Tri-C Westshore Campus plans information program for home schoolers: West Shore Chatter

Cuyahoga Community College will offer a Home School Visitation Day at the Westshore Campus on Jan. 19. Photo provided by Tri-C.

WESTLAKE, Ohio - Families with middle school- and high school-age children who are home schooled are invited to attend a home school visitation day program 9 a.m. to noon on Jan. 19 at Cuyahoga Community College's Westshore Campus, 31001 Clemens Road, Westlake.

The event will offer information on Tri-C's College Credit Plus program, which allows teens to earn college credit at no cost during their high school years. Attendees can tour the campus, including its technology, science and nursing labs, participate in hands-on science and technology demonstrations, discuss academic programs with faculty and counselors and learn more about enrollment, financial aid and scholarships.

Registration is required. To RSVP, send an email to michael.ketterick@tri-c.edu with your name, phone number and the number of people attending. Call 216-987-5986 for more information.

The event is sponsored by Westshore's Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter.

Dreaming of summer: Boating season may not be the first thing on the mind of many people right now, but it's a perfect time to prepare for those warm days on the lake.

That's why the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 7-5 is offering boating safety courses once again.

The state has a mandatory boating education law that requires boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, to complete a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators-approved course before operating a boat with an engine of 10 horsepower or more. Paddle crafts also are considered boats.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boating safety courses fulfill those requirements. The classes are offered 7-9:30 p.m. Jan. 24 through March 28 at Garfield Middle School 13114 Detroit Ave., Lakewood.

The Boating Skills and Seamanship (powerboat oriented) class costs are $35 plus a $40 fee for those who do not live in Lakewood.

The second class, Sailing Skills and Seamanship, also has a $35 cost and $40 fee for nonresidents.  This is the only Coast Guard Auxiliary sailing course offered in Greater Cleveland.

Classroom boat handling skills and safety training will teach participants boating nomenclature, how to handle boating emergencies, proper seamanship, VHF marine radio procedures, knots, engines, trailering, docking, navigation rules and aids to navigation.

The sailing course includes how a boat sails, sailboat maneuvering, rigging and boat handling. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Ohio boating course completion certificates will be issued upon successful completion and there is a possible insurance discount.

The Basic Navigation (charting and GPS) course costs $45 plus a $40 fee for nonresidents.

Register through the Lakewood Recreation Department, lakewoodrecreation.com, or call 216-529-4081.

For more information, contact V. Suda 216-226-7221, or sudav@cox.net.

Book drive under way: The Cuyahoga County Public Library is hosting a children's book drive through Jan. 15 at any library branch, including the Bay Village Branch. Donations will benefit Reach Out and Read and Cleveland Kids' Book Bank.

Daniel Plan: Westlake United Methodist Church, 27650 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, is partnering with the Cleveland Clinic to offer the six-week Daniel Plan this winter. The Daniel Plan is a healthy lifestyle program founded on biblical principles and focused on five essentials that cover the body-mind-soul connection: faith, food, fitness, focus and friends.

Plan organizers said the free program will equip participants with practical tools and resources to bring health into all areas of their lives. Participants receive a confidential pre- and post-program biometric assessment taken by Cleveland Clinic nurses, a Daniel Plan workbook and a resource folder.

Registration continues through Jan. 14. For more information or to sign up, visit westlakeumc.org/news.

Youngsters can register now for the Lego We-Do soccer showdown tournament at the Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Legos at the library: The Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, 502 Cahoon Road, will offer a special youth program, "Soccer Showdown: Lego WeDo Robotics," 2-4 p.m. Jan. 15 for students in grades 2-4.

Students will team up to build a soccer goalie and kicker for a Lego We-Do soccer showdown tournament. They will use the Lego WeDo construction set to challenge themselves to construct and program a soccer goal and moving goalie or a kicker using motors and sensors to play a soccer game against other teams of builders.

Registration is required. Visit attend.cuyahogalibrary.org/events for more information and a link to registration.

Pasta, please: Westlake Demons Athletic Boosters will have their annual spaghetti dinner 3:45-7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Westlake High School. Tickets are $8 a person and include salad, spaghetti, bread and dessert.

Purchase tickets in advance online at westlakeathleticboosters.org or at the door.

Trivia night: Friends of the Rocky River Public Library will have a Trivia Night 6-8:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the River Dog Cafe, 19000 Detroit Road, Rocky River. Tickets are $25 each and are available at the library circulation desk. Tickets include food, fun and a $10 tax-deductible Friends membership.

Julie Drellishak, a Friends board member, tells me there will be prizes for trivia masters. She said you can attend as an individual or form a team.

The Friends group was founded in 1971 as a nonprofit organization to provide financial support and volunteer services to RRPL. Through membership dues and fundraising activities, Friends support programs and services, furniture and equipment purchases that the library could not otherwise afford.

The library is at 1600 Hampton Road.

Share your culture: Katie Cirincione, a Westlake Girl Scout, is planning a Culture Fair 2-4p.m. March 18 at Westlake Porter Public Library as a part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

She said groups are needed to represent their culture at the event. Any groups interested should be able to commit to being at the fair from 1-4 p.m. and should bring a poster about their culture. Groups also are encouraged to bring food from their culture, wear clothing from their culture, or do a traditional dance or performance.

Contact Katie at katiecirincione@yahoo.com by Jan. 31 if interested in participating. Be sure to include what culture you are interested in representing, how many people will be there and what your group will be doing to represent your culture.

Understand your medications: Huntington Woods Care and Rehabilitation Center, 27705 Westchester Parkway, Westlake, will host "Understanding Your Medications" with guest speaker Tom Strong on Jan. 24. The program begins at 11:30 a.m. with a complimentary lunch; presentation is at noon.

Reservations are required by Jan. 19. Call 440-835-5661.

At the library: It's shaping up to be a busy week at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. Here's a look at some of the programs on the schedule.

  • "Heroin, Fentanyl and Carfentanil: The Triple Threat on our Doorstep," a panel discussion presented by Cleveland Clinic's Office on Government and Community Relations, will be 5:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 11 with community partners and local experts having an open conversation about the opioid epidemic. Registration is required at
  • Connecting for Kids Music Therapy & More will have programs for families and their children to age 6 who are struggling in an area of development 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Jan. 12 and 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Jan. 13. Each 30-minute session will show families how to use music to improve their child's motor, communication and social skills as well as behavior. Each session is 30 minutes. Register at www.connectingforkids.org/register, or email:
  • Elementary Experiences, a program for children ages 7-12 years -- and their families -- who are struggling in an area of development, will offer a workshop on getting organized at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 13. Siblings ages 7-12 years also may also attend. For more information, visit connectingforkids.org/ elementary. Each student attending is asked to bring their backpack and a photo of their homework space. Strategies to help children get started on a task, prioritize, see a task through to completion and manage his or her time will be discussed. Register at connectingforkids.org/register, email:
  • Lysa Stanton, president of
  • Learn about touching up digital photos at beginner-intermediate levels at a session 10-11:30 a.m. Jan. 18. Register at the library. Practice files will be provided, but participants can bring a flash drive with their own photos. Cropping, adjusting color and removing blemishes will be discussed.

More information on library programs is available at westlakelibrary.org.

Information, please: Readers are invited to share information about themselves, their families and friends, organizations, church events, etc. from Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake for the West Shore Chatter column, which I write on a freelance basis. Awards, honors, milestone birthdays or anniversaries and other items are welcome. Submit information at least 10 days before the requested publication date to carolkovach@hotmail.com.

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