PhotoBlogs by WBV Observer Staff
Hurricane Sandy swept in across Lake Erie on the evening of Monday, October 29 and left in her wake damage from fallen trees, toppled utility poles , and downed wires in Westlake and Bay Village. Being on the lake, Bay was hit especially hard with over 85% of the homes losing power, leaving close to 5,500 residences without power, some for up to 6 days. Westlake also had a good portion of the community without electricity, were almost 8,700 homes are effected. Westlake service director Paul Quinn detailed some of storm damage at the Thursday, November 1 city council session. He reported that 243 trees had been recorded at that time with the probability of hundreds more yet unidentified in backyards and parks. He also said that sixteen light poles were down, closing a number of streets through the community.
The WBV Observer office in Bay Village was spared the fate of many in our community, as our power was restored several hours after going dark on Monday evening, Oct. 29. Although phone and internet were down for days, we had electricity and the latest issue of the Observer arrived hot off the presses Tuesday afternoon, ready to be delivered throughout Westlake and Bay. We roamed the storm-ravaged streets of the two cities for hours that day, peering in the windows of most of our hundreds of distribution locations in hopes of seeing movement inside. It was a tall order in Westlake; in Bay, an exercise in futility. Just getting around was a challenge in itself, with the darkened streets and unexpected roadblocks due to downed power lines. As each day passed, and we noticed or got word of another location rejoining the power grid, we would scurry over and drop a bundle of papers for our powerless neighbors to take home and read for entertainment or burn for warmth. And little by little, streets and homes began lighting up, stores – especially those selling groceries – filled with shoppers and by Monday night, one week removed from the storm, things were almost completely back to normal. We had managed to deliver papers to almost every one of the community locations that carry the Observer, and shot a number of cool pictures as we traveled around. Here are some of the scenes we – and other members of the community – captured in the days following the storm.
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.
An evening of dinner and music was held at Bay High School on April 16 to raise funds for Bay’s Relay For Life event. The lineup showcased a range of Bay High musical talent, including rock bands, vocalists and two faculty performances. Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society campaign to raise funds for cancer research, will be held May 27-28 at the high school.
Westlakers came out in droves for the 26th annual Green & White Revue at the Westlake Performing Arts Center on Feb. 18-19. An overflow crowd of students, parents and residents packed the 800-seat auditorium to watch the performances of more than 100 Westlake students in grades three through 12. Acts ranged from vocal and instrument solos to group song and dance to magic. There was even a whistling duo for good measure. The proceeds from the event benefited the Westlake High School PTSA.
On Tuesday evening, Oct. 19, Red Brick schoolhouse alumni and friends gathered to share memories and say goodbye to the building on Dover Center Rd. in Westlake. The 101-year-old building, which served as a school until 1968 and then housed Westlake Board of Education offices, has been vacant since 2003. It is slated for demolition later this year.
Cleveland Metroparks held its annual Summer Beach Party on August 7 from 5-11 p.m. The day’s events included games, sand castle building, live animals, kayak demonstrations and more.
The 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree was held July 26-August 4 at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. Over 46,000 scouts attended the camp, with attendance swelling to 100,000 for the closing Arena Show on Saturday, July 31. Photos courtesy of the Slater family of Westlake.
A collection of photos from the 2010 Summer Camp season at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.