Mutt Madness

Mutt Madness Update: First Round Complete

First Round Recap

128 dogs entered. 26,368 votes cast. +$1,000 donated. Thank you so much to everyone who entered! The Westside is the best community in the world!

We are now down to a mighty field of 64.

Here are some of the news and notes from our first round:

• Maverick, the Bernese Mountain dog from Avon got the most votes in round 1! Great name, chill demeanor. Easy to see why he’s the Top Gun of the first round.

• Basil defeated the duo of Bert and Ruby by only 1 vote! The next slimmest margin of victory was Frank defeating Frankie by only 3 votes.

Your vote counts! These pups need your support.

We reshuffled everyone into one bracket to make things simpler.

Remember what’s at stake…

A Mutt Madness 2026 trophy, an 8” x 10'“ 1 of 1 watercolor painting by Buzz resident artist Pat Geyser, a prize pack from local pet stores, and a years worth of bragging rights!

Second round voting goes until Thursday March 26th at noon!

Short Takes

The full column lives here on our new website but here are the highlights worth your morning coffee.

Avon

Video scoreboards: The Avon Local Schools Board of Education is set to approve (meeting is March 24) scoreboard and media license agreements for new high school gymnasium video scoreboards.

According to terms outlined in the contract, the video scoreboards will be installed in the high school gym for only the cost of the software to operate the boards, with no cost for the equipment. In return, American Scoreboards will sell advertising space on the boards (ads to be approved by the district) and the revenue from the ads will go to American Scoreboards. If the district secures an advertising sponsor for the boards, the district will receive 25% of that sponsorship revenue.

Historical landmark: The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission recently recognized the David F. Schneider VFW Post 7035, 36950 Mills Road, as an official Avon Historical Landmark. More info

Avon Lake

Power Plant discussion: It’s time for the community to offer feedback regarding the redevelopment of the Power Plant site. The proposed lakefront mixed-use overlay district is now available online for public review.

The city’s Planning Commission will consider the proposed district at its March 24 meeting (7 p.m.) at City Hall, 150 Avon Belden Road. Residents who wish to comment may attend the meeting in person or submit written comments to the Planning & Zoning Manager in advance so they can be presented at the meeting.

For more information regarding the proposed project, including FAQs, reports, and a historical timeline, click here.

Wizards return: Last year, it was the hottest ticket in town and a sell-out. The famous Harlem Wizards are returning to Avon Lake High School April 14 (and this could be your last chance to see them).

The Wizards will take on the "Hometown Heroes”  team of teachers, staff, and coaches from Avon Lake, St. Joe’s, and St. Raphael’s in a friendly, funny competition.

Bay Village

Donation: Police department officials recently confirmed receiving a $15,000 donation from  Macedonia businessman Edward Kuchar Sr. and his wife Fran for DNA testing in the now 36-year-old Amy Mihaljevic case.

According to department officials, Kuchar saw the Mihaljevic coverage from the memorial run in 2024. He initially offered $7,000, but after discussing with the police department and finding out they needed $15,000, he agreed to help.

North Ridgeville

‍Bike donation: Kudos to the Kiwanis Club for their generous donation of an Amtryke (adaptive bike) for younger students at the North Ridgeville Academic Center.

Reading honors: Congratulations to the North Ridgeville Early Childhood Learning Community (ECLC), recently recognized as a Governor’s Science of Reading Champion Award School.  

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Rocky River

Spencer Creek rehabilitation project update: Work recently began on Spencer Creek.  The project will improve stormwater management, reestablish the floodplain, and construct upland path improvements through the existing greenspace, including additional seating and interpretive features.

The stream and floodplain restoration portion of the project is expected to be bid in this month, with completion anticipated by the end of the year.

Tree city: Mayor Pamela Bobst recently announced that Rocky River has once again been named Tree City USA and is receiving another Growth Award. She noted this may be the 42nd time that Rocky River has been named a Tree City USA and perhaps the eighth time receiving the Growth Award.

Westlake

New restaurant: The former Moosehead Saloon (closed last year), 694 Dover Center Road, has been completely reimagined and is now Next Door Food Bar. The menu items are chef-driven with made-from-scratch ingredients. Follow on Instagram.

Senior cards: Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road, is participating in the Dear Elder Mailbox initiative, organized by the nonprofit Love For Our Elders. The program encourages community members to stop by the library, write a note and drop it in the mailbox. The handwritten letters will then be delivered to local senior communities.

Buzz Night Out

Fast Friends at Quinn’s 📍 Bay Village

Saturday night the sky did that thing where it turns the whole world golden right before it disappears. Jodie and I looked at each other and just… got in the car. No plan. No reservation. Just west.

First stop was Rocky River Park to catch the sunset over the lake. Worth it. Also cold enough that we lasted maybe five minutes before retreating back to the car. We're calling it a preview of summer and moving on.

Cruising west on Lake Road with no real agenda but dinner time approaching, we remembered a tip from a friend: Quinn Kitchen and Bar in Bay Village, just off 252. You have to go.

Spoiler: We’re glad we went

The outside of the building is not going to win any beauty pageants, But the second you walk in, the whole vibe shifts — modern, warm, the kind of room that is conducive to making friends and having laughs. Which is exactly what happened.

We grabbed seats at the bar and within minutes had made friends with the bartender and both couples on either side of us. Regulars? Future regulars? Didn't matter. The recommendations started flying before we'd even looked at the menu.

Here's what we ordered, and what you need to know:

• Fresh baked pretzel — warm, salty, pull-apart perfect. The kind of thing you eat most of before you realize you were supposed to share it.

• Smash burger — simple, no gimmicks, exactly right.

• Wedge salad — crisp, cold, refreshing. Zero sad lettuce.

Somewhere in the second half of the night, the conversation just opened up. Got real, got funny, went places we didn't expect from strangers at a bar on a Saturday. That's the thing about seemingly ordinary nights like this. You don't plan them. You can't manufacture them. You just have to show up and let it happen.

Quinn's, we'll see you again soon. Probably sooner than we think.

📍 Quinn Kitchen and Bar — Bay Village, just off Rt. 252

Community Blend

Meteor Hunting

People from all over the world are flocking to our area, hunting for something special. They are looking for tiny fragments of the meteor that broke up over Cleveland.

How much of it actually can be found?

According to NASA, typically only 1-5% of a small meteors survives our atmosphere. So what started out as a 17,000-pound rock will end up sending a few hundred pounds of fragments across several miles of field. The first fragment was found by meteor hunter Roberto Vargas who found one in Sharon Center weighing 12 grams.

What’s the payoff?

I was interested in why people travel so far to look for rocks in fields, so I did a deeper dive. At first it reminded me of when Pokemon Go was a thing. Nothing was weirder than grown adults wandering parking lots, phones out, staring at the ground.

Turns out, it’s a lot more interesting than that!

Meteor hunting has quietly become a growing hobby (the number of hunters has tripled since 2019), fueled by better tech that can pinpoint where space rocks land within hours. And yes, there’s money involved—but it’s not always the jackpot people expect.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Most finds: “Ordinary chondrites” go for $0.50–$5 per gram (think under $50 for a hand-sized rock)

• Rare pieces: Lunar or Martian meteorites can hit $1,000+ per gram

• Local finds: Recent Ohio fragments are estimated around $100–$200 each

• Bonus value: “Witnessed falls” (like recent events) carry a premium because of the story

This mom and son show the elation after searching all day in freezing temperatures and finally finding one. He is so happy!

Why it matters: For many hunters, it’s less about profit and more about holding something ~5 billion years old—and even contributing to real scientific research.

It’s part treasure hunt, part science experiment, part “I just picked up something that was in space yesterday.”

What the Heck?

Wild Turkey on West 117th

A truly wild scene broke out last night on w. 117th and Clifton blvd. It’s not every day that you see Turkeys out in the wild, let alone in Lakewood.

If you’re in need of a chuckle, take a look at some of the comments on the post. Redditors are truly some of the funniest people on earth.