Carrousel Horses on the Move (Well, some of them)

Yesterday, three of the four Euclid Beach Carrousel horses owned by Euclid Beach Park Now were moved from Cafe Marika to the offices of Northeast Shores. It was great seeing the horses being marched up East 156th Street. Thank you again to the men of Euclid Beach Park Now that made this loan possible!

They are on display in our storefront level windows at least for the month of December, while final details for a display at Collinwood Nottingham Library are worked out.

We are excited to host the horses and hopes that our display continues to remind the neighborhood about our exciting plans to rebuild the Carrousel at its original location at Euclid Beach State Park.

Speaking of which, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article about the status of the Carrousel. The content of the article is listed below:

Historical society just sits on Euclid Beach's carousel horses

Thursday, November 01, 2007
Laura Johnston
Plain Dealer Reporter

Buying the horses was supposed to be the hard part.

That accomplished, Cleveland leaders dreamed of restoring the legendary Euclid Beach Carousel to the lake, luring millions of visitors to a grand North Coast Harbor.

But a decade after they saved the carousel at auction, its 58 wooden horses and two chariots remain locked in storage in Macedonia, now restored and preserved by the Western Reserve Historical Society.
The society has no immediate plans for the 1909 carousel, President Gainor Davis said. The downtown proposal disintegrated years ago, and no group has the $10 million necessary to rebuild and maintain the carousel. Though local carousel groups say that number is inflated, seven years ago the estimate was $5 million.

"It will eventually be brought back into operation, but unfortunately not by us immediately," Davis said. "It's going to have to be a community effort."

The neighborhood around Euclid Beach Park - an oasis of rides and games, teenage dances and family picnics until 1969 - wants the carousel back to where East 169th Street ends at Lake Erie. Locals and visitors have signed petitions at hangouts, begging the historical society to work with the North Collinwood community. Yet activists say the historical society won't even consider it.

"They don't appear to have a plan for the carousel," said Elva Brodnick, president of Euclid Beach Park Now. "They have tried to do nothing with it. They're just trying to blow us off."

The Cleveland Planning Commission in 2004 approved placing the carousel at Euclid Beach, now open to the public as a state park. Brodnick wants to start raising money and the nonprofit Northeast Shores Development Corp. hopes to study the plan's feasibility.

But first, they need a letter from the historical society granting access to the carousel.

That hasn't happened.

Frustrated, Northeast Shores Executive Director Brian Friedman wrote to Sen. George Voinovich, detailing a conversation he had with Davis last spring. In an Oct. 22 letter, Friedman said Davis told him some carousel horses would be sold in a capital campaign.

City Councilman Michael Polensek got a copy of the letter and fired off his own to Davis.

"This magical machine was never intended to be put on the auction or sale block again," he wrote. "Groups are prepared to go to the wall to bring the carrousel back to life, not in pieces or in some far-off private collection, but intact and operating back home where it belongs in Cleveland."

Davis denied any plans to sell parts of the carousel.

That's good news to Polensek, who remembers the carousel as a wondrous part of his childhood. But local activists aren't satisfied.

"If they decide to frame the conversation in that nobody has financial ability to re-erect it, it leaves a strategy in that they can say, 'Why can't we sell it off piecemeal? It's foolish to just leave it sitting in a warehouse,' " Friedman said.

Joe Tomaro, who with his business partner owns Euclid Beach paraphernalia, from ride cars to the famous, funhouse sentry Laughing Sal, just wants to see the restored carousel horses.

"They totally shut the door on everything," Tomaro said. "It just never materialized."

This article is available at the Plain Dealer's website at:
http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/119390611027660.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

Neighborhood Officer offers Safety Tips

Cleveland Police Officer Bob Guttu was highlighted on News Channel 5, providing safety tips for you and your loved ones this holiday season. It is great to see Officer Guttu getting this kind of coverage. He has been tremendous to work with and is regularly seen at many neighborhood meetings and events.

Check out the video at:
http://www.newsnet5.com/video/14694826/index.html?taf=nn5

Officer Guttu is available for a FREE safety inspection of your home or business. Contact Barb Mullally at bmullally@northeastshores.org for more details.

Black Friday is Over, Time to Shoparooni

With Black Friday over, you should have already purchased all the discount HD televisions, bargain bedding, and sweater vests you need for the boring members of your family. Time to spice your holiday spirit with a little Shoparooni.
In late October, Shoparooni opened their doors at 15813 Waterloo and the response has been fantastic! The store specializes in unique clothing, shoes, accessories, books and decor that you won't see at your local mall! Buy your quircky brother a pocket mustache. Buy your roommate the booklet on "How to Date a Hooker!" Purchase a handbag for your girlfriend. And don't forget the shoes!

Marlee and Steve Brown are the owners and they have done a fantastic job of creating a unique experience that pulls you in and never lets you go! Come shop the neighborhood and visit Shoparooni at 15813 Waterloo. Hours are similar to the Beachland Ballroom, Music Saves, and Cafe Marika. So, check them out between acts at the Beachland or after a late dinner at the Grovewood, Scotti's or Bistro 185.

Too lazy to leave the house? Love Internet shopping so much that it may be your new addiction? Shoparooni also just launched their online store. Check out their wares at www.shoparooni.com

Prepare for next Thanksgiving now!

With Thanksgiving behind us, it reminds us all about the blessing that each annual harvest represents. If you are like the staff at Northeast Shores, it also presents a moment to reflect on where your food truly comes from before it reaches your table.

Recently, we have been very involved in the increasing opportunities for residents to reconnect with the soil. Neighborhood gardens are growing (pun intended), but we want more people to take advantage of these gardening opportunities.

The neighborhood added a City Fresh site this year but hopes to expand the program significantly in 2008. City Fresh offers a way for neighbors to easily connect with food that is locally grown by farmers within the City and in the countryside. In the process, you will meet other neighbors, interact with children, learn important facts and tips about nutrition, sample locally grown food, and share in fun events, including music or potlucks. If you are interested in fresh vegetables, it is time to start planning now (before spring is upon us). We are seeking additional volunteers to expand the City Fresh program right here in the North Shores Collinwood neighborhood. If you are interested, please contact Barb at bmullally@northeastshores.org. If you have never heard of City Fresh, read to your heart's content at www.cityfresh.org.

If you are really into gardening and want to know how to make a side income with your garden, a wonderful training opportunity is upcoming. OSU Extension will be offering the Market Garden Training Program again in January 2008. This entrepreneurial training program provides a foundation in urban agriculture, business development and direct marketing to help Cleveland area residents start their own agricultural enterprises in the city. The program meets one evening a week for twelve weeks and is taught by a variety of professionals in the field including researchers and faculty from Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Farmers Union, small farmers, urban growers, and local chefs. Again, contact Barb at bmullally@northeastshores.org to get additional information.

Think Globally, Buy Locally!

Curfew Sweep

The Safety Steering committee keeps hearing about all the kids out after curfew. So, they decided to do something about it!

On Friday night, November 9th, was a Ward 11 curfew sweep looking for kids under 15 hanging on the streets. Well, it rained Friday night and the kids stayed inside. Oh, the cops picked up a few. Their parental units were fined $100.

In the spring, when the weather is nicer, we'll do it again! The sad part is the number of unattended young people out there. Whatever happened to Friday night pizza and a video at home? Us single moms knew that on Friday night, the single dads would be at the video store with the kids. Made for nice shopping. Heh heh.

Hang with the kids. Make it fun. Keep 'em safe!

Awards Dinner - Hall of Fame - Frank Brodnick

At the end of the Awards Dinner, we added one name to the North Collinwood Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 2003 and new inductees were added at the opening ceremony of each year's East 185th Street Festival. With the end of the festival, we feel it is important to keep this commendation alive and will add names to the North Collinwood Hall of Fame at our annual awards dinner.

Previous inductees to the hall include Carl Bork Sr (2003), Tony Petkovsek (2003), Michael Polensek (2003), Walter Jackshaw (2004), Humphrey Family (2004), Kollar Family (2005), Frank Kochevar (2005), and Frank Sadar (2006).

This year, we added the late Frank Brodnick to the North Collinwood Hall of Fame. It is very appropriate that Frank Brodnick be recognized as part of the
North Collinwood Hall of Fame for his devotion to the neighborhood.

Although Frank was a resident of Eastlake, his heart was here at Euclid Beach.

This award was presented to his wife, Elva. Frank left us this past June.
Only the good die young! The community will miss Frank for all his work to revitalize Euclid Beach State Park and the memory of the amusement park.

Frank was the president of Euclid Beach Park Now and a member of the Northeast Shores Board of Directors. He was a champion for causes such as bringing the carrousel back to the park, extending the fishing pier, annual Euclid Beach Park celebration event and the accurate rebuilding of the Euclid Beach Entrance Arch. If it wasn't for Frank's efforts to save the Arch, it is likely that restoration would not have occurred and this important neighborhood landmark would be demolished.

His wife Elva will now be filling many of those positions and we all know that Frank will be guiding her efforts.

It is with great pleasure that we recognize Frank Brodnick as part of the North Collinwood Hall of Fame for 2007.

Please note that Elva was so taken back by this surprise that she sent the following editorial to the Euclid Sun Scoop:

Brodnik's widow expresses deep joy, gratitude
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Euclid Sun Journal
To the editor:

On Nov. 8, Northeast Shores Development Corp. made my late husband, Frank Brodnick, the 2007 inductee into the North Collinwood Hall of Fame.

What a wonderful surprise which it truly was. I was actually rendered speechless, which to those who know me well, is quite a feat. Although, I think Frank may have figured it out; why else did I have orders to wear that "Hawaiian" shirt that night?

This is to say what I should have said and couldn't say that night. Thanks to all who chose to honor Frank in this very special way. Thanks, too, to all who helped keep this wonderful surprise a secret at least from me.

To Northeast Shores Development Corp., Euclid Beach Park Now and more and I gather there were quite a number of them. They really did it in a really big way and we loved every minute of it. To have such very special friends is truly a rare thing. For those friends to choose to remember Frank in a way as special as did is even rarer.

Frank and I felt truly blessed to be part of the North Collinwood community; the "Frank-and-Elva" team goes on, working for everything "North Collinwood" that was so dear to us. That Frank could have such a legacy is humbling. That everyone recognized it, is even more so.

So, with the heartfelt thanks that I could not speak that night, I thank everyone for making this the wonderful surprise it was, and again thanks for this very special tribute to Frank. To have such wonderful friends come together for something as special as this means so much to us.

Elva Brodnick
On Behalf of Frank Brodnick
Eastlake

The quote can also be seen electronically at the Euclid Sun Journal's website or by clicking: http://www.cleveland.com/euclidsunjournal/editorials/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/119513215549490.xml&coll=4

Awards Dinner - NPI

At the November 8th Awards Dinner, Neighborhood Progress, Inc. (NPI) was recognized as the "Neighborhood Partner of the Year".

NPI was recongized for a number of reasons. Over the last decade, NPI has provided Northeast Shores crucial operating support to support our operations. This operating support has remained constant over the decade, which allows us to plan for the future with comfort that large shocks to our budget will not occur.

In addition, many residents in the neighborhood are familiar with the recently completed Waterloo Streetscape Plan. This plan was primarily funded with a TLCI grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). NOACA requires a signficant local match for this program. In the case of the Waterloo Streetscape Plan, NPI stepped up to the plate and provided us the necessary match to proceed with the plan. After a year of insightful meetings with residents and Waterloo business owners, this plan is now in the first steps of implementation.

As the Waterloo Plan reaches completion, we begin our endeavors on the Euclid Beach Fishing Pier Feasibility Study. This study was funded primarily by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Again, a significant local match was necessary to receive the grant and, again, NPI stepped up and funded our local match. This plan is just now starting and we are looking forward to working with URS Consultants to determine if a pier can be reconstructed at Euclid Beach.

Also, NPI has funded a three-year branding strategy for Waterloo Road. We are just starting the initial steps on implementing this strategy with assistance from our consultant, Melanie Hershberger. It is wonderful that NPI has agreed to fund this effort, since increasing regional exposure to our successes on Waterloo is essential to moving the commercial district back from the brink of total blight.

In addition to these funding efforts, the staff of NPI (and their affiliate VCC) have provided countless hours of technical assistance to the staff and board of Northeast Shores. This assistance has greatly helped our efforts and allows us to implement best practices that were proved successful in other Cleveland neighborhoods and nationwide.

(Bobbi Reichtell, Senior Program Officer at NPI, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.)

All of these efforts to improve North Shores Collinwood would not be possible without the support of NPI. We want to thank all of the staff at NPI for their assistance over the years.

Awards Dinner - Federated Auto Parts

During the awards dinner, Federated Auto Parts was recognized as the "Business of the Year" in the North Shores Collinwood neighborhood.

Federated Auto Parts was recognized for the significant community investment that the business has made to the East 185th St. commercial district.

By working with the City of Cleveland Storefront Program, Federated has invested in upgrading the building on the corner of Kildeer Ave and East 185th Street. As a former bank building, Federated permitted Fifth Third Bank to operate the ATM located along the front of the business.

Federated Auto was open to once again having the time and temperature sign restored on the building. This eye catching electric sign is seen by all of the motorists traveling along the one-mile commercial strip of East 185th St.

We thank Federated for the significant investment in our neighborhood.

Awards Dinner - Fifth Third Bank

During the awards dinner on November 8th, Fifth Third Bank was recognized as the "Community Investment of the Year."

Fifth Third Bank demolished an old vacant building at the south end of the East 185th St. commercial district and invested in opening the fifth banking institution on the street.

The 3,700 square foot building generated eight new jobs in the district. The building is beautiful and is proof that North Collinwood is well worth the investment! Fifth Third invested over one million dollars because they believe in the urban core of the city.

In addition, Fifth Third Bank is a major partner in the Glencove Condominiums that are starting soon. This project is very important to the East 156th strip. Without Fifth Third providing construction loan financing, this project would not be possible.

North Shores Collinwood also hosted the Fifth Third Bank Homeonwership Mobile for the second year. This bus is a travelling banking center where individuals can open accounts, apply for a home loan, and also receive free credit counseling. For the last two years, the Dave's Supermarket on Lakeshore Boulevard has hosted the bus. This year, our stop on the tour had the highest vists of any site in the region!

We thank Fifth Third Bank for their community caring and their new investment in our future.

Awards Dinner - Earlene Flood

Mrs. Earlean Flood was recognized as the "Resident of the Year" for her years of service and support as the leader of the East 147-148-149th St. Block Club.

Although Mrs. Flood did not grow up in Cleveland, she has come to love this neighborhood and has fought the good fight to keep her street from being taken over by crime and decay.

The East 147-148-149th St. Block Club has been instrumental in bringing awareness to the police and code enforcement departments as to the issues on these streets. In a tireless effort, this 76 year old leader continues to make phone calls to have the needed services brought to this area, organize block club meetings, bring Judge Ray Pianka of Housing Court to the street and monitor street activities.

Mrs. Flood also believes in celebrating victories. The block club hosts an annual dinner dance with great food and good music. They collect funds to purchase and distribute school supplies to the neighborhood children.

Mrs. Earlene Flood is one of the special people who work for the good of our neighborhood without expecting to be recognized for her work. We thank Mrs. Flood for her dedication.

Awards Dinner - Collinwood Area Church Council

Each day, we will share information about an awardee from the November 8th Awards Dinner. Today, we highlight why the Collinwood Church Council was recognized as the "Neighborhood Organization of the Year".

The Collinwood area church pastors came together to address the growing needs of the community. In the Spring of 1995 with the support of area churches, the Food Pantry project was started.

Three days a week, the North Collinwood food pantry operates with a core group of volunteers who distribute food to the needy.

The previous location at Immanuel Church had several obstacles for food distribution. When a new food pantry location was needed, Pastor Walther Marcis was able to secure a spot on Lakeshore Blvd near Huntmere Ave. This former retail store was perfect for the food pantry since it did not have any stairs, making it easier for the elderly and food deliveries.

At this location, distribution to needy residents has increased 50% and now also includes a clothing area also.

The Food Pantry Expansion helps to better serve the needy of our community and, coincidentally enough, much of the food distributed is purchased from the Cleveland FoodBank (location of the Awards Dinner).

Awards Dinner was Wonderful!

Nearly 100 community supporters dined on chicken marsalla, pasta with fresh vegetables, garden salad and the most beautiful chiffon cakes for dessert. Catering was provided by Bistro 185. The East 185th St. Arabica provided coffee. John's Fun House donated balloons. Jackpot brought the music and the helped set the mood. Thanks to everyone who came and support efforts along the North Shores.


Northeast Shores hosted an Awards and Recognition Dinner on November 8th at the Cleveland Food Bank.

After an opening address by Bobbi Reichtell from NPI, the awards ceremony commenced.

Award winners included Earlene Flood, Neighborhood Progress Inc., Federated Auto Parts, Fifth Third Bank and the Collinwood Food Pantry. In the upcoming days, look for blogs about each of these winners.

We had so much fun, we think we'll do it again next year!