North Ridgeville, Ohio
Many have wondered what is coming to the old building at 34445 Center Ridge Road that has sat vacant for more than 10 years after the Brew Keeper closed. The new owner of the building is Clifford Winkel, Ward 4 councilman in North Ridgeville, who purchased the property in April 2021 (Wink Ridge Inc.), according to records from the Lorain County Auditor. He took on a project many turned down. Winkel is all about the community and putting old buildings back to work. Longtime residents will remember the building also housed a bowling alley back in the day.
Between the Bun, 34445 Center Ridge Road, is slated to open March 1.
North Ridgeville residents John and Lacia Rutherford have been renovating the interior and are excited to announce a new restaurant is slated to open March 1. Between The Bun will offer gourmet burgers, salads, chicken sandwiches, milkshakes (boozy and regular) and cocktails. There is plenty of room in the space for activities including board games, as well as DJs offering entertainment on the weekends.
Between the Bun is slated to open March 1 in North Ridgeville.
Lacia graduated from North Ridgeville High School in 2005. She and her family have always enjoyed renovations and opening businesses. Four years ago they opened Game Day Tavern, 39140 Center Ridge Road, which is still open and operated by new owners.
John is a certified home inspector by trade, but also has 10 years of hospitality experience with Marriott hotels.
For more information and updates, follow Between the Bun on Facebook.
AVON
Cybersecurity program: FBI Special Agent Jeffery P. Kassouf will present information regarding cybersecurity at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road. Kassouf has 20 years of experience involving complex financial fraud, counterintelligence and cyber investigations and is in the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch (CCRSB) Division in the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office. His talk will include the types of cyber investigations the public normally may encounter, along with ways to be aware and protect yourself from a cyber threat from criminal actors. Snacks and refreshments will be served. The public is welcome to attend. Deadline to RSVP to attend is Feb. 13. Email rudybreglia@gmail.com.
Steering wheel locks available: Due to an increase in the thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, free steering wheel locks are available from Hyundai at the Avon Police Station, 36145 Detroit Road, for anyone who lives or works in the city (proof is needed).
If you have a Hyundai that has a key ignition, it may not have a “vehicle immobilizer” installed, which means you may be a more vulnerable target to criminals. All Hyundai vehicles produced on or after November 2021 have these immobilizers installed.
Locks are also available for Kias that have the same issue.
Business 101: Thinking about starting a business? Learn the do’s and don’ts of getting into business and how SCORE can help you work through your issues with free mentoring from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Avon Branch Library, 37485 Harvest Drive. Pre-registration is required, go to lorainpubliclibrary.org.
Young Adult Recovery Support Group: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Lorain County recently announced the launch of a young adult support group. The group is for those who live with a mental health condition and are between the age of 18 and 35. The group meets every Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Avon Board of Education, 36600 Detroit Road. To register, call 440-240-8477. For more information on NAMI, go to nami-lc.org.
Mezquite opens: A new Mexican restaurant is now open in Avon Commons (former IHOP location), 35846 Detroit Road. My family and I love Mexican food so we were excited to try Mezquite Mexican Kitchen this past weekend. The salsa is some of the best we’ve ever had. The menu features all the traditional Mexican fare including nachos, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and tacos. Drinks include margaritas, mojitos, wine and beer, as well as several signature cocktail items. We highly recommend a visit, the staff is very friendly and accommodating. Mezquite is open for lunch and dinner. For more information, go to mezquiterestaurante.com.
AVON LAKE
Primary election: The city will have a new mayor next year as Ward 3 Councilman Mark Spaetzel and Councilman at-large Karl “K.C.” Zuber will face off in November to replace Mayor Greg Zilka, who decided not to run for re-election.
The only race on the city’s nonpartisan May 2 primary ballot is in Ward 3 with Amy Gentry, Deanna Leitner and Holly Moore Kowalski running to replace Spaetzel. The top two vote-getters will go on to face off in the November General election.
In Ward 1, incumbent Councilwoman Billie Jo David decided not to run. Voters will decide between Tracey Corbo and Rob Shahmir in November.
Ward 2 Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch will face challenger Bob Brooks in November.
Veteran Ward 4 Councilman David Kos is running unopposed. Board of Municipal Utilities members John Dzwonczyk, David Rickey and Dana Schnabel are also running unopposed.
Avon Lake Municipal Court democratic candidates are Wayne Nicol (democrat) against Geoffrey Smith. Republicans facing off in the primary election are Paul Kocsis against Allison Manning.
Play ball: Baseball and softball registration is now open through Feb. 28. Register online for T-ball, Coach Pitch, or other kid pitch leagues. The season will begin in May. To register, go to avonlakerec.com.
Summer jobs available: Get a jump start on the summer season with a new job within the city’s parks and recreation department. Several positions are available including Greenbox attendants, summer day camp counselors, Safety Town teachers, lifeguards, pool maintenance, youth baseball umpires, just to name a few. Many positions start between $11 and $13 an hour. For more information, or to apply, go to avonlake.org/parksrec.
Play games: Table Top Gaming recently opened at 33382 Walker Road (Drug Mart plaza). The location features cards such as Yugioh, Pokemon, and Magic the Gathering, as well as the opportunity to play in tournaments. For more information, go to toptablegaming.tcgplayerpro.com or follow on Facebook.
The Adventure Place opens: Kudos to Sheryl Bott and Shelley Stewart for seeing a need and doing something about it. City officials recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the sisters’ new business, The Adventure Factory (TAF), at 32925 Pin Oak Parkway.
“We started TAF out of a need for a safe space for our grandchildren to play,” Stewart said in email. “There are other play places out there, but they are geared towards older children. TAF consumer range is from active crawlers up to 7-years-old. The play area contains a full scale play structure including slides, trampoline, and ball pit, to name a few. The imaginative play equipment includes a supermarket, restaurant, and health clinic, all large scale.”
Stewart is retired from the U.S. Tubular Steel Mill in Lorain. Bott is a mental health therapist for a private practice in Westlake.
“We chose Avon Lake because it is a small, yet growing community,” Bott said in a press release. “And we liked Pin Oak Parkway because we loved the style of the building and it fit our needs perfectly. We chose the name, The Adventure ‘FACTORY’ as a play off of being in an industrial area.”
The cost is $12 with no time restrictions. Parents have to remain on premises with their children. Anti-slip socks are highly recommended to play on the equipment. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays for private parties/events.
The sisters are currently working on creating a TAF website, but for now, follow TAF on Facebook or call 440- 930-0323.
Repurposing your wardrobe: Learn how to make the most out of your wardrobe from clothing designer and sewist Rachel Ploenzke, who discusses the unsustainability of fast fashion, and shares her tips on altering and repurposing clothing during a presentation at 7 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd. The program is part of a year-long environmental series, presented in partnership with the library and Avon Lake’s Environmental Affairs Advisory Board (EAAB), that addresses the environmental concerns of residents expressed in the recent EAAB survey. Each session focuses on a different topic presented by experts who will educate, as well as provide tools and resources for making an impact in our community. To register, go to alpl.org.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE
Smash Pizza opens: The new Smash Pizza location, 7054 Avon Belden Road, is officially open offering carry-out only. According to the owners, the labor shortage prompted the digital kitchen route as their families have been helping out and they want to provide the fastest service possible. In the summer, the plan is to have picnic tables set up out front for customers to enjoy eating pizza outside.
Orders can be placed online at SmashPizzaKitchen.com Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 7:45 p.m.; or Fridays and Saturdays from 3 to 8:45 p.m. Smash Pizza will be open to take orders on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 12).
May Primary Election: The filing deadline has passed and the candidates listed below will all face off in the November General Election as no one running for election is facing a challenge in the May 2 primary.
Incumbent Mayor Kevin Corcoran (republican), is seeking his second term in office and will face off against Paul Wolanski (democrat).
In Ward 1, voters will decide between incumbent Councilwoman Holly Swenk (republican), and Susan Olsen (democrat). Ward 2 incumbent Councilman Dennis Boose (democrat) is being challenged by Eric Todd Shaffer (republican).
Ward 3 Councilman Bruce Abens is unopposed. Ward 4 Councilman Clifford Winkel (republican) will face off against Genevieve Flieger (democrat).
Issues on the May 2 ballot include an 8.32-mill, 37-year bond issue for construction and renovations in the North Ridgeville City Schools, as well as Ward 2, Precinct A, local option Sunday liquor sales at Zip Thru Beverage, 6349 Jaycox Road (only members of the ward/precinct vote).
CPR classes: The city offers courses from the American Heart Association in CPR/Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification, as well as a Family & Friends CPR Course. There is a small fee for the courses. For more information, go to the Parks and Recreation page on the city’s website, nridgeville.org.
State of North Ridgeville: If you missed the annual State of North Ridgeville address from the mayor and school superintendent, it’s now available on the city’s website, go to nridgeville.org.
Freight business coming: During Mayor Kevin Corcoran’s weekly video update, he announced that during the next meeting of the city’s Planning Commission (Feb. 14) representatives from Dayton Freight will be making a submission to build a facility and move their operations out of Valley View and bring180 new jobs to the city. The facility will be constructed at 38686 Taylor Parkway in the Taylor Woods Industrial Park and is slated to open in early 2024.
Dance academy moves: JAM Dance Academy has moved into a new location, 34453 Center Ridge Road. The building once housed a bowling alley that was refurbished and will now house three local businesses (Between the Bun is in front).
With over 30 years of professional experience, JAM Dance Academy is run by former Ohio Dance Theatre principal dancer, Jennifer Muselin, and teaches students ages 3 and up in the styles of ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop and tap.
The space will also be the home of Lorain County’s professional ballet company, Ballet Legato, of which Muselin is also the executive artistic director.
For more information and/or to register for classes at the North Ridgeville and Lakewood studio locations, go to jamdanceacademy.net. For information regarding upcoming Ballet Legato performances, go to balletlegato.org.
Mayor chat: Join Mayor Corcoran for his monthly Coffee & Conversation from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Feb. 13 at the senior center, 7327 Avon Belden Road.
Garden Club meeting: The Garden Club of North Ridgeville will meet at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the North Ridgeville Public Library, 35700 Bainbridge Road. The program will be on bulb forcing and members will be planting tulips, hyacinths and daffodil bulbs for spring indoor blooming. Visitors are welcome to attend. For more information, call 440-365-8522.
African Drum and Dance: West African drummer Sogbety Dimonade will present an interactive performance to provide a glimpse into West African rhythms, songs and dance from 3 to 4 p.m. Feb. 19 at the North Ridgeville Branch Library, 35700 Bainbridge Road. The event is sponsored by The Friends of the North Ridgeville Branch Library. Pre-registration is required, go to lorainpubliclibrary.org.
LORAIN COUNTY
Health and wellness event: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Lorain County will host its first Health and Wellness event from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Amy Levin Conference Center, 1165 North Ridge Road, Lorain.
The event will feature Seed Yoga, who will provide a free yoga session to all attendees. The goal is to provide an example of how physical health and mental health are connected. In addition to yoga, attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about NAMI services and volunteer opportunities. There will also be a free raffle and other activities with a Mardi Gras theme. Refreshments will be provided. Registration is not required but suggested, call 440-240-8477.
If you have news to share regarding an event, award or other interesting tidbit happening in Avon or Avon Lake, and North Ridgeville send me an email at jshortavon@aol.com. The column’s online version is at Cleveland.com/Avon, which offers direct links for many of the news items listed.