Ingenuity Lifts Off

8.31-9.07.05

Ingenuity lifts off

In this week’s issue:
* Cool Cleveland Ingenuity Bash at the Galleria 9/2, get $16.50 tix by midnight Thu 9/1 here
* A Simply Ingenious Idea Looking forward to Labor Day Weekend by Peter Chakerian
* Off The Hook! Cool Cleveland Urban Hop 9/16, get $15.50 tix by midnight Thu 9/1 here
* Cool Cleveland Sounds review of The New Forever by Robert Cherry
* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here, CC podcast click here, CC Blog click here

This week, finally, the end of summer arrives with a bang. Astute readers of Cool Cleveland.com can’t miss that the same guy who brings you the Cool Cleveland e-letter each week (along with the hard-working Hard corps), is the same one who worked with co-director James Levin (along with dozens of hard-working crew, sponsors and collaborators) to bring Cleveland it’s very first festival of art and technology. Ingenuity is finally here, and it’s wilder and more beautiful than any of us ever dared dream. Everyone’s been asking: the schedule (here) is so vast: what would you recommend? That’s a tough one, indeed… I have to say, don’t miss the opening ceremonies on Thu 9/1 at 7:30PM, a multi-headed gift to the city, with performance on Public Square, a concert on Euclid Avenue and fireworks. The Cool Cleveland party at the Ingenuity visual arts venue The Galleria on Fri 9/2 at 5:30PM will rock, with comp tours, food and an included all-weekend Ingenuity pass. If you’ve got kids, the Family Stage and Colonial Marketplace are where you’ll have the most fun. Check the 21 wild Ingenuity venues and you’re sure to find something to flip your switch. See in-depth coverage below. The stuff on the outdoor stages is gratis, and we’re hoping Cleveland comes Downtown to enjoy a beer and some great music, tech and performance. Did we mention that you don’t have to sit behind those standard-issue “beer garden” fences at our fest? You can actually walk the streets of the Ingenuity district with your beer and sit in front of the stage. What a concept! You’ll need tix for the cool tech exhibits in our “Technology Temple” at the Cleveland Trust Rotunda; music shows in the Hyatt Old Arcade, The House of Blues, Fat Fish Blue and Pickwick & Frolic; for the Hyatt Old Arcade’s CIA exhibits; and for the unbelieveable theatre, opera and poetry festivals we’re mounting on a stage in the East 1st Street Alley. But at $10 a day or $25 to see everything the entire weekend, we don’t want to hear any complaining. Or see below to volunteer and get comped. For everyone who missed getting on board with Ingenuity05, there’s always next year. Isn’t that what we say in Cleveland? Enjoy! –Thomas Mulready

A Simply Ingenious Idea
by Peter Chakerian

Labor Day in Cleveland has always been a wondrous time for me, even when (as NPR so graciously noted the other day) it actually involved laboring at one’s job beforehand. I remember coming downtown as a kid and being completely overwhelmed with all of the choices there were, how many Clevelanders were there to partake of said choices and knowing that when it was all over, there was one heck of a barbeque waiting for when we got home… As I got older, the build-up to this weekend was just as exciting, though absorbed in many different ways. You’d leave the basement of the CSU Cauldron office (or later, the Corporate Cubicle Farm®) hoping to scrounge up some sort of lunch only to find the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds screaming through downtown—narrowing their precise maneuvers into a brilliant sky display for onlookers, who would stop dead in their tracks on East Ninth Street… This year, my seasoned life-long Cleveland heart is captivated all over again. Like Taipei, Taiwan before it, Cleveland is poised to be a trailblazer in the digital future of the world. You’ve all heard about it by now… in the media… in commentaries… and (of course) right here at Cool Cleveland. People are talking about OneCleveland, amazing city-wide wireless technologies on more steroids than Barry Bonds, mobile data transmissions battling pilots for North Coast ether… and the full-tilt arts-and-tech fête, baptized (ingeniously enough) as Ingenuity. And much of the fest is gifted to the city at no charge (you can commence eye-rubbing now). Ingenuity is a creative tour-de-force focused on Northeast Ohio’s wealth of arts brilliance and technology savoir-faire and can be found smack-dab in the middle of lower Euclid Avenue between Public Square and East 9th Street, as well as East 4th Street. It runs September 1-4 and features some 75 arts-and-tech organizations at some 21 different downtown venues. And judging from the schedule, you’re bound to find SOMETHING that will appeal to your sense and sensibility…
Read the commentary on Labor Day weekend by Peter Chakerian here

Cool Cleveland Ingenuity Bash!

Want two great events for the price of one? How about a great Cool Cleveland party that begins at 5:30PM on Fri 9/2, but continues all weekend long? If you buy a ticket for the CC Ingenuity Bash, you’ll also receive an All Weekend All Access pass to Cleveland’s Festival of Art and Technolgy. The ticket for the Fest alone is $25, but the experience is priceless. Still not convinced? You won’t want to miss:

* The Deep-Fried Beef Stuffed Ravioli from Cafe Sausilito at The Galleria at Erieview
* Complimentary docent walking tours of exhibits Ingenuity art-tech exhibits
* A T-shirt for adding your idea to the Civic Innovation Lab’s Urban Scrawl Wall… at no additional charge
* A full, cash bar that includes Sangria, Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris and wine and beer.
* An all-weekend all-access Ingenuity pass ($25 value) to see it all: HyperMix, the Cavani String Quartet, Verb Ballets, The Cleveland Irish Roots, Ohio Ballet, Cherry Monroe… you decide!
* Complimentary underground parking at the Galleria
Score your $16.50 tix by midnight Thu 9/1 here

Off The Hook!

Fire up your weekend with entertainment all night long on Fri 9/16 at Ohio’s biggest art party weekend of the year! Meet your friends after work, kick up your heels and plug into the hot action of a Cool Cleveland party in one of Cleveland’s coolest neighborhoods – Ohio City. In addition to one heck of a fiesta, your CC admission gets you a comp ticket for any of the Sparx in the City Gallery Hop trolleys running back and forth all night long to over 100 galleries ($5 value)! Love ridin’ around the city? Jump on the included Cool Cleveland bus – which will take off from Church Street – and tour some of the neighborhood’s newest residential projects at Progressive Urban Real Estate’s Townhomes of Ohio City on W. 32nd Street and Stonebridge on the West side of the Flats. What tour would be complete without wine and cheese compliments of PURE? Haven’t had enough? How’s an afterparty @ MODA sound? Not only that, but:

* Belly dancers from Troupe Shabaana
* Hookah Pipes from Kan Zaman
* A totally open bar compliments of ABC Tavern and The Garage
* Hot, Delicious Soups from the Souper Market
* Succulent Peanut Glazed Chicken Kabobs from The Old Angle Tavern
* Citris Glazed Meatballs and Stuffed Grape Leaves from OPA!
* Mouth Watering Sausage Delicacies and Dessert Pastries from Massimo da Milano
* Live music from Cleveland’s own Rainy Day Saints in the secret studio
* Complimentary dance lessons (Bachata, Merengue and Salsa) at the MODA after-party with the world-reknowned Sammy De Leon y Su Orquesta
Pick up your $15.50 tix by midnight Thu 9/1 here

Convention center can solve Downtown’s problem With estimates that range upwards of $500 million, recommendations from the County Commmissioners and studies suggest a smaller hall with a price tag of $350 million or less would be wiser. What would be cut? Public Hall improvements may be paid for with historic tax credits instead of taxpayers dollars, and bonds could be used to pay for the garage. How about this idea: build an extra-large parking garage, funded with bonds, that would offer $1 parking at all times. This would drive parking rates in Cleveland undergound, attracting the public back Downtown, and it would reduce the value of those surface lots, allowing them to be sold at a reasonable cost for Downtown development. See story here. Do you have a better idea? Send it to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Suburban tipping point? Maybe this is what it takes. Suburban foreclosures are at a 5-year high, with homes in places like Gates Mills, Brecksville, and Solon being foreclosed because well-to-do families are overextending with low-interest loans and vulnerable when Cleveland’s economy continues to falter. Is this the tipping point that will cause the suburbs to realize that they are tied inexorably to the health of the region’s economy? See story here. Your thoughts? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

This is how a region fights to win Too often, Cleveland gives up easily. We’ve become known as an easy mark. We’re either too embarrassed or we lack the confidence to fight for ourselves. Not the case with the recent success of leaders like Fred Nance, Carol Caruso of Greater Cleveland Partnership and especially Debbie Setliff of Rep. Steve LaTourette’s office, who did the research and found out that the Pentagon’s economic analysis was severely flawed. The result? Cleveland keeps more than 1,000 jobs, and may be in line for 500 more. We need more people like this with the guts to stick up for our city. Where is the effort to fight for OfficeMax, which recently announced their intention to move their headquarters out of Cleveland? They are so cynical about it; they’re not even offering a cost-of-living adjustment to executives wanting to move from Cleveland to Chicago. We should be fighting harder to keep this Cleveland-based HQ office here, not complacently whining about more corporations leaving town. See story here. How can we fight harder? Send your thoughts to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Need to Get Out More? Meet people (or bring a friend!), have fun, help promote your favorite e-zine, and score Ingenuity comp tix. We need volunteers for two upcoming Cool Cleveland events: Fri 9/2 at Cafe Sausilito at the Galleria at Erieview from 5-8PM and Fri 9/16 at Exhibit Builders (1526 W. 25th Street) from 5-9PM. Duties include handing out food and beverages. We need you! If you are interested, contact TL@CoolCleveland.com.

Don’t forget the spirit that built the Rock Hall Now that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is turning 10 years old, it’s a good time to revisit the collaboration amongst business, political and community leaders, combined with a huge grass-roots effort, that brought the Rock Hall to Cleveland starting in 1986. We could use some of that fire today. See story here.

Voices and Choices listens Using hi-tech handheld keypads, the 18-month Voices and Choices effort goes from community to community, this week gathering responses from dozens of leaders from the Medina area. Regionalism is the topic, “If you came to Medina County to leave the city, guess what? The city is following you.” See story here. Your thoughts on regionalism? Send them to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Is your company or organization looking for greater visibility? Sponsor a Cool Cleveland event and promote your products and services to hundreds of young professionals at the coolest networking party this side of the Mississippi. Contact TL@CoolCleveland.com for more information.

Lakewood’s lesson? Did Lakewood voters send retailers packing and into the arms of competing older suburbs like Rocky River and Fairview Park, when they defeated a referendum necessary for the redevelopment of the West End project, a $151-million, condo, entertainment and shopping complex? Read the PD story here. Send us your thoughts at Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

CanalWay develops The CanalWay Ohio Scenic Byway is a federally designated route stretching from Cleveland to Dover/New Philadelphia in Tuscarawas County. While sites like the Warehouse District and West Side Market illuminate the byway, the vacant lots, empty storefronts and run-down homes along Broadway and West 25th Street need help to meet historical standards. Read the PD article here to find out about the bold redevelopment plans in the works and the historic tax credits available for developers. View the byway map at www.CanalWayOhio.com. Then send your opinions about the project to Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Cool Cleveland Kids Listen to 9-year-old Cool Cleveland correspondent Max Mulready recommend some fun family stuff this weekend. Not surprisingly, he suggests bringing your parents down to Ingenuity. Hear his short podcast here even if you don’t have special software, or download it to your iPod if you know what you’re doing. Check below to see the events tagged CC KIDS under Cool Cleveland This Week for our recommendations for a fantastic family week. http://www.coolcleveland.com/files/audio/CoolClevelandKids09.02.05.mp3

Smarter, not bigger cities Surprise! It seems the Census Bureau estimates have been misleading – cities are not in decline and in an even bigger surprise, we discover that a city’s economic success in no longer tied to its population. The most reliable factor to ascertaining the future economic success of a city? The percentage of citizens that hold a college degree. Sounds like another score for the importance of brain gain. Check out the Plantetizen Op-Ed here then share your ideas for attracting and retaining talented people at Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Superman documentary online for $1.50 In a Single Bound, the first and only documentary on the history of Superman, premiered on the web with the opening of the site http://www.SupermanDoc.com. Visitors can just log on and get all day access to the screening for a mere pittance, or they can purchase the DVD for less than a 10-spot. Director and Man of Steel fan, Ross Marroso, opted for the internet premiere instead of DVD because he felt that’s where comic book fans really “live.” He must be right. The site has already received thousands of hits since its mid-August launch.

Ya know that lonely guy in the cubicle next to you? You’ll make his day if you forward this week’s issue of CC to him. And you may even give him something to talk about on his next date – if he ever gets one. Send him to: http://www.CoolCleveland.com.

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Cleveland’s Theater District is bustling in September! TV and theater star Bebe Neuwirth performs at the “Wired!” Grand Opening Celebration for the Idea Center at Playhouse Square – the innovative new home of ideastream and Playhouse Square’s arts education initiatives. Tickets to this black tie gala benefit on Sat 9/10 are now available (216.348.5267). Congratulations to Cool Cleveland reader Lidia Carr of Fairview Park, who won two passes to “Wired!” Also, “STOMP,” Dave Gorman’s “Googlewhack! Adventure,” Eddie Griffin, “Michael Feldman,” “Discovery Tour,” “Menopause the Musical,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and free events such as a “Dance Showcase” and the annual open house Centerfest with family musician Dan Zanes highlight a month where the place to be is Playhouse Square Center! Visit PlayhouseSquare.com to learn more.
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*** Complete Ingenuity coverage here ***

Info & tix at http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com

* 200 boomboxes are needed for Opening Night. Robin VanLear’s huge Opening Ceremonies at 7:30PM on Thu 9/1 is based on a score by Cleveland Art Prize winner Greg DeAlessio that is being broadcast on WCLV 104.9FM radio. Bring your boombox, tune in to 104.9FM and turn it up, way up, and you’ll become part of our sound system! Just show up on Public Square at 7:30PM on Thu 9/1 and be a part of history!

* Get comps for volunteering! Get your kicks at Ingenuity while manning a booth or helping guide the throngs on Euclid Avenue. Be a part of history (and get a free all-access, all-day pass). We can use helpers at the following times: Thu 9/1: 6—9pm and 9—midnight; Fri 9/2, Sat 9/3 & Sun 9/4: 11:30AM — 3PM, 3 — 6:30PM, 6:30 — 10PM and 10PM – 1:30AM. Contact volunteer Brooke Willis and let him know when you can work, and include your phone number: Volunteers@IngenuityCleveland.org.

* NASA at Ingenuity Choreographer Tom Evert and his wife Susanna became fascinated with the wind tunnel out at NASA Glenn when we took a few artists out there to think about collaborating with the space agency. Now DancEvert is presenting Confluence with a cast of characters from air and space, along with classic and romantic images of the freedom of flight. See NASA’s write-up here.

* WCLV to broadcast live from Ingenuity This Cool Cleveland Partner will provide the soundtrack to the opening festivities of Ingenuity that will be simulblast from a low-rider, several car radios and boom boxes carried by participants in eight streams of color coordinated costumes. Traffic Jam, the 34 minute mélange of music composed by Greg D’Alesio with Paul Cox, will be heard by the crowds on the scene and WCLV listeners, beginning at 7:35PM. Sound surreal? Read about it here then make sure you are there to see Cleveland history in the making at the kick-off ceremony for the Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology on Thu 9/1 at 7:30PM. http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

* Video & filmworks at Ingenuity Witness the premiere launch of an astounding number of unique film and video projects over the course of the inaugural Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology during the 2005 Labor Day Weekend. Four Cleveland-based filmmakers will commandeer the streets to capture the theme, “architects of the Apocalypse” from their unique perspectives. The crowd will become both spectators and possible subjects during the filming from 10AM to 10PM on Fri 9/2. http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

* Wow! Ingenuity makes news! See incredible Plain Dealer arts page cover story here. Complete detailed map and schedule is here. Additional coverage is found here: http://www.cleveland.com/ingenuity. Many thanks to Alex Machaskee, Jerry Hoegner, Shirley Stineman, Michael Norman, John Kappes and all the folks at the Plain Dealer for going overboard for Ingenuity!

* Plug into technology at Ingenuity Collaborate with other viewers to impact the outcome of an interactive video and sound installation at the Cleveland Trust Rotunda. The installation consists of interactive portraits of the people of CIA and the surrounding community. Viewers can choose the sounds heard and images seen by moving or dancing throughout the space to trigger motion sensors. Participate in this spectacular event from Fri 9/2 through Sun 9/4 from 5-8PM. Symphony for 21 iPods, composed by Phil Kline, will run throughout the festival at the ArtMetro Gallery. Visitors walking through the installation can create their own unique symphony based on their movements. http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

* Cleveland’s best music at Ingenuity Regardless of your musical preference, the Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology is the place to be. Music ranging from classical to Hip-Hop will be featured in a variety of Downtown venues over the course of the four days of the festival. Check out our classical music headquarters at The Hyatt Old Arcade, an Evening of Cleveland Women Songwriters at Fat Fish Blue and an Evening of Cleveland Irish Roots at the House of Blues. Many of the performances this weekend won’t even cost you a dime. Check out the entire list of mind blowing performances scheduled at http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

* Be there for Opening Night on Thu 9/1 at 7:30PM when the inaugural Ingenuity Festival of Arts and Technology kicks off with an eye popping performance staged by Cleveland Museum of Art’s Robin VanLear, known for her work in creating Parade the Circle. Traffic Jam encompasses more than 400 artists led by eight different Cleveland-based dance companies who will converge on Public Square from eight different directions. Cleveland’s rich diversity will take center stage as pep squads, marching bands, b-boys, skaters and bikers join the procession. All of this leads up to the concert featuring Roberto Ocasio’s Latin Jazz Project in a unique collaboration with PANIC Steel Drum Band, a collaboration with dozens of Cleveland gospel singers and a set by Clevelander Robert Lockwood, Jr., followed by a spectacular fireworks display. If it’s all too much, why not stay overnight at Ingenuity’s official hotel, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, within crashing distance. All events in the opening night ceremonies are absolutely free. At that cost, how can you afford to stay home? http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

* VIP Ingenuity reception Join the hoi polloi for only $100 and be there for the kick-off of Cleveland’s coolest new festival. On Thu 9/1 at 6:30PM experience Opening Night festivities to launch the Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology with a private reception in a primo spot at the BP Atrium overlooking Public Square, with light refreshments, entertainment by the Oberlin Conservatory and DancEvert’s brilliant NASA collaboration, and a stunning view of Traffic Jam the kinetic performance created by Robin VanLear involving some 400 local artists who will be performing throughout the quadrants of Public Square. Then sit in VIP seating at the Ingenuity Mainstage for the opening concert headlined by Cleveland Blues legend Robert Lockwood Jr., topped off with a fireworks spectacular. Make your $100 check to: Cleveland Festival of Art and Technology, and bring it to the BP Building Atrium at 6:30PM on Thu 9/1. To view the official online invitation, click here.

* Bring the family Downtown to Ingenuity So the kids are bummed because summer is nearly over and it’s time to hit the books again; why not treat them to a weekend of family fun that will give your wallet a rest after buying school clothes and supplies. Continuous programming on the outdoor Family Stage and outdoor 720 Euclid Avenue parking lot won’t cost you a thing. There will also be activities inside of Colonial Marketplace. Highlights include juggling clowns, Rockin’ Robots, kiddie choruses, high school theatre ensembles and a high school circus company. Check out the event listings at http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com. Don’t forget to bring your old cell phone and turn it in for a comp all-day, all-access pass to Ingenuity at the Main Info Ticket Booth.

* Visual art at Ingenuity Experience the collision of arts and technology firsthand in either interactive or static displays. Attend the artists’ opening reception on Fri 9/2 from 5-9PM and hobnob with a variety of local artists, including many featured in the Ingenuity NEO Salon Des Refuses produced in partnership with the online Digital Museum of Modern Art. This exhibit features artists who were left out in the cold by the Cleveland Museum of Art’s NEO Show. Check out their work for yourself from Fri 9/2 noon – 9PM and Sat 9/3 through Mon 9/5 from noon-5PM. For a higher octane boost, register for the Cool Cleveland Ingenuity Bash at Café Sausalito on Fri 9/2 from 5:30-7:30PM. Register for the party here and we’ll see you there.

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Great Artists, Great Art The 2005 Cleveland Institute of Art Annual Faculty Exhibition is the best thing you’ll see this fall. It features a selection of the finest work in all media by the college’s distinguished faculty. Meet the artists and join us for a special reception as we celebrate opening night with some of the most accomplished artists in Northern Ohio on Thu 9/1 from 5:30-7:30PM in the Reinberger Galleries. Most artwork in the exhibit will be available for purchase. There is no cost for this public event which will also feature newly released Spanish wine of the ’02 vintage. The exhibit will be on display through 10/1. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 9AM to 5PM. The Cleveland Institute of Art: Making Art Work. For more info contact 216-421-7407 or www.cia.edu.
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Cool Cleveland This Week

8.31-9.07

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

CC KIDS Sculptures on the Square is an outdoor exhibit of lifelike bronze sculptures by renowned artist J. Seward Johnson, Jr. The sculptures have overtaken the streets of Troy, Ohio and are causing residents and tourists alike to take a well-deserved double take. Venture south to see these life-like sculptures in various everyday situations through Mon 9/5. If you can’t make the trip, take a peek here. Call 937-339-5455 for info. Public Square, Troy, Ohio.

Uncommon Denominator Preview the sexy sophomore release of Hidden Beach recording artist Mike Phillips during a listening party on Wed 8/31 from 9PM-midnight. Vibe with the Harlem saxophonist as he melds hip-hop, jazz, groove, funk and rhythm into a smooth and captivating blend at Bossa Nova, 28601 Chagrin Boulevard at Eton in Woodmere. www.HiddenBeach.com.

CC KIDS Campaign Kickoff & Pancake Flip Help United Way kick off this year’s campaign with a scrumptious breakfast of pancakes, sausage and juice and of course there will be coffee on-site. Stop by the event on your way into the office and pick up breakfast for yourself and your co-workers on Thu 9/1 from 7-10:30AM and you’ll be the toast of the office. Don’t want to traipse through Downtown with hot breakfasts in tow? No worries. United Way is taking phone and fax orders through Wed 8/31 at 4PM. Just be sure to specify your office location and contact person. Call 436-2121 or download your order form here, complete and fax it to 436-2257. Public Square, Southwest Quadrant www.UWS.org.

T.A.N.K. The Artists Network of Kent will showcase its members work during a juried exhibition at the newly acquired Kent State University School of Art Downtown Gallery. Attend the opening reception on Thu 9/1 from 5-7PM. KSU School of Art Downtown Gallery, 223 North Water Street, Kent. www.Kent.edu.

Elliot Earls has been hailed as “America’s hottest graphic designer.” Tri-C West’s Geeks & Gurus series brings Earls to Cleveland as part of the Ingenuity Festival of Arts and Technology. Check out his totally wired performance piece, “Excerpts from Eye Sling Shot Lions,” on Thu 9/1 at 11PM. Experience 50 minutes of sub-urban hip-hop and spoken word poetry, a mélange of pop song fragments, animation, motion graphics, and infomercials, all tied together by interactive video and electronics. Visit http://www.awdsgn.com/geeks/ to learn more. McCrory Building on East 4th Street between Euclid and Prospect (next to Pickwick and Frolic).

CC KIDS The Grizzled Wizard is the self-appointed moniker of Akron’s P.R. Miller, a consummate recycler. The artist salvages industrial items including iron works, commercial fans and oversized building signs then transforms them into works of everyday art. With a little embellishment and a wealth of creativity, Miller has made the “found” treasures blossom into large-scale flowers, animals, lamps and other items. See his work during the Ingenuity Festival of Arts and Technology from Thu 9/1 from 5-9PM and from Fri 9/2 to Mon 9/5 from 12-9PM. The Galleria, East 9th and St. Clair Avenue.

Raise Your Cool Quotient by volunteering for Cool Cleveland. Bring a friend, have fun and score Ingenuity comp tix. We need volunteers at the Cool Cleveland booth down at Ingenuity HQ during the festival (location: at the intersection of Euclid and E. 4th) during one of these time slots on Friday, 9/2: First shift – 11AM to 3PM; Second Shift – 3PM to 7PM; Third Shift – 7PM to midnight. And/or Sunday 9/4: First shift 11AM to 3PM. Duties include signing people up for the newsletter, handing out promotional materials and selling t-shirts. We need cool people to represent for Cleveland. Contact TL Champion at TL@CoolCleveland.com.

CC KIDS Senior Celebration Day The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is hosting a full day to celebrate seniors. Visitors age 55 and up will get a no-pay pass to the Zoo on Fri 9/2 between 10AM and 1PM on this day of family fun. Gather up the entire family and spend a day of festivity at the Zoo. Call 661-6500 with questions. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way www.CleMetZoo.com.

CC KIDS Taste of Cleveland Experience Cleveland’s finest cuisine from soul food to sushi and everything in between prepared by exceptional Northeast Ohio chefs. The 10th Annual Taste of Cleveland runs Fri 9/2 from 11AM-11PM, Sat 9/3 & Sun 9/4 from noon -11PM and Mon 9/5 from 12-8PM. Enjoy music by LeAnn Rimes on Fri 9/2, Michael McDonald on Sat 9/3, Michael Stanley and the Resonators on Sun 9/4 and Rick Springfield on Mon 9/5. Call 440-247-4FUN for more info. Purchase tix here. Tower City Amphitheater, 1887 W. Third Street http://www.cleveland.com/tasteofcleveland/.

Loss & Glee Dott Schneider’s latest exhibit takes viewers on an intimate journey of her perspectives on sorrow and joy as they pertain to love, and as expressed in a selection of stories that the artist has collected. Half of Loss & Glee will be exhibited concurrently in Cleveland while the other half runs in Pittsburgh. Attend the opening reception on Fri 9/2 from 7-11PM. Call 939-9099 for info. Miller-Weitzel Gallery, 5304 Detroit Avenue. http://www.ExitStencilRecordings.com.

WCLVnotes This Sat 9/3 at 8PM, WCLV 104.9 FM presents the August 31st Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus concert conducted by Franz Welser-Moest given at the BBC Proms in London, and on Sun 9/4 Cleveland Proms performance of the Mahler Symphony No. 3. A series of five BBC Proms concerts featuring other ensembles and a reprise of the Cleveland Mahler 3rd begins a daily run on Tues 9/6. The always fun and exciting “Last Night of the Proms” concert will be broadcast live beginning at 2PM on Sat 9/10. This coming Labor Day Weekend on WCLV has been dubbed “War Horse Weekend.” You’ll get to revel in Beethoven Concertos, Brahms Symphonies, Bach Suites, Rossini Overtures, Mozart Concertos and many more selections that you can whistle and sing along with. Full details for all of WCLV’s programming can be found on the WCLV web site at www.WCLV.com. WCLV is a Cool Cleveland partner.

CC KIDS Cleveland National Air Show Spend three days marveling at the exhilarating aerial feats performed by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds from Sat 9/3 to Mon 9/5. The gates open at 9AM and the shows end at 4:30PM each day. There will be military jet demos, WWII Warbirds, U.S. Army Golden Knights Precision Parachute Team, Shockwave the Jet Truck and WWII Warbirds with Pyrotechnics. Call 781-0747 or visit http://www.ClevelandAirShow.com/ for more information. Burke Lakefront Airport, 1501 N. Marginal Road.

R.I.C.E. Fest Experience music ranging from folk to alternative rock and engage with art pieces by some of our area’s most talented, yet most underappreciated artists during this Sat 9/3 event beginning at 5:30PM. Irreality, Love Spank and Welcome to Bangkok are but a few of the artists performing. Hook up with some friends for this vibrant, eclectic event. Buy tickets here. Phantasy Nite Club, 11802 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood.

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In a Galaxy Far, Far Away Come to Blossom for an end of summer spectacular with the Cincinnati Pops Star Wars Spectacular Sat 9/3 at 8PM and Sun 9/4 at 7PM. Enjoy John Williams’s music of all six wildly popular Star Wars films, including the most recent, Revenge of the Sith. The concerts feature special guest narrator Anthony Daniels who portrayed C-3PO in all six films. Fireworks following the concerts, weather permitting. To purchase tickets go to www.ClevelandOrchestra.com.
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CC KIDS Cleveland Roots & Americana Music Festival & BBQ The Town Fryer is hosting this first annual event on Sun 9/4 at 2PM. Groove to the sounds of The Jack Fords, Woodshed Mercy and several other live local bands during this no charge party. Vendors will be on hand with tasty barbecue, brews and other delicious foods. The festivities include a deep fried Oreo-eating contest, an auction to win a night with house band Hayshaker Jones, Napoleon’s and Kip’s Summer Vacation Dance Party and an opportunity to win Browns tickets. Call 426-9235 for info. Outside of The Town Fryer, 3859 Superior Avenue.

CC KIDS Labor Day Peace Show Looking for an alternative to the Cleveland Air Show? This no-cost, family-friendly peace celebration on Mon 9/5 from 12-6PM will feature fun activities for the family and the sounds of artist like Jim Volk, The Kind Revolution, Charlie Mosbrook, Monet’s Orbit, JiMiller and others. Take part in a cooperative art project and view the 100,000 Faces Art Project, representing Iraquis who have died during the past three years of the war. Visit http://members.cox.net/clevelandpeaceshow or call 320-1316 for info. Free Stamp/Willard Park, East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue.

CC KIDS Emerging Organist Festival The 28th year of the complimentary Brownbag Concerts at Trinity Cathedral kicks off with a four week fall organ festival. Canadian born artist, Isabelle Demers, performs on Wed 9/7 at 12:10PM. Demers has performed internationally, has placed in several competitions and is currently studying at the Julliard School in New York. Visit www.mandpa.org for the list of scheduled organists. Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue.

Art in the Twenty-First Century in its third season on PBS, focuses on contemporary art and the people who make it, organized around four unifying themes. The Myers School of Art at The University of Akron and the School of Art at Kent State University are collaborating to premiere two of the segments: “Power”, on Wed 9/7 at 7:30PM at Folk Hall at UA and “Play” on Thu 9/8 at 7:30PM in the auditorium of the Art Building at Kent. Both showings are open to the public without charge. Visit http://www.pbs.org/art21/ to learn more. Call 330-972-5951 for info. University of Akron, 150 E. Exchange Street, Akron. Kent State University, Off Route 59 on Terrace Drive, Kent.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Emissions from the Blogsphere
On Cleveland area blogs this week, Bill Barrow does a call out for contributions to the Cleveland History Blog. Pho does some back of the envelope calculations on Ohio’s gaming proposal. Council candidate Gloria Ferris relates her tribulations with the Board of Elections. Photographer Lou Muenz notes that Friday is take your bike to work day, emphasizing it with a shot of a gas station where it’s $2.70 a gallon. This week, Cool Cleveland’s Peter Chakerian comments on the Slavic Village Harvest Festival, the impending U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the final night of “Summer in the City” and he dropped in on Akron’s dynamic duo, The Black Keys (see Instant Karma below). Read the Cool Cleveland weblog here, then add your own comments, questions and attitude. Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Cool Cleveland Preview
Chalk Circle
What: An intriguing storytelling adaptation of a 14th-century Chinese play, best known from its retelling by Bertolt Brecht, about an abandoned child saved from a war and raised by an adoptive mother, by students from Cleveland Public Theatre’s STEP program.
Reasons to go: The text successfully mixes the poetic with the vernacular, and its skeptical take on a corrupt world — where every regime is as bad as the last one if you’re poor — is leavened with plenty of engaging humor. The 75-minute production uses many world theatre techniques, from warriors with flags leaping through the performing space to a mother escaping on a tottering bridge created by a series of stools. Joella R. Blount is a sympathetic protagonist, a poor young servant who doesn’t want to be a mother but accepts the responsibility thrust upon her by her conscience, and Edward Siwik is a charming clown as the spineless peasant drafted to become the Solomonic judge.
Caveats: Directors Raymond Bobgan and Chris Siebert have adopted a rigorous low-tech style, which means no sound reinforcement — so scoot your lawn chair as close to the action as possible if you want to hear all the actors.
Backstory: You’ll never see any other youth theatre quite like CPT’s acclaimed Student Theatre Enrichment Program, which works with urban teens and stages challenging company-created pieces based on classics from world drama. Co-director Raymond Bobgan is now CPT’s Associate Artistic Director.
Target audience: Adults and children — anyone who wants to see an unusual youth effort.
Details: One more performance coming up 9/2 @ 6pm at Public Square, in the Ingenuity Festival. http://www.cptonline.org. from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein Linda@coolcleveland.com

Cool Cleveland Sounds
Robert Cherry
The New Forever
Requisite Recordings

Exquisite pop dreamer Clevelander Robert Cherry floats a new disc of ethereal and emotional tunes perfectly designed for late night chill. Don’t expect to get your dance groove going — these mid-tempo ballads are twisted love songs, souful mournings and just-this-side-of-whining pocket symphonies that chix love and some of us guys enjoy, too. He lists David Bowie, George Harrison, The Smiths and Roy Orbison as influences, but his vocal style and instrumental arrangements are most closely reminiscent of Britain’s Lloyd Cole, and with a similar cynical, world-weary tone of voice, Cherry manages to draw the listener in with smart lyrics, wry ponderings and slick production. Nicely recorded with a swell drum sound, tasteful guitars, unique vocal effects and an overall sheen that is more attractive than off-putting, the production at Ante Up and 609 Recording by Don Depew prove that regionally-produced music can sound blistering. The 10 tracks are so good you want it to go on forever. Get the disc at http://www.RobertCherry.com. Catch Robert Cherry and The Brilliance Module at The House of Blues this Sat 9/3 at 10PM, followed by The Twilight, as part of this weekend’s stellar Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology. Get tix here: http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

Instant Karma
Quick reviews of recent events
Going out this weekend? Take along your PDA and your digital camera. Scratch out a few notes to send us with a picture of it for our Instant Karma real-world reviews of what’s really happening. We’d love to hear from you. Send your stuff to Events@CoolCleveland.com

The Black Keys @ Beachland Tavern 8/26 It all happened pretty fast, honestly. An email pops in the other day from the good folks at Music Saves… then another from the Beachland Ballroom… the usual pan-and-scanning ensues… so, Akron’s lo-fi heroes The Black Keys are coming… intimate small hall appearance at the Beachland TAVERN…? Wow. A “how-ya-doin’?” for us local-yokels… penciled in-between legs of their endless tour supporting Rubber Factory… Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney and a mere handful of folks… at the end of summer… and a couple cold Pabst tall-boys?

Yeah, it didn’t sound like a “no thanks” to me, either. And the next thing you know, it was over.

It took me a little while to get out and see these TBK, but what a treat! These guys play straight from the breadbasket: a close-to-the-bone, raw blues-rock approach that owes as much to Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson as it does to the lo-fi resurgence that people like Jon Spencer churned up a decade ago. Is it any wonder that Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant gushes like a July fireplug when he talks about TBK? The group’s material is like a worked-in pair of old shoes that have seen their years. The guys worked in funk, soul, and rock influences into a garage punk/ indie rock framework Friday night. Their “Thickfreakness” alone was so ridiculously infectious, that nothing shy of a CDC visit and a shot of blues penicillin-cocktail would cure it. TBK took care of that to be sure… and then some. What a great show.

Pundits consider the duo as something of an “anti-White Stripes”… dunno about that. I think the White Stripes could learn a thing or twelve from the college-dropout anti-rock heroes from our sister to the south. Odds are you won’t get to see TBK in a venue this small in Cleveland again.

Detroit’s indie-powered trio SSM was pretty hot, too. A little bit o’ lo-fi couched in a synth vibe and groovy punk ethos… and the Moog they were powering the set through with was equally hot. The highlight of their set was the tune “Sick,” both literally and figuratively. From Cool Cleveland contributor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com

Yr Turn
Cool Cleveland readers write
We encourage our readers to speak out by sending us letters and commentary. Send your letters to Letters@CoolCleveland.com. You must include your full name (required) and you may include your e-mail address (optional). You may also create a new Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail e-mail address and submit it with your letter. Letters submitted to Cool Cleveland, or edited portions, may be published in an upcoming issue of Cool Cleveland at our discretion.

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

On parking Downtown No need to pay to park downtown and battle traffic. RTA stations have free parking. Round trip to Public Square is $3.00. I may have missed mention of this in the Cool Cleveland mailing, but with Ingenuity stretching from P Square past E. 4th and on up town, RTA seems the best bet. Get out and mingle. Buy an all day tix for $3.00 and take in The Market, W.25, Ohio City, The New Angle, or train on over to Univ. Circle—Cedar and E.120 are a close walk to CMA, CIA, Nat. Hist., The Historical Society, Wade Oval and The Botanical Gardens. Cars aren’t really that good for you. Then, if you do drive, there’s the obligatory whining about gasoline costs, and you don’t want to be a part of that. Then, maybe you have a bike, but we could talk about that another time.
from Cool Cleveland reader Rick Hamilton rick.hamiltonATamgreetings.com

On Cleveland being an Intel Digital City (See Cleveland, Digital City here) I think it’s wonderful news that IBM, Intel, et al are getting the hint from Clevelanders….This is going to be an exciting time here, as the possibilities are endless! I have a feeling the Internet is about to evolve to a whole new level….and what with the number of inventions we haven’t even dreamed of yet which we can benefit from…yeehaa!!!
from Cool Cleveland reader Mike Norton michael.a.nortoATsbcglobal.net

When an opportunity comes along that can have lasting economic and social impacts to the region, it should be welcomed and praised as a breath of fresh air. The City of Cleveland, OneCleveland and the many partners involved in this project(Intel, IBM, Cisco, ICI Networks, Edward Howard, MWH Global, and Attevo) should be congratulated for identifying an opportunity with Intel’s Digital Community Initiative and taking the first step toward creating a digital/wi-fi/techno community that can benefit the masses. I worked along with these global and local partners to create a vision, strategically plan the first steps, and implement the technology because as region and especially for the City, it is something to be proud of. Building on this initial momentum, let us all hope the decision makers in NEO’s technology based companies realize the commitment being made in wi-fi and leading-edge technologies, and put stakes in the ground to build and grow our downtown and region as a whole. p.s. The Ingenuity Festival is a great momementum builder, and I hope to see a continuing trend of cool events in the future!
from Cool Cleveland reader Edward Cardenas edward_cardenasATClevelandWater.com

On the convention center (See Convention center too big & costly here) I have a few questions concerning the new, planned convention center What are the positive, measureable benefits of this project? Given the fact, that other cities have seen their estimates and expectations for new convention centers fall short of the predicted outcomes I think that the benefits versus costs should be looked at very closely before jumping into this plan, therefore I have a few questions cncerning the new, planned convention center. What are the positive, measureable benefits of this project? Are these benefits long term? Will the public BENEFITs be much bigger than the public COSTS? Will the economic benefits from this project be primarily local and be broadly distributed throughout the Cleveland area? Will this project serve as a catalyst for other economic projects? I really have not seen much concrete evidence of what and how this convention center will serve as an economic catalyst for the region. My impression and perception is that this is more of a “Build it and they will come” project. Has anyone looked into the idea of using some of the venues we already have in the city to pull in conventions of a smaller size to keep the city bustling and vibrant. The newly constructed Intercontinental hotel would certainly be one venue that should be considered as highly attractive for smaller shows. Has anyone really sat down and considered how many large conventions there are each year in the United States, how many destinations are possible for those conventions, and is it probable that Cleveland would be one of those destinations? I don’t mean to say that we do not have loads to offer, but is what we offer what these types of conventions want? Maybe we need to set our sights on not competing with the established goals, but to choose other goals and become a niche market. I often think that we stifle new ways of looking at old issues causing us to always to be behind the power curve instead of ahead.
from Cool Cleveland reader Gloria Ferris gloriaATgloriaferris.net

On Darwin (See Origin of the species? here) I attended a conference hosted by Lawrence Krauss called “Evolution and God.” I hoped to hear scientific arguments to support the theory of evolution. But Mr.Krauss’ arguments were: “Believe in evolution because 9,999 out of 10,000 scientists do.” “If we allow our schoolchildren to hear of any alternative to evolution, Ohio will be looked at by high-tech firms ans a backwards bunch of bumpkins, and they will stay away.” Hardly scientific proof. A Chinese scientist said: “In our country, we are forbidden to criticize the govermenment, but we are allowed to criticize Darwin. In America, you are permitted to criticize your government, but are forbidden to criticize Darwin.” He said it all.
from Cool Cleveland reader Steve Merkel merkel51ATsbcglobal.net

On rust never sleeping (See Tuning In- Iron Oxide here) I believe–this is in reference to the inteview with Iron Oxide–I’ve always believed, that “Rust Never Sleeps” was an advertising slogan for Rustoleum paint, written by one of the original members of Devo–Mark Mothersbaugh?–just as “Raid Kills Bugs Dead” was written by the beat poet Lew Welch.
from Cool Cleveland reader Richard Astle rastleATearthlink.net

On Cleveland schools (See New foundation for the arts here) The Cleveland school district loses as many students to the street as earn diplomas. That means, 32,000 of the 64,000 kids currently enrolled in the Cleveland schools will never graduate. Statistics indicate the chances for financial success are pretty remote for high school dropouts. Cleveland’s status as primaddona of poverty reflects her uneducated labor pool. Cleveland needs an educated workforce to retain and attract business. How are we going to educate Cleveland’s kids if we can’t keep them in school? Studies show that students who participate in the arts stay in school and get better grades. Many thanks to Andrew Rayburn for suggesting he and some friends do something to help the city rather than “sitting around complaining” about what was wrong. The Human Fund’s support of the All-City Arts program is an important step toward keeping kids in school.
from Cool Cleveland reader MaryBeth Matthews BM1980ATaol.com

On why the Cleveland school levy failed (See Why did the school levy fail? here) Why did the Cleveland School Levy Fail? Maybe because we pay enough taxes already; the Lottery is supposed to be paying for schools; and the schools aren’t doing their JOB – TEACHING! Why did the Cleveland School Levy Fail? Maybe because we pay enough taxes already; the Lottery is supposed to be paying for schools; and the schools aren’t doing their JOB – TEACHING! You can’t teach a child by throwing money and more money at him or her. You want money for education? What proof do I have that the Cleveland Schools will EVER be able to educate students – and at what level of financial support? You want money for teachers? We should get rid of teachers who can’t teach and reward those who teach successfully. You want money for books? Children should be exposed to the BEST literature – not pornography parading as literature. You want money for science classes? Then why push the THEORY of Evolution down children’s throats, when there is so much science out there that DISPROVES it? You want money for sex education? Why not abstinence education? And why would I give the schools money to educate my child against my values? You want money for school buildings? Why are children allowed to deface public property without being caught and made to clean up, repair, or pay for repairs? My son attended a Cleveland Public School (high school). He hated it and skipped school. I met with his English teacher, and she told me, “I ain’t never seen him in my class.” His ENGLISH teacher! His ENGLISH – TEACH-er!
from Cool Cleveland reader Karen Brozovic kbrozovicATulmer.com

I am a home owner in Wickliffe who voted against our recent tax levy, which in fact passed. My elderly and widowed mother is a home owner in Cleveland. I attended Cleveland public schools until 9th grade, when she sacrificed to send me to a private Catholic school because the schools were a dangerous place for a kid. My sister, who attended Cleveland’s John Marshall High School during that time, was stabbed in the school hallway. This was in 1979. Not much has changed during the ensuing years, except our property taxes. But why did and will both Mom and I vote no for any school tax levy? Because our State Supreme Court has ruled 4 times since 1997 that it is unconstitutional to for property owners to fund schools, and has ordered the General Assembly to remedy the situation. Yet the government continues to do NOTHING. So the local municipalities continue to put these unconstitutional levies on the ballot every few months and allow the entire voting population to force a much smaller group of individuals to pay for the schools. Why don’t they have a ballot where only the people who are affected by the tax increase, ie home-owners, vote? My guess is that the levies would fail by a much bigger percentage than even this past ballot in Cleveland. Interestingly, my friend who recently purchased a home in Cleveland and voted for the tax levy told me her reasoning: she received a 15 year tax abatement. So basically, the people who own homes in Cleveland and who didn’t get a tax abatement don’t matter. I could go on and on – the mismanagement of the school budget, the contract awarding system scandal with Mayor White’s administration currently being investigated by the FBI, the current school administration’s manipulation of the numbers to show improvements in attendence scores, the pathetic attempt by our current Mayor to manipulate the vote by not campaigning to those who were likely to vote no, etc. But ultimately, it won’t matter how much money homeowners are forced to hand over. Our State continues to thumb it’s nose at the highest court of Ohio and the hard working tax-paying residents. It’s thoroughly disgusting.
from Cool Cleveland reader Mindy Cantley cmindyATvoyager.net

On Ed Rybka (See Edward Rybka… Good reason not to cut Cleveland City Council by Roldo Bartimole here) I know a little bit about Mr. Rybka considering that I was his opponent in the 1993 Cleveland Ward 12 council race in Slavic Village and later served as a community organizer for six years.

Roldo: I would often bump into Cleveland Councilman Edward Rybka in Council corridors, during his 19 years as a member. There was a time when reporters could navigate Council’s back rooms and get to know members personally. Now, members are boxed in as if they live in the Baghdad green sector.

Nope, he was deliberately “boxed in” to avoid his constituents at all costs. He had the worst reputation for returning phone calls of any sitting councilperson.

Roldo: In those days, I would greet him with two questions, “Ed, what are you doing here? Why are you here?” My intention was half-facetious and half-serious.

Well, it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots considering his father owns Rybka Realty as well as his cozy relationship with the non-profit community development corporation formerly known as “Broadway Area Housing Coalition” now known as “Slavic Village Development”…
Read the letter from Cool Cleveland reader Joe Bialek jgbialek2ATadelphia.net here

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Top 5
Here are the Top 5 from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) RoldoLINK It isn’t every day that Roldo tells someone they f’ed up. www.CoolCleveland.com

2) vYbe Snapshot: Eris Dyson A Gen-Yer movin’ thru the city @ full bore. We could use some more like her. Know one? www.CoolCleveland.com

3) Theatre classes for business people At one time or another, we all need to know what to do when PowerPoint fails. www.PlayhouseSquare.com

4) Cosmopolitan Living in the Heights CC readers want to live where it’s happenin’. Progressive Urban Real Estate has the happenin’ properties. www.ProgressiveUrban.com

5) Downtown parking is cheap in Cleveland Download this PDF and find out how parking in Cleveland compares to other cities. www.Colliers.com

Ingenuity fuels this newsletter every week. This weekend Peter Chakerian, Roxanne Ravenel, TL Champion, Linda Eisenstein and George Nemeth will take a break and celebrate Cleveland’s unique brand of arts and technology. Thanks to all our partners for making this week’s issue happen. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Download the Cool Cleveland podcast each week at http://www.CoolCleveland.com. Click on the Cool Cleveland Blog here. Read the Cool Cleveland column each month in Cleveland Magazine here. Listen to Cool Cleveland on WCLV-FM 104.9 twice each Friday during drive time. See the Cool Cleveland TV Update on WKYC NBC TV by clicking here. Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com, and your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com. For your copy of the free weekly Cool Cleveland e-zine, go to http://www.CoolCleveland.com.

Will we see you @ our bash Friday?

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com

all contents ©2005 MulreadyGROUP all rights reserved
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