Strongsville Recreation Center Victim of Bat Occupation
The big brown bat, or Eptesicus fuscus Last month a lifeguard at the Walter F. Ehrnfelt Recreation and Senior Complex in Strongsville discovered a big brown bat languishing poolside in the aquatic center. Still haunted by harrowing recollections of Robin Williams’ “Batty Rap” in Fern Gully, rec center supervisors solicited an animal removal expert, and…
Jackson Pushes Through Fire/EMS Integration Despite Opposition
In the face of City Council’s ire and consternation, Mayor Jackson has initiated the integration of Fire and EMS services in Cleveland. No one can properly explain what the integration means in practical terms because the lingo is so confusing — “suppression apparatus” equals “fire truck” with this crowd — but here’s what the plan…
Blue Man Group at Palace Theatre: Review
PHS Blue Man Group runs through Sunday at the Palace Theatre. The blue man grabbed my hand and began coughing up bits of half-chewed Toblerone chocolate into my open palm. He looked at me with a detached gaze before leading me in a bow before the entire audience. It was, in some far-out sense, art.…
FAA Documents Reveal Drone Use in Medina And Elsewhere In Region
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS No, there are no armed Predator drones in Northeast Ohio. But the unmanned aircraft are starting to make appearances through local agencies and organizations. The Federal Aviation Administration released documents earlier this month that reveal drone authorization approved for the Medina County Sheriff’s Office, Lorain County Community College, the Ohio Department of Transportation…
Privatizing Prison Food: Cutting Costs and Irking Inmates
There are 50,179 inmates locked up around Ohio. To feed adult inmates, the state pours $79 million into the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s budget. Gov. John Kasich’s administration is hoping to knock that down to $65.5 million each year by working with a private food vendor. A request for proposals was issued last week.…
A Sneak Peek Inside the New Med Mart
Cuyahoga County’s bumpin’ YouTube channel just posted this video tour of the new Medical Mart, which is four months ahead of schedule and so far running under its projected budget. They couldn’t get Kate Upton to guide the tour, so they settled on Dave Johnson, the Med Mart’s Director of Public Relations. The 1-million-square-foot facility…
McGrath Wrath: Ask Me to Step Down, I’ll Ground Your Ass
Scene has received reports that the notoriously Frollo-faced Cleveland Police Chief Mike McGrath has responded to a resignation request from the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association — responded like a child. According to an officer, McGrath cut the cable and TV in all police buildings the day after he was asked to step down. Many officers…
Westlake’s Rock West Grub Pub Gone, But Replacement at the Ready
Last spring, Doug Lufkin took over the Savannah Bar & Grille, which for 20 or so years was the best and only place to go in Westlake to enjoy big-time live music. But at the newly christened Rock West Grub Pub (30676 Detroit Rd.), Lufkin had planned to 86 most of the live acts and…
Chefs on Board, Toast Wine Bar Menu Takes Shape
Given that Toast Wine Bar (1363 West 65th St.) has been in the works for more than five years, it’s completely understandable that plans would shift over time. With just a few weeks left before the Detroit Shoreway business opens, it’s become clear that the biggest adjustment has been reserved for the food program. Owner…
The Perpetual Shit Storm of the Juvenile Justice Center
Cuyahoga County Council now plans to hold a series of Inquisition-style hearings to assign blame in the non-stop fiasco that is the Juvenile Justice Center. Yesterday’s News: The Juvy Palace of Disaster, which is only 14 months old, cost taxpayers $1 million last year in repairs and maintenance. Included in the docket of work items…
While You’re Gorging On Paczki: Morning Reading Roundup for Feb. 12
– The Cleveland Leader has the quick take on nine school districts in Ohio that were found to be tampering with attendance records. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is among the groups that altered records by tossing poor-performing students off the official lists. There’s certainly a lesson about leading by example somewhere in there… -…
Roy Jech: Terrible Councilman, Name-Caller
Our story in last week’s magazine about former Parma City Councilman Roy Jech created quite the stir. We’ve received numerous emails corroborating our basic assumption that Jech was not only a crooked councilman but also a bad councilman. One jubilant resident emailed to inform us that because of our coverage, Jech formally announced his intention…
Rock Hall adds Robert Lockwood guitar to its collection
Earlier this afternoon, local reporters attended the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum to view the installation of one of Robert Lockwood Jr.’s guitars. Japanese guitar builders Moony Omote and Age Sumi gave Lockwood, the blues hero who lived in Cleveland from 1960 until his death in 2006, the 12-string semi-hollow bodied guitar…
Buffalo Loves Cleveland
Buffalo, N.Y. Many thanks to our Rust Belt cousins up in Buffalo, N.Y., for the props. Buffalo News Food Editor Andrew Galarneau posted a great article last week about our city’s killer dining scene. The story revolves around the people – chefs and diners alike – who came together over the past 20 years or…
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Afternoon: Feb. 11
– Julie Kent at The Cleveland Leader asks: “Could Ohio’s plan to privatize prison food cause deadly riots to erupt?” Well… Maybe. Here’s the gist: Switching to a private vendor to supply the state’s prisons with food could make notoriously unappetizing prison food even more unappealing. Private vendors, unlike state-run cafeterias, are permitted to skip…
Coventry’s Doghouse Bites the Dust
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of Doghouse, one of the few places in town that knew its way around an Italian beef sandwich. Located on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, the largely carry-out shop specialized in Chicago-style hotdogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Those beef sandwiches — shaved beef, soaking…
The ODNR Grows a Pair, Sort Of
Image: Shalereporter.com A brine truck near the dump site Last Thursday the Ohio Department of Natural Resources permanently revoked operating permits for Youngstown-based D&L Energy Group and Hardrock Excavating Company after Ben Lupo, the CEO of both companies, admitted to authorizing the disposal of 20,000 gallons of fracking wastewater, including oil, brine, and mud, into…
New Orleans ‘Pelicans’ is Weird, But Better than Cleveland ‘Presidents’
Beginning in 2014, the New Orleans NBA franchise will part ways with its “Hornets” mascot and become the ‘Pelicans,’ water birds known less for their tenacity and more for their goofy throat pouches. In light of the shift, the good folks at Bleacher Report assembled the origin stories of every NBA team’s name. Turns out…
Say ‘Hola’ to Barrio en Lakewood
When Barrio, a casual taco concept, opened last year in the former 806 Wine and Martini Bar spot in Tremont, people questioned the move. How well would a taco joint fit in a posh cocktail lounge, people naturally wondered. Apparently, very well. Not yet one year old, Barrio (806 Literary Rd., 216-999-7714) already is expanding.…
Concert Review and Slideshow: High School Rock Off Final Exam at House of Blues
The music industry might be in a major slump but that didn’t stop some 60 bands from giving it their all as they competed in the 17th Annual High School Rock Off. After six opening rounds that took place during the month of January, a total of 18 bands went on to the “Final Exam,”…
Couple Arrested After Arguing Over Best Guitarist
Fun from the police blotter today: Philosophical fights are part of a relationship. What level those occur on — Your turn to do the dishes or mine? Do we send our kids to private schools? Do I get to fuck someone else whenever I want to? — depend on your particular kind of love and…
Happy 100th, APL!
Image: Cleveland APL Yesterday was the Cleveland Animal Protection League’s 100th birthday, and to celebrate they’re slashing adoption fees by half through Sunday, February 10th. Cats, best known for their bravura performance in “The Internet circa 2006-2013,” are now $19.13; dogs, widely acclaimed for their mad ups, are only $50 (the normal fees are $45…
GLBC Releases Big 9.4% ‘Surf-Inspired’ IPA
Beer lovers, connoisseurs, and everyone in between can step away from their stockpiled bottles and kegs of Christmas Ale in favor of a brand new, never-before-tasted offering from the brewers of our favorite “Christmas Crack!” Cleveland’s beloved Great Lakes Brewing Company recently released its latest seasonal brew, the surf-inspired Alchemy Hour Double IPA, which already…
Tremont’s Istanbul Grill Shuts Doors; Future Uncertain
Istanbul Grill (2505 Professor Ave., 216.298.4450, grillistanbul.com), the two-and-a-half-year-old Turkish restaurant in Tremont, abruptly shut its doors yesterday. But the troubles brewing there are not brand new, according to managing partner Drew Sasmaz. “He is the most talented chef of Turkish food in Cleveland, in Ohio, and possibly the United States,” says Sasmaz, referring to…
Yo La Tengo at Beachland Ballroom: Concert Review
Yo La Tengo at Beachland Ballroom Ira Kaplan is a guitar god. That much and plenty more was evident last night as indie icons Yo La Tengo set up shop on the tree-lined stage at Beachland Ballroom. (Find a Spotify stream of the band’s new album below) The first set was nearly impossibly quiet. Breathtakingly…
Keep Your Shitty Plates if You Want
That crazy plan which would have required Ohioans to replace their licence plates every seven years is now off the table, according to public safety officials. Also scrapped is the recall of bicentennial and “gold-lined” plates (which are actually much closer to beige, or maybe taupe.) Though the plan would have generated revenue, it was…
Beachland Boots Food Network’s Guy Fieri
Poor Guy Fieri. First he gets torched in a New York Times dining review for slathering something called Donkey Sauce all over something called a Big Bite Burger. And now, he gets booted from the Beachland Ballroom — figuratively speaking, anyway. “Guy Fieri has been thrown out of the Beachland! We painted over his stencil!”…
Steubenville City Councilman Discusses City’s Charming Character
Steubenville City Council. Their city is really quite nice, don’t ya know?! As the tsunami of rightfully negative press continues swelling in Steubenville, at least one city leader has taken to YouTube to try to brand the city as not so much a hellhole, but a charming hellhole. The whole bit is expected to become…
We Suck At Voting
Oops! Looks like election administration in Ohio is doing about as well as our prospects of seeing bared genitals at the Grammys this weekend — that is, not great. The Pew Charitable Trusts just released its Elections Performance Index, a comprehensive analysis of how well states administer elections based on a matrix of performance indicators,…
The Toy Store
There’s a warehouse full of sex toys in AsiaTown. Just past CSU, nestled among the one-way streets and pockmarked lots of the Near East Side, an adult empire and its brassy empress do their daily business. And here she is, Rondee Kamins, CEO of AdultMart. She emerges in Uggs and a knit tunic with her…
Film Capsules
Opening Side Effects The year’s first few months are typically home to lackluster releases and studio leftovers, so it’s possible Side Effects seems especially good by virtue of its neighbors — Bullet to the Head, anyone? — but Steven Soderbergh’s clinical thriller is definitely worth an evening at the cineplex. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) is…
Five Under $10
When this neighborhood is uttered in Northeast Ohio, it drums up instant conversation about some of the best restaurants in the region. But a lunch destination? That rarely comes up, which doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of dishes and restaurants worthy of your mid-day time and budget. Our picks for five feasts for less than…
We Get Mail
On: “Forrest vs. The State of Ohio” Thank you for your article in Scene magazine and the survival of beautiful Forrest. It’s not surprising anymore to hear of these stories and the sub-human creatures that perpetrate these acts on defenseless animals, namely Mr. Raymone Clements. What a shame that creatures like him are allowed to…
Band of the Week
Meet the Band: Brittany Reilly (vocals, bass), Brent Hopper (lead guitar, mandolin), Rob King (drums), Cliff Starbuck (banjo), Peter Dubyoski (rhythm guitar) Back in Bay: Originally from Bay Village, Reilly lived in Asheville, North Carolina for a few years but in 2011, she and her husband, bandmate Brent Hooper, moved back to Bay Village. “We…
CD Review: Burning Down Broadway
burningdownbroadway.com You could make the argument that this hard rock foursome might sound too commercial on its fourth album. These guys prefer singing to screaming and aren’t afraid to embrace their sensitive sides. But then you could say the same thing about the Foo Fighters, a band that Burning Down Broadway evokes on radio friendly,…
Double Duty
Needle to the record, now. Yo La Tengo’s hallowed I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One evokes an almost timeless, nostalgic feeling — regardless of how well acquainted you are with the album. For nearly 30 years, the band’s music has accomplished that sort of sensation: It’s very “of its time” while maintaining a…
A Quiet Riot
Louder isn’t always better. That’s the thinking behind the Acoustic Basement Stage, a new addition to the Warped Tour that made its debut this past summer. While ranting and raging is definitely what Warped is all about, the Acoustic Basement Stage offered a bit of relief from the controlled chaos that was display on the…
Texas Trance
Although it’s been around for decades, trance has never quite had its spotlight in the U.S. And with the current EDM boom in America, we’ve seen the meteoric rise of dubstep and progressive house, but not trance. But we just might soon. Tritonal, the Austin-based producer/DJ duo consisting of Dave Reed and Chad Cisneros, has…
Origins and Futures
Recent years have seen the rise of the genre of “ruin porn” — landscape or interior photographs of urban spaces, usually Midwestern, abandoned to crumble under weeds and time. Such pictures probably serve as news for the rest of the country as to the state of the region. But their reportorial value is lost on…
Savage Love
Dear Dan — I’m a 27-year-old man in a two-year relationship with a 26-year-old woman. My last partner cheated and lied and did some unforgivable things. I wasn’t blameless—I stayed with her long after I realized it wasn’t working—but our relationship did unearth a kink. After I found out about her cheating, I got extremely…
Art Listings
Shaheen Modern and Contemporary Art Drawing Painting. Austrian artist Klaus Mosettig presents monumental-scale drawings that painstakingly reproduce every drop and drip of Jackson Pollock’s legendary “action paintings.” The works are a testament to the intricacy of the original works, but also masterful accomplishments of attention and detail in their own right. Through March 1 at…
On Stage This Week
A Star Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hole in Heaven Karamu House Every life has turning points and for many, one of the biggies is when you leave home for college. That wrenching decision to leave the comforts of home for a new, unknown world are hard for everyone, but particularly for a poor African-American farm…
Cave of Lust
At 11:30 Tuesday morning, when Joey Hill took her usual break for lunch, she waited to bite into her vegetarian Boca Burger sandwich until Omar was safely in chains, Freda was blindfolded, bound, gagged, and thoroughly contented in the bedroom, and Jake was driving across town to join the couple in their usual ménage a…
A Former Clergyman Reviews Strip Clubs
[Ed. Note: Johnny Chips is not his real name, obviously. This former clergyman of more than a decade got in touch with the offer to walk through the finer ins and outs of local gentlemen’s clubs. How could we possibly say no?] Listen up, all you depraved, debauched, cauldrons of steaming iniquity. Yes all you…
New ‘Cue
For just over two years, Fat Casual in Macedonia was the place to go for genuine and delicious slow-smoked barbecue. But lengthy road and bridge construction cut the business off from its customer base, eventually to the point of closure last month. “The road was closed for 517 days,” explains co-owner Scott Slagle. “We lost…
Going Mental
It isn’t often we are able to witness a work of performance art embedded in a stunning art installation. But such is the case in the very satisfying production of Next to Normal, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical, now at the Lakeland Civic Theatre. The gorgeous and fascinating set looks like a lighting…
Less is More
Piada Italian Street Food is one of the hottest new fast-casual dining concepts in America right now. In just over two years, the Columbus-based chain has mushroomed to 10 units, including its newest outpost in South Euclid. Next up locally are shops in Beachwood and Rocky River. Invariably described as the “Italian Chipotle,” the concept…
Screens
A cinephile can’t live on Netflix and Amazon Prime video streaming alone, no sir. Sometimes, against our better judgment, we have to venture out of our darkened living rooms and into the daylight to find that odd video treasure. This week, a tribute to some recent half-priced (or less) finds. The Black Gestapo (1974): In…
From Cleveland With Love
The problem of the marriage proposal is often a problem of production value. At least in this day in age, when the proposal has essentially become a formality, when the force of the proposition itself has lost some of its naked thrill; anymore, the How is just as critical as the What. And that burden…
Top Pop Culture Picks for the Week
TOP PICK Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse (Canvasback/Atlantic) A decade into its career, this Scottish band is in particularly fine form on this album that features the group’s distinctively narrative tunes. The group’s still way better live than its studio albums suggest but songs such as “The Woodpile” and “Late March, Death March” do suggest the…
