Rocky River Safety Town dedication celebration Oct. 11: Short Takes on the Westshore

Rocky River, Ohio

Rocky River city officials will dedicate the city's new Safety Town during a special celebration from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 11, next to the city pool, 21018 Hilliard Blvd.

Families are encouraged to attend as there is no school in the district on Friday.

The dedication of the Safety Town that was scheduled in August was canceled because of the storms that week and a pole falling on the Safety Town village.

"I've been a police officer in Rocky River since 1998," said George Lichman, Rocky River chief of police. "During that time, the City did not sponsor a Safety Town program. Many years ago, very early in my career, there was a program offered by another organization, maybe the Fairview Wellness Center or one of the churches, but it was not run by the City or the police department and, at any rate, ended. After that, Fairview Park allowed Rocky River residents to participate in their Safety Town. During the summer of 2020 and the COVID pandemic, that ended, too."

When Lichman was a child, Safety Town was one of the first encounters he had with police officers and he noted it was a very positive experience.

"I thought Rocky River should have its own Safety Town," he said. "Officer Chris Camp had mentioned starting a Safety Town many times over the years, too. The timing of no longer having access to neighboring programs, my becoming Chief, and Officer Camp, later joined by Officer Neil Czaplicki, offering to set work on a program came together perfectly. With a lot of support from Mayor Pam Bobst, Safety Service Director Rich Snyder, help from the Recreation Department, the City School District, and others in the community, we had our first Rocky River Safety Town program in 2021 at Goldwood School. It was very well received and we've had it every year since then, eventually leading to the creation of the Safety Town park that was built to facilitate the program. The park is open year-round for parents and students to use to learn about pedestrian and traffic safety."

The Safety Town Program is intended for children to take prior to the beginning of kindergarten. Participants attend two hours a day for one week to learn about things to prepare them for school: their name and phone number, school bus safety, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, and stranger danger.

They also learn some other important lessons for kids that age, like the proper use of 911, water safety, and firearms awareness.

"In the process, we hope that students are comfortable with and start building positive relationships with police officers and firefighters and start to recognize their role, albeit very small at this age, in contributing to community safety," said Lichman.

BAY VILLAGE

Bakery shop opening: Kelsey Elizabeth (Smith) Shepard announced on Instagram her new Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes (KEC) shop, 27311 Wolf Road, will be opening 'any day now'. A few more inspections are needed, but once they are completed, she will announce the exact opening date on Instagram .

AP honor roll: Bay High School has earned a place on the Advanced Placement (AP) School Honor Roll from the 2023-24 school year. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success, according to information from the College Board.

Art show winners, BAYarts upcoming events: Congratulations to this year's BAYarts Artistic by Nature Plein Air Festival winners: Mark Mueller, Best in Show; Emalie Snowdall, First Place; Mary Ann Sedivy, Second Place; Jeff Evans, Third Place, Janet Dodrill, Honorable Mention; Kathryn Heim, Honorable Mention; Rita Turocy, Honorable Mention; and Mara Whelan, Quick Paint.

Celebrate the opening of Tony Skinner's solo exhibition, In Plain Sight, from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 11 at the BAYarts Sullivan Family Gallery, 28795 Lake Road. The event is free and open to the public.

Skinner is a figurative artist and illustrator. His work is characterized by layered illustrations of people. Color and texture are two of the tools he uses as he explores the human figure and condition. This body of work deals with the housing insecurity epidemic in our country, according to information posted on the BAYarts website. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to support the YWCA.

The second annual BAYarts Fall Fest takes place from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 19. Come in costume and follow the Trick-or-Treat Trail for treats and prizes. Additional activities include games, crafts and face painting.

New this year is a slightly spooky party for middle school-age children in the renovated Sullivan Family Auditorium. THYME X TABLE will offer special fall drinks for purchase.

Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. It is advised to purchase in advance.

Boo Village Trick-or-Treat: Families are invited to attend the free Boo Village Trick-or-Treat, presented by Vivid Diamonds & Designs, from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 26.

Starting at KeyBank, 27323 Wolf Road, children will march through the Bay Village business district from Village Square, up to Dover Commons and end at the Knickerbocker Apartments.

Trick-or-Treat: City-wide Trick-or-Treat will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

ROCKY RIVER

Shred Day: Bring your paper recyclables to the free shredding event from 9 to 11 a.m. (or until the truck is full) Oct. 26 at the Rocky River City Hall parking lot (enter from Wagar Road), 21012 Hilliard Boulevard. Proof of residency is required and residents can bring up to two standard-size boxes per household. No business material will be accepted. Boxes must be placed in the trunk or back seat to limit contact.

Rotary donation: Continuing with its annual tradition of honoring its commitment to literacy in schools, the Rotary Club of Lakewood presented each third grader at Kensington Intermediate School with a dictionary. The Rotary Club began the project in 2005.

Members of the Rotary Club stamped each dictionary with the Rotary logo and a place for the student's name.

Shout-out: Students and staff at Rocky River Middle School (RRMS) raised more than $12,000 last week during Kick-it, a program of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) to help raise money for childhood cancer research, according to information posted on the district's website.

Founded in 2009 by a 10-year old cancer patient from Northeast Ohio, Kick-it is a national volunteer-driven effort focused solely on raising money for childhood cancer research. Alex came up with a plan to raise money for childhood cancer through his favorite game, kickball.

Led by Tony Ramirez and Matt England, the RRMS campaign goal was $8,000 and the donations from families and members of the community helped surpass that goal for children's cancer research. Since 2018, RRMS has contributed more than $46,000 to the cause.

Last week more than 600 students and staff gathered outside at RRMS for the kickball games.

Trick-or-Treat: City-wide Trick-or-Treat will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

Homecoming royalty: Congratulations to Westlake High School's Homecoming King Ameer Shouman and Queen Lili Kate Eason, crowned during last weekend's Homecoming festivities.

Crocker Park Halloween: The free Trick-or-Treat event at Crocker Park takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 26. Presented by Sylvan Learning Center of Westlake and Strongsville, the event also includes entertainment and a pet costume contest at 2:30 p.m.

The Spooktacular Craft and Vendor Show is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 26 at Crocker Park near Urban Air and World Market.

If you would like to be a vendor at the event, email .

Book sale: Shop a variety of books, DVDs, CDs and audiobooks at the Westlake Porter Public Library Friends annual Book Sale from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 17; from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 18; from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 19 (half-price sale); and from 1:15 to 4 p.m. Oct. 20 (bag sale- bring your own bag).

A special preview night for Friends members only will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 16.

A Silent Auction of special books will be on display in the lobby during the month of October. Bidding concludes at 3 p.m. Oct. 20.

Trick-or-Treat: City-wide Trick-or-Treat will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.