The annual Cleveland version of the most popular carnival in Slovenia - Kurentovanje - was a week long event featuring cooking demos, language instruction, a dance party, fun run and more. But the highlight was the annual Kurentovanje Parade followed by the festival celebration.
The weather cooperated and crowds lined St. Clair for the Parade and then went inside the Slovenian National Home or the tents outside for music, food and fun. Young and old dressed in costumes to scare away winter. And of course everyone wanted to take a picture with a Kurent or a Krampus character
Here are a few short videos of the Kurentovanje Pust.
We met up with Eva Ozbolt Kisley who has been a proud Slovenian since 1921! At 102 years old she was the Queen of Cleveland Kurentovanje 2023. She said her parents would be so happy and that she was overwhelmed at being "Queen for a Day". What a sweetheart! Watch her in this short video.
The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England
The Cleveland Museum of Art opened a new exhibit - The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England - which is the first exhibition in the US to trace the transformation of the arts in Tudor England.
It includes huge tapestries that fill entire walls, suits of armor, sculptures, portraits and more.
The Tudor dynasty ruled for only three generations but it transformed England from a land devastated by the War of the Roses to a major player in Europe and eventually the rest of the world. This exhibit covers the larger than life personas of Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
More than 50,000 deaths had been reported and hundreds of thousands displaced and injured from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. It is a tragedy of immense proportion. As a gesture of support and reflection, the Board of the Syrian Cultural Garden endorsed holding a vigil event at the Garden on February 19, 2023. A list of active civic organizations that are involved in humanitarian relief efforts were provided to the attendees.
Ceata Romanian Folk Ensemble is a cultural dance group led by founder and director Mariana Somogyi and dance instructor and choreographer Ovidiu Ghioda. They performed three dances from the Fagaraa region in Transylvania Romania at the annual Slovenian Kurentovanje Festival in the Slovenian National Home in Cleveland Ohio.
Ceata Romanian Folk Ensemble dancers at Kurentovanje
Rudy was an immigrant from Hungary who started his store in 1948 at 48th and Storer. It was known for strudel and penny candy. He had two daughters who are still good friends of the current owner, Lidia Trempe.
Lidia's father immigrated from Ukraine and her mother from Poland. When Rudy died in 1979 her mother bought Rudy's and brought in some of her secret old-world recipes for Eastern European favorites such as strudel, kolaczki, potica and others and, of course, paczki.
Rudy's is located in the heart of Parma's Polish Village at 5580 Ridge Road in Parma, OH 44129. Rudy's Strudel & Bakery is now 75 years old but pierogi was not on the original menu. Owner Lidia Trempe said it began when a bakery customer saw them cooking pierogi for the family dinner and ordered some. The rest is history.
The pierogis have become so popular that when we asked our website visitors to let us know where their favorite pierogis come from the clear winner was Rudy's.
So we were happy to award the Cleveland 101 Favorite Pierogi 2023 honor to the legendary Rudy's and presented it to Lidia.
Lidia Trempe with Favorite Pierogi award for Rudy's
Concord Casimir says it's going to be a Flip Flop end of Winter
Concord Casimir made his much anticipated forecast this Thursday at 10am at Ellison Creek Knob in Concord, Ohio. Casimir is predicting some dramatic shifts to our weather for the duration of our winter where you will be freezing one week and then shedding your clothes the next.
It's all in the way Casimir eats his pierogi, states John Niedzialek, Master of Ceremony. It's a no brainer this year folks. Casimir was flipping his pierogi around today during his annual prediction meal and that can mean only one thing: expect a "flip- flop" end of winter.
With Casimir's forecast last year right on the money predicting all that rain, there should be a movement to rename Feb 2 Concord Casimir Day, says Niedzialek. He is undefeated in his predictions.
Casimir was found abandoned as a kitten on the footsteps of St. Casimir Polish Church on Cleveland's east side at what many are now calling "Cleveland's Miraculous Polish Church" after it reopened on July 15, 2012. Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but Concord Casimir shares the same birthday of July 15. Is it divine intervention or is Casimir just that good? In any case, why would anyone listen to a groundhog?
This year Casimir also known as the Polish Prince of Felines moved up his forecast 2 hours from Noon to 10am due to news media demand and he was not at all happy about it. You would think a cat who only works one day out of the year would not mind getting up a little earlier but no, Casimir was one grumpy cat. I think he caught a glimpse of that critter from Pennsylvania on TV in the morning and that got his morning off to a rough start.
John Niedzialek is a weather enthusiast retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Niedzialek teaches Earth Science at Lakeland College in Mentor, Ohio, works part time for the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District, and volunteers at St. Casimir Polish Church.
Concord Casimir during his 2023 Pierogi Weather Prediction meal.
Funny Mental Fitness Evaluation
This test is to ascertain your mental state now. If you get one right you are doing OK, if you get none right you better go for counseling. (I'll meet you there.)
There are 4 test questions. Don't miss one.
Giraffe Test
1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Stop and think about it and decide on your answer
before you scroll down.
The Correct Answer:
Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.
Elephant Test
2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?
Wrong Answer.
Correct Answer:
Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through
the repercussions of your previous actions.
Lion King Test
3. The Lion King is hosting an Animal Conference. All the animals attend... except one. Which animal does not attend?
Correct Answer:
The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.
Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.
Crocodile Test
4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?
Correct Answer:
You jump into the river and swim across. Haven't you been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Conference. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes. Ha Ha!
Cleveland Woman Sara Lucy Bagby
The last person returned to slavery in the US
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the US during the early 1800s to help slaves escape into free states and Canada. It was run by abolitionists and others sympathetic to the cause of the escapees. Ohio had many stops on the Underground Railroad and since Canada was an ultimate destination, the short distance across Lake Erie from Cleveland to Canada made the city a popular destination. Cleveland was codenamed Hope on the Underground Railroad.
Restore Cleveland Hope operates the Underground Railroad Interpretive Center in the Cozad-Bates House, the only surviving pre-Civil War building in University Circle. They offer tours and events and it was here that we learned of the story of Sara Lucy Bagby.
Sara Lucy Bagby display at Cozad-Bates House
Sara Lucy Bagby was born in the early 1840s in Virginia. On October 3, 1860 Bagby fled from slavery in Wheeling. She eventually escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad and made her way to Cleveland, Ohio.
Her arrest in Cleveland on January 19, 1861 became a test case of the Fugitive Slave Act.
Wheeling resident John Goshorn and his son showed proof of ownership, and the federal court ordered her return to Virginia. Sara Lucy Bagby was the last person in the United States forced to return to slavery in the South under the Fugitive Slave Act.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer and Democrat Party of the US were both pro-slavery so despite the state government's and citizens of Cleveland's attempts to intervene, Lucy was transported back to Goshorn's property in Wheeling, then still part of Virginia.
After the Emancipation Proclamation, Bagby eventually resettled in Cleveland, where she died in 1906 and was buried.
In this video, Kathryn Puckett, Restore Cleveland Hope Board Chair, tells the story of Sara Lucy Bagby.
Impressionism to Modernism: The Keithley Collection
Cleveland Museum of Art
The latest exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art is called Impressionism to Modernism: The Keithley Collection.
This new exhibition runs from September 11, 2022 to January 8, 2023. It celebrates the extraordinary gift and promised gift of art made by Clevelanders Joseph P. and Nancy F. Keithley to the Cleveland Museum of Art. In March 2020, the Keithleys gave more than 100 works of art to the museum-the most significant gift since the bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. in 1958.
It's not just a huge collection - it's very diverse and covers a lot of styles. The Keithleys' collection focuses on Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern European and American paintings.
Picasso from the Keithley Collection
You will see works by familiar names such as Picasso, Henri Matisse and Andrew Wyeth but if you are more of an amateur like me you will be exposed to some amazing works by new (to me) artists such as Maurice Denis, Georges Braque, Joan Mitchell and others. Plan on spending some time in each of the themed rooms.
Maurice Denis painting
Also included in the exhibition is a selection of European and American decorative arts. The Keithleys also collected Chinese and contemporary Japanese ceramics. In the exhibition, Asian ceramics are shown alongside Western paintings and drawings. That's how the Keithleys liked to display them.
Ancient Chinese Owl shaped jars
It wasn't all haphazard. Throughout two decades of collecting, the Keithleys selected works of art to complement and enrich the CMA's collection. At times, the Keithleys built upon a strength in the museum's collection; on other occasions, they acquired a work of art that would bring something entirely new to the collection.
Dominique Moceanu - Grand Marshal of Parade of Flags at One World Day
August 28, 2022 is the 76th One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. A highlight of One World Day is the Parade of Flags where hundreds of marchers from dozens of heritages will march down MLK Blvd. wearing the costumes of their heritage and carrying their flags. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, the Cleveland Police and Fire Chiefs will march and there will be a special tribute from the Ukrainian Garden.
The big news is that Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Moceanu will be the Grand Marshal of the parade. At the young age of 13 she became the youngest US Senior National Champion in American gymnastics history. Then, of course, she was part of the Magnificent Seven that won the gold medal for the US for the first time in 1996. She was the youngest member of the gold-medal-winning 1996 Olympics team and, in fact, she was the last gymnast to compete legally in the Olympics at the age of 14.
She has also spoken out and even testified about the abuses in gymnastics. She runs the Dominique Moceanu Gymnastics Center and Carmen's Yoga Studio. Dominque is of Romanian and Greek/Macedonian heritage and is excited to be the Grand Marshal of the Parade of Flags at One World Day. She sees it as a kind of mini Olympics Opening Ceremony.
The Parade and all of One World Day are free and open to the public. Free parking too.
Watch the video interview with Dominique Moceanu below
4 Cleveland Women inducted into Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Since 2010, the Cleveland International Hall of Fame (CIHF) has inducted people who have made significant and lasting contributions to our multicultural society. Cleveland is home to people representing about 120 different ethnic groups. The CIHF exists not only to honor those special people but also to inspire a new generation of leaders to follow in their footsteps.
Over 150 worthy candidates were nominated for both the 2020 and 2022 Classes of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. The selection committee was advised by previously inducted members of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.
Covid-19 forced the always sold out induction ceremonies to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021. We tried to induct the 2020 class virtually but it was not the same. So once we were able to gather together again, we included the 2020 class in the induction ceremony along with the 2022 class on June 7, 2022. The event at Windows on the River was a sell out and the 2020 class finally got their moment in the spotlight.
2022 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
2022 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame Seated (l-r) Anda Cook, Taras Szmagala Standing - Victor Ruiz, Carl Robson MD
2020 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
2020 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame Seated (l-r) Margaret Lynch, May Chen, Valarie McCall
Standing Berj Shakarian, Joe Valencic, Ramesh Shah
Sure, air fryers achieve a satisfyingly crisp finish with just a fraction of the fat, putting a healthier spin on fried foods. But there’s another reason to love your air fryer: the mind-blowing array of exciting new dishes you can add to your everyday repertory.
John McCann told some stories about his beloved late mother Mary Murray McCann who came to America alone on a ship in 1952 from Ireland. John says his mother would often state she was "Irish by birth, American by choice and Catholic by grace". That is a good framework in which to remember her life.
When we think about the Underground Railroad the first name that comes to most of us is Harriet Tubman. While Tubman was exceptionally heroic, many other women played keys rolls in the efforts to help freedom seekers reach safety. In NE Ohio we have learned the names of men who were property owners, businessmen, judges, lawyers and were activists in the abolitionist movement.
Most of them had wives and daughters, sisters and mothers all of whom must have been involved in UGRR efforts.
In what is now University Circle and East Cleveland families named Cozad, Ford and McIlrath owned and farmed great swaths of land, operated a gristmill, owned a brickyard and ran a tavern. We know that many freedom seekers sought food and shelter in what was then rural sparsely populated farmland, as they headed to freedom across Lake Erie.
In the 19th century women could not own land or vote. They lived in the legal shadow of their husbands and their lives were played out in private. But the role women played in each household was essential not only for the survival of each family but also for the secret activities of the UGRR.
Restore Cleveland Hope’s historian and Board member, Wrean Fiebig, in her tireless research has recovered the names of the women in these families who most certainly played a vital role in the UGRR. Volunteers from Restore Cleveland Hope will guide you through time and answer your questions. It is open to the public every Saturday from Noon-4 PM. No Charge, No tickets. Just come and learn about this important time in Cleveland’s history. Come in through the back door and be sure to explore the historic markers in the newly landscaped grounds around the house. More information.
Jessica Davis - Cleveland Women Entrepreneur
Rebuilders Xchange (RBX) buys and sells construction material from ordinary to extraordinary. RBX is in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood in an organized, 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse. It may not be the first business you think of for a woman entrepreneur but it was a dream of founder Jessica Davis and she made it happen.
In this video, Jessica tells the vision behind the project - reusing and repurposing construction materials, bringing wealth to the people of the neighborhood, keeping things out of the landfills and so on. She tells what it's like being a woman in a non-traditional industry. Ron tells of the jump from pipe fitter and welder to starting 16 IT and tech companies and now back to making custom pieces and design in the Fab Lab metal and wood shop in the Rebuilder's Xchange.
Victims of human trafficking find themselves forced or coerced into engaging in specific types of labor or commercial sex acts without their consent. Often, human trafficking remains a hidden crime. Victims fear their abusers as well as law enforcement and suffer such significant trauma that they struggle to reach out for help.
Human trafficking impacts people across genders, races, and ages. Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, and all too often, that victimization occurs in the shadows. Human trafficking traps an estimated 24.9 million people–64% are exploited for labor, while sexual exploitation accounts for an estimated 19% of human trafficking.
Isolation can increase the risk of violence at home. Use this discrete gesture during a video call to show you need help:
Hold hand up with palm facing other person.
Tuck thumb into palm.
Fold fingers down over thumb.
A missing teenage girl was rescued in the US after using a hand gesture that signals distress or domestic violence to capture the attention of a passing driver. The 16-year-old was spotted travelling inside a silver Toyota near London, Kentucky, about 150 miles south-east of Louisville, on November 4th. A driver called police after noticing "a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform TikTok to represent violence at home - I need help - domestic violence," the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on 6 November.
Good idea
Murder in the Cultural Gardens
"It just didn’t seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for “Peace through Mutual Understanding.” But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. “What is the nature of your emergency?” the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, “There’s been a murder in the Cultural Gardens.”
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
ClevelandWomen.Com Book of the Week
The Girl on the Train
The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt. The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.
Intersecting, overlapping, not-quite-what-they-seem lives. Jealousies and betrayals and wounded hearts. A haunting unease that clutches and won’t let go. All this and more helps propel Paula Hawkins’s addictive debut into a new stratum of the psychological thriller genre. At times, I couldn’t help but think: Hitchcockian. From the opening line, the reader knows what they’re in for: “She’s buried beneath a silver birch tree, down towards the old train tracks…” But Hawkins teases out the mystery with a veteran’s finesse. The “girl on the train” is Rachel, who commutes into London and back each day, rolling past the backyard of a happy-looking couple she names Jess and Jason. Then one day Rachel sees “Jess” kissing another man. The day after that, Jess goes missing. The story is told from three character’s not-to-be-trusted perspectives: Rachel, who mourns the loss of her former life with the help of canned gin and tonics; Megan (aka Jess); and Anna, Rachel’s ex-husband’s wife, who happens to be Jess/Megan’s neighbor. Rachel’s voyeuristic yearning for the seemingly idyllic life of Jess and Jason lures her closer and closer to the investigation into Jess/Megan’s disappearance, and closer to a deeper understanding of who she really is. And who she isn’t. This is a book to be devoured. -Neal Thompson
Every Tuesday evening we send an e-mail message to people who are interested in upcoming (the next week) events that have an ethnic or cultural connection. So it may be Opera in the Italian Garden or Puerto Rican Day Parade or Slovenian Kurentovanje or...
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Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a pattern of repeated physical, sexual and emotional violence and behaviors that one person in a relationship uses to exercise power and control over the other. Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have many resources for victims of domestic violence.
How about something for the Cleveland foodie on your list?
The Cleveland Cooks Cookbooks are packed with hundreds of the best recipes from Cleveland people. Volume 1 is sold out but there are special offers for Volume 2 and 3.
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