Big Cool Cats

06.17-06.24.09
Big Cool Cats

In this week’s issue:

In this world, there are those who watch things happen, and those who make things happen. At Cool Cleveland, we’re a little of both. We certainly keep our eye on the cool things happening in NEO week in and week out, so we can give the heads up to our readers: the Coventry Street Arts Fair, Color Me Cleveland and the PolyCultures DVD release at the Greenhouse Tavern are just the beginning. We’ve got our ears all over the new/final Vital Mines CD, offer Mansfield’s tribute to his father, soak up Jeff Biasella’s love letter to the Sixth City, and Roldo’s plea for County reform. But Cool Cleveland doesn’t just stop at watching things happen. Case in point: the first annual Big Cool Cats Music Fest this Sat 6/20 at Cain Park that I’m helping to organize in conjunction with Steve Presser & Denis Devito & the City of Cle Hts. For a limited time, we’re offering 30% OFF with the code “BCC30” online here, and we hope you’ll come check out some of the best music today, coming straight out of the Cleveland area. Watch my interview with BCC band 70 Lewis, and start hanging out with people are really doing things in this region, and not just talking about them. –Thomas Mulready

Alt-rockers open Big Cool Cats Fest on Sat
Last chance 30% OFF with code “BCC30” online here

70 Lewis became friends when three of the four band members were featured in The Lakewood Project rock orchestra in high school, a mere two years ago. The band members play multiple instruments and have totally disparate influences. Keyboardist Kenny Kern’s father was in Brooks & Dunn, and he plays trumpet & bass. Guitarist Scott Young is the metalhead in the band, and also plays violin. Chris Hoffman, on drums and percussion, is into rock and pop. Vocalist Mike Gray featured in this video interview with Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready, loves pop and also plays drums & guitar.

70 Lewis has just finished an EP, and they are featured at the upcoming Big Cool Cats Music Festival at Cain Park this Sat 6/20 at Cain Park. You can receive 30% OFF your tickets if you order online before Midnight Thu 6/18 with the discount code BCC30 at the site: http://www.BigCoolCats.com. Get more on 70 Lewis, hear some samples and check out their videos and new EP at http://www.myspace.com/70lewis. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/70LewisVideos. Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/70lewis. For tix to the Big Cool Cats Music Festival, visit https://www.coolcleveland.net/tickets/bigcoolcats

Putting together your 2009/10 marketing plans? Use CoolCleveland.com to reach your most active and engaged readership. Contact us now to hear about online videos, sponsored links and Cool Cleveland parties. Info@CoolCleveland.com

Click to WIN This Friday, Apple will be introducing the new iPhone 3GS, soon to be the object of your co-workers’ obsession.

Now you can become eligible to win a new iPhone or iPod simply by clicking on the SPONSORED: links and videos in this week’s issue of CoolCleveland.com below. Plus, any clicks on the BigCoolCats.com link are also entered in the Click to WIN contest. Click as many times as you want. The more different links you click, the better your chances of winning. Click below and best of luck! Click to WIN

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“Decades-long” Cle journalist authors on hate: This is a MUST-READ post Click
Do you know a teen who loves theater? Maybe (s)he would like “Broadway Summer Camp” @ PSC? Click
Check out this rare Warhol opportunity! See private collection of Andy Warhol prints at Cleveland Institute of Art through mid-August. Click
HOT Newsweek best public high schools list includes Cleveland! There are 11 of them cited. “Fascinating”
Summer’s here and Wade Oval Wednesdays are underway! Come see what the buzz is about! Live music, family-friendly fun at one of Cle’s hottest/coolest locales. Click
Log Cabin Gallery in Peninsula has some pretty cool stuff going on this summer. Get outside and check out the happenings here
Cleveland Wine Festival is coming up and the details are here
GREEN Get your tickets to Food & Wine Celebration 2009 to benefit Veggie U! Click
Pere Ubu releases episodic podcast radio play and you can download them every couple weeks starting yesterday here
Are you hip to Open Air in Market Square? If not, you need to follow along here
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra mkes four-performance tour to Boston and surrounding Mass. cities from this month! Click
Cain Park offers no-cost “Free Family Fundays Series” and details are here
Blogger/activist and all-around great lady Gloria Ferris is back at her blog and piecing together her health saga. Click
CPAC announces First Creative Workforce Fellows and you can learn more here
GREEN Cleveland Lakefront State Park offers a variety of nature programs and events. The complete schedule is available by clicking here then clicking on Naturalist Programs
Peninsula Arts Academy’s Summer Art Camp and Summer Art Saturdays are coming Perfect of the kids! Register online here
Lake Erie Artists Gallery has moved from Tower City to Shaker Square and the details are here

Be part of a collaborative technology and art project at next month’s IngenuityFest! Check out the call for submissions at http://www.StorytellingTable.com. See what a San Francisco version of this event looked like here.

HOT Here’s a must-see local documentary Quan Li’s four-minute meditation on the Detroit-Shoreway n’hood wins MOCACleveland’s “Neighborhood Watch” contest and it isn’t any wonder why. You simply must watch this. Click

SPONSORED: Tickets are going fast for a totally Un-Natural Affair that you’re going to love. Face it, anytime you get to party on the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Observation Deck, it’s a good time. Celebrate the Summer Solstice on Fri 6/19 with delicious Pacific Rim cuisine, a raffle drawing for a telescope, and Mai Tai’s under the stars, and you’ll feel good about supporting the Nature League, the 21-and-over club for those interested in social, intellectual and athletic events throughout the year. If you love the great outdoors, and you love to have fun, reserve your tickets now at www.CMNH.org.

Cool Cleveland Podcast Weekly roundup of cool events, in an easy-to-digest 3 minute audio format, for playback on your computer or iPod.

Click here to subscribe to the Cool Cleveland Podcast in iTunes.

SPONSORED: Kids: don’t let the lazy days of summer stop you from movin’ and groovin’. The Dancing Wheels School is offering a week-long summer dance camp June 22-27 in their beautiful Midtown studios. Don’t miss an opportunity to learn some of the latest dances from an energetic and fun teacher like Kristen Stilwell. Boys and girls starting at age 7, disabled and non-disabled alike, are welcome. To sign up call Kristen at 216-432-0306. For more information log onto http://www.DancingWheels.org.

A Post Grad Appreciates the Sixth City Known as Cleveland
Part One of a Series

In 1910, Cleveland’s population reached 560,663, and Cleveland’s “sixth city” status was achieved. “Cleveland was sixth in population, fifth in manufacturing, fourth in financial importance, and first in civic attainment, is the proud record that Cleveland holds up to view.” — Cleveland Sacred Landmarks 1830-1930: A Pilgrimage

Like every month, June has a lot of weird “awarenesses” attached to it. It’s National Accordion Awareness Month, National Turkey Lover’s Month, and “Fight the Filthy Fly” (?!?) Month. But for recent college graduates June is “National What Am I Doing with My Life” Month. No more cutting class to play Frisbee golf — it’s time to find a job…

Read more from Jeff Biasella here

African Soul Summer Arts Camp Students can sign up for 2 week increments or the entire 10 weeks! Positive Hip-Hop, African Dance, African Drumming, Etiquette, Drama/Theater and a final performance for family and community at Collinwood High School, 15210 St. Clair! call 451-SOUL or visit http://www.AfricanSoulInternational.org.

HOT Shipwrecked! Cuyahoga County Public Library is offering kids ages 12 – 15 an opportunity to take part in its no cost Shipwrecks Ocean Exploration Programs starting Thuy 6/18. Participants will explore shipbuilding, deep water science and archeology, scuba diving and Lake Erie shipwrecks (with real deep water explorers) through fun hands-on activities. Space is limited; registration is required. For details and registration, visit http://www.CuyahogaLibrary.org.

HOT GREEN How Does Trash Become Our Treasure? Learn how you can apply the principles of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” for yourself and your family Fri 6/19 at 9:30AM. Make a positive impact in your community! For kids 6 years and up, Waste Management will show you how recycling newspaper, office paper, cardboard, aluminum and metal — as the the largest recycler of household generated recyclables in the United States — helps us all become better “stewards of the earth.” A smart option/learning experience for kids, to be sure. 7450 Oakleaf Rd., Oakwood Village. Call 440-786-1300 for details. http://www.WM.com.

Sunbeam Family Fun Day Kids of all ages can celebrate the end of the school year on Sat 6/20 at Sunbeam’s Family Fun Day at Sunbeam – a Shop for Children, 3469 Fairmount Blvd. Tons of great kids stuff, including hands-on fun, face painting, bubble-blowing and a clown! Sunbeam is one of Cleveland’s most unique shops, with infants and children’s clothing toys and accessories you won’t find at chain stores; proceeds help support Vocational Guidance Services. Call 397-3929.

Happily Ever After Cain Park is bringing fairy tales to life for young, Cleveland audiences, hosting the Pushcart Players production of Happily Ever After… A Cinderella Tale, as their first Kids Matinee performance of the season on Wed 6/24 at 1PM in Cain’s Alma Theater. Young princes and princesses to “gather before the performance in their royal finery” for a Royalty Parade starting at noon. Details at http://www.CainPark.com.

Micki Tubbs & Michelle Tomallo founded SchoolOne, now FIT Technologies 10 years ago. While acknowledging their 10th year in business, they are relaunching their Student Information System, o slick online tool that allows transparency to students, staff and parents.

In addition to celebrating the season with their staff at Cleveland Indians games and other cool activities, the company is heading into their busy season with subsidiary Campus Outfitters, with locations across 7 states, and now a new retail outlet in Westlake. Check out this video featuring co-founders Micki Tubbs and Michelle Tomallo on the roof near their HQ in Downtown Cleveland. http://www.FITTechnologies.com

A hot selection of tech and business news & events from around the region. Got business news? Send it to: EVENTS@CoolCleveland.com

HOT Cleveland-area Sun News cutting “to the bone” One of largest US community newspaper chains cutting 11 of 22 papers. Huge
HOT Ohio Supreme Court swats residency rules What does this mean for the city? Read the story here
HOT Uh-oh NEO: NYT sez biotech investment “risky” Suggests cities not invest. This means what for NEO, exactly?
Are you hip to the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network? If not, you should click here
GREEN Sustainability: is your company a champion? If you think so, click here
Aneesh Chopra, assistant to President Barack Obama and Chief Technology Officer will be speaking at the City Club of Cleveland about America’s Broadband Future. Details here

HOT Cleveland Social Media Club Guide eBook Launch The members of the Social Media Club – Cleveland has published their first educational guide — designed to help local individuals and businesses “navigate the quickly evolving world of social media.” The authors will give presentations and offer themselves for Q&A at the Higbee Building, 100 Public Square 2nd Floor this Wed 6/24 from 6 – 8PM. No cost, open to the public, all skill levels welcome. http://WelcomeToSocialMedia.com. http://ClevelandSMC.ning.com.

HOT MidTown Means Business! feat. keynote Mark Falanga, SVP of MMPI, formerly Medical Mart Properties, Inc. on Thu 6/18 at 11AM. Cleveland InterContinental Hotel, 9801 Carnegie Ave. Call Diane Dunleavy at 391-5080 ext #101 or register here
Christopher Celeste, Founder and CEO of Hatch and co-founder of Playaway Digital speaks Thu 6/18 at Pickwick & Frolic for TECA Cleveland event. Register
The Fedeli Group Hospitality Breakfast Event feat. Cle Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove Fri 6/19 at 7:30AM at the Rock Hall. Call 328-8080 or email mgillenwaterATthefideligroup.com
HOT Come to the TECHnic Summer Picnic this coming Sat 6/20 and enjoy summer fun in Cle with the many technicians, developers, and other IT firms in NEO. Details here
Leadership Series: Jay Allen on Building Inclusive Workplace Practices is sharp Plexus event Wed 6/24 at CSU Levin College of Urban Affairs, Dively Auditorium 1717 Euclid Ave. Click
Creating Brand Ambassadors within Your Board & Staff This BVU event hits Fri 6/26 at 9AM Learn more

Designing for Small Spaces Dan Young, the founder and principal of DXY Solutions — a Cle-based mobile technology firm — will be discussing important elements to consider when designing for handheld computers and mobile software on Wed 6/17. Details here.

How to Strategically Plan for the Future while Surviving the Present Greg Melia, VP of Member Relations and Credentialing, ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, will speak at the Greater Cleveland Society of Association Executives (GCSAE) luncheon program Friday 6/19 at 11:00AM (registration). 100th Bomb Group Restaurant, 20920 Brookpark Rd. Register online at http://www.GCSAE.com, or call 330-273-5756.

Jodi Marchewitz has developed iGuiders, an online research tool that lays on top of Google, but allows in-depth, complex searches that generate a much smaller number of much more relevant results.

Watch this video with Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready, shot in front of the Rock Hall in Downtown Cleveland, as Jodi explains how her new company taps into a vast knowledge of subject matter experts in the information security and social media marketing industries, with the goal of guiding users and buyers through the search process.

How big is their potential market? Online lead generation is expected to be $3.9B by next year, and this potential was one of the reasons that the Civic Innovation Lab got behind iGuiders early, with funding and mentorship. This led to the company being funded by JumpStart, and now iGuiders is entering their second round of financing. http://www.iGuiders.com, http://www.CivicInnovationLab.org

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Pangs of the Messiah The Mandel Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Cleveland offers this charged drama set in 2012 on the struggles and conflict faced by a family of religious Zionist pioneers after the signing of a Peace Accord by the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. Cleveland premiere: Wed 6/17 at 7:30PM, followed by extended run. Details, tickets and more at http://www.CleveJCC.org.

GREEN A Dialogue on Cap and Trade: A Response to Climate Change The debate over cap and trade in the US has intensified since President Obama took office — and making climate change legislation one of his top national priorities. This no cost, open to the public forum and open discussion aims to shed some light on what a future with cap and trade might look like Wed 6/17 at 3:30PM. Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University. 1717 Euclid Ave. Register here or call 523-7330.

HOT Cooperative Government The public is invited to an expert panel discussion on how local governments can provide good services with fewer tax dollars. Titled, Does Sharing Help? The Inside Story on Cooperative Government, the event will be held on Wed 6/17 at 6:45PM at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Main Library, 2345 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights. Panelists include South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo and others. They will discuss their related experiences and submit to an audience Q&A. Questions can be posted in advance here.

HOT Coventry Street Arts Fair The first installment of this summer’s set of Coventry Street Arts Fairs is Thu 6/18 from 6-9PM. Now in it’s sixth year, this month’s edition features rollicking roots rock from Vital Mines (see Peter Chakerian’s review in CC Sounds down the page), Cleveland Museum of Art family art projects, oversized puppets, guitarist Gaetano Letizia & The Underworld Band, Progressive Arts Alliance, the Cleveland Jazz Project and over over 80 local artists, vendors and farmers. Flower Clown, jugglers Aaron Bonk and John Flower, merchant sidewalk sales, al fresco dining and more! http://www.CoventryVillage.org/Fair.html.

Art in the Rotunda Russian Duo (balalaika and piano duet) & Csardas Hungarian Dance Company perform Thu 6/18 at noon. No cost, open to the public. Lunch will be served on a first come first served basis. Presented by Art in Everything! A Cleveland Initiative of Mayor Frank G. Jackson. Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave.

GREEN BarBQ and Strawberry Festival This Thu 6/18 even runs from 4 – 7PM at the Blue Pike Farm and it’s the first of their “Thursday Market” series — a run of summer festivals featuring fresh, local fruit, vegetables and homegrown musical talent. Check out the Wild Bill BQ Championship Bar-B-Q team (doin’ ribs and burgers), fresh strawberries from Wolfe Family Farms, a special festival strawberry cobbler from Lucy’s Sweet Surrender (OMG!!) and introducing the world premier of musical guest Squealin’ Like a Pig. 900 E. 72nd St 1/2 mile south of I-90 in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood. Learn about Blue Pike Farm here.

HOT Color Me Cleveland Artists Archives of the Western Reserve presents its Color Me Cleveland community arts happening starting Fri 6/19 and running through the whole week and concluding with a live auction gala Fri 6/26. The family-friendly event features 37 area artists who will spread out their works across nine different locations and produce their art live [pictured] at outdoor landmark locations — drawing upon the inspiration of their surroundings. More details and coolness than we can fit into one listing; check it out! http://www.ArtistsArchives.org.

Solstice Come and taste great Ohio wines and sampled delicious food and wine at the seventh annual Summer Solstice Wine, Art, and Blues Festival on Fri 6/19 – Sun 6/21. Browse and shop with artists who will be displaying jewelry, pottery, prints, handmade tiles, handmade soaps, stained glass, metalworking, wine accessories, watercolors, candles, soaps, woodcarvings, fiber artists, nursery plants, floral wreaths, and photography! Wow! Live music and wine and more! Hosted by the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy at Sarah’s Vineyard, 1204 West Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls. Call 330-929-8057 for more details.

HOT Art Museum Directors’ Roundtable This Fri 6/19 at 2PM, WVIZ/PBS ideastream and the Plain Dealer co-host a forum focusing on the “complex relationships” between art museums and the communities they serve. ideastream’s Dee Perry and PD art/architecture writer Steven Litt moderate a panel that includes Timothy Rub (Dir., Cleveland Museum of Art), Mitch Kahan (Dir., Akron Art Museum), Sherri Geldin (Dir., Wexner Center for the Arts) and Don Bacigalupi (Dir., Toledo Museum of Art). No cost, open to the public, but you MUST register for the event here.

HOT Passport Project’s Global Groove Celebrate six years of Passport Project’s Global Community Arts Center this Fri 6/19 from 7PM = midnight. Guests from Guinea, West Africa will join attendees in a global-themed artistic potluck event. No cost, open to the public (donations are cool). Bring a dish that represents your culture / family to share with your fellow groovers. Passport Project Global Community Arts Center, 12801 Buckeye Rd. Visit http://www.PassportProject.org or call 721-1055 for more info.

An UnNatural Affair The Nature League of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History celebrates the 2009 summer solstice at its 12th annual outdoor observatory party Fri 6/19 starting at 6PM. Mingle and network beneath the stars, enjoy Pacific Rim cuisine, tunes and a tasty adult bevvie bar (we suggest the Mai Tais!) Tour the Mueller Observatory with a Museum astronomer, enter a raffle to win a telescope and more! To reserve tickets, call 231-1177 or visit http://www.CMNH.org.

Unforgettable The music and life of crooner Nat “King” Cole are the subject of Unforgettable, a bio-revue that will open the American Mirrors summer festival of theater at Actor’s Summit Fri 6/19 at 2PM (preview) and 8PM (debut). The show stages at the Actors’ Summit theater in Hudson and the show will run through late July as one of four shows of the American Mirrors series. Call 330-342-0800 or visit http://www.ActorsSummit.org.

Falstaff Summer is the perfect time for Shakespeare, and OperaCleveland’s got it Fri 6/19, Sun 6/21 and Sat 6/27 when they offer Verdi’s “opera buffa” based on the Bard’s most farcical characters. State Theatre, PlayhouseSquare. Get cultured! Tickets and info at http://www.OperaCleveland.org.

SPONSORED: WCLV 104.9 FM’s website gives you advance listings of WCLV’s exclusive classical music programming, including two Cleveland Orchestra concerts each weekend. And currently, there are weekly broadcasts by Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, a reprise of the 2005 Cleveland International Piano Competition, as well as weekly concerts by the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. Complete details on WCLV’s exclusive classical music programming can be found at http://www.WCLV.com.

HOT Big Cool Cats Music Festival This first-ever all-day outdoor local music shindig hits Sat 6/20 from noon – 11PM at Cain Park’s Evans Amphitheatre. Swamp-pop outfit Cats on Holiday, legendary Cle reggae outfit I-Tal, polyrhythmic world beat band Mifune, Americana-rockers The Magpies, “zydecajun” outfit Mo’ Mojo, and alt-rock band 70 Lewis comprise the main stage entertainment. Other artists perform on a sidestage of sorts in-between sets. Don’t miss this sizzling summer scorcher! 14591 Superior Rd., (at Lee) in Cleveland Heights. For tix to the Big Cool Cats Music Festival, click here. http://www.BigCoolCats.com. http://www.CainPark.com.

22nd Annual Clifton Arts & Musicfest A juried art show, live music, great nosh and more make up this year’s annual Lakewood summer event Sat 6/20. Fine arts and street festival fun meet on third Saturday in June; get a load of all the fun at Clifton Blvd in the lakefront Cudell/ Edgewater neighborhood (on the northwest side of C-town). Expect a rollicking good time! Click here for more info.

Tremont Trek Home Tour On Sat 6/20 from 5:30 – 10:30PM, check out this supercool walking home tour — kicking off at the new Tremont Place Lofts and ending at the Paul Duda Gallery / Robert Hartshorn Studio! Get an intimate feel for the heart of Tremont’s art gallery and restaurant district with all proceeds benefiting the quality of life in the historic Tremont neighborhood. With food by Parallax, Lolita, Fat Cats, Fahrenheit, and more, the nosh is as exciting as the stoll itself… and there’s much more. Details at http://www.TremontTrek.org.

Larchmere Porchfest Check out this no cost, open to the public live music festival Sat 6/20. With 20+ plus bands performing on porches in Larchmere neighborhood! Modeled after a similar event in Ithaca, NY, you’re bound to see/hear something you love. Family-friendly and with a ton of great shopping. Check out http://www.LarchmerePorchfest.com for details.

HOT Islands of Insanity On Sat 6/20 The Bang and the Clatter Theatre hosts a special arts event at its “Sometimes in the Silence” downtown geared to arts fans with a penchant for the edgy and provocative. This multidisciplinary evening features the premiere of filmmaker/producer Dave Thomas’ new short film Peaces and a preview of Mudd Sisters, a new play by playwright/director Christopher Johnston. Sounds cool to us! 224 Euclid Ave. http://www.BNCTheatre.com/Calendar.html.

HOT CMA’s Summer Solstice Celebration hits Sat 6/20 from 5PM – 2AM and the party is two-fold: Aside from the nod to the longest day of the year, it’s also an Opening Party (!) for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s new East Wing designed by architect Rafael Vinoly. The wing features 21 galleries (!!) for the museum’s Impressionism, photography, modern, and contemporary art collections. Score info, details, tickets and a “Solstice Party Map” here.

Cleveland Pride Equality Through Unity is the theme of this year’s LGBT rally, parade & festival Sat 6/20. After a boisterous stroll through downtown Cleveland, join the paraders in Voinovich Park for a whole lotta fun, live music, nosh and more. http://www.ClevelandPride.org.

Extreme Science Night Check out an explosive night of extreme science on Sat 6/20 from 7 – 11:30PM. Cool for Kids and Dads (Father’s Day is coming up after all) this inaugural event includes exclusive tours of Cleveland Browns Stadium, the historic 1925-built Steamship William G. Mather and offers science demos including indoor fireworks, exploding watermelons, an EGGs-treme Egg Drop and the movie Fighter Pilot on the giant OMNIMAX theater screen! Wow! Click here or call 621-2400.

The Natural History of Peppers The natural history of peppers are the focus of the The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s culinary event Sat 6/20 starting at 6:30PM. This evening features a pre-dinner reception and a seven-course gourmet dinner at the Museum. Learn about the cultural influences of peppers — cultivated for 2,000 years — during a unique dining experience. Local Mexican food expert Bea Delpapa lectures, followed by a lavish meal created by guest chef Sergio Abramof, of Sergio’s and Sarava. Abramof and wine guru Mary Lapham provide commentary on each course and its complementary wine. Reservations: call 231-1177 or visit http://www.CMNH.org.

The 4th annual Filipino Festival will be held on Sun 6/21 from 10AM – 6PM at the Philippine Cultural and Civic Center, 1975 West Ridgewood Dr., Parma. Soak up authentic Filipino vendors, cultural dances, performances, and authentic Filipino food. The Retome Rondalla Group from Mentor performs using an indigenous Rondalla instrument and delicacies like lechon, menudo, and halo-halo will be available. Very cool. No cost, open to the public. For more info, email rsantos@lakelandcc.edu or call 321-0774.

HOT GREEN PolyCultures The Greenhouse Tavern hosts the PolyCultures DVD Release Party Mon 6/22 starting at 6PM. Admission covers a DVD, two drinks, gratuity & tax; no cost hors d’oeuvres will be available until 8PM. Space is limited so secure admission @ http://www.LESSProductions.com (click on the “balloons”). 2038 E. 4th St. PolyCultures scored huge buzz at this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival. Scope some sneaky peeks here! For more info, call 393-4302. http://www.TheGreenHouseTavern.com http://PolyCultures.Blogspot.com.

HOT A Special Tribute to Michael Schwartz Celebrate a great educator and a great man Tue 6/23 from 6 – 8PM at the Allen Theater at PlayhouseSquare, 1501 Euclid Ave. Dr. Schwartz has done amazing things in his 8 years at Cleveland State University, where he served as the school’s president. The celebration will include a reception, special tributes by guest speakers, and lots of surprises. Questions? Call 875-9855 for details.
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Coming of Age in the Ghetto
A Father’s Day Tribute

Few men, I would venture to guess, can — upon reflection years later — recall the instance or incident whereupon they started to become men; where, when and what happened that caused them to take their first, tentative, mental step onto the bridge that would ultimately lead them across the yawning chasm that separates soft, carefree puberty from the onset of the hardening of eventual manhood.

Fortunately for me I can recall the time and date of the beginning of my personal transition with such an evocative clarity I swear it seems as if the vignette played out only yesterday…

Read more from Mansfield B. Frazier here

The Angels’ Share
Vital Mines

Last Christmas morning, Vital Mines singer/songwriter and bandleader Dan McCafferty lost his battle prostate cancer. It was a crushing blow to the remaining members of the band, ostensibly something that would knock the wind out of the band’s sails. In the months leading up to McCafferty’s passing, however, the band halted all of their live shows and were scrambling like mad to complete their second (and perhaps final) long-player, The Angels’ Share. In the face of an illness that bonded the band members together, they created a great record…

Read more from Peter Chakerian here

Wanna get reviewed? Send your band’s CD (less than 1 year old) to: Cool Cleveland, 14837 Detroit Avenue, #105, Lakewood, OH 44107

County Reform Needs… a Reform
Plus: Forest City Walloped By NYT Critic, Voinovich on Health Care and “Is it a Depression Yet?”

Somebody is going to have to reform the reform movement on County government. Otherwise reform appears dead on arrival once again. Why would anyone want to set up a Cleveland City Council for the County? It doesn’t make sense to me. What you’d have are eleven new politicians who all will need new staff and an expense account, creating eleven more fiefdoms…

Read more from Roldo Bartimole here

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

1) Big Cool Cats Music Festival Get 30% OFF tix until Midnight Thu 6/18 with discount code BCC30. Plus, watch band videos & win a Gibson Guitar.
BigCoolCats.com

2) Dick Jacobs loved money, but also life Roldo eulogizes.
CoolCleveland.com

3) An Un-Natural Affair A Night at the Museum, indeed!
CMNH.org

4) 75 Green Reasons to love NEO.
PositivelyCleveland.com

5) The Proper Way to do the Perp Walk by Mansfield, who should know.
CoolCleveland.com.

Cat-Like Reflexes… or The Cat’s Meow? Either way, Cool Cleveland is sure to help you land on your feet and hit the ground running every week. Thanks to Peter Chakerian, Mansfield B. Frazier, Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, Roldo Bartimole and Jeffrey Biasella. 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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–Thomas Mulready
LettersATCoolCleveland.com
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