Area mayors deserve credit for successes

Four municipalities east of the city of Lorain are doing well, and with good reason, the mayors proudly touted their successes of the past year.

Sheffield Lake, Sheffield Village, Avon and Avon Lake mayors gave updates on their entities March 12 at Tom’s Country Place in Avon during the 4-Mayor’s Luncheon sponsored by the North Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Sheffield Lake Mayor Dennis Bring discussed how the Sheffield Lake Police Department added two new, young officers and the Fire Department added a firefighter and paramedic.

In recent years, the city spent about a million dollars on new equipment, and the sewer water and service department had numerous upgrades.

But the most noteworthy part of Bring’s address was the news that city will add facilities for adults with developmental intellectual disabilities.

Bring said Mike Cloud, owner of Great Lakes Property Development, wants to build four licensed, intermediate care facilities at Abbe and Walker roads, Abbe Road and Madison Avenue, Lake Road near Edgewater Drive, and Robinwood Avenue by Ferndale Avenue.

That is good news. Bring also mentioned improvements to the Joyce E. Hanks Sheffield Lake Community Center, a $1.6 million road construction project on Abbe Road and a $1.3 million water and road project on Harris Road.

Sheffield Lake is adding a walkway along Lake Road which is going across the Boat Launch 4110 Lake Road, and a dog park at Freedom Park at West Drive and South Avenue.

Sheffield Village Mayor John Hunter praised Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools saying it has some of the greatest programs, and the robotics team is going to the World Championship games, again.

But Hunter said he is proudest of the teachers in the school system because they do a good job of teaching.

He also talked about some additions, including a new Chipotle restaurant near Drug Mart, 5298 Detroit Road, that will open March 24.

But, a major highlight was Hunter announcing that Ford Motor Co. will bring a new product to the Ohio Assembly Plant that will add jobs.

Ford also is paying out profit sharing checks to the workers that total around $8,100 each, which will help the economy.

Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka talked about the great job the Avon Lake Police Department is doing.

Zilka said Cleveland Magazine has rated his department number two in the Cleveland suburbs.

The Police Department has just completed its 20th police academy where residents take a 10-week course.

With regard to the Fire Department, it started a fire academy for the public to understand what some safety forces do.

The city spent $6 million on storm and road projects, including the culvert on Moore Road which the Ohio Department of Transportation said was ready to collapse.

Zilka also gave his annual deer report.

The deer culling resulted in 40 tags by taking down 40 deer and the city donated 1,423 pounds of venison to Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.

As for Ford, Zilka said he still does not know a lot about the expansion at the Ohio Assembly Plant.

But Zilka hinted that Hunter is smiling really big because many of those 1,800 proposed jobs may well come his way, because part of the plant is in Sheffield Village.

Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen gave the most touching address when he explained why there were mugs on every table.

The mugs were dedicated to Caitlin Kacher, a 32-year-old Spanish teacher at Avon High School, who died from cancer in 2019.

And Jensen said, “I’m so fearful in our lives that we have so many things going on ... and we are going to miss that moment that we’re never going to get back. Those are the moments I never forget. Take the time to enjoy what we have and remember Caitlin.”

Jensen’s presentation continued with a video produced by the Avon High School Eagles News Team, that had a tribute to Kacher.

The video also featured Jensen getting his hair cut at Railway Barbershop, 36840 Detroit Road, while he thanked his family, city staff and the city’s first responders with a series of photos.

In the video, Jensen said it’s exciting that big businesses like Hobby Lobby and Bendix are coming to the city, but he said small businesses are the foundation of Avon.

He referenced businesses such as Railway, Avon Brewing Company and What The Cupcake that the city is “blessed to have.”

The mayors had a great deal of success in 2019.

We’re sure they are hoping for similar triumphs in 2020.