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Pictured are the members of the JROTC military drill team, that took second place in this year's annual CMSD military drill team competition.

The mission of the Collinwood Army JROTC program is to motivate young people to be better citizens. Under the instruction of Major Thomas Jenks (Ret) and Sergeant First Class Enrique De Jesus (Ret) cadets learn skills necessary to be productive in their communities.

March 22nd, 2013 was the 18th annual military ball. Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek attended and spoke to cadets about the keys to success and his own high school career at Collinwood, where he is a member of the Hall of Fame. Our cadets learned valuable information during his presentation. Councilman Mike Polensek strongly supports Collinwood High School and the Collinwood community.

After the formalities, the cadets were able to enjoy the ball, socializing and dancing amongst themselves.

Below is a photo of the Collinwood drill team. They took 2nd place in this year’s CMSD military drill team competition. Cadets work hard to learn strict military drills and to construct a routine for the exhibition round of the competition.

Anthony Battle is a senior at Collinwood High School and a 4th year JROTC cadet. After graduation, he will be heading off to the U.S. Marine Corps. Michael Parker, also a senior, and a 3rd year JROTC cadet, currently plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, following graduation. 

Look for O.H. Perry students participating in the East 185th Street Parade on May 18th. The cheerleaders and drill team will be there, as well as the drum corp which seems to impress and entertain audiences wherever they perform.

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Success breeds success at O.H. Perry Academy. Since achieving its ranking as the only CMSD K-8 school in the area to earn an EFFECTIVE rating on the Ohio Department of Education Report Card, O. H. Perry has become the place to be for accomplished students.

The 7th and 8th grade girls basketball team won the Erie Division Championship. The Girl Eagles soared through their second playoff appearance in two years completing a season of nine wins and one loss. Coach Wilburn anticipates that another good team will take the court next year.

Oliver H. Perry also offers the program for Gifted and Talented students for grades two through eight which continues to perform at a high level. One of the only Gifted and Talented programs in the area, it provides challenging material to students who are preparing for rigorous secondary and post-secondary education. “It is O.H. Perry’s focus on academics and social/emotional learning that makes our school a successful and positive educational environment," said principal Sofia Piperis. She cites the dedicated staff at O.H. Perry as one of the reasons students have been successful there.

Look for O.H. Perry students at the East 185th Street Parade on May 18th. The cheerleaders and drill team will be there, as well as the drum corp which seems to impress and entertain audiences wherever they perform. Oliver H. Perry is fortunate to have the support of Senator Voinovich as he helps to celebrate and encourage the students and staff year after year. Along with the annual “Molly Day” celebration that takes place every fall in the memory of Senator Voinovich’s daughter, Senator Voinovich will be featuring a Bike Safety day at O. H. Perry on May 9th. He and Mrs. Voinovich will meet with the students and give out 80 free bike helmets.

O.H. Perry is a proud member of the North Collinwood neighborhood and always welcomes community partnerships because our students benefit from the expertise of people in the community. If you can contribute to the education and accomplishments of our students please call the office. We look forward to meeting you.

Rainbow Canyon back in the day. Buddy Maver is second from the left.

As part of its ongoing oral history series of the Cleveland music scene, the nonprofit group Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future will present an interview with Buddy Maver, a former Cleveland musician who went on to book the Agora in its late ’70s/early ’80s heyday. It takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday May 18 at the Space: ROCK Gallery (15721 Waterloo Road). It’s open to the public. There is no charge, but donations will be taken to further the work of CRPPF and Space: ROCK.

The cast and crew of VASJ’s production of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. pose for a picture after one of their performance on April 26, 2013.
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In his biography from his freshman year performance of Godspell, Josh Duke ’13 expressed his hope to someday play the role of Aladdin before graduating. With one month remaining until he receives his diploma, Duke’s dream became a reality.

VASJ’s drama club gave four wonderful performances of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. in front of nearly 500 people, including a dress rehearsal for elementary schools SS. Robert and William and St. Jerome.

A lot of positive feedback was received after the performances and many stated it was one of the best performances they have seen at VASJ in quite some time. The credit goes to the hardworking cast and crew, including a group of seven seniors who wanted to ensure that their last performance on the VASJ stage was their best yet. And it was.

The students weren’t the only ones who shined on the stage. Principal David Csank, President Richard Osborne ’69, math teacher Gary Minadeo ’74 and teacher Chuck Martinko also made guest appearances during the show.

English teacher Mrs. Kristen Scharfeld, Director of Advancement Mary Paxton and Director of Communications Emily Robinson, directed the show.

As is the case with most VASJ activities, the spring musical was clearly a labor of love for all those involved.

What is your best memory of the LaSalle Theater? Go to www.collinwoodobserver.com, click on Member Center and send it in to the paper. With pictures!

Over the past several years, Northeast Shores has been working on finding an appropriate use/user for the LaSalle Theater. Recognizing that the LaSalle Theater is a huge asset to the neighborhood and the development of this project would be the catalyst for additional investment in the neighborhood, Northeast Shores has explored and entertained every inquiry and possible candidate for the property leaving few candidates who understood the full capacity of the rehab. The State of the Street address was the official announcement that Northeast Shores is moving forward with the rehabilitation plan and community-based use. The LaSalle Arts and Media Center will be rehabilitated and restored to the grandeur it deserves as a multi-use arts facility.

A lot of good things have transpired since my last writing. As I am sure you have heard, on April 22, Cleveland City Council passed two pieces of critical legislation, unanimously; one authorizing the City to take back the lakefront parks from the State along with Villa Angela Beach and the second was to enter into a 99-year Lease with the Cleveland MetroParks to operate Euclid Beach, Villa Angela Beach and Wildwood Park, along with other lakefront properties, as a part of the MetroParks’ System. Also, the Wildwood Wetlands Project is virtually complete and we are all looking forward to a great summer along our lakefront parks.   

This is great news for our neighborhood and it has been something which I have lobbied and worked for for several years.  We are on the verge of not only connecting the entire lakefront but connecting our neighborhood to the Euclid Creek Reservation with a defined bike path, thereby adding another critical link to the “Emerald Necklace.”

MetroParks’ administration should be well in-place by July 1, 2013. No doubt it will take time to get a handle on maintenance and capital repairs.  However, MetroParks has assured me that Safety and Security issues are the immediate Top Priority. This is great news and we all look forward to working with an outstanding partner such as the MetroParks System.

Memorial Garden in 1960.
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If you’ve lived in our Collinwood neighborhood for any length of time, and have come down E 152nd St, past Memorial School, you will have seen that huge raised bed that is now the Memorial Garden, dedicated to all who died in the Collinwood School Fire of March 4 1908. 172 people lost their lives that day, in a tragedy that resounded not only in our own community, but nationally – and internationally.

Many of you will also remember what the Memorial Gardens were once like, even as late as the 1960’s. Sadly however, as time went by, they disappeared. In 1993, the community banded together once again, and the current Garden was created.

It’s now 20 years later, and the Memorial Garden is in need of help. Much needs done to make it the true Memorial it is intended to be, and something we in Collinwood can all be proud of!

And we can all do something to help!

Things have already begun to make this project a reality. The Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society (CNHS), partnering with Memorial Spiritual Christian Church (whose own roots go back to the Fire – its founders’ daughter, Laura Baldwin, died in the Fire), and the Cleveland School District (especially the students at Memorial School), CNHS has undertaken to restore the Memorial Garden. A Committee has been formed - the Collinwood School Fire Memorial Garden Committee – with a “Kick-Off” meeting planned for May 16th at St Mary’s – details elsewhere here in the Observer (and we hope to see all of you there!)

David Quolke, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union, and Superintendent Eric Gordon, of the Cleveland Municipal School District. Photo by Maria Kaiser/Cleveland Photographic Society.

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On April 25, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Michelle Pierre-Farid joined CEO Eric Gordon in announcing the District’s selection of 13 “Investment Schools,” for the 2013-2014 school year. 

The CEO sent an email to all staff prior to making the announcement at a press conference held in the Administration Building auditorium, and sent separate emails to staff at Investment Schools informing them of the school’s selection.

The Cleveland Plan requires CMSD to improve student achievement for all of its lowest performing schools within six years, and to do so by identifying and selecting groups of “corrective action” schools to receive intensive resources and supports, the CEO said.

“We chose the term 'Investment Schools,' for the schools selected so that staff, students, families, and our neighborhood communities understand that we are directing resources, time, and personnel where they are needed to help every student succeed,” he said. “We also want families to know that, on every level, CMSD is investing in their child’s school.”

The rigorous process for selecting Investment Schools for Phase 1 involved an intensive review of student achievement data and an analysis of the District’s capacity to find the right supports for particular schools.

Linda is working to create a yearly event for this project.

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April 13th was a rain filled chilly day, but the mood inside of Arts Collinwood’s Community Center was filled with buzzing creative excitement.

Donated halogen spotlights from a friend of an artist bounced off of the hand painted 55 gallon large, brightly colored, shiny surfaces, in anticipation of eager silent auction bidders, who hovered near their prizes of water conservation and artistic vision.

Local chefs filled tables with delectable party fare, and artists and their families and friends were among 70 revelers from the local Collinwood community and as far East as Chagrin Falls, Westward to Oberlin; all celebrating Linda Zolten Wood’s vision for this marriage of art and sustainability.

Linda was originally inspired to create her pilot painted barrel when she received one of Northeast Shore Development Corporations' Rain Barrels from their residential water conservation program. When in use, the translucent white barrel began showing algae through its walls. As a working artist, she decided to mask the unsightly patches with her colorful painting.

The barrels are a tempting canvas: large, uninterrupted space - it was a natural fit for Linda to treat like any other mural surface; the tricky issues were protection from constant water and weather exposure.

She sanded the plastic surface and coated it with exterior primer to help preserve and protect her intricate work. Many layers of a UV clear-coating were hand-painted to extend the life of the surface as well.

She was also inspired by Becca Brittons’ St. Clair Superior Development Corporation ‘Year of the __’ painted Chinese Zodiac statue artist’s competition/auctions.

She applied for and received a  Community Partnership for Arts and Culture Grant and hopes to raise awareness for rainwater collection and lake conservation while supporting local artists. A graduate of Cleveland Institute of Art; Zolten-Wood's current body of work may be seen at Zolten Wood Design on Facebook, and all ten barrel designs and upcoming Painted Barrel Workshop dates will be listed at ‘The Collinwood Painted Rain Barrel Project’ also on Facebook. (Additional support for this grant was also provided by: Arts Collinwood, The Educational Foundation of America, Ford Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Linc, and Trader Joe’s.)

Did you know that trees provide many services beyond the beauty and curb appeal they lend to streets and properties?

The Diabetes Education Program held at the Memorial-Nottingham Library on April 13th was very informative for all who attended. Sarah Snow, a "Nova Nordisk Diabetes Educator" explained how diabetes causes a person's blood sugar levels to be too high.

Some of my colleagues conned me into making a cameo appearance in our recent student musical production, Aladdin Jr. Principal Dave Csank, as well as teachers Gary Minadeo and Chuck Martinko, were fellow reluctant thespians.

Oh, OK. Not that reluctant. The truth is, each of us got a big kick out of our assignments to play bachelor princes. How much the audience enjoyed our performances, of course, may be another story altogether.
Standing backstage before the curtain was raised, I was struck again with a sense of déjà vu. I had a bit part in the student musical Carousel on the very same stage in 1969.

I also was an understudy for one of the lead roles and, back then, the understudies played the leads for one performance. My singing ability was and is such that, for the understudy performance, my character’s songs were cut.

There also was a scene in which I was to walk across the stage as I carried a girl over my shoulder. As my knees collapsed and I struggled to move, the poor young lady became my unwilling partner in an unplanned slapstick routine.

I bring all of this up because it reminded me how the high school experience involves so much more than simply what takes place in the classroom. Whether it is drama, athletics, Student Council or any of the other endless activities our students engage in after hours, extracurriculars bring value – not to mention a great deal of fun – that can’t be graded on a scale of A, B and C.

Flower pots were hand-pained into one of a kind pieces of Earth Day art.

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Saturday, April 20th was a big day for Collinwood High School, with members of the community invited to the school to share in the celebration of Earth Day with an Earth Day focused Art Fair, there were poetry readings, crafts, performances, tables-- including the Collinwood Observer's-- sharing their good news.

Joseph Scaminace ’71 addresses the VASJ student body during its career fair.

More than 40 alums and community members, along with the entire student body, gathered in the gym on April 17 for VASJ’s career fair. Careers ranging from law enforcement to engineering, and everything in between, were represented. Students were able to visit the tables of their interests and ask questions about the various professions.

Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society and Memorial Spiritual Christian Church will sponsor the meeting held on Thursday May 16th at 6:30 at the St. Mary's, 15519 Holmes Ave, Cleveland 44110. Many volunteers are needed to make this project work. Any expertise and enthusiasm will be greatly appreciated. Help pay tribute to the neighborhood and the Collinwood School Fire of 1908. For more info contact CNHS at CollNottHistory@gmail.com, or 216 738 0626. http://collnotthistory.weebly.com/calendar.html.

Spring is finally here! Nature is waking up and the flowers are beginning to bloom. So, get outside (with your copy of the Observer), of course, and enjoy the beauty! While you’re at it, check out the latest installment of featured Facebook pages from the arts and business community. As always, please feel free to visit, read about their wonderful services, and click on the like button.  

It’s official! The third round of the Artists in Residence grants is under way. A panel meeting was held in early April, decisions have been made, and the Grantees have been appointed. This round of the grant focused more narrowly on vacant and underutilized space where previous grant proposals were more focused on neighborhood storytelling and youth engagement. 

On Monday, April 29th 2013, Councilman Polensek joined Northeast Shores to host the first annual East 185th Street State of the Street Address. The luncheon was held at the Lithuanian Hall located at 877 East 185th Street and sponsored by Councilman Polensek and Fifth Third Bank. 

Spring is here and now is your opportunity to get started on your housing repair needs. For all of those roof repair concerns, we have the program for you. Northeast Shores’ Cover Your Assets Roof Loan Program is back. This was a limited one year program from 2012 that we have been able to continue in 2013 with some additional funds that are available until July. This loan program is zero interest and is offered to homeowners in the 44119 zip code of Cleveland. The only restrictions for eligibility are that you must be current on your mortgage, with your taxes, and it must be an owner-occupied property. 

The girls from John Carroll University sure can paint! Way to show those vandals that nothing can stop a group of determined volunteers!!
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They say it takes a village to raise a child. On Global Youth Service Day 2013, Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach volunteers learned that it also takes a village to clean and care for our beach, our park and our Great Lake!

My name is Mya Morris and I am a sixth grade student at Memorial School located on East 152nd Street. I have been a student here for almost three years. One of the things I noticed when I enrolled was the Memorial Garden located in the front of the building. There was a big thing missing...FLOWERS! After awhile I finally approached the principal, Mrs. Rondo, and asked her if we could start a gardening club. She thought this was a good idea, but time got away from us.

This year when the 105th anniversary of the tragic Collinwood Fire was approaching she told me about a conversation she had with a community member, Ms. Daley, who knew of a group who had a desire to improve and revitalize the Garden. Mrs. Rondo told me to get a group of my classmates and friends together so we could be a part of the effort. My friend A'ja Stacy and I met with Mrs. Rondo and came up with a list of ideas of what we could do and what we would need to get the project going. We even thought of some possible fundraisers we could have at the school.

I had a chance to meet with the community group and they shared some of the rich history of Memorial School and the Garden and what they envisioned. There is a community meeting coming up on May 16th and I along with A'ja look forward to attending and seeing a new life for the Memorial School Garden in the near future! 

Fly a kite and help a hospice patient at the "Hearts in Flight Kite and Garden Fest" on June 30.

When we experience the death of loved ones, we strive try to keep their memories alive. Symbolic rituals provide an effective spiritual outlet, allowing us to feel close by celebrating their lives in a positive way. That’s the idea behind the Hearts in Flight Kite and Garden Fest on Sunday, June 30, 1 to 4 p.m., which will send an arc of memorial kites skyward in a colorful mass tribute over the Lake Erie skyline. The event will take place on the waterfront property adjacent to Hospice of the Western Reserve, 18485 Lake Shore Boulevard, Cleveland. 

Coyote

Lately, I have been hearing more and more reports of coyote sightings all over Cuyahoga County.  I wanted to share some information and clear up some misperceptions about the resilient Coyote, a mammal sighted regularly in the watershed.

Collinwood & Nottingham Villages Development Corporation (CNVDC) is taking applications for the 2013 Cleveland Paint Voucher Program in the South Collinwood area only through August 2, 2013. Eligible applicants may receive vouchers for up to $400.00 in free paint and supplies. 

Collect Rain, Grow Veggies, & Save the Planet!

UpStage Players' most recent spring musical productions have played to packed houses every night for the last five years. This growth, along with that of the cast and crew, are key reasons for the group's need to relocate to a larger performance venue.

The well-maintained, yet underutilized 600-seat auditorium located at the Cleveland Public Library’s Memorial-Nottingham branch now has a tenant in Collinwood’s-own UpStage Players. The children’s theatre company, who performed at the Waterloo District’s Slovenian Workmen’s Home for the past five years, made the move official by signing a tenant contract in March. Rehearsals for UpStage’s 20th Anniversary season will begin at the library auditorium in early 2014.

Joe Kleon

Space: ROCK, the new music photography gallery at 15721 Waterloo Road in North Collinwood, is proud to present the first-ever one-man show by Joe Kleon, the area’s premiere music photographer of the past decade. “A Decade of Decibels: The Photography of Joe Kleon” opens with a reception from 6-10 pm Friday June 7.

Mayor Frank G. Jackson and Chief of Police Michael McGrath proudly announce that the 2013 City of Cleveland Gun Buy-Back will be held on Saturday, June 15, 2013, at Public Safety Central located at 2001 Payne Avenue. In exchange for operable handguns or semi-automatic rifles (Assault Rifles), citizens will be given a either a $100 (handguns) or $200 (semi-automatic rifles) Target, gas or food gift card and two tickets to an upcoming Cavaliers and Lake Erie Monsters game. In addition, they will be entered into a raffle with a chance to win up to $1,000. Incentives for surrendered firearms will be available while supplies last.

Students developed blueprints, measured 2x4s and used power tools to construct their team catapult.

 

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In April, the 7th grade students at Hannah Gibbons STEM School had a contest to decide whose catapult would launch the farthest. The objective was to apply the engineering design process to construct and test a catapult.

Students formed superhero teams to follow and complete a webquest, "The Evil Fire People Are Marching…Defend Your Castle." Through a strong interdisciplinary approach, balancing science with technology, engineering and math, they developed blueprints, measured 2x4s and used power tools to construct their team catapult. 

On launch day students had to track the trajectory and make modifications to get their best range. The winning team’s catapult launched an average of 35 feet. This first place team will be able to present their project at our school STEM Fair on May 9th at 6:00 pm and at the citywide STEAM Festival on May 18th at the Great Lakes Science Center from 10:00am -3:00pm.

 Leora Sullivan teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grade at Hannah Gibbons STEM School.

On Tuesday, May 7th the Collinwood branch of the Cleveland Public Library will celebrate Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo with our Madre’s Day program which will begin at 3:00 p.m. Students will learn about the celebration of Cinco de Mayo while we also honor our mothers and create a gift for Mother’s Day.

Students study together on a nice day outside the entrance of St. John Lutheran School.

St. John Lutheran School is proud that it has, over the years, admitted students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies and admissions policies.

Green as the planets, blue as the seas

Respecting the sky, respecting the trees

Beauty that surrounds us, giving off peace

For the living and from the deceased

Loving to breathe, loving to see

Mother Nature in front of me

Just being human living life to the fullest

On days of earth, even when it's the cruelest

No planet like this

One of a kind

A place to expand the human mind

We learn something from her

Each and every day

And try to help her

In our own personal ways

She keeps green grass and sunny shores

And when we think that's it,

She brings us more

There's insects and birds

Fish and beast

Whose identity she has not released

She provides a place

We all reside

And for her

We have a love we can't hide

So we celebrate our gentle Earth

Let's celebrate for what she's worth.

Chifaun Smiley is a 10th grader at Collinwood High School. She's a member of the wrestling and track teams.

15741 Mandalay Avenue, the home of Collinwood Juice.

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Collinwood’s neighborhood wine grape and juice purveyor since the 1920’s, Collinwood Juice, whose regular season runs September through October, has added for the first time a second spring harvest. These juices come from the Chilean Maipo Valley which is bordered by the Andes mountains and the Pacific ocean. This region mirrors California’s wine topography and climate including its hot days and cold nights.

On Wednesday March 27th 2013, the eighth grade students at Hannah Gibbons STEM launched rockets in our playground area. The objective for the students was to apply the engineering design process to construct, test and launch a water rocket using a real world problem solving simulation.

Teams of students formed rocket companies and completed a commercial endeavor to construct a rocket capable of lifting payloads into the earth’s orbit. Through a strong interdisciplinary approach, balancing science with technology, engineering and math, they developed a budget, purchased constructional materials and tracked expenditures while designing and constructing their rockets.

During this process students worked with Progressive Arts Alliance, who showed the students how to document their entire process. Students created a documentary video which will be shown at our STEM Fair and STEAM Festival in May.

On launch day students had to track the height of the rockets. The winning team's altitude was 39 meters. This team gets to launch their rocket again at the end of our STEM fair on May 9th at 7:45pm.

Sean Patton is the Principal at Hannah Gibbons STEM school in Collinwood.

Milan, Rakim, Amakhut, Alexis and Devon will perform a skit that they created on bullying called "Impact-Rose Colored Glasses."

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The camera is on Collinwood Recreation Center's Digital Media Class, which is held on Wednesdays at 4:30pm. This year has started off well for the participants of the digital media class, which is a program offered by Institutional Community Development Corporation, an organization whose primary focus is economic and youth development.                                                                                                                             

Rakim Huff, an aspiring young actor and producer was selected to attend a private viewing in January of the new Scenarios USA Cleveland Real Deal film, "Speechless," a film written by 16-year-old Roxanne Lasker-Hall, a student from Cleveland School of the Arts. The actual movie premiered on April 9th at Tower City Cinemas during the Cleveland International Film Festival.                                                                                            

Alexis Nunn, a teen writer, singer and aspiring actress, along with Rakim Huff, were invited in February to be on the Student Selection Committee of the Cleveland International Film Festival. Alexis and Rakim, helped screen and pick films which were going to be included in the 37th Cleveland International Film Festival's FilmSlam.                                                                                                                                         

In March, Devon Merritt, 17, was invited to perform an original song that he had written in one of Detroit Michigan's well-known Showcases.             

Damnation of Adam Blessing

The grand opening of the Cleveland music history and photography gallery, Space: ROCK at 15721 Waterloo Road, took place on Friday, April 5 during April’s Walk All Over Waterloo. Its inaugural exhibit, The Golden Age of Cleveland Rock: 1969-1974, spotlights an era when many northeast Ohio bands were getting signed to record labels and attracting national attention. The show will run through the end of May.

Among the bands featured through posters, photos, album jackets and promotional materials are the James Gang, the Raspberries, Damnation of Adam Blessing, Rastus, Wild Butter, Tiny Alice, Eli Radish, Rainbow Canyon, and Michael Stanley, along with the “Youngstown auxiliary” — Glass Harp, Blue Ash, and Left End.

All of these bands benefited from the record industry shift in emphasis from singles to albums and eclecticism of the psychedelic era, a period when record labels were actively seeking diverse rosters. Just as they were looking for the “next Seattle” in the ’90s, they were looking for the “next San Francisco” in the late ’60s. Cleveland was on their radar, thanks to factors like the area’s hunger for new rock music and the number of former Clevelanders rising in the echelons of the labels.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Beachland Ballroom will be hosting a public oral history taping with Jim Quinn, guitarist for Damnation of Adam Blessing and longtime area band manager. It takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday April 20. Admission is $5, food will be available, and the bar will be open.

Space: ROCK is a project of Cleveland Rocks: Past Present and Future, a new nonprofit formed last year to bring more attention to Cleveland music history and to support the music scene’s growth into the future. Its offices are on the second floor of the Space: ROCK Gallery.

For more information about Space: ROCK, contact Anastasia Pantsios at aastasjoy@aol.com.

Anastasia Pantsios is a Cleveland writer and photographer with an emphasis on music and the arts. She is the director of the Space: ROCK Gallery on Waterloo.

Left to right: Gerri Trebets, Slovenian Workmen's Home 2013 Woman of the Year, Linda Gorjup, SNPJ District Vice President and Stephanie Segulin, Slovenian Society Home Recher 2013 Woman of the Year and a Collinwood area resident.

To honor Gerri Trebets and to benefit the Slovenian Workmen's Home a Schnitzel Dinner will be held Tuesday, April 23rd.  A strolling musician will entertain you while you dine and the cash bar will be open. Tickets are $12 each and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are available at the Friday Fish Fry from 3 PM until 8 PM or by callingl 216/481-5378. Dinner will be served from 3:30 PM until 7:30 PM at the Slovenian Workmen's Home located at 15335 Waterloo Road, Cleveland.
 
The Slovenian Workmen's Home continues to be a busy place with people playing balina/bocce almost every day on the four indoor courts. To schedule a private party call 216/481-5378.
 
Sunday dances continue every Sunday through May. Cleveland TV20 tapes some of the dances and they can be seen on their website.Bands appearing in April and May are:  4/7 - Frank Spetich, Jr., 4/14 - Joey Tomsick, 4/21 - Bob Kravos and the Boys in the Band, 4/28 - Jeff Pecon, 5/5 - Mike Wojtila, 5/12 - Fred Ziwich & the International Sound Machine, 5/19 - Frank Moravsek, 5/26 - Bobby Kravos & the Boys in the Band. Sunday dances will start again in October. $12 admission includes sandwich and soft drink. Doors open 2PM, music from  3PM until 7PM. A cash bar is also open during these hours.

Memorial Spiritual Christian Church on Pawnee.

Some of you may know our little Church on Pawnee. We've been there over 85 years and are still going strong. An ongoing popular offering is our spiritual development classes. I call it the aeonian (eternal, everlasting) spiritual development series because learning this side of your spirit is an ongoing process.

We sometimes forget we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

The 5-part series of classes starts Fri, May 3rd and run 5 weeks from 7-10 pm. We talk about spirituality, mediumship, spiritual gifts, and healing, among other topics that will allow you to contemplate the spiritual realm.

The last 2 hours of class is dedicated to meditation, mediumship exercises, energy work used for facilitating healing through God, and other enlightenments. The class consists of beginners as well as seasoned veterans. If this is something you have been curious about for a while, please join us!

Registration is limited, please call to reserve your seat. The registration donation of $50 includes all 5 sessions and a binder with learning materials, as well as snacks and beverages. We meet in the basement fellowship room at the church at 19204 Pawnee Avenue. If you have any questions, please call Reverend Tammy at 440-897-2745 or check us out at our new website http://www.MemorialSpiritualChristianChurch.weebly.com.  Email us at MemorialChurch@hotmail.com.

Reverend Tammy Hill is the Pastor of Memorial Spiritual Christian Church.

At last night's City Council meeting, the redistricting legislation was pulled at the last minute, and an emergency meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday morning for a vote on another set of newly drawn lines, though it doesn't look like the lines for Collinwood will different from the last change, which was last Friday. What has been done defies good public policy, logic and common sense. This is a good example of why people are disgusted with politics.

As obscene as it is, we will make the best of a bad situation, that's all I can say. This was done deliberately to hurt the Glenville and Collinwood communities and we shouldn't forget that. This was done to silence the community, to repress differences of opinion and the political process itself. Heaven forbid that you involve the citizens of the wards you represent! Heaven forbid that they have a voice!

You would not think that so little could be thought of the people who live in our neighborhoods, it's hard to imagine the disrespect being shown for our citizens.

What I can say to Northeast Glenville is at least you'll have a coucilman who cares about you. You were thrown to the wind but now you will have someone who will not turn his back on you.

To our neighbors in Nottingham, you will not be abandoned. We will be standing together.

To the many that are distraught, at the end of the day, the neighborhood isn't going anywhere, no-one is putting fences around us. They want a divided community, they thought by drawing these squirrely lines they were going to get that. If we let them hack us up we get what we deserve.

But we are going to rise to the occasion and care about each other and look after each other. We need to reach out to each other and show it. We are all neighbors. At times like these we must wake up and become more politically astute and more engaged. We have historic neighborhoods, strong communities, and we're not going anywhere.

Mike Uva

Starting in April, the Beachland Ballroom will host a free monthly neighborhood night. These relaxed tavern shows will feature musicians from the Collinwood neighborhood. The first Neighborhood Night was held on Monday, April 8 with Mike Uva and Moko Bovo. Doors open at 7:30pm. These are all ages shows.

March 26, 2013

This past week has been the most trying and difficult time in my civic and political life. The Redistricting of City Council Wards was a gut-wrenching, roller coaster ride, especially due to the fact that Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 3:00 PM., was the first time I was able to view our Ward map.

Since that time, the mapped boundaries had changed at least three times. On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, the majority of Cleveland City Council members voted 17-2 to pass the new redistricting lines, with Councilman Joe Cimperman (D-3) and myself (D-11), voting against the final version as presented. We were successful in keeping the North Shore Collinwood intact. Unfortunately, as heartbreaking as it is for our community and to me personally, we lost the historic Nottingham Village community along St Clair Avenue to the present Ward 10 councilman.

This loss was a result of the Ward 10 councilman demanding that the North Glenville area, east of Eddy Road, be placed in our ward, which will now be called the new WARD 8 beginning on January 4th, 2013. When our voters go to the election polls for this coming September’s Primary and November’s General Election, we will be voting in the new WARD 8 configuration.

Dr. Richard Ross, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, traveled to Cleveland on April 8 to announce his decision to waive the appointment of an Academic Distress Commission for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. 

At a news conference held at the CMSD Administration Building, CEO Eric Gordon joined Mayor Frank G. Jackson in expressing gratitude to the State Superintendent. In doing so, he acknowledged the many people across the city that created The Cleveland Plan that Ohio's Superintendent affirmed is the "Right Plan, Right Now" for Cleveland, and a model for school districts throughout the state.

The visit to Cleveland by representatives of the Ohio Department of Education gave CEO Eric Gordon an opportunity to share CMSD's progress in the last year, and the CEO described the 2012-2013 school year as anything but usual.

“This time last year, we knew that if we did not take serious action to improve our schools, we would face an Academic Distress Commission, a financial takeover, or both,” said Gordon. “Through the unprecedented efforts of people across the city, The Cleveland Plan legislation passed in Columbus with strict accountability measures that mirror any plan that would have been imposed by a Distress Commission. The difference is, the Plan for Transforming Cleveland’s Schools is our work, not the work of an outside commission.”

Mr. Martin J. Sweeney

President, Cleveland City Council

601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 220

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Dear Council President:

At about 11:51 AM, today, April 12, 2013 my office was called by Allen Dreyer, that the new ward map for the proposed new Ward 8 was available and that an email was sent to the office. Since then I did receive a hard copy of the new map. Mind you I had no input into these revised lines at all. I called Bob Dykes who said you were working on it and I called you twice with no response as of today.

To say the least the map and new ward lines are totally unacceptable. For, you have taken away three streets Cardinal, Pepper and Aspinwall, which I was more than glad to take per the original map and have added East 124th and half of East 123rd Streets, north of St Clair Avenue in the northeast Glenville area.

I don’t want to think in sinister terms but doesn’t Mr. Anthony Hairston, the Ward 10 Activist and elected Ward Leader, live on East 124th Street?  Isn’t he the same Mr. Hairston who recently pulled petitions to run for the Ward 10 Council seat? So, let me see here. In one week he went from living in Ward 10 to now living in the new proposed Ward 8. Man, I would say that that is a really strange coincidence! Wouldn’t you?

Marty, let me cut to the quick since I need to say, officially, what most people in Glenville and Collinwood are saying right now. You cut up existing neighborhoods with traditional and historic boundaries to hopefully preserve Ward 10 Councilman, Eugene Miller. What you have done to Glenville, by creating three wards, is disrespectful and outrageous and totally uncalled for. What you have done to the Collinwood and Nottingham Village communities is likewise. Do you think for one moment that the NE side of the city doesn’t understand what you have done? Do you think we are that stupid? Politics is one thing but your efforts to preserve Councilman Miller speaks for itself. You did this at the expense of the Collinwood and Glenville citizens and above all to my two caring and committed colleagues, Councilman Kevin Conwell and Councilman Jeff Johnson.

Bacon says he has learned that passion and hard work are the tools every student needs to reach and surpass his life’s goals.

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CSA bass player’s passion, drive leads to European tour with Youth Orchestra

Wesley Bacon, a senior and valedictorian at the Cleveland School of the Arts, spent last summer traveling and performing in Europe with the prestigious Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. He plans to let his musical talent take him a lot farther.

With the youth orchestra, Bacon, the group’s principal bassist, and other music students from the region performed in Prague, Vienna and Salzburg -- three European cities at the epicenter of classical music. It was Bacon’s first trip abroad.

Classical musicians don’t often come from urban schools, and Bacon might not have been an exception had he not run into Dianna Richardson, music director of CSA, when he was in seventh grade. Richardson taught the teenager the artistry of the double bass, an experience that led Bacon to a seat in the youth orchestra in the eighth grade, and to Europe to showcase his developing talent.

Through his music, Bacon says he has learned that passion and hard work are the tools every student needs to reach and surpass his life’s goals. CSA’s Wesley Bacon appears to have an ample supply of both. 

Two CSSM students admitted to Harvard

In time to celebrate with their families over spring break, two seniors at the Cleveland School of Science & Medicine at John Hay received their acceptance letters to Harvard University. Cyril Creque-Sarbinowski and Janae A. Hughes, both standouts at one of CMSD’s highest-performing schools, will attend the prestigious Ivy League school this fall and will be featured in the next edition of E-Communicator, as we join them in celebration of their accomplishment.

The freeway pedestrian bridge that was taken down in March by a dump truck affected people getting to a meeting I was involved with all the way out in Mentor because attendees were delayed getting past East152 Street!

The Councilman is in the process of negotiating with ODOT and the State as to what their plans are regarding the pedestrian bridge as well as talking with Northeast Shores Development Corp., BikeCleveland, and Friends of Euclid Creek, among others, to determine if the bridge is necessary to complete bikeway and pedestrian plans to connect Euclid Creek MetroPark to Lake Erie.

The people of Ward 10 elected Anthony T. Hairston over Councilman Miller to serve as Democratic Leader of Ward 10

Dear Residents of Ward’s 10 & 11:

As many of you know, the City of Cleveland had to re-draw the current 19 wards down to 17 due to the city’s population loss. The process, which was led by Council President Martin J. Sweeney, who represents the far west side, and Ward 10 Councilman Eugene Miller, was done secretly in back rooms and behind closed doors with virtually no public input. Councilman Miller gave away parts of the current Ward 10 such as the E. 140th street corridor, where he currently lives, and the Northeast Glenville neighborhood, for he did not want to “represent those folks anymore.”

WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE RESIDENTS OF GLENVILLE!!! Because of this “so called” compromise, Nottingham Village has been stripped from Ward 11 and The Glenville area has been chopped up between three different council wards. The Glenville neighborhood, since the days of Mayor Carl Stokes, has never been cut up like this.   

The tailor-made ward lines were truly done deliberately to disenfranchise the people who live in Nottingham Village and Glenville and to ultimately deter participation in the political process. These changes have created serious confusion and will have devastating effects on voter participation, effective leadership and the overall success of our communities.  Council President Sweeney did not draw the new ward lines to enhance the 10th Ward but rather as an attempt to preserve the Councilman of the 10th Ward at all costs

With the support of a federal grant to improve reading in grades K-3, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has launched the Gateway to Successful Readers (GSR) program in 20 of its schools.

One of the strongest elements of the English Language Arts program is a strong parent component designed to extend the oral language and guided reading lessons taking place in the classrooms.

Chief Academic Officer Michelle Pierre-Farid said the monthly workshops provide fun and effective lessons and activities for parents to engage their children in reading at home and provide families with take-home books.

With nearly $750,000 in grant funds to promote the teaching of oral language in grades K-3, CMSD trained instructional coaches and teachers are well-equipped to meet their target goals to ensure that struggling readers and, specifically, students who are grade levels behind in their oral language acquisition, get the support they need.

CMSD parents can view their child’s school workshop schedule at cmsdnet.net, and register by calling the school principal.

On Friday, April 19th from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Students from Collinwood High School and Ginn Academy will participate in our annual Open Mike Poetry. Please stop by and support these young poets as they present original works as well as readings from their favorite poets.

We will celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22nd at 3:00 p.m.! Students are invited to create an Earth Day craft made from recycled materials. We will also discuss simple things they can do at home to help save the Earth!

On Tuesday, May 7th we will celebrate Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo with our Madre’s Day program which will begin at 3:00 p.m. Students will learn about the celebration of Cinco de Mayo while we also honor our mothers and create a gift for Mother’s Day.

Our America Reads after school tutoring and Kids Café Snack programs are in full swing in the Learning Center! Tutoring, provided by a Cleveland State University student, is offered Monday - Thursday from 2:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. for students of all ages (Please note that tutoring will end on Thursday, May 9th).  If you are in need of tutoring assistance, please visit www.cpl.org>Research and Learning>Live Online Tutoring.  A certified tutor is available daily from 2:00-10:00 EST.

The Cleveland Food Bank provides snacks for school age students Monday–Friday from 3:30-4:30. 

Please stop by the Collinwood Branch and sign up for a free library card for yourself, your infant or child. MyPlace My Card supports literacy for the youngest - kids five years old and under can sign up for a free library card with a parent signature.

Natasha Wells is the Children's Librarian at the Collinwood Branch of The Cleveland Public Library.

What a couple of weeks! The City-wide Ward redistricting was a lesson in futility and how not to involve the public in a very critical process. As of this writing it looks like the ward lines will be readjusted once again to be re-voted on on Monday, April 15th. If Nottingham Village is not reassigned back to our community and Northeast Glenville neighborhood still divided, I obviously will not be voting “for” any new legislation. This entire process is a classic example why citizens are disgusted with the political process. In 2013 we need more citizen participation than ever before in the political process. However, that obviously scares individuals who like to operate behind closed doors and in secret. Regardless of how the lines are ultimately drawn we must all work together to make the greater Collinwood community the best it can be. Stay tuned. As soon as the new ward lines are official, I will disseminate the information out to the community.

On a positive note, the NEORSD sewer work along Lakeshore Boulevard has been proceeding well. I am hoping that once it is completed the rebuilding of Lakeshore Boulevard will shift into high gear. Speaking of construction, work has begun on the Waterloo Road Streetscape Project. New water connections are being installed now with the bulk of the major work to begin in July 2013.

The Nottingham Village Commerce Park Project along St Clair Avenue is well under way and several more abandoned commercial structures will be coming down over the next several weeks. Cleveland Range is finalizing its design work for their new "Headquarters of the Americas" which should begin this summer as well.

The wetlands project in Wildwood Lakefront State Park is almost complete. However, the best news though for our Lakefront was on Monday, April 8th Ordinance Number 504-13 was read into City Council for the first time authorizing the City of Cleveland Director of Public Works to enter into a Lease Agreement with the Cleveland MetroParks System to lease certain city-owned lakefront state parks including Villa Angela Beach.

A highlight of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s “Parent University,” is the addition of free bus trips to colleges, with a goal of helping families “see the future now” by touring colleges with their children.

Parents are encouraged to sign up for a limited number of seats on buses bound for colleges throughout Ohio to get a glimpse of their child’s life beyond graduation. Parent University includes previous favorites and new offerings that Tracy Hill, Executive Director of CMSD’s Office of Family & Community Engagement, says are designed to help parents educate children academically and emotionally and to help parents enhance their own parenting and life skills.

An April 20 full-day session of Parent University at John Adams will offer courses on parent empowerment, computer basics, career exploration, advocating for your child and urban farm diets, which are only a few of this semester’s offerings. Hill said she expects the Latino Parent Institute to be among this year’s favorite courses.

Free parent-centered workshops are in session from April 8 through May 31. Call the Family and Community Engagement Office at 216.858.0117 to register for Parent University, or register online at cmsdnet.net. Reserve your seat on the free College Bus Tour by calling 216.436.5369.