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Modern Cleveland is happy to report great news for fans of Cleveland's old WRMR: beginning Monday, December 6th, "Tall" Ted Hallaman will be broadcasting on Cleveland's legendary WERE 1300AM! You can listen to "Tall" Ted every Monday through Friday, from 3pm until 5pm, after the 1pm to 3pm Afternoon Cafe, which is hosted by Jim Davis in for the "Captain" Carl Reese.
This weekend, Lakewood's Madison Avenue area vintage shops will be hosting their annual Christmas Open House. Participating stores include Forget-Me-Nots, Antique Boutique and Affordable Treasures. There will be hors d'oeuvres, beverages and seasonal sales. Hours are as follows: Saturday, December 4th, from noon until 6pm and Sunday, December 5th, from 1pm until 5pm.
Park your car on Madison, between Authur and Elmwood, and you'll find all three shops within easy walking distance.
The Historic Brooklyn Centre Candlelight Christmas Home Tour is this Sunday, December 5th from 2pm until 7pm and will be followed by a post-tour reception at the Archwood United Church of Christ. Tickets are available at the church 15 minutes before the tour, or at a discount before the tour.
The tour will meet at 2800 Archwood Avenue. Call (216) 459-1000 for more information.
Cosmic Collectibles, one of the city's best mid-century vintage shops, will be hosting their annual Christmas open house this weekend with complimetary hors d'ouvres, beverages and lots of wonderful vintage shopping! Stop by on Saturday, November 27th, from 11am until 8pm or on Sunday, November 28th, from noon until 5pm.
Cosmic Collectibles is located in the heart of downtown Lakewood at 14532 Detroit Avenue. Call Robin at (216) 221-1085 for more information.
Tony award-winning songwriter Cy Coleman passed away on Thursday, November 18th. Coleman, writer of several classic Broadway showtunes, is probably best known for "Bewitched" and the wonderfully syncopated rhythms of "The Best Is Yet to Come."
R.I.P., Cy Coleman...
One of my favorite annual craft fairs happens this Saturday! On November 27th the Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center will be hosting their Annual Craft and Food Bazaar from 9am until 4:30pm. Admission to the craft show is only $1, and includes a fun raffle.
The Donauschwaben Cultural Center, also known as Lenau Park, is located at 7370 Columbia Road, in Olmsted Township. Call (440)235-2646 for details.
The Bay Village Baycrafters Christmas Shop is now open for business! The shop will be open daily from 11am through 5pm, today through Christmas Eve. There's no charge for admission.
The Baycrafters building is located at 28795 Lake Road in Bay Village. Call (440) 871-6543 for more information.
If you have fond memories of Christmas shopping at Halle's downtown, Mr. Jingeling, and classic toys from the 1950s through the 1970s, you won't want to miss the Lake Metroparks' 10th Annual Woodland Halle Days. The exhibit features "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" and everything that was so wonderful about the Christmas season in the American 20th century. It opens this Saturday, November 20th and runs through Sunday, January 9th; hours are 12pm until 5pm. Admission is free, although a small donation of $1/person or $5/family is requested.
Woodland Halle Days is at Lake Metroparks' Penitentiary Glen Nature Center at 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road in Kirtland. Call (440) 256-1404 for more information.
It is with a heavy heart that Modern Cleveland brings the news of the closing of Danny Boy Farm Market, a beloved Cleveland landmark and the best market on the west side. After 56 years of service to the community, Terry Romp has announced that his family's legacy is coming to an end. Not only will the doors of Danny Boy's be closed forever, but according to an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, this beautiful Space Age landmark building may even be torn down for a Walgreens! (This will not be the first time that the Walgreens Corporation demolished an Ohio landmark, despite public outcry.)
If Terry, the third generation to run the market, does decide to sell the property to Walgreens and not to someone who will continue to run a corner roadside market in that location, it will also mean the end to a local drug store next door: Discount Drug Mart.
For further information, you can contact:
The transistor radio celebrates its 50th birthday this month! A half century ago, Texas Instruments introduced the Regency TR-1 -- the first transistor to be commercially produced. Transistor radios are still a favorite of many DXers hunting for far-away AM band stations.
Actress Janet Leigh passed away in her sleep yesterday, October 3rd, at the age of 77. Leigh is most often noted for her role as Marion Crane, in the best known scene of Hitchcock's best known film: Psycho.
R.I.P., Janet Leigh...
Happy Birthday, Cleveland Shop! "It's an honor for me to keep The Cleveland Shop legacy alive," says proprietor Jane Joseph as her legendary store celebrates its 25th year in business. With a goal "to acquire the best garments and keep the prices competitive," the reputation her shop has earned now extends well beyond Cleveland -- I've often overheard out-of-town shoppers from the likes of Boston and New York City raving about how they wish they had something like it where they live. As a matter of fact, I know that even Hollywood costume designers have made it a habit to shop there!
To celebrate this quarter-of-a-century landmark, you'll be able to get some fabulous discounts at "The Thrill of the Hunt" for Vintage Treasures event this Satuday, October 2nd; all vintage clothing and accessories will be priced at least 25% off! Enjoy complimentary dessert and beverages, and make note of Jane's own Unplain Jane collection -- charming new jewlery created with vintage beads and materials.
The Cleveland Shop is located at 11606 Detroit, right near the Cleveland-Lakewood border at W. 117th. For further information, call Jane at (216) 228-9725.
This Saturday, October 2nd, you'll be able to step back in time with a dinner-dance and the 18 piece Black Tie Big Band at the legendary Vermilion-on-the-Lake dance hall, the "VOL Clubhouse." The Clubhouse, now used as a community center, was a popular stopping point for big bands on their way from Chicago to New York City. It's also the last remaining dance hall on the shores of Lake Erie and the proceeds from Saturday's Benefit Big Band Dinner Dance will help to maintain and save this landmark building.
The doors open at 5:30pm; dining is from 6pm until 7pm, and the Black Tie Big Band plays live from 7:30pm until 11:30pm. Admission is requested in advance only, and is $40 per person. Dress is, of course, "Big Band."
The VOL Historic Community Center is located at 3780 Edgewater Boulevard in Vermilion. Call (440) 967-7285 or (440) 967-4118 for more information and to order your tickets.
This Saturday night, September 25th, you're invited to Swing dance the night away in the Halle Building with live music by Joe Bell and the Swing Lizards. This event is the ninth annual Crooked Halo Benefit and about 700 people are expected. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at CDCF.org; event starts at 8pm. Swing dance lessons will be available during band breaks, compliments of Jitterbug & More.
The Halle Building is located right downtown at 1228 Euclid Ave. For more information, call Katie Smith: (800) 869-6525, ext. 1004.
Today is the first day of Autumn and this Sunday, August 26th, the Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers will be hosting the first annual Wine Cheese and Rail fall foliage fundraiser. (One of the main goals of the OARP is to get a regular train route from Cleveland to Columbus.) This event runs from 4pm until 6pm via the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. The deadline for reservations is Saturday, September 25th, at 9am and the cost (including wine, cheese and the scenic Autumn tour) is only $40 person, or $75 couple.
Boarding is at the Rockside Road station of the CVSR on Old Rockside Road in Independence. For more information, call Dominic, the Ohioans for Passenger Rail's president: (216) 253-0225.
Cleveland has been long known for its polka scene. This Saturday, September 25th, Sokolowski's University Inn will be celebrating this association with their fourth annual Polkas on the Patio. This event is from 6pm until 10pm and will feature Eddie Potoniec and Tower City Drive. Admission is free, but be sure to bring some cash to cover the cafeteria-style servings of tasty home-cooked Polish food that earned Sokolowski's the honor of being named one of Cleveland's best restaurants by Gourmet magazine!
Sokolowski's is located at 1201 University Rd in the Tremont neighborhood. Call (216) 771-9236 for further information.
Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced that this Sunday, September 26th, will be Bill Randle Day at the Rock Hall. Admission to the museum will be free all day to celebrate this legendary DJ who introduced and promoted many great performers such as Perry Como, Mario Lanza and, of course, Elvis Presley. There will even be a free performance by a group closely associated with Dr. Randle -- the Four Lads.
The Four Lads will play on the museum's main stage at 3pm. After the concert, in the Rock Hall's fourth floor theater, from 4 until 5:30pm, there will be a free panel discussion about Bill Randle's many lifetime achievements.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum is located at One Key Plaza in downtown Cleveland. For more information, call (216) 781-ROCK.
The annual Wooly Bear Festival is this Sunday, September 19th, in downtown Vermilion, right on the edge of Vacationland. Come see the giant parade, many wooly bear crafts and costumes, and of course, TV weatherman and woolybear spokesman Dick Goddard. I've even heard rumors that DJ Jim Szymanski of the old WRMR (and now WERE) might be present! The festival runs from 9am until 6pm and the parade is at 1:30pm. There is no charge for admission, but parking spaces fill up quickly, so come early.
Vermilion is about 50 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Call (440) 967-4477 for more information.
Over the next few weeks, the Cleveland Museum of Art will present a six film series of very rare movies by famed German director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1888-1931). F. W. Munrau is best known for his classic vampire masterpiece Nosferatu. The movies are silent (with English subtitles) and will all be accompanied by a live pianist. Admission is $8 and the schedule is as follows:
The Cleveland Museum of Art is located at 11150 East Boulevard in University Circle. Call (216) 421-7350 for further information.
Tony Bennett is coming to Cleveland! Friday, September 24th, at 6:30pm, the Palace Theater will be hosting "An Evening with Tony Bennett". Tickets range from $35 to $75.
The Palace Theater is located in the Theater District in downtown Cleveland. For more information, call the box office at (216) 241-6000.
I have some good news and bad news for fans of Cleveland radio. First, the good news: "Captain" Carl Reese has brought back his fabulous beautiful music format just like you remembered on WRMR AM 850. His new weekday show, Your Music, is on WERE 1300AM from 1pm until 3pm on Monday through Friday.
The bad news is that the Captain fell ill last week. Carl's former co-DJs, Jim Szymanski and Jim Davis, will be spinning your favorites while he convalesces. If you want to send a card or write him a letter, you can address it to:
Carl Reese
c/o WERE Radio
2510 St. Clair Ave
Cleveland OH 44114
Come enjoy the antics of The Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers and the Keystone Kops this Friday, September 10th, in a special outdoor showing of several fun classic one-reeler flicks. This Films by the Falls festival begins at 7:30pm; it's sponsored by and will be held at the Mill Creek Falls History Center. This is an event for the whole family and is free of charge. Since it's an outdoor event, you'll want to bring your lawn chairs.
The Mill Creek Falls History Center is located 8404 Webb Terrace at the West end of the Garfield Metroparks bike path on Webb Terrace, near the Broadway and Miles intersection. Call Dan at (216) 581-1284 for further information.
I'm happy to pass along the news that 91.5FM WKHR now broadcasts over the Internet! Go to wkhr.org and click on the LISTEN ONLINE! link in the upper left-hand corner to hear your favorite Swing, Jazz and Mid-Century Pop tunes 24 hours a day -- and anywhere on the planet!
Labor Day weekend is coming up and that means it's time again for the annual St. Rocco Festival. This popular, long-running festival begins this Thursday, September 2nd, and continues through Labor Day, September 6th. There will be Italian food, games of chance and rides; the traditional procession will be on Sunday at 1pm. There will even be a greased pole climb which happens at 2pm on Monday. The festival hours are 6-11pm on Thursday, 6pm-12am on Friday, 1pm-12am on Saturday, and 12pm until people start leaving on both Sunday and Monday. And, as always, there will be no charge for admission.
St. Rocco Parish is easy to get to: take I-71 to the Fulton Rd. exit, then go north on Fulton about 1 mile to the church. For more information, call (216) 961-8331.
Classic car shows are more popular than ever! This Saturday, August 21st, is the Madison Village Car Kulture Show, sponsored by local groups and businesses, including Capsule (who are also hosting an art exhibit that evening), the former B-Ware Video, A-Bomb Clothing and the Lakewood Motoring Society. This vintage car show is from 10am until 6pm on Madison Avenue. (The rain date for this event is August 28th.)
The Madison Village Car Kulture Show takes place between Lewis and Clarence on Madison Avenue in Lakewood. Call (216) 521-2894 for more information.
The Donauschwaben German American Cultural Center will be kicking off the Octoberfest season this coming weekend with their annual Somer Oktoberfest. The festivities will begin with the traditional tapping of the keg this Friday, August 20th at 6pm, and will continue through Sunday, August 22nd. General admission is $5.
The Donauschwaben German American Cultural Center, also known as Lenau Park, is located at 7370 Columbia Road in Omsted Falls. Call (440) 235-2646 for further information.
Come see the "Captain" Carl Reese and the Fred Ziwich Band this Saturday, August 14th, at the Middleburg Heights Home Days celebration. The Home Days festivities begin tonight, August 13th and continue through Sunday, August 15th. Carl Reese will be making his live broadcast on 104.9FM WCLV from 1 to 5pm this Saturday.
The Middleburg Heights Home Days will be located on Bagley Road in Middleburg Heights. Call (440) 234-2255 for further information.
Remember, this is your last week to partake in the 151st annual Ohio State Fair. The fair runs from now through Sunday, August 15th. As usual, there will be a wide variety of produce, animal, botany, craft and antique exhibits, rides, food and a lot of fun. This past Sunday, August 8th, the State Fair broke its single day attendance count with a record 103,497 fair-goers that day! Admission ranges from $6 to $17 depending on age and ride preferences.
The Ohio State Fair is at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, off I-71, on 17th Avenue. Call (614) 644-4000 for details.
If you don't feel like the drive out to Columbus this weekend, there are plenty of summertime favorites closer to home. The 108th annual Cuyahoga County Fair takes place on Cleveland's West side at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. The Cuyahoga County Fair runs today until this Sunday, August 15th. This year, the featured exhibit is "Headlines in History" -- a chronicle of newspaper front pages over the years beginning in the early 1900s. There will also be animal, produce, botany and craft exhibits, live entertainment and carnival food. General admission is $7.
The Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds is located at 164 Eastland Road, in Berea. Call (440) 243-0090 for details.
Also going on this week is the Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy. Starting this Thursday, August 12th, and running through Sunday, August 15th, the celebration includes a procession through the neighborhood, Mass celebrating the Feast, traditional Italian food, music and a whole lot of people.
The Little Italy neighborhood is on Mayfield Road, near the University Circle area. For more information, call (216) 421-2995.
Great news for fans of cinema: as part of their Cinema at the Square program, the Palace Theater will be presenting a series of classic films on the big screen! This week, on a screen made for these great films, you can see the following:
General admission is only $5. The Palace Theater is located in the Theater District in downtown Cleveland. For more information, call the box office at (216) 241-6000.
This Saturday, August 7th is the annual Lakewood Arts Festival. Between the hours of 10am and 6pm you can stroll along Detroit Avenue from Belle and Elmwood Avenues for arts, crafts, activities for the kids and live entertainment.
In conjuction with the Lakewood Arts Festival, the Friends of the Lakewood Public Library will be hosting a book sale at the Lakewood Library. The sale will begin at 9am and continue until 5pm.
The Lakewood Public library is located at 15425 Detroit Avenue. Call (216) 226-8275 for further information about the sale.
![[B-Ware!]](2004/b-ware.jpeg)
I'm sorry to report that this Saturday is also the final day for my
favorite movie rental shop in Cleveland. B-Ware Video
owners Eddie and Natalie Wille are closing their doors after 8
years of supplying Clevelanders with old, rare, and mostly strange and
weird films that you can't find anywhere else in town. They're selling
their entire stock, and all VHS tapes and DVDs are only $5 each.
B-Ware Video is located at 13367 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. Call (216) 521-2210 for details.
If you're a fan of Cole Porter, you'll want to see the Carousel Dinner Theater production of Anything Goes. The show runs from now until Sunday, August 29th. Show times are: 8pm on week days, 8:30pm on weekends (including Fridays), and matinees are every Wednesday at Saturday at 2pm. See the seating chart on their site for more information on prices and seating.
The Carousel Dinner Theater is located at 1275 E Waterloo Road, at the corner of Waterloo and Kelly just north of Route 224. Call (330) 724-9855 or, (800) 362-4100, to purchase tickets or inquire about seating and meals.
Cole Porter fans will also want to catch the new movie based on the life of Porter -- De-Lovely. It's currently playing at the Cedar-Lee and a few other Cleveland-area theaters.
The Cedar-Lee is located at 2163 Lee Road, on the corner of Cedar and Lee Roads in Cleveland Heights.
Come check out the stylish vintage vehicles this Wednesday, July 21st, at the North Olmsted Fire Fighters Cruise-In 2004. There will be music, food and, of course, lots of beautiful mid-century cars. General admission is free.
The Cruise-In is at the Great Northern Corporate Center, right off I-480, at the intersection of Great Northern and Country Club Boulevards. For more information, call (440) 777-1214.
The annual St. Paul Grecian Festival is this week. It begins Thursday, July 22nd and continues through Sunday, July 25th. There will be delicious Greek food and homemade pastries, live music and dancing, and much more. The hours are 11am through 10pm and admission is free. Opa!
St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church is located at 4548 Wallings Road in North Royalton. For more information, call (440) 237-8998.
This weekend is also Kelleys Island's annual Islandfest. They'll be celebrating with live entertainment, a parade, fireworks, a craft fair, fireworks, and food. The festivities begin on Friday, July 23rd, at 7pm and continue through Sunday, July 25th.
Kelleys Island is on Lake Erie. For more information, call (419) 746-2360.
This weekend, WCLV archived the Remembering Bill Randle show that was originally aired on WRMR in tribute to the late Professor Randle. You can hear the show in MP3 or RealAudio format on their site.
WCLV 104.9FM will be re-broadcasting a tribute to the late Bill Randle, as heard on the former WRMR this weekend on the last day of its operation. The broadcast will occur this coming Saturday, July 17th, at 9pm.
As of midnight last night, with the final fading notes of WRMR's Schwangesang -- "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" as performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir -- 1420 AM ceased to be a locally owned "classic pops" station as Salem Communications took over the airwaves.
R.I.P., WRMR... It has been stated over and over: WRMR has had the most loyal listening audience in Cleveland, and will be deeply missed by many, young and old alike. The Cleveland airwaves are going to be a lot more quiet now.
Everyone in town should listen to the final hours of WRMR 1420 AM tomorrow. At noon there will a special memorial broadcast as a tribute to legend Bill Randle. Bill's last "Big Show," recently recorded, will follow from 1-4p.m. Then, tomorrow night from 7p.m. to midnight, listen to "Captain" Carl Reese who will broadcast live -- in memory of WRMR and Bill Randle, his colleague of over fifty years -- for the final moments of WRMR.
You can also read what people around town have been saying about this sad news on WCLV's forum and on Cleveland.com's Listening Party forum.
![[Bill Randle 1924-2004]](/events/2004/bill-randle.jpeg)
I am sad to announce that legendary Cleveland disk jockey Bill Randle passed away this morning. Mr. Randle contributed an incredible amount to radio over the past half century and will be missed by many.
A special memorial show will air on WRMR 1420 AM on this Sunday at 12:30p.m. -- which will also be WRMR's last day of operation.
R.I.P., Bill Randle.
It is with anger and sadness that I'm relaying the news that the WCLV Foundation has sold Cleveland's "Music of your life" station, 1420AM WRMR, to Salem Communications Corporation. In his announcement, WCLV president Robert Conrad attributes the sale to a "diminishing advertising revenue," even though he acknowledges that the audience has been "devoted and supportive." This is despite the fact that WRMR's listeners have already proven themselves a force to be reckoned with when Cleveland was in danger of losing this popular format when it was on 850AM.
I strongly encourage all WRMR listeners to contact the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Free Times, and Salem Communications, as well as the advertisers such as Lakefront Lines, Nick Mayer Lincoln-Mercury, Arslanian Brothers and all the others we've patronized as appreciative WRMR listeners. Cleveland can't afford to lose a place for our legendary DJs and a radio format that this city helped create!
The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society will be hosting the 19th annual Island Home Tour on Wednesday, July 14th. Four historic island homes will be presented on the tour.
You'll want to buy your tickets early as there are only a limited number of tickets available. The LEIHS is located on Put-in-Bay Island. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 419-285-2804.
Happy Independence Day weekend! The Plain Dealer has a complete listing of local fireworks on their site.
Celebrate Independence Day a few days early at the 15th annual "Star-Spangled Spectacular Concert and Festival" which takes place this Thursday, July 1st. This free Cleveland Orchestra performance and fireworks display begins at 9pm, but it's traditionally a very popular event, so you'll want to arrive at least an hour early. The program includes many patriotic American favorites such as some Sousa marches, J.S. Smith's The Star-Spangled Banner and Ward's America, the Beautiful.
Public Square is located in downtown Cleveland, where Superior meets Ontario Street. Call (216) 231-7476 for more information.
This is another busy summer weekend in Cleveland!
It's the 7th annual German-American Festival at Deutsche Zentrale. The festival begins this evening, June 25th (5pm until midnight), and continues Saturday, June 26th (4pm until midnight) to Sunday, June 27th (1pm until 9pm). There will be entertainment and dancing with live bands such as Hank Haller, Al Nowak and Fred Ziwich, local dance groups, imported beer, home-made "mici" (skinless garlic sausage) and other German food, and much more! Admission is $4.00 adults, $3.00 seniors, $2.00 students and children 11 and under are free.
The German Central Farm is in Parma at Sprague & York Roads. Call Vera at (440) 234-3394, or Phyllis at (216) 741-8045, for details.
This weekend is also the Greek Festival at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church. The festival hours are 11am until 11pm on June 25th and 26th, and from 11am until 10pm on June 27th.
As usual, there will be a wonderful selection of Greek foods and pastries, along with Greek music, dancing and entertainment. You can also order your meal in advance for carry-out service.
Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church is located at 22909 Center Ridge Road in Rocky River. To order your meal in advance, call (440) 331-1521. For more information about the festival, call (440) 331-2246.
I have great news for fans of "Tall" Ted Hallaman -- he's back on the airwaves again! You can now listen to "Tall" Ted on commercial-free 91.5FM WKHR. He's on every Tuesday and Wednesday from 4pm until 6pm.
There's a lot to do this coming weekend! Aside from the Lustron, Tiki, Vermilion, and antique show events listed below, you can celebrate Dean Martin Day in his hometown of Steubenville. The Dean Martin Festival! is four days long and includes many events, featuring the music that Rat Pack member Dino Crocetti made famous. His daughter Deana will be there along with his son Ricci who will be performing some of his father's favorite tunes on Friday night. The festival runs from Thursday, June 17th through Sunday, June 20th and the schedule of events can be found online. While in Steubenville, you can also take a tour of Dino's boyhood haunts such as his church, his home, his favorite restaurant -- Naples Steak and Spaghetti House, the Spot Bar, and more.
Steubenville is a short road trip from Cleveland -- about 130 miles, or just under three hours. For more information, call the Steubenville Visitors Bureau at 1 (800) 510-4442.
The Festival of the Fish will be held at 5495 Liberty Avenue in Vermilion. For more information, call the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce at (440) 967-4477.
The Victory Garden Party and Craft Show is this Saturday and Sunday, June 12th and June 13th, in the Huntington Reservation of the Bay Village Metroparks. The show is free and open to the public from 10am until 6pm each day.
The Huntington Reservation of the Metroparks is located at 28795 Lake Road. Call (216) 351-6300 for more information.
Also this weekend is the Chagrin Falls Art By the Falls show. This show is free to the public and will feature over 140 artists and crafters. It runs from 10am until 7pm on Saturday, June 12th and 11am until 5pm on Sunday, June 13th.
This art show is in the Valley Art Center at 155 Bell Street in Chagrin Falls. Call (440) 247-7507 for more details.
The 2004 Lustron Home Convention will be held in Columbus on June 19th and 20th -- an easy road trip for ModernClevelanders! This conference will be packed with interesting talks from former Lustron employees and owners, Lustron paraphenalia and memorabilia, clips from the Lustron documentary LUSTRON: The House America's Been Waiting For, and even includes self-guided tours of area Lustrons! A print-able schedule of events and registration form is available online.
Registration is only $30 for both days or $15 for Saturday only. To register for this event and for further information, see the official Lustron Convention site.
This Saturday, June 12th, from 10am until 6pm is the 18th Annual Clifton Arts & Music Fest. The festival will take place on Clifton between West 112th and West 117th. There will be over 100 different artists and crafters, a juried art show, and music, in addition to the great area shops and restaurants like Flower Child and the Tick Tock Tavern.
Call (216) 228-4383 for more information.
Tomorrow, June 8th, is Dean Martin's birthday and Swingos On The Lake in Lakewood will be celebrating with the music of Dino and other Rat Pack favorites!
Swingos' is located at 12900 Lake Avenue in the Carlyle on Lakewood's Gold Coast. Reservations are required. Call (216) 221-6188 for reservations and more information.
Little Italy will be celebrating their 25th tri-annual Murray Hill Art Walk this weekend. Over 30 studios and galleries will be open to the public (admission is free). This is also a great opportunity to check out the many Mayfield Road storefronts: vintage and jewlery shops, the cigar shop, coffee shops, and, of course, the wonderful Italian restaurants and bakeries. The Art Walk hours are as follows: Friday, June 4th: 5pm until 10pm; Saturday and Sunday, June 5th & 6th: noon until 10pm.
Murray Hill is located on Mayfield Road in Little Italy. Call (216) 231-5540 for more information.
![[Mai-Kai Polynesian Supper Club]](/events/2004/maikai.jpeg)
An upcoming tiki party in Detroit is not to be missed! On
Saturday, June 19th, Livonia's Chin Tiki Restaurant will
be hosting a Tiki
Art Show & Party! The festivies will be in honor of the
legendary original Detroit Chin
Tiki, the same Polynesian club that was featured in the Eminem
movie 8 mile. Special guests will include the designer of
Florida's famed 1956 Mai-Kai
Restaurant, George Nakashima, as well as dozens of other
sculptors, painters and artists of Polynesiana from around the globe.
This event is a short road trip of about three hours from Cleveland.
Doors open at 6pm and dress is, of course, Tiki.
The Livonia Chin Tiki Restaurant is located at 28205 Plymouth Road in Livonia, Michigan. Call (248) 542-1161 for more information.
The Greek Heritage Festival hosted by the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Tremont is an old Memorial Day Weekend tradition. Enjoy Greek music, food dancing, boutiques, crafts and more, beginning this Friday, May 28th and going all weekend long, through Monday, May 31st. (Friday: 11:30am through midnight; Saturday and Sunday: noon through midnight; Monday: noon to 9pm.)
The Annunciation Church is located at 2187 West 14th Street. Call (216) 861-0116 for more details.
Ohio City's 16th annual Home Tour is this Sunday, May 16th, from 10:00am until 5:00pm. The tour will take you on a Lolly the Trolly ride to view a dozen or so examples of mostly historic residences in Ohio City. Tickets are $12 ($10 for seniors).
The tour will meet at the ticket booth at West 30th & Bridge in Ohio City. Call (216) 781-3222 for more information.
Picturing Cleveland's Past and Present is a series of photographs documenting historical Cleveland architecture, landmarks and society, as seen in the book Cleveland Then & Now. You can see this exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society from now through September 12th. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10am until 5:00 pm and on Sunday from 12noon until 5pm. The cost is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 seniors and $5 students; Western Reserve Historical Society members and children under 6 years old are free.
The Western Reserve Historical Society is located at 10825 East Blvd in University Circle. Call (216) 721-5722, for further information.
Learn more about native Cleveland birds this month, when the Cleveland Metropolitan Park System's Birding for Beginners program meets in the Rocky River Reservation, at the Rocky River Nature Center parking lot. Program dates are Saturday, May 8th and Saturday, May 15th, and take place from 8am until 11am.
The walk is approximately one and a half miles. Although there will be an experienced tour guide, binoculars and any related field guides you might have are recommended.
The Rocky River Nature Center is located at 24000 Valley Parkway in North Olmsted. Call (440)734-6660 for further information.
This weekend is the Friends of the Lakewood Public Library's Spring book sale. The book sale is at the Lakewood Public Library and open to the general public on Friday, April 30th, from 10am until 8pm and Saturday, May 1st, from 9am until 5pm.
The Lakewood Public Library is located at 15425 Detroit Avenue at Arthur Avenue in downtown Lakewood. Call (216) 226-8275 ext. 110, for further information.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is hosting Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age, an exciting exhibit of Cleveland's contribution to jazz-inspired art from 1914 through 1945. Artists featured include Viktor Schreckengost (the man responsible for the defining piece of the Jazz Age, the Jazz Bowl), Charles Burchfield, Margaret Bourke-White, William Sommer and other noted innovators of this genre. This exhibit is free and runs now through July 18th.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is located at 11150 East Boulevard in University Circle. Call (216) 421-7350 for further information.
There will be a used book sale at the Mayfield Regional Library this weekend. The sale will be open to the general public on Saturday, April 2nd, from 9am until 5:30pm and on Sunday, April 4th, from 1pm until 5pm.
The Mayfield Regional Library is located at 6080 Wilson Mills Road in Mayfield Village. Call (440) 473-0350, for further information.
Clevelander and former chemist for General Electic, Edward G. Zubler, passed away on Saturday, March 21st. Mr. Zubler is best known for his 1959 invention, the powerful halogen lamp. Zubler's invention is among the Smithsonian Institution's list of major 20th century inventions.
The Willoughby Brewing Company will be hosting what they've termed "the biggest party this side of Munich": Bok Bier Fest 2004! The party kicks off on Thursday, April 1st at 6pm and runs through Saturday, April 3rd. It will feature authentic German cuisine and the brewery's award-wining Spring Bok, along with other notable brews. There will even be live music! Dr. Joe Wendel and his Oompa Band will be entertaining throughout the evening with traditional drinking songs and other German favorites.
The Willoughby Brewing Company is located in downtown Willoughby at 4057 Erie Street. Call (440) 975-0202 for more information.
For Space Age dining atmosphere, the mid-century club house at the Vermilion Country Club is one of the area's best options. Just about every Friday of the year, the club house is open from 6pm until 8:30pm for their fish frys featuring Lake Erie perch! The club house has a very Space Age feel: vaulted ceilings, back-lit cornices, original fiberglass Eames tables and arm chairs reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey -- all tucked under an Eichler-type construction. Cocktails are served in stylish glasses both short and tall. On some weeks, the mood is made complete with live organ music! Rumor has it that "Doc," as he's known to the regulars, is supposed to be back at the keys some time at the end of March, entertaining with such crowd pleasers as "Harbor Lights," "Blue Gardenia," and "Strangers in the Night."
The Vermilion Country Club Golf Course is located at 12210 W Lake Road. Call (440) 967-3492 for more information.
Every Friday during Lent, the Donauschwaben German American Cultural Center is open to the public from 4pm until 8pm for their Friday fish fry. The dinners include coleslaw, bread, coffee, a fish dinner and desert. The price is very affordable and you have your choice of baked or fried fish as well as other entries such as shrimp and chicken. Attached to the large dining hall is an inviting, Old World style bar stocked with German and domestic beers available by the glass or the pitcher.
The German Center, also known as Lenau Park, is located at 7370 Columbia Road in Olmsted Township. Call (440)235-2646 for details.
In a few weeks, the Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra will be presenting a family-friendly program with family-friendly prices! On Saturday, April 3rd, at 11am, James Gaffigan will be conducting these two orchestras in a performance including two childhood classics: the Overture to Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Prokofiev's narrated story of Peter and the Wolf. There will also be pre-concert activities beginning at 10am to teach children about the various sections of the orchestra.
Tickets start at $10 (for orchestra rows L-W) and are $13 for mid-balcony rows F-K. Order your tickets early; at these prices they'll go fast! (The 1:30pm performance is already sold out.)
Severance Hall is located at 11001 Euclid Avenue. Call the box office at (216) 231-1111 for more information and to order your tickets.
Lakewood mid-century vintage shop Cosmic Collectibles will be celebrating its grand re-opening (and a move from Madison to Detroit Avenue) this Saturday, March 20th. Doors open at 11am.
Cosmic Collectibles' new home is at 14532 Detroit Avenue.
The Cleveland Cinematheque is located in the Cleveland Institute of Art at 11141 East Boulevard in University Circle. Call (216) 421-7450 for more information.
Kudos to Cleveland radio station WCLV 104.9FM for going Ogg Vorbis with their live Internet broadcasts! Both lo-fi and hi-fi streams are available.
Ogg Vorbis is a high quality, open source alternative to proprietary audio formats. It's truly futuristic -- and unlike MP3, it's completely patent-free!
This is your last weekend to catch the Beck Center Youth Theater production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children. The play runs all weekend -- Friday and Saturday, March 12th and 13th at 7:30pm, and there's a matinee on Sunday, March 14th at 3pm.
The Beck Center for the Arts is located in Lakewood, at 17801 Detroit Avenue. For tickets or futher information, call (216) 521-2540.
Our Lady of Angels church will host their Friday fish frys from 4pm until 6pm this week through the Friday before Easter. This fish fry is "carry out only" and features delicious homemade pierogis and fish dinners at a reasonable price.
Our Lady of Angels is located at 3644 Rocky River Drive in Westpark. Call (216) 252-2332 for more information.
There is never a shortage of Friday fish frys in the Cleveland area during the Lenten season! Over the next few weeks, I'll be listing a few of my personal favorite spots for fish frys ...
The Cleveland Maennerchor dining room is open to the public every Friday from 5:30 until 9:00p.m. Bring your appetites, their fish dinners are hearty and include your choice of salad or coleslaw or apple sauce; fries or a very tasty German potato salad; bread and butter; self-serve coffee, and a nice dessert. The Maennerchor also has pierogis, a Fisherman's Platter Combination (Fish, Shrimp and Scallops) and potato pancakes for your meat-free Friday dinner. While the beer isn't included in the dinners, you can get Dab or Warnsteiner on tap at the bar at a reasonable price. (They also have a decent selection of bottled beers, both imported and domestic.)
The Cleveland Maennerchor is in Cleveland near the Parma border. It's easy to get to from I-480 and is located at 4515 State Road. Call (216) 741-7728 or (440) 234-3394 for more information.
Two library events this month will preview the upcoming Cleveland Opera production of Monteverdi's opera, The Coronation of Poppea.
The Cleveland Opera League will offer a preview talk at the Beachwood library this Tuesday, March 2nd, at 7pm. The presentation will be given by Jeannette Sorrell, director of the nationally recognized ensemble Apollo's Fire. For more information, call the Cleveland Opera League at (216) 575-0903 ext. 224.
A week later, the Westlake Porter Public Library will offer a guided tour of The Coronation of Poppea with Cleveland Opera On Tour director Judith Ryder. This event will be on Tuesday, March 9th, at 7:30pm. For more information, call the Westlake Porter Public Library at (440) 871-2600.
Both the Beachwood and Westlake library events are open to the public and are free of charge.
This weekend, don't miss your chance for a behind-the-scenes peek at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.
The At Your Service: Behind the Scenes Tour will take place this Saturday, February 14th, and Sunday, February 15th at two times each day: 11:00am and 3:00pm. The price is $16 and includes the regular admission fee. Call (330) 836-5533 for details.
There will be an important issue on the ballot on March 2nd. This issue, Issue 23, will be asking Cuyahoga County voters to support the Cuyahoga County Public Library system and the many services it offers to an estimated 85% of the county.
Our library system circulates over 12 million books annually, and is rated one of the top 10 libraries in the nation. With the many cuts in library funding, your support is needed now more than ever. Chances are very strong that if you're a resident of one of the 48 communities served by the library system, you rely on the CCPL for something: inter-library loans, research, childrens programs, educational programs, reading, programs that bring books to the elderly and shut-ins, a place to study, computer access and borrowing videos, DVDs and other media.
Please Vote for Issue 23 on March 2nd so our library system can continue to be one of the best in the nation.
Worthy of a road trip to Chicago is the Museum of Broadcast Communications' garage sale and auction. This event will be open to the public on Saturday, March 6th from noon until 8pm. A wide variety of radio-related memorbilia, posters, autographs, equipment and books will be available.
The event will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E. Washington Street. Admission is a voluntary donation of only $5. For more information, you can call (312) 629-6019 or go to their site for more information.
Now through February 15th, come see Anton Chekov's The Seagull as performed by the actors at Lakewood's Beck Center. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm.
The Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Ave. For tickets or futher information, call (216) 521-2540.
"Tall" Ted Hallaman has been noticeably absent from the airwaves for the past few months. Last month, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article about what happened and where he is now. Hopefully he'll be back on the Cleveland airwaves soon!
Pioneer of the talk show format, also know as "The original talk show host," Jack Paar passed away today. He was a local boy -- born in Canton, Ohio in 1918 and began his career as a radio announcer in Cleveland. Mr. Paar replaced Steve Allen as the host of the Tonight Show, also to be known as The Jack Paar Show from 1957 until 1962. Unlike the crude humor of contemporary television programming, Paar was funny in a smart, witty way; he was genuinely entertaining.
If you're my age and too young to have seen Jack at his finest, there are quite a Jack Paar few videos available for purchase, including a three-tape video documentary set called As I Was Saying. Recordings on vinyl are also out there. Uncannily, it was through a thrift shop record that I first became acquainted with Jack Paar, found a few years ago right along with the Billy May record (see below).
Bandleader and arranger Billy May passed away last Thursday, January 22nd. Mr. May, a self-taught musician and arranger, worked with many of the top stars of the middle of the last century -- Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole -- and put out many of his own records as well. A listen to his Bacchanalia! album, found in a Florida thrift shop a few years ago, was all it took to turn me into a fan.
Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo, has passed away at the age of 76.
The show, loved by generations, first aired in 1955 and continued for thirty more years. Captain Kangaroo was the longest running children's show in network history.
Tiki fans won't want to miss this week's Marty Conn Show, which will be broadcast on Saturday, January 24th at 12 noon on WERE 1300 AM. The guest of this Saturday's celebrity interview program is Don Ho of Hawaii. Also being interviewed is Bernie Koppell, who was the doctor from the Love Boat.
The Cleveland Museum of Art will be showing the 1954 gangster flick Touchez pas au Grisbi (Don't Touch the Loot) on Friday, January 9th, at 7pm in the Gartner Auditorium. The movie is shot in France and Italy and has English subtitles. Tickets are $7. ($3 for seniors 65 and over.)
The Cleveland Museum of Art is located at 11150 East Boulevard in University Circle. Call 1-888-CMA-0033 for more information.
Every Saturday this month (January 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st) at 1pm, the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center's Walter R. Schuele Planetarium will host The 7-sisters. The Seven Sisters star cluster, also known as the Pleiades, is best viewed this time of year. The price of this program is only $2 for adults and $1 for children.
The Lake Erie Nature and Science Center is located at 28728 Wolf Road in Bay Village. Call (440) 871-2900 for more information.
Ohio's only public ice chutes are right here, on Cleveland's West side! Weather permitting, the Chalet Toboggan Chutes will be open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through February. Use of the chutes is $8 for adults, $6 for children under 12, and $3 for a one-time ride pass. Gloves or mittens are mandatory. Hours are as follows:
The Chalet Toboggan Chutes are located between Routes 42 and 82 in Strongsville. Call (440) 572-9990 for more information.
This month and next, the Cleveland Cinematheque will be featuring a series of films directed by Josef von Sternberg and staring Marlene Dietrich. The film that first introduced a young Miss Dietrich to Hollywood, The Blue Angel, will kick off the series on Thursday, January 8th, at 7pm. Also included in this series are:
The Cleveland Cinematheque is located at 11141 East Boulevard, in the Cleveland Institute of Art building in University Circle. Call (216) 421-7450 for details.
