What a weather rollercoaster we experienced last weekend. I’m sure many of you were finishing up yard work in nothing more than shorts and a T-shirt on Nov. 18, only to have dusted off that winter parka the following two days.

Record warmth with temperatures in the 70s the last Friday prior to Thanksgiving gave way to high temperatures in the low 30s with wind chills in the 20s by the end of the weekend.

I guess that time tested cliché is true. If you don’t like the weather in northeast Ohio stick around for a few minutes, it’s bound to change. But a 40-degree turnaround in 48 hours?

However, us Greater Clevelanders are a hardy lot. Like the postman, a little snow and cold doesn’t keep us from our appointed rounds.

Maybe that’s why there were so many people on the Commons the evening of Nov. 20 to usher in the Christmas season with a bang. And by bang I am referring to the magnificent fireworks display that kicked off the festivities.

I don’t know that the annual Winter Wonderland and Lighting Celebration on the Commons pyrotechnics has usurped the Fourth of July display, but there is something special about the sky lighting up in late November with festive lights all about on the ground.

Yes, I’m not going to lie. It was downright cold. But hot cocoa served by members of the Strongsville Lions Club certainly helped.

The line for Santa Claus was long, but everyone was patient especially Mr. and Mrs. ‘C.’ The Claus’ came in on a specially designed float to grant Christmas wishes through the evening.

A lot of hard work goes into making the event so special. A big thank you goes to Susan Norcross, Mayor Thomas Perciak’s administrative assistant. I know how much she puts into making the Winter Wonderland and Lighting Celebration on the Commons the premier event it has become and how much she cares.

So the Christmas season has officially come to Strongsville. The Commons will be lighted during the evening throughout the month of December and into early January.

Take your family to the Commons and enjoy the magic of the season. It’s a beautiful scene and a wonderful way to enjoy quality time with your loved ones.

Brain brawlers

The Incarnate Word Academy academic challenge team from Parma Heights was one of 40 teams to compete in the sixth annual St. Ignatius Brain Brawl. Not only did the team compete, but went undefeated and won the event.

Four of the five team members are Strongsville residents and Adam Havel, the coach/teacher, is also a Strongsville resident. Strongsville team members are Shay Tanna, John DiFilippo, Jaden Keirn and Owen Southworth. The other team member is Ashauni Suhauni.

Filling the bus

Strongsville school bus drivers are used to getting behind the wheel to transport children to and from school, and to various activities. Many of the drivers could be found outside a bus at the final home football game on Oct. 28 in order to fill it with food items for the Strongsville Emergency Food Bank.

This was the first time the transportation department held a fill the bus event for the food bank. It will become an annual event, according to Assistant Transportation Supervisor Lori Sinick.

“I was given a directive to show value to the community and this just popped into my head,” said Lori Sinick, assistant transportation supervisor. “We will probably switch the time to homecoming. My goal next year is to fill two buses.”

Jury summons scam

The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs is issuing a nationwide alert warning people not to respond to a bogus emailed jury summons that purports to be from Cuyahoga County.

If you receive an emailed jury summons, do not reply. Do not call the toll-free number supplied in the email. Do not click on any links or attachments.

So far, residents of California, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas have contacted the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts to ask about the emails, which say: “You have been summoned for jury service to the Cuyahoga County Court.

Your Group Number is: 1776

Scheduled Appearance Date: 11 23, 2016

Where You Must Appear: Cuyahoga County Court, 2256 Remington Court, Rosmand, OH 65505

Please print and bring the attached summons with you. Be prepared to attend court from your assigned reporting time up to 5 p.m. Reasonable accommodations for persons with ADA disabilities must be requested at least ten days in advance from the Jury Office ADA-Coordinator at telephone number1-800-843-8588. Free parking is available.”

There is no city in Cuyahoga County or in the state of Ohio named Rosmand. The zip code is not in the United States. Cuyahoga County does not email jury summons.

The toll-free number is answered by a recorded message that asks people to take to a “survey” to win a chance at a cruise. Cuyahoga County Consumer Affairs warns that those who call the 800 number could later be inundated with illegal robocalls or other scam calls.

In the past, scam callers posing as Cuyahoga County court officials have tried to scare people into paying bogus fines for missed court appearances or summonses. In some cases, the scammers have threatened people with immediate arrest unless they pay.

People who receive suspicious emails or threatening calls purporting to be from Cuyahoga County should file a scam report with the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs through its website at www.consumeraffairs.cuyahogacounty. Consumers who live outside the county can alternatively report suspect emails and calls to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.

Veterans Day honor

Dover Elementary School in Westlake hosted those who who made our country free during a Veterans Day program on Nov. 11. Strongsville resident and Navyman Norm Beznoska was one of those veterans recognized.

Pictured are Norm with his son Norm III, a U.S. Navy commander, and grandson Charles Beznoska.

Navyman Norm stated, “This was my best Veterans Day ever.”