Euclid Creek Dam Demolished

The plan to restore the water quality at Euclid Creek completed a major step in early December when one of the six dams that choke the creek was destroyed.

While this dam was not technically in the North Shore Collinwood neighborhood, any and every effort to improve the water quality in Euclid Creek is critical because the creek terminates inside our state park and then flows into Lake Erie. As such, every improvement to Euclid Creek eventually improves our water quality and fishing opportunities in the creek.

If you want to read more about the dam removal, check it out here:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/12/removal_of_small_dam_on_euclid.html
- or here -
http://news-herald.com/articles/2010/11/26/news/doc4ced337f556bc996354348.txt?viewmode=fullstory

First Annual East 185 Candy Cane Cruise a Solid Start

On a bitter cold Friday night, Northeast Shores Development Corporation and the Alive on East 185 Committee hosted the first annual Candy Cane Cruise. For slightly more than two hours, visitors to the district drove up and down East 185th Street honking and spreading holiday cheer.

Registration for the event occurred in front of the Lithuanian Hall. Participants received an ornament emblazoned with logos of the Candy Cane Cruise and East 185th Street. In addition, the registrants received a goodie bag with items donated by many neighborhood businesses and institutions including VASJ High School, Euclid Hospital, Key Bank, Huntington Bank and PNC Bank. Of course, goodie bags included copious candy canes too!

Participants were encouraged to stop at various locations along East 185th Street for special events during the event. Arabica Coffee hosted trick demonstrations from the Cleveland Yoyo Club as well as historical artifacts were on display thanks to Euclid Beach Park Now. Merchants and restaurants also had specials and freebies for participants in the Candy Cane Cruise. “I think it’s great that Northeast Shores and the Alive on E185 Committee is trying to attract more visitors to the district,” said Steve Newman of Chili Peppers.

“This was a strong foundation for another great promotional event for the district”, said Denise Lorek, Northeast Shores Community Organizer. “Coming right on the heels of Breakfast with Santa was stressful but it is nice to have a wintertime district-wide event to add to the early summer Alive on E185 Parade and Sidewalk Sale.”

A favorite of this writer was the free hot cider provided by Scotti’s. After standing outside for several hours registering cars, the cider really helped keep me warm. Thank you to all that participated and let’s start planning a bigger and better Candy Cane Cruise for 2011.

Brian Friedman is the Executive Director of Northeast Shores and wishes the entire community a safe and happy holiday season.

Out of Gift Ideas? Buy Cleveland!

So the number of days until Santa visits are growing fewer and fewer. Still not finished shopping? Still struggling with that personal gift that says, "Hey, we both live in Cleveland!" Well, this blog lists a bunch of GREAT ideas that are original, creative, and Cleveland!

http://thenoiseis.net/2010/12/12/cleveland-gift-ideas/

Doesn't hurt that three of the ideas are from our neighborhood businesses in the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District. All three of these businesses are right next to each other, so stopping here is faster than trekking through the mall. Come on down to Music Saves, Native Cleveland, and StarPop right NOW and get your shopping done already.

Concepts for Public Art at Rec Center Wanted!

At a recent public meeting, it was announced that Cleveland Public Art is seeking basic one page letters of interest for the public art components planned for the new Collinwood Recreation Center. The deadline was extended to this Monday, December 20th so start typing as soon as you are done reading this posting.

The following items are planned for Public Art Components:

APPROXIMATE BUDGET FOR ART COMPONENTS
Benches at front entrance - $25,000
Paving installation - $13,000
Main Street installation - $9,000
Sundeck fencing - $60,000

Artists chosen to submit proposals for any of the components would be paid an honorarium for putting a proposal together

WHAT ARTISTS SHOULD DO IF INTERESTED IN BEING CONSIDERED FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE ART COMPONENTS:
Send a one-page letter of interest and a CD with artwork images to
Cleveland Public Art
1951 W. 26th St., No. 101
Cleveland, OH 44113

Must be postmarked by Monday, December 20th

The letter of interest should state which art component or components the artist is interested in, why they would be qualified, and, briefly, how they would approach the project.

FULL PROPOSALS ARE NOT BEING SOUGHT AT THIS TIME

More Details about East 185 Candy Cane Cruise

"Rules of the Road"

Meet at The Lithuanian Hall at 4:45pm
Lithuanian Hall is located at:
877 E. 185th St., Cleveland, OH 44119

Cruise E.185th St. December 17, 2010 from 5 – 8pm

Where to Meet / Start

Beginning at 4:45pm participating vehicles should stop by the Lithuanian Hall at the corner of East 185th and Kewanee to receive their goodie-bags and souvenir ornaments.

Specials on East 185th St. for participants of the Candy Cane Cruisers:
• Chili Peppers 869 East 185 Free pop and free bag of chips when purchasing one of Chili Peppers signature Burritos or enjoy a cup of soup for half price.
• Just for Today 814 East 185th St. Free cup of coffee until 7:30pm.
• Lucky’s Restaurant 742 East 185. Free Coffee or Free Hot Chocolate. Dinner specials available.
• Mobazz for Her 630 East 185th St. Free cookie when you stop in to say hi to Linda the owner of the shop.
• Scotti’s Italian Restaurant 882 East 185 Free hot cider. Scotti’s has the best Calzones in NE Ohio.

Many of the restaurants along East 185th St. will be open for dinner before, during and after the Cruise including:
• Arabica 818 East 185th Stop in and get warm with one of their specialty coffees
• Bistro 185 991 East 185
• Cebars 595 E.185th St. Home of the Friday night $8.00 Fish Fry from 5-9 pm
• Mr. G’s and Big E’s 772 East 185
• Mr. Heros 523 E.185
• Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery 1020 East 185
• Villa Rosa Pizza 853 East 185 One of the best kept secrets in Northeast Ohio

For Your Entertainment
Arabica will be hosting the Euclid Beach Park Now group and the Yo Yo Club of North Collinwood. Stop in at Arabica to reminisce about the days of Euclid Beach Park and check out the skills of our local Yo Yo aficionados.

Things to Keep in Mind

East 185th St. will NOT be closed and regular traffic will be maintained. The mix of regular traffic and cruising convertibles will only add to the lively atmosphere of E.185th St.

This is not a parade so throwing things from your vehicle is prohibited. Your vehicle must be road-worthy at all times and all traffic laws (including seat belts and child safety seats) must be observed.

Your First Lap

We will gather at Muldoon’s parking lot just before 5pm. A VW Passat Wagon will lead our first cruise lap and then you are free to cruise, eat, cruise, shop as you wish.

During the Cruise

Show off your holiday spirit as you cruise the official cruise route! Turn up the festive music on your car stereos and wave to other participants as well as spectators enjoying the spectacle.

You do not have to Cruise the entire time! You are encouraged to pull over and visit the many unique merchants that line the areas. Be sure to take advantage of the many specials and attractions they are offering during the evening.

Be sure to visit the boutiques and eateries of East 185th St.!

Perhaps do a few laps before warming up with a hot beverage. A few more turns on the route and then enjoy some of the special displays or do a little Holiday shopping of your own.

If you see a friend by all means take them along so they can experience the evening from your perspective! As long as all driving rules are followed you can enjoy the Cruise with friends and family. Feel free to drop off some passengers to shop along East 185th St. or pull over if you see a friend and have them join you for a lap or two.

You can start and stop cruising as many times as you'd like

The event will take place regardless of the weather. If it’s raining the obvious difference is that convertibles will likely have their tops up. However, the merchants will still be offering all their special attractions for the evening so the Holiday Spirit will still be enjoyed.

Show off your ornament collection.

You are invited to show-off your 2010 Candy Cane Cruise ornament by hanging it from your rearview mirror and sun visors.

A limited quantity of 2010 Candy Cane Cruise on East 185th St. Commemorative Ornaments will be available for $5 at the registration table for purchase the night of the Cruise exclusively at the Registration Table.

Remember, area eateries and taverns will still be open long after official Cruise hours so enjoy a great dinner or beverage on
East 185th St.!

East 185th Street Hosts First Candy Cane Cruise

On Dec 17th, 2010, the East 185th Street Community will be hosting its first ever “Candy Cane Cruise on East 185” beginning at 5:00 PM. This is a family-friendly event featuring a car cruise of open-top convertible cars and jeeps with bundled up passengers immersed in the spirit of the season. The event is free and all are welcome to attend!

The Candy Cane Cruise will begin at Villaview and East 185th, near Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery, and will continue down East 185th until it reaches Lakeshore Boulevard. The car cruise is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM. Once the cruise has ended, participants and attendees are encouraged to explore East 185th to enjoy sounds of the season, food from the area's wide selection of eateries, and to stroll among the area shops and boutiques.

Convertible owners are invited to register to participate in the Candy Cane Cruise on East 185th by emailing Denise Lorek at dlorek@northeastshores.org. Convertibles of all makes and models are welcomed including vintage, classic or new Jeeps, coups or sedans. Holiday decorations are encouraged; however, all cars must be road-worthy, all passengers should be wearing seat-belts and nothing should be thrown from the vehicles as this is a street cruise; NOT a parade. While supplies last, registrants will receive a free special collectible souvenir ornament!

East 185th Street is part of the bustling North Shores Collinwood community, which also includes the Waterloo Arts District. East 185th Street is home to one of the largest collections of locally-owned restaurants in Cleveland, and is conveniently located right off I-90. A great spot for lunch or dinner with friends and family, East 185th Street is less than 15 minutes from Downtown Cleveland.

With unique shopping, delicious food, and top-quality service from local and national merchants, East 185th Street is the secret jewel of Cleveland’s eastern edge.

For more information about East 185th Street, please visit: http://northeastshores.org.

Arts Collinwood Hires Executive Director

This past fall, founder and Executive Director Sarah Gyorki announced that she will be leaving Arts Collinwood. Immediately, the Arts Collinwood Board of Directors (with that assistance of Janus Small) swung into action to find a new Executive Director fo this important neighborhood organization.

Last Thursday, Arts Collinwood announced that Cheryl Carter will be the new Executive Director for the organization starting in January.

The following is the press release that we received regarding the announcement:

The Board of Directors of Arts Collinwood in Cleveland, Ohio, has hired Cheryl A. Carter as Executive Director, effective January 1, 2011. “We were simply astounded that out of a group of such strong and qualified applicants that a single candidate could stand out from the crowd,” says Bridget Caswell, President of the Board and Chair of the Executive Director Search Committee. “We are excited to have hired our next Executive Director to take Arts Collinwood in a new direction – above and beyond where we have ever been able to go before. Ms. Carter’s fundamental qualifications and unique experiences meld together harmoniously to make that happen.” For more information on Arts Collinwood, please visit www.artscollinwood.org.

Cheryl Carter comes to Arts Collinwood with nearly twenty years of experience in the nonprofit arena with a significant portion of that time having been devoted to fund development and raising millions of dollars in support of organizations such as the Western Reserve Historical Society; Girl Scouts of the Western Reserve; the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Achievement Centers for Children; Neighborhood Centers Association; and most recently, the Arthritis Foundation, Northeastern Ohio Chapter. In addition, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to neighborhood development and revitalization through the arts. Ms. Carter co-founded Art House, Inc. in 1999 with other resident artists like herself who were dedicated to the belief that the arts enrich lives and help create better communities. Showing strong leadership within the Brooklyn Center community and laying a firm foundation for future organizational growth, she served as Art House, Inc.’s first Board President. She will bring the same level of dedication, expertise in fundraising, and experience engaging the community in neighborhood-based arts organizations with her to Arts Collinwood. Ms. Carter received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hiram College having majored in studio art and minored in photography and English literature. She will complete her Master of Interdisciplinary Studies degree from Hiram College in the spring of 2011. Additionally, Ms. Carter enjoys art in its various media including independent film and has volunteered for Independent Pictures. She is an accomplished photographer having shown her work throughout Cleveland. Ms. Carter and her two sons make their home in Solon, Ohio.

Arts Collinwood believes that a flourishing arts community enriches a neighborhood’s quality of life both economically and culturally. By partnering with local merchants, neighborhood associations, schools and artists, Arts Collinwood encourages more artists to live and work in North Collinwood, and offer residents more opportunities to engage in the arts. The goal is to support a stimulating arts environment and to encourage continuing education in the arts by offering a wide variety of cultural activities for residents of all ages. The Arts Collinwood building is located in the Waterloo Arts District and features the Arts Collinwood Gallery, a Cafe, artist studios and a large community center space for classes, rehearsals and performances. The cafe features live musical acts and independent films. Started with the idea that a thriving arts community can increase the quality of life in a neighborhood, the building became a multi-use arts center after converting blighted property, transient housing and vacant storefronts into usable space.

Cheryl Carter is taking the helm of Arts Collinwood from former Executive Director and Arts Collinwood founder Sarah Gyorki who resigned her position in October of this year to pursue other opportunities. “I am in awe of Ms. Gyorki for having founded such a vibrant and ambitious neighborhood arts center and cannot fully express my gratitude to her for her vision and leadership that created such a magnificent space,” remarks Ms. Carter. “Although I understand that the work ahead will be challenging, I am eager to rise to the challenge, engrain myself into the Collinwood neighborhood, and help to build a stronger sense of community through the engagement and interaction with art. My ability to see art in the big picture in the broader community and translate it to a well-organized and succinct, workable plan is one of my strengths.”

Recreation Center Public Art Meeting

Please come on out to a very important meeting about Public Art at the Recreation Center this coming Thursday. Below is a note from Councilman Polensek about the meeting:

I hope that you have had the opportunity to see the construction going on at the site of the new Collinwood Recreation Center. If not, then you need to take a drive by the site and see the work being done. It is impressive, to say the least.

I am writing to you to personally invite you to a meeting of all interested residents especially our community artists on:
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010,
at the LAKESHORE GOLDEN AGE CENTER,
16600 Lakeshore Boulevard
beginning at 6:30 PM.

This meeting will have a general purpose of providing a forum for the community at large to talk about the art components of the new center and a more specific purpose of inviting artists to put their names forward for consideration for one of the proposal commissions (there will be 12 altogether/ three for each art component) that would be part of the process. At the meeting, the four art components will be explained, with enough time to deal directly with the explanations and questions related to the commissioned artworks and commissioned artists.

I look forward to seeing you at the December 9th meeting. If there are any questions please do not hesitate to call me at my office. I may be reached at (216) 664-4236.

Sincerely yours,
Michael D. Polensek
Councilman, Ward 11

Big December on Waterloo

Holy Waterloo! Look at all the stuff going on Waterloo ALL month!

December 3-5 Friday! Saturday! Sunday!
NATIVE CLEVELAND Official Grand Opening!
Friday, Dec 3, noon-10pm / Saturday, Dec 4, noon-9pm / Sunday, Dec 5, 11am-4:30pm
http://nativecleveland.com/

ARTS COLLINWOOD Holiday Sale: unique and affordable artwork from more than 30 regional top artists! Shop a wide array of wearable art, jewelry, prints, paintings, glass, and MORE, amongst a festive holiday ambiance.
Friday, Dec 3, 3-11pm / Saturday, Dec 4, 11am-11pm / Sunday, Dec 5, 11am-5pm
http://artscollinwood.org/weekend-on-waterloo-holiday-sale/

STAR POP 10% off everything, specials on gift certificates, Music Mix by Party Sweat (This Way Out)!
Friday, Dec 3, 3-10pm / Saturday, Dec 4, noon-10pm / Sunday, Dec 5, 11:30am-4:30pm
http://starpopcleveland.com/

POP-UP GALLERY 428 E.157th Street (right around the corner, south of Waterloo!)
Opening Reception for Transition, Artwork by Ivana Medukic, Friday, Dec 3, 6-10pm
Regular hours Dec 3-17: Wed-Sun 11am-4pm
http://northeastshores.org/

MUSIC SAVES Holiday Sale: 10% off everything in the store, treats, coffee, door prizes, and TONS of holiday spirit!
Saturday, Dec 4, noon-5pm / Sunday, Dec 5, 11am-4:30pm
http://MUSICSAVES.com/

NATIVE CLEVELAND C.L.E. Clothing Co. Holiday Collection Release Party
Saturday, Dec 4, 6pm
http://cleclothingco.com/

THE SS&W BOARDWALK Entertainment by The King Pins (swing/blues)
Saturday, Dec 4, 8pm
http://www.facebook.com/SSWBoardwalk

BEACHLAND BALLROOM
Rock ‘n’ Roll Flea Market: 25 vendors selling vintage clothing, handmade art, vinyl, and so much more! Sunday, Dec 5, 11am-4:30pm
http://beachlandballroom.com/

CLEVELAND YO-YO CLUB
10% off all yo-yos and accessories! Raffles to win Duncan and YoYo Factory prize packs!
Sunday, Dec 5, 11am-4:30pm
http://www.clevelandyoyoclub.com/

BLUE ARROW RECORDS & BOUTIQUE
10% off general stock, DJ Joe Madigan spins records, food and drink!
Sunday, Dec 5, noon-5pm
http://www.bluearrowrecords.com/

December 10-12 Friday! Saturday! Sunday!
MUSIC SAVES 50% off all USED and SALE CDs, Mystery Grab Bags, FREE STUFF and other deals!
Friday, Dec 10, noon-10pm / Saturday, Dec 11, noon-10pm / Sunday, Dec 12, noon-4pm

BLUE ARROW RECORDS & BOUTIQUE
In-store performance by Jessie Torrisi & The Please, Please Me Band + DJ Charles McGaw
Friday, Dec 10, 7-9pm
10% off storewide, guest vendors, DJ Pat O’Connor Saturday, Dec 11, 3-8pm

STAR POP
Official First Anniversary Party! Holiday treats, sales, giveaways and prizes, Music Mix by Music Saves!
Saturday, Dec.11, 6-10pm

A HOLIDAY ART MASSACRE ON WATERLOO 16006 Waterloo Road (across from Blue Arrow)
Featuring some of Cleveland's most innovative and provocative artists, music by Megachurch and Filmstrip, and special guest Santa Mr. California • Artists include: Derek Hess, Dana Depew, John Howitt, John G., Ron Kretsch, Scott Pickering, Mike Meyers, Greg Ruffing, and Staci McNasty!
Opening: Saturday, Dec 11, 6-11pm
Also open: Sunday, Dec 12, noon-4pm / Saturday, Dec 18, 6-10pm / Sunday, Dec 19, noon-4pm
THE WEEKEND BEFORE, stop by for a sneak peek at the artists installing their work: Saturday, Dec 4 & Sunday, Dec 5, noon-4pm

THE SS&W BOARDWALK After Party for A HOLIDAY ART MASSACRE ON WATERLOO, with The Snake Handlers!
Saturday, Dec 11, 11pm

ARTS COLLINWOOD Sunday Evening Roast Poetry Series Sunday, Dec 12, 7pm, FREE

December 17-19 Friday! Saturday! Sunday!
THE SS&W BOARDWALK Xmas Party with Madison Crawl Friday, Dec 17, 9pm

BLUE ARROW RECORDS & BOUTIQUE
Holiday Extravaganza! Guest artists, book reading and signing, appetizers, Guest DJ!
Saturday, Dec 18, noon-8pm

ARTS COLLINWOOD
Solo So Low: Featuring solo performances from Lawrence Daniel Caswell and Joey Beltram
Saturday, Dec 18, 6-9pm

BEACHLAND TAVERN Music Saves/Square Records 7th Annual Holiday Get Down
Cloud Nothings (CLE), Low In The Sky (AKR), Herzog (CLE), Relaxer (AKR)
Saturday, Dec 18, 9pm, $5 (also at Musica on December 17)

STAR POP Sales & Prizes! Music Mixes: RA Washington (Cleveland Tapes), Leia (Afternoon Naps) & Tim (Gotta Groove)!
Saturday, Dec 18, noon-10pm / Sunday, Dec 19, noon-9pm (Extended hours during the Crayons Party Event at Beachland!)

BEACHLAND TAVERN Crayons Party Event w/ Popkiller, Baffelgab, This Dust Was Once The Man, The Uncanny Xe La, and DJ Crayons • Feel like a kid for the night with FREE fun activities and coloring pages! Sunday, Dec 19, 7:30pm, FREE

Ongoing!
BEACHLAND TAVERN
Rockin’ Brunch EVERY Saturday AND Sunday, 11am-3pm
FREE award-winning 45rpm jukebox! Cocktail menu including amazing Bloody Marys!
Same great menu and vegan specials both days!

THIS WAY OUT Vintage Shop (in the basement of the Beachland!)
Open every weekend during the holidays: Fridays, 2pm-midnight, Saturdays & Sundays, noon-midnight
PLUS all show nights!

www.WaterlooArtsDistrict.com
The Waterloo Arts District is right off I-90!
Take I-90 to E.152nd Street, head NORTH on E.152nd, then turn RIGHT onto WATERLOO!

Waterloo Village on the News!

On Tuesday, we were interviewed by WKYC Channel 3 about our housing efforts in the Waterloo Village Model Block area.

Please take a look at the story online and share with anyone you think might be interested in the story and our efforts.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=161580

Seeking Feedback for Preliminary Waterloo Engineering Plans

In 2010, Northeast Shores successfully lobbied the City of Cleveland to rebuild Waterloo based on the preliminary plan created in 2007. After being awarded nearly $4 million for the 2012 construction of the new Waterloo Streetscape, the City of Cleveland engaged Osborn Engineering and Knight & Stolar Landscape Architects to develop construction drawings for the impending improvements.

On November 29, the first public meeting for this process occurred. Feedback is being accepted on these draft plans until December 10th. At that point, curbcuts, bump-outs, and road width will be finalized. To review what was proposed, please see www.northeastshores.org/initiatives.php and look for "Waterloo Streetscape Engineering Plan". The plans can also be reviewed at the offices of Northeast Shores Located at 317 East 156th Street. To submit feedback, please e-mail John Boksansky at jboksansky@northeastshores.org or call him at (216) 481-7660.

In 2011, additional public meetings will occur regarding other street amenities including benches, trash cans, bike racks, trees, other foliage, and paver selection. Please continually check the blog and calendar for announcements for these meetings.

Breakfast with Santa this Saturday

Santa will be visiting the children of North Shore Collinwood for Breakfast this Saturday December 4th.

Santa will be at the Lithuanian Hall (877 East 185th Street) from 10:00am to noon.

Breakfast will be provided by Gus’s Diner, Lucky’s Diner and Arabica.

For just $5.00, you get breakfast and a picture with Santa.

Free Holiday crafts will also be available for your children to make.

To purchase tickets for this event, please call Denise at (216) 481-7660.

Sign up for Seussical

Local children’s theater company, UpStage Players, based in the Waterloo Arts District of Cleveland, invites area 7- to 15-year-olds to audition for the troupe’s Spring 2011 musical, “Seussical: The Musical,” this December.

Auditions will be held on Sunday, December 5, 2010 for 12- to 15-year-olds and on Saturday, December 11, 2010 for 7- to 11-year-olds. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with auditions starting at 9:00 a.m. sharp on both days. No late-comers will be admitted. The event will end at 1:00 p.m. All children will be required to stay for the entire time and will be given a short snack break. Auditions will take place at the Slovenian Workmen’s Home, 15335 Waterloo. Callbacks will be scheduled by the artistic director. Those auditioning are asked to bring a 1- to 2-minute Broadway Musical song to perform, comfortable shoes, a current photo, a one-time $5 fee for photocopying/folders and a copy of his/ her birth certificate.

“Seussical: The Musical” will be performed on April 15, 16 and 17, 2011. Tech week begins on April 7th and ends on April 14th. All actors, actresses and tech crew members will be expected to be present for every tech week rehearsal. UpStage Players is a non-profit children’s theater company dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of theater through the education of children. Through the development of workshops and full-length productions, young people are afforded a positive social outlet and an opportunity for just good old fun!

For more information, call Carrie or Bud at (216) 731-5793, e-mail upstageplayers@gmail.com or visit www.upstageplayers.com.

Do You Block Watch?

Are you part of a Block Watch group? If not, why not? If you do, thank you!

Block Watches are about meeting your neighbors. If you know your neighbors, you will recognize strangers who come in to your neighborhood. Block Watches are about sharing information. You can learn about the various programs offered by Northeast Shores, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and various other agencies. Block Watches are about being proactive not reactive to potential problems in your neighborhood. Block Watches are also about being the “Eyes and Ears” for the Police. Our “men in blue” can not be everywhere all the time. The Police need residents calling them reporting suspicious behavior. As Commander Drummond always says “if it looks suspicious, it probably is suspicious, so please make the call to the police”. Remember Zone Cars are deployed to our area based on the calls for service received from our area. So make those calls to the police. You are not bothering them. You are helping them do their jobs. 911 if it’s an emergency, 216-621-1234 for non-emergency calls.

There are several block watch opportunities for you in North Collinwood:
If you live in the East 185th St. area, you can go to the East 185th St. Block Watch meetings. This group meets on the Second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 pm at the Lithuanian Hall, 877 East 185th St. (corner of Kewanee). The Chair person for this group is Denise Lorek.

If you live in the East 156th St. area, you can go to the East 156th St. Block Watch meetings. This group meets on the Fourth Wednesday of every month at 6:00 pm at the Arts Collinwood Community Center 397 East 156th St. The chair person for this group is Patricia Harrison.

The advantages of going to the East 185th or East 156th St. Block Watch meetings is that Commander Drummond or a 5th District representative are at all of the meetings. Councilman Polensek is always at the meetings as well. The Fifth District Police and Councilman Polensek are there to take any Quality of Life complaints you may have. They will investigate the complaints and take whatever action needs to be taken. The Fifth District always brings safety tips and crime statistics for our area. Councilman Polensek always has updates on what is going on in the neighborhood from Collinwood Rec Center updates to the Huron Road Hospital closing news. You are always encouraged to bring your questions and concerns for Councilman Polensek and Commander Drummond. They will try to answer you at the meeting but if that is not possible they will get your contact information and report back to you.

In addition to trying to improve the Quality of Life in the North Collinwood area, the Block Watches build a sense of camaraderie between the residents. We grieve the losses of our residents and we celebrate the additions to our families. We celebrate the anniversaries of our groups with parties. We also have seasonal parties! These parties are potluck, with the residents bringing all kinds of tasty dishes to the meetings to share.

The best part of Block Watching is finding out you are not alone in your neighborhood. You have many good neighbors and we are all here to help each other improve the Quality of Life in North Collinwood for all of us.

There are other Block Groups who meet as needed, quarterly, monthly or every other month. To find out more about joining or starting a Block Watch group, please call Denise Lorek at Northeast Shores 216-481-7660 or dlorek@northeastshores.org .

Northeast Shores wins Marketing Award

LiveCleveland surprised Northeast Shores staff and trustees during the recent LiveCleveland Annual Meeting. Northeast Shores was awarded one of three marketing awards for the year.

Northeast Shores Development Corp won a Excellence in Neighborhood Marketing for their postcard initiative "Welcome to Waterloo" to increase the awareness of the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District. Very Retro, and Very Cool Cleveland.

Artists Fleeing Brooklyn for Waterloo!

In this past Monday's Crain's New York, it was reported that Brooklyn, New York is in fear of losing its artist niche because the creative class is leaving ... and coming HERE to Waterloo!

Wow! Check out the full story here:
http://bit.ly/aiGoer

Last Chance to clean the Beach!

Tomorrow is your last chance to make Euclid Beach beautiful in 2010!

Come on out and support Case Western Reserve students, get some free pizza, and help the environment.

Our favorite Cleanup Coordinator, Stephen Love, says:

On Saturday October 16th 2010, students from The Brush High School Key Club, Villa Angela St. Joseph High School, Baldwin-Wallace College, community members and organizations came together to clean and screen Euclid Beach! This beach cleanup was particularly special because it marked our Adopt-a-Beach Team’s first year anniversary and with close 45 volunteers, it was also our largest beach cleanup to date! Not to mention, when all was said and done, we managed to collect over 155 pounds of trash and 54 pounds of recyclables! Among our most collected items, we found 617 cigar tips, 445 pieces of plastic and 285 plastic caps and lids to name only a few!

We hope you join the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team one last time for the 2010 season on Saturday November 13th 2010 from 10am-12pm and if you cannot make it then, we will resume beach cleanups in March 2011! Remember, our Great Lakes constitute over 1/5 of the earth's fresh surface water so let’s take care of them while we still have the chance!

Name Change Official

City Planning has changed the name of where YOU live (or work or visit).

The new name for North Collinwood is North Shore Collinwood.

The new name for South Collinwood is Collinwood.

Mark it down and start using it in your day-to-day conversation so you can show you are "in the loop".

Pick Your neighbor and Earn $500

As we approach the winter season, we all browse through our storage containers or closets to determine if we need new gloves, boots, coats and ear muffins to fight the winter months in Cleveland. Northeast Shores has implemented a referral program that can earn you $500 in extra money towards the purchase of winter attire just by referring a family, friend, co-worker to purchase one of our newly renovated single family home.

The Pick Your Neighbor program allows you to be a part of increasing homeownership by encouraging your family, friends and co-workers to move into your neighborhood that continues to develop and grow.

Pick Your Neighbor and drive or walk to East 163rd in Waterloo and see 387 E. 163rd and 391 E. 163rd being transformed into beautiful single family homes.

Do your part and refer someone to live in North Collinwood Today!

Please Contact Camille Maxwell, Real Estate Development Director at (216) 481-7660 ext. 30 to tour these homes and find out more information regarding our Pick Your Neighbor Referral Program.

Become a Star!

Seussical is scheduled for April 15, 16, and 17. Tech week will be April 7-14. All actors, actresses, and tech crew must be present for all of Tech Week.

Upstage Players Auditions will be held on Sunday, December 5, for 12-15 year olds, Saturday, December 11, for 7-11 year olds. Registration starts at 8:30 am on both days.

Auditions start at 9 am sharp, will end at 1 pm and no late comers will be admitted. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes, bring a current photo, a copy of your birth certificate, and lots of energy. A one-time $5 folder fee will be collected at auditions to defray the cost of copying. Please prepare a 1-2 minute song from a Broadway musical. A short break will be provided for a snack, which can be brought or purchased. Everyone is required to stay for the entire time. Callbacks will be scheduled by Artistic Director.

Auditions will be held at Slovenian Workmen’s Home. Questions? Carrie or Bud 216.731.5793. www.upstageplayers.com or email: upstageplayers@gmail.com.

Join us for LaSalle Trunk Opening

On Saturday October 9, Cleveland Restoration Society (CRS) working with Northeast Shores organized a tour and walk through of The Historic LaSalle Theatre. Twenty Five CRS members and neighbors walked through the building. It had been rumored by several clean out contractors that a trunk had been found. The Snoop confirmed the presence of the trunk. Can it be true that valuables have been found among the treasure of the LaSalle? On Wednesday November 17 from 6 PM to 8 PM you can find out. The public is invited to the opening of the trunk.

JP Kilroy of CRS commented, “it is a surprise to find something within The LaSalle Theatre building.” Among other items found was a door from a physician who once occupied a second floor office of the building as well as picture frames and a fitter shade which presumably adorned the LaSalle auditorium.

Denise Lorek, Community Organizer from Northeast Shores, stated, “we plan to have an evening filled with the simple pleasures of life: a bit of history of the area from Collinwood Historical Society, display of found objects at the LaSalle, popcorn and some Wurlitzer music piped in to give the air / feeling of what the LaSalle sounded like before the talkies. Residents who live close by are encouraged to walk to the LaSalle, as they did when the LaSalle opened.

The Marketing and Media Committee of Northeast Shores agreed that a contest should be conducted so the public can guess on what the contents of the trunk. You to can guess what is in the trunk by sending your guess to Denise Lorek (216) 481-7660 or dlorek@northeastshores.org or fill out a guess at Arabica 818 East 185th Street

Long standing business members from the East 185th Street District will be on hand to open the trunk and reveal the lucky winner.The prize will be gifts and merchandise from your east 185th Street merchants.

See you on East 185th Street…at the LaSalle.

Quarterly Meeting Tonight

Please feel free to join the Northeast Shores General Membership Meeting tonight at 6:30. The meeting will be held at the Golden Age Center located at 16600 Lake Shore Boulevard.

After hearing updates from Councilman Polensek and Fifth District Commander Drummond, there will be two special guest speakers providing updates on the Euclid Creek Restoration Plan. Claire Posius from the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District will provide an update on the fully funded Lacustrine Refuge at Wildwood State Park. After Claire answers questions, Derek Schafer from the West Creek Preservation Committee will update us on the Lakeshore Greenway Initiative.

Looking forward to seeing you there! Call us at (216) 481-7660 with any questions about tonight!

Waterloo Rocks Scene's Best Of Issue

Ok, this is a little late but we have been busy rehabbing homes on East 163rd Street, fixing the LaSalle facade, etc.

So, better late then never is our motto.

Last week, the Scene Magazine distributed their "Best of" issue for the year. We look forward to searching through every nook and cranny of this annual edition for love given to the North Shores Collinwood neighborhood. Again, the issue didn't disappoint.

The neighborhood boasted several awards including:
Best Place to Buy Music - Music Saves (15801 Waterloo Road)
Best Place to Buy Vinyl - Music Saves (15801 Waterloo Road)
Best Place to Worship Bob Marley - The Head Shop (15615 Waterloo Road)
Best Place for Rock&Roll One-Stop Shopping - This Way Out (15711 Waterloo Road)
Best Concert Club - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern (15711 Waterloo Road)

As we say in our ad on page 46, Waterloo is Cleveland's Best Neighborhood that you've (possibly) never explored! Come on out and join the BEST!

Be a Timberlake on Waterloo

Justin Timberlake was recently quoted as saying that he feels that records "sound warmer" and are "more vintage" then a digital recording. We couldn't agree more!

I am sure that next time Justin Timberlake is in town, he will stop by one of our three locations on Waterloo where vinyl is available. If you are looking for new vinyl, check out Music Saves (15801 Waterloo). If you are looking for something a little older or downright vintage, check out Blue Arrow Records (16001 Waterloo) and This Way Out (15711 Waterloo).

Come on out to Waterloo and maybe, just maybe, you might run into Justin Timberlake. More likely, though, you will run into people that are much hipper but not as well known.

North Collinwood is best place to live

On the cover of yesterday's Plain Dealer, the lead story shared that the cleveland.com website now includes an online survey where users can select their most important criteria and then various communities in Northeast Ohio are ranked to determine the user's best place to live.

Northeast Shores is elated to discover that North Collinwood was selected as only one of four City of Cleveland neighborhoods to be compared against our suburban peers. As we have said for years, North Collinwood competes strongly with our suburban competition and now we have an application that proves it.

Areas where North Collinwood competed strongly (top 10) against 99 other Northeast Ohio communities include:
1) Urbanity - A measure of the proximity between the distance between homes and retail businesses.
2) Most affordable housing
3) Rental Housing Available
4) Proximity to Lake Erie
5) Proximity to Downtown Cleveland
6) Racial Diversity

North Collinwood also scored well (but not top 10) in several other categories. We appreciate the opportunity to compete with our regional peers and look forward to improving areas where we are not meeting our aspirations so we can continue to be the absolute best location in Northeast Ohio to catch a sunset.

If you want to see more about this Plain Dealer story, check it out at:
http://www.cleveland.com/best-communities/

Construction Starts in Waterloo Village

The Waterloo Village Model Block contains three goals:
1) Transform residential properties into beautiful homes
2) Remove vacant properties through demolition or purchase of abandoned properties to be rehabbed.
3) Develop marketing resources for large residential and commercial projects.

The Waterloo Village Model Block incorporates the thoughts of adjacent homeowners into the revitalization of the street where these properties are located.

Prior the Northeast Shores commencing rehab, we will meet with residents to provide them with an exterior assessment of rehab needs as it relates to general maintenance. The Waterloo Village Model Block will utilize many resources to assist existing homeowners repair each home.

Tour, Design, Create Your Floor Plan, and enjoy Maintenance Free Living:

For More Information Contact:
Camille Maxwell
Office: (216) 481-7660 ext. 30
Email: cmaxwell@northeastshores.org

Snoop the LaSalle Theater

Cleveland Restoration Society members are invited to a SNOOP! of the historic LaSalle Theatre on Saturday, October 9 at 10:00 am. The theater, a City of Cleveland Landmark, was closed in 1991. The property has been purchased by Northeast Shores Development Corporation, which has obtained funding to stabilize the building and make roof and limestone repairs.

The building, designed by architect Nicola Petti, was completed in 1927 as a speculative project by the International Building and Loan Company. It includes three storefronts and five residential apartments. The theater is an example of Neo-Classic architecture, with a temple front with pilasters and pediments. The original marquee remains intact, and the building still has a major presence in the East 185th Street commercial district.

This event is FREE for members of the Cleveland Restoration Society. If you are not a member of CRS you must join first in order to attend the SNOOP. RSVP to JP Kilroy, 216-426-3116.

East 156th Street has a Block Party!

On Wednesday, September 22, residents and merchants, young people and seniors from all over the East 156th St. neighborhood joined together for food, entertainment and fellowship.

Reverand Becham from B&M Barbecue fired up the grill around 4:00 so he could “get some smoke in the air” as he put it. As we waited for the neighbors to show up, Rev. Becham handed out some samples to those of us that were there to set up for the festivities. After finishing my samples, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry if the food was going to be good. It wasn’t just good, it was excellent!

It was a beautiful night for a cook out. The food prepared by Rev. Becham included ribs, wings, fried chicken, mac & cheese, and spaghetti. Bobby Qasim from Lakeshore Food Mart provided the pop. Dessert was from Cakes by Sweetwater. If anyone went home hungry, it sure wasn’t because there was not enough good food.

Chairperson Patricia Harrison welcomed everyone to the first of hopefully many more Block Parties. Mrs. Harrison encouraged everyone to also attend the meetings which are the 4th Wednesday of every month at the Arts Collinwood Community Center (397 E.156th St.) at 6:00pm. She shared with the group that Councilman Polensek and the 5th District Police Department are at every meeting to listen to the questions and concerns of residents. Councilman Polensek and the 5th District Police also provide updates at the meetings on what is going on in the neighborhood. Mrs. Harrison told everyone “that the meetings are a good opportunity to meet and talk to your neighbors”.

Councilman Polensek thanked everyone for coming to the cook out. He told the group that “a neighborhood is only as good as the people in it and people can make a difference in their neighborhood by participating in Block Watches”.

Camille Maxwell, Real Estate Development Director from Northeast Shores, explained to the residents that most of them live in what is called a “Model Block”. Camille shared with the residents the various opportunities that are available to them because they live in a Model Block. Some of the initiatives offer help with the painting of the exterior of your home, another one helps with the weatherization of your home, and the Model Block Small Grant Rebate plan helps residents with exterior repairs or to help address any exterior violations they may have. Call Camille for a complete list of the opportunities available.

Liz Copic our “One Fun DJ” provided us with party music off of her Iphone. Yes Iphone! Technology is amazing these days. She had Rev. Becham dancing as he was cooking.

The Yo-Yo club was there dazzling the crowd with their yo-yo tricks. Merchants from Waterloo mingled with their customers. Old people were talking to young people and everyone was eating! A good time was had by all who attended.

If you would like to join the East 156th St. Block Club, all you have to do is attend their monthly meetings on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 6:00 at the Arts Collinwood Community Center.

If you are interested in starting a Block Watch in your neighborhood or want to find out if your neighborhood has a Block Watch, call Denise Lorek at 216-481-7660 for more information.

Cool Cleveland covers our Housing Efforts

We continue to develop houses throughout the neighborhood but we are particularly focused on the area immediately surrounding Waterloo and the Beachland Ballroom.

Cool Cleveland recently covered our efforts to redevelop houses. Check out the story here:
http://www2.coolcleveland.com/blog/2010/09/the-house-is-a-rockin-2/

If you are interested in touring one of our homes or hearing more, do not hesitate to contact Camille Maxwell at (216) 481-7660 or cmaxwell@northeastshores.org. We love giving tours so please don't hesitate to call.

Spay/Neuter at Cleveland APL

Been "adopted" by the cat outside? Feral and free-roaming cats are the largest contributors to the cat overpopulation crisis.

The Cleveland APL is committed to ending this developing tragedy and has a new TNR program to assist caretakers of feral (unsocialized, outdoor) cats. If you are feeding a cat outside, we invite you to be part of the overpopulation solution and take advantage of APL services! Through the Animal Welfare Clinic, the APL offers the following services for feral cats and their caretakers:

Spay/Neuter Services
Feral and homeless cat appointments are $25 for cats and $15 for kittens (8 - 16 weeks). The fee includes:

Spay or neuter surgery
Ear-tipping
Rabies vaccine
FVRCP vaccine
Felv/FIV SNAP testing is available upon request for $30
Cleveland Residents Can Help Stray Cats for $10 >>
Trapping Education and Trap Loan Program

Humane traps are available to APL clients for a non-refundable fee of $5 per week, per trap. A fully refundable $20 deposit is collected when the trap is issued. Our TNR Services Coordinator will provide how-to demonstrations and written instructions on how to successfully and humanely trap feral cats. How-to workshops may be coordinated for groups of caretakers and other interested parties free of charge at the Cleveland APL.

Help save a cat today! To sign up for feral cat services, or for additional information on how you can help, contact the Cleveland APL's Spay/Neuter Services Supervisor at 216-377-1624

New Boutique on Waterloo

Just next door to the incredible Blue Arrow Records is a new boutique store opening this Saturday. Grand opening from 7:00 to 10:00 on Saturday, October 2nd, Blue Arrow Boutique will be the newest addition to the growing Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District. The new boutique will have men's and women's vintage and retro clothing. The store will also sell knick-knacks, accessories, and furniture.

Address is 16001 Waterloo. For more details, call them up at (216) 486-2415.

Here is a word from the new store:

After opening the Blue Arrow Boutique for a sneak peek at the last Walk All Over Waterloo event, we're excited to announce that the boutique is finally opening its doors for some shopping! Join us this Saturday, October 2nd, from 7pm to 10pm for our grand opening. Swing by for hors d'oeuvres and punch and stay to peruse our selection of men's and women's vintage clothing, knick-knacks, and furniture.

We can't wait to see you there!
Debbie, Pete, & Jason

Speakeasy Part II

This coming Saturday, October 2nd, the Upstage Players and Slovenian Workmen's Home are hosting the second annual Speakeasy.

This fabulous event includes food, music, games of chance, live entertainment, and chinese auction. The music will be jazz music played in "New Orleans" style.

The event starts at 7:00. The Slovenian Workmen's Home is located 15335 Waterloo Road.

For more information, go to www.upstageplayers.com or call (216) 261-7591.

See you there!

Beach Cleanup This Weekend

It is time to clean Euclid Beach for September. Come on out this Saturday and help improve the appearance of the beach and lake water quality. Over 100 different volunteers have joined in this initiative. How about you too?

Here is an update from Stephen Love, Volunteer Coordinator for the Cleanup Efforts shared the following:

On Saturday August 21st, volunteers from Fifth Third Bank, Baldwin-Wallace College, John Carroll University, The Friends of Euclid Creek, The Cleveland Institute of Art and The City of South Euclid came together to clean and screen Euclid Beach Park! For our August cleanup, we collected close to 78 pounds of trash including 212 cigar tips, 179 plastic bottles, 149 caps/lids and much more!

Please be sure to join us for our next Beach Cleanup on Saturday September 25th from 10am-12pm at Euclid Beach Park as part of Ohio’s Coastweeks Celebration and the International Coastal Cleanup Day! Information on Coastweeks is available at: http://www.lakeerie.ohio.gov/Coastweeks.aspx

Walk All Over Waterloo Tonight!

Tonight is the September edition of Walk All Over Waterloo, which is a monthly merchant-driven evening to enjoy a little something extra or special in our Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District.

Tonight's schedule is described as the following:

Once a month, the merchants of Waterloo get together to make the street even more fun than usual. All the shops get into the act, and a party develops. This month, streetwide events start at 6pm (unless otherwise noted) and go into the wee hours. This is the biggest WAOW event yet. Details below.

You may have seen the new, slightly leaning tower at the corner of Waterloo and E156? The merchants are celebrating its arrival with live music and performance art, in collaboration with GROOP, 7-10pm. Look for rotating art installations on the tower to begin soon. A performance stage and other additions to the tower are also in the works.

(Events listed East to West, from the corner of E.161 to the corner of E.156)

The SS&W BOARDWALK
The Madison Crawl perform at 9pm, Free! 16011 Waterloo, 216-481-0077, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleveland-OH/The-SSW-Boardwalk/173366348099?v

BLUE ARROW RECORDS AND BOOKS
Party and preview of the new Blue Arrow Boutique. Lighting ceremony for the new neon blue arrow at 8:30! 16001 Waterloo, 216.486.2415, http://www.bluearrowrecords.com/

STAR POP vintage + modern
Is adding tons of extra 60's-90's vintage clothing for a limited time! Plus sale prices on many toys, video games, books, etc. 15813 Waterloo, 216.965.2368, http://starpopcleveland.com

C.L.E. Clothing Co.
Pop-up shop in The Annex of the old Shoparooni space! Spreading Cleveland pride one t-shirt at a time. 15813 Waterloo, 330-321-7774, http://www.cleclothingco.com/

MUSIC SAVES
Treats, specials on CDs and vinyl, and an impromptu alley party with live music! BYOB! 15801 Waterloo, 216.481.1875, http://www.MUSICSAVES.com/

BEACHLAND BALLROOM & TAVERN
Ballroom: Beachland Barn Dance with One Dollar Hat, Hiram Rapids Stumblers, Silver String Band, Waxwings String Band, 8pm, $7 Tavern: Peter Case & Band, Deadbeat Poets, 9pm, $14adv/$16dos. 15711 Waterloo, 216.383.1124, http://beachlandballroom.com/

THIS WAY OUT VINTAGE
Vintage clothing, accessories, albums, and other one-of-a-kind things in the basement of the Beachland Ballrom. 15711 Waterloo, 216.383.1124, http://www.beachlandballroom.com/two3.htm

REBEL CITY TATTOO STUDIO
20% off all tattoos. Live music on the sidewalk. Enter-to-win prizes, including a $50 gift certificate! 15701 Waterloo, 216.481.1635, http://www.rebelcitytattoo.com/

THE HEAD SHOP
All glass pipes and water pipes will be 15% off. 15615 Waterloo, 216.403.0328, http://theHeadShop.org

SALTY NOT SWEET
Celebrate the first anniversary of partner Melissa Klimo-Major's Terra Verde Soap & Candle Co. with giveaways, freebies, snacks, refreshments, and a sale! 15613 Waterloo, 216.481.3925, http://saltynotsweetcraft.wordpress.com/details/

ARTS COLLINWOOD GALLERY
Hope for the Picture Guild: New Paintings by Matthew Dibble Show opening, wine & cheese reception in the Gallery. Enter-to-win 2 free tickets to Collinwood Unveiled. 15605 Waterloo, 216.692.9500, http://artscollinwood.org/gallery/

ARTS COLLINWOOD CAFÉ
Full bar, coffee, tapas, art, and more! Open ‘til 11pm or later! Discount beer specials in the Cafe when you bring in a receipt from another Waterloo business! 15601 Waterloo, 216.692.9500, http://artscollinwood.org/cafe/

AZURE STAINED GLASS STUDIO
Open Studio: stop in to see Ben and Mary hard at work fashioning some amazing stained glass pieces! 15602 Waterloo, 216.357.2600, http://www.azurestainedglass.com

Back to School at Lakeshore Beach

On Thursday, August 19, the management of Lakeshore Beach Apartments, Northeast Shores Development Corporation and Shoes and Clothes for Kids teamed up for the first “Back to School night”. This event was held in the new Community Center located in the front of the apartment complex. Over 200 parents and children gathered for hot dogs and book bags. Shoes and Clothes for Kids donated 90 book bags to this event. Northeast Shores and Lakeshore Beach Apartments donated school supplies and food.

Myra Freeman-Pereria and her staff cooked over 200 hotdogs to feed the children and their parents before we started the book bag give away. Just to make it more fun we put the children’s names in a briefcase and pulled them out one by one. Myra said “The joy on the faces of the children here when receiving their book bags was just priceless. I believe very passionately in no child left behind, and with the help of Northeast Shores and Shoes and Clothes for Kids I think we helped make a great start to the new school year”. There were lots of smiles and happy faces. We even gave some pencils and paper to the moms who are returning back to school to learn critical job skills.

This is just the first part of making sure these children excel in school this year. The management of Lakeshore Beach is trying to start a mentoring/tutoring program to help the children with their homework. If you can spare some time and would like to help out, please call Myra at 216-383-4274 or Denise Lorek at 216-481-7660.

The Tower is Up!

The long awaited Tower installed at Waterloo and East 156th Street

Moritz Metal and Wood installed the Tower which is a collaboration of artist Christopher Diehl, and Moritz Wood & Metal / fabricator and artist Mike Moritz.

The placemaking and public art armature Tower was conceived as part of the Waterloo Streetscape Plan working with the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative of NOACA. The initiative was spearheaded collectively through the efforts of the community with Northeast Shores Development. Continued streetscape improvements are planned for the district. Construction is expected to commence in 2012 for the total plan which included final programming of the area surrounding the Tower. This planning phase will be conducted together with Osborn Engineering, Knight & Stolar, Inc., Planning Consultants & Landscape Architects and The City of Cleveland Department of Construction and Engineering.

The Tower was done in partnership with The City of Cleveland with support from Councilman Michael D. Polensek, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and the community through the efforts of Arts Collinwood and Northeast Shores.

Chris Diehl from dielio inc artist provided some history regarding the philosophy behind the creation of the Tower concept. “The large area of asphalt intersection at E. 156th and Waterloo streets was created in order to turn street trolleys around. The trolleys served this vibrant working class neighborhood and they, in turn, served the Collinwood rail yards. Visitors also poured onto Waterloo in order to spend the day at the Euclid Beach Park Amusement park just north off of Lake Shore Blvd. After the trolley service ended, the amusement park closed and I-90 cut the Waterloo neighborhood off from the rail yards. This intersection became a large and ungainly place for cars and trucks to pass through and a hazard for the wary pedestrian.”

“The Waterloo placemaking Tower stakes a flag, of sorts, into reclaiming that area as a new civic heart for this reawakening district now reprogrammed for the visual and entertainment arts. The tower will act as the centerpiece of the new pedestrian-friendly plaza next to Arts Collinwood Gallery and the Café at Arts Collinwood. As such, the raw stainless steel structure will become a site for temporary public art installations and live music performance. Like the neighborhood around it, it becomes the container to house and display the incredible talent and gifts of the Waterloo community.

Sarah Gyorki Executive Director at Arts Collinwood stated, “The Waterloo Public Art Selection Committee has been established to review artist submittals that will be solicited following the course of each season throughout the year. Congratulations to Mike Moritz and to Chris Diehl for the work that they have done. Now that the tower's in place, Robin Van Lear will collaborate with another artist after a site visit. As soon as we have the proposal from them, we'll share it with the full committee. The merchants on Waterloo are planning a Walk All Over Waterloo event for the tower unveiling on Sept 17. We hope to have an installation in place and some entertainment for that evening -- live music, food and drink, specials at various venues on the street, including the lighting of the new sign at Blue Arrow Records and Books.”

Fabricator / Artist Mike Moritz appreciated the congratulations offered for the initiative, but tempered his comment with the team effort that went into the project. “Thanks to everyone involved with the Tower project. I still have a few finishing touches on the structure. I will also be creating the specifications regarding future installations of public art on the Tower. The document will then be turned over to the Tower Public Art Committee as an addendum to the request for proposal submittals to artists. The coolest thing about this endeavor is that it stands alone as a placemaking structure, but the evolution of possibilities is endless regarding art installations within the context of the Tower.”

Vince Reddy from Cleveland Public Art commented that: “The tower looks great. I think the Tower being placed there is a triumph in the aesthetically conservative atmosphere of Cleveland.”

Isaac Sams YoYo's on Waterloo

Duncan filmed some guy named Isaac Sams doing yo-yo tricks all over Waterloo.

Check in out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q21vCYwXRY4

Perry from the YoYo Club and Mac's Lock Shop said this about Isaac:
"Isaac Sams is featured in the video, and is a member of the Cleveland Yo-Yo Club at the corner of E.160th. Street and Waterloo Rd.....right behind Star Pop. Ike is only 13 years old, and is already a force to be reckoned with at Yo-Yo Contests.....wish him the best of luck at Worlds this weekend! Ike has also recently placed 4th. in his region, and is heading to Nationals in October!"

Help Wanted!

Northeast Shores currently has an opening for a Housing Programs Manager/Property Manager.

Attached is the job posting and how you can submit resumes.

Please share this news with anyone you know that might be interested.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/36376235/Housing-Manager-Job-Posting

Story about Greene mentions Waterloo Mural

When the story about Danny Greene was flashed across the cover of yesterday's Sunday Plain Dealer, we read with great anticipation to see if the story would cover the addition of the "KABOOM" mural last year. Well, it wasn't until the very, very end but the Plain Dealer covered it. Great job, Clint O'Connor! Thanks for noticing!

Meanwhile, the full story can be read at:
http://www.cleveland.com/moviebuff/index.ssf/2010/08/cleveland_gangster_danny_green.html

Over fifty middle-school students recently completed a free NASA summer camp. The summer camp was prepared and presented by Paragon, TEC. Each student engaged in the NASA's Summer of Innovation thematic units of Rocketry, Meteorology and Aviation prepared and presented by Paragon TEC, Inc.

“All of the middle school students eagerly set up the science experiments, met the design challenges and explored the NASA content with great energy and curiosity,” said Gail Dolman-Smith, President and CEO of Paragon TEC, Inc. “Paragon TEC, Inc., a leader in STEM education, is honored to partner with NASA and provide these free STEM Learning Experiences to the children of the Collinwood and Euclid neighborhoods."

Each morning, students from throughout Northeast Shores (but primarily from Euclid and Cleveland) visited VASJ High School and participated in fun, learning activities that taught them core skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The instructors provided direction as attending students worked in teams and individually on a wide range of projects.

"Hosting the NASA Camp at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School was a perfect dovetailing of interests, “ said Brian Menard, President of VASJ High School. “How ideal for us to host a camp that excites students about science and technology, and where better for the camp than at a school featuring a pre-Engineering program as distinct as VASJ's."

Northeast Shores acted as local coordinator for the camp. Northeast Shores was responsible for advertising the free summer camp, accepting applications from interested age-appropriate students and finding a host site that could support the planned activities. Northeast Shores jumped at the chance to have the summer camp at VASJ High School since VASJ already has the appropriate classrooms and laboratories necessary for the camp to be a success.

“This summer camp was a great collaboration between Paragon TEC, VASJ High School, and Northeast Shores,” said Denise Lorek, Community Organizer for Northeast Shores. “Admittedly, this opportunity popped up last minute but the community responded quickly and slots filled quickly. Working with VASJ on hosting was a breeze.”

It is anticipated that this collaboration will continue throughout the school year and next summer as well.

Apply for Neighborhood Connections

Do you have an idea that would benefit the North Collinwood area, but you could use some funding to get your idea off the ground?

If so, please think about applying for a grant from Neighborhood Connections. The next deadline for Neighborhood Connection is August 13th. The last grant making workshop in this area is August 3rd.

If you are thinking about applying for a grant from Neighborhood Connections please try to make the August 3rd workshop at the Collinwood Library 856 E. 152nd St. from 4-6pm.

All grant applications need to be in the Neighborhood Connections office located at 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1510, Cleveland, OH 44115 by 5:00 on August 13th. H

ere are some examples of some of the groups that were approved in the last round. Grants were awarded to the Yo-Yo Club, the Ohio All Stars Basketball Group, North Collinwood Thundercats, The E. 185th St. Block Watch and the E.185th St. Merchants Association.

If you would like to know more about Neighborhood Connections you can go to www.neighborhoodconnections.org. If you want to talk to Northeast Shores about us being your fiscal agent, please contact Denise Lorek at dlorek@northeastshores.org

Ohio State Yo-Yo Contest Tomorrow

From 9:30 am to 4:00 pm tomorrow (July 31st), the 2010 Ohio State Yo-Yo Contest will occur right here in North Collinwood.

Thanks to the organizing efforts of Steve and Perry from the Cleveland Yo-Yo Club, the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo) will hos this great contest. It is only $5 to compete and absolutely free to watch.

For more information, visit www.ohioyoyo.com or www.clevelandyoyoclub.com !

Car Show and Christmas in July on Waterloo

Come on out to Waterloo tomorrow (Saturday, July 24th) for the Waterloo's first car show and other great stuff. The street will be celebrating its first classic car cruise-in and Blue Arrow will be hosting a mini-flea market in the Blue Arrow Annex.

Just next door, StarPop will be having a Holiday Party from 7 to 11 pm to celebrate Christmas in July. On Sunday, StarPop DJs the Beachland Brunch from 11 am to 3 pm.

All this fun is right off I-90. StarPop is located at 15813 Waterloo. Blue Arrow Records is located at 16001 Waterloo.

Cleaning and Sculpting at Euclid Beach

This past Saturday, several volunteers visited Euclid Beach State Park on a beautiful afternoon. It was reported that over 74 pounds of trash were cleared!

After hours of cleaning the beach and park, the volunteers then transitioned into a sand sculpture contest.

The event was such a major event that the Plain Dealer featured it on the cover of the Sunday July 18th Metro Section. To view the coverage in the Plain Dealer, paste the following link in your web browser:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/07/groups_join_forces_to_clean_up.html

If you want to support the efforts of the Euclid Beach Adopt A Beach Team, please join us for a clean-up and/or consider making a small donation to the effort. Donations will be used to acquire additional trash and recycling containers for the park. Donations can be sent (in any amount) to: Euclid Beach Adopt a Beach c/o Northeast Shores, 317 East 156th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44110.

Keep checking our blog and calendar for additional cleanup events coming soon.

YoYo Club added to Presentations

Tomorrow (July 20th) is the July quarterly meeting for the membership of Northeast Shores.

After updates from Councilman Polensek and Fifth District Police Commander Wayne Drummond, there will be a series of guest speakers. Each of these speakers is a volunteer in the community making a difference. These volunteer initiatives are creating big change in the neighborhood.

If you are a member of Northeast Shores, you probably received the meeting announcement that the following groups will be speaking:
Lee Kay, Neighborhood Connections
Stephen Love, Euclid Beach Adopt A Beach
Ginger Hannah, North Collinwood Feral Cat Project
Daina White/Keyana Thomas, Cleveland Thurdercats

Northeast Shores also invited other neighborhood groups to present but not all were confirmed at the time of the mailing. We just heard that Perry Prine from the Cleveland YoYo Club will also be joining us. With the upcoming Ohio State YoYo Contest occurring in the neighborhood on July 31st, Perry should be full of news you can use.

Please come join us tomorrow night and remember that we are no longer meeting at the library. The NEW location for these quarterly meetings will be the Golden Age Center at 16600 Lake Shore Boulevard. Also, the meeting starts at 6:30!

LeBron isn't the only one leaving

On the same day the Plain Dealer reported LeBron James' decision to leave the Cavaliers for Miami, the Metro section carried a story even closer to home for residents of North Shore Collinwood.

After nearly a decade at the helm, Sarah Gyorki will soon be stepping down as Executive Director of Arts Collinwood. Over the last several years, Sarah and Arts Collinwood have become integral parts of the meteoric rise of the Waterloo Arts District.

While we trust that the board of Arts Collinwood will successfully secure new leadership, we know that Sarah's dedication and passion will be sorely missed! We want to wish Sarah good luck as she moves onto the next phase of her life.

If you wish to read the whole Plain Dealer story, check it out here:
http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2010/07/arts_collinwood_executive_dire.html

Friday Magazine highlights Waterloo

Last week, the cover story for the Friday Magazine section of the Plain Dealer ran a great center spread on the various unique businesses on Waterloo Road.

This was great coverage for the growing Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District. We particularly loved the drawings of the buildings along the south side of the street.

Please see the story in its online format here:
http://www.cleveland.com/waterloo/index.ssf/2010/06/meet_waterloo_burgeoning_arts_and_entertainment_district_bursts_with_revitalized-neighborhood_pride.html

Free NASA Summer Camp

Northeast Shores is excited to announce that we are partnering with Paragon TEC and VASJ High School to bring a unique FREE summer camp experience to the neighborhood. Students participating in the program will have a fun experience working with NASA curriculum. This curriculum includes hands-on experiments in aviation, robotics, rocketry, weather, and the search of life on other planets!

Students entering 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades can participate in this FREE summer camp that will start July 12th. The camp will be for four (4) hours each day and will start at 8:00 am each morning. The camp lasts for three weeks and will be located at VASJ High School (18491 Lakeshore Blvd.)

If you are the parent (or guardian) of a 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade student, we strongly suggest you respond quickly to this opportunity since space is limited. Please complete the enclosed application and return to Denise Lorek at Northeast Shores. Our address is 317 East 156th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44110. Our fax number is (216) 481-7129 and Denise's e-mail address is dlorek@northeastshores.org.

Just copy and paste the following link in your web browser:
http://www.scribd.com/full/33640831?access_key=key-v0jwrtv71uxv9lzwmvg

Rebuilding Toghether is back!

WOW!!! Once again, Northeast Shores is teaming up with Rebuilding Together and assisting Kimberly Ford with the paint through the Paint Cleveland Program to have her home painted on June 26, 2010 (an all day voluntarily event) taking place at 1014 E.169th Street.

Euclid Beach keeps getting cleaner

We just received another update from Stephen Love (Euclid Beach Adopt-A-Beach Team Coordinator). Sounds like the beach keeps getting cleaner and cleaner. Take advantage of this great news by enjoying the lake with a picnic at sunset in the near future.

Also, don't forget the next beach clean-up is July 17th, which will also include a sand castle contest. Come on out!

Here is Stephen's update:

On Saturday May 22nd, volunteers from Arts Collinwood, Tri-C, Baldwin-Wallace College, The Friends of Euclid Creek and local residents came together to clean and screen Euclid Beach Park! Even in the heat, we collected over 90 pounds of trash including 640 cigar tips, 450 pieces of plastic, 180 caps/lids and much more!

With summer upon us, we are going to need your help! Join the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team this summer along with 9,000+ other volunteers across the Great Lakes as we tackle some of the toughest months of the year for beach and water quality! Remember, our Great Lakes constitute over 1/5 of the earth's fresh surface water so let’s take care of them while we still have the chance!

Join us for our next beach visit on Saturday July 17th at 11am at Euclid Beach Park as part of an all day event. Arts Collinwood has partnered with the Euclid Beach Adopt-A-Beach Team to bring you a day of summer festivities and family fun at Euclid Beach. We will kick off the day with a beach clean up where you can help take care of Cleveland's greatest resource. Then grab your shovels and start building your best sand creations. Get ready for lots of prizes! After all that hard work, enjoy a cookout and entertainment by local artists.

*For more information, contact Stephen Love slove@mail.bw.edu or call 216-571-0685

Waterloo Arts Fest THIS Saturday!

The buzz is growing! The street is getting spruced up. The bands are tuning their guitars! It is just a few short, short days until the Waterloo Arts Fest kicks off this Saturday (June 26th) from noon to seven. Come on out and enjoy the art and music at the Waterloo Arts Fest. Also, please stop by the Northeast Shores booth to get the new "Welcome to Waterloo" postcards hot off the presses.

Here are some more details about this coming Saturday:

Only noon to 7 pm? Seven measly hours to watch the parade; buy jewelry, prints, T-shirts, hats and ceramics; listen to music on four stages and watch improv theater on another; take in the Annual Members’ Show at the Arts Collinwood gallery (plus Bruno Casiano’s rather gorgeous paintings in the Café); be diverted by strolling performers; shop the Beachland’s Rock’n’Roll flea market; watch your kids creating Lego sculptures; make your very own buttons; and eat, oh my lord, eat? All that, after arriving at 11:45 to catch the unveiling of Jake Kelly’s mural on the north wall of the Arts Collinwood building? Better start training now.

The music, of course, is the big attraction for many; the art shopping is extremely tempting; but for me, this year, it’s going to be the food – Blitz BarBque and the Dim and Den Sum food truck. Dim and Den Sum is the creation of two former employees of Fire Food and Drink on Shaker Square; they roam the city in their truck, dispensing – for instance – the Banh taco (pate, ham, slaw); crispy tater tots with Amish cheese curds and gravy; pulled pork with kimchi slaw, smashed tots and Bourbon-soy bbq sauce in a Po-boy wrap. Blitz makes the best pulled pork I’ve tasted yet; this will have to be put to the test.

For a lot of Fest detail, go to www.waterlooartsfest.com or pick up the June Collinwood Observer – it contains an insert combining the Fest program with the Summer Guide (in small print, because this is such a happening neighborhood).

Oh – nearly forgot to mention – the highly individual businesses that populate Waterloo (arts, crafts, tattoos, smoking accessories, vintage, vintage, vintage, music, music, music) will be open for business.

And only seven hours. You may have to come back.

Help Keep Euclid Beach Permanently Clean

The incredibly active Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach team is trying to raise money to permanently improve the beach with new trash cans and recycling bins. Just a small donation could make a huge difference. See below for all the details:

The Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach team wants to buy new trash and recycling bins for Euclid Beach Park and we need your help! If you are not familiar, Adopt-a-Beach is a volunteer organization and subsidiary of the Alliance for The Great Lakes, a Chicago based non-profit dedicated to sustaining and improving the health of our lakes and beaches. Each month our team at Euclid Beach conducts beach clean ups. From our waste data collected, it is apparent that Euclid Beach Park faces improper waste disposal problems. On the beach currently, there are three 55-gallon open steel drum barrels that are used for trash disposal. These units are inadequate for containing trash because:
(1) trash overflow is problematic during the summer months
(2) animals like seagulls and raccoons remove and spread trash across the beach

The spread of trash across the beach is a likely contributor to higher levels of bacteria in the surrounding sand and water. Visibly, it communicates a lack of care for the quality of our beaches, encouraging even more littering.

The Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team wants to purchase and install three trash and three recycling stations at each major entry point onto the beach. We have selected trash and recycling units that are anchored, closed lid and made of recycled materials.

**In order for this project to be successful, we need your support! Our team hopes to raise $1500.00 in individual contributions by early July! All we ask from you is a $5.00 donation!

Mail checks only to:
Northeast Shores Development Corporation
317 East 156th Street
Cleveland, OH 44110

Make checks out to Northeast Shores Development Corp.

Indicate "Euclid Beach Project" on the subject line

*For more information, contact Stephen Love slove@mail.bw.edu (216)-571-0685*

Party like its 1910

The recently formed Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society is holding a garden party on June 18, 2010 starting at 6:00 pm. The party will occur at the Zaller Building Garden (16006 Waterloo).

The garden party will have a Carrousel theme since 2010 is the 100th anniversary of the Euclid Beach Carrousel.

Bring a lawn chair and a dessert to share. For more information, contact Mary Louise at (216) 486-1298 or collhotthistory@aol.com.

Enjoy the Free Concert this Weekend.

Sorry for the late notice but we just received word about a great free event this weekend. If you have not yet seen this hidden little gem on Waterloo, you are missing out on one of the greatest secrets in the neighborhood. If you have been to the garden, you need to go again because it is new and improved.

The following is the description for a great community event. Hope to see you there!

CONCERTS IN THE SCULPTURE GARDEN

The first of this summer’s three Sculpture Garden concerts is this Sunday (June 6), 2-4 pm, and it’s thanks to Nan Kennedy meeting composer Timothy Mauthe, a CIM student, at a concert in the Arts Collinwood Gallery. Tim has rounded up five equally talented friends to play one of his compositions, along with works by composers you just might have heard of. I hope lots of neighbors will come and applaud!

The program: Haydn String Quartet No. 56 in E Major, Op. 71, No. 3; Mauthe String Quartet No. 3; Intermission; Schubert String Quintet in C Major, Op. 163 (D. 956). Performers: Greta Mutlu, violin; Micah Ringham, violin; John Ward, viola; Erica Snowden, cello; Carlos Javier, cello.

The sculpture garden adjoining the Zaller Building at 16006 Waterloo has been refurbished by volunteer gardeners with donated plants, and is sprouting new sculptures. It’s shady and cool, and admission is free (performers may pass the hat). Bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, children. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

In case of rain, concerts will move to the Arts Collinwood gallery, 15605 Waterloo. For information, call Arts Collinwood at 216-692-9500. The concerts are being presented by the Waterloo Sculpture Garden, with Arts Collinwood and the merchants of Waterloo Road.

For date-savers: Sunday, July 11, 2-4 pm: UpStage Theater's improv troupe;

August 8, 2-4 pm: The Four Corners Clarinet Quartet with a program of blues, classics, pops, jazz and movie music.

We blog AND tweet

Community Organizer tweets!
Did you ever wonder just what a Community Organizer does??
Do you want to know what Northeast Shores is up to?
Do you want to know what is going on in North Collinwood?
Would you like to know when the next block watch meeting or event in your area is?
Do you have a tip you think might be tweet worthy? Let me know and I will tweet about it.

Go to twitter@neshoresdenise to follow the tweets posted by Denise Lorek, Community Organizer for Northeast Shores.

Another Successful Beach Clean-up

Stephen Love is the volunteer coordinator for the Euclid Beach Adopt-A-Beach activities. A couple weeks ago, he led volunteers on the second clean-up of the year. Below are the details and how you can get involved for the June 19th clean-up.

On Saturday May 22nd, volunteers from Arts Collinwood, Tri-C, Baldwin-Wallace College and East Lake North High School came together to clean and screen the Euclid Beach! Even in the May showers, we collected over 50 pounds of trash including: 550 cigar tips, 170 caps and lids, 230 pieces of plastic and much more!

With summer around the corner, we are going to need your help! Join the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team this summer along with 7,000+ other volunteers across the Great Lakes as we tackle some of the toughest months of the year for beach and water quality! Our next beach visit will be on Saturday June 19th from 10am-12pm at Euclid Beach Park and do not forget about our big cleanup, sand castle contest and barbecue on Saturday July 17th!

*For more information, contact Stephen Love slove@mail.bw.edu

no rain on our parade

This past saturday, the second annual Alive on E185 parade stepped off at 10:30 as scheduled. While the weather looked ominous and it was sprinkling earlier that morning, the skies cleared just in time for the neighborhood to enjoy this wonderful event.

More than 30 units marched the length of the street. Bands played. Politicians threw candy. Children cheered.

The parade was followed by a sidewalk sale, which Mother Nature was not so kind to. At about 2pm, a brief thunderstorm washed out the sidewalk sale.

Overall, the event was great and plans for 2011 are already underway.

Alive on E185 Tomorrow

The buzz is growing. The parade lineup is squared away. The flowers are planted. the banners are up.

THERE WILL BE A PARADE TOMORROW!!

Hope to see you there.

The parade starts at 10:30 am (rain or shine).

Recreation Center breaks ground!

On a beautiful spring morning, the new Collinwood Recreation Center broke ground this past Saturday, May 15th.

A large crowd was present as Councilman Polensek started off the flurry of speeches commemorating the special day. The crowd listened attentively as Polensek, Senator George Voinovich, Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, Representative Marcia Fudge, and State Representative Kenny Yuko commented on all the hard work that made this day a reality.

After the speeches and the ceremonial dirt shoveling, the Northeast Cleveland Little League kicked off their annual parade to Humphrey Park.

The following day (Monday), work crews could be seen continuing the work on the building.

Census Worker at Your Door

The US Census may knock on your door if you did not complete your census forms. Please read the following to know how to tell if that door knocker is really with the census or it is a scam:

To ensure a complete and accurate count of residents nationwide, the Census Bureau on May 1, 2010 will begin Non-Response Follow Up field operations as census takers contact those households that did not mail back completed census questionnaires.

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau is mandated by the government to count everyone living in the United States. By achieving an accurate count of the U.S. population, census data helps form the basis for many important political, economic, and social decisions that affect our nation and impact our daily lives.

“We need the help and cooperation of every household we visit to answer ten short questions,” said Dwight P. Dean, Detroit Regional Director for the U.S. Census Bureau. “Answering the questions asked by the Enumerators helps every community get its fair share of billions in federal funds and the correct number of political representatives in the U.S. Congress.”

A U.S. Census taker will have a census ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark. The census taker may also be carrying a bag with a Census Bureau logo. If asked, he or she will provide you with photo identification, supervisor contact information and/or the Local Census Office phone number for verification. The 2010 Census only includes the 10 questions found on the 2010 Census form. Census workers will never ask for Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or bank account information. Further, census workers will never ask to enter a home. If census workers are unable to reach a household member in-person, they will also attempt contact by phone to conduct the interview with a household member. Census workers will never attempt to contact individuals by e-mail.

Euclid Beach Clean-up!

A new initiative has started to help clean up Euclid Beach State Park. Thanks to several dedicated volunteers, the clean-up on April 24th was very successful.

Below is an account from the clean-up and how YOU can get involved:

On Saturday April 24th, volunteers from Cleveland Jobs Corps, Arts Collinwood, Tri-C, Baldwin-Wallace College, Case Western Reserve University, and John Carroll University came together to clean and screen the Euclid Beach! It is only April and we collected over 150 pounds of trash! Some of our top trash items collected included plastic cigar tips with over 800 collected, plastic caps and pieces with over 300 collected, and plastic bags with over 150 collected!

With summer around the corner, we are going to need your help! Join the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team this summer along with 7,000+ other volunteers across the Great Lakes as we tackle some of the toughest months of the year for beach and water quality!

Remember, our Great Lakes constitute over 1/5 of the earth's fresh surface water. Let’s take care of them while we still have the chance!

Our next beach visit will be on Saturday May 22nd from 10am-12pm at Euclid Beach Park!

*For more information, contact Stephen Love slove@mail.bw.edu or call 216-571-0685

Recreation Center Groundbreaking on May 15

In just over one week, the entire community is invited to come to the Collinwood Recreation Center groundbreaking!

After more than 10 years of planning and advocating, the neighborhood vision of having a top-notch community recreation center will begin the final steps towards reality.

All the details about the groundbreaking are below. Please, please make an effort to come out and celebrate this major community milestone.

You are most cordially invited to attend the official GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY for the new COLLINWOOD COMMUNITY & RECREATION CENTER

SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2010 at 10:00 AM

On-site at 16500 Lakeshore Boulevard (formerly known as the Big Lots property)
Plenty of Parking will be available

Join Mayor Frank G. Jackson, Councilman Michael D. Polensek, Ward 11, Councilman Eugene Miller, Ward 10, Director Mike Cox, City of Cleveland, Department of Parks & Recreation, Architect Paul Volpe of City Architecture, Panzica Construction and a host of other Elected Officials and Community Enthusiasts as we break ground for this new state-of-the-art, eco-friendly, recreational facility in the historic Collinwood community.

Any questions please feel free to call Councilman Polensek at (216) 664-4236.

Clean-up on East 185th

With the “Alive on 185” Parade and Sidewalk Sale coming May 22, 2010, its time to give the street a good spring cleaning.

On April 23rd, East 185th St. was swept and cleaned by a group of volunteers and the staff of Northeast Shores. Lucky for us, it was a beautiful day. We started at noon with our brooms at the Lithuanian Hall and worked our way down the street sweeping and cleaning as needed.

The East 185th St. Block Watch members JP Franczyk, his wife Bev, and Pat Lorek rolled up their sleeves to pitch in. They helped Laura Robinson, Vice President of the E.185th Merchants and Professionals Association, and the staff from Northeast Shores sweep and clean East 185th Street.

The City of Cleveland Division of Waste Collection provided a dumpster for free as part of their “Clean Sweep” program. PNC Bank donated garbage bags and Northeast Shores brought the brooms. Jeanne from the Harland Pub provided us with refreshments as we made our way down the street.

While we were stopping for refreshments, we noticed the Harland Pub had a butt collector in front of their establishment. Jeanne commented they had to get a butt collector because the bucket with sand they had out there before was not working. “Nobody was using it” she said of the bucket they had out there before. As we progressed down the street, the cleaners couldn’t help but notice that if there were more Butt Collectors in front of businesses maybe there wouldn’t be so many cigarette butts on the street. Yes, folks there were lots of cigarette butts along with the usual trash.

As we crossed the street and made our way back up East 185th St., Frank Barresi from Martin’s Men’s Wear was waiting for us with cold bottles of water. Around 2:30 we were joined by the Franczyk children, Tom and Hannah, who were a big help. Hannah, by the way, has her own clean-up business called Boop’s Poop. Hannah for a small fee will come to your house and pick up dog poop for you. If you would like to employ Hannah, you can call Denise at Northeast Shores and she will give you Hannah’s contact information.

By the time we got back to the Lithuanian Hall at 4:00, we were all tired, sore and dirty but the street was nice and clean. As Laura stood back and looked down the street she commented “the street looks so much more inviting when it is all cleaned up”. The clean up crew would like to thank those businesses who take the time to clean up in front of their stores.

*If you would like more information about a butt collector for your business, please call Denise Lorek or John Boksansky at 216-481-7660. They would be more than happy to help you obtain one.