MuRrAy HiLL

Developers settle dispute over land in Cleveland's Little Italy Published: Monday, August 16, 2010, 3:29 PM Michelle Jarboe, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A legal settlement in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood has cleared the air over a luxury townhouse project and has opened up a neighboring parking lot for redevelopment. Developer Andrew Brickman and his neighbors have ended their dispute, after months of arguing over who had the right to access land and a former street along the western edge of the 27 Coltman community. Court records show that the parties reached an agreement in late July, prompting a Cuyahoga County judge to dismiss the case. Details of the settlement are private, but documents submitted to the city illustrate the results. Site plans show that residents of 27 Coltman, 27 homes near Euclid Avenue and Coltman Road, will walk out their front doors and into 14-foot-deep yards instead of a parking lot. And the neighboring property owners, the Asher, Coyne and Geis families, will be able to revamp their lot as an office development, with a three-story building, a smaller driveway and free parking. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/developers_settle_dispute_over.html

A very in depth article on "The Irishman" http://www.cleveland.com/moviebuff/index.ssf/2010/08/cleveland_gangster_danny_green.html It looks like it will finally be out March 2011...in time for St. Patrick's day?

A nice little article on President Berkman: “Our students are a greater multiplier for this community than LeBron James.” --Dr. Ronald Berkman http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2010/07/30/news/local/doc4c51f4bf9a553653700106.txt

We have a winner! It's almost like it's straight outta "30 Rock" or even "Hot in Cleveland." Someone who just moved to Cleveland a week ago... Rock Hall visit becomes 'a celebration to last throughout the years' Published: Sunday, August 15, 2010, 12:04 PM Michael K. McIntyre Elaine Terrell moved to Lakewood with her family from a Houston suburb a week ago. Her husband, Eddie Terrell, an engineer, had taken a job with the NASA Glenn Research Center. Saturday seemed like a good day to explore Cleveland with their daughter Katie, 8. Which would it be first, the Great Lakes Science Center or the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum? They chose the Rock Hall. It was like knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door. Terrell was pulled out of line as balloons dropped and Ian Hunter's "Cleveland Rocks" blared. She's the Rock Hall's 8 millionth visitor. http://www.cleveland.com/tipoff/index.ssf/2010/08/post_3.html

Euro tour for the Cleveland Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra packs its bags for musical journey across Europe Published: Sunday, August 15, 2010, 12:01 AM Zachary Lewis, The Plain Dealer After spending the last several weeks at Blossom Music Center, regaling listeners in Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Orchestra is preparing to take its special show on the road, for a nearly two-week tour of Europe. The journey, beginning Tuesday, will take the group to two of the continent's most famous music festivals and mark the ninth such trip undertaken by the orchestra with music director Franz Welser-Möst. "Festivals are very much a focal point [in Europe]," said Welser-Möst, a native of Austria. "They always try to get the latest and hottest in a short period, and the audience comes to hear as much music as possible. It's a big, big injection of culture." http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2010/08/cleveland_orchestra_packs_its.html

Case School of Medicine awarded $4M research Posted: 8/16/2010 2:05:28 PM CLEVELAND--Jonathan Stamler, MD, Director of the Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine and the Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation at the Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Harrington-McLaughlin Heart & Vascular Institute, has recently received a $4.7 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The money will be used to fund the creation of a new class of drugs that will selectively dilate blood cells when there is a lack of oxygen in the body. This will be able to enhance soldiers' performance at high altitudes. http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=144129&catid=7

Foundation creates $5M endowment for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland CLEVELAND — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland has landed a big payday from last fall's 25th anniversary concerts at Madison Square Garden. The hall announced Monday that its affiliated foundation in New York will create a $5 million rock hall endowment from proceeds of the blockbuster concerts Oct. 29 and 30. The shows featured Simon and Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, U2, Metallica, Mick Jagger and others. The rock hall calls the endowment an "extraordinary" financial boost. http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/42fbb3a68e8e42e097c5d048ac58d5e7/US--Rock_Hall-Future/

Israel -- but their American headquarters is in Cleveland. I'm pretty sure University Circle/Cleveland Clinic. EDIT: 7100 Euclid Avenue, Suite 180 Cleveland, OH 44103

Not sure if this means 5 people or 50...either way, looks like good news for Cleveland! Simbionix Relocates its Courseware Business to its Corporate Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio CLEVELAND, Ohio, August 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Simbionix USA Corporation, the world's leading provider of medical education and simulation training products for medical professionals and the healthcare industry, will consolidate its eTrinsic custom courseware business currently located in Denver, Colorado and relocate those operations to its Corporate Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio under its expanding Medical Education Division (MED). The move will enable Simbionix to better focus on its strategic direction, enhance its mobile and web-based medical education products and services, and improve reaction to customer and market needs. "This is a very exciting time for Simbionix", stated Paul Jensen, the GM of the new and expanding Medical Education Division, "we are developing a number of innovative products. Having everyone in one location will facilitate collaboration across the team and improve our ability to rapidly deliver high-quality solutions." The company recently announced the expansion of its Corporate Headquarters. The move will be completed by the end of September 2010. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/simbionix-relocates-its-courseware-business-to-its-corporate-headquarters-in-cleveland-ohio-100756354.html

Favorite place for food and price in Little Italy.

:clap: Hawken School to open new learning center in University Circle Published: Monday, August 16, 2010, 7:00 AM Edith Starzyk, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hawken School, one of Cleveland's most prestigious private schools, got its start back in 1915 when headmaster James Hawken set up shop in a house on Ansel Road. But starting later this month, Hawken will go back to its roots, setting up an extension campus in a former mansion on Magnolia Drive -- about 500 yards from the original school building. "Back in the beginning, kids used to go to the museums for lunch every day," said Scott Looney, whose title is head of school. "Now, almost 100 years later, here we are going full circle." "As far as we can tell, we are the only suburban day school in the country that's going back to its founding city." http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/08/hawken_school_to_open_new_lear.html

Some more coverage on the Feast: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/08/feast_of_the_assumption_puts_t.html

Only people who think we have a bad perception. I'm so sick of this same song and dance. This has nothing to do with perception, but a legality issue, so I'd like to ask why you question that? The perception of ineptness. How the Cleveland groups( Gay organization and city) are seemingly not strong enough to host the event, hence the perception that has been created. Now do I personally believe this? No. But the perception is out there now, especially with Synergy going down. I think with the creation of a new non-profit, and teaming up the the City and GCSC, Cleveland can through a world-class event.

I wonder if people will be going all-out to steal the games from Cleveland now because of our bad perception: Cleveland Could Very Well Lose the 2014 Gay Games to DC http://www.queerty.com/cleveland-could-very-well-lose-the-2014-gay-games-to-d-c-20100813/

WHOA

From another Chicago resident: Outside Opinion Each week, "Outside Opinion" asks a visitor what he or she likes best about Cleveland. This week, we talk to Ja'Vonne Harley, 46, of Chicago. She visited town for her radio show, "The Traveling Eye," which broadcasts on WVON in Chicago. Harley visited an impressive number of places while in town, from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Wade Oval to East Fourth Street and A Christmas Story House Museum. But her favorites were two standbys: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the West Side Market. "I'm not one to get star-struck, but seeing the exhibits and memorabilia is fascinating," she said. "You feel like you know a bit more about the artist. Are they smaller or larger than you thought they were? I found myself reminiscing about performances I'd seen in concert or on television." As for the market? "I'm partial to markets and local farmers," said Harvey. "This was the neatest and cleanest market I've been in, and it reminded me of Victoria' Station in England and Melbourne [Australia]. It think it alone is worth the four- to five-hour drive from Chicago." Harvey, who hosted an hourlong segment on her radio show about Cleveland, says she'll be back. "I have to eat at Michael Symon's Lola and get more of those fries at the Greenhouse Tavern. Next time around, I'll spend more time at the West Side Market and do some shopping. I'd go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again and again and again." http://www.cleveland.com/bestofcleveland/index.ssf/2010/08/fair_artwalk_feast_of_the_assu.html

Angelo's Nido Italia has an indoor place to go and sit down -- across from the church. Plus they have an Italian buffet.

From the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704407804575425521289269004.html?mod=googlenews_wsj I didn't realize how in debt Harrah is...

Dan Gilbert's Rock Gaming, Harrah's Entertainment agree to develop Cleveland, Cincinnati casinos By MARK DODOSH 12:23 pm, August 12, 2010 Rock Gaming LLC, a company headed by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, has selected Harrah's Entertainment Inc. as its partner in a joint venture that would develop and operate planned downtown casinos in Cleveland and Cincinnati. And the two revealed that a temporary casino in Cleveland could be in place by as early as next year in the former Higbee Building. The two companies said proposed terms of their non-binding joint venture agreement “contemplate Harrah's making a significant minority investment in the projects and serving as the day-to-day casino manager in both cities.” http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100812/FREE/100819934 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And from the PD...I find the last 3 paragraphs most interesting--competetion is a good thing: Gilbert's announcement comes just an hour after Penn National Gaming announced that this morning it had formally broken ground on a $250 million casino in Toledo. Penn is also building a casino in Columbus. Gilbert and Penn teamed up last year on Issue 3, the constitutional amendment that voters approved which formally allows gambling in Ohio but only at the four specific locations now controlled by Gilbert and Penn. In the gaming world, Harrah's and Penn are competitors. And like Harrah's, Penn could soon own two Ohio horse racing tracks outfitted with slot machine gambling. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/08/gilbert_reaches_preliminary_de.html

Here's the first news coverage of the event, including a schedule: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/entertainment/around_town/religious-celebration-food-and-music-mark-feast-of-the-assumption-in-clevelands-little-italy

This makes me sicker and sicker to my stomach the more read about this fiasco...This quote just boils my blood, seeing the dollar amounts... Litt: After spending 10 years and more than $13.5 million in consultant fees, ODOT has come up with several profoundly ho-hum options for one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the state's history. No one will make a fortune selling postcards of the winner, no matter which one gets built. It's a sad capstone to a process marked by the mediocrity with which ODOT has handled planning for the entire $3.5 billion project to rebuild the Cleveland Inner Belt, which will start with construction of the westbound bridge next year.

Rock hall to shower gifts on 8 millionth visitor ASSOCIATED PRESS The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is preparing to give the star treatment to its 8 millionth visitor. The 15-year-old hall in Cleveland says it expects to mark the milestone by Tuesday. Balloons will drop, cake will be served, and the lucky visitor will receive a prize package including a Gibson guitar, a lifetime membership to the museum, and dinner for the winner and family at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cleveland. http://www.freep.com/article/20100812/ENT04/100812008/Rock-hall-to-shower-gifts-on-8-millionth-visitor

This one seems temporary. The one they had at the beginning of the year was borderline kick-a$$.

Fellow Clevelanders -- the FEAST is upon us!

Cleveland's commercial-classical WCLV-FM to co-locate with pubcasters WCLV (104.9) announces a plan costing about $2.3 million that would move it from Warrensville Heights, Ohio to the Idea Center at downtown Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. That’s also the location of “ideastream”, the parent of public broadcasters WCPN-FM (doing news/talk and jazz at 90.3) and PBS affiliate WVIZ-TV. WCLV’s Robert Conrad says his commercial-classical WCLV and the ideastream stations “will be able to collaborate on programs and services designed to strengthen current efforts and foster new concepts.” http://www.radio-info.com/news/clevelands-commercial-classical-wclv-fm-to-co-locate-wtih-pubcasters