Avon Pride Days Taking Shape

Avon's spring cleaning gets underway this weekend.

Pride Days, Avon's annual sprucing-up, is spread out over several weeks this year, and there are prizes for participants.

The first event is the at City Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 14.

The weekend of May 21 and 22 is the big cleaning-up weekend in Avon. Volunteers will be throughout the city, cleaning up litter and planting flowers.

Want to pitch in? If you do, you can win prizes, including use of the city's loge at for the June 15 game . Call Avon recycling coordinator Ellen Young at 440-937-7821, or e-mail her at ellen@cityofavon.com.

There will be a community party at 11 a.m May 22 at Avon Skate Park, featuring BMX bike performances, demonstrations and giveaways.

If you have an unwanted or broken bicycle, get it out of your garage, bring it to , and on May 21 to Bryce's BikePointe Ministries, which refurbishes old bikes and donates them to people who need them.

Also on May 21, make a donation at the Avon Goodwill, and get a coupon worth 15 percent off your next purchase at any Goodwill store in Lorain County or Vermilion.

Paper clutter is something that can multiply like rabbits, it seems. Tame your clutter by bringing your unneeded paper to the on June 11 at City Hall. You can bring up to four boxes or bags of paper, and Shredding Network will shred it on the spot for you, and you can watch it being shredded on a monitor.

If, after you've done some of this spring cleaning, you decide you want to have a garage sale, don't forget that you can advertise it for free right here at Avon Patch.