Nan's Notes

ON WATERLOO

AT ARTS COLLINWOOD

CREATIVE WRITING April 10 Gail Bellamy, who is editor of Penton Media’s Restaurant Hospitality (a job I once coveted and didn’t get) and – more meaningfully -- has been called the poet laureate of Cleveland Heights, will be at the Arts Collinwood Writers’ Group on April 10 at 2 pm,  discussing nonfiction writing and reading some of her poetry.

CALLING ARTS FEST VENDORS The Waterloo ArtsFest committee has been quietly meeting: they’re collecting volunteers, and they’re updating the Fest’s Web site. Go to www.waterlooartsfest.com and click on the Vendors tab to download an application – complete with information about what art will make the cut, how the Fest is set up and so on. Applications for musicians, DJs, food vendors and others will be added soon. Arts Collinwood 15605 Waterloo Road, 216-692-9500, www.artscollinwood.org. Gallery and Café hours: Tuesday–Saturday 11-11; Sunday 11-5. Community Center, 397 E156.

AT THE BEACHLAND Saturday, April 2, 8:30 pm: Festival with Waterband , Elemental Groove Theory, JP & The Chatfield Boys, Broccoli Samurai, Willie Mac – and more. 2 rooms of music for 1 great price! Monday, April 11 - Cleveland Blues Society April Meeting Jam * Hosted by: Brickhouse Blues Band * FREE SHOW Sunday, April 17 - Swing Brunch with: Ernie Krivda & The Fat Tuesday Big Band featuring vocalist Erin Kufel Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo, 216.383.1124, www.beachlandballroom.com

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

NSDC GENERAL MEETING April 19 Northeast Shores will hold its quarterly General Meeting (meaning anyone can attend, though only members can vote. But membership is only $15) at 6:30 pm at the Golden Age Center, 16700 Lakeshore Blvd. This is a great place to meet local officials and bend their ears about your neighborhood concerns. Also a good place to find out what they think is going on in the community.

AT THE MARKET On last week’s visit, along with Grandma Sandy’s banana-chocolate chip squares I collected mushrooms, spinach, eggs, and a quart of local maple syrup – passing up sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, salad greens, apples, focaccia, cheese, jam, honey, heirloom seeds (tempting!) and a couple of hundred spices.

George from Blackbird Farms had sold all his bacon, but I got a deal on ground pork (because his butcher accidentally ground up all his lovely fresh hams). Go to www.BlackbirdFarms.com (it appears to be case-sensitive) to read about the enormous superiority of pasture-raised meat – and to enjoy a really delightful pig portrait. I also chatted with the vendor of Blaze Gourmet’s salsas, hot sauces and Bloody Mary mixes – born in Mexico, raised in the US (the vendor, and also the hot sauces, I suppose).

Furthermore – the market’s library has collected 300 cooking and gardening books, and set up a database with more than 1,000,000 recipes -- internet access coming soon. Now you'll be able to do your shopping and go home with a new recipe to try. They’re still accepting donations of cookbooks and other food related books, especially need gardening books. They’re also looking for people to do cooking demos on Saturdays -- all dates are currently open. Tell Kevin if you’re interested in presenting a favorite recipe featuring local produce (this Saturday, he’ll be the guy in the back making tacos con papas.)Coit Road Farmers’ Market is located at the corner of Coit & Woodworth Road in East Cleveland. www.coitmarket. org. Open year-round Saturday 8 am to 1 pm. 216-249-5455 during market hours.  

APRIL AT THE LIBRARY

Memorial Nottingham Branch Library, 17133 Lakeshore Blvd, 623-7039 or email cpl-memnot@cpl.org.“Poetry Slam!” Contest of Expressions; Tuesday, April 5, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Calling all young poets! Ages 6 through 11! In honor of National Poetry Month, the Memorial-Nottingham Branch would like to celebrate these joyous 30 days of pure poetic delight! If you have the sweetest, funniest or most outrageous poem, come and share it with your peers.  The best poem will win a mystery poetry prize! Visit the Memorial-Nottingham Branch to learn more about the National Poetry Month, and to get to discover some of the most well-loved children's poets. Preschool Story Time Every Monday during April, 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Stories, rhymes, songs and more for children ages 3-5 and their parents/ caregivers. For more information, please call 623-7039 or email cpl-memnot@cpl.org. Play and Learn (NEW DAY AND TIME!) Every Thursday during April, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Parents, caregivers and their young children are invited to play and learn with educational toys and books.

COLLINWOOD LAUNCHES GIRL SCOUT NIGHTS The Nottingham Youth Center is hosting a Girl Scout recruitment  April 13 and May 11, 4:30-6 pm, at Nottingham United Methodist Church, 18316 St. Clair Avenue ~ 216-486-7612. Girls in grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be welcomed with open arms. If you can’t make any of those dates, call Kareemah Darby, 216) 535-7900 or kdarby@gsneo.org; she’ll help you get signed up.

COLLEGE FAIR 2011 April 2 Visit Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 9:30 am – 3 pm on Saturday, April 2, to get better informed about college prospects. At 9:30 am, take part in a College Financial Aid Workshop; from 10:30am to 2 pm, talk with representatives from colleges and universities. For more information please contact: Doris Evans, Pastor Anne McCabe or Pastor Norma Bean at 216-731-8147 or blvdpres9669@sbcglobal.net. Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 24600 Lakeshore Boulevard