Gloria Ferris

Riverside Cemetery Jazz Festival

Sunday, September 18, 2011

2 pm until ????

Featuring

The Mike Jacobs Quintet

Horse and Carriage Tours of the Cemetery will be available

Free and open to the public

www.riversidecemeterycleveland.org Phone number: 216-351-4800

The Riverside Cemetery Association will hold its first annual jazz festival at the Cemetery located at 3607 Pearl Road. Thee Festival will honor renowned Cleveland jazz musicians, Roberto Ocasio, Robert Lockwood, and Robert "Skeets" Ross, all laid to rest at Riverside. The Jazz Fest will feature a New Orleans style jazz band leading a procession from the 135-year-old Chapel to a circle in the Cemetery where President-elect Rutherford B. Hayes dedicated the Cemetery in 1876. Following a brief program highlighting the lives of these three gentlemen, there will be a concert performed by The Highlighters, aka Mike Jacobs Quintet, noted for its regular Dixieland performances for Cleveland Indians home baseball games since the opening of the ballpark in 1994. The band will also perform traditional New Orleans style funeral music and lead a horse-drawn carriage throughout the cemetery.

When I was a child, each Memorial Day began when I watched the traditional parade down the main street of my hometown looking for  my dad, uncles and aunt as they marched proudly down the street. Every parade ended at the town cemetery where my uncle sounded cadence and my dad was one of seven who reported with the 21 gun salute. Taps was played and the flag was raised from half staff. When I grew older I marched as a girl scout and then later, marched as a member of the high school marching band.

How fortunate I am to live in a neighborhood where my friend and neighbor Rick Nicholson carries on a tradition started many years ago by the Brooklyn Centre historical Society in conjunction with the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve at the Brooklyn Centre Burying Ground located at the end of Garden Avenue off Pearl. Each year at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day we gather by the flagpole to remember our dead who fought to keep us free and to pray for the end of war. 

This year began with our organizer, Rick Nicholson, a member of the Cleveland Grays, leading us in The Pledge of Allegiance Reverend Neal Wilds handled the Invocation but first he talked about is connection to the Civil War, his boyhood home is near the site of the Battle of Shiloh. He then moved on to the Battle of Gettysburg and the loss of 51,000 American lives lost in the battle. He said it is hard to imagine the carnage of the three day battle and the lives changed forever.  He  then related that this bloodiest of wars was the beginnings of what we now call Memorial Day  He then said a prayer asking for the end of war and a world of peace.

Reverend Bob Andrew was next and his comments included facts about the cemetery.  Brooklyn Centre Burying Ground is the resting place of many soldiers beginning with the Revolutionary War and ending with World War II. He told us that he was drafted to serve in the Korean War as a chaplain and he was stationed in Japan and did not experience combat. He recited this poem by Cadet Major Kelly Strong Air Force Junior ROTC..

Rick Jaworski who served as president of Brooklyn Centre Historical Society for many years under the tutelage of Ruth Ketteringham read General Logan’s Order #11  which is the official beginning of Memorial Day which began the tradition of decorating soldier’s graves. For years, veteran groups sold crepe paper poppies to purchase flags to be placed on graves. I wonder how those flags are purchased now. Until 1967, when the last Monday in May became the official designated day instead of the original date of May 30th and the popular Decoration Day became known officially as Memorial Day.

After comments from the people gathered around the flagpole, Joy Parrish and her friend Doc played and sang a beautiful selection of songs. She started with this song by Simon and Garfunkel and ended the set with Let there be Peace on Earth -he asked us to sing along and we did quietly and then she performed  America The Beautiful. Along the way, Doc recited Poppies in Flanders Field with additional verses he penned to add soldiers beyond World War I. Joy set the poem to music but Doc forgot to give her ALL the lyrics so we will have to wait till next year to hear he WHOLE song. What she sang was beautiful.  Doc was concerned that John McRae would be upset that he took liberties with his poem. I told him he would probably be proud.

Everyone took a few flags to place on veteran’s graves to show us all how many of those buried there fought for the freedom we enjoy today. As the flags waved in the hot breeze, we said our last prayers for peace and solemnly stood looking out over the cemetery. I love the sound of “Taps” and I cherish the times I was asked to play it for soldiers’ funerals in my hometown. But, I never heard it played on a violin until today. Doc played it with a reverence and melancholy that I thought was reserved for bugles. We then bookended the service with a second recitation of the “Pledge of Allegiance”.

I am truly blessed to live in a neighborhood that knows the meaning of “Memorial Day” and knows how to celebrate it.  Mark your calendars we will be there next year.

Every Memorial Day our friend and neighbor Rick Nicholson organizes special tribute to our armed forces and the veterans who lost their lives so that you and I would have the great freedoms we enjoy because we live in America.  There are a few short speeches, music, a flag placing ceremony and conversations with friends and neighbors.  It is a great way to start a holiday that remembers the fallen and the dead who gave their lives so we would be free.  All are welcome.

JOIN US FOR A SERVICE AT THE HISTORIC BROOKLYN CENTRE BURYING GROUND, ALSO KNOWN AS DENISON CEMETERY. TO HONOR OUR MILITARY VETERANS.

11:00 AM, MONDAY

MAY 30TH 2011

MEET AT THE BURYING GROUNDS LOCATED ON GARDEN AVENUE, NORTH OF DENISON AND EAST OF PEARL ON GARDEN AVE BEHIND ALDI’S. CONSTRUCTION ON NEW GATE ONGOING.

THIS CEMETERY HAD ITS FIRST BURIAL IN 1823 AND WAS DEEDED BROOKLYN CENTRE BURING GROUNDS IN 1835. MANY WAR VETERANS, STARTING WITH THE "REVOLUTIONARY WAR", ARE BURIED IN THIS LOCAL HISTORIC CEMETERY.

ALL WELCOME TO CONTRIBUTE. PLEASE CALL RICK NICHOLSON AT 216 398 1494 TO SCHEDULE ANY COMMENTS YOU WISH TO MAKE. MUSIC WILL BE PERFORMED BY JOY AND DOC.

I just posted : “Impressive Stanard Farm Is a Must See” on Local Food Cleveland and I decided that this farm, greenhouse, and vineyard are things to celebrate about Cleveland.  All of these ventures were met with the usual naysayers in Cleveland but my friends preservered because they knew that had “an idea whoese time has come”.  These projects by people who love Cleveland, not because they think they can “get rich quick”, but because they believe in our community and they want to create jobs and offer excellent products to their fellow inhabitants of Northeast Ohio.  These people exemplify what “eonomic development” is.

Yesterday our local Cleveland Public Branch manager Mrs. Cheryl Diamond and I visited Stanard Farm for the first time.  Summer Sprout partnered with them this year to distribute the thousands of plants destined to feed Cleveland communities this summer and fall.  Since this was my first time to ever take part in this event, I have no comparisons but it was efficient, friendly and convenient- a good experience all the way around.

When you think about it, Superior Avenue seems a strange place for a farm, but is it?  Besides this farm, Community Greenhouse Partners has moved in to 6527 Superior Avenue, the original location of St. George’s Lithuanian Church and Blue Pike Farm is just up the road a piece.  I couldn’t resist using that phrase from my youth.  My grandfather and his pals ALWAYS  used that phrase to describe how far a lost traveler’s destination was.

If you are an "urban"  explorer on foot, by bike or car, you certainly should check out Stanard Farm, the other farms in the St. Clair-Superior area as well as Chateau Hough just a neighborhood away.  

The best place for French Toast in Cleveland  is at Cafe Miami in Old Brooklyn.  This morning the editors of the soon to be published (well, maybe not SO soon) first ever Brooklyn Centre Naturalists Cookbook met to continue collecting, editing, and working on this crucial fundraiser for our neighborhood group striving to become the next certified National Wildlife Community. But the first step to a good work session is a good breakfast.

And so, we ordered our breakfasts, sipped coffee, and settled down to work.  Cafe Miami is not the breakfast place for you on a Saturday  if you want a hurry-up and get going start to your day.  Larry’s place is a more of a read the paper, “what’s your hurry” kind of diner on Saturdays. Did I tell you that I LOVE the French Toast.  It is sublime. The inside is soft and the outside has a subtle crunch to it that offsets the softness. Delicious.

Every time I step through the door of Cafe Miami I feel like I have been transported to the Deep South. Maybe, it is the Mardi Gras posters on the wall, the Jazz feel to the place, or maybe I truly am transported to a different time and place.  I kid you not there is a magical feel to this cafe.  The salt and pepper shakers, the antiques, the books that are placed around the place which Larry always encourages people to read or borrow, and much, much more has to be seen to be believed.

Just as I think I can’t wait one more minute our food begins to arrive.  Recipes and computers are put aside as we dig in while the food is still hot.  As we talk about our week, we munch on toasted English Muffins, French Toast, eggs and bacon, I suddenly realize that we better get down to business, finish eating, and get back to work.   As we say good bye to Larry, owner chef, and his waitress, Marie , I glance at the clock realizing we have only used two hours of our Saturday.  I think to myself “how can this be” we finished  proofreading that huge stack of recipes, separated them by category, ate breakfast, and I feel as refreshed as if I had been soaking up sunshine on the beach. I stop cold as I look outside and see that it I am in cold and rainy Cleveland.   I kid you not I thought that I would be stepping out into the sunshine with a hot breeze tousling my hair.  Instead, I am dodging huge raindrops and am soaked to the skin by the time I reach the car.  I am telling  you that there is something magical about this cafe.  If you don’t believe me, visit it yourself, and prove me wrong.

and much, much more swirling in my head.  Where should I begin?  First of all, there are three entrances to the event. One at the east end and two on the west end of the High Level Bridge. Taking the train and/or riding a bicycle are very viable modes of transportation.  If you think you need the freedom of a car, your best bet is to enter at the west end where the parking at Massimo’s and/or street parking is available.  Actually, bus, train or bicycle may give you more freedom.  Think about it.

We entered through Massimo’s walking down the stairs through the subway entrance.  The event this year is FREE, but believe me the $5.00 goodwill donation is a real bargain because there is so much to see, hear, and do once you enter the venue.  So, if possible be generous because as my friend, Adam said, “this festival is the best thing I’ve ever seen in Cleveland”.  When Adam said that, Tim and I knew we were in for a treat.   The space itself unleashed some incredible examples of creativity. There is no way I could do  justice to descriptions of them in this post. Instead, I will mention a few  that  were highlights of the evening for me.  Believe me, you will have your own favorites after you visit this incredible place. And, these are just a few of many, many things I saw.   People were so enthusiastic that complete strangers would walk by and tell you “New Orleans has the Mardi Gras, but we have the Ingenuity Fest”. There was a Mardi Gras feel to it or maybe more of a European feel-the streets of Paris, Amsterdam. Whatever it is, the energy and enthusiasm is certainly something that Cleveland can use. 

First, we met the Underground Ballerina, Lisa Lock, who is again performing an incredible dance that needs to be seen to be believed.  Be sure to step behind the curtain at Cat Walk and make the kinetic sculpture move for others.  Again, Melissa Daubert with her students have used shadows to create a unique experience for festival goers.  Be sure to stop and talk with artists along the way.  They just love to share their techniques and artistry. The waterfall is extremely beautiful at night because of the lighting used, but I am sure it would be a sight to see at any time of day. Along the length of the bridge, there are spots where sidewalk artists can create canvases to put up along the sides of the bridge.  There is a chance for budding artists to try their hand at Graffiti. The screen is hooked to a computer which enables the artist to design, erase, and save.  If we had planned to stay longer I would have tried my hand at aerosol art.

Gypsy Beans and Baking Company has a coffee/pastry stand set up for noshes as does BOGO Pizza.  There was other food available but we just had to stop and see Nikki on our way across the bridge. At the east end of the bridge, we listened to a talented band, called “Turntables on the Hudson”.  They had everybody dancing in the street.   We heard that today’s line up of bands are the headliners of the festival, but let me tell you that the bands we heard were pretty darn good. 

Sarah Morrison’s dance troupe wore their signature striped leggings while performing an intriguing dance using “Sarah’s Egg”.  I hope you get to see them today.  Also I hope “The Mirror Mime” is in attendance when you visit as well as the “Fashion Week” models who were decked out in duct tape. cotton batting, plastic, and various other recyclables.   There were dinosaurs,, banshees made from can lids, and all sorts of “things”.  Be sure to stop at Baker and Iris, Inc. and try your hand at building a bridge using pencils and other materials.   But enough about what I saw and experienced.  It’s time for you to have your own Ingenuity Festival!       

Well, not really, but The Cleveland Geological Society, one of the associated societies of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History,  is going to tell you why there is something shaky going on in NEO. The Society’s monthly meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm in Classroom A on C Floor at the Museum.

The talk at the February 17 meeting will be:

"There’s Something Shaky About this Place

and,  We Have the Data to Prove It"

This will be about the 100 plus year history of seismology in Cleveland, the museum’s part in that history, and the Ohio Seismic Network (OhioSeis). A tour of the museum’s seismic observatory will follow this talk.
http://tinyurl.com/yggz4c2

CGS Program Chair.
Douglas Dunn
Assistant, Invertebrate Paleontology
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
1 Wade Oval Dr.
Cleveland, Oh. 44106-1767
1.216.231.4600 x 3240
1.800.317.9155 x 3240
1.216.231.5919 CMNH fax
CMNH Invertebrate Paleontology website entry point:
http://tinyurl.com/yhm8jek
Search our collection database:
http://www.s15276997.onlinehome-server.com/DefaultWebSearch/advanced.jsp

Last week I posted about our friend and neighbor’s Valentine’s Weekend Benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters at his store mlangclothing&cocktails.

This week I am posting a bit more about the event and some of the artists whose work is for sale at Mike’s store.  Three of the artists like Mike are neighbors as well as friends and the fourth artist is a gal who has worked with us in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood at some of our events.  All four women are incredibly talented and produce quality pieces again and again.

Deby Cowdin. You can see examples of Deby’s work at her website from the blue bag. The Civic Innovation Lab recently awarded Deby and her partners one of their grants to use in promoting the recyclable aspect of the artwork she produces and promotes at her gallery/studio.

Denise Donaldson. Denise is planning a very special necklace set for Valentine’s Day.  It will be displayed on Saturday, and as with all her pieces, she will make only one.  She uses mostly semi-precious stones, the more unusual the better. She does her own designing and welcomes custom orders.

Sharon Martyn. Sharon’s stained glass  designs are original and unique and the glass is hand cut and hand ground.. Her handmade wire work adds flow and beauty to each piece she crafts.  The addition of crystals  to her sun catchers adds a dimension of light and sparkle not often seen.  Sharon has created fan lights, fireplace panels and other custom windows for our neighbors. The pieces shown here are her donations to Mike’s raffle to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.  The heart on the left is light pink and the one on the right is dark purple.

Marge Pauls.  Marge creates original artwork that appeals to the romantic in each of us.  She paints fairies, angels, society moguls and a myriad of other subjects. She incorporates pen and ink in her work which gives it a sharpness and edge that adds “pop” to her work.  Her artwork is available as prints, matted or unmatted, and as note cards. We eagerly await her yearly Christmas card and the party invitation for New Year Eve’s because it will be a new, never seen mpauls original.  She also crafts unique jewelry which will also be at mlangclothing&cocktails. 

Mike tells me that the raffle this weekend will include theater and sporting event  tickets. There may be restaurant gift cards and Mike has thrown in a few items from the store as well.  Besides, the custom shirt deal for a $49 donation BBBS, there will be a pair of $95 pants raffled.   Did I say  that there is no minimum donation? Come buy raffle tickets, donate and get a shirt, buy a few drinks, and sample a few of the appetizers from area restaurants.

One of our neighbors in Brooklyn Centre is hosting a Valentine’s Weekend Benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters at his establishment, mlang clothing & cocktails, located at 1275 Euclid Avenue in the heart of Playhouse Square. Mr. Lang is giving us plenty of opportunity to visit his establishment by holding the event not one day but two days!

I LOVE the flier don’t you?

Sherry wants to thank everybody who came to The Ugly Broad Tavern bearing turkeys, complete Thanksgiving meals, and more. Due to your efforts, Sherry dropped off an envelope with $211 in cash, three turkeys complete with all the trimmings, seventeen boxes, and more than fifteen bags of food to help fill Brookside Center’s shelves during the Thanksgiving holiday.

It was great to catch up with people we hadn’t seen in awhile and to meet a FaceBook friend face to face for the first time. As always, the tacos were scrumptious, and we enjoyed the conversation and camaraderie at our neighborhood bar, The Ugly. Stay tuned, scuttlebutt has it that there will be a redux of the event before Christmas.