Mardi Gras Celebration at this Year’s Taste the Neighborhood
For all of you that missed it, Northeast Shores hosted their annual Taste the Neighborhood at the Lithuanian Hall on East 185th Street on Tuesday, February 17. Yes, that was Fat Tuesday. With a Mardi Gras theme, the party was in full force. There were over 130 party-goers and 19 restaurants in attendance serving their finest fair, still nobody went home hungry. Taste the Neighborhood was more than good food, we celebrated the accomplishments of 2014, and raffle prizes lined the walls!
There was something there for everyone, whether it was one of the amazing raffle prizes or food from some of the best eateries in town. Samples were provided by long time neighborhood favorites across North Collinwood. From the East 185th Street neighborhood, we enjoyed samples from Muldoon’s, the Lithuanian Club, Gus’s Diner 185, Bistro 185, Chili Peppers, Bob’s Place at Gostilna, and Holland’s BBQ, as well as wine samples from Bari Beauty and Health. Restaurants from the Waterloo neighborhood include Beachland Tavern, Grovewood Tavern, Callalo Café, B&M Barbecue, and the new kid on the block, Waterloo Brew. Area pizzeria’s in attendance include Scotti’s, Georgio’s on Lakeshore, and Congin’s. Of course, no party is complete without deserts from Archie’s Bakery and Cakes by Sweetwater.
All of this fun and good food was for a reason. Each year we recognize some of people that make Collinwood so special. We recognized investments, businesses, and people. In case you missed it, here are the winners!
North Collinwood Hall of Fame: Charlotte Iafeliece
Charlotte is a lifetime resident of Collinwood and is easily the most active member of the community. She is a retired teacher, and is highly involved with, and is an active volunteer and mentor at the Collinwood public schools. When not lending her talent to the schools, she is the chairperson for the East 185th Street Neighborhood Association, and is a regular at the other neighborhood association meetings. Charlotte is on the board of the City of Cleveland’s Senior Advisory Council, and through that is a conduit of information for the community. She is also a member of Quality of Life Committee at Northeast Shores and is active in the Democratic Party.
Investment of the Year: Mayor Frank Jackson, Councilman Michael Polensek, ODOT
The Waterloo Road Streetscape has helped to transform North Collinwood into an art’s and entertainment destination. Because of the streetscape, new restaurants and businesses are joining the district, bringing economic development opportunities. This investment has ushered in a new era for North Collinwood. Thanks to this investment there is a new gem in Cleveland’s east side.
Business of the Year:No Problem Printing
Brandon has printed thousands of postcards and posters for Vibrancy Grant events – sometimes at well less than cost to support events like the Waterloo Arts Fest and the Euclid Beach Blast! - over the past year so people near and far could learn about and visit our neighborhood.
Block Club of the Year: Groveland Club Drive
Groveland Club Drive's Block Club is a strong community of both long-time and new residents working together for the health and safety of the street and each other. In 2014 the Block Club made positive safety and beautification improvements to the communal park and beach spaces as well as implementing important safety measures at the Lakeshore entrance to the street after a few incidents on and around the street. In 2014 communication among residents greatly improved with highly attended gatherings, email chains, and the implementation of Nextdoor for all "Beach Streets" in North Collinwood.
Resident/Volunteer of the Year: Stephen Love
Stephen’s total dedication to the neighborhood is although it were his full time job and then some - waking up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings to race around Collinwood collecting coffee, bagels, and juice (served up on reusable dishware he takes care to wash!) to entice Euclid Beach Adopt-A-Beach volunteers during monthly cleanups and burning the mid-night oil sending emails and making budgets for the multiple events he dreams up and executes in a given year in the neighborhood. Everything he does, from writing monthly articles for the Collinwood Observer to soliciting volunteers, donations, and fundraising for grants, is done as a volunteer! August 2014 marked the 5th Annual Euclid Beach Blast, a summer staple so successful that new park owners, Cleveland Metroparks, asked permission to copy the event at their other lakefront properties. They also adopted into their repertoire another program Stephen began, Urban Beach Ambassadors.
Partner of the Year: University Hospital
University Hospital has been part of the Collinwood community for a long time. This past year, they completed construction of their new medical facility on the corner of E. 185th Street and Lakeshore. This building demonstrates continued support for the neighborhood, and that they will continue to be an anchor in this community.