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In August 2014, rainbows bloomed from Lakewood to Akron when the Gay Games came to town. The region asserted itself as welcome and inclusive; and Northeast Ohio's friendship with the Federation of Gay Games and all the people it represents was public and proud.
Hence as the country mourns the Orlando victims, Fresh Water respectfully offers the Federation's formal statement.
As the world mourns the tragic events that took place at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando this past Sunday, 12 June 2016, the Federation of Gay Games family extends its condolences and support to the victims, their families, friends and associates, and the citizens of Orlando, Florida.
This act of violence directly impacts the global Gay Games family. Four years ago, the City of Orlando was a bid candidate to host Gay Games 10 in 2018. Pulse Nightclub was a local supporter of that effort. In addition, athletes and artists from Orlando have participated at each quadrennial Gay Games since 1982.
Whenever the LGBT community and our allies come under attack, as it was in Orlando and the recent murder of activists in Bangladesh and Honduras, we strengthen our resolve to fight on in honor of those lost. The events of June 12 are a reminder to all of us how precious life is, and why we must continue to work together to promote acceptance and inclusion to defeat homophobia, sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination worldwide.
The Federation of Gay Games will continue to lead this effort through the use of sport and culture to promote our founding principles of Participation, Inclusion, Personal Best™, and encourage our sisters, brothers and allies to join us for Paris 2018 Gay Games 10 with our message of “All Equal”. Together, we are stronger.
On behalf of the FGG Board of Directors, our Assembly, and Honorary Life Members, we remain yours in sport and solidarity,
Joanie Evans and Kurt Dahl
Co-Presidents
Hence as the country mourns the Orlando victims, Fresh Water respectfully offers the Federation's formal statement.
As the world mourns the tragic events that took place at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando this past Sunday, 12 June 2016, the Federation of Gay Games family extends its condolences and support to the victims, their families, friends and associates, and the citizens of Orlando, Florida.
This act of violence directly impacts the global Gay Games family. Four years ago, the City of Orlando was a bid candidate to host Gay Games 10 in 2018. Pulse Nightclub was a local supporter of that effort. In addition, athletes and artists from Orlando have participated at each quadrennial Gay Games since 1982.
Whenever the LGBT community and our allies come under attack, as it was in Orlando and the recent murder of activists in Bangladesh and Honduras, we strengthen our resolve to fight on in honor of those lost. The events of June 12 are a reminder to all of us how precious life is, and why we must continue to work together to promote acceptance and inclusion to defeat homophobia, sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination worldwide.
The Federation of Gay Games will continue to lead this effort through the use of sport and culture to promote our founding principles of Participation, Inclusion, Personal Best™, and encourage our sisters, brothers and allies to join us for Paris 2018 Gay Games 10 with our message of “All Equal”. Together, we are stronger.
On behalf of the FGG Board of Directors, our Assembly, and Honorary Life Members, we remain yours in sport and solidarity,
Joanie Evans and Kurt Dahl
Co-Presidents
County: 18 percent of home-improvement stores fail price-check sweep
About 18 percent of home-improvement stores failed a price-check sweep conducted by the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs. Most of the pricing errors favored consumers – and some went the other way.
Get all the details here.
Get all the details here.
Carlos Jones of I–tal, First Light and the PLUS Band is now serving up a steaming cup of joe alongside his legendary reggae efforts.
Despite a fear of heights, Fresh Water contributor Hollie Gibbs took to the Go Ape Treetop Adventure course in the Cleveland Metroparks' Mill Stream Run Reservation and lived to tell about it.
As the refurbished statues of Moses Cleaveland and 1901 mayor Tom Johnson overlook Public Square, one would think that the pair would be impressed with the modern transformation of the plaza that originally served as a common pasture for livestock and later a grid for moving from point A to point B within downtown’s epicenter.
Almost complete, the fences that have been hiding Public Square since renovations began in March 2015 will soon come down and a new six-acre green space will be unveiled before the Republican National Convention begins July 18.
But the revitalization was not solely for the sake of the convention, says Nora Romanoff, senior project director for LAND studio and part of the Group Plan Commission charged with transforming the heart of Cleveland’s downtown.
“We didn’t just do it for the RNC,” says Romanoff. “We did it for Cleveland.”
Get the rest of the story and a host of photos here.
Almost complete, the fences that have been hiding Public Square since renovations began in March 2015 will soon come down and a new six-acre green space will be unveiled before the Republican National Convention begins July 18.
But the revitalization was not solely for the sake of the convention, says Nora Romanoff, senior project director for LAND studio and part of the Group Plan Commission charged with transforming the heart of Cleveland’s downtown.
“We didn’t just do it for the RNC,” says Romanoff. “We did it for Cleveland.”
Get the rest of the story and a host of photos here.
On July 27, 1981, the Inn on Coventry opened amid the chaos of the Coventry Village Street Fair, offering a simple menu of eggs, breakfast meats and $1 pancakes. After 35 years on the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights, diner owners Debbie Duirk and Mary Haley are still serving "comfort food at comfortable prices," and have no plans on stopping anytime soon.
To celebrate, the dine-amic duo will be dishing up tasty grub at 1981 prices during a July 27 "Throwback Wednesday" anniversary event. Hungry attendees can arrive for the free coffee and $1 buttermilk pancakes, and stay for raffle prizes including diner gift certificates and an authentic Coca-Cola bike.
"This (anniversary) shows our success and how many great people we've met along the way," says Duirk.
The three-generation, family-friendly neighborhood restaurant was initially founded as the "in place to be" by Duirk and her business partner. Haley's mother, Amy, served as the establishment's first chef, helping cement the Inn's iconic status with her banana orange waffles and other scrumptious goodies until she passed away in 1997.
While banana orange waffles are no longer available, the Inn's vast menu has nine different versions of Eggs Benedict as well as a variety of spicy selections including huevos rancheros.
"We say we're still doing home-style cooking after all these years," Duirk says.
In preparation for the anniversary festivities, the Inn will close from July 11 to July 23, using that time to add new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint. When reopened, the diner will look much the same as it did on that July day over three decades ago, Duirk promises.
The years in between have seen the Heights' very own "breakfast Cheers bar" fill bellies at a fair price. Not all those days have been easy ones, either. Duirk recalls a fire in the district that closed the Inn for several months in the mid-80s. Then there were the street remodelings in the 90s that made it difficult to attract customers. And of course, the loss of Haley's mother a week before her 97th birthday was a blow to the owners and patrons alike.
Despite it all, the Inn has persevered as a Cleveland Heights institution that Duirk looks forward to shepherding along for another 35 years. The diner's success can be ascribed to a few simple yet critically important reasons, its co-owner says.
"Quality, consistency, cleanliness and a hospitable staff that makes you feel like you're home," says Duirk. "That's what people look for when they go out to eat."
To celebrate, the dine-amic duo will be dishing up tasty grub at 1981 prices during a July 27 "Throwback Wednesday" anniversary event. Hungry attendees can arrive for the free coffee and $1 buttermilk pancakes, and stay for raffle prizes including diner gift certificates and an authentic Coca-Cola bike.
"This (anniversary) shows our success and how many great people we've met along the way," says Duirk.
The three-generation, family-friendly neighborhood restaurant was initially founded as the "in place to be" by Duirk and her business partner. Haley's mother, Amy, served as the establishment's first chef, helping cement the Inn's iconic status with her banana orange waffles and other scrumptious goodies until she passed away in 1997.
While banana orange waffles are no longer available, the Inn's vast menu has nine different versions of Eggs Benedict as well as a variety of spicy selections including huevos rancheros.
"We say we're still doing home-style cooking after all these years," Duirk says.
In preparation for the anniversary festivities, the Inn will close from July 11 to July 23, using that time to add new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint. When reopened, the diner will look much the same as it did on that July day over three decades ago, Duirk promises.
The years in between have seen the Heights' very own "breakfast Cheers bar" fill bellies at a fair price. Not all those days have been easy ones, either. Duirk recalls a fire in the district that closed the Inn for several months in the mid-80s. Then there were the street remodelings in the 90s that made it difficult to attract customers. And of course, the loss of Haley's mother a week before her 97th birthday was a blow to the owners and patrons alike.
Despite it all, the Inn has persevered as a Cleveland Heights institution that Duirk looks forward to shepherding along for another 35 years. The diner's success can be ascribed to a few simple yet critically important reasons, its co-owner says.
"Quality, consistency, cleanliness and a hospitable staff that makes you feel like you're home," says Duirk. "That's what people look for when they go out to eat."
Last Friday, a group of visitors gathered in the lobby of the new Hilton Cleveland Downtown as they readied for the 2016 Transplant Games of America at the adjacent Convention Center. They blilnked in awe at the beauty of the 32-story hotel and also marveled over the professionalism of the staff of 350.
The positive reaction is exactly what the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials aimed to achieve when construction on the nearly 614,000-square-foot hotel, operated by Hilton Worldwide, began in 2014.
The 600-room Hilton was designed by the Atlanta architecture firm Cooper Carry to show off all of Cleveland’s assets while providing a world-class stay, says Carolyn Deming, director of public relations for the hotel.
“Nearly 500,000 visitors who have never been to Cleveland are expected in the first year,” she says. “We already have business groups on the books through 2020. There are really exciting things happening here and this is a chance to see what Cleveland has to offer.”
A mural composed of 2,800 selfies embodies that assertion. Located at the bottom of the escalators to the connecting Convention Center, the photos were submitted in the #MyClePhoto contest last year and were collected and assembled into a Cleveland skyline mural by North Carolina-based hospitality art curator Kalisher.
Get all the details on the new Hilton and see a host of gorgeous photos here.
The positive reaction is exactly what the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials aimed to achieve when construction on the nearly 614,000-square-foot hotel, operated by Hilton Worldwide, began in 2014.
The 600-room Hilton was designed by the Atlanta architecture firm Cooper Carry to show off all of Cleveland’s assets while providing a world-class stay, says Carolyn Deming, director of public relations for the hotel.
“Nearly 500,000 visitors who have never been to Cleveland are expected in the first year,” she says. “We already have business groups on the books through 2020. There are really exciting things happening here and this is a chance to see what Cleveland has to offer.”
A mural composed of 2,800 selfies embodies that assertion. Located at the bottom of the escalators to the connecting Convention Center, the photos were submitted in the #MyClePhoto contest last year and were collected and assembled into a Cleveland skyline mural by North Carolina-based hospitality art curator Kalisher.
Get all the details on the new Hilton and see a host of gorgeous photos here.
East Bank or West Bank?
Today’s Flats offer a variety of entertainment options on both sides of the Cuyahoga River, and now the Cleveland Metroparks has eliminated the need to make a decision on which side to dine, dance and play with last month's launch of the eLCee2 water taxi.
For $2, passengers get unlimited rides across the river on the 26-foot Crosby yacht. The taxi can take 18 passengers and four bikes at a time. It's also ADA accessible and dog-friendly.
“The water taxi is exciting for the Flats because it is another ingredient in the revitalization of the area,” says Metroparks director of communications Rick Haase. “For Cleveland Metroparks it is all about helping people connect to our trails and to our parks, while at the same time helping them connect from the East Bank to the West Bank of the Flats.”
The eLCee2 launched ahead of the Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 27 during a boating safety program hosted by the Metroparks, Flats East Bank and the U.S. Coast Guard. Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman cut the ribbon along with Cleveland Metroparks board of park commissioners Bruce Rinker and Debbie Berry. Speakers included Zimmerman, Scott Wolstein with Flats East Bank and lieutenant commander Mickey Dougherty of the Coast Guard's Cleveland Marine Safety Unit.
After the ceremony, the eLCee2 made its maiden voyage across the river from the taxi station at 1170 Old River Road on the East Bank to the West Bank station under the Main Avenue Bridge and back. After that, eLCee2 had a spectacular debut, with 3,579 passengers taking the taxi over Memorial Day weekend alone.
Five Metroparks employees share the captaining of the eLCee2, which is named after a group that included Leadership Cleveland alumni, Metroparks representatives and members of a Kent State University entrepreneurship class. They began floating the idea of a Flats water taxi service in 2014.
eLCee2 runs Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The taxi will operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day each season.
Today’s Flats offer a variety of entertainment options on both sides of the Cuyahoga River, and now the Cleveland Metroparks has eliminated the need to make a decision on which side to dine, dance and play with last month's launch of the eLCee2 water taxi.
For $2, passengers get unlimited rides across the river on the 26-foot Crosby yacht. The taxi can take 18 passengers and four bikes at a time. It's also ADA accessible and dog-friendly.
“The water taxi is exciting for the Flats because it is another ingredient in the revitalization of the area,” says Metroparks director of communications Rick Haase. “For Cleveland Metroparks it is all about helping people connect to our trails and to our parks, while at the same time helping them connect from the East Bank to the West Bank of the Flats.”
The eLCee2 launched ahead of the Memorial Day weekend on Friday, May 27 during a boating safety program hosted by the Metroparks, Flats East Bank and the U.S. Coast Guard. Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman cut the ribbon along with Cleveland Metroparks board of park commissioners Bruce Rinker and Debbie Berry. Speakers included Zimmerman, Scott Wolstein with Flats East Bank and lieutenant commander Mickey Dougherty of the Coast Guard's Cleveland Marine Safety Unit.
After the ceremony, the eLCee2 made its maiden voyage across the river from the taxi station at 1170 Old River Road on the East Bank to the West Bank station under the Main Avenue Bridge and back. After that, eLCee2 had a spectacular debut, with 3,579 passengers taking the taxi over Memorial Day weekend alone.
Five Metroparks employees share the captaining of the eLCee2, which is named after a group that included Leadership Cleveland alumni, Metroparks representatives and members of a Kent State University entrepreneurship class. They began floating the idea of a Flats water taxi service in 2014.
eLCee2 runs Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The taxi will operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day each season.
Serving tea, Islam and understanding in Cleveland
Angelo Merendino of Aljazeera tells the fascinating tale of Ayman Alkayali, the man behind Algebra Tea House in Little Italy. From the feature:
In the early days of Algebra's existence, Ayman faced great opposition. "Many neighbourhood residents didn't want me to be here." There were offers to buy him out, a steady stream of inspectors scrutinised every detail of the shop's renovation, and people shouted racial slurs as they drove by. "I had my struggles and had to go through that for a tough three years in the beginning. Thankfully, there were residents who stood up for me; without them it would have been a much more difficult fight."
Read the whole story here.
In the early days of Algebra's existence, Ayman faced great opposition. "Many neighbourhood residents didn't want me to be here." There were offers to buy him out, a steady stream of inspectors scrutinised every detail of the shop's renovation, and people shouted racial slurs as they drove by. "I had my struggles and had to go through that for a tough three years in the beginning. Thankfully, there were residents who stood up for me; without them it would have been a much more difficult fight."
Read the whole story here.
Salt Lake City "wordsmith" offers up snarky Cleveland nickname
Perhaps someone ought to tell Randy Hollis of the Deseret News that the Lake Erie Monsters won the Calder Cup Championship last night and that the Cavs haven't lost the series to Golden State just yet.
Instead of recognizing any of that, Hollis wants to hand Clevelanders a tissue from his desk in (ahem) Utah. Here is an excerpt from his latest "effort."
New York City has long been called "The City That Never Sleeps."
And for the past 50-plus years, Cleveland could very well be called "The City That Always Weeps."
Not since 1964, when star running back Jim Brown led the Cleveland Browns to the National Football League championship, has that Midwestern city been able to say it's the home of a major professional sports champion.
The City That Always Weeps, eh? Very clever, Mr. Hollis.
If you want to, read the rest of his "writing" here.
Instead of recognizing any of that, Hollis wants to hand Clevelanders a tissue from his desk in (ahem) Utah. Here is an excerpt from his latest "effort."
New York City has long been called "The City That Never Sleeps."
And for the past 50-plus years, Cleveland could very well be called "The City That Always Weeps."
Not since 1964, when star running back Jim Brown led the Cleveland Browns to the National Football League championship, has that Midwestern city been able to say it's the home of a major professional sports champion.
The City That Always Weeps, eh? Very clever, Mr. Hollis.
If you want to, read the rest of his "writing" here.
Funding to help tackle infant mortality
First Year Cleveland, an initiative aimed at reducing infant mortality in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, has been awarded more than $2.9 million from the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
The overall infant mortality rate, which includes babies who die before their first birthday, in Cuyahoga County is 8.1 out of 1,000 live births. In Cleveland it is around 13. The national rate is 5.87.
The state funding will support:
Centering Pregnancy – a unique program that provides prenatal care and birth-related information and support to pregnant women in a group setting. The number of women participating in centering pregnancy is expected to increase to 375 women. Funding: $760,000
Home Visiting Programs – through partnerships with MomsFirst, the Ohio Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative and other programs, first-time mothers receive valuable knowledge and support in such as prenatal care, breastfeeding, safe sleep and family planning. Funding: $2 million
Local Fatherhood Initiatives – support and funding to target and teach new fathers how to care for their new babies. Funding: $200,000
“First Year Cleveland is an important collaboration between the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the philanthropic community and area health systems,” said Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley in a statement. “The infant mortality rate in Greater Cleveland is shockingly high and, therefore, demands attention by our entire community.”
Cuyahoga County is one of nine Ohio communities engaged through the Ohio Department of Medicaid to identify innovative projects that connect at-risk women and infants to quality health care and care management.
The overall infant mortality rate, which includes babies who die before their first birthday, in Cuyahoga County is 8.1 out of 1,000 live births. In Cleveland it is around 13. The national rate is 5.87.
The state funding will support:
Centering Pregnancy – a unique program that provides prenatal care and birth-related information and support to pregnant women in a group setting. The number of women participating in centering pregnancy is expected to increase to 375 women. Funding: $760,000
Home Visiting Programs – through partnerships with MomsFirst, the Ohio Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative and other programs, first-time mothers receive valuable knowledge and support in such as prenatal care, breastfeeding, safe sleep and family planning. Funding: $2 million
Local Fatherhood Initiatives – support and funding to target and teach new fathers how to care for their new babies. Funding: $200,000
“First Year Cleveland is an important collaboration between the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the philanthropic community and area health systems,” said Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley in a statement. “The infant mortality rate in Greater Cleveland is shockingly high and, therefore, demands attention by our entire community.”
Cuyahoga County is one of nine Ohio communities engaged through the Ohio Department of Medicaid to identify innovative projects that connect at-risk women and infants to quality health care and care management.
LakewoodAlive and the Lakewood Historical Society will host the inaugural Historic Birdtown Walk & Picnic on Sunday, June 12, from noon to 4 p.m. at Madison Park.
The celebratory event kicks off with a community picnic from noon to 2 p.m. at the pavilion near Madison Park’s George Usher Field. Food and drinks will be provided, courtesy of The Gorilla Lakewood.
The festivities continue with guided walking tours of the Historic Birdtown neighborhood commencing at 1 p.m. The tours will depart from the corner of Madison and Halstead Avenues every half-hour until 2:30 p.m., affording participants an enriched perspective of this proud, working-class neighborhood in eastern Lakewood.
Following a neighborhood tour, participants will have a chance to walk through the Templar Motors Factory display within the Lake Erie Building at the south end of Madison Park.
More details are available here.
The celebratory event kicks off with a community picnic from noon to 2 p.m. at the pavilion near Madison Park’s George Usher Field. Food and drinks will be provided, courtesy of The Gorilla Lakewood.
The festivities continue with guided walking tours of the Historic Birdtown neighborhood commencing at 1 p.m. The tours will depart from the corner of Madison and Halstead Avenues every half-hour until 2:30 p.m., affording participants an enriched perspective of this proud, working-class neighborhood in eastern Lakewood.
Following a neighborhood tour, participants will have a chance to walk through the Templar Motors Factory display within the Lake Erie Building at the south end of Madison Park.
More details are available here.
This summer, Mark Mothersbaugh's Myopia will enchant Clevelanders and Akronites alike with a host of surreal characters, giant graphics and all things DEVO.
Handmade sausage returns to Slavic Village, a success story from Guanajuato to Cleveland and the rebirth of the Cleveland Grill's Mediterranean soul round out this plate of local culinary delights.
Last week, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opened the highly anticipated Rosebrough Tiger Passage.
First announced last September, the $4.1 million installation occupies a staggering 48,000 square feet, which includes the space designated for the cats as well as their adoring fans. The new habitat includes climbing poles, meadows, shallow streams, soaking pools and outdoor overnight access. Visitors can enjoy highly interactive viewing as the animals have access to overhead catwalks. Large viewing windows and paths that traverse the environment round out the experience, which encourages visitors to explore and seek out the Zoo's two resident Amur tigers, Klechka, a 12-year old male, and Dasha, a 15-year-old female.
Per Andi Kornak, the Zoo's director of animal and veterinary programs, the two cats wintered at the Zoo's Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine while Panzica Construction Company of Mayfield Village completed the build-out of the new habitat. The Cleveland based firm Van Auken Akin Architects and WDM Architects out of Wichita, Kansas; which specializes in creating sustainable, authentic environments that immerse and inspire zoo visitors; designed the sprawling space.
The two cats were understandably shy during the grand opening, said Kornak.
"It will take them a few weeks to acclimate to their new exhibit," she noted during the event. "It's five times the size of the old one so there's lot of space to explore and become comfortable with."
The Zoo's executive director Christopher Kuhar said the space is designed to allow the animals to prowl, climb and saunter around in a way that they've never had the opportunity to do before.
"While it seems that we're focusing exclusively on the animals," said Kuhar, "the reality is that the best possible guest experience is to see animals performing their natural behavioral repertoire, to see them moving around and exercising and doing all those really cool things that cats do."
Kuhar added that the new exhibit also focuses on education as there are only 500 Amur tigers left in the wild.
"We want to connect people with wildlife, to inspire personal responsibility to take conservation action," he said. "What we hope is that people are going to see these great cats and be inspired to do something in their own way to help animals in the wild."
First announced last September, the $4.1 million installation occupies a staggering 48,000 square feet, which includes the space designated for the cats as well as their adoring fans. The new habitat includes climbing poles, meadows, shallow streams, soaking pools and outdoor overnight access. Visitors can enjoy highly interactive viewing as the animals have access to overhead catwalks. Large viewing windows and paths that traverse the environment round out the experience, which encourages visitors to explore and seek out the Zoo's two resident Amur tigers, Klechka, a 12-year old male, and Dasha, a 15-year-old female.
Per Andi Kornak, the Zoo's director of animal and veterinary programs, the two cats wintered at the Zoo's Sarah Allison Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine while Panzica Construction Company of Mayfield Village completed the build-out of the new habitat. The Cleveland based firm Van Auken Akin Architects and WDM Architects out of Wichita, Kansas; which specializes in creating sustainable, authentic environments that immerse and inspire zoo visitors; designed the sprawling space.
The two cats were understandably shy during the grand opening, said Kornak.
"It will take them a few weeks to acclimate to their new exhibit," she noted during the event. "It's five times the size of the old one so there's lot of space to explore and become comfortable with."
The Zoo's executive director Christopher Kuhar said the space is designed to allow the animals to prowl, climb and saunter around in a way that they've never had the opportunity to do before.
"While it seems that we're focusing exclusively on the animals," said Kuhar, "the reality is that the best possible guest experience is to see animals performing their natural behavioral repertoire, to see them moving around and exercising and doing all those really cool things that cats do."
Kuhar added that the new exhibit also focuses on education as there are only 500 Amur tigers left in the wild.
"We want to connect people with wildlife, to inspire personal responsibility to take conservation action," he said. "What we hope is that people are going to see these great cats and be inspired to do something in their own way to help animals in the wild."
