Other things only a Clevelander would know/appreciate (Euclid, Green: pierogi, appraise)

[no1brownsfan]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

No1BrownsFan

-Ah, high school. Sounds like quite the harrowing experience. I didn't have any stories quite that exciting, but I remember one time feeling especially blessed. I was just starting out driving (had gotten my license a few months prior), and even though no one was around the house, and none of my friends were interested because of the cold, I wanted to go see if Mentor could finish the State Championship against Cincinnati St. X. The weather wasn't terribly bad on the way over, but there started to be freezing rain during the game (which effectively ruined Mentor's chances since they were reliant on their passing game). On the way home, I realized that freezing rain turned to ice can be about the most treacherous driving conditions that exist. I found out firsthand by being on a particularly rough patch, and spinning out of control in the middle of I-77. I still thank my lucky stars that there were literally no other cars on the road that night.

Trust me, I know all about spinning out on freeways in the winter. I remember Christmas Day 2002 coming down 480 west heading to the 271-480 split on the way out to my mother-in-law's house on the west side. My wife was also about 4 months pregnant with out son. It was snowing with several inches already on the ground and it was a wet slushy snow. Well, that stretch of 480 typically is crappy in the winter time, and this instance was no different. I wasn't even going 50, but had to get around a couple of SUVs that were kicking all sorts of crap up on the windshield. The minute I passed the 3rd car, I lost control and spun around several times, and ended up in the median. We had to call AAA to get us out. I swear the Man upstairs was watching over us that day, because there were a lot of cars around, and was not hit by one of them and vice versa. So, while we're waiting a cop shows up, and told me I could cite you for failure to control. I was like "WTF? I wasn't even going the posted speed limit because of the road conditions! He then gets on his little radio and radios to dispatch to tell ODOT that they should probably get a plow in the area as the roads were pretty bad. Umm, yeah... no kidding!

As for high school. There were some good times, and of course some not so good time. It was definitely a simpler time! My junior and senior years were definitely 2 of the best years of high school.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Regarding Don Shula, wasn't his old house (the one he grew up in), the one that is adjacent to Sammy's Family Restaurant in Grand River?

I don't know where Shula lived.

Mummey had a try-out with the New York Giants, if I remember correctly.

They used to break open knees back then to repair injuries and Mummey's knee(s) were a mess, if I remember correctly, derailing any pro career. He definitely was a pro-sized quarterback, even by today's standards.

Fairport Harbor back in the mid-20th century had amazing athletes, given the size of the high school.

Notice Mentor's population growth here from 1960 to 1970.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor,_Ohio

Fairport Harbor likely had a comparable population to Mentor in 1960, and larger in prior decades.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Fairport-Harbor-Ohio.html

Painesville was several times larger than Mentor in 1960. And Painesville Township combined with Concord Township and Leroy Township (Riverside school district) likely also was several times more populated than Mentor in 1960, when Mentor largely was a beautiful nursery center with some nascent retail development.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painesville,_Ohio

So victories over Mentor in sporting events prior to say, 1965, aren't as impressive as they would now seem. Mentor High School now is one of the largest in Ohio.

[no1brownsfan]

Originally Posted by WRnative

I don't know where Shula lived.

Mummey had a try-out with the New York Giants, if I remember correctly.

They used to break open knees back then to repair injuries and Mummey's knee(s) were a mess, if I remember correctly, derailing any pro career. He definitely was a pro-sized quarterback, even by today's standards.

Fairport Harbor back in the mid-20th century had amazing athletes, given the size of the high school.

Notice Mentor's population growth here from 1960 to 1970.

Mentor, Ohio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fairport Harbor likely had a comparable population to Mentor in 1960, and larger in prior decades.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Fairport-Harbor-Ohio.html

Painesville was several times larger than Mentor in 1960. And Painesville Township combined with Concord Township and Leroy Township (Riverside school district) likely also was several times more populated than Mentor in 1960, when Mentor largely was a beautiful nursery center with some nascent retail development.

Painesville, Ohio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So victories over Mentor in sporting events prior to say, 1965, aren't as impressive as they would now seem. Mentor High School now is one of the largest in Ohio.

Mentor is one of the largest. In fact the top 5 high schools by enrollment in northeast Ohio are as follows;

Mentor- 2,713 (1) local... (3) state
Strongsville- 2,424 (2) local (8) state
Brunswick- 2,160 (3) local (12) state...which is actually down from when I went there and the cities population has grown quite a bit since.

Medina- 2,088 (4) local (13) state
Euclid- 2,073 (5) local (16) state

Funny thing is, my wife grew up in Parma, and went to Parma High School. She always said her high school was bigger (yes a bigger building for sure) but today they rank 19 locally, and 71 in the state at 1,454. BEHIND VALLEY FORGE! She always had that "Brunstucky" stigma, and said how we were always so far away, practically in the sticks, and when she went to her aunts house out there it seemed like it would take forever. My brother-in-law who grew up in Solon always throws in the "Brunstucky" jabs as well, and let's see... they rank 13 locally, and 37 state at 1,739. So, I guess I can brag now, LOL! Of course that has a lot to do with the shifting population in this area to more outlying areas.

As for Don Shula. I always had a soft spot for the Dolphins when he was there, because he was a Cleveland guy, and he always reminded me of that favorite uncle. Just that type of impression I got.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by no1brownsfan

Mentor is one of the largest. In fact the top 5 high schools by enrollment in northeast Ohio are as follows;

Mentor- 2,713 (1) local... (3) state
Strongsville- 2,424 (2) local (8) state
Brunswick- 2,160 (3) local (12) state...which is actually down from when I went there and the cities population has grown quite a bit since.

Medina- 2,088 (4) local (13) state
Euclid- 2,073 (5) local (16) state

Funny thing is, my wife grew up in Parma, and went to Parma High School. She always said her high school was bigger (yes a bigger building for sure) but today they rank 19 locally, and 71 in the state at 1,454. BEHIND VALLEY FORGE! She always had that "Brunstucky" stigma, and said how we were always so far away, practically in the sticks, and when she went to her aunts house out there it seemed like it would take forever. My brother-in-law who grew up in Solon always throws in the "Brunstucky" jabs as well, and let's see... they rank 13 locally, and 37 state at 1,739. So, I guess I can brag now, LOL! Of course that has a lot to do with the shifting population in this area to more outlying areas.

As for Don Shula. I always had a soft spot for the Dolphins when he was there, because he was a Cleveland guy, and he always reminded me of that favorite uncle. Just that type of impression I got.

Mentor apparently now has four grades in its high school, as I believe so do most of the others mentioned.

Mentor High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[theurbanfiles]

Yeah, from what I heard, sounds like Mentor didn't get really good in sports until about the last decade despite growing after that. It's still kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around, but then, when you think about the fact that D-5 Kirtland could probably beat all but about 7-8 teams at any level in the Cleveland area, it isn't that implausible. Still though, part of the reason why sports is so great (it still felt like a Hoosiers type moment for them)

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by clevelander1991

Yeah, from what I heard, sounds like Mentor didn't get really good in sports until about the last decade despite growing after that. It's still kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around, but then, when you think about the fact that D-5 Kirtland could probably beat all but about 7-8 teams at any level in the Cleveland area, it isn't that implausible. Still though, part of the reason why sports is so great (it still felt like a Hoosiers type moment for them)

Mentor was very good at football in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the last decade, it has become good in football and basketball. In the 1970s it was very good at cross country, and I know it has had a state tennis champion in the last decade.

[OhioNative]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Mentor apparently now has four grades in its high school, as I believe so do most of the others mentioned.

Mentor High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yeah, Mentor switched to the Middle School and 4-year high school model a few years ago. I still can't get used to my niece referring to "Memorial Middle School." I guess one driving force behind that decision is the declining enrollment in the district. They have already closed two elementary schools (Headlands and Reynolds) and will be closing another in the fall (Dale R. Rice). I guess the younger demographic is no longer staying in Mentor once they hit adulthood.

[shagster]

The Bleacher Bums at the Cleveland Indians games at Municipal Stadium.

Peter Bavasi tried to evict the bums, but then it became an issue of what would happen to drummer John Adams who would hang out in the bleacher area.

Cleveland Indians drummer John Adams celebrates 40 years atop the bleachers | cleveland.com

Bleacher Day seats in the 1970s went for 50 cents.

[shagster]

The quirks of Dino Hall, kick returner of the Cleveland Browns in the early 1980's. Members of the opposing teams said that their difficulty wasn't so much that they couldn't tackle Dino. It was that he was so small that they couldn't find him.

Comedy sketch from the Big Chuck and Lil' John Show in the early 1980's featuring Dino Hall and Doug Dieken.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJYYiK9belw

[JustMike77]

I just tripped across this thread and have been having SO much fun reading all of your posts. I guess I'm not the only Cleveland Expat who hums the Mr. Jingaling theme at Christmastime. Let me add a few of my favorite memories from the early 1960s.

The putt-putt golf course at Southland shopping center. They wrapped free passes on random soda bottles in the "pop" machine (10 cents apiece). I haven't called it "pop" since the early 70s.

The Mercury theater at Southland. Great drug store next door for shakes while waiting for Mom to pick us up. Yes, 10 year olds went to the movies alone with their friends and we didn't get kidnapped.

Stroud Elementary School in Parma Heights which, from the air, forms a giant question mark.

Ghoulardi showing horror flicks on Friday nights.

The night Ghoulardi blew up a bullfrog with an M 80 on live TV thus ending the show and sending Ernie Anderson on to fame as a network announcer for ABC (The Loooove Boat, et al)

The times the river would set on fire down in the Flats.

Lake Erie perch when they were running.

The Sterling Lindner Christmas tree.

Barnaby (Linn Sheldon). I was in his daughter Abigail's class at school for several years and she was always mortified if you mentioned Barnaby. LOL

I have so many more happy childhood memories from the Parma Heights area where I grew up. Thanks for the thread.