"We are very pleased with the number and quality of applicants for the vacancy on the Board. The good news is that sixteen (16) Lakewoodites have answered the call to service and have offered their time and effort. Unfortunately, we can pick only one for the opening. However, we cannot let such talent go, so we will be asking all to become involved District initiatives this year." Ed Favre, School Board President 2009

Kevin Aylward
Ronald Ciancutti
John Farina
William George
Diane Helbig
Kenneth Jones
John Kamkutis
Brian Kvasnicka
Frederick Leick
Martin Lowell
Gary Romes
Ryan Salo
Kirsten Senger
Tessa Smith
John Sweo
John Zappala

In Lakewood Observer Volume 5 Issue 1, read comments and bios on all of the candidates.

Where does Peter Pan live?  Second to the right and straight on ‘til morning…but until January 4, he will be making his home at The Beck Center in Lakewood as they present the beloved musical Peter Pan.

Are all the children in Lakewood little angels or are they just being good because Santa Clause is coming to town?  The little ones in the audience at the matinee I attended were very obedient and attentive.  Maybe that’s a testament to how endearing the story of Peter Pan is.  Not to mention, who can resist the mesmerizing affects of pirates, Indians, alligators, lost boys and the ubiquitous Tinkerbell. 

To the surprise of many, 22 year Lakewood City School Board Member and current Board President, Charles Geiger III, resigned his seat on the Board at the December 1 monthly Board meeting. 

“I like to call it a retirement,” said Geiger, whose resignation was made known to Board members shortly before the meeting began. This vacancy presents the Board with the need to appoint a new member in addition to their continuing quest for a new superintendent to replace Dr. David Estrop, who will be leaving the District in the summer. “In essence, it is a retirement that is effective the end of December.”

They were supposed to play “Jingle Bells,” but blowing snow and unseasonably cold temperatures forced bagpipers to cancel their appearance at the second annual Light Up Lakewood. 

What to do? Have Buddy from the movie ELF lead the crowd in a rousing rendition instead!

That’s right...cold weather couldn’t chill the holiday spirit in Lakewood as hundreds of merrymakers strolled Detroit Avenue and enjoyed the festivities of Light Up Lakewood on Saturday, December 6.

Over 150 fourth graders in Lakewood entered essays in the 2008 Light Up Lakewood, “Why I Love Lakewood”, Fourth Grade Essay Contest hosted by the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce. 

Brendan McCallum, a fourth grader at Grant Elementary School, was the author of this year’s winning essay.  Brendan’s essay described his helpful neighbors, the great restaurants within walking distance to his house, and how much he enjoys Lakewood’s parks. Brendan won a cash prize donated by members of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, and the honor of helping to “flip the switch” on December 6th to turn on the lights in downtown Lakewood and…LIGHT UP LAKEWOOD!

Pull out your cameras and shoot your favorite Lakewood image! The Lakewood Historical Society announces a photo contest.  Using funding from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the society is redesigning all of its printed materials. New brochures will feature digital images of architectural features found in Lakewood. Close ups of buildings, houses, garden ornaments and more are all eligible. Submit your entry to lakewoodhistory@bge.net by December 22. Your image might be used for the cover of a society brochure!

This project is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

At the December 1st meeting of the Lakewood School Board, Dr. Wagner introduced the 2008 Lakewood High School Merit and Commended Scholars.

LHS Merit and Commended Scholars b

At the December 1st meeting of the Lakewood School Board, Dr. Wagner introduced the 2008 Lakewood High School Merit and Commended Scholars.

LHS Merit and Commended Scholars battled their way to the top from an initial national pool of over 1.5 million students who tested for the prestigious award, which plays are central role in a student’s ability to obtain merit-based college scholarships. Of the initial pool, few went on to the semifinals. When all was said and done, 34k Merit Scholars and 15k Commended Scholars were awarded nationally.

I would like to applaud Mayor FitGerald for his recent Green Refuse Initiative that he proposed to city council in November. He is certainly thinking in the right direction as we enter the new year with a million dollar budget deficit. I am especially enthused that part of the Green Initiative will eliminate the outdated and costly back yard service that has grown to be a 'sacred-cow' with many residents.

However, if the Mayor and City Council are serious about reducing the upcoming budget deficit, they need to take a hard look at privatizing our waste collection and recycling services.

At the December 1, 2008, meeting of the Lakewood Board of Education, veteran Board member and President, Mr. W. Charles Geiger III, announced his retirement from the Board effective December 31, 2008. During his remarks announcing his retirement, Mr. Geiger noted the significant progress made by the school district during the 2007-08 school year, including the settlement of employee labor contracts, the opening of two newly renovated elementary schools, continued progress on the Lakewood High School Phase II west wing renovation, and significant improvement in student academic achievement. Mr. Geiger also noted that the Board has set in motion the search process for a new Superintendent and was engaging in planning for the 2009-2010 school year.

Once again, the Lakewood United Methodist Church (15700 Detroit Ave.) in conjunction with the United Methodist East Ohio Conference, and the American Indian Intertribal Association, is hosting a Christmas feast and party for Greater Cleveland area Native American children and their families.

This event will be held from noon until about 4 p.m. on December 20th at the church. This bring-a-dish event is being held for the second year at the Lakewood church facility. Children will be receiving gifts, along with experiencing the traditions of a Native American cultural celebration.

The 6th annual “Hats Off!” to a Tradition of Nursing Excellence at Lakewood Hospital was held on Saturday, November 8 at Wagner’s Country Inn, Westlake. This year’s event was a great success and helped raise money for the hospital’s Nursing Advancement Fund. The fund was developed to enable nurses at Lakewood Hospital to further enhance their continued education.

Some 300 attendees enjoyed a relaxed evening of camaraderie, dining and dancing. Under the leadership of co-chairs Lee Girman, RN, Birthing Center, and Andrea Schiavoni, RN, nurse manager Medical/Surgical Unit, the nursing units created and donated elaborate baskets with hobby themes such as cooking, camping, reading, travel, golfing, sports, gardening and scrap booking.

Cox Communications announced today it will increase High Speed Internet speeds by 33-percent for its Premier Service customers. The increase in download speed is at no additional charge.   Customers who choose Cox High Speed Internet’s Premier service will see their base speeds increase from 15Mbps to 20Mbps on December 3.  Cox Business Home Office Premier customers will also experience these enhanced speeds.  Residential and home office users can access even higher speeds – up to 25Mbps – thanks to PowerBoost® technology.  Customers will get this speed increase automatically, without the need for a call or technician visit.

Lakewood mother of three, Liz Donnelly Guscott, recently competed in the National Physique Competition, a feat which typically requires several months of training. According to Guscott, “during a figure competition, the athlete is judged by a panel of experts on her overall physique, presentation, [and] muscular development, to name a few criteria.”

Here comes Christmas. Many Christians in America are totally confused with the consumptive culture that we’ve created. We try, as our Christian tradition seeks, to celebrate Advent: a pregnancy, a watching, a waiting for the Messiah to come, for four weeks of Advent. During Advent we light one candle each week until all four candles on the wreath are lit. We try to wait, slow down, and ponder a coming miracle.

November brought double blessings for Lakewood's Phoenix Project, a new church development of the Western Reserve Presbytery.  First, the church, started by Reverend Meredith White-Zeager in 2007, secured a lease at 13351 Madison Avenue where it had been holding Sunday services during the summer and fall.  Second, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has approved a grant to provide funding for the Phoenix Project over the next seven years.    

Kim Yanoshik is a Lakewood resident who often wanders around town with a camera slung around her neck snapping photographs of whatever strikes her fancy. In June 2008, Kim joined a loose group of photographers around the world who post a photo a day of the town where they live as part of City Daily Photo (citydailyphoto.com). Each day Kim posts a photo taken in Lakewood on lakewooddailysnap.blogspot.com of the people, places, and things of Lakewood which capture her eye. Recently, the Lakewood Observer approached Kim and asked her if she would share her quirky eye with the readers of our paper. You can catch Kim's Lakewood Daily Snaps @ http://lakewooddailysnap.blogspot.com/

Nearly everyone has a favorite movie. Whether it be an Oscar winner, a tear jerker, an action film, an animated classic, a funny blockbuster, a foreign film, or an obscure independent, tastes in films are as diverse as the people who watch them. And with films everyone tends to be a critic. So that has led Lakewood Public Library to ask our patrons, "What are your favorite movies of all time?"

The Library has launched a new project, "Lakewood Picks 2008," to give library patrons the chance to determine what they consider to be the best films. While most movie lists are chosen by critics, film makers, or other insiders, this list will give the average movie watcher the chance to decide what films they think deserve to be at the top of a list.

When some people think of an animated movie or television show, one of the first things that pops into their heads is, "That must be for kids." Well that is not always the case, as there are a wide variety of animated movies, television shows and websites that are geared towards adults. Some shows you might remember from childhood and some you might never have heard of, but the Lakewood Public Library is doing its best to fill the needs of this growing fan base with its "Tooning Out" collection...

Have you forgotten what your old high school sweetheart looked like? Forgotten all your favorite teachers? Forgotten how young (and goofy) you looked in high school? Well, fear not, if you went to Lakewood High you can come to Lakewood Public Library and relive your glory days.

Lakewood Public Library carries the Lakewood High School Yearbooks, called the Cinema, all the way back from 1920 to the present. The library even has three Lakewood High School Annuals (the precursor to the Cinema) from 1903, 1904 and 1905. The yearbooks are kept in the Reference Room of the library on the 2nd floor.

Note: the breakdown of what the Foundation offers could be pulled out and put into a graphics box.

The Alumni Foundation keeps Lakewood High Schools's past alive, while ensuring success for future graduates and funding improvements for all of Lakewood's public schools. The Foundation is a 501 (c) non-profit whose functions include everything from grants and scholarships to capital improvements and class reunions.

On December 11, 2008, the Foundation will induct 11 new people into their Sports Hall of Fame, Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame and Staff Hall of Fame.These new inductees will join the ranks of notable Lakewood students and staff.

The College Board has informed the Lakewood City School District that three additional Lakewood High School students have been named 2008 Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars. Anna Goodman and Pamela Rerko from the class of 2008 and Rachel Caja from the class of 2009 join 28 other Lakewood High School students who were named for this honor in October.  This brings the Lakewood High School total number of 2008 AP Scholars to 31. Congratulations to these outstanding students!

Did you know that play is imperative to your child’s growth and development? Research says that play helps children develop the capacity to understand themselves and others, as well as help them to solve problems, and regulate their own emotions and behavior. On top of all of that, it helps make reading and writing more fun!

Learn Through Play, a program funded through Cuyahoga County's “Help Me Grow” and facilitated by The City of Lakewood, Department of Human Services Early Childhood, provides the perfect environment to play and learn at the same time. It is geared for all stages of children up to age 8. Whether you are a mom, dad, grandparent, or home care provider, Learn Through Play is here as your "classroom." Your child will just be having fun as they discover art, creative play, math, science, language, and stories. But you will be happy knowing that your child is developing strong literacy skills and tools for school success in a friendly and informal setting.

Wrestling matches are often won or lost before the teams even take the mat. The blood, sweat and weight shed in summer workouts, early morning conditioning sessions and grueling practices separate the winners from the also-rans more than six minutes on the mat ever could.

That’s why the Lakewood Rangers wrestling team has been working hard since summer, in preparation for the 2008-2009 season, the first under the tutelage of new head coach Russell Germaine.

Are you an Earth Buddy?

If you are a child attending Roosevelt Elementary School, you are! The Earth Buddy program began from a simple premise. According to Roosevelt PTA President Becky Boatman, “Most of these kids are recycling at home. It just makes sense to continue the practice at their school.”

The recycling program was launched on the first day of school. All the teachers are using the Earth Buddy program in their classrooms. Each day a student in each class is chosen to be the Buddy of the day. That child is responsible for making sure the recyclables are put in the correct receptacles.

As with many decisions these days, choosing what type of tree is the most 'green' is a complicated one - cutting down real trees isn't generally looked upon too highly, nor is using oil-based plastic to make a fake tree, whether you keep it around longer or not. So, what is an eco-minded Christmas celebrant to do?

Light Up Lakewood Co-Chairs Jenni Baker and Jen Raynor would like to thank their fellow volunteers who've been brimming with good cheer and holiday spirit for months:

Once a Year
by Bill Knittel

Hear Ye, Hear Ye one and all,
Come and listen to the call,
Tell your family, tell a friend,
It’s Light Up Lakewood time again;

Join us in downtown Lakewood,
December sixth, two thousand eight,
In front of Lakewood Hospital,
The lighting fantasy first rate;

I finally met Les Paul. Dad did too.

Of all the luminaries in the world of the guitar that I had hoped to meet, Les Paul was the one I'd wanted to meet the most. Ever since I was a young lad in the Pennsylvania hills, the music of Les Paul and Mary Ford had resonated from our radios and phonographs. Their sound-on-sound, multi-tracked recordings could literally take your breath away.

As far as I'm concerned, of all the world's guitarists, Les is the king. What he did for the guitar, and for the world of music, is truly beyond measurement.

It doesn’t matter if you believe in God. It doesn’t matter if you believe in a virgin birth. And it doesn’t even matter if you believe in a jolly fat man with a distinguished red suit. The true nature of Christmas is a gift for everyone. It can’t be earned, it can’t be bought, and it certainly can’t be legislated in or out of the human spirit. Put aside the annual discussion on whether or not cities should put up nativity scenes. Take a break from bickering over what songs are okay to sing in public schools. And, don’t bother to question the connotations of saying “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Happy Holidays”. It’s just not worth the trouble.

Lakewood native Eric Smith has been serving in Iraq since May. Major Smith is stationed at Forward Operating Base McHenry, near Kirkuk.

A’salaam aleukum.” Hello.“A’salaam aleukum,” the portly sheikh replied. “Issa ra’id Smith, bejeishi Amerikani.” I’m Major Smith from the American Army. The sheikh burst loose with a three minute welcome speech, unaware that I had just exhausted my Arabic vocabulary. I waved my hand, smiled, and fired off my last word, “mudjerd.” Interpreter. He laughed when he realized that his welcome had been received in spirit, but not understood. He reached out, grabbed my hand, and walked me to the city council room, still speaking a mile a minute, while I nodded politely...

The winter months are fast approaching, and before you know it the ground will be snow covered. Last year alone, there were numerous injuries to our postal carriers due to slips, trips, and falls.

Almost all of these injuries could have been prevented had some safety precautions been taken. There were seven carriers out on leave with injuries ranging from twisted ankles, fractured bones, sprained backs, and even stitches. These types of injuries affect all of us including you the customer. Under severe weather conditions, postal carriers have been instructed to curtail the mail if they feel there are unsafe conditions for delivery. Carriers are asked to wear cleats during the winter months which may scratch your painted porch.

Grace Lutheran Church will offer a Live Nativity Scene on Saturday, December 20th, from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. Grace is located at 13030 Madison Avenue directly across the street from Madison Park...

When it comes to investing your hard earned dollars, we often are faced with how to invest those dollars to ensure the greatest gains with the smallest amount of risk. Remember the dot com days? We got so excited we invested everything in this latest trend with little thought to diversification.

Diversification, though, is the name of the game in investing. You don’t want to “put all your eggs in the same basket” because it can make the difference between financial success and devastation.

Generation Y, those born between 1978 and 1994, are starting to buy homes, and they have requirements that are very specific. Not only do they search for and often find their homes on the internet, this tech-savvy age group wants homes that are wired with the fastest connections, homes that are environmentally friendly, and homes that satisfy their desire for privacy and personal space.

I write out of frustration. I write out of anger. I write out of total dissatisfaction.

Ever heard of the simplest way to separate childhood from adulthood? Adults are responsible for the consequences of their actions; children simply are not. But, children act like adults all of the time. Replicating the actions of adults makes kids think they are adults.

The one habit, which best confirms my theory, is smoking cigarettes. Many, many years ago, you could buy candy cigarettes. The tobacco companies wanted us (kids) to think it was adult-like to smoke.

The Winchester Tavern and Music Hall recently hosted it's third show by an alumni from the famous Woodstock festival held in upstate New York.  Friday, November 21st singer/songwriter Melanie took the Winchester stage accompanied by her son Beau on nylon string acoustic guitar and played an energetic three hour show full of her hits!  Along with her Woodstock appearance Melanie is most recognized for her Triple-Platinum single "Brand New Key," which appeared in the beginning of the show and not as the encore, to the chagrin of some late arriving fans.  Melanie is also well known for receiving an Emmy Award for her lyrics to "The First Time I Loved Forever" - the theme song from the TV series Beauty and the Beast, and her prolific output of approximately one new album each year since her Woodstock day in the sun in 1969.

It's for everybody.

Looking for spa services in downtown Lakewood? Or the perfect space for a girls night out? sǎ-lón blue is the place for you!

 

Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Lakewood, it's a unique full service salon for men and women. Founded by Tom Marks, the five stylists at sǎ-lón blue llc are independent and operate their businesses in a beautiful shared space on the first floor of the INA Building at the corner of Detroit and St. Charles.

Indulge in cutting edge, upscale salon services in a relaxed atmosphere at Solstice Salon, now celebrating its fall grand opening. Located on the hip strip at Madison Avenue in Lakewood, customers can treat themselves to boutique services at reasonable prices. Specialties include designer haircuts, multi-dimensional color and corrective hair color treatments. Solstice services men, women and children. Versatile stylists manage all hair types, including multicultural cuts.