“Kill The Irishman” A Movie About Cleveland Mobster Danny Greene

I’ve lived in the Cleveland area all my life, and one thing that long time Clevelanders know is that this city used to be a hotbed of crime. (It may still seem that way, with all the corruption in county government these days.) I went to school (Catholic school, by the way) with some of the grandchildren of some of the most notorious criminal Italian family names in the city. One student in high school frequently bragged that her grandfather was in the Mafia; one boy in grade school was aware of his family’s mob connection but was ashamed of it. My husband – as a young boy and with his mom’s permission - got to ride in a limo with a man who turned out to be a notorious crime figure as this man went to the bank to deposit money. (I often wondered if it was mob money this person was depositing?) For many years, it was very hard for someone in the city not to know someone connected with the mob because their children and grandchildren were part of the community.

Danny Greene, one of the big names in crime in the city, was not Italian, but he was Irish-American. According to the Wikipedia entry about Danny Greene:

The Cleveland family boss, Frank "Little Frank" Brancato, brought in Greene and other gangsters of Irish heritage to act as errand boys and muscle to enforce the Mafia’s influence during the 1960s. Greene was used as muscle in enforcing the Mob’s control over the garbage hauling contracts and other Mob influenced rackets. This was a move Brancato would later grow to regret. Until his death in 1973, he regretted bringing Danny Greene into the Mob and the damage it did.

Greene went on to fuel a mob war, which caused a flurry of killings and car bombs, so much that Cleveland earned the name Bomb City USA.” Fittingly, Danny Greene was killed by a car bomb when he went to a dental appointment at a medical building in Lyndhurst, Ohio, right off of I-271, near upscale communities and office complexes. It’s not a place one would ever expect such a violent act.

Now Danny Greene will be immortalized in a new film titled "Kill The Irishman" (orginally named “The Irishman”) which is scheduled for release in 2011. It will star Ray Stevenson as Danny Greene, Vincent D’Onofrio as John Nardi, Robert Davi as Ray Ferrito, and Tony LoBianco as John Licavoli. It will also star Christopher Walken and Val Kilmer. In a weird twist, the film is not being filmed in Cleveland, likely due to the fact that Governor Strickland vetoed a bill to give tax breaks to film makers. A travesty, I say. The film is currently being shot in Detroit. (The only worse insult is if it were filmed in Pittsburgh.) Of course, right now Detroit looks more like Cleveland in the 1970s than Cleveland does at the present time.

Movieset.com describes the film as follows:

The Irishman chronicles the rise and fall of infamous Cleveland gangster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson), who engaged in a power struggle with the Italian mob. Greene was as an upstart longshoreman union rep and later became a cocky, legendarily difficult-to-kill troublemaker in the world of organized crime in the 1970’s. Based on the real story of mobster Danny Greene, Christopher Walken will play the loan shark and nightclub owner Shondor Birns and Val Kilmer is a Cleveland police detective who befriends Greene. The incredible ensemble cast includes Vinnie Jones, Marcus Thomas, Linda Cardellini, Laura Ramsey, Paul Sorvino, Mike Starr, Tony LoBianco, Vinnie Vella, Steve Schirippa, Jason Butler Harner, Robert Davi and Fionnula Flanagan.


I will definitely be watching this movie closely, but I will also be watching for accuracy. In 1989 I read a book called “Mobbed Up” the story of another notorious local figure Jackie Presser. I believe this book was made into a movie in the early 1990s, and if I recall correctly, the movie depicted Danny Greene being killed by a car bomb in a narrow alley. Well, I am very familiar with the location where Danny Green was killed, as I drove past it on the way to work each day in the mid-1970s and also worked only a few miles away from it in the high-rent office district of Landerhaven for a few years in the late 1990s. The parking lot where Danny Green was killed is far from a narrow alley. So if the filmmakers get this aspect of the film right, they will get my respect. But, if the picture here (a still from the filming) is of the car bomb that actually got Danny Greene, they got it wrong.

“Kill The Irishman” sounds like an interesting movie, if you have lived during those years of crime in Cleveland or not. You can follow the film’s progress at Movieset.com


Update March 6, 2011: "Kill The Irishman" is scheduled for limited release as follows:

Opening in Select Theaters March 11th:

New York - Landmark Sunshine Cinema
Los Angeles - AMC Broadway 4
Cleveland - Cedar Lee / Cinemark 24 Valley View / Regal Crocker Park

Opening in additional theaters March 18th:

Detroit - Landmark Main Art
Chicago - AMC River East / Century Evanston 18
Boston - Kendall Square Cinema






All Original Text Content © allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted


Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland Ohio, here.

Cuyahoga County Courthouse Murals

As a continuation of my blog from last week about ”Justice”, the stained glass window in the Cuyahoga County Courthouse in downtown Cleveland, I thought I would feature the large murals that are on the second floor flanking each side of the large center hall of the Courthouse.

The mural on the north side of the second floor is “The Constitutional Convention, September 17, 1787” and was painted by Violet Oakley in 1915. It is a rendering of the final moment on the last day of the convention, held in Philadelphia, PA. George Washington is on the left side of the mural and he is presiding over the convention. Benjamin Franklin is on the right of the mural. As Franklin was too weak to speak, he is shown handing his speech to fellow Pennsylvanian James Wilson to read. The US Constitution was adopted on this day.

The second mural on the south side of the second floor is “King John Signing the Magna Carta at Runnymede, 1215” painted by Sir Frank Brangwyn in 1913. It depicts the King signing the document that proclaimed certain rights of the King’s subjects, whether they were free or not free. The Magna Carta was likely the key influence on what led to the rule of constitutional law that we know today. It was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects to limit his powers by law, and protect their privileges.

Here are a few photos of both of these beautiful murals and the surrounding area.

The Constitutional Convention, September 17, 1787
Painted by Violet Oakley (1915)

King John Signing the Magna Carta at Runnymede, 1215
Painted by Sir Frank Brangwyn (1913)

View of the Magna Carta mural from across the center hall

The 2nd floor hallway leading away from the one of the murals

I don't know where the doorways next to the murals lead, but one of the doors reminds me of the face of a lion.

Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland Ohio, here.

Cuyahoga County Courthouse “Justice” Stained Glass Window

"Justice" Stained Glass Window
Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Courthouse

One of the most stunning sights in the Cuyahoga County Courthouse in downtown Cleveland is the large stained glass window titled “Justice” which is at the landing of the large marble staircase at the east side of the main lobby. The window was designed by Frederick Wilson of Tiffany Studios and Cleveland architect Charles F. Schweinfurth. The work was executed by the Gorham Glass Works of New York City

According to “The Cuyahoga County Courthouse Crown Jewel of the Group Plan” , “Justice” is depicted with her eyes uncovered, indicating justice should not be blind, and her eyes should be “open to the spirit and to the letter of the law.” The right hand of “Justice” is covered in mail and her left hand is bare to symbolize the dispensation of justice tempered with mercy. Tablets representing the Ten Commandments are on each side of the standing figure, and overhead is the “celestial city of the Apocalypse where perfect justice reigns.” Sounds very serious to me, but I am more enamored with the beauty of the colors of the glass and the workmanship, not to mention the curved marble staircase which rises on each side of the window.

If you are in the vicinity of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse , located on One Lakeside Avenue, stop in and take in the beauty of this lovely stained glass window. It’s one of the hidden gems of Cleveland that is not to be missed.

View of window from base of stairway

View of top of window from the other side of upper level of lobby

Marble staircase, multiple views up and down (B&W photos)

The plaque at the base of the window

Close up of "Justice"


Close up of the face of "Justice"

All Content © allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted

Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

Free Stamp, Revisted

I am still going through the digital equivalent of a ton of photographs I took while I was strolling around downtown Cleveland last week. It was in February of 2008 when I last wrote about Free Stamp, the huge rubber stamp sculpture that sits in Willard Park, right next to Cleveland City Hall. I thought it was time I went back and updated my photos of this sculpture. This time I decided to have a little fun and artistic license of my own with this under appreciated sculpture. See if you can spot what I call the “mirror universe” version of Free Stamp among these photos.

All Content © allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com

Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland’s “Fountain of Eternal Life”

Located in Cleveland’s Mall A , which is officially known as Veterans' Memorial Plaza, stands the “Fountain of Eternal Life”. It is also known as the “War Memorial Fountain” or “Peace Arising from the Flames of War”. It is a statue and fountain that serves as Cleveland’s memorial to those citizens who served in World War II and the Korean War. It was designed by Cleveland Institute of Art graduate Marshall Fredericks and dedicated on May 30, 1964.

According to Wikipedia:

The centerpiece is a 35-foot (10.7 m) bronze figure representing man escaping from the flames of war and reaching skyward for eternal peace. The bronze sphere from which the figure rises represents the superstitions and legends of mankind. Four granite carvings, representing the geographic civilizations of the world, are placed around the sphere. On the surface of the polished granite rim surrounding the fountain are bronze plates bearing the names of 4,177 Greater Clevelanders who perished in WWII and in the Korean War.


It is a beautiful sight to see, reaching into the sky with the city’s tall skyscrapers such as The Terminal Tower, Key Tower, and 200 Public Square rising nearby. Here are a few photographs that I just took yesterday – enjoy!

200 Public Square in background

Key Tower in background

200 Public Square in background

Terminal Tower in background, Key Tower on the right, 200 Public Square on the left

© allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted


Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

The Great Lakes Science Center

On the Cleveland lakefront, and flanked by Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and the The William G. Mather Maritime Museum, is Cleveland’s Great Lakes Science Center. The GLSC opened in the summer of 1996, and focuses on science, technology, and the Great Lakes environment. It is highly interactive, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the science and be entertained as they learn. The GLSC also includes an OMNIMAX Theater , which projects IMAX films on a huge dome-like screen, making the experience almost like being there, except much bigger than life. The entire museum is a fun place to be for both adults and children.

Thanks to Insider Perks - who has been doing some very nice Cleveland videos lately - here is their short video highlighting the Great Lakes Science Center.

Great Lakes Science Center




Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

One of my favorite places to visit in Cleveland is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Located in the University Circle area – a hotbed of museums and culture – this museum offers a look into the natural history of the earth and the stars.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History opened in 1920. The driving force behind it was Harold T. Clark, a Cleveland lawyer and philanthropist. The museum’s first headquarters were in a business office in the Lennox Bldg. at E. 9th St. and Euclid Ave, but in 1922 the museum moved many of the displays to the former Leonard Hanna mansion on Euclid Ave. But, having more displays than it had space, and with the Hanna house being affected by highway construction, a newer facility – which is also its current home – was constructed in University Circle. Between 1958 and 1961, the museum opened 5 interconnected units located at the current 1 Wade Oval address, directly across from the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The museum is filled with all sorts of natural wonders, covering specimens and displays of archeology, paleontology, geology, mineralogy, botany, wildlife, and astronomy (which includes a planetarium). According to Wikipedia, here are some of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s most famed attractions:


Extensive examples of Late Devonian Cleveland Shale fish.
Nine hundred monkey and ape skeletons, and more than 3,100 human skeletons (the Hamann-Todd Collection).
The only specimen of the small tyrannosaur Nanotyrannus lancensis.
The holotype of the Haplocanthosaurus sauropod.
The most complete mount of a Coelophysis bauri.
The remains of Balto the sled dog.
An extensive mineralogy collection that includes a moon rock and the Jeptha Wade gem collection.
Replica skeletons of Triceratops and Jane, a juvenile tyrannosaurid.
Multiple mastodon and mammoth specimens.
A cast of an Australopithecus afarensis skeleton, an early hominid affectionately dubbed Lucy.
A new T-rex skeleton that is now on display.

It is a great place for adults and children to learn about the earth’s past, and about all the living things that have inhabited it over the years. My personal favorites from the museum are any exhibits having to do with rocks, minerals, and gems - and the gift shop, of course.









Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, a part of the Western Reserve Historical Society and located in University Circle, is a showcase of the history of air and land transport vehicles. It includes airplanes, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and spacecraft. It was founded by Frederick Coolidge Crawford, president of Thompson Products (later named TRW). Crawford collected vintage automobiles, and also was very involved in aviation, being instrumental in bringing the NASA Lewis (now called NASA Glenn) Research Center to the Cleveland area.

His love for aviation and vintage cars, and his understanding of the historical importance to these vehicles led to establishing the Thompson Auto Album in 1937. In 1963, he turned over his collection to the Western Reserve Historical Society and worked to raise funds to house the collection. The building that now houses the collection is named in his honor.

While it’s great to see these vehicles in person, below is a short video “tease” to give visitors an idea of what awaits them at the museum. According to Wikipedia, here are some of the items currently in the collection:

Its eclectic collection of classic vehicles include a replica of 1890s Cleveland main street, antique carriages, early Harley Davidson motorcycles, a Willys Custom Sedan, and a P-51 Mustang racing plane used in the National Air Races. The oldest car in the collection is a 1897 Panhard et Levassor; the most modern car in the collection is a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser concept coupe. As of 2009, the museum has 34 cars that are more than 100 years old, the largest such collection in the world. One of the rarest cars in the collection is an aluminum bodied 1932 prototype Peerless designed by Frank Hershey, which was never put into production and was the last passenger vehicle made in Cleveland.


Further information on the museum can be found on the Western Reserve Historical Society web site for the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum.


Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum



Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland's Museums: New Tourism Videos

After getting a bit motion sick from the Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism video contest winners from a few weeks ago, someone was kind enough to give me a heads up about some more professionally done videos highlighting some of the great things to see and do here in Cleveland. In fact, I learned something new from watching these videos prepared by InsiderPerks.com - I never knew that we had an International Women’s Air & Space Museum right here in town.

Please take a look at these two videos that were prepared by InsiderPerks.com covering the International Women’s Air & Space Museum and Cleveland's other museums. Both videos are very well done.

You can also find out more about the International Women’s Air & Space Museum by visiting iwasm.org , which is “dedicated to the preservation of the history of women in aviation and space and the documentation of their continuing contributions today and in the future."


International Women’s Air & Space Museum
Burke Lakefront Airport




Cleveland’s Museums





Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video Winners

Positively Cleveland has announced the winners of the “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video Contest.” The two winners and the runners up are below. In all honesty, the videos for the winners made me a little motion sick (too much camera movement).

The contest was held in response to an unfunny YouTube video posted by local comedian Mike Polk titled “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video” which I can’t put here because he uses an expletive in it that I don’t think my blog sponsors would appreciate. Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s not even funny?

Anyway, here are the winners and runners up (I actually liked 2 of the runners up better than the winners).


Winner #1


Winner #2


Runners Up








Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

LeBron James and Kobe Commercials

As the Cleveland Cavaliers continue their way through the NBA playoffs, Nike Basketball has continued their very creative ads that portray Cleveland’s LeBron James and “some other basketball player” as puppets. There was a new commercial just recently released, so I thought I would include the new commercial, plus the other two already out there for the enjoyment of Cleveland Cavs fans. Here they are - and here's hoping the Cavs go on to win!


LeBron/Kobe Unstoppable Game Tape


LeBron/Kobe Chalk Video


LeBron/Kobe Three Rings Video




Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 2009 Dinosaur Exhibit

”Positively Cleveland” recently visited the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to provide a “behind the scenes” look at the construction of the 2009 Dinosaurs! exhibit. This exhibit will feature species of dinosaurs never before displayed at the Zoo, such as the Edmontosaurus, the Compsognathus and the Cryolophosaurus. The latter is often referred to as the "Elvisaurus" because its large crest resembles the hair of Elvis Presley.

The exhibit will be open from Thursday, May 21, through Sunday, September 13. Admission to Dinosaurs! is just $1 per person with regular Zoo admission, and is free for Zoo members and children under 2. You can obtain more information on Dinosaurs! Can be found at this link for the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.


Dinosaurs! 2009 At The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo




Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland Tourism Video

The other day, a local Cleveland TV station highlighted a video on YouTube that was billed as a “hastily made Cleveland tourism video” for the city of Cleveland. Well, unlike that TV station, I won’t be promoting anything that is a put down of the city, whether it was supposed to be humorous or not.

I would rather focus on the good things about the city. Sure, it is not perfect – no big city is. Still, there are many things about this city that make it a great place to live and visit. Thankfully, someone else had created a better tourism video a while back that better represents what the city has to offer. I have the video below, and it’s worth the five minutes it takes to watch.





All Original Text Content
© allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted

Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

The Cleveland International Piano Competition

The 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition is only a few months away, beginning on Tuesday July 28 and running through Sunday August 9, 2009. The competition is held in Cleveland every two years, and contestants from all around the world come to here to complete for the top honor. The competition began in 1975, and in 1994, as its global recognition had grown, it became the Cleveland International Piano Competition. It draws hundreds of pianists to qualify to come and compete in Cleveland.

According to Cleveland International Piano Competition web site:

The first prize winner also is provided with a series of engagements under the auspices of the Competition, two years of management service, a compact disc recording on the Naxos label, and a New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.

The Competition is held biennially over a ten-day period that begins with the candidates performing solo recitals for the audience as well as an esteemed international panel of judges. Candidates are eliminated by vote of the jury until four finalists remain. These talented individuals perform concertos with The Cleveland Orchestra to determine the winner. The final rounds are held over a two-night period (two candidates per night) at Severance Hall. The winner is announced following the final performance.


WCLV 104.9 will broadcast the entire 2009 competition live, including the competition at the Cleveland Playhouse Bolton Theatre, the Concerto Rounds with The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Winner's Recital from Severance Hall. It will also be streamed on their web site WCLV.com.

For piano lovers like me, it is a real treat. To help get everyone in the mood, I have included (below) a video of the performance and interview with the 2007 winner, Alexander Ghindin from Russia.


Further Reference

Cleveland International Piano Competition

WCLV.com

Plain Dealer lists the 35 finalists


Alexander Ghindin 2007 Winner Cleveland International Piano Competition



Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland Cavaliers Spoof Heineken Commercial

Anyone who watches any sports on television has seen the recent Heineken commercial where a bunch of women scream about seeing huge closet full of clothes, and the guys scream louder seeing a huge refrigerator stocked with Heineken.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a little fun with that commercial in this great spoof. Enjoy! And – GO CAVS!






Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

The Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland

30th Anniversary Artwork created by Cleveland's Hector Vega

Jazz fans, the time is here. The annual Tri-C JazzFest is upon us, running from April 23 to May 3, 2009. This year, the JazzFest celebrates 30 years of jazz in northeast Ohio. (For those of you not from the area, Tri-C is the “nickname” given to Cuyahoga Community College.)

The festival got its start in May of 1980, and over the years has developed into a on-going jazz educational program, which culminates with the JazzFest in late April. It is the largest jazz festival in the country. The JazzFest has hosted many of the famous artists associated with the genre, such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, and many others.

To get everyone in the mood, here are a few videos from previous JazzFests and local appearances of jazz artists for the festival. Additional information such as tickets and a full schedule of artists can be found on the web site for The Tri-C Performing Arts.










Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland: A Study in Black & White Photographs

Cleveland is a beautiful city in normal “living” color, but it gets its own special look when viewed in black and white photographs. Here is a video of some photos of my favorite Cleveland places – all in black & white – most of which I’ve taken over the last 2+ years.


Cleveland - A Study in Black & White Photographs



Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

2009 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction - Videos

Cleveland had its big rock & roll party last night as the city hosted the induction ceremonies for the 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

Cleveland’s Plain Dealer has made available some videos of the event. Here are a few for your enjoyment. Many more videos of the inductees in the pressroom and some of their performances can be found on the Plain Dealer’ web site.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction VIP Gala

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction red carpet

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a simulcast

Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

The Freeways of Cleveland

Clevelanders sure love their freeways, well, until they get into a traffic jam. And I have a special, not-so-nice place in my heart for I-7I, considering that our family had to be relocated in 1964 so they could put the freeway right through our house.

Despite those days when something causes a horrific backup on the freeway, the city is lucky to have such an extensive freeway system. Here is a primer on the freeways of Cleveland and the metropolitan area:

I-90 – This is the longest interstate highway of the United States, going from one end of the country to another. As it travels through the Cleveland area, I-90 skirts downtown Cleveland on the eastern side before it moves westward. It provides a great view of the city when approaching from the southern end of the innerbelt and I-71. It also contains theInnerbelt Bridge, which crosses the Cuyahoga River. The innerbelt stretch of I-90 provides connections to both I-71 and I-77. I-90 is also the home of Cleveland’s famous Deadman’s Curve.

I-490 – This runs from just east of the city (East 55th street) and connects with I-77 and I-90/I-71. It is only about 2.5 miles long.

I-480 - This is officially named the Outerbelt South Freeway, but no one in town refers to it by that name. It provides access for many of the Cleveland’s suburbs, from Streetsboro (in Portage County) to North Ridgeville (Lorain County). I-480 crosses the Cuyahoga River over a large valley on a pair of bridges (one for each direction) called the Valley View Bridge. According to Wikipedia, the Valley View Bridge pair are steel multi-stringer highway girder bridges that are 212 feet (65 m) high and 4,150 feet (1,260 m) long. It’s a long way down, and frankly the concrete barriers and wire fencing on the sides never look very reassuring to me.

Ohio Route 176 – This is specifically the stretch that is unofficially called the “Jennings Freeway”, which connects to I-71 on the north, and connects with I-480/Brookpark Road on the south end. It provides speedy access to the city for west-siders.

I-77 – Cleveland has the distinction of being the starting point of I-77 in the US (it terminates in Columbia, South Carolina). It begins at a split off from I-90 on the innerbelt. While it does travel through residential areas, it also travels through the heart of Cleveland’s industrial area.

I-71 – Like I-77, I-71 also begins its trek in Cleveland, starting at the I-90 innerbelt. As it travels through my old neighborhood – and former home - it connects the western suburbs to Cleveland before it heads south to Columbus, Ohio, and later terminates in Louisville, KY.

I-271 – This freeway connects those living east and south of Cleveland, all the way from western Lake County, through eastern Cuyahoga County, through Summit County. It is also officially named Cleveland Outerbelt East – but I call it the local Autobahn because no matter how fast you are going, there will always be a caravan of cars speeding by you at warp speed. I-271 connects with I-90, I-480, I-77, and of course, I-71. And for those speed demons, it has express lanes, which, despite the normal speed limits, seems to make drivers think they have the license to exceed as much as possible.

Ohio Rt 2 – This state freeway connects the northern suburbs from the east and west side of the city. It runs concurrent with I-90 on the east side of the city, and it splits away from I-90 at Deadman’s Curve. It is also referred to as The Shoreway, as the freeway runs close to the shore of Lake Erie

I-80 – This is part of the Ohio Turnpike, which is officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike. (Shocknessy was the first chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission.) It is the only toll road of the bunch that services the area. This freeway sits far south and west of the city, but connects with I-480, I-71, and I-77 that feed into the city.













Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

Cleveland's Submarine, The USS Cod (SS-224)

The USS Cod in Action Photo by US Navy

When I was in high school in the 1970s, our class took a trip to see the USS Cod (SS-224), a submarine which is docked on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, between Burke Lakefront Airport and the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame . I was hesitant to go inside the sub for a two reasons: one, I was claustrophobic and I was terrified of going down into a closed in area, and two, like all the girls in my class, I was wearing my school uniform, and girls just didn’t climb up and down ladders in a skirt, especially with boys/men around. (At least they didn’t in those days.)

You may ask how a submarine managed to find a home on the shores of Lake Erie, not a place one would normally think to find submarines. A brief history lesson will provide the answer.

According to the The USS Cod website, the sub was named after the (cod) fish. It is a World War II era GATO class fleet submarine and is a 312-ft, (95-m) 1,525-ton vessel. The USS Cod was first launched on March 21, 1943 and placed in commission on June 21, 1943, under the command of CDR James C. Dempsey, USN.

The USS Cod faced several battles. In one battle in 1944, under Dempsey’s command, the USS Cod destroyed the Japanese destroyer Karukaya plus other ships in that same convoy. Afterwards, the Cod had to stay submerged for 12 hours as it moved away from the attack area, finally surfacing 25 miles away from the area and into a heavy night thunderstorm.

The USS Cod has a very full history of service to the United States during and after World War II, which can be found on the USS Cod’s web site.

The USS Cod was decommissioned in 1954, and in 1959 she was towed to Cleveland to serve as a naval reserve training vessel, and was also opened for school field trips. Eventually the USS Cod was no longer needed as a training ship, and it was taken off the register of Navy ships in 1971. Later, a group of Clevelanders created the Cleveland Coordinating Committee to Save Cod, Inc., and their intent was to preserve The USS Cod as a memorial to be maintained on Cleveland’s lakefront. The group was given guardianship of the submarine by the Navy in 1976. In 1986, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the USS Cod a National Historic Landmark.


Also according to the USS Cod’s web site:

Today, Cod is one of the finest restored submarines on display and is the only U.S. submarine that has not had stairways and doors cut into her pressure hull for public access. Visitors to this proud ship use the same vertical ladders and hatches that were used by her crew. Cleveland can claim partial credit as Cod's birthplace, since the submarine's five massive diesel engines were built by General Motors' Cleveland Diesel plant on Cleveland's west side…Cod is now docked in Lake Erie at Cleveland, Ohio and is maintained and operated as a memorial to the more than 3900 submariners who lost their lives during the 100 year history of the United States Navy Submarine Force.


The USS Cod’s web site provides a virtual tour which allows for 360 degree views of various locations on the submarine. (That is good news for claustrophobics!) But if you want to visit it in person, it is open from May 1 through the end of September (check the web site for hours of operation).

By the way, the USS Cod is reported to be haunted. It has been included in the Haunted Cleveland Ghost Tours. Maybe there is another reason I didn’t want to go in there…

Clevelanders should be proud to serve as the home for the USS Cod, and also be thankful for its service to the country.



Update June 11, 2009 - New Video on The USS Cod




Further reference and reading

The USS Cod (SS-224) Web Site

USS Cod, Historic Naval Ships Association has some nice pictures.

Wikipedia entry for USS Cod



Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

RIP Cleveland Catholic Diocese – An Editorial

Yesterday, the parishoners of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese learned if their churches were staying open or closing. It is a very sad day for Cleveland Catholics, and even non-Catholics who benefited from the support of local church support programs, such as caring for the homeless, feeding the hungry, helping those with chemical dependencies, etc. Many of the poor and the inner city people will be greatly affected by this reorganization, but it will also affect thousands of other parishioners who have supported their local churches for decades, especially the elderly.

Let me say right up front that I am a lapsed Catholic. I only attend church when I absolutely have to – weddings and funerals. The church ceased to be relevant to me years ago, especially in the 1970s going forward when it seemed clear to me that the Catholic Church completely devalues women and refuses to allow them to have key roles in the Church, such as allowing them to become priests. I have always felt that the Church could still uphold its main tenets and that the same time loosen their tight collars and bring some of the practices into the modern area, continuing the work that Pope John XXIII began in the 1960s.

But it saddens me to see that the church in which all my grandparent attended, my parents were married in, and I was baptized in, located in Cleveland, is closing, and the church my husband and I were married in, located in Bedford, is also closing. The church that all my husband’s grandparents attended, his parents were married in, and he was baptized in, also located in Cleveland, is closing. It is as if someone has just taken a giant eraser and wiped away the complete history of two families.

There is also a huge concern about maintaining the structures, especially those historic buildings within the city of Cleveland. Many of these churches have become stabilizing factors in neighborhoods that are in serious decline. Without the people and supporting social programs - and the structures - the look of a city in decay could be even more devastating to neighborhoods already on the bubble.

In a press release from the Cleveland Catholic Diocese,the reasons for the closings and consolidations were listed as follows:

The reconfiguration plan reflects a proactive strategy to address three major challenges the Diocese and its parishes face as they work to create a more vibrant Church:

• Population shifts in the region. With movement away from urban areas, approximately two-thirds of Catholics are currently served by one-third of its parishes.

• Financial hardship for many parishes. Forty-two percent of parishes are currently operating in the red, with operating expenses greater than revenues.

• Fewer priests available for ministry throughout the United States and other parts of the world. The Diocese has less than half as many priests as it did in 1970.


I do understand that the Church – like any business - needs to close those facilities that are a drain on their finances. But, the truth is that there are several churches being closed that were not losing money and were not having financial hardship. As far as not having enough priests, the Church may have itself to blame for not allowing women to join the clergy, or even by not allowing priests to marry. I can understand the church not bending on the latter because of the celibacy issue, but not allowing women to become priests has cut off a huge number of potential priests.

There has also been much dispute of the creation of the “clusters” from which decisions had to be made to close a certain number of churches within each cluster. When the clusters were first established, there were complaints that some of the groupings made no sense, and some seemed to be assigned with the purpose to force the closure of specific churches.

One may say that the fact that I have not attended church in many years gives me no right to gripe. I disagree. While I do not attend church, that does not mean that I have not donated money to my church in order to keep them running or supported them in other ways. I also think that if the church were to listen a little more to dissenters, and also make changes that show that it truly lives up to its teachings by having more respect for women, maybe it wouldn’t be in such dire straights. There is also the simmering outrage of some current and lapsed Catholics (not to mention non-Catholics) regarding the large sums of money that have been paid out to settle lawsuits for claims of abuse at the hands of its clergy. Maybe if the Church had been more diligent in its management of its clergy, it wouldn’t be losing a large amount of its money to these kinds of lawsuits.

I truly feel badly for all the members of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese that learned that their Churches are closing. These people will feel even worse if some churches that are not currently protected by historic status are lost to the wrecking ball. I understand to some degree why the diocese had to do this, but I found the methods by which they decided who stays and who goes to be flawed. And unless the Catholic Church makes some changes to bring itself to show respect to all of its members, and to remain relevant to the changing times and advances of science and technology, I fear that they will continue to lose membership at a rapid pace.


http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/parishioners_in_the_cleveland.html
This is the status of the Catholic Churches in Cuyahoga County, as of Saturday night March 14, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:


1. Annunciation, 4697 W. 130th St.: Merging with Ascension and St. Patrick on Rocky River Drive.

2. Ascension, 14040 Puritas Ave.: Merging with Anunciation and St. Patrick on Rocky River Drive.

3. Blessed Sacrament, 3381 Fulton Road: Closing.

4. Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, East Ninth Street and Superior: Remaining open.

5. Corpus Christi, 4850 Pearl Road: Closing and merging with Our Lady of Good Counsel.

6. Holy Cross, 19951 Lake Shore Blvd., Euclid: Merging with St. Christine at Holy Cross.

7. Holy Name, 8329 Broadway SE: Remaining open.

8. Holy Redeemer, 15172 Kipling Ave., SE: Remaining open.

9. Holy Rosary, 12021 Mayfield Road: Remaining open.

10. Holy Trinity, 24821 Columbus Road., Bedford Heights: Closing and merging with St. Pius X.

11. Immaculate Conception, 4129 Superior Ave.: Remaining open.

12. Immaculate Heart of Mary, 6700 Lansing Ave.: Remaining open.

13. La Sagrada Familia, 7719 Detroit Ave.: Remaining open.

14. Our Lady of Angels, 3644 Rocky River Drive: Remaining open.

15. Our Lady of Good Counsel, 4423 Pearl Road: Merging with Corpus Christi.


16. Our Lady of Mercy, 2425 West 11th St.: Closing.

17. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel West, 6928 Detroit Ave.: Remaining open.

18. Our Lady of Peace, Shaker Boulevard and East 126th Street: Remaining open.

19. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 18022 Neff Road: Merging with St. George at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

20. Sacred Heart of Jesus, 6916 Krakow Ave.: Closing.

21. Saints Cyril and Methodius, 12608 Madison Ave.: Remaining open and merging with St. Rose of Lima at Saints Cyril and Methodius.

22. Saints Philip and James, 3727 Bosworth Road: Closing.

23. St. Ann, 2175 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights: Merging with St. Philomena, Christ the King and St. Louis.

24. St. Augustine, 2486 West 14th St.: Remaining open.

25. St. Barbara, 1505 Denison Ave.: Closing.

26. St. Boniface, 3545 West 54th St.: Remaining open.

27. St. Casimir, 8223 Sowinski Ave.: Closing.

28. St. Cecilia, Kinsman Road and East 152nd Street: Closing, as will Epiphany.

29. St. Charles Borromeo, 5891 Ridge Road, Parma: Remaining open.

30. St. Christine, 840 East 222nd St.: Closing and merging with Holy Cross.

31. St. Clement, 14401 Madison Ave., Lakewood: Remaining open.

32. St. Colman, 2027 West 65th St.: Closing.

33. St. Emeric, 1890 West 22nd St.: Closing.

34. St. Felicitas, 140 Richmond Road, Euclid: Merging with St. Paul in Euclid.

35. St. George, 6527 Superior Ave.: Merging with Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.


36. St. Gregory the Great, 1545 S. Green Road, South Euclid: Merging with St. Margaret Mary. Worship site to be determined.

37. St. Hedwig, 12905 Madison Ave., Lakewood: Closing.

38. St. Hyacinth, 6114 Francis Ave.: Closing.

39. St. Ignatius of Antioch, 10205 Lorain Ave.: Closing, but school remaining open.

40. St. James, 17514 Detroit Ave., Lakewood: Closing.

41. St. Jerome, 1500 Lake Shore Blvd.: Remaining open.

42. St. John Cantius, 906 College Ave.: Remaining open.

43. St. John Nepomucene, Fleet Avenue and East 50th St.: Remaining open.

44. St. Leo the Great, 4940 Broadview Road: Remaining open.

45. St. Louis, 2463 N. Taylor Road: Closing and merging with St. Philomena, St. Ann and Christ the King.

46. St. Luke, Clifton Boulevard and Bunts Road, Lakewood: Remaining open.

47. St. Malachi, West 25th St.: Remaining open.

48. St. Margaret Mary, 4217 Bluestone Road, South Euclid: merging with St. Gregory the Great. Worship site to be determined.

49. St. Margaret of Hungary, 4680 Lander Road, Orange: Closing.

50. St. Mark, 15800 Montrose Ave.: Remaining open.

51. St. Mary, 15519 Holmes Ave.: Remaining open.

52. St. Mary, 340 Union St., Bedford: Closing and merging with St. Pius X.

53. St. Mel, 14436 Triskett Road: Remaining open, but school is closing.

54. St. Michael the Archangel, 3114 Scranton: Remaining open.

55. St. Patrick, 4427 Rocky River Drive: Merging with Anunciation and Ascension.

56. St. Patrick, 3602 Bridge Ave.: Remaining open.


57. St. Paul, 1360 East 40th St.: Remaining open.

58. St. Paul, 1231 Chardon Road, Euclid: Closing and merging with St. Felicitas.

59. St. Philomena, 13824 Euclid Ave., East Cleveland: Merging with St. Ann's, Christ the King and St. Louis. Worship sites at St. Philomena and St. Ann's.

60. St. Pius X, 400 Center Road, Bedford: Remaining open but merging with Holy Trinity in Bedford Heights and St. Mary in Bedford.

61. St. Procop, 3181 West 41st St.: Closing.

62. St. Robert Bellarmine, 23802 Lake Shore Blvd., Euclid: Merging with St. William at St. William.

63. St. Rocco, 3205 Fulton Road: Remaining open.

64. St. Rose of Lima, 11401 Detroit Ave.: Closing and merging with Saints Cyril and Methodius at Saints Cyril and Methodius.

65. St. Stanislaus, 3649 East 65th St.: Remaining open.

66. St. Stephen, 1930 West 54th St.: Remaining open.

67. St. Thomas More, 4170 N. Amber Drive, Brooklyn: Remaining open.

68. St. Vincent de Paul, 13400 Lorain Ave.: Remaining open.

69. St. Vitus, 6019 Lausche Ave.: Remaining open.

70. St. Wendelin, 2281 Columbus Road: Closing.

71. St. William, 367 East 260th St., Euclid: Merging with St. Robert at St. William



A complete, updated list of all Cleveland Catholic Diocese Church closings can be found here.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

The Cleveland Ohio Skyline

For those of us who live in or near Cleveland Ohio, we sometimes take the city's beautiful skyline for granted. Here is a short video that I created which highlights some of my favorite views of the city. Hopefully it will not only remind Cleveland metropolitan area residents of how great this city looks, but will also serve to help "out of towners" see what they are missing. Enjoy!



The Cleveland Ohio Skyline


Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Promotional Video

To keep everyone charged up about the upcoming Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum’s Cleveland induction ceremonies coming up on April 4, 2009. Here is a promotional video created by Glazen Creative Studios It was produced for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s New York Annex experience.









Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information,
All Things Cleveland, here.

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: Cleveland Induction Ceremony

In December 2007 I did a feature here on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. At the time of that writing, I bemoaned the lack of respect that the R&RHOF received, complaining that the induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Just four days after I aired my complaint, it was announced that the induction ceremonies would be held in Cleveland in 2009. Of course I had nothing to do with that, but it still felt like someone heard me.

It’s hard to believe, but the date for the Cleveland, Ohio induction ceremony is upon us. The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on April 4, 2009, the first time it’s been held in Cleveland since 1997. And, so everyone across the United States can enjoy the event, it will be broadcast live on Fuse TV.

Rock Hall induction week, which begins on March 26, includes many added events such as educational programs, concerts, parties, The Moondog Coronation Ball, and much more. There will also be a “Free Day” giving free admission to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum for the public.

To get everyone charged up, here are a few videos from the Rock Hall that explains its history, how it helps the city, and provides a view into the facility itself. For further information about the R&RHOF and the upcoming induction ceremony, visit Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and Museum web site.




About the R&RHOF


Economic Impact of the R&RHOF


R&RHOF Exhibits


R&RHOF Education Programs



R&RHOF Capital Campaign


How Cleveland Built the R&RHOF




Check out my blog home page for the latest Cleveland information, All Things Cleveland, here.