News

Hospice of the Western Reserve plans to open a new headquarters at 17876 St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland, a property donated to the non-profit agency by Brush Engineered Materials Inc. Hospice of the Western Reserve took possession of the building on October 28, 2010. Approximately 200 employees will be relocated to the building during the first quarter of 2011.

The St. Clair property will house CEO David Simpson, his direct reports and their teams, including communications, education, the End-of-Life Library, human resources, information services, palliative care, pediatrics, planning and evaluation, professional relations and volunteer services.

The new headquarters relocation will significantly increase Hospice of the Western Reserve’s programs, services and its work on behalf of the community to advance quality end-of-life care.

“During each year of our 32 years, Hospice of the Western Reserve has grown to meet the needs of patients and their families facing a terminal or serious illness,” said CEO, David Simpson. “With the addition of this building, our agency is poised to continue to provide the community with the support and care they deserve, while reaching underserved populations.”

Cuyahoga County Executive

Edward FitzGerald (D) 178,452

Matt Dolan (R) 121,452

Ken Lanci (I) 45,723

Tim McCormack (I) 32,321

Don Scipione (I) 11,555

David Ellison (G) 5,937

County Council for District 10

Julian Rogers (D) 26,438
Matt Brakey     (R) 3,863
Michael Troy Watson  (I) 888

Congress, District 11

Marcia Fudge (D) 97,787
Thomas Pekarek (R) 21,647

 Well, the results are in, and though many in Collinwood were pulling for our own Tim McCormack to come out on top in the County Executive Race, we do have one neighborhood business resident who will take up the challenge of being on Cuyahoga County's first ever County Council.

Jack Schron, CEO of Jergens Inc, which is located at the old Collinwood Train Yards, won a seat for his District, which includes Chagrin Falls where he lives. This first elected group has the task of shaping and creating a brand new system of government for the County. Jack has been attending the transition meetings regularly and shared with us recently that though there is bound to be some turbulence at the beginning, he felt that the all-volunteer transition committee did a very good job of suggeting reforms and changes that are crucial to the health of the county. Jack feels that this will be an exciting time and has agreed to share his knowledge of the the new process as it unfolds with the Collinwood neighborhood in the Collinwood Observer. We will have a ringside seat. Thanks and congratulations, Jack.

Below are excerpts from the interviews that appeared in the past few months of the paper to remind you what our candidates, now our elected leaders, had to say about themselves.  Ed FitzGerald will be our new County Executive. Julian Rogers will be our new representative from District 10, which includes Collinwood, East Cleveland, Bratenahl, and Cleveland Heights, which is Julian's home town. We wish them well.

Good news!! A committee has just been formed by representatives of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Euclid Beach Park Now, Euclid Beach's Carrousel Committee, the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society, Northeast Shores and the Ward 11 community including Councilman Michael Polensek, to design a permanent marker for the Carrousel’s original site in Euclid Beach State Park.

The Nottingham Civic Club is a group of people working together to make a better neighborhood. We meet at the Nottingham Methodist Church, 18316 St. Clair Ave. Mark your calendars now for the November 16, December 21 and January 18 Civic Club meetings. Bring a friend and get a free raffle ticket. Show your up-to-date membership card and get a free raffle ticket. Come as a new neighbor and receive a free Welcome Bag.

Guest speaker for November's meeting is John Copic, Publisher of the Collinwood Observer. Councilman Polensek and Commander Drummond will also make their regular presentations.

FREE TUTORING
The Youth Center is offering an excellent, free Tutoring/Youth Enrichment Program. Our volunteers will work with any dedicated students, ages 5 to 15. Times are 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays & Thursdays.  Call 486-7612 for details.

Please bring food to November's meeting. The Nottingham Food Pantry, located in the Church, is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon to 3 p.m. Please donate plastic shopping bags for food distribution. Especially needed now are sundries (the soap, deodorant, toothpaste, etc., not provided by food stamps).

The K&D Group is proud to announce their latest property acquisition, "Nottingham Place," located at 19121 Nottingham Road, Cleveland, OH 44110.

The apartment complex was a distressed property. The K&D Group seized the opportunity to invest in the community and expand as the largest apartment owners and managers in Northeast Ohio. 

The 93 suites, consisting of three buildings, are currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. Construction crews are working tirelessly to completely renovate the entire property including all new kitchens, bathrooms, cabinets, doors, carpet, appliances, flooring and lighting in every suite. All common areas, stairwells, and doors are freshly painted and carpeted along with new lighting. Residents will enjoy the completely new heating and cooling systems to climate control their new suites. The laundry rooms have been completely remodeled and updated as well.

On Thursday, Nov. 18 the GAC Senior Center, 16600 Lake Shore Blvd., will hold its annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Time is 1-4 p.m. The dinner will feature ham, turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, vegetables, desserts and other typical holiday favorites.

I am sure you have heard by now that the Cleveland Clinic Healthcare System plans to relocate its Trauma Center from Huron Road Hospital in East Cleveland to Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, a Level II Trauma Center.  This news comes as a great shock to Cleveland City Officials, who were never notified, along with our suburban neighbors of this proposed change in trauma care. 

Of great concern is the fact that, if someone is seriously injured in the Collinwood area they would currently be transported to Huron Road Hospital, about 6 miles away in about 10 minutes or less. If Cleveland Clinic goes ahead with their plans, and even though an emergency room will remain at Huron Hospital, trauma patients from the 11th Ward would have to be transported to MetroHealth Medical Center on West 25th Street, according to Safety Director, Mr. Martin Flask. This distance is approximately 14 miles and would take at least 25 minutes in good weather and no traffic to reach Metro. When you add the fact that Cleveland EMS is now operating with only 15 ambulances and the response time at present is around 13 minutes, it should tell all of us on the northeast side that it would take well over a half hour before a patient could be triaged and rolled into the Level 1 Trauma Unit at Metro Hospital; not to speak of the time spent on scene stabilizing the patient.

All of us are proud of the fact that the Cleveland Clinic HealthCare System is a world class institution. We have witnessed their expansion, not only at the main campus but around the country and the world.  In fact, we all know they are a medical destination point for celebrities and international royalty, alike. That being said, for them to cut this vital service at Huron Road Hospital, for moderate, low income and working families from the eastside, I find troubling and, quite frankly, insulting. 

The Sixth Annual "Remembering the Sights and Sounds of Euclid Beach Park" was held at Euclid Beach State Park, Sunday, September 26th. The event was co-sponsored by Euclid Beach Park Now, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources/Cleveland Lakefront State Park, and the Euclid Beach Boys.

If you are in the business of making events special, showcase your talent at the Party Planapalooza January 15, 2011. We are assembling entertainers, caterers, floral designers, rental facilities, party destinations, cake decorators, and others for vendor displays, a variety show, and interactive demonstrations.

Thought it might be interesting to talk briefly about what restoring a carousel involves, especially since our Euclid Beach Carrousel has been through this once, and will need to go through the process again before it’s operating, at least partially.

Restoration of something, as those of you who collect anything know, can be a fairly simple thing, or something that becomes very complicated! Then there’s the idea of “original”, which varies as to the “collectible” – in some things there’s a fairly absolute standard, and in others, it’s more flexible – as in carousels. Because carousels were (and are) first and foremost intended to be a means of income for an amusement park (or, way back in the day, for its owner, who actually rented the space they stood on at an amusement park, before amusement parks owned the rides that operated in them) keeping them running – and therefore making money – is the important thing. Which means doing whatever it takes to keep them running, be it a fast paint job or a nail here or there. This is not to say originality can be ignored in carousels, far from it! In fact, going “back to original” is the usual goal for a carousel restoration. The journey getting there though, can be very interesting. And our Carrousel’s journey was just that.

There are many hours involved in restoring a carousel figure, depending on size and what needs to be done. Every step is painstakingly done by hand, and it’s all very labor intensive, and must be carefully done. As of now, the condition of  Euclid Beach's Carrousel’s horses and chariots is unknown, but given that this 1999 restoration is now more than 10 years old, there’s going to be work needed. The mechanism’s condition is also unknown, but we do know that then it was basically cut apart before the auction, the value being in the figures, not the mechanism. That 1910 postcard you’ve seen so often shows alot of the elaborate original decoration, which was the goal of this first restoration.  

Join Cleveland Public Power (CPP) October 3-9 in celebration of Public Power Week. The week will include daily give-a-ways for customers, a renaming ceremony and the annual Public Power Week Open House on Saturday, October 9 from noon – 4 p.m. at the utility’s Eastside Service Center, 743 E. 140th Street.

“Public Power Week is a chance for Cleveland Public Power to tell the `public power’ story. To showcase the importance of offering top-notch service that is competitive and owned by the community it serves,” said Ivan Henderson, Commissioner of Cleveland Public Power.

After 30 years in the retail fashion business, 27 years on Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland, Sir Cedric's Boutique Inc has moved to 650B E. 185th St. in Collinwood. 

Sir Cedric's carries a full line of high fashion women's apparel, featuring suits, dresses, causual wear, after 5 attire, fifth Sunday Suits, and a large selection of hard to find whit suits (year round.) Sizes start at 6 up to 28, special orders go up to size 36. There is a full shoe department with dress shoes, casual shoes, basic pumps, fabulous peep toe shoes, shimmering metallic evening shoes and a large selection of boots. Shoe sizes go up to size 13, medium and wide.

There are handbags for all occasions, a must-see jewelry department which includes one of the largest selections of clip earrings, pierced earrings for day and evening, bracelets, necklace sets, and designer rings in the area. They also have reading glasses and sun glasses.

It has been almost a year since the Waterloo Alley Cat Project began its mission to humanely reduce the number of homeless/stray cats and kittens roaming the streets in and around the Waterloo Road business district by implementing the trap-neuter/spay-return method, through the Animal Protective League's low-cost spay/neuter clinic. 

Please join Rose-Mary Center for our annual Holiday Reverse Raffle Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. This year the raffle will be held at Tizzano's Party Center, 1360 East 260 St., in Euclid. Come and enjoy the fun, food and entertainment. Tickets start at $50 and include family style dinner, beer, wine, entertainment and a chance to win $1,500 in the 50/50 raffle. There will be a silent auction and Chinese raffle.

Rose-Mary Center has been serving the community since 1922, when Caesar Grasselli donated his summer home on Euclid Avenue, in Euclid, to the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. First serving as a home for children with physical disabilities and under the management of the Humility of Mary Sisters, today Rose-Mary provides an array of services and residential care for children with developmental disabilities. The Center also manages 7 group homes for adults throughout Cuyahoga County.

The Holiday Reverse Raffle proceeds will go directly to benefit the children and adults the Center serves, including providing speech/launguage therapy, physical therapy and habilitation services.  Call Donna Cantlin at 216-481-4823 Ext. 105 for more information and to purchase tickets.

Rose-Mary Center

19350 Euclid Avenue

Euclid, OH  44117

216-481-4823 Ext. 105

www.rose-marycenter.com

 

R.A.D’S is a family owned and operated business whose roots reach back to the Collinwood neighborhood. RAD’S started promoting and entertaining small children’s parties using popular characters and educational activities in this loyal and hardworking community. It has been a pleasure partnering with organizations that have good values and business practices. After living in Collinwood for 15 years we decided to continue to provide financial support by conducting business here and hiring residents. Most importantly we continue to support the neighborhood by investing in our children and showing them that learning can be fun.

The annual Coit Road Farmers’ Market Benefit hosted by Fred Griffith of "Good Morning, Cleveland" features live music and the taste of the local harvest from area farmers, prepared by ten of the region’s finest chefs. The event will be held Monday, October 4th 6-9pm at the Beachland Ballroom on Waterloo Rd.

Featured chefs include: The Greenhouse Tavern chef-Brian Goodman, Ruth Levine of Bistro 185, Matthew Anderson of Unami, Grovewood Tavern, Beachland Ballroom, personal chef, Eric Wells, Ryan Cipriani of Angela-Mia Pizza, Larry Moore formerly of Go Bistro and Regina Nethery of Arts Collinwood Café.

Founded in 1932, the mission of the Coit Road Market is to provide access to affordable locally sourced farm fresh products to the residents of Greater Cleveland. The current focus is connecting to area residents through participation in community events, advertising and special promotions. The benefit will also provide information about the market, community gardens and local farmers.

Tickets are $35 and are available at the Beachland Ballroom by calling 216-383-1124, online at www.beachlandballroom.com, at the Coit Road Farmers’ Market or online at www.coitmarket.org.

The Beachland is located at 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44110.

A new multi-city collaborative project will soon shed some light on Cleveland’s 11th Ward’s Humphrey’s Sports Complex, located at East 164th Street at Grovewood Avenue, along with helping to bring alternative energy and energy efficiency improvements to Cleveland area industrial and commercial businesses within Cuyahoga County. 

Cleveland, and the sixteen cities that make up the First Suburbs Consortium Development Council, are joining together to form the City of Cleveland-First Suburbs Development Council Advanced Energy Special Improvement District.  The new special improvement district will promote investment in efficient energy systems. Cleveland City Council is expected to pass legislation in support of this initiative that will likely follow with an ordinance to approve the articles of incorporation.

Key components of the Advanced Energy Special Improvement District (AESID) for area businesses include: creating longer-term, lower cost funding to pay for energy improvements; ability to aggregate projects for longer-term bond financing; ability to aggregate renewable energy credits; helping businesses to qualify for state and federal investment tax credits equal to 30 percent of the eligible costs of a project; and, the utilization of net metering.

Lithuanian Athletic Club Zaibas, or just Zaibas, is a non-profit sports organization offering an outlet for all Cleveland, Ohio area residents of Lithuanian lineage to compete against similar clubs in the Lithuanian Athletic Union of North America (LAUNA), according to the organization's website.

Zaibas Track and Field, which has been in existence since 1960, is currently underway. In preparation for their annual invitational track meet for youth in September, weekly practices led by Coach Simas Kijauskas began Wednesday, July 7th at the Villa Angela- St. Joe's track (18491 Lakeshore Blvd). Practices run through September from 6:30pm to about 8 or 8:30. In addition to building a foundation of fitness techniques that will serve them for life, participants enjoy a nice view of Lake Erie from the track.

Other club activities throughout the year include Men's and Juniors basketball, chess, racquetball, skiing, softball slow pitch, swimming, tennis, table tennis, and volleyball.

This year held bittersweet significance for the organization.  2010 brought the 60th anniversary of Zaibas, but also the loss of a beloved long-time leader and club founder, Algirdas Bielskus. All are invited to share memories of him by posting a note on the Facebook page set up in his honor:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124046427614618 .

The torch of leadership has been passed from generation to generation by the following individuals: Vytautas Januskis (1950), Algirdas Bielskus (1950-1957), Rytas Babickas (1957-1975), Juozas Kijauskas (1975-1991), and continues today with Vidas Tatarunas (1991-present).

To register to become a member of Zaibas, or to check in for details about upcoming events or for stats and photos for past events, visit http://www.zaibas.org.

Wanted by the Law?
Wanted for a non-violent crime in Cuyahoga County?
Have no history of violence?
Ready to accept responsibility for what you’ve done?

If you are an American citizen or legal resident and answer YES to all three of these questions, then Dr. Larry L. Macon, Sr. of Mt. Zion Church in Oakwood Village offers you: Your first step toward a second chance.

Surrender in safety at the church from Wednesday, September 22- Saturday, September 25, 2010. Consult with an attorney and speak with a judge—at the church. You will receive favorable consideration for your surrender and you are likely to go home the same day.

If you are wanted for a more serious felony crime and/or you have a history of violence, you may also surrender in safety at the church. There are no religious  requirements.

September 22-25, 2010, Mt. Zion Church   9am-5pm
25500 Broadway Ave, Oakwood Village, Ohio
(An alternate surrender site is available)
.
Limited public transportation will be provided FREE daily from Mt. Sinai Church at 7510 Woodland Ave. in Cleveland

Want more information?
Call 1-877-64SURRENDER

Come in. Be safe. Get help.

The Advanced Technology Institute is recruiting Cuyahoga County residents 18 – 21 who are unemployed or underemployed, with high school diplomas or GEDs for participation in their invitation only Job Fair and paid internship program.

·       The first 240 who qualify for WIA funding will be invited to attend two FREE half-day workshops: RESUME WRITING and INTERVIEWING SKILLS.

·        If you complete these workshops, you will be invited to attend an INVITATION ONLY Job Fair.  The only people invited to the Job Fair are those who have completed the two workshops.

·        At the Job Fair, local employers will select 50 candidates for the Advanced Technology Academy program.

·        Selected candidates will be trained and placed in a PAID INTERNSHIP with the employer who selected them.

·        At the completion of the training and the Internship, the employer has agreed to consider the Intern for a full time position.

·        All training will lead to a nationally recognized certification.

·       ALL INTERNSHIPS HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF BECOMING A FULL TIME JOB.

 TYPES OF JOBS: Digital Cabling Installation, Basic Manufacturing, CISCO Networking, Residential Facilities Maintenance,
Industrial Welding.

WHERE: Unified Technology Center (UTC) 2415 Woodland Ave, Room 229 Cleveland, 44115.

WHEN: Tuesday, 9/7, Wednesday, 9/8, Friday, 9/10, 10am to 2pm. Thursday, 9/9, 2pm to 6pm.

WHAT TO BRING: Driver License/State ID, Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, High School Diploma or GED Certificate, Proof of Income (3 Pay stubs if available) Proof of residency  (Utility bill or letter in your name to current address.)

 

Melvin Price moved to the United States from England 20 years ago and has lived in North Collinwood for the last 3 years, where he has made countless friends.

After being downsized from his computer programming job, he decided to open his own Head Shop on Waterloo, called the Head Shop on Waterloo. I was happy to see so many friends help Melvin paint and fix the shop up, and even happier that the neighborhood is supporting him as much as he supports everybody else. As a result of all the love that went into it, Melvin’s head shop has the social feel of a coffee house: a selection of local artists works reminiscent of an art gallery, a variety of excellent music playing out front, and the first “feel free to touch me” sign in the display cases I’ve ever seen in a shop of this sort.

You’ll remember in the July issue, that the Observer ran Councilman Polensek’s letter to Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS), which outlined several points the Councilman felt were important to our Collinwood/Euclid Beach neighborhood regarding the Carrousel. This included asking that members from both our Euclid Beach’s Carrousel Committee and the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society be made part of their “Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Carousel Society”, and that the Western Reserve Historical Society (and Euclid Beach Park Now) work with the community to place signage at Euclid Beach State Park for the Carrousel.
More than a month later, there has been no response from WRHS to the Councilman’s letter; no one from either Euclid Beach’s Carrousel Committee or the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society has been contacted.
We very much do want to sit down with WRHS, but at this point the ball is in their court. We want to see the Carrousel properly and historically accurately restored (which will cost the same as not doing so, our research shows), and that our Collinwood neighborhood is recognized for our part in the Carrousel’s history. We have tried contacting them, and will continue to do so and hope that they see that it would be to their advantage to work with us. Until then we wait. Frustrating as it is!

They haven’t announced any specific plans in the more than two months since their announcing their University Circle site. In putting together our own proposal that included two surveys of carousels around the US, we found that there are three key elements to any successful carousel operation: the formula for generating needed income splits three ways: 1/3 carousel operations (including rides, event/party room and gift shop), 1/3 annual fundraising and 1/3 from endowments. This combination is repeated by carousel after carousel we surveyed, as a key to success.
 
First and foremost? You cannot run a carousel solely on ride income! This means there must be other income sources for the carousel operation to be successful. Especially considering that the most you can charge for a ride is $1.00 to at most $2 – and most carousels are in the less-than-a-$1 price range at that (rule of thumb is “no more than the price of a bag of popcorn”.  (Mansfield’s Richland Carrousel charges 75¢ a ride or 3 for $2.) Our projections in 2009 included income from rides being around $60,000 - $65,000 a year, against a total needed income (including all sources) of $200,000 to $220,000. You can see why rides alone can’t support a carousel!

How is the housing market in our neighborhoods?

Over the past several years we have watched housing prices decline.   Pleasant? Of course not. However, it is only an issue if you are in the position  of having to sell your home. Please consider: a home provides shelter. It is not an “investment”, because in any matter you need to have a roof over your head. In the past several years we seem to have lost sight of this. If you compared the holding costs of a home in North Collinwood,  factoring in the tax and shelter benefits, you would see that the housing  value is significant.

Are houses selling? Yes, if they are in good condition, with good updates, and priced well, they sell.

Are the City employees leaving the city? Yes, some, are moving.  However, other city employees- understanding the housing values and income tax benefits – continue to move into our neighborhoods.

Has the price of homes fallen? Yes, the average sale price of a single family home in Zip Code 44119 North Collinwood was $46,800 in 2010 from Jan 1- Aug 1.  The average list price was $84,600.  In 44110 The average sale price was $28,000, and average list price was $64,000,. This is a far cry from the selling price of homes during the height of the “bubble” in 2005-2006.

Well if you weren’t at Sandy’s for our 100th Birthday Party for our Euclid Beach Carrousel, we missed ya! Beautiful weather, great sounds, and lots of you coming out to say “Hi!”
                                                                                   
Weather was all the best of “Euclid Beach” (especially considering that it had been raining earlier in the week) – warm (but not too hot), with just enough breeze off the Lake to be nicely comfortable -- we even had a break in the humidity. (Perfect “Carrouseling” weather – remember how the Lake breezes came through the Carrousel – which creatied a breeze all its own – when you rode it at Euclid Beach?)

When I was growing up, my grandmother Ruth was the Queen of the Garage Sale. Never paid the asking price. That was my first lesson in being thrifty. Grandma is gone now but the lessons I learned at her side live on inside. At this time, the economy forces me to watch every penny so enter Round Two...Living In Style For Less. This is a thrift shop located at 20010 Lakeshore Blvd. in Euclid, Ohio.

The SS+W Boardwalk would like to thank all those who helped make our 1st ever Classic Car Cruise a success! We topped off with twenty cars from the community and we plan to have next year's even bigger and better!

Chris Dixon took a ton of great photos of the barmaids with the cars which we will be compiling into a calendar available in a few months. We had plenty of help from John Muranko of the Willoughby Car Crusie, as well as my father, Mark Heisler.

So many businesses and people on Waterloo supported the event, including Blue Arrow Records, Star Pop, Rebel City Tattoo, and the Head Shop. Everyone had an excellent time, and the barmaid dunking booth provided by Timmy Bell and Dan Crawford really cooled us off in that hot humid weather! Without Coucilman Polensek and the Cleveland Police Department the event wouldn't have been possible.

Slovenian Workmen's Home located at 15335 Waterloo Road has a busy August schedule.

On Monday, August 30th, a Swiss Steak Dinner will be held to honor the
Slovenian Workmen's Home 2010 Man of the Year, Fred Nevar, and to benefit
the hall. Dinners will be served from 3:30 PM until 7:30 PM at a
cost of only $10. Included in the meal will be Swiss steak, mashed
potatoes, vegetable, salad, dessert, bread & butter and coffee or
tea. To entertain the diners, strolling dinner music will be by Fred
Zwich.

I live on E. 151st in the Shore Acres neighborhood and I recently had the privilege of walking 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure breast cancer walk held in Cleveland July 30th-August 1st. Yes I use the word "privilege" for many reasons. I feel privileged that I'm in good enough health to have done this walk. More importantly I feel privileged to have shared a weekend with some of the bravest, funniest, and well-dressed (hah!) people I'll ever meet.  Those people included my teammates on "Heart and Sole Sisters", Sherrie, Tobi, Linda and Theresa. Linda was diagnosed a year ago and is doing great. Theresa is a 2 time survivor and is 71 years old! You go girls! Most importantly I feel privileged to have raised part of the $2.5 million that was contributed right here in Cleveland to find a cure for breast cancer.

So why did I do this walk? Why did I spend a weekend in a little pink tent where the only toilets were the kind that get trucked away and you don't have to flush? Why did I spend a weekend assessing my feet every 2-3 miles in pit stops to tend to possible blisters? Why did I spend a weekend walking from downtown Cleveland to Bay Village to Berea in a ratty looking fushia pink wig wearing plastic baggies filled with ice as a fashion accessory around my neck? Because too many people I love have been stricken with breast cancer and I want to find a cure!

In mid-June, a hearty band of Collinwood artists, friends, and their kids forded the mighty Cuyahoga River (Not really--we drove on I-90.) and went west to compete in the annual Duck Tape parade in Avon. They represented Collinwood well and returned with first prize, a purse of $1,000 and a trophy, commemorating the win.

Avon, Ohio is, as you probably know, the home of Duck Tape. Every Father's Day weekend, Avon celebrates its' Duck tape heritage  with a weekend-long festival, beginning with a parade of floats covered in colorful Duck tape. 

Collinwood resident Dan Chambers found out in March that the theme of this year's parade was "Peace, Love, and Duck Tape", Remembering the 1960's, 70's and 80's". Being a child of that era, he called Collinwood artist Joan Deveney (aka Joan of Art) who, along with most of the adults in this story, also grew up in the 1960's.

Cayla Cecil of Cleveland/Collinwood was recently selected to participate in Nationals' 2010 Miss Jr. Pre-Teen Cleveland/Akron/Youngstown pageant competition that will take place on August 15, 2010.

Cayla learned of her acceptance into this year's competition as Nations, Inc. announced their selections on Monday afternoon. Cayla submitted an application and took part in an interview session that was conducted by this year's Cleveland/Akron/Youngstown Pageant Coordinator.

Cayla will be competing for her share of thousands of dollars in prizes and speciality gifts that will be distributed to contestants. Cayla will be competing in the Miss Jr. Pre-Teen division, one of four divisions that will have young ladies between the ages of 7 and 19 competing in modeling routines which include casual wear and formal wear. Most importantly, Cayla will display her personality and interviewing skills while interviewing with this year's Cleveland/Akron/Youngstown judging panel. Personality is the number one aspect that each contestant is judged on during all phases of competition.

As a follow up to the previous article, "Worm Farm Fights for Its Life", the Sansai Team reported to EarthWorm Digest that the support for its continuation as an environmental operation in Cleveland has been very encouraging. From the outset, vendors have been enthusiastic in supplying organic material to feed the earthworms. Now, more than ever, vendors and businesses have re-committed to NOT feeding a landfill; not wanting to be a part of the problem which increases greenhouse gas emissions, but to be part of a solution: binding carbon back to the soil, via Sansai’s earthworm castings.

One of the reasons that Sansai has become the largest indoor vermicomposting facility in the world, housing the largest indoor population of red wigglers on the planet is that there has been an unending supply of organics offered to Sansai’s earthworms. There are very loyal businesses that care about the future of the city and that of the earth. Sansai’s process of reducing organics to landfills increases the use of organics on and around plants at home and in agriculture. Cleveland businesses, together with Sansai are creating the ability for future generations to enjoy a cleaner, safer and greener environment.

For many years, from the 30's through the 60's, the Humphrey family would get together with the AAA/Cleveland Automobile Club, to give the city's orphans a day at Euclid Beach. AAA would set up the date with the Humphreys, then get in touch with their members, asking "and how many kids can you take to Euclid Beach?" (Imagine doing something like this today!)

On the appointed day, AAA members would then pick the kids up from the different orphanages (as many as 4000 kids from 22 area orphanages) & drive them to Euclid Beach. Everyone got in on the act -- employees donated their time, the AAA members got the kids there, & the Humphreys gave them the Park. The kids got the run of the Park (believe they opened early to give the kids free rein), a box lunch (& a popcorn ball of course), and an unforgettable day.

July 1, 2010
 

Dr. Gainor Davis

Western Reserve Historical Society

10825 East Boulevard

Cleveland, Ohio 44106 
 

Dear Dr. Davis: 

It was my pleasure, to meet with you, Dr. Rackley and John Frato the other day pertaining to the historic Euclid Beach Carrousel and to also be able to join with you and others at the Press Conference held on Wednesday, June 30th. I look forward to working with you and the Cleveland Euclid Beach Carousel Society on this important and timely project. 

Furthermore, I would like to state, for the record, so that there is no confusion or misunderstanding as it pertains to my support for the Carrousel to be re-located to the WRHS facility at University Circle. 

1.) That the historic and antique Euclid Beach Carrousel, PTC#19, be reconstructed as historically accurate as possible based on historical photos, drawings and components original to the machine.

2.) That the Cleveland Euclid Beach Carousel Society incorporate individuals from the Euclid Beach Carrousel Committee in Collinwood and the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society into the overall committee responsible for the planning, implementation and reconstruction of the Carrousel at WRHS. Please see attached for a copy of the list of individuals I suggest to be incorporated as a part of the planning process.

As you’ve probably already seen from the recent media coverage, as of June 30th, things have suddenly begun to move on Euclid Beach's Carrousel. In a nutshell, at a morning press conference on June 30th, the Western Reserve Historical Society, Euclid Beach Park Now & a new group called the “Cleveland’s Euclid Beach Park Carousel Society” announced plans for attaching the Carrousel to WRHS’ University Circle facility on East Blvd.

Given the breaking nature of this news, as of press time here at the Observer, we have not yet had enough time to learn all of the details on what’s happening, but here’s what we know:  Plans are to build some sort of addition to the Crawford Auto Wing of the Western Reserve Historical Society property on East Boulevard. The intent is to insert the Carrousel pavilion into the side of the Crawford wing at WRHS, with the Carrousel turning half inside & half outside of the building, with the outside portion being glass-enclosed.

Sandy‘s Ice Cream on Lakeshore Boulevard has been going strong for over 40 years. “When it's hot, it's  busy", says Lou Clernt who has been running the ice cream stand since the beginning.  What is the secret of Lou’s success?

Sandy‘s Ice Cream on Lakeshore Boulevard has been going strong for over 40 years. “When it's hot, it's  busy", says Lou Clernt who has been running the ice cream stand since the beginning.  What is the secret of Lou’s success?

Could it be the fast and friendly help? Sandy's is certainly a fun place to work. Many of the employees have become lifelong friends and in one case husband and wife. The past employees have enjoyed their stay at Sandy's so much they have their own Facebook page.

It could be that the real reason for the success at Sandy's ice cream is the superior product served by Lou and his staff. Although the number one flavor served is vanilla, be sure to try out the homemade strawberry custard. The fudge cake and the strawberry shortcake are also homemade. Another crowd favorite is the foot-long hot dog with homemade chili sauce.

Be sure to stop in on Sundays at 6 PM when Lou's wife Tracy breaks out the hula hoops, and Curlz the clown creates balloon animals to entertain the children.

The SNPJ Farm, 10946 Heath Road, in Kirtland is off Chardon Road (Route 6), three miles east of Route 306.

Dancers enjoy the finest in Cleveland-style Polkas and Waltzes at the SNPJ Farm. The Farm features the best known names in Polka Music, plus down-home dining. Gates open at noon. Dinners served Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. with music and dancing from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday picnic admission is $6. Rent the SNPJ Farm for picnics, anniversaries or other special functions! For more information, phone 440.943.1191 or 440.256.3423

Euclid Beach Park may be closed, but the spirit of the park will come alive on July 4 at RTA’s Settler’s Landing Station on the Waterfront Line.

For the sixth year in a row, RTA will host a Family Fest as part of Cleveland’s major fireworks celebration. Many items from the former Euclid Beach amusement park will be present.

    * Take a free ride on the former Euclid Beach rocket car.
    * Have your photo taken by Euclid Beach memorabilia.
    * Buy a famous Humphrey popcorn ball.

On May 11th, over 600 members of the Cleveland Teachers Union marched from the downtown Mall to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Administration Building at 1360 East 6th Street to protest the teacher and staff lay offs.

The battle cry was "Pink Hearts, Not Pink Slips," as hundred of signs with this slogan were placed on the front lawn of the CMSD headquarters. With over over 15 teacher layoffs as well as a complete turnover of principals and staff, who knows what Collinwood High School will look like following CEO, Dr. Eugene Sanders' "Transformation" plans for the 2010-2011 school year.

On May 15, 2010, CSX employees, family members and friends teamed with City Year to "Give Back" to the community by conducting a Service Day. Over one hundred people from CSX, Collinwood, OH, and City Year joined the effort spearheaded by Terry Turner, CSX Terminal Superintendent, Jerry Lambert, Safety Chairman and Denesha Greene, City Year Safety Ambassador.

These dedicated workers donated their day off to cleaning eight city lots: they cut grass, picked up debris and tree limbs, etc, filling a forty yard dumpster to beautify the neighborhoods of E. 147th, 148th and 149th streets. The atmosphere was so contagious even some of the residents of the areas came out to help.

Tim McCormack, who has held numerous positions in local, state, and county government, recently confirmed his intention to run for the new County Executive position created by passage last fall of Issue 6 – the charter amendment that dramatically overhauled Cuyahoga County’s government structure. It established an 11-district County Council and a single County Executive as the top county official.            

Born and raised in Euclid, McCormack now resides in North Collinwood, where he and his wife Valerie raised their four sons: Colin, Brendan, Kerry, and Dylan. As of late last week, Tim and his campaign staff were in the process of opening a campaign headquarters office on East 185th Street.

First off, I want to thank you for all of your kind words about this series of ours – it’s been fun writing these articles, and great to hear all the support for our carrousel project.

I do need to talk about Euclid Beach Park Now (EBPN) one last time. As requested by the Observer’s publishers, and, as noted in my last article, I forwarded a number of questions to EBPN in order to clarify their position regarding the Carrousel. They asked for time to discuss these questions at their next Board meeting, which was too close to our deadline to make the last issue, which I thought was reasonable.

Their response was basically not to respond. I was told that “all but one of your questions have been asked and answered previously.”

The one question "not answered previously” was about the EBPN Carrousel Fund. Here is the question: “Approximately half of this fund was donated in support of the Euclid Beach site. Please describe again what steps you are taking to make sure this portion of the funds is set aside, to continue to support the Euclid Beach site, or to be returned to donors, whose intention upon donating was to have the Carrousel at Euclid Beach.”

Their response: “With regard to your question concerning the carousel donations currently held by Euclid Beach Park Now, they were donated for PTC 19 and will follow the machine.” (“PTC 19” refers to our Euclid Beach Carrousel, which is the Philadelphia Toboggan Company’s 19th carousel.)

Councilman Mike Polensek would like to thank everyone who participated in the groundbreaking for the new Collinwood Community & Recreation Center. It was an absolutely wonderful day for the community and the participation was exciting.

The weather had been cool and rainy all week but on Saturday, May 15th, the sky was blue with a slight breeze blowing. The Collinwood Drum line and High Steppers brought their brand of Collinwood Railroader music to the site to welcome the participants and to sound their approval of the events of the day. From there, they were off to a competition.

Members of the Collinwood High School ROTC started the cermony off in spit-spot fashion showing off their training with their leader Lt. Col. Jones. Next came a host of elected officials who believed strongly in what this groundbreaking meant for the Collinwood community and officiated in taking shovel to dirt to begin the construction of the center. Joining them were the children of the Northeast Cleveland Little League who would start off their own parade immediately after, to begin their 59th season of Little League play.

Doris Jones is the outstanding Cleveland Senior Of The Year for the Ward 11 community as awarded at the Annual Department of Aging’s Senior Day Program held on Thursday, May 20, 2010.

Doris was born in Anderson, South Carolina and moved to Cleveland in 1940. She has been a resident of the Collinwood neighborhood for almost 70 years. She is widowed and is a devoted mother and grandmother of one. Doris states that she was blessed to have parents who loved her and led her by example. She credits them with helping her become the strong and caring woman that she is today.

Water quality is essential to all of us-– and the quality of our water affects the quality of our lives. 

Cleveland Division of Water is committed to providing its customers safe, high-quality, drinking water. That is why the Division maintains a rigorous quality control program and continues to invest substantial financial resources to improve our water treatment facilities and distribution system. Our water is constantly monitored and tested. The water produced and delivered by Cleveland Water far exceeds the most stringent water quality standards currently mandated by federal and state water regulations, and last year was no exception.

There were a few races and issues of interest to Collinwood residents in the May 4th primary election.

Here’s an overview of the results: Lt Governor Lee Fisher, Lt. Governor, defeated Jennifer Brunner, Secretary of State, to become the Democratic candidate to face Republican Rob Portman in the November U.S. Senate race. This senate seat is currently held by our native son, George Voinovich, who will be retiring at the end of his term. Senator Voinovich served the public with distinction, and the perspective he gained as mayor of Cleveland and other offices made him a voice of moderation in an increasingly fractious Republican party.

State issue 1 easily passed, this will extend the ‘Third Frontier’ program by approving an additional $700 million in funding. The goal of the Third Frontier is to stimulate economic development in Ohio by providing funds to universities, companies, venture funds and development groups in order to spur growth in innovative high tech industries.

Join us for the parade and 59th Opening Day ceremony for the Northeast Cleveland Little League, immediately following the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Rec Center.  See you there!

City Year and CSX Transportation are teaming up to complete a large-scale service project in our very own Collinwood neighborhood. This will provide the opportunity for CSX, City Year, and community members to engage with one another in an effort to support the area in which we all live and work every day.

Everyone will meet at Collinwood High School Parking lot, on May 15, at 9 am. From there, we will start to clean up the streets. The event will end at 3 pm.

The Walls inside Out is a faith-based program involving churches, volunteers, prison fellowship, and training,  men and women from many other programs and agencies.

We assist individuals who are transitioning from Ohio prisons to become productive citizens within our communities. Our program helps reduce recidivism, and keeps our communities safe.

People leaving prison face many barriers and roadblocks. Often they turn back into the swinging doors of prison. These programs must follow up. We service five prisons. We provide pre-release and aftercare information. Our goals are to use services to motivate, educate, and help individuals understand and manage real life outside of prison.

Former prisoners are back home and succeeding, owning homes and businesses, leading ministries, going to college and working in many different fields.  Success is real. 

Evangelist Margaret Dua is the Director of the Walls Inside Out