Cleveland Visit

My parents are in town this weekend, so I get to play tour guide! Went to the Garfield Memorial at Lakeview Cemetery Saturday. Unfortunately, the interior was being cleaned so we couldn't get inside, but the view of Cleveland from the front stairs was still amazing.

Then went on to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Saw two temporary exhibitions of photographer Lee Friedlander and art of Central African Savannah. Also, part of the permanent exhibit has reopened, which was great to see. The renovation of the 1916 building was beautifully done. Here are two of my favorite pieces:

Twilight in the Wilderness by Frederick Church (1860). This piece is breathtaking. At first one is in awe of its beauty, but it also has a sense of melancholy. The damaged tree stump in the foreground foreshadows the inevitable destruction of forests due to deforestation, a concern even in the 1860s that eventually resulted in the establishment of the National Park System.

Cupid and Psyche by Jacque Louis David (1817). I'm sorry but this piece makes me chuckle every time. I love Cupid's shit-eating grin.

Then on to Hunan in Coventry for dinner and poked around in Big Fun and City Buddha before the trip home.

Consumerism Gone Amuck!

In Sunday's Cleveland Plain Dealer, there was a detailed story about the apparent imminent collapse of the City View Shopping Center in Garfield Heights. The original concept was a great idea, in theory – take an area that is largely residential and build a large commercial zone, enabling the community to increase revenue for civic and school improvements. The complex was built on top of a landfill that many believed to be responsible for causing cancer and other diseases in residents. In cooperation with government environmental regulatory agencies, the landfill was covered by gravel and then asphalt. But apparently something went wrong. After some environmental scares, including methane leaks, Wal-mart and several other major big box stores moved out. In addition, other developments in neighboring communities have opened with success, taking business away from the fledgeling development. Meanwhile, Garfield Heights has already spent revenue it expected to earn, building a new state-of-the-art high school and other projects, putting the city into major debt. The development is now in receivership. Unless something changes, it is likely to be closed down by the end of the year.

This whole event is a reflection of the flaw in American economic thinking/planning. Ohio has over 37 square feet of retail space per person, vs. the national average of 30-40 feet (source: Cuyahoga County Planning Commission). Where is the regional planning? How many big box stores do we need? How can Ohio support that much retail with almost 10 percent unemployment? Meanwhile, most of the products in these stores are made overseas, so we have become the agents of our own demise.

You can read more here at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

File this one under stupid

It was reported in today's Cleveland PD that a wrecked car was found on the Jennings Freeway Friday evening. A Cleveland police officer and insurance adjuster arrived. The insurance adjuster saw a body of a man in the car and told the police. Police notified the family that the man would be taken to a local hospital. The family waited at the hospital not knowing where their relative was or what happened to him. The man never arrived. Two days later, it was discovered that the tow truck took the car to the impound lot WITH THE BODY STILL IN THE CAR. It was found with a cigarette still between his fingers.

You can read the complete story here.