Union Man 01

9.01-9.08.04

UnionMan01

Dear Friend,

In this week’s issue:
* Cool Cleveland Interview with Cleveland AFL-CIO secretary John Ryan
* RoldoLINK on poverty, the convention center, and Gateway’s legal counsel
* Tuning In on new music with Cleveland band The Confidence Interval
* Cool Cleveland Writer Daniel Gallik and his poem, Most Beautiful Machine In The Flats

Cool Cleveland Interview: John Ryan

John Ryan is the Secretary of the Cleveland AFL-CIO, the federation of labor unions in Northeast Ohio. His email address is UnionMan01@aol.com, and that pretty much says it all. Though some would say that the labor movement has gone by the wayside due to corporate dominance, Ryan is far from a relic. He’s fighting hard to hold on to a union heritage of providing a voice for workers, and he’s fighting harder to make unions relevant today. These days, Cleveland’s trying to jump the tracks between the locomotive of the old economy and the high speed train of the new one. What we don’t often hear are the voices of labor leaders in this debate over Cleveland’s future. Cool Cleveland correspondent Lee Chilcote caught up with Ryan to talk about the ’04 elections, how Cleveland can make development work for workers, and whether or not he’ll support Jane Campbell’s bid for Mayor next year.

Cool Cleveland: From your perspective as a labor leader, what are the challenges facing our region?
John Ryan: One of our goals is to promote living wage jobs. This doesn’t necessarily mean helping people to form unions. It means helping people to move out of poverty. For instance, we’ve been spending time keeping WalMart from coming to Cleveland. WalMart does not offer good wages or benefits, and is fiercely anti-union. Meanwhile, Cleveland has invested heavily in stores like Dave’s Supermarket, which offers higher wages, benefits and a pension plan. Dave’s stores are union. The city ought to look at rewarding entrepreneurs, and not superstores like WalMart. Almost all big-box retail, with the exception of grocery stores, is non-union. We are concerned about WalMart because they sell groceries; we don’t want them to kill Dave’s… An example of a grocery store that is union-busting right now is Marc’s. When John Sweeney [President of the national AFL-CIO] and I met with workers there, the management put out a letter to employees saying we’d been disruptive, that we had liquor on our breath! This is nothing compared to what they do to intimidate workers.
You’ve made a name for yourself at the helm of the AFL-CIO, and have been called one of the most influential people in Northeast Ohio. Why do you feel such a strong commitment to labor organizing?
I have a great job, and this is a great city. What I see is that our confidence level does not equate to what we have – the people, the institutions, the diversity, the affordability. We’re twice as union as the rest of the country, and we tend to be better paid and to have a better work ethic…
Read the Cool Cleveland Interview with John Ryan here

Belly dancers, hookah pipes and penthouse suites Our next Cool Cleveland party on Fri 9/17 just keeps getting better. Troupe Shabaana belly dancers will do their thing, we’ll have the magic hookah pipes burning, and gift boutiques featuring mod clothing, BMX bikes and even a scooter or two will await your perusal. Toss in our usual open bar, hors d’oeuvres samples, and top it off with a tour of the luxury penthouse apartments upstairs, and you’ve got the hippest party of the season. Click here to register now and save 50%. Start the evening at Cool Cleveland, then hop the free trolleys and ride to over 100 galleries, open houses and special events all night long. Come back for our after-party at a club so new, it’s not even open yet.

Cool Cleveland’s Urban Trolley Hop is a jam-packed evening of fun and networking, for one super-low price if you sign up now. Click the link here to view the party photos and see if you recognize anyone. This party was off the hook last year, and once again, we’ve hooked up with Sparx In The City to be a featured stop on this year’s Urban Gallery Hop, easily the best and most convenient way to see dozens of great art galleries and studios in one smooth move. Don’t be left out; mark your calendar now. Register and pay in advance online to save 50%: http://www.CoolCleveland.com/index.php?n=Main.Party.

They just love Cleveland, don’t they? When Cleveland is properly introduced to people, they love us. “We know that Cleveland rocks, but have you ever considered Cleveland as a world-class, avant-garde center of arts and culture? I was very surprised to learn during a recent whirlwind visit that Cleveland has artistic venues and innovations that are on par with those of any major city in America.” So says travel writer Neilia Sherman, who was brought to Cleve in June by the Convention and Visitors Bureau and, rather than being shown just the Rock Hall and our beautiful Museum of Art, was instead shown Cleveland artists performing on the streets as part of the major collaboration Sparx In The City, the ARTcade arts incubator in the former Euclid Arcade, the rent-subsidized artist haven Tower Press Building, and University Circle’s Parade The Circle. See “The Ultimate Resource for the Independent Traveller,” www.BootsnAll.com

Arts partners An innovative and exclusive partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council has resulted in The Summer Institute for School Leaders, featuring workshops in a trial program to promote arts education in recognition of the importance of the arts in children’s overall development and academic development. Ohio was the only state selected to develop a “replicable model” to be used nationally. Local participants include the Cleveland Public Schools and Youngstown Public Schools. See Ohio Arts Council

Poor Cleveland Things really are as bad as they seem. Of the 68 big cities ranked by the US Census Bureau, Cleveland comes in dead last for Household Income, meaning our core city ranks #1 in poverty for adults (31.3% live in poverty), and children (46.9% live in poverty). See census report here. Although it was headline news in the Plain Dealer last week [here], economic development commentator Bill Callahan, who also serves as executive director of Cleveland Digital Vision, scooped the daily paper by two years, when he noticed that Cleveland also scored at the bottom of the poverty list in the last census report in September 2002, and he opines, “Apparently this is a surprise to the PD editors. Maybe that’s because, with all the paper’s huffing and puffing about the Quiet Crisis, they never got around to looking at the city’s income rankings in the real Census, when the 2000 Decennial Census data came out two years ago…” See Callahan’s Cleveland Diary http://cleveland_diary.blogspot.com/

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Get Connected to the Excitement of Urban Living Don’t miss the first-ever, Downtown Homebuyers Forum, a free after-work party sponsored by Progressive Urban Real Estate, Historic Gateway Neighborhood and Historic Warehouse District Development Corp; held at Vivo (located at E. 4th and Euclid) on Wed 9/15 from 6-8 PM. Come enjoy savory hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and get the facts on why over 8,000 Clevelanders have chosen to live downtown. Stop by our open houses at the Sincere Building (E.4th and Prospect) and the Pointe at Gateway (750 Prospect) from 5:30-8:30 PM. Plus, don’t miss the Payne Ave. Lofts Art Show, to be featured on the Urban Gallery Hop! These exciting live/work condos, priced from $129,900, will feature an open house and art show of neighborhood artists. The event will take place at E. 37th and Payne on Fri 9/17 5-10 PM and Sat 9/18 10-5 PM. Come see for yourself and discover the excitement of downtown and neighborhood living! www.ProgressiveUrban.com
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I Hate This wins FringeNYC award Cleveland playwright David Hansen’s play, I Hate This, on the overlooked and painful experience of the stillbirth of his first child, has been awarded an “Overall Excellence Award” in the Solo Performance category by the New York International Fringe Festival this past weekend. The work was presented at Cleveland Public Theatre and Dobama last year. See FringeNYC here.

Mall B public art installed It has been in the works for more than a year, and finally it’s being installed. Whitney Biennial award winning artist Brian Tolle designed the work entitled, For the gentle wind doth move silently, invisibly, a mind-twisting series of eight 9-foot-tall polyurethane-coated industrial-strength styrofoam-filled neoclassical sculptural urns, warped as if they were twisting in the wind, which will be so very appropriate when they are installed on Mall B’s windswept perimeter, with seasonal plantings changed and maintained by Cleveland’s ParkWorks throughout the work’s temporary lifespan until it’s taken down in September of ’06. The work will be officially christened on 9/21. See Cleveland Public Art http://www.ClevelandPublicArt.org

See your message here Get your organization in front of tens of thousands of avid Cool Cleveland readers who look here every week for what to do, what’s important, and who’s doing what. Tired of paying for advertising that doesn’t work? Get on the leading edge with Internet marketing, and insert your message where it becomes fodder for word-of-mouth. Make the scene with Cool Cleveland. Drop us a line at Info@CoolCleveland.com and we’ll hook you up.

59 great art ideas for Cleveland We know the County has been active in funding brownfield abatement, enterprise zones and storefront renovation, but this week they found out what happens when you set aside some money for the arts. The Cuyahoga County Department of Development received an unexpectedly large number of applications for the first round of the County’s first-ever Arts & Culture as Economic Development Grants (ACE). Of the total number of great art concepts received, an incredible 59 were deemed eligible, many of which represent powerful collaborations between arts and community groups. The adjudication sessions will be held on Thu 9/2 and Fri 9/3 from 9AM to 4PM at the Lakewood Women’s Pavilion in Lakewood Park at the intersection of Lake & Belle Avenues. Just like the discussions that led to the arts funding, these judging sessions, and the public policy discussion on Friday afternoon, are open to artists, applicants and anyone else in the general public who is interested in attending and participating. The County set aside $350K for ACE Grants, offering $5K to $75K for non-profits to create art projects that produce economic impact in the County between 10/04 and 4/05. For more info, contact Christine Nelson, Community Development Manager at 443-8066 or cdcsn@cuyahogacounty.us for further information. See Cuyahoga County here

Eisenstein rocks All critics should have this much street cred. Anyone can write theatre criticism, but Cool Cleveland critic Linda Eisenstein, who also writes for Angle magazine and the PD, is one busy playwright/composer this month: On 9/4 at 6PM, she’s in Washington D.C. for her musical Becoming George, with a cross-dressing George Sand, Sarah Berhnardt, and Dumas the Younger, which is opening the Page To Stage Festival of New Works at the Kennedy Center, also being broadcast live on the Internet at http://www.kennedy-center.org. Back in Cleveland on 9/18 as part of Cleveland Public Theatre’s Dante-themed uber-benefit Pandemonium II: A Helluva Party, she’s premiering a new monologue, Disco Inferno: 90201, featuring an intake interview in hell’s anteroom. Then on 10/19 thru 11/23, Tosos II is presenting Eistnstein’s Monster,‘ a series of her monologues and one-acts at the Duplex Cabaret in Greenwich Village in NYC. One of her plays was just published in New Monologues for Women by Women, and the original cast recording of her Disordia was just released. So, yeah, she’s got a right to her opinion.

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Be afraid of the dark Remember the Great Blackout of 2003? Most corporations were caught off-guard because they lacked comprehensive emergency plans. The importance of Business Continuity is rising, and with the advent of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, businesses are required to make greater disclosures on their internal controls. Also consider the 9/11 Commission Report, which cites the private sector as a critical component of the nation’s infrastructure. But where can you go to begin or enhance your company’s plan? Cleveland State University’s Division of Continuing Education has the answer with their Certificate Program in Business Continuity and Emergency Planning. This course series is perfect for business professionals charged with management of their organization’s emergency programs. Cleveland State Continuing Education — your first and best resource for certification, recertification, professional programming and customized training; with convenient and accessible locations near you. Check out their fall course offerings now at www.csuohio.edu/ce or call 216.687.2144.
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Green Power Network Visit the site to search by state, utilities that give customers the option of paying a “green price” to support utility company investments in renewable energy. It also describes how to purchase green power and provides a database to see if your state has this option. http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower

Festival for Art on Film Cleveland is becoming known as a center for both art and film, and now the University of Akron is putting together a festival that combines the two, showcasing film documentaries on art and artists. If you’ve got video, film, interdisciplinary works or web-based work that interprets pieces of art such as dance, music, poetry, or visual art, find an entry form at http://www.artonfilmfestival.org/entry.html or e-mail rtonfilmfestival@wigged.net. Deadline is 12/1.

Bohemian Bargain From Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard’s new book, Life 2.0: How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness, a list of Best Places: IQ Campuses (Ann Arbor, Athens, GA), Telecommuting Heavens (Branson, MO, Hilton Head) Steroid Cities (Austin, Vegas), Porch Swing Communities (Boise, Bowling Green, OH) Happy Hootervilles (French Lick, IN, Oxford, MS), and the category that Cleveland is listed under: Bohemian Bargains, saying places like this “will appeal particularly to the young and single:” Denver, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul.” What do they like about Cleve? We’ve cleaned up the river and we’re “surprisingly sophisticated…the creative offerings here rival many larger cities.” See Forbes.com here.

Small literary journals can survive due to their passionate cult following. Readers continue to flock to the purveyors of poetry, essays, and art embracing creative idealism. Find out why and support these journals that persist in spite of the economy’s financial challenges. See www.Boston.com

Can we talk? Maybe our region just needs to learn how to talk about entrepreneurialism. It is so rare to receive a press release or announcement about an entrepreneur starting their own business in Cleveland, especially in fields other than high-tech, that we just had to pass this along. Laid Off Worker Opens his Own Company in Cleveland, Ohio. After being laid off from his job numerous times in the Heating & Cooling Industry, Steve Lee takes leap at his own success! Steve Lee states, “after working in the Heating & Cooling industry for 10 years and getting laid off, I needed to venture out on my own and take matters into my own hands.” With $100.00 in his pocket, along with his own equipment, Steve started a company called Indoor Comfort Services, Heating & Cooling. His mission statement is one of surprise. “I take care of my customers just like I would take care of my own family. I am a family man, our Business name says it all: Indoor Comfort.” Speaking with Steve’s wife, she is 100% sure that Indoor Comfort Services will be a great success. “I have seen my husband put so much time into working for someone else and the dedication that he has given to past employers, I know he will make a great success of Indoor Comfort Services, and of course I love him,” she says, smiling at him. The release was submitted, not surprisingly, by Barb Lee. Contact Indoor Comfort Services at 661-9475.

From the fryer to the fuel tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel explains how to make the switch, and visitors can also find out how with more useful tips and strategies for responsible activism. Check it out here: http://www.VeggieVan.org

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Big River, Lake and Sky Views Phase II of the most exciting warehouse renovation is about to begin at The Bingham – Cleveland’s premiere loft living in the Warehouse District. This distinctive building has the views you crave and the amenities you desire for your busy lifestyle: fitness center, concierge service, community rooms, indoor parking and a 9,800sf gourmet grocery store (grand opening this Fall!). Neutral decors offer move-in ease and all apartments feature individually controlled HVAC, laundry hook-ups, T1 internet capability and free basic cable. Plus, if you sign a lease by 9/30, you’ll receive one month totally rent free. To take advantage of this offer, send an e-mail to leasing@TheBingham.com with the message ‘Cool Cleveland one month free offer’ in the subject line. Or just call 216.579.4000 and mention the ‘Cool Cleveland one month free offer’ on the phone. http://www.thebingham.com. The Bingham, 1278 W. Ninth St.
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Sign-Offs tuning in Besides being invited to play at the upcoming Stiv Bators tribute at the Beachland Ballroom on Sat 9/18, Cleveland rock band The Sign-Offs will also be at the Rock Hall that afternoon at 3PM with the remaining members of Cleveland’s infamous and ground-breaking punk band The Dead Boys, spouting off during the public Q&A. Then they head to Cincy as featured performers in the 2004 Midpoint Music Festival on Sat 9/25, and then hit the road for a grueling 2-month tour of the US, ending in Clevo on 11/20. According to their management, the band is “currently under solid review for a future relationship with Columbia Records.” As one of the highest-profile bands in town, here’s to hoping they return from their tour inspired, fulfilled and maybe even signed. http://www.TheSignOffs.com

Language may shape human thought suggests a study of a Brazilian tribe, whose language does not define numbers above two. Hunter-gatherers from the Pirahã tribe possess a language that only contains words for the numbers one and two, and they were unable to tell the difference between four objects placed in a row, revealed the study. Experts found that the result provided the strongest support for the controversial hypothesis that the language available to humans defines our thoughts, i.e. “linguistic determinism.” See www.NewScientist.com

Deconstruction might help you to stop smoking, or maybe not It’s the intellect’s substitution for Nicorette, examining the nature of deconstruction’s connection with everyday life, revealing the theory and practice of distinction and substitution. If you can tough out the postmodern language, it might just help you kick the habit. See Culture Machine

Picture Perfect for young women The PicturePerfect Media Literacy Workshop is seeking artist-educators to lead art-making sessions in writing, music, visual arts, performance and other areas. The organization is based on the award-winning documentary PicturePerfect, which examined media images of females to develop critical and creative responses to mediatized body images and to foster healthy self-esteem. Honorarium available. For more information call Carol Tizzano at 297-0622 or email ctano1311@aol.com

What is unspeakable? Are some things better left unsaid? When you hear the term “silenced writer,” who comes to mind? What forces writers to silence themselves? Whose voices have been lost because of censorship and self-censorship? See www.PEN.org

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Dance and spirituality Neal Szpatura, BA, is a Shamanic practitioner, dreamwork teacher and intuitive consultant who is offering DreamWork sessions, exploring how your own dreams can assist as counselor, physician and healer. DreamWork classes begin 9/13 at Ursuline Sophia Center at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, and include Dreams and Healing, Dreams and Creativity, Dreams and Spirituality and Santa was a Shaman. Call 440-442-4160.


Cool Cleveland This Week

9.01-9.08.04

Send your cool events to: events@coolcleveland.com

Art House Studio open house Come by and get a preview with live artist demonstrations: mask making, yoga, watercolor painting, jewelry making and silk painting. See displays of innovative art work, and get your hands dirty trying out the pottery wheel demo. Check out this opportunity to create, learn and communicate ideas while strengthening the community. Light refreshments will be available while you mix it up with the art Wed 9/1 from 5-8PM. Free and open to the public. Call 398-8556. Art House, 3119 Denison Ave. http://www.ArtHouseInc.org

WCLVnotes It’s not too late to join in WCLV’s FALL FEST BLOOD DRIVE at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights, today, Wed 9/1 from 7AM-7PM. This is not just orange juice and cookies. Lots of great food, entertainment and WCLV Goody Bags. Walk-ins are welcome. In two weeks, on Tuesday morning, September 14th, WCLV takes its First Program with Jacqueline Gerber to the Cleveland Clinic’s Children’s Hospital in University Circle. Jackie will be on the air from the Clinic, 6AM-10AM, with her usual “time to get up” mix of music, news, weather and traffic reports. WCLV’s broadcast is all part of a special promotion for the Children’s Hospital by The Plain Dealer. a Cool Cleveland partner www.wclv.com

5th Annual Latin Grammy Awards & Fiesta Bring your dancing shoes to tear up the floor, as Playhouse Square Center invites you to participate in this event telecast live by CBS on their large-screen TVs. Salsa and meringue to live music, a Latino music DJ, and try out local food vendors at one of the hottest events of the year on Wed 9/1 at 7PM. Call 771-4444 Ext. 3208 State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave. http://www.Grammy.com/latin_academy

Sip and Unwind The B-Side Liquor Lounge launches thoroughly tranquilizing Thursday events with professional massages, wine provided by Berringer and hors d’oeuvres. Catch the art opening for Clay Parker, known for his marker drawings gracing everything from local rock show fliers to comics and murals, which challenges the viewer’s perspective. Parker’s current work is an experiment in color, utilizing stenciling and patterning techniques to create haunting images of such historical figures as Rasputin, Joan of Ark, Billie Holiday and Hank Williams; see it Thu 9/2 from 8-10PM. Call 932-1966. B-Side Liquor Lounge, 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd. in Cleveland Hts.below the Grogshop. http://www.BSideLiquorLounge.com

Boston storyteller Judah Leblang For contemporary storytelling in the vein of David Sedaris or Garrison Keillor, don’t miss this Boston-based writer and Cambridge college teacher whose memoir pieces and short stories have appeared in numerous small magazines and literary journals. He is a regular contributor to Northern Ohio Live and has just released Finding My Place, a CD collection of his stories; come by Thu 9/2 at 8PM. Call 321-2665. Mac’s Backs Books on Coventry, 1820 Coventry Rd. in Cleveland Hts. http://www.MacsBacks.com

Cathryn Sunday at Capsule Bar Formerly known as Sista Spinsta, this former WCSB host plays Electro, Techno, and Italo sounds. Join her while the joint gets heated by controversial Houston Bernard from NYC, the obsessed freak-show musician/rapper with a reputation for harsh lyrics and antics set to electro-clash beats on Fri 9/3. Come by after work at 5PM and check out the show later on. Capsule features free wireless internet for those with 802.11b cards in laptops, or use the computers in the bar if you missed your deadline at work. Call 227-7853. Capsule, 13376 Madison Ave. in Lakewood. http://www.CapsuleBar.com/calendar.html

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Win a $2000 Downtown Sweepstakes! Great things come in big packages with Sparx in the City’s FREE Urban Gallery Hop scheduled for the 3rd weekend (9/17-9/19) in September. From now through 9/16 you can register to win an overnight stay at the Wyndham’s Presidential Suite on Playhouse Square, 2 tickets each to a Playhouse Square performance, The Great Lakes Science Center, Hilarities, and Cleveland Orchestra. You and your guest will also enjoy a tour of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, dinner for 2 at Pickwick and Frolic, lunch for 2 at Artefino Gallery & Café and a glassblowing session for 2 at Burning River Glassworks – plus, receive a box of great gifts from the Downtown Merchants Association. And get this – it costs nothing to enter this contest and you don’t need to be present to win! So click the link above or here and enter – because someone’s going to win and it could be you!
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Nia Coffeehouse,Cleveland Museum of Art & urban poetry Satisfy your crave for the literary; this event dovetails instantaneous music, thought and expression. Come by for the open mic poetry set, where area poets and writers are welcome to make their contributions backed by the musicians or by reading a capella. Drop in to hear the newest soul jam by Vince Robinson & The JazzPoets Fri 9/3 at 6PM. Call 707-2486. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd. in the Oasis Room on the lower level. http://www.ClevelandArt.org

Recurrence of the Void Be part of Mosaic’s second year anniversary; they’re posting the gentle and intuitive view of artist Sean Burns’ paintings, drawings and prints. Take a trip to engage with one of Cleveland’s specialty galleries on Fri 9/3 from 6-10PM. Call 252-2099. Mosaic the Gallery, 16860 Lorain Ave. Email MosaictheGallery@adelphia.net

Meet Me at the Mall: Jazz/Rock of Michael Rotman Connect with downtowners, get outside in the fresh air for lunch, and give yourself the right start for the weekend with local sounds and entertainment this Fri 9/3 at 11:30AM on Mall C. Located on Lakeside Ave. next to City Hall between Ontario and East 6th St. http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/mayor/press/2004/200406/06_09_2004.html

Working Poverty Mayor Jane L. Campbell will convene a working leadership group that will work in concert with the Center for Community Solutions to identify the best practices in alleviating Cleveland’s areas of poverty. The working group will develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to attack poverty in the City of Cleveland; it’s an opportunity to find out what’s on the mayor’s mind and her action plans Fri 9/3 from 9-11AM. Call 664-2238. Convention Center, Room 211

Site Unseen Dig into art you won’t see anywhere else, as Newsense Gallery introduces location + time + circumstance through subtlety + transparency + understatement, with visual aesthetics by Laila Voss, Royden Watson and eight other creative risk takers. Opening reception happens Sat 9/4 from 6-9PM. Call 521-8582. Newsense, 1376 Fry Ave, in Lakewood. http://www.NewSenseOnline.com

Ohio City Xpressionz Aerosol and Urban Art Festival Graffiti writers will come out of the dark to leave their marks in broad daylight, as Cleveland Public Art and Scion present the third annual event; high energy breakdancers and artists from around the region are invited to exhibit their work and battle for cash prizes. The festival celebrates urban street culture with a book signing by New York City’s COPE 2, a live demonstration by Los Angeles’ TLOKS and EVOL, a Bboy/Bgirl breakdancing battle, a variety of bands and DJs including Detroit’s Athletic Mic League Sat 9/4 from 10AM-7PM. Over 3,000 people hit it last year; come support area artists and share the vibe with an engaged, open-minded audience. Bring your own spray paint for graffiti. Ohio City’s Market Square Park, the corner of Lorain Ave. and West 25th St. Registration is required for breaking battle; forms can be found at http://www.ClevelandPublicArt.org or faxed to 216-621-5423. For info email graffiti@clevelandpublicart.org

Earn a Bike Ride programs Every Saturday take part in the outdoors for the best physical and mental excercise and release with Ohio City Bicycle Co-op’s group ride Sat 9/4 at 10AM, rain or shine. Learn more about EAB program, a non-profit, volunteer-run bike education center that provides courses for kids to learn bike repair and safe cycling as they earn donated used bikes. Surplus bikes are fully refurbished and offered for sale to support the organization; help the group out while helping the community. Call 830-2667. Ohio City Bike Co-op, 1823 Columbus Rd. http://www.OhioCityCycles.org

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Let’s do it again Last year, attendees at the Cool Cleveland party on West 25th toured the Historic Fries and Schuele Building, in the Ohio City Market Square district. And now, only one Townhouse and two Penthouse Condominiums remain; with features like: an oversized roof deck, fitness center, 2 terraces, 3 floors of living space (3200sf!), a vaulted 2 story living room, 2 indoor parking spaces, a courtyard and large windows with city views. Plus, enjoy the convenience of shopping, clubs and restaurants just steps from your front door. Spacious loft rentals start at $875 per month. Visit the open house this Sat 9/4 from 11AM-4PM, or call 392-2742 for an appointment. Come to the Cool Cleveland party on Fri 9/17 and a free tour is included. http://www.ProgressiveUrban.com
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The Tough and Lovely CD Release Party Take the pulse of Ohio’s alt music with this Columbus group combining retro-ish sounds of Martha and the Vandellas with more kick than a hit of tabasco. Warm guitars and circulating organ have attracted audiences throughout the Midwest and Mid-south; hear them rip it up with The Cold Cold Hearts, with members from New Salem Witch Hunters, Satan’s Satellites and The Revelers Sun 9/5 at 9PM. Call 383-1124. The tavern at Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd. http://www.ToughAndLovely.com http://www.BeachlandBallroom.com

Word of Mouth Promotions and Tigerlily present The Shore Club re-creating a Miami-style pool party as the last official party of the summer, bringing a little bit of South Beach to Cleveland. Mix it up with swimsuit models, melt down with a complimentary massage and drink up one-of-a kind frozen spirits. Check out the spread with appetizers by Mallorca Restaurant and chill out with Cleveland’s most talked about turntablist, Terrry Urban, spinning a blend of old and new skool hip-hop, reggae, soul and classics Sun 9/5 at 9PM. Cloud 9, Cleveland’s true “ultra-lounge,” 1299 West 9th St. Email tigerlilyevents@aol.com

Savant recording artist Winard Harper is one of the foremost drummers of jazz, and this native of Washington, DC has albums that’ve landed smack on the #1 spot on Billboard’s jazz chart, delivering “memorable compositions, solid swinging and tasteful solos…musicians who listen and breathe as one,” according to Jazz Times. Their acoustics have blazed trails on the international touring circuit; hear them for one night only Sun 9/5 at 7PM. Call 795-0550. Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Rd. http://www.NightTownCleveland.com

Third Annual Cleveland Peace Show Planned on the theme “Imagine No War Planes: Nonviolence Works!”, it’s a family-friendly festival offering an alternative to the militarism of the Cleveland Air Show; watch what happens at their cooperative art project, indulge in regression with bubble making, origami and interactive games. While you’re there, share your blood with the Red Cross Bloodmobile on site this Mon 9/6 from 11AM-4PM. At the “Free Stamp” park, Willard Park, 9th St. and Lakeside Ave. http://www.Clevelandnv.org

B-Boy/B-Girl classes Urban culture is rich in diversity of expression and movement; instructors will define the basic movements and techniques through demonstration and proceed to teach the moves to the students. Combinations for future practice are taught, plus exercises that develop strength, stamina, balance, and flexibility. Classes run weekly from 8-9PM. Call 330-725-2873. Movement Arts Center, 3609 Medina Rd. in Medina. http://www.IllStyleRockers.net/html/mission.html

James Kalal’s virtuoso guitar He’s serenaded listeners in romantic respites along the path of the fabled Orient Express, with melodies of the Occidental journey evoking images ranging from whirling dervishes of Istanbul to the Romantic Road of Germany. He’s entranced listeners all over the U.K., taking audiences on a musical tour through Spain and Latin America. He’s in Cleveland for one night only Tue 9/7 at 6:30PM. Call 623-6955. Cleveland Public Library, Eastman Branch, 11602 Lorain Ave. http://www.Kalal.com/about.htm

E-Commerce Stratgies and Trends The dot com bubble may have burst, but online sales continue to experience strong year-to-year growth. Now it’s critical to employ industry best practices and innovative technology. Join The Web Association and Brulant, as they leverage the years of experience of local leaders in the e-Commerce segment to identify trends and strategies that will impact online business. Featured panelists Patricia Leebove, Director of e-Commerce for Invacare Corporation and Robert MacKay, National Sales Manager for Step2 Company on Tue 9/7 11:30 AM-1:30PM. Call 373-0078. Windows on the River, The Powerhouse in The Flats, 2000 Sycamore.

Send your cool events to: events@coolcleveland.com

RoldoLINK
The Talented Mr. Reidy or Will Poverty Take Center Stage?
By Roldo Bartimole

While Mayor Jane Campbell quickly responded to the alarming news that Cleveland now rates No. 1 in the nation in poverty, the gears of government and corporate power are busy seeking again a way to finance publicly a new convention center.

The attention of Cleveland politicians and private power interests for the last two decades has been centered on subsidizing not people with severe economic needs but owners of sports teams, hotel, restaurant and other downtown demands.

The result was the historic Plain Dealer headline: “Cleveland No. 1 in big-city poverty.”

In the past year or two, a convention center and funding of the arts has taken the attention of public and private officials more than the growing needs of low-income residents now a significantly growing population. It’s nothing new. George Zeller, of the Greater Cleveland Economic Opportunities agency, in his annual Poverty Reports documented and reminded us repeatedly for years of Cleveland’s staggering poverty statistics…
Read RoldoLINK here

Tuning In: The Confidence Interval Are Go!

The scene was swarthy and one of musical mischief at The Pirate’s Cove recently, as one should expect from that venerable swash-buckling institution of Indie, when Cleveland’s The Confidence Interval took to the stage in support of Chicago’s The Cougars. The Confidence Interval’s short set prepped everyone by sonically removing any ear wax that may have accumulated over the summer. I walked into the bar as the quartet was adjusting the atmosphere by scraping it clean with the Sonic Youth/Pixies etc. flavored rock of Rotor from their upcoming debut. Some nice bits of distortion and a pale wash of feedback and cacophony from drummer Art Koch, bassist Billy Kotchkoski, and guitarist Chris Purcell enabled singer Mike Koch to kneel down into the mic, much like he was managing a small tsunami on stage. This was no shipwreck, of course, but intentional and good stereophonic theatrics from the two-year old outfit; these lads are pretty much seasoned pros in the Cleveland scene, having collectively played in bands like Chump, Shotgun, Curmudgeon, and The Milk & Honey, while present and accounted for not only in T.C.I. but also in Electric Wings and The Atomic Crash. A rising crescendo of sound, that sweet ringing in your ears like a golden hoop from days of yore, and the band crashed in on itself like an ocean wave finished scarring the shore. Cool Cleveland correspondent Daiv Whaley spoke with them about their take on the Cleveland music scene.

Cool Cleveland: Your song, Coffee, Phlegm & Cigarettes has a really interesting cadence to it, and those keyboards are great. The way the vocals kind of roll along, and then you’ll hit those higher parts. I’m wondering which bands influence you guys musically?
X, Sonic Youth, Rocket From The Tombs, Pere Ubu, Nirvana, Pixies, Guided By Voices.
As a “seasoned” performer in Cleveland, I’m wondering what your opinion is on the music scene here? Vital? Active? Hackneyed? Is there cross-pollination going on between bands and an open atmosphere or is everyone kind of their own little island trying to make it their way?
Cleveland has been a great place for me to write/perform original music. Cleveland has always been a place for innovative music. I like to think that Cleveland sets the trend and all these other cities cash in on it! Cleveland has a ton of hard working bands. Lately it seems I’m hearing more and more Cleveland/Akron bands getting signed to independent labels and hitting the road. As far as TCI goes, I don’t know where we fit in; at this very moment I don’t feel part of any scene/clique. Maybe that will change when our CD comes out…
Read Tuning In here

Instant Karma
Quik 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

Spirituality and Sexuality at Skerritt Residence 8/28
An overwhelmingly unique and innovative way to present the latest work by dancers Tom and Susana Evert, plus visual artists Joanne Cyr, Molly Hawley, Kathy Skerritt, in an interdisciplinary evening of champagne, hors d’oeuvres and art in the 1928 French Provincial Bratenahl home of Michael and Kathy Skerritt. All the artists acknowledge the influence of spiritual leader and teacher Adi Da Samraj, and his views on art and being, and the notion of “self” and “other.” Rain dampened the first hours of the event, forcing the dance to be jammed into the living room, along with almost 100 spectators. Eventually the stage that was constructed in the backyard was squeegeed, and they proceeded with the dance program, choreographed by Tom and Susana Weingarten de Evert. The artists are to be commended for their creativity and ability to find an engaging and innovative venue for their combined, if not collaborative, work, and creative ways for patrons to support the work of artists and present it to a wider public besides just writing a check. The pleasant setting in a large home nestled next to Lake Erie served as a stimulating setting for viewing art, much as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, The Frick Collection in New York, and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice. More Cleveland artists should consider such novel approaches to showing their work to a wider audience while developing art patrons who want to offer their support. Susana Weingarten de Evert is also offering classes on the fundamental rhythms of Salsa and other Latin-American rhythms with authentic Afro-Latin music, starting Wed 9/1 from 5:30 – 6:30PM at the studio of Dancing Wheels, 3615 Euclid Avenue, 3rd Floor, (Masonic Center). Call for reservations: 235-2585 http://www.EvertDance.com

Spirituality and Sexuality at Skerritt Residence 8/28
I was one of the hundred or so supporters of the Evert Dance Theatre who attended the event this past Saturday night at the home of The Skerrits in Bratenahl. Greeted by the colorful Banners of Molly Hawley as I approached the house, I was prepared for an interesting evening of visual entertainment. Snacking on an excellent crab dip and sipping fresh ice tea, I wandered thorough the 1928 home in the humidity of both the weather (it started to pour) and the crush of admirers. Unfortunately, the exhibiting artists, Molly Hawley, Joanne Cyr and Kathy Skerrit did not make the most of their potential in offering artwork that was neither palatable, comprehensible or salable. Hawley’s figurative painting was by far the most interesting of the lot, particularly a portrait of a woman and three angels which hung in the front hall. Figurative work is extremely difficult to sell unless the theme is sexual or religious, depending on the audience the artist is trying to reach. Hawley’s work, with the exception of Susana Evert’s portrait, leaned more to the religious, or shall we say spiritual. Unlike Hawley, the other exiting artists demonstrated to me, the casual observer, neither message nor method. (one artist) covered the canvas with seemingly reptilian shapes in heavy paint, the other (I don’t even remember the other, save for a black and white abstract that was really quite nice in the little library on the first floor but I don’t know if that was even part of the show.) All in all, the art was much more on the amateurish side than the professional and hardly the quality of imagery or technique that I would want to hang in my house. Except for Tom’s sculptures, perhaps, which were very well done…matter of fact, I can see a distinct difference in his work from a few years ago to now. Much improvement.

Although at the mercy of the Muses who deigned not to honor the Evert’s with their smile, Tom and Susana, troopers all! made every effort to appease the wanting crowd with a performance under the most daunting of circumstances. Deluged with water, their stage, lighting, audio system and backyard theater unusable, the Everts gave a tense but professional demonstration of their creative talents in the cramped living room of the house, surrounded by well wishers who stood and sat wall to wall in the stifling room. (These old houses are magnificent, but God do I love air conditioning.) Dancing with obviously contained moves, they assuaged the Muses who then withdrew their curtain of precipitation and allowed the performance to continue, after a hurried mopping up ceremony of both stage and chairs, under the cool overcast evening.

As I said, Troopers All! and the Everts took to the stage in a relaxed manner as if the show was just a bit late and the crowd a bit too anxious. Playing to the Spanish theme of much of their recent work, Susana and Tom gave several performances, vignettes mainly, of love denied, death achieved and love, of course, love uniting. In a musical number equal to any video on Univision, a fabulous curly-haired-fuck-me-shoed-short-skirted-lip-synching Susana knocked the audience out with her personality, poise, and loaded sexuality. Tom played her foil well in each of the dances, but the moon rose over Susana’s sensual performances. The Everts are still The Emperors of Dance/Theatre at least in this town.
from Cool Cleveland contributor Herb Ascherman http://www.ascherman.com

An Empty Plate at the Café du Grand Boeuf @ Firewing Studios 8/26
What: Michael Hollinger’s existential one-act comedy about a despairing millionaire and the employees of his private restaurant, who cater to his every whim. The first production by the new UnFound Theatre Company in the new Firewing Studios loft space on Superior.
Reasons to go: Hollinger’s literate mix of whimsy and existential angst makes for an enjoyable evening. The production is held together by 3 strong performances: Robert McCoy’s generous, ironic take on the suicidal Victor, who has lost his appetite for living but not his motor mouth, since his encounter at a Madrid bullfight; Susan McGarry’s deft, subtle turn as Louise, his lost love; and Rachel Applebaum’s utterly charming waitress Mimi.
Caveats: Don’t come hungry, or the constant description of gourmet food and the smells of herbs & garlic from the off-stage working kitchen may get your own stomach rumbling. At the dress rehearsal I saw, acting and pace was uneven, and the company is still getting used to the space. Bring your water-bottles and dress for heat: the non-air-conditioned 3rd floor loft is a work-in-progress, and can get sweltering in the humidity.
Backstory: This is the first production for UnFound director Kate Michel & stage manager/producer Mo Feldman. Michel is a recent Baldwin Wallace grad, and Feldman is still a student as Cleveland State. Props to them for putting the work out there, and to Firewing hosts Austin & Mary Roesch, who’ve turned their warehouse apartment into a temporary performance space.
Target audience: An audience willing to travel off the beaten path for emerging art. That means you, Cool Cleveland readers.
Details: UnFound Theatre, Firewing Studios, 2310 Superior Ave., Cleveland. 9/4-5 at 8PM. 330-958-0977.
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein Linda@coolcleveland.com

Send your letters to: letters@coolcleveland.com

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

1) Cleveland’s Urban Gallery Hop See anyone u know? Check some of our new party photos to get a glimpse, and get into the picture yourself by registering for our next party on Fri 9/17 from 4-8PM on West 25th Street. Newsletter/Party

2) Cleveland’s Death Blog Last week, we received this note from a contributor who signed in as “Think Chaos.” See what’s going down in Cleveland here: http://www.einsteinshrugged.co.uk

3) Steps Away From Edgewater Park That’s where you’ll be in a new townhome at Lake Pointe! Phase III of this development features roomy, three-story townhouses in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. http://www.progressiveurban.com

4) Sexhibition Now in its second year, it’s an erotic exhibition celebrating sex and sensuality in the arts, and it’s very, very hot. http://www.13hundred.com

5) RoldoLINK Does the Plain Dealer Favor Bush Or Kerry? Are we going to allow one man to decide the presidential endorsement of the Plain Dealer in a predominately-Democratic area? The endorsement, of course, may not change a vote but then it might. RoldoLINK

Exploratory content Cleveland is gearing up for the newest answer to journalism in town, absorbing diversity of events and people; props to our readers for getting involved and making CoolCleveland.com sustainable in town. Enormous thanks for telling people about us and sending them to our website. Discover what’s new in town and share it with friends and co-workers by registering for the e-zine at http://www.CoolCleveland.com (and check out the new site) or have ’em send an e-mail to signup@coolcleveland.com

Make your 4th-quarter marketing sizzle Make the change that will make the difference on your company’s bottom line. Businesses are adjusting their marketing by advertising with CoolCleveland.com and witnessing firsthand how our weekly advertising impacts their customers. The links to our sponsors are heavily clicked on and receive substantial traffic, then our e-zine is forwarded to more readers, exposing more readers to our advertisers. Find out more by emailing us a note to info@coolcleveland.com and we’ll get right back to you.

Hard Corps jam Thanks to their pervasive exuberance, they bring their great energy and vibe: Tisha Nemeth, Daiv Whaley, Lee Chilcote, Linda Eisenstein, Bill Nagode, George Nemeth, TL Champion and everyone who partners with us. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: events@coolcleveland.com

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

Cool Cleveland Writer: Daniel Gallik

Daniel Gallik is an area writer with poetry and short stories published by A.I.M. (America’s Intercultural Magazine), Parabola, Nimrod, Limestone (University of Kentucky), AURA (University of Alaska) and Cleveland’s own Whiskey Island. Currently, Daniel is working on three novels, as well as a play that’s schedule to go off-Broadway.

Most Beautiful Machine In The Flats
by Daniel Gallik

The boss kept leaping chasms
as time crawled in the plant.
One thing common to all who
worked there: No one looked
into his eyes. All kinds of
washers came out of the dirt
and slime that was H. Horn-
beck Inc. The boss’ name
was Hubert Rodney Hornbeck &
he was schooled at Ohio State
and he looked it. His hands
seemed to have been clinging
to topples of brittle, blue
and box tops too long. But
the voice, it was the voice
that made everyone cringe and
cry quietly for the end of the
shift. Hornbeck never liked
going home. Some nights, at
the delight of his wife, he
would stay at the plant; work,
work, take a shower and then,
go home. Kids did not know
him. No one knew him. Hube
wore his career on his sleeve.
The town was in his throat.

What does Labor Day
mean to you?

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com (:divend:)

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