Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation OOlldd BBrrooookkllyynn NNeewwss Serving Old Brooklyn, Brooklyn Centre & surrounding areas for 30 years www.oldbrooklyn.com December 2008 Volume 30; Number 10 Mmm-- Slices Fabulous Pastries Handcrafted snowflakes by Donn Heckelmoser cake and took it to his wife and child in France [email protected] so that they could taste what he called a “real cheesecake”. brighten poles, windows Slices Fabulous Pastries is the brainchild Currently, Efty’s sister, Sophia, is one of by Amy Craft in varying shades of blue and white. of Efty R. Simakis, lifelong Old Brooklyn res- the five women helping her bake and decorate Executive Director of Art House Cherie Kasier, principal from OBCS’s ident. It's located at 4190 Pearl Road, in the the cakes. Two of Efty’s other employees Storefront windows decorated by elementary school, heart of Old Brooklyn's downtown commer- have been with her for over eighteen years. school children are no longer an activity of and Amy cial district. Efty lives right around the corner from previous generations or Mobley, prin- limited to cipal of Halloween. OBCS’s Thanks to middle collabora- school, tion worked between with Art several House to Old arrange the Brooklyn busi- school visits. The par- ness owners and Tom ticipating teachers rearranged schedules to Collins from the Old Brooklyn Community allow the collaboration to take place. Development Corporation (OBCDC), 3rd, Great fun was had by all! Ms. Allen’s and 4th and 5th grade students from Ms. Almady’s 5th grade students made ban- Constellation’s Old Brooklyn Community ners for the utility poles; Mrs.Turner’s and School (OBCS) worked with Art House Ms. Yeager’s 4th grade students made paper staff last month to decorate maché snowflakes for windows; and Mrs. Old Brooklyn’s central Lewis’ and Mrs. Race’s 3rd grade students commercial district -- made 3-D snowflakes for windows. The Pearl Rd., Broadview students finished their work with glitter, Photo by George Shuba Rd. and Memphis Ave. sequins, pipe cleaners and/or other fes- -- for Christmas. tive appliques. The partnership Through the participation of numerous Efty Simakis, Old Brooklyn resident and owner of Slices Fabulous Pastries, 4190 Pearl Rd. evolved because numer- businesses, Old ous neighborhood profes- Brooklyn Slices Pastries started back in 1993, right her shop, in the oldest house in Old Brooklyn sional/business people having been meeting downtown is in Efty's home kitchen. All her family and (built by Jeremiah Gates circa 1820. Her hus- once a month for breakfast at Dee’s Diner to a little friends said she made the best desserts they band, George Simakis, is a semi-retired attor- brainstorm about the neighborhood’s com- brighter! had ever tasted. At the time, Efty's brother-in- ney whose office is next door to Slices. Their mercial development. Their goal for this Thank you law Mike Loizos and his family owned the two sons, Konstantine (Dean) and Dimitri are project was the aesthetic unification of the to all who Glenn Restaurant (formerly located on the currently grown and living in California, but windows of businesses in “downtown” Old participated: Pearl Rd. and Memphis Ave. corner where when they were younger and at home, Efty Brooklyn during this holiday season -- Ameriflag, Inc.; Charter One Bank; CVS Pharmacy stands today). So Efty's first quipped that they were great taste-testers! increasing shopping traffic during the holi- Deaconess-Krafft Center; Deaconess-Zane commercial venture was baking her delicious They also helped deliver the cakes (and still days and beautifying the area. Center; Dee’s Old Brooklyn Diner; Ewazen cream pies for their restaurant. do when they are back in town). Several months Management; Gavin Lee Party Center; At first, Efty started baking a couple pies Anyone wishing to simplify holiday ago, Don Workman Montalvo, LLC; Speed Exterminating; US a day, but it wasn't long before the fast-grow- entertaining can do so by ordering one of Bank; Westerfield Sales; Wholesale ing business demanded its own separate bak- Slices’ twenty-plus varieties of cheese cakes, from Ameriflag, Inc., John Young Business Furniture; and Yorktown ing facility. With the help of her brother-in- including apple caramel, mocha chocolate Corporation. law Mike Loizos, Efty obtained a small-busi- chip and peach schnapps, and/or over ten vari- from Speed ness loan and opened Slices Fabulous Pastries eties of specialty cakes, including black forest Exterminating, on W. 47th St. and Memphis Ave. with her sis- rhapsody torte and tiramisu. and OBCDC’s ter, Sophia. After a short while, Sophia left to Because Efty’s cakes are made to order Tom Collins had help her husband at the Glenn Restaurant, and and decorated fresh for pickup, they must be approached Art Efty became the sole proprietor. ordered in advance. Dial 216-398-0002 to House to discuss ways Her first storefront was less than 800 reach Slices’ 24-hour voicemail service. the downtown businesses could partner and See photo square feet, and Efty baked a smaller variety Slices requests that you give them at least 24 use art in the empty storefronts. Many of students of desserts than she does today. The mainstay hours notice. lengthy discussions and numerous ideas making of her business, though, was the same as it is Wholesale buyers who would like deliv- later, the partners settled on showcasing the snowflakes on on today -- wholesaling to restaurants, delis and ery are obliged to place a minimum order, but work of young artists from the neighbor- page 12. coffee shops. Some of her earliest customers single cakes are available on a pick-up basis. hood. They agreed upon a snowflake theme included the Jigsaw Saloon and Mr. Z's. Slices does not have space for customers to After about a decade on Memphis Ave., eat there.For more information about Slices, Slices moved to its current location on Pearl visit their new website, Inside the OBN Rd. At the time, Efty's brother, former Ward www.slicespastries.com. OBCDC Board of 15 Councilman Jim Rokakis, owned the (Lynette Filips contributed to this article.) Community Spotlight; Desk of building. Today, Efty owns the building, and Directors News the Executive Director 2 supplies over 70 establishments with her baked goods (one as far away as Sandusky, At their November board meeting, News & Events; Theater Notes 3 which further transports some of it to Port OBCDC’s board of directors appointed Jeff Clinton!). Rhodes as a residential member to the My Point of View; Efty started Slices because she loves bak- board. Jeff lives in Ward 16 and is a tech- Help for the Holidays 4 ing, and felt that she had a gift for it. She has nology education teacher at North since developed her passion into a business Royalton High School. Town Crier; that is known for high-quality ingredients and The Board is also looking for OBCDC Church Clustering 5 attention to detail. Even with rising costs, Efty members to serve on several Board com- will not sacrifice quality to save money; she mittees as members-at-large. There are cur- Commercial News 6 sticks with what tastes good, and keeps the rently openings for community participa- recipes the same. tion on the Finance, Leadership, Personnel Efty has repeatedly entered the Art Community Toolbox; Credit and Development Committees. Please con- Unions; Habitat ReStore 7 Therapy Studios baking competition. The tact Robyn Sandys at 216-459-1000 or competition is always stiff, including such [email protected]. participants as the Renaissance Hotel, the Ritz William Scheele Exhibit at Although OBCDC Board meetings are Carlton and even Lola's. Over the years, Efty Natural History Museum 8 has won two first-place and two third-place usually on the third Tuesday of each prizes. month, in December the meeting will be on Family Fun 9 Efty shared a story about a man who Old Brooklyn native William Scheele paint- Thursday, December 18, from 5:45 to loved her raspberry cheesecake so much that ed this acrylic on canvas rendition of cardi- 6:30 p.m. It will be a shorter general meet- Senior & Church Notes 10 after he tried one for the first time, he found nals when he was the director of the ing because the Board’s organizational Cleveland Museum of Natural History. out that Slices had baked it, then ordered a planning meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m. Classified & Service Directory 11 Read his story on page 8. PAGE 2 OLD BROOKLYN NEWS DECEMBER 2008 From the desk of the executive director by Robyn Sandys [email protected] The Cane Shop hands which have lasted all these years. The The end of one year and the beginning Nash’s daughter, Shelly, has worked in the of another one is fast approaching. I know by Donnald Heckelmosser family business for the past twenty-two years. we all ask ourselves, where did the time go? [email protected] tives, like the City of Cleveland and Frank and Dorothy only deal with what To much to do and not enough time to do it Cuyahoga County services, our two great Frank & Dorothy Nash are the longtime is non-fabric related in terms of the repairs; all; to share our hearts with our friends and City Councilman, Brian Cummins (Ward 15) owners of the Cane Shop at 4196 Pearl Rd. they outsource the upholstery segment of the families, to spend time giving back to our The business specializes in re-seating, re-glu- job. Prices for the work vary greatly depend- community, to relax and find time for a and Kevin Kelley (Ward 16), independent ing, and the general repair of all types of chairs.