This is Our Avon Lake 2023-2024 by greatlakespublishing

2023-2024 PLUS

Total Eclipse of the City Find out what’s being planned for the solar eclipse

SUPPORT SYSTEM The city’s nonprofits provide assistance and opportunities for residents

Supplement to Pulse Lorain County’s Magazine

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table of

contents

2023-2024 Mayor Greg Zilka Council President Martin O’Donnell Council Members Zach Arnold Billie Jo David Jennifer Fenderbosch David Kos Mark Spaetzel K.C. Zuber 150 Avon Belden Road Avon Lake, OH 44012 440-933-6141 • avonlake.org

F O R A DV E RT I S I N G I N F O R M AT I O N, P L E A S E CA L L 216-377-3693.

@AvonLakeCity @AvonLakeCity Facebook.com/ AvonLake Podcast: Avon Lake Matters

Departments 4

Conversation with the Mayor

City News

Judge Darrel Bilancini shares his experiences before retiring and Joelle Magyar, the schools new superintendent, shares her vision.

22 Restaurant Directory

ON THE COVER

10 Features

10 For Love of Community

A host of nonprofit organizations spanning diverse interests make the community better.

18 The Best Seat in the House

Learn more about the exciting things the city is planning for the Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024.

23 Keeping Us Safe

Avon Lake’s safety rankings are recognized by national organizations.

Avon Lake’s Saddle Club’s Hay Day invites adults and children with disabilities to ride horses. Photo by Ken Blaze

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mayor

from our

What I’ve Learned

Outgoing Mayor Greg Zilka looks back on his time in office and on the influences that shaped both his life and the community. GREG ZILKA HAS BEEN INVOLVED in politics in Avon Lake for nearly half his life. We caught up with him in his last few weeks as mayor, a post he’s held since 2012, to see what he’s learned — and what’s ahead for the former social studies teacher and his wife, Pat. My father tragically died when I was 8 years old. We went out to a picnic in Vermilion, and he died in a riptide saving my sister. My youngest sibling was born three months later, leaving my mother with 8 children to raise. I learned from my mom that you just have to step up, dig in and work hard and take care of all of the opportunities that might come before you. We were enamored with John F. Kennedy as he was elected president, and it was his proposal to start the Peace Corps. Public service was something that was engrained in that generation. I met my wife Patricia in the Peace Corps in Iran. I thought Iran was so different, but yet there are so many similarities. It impressed upon me that people are people. They solve problems, look for direction and look for understanding about what makes the world go around. The whole universe is a mystery to us. We share the common fiber in humanity. I spent 35 years teaching at Avon Lake High School. You learn what works and what doesn’t work. It’s about the personal relationships you build trying to win the respect of your students.

4 This Is Our Avon Lake | 2023-2024

Listen to the residents. Give everyone a chance to have their input. I think that’s worked well for us.

The population of Avon Lake has grown by over 3,000 since I’ve been in office. If someone owns a piece of property and they follow the rules, we can’t deny them. That’s a fundamental thing.

What I think is just and fair is not always the same as what other people think, so there has been conflict. That’s a real test of one’s character — to be as patient as possible.

As soon as someone moves in, they want to be the last ones to move in. It’s interesting to have relative newcomers complain about housing going up.

I’m sure I’m going to be doing some volunteer work somewhere — and participate in social elements of life in Avon Lake.

We don’t own a square inch of the power plant property, but we certainly have an obligation to use that land in the best interest of Avon Lake. Whoever takes my place is going to have the honor of being a major player in how that property is used. Just being on the lake is a great thrill.

We love to travel. We’re going to be taking some time next year and going to Norway. I have been fortunate to have worked with so many dedicated individuals who worked hard to make our community a better and safer place in which to live. They have helped to provide a quality of life for our residents. For that I am grateful. – Colleen Smitek

H A L S TATA

Pat and I put our noses to the grindstone and figured out how to make ends meet and we’ve been very blessed. We have two children and they’re both doing well.

One of the best things about being a teacher is when you meet up with a former student and they say you led them in the right direction. That’s something that’s very satisfying.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Ford Ohio Assembly Plant, which employs 1,800 people. When I first became mayor, only 400 people worked at the plant. We are fortunate for the positive impact Ford has had in the community.

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The Right Ruling

Judge Darrel Bilancini is retiring from the Avon Lake Municipal Court with a list of accomplishments. arbitrator in the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas for more than 10 years. But when Judge Bilancini looks back at his remarkable career, he says he is most proud of the positive relationships that he developed along the way. He is particularly fond of his fellow courthouse staffers and the members of the courthouse volunteer program that he started several years ago. The program, made up of mostly retired professionals, is designed to assist the court in a variety of ways, including escorting people to the clerk’s office, helping them better understand the process and overall making them feel more comfortable. “It’s a unique program. None of the other courts in Lorain County have it.

Fortunately, there are people who are willing to share their time during their retirement to help people be calm and understand what’s going on in the municipal court. The smiles we’ve received over the years say it all,” he said. Judge Bilancini is hopeful that his successor will continue the program — and enjoy the Avon Lake Municipal Court bench as much as he has over the years. — Lara Busold

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C O U RT E S Y J U D G E D A R R E L B I LA N C I N I

WHEN HIS TERM ENDS on December 31, 2023, Judge Darrel Bilancini will retire from Avon Lake Municipal Court where he was first elected as a part-time judge in 2005. And even though he has thoroughly enjoyed his career and intends to sit as a visiting judge on occasion, he admits he is ready to slow down. In addition to his tenure on the Avon Lake Municipal bench, which became full-time in 2014, Judge Bilancini served with law partner, Jerry Savoy, in their civil litigation practice in downtown Elyria from 1981 to 2011. He has also held roles as a referee in the Lorain County Juvenile Court from 1979 to 1981, acting magistrate in the Elyria Municipal Court from 2004 to 2005 and as mediator and

The A Plan

C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E C I T Y S C H O O L S

Avon Lake’s new superintendent discusses her plan and vision. “WE ARE AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL DISTRICT by every standard and measure out there in the state. But until 100% of our students are learning 100% of the time to 100% of their potential, we’re not there yet. So how do we go from being an excellent school district to an ‘ALite’ (elite the Avon Lake way) school district?” This is the message and call to action new Avon Lake City Schools Superintendent, Joelle Magyar, hopes the community will embrace this school year and in years to come. In addition to building relationships with the staff, students and community members during her first year, Magyar is focusing on some strategic planning

initiatives to reach the district’s goals. One of her primary initiatives involves engaging Avon Lake students differently in the classroom. “We want to start preparing our teachers to think about how we can instruct kids differently in response to the pace of their rapidly changing world,” says Magyar, who has already started engaging in conversations with teachers, working alongside them and sending them to training to launch this primary effort. Another one of her strategic initiatives includes developing a Portrait of a Graduate with the help of the community.

“We need to talk through our vision, what we want our kids to be able to do, and what we expect when our kids graduate from Avon Lake,” Magyar says. “I’m looking forward to facilitating that conversation with our community and asking them, ‘What is important to you? What do we feel is important for our kids to be able to do when they leave these four walls? How are we going to ensure that all of our graduates meet these expectations?’ That is the plan — going from excellent to ALite.” — LB

avonlake.org

news

Go Fish

Avon Lake’s new Fish Cleaning Station makes prepping your catch a breeze. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources approached Avon Lake about potential construction of the Avon Lake Fish Cleaning Station in early 2022. Construction was made possible through a $580,000 grant through the State’s wildlife boater fund, which is a gasoline tax program financing projects that enhance the boating experience. Similar stations have been constructed in Huron and Marblehead. “They were looking for a city with a boat ramp. Avon Lake hosts an average of 14,000 boaters between April and November. It’s quite often busy, mostly on weekends,” Brubaker says. The outcome has been positive in many ways. Residents and nonresidents who are launching a boat at the boat ramp have use of the station. Brubaker says Avon Lake residents love it for the convenience of parking their boats, cleaning the fish on-site and taking it home without worrying about the cleaning process. And, it has been bringing nonresidents to Avon Lake. — Myra Orensterin

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C O U RT E S Y C I T Y O F A V O N LA K E

IMAGINE YOU’VE SPENT a glorious day fishing on Lake Erie. You’ve caught Walleye and Perch and are anxious to get home and prepare dinner. But until then you have the messy, smelly and potentially dangerous job of cleaning the fish. That’s where the new Avon Lake Fish Cleaning Station can help. Officially opened in August, this amenity allows those utilizing the Avon Lake boat ramp at Miller Park to tackle this chore before heading home. According to Avon Lake’s Public Works Director Kevin A. Brubaker, access to the Fish Cleaning Station is not only about convenience, it’s about safety. The station features two Barracuda high-end industrial fish grinders that grind the waste “into nothing.” These minute particles are then recycled into the Lake. “The equipment is safe,” says Brubaker. “You don’t have to be an expert to use it. It helps the environment. The minute particles are recycled through the sanitary waste management system, treated and returned to the Lake.”

Avon Lake Beer Festival

H A L S TATA

AVON LAKE BEER FEST is fast becoming a favored tradition in Avon Lake. What’s not to like with live music, lakefront view, food trucks and lots of beer. The first Beer Fest was first part of a yearlong celebration of Avon Lake’s bicentennial. It was enjoyed so much that the City of Avon Lake wanted to make Beer Fest a yearly event. The torch was passed to the Avon Lake Athletic Boosters to organize and plan. Execution of this event is a great example of partnership between the Boosters, the City of Avon Lake and other nonprofits. With over 2,000 attendees and hundreds of volunteers, Beer Fest truly highlights the community activism in Avon Lake.

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It’s time to dust off 200 years! Join Us for Our Celebration May 24, 2024

Photos Courtesy of Lorain County Historical Society, Elyria, Ohio

L ve For

of Community

Much of what makes Avon Lake so special — from the flowers to the youth programming — is bolstered by a thriving group of nonprofits and their volunteers.

By Colleen Smitek

C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E B O AT C L U B

von Lake has approximately two dozen nonprofit groups dedicated to making the community even better. That translates into flowers throughout the city, afternoons kayaking on the lake, projects to preserve the city’s history, special events and more. “These groups have such a great value that a lot of people don’t recognize,” says council president Marty O’Donnell. But, with so many groups and volunteers, it makes sense to coordinate everyone’s efforts. That’s why, 14 years ago, O’Donnell launched the Avon Lake Community Council, a group that meets four times a year with representatives from each of the city’s nonprofits. “We share what we’re going to do. We try to help each other,” O’Donnell says. “We want to keep these groups around. By having a group like this we’re able to get people more involved and communicate where we can help various groups such as with fundraisers, member recruitment and shared resources.” Elaine George, an advisor to the Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club says the council is a huge help in getting the word out about the group’s annual fundraisers as well as creating interest in the clubs. “It just makes Avon Lake a smaller community, a closer-knit community,” she says. “It’s a great feeling to really feel connected like that.” On these pages, we celebrate a handful of the many people and organizations working to improve every aspect of life in Avon Lake.

Come Sail Away The Avon Lake Boat Club was formed by veterans returning home from World War II. “They had used the lakefront prior to war by tying boats up to trees,” explains club commodore Ray Frank. “But after the war, they built storage racks and things like that.” Today, the club’s operations, located at Veterans’ Memorial Park, are much more sophisticated. “There’s a boat launch there,” Frank says, “and we have been told by some marine architects that this is the most unique boat launching system on the Great Lakes.”

avonlake.org

A rail system transports boats up to 14 feet long from storage racks to a launch that lifts them off a dolly and places them in the water. Approximately 75 motorboats and an equal number of kayaks and paddleboards can be stored. Club members enjoy socializing by the water, as well as cookouts and clambakes throughout the year. But it’s what the group does for others that Frank talks most excitedly about. For the last 36 years, the group has held a Valentine’s Day fish fry for the seniors at Beachpark Tower Apartments in Avon Lake, including some 75 pounds of fresh perch and all kinds of door prizes. “It’s a sit-down dinner,” Frank says. “We wait on them. It’s a lot of work, but the residents are just so thrilled and enjoy it so much. It just really makes us feel good.” There’s also a yearly kids’ fishing derby held at the pond at Walker Road Park. Rods, reels and bait are provided, as well as a helping hand. “The kids learn how to bait, cast, catch and care for the fish,” Frank says. “We award just tons and tons of prizes. It’s a great fun day.” The group currently has about 200 members and is always looking for more. Dues range from $100 a year for a social membership to $250 for a full membership. More information can be found at avonlakeboatclub.com.

Most of us think of gardening as a hobby that’s as simple as dirt, water and sunshine. But, since its founding in 1930, the Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club has evolved into a surprisingly high-tech operation that cares just as much about protecting the environment as it does growing plants. “It’s not just pretty flowers in the yard,” says Elaine George, a past president of and current advisor to the club. “There’s a lot to gardening now. We’re really in on a lot of the discussions that are going on right now about conservation. You plant the right thing and it’s going to be beneficial in every way, including to the animals that live there and to saving water.” The club currently maintains 10 gardens, including two butterfly gardens, one pollinator garden and the Ozone Garden, which is located at the Avon Lake Public Library and was selected as a 2022 Project of the Year by the Avon Lake Community Council. (The other winning project was the basketball court renovation at Bleser Park.) The Ozone Garden is divided into two parts that are nearly identical. The only difference is that the plants in one half of the garden are a different variety that is more sensitive to ozone. The garden was done in conjunction with the National Center of Atmospheric Research and the Smithsonian/Harvard Air Pollution Study. “We have the only ozone garden in the entire Great Lakes region,” George boasts. When ozone levels are high, the one that is more sensitive to it will react and there will be a difference. “There’s something going on in the leaf,” George says. “You look at it and

you say, ‘That’s not right.’ They just don’t have the vigor that the other ones do. It’s dramatic.” Local students are in on the action, too. They routinely check the garden and submit their findings to the National Center of Atmospheric Research. The garden club is also a strong advocate of using plants native to the area such as coneflowers and milkweed. “We’re really trying to get the word out about how important it is to plant things that are going to support the wildlife in the area,” George says, “and how much easier it is because the plants want to be here.” The club, which has about 70 members, meets once a month at the library where there is always a guest speaker to teach members something new related to gardening. Membership dues are $50 a year. Find out more, including the location of the club’s 10 gardens and info on the annual plant sale, at avonlakegarden.club.

Preserving the Past Visitors from Cleveland used to take the Lake Shore Electric Railway — at a speed of 60 mph — to the breezy shores

C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E B O AT C L U B / C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E G A R D E N C L U B / C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y

12 This Is Our Avon Lake | 2023-2024

In Full Bloom

K E N B LA Z E

of Avon Lake where they found ball fields, a dance hall and more. “They enjoyed the times so much that they started to build homes out here,” says Tony Tomanek, the president of the Avon Lake Historical Society. “A lot of the development in our area happened because of that railway.” That’s the kind of look at the past that history lovers want to preserve for future generations. The historical society, which has about 115 members, works toward that goal by taking on projects such helping maintain and improve the Peter Miller House Museum. The ultimate goal? A dedicated space to showcase the city’s history. “What we’re trying to do now — at least this is my vision my dream — we’d like to have a brick-and-mortar historical society,” Tomanek says. Membership dues for the historical society start at $20 per year. More information can be found on their Facebook page: facebook.com/ALHistoricalSociety.

Saddle Up Back when Kathleen Azzarello was little, Avon Lake was a much different place. “It was big horse country back in the day,” she says. “There were a number of barns, including my grandfather’s on 83 with six horses. And there were some big boarding farms with upwards of 20 horses.” Now, there’s “just a handful” of horses, but the Avon Lake Saddle Club, which was founded in the late 1960s, lives on. Azzarello has served as president of the club since 2004. “It was designed and organized for the novice, amateurs and youth to come out and get experience showing their horses,” she says. “For them to gain experience in the show ring in a safe environment where it’s a little bit laid back.” That still happens during shows held in the summer in Weiss Field, but the club also contributes to the community with its annual Hay Day held in September. It’s a free event for kids and adults with

disabilities to enjoy horse rides, concessions, arts and crafts and face painting. Having worked at a therapeutic horse ranch in Texas, Azzarello knows the difference horses can make. “That’s why we started Hay Day,” she says.

Family-owned and operated since 1984

avonlake.org

Private Room Options Available For Parties! The Avon Lake Saddle Club is always looking for volunteers to help with its shows and with Hay Day. Annual memberships start at $10. For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ avonlakesaddleclub.

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Community Resource Services (CRS) was founded in 1988 by a small group of concerned citizens who realized that the suburbs are not immune to the effects of poverty. CRS operates a food pantry for those in need Monday through Friday from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. aalcrs.org

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Since 2001, NOPEC has been working to keep your natural gas and electric rates manageable. We make it easy, with no tricky contracts and the flexibility to move between products without penalties or fees. Plus, with our 24/7 Customer Care Center, we’re always just a phone call away. For more than 20 years, NOPEC has had your back. And you can be sure we will continue to for years to come. For more information, visit NOPEC.org or call 855-667-3201.

Pet Project The Avon Lake chapter of Love-aStray Dog Division has a simple mission — to help homeless dogs. Since it does not have a physical shelter, this is done primarily through foster homes — and both foster families and volunteers are needed. loveastraydog.com

C O U RT E S Y C O M M U N I T Y R E S O U R C E S E R V I C E S / C O U RT E S Y LO V E - A- S T R AY D O G

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A Helping Hand

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A Good Start

C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E L I B R A RY / I S T O C K / C O U RT E S Y M U S I C O N A M I S S I O N

Designed for parents with at least one child under age 6, the Avon Lake Early Childhood PTA hosts a number of playgroups, outings and parties throughout the year, as well as events just for adults and the annual Kids Closet. Dues are $32 a year. alecpta.com/join

Get Involved In addition to the nonprofits featured in these pages, there are many more ways to contribute to the community, including Music on a Mission, Kiwanis International and more. A full list can be found at avonlake.org/ our-community/organizations-clubs. avonlake.org

STAR CITIZEN:

Mark Summers

Summers is one of two Avon Lakers to be named a Citizen of the Year in 2022. another way to pay tribute to those who have served during a special high school football game last year honoring Mike Medders. Medders was a former All-Ohio football player at Avon Lake High School and captain in the U.S. Army who died in the line of duty in 2008. A talented lineman, Medders wore the No. 66 when he played for the Shoremen. Now, every child who plays football in Avon Lake has the number 66 on his helmet. “There are other people who have given their lives in our city,” Summers says. “But we use him as a catalyst; 66 represents all those who serve.” Summers stresses that Never Forgotten is a group effort involving both the city and other volunteers

— and that everything is done to honor both the people who have served our country and the people serving our country today. Summers’ dad served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps, his uncle died at the Battle of the Bulge, his brother-inlaw earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam and his son, Jack, is currently serving in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Eisenhower in Georgia. “You’ve got to be out of your mind,” he says, “not to understand the sacrifice that’s been made for us.”

Holy Spirit Catholic Parish 410 Lear Road, Avon Lake, OH 44012

32929 Lake Rd, Avon Lake | 440.933.3152

Mass Schedule

Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 pm Sunday Masses: 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm Weekday Masses: Tue, Thu, Fri: 8:30 am (Chapel) Confessions: Saturday, 3:30 pm-4:30 pm Contact us:

Parish Office 440-933-3777

hsp@hspal.org www.hspal.org @HolySpiritAL @hsp_al 16 This Is Our Avon Lake | 2023-2024

Weekend Mass Schedule: Saturday Vigil 4:30 pm* Sunday 8:30 am*, 11 am , and 5 pm Weekday Mass Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 8 am* *=livestream

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C O U RT E S Y M A R K S U M M E R S

For Mark Summers, being a good citizen boils down to one thing. “If you haven’t served your country, you must serve your community,” he says. “You can’t just be a taker. You’ve got to understand what was given to us.” That’s what drove Mark to spearhead the Avon Lake Veterans Never Forgotten program, which lines Avon Belden Road with banners honoring those who are currently serving or have served in the military. “I don’t know if there’s a day that goes by that I don’t think about what sacrifices have been made for where we are as a country,” he says. It’s especially important to Summers that children are aware of what people have done for them. “Shoremen Forever Never Forgotten,” was conceived as

STAR CITIZEN:

Judy Kaminski

C O U RT E S Y J U D Y K A M I N S K I

Kaminski is one of two Avon Lakers honored as a 2022 Citizen of the Year.

Judy Kaminski worked at BFGoodrich Chemical Company for over 30 years, beginning as a secretary and eventually rising to the position of a packaging buyer — a position for which she travelled all over the world. When she retired, she poured the energy and commitment she had put into her career into serving her community. While Kaminski might not see anything special about what she did, insisting that others have done more than her, she’s been quietly leading and serving in her community for nearly 20 years. Kaminski is most passionate about preserving the rich history of the city, including at the Peter Miller House Museum, which was built in 1830 and has operated as a museum since 1989.

Kaminski served as the president of the Peter Miller House Museum before it merged with the Avon Lake Historical Society and still works as a docent at the house. “Peter’s father was the first settler,” she explains. “He came from New York with nine children and he built a log cabin house. As Peter got older he was going to marry, and his father gave him the land. Peter built the little wooden Peter Miller House.” Now, all third graders in Avon Lake tour the home. “It’s a great field trip for the kids,” Kaminski says. “They get to see what it was like to live then because it’s furnished in that period. It’s great for them to see that we don’t have to be a throw-away society; that we can preserve history.”

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avonlake.org

The

BEST SEAT

in the House

Find out why Avon Lake will be the place to be during the solar eclipse happening on April 8, 2024. BY LARA BUSOLD

n April 8, 2024, the city of Avon Lake will be the “best seat in the house” to watch the total eclipse. “We are extremely excited for the total eclipse,” says Erin Fach, recreation director for the city of Avon Lake. “We’ve been planning for the last year with our city and the surrounding communities. It’s exciting because it’s a once-in-alifetime event. The last time it happened in Ohio was in 1806. The next time it will happen in Ohio is in 2444. So, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.” According to Fach, city officials are expecting a crowd (to say the least) on the day of the big event. “We are right on the centerline of totality which means that 18 This Is Our Avon Lake | 2023-2024

in this area — out of the nine counties in Ohio that are on the centerline — we have the longest duration of totality. We are expected to experience about 3 minutes and 52.6 seconds of totality.” The city also anticipates that all 220 acres of its community parkland will be

full of eclipse-chasers. Concerned about the mass exodus that will likely occur once the eclipse is over, they are offering overnight parking for campers and RVs at Miller Road Park and Weiss Field. And while there is still a lot of work ahead to prepare for all of the visitors, the city is truly excited to show off everything it has to offer. Throughout the weekend of the eclipse, a community shuttle bus will loop around town with on-and-off privileges to showcase all of the shops and restaurants in Avon Lake. On the “eclipse eve,” the city will host a day-long

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event at Beach Park Station Stop 65, starting in the morning with a road race followed by entertainment and activities throughout the day. Referencing the city’s premier viewer experience, Fach says, “We are really excited about a ticketed event we are hosting in partnership with Avon Lake City Schools at Memorial Stadium on the day of the eclipse. We will have some speakers from NASA there, astronomers and a live stream of the eclipse to help educate people about what they are experiencing. Gates will open around 11 a.m. The eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. This is when watchers will want to wear their certified glasses. Totality begins around 3:13 p.m. and runs through 3:17 p.m. Then goes back to a partial eclipse that ends around 4:28 p.m.” In addition to the event planning, one of the city’s main focuses is raising awareness and preparation. City officials want to make sure that For Information Call: the community and local businesses 440-933-6908 or 440-871-8234 understand what’s coming and are or visit us online www.kopf.net prepared for all of the people coming to town. “We have begun to raise awareness by hanging some banners around town. We’ve also kicked off a program called Totality Talks, which includes some community and small business forums to educate people about total solar eclipses and how we can show off Avon Lake and be prepared as residents for that day. What we do know is that it’s not going to be a normal Monday,” says Fach. Recordings of “Totality Talks” are available at avonlake.org/videos.

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Leading the way in educating the public is former NASA Education Officer at the Glenn Research Center Lynn Bondurant, who reminisces, “I saw my first eclipse of the moon on October 7, 1949. That event changed my whole life.” Since that fateful experience, Bondurant has spent his extensive career in aerospace education initiatives focusing on eclipses, comets and the moon. Now, retired and passionate about sharing his knowledge with the community, he has already planned multiple speaking events at a variety of venues in the Greater Cleveland area starting in January and leading up to the event. His goal is to inform the public about this truly remarkable opportunity. Bondurant plans to touch on a variety of topics, including why we have eclipses of the sun, how to safely observe an eclipse of the sun and what the April 8, 2024, total eclipse in Avon Lake will look like. He will also explain the phases of the moon and share what the scientific community has learned about past eclipses within the context of history. With education always on his mind, Bondurant says, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. The more you learn about it, what you are going to see, how to watch it — the more you will enjoy it.” Craig Williams, NASA Aerospace engineer and member of the NASA Speakers Bureau also has several upcoming speaking engagements to stress the importance of this eclipse, “Many think we are 65 years into the space program. Satellites do it all. But that really is not

true. Observing eclipses from the ground is still important to science.” Williams also adds, “Because the majority of the Earth’s surface is made up of water and desert, when we have an eclipse of the sun, it’s typically visible only if you go out in the middle of the ocean, jungle or desert. Or if you climb a mountain, or go to the north or south pole — very inhospitable areas. This is one of the many reasons why this eclipse is so important. You don’t have to lug an observatory out into the middle of the ocean on a boat that is rocking back and forth. We have lots of equipment readily available to study the eclipse simultaneously from many different places using many different instruments. And it’s happening during a very convenient time of the day. People ask me where is the best place to go in order to see the eclipse. I tell them all they have to do is walk out their front door and look up — we’re it.” But even though Avon Lake will be the best seat in the house next April, due to the unpredictable weather in Northeast Ohio (especially in the spring), a rainy or cloudy day could be an obstacle, warns Williams, “You’ve got to prepare for it and hope for the best. If it happens, it happens. But you’d hate to not take it seriously and miss out. All you need is a break in the clouds in the right place for 5 minutes. And even if it happens to be a cloudy day, it will get dark for those few minutes and that will be interesting. Otherwise, you’ve got to stick around for another 400 years in Ohio.”

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Total Eclipse of the City

Independence continues to grow and prosper thanks to its business-friendly governance, great schools and plentiful opportunities for recreation.

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Find out what’s being planned for the solar eclipse

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PLUS • Meet the New Police Chief

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Supplement to Pulse Lorain County’s Magazine

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Keeping Us Safe

C O U RT E S Y A V O N LA K E P O L I C E D E PA RT M E N T

Avon Lake’s top-rated safety stats are recognized. A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE IS IMPORTANT. Avon Lake was ranked 16th safest city in the U.S. and first in the state of Ohio by Visual Capitalist. The city was among the top 100 cities with a population of 25,000 or higher that were eligible. Its data was compiled by Neighborhood Scout. Avon Lake has only 4.3 incidents of crime for every 1,000 of its residents. The chance of being a victim of crime in Avon Lake is one in 232 with crimes defined as arson, burglary, vehicle theft, murder, rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Avon Lake Chief of Police Vincent Molnar is proud of the recognition but acknowledges that Avon Lake fell out of its 2022 top 10 ranking because of a “tragic situation” and that it just made the cut of having a population over 25,000. Molnar readily acknowledges that without the support of the community, Avon Lake City Council, its mayor and Avon Lake City Schools the safety ratings might have been different. “This is, above all, a community-wide award that reinforces the buy-in that we’ve had from the community, its desire to live in a place where they may raise a family and have peace of mind, where they can get away from their businesses and congestion and where everyone is on the same page. We all want to keep Avon Lake safe,” he says. Take, for example, his department’s relationship with the Avon Lake Schools. Two School Resource Officers work with school administrators to create proactive initiatives targeting juvenile delinquency prevention and traffic safety. The community’s impact has resulted in documented lowered results in vehicular thefts. “In 2021 we had a large number of

auto thefts. Juveniles were bored during the pandemic and were looking for opportunistic situations to steal cars with keys in their ignitions or were easy targets.” There were 27 vehicle thefts in 2021, nine in 2022 and the Chief is estimating there to be even fewer in 2023. Working with City Council and residents, the Police Department has seen a decrease in the number of cars speeding through the city. The Public Safety and Health Committee meets monthly and has initiated changes including redesigning Lake Road to make it wider to accommodate bike lanes, creating sidewalks on Lake Road to protect pedestrians, introducing pedestrian hybrid beacons to increase safety when crossing streets and more. Postings on social media platforms help the Police Department communicate with residents while detectives conduct burglary patrols visiting neighborhoods experiencing an increase in crime. Ward meetings in which the police communicate with neighborhood groups have also proven to be effective. “We encourage conversations at homeowners’ meetings and encourage residents to call us if something doesn’t look quite right.” The impact of these programs has resulted in Avon Lake receiving other national recognitions. In 2022 and 2023, the city was awarded the AAA Community Traffic Safety Platinum Award and named within the Top 10 Safest Cities in Ohio by Safewise.com and Advisorsmith.com. — Myra Orenstein avonlake.org

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