a caregiver.

Thursday, Dec. 7 (10-11:30 a.m.) Microsoft Word – Learn the basics of Microsoft Word and how to access Northstar Digital Literacy for self-paced online learning. Please register.

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

Thursday, Dec. 7 (1:30-3:30 p.m.) Holiday Necklace & Earrings – Look festive during the holidays by making a crystal ball holiday pendant necklace with matching earrings. Please register.

Friday, Dec. 8 (4-5 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 17 (2-3 p.m.) Brick Builders – Do you love Legos? Bring your ideas and imagination to Brick Builders! Bricks provided. No registration required, but room capacity is limited. First come, first served. Ages 5-12.

Saturday, Dec. 9 (10-11 a.m.) Body Rhythm – Develop gross & fine motor skills, creative expression & thinking, social interaction, problem solving, cooperative play, rhythm, and rhyming skills by exploring sound through percussive instruments. Ages 3-9. Please register each child attending, beginning one week before each session.

Saturday, Dec. 9 (2-4 p.m.) Afternoon Art – Stop by the Youth Services Department to create art for our Free Little Art Gallery. All supplies provided. All ages.

Sunday, Dec. 10 (2-3 p.m.) Come Play With Me – Open playtime for children ages 2-5 with a caring adult. Siblings welcome!

I wasn’t always a Buckeyes fan; Ohio State was sort of the default go-to whenever the Browns were having a rough season.

Go ahead, do the math, and as you can see, the numbers will suggest I’ve been a Buckeyes fan for quite some time now. A long, long time.

So long, in fact, I fear we are on the verge of witnessing history repeat itself.

Ryan Day has been the full-time coach of the Buckeyes since 2019, assuming Urban Meyer’s job after Meyer expressed the desire to (wink-wink) “retire.” (Translation: Urb gets antsy quickly, and when you couple that with an ego the size of Ohio Stadium, the urge to move on is difficult for Urban to resist. So, he does.)

Bay United Methodist will be celebrating Christmas by offering many opportunities for the community to enjoy this very special and sacred season.

On Sunday, Dec. 10, during the 10 a.m. worship service, the Bay United Methodist Chancel Choir will perform their annual Christmas Cantata. The performance, "Gloria," is Antonio Vivaldi's most famous work, and centers on the traditional, original arrangement from the Latin Mass. The upbeat melodies make this piece incredibly memorable and appealing to audiences.

Believed to have been written around 1725, this rendition was first performed in modern times in Siena, Italy, in September of 1939 and has become one of the most popular Baroque works for orchestra and chorus. Ron Muth directs the choir's mixed choral ensemble in four-part harmony, which will be accompanied by a 10-piece orchestra.

The Cahoon barn was converted to a community house by the WPA and the village in 1933. Photo by Will Krause

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The 21st in a series of articles to be published as a walking tour of Lake Road by the Bay Village Historical Society in 2026.

The tax value of the 128-acre Joel Cahoon property jumped in 1881, a year before his death and then remained the same when it passed to five of his unmarried children in 1884. This indicates 1881 as the most likely year of its construction.

Joel accompanied his parents and siblings in 1810 as the first settlers of Bay Village. He served in the War of 1812, and worked as a contractor building canals and railroads out of state.

Since 2009 the Observer has strived to fulfill our founding mission – to strengthen our community by informing and engaging Westlake and Bay Village residents. 

Times are tough, and the pandemic has presented an added challenge at a time when emotional connection and togetherness matter so much. Please help us continue to provide a free medium where the community can share news, share stories and share laughs.

If you’d like to keep the Observer serving the community, please send a cash or check donation along with your name for recognition in a future edition of the Observer. Donations may also be made via credit card using the links in the left column of the website. All supporters will be recognized in a future edition of the Observer.

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The Observer is an independent, community owned publication. Please note that charitable contributions are gratefully accepted but not tax-deductible. For questions about donating or more information on how to get involved, contact publishers Denny Wendell or Tara Wendell at 440-409-0114, staff@wbvobserver.com.