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Mayor Debbie Sutherland discussed Bay's recent accomplishments and efforts to manage the city's economic struggles in her annual address to the West Shore Chamber of Commerce on May 8.

“Bay Village is steady and stable,” Mayor Debbie Sutherland told the Observer following her May 8 State of the City presentation to the West Shore Chamber of Commerce at LaCentre in Westlake. In a struggling economy, where cities across the country – including Bay – are faced with shrinking budgets and difficult decisions, “steady and stable” can be viewed as optimism.

While the focus of the mayor’s twelfth annual address – a record number, as Sutherland is Bay’s longest-serving mayor – was on the city’s accomplishments in the past year, she acknowledged that times are tough. As the nation slowly climbs out of recession, she noted that municipalities often lag behind other sectors in recovery, and Bay Village expects some level of financial hardship to continue into the coming years.

Phyllis Fannin's "Last Moment in My Arms" captures the emotional goodbye with her son, Mark, before he left for his first tour of duty in Afghanistan in July 2010. A lithograph of the image will be carried by W-WAC in the Memorial Day parade.

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 Bay Village Board of Education's Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) has, for more than two decades, served in an advisory capacity to the Bay Village Board of Education. Applications are now open for three-year terms beginning in the fall of 2012.

Members complete research and make recommendations about a wide range of educational and administrative issues, such as transportation, student fees, safety, benchmarking in assessing our educational program and many others.

Forty-one LBMS students won awards in the 2012 National Spanish Examinations.

Spanish language students at Westlake High School and Lee Burneson Middle School cleaned up at the 2012 National Spanish Examinations.

Westlake High students walked away with 125 awards, earning a total of 10 gold, 33 silver and 25 bronze medals, along with 57 honorable mentions, in Levels 1-5.

Gold-medal winners were: (Level 2) Caroline Hazapis, Annie Hoelscher, Melissa Karpuszka, Madeline Lee, Kartik Sastry, Vishal Shah; (Level 3) Michelle Adamczyk, Elizabeth Raiff, Paavani Reddy; and Level 5 winner Tom Carrol. WHS Spanish teachers are Florica Podway, Anne-Frances Zaborniak, Cheryl Bendik and Eneida Ruiz.

Forty-one LBMS world language students were also recognized for excellent performance on the examinations.

Rachel Vick's self portrait won the grand prize at the 2012 Tenth District art competition.

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Rachel Vick, a Bay High senior, earned the 2012 10th District Grand Prize in the U.S. Congress Artistic Discovery Competition. Rachel’s self-portrait will be framed and sent to be displayed in the U.S. Library of Congress during the coming year.

Rachel and a parent will be flown to Washington, D.C., to participate in an installation ceremony and reception on Wednesday, June 20.

Other Bay High student artists winning prizes in the contest were sophomore Elizabeth Auckley, who earned a second place prize for her painting; sophomore Grace Veres who placed third for her painting; junior Alissa Kolke who won an honorable mention in painting; and senior Jenna Fisler, who placed second for her photo illustration.

Village bicyCLE's new workshop and headquarters at 380 Dover Center Rd. in Bay Village.

May 20, Casual Ride and Cooperative Meeting

The ride will start at 3 p.m., heading out from the gazebo in Cahoon Park. Be advised that use of a helmet is recommended but not required and that we will be "Sharing The Road"! After the ride, we will have some food and begin the meeting. Everyone is also welcome to just come for the meeting that will be from 4-5:30pm in the community house at Cahoon Park.

The purpose of the meeting will allow for attendees to formally meet and begin collaborating. We will begin to lay the framework for this bicycle cooperative by reviewing the programs we will offer, how we will generate revenue (we can review the tentative budget), membership fees, other organizations we can collaborate with this summer. Overall we will begin to discuss the specifics of how Village bicyCLE will operate this summer.

Much has been said and written about the lack of fan support at Tribe games to date. In spite of the fact the Indians have been able to replicate their early-season success of a year ago and again reside at or near the top of their division this year, they are dead last in attendance in the major leagues.

"But, how can this be, oh Learned One? How is this so?"

Friend, your queries are understandable. After all, isn't this the same organization which set attendance records slightly more than a mere decade ago? Well then, Grasshopper, why don't we take a couple of microseconds and examine the issue...

Scholarship winner Meghan Kevesdy, a senior at Bay High School, with Candy Sanson, Bradley Bay administrator

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Each year John O’Neill, owner of Bradley Bay Health Center, awards a $500 nursing scholarship to graduating high school seniors who are pursing a career in nursing. The applicant must meet certain requirements including a written essay, and teacher recommendations.

This year’s recipients are Meghan Kevesdy, Bay High School; Kayla Smith, Westlake High School; Kelly Sfiligoj, Magnificat High School; and Casey Wilcox, Avon Lake High School.

 Congratulations to all the recipients as they pursue their nursing careers.

You may have noticed the yellow Share the Road bicycle signs popping up like spring daffodils around Bay Village. By the end of the month, there should be a combined total of 42 on Lake, Wolf, Dover, Bradley, Walker, Basset, Cahoon, Columbia and Clague roads. The project was a joint effort of the Bay Village Green Team, the Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation, the Bike to School Challenge, the Village Bicycle Cooperative, the City of Bay Village and private donors. The signs were paid for through private funds, not city funds. Their installation this month is in conjunction with National Bike Month and National Bike to Work Day (Friday, May 18).

Why are the signs being added?
The signs, a national standard approved by they Federal Highway Administration, are being added to increase safety for both bicycles and automobiles. No laws have been changed. The signs are simply stating existing state law.

Huntington Playhouse will open their 2012 season with a production of “Nunsense.” The musical will open on May 17 and play through June 3. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. with one Sunday matinee June 3. The production is directed by Tom Meyrose and features David Coxe as the musical director with Josh Landis doing the choreography.

Due to an unfortunate accident in the kitchen of the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent, some 52 nuns have gone on to their “reward.” Unfortunately, the nunnery lacks the funds to bury them all. With four sisters still in cold storage, the Reverend Mother decides that she and her remaining nuns will put on a talent show, with the proceeds going towards the Little Sisters' funeral fund.

Nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and writer Reverend Ric Schumacher will travel through the pages of Myrtle Fillmore's most powerful writings in his own unique way. Myrtle Fillmore, an Ohio native, was a co-founder of Unity.  

In this lecture-style workshop on Sunday, May 27, 1-3 p.m., at Unity Spiritual Center, 23855 Detroit Rd., Westlake, Rev. Schumacher uses powerful graphics to illuminate deep spiritual principles making them easy to understand and apply to your personal situation.

Shoppers search for items at our 2011 Barn Sale
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It’s Barn Sale time again at Clague Playhouse! We will gladly accept your gently used donations of household items, outdoor equipment, antiques, collectibles and baked goods! PLEASE no children, spouses or clothes!

Donations may be dropped off at the theater June 6-9, from 1-6 p.m., and June 13-15, from 1-8 p.m. The date of the sale is Saturday, June 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Cash, check, MasterCard, Visa and Discover will be accepted. Proceeds will be used towards the purchase of a new street sign. Questions, contact the box office at 440-331-0403.

WHS invention team Hannah Yusoff and Hon Kwok pose with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas after winning second place in a national competition.

Westlake High School sophomores Hannah Yusoff and Hon Kwok, known as Team KWOFF, won second place in Time Warner Cable’s nationwide “Wouldn’t It Be Cool If” contest.

“Wouldn’t It Be Cool If” is a contest presented jointly by Tim Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds – a five-year, $100 million project to inspire the next generation of problem solvers – and i.am FIRST, musical artist will.i.am’s initiative to support young people in STEM education in collaboration with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Hannah and Hon won a spot as finalists by racking up among the highest number of votes on the contest website.

On Monday, May 14, YWCA Greater Cleveland recognized six area women for their professional achievements at its 36th annual Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon. Building on the YWCA mission of “eliminating racism and empowering women,” the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award is one of the most prestigious honors in Cleveland for women, celebrating those who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities and exceptional commitment to their careers and communities.

As a senior managing director at Dix & Eaton, award recipient Lisa Rose of Bay Village doesn’t have to go very far to embody the YWCA Greater Cleveland’s mission.

Join a live demonstration of mediumship and participate in a gallery-style Message Event on Saturday, June 23, at 7:00 p.m. at Clague Playhouse!

Your guides, Susan and Marjorie, are multi-faceted, Lilly Dale-trained professionals. In a group setting, many spirits are able to “get through”! Although not everyone receives a personal message, you will be taken on a guided meditation to help you learn to connect with your loved ones in spirit!

Cahoon in June, a day featuring artisans and antiques, music, food and fun takes place in Cahoon Memorial Park in Bay Village on June 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shop for unique, one-of-a-kind items created by dozens of quality vendors, just in time for Father’s Day. There will be a children’s activities center with old-time games and crafts. Enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by a variety of food vendors, or take home a little something for dinner. Rose Hill Museum and the adjacent Reuben Osborn Learning Center will be open to guests.

Have you been wondering how much trash the Aqua Girls and the community picked up at our April 28 beach cleanup?  Kacy Carmichael from the Cleveland Metroparks tallied up our results. For those of you who couldn’t make the cleanup, we took the bags of trash to the pavilion, sorted it and used tallies to keep track of what we collected on a record sheet.

We had officially 70 volunteers help us clean up the beach on April 28. The record number of volunteers before April 28 was 10! Wow! We had seven times that many, and it was even a cold and rainy day!

Their Destination Imagination team will compete for the ultimate title in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 23-26 and they need your help to get there!

The trip will cost the girls $600 each – if you’d like to chip in, checks in any amount can be made out to "Aqua Girls" and sent to: 345 Bayview Rd., Bay Village, OH 44140.

All donations go directly to the Aqua Girls, not their parents. Any funds raised in excess of trip expenses will go to the Bay Village Destination Imagination Fund.

The annual May in Bay 5K Run/Walk will be held Saturday, May 26, starting at Bay High School, 29230 Wolf Rd., at 9 a.m. It will be preceded by the Normandy One-Mile Fun Run at 8:30 a.m. The event, sponsored by Hermes Road Racing and Dick's Sporting Goods, will benefit the Bay High PTA and Bay High's P.A.L. program, which pairs special needs students with student mentors.

Jane Zellers, left, and Debbie Lukas display their awards for excellence.

Two Westlake Schools’ staff members were honored by their peers with staff excellence awards. The Excellence in Teaching award went to Jane Zellers, a second-grade teacher at Hilliard Elementary School. The Excellence in Classified Service award went to Debbie Lukas, an assistant custodian at Dover Elementary School.

Zellers is described by peers as an excellent problem solver who is genuine, honest and trustworthy, and who possesses a high level of productive energy.

For the third year in a row, Rae-Ann Suburban, a family-owned skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Westlake, has been named to the prestigious “America’s Best Nursing Homes” list for 2012 by U.S. News & World Report. Rae-Ann Suburban earned this distinction in 2010 and 2011 as well.

U.S. News’s evaluation of nursing homes is based on data from Nursing Home Compare, a consumer website run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government agency sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. Homes earn an overall rating of one to five stars, as well as up to five stars in each of three underlying categories: health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of care.

Daniel Dobish's drawing took first place in the 10th Congressional District Art Contest.
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Six Westlake High School art students earned awards in the 2012 10th Congressional District Art Contest.
 
Daniel Dobish won first place in Drawing. Wan Kwok earned a second place in Drawing, Abby Salem a second place in Photography, Alexandra Melendez a third place in Photo Illustration, and Grace Galvin and Stephanie Maciag both won Honorable Mentions in Photo Illustration.

The competition, “An Artistic Discovery,” aims to showcase the artistic talents of high school students. Grand prize winners have their artwork hung in the U.S. Capitol, along with pieces from students around the country, for one year.

Wednesday, May 2 (10:30-11 a.m.) Let’s Sing and Dance! – Join us for a fun session of singing and dancing. For children ages 2-6 with a caregiver. No registration required.

Wednesday, May 2 (1-2:30 p.m.) Cuyahoga West Genealogical Society Help Session – Wondering how to get started researching your ancestors? Hit a roadblock on your search? Stop in for suggestions and help!

Thursday, May 3 (7-8:30 p.m.) Investor Interest Group – Larry Wickstrom, division chief and state geologist with the Ohio Division of Geological Survey, will discuss the oil and natural gas supplies in Ohio and how investors can use this knowledge. Please register.

Friday, May 4 (10-11 a.m.) Cinco de Mayo – Hola! Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the library! Festivities include stories, songs, dancing and a craft – we'll even break a pinata! Ages 3-5. Please register starting April 27.

As written on the Reading is Fundamental website, “something is waiting for many children every summer, and parents don’t even know it’s there. It’s called the 'Summer Slide' and it describes what happens when young minds sit idle for three  months. ...Summer reading loss is cumulative: By the end of sixth grade, children who lose reading skills over the summer will be two years behind their classmates. 

"As parents approach summer break, they’re often thinking about vacations, trips to the pool and other activities, but they might not be focusing on how much educational ground their children can lose, especially when it comes to reading. To  compensate for the Summer Slide, teachers must often spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. Families have a major role in motivating their children to read during the summer."

Prepare for for emergency situations in advance. Pets are extremely vulnerable and depend on you for their safety. Natural disasters can strike without warning. In order to provide care for your pets during an emergency situation, it is important to a have a disaster plan in place. Visit www.fema.gov or www.uan.org for pet emergency information and disaster planning assistance.

Foster an animal and help save a life! Foster pet families provide temporary homes for animals prior to adoption. Providing foster care is a wonderful and personal way to contribute to saving homeless pets. Dogs and cats are the most common pets needing foster homes, but some organizations may also need help with rabbits, birds or even farm animals.

Meditation, meditation, meditation!We are hearing a lot about meditation these days – from medical practitioners, from television programs, from our religious leaders. It sounds like we all should know how to meditate, but many people have never meditated, don't know to meditate and cannot even begin to think about how to start.

Meditation Made Easy may be the answer for those who want to meditate but need some help in getting started. On Tuesday, May 29, from 7-8:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Center Reverend Fred Wright, himself a Unity minister, brings simplicity and a sense of humor to meditation that makes it easy to understand and practice.

The Village Foundation will host its annual ceremony to install and dedicate permanent bronze plaques honoring four outstanding Bay residents. This year the nominees are: James C. Redinger, Elizabeth R. Martin, Joan Hirsh and Miriam and Ivan Shepard. The Bay High String Quartet, under the direction of Ms. Carrie Singular, will play and tenor Troy Ayers II will sing. The Foundation will also announce the winners of two scholarships and will award four community grants during the program.

The program will take place at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Memorial Day, in Cahoon Park north of Lake Road under the white tent, immediately following the Memorial Day Service and parade. Friends of the Martin, Shepard, Redinger and Hirsh families and the public are invited to attend this annual ceremony and to view the plaques currently installed on the T. Richard Martin footbridge.

Marge Widmar enjoys a conversation with Madeleine Albright during a book signing at a Boston restaurant.

Interest in former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was piqued when I discovered she had written “Read My Pins,” a book about her vast collection of brooches. Feeling not completely dressed without a brooch, my purchasing that book was a must.

“Read My Pins” provided insight to Madeleine Albright’s persona. Katie’s Heart Pin, a ceramic heart created by her daughter Katie, is one of her most “precious brooches.” To reflect her mood while meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat about the need for compromise in the Middle East, she wore a bee pin (knowing that she was going to "stir up a swarm"). In a meeting where there was a need to feel or express hope, she would select a sunburst design, made of gilded brass.

We are getting closer to the relay and time is going by fast. We are proud to invite cancer survivors to our annual Survivor Dinner. This year we are going with a fun theme of Pasta Night. Several local establishments are joining forces to create a fun meal of different types of pasta, salad, rolls, and of course, dessert. Joining in the fun will be Lehman's Deli, Mitchell's Tavern, SB81, Rusty Barrel, Stonehouse Grill, along with other amazing LOCAL restaurants. Please log onto www.relayforlife.org/westlake to sign up for this free dinner or contact Suzi Piskur at 888-227-6446, ext. 1212.

The relay is pleased to announce our speaker for this year’s relay: local entrepreneur, trainer and award-winning author, Liz Adamson. When cancer arrived in her life she knew she needed to share the lessons she learned. Liz has a YouTube series, “Journey,” which has already been viewed by hundreds and is being utilized by health professionals across the country. She also has a blog, featured on her website, lizadamsonencore.com. Please come out and hear what this amazing woman has to share.

As a reader of the WBV Observer at home, and as the president of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company at work, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on a recent article by Patrick McGannon entitled “The harmful consequences of fertilizing your yard.”

The article is right on point regarding the importance of keeping fertilizers and other lawn care products out of stormwater systems and local waterways. What I feel should have been included in the article is the fact that a healthy lawn, regularly fed with non-phosphorus lawn food, actually prevents nutrient runoff into streams and lakes.

Each year, BAYarts' advanced pottery students conceive, create and curate a show of their work inspired by a central theme. In past years, the shows were inspired by Tuscany, Asia and Mexico.

This year's theme is "Sacred Vessels." Most pieces are for sale at affordable prices and help support the ceramic studio at BAYarts. Moira Beale, head of BAYarts' Ceramic Department and instructor of the advanced students, feels the "soup to nuts" planning and executing of the yearly show teaches students how a gallery works and how to present their work.

Decal Available at City Hall

Approved "Yard Waste Only" trash can decals are available at Bay Village City Hall for $2 each. The proceeds fund Bay Village Green Team projects like the Share the Road bicycle signs. Get yours today!

Andrea Rocco Guest Speaker
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The Westlake Kiwanis held their 34th annual Salute to Excellence on May 8 at the Westlake High School Performing Arts Center. 

The guest speaker was Andrea Rocco, Westlake City Prosecutor and Special Counsel to County Executive Edward Fitzgerald. This program is the Westlake Kiwanis' way of recognizing the academic achievements of our community's young men and women.

Judging the Shot Put
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The Westlake High School Athletic Department and the Kiwanis Club of Westlake hosted the 47th Annual Westlake Relays Saturday, May 5, at Louis Duchez Field. This year's meet was dedicated to Wendel A. Babson, a starter and referee at the Westlake Relays since 1984. He has officiated many dual meets, conference, district, regional and state meets since he became a registered track official in 1970.

This year's event hosted both boys and girls teams from Avon Lake, Benedictine High School, Elyria, Hathaway Brown, Martin Luther King, Midview, New Day Academy, St. Joseph Academy and Westlake.

Dan Chaon, author of the national bestselling novels "Await Your Reply" and "Among the Missing" – a finalist for the National Book Award – will be appearing at the Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library on Wednesday, May 16, at 7:00 p.m. 

His latest collection of short stories, entitled "Stay Awake," was just released this spring. A finalist for the National Magazine Award in Fiction and the recipient of the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letter, Mr. Chaon is the Pauline M. Delaney Professor of Creative Writing at Oberlin College.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and has been since 1949. In my last Westlake | Bay Village Observer article I gave six good reasons to gain awareness regarding your own personal mental health. I hope readers found that advice to be beneficial. In this second May article I am asking you to lend a hand to others that are working on gaining their own mental health awareness.

People that receive a diagnosis of mental illness do not cause it to occur. We continue to see a lot of public stigma surrounding mental health issues and mental illness even though it is well documented that mental illness, in its many forms, is most often related to an imbalance of brain chemistry.

Want to try your hand at designing a cool tie-dye shirt? Bring in a washed, plain white T-shirt to the Bay Village Branch Library and we’ll help you turn it into a masterpiece! The fun is for all ages, but kids 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Register in person only. Release forms must be signed for all participants at the time of registration; anyone under 18 must have their parent or guardian sign for them. 

Please join us for this fun program on Thursday, May 24 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. You won’t want to miss out on the fun!

Bay High School

Bay High School has been ranked in U.S. News and World Report magazine's Best High Schools list, earning a Silver Medal ranking.

Bay High was ranked 20th in Ohio and 512th in the nation. U.S. News and World Report reviewed 21,776 U.S. public high schools, and only 242 Ohio schools were ranked with a gold, silver or bronze medal.

Last month, during her state of the city address at a meeting of Rocky River’s Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Pam Bobst gave special thanks to the many community organizations in Rocky River for their ability to provide valuable, and often free, resources and services to residents. I take a big interest in her special “thank you” to the AARP-sponsored Tax-Aide program in Rocky River. I have been part of that volunteer program since 1994.

The free AARP-sponsored federal and state tax preparation program exists in many Westshore cities: Bay Village, Westlake, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Lakewood, Rocky River and others. In the Westshore communities alone, we helped well over 5,000 residents with their 2011 federal and state tax preparation in just 77 short days! And, we even file your returns electronically for faster refunds.

Second Grade Dover Schools 1913

The school year is winding down and this photo reminds us all of that class photo taken when we were younger. Taken in 1913, Miss Fannie Gage and her second-grade class pose in front of the Red Brick Schoolhouse that was located on Dover Center Road.

The Westlake Historical Society extends our congratulations to the Class of 2012 as they graduate and move on to the next wonderful stage of their lives.