Avon Lake, Ohio
Santa Claus is coming to town! Set your alarms now as registration opens for residents Nov. 1 for the annual Light up the Park festivities in Avon Lake. The popular event sells out every year so get ready now and have your account set up on the Avon Lake Parks and Recreation website, avonlakeoh.myrec.com.
Santa Claus will be available for family visits and photos from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 1; and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Dec. 2. Pre-registration is required. Family reservations are sold in 15-minute time blocks. Families should plan on arriving 15 minutes before your scheduled time. Only one reservation per family is needed. Cost is $45 per family (Avon Lake residents).
Non-resident reservations go on sale Nov. 14 and the cost is $45 per family.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Avon Lake Historical Society.
At 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 Santa will arrive at Veterans’ Memorial Park, 32756 Lake Road. Santa will join city officials to help Light Up the Park at 6 p.m. Veterans’ Memorial Park will be decorated with thousands of holiday lights and decorations throughout the holiday season. There will be family photo opportunities throughout the park near Santa’s Sleigh and other festive holiday scenes and decorations.
AVON
Leaf collection: The city provides curbside leaf collection in the fall only. Street department employees are now picking up leaves curbside through the first week in December (weather permitting). After that, leaves will need to be bagged and put out for the regularly scheduled trash pick-up. Guidelines for leaf collection include 1) Leaves should be placed on your tree lawn area and not in the street, 2) Remove stones, branches and other debris to prevent equipment damage and worker injury, 3) Pile leaves away from storm drains, water meter covers, mailboxes and parked cars, 4) Leaf piles should be no further than seven feet from the curb so the machine can reach, 5) The crews follow a route throughout the city and they do not veer from their route, 6) Crews usually can get through the city in seven to 10 business days; however, it can take as long as two weeks to complete a full route. This is dependent on how much is out there and whether or not there are more urgent concerns that the Street Department must address, especially due to snow and/or ice on the roadways.
If residents have a great deal of leaves out, they may contact the service department at 440-937-5729 to notify them, however, larger piles do not take precedence over smaller piles. Tall, ornamental grass cannot go through the chipping machine. It must be bagged and put out for trash pick-up. After the first week of December, please place leaves in brown bags and put them out for Republic Waste to pick up.
Technology help: Need some help with your phone, laptop, tablet, and other device(s)? Local teens are providing tech help from 3 to 4 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Avon Branch Library, 37485 Harvest Drive. Pre-registration is required, go to LorainPublicLibrary.org/programs.
AVON LAKE
Summer food trucks: The city is currently accepting applications for food trucks for events scheduled for next year. To sign up for a chance to be selected, go to bit.ly/ALFoodTrucks.
Honoring veterans: Local veterans (spouses included) are invited to a Drive-up Pinning Ceremony, including a free Grab & Go Lunch for Veterans from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Old Firehouse Community Center, 100 Avon Belden Road. To register, call 440-930-4135.
Expanding: Old School Pizza & Wings by Parker’s is expanding to Rocky River. The pizza shop will open a second location in the former Flip Side restaurant spot at 19071 Old Detroit Road. The new restaurant is slated to open sometime in December and will feature many of the original menu as the Avon Lake location, 445 Avon Belden Road.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE
Food, toy drive: It’s that time for the Holiday Food and Toy Drive to benefit North Ridgeville Community Care. Non-perishable food items and toys in original packaging may be dropped off at City Hall, and the Parks & Recreation Department, 7307 Avon Belden Road; and the Senior Center, 7327 Avon Belden Road.
Road closure: Bainbridge Road will be temporarily closed between Route 83 and Mitchell Drive, along with the intersections of Root Road and Ranger Way from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Nov. 4 for the annual Parks & Recreation Department Stache Dash. The street will re-open immediately following the conclusion of the race.
STEM grant: Ranger High Tech Academy will be awarded $5,000 to expand STEM learning projects through Ohio STEM Learning Network Classroom Grant Program, funded by Battelle, according to a press release from the North Ridgeville City Schools. The school’s grant is one of 233 issued this fall to create sustainable, STEM learning projects.
The project, Project GLOBE: Implementing Citizen Science for Authentic Learning, allows for the development of field study backpacks for outdoor science in grades 2-7. The learners will be citizen scientists, submitting data about the atmosphere, hydrosphere and pedosphere to a global science community. NASA uses this data to monitor trends in climate and to calibrate satellite observations with what is observed on the group. The learners will design inquiry projects and report data on air temperature, surface temperature, precipitation, cloud cover and water quality, in the first year.
Potty training with complex needs: Join Ian B. Gentile from the Galvin Therapy Center, who will discuss the challenges of potty training from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at the North Ridgeville Branch Library, 35700 Bainbridge Road. The program will focus on methods to support children with sensory processing, anxiety, autism and physical disabilities, but will also be helpful for caregivers of typically developing children. Attendees will have the chance to join breakout groups based on their child’s readiness level and developmental concerns. This program is for adults only and a portion will be recorded. The program is presented in partnership with the Lorain Public Library System and the Rotary Club of North Ridgeville. To register, go to connectingforkids.org/speakerseries.
Mootown Creamery closing: Sad to hear another local business is closing. Angela Dickerson Brooks, a 2000 graduate of North Ridgeville High School, is the owner of Mootown Creamery, 34259 Center Ridge Road, which opened in the city in July 2022. She posted on Facebook last week that the ice cream shop will be closed soon and before the end of the year. She also owns a location in Berea, 437 W. Bagley Road. North Ridgeville will close first, and Berea will remain open a short while longer to give patrons the opportunity to redeem gift cards, and fill last minute orders.
A portion of the post reads: “As you all know, small businesses and families have been struggling tremendously in this current economy. Inflation has driven up the costs of everything we purchase, from the bowls/spoons to the cream/ingredients. Add that to the rising utilities and other overhead costs. Because families are also struggling to make ends meet during this recession, raising prices put our sweet treats out of reach of most of our customers. While we still have several loyal families who visit us weekly (sometimes daily), there has been far too great of a negative impact on our business. Our costs are exceeding our revenue, and it’s been this way this entire year.
“This is not a decision I came to lightly and has been one I’ve mulled over for months. We were hopeful after the pandemic ended that things would turn around, but the reality is that it has gotten worse. Much-much-worse. We can no longer continue to support our staff and community, and the financial strain has been a massive burden on me and my family. I have put myself last for a very long time, and I need to take a step back and do what is best for my physical and emotional health.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to serve you for the last six and a half years. I have made so many wonderful connections in both the Berea and North Ridgeville communities. Some of you have gone from customers to friends, and because of you, this decision is exponentially harder! I have been so invested in all of you, and I feel like I will be letting you down with this decision to close.
“In closing, I want to say thank you! Thank you for supporting us for all these years. For words could never fully convey how much I love you all and will miss you.”
LORAIN COUNTY
Business Expo: The Lorain County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Business Expo, presented by First Federal Lakewood, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at Tom’s Country Place, 3442 Stoney Ridge Road, Avon. The goal of the expo is to provide exhibitors and attendees an opportunity to network, collaborate, learn about and promote Lorain County businesses. The expo will feature more than 110 exhibitors.
Election day: Get out and vote Nov. 7. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. so there’s plenty of time during the day. There has been lots of information regarding candidates and issues posted all over for months. Be an informed voter and educate yourself. Seek out information or contact the candidates and city/district officials if you need more information. If you are unsure of your polling location, what to bring to vote, ballot items, etc., go to voteloraincountyohio.gov.
JVS open house: The Lorain County Joint Vocational School (JVS) is hosting an Open House from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at 15181 State Route 58, Oberlin. At Open House, guests meet teachers and students, and learn more about career-focused education.
If you have news/information or a story idea you’d like to share or a ‘shout-out’, please send an email to jshortavon@aol.com. Follow me on Twitter @jshortavon.
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