The Week In Review: New Census Data, a School Board Dilemna and More!

The Westlake school board met Monday this week to discuss ways to deal with the looming $4.9 million decrease in state funding over the next two years. The debate got heated when Superintendent Dan Keenan and Treasurer Mark Pepera suggested freezing teacher salaries. Board members Nate Cross and Tim Sullivan disagreed, saying wages should not only be frozen, but reduced as well. Board members also discussed and disagreed over, a tuition-based all-day kindergarten program.

Westlake’s population is getting larger, but it’s also getting older, according to detailed census data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Over the last decade, the population under 5 years old has shrunk nearly 9 percent, while the elderly population over 65 has grown by nearly the same amount. Middle-aged residents from 45 to 59 also grew by about 10 percent.

We found the best picnic spots in Westlake just in time for the warm weather. From to to Huntington Reservation in the Metroparks, there five to choose from. Whether you're looking for tennis courts, fishing, a barbeque or a dip in the lake, you can find the right spot on the list.

From her office on Crocker Road, Keri Alexander Luchowski spearheads the pearheads the North Coast Athletic Conference, which offers no athletic scholarships, but provides a competitive playing field for hundreds of student-athletes.

Athletics are just a small part of what we do," Luchowski said. "We take great pride in academics first, while at the same time giving any men or women the opportunity to compete in a variety of sports.

Things are going bump in the night in an old summer cottage in Connecticut in Clague Playhouse's production of "Whodunit. . . The Musical," on through May May 28 at . A wealthy spinster arrives at her new summer home to find that all of the servants have quit, but she stays resolute in her vacation plans. That is, until the lights go out and she finds a stranger dead on the floor. For tickets, call the box office at 440-331-0403.