September 8th is International Literacy Day, created 45 years ago by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate literacy and remind the international community of the obstacles that still remain to global literacy.
continued.
I’ve always had happy memories at the Grovewood Wine Bar, especially in the winter, when the bartender has the best prescription for the cold: a sturdy Manhattan or a high-octane microbrew on tap. What makes an even happier experience there is when you arrive in time for the $5 at 5 happy hour menu, which features a great list of food and drink for only five dollars each. It runs Monday through Friday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, which means you can shake off that bad day just in time to catch that show, or the Ohio governor in my case, at the Beachland Ballroom.
I would like to suggest a new column where residents can show their appreciation and ask questions of local merchants.
It is wonderful to hear all the great news about the revitalization of the Waterloo, E. 185th Street, and Lakeshore neighborhoods. I am happy to see the residents of Collinwood taking such an active role in drawing people to the area, and making it an enjoyable place to live, eat and have fun. However, it seems that people forget that Collinwood does not end at the train tracks, there is still half of the neighborhood south of the CSX terminal. And for the those folks that are aware of South Collinwood, there is more to our humble half than Holy Redeemer, Mirable's and the high school. Please don't take this article the wrong way because as a person from Collinwood, I view success anywhere as a success everywhere. It would just be nice to see all the effort being put into North Collinwood, equally implemented in South Collinwood. It seems there is an endless supply of Community groups (I.e. Northeast Shores, Collinwood-Nottingham, Euclid Beach, Lasalle Marquee) that have done a wonderful job to restore great neighborhoods to their former glory and then some. My challenge to the people of South Collinwood, business owners and residents alike, myself included, get together to see what we can do to get back on par with the northern half of our community. We need to take a hands on approach because neighborhoods do not revitalize themselves, but I'm willing to put in the time and energy if you are. So people that are serious about coming up with ideas and willing to meet and discuss them please feel free to contact me at ctalusheff@yahoo.com.
At this time, the country is experiencing 9.5 percent of folks being unemployed. More and more people are out of work for longer and longer. The number of people out of work for more than six months rose by 169,000 to 6.9 million, which is 45.9 percent of all the unemployed.
With so many people not working, people are starting to rely on themselves for their own security, and tapping into skills they have not used. There seems to be a movement of “I can depend on myself to take care of myself. I want to control my own destiny”.
Being laid off can be used as a time of relaxation, reflection and freedom. Not having to concern one’s self with setting the clock, upper management issues, and fighting traffic, one can become free.
The list in last month's paper hit the highlights but I have thought of a few more: Radell's Sausage, the St. Anthony procession and festival at Holy Redeemer, the garden behind Memorial Nottingham library, Christmas Midnight Mass at St. Jerome, Cavotta's Nursery and Coit Road Farmer's Market.
Living by the lake and great neighbors top my personal list!
This is an open letter to the RTA. On Thursday June 24th, I was almost seriously injured riding the Westbound Healthline Bus #2914 that arrived at Public Square at 3:36 pm. I wanted the stop near East 6th street. The bus was standing-room only, as usual. I have a disability and trouble walking. I can NOT walk on a moving bus. I had to wait until the bus stopped before I could make my way to the rear exit.
Well this is my favorite Observer so far. We have a little bit of everything. We have festival maps, a whole summer full of fun events, good news, bad news, and weird stories. We have some actual newsworthy serious and important stories. But we are still missing one thing. We do not have your story.
Tell us about the Collinwood railroad yards and what it was like to work there. Tell us where you were on Friday, October 20th, 1944 when half of Cleveland blew up. Tell us about your first date at Sandy's Ice Cream on Lakeshore blvd. (If you have not yet had the foot long hot dog with chili and onions - go there - now.) Tell us about the polka jam sessions at Zele's bar - which is now the Art's Collinwood cafe. We want to hear these stories.
We are Cleveland's Best Kept Secret! And why? We all know how enjoyable it is to be a part of the north shore neighborhoods (although, with the recent real estate market, we have, no doubt, felt "under siege"...) Now is a good opportunity to remind ourselve of what it is we love: so.... like the poem says... "Let me count the ways...!"
1. The LAKE!
2. Wildwood Park
3. 15 minutes from downtown
4. Affordable housing
5. Walkability
6. Awesome restaurants
7. Good schools kids walk to
8. Waterloo arts scene!
9. Boating
10. Places of worship
11. Family friendly!
12. Block watches
13. Cool coffee shops
14. Neighborhood pride!
15. Bicycling
16. Fabulous rentals!
17. Yummy bakeries
18. Diversity
19. Independent businesses
20. Galleries
21. Fun pubs!
22. Excellent transportation
23. Great neighbors
24. Shopping variety
25. Pet friendly
26. Lots of ethnic eateries
27. ICE CREAM!
28. Community gardens
29. Events on E. 185th
30. Sunsets!
31. The Beachland Ballroom
32. Investment opportunities!
33. Banks and Post Office
34. The LaSalle renaissance
35. Gyms
36. The Collinwood Observer
37. New community center!
38. Hospitals
39. Concerts at East Park
40. Shopping variety
41. Euclid Beach carousel
42. Block parties!
43. VASJ Viking pride
44. Variety of housing
45. Close to EVERYTHING
Why stop at 45? Let us know YOUR top reasons! Go to www.collinwoodobserver.com, click on Member Center, click on Submit and title is, "Reasons we love Collinwood."
Vilija Nasvytis Klimas is a REALTOR®, specializing in the NorthEast Shores neighborhoods. Contact her at vilija@mysuitehome.com
It's about a week since the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970. As you've no doubt heard, Earth Day sparked the environmental movement that gave us such improvements as the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts and dozens of other environmental laws that resulted in the indoor and outdoor air and water quality we enjoy today.
Possibly, living in North Collinwood, you have also heard about the latest planned improvement by the North East Ohio Regional Sewer District to Lake Erie's water quality, the Euclid Creek Tunnel, a 3.4 mile colossus, writhing through North Collinwood 200 feet underground towards the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, where the tunnel will deposit stored, combined rain and sanitary sewer runoff. Without construction of this tunnel, treatment of the combined sewer overflow cannot be accomplished due to the age and low technology of our sewer structures.
There were a few points mentioned in the article which need to be amplified and commented upon.
Letter to the Editor,
Jeanne Coppola raises some excellent points in her letter, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to respond.
#39F -- The #39 route changed as of April 4. The #39F route is rush-hour only and was not affected.
SRO -- The #39F may be standing-room-only at times, and that is allowable under RTA’s policies. Transit riders stand on buses in most cities in the country; it shows that our service is being fully utilized. I ride the Red Line to work every day, and I often stand.
NO AC – When you drive a car, you can switch from heat to air-conditioning with a flip of a switch. Bus coaches and rail cars are not easy to change. Each vehicle must be prepped for the summer by a mechanic, and with 400+ vehicles, it takes some time. The unseasonably changeable weather does not help either.
President Obama and the U.S. congress have passed landmark health care legislation. It is being hailed as the most significant health care legislation since the passage of Medicare in 1965.
The Collinwood Observer wanted to talk to some our citizens (neighbors) and hear their thoughts about the new law.
C.J., a customer at the Phade Away Barbershop on E.185 feels: "This has been a fight between those who have, and those who don't, between those who have plenty and those in need..." Even with the passage of the new law, C.J is somewhat skeptical. "I'm concerned that we who need it most, may not see it."
Bill Gibson, of Blue Sky Bicycle on E185, wonders how the new legislation will affect him as a small business owner. "Small business is the backbone of our country. Health Care Insurance for all is a noble thought, a great idea.. hope springs eternal.. I just hope that it will work for the average guy.."
In response to RTA's Media Relations Manager, Jerry Masek's article, "RTA service changes affect Collinwood" (March 1), I have many questions and issues which I feel require greater attention and clarity.
We have a great opportunity being presented to us with this topic of a theater and what use can be made of it.
The fighting and animosity over new health care legislation continued right through the passing of the historic law. At times it was almost as bad as the stadium parking lot after a Browns- Steelers game. Based on some of the criticism of the plan, you would think that the bill was written by Karl Marx himself..
Happy New Year to "The Collinwood Observer" and all of its readers.
May this year bring happiness and blessings to all of you!
The holidays are over, our phony tree is stored away in the basement, and the kids are back to school. But like that spoiled kid who can't stop saying more, more, more.. I want more too, so here's my belated health care wish list:
In this article I will tell you of my experience in forty some years of using Kaiser Permanente as the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) for our family and why I believe the low costs of Kaiser and the quality of their service indicate how both of these problems can and are being effectively addressed.
Since there has been so much media attention on the date 2012, and the Mayan calendar that predicts the end of the world, I expected the movie 2012 to be better than it was. The movie poster (of one lone Himalayan monk standing on the snow covered mountain tops) gave the impression that this would be a spiritual movie...a transcendent movie.
Everyone in the Collinwood area who rides the bus, should know that the RTA is making changes to most of their bus routes on December 13th. (The buses that serve Collinwood and surrounding areas are: #1 St. Clair, #37 East 185-Taylor, and #39 Lakeshore.) With the new changes, the buses will only run once an hour!
The Senate is in the process of duking it out over a healthcare plan, and one of the biggest pieces they're debating is the so-called "public option." The fate of some type of healthcare legislation agreement may ultimately rest on the public option.
This is my first article on health care. The first item on this subject is to set up a human health care Bill of Rights for everyone and not just the uninsured. This Bill of Rights would include everyone alive and being born.
Recently the Plain Dealer ran an article(October 17th & 18th) “BIG MAN ON CAMPUS” on two outstanding athletes from The Sims Raiders Football Team – these two young men have some outstanding goals and opportunities ahead of them along with other team members of The Raiders and the Raiderettes (cheerleaders) who, in this author's opinion, are the best in their league. The author is partial to this article due to being a Sims fan and grandparent.
Previous editions of The Collinwood Observer have asked readers to submit ideas and suggestions for topics that could be included in the paper. As a resident of the Collinwood area, I think a section about what items (street signs, lights, potholes, etc.), need repair in our neighborhood would be very helpful. A column titled, "What Needs to Be Fixed" would be convenient for everyone. Readers could submit their suggestions on the website, after signing onto the Observation Deck.
The article, "Health Care Reform" (Collinwood Observer, November 19), raised a lot of questions. While it is true that our current health care system is a "for-profit industry," an overhaul of the system will not change the fact that it is all about making money. The big questions about health care reform still are: How will you pay for your medical care?
Imagine living next to world-renowned health care facilities yet being unable to access medical care. Imagine being forced to choose between purchasing food and life-sustaining prescriptions. This is reality for thousands of uninsured or under-insured residents in my Congressional District. There may soon be a new reality.
When my husband and I opened Blue Arrow Records on Waterloo Road last March, we were oblivious to the large number of feral homeless cats struggling desperately to survive within a few blocks of our business. It didn’t take long before I noticed kittens and adults roaming the neighborhood looking for food. There was a poorly managed colony near our building, where someone was feeding the cats but not tending to their other physical needs. (Feeding cats only keeps them healthy enough to breed rapidly….a pair of cats can produce 2 or more litters per year and the math gets crazy after that.)
I have been in contact with a group of concerned residents in the Euclid Beach area that are volunteering their time and money to manage several feral cat colonies. I have learned a lot about managing a colony.
In neighborhoods throughout Cleveland, trap-neuter/spay-return programs (TNR) have proven to be effective in humanely managing feral and stray cats, while at the same time reducing their numbers. With TNR, the cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies, ear-tipped and, if they’re feral, returned to their original territories. A trained caretaker then provides food and shelter, and watches for problems or newcomers.
Katie is very frightened of the evil entity that a paranormal investigator, Dr. Fredrichs, claims is in their home. When Micah asks her for more information, Katie's only explanation is that the entity has haunted her since she was a little girl. This adds to the coincidence that Micah finds a childhood picture of Katie in the attic.
They read in the papers and hear on the air
Of stealing and killing and crime everywhere
They sigh and say as they notice the trend,
'This young generation, when will it end? '
But can they be sure that it's our fault alone,
That a part of the problem they should claim as their own?
Are they less guilty who place in our way,
Objects and subjects that lead us astray?
Too much hating, not enough love
Maybe we should give peace a little shove
Too much money and too much idle time
Too many movies of passion and crime
Too many books not fit to be read
Too much evil in what we hear said
Too many children encouraged to roam
Too many parents who never stay home
We don't make the movies or publish the books
We don't paint mean pictures of gangstas and crooks
Drugs and alcohol, they trouble our brain
They're done by older folk who are greedy for gain
Delinquent teenagers, oh how you condemn
The sins of a nation and you blame it on them
By the laws of the blameless, the savior made known~
Who shall cast the first stone?
For in so many cases
It's sad but it's true
The title DELINQUENT fits older folk too
Remember the days when newspapers had as much, if not more good news than bad news in their pages? This paper is a good place to revisit those days, in fact, bring back the good old days and let us enjoy the good new days together.
To that end, we're looking to start a Sunshine column to mark the arrival of new babies, celebrate weddings, honor milestone anniversaries, retirements, degrees bestowed, homecomings, and so on. We can even run pictures—the more recognizably Collinwood the better, so a photo of the baby coming home and the proud family welcoming them on the front porch is probably more appealing than those pruney-looking hospital pictures! For example, the Galgoczy's of Baker Candies welcomed an addition to the family last week. Wouldn't we all like to see a photo of her first visit to the shop her daddy and grandma run?
Hello, my name is Donald Holcombe and I always have been proud of my community, I feel as if it is my duty to be the voice of the youth in our neighborhood. When someone asks me where I am from, I graciously hold my head high and say, “The Lakeshore area.” When everyone says our community needs change, I have this saying, “our community doesn’t need change it just needs to be revised.” I never wanted to be a hero in my community because to me heroes save the world, me, I just want to save one helpless child at a time, and then the world would transform. It has been my effort to make children who are non-believers believe and those who are non-achievers achieve.
The Collinwood Observer:
I received the first and second issues you printed from a friend in Cleveland. A local paper representing the views of the community is truly a welcome sight. I wanted to take the time to give it the justice it deserved and read it thoroughly. It surely brings back fond memories.When a levy expires the College needs to secure continued approval from the County voters to renew and/or replace the monies in order to keep the College tuition affordable, provide quality programs, and remain financially stable. The November 2009 ballot request is Issue 4, a replacement of the current $1.6 million and an increase of $0.3 million for a ten year period.
Today, we are once again being forced to defend against an attack against Ohio’s families and the people who live in our neighborhood. I am especially concerned this time around because I know our state is struggling and many leaders are desperate for what they view as a quick economic fix, which the promoters of Issue 3 are exploiting with their multi-million dollar advertising campaigns.
Here comes the dollar invasion
Offering continuing education
Upgrade skills
Stake your shirt
As you flirt
Lose your house
And sorry spouse
Con cunning mass
Discount local lass.
Ante up, ducky!
**
Dear Clevelander,
…remember the blankets with small pox.
Forecast:
Ohio …. “The Sin State” Cleveland …. “ Sin City of the Midwest”Personal Misery Indexes shall skyrocket.
The economic bonanza
shall NOT be enough
to bail generations of souls out of hock.
Please re-think your approval of a casino in Cleveland,
Re-think your approval of
Places like the Executive Den and Diamond Men’s Club.
But only do this if you love your mother, sister, wife, daughter,
Female cousin, niece, friend, and yourself.
Scars are lifelong and passed on from generation to generation.
They become “tradition” and “genetic inheritance”
Thank you for reconsidering these fundamental matters.
You can stop the negative-returns cycle.
Say YES to the Growing Bamboo Business!
Say NO to a Casino in Cleveland.