The Willoughby Rotary recently named its Citizen of the Year and Civic Organization of the Year at its annual luncheon. Cathi Weber was awarded Citizen of the Year and the Heart of Willoughby nonprofit was awarded Civic Organization of the Year. According to Willoughby Rotary, Weber opened the Sweet Shop in Downtown Willoughby in1980 where she met many Willoughby residents. The store was then sold in 1981 and Weber became a member of the Frontier Days Committee. She was pulled into many projects and committees to impact Willoughby, including the Historical Society and the Heart of Willoughby. She has also gone on to write a book of stories about Willoughby’s history, according to Willoughby Rotary. It was in 2008 that Weber started the Willoughby Ghost Walk, still going on today. Her love for history and the need to share the history of the places in Willoughby, and tell a ghost story along the way resulted in the walk. Weber also conducts ghost hunts at various locations in Willoughby. When the Little Red Schoolhouse was in need of a new director, Weber stepped up. Under her direction, the schoolhouse continues to offer lessons to fourth-graders about life in Ohio in 1901, according to Willoughby Rotary. Weber also started special events at the schoolhouse and has brought new life into it. Weber still finds time to be active with Girl Scouts, something she’s been doing for the last 40 years. Meanwhile, Heart of Willoughby’s Outdoor Market will be celebrating the start of its 46th year this May. The Heart of Willoughby Outdoor Market, shown in 2018 outside of city hall. One of Heart of Willoughby’s first steps to encourage shopping in Downtown Willoughby was to establish a seasonal outdoor market, according to the nonprofit organization. Since then, the market has become a weekly tradition for people who come to shop with the local vendors. Money raised from the rental of booth space to vendors weekly is used to pay for community projects, as well as sponsorship of Downtown Willoughby events. In addition to the market, Heart of Willoughby is responsible for the creation of the annual Last Stop Willoughby festival, which is now approaching its 20th year. The festival name refers to a “Twilight Zone” television show episode that revolves around an idyllic town called Willoughby. In 2008, at the request of then-mayor David Anderson, Heart of Willoughby added a parade to the day’s festivities. Since, it has become a tradition for Willoughby families to enjoy the bands, floats, civic groups, scout troops and more who march along Euclid Avenue, according to the organization, according to Willoughby Rotary. Heart of Willoughby was formed in 1979 when a group of citizens decided to address the loss of commercial vitality and decline in the architectural integrity of historic buildings in Downtown Willoughby. They formed a nonprofit corporation with plans to work with the city to reverse the forlorn appearance of empty storefronts and lack of building maintenance. In a collaboration with the city, Heart of Willoughby helped to create a Willoughby Historic Preservation District in 1983, according to the nonprofit. This started a commitment by the city to establish guidelines and rules for the owners of both commercial, and residential properties to preserve the historical heritage of the buildings and homes in the designated historic area. Recent restoration projects sponsored by Heart of Willoughby include the refurbishing of the DavEd Jewelers clock sign in 2021 and the repainting of the Kleifeld’s Restaurant Good Coffee Always mural in 2017, and again in 2021. Additionally, the photo mural on the outside of the Willoughby Public Library was sponsored, in part, by the Heart of Willoughby. The original photo idea was conceived and executed by artist Anna Lattanzio, a Willoughby resident who became a Heart of Willoughby Board member. In 2013, the Heart of Willoughby started a snow-shoveling initiative to solve the problem of snow-covered sidewalks in the commercial areas of Erie Street. For the past 13 years, Heart of Willoughby has paid the cost for a team of workers wielding snow shovels to keep the sidewalks clear and navigable, according to the nonprofit. The project benefits both the merchants and businesses owners, as well as their customers. The amount of snow in 2025 has been a challenge, but Heart of Willoughby feels it is a well-worth expense and effort for a safer Downtown Willoughby. ...read more read less