Erin Fach, director of parks and recreation for the city of Avon Lake, has researched towns that hosted past eclipse events since he took the position 18 months ago.

Specifically, Fach cited Hopkinsville, Ky., as a major inspiration for the host of events this spring in Avon Lake.

“Hopkinsville, Ky., is a city of approximately the same size we are,” he said. “It’s one of the cities that we really researched.

“We went there in person and met a few of the folks down there that experienced it. We really did try to replicate some of the things they did, in regard to the way they utilized the parks (and) the way they set up their registrations.”

Fach explained that eclipses can be a truly deep experience for people standing in the line of totality.

In meeting with eclipse enthusiasts over the past 18 months, he said that something about the calm and quiet can create a “spiritual experience” for some people.

“I understand it’s a very spiritual experience,” he said. “Again, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so people really want to try to get to experience it.

“There are those who have chased them around the country.”

Fach said his workload obviously has been unusually high since he took the job in Avon Lake.

With the population set to triple in size, he said the city is doing everything it can to sufficiently prepare Avon Lake for its moment in the darkened sun.

“I’ve been with the city just over a year and a half, and it’s something that I stepped into and started researching right when I came on board,” Fach said. “It’s like hosting every special event that we might host throughout the year all at one time.”

The main event of the city’s eclipse jubilee will be the watch party at Avon Lake Memorial Stadium, 175 Avon Belden Road.

The stadium is located a stone’s throw away from the exact center line of the eclipse, which will past directly over Avon Lake City Hall.

“We’re hoping to get a really nice crowd there,” Fach said of the watch party.

The city will have food trucks, live music and a number of vendors at the stadium watch party to create a truly festival-esque atmosphere, he said.

NASA also is likely to send representatives to the city-wide celebration, Fach said.

“We have teamed up with NASA; we hope to have somebody here from NASA that day,” he said.

Fach welcomed the Lorain County community to celebrate with the city April 8.

The city will have nearly four minutes of total darkness, longer than nearly any other place in the United States, he said.

“We’re really trying to showcase Avon Lake,” Fach said. “You can’t get much closer to the center line of totality, so it really is totality’s best seat.”

Tickets for the city’s solar eclipse watch party are $15 each until mid-February.

The tickets are available at avonlakesolareclipse.com.

Several youngsters participated in the 39th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at the church located at 220 W. Seventh St. by showcasing their artistic gifts in commemorating King and the 20th century civil rights movement.

The event featured traditional African royalty dancers, an appearance from the Lorain Achievement through Community Education and Support⁣ program, and comments from multiple sons and daughters of the civil rights movement.

Lorain artist Jeff Pye brought some of his artwork, as well as that of his students.

The art reflected central themes that King and his fellow civil rights activists preached so heavily, he said.

“The ACES program, they come and they paint,” Pye said. “They’ve got pictures that they’re working on, so it’s a mixture of kids who normally come and the kids from the ACES program. They come to my art class.”

Pye has worked with FireFish Festival, Lorain City Schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County, and other organizations to spread the word throughout Lorain.

Educating the next generation on the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the man himself is exceptionally important, Pye said.

Also giving remarks during the program was Earl Head, president of the Lorain unit of the NAACP.

Head said that informing children and young adults about the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day can be difficult, but absolutely is necessary.

“Trying to come up with ideas and programs that captivate (the young people’s) attention and get them involved is where I think everyone struggles,” Head said. “What we try to do is put things in front of them and show them, hey, here’s some of the benefits that can come from being involved.”

Head noted that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of the biggest days of the year for the NAACP.

He said that the organization focuses on keeping the actions of King, Rosa Parks and other activists alive and pushing forward.

“Not just minorities, but all nationalities come together and celebrate a movement that is still trying to move forward,” Head said. “We still have a long way to go with that.

“Hopefully, as they say, a change will come. Hopefully, that time will be a lot sooner, rather than later.”

Community activist Joanne Eldridge Tucker said that her family, originally from Selma, Ala., has deep roots in the civil rights movement.

Eldridge Tucker gave a presentation on women of the civil rights movement.

“I consider myself a daughter of the civil rights movement,” she said. “I’ve been studying for many years the different contributions women had made to the civil rights movement.”

Eldridge Tucker highlighted the work of “foot soldiers” of the movement whose names the general public does not remember.

“A lot of people don’t realize there wouldn’t have been a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., if it hadn’t have been for Rosa Parks,” she said. “There wouldn’t have been a Montgomery bus boycott if it hadn’t have been for other women who had gotten involved.

“All of these people we call unsung heroes and heroines.”

The celebration also featured Justus J. Anderson who delivered a King speech from 1967; poetry from LaTonya Fenderson; and a presentation from Tamira M. Moon, founder and CEO of The Moon Foundation and Back.

But only one can take the grand prize: a spot on the bar’s next menu of specialty cocktails to debut later this year, Hernon said.

The Lorain cocktail bar’s annual Old Fashioned Invitational will take a more personal turn this year, Hernon said.

Speak of the Devil’s three in-house bartenders will compete against each other in a contest where the customer always is right, he said.

“We learned last year, the public wanted to try a bunch of them,” Hernon said. “We came up with the idea of, let’s do it in-house.

“The drink that wins will be on the next menu. That’s why it’s the people’s choice.”

Hernon spoke highly of his bartenders, each of whom have prepared their own spin on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail.

A flight of the three drinks will be available for $12 on the night of the contest, he said.

“They all come from very different places with their flavor profiles, things that they like,” Hernon said of the contestants. “I think you’re going to get three very, very distinct, different old fashions out of this, which is kind of cool.”

The bartenders

Wyatt Langer, 28, will compete for the menu spot with a drink he labeled as a different cocktail wearing the mask of an old fashioned.

While secretive about the exact ingredients he will use, he said he wanted to reverse engineer his favorite flavors with completely new ingredients.

“It’s unique, but it’s also heavily inspired by a drink I already kind of know and love,” Langer said. “I wanted to make something that had a similar flavor, but with completely different ingredients.

“In a lot of ways, it’s not really unique at all, but in other ways, it’s kind of completely different.”

Langer said his spin on the classic is going to be polarizing, but the hope is that more people love it than hate it.

Although risky, the flavor profile of the drink makes it a gamble he is willing to make, he said.

Noah Allen, 27, said he took a similar approach to the mixology process as Langer.

Taking inspiration from a different drink he once had, Allen said his version of the old fashioned speaks to his wider background as a bartender.

“This is the only place I’ve ever worked at in terms of a bar,” he said. “Before this, I was drinking 40 ounces and boxed wine.

“Because of that, my philosophy is basically just this bar’s (philosophy) because it was the only thing I was ever taught. A lot of times, we keep it very simple.”

Allen said he believes that limitation lead to creativity.

By working within the traditional framework of cocktails, he said he feels he has created a drink that completely is new.

“It will be fun, if you like strong drinks,” Allen said of the contest.

Jack Maple, 28, called his drink “nostalgic” for most people who grew up in the United States.

Using that nostalgia factor to guide the creation of the drink, Maple said his edition of the old fashioned feels comforting.

“Nostalgia would probably be the biggest factor in making it unique,” he said. “What I’m using is something that’s nostalgic to most people.

“I’ve been working in bars and restaurants since I was 14.”

While working on Kelleys Island, Maple transitioned to mixology and quickly landed at Speak of the Devil.

Maple said he and the Speak of the Devil staff constantly are working to help mixology newcomers feel more comfortable around cocktails.

The hope, he explained, is that his old fashioned is a good gateway to those willing to try new things.

There also is a chance, Hernon said, that the Old Fashioned Invitational’s current defending champion will be in town for the contest.

Bartender Brandon Muske from Maggie’s Farm Distillery in Pittsburgh may appear to either defend his title or present this year’s winner to the Speak of the Devil crowd, Hernon said.

The second annual Speak of the Devil Old Fashioned Invitational will take place Jan. 17.

Customer voting ends at 9 p.m., Hernon said.

In an effort to keep the city fun and festive despite the cold, city of Lorain workers transformed Lakeview Park tennis courts into an ice rink.

Located at 1815 W. Erie Ave. in Lorain, the rink should be open just in time for the frigid weather on the horizon, said Lorain Public Property Manager Lori Garcia.

“This is the fourth winter that it’s going up,” Garcia said. “Actually, it’s been received very well.

“It’s used a lot. I know Huron’s hockey team was coming out here and using it even for their practice for a couple of years.”

The rink only froze over once or twice last winter, due to the relatively above average temperatures.

The city anticipates that the rink will get much more usage this winter, Garcia said.

“Last winter, I think it only froze maybe two times … the winter was so mild,” she said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t get much use last year.

“Our hope is it stays frozen much longer this year.”

The city put the rink up at just the right time, so it should be ready for the week of freezing temperatures ahead, she said.

“Pretty much any given day, you can go by and you can see people skating,” Garcia said. “A lot of families are there using it, and it’s really busy on the weekends.”

Garcia said the reception on the rink has been extremely positive since it opened four winters ago.

The city hopes to continue that reputation as more skaters take to Lakeview Park for this year’s edition of the rink, she said.

“Not that everybody loves winter weather, and I don’t either, but I hope it can stay frozen for the winter this year so everyone can enjoy it,” Garcia said.

The Lakeview Park ice rink will open daily from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

There is no cost to skate.

Max Schaefer, executive director of Main Street Lorain, officially announced Jan. 7 that Lorain Cocktail Week will take place and about 10 restaurants and bars around the downtown area will participate.

This year will mark Main Street Lorain’s first attempt at hosting cocktail week, according to Schaefer, who has high hopes for the week-long event.

The original idea for Lorain Cocktail Week was to host a community event during the long winter months, he said.

“Our thought was, we wanted to bring some programming excitement, highlight our downtown in the winter months,” Schaefer said. “After talking to a number of our restaurants and bars, they had suggested more winter, cold weather events and programming.”

Schaefer said the event’s lineup is not quite set in stone just yet.

However, the central concept will allow Lorainites to sample a number of signature, limited-time cocktails, he said.

“We want to keep it simple and build that strong foundation,” Schaefer said of the event. “We’re asking each of our restaurants to create a signature cocktail that will only be offered for this one week.”

The special drinks could be a new creation, a modification on an old classic or a preview of a spring or summer menu mainstay.

Schaefer said reception from participating restaurants so far has been positive, as bars gear up for the event come February.

He added that Lorain businesses are eager to showcase their best drinks for customers.

“I think it also just highlights the vibrancy of the community,” Schaefer said. “It’s a program for residents (and) for visitors.

“We’re going to promote this out across Northeast Ohio and try to get as many folks into downtown Lorain to experience our businesses as possible.”

The event most likely will offer non alcoholic options, such as mocktails or espresso creations from local coffee shops, Schaefer said.

Kurt Hernon, co-owner of Lorain Cocktail Week participating bar Speak of the Devil, 201 W. Fifth St. in downtown Lorain, expressed his excitement for the event.

Coinciding with Speak of the Devil’s “Tiki Week” event in February, the bar will have a selection of premium signature cocktails ready for the cocktail week event.

“We’ve done (Tiki Week) since we opened, so we’ll feature one with Main Street, but we’ll probably have a menu of four new tiki cocktails just for that week alone,” Hernon said. “It’s cool to feature what people are doing, where they can get a drink, and hopefully, allow for some creativity.”

Lorain Cocktail Week will take place from Feb. 5-11.

The lineup of restaurants and bars will be available on the Main Street Lorain Facebook page as soon as it is finalized.

On Jan. 6, the brewery staff finally put the finishing touches on the beloved establishment, as the building’s banner was replaced with a full suite of exterior signs.

The new sign outside the brewery has been in the works since the business’s inception in 2015, owner Chris Kambouris said.

While it might seem like a small change, Kambouris said the symbolism of the new sign holds profound meaning for him.

After more than a half decade, Kambouris said the Bascule Brewery finally feels like a permanent fixture in Lorain’s sprouting small business scene.

“It means a lot because we’ve managed to somehow scrape by for seven years without a sign,” Kambouris said. “We’re proud of our accomplishments and what we’ve managed to do.

“So, I can only imagine what finally having some visibility on this corner will do for us.”

Kambouris said he is “amazed” that so many Lorainites still have no idea his brewery even exists.

The new sign, he hopes, will help guide more potential customers to one of the city’s growing small businesses.

“I actually have to argue with people that we didn’t just open up two years ago,” Kambouris joked. “I see Lorain as a whole, you’re really starting to see a shift, and you’re certainly getting more of a buzz about it.

“I knew going into this business that it wasn’t going to happen overnight.”

The original idea for the brewery came from the concept of the European public house, more commonly known as the pub.

Kambouris said he wanted his business to be more than just a bar, but a place where people can socialize and make friends.

“The overall premise of Bascule Brewery was for it to be a public house,” he said. “We’re not just your hole in the wall bar; this is a much more open, inviting, social spot.

“You can think of us in terms of almost like a coffee shop.”

To help realize that vision of a public house, Kambouris and his staff have hosted a variety of events.

Since their grand reopening after being vandalized in 2022, the social hotspot has presented karaoke nights, weekend brunches and a number of other themed gatherings.

“There’s something about this place that people feel a certain connection to,” Kambouris said. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this place holds a certain (significance).

“It doesn’t feel like we’ve been here just for seven years. It feels like we’ve always existed.”

The business is on a two-week hiatus, Kambouris said.

The brewery will reopen on Jan. 16 featuring a newly-crafted beer known as “Control Alt Delete” to celebrate the bar’s hard reboot.

In 2023, two teachers from Bay High School, 29230 Wolf Road in Bay Village, received top honors from the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association.

The group recognized Bay technology teachers Luke Kieffer and Ron Rutt for their work in the technology and education field, according to district communications director Karen Misciagna.

The award goes to “superior” technology and engineering programs, Misciagna said.

“These programs serve as a standard for comparison and models for the development of other programs,” International Technology and Engineering Educators Association officials said of the honor in a statement. “Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities and leaders in their region, province or state as proponents of advancing technological literacy for all.”

Both teachers have been with Bay High for nearly 20 years.

Rutt, a Bay High graduate, said he is extremely grateful that the technological education program he enjoyed still is up and running at the school.

“We’re not a subject area that, across the state and the nation, necessarily receives all the attention,” he said. “But, I think that we are a vital subject.

“The two of us are pretty passionate about making (technological education) an important part of schools.”

Kieffer and Rutt also have access to a hands-on education lab located inside Bay High.

Rutt stressed this importance of engaged education, in conjunction with learning through theory and textbooks.

“I started out five years at the middle school, and I’ve been at the high school ever since,” he said. “I teach the (computer-aided design) courses.

“It’s cool to see the whole process through and not just talk about things in theory.”

Robert Hoon, Bay Village City School District director of curriculum and instruction, echoed the sentiment of working hands-on with students.

Hoon praised Kieffer and Rutt for their continued work with Bay Village students over two decades.

“Although this international award is quite impressive, what stands out to me is that because of their hard work and dedication to our students and their education, our Bay High School technology and engineering program serves as a standard,” Hoon said. “We are so fortunate to have Luke and Ron on our staff.”

Kieffer said the hope is to inspire a passion for technological education in the next generation of potential educators.

As a relatively thin field, he noted that keeping students interested in taking the next steps in their education is vital to the field’s survival.

“We always have a chip on our shoulder, because tech ed programs across the state sometimes get shut down; guys retire and then nobody comes to replace them,” Kieffer said. “We’re always fighting for existence.

“We know it’s important, and when we get recognized, people realize it’s important.”

Jason Martin, principal at Bay High, said the two teachers have had a transformative effect on the lives of their students, and the school.

Technological education students at Bay High graduate ready for the modern workforce thanks to the efforts of Kieffer and Rutt, Martin said.

“Thanks to the hard work of Luke and Ron, we have seen firsthand the transformation of our students as they progress through this program,” Martin said. “They emerge as confident, capable individuals with a deep passion for technology and a strong foundation in the skills necessary for success in the fields of technology and engineering.”

Kieffer and Rutt officially will receive their honors March 6-9 during the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association conference in Memphis, Tenn.

This report was edited at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 11, 2024 to correct the wording of a statement by Jason Martin.

The hotel also provides daycare services, social play time with other dogs and all the comforts of home for dogs in Northeast Ohio.

The franchise has been in the works since 2021, Hess said.

After acquiring the building in June 2023, she and her staff went to work constructing the luxury pet lodging areas.

“We’re the first ones in Ohio,” Hess said. “It happened right after the pandemic happened, and it was 2021, and everything started opening back up again.

“We were planning our next vacation three months out, and I called my go-to boarding place and they were already booked, three months out.”

Hess said her desire for more pet boarding opportunities in the area led to her inquiring about franchising with K9 Resorts.

She said she wanted the hotel to not only feel nice for the dogs, but look nice on the inside and out to make sure owners felt comfortable.

“Everything from the look of the building, to how nice everything is when you walk in the lobby, and you’ve got the pretty chandeliers.

“That’s sort of the wow factor. That’s more for the dog parents, but there’s a whole other side to this business (for the dogs).”

While staying at the hotel, dogs will be treated to high-quality boarding facilities, all-day daycare and a prescription Blue Buffalo dog food diet to soothe any anxieties of being away from home, Hess said.

“It’s great for boarding animals,” she said. “They get tummy upset from being away from home; they’re in a different environment.

“It’s very natural for a dog. And (the food) really helps relieve those symptoms.”

The hotel has a strong focus on the health of the pet, Hess said.

In addition to keeping the floors clean of pet hair as much as possible, the air inside the boarding rooms is kept clean with 15 fresh air exchanges an hour, she said.

“We have systems in each of the boarding rooms called Pet Aerapy,” Hess said. “It’s a blue light sanitation filtration system, so it kills any infectious diseases, anything airborne, anything that might be floating around like that.”

Those looking to book with K9 Resorts can do so through its website or by phone at 440-577-4070.

Although walk-ins are welcome, Hess said that space is not always guaranteed.

On Jan. 26, Bradley, along with Bob Earley, promoter of Rockin’ on the River, will host “Mayor Jack Bradley’s Rockin’ Inauguration” at the Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway in downtown Lorain.

The event will feature music from 1980s rock tribute and cover band Disco Inferno, which performed June 2 at the Rockin’ on the River summer weekly concert series at the Black River Landing.

The event will include a live swearing-in ceremony on the Palace stage.

According to theatre executive director Chris Pataky, the concert and event came together relatively quickly.

“It was the mayor’s idea,” Pataky said. “He came with it a couple weeks ago.

“He was excited about it, I was excited about it, (and) Bob Earley was happy to be involved. Two very positive people, in my opinion.”

Pataky said he is excited to work with Bradley and Earley, who he considers two of the more important people in Lorain.

The event should bring serious business and recognition to the theater, he said.

“We’re hoping that we get a big turnout,” Pataky said. “Obviously, Disco Inferno is very popular.

“We’re excited to have them back; we’ve had them a couple times, and obviously, Bob has them every summer. There was an effort to make it so it was affordable for everybody to come.”

Earley said he was excited to help the mayor and asked Disco Inferno to play the event.

The event stemmed from Bradley’s desire to have a more casual gathering for his second inauguration ceremony.

Bradley said that in order to make the event accessible, cost of admission was kept to a minimum.

“The last time I was elected, I had an actual inaugural ball, but I wanted to have something this time that would be more appropriate for more of the citizens of Lorain,” he said. “I wanted to have something that was less expensive.

“The cost of admission is going to be $7.”

Proceeds from the event will go toward the Palace Theatre Restoration Fund, Bradley said.

Bradley said he wanted to give the money to the theater to help repair the Lorain landmark.

Bradley also expressed the importance of keeping the inauguration Lorain-centric and featuring local landmarks and partnerships.

“We believe that Rockin’ on the River has become so important to the city of Lorain, and being Lorain proud,” he said. “It brings in thousands of people every week to the city of Lorain.”

The event will start at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at lorainpalace.com.

Many of former mayor Dennis Bring’s cabinet members will stay with the city for Radeff’s first term, including Pat Hastings, the city’s longest-tenured employee.

Radeff called Hastings “a wealth of knowledge” and wanted to keep him on the staff as he navigates this first term.

Hastings has served in a variety of positions throughout Sheffield Lake for a grand total of 38 years, according to Radeff.

“Pat is fantastic,” Radeff said. “Pat has lived in Sheffield Lake forever, and he’s very knowledgeable, not only of the service department, but of the city as a whole.

“I totally want to make sure that he continues to enjoy his job.”

Radeff said his goal with the new staff members was to keep as many of them as he could in the interest of continuity within the city.

He emphasized keeping the balance of having enough staff, while also keeping the cabinet and the city financially stable.

“My overall plan was take the first year, evaluate everyone and then decide who’s going to be able to fit within my overall plans for the city,” Radeff said. “That was how my mindset is.

“I think there’s a lot of positions that are on the books, that haven’t been filled.”

Still, the new mayor had to make two replacement hires.

One was hiring former Lorain City Councilman Mitchell Fallis as Sheffield Lake’s new finance director.

Radeff said Fallis’ extensive knowledge of financial ins and outs throughout Lorain County made him an exceptionally valuable asset to the city.

“He’s been a CPA for 30 years,” the mayor said of Fallis. “He was on council in Lorain, so he definitely understands how council and finance work.

“His knowledge and background in finance is just great to have.”

Radeff explained that finance positions notoriously are difficult for mayors to fill, and he is thrilled to have Fallis join his cabinet.

The mayor also hired attorney Joe LaVeck, who has practiced law for both Lorain and Wellington, as well as private practice throughout the area, as the city magistrate.

“I worked with him in Lorain for the last couple years; he’s very knowledgeable,” Radeff said. “Just knowing him personally, me and him think very much alike on our views on prosecution, which was very important.

“He’s a representative of me, and I want to make sure whoever’s in there, is representing me to the best of their ability.”

As Radeff moves through the opening month of his first term, he said the first week has been a success.

As he continues to meet with city employees for the first time, Radeff said the goal is to make sure everyone is consistently on the same page.

Radeff said that throughout his term, he will continue to focus on communication responsiveness, parks and recreation, and city beautification.

“So far, the first week has been well,” he said of his tenure. “I’m only as good as my workers.

“They’re the ones that make me look good, so making sure that they feel appreciated, and that they’re being treated properly and treating each other properly, is very important.”