Night Out

3.02-3.09

Night Out

In this week’s issue:
* Cool Cleveland Night Out on Fri 3/4 in the Warehouse District: discounts before midnight 3/3 here
* vYbe Snapshot with young entrepreneur Alex Zorach by Rachel Jacobs
* Cleveland Crips Deafness Preferred by Rosemary Musachio
* Cool Cleveland Sounds review of Mohawk Combover CD by The Backdoor Men
* RoldoLINK Big Projects Don’t Produce Big Enough Paybacks by Roldo Bartimole

Cool Cleveland Night Out
lights up the Warehouse District this Fri 3/4
score discount tix before Midnight Thu 3/3 here!

Don’t wait another day… enjoy the best that Cleveland has to offer this Fri 3/4 as Cool Cleveland hosts a wild Night Out in the Warehouse District, starting at 5:30PM. Stop by for Cleveland’s hottest after-work networking event and enjoy the open bar with beer and wine, along with scrumptious snacks until 8PM. Soak up the sounds of Cleveland’s jazzy-funky Aphrodesiatics and DJ Anonymous. Stick around for free admission, drink specials all night, the Salsa Social Club with dance lessons and the groovy sounds of Sammy DeLeon y Su Orquesta, and DJ Mike Metz. Check out the neighborhood other cities would die for — the red-hot Warehouse District, and bring your friends or meet some new ones. Cash in on discounted admission when you register and buy online before midnight Thu 3/3. Take advantage of an incredible value and Cleveland’s hippest scene by clicking here: Newsletter/Party

Voices and Choices When 62 foundations from nine counties pledged $30 million and created The Fund for Our Economic Future, we knew something big was brewing, but this is huge. Contracting with Ohio native Carolyn Lukensmeyer, who graduated from Case and worked as chief of staff for former Governor Richard Celeste, and her company, AmericaSpeaks, the Fund will spend $3 million over 18 months to create Voices and Choices, a massive high-tech electronic town hall project, engaging up to 100K people on the critical issues of our region: how to fix the schools, pump up the economy, create jobs and lift our region out of its current economic doldrums. AmericaSpeaks is the same group that led a community process of 4,000 people that determined what to do with the site of the World Trade Center after 9/11. But the Cleveland project will dwarf that effort. Trained moderators working in large and small groups, using hand-held voting devices and laptops monitored by teams of analysts are used to narrow down lists of concerns, issues and solutions, and discover community consensus. “Northeast Ohio is upping the ante,” says Lukensmeyer as she kicks off what could be the largest community engagement process ever attempted. Read the press release here and visit the site http://www.FutureFundNEO.org Ready to speak out now? Send us an e-mail to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

NEO Barometer The most recent “Northeast Ohio Barometer of Economic Attitudes,” conducted annually by Gallup and CSU, and paid for by the Cleveland Foundation, has some surprising responses. 98% expressed strong support for a regional approach to job creation. Interestingly, African-Americans (54%) felt more strongly than Caucasians (52%) that regional government would help our cities; apparently it’s just the politicians that feel threatened by regionalism. And based on our region’s dismal economy, the poll shows that folks in our region are more negative than the rest of the nation. Only 13% feel that economic conditions are positive here, as compared to 41% who feel that way nationwide. Read the press release here, the story here, and the site here: http://www.FutureFundNEO.org. What’s your opinion of the NEO economy? Let us know at Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Ohio charter teachers not certified According to a recent report, about 45% of the teachers at the 250 Ohio charter schools lack full state certification, while 98% of the teachers in Ohio public schools are fully certified for the subjects they teach. Why? A loophole in the “No Child Left Behind Act” allows charter schools, which are privately owned but still receive public tax money, to be held to different standards. Not-so-coincidentally, Ohio’s charter schools were recently found to have academic results well below those of Ohio’s public schools. See story here. No wonder the National Conference of State Legislatures came out strongly against the “No Child Left Behind Act,” with a scathing report, calling the Act a “weed” that has stifled innovation at the state level, reducing academic performance, increasing segregation, and driving away top teachers. See story here. Incredibly, the PD’s editorial here downplays the need for teacher certification, stating, “the notion that only those who possess proper certification are competent educators is pure folly… the state shouldn’t worry about whether all its teachers possess a particular piece of paper.” What are your thoughts on Ohio’s educational problems and the role of charter schools? Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Ohio as bioscience center How does Ohio compete with NC, MI, PA and other regions known for biotech? We could start by touting our related industries, such as medical research, health care and cardiovascular medicine, which are necessary for any build-up of biotech industry in a region, say officials from Omeris, a non-profit Columbus-based biotech accelerator. See story here. As if to prove the point, Case and its partners Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth and Veterans Affairs hospital have joined to create a nationally significant medical research campus that could spread over 2 million sf and generate 6,000 jobs. See story here.

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Your Dream House at a Dream Price The Townhouses at Courtland Court offer affordable new construction units in the Bridge Square area of Detroit Shoreway. Features include 2-3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, maple kitchen cabinets, vaulted ceilings in the bedrooms, 1-2 car attached garages and privacy fenced yards. Other amenities include generous finish allowances, 15 year tax abatement and reduced interest rate financing. This can be yours for a monthly payment as low as $889! (Given a P&I payment with 5% down, sales price of $159,900, 4.5% rate, 4.528% APR, 30 yr. fixed rate mortgage, est. $20/mo. taxes, and PMI of $98.74.) These townhomes start at $159,900 and are located off W. 54th, just south of Bridge Avenue. Visit our open house this Sun 3/6 from 2-4PM. For a complete list of properties and open houses this weekend, please visit http://www.ProgressiveUrban.com.
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Wal-Mart pulls out of Steelyard Commons project Insisting that negative publicity and proposed legislation limiting their Supercenters from offering groceries had anything to do with their decision, Wal-Mart this week dropped out of the planned $90 million Steelyard Commons project. Because developer Mitchell Schneider of First Interstate Properties, Ltd. and Cleveland City Council had worked out a compromise that would allow grocery sales after 2013, it was surprising that Wal-Mart “made a business decision not to move forward.” Schneider was quoted as saying, “Wal-Mart believed the welcome mat was pulled from them,” and Wal-Mart released a statement that included this line, “Wal-Mart still believes it is not good public policy for a community such as Cleveland to place restrictions on a very specific type of retail development.” Interesting that Wal-Mart would be lecturing Cleveland on public policy, and insinuating that a community has no right to engage in zoning or city planning. See story here, and send your comments here: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

“Rip at the fabric” Last week, Daniel Saltzman, VP of Dave’s Supermarkets, the company that has built locally-owned union grocery stores in Ohio City, Slavic Village, North Collinwood, Arbor Park, Ridge-Dennison and Downtown, wrote a cautionary op-ed warning that the Steelyard project “could prove devastating to nearby neighborhoods” and “rip at the fabric of everything local CDCs [community development corporations] and city planners have accomplished,” by forcing “neighborhood food and drug retailers to scurry to consolidate their existing locations to survive.” See op-ed here. What’s your opinion? Write to us at: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Health care for artists Four local task forces have developed a set of recommendations to offer reduced-cost health care, low-interest loans, nonmatching grants, business planning and other services for area artists. The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture are teaming up with the Council on Smaller Enterprises to offer discounted COSE memberships to artists, allowing them to take advantage of low-cost group rates on health insurance. The program could become a national model, since other efforts in NYC and LA have not been “as integrated or well thought-out,” according to Holly Sidford of the Urban Institute, which conducted a study in 2004 of nine cities, including Cleveland, looking at support services for artists. See executive summary here, and the full report here.

Reach Cleveland’s young professionals Wondering how to promote your business or organization to the most desirable demographic of them all? Talk to us at Cool Cleveland and hear how we work closely with clients to construct a strategy, inserting your message into Cleveland’s most compelling weekly publication. Check our Top 5 most clicked links (below), and you’ll notice one of our sponsors listed. That’s how powerful Cool Cleveland is. Plug into the latest techniques for creating awareness and action. Consult with the specialists at Cool Cleveland: Info@CoolCleveland.com

JazzFest = education The big headliners might steal the show, but the real story of our venerable (26th annual!) Tri-C JazzFest is the educational element: weekly music lessons for students, clinics taught by visiting artists, high school all-star bands, and a summer camp with jazz masters. Besides offering an associate degree in Jazz Studies, Tri-C also doles out degrees in Recording Arts and Technology, and a Community Music Program which provides music lessons to Cleveland Municipal School kids and interested parents. See comments by Larry Simpson, president of Tri-C Metro in PD here and get more info on (& tix for) the upcoming Tri-C JazzFest on 4/14 thru 4/24 here: http://www.TriCJazzFest.com

Convention center is missing link? Mike Burns, VP of Conferon, the country’s largest meeting-planning company, based here in Twinsburg with 650 employees, believes that Cleveland has everything that other cities don’t have: world-class culture, 3 pro teams, cheap air travel, a train from the airport to a walkable Downtown, hotels, a waterfront, even the Rock Hall; what we don’t have is a viable convention center. “You can’t just build a convention center, which other cities have found out the hard way. You need other things for people to do. Cleveland’s got those.” Read Joe Frolik’s piece here, then scroll down and read RoldoLINK on the same subject, then tell us what you really think about a convention center by clicking here: Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

How Chicago leadership works It ain’t perfect, and it ain’t pretty, but the Daley family has exhibited leadership in ways that may be instructive to Clevelanders. See Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal here. Speaking of opinions, if you’ve got one, send it to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Iowa partners with Electronic Literature Organization Marjorie C. Luesebrink, past president of ELO’s board of directors, described the ELO-University of Iowa partnership as part of a networking initiative with key universities, expanding opportunities in electronic literature and exploring the interfaces with new media arts. It should increase collaboration between writers, scholars and teachers of traditional texts and digital works. And we’re all for that. http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2005/february/020905elo.html

Gathering Place for young adults Calling all young adults, ages 18 and up who are diagnosed with cancer: join this group to address the challenges they face; from college and educational-related concerns to significant relationships. They’ll meet up the first and third Thursday of each month, including this Thu 3/3 from 7-8:30PM. Register at 595-9546. All programs and services at The Gathering Place are provided without cost to participants. Located at 23300 Commerce Park. http://www.TouchedByCancer.org

First Ship Festival Soon to be hitting the harbor of Lake Erie, the First Ship contest and festival is arriving with much anticipation. If you can correctly guess when the ice will melt, allowing the first ship of the 2005 international shipping season to dock in Cleveland, you’ll score prime prizes. Here’s a hint to get you started: the first ship traditionally arrives between 3/25 and 4/11, but with this year’s weather, it’s anybody’s guess. Enter by Mon 3/21 at http://www.PortOfCleveland.com or call 241-8004, ext. 33.

Passionate about underground press Check out Zine World, a non-conventional publication that’s written, edited, published, and mailed out by an all-volunteer staff that really digs free speech. http://www.UndergroundPress.org

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Cool Fridays = Hot Jazz The Cleveland Museum of Art continues it’s popular Cool Fridays series on March 4th with the hot jazz of Tony Pulizzi from 5:30-8:30. The action will continue each Friday until April 29th with different types of music each week. This is a great way to unwind while experiencing great music and fine art. Enjoy the free music and cash bar in the Interior Garden Court and don’t forget that parking is only $3.00 after 5 PM. Check out the full calendar at http://www.clevelandart.org/specialevents/CoolFridays.pdf. or call 421-7350.
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DMOMA valentine The Digital Museum of Modern Art is accessible around the world from their website, but the organizers are based right here in Northeast Ohio. Their latest show, Czolgaj Sie, which opened on Valentine’s Day 2005, is “not about prostitution – although it could be,” according to W. Logan Fry, Founder and Chief Curator. Instead, it addresses gender issues in Poland and around the world. Czolgaj Sie is a poem by Polish outsider poet Marcin Swietlicki. An eight-panel graphic by artist Cezary Ostrowski accompanies the poem. Then, to a reading of the poem by Swietlicki, Ostrowsky created an electronic music background. Presented in both Polish and English, Czolgaj Sie is “a thoughtful counterpoint to the joys of Valentine’s Day.” Just what we need. http://www.dmoma.org

Back Talk magazine Its creator snagged one of the Cleveland Foundation’s Civic Innovation Lab grants, and the result is an on-line source for Clevelanders 13-18 years old. http://www.back-talk.org

Edible Books Festival call for entries After last year’s delectable success, Loganberry Books and Strong Bindery will again host the Cleveland exhibition of the Sixth International Edible Book Festival on Sat 4/2 where booklovers, bookbinders, cooks, and craftspeople of all ages are invited to view the Edible Book entries, cast their votes, and consume these delicious books. All entries must be completely edible and have a connection to books. Choose your favorite food, and get set to create a book that will be exhibited, judged, and consumed. For info on deadlines and registration, call 795-9800 or e-mail harriett@logan.com

PSF Perks Are you one of the lucky Downtown tenants that work in one of Playhouse Square’s buildings: the Hanna, Bulkley or new Idea Center? If you are an employee in any of those buildings, you can show your ID and pick up your PSF Perks card, allowing you discounts throughout the Playhouse Square Theatre District: discounted theatre tix, advance sale offers, giveaways, discounts at the Wyndham Cleveland Hotel and their restaurant, Winsor’s, plus other restaurant and retail offers. When you use the PSF Perks card, you’ll get one point for each dollar spent, accruing special gifts and services. For more info, call 664-6032 or e-mail PamM@PlayhouseSquare.com or visit http://www.PlayhouseSquare.com/PSFperks

Film Fest tix on sale now The 29th annual Cleveland International Film Festival is about to lift off Thu 3/10 to Sun 3/20 (we recommend the Hometown Heroes series here), and you have a variety of ways to score tix: 1) Improved web site. Go to http://www.ClevelandFilm.org, with no per-ticket charges, sold until 3PM on the day before the screening. If you order on or before Mon 3/7, your tix will be mailed; otherwise, tickets will be held at Tower City Cinemas. 2) Phone via 866-865-FILM (toll-free), with the same dates as above. 3) US Mail: Download the order form from the site, or use page 83 of the Preview Guide. 4) In person via Film Festival store, located in Tower City Cinemas on The Avenue at Tower City Center, store hours between 2/25 & 3/10 are as follows: Mon thru Sat: 11AM-7PM, Sun Noon to 5PM. Between 3/11 & 3/20: 11:30AM-9:30PM; there are no handling fees. 5) Fax via 216-623-0103 for credit card orders only. We can’t help you with which fave films to attend, but hopefully this will help you get your tickets. http://www.ClevelandFilm.org

Cool Cleveland This Week
3.02-3.09
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Phillip Jackson, Executive Director, The Black Star Project has dedicated his life to providing opportunities that improve the lives of others, and he’ll speak about closing the racial academic achievement gap. Jackson is founder and executive director of The Black Star Project, designed to help children and students realize their educational potential. Its programs, such as the Fathers’ Club, connect men with their children; meet this speaker on Wed 3/2 at noon; event is open to the public. Call 621-0082. City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Avenue. http://www.CityClub.org

Bringing Law to Cyberspace Who owns human thought and creativity published in cyberspace? Stanford Law School Professor Margaret Jane Radin, a renowned property theorist, will point the way to answers during her lecture, “Information Tangibility.” In what ways is law responding to ownership issues? Find out at this public lecture open to everyone on Wed 3/2 at 5PM. Call 687-6886. Cleveland State’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, East 18th and Euclid Ave. http://www.law.csuohio.edu

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Frances Mayes’ Tuscany Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Writers Center Stage 2004-2005 series goes to Italy, with bestselling author Frances Mayes on 3/15 at 7:30PM in Playhouse Square at the Ohio Theatre. Ms. Mayes wrote the hugely popular series of books regarding her adventures in Tuscany. Her new work, Bringing Tuscany Home, is a style-resource aimed at helping its readers recognize and incorporate authentic Tuscan style into their own homes. This series offers stimulating presentations by the authors and opportunities to purchase books and have them autographed. Single ticket sales are available at the Playhouse Square Box Office, 1519 Euclid Ave., through Tickets.com, or by calling 216-241-6000. Cuyahoga County Public Library – providing your community open access to resources that inform, entertain and enrich. www.cuyahogalibrary.org
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Fifth Annual Arts Educator Awards Young Audiences of Greater Cleveland (YAGC) are giving credit where credit is due, recognizing individuals from all disciplines who use the arts to improve education and enhance learning. The event will be enlivened by Jubal Harris, a master craftsman performing Afro-Cuban percussion, and guest keynote speaker is Margot James Copeland, Executive Vice President-Director of Civic Affairs and Corporate Diversity for KeyCorp. Honorees are Alice Backus, at Alexander Graham Bell Elementary; Jim Bycznski, an art teacher at Berea High School; and Colleen Porter, Director of Education, Playhouse Square Center. Support the educators on Wed 3/2 at 6:30PM. Call for tickets at 561-5005. Tower City Center’s The Oak Room, 230 West Huron Rd. http://www.YAGC.org

4 Minutes to Happy Cleveland playwright Sarah Morton takes you on a thoughtful journey, moving around the coordinates of comedy, tears and self-introspection to blast her blue mood in a display of personal bravery. Laugh with her during this solo piece as she investigates and parodies the self-help experience – should she begin pill-popping or just tough it out on her own? Find out at the preview shows on Wed 3/2 and Thu 3/3 at 7:30PM. Call 631-2727. Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave. http://CPTonline.org

Fine Art of Portfolio Diversification Art is an accessible and alternative way to invest. In this public lecture, art appraiser, dealer, and consultant William C. Tregoning II will explain the potential increase in value an art collection can bring. Now you can discover what considerations to make when purchasing art, from one of the best appraisers in the Northeast Ohio region. Accompanying him is Stacy Feiner of Merrill Lynch, an art lover who will discuss why artwork should be a component of investment portfolios; be there on Thu 3/3 at 6:30PM. A wine and cheese reception and a gallery tour will follow at 7:15PM. Call 440-247-7507. Valley Art Center, 155 Bell St. in Chagrin Falls. http://www.ValleyArtCenter.org

Kids with Cameras is a new grassroots foundation that raises money through the sale of children’s photographs. Inspired by the Oscar winning documentary, Born into Brothels, documenting the experiences of prostitutes in Calcutta’s red-light district, photojournalist Zana Briski befriended many of their children and decided to let them record images from their lives. Come to this event, and assist in the effort to raise money for disadvantaged children in India, Haiti, Egypt, and Jerusalem; show up to make a difference at this benefit event on Thu 3/3 at 7PM. Purchase an advance ticket to the benefit, and it’ll get you into a screening of the film along with a post screening Q&A with the director, Ross Kauffman. After the discussion, a wine, hors d’oeuvre, and dessert reception with photographs for sale are at Studio You. Call 231-2721. Event happens at Cedar Lee Theatre, 2180 Lee Rd. Maryb13@sbcglobal.net

Ukrainian Pysanky Translated from Ukrainian, it means egg decorating, and it’s a delicate art that has been practiced since ancient times. This wax-resist batik technique was perfected by the Ukrainian culture; come discover its history, symbolic meanings, and technical fundamentals in a hands-on workshop designed to help you make every day more artful. Infuse your day with art on Thu 3/3 from 7-9PM. Call 330-376-9186 x230. University of Akron, Myers School of Art, Folk Hall, 150 E. Exchange St. in Akron. http://www.AkronArtMuseum.org/programs_class_f.html

Cool Cleveland Night Out in the Warehouse District Join Cleveland’s creative class this Fri 3/4 starting at 5:30PM for a Cool Cleveland Night Out featuring open bar with beer, wine and free-flowing hors d’oeuvres until 8PM, live music by The Aphrodesiatics, deep house by DJ Mike Metz, live music with the Salsa Social Club and dancing courtesy of Sammy DeLeon y Su Orquesta, and ambient grooves by DJ Anonymous. Where else can you do it all for such a ridiculously low price? Discounts available before Midnight Thu 3/3 by clicking here: Newsletter/Party

Full Photogravures by Charles Beneke It’s a visual survey of twenty digitally altered photogravures that weave the historic printmaking process with contemporary technology. Using consumption and digestion of food as a metaphor, Beneke looks deeply into the fusion of diverse elements. Meet the artist, Charles Beneke, printmaker and Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Akron during opening night on Fri 3/4 from 6-9PM. Call 881-4000. Zygote Press, 7209 St. Clair Ave. http://www.ZygotePress.com

Connect The 3rd annual Automotive Design Symposiumin conjunction with the 2005 Greater Cleveland Auto Show from noon – 3:30PM on Fri 3/4. The symposium will focus on the importance of connecting design strategy with consumer needs to achieve outstanding customer value. Featured speakers are grads of the Cleveland Institute of Art: Sid Ramnarace ’95, lead designer of the redesigned 2005 Ford Mustang; Chip Thole ’95, Designer, Cadillac Evoq Concept Car; Bill Nottingham ’00, Nottingham Spirk Design. IX Center, Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Registration is required at 421-7415 or events@gate.cia.edu.

The Exonerated Delve into psychological complexities of death and innocence as Dobama Theatre portrays exacting and intimate stories of six innocent death row survivors, who served significant time on death row before being exonerated. It’s a winner of four major awards; see this Off-Broadway production during its Cleveland premiere Fri 3/4 running through 3/20 at Dobama’s sweet undergound space on Coventry. Call 932-6838. Dobama Theatre, 1846 Coventry Rd. in Cleveland Hts. http://www.Dobama.org

Tom and Susana Evert Dance Theatre at MOCA See MOCA Mix’s dance event unveiling these national performers, choreographers, and teachers who have toured their chamber works program with solos and duets. The Evert’s investigative interpretations of relationships gauge emotional and sexual concerns, transcending the limits of conventional knowledge. Catch the Cleveland premieres including Ego Act, a solo by Mr. Evert accompanied by a George Crumb score (performed by Kronos Quartet), Once More…Not, a solo by Susana Evert, and True Water, a compelling work in progress on Fri 3/4 at 8PM. Call 421-8671. MOCA, 8501 Carnegie Ave. http://www.MOCAcleveland.org and http://www.EvertDance.com

Mauersberger at The Bonfoey Gallery Unravel the ultra-realistic images from an artist who has participated in numerous group, juried, and solo exhibitions in the U.S. and Slovakia. George Mauersberger is an associate professor at Cleveland State University, and his work has been presented in many private collections across the nation. His show, Drawings & Watercolors, will be displayed during his opening reception on Fri 3/4 from 5-7:30PM. Call 621-0178. Bonfoey Gallery, 1710 Euclid Ave. http://www.Bonfoey.com

Art for the Kids See into a child’s mind in this show inspired by and for children; the evening includes photography by young people and an integrated exhibit to benefit the Babies and Children’s Heart Center of Akron and the Lakewood Family Room. Send up your offers during the auction, find friends in a warm setting, and sample finger food on Fri 3/4 from 6-9PM; show runs thru 3/31. Call 228-1802. Local Girl Gallery, 16106 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. http://www.LocalGirlGallery.com

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Sizzling Vocal Music If you like a cappella music, you’ll love the one night only Ladysmith Black Mambazo performace at the Tri-C Eastern Campus on Friday, 3/11 at 8 PM. Instant international celebrities after teaming up with Paul Simon on his Graceland album, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will enchant you with a cappella blends of hot running rhythms, vocal percussion and humor accented with touches of doo-wop, gospel and reggae. Order your tickets online through tickets.com or call 216.241.6000. Co-presented by the Tri-C Center for Arts and Culture and the Eastern Campus Office of Student Life, each of whom bring renowned and rising stars to Clevelanders each year. Visit http://www.tri-c.edu/ca or call 216.987.2543 or 216.987.2045 for more information on this must see performance.
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Power of Woman Building upon the success of the wildly successful 2003 Power of Woman charity photography auction, the event returns with a stunning collection of photography donated by dozens of talented local and national artists, whose work will interpret the theme The Power of Woman: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. Black-and-white and color original works will be awarded to the highest bidder via silent auction, with proceeds going to Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland. Step out for art and complimentary martini bar on Sat 3/5 at 8PM. Call 961-8804 x221. ArtMetro, Colonial Marketplace at 530 Euclid Ave.

Akron Art Museum workshop with artist Zena Zipporah will get you up-close to a Cleveland-based artist whose artwork is featured in the Akron Art Museum’s current New Master Drawings exhibition. Bring your curiosity and look into her drawing technique, detailing found objects with small drawings and tiny letters. Her texts are image-laden and reflect her interest in mythology and stories that are found in every culture. Workshop begins Sat 3/5 from 1-3PM, located at Butler Institute of American Art/Salem, 343 E. State Street in Salem. Register in advance by calling 330-376-9186 x214. http://www.AkronArtMuseum.org

The Annual American Girls Fashion Show Presented by the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals, this fundraiser will benefit children’s cancer research, and the fun includes viewing styles of yesterday and today. Discover how generations of girls have used fashion to express their style and personality on Sat 3/5 at 1:30PM and Sun 3/6 at 1PM. Enjoy the fashion show based on historically inspired clothing as well as contemporary outfits for girls. Enjoy breakfast or lunch in a family-based atmosphere designed for girls ages 5-12 to attend along with their families. Call 844-7858. Executive Caterers at Landerhaven, 6111 Landerhaven Dr. in Mayfield Hts. http://www.Landerhaven.com/index2.html

Brilliant American films It’s a daring discussion that explains how director Steven Spielberg used the medium of film to portray the drive of the elusive “calling,” and why a drive propels writers and other artists to create; the 1977 blockbuster film Close Encounters of the Third Kind will be the springboard for thought experimentation. Erin Nowjack’s session will explore Spielberg as an artist who uses actors, sets and situation. Take part in it Tue 3/8 from 7-9PM. Call 421-0403. Poets’ and Writers’ League of Greater Cleveland, 12200 Fairhill Rd., Townhouse 3A http://www.PWLGC.com

Is Sustainability Sustainable? An Evolutionary Perspective Bruce Lattimer, Director of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, shares a fascinating afternoon with his insight into the dynamics of evolution and sustainability. How does our region need to think about sustainability in order for it to become a global leader in sustainability? Take up the cause on Tue 3/8 at 4PM. Call 368-5540. The Center for Regional Economic Issues, Peter B. Lewis Building 287, 11119 Bellflower Rd. http://www.EdPro.net/news9

Writing Reviews with Carlo Wolff This class will discuss reviewing opinion, substantiation, knowledge, structure, and provide direction on how the review is written. Writers will also be instructed on what not to do: review the audience, write to please the subject, write to please the employer, and write for revenge. Professional reviewer, Carlo Wolff, brings his experience and background into the classroom; he writes for both local and national newspapers and magazines. If you already have publishing experience, this session will polish your ability on Tue 3/8 from 7-9PM. Call 421-0403. Poets’ and Writers’ League of Greater Cleveland, 12200 Fairhill Rd., Townhouse 3A. http://www.PWLGC.com

SynthCleveland presents UnSilent Film 3 with The Passion Of Joan Of Arc. It’s the 1928 Carl Theodor Dreyer classic silent film, featuring a new live soundtrack, and it’s third in a series of UnSilent films — silent movies with an improvised live score performed by SynthCleveland members Steven K.Smith, the scinema, tofu, dust_head, Fluxmonkey and Thieves Like Me. Spinning before and after the film will be special guest DJ Feima from WCSB. Dreyer’s unconventional camera angles are uncompromising, and the effect was so striking that Jean Cocteau remarked it looked like “an historical document from an era in which the cinema didn’t exist.” See it Wed 3/9 at 8PM. Call 651-4100. Rain Nightclub, 4142 Lorain Ave. Visit http://www.SynthCleveland.com, http://www.tech-elements.com/thescinema, http://junior.apk.net/~tofu/music.html, http://www.dusthead.net and http://www.BasementBoy.com

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Correction Steelyard Commons is the retail development planned by First Interstate Properties, Ltd. on property purchased from ISG under the Jennings Freeway, along the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland’s steel mill valley, that was expected to include Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot and other big-box retailers. Last week, we reported that Steelyard Commons was expected to be a $900 million project. The correct figure was $90 million. We apologize for the error.

WCLV Notes A reminder that WCLV 104.9 now presents two broadcasts each week by The Cleveland Orchestra – Saturdays from Severance at 8PM, and The Cleveland Orchestra on the Radio Sundays at 4PM. WCLV is also a window to other great orchestras from around the nation – the Minnesota Orchestra on Tuesdays, the Pittsburgh Orchestra on Thursdays, and the New York Philharmonic on Fridays, all at 9PM. And the Detroit Symphony can be heard Sundays at 1PM. a Cool Cleveland partner. http://www.wclv.com

vYbe Snapshot
Entrepreneur and Operations Researcher, RTA Alex Zorach

In Cool Cleveland’s ongoing vYbe feature, we hook you up with 20-somethings who have something more to offer creatively and intellectually. This month, vYbe introduces Alex Zorach, who has been running his own computer consulting business, Sustainable Computing, for two years and recently decided to phase out the business to accept a full-time position in operations research with the Greater Cleveland RTA. Before working as a freelance computer consultant, Alex originally moved to Cleveland from Lancaster, PA without a job because he liked the city, and found an attractive place to land at Oberlin College. He aims to positively impact the city as a whole by contributing his talent and new business ideas. Cool Cleveland spoke with him about starting a fledgling business, creating an alternative currency in Cleveland, and why he chose to relocate to our region.

Cool Cleveland: What have you accomplished that you’re most proud of?

Alex Zorach: That I was able to get my business off the ground. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you have your first month, and realize you can quit your part-time job, that’s such a great feeling. When you realize that other people may have helped you, but it’s your own enterprise that you have complete control over and complete responsibility for, that’s a wonderful thing.

What other kinds of projects do you have going?
I’m very serious about creating an alternative currency system. There are other people within the Greater Cleveland area who are working with this too, but their plans are confined to Lakewood and I’m working on starting an alternative currency system for all of Cuyahoga County.

How would this work?
It involves people and businesses coming together and agreeing to use a new medium of exchange, instead of regular U.S. dollars, to trade goods and services with each other, and perhaps even pay employees…
Read vYbe Snapshot here

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Cleveland Crips
Deafness Preferred
By Rosemary Musachio

What’s it like to be disabled in Cleveland? Cleveland Crips will try to answer this. No pity here! Just an insightful, often humorous perspective from a Greater Clevelander who happens to have a disability. This month Rosemary Musachio sheds light on the deaf culture and why it is not an impairment, but a preferred physical trait. Check out this insider’s view on the realities of differently abled persons.

The desire to remain completely hearing impaired has helped develop a Deaf Culture. In fact, the love and pride for American Sign Language (ASL) has caused many deaf individuals to withdraw from almost all aspects of a hearing society. Even if some can verbalize and read lips, they choose not to because it taints ASL. Preserving one’s identity is the core concern of Deaf Culture. For many deaf people, the inability to hear is a trait, not a disability, and that’s why they usually want to pass this trait, along with the language and the pride that accompany it, to their children. ASL is also a method of daily communication, and a story telling technique, relaying pride and wisdom from one generation to another. Even though ASL has no written form, several books have been written about the language. Webster even has sign language dictionaries.

Here in Cleveland, SignStage keeps ASL and deaf culture alive. Formerly known as Fairmount Theater of the Deaf, SignStage is a professional theatrical group that is composed of both hearing and deaf actors…
Read Cleveland Crips by Rosemary Musachio here

Cool Cleveland Sounds
The Backdoor Men
Mohawk Combover
Handsome Productions

For aging punk bands, reunions are a dodgy business. It might smack of age-ism, but the fact is, punk rock is a young man’s (or woman’s) music, and for those looking the half-century mark in the eye, making snotty, pissed-off songs can seem just a little ridiculous. That’s not to say that reuniting an old band is a guaranteed failure, but more often than not, the resulting gigs and records are far less satisfying than what came out of the old days. Luckily for the Backdoor Men, a Cleveland garage-punk five-piece that did the rounds of the city’s dive bars between 1977-87, passing time has not diminished its spirit, and years of experience have largely failed to hone its members playing into something too slick for rock and roll. And unlike some “geezer acts,” who attempt to ignore the effects of time, the band openly mocks its status as elder statesmen, titling its reunion disc Mohawk Combover, which shows that twenty-five years after the band’s initial dissolution, their tongues are still planted firmly in cheek. Mohawk Combover is a mixed bag, a scattershot collection of songs reflecting the band’s rather diverse songwriting range. There are classic Cleveland style punk tunes, like “Cultural Insanity,” that fit neatly next to their contemporaries the Dead Boys and Rocket from the Tombs – all Raw Power riffage and Rust Belt loathing, there are songs with a blues influence, rife with slide guitar, and there are blasts of pure garage rock. “Not Fed Up With You Yet” comes complete with squalling Farfisa and tons of fuzz, but that’s the problem – it’s far too stereotypical a garage sound. Better is the following track, “Bus Station Gyration,” which shoots for the Yardbirds vibe, but ends up more like the Count Five – good classic garage rock was all about trying and failing to sound like your heroes. On tracks like “F*ck the French” and “Sh#t Outta Luck” the band gets in trouble; it is simply not becoming for grown men to take part in such juvenile rants. The Backdoor Men, despite their punk roots, do best when sinking their teeth into more “mature” sounds, like the melodic, harmonica-laced Americana of “Pure Heart.” Still, the disc is a fine testament to a band that, unlike so many of its compadres, survived to tell the tale of its wild youth and create music that echoes its original sound without slavishly re-treading old ground, and for long-term fans, there is a present – the bonus track is an appropriately muddy live rendition of “Eve of Destruction” recorded at Fitzpatrick’s Rainbow in 1977. From the lack of crowd noise, it sounds like there were about a dozen people in the room. Hopefully, the next time the band decides to grace a Cleveland stage, there will be a warmer reception.

from Cool Cleveland contributor Leslie Basalla lbasalla77@msn.com

Get your CD reviewed If you’re a musician and have released a CD within the past year, Cool Cleveland would like to hear what you’ve got. Promote your band’s sound locally, and help us point out to Cleveland the sounds that are rocking the scene. Visit our link here to find out how to send your latest CDs to Cool Cleveland.

RoldoLINK
Big Projects Don’t Produce Big Enough Paybacks
By Roldo Bartimole

I guess I’ll have to argue with Plain Dealer architecture critic Steve Litt, as much as I usually admire his work.

Litt wrote a piece recently about the economic impact of Gateway and other downtown projects. He says the results suggest Cleveland should pursue more big projects. I say the payoff isn’t commensurate with the costs.

Litt’s piece had a number of caveats. However, he praised achievements of Gateway, Playhouse Square and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all big projects in downtown Cleveland, as successes. His message was that Cleveland has to think BIG.

I believe he failed to take into account the public cost…
Read RoldoLINK by Roldo Bartimole here

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

Pittsburgh Art Weekend 2/18-21
It’s been years since I traveled to Pittsburgh. President’s Day Weekend seemed like a good time to check out the museums and the town. Hotels.com found us a cheap sleep up by the airport, three nights for the price of one night at a downtown hotel – hey, I like it already. Downtown Pittsburgh looks great. You head south toward the city, snake through the Fort Pitt tunnel past a waterfall of ice formations, and boom – downtown springs up like a pop-up book, surrounded by yellow bridges. What I liked best: a tourist can’t get lost in Pittsburgh. There’s great signage throughout the city, arrows pointing out all its funky neighborhoods. (Cleveland, take note.) We didn’t even need a map except for the tourist giveaway insert. All the attractions – museums, shopping, theater, neighborhoods – are clearly marked with special signs, making it easy to explore…
Read the review by Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein here

Joel Harrison’s Free Country @ Nighttown on 2/24
Once you immunize yourself to the crowd noise so you can focus on the artistry at hand, jazz at Nighttown can be enjoyable. Besides, the crowd, in addition to talking loudly, is drinking and eating. And what it consumes in effect subsidizes the jazz, particularly when there are very few paying customers. That seemed to be the case Feb. 24 when Joel Harrison’s Free Country worked the room at the top of Cedar Hill in Cleveland Heights. It was the New York City group’s first area date, but it’s not likely to be the last. The music, an original amalgam of country, jazz and gospel with the occasional rock accent, was terrific, particularly the country-flecked material like a transmogrified old fiddle tune, “Shady Grove,” and the Stanley Brothers’ “Riding That Midnight Train.” Led by the inventive guitarist and vocalist Joel Harrison, Free Country also boasts the remarkable David Binney, a tiny man who blows a giant sax; Dan Weiss, a drummer who specializes in circularity and power; and Gary Versace, an organist-synthesist who last played Cleveland in spring 2004, when he helped power drummer John Hollenbeck’s guest appearance with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. I caught only the first set on 2/24, but it was enough to convince me Harrison is onto something. His second album with Free Country, So Long 2nd Street, was one of the best records of 2004, and he’s shopping Harrison on Harrison, his take on Beatle George Harrison’s tunes. Besides Free Country, he works with some illustrious friends, like pianist Uri Caine and saxophonist David Liebman; and Norah Jones guests on Free Country, his 2003 Harrison Free Country debut. The music was alternately dappled (on Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman”) and volcanic (on “Grove,” a showcase for Binney’s sharp, implacable forays). Even though Harrison seemed at first to confine himself to a supporting role, he ultimately stepped out, riding his light, nasal tenor voice and chordal guitar to beautiful effect on “I Am the Light of the World,” the soft spiritual that closed the set. http://www.joelharrison.com/freecountry.html
from Cool Cleveland contributor Carlo Wolff CWolff7827@aol.com

Ballet Jazz de Montreal @ Ohio Theatre 2/25
We went to the Ohio Theatre to see Stolen Show (2004), a triptych of dances choreographed on BJM Danse (formerly known as Ballet Jazz de Montreal) by Canadian Crystal Pite during her three-year stint as choreographer in residence. We’d read about the company and the piece in order to write a short preview article; in one of the articles that we read, SeeMagazine.com, Pite had been forthcoming about the problems her commission posed: “How do you create a piece for a company with a mandate to entertain?” Her response was an innovative but provisional answer for the first part of the trilogy: 24, which was a series of 24 one-minute bullets or riffs. Then, having come up with a piece that could hold its own alongside the company’s other, jazzier repertoire, Pite found a larger form in the idea of a parody/tribute to spectacle. What does it mean, she asked herself, to steal the show? And how was she to choreograph for a company whose audience had been trained to expect one show-stopping spectacle after another?
Read the view by Cool Cleveland contributor Victor Lucas here

The Exonerated @ Dobama 2/25
What: Six compelling, interwoven real-life tales about death row prisoners whose unjust convictions were eventually overturned.
Reasons to go: Joel Hammer’s simple, taut production is a tribute to the power of live theater: these stories couldn’t have the same impact without live bodies in the room. All six leads -– some Dobama vets, some new faces — are compelling performers. Standouts are Elizabeth Townsend’s hippy chick caught up in a police shooting, Allan Byrne’s scarred white trash teen, Kirk Brown as an organic farmer accused of his parents’ murder, and David Lemoyne as a devout black teenager. It’s not just capital punishment that gets sent up. The effect of this passionate, chilling documentary is to rip the mask off the criminal justice system -– think of it as the anti-Law and Order — and see how easily miscarriages can happen, especially for the poor.
Backstory: Author/interviewers Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen have set up a foundation to help exonerated prisoners get on with their shattered lives. Bring extra cash: after hearing these hair-raising stories, you’ll want something extra for the post-show donation basket. Most performances have post-show discussions with various legal experts.
Target audience: Teens & up: drama lovers, documentary lovers, citizens.
Details: Dobama, 1846 Coventry, Cleveland Hts. 216-932-3396. Thru 3/20. http://www.dobama.org
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein linda@coolcleveland.com

Jump Back Ball @ State Theater 2/26
A royal event of extraordinary proportions, the Jump Back Ball is one of Cleveland’s most prestigious affairs. The Ball’s reason for existence is to raise funds for the annual operations of Playhouse Square Center. As the center’s biggest fundraiser, the Jump Back Ball has enjoyed a reputation as one of Cleveland’s best parties wrapped in a decade of irreverence. This year’s Medieval theme produced sell out crowds, which is typically the norm and the onslaught of tuxes, gowns, sequins and bling played out like the Academy Awards minus Beyonce. The best part of the evening was stumbling upon old friends while downing martinis from the ice sculpture loge, feasting on scrumptious melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin and warm chocolate dessert goo (bread pudding) provided by Sammy’s, and dancing at the midnight hour to the Jerry Bruno Orchestra. With the mission of trying to outdo themselves every year, the Jump Back Ball’s committee will have quite a challenge next year. Personally, I can’t wait.
from Cool Cleveland contributor T.L. Champion tl@coolcleveland.com

Long Day’s Journey Into Night @ Ensemble 2/27
What: Ensemble Theater lives up to its name with this triumphant ensemble production of Eugene O’Neill’s autobiographical masterpiece. Compassionate and truthful, funny and sad, it’s a theatrical banquet.
Reasons to go: Despite the dramatic depths, there’s no wallowing here. Director Licia Colombi establishes a whip crack pace that brings out a surprising number of laughs along with the psychological truth, which makes the nearly 3-hour play whiz by. The cast is beautifully balanced: Robert Hawkes and John Kolibab as James Tyrone Sr. and Jr. are like mirrors of each other, bull-necked drunks who know how to lash out with a vengeance, with Andrew Cruse a futile peacemaker as the poetic, tubercular son. Their last act drinking bout is the most convincing drunk scene I’ve ever seen on stage. Annie Kitral flutters and floats as the dope-fiend mother, while Eileen Canepari makes a comically tart maid. They’re the ultimate dysfunctional family: full of pain, experts at denial and the blame game, yet believably loving — even endearing — despite their flaws. Seeing the play in the small Studio One space, where the audience can practically touch the actors, makes it an intimate and moving experience.
Backstory: The Colombi sisters have made the plays of Eugene O’Neill a staple at Ensemble since its inception, from The Hairy Ape to Desire Under the Elms to The Great God Brown. This is a fitting 25th anniversary celebration of their devotion to one of America’s greatest playwrights.
Target audience: Anyone who values theater as an art.
Details: Ensemble Theatre, Studio One at the Cleveland Play House, thru 3/13. http://www.ensemble-theatre.com
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein Linda@coolcleveland.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 a convention center [See Convention center obsession here] I have been reading some of the opinions of your readers and listening to the media talk about the convention center issue. There seems to be some push for a new Convention Center but every time it gains momentum, someone in the community or the media shuts it down. Why is it every time someone wants to talk about something positive in this town, it is immediately shot down as a bad idea? I am tired of living in a City that does not get the Big Picture. Everyone talks about Cleveland as a city that will not attract convention business, then why does Indianapolis have a Convention Center or Pittsburgh or Columbus or Cincinnati? Even Baltimore! Cold weather cities that have Convention Business. Our Convention center is now losing out on Local revenue to the IX center on shows…
Read the letter from Cool Cleveland reader Eric Julian erjulian@yahoo.com here

On another interchange in Avon [See Stopping sprawl here] I hope First Suburbs Consortium’s displeasure, over potential urban sprawl in Avon, gets some positive action from the Cuyahoga County Commissioners, after all; who else is there for support, right? A tad closer to home and after another year, we still have no response from the Planning Commission’s preparation of a Master Plan for the bedroom community of Seven Hills (right in the center of the County) which raises tremendous concern over the power of urban sprawl. This study weighs in as a banker’s almanac of linear averages, jumbled comparisons and mixed signals while, for some strange reason, ignoring the real issues. I was shocked because only after the real issues are identified, can we begin to plan for future sustainability. Maybe it was that stupid wish list that got me going, so I decided to sit down and decipher this 150pp ‘Plan’ with so many notes that it took a complete outline into a written review. Surprisingly, I found it to be a business as usual, market driven snow job as narrow as the town itself with absolutely no regard for substantive answers while destroying that suburb’s green identity to serve as a primer for immediate gratification on behalf of urban sprawl – go figure…Sure, ‘stimulate the economy’ with bulldozers – for how long? I call it suburban rape with a constant thrust, without a hitch, thanks to the boss of your local sheriff….
Read the letter by James King IDEA_S@webtv.net here

On Blackwell’s arrogance [See Blackwell ignores Congress here] Mr. Blackwell: We have been following with great interest your peculiar involvement in managing the election process in the recent and lamented Ohio presidential elections. We have observed in awe, and indeed continue to do so, your behavior throughout, and following, the elections – behavior widely reported in Ohio media. We regret to inform you that at least two of your fellow citizens find you a disappointment and an embarrassment. As citizens we understand several things about our government and its structures and processes. We understand the role of Secretary of State of Ohio, and we grasp the intent the election laws in our country, and we revere the ethical practices under which this nation has conducted its civic business and (for the most part) its elections. Finally, we realize the importance of the rule of law and the necessity of civil society in a democracy…
Read the letter from Cool Cleveland reader Christine Sell & James Hilliard at csell@stratos.net here

Dear Secretary of State Blackwell: I am wondering why you refused to meet with the House Administration Committee about voting irregularities in Ohio. As your responsibility to your constituents – and to the country which in dire need of election reform – that should have been your top priority. You can’t sweep under the rug the issues surrounding the voting in November – I and thousands of others worked at the polls and experienced firsthand irregularities on both sides. I and thousands of others wasted precious resources to work around your game-playing with provisional voting and registration cards. When the Democratic, Green and Libertarian parties led the crusade for investigations and a recount, you refused to understand that it wasn’t sour grapes on their parts. They said again and again that they did not expect a change in the outcome; they were committed to the larger purpose of preserving an institution crucial to our democracy. Do you have the courage to do the same – or do you have something to hide?
from Cool Cleveland reader Bettyanne Green mixedbag@ameritech.net

On Mardi Gras in Cleveland [See Mardi Gras: Madness or Mantra for NEO? By Andy Birol here] I applaud Andy Birol’s idea for launching a Mardi Gras in Cleveland. It doesn’t have to be an event of utter debauchery – it’s celebrated here in Germany, where I live, by entire families (as well as in my husband’s hometown of Sydney) with parades, dances, food, street parties, and school fests. It’s a wonderful and colourful way to beat the winter blues as well. Good luck with this attempt to bring a unique celebration to your international city, home to plenty of people whom I’m sure would embrace this with zest.
from Cool Cleveland reader Emily Burnell Petrou

Having actually lived in New Orleans for nearly eight years – after growing up in Cleveland – I am deeply disturbed by Birol’s suggestion that Cleveland be more like New Orleans in having “fun” with Mardi Gras. Indeed, as he argues quite persuasively in his own commentary, this big, regional celebration clearly has done nothing for the people of New Orleans: “Yet, Greater New Orleans is one of our nation’s poorest regions, with high rates of unemployment, illiteracy, and violent crime. The local economy is overly dependent on the “smokestack” industries of gas and oil, and the relentless humidity combines with particulates to create air quality worthy of hell. (In New Orleans, for much of the year, lungs don’t breathe; they drink.) Known for its brutal politics and murder rates, the city simply doesn’t have a lot to be thankful for. Except Mardi Gras.” Give me a break! Mardi Gras is the opium of the masses – it thrives because the region and multitudes of its citizens are so oppressed. How else to escape the every day, brutal reality that their public education system is in shambles…
Read the letter from Gabriella Celeste gabriellac@aol.com here

Andy’s comments were especially poignant for me. I lived in New Orleans for 3 years. I worked in the newsroom at the Times-Picayune (the newspaper). I had a good feel for the pulse of the town. And Andy is right. New Orleans isn’t ALL that different from Cleveland. In fact, in many important ways, it is smaller than Cleveland. In others, it is much bigger. I could go on and on about the similarities and differences about the two places…including the food (God the food), but what Andy was really lamenting is the fact that Cleveland just doesn’t “get it” when it comes to leveraging our resources. Let me give you an example….
Read the letter from Cool Cleveland reader Paul Fresty pfresty@ideastar.com here

On the proposed Lakewood smoking ban [See Lakewood Chamber against smoking ban here] I think the real problem with smoke is, some people get hurt by it. Some feel banning smoking could harm establishments that cater to smokers. I also understand some smokers can’t live without a cigarette. Rather than a poor compromise how about establishing a safe air quality standard in areas that permit smoking. That way, employees working long hours in smoking areas have a reasonably safe environment along with the patrons. After all, shouldn’t we all have a chance to breathe clean air? I imagine the technology for cleaning air is available. Let’s try to keep everyone somewhat happy.
from Cool Cleveland reader Pat Ballasch

Smokers are litter bugs. What’s the difference if one throws a cigarette out the window or a soda can or a bag full of garbage. Nothing! It’s all litter. It’s gross walking out of buildings and on the sidewalk, its trashed with cigarette butts. Most of them think their in a movie, flicking their smoke in the air. Not all smokers are litter bugs, but most just toss it for mother nature to deal with. At least be considerate and act your age and don’t litter.
from Cool Cleveland reader Brendan Walton ABWyogaman@aol.com

let them flee. business will continue without them. it is 2005 and we are hit so hard with education from so many angles that informs us of the dangers of smoking–dangers that severely affect “them” and those in the wake of their toxic smog. they have more regard for their “fix” than for their health and for the health of those around them. let them flee. to avoid passing legislature regarding such a monumental issue because of businesses flailing is crazy. this impacts society’s HEALTH–what could be more important? Money? hmmmmmmm.
from Cool Cleveland reader Martha Weber mb_atnamaste@netzero.com

On E. 4th Street [See Destination Downtown here] The last time I was down at East Fourth, for the Grand Opening of the House of Blues, my car was broken into for the second time during the month of November. I really do not think that I would want to live (or go down there again) down there unless they take care of the crime problem. The police told me that almost a hundred cars a night were getting stolen in Cleveland. The next day, my buddy had his car stolen down there…screw that place.
from Cool Cleveland reader Ken Shea kenneth.shea@case.edu

East 4th street comments: I think it looks great. especially at night. I like to drive down that street.
from Cool Cleveland reader Louis Anderson Jr. sujux1@yahoo.com

As a former resident of Downtown who now lives in N. Collinwood but still works downtown, I am baffled by the lack of common sense demonstrated by those bemoaning the emptying of Tower City. The most common suggestion proffered by Those Who Think About Things is to encourage “uniquely Cleveland” retail outlets which, though laudable, results in a surplus of stores selling grandma’s tchokis and costume jewelry. What population is this suggestion trying to woo? Certainly not the downtown population of single professionals with scads of disposable income and an innate sense of style. Given a choice between traveling a half hour to one of the suburban “lifestyle” installations or popping over to Tower City to outfit oneself or one’s kitchen, which do you think a busy 20, 30 or 40 something would choose? The current dilemma is not competition from the suburbs, it’s that the kind of stores currently populating Tower City do not contain the chains that draw the attention and dollars of the people actually living and working downtown…
Read the letter from Cool Cleveland reader Christina J. Moser cj_moser@yahoo.com here

On Steelyard Commons and Wal-Mart [See Cleveland blocks Wal-Mart groceries until 2013 here] Hurrah to blocking Wal-Mart at Steelyard Commons. Let the locally headquartered markets — Heinen’s, Dave’s, and what’s left of the Rini-Rego’s markets, bid for space there. Giant Evil (Eagle) and Tops are not locally owned, and so do not have the stake in the success of the Cleveland community that the above-named companies do. I hope that the developer and the City really court Heinen’s for going in there.
from Cool Cleveland reader Kathryn L. Ryan irishgrl@ameritech.net

I think the people running city of cleveland is doing a disservice to the citizens of this city. They are deciding for themselves what and where Clevelanders can go and shop for food. They are letting the unions make the decisions instead of the politicians that were voted into office. Walmart is not the end all for everybody, but why should people be held hostage to the high prices and bad selections sum of these so called grocery stores carry, like the convient store markets and several local chains who can charge higher prices and give a lessor quality of product because they do not have to worry about competition. The only person the politicians care about are themselves, when campaining with their hands out for contributions by the many organized labor groups around town, maybe these labor groups donot hear the train whistle of jobs leaving Northeastern Ohio and never coming back. Let the people decide not sum politicians, who have never held a real job in their life.
from Cool Cleveland reader Jerry Scheer JMS4BY4@aol.com

My concern with the Steelyard Commons development is that all of the focus seems to be centered on Wal-mart which appears to be 90,000 square feet at the most. This development will encompass 132 acres and will have 1 million square feet in retail. Walmart will be approximately 10% of the total development. I am afraid that The Plain Dealer, City Hall, and Mr. Schneider are intentionally directing our focus to a small part of the overall project. I think it is more important to insist that the Economic Impact Study that City Council requested be done very soon. Since the start date for the project is March 1st, I think that it is imperative that the public have the Economic Impact Study to see what the overall impact of this project will be to the surrounding neighborhoods. Again, the Plain Dealer has told us that this is all we are going to get and if we don’t take it no other businesses will come in Cleveland…
Read the letter from Cool Cleveland reader Gloria S. Ferris geeferr@attglobal.net here

If the Walmart compromise the best you can do, I guess you just take it. Perhaps Steelyard Commons can also be the first location for red light cameras as well.
from Cool Cleveland reader Louise McDonald Riseashesphoenix@aol.com

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Top 5
Cool Cleveland uses Opticast tools to track which articles were clicked the most. Here are the Top 5 from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) Destination Downtown So what has East Fourth got that will compete with the Crocker Parks? Take the street itself. Over the past few years, MRN Ltd., a 30-year-old, family owned real estate company and developers created an urban entertainment experience, starting with the sculpting of public space. Destination Downtown HOB

2) Cool Cleveland Night Out buzzes the Warehouse District after work on Fri 3/4, where you can find dozens of diversions after work as we land at ground zero of Cleveland’s hottest night life. Newsletter/Party

3) Higher Ground The Brownstones at Derbyshire features a magnificent stone church converted to luxurious townhouses, as well as new construction townhomes. http://www.progressiveurban.com

4) Liberal Press? My Experience Says Absolutely Not The press is hardly liberal unless you define liberal only as culturally permissive. Roldolink Liberal Press

5) Home grown civic leaders A paid postgraduate fellowship is targeted for eight young professionals with potential to become civic leaders. http://www.clevelandfoundation.org/page21103.cfm

Fueled by Hard Corps Cool Cleveland is fueled by a group of people socking it weekly for CC. We appreciate their contributions that flavor our publication; thanks to Tisha Nemeth-Loomis, Rosemary Musachio, Leslie Basalla, Linda Eisenstein, TL Champion, Bill Nagode, Rachel Jacobs, Ivan Jackson, Roldo Bartimole, George Nemeth and everyone who partners with us. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@coolcleveland.com

See the Cool Cleveland column each month in Cleveland Magazine. Listen to Cool Cleveland on WCLV-FM 104.9 twice each Friday during drive time. Send your cool events to: Events@coolcleveland.com. For your copy of the free weekly Cool Cleveland e-zine, go to http://www.CoolCleveland.com

We’ll see you this Friday!

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com

all contents ©2005 MulreadyGROUP all rights reserved (:divend:)

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