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In a letter posted on the City’s website May 20, Euclid announced the closing of two neighborhood pools.  Willow Pool located in of Willow Park on Willow Drive and Roosevelt Pool on Arbor Avenue are being shuttered due to cost constraints according to Euclid’s Recreation Director Mac Stephens.  The previous year Glenbrook Pool was closed, other than rental parties, it experienced only 12 visitors throughout the summer.

“Sesquicentennial” is a word meaning 150th anniversary. In Euclid, sixty years ago this June, it meant the biggest and best party in Euclid’s long history.

Euclid Township was organized in 1809 and one hundred and fifty years later, an eight-day extravaganza with all sorts of special events to celebrate the special birthday were organized by event chairman Robert C. Palmer, twelve committees and about 1000 volunteers.

The festivities began with a Coronation Ball in TRW’s ballroom where the “Sesqui-Queen”, Dorothy Hearn and her court were named.  It ended more than a week later after the eighth and last outdoor performance of the dramatic historical spectacle “Euclid-Rama” in DiBiasio Stadium, featuring 500 residents as cast members. The production traced Euclid’s history beginning with “Along the Indian Trails” to the “Mutiny at Conneaut Creek” and later from the “Iron Horse,” “The Roaring Twenties” until ending with “The Day of the Satellites.”  It was only shortly before that time that first Russia with its Sputnik and, shortly thereafter, the United States blasted off into the skies.  Fittingly, the celebration ended with a grand fireworks show just after the curtain came down.

Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail kicked-off the City's 2019 Tree Planting program on April 18th with the planting of an Autumn Blaze Maple on East 258th Street.

While April saw the 2019 tax season come to a close, the subject of taxes is one of the hottest topics in Euclid due to two separate, yet connected issues.

Euclid High’s Big Show has a reputation for excellence and Tyler Pearl’s directorial debut continued that tradition. Audiences were treated to a heartwarming production of Freaky Friday with an exhausting five shows presented over a four-day run. The high energy musical production offers a modern twist on the classic tale of a mother and daughter struggling to relate to one another. As their magical day unfolds, they learn to appreciate each other and those around them. Through the dedication of an exceptionally talented cast and crew, audiences are reminded what it’s like to be a teen reaching for independence, while also aching for the love and attention of their parents. Adults are taught that children don’t need perfection and that adolescence isn’t always as easy as we might remember it.

On Tuesday, March 26, at the Irish-American Club, the Euclid Chamber of Commerce honored eight outstanding Euclid businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond what it means to do business in Euclid. Each year the Chamber receives dozens of deserving nominations, but this year’s candidates exemplify what it looks like when innovation meets passion.

Forty years ago, a small group of visionaries saw an unmet need in the community. They marshaled their passion and their resources, and with the help of friends, they established Cancer Family Service, Inc. This was the forerunner of what would eventually become Hospice of the Western Reserve. Over time, the tiny operation grew from caring for 23 cancer patients in 1978 to a nonprofit agency caring for more than 1,100 patients a day living with a wide range of advanced illnesses. Since its inception, the organization has cared for more than 120,000 people in Northern Ohio.

The sounds of accordions, banjos, fiddles and drums filled the halls of the Shore Cultural Arts Centre during a culturally diverse celebration of music and dance this past weekend.

The 4th annual Lake Erie Folk Fest began Friday, Feb. 23rd, with a rousing school program presented by the Chardon Polka Band for students from Bluestone Elementary School, Conneaut Middle School and others.  The fun continued Friday night with a contra dance before the main event on Saturday, Feb. 24th when more than 50 free daytime events were enjoyed by residents of all ages from Euclid, Northeast Ohio and beyond.  

The festival featured music and dance from Brazil, Ireland, Appalachia, India and Cleveland. Artists from Arkansas, New York State, Northeast Ohio and Euclid were involved. A special performance by the Euclid High School Marching Band drum line was a highlight of the day.

     Kiddie City Childcare Community on 280 East 206th Street has been named a "Health Champion" by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health through the Early Ages Healthy Stages program.  The five-star Step Up to Quality childcare facility will host a Fitness and Physical Activity Fair on Friday, February 15th from 5:30 to 7:00PM in the school's gymnasium. 

The Observer is an ongoing experiment in citizen journalism. We do not have reporters. You get to tell your story in your own words. It's easy to submit a story. And there are a lot of great stories. Submit a picture with a caption. Submit a story about a good neighbor. Submit your Church's schedule of worship. Go to www.EuclidObserver.com, become a member and click submit story. If you are having a problem, give me a call. John Copic, owner and publisher, 216.505.0185.

Euclid’s vision to provide unprecedented public waterfront access, habitat enhancements, and upland stability is underway!

Congratulations are extended to Fr. John D. Betters, Pastor of Ss. Robert & William Parish, who was presented the 2018 Euclid Hospital Community Service Award on November 14, 2018 by Dan Napierkowski, MD, President of Euclid Hospital.  This annual award is given to someone who makes contributions to ensure Euclid is a vibrant and sustainable community. 

Cleveland, Ohio – Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County (CFACC) welcomes Tricia Kuivinen as the new Executive Director. Kuivinen’s first day with CFACC will be Monday, October 29, 2018.

A much anticipated holiday tradition returns with the 7th Annual Euclid Holiday Celebration taking place on Friday, November 30th, 2018. The event will kick-off at 6:00 pm with the Tree Lighting ceremony at Triangle Park, which is located in front of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 East 222nd St., in Downtown Euclid. This festive event features fun activities that will begin after the lighting ceremony concludes, including horse-drawn wagon rides, free entertainment, activities and crafts for children, along with visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. A Holiday Church Choir Concert will be held in the auditorium beginning at 7 p.m., and the Holiday Bistro on the lower level of Shore will be serving a wide variety of foods for dine-in or to go starting prior to the event at 5:00 p.m and will continue until 8:00 p.m. We are excited to have the Ice Sculptor return to create festive art during the event, and new this year is cookie decorating for kids. Admission to the event is free, along with crafts and the majority of the activities and entertainment.  Train and Wagon Rides are $2.00. The event activities run until 9:00 p.m. The City of Euclid and Shore Cultural Centre are proud to present this very special holiday event and are pleased by the support of many community businesses and organizations. For information about how you can become a sponsor of this wonderful community festival, and for more event details, visit online at www.shoreculturalcentre.com or call (216) 289-8578.  

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According to the Fair Trade Federation, fair trade is “an approach to business and to development based on dialogue, transparency, and respect that seeks to create greater equity in the international trading system. Fair trade supports farmers and craftspeople in developing countries who are socially and economically marginalized. These producers often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their goods.”

In the June 17, 2018 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ss. Robert & William Parish was named a Top Workplace for 2018.  It is one of The Diocese of Cleveland’s seven award recipients. 

1. Shore Cultural Center has so much cool stuff.

2. We have one of the greatest libraries IN AMERICA.

3. Jack at Wilke's Hardware IS THE MAN.

4. Marta's

5. Georgio's Pizza

6. Guy's Pizza

7. Wojtila's Bakery is scrumptious

8. JayDee Cleaners (so I do not have to iron)

9. Euclid Panini's has rocking service, food and TV's

10. You do not have to look both ways (for now)

Over the past 5 weeks, the City of Euclid has been fortunate to have 9 participants from Youth Opportunities Unlimited working as a municipal beautification team. In addition to removing litter, overgrown shrubbery and debris from city properties, the employees have completed a project mulching all of the planters along E. 200th Street. This hard work has not gone unnoticed. Sherrie Zagorc, Chairperson of the E. 200th Street Stroll states: "Youth on the street doing such a positive thing mulching our planters - the youth see how important the street is to the many travelers, the businesses see what a difference a little mulch can do to make our street so beautiful,  the drivers see that our youth can do positive work for our community and that we care about E. 200th Street, and finally, I hope that the youth know how much we appreciate their work and will continue to take pride in the appearance of E. 200th Street and the rest of the City. " This seems to be true, as one staff member, Leiona Bussey shared, "We worked hard and could see the difference around the City." Multiple drivers honked their horns or stopped to thank the staff for their work over the few days spent along the street.

While the skies may have appeared daunting, it didn’t stop the fun at the 2018 Euclid Wind Festival on June 16th at beautiful Sims Park. Attendees enjoyed Lolly the Trolley tours to the wind turbines, a rock climbing wall and a zipline, music by Pieces of Eight band, wind-themed arts and crafts, DancEvert performances, Dr. U.R. Awesome bubbles, inflatables, Pickup Stix stiltwalkers, and much more. The event would not have been possible without the support of many sponsors, volunteers, City of Euclid employees and Shore Cultural Centre staff. Thank you to Wind Festival sponsors, Euclid Hospital/Cleveland Clinic, Wm. Sopko & Sons, Co., Stamco Industries, Inc., GPD Group, Infield Chiropractic Clinic, Willowick Market Marathon, Moore Counseling & Mediation Services, Inc., Walter Haverfield LLP, Attorneys at Law, Euclid Preparatory School, Ss. Robert & William Catholic Parish, Fedeli Group, to name a few. A complete list of sponsors may be found at www.shoreculturalcentre.com. The Euclid Wind Festival was organized by the City of Euclid and Shore Cultural Centre. The Euclid Wind Festival is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

After a rough winter and years of trips all over the city, the Euclid Senior Center was in need of a new van.  The Community Development Supplemental Grant program through Cuyahoga County’s Department of Development provided the perfect opportunity to apply for a new transportation van for the Center. Early this year, the County awarded 21 municipalities and nonprofits with grant funding for programs in their communities.

Congratulations to Bagel Buddies on celebrating their 25th anniversary. Diane Schwarz has seen it all. There were partners. There were floods (just last week). But mostly there is an army of regulars dedicated to the excellent coffee and delicious treats that she has been serving.

Bagel buddies has excellent bagels. All your favorite styles and flavors. They also have some of the most delicious muffins you have ever tasted. And there is more! Breakfast sandwiches, wraps for lunch, really good food prepared quickly and with a smile.

Bagel buddies is located at 20070 Lake Shore Blvd., right across the street from Our Lady of the Lake church. They are open Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 1 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM till noon.

Stop in and say hi to Diane. Sit at the counter and have a steaming cup of coffee served by her friendly staff. Gossip with all the interesting neighbors. Relax and enjoy one of the true gems of our city.

The Euclid Wind Festival, presented by the City of Euclid and Shore Cultural Centre, has an array of activities for the entire family derived from and in celebration of the wind, of which there is an abundance on the shores of Lake Erie. The event will take place Saturday, June 16 from 3:00- 8:00pm at Sims Park, located at 22131 Lakeshore Boulevard in downtown Euclid.  

Digging into the future

Lincoln Electric held an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony March 21st to celebrate the grand opening of its new Welding Technology & Training Center in Euclid. The event highlights Lincoln Electric’s expanded educational offering and commemorates the centennial anniversary of its welding school, the longest-running welding school in the world.

On March 22nd, the Euclid Chamber of Commerce honored the 2017 awardees at the Annual Awards Dinner. The honorees included:
Lincoln Electric : Large Business of the Year

CASA of Cuyahoga County, a program of Child and Family Advocates of Cuyahoga County, recruits, screens, trains, and supports volunteers who act as independent fact-finders for the court in cases involving child abuse and neglect. 

On Feb. 22, Euclid Mayor Gail addressed members of the chamber, local businesses and the community over lunch at the Irish-American Club. The mayor introduced two tables of city employees in attendance then shared her commitment statement to provide Euclid residents and businesses with “the best services in a cost-effective and innovative manner.” She said there are three themes that consistently surface in her work with the city: investment, resilience and innovation.

She spoke mainly about investment, including the new Amazon fulfillment center, other new businesses, and business and school expansions. She mentioned the recently created master plan and its goals for residents, businesses and infrastructure: stay, prosper, play, connect, engage and preserve. Finally, the mayor acknowledged the investment in safety by the police and fire departments. The police department received many prestigious safety awards for its work in 2017 and responded to 43,471 calls, while the fire department answered 10,825 fire and EMS calls.

The mayor closed the luncheon by looking forward toward more investment, resilience and innovation in 2018.

“Euclid is close to realizing a brilliant lakefront project that could serve as a precedent for Cleveland, if not the entire Great Lakes region.” – Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer (November 2017)

For the fifth year in a row, The Girl Scout Troops from Ss. Robert and William School collected enough donations from family, community, parish members and local businesses to fill a record 330 "Socks of Love." These sock bundles included a new pair of socks, one stuffed into the other, and filled with toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste. These 330 Socks of Love were donated to the Shower Program at St. Malachi Center in Cleveland. Excess toiletries were donated to Forbes House in Lake County. This annual Service Project has grown progressively over the last 5 years.

Mayor Kirsten Gail opened this year’s Euclid Holiday Celebration at Shore Cultural Center on December 1st with her warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season and the introduction of a few special guests. With a twinkle of festive joy in her eye the Mayor introduced Amanda Lovelace Tobicash from Amazon as well as Doug Knoop with HELP Foundation. Amazon is Euclid’s newest business resident and already a wonderful neighbor, and HELP was honored to have a few residents that they serve in Euclid chosen to light this year’s Christmas tree. Just before the tree was to be lit Amazon made Christmas come early for HELP Foundation as they presented a donation of $10,000 to support HELP’s mission!

On Thursday, December 21st dozens of Rick Case Honda executives, members of the Euclid Chamber of Commerce, and City of Euclid officials and employees gathered to celebrate the opening of a 2,250 square foot addition to the existing dealership on East 200th Street just off of I-90.

The City of Euclid owns 310 parcels of property of various shapes and sizes scattered throughout the City.  Some parcels make up larger pieces of property – such as City Hall or the sledding hill on Euclid Avenue, while others are oddly configured leftover properties that serve little purpose.  In a continuing exploration of this issue, this space will look at several key properties to understand why the City owns the property and its long term plans for these properties.

Euclid is thrilled to welcome Northeast Factory Direct to the city!  Friday, November 24th was the official grand opening where Mayor Gail, Director Holody, members of City Council, EPD Chief Meyer, Euclid Chamber of Commerce Director Sheila Gibbons and others were on hand to welcome Northeast Factory Direct founder Alex Nemeth and his staff to the city of Euclid.  Northeast Factory Direct takes the place of the former B&B Appliance, which served Euclid and northeast Ohio for 93 years.  Northeast Factory Direct looks forward to continuing the legacy of high quality, great value, and customer service to the residents of Euclid and northeast Ohio.  If you are looking for furniture, a hot tub, or kitchen cabinets, please stop in to see what they have to offer and welcome them to Euclid!  Northeast Factory Direct is located at 24470 Lakeland Blvd, Euclid.   

Puerto Rico was ravaged by hurricane Maria, leaving millions in need of water, shelter and other goods.  Local artists Eileen Sheehan and Linda Zolten Wood have come together to help families in need on the island. They were inspired by the efforts of local chef and TV personality Lisa Pucci Delgado, who has been working hard since Maria hit to facilitate supply shipments through Amazon to her isolated mountain hometown of Piedra Azul. After seeing the devastation in Puerto Rico, they created the idea of selling donated art from local Cleveland artists to raise funds for Puerto Rican relief efforts.  Well known Cleveland artist, Hector Vega, and graphic designer, Richard Romero, volunteered to be involved in the fundraiser and brought with them valuable resources.  

A much anticipated holiday tradition returns with the 6th Annual Euclid Holiday Celebration taking place on Friday, December 1 2017. The event will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Triangle Park, which is located in front of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 East 222nd St., in Downtown Euclid. This festive event features horse drawn wagon rides, free entertainment, activities and crafts for children, along with the lighting of the holiday tree and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. A Holiday Church Choir Concert will be held in the auditorium, and the Holiday Bistro on the lower level of Shore will be serving a wide variety of foods for dine-in or to go. We are excited to have the Ice Sculptor return to create festive art during the event. The City of Euclid and Shore Cultural Centre are proud to present this very special holiday event and are pleased to have Euclid Hospital as our Silver Sponsor, along with the support of many other community businesses and organizations. For information about how you can become a sponsor of this wonderful community festival, and for more event details, visit online at www.shoreculturalcentre.com/holiday or call 216-289-8578.  

Amazon has announced it will build a new 650,000 square foot fulfillment center at the former Euclid Square Mall site bringing 1000 new jobs.  The City of Euclid has been working with Seefried Industrial Properties, Amazon and many regional economic development partners since March to make this project happen.  “We are thrilled to welcome Amazon and Seefried Industrial Properties to the City of Euclid,” said City of Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail. “The Euclid Square Mall site has been a prime target of our redevelopment efforts.  While some saw a vacant mall, we saw an opportunity for growth and development. This project is a fantastic addition to the investment we are seeing in our industrial corridor and will provide valuable employment opportunities for our residents.” 

This project would not have happened without the leadership, professionalism and tenacity of Planning and Development Director Jonathan Holody and the whole team of Directors and staff who contributed in many important ways.  It was a true team effort as the City worked with local and regional economic development partners including Greater Cleveland Partnership, Team NEO, Jobs Ohio, Cuyahoga County, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and Euclid City Council to make this transformative project a reality.  Euclid City Council approved the rezoning of the property from retail to industrial to allow for this development.

The lingering summer weather set the scene for a perfect evening of strolling along Lakeshore Boulevard and through the recently renovated Triangle Park during the City of Euclid’s second “This Is Euclid” Art Walk on Friday, September 22nd.