Latest News

It goes without saying that Fall is here. Please be proactive, any streetlights out, which there shouldn’t be with the installation of the new LED’s, please call it in to CPP.  If there are potholes on your street please these into 3-1-1 and by all means, if you see a water leak in the street or at a hydrant please call this in to (216) 664-3060.  If we all do our part then we will be better prepared for the cold weather ahead.

Work on the East 185th Street /Marcela Road Storm Sewer Project is now shifting into high gear.  Work on access shafts at East Park and Pawnee at East 185th Street has started.  The contractor, with the concurrence of my office, has begun their 24-hour around the clock tunnel boring operation. This $15 million project is critical in addressing the widespread basement flooding problem we have been experiencing in the East 185th Street corridor and adjacent streets. Watch for detours.  The Water Pollution Control will be making another presentation on this project at the next East 185th Street Neighborhood Association meeting to be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 beginning at 6:00 PM at the Lithuanian Village Hall, rear entrance, located at 877 East 185th Street.

Greater Collinwood Development Corporation hosted the first of two Neighborhood Family Feud Game Nights at Aspinwall Outreach Center, Friday, October 11. Ten teams competed for a chance to advance this month to the grand finale at LaSalle Theater, Friday November 15. The teams are competing to win up to $4,000 for their community projects. 

GCDC kicked things off with music and food for residents from Congin’s Pizza and Original Grill and gave away over $150 in prizes from Dave’s Supermarket, MetroParks Zoo and The Standard. The event was well attended by residents of Wards 8 and 10, as well as ICONS Youth Ambassadors, Councilmen Anthony Hairston and Michael Polensek, and State Representative Terrance Upchurch.

The atmosphere was spirited and joyous as ICONS Youth Ambassadors surveyed residents for GCDC planning and engaged youth residents in basketball during the Neighborhood Family Feud rounds. Audience members shouted answers to questions such as: Best neighborhood in Cleveland, Popular attractions in Cleveland and Best pizza in Collinwood, which contributed to an overall feel of fun! GCDC also hosted a 50/50 raffle with wingspan tickets selling best.

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15th Annual Remembering the Sights and Sounds of Euclid Beach Park

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Reading is a passion for Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Cheryl Stevens. “I just want to read to children,” said Stevens during a conversation with Caroline J. Peak, manager of the Cleveland Public Library-Collinwood Branch, at a community meeting in Collinwood. Peak didn’t waste any time working to get the councilwoman to the library to participate in Storytime.

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It had been several years since I had taught an upper grade class, so when I was approached to take 7th grade after a long stint in 2nd grade I was a bit hesitant to say the least. Once the decision had been made, I began to get more and more excited about employing various strategies and techniques in teaching this group of students. I began with Religion and incorporating a service project. Little did I know of the tremendous response I would receive.

St. John Nottingham Lutheran School recently wrapped up the annual Cookie Dough Sale fundraiser, and those students who went above and beyond were treated to a surprise when the Kona Ice Van showed up! The Fall weather did not bother the kids in the slightest as they enjoyed the sweet rewards of hard work.

Pastor Marcis with Mayor White

On April 12,1964 Pastor Walther Marcis was installed as Associate Pastor of St. John Nottingham Lutheran Church, Cleveland, Ohio. He has faithfully served St. John for over 50 years, preaching joyfully in both English and German and has held Ohio District positions as Circuit Counselor and Chairman of the Ohio District Ministerial Health Committee as well as numerous other positions in the Church. He has also served as Principal of our day school six times over the years!

Specialist Streb and Mr Lawlor demonstrate how to properly attach and raise the flag

On Thursday, Oct 31, a new flag was dedicated at St. John Nottingham Lutheran School. The new flag, donated by School Commission Chairman Steve Kile, replaced the old one, a flag given to SJN by the United States Army that flew over a forward base during Operation Desert Storm. It was time to retire the old flag after so many years. It will be delivered to Boy Scout Troop 179 (where Principal Peck is an Assistant Scoutmaster) for proper and respectful retirement.

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The students at SJN recently made a visit to the Lake Farm Park to get some first-hand experience with nature. While there, they were given an opportunity to see the chickens, cows, sheep, and pigs up close and person, and even got to pet a few. They saw demonstrations of milking machines and shepherd dogs and sheep-shearing. When asked about it afterwards, the general response to "Was it fun?" was a resounding cheer!

The stained glass windows in the SJN sanctuary tell the story of Christ's sacrifice and ressurection

St. John Nottingham Lutheran School began as a tiny, one-room schoolhouse back in 1892. Sitting in what was then the village of Nottingham, Ohio, the Pastor was also the Principal, the teacher, the custodian, and the entire maintenance crew! Since then we have come a long way indeed. St John Nottingham, or SJN to those in the know, has been in continuous operation ever since, serving the Collinwood area by making a strong, Christ-centered education available to those who seek it.

Meet my little fur baby hazel .

A few months ago my parents stumble across a beautiful lost dog that got loose in tied up with a  wire that the dog had attached to her collar around the trash can. my step dad went to throw away some trash,when he discovered the dog tied up,he informed my mom, they untangled the wire and the dog was free, the dog was so excited to be free that the dog fell in love with my parents.My parents were no way prepared for a dog in the house, so they called me to informed me, they found a stray dog at the house,and if I wanted the dog. Now the funny thing about this was that I was planning on going to the dog kennel to look for a dog that weekend, being a little superstitions, I was thinking that this was meant to be,I was the chosen one,to have this dog that came to the house, Like why else would this Dog just mysteriously come to the house and get tied around their trash can so my parents cou;d find her.So i took the dog home and adopted this dog,I gave the dog a name ,I named her pinky and for almost 3 weeks I kept pinky Fed her, walked her,and most importantly, I loved her.

Come celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus!

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In 1962 the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a sports story which featured an unlikely State Championship by Collinwood High School. Theo Morrow and Mike Cavotta captured Collinwood’s first ever Championship by winning the State Track & Field event. The two of them stunned the meet and the highly favored defending champion, Dayton Dunbar, who fielded 18 qualifiers. (picture 1 here)

Minor and Associates, Inc. d/b/a PRYDE Mentoring Academy (PMA), a 501c3 non-profit organization is located at 17325 Euclid Ave. Suite #4006, Cleveland OH 44112. Our goals are to assist the surrounding school districts and juvenile justice system with at-risk youth from the ages of 12 to 24 years of age offering mentoring and programs during and after school. Our Program officially launched in August 2019.

Every day, mentoring programs make a critical impact on young people throughout our nation by providing them with the support and guidance they need to navigate academic and personal challenges.  Unfortunately, one in three young people will grow up without a mentor of any kind. This is the mentoring gap in America.

Traditionally at-risk youths were identified living in some of the most violent and economically deprived neighborhoods in Cleveland, where guns and drugs were omnipresent and unstable upbringings were common. During those years, these youths have been predominantly male (96 percent) and, reflecting the demographics of the communities where they live, African American (54 percent) or Hispanic (37 percent).

On Saturday, October 19, 2019, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) held its Inaugural Sports Legends Hall of Fame Gala at Cleveland State University Glasscock Family Ballroom. The Gala, with more than 350 in attendance, kicked off with a social hour against the back drop of sports memorabilia displays presented by the various school’s Alumni Associations. Followed by dinner, key note speaker and finally the Legends Induction ceremony.

The key note speaker was John Henry Johnson Jr., son of NFL Hall of Fame running back, attended West Tech and Benedictine High Schools. John coached track & field from USC, UCLA, and most recently as the coach for the Marine Wounded Warriors. The theme of his speech was to achieve success, you must be sincere, compassionate and disciplined in your efforts. John commented, “….you do what you do best and do it to the hilt.”

To qualify as a Sports Legend, you have to have an affiliation as a CMSD high school graduate, coach, staff, athletic director or administrator and were part of a team/individual championship/runner-up at the Senate, District, Regional, State, Collegiate, Professional or International level. This criteria was used to select more than 4,000 individuals spanning the past 115 years. At the Gala 45 Legends were honored by induction which included former Olympian greats Jesse Owens, Harrison Dilliard and Stella Walsh.

SHRIMP BOIL - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

4:00 – 7:00 pm Only $18.00 per person

Never had or even heard of a shrimp boil?

Imagine kielbasa, cheesy hot dogs, redskin potatoes, corn on the cob, and TONS of shrimp seasoned and boiled together perfectly and then laid out on the table in front of you.

The aroma from the seasoned deliciousness just tempting you to dive right in. You don't even need a fork or plate (unless, of course, you WANT to). You WILL, however, need tons of napkins!

We will also have sideboards!

ONLY 60 tickets are being sold. They are available now in the clubhouse OR paypal.me/collinwoodslohome

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR CLUB!

PROGRAMS, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Collinwood Library

Join us for Collinwood’s newest winter tradition! Winterloo is a new family friendly holiday celebration for the Waterloo Arts District. Organized by the Collinwood Collective and sponsored by local businesses and the Greater Collinwood Development Corporation, Winterloo will have plenty of fun for people of all ages. There will be s’mores kits to make your own s’mores, fire pits, hot cocoa, and other kids’ activities. In keeping with the spirit of the district, there will also be live music and an artisanal ornament sale! The artist ornament sale will be hosted by Waterloo Arts Gallery and will feature artist Anthony Zart. Proceeds from the sale will help fund Waterloo Arts’ community programs. Any artists who would like to make and donate an ornament can find more information at waterlooarts.org. Finally, the event will feature the first annual lighting of the Waterloo tower. Winterloo is a free community event and will take place Friday, December 6th from 6-9 pm.

This season traditionally is a time of harvesting the rewards from the seeds that you planted throughout the year.   Is this true for you?  Have you made progress or accomplished what you had planned for yourself and your family?  Human nature gives us opportunity to procrastinate.  We can all be guilty of putting off difficult tasks or difficult discussions in the desire to change behaviors, attitudes and commitments thereby  living a healthier and more fulfilling life. 

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Cake and coffee reception after Sunday service. A card. T-Shirts with the words, "I Love My Pastor" printed on them worn by members of Willow Praise Church for Pastor's Appreciation Month.

Chris Coles Quartet

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At Waterloo Arts

More Jazz at Music for Miles

Chris Coles Quartet on Sunday November 10, 4 pm

Saxophonist Chris Coles, with  Michael Orenstein (piano), Kevin Martinez (bass) and my young neighbor, Anthony Taddeo (drums), will play out M4M’s 2019 season in style – a distinctive style. Chris is a Cleveland-based saxophonist and recording artist who graduated from the CMSD music program and went on to sax degrees from Youngstown and Akron, and teaching positions at Kent State and Aurora School of Music.

This musical conversation (in the intimate space of the Waterloo Arts gallery, currently exhibiting a creative show called “Mirror, Mirror, “concert” seems a bit formal) will be, as always, free and friendly. Come late or leave early if you must; bring your children if they’re quiet. And a glass of wine is usually to be found, to round out the afternoon.

Playwrights Local Present a World Premiere: Live Bodies for Sale

Cleveland Public Library

This year, Thanksgiving week will fittingly begin with an event full of gratitude, comradery, and hope: The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s 114th Annual Meeting and Report to the Community.

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Three Collinwood High School ALumni Inducted

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
PLAYWRIGHTS LOCAL ANNOUNCES
WORLD PREMIERE OF “LIVE BODIES FOR SALE”

Powerful new documentary play on the human trafficking crisis in Ohio written by Christopher Johnston. Directed by Terrence Spivey, the production runs November 22 through December 15 at Waterloo Arts in Cleveland.
 
Cleveland, OH; September 30, 2019

Playwrights Local announces the world premiere of “Live Bodies for Sale,” a documentary play by Cleveland-based writer Christopher Johnston. Featuring direction by Terrence Spivey, this powerful new work runs November 22 through December 15 at the Creative Space at Waterloo Arts in Cleveland.

“Live Bodies for Sale” is a new play about the human trafficking crisis occurring in Ohio in the immediate present. In immersive fashion, this documentary work explores the lives of several women from Cleveland who are recent survivors of this ongoing injustice. “Live Bodies for Sale” addresses how these women were forced to work as prostitutes, detailing their escapes as well as their attempts to maintain healthy lives. Based on interviews with real people, the play presents the insights of professionals who help free such victims, including Renee Jones, an urban Mother Theresa figure in Cleveland. Testimonies from Cuyahoga County task force members­­--law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and judges--­­also detail what’s being done to free victims and hunt down their traffickers.

“Live Bodies for Sale” is presented thanks to the generous support of the Dramatists Guild Foundation, which awarded the production one of its prestigious DGF Writers Alliance Grants for 2019. The production is also made available by gifts from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the Cyrus Eaton Foundation, and the George Gund Foundation.

“We’re grateful to receive funding from such respected organizations for this play,” said David Todd, Artistic Director of Playwrights Local. “It reflects the depth of work that Christopher Johnston did in creating it, which includes a great deal of hands-on research in the field. We’ll be partnering on talkbacks after many performances with the Renee Jones Empowerment Center and the Cuyahoga Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, among other groups. This is all thanks to Chris, who’s earned their trust over the last four years.”

Christopher Johnston is a Cleveland-based playwright as well as an accomplished nonfiction writer and journalist. His recent book “Shattering Silences: Strategies to Prevent Sexual Assault, Heal Survivors and Bring Assailants to Justice” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2018) received acclaim from Kirkus Review, New York Journal of Books, and the Christian Science Monitor. “Chris has a great deal of experience both in theater and in journalism,” said David Todd. “He has an investigator’s need to find the truth and a playwright’s vision for how to tell it. We feel that he’s the right person to take on such a pressing subject.”  

The cast of “Live Bodies for Sale” includes Leilani Barrett, Rocky Encalada, Arien Hodges, Rochelle Jones, Hayley Johnson, Joseph Milan, Juliette Regnier, and Emily Taylor. Design for the production is by Inda Blatch­-Geib (costumes), Marcus Dana (lights), Beau Reinker (sound), and Lisa L. Wiley (props). The staff includes Kristen Boehnlein (stage manager), Brittany “Charlie” Jones (assistant stage manager), and Tom Hayes (carpenter).

“Live Bodies for Sale” runs November 22 through December 15, 2019, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. All shows will be at the Creative Space at Waterloo Arts (397 E. 156th Street, Cleveland, OH 44110). Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and groups, and $12 for students. Group packages can be arranged by contacting Playwrights Local at info@playwrightslocal.org or (216) 302-8856. For complete information, visit www.playwrightslocal.org.

About the Company

The Kirtland Warbler

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Hello -  I am a teacher at East Clark Elementary School on E. 146th St. I wanted to tell you about a club I lead at East Clark - The East Clark Bird Nerds. It is a group of 20ish 6th-8th graders at the school who are studying the birds of the Cleveland area. We meet every Tuesday after school from 2:30-3:30 where we study the various birds that live in and pass through Cleveland. This is the second year of The East Clark Bird Nerds - last year we won a grant that allowed us to do an awesome one day field trip to Magee March, in Curdice, Ohio during The Biggest Week in American Birding to attempt a "big Day" - a quest to see as many species of birds as you can in a day. 15 Bird Nerds loaded up in a small tour bus at 4:30 AM on May 3rd and returned that evening at 9:30 pm. Along the way we stopped in Lorain for breakfast, birded the Magee Marsh Boardwalk, at pizza and "lifer pie" at Blackberry Corners (a must-stop and eat place for birders during The Biggest Week), toured the newly opened Howard Marsh and took the Auto Tour at Ottawa National Wildlife Reserve, returned to the Magee Boardwalk - totaling an impressive 89 species of birds (including a rare Kirtland's Warbler)!  On the ride home we celebrated by eating far too much at Golden Corral in Elyria. We had a FABULOUS time! Exhausting - but AWESOME! We had help along the way - The GPD Employees Foundation awarded us $2000 for team shirts, transportation and the meals.  The Nerds were ALL loaned binoculars from Swarovski Optiks (the makers of the best binoculars on Earth).   In a week a world-famous birder, David Lindo - The Urban Birder, will be coming to Cleveland and The East Clark Bird Nerds will be participating in 3 different events with him. First they will attend a talk, Meet & Greet, book signing on Saturday, November 2nd. While there The Nerds will give brief presentations about their favorite birds. The next morning The Bird Nerds will go birding with Mr. Lindo and the general public in the area around downtown Cleveland looking to see some interesting urban birds. Finally, Mr. Lindo will spend an entire morning with The Nerds as he is coming to the school and going on a intimate birding day with him - just Mr. Lindo and the Nerds. Afterwards, Mr. Lindo will go back to school to eat lunch with them and give a talk to several middle schoolers.  
I will attach a few videos and a bio about him.   Rich Banish Teacher/Bird Nerd - East Clark Elementary School   https://www.wcaudubon.org/urban-birding-with-david-lindo-2019.html   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epanrEIYoQ0
  The Art of Finding Birds. With David Lindo - the Urban Birder. "There is a lot of activity right above our heads. Birds are everywhere in urban areas, even in places where you least expect them. Just get into the habit of checking along the edges and the tops of building." www.youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kau9bKPQRlI
  David Lindo - The Art of Urban Birding Urban Birder David Lindo explains the art of urban birding: "It's about a mindset. It's opening your mind to the idea that birds are everywhere, even in the middle of a concrete jungle." www.youtube.com David Lindo is Vice-President of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and voted 7th most influential person in Wildlife by BBC Wildlife Magazine, Member of the British Guild of Travel Writers and a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers, Proud Ambassador for Leica Birding, London Wildlife Trust, Rare Bird Alert, EcoNoja Feria Internacional and the Colombia Bird Fair, President of The Friends of Suntrap Forest Education Centre, and author of several books including the recently published, How to Be an Urban Birder.