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

📰 Local News: 📰 Mentor’s New Marsh Tower Is Taking Shape—Here’s What Visitors Can Expect

📰 FabFive Fields Withdraws Clover Avenue Application

🌿 EVERGREEN: Could Your Week Use a Little More Variety?

🏈 Sports: 🏈 Mentor Looks for Cleaner Encore as McDowell Visits Friday

🏈 Lake Catholic Heads to Avon Lake Looking for a Week 2 Reset

⚾ Captains Rally Past Kernels 11-10 as Division Race Tightens

🏈 Browns’ Young Players Make Their Case in Preseason Finale

🤔 Trivia Question

🤣 Something Funny

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

One of the biggest additions to Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve in years is now taking shape, giving residents their first clear look at the new observation tower overlooking Mentor Marsh.

The City of Mentor recently described the structure as a 95-foot observation tower, while News 5 Cleveland reports it will stand about 101 feet tall once its railings are included. It will feature two viewing levels, including an ADA-accessible platform. Reaching the upper level will require climbing stairs.

There’s an important distinction for regular Lagoons visitors: this is a new observation tower, not simply another observation deck. The existing boardwalk already leads visitors to a lower observation area near the marsh. The much taller structure now rising above the preserve is designed to provide a new elevated perspective.

The project was approved by Mentor voters in May 2025, with 73.3% supporting construction. More recently, the main trail was closed from July 31 through Aug. 16 while crews assembled the tower.

News 5 reports the tower is expected to open this fall, although an exact opening date has not been announced. The addition will join a preserve that attracts roughly 220,000 visitors each year.

👉🏻 Want the bigger picture? We break down why the tower’s height has been described three different ways, what each viewing level will offer, how the project went from the ballot to construction, and what visitors should watch for before opening day.

The applicant behind the proposed FabFive Fields indoor recreational facility has withdrawn its conditional-use permit application for 7420 Clover Avenue, ending the proposal’s current path through Mentor City Council.

The City of Mentor announced the withdrawal on August 27. As a result, the public hearing scheduled for September 1 will not take place.

City Council will instead formally dismiss the application without prejudice, meaning the applicant could submit another proposal in the future.

The city did not provide a reason for the withdrawal, and it remains unclear whether FabFive Fields plans to pursue another location or submit a revised proposal.

The project had previously received approval from the Mentor Planning Commission but still needed City Council approval. During Council’s August 18 discussion, members raised concerns about traffic on Clover Avenue, compatibility with the surrounding industrial district and the potential loss of manufacturing space.

For Clover Avenue businesses, nearby property owners and families interested in the proposed indoor sports facility, the immediate question is settled: this application will not move forward. What FabFive Fields does next remains unknown.

Source: cityofmentor.com

A different meal, a new route or one small change of plans can add interest to the week without disrupting the routines you value.

Routine can be one of life’s great comforts. Familiar meals simplify decisions. Regular errands give the week structure. Favorite places feel welcoming because we already know what to expect.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying that steadiness.

But sometimes a week becomes so predictable that Monday starts to resemble Tuesday, which resembles Wednesday, and suddenly another month seems to have slipped by. The answer does not have to be a busier calendar. A little variety may be enough.

Try changing just one thing.

Order something different at a familiar restaurant. Drive home by another route. Invite someone for coffee instead of waiting for a special occasion. Visit the library and browse a section you usually pass. Move your usual Friday lunch to the patio or pack it for a nearby park.

Variety can work at home, too. Make a recipe you have never tried. Listen to a different kind of music while making dinner. Watch a documentary about a place that interests you. Call someone you normally text.

For anyone with limited mobility, a change of scenery does not have to mean going far. Sit in a different outdoor spot, ask a friend to bring lunch over, explore an online museum collection, start a new puzzle or hobby, or arrange a video call with someone you have not seen lately.

The point is not to make every day exciting. A quiet, familiar life can be deeply satisfying. Variety works best when it fits your energy, interests, mobility and budget.

Consider creating one simple habit: “What will be different this week?”

The answer can be surprisingly small.

Keep the routines that make life easier. Keep the favorites you genuinely enjoy. Then occasionally give the week one new detail worth remembering.

👉🏻 On the website, we’re sharing a simple four-part way to add variety — plus ideas for making an ordinary week feel more distinctive without making it busier.

Mentor showed how quickly its offense can take over a game in last week’s season opener. Friday night, the Cardinals will try to keep the big plays while eliminating the mistakes that kept the opener close through halftime.

Mentor hosts McDowell of Erie, Pennsylvania, at 7 p.m. Friday at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium. The Cardinals enter 1-0 after pulling away from Olmsted Falls for a 38-17 victory.

Senior quarterback Brogan Jones threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns in the win, with senior receiver Logan Berwald accounting for 235 receiving yards and both scores. Mentor broke a 17-17 tie by scoring the game’s final 21 points.

The biggest concern was ball security. Jones threw three interceptions, and the Cardinals finished with four turnovers.

That makes Friday’s challenge fairly clear: keep attacking without giving McDowell extra possessions.

Mentor may also look for more balance after rushing for 71 yards in the opener. That could become especially important if McDowell devotes extra coverage to Berwald after his huge Week 1 performance.

Recent history favors the Cardinals. Mentor beat McDowell 42-12 last season after winning 50-14 at home in 2024.

The weather also looks favorable for Friday night, with a high near 73 degrees, a low in the mid-50s and little chance of rain.

👉🏻 What happens if McDowell takes away Mentor’s biggest Week 1 weapon? Our full game preview breaks down that question, the Cardinals’ rushing-game opportunity and three things that could decide Friday night’s matchup.

Lake Catholic gets an early opportunity Friday night to show how it responds to adversity.

The Cougars visit Avon Lake at 7 p.m. Aug. 28, with both teams trying to earn their first victory after very different opening-week losses.

Lake Catholic fell 41-7 to Cardinal Mooney after turnovers and explosive plays turned a competitive start into a difficult night. The Cougars’ best first-half possession covered 13 plays, with senior running back Danny Zmorowski gaining 34 yards on three carries, but the drive ended on fourth down near the Mooney 10.

Avon Lake showed a different kind of resilience. The Shoremen fell behind Strongsville 24-0 before scoring 22 unanswered points in a 24-22 loss.

That makes Lake Catholic’s priorities clear: protect the football, sustain drives and make Avon Lake work for its points rather than allowing quick strikes.

Zmorowski gives the Cougars an experienced foundation after averaging 88.2 rushing yards per game last season. A productive running game could also keep Lake Catholic out of obvious passing situations and limit Avon Lake’s possessions.

There is recent precedent for a quick response. Lake Catholic also lost its 2025 opener to Cardinal Mooney before beating Avon Lake 21-14 the following week and eventually finishing 9-3.

Friday’s result may come down to whether the Cougars can turn last week’s lessons into cleaner possessions, fewer mistakes and a game played at their pace.

👉🏻 For a closer look at Lake Catholic’s clearest path to victory, Avon Lake’s biggest offensive threat and three matchups that could decide Friday night, read the full game preview on the Local Buzz website.

The Lake County Captains rallied past the Cedar Rapids Kernels 11-10 Thursday night, overcoming a late two-run deficit behind Anthony Martinez’s three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Lake County had built an 8-3 lead before Cedar Rapids stormed back. Ramiro Dominguez homered twice for the Kernels, including a grand slam in the sixth, and Cedar Rapids eventually moved ahead 10-8.

The Captains answered in the eighth. Tommy Hawke and Welbyn Francisca reached ahead of Martinez, who drove a three-run homer to right field to put Lake County back in front.

Jose Pirela also hit a three-run homer, while Juneiker Caceres drove in two runs.

Lake County used an unusual pitching setup, with four pitchers working exactly two innings apiece before Cam Schuelke handled the ninth. Xavier Martinez earned the win to improve to 4-0, and Schuelke recorded the save.

The Captains improved to 29-26 in the second half and have won seven of their last 10 games. They entered Thursday 3.5 games behind Great Lakes.

👉🏻 Lake County finishes the regular season with seven games against the Loons beginning Sept. 1, giving the Captains a direct chance to gain ground on the team they are chasing. Read More on the game and the chase.

The final score mattered less than the final auditions, and several Browns strengthened their cases Thursday night as Cleveland closed the preseason with a 37–13 win over New England.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel delivered the evening’s clearest statement, completing 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He directed five scoring drives in five full first-half possessions. Luke Floriea caught three passes for 29 yards and two touchdowns, while Ahmani Marshall secured Gabriel’s third scoring pass.

Rookie quarterback Taylen Green completed 5 of 7 passes for 27 yards, but his mobility stood out. He led Cleveland with 66 rushing yards, including a 30-yard escape from near his own end zone. Davon Booth capped that 98-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run.

Defensively, Cleveland shut out New England after halftime. Justin Jefferson recorded a sack and an interception, while Easton Mascarenas-Arnold added another pick.

The performances gave Cleveland’s coaches plenty to consider before the final roster is set. Source: Cleveland Browns

🐝 Buzz Fact: Serpent Mound stretches more than 1,300 feet from end to end — proof that ancient Ohioans were willing to commit to a landscaping project on a scale that would make today’s HOA president immediately call an emergency meeting.
Answer: Google

Raising sister… how old is this kid?