July 27, 2026
More Pizza: Boom's Pizza is opening a new location in Avon Commons in the former Master Pizza space, 35954 Detroit Road. It is scheduled to open in late September. Additional Boom's locations include Lakewood and the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, as well as a location opening soon in Solon.
Hospital expansion: Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. July 30 for its $322 million expansion of the hospital and the Richard E. Jacobs Health Center, 33300 Cleveland Clinic Blvd. The investment will significantly increase the size of the current campus and expand access to advanced, patient-centered care for residents across Lorain County.
The project includes a dedicated Cancer Center, expanded Emergency Department, inpatient beds and ICU, a larger Richard E. Jacobs Health Center, additional operating rooms in the hospital, and expanded imaging and diagnostic services. The project also includes a patient parking garage on the campus.
In other news from the hospital system…The Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital staff hosted another successful Cereal Drive benefiting Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Services (CRS).
This year’s challenge pitted the Nursing, Providers, and Operations departments against one another to see who could collect the most. For the second year in a row, Nursing claimed the championship.
Together, the teams donated 867.85 pounds of cereal. That’s enough for approximately 11,000 servings. They also contributed 68.95 pounds of shells & cheese-style macaroni and cheese, one of the most requested items by the families.
Movie night: The final movie night of the season takes place Aug. 7 at dusk at the Every Child’s Playground, 36265 Detroit Road, featuring “Monsters, Inc.” Bring a blanket or lawn chair.
Republican club meeting: The Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club will meet at 5 p.m. Aug. 13 in Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road. A group of recognized conservative republican speakers who will present on current nationwide and worldwide events. Refreshments will be available. Guest cost is $5.
Spooky new location: Like it or not, Halloween is right around the corner. One popular event that has attracted thousands to the area and stopped traffic for hours is the annual Haunted Garage Sale and Hearse Cruise-In held at Crushers Stadium (ForeFront Field).
This is the 11th year for the Haunted Garage Sale, sponsored by the Cleveland Haunt Club, which has outgrown each of its previous locations over the years.
This year the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 1 at the new Ross Exposition Center at the Lorain County Fairgrounds, 23000 Fairgrounds Road, Wellington.
Admission is $5 for ages 10 and older with proceeds going to Skeletons for St. Jude, a nationwide fundraising that raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
New City Hall: Tour the new City Hall now in the former Village School building, 36600 Detroit Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 22.
Reminder, the City Hall building on Chester Road remains and will be the location for City Council, Boards, and Commissions to hold their public meetings because a new Council Chamber has yet to be constructed at the new City Hall.
Name that road: Many residents are now noticing the name change on the marquee in front of the post office denoting the road is now called James A. Smith Blvd. For those new to the community and not familiar with the name, Smith was the first person to hold the mayoral position full-time and served the city from 1993 to 2013.
Save the date: The annual Hope for B.E.S.T. Fest is from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 19 on the south lawn at Avon Middle School, 3445 Long Road. The event includes a Family Fun Zone with face painting, balloon art, inflatables, cotton candy making, adopting a stuffed animal from The Bear Factory, sending an Avon football player down into the dunk tank, raffles, silent auctions, food trucks, music , and much more. Proceeds benefit the students in our local community.
Voter registration: Join the Avon Democratic Club (ADC) for a Voter Registration Drive-Through from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 19 at the Avon Library, 37485 Harvest Drive.
Temporary office relocation: For customers that visit the administrative offices of Avon Lake Regional Water, 201 Miller Road, it has moved to a temporary location while the current facility is undergoing renovations. The temporary office is located at 33655 Lake Road, on the southwest corner of Lake Road and Avondale Avenue across the street from the former Avon Lake Power Plant. The phone number and email addresses will remain the same. It is expected this temporary location will remain until late summer/early fall of 2027.
Rescheduled: Show off your creativity for a good cause during the citywide Chalk the Walk event to benefit the Live Like Delaney Foundation from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 15. Decorate your driveways and sidewalks and representatives from the Foundation will come around from noon to 1 p.m. to judge your masterpieces. The Foundation will award three standout creations that embody kindness and creativity.
To share your masterpiece, snap a photo of your chalk art that you created on Aug. 15 and submit it by noon by either tagging the Live Like Delaney Foundation on Instagram @livelikedelaney or emailing it to outreach@livelikedelaney.org. You can also register online.
Winners will be announced at a citywide celebration at 1:30 p.m. at Bleser Park, where a new Delaney Buddy bench will be unveiled.
Prized possession: Anglers will soon have a chance to show off their great catches with a picture taken next to the newly donated fish trophy board for the Miller Road Park boat launch area.
Thank you to Buckeye Welding and Hooks for Hunger for the display valued at $3,000. The trophy board is planned for the area near the fish-cleaning station.
Baking honors: Recent Bay High School graduate Finn Getts won a bronze medal at the National Family, Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competition in Washington, D.C. Finn was part of the West Shore Career-Tech's Culinary Program.
Gone to the dogs: The Lindsay Team with Keller Williams Citywide, in partnership with BAYarts, will be hosting the 4th annual Bark in the Park Fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 9 at BAYarts, 28795 Lake Road.
The event features vendors, rescues, raffles, and live music with Fresh Grass.
All dogs must be leashed. No retractable leashes. This year, proceeds from Bark in the Park benefit BAYarts and City Dogs, the adoption and volunteer program for Cleveland Animal Care and Control.
New hire: The North Ridgeville City School District recently announced that Benjamin Thomas will be the new assistant principal at North Ridgeville High School. Thomas most recently served as a life science teacher at John Marshall School of Information Technology in Cleveland and previously taught at Garrett Morgan School of Leadership and Innovation.
He holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati, a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s of fine arts degree from Miami University.
Thomas will be replacing Dr. Rob Winton, who recently accepted a position with the Buckeye School District.
In other district news…The new high school is being constructed in sections, with crews first laying concrete blocks for the elevators, then bearing walls, starting with the main equipment rooms and student dining area. They will continue to expand out until the structure is assembled.
As more blocks are laid, residents will begin to see the building take shape, with structural steel starting to arrive soon.
Living memorial: The city’s Memorial Tree Program gives residents a meaningful way to honor a loved one or recognize a special occasion while helping beautify the community.
Memorial trees may be planted in city parks to celebrate occasions such as anniversaries, weddings, births and retirements or to memorialize the loss of a loved one. Trees are planted in the fall to give them the best chance to thrive and are planted and maintained by the City Arborist.
The program fee is $350 and includes a 1.75- to 2-inch caliper tree and a 3x5-inch plaque. The city will plant, mulch, water and prune the tree as needed. Tree selections may include Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Kousa Dogwood, Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn, Winter King Hawthorn, Heritage River Birch, Ivory Silk Tree Lilac, Red Sunset Maple or Skyline Honey Locust.
A letter acknowledging the gift is sent to the family and donors. The family also receives a certificate with the type of tree planted and its location.
Registration is available online.
Fire training: The city’s firefighters/paramedics recently strengthened their fire suppression skills through hands-on training provided by the Ohio Fire Academy. The academy brought its Fire Blast trailer to the North Ridgeville Fire Department, allowing participants to practice extinguishing simulated kitchen and bedroom fires on the ground floor before descending stairs to access a simulated basement fire. Propane was used to safely create realistic fire conditions inside the specialized training unit.
Firefighters from neighboring departments were also invited to participate, providing an opportunity for regional personnel to train together in a controlled environment.
Cooking classes: Taste Buds Kitchen Rocky River, 21844 Center Ridge Road, recently opened in the Giant Eagle Plaza near Scramblers. Tastebuds Kitchen is for children and adults to learn about cooking and baking. They offer birthday parties, team building, neighborhood or family outings.
Generous gift: Community West Foundation has committed $1 million to support Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital's expansion, including lasting recognition for the future Moll Cancer Center within the new Fairview Hospital Health Center currently under construction.
The gift fulfills the charitable vision of the Jochum-Moll Foundation donors and will help expand access to cancer care and other specialty services for patients across Cleveland's west side and surrounding communities.
Upcoming library events: Educational information on skin safety and free skin spot checks with a licensed provider from Apex Skin will be presented from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about skin health, sun safety and early detection of skin cancer. Pre-registration is required.
The American Red Cross bloodmobile will be at the library from 1 to 7 p.m Aug. 6.
New restaurant: City Council passed a motion to not object to the transfer of D-1, D-3, D-2 permits from GR Funding at 239 Market Street to Next Restaurants LLC (doing business as Uncle Julio’s) at 139 Crocker Park Blvd.
More new businesses: Planning Commission recently advanced several residential and commercial developments during its monthly meeting, including a proposed Citizens Bank near Crocker Road, and a new subdivision on Center Ridge Road.
Best pool: Recreation Director Paula Horner recently announced that the Westlake Aquatic Center was voted No. 1 Best Public Pool in the Best of Cleveland voting for 2026 in Cleveland Magazine.
Trash to treasure: The Westlake Historical Society is hoping for some treasures that are ready for a new chapter. As you clean out closets, basements, garages, and attics this summer, consider donating your gently used items to the upcoming Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12, 1371- A Clague Road. Every donation helps support the museums, educational programs, and the preservation of Westlake’s history.
If you have items to donate or questions about what is accepted, call 216-848-0680.
