Friday, April 29, 2011

Music is the Weapon

Michael Gill (formerly of Scene Magazine) wrote the following great blog about what the Beachland Ballroom and Northeast Shores are doing to transform North Shore Collinwood. The text of the blog follows the link to Michael's blog:

http://gyroscopethattakesyouplaces.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/music-is-the-weapon-in-collinwood/

Music Is The Weapon In Collinwood
April 25, 2011 by gyroscopethattakesyouplaces


FEMI KUTI COMES TO BEACHLAND; ROCK HALL ASKS, CAN MUSIC BE CLEVELAND’S WEAPON?

While he was running for president, Nigerian Afro pop founder and heavyweight champion Fela Kuti declared the neighborhood around his Lagos nightclub to be independent of the rest of Nigeria. He called his neighborhood the Kalakuta Republic.

The familiar-in-Cleveland phrase “arts district” is way out of its league, here, but bear with me if you can stand it. The tiny nation was anchored both spiritually and economically by Kuti’s nightclub, The Shrine, the de facto religious shrine where Kuti performed each night. According to the documentary Music Is The Weapon, The band would start playing late at night, break for sacred ritual at one or two in the morning, and then continue the party until dawn.

Every aspect of Fela Kuti’s life, it seems, was extreme. He was charismatic like Elvis. He founded a political party (Movement Of the People) in response to government corruption and a general failure to lead in Nigeria. The government responded to his political ambition by sending 1000 solders to raid the Shrine. They brutally beat people, including women and children. They threw his mother –a political figure in her own right–out a second story window. Days later she would die of injuries. Afterward Kuti took 27 women under his care by marrying them all in a single ceremony. They were his “queens” –the singers of his choir who gave his music a mighty rhythmic punch. The music of the Kalakuta republic and its nightclub shrine employed hundreds of Nigerians. When Fela Kuti died of AIDS in 1997, more than a million people attended his funeral.

North Collinwood is going to feel a little like the Kalakuta Republic this week as Femi Kuti, son of Fela, brings his band Positive Force to the Beachland Ballroom. His sound is a little more western than his father’s, a little more hip hop, and – he has said—a little more jazz.

Femi Kuti is not to be missed. Buy your tickets here: http://www.beachlandballroom.com/calendar.asp?Page=1

And if you haven’t seen the video Music is the Weapon (Stephane Tchall-Godjieff and Jean Jacques Flori’s landmark documentary about Fela Kuti) check that out, too.

I’ll wager that more than one Cleveland music fan has already referred to the Beachland as a shrine. The former social is a mainstay not only on Cleveland’s music scene, but also for the economy of the Waterloo neighborhood. It’s the main attraction, bringing people and new investment into the neighborhood.

Indeed, up and down Waterloo, new shops have popped up, drawn by the neighborhood’s independent musical vibe, and adding to it. Even the Northeast Shores CDC is trying to leverage the attraction, by marketing the neighborhood’s low-cost houses to musicians.

Meanwhile, Beachland co-owner Cindy Barber will explore the question of whether rock and roll can revive neighborhoods the following week as part of a panel discussion hosted by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Changing Gears, the public radio collaboration between NPR stations in rustbelt cities struggling to re-invent themselves.

Can music be the weapon for Cleveland? Check out the Rock Hall’s Living for the City forum: http://rockhall.com/event/living-for-the-city/

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

We are "off the grid"

Northeast Shores is experiencing a multi-day phone and internet outage! We have had zero phone, internet or fax capability since Sunday. If you are trying to get a hold of us, please be patient while we are "off the grid". If you are one of the other 200+ neighborhood residents and businesses also affected, we feel your pain!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Blue Arrow Records on Channel Five

Blue Arrow Records was recently covered on the news by Channel Five. Check out the story here:

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Cleveland-record-shop-uses-old-album-covers-as-flooring

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

CSO Groundbreaking Moved!

The CSO Groundbreaking meeting tomorrow has been moved to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. Hope to see you there and hope the change in location wasn't too confusing.

Here is the updated press release:

Media Contacts:
Jennifer Elting
216.881.6600 office | 216.214.0542 mobile
eltingj@neorsd.org

Jean Chapman
216.881.6600 office | 216.214.2215 mobile
chapmanj@neorsd.org

Euclid Creek Tunnel Groundbreaking Set for April 20, 2011

Cleveland (April 12, 2011) – The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Euclid Creek Tunnel on Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at 11 a.m. at the Sewer District’s Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. The groundbreaking event will feature remarks from area leaders as well as a symbolic shovel ceremony.

The Euclid Creek Tunnel is a $197 million project that will capture combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, drastically reducing raw sewage that enters our waterways during heavy storms. Construction is scheduled to begin on Euclid Creek Tunnel in April, 2011, and will continue for four years.

Two additional large-scale construction projects will be integrated with the Euclid Creek Tunnel. The Tunnel Dewatering Pump Station is an $80 million project that will pump sewage out of the storage tunnel to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. Upon completion of the Euclid Creek Tunnel, the Sewer District will begin construction on the Dugway Storage Tunnel, which will further reduce combined sewer overflows in the area.

“When all three projects are complete, one billion gallons of combined sewage will be captured each year and not discharged into Lake Erie,” said Kellie Rotunno, Director of Engineering and Construction, NEORSD. “Projects such as this not only benefit the environment, but Clevelanders are put to work and the local economy benefits as well.”

The Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant is located at 14021 Lakeshore Boulevard in Cleveland. Due to homeland security regulations, a photo i.d. is required to enter our facility. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are recommended.

# # #

About ECT:
The Euclid Creek Tunnel will start in Bratenahl, south of Interstate 90, and continue northeast to the District’s Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. There, the tunnel will continue under Lake Erie for about 3000 feet and pass under the shoreline near Green Creek at East 152nd Street. The tunnel will then head east, following Lake Shore Boulevard and Nottingham Road, and end at St. Clair Avenue.

The Euclid Creek Storage Tunnel will be located 190 to 220 feet below ground. The tunnel will be 18,000 feet long, with a diameter of 24 feet. It will have the capacity to hold 52 million gallons of combined stormwater and wastewater.

About CSOs:
Greater Cleveland’s earliest sewers (primarily within the City and its inner-ring suburbs) are combined sewers. Built around the turn of the 19th century, these sewers carry sewage, industrial waste, and stormwater in a single pipe. During heavy rains, there is a dramatic increase of water flowing through the combined sewers. When this happens, control devices may allow some of the combined wastewater and stormwater to overflow into area waterways—such as Lake Erie and Euclid Creek—to prevent urban flooding. This event is called a combined sewer overflow, or CSO, and harms our clean water environment.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Record Store Day on Waterloo Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is RECORD STORE DAY nationwide! For Northeast Ohio and beyond, Waterloo is THE place to be for all your Record Store Day needs. Check out the below information from Music Saves about all the happenings tomorrow:

We open at NOON on Saturday, April 16th, for the 4th Annual RECORD STORE DAY!
* Get in line early if you want any of the LIMITED Record Store Day releases! Once you’re in line, your place will be secured!
* We will let a certain number of people into the store initially, then will let 1 in for every 1 out!
* All RSD releases will be limited to 1 copy of each title per person!
* The first group of folks through the door will get a bag filled with tons of cool goodies!

* Pre-opening entertainment will be provided by our favorite knuckleheads, Raysistant and Rick DelVecchio!
* Handing out RSD release lists before you get in the door will be Fred Gunn, DJ extraordinaire and Melt poster child!
* Our RSD bouncer will be the world famous Chris Kulcsar of This Moment in Black History, Jukebox Value, fabulous paintings, and Cleveland chaos!
* Our RSD photographer will be the always-everywhere-at-once Lightning Fingers! http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightning_fingers/sets/

The LIST OF TITLES WE’VE ORDERED is available at http://www.MUSICSAVES.com
Please note that we did our best to place orders to meet anticipated demand, but what we receive in the end is up to the Record Store Day gods!

We couldn’t have put it any better than Bill did on I Rock Cleveland http://blog.irockcleveland.com/ “...at its core, Record Store Day is about the local music community and the music stores that often serve as the hubs of those communities. Now, that is something worth celebrating.”

*MUSIC SAVES stage = Beachland parking lot
In the event of rain, the MUSIC SAVES stage will be moved to the Arts Collinwood Gallery, at the corner of Waterloo and E. 156th.

We cannot stress enough how excited we are for the line-up of bands we’ve put together with Blue Arrow this year! This is going to be special!

Also in the store:
4-4:30pm: Dan Friel (of Parts & Labor) solo in-store performance!
4:30-7:30pm: Watch the debut of the Deerhunter 3D Pitchfork Session with your own pair of 3D glasses!

Also on Waterloo:
* Blue Arrow Records is also participating in Record Store Day, and they will have a slightly different selection of releases there for you!
They also open at NOON! Grab bags for the first 25 customers! DJs throughout the day, then bands on the poster schedule above!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216664311682153

* Beachland Tavern will host Brunch from noon-4pm with DJs Bill of I Rock Cleveland (11am-1:30pm) and Vince from Gotta Groove Records (1:30-4pm)!
After that, the Tavern will be open like a regular ol’ Tavern! Drink in the afternoon at the Beachland! It’s a very special day!
That night, check out Cloud Nothings, Parts & Labor, and Child Bite at 9pm!
In the Ballroom, check out Charles Bradley and The Budos Band at 9pm!
http://beachlandballroom.com/calendar.asp

* Native Cleveland is hosting the C.L.E. Clothing Co. Customer Appreciation Day!
Get 20% their tees, and have some beers and brats!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213461115335178
http://cleclothingco.com/

* Arts Collinwood will host An Evening with John Kalman & Chris Anderson at 8pm!
http://artscollinwood.org/an-evening-with-john-kalman-saturday-april-16/
Stop into the CafĂ© during the day, and find out if they’re offering any deals with your Record Store Day receipt!
http://artscollinwood.org/cafe/

We’ll be Tweeting all the fun and excitement, so follow us on Twitter!
http://www.twitter.com/MUSICSAVES2004

Is this you?:
“Hey, I really love record stores and all, but I’m not interested in any of the special releases,
and I just want to support my favorite record store on Record Store Day!”

Well, we want to reward those that just want to come in on this oh-so-special-day, simply because they love record stores.
Attached, you’ll find a coupon good for 10% off your entire purchase on Record Store Day! The coupon is only good from 4-9pm, and is only good on NON-RSD releases.
It’s our way of saying “thanks for supporting us on Record Store Day”, and more importantly, for supporting us on all those other days that are not Record Store Day!
YOU MUST TO PRINT OUT THE ATTACHED PDF AND BRING THE PHYSICAL COUPON INTO THE STORE WITH YOU IN ORDER TO GET THE DISCOUNT!

Monday, April 11, 2011

You are invited to CSO Groundbreaking

As many of you know, the impending Combined Super Overflow (CSO) project will have a dramatic impact on our neighborhood's water quality in the long term. Unfortunately, the construction phase will be a bit disruptive in the short term.

This project is about to launch and you are invited to the groundbreaking event. See below:

Dear Friends:

As councilman representing Cleveland’s 11th Ward, I would like to personally invite you to an historic groundbreaking on Friday, April 20, 2011, at 11 AM, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited Euclid Creek Tunnel project. Please note the date change due to NEORSD scheduling conflict!

The Euclid Creek Tunnel project is a $197 million endeavor that will capture combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, thereby drastically reducing raw sewage that enters Euclid Creek and our lakefront during heavy storms. The holding tunnel will be located 190 to 220 feet below ground, and will be 18,000 feet long, with a diameter of 24 feet. It will have the capacity to hold 52 million gallons of combined stormwater and wastewater. Construction is scheduled to begin on the Euclid Creek Tunnel this April and will continue for four years.

In addition to the Euclid Creek Tunnel, the main staging area near Nine Mile Creek, will be used for two additional large-scale construction projects. One being, the Tunnel Dewatering Pump Station, which is an $80 million project that will pump sewage and wastewater out of the Euclid Creek storage tunnel to the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. The second will be the construction of the Dugway Storage Tunnel, which will further reduce combined sewer overflows from Bratenahl Village east along the lakefront. Once completed, instead of discharging into the environment, all three projects will capture 1 billion gallons of raw sewage, which will be treated at the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant at East 140th Street and Lakeshore Blvd., in the Ward 11 community.

Directions to the groundbreaking:
The groundbreaking location is near Nine Mile Creek south of I-90. From I-90, head south on E.140th approximately six blocks. At Deise Rd. turn west. Then take a left onto E. 136th Street and then a right into the construction site. Drive through the fenced area (it will be unlocked). Drive to south side of property on the gravel road. NEORSD Staff will be on-site to direct attendees.

Given the nature of the ceremony site, all those planning to attend should wear sturdy shoes and/or boots and dress for the weather. This is Cleveland!!

More about Euclid Creek Tunnel Project (ECT):
The tunnel will start in the Village of Bratenahl, south of I-90, and continue northeast to the District’s Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, at East 140th St and Lakeshore Blvd. There, the tunnel will continue under Lake Erie for about 3000 feet and pass under the shoreline near Green Creek at East 156th Street, just north of Lakeshore Blvd. The tunnel will then head east, following Lake Shore Boulevard and Nottingham Road to E. 185th Street and end at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and Nottingham Road, at the northwest corner.

About Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO’s):
Greater Cleveland’s earliest sewers (primarily within the City of Cleveland and its inner-ring suburbs) are combined sewers. Built around the turn of the 19th century, these sewers carry sewage, industrial waste, and stormwater in a single pipe. During heavy rains, there is a dramatic increase of water flowing through the combined sewers. When this happens, control devices allow some of the combined wastewater and stormwater to overflow into area waterways—such as Lake Erie and Euclid Creek. This event is called a combined sewer overflow, or CSO, and greatly impacts Euclid Creek and our Lakefront State Parks with high levels of pollution and contaminates.

The Euclid Creek Tunnel Project, by capturing the CSO’s, will greatly enhance the quality of life of the greater Collinwood community. In addition, it will have a noticeable impact on fishing, water quality and wildlife. I have lobbied Federal and Local officials for years to see this project become a reality and I would hope that you would join with me and the NEORSD officials as they break ground for this historic project.

Looking forward to seeing you on WEDNESDAY, April 20th at 11:00 AM. If there are any further questions, please do not hesitate to call me. I may be reached at the office at (216) 664-4236.

Sincerely yours,
Michael D. Polensek
Councilman, Ward 11, Cleveland City Council

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Easter Bunny is Coming to Town

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
April 16, 2011 - 10:00 am to Noon

VASJ High School - 18491 Lakeshore Blvd.

$5.00 includes Breakfast and a Picture with the Easter Bunny

NEW THIS YEAR

Easter Egg Hunt at 11:00

Breakfast provided by Gus’s Diner and Lucky’s Restaurant.

Call the Easter Bunny’s Helpers: Denise Lorek 216-481-7660 or Laura Robinson 216-383-9671 for your ticket!

The Easter bunny is brought to you by the Alive on 185 Committee and Northeast Shores Development Corp.