Together With NUIQ Med Spa & Wellness Lounge

📲 Your Mirror Called… It Has Notes.

If your mirror’s been sending mixed signals lately, you’re not alone. Many of us try random creams or supplements without really knowing what our skin or body actually needs.

NUIQ Med Spa and Wellness Lounge in Gordon Square became Jodie’s go-to after she left a corporate med spa. She loves the one-on-one attention where providers educate and guide you like a friend, not a sales pitch. With a 4.9-star Google rating (140+ reviews) and a fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon as medical director, the trust factor is high.

Popular February picks are injectables for subtle refreshes and wellness testing for real data. Jodie’s panel revealed a Vitamin D deficiency, and a simple supplement made a noticeable difference. Her VISIA skin scan also mapped UV damage and texture, helping build a skincare routine that actually works.

February is more than just a month for love. Winter’s lower sun makes treatments more effective. Explore NUIQ now 👇

Community Blend

Westsider Worth Cheering For 📍 Rocky River

If clearing my Lakewood sidewalk before it freezes counted as an Olympic event, I’d be medal-adjacent. Rocky River’s Red Gerard is aiming for the actual podium.

He is competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy (Milano-Cortina) with another shot at snowboard gold. He grew up on Cleveland’s Westside before moving to Colorado full-time to train.

He’s paying homage to his hometown by releasing an Arbor Snowboard model featuring a familiar landmark.

A quick résumé check: Gerard made history in 2018 by winning Olympic gold at just 17 years old, becoming the first athlete born in the 2000s to take home a Winter Games gold medal. He missed the podium in Beijing 2022, but he’s still a favorite to win Men’s Slopestyle.

What to watch this time around:

• Primary event: Men’s Slopestyle — rails + big jumps (qualifying Feb 16)

• Recent note: Missed Big Air finals qualification, shrugged it off

Dangerous Intersection Update 📍 Lakewood

The city released a safety analysis of the Madison–Hilliard–Carabel five-way crossing after multiple serious crashes, including the 2024 accident that killed former 3News reporter Bill Safos. A traffic-engineering firm reviewed the layout and proposed both quick, low-cost fixes and bigger long-term redesign options.

The short version:

• Short-term changes (estimated $13k–$19k): protected-only left turns, better pedestrian signal timing, upgraded crosswalk visibility, accessible walk signals, and “no turn on red” enforcement.

• Long-term options (estimated $176k–$486k): curb extensions, tighter corners, automated pedestrian detection, and upgraded signal hardware.

• The plan is phased — try the cheaper improvements first, measure results, then consider the pricier rebuilds.

• Lakewood engineers are also launching a signal-timing optimization for the Madison corridor this spring/summer.

Short Takes

The full column lives on our blog but here are the highlights worth your coffee break.

Avon

Breakfast flippin: The Original Pancake House is now open in the former Heck’s space, 35514 Detroit Road (remember Heck’s moved to the former Melt Bar and Grilled space).

B-I-N-G-O!: Help support the Avon Middle School Drama Club and enjoy a fun night out with the family playing Bingo from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at Avon Middle School, 3445 Long Road. Bring cash to purchase 11 Bingo cards for $15—there will be a raffle and other items to purchase as well.

Happy retirement: School Resource Officer Pat “Sully” Sullivan at Avon High School is retiring from the Avon Police Department (second retirement). Officer Sullivan has kept students and staff safe for more than a decade.

Avon Lake

Pruning class: The Avon Lake Tree Commission and Public Works Department are offering a free hands-on Backyard Fruit Tree Pruning Class from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 12 at the Old Firehouse, corner of State Route 83 and Lake Road, with arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts. RSVP

Life saving donation: Community West Foundation, in partnership with Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, recently awarded a $45,885 grant to the Avon Lake Fire Department to support the purchase of two LUCAS Mechanical CPR Devices. The devices will enhance the department’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality, lifesaving care during cardiac emergencies.

Bay Village

Vintage goodies: The 56th Annual Antiques & Vintage Show, coordinated by the Bay Village Women's Club, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 22 at Bay High School, 29230 Wolf Road.

Jewelry evaluations will be available from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 21, and antique valuations will occur from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 22.

North Ridgeville

New business: Queen’s Chamber, 34910 Center Ridge Road Suite #4, is planning a soft grand opening celebration from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 14. The women’s boutique serves sizes Large–4XL, featuring exclusive, high-quality pieces made to help every woman feel confident and crowned, according to the owners.

Shoppers will also find the luxury skincare line, His Temple, handcrafted to cater to all skin types and conditions.

Construction project updates: The North Ridgeville City School district officials recently announced the district’s Transportation and Maintenance Center is officially up and running. The facility is located on Ranger Way across from the police station.

Additionally, the new high school design is finalized, the site is almost ready, and construction is gearing up, according to district officials.

With spring around the corner, vertical construction is next. Updates are posted on the district’s website.

Rocky River

Beautiful artwork: The Rocky River Gallery 21st annual Ceramic Invitational runs now through March 28 at 19046 Old Detroit Road.  

Cultural event: Experience Moroccan hospitality during the Morocco Bazaar, brought to you by United Moroccan American Association of Cleveland Ohio (UMAACO), from 3 to 8 p.m. Feb. 14 at Memorial Hall, 21016 Hilliard Blvd. Entry is free.

The event features authentic Moroccan food, décor, traditional fashion, and refreshing Moroccan mint tea. Come out and support local small businesses.

Westlake

New businesses opening: The grand opening of Local Revue, 25939 Detroit Road, an upscale consignment boutique, will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 11. The shop was originally located in Bay Village.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12 for Care Healing Hands, 26059 Detroit Road.

BrightPath Child Care, 4655 Bradley Road, will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. March 12.

📜 Cleveland History

I Walked Across Lake Erie…Alone

At its narrowest point, Lake Erie is about 30 miles wide. Most of us hesitate to walk across an icy driveway… but in 1978, outdoorsman Dave Voelker decided to try walking the entire lake to Canada.

The wild part? He wasn’t even totally sure it was frozen solid. He didn’t have the data back then to rely on.

It was basically the pizza-roll gamble — could be perfectly safe, could be molten lava hot inside that burns your mouth.

He even called the Coast Guard for ice conditions, which spooked the friends who were supposed to go with him. When they found out he planned to write about it too, they backed out. Dave shrugged, packed 40 pounds of gear, and went solo.

He stepped onto the ice at Catawba Island on a freezing February morning with a tent, sleeping bag, flares, an ice axe, and two empty water bags in case he needed flotation. Early cracks made his heart race. A few hours later, he was stepping over them like sidewalk lines.

When he was ready to camp that evening he instinctually surveyed the scene to find a good place to set up his tent. He chuckled to himself and realized the entire lake looked the same. By nightfall, surrounded by wind and a sky full of stars, he slid inside his sleeping bag dreaming of reaching shore the next day.

The next evening, after hours of zig-zagging toward tiny porch lights on the horizon, he finally reached Canada. A family invited him in for water and pizza, signed a note proving he’d made it… and he hitchhiked back to Cleveland the next day like it was just another weekend trip.

Theatre Tuesday

Ever look at your weekend calendar and realize you haven’t done anything local in a while? Here’s an easy fix — community theatre style.

Beck Center for the Arts, a longtime Westside community treasure, is partnering with Oberlin College’s Music Theater Program for its first annual collaboration: Spring Awakening. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2006 and went on to win 8 Tony Awards, but its roots trace back to an 1890 German play — which helps explain its staying power.

Quick details:

• Dates: Feb 13 – Mar 1, 2026

• Times: 7:30 p.m. Fri/Sat, 2:30 p.m. Sun

• 🎟️ Tickets

Beyond this show, Beck Center provides year-round arts classes and professional theater right in our backyard, with financial assistance so more families can participate.

Zoom out: showing up for places like Beck Center helps keep local arts and community spaces alive — and gives us something meaningful to do close to home.

Westside Pour Over

North Olmsted - Harry Buffalo is closing their Great Northern location after 26 years in business.

Lakewood - Ranger Athletics are sporting a revamped website. The new site, done by Mascot Media, was fully covered by Lakewood Athletic boosters.

Cleveland - A local startup called Streamline aims to make watching sports programming across multiple streaming services easier. (Crains $)

🍽️ Business & Restaurant News

Quick action saves Wine Dive 📍 Lakewood

Wine Dive will be closed until further notice after a neon sign burst into flames on Sunday.

From their Facebook page, “One of our heroic bartenders was quick to react and extinguished the flames before further damages occured.”

No word yet on when they’ll reopen, but if we had to guess, Wine Dive will be back pouring soon—with slightly less flammable ambiance.

3 Palms Crocker Closes 📍 Westlake

It’s not officially official, but a sign on the door says it all: 3 Palms Pizzeria has quietly closed up shop at Crocker Park.

The good news? Their original Hudson location is still open and slinging wood-fired Neapolitan pies. So if you’re willing to trek for a proper crust bubble, you’ve still got options.

Personally, we love Harlow’s in Lakewood if you’re craving wood fired ‘za.