August 23, 2026
Historical presentation: The Avon Historical Society’s monthly meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Avon Olde Town Hall, corner of Detroit and Stoney Ridge roads. The program features Beryl Prusinoski presenting, “The Firelands,” the territory with deep roots in the Revolutionary War. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, call President Ralph White at 440-695-8238.
Season ending: Don’t let summer slip by without heading to the ballpark. The Lake Erie Crushers are ending the 2026 season with a weekend to honor fans with BOGO Fan Finale Weekend, courtesy of Pepsi, Sept. 4-6 (Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.).
Every single game of the weekend features Buy One, Get One tickets. Get two tickets for the price of one for any one of the games in the series.
Throughout the weekend the Crushers will have a BIGGBY cup giveaway on Saturday, a Momma Tried Sports Cards Crushers baseball card set giveaway on Sunday (both are for the first 1,000 fans), T-shirt tosses, and other in-stadium promotions.
The final two fireworks shows of the season are Friday and Saturday night. All weekend fans can also enjoy bottomless popcorn and other special concessions and drink specials.
Princess appearances will highlight Sunday Family Fun Day, which concludes the season on Sept. 6. Kids also eat free on Sunday, receiving a hot dog, chips, and fountain drink.
Tickets for the final weekend are available online.
Plant sale fundraiser: Fall is the best time to plant. Take advantage of the annual Community Plant Day Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 12 at Willoway Nurseries, 4534 Center Road. Proceeds benefit the Avon Local School and school boosters.
Fall musical: The Avon High School Drama Club will be producing its first-ever fall musical, “Six The Musical, Teen Edition!” Performances will be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 12; and at 2 p.m. Sept. 13. The musical is recommended for audiences pre-teen and up. Flashing lights will be used during the performance. Tickets are available online.
Tree Commission opening: The Avon Tree Commission has an opening for a Tree Commission member. An application is available on the city’s website. The deadline to submit is Sept. 4. The commission meets at 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the old City Hall building, 36080 Chester Road.
Save the date: The annual Avon Lions Club Night at the Races is Nov. 7 at Tom's Country Place. Proceeds fund the William H. Bommer/Avon Lions Club scholarships. For more information, email info@avonlions.org.
Construction project: Phase six of the Walker Road Rehabilitation project begins this week (weather permitting). Project activities include pavement milling, base repairs, minor crossing ramp improvements, installation of a new asphalt surface course, and new striping.
The project is expected to be completed by October 30 (weather permitting). Traffic, access to drives, and city services will be maintained throughout the duration of the project.
Perfection: Congratulations to Avon Lake High School senior Jack Erdmann for scoring a perfect composite 36 out of 36 on the ACT exam earlier this summer.
Big trucks: The city’s annual Big Trucks event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Avon Lake Safety Center, 32855 Walker Road. This free event will be held rain-or-shine.
Participating organizations include the city's Fire, Police, and Public Works departments, various local and county agencies. Free parking for the event will be available across the street from the Safety Center at Towne Center. Parking will not be available at the Safety Center during this event. Shuttle service from Towne Center will be available, and assistance will be provided for safely crossing Walker Road.
After hours: Element LABS — Love, Art, Beauty, Science, 33465 Lake Road, recently introduced a new way for women to gather, celebrate and enjoy a night out together with the launch of Boutique Takeovers at Element LABS, a private, after-hours experience that transforms the boutique into an exclusive destination for birthdays, girls’ nights and special occasions.
Built around the idea “Your Boutique. Your People. Your Evening.,” Boutique Takeovers allow a hostess to reserve Element LABS exclusively for her group after regular business hours. There is no rental fee for the boutique, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy a personalized evening of shopping, refreshments and connection in a relaxed private setting.
Each Boutique Takeover includes:
Boutique Takeovers are designed for groups of six to 14 guests. Events may begin at 5 p.m. or later and must conclude by 10 p.m. Reservations should be made at least seven days in advance.
Guests can also customize their evening by adding one of several interactive experiences:
Fresh Flower Bar — $250
Guests create their own fresh floral bouquets to take home.
DIY Bath Salt Bar — $12 per guest
Guests create a personalized bath salt blend as part of their evening.
Custom Fragrance Bar — $35 per guest
The newest Element LABS experience gives guests the opportunity to blend their own signature fragrance and take home a custom perfume created during the event.
The new Boutique Takeover concept reflects Element LABS’ focus on creating experiences that extend beyond traditional retail, giving customers an opportunity to interact with products, try something creative and spend meaningful time together.
Additional details are available online.
Outstanding administrator: Congratulations to Bay Village City School District's Director of Student Services Lindsey Holeman for receiving the Outstanding Administrator for the Northeast Region of the Ohio School Board Association (OSBA).
Loan program: PNC Bank will offer a discounted interest rate to homeowners referred through the Heritage Home Program on qualifying interior and exterior home improvement projects.
For qualifying projects, homeowners who apply with PNC must meet the lender's requirements. If approved, they will receive a .5% rate discount on PNC's Home Equity products used for the Heritage Home Program projects.
Homeowners who are interested can find more information or apply through the Heritage Home Program website.
Evacuation drill: St. Peter School, 35777 Center Ridge Road, will be conducting an all-school emergency evacuation drill Aug. 28.
They will be simulating a gas leak that will necessitate them to completely evacuate the campus and gather at the North Ridgeville Library as their meeting place. The drill will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. that day at the school with the students and teachers making it to the library at approximately 10 a.m. Once the drill is finished, they will return to school.
New benches: Kudos to North Ridgeville High School student Tyler James for recently completing his Eagle Scout project for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. He constructed six benches that were recently installed along the Heart & Sole trail at the Shady Drive Complex.
Feedback needed: The city’s Recreation Department is embarking on a Strategic Plan project. This planning effort will help identify future priorities for parks, recreation facilities, programs, events, and community spaces throughout Rocky River.
Community input is an important part of the planning process, and city officials want to hear from the community. Share your ideas on the Ideas Wall, complete the community survey, provide location-specific feedback through the interactive map, and participate in the budget activity to help identify future investment priorities.
Additional details are available online.
250th celebration: The America 250: A Rocky River Celebration will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 at Rocky River City Hall Park, 21012 Hilliard Blvd.
The free event includes an old-fashioned picnic, live music, family activities, history, and food.
9/11 Remembrance: A Commemoration Ceremony of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 11 to view the livestream of the commemoration ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11. Coffee and tea will be provided. Pre-registration is required.
On Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. guests can also visit Christina’s Corner in Youth Services to write a message of hope on a leaf to add to the remembrance tree honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11. Westlake native Christina Sunga Rook lost her life on Sept. 11, 2001 while working at North World Trade Center.
Fitness room: City officials recently hosted a Healthy Aging and Longevity Starts Here program, featuring MDVIP affiliated physician Dr. Kurtis Dornan at Westlake Community Services. Dr. Dornan discussed the science behind aging, how much of it residents can actually influence, and took questions from the audience afterward.
After the presentation, city officials recognized Dornan's new sponsorship of the Community Services fitness room.
Hall of Fame honors:Congratulations to the eight new members of the Westlake City Schools Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. The Westlake Alumni Association will celebrate the Class of 2026 Oct. 1 at The LaCentre Banquet Facility. This year’s class includes four Athletic inductees, three Distinguished inductees and one Honorary inductee.
Colton Buffington (Class of 2012) finished his high school tennis career with a 151-9 record, four Southwestern Conference (SWC) Singles Championships and three All-Ohio honors. In his senior season, he went a perfect 39-0 and captured the Ohio State Singles Championship.
Joe Craven (Class of 2011) made Westlake history in the pool, becoming the school’s first male swimmer to win an Ohio State Championship when he captured the 100-yard butterfly in 2011. A three-time state qualifier and High School All-American, Craven still holds five individual and three relay school records.
Jack Laraway (Class of 1978) earned nine varsity letters and All-SWC honors in football, basketball and baseball. As a senior, he was named SWC Basketball MVP, leading Westlake to a 12-1 conference record. His success continued at the University of Toledo, where he captained the Rockets to a Mid-American Conference Championship.
Kati Wise Pederson (Class of 2000) is a four-time state qualifier, she finished in the top eight at the state meet every year, including a runner-up finish in the 100-meter butterfly her senior year. She narrowly missed the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials by just 0.1 seconds. Today, she coaches the next generation of Demons as Westlake’s head swimming coach.
The Distinguished inductees have each made an impact well beyond their time as students. Michelle Colley Girard (Class of 1983) has built a distinguished career in business and finance. A Miami University graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, she has become a familiar voice on economics and financial markets through appearances on CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg TV and Yahoo. She currently serves as CEO of NatWest Markets Securities Inc.
Dan Berkheimer (Class of 1981) came home to Westlake and spent 34 years as a teacher and coach. He coached volleyball and track, guiding 10 state field-event qualifiers and leading the Lady Demons to six sectional volleyball championships. His dedication earned him the 2002 Bob Hersman Coach of the Year Award.
Jim Leitch (Class of 1976) has spent years making sure Westlake alumni stay connected to the school they love. A former Alumni Association president and current Hall of Fame Committee chair, Leitch helped bring the massive American flag to the high school gym, launch Demons Day at a Guardians game and establish the annual alumni holiday party. His leadership has also helped grow support for the Alumni Scholarship Fund. A former All-SWC football and baseball player, Leitch later played quarterback at Ashland University and returned to Westlake as an assistant football coach.
This year’s Honorary Inductee, Len Siwik, dedicated more than three decades to Westlake students. From 1961 to 1992, Siwik served as a teacher, coach and guidance counselor. His impact reached far beyond the classroom. He coached football and basketball, taught driver’s education, created a touch football league, started a Learn to Golf program and organized elementary recreation.
