North Ridgeville, Ohio
For more than two decades, Bob Mangan has been delighting families with his holiday light display at 34907 Cambridge Drive, North Ridgeville. This year, the traditional giant display everyone has grown to love will not be up, according to a recent Facebook post by Lettie, Bob’s wife.
The popular holiday light display at 34907 Cambridge Drive in North Ridgeville is on hold this year.Julie A. Short
The post reads, “I apologize in advance to all who will be disappointed, but the Winter Wonderland on Cambridge Drive will not be in operation this year. This is just to let people know in advance. While I am not sure if this is the end of an era or just a break, we are grateful for all of the joy and happiness we have shared with others over the years. We hope everyone has a blessed and wonderful holiday season. Thank you everyone for all the support over the years.”
I reached out to Lettie after reading the news as my family and I enjoy visiting the home, especially on Christmas Eve. She explained that Bob will have some lights on the house and perhaps the bushes. They have taken down the flag and numerous other decorations this year.
“Bob had double knee surgery in August, while he is recovering well, the strain on the body was a little too much,” she said. “We are definitely taking a pause this year. He wanted to pause last year, but was overwhelmed by the sadness of others.”
Thank you to the Mangans for spreading Christmas cheer for so many years. Hopefully maybe next year more lights will be on display, but for now, I wish them good health and happiness for the New Year.
AVON
Fall play: The Avon High School Drama Club presents, “PUFFS, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic,” at 7 p.m. Nov. 22-23; and 2 p.m. Nov. 24 at the Avon Performing Arts Center, 37545 Detroit Road.
The play is about a boy wizard who went to a Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. It is a story of the Puffs, who just happened to be there, too.
Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play. This production is rated PG-13.
Tickets are $10 for adults, and $8 for students and seniors. To purchase, go to our.show/ahs-puffs.
Toy donations: Now through Dec. 4 you can drop off Toys 4 Tots donations at the following locations: City Hall, 36080 Chester Road; Police Department, 36145 Detroit Road; and Senior Center, 36784 Detroit Road.
Remember that toys must be new and unwrapped. They will be distributed as Christmas gifts to needy children in our community. You can also make a monetary donation which is tax deductible.
For more information, go to toysfortots.org.
Restaurant opens: Grab some wings or a chicken sandwich at the new Wingstop restaurant location, 2060 Center Road. For more information, go to wingstop.com.
Craft show: The Avon Winter Avant-Garde Art and Craft Show takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Emerald Event Center, 33040 Just Imagine Drive.
Admission is $3, children under 12 are free. The event will also have a full concessions stand onsite. A portion of the proceeds will benefit local non-profit, Smiles for Sophie Forever.
The show is also currently accepting vendors. For more information, go to avantgardeshows.com.
Santa’s in a pickle: The annual fun-family holiday event searching for pickles throughout Olde Avon Village, 36840 Detroit Road, takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 8. Help find 30 pickles (one pickle per family) and also enjoy snacks and a visit from Santa. Prizes will also be awarded.
Band honors: Congratulations to the Avon High School Mighty Eagle Marching Band on earning a Superior rating at the recent Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Finals, as well as throughout the competition season.
The band also performed last weekend at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis.
In other music news at Avon High School, both of the school’s A Cappella choral groups, Chromatics and Unaccompanied, made it to the quarterfinals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella. Only 262 groups from across the country have been accepted.
AVON LAKE
Democratic meeting: The Avon Lake Democrats Club will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Old Firehouse Community Center, 100 Avon Belden Road.
For more information, go to avonlakedemocrats.com.
School play: Tickets are on sale now for the Avon Lake High School Drama Club’s production of, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – High School Edition.” Shows are 7 p.m. Dec. 5-7, and 2 p.m. Dec. 8.
To purchase tickets, go to avonlakedramaclub.com/show-tickets.
Breakfast with Santa: Santa Claus is coming to Sprenger Towne Center Community Campus, 500 Community Drive. Families can enjoy a free breakfast (yes, free!) from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Dec. 7. Kids can make holiday crafts and get pictures with Santa. RSVP to Emily at 440-930-6606 or [email protected].
Craft fair: Shop for unique gifts at the Independence Village Craft Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7, 345 Lear Road. Crafters fee is $25 per table with proceeds benefiting Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Services (CRS). For more information, call 440-930-7100.
New healthcare practice: Two Eleven Health, a comprehensive primary care service provider owned by resident Dr. Anna Reph, celebrates its grand opening this week (at 4 p.m. Nov. 20) at 684 Avon Belden Rd Unit A.
The concept of Two Eleven Health came from Reph’s desire to offer accessible, personalized care without the restrictions seen in today’s traditional healthcare model fraught with administrative and insurance hurdles and unnecessary costs, according to the press release.
Two Eleven Health provides unlimited visits, same-day and sick visits, chronic disease management, annual physicals, and other office procedures are all covered under a monthly membership ranging from $110-$140 per month without additional costs.
Members may (or may not) carry any type of health insurance, but may find that the membership model actually provides cost savings after considering out-of-pocket expenses incurred with billing insurance, according to the press release.
For more information, go to twoelevenhealth.com.
Volleyball honors: Congratulations to Avon Lake High School senior Rachel Meyer, named the 2024 Lorain County Miss Volleyball in a ceremony last week at the Lorain County Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Night at Avon Lake High School.
Library update: Work continues on renovations to the Avon Lake Public Library DiscoveryWorks (DW) space. RGI Creative recently installed and unveiled a translucent and iridescent window treatment on one of the new play structures in DW.
Workers install a new 22-ft. canopy leaf feature in the DiscoveryWorks space at the Avon Lake Public Library. Photo courtesy of the Avon Lake Public Library.Avon Lake Public Library
As the sun shines through the south windows, a rainbow of colors are cast on the wall, floor, and other elements within the room throughout the day.
Another item installed was a 22-ft. canopy leaf feature intended to give the sense of a roof, but without closing in the space and allowing the natural light to come in throughout the space.
The DW renovation continues to move along on time. For more information on the project, go to alpl.org/discovery or follow on Facebook.
Shout-out: Thank you to everyone who participated and donated to the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser last month. The event raised $26,000 and that, along with another $10,000 raised at a gala in August held by a friend of Empty Bowls, enabled organizers to donate $36,000 to local food banks.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE
Home decor shop closing: After two years in business, the owners of KLM Home Decor, 6287 Lear Nagle Road, recently posted on Facebook that they are closing the store. The business is owned and operated by residents Elysia and Jason Pasenow.
The post reads, “To our wonderful customers and community: It’s with a heavy heart that we announce we’ll be closing our storefront doors on January 1. This decision wasn’t easy, but as a small business, keeping up in today’s economy has been incredibly challenging. Competing with big-box stores on pricing, while striving to offer unique, hand-crafted items, has made it difficult to sustain the storefront. We’re grateful for every moment and every customer that helped us build what we have here.
Though our physical store will be closing, we’re not going anywhere! We’ll continue to serve you online, through custom orders, and you’ll still find us at your favorite craft shows! We’re excited to bring you more of what you love in this new chapter.
Over the years, we’ve been honored to be named North Ridgeville’s Business of the Year, recognized twice as one of Northwest Ohio’s top gift stores, and even featured on the news multiple times. These moments have been special, but it’s the support and connection from all of you that truly meant the world to us.
Help us make these last two months a great ending to this journey! Stop by, say hello, and celebrate all we’ve built together as we move forward. Stay tuned to our (Facebook) page for updates on online offerings, custom orders, and where to find us at upcoming events. We’re grateful for your support and can’t wait to continue creating with you!”
For more information, follow KLM on Facebook.
Natural gas prices: NOPEC has published its natural gas Standard Program price ($0.515 per Ccf), which is effective starting with the November meter read and holding steady through the May 2025 meter read.
For more details, including information on NOPEC’s 12- and 24-month Fixed Term options and Monthly Variable Rate, residents can call the Customer Care Center at 855-667-3201 or go to nopec.org/checkrates.
LORAIN COUNTY
High school chorale groups perform: The Greater Cleveland Choral Collective takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 25 at Elyria High School, 600 West Avenue, and features high school choral groups from Amherst, Avon, Elyria, North Ridgeville, and St. Joseph Academy.
Monetary and non–perishable food donations benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lorain County and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
Shout-out: Lorain County Joint Vocational School (JVS) Carpentry seniors, in partnership with the Lorain County Metroparks, recently kicked off the first phase of an annual tree planting initiative at the Miller Nature Reserve/French Creek Reservation in Avon.
The students planted 90 Elderberry and 60 Burr Oak trees, contributing to a lasting environmental legacy. The 10–15-year project is led by Carpentry Instructor Paul Papesh and science instructor Kurt Joviak, who are guiding students through a wraparound lesson in sustainability. With continued support, the initiative will bring new life to parks across Lorain County for years to come, according to a Facebook post.
If you have news/information or a story idea you’d like to share or a ‘shout-out’, please send an email to [email protected]. Read Short Takes online at cleveland.com/avon. Follow me on X (Twitter) @jshortavon.