CURRENTS: MAY 21, 2026 ISSUE

VOLUME 41, ISSUE 9 | MAY 21, 2026

Northeast Ohio’s First Social Network

A SUPPLEMENT TO CHAGRIN VALLEY TIMES, SOLON TIMES, GEAUGA TIMES COURIER AND WEST LIFE

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ON OUR COVER

Northeast Ohio’s First Social Network The primary mission of Currents is to feature and spotlight the nonprofit, arts, educational and cultural organizations so vital to Northeast Ohio, as well as the volunteers and philanthropists who guide, support and sustain them.

Thanks to the Gates Mills Gardening Club for the May Currents cover photograph. The club’s popular annual Spring Plant Sale & Vintage Boutique will take place this Saturday, May 23 from 8 a.m. to noon at 1280 Chagrin River Road in Gates Mills. The “Through the Garden Gate” tour of private gardens throughout Gates Mills will be held Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20. For more information visit thegatesmillsgardenclub.com. And for additional home and garden tours on tap this season, see page A6.

IN THIS ISSUE

A 13 ‘TisFOODthe season to shop, support area Farmers Markets

By Cynthia Schuster Eakin

B 1 TRAVEL Galapagos Adventure!

P.O. Box 150 • Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022 • 525 E. Washington Street • 440-247-5335 / Fax: 440-247-1606

www.currentsneo.com Published monthly by the Chagrin Valley Publishing Company H. KENNETH DOUTHIT III Publisher KELLI COTESWORTH MCLELLAN Editor

C4-5 FASHION Fashionable First Ladies

By Jeannie Emser Schultz

REAL ESTATE C12 LUXURY Picture-perfect Paskevich-

By Sarah Jaquay

designed home for sale in Gates Mills

By Rita Kueber

MAY EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: Michele Collins, Cynthia Schuster Eakin, Linda Feagler, Beth Schreibman Gehring, Sarah Jaquay, Rita Kueber, Anastasia Nicholas, Kaley Richard, Andrea C. Turner, Jeannie Emser Schultz LAYOUT: Christine Hahn ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Shari Silk

AD DESIGNERS: Connie Gabor, Ashley Gier

Please call 440.247.5335 for editorial, advertising and deadline information. Currents is distributed in: Auburn, Avon Lake, Bainbridge, Bath, Bay Village, Beachwood, Bentleyville, Bratenahl, Brecksville, Chagrin Falls, Chesterland, Cleveland Heights, Fairview Park, Gates Mills, Hudson, Hunting Valley, Kirtland Hills, Lakewood, Lyndhurst, Moreland Hills, North Royalton, Orange Village, Pepper Pike, Rocky River, Russell, Shaker Heights, Solon, South Russell, Strongsville, University Heights, Waite Hill, Westlake, Akron, Copley, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Hinckley, Montrose, Peninsula, Richfield and Silver Lake.

BENEFIT BEAT Submit nonprofit benefit events to editor@currentsnews.com.

2026 Saturday, May 30...Nature at Night ~ Moonbeam, to benefit the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.

Event to celebrate 60 years.

Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31...Hospice of the Western Reserve Warehouse Sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, May 31, from noon to 3 p.m., at Reserve Care (formerly known as Hospice of the Western Reserve) Headquarters, 17876 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Find gently-used home furnishings and accessories—all priced at a fraction of their original retail prices! THIS SALE ONLY – all clear glass items, wood end tables, TV stands and consoles - 50% off. Sale often includes fine china, glassware, antiques, jewelry, collectibles and one-of-a-kind treasures.

Proceeds benefit patients and families. Call 216.255.9090 for more information.

Friday, June 12...2026 Annual Benefit, to benefit Cleveland Restoration Society, 6 to 9 p.m. at Sarah Benedict House and Gardens, 3751 Prospect Ave., Cleveland 44115. Enjoy appetizers and drinks in the garden, house tours, a raffle of unique items and experiences, an al fresco summer buffet under the tent and musical entertainment by Bent String, performing a mix of early American roots music. For tickets and more information, visit clevelandrestoration.org.

Friday, June 26, Summer Solstice, to benefit Hopewell, 6 p.m. at The Chagrin Valley Hunt Club, 7620 Old Mill Road. Honorary Chairs are Suzanne and Paul Westlake. Support Hopewell and help provide essential residential mental health services for adults in need. Celebrate the start of summer at the beautiful Chagrin Valley Hunt Club, where historic architecture and natural beauty create a welcoming, elegant setting. Enjoy exquisite wines, delicious cuisine, and stunning surroundings as we toast summer 2026 together—all while making a meaningful difference.

Join us under the tent for an unforgettable evening. This event will sell out! Visit https:// hopewellcommunity.org/events/summersolstice-2026/ to become a sponsor, donate a silent auction item.

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Bratenahl Community Foundation “Lunar New Year” For the 37th consecutive year, Bratenahl Community Foundation’s annual fundraiser celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year—2026’s “Year of the Fire Horse,” hosted at Asiatown’s Li Wah restaurant March 7. The sold-out dinner featured the traditional 10-course “Springfest” Chinese menu, followed by a “wine pull” and drawing for a donated basket containing 40 Asian cooking items.

Always a highlight of the evening, George Kwan’s famous Lion Dance Troupe again performed. The artists who comprise the

colorful Lion Dance were accompanied by the requisite Chinese kettle drummer, gong player and the yellow-robed “Laughing Buddha” or Dai Tou Fut. (The Laughing Buddha acts as comic diversion, leading and teasing the Lion while interacting with the crowd.) Guests were supplied with “hong paos,” the traditional Lunar New Year red envelopes to be filled with money to “feed” the colorful Lion. Legend says “feeding the Lion” will assure prosperity in the coming year for the donors.

Bratenahl Community Foundation’s mission

has continued its service and support to the Village of Bratenahl since the BCF’s founding in 1978. While this year’s most important BCF funding was the purchase of new radios for the police force, the most visible was the year-round lighting installations on Eddy Road along with the creative and colorful wraps of utility boxes throughout Bratenahl with designs created by the Village’s own artists.

The BCF’s past support has included: purchase of patrol bicycles and video equipment for the police force; bullet-proof vests for the

Village’s K-9 Corps; donations to the Land Conservancy for green space support; donations to the Cleveland Food Bank; welcome gift baskets to new homeowners; a community information website; quarterly publication of the free quarterly Lamplighter magazine (free to all villagers) and support for New Avenues for independence, a group home for adult women with developmental disabilities.

STORY BY JEANNIE EMSER SCHULTZ/ PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIM SCHULTZ

Katie Kern-Piltch and Dr. Fred Burger

Jeffrey Meyers and Ali Clark

Wayne and Maryann Carney

Thomas Zung greets the Laughing Buddha

Mother’s Day Brunch Jeff Meyers, Andrew Horvath, Susie McKinney, former Mayor John Licastro; Tim Schultz, Mike Martell, Greg DeGulis

Alishia Hussain, Steve Licciardi and Andrew Horvath

MAY 10, 2026 • 10:30AM–3:00PM $85* adults $42* kids 6-12 Free* kids under 6 Limited availability, reserve today!

To make reservations, scan code with camera app, call 216-707-4160, email redina.xhaja@ihg.com, or find ‘Table 45’ on opentable.com. *Tax and gratuity not included Lobby level at Intercontinental Cleveland • 9801 Carnegie Avenue

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Mark your calendars for perennially popular home, garden tours

By RITA KUEBER

W

ith spring in full bloom, we’re more than ready to enjoy warm temperatures and balmy breezes to the max. If you’re looking for ways to get outside and celebrate the season, make a date to participate in one (or all!) of these these annual home and garden tours presented by various community organizations.

Historic Chagrin Falls Home & Garden Tour

Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year the tour, presented by The Chagrin History Center is less of a walking tour through the Village and more of a driving tour in the wider Chagrin Valley area, although the tour homes are all within five minutes of the Village. Visitors will be able to tour gardens, businesses and houses from a renovated mid-Century modern to a rustic retreat, to a home in the Village built in 1853. Docents in each home will provide information and details about the history and architecture of the house.

Tickets are $35 in advance, available by phone, online, or stopping at the museum during regular open hours (87 East Washington Street). $40 tickets available on the day of the tour through purchase at the museum.

A boxed lunch from Two & Company is available. (No transportation available, no wheelchairs, no photography inside the tour homes.)

Chagrin History Center, 440.247.4695, chagrinhistorical.org

Tour of Distinctive Homes/Bath Volunteers for Service

Virtual Watch Brunch May 30 Saturday, May 30 – Watch party Virtual tour available June 1-12 Well, here’s a wrinkle... the Bath Volunteers for Service (BVS) is offering a virtual tour of

six distinctive homes and landscape design.

Proceeds go to nonprofits in the Bath/Akron area that support services for families and children.

The in-person Watch Party Brunch on Saturday, May 30 from 9 to noon is at the Bath Church Fellowship Hall and features the virtual tour plus speakers providing tips on home decor and more. Tickets include a catered brunch for $50, or $375 for a table of eight.

Alternatively, watch the virtual tour in the comfort of your own home. The Virtual Tour, a professionally filmed and narrated video showcasing exceptional homes, will be accessible for 12 days – June 1-12 via a digital link for $40.

Bath Volunteers for Service, hometour@ bathvolunteersforservice.com, bathvolunteersforservice.com

Hudson Home & Garden Tour

Preview Party Thursday, June 11 Tour Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 2026 marks the 78th consecutive tour in Hudson Garden Club’s history. (In 1947 tickets were fifty cents!) To date more than one million dollars has been reinvested in the Hudson community. This is a driving tour.

This year’s tour includes walk-throughs of beautiful homes, gorgeous gardens and unique outdoor living spaces. Properties can be toured Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presale tickets are $35 and are available online and at HOUSE at 46 Ravenna Street, Hudson from June 1 to 10.

The Garden Club also has a tea shop and garden shop at East Woods School, 120 N. Hayden Parkway, Hudson. Tickets are available at the school on tour days for $45.

Proceeds from the tour are funneled into various community and educational projects throughout Hudson. (Guests 12 and older only. No strollers or photography permitted

in the houses.)

On Thursday June 11, the preview party offers hors d’oeuvres and a signature cocktail.

Tickets are $100, 21 years and older only, with summer festive attire requested. hudsonhomeandgardentour.org

Gates Mills Garden Club “Through the Garden Gate” Tour

Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20 Tickets are purchased by mail in advance before June 16. Availability is limited. Tickets purchased online will be available for pick-up at the registration table. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday at the corner of Epping Rd. and Main Street, where the garden club tent will have wristbands and garden maps.

Regular Garden Tour tickets are $35 in advance and $40 on tour days.

The tour includes private gardens located throughout historic Gates Mills and the neighboring area, offering a charming and scenic tour experience. Guests provide their own transportation. Ticket holders will receive a map and detailed information about each garden to guide their visit.

Explore with a self-guided route at your own pace on either date. The Self-Guided Tour with lunch at The Chagrin Valley Hunt Club is Friday

June 19 for $75. The Grand Tour, a docent-led experience with a private motor coach that travels to eight gardens and a bonus stop plus lunch at The Chagrin Valley Hunt Club takes place Friday, June 19 for $175.

A ticket-free boutique runs throughout the tour at 128 Chagrin River Road, open from 10 to 4. gatesmillsgardenclubtour@gmail.com, www. thegatesmillsgardenclub.com

One World Day/Cleveland Cultural Gardens

Sunday, August 30 We admit this isn’t a home/garden tour in the traditional sense, but The Cleveland Cultural Gardens offer a $20 90-minute guided walking tour available during summer, starting at the Italian Garden, and highlighting the diverse ethnic gardens along MLK Jr. Drive and East Blvd. One of Cleveland’s oldest cultural treasures, there are 38 established gardens with 13 more in development.

The 80th Annual One World Day is the premier 2026 event at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens (University Circle, Cleveland). On August 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the event features a Parade of Flags, ethnic food and music. No admission fee. clevelandculturalgardens.org

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Hedge Gallery presents three-person painting exhibition through May 30 HEDGE is presents Things That Ache Softly, an exhilarating three-person painting exhibition featuring Maeve Billings, Madison Mayle and Katy Richards. The artists take inspiration from the natural world, using imagery of botanical forms, landscape and animal flesh. Using this combined symbolism, and themes of intimacy, impermanence and vulnerability, their work reflects conditions from lived and corporeal experiences.

Billings, who graduated from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2021, paints lush images of contemporary memento mori, wants their work to help viewers reflect on their bodies and what it means to be alive.

Mayle, who recently earned her MFA from Kent State University, creates paintings that are informed by her upbringing in Appalachia and use reimagined botanical forms that function as a rhythm and atmosphere rather than depicting specific places.

Richards, who graduated from The

Cleveland Institute of Art in 2011 and went on to earn her MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2014, paints floral bouquets in various stages of wilting and decay, imitating life’s continual balancing act of holding on and letting go.

These artists depict their ideas using personal experiences and notions that invite viewers into alluring, painterly motifs of fleeting beauty, fantastical forms and gore.

The exhibition will be on view through May 30, 2026. For additional details contact gallery director Hilary Gent at 216.650.4201 or hilary@hedgeartgallery.com.

HEDGE Gallery 1300 West 78th Street, Suite 200 Cleveland, OH 44102 Maeve Billings, Wake (Shaker Blvd.) oil on canvas, 40” by 52”, 2025

Happy Henry Henry is a joyful, energetic seven-year-old who brings music, laughter and light wherever he goes. Whether he’s singing his favorite songs, playing baseball with his big brother Jack or dancing around the house, Henry has a way of turning everyday moments into something special.

Born with Down syndrome and congenital heart conditions, Henry has required ongoing, specialized care from an early age. His journey

includes support from a large, coordinated team at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, with experts across cardiology, developmental pediatrics, therapy services and more, all working together to help him grow, learn, and thrive.

Through it all, Henry’s spirit has never wavered. He loves swimming, riding his bike and playing on the playground with friends.

At school, he enjoys reading, music and time with classmates, especially when he can laugh

and be himself. At home, he fills his days with imagination, from baking cookies with his mom to putting on performances for his family.

Henry’s story is a reminder that care is not just about treatment. It’s about supporting the whole child, giving them the opportunity to experience joy, reach milestones and live life to the fullest. With the right care and support, children like Henry can continue to grow stronger and brighter every day.

At Cleveland Clinic Children’s, that kind of care is made possible through the generosity of donors. Support helps provide specialized teams, advanced treatments and programs that allow children like Henry to thrive beyond their diagnosis.

You can help make a difference for children like Henry. Learn more and support our Rock Stars at ccf.org/rockstars.

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Much anticipated Birdtown Brewing opens in Lakewood

By CYNTHIA SCHUSTER EAKIN

G

ood things come to those who wait.

After almost 12 years in planning and construction, the muchanticipated Birdtown Brewing has opened in an historic Lakewood landmark.

The former St. Gregory the Theologian Byzantine Catholic Church served Birdtown’s Eastern European Catholic community for close to a hundred years. It held its final Divine Liturgy at the end of 2011. In 2014, the building was sold and plans for Birdtown Brewing began.

Extensive renovations have transformed the church into multiple areas for dining and drinking. A 32-foot live-edge bar extends along the right side of the main beer hall, and an upstairs loft allows space for private events. There is a brand-new kitchen, a downstairs with pinball and vintage video games, and a patio for alfresco dining. The lower-level barroom offers views into the cellar, where serving tanks are located. The bar top and downstairs tables are made from the old Lakewood High School gymnasium floor. Metal tanks for fermenting and serving beer stand at the end of the church hall in the former sanctuary. Original pendant lights, along with a disco ball, hang from the wooden ceiling beams. Overall, there is seating for 260 guests up, down and outside.

Head brewer Zach DelPriore is offering a mix of classic ales, lagers and seltzers.

DelPriore formerly brewed for Platform Brewing Co. and Market Garden Brewery.

Beers from other local breweries are also offered.

The menu at Birdtown Brewing offers a mix of pub-style fare. For the first time in 70 years, Geraci’s pizza is available on Cleveland’s west side. The kitchen features a pizza oven with a unique design. It has a rotating belt that allows the oven to produce as many as 100 pizzas an hour. There is a

Birdtown Brewing opened recently in a former Byzantine Catholic Church in Lakewood. carry-out window off the patio for take-home pizza orders.

In addition to pizza, the menu highlights other Geraci’s fare. Italian wedding soup is homemade daily. There are Geraci’s dinner classics like lasagna, chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. Tiramisu, cannoli and spingi, Sicilian-style donut holes tossed in sugar and served warm, are available for dessert.

Geraci’s, a Cleveland staple, bills itself as the east side’s number one pizza. It has been featured on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show. It is family-owned and operated by the founder’s daughter, Marti Geraci Spoth, her husband Greg Spoth, and their children, using the same unaltered recipes passed down by their ancestors in Sicily.

Greg Spoth’s parents lived on Lark Street in Lakewood, just a couple of blocks to the east. He said that making Geraci’s pizza out

Birdtown Brewing has seating for 260 guests, up, down and on the patio.

Metal tanks for fermenting and serving beer stand in the former sanctuary of the historic structure. of the Birdtown Brewing kitchen feels like coming home.

The neighborhood around Birdtown Brewing is different today than it was when plans for the brewery first launched. Nearby Madison Ave., a popular entertainment area, is home to Birdietown, Amazonia, Winchester Music Tavern, The Roxy and LBM, all opened in the past 10 years.

Birdtown Brewing, 2035 Quail St. in Lakewood, is open for dinner on Monday through Friday, and for lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Phone 216-712-4297 or go to www.birdtownbrewing.com for reservations.

For the first time in 70 years, Geraci’s pizza is offered on Cleveland’s west side.

EDIT TRUNK SHOW WITH EDWARD GUSKI and TED SAAD Thursday May 21 thru Saturday May 23 10 am to 5 pm The Spring and Summer collection.

New styles and wonderful new prints!

WE ARE OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY FROM 11AM TO 4 PM AND HAPPILY BY PRIVATE APPOINTMENT! 1501 CHAGRIN RIVER ROAD, GATES MILLS | 440-423-0300 | CINDYHALLE.COM currentsneo.com

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City Ballet of Cleveland “Sips & Nibbles” City Ballet of Cleveland hosted its second annual Sips & Nibbles fundraiser on April 11, for 150 guests at their studios in Shaker Square.

City Ballet of Cleveland is a pre-professional dance company, fostering every dancer’s ability and promoting a love of dance through professional training, performance, and community engagement.

Board president Naomi Hollander served as the event’s chair. The event was catered by LaShon’s Catering with wines from Cleveland Urban Winery. Attendees enjoyed a wine and beer pull, 50/50 cash raffle, and bid on raffle baskets.

Guests were invited to watch a special sneak-peek performance of excerpts from their May 16 Spring Repertoire Concert,

Darlene Smith and Gail Smith

Naomi Hollander, Adrienne Chan, Artistic Director Courtney Laves-Mearini, and Executive Director Heather Young

City Ballet of Cleveland dancers

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including a piece titled, “How to Build a Rocket” with choreography by Westlake native Adrienne Chan.

A former student and dance company member of City Ballet of Cleveland, Chan has since gone on to graduate magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University in 2025, where she studied Sociology and

Will Craig, Andrew Sakiewicz, and Albert Chan

Suzanne Zilber, Adin Mann, Richard Konisiewicz, and Peter Linberger

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Theater, Dance, and Media. She currently resides in New York, where she is a freelance choreographer and dancer, and has danced with the Brooklyn Ballet.

For more information on the dance school, its offerings, and upcoming performances, visit cityballetofcleveland.org. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREA C. TURNER

Catering by LaShon’s Catering

Farrell Foundation’s Center for Artful Living exhibits Kathe Lisy A special exhibit and sale of Kathe Lisy’s colorful mixed-media art runs through the end of May at The Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation’s Center for Artful Living, 26633 Detroit Rd. in Westlake. The title of the exhibit is Beyond the Backyard: No Batteries Needed, and it sets the mood for spring and summer. It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

All sales will benefit The Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation for Brain Health. If you have questions, call (440) 414-0434.

Lisy is a retired art teacher whose lifelong love of creativity has woven through every chapter of her life. She finds inspiration in the beauty of everyday moments. A neighbor’s garden in bloom, a familiar local landmark, a simple grocery store bouquet, and the energetic spirit of a beloved pet all spark her imagination. With gratitude and joy, she enjoys capturing the warmth and wonders that surround her every day.

The Center for Artful Living provides an opportunity for all to enjoy the artwork of a variety of professional artists from northeast Ohio in a smaller and comfortable setting, and it is especially well suited for individuals affected by cognitive brain health issues.

The Farrell Foundation has served many people throughout northeastern Ohio affected by brain health issues, including dementia and Alzheimer’s, and their care partners. The goal is to help improve their lives by giving meaning and purpose in both practical and creative ways.

In addition to arts enrichment and wellness programs, the foundation has a monthly support group and family coaching sessions

Read

to assist the individual and family through their journey.

In 2011, Dr. Charlie Farrell and his daughter Katie Farrell Norris created the Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation for Brain Health to make arts enrichment programming available to the community in support and honor of Carolyn Farrell, their wife and mother. They found that the arts bring peace, enjoyment, and inspiration into lives and is an important part in increasing the quality of life for many people. The arts enrichment program provides opportunities for socialization and engagement.

Research has proven how beneficial and effective this can be for individuals affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s. For more information, see the foundation’s website: www.farrellfoundation.org.

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Vocational Guidance Services “Friday Night in The Flats” On Friday, April 17, the Sunbeam Board and Vocational Guidance Services Board of Directors welcomed more than 200 guests to Friday Night in The Flats, held at a new, waterfront venue, Collision Bend Brewing Co. The event raised over $190,000 to provide services and support to local individuals with disabilities.

In 1890, a group of young women known as the Sunbeam Circle came together to sell

handmade items in order to brighten the lives of bedridden children at Cleveland’s Lakeside hospital. Today, VGS and the Sunbeam Board carry on that commitment to those in need, serving 700 individuals each year.

The program highlighted Charlie, a VGS program participant. “Thank you so much for being so generous allowing him to go to VGS and work, just having a good time and making him feel real special,” said his

mom, Michelle Stevens.

Cowboy hats and boots filled the room.

The Tyler Reid Band kept guests dancing all night. Provisions included cocktails, passed hors d’ouevres, a taco bar, and even popcorn. A green screen selfie booth, with Western scenes, gave guests the perfect photo op. Live auction items, all generously donated, included four premium Zach Bryan concert tickets, dinner for four at Collision Bend, and a luxury car service

Charlie (center-left), a VGS program participant, and his family, the Stevens, Michelle, John, Warren, and Max

Wycliffe and Joan Odhiambo

Laura Lamb, VGS Chief Operating Officer; Jennifer Stull, VGS Board of Directors; and Susie Barragate, VGS President and CEO

2026 Friday Night in The Flats Co-Chairs Libby Freeman and Kate Scovil

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provided by Cle Royale; and four premium concert tickets to Post Malone and Jelly Roll with a bottle of Don Londres Reposado and a Trevi Venue Belt bag by FOUNT. “Thank you, 2026 Friday Night in The Flats Co-Chairs, Libby Freeman and Kate Scovil, for their leadership in creating a successful event,” said a VGS spokesperson. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANASTASIA NICHOLAS

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David Vincent and Fran Bisselle

The time is ripe to visit your local farmers’ market

By CYNTHIA SCHUSTER EAKIN The time is ripe to visit your area farmers’ market to stock up on local, fresh and nutritious foods.

The Frostville Farmers Market is in its 16th year and is open every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is located on the beautiful grounds of the Frostville Museum, a living history museum of 19th Century Ohio. The market averages 35 to 45 vendors weekly, and includes farmers, food purveyors and artisans. New to the market this season are Petal and Crumb from Burton, OH. Owner Shannon Mosier offers heirloom tomatoes and peppers, many types of herbs, edible flowers, greens, garlic and garlic scapes, Japanese Black Futsu squash and summer squash, as well as fig jam and baked good. Mike’s Ohio Native Plants, owned by Mike Donnelly of Berea, OH, sells a large selection of Ohio native plants. There are several new food purveyors at Frostville, like Pink House Desserts, Emerald Oats and Ohio Gourmet Cookies and More. Colby Popik of FABA Roasting makes delicious coffee and tea drinks from a coffee trailer and sells his roasted coffee beans.

Four Market Mix events are scheduled for the outdoor season. The dates are June 20, July 25, Aug. 29 and Sept. 26. On those dates, there are about 70 vendors in attendance, including antiques, vintage, and retro arts and crafts vendors. Frostville Farmers Market is at 24101 Cedar Point Rd. Call Market Manager Angie Obbish at 330-592-6518 or go to frostvillefarmersmarket.com for updates.

The North Union Farmers Market has been around for 30 years and is still growing. It champions local food, supports small farms and

fosters vibrant communities across Northeast Ohio. North Union Farmers Market operates eight outdoor summer markets. Visit Crocker Park or Shaker Square on Saturday mornings from April to December. The Chagrin Falls and Legacy Village markets are open on Sunday mornings from June to October. Cleveland Clinic and Lakewood markets are great places to spend a lunch hour, beginning in June. The Van Aken evening market and the University Hospitals noon market are on Thursdays, starting in June.

In addition to connecting farmers with customers, North Union Farmers Market also provides education and resources to help build a healthier, more sustainable food system. The Frittata Project teaches families how to cook budget-friendly meals using local ingredients.

Chefs at the Market brings local chefs to the markets for live cooking demonstrations. Mighty Locavores is an interactive food education program of kindergarten through second grade, fostering lifelong healthy eating habits. Visit northunionfarmersmarket.org to learn what you can do to support these programs.

At the Chef’s Garden Farm Market, each season brings a reason to gather. From spring’s first greens to fall’s final harvest, the market is alive with events that celebrate the rhythms of the land and the people who care about where their food comes from. Upcoming events include The Manna Truck on May 23, a pop-up with La

Petite Art and Hola Island Provisions on May 23, wine tastings with Cutting Edge Selections on May 23 and June 6, and a cooking demo with Chef Andy on June 6. Visit chefs-garden. com for event times. The Chef’s Garden Farm Market, 1517 Scheid Rd. in Huron, is open on Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Kamm’s Corners Farmers Market has been connecting community through locally grown produce and handmade works for 20 seasons. It also hosts sustainability programs, children’s activities and healthy living features.

Located at 16906 Albers Ave. from mid-June

to mid-October on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., it is a program of West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development. Visit westparkkamms.org.

The Coit Road Farmers’ Market, 15000 Woodworth Ave. in East Cleveland, has been providing healthy, fresh, local and affordable food to the community since 1932. The market is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. year-round, and on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in season. The second annual arts and crafts show, “Art Grows Here,” is scheduled for June 21 in the outdoor pavilion. Find more information about the event at coitmarket.org.

Rhubarb Spinach Salad (Recipe courtesy of The Chef’s Garden) Ingredients For the Salad: • ½ cup water • 2-3 rhubarb stalks • 2 tbsp honey; we used creamed • 4 cups spinach • 4 cups kale • ¾ cups crumbled feta cheese • ½ cup raw walnuts • 1/4 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds, optional • 6 pea tendrils optional • 6 sprigs mint, optional Rhubarb shavings, recipe follows Rhubarb dressing, recipe follows

For the Crispy Rhubarb: • 2-3 rhubarb stalk skin, peeled • 1 tbsp olive oil For the Rhubarb Vinaigrette: • 1 cup fresh rhubarb, chopped • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 2 tbsp orange Juice • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp onion, chopped • 1 tsp garlic, chopped • 1/4 cup olive oil • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions For the Salad:

Step 1 Cut the rhubarb stalks for the salad into ½ inch pieces on the diagonal. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss rhubarb with honey.

Roast on upper rack until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet.

Step 2 Divide the spinach and kale into 4 large servings (or six if using as a side salad). Sprinkle the sliced rhubarb, feta, walnuts, pea tendrils, mint and sprouted pumpkin seeds evenly over the salads.

Step 3 Drizzle the rhubarb dressing over the salads add the crispy rhubarb and serve.

For the Crispy Rhubarb: Step 1 Peel rhubarb with a vegetable peeler. Toss rhubarb skin with olive oil.

Step 2 Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until crispy and golden.

For the Rhubarb Vinaigrette: Step 1 Add rhubarb, vinegar, orange juice, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper to food processor. Process until smooth.

Step 2 Stream in oil in a thin stream, with food processor running, until dressing is emulsified and frothy.

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Memorial Day events, celebrations on tap for 2026

By CYNTHIA SCHUSTER EAKIN

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emorial Day is more than a day off, a long weekend or a chance to catch up on yardwork and chores.

It is a hallowed time to honor the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country. Whether it is a parade, a solemn ceremony or a community celebration, there are many ways to salute our veterans. Here is a list of some of the events taking place this Memorial Day holiday.

The Berea National Rib Cook-Off and Beer Fest returns to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds on May 22 through May 25.

This marks the festival’s 27th year.

A select group of area and national rib teams will compete all weekend long, serving up the best ribs and sauce that you will ever taste. Other traditional fair foods will be available, as well. There will be a children’s activity area with a Euro bungee trampoline, mechanical bull and an inflatable bounce house. Musical entertainment includes Revolution Pie at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Cruisin’ at 1 p.m. on Saturday, followed by KC and Company at 4 p.m. and In the Heartland at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday’s line-up begins with Pat Shepard at noon, Jam Machine at 4 p.m. and Yosemite

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Berea Rib Cook-Off

Photograph courtesy of the Berea Rib Cook-Off

The Berea Rib Cook-Off on Memorial Day weekend brings area and national rib teams together for a chance to compete for the titles of Best Ribs and Best Sauce.

Slim at 7:30 p.m. RJ Chandler and the Roadhouse Band can be heard at noon on Monday, with Old Skool Cleveland taking the stage at 3 p.m.

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Berea Rib Cook-Off hours are noon to 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday. Parking is free. Admission

is $10, but free on Friday before 5 p.m.

Children under 12 years of age are admitted free of charge. For additional information, call the festival hotline at 440-234-5181.

The event is the signature event for Berea’s City Club, a non-profit organization that contributes the proceeds generated by its fundraising efforts back into the community.

Since its inception in 1998, the club has donated more than a million dollars to community-related causes including The Berea Clock Tower, Coe Lake Bridge and Lou Groza Blvd. All that you have to do to support their efforts is to eat ribs.

Another delicious holiday event takes place in the heart of Cleveland. The Tremont Greek Fest is a celebration of Greek faith, food, music and tradition, hosted by the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church This lively festival is a chance to experience the warmth of Greek hospitality while indulging in authentic flavors and rich cultural traditions. Savor mouthwatering Mediterranean dishes, enjoy live dance performances that bring Greek history to life, shop the vendors, take a guided tour of the historic church and save room for the irresistible desserts. Festival hours are from noon to midnight on May 22 through May 24. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is at 2187 W. 14th St. Visit www. tremontgreekfestival.com.

Reggae Fest Cleveland brings two days of irie music and fun to downtown Cleveland’s Voinovich Park on May 23 and May 24.

This festival has been bringing one love to the Land since 2016. The event includes 10 bands, food trucks, vendors and a game area. Celebrate Caribbean culture, music and community. Attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs, blankets and one sealed bottle of water. Clear, see-through bags are permitted. Standard admission is $35, or $125 for VIP admission. Weekend passes are available. Call 216-410-9168 for more details.

Kick off summertime fun at the 45 th Walleye Festival in Port Clinton this Memorial Day weekend. There will be live concerts, a kids’ fishing derby, Grande Parade, carnival rides, delicious food and beverages, and more than 130 vendors from around the nation. Go to www.walleyefestival.com to find out more about scheduled entertainment.

The Blossom Time Festival Parade in the heart of downtown Chagrin Falls is May 24, beginning at 2 p.m. This year’s parade honors 250 years of American history.

With roots going back to before World War II and revived more than 60 years ago by the Chagrin Valley Jaycees, the parade has grown into one of Ohio’s most vibrant community celebrations. Marching bands, decorated floats, fire engines, drill teams, community organizations, veterans’ groups and classic cars from across the state fill the streets in a patriotic display honoring tradition, service and community pride.

The Blossom Time Parade draws between 50,000 and 100,000 spectators each year.

Visit www.cvjc.org to learn more.

The Bay Village Memorial Day parade and observance is being held on May 25, starting at 8:45 a.m. at Huntington Beach Park. The procession moves west on Lake Rd. to Lakeside Cemetery for a morning prayer and remembrance, then east on Lake Rd. to Cahoon Memorial Park for a ceremony. Organized by American Legion Post 385 and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 249 , the event is a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives in military service. Details can be found at www.cityofbayvillage.gov.

Gather at the James A. Garfield Memorial in Lake View Cemetery on May 25 for a Memorial Day observance honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The event typically starts around 10 a.m. and includes a flag-raising ceremony, guest speakers, a wreath-laying ceremony and the playing of Taps. Volunteers place more than 9,000 American flags on the graves of veterans in the days leading up to Memorial Day. Go to www.lakeviewcemetery.com.

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By SARAH JAQUAY

“D

on’t forget to pack your shorty.

You can rent one at any [scuba] dive shop,” a friend advised me at a New Year’s Eve gathering.

I’d mentioned I was going to the Galapagos Islands at the end of January to explore the flora and fauna that inspired Darwin. She’d visited many years ago with the same tour operator, Lindblad Expeditions, before they had a partnership with National Geographic (Nat Geo.) Back then, Lindblad didn’t provide guests with wetsuits. (“Shorties” are wetsuits that stop above the knees.) Even though this remote archipelago is near the Equator, the Humboldt Current that flows up from Antarctica can chill the waters, especially from June to November (the Southern Hemisphere’s winter and spring.) But chilly is relative and I’ve ventured into Lake Erie over Memorial Day weekend. My bigger concern was how I’d squeeze any kind of wetsuit into my carryon bag, the only luggage I take along with a backpack. Fortunately, our Direct Travel agent confirmed Lindblad provides shorties for snorkeling. Moreover, Lindbland/Nat Geo provided my friend and me with an 18-page expedition and packing guide providing helpful information ranging from bringing “reef-safe” sunblock (the islands’ strict environmental standards ban commonly-used ingredients such as Oxybenzone, Butylparaben and Octinoxate) to buying ankle-length swim tights so our legs wouldn’t get crispy while chasing sea turtles or those adorable sea lion pups, that love to play with humans in the water.

The Galapagos’s volcanic soil and extreme climate make agriculture difficult but offer pristine, deserted beaches.

We chose Lindblad because we liked the size of their ship and their guides. The National Geographic Islander II accommodates 48 guests, has a 1:1 guest to crew ratio and most of the guides are certified naturalists, many of whom have worked previously in the Galapagos National Park, which covers most of the archipelago.

I’m an iguana freak and my traveling companion is a serious birder. So we had our fauna goals. I wanted to see marine and land iguanas, distinct species with different traits and feeding habits. Talk about adaptation: Iguanas change color to blend into the surrounding landscape.

My birder friend wanted to see blue-footed boobies, lava terns and other “life birds,” a significant milestone when a birder sees and identifies a specific species in the wild that gets added to their personal life list. We were both ecstatic by the end of our five-day trip

Chasing Darwin’s Famous Fauna

Photographs by Sarah Jaquay

The Galapagos giant tortoises that live in the highlands of Santa Cruz can live up to 150 years around the islands to have accomplished what we did. We saw almost everything with the exception of red-footed boobies.

Our five-day cruise through the islands boasted exotic flora and fauna, plus weird tales of pre-WWII human habitation. Other highlights: Going to Post Office Bay, hiking to watch the Nazca boobies feed their young, having breakfast at Rancho El Manzanillo while ancient, giant land tortoises surrounded us; plus standing with one foot in each hemisphere at the Middle of the World Monument north of Quito.

Traditions are important and perhaps nowhere more than at Floreana Island’s Post Office Bay. When we arrived in our cabins, we discovered a postcard on each bed. The staff told us to fill them out to ourselves, a friend or loved one, address them, but don’t stamp them. We woke early one morning to board a Zodiac to Post Office Bay. So named because since 1793 sailors stopping there on their way to Antarctica in search of whales would write letters to their families in case they never returned. They left them in a hollowed-out hog’s head on a post near the beach. Other sailors from England, the Americas and elsewhere would deliver them if they lived anywhere near the addressee so a grieving widow, mother or child might get some closure. Today, there’s an elevated wooden barrel at Post Office Bay and most of the cruise companies offer guests the chance to leave their addressed postcards in the barrel.

Before the newest group of postcards gets deposited, the staff grabs a bunch and reads out addresses. When the guides asked, “Anybody from Ohio?” we responded, “What city?”

When a postcard is claimed, the guides cheer, “The tradition lives on!” My friend and I left with postcards addressed to a Brecksville resident and a Madison resident. The tradition requires you must deliver the cards IN PERSON. If you put on a stamp and mail it, seven years’ bad luck allegedly follows. It was

Our final evening happy hour included circling San Cristobal’s famous Kicker Rock at sunset, a vertical tuff cone rising 500 feet above the ocean.

a total kick when my doorbell rang a couple of weeks after our return and a young couple from Streetsboro delivered the postcard I’d addressed to myself. They didn’t have time for a cup of coffee, but we briefly compared notes on our Galapagos adventures. I was intrigued to learn they’d spent two weeks in the Galapagos on a cargo ship. My husband remarked my postcard probably arrived much faster than if I’d stamped it in Quito and sent it via regular mail.

Floreana also happens to be the site one of the weirdest stories about human habitation of these sparsely-populated islands prior to the age of jet travel making them a year-round

napping next to an adult iguana; neither seemed to have any qualms about their proximity.

Apparently, animals who don’t have a predator/ prey relationship can become BFFs. They were still there when we returned from this very rocky, somewhat treacherous trail.

And while I’d seen several graceful sea turtles swimming underwater, we were looking forward to the huge land tortoises that can live to be 150 years old. Known as the Galapagos giant tortoises, they have long necks that allow them to eat shrub leaves, cacti and fruit. On our last day, we rose early to sail to Santa Cruz, then drove to Rancho El Manzanillo for breakfast in the mist-shrouded highlands.

We could tell immediately the giant tortoises were all around us as we scarfed down our hearty departure breakfast. The ranch provides rubber boots (“Wellies”) for walking around the soggy grounds to see more tortoises. There’s a pond where dozens of tortoises linger to keep cool and hydrated. The guides explained their brains are miniscule and although the giant tortoises live to a ripe old age, they sleep up to 16 hours a day. The rest of the time they forage and mate until they die. There’s no change of life for these creatures. We joked that although humans might want to bargain with evolution for more longevity, if our activities were limited to eating, sleeping and mating until death, we might reconsider. One of our group quipped, “What, no crossword puzzles or Sudoku? Forget it!” The Nat Geo packing guide suggested bringing high cotton knee socks to prevent chafing in the Wellies. We found that to be an unnecessary expense as the ranch visit is quite short before heading onto flights to Gauyaquil, a coastal city in Ecuador, to return home.

There are generally two flight itineraries from the U.S. to Baltra, the only island with a landing strip. One takes visitors to Quito, then onto Guayaquil the following day. The second goes from the U.S. to Guayaquil, then Baltra the next day. We traveled via Quito both ways, with overnights at the Quito Wyndham Airport Hotel. Others who flew from New York or Boston went right to Guayaquil, where they stayed in elegant colonial accommodations at

An adult iguana and sea lion have no fear of each other since neither is predator nor prey for the other species. destination. Briefly, several Europeans (mostly Germans fleeing the rise of fascism in the 1930s) the Hotel del Parque, in a lush natural setting. settled on Floreana hoping to create an idyllic If you have a choice, see if you can fly via the existence. Others followed, including a fake East Coast to end up at the Hotel del Parque.

That said, the main advantage of flying via countess and her two lovers. A true “Lord of Quito was we had almost 24 hours there on the Flies” saga ensued resulting in the death of the way home. So we arranged a private day several of Floreana’s inhabitants, except for the tour and wandered around this well-preserved beleaguered mistress of eccentric Dr. Strauch, colonial capital that’s a UNESCO World whose idea it was to settle there in the first place. There’s a documentary, “The Galapagos Heritage site, then drove about 40 miles north Affair: Satan Came to Eden,” available on to the Equator where there’s a clever Middle of Netflix and a motion picture directed by Ron the World Monument park. There are interesting Howard starring Jude Law as Dr. Strauch called exhibits about the flora and fauna of all of “Eden” (2024) also available on Netflix. One Ecuador and a line marking the exact location of our guides was a descendant of Margaret of the Equator. At one point, visitors may step Wittmer, whose family survived this bizarre into a pair of over-sized bronzed shoes in each hemisphere. Now all we need to do is visit the tale of death and disappearances.

Another highlight was hiking on San North Pole and Antarctica to be completely Cristobal Island to see the vast nesting area well-rounded.

IF YOU GO: The food on board Nat Geo’s for Nazca boobies, a white bird with black Islander II is superior and all excursions, beer markings on its wings and tail feathers. These and wine were included. Only gratuities were birds raise their young in pairs. When they extra.

The dining room where dinner is served return with food in their beaks, the babies must peck and pester their way into persuading their is lovely and breakfast is on an open-air deck parents to feed them. Our guide explained if overlooking the water. All in all, the cruise was the chicks aren’t aggressive enough, they’ll worth every dollar. We booked via Direct Travel starve. But the beginning of the hike was my in Mentor, a Virtuoso-affiliated agency that was favorite part. Dozens of marine iguanas lined offering a 35% discount last July. Please call the rocks near the shore and I caught an odd Carrie Biro at DT Mentor @ 440-602-8062 couple napping on the beach: a mature sea lion for more info about their expedition cruises.

UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital “Ride the Rainbow” On April 25, University Hospitals (UH) Rainbow Babies & Children’s held its signature Ride the Rainbow fundraising event at the Cleveland Public Auditorium. Presented by Serpentini Auto Group, the biennial event raised $1 million to ensure the very best healthcare for children at the pediatric hospital.

The sold-out event with 750 guests, hosted by the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation, has raised more than $11.7 million since its inception to support efforts to attract the best pediatric medical talent, provide compassionate care for patients, and conduct cutting-edge research.

Marissa G. Kiefer, President, UH Rainbow

Jessica Wallenhorst with her son Henry Wallenhorst

Babies & Children’s and UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital and Patti DePompei, RN, MSN, Distinguished Chair in Women’s and Children’s Healthcare Leadership, introduced three incredibly resilient young people whose lives have been profoundly impacted by their care at the hospital: Henry Wallenhorst, Trey Clark, and Samantha Stone. Their inspiring stories were shared with all in attendance.

Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation trustees Erin Connor Reif and Michelle Wesley Licata served as event co-chairs. Stacey M. Edwards serves as President of Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation.

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eight passengers, operated by Flexjet.

The organization’s archivist of 10 years, Margaret Burzynski-Bays, was onsite with various life-size vignette displays, dioramas, archival literature and other artifacts that depicted the history of the hospital since its beginnings 135 years ago. This included the “Rainbow Cottage,” a summer home for convalescing children overlooking Lake Erie at what is now East 105th Street. It was founded by nine philanthropic young women known as the Rainbow Circle of King’s Daughters – part of an international network dedicated to service. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREA C. TURNER

Stacey M. Edwards, Marissa G. Kiefer, Erin Connor Reif, and Michelle Wesley Licata

Trey Clark, his mother Teresa Clark, brother Isaiah Clark, and father William Clark

Parents Jennifer and Steve Stone with daughter Samantha Stone, and Colin Butterfield

Chris and Laura McKenna with Karen and Frank Eagle

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Attendees enjoyed an open bar and sit-down dinner with desserts provided by the Rainbow Soda Pop Shoppe, followed by dancing and high-energy music performed by the Marcia Mitchell Band.

The event included an online silent auction and live auction featuring a raise-the-paddle led by auctioneer Lydia Fenet, an author, podcast host and internationally-recognized speaker. The live auction featured two VIP tickets to the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles, a 2025 E-Z-GO® Express™S4 ELiTE Electric Blue 4 Passenger Golf Car, ultimate private golf package, and five hours of private flight time aboard a Challenger 350 plane for

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American Heart Assn’s Woman of Impact, Teen of Impact winners lead change through fundraising and philanthropy Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer in the United States, but according to the American Heart Association, approximately 80 percent of heart attacks and strokes are preventable. Two area individuals have successfully channeled their energy and passion to build a healthier Northeast Ohio and raise critical dollars to help fund the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association, earning them recognition from the organization. Viki Stoops is the 2026 Northeast Ohio Woman of Impact winner. Teen of Impact winner Katie Zook has been named this year’s 2026 Northeast Ohio Teen of Impact winner. The Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all, is celebrating changemakers in over 160 communities across the nation. These leaders used their campaigns to make the greatest impact in their communities by raising awareness for heart health and funds for lifesaving research, advocacy and education.

The Woman of Impact and Teen of Impact campaigns launched on National Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb. 6. Collectively, this year’s Northeast Ohio nominees educated people in CPR, held more than two dozen events to share the importance of both mental and physical health and raised more than $78,000 to support the vital work of the American Heart Association.

Stoops is a community liaison for Home Instead NE where she helps families in crisis.

Throughout her campaign, Stoops held multiple fundraising and awareness events, including one at a local YMCA where she brought a hands-only CPR experience to the community.

“My why for working with the American Heart Association is that I was affected by heart disease on two different sides: My immediate family and then my job,” said Stoops.

“I meet families all the time who are affected by heart disease and stroke so I want to bring as much awareness, support and resources to the community as possible and do my part to make things better.”

The 2026 Teen of Impact campaign winner, Zook, is a junior at Niles McKinley High School. Zook also held multiple events throughout her campaign to raise funds and awareness of heart disease and stroke, including a dance competition that encouraged young people to move more for their hearts.

“I was a Teen of Impact because my family has been largely affected by heart attacks and strokes,” said Zook. “My mom’s dad

passed away from a heart attack and last year I helped my grandma through the side effects of her second stroke which caused her to have dementia and go into long-term care.”

Twelve nominees competed in the Heart Association’s Woman of Impact™ and Teen of Impact™ campaigns in Northeast Ohio. Each nominee supported the Heart Association in its fight against the nation’s No. 1 health threat, CVD. The Woman of Impact campaign, part of the Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement, specifically focuses on improving women’s health, while Teen of Impact focuses on empowering the next generation to change the trajectory of heart health for their generation.

Stoops and Zook are two of more than 160 other community-level Women and Teen of Impact winners from across the country now eligible for national recognition. The national winners from each campaign will be named on May 20, 2026.

“Changemakers like Viki and Katie and all of our nominees are making a lasting impact in Northeast Ohio,” said Jennifer Coleman, development director of the American Heart

Association – Northeast Ohio. “Together, we have the power to fund more lifesaving research and educate women and teens on how they can take steps now to protect their hearts to help create a future of longer, healthier lives for all.”

Local Woman of Impact nominees included:

Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, Medici Museum of Art Dr. Brianna French, Summa Health Lauren Oktavec, Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital Viki Stoops, Home Instead NE

Local Teen of Impact nominees included:

Ahmed Abdelaziz, University School Bridget Borchardt, Crestview High School Hend Egzait, Solon High School Rehaan Khan, Hawken Upper School Hudson Moser, Canfield High School Sushmitha Venkatesan, Aurora High School

Julia Winchell, Revere High School Katie Zook, Niles McKinley High School To learn more about the Heart Association in Northeast Ohio, visit the Northeast Ohio Woman of Impact website or Teen of Impact website.

About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Caring for Children

Providing 24/7 Safe, Home-Like, Emergency Shelter

Keeping Families Together Preventing Foster Care Placements During Crisis

Strengthening Communities

Enhancing Family Stability Through Support & Advocacy

LEARN MORE & DONATE provhouse.org 216.651.5982 @provhouseCLE currentsneo.com

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From Page to Stage

Playhouse Square presents ‘The Great Gatsby’ in June

By LINDA FEAGLER

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ver the past century, “The Great Gatsby” has risen to be a popular mainstay on many a requiredreading syllabus. (For me, that happened in 10th-grade English lit class at Independence High School, followed by a “Great American Novel” course at Cleveland State University.) Penned by F. Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1925, the novel concisely captures the Jazz Age tone of the times, while addressing enduring themes of doomed love, wealth inequality, societal pressures and the corruption of the American Dream.

Through the years, “The Great Gatsby” has made several successful transitions to the silver screen: Who can forget the hoopla — and the swooning — when Robert Redford portrayed title character Jay Gatsby who’s determined to win back former love Daisy Buchanan played

by Mia Farrow in the 1974 Paramount Picture?

Leonardo DiCaprio took on the role in 2013 in the Baz Luhrmann film that co-starred Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan.

And now, the iconic story — which was reborn on the Great White Way in 2024 and won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design — is coming to the Connor Palace stage June 9-28 as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series.

“The most exciting thing about a tour is the accessibility of it — being able to bring this story to so many people who may not be able to get to New York,” says director Marc Bruni in an online interview with Building Broadway. “The tour has every bit of the opulence we have on Broadway. We’ve created this sense of being dropped into the middle of the 1920s, and what it must have felt like to be amid

all that glamour. Then, in Act 2, we pull the rug on that and let the audience see what is underneath and what the cost of that is.

“We wanted to create something,” he adds, “that hopefully causes people to go back and read the novel and have conversations about the choices that were made.”

Surprisingly, “The Great Gatsby” was not a commercial success when it was published.

The “New Yorker” denounced Fitzgerald as “…revering and pitying romantic constancy, but with detachment. Gatsby, its heroic victim is otherwise a good deal of a nut, and the girl who is its object is idealized only by Gatsby.” In “The Baltimore Sun,” critic H.L. Mencken commented that “only Gatsby himself genuinely lives and breathes. The rest are mere marionettes — often astonishingly lifelike, but nevertheless not quite alive.”

It was during World War II that the novel gained traction and earned the literary status it holds today: From 1943 to 1947, the Council on Books in Wartime — an American nonprofit organization founded by booksellers, publishers, librarians and authors — produced more than 122 million paperbacks, comprised of 1,322 titles, for free distribution to U. S. service members. “The Great Gatsby” was among them.

According to an article in the online magazine, “Mental Floss,” military distribution, coupled with Fitzgerald’s death in 1940, continued to spark interest in general readership. Today, nearly half a million copies of “The Great Gatsby” are sold each year.

Director Bruni explains that although there’s a sense of icon that accompanies each of the characters, the musical’s choreography has one foot in the present and one in the past.

Mother’s Day Brunch

Photograph by OD Company

The Great Gatsby

“The idea,” he explains, “is to depict the 1920s, but everything old is new again.”

To that end, choreographer Dominique Kelley remixed and refashioned dance steps

rooted in the Roaring Twenties but infused with notes of pop and jazz that today’s audiences can connect with.

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MAY 10, 2026 • 10:30AM–3:00PM $85* adults $42* kids 6-12 Free* kids under 6 Limited availability, reserve today!

To make reservations, scan code with camera app, call 216-707-4160, email redina.xhaja@ihg.com, or find ‘Table 45’ on opentable.com. *Tax and gratuity not included Lobby level at Intercontinental Cleveland • 9801 Carnegie Avenue

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to walk out of the theater thinking Daisy is

Gatsby continued from Page B4 more of a villain than they first thought she Jake David Smith, who portrays Gatsby, applauds that concept.

“I adore the score,” he says. “The songs are high-flying and mesmerizing with breathtaking arrangements.

“The show,” the actor adds, “is very reminiscent of the ’20s. But it isn’t frozen in time like a period piece. We certainly make the music, the choreography and the characters themselves more relatable to today and more accessible. As a result, you’ll be able to put yourself into the story and into our shoes a little easier.”

Smith, who Cleveland audiences will remember as Marius in the national tour of Les Misérables, explains that the part comes with enormous responsibility.

“Since [so many people] have seen the movies or read the book, one of the big challenges of the role is honoring the public perception of Jay Gatsby,” Smith says. “When we start the story, I want it to be familiar enough for everyone to believe that I am Jay Gatsby.

“As the story goes on,” he adds, “we really use the medium of theater to open up and hear Jay’s inner thoughts. I get to put a little bit more of myself and my instincts into the role and make it a little more human and less mythic and mysterious.”

Senzel Ahmady, who played Jasmine in the national tour of Aladdin — which included a stop at Playhouse Square — is Gatsby’s bewitching obsession. She was drawn to Daisy after reading the book during her junior year at Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘How do you relate to Daisy?’ and, in all honesty, I reply that I don’t,” she says with a smile. “I want people

was and that the choices she makes are a little in poor taste.

“But,” Ahmady adds, “at the end of the day, what I can understand is that she’s a lovesick girl who got caught in a marriage she doesn’t enjoy and now is faced with making the choice of what to do. Ultimately, Daisy realizes her responsibilities of having a child and sticking by her husband because of the time period and the duties she has.”

There’s a 21st-century plot twist Ahmady especially appreciates.

“There are scenes in our show that didn’t exist in the book between Daisy and her best friend Jordan that are so much fun,” she says. “It’s really cool to hear more from the female characters than we did in the 1925 novel. There’s so much more for them to say in this story.”

Times have changed since Fitzgerald’s novel was published 101 years ago. Yet, adds Smith, some things have not.

“The themes about the American class system that the novel and the musical deal with — the idea of being born into wealth or acquiring wealth or not having much wealth — are still relevant today,” he reflects.

“All of the characters throughout our story, wherever they fall on the socioeconomic ladder, all have relatable human dreams and wants. How much money these folks have or what rooms they are or are not allowed into doesn’t make those dreams any less valid.

“That’s something” Smith adds, “that resonates with everyone no matter what year the story is being told.”

For show times and tickets, visit playhousesquare.org.

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Charitable Giving After Divorce: Aligning Your Estate Plan with Your Values

By Andrew Zashin Divorce often marks the end of one chapter, but it can also be the beginning of a meaningful opportunity to reassess priorities, including how and where you give.

For many individuals, charitable giving becomes a more intentional part of financial and estate planning after a major life transition. As circumstances change, so too can the desire to support the people, institutions, and communities that have played an important role in one’s life.

Estate planning is not just about distributing assets. It is about aligning those assets with your values. For individuals who have gone through divorce, that often means taking a fresh look at how their legacy can reflect both family priorities and philanthropic goals.

One of the most common and accessible ways to incorporate charitable giving into an estate plan is through a charitable bequest. This allows an individual to designate a specific amount, percentage, or asset to a nonprofit organization through a will or trust. Because the gift is made in the future, it does not affect current financial flexibility while still allowing for a lasting impact.

Another option is naming a charitable organization as a beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy, or investment account. These assets often pass outside of probate, making beneficiary designations one of the most effective and straightforward ways to integrate charitable giving into an overall estate plan.

Recent federal tax law changes have also shaped the broader estate planning landscape. The estate tax exemption remains historically high, at approximately $15 million per individual. While this means fewer families are directly impacted by federal estate taxes, it has also prompted many individuals to think more intentionally about how they structure their estates and incorporate charitable giving into their long-term plans.

For many, especially after a divorce, charitable giving takes on a more personal dimension. Major life transitions often lead to reflection on what matters most. Some individuals choose to deepen their support for educational institutions, synagogues, or community organizations that have shaped their lives, while others discover new causes that align with their evolving values.

At the same time, charitable giving should be balanced with family considerations.

Thoughtful estate planning allows individuals to protect children and loved ones while also creating space for meaningful philanthropy.

This process also includes reviewing and updating existing estate documents.

It is not uncommon for individuals to find that a former spouse is still named in a will, trust, or beneficiary designation. Updating these documents ensures that both personal and charitable intentions are clearly reflected.

The key is intentionality. Charitable giving, like any part of an estate plan, should reflect your current life circumstances and long-term goals.

Because estate planning laws and individual situations vary, it is important to consult qualified legal and financial professionals when making these decisions.

Ultimately, charitable giving after divorce is about more than financial planning.

It is about purpose. It offers individuals the opportunity to shape a legacy that supports not only their families, but also the broader community, traditions, and values that matter most.

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From left: Rainbow Foundation President Stacey Edwards, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s President Marissa Kiefer, Ride the Rainbow Co-Chairs Erin Connor Reif and Michelle Wesley Licata

Richfield Community Garage Sale The 44th Annual Richfield Community Garage Sale, sponsored by the Richfield Civic Organization, will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Shopping hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Over 80 individual sales will be held throughout Richfield.

An itemized list of what will be available at each garage sale and a map showing sale locations may be purchased for $1.50 from 7:30-10:30 a.m. (or until sold out) on the day of the event in front of Fellowship Hall at 3903 Broadview Road (across from the U.S. Post Office) in Richfield. Sale participants will have an official sign posted near the road in front of their homes – and a number of sales will be held on the green in the center of town (at the corner of Broadview Road/Rt. 176 and W. Streetsboro Road/Rt. 303).

The Richfield Civic Organization – a nonprofit group -- will apply the garage sale participation fees from this event toward helping to fund its annual community service scholarship for a Revere High School senior; providing free community events such as the annual tree lighting ceremony, Earth Day event and biennial candidates’ night; assisting individuals and families in need as well as supporting organizations/individuals requesting donations within the community.

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Cuyahoga DD

Established in 1967, the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities serves more than 15,000 county residents and their families.

Our Mission is to support and empower people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, work and play in the community.

We are here to help people of all ages succeed in school, work and life!

Cuyahoga DD is primarily supported by a property tax levy last approved by voters in 2005.

If you or someone you know needs services, apply for eligibility on our website, or call 216-736-2673.

Learn more at CuyahogaDD.org

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Sculptor Martin Puryear’s Exhibit, ‘Nexus’ on View at CMA

By ANDREA C. TURNER

A

landmark retrospective of renowned American artist Martin Puryear’s work, “Nexus” is now on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) through August 9. Puryear has been called “the greatest living sculptor” by “The New Yorker.” This exhibit displays captivating works constructed throughout his six-decade career.

The 84-year-old native of Washington, D.C., attended the opening media preview on April 9, and answered questions from a room full of admirers of his simplistic, abstract sculptures’ exquisite craftsmanship and architecture.

While accentuating the art’s visual allure, this exhibition and its accompanying catalogue shed light on the ways that the artist’s unique visual vocabulary has been shaped by his enduring interests in global traditions of material culture, African American history, and the natural world including ornithology.

“Puryear is best known for his sculptures, which are startlingly beautiful abstract forms.

But beyond their beauty, these works invite us to see with fresh eyes the world that we

inhabit — they are timeless and contemporary all at once,” reflected Emily Liebert, CMA’s Lauren Rich Fine Curator of Contemporary Art and Chair of Art of the Americas and Modern and Contemporary Art. Co-organized with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), this is the first comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work in nearly two decades.

Assembling some 50 works, the exhibition focuses on his use of a rich variety of materials and media – primarily wood, but also metal, marble, glass and rawhide. It includes rarelyshown drawings, prints and maquettes. When asked where he sources his wood, Puryear said that he obtains it from multiple places including live trees on his own property as well as sawmills.

Puryear’s work is on display throughout the country at the Smithsonian Museum, the Storm King Art Center, ArtPark, Madison Square Park and more. He received a 2011 National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama, and is one of eight artists commissioned to create work for the Obama Presidential Center in advance of its June 2026 opening in Chicago.

He earned his B.A. from the Catholic

Alien Huddle (1993–95), Red cedar, pine. The CMA, Gift of Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro. Photo courtesy of CMA. University of America (1963) and his M.F.A. from Yale University (1971). He also attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm (1966–68).

A familiar work to Cleveland audiences, his “Alien Huddle” sculpture is in the permanent collection of CMA. A spherical shell with its bulbous joined spheres made of pine and cedar, it reveals the close relationship between organic form and material that is emblematic of his sculpture. A great breadth of aesthetic traditions informs his work, including modernist abstraction, Indigenous African crafts, boat building, and recent technology. Puryear seamlessly attached red cedar planks to the pine core without metal fixtures, a skill attributed to his training in furniture making, joinery, and woodworking. He constructed Alien Huddle’s three interlocking spheres by attaching one strip of wood to the next around a hollow core. He

learned this technique, called cold molding, by studying boatbuilding techniques.

In truth, Puryear said this piece was inspired by being present at home for his wife’s labor and birth of their daughter, which he called “a brutally athletic event.” The alien is not from outer space, but the new living creature born into the family. He said the piece reflects him embracing this new entity in his life.

The CMA recommends reserving tickets online by visiting the exhibition web page: https://www.clevelandart.org/exhibitions/ martin-puryear-nexus Advance ticket sales are recommended.

Tickets may also be reserved by phone at 216.421.7350 or on-site at one of the ticket desks. Tickets can purchased individually or as a combo package to view “Manet & Morisot” through July 5. Children five and younger and CMA members are free.

At left: Red cedar, aluminum paint. Dallas Museum of Art, General Acquisitions Fund and a gift of the 500, 1987.350. Courtesy of Matthew Marks Gallery. Photograph by Andrea C. Turner

The Molto Bella Charity Car Show is Proud to Introduce “Keep on Truckin’: Rise of the Great American Truck” Open at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum May 8 to October 3, 2026 The Molto Bella Charity Car Show is Sunday, September 13, 2026, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Hale Farm & Village, where a special American Muscle Car Display will be presented to celebrate the 250th Year of America along with many exotic cars and special vehicles.

More Information: www.wrhs.org | 216.721.5722 | info@wrhs.org C2

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Fostering Hope “Havana Nights” Fostering Hope of Ohio hosted a Havana Nights fundraiser on April 18, at Tiffany Glass Space in downtown Cleveland (the former City Club location) for more than 100 party-goers.

Guests enjoyed Latin-inspired food, cocktails, cigar speakeasy provided by Robusto & Briar, a wine pull, a Cuban-themed photo booth, and music from Justo Saborit and his band Havana Nights. Todd and Carolyn Kennedy served as presenting sponsor.

The nonprofit works to enrich the lives of youth in foster care and residential treatment

across Northeast Ohio. It serves children most often overlooked and young people in transition whose lives have been shaped by instability, loss, and uncertainty. The organization was recently named the 2026 Community Partner of the Year by Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services for its 13 years of dedicated work serving youth in foster care, made possible through strong collaboration with a team of county social workers.

Fostering Hope partners with group homes,

Kristen Dipert, Heidi Wuescher, Marcia McNallie, and Pauline Tung

foster families, and residential treatment centers to surround youth with experiences of normalcy, celebration, and belonging. From birthday surprises to sensory-friendly self-care nights, from school supply support to holiday joy — every moment is designed to tell a child, “You matter. You are not alone. You are loved.”

Transitional Executive Director Annemarie Grassi Amefia opened the program sharing remarks about the work that the organization does in providing journey bags with essentials and comfort items, delivering personalized

birthday wish boxes, and providing evidencebased wellness practices through art, yoga, and gardening to youth in foster care.

Amefia introduced new CEO Darren Hamm, who started in mid-March. Most recently, Hamm served as Senior Director of Field Offices for the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, helping oversee a network of programs supporting families across North America. To learn more, visit fosteringhopeohio.org. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREA C. TURNER

MaryJo Clark, Amanda Pohlman, Alexis Earley, Ashley Hebebrand, and Laura Marotta

Carolyn and Todd Kennedy

Annemarie Grassi Amefia and Diane Attell

Sean and Kacey Shapiro

Read

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The Devil Wore Prada…But Not Most FLOTUS Fashionistas

By JEANNIE EMSER SCHULTZ

T

he Devil may have worn Prada, but only one U.S. First Lady has ever been recorded wearing a Prada design during their husband’s presidency.

(Melania Trump, who often shops retail, favoring European labels). When it comes to FLOTUS designers over the years, however, the favorite– hands down–has been the late Oscar de la Renta.

Almost every First Lady from Jacqueline Kennedy to Jill Biden has worn “Oscar,” with many—like Nancy Reagan and Laura Bush becoming close friends with the designer. A custom peach dress designed for Jacqueline Kennedy in the early ‘60s for an official visit to India kicked off the steady tradition of Oscar de la Renta designs for First Ladies.

Nancy Reagan famously wore de la Renta throughout her stint as First Lady, often favoring what would become known as her signature “Reagan Red.” Likewise, as her go-to designer, Laura Bush wore a winter white “Oscar” coat at the 2005 inauguration and a silver sparkly number to the ball. Laura Bush’s mother-in-law, First Lady Barbara Bush, was photographed in a red Oscar pantsuit, noting he was among her chosen designers for her public wardrobe.

(Personal Note): Barbara Bush was not always so forthcoming as to “who” she was wearing. Backstage at Playhouse Square–appearing as one of our speakers–Mrs. Bush wore a lavender wool sheath with her favorite signature pearls. I asked her assistant “who” had designed the dress. “Arnold Scassi,” the assistant replied. Later, at lunch, I noticed Mrs. Bush’s interesting handbag and asked if it was a Judith Lieber. Very sternly she said, “Oh, we don’t disclose who our designers are...do we?”…as she looked directly at her assistant. The assistant shot me a wide-eyed stare as if to plead, “Please don’t tell her I told you the dress was a Scassi!

So influential was Oscar on the Bush family they launched the “Oscar de la Renta:

Martha Washington’s gown... oldest in the Smithsonian’s First Ladies Collection.

Grace Coolidge’s flapper-style inaugural ball dress.

Five Decades of Style” retrospective at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. After the designer’s death, Bush said, “My daughters and I have many fond memories of visits with Oscar, who designed our favorite clothes, including Jenna’s wedding dress. We will always remember him as the man who made women look and feel beautiful.”

Oscar was quoted saying Hillary Clinton— coming from Arkansas—was more difficult to design for, being a bit “prudish.” “She has lovely shoulders and very nice décolleté,” he noted. “Before I die, I’m going to get her in a strapless dress.” While Oscar didn’t live to see that, Hillary did wear his gold embroidered gown to the ‘97 inaugural ball, and another Oscar design to accept her Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album of her book “It Takes A Village.” She also wore Oscar when chosen as the “first” First Lady to appear on a VOGUE cover in ’98.

While COVID precautions canceled President Biden’s inaugural ball, Dr. Jill Biden’s first appearance in an Oscar design as the future FLOTUS was an asymmetrical, draped floral embroidered wool-blend crepe midi-dress (accessorized by a matching COVID mask!)

“Fashion is nonpolitical and nonpartisan,” Oscar once said. Nonpolitical and nonpartisan—maybe—but certainly not without criticism. Pat Nixon, for example, was the first First Lady to break a fashion barrier by wearing pants in public. Criticized at the time, it paved the way to more functional, comfortable attire for First Ladies such as Hillary Clinton’s signature pants suits. The public also criticized Nancy Reagan’s lavish wardrobe as the country suffered economic downturn, and Melania Trump’s “I really don’t care. Do U?” statement jacket worn at a child immigration camp raised public hackles.

Historically, first ladies have utilized fashion to project American culture and values, alternating between established American designers and emerging talent. Michelle

Mother’s Day Brunch A partial exhibit of the Smithsonian’s First Ladies inaugural gowns.

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Obama, preferred contemporary brands like J. Crew, but elevated up-and-coming designers including Jason Wu, Michael Kors and Isabel Toledo. Michelle also wore Oscar de la Renta, but not until seven years into her husband’s presidency.

In a Good Morning America interview, Michelle said while she thought her fashion choices should be a tool to talk about inclusion, diversity and opportunity, neither did she want it to” take up all the oxygen.” She added she was a “famous person” but not a “starlet,” so “the clothes could never speak louder than anything I had to say.”

First Lady fashion statements began with the “first” First Lady, Martha Washington. With no precedent as to what a First Lady should wear, she chose only clothing made in the U.S. from high-quality U.S. fabrics. Martha remained “homespun” (since husband, George, did not want to be perceived as monarchical), while President James Madison’s wife, Dolley, may have been the first FLOTUS fashionista.

Dressing lavishly in imported goods, costing her husband dearly in taxes and tariffs, she also set trends, showing cleavage in décolleté dresses and wearing turban-style headwear that sent the country’s milliners scurrying to design turbans for their clientele.

Rosalyn Carter (who reused gowns) chose primarily one designer to dress her, Mary Matise. Likewise, President Lincoln’s wife, Mary, used only Elizabeth Keckley (a former slave who started her own dressmaking service). Elizabeth became one of Mary’s confidantes, and, oddly, two of her other clients happened to be the wives of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate General Robert E, Lee! World War II put fashion on the backburner as women filled factory jobs for men serving in the military. At war’s end, Mamie Eisenhower championed the Dior New Look, characterized by ultra-feminine silhouettes of cinched-in waists and full skirts which now fitted the more conservative 1950s ideal of ladies returning to their housewife roles. She dressed like the typical American woman, making it easy for people to relate to her. And, like Nancy Reagan’s signature “Reagan Red,” Mamie

Lady Bird Johnson’s satin coat dress trimmed with sable at President LBJ’s request. adored a certain color which also came to be known specifically as “Mamie Pink.”

FLOTUS fashion has been preserved thanks to two female curators after First Lady Helen Taft began the tradition in 1912 of donating her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian. That collection now contains more than 1,000 objects, including personal effects and furniture in addition to inaugural gowns. (Melania Trump is only the second first lady — joining Ida McKinley — to donate two inaugural gowns to the collection.)

The “First Ladies” is one of the Smithsonian’s most popular collections, receiving new donations while working to preserve aging artifacts.

Display items rotate. Some move to storage, like Martha Washington’s hand-painted silk gown, in storage since its 2017 exhibit. Martha’s dress (while not an inaugural gown), is the collection’s oldest, dating back to the 1780s.

The Smithsonian’s oldest “inaugural” gown belonged to Andrew Jackson’s niece, Emily Donelson, who wore it to his 1829 inaugural ball.

Lady Bird Johnson, knowing the inaugural dress donation tradition, decided on a simple

Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic suit worn on the fatal day of President Kennedy’s assassination. design she thought would age well. Smithsonian curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy said the yellow satin coat/dress was a bit too simple for President Johnson’s tastes. He suggested she add sable to the sleeves saying, “Bird, you need to dress it up some.”

Jackie Kennedy’s style legacy continues to this day–the first FLOTUS to employ fashion to not only advance her own image but as a form of diplomacy (like wearing a French designer for official visits to France.) While the Russian-born US costume-fashion designer Oleg Cassini was chosen as her unofficial stylist, she also wore Oscar de la Renta plus

outfits designed by Chanel but signed off in Paris then copied and sewn in New York to show U.S. loyalty.

Of all various First Lady outfits, perhaps none is as iconic and sorrowful as the pink Chane suit worn by Jackie Kennedy Nov. 22,1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated. The suit is now stored in a secret, climate-controlled facility at the National Archives & Record Administration in College Park, MD. It remains uncleaned—still stained with JFK’s blood. It is slated to remain out of public view until 2103 (to limit sensationalism) per a “deed of gift” from her daughter Caroline Kennedy.

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Beech Brook “Bash! For the Brook” Huntington Bank Field – home of the Cleveland Browns – was the site of Beech Brook’s fifth annual “Bash! for the Brook” on April 24. This year, 160 guests gathered in the “Draft Room” for cocktails, buffet dinner, raffle drawings, a 50/50 raffle, scratch-off game, and raise the paddle for Fund-A-Need to raise more than $100,000 to support the operations of Beech Brook’s essential services. Their work stabilizes families and strengthens communities – supporting children and caregivers through counseling, prevention programs, and foster care.

Guests enjoyed exclusive guided tours of the football stadium, including a visit to the

Victor DeMarco, Jennifer Pinkerton, and Gary Small

playing field, the Press Box, and photo ops with mascot Chomps.

The organization, one of the oldest active non-profit social service organizations in Northeast Ohio (founded before the Civil War) grew from an orphanage into a leader in community-based behavioral health and early intervention services. Beech Brook serves thousands each year, working to help children thrive by strengthening families.

On January 22, 2027, Beech Brook will celebrate 175 years of impact. Throughout the year, they will host a gala, special events, community gatherings, and engaging activities that honor its history.

New board president Gary Small delivered opening remarks before introducing Tom Royer, President and CEO. Royer, who is in his 35th year and eighth as its CEO, happens to be a huge Cleveland Browns fan.

Since 1974, Beech Brook has focused on prevention by working with children in 60 schools – where kids spend most of their waking hours. Since the pandemic, there has been an increased need for mental health services. Half of all youth show symptoms of a mental health issue by age 14.

Carrie Tulino-Bell, Director of the Twinsburg school-based program, in her 18th year, spoke of the challenges that young

Guests toured Huntington Bank Field

Gretchen Adair and Emma Latshaw

Left: Guests got a birds-eye view of the field from the Press Box

Right: Randy and Gretchen Metzger

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people face. She talked of a Twinsburg family whose third grade daughter Sylvia was dealing with the anxiety of her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. Now a seventh grader, Sylvia’s learned coping skills through school-based therapy, and stayed engaged and connected at school. Her mom said that Beech Brook has been a godsend for the family.

Pradco served as the event’s presenting sponsor, with support from Kaulig Giving, KeyBank, RPM, and RSM. Visit www. beechbrook.org for more details. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREA C. TURNER

CHAGRIN VALLEY

EXPERTLY REPRESENTED Current offerings and recent sales throughout the Chagrin Valley market A SELECTION OF HOMES AVAILABLE

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DDC Clinic “Patchwork” The Patchwork 2026 event, put on by the DDC Clinic Center for Special Needs Children, brought in 271 people to Schoolyard Studios in Burton.

With “Hope Grows” as the theme of the event, it encompassed the early vision from the start of the clinic. Since starting the clinic, the impact for children and families with special needs has grown not only nationally but globally.

“At the DDC clinic, we often think in terms of connection. How each discovery leads to another, how each patient teaches us something new, like a patchwork quilt, every piece matters. And every story matters and every person in this room matters,” Executive Director Eli Miller said.

The event raised $194,651 with the

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fund-a-need portion of the evening raising more than $71,000 to support the purchase of an echocardiogram machine for the Family Heart Center, a meaningful step forward in care for patients and families.

The clinic and its staff serve over 2,500 patients and just recently opened a second clinic in Pennsylvania.

Honorees Jim and Nancy Patterson received the 2026 DDC Clinic Legacy Award, they have supported the clinic’s mission since the beginning.

“Hope grows because of families like Patterson. Because of roots that run deep.

Because of people who believed long before the world could see,” Lifetime Director JoAnn Brace said.

A patient impact video, featuring a family

May 21, 2026 currentsneo.com

from Alaska that has been affected by the work being done at the DDC Clinic, was presented to show their real nationwide effects. During the event, supporters

participated in the dessert dash, the silent and live auctions and the raffle. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KALEY RICHARD

Jianhui Du, Dr. Heng Wang, Wendi Wang and Greg Barlion

Becca Terrill, Julia Szekely and Oliver McCourt

Patra Duangjak and John Fitts

Amy Castelli, Patricia Sharpnack, John Fitts, and Scott Brace

History Center chronicles the rise of the great American truck

By Cynthia Schuster Eakin

F

rom workhorses to industry icons, trucks have evolved to become an integral part of American car culture.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, located in the Western Reserve Historical Society Cleveland History Center, has a new exhibit, “Keep on Truckin’: Rise of the Great American Truck.” The exhibit explores the transformation of the truck from a motorized wagon into a cornerstone of American culture and commerce.

A featured stop on the America 250Ohio Transportation Trail, the display celebrates Ohio’s role in moving the nation. As part of the statewide “Trails and Tales” initiative, “Keep on Truckin’” connects local innovation to the national story.

Not long after the first automobiles took to the roads at the end of the nineteenth century, “horseless carriages” were modified to distribute commercial goods. These early trucks were mostly utilitarian, designed to fill specific needs and discarded when no longer needed.

Because preservation was not a priority, the surviving models in this exhibit offer a rare look at the machines that built our modern world. The exhibit illustrates the change from humble delivery wagons to today’s high-tech luxury vehicles. Visitors can see rare items from Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum’s permanent collection alongside specially

loaned vehicles that showcase the truck’s journey through American history.

C l e v e l a n d ’s own White Motor Corporation is a centerpiece of the exhibition. Once a global leader

in the automobile i n d u s t r y, W h i t e Motor’s contributions were essential to the development of commercial trucking, cementing Cleveland’s reputation as a powerhouse of industrial innovation. From long-haul delivery trucks that sustain our economy to the SUVs and pickup trucks that fill our driveways, “Keep on Truckin’” offers deep insight into the vehicles that define the American experience.

Admission to “Keep on Truckin’: Rise of the Great American Truck” is included with museum general admission to the Cleveland History Center, 10825 East Blvd. in Cleveland.

“Keep on Truckin’: Rise of the Great American Truck” examines the transformation of the truck from a motorized wagon into a cornerstone of American culture and commerce.

Visit www.wrhs.org for more information.

The exhibit runs through October.

The Western Reserve Historical Society is a Smithsonian affiliate and a member of the America 250-Ohio Commission honoring the semiquincentennial of the United States

in 2026. Each state has been encouraged to create a celebration and commemoration of this anniversary to reflect the character and contributions of each state to the nation over the past 250 years. More details can be found at www.america250-Ohio.org.

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Is YOUR home ready for spring, summer months?

By RITA KUEBER “We’re seeing color like we haven’t seen in years,” says Diana Sheeks, manager of Fish Furniture’s Mayfield Heights location. She has been with the now 100-year old company for the past 10 years, but also worked for Fish in the 80s before pursuing more design work.

“Right now we’re seeing ivories with pinks, dark teal sectionals, anything except gray and white, really.”

Fish Furniture works with clients to craft the best furniture for that family’s lifestyle. “We may add outdoor furniture into the mix in the future,” she says, “but for now we carry lines that offer pieces good for three-season rooms and sunrooms in rattan and wicker. Many pieces can’t be left outside or in an external element – the furniture will warp,” she cautions.

“Ohio summers are short,” Diana says. “People don’t change too much out seasonally. They might apply some fresh paint, or they might switch out a dark rug for something brighter and cheerier. They might rearrange their artwork or lamps to update a space without changing everything about the room. You can also switch out the pillows on the sofa or swap out draperies with sheers.”

She also mentions that Fish Furniture carries highly realistic floral arrangements and using bright spring colors – pinks and yellows in the living and dining rooms will bring the new season inside. She is especially excited about a high-end line of furniture from Wesley Hall, based in North Carolina with a nearly endless series of choices from durable fabrics to leather, custom-made pieces and more. She also mentions Fish Furniture carries a new, innovative line, The Erin & Ben Collection, inspired by

The Erin and Ben Collection is available at Fish Furniture, inspired by HGTV’s “Home Town.” Photograph courtesy of Fish Furniture HGTV’s program “Home Town.”

“People are leaning toward light, more neutral and natural colors with brown tones in the mix, or a whitewashed finish, and these will bring spring into your home as well.

“We’re very much a custom house,” she adds.

“We help clients decide on the arms and legs of their pieces. Change the seat depth and firmness, and we offer hundreds of fabrics with different finishes and price points. We carry Amish companies as well, which create hardwood nightstands, chests and dressers. We can even customize the finish on the upholstery – tufted, say, or nail head. We send designers to a client’s

house to measure and get a sense of the home’s scale. We also deliver to most of Northeast Ohio using our own crew and trucks.”

Finally, she mentions that Fish Furniture is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and hints at some special events upcoming this year.

“We’re making plans for some very special sales with discounts from manufacturers,” she states.

“Keep an eye on Fish Furniture’s website for more information and bring summer indoors this year.

Fish Furniture with locations in Mayfield Heights, North Olmsted, and Bedford (retail outlet), Fishfurniture.com

For 100 years, FISH FURNITURE has served NE Ohio with a simple promise: real furniture, real quality, and real service. Visit us at fishfurniture.com.

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Things to consider when investing in an outdoor kitchen

By RITA KUEBER “We’re seeing that the kitchen has become more multi-purpose over the years,” says Nikki Trivisonno. “There are more people in there -kids doing their homework, and family congregating at the beginning of the day… chatting there in the morning, and organizing calendars. It’s so much more than a place to prepare meals.”

Nikki is a Certified Kitchen Designer, a certification that comes after study and testing

by National Kitchen and Bath Association.

She also has a four-year degree from Ohio State, and she’s been with Somrak Kitchens for 22 years. In that time, she has seen plenty of changes to the room that’s considered the heart of the home.

When you think about design, the kitchen is the most complex room in the house – the systems - fuel for cooking, water, drainage, refrigeration and dry storage, plus room to work all have to converge in what traditionally was a smaller room in the house. If you want to consider an outdoor kitchen, you’ve probably doubled the complexity factor.

Generations ago, the “outdoor” kitchen was a grill on the patio. But today, it’s a full-fledged cooking space – a built-in grill with a counter, maybe a breakfast bar, and usually a sink. The next level, Nikki explains is adding refrigeration, or a multi-purpose side burner – not a grill – and also a warming drawer to keep food heated. “Outdoor kitchens are not as common in Northeast Ohio as in other parts of the country, because of our weather,” she states. “If you can cover your kitchen, you’ve extended the number of days you can use it, but that still means

only about half the year.”

Considerations before planning an outdoor kitchen include running supply lines into the space. “If someone is building a house, we can run the lines anywhere. But if they’re remodeling and you have a poured patio, it’s challenging to get all the things the client wants into the space plus room for storage.

Most people have separate dishes and pans for an outdoor kitchen, so the space has to be bigger to accommodate the storage. Adding a fridge takes up valuable real estate from storage, so we have to figure out how the client is going to work with this kitchen during the design phase.”

Most often the materials used outdoors are stainless steel (although it can show scratches), and composite, which Nikki recommends. “Composite is safe for the elements. It’s UV rated. You can hose it down and it’s easy to take care of. Wood is great, but harder to maintain. Composite comes in lots of colors, and it lasts, even through our winters.”

A ballpark estimate for an outdoor kitchen is a minimum of $25,000, but by the time everything is included, Nikki estimates the cost of even a modest kitchen will reach from $35 to $40 thousand by the time everything is in place. “It’s a big investment,” she acknowledges,” Especially for Ohio where you can use this four, maybe six months of the year. Covered spaces make it a lot easier to stomach that investment – a patio, especially a patio with a fireplace will keep everything comfortable except in the worst weather.”

She cautions, too, that once a kitchen has been designed, cabinets can take six weeks,

Photograph courtesy of Open Air Outdoor Cabinetry/Somrak Kitchens

and countertops can take two to three weeks.

“The workmen have to cut the countertop to fit around the grill; it’s meticulous work,” she adds. A good working estimate is three months from blueprints to a finished kitchen.

Meanwhile, for homeowners who just want to update their kitchen for the upcoming summer months, Nikki has several suggestions. “To freshen up the kitchen, try getting new cabinet hardware. So many houses still have an 80s style brass or gold handles and knobs. Try something without that metal tone, and the kitchen will look totally different.”

There’s paint, of course to create a different

mood in the room “We’re seeing more light neutral tones – not white or gray – but a wood feel, something lighter than what may be in place right now. Also, the backsplash behind the sink – that’s a very doable change that creates a different look,” she adds.

“Some homeowners want to change out the countertop and that’s a bigger undertaking.

You’re looking at five to ten thousand, but it’s a way to create more value in your space.” somrakkitchens.com 26201 Richmond Road, Bedford Heights 216-423-6656

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C11

Picture-perfect Paskevich-designed Gates Mills home for sale

By RITA KUEBER The problem with the perfect houses seen on TV, online and more, is that they don’t look lived in – they look like window dressing or movie sets. But imagine a house as picture-perfect as anything showcased in the media, but is also a true home. That structure would be this one at 809 Village Trails in Gates Mills.

The 15,000-square-foot house is built on a cul-de-sac, so it’s private but not isolated.

The façade of the Paskevich-designed house features slate and stone and is reminiscent of an Italian Villa. A cobblestone driveway leads to the front door. A private pocket playground is just to the left.

One of the keys to this house is flexibility and that’s evident the moment the visitor steps into the first room. This could be a living room or sitting area, yet at the moment it’s a rather large parlor or open foyer with a fireplace and coffered ceiling. It easily flows into the next room straight ahead, which is an expansive sunroom with a wall of windows looking over the backyard and the Metroparks

beyond. This room has been transformed into the dining room, connected down its length to the kitchen.

The main kitchen is a true gathering place – upgraded with custom cabinetry,

hand-painted murals, a timber-beamed ceiling, and professional-grade appliances.

It adjoins the hearth room, offering a place for the entire family to cook or sit or just be together.

The kitchen is to the left as you enter, and on the right is the first-floor owner’s suite, a masterclass in ease and comfort. The suite includes a charming wood-paneled office, rounded foyer, cozy bedroom, and a luxurious bathroom with a crafter marble tub, built-in vanity and adjacent closet/dressing area.

Upstairs are five more bedrooms, and here’s where that flexibility appears again.

A large closet has been converted into a tiny kitchenette where snacks and drinks are available. A bedroom has been turned into the kids’ lounge and down the hall is a hobby room, perfect for homework or craft projects.

There is also access to a full in-law suite with sitting/living room, kitchen, bedroom and full bath. This area has its own access to a private entrance near the carport, a floor below.

The lower level is an adventure in entertainment – wine cellar, game room, media room, sauna, bath/changing room, den, and more.

This level walks out to the in-ground pool and terrace overlooking the back lawn and woods beyond. The woods (though not part of the parcel) access the Chagrin River to the east.

Every room is replete with hardwood floors, extensive millwork and fine architectural details. This is a big house, but each room is perfectly scaled. The kitchen is large but not overwhelming. The primary bedroom is spacious but not cavernous.

Everyday living is surrounded by carefully chosen details that enhance the quality of living throughout.

809 Village Trails has over 15,000 square feet over three floors. Six bedrooms with seven full baths and two half baths. Laundry on the main floor. Three-bay garage with Turn to Home on Page C13

C12 CURRENTS

May 21, 2026 currentsneo.com

The main kitchen features custom-crafted cabinets and beamed ceiling.

The lower level has a spacious wood-paneled wine vault.

This private den with a marble-faced fireplace and access to the patio is part of the owner’s suite.

The lower level features a media room, game room, sitting and dining areas, and a kitchen.

Home cont’d from Page C12 additional parking in the attached carport and driveway.

Heating is a combination of forced air, gas and geothermal, zoned. Central air. Public sewer and water. Mayfield City School District. Close to shopping, dining and highway access.

Represented by Karen Eagle of Elite Sotheby’s International Realty. At press time the property with the main house, guest house and two parcels is listed at $3,995,000 with annual taxes of $54,042. Contact Karen Eagle at 216-352-4700 or karen@kareneagle.com

This inviting hearth room with fireplace flows from the main kitchen on the first floor.

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May 21, 2026 CURRENTS

C13

Chagrin Valley entrepreneurs launch new luxe clothing line

By MICHELE COLLINS Two entrepreneurs with roots in the Chagrin Valley are thrilled to see their dream of a “sportyluxe” clothing line come to a reality over the past year.

Kimberley Milstein and Jennnifer Adams, who have been friends for 20 years, each bring a unique skill set to Tassley, the clothing line which, as they shared, “blends our backgrounds in design and merchandising, with a shared vision, to create a sporty-luxe lifestyle brand rooted in meaning, symbolism, and ease.”

Tassley features tunics and tops, dresses and skirts which enable women to take part in many kinds of leisure and recreation activities, all while looking great in items that are easy to care for. Their signature looks include colorful hand-screened prints which feature gold tassels and gold leaf, a fashion signature which they believe will become a recognized icon for their brand.

“Tassels, with their timeless symbolism, evoke a sense of luck, protection, achievement, and distinctive, elevated elegance,” shared Kimberley in describing why they chose to feature the hand-screened symbols on their clothing items.

“Jenn was a designer of couture coats and I had spent time creating belts and handbags, and together, we wanted to create a line that women would love to wear, had special trims and designs, and would provide them with an ease of living, but that they could also just throw in the wash, or pack for a trip.”

Kimberley started in the fashion business as a lifestyles model, earned a degree in fashion merchandising and spent much of her career creating belts and handbags. Jennifer, a Kenston High School and Kent State graduate, is a graphic designer, who also worked in the fashion industry.

Together they combined their skills, and their long-time friendship, to create a business in Northeast Ohio.

“Building this here at home has been especially meaningful,” Kimberley shared.

She said that the Tassley pieces are designed

AKRON | $1,179,000 CHAGRIN CHAGRIN AURORA AURORA FALLS FALLS | $999,900 $1,100,000 | $2,190,000 Adam Kaufman -| |$1,150,000 216-831-7370

Kimberley Milstein, back, and Jennifer Adams, two Chagrin Valley entrepreneurs, are having a great time with the opening of their new sporty luxe women’s fashion brand, Tassley. for women from about age 35 years and older, women who Kimberley says have an “earned elegance.”

AURORA | $975,000

AURORA |(740) CHAGRIN CHAGRIN CHAGRIN AURORA FALLS FALLS FALLS | |-$999,900 $850,000 |$1,150,000 $1,100,000 | $2,190,000 David Malone 507-3630

There are beautiful jerseys, perfect for a gameday, but with a nod to fashion. There are tunic tops that can be worn to the country club,

BEACHWOOD | $1,095,000

AURORA | |$999,900 CHAGRIN CHAGRIN CHAGRIN FALLS FALLS FALLS $850,000 $1,100,000 | $2,190,000 Adam Kaufman - |216-831-7370

for a special event, like a bridal or baby shower, and there are items for golf and tennis, sports that Kimberley and Jennifer both enjoy.

“You can truly wear our pieces from the golf course to the country club afterward,” shared Kimberely.

True to their roots in the Chagrin Valley, Tassley also includes items for the equestrian crowd. In fact, as observant shoppers peruse their website at tassley.com or on Instagram @tassleycollection, they might see a familiar backdrop.

“We used the Chagrin Valley Farms in Chagrin Falls as our photo shoot location,” said Kimberley. “And they were so helpful and kind. They even carefully brushed their beautiful horse so it would shine brilliantly in our photos.”

The Tassley creators feel a connection to the local area, and will share their new clothing line as a way to help raise money for causes that are especially meaningful to their hearts.

This summer they will be part of the Summer Solstice fundraiser for Hopewell Therapeutic Farm. Kimberley, who is a graduate of Ursuline College, in Pepper Pike, and sat on its board for ten years, is proud to have Tassley involved with the Arrows Golf Scramble event that supports Ursuline’s women’s golf program.

The two Tassley founders have discussed possibly having a showcase of their pieces in the area at a later date. But for now, the entrepreneurs are taking their Tassley line on the road, showing it at the PGA shops show, Dallas Mart and Americas Mart. They plan to have their line for sale in country club shops, and at women’s and resort boutiques in the near future.

“We honestly dream of seeing the word “Tassley” in the dictionary some day, with a picture of one of our clothing items - with the gold tassel design of course– right next to that entry,” Kimberley shared with a smile.

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CHAGRIN FALLS | $1,250,000 CHAGRIN FALLS | $925,000 CLEVELAND | $610,000 GATES MILLS | $2,250,000 AURORA |$950,000 AURORA | FALLS CHAGRIN FALLS | $2,190,000 CHAGRIN CHAGRIN AURORA FALLS FALLS |$1,150,000 $1,100,000 | $2,190,000 CHAGRIN CHAGRIN AURORA FALLS FALLS | FALLS |$999,900 |$1,150,000 CHAGRIN CHAGRIN FALLS FALLS |$999,900 | $2,190,000 CHAGRIN FALLS | $1,100,000 Mary Frances LaGanke -$650,000 216-470-6799 Kathleen -$1,100,000 (440) 477-3703 Justin Beck - 724-816-959 1 David Malone -| (740) CHAGRIN FALLS |$1,400,000 $650,000 CHAGRIN | |$599,000 CLEVELAND $950,000 CLEVELAND CLEVELAND CHAGRIN CHAGRIN HEIGHTS FALLS | |$950,000 FALLS | |$599,000 |$1,400,000 CONCORD CLEVELAND CLEVELAND CHAGRIN |Visconsi $849,000 HEIGHTS | $850,000 | |$599,000 CONCORD CLEVELAND CLEVELAND | $849,000 HEIGHTS | $850,000 $950,000 $1,400,000 CONCORD CLEVELAND | $849,000 HEIGHTS |507-3630 $1,400,000 Luxurious 4BR/3+BA Custom Build.

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HINCKLEY | $1,399,000 CHAGRIN CHAGRIN AURORA AURORA FALLS FALLS |MILLS ||$950,000 |$1,150,000 $1,100,000 $2,190,000 Patty Erickson 216-509-6266 CLEVELAND CLEVELAND CHAGRIN HEIGHTS |$790,000 FALLS | |$1,400,000 $650,000 GATES GATES GATES GATES MILLS MILLS MILLS |- $999,900 $1,426,000 | |$1,675,000 | $2,299,000

CHAGRIN CHAGRIN CHAGRIN AURORA FALLS FALLS FALLS |MILLS |$999,900 $850,000 |$1,150,000 $1,100,000 $2,190,000 AURORA ||FALLS Cici Riley (216) 4 10-31 14 CHAGRIN |$1,400,000 $650,000 CONCORD CLEVELAND CHAGRIN | -MILLS $849,000 HEIGHTS |$599,000 GATES | |$2,299,000 HUDSON GATES GATES GATES |MILLS $1,350,000 MILLS |FALLS $790,000 $1,426,000 | |$1,675,000

HUNTING VALLEY | $12,500,000

SHAKER HEIGHTS | $1,295,000 CHAGRIN FALLS |$1,426,000 $1,100,000 Susan Lenahan - $798,000 (216) 577-1988 CLEVELAND CLEVELAND CHAGRIN CHAGRIN HEIGHTS |$790,000 FALLS |$599,000 |$1,400,000 GATES GATES GATES MILLS MILLS MILLS |FALLS |$950,000 | |$2,299,000 MORELAND LYNDHURST KIRTLAND HUNTING HILLS VALLEY $2,500,000 | $1,388,000 |$650,000 $1,750,000

CHAGRIN FALLS ||$790,000 Eileen McKeon 216-233-6726 CONCORD CLEVELAND CLEVELAND CHAGRIN | $2,250,000 $849,000 HEIGHTS $950,000 |$599,000 CHAGRIN FALLS |$1,400,000 GATES MILLS | |$2,299,000 HUDSON GATES GATES |MILLS $1,350,000 MILLS |FALLS || $1,675,000 HUNTING VALLEY |$650,000 $1,750,000 NEWBURY MORELAND LYNDHURST KIRTLAND HILLS |-$850,000 $798,000 $2,500,000 $1,388,000

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CHAGRIN CHAGRIN FALLS FALLS $850,000 |$1,426,000 $1,100,000 CHAGRIN FALLS $2,190,000 Susan, T.|MILLS Delaney -| 216-577-8700 CLEVELAND CLEVELAND HEIGHTS | $1,400,000 GATES MILLS |$950,000 HUDSON GATES $1,350,000 |||$790,000

CHAGRIN FALLS $850,000 CHAGRIN FALLS | $1,100,000 Shakiba Soudmand - (216) 310-1991 CLEVELAND HEIGHTS | $1,400,000 CONCORD | $849,000 GATES |MILLS | |$790,000 HUDSON $1,350,000

CHAGRIN CONCORD | $8 HUDSON | FAL $1,3

CONCORD CLEVELAND CLEVELAND | MILLS $849,000 HEIGHTS | $798,000 $1,400,000 CHAGRIN FALLS | |$599,000 GATES MILLS || $1,675,000 HUDSON GATES | $1,350,000 |$950,000 $1,426,000 KIRTLAND $2,500,000 NEWBURY MORELAND LYNDHURST $2,250,000 HILLS $1,388,000

CONCORD CLEVELAND | MILLS $849,000 HEIGHTS | $1,400,000 CLEVELAND GATES |$950,000 $1,426,000 GATES MILLS | |$790,000 LYNDHURST $798,000 NEWBURY MORELAND $2,250,000 HILLS | $1,388,000

CONCORD | $2,250,000 $849,000 CLEVELAND HEIGHTS | $1,400,000 GATES | $790,000 HUDSON |MILLS $1,350,000 MORELAND HILLS | $1,388,000 NEWBURY

CONCORD | $2 $8 HUDSON NEWBURY| $1,3

HUDSON GATES GATES |MILLS $1,350,000 | |$790,000 |$2,500,000 $1,426,000 GATES | $1,675,000 KIRTLAND NEWBURY LYNDHURST ||MILLS $2,250,000 $798,000 PEPPER PIKE $866,000 RICHFIELD RICHFIELD PEPPER $750,000 PIKE |MILLS $2,100,000 $689,900

HUDSON GATES |MILLS $1,350,000 | |$790,000 GATES | $1,426,000 LYNDHURST $798,000 MORELAND | $1,388,000 PEPPER PIKE $689,900 RICHFIELD RICHFIELD |MILLS $750,000 | HILLS $2,100,000

HUDSON |MILLS $1,350,000 GATES | $790,000 MORELAND | $1,388,000 NEWBURY || $2,250,000 RICHFIELD | HILLS $2,100,000 RICHFIELD $750,000

HUDSON | $1,3 NEWBURY || $2 RICHFIELD $

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e.

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2 fireplaces and patio. acres. townhouse. wooded-lot lot Colonial Colonial nicely on 2.51 1.71 acres. townhouse. wooded-lot Colonial sited on 2.51 acres. townhouse. lot Colonial nicely 1.71 wooded-lot Colonial sited on 2.51 acres. townhouse.

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Moreland Patio, Hills! & UH. sited on 49.75 acres. fireplaces, Patio, Mary Frances LaGanke 216-470-6799 Heather Price -Worley 216-526-4402 8 821-7100 Michelle The Worley Heater 440-823-2448 Team6-6 - 440-821-7100 Michelle McQuade 440-823-2448 The Heater Team6-6 - 440-821-7100 Michelle McQuade - 440-823-2448 Ernie Cahoon --216-440-1210 Ernie Cahoon --216-440-1210 Ernie Cahoon --216-440-1210 Ernie Cahoon --216-440-1210 Angelo Marrali --440-974-7846 Kathleen Visconsi - 440-477-3703 Kathleen Visconsi -216-410-4719 440-477-3703 Kaufman Angelo Marrali -216-410-4719 440-974-7846 Kathleen Kaufman Visconsi 440-477-3703 Kaufman Geoffrey Hoffman -440-974-7846 Adam Geoffrey Hoffman -440-974-7846 Adam Geoffrey Hoffman -440-974-7846 216-496-4212 Adam Geoffrey Hoffman -440-974-7846 216-496-4212 Adam Geoffrey Hoffman - 216-496-4212 Edie Myhre -216-496-4212 Cici Riley - 216-410-3114 Angelo Marrali Susan Smith --216-831-7370 Susan Angelo Cici Smith Edie Riley Marrali Myhre -McQuade -Liberati 216-410-3114 -216-496-4212 Susan Angelo Cici Smith Riley Marrali --216-831-7370 216-831-7370 -Liberati 216-410-3114 Susan Angelo Smith Marrali --216-831-7370 216-548-1072 216-831-7370 Susan Kaufman Smith - -216-831-7370 216-548-1072 216-831-7370 Rachel - -440-22 David Malone -216-548-1072 740-507-3630 David Malone Rachel -216-548-1072 740-507-3630 ---440-22 David Malone -216-548-1072 740-507-3630 David Malone 740-507-3630 575 575

C14 CURRENTS

CHAGRIN FAL

CHAGRIN CHAGRIN CHAGRIN FALLS FALLS FALLS |-$999,900 $850,000 |$1,426,000 $1,100,000 $2,190,000 AURORA ||FALLS Rachel Liberati (440) 226-6575 CHAGRIN | $599,000 CONCORD CLEVELAND | MILLS $849,000 |$790,000 GATES MILLS | |$1,675,000 HUDSON GATES GATES |MILLS $1,350,000 |$950,000

oversized e. uild.

Spacious 5BR, fireplaces, peninsula Stunning Majestic Luxurious Luxurious custom-built Hunting free-standing 4BR/3+BA Valley Canyon 11Customize home Custom acre Lakes estate. on home Build. oversized Spacious 5BR, fireplaces, peninsula Stunning Majestic Luxurious custom-built Hunting free-standing Contempo Valley Canyon 11 home acre positioned Lakes estate. on home oversized on Spacious with 2.42 peninsula Stunning Majestic custom-built Hunting Contempo Valley Canyon 11 acre positioned Lakes estate. home on with 2.42 Stunning 4BR/3+BA custom-built Contempo Canyon positioned Lakes home with 2.42 Luxurious 4BR/3+BA Custom Build.

5 fireplaces, Luxurious free-standing home on oversized peninsula Majestic Hunting Valley 11Customize acre estate.

Seek your bliss in this stunning 4BR/3+BA woodedChoose the luxurious aura pervading this 4BR/3BA Gorgeous 3BR/2+BA city-view three-story ng story this 4BR/3BA Tax Gorgeous abated Seek new 3BR/2+BA your townhouse. bliss in city-view this stunning three-story 4BR/3+BA 4this stories woodedSpacious Tax abated Choose 54BR/3+BA BR new Colonial the townhouse. luxurious on gorgeous aura Customize pervading private 4 wooded this 4BR/3BA Spacious Gorgeous 54BR/3+BA BR Colonial 3BR/2+BA on city-view gorgeous three-story private wooded Tax abated new 4on stories Surround yourself with luxury in this distinguished Wooded 5 acres.

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BA (1 21 Stunning, Luxury Wooded Surround living five 5 bedroom in acres. yourself Gates Expansive Grand Mills: with spectacular Tudor luxury kitchen, features in quartz 4with distinguished over 4 counters.

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BA (1 Gorgeous Unique Stunning, Luxury 1853 living five estate bedroom in incl.

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2-story, Grand 3spectacular Tudor car barn features &Spacious over 10mattinglyroad.howardhanna.com/ 45125fairmountboulevard.howardhanna.com 15750NRidgedrive.howardhanna.com 32750meadowlarkway.howardhanna.com ts. ,kout n4BR, Lake.

Picturesque 3BA. private kitchen lot backyard gorgeous with w/ unmatched fireplace, Contemporary on large views the living market of elements.

Walden areas, the 4BR, Lake.

Picturesque first 3BA. time acres. private kitchen Lots lot backyard with ofstory w/ space. unmatched fireplace, 2 fireplaces on large views the living market and of Walden areas, patio. the 4BR, Lake. first 3BA. time acres. private kitchen Lots backyard ofstory w/ space. fireplace, oasis 2 fireplaces on large the living market and areas, patio. the 4BR, first 3BA. time acres. private Lots backyard ofhome 2 fireplaces on the market and patio. the first time gorgeous Contemporary elements.

Picturesque lot with unmatched views of Walden Lake. kitchen w/ large living areas, 4BR, 3BA. lot nicely 1.71 wooded-lot sited on 2.51 acres. townhouse. acres. townhouse. lot nicely sited on 1.71 acres. wooded-lot Colonial sited on 2.51 acres. townhouse.

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Cir., Clinic, & UH. 6BR/4+BA Colonial sited on 13.30 acres.

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Two great room.

Finished walkout basement. partial) tooasis be built on 13.4 acres. s.

30 acres. basement.

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6BR/4+BA story home ft. of luxury great tooasis be Colonial room. living built on space Finished sited 13.4 on on acres.

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Kristine McGee 216-233-5256 Kristine McGee 216-233-5256 0-671-3179 Mary Susan Mary Frances Smith Strimple/Michael LaGanke 216-548-1072 216-470-6799 Balog 330-671-3179 Heather Mary Susan Mary Frances Price Smith Strimple/Michael 216-526-4402 LaGanke 216-548-1072 216-470-6799 Balog 330-671-3179 Heather Mary Susan Frances Price Smith 216-526-4402 LaGanke 216-548-1072 216-470-6799 Heather Mary Frances Price 216-526-4402 LaGanke 216-470-6799 Mary Strimple/Michael Balog 330-671-3179 Susan Smith 216-548-1072 The Worley Team6-6 - 440-821-7100 Michelle - 440-823-2448 8 The Worley Team6-6 - 440-821-7100 Michelle 440-823-2448 Ernie Cahoon - 216-440-1210 Ernie Cahoon - 216-440-1210 Ernie Cahoon - 216-440-1210 Angelo Marrali --440-974-7846 Kathleen Visconsi - 440-477-3703 Kathleen Angelo Visconsi Marrali --440-974-7846 440-477-3703 Kathleen Kaufman Angelo Visconsi Marrali -216-831-7370 --440-974-7846 440-477-3703 Kathleen Kaufman Visconsi -216-831-7370 440-477-3703 Adam Kaufman -216-831-7370 Geoffrey Hoffman - Heater 216-496-4212 Adam Geoffrey Hoffman -McQuade - Heater 216-496-4212 Adam -McQuade Geoffrey Hoffman - 216-496-4212 Rachel Liberati - -440-22 575 David Malone Rachel - Liberati 740-507-3630 - 440-22 David Malone -216-831-7370 740-507-3630 David Malone -216-831-7370 740-507-3630 David Malone - 740-507-3630 575

00

CHAGRIN FALLS | $1,695,000

CHAGRIN FALLS | $1,100,000 CHAGRIN FALLS | $850,000 The Worley Heater Team - (440) 821-7100

Spacious 5magic BR Unique 1853 estC Absolutely setting.

Fabulou party building. sited on 49.75 C a Adam Kaufman

May 21, 2026 currentsneo.com

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS | $1,400,000 GATES GATES GATES GATES MILLS MILLS MILLS | |$790,000 $1,426,000 || $1,675,000 | $2,299,000 MORELAND LYNDHURST HUNTING HILLS VALLEY $1,388,000 | $1,750,000 RICHFIELD PEPPER PEPPER ORANGE PIKE |MILLS $2,100,000 PIKE |$798,000 $649,000 $689,900 $866,000

CONCORD $849,000 HUDSON GATES GATES GATES |MILLS $1,350,000 | $790,000 $1,426,000 || $1,675,000 GATES MILLS | $2,299,000 HUNTING | $1,750,000 NEWBURY MORELAND KIRTLAND |||MILLS $2,250,000 HILLS | ||VALLEY $2,500,000 $1,388,000 ORANGE $649,000 RICHFIELD RICHFIELD PEPPER PEPPER $750,000 PIKE |MILLS $2,100,000 PIKE $689,900 $866,000

story Tax abated new townhouse.

Customize 4this stories Spacious 5ELEGANTLY BR gorgeous private wooded lar this quartz 4countertops. distinguished BR, 4 counters.

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currentsneo.com

May 21, 2026 CURRENTS

C15

‘Fashion and Feather’ exhibit lets imagination take flight

A statement accompanying this student design explains that it replicates the feeling of a pheasant as it was hunted for game during the Victorian era.

This garment draws inspiration from the ostrich. The billowing silhouette pulls inspiration from not only the bird’s size, but from the inner workings of an ostrich.

“Leafs Flow” is a student design inspired by the purple gallinule, a bird known for its vibrant color, layered plumage and elegant body movement.

Ph.D., J.D., director of the Kent State University Museum said.

“Feathers show us that nature is the original designer,” Sonia Winner, president and CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History noted.

“By activating our extraordinary collections in new ways, ‘Fashion and Feather’ invites audiences to see biodiversity from a fresh perspective and recognize how deeply human creativity is connected to the natural world.”

Extending the exhibition into the classroom, “Fashion and Feather” connects the collections of both museums to hands-on, interdisciplinary design practice. Drawing inspiration from historic fashion and natural history objects, students in Kent State’s School of Fashion developed original designs using non-animal fabrics and materials.

The student works were created in the junior

design studio led by Assistant Professor Daniel Fladung, alongside Lecturer Jackie Hughes, Senior Lecturer Archana Mehta and Professor Linda Ohrn-McDaniel. The works were then selected through a critique process conducted by staff from the Kent State University Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, as well as the Portage Park District’s Education Program Coordinator, Holly Stoneberg. The designs are on view in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Corning Gallery.

“Designing in conversation with both fashion and natural history collections pushes students to think differently about materials, construction and responsibility,” Fladung said. “The students produced ambitious, creative work without using any bird feathers, engaging seriously with questions of sustainability and real-world impact.”

“Fashion and Feather” is on view through Oct. 16. The exhibition is partly located in the Visitor Hall, which is free to the public. A general admission ticket is required to access the Corning Gallery. A student fashion show will follow in October, with the exact date to be announced later.

Established in 1983, Kent State University’s School of Fashion is a research-led teaching institution grounded in real-world industry experience. Through its programs and initiatives, it is developing the next generation of fashion thinkers. The Kent State University Museum houses one of the world’s most important collections of fashion, textiles and decorative arts, spanning the mid-1700s to the present. More than 30,000 objects are displayed in seven gallery spaces.

AURORA

ORANGE

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2 Bed, 2.5 Bath. Updated Two Story Townhome lives like a Ranch in desirable Villas of Orange!

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First floor Office. Large bedroom and full bath on second level, along with Loft! Huge unfinished lower level! $619,900 | Sharon Friedman | 216-338-3233

C16 CURRENTS May 21, 2026 currentsneo.com

4 Bed, 4.0 Bath. One-of-a-kind updated Colonial set on one-acre lot. Dining Room w/brick fireplace, Cherry cabinetry w/wet bar, Oak floors. Living/ Family Room offers vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and built-in bookcases. Paver patio to private, park-like backyard. Updated gourmet eat-in Kitchen w/Maple floors, Quartz counters, KitchenAid appliances.

First-floor Owner’s Wing, Library w/built-ins, and Primary Suite w/spa bath features. First-floor Guest Bedroom w/full bath. Two spacious Bedrooms on second. Finished LL w/Recreation Room and additional storage. $950,000 | Sharon Friedman | 216-338-3233

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First floor Bdrm w/“weathered wood” accent wall, adjacent full Bath! Back Deck w/retractable awning overlooking pond, fountain! Primary suite on second w/four ample closets. Updated Spa bath stall shower. Two additional Bdrms, share updated full Bath. Finished Walk-out LL w/Full Bath. Sliders open to a large partially covered paver patio. Won’t Last! $675,000 | Sharon Friedman | 216-338-3233

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Vaulted Dining Room w/hardwood floors, generous China Cabinet for dishes. Chef’s Kitchen w/high end appls, storage pantry, Quartz counters. Family Room w/floor to ceiling fireplace, doors to Trex deck. First floor office w/built-ins. Primary suite has six closets w/organizing systems. Spa bath w/glass stall shower, soaking tub. Three additional large bedrooms w/full bath in hallway. Walk-out LL living suite w/large bedroom, full bath. Rec room w/fireplace, doors leading to the park like yard. Wooded acre plus lot. $875,000 | Sharon Friedman | 216-338-3233

This garment takes the rooster and applies its color and shape to the female form.

G!

By CYNTHIA SCHUSTER EAKIN “Fashion and Feather,” a new exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, gave students at Kent State University’s School of Fashion an opportunity to let their imaginations take flight.

The exhibit brings together historic fashion, ornithological specimens, cultural objects and contemporary student designs to examine the complex relationship between people and the natural world. The cross-disciplinary show explores the beauty, complexity and cultural significance of feathers.

Organized by species, including peacocks, ostriches, kingfishers and roosters, the exhibition is presented in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s new Visitor Hall, a free community gathering space. Ornithological taxidermy and cultural objects are paired with feather-adorned garments and accessories from the Kent State University Museum’s world-renowned historic fashion collection.

The exhibit is curated by Sara Hume, Ph.D., curator and professor at the Kent State University Museum, in partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s exhibition team, including Meghan Strong, Ph.D., director of collections, and Lindsay Miller, exhibit project manager. The project grew out of “For the Birds,” an exhibition presented at the Kent State University Museum in 2018. This new exhibition reflects the museum’s expanded focus on community engagement and disciplinary collaboration.

“The variety of ways that people have used feathers for their own adornment provides a fascinating counterpoint against the ways feathers serve birds,” Hume said. “By placing fashion objects alongside ornithological and cultural collections, ‘Fashion and Feather’ allows us to see the beauty as well as the amazing functionality of feathers.”

“This partnership exemplifies the Kent State University Museum’s mission to break down disciplinary boundaries and serve as a platform for creativity, learning and connection across the campus and across the region,” Sarah Spinner,

5 Bed, 3.3 Bath. Oversized Colonial in Orangewood!

Dining Room w/hardwood floors and ample space for any dining set! Family Room off Dining Room w/fireplace. Custom Kitchen w/island, Thermador cooktop, GE Profile ovens, granite counters, bayed Dining area. Living Room/Office w/built-in entertainment and storage center. Den/Sitting Room w/fireplace. First floor Primary suite w/large bedroom, bath w/garden style soaking tub, glass stall shower, walk-in closet. Upstairs has an additional Primary bedroom w/en-suite bath, and three spacious bedrooms sharing a bath in hall. Finished L L $765,000 | Sharon Friedman | 216-338-3233

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