Launching

6.07-6.14.06

Launching

In this week’s issue:
* Cool Cleveland Interview Victoria Colligan of Ladies Who Launch by Roxanne Ravenel
* Cool Cleveland BizBUZZ Business Commentary by David Tarditi NEW!
* Cool Cleveland Sounds Upward Heroic Motive from roué
* RoldoLINK Reluctant leaders effect Cleveland’s neighborhoods
* Cool Cleveland Preview The Cleveland Orchestra’s Falstaff
* Tuning In Abe Olvido’s Sonic Kingdom by Daiv Whaley
* Cool Cleveland People Michael Miller, Honorary Consul for Sweden
* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here, CC podcast click here, CC Blog click here

It is à propos, that when the garden is sprouting, summer plans are forming. Non-profit July-to-June fiscal years are coalescing, and to celebrate, a Clevelander has returned to help ladies launch new businesses. There’s a blooming new Falstaff at Severance Hall, a Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce opening in Cleveland, a new performance by Abe Olvido at the Tremont Artwalk, and a fresh CD by Cleveland noise-rockers roué, too. So, what’s new with you, Cleveland?–Thomas Mulready

Cool Cleveland Interview
Victoria Colligan of Ladies Who Launch

A little more than four years ago, while working as a corporate attorney in New York City, Cleveland native Victoria Colligan discovered that current business resources just weren’t addressing the needs of women on several important levels. Colligan left the cushy corporate life behind and made it her business to fill that void by developing an organization that could impact the lives of women across the country. Her efforts resulted in Ladies Who Launch; a nationwide organization of entrepreneurial women that has become a media darling, has 20,000 weekly email subscribers and conducts Incubators in 30 cities – including Vancouver, with plans to get groups started in Toronto and possibly London, England on the horizon. The next Ladies Who Launch event takes place on Thu 6/15 at Josaphat Arts Hall.

Cool Cleveland: Tell Cool Cleveland readers a little about your background. Are you originally from Cleveland? Have you always lived here?

Victoria Colligan: I grew up in Cleveland. I was born here. I lived in New York for ten years and then I moved back to Cleveland. Actually it was my husband’s business that brought us back here. He was in private equity and he was investing in some businesses here.

How did you come up with the concept for Ladies Who Launch?

I worked for two start-up companies, mostly doing business development for them. Both of these companies were owned and operated and started by women. Basically it was at that point and time that I started conceiving the idea for Ladies Who Launch. I just started to see all these women around me starting businesses. Statistics underscore that. Almost half of all privately-owned businesses are women owned. Women are basically starting businesses at twice the speed of the natural average, basically at twice the rate of men…
Read the interview by Roxanne Ravenel here

Cool Cleveland Mystery Tour photos
Where would you like to go next?

Cool Cleveland’s first Mystery Tour kicked off after work on Thu 6/1 with a brief presentation on the secret neighborhood to be explored: Cleveland’s emerging Chinatown. A tour of interactive marketing agency thunder::tech and a glass of wine from Cleveland’s only Downtown winery and art gallery, Studio of 5 Rings, put everyone in a good mood. Next stop was the impressive Tower Press Building with its live/work lofts and artist-subsidy rent, plus a snack at the attached Artefino Art Gallery Cafe while owner Karen Perkowski guided a tour of the lofts. Then down the street to the hotter-than-hot #1 Pho at 3120 Superior (781-1176) where owner Thang Nguyen laid out a spread of Vietnamese spring rolls, chicken cabbage salad, and Vietnamese fried rice with shrimp. CSU Levin College of Urban Affairs graduate students Erin Aleman and Justin Glanville rode the busses and pointed out the sights between stops: Asia Plaza, restaurants, loft conversions, art galleries, coffeehouses and artist-decorated life-sized dog sculptures throughout the neighborhood celebrating The Year of The Dog. Next a shopping trip to Chinese market Tink Holl on E. 36th where Mystery Tourists scored fresh Chinese veggies and unique imported merchandise. Finally, a wine reception at St. Josephat’s Arts Hall on E. 33rd, a church converted to a contemporary art gallery. Congrats to all the Cleveland risk-takers who signed up sight unseen! Send us your suggestions for our next Mystery Tour by sending mail to Letters@CoolCleveland.com. To see photos of the Mystery Tour, click here.

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Attention Party Animals: Jane Goodall’s in Town! Check out the amazing world of chimpanzees at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s exhibit celebrating the life and work of renowned chimp researcher Jane Goodall. The exhibition “Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall” is the first stop on your Primate Passport. Purchase a passport (or several!) at the museum for admission to this exhibition and other chimp extravaganzas around town including the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest, and the OMNIMAX movie “Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees” at the Great Lakes Science Center. For more info contact www.cmnh.org.
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NewsLinks

  • Ohio ranks dead last in LGBTQ protection In a shocking study by the grass-roots Equality Ohio, our fair state ranks dead last when it comes to laws prohibiting discrimination, hate crimes, school bully bills, gay adoption, and ‘defense-of-marriage’ acts. And you thought is was only bad because of our recent constitutional ban on gay marriage. See story here, and see study here.
  • Online ad sales bloom Online advertising is up 38% in the first quarter alone, according to the Wall Street Journal. See story here.
  • Show us your shorts Got a short film that you are just itching to show off? The Overlook Park Shorts Festival is searching for short films, preferably 10 minutes or less, for their Sat 8/26 event. Just be sure to submit your masterpiece by the Sat 7/1 deadline. Visit http://www.OverlookPark.com to learn more or download the entry form here.
  • Planning for Walk and Roll This exciting new project will draw visitors to the host of museums and cultural institutions in Rockefeller Park and University Circle – enabling them to see the area in a whole new way. The project will energize, publicize and revitalize the neighborhoods in and around University Circle and will help further the renaissance that is underway in the area. Learn more at http://www.WalkAndRollCleveland.com. What do you think about the project? Send your thoughts to Letters@CoolCleveland.com.
  • UA prof studies entrepreneurship The University of Akron’s Dr. Todd Finkle of Fairlawn, director of the university’s Fitzgerald Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, is the lead author of a national study that shows significant growth in university entrepreneurship programs. The study, “An Examination of Entrepreneurship Centers in the United States: A National Survey,” appeared in the April 2006 issue of The Journal of Small Business Management. This benchmark study fills a research void regarding the proliferation of entrepreneurship courses at universities across the country over the past three decades. Read about it here.
  • Cool Cleveland Podcast Cool things to do this week in Cleveland, at the click of a button. http://www.coolcleveland.com/files/audio/CoolCleveland06.09.06.mp3. Don’t forget, you can subscribe to this podcast by saving this link in your favorite program that catches podcasts.

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Live in the “Hip, Happening” Neighborhood With its close proximity to Severance Hall, University Circle, Case Western Reserve University, Little Italy, the Gateway District, Browns Stadium and Tower City, Woodhaven is helping to revive Euclid Avenue. Featuring beautiful 3-story townhomes, with low homeowner’s fees or discounted interest rates 1.5% below market! Experience 2-3 bedrooms, 2½-bath, with master suites, 2 car garages, second floor laundry rooms, separate living and family rooms, eat-in kitchens, formal dining rooms, private courtyards, ranging from $206,650 – $220,650, at 1901 – 2088 square feet. Woodhaven’s three-story Classic Coach Homes, starting at $234,000, are currently available with 1930+ square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths, full basement and optional bonus room. Enjoy 100% 15-year tax abatement. Contact (216) 231-5353 or www.Woodhaven.com. Zaremba: Building with more thought per square foot.
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NewsLinks

  • Renovate, don’t demolish The Cleveland Restoration Society has released its Historic Schools Feasibility Study, concluding that the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) could potentially save over $17 million if they choose to renovate, rather than replace, four historic schools that are currently slated for demolition in the District’s master plan. The study also concludes that Ohio’s state policies, which favor new construction over renovation, should be revised. The four schools examined were William Cullen Bryant K-8 School in Old Brooklyn, Robert Fulton K-8 School in Mount Pleasant, Albert B. Hart K-8 School in Slavic Village, and Audubon K-8 School in Woodland Hills. Read the report at http://www.ClevelandRestoration.org. What do you think: Are we demolishing gems or is restoration just throwing good money after bad? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.
  • Cuyahoga ACE awards $446K The Board of County Commissioners created the Arts and Culture as Economic Development Grant Program in 2004 to fuel economic growth and leverage private investment in arts and culture. The recently awarded 2006 ACE Grants went to projects representing the full range of genre including film, dance, theater, music and the visual arts. Recipients included Art on Wheels, Children’s Museum of Cleveland, Cleveland Film Society, Cleveland Public Theater and more. See the entire list of winners at www.cuyahogacounty.us/development.
  • Ohio is Below the Curve As higher education has become more essential, it has also become more expensive in Ohio and in the nation. Ohio’s state investment in higher education measured per pupil or as a percent of state income, has not kept pace with other states or with demand. The new Policy Matters Ohio report examines Ohio’s system of higher education financing and makes recommendations to get our state above the curve. Read the report www.PolicyMattersOhio.org How concerned are you about the spiraling price of education in Ohio? Share your thoughts at Letters@CoolCleveland.com.
  • Cool Cleveland Kids 10-year-old Cool Cleveland correspondent Max Mulready recommends family-focused events. Hear his short podcast here even if you don’t have special software. If you’re a whiz kid, you can download it to your iPod or your computer and listen with your own kid. Check below to see the events tagged CC KIDS under Cool Cleveland This Week for our recommendations for a fantastic family week. http://www.coolcleveland.com/files/audio/CoolClevelandKids06.09.06.mp3. Adding this link to your program that catches podcasts, will keep you up-to-date on the latest audio.
  • NEO Speaks is a week-long series of conversations scheduled for Sun 6/11-17. During NEO Speaks Week, Voices and Choices will challenge employers, community organizations, and individuals living throughout the region to set aside 30 minutes to add their voices to the conversation about ways to improve the region. The event will mark the culmination of the 5–month Community Conversations process designed to engage thousands of Northeast Ohioans in prioritizing the region’s biggest challenges and identifying possible solutions. Learn more at http://www.VoicesChoices.org. What do you think of NEO Speaks Week? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.
  • ClevelandSurprise http://www.clevelandsurprise.com.

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Wow! The Only Free Outdoor Concert In Town . . . Every Wednesday this Summer! Do you ever find yourself sitting in your office on a Wednesday wishing it was the weekend? If so, then come to “WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays,” a fun, free series of 12 evening and 4 lunchtime concerts in University Circle’s Wade Oval. Where else can you enjoy food, warm nights, cool music and crafts from local artists while exploring world-class museums in University Circle? Running Wed 6/14 – Wed 8/30, “WOW!” is a fantastic place to see and be seen. Sit back and relax to the sounds of Roberto Ocasio and the Latin Jazz Project on Wed 6/14 and mark your calendar for the Special Event band on Wed 6/21. Concerts are 5:30PM – 7:30PM. For more information call 216-707-5033 or visit www.universitycircle.org.
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Correction
We made a mistake and posted the wrong link for our story Hi-tech bathhouse for Downtown, about developer Charles Fleck’s plans to convert an Art-Deco style Greyhound bus garage into a spa with 2 pools, a eucalyptus vapor room, a night club, hotle rooms and a rooftop sandpit for nude bathing. Here’s the correct link here.

Emissions from the blogsphere Frank Mills writes about the importance of neighborhood events. The blogger at Run Come Test Us posts pictures of the Wall of Sorrow. Adam Harvey calls the Cleveland Municipal School District and is treated rudely. Scott Bakalar reacts to the Pee Dee’s article on the Northeast Ohio political blogosphere. Check the Cool Cleveland weblog here, where Peter Chakerian talks wind turbines, building preservation, PWLGC’s excellent “Writers and their Friends” event, the future of newspapers and offers up a non-Naymik blog countermeasure. When you’re done, add your own comments, questions and attitude. Letters@CoolCleveland.com.


Cool Cleveland This Week

6.07-6.14

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

H. Gregory Prusheck Exhibition The oil paintings of legendary Slovenian born, American artist H. Gregory Prusheck will be displayed from now through Fri 7/7. As a self-invented artist, he settled in Chicago following the First World War and moved to Cleveland in 1931 at the age of 44. Although he was faced with periods of extreme poverty, Prusheck was an exceptionally resourceful and creative artist whose work underwent a gradual transformation from naturalism to abstract symbolism and expressionism. This event, in conjunction with the opening of the Slovenian Days celebration to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of Slovenian independence, is without cost and open to the public. Cleveland City Hall Rotunda, 601 Lakeside Avenue.

Building Northeast Ohio’s Economy: Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Cleveland State’s Presidential Initiative in Economic Development, a cross-university and cross-community partnership, has the goal of advancing economic transformation across Northeast Ohio through education, research and outreach. The Thu 6/8 forum from 8 – 10:30AM is the first in a series of three that will share the results of a set of regional economic indicators developed by researchers in the Levin College Center for Economic Development. Register here for the community event. Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Glickman-Miller Hall, Atrium, 1717 Euclid Avenue.

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Accessible Expressions Ohio is the only known statewide, touring art show for persons with disabilities. The exhibit features the work of several artists with disabilities and touches the lives of thousands of Ohioans every year with its message of disability awareness and the unique abilities in all of us. Many of the pieces are for sale. The show hits town on Thu 6/8 from 10AM to 5PM and runs through Fri 6/16. The exhibit is without cost and open to the public. Cleveland State University Gallery C, 2307 Chester Avenue. www.csuohio.edu.

Connect, Learn and Do Sustainability E4S is excited to unveil the next connection and learning hub for the fast growing E4S Network. Help them celebrate the launch of this great new space and those who have contributed time, talent and treasure to make E4S what it is today, on Thu 6/8 from 4-8PM. E4S Connection and Learning Center, 540 E. 105th Street, Suite 213. http://www.e4s.org.

Four Fabulous Techniques for Meditation This four week course offers four techniques to delve into the inner world of meditation. The course will be framed in yoga philosophy, appreciating the relationship between humans and nature. Bring a blanket, lawn chair and journal for this event which runs Thu 6/8 through Thu 6/29 at 7PM. Call 440-946-4400 for more info. Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland. http://www.HoldenArb.org.

HOT PICK Exploring the Young Professional’s Landscape Strong leadership and community awareness and involvement are integral to a successful professional career in Cleveland. This half-day seminar on Fri 7/14 from 8AM to 1PM introduces summer associates and interns to their available resources, helps them navigate Cleveland’s professional, social and civic landscapes and introduces valuable community leadership concepts. For more information and to register by the Fri 6/9 deadline, click here. Call 621-7733. The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Avenue. http://www.ClevelandBridgeBuilders.org.

Stupendous Event Lister of the Month Our stupendous event lister for the month of May is…Standing Rock Cultural Arts. The listings they send are always spot-on. Each listing by Standing Rock includes appropriate URLs, event locations (with physical address) and interesting background on the events without giving us an overdose. Most importantly, their website is kept updated with their latest events. Bravo! Could you use an event listing IV? Click here then scroll down to Hints. Send your new and improved listing to us at Events@CoolCleveland.com or submit online.

Lessons Learned From Ohio’s Primary: Making November A Success. Election officials, Election Day observation groups, election experts and elected officials will discuss their findings and analysis from the May primary and provide recommendations for improvements to election procedures before the November election. Audience input is encouraged. Topics of discussion include: the role of poll workers and their training; the usability and reliability of new voting technology and the effects of new Ohio legislation procedural concerns. Register for the Fri 6/9 event from 8AM to 12PM by calling 523-7330. Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, Glickman-Miller Hall, Atrium, 1717 Euclid Avenue. http://urban.csuohio.edu/forum/.

From the Studio to the Streets Is public art right for you, as an artist? Don’t miss the unique opportunity to learn more about the decision-making process in creating public art during this event on Fri 6/9 from 10AM – 4PM. The price of the event includes lunch. Call 621-5330 or visit http://www.ClevelandPublicArt.org to register. Trinity Commons, 2230 Euclid Avenue.

CC KIDS North Coast Harbor Boating & Fishing Fest Put down your cell phone, laptop, PDA and iPod. Then pick up your favorite cool kids and bring them to North Coast Harbor for a weekend of wonder and adventure on the waterfront on Fri 6/9 & Sat 6/10 from 11AM to 8PM and Sun 6/11 from 11AM to 5PM. Kids and their families can go on 30-minute power and sailboat cruises, see performances by Capt’n Willie the Great Lakes Pirate and experience the beauty and joy of the boating and fishing lifestyles with fun hands-on activities. There are far too many cool activities planned to list them all here so check them out at http://www.BoatingFest.com. Voinovich Park (behind the Rock Hall).

Modern Vision, Classical Methods Discover the timeless elegance and beauty of platinum-palladium prints, lith prints and ambrotypes in this exhibit curated by one of Cool Cleveland’s favorite photographer’s, Herb Ascherman, Jr. Get first glimpse of the remarkable photos during the Fri 6/9 opening reception from 6-9PM. The show runs through 7/22. Call 371-3344 for more info. Heights Arts Gallery, 2173 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. www.HeightsArts.org.

The Black White & Gray Series Laws, zebras, and World War II – all supposedly black and white. Using the inherent properties of abstraction, this set of paintings by Rich Garris is meant to extract the gray area that lies within these subjects and scenarios. The creation and dissemination of this art is about the value of curiosity and personal experience. It is about the temptation of passive, reactionary living and the temptation to reject culture, spirituality, and other manifestations of “gray.” Attend the opening and reception on Fri 6/9 from 6 to 10PM. Call 621-1610. Brandt Gallery, 1028 Kenilworth. http://www.BrandtGallery.org.

Ya know that Lonely Guy in the Cubicle Next to You? You’ll make his day if you forward this week’s issue of CC to him. And you may even give him something to talk about on his next date – if he ever gets one.

Springboard Artists Project features a group of Cleveland artists who will be presenting several different artistic mediums including sculpture, pen and ink, mixed media, photography, acrylic, charcoal drawing and more. The original film The Grizzled Wizard of Waste not Want not, which depicts the life and work of the Akron “junk artist,” will also be shown all three weekends of the exhibit and all work will be for sale by cash or check at affordable prices. The opening reception is on Fri 6/9 from 6-10PM, during the Tremont ArtWalk. Visit http://www.YoungArtistsCleveland.com for the full schedule over 3 weekends. Asterisk* Gallery, 2393 Professor Avenue.

The Art of KSU This show highlighting The Art of Kent State University School of Art includes works by Hazel Janicki, Richard Myers, Joseph O’Sickey, Brinsley Tyrell, Henry Halem, Craig Lucas, Janice Lessman-Moss, Ken Nevadomi, Nelson Stevens, Roy Lichtenstein, Toshika Takaezu, Robert Smithson, Curly Raven Holton, and others. Attend the opening reception on Fri 6/9 from 6-9PM. The exhibit runs through 8/19. Call 227-9507 or visit http://www.ClevelandArtists.org. Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue.

Tremont Independent Film Fest Enjoy a variety of short films, a feature film and live musical intermissions during this event on Fri 6/9 at 6:30PM and Sat 6/10 beginning at 1PM. See the complete schedule at http://www.TremontIndependent.com. Pilgrim Church 2952 West 14th Street, Tremont.

Express-O Cafe is a multi-media party to celebrate creativity featuring coffee, creative expression, and cool people. Don’t miss the drum circle, special performances, a live music improv jam and more during this Fri 6/9 event from 7-10PM. Studio You, 2180 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. http://express-ocafe.net/.

HOT PICK Martin Perlich / The Wild Times Martin Perlich has worked at the fringe of media and the arts for most of the last forty years. A minor folk-hero in Cleveland radio in the 60’s, he migrated to Los Angeles in 1972 and produced underground radio, public and network TV, and feature films, while conducting some of the most admired broadcast interviews of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Martin will be in Cleveland to read from The Wild Times on Fri 6/9. There will be a book signing from 7-8PM and a reading from 8:30-9:30PM. Borders Books, 17200 Royalton Road, Strongsville. www.BordersStores.com.

On the Verge Karen St. John Vincent produces a visual representation through photography of both fleeting and fantastical moments, while incorporating a visual map of the energy that passes between, through, and around us. Each image exemplifies these daydreams and pauses in time that may without foresight make the biggest impact in our lives. Attend the opening reception for this event on Fri 6/9 from 7-10PM. The show runs through Fri 6/30. 13 Hundred Gallery, 1300 West 78th Street. www.13hundred.com.

HOT PICK Grupo Brasil featuring Maggie Green Grupo Brasil brings the lush Brazilian songbook to life as they honor great composers like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Joao Gilberto, Djavan, Dori Caymmi, Ivan Lins, and others accompanied by Maggie Green, a true jazz diva well versed in Brazilian music. Green, who speaks and sings in Portuguese, just finished a tour of Brazil last year. Hear the mesmerizing and exotic sounds of this ultra-sweet collaboration on Fri 6/9 at 9PM over drinks and delicious fare. Call 795-0550. Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights. http://www.NighttownCleveland.com.

WCLVnotes Next Wed 6/14, WCLV 104.9 will be at Signature at La Centre in Westlake for its annual Spring “Celebrate Life” Blood Drive, one of a string of Red Cross drives that WCLV presents, and the largest one-day blood drive in Ohio. To make an appointment call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. But next Wednesday, if you haven’t made an appointment, feel free to stop in at La Centre between 7AM and 7PM to donate. The goal is 450 pints. The WCLV Drives are considered the most elegant of such affairs – nice surroundings, soothing live classical music, gourmet lunch boxes, a spin of the WCLV Prize Wheel and WCLV Goodie Bags with cool stuff. And a chance to meet WCLV personalities who will be broadcasting live throughout the day. For more info go to www.WCLV.com. WCLV is a Cool Cleveland partner.

Cleveland Learn to Row Day Looking for a new and exciting workout? Got it. Rowing, one of the few athletic activities that works all of your major muscle groups, is an excellent, low-impact workout that won’t wreak havoc on your joints – not to mention the ultra cool sunglasses. Don your shorts, sneakers and tees (if it’s warm) and learn to row during this no-cost event that will turn you into a sweep-rowing, sculling fiend. Get your complimentary lesson on Sat 6/10 from 9AM to 12PM or 1PM to 4PM. Call 440-808-2288 or visit http://www.ClevelandRows.org to reserve your spot. Have fun – but don’t blame us if even your eyelashes are sore come Sunday. Cleveland Rowing Foundation Boathouse, 1948 Carter Road.

CC KIDS Fine Art Fair Browse the wares of more than 100 professional artists during a brand new juried art fair at Crocker Park on Sat 6/10 from 10AM to 8PM and Sun 6/11 from 11AM -6PM. Featured works include jewelry, ceramics, painting, glass, photography, fiber, wood and more. Admission and parking are complimentary at the event and there will be an exciting children’s activity center. Visit http://www.TheGuild.org to learn more. Crocker Park, 25 Main Street, Westlake. http://www.CrockerPark.com.

CC KIDS Parade the Circle Cleveland’s cultural hub, University Circle, will radiate with exciting events for everyone on Sat 6/10 from 11AM – 4PM during the 17th Annual Parade the Circle. More than 25 of University Circle’s organizations will be uniting to offer dozens of hands-on activities to complement the kinetic arts parade at noon. This year’s celebration features interactive activities and musical performances along the parade route to engage the audience as they await the rhythmic and colorful procession. The parade route will cover Wade Oval, beginning and ending at the intersection of Ford Drive and Juniper Road. Wade Oval, University Circle. www.UniversityCircle.org.

Art in Glass See the work of glass artists, Joan of Art (Deveney), Michele Biondo, Dicc Klann and Glenn Greene during the opening reception on Sat 6/10 at 6PM. Call 383-0230 to learn more. True Art, 410 East 156th Street, Collinwood.

CC KIDS Polliwogs and Marshmallows Bring the entire family for a fun summer picnic on Sat 6/10 from 6-8PM. Little adventurers can dip into a pond and try their hand at nabbing speedy little polliwogs and creepy crawlies and playing naturalist by identifying their catch. The evening will be capped off by a marshmallow roast and beverages. Grills will be available if you’d like to make your own dinner, too. Just bring your own charcoal. Call 440-946-4400 to learn more about the event. Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland. http://www.HoldenArb.org.

Colors Of Our Lives Show your true colors – from lavender to pink and everything in-between – by joining the North Coast Men’s Chorus on Sat 6/10 at 8PM and Sun 6/11 at 3PM. This show revels in the colors, the emotions, the soul and the pride that fills our lives. Waetjen Auditorium, Music and Communications Building of Cleveland State University, 2001 Euclid Avenue. Purchase tickets at 556-0590 or http://www.ncmchorus.org.

Everything’s Coming up Roses! Brooklyn Centre holds its annual garden tour Sun 6/11 from 1-5PM. Tour ten local gardens, attend a “Victorian Tea Party” with contemporary touches, and listen to two talented local musicians. Tickets will be on sale at Riverside Cemetery, 3607 Pearl Road. Admission $10 and seniors are $7 a person the day of the tour. Enjoy a $2.00 discount per person by emailing Gloria Ferris, Garden Tour Chair at GloriaATgloriaferris.net to reserve your presale tickets.

An Evening in Vienna Enjoy an intimate house concert performed by Cleveland Orchestra members Isabel Trautwein, violin, and Carolyn Warner, piano, with Dror Biran, piano and a tempting dessert reception in a private residence in Cleveland Heights on Mon 6/26 at 8PM. Tickets are just $35 and proceeds will enable Heights Arts to continue to enrich community life through the arts. Deadline for reservations is Mon 6/12. Call 371-3344 or email heightsarts@sbcglobal.net.

Artist Development The Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute (AEI) takes flight on Mon 6/12, Wed 6/14, Mon 6/19, Wed 6/21, Mon 6/26 and Wed 6/28 from 9AM to 1PM. This award-winning professional development program empowers a diverse population of visual, performing, literary, media and design professionals with an array of basic business skills and provides limitless networking opportunities. Call 575-0331 with questions or register for the sessions here. Josaphat Arts Hall, 1433 East 33rd Street.

CC KIDS Shipwreck Camp Looking for something really cool to write about in next year’s “What I did last summer” essay – how about discovering a shipwreck, right in Lake Erie? Only youths 12-15 with a real sense of adventure need apply for this camp which runs from Mon 6/12 9AM to 3PM through Fri 6/23. The camp will engage youth in science and exploration through a variety of activities from a virtual adventure to find a shipwreck in Lake Erie to reading novels about exploration. Field trips to a number of sites in the Cleveland area to learn about the Great Lakes geology, ecology, history and aquatic biology are part of the program. Interested? Call 368-5075 or email kmk21@case.edu to learn more. www.Case.edu. Case Campus.

HOT PICK CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest Over 100 bands will converge on Cleveland for the second annual CMJ Rock Hall Music Festival Wed 6/14 straight through to Sun 6/18 in an event brought to you by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the CMJ Network. Enuff said. No true music fan would dare to miss out. Get your tix at Museum box office or call 241-5555 now. Stay tuned to http:///www.cmj.com/musicfest for the latest details. Also, be sure to check in on stalwart blogosaurus Peter Chakerian, whose CMJ entries will arrive on the Cool Cleveland blog here, beginning early next week. He (and other Cool Cleveland correspondents) will be dropping in from the event with reservations, consternations, abbreviations and observations from the Music Fest.

Come & Create Cleveland Gallery 324 is hosting Joann DePolo, author of the new book Making It As An Artist, and a prominent Cleveland artist on Wed 6/14 from 8AM to 7PM. DePolo will sketch the outlines for two 8-foot by 4-foot paintings of Cleveland, Cleveland by Night and Cleveland by Day, and every Clevelander is invited to come paint a part of a community mural. There is no fee to participate. Gallery 324 at the Galleria at Erieview.

What are the Current Challenges Facing Cleveland? This three-part lecture series explores today’s societal issues and makes it clear why you should care about them. Session one on Wed 6/14 at 7PM, features Plain Dealer columnist, Sam Fulwood, whose insight and commentary on Cleveland’s state of affairs has won him several awards. He will be speaking about the future of Cleveland. Light food and refreshments will be served during this no-cost community event. RSVP to 579-9600 x29 or cleveland50@adl.org. The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd, Shaker Heights.

Second Annual Daniel Thompsonathon Spend an evening listening to some of the area’s finest poets during this Poetry & Pot Luck event on Wed 6/14. Pot Luck begins at 5:30PM and the poetry begins at 6:30PM. Participating poets include Maj Ragain, Wendy Shaffer, Barry Zucker, George Hrbek, Danyl Chambers, Ray McNiece, Grace Butcher, George Bilgere, Alice Cone and Terry Provost. The event takes place rain or shine at Horseshoe Lake Pavilion, Shaker Heights (on Park Drive east of Lee Road, between South Park Boulevard and North Park Boulevard.)

Leadership in Action Leadership for Cleveland’s Future is designed for those who are tired of talking out community issues. If you are passionate about community issues and ready to roll up your sleeves to begin implementing solutions or have the next big civic idea, but don’t know where to take it next, register for this Wed 6/14 event at 5:30PM. Denise Reading, President of Corporate College at Tri-C, will discuss what action-oriented leadership looks like, and what can be done to support innovative civic leaders as they draw upon their passions to promote positive change in Northeast Ohio. Call 592-2460 for registration info. Tri-C, Corporate College East, 4400 Richmond Road, Warrensville Heights.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

BizBUZZ
Cool Cleveland Business Commentary
Third Federal Bank IPO: Opportunity or Buyer Beware?

Finally, an investor’s dream come true: the opportunity to invest in a long time Cleveland corporation before the general public has a chance to get in on the action. In most of our lives, this kind of opportunity never happens! With the announced IPO of Third Federal Bank of Cleveland, this dream moment has arrived. Loyal, long-time customers of Third Federal are getting first dibs on the new stock—before the general investment community has a chance! Read the story here.

Hey, IPO’s happen every day. But how often do regular, every-day customers get to buy the stock before it opens on the stock market? Usually this privilege is reserved for the big-buck crowd, so I am left wondering: is this too good to be true, or am I, a customer of Third Federal, about to become a zillionairre?!!!

At about the same time Third Federal announced its IPO, Vonage the Internet phone service provider went public. Ironically Vonage also offered its loyal customers the chance to purchase shares before the stock went to market. Today those customers (now investors) are thanking the benevolent company with a lawsuit because the stock tanked. Read the story here.

What sounded like a dream deal went sour in a matter of 72 hours as the stock lost 1/3rd of its value. So, the bottom line is the customers trusted the company so much, they figured this was a certainty. Vonage was “obligated” to make them money as a sort of “faith” reciprocity! That’s kind of like the confidence people have in home-grown Third Federal. Families have been getting their mortgages from them for generations. Third Federal has never let them down—so why would they start now?

As a depositor of the bank and a writer of this column I called Marc Stefanski, Chairman & CEO of Third Federal to ask his thoughts and comment on this piece. I was immediately transferred to the marketing dept (I thought “Investor Relations” would be the next best place. I guess that person hasn’t been hired yet). Monica Martines answered my call.

“Do your customers trust Third Federal too much?” I asked.

“I cannot comment on that,” she answered to that and every other question.

My final gambit: “Ok, but are you concerned about loyal customers losing money in your stock?” She said she’d get back to me on that, and she did, via email the next morning.

“Because we are so restricted by regulators at this point in what we can and cannot say regarding our IPO, we prefer not to answer your specific questions at this time. I think after the prospectus comes out early next year, the time would be more appropriate,” she wrote.

I understand all of that. Am I investing? Hmmmm. Probably. I never made the switch to Vonage although I looked into the service. I never switched out of Third Federal. They haven’t let me down….yet.
by Cool Cleveland BizBUZZ commentator David Tarditi. Comments? Letters@CoolCleveland.com

RoldoLINK
Cleveland 25-Years Ago – 1981 To 2006
By Roldo Bartimole

Oft times the past dictates the future. That’s what I thought when I went back 25 years to a column I wrote in my newsletter Point of View.

I think it can add some to the understanding of what helped Cleveland be so backward. It shows how Cleveland banks played a large role in the demise of many Cleveland neighborhoods.

Brock Weir, the main subject of the piece, was the lead banker of the time and became the guy who really put Cleveland into financial default and disgrace when mayor Dennis Kucinich refused to turn over the city’s electric system to Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. That was the demand of local banks. In exchange, the banks, led by Weir’s AmeriTrust bank, would roll over some $14 million in notes. Ironically, the $14 million loan was made to the previous mayor, Ralph Perk. The banks essentially automatically rolled over the notes in previous years.

The article notes the reluctance of Cleveland banks to give home mortgages in Cleveland neighborhoods, resulting in the decline still so evident in many neighborhoods….
Read RoldoLINK here

Cool Cleveland Sounds
Upward Heroic Motive
roué
Exit Stencil

Late last year, I was chatting up a local indie record store owner. We got to talking about noise rock and some new stuff we were listening to. As usual, he kindly rolled his eyes at a few of my “choices”; clearly, I’m not terribly “hardcore” or “indie,” per se, but I can rock it out when there’s a need.

So, I threw a few band names at him—Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox, Fugazi, Hot Snakes… and perhaps either Don Caballero or the Jesus Lizard for good measure. I wasn’t exactly looking for a soundtrack for manic depression, midnight caffeine jitters, napalm-like sunburns and that helpless meltdown feeling you had when, as a child, you dropped your orange Popsicle® on the blacktop. But that’s what I stumbled onto.

All so-called rock critic “posturing” aside, he said he was really digging this new local band called roué and told me I had better check them out. Word on the street was that they were drowning audiences in angular distortion—dunking heads in the community pool with sharp syncopation—and deconstructing melodies with Apocalypse Now! on a vid-screen behind ‘em. (Thanks for the tip, by the way)

The definition of the word roué is “a lecherous, dissipated man deserving of punishment.” (Wikipedia suggests there’s some reference to spanking going on in there, too.) Clearly, it’s a double entendre for themselves and their fans. On their full-length debut, Upward Heroic Motive, roué wrings out hellacious post-punk and feedback-laden indie rock from the 80s, along with shoegazer-like guitarisms. They proceed to smash all points in-between. They relish the punishment. Delivering it… receiving it.

Lead singer Justin Coulter and company begin pulverizing with the lead-off track “32 Hike,” and wildly proceed through “Rockin’ This Disaster,” a post-punk anthem called “Your Name On It” (with great off-beat time signatures) and the squeal/squalor of “Danger! On Fire.” But my fave of the whole thing was a ten-minute epic called “Static Attraction,” the most blissful slice of apocalyptic dirge I’ve ever heard. Holy smokes. Upward Heroic Motive absolutely kills.

Fresh from a performance at NYC’s famed Sin-é, Roué performs at the CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest on Friday, July 16th from 4-4:30 pm at the Festival Village. Check out the Festival Village schedule here: http://www.cmj.com/musicfest/festivalvillage They’re also scheduled to be a part of the Kuyahoga Music Festival at Blossom Music Center later this summer, which features headliners Sonic Youth, the Flaming Lips and Death Cab for Cutie.

From Cool Cleveland Contributor 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

Hey Writers! Wanna write about Cleveland music? We’ve got a slew of recently-released CDs and DVDs by Cleveland-area musicians that could use your critical commentary for Cool Cleveland Sounds. If you’re interested, send us a note at Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Cool Cleveland Preview
Falstaff

Fantasy reigns at Severance Hall this week when the Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director Franz Welser-Möst with an array of international guest artists present, for the first time, two performances of Guiseppe Verdi’s masterpiece, Falstaff at Severance Hall.

There will be partial sets, some costumes and props employed to further the tale of the love-lorn knight. Act III, set in the moon-lit forest will feature individual masks for each character designed and crafted by Robin VanLear, director of Art Acts and artistic director of Cleveland’s annual Parade the Circle Celebration, which will, incidentally, take place Saturday June 10. The two opera performances will be Thursday, June 8 at 8 pm and Sunday June 11 at 7 pm. Perry Lorenzo, director of education for the Seattle Opera will present a preview of the opera, titled “Fantastic Falstaff” each evening, one hour before concert time.
Andreas Zimmermann will serve as stage director for the semi-staged performances, which will feature, among others, American bass-baritone Richard Sutliff in his Cleveland Orchestra debut as Sir John Falstaff. Other Falstaff cast members are soprano Twyla Robinson as Alice Ford; baritone Vladimir Chernov (another Cleveland Orchestra debut) as Mr. Ford; British mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer as Mistress Quickly; soprano Cinzia Forte, as Nannetta, and tenor Cataldo Caputo, as Fenton. Ms. Forte and Mr. Caputo are appearing with the Cleveland Orchestra for the first time. Mr. Zimmermann, the Austrian actor and director, appeared as speaker in Schoenberg’s Kol Nidre with the orchestra and chorus in April of this year.
The singers will be on a raised platform at the rear of the stage, behind the Orchestra, which will be seated on the stage itself, without risers or a platform. There are three moveable flat spaces, which will be used separately and together, and incorporating furniture and props. Stage lighting has been designed specifically for these performances
Also featured in the cast are mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor as Meg Page and three gentlemen making their Cleveland Orchestra debuts: tenor Max René Cosotti as Dr. Caius; tenor Scott Scully as Bardolfo; and bass Ain Anger as Pistola.
Falstaff will be performed Thursday, June 8 at 8 pm and Sunday June 11 at 7 pm..For tickets or information about these performances or other orchestra events, call (216) 231-1111, or visit the orchestra’s web-site: http://www.ClevelandOrchestra.com
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net

Tuning In: Abe Olvido’s Sonic Kingdom
by Daiv Whaley

You may have seen him at any of the numerous art events and exhibits that happen in the city of Cleveland each month—pedaling his bike or materializing unexpectedly in the midst of a crowd—the ubiquitous baseball cap and Seventies shades, the race car jacket and stubble, that Beat Generation/ Kerouac nodding smile and affable greeting. Chances are, if he’s not in the exhibit, he’s producing or curating the exhibit.

Abe Olvido is definitely one of the hardest working artists in the Cleveland area, with the mental agility and sophistication to match his peaceful warrior demeanour. Olvido is also a huge fan of rock music, and you’ll often find him at the Grog Shop, the Beachland, or Pat’s in the Flats, digging the new breed and supporting the local and national music scene which courses through Cleveland like an underground river of alkaline and sweat with threnody and jubilation, on many evenings. His latest project combines these two loves of his—art and rock & roll. It’s a “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” of sorts, if Marlin Perkins were into Hendrix instead of hyenas. But let’s allow him to tell you about it. You can catch Abe’s next performance at the Tremont Artwalk, this coming Fri 6/9.

Cool Cleveland: You’re a visual artist, but for this project you’re documenting the art others are making—specifically, rock music. How’d you come up with this idea?

Abe Olvido: I dig film, video, music documentaries, the live performance… and I wanted to throw my aesthetics & perspective into the mix. This is a subject I am very familiar with and will–have–to-do as art in my lifetime. I grew up on stuff like this. I’m glad you said that I was a visual artist because I am not a filmmaker like Robert Banks is a filmmaker, but always liked shooting scenes since I was a kid and, whether thru super 8 or video to me, especially now, it’s about preservation. And there’s some good music & musicians doing their thing…..happening around us. People who I’ve been fortunate to have collaborated with and those I’d like to work with—and so with all the resources and the continual building of resources, I thought now was a good time to take the documentary aspect of what I’ve been doing the last number of years here in Cleveland and continue it by preserving these brief moments of sound & art and the live performance, and then put it all together in a cinematic way. If anything, it’s gonna make this city look really cool to the rest of the world, really cool to those that still see this place as a dump, and probably unrecognizable to those living here who don’t explore past their tethered boundaries. And you will not see any standard shots of the skyline…
Read Tuning In by Daiv Whaley here

Cool Cleveland People: Michael Miller
Honorary Consul for Sweden in Cleveland

Sweden is big business in Cleveland, and vice versa. In fact, Cleveland is such an important commercial partner to the Scandinavian country that on Mon 6/12, the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce – Ohio will officially open the 20th office in the United States—right here in Cleveland.

Michael L. Miller, who retired three years ago as the senior partner of Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP has been the Honorary Consul for Sweden to Cleveland for 30 years, and is happy to bask in these figures. He’s even happier to be hosting Sweden’s Ambassador to the United States, Gunnar Lund, during the weekend preceding the SACC event. Miller is one of 30 such Swedish Consuls in the US, all honorary. There is a consular official at the embassy in Washington, D. C., (along with the ambassador, or course) career consul-generals in both Los Angeles and New York, and the ambassador to the United Nations in New York. (There are also embassies in Ottawa and Mexico City.)

The consul is an advocate between his (or her) two countries, encouraging commercial and cultural exchanges and assisting nationals who travel from one country to the other for employment or education, or some other reason. Cleveland has nineteen such officials resident here, representing various international locations interacting with our city and region. Some are natives of their ‘official’ country, others are American born with strong ties to their other land…Read the article by Kelly Ferjutz here

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

A Man of No Importance @ Beck 6/4
What: From the team that created “Ragtime: The Musical”, a musical about a middle-aged Dublin bus conductor’s love of the plays of Oscar Wilde, which prompts the bittersweet story of his coming out.
Reasons to go: This is a tale of two musicals. The one that works best is its charming, sly send-up of amateur theatrics and the way theater can perk up drab, normal lives. Flaherty & Ahrens’ songs are always well-crafted, and they’re well-sung by the Beck Center cast, this time chock-full of able character actors, headed by Matthew Wright & George Roth. An on-stage Irish band perks up the 2nd act opening.
Uh-oh: The 2nd act turns into a predictable slog through all the troubles of coming out in a religiously conservative place, from gay bashing to social ostracism. That’s when the score becomes relentlessly self-pitying minor key ballads – it’s like an hour of the “Volga Boatman”. Sheesh.
Details: Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. 216-521-2540. Thru 6/25. http://www.beckcenter.org
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com

Poets & Writers League of Greater Cleveland’s “Writers & Their Friends” @ Cleveland Play House 6/3 Perhaps one of the single-best writing exhibitions (apart from the old Classic Cleveland Poetry gigs at the Beachland on Sunday nights), PWLGC offered up their sixth biennial literary gala with much pomp and circumstance Saturday night. A whole host of performers delivered sometimes celestial, sometimes bombastic and often thought-provoking works from our very best CLE writers. PWLGC’s even was produced by local poet Katey Daley, who both chaired the selection committee and put together the evening’s two spectacular acts. Both she and the group’s Board President (Gail Bellamy) and Executive Director (Darlene Montonaro) are to be commended for such a captivating evening of spoken word.
Of particular note: former Cool Cleveland contributor Carlo Wolff’s detailed interview of Harvey Pekar inspired hearty laughs and wicked frivolity, courtesy of Marc Jaffe; Kisha Foster’s silky, sexy A Crush, which was delivered with panache by Cleveland’s Hardcore Poet Laureate, Dr. Mary Weems; and Craig Williams’ send-up of Bob Taft as a “guest columnist” (as delivered by Joe Gunderman) absolutely killed. But the true highlights of the evening were Why White Kids Love Hip-hop, Bakari Kitwana’s scalding modern view (as told by Ray McNiece); Sarah Willis’ “white beads,” and “Rhetorical Pediatrics” – a piece by Terry Provost that delivery-guy John Kolibab could not have done better if he cried.
The newsroom background staging was great; you felt like you were thrown back to a bygone era… exactly like the PWLGC’s Cleveland in Prose and Poetry collection (edited by Bonnie Jacobson) managed to do. Events like this make you proud to be a writer. In the spirit of these immensely talented people—and I do mean ALL of them—I can’t help wish to strive to “go and do likewise.” Maybe someone like Drew Carey, Martin Mull or (heck) Chris McVetta will get tapped to deliver some insightful recollection of mine. Maybe my “I Had Hair” memoir. Here we come, 2008!
From Cool Cleveland contributor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com

Fefu and her Friends @ CPT 6/2
What: Maria Irene Fornes’ funny, mysterious, continually surprising play about eight women — the contrast between the polite surface and the wriggling, intense inner life — impeccably directed by Raymond Bobgan.
Super-Cool: The CPT cast is superb. As the unpredictable Fefu, Jill Levin is like an exposed nerve, shooting at her husband through the window as a game and making outrageous remarks, while Holly Holsinger is riveting as wheelchair-bound Julia. With water fights, shotgun blasts, haunting a cappella harmonies, & intimate conversations about genitals — how often do you see a play where you never have an idea what’s going to happen next? It’s utterly bracing.
Trademark: Fornes’ groundbreaking experiment has a 2nd act that takes place in 4 simultaneous spaces. At CPT, guides take you through parts of the Gordon Square Theatre you’ve never seen, almost like a haunted house tour, including a claustrophobic hallway for Holsinger’s amazing bedroom mad scene.
Backstory: Fornes’ powerful plays are rarely performed outside colleges, but she’s one of the most influential playwrights of the 20th century — because of the hundreds of important writers who have taken her surreal, immensely creative writing workshops.
Details: Thru 6/17, Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave., Cleveland. 216-631-2727. http://www.cptonline.org. from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 6/1 In the 19th century, legend has it that a siren called Lorelei bewitched the hearts of the sailors on the Rhine River and when the men looked up to the rock, their boat crashed and they sank. Soprano Karita Mattila could easily become a noted Lorelei of the 21st century, should she so desire. Her kaleidoscopic voice which changes colors faster than mortal ears can keep up with the varying hues could easily melt the Lorelei rock into a batch of useless pebbles. How any creature could possibly resist her is beyond me.

The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho is fast becoming a Cleveland favorite, and her Quatre instants (Four moments) a song cycle written for Ms. Mattila is absolutely one of the highlights of this Cleveland Orchestra season. The songs with texts by Amin Maalouf, were (to use their English titles) ‘Longing’, ‘Torment’, ‘Perfume of the Instant’ and ‘Echoes’. The three lines of the first one (I am the boat adrift. . .) are also the last three lines of the final verse, bringing the cycle completely around again. These two are particularly influenced by water, but the moon and passion are ever companions to the water, the music and the singer. Ravishing…
Read the review by Kelly Ferjutz here

Jonathan Edwards @ the Winchester in Lakewood 5/26 A sparse but receptive crowd, mostly Forty and Fifty Somethings with a few children thrown in, enjoyed a good night of 70’s folk rock at the Winchester in Lakewood last Friday at the Jonathan Edwards show.
Edwards walked confidently on stage clean cut and barefoot, with guitar and harmonica, and opened up with “It’s the Natural Thing.” For the next ninety minutes or so he entertained the audience with mostly songs from his self-titled album of over 30 years ago; a few other 70’s originals; a cover or two; and one new song. His voice sounded good, as he can still hit most of the high notes, and he looked good himself, slimmed and tanned and much younger looking than his sixty years.
Right from the start he had a good rapport with the audience, more than a few who shared Athens, Ohio, roots with Edwards. The crowd responded to the Edwards’ standards “Down in Athens County,” “Train of Glory,” “Cry Cry Blue,” and “Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy.”
He also threw in some covers, including a great version of George Jones’ “The Choices I Have Made.” He also threw in Bob Dylan’s “I Know My Baby Will” and the standard “”You are my Sunshine.”
Her saved his “hits” for last, making a comparison of our current war in Iraq with the Vietnam conflict in the introduction to “Sunshine,” and closing the show with the audience singing along to “Shanty.”
Local singer/songwriter Randy J. Daniels opened the evening, and was a perfect fit. With catchy original tunes with titles like “Cards on the Table” and “Tiny Little Arms,” and some good covers, especially George Harrison’s “Apple Scruffs.”
There have been a few improvements in the Winchester since I was last there, and the place is making good strides in becoming a quality establishment. Two areas of improvement still need to be addressed, and the place could very easily deal with them. For those of you who have never been there, you walked into a front bar that has a great neighborhood feel to it, then go through a back door into the concert area. However, for the opening act and part of Edwards’ set a group of people sat in the back of the concert hall and talked noisily. Also, the smoking ventilation is poor, poor enough that Edwards paused and complained about it several times early in his show. Both of these could be alleviated by limiting smoking and socializing during the performances to the bar area in front.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Greg Cielec cielecAThotmail.com

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

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

On a domed Cleveland Stadium (See Put a lid on it here) I had the pleasure this year of experiencing Detroit’s Ford Field during Superbowl XL and was blown away by the concept of a covered stadium having never been to one before. Outside it was 20 degrees, inside a toasty 70 degrees. I was enjoying myself and then I remembered, “Oh, yeah…Cleveland DIDN’T build a dome stadium!” The useless chunk of concrete, steel and glass sits empty 355 days out of the year, while neighboring properties Science Center and Rock Hall draw multitudes of visitors all year long. Shortsighted? Yes. An obvious waste of underused real estate? Of course! But, hold up…wait a minute. Will the ability to protect us from the absolutely unpredictable weather of Northeast Ohio ensure that the game day employees of Brown’s Stadium get to show up for work more than a dozen times a year? Only if the Convention and Visitors Bureau is on board to bring large scale events to the region that require up to 70,000 ticket buyers. And what sort of events exist that do this? Concerts? Have a look at the event’s calendars at most dome stadiums in the U.S. and abroad and you notice a lack of planned concerts. Only the most famous concert/sports venue of all time, Wembley Stadium in London has a consistent roster of large scale concerts and, guess what, they are currently adding a retractable cover. Motocross? Monster trucks? Wrestlemania? Wigstock? Cirque du Soleil? International Beer-Tasting Competition? All things that The “Q”, Wolstein Center, IX, or Cleveland Convention Center, can fully handle. At this point, the question becomes not whether a dome stadium will increase the value of the stadium, but will a dome stadium increase the value of Northeast Ohio as a destination for impossibly large scale events. Will the 4 million and change population suddenly rush into Downtown Cleveland and attend these possible future events? Hmmmmm… I guess it’s not so obvious after all.
from Cool Cleveland reader Timothy Johnson timothygjohnsonATgmail.com

On the Port Authority (See Someone please explain this to me here) Recently, the Port Authority has been a catalyst for eminent domain abuse. Eminent domain is a tool created to give the government the power to take someone’s property in order to use it for the public good. For example, it could be used by the government to take land in order to extend a highway, since the highway would serve as a public good. But this power is being abused more and more by the Port Authority. Instead of serving the public, often they are taking property to reward a super rich person or a big business. Case In Point: Scott Wolstein is looking to build a project on the Flats East Bank. It would redevelop land on which there are multiple vacant buildings. I think it’s a great concept that may help stimulate the economy, but I’m seeing an abuse of power by the Port Authority. Scott Wolstein is looking to take an existing public parking lot (owned by the Shaia family) in order give it to Scott Wolstein so that he can keep it as a parking lot. Make sense out of that! Worse, this parking lot isn’t even in the Flats development area. Through eminent domain, the Port Authority offered the Shaia’s half the price the Shaia’s paid for it in the 1990s. Whether the Shaia’s wish to keep a parking lot there or proceed with their housing project, this land should remain with the Shaia’s since they are the rightful owner. It’s unfathomable to me that our local government in conjunction with the Port Authority would take this action. This is a case of big business taking what they want and using politicians as their pawns. This is criminal !!
from Cool Cleveland reader Tom Hill SourceOHIOATaol.com

The Cleveland Port Authority is totally out of control. These people are not even elected. They operate in secrecy without real public input. They spend millions of our money on programs that help the richest people and help the most well-connected companies. It’s like the “ole boys network” using taxpayer money to do whatever the hell they want. It’s disgusting.
from Cool Cleveland reader Tom Henry

In answer to your question about the Port Authority, my question is, “Where’s Roldo?” I have been searching CoolCleveland for Roldo’s in depth story on the Port – an explanation as to how it is that these Babbit-like characters seem to have the Authority to take land by eminent domain. Get rid of Roldo? NO, NO, NO! In the absence of Roldo, you can search “port authority” for the questions posed at http://www.RealNeo.us by Norm Roulet, Jeff Buster, et al, but you won’t find answers there, just more people wondering the same thing, “where does the port get their authority?” Why are they involved in eminent domain activities when their own study is not completed? Are they like ODOT — jumping the gun, putting the cart before the horse, when they discuss bulk storage at Whiskey Island? Has the Port board seen Jim Danek’s proposal to move port operations to Burke Lakefront? http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/ecologicaldesign/blue/ideabank/danek_plan.html Move your piles there!!! Have they read the Rocky Mountain Institute’s white paper on the Cuyahoga Valley? http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid1087.php Are they considering getting out of the valley and moving to a working waterfront so we can have more public access to the river and lakefront? Have they finally heard of conveyor belts for moving bulk materials? Is this what they are considering as they sit at the table with Bob Stark in Las Vegas while he speaks about his Warehouse District development extending all the way to the lakefront? Why else would they be at the table when he is discussing moving retail development onto land currently underused by the port (except as parking for football games – maybe this is part of the need for a roof on the stadium — so the port can sell more tailgating opportunities)? What is the connection between Carney and Stark and ODOT officials? Search “Crocker Park” write-up at http://www.Realneo.us. Does retail development equal public access to the lakefront? We need Roldo to do his investigative reporting here, there or anywhere before our tax dollars are wasted on more backroom deals that suck the life out of our region. It is a dark day in Cleveland when Roldo goes unread. Thank you for bringing his brilliant reportage to light.
from Cool Cleveland reader Susan Miller millerbowenATadelphia.net

The Port Authority and Wolstein are overstepping their bounds. One of the properties Wolstein is after is a parking lot, which Wolstein claims he needs for parking. How is this a valid use of eminent domain, it sounds to me like Wolstein just wants the property because he knows its valuable. It just doesn’t seem right.
from Cool Cleveland reader Tom Fistek fistektATgmail.com

How did this entity get these powers? It didn’t happen in secret. Maybe next time we’ll pay attention to what our elected representatives are doing when they construct a body such as this.
from Cool Cleveland reader Bob Rosenow r.rosenowATatt.net

On Cleveland’s red-light cameras (See Red light cameras go too far here) Take it from a sucker: the Phantom Plate spray lacquer will not help you if the cameras at Prospect and E. 40th want to take a picture of your car. It’s a product for suckers like me who want to believe it’s going to work, when really it’s just a way of throwing away good money BEFORE bad.
from Cool Cleveland reader Todd Masuda tkmasudaAThotmail.com

As I said in an earlier posting, the red light and speed cameras have absolutely nothing to do with safety and law enforcement and everything to do with collecting money. Last month I met a Cleveland policeman who is active in the C.P.P.A. and he told me that the C.P.P.A. is opposed to those “money machines” as he called them. His opposition is that they will actually increase disrespect for law enforcement and will do nothing to improve safety. He also said that it is all about the money. The city of Cleveland is using a private company to install, service and operate the cameras and the company gets a large piece of the money generated from the tickets issued. This doesn’t sound much like law enforcement to me. It has all the looks like another way to shake down money from suburbanites. The Cleveland Plain Dealer in its article last month stated that over 90% of the citations issued were to people living in the suburbs, not residents of Cleveland. As I also said in an earlier posting, if the Greater Cleveland region is ever going to reclaim its place as a major city, the key is regionalism. Those red light and speed cameras only defeat that purpose. The city of Cleveland is doing all it can to make it extremely inconvenient for suburbanites to come into the city for any purpose. Downtown parking is a rip off. Why come downtown to go to a nice restaurant, pay an outlandish amount to park your car and then worry about it being there when you are finished when there are many fine establishments in the suburbs where parking is free and you are safer?. A few years ago, a group of my friends decided to celebrate a birthday at the Cooperstown restaurant across from Jacobs Field on a Sunday afternoon in late October. We had a group of at least 50 people at the restaurant and everyone had to pay at least $5.00 or more to park in the nearby lots. After dinner a number of the group found that their cars were broken into with some items stolen. Of course the parking lot operators deined any liability (and so did the restaurant). However there is a group of 50 people (and everyone they know) that will never eat at Cooperstown again. Instead of spending money on stupid red light and speed cameras, it would make far more sense to spend the money on security cameras on some downtown parking lots so people feel safer there. Then maybe more people will come into the city and spend some money there. The city would get far more revenue with a lot less hassle.
from Cool Cleveland reader Lee Kamps lee921ATatt.net

I think red light cameras are a bad idea. Here’s why – if your child is misbehaving do you discipline her/him immediately or wait 6-8 weeks to do it? I think an officer of the law should have to hand you a ticket at the scene of the crime (as it were). You should not have to wait to get it later. When handed a speeding ticket, most people slow down, at least for a while. Ohhh, hand them a ticket and they slow down! What a concept! There is also the possibility of receiving a large number of tickets in the mail, which you had no idea were being issued to you. That could add up to a fair amount of money. Not an OK idea. This sounds more like a ploy to increase city revenue than to slow down speeders. Also, if I understand correctly, some city vehicles were not issued tickets although they were photographed breaking the law. Well, I’ll use some Star Trek logic for this one. To paraphrase Capt. Kirk from the episode The Omega Glory – Either the law applies to everyone, or it means nothing! All those Yangs in city hall better wake up to the fact that they only foster discontent by flauting the law in such an obvious fashion. Also I believe it absolutely Orwellian (as in un American) to be monitored remotely in this fashion and punished based solely on photographic evidence. What’s next? Present your papers please? Strip searches to board planes (opps – we’ve already done that one…)? Detention without access to counsel (opps on that one too)? Sneak and peek searches (I gotta stop…)? My .5 cents.
from Cool Cleveland reader Herb Hamilton hbh2ATpo.cwru.edu

A few letters in the latest issue of Cool Cleveland seem to think that it’s no problem to just “go the speed limit” and “stop at all red lights.” That’s great advise. I wish we all could do that. I really really try to do that myself, especially since I drive for a living. But when the city either consciously or unconsciously (I think it’s the former) sets up a situation where the speed limit is 35 then drops inconspicuously to 25 (as in the case of driving east on Carniege crossing E.55 then following the gradual right that flows onto Prospect) – there is a sign that says 25, but it is immediately on the right just as the curve begins and with you paying attention to your driving (other cars) and the green arrow there is no way you are going to see this sign (which is on a taller than normal pole). So when you cruise through the very next traffic light on Prospect very very easily going 36 miles an hour you will get a $100 speeding ticket! IT’S A TRAP! A very blatant trap if you ask me.
from Cool Cleveland reader Kurt Shaffer kurtshafferATameritech.net

In my opinion, if the city was truly concerned about safety, the red light cameras would have been placed in school zones and residential or congested business areas to protect children and pedestrians. A quick review of the locations of these cameras only confirms that this is largely a fund-raising event.
from Cool Cleveland reader Catherine L. Kane cathATcase.edu

On Wal-Mart & Steelyard Commons A while ago Cool Cleveland discussed the Steelyard Commons project and Wal-Mart coming to the site. Regardless of how we may feel towards Wal-Mart, they are coming. In doing so, Cleveland has been presented with an opportunity to improve and enhance the project, the community and our national image. With the Steelyard Commons project on its way to becoming a reality as the site for Cleveland’s first mega Wal-Mart, and the continued veiled threat by the Port Authority to turn the disassembled Hulett ore unloaders into fodder for Mital steel, its time we turn our attention to improving the situation, rather than complaining. I propose that: City and County officials need to be prodded into talking with the executives at Wal-Mart, the developer and Mittal to convince them to subsidize the re-erection of the unloaders near the rivers edge at Steelyard Commons. This would do more than just save a piece of our city’s history. It would show good stewardship from our elected officials, and the business community. The chance to have the unloaders located at the base of the Steelyard Commons project would tie the use of the unloaders and its primary products of coal, iron ore and limestone to the local steel industry that needed them. If the developer and the business support this idea it would require a small river front park with signage explaining the history of steel making in the region, the unloaders role, how steel is made and the importance of the Commons sight was to Cleveland. It also gives the suburbanites a reason to come. The upsides to this plan are: 1.) We save a piece of Cleveland history and strategically place it in a location that encompasses the entire process. 2.) The collaborative nature of this would show that our elected officials can and do work with the private sector to enhance and improve the economic and cultural aspects of the region. 3.) Takes the option of destroying the unloaders away from the Port Authority 4.) Improves the image of Cleveland and the businesses that locate here. 5.) Creates an educational opportunity for young and old. 6.) Requires a minimal investment to erect and maintain while making Steelyard Commons a destination, rather than a shopping center. Economically, politically and financially this plan can and will benefit our region. If you agree, contact: Mayor Frank Jackson, Mayor’s office 216-664-2220. Cuyahoga County Commissioners: Peter Lawson Jones, Phone (216) 443-7182 Fax (216) 443-6667 Email: CNPLJ@cuyahogacounty.us, Timothy Hagen, Phone (216) 443-7181 Fax (216) 443-6668 Email: CNTFH@cuyahogacounty.us, Jimmy Dimora Phone (216) 443-7180 Fax (216) 443-6669 Email: CNJCD@cuyahogacounty.us. Developer: First Interstate Properties, 25333 Cedar Road, Suite 300, Lyndhurst, OH 44124, Phone (216) 381-2900, Fax (216) 381-2901. Wal-Mart Corporate Offices: 105 North Main Street, Bentonville, AR 72712, (479) 273-1329. Mittal Steel USA, 1 South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, (312) 899 3440. Suggest they look into this plan and take the actions necessary for implementation. Let’s make Cleveland’s past an integral part of Cleveland’s future.
from Cool Cleveland reader Keith Keller kbkellerATsbcglobal.net Please Cc: Cool Cleveland at Letters@CoolCleveland.com

On Roldo Please, please, please don’t get rid of Roldo. He’s been a courageous voice for thirty years and is frequently the ONLY one to tell it like it is.
from Cool Cleveland reader Robert Staib cnrosATcuyahogacounty.us

On a cooler Cleveland I was in Chicago two weeks ago and was amazed at the amount of greenery and flower boxes, beds and planters around the city. It seemed to me that every city sidewalk, restaurant and shop had sprouted trees and flowers. I remember thinking, “How cool is this?” and “Cleveland would look so much better if we did this too!” So, I was happy to read in Cool Cleveland that similar plans for hanging planters were underway for the Warehouse District. As a resident of Tremont and a member of the Tremont Gardeners (www.tremontgardeners.org), we’ve been working on some similar beautification efforts in our neighborhood. Kudos to the Warehouse District for taking the lead downtown and to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for supporting such valuable beautification efforts.
from Cool Cleveland reader Sandy Smith slsmith819AThotmail.com

On Cool Cleveland First, let me say that I look forward to receiving your newsletter every Wednesday morning. I’ve lived in Cleveland for 16 years now, as a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, and I’ve known for a long time that there is a rich tapestry of cultural life here that needs to be hunted for sometimes, and that needs to be somehow more connected to the community in a widespread way. I love what you’re doing, and I find it inspiring to think about how I might do my part to help.
from Cool Cleveland reader Joshua Smith joshuasmithATadelphia.net

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

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

1) Stark develops Warehouse District Robert Stark, who built Crocker Park, knows enough to buy his land first on the open market, without blight designation or eminent domain threats.
www.Cleveland.com

2) Murray Hill Art Walk Cleveland’s longest and most celebrated art walk opens its streets for a weekend filled with exquisite art, melodic music, and ambrosial appetizers.
http://www.MurrayHillArtWalk.com

3) Someone please explain this to me The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, a non-elected government entity unto itself is helping the Cavs pay for their new training facility in Independence, saving the b-ball team $750K, money that would normally go to citizens.
www.Cleveland.com

4) Someone please explain this to me Deux The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has used it’s ability to float bonds and guarantee loans to support a wide range of projects is also using their powers of eminent domain, suing property owners in the Flats who haven’t accepted developer Scott Wolstein’s low offers.
www.Cleveland.com

5) Emissions from the blogsphere Brian Thorton takes a Plain Dealer reporter to task for not asking the right questions about the new bathhouse in Cleveland.
www.FaggotyAssFaggot.com

Vacation time? The Hard Corps has been runnin’ full bore lately and could use a break. Thanks to Peter Chakerian, Roxanne Ravenel, TL Champion, George Nemeth, Linda Eisenstein, Kelly Ferjutz, Roldo Bartimole, and everyone who contributes. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

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

What are you launching next?

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com

all contents ©2006 MulreadyGROUP all rights reserved
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