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📢 Local Events from Mentor & the Area: MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events!

📰 Local News: 📰 Mentor Chamber Names 2026 Award Winners, Honoring Three Community Standouts

🗓️ Mentor-on-the-Lake Plans Special Needs Halloween Event

🌿 EVERGREEN: What Your Family Recipe Forgot to Mention

⚾ Sports: ⚾ Halpin's Heroics Lift Guardians, Take 2–1 ALCS Lead

🏈 Cardinals Host Lorain Friday With Conference Title Hopes on the Line

🏈 Lake Catholic Heads to Holy Name Looking for Late-Season Momentum

🤔 Trivia Question

🤣 Something Funny

Contact Mentor Local Buzz - [email protected] - 440-256-6115

A hometown library leader, a fourth-generation family business, and Mentor's city manager are receiving top honors from the Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce.

Cheryl Kuonen, executive director of Mentor Public Library, has been named Business Leader of the Year. Euclid Fish Company is this year's Business of the Year, while Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak will receive the Chamber's Award of Distinction.

For Kuonen, the recognition is especially personal. She grew up in Mentor and landed her first job at the library at just 16 years old. Today, she leads that same institution.

Euclid Fish Company brings another remarkable local history to the celebration. The Mentor-based seafood and specialty-food distributor traces its beginnings to 1944 and remains a family business four generations later.

Filipiak, meanwhile, is being recognized for his leadership in a community where partnerships between city government and local businesses play an important role.

The three honorees will be celebrated Tuesday, November 17, at 11:30 a.m., during the Chamber's annual awards luncheon at Cater to You, 7575 Bellflower Road in Mentor.

➡️ There's much more behind these awards than the names on the plaques. Discover how a teenager's first library job became a leadership career, how a family clambake business grew across four generations, and what the honorees had to say about their recognition. Read all about it on our website…

For some families, flashing lights, loud noises, and crowded Halloween events can make trick-or-treating difficult. This Saturday, Mentor-on-the-Lake is offering a celebration designed with those challenges in mind.

The Mentor-on-the-Lake Police Department's third annual Special Needs Trunk or Treat takes place October 17, from 2 to 5 p.m., at City Hall, 5860 Andrews Road.

This isn't a typical Halloween gathering. Police and fire vehicles will keep their emergency lights and sirens off, while limited attendance helps create a calmer, more comfortable environment.

Participants can enjoy candy, games, and small prizes, with volunteers assisting during activities in the back field.

The event is organized in partnership with Heroes Helping Those with Special Needs, founded by Jenna Newman. Siblings and immediate family members of registered participants are also welcome.

Police Lt. Tina Messinger said organizers anticipate approximately 150 to 175 participants this year. Local businesses, residents, firefighters, police officers, and volunteers help make the celebration possible.

Registration is required in advance, and space is limited. Families should email [email protected] to check availability before attending.

➡️ There's more behind this special Halloween tradition than candy and costumes. Discover how organizers make the celebration sensory-conscious, the local partnership behind it, and what families should know before Saturday's event.

Sometimes the most important ingredient is knowing what “a little more” actually means.

The family recipe card says, “Add flour until it feels right.” The person who wrote it knew exactly what that meant. A first-time cook probably won’t.

That’s how treasured recipes become difficult to pass along. The ingredients survive, but the small decisions—the ones made almost without thinking—can disappear.

This week, pick one family favorite: a holiday side dish, the soup everyone requests, or a batch of cookies that never lasts long. If possible, make it with the person who knows it best, and write down what happens.

Measure the “handful.” Record how much actually goes into the bowl, along with the kind of flour, the size of the pan, the oven setting, and how many servings the recipe makes. If quantities change from batch to batch, say so.

Describe what “ready” looks like. Is the dough slightly sticky? Are the onions translucent or golden? Does the sauce coat a spoon? Those clues help a new cook recognize the right result.

Catch the little adjustments. Ask what to do if the mixture is too thick, whether a substitute has really worked, and what mistake someone should avoid. Include the equipment that makes a difference.

Keep food-safety instructions separate from family recollections. For meat, poultry, and casseroles, use current food-thermometer guidance; color and appearance alone can't confirm safety.

Now try the most revealing test: give the written instructions to someone who has never made the dish. Notice where they stop to ask questions. Every question identifies a detail worth adding.

Finally, write down who taught the recipe and when the family makes it. The instructions help recreate the food; those few lines help preserve the connection.

Your Evergreen project: Save one recipe so the next person can make it without guessing—and know whose kitchen it came from.

➡️ Want to make sure your family's favorite recipe can be passed along? Our expanded Evergreen feature includes a ready-to-copy recipe worksheet, eight questions to ask the family cook, and a simple test to find the details your recipe needs.

Petey Halpin's bat went flying almost as high as the baseball. By the time both came down, the Cleveland Guardians had taken a major step toward the World Series.

The rookie center fielder delivered a dramatic two-run homer in the fifth inning Thursday, lifting Cleveland to a 3–2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field.

Cleveland struck first on Nathaniel Lowe's second-inning RBI double, but Chandler Simpson's two-run triple put Tampa Bay ahead in the fourth.

Halpin answered with a 385-foot blast to right-center — his first postseason home run — followed by a sky-high bat flip that brought teammates to their feet.

Steven Kwan called the celebration “ignorant — but in a good way.”

Cleveland's pitching made the lead stand up. Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings, while the bullpen allowed just one baserunner over the final four frames. Closer Cade Smith escaped a tense eighth inning by striking out Yandy Díaz after a 10-pitch battle, then retired the Rays in order in the ninth.

The Guardians' pitching staff finished with 13 strikeouts, bringing its postseason total to an MLB-record 102 through eight games.

Cleveland now leads the best-of-seven series 2–1, needing just two more victories to reach its first World Series since 2016.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at Progressive Field, with a 6 p.m. first pitch currently listed. Weather concerns and postseason scheduling could still affect the start time, so fans should check for updates.

The Mentor Cardinals have plenty to play for Friday night as they welcome the Lorain Titans to Jerome T. Osborne Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Mentor (6-2, 4-1 GCC) has already secured a playoff berth and enters the game in a three-way tie for the Greater Cleveland Conference lead. The Cardinals also rank third in Division I, Region 1, putting them in a strong position as the postseason approaches.

Mentor is coming off a convincing 42-3 victory over Shaker Heights, generating 455 yards of offense while holding the Raiders to just three points. The Cardinals have also won 18 consecutive home games dating back to 2023.

Starting quarterback Brogan Jones is expected to return after missing two games with an injury. However, running back Braylon Callahan's availability remains uncertain after he was injured last week. Ryan Orsog, who rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown against Shaker Heights, could take on a larger role.

Lorain (2-6, 1-4 GCC) enters following a 45-6 loss to Strongsville.

With the conference championship still within reach and playoff positioning at stake, Friday offers Mentor another opportunity to build momentum before next week's regular-season finale at Euclid.

➡️ Read our full game preview for a closer look at Mentor's championship race, key players to watch, and why Friday's matchup could help shape the Cardinals' playoff path.

The Cougars aim to rebound from last week's loss as they face a Green Wave team that has made a habit of playing close games.

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Lake Catholic has an opportunity to regain its momentum Friday night when the Cougars face Holy Name in a North Coast Conference matchup.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, October 16, at Brooklyn Memorial Stadium.

Lake Catholic (4-4) enters the contest looking to bounce back from a 28-7 loss to Padua Franciscan. Before that setback, the Cougars had won two straight, defeating Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 27-13 and shutting out Elyria Catholic 35-0.

Holy Name (4-3) presents an interesting challenge. The Green Wave defeated Elyria Catholic 33-14 last week after suffering consecutive close losses to Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (27-20) and CVCA (26-25).

The common-opponent comparison favors Lake Catholic in two important matchups. The Cougars defeated CVCA by 14 points, while Holy Name lost by one. Both teams also beat Elyria Catholic, although Lake Catholic delivered a shutout.

For the Cougars, the challenge will be rediscovering the offensive production that generated 62 points during their two-game winning streak while maintaining the defensive discipline that has helped them win several close contests.

A victory would move Lake Catholic above .500 heading into its October 23 regular-season finale against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

➡️ Want a closer look at Friday's matchup? Visit Mentor Local Buzz for our full game preview, including the revealing common-opponent comparisons, three keys to a Cougars victory and what Friday's result could mean for Lake Catholic's regular-season finish.

🐝 Buzz Fact: Some automakers started out making sewing machines and airplanes. My mechanic says my car combines the worst of both: “It sounds like a sewing machine, costs as much to repair as an airplane, and the only thing holding it together is the prayer you say before turning the key.”
Answer: Google

Was this the best idea? Possibly. Possibly Not. Hmmm