Pulse Of The City

The azure sky turned to royal blue, streaked with orange and crimson, in the western heavens over Lakewood Park. Friends and family stretched out on their lawn chairs and on the wooden benches in front of the Lakewood Hometown Bandstand.

About seven hundred years ago, in the Middle Ages, there was once a powerful group called the Knights Templar. That organization was responsible to no one except the Pope. The Templars, in a great many ways, were very much a law unto themselves. At the same time, they were an order of warriors, and an order of religious men bound by a solemn rule--and to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience...

Well, it came down. What's that they say? Out with the old, and in with...what, exactly?...

I'll be the first one to admit it. I'm no gardener. Too many allergies interfered with those "magic outdoor moments" that everyone else seemed to have during their childhood years.

I did take Horticulture in high school. I even tried to raise orchids for awhile. Having no sense of smell, I could not, for the life of me, figure out why the family had trouble with the fish emulsion fertilizer that I used to grow them with. In addition, at night my orchids needed to be in a completely dark environment. The least little streams of light and no blooms would come forth! Before long, those orchids went the way of so many other diversions of the past, as did my interest in cultivating green things...

Did you ever stop and think about all the people who've inspired you over the years? These people plant little seeds of encouragement in your soul, and before you know it, those little seeds start to develop into fresh ideas of their own...

I went to the public meeting of Lakewood VFW Post 10646's installation of officers on Thursday, May 3rd. I was there at the invitation of my good friend and Post member Harvey Streitel. They meet monthly at the Lakewood Senior Center at 16024 Madison at Northland Avenue.

In the first column that I wrote for this paper, back in May of 2006, I told about part of my traumatic experience moving from our Pennsylvania home to Lakewood back in 1958. As an only-child country boy, that was a difficult transition, to be sure... but there was even more to that story than made it into print. I guess with any story, there always is...

These days, a trip to the toy store may well lighten your wallet by a hundred bucks or more. When I was a lad, and Dad's payday rolled around, we often made a trip to a hobby store--where I was allowed a few dollars allowance for a model of my choice. It's a more amazing tale, though, to go back to Dad's day and see what kind of amusements were available to young folks in the deep dark days of America's Depression.

There I was, sitting in the comfortable and spacious anteroom of Doctor Thomas Leatherman, DDS, in Lorain County.

I had a real problem. My former dentist had tried several times to numb me for a procedure, and had been unable to do so. Dr. Tom was an old friend, and he thought he could take care of the problem. Although I had known Dr.Tom since he'd been a teenager, I just did not think that I wanted to drive out to Lorain to have dental work done. Now, I was desperate...and more than a little apprehensive.

I would suspect there are few Lakewood businesses with the longevity, not to mention the utterly fascinating heritage, of Fridrich Moving and Storage.

The Fridrich family has been well-known in Cleveland business circles for well over a hundred years. According to Mike Fridrich, president of Fridrich Moving and Storage, one branch of the family (George) started the Fridrich bicycle business over on Lorain Avenue, while another (William) went into the moving and storage business...

When we were children, dreams flooded our imaginations as to whether one day we might become famous, successful, and/or perhaps hugely contribute to the betterment of the human race. As young people, we looked around and dreamed of doing things and going places that our elders (we thought) had never dreamed of. Of course, with the passage of time, and as our dreams became new realities, we hopefully did achieve some of our goals, while others were left at the gate of life...

Ever go to a flea market or a yard sale? These are fantastic places to find a virtual cornucopia of items you won't see at the local mall. I've been a history buff ever since my childhood. Once in awhile at one of these sales, an object pops up that directly relates to my historical interests. At that point, it usually goes home with me.

OK, so the house gas bills were high. Everything's going up, right? That's just the way it is...or so I thought. Little did I know that Dad and I could have died just a couple of weeks ago...

As far as Lakewood and the Northern Ohio area go, we have known our share of warfare, although the stories are little-known and more than a little interesting.

In what has become an ever-common theme here in Lakewood recently, yet another standing room only crowd packed the auditorium at City Hall for the Architectural Board of Review meeting held to consider the proposed McDonald’s site plan for the Detroit Theater property.

When I was a Political Science major in college, there were frequent discussions about the world of politics generally, and running for office, particularly. I seem to recall that there were at least two topics virtually guaranteed to be off-limits (if handled in a negative way) for anyone wanting to get elected to any kind of office. One was cats, and the other was dogs...

Dr. Richard Dutro's life is one that has been filled with the rich experiences of helping other people, particularly in Lakewood's educational community.

Dr. Dutro served the Lakewood Public Schools as an elementary teacher, a remedial reading specialist, and a principal of two elementary buildings at the same time! He was also Lakewood City School District's first Coordinator of Language Arts. Dr. Dutro completed his professional administrative career as Lakewood's Director of Elementary Education before retiring in 1991. Additionally, he has served as President of the Ohio Reading Teachers' Association and has worked at Baldwin Wallace College to help train future teachers...

More accurately, "Lector, si monumentum requiris, Circumspice" are some of the words inscribed upon the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), arguably one of England's best-known architects and scientific minds. Wren helped to rebuild London after the Great Fire and designed fifty-three London houses of worship, including St. Paul's Cathedral. He is also believed by many to have been a Freemason.

With apologies to Charles Dickens, this story could also carry the title of his story about two cities, because our story today does, in fact, involve the two cities of Lakewood and Cleveland...

There's no doubt in my mind that the guitar has become THE representative instrument of our times. I seldom go down Detroit or Madison Avenues without seeing someone toting a black guitar bag. Guitar-accompanied music wafts from the doors of homes, coffee houses, churches, and bars around Lakewood virtually around the clock. Whether your taste in music runs to rock, folk, jazz, country, or classical, the sound of the guitar will be there helping to mark the pulse of this city.

These days, as our fingers fly over these ubiquitous computer keyboards, it's hard to realize that not too long ago the pen and the pencil were the principal vehicles of communication in this world. Then, the typewriters came along, and personal writing instruments began to bow to technology. After WWII, the ink pen was improved with ball-point, and later, gel technology- but by the 1980's, computers were eclipsing the pens and typewriters, running them off the map. Nowadays, those small hand-held text-messaging devices and electric memo pads would seem to make handwriting virtually obsolete...

A hundred years represents a substantial chunk of time, at least to me. But my 88-year-old father feels that his own lifetime has flown by in the blink of an eye. However you might look at time, I think most of us would agree the past hundred years have been a time of utterly dynamic change--both for Lakewood and for the world...

The Pulse of the City:Green Thoughts and Brown Fields

As dawn's sunlight speared the high forest at Little Mountain, it caught the curling trails of smoke from numerous campfires in a surreal visage of earlier times. As the light began to spread through the forest, silhouettes of stained canvas and butternut pyramids began to emerge from the mist. From these open tent flaps, groggy men and boys emerged from their bivouacs to begin the business of the day... and the business of the day was war.

Before I get into more Lakewood-related topics, there's something I would like to share. I have tried my best to be honest with you, and to bring you as much opinionated information as possible. I wish that I could tell you more at times, but if I did so, legal issues could result. They say that you can't be sued for an opinion, but there are gray areas--and these often serve to blunt freedom of speech far better than some dictator.

Each year about this time, I start to think about the veterans of our armed forces who have done more for our country than most of us may ever realize. November 11th, of course, marks the traditional Veterans Day celebration in communities across our land. Lakewood area veterans will meet at the memorial in Lakewood Park at 11 a.m. on that day to honor those who have served our nation in uniform over the years...

There's no doubt about it. The Lakewood Observer Project has been a fantastic way to promote all that's good about our fair city. Those of us who write for this paper are acutely aware of our responsibility to show our town in a positive light.

On October 10th, Alaska Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Michael T. George Center for Community Living in North Olmsted. This facility, operated by Welcome House, will be serving senior individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities...

Those of you who've been reading my columns for any length of time are certainly aware of my thoughts concerning a great many things. Like everyone else in this world, I'm a big mixed-up hodgepodge of opinions. At times, I've probably leaned a little to the left, and at others, a little to the right. Like many if not most Americans, my opinions may seem, at times, to be inconsistent and devoid of conclusions.

From the time I was a little one, I've had a fascination with rocks of all kinds. I suppose that fascination could have carried forward to my involvement in the world of rock and roll, but that might be making a real stretch...

These days, it seems people love to confess. A day seldom passes without one person or another "telling it all" on some talk show.

One of the best memories I have of my 1960's Lakewood High School experience is that of participating in the drumline for the Lakewood High School Ranger Marching Band. Lakewood Schools have an excellent tradition of inculcating outstanding musical talent, and that was nowhere more evident than in that drumline.

So the question remains: Do you run the toilet paper over the top, or down the wall?

My dear late mother was a down-the-wall gal, in no uncertain terms. I'm sure she felt that toilet paper looked better that way, being more neatly snuggled up against the pink and blue ceramic tiles that still grace our bathroom today. Dad and I, on the other hand, had to have that paper running over the top, no doubt about it. When we needed a huge toilet-clogging handful quickly, we needed it! (Of course, whether you, dear reader, needed to know all this remains an open question.)

I really don't like admitting this, but I just don't cook much. Being born without a significant sense of smell limited my time in the kitchen. Sure, I can taste whatever sweet, sour, salty, hot, and cold sensations the tongue can offer, but still, if you blindfolded me and alleviated the "crunch" factor, I would be hard pressed to tell you whether I was munching on a hot dog or an egg roll.

Having ear, nose, and throat conditions while growing up, I looked at food primarily as fuel for the body, and little else. I've been told that smell is one of the prime motivators to get the "hungries" going, so when I was young I was underweight and practically had to be forced to eat. When my parents took me out to a nice restaurant, they were often embarrassed when I told them that all I wanted was a grilled cheese while they wanted steak dinners. A throat condition also caused me to prefer softer food, as I had trouble swallowing from time to time. When I did eat a sandwich, I needed to have the crust cut off the bread first, and the sandwiches were all soft ones, perhaps containing mayonnaise, Vienna sausages, potted meat, cheese, or maybe bananas.

Although this column was written prior to the tragic events of June 11th, I'd like to dedicate this work to those who recently lost their lives in the tragedy at Little Sioux, as well as to their leaders and the other Scout survivors. Heroes all...

After living fifty-five years, I've had the opportunity to see quite a few strange things come and go. Many of the fads that we grew up with now reside only in our memories. With the annual holiday onslaught of new fads, computers, and electronic gadgetry now behind us, I thought it might be fun to think about the "classics." That is, stuff that never goes out of style.

How many of you have written one of these types of essays on your first day back to school? For that matter (and let's be truthful here) how many of you still get that special feeling when you hear those ubiquitous words "Back to School" annually? But I digress. One column topic at a time...

Well, it's that time of life again for me. Time for a change. I'm planning to retire from column writing for awhile.

My first column for this paper appeared in the May 2nd, 2006 issue, and it concerned my growing up in Lakewood. Since that time, I've written about 80 articles or columns for the Lakewood Observer, and it's been a wild ride indeed. As this is now the 100th issue, I think that it's only appropriate that we pause for reflection.

By the time you read this, the images of that troubled young man with those two black guns will finally have faded into the background.

Funerals for those victims of the Virginia Tech massacre will probably all have been held, and we will have moved forward; resolving to do better, to be more aware, to remember the fallen...

By now, I imagine all of you are sick of hearing those political points of view. Left or right, up or down, one way or another, in a few short days it will all be over...at least for the time being. One way or the other, I suspect that our country will survive. In the midst of all the turmoil and ill will during this political season, I thought it might not be a bad idea to write a column about people who put aside their differences for the common, greater good...

My dear late mom used to say that she wanted no credit of any kind for whatever she did on this earth. She did not believe that we should seek recognition in this life for the good works that we do. She wanted her rewards to be in Heaven.

Mr Mark Walter, Principal of Garfield Middle School, has informed me that on November 10th, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., area veterans and their families, or surviving family members, are invited to attend a breakfast and recognition ceremony at Lakewood's new Garfield Middle School (13114 Detroit Ave.)

The time? About 1956. The place? The family's combined music and play room. The lesson learned? Well, not about music, at least not this time.

The general facts of the case are fairly straightforward, although I'll take a bit of journalistic license with the particulars, as 51-year-old memories tend to fade somewhat.

OK, in the interest of honesty, St. Barbara Catholic Church on Dennison is technically not on a hill. The fact is, it LOOKS that way, as you drive by it on the Jennings Freeway that comprises part of State Route 176; as that highway slices through and over the Flats' western banks, and past the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland.

I was crawling around, and over, musical instruments practically from the moment of my birth. Dad was a professional musician, and a band and orchestra director. In addition, he was a piano technician, and bought and sold instruments back in our hometown in Pennsylvania. I'd often tag along while Dad and Mom went to some church or other to work on the church's instruments.

 

Ken likes to use big words...extraordinarily big words.

Ken has an effervescent love of English vocabulary, drawn from his being surrounded by the great writings of the past and present.

Words are some of the most effective tools available in the transmission of ideas, but it's important to remember that words, like the letters that comprise their substance, are only symbols reflective of elusive and sublime ideas.

Ken always had lots of those words. Except for now.

It's hard sometimes to come up with words when emotions take their place. You see, the present magnificent Lakewood Library and its expansive array of services available to Lakewood residents are due, in no small part, to the ebullient and effusively persuasive talents of Director Ken Warren.

Polysyllabic prose aside, Lakewood Library Director Kenneth Warren is retiring this summer, after twenty-five years at the helm of the Lakewood Public Library system. 

 

To me, these words, opening the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, sum up much of the 1960's. Of course, I was less of a Bible student than a musician, so the Byrds' cover of Pete Seeger's song, "Turn, Turn, Turn," gave me that most poignant vision of Biblical expressions concerning those times.

For those of us who lived through the turbulent days of 1968 in Lakewood, it was a time for coming of age...

A few years ago, I was doing my usual hike through one of our local flea markets with a friend who shares my love of music. As we were talking, I wondered whether he had ever heard of my grandfather, who had been an old-time fiddler. My friend acted as if he had been hit by a thunderbolt, and said that not only had he HEARD of my grandfather, but he had his records as well! Thanks to my friend, I found out many things concerning a grandfather whom I'd never met...

As our city begins to debate the relative merits and priorities regarding its architectural historic preservation, it's quite a comforting feather in Lakewood's cap to know that our city already has a vibrant array of senior services in place to assist the wonderful human resources who, indeed, have helped to create and maintain some of the historic wood, brick and mortar buildings that are currently being discussed in our community.

With apologies to Mr. Charles Dickens, I will again adapt one of his titles to the pulse of this city; with a discussion of two Lakewood churches that are situated just across the street from one another- down on Detroit Avenue's western end of Lakewood.