Community Blend

Your 2004 Self Just Screamed

Remember walking into a mall store so loud and so heavily cologned you could find it blindfolded? It's coming back to the Westside.

We told you first — with a big assist from Julie Short — and now it's official, with a date: Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister are returning to Crocker Park this fall. Both are moving into the former Arhaus space at 175 and 195 Crocker Park Blvd. (Arhaus just slid over next to the Regal theater.)

The sibling brands — same parent company — both left Crocker Park about a decade ago. A&F now leans grown-up: elevated denim, button-downs, knits for millennials who've traded moose logos for mortgages. Hollister still skews teen and Gen Z, all laid-back California vibes.

Why it matters: this is only the second A&F in Northeast Ohio, and it's landing right in our backyard.

So dust off the puka shells, Buzz Nation. The comeback tour hits Crocker Park this fall.

Buzz Spotlight

The Bee't Box: Avon's Sweetest Roadside Stop

Every neighborhood has its guys. The jumper cables guy. The tall ladder guy. The snowblower guy who does your sidewalk without being asked. Avon has more dads per capita than a Home Depot, so I assume it has all of those.

But Avon also has something rarer: a bee guy.

Meet Rich Cihlar of Jaycox Road, who, along with his daughter, built a little roadside honey cart called the Bee't Box. Jars of real local honey for $5 or $10. No cashier, no line. Just honesty and extremely hardworking neighbors.

Rich is also on swarm duty. Each spring, honeybee colonies split off and cluster on tree branches like nature's noisiest piñata. If one shows up on your property (or a friend's) within about 20 miles of Avon, Rich will gladly take it off your hands. Or your branches. Free removal for you, a new colony for him, happy ending for the bees.

Me? I support bees from a respectful distance.

So update the neighborhood roster: jumper cables, ladder, snowblower, bees. And note that Rich covers a 20-mile radius, which is roughly 19.9 miles more than the snowblower guy.

Out on the far westside? Swing by 4481 Jaycox Road and grab a jar.

Together With MDVIP

Dr. Kurtis Dornan is now accepting new primary care patients in Westlake. 

Dr. Dornan provides personalized, preventive care and conveniences not usually available from traditional primary care practices—including advanced screenings and diagnostic tests, and a customized Wellness Plan.

Members of his practice can also book same-/next-day appointments and reach Dr. Dornan after hours for urgent needs.

See why MDVIP is different from traditional primary care.

Call (440) 848-6611 for more information.

^{_{*Sponsored Content. To keep TWB fun and no-cost to you, we partner with local businesses}}

The Buzz Explains the Internet

The CLE missed connection

Every so often, the internet does the one thing it was actually built to do: bring people together. What follows is a modern-day fairy tale that unfolded right before our very eyes.

When I first spotted the Reddit post — titled "Missed Connection: CLE Airport" — I assumed it was the usual sad tale of someone missing a big life moment thanks to a typical travel delay. Boy, was I wrong. In the best way possible.

Here's how she opened:

So far, just a concerned stranger looking out for a guy having a rough start to his day. Something we’ve all thought about, but rarely act on.

Then she continued:

And now we understand the missed connection. She missed her shot. So she took to the internet to find her handsome handy hunk.

This is where the world wide web earned its keep. The post went Cleveland-viral. Cleveland 19 picked up the story. Then Cleveland Hopkins Airport itself got in on the fun and shared it from their own account. Commenters who knew someone who knew someone at the airport turned into a squadron of hopeful matchmakers. The mechanics room even printed the message out so their mystery man could finally be found.

And then… the update we'd all been refreshing for.

He's been found. They're in contact. She confirmed he's single, and he slid into her DMs. Capping off what is an aviation meet-cute.

But it's her closing line that brings the whole thing home:

That's what it's all about, Buzz Nation. That's exactly why Jodie and I have the best job in the world. We get to bring you the best of our little corner of Ohio — and every so often, a reminder that we've still got each other, and we've still got community.

🫶

Westside Pour Over

North Ridgeville - The Board of Education has appointed Stacy Rocco as the district’s next director of curriculum. She previously taught and contributed to curriculum for Lakewood City Schools, and most recently served as the North Ridgeville curriculum coordinator. Congrats Stacy!

Lakewood - Children’s Hunger Alliance and the City of Lakewood are coming together to provide free lunches for kids throughout July while school is out for summer. The program runs through July 31 and lunches are available from noon to 1 at the Cove Community Center. (Cleveland.com)

Rocky River & Lakewood - Two Rotary clubs joned forces to become one. The Rocky River and Lakewood Rotary clubs merged to create a super group akin to the Beatles, or the Traveling Wilburys. Fun Fact, the Lakewood Rotary club is the third oldest in the country! (Lakewood Observer)

Business & Restaurant News

The Rink That Made a Man (Literally)

Here's a fun one: Russ Sinkewich's parents met at Winterhurst Ice Arena, which means if the place never existed, neither would he. "It's some real 'Back to the Future' stuff," he says. No pressure, Russ — just don't let the family rink fade out of the photo.

Good news: it's not going anywhere. Sinkewich now runs programming at the city-owned arena, and Lakewood is halfway through an $8 million, three-phase glow-up of the 51-year-old building. This fall brings new locker rooms, an indoor training space, an elevator, and higher seats with way better sightlines.

Why it matters: more than 300,000 people skate through those doors every year — beginners, figure skaters, offseason pros, all of them. When the city took the rink back from a private operator in 2023, the goal was simple: keep it open to everyone.

Fifty years in, and the flux capacitor's still humming. (Full Story in Crain’s $)

Seen Around The Westside

Pool Party Crashers 📍 Avon

Every good party has that one crew that shows up without an invite, heads straight for the pool, and somehow has the best time of anyone. Wednesday, David Liptak's uninvited crew had four legs each.

Camera handy, he caught a mama deer and her two fawns piling into his inflatable pool like they'd been on the guest list all along.

No RSVP, no problem. Just a mom who'll do anything to stop her kids from complaining about the heat, and clearly knows where the neighborhood's best pool is.

Buzzstrip

Looking for a great gift? Pat does watercolor paintings of homes, classic cars, and pretty much anything else you can think of.