Community Events

Among this year's many Independence Day festivities in the City of Westlake was the West Shore Lions Club's annual bell-ringing ceremony at the Westlake Aquatic Center and Peterson Pool. 

Cuyahoga County Representative Nan Baker introduced the event and read off some background information for those in attendance. Then, 13 kids lined up to ceremoniously tap out one chime for each of the 13 original colonies of the United States. 

The tradition dates back to 1963 when President John F. Kennedy declared July 4 to be National Bell Ringing Day.

Once again the City of Westlake celebrated the anniversary of our nation's independence with its Annual Independence Day Parade, which marched down Hilliard Boulevard on July 4.

In addition to the mayor and members of Westlake City Council, the parade featured the city's police, fire and service vehicles, as well as members of the Westlake School Board and Boosters along with many more. 

Enjoy the following photos from this year's parade!

The City of Westlake hosted the 33rd Annual Charity Classic Car Show at Clague Park on July 4, immediately following the Independence Day Parade. 

The show featured dozens of cars from several eras, judged for their appearance and authenticity across multiple categories. The top two cars in each category earned trophies for their owners and a "Best in Show" trophy was awarded as well.

Most voters are more than a little confused about the upcoming Aug. 2, 2022 Primary Election. Simply said, for those voters living in Westlake and Bay Village, this election is the time to vote for candidates for District 16 Ohio House of Representatives and for members of the State Central Committees for the Democratic and Republican parties. The May 2022 primary determined the winning candidates for many other offices and who have been advanced to appear on the November 2022 general election ballot. 

The Bay Village and Westlake/North Olmsted Chapters of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland will host an in-person candidate forum on Tuesday, July 12, to introduce the contenders for the Ohio House of Representatives seat. The forum will take place at 7 p.m. at the North Olmsted branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 27403 Lorain Road. The forum will also be livestreamed via Zoom at bit.ly/lwv-forum-july. For those who are unable to attend live, a recording of the forum will be available at youtube.com/c/LeagueofWomenVotersofGreaterCleveland.

This election is occurring in August this year due to the complicated process for redrawing political districts after the 2020 U.S. Census. The process for this, for both state and federal offices, is described in the Ohio Constitution as a result of voter approvals in 2015 and 2018.

The Bay Village Community Council invites all Bay residents to join us in celebration of this year’s Citizen of the Year, Patrick McGannon, and Project of the Year, Bay Village Historical Society’s Revitalization Efforts. The ceremony will be held Saturday, July 16, 2 p.m., near Rose Hill Museum in Cahoon Memorial Park. City Council President Dwight Clark will present proclamations on behalf of the city, followed by tours of Rose Hill Museum and the Village Bicycle Cooperative.

The Westlake-Bay Village Rotary is again hosting their second annual Art Festival on Saturday July 30, in the green space on the campus of the Westlake Porter Public Library. 

This year, the Art Festival will officially kick off at 10:00 a.m. with a special ribbon-cutting by morning radio personality Tim Richards from Star 102.1 FM. Westlake’s Jen Touhey has passed the baton to her co-anchor this year. Tim, a traditional East-sider has graciously accepted the invitation to come from Mentor and open the Westlake-Bay Village Rotary Festival.  

This one-day rain or shine family friendly event has something for everyone with over 50 original artists, live music, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, balloons for kids, and plenty of free parking. 

The summer Porch Talk series at the Reuben Osborn Learning Center kicks off on Sunday, July 10, at 2:15 p.m. and focuses on the centennial of the Bay Village Schools.

Bay Village Alumni Association President Jim Joyce will talk about the history of the Bay schools spanning the years 1922 to 2022, as well as the plans for the Centennial celebration.

Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chair. The Reuben Osborn Learning Center is located at the intersection of Lake and Cahoon roads in Bay Village.

The next meeting of the Herb Guild Garden Club will be held on Wednesday, July 13, at Westlake Porter Public Library. Guests are invited, but are encouraged to bring a bagged lunch as the speaker will start at 11:30 and talk while members are eating. 

The topic of the presentation is "A Living Wildlife Landscape" presented by Marne Titchenell from the OSU Extension. Her areas of expertise are wildlife habitat management, forest wildlife ecology, and non-game species conservation. Marne has been with the OSU Extension since 2007 and has written several publications.

The Villagers, an old time base ball team comprised primarily of Bay Men's Club members, formed in 2010 to help celebrate the city's bicentennial and has continued to compete every year since.

Playing under rules in effect in 1860, The Villagers, led by player/manager John Underation, battled their long-time rivals, the Whiskey Island Shamrocks, on Saturday, July 1, at Bay Days, falling by a score of 10 to 0.

The team will next play Sat., July 30, at 2 p.m. at Cahoon Memorial Park.

The June meeting of The Herb Guild will be held on June 8 at Westlake Porter Public Library. The business part of the meeting will start at 10:30 a.m., with the presentation following at 12:30 p.m. Cathy Flament, President of the Bay Village Historical Society will share herbal recipes and herbal publications from their archives. Guests are very welcome! The library has dropped the mask mandate until further notice.

The Herb Guild Garden Club is holding its 36th annual scholarship luncheon this year, after a two-year break during the pandemic. The event will be held on Aug. 3 at the Aviator Event Center, 20920 Brookpark Road, across from Cleveland Hopkins Airport. 

The luncheon will feature craft, culinary, and boutique tables, where items can be purchased. The highlight of the luncheon is an extravagant basket raffle with over 40 baskets, each one worth around $50. During the luncheon two scholarships will be presented to the 2022 winners and money will be raised for next year's scholarships.

Memorial Day will soon be here. The Westlake Kiwanis Club hopes you are planning to participate in our annual community parade and service that day, May 30. 

Come out and line the parade route along Hilliard Boulevard and enjoy the parade, which starts at 10 a.m. in front of Sts. Peter and George Coptic and Orthodox Church and ends in Clague Park at the Gazebo for the Memorial Day services.

The parade and service will honor those civilians and military that sacrificed so much to preserve our freedoms and protect our shores – many of those fallen were members of our Westlake community. If you participated in the parade or in the services in Clague Park last year, the Westlake Kiwanis and the community appreciate your participation and hope you will take part again this year.

“Preserving the Character of our City” is the theme for the May 19 Bay Village Historical Society potluck program.

Guest speaker Carol Starre-Kmiecik will present a one-woman show about Dorothy Fuldheim, the well-known Cleveland newscaster and journalist. The event, held at the Bay Lodge on Bradley Road in Bay Village, begins with a social at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.

The main dish, a variety of mini sandwiches, will be provided by the historical society. Attendees with last names beginning with A through L should bring an appetizer or dessert for 10 to share. Those with last names beginning with M through Z should bring a side dish. All attendees should bring their own place setting and beverage. There will be a $10 charge at the door for non-members of the historical society. RSVP to Pam Ebert at 216-789-1272 or blinglady17@gmail.com.

The Westlake-Bay Village Rotary Club is again hosting the Westlake Art Festival on Saturday, July 30, in the green space on the campus of the Westlake Porter Public Library.

There will be a special ribbon-cutting kickoff at 10:00 am with Westlake’s own local morning radio personally Jen Touhey from Star 102.1, who will officially open the 2022 Festival. 

“Jen was a huge hit last year and a hometown fan favorite celebrity and we are honored to have her open our festival again this year” said Joe Kraft, Rotary Art Festival chairman.

The Art Festival will also feature Cleveland artist Shaun Kinley. Shaun is famous for his Cleveland skylines, cityscapes, bridges, and sports acrylic impressions on canvass. Shaun has demonstrated over 28 years of passion and creativity in his artwork and will have several original paintings as the 2022 featured artist. Other artists are encouraged to join the festival and fill out an application while high profile booth space is still available at westlakebayvillagerotaryartfest.com.

The green thumbs of Concord Reserve did the preliminary work for you. Working in their on-site greenhouse, they lovingly prepared soil, planted seeds, and brought healthy seedlings to just the right size. Now it is your turn to plant them in your garden or container so you can enjoy fresh tomatoes and peppers all summer!

The sale of our produce helps to fund activities for our active senior residents.

CONCORD RESERVE SPRING PLANT SALE

Fridays & Saturdays, May 20, 21 & 27, 28. 

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2154 Dover Center Road in Westlake.

Fresh & healthy tomato & pepper Plants in 4-inch pots grown in our own greenhouse!

$3 each, or 4 for $10, cash only. Questions? Call 440-961-3693.

West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church is excited to announce that it will hold its second annual outdoor Animal Blessing on Saturday, May 21, from 2-4 p.m., at 20401 Hilliard Blvd. in Rocky River.

According to Senior Minister Anthony Makar, animal blessings are a popular UU ritual that gives us an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance pets have in our lives. “It exemplifies the Seventh Principles of our faith, which calls us to respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

Members of the public are invited to bring your pet to an outdoor, walk-through blessing on the church grounds. There will be a treat station, a charity photo station, a place to remember the pets we have loved and lost, a station for your pet to receive a special blessing from Rev. Anthony, music and more! We will also be collecting donations for a local animal charity.

Rose Hill Museum reopened for the 2022 season on April 24 with the exhibit, “A Nod to the Past.”

Learn about important elements in Bay Village history like the Dover-by-the-Lake library at Rose Hill, the beginnings of Baycrafters and the Lake Erie Junior Museum (now the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center), and the opening of Parkview School. The Wischmeyer model boat exhibit is complemented by a display of vintage bathing suits. A Suffrage poster on display in the parlor encourages voting. The parlor is decorated in 1920s fashion, to tie in with the library and school history.

The Westlake Kiwanis Club invites all citizens of Westlake, including sports organizations and civic groups, to take part in their annual Memorial Day Parade and Service. The parade travels down Hilliard Boulevard and finishes in Clague Park, where the memorial services honoring those civilians and military who sacrificed so much to protect and keep this country free take place.

The Kiwanis welcomes those who participated in previous years' parades and services to join them again this year. Your participation in the past was appreciated. The parade and services this year will be held on Monday, May 30, at 10 a.m.

Please call Rick Grane 440-829-0974 or rickgrane@aol.com for more information about how you can participate.

After a two-year absence the Bay Village Memorial Day parade has returned. It is that time of the year when we start to think about summer and look forward to the Memorial Day weekend.

While many think of this as a “holiday” it is really a “remembrance” day. It is meant to remember all the men and women who have died in service to our country.

This year the Bay Village Memorial Day Parade will be on Monday May 30. The parade’s timetable is as follows:
  8 a.m. – Assemble in Huntington Beach parking lot on Lake Road
  8:45 a.m. – March west on Lake Road to Lakeside Cemetery
  9 a.m. – Ceremonies at Lakeside Cemetery
  9:15 a.m. – March east on Lake Road to the Cahoon Park gazebo
  9:45 a.m. – Ceremonies at Cahoon Park

The parade committee invites all veterans to participate and march in the parade.

American Legion Post 385 is the main organizer of the parade with assistance from Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 249 and VFW Post 9693. Any questions regarding the parade can be addressed to Joe Cronin of the American Legion at 216-521-7849.

After a two-year absence, the Westlake Rain & Garden Show made a triumphant return in April. The event was held at the Westlake Community Services Center.

There also were several great activities and crafts for kids, including instruction on how to plant their own garden, coloring materials and more. The first 100 kids received free giveaway bags.

Due to popular demand, organizers extended the Kid Zone by an additional hour, with newly-added child passport stops. Door prizes were awarded every half hour from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Passport participation. Attendees were asked to bring book donations for the new Goodwill Bookstore in Westlake.

The 2022 Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Westlake Town Criers was a big hit April 9 at the Westlake Recreation Center! The event featured photos with the Easter Bunny, face-painting and a massive "candy scramble" on the playground outside the Rec Center.

Residents of Westlake, Bay Village and the surrounding West Shore communities are invited to a day at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and RainForest on Sunday, June 12, to celebrate the memory of their loved ones while benefiting Hospice of the Western Reserve. The 11th annual Walk to Remember sponsored by Medical Mutual and Oswald Companies is the nonprofit hospice organization's largest fundraiser of the year. It supports many of the services provided at Ames Family Hospice House as well as in the community at large that are not reimbursed by insurance. 

A few examples include a speciaized pediatric hospice team, customized programs for veterans, palliative care to manage symptoms earlier in a serious illness, music, art and pet therapies, volunteer end-of-life doula support, children's grief support day camps and a Pet Peace of Mind program. Registration is open at hospicewr.org/WTR and includes all-day admission to the Zoo and Rainforest and a commemorative Walk to Remember bottle holder. Those who are unable to attend in person may still support the event through online donations.

The May meeting of The Herb Guild Garden Club will be Wednesday, May 11, at Westlake Porter Public Library. The business part of the meeting will start at 10:30 a.m., with the presentation following at 12:30 p.m. The Tea Lab, a Lakewood business, will share information on teas for building immunity. Guests are very welcome! The library has dropped the mask mandate until further notice.

For more information on the upcoming meeting, call 440-353-9764 or visit theherbguild.org. You can also find us on Facebook under The Herb Guild.

Starting last month the Westlake Garden Club became the only garden club in the entire Westshore area to offer Saturday meetings.

Gardening is the most popular hobby in the country and the club’s goal is to be more accessible to gardeners who work. This has immediately sparked new interest.

After being shut down all last year due to covid, the club returned with a full slate of programs, outings and events. The March meeting on orchid care was presented to a full room at Westlake Porter Public Library.

Now we are turning our attention to a common problem in spring. Folks in this area are all too familiar with the heartbreak that comes from seeing that the local wildlife has destroyed their carefully planted yard and garden or eaten all the seed meant for the birds!

The Westlake/Bay Village Rotary Club is again hosting this year’s Westlake Art Festival. The event will take place on Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the campus of the Westlake Porter Public Library.

The Rotary is looking for top artists in Northeast Ohio to participate in exhibiting their creativity and unique art work in a fun-filled festival. In addition to artists, the Rotary is welcoming Northeast Ohio business sponsors interested in supporting this premier summer event.

The April meeting of The Herb Guild Garden Club will be held on Wednesday, April 13, at Westlake Porter Public Library. After a brief business meeting, the program will start at 12:30 p.m. which will include a PowerPoint presentation about the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. A craft will follow the presentation. Guests are invited to attend and find out more about the club. There is no charge for the craft. At this time the library has dropped its mask mandate.

The Herb Guild meets on the second Wednesday of the month in the Porter Room at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. New members and guests are always welcome. For further information on the upcoming meeting, call 440-353-9764 or visit our website theherbguild.org. You can also find us on Facebook under The Herb Guild

This Spring will mark the return of the Annual Rain & Garden Show, hosted by the City of Westlake and the Westlake Watershed Group after a two-year absence. This year’s event will take place Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year’s event will take place at the new Westlake Community Services Center, 28975 Hilliard Blvd. (via Rec Center Drive).

As in past years, the event is free and open to the public. Families of all ages will enjoy a variety of vendors, demonstrations and exhibitors.

The Westlake Police, in connection with the City of Westlake, Westlake Kiwanis and Lakewood Elks, are combining to collect much-needed supplies for the people of Ukraine. Drop-off points for donations will be the Westlake Police Department, 27300 Hilliard Blvd., and Lakewood Elks Lodge, 24350 Center Ridge Road.

Due to restraints on containers, we ask that no perishable food or water be donated. We are looking for blankets, non-perishable food, animal supplies, clothes and toiletries. These items will be sent to The Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland, where they will be loaded in a container and sent to Ukraine via Romania.

The Herb Guild Garden Club is pleased to announce that most meetings are now open to welcoming new members. Our first meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, March 16, at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. It will be a membership tea starting at 12:30 p.m. with a craft to follow. Please plan on coming to enjoy the activity and see what the Herb Guild is all about. The event is free. The library is still requiring that masks be worn.

For more information on the upcoming meeting, call 440-353-9764 or visit our website, theherbguild.org. You can also find us on Facebook under The Herb Guild.

The Westlake Town Criers announced that the 2022 Westlake City Easter Egg Hunt and Candy Scramble will be held at the Westlake Recreation Center, 28955 Hilliard Blvd., on Saturday, April 9.

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 hidden eggs redeemable for stuffed animals.

For children 3 and under there is a non-competitive Easter Egg Hunt where the child simply hunts for plastic eggs that are redeemed for candy and prizes.

After taking two years off, the Connecting for Kids Meet and Greet is back in Rocky River offering local families resources for children struggling with academic concerns, behavior problems, depression, anxiety and other issues brought about by the pandemic. The event will take place on Thursday, April 7, from 6-8 p.m. at the Don Umerley Civic Center, 21016 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River.

Approximately 50 vendors will be on hand representing area therapists, summer camps, adaptive sports and other programs.

For a complete list of participants, and to register for either the in-person resource fair OR to reserve a grab & go bag, visit connectingforkids.org/meetandgreet, or call/text: 440-570-5908.

Some changes are in store for the Westlake Garden Club for 2022. When the club began in 1963 the membership was composed mostly of homemakers who came together to promote horticultural education and encourage civic beauty and community conservation. The weekday morning meetings fit perfectly into their schedule since it was a time when the children were in school.

But life has obviously changed dramatically since then. Gardening is now the number one hobby in the country but many garden enthusiasts, both men and women, work full time. As a result the club is adjusting to be more accessible to the community.

For the first time since the club’s inception, regular meetings will now be held on the Saturdays. Many meetings are open to guests. The agenda for the year features field trips in addition to programs. Come sharing your love for plants with other gardeners and also learn how to garden more successfully.

After two long years without an in-person event, Village Project (VP) is pleased to announce that its 7th annual Nourish fundraiser will be a chance to gather together with old and new friends in a new, warm, safe and comfortable environment. VP volunteers and staff have spent months planning and preparing for this phenomenal event. Everyone is invited to experience this uplifting evening to help Village Project reach its goal of raising $100,000.

Since 2010, VP has served more than 40,000 meals to over 400 families in Avon, Avon Lake, Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake. Proceeds from Nourish allow the organization to walk alongside its clients in a positive, hopeful manner, while strengthening the local communities, and also ensuring that these services continue to be provided in the most caring, thoughtful and economical way possible.

Join Lake Erie Nature & Science Center for a family-friendly evening celebrating owls of all colors and sizes on Friday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m.

Visitors will enjoy up-close encounters with the Center’s resident owls, experience nocturnal sights and sounds in the planetarium, follow clues to solve the mystery word on an owl scavenger hunt, and head outdoors on a hike in hopes of spotting or hearing wild owls in the surrounding forest.

Tickets: $15/adult; $10/child (children 2 and under are free). Learn more and register at www.lensc.org or 440-871-2900.

The Bay Village Women’s Club Foundation is excited to announce our 52nd Antique and Vintage Show to be held at Bay High School on Saturday, Feb. 26 and Sunday, Feb. 27.

This annual event is the Women’s Club's major fundraiser for scholarship monies made available to Bay High seniors. Since 1936, the Club has given over $552,000 to 379 deserving seniors. Our first scholarship in 1936 was for $50! In 2021 we awarded 6 scholarship of $2,500 each. We are currently reviewing seniors’ applications to be announced in April 2022. The Women’s Club criteria evaluates financial need, academic achievement, leadership experience and character traits.

Members of the Bay Village Community Council met via Zoom on Jan. 24 to share news and notes from their civic organizations. Prior to the regular meeting, a six-person selection committee reviewed nominations for Citizen and Project of the Year and unanimously agreed to honor Patrick McGannon and the Bay Village Historical Society's revitalization efforts.

Following is a condensed report of the groups' activities:

The Bay Village Branch Library reports that the new building is on target to be completed by the end of April. The Friends of the Library book sale continues with lots of materials for all ages. A bag of books is $2, with proceeds supporting library programming. Visit cuyahogalibrary.org to view upcoming programs.

Bay Village Kiwanis sold over 300 Christmas trees between Nov. 27 and Dec. 10. The proceeds will benefit community service programs. The Club is reworking outside display standards for Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and working on projects for BAYarts.

The Friends of the Bay Village Kennel's Facebook page has replaced its website. The page publicizes lost and found animals, encourages rescue animal adoption, supports animal rescue organizations, disseminates useful information about animals and animal care, and helps lost and stray community cats through trap/neuter/release. FOBVK responds to neighborhood calls and assists by furnishing material support for lost, stray or injured companion animals, usually cats. The Bay Village Police Department cares for lost or stray dogs by sending them to the Cuyahoga County kennel if their owner is not located within 24 hours.

The Westlake-North Olmsted Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland will begin the new year by “looking back” even as it forges ahead on a busy election year agenda. Three sessions are scheduled for members to review the current advocacy positions of the League of Women Voters of the United States and to recommend changes for consideration at the June 2022 national convention. Members should register to attend one of the Zoom sessions (Jan. 22, Jan. 23, or Jan. 29) at LWVGreaterCleveland.org. Women and men interested in League membership can find more information and sign up on the website as well.

The chapter’s February meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 7:00 p.m., will have a book-club-discussion format, based on the 2017 book, “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder. The book is available in paperback and on Kindle and at most area libraries. Members and interested guests need request the Zoom meeting log-in information by sending names and e-mail addresses to Westlake-northolmsted@lwvgreatercleveland.org.

Music and the aroma of hot cocoa was in the air as attendees gathered to celebrate the crowning of Mr. & Mrs. Westlake 2022 during the city’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 5, at Westlake City Hall.

Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough introduced the honorees – Mike and Susan Pandoli – and detailed the numerous ways they have served the interests of the community, particularly its youths. They were nominated by John Sobolewski of the Westshore Chamber of Commerce and The Power of MORE and selected by the Westlake Town Criers in recognition of their hard work and selfless dedication to serving the interests of the youth and others throughout the community.

The Pandolis moved to Westlake in 1977 and immediately became active in the community. Mike spearheaded an effort to convert Meadow Lane Estates to gas the minute it became available following the gas shortage of the late-1970s. 

The Bay Village Historical Society and Bay Kiwanis teamed up again to bring Santa Claus to Bay Village on Dec. 5, and this year he brought along Mrs. Santa Claus and two elves.

The group toured the city aboard a fire truck accompanied by two Police Department cruisers.

Hundreds of people turned out along the route to greet the jolly old elf.

Members of the Bay Village Community Council met via Zoom on Nov. 15 to share news and notes from their civic organizations. The Council also formed a Citizen/Project of the Year selection committee to review nominations for the annual award. Nomination forms are available at wbvobserver.com, Bay Library and City Hall. Following are highlights from the meeting:

The Bay Village American Legion celebrated Veterans Day by retiring 288 full-size American flags using proper respect and procedures. This is an annual event conducted at the Post home each year.

The Bay Men’s Club volunteers raked leaves and cleaned the yards of some 20 needy individuals and families on Nov. 20.

The Bay Village Women's Club meets the second Thursday of every month at 12:30 p.m. Bay Village-themed gifts are available for the holidays and include afghans, cookbooks, playing cards and more.  Call 440-334-7539.

The Bay Village Foundation’s Scaredy Cat Fun Run was held on Oct. 16. Despite inclement weather, the event was still a success with 180 runners registered. Funds collected are used to support Bay Village community projects. Donations are accdepted at thebayvillagefoundation.org. Last year’s donors enabled BVF to award 8 grants totaling $22,667 to Bay organizations and $8,000 in college scholarships.