Cable Cars And Sk 8 Parks

3.31-4.7
Cable cars and SK8 parks

Cool Cleveland Interview
with Cleveland City Councilman Zachary Reed

Zachary Reed, councilman, is not short on confidence or energy, and he’s got just enough arrogance to kick failure out of his vocabulary. Growing up on East 139th Street in Mount Pleasant, this dynamic speaker and involved citizen studied Political Science at Golden State University in California and at Cleveland State University, and he remembers when the neighborhood was the place to live. Now it’s a scourge among Cleveland since crack cocaine came into the area and destroyed it, and the dream to change it has fostered collaborations with St. Luke’s Foundation, the Mount Pleasant Community Council, Murtis Taylor Center, the Boys and Girls Club of America, Mt. Haven Baptist Church, and St. Cecelia Church, where music classes from classical piano to jazz saxophone take place. Now Councilman Reed is trying to bring the ward back to the way it was when he was growing up.

Cool Cleveland: You’ve been concentrating a lot of time and energy on Kinsman Road: Why?
Zachary Reed:
Kinsman is falling apart, but ten to twenty thousand people come down Kinsman Road everyday. Kinsman, and thus Mt. Pleasant, is a strategically placed battleground well worth fighting for. Go straight down Chagrin Boulevard and straight down Kinsman and you’re there.

So what are you going to do and how are you going to do it?
Mike White was really committed to this project and we got Issue 2 monies. Cleveland got $21 million and Mayor White earmarked $11 million of it for Kinsman Road. From E. 93rd to E. 154th, a new road, curb and new traffic lights will be put in. I strongly suggested that art be implemented into to the project also…

Read the interview of Zachary Reed by Cavana Faithwalker

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Cable cars & SK8 rinks & housing on the Lakefront It’s Mayor Campbell’s flagship program: re-develop our region’s biggest underutilized asset. So last week, planning director Chris Ronayne and the administration presented an impressive blueprint for stimulating ideas about the Lakefront, the results of a rigorous, 2-year public conversation with hundreds of citizens and consultants. Cool ideas include a ferry to Canada, cable cars from Mall C to the Rock Hall, an ice rink, a trolley museum and an extreme SK8 rink on the water. The key element: turning the abysmal Shoreway, which currently seals off the Lake from the City, into a beautiful, wide Boulevard that would allow North-South connections. Bring it on, Chris! Read more and more and even more.

Blacks considering regionalism For 40+ years, black political leaders in Cleveland have been against the city teaming up with the suburbs, fearing the city’s needs would be overshadowed by a hostile agenda. Most of all, they didn’t want their power diluted. But with NAACP president George Forbes saying, “We are all in the same boat,” and Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones supporting it, and now that other civic and business groups are on a regional mission, leaders in the black community are wondering if they’ll be included in the discussion. Read more

Online cashflow Online business are finally figuring out how to make money by charging for content. One such business is the Wall Street Journal, which only offers online content to its subscribers. Ironically, you can’t read this story on WSJ’s site unless you pay, but Anita Campbell provides a nice synopsis of the article here.

BP Tower bidding Minshall Stewart, who owns The Tower and Galleria at Erieview, and offered a smart plan to turn it into a convention center, now bids on the BP Tower. He also recently tried to buy Shaker Square. Read more

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Valley of Opportunity The 17-mile stretch of the Cuyahoga Valley has seen it all: industry, natural beauty, fire. The Cuyahoga Valley Initiative aims to link the diverse areas and harness their potential. It’s not a formal plan, but an effort to help us re-vision transforming the Valley into a sustainable economic engine. Read more. We’ve been talking about this for a while. See Mulready’s 3/24 Free Times column here and his March Cleveland Magazine column here.

Peter Lewis drops off CMA board After 7½ years, Lewis has stepped down as a Cleveland Museum of Art trustee, severing one more tie to Cleveland. “Unless a philanthropic trustee spends enough time to understand the issues and finances of the institution in depth, he ought not be on the board,” Lewis said in response to why he left the board. Read more

Toby Lewis leaves Progressive Corp We’ve known for weeks, but now it’s public. Peter Lewis’ successors were unable to find a place for ex-wife Toby Lewis’ groundbreaking art collecting program, and she will be leaving to write a book about Progressive’s top-notch modern art collection, notable for Toby’s sharp eye and ability to buy young up-and-coming contemporary artists. She’ll no doubt get along just fine, but how long will it take the accountants and finance guys at Progressive Insurance to start selling off the collection, which has appreciated tremendously? Read more

Mercury kills Rain and snow samples collected on the roof of the Cleveland Environmental Center at Lorain Avenue and Fulton Road in Ohio City contained levels eight times higher than levels considered safe for the Great Lakes by the Environmental Protection Agency. “We see this as a call to action and not another piece of scary environmental news,” said Zoe Lipman, of the federation’s Great Lakes office in Ann Arbor. That’s for sure. Read more

Gender impacts trade International Gender and Trade Network is comprised of seven regional offices that work together to educate citizens about the impacts of trade on women. Their goal? To promote equitable, social, and sustainable trade. The Network utilizes research, advocacy and economic literacy to address the specific trade issues of the seven regions: Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Pacific. www.GenderAndTrade.net

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Cleveland housing rocks Rather than an emphasis on “falling short” of the City’s goal, our daily paper should be shouting the good news: for the second year in a row, the City of Cleveland had more new housing starts than any other city in the County, including such high-growth cities as Strongsville, Broadview Hts and Solon. One local developer says Mayor Campbell “deserves credit for focusing her administration on new housing.” Now if we could just focus our media. Read more

Insourcing at GE Here’s a model for re-thinking corporate America’s rush to outsource every blue, white and no-collar job overseas: “GEHealthcare offers a blueprint for the US manufacturing base and how it must adapt to survive. The GE business moves up the food chain to make pricey, complex products that are beyond the ken of factories overseas; it relentlessly pursues ways to innovate in both features and production methods to stay out in front.” See Forbes here.

Basque poets the original rappers? Basque poetry is an ancient art, dating as far back as the 15th century. They improvised on politics to love, making their points in rhythmic, rhyming stanzas. Now, a group of Basque-American poets keeping this native art alive have been selected for an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. See Boston.com here.

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Heights High becomes 3 small schools Cleveland Heights is trying a new approach to education, with the help of a grant from Bill Gates’ foundation. Since minority and disadvantaged student populations have jumped, they’ve only hit 9 of 22 standards on the most recent schools report card. Now that the community passed the recent school levy, expectations are understandably high. Read more

Cleve Schools face budget tightening After a “miraculous” positive report card, the Cleveland Schools are flying high. But now, because of a combination of factors, they are staring at deficits long before the anticipated Fall levy (assuming it passes) kicks in. Other problems: union trouble with the ongoing $1.5 billion school re-building program (the largest public works project in our region, ever). Read more here and here.

Men don’t read as much as women In fact, boys remain a year and a half behind girls throughout their school years, and the Public Library Association has identified the problem: boys losing interest in the activity early in life. How do we get young men to read these days? Let them read whatever the hell they want, and they’ll take it from there. And more male teachers to act as role models would help. See Seattle Times here.

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Performance on Shaker Square? A word with Peter Rubin of Coral Company, who just purchased Shaker Square from KeyBank. He wants to make it “more than just a shopping destination, and turn it into a cultural experience. This involves developing the vacant space to complement and enhance the surviving businesses, including newly created performance spaces.” See Cleveland Jewish News here.

Sparx redux Last summer, Sparx in the City launched its first exciting season, with performers, merchant events, and true urban street life. Now, year 2 will be even more fabulous: Street Beats, every Friday for 16 consecutive weekends starting 6/4 during lunch and dinner in 6 rotating sidewalk locations Downtown, featuring live bands, acoustic musicians, dance troupes and strolling entertainment. And the return of the Urban Gallery Hop, scheduled for the weekend of 9/17-18, bringing the buzz to over 50 galleries and artist studios, with 14 hot spot stops on the free trolley tour. To top it off, Cool Cleveland plans to reprise it’s wildly successful Art/Tech/Dance party that weekend in conjunction with Urban Gallery Hop once again, all part of a “Discover Cleveland’s Art Scene” weekend package. Get ready for a wild Cleveland summer. For more info: artpower@yahoo.com

Florida Rings up New Zealand The biggest single project in cinematic history, crafted by the best filmmakers in the world, internationally funded and winning the highest awards possible, was created 100% in… New Zealand (not Hollywood). Next Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson builds a permanent, state-of-the-art film-making complex in a former paint factory in… New Zealand (not Hollywood). And now, creative types from around the world are attracted by the lure of lucrative creative work to… New Zealand (not Hollywood). In this version of outsourcing, other countries are doing a better job of attracting talented creatives that the US. Recent government policy, which has shifted to retro and unilateralist pandering to older sectors of the economy (steel tarriffs, farming subsidies), with the effect of “for the first time in our history, we’re saying to highly mobile and very finicky global talent, ‘You don’t belong here.'” Read Richard Florida’s analysis in Washington Monthly here.

Conceptual art controversy Some argue it is about ideas and meanings, others say it’s all about the construction of materials into form. How can one determine whether conceptual art is born from an illuminated thought or just plain laziness? http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000006DFD9.htm

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Now if we could only convince Clevelanders… Internationally acclaimed flamenco singer José Mercé just made his first U.S. visit, participating in the Flamenco Festival, and one of his stops was Cleveland. Mercé, a native of Andalusia Spain was overheard praising Cleveland: “The town spoke to me right away — I could live there.” http://www.travelandleisure.com

Democratic platform committee co-chaired by Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, moving her into a major role in shaping the party’s message during the run up to the national convention in Boston in late July. With Cleveland-area Representative Dennis Kucinich also gearing up to influence the platform with his presidential bid, how will his good relationship with Tubbs-Jones allow for our town to become a major voice in the platform? Another reason that Ohio, and NEO, may be ground zero in this Fall’s election season. Read more

Gays denied marriage licenses No surprises here, but for some, the futile exercise was worth the point it made. 58 gay Cleveland-area couples filled out forms for a marriage license and ponied up a nonrefundable $40 application fee, then were politely turned away by court officials. Read more

Whining about Google Some companies are not searchable on the leading search engine, Google, and business owners lament that this can make or break a small operation quickly. “It can be catastrophic at times,” says one business owner. Read eWeek here.

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Cleveland Foundation gives out $16M At its first quarter meeting, The Cleveland Foundation’s board of directors approved $16.6M in grants and program-related investments to local nonprofit organizations, committing almost $4 million towards continued work in Cleveland’s neighborhoods. The lion’s share goes to Neighborhood Progress Inc. for their efforts to “increase the capacity” of Community Development Corporations (CD Cs?) to continue improvements to Cleveland neighborhoods through low-income housing development. Plus, they kicked of an innovative Advancement Program for Mid-Sized Arts Organizations, a three-year, $5 million effort to target 6 arts groups to address chronic undercapitalization, and to develop a network of skilled leaders. www.ClevelandFoundation.org

Key idea KeyCorp has presented a $1 million, multiyear grant to Playhouse Square Foundation and ideastream (WCPN radio and WVIZ TV) in support of their partnership to develop the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, intended to provide an educational environment that blends the performing arts, radio, television, interactive broadband and related technology into a single facility. See Crain’s here.

Cleveland’s Arts Prize NE Ohioans will be invited to submit their nominations for this year’s Cleveland Arts Prize in five creative disciplines. Make your nominations online at the Arts Prize web site starting Mon 4/5 thru Mon 5/10. It’s a concerted effort to involve the entire community in the process that results in these distinguished annual awards. www.ClevelandArtsPrize.org

Downtown for Democracy D4D, a PAC formed last summer by a group of editors, PR consultants, gallery owners and designers in Manhattan, is creating a new model for dissatisfied creatives on the left with a savvy, engaged political organization. The group’s main goal is to raise between $3-5 million by next November and spend it on ads, voter registration drives, campaign contributions and voter mobilization in swing states, all with the aim of removing President George Bush from office. www.DowntownForDemocracy.org

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Electronic paper prototype Sony, Royal Philips and E Ink announced a version of an electronic paper display module to go on sale in Japan in April. It can be read in bright sunlight at any angle, at about 170 pixels per inch, and uses four AAA batteries per every 10,000 pages read. Sony’s e-book reader, LIBR Ié?, is about the size of a paperbook and can store up to 500 downloaded books. http://www.eink.com/news/releases/pr70.html

Death of the independent bookstore Back Bay’s famous Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop is closing its doors after 29 years. With over 100,000 vintage and one-of-a-kind books, its literary selection and quirky east coast character was worth the trip into Boston. The book buyers who frequent ‘cost savings’ shopping mall bookstores are responsible for killing off small stores like Victor Hugo. http://www.avenuevictorhugobooks.com/home.php3

Punk Voters Organizations are popping up that join culture and politics. Music For America and PunkVoter.com are progressive political non-profits pushing to register a million new voters for the 2004 election through live concerts and interactive websites. These slackers aren’t just sitting around and waiting for something to happen, they’re doing something about it. www.MusicForAmerica.org and www.PunkVoter.com

Truth, lies and language Brain-scanning technologies can determine which areas of the brain are activated when deciding if a sentence makes grammatical sense, and also assessing the truth of a statement. See the Atlanta Journal-Constitution here.

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Cool Cleveland This Week
3.31-4.7

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The Rain Poet Daniel Thompson will read and sign his newest poetry collection with Green Panda Press. It’s lavishly illustrated, hand-made and bound locally; make it out to the reading and pick up your own copy in an intimate and comfortable setting Wed 3/31 at 7:30 p.m. Call 795-0550. Night Town, 12387 Cedar Rd in Cleveland Hts. http://www.nighttowncleveland.com

From Tolerance to Acceptance to Appreciation: The Stratification of Cultures as the Barrier to Democratic Pluralism by Troy Duster, Ph.D., in a lecture providing a road map for reducing the lingering cultural barriers to full racial and ethnic equality. Come explore the progressive shifts from tolerance of difference to acceptance, appreciation and mutual enhancement. Find out more from this leading authority on sociological issues in the application and misapplication of the science of genetics in contemporary social policy debates Thu 4/1 beginning 5PM. For info and reservations call 687-4500. Cleveland State University Convocation Center, 2000 Prospect Ave. http://www.csuohio.edu/convo/CONVO98new.html

Nia Coffeehouse and WCPN’s Around Noon Hear the latest with Cavana Faithwalker’s Nia project as he blows it up on 90.3FM with Dee Perry Thu 4/1 at 12:10PM. Then catch the Nia slam at the CMA, Fri 4/2 at 6PM with featured reader and author Mwatabu Okantah, with works that are “rooted in the tradition of African American artistic expression; these lyrical poems are provocative and revelatory.” Come by to read, listen or sample desserts from Tommy’s on Coventry. For info 421-7340. Nia Coffeehouse is located in the Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd. email cfaithwalker@clevelandart.org

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Monteverde The Cleveland Botanical Garden continues to host Dulce Wilson from Friends of Monteverde, a key conservation and restoration partner in Costa Rica. Join her and gain special insight into cloud forests, including the one right here in Cleveland at the Garden, and the one in Costa Rica Thu 4/1 at 1:45PM in Spanish plus a conservation presentation in English 2:30-3:15PM. Call 721-1600. 11030 East Blvd. http://www.cbgarden.org

Bold Thinkers Series Anne Mulcahy, chairman of the board and CEO of Xerox Corporation and voted the fourth most powerful woman in business by Fortune Magazine will join USA Today technology columnist Kevin Maney, who will offer insights gained from his interviews of important players in the technology and communications industries in a fireside chat Thu 4/1 at 3:45PM. Seating is limited, register online or call 368-0018. Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University http://weatherhead.cwru.edu/boldthinkers

KM Cluster Communities: Next Practices Nationally recognized social network analyst, software developer (and Cool Cleveland reader) Valdis Krebs will be just one of five presenters at the inaugral KM Cluster event for the Cleveland community. KM Cluster is a worldwide knowledge management (KM) leadership community. The event will examine communities of practice and learning communities in and across organizations. Communities are networks of people within, and sometimes outside of an organization that come together around a particular topic to collaborate, innovate, address challenges, share ideas and create new knowledge and information related to that topic Fri 4/2 9AM-12:30PM. The NASA Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Rd. 433-4000. To register, visit http://www.kmcluster.com/cle/CLE_Spring_2004.htm

Ukranian Easter Bazaar The Ukrainian Museum Archives in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood will hold its 10th Annual Easter Bazaar this weekend Fri 4/2 from 7-9PM, Sat 4/3 from 10AM -4PM, and Sun 4/4 from noon to 3PM. Explore pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) supplies, browse thru books, greeting cards and baked goods on sale. The Bazaar will also offer demonstrations on how to craft your own pysanky. The Ukrainian Museum Archives, 1202 Kenilworth Ave, on the north side of Lincoln Park in Tremont http://www.umacleveland.org.

Construct Femininity: Femininity Construct The contrived accoutrements of femininity and social constructions of gender are attacked in this exhibition with painter Sarah Curry and photographer Hadley K. Conner. Curry’s latest series of paintings, Veiled Women, confronts and examines the impact of advertising and media images on women’s psyches. Curry layers depictions of ordinary women with idealized, often sexually suggestive reproductions of ads and pop culture images. Conner photographically explores Rockabilly subculture linked to her exotically alternative female subjects, visually displaying a vintage quality. The accompanying Three Man Show: Ken Chapin, Mike Moritz, and Abe Olvido construct avant-garde installations with performance art; check it out Fri 4/2 from 7-10PM. Show runs through 5/14. Call 440-375-7461. The B.K. Smith Gallery, east side of Lake Erie College on Gillett St. http://www.lec.edu

Distance Learning Event Michael Tilson Thomas, Founder and Artistic Director of the New World Symphony, will participate in a master class via Internet2 between the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida, and CIM in Cleveland on Fri 4/2. A Conductor’s Roundtable Discussion ensues at 2PM with Maestros Tilson Thomas and Sir Neville Marriner located in Miami, plus representatives from the Manhattan School of Music, also connected via Internet2 in NYC, along with CIM conducting students in Cleveland will collaborate 4:15PM. Members of the CIM Orchestra will perform Wagner’s Seigfried Idyll as CIM conducting students participate in a master class critiqued by Michael Tilson Thomas. Distance learning programs at CIM connect in real time to teachers and students with web-based and other multimedia materials augmenting each videoconference connection. Get into this cutting edge integration of art and technology; for info call 791-5000 or visit http://www.cim.edu.

Ryan Papa of Stigma Recordings ushers in sound fueled by smooth and stylistic versatility and he’s playing massive events across the globe. Hear his own mix of house, breaks, progressive, and tech. He’s back from a successful trip headlining the House Broken party in Tokyo, Japan; get a decent hit of Aussie house Fri 4/2, doors open 9PM. Cloud 9, 1299 West 9th St. http://www.cloud9lounge.com/welcome.html

Self Portraits, An Interactive Exhibit expresses our feelings, spirit, persona, dreams and fears in this exhibit while recognizing the identity, individuality and diversity of our region. There’ll be special live performances of experimental ambient music and an artist’s talk from Valley Art Center Artist/Faculty member Suzanne Griffith, opening night is Fri 4/2 from 6-8:30PM. Valley Art Center, 155 Bell St in Chagrin Falls, 440-247-7507. http://www.valleyartcenter.org

In Black & White Are black and white images really void of color? Through memories and imagination we allow shadows and highlights to imply color; for each viewer, these images will appear completely different. Experience new works of four area artists with photography, paintings, drawings and print works. Opening reception begins Fri 4/2 from 6-10PM. 252-2099 Mosaic, 16860 Lorain Ave

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M-80 Issue #6 release party with corresponding group exhibit – check out subversive works of Akron artists and spoken word with David Giffels and others. Get down to the music of Dave Rich (Intelligent Knives), and hit the after show party at the Lime Spider with The Legendary Shackshakers, The Lords of the Highway and The Kung Fu Dykes. Event kicks off Sat 4/3 with the playing of the M-80 subterranean anti-anthem at 7PM. Call 330-376-5655. Square Records, 824 West Market St in Akron (Highland Square area) http://www.m-80.org

HealthSpace Cleveland In recognition of National Sleep Awareness Week, Health Space Cleveland shares health education, learning and family fun with an afternoon themed around sleeping and dreaming as a catalyst day of information. This afternoon of activities includes a special presentation for families titled, “Sleep Well, Do Well,” and Inlet Dance Theatre Company performing unique works. You can also participate in workshops and listen to jazz quartets courtesy of the Northeast Ohio Jazz Society Sat 4/3 beginning 10AM-5PM. Call 231-6827. 8911 Euclid Ave. http://www.healthspacecleveland.org

Apollo’s Fire The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra presents Beethoven and Schubert in Vienna with two classicly famed composers and two of their greatest symphonies: Beethoven’s Pastorale Symphony and Schubert’s Unfinished on the instruments the composers intended. Hear the clarity and explosive energy of music from the masters you thought you knew Sat 4/3 starting 8PM at Severance Hall. 11001 Euclid Ave. For tickets 800-314-2535. http://www.cwru.edu/buildings/mather/severance.html

African Americans from the Classroom to the Boardroom The Eighth Annual Urban Community Forum presents Bessie House, Ph.D and author of Confronting the Odds: African American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio is the keynote speaker. Panel discussions include CE Os? and entrepreneurs addressing owning and leading a company. Music is provided by All-City Choir and the Cleveland Municipal School District-Early College Stage Band Sat 4/3 from 8:30AM-2:30PM. Reservations are required, call 687-9394. Cole Center for Continuing Education, 3100 Chester Ave. http://www.csuohio.edu/omacr

Aeris combines elements of introverted shoegazing, trip-hop and electronica while blending lyrical and melodic beauty in an entirely original sound. Catch their visuals and music for a truly multi-sensorial experience; the band is comprised of original members from the electronic duo Luva. Aeris will open for Signal Path Sun 4/4 doors open 9PM. Peabody’s 2083 East 21st St. Call 776-9999 http://www.garageband.com/aerismusic http://www.peabodys.com

Super Button Box Bash accordion festival presenting a grand reunion of the finest button accordion players in North America. Catch the largest accordion festival of its kind marking the 100th Anniversary of the Slovene National Benefit Society. The Slovenian Junior Chorus of SNPJ Youth Circle 2 is hosting the 8-hour button box marathon, plus singers of the Lesna Oktet from Slovenia will perform Sun 4/4 from 1-9PM. Call 531-7168. Slovenian Society Home, 20713 Recher Ave in Euclid.

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Backlash Sundays a new revolution of sound that’s techno, electro, no-wave, anti-rave and anything or everything in between with DJ Rob Sherwood happening every Sun, including this Sun 4/4 at the Church. It’s free before 11PM at Metropolis, 2325 Elm St. 241-4007 http://www.metropolis-cleveland.com

Plástica Latinoamericana will delve into the vibrant culture of Latin American culture of Northeast Ohio in a multi-media exhibit displaying works of twelve Latin American sculptors, painters and photographers Mon 4/5 running through 5/15 from 9AM-5PM, entry is free and open to the public. Call (440) 951-7500. The Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Ave in Willoughby http://www.fineartsassociation.org

Blowing in the Wind: Windpower How feasible is wind power in Northeast Ohio, and who is working on finding out? What is the potential for generating significant energy from this renewable resource? Chris Hagan from Green Energy Ohio will lead the discussion Tue 4/6 from Noon to 1PM. It’s part of the Environmental Town Hall Brown Bag Lunch Series. Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd. http://www.shakerlakes.org

Markets and the Environment:Friends or Foes? Historian Terry Anderson has written extensively on the shaping of the American West and the history of American Indian economies. He’s also executive director of PERC­, The Center for Free Market Environmentalism, bringing market solutions to environmental problems. Listen in on his free public talk covering the government’s role in managing natural resources Wed 4/7 at 4:45 PM. 368-1004 Moot Courtroom (A59) at the Case School of Law, 11075 East Blvd. http://www.case.edu

Volunteer Opportunity Fair Volunteering offers innumerable opportunities for personal growth and enrichment and this event will show you how to get started. University Circle offers an incomparable variety and breadth of options for people new to volunteering as well as those looking to try something new Wed 4/7. Staff from the following organizations will be on hand to answer questions and provide information: Cleveland Botanical Garden, HealthSpace Cleveland, The Children’s Museum of Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and The Cleveland Orchestra. Drop in 6:30-8PM; event and parking are free. Call 707-2847. Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd in University Circle http://www.cbgarden.org/

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Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming events that are worthy

Red {an orchestra} will end its second season, don’t miss this opportunity to hear unique works of Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim in the program Lenny and Steven Rediscovered with concerts at Baldwin-Wallace College on Tue 4/13 and Wed 4/14 at Tri-C’s metro campus, both at 8 pm. Artistic director and conductor, Jonathan Sheffer, having known each man, brings a passion to the repertoire, stating “Theatre music is the most essential part of American music; and that these two composers met and created one of the most important and enduring musicals ever produced…the American musical was the first great mixed-breed music of a mongrel nation. With its jazz roots in new Orleans, and its mixture with European operetta, it is a uniquely American phenomenona.” from Cool Cleveland reader Lois Annich RevLois@aol.com

Bus Stop First produced in 1955, this play revolves around a seedy diner in Kansas that becomes a temporary haven for several bus passengers when a snowstorm shuts down the roads. Bus Stop is on stage in the historic Brooks Theatre of The Cleveland Play House Tue 3/30 through 4/11.

 Read the preview by Kelly Ferjutz 

The Cool Cleveland Book Review

Eclipse: A Memoir of Suicide
by Antonella Gambotto

Under any circumstance the death of a loved one presents a complex and profound emotional burden that is undiminished by the universality of the experience. But the spiritual and emotional toll rises considerably when life’s inevitable conclusion is hastened by suicide. Suicide, and the turmoil left in its wake, provides both fuel and fire for Antonella Gambotto’s The Eclipse: A Memoir of Suicide. While suicide provides the thematic core of The Eclipse, the book, as the title suggests, is about passing through shadow. Antonella Gambotto’s unique ability to describe that passage infuses the book with a vibrancy and life that more than balances the depressing nature of the subject matter. In the end, The Eclipse is about embracing life, and all that it entails…

Read the review by Bob Rhubart, plus suicide prevention resources

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Cool Cleveland Back Story

Ascherman Returns to Coventry
by Herb Ascherman

I moved to Coventry in 1979 with no more than the idea that I would like to be a photographer with an interest in meeting others of like mind. I opened an 800′ studio and dedicated half of it to a small photography gallery which I later incorporated as a 501(c)(3) known as the Ascherman Gallery of the Cleveland Photographic Workshop. Since 1979, the AG/CPW has sponsored about 160 photography exhibitions featuring over 1000 photographers from around the world. The original mandate that I wrote into the charter specifies that at least 50% of all shows go to local and Ohio photographers. I have always said that I would rather give someone their first show than someone their 50th…and we have remained pretty true to this dictum. We then moved to our present (old) space which at the time was over 3200′, enjoyed the cache of Coventry, broadened our attendance, put on classes and workshops (one of the first to introduce digital photography in Cleveland, and the FIRST in the city to have an exclusively digital photography exhibition…which had to be in the early 90s.) We were then evicted by the nefarious Siegel family and Free Times (hisssss) who gave us, after being tenants in their buildings for 18 years, 6 weeks to pack up and relocate…which we did to the intellectual wasteland of Commerce Park in Beachwood. We built a magnificent Studio and Gallery, continued the Workshop, and helplessly watched our visitorship drop from several hundred a month to several a week…at which point we quietly faded away for a several year hiatus. Now, Phoenix-like, the AG will arise from the ashes of the past several years and regain its position of prominence in the Cleveland Art Scene as Cleveland’s ONLY exclusively photographic gallery with 4 major shows planned a year. Opening the new/old gallery will be Sal Lopes’ (www.sallopes.com) exhibition Horse Spirit. Sal is from Boston, and was the first exhibitor in the first gallery 25 years ago. His Platinum work is internationally renowned and he has been my life long friend since we were roommates at the University of Hartford in 1967. The past is new again. www.ascherman.com

+Yr Turn
Cool Cleveland readers write

Tommy Fello, King of Coventry “This is an amazing email to receive. During the summer of 1975, while I was staying with my college room-mate in the house next to Jaguar Cleveland, and spending every day in the Federal Courthouse downtown trying to find some justice in the Kent State Trials…I frequently ate at your restaurant. The food, especially the seafood, was superb. And I was introduced to Vouvray at your establishment. To this day, it a favorite of mine, and I have told many an expatriate Ohioan out here where I was introduced to it. Many thanks. By the way, did you attend the world premier of “Monty Python & the Holy Grail” in Coventry that summer? We ate at your place beforehand and then were given coconut shells upon entering the theater. I recently heard on NPR that Eric Idle was in the theater that night with us. Go figure. One final thought. I can see Mt. St. Helens from my place, you guys can see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! (Well almost.) I will stop in again on my next trip to Cleveland. Thanks for the recollections.” from Cool Cleveland reader Jim Russell, Deer Island, Oregon npjruss@crpud.net

On PD’s editorial “God, I Love Your Newsletter. You know, just as I am considering taking a job in Columbus to get out of Cleveland and its idiocy (to, no doubt, become part of Columbus’ idiocy) I read a Plain Dealer editorial like Kevin O’Brien’s (March 10, 2004) in Cool Cleveland and think, “Yep, I’m going!” I am a gay man, professional, well educated, tax paying, polite, kind to others, and in a ten year monogamist relationship with my partner. And yet bigots like O’Brien have the nerve to tell me that *he knows* that God thinks my life is wrong because it says so in the Bible. Does Mr. O’Brien eat pork? Does he have intimate relations with females in his life after they’ve had their period? If so, then God thinks he’s wrong, too. Selective Bible quoting does neither of us any good, and leaves us both vulnerable to the “the Bible says so” attack, as maybe Mr. O’Brien can see … although I somehow doubt he’s capable of opening his mind to that degree. It’s this kind of narrow minded, “it’s always been that way so it always should be this way” mentality that keeps Cleveland, and Ohio for that matter, in the 19th century. And it’s also the reason I didn’t, and haven’t, subscribed to the Plain Dealer after moving here from Washington four years ago, where I took the Post for eight years. I mean, this enlightened man is the *deputy* editorial director?!? Good Lord (reference intended), no wonder no one takes the paper seriously … Thanks for keeping us informed about the stone age mentality that can still exist in this town, and the redemption Cleveland gets by the existence of newsletters like Cool Cleveland! from Cool Cleveland reader Jerrold Scott

On landfills, Commissioners and pottery I read with humor Steven Litt’s article on shopping mall over the landfill in Garfield Hts. Last Thursday while attending NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) in Indianapolis (we should all get in our cars and take a trip to Indy if you want to see a thriving downtown!) Of course we are going to put another shopping mall in the suburbs…….why? A new twist over a landfill!! Every county commissioner in Northeastern Ohio needs to go to http://www.energyxchange.org as North Carolina has a project powered by methane gas from one of their landfills to power kilns, greenhouses and one kick ass art center. Come on commissioners, get creative, take an art class, crawl out of your office and throw a pot…..play dirty! Drink your coffee from a handthrown mug!” from Cool Cleveland reader Sandy Miller http://www.sandymillerpottery.com millersandy@sbcglobal.net

On Cleveland’s Not-So-Quiet-Revolution I have recently been following the FT’s, CC’s and Thomas’s effort to motivate, network and create action for a better and “Cooler” Cleveland. I applaud and am inspired by your efforts, and I’m interested in exploring the creative networking and possible submission of articles and commentary along the “Not-So-Quiet-Revolution”. Keep me in the loop and appraised of your efforts and networking agenda. Feel free to E-mail me with specific opportunities and information in this regard. Keep up the positive and creative push for a better city and region. from Cool Cleveland reader Marte Cellura metalmarte@msn.com

On Mulready’s Cleveland Advertising Association talk “I had the pleasure of experiencing your presentation and meeting you briefly last week at the advertising luncheon at Windows on the River. I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and your passion for Cleveland, your approach was fresh and your ideas were dynamic and engaging. I thought your comment that advertisers need to respect their audience was especially insightful and important, a concept that unfortunately seemed lost on a few of those in attendance. I was also surprised and impressed by the demographics of your audience, it is obvious from the impact you are having and the results you are creating that you have tapped into an unmet need in our area. Although I have progressed far from anything that resembles cool, I have been and always will be a huge fan of our hometown. Like you, I have dedicated my energies and my career to helping people and sharing the wonders of Cleveland. Although there are numerous challenges to overcome, I believe that if we refuse to accept the status quo, challenge virtually everything and do the right things, that we will some day transform our town into what it should be.” from Cool Cleveland reader Scott Burke, Tri-C Corporate College scott.burke@tri-c.edu

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Instant Karma
Quik reviews of recent events

Same Sex Marriage License 3/26”’ Cleveland joined the front lines of the debate over same-sex marriage 3/26 as 58 gay and lesbian couples walked into the Cuyahoga County Probate Court to apply for marriage licenses. Outside, dozens of people occupied the rain-soaked steps of the courthouse at a rally supporting gay marriage and listened to speakers from Cleveland’s gay community who challenged the attendees to do everything in their power to defeat the President Bush’s attempt to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Read the review of the Same Sex Marriage License Rally here

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 3/25 Last week, the Cleveland Orchestra performed with two guests: David Zinman, conductor and Richard Goode, pianist. The program began with Edward Elgar’s Cockaigne (“In London Town”) Concerto Overture OP. 40. The piece was performed with a lively spirit and lush sound.

Read the review by Brian Schriefer

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 3/25 Last weekend at Severance Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra welcomed back several favorites: guest conductor David Zinman, pianist Richard Goode and three pieces of music not heard for a good many years. Mr. Zinman first appeared here some twenty-five years ago, and since then has been a regular and welcome visitor. To begin this weekend’s program, he chose the Cockaigne Concert Overture by Edward Elgar…

Read the review by Kelly Ferjutz

◄ For your free subscription to Cool Cleveland, complete the form at left.

Top 5

We use IdeaStar.com tools to track which articles were clicked the most. Here are the Top 5 from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) Cool Cleveland interview with Tommy Fello We asked Tommy Fello about the funny names for his sandwiches, the redevelopment of the street, whether Coventry is still cool, and this summer’s return of the Street Fair.
King of Coventry

2) Land fill shopping mall The new City View regional shopping center will be built atop a landfill on the east rim of the valley, south of the I- 480 exit.
Read more

3) CoolCleveland.com Our recently re-launched website keeps attracting more visitors each week; thanks for hanging out with us at CC and checking out our site.
http://www.coolcleveland.com

4) Buying Shaker Square The Coral Co., a Beachwood-based real estate development, construction and management firm, signed a purchase agreement late Friday to acquire the historic East Side retail district from KeyCorp
Read more

5) The Pointe at Gateway Cleveland’s newest downtown neighborhood just got better! The Pointe at Gateway offers affordable, 1 and 2 bedroom condominiums that place you at the center of this lively, bustling neighborhood.
http://www.progressiveurban.com

Cool Cleveland’s growth curve shows that you’re signing up with us and showing lots of CC love. If you know folks who need it and don’t receive it, tell them to hit www.coolcleveland.com and register at the new site, or have them send an e-mail to Firing up your marketing plans? Cool Cleveland is a proven way to reach tens of thousands of influential people in the area. Find out more by dropping us a line, then check the packages we’ve put together with Cleveland Magazine, WCLV radio and Cool Cleveland. Drop us a note to InfoAtCoolClevelandDotCom and let the cool Clevelanders hear from you.

The Hard Corps killer work ethic gets into high gear bringing alternative events and content, making Cool Cleveland the fave media outlet of those in the know. Props to Cavana Faithwalker, Tisha Nemeth, Deb Remington, Kelly Ferjutz, Lois Annich, Brian Schriefer, George Nemeth, Bill Nagode and all our contributors collaborating to bring you the stuff you’re addicted to. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: EventsAtCoolClevelandDotCom

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Cool Cleveland Writer: Beth Ann Sadowski Beth Ann Sadowski has traveled to Los Angeles and NYC hitting the stage, as well as performing in local Community Theater and Inter-Collegiate Speech and Debate (she ranked 2nd overall in the state of Ohio in 2003). A regular participant in the Kent State University Poetry Slam competition, she’s received numerous awards and teaches poetry slam classes at local high schools. You can find her performing at the monthly Classic Cleveland poetry slam at the Beachland Ballroom or visit her online at http://poetrypoem.com/poetryfromthesticks or contact her at poetryfromthesticks@yahoo.com

Beneath by Beth Ann Sadowski

I don’t mean to disappoint you,
But this isn’t going to be one of those
Sociopolitical, bleeding-heart,
Stepping on eggshells type of poems
For once,
Poetry
Will spill like
A roaring stream of consciousness
From my lips
Screaming and
Teeming with
Scathing
Accusations
Without hesitations
Because in our lives of uncertainty
And
Duplicity
Inequality
And
Animosity
There must be a voice
That rings clear
In this sphere
That is our world
From the looks on your faces
I bet you never theorized
But, now you’ll have to realize
That a voice so much like all of yours
Can come
From a body like this
From a mouth like this
From a mind like this
This “Hick from the Crick”
This “Chick with no…”
Shtick
You see, your pre-perceptions
Have lead to misconceptions
Because my sex may be female
And my skin may be white
But don’t let those details
Cause you to derail
From the truth
Because I never
Hardly ever
Concern myself with
Enlarging my breasts to gargantuan sizes
Or starving my soul
So that my ribs bones look like
Xylophones underneath my skin
Because I know that my true beauty lies within
So, does it intimidate you that
I have relevant opinions
Or just that I have opinions
Because I’ve been brawling
On stages from New York to L.A.
Gunning down audiences
With silver bullet
Allusions, Similes, Rhymes, and Metaphors
Struggling to satiate their vampiric lust
For imagery, honesty, and originality
But as soon as the stage is dismounted
And the scores have been counted
The remarks from spectators and poets
Are almost always the same
Your poems are great,
But we’ve heard it all before
Couldn’t you write poetry that, um,
You identify with more
And I stare
Unaware of what they’re implying
And then, slowly, the question marks
Fall from my face
And I realize that they want
“White Poetry”
“Woman Poetry”
“Middle-class Republicrat Never Worked For A Thing In My Life Poetry.”
Well,
You’re never gonna hear that poetry
From a body like this
From a mouth like this
From a mind like this
Because I have felt the chill of
Never-ending winter nights in Central Park
When trashcan fireplaces were the only
Comfort to warm my heart
And I have felt the pangs of hunger
For days and weeks
As the searing California sun
Beat me down and made me weak
See, I have lived the lives of a hundred
Different races, colors, and creeds
And I don’t know what will finally make you see…
So, this time after the stage is dismounted
And the scores have been counted
I hope that my imagery, honesty, and originality
Allows you to look beyond the physical
So, that you may embrace the cerebral
So that, just for a moment,
You can finally overlook the Woman
To recognize the Poet.

Every week’s
a big week
in Cleveland

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