This is Our Avon Lake 2022

mayor

Making Memories

THE HISTORIC BUILDING at 175 Avon Belden Road has been the location of many memorable events in the lives of thousands over the years. Many students, teachers and school employees alike have walked through the doors for the first time and launched another chapter in their lives. When I began my teaching career at Avon Lake High School in 1971, the road was called Center Road or State Route 76, which was the number assigned to it by the state of Ohio until the mid-1970’s.

Times change, as has the building over the years. In the mid-20’s Avon Lake welcomed the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. power plant, and in the late 1940’s BF Goodrich. These major corporations brought many families to the community. Land that was once used for grape vineyards and farm fields gave way to bungalows and ranch style homes. They paired with the area to the east that was called Stop 45, and to the west Stop

65, to send an ever-growing population of children to the building at 175 Avon Belden. As a result, a series of additions created an expansive educational complex as the decades flew by. Each elevated an institution that has maintained a high standard of quality and excellence that generations of hardwork ing families pursued.

Today, Avon Lake is the proud home of the Ford Ohio Assembly Plant, Avient, Lubrizol and Mexichem/Orbia, along with an impressive array of small businesses, all of whom contribute to our bustling local economy. With growth and change come challenges, however the Avon Lake City Schools have always maintained an outstanding reputation and are a magnet for home buyers searching for the best educational opportunities.

As people move away, some return to what they once called home. What brings them back? Memories. The ones that inspired us to reach deeper into our inner selves to meet the challenges that we face almost every day.

“From sunsets on Lake Erie we took maroon and gold…” [Avon Lake High School Alma Mater]

Sincerely, Gregory J. Zilka Mayor

Leading a Legacy

Avon Lake City Schools celebrate 100 years of excellence.

FROM THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE that had five students in its first graduating class to today’s expansive district that educates 3,800 students each year, Avon Lake has built a legacy of excellence during its 100 years.

The district, which has earned prestigious rankings from U.S. News & World Report for 15 consecutive years, celebrates the century mark this 2022-2023 school year.

“Our high school is nationally recognized because we are a really, really good Pre-K to 12th grade school district. When our kids walk into high school, they are prepared to be successful,” says Superintendent Bob Scott, who has led Avon Lake City Schools for 18 years. More than 90% of graduating seniors go on to a two- or four-year school, and a new study showed that 86% of those students went on to earn that twoor four-year degree.

But Scott says Avon Lake is not only a stellar academic school district, it’s also an enviable fine arts school with a superior athletic program.

“We’ve had state champions in golf, tennis, cross country, basketball and football,” he says. The district’s fine arts programs and productions rival those at colleges and universities. “Our fine arts programs are unbelievable: vocal music, instrumen tal music, drama, our fall and spring plays,” he says. That level of excellence in the arts is something that can only be cultivated and nurtured over time, adds Bill Zurkey, who was choral director at Avon Lake High School from 1987 to 2013. He was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in July 2018.

“The thing that you can’t buy in our business is tradition. There’s always been a really fine choral tradition, music tradition here,” says Zurkey, adding that during his tenure, which also includes decades as a football coach, he went from having 90 students in his program to nearly 400. “We continued to grow because people moved into this community for the sports, music and drama programs.”

Family-owned and operated since 1984

COURTESY

This illustrates one of the key components that has made Avon Lake such a successful district over the years, explains Dale Cracas, a retired teacher with 29 years in Avon Lake who taught social studies in grades seven through 12. Education is a three-legged stool with the administration, the staff, and parents and students, he says.

“Everything revolves around whether the school district has the funds to operate and to be able to hire a quality staff and quality administrators,” says Cracas. “Then you [need] parents who are willing to support the schools and also support their own children as they go through the educational system. We have always had all of those critical components here,” he says.

That support made its way to Jeanette Smith when her oldest son passed away in 2004.

“The school community and everyone around us really supported myself and the kids,” says Smith, who began volunteering at Redwood Elementary School and then became a recess monitor. After that she worked as a sub for the position that she eventually accepted at Eastview Elementary School, where she worked until this past August.

Smith, along with her husband, is an alumni of Avon Lake City Schools and has a long legacy connected to the district. “When Eastview was built in 1950, my grandmother was the cook there,” she says. “My aunt was also the librarian at Eastview. My husband comes from a large family, too. From the first graduating class at the high school in 1926, there’s a relative in almost every year.”

In fact, all four educators chose to raise and educate their own children in Avon Lake.

“We lived and breathed this town and all the people in it,” Zurkey says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else and I wouldn’t change it for anything.” — Chrissy Kadleck

Shoremen Forever, Never Forgotten

Avon Lake’s football program honors sacrifice and patriotism this year.

A POWERFUL, UNITING SENTI MENT encircles the No. 66 in a com memorative logo found on every football helmet in Avon Lake this year.

The image is the branded rally cry to honor the memory of Mike Medders, a former All-Ohio football player at Avon Lake and captain in the U.S. Army who died in the line of duty in 2008. Medders, a talented lineman, wore the No. 66 when he played for the Shoremen before graduating in 2001.

This season’s effort builds on the previ ous dedications of Medders Lane behind Avon Lake Memorial Stadium and his memorial locker in the varsity locker room, says Michael Stuewe, president

of the Avon Lake Football Club, which encompasses the full spectrum of football play in Avon Lake from flag to Friday Night Lights.

“Our goal was for every kid to know the story about Mike Medders — to make it bigger than football,” says Stuewe. “That was always in the back of the football pro gram’s mind. Our players get it now. They know who Mike Medders was and what he did on and off the field, giving back to serve in the military and that he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.”

The renewed effort started as a special uniform — in this case all black — but a “tidal wave” of support grew to create the 66 logo, yard signs and special flags, one

Holy

COURTESY

LAURA WATILO BLAKE

of which was presented to the Medders family during a football game. They also received a commemorative No. 66 black jersey. “The Medders family has been very supportive and appreciative. Before we did this we made sure they were comfortable with everything we wanted to do to honor Mike’s impact on our football program and our community,” Stuewe says.

At 6’3’’, 220 pounds, Mike Medders was a standout on the high school foot ball squad and beyond. He was also first team All-Southwestern Conference.

“He was a very, very good offensive and defensive lineman,” says Andrew Dlugosz, a close friend and fellow teammate of Medders. Dlugosz is now in his eighth year of teaching at the high school and is the defensive coordinator for the Shoremen. Dlugosz’s father, Dave, was a Hall of Fame coach who led the football program for more than 30 years. “Mike could move very, very fast and he was very, very strong. So that definitely helped him to be able to push people

Medders originally attended Walsh University after graduation, then trans ferred to Bowling Green (BG), where he enrolled in ROTC. Following graduation from BG, he joined the military, was stationed as a troop leader at Fort Hood, Texas, and served at FOB Caldwell in Iraq. He was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 24, 2008, in Baquba, Iraq.

“After the events of 9/11, he pretty much knew that he would be going somewhere to defend his country,” Dlugosz says.

In addition to featuring Captain Mike Medders’ story in its fall and winter pro grams, there is a list of all fallen soldiers from Avon Lake.

“This is about Mike’s legacy and the legacy of anyone who has made the ul timate sacrifice for the country,” Stuewe says. With that in mind, each football helmet worn by kids from third grade to high school has an American flag on the back “serving as a constant reminder to honor all of our fallen. When the kids are on the sidelines, that American flag is facing the stadium fans. It’s a pretty powerful image.” — CK

Gavin Bristow Public Safety senior from Avon Lake

Academic Excellence

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

#ALexcellence is a longstand ing hashtag that sums up the district’s commitment to delivering a well-rounded edu cational experience that exposes students to arts and culture, athletics and extracurriculars, and a robust menu of courses. “One of the reasons why an Avon Lake education is so excellent is because we look at all aspects of students’ academic experience — not just the basic common core curriculum,” says assistant superintendent Dr. Jack Dibee, noting that the high school offers 24 varsity sports, 24 Advanced Placement (AP) courses and alumni have an 85% college graduation rate within five years.

Indeed, academic excellence is a tradi tion in Avon Lake. “We are so apprecia tive of the fantastic community support we have — people who are invested in the schools and who are parents of second, third or fourth generation Avon Lake graduates,” Dibee says.

One hundred years ago, the city’s graduating class had five students. Today there are 320 seniors who will accept diplomas. “We have pictures of our grad uating classes lining the high school’s hallways, and it’s interesting to see the growth,” Dibee says, adding that the school has innovated with the times, add ing Maker Spaces at elementary schools and creating a course called Innovation that gives younger students experience with advanced technology, problem solv ing and creative thinking.

The district also built a podcast studio at the high school. “We are looking at enhancing that and how we use it in the future,” Dibee says, relating that the old days of a school TV studio are evolving with digital media.

He adds, “Because of the nature of this community, we have kids who are

well-rounded with a good head on their shoulders. They are goal-driven, they want to succeed, they expect to succeed, they are compassionate, they are team players and they have a great future.”

There’s an attitude of service above self, and while the school requires students to participate in the commu nity by volunteering, students go above and beyond. As part of the graduation requirements, students must earn two graduation seals. These include: Science, Citizenship, Military Enlistment, Ohio MeansJobs Readiness, Industry-recog nized Credential, Biliteracy, Technology, College-Readiness, Honors Diploma, Student Engagement, Fine and Perform ing Arts and Community Service.

Now celebrating 100 years, the district continues a tradition of excellence in aca demics, athletics and the arts. “We never rest on our laurels,” Dibee says. “Every year, we look at all of our programs and our results to continually improve, and that goes from preschool all the way to 12th grade.”

EMPOWERED PROBLEM SOLVING

“My first job is to make kids think,” says James Goodman, Avon Lake High School math teacher and math team coach. “So often in the educational system, we’re checking the boxes, earning a grade and moving on. We want to get students out of that mindset and constantly give them challenges to work through so they are really problem-solving.”

A collaborative approach among teachers at all grade levels — and with students, families and stakeholders — creates a supportive learning environ ment, Goodman says. “There is a high level of engagement where everyone is willing to get involved.”

As a result, students learn math and other subjects at a deeper level. “We are not delivering content to just get through it, we’re trying to involve them in the process as a class,” Goodman says,

HERE’S A SNAPSHOT OF THE DISTRICT’S ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS.

Avon Lake celebrates a century of graduating generations of wellrounded, engaged students who contribute to the community.

relating that this can be uncomfortable for students at first. “It makes them be an active participant in the process and re ally make sense of math,” he says. “Then, they embrace math and they appreciate it. It starts to click.”

And the clicking happens in ways that unlock big-time results. Goodman shares that the Avon Lake High School Math Team won the Math Madness Division II National Championship in 2018 and consistently performs at a high level and students go above and beyond what they learn in math class.

“The way the kids get into it and get excited — it’s a fun competition,” he says, relating that Friday afternoons during the past few years, about 20 students gather in his classroom after school to do math. “They like the challenge of seeing problems that are unlike any others and working through them with each other.”

THE PENDULUM PROJECT

Several years ago, John Gill began dig ging into the reason why his Avon Lake High School top-performing physics students with perfect test scores, out standing transcripts and all the extras one could imagine were not getting accepted to the Harvards and Yales of the college universe. “What does it take for a kid from the Midwest to get in?” he started asking admissions boards, having worked on that side of the educational spectrum.

Experiential learning was the answer. And so, he launched the Pendulum Project, and unlike typical labs, the effort involves designing and building a pendu lum landmark for the City of Avon Lake.

Gill admits the project is a reach. Why? The University of Louisville in Kentucky did a similar project, and it took their engineering department 10 years to com plete it. “We’ve been working on it since the 2019 graduating class,” he says. The expectation is to finish it in a few years.

A project of this scope requires signifi cant fundraising, which is giving students diverse experiences aside from practic ing physics skills. The school acquired a pendulum from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History that had been on site since the late 1980s and was decom missioned. “They donated it to us, and we have those pieces,” Gill relates. “The electronics are out of date, so we had to design new technology, and we’ll use that as a testing piece for our final pendulum.” So far, students involved have raised more than $25,000 to fund the Pendu lum Project. It’s giving them real-world experiences they would never get from a classroom, lab or textbook. “We have electronics and mechanics that naturally come with this project, and there are topics not always in the wheelhouse of a physics class like the business aspect and marketing of the project,” Gill says. “We’re working with business leaders in the area including Parker Hannifin, which has served as an engineering advisor for the kids so they can reach out with questions.”

Business collaboration and network ing make the Pendulum Project a truly well-rounded endeavor. “The students are driving the train,” Gill says. “I’m just giving them nudges here and there. They feel empowered.”

FOR THE LOVE OF LANGUAGE ARTS

A focus on literacy and the love of reading is what drives student members of the Avon Lake chapter of the National English Honor Society. From sharing books with elementary school children, to tutoring students in a nearby district

to prepare them for standardized testing, building an appreciation of the written word is the common thread.

The group was recognized with the Outstanding Chapter award from the society. Every year, up to 130 students at Avon Lake High School join the club, which is open to second-semester sopho mores, and all juniors and seniors. “Now we’ve been doing this long enough that some students in the high school remem ber being read to when they were young,” says Hilary Bickerton, co-advisor with Krystine Frisch. Both teach English.

One significant contribution the club is making to the Avon Lake High School building is painting favorite book covers on the walls. “It’s outside of the realm of literature. For example, in the history hallway, students painted major court decisions and they painted The Jungle cover, which is a classic business book,” Bickerton says.

Frisch adds, “During COVID when we weren’t doing field trips to the schools, the students continued decorating the building.”

Students in the National English Hon or Society help organize author talks at the public library, along with sponsoring a writing contest for younger students. “We just try to make it as interactive as possible,” Frisch says, adding that the students also write Christmas letters to elementary students and residents at local nursing homes. “Students drive the projects. They come to us and ask, ‘Can we do this?’”

The club provides leadership opportu nities, too. Bickerton says, “Anyone who wants to be a leader, we help find a role.”

“One of the reasons why Avon Lake education is so excellent is because we look at all aspects of students’ academic experience — not just the basic common core curriculum.”

– Jack Dibee, Assistant Superintendent

An Arts District

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

Arts are a way of life in Avon Lake, connecting students, families and residents from the community and beyond. “Our fine arts programs are the pride of our com munity,” says choir director Emilio Jarufe, adding that more than 35% of the high school student body is in volved in choir, and when you add band and orchestra, over half of the school is enrolled in some form of arts. Plus, there’s tremendous crossover between athletics and arts.

“We value fine arts as an academic credit, and we are very, very proud of the fact that we offer music education that is just as academically rigorous and excellent as a math or sci ence credit,” Jarufe says. “And, all of the fine arts teach life skills: collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, building relationships. It also teaches accountability. Kids learn about deadlines and if they don’t put in the work now, then the result they want will not happen.”

Not only does the arts staff collaborate across disciplines — drama and theater, choir, band, orchestra and visual arts — the teachers also work closely with athlet ics to assure students can participate in sports and arts without being tasked to choose. For example, in 2018 when the honors chorus made it to a state contest in the highest Class AA category (receiv ing a Superior rating), the choir worked with transportation and athletics to arrange a bus to take singers to lacrosse and tennis finals.

Bill Zurkey, former choral director, retired in 2013 after 27 years and now teaches at Cleveland State University (CSU). He also coached Learwood Mid dle School football. “My philosophy was always to get as many students involved in music as possible, because I was a high school athlete and I was in music, so I knew that this was something that every one should experience,” he says.

Interestingly, Jarufe was one of Zur key’s students at CSU, and elementary music teacher Kathy Walker, along with choral directors at Bay High School and North Olmsted High School, are Avon Lake alumni. “So many teachers who are former students are sharing their love

of music, and that’s just great,” Zurkey relates.

Avon Lake has a long time arts and music legacy, and the tradition contin ues with the district being honored in April 2022 as one of the Best Commu nities for Music Educa tion from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. This is the third consecutive year the district has received the honor, and in the last 20 years, Avon Lake City Schools has earned the distinction 17 times. Numer ous artists have also taken home local and national scholastic awards.

SINGING SUCCESS

Choir in Avon Lake is “a family unit — a special thing,” Jarufe says, relating how music unites students from all different backgrounds with varying interests be cause they share something in common. And participation through the ages is especially strong, with 95% to 100% of students continuing choir from eighth grade to high school. “The real mystique and wow factor is that our freshmen chorus grows in size from 9th to 10th grade,” he adds.

Avon Lake High School offers four aca demic choral programs during the school

Avon Lake schools continues a tradition of cultivating appreciation for performing and visual arts.

day: a freshmen men and women’s chorus, Honors da Cantari for sophomores and the junior Chorale. All told, about 350 students are enrolled, representing 29% of the school. “For our size, that is pretty much unheard of,” Jarufe says. “We have a trajectory that is academically rigorous and cultivates a positive culture.”

The high school also has two contem porary acapella groups that sing jazz, Top 40 hits and musical theater using a wire less microphone system. The longstand ing group is called the Avon Lake High School Merples, and the training group is called Immix.

“We took Merples from a classical ensemble into a new era that honors clas sical music and reinvigorates a younger and changing student base with contem porary acapella that is relevant to them,” Jarufe explains.

Overall, the choral program grew during the pandemic as the school found creative ways to make music happen. “Sometimes we maintained up to 12 feet distance, masked, and we upgraded the HVAC system — all of our teachers and administrators fought through COVID and as a result, we exploded the next year, growing by 100 students,” Jarufe says. “Fine arts were a unifying factor during a time when school was hard.”

Notably, every Avon Lake High School choir qualified for state contest.

Music curriculum begins in the earliest years with children using their voices as instruments, says elementary music teach er Kathy Walker. “Music education is val ued in the eyes of administration and that trickles down to the students,” she says. “Our kids come to the classroom with the attitude that they are here to learn, and they look at this as an important part of their day.”

ALL ABOUT ART

An Avon Lake High School gradu ate, art teacher Yvonne Saul-Craigo is continuing a family tradition. Her father, James Saul, taught the class before her. “It has always been my dream because of the rich arts program here in Avon Lake, and from the time I was in school in the 1980s, it made me fall in love with the arts and understand its importance,” she says. “It means everything to me to share that with our students now, and I’m extremely passionate about that.”

Students begin visual arts in kindergar ten and have access to a range of experi ences by the time they are in high school,

from photography to digital art, ceramics, art therapy and an Advanced Placement art course.

“Our district supports us by allow ing us to come up with innovative ways to introduce all students to the arts, not just our students who are nat urally arts minded,” Saul-Craigo says.

Creativity is an educational focus, she adds. “Ultimately, we want our kids to think outside of the box and make those connections. You don’t need visual art to teach creativity, but that is one way that we can make that bridge and help students make that jump. My hope is that no matter what they do in their careers, their lives have a creative note. That is the most important thing.”

STAGING EXCELLENCE

Avon Lake thespians stand out on stage — and this year, the school received six category nominations in the pres tigious 2022 Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards program, which inspires and honors excellence in high school musical theater in Northeast Ohio.

The program includes arts education workshops led by Broadway actors, master classes and audition tutorials, along with a technical apprenticeship.

“The Dazzle Awards program offers arts education opportunities throughout the schoolyear, and it has so much impact on the students,” says drama instructor Patricia Frank.

J. CRAIG SNODGRASS, CPA, CGFM

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

Serving the communities of Avon and Avon Lake for over 30 years. We provide basic needs assistance and individualized resource and referral services. We do this through our on-site food pantry and through financial assistance for rent, medical expenses, utilities, car repairs and other emergency expenses.

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

33479 Lake Road, Suite C, Avon Lake, OH 44012 www.aalcrs.org | (440) 933-5639

This is the second year the school has been involved in the Dazzle Awards program, along with about 30 other area high schools, Frank says. Each year, a cu rated panel of independent adjudicators attends one production at each partici pating school and provides educational feedback and scores to determine nomi nees and awards in over 12 categories.

“We were fortunate to have two individuals named as best actor and best actress, and they have an opportunity to win scholarship money and move on to the Jimmy Awards presented by The Broadway League Foundation. Avon Lake High School won the category for Best Costume Design.”

When the time comes to select a fall play and spring musical at Avon Lake High School, Frank seeks out shows that feature a large cast. “I want the ones that can involve a huge demographic of students, and we typically involve ele mentary-age students, as well,” she says, noting that theater brings the community together.

The Avon Lake High School Drama Club participates in the International Thespian Society, which is part of the

Ohio Educational Theatre Association. “So, our students are engaged actively as performers or part of a production team working on sets, costumes, makeup, props and everything behind the scenes to qualify to be part of the international organization,” she explains.

Aside from the fall and spring produc tions, the high school drama club also puts on a dinner theater performance, working with the choir, band and orchestra. The music and theater departments collabo rate often, Frank says. “We design sets for choir concerts and provide costume dress es and tuxes for their musical numbers, and we also build sets for the marching band and sometimes have actors that perform as part of halftime shows.”

The choir director, who is a sound engineer, helps out with productions, and the band and orchestra conductor

ensures that musicians are prepared to play scores. “And the way we work out our schedules, students can be involved in so many of the arts, along with athletics and extracurriculars,” Frank relates.

CARRYING ON TRADITION

Indeed, the arts are a focus for the district, and under former superinten dent Daniel B. Ross’s direction, the high school added a $50-million addition, including a fine arts wing to the building that houses performances of all kinds. Zurkey has watched the arts grow and thrive in Avon Lake. “I always said, we don’t want to make music majors. We want to make people who will appreci ate music as consumers or participants when they are older — for example, singing or playing an instrument in a community group. We want to create

that desire to see great music and public performances.”

Zurkey was inducted into the Na tional High School Hall of Fame, an exclusive honor for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to high school sports or performing arts. As of 2019, just 482 individuals had been inducted since the organiza tion’s founding in 1982. “It’s one of the biggest honors of my life,” Zurkey says.

Zurkey joined Avon Lake schools in 1987, raised his children in the district and says of the district’s arts, “When there is a great tradition, you just keep it going.”

He’s in his 46th year of teaching now, leading a musicianship series at CSU, along with choral methods, choral conducting and supervising student teachers. He also directs the Cleveland Pops Orchestra chorus. Zurkey considers himself fortunate to have had the oppor tunity to share his love of music with the district. He says, “We have an incredible group of teachers, kindergarten through 12th grade — and I had a great ‘feeder’ in Mike Lisi and with elementary teachers who were inspiring students so I could follow up on that.”

Rose Senior Living, Avon, is a senior living community with 175 apartments offering maintenance-free independent living, assisted living, and memory care, with a wide range of assistance and services. Apartments range from 690-1357 square feet.

Rose Villas, located on the Rose Senior Living Avon campus, is a new 76 town home community providing premium lifestyles to adults, with no costly entrance fees or buy-in commitments. Town homes range from 966-1404 square feet. One level, maintenance-free living. Attached garages and screened-in porches.

Senior Living Avon & Rose Villas Avon 33200 Health Campus Boulevard, Avon, OH 44011 - www.roseseniorliving.com

Rose

“Our district supports us by allowing us to come up with innovative ways to introduce all students to the arts, not just our students who are naturally arts minded.”

– Yvonne Saul-Craigo, Avon Lake High School graduate and art teacher

Leading an Athletic Legacy

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

Sportsmanship, teamwork and dedication are a few life skills Avon Lake students learn on the field and in the classroom. “We are an interscholastic athletic program, so we look at not just the athlete, but we want well-rounded students, and Avon Lake is tops educa tionally, so that is where it starts,” says Brent Schremp, Avon Lake High School athletic director.

Learning how to win, lose and grow are opportunities students gain when they participate in sports, he adds. “Athletics provides an environment and avenue for those experiences,” Schremp says, adding that a rich athletic history and track record for competing in state championships cer tainly sets the district apart. “That speaks to the community and the athletes — a variety that allows us to be successful in many different sports.”

With 27 sports available, students are exposed to a wide range of athletic options, including lacrosse, tennis, swim ming, diving, hockey, gymnastics, golf, bowling and soon girls wrestling. “Kids excel at different activities, and we have many different types of athletes, so we give students at Avon Lake the opportunity

to choose and experience many different things,” he says, noting that the district continues to add sports and now offers eSports to high school students.

As athletic director, one of the most re warding aspects of Schremp’s job is seeing the happiness on athletes’ faces when they accomplish a goal or bring home a win. “A lot of hard work goes in to setting up and managing our athletic programs, and it’s really something special,” he says.

PASSIONATE AND PROUD

The community’s passion for athletics is palpable, and this energy ignites players on the field. There were about 7,000 peo ple in attendance at a recent Avon Lake High School football game and another 2,000 viewers online watching the game against Avon. “Every year, we have a great community that really buys into athletics, and we have been able to continue that tradition,” says Matt Williams, head coach of the middle school football team.

Adding an online component during COVID allowed the football team to keep its season intact. “We had to regulate the fan base based on our stadium capaci ty, and when that happened, we found

a way to livestream the games, and we continue to do that today,” says Williams, a technology teacher. The online option brings more fans into the fold from across the country. For example, the Avon Lake vs. Avon game attracted viewers from 18 states and six countries who logged in to watch. “It shows you the value Avon Lake puts on athletics and the support they provide, which makes it a great place to be a coach,” Williams says.

Avon Lake High School Shoreman Head Football Coach Matt Kostelnik graduated in 2004 and also played on the state championship team in 2003. “It’s a passionate community, and they do a great job of keeping football at the forefront of our youth and continuing to grow the program,” he says, adding that teaching and coaching has been “a great experience,” and he is proud to carry on Coach Dave Dlugosz’s tradition of success.

An Avon Lake native, Kostelnik says, “All the coaches and players that came be fore me built a great foundation, and my goal is always to keep maintaining — to honor those players who came before us and set that tempo for where Avon Lake Shoremen football should be.”

The district celebrates a century of state championships, developing star players and giving students diverse athletic experiences so they can explore the benefits of sports.

COURTESY

CARRYING ON TRADITION

“All of the coaches I had, whether it was track, basketball or football, truly cared and wanted you to grow,” says Mike D’Andrea, a 2002 Avon Lake High School graduate and owner of T3 Perfor mance, a premier athletic training orga nization dedicated to helping athletes of all kinds reach their full potential.

“I remember sitting in Coach Dlugo sz’s office and he would ask me about my academic and sports goals — ‘How fast do you want to run the 40-yard dash?’” D’Andrea relates. “It was the perfect op portunity to foster that athletic growth.”

With a foundation of fine-tuning per formance and setting challenging goals, D’Andrea started T3 Performance with a mind to help athletes, regardless of their sport, get faster, stronger and reduce the likelihood of injury through proven training methodologies. The business started 14 years ago in a 10,000 squarefoot facility and is now more than double the size and based in Avon.

“We have a ‘why board’ in our trainers’ office — why are we in business?” D’An drea relates. “And on that board, we have printed out texts and emails from athletes that send us communications about how much we helped impact their lives in a positive way, just like Dlugosz did for me back in the day.”

Beyond physical training, T3 Perfor mance has a mental performance coach on staff. “Our coaches are constantly getting trained on and talking about how we can communicate better with athletes to teach them to be more resilient and let them know what is most important,” says D’Andrea.

jerked around by volatile utility rates?

Choose NOPEC: the safe choice for Avon Lake residents.

For-profit energy suppliers offer low rates at first. But it never lasts.

Non-profit NOPEC softens the ride with stable rates and no-risk terms. We buy electricity and natural gas in bulk, then pass the benefits on to you.

We even help protect you from unreasonable utility rate increases and unfair regulation by fighting for consumer-friendly energy legislation. To learn more, call (855) 667-3201 or visit nopec.org.

Brad Hamilton (’14)

Respected leadership and influential teach ers helped shape a rewarding career pathway for Brad Hamilton. In August, he joined Fox 8 as a news reporter, after spending time at the Madison, Wisconsin, CBS affiliate.

“We have so much pride in Avon Lake, and I’ve moved to different parts of the country and the community really is a one-of-a-kind place,” he says.

Dialing back to his Avon Lake days, Hamil ton credits teachers Kevin Fitch and Matt Perry at Learwood Middle School and Jeff Stratton at the high school for helping him succeed.

Throughout school, Hamilton played base ball — and he moved on to Kent State Universi ty, where he studied journalism and played his favorite sport, a love he shares with his father, Tom Hamilton, known as the chief radio playby-play announcer for the Cleveland Guardians.

“I’ve always enjoyed talking with people — communicating,” Hamilton says of his interests in English and history, which he relies on daily in his line of work.

Tani López (’10)

Tani López is the founder and CEO of her mar keting agency, TANIcollective. As a social media consultant and coach with an international reach (she has lived in New York City, Miami, South Africa, Spain and Portugal), López leverages her remote online business as a way to experience different cultures.

“I have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, and I get to help people from all over,” says López, who moved to Avon Lake

COURTESY BRAD HAMILTON / COURTESY TANI LOPEZ

with her family when she was 10 years old. Her father, Kiko López, was the soccer coach for the ALHS varsity girls program and was the soccer coach and technical director for the Avon Lake Soccer Organization. Today he trains kids and offers consulting to local soccer coaches through his business, Kiko’s Dribbling Soccer School, established in 1980.

López launched TANIcollective in 2016 after working in digital media and studying at The Ohio State University. She started growing her business at home in Avon Lake, taking on local clients, including Peace, Love & Little Donuts and Kiko’s Dribbling. She had experience working with Nike, L’ORÉAL, celebrities, fashion brands and high-end restaurants in Miami, Florida, and continued building her portfolio while growing her online business.

López thinks back to her time at Avon Lake High School, recalling how she was a natural connector who was either instant messaging or actively exploring the social platforms of the time. “I was that kid in class who always liked to communicate,” she quips.

She participated in Spanish Club, played soccer and loved helping her dad coach kids through the summer foot skills camps. “My mother and father chose Avon Lake to live because they knew my sisters and I would get a good education, would be safe and be prepared to go to college,” she says.

Douglas Puskas (’11)

Douglas Puskas is living his dream — and it started in the Avon Lake High School drama department, where he was a student leader passionate about set design and production. “The skills I learned then are still what I use the most today,” says Puskas, who went on to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in scenic design from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

Puskas’ first big break on Broadway was Mean Girls. “I got to see the show go from words on a page to a workshop, then out-oftown tryouts in Washington, D.C., and back to rehearsal in New York City — and then the Broadway production,” he relates. “I knew I wanted to travel, so I joined the national tour

COURTESY DOUGLAS PUSKAS

of The King and I and we played 52 cities in a year and a half.”

Puskas moved on to Jurassic World Live Tour, a stunt show featuring a 53-foot dino saur that had to be assembled, disassembled and shipped across the country. Now, he’s back on the road with Ain’t Too Proud, which is booking into 2024 “with no end in sight,” he says.

So far, Puskas has been involved in produc tions at five of the seven Playhouse Square the aters. Also notable, in 2021, he worked on the HBO series Euphoria, which won an Emmy.

When he’s working on Broadway produc tions, he’s a “shopper” running into fabric stores for swatches. “I am picking up props and items, so having knowledge of a city is really important,” he says.

Amy Ringholz (’95)

Amy Ringholz’s gallery and studio in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is an inspiring showcase of her contemporary wildlife paintings. She is commit ted to sharing her love of art.

“My education in Avon Lake was superior, and I had teachers who cared about me and encouraged me to go forward,” Ringholz says. “That base and grounding of who I was built to be, my character-building, happened in Avon Lake and has taken me through life to help me achieve and succeed in whatever my heart has dreamed of.”

When Ringholz was a junior, she entered the Scholastic Art countywide competition and won 16th place. Her senior year she came in first. “That gave me direction and the permission to go into the arts,” she says. She attended Bowl ing Green State University, studying Fine Art and Art Education, upon her parent’s request. “I was dying to make it as an artist before go ing into education so I moved to Jackson Hole at age 24 and worked around the clock for 20 years,” she relates.

She launched the RASA scholarship — the Ringholz Art Supply Award, a $1,000 gift for a high school student pursuing an art degree. She awards 10 per year, and one to an Avon Lake High School student.

3rd Base Bar and Grill 118 Moore Road 440-933-9939

Big M Pizza 153 Lear Road 440-653-5280

Buffalo Wild Wings 32914 Walker Road 440-933-7325

Cafe Melissa 32950 Walker Road 440-961-0072

China Chef 33382 Walker Road 440-933-7002

China King 1 375 Lear Road 440-933-6006

China Star 114 Moore Road 440-933-6688

Close Quarters Pub 31953 Lake Road 440-933-5217

Dairy Queen 33720 Walker Road 440-933-2208

Dogg House Bar & Grill 33475 Lake Road 440-933-7000

Domino’s Pizza 33382 Walker Road 440-933-3099

Fenik’s Frozen Custard 684 Avon Belden Road 440-930-8499

Fratello’s Restaurant 32085 Electric Blvd. 440-933-3380

Game On 33382 Walker Road 440-961-0763

Gitta’s Table and Wine Shop 32457 Lake Road 440-933-5888

Ibiza Mediterranean Restaurant 33481 Lake Road 440-653-5953

Isla’s Ice Cream 140 Lear Road 440-961-0892

Jake’s on the Lake 32485 Lake Road 440-933-8304

Johnny’s Boathouse 33424 Lake Road 440-930-2685

Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes 720 Avon Belden Road 440-653-5883

Lakeside Nutrition 426 Avon Belden Road 440-835-4707

Las Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant 445 Avon Belden Road 440-930-4910

Lear Road Inn 164 Lear Road 440-653-5143

Legacy Restaurant & Grille 750 Jaycox Road 440-930-5570

Marco’s Pizza 32730 Walker Road 440-930-7200

McDonald’s 32799 Walker Road 440-933-2738

Mr. Hero 32730 Walker Road 440-933-5207

Old School Pizza and Wings 445 Avon Belden 440-961-0892

Parker’s Grille and Tavern 32858 Walker Road 440-933-9400

Pizza Cutter 33501 Lake Road 440-933-5570

Pizza Hut 377 Lear Road 440-930-8600

Plum Asian Fare & Sushi 32730 Walker Road 440-930-2623

Rico’s Tacos and Tequila 33493 Lake Road 440-961-1050

Rio Coffee Brewery 33388 Walker Road 440-930-7201

Romeo’s Pizza 428 Avon Belden Road 440-930-8575

Salad KraZe 690 Avon Belden Road 440-933-9123

Starbucks (inside Giant Eagle) 31990 Walker Road 440-933-5078

Subway 33382 Walker Road 440-930-27

Subway 375 Lear Road 440-933-9099

Susan’s Sugar & Spice 32824 Walker Road 216-200-6718

Taco Bell 510 Avon Belden Road 440-930-4371

Tailgators Sports Bar 33499 Lake Road 440-933-4007

Taki’s Greek Kitchen 377 Lear Road 440-930-8888

Thai Chili 32730 Walker Road 440-933-8424

The Caslon 33451 Lake Road 440-653-5995

The Kitchen All Day Brunch 32822 Walker Road 440-653-5699

The Quarry 182 Lear Road 440-653-5103

Avon Lake City Schools: a 100-year legacy

1923

Avon Lake School

Established (All Grades –Now Avon Lake High School)

1950 Erieview and Eastview Elementary Schools Established

1956 Westview Elementary School Established

1959 Learwood Junior High School Established (Now Learwood Middle School)

1961 Redwood Elementary School Established

1970 Troy Junior High School Established (Now Troy Intermediate School)

2012 New Transportation Center Built and Renovations to Memorial Stadium

Building A Legacy for the Next 100 Years