Community Events

Bay Village Kiwanians and Bay High Key Clubbers will hold their annual spring pancake breakfast on Sunday, March 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Bay Middle School, 27725 Wolf Rd.

The breakfast includes pancakes, syrup, link sausages, milk, juice and coffee for $5 per person ($6 at the door). Children under six eat for free. Advance tickets are available from Kiwanian Russ Bauknecht, 440-871-9162 or bayruss@aol.com.

“The Kiwanis Club of Bay Village, along with the Bay High Key Club, team up for the annual spring pancake breakfast to usher in spring,” says Rhonda Schneider of the Kiwanis Club. "Come on out and enjoy a hot breakfast while supporting two hometown service organizations."

The Westlake Early Childhood PTA (WECPTA) will hold its spring Kiddie Kloset kids resale event on Saturday, April 21, from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The event will be held at Westlake High School, 27830 Hilliard Rd. Please note: Because of construction at Westlake High School, the parking and entrance for the sale will be on east side of the building.

The sale will feature gently used baby items, kids clothing, toys, games, furniture, and maternity clothes. The sale will include more than 80 tables of merchandise – one of the largest kids resales in the area.

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

Before the month gets into full swing, take a moment to celebrate a day that doesn’t come around all that often. You and your preschooler can join in on some leaping good fun with hopping critters, flinging flying activities and planetarium programs in honor of Leap Year on Wednesday, Feb. 29. The program runs 10-11:30 a.m. and tickets are on sale now for $5/child.

The new month then kicks off with the chance to Meet an Animal on Saturday, March 3, at 3:00 p.m. With the help of a live turkey vulture, explore the misconceptions and fascinating truths about this commonly misunderstood animal. Director of Wildlife Dave Wolf will discuss this curious bird’s favorite pastimes: vomiting, bed-wetting, even nose-picking! Not for the weak of stomach, but everyone welcome! Tickets will be on sale at the door for $2/person.

Everyone is invited to experience an old-fashioned Valentine's Day party at the Clague House Museum on Sunday, Feb. 12, beginning at 2 p.m. The museum is located at 1371 Clague Road (north of Hilliard Blvd.) in Westlake.  

Complimentary tours of the Clague House and refreshments will be available, as well as free crafts for the entire family. This will also be an excellent opportunity for everyone in the family to experience how life was lived in early Dover (now known as Westlake) during the late 1800s and early 1900s. 

Come join the CWRU group at the Bay Village Branch Library for our upcoming session titled “The Voices of Boys” where we delve into the plight of boys fighting for survival in war-torn countries. As one of the cities where some of the rescued “Lost Boys” have been resettled, we will find out their story. 

This is an interactive experience with lively discussion guided by our leader/teacher Barbara Parr as we explore the world of some of the “lost boys.” We will meet at the library, 502 Cahoon Rd., every Monday from 10-11:30 a.m. for eight weeks beginning March 19. Advance registration together with payment of the course fee of $70 is required, and must be received by CWRU no later than March 5. Thereafter walk-ins may sign up as space allows. Class size is limited to 20.

Help children from becoming or staying victims to molestation and other inappropriate acts by marching forth on March 4 during the Look Our For Kids Awareness Walk with the Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena.  

The Lake Erie Monsters will welcome the family, friends, and supporters of ReInventing the Cycle Inc. and their program, Project S.T.O.P. (Stop the Oppressive Predator) to help raise funds to increase awareness of and education to prevent children from child predators.

Would you like to develop communication and leadership skills within a supportive environment? Please be our guest on Tuesday mornings from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and gain the tools, resources and support you need from Toastmasters International. We meet at Bay United Methodist Church, 29931 Lake Rd.

For more information, please visit our website at tmt.toastmastersclubs.org or contact Betsy McKinney at 440-835-0030 or Doreen Dever Papajcik at 440-899-9479.

Are you feeling the effects of wintertime cabin fever and looking for an escape? Perhaps, a trip to the past is the remedy. Members of the Cuyahoga West Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) invite you to join their ranks and learn more about how to research your family history. A membership drive is currently underway.

This Chapter offers free help sessions from 1:00-2:30 p.m., on the first Wednesday of the month (except December, January, July and August), in the Computer Lab at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Rd. Just bring what information you have collected thus far, on a particular ancestral line, to one of these help sessions. Members will help you extend your research, or get started on your journey. The next afternoon session will be Wednesday, March 7.

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.

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.

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.

Please join us in supporting a very worthy cause, the Village Food Project, Saturday, Jan. 28, at Bay Lanes for a great evening of live music, dancing and bowling – the second annual Rock-N-Bowl! Last year’s Rock-N-Bowl was a huge success and the talk of the town.

Beginning at 8 p.m., local classic rock and pop bands The Feedbacks (including Bay residents Dave MacAskill and Chris Gillespie) and DDK (featuring Keven Blake and Dave Lowery) with special guests Elvis Pohlkamp and comedian Delmar Everheart (Randy Geise) will perform live at Bay Lanes.  Find a lane, grab a ball and have a ball while enjoying great music and fun.

Doesn’t it feel good to start over again? The New Year feels like the beginning of a new school year. My family spends some of our New Year’s Day thinking about our favorite things from last year and then things we hope to do in the New Year. We write our New Year’s resolutions in a book and compare them to last year’s.

This year my mom couldn’t find our family book so I think one of her resolutions should be to find the book! I have thought about 2012 and what might happen. I know it is my last year at Westerly Elementary and at the end of the year I will be in the middle school. That seems like a big change. My dad is trying to win a Fulbright scholarship that would take my family to South Africa at the end 2012 for eight months. We won’t know until the spring and I know that will be a huge change for us.

Ohio Genealogical Society trustee Margaret Cheney will be the featured guest speaker at an event on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Westlake Porter Public Library. Cheney’s official duty will be to install the newly elected slate of officers of the local Cuyahoga West Chapter: Jim Denham, president; Deborah Basiewicz, vice president and program chair; Jane Carlson, recording secretary; Nancy Shaw, corresponding secretary; and John Noble, treasurer. 

In December, the Peter Navarre Chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812 (U.S.D. 1812) held its first meeting in Westlake since relocating to the Bay Village/Westlake–Toledo area. Current efforts are underway to recognize the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Pictured are: (front row, from left) prospective Chapter members Vicky Heineck of Parma Heights, Dorothy Laurianti of Bay Village and Jane Baran of Lorain; (back row) Chapter members Martha Truchon of Westlake, Deb Marisch of Bay Village and Chapter President Marlene Wilkinson of Westlake.

The Westlake Historical Society has begun planning for its annual Antique, Vintage and Craft Show, to be held July 15. Even though snow is blanketing the ground and the new year is only days old, now is the perfect time to start planning for the Society's biggest fundraiser. Proceeds from the show are used to fund museum utility costs, as well as other projects throughout the year.

Antique, vintage and craft vendors who would like to be a part of the July show are asked to call 440-808-1961 for an application. Vendor space is limited.

The Bay Jobseekers Group is changing its schedule in 2012. Beginning in January, the group will meet on the first and third Mondays of the month only. This group is a faith-based group open to all persons who are looking for help in their job search.

The group will meet for the first time in 2012 on Monday, Jan. 16, from 8:30-10 a.m. The topic of the day will be "A Taste of Toastmasters" which helps participants improve their impromptu speaking skills, the kind of skills which are essential to a successful job interview. The group will then begin its first and third Monday schedule in February.

The Bay Village Green Team is sponsoring a new program called “Green Your Life” Educational Series. These upcoming classes are FREE and open to the public. Click Events on www.bayvillagegreenteam.com for more information.  

Want to Lower Your Gas Bills and Increase Your Home's Comfort?

Then come to the Green Team's first "Green Your Life" presentation featuring Ray Frank of Columbia Gas.  He will be speaking about Columbia Gas' three subsidized programs that can help lower your home's energy usage. You must be a Columbia Gas customer to take advantage of the programs but anyone who is interested in learning about ways to reduce energy usage should attend.

Church of the Redeemer's chancel choir, under the direction of Carol Peddie, performed seasonal music during a holiday concert at the Westlake church on Dec. 11.

The Bay Village Kiwanis Club has been stationed at the Cahoon Park gazebo since Nov. 26, selling Christmas trees for a cause. Sales will continue through Dec. 19.

Three Christmas tree varietals will be available, including Fraser Firs, Douglas Firs and Blue Spruces. Most trees are 6-7 or 7-8 feet high and in the $45-$70 price range, with a limited number of 10-12 foot Frasier Firs available for $120. Delivery is available for a $5 donation.

Love a mystery? Love detective novels? Join the CWRU group at Bay Village Library for our upcoming session titled “The Detective Novel from Page to Screen.” Enjoy an interactive experience with lively discussion guided by our leader/teacher Terry Meehan as we explore the film world’s transformation of three books into movies. We will meet at the Bay Village Branch Library, 502 Cahoon Rd., every Monday from 10 -11:30 a.m for eight weeks beginning Jan. 16, 2012.

The books and films include "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiel Hammett; "Laura" by Vera Caspary; and "The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler. This trio of major American detective novels were made into classic 1940s films by three of our greatest filmmakers. One week will be a lively discussion of the literary value of the book, the next will be a screening of the film, followed by a study of how the filmmaker transforms the book’s ideas and characters into cinema.

It feels good when all your hard work pays off. That’s what happened the evenings of Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 at the Westerly School Holiday Program. Mrs. Engelbrecht, our music teacher, and Mr. Judge, our student teacher from Cleveland State University, put together a magnificent show for all the parents and relatives to see.

This year’s theme was "Christmas is Love." Each class sang holiday songs and played musical instruments. Some classes even danced! The fourth-graders sang songs like "Jingle Bell Rock," "I Saw Three Ships" and "The Holly and the Ivy."

Legendary announcer Joe Tait, "the Voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers," will visit Barnes & Noble Bookstore; 198 Crocker Park Blvd. in Westlake on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 1-2 p.m. Joe will share stories and autograph copies of his new book "Joe Tait: It’s Been a Real Ball." The book is co-written with award-winning sports writer Terry Pluto.

Based on a series of in-depth interviews, and with memories contributed by Tait’s fans and colleagues, the book covers Joe Tait’s hall-of-fame broadcasting career from his early days announcing high school sports to his retirement from basketball in 2011 after four decades with the Cavaliers. It tells how Tait got started in broadcasting, how he landed jobs with the Cavaliers and the Indians, and how his no-nonsense commentary won fans and sometimes got him in hot water with coaches and owners.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant received by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and their collaborating partners is designed to educate families and teachers about water quality issues and to demonstrate how individual actions can impact the watershed. 

The project is also designed to improve recreational water quality by identifying potential pollution sources within the Porter Creek Watershed. The book "All the Way to the Ocean" by Joel Harper is an uplifting story about the cause and effect relationship between our cities’ storm drains and the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers. 

Join us for our All the Way to the Ocean Fun Fest on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Educator’s Market & Toy located at 25923 Detroit Rd., in Westlake. This event will engage families in water-related, innovative activities and lessons that are aligned to Ohio’s Science Standards. We will have crafts, hands-on lessons, and light refreshments. We will also have three readings of "All the Way to the Ocean" at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Westlake High School Lady Demons Fastpitch Softball team is sponsoring a benefit performance of "Miracle on 34th Street" at Huntington Playhouse, 28601 Lake Road, Bay Village, on Thursday, Dec. 15. There will be a coaches, players, parents and guests Meet and Greet starting at 7 p.m. Light snacks and desserts will be served.

The theatre doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students 18 and under. For tickets or more information, please contact Doug Foster at dfoster55@aol.com or call 440-759-3313.

The Bay Village Community Band held a special Veterans Day concert Nov. 9. The all-ages crowd was treated to a selection of patriotic songs performed by the band's talented volunteer musicians. A late venue switch had band director Timothy Stohs worried that attendance would be low. But by the time the program began at 7:30 p.m., almost every seat in the Community House was full.

The evening kicked off with a posting of the colors by the Color Guard of Bay Village VFW Post 9693. The four men stood at attention as the crowd turned toward the flag to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and many audience members sang aloud as the band played the Star Spangled Banner.

One highlight of the program was a special tribute to veterans in attendance -- both in the band and in the audience. Assistant director and Navy veteran David Hager rose from his seat in the trumpet section to conduct the band in the Armed Forces Salute.

Trading in his reindeer for a shiny Macy’s tour bus, Santa Claus is coming to Macy's at Great Northern Mall in style on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m.! Visiting children of all ages, Santa Claus will welcome one and all to join in the festivities, as he reminds everyone about the magic of the Christmas season and shares a few magical moments with his jolly elves.  

As it has for the past three years, Macy’s “Believe” campaign invites children to mail letters to Santa using Macy’s Santa Mail Letterboxes. Macy’s donates $1 for each letter mailed in store, up to $1 million, to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Santa encourages everyone to write their letters and bring them to Macy's to drop in their special "Believe" mailbox. 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The Bay Village Kiwanis Club will soon be setting up their annual Christmas tree sale at the Cahoon Park Gazebo area, ready to start selling trees on Nov. 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Three Christmas tree varietals will be available, including Fraser Firs, Douglas Firs and Blue Spruces. Most trees will be 6-7 or 7-8 feet high and in the $45-$70 price range, with a limited number of 10-12 foot Frasier Firs available for $120. Delivery is available for a $5 donation.

The 29th annual Greening of Bay Holiday Arrangement Workshop will be held the evening of Monday, Dec. 5, and the morning and evening of Tuesday, Dec. 6, at Bay Presbyterian Church, 25415 Lake Rd. Class times and a registration form are available on our website at bayvillagegardenclub.com.

Make the perfect holiday decoration to adorn your home and please your family in less than an hour. You’ll get a kit brimming with fresh fragrant greens and pretty decorations. Garden club members will be there for one-on-one help. Refreshments provided. Ages 14 and older.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Dorothy from Oz in her ruby slippers visited the Knickerbocker's Freaky Family Fun Fest on Oct. 26, along with many other brightly costumed children. I stopped counting at one hundred. It was another great experience.

This year belonged to Darth Vader and company. Of course, Harry Potter put in an appearance, as well as various furry creatures with long tails, Tinker Bell with twinkling lights, a few lady bugs, a cow girl, vampires and two ballerinas who graciously pirouetted for the seniors in the haunted library. The children were so well-mannered and polite. They especially seemed to enjoy visiting with the service dogs which assist one of the residents.

The Bay Village American Legion Post #385 will retire old, faded and torn flags prior to their monthly meeting on Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. The retirement ceremony is in keeping with proper military protocol.

The post retires between 400 and 500 flags per year. Ceremonies are conducted in June for Flag Day and in November for Veterans Day.

Residents are asked to bring their flags to the post prior to Nov. 11, place them in a grocery bag and hang them on the doorknob of the post located at 695 Cahoon Rd., just north of White Oaks Restaurant.

The Westlake Women’s Club (formerly the Westlake Junior Women’s Club) is very excited about this year’s 22nd annual Basket of Treasures Craft Show! This is a juried show with over 110 regional crafters and artisans, and it is a perfect opportunity to get a jump on your holiday shopping.

Basket of Treasures is being held Saturday, Nov. 12, at Westlake High School, 27830 Hilliard Blvd. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the show runs until 3:30 p.m. Because of the construction going on at the high school, the main entrance will be on the back side of the school – just follow the signs for directions.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center kicks off the holiday season with the welcome return of the annual Christmas Carousel Craft Fair, presented by the Center’s Women’s Board.

The Craft Fair has been held at a number of off-site locations over the years, but returns to its roots at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Avoid the holiday rush while shopping for unique treasures for your loved ones – choose from a selection of arts, crafts, handmade goods and more. Just a few of the items featured this year: Pottery and Nature Photo Note Cards from Nancy & Vicki Horning's Earth Art Studio, Emille Illson's Button Down Designs (bracelets made from heirloom buttons of the 1840s-1940s) and natural beeswax and olive oil soaps, lotions and creams from Christine Rice's Morning Star Gardens.

Busy Bay Village organizations have shared the results of their recent events, and there are many exciting things planned for the upcoming fall and winter months.

Bay Men’s Club’s first annual Lu-Wow Hawaiian-themed barbecue party in late August provided a great time for all 140 guests, and raised $8,000 for scholarships. The club’s next event is the annual rake-out. If you know someone in need of having the leaves raked from their yard, contact Bay Men’s Club President Eric Eakin at 440-835-2718.

An exhibit of wedding dresses and trousseaus spanning the years 1880-1990 is on display at Rose Hill Museum now through the Christmas holidays. The 2011 ornament depicting the historic Fuller House on the BAYarts campus is on sale in the museum gift shop. Rose Hill is open on Sundays from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. Group tours can be arranged by appointment. Phone 440-871-7338. The Bay Village Historical Society’s annual Country Festival is planned for June 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. All community organizations are invited to participate. Contact Cynthia Eakin at 440-835-2718.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies, Drug Awareness and Prevention Inc., county Boards of Health, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, and local action groups has organized  a joint event: Operation: Medicine Cabinet (OMC) and the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The event will occur on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at locations throughout northeast Ohio, including the Bay Village police station, 28000 Wolf Rd., and the Westlake police station, 27300 Hilliard Blvd.
 
Together, the partners’ goal is to help residents in northeast Ohio safely dispose of any outdated or unwanted prescription medications. Last May, the event collected over 9,000 pounds of unwanted or expired medications.

The Westlake Kiwanis Club will be holding a pancake breakfast Sunday, Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Westlake High School cafeteria, 27830 Hilliard Blvd.

The breakfast includes all the pancakes you care to eat, plus sausage, orange juice, milk, coffee and tea. The price is $6; children under 6 eat for FREE.

Corporate sponsorships are available for $50 and include 10 breakfast tickets and advertisement of your business during the breakfast.

It was a great couple of days to catch up with old friends and make new ones at the Youth Challenge Alumni Homecoming Weekend, held Oct. 7 and 8 at Youth Challenge headquarters in Westlake.

Many people, including current and past participants and volunteers, staff and friends, gathered to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Youth Challenge at the homecoming dance Friday night and at a tailgate party on Saturday.

Youth Challenge (YC) is a non-profit organization that brings together children with physical disabilities and youth volunteers who enrich each other’s lives through one-on-one participation in adapted sports and recreational activities.

Attention little goblins throughout the area, please bring your family and friends to the second annual Freaky Family Fun Night sponsored by the West Shore Senior Center. The silliness will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 6-8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Apartments, 27100 Knickerbocker Rd. in Bay Village.

Open to all youngsters, this fun night includes a safe trick-or-treat, balloon animals, cotton candy, clowns and magic! Your family can join us for dinner at our concession stand where we will be serving hot dogs, chili, homemade cream of potato soup, donut holes, cider, hot chocolate and more! We will even have a Pumpkin Patch Bake Sale!

Have you always wanted to know more about your ancestors, but don’t know how to begin? Or are you a seasoned genealogical researcher whose ox cart is stuck in a ditch? Now is the time to get the help you need. 

In celebration of Family History Month and Westlake’s Bicentennial, members of Cuyahoga West Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will be offering two family history research help sessions in October. Their regularly scheduled afternoon session will be on Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Computer Lab of Westlake Porter Public Library.  Bring what information you have collected, thus far, and members will help you plan your next step.

The Bay Village City School District invites community members to hear an evening presentation of Rachel’s Challenge, a program about treating others with respect, on Monday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m. at Bay High School auditorium.

Rachel Joy Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine High School tragedy on April 20, 1999. Immediately after the tragedy, her father Darrell began to speak around the nation, and he used writings and drawings from Rachel's many diaries to illustrate the need for a kinder, more compassionate nation. Today, Darrell and thirty other speakers honor Rachel's life by reaching the nation with Rachel's simple but profound message.