5 of Lakewood's Most Interesting Stories of 2016

LAKEWOOD, OH - This year was not our finest. As a nation, we lost John Glenn, David Bowie, and Prince. We went through a tumultuous and scarring election, and ultimately 2016 didn't reward us with a whole lot. Well...besides the end of the Cleveland curse, with LeBron James hoisting a tear stained Larry O'Brien trophy above his head in Oakland, California.

Even if this year wasn't the astounding 12-months that we were all hoping for, it did provide some interesting news along the way. Lakewood finally settled the hospital issue (Issue 64, for those that remember) and announced new businesses. The city even found itself participating in the political maelstrom that envelops Ohio every four years.

To help you remember everything from January to December, we've perused our list of stories from 2016 and are collecting a few of the weirdest, exciting, feel-good stories of the year.

• Fear's Confections in Lakewood Introduces Trump Dumps in Time for the RNC - The Madison Avenue bakery created a chocolate ganache emoji with a modeling chocolate wig topped with an orange frosting topper, that resembles President-elect Trump's mane. The story got national attention and the bakery trended on social media following their delicious and scandalous introduction of the confection.
• Award Winning Actor Tom Hanks Visits Award Winning Pizza Place in Lakewood- Lakewood wasn't just swept up into Northeast Ohio's political whirlwind this year, the city also punched its way into the zeitgeist with Hollywood star power. Tom Hanks, who has been in too many good movies to name just one (but Saving Private Ryan, if you force us), stopped by Lakewood's Angelos Pizza and enjoyed a slice while shelling for the pizzeria on social media.
• Nature’s Bin in Lakewood to Close Nov. 12, Training Program to Stay - Another tragic loss in 2016. After 41 years of service to the Lakewood area, this iconic staple shut its doors in November. With more retailers (like Walmart) edging into the organic food market, Nature's Bin had a shrinking client population and was sadly forced to say goodbye to the community.
• Lakewood Issue 64 Election Results: For 64 Carries the Vote - When I first joined Patch (which was not that long ago), I learned very quickly that Issue 64 in Lakewood was one of the most divisive local ballot issues in the county, if not the state. There was a lot of vitriol and misinformation and hard opinions. There were also a lot of people that were tired of hearing about Lakewood Hospital. When the issue was finally settled on Nov. 8, you could hear almost hear the collective sigh of relief in the city.
• Lakewood to Become Home to Western Reserve Distillery on Madison Avenue - Let's end this note on a high note. While 2016 saw a lot of too-soon demises, it also saw seeds planted for the future. One such seed is the coming Western Reserve Distillery on Madison Avenue. The new business will take the place of the Fridrich Moving and Storage facility and bring even more vitality to the burgeoning Madison Avenue area.

These were just a few of the stories that we Patchers thought were important this past year. Did we miss your favorite story of the year? Did you want to see more on the crime in the city? Tell us what we messed up in the comment section below.

Or, tell us what you want to see more of in 2017. We want to know where we can improve our coverage of your communities and we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch