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Barb Harrell was named Bay Village citizen of the year for her work with the Village Food Project and Field of Dreams. Photo courtesy of Terry Schordock, Studio South.

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Barbara Harrell has been selected as the Bay Village citizen of the year for 2012, and the renovation of BAYarts' Fuller House has been selected the project of the year.

Both will be honored at a reception to be held Sunday, March 4, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fuller House. The event is sponsored by the Bay Village Community Council, whose members made the selections.

Harrell was selected for her service to the community as a director of the Village Food Project.

In 2009 and 2010, Harrell started, planned and implemented the Village Food Project, which provides healthy in-home meals to Bay Village families in a cancer crisis. She has rallied high schoolers, school administrators, adult cooks, shoppers and drivers to make this program a reality.

Westlake Magazine honoree Dr. J. Michael Thomson of Tri-C Westshore receives a plaque of recognition from Mayor Dennis Clough.

On Jan. 10, Westlake held its 11th annual Westlake Magazine reception at Westlake City Hall. The reception was the City’s opportunity to thank the magazine and the businesses that advertised in them. 

“Once a year, the city has the opportunity to showcase the community while at the same time, provide a valuable resource to residents and visitors,” said Mayor Dennis Clough. “The value of this publication is demonstrated by its publication for the past 11 years.” 

Westlake Magazine is mailed to all businesses and residents in Westlake at no charge to the residents or City by Great Lakes Publishing. The mailing is made possible by the advertisers who support the magazine, without them, the magazine wouldn’t be the resource that it is.

Meet author Mary Helen Stefaniak at the Bay Village Branch Library on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:00 pm. Her most recent book, “The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia,” received the 2011 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction. This prestigious award has recognized books that “make important contributions to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures.” 

Her book was chosen as a “rollicking tale  that manages to speak seriously to the tragedy of ignorance and the damage caused by fear.” In the book, the town is thrown into an uproar when new teacher Grace Spivey arrives and turns the annual festival into an exotic Baghdad Bazaar. Although her progressive spirit proves threatening to some, Miss Spivey succeeds in pushing the limitations of stereotypes and inspiring change.

After more than 10 years of service to the Westlake City School District, Andrea Rocco informed Superintendent Dr. Daniel J. Keenan Jr. that she will step down from her Board of Education seat.

Rocco has joined the Cuyahoga County administration as special counsel to County Executive Ed FitzGerald.

Rocco was appointed to the Board in 2001 to fill a vacant seat. She won election to a four-year term in November 2001 and was named VP of the Board in 2002 and 2005. She served as president in 2008 and 2009.

After notifying the district she intended to resign, Rocco was asked by superintendent, Dr. Daniel Keenan if there was any way she could extend her time on the Board.  Keenan asked she consider working through the current phase of construction to get the building pads completed and for budget planning for the 2012-13 school year, anticipating a mid-biennial budget proposal from the governor.

An evening of entertainment for the benefit of two esteemed organizations includes the talents of Cleveland newspaper columnist, playwright and television personality, Dick Feagler. A variety of entertainment will be offered on Saturday, March 3, when the curtain goes up on “A Cabaret Night” produced by Greg Violand and Maryann Nagel at Wagner’s Country Inn.

Utilizing its resources and talents, the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council and Clague Playhouse are collaborating to sponsor the Cabaret as a fundraiser. These respected non-profit groups are charting new waters in this cooperative venture.

Hide and Seek painting by Gracie Harms
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Bay Village City School District students garnered five first-place Gold Key awards, nine second-place Silver Key awards, and 12 Honorable Mention awards from a field of 1,700 entries in the 2012 Cuyahoga County Regional Scholastic Arts competition.

Winning a Gold Key were Bay High sophomore Gracie Harms (painting), Bay High freshmen Maddie Voiers (fashion) and Severn Sanders (mixed media), and Bay Middle School seventh-grader Grace Mansuetto (printmaking). In addition to visual arts winners, eighth-grader Emma Chalk won a Gold Key for her short story, "Memories of Us." Students who receive Gold Key Awards see their work continue to the national competition held in the spring in New York City.

Today, we resume our continued exploration of the year 2012, as I make even more incredibly accurate predictions involving the Cleveland sports scene...

APRIL: Embattled Browns president Mike Holmgren – already on the hot seat with the fans and media over the rate of supposed progress (?) of the team – shocks the entire NFL on draft day. Citing the fact that "we need help everywhere," misguided Mike trades the team's first, second, and third round picks to the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals for 114 lower-round picks. Browns fans hope some of the picks will be used to secure much-needed help in the front office.

The kindergarten students at Westshore Montessori school recently completed a whole-class sculpture based on the work of modern art sculptor Louise Nevelson. Each student designed their own assemblage with found objects, paying special attention to symmetry and balance in their compositions. They became actively engaged in creating the whole sculpture, deciding where each piece went into the arrangement of the whole sculpture.

Our students were very excited to learn that the Cleveland Museum of Art has one of Nevelson's large sculptures. Our goal was to create a real connection with modern masters and understanding the process to create art. They loved the lesson and want to visit the art museum!

Westerly’s Aqua Girls will clean up Huntington Beach as part of the Destination Imagination community service project challenge. Pictured are: (front row, from left) Eliza Aleksandrovic, Audrey Ray; (back row, from left) Olivia Reed, Patty Yuhas, Ava Ransom, Grace Chilton. Teammate Caroline Fowles is not pictured.

 Have you ever heard of Destination Imagination? Well, it is hard for me to explain, but it is where kids use their imaginations to solve challenges. I am part of a Destination Imagination or “DI” team at Westerly School with Eliza Aleksandrovic, Grace Chilton, Caroline Fowles, Ava Ransom, Olivia Reed and Patty Yuhas. Our team name is the Aqua Girls.

This year we chose the community service project challenge, and the community service project we chose is to clean up Huntington Beach. We chose to clean up the beach because when we were on a class field trip in the fall we learned and saw how dirty the beach is. But in order to clean up the beach we need to raise money to buy the supplies so we decided to do a fundraiser.

Center volunteer Emma brings a chinchilla down to toddler level at Animals a la Mode.

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February is chock-full of educational and entertaining activities for all ages to experience at the nonprofit Center in Bay Village.

Preschoolers ages 1-5 will enjoy a chance to celebrate the holidays throughout the month. They’ll learn a little about the special day, meet an animal, make a craft, read a story, and, of course, have FUN! These free-flow programs will allow children (and a special adult) to move at their own pace, make new friends and focus on what they enjoy most. Join us for one or more of the four February holiday programs: Groundhog Day (Feb. 2), Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), Presidents Day (Feb. 20) and Leap Year (Feb. 29). Each program runs from 10-11:30 a.m. and tickets are on sale now for $5/child.

Moms of preschoolers and younger children looking for a faith-filled group of women to share the parenting journey are invited to join us for inspiration, laughter and some creative time while your little ones are safely cared for in an age-appropriate setting. We will meet every other Tuesday, beginning Jan. 24, from 9:30-11 a.m. at Westlake United Methodist Church.

The group is reading "A Mom after God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. Free professional childcare is offered for infants up to age 3 and story time with our librarians Miss Judy & Miss Nanci for the older children. Infants are welcome to stay with their moms for the book group.

Westerly fourth-graders show off their "Attitude of Gratitude" books. Each week, the students take a moment to reflect and record an entry in their books.

The students in Mrs. Mahall and Mrs. Woodburn’s fourth grade class at Westerly School got a head start on their New Year’s resolutions. Beginning on the first day of school back in August 2011, they began a special book entitled “My Attitude of Gratitude.”

Each week they reflect on their life experiences and write a new entry into their personal book, accompanied by an illustration. This notion of gratitude is encouraged and supported by their teachers who write their own message of gratitude as the opening day message on the Smart Board each morning.

Left-to-right: Front row - Amy Huntley; Michael Caputo, Vice President; Back row - Bill Selong; Gayatry Jacob-Mosier, President; Bob Piccirilli

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Dr. Robert Piccirilli joined the Bay Village Board of Education when he was sworn in as a new member on Monday, Jan. 9. Board member Bill Selong was also sworn in for his fourth term after winning the November 2011 election.

Dr. Gayatry Jacob-Mosier was elected by the Board as president, and Michael Caputo was elected vice president.

Wednesday, Feb. 1 (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, Feb. 1 (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, Feb. 2 (9:30 a.m.- 8:30 p.m.) Friends of the Library’s Book Sale – Come find some bargains on books and audiovisual material!

Thursday, Feb. 2 (7-8:15 p.m.) Introduction to Overdrive and E-books – Join a staff member from the Popular Materials Department for an instructional class on downloading eBooks on the most popular eReaders. Please register.

Friday, Feb. 3 (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) Friends of the Library’s Book Sale – Come find some bargains on books and audiovisual material!

Connie Schultz laughs with an audience member during her appearance at a Democratic Club meeting at Church of the Redeemer on Jan. 17.

Former Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz entertained a full audience on a recent cold, windy evening at Westlake’s Church of the Redeemer United Church of Christ. The Jan. 17 event was hosted by the Westside Democrats and the Westlake Democratic Club. Jeanne Long, secretary of the Westside Dems, organized the talk, and her husband and president of the Westlake club, Vern Long, filled the emcee role.

Schultz is a nationally-syndicated columnist, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and several other journalistic awards, former feature writer for the Plain Dealer and author of two books. A resident of Avon, she is married to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, has four grown children and one grandchild.

As we now observe the sesquicentennial anniversary of our nation’s most divisive war, some of us may be wondering about our ancestors’ participation in that war. But, where might we begin this genealogical/family history quest?

The first place to look is on-line at Ancestry.com or Fold3.com (formerly Footnote.com) for Civil War Pension records. But not all soldiers received a pension. The filing process took so long that some died before collecting a pension. If they outlived their spouse and/or dependents, no pension was paid. Records for these individuals might be found in the national or state Service Record files and/or Muster Rolls. Another place to look is at the local level, where the soldier was buried.

Veterans’ graves in all of Ohio are/were registered at the County Recorder’s office. For soldiers buried in Cuyahoga County, the Recorder’s Office has compiled a Graves Registration list that can be searched at recorder.cuyahogacounty.us/veterandefault.aspx. This list is an ongoing project in Cuyahoga County, in conjunction with the Memorial Day Association of Greater Cleveland. Their registry covers veterans from all wars. However, this collection is not complete and some errors exist.

For years, savvy moms have purchased baby items, children’s clothes and toys at area resale events – saving money and helping repurpose things that have been barely played with or worn.  

Now, for the first time in the area, Westlake’s Holly Lane PTA is organizing a Big Kid ReSale for clothing sizes 5T to Junior and gear more appropriate for the older set, rather than the toddler set.  

Westlake’s Big Kid ReSale will be held on Saturday, March 17, from 8a.m. to noon at Westlake High School, 27830 Hilliard Rd. The sale will include more than 50 tables. Besides clothing, the event will feature sports equipment, toys, games, books, music equipment, computer stuff, furniture and shoes.

Fanny Bonduelle (far left) and friends from the ASSE exchange-student program visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Every year, families and high schools in our area open their doors and welcome young men and women from around the world who desire to experience the typical life of the American teenager and learn in American schools. This school year, three students are attending Westlake, Bay and Avon Lake high schools as part of the ASSE International Student Exchange Program (ASSE) that places students from foreign countries with families in the U.S.

At Bay High School, Fanny Bonduelle from Suresnes, France, is in her junior year and is studying American literature, American government, chemistry and, her favorite, American fast foods/gourmet. Fanny has earned a role in Bay High’s spring musical “Beauty and the Beast,” snowboards with the ski club, takes dance lessons at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood and attends dances with her local host family where salsa, swing and other dance styles are taught informally.

Sarmad Al-Aish's "Solid Liberty"
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Four Lee Burneson Middle School seventh-graders placed in the top 100 for their entries in the international Rock the Statue Green Contest.

The contest was sponsored by the French Embassy to celebrate the 125th birthday of the Statue of Liberty – a gift to the United States from France. The contest challenged students to create a replica of the Statue of Liberty using recycled materials.

Englebert Humperdinck’s delightful opera "Hänsel and Gretel," based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, will be previewed on Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the FYI: Opera program at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Rd.   

David Bamberger, Director of Opera Theater at the Cleveland Institute of Music, will supply intriguing background details and talented CIM student vocalists will perform selected arias in the original German. 

Parkside Intermediate School National Geographic Bee finalists Matthew Vulku, Kate Fulton, Patrick Lee, Sanil Gosain and Crystal Zhao. Patrick won the competition.
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Parkside Intermediate School sixth-grader Patrick Lee and Lee Burneson Middle School seventh-grader Justin Krantz won the school-level competitions of the National Geographic Bee and will now take a written test to qualify to compete at the state level in March.

In March, the school-level winners will compete to represent Ohio at the national contest in Washington, D.C., in May. The national winner earns a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society.

At Parkside, the top five finalists were Kate Fulton, Sanil Gosain, Patrick Lee, Matthew Vulku and Crystal Zhao. At Lee Burneson Middle School, top finishers were Justin Krantz and eighth-graders Thomas Bowles and Emma Franklin.

Bay Middle School cheerleaders and mini-Rocket cheerleaders present their check to Cindy Angel, founding member of Journey for Hope, before their halftime performance.

The Bay Middle School cheerleaders recently held a Mini-Cheer Camp for girls ages kindergarten through fourth grade and raised over $1,800 for Journey of Hope, a non-profit who pays for basic living expenses for local cancer patients going through medical treatments.

The all-day camp was held at Westerly Elementary on Saturday, Jan. 7, and facilitated by the twelve Bay Middle School cheerleaders who taught pom-pom routines, chants, cheers and dances. To add to the festivities, the mini-cheerleaders were treated to a camp T-shirt, crafts, snacks, lunch and face painting. The day rounded out with a performance for parents.

Auditor of State Dave Yost’s office gave the Westlake City School District a clean report once again for the 2010-2011 school year. This is the fourth consecutive “perfect audit,” clean of findings or citations, and paves the way for the district to receive a distinction award from the Auditor of State.

CFO/Treasurer Mark C. Pepera credits the achievement to a concerted effort by his staff to enforce fiscal policy and maintain a high level set of internal controls and financial reporting procedures, as well as buildings and departments following those guidelines. Under Pepera’s fiscal watch, the Westlake City School District has been nationally recognized for 12 consecutive years of excellence in financial reporting.

The Friends of Westlake Porter Public Library are having their Annual Book Sale from Feb. 1-5. Over 10,000 books, CDs, DVDs and audio books will be available for purchase in three rooms of the library.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, is the preview sale only for members of Friends from 4-7 p.m. You will be able to join Friends at that time. The regular sale runs on Thursday, Feb. 2, from 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 3, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The half-price sale is Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 5, there will be a bag sale from 1:15 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. See how many books you can cram into a bag for $2. We will supply the bags.

Mary Dice Petit's painting of the original Huntington Playhouse is one of the archival pieces on display at BAYarts.

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Now showing in The Sullivan Family Gallery in the Fuller House is a rare glimpse at the work of some of the founders and early faculty of BAYarts (formerly Baycrafters). Through years of renovation, these works were singled out and stored for their historical and artistic value, brought out on rare occassions when space permits.

It is only fitting that they now hang in the new Sullivan Gallery, a nod to the longevity of the 64-year-old organization with an even more promising future.

The exhibit is open through Feb. 3. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon; Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; or by appointment. Call 440-871-6543 or info@bayarts.net for information or appointments.

Cuyahoga Community College is proud to announce the launch of an Alumni & Friends Association. The Tri-C alumni program will feature an alumni website, an online community, a mentoring network and updated job search and resume resources. It will also alert alums to special events and discounts. There are no fees or membership dues.

“The Alumni & Friends Association will play a key role by managing our richest resource – people,” said Alan Moran, vice president of marketing and communications. “The Association is actively engaged in reconnecting with former students and graduates to build a dynamic and ongoing network and at the same time to preserve our history. It also seeks to engage friends in the community who support our mission and wish to keep up-to-date on the College’s initiatives and events.”

If sewing is your passion and you enjoy using your skills to give back to others, then please consider joining us!

Hospice of the Western Reserve and Birds of a Feather are hosting a sew-a-thon to create 200 lap blankets for patients with dementia. Made of special textured materials, these blankets are used to promote tactile stimulation.

The sew-a-thon takes place every Wednesday, Jan. 25-Feb. 29. Bring a friend and join us at Birds of a Feather, 25963 Detroit Rd. in Westlake.

The Collective Arts Network Journal

We're here! We're here! We're here! That is the announcement from 30 local art organizations who pooled their resources to create The CAN Journal, an informative directory describing the depth and breadth of the many unsung art organizations in the greater Cleveland area.

CAN (Collective Arts Network) is the brainchild of Liz Maugans, Bay Village resident and director of Zygote Press in Cleveland. Frustrated by the lack of media attention to smaller organizations, this free journal was made possible by a partial grant from the Ohio Arts Council, contributions from each participating organization and a few classy ads. It is available at all the participating organizations, including BAYarts, as well as libraries, bookstores, hotels and other venues.

Come to the library for any of these programs and be ready to be entertained and informed. There’s something for everyone from book discussions, to playtimes, to magic shows! Reading is the perfect pastime during these cold days, so come and browse the shelves or let us help you find the perfect book. Read to your little ones to build their vocabulary and to improve their preliteracy skills, and let them catch you reading. The love and enjoyment of reading is one of the best gifts you can pass on!

ADULT DEPARTMENT

Tuesday, Jan. 31 (7 p.m.) NOTABLE BOOKS FOR ADULTS 2012 – Returning by popular demand, Bill Kelly from the ALA Notable Books Council and manager of the Cuyahoga County Public Library Beachwood Branch presents the list of books chosen for 2012 in addition to the process involved and how books are considered.

Wednesday, Feb. 8 (7 p.m.) HOME SWEET REVENUE – Are you wondering how you could benefit from the current housing market? There are many strategies that can be used, from “flip that house” to renting and property management.

Father/Daughter Valentine’s Day Dance (ages 3-10)

Friday, Feb. 3 (6:30-8 p.m.) – Dance the night away with your little princess. This is a great chance for dad to spend time with his daughter(s). Snacks and punch provided. Each couple will receive a photo memento of the evening. Join us for a “sweet” time! Deadline to register is Jan. 31 or when max of 100 is reached. Call Rachel O’Malley at 440-808-5700 for more details.

6th Grade After Hours Bash

Friday, Feb. 10 (8:30-10:30 p.m.) – The return of the popular after hours fun time. We close the doors and stay open late for these special events. Gym, pool, DJ Eazy spinning tunes. Snack and water provided. Please register early to avoid being closed out. Open to members and any child who goes to school in Westlake. Fee: $10/members; $15/residents.

Having a Super Bowl party? Then making it a “zero waste” party by:

• Using reusable dinnerware, utensils & reusable or recyclable bottles
• Using cloth napkins and tablecloth instead of paper products
• Marking recycling and compost receptacles and using them! 
• Informing your guests of your goal of zero waste

The Westlake Historical Society has updated and reprinted a picture history of Westlake, formerly known as Dover. The Dover Coloring Book was originally created as part of the "Heritage 76" project, published during the 200th birthday celebration of our nation in 1976.

At the end of 2011, the Westlake Historical Society updated and reprinted the coloring book to help celebrate the 200th birthday of Westlake. The goal of the project was to share this historically based book with all second-grade students (and parents) who attend Westlake elementary schools. 

BAYarts hosted the Jan. 12 meeting at its beautifully renovated Irene Fuller House. Refreshments were served and tours of the facility were conducted after the meeting. Here are some of the Bay Village community events coming up this month.

The Women’s Board at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center will hold its Fireside Dinner on Jan. 20 and a salad luncheon on Feb. 1. Winter programs at the Center include a family fun night “Owl Prowl” on Jan. 25, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the “Animal Encounters” behind-the-scenes tour on Feb. 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Kristen Stanford of The Ohio State University will present a program on Lake Erie water snakes as part of the Lake Erie 101 series on Feb. 9. The March program will focus on coyotes.

The Bay Village Garden Club raised $2,800 as a result of this holiday season’s “Greening of Bay” craft classes.

While walking toward Rose Hill Museum to visit, one notices a small stone building surrounded by an herb garden standing to the right of the south porch. This building had been the smoke house for the John Wolf family at 492 Bradley Rd.

The Wolf family arrived in Dover Township in 1819. Wolf Road is named for the family. Descendant Alfred Horace Wolf served as mayor of the Village of Bay from 1910 to 1915.

Even before Alfred Horace became mayor, the smoke house was being used as a jail. Prisoners waiting to be transferred to the county jail found themselves locked up for the night in the smoke house. Later, when the Zemi family lived on the property, it was used as a haunted house at Halloween.

Edward Beyer's portrait is one of the pieces on display at BAYarts' Dianne Boldman Gallery through March 3.

Every Friday, rain, shine, sleet or hail, a dedicated group of professional artists gather in the new Fuller House art studio. Models of all shapes and sizes are rendered in oil, acrylic, pastel, pencil and watercolor.

We've asked the artists to choose a sample of their favorite work from the past year to display in the Dianne Boldman Gallery in the Huntington House. The show will run through March 3 in conjunction with the Emerging Artists show in the Fuller House Sullivan Gallery.

The show will be on view during regular office hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 (7 p.m.) Tuesday Evening Book Discussion – In January we’ll discuss "Wildwater Walking Club" by Claire Cook.

Wednesday, Jan. 11 (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.

Thursday, Jan. 12 (7-8:45 p.m.) Dean’s Greenhouse Movie Series – Join Debbie Dean Espie for a viewing of "Queen of the Sun," which takes viewers on a journey through the world of bees, the hive collapse crisis, and what some creative beekeepers are doing.

Thursday, Jan. 12 (7 p.m.) Non-Fiction Book Discussion – The January selection is "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba.

Saturday, Jan. 14 (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) Crafts A Go-Go! – Join us for a fun and easy craft experience! All supplies provided; just drop in. A new, cool craft idea every time!

Saturday, Jan. 14 (12:30-2:30 p.m.) SAT Test Results – Get your results from the previous week's exam and discuss strategies and tips for effective test-taking.

Saturday, Jan. 14 (2-3 p.m.) Brick Builders Club – Love those LEGO bricks? Then bring your ideas and imagination to the club! All bricks provided. Ages 6-13. Registration begins one week before each session.

Sunday, Jan. 15 (2-4 p.m.) Sunday Sounds – The Friends of the Library present the Elm Street Blues Band.

Farah Sayed of Westlake was the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Week poetry contest winner for the Cleveland area in the grades 3-5 category. Sayed is a fourth-grade student at Birchwood School in Cleveland. Sayed’s poem, "The Cabinet of Cures," was sent on for competition at the national level.

National Chemistry Week is a community-based annual event that unites ACS local regions, businesses, schools and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life. The theme for 2011 was, “Chemistry – Our Health, Our future!” 

Back to square one: This colloquialism means to start over again. It may have come from board games that, though bad luck, you had to move back to the starting point.

                                                                                 ~

Gospel: It means "good news" from the Old English godspell.

In her Jan. 10 letter to the editor, State Representative Nan Baker listed a smorgasbord of so-called jobs legislation she supported in the General Assembly. But one law she supported – the repeal of the Estate Tax – is not really about promoting jobs or economic growth. It is more about making sure the wealthiest in Ohio remain so, at the expense of Ohio's middle class.  

Most Ohio families – more than 90 percent, according to the nonpartisan research institute Policy Matters Ohio – will never have estate tax due after they die. According to Policy Matters' Feb. 2011 testimony to the House Ways & Means Committee, the estate tax was paid on about 7.5 percent of Ohio estates in 2009. Estate tax was finalized on just about 8,000 estates. This is not a tax on Ohio's middle class, on those  families living, working and sending their children to school in Rep. Baker's District 16.

With this letter, I am hoping to reach out to anyone who has been away from the Catholic Church. About two years ago I felt something calling me back to the Church I had been away from for about 20 years. I wasn’t sure what to do.

Do I just show up one Sunday at Mass? How do I know what church I should go to? Should I call and talk to a priest? Then I saw an article about Catholics Coming Home at St. Raphael Church in Bay Village. Wow...talk about timing!