COSMOPOLITAN LIVING IN NORTHEAST OHIO’S PREMIER COMMUNITY shakerlifelife shaker’s small mall a look inside $3.50 august | september 2007 plus make a comeback shakeronline.com 1950s homes 1 contents features + departments on the cover: The City’s oldest shopping center has found new life with caring tenants who put 3HAKERlRST Cover photograph Marc Golub THE SMALL MALL 44 THE TWAIN BORN IN THE HAVE MET 36 FIFTIES 26 Shaker schools are Shaker’s younger moving aggressively to HOMESOFFERmEXIBILITY prepare students for for today’s families, Asian nations emerging including empty- as political, cultural and nesters looking for ECONOMICSUPERPOWERS ONE mOORLIVING more departments: City News 3 Thornton Park is better than ever! Library News 15 Our mission, vision, ANDVALUES Out & About 63 #ALENDAROFEVENTS Shaker Observer 76 RECREATION REAL ESTATE NEWS 11 CITIZEN MILLER 52 &ROM3HAKER-ANS,IBRARY & LEISURE Shaker Neighborhood: Sam Miller, co-chair- PULLOUT SECTION -ERCER man of Forest City Join the Discussion Enterprises, talks about about the 2008 how local governments 0RESIDENTIAL%LECTION might be reorganized to improve economic de- VELOPMENTINTHEREGION shaker shaker renters... life ready to become a AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2007 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 4 SHAKER LIFE shaker homeowner? 3400 Lee Road Shaker Heights, OH 44120 WEBSITE: SHAKERONLINECOM EMAIL: SHAKERMAG SHAKERONLINECOM low-interest VOICE MAIL: (216) 491-1459 FAX: (216) 491-1408 down payment TTY: (216) 491-3161 EDITOR assistance loans Rory O’Connor RORY WHELANCOMCOM are available in DESIGN & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jennifer Dial designated CITY NEWS AND REAL ESTATE NEWS EDITOR Vicki Zoldessy neighborhoods VICKIZOLDESSY SHAKERONLINECOM LIBRARY NEWS EDITOR call 491-1457 Margaret Simon OUT & ABOUT for more info SHAKERDATES AOLCOM SHAKER SCHOOLS EDITORIAL ADVISOR fund for the future of shaker heights Peggy Caldwell enhancing neighborhood diversity since 1986 ADVERTISING MANAGER John Moore, (216) 531-4044 SHAKERLIFE SHAKERONLINECOM AD SALES REPRESENTATIVE Friends don’t let Rebecca Wong CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John Brandt, Gay Eyerman, friends make a move Beth Friedman-Romell, Rita Kueber, without calling us first. Nancy O’Connor, Sue Starrett CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Janet Century, Marc Golub, Green Street Studio (Jeanne Van Atta & Bill Meckler), SHAKER’S RELOCATION EXPERTS HAVE: #AYDIE(ELLER +EVIN'2EEVES • Shaker information packets READER COMMENTS: Please send comments and observations to Letters to the Editor, • School & neighborhood SHAKERMAG SHAKERONLINECOMORTO3HAKER,IFE ,EE2OAD 3HAKER(EIGHTS /( contacts ,ETTERSMAYBEEDITEDFORPUBLICATION • Certified Shaker rental updates STORY SUBMISSIONS: Shaker Life does not accept unsolicited editorial material, but STORYSUGGESTIONSFROMRESIDENTSAREWELCOME3ENDSUGGESTIONS • Details on financial incentives BYEMAILORLETTER0LEASEDONOTCALL7ECANNOTRESPONDTOEVERY SUGGESTIONBUTEACHWILLBEGIVENCONSIDERATION for eligible home buyers &REELANCERS0LEASEEMAILTHEEDITORFORGUIDELINES SUBSCRIPTIONS: Kim Golem, (216) 491-1419 SHAKER LIFE ISPUBLISHEDSIXTIMESPERYEARBYTHE Call (216) 491-1332 or visit City of Shaker Heights, Department of Communications & Outreach, and distributed free to residents of the 3HAKER(EIGHTS#ITY3CHOOL$ISTRICT%XTRACOPIESAREAVAILABLEAT shakeronline.com AREANEWSSTANDSFOR3EESHAKERONLINECOMFORLOCATIONS For general City information, call (216) 491-1400 or EMAIL: CITYHALL SHAKERONLINECOM 3400 Lee Road The views of the individuals and organizations Shaker Heights, OH 44120 (216) 491-1400 interviewed in Shaker Life are not necessarily THEOFlCIALVIEWSOFTHE#ITYOF3HAKER(EIGHTS Affirmatively furthering fair housing for over 30 years #ITYOF3HAKER(EIGHTS!LL2IGHTS2ESERVED 2 7773(!+%2/.,).%#/- city news Thornton Park is Back and Better Than Ever! The Memorial Day re-opening of Thornton Park broke the record for the most number of guests in its history! More than 3000 wrist bands were distributed that day, twice the previous record. Residents swarmed the Park, eager to see the changes and enjoy the many new ways to have fun. The Current Channel was hugely popular, packed with grinning kids. Also popular were the skateboard park, the basketball court and the special inflatable games brought in for the day (see photos). Since Memorial Day, long-time pool users, including those who use it for daily lap swims, have declared their pleasure with the improvements to the existing 50-meter pool. Its new lining and aluminum gutters add new efficiency and sparkle. The inflatable games may be gone, but the rest of the park fixtures are now in place for good. Residents of all ages can look forward to many years of making memories at Thornton Park! PHOTO BY CAYDIE HELLER Winslow Road: a Local Landmark Tudor timbering and leaded glass windows distinguish them. Single access front doors reveal vast and versatile duplex inte- riors. They are the homes along Winslow Road from Avalon to Farnsleigh, and they are one of Shaker’s historic treasures. And now, Winslow Road is a local landmark. Formal recognition of the unique character of Winslow Road was achieved through a process that began in 2002, and that included more than six public meetings. Two-family owners take advantage of the special opportunities that these spacious homes afford: operation of small home- based businesses in them; housing a parent or other relative in the adjacent unit to keep a watchful and protective presence; living in one suite and earning rental income from the second one. The Winslow neighborhood benefits from local landmark designation in a number of ways. Studies around the country suggest that property values increase faster in local historic districts. New owners will be required to respect the character and buildings of the neighborhood, maintain- ing their properties according to guidelines established to protect historic and aesthetic materials and features. Winslow meets the criteria for preservation because of the following unique qualities: • It is the only street in Shaker Heights that consists entirely of two-family houses. • 73 percent of the houses were construct- ed by 1929, making it one of the oldest streets in the City. • The overall design of Shaker’s two-fam- ily homes is unique; they have one front entrance. By sharing one entry, the two- family homes retain the appearance of single-family homes. • Many of the homes were designed by top architects and architectural firms of the era, specifically Charles Schneider (who © 2007 CHRIS RAMSAY AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2007 3 Aug1.indd 3 7/11/2007 4:00:49 PM also designed Plymouth Church and City Departments. The goal is to train and Going the Extra Mile: Hall), Fox, Duthie and Foose, and George prepare community volunteers for disas- Citizens Customer Service Burrows. ters that could impact our area. Similar In addition to its new local landmark groups are already operating throughout Award Recognizes designation, Winslow is within an area the nation, including several in Cuyahoga Excellence in Our of Shaker Heights that has long been on County. Community the National Register of Historic Places. A series of seven training sessions will Approximately 75 percent of Shaker is educate members of the CERT team It’s no secret that Shaker residents expect within the Shaker Village Historic District. regarding basic disaster response skills, a high degree of excellence in the services Though different, the two designations including fire safety, disaster assessment, they receive. It is for just this reason that signal the importance of preserving this team organization, and medical opera- the Citizens Customer Service Award was street’s historic properties. tions. CERT members will then be able created. Once in awhile, an individual or For more information about the pro- to assist first responders as needed, par- group of City employees stands out from cess of Winslow’s historic designation, ticipate in regional emergency response the crowd for going above and beyond visit shakeronline.com/dept/planning/Wi drills, and help educate the community even the highest expectations. nslowRoadHistoricDesignation.asp. regarding emergency preparedness. The award was first introduced in The first training class will begin in 2005 to formally recognize City staff who City Seeks Emergency September of 2007 and members will receive praise from residents for exceeding Response Volunteers participate in the Health Department’s their expectations. This year’s award was annual pandemic flu drill. In the event presented to two employees of the Public of an actual emergency, team members Are you calm in a crisis? Dedicated to Works Department, Mark Melaragno and would need to be available on a 24/7 basis. Howard Rhoad. Sherrie Futch, a resident serving others in need? You may be a can- For more information or to express inter- didate to join the Community Emergency who encountered an unusual and alarm- est in volunteering, contact the Health ing situation nominated them: a sinkhole Response Team (CERT), being launched Department at 216-491-1480. this fall by the City Fire and Health that appeared on her front lawn near the Ê9ÕÀÊÀiV>ÃÌ°°°Ê iÛi>`Ê >ÞÃÊÜÌ ÊÛiÀ>}iÊÕÊ /i«iÀ>ÌÕÀiÃÊ iÜÊÀiiâ}Êq " /\ÊÎÉ{Ó°xÂÊÊÊÊ "6\Ê£ÎÉÎxÂÊÊÊÊÊ \ÊÓ{ÉÓ{°xÂÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Ê \ÊÓnɣǰÈÂÊÊÊ \ÊÓ{É£°ÎÂÊÊÊ,\ÊÓ£ÉÓn°ÓÂÊÊÊ*,\ÊÉÎǰΠiÊ«Ài«>Ài`tÊ-V i`ÕiÊ>Ê i>Ì}Ê ÃÞÃÌiÊÌÕiÕ«Ê>`ÊÃ>viÌÞÊëiVÌÊ ÌÊii«ÊÞÕÀÊiµÕ«iÌÊVi>Ê>`Ê ivwÊViÌ°Ê ½ÌÊÜ>ÌÊÕÌÊÌÊÃÊÌÊ>Ìi°Ê ,i}Õ>ÀÊ>Ìi>ViÊV>ÊÀi`ÕViÊVÃÌÞÊ "Üi`Ê>`Ê«iÀ>Ìi`Ê *1 ÊÉÊ / ÊÉÊ LÀi>`ÜðÊ-V i`ÕiÊ«ÀÀÊÌÊ£äÉΣÉäÇÊ LÞÊ ÀÃÊ>`Ê Ê>] ,Ê " /" ÊÊ >`ÊÀiViÛiÊf£xÊvvÊ­À>ÞÊf£äx®°Ê vÕÀÌ Ê}iiÀ>Ì°ÊÊ ÊÊ Õ«ÊÃÊÌÊÛ>`ÊÜÌ