2017 Editions

Island Time

Explore the Shore Among Lake Erie’s Jewels

By Paris Wolfe

Few places in Ohio combine history and nature — and, let’s face it, a bit of partying — as successfully as Lake Erie’s popular islands.

Summer is the best time to practice your island hopping in western Lake Erie’s collection of little land masses. The Ohio “Keys” are rife with activities from mid-April through late October when the weather is temperate and the lake is free of ice.

While the islands are a boater’s paradise, landlubbers have easy access to three of the four islands by ferry. And, once there, bikes and golf carts dominate the streets. Rentals are available at the ferry stop. Cars are welcome, but few folks opt to ferry them over.

Island Hopping

South Bass Island (1,588 acres) is home of the legendary Put-in-Bay. It draws perhaps the most enthusiastic crowds for playing and partying on weekends, and recovers on weekdays. It’s popular with college students and bridal parties on the weekends, with a mellower vibe during the week. Plan accordingly.

Middle Bass Island (805 acres) is less commercial than South Bass but offers a handful of shopping opportunities as well as a state park and 184-slip marina.

North Bass Island (593 acres) is a mostly unimproved state park open to primitive camping with a special permit, hiking, picnicking, biking, wildlife watching and fishing. It can be accessed only by airplane or personal watercraft.

Kelleys Island (2,888 acres) is home to more than 300 people, making it both residential and recreational. Biking, hiking and beaches make up its attractions.

The actual experience at the islands might depend on the timing and location of a visit. Weekend evenings are rowdier and “crowdier,” while weekdays are slow and leisurely.

Kindness Rocks

And Sometimes It Rolls

Have you found one?

Kindness Rocks are turning up along sidewalks, on park benches, under trees — everywhere. The movement started on social media and has taken a rock-solid hold in Northeast Ohio.

Painted and shellacked, the colorful rocks usually sport a label with a hashtag so finders can see where their rocks have traveled. The biggest group is #NortheastOhioRocks! — with 175,000 members and about 3 million rocks that have been painted and hidden — but there are plenty of others here and around the country, including the Kindness Rocks Project with a more national scope.

All the groups encourage people to paint small rocks — with or without a message — and hide them as a random act of kindness.

Rock finders often snap a photo of their rock, list the location, and post it to Twitter, Facebook or another social media account. They then re-hide the rock and see where it ends up.

To get started, prepare your rock surface with a layer of paint. Use oil-based Sharpie markers to decorate the rock. If you feel like it, add a hashtag on the back such as #THEKINDNESSROCKSPROJECT, or #NortheastOhioRocks!

Here’s to a rockin’ — and kind — summer.

A Fairly Good Time

Groomed Cows & Elephant Ears

July marks the start of county fair season, and Ohio has nearly perfected the art of canned food judging, giant vegetable growing and corn dog eating.

The Summit and Lake county fairs are the week of July 25-30, the Medina County Fair is July 31-Aug. 6, the Cuyahoga County Fair (Berea) is Aug. 7-13 and the Portage County Randolph Fair is Aug. 22-27.

The oldest continuous fair in the state — and one of the very best — is the Great Geauga County Fair, scheduled for Labor Day weekend in Burton.

For our May/June issue, Medina photographer Kim Stahnke, Boomer art director Laura Chadwick, magazine publisher Brad Mitchell and I met up with rocker/songwriter Michael Stanley at Cleveland’s famed Agora Theatre and Ballroom.

The setting was a good one. After all, Stanley along with hundreds of musicians, have played the Agora, both at its Euclid Avenue location and its previous locations in Little Italy and near Cleveland State.

Our Boomer team got there early to scout shots. We walked through the dark and narrow hallways, explored the two stages, checked out lighting options and then ventured outdoors into a parking lot and a side alley. What you see above and in the magazine are just a few of Kim’s great shots.

As for Michael, he was extremely cooperative while we worked on the shoot, gamely sitting on fire escapes and perching on the stage. During our hour-long shoot he was as cool in person as you would imagine.

Our July/August issue continues with a focus on NEO’s role in rock history. Our pop culture columnist Mike Olszewski will tell us about why rocker Meatloaf credits Cleveland with the success of his pivotol album “Bat Out of Hell.”

Dance! Books! Storytellers!

It’s the AHA! Festival

Head to the Cleveland State University/Playhouse Square neighborhood June 7, 8 and 9 for an exclamation-worthy time at AHA! Arts and Humanities Alive!

Words, music, theater, dance and art all come together in Ohio’s first-ever festival of its kind. Storytellers (in person), famous authors (such as historian Jon Meacham), dancers and an astronomer are just a few of the folks who will entertain and inspire with fun and thought-provoking presentations.

A day-long outdoor Book Fair along Euclid Avenue from 14th to 17th streets kicks off the festival. Most events are free; others have nominal fees. The event is presented by Cleveland State University.

For a schedule of events and performers, and to register for specific activities, visit ahacsu.com.

BOOM!

Pop Culture Chronicles

Mike Olszewski

What Happened to Summer Jobs?

Years ago when spring rolled around, you started thinking about landing a summer job.

Those also were the days before we paid for TV, radio, tap water in plastic bottles and when I didn’t have to take out a loan to see a first run movie. I joked once that someone is going to figure out a way to pay for air, and then I pulled into a gas station, where you’re paying to fill your tires.

Scarce Work

To be fair, a lot of jobs for young folks no longer exist. Look at theaters. You had a movie house that hired ushers, and the kids’ matinee on Saturdays was a nightmare. Then automation moved in and projectionists were eliminated. We have 10 screens in one location, and the person selling tickets runs to the candy counter to hawk overpriced candy and popcorn out of big clear garbage bags with some kind of oil instead of butter. Don’t think for a minute that most people don’t hit a discount store first for snacks to sneak in. My wife and I went to a movie a while back, and a guy was eating a sub sandwich as long as his arm.

Before gas stations became supermarkets and beer gardens, you could find work pumping gas, cleaning windshields, and checking water and oil. Pay at the pump meant you handed the cash through the window and maybe tip the attendant. Now I do all the work, and I feel like I should tip myself.

Newspapers and Fast Food

If you were ambitious you might get a paper route. The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Press, Akron Beacon Journal and all newspapers had carriers who would put your paper inside your door so it didn’t get wet.