They Creep, They Crawl, They Need Volunteers
Snakes, tortoises, komodo dragons, spiders. You don’t have to love ‘em to help ‘em.
Fortunately, plenty of people do like creatures that slither and crawl. A good example are the folks at South Euclid’s Herps Alive Foundation, a rescue group for unwanted, abused and neglected reptiles, amphibians, spiders, scorpions and similar creatures.
Herps Alive works with rescue groups throughout a multi-state region and with local law enforcement and others to care for animals that show up in places they shouldn’t be or with people who can’t care for them anymore.
The foundation’s executive director, Keith Gisser, says that now is a busy time at the shelter, when people leaving for school or moving can no longer care for them.
The facility has big and little snakes, frogs, lizards and other animals that require special care until they can find a new home. About 100 volunteers of all ages and abilities keep the place running.
“We like to say that we don’t ask anyone to work with anything they’re not comfortable with unless it’s a broom or dustpan,” Gisser says.
Herps Alive has a donation wish list on its website, herpsalive.weebly.com. Money is always welcome. Gisser says the organization participates in AmazonSmile, the online company’s program that donates .5 % of eligible purchases to your favorite charity.
An Online Tribute; Remembering Veterans
One way to mark Veterans Day on November 11 is by exploring or contributing to the online Veterans Legacy Memorial at vlm.cem.va.gov.
Every veteran interred in one of our 150 national cemeteries has a page — or is entitled to a page — that records details of service and other facts available to the National Cemetery Administration and contributed by family members, historians and others.
Find a name and learn more about a loved one or friend who served. The public is encouraged to add to the records by creating a free account on the website’s login page.
One more note about veterans: the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Seville performs more than 2,500 burials each year. Visitation is from sunrise to sunset, daily.
Ah, So That’s It! Team Guardians
When the Cleveland Indians became the Cleveland Guardians, more than a few of us weren’t quite sure where the name came from.
And even if we did know that The Guardians of Traffic adorned Hope Memorial Bridge downtown, that’s where our knowledge ended.
If you found yourself giving unsatisfying and purposely vague answers to questions from far-flung friends and family members, check out the Then & Now blog from the Western Reserve Historical Society (wrhs.org). Curator Pamela Dorazio Dean describes the Guardians’ origin and their talented Italian immigrant carvers, many of whom settled in Cleveland neighborhoods and Little Italy.
Here’s how she described the eight figures, four facing East, four West: “Each Guardian holds a different mode of transportation in its hands, including a hay rack, a covered wagon, a stagecoach, a passenger automobile, and four types of motor trucks. The vehicles represent the progress made in transportation over time. Because of this, they are sometimes called the Guardians of Transportation.”
And the next time someone asks, “What’s the deal with the Cleveland Guardians?” You’ll have an answer, thanks to WRHS.
They’re Winners and That’s No Trivial Matter
Not only does Broadview Heights have a terrific trivia team, but the group is generous, too. A team from the Broadview Heights defeated Willoughby Hills to win the 2021 Mind Challenge For the New Majority tournament.
To get to the final game in the trivia competition for active seniors, Broadview Heights defeated Avon Lake in their Fact Finding Four match. Willoughby Hills beat Twinsburg in their contest. Both the Fact Finding Four and Championship events were held at the Solon Senior Center.
More than 52 teams with 300 participants from Northeast Ohio senior and recreation centers competed for boasting rights and prize money for their centers. Broadview Heights won $2,500 and Willoughby Hills won $1,500. Third-place finisher, Twinsburg, took home $1,000 and fourth-place Avon Lake got $500.
The Broadview Heights team donated their winnings to Yuletide Hunger, a local group that gives food to needy families during the holiday season.
Now in its third year, Mind Challenge was created by local residents Art Greenbert and Phil Levine. Lana Oriani of Get Lucky Trivia conducted the Mind Challenge tournament.
Yoga for All Means Stretching Limits
Yoga has an image problem, and Kimberly Archibald Russell is doing something about it. Russell offers free community yoga classes aimed at making yoga accessible for “everyone and every body.”
Russell owns My Village Yoga, hosting classes both online and in person. She also holds free classes in urban neighborhoods several times a week that are open to anyone. She says that, in her early years, she rarely saw people of color practicing yoga in her classes.
“When you see something about yoga on TV, it’s skinny young women. I’m taking yoga to places where people are comfortable,” Russell says.
To learn more about free community classes and Russell’s vision for introducing yoga to Cleveland residents — regardless of age, body type, race, religion or fitness level, go to myvillageyoga.com.
Wall Art: Making a Statement in MidTown
Cleveland’s MidTown neighborhood (roughly between downtown and University Circle) looks more colorful these days, thanks to Cleveland Walls!, an outdoor mural project.
More than 20 local and national artists recently turned out for a weeklong mural-painting festival that turned walls and garage doors into colorful, eye-catching canvases. The Cleveland Walls! The International Urban Project was brought here by MidTown Cleveland Inc., in collaboration with Cleveland’s LAND Studio.
The murals celebrate the neighborhood’s culture and diversity. Learn more at midtowncleveland.org/clevelandwalls.
Preserving GS Camp Memories; Book Highlights Crowell Hilaka
When Richfield’s Crowell Hilaka Girl Scout Camp closed in 2012, it left behind 70 years of scouting memories for thousands of Northeast Ohio girls.
A portion of the property once belonged to inventor Jim Kirby of Kirby vacuum fame. Another section was home to Neal Fruit Farm, and at one time, it was the site of several pioneer homesteads.
Today, Crowell Hilaka is the 336-acre Richfield Heritage Preserve. The property’s rich history is detailed in “Crowell Hilaka and the Richfield Heritage Preserve” by Lynn Scholle Richardson (Acadia Publishing, arcadiapublishing.com and local bookstores.)
Cold-Weather Help to Keep Warm This Winter
Have you felt it? There’s a chill in the air outside.
For some people, the chill is indoors, too.
Low-income seniors and others who meet income requirements can apply online or by phone for help with weatherproofing and assistance with heating bills. To find out who qualifies for what, go to Ohio’s Energy Assistance Programs website (development.force.com). You’ll find a link to plug in numbers to determine eligibility for the various programs.
No computer? No problem. Call the office at 800-282-0880.
