Month: May 2014

Cleveland Metroparks New “VIEW” On Happy Hour: Edgewater Live

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When & Where

June 12 – August 14
Thursdays 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.  

Reservation: Lakefront Reservation
Edgewater Beach is located off I-90, follow Route 2 West/Downtown Cleveland then take Exit 192.,

About

Price: Free

Lower Edgewater Park is the place to be this summer.  Each Thursday, bring a blanket or chair and let the music move you while you enjoy a spectacular sunset over the Cleveland skyline. Local food trucks will be there for your dining pleasure.

• Inner Bliss Yoga from 7 – 7:30 p.m. – free yoga session.
• Cleveland Metroparks Outdoor Experiences/Outdoor Recreation offers hands-on nature activities and Disc Golf
• Lake Erie Paddler – Stand Up Paddleboarding
• Goody 2 Shoes Bakery – uses fresh, local ingredients for an outrageously tasty treat!

Bands

June 12

The Breakfast Club (Pop/Rock)

June 19

Charlie in the Box (Dance/Rock)

June 26

Shivering Timbers (Americana)

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July 3

Filmstrip (Rock)

July 10  

Brigid’s Cross (plus Cannon Irish dancers) (Celtic Rock)

6:30 – 7 p.m.

July 17

Easy Glistening (Yacht Rock)

July 24

Whiskey Kings (Rock/Country)

July 31

 Blonde Scott (Classic Rock)

(Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary Car Show)

August 7

Charles Hill Jr. (Country)

August 14

Revolution Pie  (Beatles Cover Band)

Food Trucks

216 Bistro • June 12, 26  July 10, 24   August 7
Nosh Box • June 12, 26  July 10, 24   August 7
Motor Mouth • June 12, 26  July 10, 24   August 7
Manna Truck • June 19   July 17   August 14
Touch Supper Truck • June 19   July 3, 17, 31   August 14
Pig Licking Good BBQ • June 19   July 3, 17, 31   August 14
Zydeco • June 19
Betty’s Bomb Ass Burgers • July 3
Ohio Direct Farm Food Truck • July 31 

 

2014 Wade Oval Wednesdays Schedule

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WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays

Presented by PNC

June 11th – August 27th, 2014

WOW

Make your weekend start on Wednesdays!

Cleveland’s Signature Summer Concert Series is back. Enjoy a FREE concert each Wednesday night in Wade Oval from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in the heart of University Circle.  Movies start at 9:00 p.m. on select nights.

2014 WOW! Schedule

June 11

Coast to Coast – Motown/R&B/Dance Music

June 18

No Name Band – Music from the 60’s, 70’s and Beyond 

June 25

Mary’s Lane – Irish Americana

July 2

Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band – Reggae

July 9

Nick Tolford & Company – Rock & Roll Soul Band Movie Night:  Frozen

July 16

After Thought & The Nu Soul Band – Dance/Party Music

July 23        

Jah Messenger Reggae Band – Reggae

July 30

Son Gitano – Latin/Salsa/Rumba

August 6

Red Light Roxy – Swing/ Big Band

August 13

The Cleveland Bluegrass Orchestra – Classical Blue Grass and fun Classical Music Performed by members of the Cleveland Orchestra Movie Night: Draft Day (Subject to change) 

August 20

Wild Horses – Rock & Roll Dance Music

August 27

Hey Mavis – Appalachian Americana

Getting There

Beat the traffic and forget about parking! Cleveland Over Everything encourages all visitors to take public transportation to University Circle.

The neighborhood is accessible by GCRTA’s HealthLine, Red line, and eight (8) bus lines. For more information, click here.

The Party in the Square-Parade the Circle shuttle will operate between Detroit Shoreway and University Circle. Check back for more information! For driving directions to University Circle, click here.

For a map of available parking in University Circle, click here. 

How To Navigate Around Movie Filming Downtown

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I’m sure the filming of the Avengers or Captain America is fresh in your head, so you know, as new movies are shot here, traffic patterns change.

With that being said, the newest movie to use the city as a backdrop, Criminal Activities, will begin filming TODAY (May 27, 2014).

The schedule below reflects street and/or lane closures that you may encounter during production. Please plan ahead and use alternate routes. Thank you for your patience and for supporting Cleveland’s film industry. Please be on the lookout for reminders and updates.

untitled1 untitledThanks Straight from City Hall!

May Centennial Gift: Cleveland Foundation Day on Wade Oval

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Following record-breaking attendance at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo as part of its April centennial gift, the Cleveland Foundation has a May gift just as special to give to the community – Cleveland Foundation Day on Wade Oval – will celebrate the longtime support the foundation has provided to four cultural institutions in University Circle: Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Western Reserve Historical Society. May 24 will be the first free Saturday ever for all four Wade Oval institutions, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

“We are pleased that our May centennial gift to the community will make the first-class institutions on Wade Oval available to all Greater Clevelanders,” said Robert E. Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation. “This concentration of cultural institutions is unmatched anywhere in the world. As part of Memorial Day weekend festivities, we invite the community to take advantage of this cultural heart of our city.”

Each institution is offering something unique to visitors on Cleveland Foundation Day on Wade Oval, in recognition of the nearly $50 million in collective support the foundation has provided them throughout the past 100 years.

Because the Cleveland Museum of Art always offers free admission, the Cleveland Foundation has made it possible for the museum to offer a special gift on May 24: all available public tickets to the Van Gogh Repetitions exhibition will be free for the first 500 visitors. The special exhibition is scheduled to close on May 25.

“The Cleveland Museum of Art is delighted to be among the great institutions included in Cleveland Foundation Day on Wade Oval,” said Fred Bidwell, interim director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “The Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Foundation have a long and rich history of collaboration, working to give back to the community. The museum is committed to meaningful community engagement, and we are grateful to the Cleveland Foundation for its significant support of our efforts.”

Cleveland Botanical Garden will debut its highly anticipated Nature Connects exhibit, which will feature 14 LEGO brick sculptures depicting plants and animals.

“This will be the first time the Botanical Garden is able to offer free admission on the opening day of a major attraction, and it’s thanks to our longtime partner, the Cleveland Foundation,” said President Natalie Ronayne. “We celebrate the foundation’s generosity to the Garden and the impact its support enables us to achieve in our community.”

As part of the Cleveland Foundation gift, free admission to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History will include free entry to Shafran Planetarium for the first time ever.

“The Cleveland Foundation has been a longtime supporter of the Museum, especially our education and science initiatives, and we are honored and delighted to be part of this historic celebration of Cleveland’s legendary cultural district on Wade Oval,” said Dr. Evalyn Gates, executive director and CEO. “The Cleveland Foundation’s gift to the community has allowed us to open a window into the universe through free admission to the Shafran Planetarium, and to invite the community to explore science and nature – past, present and future!”

For Cleveland Foundation Day, the Western Reserve Historical Society has extended its popular Dior & More – For the Love of Fashion exhibit through May 25. WRHS will have curators and experts available in the Crawford Auto Aviation Collection, as well as in other exhibits. Tour guides in the Hay-McKinney House and the Research Library will answer questions from visitors.

“Our mission includes sharing the history of Northeast Ohio with the public. This wonderful opportunity provided by the Cleveland Foundation means we will be sharing with many more people than we normally see in a day,” said Kelly Falcone-Hall, interim CEO. “We hold in our archives the papers of the Cleveland Foundation, so we will select a number of beautiful examples from the early days of the foundation for the public to view in our Research Library.”

On May 24, University Circle Inc. will offer free shuttle service between the Wade Oval institutions and to/from both Louis Stokes VA Medical Center garages (the patient garage on Magnolia Drive and the employee garage on E. 105th Street), which will be free to Cleveland Foundation Day visitors. Visitors are being encouraged to carpool or take the RTA’s HealthLine to the Adelbert Road or Ford Road station. For more information, go to www.rideRTA.com. 

Many Greater Clevelanders have taken advantage of the foundation’s previous “Cleveland Foundation Day” gifts to the community. Cleveland Foundation Day on the RTA on Jan. 16 led to a 25 percent increase overall on RTA buses and trains. Cleveland Foundation Weekend on NorthCoastHarbor on Feb. 22 and 23 brought a record 16,450 visitors to Great Lakes Science Center, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s 8,000 visitors represented a 500 percent increase over a typical Sunday. March’s Cleveland Foundation Day at Cleveland International Film Festival drew the biggest Monday audience in the Festival’s 37-year history, with nearly 8,000 attendees. April’s Cleveland Foundation Day at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo drew a record-breaking 35,700 visitors.

~~~

Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation and one of the largest today, with assets of $2.1 billion and 2013 grants of $89 million. Through the generosity of donors, the foundation improves the lives of Greater Clevelanders by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on vital issues. The foundation tackles the community’s priority areas – economic transformation, public-school improvement, youth development, neighborhood revitalization, and arts advancement – and responds to the community’s needs.

For more information on the Cleveland Foundation, please visit www.ClevelandFoundation.org/Purpose and follow at www.Facebook.com/ClevelandFoundation or @CleveFoundation on Twitter.

My Most Recent Trip To New York Reminded Me Why I Love CLE..

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After spending a week in New York, you’d think I’d be smitten with NY but, you’d be wrong. It was this most recent trip to New York that reminded me why I love Cleveland so much.. For one, it’s easier to navigate through our city, you don’t have to study subway maps that resemble a plate of angel hair pasta, in order to get around. It’s cheaper, looking at rent, cost-of-living, etc.. in NY, it’s a laughable comparison of what $500K will get you here vs. there (S/O Global Cleveland). Less people = less stress.. Cleveland has space! You can park virtually anywhere here, for cheap! In addition to all that, New York stinks and is filthy. There are very few recycle bins for public use (S/O Sustainable Cleveland 2019) or otherwise, and the people are just offensively rude!

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What has always puzzled me though, was the popular quote, “New York, if you can make it there.. You can make it anywhere.”

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Honestly, New Yorkers have it terribly easy, I would’ve been rich by now if I was based in NY. You can set up shop on any corner and sell used newspaper if you wish, with all the people there, you could probably carve out a living for yourself.

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 TRY THAT HERE.

I always admired Cleveland’s resourcefulness, resilience, hustle.. and usually  point to Steve Harvey as a shining example of the Cleveland Hustle. If you ask me, he’s not that funny.. But, he worked the stage as a stand-up comedian, took that experience and transitioned in to radio, he then became a best-selling author with his books on relationship-advice and finally parlayed that in to a day-time, Oprah-esqe tv show.

Honestly, did he have the credentials to do half of the the aforementioned?!?!!! I’m gonna go out on a limb and say OR NAH.. But, before you think I’m downing him, recognize that I am crowning him.. He saw opportunity and seized it at every occassion. He recognized when the “trap” dried up and moved to his next hustle like a real Clevelander. We don’t have the market NY has, building anything longstanding here takes time and comes with a lot of pitfalls. With that knowledge, I understand why we export so many people, because we can take that “hustle” that’s in our DNA and be wildly successful in other markets.

I visit other cities and notice at how lethargic business people are. Talk about “suffering from success.”

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I am constantly reminded of what makes this city great. I just hope that we all see it in our travels and return with greater appreciation of this land we call home. #CLEVELANDOVEREVERYTHING.

Hero Charles Ramsey One Year Later..

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We all remember Charles Ramsey speaking to media near the home where missing women Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight were rescued in Cleveland. Ramsey lived next door to where Ariel Castro kept the women in his makeshift prison until that fateful Monday afternoon, when Ramsey happened to be home and heard Amanda Berry’s scream.

Since then, the lives for all involved in this story has changed, Michelle Knight is moving forward and reportedly changing her name. Gina and Amanda offered the public a brief glimpse in to their present state-of-mind as they released statements

Amanda Berry:

I would like to thank all the people who have helped and supported my family and me. You have changed our lives in ways you’ll never know.

On this day, we decided that the right place for us to be was with other families who have gone through what our family has gone through. I want these families to know they will always have a special place in our hearts.

So much has happened this past year. I have grown. I am strong. And I have so much to live for, to look forward to. The future is bright.

———

Gina DeJesus:

I want to thank everyone who donated to the Courage Fund and sent gifts to me. You have made such a difference in my life.

This past year has been amazing, full of healing and hope. I am spending time with my family and working with Amanda on a book that we are really excited about.

I have also been enjoying new experiences, such as learning how to use new technology and how to drive. Thanks for continuing to respect my privacy and that of my family.

Charles Ramsey, who emerged as the hero of the day, has since written a book about the night of May 6, 2013, and his life before and after. It’s called Dead Giveaway (Gray & Co.).

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

The community around Seymour Avenue was tight-knit and self-sufficient. Almost everything you might need could be found within walking distance. Everyone there knew each other’s business. There weren’t very many secrets. This is why I speculate — not accuse, but speculate — that somebody on that street had to know that something was going on in Ariel Castro’s house.

Ariel obviously was a genius monster, but to carry out the so-far crime of the century for 12 goddamn years without anyone knowing just stretches the limits of believability.

But I’m not saying it’s impossible.

Ariel was, at least on the outside, the ideal neighbor. He went to work every day, cut his grass, brought his garbage cans in, fixed his cars, painted his porch, and kept to himself.

One of the guys in the neighborhood, Juan Perez, told ABC News, “Everyone thought he was a great guy.”

I can look back with 20/20 hindsight and realize there were several clues that something really odd was going on.

When we had those barbeques, Ariel would always do his cooking and bring it over to the neighbors’ houses. Neighbors never came onto his property.

I had noticed that Ariel’s windows were boarded up or covered up with plastic. There were no air conditioning units, so you can only imagine how stifling that place would be in the summer. When I asked some of the neighbors why Ariel’s house was boarded up in the summer with no air conditioning, they told me that’s just a Puerto Rican thing, that he liked everything muy caliente. Well, I’ve got plenty of African DNA in me but I would at least want some ventilation in my house. No one ever said, “Hmm, that is odd.”

In the winter, my roomie Shultzie and I once noticed that one of the windows was constantly iced over while others weren’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if that bastard was heating the rooms he was using and freezing the rooms where the girls were kept.

I remember Ariel’s daughter Angie coming over to the house several times. She was one fine-lookin’ babe. I kept my distance since she was Ariel’s daughter and the man code made her ineligible for me. But when Angie would come by, Ariel would take forever to answer the front door. He would then give her some sort of hand signal to go around the back.

Many times Ariel would see me outside and call me over. “Hey, I’ve got this leftover food here — you want it?” he would ask. It looked good to me, so I gladly accepted, appreciative of his generosity. But it turns out he wasn’t being generous — he was using me as a guinea pig. He would sometimes have the girls cook for him, and fearing they might be trying to poison him, he figured he’d better try it out on the nigga next door.

There were dots there, just never connected.

Ariel wasn’t the only secret madman of Seymour Avenue.

After the rescue, the authorities checked out all the neighbors up and down the street. They discovered Elias Acevedo Sr., a registered sex offender who had failed to report his whereabouts to authorities.

Turns out he had raped and murdered his 30-year-old neighbor, Pamela Pemberton, in 1994, and then killed Christina Adkins, a pregnant 18-year-old who disappeared near Seymour in 1995, and stuffed her into a manhole.

While he was in jail, DNA evidence linked him to a rape that had occurred near where Pam’s body was found. He then confessed to the rape and murder of both women, and was sentenced to 445 years in prison without the possibility of parole. That means this rescue has resulted in the solving of five kidnappings and two murders. Not bad for a toothless dishwasher. For my next act, I think I’ll go find Jimmy Hoffa.

Excerpted from the book “Dead Giveaway” © 2014 by Charles Ramsey with Randy Nyerges. Reprinted with permission of Gray & Co., Publishers.

Autographed copies of the book are available at CharlesRamseyWorld.com. “Dead Giveaway” ($14.95, 165 pages) is available at Northeast Ohio bookstores, Discount Drug Mart locations, Grayco.com, BarnesAndNoble.com and Amazon.com. Ebook editions are also available.

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Recap: Pro Football Hall Of Fame Fan Fest

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If you didn’t already know, Northeast Ohio played host to the first-ever Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan Fest this past weekend. The Fan Fest featured over 100 Hall of Famers,  including the likes of Terry Bradshaw, Cris Carter, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Warren Moon, Warren Sapp and more.

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There were plenty of meet and greet opportunities (as I shared a bag of chips with Marshall Faulk), “chalk talks,” panel discussions, clinics on a regulation turf field inside the I-X Center and even a concert perfoamnce by Terry Bradshaw (of all people). 

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From my understanding, this event was a “pilot” of sorts as the Hall of Fame is looking to take this show on the road. I can’t recall any other event that gave you such unrestricted access to NFL greats so, I am certainly hoping that it returns next year! Until then, go Browns!

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I’m So Cleveland T-Shirts Are NOW Available!!

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I’ve done all the hype for good reason, this is the best shirt I’ve created thus far..

YOU CAN GET YOURS BY CLICKING HERE!!!!

It represents a new direction for “Cleveland Over Everything” more directly aligned with the marketing of this great city.. One that could be worn by transplants, one that boasts ownership of all that makes us who we are as Clevelanders.

Resilient, blue collar, etc.. That’s what we are to say the least.

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So ideally, our model should embody such.. Well, this is one of the many times I got lucky.

Special thanks to Artist/Personal-Trainer Justin Fraley!

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We made the most of our limited time out in that “spring weather”.

You can check out his training Instagram page here and look for more videos from the fitness guru featured on this blog!

For any training inquiries, email him at justraining12@gmail.com

 

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Are You Ready To Be Dazzled Cleveland?!

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Today (5/2)  is the day the Playhouse Square will #DazzleCLE! Don’t miss this one-time-only spectacle. History will be made tonight!!!!

SCHEDULE of EVENTS

The events below are FREE and open to the public. 

No tickets are required.5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Happy Hours!

Neighborhood bars and restaurants open

“Restaurants of PlayhouseSquare” with food and beverages available for purchase on East 14th Street

Live music on U.S. Bank Plaza (previously Star Plaza)

8:30 p.m.

Hot Chelle Rae concert on the Euclid Avenue on The University Hospitals Main Stage

9:30 p.m.

Spectacle! Dazzle! Surprises?

Lighting ceremony

REMEMBER: Umbrellas, backpacks, large bags or chairs will NOT be allowed into the event and all bags are subject to search. Find info on parking, road closings here!

Global Cleveland’s Talent Attraction Kick-Off Is Tonight!

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Greater Cleveland Talent Attraction Kick-Off 

Thursday, May 1, 6-9pm 

Cleveland Convention Center Ballroom

Join Governor John Kasich, Mayor Frank Jackson, and JobsOhio President John Minor  at the FUN, FREE, MULTI-MEDIA Kick-Off of Global Cleveland’s Talent Attraction Campaign!

A World of Amazing Prizes will be Awarded at the event, including: 

Grand Prize: Two Day/One Night Luxury Staycation in Downtown Cleveland

Drawing Prizes include: 

  • Cleveland Whiskey
  • Supply of Mitchell’s Ice cream for a Year
  • Dinner for two at Zack Bruell’s Cowel & Hubbard and tour of the Rock Hall Vault
  • Rock Hall tickets and Merchandise
  • Dinner for two at Pura Vida
  • Wine from Vineyards of Chateau Hough
  • Dinner for two at Lago
  • Tickets to a show at Playhouse Square

This event is FREE – but you MUST enroll to be admitted: