About.com Cleveland

Visit the Cleveland Zoo for Free on Thanksgiving

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:04:34 +0000

Looking for something to do after your Thanksgiving dinner? Head to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

The park is offering free admission on Thanksgiving and is open from 10am to 5pm. In addition, there will be special animal feedings and enrichment demonstrations.

^{(photo courtesy of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)}

Visit the Cleveland Zoo for Free on Thanksgiving originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 05:04:34.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Chutes Open in the Cleveland Metroparks

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:11 +0000

The Cleveland Metroparks Toboggan runs are ready for the season and will open for business on November 27 (2009). The "Chutes" are located on Valley Parkway in the Metorparks' Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville. The refrigerated runs are open Thursdays through Sundays until the first weekend in March, with additional hours during the holiday season.

A one-day pass is $8 for adults and $6 for children 11 and under. Single rides are $3 each. Riders must be at least 42" tall.

For other winter activities, see:

^{(photo courtesy of the Cleveland Metroparks)}

Chutes Open in the Cleveland Metroparks originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 00:01:11.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Ohio Deer Hunting Season

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:45 +0000

Gun season for deer in Ohio begins November 30 and lasts through December 6 with an extra weekend December 19 and 20. For more about getting an Ohio hunting license and how to prepare your venison, see the following resources:

^{(photo courtesy of ODNR)}

Ohio Deer Hunting Season originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 00:01:45.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Cleveland Restaurant Week

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:28 +0000

Celebrate Cleveland's culinary scene and save money, besides. Cleveland Independents Restaurant Week runs through Saturday, November 14. Dozens of eateries are participating and all are offering three-course menus at $30 per person.

Among the restaurants included are Sergio's, Ponte Vecchio, Beach Club Bistro in Euclid, John Q's Steakhouse, and Gamekeeper's Taverne in Chagrin Falls. For a complete list, click here. Reservations are recommended.

^{(photo courtesy of John Q's Steakhouse)}

Cleveland Restaurant Week originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 00:01:28.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Dunham Tavern Antiques Show

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:34 +0000

The 114th annual Dunham Tavern Antiques Show, one of the longest-running antiques shows in the United States, is November 28 and 29. The show, a fund-raiser for one of Cleveland's oldest structures, the Dunham Tavern, is being held at a new location this year, the Lillian and Betty Ratner School at 27575 Shaker Boulelvard in Pepper Pike.

The two-day show features more than 50 dealers in quality antiques and collectibles. Admission is $10 for both days and includes parking. Hours are Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Serious collectors that want a head start on the event can attend the preview on Saturday from 9am to 11am. Admission to the preview is $20.

^{(photo courtesy of Dunham Tavern)}

Dunham Tavern Antiques Show originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 00:01:34.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Northern Ohio Water Parks

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:55 +0000

Looking for something to do inside as the weather gets colder? Or, maybe you're planning ahead for the family's summer vacation. Either way, Northern Ohio offers a variety of indoor and outdoor water parks that are fun for the entire family, from the 33,000 square foot indoor water park at Great Bear Lodge in Sandusky to the three-level play structure and wave pool at Wildwater Kingdom (pictured at right), the former Geauga Lake.

Read more about Northern Ohio's water parks.

^{(photo courtesy of CedarFair)}

Northern Ohio Water Parks originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 00:01:55.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Lake Erie Lighthouses

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:01:44 +0000

The Lake Erie landscape is beautiful, even in winter (it's coming soon), and the many lighthouses that dot the Ohio shoreline add to that beauty. Each one is unique and offers its own interest (like the Vermilion Lighthouse, pictured above). Learn more about Lake Erie Lighthouses in this photo tour.

^{(photo courtesy of Coastal Ohio)}

Lake Erie Lighthouses originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 15:01:44.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Vote Today!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:57 +0000

Today in election day in Ohio. The polls are open from 630am to 730pm. If you have to walk, beg a ride, or borrow a car, make sure that you get to your precinct today and cast your vote. Below are a few resources to help you vote:

Vote Today! originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 00:01:57.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Jill Miller Zimon - Pepper Pike City Council Candidate

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:58:10 +0000

One of About.com Cleveland's own is running for office. Jill Miller Zimon, a periodic contributor to this site and owner of the blog, "Writes Like She Talks," is a candidate for Pepper Pike City Council. I had a chance to chat with the forty-something, mother of three yesterday about her candidacy. Here's what she had to say:

1. What made you decide to run for Pepper Pike City Council?
On January 1, 2009, the Chagrin Herald Sun (now the Chagrin Solon Sun) published its issue in which it names "Most Influential Person of the Year" for each of the communities it covers. Along with elected officials in three other communities, I was named for Pepper Pike - as just a regular citizen who, with her blog, had been pressing to get the political yard sign law changed (something which other residents said multiple people had tried to accomplish over the years). And by asking questions of sitting council members and following their suggestions, that law was in fact changed (Pepper Pike residents now are allowed to post up to three yard signs during each election cycle - we used to be allowed just one, no matter how many races or issues were on the ballot).

I talked to a wide variety of people about City Council and campaigning. I started to attend every meeting (Planning & Zoning, Road & Safety and regular City Council meetings). And I started to read about how to win a local election, how to campaign and I started to pull data from the county Board of Elections to understand what I'd be getting myself into.

With all that as research, I thought about what I've accomplished in the past and what I would be able to contribute that would matter to the city and the residents. This was actually made easy by the fact that of eight elected officials in Pepper Pike, not one was younger than 54 and only one of the eight has a school-age child. With the 2000 Census indicating that nearly one-third of all the city's households have kids 18 or under in them, and 48% of all registered voters are age 54 or younger, clearly a huge swath of the community has no one on council who directly reflects their phase of life.

I decided to run because I believe in leadership succession and I believe that it is necessary to a city's planning to have as many representative stakeholders as possible in its formal government.

2. Have you ever held public office before?
Never. I've never run for public office before either. (So I don't have any losses yet!)

3. How long have you been a Pepper Pike resident?
My husband and I moved to Pepper Pike in the spring of 1999.

4. What unique talents do you bring to the position?

I have a joint degree in law and social work and am licensed (inactive) to practice law. I also passed the LISW exam and maintained my LSW for 12 years. Since 1992, I've applied my education almost exclusively to work - for pay and volunteer - that revolves around problem-solving. This includes eight years at a private non-profit mental health agency and, over the last eight years, freelance writing on a variety of topics. The citizen journalism work that I've done over the last four or five years has benefited enormously from my having these skills because the forums that host me do best when visitors and I engage and produce thoughtful discourse through which we all learn.

At the city government level, I see using these talents to assess the community's needs and determine, in conjunction with the mayor, the other council members, city personnel and residents how to proceed to address the identified needs.

Other talents I bring to the table include a good working knowledge of 21st Century tools for communicating. Pepper Pike has always attracted young families but the city needs to keep up with how those new, young families wish to interact. Many of them are completely comfortable with and expect to be engaged via social media and other electronic-based tools. I look forward to helping the city develop and implement a range of opportunities through which all residents can participate, to the extent they desire.

5. What else would you like About.com Cleveland readers to know about you and your candidacy?
I wish that all people who write about politics had to run for office before they were allowed to publish their writing about politicians. I know this will never happen, but being a candidate for office and going the whole nine yards through Election Day really places a person in a very different place than where the journalists and pundits are, with just a few exceptions.

People should realize that if we want better elected officials, we need to have better candidates. And if we want better candidates, we need to provide a climate that embraces people willing to stick their neck out in order to work for not much money, comparatively speaking, and with a great deal of expectations and outcomes to meet. In other words, there's nothing wrong with being demanding in terms of wanting high-quality candidates. But as voters, we have to be willing to realize that there are in fact competing constituencies in any single community and when we elect a person to a position in which that person will have to make decisions on behalf of an entire population, a little understanding could go a long way.

Thank you for giving me this chance to speak directly to the readers and residents.

Jill Miller Zimon - Pepper Pike City Council Candidate originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 06:58:10.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

The Fabulous Food Show Comes to Cleveland

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:38 +0000

The Fabulous Food Show, a multi-media food extravaganza is coming to the I-X Center in Cleveland November 13 through 15 (2009). The show will feature celebrities, including Food Network Stars, Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri as well as Cleveland's own Iron Chef, Michael Symon. Attendees will be able to attend a least one event with the stars, which will include cooking demonstrations, book signings, and question and answer sessions.

In addition to the headliners, the Cleveland Wine School will host wine tastings and wine notes, and many wines, spirits, and beers will be offered for sale. Other events include a festival marketplace, a chocolate bar, and Wedding cake cooking demonstrations.

Admission to the Fabulous Food Show is $25.00 in advance and $27.50 at the door. Tasting passports are sold separately and start at $10. To buy tickets, printable from your computer, visit the Fabulous Food Show website.

^{(Logo courtesy of the Fabulous Food Show)}

The Fabulous Food Show Comes to Cleveland originally appeared on About.com Cleveland on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 00:01:38.

Permalink | Comment | Email this