surprised me. I expected her just to write something down then and there, like everyone else. But she wanted to say something especially meaningful.

Here’s what I read when I got my yearbook back: “My dear little Anthony. This is from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. It says a bit of what I believe. Say not, I have found the truth, but rather, I have found a truth. Say not, I have found the path of the soul. Say rather, I have met the soul walking upon my path. For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals. Your petals are, so far, a joy to behold. Thank you for sharing your mind and spirit with me for the past two years.”

I remember the moment I read this. My eyes teared up. Blood rushed to my face. Intellectually, I still disagreed. But emotionally, something clicked. Gibran’s words pointed to something far larger and nobler than I knew at the time. It would take many years for me to give a name to it: Unitarian Universalism.

Let us honor the teachers and mentors that enter our worlds and plant seeds of the Larger Life.

Thank you, Mrs. Starkey.

Love and Courage,

Rev. Anthony

Thank You, Mrs. Starkey By Rev. Anthony MAKAR, Senior Minister

Volume XX Number 5 www.wsuuc.org June 2020

H ow long has it been since you looked at your high school yearbook? Inspired by our recent graduates (whom we will honor on June 14 with a Bridging

Service), I looked at mine. There I was—Anthony from way too many years ago—weird hairstyle and all.

On one of the pages, a girl I secretly liked wrote, “Anthony, you are a super guy! I’ll never forget your sweet smile and your sweet spirit. Good luck in everything you do.” Did she say this because she secretly liked me back? Or did she write something like this in everyone’s yearbook?

I know that I always tried to write something upbeat, no matter who was asking.

On the other hand, there were always a couple of jokesters. One was none other than my high school principal, Mr. Fitsko. He wrote, “God made the Earth and rested. God made the Sea and rested. God made Anthony Makar, and since then, nobody’s rested.”

Then there was Mrs. Starkey, my English teacher. Five feet tall, pudgy, with sparkling dark eyes and a razor-sharp intellect. At the time, I was a fundamentalist Christian (Church of Christ), and she was a liberal Christian (Presbyterian, I think). For me, there was only one way to salvation. For her, there were many.

When I asked her to sign my yearbook, she said of course and then told me she’d get it back to me the next day. This

Candlelight Prayer Vigil in Memory of George Floyd

Front Lawn of Church Saturday, June 6, 8:30 p.m.

For more than a week now, America has seen tens of thousands of people, in over 140 cities across the nation, show up to witness the cause of justice and “Black Lives Matter.” Some of us have been a part of the protests.

All of us have felt the anger and the hope for a better world for the Black community.

Continued on Page 7

OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP Announcements and music will begin at 10:05 a.m. We are all on a steep learning curve on how to use the Facebook Livestream. Here are some pointers that might be helpful:

When you click the link, https://www.facebook.com/WestShoreUU/ which takes you to the Facebook page, here’s what to do next: scroll down and look for the Live Stream feed. Click on it.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020, 10:15 AM

An Unbroken Wilderness Rev. Renee Ruchotzke, Worship Leader

Instead of a world where exploitation and extraction rule, there is a world of interconnection, beauty, and resilience that we yearn for. How might Unitarian Universalists be partners with indigenous and other marginalized communi-ties to live into a transformed way of living that invites all of humanity to participate? Rev. Renee Ruchotzke serves local congregations as a part of our larger Unitarian Universalist Association. She serves on the LeaderLab design team and as Dean of the UU Leadership Institute. She lives in Kent, OH, where she and her spouse Randy spend their free time outside in their Permaculture food forests garden. SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020, 10:15 AM

The Fire This Time Rev. Anthony Makar, Worship Leader

By now, it may feel cliche to say that the times we’re living in are unprecedented. It’s been said already so often. And, it’s just true. Our times have seen an unprecedented pileup of crises, one after the other, in a mere five month period:

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Trump’s impeachment and governmental disarray, the coronavirus pandemic, the economic crash, and most recently, intense protests against racism and police violence in the wake of George Floyd’s murder on March 25. Some say it’s like 1968 all over again. Is it? What is the meaning of the fire this time? What do we do? Today, we will also honor our high school graduates with a Bridging Service. SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020, 10:15 AM

Gospel of RuPaul Rev. Anthony Makar, Worship Leader

June is Pride month! Join us for a celebratory and thought-provoking service where we lift up the GLBTQ+ community. Our focus will be RuPaul, who is arguably America’s most famous drag queen. Since 2009, he has hosted and produced the drag queen reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, for which he won an Emmy 2016. He is whip smart, sharp, wise, and worth getting to know better! SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020, 10:15 AM

Happiest Facts of All Time Rev. Anthony Makar, Worship Leader

Emily Dickinson writes: “Hope” is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops - at all. Join Rev. Makar in his exploration of some of the happiest facts of all time. In these “happy facts” we will hear hope’s tune.

Connect in Worship

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Behind the Scenes By Christine Salontay, Media & Communications

It is hard to believe our very first livestream service at West Shore was on March 15, 2020. The set-up to bring you these live services looks a little different than you might imagine. Larry Wise and I have descended from the balcony and have a front and center view of the Sunday service. I cannot thank Larry enough for his expertise, knowledge, and grace under pressure week in and week out. I am extremely thankful to have this opportunity to learn from him as we challenge each other to new heights each week. Many of our conversations each Sunday end with, “ Well, what if we try this?”

West Shore has been around for almost 75 years! What a unique opportunity we currently have as a congregation in the year 2020 to experience just how strong our bond is despite not being able to meet up in person. I fully believe our founders are extremely proud of us. Thank you for making this possible. Without you and your commitment to this beloved community none of what we do together would be possible. The West Shore volunteers and staff are giving you their all to make sure there are numerous avenues available to keep our amazing community connect-ed and engaged. So if something appears a little shaky or odd at first, know we trust you to allow us to try something new even if it is not perfect. I want to encourage you to try something new as we embark on this journey together.

Welcome Back Michelle!

Beginning Monday, June 29, thru Sunday, August 9, West Shore’s Affiliated Minister (and previous Intern Minister) Michelle Ma will serve as our summer minister, allowing Rev. Anthony some time for rest and renewal. Michelle will be with us on a part-time basis, with responsibility for the following: To maintain high quality livestream-based worship and preaching;

To officiate at any member memorial services, in ways that honor social distancing protocols unless they can be postponed until Rev. Anthony returns;

To coordinate with Kathy Strawser, Pastoral Care Team Chair, if pastoral care from a minister is needed;

To provide minister support to Board leadership, as necessary;

To provide minister support at weekly staff meetings and to individual staff;

To communicate with Rev. Makar, as needed.

Michelle says, “Hello, West Shore! So much has changed in the intervening year since I was

your ministerial intern! But I know what will always be true: that this is a wonderful congregation brimming with love, compassion, courage, wisdom, and the thirst for justice in the world. I look forward to spending more time with you this summer as your summer minister! As always, you can reach me at mma@wsuuc.org. Take care, and I'll see you soon.”

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W hat a year we have had at West Shore! We welcomed our new Senior Minister; we changed the leadership of Religious Education; we took a

significant church membership action; we took a stand to keep our Black Lives Matter banner; and we have adjusted to a pandemic, the lose of our Justice Minister, and move to virtual services and meetings! Your Board of Trustees, working in close partnership with Rev. Anthony, faced these major challenges and opportunities with care and courage in order to help keep our beloved community whole. Since we need not think alike to love alike, some may disagree with one or more of the actions noted above. In making our decisions, we looked carefully at the facts involved, and made sure to the best of our abilities that our actions were consistent with our UU values and in the best interest of our congregation. Ten West Shore UU’s, in intense give and take, reached each of our decisions without objection.

On July 1, we will welcome Daniel Ang as our new Board President. Under his leadership, we will continue our progress in moving fully to Mission Based Governance, a process designed to keep the Board in close partnership with both the Senior Minister and the congregation in living into our mission, and perhaps even expanding it. We will also catch up on the efforts we had to postpone this year to bring our Board policies up to date. I would especially like to thank out-going trustees Chann Spellman and Mimi Mayer for their incredible love for West Shore that they expressed in countless ways. I wish to express the same sentiment for Meghan Ross who left the Board a few months earlier to assume her duties as Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Development. I am the luckiest Board President ever, because I had the joy of working with our brilliant, deeply caring, courageous, and charismatic new Senior Minister. To the Search Committee, in recommending Rev. Anthony Makar for congregational approval—you got it right!

It’s Been Quite a Year By Joe Schafer, President, Board of Trustees

This has been one of the most positive and successful pledge drives that I have been a part of since I started keeping statis-tics in 2014. What makes that pledge drive so extraordinary is the comparison to previous years. Last year at this time we saw only a 3.43% increase in giving. This year, we are seeing a 12.4% increase, which is the largest I have ever seen. Even more astonishing is that the growth we are experiencing is based on 32 less pledging units than this time last year!

We are so grateful for the 171 pledging units that have responded to the 2020-2021 pledge drive so far. Because of the generous commitments, we have reached $452,875 of our $550,000 goal. Thank you!

We are just 17.65% (or $97,125) away from reaching our goal, and there are still 129 pledging units that have not responded yet. How wonderful it would be to have the same level of commitment as last year, or more. If that were to happen, I know that we could reach or goal of $550,000 or exceed it. During the month of June, the Stewardship Team will be contacting individuals that have yet to respond.

In the meantime, I am here to help you. If you need a pledge form, assistance pledging on Realm or have any other questions, I can be reached at skieres@wsuuc.org or 440-333-2255 Ext. 101.

STATISTICS 2020-2021 2019-2020

Total Pledge Units 171 203

Increased Pledges 113 (increased by $57,510) 92 (increased by $30,805)

Stayed the Same 44 ($75,032) 90 ($139,791)

Decreased 14 (decreased by $3,163) 21 (decreased $16,244)

IT’S A Wonderful CHURCH

Pledge Drive 2020-2021 By Suehana Kieres, Finance Manager

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back together as a choral ensemble whether it be the church or the college. We are all trying to figure out new innovative ways to get our music out there. I did not get my Masters of Music with Zoom in mind. So what does this mean for so many of us musicians as we “wait it out” and not know what it will be like on the other side. My initial thoughts come to the musical term—cesura. In music, a cesura is a complete break in sound. It means total silence. This is not like a fermata where the sound is just held longer. I’m talking a complete stop of sound, which can be a good time for a trumpet player to catch his breath. Now when a cesura occurs in a piece of music, it usually arrives at a place in the music which virtu-ally leaves the listener hanging. It creates this incredible tension. It quite often comes so unexpected. It also usually means that something even greater is going to come soon and we will finish the piece with some sort of resolution and concord. Maybe in the grand scheme of the centuries of music; we are experiencing this “Cesura” in our life. Even if it seems like it will be quite a while still—we know that soon the music will go on and we will finish this movement of this symphony that we’re living in. How Can We Keep From Singing? It’s what we do with this time during our “Cesura” which becomes so important. Now would that robin have built that nest without this Covid induced cesura? Of course, this would have happened but would I have really noticed it? Would that feisty chipmunk also be creating his cavernous dungeon of evil on my foundation? Had I not been sitting there daily, I would probably never have known. And “for the love of god” did I really not think that flies would mate—right in front of me? I now feel a little guilty as I took the tags off the fly swatters I bought at Marcs, three for a dollar in the closeout section—green, yellow and blue. There is one for each porch.

A robin built a nest right off my back porch merely an arm’s length into my

forsythia bush. Her new condo is also located right in the drive path where the side window of my Jeep sweeps the bush. It is just feet from where Marcus, our postman, delivers his daily dose of mail, and directly above the path of the constant Amazon footstep deliveries with directions, deliver to rear entrance. I noticed her nest while on my “now” daily ritual of walking. I’ve dis-covered that ten times around my property is close enough to a mile to keep my doctor happy. In the evening, I also enjoy my time in the front yard Adirondack chair where I practice my native American flute or just listen to my N. Carlos Nakia on Pandora (con il vino) and my fingers gently scrolling the latest in Pinterest. While sitting there I noticed him—Mr. Chip Monk. There he was speeding across my front yard into a small hole he had found in the bricks of my front porch steps. There is also an exit on the other side. Minutes later he returns on the same route with his mad assault on my foundation. Another trip convinces me that he has seen the return of Nascar. I have a secretive upstairs back deck where the morning sun is especially nice as I caffeinate myself. I glance across to an-other cushion and there was a large dark spot. I walked closer and there they were—two flies mating! In mid-March, we all got smacked in the face with this sudden halt in all things of our lives. I discovered that I had to find other things to occupy my time. We were just days from being on stage with the 100 voice Lorain County Civic Chorale and 40 piece orchestra to perform the “Requiem for the Living” by Dan Forrest. After weeks of preparation we were faced with such uncertainty. Even though things are gradually starting to tip-toe carefully back into what will become our new “normal,” we as singers have been hit even harder. We don’t know when we will be able to be

Cesura By David BLAZER, Director of Music

Weekly Musical Opportunities at West Shore

Midweek Meditation with Dave Blazer Our Music Director, David Blazer, has felt the need to stay in contact musi-cally with the congregation during this COVID-19 pandemic. While we can’t be in the church building, we realize even more now how the “building” is not the church but the people of this spirit filled congregation. Each Wednesday, he will be posting a "Midweek Musical Meditation." This will be a few moments to sit back, relax and hear some meditative music. Check the Enews for the link.

Friday Happy Hour David will be posting a jazz piano piece each Friday at 5:00 p.m. for those who would like a little taste of "Happy Hour." Check the Enews for the link.

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By Meghan Ross, Acting Director

Our Sunday School year has officially ended. I hope your children and youth have had an opportunity to engage in some of our online offerings. Over the summer, I will continue to share activities and resources by email, on the church website, and on the West Shore UU Families Facebook page. One of the resources I would like to share comes from Soul Matters, a UU theme-based resource. Unitarian Universal-ists recognize parents and caregivers as their child’s primary religious educator. Soul Matters resources include stories, games, and questions to help families explore UU beliefs through monthly themes. Watch your email for “Creating Sabbath Space,” a five-week program from Soul Matters. I hope they will help you and your child deepen your UU faith. Michelle Richards, DRE and author, says, “Unitarian Univer-salists believe that parents, often supported by the local

congregation's religious education program, are the primary spirituality and faith educators for their children. Parents educate and influence in many ways; here are some:

Encouraging an attitude of wonder and awe.

Teaching about the interdependent web of life and interdependence in our families and communities affirming and incorporating the Unitarian Universalist principles in family life.

Reflecting with their child on life's big theological, spir-itual, and moral questions modeling ways to act for love and justice in the world.

It is through nurturing religious and spiritual experiences and values for their children that caregivers grow their own spirits, finding within themselves strengths and capacities to be their children's primary spiritual guides and mentors.”

THE WAY OF GRATITUDE WEBINAR Monday, June 29, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

An insightful, accessible handbook for anyone seeking a sense of belonging and purpose in our chaotic world. THE WAY OF GRATITUDE charts a modern roadmap for spirituality to infuse life with greater meaning, purpose, and joy through the practice of gratitude. Anchored by resonant poems, guided spiritual practices, including “gratitude goals” and suggestions for meditation and fasting, Guengerich’s well-reasoned and practical manifesto focuses on developing a sense of purpose, deepening personal relationships, and establishing a connectedness to all things in a way that brings hope to the everyday.

WHY PURSUE A PRACTICE OF GRATITUDE AS A WAY OF LIFE? As fewer and fewer of us spend time in our nation’s religious communities, most of which are in decline, the question of where we will get our spiritual, ethical, and moral guidance becomes increasingly acute. Many people today feel disconnected and isolated. The way of gratitude offers a new way of understanding how we can belong in the modern world. If you are interested in participating in this Zoom webinar, please contact Debbie Elliott at delliott@wsuuc.org. This webinar is free.

GALEN GUENGERICH is Senior Minister of All Souls Unitarian Church, a historic congregation on the Upper East Side of

Manhattan. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of

Chicago. His sermon at All Soul on the Sunday after 9/11, “The Shaking of Foundations,” was selected as one of seven

responses to 9/11, along with speeches by President Bush and Governor Pataki.

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Prayer Vigil in Memory of George Floyd...Continued from front page And now we are inviting the West Shore congregation to participate in a solemn candlelight vigil in honor of George Floyd. The vigil will be short but meaningful—no more than 30 minutes. If you feel that 30 minutes of standing would prove difficult for you, please bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on. We are mindful of the potential dangers of gathering together, given COVID-19. We are asking everyone to practice social distancing and to come wearing a mask. If you do not have one, we will provide you with one. You may also choose to stay in your car during the vigil. Please bring a safe source of light and a flower or stone to put at the alter. One thing we are asking is that people NOT bring protest signs. This is not a protest but a prayer vigil. We wish to show the world our grief at the way the Black community has been abused by police violence. Our gathering will be a nonvio-lent way to raise awareness of injustices that are ultimately 400 years in the making. It will be ours to continue to strengthen West Shore’s resolve to be part of the healing.

Breaking Down Our Silos, Building a Bridge By Meghan Ross, ADLFD, and Karen Kircher, Membership Committee

T wo of the busiest groups at West Shore on Sunday mornings are the Religious Education (RE) and Membership/Hospitality Teams, operating side by

side and sometimes together! In fact from time to time, we realize that we missed communicating with visitors and families or occasionally duplicate each other’s efforts. For the past two years we have had up to six people who might have made a follow up call between our RE and Member-ship teams; this had to be confusing to some of our visitors and guests who are going through the Steps to Membership classes. As we reassess our needs for the next year, we believe that a clear communication to visitors will be essential as we go to a digital format. We also want to be fiscally responsible. In an effort to break down our two silos and build a bridge between our programs, Meghan Ross will supervise two staff positions that will combine several part-time jobs, work closely with Karen Kircher and the Membership Committee and oversee the function of Religious Education, Membership, and Engagement. We are all very excited about the potential for greater communication and connection with this structure, especially now when we will be communicating online for the immediate future. This restructuring will also serve to better integrate children and families into the West Shore community.

The two positions that have been created will help to better coordinate and streamline the work of Religious Education, Membership, and Engagement. The redesigned positions are: 1. Religious Education, Membership, and Engagement

Assistant. The Assistant position will continue the vital, behind-the-scenes work that supports RE, Membership and Engagement. The amazing Dorothy Richards, who is currently serving as our Membership Assistant, will add supporting Religious Education to her duties. She is looking forward to learning more about Religious Education and we are excited to continue working with her.

2. Membership and Engagement Coordinator. The Mem-bership and Engagement Coordinator will oversee welcoming visitors, classes for prospective members, and engagement of both new and long-time members in the life of West Shore. This position and a full job description, will be posted on our website soon.

If you have any questions, please contact Meghan Ross at mross@wsuuc.org.

ZOOM Will Keep Us TOGETHER With the COVID-19 coronavirus wreaking havoc across the world, Zoom has become an essential tool for West Shore to keep in touch with our congregation. It is a service you can use to virtually meet with others—either by video or audio-only or both, all while conducting live chats. It allows you to virtually interact with people when in-person meetings aren't possible to help everyone feel connected. Here are some of the Zoom meetings you are invited to join. Links to these meetings will be included in Enews weekly.

A Mindful Art Practice with Jerry Devis Wednesday, June 10, 17 & 24, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Join Artist Jerry Devis as he will guide you through an art experience for adults in the comfort and safety of your own home. No worry about your art background just work together to create some art pieces with things from your home. Time to relax and enjoy the experience and share with others your ideas and thoughts. Materials you will need for each Wednesday will be listed in the Friday Enews each week. Please contact Jerry to pre-register prior to the program at devisjj@yahoo.com.

Zoom Socrates Café Thursday, June 11 & 25, Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Socrates Café are gatherings where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences while embracing the central theme of Socratizing—the idea that we learn more when we question with others. We meet the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at noon on Zoom. We are a thoughtful and fun group of people who meet to discuss philosophical, psychological, and social topics We hope you'll join us!

Tuesday Morning Connection Circle

Tuesday Morning Connection Circle meets on Zoom every other Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Given the stresses in our lives for now, we simply chat without a specific topic. Please contact Brenda Brown at brendahuntbrown@gmail.com if you would like to join us.

Second Friday Book Group The Giver of Stars Friday, June 12, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.

We will be discussing The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, a novel based on a true story. The book takes place on the 1930s in Eastern Kentucky and depicts the powerful relationships among several women from very disparate backgrounds bound together by their unrelenting commit-ment to the Packhorse Librarians. The Packhorse Librarian Project was conceived by Eleanor Roosevelt as a means to provide books to very remote sections of Appalachia. This is a powerful and spellbinding book. If you would like to join u contact Brenda Brown at brendahuntbrown@gmail.com or Lois Riemer at lois.riemer@riemer.com. We will be meeting via Zoom and will provide you with the link.

ANNOUNCING THE RETURN OF Thursday’s @West Shore Home Edition! Thursday, June 19 , 6:00 p.m.

Let us gather virtually for a “shared” meal and conversation, followed by a guided meditation and some readings. Do you have a creative idea that might work virtually? Please contact Barbara Walker at momofkatbird@gmail.com. Looking forward to sharing in community with you all soon! Virtual Coffee Hour We see the return of Coffee Hour! Come join us on ZOOM for an on-line version of a favorite church experience. It will be held from 11:30-12:30 p.m., followed by the Sermon Chat at 1:00 p.m.

Sermon Chat Join Rev. Makar for a chat about the sermon after the service on Sundays! Sermon chats are opportunities for folks to ask questions or offer up insights/stories that the sermon brought up for them. Invariably, in the course of a sermon chat, participants find themselves taken to profound insights—and there are emotional moments, too. We teach and learn from each other. It’s a spiritual formation time for adults.

Happenings West Shore’s

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I t has been over five weeks since we made our first round of Project Check-In care calls to West Shore members and friends. During that time, people were

hunkering down, staying safely at home if possible, or risking their health as essential workers in various capaci-ties during the high point of the Covid-19 spring statistical curve. When our 58 volunteers made their calls from May 13-21, our aim was to find out how you were dealing with some of the challenges of this pandemic-being confined (often times alone), experiencing a layoff or dealing with job stress or just the fear of the virus itself—by giving you someone who would listen. We also checked in to see how or whether you felt con-nected to our Beloved Community, either by watching the livestream worship services, calling church friends, partici-pating in church ZOOM groups, or any other opportunity you used to be in community. We wanted to be there for you in times of personal need—by helping with referrals to our loving Pastoral Care Team or offering help if you need-ed assistance.

Project Check-In: The Second Time Around By Dorothy Richards, Project Coordinator

All in all, we achieved our goals with the folks we were able to reach. You talked, we listened, and our volunteers made new friends during the process. Some contacts were poignant, especially those calls with families who had lost a loved one during this time of limited ability to mourn with others. Other times, we found that we weren’t the only person from West Shore who had checked in and that mul-tiple calls were received and welcomed by those living alone and dealing with housebound status. Caring kudos to all of the Team Leaders for making and serving as point persons for these care calls: Chris Baum-hauer, Margaret Gardner, Karen Kircher, Barb Mishic, Judy Montgomery, Anne Osborne, Tim Smith, Kathy Strawser, Martie Travis and Caprice Wright. Loving gratitude goes to the over 60 volunteers, in both phases, who made the time to make the calls to, as Rev. Anthony says, “love on you” for this moment in time. By calling, leaving voice messages or through email, our volun-teers reached out to let you know that we genuinely cared. We hope you got the message!

Celebrating 13 NEW Members in May!

On Sunday, May 17, during the livestreaming worship service, we honored eight new members who joined West Shore. They are: Angela Bilancini and Luke Church, Michael Hockman and Laura Ruymann-Hockman (son, Matthew), Sandra Martin, Patty McKenna, Barbara Prociak, and Emily Scheiderich. On Sunday, May 31, we welcomed five new members during our first-ever Zoom Pathway To Membership Class: Scott Armour (Rocky River), Hal and Amanda Martin and son Elliott (Rocky River), and Tina Rossi and Eric Morse (Lakewood).

June Anniversaries

Ben Bassett, 63 years

John Zangerle, 60 years

Dorothy Faller, 47 years

Wes Maynard, 44 years

Joan Rasmussen, 38 years

Marth Blachly-Cross, 33 years

Tim Smith, 30 years

Connie Bollin, 29 years

Kip Bollin, 29 years

Buffy DeWitt, 29 years

Pat Despins, 27 years

Kathy Strawser, 21 years

Sue Griffiths, 19 years

Barb Wilburg, 16 years

Michael Panich III, 15 years

Barbara Reid, 15 years

Georgeann Yug, 15 years

Derrick Lonsdale, 5 years

Emily & Cody Barbara Patty

Angela & Luke Michael, Laura & Elliott Sandra

Please join us in sending congratulations to our newest Members of West Shore's beloved community! Also, we are please to celebrate these June Anniversaries.

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COMMUNITY Serving the Wider

West Shore Food Pantry For years the Social Action Committee has maintained a small food pantry at West Shore. The pantry was open every Sunday morning and anyone was welcome to take what they needed. With Covid 19, it was necessary to close the building and that meant that people no longer had access to the food pantry. We know that people relied on the food pantry and we are trying to make changes to make food accessible to members of West Shore. If you need food, please contact Gloria Bemer at mrsb112@aol.com or by calling 440-777-9108. Someone will contact you and give you a list of food that is available. You can let us know what you need, and someone will deliver the food to your door.

Urban Hope - Thank You West Shore Thanks to all of the people who contributed to the request for deodorant, men’s T-shirts and underwear. Once again West Shore members responded. Also, thanks to the members who have helped in supporting the West Shore Third Sunday event by helping provide some of the items that are needed to fill the lunch bags. These lunch bags are handed out to people in need outside the facility temporari-ly. West Shore continues to have a presence in our commu-nity. If anyone would like to learn more about West Shore’s involvement with Urban Hope, please contact Jillian Cook at JillianCook55@gmail.com.

A Riot is the Language of the Unheard Submitted by Bridget Crist, Member, Undoing Oppressions

“Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigor-ously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity.

And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King

West Shore Building To Remain Closed Through Labor Day Weekend

During the last Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, May 28, the Board created this policy regarding the reopening of our building to its members and friends. “In light of uncertainty about what gradually reopening Ohio will lead to, in terms of a second wave of infections; in recognition that programming during summer months at West Shore has historically been slower; and in overriding commitment to the value of people's health and wellbeing: the West Shore Board and Rev. Makar have jointly decided that West Shore will stay in virtual mode (livestream wor-ship and official meetings via ZOOM or other technology) through the end of August. At the August Board meeting, the leadership will take stock of where the world is and revisit the question of re-opening. While, during this time, the building will remain closed, West Shore cannot and will not restrict small groups from gathering off site. We recommend that, if small groups gather, they practice social distancing, wear masks, and en-gage in other behaviors that safeguard people's health and safety. The one exception to all this is the child care center, which has re-opened in a limited sense to serve families in this pandemic time.”

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W e are very excited to announce the reopening of the West Shore Child Care

Center. It was very hard to walk away for these two months. We have kept in touch with many families, and actually found more ways to bridge the gap between us all. By starting a Pinterest page for families and a private Face-book page for all of us to share photos of the children and the teachers to show their own side of life.

Even though we were apart physically, I believe that we have been brought closer emotionally and spiritually. We all miss the children, but to see them in pictures, to hear from their parents how they ask to go back to school, how my name used to be pronounced “Capeesh” but is now Caprice, truly touches the heart.

We are going to reopen June 1st. It is a trying time for all of us—there are so many requirements to meet, health factors to consider and new masks to buy. I have put together a small team of teachers via Skype who have come together to find the best practices to keep our families, teachers and West Shore Church safe. We have received the recommendations from the CDC and the outlines of the State laws to make a solid plan for our “new normal.” The hardest part is finding the Clorox wipes, the hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, but we have had great help from parents and their contributions. I know this shows the parents we are here for them 100%, we are responsible, and we know what we are doing.

I look forward to hearing little voices

again, seeing happy parents, and hope-

fully some actual summer weather.

Thank you for all the support and team

work from the teachers and members

of West Shore Church. We could not

have done this without your love!

West Shore’s Child Care Center Update

By Caprice WRIGHT, Director

A s states begin to reopen, the virus will have more oppor-tunity to spread. We have to

know the risks and how to avoid them. Of course, there are reasons to restart the economy, but if you don't understand and solve the biological issues first, the economy will not recover. By opening throughout the country, we are going to add fuel to the viral fire. It's going to happen whether you like it or not, so here are some guidelines to keep you away from high risk situations. First and foremost, social distancing, hand washing/sanitizing, and wearing a facial mask are of utmost im-portance. Have you seen people in public places, not following these sim-ple rules? Just think about Mike Pence and Donald Trump! Seriously, I see them at the grocery stores and pharmacies. I want to ask them, "what are you thinking?” The answer is they selfishly are not thinking of others. We have a social contract with other people to protect them as well as ourselves. The following are interesting facts about virus spread, when you are not wearing a mask.

To become infected you need to inhale about 1000 viral particles.

Coughing can release about 3000 droplets that travel 50 MPH and can go across a room in a few seconds.

Sneezing releases about 30,000 droplets traveling at 200 MPH.

Breathing releases 50-5000 drop-lets that travel at low velocity and fall to the ground quickly. These droplets have a lower viral load.

Of course, if you have not been infected with the Covid-19 virus, then these droplets are not that dangerous, but are you sure that you are not infected? Very few of us have had access to a test, so we don't know. In fact about 44% of infected people are asymptomatic, and could be shedding viral particles, unbeknownst to anyone. Outbreaks tend to occur in any environment that is enclosed, with poor air circulation and a high densi-ty of people, such as nursing homes, meat packing plants, religious ceremonies, theaters and business meetings. Think for a moment about reopening restaurants. You can't eat with a mask on, you will be in close contact with other people and time wise, it will take more than an hour to enjoy a meal. Until we have testing, tracking, tracing and isolating, opening should not take place. Instead of running out to shop, continue to do the good work you have been doing to protect yourself and others. Don't let your guard down. Acknowledge that this is a temporary inconvenience in life. These frustrations won't last forever. Like an inoculation-painful to get, but a really good idea to protect health and safety. Hopefully, we will have a treatment or vaccine in the not too distant future.

The Not So Grand Reopening By Martie Travis, Parish Nurse

20401 Hilliard Boulevard Rocky River, Ohio 44116

phone 440.333.2255 fax 440.333.2287 www.wsuuc.org

Check our website, www.wsuuc.org, for updated information. Next Shorelines deadline: Wednesday, June 17 @ 3:00 p.m.

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Thousands of Unitari-an Universalists from across the country participate. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the UUA Board of Trustees has decided to make the 2020 General Assembly a 100% virtual event. A virtual GA does have the benefits of reducing our carbon footprint and of being more afford-able for those who wish to attend. This is a great opportunity for folks who have never been to GA to give it a try. While it’s a different experience than attending in person, it’s the next best thing to being there!

GA will occur June 24 - 28, and since it was to be in Providence, Rhode Island, will be in the Eastern time zone. The cost of registration is $150, which includes access to workshops, performances, lectures, and events listed in the GA Program. See uua.org/ga for more information or to register. All UU’s are eligible to attend GA. If you are interested in being a delegate representing West Shore, please contact Jerry Knasel at jerryknase@aol.com or Anne Osborne at osborne815@yahoo.com.

VIRTUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY