WORTH NOTING
Compiled by Marie Elium
Ghosts, Murderers
And Other Spooky Stuff
Forget the pumpkin lattes and apple fritters. For my money, nothing says autumn like a nice, scary ghost tour.
I’ve wandered through creepy places at night on legitimate ghost tours and have taken a few strolls through cemeteries and haunted places on my own. My imagination, not ghosts, scared me on the self-guided jaunts. The tours, while interesting, were light on ghosts and heavy on history, although much of that history included gruesome crimes and quirky people, long-dead and quite harmless.
If you’re looking for a spooky adventure, try a local ghost tour. Check out Phantom’s Parade on Prospect: Cleveland Ghost Tours usghostadventures.com/cleveland-ghost-tour, Akron Ghosts usghostadventures.com/akron-ghost-tour, or Willoughby Ghost Walk willoughbyghostwalk.com.
Don’t Fall This Fall
Skip the Bucket, Grab a Ladder
I was standing on a five-gallon bucket hanging patio lights when it hit me: I’m doing something stupid.
Poor judgment often leads to falls and injuries, especially in older adults. Weakness, lousy balance and inattentiveness are big contributors, too. September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month and the Ohio Department of Aging says we can lower our fall risk by focusing on three things: your home, your health and your habits.
At home, remove anything that might make you slip or trip. With your health, do your medications, poor vision or muscle weakness make you more susceptible to a fall? And under the habits category, we can revisit my five-gallon bucket-as-a-ladder decision.
For more tips and to take a fall assessment quiz, go to the Ohio Department of
Aging website — aging.ohio.gov — and search “falls.”
Autumn Color Forecast:
Predictably Spectacular
Mid-October is looking like peak leaf-peeping time in Northeast Ohio, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources comes out with its foliage timetable in mid-September.
But if you’ve been paying attention, autumn has already started its encroachment. The sunlight shifted ever-so-slightly at the beginning of August. Goldenrod, ironweed and wild asters have overrun fields and ditches.
No matter when the leaves peak, Northeast Ohioans have a front row seat to nature’s colorful show. Some of our favorite places for fall leaf lovers are the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (for a leisurely drive), a hike at Geauga Park District’s Welton’s Gorge near Burton, and a stroll through historic Lake View Cemetery, which is both the final resting place for loved ones and an arboretum.
Book Celebrates
The Cleveland of Our Childhood
“Cleveland Boomer Memories” offers a nostalgic look at life in the ‘50s and ‘60s with photos and stories that spotlight the city and the people and places that made it special.
Written by Howard A. Zuckerman and Ellen N. Jacob, the book includes both the ordinary — A Walk Through Your House is one section, as well as local TV programs like “The Gene Carroll Show” and “Polka Varieties,” among others.
If you went somewhere or did something in the ‘50s and ‘60s in Cleveland, it’s probably in this book, and that’s what makes it both interesting and entertaining. At more than 300 pages, it’s a lot to take in.
You can buy the book and see a preview at clevelandboomermemories.com.
Ohio Mysteries Backroads:
UFOs, Legends & Weirdness
I love listening to podcasts, but none in my rotation are local. That may change since I discovered Ohio Mysteries Backroads. It’s got just the right amount of funky stories and interesting interviews about events and people I’ve never heard of.
From mysterious disappearances to decades-old crimes and little-known tragedies, the podcast “explores the inexplicable” with more than 600 episodes.
You can find Ohio Mysteries Backroads on your favorite place to download podcasts.
