SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — April in the Van Aken District: Tuesdays in April will be quite musical at Shaker Heights’ Van Aken District as it welcomes the Cleveland Institute of Music to present Classical Curious, a concert series on its Market Hall stage.
Beginning at 6 p.m. each Tuesday, the series will serve as an informative, casual listening experience involving interaction between performers and the audience.
CIM student and celloist Andrew Schinn pitched the idea of hosting a Classical Curious series, which will create a social interaction between audience members and musicians, that will not only engage the community, but also impart education in a community setting.
As CIM students perform onstage and simultaneously engage with the audience, they’ll be enhancing the Van Aken District’s mission of embracing opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Also scheduled for the Van Aken District this month are:
— From 6-8 p.m. April 11 and 14, Sha’Ran Dance studio will host a meet-and-greet on the stage in the Market Hall, where aspiring dancers can register for summer classes.
— A celebration of National Scrabble Day, with board games, will take place in the Market Hall all day April 13.
— On April 21, Poetry Unplugged, a Cleveland-based poetry group, will host an open mic night from 9 p.m. to midnight on the Market Hall stage. Come read your poetry, and stories, or sing your songs and celebrate National Poetry Month. General admission at the door is $10.00.
And, for those who are entrepreneurs, the Van Aken District has established an ongoing Entrepreneur Initiative. This retail opportunity is open to all entrepreneurs who wish to showcase their products at its markets. Aside from this retail opportunity, entrepreneurs are encouraged to rent Van Aken’s mobile carts.
The District invites any entrepreneurs who wish to grow their business knowledge to apply to its Entrepreneur Initiative relaunch, which includes a classroom component in learning from its merchants as well as Northeast Ohio organizations that assist small businesses and entrepreneurs.
For more information on the Van Aken District’s Entrepreneur Initiative and to apply for retail opportunities, visit thevanakendistrict.com/entrepreneur.
For more information about the above events or the Van Aken District, visit thevanakendistrict.com/gather/, or email marketing@thevanakendistrict.com.
Local caddies wins scholarship: Twenty-seven caddies from the state of Ohio have been awarded the Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies following online selection interviews held Jan. 13.
Each caddie has a unique story that reflects the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.
Among those 27 caddies was Cleveland Heights’ Owen Roark of St. Ignatius High School and Canterbury Golf Club.
The caddies will begin college in the fall of 2022 as Evans Scholars, with most attending The Ohio State University or Miami University in Oxford. Roark, however, will attend Northwestern University.
The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $120,000 over four years.
Currently, a record 1,070 caddies are enrolled at 21 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars, and more than 11,500 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr.
Interplay plays: Interplay Jewish Theatre has announced the long-awaited end of its two-year pandemic intermission with two staged readings of “What I Thought I Knew,” by Alice Eve Cohen. The performances are slated for 7 p.m. May 2 and 3 at Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. The solo show stars Anne McEvoy, with Catherine Albers directing.
Interplay provide this synopsis of the play: “Everything 44-year-old Alice thought she knew is upended when an emergency CAT scan reveals that she’s six months pregnant. In a dark comedy that features 30 characters, we track the wrenching decisions now on Alice’s plate. Along the way, she navigates waves of doubt, a broken health-care system, the complexities of reproductive rights, and the infinite unpredictability of parenthood.”
The play, a finalist in the prestigious O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference, was adapted from Cohen’s memoir of the same title, which was named one of Oprah Magazine’s 25 Best Books of Summer and Slate.com’s Best Books of the Year, as well as capturing the Elle Literary Grand Prize for Nonfiction. The play has been produced nationally, earning critical acclaim and five Broadway World nominations.
Interplay Director Faye Sholiton, in a release, stated, “In a terrifying act of optimism, we will return to our pre-pandemic admission fee of no charge. We do, however, ask that you pay what you can, either in the bowl at the door or by mail. No amount is too small (or too great) as our company runs entirely on voluntary donations — and we put out our last collection bowl in 2019.”
To make a reservation, send an email to interplayjewishtheatre@gmail.com, or call 216-393-PLAY (7529). Specify which performance you’d like to attend, and how many seats you wish to book.
A look at Shanghai: Park Synagogue will present a virtual tour of “Shanghai: Safe Haven During the Holocaust,” at 1p.m. April 24, via Zoom.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum exhibit, which features photos taken by photojournalist Arthur Rothstein and artifacts from survivors, sheds light on the lesser-known moment in Holocaust history when European Jews who had been trying to escape Nazi persecution found refuge in Shanghai, China. The exhibition is a tribute to human endurance as the refugees managed to not only survive, but also thrive in difficult conditions.
Following the tour, Clevelander Eric Kisch, who was a young refugee in the Shanghai ghetto during World War II, will speak about this family’s experiences.
The program is free and open to the community. Pre-registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Register through the Park Synagogue website, parksynagogue.org, or contact Ellen Petler at epetler@parksyn.org, or 216-371-2244, ext. 122.
Heights Libraries happenings: Heights Libraries will present the virtual class “Mac Basics Part 1,” from 2-3:30 p.m. April 22. You can register for this computer class here.
Also upcoming are:
— “Heights Sustainability Fair: Design Our Green Future,” from 1-4 p.m. April 23 at the PEACE Park across from the Coventry Village branch, 1925 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. The Library invites you to, “Engage with community partners, help us design a greener Heights, and make crafts at this fun, all ages event.” Registration is not required.
— An “Environmental Book Discussion” will be held from 7-8 p.m. April 21 at the Lee Road branch, 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. All are invited to join in on a discussion of the book, A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind, by Harriet A. Washington. Registration is not required.
— The Favorite Poem Project 2022 will take place from 2-4 p.m. April 24. April is National Poetry Month, so stop in for a relaxed afternoon listening to your friends, neighbors, and local residents read a favorite poem, share the reasons they enjoy it so much, and tell of the impact it has had on their lives. Registration is required only for those who will read.
Green Road construction: Green Road will be under construction from May 2 through the beginning of September between Emery and Miles roads in Warrensville Heights. Crews will be working on resurfacing the road from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
During this time, traffic will be maintained in a southbound direction only, from Emery Road to Miles Road. This restriction will remain in place during the entire resurfacing project. The work will consist of removing the existing asphalt surface and repairing the base concrete, followed by reapplying an asphalt wearing surface.
It is recommended that drivers use Northfield Road (Route 8) as an alternate for northbound traffic.
Juneteenth in University Heights: The city of University Heights will hold its first Juneteenth celebration from 1:30-8:30 p.m. June 19 at Walter Stinson Community Park. Juneteenth is the newest federal holiday. It commemorates the day in 1865 that slaves in Texas learned they were free.
Performers at the University Heights event will include the All City Choir, DJ Marcus Alan Ward, local poets, and a concert by Forecast. The emcee for the event will be WKYC TV digital reporter Kierra Cotton.
Cain Park schedule announced: This year’s Cain Park lineup includes the likes of Ben Folds, Apollo’s Fire, Brit Floyd, Melissa Etheridge, Eric Benét, Chris Botti, and Pink Martini featuring China Forbes.
To get a look at the full schedule for the Cleveland Heights musical and theatrical venue, look here. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15. Residents Day will be held on May 28.
Also, Cain Park is in need of workers. There are openings for these positions: master electrician, costume shop manager, wardrobe supervisor, scenic painter, props master, and stage crew/general technicians. Visit the Cleveland Heights Job Opportunities webpage to find out more details.
And, by the way, the city of Cleveland Heights is also hiring. There are job openings in the law department, public works and other departments. Visit the Job Opportunities website above for information on these openings.
Special hazardous waste drop-off in Cleveland Heights: The Cleveland Heights Public Works Department will hold a special, one-day Spring Cleaning Bulk and Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the service department, 14200 Superior Road (near the corner of Mayfield and Superior roads).
Residents will be required to show a valid ID and recent Cleveland Heights utility bill to drop off items. Residents may bring up to four bulk items per household. Staff will be on hand to assist in unloading items and placing them directly into a garbage truck.
Household hazardous waste will also be accepted on this day. For a list of acceptable household hazardous waste items and how to prepare them for collection, visit the city’s hazardous waste guide.
BW commencement speaker: Beachwood resident Randell McShepard has been tabbed as the commencement speaker for Baldwin Wallace University’s May commencement. McShepard is the vice president of public affairs and chief talent officer for RPM International Inc., a $6.1-billion multinational company with subsidiaries in specialty coatings, sealants, building materials and related services.
McShepard is a 1986 BW graduate.
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