Features

My name is Peter Jones. I want to share with you my story about the power and devotion that can lie within us, sometimes unnoticed or simply ignored. I'm telling you about this not to glorify myself, but rather to tell you my story and perhaps inspire you to take action as well.

What can I do? I'm just one person. What power does one person have? Perhaps a bit more than two months ago, I was sitting in my house, quite concerned by these thoughts. I had no idea what I would do as a social justice project which I had signed up for. Through an article in a magazine that my mom was reading and the Internet, I came upon the issue of children in foster care not having basic toiletry supplies. Before finding that website, I didn't really think about this being a problem. However, it is a problem, and that became my project. 

On a Saturday morning recently, Olga Capas, Rita Zvirblis, and Vanessa Staskus ordered late breakfasts and early lunches at the Diner on Clifton, settling into seats after their first Zumba class. Over cups of steaming coffee, three-cheese omelets, patty melts, and shared sweet potato fries they caught up with their experience and breath.

Heirloom Home celebrates its 1st birthday with a special holiday sale of unique items. Give the present of wonderful handcrafter vintage necklaces and bracelets, handsome, quality watches that have a secret compartment, antiques and beautiful silver, glass and collectibles.

After years of feeling like a college town, Lakewood is getting a university. Classes at the brand-new University of Akron Lakewood begin on January 9 in the recently refurbished Bailey Building at the intersection of Detroit Avenue and Warren Road.

By all accounts Ryan Woidke appears a normal 19-year-old, born and raised in Lakewood where he still lives on weekends while in his second year at Kent State University.  A graduate of Lakewood High School now majoring in Criminal Justice, trim and athletic, a full-time academic with two part-time jobs, he blends in with most other backpacking students.

I remember walking into my second-grade classroom the day after Open House, ready for a morning as usual, and discovering a prim island of flat plastic shapes arranged in the center of my desk. Curious and impulsive, I asked out loud, as I pushed the blocks around, what is this for? A little full of myself, and definitely impatient, I must have assumed that someone had forgotten to clean up the mess he left on my workspace, and I’d already smeared the pieces out of order when I got my answer. The night before, the parents of my classmates had picked an image to assemble on their child’s desk using sets of colored tiles. My mom and dad had followed the pattern on their chosen card, leaving me their picture to find as I settled into my seat the next day, and I-- in my haste and hurried presumptuousness-- had wrecked their work with a single swipe.

Come to The Furry Nation pet store, 15800 Detroit Ave., on Tuesday, December 6, from 5- 8 p.m. for a celebration of our good old dogs.

This is the occasion of the official adoption of Annie, a nine-year-old greyhound, who after a terrible life filled with injury, neglect and rejection, will now spend the rest of her years in a loving home in Lakewood. At 7 p.m. we will toast Annie’s adoption, along with the adoption of any other senior dogs in attendance (define ‘senior’ any way you like). We also will pause to remember good old dogs who are no longer with us.

Annie is being adopted from Erie Shore Greyhound Adoption of Ohio, which will hold a meet-and-greet that evening at Furry Nation, complete with adoptable greyhounds. All will be younger than Annie, but few will act younger. Also, Tuesdays are double-point days for Furry Nation’s loyalty program.

On a blustery, cold January night, Lakewood is blanketed by winter snow. Inside the Root Café, delicacies and hot drinks provided more than just warmth. The café provided the perfect atmosphere for the kick-off committee meeting for this year’s Light Up Lakewood. What began that night has led to the amazingly awesome, new and improved Light Up Lakewood Festival 2011. A night that is sure to attract more notable praise upon our beloved town. 

Just like people, trees age and decline in health. Lakewood, proclaimed "Tree City, USA" by the Arbor Day Foundation for 33 years, is currently faced with caring for a large aging tree population, the trimming and the removal of the trees if necessart. Unfortunately, the City can only handle dangerous and potentially dangerous trees that affect the public. Lakewood has no program in place for these types of trees on private property. While some cities do have programs that assist the tree owner in regards to obtaining qualified tree cutters and financial assistance, and a vehicle for concerned affected property owners to report private property dangerous trees, Lakewood has no such program. Yes, there are legal avenues affected property owners can utilize but that can tie up precious time to remedy the hazard.  In addition, a court order to the tree owner to remove the tree does not put money in the tree owner’s pocket to carry out the order.  This situation may leave the tree owner with one option, to abandon the property with the dangerous tree still in the ground.  

The holidays will be here before you know it. Be glam; be confident with color; be ready for party times. Big and bold are back in with necklaces and rings, and you will want to select a glamour palette balancing the richness of royal gems and the impact of the gold standard.

Backstage at the Winchester Music Hall before her concert on November 4, Anne E. DeChant reviewed the play list with her full-band line-up. Then the 4-time winner of Scene Magazine’s Best Singer Songwriter award double-checked one last time with Kelly Wright, her longtime back-up singer, and the show was a go.

Hundreds of Lakewood Rec and middle school youth football players, cheer squad members, staff and supporters turned out for the annual Youth Football Night festivities held Fri., Oct. 14, during the Rangers varsity home game at Lakewood Stadium. Youth cheer squad members are shown rallying varsity football players during pre-game introductions.

Members of the Lakewood High School Rangers varsity football team displayed their support for Pink Out 2011, the school's Breast Cancer Awareness initiative, by wearing pink gloves or socks during their October 14 home game against the Brush Arcs.

The 4th Annual Spooky Pooch Parade is known as the “Largest Halloween Dog Parade from Coast to Coast”! “This event has been so successful in the past, we think we have a great shot at a Guinness World Record [for the] ‘Most Dogs in Costume’ category. The rest of the world should know how much Northeast Ohio loves our dogs,” explained Ian Andrews, LakewoodAlive Executive Director. The current record stands at 603.

Save the date of October 18 in your calendar. 

Better than any reality television show, Candidates Night, sponsored by the Lakewood League of Women Voters, will take place on that date at 7 p.m. at the Womens Pavilion in Lakewood Park.

Municipal candidates and School Board Candidates will be there. Learn their personal background, their viewpoints on issues, and ask your questions.

Valerie J. Lyons and Linda S. Noelker were nominated into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame (OWHF), August 25, 2011, in the Atrium of the Ohio Statehouse last Thursday.

Lyons, nominated for her contributions in Science, is the Chief of the Power and In-Space Propulsion Division of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The Division performs research and technology development for aerospace power systems including batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, Stirling convertors, and power electronics. She is also the founder and director of an Aerospace Science Summer Camp for children ages 10 through 15.

Noelker, nominated for her contributions in Community Service and Health Service, is a highly accomplished and respected profession in the field of gerontological research, policies, and service. She joined the Benjamin Rose Institute in 1974 as a research analyst and gradually assumed positions of greater responsibility. Her contributions have addressed critical service concerns of older adults and their families and offer avenues for creative delivery of services at the local, state, and national levels.

Lakewood High School freshman and marching band member Ben McKinsey is escorted to the field by LHS student and guiding band member Erin Salo during a recent practice session at Ranger Stadium. McKinsey, who is blind, plays in the brass section of the 115-member band. Salo served three previous years as a band manager before choosing this year to fill the role as guide for McKinsey. Both will be in uniform and on the field for pre-game and halftime shows during the entire 2011 Ranger senior football season.

Splish, Splash, join the Lakewood Pool Plunge Bash! The end of summer marks the seasonal closing of Foster Pool, but not until our four-legged friends have the opportunity for their own pool party.

This annual event remains the biggest fundraiser for the Lakewood Dog Park, in addition to being loads of fun for dogs and their humans alike. The event allows dogs to run, jump and swim around the pool, while helping to support one of our city’s greatest assets. The $5.00 donation for your dog (or $8.00 for two dogs), helps to maintain the dog park throughout the remainder of the year, providing hand sanitizer, waste bags, etc. 

Back in the early 1970s, it was the dream of people at Lakewood Presbyterian Church to help people live more responsibly for the sake of the earth and her people. After successfully holding Christmas fairs for several years featuring works of both local and distant artists, leaders opened the One World Shop in 1979. They officially began planting the seeds of Fair Trade in our community that would encompass worldwide artists and artisans.

In 1992, One World Shop moved to its current 19321 Detroit location. Vicki Lubin, Store Manager, states: “Lakewood is our biggest demographic customer base, with Rocky River a close second.”

The chalkboard by the cash register announces in colorful letters: Special Salad – Geauga Greens, picked Thursday.

A wall stocked with fair-trade coffee and a glass case full of fresh-baked organic and vegan goodies hint that in this place, quality food reigns supreme. The good smells coming from the kitchen attest to that. Ambient jazz plays counterpart to the click of half a dozen laptops, while outside the steamy café windows, the rain drips steadily on.

Lakewood, OH – Nature’s Bin, a full service natural foods market in Lakewood, and long-time customer Anthony Yen, will be featured in the film “Forks Over Knives.” The film began showing at Cedar Lee Theatre, 2163 Lee Road in Cleveland Hts. on May 27, 2011.

As we struggle to fill our cars with expensive gas and make our rent or mortgage payments, I don’t want to forget our veterans who have served us in current wars and past wars. I like to call the month of May “Memorial Day Month” rather than just recognize a long weekend as an excuse for a three-day vacation.

The Veterans Administration estimates over 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. With Northeast Ohio’s unemployment rate hovering around 9%, homelessness among veterans in our community will increase.

During the hardscrabble 1930's, many families raised three pigs annually to be used for food at various times of the year, including the Christmas and New Year's hams. To ensure the pigs did not escape from their pen by rooting out under the wire, it was necessary to ring their noses, so as to discourage the rooting-out process.
The two-person job went like this: one person held the pig still by straddling it, while the other person had a circular plier tool that held a clamping snout ring to be carefully placed between the pig's nostrils and squeezed shut while looking the pig right in the face. Obviously, the pig often objected to this indignity with squeals and wiggles galore. Often, the pig and the humans ended up in the mud, or worse.

Not long ago, I ran across these old snout-ringer pliers. Dad and I have had all kinds of fun trying to figure out how this tool might be useful these days...

According to the ODNR Boating Accident Report for 2005-2009, there were 285 accidents on Lake Erie involving 371 vessels, 147 injuries, and 15 fatalities. Cuyahoga County alone has 23,972 boats registered. Because greater Clevelanders are hard workers and guardians of the boating and marine environment, on April 3rd Captain Burchell, U.S. Coast Guard Commander, Coast Guard Sector Buffalo representing Commandant of the Coast Guard presented the “Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation” to The Cleveland Moorings Boating Safety and Marine Environmental Education Team. Demonstrating exceptional commitment and cooperative initiative Auxiliarists from Divisions 5, 6, and 7 of the Ninth Eastern Region and Division 16 of the Ninth Central Region combined forces with active duty and reserve members of Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor and Marine Safety Unit Cleveland to encourage boating and water safety, provide awareness of environmental concerns and promote America’s Waterway Watch and the Sea Partner Program on a massive scale. 

Lakewood's Captain Harry Anderson, 101 years young and presently a resident at Rocky River's Harbor Court, recently enjoyed a fine reunion dinner at that facility with other former lake captains from the Cleveland Cliffs organization. Captain Anderson came to this country on a ship from his native Sweden as a young lad back in 1919, and has been sailing on the seas (and lakes!) ever since.

Senior citizens can swing into Spring with style at Spring Fling, an intergenerational variety show that will be held in the Garfield Middle School Cafeteria on Thursday, April 7, 2011 from 3:30– 5:30 p.m. This annual event is a collaboration between community organizations to provide a lively social gathering for attendees. Area senior citizens will have the opportunity to enjoy the featured performers in the Lakewood High School Jazz band & Workshop Band and to savor refreshments served by Lakewood Ranger Catering. This year’s event will reflect a swing-era theme, which will lend just a little extra pizzazz to the atmosphere.

Spring Fling is not only a cherished event for the Senior participants, but for the youth volunteers as well. Many of the Lakewood High students who have eagerly signed up to help set up, serve, and clean up have attended Spring Fling in past years. It is among their favorite events to interact with and to serve their community. 

During these past 37 years, Lakewood has seen Edward Favre become somewhat of a Renaissance Man, serving on the School Board, The Grow Lakewood Committee and other committees that looked at housing and economic development, as a member of many fine groups like Lakewood Kiwanis, Lakewood PTA, and American Legion to name a few, as well as being a champion for children, seniors and alternative lifestyles.

In this first of a multi-part series of Lakewood's civic leaders, we look at Ed as a retired police officer and his feelings for Lakewood, then and now.

I first met Sgt Ed Favre after starting the Lakewood Observer; we ran into each other at events, school meetings, Kiwanis, and even, on occasion, crime scenes. Over the years, I have forged what I would call a somewhat interesting relationship with Ed, as I come very much from the streets he patrolled.

January 15th marked the Grand Opening of Acenda Yoga in Lakewood. Located at 17305 Madison Avenue, west of Lakewood Massotherapy, Acenda Yoga is bringing a new spin on yoga to Lakewood.

Jill Milenski’s life is like potpourri, a mixture of many different roles. As an artist, she paints, sketches, knits and quilts. As a mom, she nurtures a daughter and son and struggles with the special trials brought on by her son’s food allergies. An academic advisor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, she aids students with learning disabilities in their quest for higher education. An avid reader, Jill leads a book club in Lakewood and reads an impressive array of fiction and nonfiction titles. She recently added "blogger" to her list of accomplishments, taking as her moniker, "The Artfully Booked Mom".

Fulfilling all of these roles didn’t stop Jill from taking on the task of creating 40 drawings of Lakewood for The Sketchbook Project, an annual exhibit of sketchbooks from around the world, sponsored by The Brooklyn Art Library. Curious after seeing a post on Facebook, Jill decided that this project would fit in well with her ever-present desire to create.

For $20, participants in The Sketchbook Project receive an 8"x5" blank Moleskine sketchbook and a deadline date. There are many suggested themes, but artists are free to sketch whatever they wish. In fact, there are only two rules that must be followed: participants must use the sketchbook they receive and they must stay within the original dimensions of the book. The goal of the Project is to get blank sketchbooks into the artists' hands and completed sketchbooks into the world for viewers to enjoy.

Jill chose "Down Your Street" as her theme because she wanted to honor Lakewood. "I’ve lived a lot of places," she noted, "and there aren’t that many places like Lakewood left." For her, Lakewood offers walkability, original and interesting stores, great schools, fascinating architecture, and a diversity of people.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Jill came to Ohio as a student at Oberlin College, where she received a B.A. in English in 1988. Although she had been creating art since childhood, Jill’s mother discouraged art school. "She said I’d never meet a man or get a job," laughed Jill, who followed an art path anyway, studying classical figure drawing and painting in Paris during her junior year and taking a job with an art exhibition service in New York City upon graduation. There, she took art classes at night, went to museums, met artists and worked for an art school. From there she moved to Vermont to be with her future husband. After he got a job in Cleveland, they moved to Lakewood in 1993 and Jill started working at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

The birth of her son in 1999 and daughter in 2003 derailed Jill’s painting ambitions for a few years due to the incompatibility of open paint containers and toddlers, but she continued to knit and create art quilts. She began keeping a personal journal in sketchbook form about a year ago, so the transition to The Sketchbook Project was a natural one.

Jill’s first drawing for The Sketchbook Project was made literally around the corner from her house, at Plantation Home, whose store windows she had always admired. From there, she chose independent businesses on Detroit Avenue to sketch, along with public places such as Lakewood Library and the YMCA. "I wanted to celebrate what’s unique about Lakewood," said Jill. Two Dads' Diner, TJ’s Butcher Block, the Root Café, Breadsmith, Stitch Cleveland and the Detroit Theater are all represented in her book. Each sketch took about an hour. In addition, Jill researched the businesses and wrote by hand some information to accompany each drawing. At first, she sketched each site from life, but the weather eventually forced her inside to draw from photographs.

The sketchbook was due on January 18th of this year. As books are received at the Brooklyn, NY Art Library, they are barcoded so that artists can track where and when their book is viewed while on tour. In 2011, over 28,000 artists from 94 countries are participating in a tour of galleries and museums across the country. The project’s tagline is, "It’s like a concert tour, but with sketchbooks." After the tour, all books become part of the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Art Library. For an additional $20, the library will digitize each page of an artist’s sketchbook and post them online. Information about the project and sample sketchbooks can be viewed at http://arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject.

Jill plans to view the exhibit in June when it travels to Chicago. She is currently working on a series of oil pastel paintings of Lakewood homes. "I love Lakewood," she said. "I love old houses. People here are interesting. There are other cool places like this in the country, but many of them are so expensive, average people can’t afford them. This is a real place."

There is nothing romantic about being in jail.

Contrary to the twanging and snarled defiance of country songs about prison or the claims of life enrichment learned in 8 by 10 cells purported by some authors…jail sucks. The air is suffocating, the food nauseating. And the people in there are, if not the dregs of society, certainly not the pillars, either. They are petty and not-so petty criminals, felons perhaps, thieves, or just plain thugs. They are there because they broke the law – they bought, sold, or somehow ingested some sort of illegal drug; they beat someone up, possibly a loved one or family member; they were speeding, swerving, or not stopping; they were looking for or offering something forbidden (sex for money); or, often, they got drunk and did something stupid, like drive or become “disorderly” in public. They may be there for the first or fourth or fourteenth time.

But you don’t want to be there with them.

The City of Lakewood’s “Help to Others” youth volunteer program is pleased to announce that Emmie Hutchison has been hired as the new Assistant Coordinator of H2O. Through a unique partnership with Lakewood Schools, the City’s Division of Youth has offered year-round volunteer opportunities for middle and high school students since 1993. As part of her responsibilities, Mrs. Hutchison will manage the City’s H2O Office at Lakewood High School. She will also assist with after school H2O programs at Garfield and Harding Middle Schools, Lakewood Catholic Academy, and H2O Summer Service Camp. Last year a total of more than 500 students participated in H2O service events.

Nothing is better than a united front - in business, in family life, and amongst friends. When local Lakewood businesswoman Diana Maiola Cirino decided to expand her business, Italian Tours and Travel by Diana, her first instinct was to contact other privately owned businesses in the area to talk about the immense possibilities that exist for partnering on ventures which could benefit everyone involved. Maiola and her Marketing Assistant, Dionne Daugenti, developed a strategy to connect with a variety of companies to talk about partnering on memorable trips to Italy, the Land of Sunshine and Olives.

When a local production company was hired to produce a series of television commercials for a Youngstown healthcare system, they were given strict instructions on the location requirements. These commercials were to depict patients in aftercare at their home environments. Meeting the filming requirements of the space and openness necessary to allow for the multitudes of equipment and personnel, was a given. However, most importantly, the chosen home and neighborhood needed to provide a special feeling of warmth and welcoming atmosphere and the richness of a diversified neighborhood teeming with the gentile activities of daily life. No mini mansions or split level filled cul-de- sacs or treeless lookalike developments would do. There would be the filming of several street scenes, neighboring houses, and backyard or front porch interactions as well as interior fireside chats and family time at the dinner table.

While shopping local this holiday season, do some "house hunting" in downtown! Sixteen fabulous gingerbread houses created by ingenious Lakewood residents are on display throughout the district. Match the close-up pictures below with the business where each house is on display, and you could win a $50 gift certificate to Panera Bread. Get your list of 16 matches to LakewoodAlive by December 23rd via email (info@lakewoodalive.com) or bring/send to the LakewoodAlive office located in the basement of the INA Building, 14701 Detroit Ave. Suite LL10. Correct lists will be entered into the Panera gift certificate drawing. Winner's name will be pulled on Thursday, January 6th.

H&R Block is proud to support Light Up Lakewood on December 4 for the third year! We are conveniently located at 15321 Detroit Road (on the corner of Mars and Detroit, next to the library.) Stop in for some hot chocolate and cookies. Our tax professionals have numerous years of experience and can handle everything from the most basic tax return to the most complicated. Come in anytime between 5:00pm and 8:00pm, meet our staff and enjoy the start of the Holiday Season with us.

You may notice I have submissions for the open Mayor's position and City Council. The questions asked of the applicants for these positions by the Lakewood Observer are different however similar. Warren Bennis an American scholar and author put forth a quote that certainly details a Mayors position "Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things."  If you would like to know more about Mr. Bennis please visit his web site at warrenbennis.com. All political leaders in government around the world should place this quote on a desk placard facing them to remind their self the responsibility granted them.

First I would like to thank the Lakewood Observer for an opportunity to communicate freely with the citizens of Lakewood Ohio. The question presented City Council applicants to answer is “what skills do you bring to this position”? City Council members do what? Represent all the citizens providing a resource ensuring each individual receives quality services and assistance solving problems. District council members focus attention on their constituents respectively. Skills I bring to council are a mixture of white collar and blue collar ability. My experience includes numerous years of management in the private sector and military service working with budget analysis, revision, and development.

Lakewood moms focus on indoor activity for colder months

With more than half of Greater Cleveland adults being overweight, it's important to do what you can to avoid holiday weight gain. Statistics show between 1 and 10 pounds of weight gain between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Even one extra pound gained yearly is what many experts warn is the real the threat. (Picture an average 20-year-old storing 20 pounds of body fat by age 40.)

Northeast Ohioans can prevent this “slow creep”, says the CDC, by practicing at least 2-1/2 hours of weekly physical activity spread throughout the week and staying indoors, if necessary, to perform their exercise. Planning meals during the holiday season and saying, “No thank-you,” to extra portions and high-fat foods will also prevent weight gain.

Although the CDC recommends 2-1/2 hours weekly for adults, even 1-1/2 hours weekly is sufficient, if performed with trained supervision, for adults to not only get an edge on fat loss but also cope with holiday stress. I work with many busy moms to help them get strong and lean. Cutting fitness during the busy holiday season is a big no-no. This the time when people need it the most to help reduce stress and the waistline.

For moms who are tempted to let their fitness and nutrition go to pot during the holidays,call 216-263-4734 or visit TrainingByLiz.com.

It is 2010, and the AIDS pandemic still continues in Cleveland, the United States and around the world. And even though great strides have been made during the last 30 years, the weakened economy in the United States has led to cutbacks in HIV/AIDS treatment and awareness programs. Many Ohioans living with HIV/AIDS still struggle to find resources for medications and support services, and many service providers face difficulties as they strive to keep up with the basic needs of AIDS clients and their families.

Ever wanted to be happy each time you looked in the mirror? Self image is a huge hurdle for many that leads to changing outfits numerous times, putting on too much makeup, and hemming and hawing about what purse to carry. In this day and age, with so much to do, it’s easy to loose focus on yourself. It’s time to refocus on you and find your fabulous!