Other things only a Clevelander would know/appreciate (Parma, Mentor: coupons, loan)

[BelieveInCleve]

Im kind of young, so I dont remember most of this stuff people are talking about on here. I grew up in Elyria and Lorain, so not exactly Cleveland. Some memories I have about Cleveland...

Jammin 92.3 (pop music station, up until about 2000), then I think it changed from 104.9, and now its 96.5

107.9 also didnt used to be a rap station until recently.

I remember when the Browns left and then when they came back. I also watched them in the process of building the new stadium.

I remember when they finished building the Key Tower.

I remember when Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (Cleveland rap group) came out and made it big and we had a movement in the Cleveland music scene. They have since sold over 30 million albums worldwide, and gave a lot of Cleveland area rappers, singers and musicians a chance.

I remember in the mid 90s when the Indians were doing so well, and almost won the world series. I also remember how cold it was in Cleveland during one of the world series games (Like 40 degrees).

Also remember all the baseball players: Manny Ramirez, jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, Kenny Lofton, David Justice, and all the rest of them.

[jaym12]

Hmm, I might have went to one of those schools which were built over the old ones Normie. Was Conventy Elementry one of them?

[normie]

Originally Posted by jaym12

Hmm, I might have went to one of those schools which were built over the old ones Normie. Was Conventy Elementry one of them?

Yes. This was the original Coventry.



The new Coventry. Looks like they added a few touches--the building I remember had a simpler, flatter roof (no skylights). Of course, maybe 30+ years has altered my memory.



When I read through the archives, I was surprised to read about a public outcry over the demolition of Coventry. As I recall, the people of Coventry were very excited about the contemporary design and initially applauded the new school. It was the other three elementary schools that had neighborhood protests. The biggest protest was about Taylor, because that school had an enormous historic mural that couldn't be saved.

By the way, Coventry school was closed last year, I hear. The building will be converted to an Ikea.

[normie]

One other note about the school demolitions--

The protests about the demolitions ended up raising national attention. Seventeen Magazine became so intrigued by the beautiful school buildings in Cleveland Hts. that they put Heights High on the magazine cover and ran a multi-page fashion spread with models posed at various sites around the school.

[jaym12]

wow! That was coventry?? That sucks Coventry closed..Last time I visited was back in 2000...

[normie]

Some more things only a Clevelander could appreciate...

School field trips to Lakeview Cemetary.
Hey, the cemetary was a cool place! Art classes would set up in front of daffodil hill. Someone would always get in trouble for drawing ghouls instead of daffodils. The Garfield Tomb was fun to explore, and no field trip was complete without a visit to that giant tomb for all the kids who died in a horrible school fire.

Field trips to see the see-through woman at the Health Museum.
The 4th grade boys really got excited about this trip...

Also, field trips to the salt company down on the river.
They used to hand out huge salt licks to all the kids to lick at home. Don't know what was worse, thinking about licking a big rock of salt, or wondering if it came from the dirty river... Oh wait, I know... the worst thing was that my little sister loved that thing and licked it every night!

[Cat9]

Besides Hough Bakery, does anyone else remember Spang's Doughnuts?
That's back in the 50's

[LuckyGem]

Originally Posted by normie

Some of you may remember a big fuss in Cleveland Hts. during the 1970s when they tore down 4 elementary schools and a high school. All of these schools had been classic brick buildings from the 1920s. They were beautiful pieces of architecture... and the new buildings were, ummm, not attractive. Not attractive at all. Butt ugly, actually.

It was the era of the "Open Classroom" you see, and the new school buildings were "mod." That's what they called it at the time, any way. They were also ugly, clunky, and noisy. The worst feature? They had large gathering rooms (several classes in each, without classroom walls).

To this day, those mod buildings are reviled (and deservedly so). But, I have a slightly different memory about the old "classic" buildings. When I read accounts about the episode, it sounds like historians think the schools were torn down just because it was the 70's and everyone wanted to be "mod."

What I remember was a general hysteria for about a year before they decided to tear down the schools. People were adamant about wanting new, modern design. I started reading the Sun Press avidly becuase there were all these letter about tearing down my school. I read dozens of letters from people who considered themselves "hip happening" designers and other people who supported this movement. And it was also about sexism and changing the world through architecture. I remember people getting upset that the classic buildings had boys' entrances and girls entrances and how the new modern buildings would "expand our minds and teach children to be free."

But... one thing that has been forgotten is there was a practical reason people hated the classic buildings. They were pretty, but those buildings needed to be torn down. They were in horrible shape. I remember when the ceiling of the auditorium collapsed in Fairfax Elementary School. A few months later they had another structural emergency and we had to evacuate the school immediately. I was in gym class, wearing gym clothes, and we were rushed out onto the street in the middle of winter. Thank god a neighbor let us in to keep warm.

Despite all this, I miss those old buildings. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. They were beautiful.

I went to Noble Elementary in Cleveland Heights for a short time. I remember the building having a mid 70's modern clunky wood open plan style with lime green, orange and blue carpet in that place with the special ed in the basement. They kept the exterior but remodeled the interior.

[delia575]

One thing I've discovered in the past 10 years of living around the US is that nobody loves their hometown and state like Ohioans... And Northeast Ohio folks are the best!

I'm moving to Pittsburgh for a job (I know, enemy territory) after living at least 8-10 hours from Cleveland for the past decade. Reading this thread gets me excited because FINALLY I'll be within 1.5 to 2 hours of all these awesome places that make up the place I call HOME.

Cleveland truly does Rock!

[eyebuck]

Originally Posted by Cat9

Besides Hough Bakery, does anyone else remember Spang's Doughnuts?
That's back in the 50's

Spang's Bakery was on Barber Avenue, my mother worked there. She ran the wrapping machine all though the 50's not only do I remember the donuts, but the cream puffs were out of this world. At the other end of Barber (actually) one house away from our house on Barber was the rear parking lot to Leisy Brewery, the brewery front was on Vega Ave. and on the way home from school we would stop at the horse stable to see and pet the horses they used like the Budwiser Brewery. The brewery had one big anniversary party in the the early 50's where they blocked of the entire area and passed out free food and beer to the neighbors and at the end they had one great firework display.I still have one of the beer mugs with their logo on it from then. Do you remember Laub's Bakery too. My best friends father worker there. Those were the good days on Cleveland.