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A busy RNC day in Cleveland
Social media roundup: there was a lot going on in Cleveland on the first day of the RNC with thousands of visitors, protesters and business people all going about their causes.
Bikers for Trump rally, visitors celebrate as RNC gets underway
30-50 Bikers for Trump members rally in the Flats while office workers report a quiet start to the RNC. 
Sunday at the RNC
Cleveland is humming with good vibes the weekend before the RNC kicks off, and security is in full force.
Saturday at the RNC
Today, managing editor @erin__obrien heads to downtown to see what's happening; the latest links to road closures and security; live music at RTA stations; and options for those avoiding downtown this week.
Sneak peek: Saks Fifth Avenue pop-up shop at the Ritz-Carlton
Yesterday, staff of the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland treated Fresh Water Cleveland to a sneak peek of the most unique pop-up shop around.

Saks Fifth Avenue will operate a temporary boutique in the sixth floor hotel lobby at the Ritz-Carlton in Tower City from July 17 to 21. While the doors aren't open yet, Fresh Water can say with confidence that Republican National Convention visitors - or anyone dropping in - will be treated to the likes of Judith Leiber clutches, KYBOE! watches and Burberry bags for last-minute gift and accessories. The shop will also offer select clothing and toiletry items

Guests staying at hotel will receive a $50 savings certificate valid when making a $300 minimum purchase at the boutique. For after-hours fashion emergencies, special trips to the larger Saks Fifth Avenue store in Cleveland can also be arranged for hotel guests, along with overnight tailoring, measurements for which will be taken at The Ritz-Carlton.

The posh boutique will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Today's RNC observations
Managing editor Erin O'Brien is already roaming downtown's streets, looking for signs the Republican National Convention is in town.
A perfect slice of Cleveland: Slavic Village
Fresh Water contributor Kaylyn Hlavaty offers up a perfect slice of Cleveland with an insider's tour of Slavic Village.
Lackey Guitars puts a new spin on vintage boxes, vinyl art
From vintage Springsteen covers to old cigar boxes, David Lackey reanimates objects by transforming them into handcrafted one-of-a-kind guitars.
Gingrich, Huckabee, Trump family amid RNC speakers
Jeff Larson, CEO of the 2016 Republican National Convention, today released a partial list of the speakers who will participate in the week-long event starting July 18th:


Get the list here.
Fresh Water Cleveland's RNC coverage
Fresh Water Cleveland will be live and on the ground during the Republican National Convention.
Underfoot: polishing up for the RNC
Hiram student's invention promotes water-fight fun without guns
Hiram College student Nathaniel Eaton is aiming to make a big splash in the summertime toy market with an invention that enhances the old-fashioned water fight.
 
Eaton's "Water Dodger" is a simple plastic shield embossed with the slogan, "Can you stay dry?" In back is a net pouch that carries a half dozen or more water balloons. The idea is to offer an alternative to suggestively violent squirt guns while creating an active, competitive environment limited only by a user's imagination.
 
"It's like Laser Tag or paintball, but in the form of water," says Eaton, 24. "Plus it gets kids moving around outside."
 
Eaton, graduating from Hiram this fall with a bachelor's degree in business management and a minor in entrepreneurship, began with a drawing that evolved into a cardboard cutout and then a foam shield. He built the original foam model in his dorm room, and is now preparing to send to market a final plastic version of his product.
 
Using $1,500 in prize money from Hiram's 2016 Ideabuild competition, Eaton applied for a provisional patent and trademark. The South Euclid resident also devised four games to play using his water-centric brainchild: Solo Madness, Team Fusion, Captain Protection and Intruders.
 
“It's like a water balloon fight in reverse, whether it’s between two players or 20-plus," says Eaton. "The driest person or team wins."
 
Launching his invention is the next step for the company founder and CEO. To that end, Eaton partnered with a Case Western Reserve University industrial design student, who will help the budding entrepreneur build 10 plastic Water Dodger prototypes. He also connected with nonprofit startup accelerator JumpStart for assistance with funding and formulating a business plan.
 
"I'm starting off targeting independent toy stores with a good customer base," says Eaton. "This is my full-time job. I go everywhere with the Water Dodger in hand. When something's new, you have to inform people about it."
 
Eaton has been conceptualizing inventions and business ideas in a sketchbook since his freshman year of college. The Water Dodger was originally a wristwatch water squirter, which Eaton transformed into an entirely new product that sends a message of hot-weather fun without water guns.
 
"This is something you can promote to summer camps, because it's not a gun," says Eaton. "I show kids the shield with water balloons in a pouch, and they get excited."
Ohio's open carry policy garners attention from national press ahead of RNC
All eyes are on Cleveland, with concerns waxing over Ohio's open carry law.

From the New York Times: Dallas Shooting and Open-Carry Laws Loom Over Cleveland Convention Plans
 
Cleveland officials are promising increased security during the Republican gathering, with resources from city, state and federal authorities. And within the convention area, the Secret Service will set up a smaller perimeter near the Quicken Loans Arena that will have stricter security and prohibit guns. Delegates to the convention, for example, will not be able to take their guns onto the convention floor.

From TIME: Why Guns Won’t Be Allowed at the Republican Convention

Delegates to the Republican national convention would do best to leave their guns at home.

The Secret Service and the Quicken Loans Arena hosting the convention next week are both barring firearms within the convention, though state law allowing open carry will still apply to unsecured areas within the convention’s event zone.


From NPR: Some Delegates May Carry Guns Around Cleveland During Republican Convention

The list of items banned from downtown Cleveland during this month's upcoming Republican National Convention includes tennis balls, grappling hooks and canned goods.

But not guns.


 
Forward Cities nominee wins scholarship for "mapping the world" idea
Forward Cities may have had their last convening here in Cleveland last month, but the movement continues to have an impact.

The organization successfully nominated Jerry Paffendorf of Loveland Technologies to receive a scholarship to the Aspen Institute's Ideas Festival earlier this month. In addition to be able to attend the event for free, Jerry was invited to pitch his idea of mapping the world, which he discusses here with The Lift on Aspen 82.

The Lift | Jerry Paffendorf from The Lift on Vimeo.

 
Pittsburgh police team will help Cleveland keep peace during RNC
The city of Pittsburgh will send a team of police officers to Cleveland to help keep the peace during the Republican National Convention via legislation Pittsburgh City Council approved preliminarily on Wednesday.

Cleveland originally requested 70 Pittsburgh officers. After assessing resources available and local needs. Pittsburgh is planning to send 23 city police, including seven traffic officers, 12 SWAT officers, four members of the police command staff, and one legal adviser from the city law department. Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay, said an additional 35 crowd-control officers could be sent to Cleveland in the event of an emergency. They all would be part of a security force of several thousand police assembled from various jurisdictions.

Read the whole story from Pittsburgh's Action News 4 - WTAE here.
Ahead of the RNC, art blooms across the 216
From an army of giant snails invading the Cleveland Public Library's Downtown branch to colorful murals lining RTA's Red Line, the 216 is alive with new eye-popping art to welcome RNC visitors.