WORTH NOTING
Compiled by Marie Elium
Wet & Wild
Water Ski Shows
I’ve gone water skiing a few times over the years, and the only thing I remember is where my swimsuit bottom ended up when my backside hit the water.
That’s probably not an issue for the Chippewa Lake Water Ski Show Team in Medina. As Ohio’s only competitive ski show team, I’m guessing swimsuit failures aren’t part of the act. What they do have are free, weekly shows at 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings from June 4-Aug. 27 at Emerald Lake, 3196 Clark Mill Road in Norton.
Bring a blanket or chair (seating is on a hillside). Each week features a different food truck. Restrooms and parking (including handicap spots) are available nearby. Donations are appreciated. Learn more at chippewaskiteam.com
Glass Act
Walkway Showcases Local Ledges
How are you with heights? What about see-through bridges? If you’ve got the willies already, then Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park in Portage County may not be your cup of tea.
For the rest of us, the newly opened Falls Edge Glass Walkway brings 137 feet of thrilling views over Sylvan’s Creek Gorge and a nearby waterfall.
The state park is just outside of Garrettsville on State Route 282 south of State Route 422, east of Parkman.
GardenWalk Cleveland
See What’s Growing
A favorite summer event is the free and always fabulous GardenWalk Cleveland. It’s a sneak peek at dozens of lovely gardens throughout Greater Cleveland. These are real, honest-to-goodness gardens with none of the professionally designed, landscaper-installed vibe you get on other garden tours. Here, the homeowner/gardener often is front and center, showing folks around and talking about their cool plants. It’s our idea of a perfect garden event.
GardenWalk Cleveland is July 12 and 13. Find maps, featured neighborhoods and more at gardenwalkcleveland.org
Hop on a Bus
and Let’s Go Shopping
Long before we shopped in malls or online, a big event was to dress up for a visit to downtown Cleveland’s department stores.
Thousands packed the streets daily, looking for bargains with stores in heated competition featuring eye-popping sales and promotions. Retired Cleveland State professor Dr. Rich Klein did extensive research on that golden age and shares remarkable stories in “Let’s Go Shopping on the Square.”
For a year and a half, Klein immersed himself in the 150+ year history of downtown commerce, saying, “Without a doubt, each one of those amazing stores left their mark, not only on the future of local retailing, but also on the many customers they once served proudly.”
He points out that Cleveland had eight major department stores and each visit would turn into an adventure for customers. While confident that his research was needed, Klein was surprised to see how many readers also thought it was long overdue. As of this writing, the number of downloads worldwide was over 11,600 and climbing. It’s a fun read and a great visit to the past for those who have distant memories of jumping on a bus or streetcar to the center of the city.
Those who are a bit younger will get an idea of how that experience shaped society. A walk through just about every downtown these days is a look at once-proud storefronts, now repurposed—all that’s left of an amazing time in our history. Klein’s research keeps that history alive.
Published by CSU’s Engaged Scholarship Research Center, you can download it for free at engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/clevmembks/25/.
—Mike Olszewski
Photo courtesy of Chippewa Lake Water Ski Show Team
