Italian Heritage in Cleveland

 Italian Heritage in Cleveland

Italian immigrants and Italian Americans have played an important part in the history and growth of Cleveland. This is on display at the Italian Museum of Cleveland located in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland.

In this video, Pamela Dorazio Dean, Director of the museum, led Dan Hanson on a quick tour of some of the Museum's displays and told the story of the Italians coming to Cleveland and helping build it and make it grow. The first wave of immigrants settled in what was called Big Italy but later moved to several neighborhoods in both the west and east sides including, of course, Little Italy.

Pamela told how many of the immigrants were skilled stone carvers and how they played an important role in the creation of the huge Guardians statues which became the inspiration for the Cleveland baseball team's name change from Indians to Guardians. The Feast of the Assumption and Columbus Day Parade were discussed and Pamela shared the history of how Columbus Day came to be celebrated. It resulted from the largest lynching in US history when 11 Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans in 1891. Pamela stressed that Columbus Day is mostly a celebration of Italian heritage.

The museum is free to visit.

See more of Italians in Cleveland

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West African food in Cleveland

Yum Village is a new Cleveland restaurant that features West African and Caribbean food.

  It’s at 2215 Chester, right across from Cleveland State University.  We spoke with one of the owners Carasai Ihentuge who said there are 2 Yum Villages in his hometown of Detroit.  

Most of the food in the 2,400-square-foot space is non-GMO and vegan, but meat and chicken dishes are offered. Most are not very spicy.  

Carasai’s father is from Lagos, Nigeria and he grew up eating this food. 

 For us meat lovers, try the Flip Village Combo which is Mango Curry Chicken with Ginger Curry Chickpeas and White Potato Flips over a bed of delicious Coconut Rice or the DJ Village Combo which is Jezebel Peach Honey Mustard Chicken over Turmeric Rice served with Truffle Oil Greens and White Potato Flips. Neither is spicy. 

Watch Carasai talk about the restaurant and the food.

See  more at Nigerians in Cleveland

Rebuilder's XCHange

 Rebuilders Xchange (RBX) buys and sells construction material from ordinary to extraordinary. RBX is in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood in an organized, 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse. (The address is 5401 Hamilton but it's easier to go North on East 53rd - their website has clear directions).

On the supply side, they work with local contractors and individuals who have access to overstock, new or salvaged building material. RBX inventories, markets, and sells dropped-off items. Once an item sells, RBX cuts the 'consignor' a check at the end of the month for 50% of each sale. Instead of dumping, donating or storing usable material; both businesses and individuals finally have a streamlined solution for making money.

On the demand side, they are open to the public 4 days a week! Customers have access to an ever-changing inventory of over 1,000's of new, unique, and vintage items.

See photos, video interviews and learn more about RBX 

Watch this interview with founders Jessica Davis and Ron Copfer.

Fun with Maps - A special look at longitude and latitude (and more)

 This is a special episode of Fun with Maps with Dan Hanson.  Instead of looking at one particular area, we look at some items that affect all the maps of earth.  These are the terms latitude and longitude.

Using those coordinates you can pinpoint any place on earth.  They are essential for ship captains and pilots and others. 

Maybe this will be a refresher course or maybe it will be new for you as we discuss latitude, longitude, the Prime Meridian, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, the Equator, International Dateline, Greenwich Mean Time, Time Zones and more.   

And we explain how you can be at a spot on Earth where it is both today and yesterday. (like in the picture from I, Plenz above of the International Date Line in Fiji.

More Fun with Maps.