Smash Pizza closing May 28, opening new location soon: Short Takes on Avon, Avon Lake and North Ridgeville

North Ridgeville, Ohio

It’s been nearly two years since Smash Pizza Express opened within the Zip Thru Beverage, 6349 Jaycox Road, North Ridgeville. Owners Andrew Edreff and Jenso Soto told me back in 2020 that the goal was “to create a fast, hand-crafted pizza experience that matches the convenience of the Zip Thru brand.” Since then, the owners have carved out quite a niche and a loyal following. They have come a long way from their food truck business in Lorain in 2015.

Now they have their sights set even higher and are taking on a new venture with the recent announcement on Facebook that Smash Pizza will soon be moving into its very own stand alone spot at 7054 Avon Belden Road (former Electric Tattoo building).

The Facebook post reads: “We’d like to thank our friends at Zip Thru for making these last two years amazing and helping get us to this point. We will be closing down our Zip Thru location May 28 so that we can focus on getting our new spot up and running. We want it to be a unique craft experience in this growing community to meet a lot of the growing demand we’ve had over the last two years. You’ll still be able to get our pies at our Amherst location SMASH Kitchen over the summer and we will keep you updated on our progress as we go along. Thank you guys for welcoming us into your community, this is going to be a wild ride!”

The owners also noted that they plan to offer online/phone ordering (currently not available) at the new location. They are also working on building a bar space with a patio.

“We’d like to develop a separate concept for that space,” they wrote in a message. “We will be working towards our alcohol license as the build out begins. As of right now we have no plans for delivery due to labor issues and want to provide the best experience with our pizza and at our bar.”

If you still haven’t tried Smash Pizza, stop in before they close May 28. It’s worth waiting in the often long lines at the beverage store. You can stop in and have a drink at the bar while you wait for your pizza, which is a bonus.

AVON

Avon Eagle Run: Are you registered for the 20th Avon Eagle Run yet? After a two-year hiatus, the Avon Eagle Run is back. The Avon Eagle Run, presented by Mercy Health, is May 28 at 8 a.m. at Avon High School, 37545 Detroit Road. Proceeds from the Avon Eagle Run benefit the Avon Schools Educational Endowment Fund and other local charities. The family-fun event includes a 5-mile run, 5K run/walk and 1-mile Kids Fun Run. Help your favorite Avon student (grades PreK-5) win a party at the French Creek YMCA by adding his/her teacher’s name to your registration form. The first 1,000 adults to register will receive a T-shirt. All participants will receive a commemorative medal. Kids will also receive a T-shirt and medal for participating, To register, go to runsignup.com/Race/OH/Avon/eagleruncle. Link is also available on the school district website, avonlocalschools.org.

Brew Kettle still coming: It’s been two years since I first reported the Brew Kettle restaurant was coming to Avon. They are still planning to come as Randy Parsons of Mann Parson Gray Architects, representing Brew Kettle, is requesting approval this month from the city’s Board of Zoning, for a one-year time extension from the July 7, 2021 approval of a six-car stacking variance, off-street waiting spaces for drive-thru facilities to reduce the number of stacking from 10 to four for the carry-out lane for Brew Kettle to be located at 33287 Just Imagine Drive. No word on when the restaurant officials plan to break ground.

Craft bags: Throughout the month, the Avon Branch Library is offering a variety of Grab & Go Bags crafts and activities for every age range for patrons to enjoy at home. Stop in during regular library hours, 37485 Harvest Drive. For more information, call 440-934-4743.

Avon-Avon Lake Republican Friends Breakfast: The Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club will gather for breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. June 1 at the Sugar Creek Restaurant, 5196 Detroit Road (Sheffield Village Plaza). Barbara Whitmore, from Ohio Votes Count, will speak about fair and honest elections, violations of election procedures and ensuring election integrity where all legal votes will be counted and none canceled by an illegal voter or illegally cast ballots. Future breakfasts will occur on the first Wednesdays of the month to help residents get to know fellow Republicans. Guests are welcome. Each attendee is responsible for their own meal.

Shout-out: It’s worth a drive through town heading west on Detroit Road past Avon High School towards Sheffield Village to see the Hometown Hero banners on display. It’s truly a wonderful sight and thank you to Avon residents Kerry Barvincak and Vincent Gargaro, and the city for taking on the project to honor our veterans.

College graduate: Adam McRowe recently received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Muskingum University.

AVON LAKE

CRS Ball: The 33rd Annual Avon/ Avon Lake Community Resource Services (CRS) Charity Ball was another success. The generosity of the sponsors, donors, volunteers and 275 guests enabled the non-profit to raise over $108,000. Thank you CRS for all you do in our communities.

Dazzle Awards: After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Playhouse Square will once again host the Dazzle Awards. Students from 29 area high schools will share their talents on the Connor Palace stage at 7 p.m. May 21 at 7:30 p.m. Avon Lake High School received several Dazzle nominations including Best Student Orchestra – Matilda The Musical; Best Technical Execution – Matilda The Musical; Best Scenic Design – Matilda The Musical; Best Costume Design- Matilda The Musical; Best Actress – Kayla Haskins; and Best Actor – AJ Wansack.

The Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman, affiliated with The Jimmy Awards/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, recognize the importance of musical theater and arts education in Northeast Ohio high schools. Public and private high schools located in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties were invited to apply for participation in the Dazzle Awards. Students participating in the ceremony walk the “PNC Red Carpet” as they enter, then take the stage to perform. Tickets are available online at playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000.

Outdoor book sale: Join the Friends of Avon Lake Public Library (ALPL) for the spring book sale outside from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 21; and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 22, at 32649 Electric Blvd. Save on books and other materials such as best-sellers, fiction, non-fiction, large print, cookbooks, children’s books, and other items. Payment options include cash, check, or credit/debit card. All proceeds benefit the Friends of ALPL, which helps to support library programs, materials, events, and services.

Joining the military: Avon Lake High School held a special Military Signing Day ceremony last week for senior Roan Viancourt, 18, who will be joining the United States Air Force. He plans to become a firefighter in the U.S. Air Force. Viancourt will attend Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Composting program: Make a positive impact on the environment by participating in the Rust Belt Riders Neighborhood food scrap drop-off program now available in the city. Composting helps reduce harmful methane emissions and the amount of waste sent to landfills, according to information supplied by the city. Food scraps, including raw and cooked foods, animal products and bones, can be dropped off in the located by the mulch piles at the Avon Lake Service Department building, 750 Avon Belden Road, at any time. Rust Belt Riders does not accept pure liquid, pure oil, or non BPI-Certified compostable products. Rust Belt Riders program officials recommend using a five-gallon bucket lined with a brown paper bag to collect scraps. Weekly drop-offs are encouraged. Residents must sign up for the program online and pay $10 per month. Once registered, members will receive a four-digit code via email that can be used to open the padlocks securing the lid of the collection container. For more information, or to register, go to AvonLake.org

College assistantship: Recent Hamilton College (New York) graduate Amy Zhai has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Cambodia.

NORTH RIDGEVILLE

Splash Pad opening: The Splash Pad at South Central Park, 7565 Avon Belden Road, opens May 28 for the summer season (residents only). Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Hall of Fame nominations: Do you know a graduate of North Ridgeville High School who has gone on to achieve great things since high school? Consider nominating him or her for the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. The North Ridgeville High School Academic Recognition Committee is currently accepting nominations for the 35th annual Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame induction. To be considered for a nomination, the person must have graduated from North Ridgeville High School at least five years ago. Nominations should include the following information: alumnus name, current address, year of graduation from North Ridgeville, current occupation, and biographical information about the nominee including distinguishing honors, community service and other accomplishments. The nomination must also include the nominator’s name, address and phone number. Nominations can be submitted via Google Form, which is located on the district’s website, go to nrcs.net. Nominations can also be mailed to Jamie Lormeau, Principal, Attn: Hall of Fame, North Ridgeville High School, 34600 Bainbridge Road, North Ridgeville, OH 44039.

The deadline for nominations is June 30. The inductees will be honored as part of the Academic Recognition Assembly at 6 p.m. Sept. 26 in the high school gymnasium. The 2021 inductees were Hailey Bryson (Class of 2008) and Daniel J. Fronczak (Class of 1993).

Touch-A-Truck: Families are invited to attend the city’s free Touch-A-Truck event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 4 at the Shady Drive Complex parking lot, 37077 Shady Drive. For more information, contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 440-353-1503 or go to nridgeville.org/parksandrec.

Garage Sale Days: It’s one of the questions asked over and over….’When are the garage sale days?’ Citywide Garage Sale Days, sponsored by North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce/Visitors Bureau, take place June 8-11. Drive thru registration will be held June 1 and June 3 at North Ridgeville Community Care (behind Arby’s) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A permit from city hall is not required for this event. For more information, call 440-327-3737, or go to nrchamber.com.

If you have news/information or a story idea you’d like to share or a ‘shout-out’, please send an email to jshortavon@aol.com.

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