Latest News

We have been very lucky weather wise and let’s hope it stays that way.  As you know, along with Winter comes ice and snow. Hazardous road conditions should be called into (216) 664-2510 along with any potholes.  Drive carefully and be pro-active.

The Division of Water Pollution Control recently met with businesses and property owners along East 185th Street regarding to ongoing issues and detours regarding to the Marcella Road / East 185th Street Strom Sewer Project. Obviously, this much-needed improvement is affecting vehicular traffic and commerce on the street. I cannot stress enough the importance of patronizing and supporting the businesses along the street during this construction process.  The contractor is now working on 24-hour shifts in an effort to move this project along.  I wish to thank all for their patience and understanding.  Like root canal, this project is critical to rebuilding the infrastructure of our commercial corridor and beyond.

There are two major issues on the horizon which we, in the community, MUST be well informed about.  First, the issue of Cleveland City Council reduction, and, the U.S. Census.  Each are critical for the well-being of our city, in general, and specifically, our Collinwood community.

Get out your calendars and save the date for the fourth annual Collinwood v. Euclid “Big Clean” on Saturday, April 25th, 2020 from 9am to 1pm at Villa Angela – St. Joseph High School.

Hospice of the Western Reserve volunteeer Don Stark, a Vietnam combat veteran,  honors a community veteran at a public Veterans Recognition Ceremony.

Hospice of the Western Reserve (HWR), headquartered in Collinwood, has been named a Level 5 Partner with We Honor Veterans (WHV), a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Level 5 is the highest level WHV partners can attain and includes several required activities and yearly recertification. We Honor Veterans was launched in 2010 to address the growing need for veteran-centered care, especially as veterans are aging and need access to palliative and hospice care.

Families interested in enrolling students at Hannah Gibbons can learn more at open houses the school holds from 1 to 3 p.m. on the fourth Friday of every month.

Hannah Gibbons School is enrolling students for the 2020-2021 school year.

FEBRUARY 2020

When a car crashed headlong into Six Shooter Coffee in late November, owner Peter Brown had no idea that he’d soon be undergoing a crash course in opening a restaurant.

On Feb. 1, Six Shooter Coffee will open in a new space on Waterloo Road (less than a mile from its current location in Collinwood). The coffee shop’s move has been in the works since 2019, but the accompanying Tex-Mex restaurant concept is freshly brewed—having come to fruition just a few weeks ago.

“We realized that there was another 1,000 square feet [of vacant space] connected to the café,” explains Brown. “A new food option is one of the main things people want to see on Waterloo, so we decided it would be pretty sweet to build a kitchen and get something going over there.”

The Tex-Mex concept dovetails nicely with Six Shooter’s Western-inspired branding. The initial idea to pay homage to the Wild West stemmed from Brown’s family heritage—his great-grandfather Fred Brown was a cowboy in the Dakotas, and Brown’s mom’s family hails from Texas originally. And the name of the business follows suit: “When people visited Lyndon B. Johnson's ranch in Texas, it was said that the coffee was so strong, it could float a revolver," Brown says. "That’s how we came up with the name Six Shooter Coffee."

Cleveland Public Library honored 150 Unsung Heroes in our community at the 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Ceremony held on Monday, January 20 at John Hay Campus High School. Architect and entrepreneur Robert Madison received the 2020 Cleveland Public Library Drum Major for Change award.  

Community members enjoying some holiday fun watching the movie, Elf.

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The LaSalle Theatre has officially been reopened for private event rentals for just over a year. It’s been a year of learning, beautiful events, relationship building, and yes, challenges. But we’ve entered into 2020 with momentum and lots to look forward to.

The LaSalle is rooted in history. Some of the coolest moments in the last year have been hearing from folks with fond memories of the last movie they saw there, talking with a married couple who shared their first kiss under the marquee, and meeting a man who ran the films up to the projection room when he was only fourteen. LaSalle Theatre has been a staple in the Collinwood area for close to a century and with any luck it will not only make it into its second century, but long beyond.

AT WATERLOO ARTS

In the Gallery:   “Look at Me!” Opening February 7

Superheroes created by young patients at University Hospitals. This special exhibit features characters created by African American, Latinx, Arab American, Native American and Asian American kids and teens, reflecting the diversity of our community.  A powerful essay about representational justice by artist activist Amanda D. King accompanies the exhibit.  Families welcome - kids can design their own superheroes. Opening Reception 6 – 9.

The Superhero Project at UH    February 20

Reception 5:30 – 7:30 celebrating the opening of a new exhibit featuring superheroes created by current and former patients of University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.  The extraordinary exhibit reveals the transformative quality of imagination as a tool for healing.  All are welcome - light refreshments will be served.  Sponsored by Jeremy Cares.  

University Hospitals of Cleveland, 11400 Euclid Ave, Cleveland.

Playwrights Local Presents:

Two Staged Readings:

Dear Friends.  It has been a while since we had an actual article in the Collinwood Observer.  So much is happening, though, that we wanted to share with you.

First of all the Historical Society is going back to having regular monthly meetings.  We are meeting on the 1st Monday of the month (unless a Holiday) at the Collinwood Recreation Center at 16300 Lakeshore Boulevard beginning at 6:00 PM. Please feel free to join us. In months when we cannot meet on the first Monday we will plan on some other activity.  We are also, for the first time, able to expand the board and this will enable us to do more.

One of the big accomplishments for this year is the publication of a new book on the Collinwood School Fire (see attached book announcement).  This book, written by James Jessen Badal, explores some of the unwritten history and includes the latest and most up-to-date list of those children who perished in the tragic Collinwood School Fire of March 4, 1908.  It is still worth talking about and this book explores that while relating the story of the Collinwood community and our ability to move forward after such a devastating chapter in the young community’s life. The official book launch will be at Muldoon’s Saloon on East 185th Street starting at 6:00 PM on Friday, February 28, 2020 along with the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society’s Annual Meeting.  Hope to see you there!

Thank you for all your support and we look forward to seeing you at events and meetings in 2020.

The Collinwood Slovenian Home has had a great year full of fun and comraderie!

Reminding all members to renew memberships by Feb 9. (One year only $15.00)
New members of Slovenian descent are welcome. Former members of Waterloo Home---please join us!

We are your Slovenian Home, celebrating one hundred years in the Collinwood community at our historically designated landmark building.

We now have Ohio Lottery! Keno, Pick 3, 4, Classic Lotto, MegaMillions, pull tab tickets, EZ play games--we have it all! Also featuring a Queen of Hearts game for members, every Monday at 7 pm.

We had a fun bowling season culminating in a celebretory banquet with many awards and prizes given out. New bowling league starts the week of Feb 10.

In between visiting the Book Fair and touring classrooms, folks like to take a break for coffee and donuts!

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Every year we stop and take the time to recognize the importance of Catholic education in our neighborhood.  Alumni come back to visit childhood memories and see what the current students are doing.  Parishioners and friends come to reconnect and catch up.  Parents of prospective students come in to look around and get an idea of what their families experience might be like at St. Jerome.  

If you see Cheryl Stephens or members of “Team Cheryl” knocking on your neighbor’s door in the coming weeks, it is probably to deliver reusable bags. Thanks to an initiative from the County Solid Waste District, Stephens has committed to giving out sturdy reusable plastic tote bags to anyone in her district who makes a request via the link teamcheryl.org/bags. The colorful, eco-friendly bags, which are made of recycled plastic, are estimated to replace 700 disposable bags each and will be distributed as long as the supply lasts.

Performers practice for the upcoming production of Frozen Jr scheduled for March 19-22 at the Memorial-Nottingham branch of the Cleveland Public Library.

UpStage Players, a children’s performing arts group operating in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood, has begun selling tickets to its upcoming performance of Frozen  Jr. scheduled for March 19 through March 21 at 7:30 pm, with a final performance March 22 at 2:30 pm.  Tickets are on sale online at www.showtix4u.com  with presale prices of $11.  The performance is at the Cleveland Public Library Memorial-Nottingham Branch.

Parade float.

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 Ok, what the heck is Kurentovanje? Almost every culture seems to have developed their own way to celebrate the ushering in of spring. Kurentovanje is a relatively new carnival tradition starting in Slovenia in 1960 carried over to Cleveland in 2013. It ties cultural traditions with pre-Lenten festivities. A kind of Slovenian Mardi Gras if you will.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pastor Will Robinson

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What is something you love or love to do? 

The Imposition of Ashes

The season of Lent is nearly upon us. It is a very special time in the church year:  a time of reflection and soul searching - a time of preparation for Resurrection Sunday (Easter). Lent is observed as 40 days (not counting Sundays) beginning on Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday.  All Christian churches with a history before 1500 AD observe Lent, and St. John Nottingham is no exception.           

Two participants talk about their projects at   "Fabric & Feelings," one of many Healing Arts Workshops offered to the community.  Anyone grieving the loss of a loved one is welcome to attend. (Photo by Bob Perkoski)  

Healing Arts Workshops offered by Western Reserve Grief Services help those who have lost loved ones to work through their grief. Anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one can participate. Most of the workshops are either free or suggest a very small donation to help cover the cost of art supplies. The program is funded by a generous grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Sunday, Feb. 9

Trying to break a rare four-game losing skid, VASJ needed a win in the worst way as the Vikings traveled to Gates Mills to play Hawken on Jan. 25.

Saturday, Feb. 8

Wednesday, Feb. 5

Saturday, Feb. 8

Tuesday, Feb. 11

Thursday, Feb. 6

Thursday, Feb. 6

Every January, the Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School community joins together to celebrate the traditions of the school’s founders: Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary (Marianists), and St. Angela Merici, founder of the Ursuline Sisters. The Mass celebrates VASJ’s combined core values and unique identity. 

VASJ senior Misrach Ewunetie

Misrach Ewunetie ’20 has received a full four-year scholarship to Princeton University through the QuestBridge National College Match program.  

Carolyn Hufford took the 2019 Master Rain Gardener class and built her rain garden in Lakewood.

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Chagrin River Watershed Partners (CRWP), Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District (Cuyahoga SWCD), and Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District (Lake SWCD) are offering four 5-week Master RAIN Gardener courses in 2020 that will teach participants how to design, install, and maintain residential rain gardens. Rain gardens are bowl shaped gardens filled with plants that like it a little wet. They are designed to receive water runoff from surfaces like roofs, driveways, or lawns. They work with nature to collect, filter, and soak up this rain.

VASJ participated in the very competitive Nordonia JV Battle on Jan. 11.

VASJ has battled through adversity all season, and that determination paid off in a big way with a win over Holy Name, 46-39.

Metro Campus Center along East 30th Street

The Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) will host a visitation day for prospective students on Presidents Day (Monday, Feb. 17), with the session starting at noon.

America,

When I first saw the trailer, I was excited to buy a ticket and see it in a theater. Much to my surprise, this very high budget, globe-trotting movie was made for streaming on Netflix. With Michael Bay producing and directing, the action scenes are beautifully shot and choreographed but the story is a little challenging to follow. This feel looks and feels shockingly expensive for a streaming service. I have to admit when Michael Bay has an R-rating, it is a guilty pleasure of mine. Grade: B minus.

Will Smith drags Martin Lawrence out of retirement for this unnecessary but pretty fun ride. Looked and felt like a Bad Boys film even though the original Director didn't return. Some truly ridiculous plot twists in the third arc leave a bad taste. Worse ways to spend a snowy winter day. Grade: C plus