Too hot to be an Irish Wolfhound

I felt sorry for this poor Irish Wolfhound at the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival

It's been a hot and muggy summer and all that fur didn't help.

So he did the smart thing and found a fan.

Good boy!

President Garfield Monument

I was at a function at Lake View Cemetery and a friend, from the West Side, asked me a question. He said that since he had travelled all the way over to the East Side, he wanted to visit some other areas he had heard of.

He wanted to know where Little Italy and Coventry were.

I told him to go right about 1/4 mile for Little Italy and left 1/4 mile for Coventry. He was amazed.

Often we take things for granted that we are familiar with just because we see them all the time. If you have never seen the President Garfield monument at Lake View Cemetery, it's really worth a visit. The monument is huge - 180' and the statue inside is larger than life and kind of spooky.

You can visit the actual casket of the President and his wife in the basement or go to the roof and see the Cleveland skyline.

See a video and photos of the Garfield Monument until you can get there yourself.

Ask me for directions if you need to.

A couple of kids

Happy Birthday to Cleveland Jewish News columnist Violet Spevack who was honored on her 95th birthday last week by over 800 friends and family.

Vi's husband turned 99 this past June but the couple puts other much younger couples to shame with their vitality and love of life.

Many more to both Vi and David.

See photos from Vi Spevack's 95th birthday party with special guest Rona Barrett.

Blaskapelle (Brass Band) Concert in the German Cultural Garden

Last Sunday was the annual Blaskapelle (Brass Band) Concert in the German Cultural Garden.

The Conrad Mizer/Karl Wolfram Memorial Garden Concert is an annual event. Conrad Mizer, a German emigre, promoted summer band concerts in Cleveland public parks. Karl Wolfram was one of the founders of the Cleveland's Cultural Gardens and was the first president of the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation.

There is something really cool about hearing the oom-pah-pah of the German bands in the idyllic setting of the German Cultural Garden under the watchful eyes of the huge Goethe and Schiller monument.

See photos and videos of the German Music Concert in the German Cultural Garden.

As the profile begins...

There was a time, before the Internet, when reporters actually went looking for a story; talked to sources; did research and met deadlines. It wasn't even that long ago.

One such reporter was Cleveland's own Doris O'Donnell. She is an amazing woman with an even more amazing story to tell. It is the story of trips to Moscow, crime scenes and suspense. It is the story of her venture into a male dominated world of smoke filled rooms and back room deals.

This is one of the most interesting profiles we have done on ClevelandWomen.Com or ClevelandSeniors.com

Check out Doris O'Donnell.

Sweet Jane

Sad to hear that Jane Scott, Cleveland's Oldest Teenager, passed away on July 4, 2011 at age 92. She started working at the Plain Dealer in 1952 and continued until she retired in 2002.

Read the official profile of Jane Scott.

I remember once when she asked us about reggae at a Peter Tosh show at the old Front Row. Tosh came out smoking a spliff the size of a banana. At the intermission, Jane asked us all kinds of questions about reggae and it made her column the next day.

I ran into her at a lot of concerts and media events and she was always so eager to be part of the action. A great trait!

She was one of a kind.

I am sure she is interviewing Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin and others right now.

Kill the Irishman - the Danny Greene story

Over the summer of 1976, thirty-six bombs detonate in the heart of Cleveland while a turf war raged between Irish mobster Danny Greene and the Italian mafia.

Like many other Clevelanders, I have my own memories of Danny Greene. He was always very nice to my grandmother and other family members. I remember the green pens he would hand out and the Irish flag flying over his Collinwood home.

Lots of other memories too that I am not going to post in the blog (for now at least)

Lyndhurst Police Chief Rick Porrello wrote the book that became the movie Kill the Irishman.

Read the Rick Porrello interview

Enter the contest to win a free DVD of Kill the Irishman

Hot in Cleveland

My sister Debbie was down at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for the big red carpet event when the cast of Hot in Cleveland visited.

She has a write-up and some terrific pictures at Hot in Cleveland on ClevelandWomen.Com

The ladies - Betty White, Valerie Bertineli, Jane Leeves and Wendy Malick (in photo above)- were greeted by enthusiastic fans and a horde of media.

I am not really the intended demographic for the TV show but when I have watched it was funny and Cleveland came out looking good.

Army Birthday

I guess I never really associated Flag Day with the birthday of the US Army but I learned better last Tuesday.

The Joint Veterans Commission of Cuyahoga County presented a special event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Along with a Flag Day celebration they honored the US Army on its 236th birthday and also held a Naturalization Ceremony for new US citizens.

It was an inspiring event and the pride in the faces of the new citizens (from about 20 different countries) was evident.

Check out the Flag Day celebration and Happy Birthday Army!

I'm Baaaack - from the Hall of Fame

OK, it's been too long since I last posted. Thanks for those who checked in to see what was up.

The main reason is that we have been swamped with the 2nd induction of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.

On May 11, 2011 we had almost 450 people in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott at Key Center for the induction dinner ceremony.

As much as we enjoyed Sterle's last year for the inaugural induction, this event was really something.

The class was amazing. 9 diverse people who have made substantial and lasting contributions to our region.

The inductors were special and some of the pairings (Rock Hall CEO Terry Stewart inducting Polka King Tony Petkovsek, Congressman Louis Stokes inducting Rev Dr Otis Moss Jr and Sam Miller inducting Albert Ratner, for example) were described as 'delicious.'

The keynote was by Forest City Co-chairman Sam Miller. Wow.

So finally the photos and video from the Cleveland International Hall of Fame are posted on ClevelandPeople.Com.

About 12 pages so check them out when you get a chance.

And expect to see more regular postings from yours truly. Thanks for your patience.

Jellybeanville and Eggshell Land

There are two really excellent Easter displays within about 10 minutes of my house. Eggshell Land is in Lyndhurst and Jellybeanville is in Euclid.

Both displays cost a lot to create and maintain but the creators say they love to bring smiles to the faces of children and their families.

You can donate to the Bellflower Center to prevent child abuse at Jellybeanville.

Kudos to Steve Kaselak at Jellybeanville and Ron and Betty Manolio of Eggshell Land.

Both are worth a visit

Interfaith Seder

The 8th Annual AJC (American Jewish Committee) inter-faith Diplomatic Seder was held at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple.

Rabbi Joshua Caruso led the ceremony with enthusiasm and passion. He told how the feast of Passover was both a celebration of freedom and a memory of slavery.

Along with the readings, music and other traditions and festivities there was a time for personal stories.

Peggy Zone Fisher told of her mixed marriage - she is Catholic and her husband Lee Fisher is a Jew. She also told of how her west side family supported Carl Stokes in the 1960's and paid the price for it.

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. gave a powerful (as always) 5 minutes on some of his experiences in the South. What an orator!

Check out the pictures and videos from the Seder.

New Tri-C Scholarship

Margaret Wong, Jerry Sue Thornton and Judy Wong


Margaret W. Wong knows first hand how important a scholarship can be to an immigrant (or child of immigrant) student. She was in that position herself when she came to the United States. Margaret used scholarships to complete her education which led to the establishment of her world-renown Margaret W. Wong & Associates law firm.

The Cuyahoga Community College Foundation announced the Margaret W. Wong Scholarship Fund at a special reception at Ms Wong's building. "The Cuyahoga Community College Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Margaret W. Wong Scholarship Fund for support of immigrant students and their children. This scholarship will provide access to education for both immigrant students and students who are children of immigrants who may not be able to begin or continue their educations without additional financial assistance."

Ms Wong donated $100,000 to set up the scholarship.

Pictures and video from the event

Flipped Off

The latest One Minute Podcast from the Great Lakes Geek talks about the end of the Flip camera.


I always liked the Flip Camera. My sister had one and it fit in a pocket, had that one easy button to push and produced quality video. I also liked the built-in USB connector.

I didn’t own a Flip because I take a lot of video (last YouTube count is at 935 videos posted) and I need more storage than the Flip had.

It always seems odd to me that Cisco, the company behind the plumbing of the Internet, bought this niche business from Pure Digital for $590 million. Cisco’s earnings fell 18% in the 2nd quarter of 2011 and the Flip wasn’t really a growth product so I can see why Chambers didn’t want the brand anymore. But why not sell it?

It would have to be updated though. The iPod Nano got a camera in 2009 and Apple clearly targeted the Flip. Now most smart phones and devices have a camera for stills and video so the question is why buy a single use product when you have that functionality in a device you already own and carry?

Consider how younger people use the camera on their phones. They shoot and immediately post the photos to Facebook, Flickr, YouTube or other social media or send to their friend’s devices. You can’t do that with a Flip which has no Internet connectivity.

Cisco tried a high-end Flip but it sold for $230 and was, again, single purpose.

I just wish Cisco had sold the Flip line to a company that would upgrade it with Wi-Fi, more storage and lots of photo/video specific apps instead of killing the line.

That’s what has me Flipped Off.

Efficient use of charitable donations

Many people want to contribute to causes but with all the scams and inefficiencies of some bureaucratic behemoths, you can't be sure that your money is getting to the needy.

I was impressed by a recent tour of the Cleveland Foodbank.

They are able to provide 4 meals for every $1 they receive in donations. Give them $10 and they will make 40 meals. $100 turns into 400 meals and so on.

Currently the Harvest for Hunger campaign is going on. This is an opportunity to help feed hungry people in the community in an incredibly frugal and efficient way.

You can donate online right now.

Think like an immigrant

Ratanjit S. Sondhe is an American success story. He emigrated from India to the United States in 1968 to complete his Ph.D. studies in Polymer Chemistry. He arrived here with $8 in his pocket and two Master's degrees. He soon became an American entrepreneur, creating POLY-CARB, Inc. to add value by offering solutions to infrastructure erosion problems.

In 1980 he heard the message: The bad news is you are broke. The good news is you are in America.

He succeeded tremendously from that point and sold his company to Dow Chemical. Now he advises people and businesses on a better way of life.

For example, He told a City Club crowd that immigrants are "like fresh water in a pond." They come on their own and put themselves in survival mode and see opportunity that American born do not. He wants to convert native born to this immigrant mindset.

Ratanjit Sondhe at City Club of Cleveland

Team NEO International Business Attraction

Quick. What are the 3 countries that Team NEO does the most work with?

Germany, the Netherlands and China. With Canada coming up fast.

Team NEO markets the Cleveland Plus region collectively to site selectors, real estate consultants and targeted companies across the globe to increase awareness of Northeast Ohio’s business assets in order to increase business opportunities for the region.

Here are 3 short videos from a Team NEO forum that explains some of their efforts.

Global Cleveland

A large crowd filled the 3rd floor of 200 Public Square (soon to be renamed the Huntington Bank Building) to hear news that many thought would never be announced.

The idea to grow Cleveland by attracting and retaining migrants and immigrants has been discussed for a decade. Last year the vision began solidifying into action as Forest City's Albert Ratner, with support from the Cleveland Jewish Federation, led an initiative which has become Global Cleveland.

The tagline for Global Cleveland is "Connecting Newcomers to Opportunity and the Region." None of the numerous businesses, organizations and individuals involved in Global Cleveland is satisfied with the declining population of the region. Aggressive efforts to attract and retain people will yield increased economic opportunities and development for all.

At a press conference launch on April 5th, Global Cleveland Board Chairman Baiju Shah announced large funding sources and a location for their headquarters which will serve as a Welcoming Center.

See photos and video of Global Cleveland launch event

Benefit for Japan

Kids today. They are all lazy slackers who play video games all day, right?

Not these two. Two young high school students, Cameron Beason and Jane Tang saw the stories on the news and knew they had to do something for all the people suffering as a result of Japan's tsunami. Beason says they didn't want to just give money; they wanted to encourage other people to donate as well.

So they organized a Benefit for Japan at Asia Plaza.

Good for you Cameron and Jane!

Have to run IE6?

You know how I feel about Internet Explorer (IE) 6 - it's not as secure or feature rich as more modern browsers. (more about IE6)

But some of you have apps that have to run on Internet Explorer 6.

Microsoft IT pro evenagelist Matt Hester suggests a good workaround for you. And he shares a funny IE6 April Fool's Day story in this video with the Great Lakes Geek.