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The Winter Reggae Fest takes place on Bob Marley’s 71st birthday.  Featured entertainment will be Cleveland’s I-TAL and southwest Florida’s SOWFLO.  SOWFLO is an acronym for southwest Florida.  I-Tal is credited as being one of the very first reggae bands in the United States, debuting in 1978.  They play original “roots reggae” which emphasizes the traditional reggae beat and messages of independence, unity, Rastafari and has a great party beat.  SOWFLO is a modern rock/reggae band of young white boys who are fast becoming a national band.  Their influence on reggae is from bands like Sublime. SOWFLO has a very up-tempo reggae sound with a fantastic trombone player.  Also at the Winter Reggae Fest will be Jamaican food, art & crafts and Bob Marley movies.  This event is $15 in advance with tickets sold at the bar and $20 if any are left, at the door.  Doors at 8:00.  All ages.

 The Beachland Ballroom is now open for lunch, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM. They are still serving their famous and award-winning brunch on Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM. The lunch during the week is fairly new, and you do not want to miss it.

Be sure to start off your experience with a pour over coffee from the six shooter pop-up coffee shop. I have stopped in numerous times and everything that I tried on the menu was delicious and unique. My favorite item on the menu, and the one that keeps me coming back is the North Coast sandwich made with turkey, bacon, fried egg, avocado, tomato, Gruyere sauce, and basil garlic aïoli on a toasted Westside market multigrain bread. Be sure to order the fresh-cut fries served with the basil garlic aïoli.

There are many vegan, vegetarian and healthy choices on the menu. Everything is of the highest quality, locally sourced, and an excellent value. Do yourself a favor. Change things up a bit. Go to the Beachland Ballroom for lunch on a Wednesday ,Thursday,or Friday. You'll be happy you did.

The 1890’s were the hay-day of the American railroad industry.  The aggressive spiderlike consolidations of the New York Central Railway by the industrial barons of the day, Erastus Corning and Cornelius Vanderbilt came under a cloud of negative public popularity. To change this image, the NYC embarked upon breaking the world train speed record just before the Chicago World Exposition in 1893. On May 10, 1893 on a run between Buffalo and Syracuse the specially designed train was the first vehicle to achieve over 100 miles per hour, reaching the unheard of speed of 112 miles per hour. The engine behind this record was the legendary 999 which was rebuilt and now is located at the Chicago Museum.

The Collinwood Yards are one of the principal repair facilities and freight transfer points of the New York Central railroad, originated in 1874 when it established a rail center in the village of Collinwood. A brick roundhouse was built to house and repair locomotives; nearby, a machine shop, housing an engine room, blacksmith shop, and an office was constructed with upstairs apartments for the use of the road's employees. The freight transfer yards were located on the south side of the main tracks, with extensive stock yards north of them. In 1874 at least 500 engineers, firemen, brakemen, conductors, and other employees made their headquarters near the yard to handle the 72 freight trains arriving daily. As the railroad grew, so did the village of Collinwood, with its population reaching about 3,200 by the 1890s. The yards, situated along present-day E. 152nd St. just south of the Lakeland Freeway, were expanded in 1903 and again in 1929; at that time they included 120 miles of track and could handle 2,000 cars daily. In 1933 the facilities employed about 2,000 workers. By the end of World War II, the Collinwood yards became a major switching and diesel repair facility for the NYC. 

On Nevember 2, 2015, The Salvation Army of Collinwood joined Councilman Michael Polensek to break ground on a new 35,000 square foot facility!  This $10 Million investment will expand emergency services and other current programs that serve Collinwood, Euclid and surrounding communities. 

Some of the amenities in the new facility will include; Enhanced Music & Arts program space and the addition of two practice rooms, a larger Chapel, a Youth Room, a Game Room, 4 Classrooms, the after-school Learning Center program and the Summer Day Camp program will both increase capacity by 44%, a larger High school regulation gymnasium, with two cross courts, allowing greater capacity, a new Fitness Center, a new Choice Food Pantry, a Hospitality shower space, an expanded Cafeteria and a multi-purpose room and meeting space that can be separate or combined with the cafeteria.  This will allow multiple groups of people to be served meals at the same time.

The building is designed by Van Auken Akins Architects and is being constructed by Marous Brothers Construction.

On Friday, November 13, 2015 from 6:30-11:00 p.m. at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School Gymnasium, Rose-Mary Center will host a NIGHT AT THE RACES to help raise funds for the Homes for Our Future: Community Integration Project.

A great new addition to Waterloo has their Grand Opening this Friday, November 6th.  Packy Malley's will open in the site of the former Waterloo Brew, in the Slovenian Workman's Home at 15335 Waterloo Road. Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band will be playing in the ballroom at the Home on Friday night to celebrate the occasion.

On Oct. 1, HGR Industrial Surplus celebrated Manufacturing Day with a site-dedication ceremony and customer appreciation sale that included 20 to 50 percent off most items in the showroom and resulted in more than 225 people visiting and one of the company’s top sales days.

Customers began to arrive before 7:30 a.m. to shop for used industrial surplus goods, including one whose mother built GM auto bodies at the facility. Guests continued to arrive for the 11 a.m. dedication ceremony emceed by Mark “Munch” Bishop of WKNR 850 AM, who shared a brief history of the site before turning the floor over to Brian Krueger, one of HGR’s owners who introduced many honored guests.

Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik acknowledged the $10-12 million of improvements that HGR has begun making to the fire system, roof and parking lot, saying, “I remember dodging chuckholes as big as your car in the lot when it was owned by the previous landlord.” Council President Kirsten Holzheimer-Gale said a few words and introduced Ward 1 Councilwoman Stephana C. Caviness, as well as Pearletha Taylor, president of the Heritage Park Neighborhood Association, then presented HGR with a friendship plaque from the city. Krueger acknowledged Cheryl Stephens of the Cuyahoga Land Bank who helped negotiate the site acquisition.

In 1942, The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Mark bought the 25 acre estate on Chardon Hill from the family of Henry Pickands.  Pickands was the heir to the Pickands Mather Company, pioneers in the Great Lakes shipping and mining industries.  The order of Catholic sisters began to provide rest home services for residents of the area in the large, white, Neo-Georgian-style dwelling that was on the estate property.  Of the fifty sisters in the ministry at the time, some were sent to nursing school to be able to better provide medical care to their patients.  The rest home soon outgrew the capacity of the house, and in the 1950s, the Sisters raised money, and built a 100-bed nursing facility in increments.  This home was called Mount Saint Joseph.

More than 100 North Collinwood business owners, artists and residents came together in September to remind the neighborhood that E. 185th Street is alive and well.

Public Meeting

Help Plan the Future of E. 185th St.

Villa Angela St. Joseph High School Gymnasium

Thursday, September 10, 2015

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary School

All Community Meeting

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Oliver Hazard Perry School

18400 Schenely

6:00 p.m.

We are building a new Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary School and your input is vital to its success.

Hospice of the Western Reserve Announces Long-Range Growth Plans

Twenty years ago, Hospice of the Western Reserve began admitting patients at its new hospice house – the first in Ohio and one of only a handful in the country – overlooking 1,200 feet of Lake Erie waterfront. At a recent anniversary ceremony, president and chief executive officer Bill Finn announced the agency is engaged in a master planning process with C.C. Hodgson, a firm specializing in healthcare and senior living design services.

 “This is a multi-year journey,” Finn said, speaking before an audience of staff members, volunteers and community supporters. “Our objective is to set long-term goals for David Simpson Hospice House and the adjacent 12-acre Christian Life Center property we acquired in 2009. As we examine the options to grow and to expand this campus, our focus is on solutions that will most benefit the Northeast Ohio region - our patients, families and the community.” 

St. John Nottingham Lutheran Church is presenting a seminar at the church, 17403 Nottingham Road, on Saturday September 19, 2015 from 9:00 A.M. until 3:30 P.M. This seminar is being presented as part of our 125 th anniversary celebration for “Spreading the Good News” in the Collinwood area.

Hospice of the Western Reserve is collaborating with Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School (VASJ) to support the school's annual fundraiser, "Escape on the Lake" 5k Run and 1-Mile Walk on Saturday, July 11. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m. at (VASJ), 18491 Lakeshore Blvd., with the Finish Line at the shoreline of Lake Erie, on the property adjacent to VASJ and David Simpson Hospice House. This park-like property, formerly home to the Christian Life Center, and is now part of Hospice of the Western Reserve's Lakeshore Campus. 

Members from the surrounding community are encouraged to run the 5k, walk the 1-mile, or cheer on the athletes. Bring a picnic lunch or purchase something delicious from one of the food trucks at the event. Bring your kites, lawn toys/games and a blanket and enjoy a beautiful afternoon on the Lake Erie waterfront. 

This is a 20th Anniversary celebration for the David Simpson Hospice House.hospicewr.org and a fundraising event for Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School vasj.com/escape-on-the-lake. Register for the run on the Hermes website: hermescleveland.com/roadracing/events/escapeonthelake.asp.

Our commitment to community health was kicked off May 17, 2015 with Energize Euclid. There were health screenings and vendors from Euclid and Collinwood. The Euclid YMCA introduced their Fitting in Fitness program, costing only $10! This 8 week program includes educational discussions, one hour weekly boot camp, health screenings, and full access to the Euclid YMCA. Plus, a chance to win a FitBit! To sign up, call 216-731-7454.

Collinwood 2015 events are about to happen. These events blend arts with health initiatives. We had 21 amazing proposals, and some of those will be coming to fruition. In the meantime, be sure to register for VASJ’s Escape on the Lake 5K at http://www.hermescleveland.com/roadracing/events/escapeonthelake.asp.

Cleveland Metroparks installed a brand new pedestrian bridge over Euclid Creek earlier today, connecting Villa Angela and Wildwood parks in the lakefront section of the Euclid Creek Reservation. The 150-foot, ADA accessible pedestrian bridge will improve visitor access from Villa Angela to Wildwood by crossing over Euclid Creek at the existing trail rather than requiring walkers or cyclists to circle up toward the road to get to the current crossing. This $678,000 project is under construction now and should be open by May 31. The project also includes 800-feet of all purpose trail, trail lighting, and beach-front landscaping. 

Who has the Teacher of the Year for all Imagine Schools in Northeast Ohio? That would be right here at Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence. Hillary Kaput started at Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence in 2010 as a Kindergarten teacher and won teacher of the year in her current position as a second grade teacher.  Mrs. Kaput strives for academic growth for all students, a positive classroom culture through morning meeting, and works as part of the school improvement team afterschool.

The Girl Scouts in Brownie Troop #71092 and Cadette Troop #71440 appreciate the support shown by the neighborhood at their recent "drive-thru" cookie booths at the LaSalle Theater. Northeast Shores was kind enough to provide the space and promotion to the troops, which together serve more than 35 girls in the Collinwood/Euclid area. Over the two Friday nights, the girls sold more than 350 boxes of cookies for a profit of almost $250 (the troop keeps about 69¢ per box sold).

The girls earned credit towards their individual and troop goals, and got important experience marketing their products, loudly! They practiced teamwork in taking turns for the various jobs at the booth, improved their people skills in serving customers driving every which way, and most important, had lots of fun despite the cold. Both troops are planning camping trips and will be making choices over the coming months on how to spend their earnings on leadership development experiences including field trips, badge programs, and community service projects.   

Local Native George Blade Jr. custom built a motorcycle from various metal parts that actually can run right out his own garage and will be one of the vendors at this year Auto Rama at the IX Indoor Center March 20-22.  He is a sell taught welder who can weld and create just about anything with scrap pieces. What makes this bike unique is that unlike other custom built motorcycles and bikes, he used various scrap pieces such as tractor tires, bbq grill pieces, steel bars and various steel and metal items purchased from home depot and junkyards. George Blade Jr. born and raised in the Collinwood area of 146th & St Clair. He attended East Clark Elementary, St Joseph middle School and Collinwood high School. He has always been a very talented young man. He was a excellent player on the junior varsity and varsity basketball team. Won various dunk contest and played with the Harlem road king bball squad for a few years. His love for building started at a young age with Lego (which he still have to this day).   “My name is George Blade Jr., a builder/welder/ fabricator. Father of two gorgeous children, i am devoted to family, hard work, and building a better life. Grew up in Cleveland, OH all my life. Inspired by the phrase "unbuildable" is what feeds my creativity. My goal is to push to limits of design and build the some would say unbuildable machines. My Cleveland based company Go Boy Customs is owned and operated by me and all my machines are built by me. I started this dream in my garage about 5 years ago building custom cars and bikes with my dad, who passed a couple years ago, I must continue to push the envelope of creativity and design.  I just love the "wow" factor.”   Late 2015 he plan to conducts FREE class to young men who want to learn basic welding techniques.     CONTACT INFO: Marketing Director: Stephanie Saddler at 216-798-2804   Email: goboycustomsmarketing@yahoo.com         GoBoy Customs Inc.   
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WEBSITE: www.gobycustoms.com     GoBoy Customs Inc.   
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Like Us on Facebook: GoBoy Customs   
WEBSITE: www.gobycustoms.com

Our dear friend, the Reverend Anthony Cassese, 66, Pastor at St. Jerome Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland in Ward 8 of the City of Cleveland passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2014.  Father Cassese was ordained to the priesthood for the service of the Order of St Paul the Hermit on 23 April 1977 in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.  After serving in the Catholic Diocese at St Louis Parish in Cleveland Heights and Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Willowick, he was assigned to St Jerome Parish in Cleveland. He was appointed Administrator pro tem (in 1992) and then Administrator (in October 2005) of St Jerome’s Church. He was then named Pastor of St. Jerome, Cleveland, on 6 November 2006.  He had served at St Jerome for 27 years until his death.

Recent national headlines continue to spark protests across the country, including here in Cleveland, but CMSD students are using a different approach to send a message: music. 

Several District schools participated in “Stop the Hate, Sing it Loud,” a songwriting competition through the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Teaching artists from the nonprofit organization Roots of American Music visited the schools to help students create an original song with an anti-discrimination or anti-bullying theme.

Afi-Odelia Scruggs worked with the Collinwood High School students and made sure they took the task seriously.

“I challenge the students to do what I call a ‘call to action,’ which is the song has to tell somebody what you can do to combat hate,” Scruggs said. “I really try to make the kids aware that the words they say to their peers can be hateful and they can be very damaging, and you really want to be aware of what you say,” Scruggs said.

The songwriting process includes a visit to Maltz for inspiration, collaborating on lyrics, creating a beat, and recording the song with the help of the teaching artist. Students performed their original songs in front of judges Wednesday at the Bohemian National Hall.

“I hope it inspires young people our age to make a difference,” Collinwood High School junior Dayuanna White said.

Imagine living close to a trail system that connects neighborhoods throughout the eastern portion of Cuyahoga County with employment centers, transit, services, parks and green spaces. Imagine walking or biking to school, work, the store, or a park. Imagine being able to bike from the Euclid Creek Reservation to the Shaker Median Trail, or from Rockefeller Park to the North Chagrin Reservation. Imagine the Eastside Greenway.

The Eastside Greenway  will increase pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in and between the eastern portion of Cleveland and 18 suburbs: East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, University Heights, Beachwood, Pepper Pike, Richmond Heights, Highland Heights, Highland Hills, North Randall, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Euclid, South Euclid, Lyndhurst, Bratenahl, Orange Village and Warrensville Heights. Leaders from these cities are working alongside planners and other regional organizations, like the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, LAND studio, the Cleveland Metroparks, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and Bike Cleveland, to develop a plan for the greenway that can be used to guide the way to implementation.

With planning currently underway, the project team will be hosting a second round of public meetings to share project updates and solicit feedback from the community in early 2015 and you are invited. The same content will be presented at each meeting, so choose the date and location that works best for your schedule. The meeting dates are as follows:

January 28, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m: Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern, 11625 Euclid Ave, Cleveland

January 29, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m: Beachwood Public Library, 25501 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood

February 2, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m: Waterloo Brew, 15335 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland

February 3, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m: University Heights Public Library, 13866 Cedar Rd, University Heights

At the meetings, a brief overview of the project will be provided as well as the results of the completed inventory and analysis. Alternative routes for the greenway network will be presented and the project team will solicit feedback on route alignments as well as route priorities from community members. This feedback will be taken into account as the plan is finalized in the first half of 2015. A third round of public meetings, in which the final greenway plan will be presented to the public, will take place in May 2015. More information on the Eastside Greenway can be found on the project’s website at www.eastsidegreenway.weebly.c

It has been 18 months since Cleveland Metroparks assumed management of Cleveland’s lakefront parks including Euclid Beach/Villa Angela and Wildwood.  Cleveland Metroparks is marking the occasion with a public meeting on Thursday December 4th at the Collinwood Rec Center designed to share information about scheduled improvements and upcoming master plans, and solicit your feedback and suggestions! Thursday December 4th, at the Collinwood Rec Center (16300 Lakeshore Blvd.) There will also be two presentations - one at 5:15 and another at 6:00 p.m.  Tell a friend or two or three!

Hospice of the Western Reserve helps veterans find peace at life’s end. Collinwood residents will join Americans across the country to observe Veterans Day on November 11t, a special day to salute the men and women who have bravely served our country. These fellow Americans have made sacrifices in defense of freedom. Honoring our local veterans includes supporting them throughout their entire lives.

For some veterans, however, nearing the end of life can bring anguish over past war experiences. Did you know that Hospice of the Western Reserve, our community-based hospice headquartered right here in Collinwood, is one the nation’s largest nonprofit legacy providers of care? Or that the organization has made a special commitment to those who have served in the Armed Forces?   

Over the past two years, the agency has provided care to more than 3,200 veterans throughout Northeast Ohio, including many of our friends and neighbors in the community. Its Peaceful & Proud program provides training for clinical care teams, so they can address complex issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. Each Veterans Day, a special ceremony, complete with military Color Guard, music, refreshments and the individual "pinning" and recognition of each veteran who resides at David Simpson Hospice House and who wish to be honored, takes place.

The hospice also conducts many more such recognition ceremonies across Northeast Ohio each year, ranging from intimate gatherings involving a single hospice patient and family to large public events where a hundred or more veterans are honored. This year, more than 2,000 veterans will be honored and personally thanked in public recognition ceremonies by Hospice of the Western Reserve. Many more will be recognized privately, by the bedside.

“Northeast Ohio is home to a very large veteran population, and many vets are nearing the end of life. Some of the most important work we do is helping them find peace,” explained Bill Finn, chief executive officer. Finn said to help address these needs, volunteers who have served in the military are paired with veteran patients, providing the camaraderie of shared experiences. Counseling, storytelling, art and music therapy, and legacy work are just a few of the ways the community-based hospice helps veterans achieve the peace they seek at the end of life.

Hospice of the Western Reserve is also actively involved with We Honor Veterans, an innovative program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offered in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The hospice is among an elite group that has achieved a “partner level four” designation from the national program, given only to hospices demonstrating the highest level of commitment to veterans.

If you or a veteran you love would like more information about the services provided by Hospice of the Western Reserve, visit hospicewr.org, or call 800.707.8922.  And remember, this Veterans Day or any day at all... It's never too late to thank a veteran!

Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15

Slovenian workman's home

15335 Waterloo Rd. 216-481-5378

entry fee $60 per team includes a sandwich and a soft drink on Saturday

teams may consist of four men, four women, or mixed teams

cash bar will be open both days

prize money for winners of each division

games will start Friday at 7 PM and Saturday at 9 AM

15335 Waterloo Rd. 216-481-5378

3 PM until 7 PM

$12 per person includes a sandwich and a soft drink

no charge for coffee

bar available

November 2 Al Battistelli

November 9 Bob Kravos

November 16 Wayne Tomsic

November 23 Don Wojtila

What could be better than a sunny summer evening on Lake Erie?

On Friday, July 25th people from across Northeast Ohio poured into Euclid Beach Park, some for the very first time. On top of the last of the Euclid Beach Live concerts, YARN n YOGA took our neighborhood’s largest slice of lakefront by (yarn) storm.

The sun warmed the sand while a gentle breeze carried Sounds of the Soul’s lyrics to yogis reaching for the sky in tree pose. All evening the lake shimmered as community members and artists stood side by side wrapping, weaving, and knitting on to the historic Pier.

YARN n YOGA, a grass-roots, volunteer-led arts and recreation project supported by Cleveland Metroparks, Waterloo Arts, Northeast Shores, and Praxis Fiber Workshop drew families from Westlake, artists from Akron, donations from Boston, and press as far reaching as California. It quickly became Cleveland’s first large-scale yarn bomb and a bright, beautiful, temporary public arts project that EVERYONE and anyone could participate in at no cost thanks to monetary and material donations. The event was funded through a crowd-sourced Kickstarter campaign, a grant from The Cleveland Lakefront Parks Conservancy and would not have been possible without the talent of more than a dozen artists whose inspired pre-made panels catalyzed the public’s excitement and involvement.

Mike Zellers - who fondly remembers the Park as an amusement park - took home the “Best in Show” arts prize (sponsored by The Artful Yarn –Chagrin Falls) for his panel “Mermaid”. Runners up included Linda Zolten Wood’s “Accidental Neon” which incorporated plarn (plastic grocery bags turned yarn) and Leslie Edwards Humez’s “Flotsam”.

Continued.