Cleveland, ‘The Best Location in the Nation.’*

There’s definitely a vibe of hospitality, warmth, and kindness in Cleveland. Neighborliness. But mixed in with all of that, there is an unmistakable grit. It’s ingrained in everyone here.  –The Players’ Tribune

Baseball season.

All winter long, I look forward to it..
(Tony likes it because he knows I don’t mind that he’s downstairs watching the fights,)

This year, for the first year, I sync up to Tom Hamilton on WTAM 1100 Cleveland, from the app ‘Radio Garden.’** It’s a different take from MLB TV.

I went to art school for a year, around the block from The West Side Market.
I spent every lunch hour in the balcony overlooking the scene.***

Up in one of the turrets, I modeled for a portrait for a fellow colleague.
I was trying to recover from heartbreak when I I had to paint mine: It got sadder and more pitiful everyday.

When I left teaching
I began work at the Free Clinic. I still have fond dreams of that chapter.

In February 1970, public health nurse Jeanne Sonville launched
the Together Telephone Hotline for individuals who engaged in substance misuse or abuse marking the inception of the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland. This is how it looked then . . .

. . . and now:

So privileged. and I didn’t even know it.

* During the 1950’s and 60’s, Cleveland, Ohio, used the slogan “Best Location in the Nation” to attract businesses and highlight its geographic advantages. The campaign emphasized the city’s proximity to major markets, its transportation infrastructure-including a world port- and its skilled workforce.

** A non-profit Dutch radio and digital research project developed by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. In 2016, it provided access to nearly 8,000 radio stations. By 2024, the service reported over 40,000 stations.

*** The museum was dedicated on September 1, 1995, with the ribbon being cut by an ensemble that included Yoko Ono and Little Richard, before a crowd of more than 10,000 people. The following night, an all-star concert was held at Cleveland Stadium, featuring Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen.

****The West Side Market is the oldest operating indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland. The European-styled market, draws an estimated one million visitors annually.

***** The Cooper School of Art was a private art college, from 1924 to 1981. The school emphasized education and career preparation for the commercial art  market.

The Terminal Tower was the second-tallest building
when it was completed in 1927