8.13-8.20.08
Buzzworthy
In this week’s issue:* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here, CC podcast click here, Brewed Fresh Daily here
What is Buzzworthy? Only you can tell us. Check our Top 5 at the bottom of each Cool Cleveland newsletter, and you can see what other folks thought was buzzworthy from our previous issue. This week it might be the point/counterpoint twin commentaries on the passing of Cleveland City Councilwoman Fannie Lewis by CC columnists Roldo Bartimole and Mansfield Frazier, offering vastly different opinions. Or it could be our BizTech Profile of APISync, creating a buzz with their sustainability model. Or it could be the new book by Lisa Black, or the Cleveland Jazz Project’s new CD. Whatever you find worthy enough to buzz about, let us know by posting to our blog, BrewedFreshDaily.com or dropping us a note at Letters@CoolCleveland.com. We’ve got our ears to the ground, and we’d love to hear from you. –Thomas Mulready
A hot selection of tech and business news & events from around the region. Got business news? Send it to: EVENTS@CoolCleveland.com
Taking the Sting Out of Sustainability
Michael Dungan & Co. Create a Buzz With APISync
When it came to devising a business plan for his new company, Michael Dungan looked to the Apis mellifera, better known as the honeybee. “Bees are efficient and effective creatures. Theyre also very collaborative, and they leave little waste,” Dungan explains. In short, honeybees pollinate and harvest; they have a straightforward but important job.APISync, Dungan’s company dedicated to collaborative community efforts toward sustainability, derives its name from the genus of the honeybee. The goal of the company is to collect unwanted materials from manufacturers, suppliers and specifiers (pollinate) and give them to local organizations and people who can make good use of them (harvest). Dungan created a template for this service, which he uses locally and has taken to other communities around the country.
In Northeast Ohio, APISync incubates ZeroLandfill, a summer-long beneficial reuse program that supports the supply needs of local artists and art educators while reducing pressure on local landfill capacity. Interior designers, architects and specifiers are asked to collect their unwanted samples. These include discontinued or discarded carpet tiles, laminate chips, upholstery swatches, rubber flooring samples and wallcovering books, which are in turn distributed to places where they can be put to good use. Upholstery swatches, for example, can become a source of inspiration for an artist. A large carpet sample may be transformed into a sitting area for a grade school art class. Since early June, ZeroLandfill Northeast Ohio has distributed nearly 50,000 pounds of items that otherwise would have ended up in the waste stream…
Read more from Diane DiPiero here
Cool Cleveland is growing and looking for experienced salespersons ready to put the passion back in their careers. If you’re a top performer ready to engage your community, send resume and comprehensive cover letter to: Info@CoolCleveland.com.
Forest City Enterprises and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore are reinventing a Baltimore neighborhood as a tech park. Could Cleveland be next? Read the NYT article here
Akron-Canton Airport runway expansion hits halfway mark. $110M improvement plan means longer main runway & ability to fly non-stop to West Coast, Mexico & Caribbean from CAK. Read
Cle Clinic offshoot CleveX will “commercialize a device that removes skin lesions.” Click
Chagrin Falls company helps mastermind huge broadband network in Florida. OneBroward released an RFP for a community-owned wired and wireless broadband network spanning 500 sq mi of Broward County, Florida, and Beta Strategy Group, Ltd. was critical in its creation. Click
Local biz launcher/nurturer JumpStart featured in NYT article quite flatteringly. Read
IdeaStar highlights new batch of dubious online startups in this funny blog entry/story here
“Law and Creativity” blog to start at local site Geniocity.com
Civic Innovation Lab Champion Randy McShepard was invited to write a blog on Anderson Cooper’s CNN blog based on Policy Bridges’ latest report, The Job Prescription. You can read it by clicking here.
Medical Mart Site Chosen The Greater Cleveland Partnership decided on the Higbees building in lieu of the current convention center mall for the new medical mart and an adjacent convention center behind Tower City. A 12-member GCP Site Selection Committee pitched their recommendation to the Cuyahoga County Commissioners. You can read the full report here and see what kind of economic impact the GCP sees in construction and operations here. You can follow along with the project’s progress by adding http://www.gcpartnership.com/medicalmart.aspx to your bookmarks.
Forbes Magazine drops a bomb on Cleveland…plus The financially-minded folio (using some already well-acknowledged stats) decided now was a good time to say that C-town is one of the “fastest dying cities” in the country (read: far more than just struggling). Canton, Youngstown and Dayton were also a part of their, um, top ten. Learn more about the story here and feel free post your comment at the bottom of that page, as other Cleveland supporters have, and send your comments to Readers@Forbes.com. We can’t help but think a) given the recent FBI/IRS raids on county offices, the timing is questionable; b) the information that the piece is based on is really not anything new or shockingly substantive; c) the piece fails to mention the upside of what many of these cities are doing behind the scenes to try and solve economic woes; d) suburbs are draining most of these cities of their population; e) with the foreclosure crisis pinching the outer-ring suburbs and “exurbs” and volatile gas prices, a move back to the “metropolitan core” could still happen. TeamNEO has assembled key economic facts here. What are your feelings on the piece? Agree? Disagree? In the spirit of other recent national “awards” (natch), get those “fat, poor, dumb, dying” Cleveland fingers to a keyboard and share your thoughts with us. Letters@coolcleveland.com.
SPONSORED: CPL High Tech Upgrades Cleveland Public Library announces that the highest quality computer network service is now available in every neighborhood in Cleveland. Every building in the CPL system is connected to a new high-speed fiber network. Public access wireless, or WiFi, is also available at CPL, including the beautiful Eastman Reading Garden downtown. Sharpen your computer skills at Your library – Call today (216) 623-2980. Info at www.cpl.org.
Making sense of solar for biz is latest E4S forum Wed 8/13 @ GOJO Akron. Register
Biz Emergency Planning Assoc. 10th Ann conference hits on Thu 8/14 and Fri 8/15, anchored by Red Cross. Register
Web Assoc., Cle DMA, and NEO-AMA Summer Social hits Cle Yacht Club Thu 8/14 at 5:30PM. Register
Does your sales force need Boot Camp? Then send them to this seminar Fri 8/15 starting at 9AM. Ten-hut!
Building sustainable economy is another sharp E4S forum hitting Tue 8/19 at Great Lakes Brewing. Click
Get Organized Workshop organization seminar talks “From Outlook to Everything Else” and hits Wed 8/20 at 9AM. Click
Green PR Track: How to Communicate Your Green Commitments to the outside world Wed 8/20 at 1:30PM. More Info
Event Production Processes Lighting, Staging, Planning… Oh My! on Wed 8/20 at LaCentre, Westlake. Register
Health Care Heroes awards and networking luncheon hits Thu 8/21. Get your tix and details here
Breakfast for the Brain event discusses “Understanding and Leveraging Your Team” Fri 8/22 starting at 8:30AM. Click
BVU’s Role of the Board details roles of board and senior staff at NPOs feat. Dr. Linda Abraham-Silver of GLSC Fri 9/12 at 8AM Details
Exploring Entrepreneurship hits Corp Coll. East Tue 9/16 at 7PM. Details
Manf’g woes? Can’t find qualified workers? Hear from a panel of employers who have identified unique strategies to address workforce challenges. Wed 9/17 at 7:30AM, Corp. Coll East. Register
Investing in weak economy is subject of n’working b’fast seminar at City Club starting at 7:30AM on Fri 9/19. Details here
3rd Ann NEO Energy Conf Learn energy cost-cutting/savings strategies, help save on bottom line and learn ESPs and MROs on Tue 9/30. Details
Corporate College has some excellent events in September, on both the east and west side locations. They tackle a lot of subject matter related to entrepreneurship and if you’re founding (or running) a small business start-up, this schedule is for you. Scroll through things here.
Reaching Millennials When it comes to reaching the Millennial Generation — those who were between the years 1982 and 2002 — which medium will do it best? John Kerezy, journalism/mass communications instructor at Cuyahoga Community College, will be providing his insight on this topic at the Lake Communicators luncheon on Wed 8/13 at the Lake Metroparks Pine Ridge Country Club, 30601 Ridge Rd. (SR 84), Wickliffe, from 11:45AM – 1PM. Reservations are required by Fri 8/8 to 440-255-8932 or wolfeshirley@yahoo.com.
HOT Elizabeth Birch is well-known nationally for her work as Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign. She is now President of Birch & Company and co-owner of Fair Measures, Inc. She will be addressing equality issues in the workplace that affect the Midwest Wed 9/17 at 5:30PM. Learn what you and your company can do to stay competitive and move the region forward. Details.
SPONSORED: When Did You Give Up on Your Dream Job?! Dont give up now! The MBA program at Cleveland State University is now more flexible than ever. Get the knowledge and hands-on opportunities needed to advance to a leadership role in your organization or make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality. And now the Level II MBA curriculum is offered in an online format. Are you a self-directed learner with a desire to move your career forward? Or a working parent who needs a relevant degree program that works around the whole familys schedule? The online MBA courses allow you to engage with outstanding faculty and your peers to advance your career without interrupting your lifestyle. For more information, visit www.csuohio.edu/business or call 216.687.3730.
Cool Cleveland columnists Mansfield Frazier and Roldo Bartimole comment on the late Fannie Lewis
Cool Cleveland columnist Mansfield Frazier
Passing the Torch… or Bring in the Clowns
Legendary Cleveland City Councilwoman Fannie M. Lewis died early Monday, leaving a hole in Cleveland politics that can never be filled. Hardworking, outspoken, and willing to take on all challengers when it came to the defense of Hough (no matter how high and mighty they happened to be), she was truly one-of-a-kind; a connection back to the time when leaders sprang up from the grassroots. However, she passed away “politically intestate,” which means she didn’t “will” her seat as Hough’s representative to anyone in or out of the ward. While the more respectful of her constituents are observing a decent period of mourning, other, more politically ambitious types, are maneuvering to take her place… and have been doing so even before her body got to the funeral home. I know this for a fact because between 8AM and noon on the day of her death I received no less than five calls from ward residents. While they were pretending to be saddened by her passing, they certainly were not being bashful about soliciting my support for their candidacy to replace the esteemed Councilwoman.
However, not grooming anyone to take her place was not a political accident or oversight on her part: Fannie Lewis didnt make “political accidents” and she overlooked nothing. Everything she did was purposeful, thought out … by design and intention. As previously mentioned, Fannie could play hardball with the best of them…
Read more from Mansfield B. Frazier here
No one stays in power in a ward for close to 30 years without being politically astute, but the vacuum created by her passing without an heir apparent sets up a real dog fight in Ward 7. Along with some highly qualified, dedicated and public-spirited citizens throwing their hats into the ring, there will be some clowns, buffoons and fools vying for the job… a job that might be short-lived if the reduction of City Council goes through. There just might not be a “Hough” as we currently know it left to be represented if someone strong-willed and bright enough to lead the community emerges from what promises to be a very large pack of contenders for the seat.
Much was accomplished in Hough because of Fannie Lewis; and, yes, much was accomplished in the ward in spite of Fannie Lewis. But there is no denying the footprint she left on the community she dearly loved, and it will be very interesting to see where Hough (the neighborhood I happen to live in) heads in the near and distant future. Councilwoman Lewis indeed left some very big shoes to fill. Stay tuned, this is going to get very interesting.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com
Cool Cleveland columnist Roldo Bartimole
Fannie Lewis A Cleveland Original and a Treasure
Fannie Lewis didn’t have a degree from Harvard University but her common sense wisdom could often exceed the judgments of the Ivy League learned. I can’t count the hours I spent with Fannie at committee and Council meetings over 20 or more years. I do know she took up a lot more of my time than I wanted. She could go on and on and on.Yet there were times during those long disputations when Fannie thats what most people called her would zero in smack on the problem everyone else was dancing around.
The last time I saw Fannie Lewis was at a hearing more than two years ago.
I wrote: “Fannie often displays the wisdom of a hard life lived.” And she did live a hard but productive life…”
Read more from Roldo Bartimole here
At the time I wrote, “I approached her as we both waited for an elevator. Age has caught up on her. I’m not sure she recognized me at first. She is bent by time but that’s physically. I believe she still could win re-election in Ward 7 even if she had passed.” (And whoever runs to replace her better wish there isn’t another woman with the name Fannie Lewis.)
I went on: “I told her that I wished I had kept a record of her truisms through the many, many years Ive observed her at City Hall. She simply smiled.
“She had spoken another gem that afternoon.
“Fannie told the standard lineup of suits at the table when millions of dollars were being discussed (for the Wolstein Flats project),
“‘A hammer hurts whether it hits you in the hand or the head.
“The context was about the power and damage of eminent domain.”
Fannie could be a tiger and she could be a gracious comforter. She knew when to be one of the other.
I always said you needed a visa to get into her Hough 7th ward. She controlled it that tightly and not always graciously. She didn’t appreciate competition.
During one long six-hour discussion as Council leadership tried to give Gateway boss Tom Chema cover, Fannie summed up what they were trying to do with disgust:
“Stevie Wonder can see what’s goin’ here,” she said.
At another long meeting about two parking garages the city eventually built for Gateway, Lewis had trouble with the demeanor of then Council President Jay Westbrook and Finance Chairman Jim Rokakis. They gave little time and much disgust to protesters who wanted to speak against the proposal.
I wrote that Westbrook “gave Lewis a look of condescension, asking her if she had finished in such a manner that the question took the tone of a put-down.”
Lewis was having none of it. “Quit being facetious with me,” she told Westbrook and then “caught him where it hurt, his past.” Westbrook had been a radical when he entered Council. “You and I came into this Council screaming about the same things (corporate rip-offs of public money).” Then she had a warning, “Don’t play me cheap.”
At the same meeting Lewis predicted what would and did happen with the garages built for Gateway huge losses for the city in the millions of dollars each year.
Lewis, brought up on farm land, summed up the eight pieces of legislation used to complete the parking deal: “This ties up the city like you tie up a hog.”
Fannie Lewis was a Cleveland original and a treasure, especially for Clevelands poor.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole roldoATroadrunner.com
SPONSORED: Do you know these writers? Some of the biggest names in literature are finding their way to Cleveland as part of Cuyahoga County Public Library’s 2008-2009 William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage Program: Experience in person two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Mc Cullough?; Gourmet magazine’s Roadfood columnists Jane & Michael Stern, who also host NPR’s Two for the Road; and, young literary icons Myla Goldberg, Jonathan Lethem and Colson Whitehead interviewed on stage by book expert Nancy Pearl. The Series closes with John Updike, a leading author of his generation whose Rabbit books are renowned. Get dates & ticket info at http://www.WritersCenterStage.org.
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Case Western Reserve Univ. blog offers excellent college tips for the new collegiates and their folks. We all wished we knew this stuff when WE were going to school. Click
Support Cleveland bicycle cops by checking out this link at Walk+Roll. Click
First “certified green restaurant” opening on East 4th St. Click
The Lakewood installment of Walk+Roll gets the vid treatment on YouTube here
Exercards®, flagship product of local co. Get Kids Moving! awarded a 2008 Seal of Excellence by Creative Child Magazine. Click
Visible Voice Books in Tremont opens new wine bar. Click
Dollar Bank Debuts Regional Showcase at The Galleria downtown. Click
Hot vid: dude flips out in Gypsy Beans in Detroit Shoreway neighborhood (yes, it’s staged). Watch
NEO Native to fly into space as part of upcoming NASA space shuttle mission. Click
People are still talking about Barack Obama’s visit to Berea. Click
First Melt expands, now Five Guys moving into old Lakewood Party Station location. Click
Casinos in SW Ohio? There’s a movement afoot. Click
Dolinar Spahija goes all Billy Joel on us in this Cle-based production. Click
Learn about Ohio Pet Trusts locally Families who think of those pets as part of the family should click here
Do you make the best cheesecake in Cleveland? If you think so, this might be up your alley
The Cleveland Italian American Cultural Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year is underway. Entrants can win a custom designed, $12K, 10-day trip for two to Italy — including airfare — plus a $1k spending cash. Only 700 tickets will be sold! For tix and info, call 800-592-5373.
Cleveland Orchestra’s European Tour is epic according to piece by Elaine Guregian at ABJ here
Councilwoman Fannie M. Lewis passed on early Monday morning, August 11. She was described by city council president Martin J. Sweeny as a “woman of strong faith that cared deeply about the constituents of Ward 7 and had a tremendous impact on the City of Cleveland during here extraordinary career.” Always outspoken, Lewis will also be missed for her glorious candor and drive to assist people. The link can be found here with details forthcoming. http://clevelandcitycouncil.org.
Lakewood was named by This Old House magazine as one of the best places in the Midwest to buy an old house. The article says: “A well-established Cleveland bedroom community situated on Lake Erie, Lakewood has about 55,000 residents and thousands of single-family and multifamily homes built between 1890 and 1930. Locally owned shops, restaurants, theaters, and art galleries, strung behind vintage storefronts along a former streetcar line, are where families meet in summer-when they’re not relaxing by the lake. Home to a celebrated public library, the Beck Center for the Arts, Lakewood also has great schools that have been making news for their rapid test-score gains and high graduation rates.” Read more here.
SPONSORED: Get Intimate with Harold and Maude the irresistible, irreverent and entertaining show this week at Cain Park. You will experience the oddest of odd couples with Harold & Maude: An Intimate Musical. Based on the 1971 cult movie, this Cain Park theater production celebrates the importance of love, individuality and taking risks. This show runs through August 17 (Wed Sun 8/13- 8/17). Tickets start at $20. Performance will be held in the Alma Theater. All shows start at 7:30PM. This Regional Premiere stars Maryann Nagel as Maude, Corey Mach as Harold and features Jacqueline Cummins, Patrick Janson and Devon Yates. For more info contact 216-371-3000 or www.cainpark.com/tickets_form.asp.
Blog Love Omega Glee Think of this as a daily virtual event. Local novelist Wred Fright (The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus) is experimenting with a new novel, Blog Love Omega Glee, and “serializing” it on his blog at http://wredfright.blogspot.com. The novel’s about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart around them… and (perhaps best of all) it’s set in 2012 in a city called “Cleaveland” (not to be confused, wink-wink, with our city with the slightly different spelling). http://www.wredfright.com.
The Cleveland Pops Orchestra will be appearing in its first national television appearance with famous singer-songwriter Peter Cetera in an NBC Christmas Day Special television broadcast of “Smucker’s presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds.” The national telecast will air on NBC from 3-5PM on Christmas Day, Thu 12/25. This original television broadcast of a live show will be taped on Sat 10/18 in Youngstown’s Chevrolet Centre and features a star-studded list of Olympic and world-class figure skaters includinge Olympic medalists Sasha Cohen, Brian Boitano and gads of others. http://www.clevelandpops.com.
Peter Chakerian, managing editor of CoolCleveland.com will share tips and pointers for writers from an editor’s perspective and share his thoughts on the rise of online media, the value of content in the 21st century, and how blogs have changed the dynamics of journalism at the Skyline Writer’s conference Saturday, August 23 at Hines Hill Conference Center in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Writers Deanna Adams, Kristen Hampshire and Linda Goodman Robiner will also participate in sessions throughout the day. Visit http://www.skylinewriters.com to register, or contact Claudia Taller at 440-554-6406.
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Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
Lisa Black signs Takeover Call it “CSI: Cleveland.” The Cleveland native writes about vivid characters with startling twists and turns in Takeover — a gripping crime thriller — which bathes in her expertise. Sure to be a major voice in crime fiction, Black hits Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village Wed 8/13 at 7PM. Takeover features a “sharp, gutsy forensic investigator” and Black herself is an authentic forensic scientist… yep, a true-blue CSI… and from Cleveland, no less! http://www.josephbeth.com.
Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss A leader in the public call for a Presidential Debate on science and technology, he’ll review the movement’s history, lessons learned about institutional impediments to having serious debate about these issues in the political arena, and ideas on how thing might improve in the future at noon on Wed 8/13 at The City Club of Cleveland. In December 2007, an unlikely group of individuals, including two screenwriters, a scientist, and two science bloggers, got together and began a public call for a Presidential Debate on science and technology. The movement took off, with more than 20,000 scientists and educators joining, as well as major national organizations that represent millions of voters, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Business Roundtable. http://www.cityclub.org.
HOT SPACES’ Summer Blow Out Garage Sale The haven for alternative art in Cleveland becomes a shopping stop Thu 8/14 from 8AM – 5:30PM, Fri 8/15 from 8AM – 7PM and Sat 8/16 from 8AM – 5:30PM. Some 4K sq ft of office furniture, office supplies, artwork, art supplies, kitchenware, electronics, clothing, home furnishings, and more will be up for grabs, with proceeds furthering SPACES’ mission–to “advance the artist’s vision by providing freedom, resources, and an audience enabling the artists to engage the public in a vital dialogue about contemporary art.” 2220 Superior Viaduct. Visit http://www.spacesgallery.org or call 621-2314 for more info.
Got Game? Thursday Night Live Calling all Clevelanders! Think you got game? Bring your “A” game to the next Thursday Night Live event series: Resident Olympics, and compete in basketball, badminton, and cornhole for prizes. The competition will be held on Thu 8/14 at 5PM off of East 4th St. Get a team of 7 to 9 players (friends, family, neighbors) and compete! Enjoy live music, libations and nosh from local bars and restaurants in the area. To register or find more information please visit http://www.cleveland.com/tnl.
HOT Lemon Andersen On Thu 8/14 at 7:30PM, the Playhouse Square Arts Education Department offers a no-cost performance by the critically acclaimed poet in the Westfield Insurance Studio Theatre in the Idea Center at 1375 Euclid Ave. Andersen, a critically-acclaimed poet and actor is best-known for his Tony Award-winning work in Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on Broadway and HBO. His “jarring. coming-of-age memoir” The Beautiful Struggle paints a portrait of “a modern ‘manchild’ on a tumultuous journey of self-discovery.” http://www.playhousesquare.org.
Art by Animals will be on the auction block at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Thu 8/14 from 6 – 8PM. If your living room décor is missing that certain flair, accent it with a polar bears paw print, a baby wallabys tracks or the bold brushstrokes of a rhino. Colorful masterpieces by the Zoo’s residents could be yours at the Zoo’s annual “Animals Creating Art Silent Auction,” sponsored by the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers. Tortoise-shell prints, a snake’s paintings and the massive handprint of a gorilla are among the items… all one-of-a-kind artwork sitable for framing, and bolstered with a picture of the featured animal and the signature of its keeper. http://www.clemetzoo.com.
Transpacific Blues is the new CD by local guitarist extraordinaire Colin John. An international blues man and C-town native, John has poured his love for the Pacific and his blues-drenched soul into a 14-track instrumental tour de force. Years touring the US and Europe with members of Eric Claptons band added resonance to his CJs natural talents. In fact, Clapton has been known to sit in with John’s band when their paths cross. No promises, but John’s “Hawaiian style music meshed with old-fashioned blues” is sure to captivate. Snag some samples from his MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/colinjohnacoustic. Or better yet, visit Fat Fish Blue for a live performance Thu 8/14 at 8PM. No cost, open to the public. http://www.fatfishblue.com.
HOT Windows & Doorways Artchitecture Gallery & Public Square Group launch this one-night only event to benefit Slavic Village Skateboarding Fri 8/15 from 8:30 – 11:30PM. Windows & Doorways features a video premiere, art gallery and reception in an abandoned storefront. The evening of film and artworks by local artists promotes neighborhood development within the Slavic Village. The event’s namesake film is a full-color stereo sound and sk8boarding spectacular, showcasing Cleveland’s public spaces “by way of wood and wheels.” It all takes place at 5704 Broadway Ave. Call 272-8603 for more info. http://publicsquaregroup.com. http://www.artchitecturegallery.com.
HOT Walking the River On Fri 8/15 at 7PM, the premiere of the film Walking the River will screen at the Happy Days Lodge in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This no-cost, open to the public screening is sure to open some eyes. Three local filmmakers travel up the Cuyahoga River in a lighthearted documentary, traveling from Cleveland into Northeast Ohios industrial valley. Walk into one of the most visited national parks in the country, discover wildlife and unique personalities, consider the rivers complex watershed and Akrons water quality strategies, and paddle through the rapidly developing rural origins of the river. While free of charge, donations will be accepted for the Scholarship Fund at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center. http://www.blueholeproductions.org. http://www.cvnpa.org.
Cleveland-ology Join the folks at Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood Fri 8/15 from 6 – 9PM for the opening reception of Cleveland-ology — featuring the artwork of Raccine Williams and musical stylings of Reggie Williams. Lively depictions of Cle’s sporting world including the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers fans benefit from her large, energy filled paintings done both in acrylic and oil. Even if you’re not into sports, the explosions of color and action in these pieces are something. Have a great evening of art, food and friendship. 16106 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. http://www.localgirlgallery.com.
75 Years at Summit Artspace On Fri 8/15 from 6 – 8PM, the Women’s Art League of Akron invites the public to help celebrate the opening of its 75th anniversary show at Summit Artspace Gallery. Titled Then & Now Brushstrokes, the juried exhibition features works by current club members, which were specially selected by artists John Smolko and Ken Kirkland. There will also be a display of historical paintings from the 1930s-1940s created by the groups charter members. http://www.akronareaarts.org.
S.M.V. Thunder! Bassists Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten — each a powerful force of nature in his own right — have done more in recent decades to redefine the electric bass and push the limits of its potential than any other musician alive today. When these three titans collectively known as S.M.V. converge on the low frequencies in the August 2008 Heads Up International (Telarc) release of Thunder, the results are earth shaking. Get your funky side out Fri 8/15 at 8PM at Cain Park, 14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights. Call 371-3000 or visit http://www.cainpark.com.
Last Call Cleveland’s Good Riddance Keith Carr Party The local sketch comedy group is “ditching” semi-talented cast member Keith Carr and they want Cleveland to help send him packing! Keith is moving to L.A. “to live out his dream of making it big and developing a drug problem” (their words) and LCC’s celebrating with a sketch show at The Powerhouse Pub Fri 8/15 at 7:30PM. Check out http://www.lastcallcleveland.com for details.
Defender of the Faith The Bang and The Clatter Theatre Company offers the Ohio Premier of director Stephen Skiles’ intense stage work Fri 8/15 at 8PM, running through the end of the month. Defender of The Faith, written by Stuart Carolan, is set in County Armagh in the mid-1980s — one of Ireland’s most IRA-friendly regions. The play uses the eras violence to mirror the collapse of that community. Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sunday matinees through the end of month at 3PM. Sandefur Theatre, Guzzetta Hall, 157 University Ave., Akron. Call 330-606-5317 or visit http://www.bnctheatre.com.
Dragonfiles and Damselflies of NEO Larry Rosche and Judy Semroc’s newest book, Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio, Second Edition (published by Cleveland Museum of Natural History) is celebrated at the CMNH on Fri 8/15 from 6 – 9PM. Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeurves and $2 beer & wine bar. Purchase a book and park for free in CMNH lot and walk to Little Italy’s Feast or CMA’s Rooftop concert. RSVP to Renee Boronka at 231-4600, ext. 3505 or rboronka@cmnh.org. http://www.cmnh.org.
Outside the Lines The Pop Shop Gallery in Lakewood launches its 2nd summer show of 2008 called Outside the Lines on Sat 8/16 at 6PM. The show is “dedicated to all of the artists who couldn’t keep their crayons inside their coloring books lines when they were young.” All grown up, these folks have mastered canvases with some exceptional contemporary works. the exhibition runs through late September, but the launch party is a one-night-only gig, with an after party at Mullen’s (next to the gallery) immediately following. 17020 Madison Ave., Lakewood. Call 227-8440 or visit http://www.popshopgallery.com.
A Texas Hold ‘Em Benefit The Children’s Museum of Cleveland presents a Texas Hold’Em Party with a Grand Prize 50″ Plasma TV (donated by Cleveland Clinic) and delectable food catered by Gallucci’s. Think you’ve got what it takes to be a Chris Moneymaker or Jennifer Tilly? Buy in Sat 8/16 starting at 7PM at 10730 Euclid Ave. Progressive blinds, a first-hour buy-back-in and a 50/50 Raffle all benefit the work and mission of the Museum. Act fast, as registration is limited to 100 patrons. Call 791-7114 or visit http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org
Restore Cleveland Hope’s Freedom Seekers’ Camp Take a ride into University Circle and learn a ton about Cleveland history, the Underground Railroad and our town’s anti-slavery past through crafts, storytellers, singing, drumming, a freedom walk, and more Sat 8/16 from noon – 4PM. This is an all-ages event that starts on the lawn of the Cozad-Bates House on Mayfield Rd. Call 231-0301 or visit http://www.restoreclevelandhope.com for more info.
SPONSORED: On Saturdays at 4PM, WCLV 104.9 FM is presenting a retrospective of the 2007 Cleveland International Piano Competition. The one-hour programs are featuring performances from all of the rounds of the Cleveland competition with the last four programs in September devoted to the four medal winners, including performances from the Final Concerto Round with The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Jahja Ling. Complete details on all of WCLV’s programming at http://www.WCLV.com.
The Dreadful Yawns The local act’s new CD Take Shape marks a critical juncture; they veer away from the folk-tinged country styles on their last couple records and embrace a more distorted, Veltev Underground style and approach to their songcraft. Spin Magazine is pumping the band up as a “band to watch” and you can do just that Sat 8/16 at 9PM as the band celebrates the disc’s release. The all-ages show also features lauded openers Pale Hollow. http://www.beachlandballroom.com. http://exitstencil.org/dreadfulyawns.php.
Empire Brass will appear in concert at the Blossom Festival on Sat 8/16 at 7PM. The concert will mark the ensemble’s Blossom Festival debut, with a program featuring brass quintet arrangements of music by Albinoni, Copland, Ellington, Gershwin, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and more. Prior to the concert, the Blossom Festival offers a Beer Tasting at 4:30PM, just inside the main gates (a Beer Tasting ticket and valid photo ID is required). Five samples of premier brews from local breweries, imported favorites, assorted snacks, and a commemorative Blossom pub glass are included(while supplies last). http://www.clevelandorchestra.com.
Bubbapalooza The live comedy event presented and hosted by top-rated national radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge®, hits the legendary Agora Theatre & Ballroom Sat 8/16 with doors at 8PM, show at 9PM. The multimedia production hosted by the shock jock and features his radio show’s most popular characters and routines. Bubba, Ned, Brent Hatley, Manson and Spiceboy along with show regulars such as 25 Cent, Hammil, Miller and others will be there. 5000 Euclid Ave. http://www.btls.com. http://www.clevelandagora.com.
Goodyear Concert Band on the Great Meadow Stan Hywet’s Goodyear Concert Band performs in “Music for a Sunday Afternoon” on the Great Meadow at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens on Sun 8/17 from 2-3PM, with the The Akron Derbytown Chorus following them from 3-4PM. The band will play from its repertoire and include selections like Morton Gould’s “American Salute”; “In the Miller Mood” (a collection of Glenn Miller favorites) and selections from the Broadway Musical, Chicago. The Chorus will sing audience favorites such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” and “Goodnight Sweetheart Well It’s Time To Go.” Call 330-836-5533. or visit http://www.stanhywet.org.
HOT Tremont Farmers’ Market The weekly bounty of local fruit, veggies and products is up for grabs at this neighborhood favorite every Sunday in the summer, including Sun 8/17 from 10AM – 2PM. Located in Lucky Park, at the corner of Starkweather and Professor, get ready for some live music, demonstrations and a bevy of vendors. Questions? Email tremontmarket@yahoo.com or call 575-0920.
Blossom Favorites Loras John Schissel will conduct the Blossom Festival Orchestra in a program titled “Blossom Favorites” at the Blossom Festival on Sun 8/17 at 7PM. The Blossom Festival Orchestra (comprised of Blossom Festival Band members with additional string players) first appeared at Blossom in August 2005. The program features works by J.S. Bach, Percy Grainger, Victor Herbert, W.A. Mozart, Jacques Offenbach and John Williams — as well as a tribute to Leroy Anderson, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the composers birth. http://www.clevelandorchestra.com.
IMAX at The Great Lakes Science Center There are two new, great films at their OMNI theatre, Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs and Mysteries of the Great Lakes. The former brings real life Indiana Jones Adventure to the giant screen, filled with ancient wonders, historic intrigue and a modern-day forensic adventure. The latter, produced in part by the Great Lakes Science Center, takes audiences on a journey from the tip of Lake Superior to the edge of Lake Ontario, and unveils several mysteries along the way. Great for kids AND adults alike. Who doesn’t love an IMAX film? Times vary, but don’t miss out. http://www.glsc.org.
Conversations & Cocktails This no-cost patio launch party at the Joseph-Beth Booksellers Bronte Bistro hits Tue 8/19 at 5:30PM. “Conversations & Cocktails” is a new monthly social discussion group co-hosted by Cat-Strat. The concept is simple: a diverse group of people, in engaging discussions on current topics in a friendly atmosphere with delicious appetizers and chilled cocktails. “Think happy hour with brains,” they tell us. Sounds like a winner. Call 691-7000 or visit http://www.josephbeth.com.
Int’l Culinary Arts & Science Institute Open House Discover the local option for making your dreams of a professional culinary or pastry education come true Tue 8/19 at 6PM. ICASM offers flexible scheduling, small class size, affordable financing and assistance in job placement. Tour their new culinary teaching center with two spacious culinary classrooms, one pastry classroom, a commissary kitchen, a professional restaurant kitchen and 100-seat dining room. Call 440-729-7340 for details. 8700 Mayfield Rd., Chesterland. http://www.icasi.net.
Peggy Whitson The International Womens Air & Space Museum welcomes Whitson, a NASA Astronaut, to the museum for a no-cost public lecture on Tue 8/19 at 7:30PM. Whitson will speak about her recently completed six-month tour of duty aboard the International Space Station as the ISS Commander for Expedition 16. Admission and parking for this event are no charge. Call 623-1111 for reservations and info. http://www.iwasm.org.
Troubadours of Divine Bliss The Louisville-based female folk duo celebrates their latest CD with a release party Wed 8/20 at 8PM at the Brothers Lounge, 11609 Detroit Ave. Call 226-2767 for more info. http://www.brotherslounge.com. http://troubadoursofdivinebliss.com.
Joseph-Beth Booksellers features an afternoon with singer songwriter and classical guitarist Nanette Sauline-Midgely, as she performs in the event section of the bookstore. Free admission to this performance includes the opportunity to register to win prizes and receive discount vouchers for the store and Bronte Bistro. For more info, call 691-7000 or visit http://www.josephbeth.com.
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
Boo at the Zoo Yeah, we know… Halloween is a long ways off, but the kids will be back in school in a couple weeks. The time flies… Tickets are on sale NOW for the Zoo’s big Fall to-do. Better act fast; last year 41K residents packed the place! http://www.clemetzoo.com.
HOT Movie Night on Wade Oval features Steven Spielberg’s classic E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial on Wed 8/13 at 9PM on Wade Oval in University Circle. This no cost, open to the public showing is perfect summer family fare. Grab your blankets and lawn chairs for an exciting evening. After watching Lonesome Star’s concert at WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays, stick around for University Circle’s first-ever movie night, featuring the 1982 film by the Academy Award-winning Spielberg. Melt with the boy who discovers and befriends a lost space alien. Call 707-5033 or visit http://www.universitycircle.org.
Adopt a Teddy Bear Day The Children’s Museum of Cleveland and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center celebrate the start of a new school year for the young ones Thu 8/14 from 10AM – 2PM. Kids can earn a “Teddy Bear Adoption Certificate” by completing health and safety stations around the Museum. Once all stations have been successfully completed all stations, the adoption is complete and the first 100 kids receive a no-cost teddy bear to take home. Or bring your own favorite stuffed animal to take through the Teddy Bear Care Clinic instead! http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org.
Olmsted Falls Heritage Days Festival Meet Tin Can Tilly at this neighborhood-style fest Fri 8/15 at 1PM. Tilly teaches kids about the importance of recycling and is part of the day’s programming that includes performer Foster Brown singing nature songs and stories. The fest is located at Grand Pacific Junction, Olmsted Falls and is no-cost and open to the public. For more info, call 440-427-0094 or visit Eden Valley Events’ calendar page at http://www.edenvalleyenterprises.org.
Holden’s Pollinator Weekend Get an up-close look at important members of the ecosystem pollinators – on Fri 8/15 and Sat 8/16. Although they play a critical role in the health and development of the ecosystem, the importance of pollinating creatures is often overlooked. This results in the destruction of their natural habitats by harmful gardening techniques and encroachment by invasive species. Running in conjunction with the kid-friendly, Wild Child Wonders summer programming, “Pollinator Weekend” explores the important role that pollinators play in the ecological process and how gardeners and nature enthusiasts can do their part to protect these important creatures. Hands-on activities for young and old are part of the educational fun. Call 440-946-4400 or visit http://www.holdenarb.org.
HOT University Park Art Fair, Drumm Studios Sale and NEO Green Energy Expo More than 100 regional artists will showcase their fine art and fine crafts at the University Park Art Fair at Grace Park, Akron on Sat 8/16 from 10AM – 6PM. Presented by the University Park Development Corporation (UPDC), the 3rd annual art fair is located in Grace Park on Perkins St., in the n’hood anchored by The University of Akron, Summa Health System’s Akron City Hospital, The City of Akron, Akron Public Schools and the central business district. Live music, a picnic pavilion, ceramics, glass, wearable art, furniture, drawings and graphics, fiber, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, watercolor, wood art… the list is endless. Great family fun! A University Park Green Trolley Tour is also part of the fun; catch the no-cost shuttle at any of these three locations: The University Park Art Fair at Grace Park: http://www.universityparkartfair.org; Don Drumm Studios and Gallery Annual Sale: http://www.dondrummstudios.com; Northeastern Ohio Green Energy Expo at the Knight Center. http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageId=1728.
More info at 330-972-8859 or http://www.upakron.com.
Autism Speaks programming at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lyndhurst features Dr. Arthur Lavin, MD, FAAP of advanced pediatrics. He’ll speak and answer questions about the latest medical findings in his presentation, Autism Facts: An Open Discussion on Sat 8/16 at 2PM. Programming starts at 11AM and runs through the day. An important day for parents with questions. http://www.josephbeth.com.
Halim El-Dabh Drum Workshop Standing Rock Cultural Arts features the charismatic, 87-year-old drum visionary Fri 8/15 – Sun 8/17, from 2 – 4PM each day. Classes are limited to 20 students. North Water Street Gallery, 257 N. Water St., Kent. Call 330-673-4970 to register… and please provide a drum if possible or reserve one when you call. http://www.standingrock.net.
Bat Night All Dark Knight comments aside, if your kids are flipping their lids for bats, Cleveland Metroparks naturalist Tim Krynak is the guy they should hear. He’ll talk about varieties of bats, their habitats and arrange some nets to catch ’em in programming jointly sponsored by the Metroparks and the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes on Fri 8/15 at 8PM. Reservations are required; call 421-2665 or visit http://www.lakeviewcemetery.com.
Hubble’s Greatest Hits Check out the no-cost Family Fun Day at NASA Glenn Visitor Center on Sat 8/16 from 10AM – 3PM which includes programming about the Hubble Space Telescopes latest astronomical results and upcoming servicing mission. Dr. Frank Summers (Researcher, Space Telescope Science Institute) will present The Hubble Space Telescope: Greatest Hits at 11AM and at 1PM will present Hubble Servicing Mission 4 Status Report. Reservations are required for these no cost presentations only by calling 433-9653. As part of this event, kids’ telescope crafts, a “Picture Yourself in Space” photo-booth and handouts will be available! For further event info, see http://glennevents.grc.nasa.gov.
HOT Arts Collinwood’s 4th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest hits Sat 8/16 from 1- 4PM. The sand sculpture contest in the Collinwood neighborhood at the Villa Angela Beach area of Wildwood Beach located (off of Lakeshore Ave., directly across from East 174th St.) Bring the family for a fun afternoon on the beach! A panel of judges will critique each team’s unique sculpture. The judges will consist of local artists and prizes will be given for children and adults in various categories from “Most unique use of driftwood” to “Closest likeness to a person.” Call 692-9500 or visit http://www.artscollinwood.org.
HOT U.S. Olympic Splash Bash @ Cumberland Pool It’s the Ultimate Olympic Watch Party for kids Sun 8/17 at 6PM. Join in the fun in watching Olympic Swimming, Diving and Synchro teams and cheer them on, then play water games, earn prizes, and sign up for raffles and giveaways. Snacks and beverages round out the fun — all to benefit the Cleveland Heights Swim Teams! Call 371-3208 for details. 1740 Cumberland Rd., Cleveland Heights.
Solon Center for the Arts Open House Their “Annual End of Summer / Pre-Fall Semester Open House” is scheduled for Sun 8/17 with registration and informational meetings from 11:30AM – 5PM. The popular Arts4Kids After School Program starts the event with an informational meeting and registration for parents; all other classes and lessons register during the day. Each department of music, theater, dance and art will be represented by the department coordinators and faculty to talk about the various offerings. Call 440-337-1400 for details. http://www.solonohio.org.
Cool Cleveland Kids Podcast Weekly roundup of cool events for kids & families from 11-year-old Cool Cleveland Kids correspondent Max.
Click here to subscribe to the Cool Cleveland Kids Podcast in iTunes.
Local Spa Has Intercontinental Route, Roots
How does one arrive in Cleveland from Beverly Hills? Good question. Some might call it the “intercontinental scenic route,” especially when considering the path that Monique Marengo has traveled over the years. The president of Marengo Luxury Spa in the Old Arcade in Downtown Cleveland, she manages a peerless personal services organization with an expert touch and international flair shes culled from all those stops along the way.To call Marengo a passionate and driven expert in luxurious pampering is an understatement: she is a recognized authority in the fields of spa luxury, beauty, esthetics, style and fashion. A native of Beverly Hills, she has had that spirit within her (and in her family) from early on. Marengo even spent a significant portion of her formative years interning with the family business, the Marengo Institute, which set the tone for her career path and future leading the Marengo Luxury Spa.
“My family started spas in California in the 1960s,” Marengo recalled in a recent interview. “I would say I spent most of my life in them, right up until the time I’ve had one of my own to operate. Working for the family spas, and engaging the culture of experts that have surrounded me for my entire career, I was able to take everything that I learned and provide services in a luxurious atmosphere that is unique for Cleveland…”
Read more from Peter Chakerian here
Cutting Off Our Collective Noses?
A very bright Washington lawyer of my acquaintance said to me, after Monica Lewinsky testified on-the-record regarding her affair with Bill Clinton, that, while the president might get impeached, he’d never be driven from office, and her logic was simple: Lewinsky’s testimony proved that the affair really wasn’t Bill Clinton’s “fault.” Hillary would ultimately take the “blame” if that became necessary to save his presidency.
Now be warned this is going to be a column for “adults only.” Please try to stow your juvenile giggles and propensity for fairy tale views of sex and marriage at the door. I’m already self-warned that the expressing of such views might cause me to bunking on the couch for a couple of nights if my wife happens to read them, but I’m willing to take that chance. I can only hope and pray that she is very busy this week with her new position at work.
What my Washington friend a staunch feminist pointed out to me was that Lewinsky, in sworn testimony, stated that the first time she preformed oral favors on Clinton, the president said, “Boy, its been a long, long time since I’ve had one of these!” Her logic was quite simple: No married man should ever have to utter those words. In essence, Hillary’s “dereliction” drove Bill to seek out Monica. (I told you this was going to be a column for adults only)…
Read more from Mansfield B. Frazier here
This week’s most active post on BrewedFreshDaily.com
“Heres an example of how network maps”, writes Ed Morrison, “can uncover covert networks. Reading all the connections coming out in the coverage of the County investigation gets a mind-numbing after a little while. A group of us are turning to social network software to draw maps of the relationships. The patterns become more clear with a network map. You can help. Visit Map the Mess and contribute what you know.”
Read and add your comment here
A Different Perspective on Dimora, Russo Investigations
One Cle Native/Northwestern Univ undergrad in Chicago has a Different Take
The air in Chicago last week was like syrup out of the microwavehot and sticky and drizzled onto the cityscape, like on your Eggo’s, and so much faster than you expected. The thermometers were straddling 90 degrees and couldn’t seem to make up their minds. The sun, a burning yolk, rode the skyscrapers in a slow-motion arc, toying with you. Waking up every morning was to become acquainted with paralysis, immobile atop swampy sheets with hair in your eyes. Your only recourse was to apply pop cans to your forehead and lower back. You became drunkenly lazy and apathetic. The heat was all you talked about.
But it was much hotter in Cleveland. It was stickier there, too. And the woefully indifferent Cuyahoga sun wasn’t to blame this time. It was tension. On Wednesday, July 30, Cleveland.com updated its homepage almost every hour with new photos of men in FBI jackets. If you weren’t reading the accompanying stories, the photos may just as easily have been the latest in an advertising campaign from U-Haul.
An investigation was underway, readers were made to understand. All those U-Haul trucks were loaded with boxes and boxes of documents from the homes and offices of county commissioner Jimmy Dimora and county auditor Frank Russo. In the pixilated background, the boxes looked like coffins…
Read more from Samuel Allard here
Links to interesting NEO blogs
Dan Hanson pays tribute to the late Fannie Lewis.
2008 Burning River Fest recapped.
The public transit system has no real advocates, especially among those who run it.
ZeroLandfill 2008 has distributed nearly 50K pounds of recovered materials this summer to local artists, arts educators, and arts education programs in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Boston. Click
A Cleveland Mom brings her family’s recycling back from Myrtle Beach.
Notes on one of RTA’s public meetings.
Takeover
Lisa Black
HarperCollins
Cleveland Police Department forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is working on a run-of-the-mill homicide case when an armed hostage crisis and heist breaks out at the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. This is the premise of Takeover, the debut novel by the native author, forensic scientist and true C.S.I., Lisa Black. Her mystery/crime thriller is chock full of twists and turns, volatile hostage negotiations and the complication of plainclothes CPD homicide detective Paul Cleary (MacLean’s fiancée) being one of the hostages. That’s where any seasoned reviewer needs to end such exposition. With a vibe that recalls the recent films The Score and Heist and the CBS C.S.I. television series hinted at above, Black offers a great slice of summer reading fast, whip smart and precocious in its entertainment value. And while there are a number of characters and plot points to keep count of, her real-life experiences (and tip of the writers cap to her hometown) serve to inform the plot fairly well. The bottom line? This is not the type of novel destined to draw literary awards from critics, but fans of swift, cinematic reads, “high entertainment” book consumers and self-professed “beach bum book readers” (like my mother-in-law, for instance) will absolutely love it. To wit, Clevelanders should get a real kick out of it, too.
Lisa Black signs Takeover at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village today, Wednesday August 13 at 7PM. Meet the author, pick out the book, get an autograph and pick the author’s brain. http://www.josephbeth.com.
From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
Experiment #1
Cleveland Jazz Project
Cleveland’s jazz scene has long been anchored by seasoned local musicians who double as music educators. How refreshing it is to find a group of the city’s youth (and protégés of the aforementioned) carrying the torch forward proudly. The four “Young Lions of Cleveland Jazz” (dubbed by Nighttown’s Brendan Ring and Jim Wadsworth) known as the Cleveland Jazz Project are charting some exciting musical ground… and they’re all pals from time in college prep at Cleveland Heights High School. As the CJP, James Muschler (drums), Jacob Bergson (piano), Nathan Davis (saxophone) and Benjamin Bloom (bass) perform a stunning, cosmopolitan mélange with nods bebop, hard bop and post-bop sounds. Their EP Experiment #1 shows favor to Coltrane, Mingus, Tyner, Kirk, Hancock and dozens of other big names… all crafted by four young men who have active collegiate schedules across the northeastern quadrant of North America. Muschler and Bergson attend the New School for Jazz in New York City; Davis is enrolled at Akron University, and Bloom attends McGill University in Montreal, Quebec… gigging and recording when schedules align…Read more from Peter Chakerian here
Cleveland Jazz Project debuts Experiment 1 this Thursday, August 14 at 8PM at Nighttown in Cleveland Heights, 12387 Cedar Rd. Learn more about the foursome at http://www.myspace.com/clevelandjazzproject and http://www.nighttowncleveland.com.
Hear a sample of CJP’s track “Experiment #1” by clicking here.
From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
Wanna get reviewed? Send your band’s CD (less than 1 year old) to: Cool Cleveland, 14837 Detroit Avenue, #105, Lakewood, OH 44107
A Story Not Available At Our Bought Newsmedia
The Greater Cleveland Partnership with help from its subsidiary the Downtown Cleveland Alliance works very hard to keep those nasty panhandlers off the street in the front of the old Higbee’s building.
That was not the case last Thursday.
In fact, our community’s biggest Moochers were on full display at Higbee’s before an attentive news media as Squire, Sanders & Dempsey Managing Partner Fred Nance tried mightily to peddle a medical mart and convention center to be built on Forest City land costing $40 million. Thanks, Uncle Sam. (From the coverage I’ve seen Nance must have done a hell of a job, Brownie. The news media were peddling his wares for him.)
The Partnership paid for the study selecting the Tower City site. The Partnership does not come with clean hands.
The price of the deal financed almost totally with public funds had jumped from $400 million to $526 million…
Read more from Roldo Bartimole here
Quick reviews of recent events
Submit your own review or commentary to Events@CoolCleveland.com
Observations @ Cleveland Museum of Art 8/8 The Cleveland Museum of Art has been open again since June, and after finally making the time to go, it was like seeing an old friend for the first time in along time, and my old friend looks great! Having grown up in Cleveland, spent all my life here (except for 2 years in art school), and working as a professional designer here for the past 24 years, I’ve been to the museum countless times. This time my visit with my old friend was very different than ever before.
After parking in the expanded garage, we noticed that the approach to the main (north) entrance was enhance by a carpet of geometric pavers which led to sleek glass walls surrounding the entrance, eluding to what is to come. Then we examine the model of the completed museum and the woman at the information desk directs us downstairs to a warren of hallways which start out in the basement of the north building, which was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1971, and leads into the new east wing. In this open space we are brought up to ground level and peek through portholes to view where the impressive glass-canopied courtyard will complete the expansion.
This is where you start to sense what is to come. You can peer into future galleries that will be in this east wing. Expansive wood floors and high ceilings in these modern spaces are teasing us to dream of them filled with treasures of the art world, like Artistic Luxury: Fabergé Tiffany Lilique which will be the first. Each of these great luxury jewelry and luxury goods designers will have their works displayed in a separate gallery in this new east wing. Moving on through this exciting space, we are walking out into a glass box-like hallway leading to the eastern-most entrance to the original 1916 Beaux-Arts south building.
Stepping into this more formal space we recognize our old friend, the comforting characteristics that draw us to it. The renovated galleries here house the Armor Court, the European Paintings and Sculpture Galleries, and the European and American Decorative Art Galleries, whose works are remembered with a familiar fondness and a new revelation.
We are guided through the initial foyer to the Armor Court and marvel once more at the decorative detail labored over on weapons; the crudely-operating, yet beautifully-decorated hunting rifle of Napoleon, or who can forget the regally-armored Man and Horse with their Vöis-Colonna Arms taking center stage. The European Art has us discovering an unfinished work by Andrea del Sarto called The Sacrifice of Isaac. If you look closely on the far right side of the painting you can see part of the painting is still a sketch which was transferred to the panel but never painted over. And we snicker as we notice that the Portrait of King Charles II of England, painted by Philippe de Champaign, bears a striking resemblance to Gene Simmons of KISS fame. Finally, in the European and American Decorative Art Galleries we are riveted again by George Bellow’s Stag at Sharkey’s as the two boxer’s pale bodies collide in shocking intensity and we are touched by the detail of the stained-glass window panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany which was made for home on Overlook Road in Cleveland. The extreme attention to the thickness, color and opacity of the glass to depict a sun- and shadow -drenched scene of a garden sunset through a classical porch is unbelievable.
The most exciting part of visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art now is knowing that each time we return for a tour of a new gallery or exhibit, our old friend is going to get better and reveal something new. I look forward to the experience of getting to know each new facet: the completion of the east wing which teased us this visit; then exploring the new west wing; and finally to see it all come together in 2011, with the completion of the glass canopy-covered courtyard.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Carol Drummond carolATdrummondesign.com
Cleveland Orchestra @ Blossom 8/8 Except for the Olivier Messiaen “And I Await the Resurrection of the Dead” (overheard comments ranged from a wry “What did you think of that?” to “I hated that”) the huge Blossom Festival audience seemed to heartily approve Conductor Franz Welser-Most’s Cleveland Orchestra program slated for its European tour (Salzburg, Lucerne, Milan, and Turin, Aug. 17 to Sept. 3). The Messiaen’s spooky growly phrases made the title’s resurrection sound like a really creepy, but a carefully controlled, event (European audiences may love it). A fragment from Franz Schubert’s uncompleted last symphony, reworked by Brian Newbould and titled “Andante in B minor,” opened the concert with lyric melody. Antonin Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony (No. 9) followed intermission. The Old West never sounded better as the orchestra brought out a nostalgic and sweeping picture of a time and an era captured by panoramic 19th-century painters Cole, Bierstadt, and Church (the America of imagination, promise, mountains and red sunsets). Johann Strauss, Jr.’s sweeping “carpe diem” call (the “Emperor Waltz”) provided a built-in encore for the Orchestra’s last appearance this summer at Blossom. Never fear, however, there’s still plenty of time to picnic. Next at Blossom: Saturday (Aug. 16), the Empire Brass; Sunday (Aug. 17) will see the Blossom Festival Orchestra playing Blossom Favorites (Sousa, Anderson and more). On Aug. 24 it’s “A Bernstein Celebration” and on Aug. 30 and 31 it’s “Blossom Night at the Movies.” But the summer still seemed to go by too fast–. From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com
I Hate Hamlet @ Shakespeare at Stan Hywet 8/9 Despite thunder, rain gusts, and a fine drizzle the marvelous cast of “I Hate Hamlet” persevered, frolicking around the outdoor stage (wearing tights and other revealing garb) and putting on one heck of a show for the hardy crowd that came (some fortified with strong drink) to celebrate the bard and the actors who bring his works to life. Stephen Skiles seems to channel John Ritter as he played Andrew Rally, the hapless TV actor who agrees to be Hamlet in a NYC Shakespeare in the Park production. Rally, who has rented the New York apartment where John Barrymore (he’s Drew’s grandfather) once lived, discovers (to his initial dismay) that the legendary “Hamlet” actor still “lives” there. Barrymore played with comic dash and bravado by Daren Kelly turns into both an acting and life coach for the still-living actor. Lara Mielcarek as the Felicia the gushing realtor, Tess Burgler as the buxom (and virginal) sweetie who drives Rally a bit nuts, and Scott Shriner as Gary the Hollywood agent who tries to get our hero to give up this silly acting stuff add to the fun. But it is Dede Klein as Lillian, the older and still-beautiful woman who once had a fling with Barrymore, who really makes the audience (and the ghost) sit up and take notice. Advice No. 1: It’s worth the trip. Additional performances are next week (Aug. 14-17). Advice No. 2: Bring a blanket, an umbrella, a poncho, a picnic basket and a drink (mosquito spray is provided). From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com
Time For Three & Cleveland Orchestra @ Blossom 8/10 Classical musicians gone wild? When Time for Three joined the Cleveland Pops at Blossom Sunday night we heard the ear-thrilling music that results when this highly-trained trio (they met at the Curtis Institute) fiddles around. Chief fiddlers Zach De Pue and Nick Kendall plus Ranaan Meyer on double bass, showed the natural relationship between humor, wit, and classical music without neglecting technique. At one point both violinists played one instrument (with two bows) and at another the three played hits from “Fiddler on the Roof” all at the same time. It wasn’t all giggles: De Pue found the keening heartbreak in “Shenandoah,” Kendall proved that fingers can fly faster than the mind, and Meyer (who draped himself all over the bass like a musical python) took the bass to original sonic places. While the trio stuck to the program, sort of, the jazzy riffs and frolics from Bach to gypsy outstripped my note-taking abilities in the dark. The Cleveland Pops, led by the ever-lively and upbeat Carl Topilow, treated us to fine versions of John Williams’ movie music, an Irving Berlin medley, football fight songs, and a Josef Strauss polka that required the enthusiastic audience to join in with “Hey” at the appropriate time. This was the Pops’ first Blossom appearance; surely it won’t be the last. From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com
Most clicked
Here are the Top 5 most clicked links from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.
1) BizEd magazine publishes neat feature by Weatherhead prof David Cooperrider.
Weatherhead.Case.edu
2) Chain Smokin As Starbucks Closes Stores, Cleveland’s Phoenix Coffee Grows.
CoolCleveland.com
3) Ohio touts culinary hot spots as part of tourism draw.
Dispatch.com
4) Get friends, relatives to Cleveland with a really cool offer found here:
Cleveland.dbusinessnews.com
5) Some green “best practices” can be found for those interested by clicking here:
GCBL.org
It’s deafening… Can’t hear above the din of the city? Find a quiet corner, flip open the laptop or PDA and soak it all up, courtesy of your friendly, neighborhood Hard Corps. Thanks to Peter Chakerian, T.L. Champion, George Nemeth, Mansfield B. Frazier, Kelly Ferjutz, Diane DiPiero, Linda Eisenstein, Carol Drummond, Laura Kennelly, Roldo Bartimole and introducing Samuel Allard. This episode has been brought to you by free-range bee pollen. And lastly, though certainly not least, thanks to our readers 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.
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