Memorial Day 2010

A rose garden has been planted around the Civil War Monument in Willoughby, Ohio, at the north end of Erie Street downtown. This side commemorates the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, fought in Virginia.

Most towns have a monument to war fallen, with the names inscribed in stone. You'd be amazed how many surnames you'd recognize. They're the ancestors, direct and collateral, of people you know.

These memorials are frequently situated in such a way that you can't photograph them without the aesthetic carbuncles of street signs, traffic signals, utility lines and poles.

The roses do make up for it.

Kitchens and Feasts

Thursday morning Maria Cutler of the Cleveland Orchestra's Women's Committee dropped in to chat us about the Midsummer's "Feastival" and Kitchen Tour June 11 and 12, a benefit for the Cleveland Orchestra's educational programs.

The Chef's Feast on Friday, June 11 at the Union Club includes appetizers prepared by chefs from "Moxie," "fire, food and drink," "Flying Fig," "Three Birds" and "L'Albatros" plus a silent auction, dinner and live auction. On June 12, take a self-guided tour of eight kitchens in spectacular homes in Gates Mills, Hunting Valley, Moreland Hills, Pepper Pike and Shaker Heights.

Maria gave this phone number for info and tickets: 216/381-9120.

Chivin'

The Chive Forest blooms beautifully in May. Notice the pink centers in the lavender flowers.

Don't Try This at Home

The British ensemble Stringfever tackles Ravel and, apparently, each other.

There are Many Tales in the Creative City...

Kay Shames, director of Cleveland State's Center for Arts and Innovation, dropped by on WCLV's "First Program" today on 104.9 & wclv.com to chat about the June 7 "Arts Summit" and what it means to be creative in real life, inside and outside the arts world.

The day includes an audience-inclusive panel discussion plus a luncheon. The keynote speaker is actor LeVar Burton. The panel discussion is free; there is a fee for the luncheon. Reservations and information for both events: www.csuohio.edu/cai or 216-687-5018.

Tramping About

A flowery stalk from one of the Cleveland Metroparks. A woodsy end to a beautiful weekend.

Many of you called to say how much you enjoyed the Jubilation Church Choir Festival, held Thursday and Friday nights at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland and heard live on WCLV 104.9 & wclv.com. The capacity audience saw Lloyd Newell, radio voice of "Music and Spoken Word," host the WCLV broadcasts.

The winner of the $1,000 check and the Jubilation trophy was the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Choir of Akron. The results are posted on wclv.com. I'll update on this blog when the performances are posted.

One More Chance

The finale of the 2010 Jubilation Church Choir Festival is tonight. See it in person at 8 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland, or listen in person to WCLV at 104.9 FM or on our internet stream on wclv.com.

Tonight, as last night, three choirs will perform for a panel of distinguished judges. Host of the broadcast is Lloyd Newell, who hosts "Music and the Spoken Word," the Mormon Tabernacle Choir program that is heard on WCLV Sunday nights at 8:30.

In 2008, when Lloyd was in town for the first Jubliation festival, he revealed that of all the broadcasting jobs he's had, hosting "Music and the Spoken Word" is the most rewarding, and he does it for free.

The Chive Forest

The Radio Ranch garden's Chive Forest blooms beautifully every May. A mundane baked potato in the office microwave becomes a work of art when scattered with matchstick-sized cuttings and blossoms from our plentiful patch. When the flowers fade and dry I scatter the seeds over the existing plants and voila! More chives.

Your Suggestions, Please

A shot taken at one of the Cleveland Metroparks. Cleveland may take hits about its economy and sports teams, but its vistas are spectacular.

Your morning announcer's goal this summer is to visit picturesque parks, especially those along the Lake Erie shore. The photos will be posted here. Suggestions, please.

Chatting with Jason Vieaux

Guitarist Jason Vieaux, a member of the Cleveland Institute of Music faculty, dropped in at WCLV today for a chat about the Guitars International "Classical Guitar Weekend," in cooperation with CIM. The concerts take place Friday through Sunday. His recital is Sunday, May 23rd, at 4 at CIM's Kulas Hall. Go to www.guitarsint.com for the schedule.

Did you know that like the lady's stockings below, classical guitar strings are made of nylon?

"Seams" Straight to Me

As the ladies at our table sipped iced tea and talked Katharine Hepburn movies Wednesday at "Lunch With Kate," I spied a sophsticated, serious young lady clad in a conservative black dress. She wore seamed stockings. Her straight seams got more attention than her dress did.

This is the kind of attention to detail that separates Real Women from Vapid Young Things.

Apparently she didn't think her vertical skill was a big deal. When I asked if I could photograph her seams, she said, "Are you serious?" I suspect later she realized was being held up as a paragon of well-dressed virtue.

Lunch With Kate

On Wednesday, over 250 people packed into Sammy's at Legacy Village to lunch on artichoke-stuffed chicken, Caesar salad, strawberry soup, puff pastry cheese twists and madeleines, and to remember the fashion and cultural influence of Katharine Hepburn.

Jean Druesedow, director of the Kent State Museum, holds up the Katharine Hepburn postage stamp design unveiled at "Lunch With Kate," which previewed the Katharine Hepburn exhibit opening in October. Cleveland's postmaster, W. Spencer Hsu, participated in the stamp's presentation. He revealed that he chose the name "Spencer" as a young man because he watched a lot of Spencer Tracy movies.

The sold-out lunch benefit for the KSU Museum coincided with Hepburn's May 12 birthday. Dillard's prepared a show of Hepburn-inspired fashion: formal and comfy dresses, and lots of slacks.

Each person received a scented candle on the way out, and one person at each table took home the potted floral centerpieces: purple heliotrope, pink and white geraniums, yellow daisies, and pink New Guinea impatiens.

On wclv.com, listen to Jean Druesedow's April 29th WCLV on-air interview about the Hepburn exhibit plus an exclusive "web extra" chat about what Coco Chanel said when she heard Hepburn was to play her on stage.

The Greta Garbo of Cats

It has come to the attention of the "Queen of the Morn" that certain cats express their fondness for music by draping themselves over the piano while in a somnolent state. This is illustrated in the household of Gerardo Teissonniere, a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

At the supper following the May 1 Piano/Ohio competition, Gerardo explained that he keeps a tight protective covering on the piano so the cats can nap without compromising the finish. He said early on, he wasn't sufficiently aware of feline scratching habits. His piano bench was an early casualty.

Above is Gerardo's portrait of "Fig," so named because (1) she arrived in a fruit basket, and (2) the spot on the end of her nose was fig-colored. The camera loves her in the way it loved Greta Garbo.

For my money, sleeping cats on the piano are much less annoying than paying customers snoozing in the audience.

Does Your Church Have Chops?

Want to know if your church has acoustic potential? Host a classical concert.

Elizabeth Rhodes, my former morning traffic reporter, and I learned Saturday night that St. Ann Church in Cleveland Heights is tops in acoustic chops. The St. Ann Chamber Orchestra performed a classical and pops concert, part of its "Angels in the Heights" series. Domenico Boyagian conducted. Caroline Goulding, nominated for a Grammy for her Telarc debut CD, looked serene but was all business in the finale from the Bruch Scottish Fantasy.

The acoustics at St. Ann made the orchestra of young folks sound like an ensemble twice the size. As always at pops concerts, those hammy brass and drum players in the back get to upstage the strings. Fabulous sound.

Caroline wore a sleeveless royal blue floor-length dress with a single sparkly ornament on the fabric belt. William Laufer, the impressario who arranges the concert series at St. Ann, presented her with a multi-colored floral bouquet after her performance.

Caroline's last name looks like "GOOL-ding" but it's pronounced "GOLD-ing." Trust me.

Well, I'm Frosted

The Radio Ranch garden was a bit frosty this morning. Despite that, the Chive Forest should bloom on schedule later this week. Rain and thunderstorms predicted for tonight through Friday. Most of the Queen Anne's Lace and mint will be "relocated" to allow for zinnias and sunflowers. The indigenous grass crop is doing very well.

Avian Thoughts

Wednesday afternoon at the Tribe debacle against the Toronto Blue Jays, aircraft approaching Cleveland Hopkins International Airport sailed over the ballpark like that 9th inning home run.

Observed from our perch in section 533: a pristine, white seagull flying across the field and back, sometimes in a circular pattern.

During its serene, tranquil trip across the outfield, the seagull, seeing the giant aircraft above, muttered, "Amateurs."

Can You Say "Oy?"

Yesterday's beautiful blue skies created a perfect day at the ball park. That is, until the ninth inning, when the Tribe gave up a perfectly lovely lead, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4.

Elizabeth Rhodes, former traffic reporter on WCLV's "First Program" and my partner in crime on the 2008 WCLV Alaska cruise, joined me in cutting a wide swath through the refreshment stands on a day when you got $10 of free food for each ticket. In real purchasing power, this meant a hot dog and/or peanuts and a soft drink, unless you had beer, which was $7.75. Oy.

Katharine Hepburn's Wardrobe

Last Thursday on 104.9 FM, Jean Druesedow, director of the Kent State Museum, chatted with Jacqueline Gerber, WCLV's "Queen of the Morn," on the "First Program" about the museum's 25th anniversary and the Katharine Hepburn exhibit opening in October. The exhibit consists of movie and stage clothes, including 17 identical pairs of beige trousers, given to the museum by Miss Hepburn's estate.

If you didn't get to hear the interview last Thursday, you can hear it, plus an additional "web extra" interview exclusively for WCLV, at wclv.com. In the "web extra" segment, Jean Druesedow explains Katharine Hepburn's influence on American fashion, and what happened when Coco Chanel found out that Hepburn was to play her on stage.

Go to www.wclv.com; scroll down until you see the Hepburn photo. Click there and you will find both interviews. Please let me know what you think. Post your comments below.

Hear it Monday Night at 8

Don't envy the judges at Saturday's 2010 Piano/Ohio competition. Each of the six high-school pianists, four of whom were from the Cleveland area, played an exciting and varied repertoire at Cleveland State's Drinko Hall, presented by the Cleveland International Piano Competition.

I had a great vantage point from the stage while hosting the finals, which we taped to air tonight. I won't spoil the suspense by revealing who won. Tune in at 8 Eastern Time on WCLV, 104.9 FM, streaming at wclv.com.