NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio
After several years of baking for family and friends, as well as selling sweet treats online, Ashley Scott is taking a leap of faith and opening a storefront.
Mrs. Scott’s Sweets will open later this spring in the plaza behind the Get Go gas station, 34161 Center Ridge Road, in North Ridgeville.
Ashley, a North Ridgeville resident, is a self-taught sweets maker. She has always had a love for creating things and took several candy making classes in college. She began baking out of her home in 2016. Family and friends loved her creations so much that they began telling her she should sell her sweet treats. In 2018 she began taking orders online. Much of the promoting from her at-home bakery business was through word-of-mouth and posting on social media. Her signature items are her custom decorated sugar cookies.
“Making sugar cookies is where I started,” said Ashley. “A lot of the recipes we use were passed down from my mother-in-law. She passed away five years ago this May. She baked for family and friends for many years. The sugar cookie recipe I use came from her. She gave me recipes that have been in the family for over 40 years. She is definitely a part of this venture.”
Ashley and her husband, Frank, eventually realized the business became so successful that it was time to seriously think about either going bigger, or possibly stop baking all together. The COVID-19 pandemic really pushed them to take the next step.
“We knew we wanted to stay close to home and open a store in our community,” said Frank. “We had been searching for over a year and then one day, while pumping gas and Get Go, we saw this storefront and it looked ideal.”
Mrs. Scott’s Sweets will sell gourmet cupcakes, custom cakes and cookies, as well as cookie decorating kits for kids. Offerings will change daily. On the weekends, donuts will be available. The shop will also feature coffee from a local distributor out of Twinsburg, Obvious Coffee Roasters. It was important for the Scotts to offer locally-sourced items in their storefront.
Frank brings his experience in management to the business partnership with his wife. Mrs. Scott’s is named in honor of his late mother, Charlotte Scott. She is definitely watching over them as they finalize construction of the storefront.
“North Ridgeville doesn’t have a bakery and Becker’s Donuts closed,” said Ashley. “We think this is the perfect time and location for something like this in the city.”
As if opening a new business during a pandemic wasn’t enough work, the Scotts are also the parents of two young children Lucas 7, and Mary-Kathleen, 4. But they seem to have found the recipe for success and Mrs. Scott’s will be a welcome addition to the community. I have ordered many sweet treats from Mrs. Scott’s and they are amazing!
For more information, follow Mrs. Scott’s Sweets on Facebook (facebook.com/MrsScottsSweets) or go to mrsscottssweets.com.
AVON
New restaurant: As reported in last week’s Short Takes, Wood & Wine, 38790 Chester Road, recently closed its doors. The space will not sit empty for long as Wood & Wine co-owner Jim Andrews confirmed this week on social media that they were bought out and the space will soon be home to a Mexican restaurant. Stay tuned for future updates in Short Takes.
Vaccine appointments: As more and more people become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Lorain County Public Health is coordinating with the Lorain Public Library System, Lorain County Office on Aging, and United Way of Greater Lorain County for access. People with limited Internet access, as well as people who speak Spanish can make appointments by phone. Dial 211 to make an appointment through a scheduling partner.
COVID-19 vaccine appointments can be scheduled online with Lorain County Public Health. Those eligible have the opportunity to choose appointments based on date, time, location, and type of vaccine. As vaccine supply increases, appointments will continue to be added. For more information, go to LorainCountyHealth.com/signup.
Best place to live: Avon was ranked No. 1 as the ‘Best Place to Live’ in Lorain County, according to new rankings from Niche.com. The city also earned an A+ rating.
According to Niche, living in Avon offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Avon there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families live in Avon and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Avon are highly rated.
Rounding out the top three are No. 2 Oberlin, and No. 3 Avon Lake. North Ridgeville is ranked No. 6.
The rankings were determined by using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, CDC and other agencies, combined with reviews from people that live in the area.
For more information, go to niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-places-to-live/c/lorain-county-oh/
Culinary competition: Lorain County JVS and Avon High School senior, Alex Pruchnicki, advanced to the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) state competition to be held virtually next month. She competed in the garde manger event. Good luck.
Shout-out: Avon students Evan and Erin Till recently collected cereal to donate to the Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Services (CRS) food pantry. They collected 208 boxes from their friends and neighbors.
AVON LAKE
Mother’s Day gift bags: Help make Mother’s Day special for Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Services (CRS) clients. The organization is currently collecting items for gifts bags that will be distributed to local mothers. Items needed include specialty soaps and lotions, chocolates and other sweet treats, nail polish and manicure sets, decorative night lights, slippers, and any other items to make mothers feel special. Donations can be dropped off at CRS, 33479 Lake Road, Suite C.
Park sponsorship: Connect with the community and promote your business through sponsorship opportunities with the city’s Parks & Recreation Department. Sponsorship dollars assist in helping grow the programs offered to the community. For more information and to review the sponsorship packet, go to avonlake.org.
Memorial Day parade: A sure sign summer is right around the corner is planning for the city’s annual Memorial Day events. The Memorial Day Parade will take place at 10 a.m. May 31. The parade begins at Avon Lake High School, 175 Avon Belden Road, and ends at Veterans Memorial Park, 32756 Lake Road, where a ceremony will take place. Veterans groups and civic organizations interested in participating should contact Mary Krupar, assistant to the mayor, at 440-933-6141, ext. 1021 or email AvonLakeMemorialDay@AvonLake.org.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE
Fire station update: Mull & Weithman Architects is working with city officials for the renovation of Fire Station No. 2 on Lorain Road. The much needed facelift and addition will include enclosed turnout gear storage, transition vestibules, and a personal decontamination space.The project is currently out to bid and construction is planned to begin early this summer. The station will remain open for service.
Yard waste: It’s time to start cleaning up the yard after the harsh winter. Yard waste pick up in the city runs April 1 through Nov. 30. Yard waste will be collected in unlimited amounts each week on regular trash and recycling collection days, as long as waste is contained and placed at the curb according to the guidelines listed.
All yard waste must be placed in compostable brown (Kraft) paper bags or if loose, placed in a container that is clearly marked ‘Yard Waste.’ Containers cannot be larger than 32 gallons, nor exceed 50 pounds in weight. If waste is too large for bags or containers, any twigs or branches must be in bundles that are tied securely with string or twine (no wire) and should not exceed four-feet in length nor exceed 50 pounds in weight.
For more information, call the Utilities Department at 440-353- 0841.
Opening up the city: During his weekly video address to the community, Mayor Kevin Corcoran noted that as vaccination rates continued to go up, city officials are busy discussing how they plan to bring back the public into the city hall process. City officials are discussing everything from bringing the public into meetings such as council, Board of Zoning and Building Appeals, Planning Commission, etc. They are talking about bringing back the Senior Center and how that is going to look as we move forward. There are discussions about reopening the Splash Pad and having Fourth of July fireworks. The mayor also mentioned trying to reach out to the Corn Festival committee to try to talk them into moving forward this summer with the festival.
Those are all great things and something city officials are trying to figure out and have a plan moving forward as things loosen up and things get back to ‘normal’. He wanted to assure residents that city officials are busy trying to figure out what that ‘normal’ is going to be and what it’s going to look like. It all revolves around the safety of the community, and the safety of others. But more importantly, about your comfort level with that safety. The mayor wants people back and wants people to be part of the process. He is looking at putting together a few citizens groups to move some projects along. This does require participation and people to be comfortable participating. The city is going to do everything it can to make that happen. Stay tuned for more updates.
The mayor posts his weekly updates on the city’s website (nridgeville.org), as well as his Facebook page. The posts are a great resource to stay up-to-date on what’s happening around town.
Disk golf coming: The city’s Parks & Recreation Department was recently approached by resident Frank Nehls to bring a nine-hole Disc Golf course to the city’s South Central Park. Additional course holes are also being planned for the woods area adjacent to the library. Nehls is an avid Disc Golf player who wanted to see a disc golf course in the community. The project is estimated to cost around $10,000. Nehls has donations secured for signage and concrete. He is currently seeking sponsors to help offset the cost of the baskets and other incidentals. The goal is to have the project completely funded without any money from the Parks & Recreation Department. The city does not plan to rent out equipment, players would bring their own to play.
Disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc or Frisbee. Like golf, participants complete each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws). A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target, which is the ‘hole.’ The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is an elevated metal basket.
Nehls has a pledge sheet available which can be returned to the parks department, 7327 Avon Belden Road. If anyone is interested in sponsoring, contact Nehls via Facebook message, or contact Kevin Fougerousse, Parks & Recreation director at 440-353-0825 or via email kfougerousse@nridgeville.org.
If you have news/information or a story idea you’d like to share or a ‘shout-out’, please send an email to jshortavon@aol.com.
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