Gloria Ferris

ALL ACCESS FAIR:

Walk+Roll Cleveland comes to our neighborhood this weekend with the All Access Fair sponsored by Old Brooklyn CDC and others.  http://walkroll.com/specialevents/details.php?unid=550

The event kicks off at 10 am and winds down at 4 p.m.  For details, i have included two access points.  Bicycle tours, walking tours and much more will be available throughout the day.

BROOKSTOCK:

Shortly after, an evening of musical entertainment will begin at The Brookside Reservation.  This year access off Denison Avenue will be restricted due to bridge construction.  Next year we should have pedestrian access from our side of the bridge.  Entry this year will be off Ridge Road.

http://www.clemetparks.com/events/brookstock.asp

And throughout the weekend, the annual West 44th Street Neighborhood Garage Sale will be taking place.  The small neighborhood nestled on a brick lined street off Denison Avenue will once again, amaze its patrons with the quality of the merchandise and the sellers’ ability to bargain with their buyers.  This sale is a garage sale browser’s dream in reality.  

HOURS OF SALE:

July 18^th and 19th, 2009

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Each year,  Sherry Perry, the owner of The Ugly Broad Tavern in my neighborhood, Brooklyn Centre, sponsors a series of fundraisers to benefit a local cause.  Last year three tiny children-Ainia, JJ and CC Cintron lost their lives through violence.  This year, in their memory,  Providence House will be the beneficiary of Sherry’s fundraising efforts.  Last year with the help of friends, neighbors, and patrons Sherry raised $3000 for Breast Cancer Research.

This weekend Saturday June 20th is the Kick-off or should I say Kick-ass fundraiser.  Do you love riding your motorcycle?  Do you love playing Poker?  Do you just want something different to do on a Summer Saturday? Do you like bar hopping?  Answer “yes” to any one of those questions and you need to be part of:

 THE Ugly Broad POKER RUN

  Here are the details:  Sunday, June 20th $15.00 per Bike $20.00 per Couple-Last Bike Out Noon (12 p.m.)  Tickets available at THE UGLY BROAD 3908 Denison Avenue Cleveland OH 44109  216-351-9826.

Johnny T’s  Old Route 8

Caddyshack 1429 West 130th.

West River Cafe 24517 West River Road

Froggy’s 22115 Brookpark Road

Be Back to The Ugly Broad by 6 p.m.

This is the annual Archwood Street Fair of renown.* We’ve been having it for so many years now I have to ask somebody else when it all started–I think it was in 1980-something. Originally, we tried to sell a lot of rehab and restoration items as well as antiques, and that is still the basic purpose. It now also functions as a way for all of us to clean house, so it’s taken on aspects of the huge neighborhood garage sale as well. Some of us who don’t live on Archwood actually haul our stuff in the night before. The inventory is usually pretty good.

Further, some entrepreneurs now set up food stands and assorted flea market venues. It’s a real melting pot…Open source. It’s also ideal for bicycles and walking.

The stated hours are from 9 AM-6 PM on Saturday and 10 AM-5 PM on Sunday, and some people stay open a little longer, and some people wrap up early.

This year will also feature some fun, music, and art events.   Brooklyn Centre Naturalists will have a table set up near the action.  Stop by our booth and see how easy it is to become a wildlife habitat.  Buy one of our raffle tickets for a chance to win an incredible basket full of gardening treasures.  Any of you  who attended Earth Fest this year knows how incredible Greg Cznadel’s baskets were.  If you can, check out the joint gardening project of Brooklyn Memorial Church and us.

Tim and I stopped by our favorite neighborhood tavern last night for tacos.  Wednesday is Taco Night at The Ugly Broad.  They are Go-o–d. This time they were exceptional.  Homegrown tomatoes added a special taste treat.  Patrons share their bounty with Sherry’s kitchen.

Little Sherry, Sherry and the rest of the crew are getting ready for the annual Halloween Party. Sherry tells me that Little Sherry is in charge.  Each day it looks just a bit more like Halloween. Sherry let me borrow a flyer so that I could add it to my post.

The menu sounds extremely scrumptious with toad’s eyes, eyes of newt, devil’s eyes, graveyard pizza and a sandwich that is “to die for”.

Since the flyer is a bit small.  Here are the details. 

Saturday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m.

And you will just have to attend to sample the ingredients of that sandwich and the other frightening treats.  I’m not giving away any secrets because I sure don’t need any bewitching spells on me this year.

I just read over on RealNeo that Alenka Banco is opening Josaphat Arts Hall and her Convivium 33 gallery to artists this weekend so that the can sell there wears/wares during the Sparx in the City Gallery Hop this Saturday Sepember 20 and Sunday September 21 from 10 a.m. til 5 p.m.

The really cool thing about this wears/wares sale is that you can arrive early at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday pay $5.00 and be part of an exclusive dealer/public preview.  You ask me why should I get up early and pay money when I can arrive at 10 and pay nothing?  I’ll tell you why because ALL of the admission fees will benefit the Max S. Hayes art students (CMSD)  where my friend Mary Beth Matthews is chair of the Art Department.

Mary Beth is an amazing woman who has also found the time to be a founding member of the Women’s Enterprise Network.  We are a group of women dedicated to empowering women of all ages to do what they want to do.

Tim and I have a busy weekend but I am going to be there at 8:30 a.m. Saturday “with bells on” as they say. 

I just received an email from our friend Bill McDermott.  If you have attended one of the Midtown Brews events, you probably have had the pleasure of making Bill’s acquaintance.  A chemist by trade, he is extremely knowledgeable about alternative energy especially, solar and shares his research freely with the Brews crowd and at RealNeo where he has a blog.  He reads extensively and freely shares what he learns with the rest of us.  In essence, he is my newspaper clipper on all things green.

The email was to promote the upcoming Ohio Solar Energy Tour coming our way this October.  Here are the specifics for the Northeast Ohio Solar Energy Tour.  Notice that Bills’ house is one of the featured sites.  His wife and he are also hosting an all day Open house during the tour.  Note that the Kious Straw House is also on the tour.  Next year will probably feature the Shaker Lakes straw structure.

I noticed that there is a combined Wayne/Holmes Tour scheduled for that weekend.  Since those are my old stomping grounds, I must check out the particulars for that tour as well.  I grew up outside the quaint village of Shreve located in Wayne County but as close to the border as possible.  County Road 1 was the delineation between the two counties. 

Who says exciting things aren’t happening in NEO and Ohio? I beg to differ.

So the phrase is usually Spring Forward, Fall Back but down at the Ugly Broad Tavern things are moving forward. New items have been added to the menu and other upcoming events should mean a trip down Denison to join in the fun.

First of all, Dean has moved from behind the bar into the kitchen. Mussels on Monday and from what I hear there is plenty of garlic for all of you aficionados or if you just want to stock up on garlic for Halloween to keep the vampires away, you ought to try them. If mussels are not your kind of meal, Tuesdays are still reserved for Meatball Subs. And of course, who would mess with the eternally favorite Wednesday Taco nite-no one and no one did. Tim still says that Thursday’s Steak Nite is one of the best deals in the city for a great grilled steak, baked potato and salad. Friday’s Fish Fry has moved over and made room for some Pierogies.

If that isn’t enough, Monday is now Free Pool night and Saturday afternoons from 1-6 are reserved for Biker Discount Deals open to all who come riding in on their bike, on foot or by car. Saturday October 6^th is reserved for the Sherry’s famous Clambake. Call 351-9826 to reserve your ticket now. Hurry because they usually sell out early. Prices are reasonable $20 for chicken and $23 for steak. Tim thinks the steaks are good but I LOVE that Clam Chowder.

September’s Karaoke night was such a hit that another one is scheduled for October 20^th from 8 p.m. til closing. This is the same night that Sherry will be hosting a fundraiser to help Nick defray his medical costs due to his train accident and his miraculous survival. Great times with great people are always the case at 3908 Denison Avenue.

When I walked in the door just now from gathering signatures for the referendum, this email from Lois Moss was in my inbox asking me to promote this Sunday’s Walk+Roll Cleveland event. It appears as an outreach to the community they are asking for musicians and artists and others to participate in this Sunday’s event. Tim and I were lucky enough to hear Counciwoman Sabra Pierce Scott who talked about the event last night at the Ward 20 Republican meeting where I talked about the referendum and handed out petitions. She is a great speaker. If you get the chance you should attend a meeting where she is the featured speaker. She had some common sense things to say where people can come together to agree. She has a way of talking about common ground. But, back to this weekend’s event.

Back by popular demand, Walk+Roll Cleveland is a go for Sunday Aug
5 and Sunday Aug 12. MLK Jr Dr will be closed to motorized vehicles
from 10am to 6pm so that people can walk, run, rollerblade, bicycle,
unicycle or wheelchair through Rockefeller Park and The Cultural
Gardens. With enough positive feedback from the community, Aug 19,
Aug 26 and Sept 23 may also become Walk+Roll Sundays.

The organizers are hoping that the community will come together and
share their talents to make the event even more special. If you know
of any community groups, artists, musicians, youth activity
coordinators or senior groups that could create free activities
during the upcoming Sunday events, please pass the word.

The project has received tremendous media coverage for this car-free
initiative, including a feature in Continental Airlines inflight
magazine. With 43,000 employees and over 5,000,000 passengers a
month, a large number of people will read about this Cleveland
project which promotes community connections, healthy living, and
vibrant public places.

For more information or to sign up as a performer or volunteer, see
www.walkroll.com

Participate if you can. Make this the city event it should be showcasing one of Cleveland’s many gems-The Cultural Gardens in the comeback neighborhood of Glenville. Tim and I enjoy riding through the streets admiring all of the beautiful homes and gardens. East Boulevard, of course, is a gem, but some of the side streets are beautiful too. Sunday will be a great day to take a walk. Hope to see you there!

What a show!  The Drums drumming down Euclid Avenue led by Marcos Santos were incredible.  Who knew that those drummers would exorcise the “rain demon” that plagued last year’s festival.  A whirlwind flew down Euclid Avenue accompanied by its own drummers of pelting rain.  Canopies flew and people ran but it was gone as quickly as it descended.  Everyone ventured back out on to the street, quickly setting things right, and going on with the show.  What an incredible group of people-the vendors, the volunteers, the restauraters and their staffs and even festivalgoers pitched in to straighten out the street so that the show could go on.  Amazing!

 But that was only a small part of it,  the NASA Glenn Exhibits, the photos inserting my own face inside of the space suit of an astronaut standing on the moon,  Sarah Morrisson’s Dance Troupe, The Audio TuTus,  The Breuer Tower exhibit up at 12th Street, “The Fire Inside”  the extended hours of the delis, coffeeshops, and restaurants along Euclid, the smell of the fried veggies, the fat, juicy sausages, the incredible gyros, the $4.00 GLB brews, the people dancing and drumming up Euclid, the spectators joing in the celebration, and then, and then…

There were the incredible smiles on the faces of the children who attended yesterday’s festival.  To me, those smiles were the crown jewel of this festival. Family after family strolled past our Meet.The.Bloggers booth in the anteroom between the State and Palace Theatres. I engaged quite a few of them in conversation as they stopped to see what the spaceships on the table were all about and how did they work.  Many of them lost their curiosity when told they were microphones and not spaceships, but I didn’t lose mine.  Without hesitation, I would ask them what they had seen and what they like best.  One little girl said dancing down the street with the drummers.  A little boy who played chess with a man dressed like a robot.  It was someone dressed like a robot, wasn’t it? I’ll never tell.  The other young man who had decided that he wanted to go to the moon because he wouldn’t weigh anything at all.  There was a little girl fascinated with the audio tutus.  She wanted to know where she could buy a skirt just like it.

But maybe, the best thing about it was the thankful demeanor of the parents who could not believe their good luck.  Each one of them paid $5 to see everything, and every child 12 and under was free. By far, the best deal for family entertainment in Cleveland for the summer.  They all were amazed at how there was so much for everyone in the family.  The little ones were as engrossed as the older ones.  And there was plenty for them to do as well.  And the kids weren’t bored. 

I guess in a nutshell this festival appeals to the child in all of us.  There is so much to learn, to experience, and to dream about right here in the middle of a construction zone.  That it isn’t hard to believe in Cleveland!   A big “hats off” to the Ingenuity Festival!

My apologies for not providing links to each and every one of the incredible contributors to this festival, but I am very slow at that and I would be here until midnight, only a slight exaggeration, and I would miss one whole incredible day of this festival,  See you there! 

What do a librarian, a magician and a Broadway playwright have in common? They all lived in Cleveland and they’re all featured in this year’s Brooklyn Centre Garden Party—“Magic, Mystery, and Millionaires.” Come and see famous characters in Cleveland’s past portrayed by costumed narrators. Stroll through the grounds and see who’s who in our history. Enjoy musical entertainment in the Victorian Chapel, and relax in the shade with a glass of lemonade. Find out about Ohio’s native plants, make a mask with local artists, hear the latest about the Ohio and Erie Canal project, visit with our friends from the Zoo, and see what makes Riverside Cemetery one of Cleveland’s must-see places.

Ticket prices are as follows: Advance, $5 senior, $8 adult, $20 family of four; Day of Tour, $7 senior, $10 adult, $25 family of four. Call 216-351-0254 to reserve your tickets or for more information.

And here is another version as it appeared in CoolCleveland this week: Sunday, June 10th, 1:00-5:00 p.m., Brooklyn Centre Garden Party, Riverside  Cemetery, 3607 PearlRoad, at I-71.  Costumed narrators will tell the stories of famous “residents” of the cemetery. Musical entertainment, light refreshments, and kids’ activities. Learn the history of this beautiful resting place and stroll through the landscaped grounds.  Local organizations will have booths featuring various gardening techniques, plus adoptable animals.Call 216-351-0254 for details and advance tickets, or get tickets at the door.

A group of friends and neighbors have been working very diligently on this project since the cold winter months.  And now, this Sunday where it is predicted that we will have one of the beautiful late spring days that keep us all here, the show will be unveiled.  This project has taken on a character all its own.  We have received much free publicity, help from all kinds of sources, and a lot of good will.  We have had such a good time putting this event together that if those of you who attend have half the fun, it will have been well worth it. 

So it’s my phone number on the banner at the gates of the cemetery and everywhere else our advance publicity has appeared—the Plain Dealer, Cool Cleveland, The Sun News, doctor’s offices, websites, coffee shops and more places than I am aware. So if you haven’t made plans for the weekend or even if you have, consider doing something just a bit different and come to a garden party. Oh, did I tell you that kids are more than welcome. Art House will be there making masks with the kids, one of our Cleveland Public Library librarians will be there to read to the young ones, and there will be a virtual scavenger hunt that they can play alongside their parents while taking the tour.

And as I told someone on the phone yesterday, reserve your tickets now, and pick them up at will call just like downtown, at the Playhouse.