July 20, 2026
Road work: One of the most often used east/west roads in the city is about to cause some delays as resurfacing begins this week on Riegelsberger Road. Please use caution while driving in the area.
Ringside event: The Micro Wrestling Federation returns to ForeFront Field (home of the Lake Erie Crushers) Aug. 9. Gates open at 6 p.m., and bell time is 7 p.m.
On the card is Strongsville native Jamaican Jo. As seen on the Discovery Channel show Big Little Brawlers, Jamaican Jo will be joined by Little Miss, Zach Presley, Flyin’ Ryan, Lidl Lex, Carolina Reaper, King Clover, Rufio, Chief Littlefoot, Micro Suave, and Ben Urkel.
General admission $25 tickets in the seating bowl are first come, first served. Ringside $46 seats are limited and come with a guaranteed seat in the front two rows on the field. Tickets are available online.
Pizza update: I first reported last year that Nelly Belly is taking over the space formerly occupied by Railroad Brewing Company at 1010 Center Road.
For 14 seasons, Nelly Belly wood fired pizza trucks have been catering events across northeast Ohio. Now the owners have purchased the three acre property and are opening a restaurant with not only their woodfired pizza, but smash burgers, fresh cut fries fried in beef tallow, homemade soups and salads, sandwiches, and soft serve ice cream (made locally with organic dairy). Don’t worry, their fleet of trucks will still be rolling around.
The new location will also include an outdoor space for live music, sand volleyball, bocce ball, tether ball, and cornhole, as well as ice keg curling in the winter.
The owners are hoping to be open Labor Day weekend. Stay tuned to Short Takes.
Summer concert: The Whiskey Outlaws Country band will be at the Heritage Square Gazebo (corner of Stoney Ridge and Detroit roads) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 22. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.
The next concert is Aug. 12 and features the Stringer Brothers Band (classic rock).
School supplies needed, craft presentation: The Lorain Public Library System (includes Avon and North Ridgeville branches) will be collecting new school supplies for the United Way of Greater Lorain County’s Collect-Sort-Deliver initiative from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31. The school supplies gathered will benefit Lorain County elementary students.
There are two ways to donate, either shop and take the supplies to a designated box at any of the library drop-off locations or shop online and have your donation shipped directly to the United Way of Greater Lorain County’s office at 642 Broadway, Lorain, OH 44052 to the attention of Kelsey Jones.
School supply collection wish list includes 2-pocket folders, Laddie pencils, backpacks, notebooks (single subject, wide-ruled), disinfecting wipes, pencil pouches, dry erase markers, hand sanitizer, glue sticks, scissors (childrens), over the ear headphones (not earbuds), tissues, highlighters, Ziplock bags (sandwich and/or gallon sized), crayons (24 count), fidget toys / sensory items, and index cards.
Also at the library, learn how to turn your craft hobby into a business during a presentation from 3 to 4 p.m. Aug. 1 at the library, 37485 Harvest Drive. Cricut crafter and content creator Corinne Blackstone will share how she made a business out of her hobby.
B-I-N-G-O: Bring your beach blanket or towel for a fun night of Beach Blanket Bingo from 7 to 8 p.m. (sign in from 6:30 to 7 p.m.) July 29 at Northgate Park, 2155 Eaton Drive. Cost is $10 per player. Register online through the Avon Parks and Recreation Department. Recommended for families with children ages 5-12 years. Prizes, music, games, and snacks are included.
Shred Day: Gather up your sensitive documents and other papers to be shredded onsite in the Avon Library parking lot, 37485 Harvest Drive, from 9 a.m. to noon July 25. Each household may bring up to five standard-size copier paper boxes or five grocery-size bags of documents. Staples are fine, but no paper clips, binder clips, binders, spiral-bound notebooks, other metal objects, batteries or electronics. The event may end early if the truck is full.
Staying afloat: Grab your favorite float and enjoy a fun evening on the water during a float party from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. July 30 at the Avon Aquatic Center, 36265 Detroit Road.
Incentives repealed: City Council members voted last week to repeal the city’s long-running Job Growth Incentive Program (JGIP) as it prepares to roll out new economic development programming.
Established in 2012, the JGIP provided an automatic award to Avon Lake-based businesses that achieved year-over-year income tax payment increases. The decision to repeal the JGIP follows the city’s adoption of an Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan (ERRP) in 2025, according to the press release.
City officials plan to explore new, more targeted business incentive programs that better align with the economic development objectives outlined in the ERRP.
In 2023, the city secured a $75,000 grant from the Economic Development Agency (EDA) to fund the creation of an Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan. The plan was developed to proactively address economic disruptions — most notably the closure of the Avon Lake Power Plant — and to position the city for future success through sustainable and resilient development strategies. The ERRP will serve as a strategic roadmap to guide Avon Lake’s growth, investment, and long-term economic stability in the face of evolving challenges and opportunities.
The Avon Lake ERRP is available online.
New president: The North Coast Rotary recently installed Jamie Wise as the club’s President for the 2026-2027 Rotary year. Wise, a Navy veteran and former North Coast Rotary secretary, was awarded the Presidential gavel from Cathy Pugh who served two consecutive terms.
Wise plans to continue the support of local communities, as well as pursue new opportunities both locally and internationally. Pending approval of a Rotary District grant, plans are in the works to support the Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Services (CRS) expansion through allocation of North Coast Rotary Foundation funds.
In addition, the club plans to focus on steps to become more environmentally-friendly, beginning with this year’s Avon Lake Pizza Bake-off on Oct. 1 at Avon Lake High School.
The North Coast Rotary supports community projects, school programs, and student scholarships in Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake, and Sheffield Village. Meetings are held Tuesday mornings at the French Creek YMCA, 2010 Recreation Lane, Avon.
Cruise-in: Registration is now open for the annual Design Engineering Inc. (DEI) Cruise-in event from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 22 at Weiss Field, 33401 Webber Road.
A $10 per vehicle fee will be donated to Santa & Me 1983, a charitable foundation that spreads joy and hope to families in Cleveland’s westside suburbs through acts of kindness — from personal Santa visits and surprise video messages, to thoughtfully prepared care packages.
To register, email melisagrace456@gmail.com.
Exploring nature: Online registration is now open for the 2026-2027 Preschool Programs at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Road.
New businesses: Several news businesses are coming to the city including Lake Effect Comics, 33117 Center Ridge Road, which will celebrate its grand opening Aug. 1. The shop will sell comic books, toys, Pokémon cards, Funko Pops, statues, and all kinds of collectibles.
Big things are happening at the EQ Technologies building, 34910 Center Ridge Road, with The Maker Lab, Jack Of Arts Tattooz and EQ Technologies all in one spot. Kawaii Pop is coming in the fall and will feature all things Korean pop including albums and other collectables.
The North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau will host a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Business After Hours Mixer at the new UPS Store, 34297 Center Ridge Road (Giant Eagle plaza) from 5 to 7 p.m. July 29.
Clean water: The 2026 Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report was recently released and the city’s drinking water met all Ohio EPA standards in 2025. The city’s Public Works team, including certified water distribution operators, responded to main breaks, repaired service lines, replaced hydrants and collected more than 500 water samples throughout the year. The Engineering Division supported these efforts by managing infrastructure data and overseeing more than $1.5 million in system improvements. The report is available online.
Gift givers: During a recent City Council meeting, Mayor Pamela Bobst shared that the city had received a ‘beautiful and generous gift’ from the American Legion Post 451. The Legion sold their lodge to Roundstone who is constructing a small development in the area of 19911 Lake Road.
As a result, the city has welcomed the Legion to hold their meetings at Memorial Hall at no charge. Legion members approached the mayor and wanted to extend their appreciation to the city and gave an ‘extremely generous’ gift. City officials used the gift to purchase all the new flags on the utility poles and around the city’s campus down Detroit Road as a result of the generous contribution. The American Legion would like to do other things in the community, as well. Their goal is to also grow their membership and visibility in the community.
Shopping center sold: JLL Capital Markets recently announced that it has arranged the $28.2 million sale of Westwood Town Center, 21653 Center Ridge Road. The 18-acre Westwood has 23 retail spaces.
JLL represented the seller, Zeisler Morgan Properties in the eastside suburb of Orange which had owned Westwood since 1997. The buyer was KPR Centers headquartered in Manhattan.
The community shopping center was built in 1988 and is currently 95 percent occupied.
New brew: Sibling Revelry Brewing Company recently partnered with the city in celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with the introduction of a special Westlake 250 beer. The lager is sold at the brewery and in select Westlake retail stores, and was also available during Westlake’s annual July 4th celebration at Clague Park.
Anniversary celebration: The Westlake Community Services Center celebrated its five-year anniversary last week with a community gathering featuring food, activities and a special time capsule opening. The celebration was part of the city's broader America 250 festivities.
The building's journey began with a 2019 groundbreaking, with much of its construction taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being closed to the public during that period, staff remained active — delivering food, providing employment assistance, and offering virtual programming that kept residents connected. The Center’s director, Lydia Gadd noted the facility has given thousands of tours since opening, and remains on track to welcome more than 500 new visitors in 2026 alone, according to the press release.
Grant agreement: City Council recently passed an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a grant agreement accepting a grant from the Federal Highway Administration through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program for preparation of a citywide comprehensive safety action plan. The focus would be on the Crocker Road I-90 interchange.
.jpg)
.jpg)
