January 2, 2012

Dear friend of the Square,

Happy New Year

Here's to a healthy and peaceful 2012, May you all have much to celebrate. (And may some of your celebrations be here at the Square.)

Shaker Square holiday decorations 

An early December the Sun Press ran a story about mixed reactions to the lighting on the Square this holiday season. Read the story  It is very limited - just a fraction of what was done in past years. We would have written a different headline:

 N0 CHRISTMAS TREE AT SHAKER SQUARE
 The end of a custom dating back to 1930

We've posted two pages:

 ● this year and a recent year Artist Debbie Apple-Presser's installation in front of fire food and drink is at the top of the page, for it was the holiday decoration folks were talking about, 

● a Blasts From The Past page going back to 1930, to show how long a tradition of Christmas Trees at the Square was broken this year.

Why is the Shaker Square area, which is in the city of Cleveland, also in the Shaker Heights schools?  (posted 12/09)

That's a question whose full answer we haven't seen on the internet. Historian Virginia Dawson, author of several books, is currently writing a history of Shaker Heights, She has given us permission to publish her research on that subject. We've just added a page with her definitive source-based answer to this question. See the answer

We did internet research and added some pages to support Dr Dawson's page. Then, to celebrate the centennial of Shaker Heights, we added many more pages on the early years of Shaker Heights, including documents, images and clippings new to the internet. Have a look.
 
Wi Fi Hotspot - is back!  (12/3/2011)

On December 6, 2006 a Coral Company press release said  (we quote)

Welcome Coral Company     (posted 9/14)

Welcome? But The Coral Company has owned Shaker Square since 2004!

True. But they have never had their offices at the Square. In 2004 they were on Chagrin Boulevard in Beachwood. Early in 2007 they moved to Cedar Center, west of Warrensville Center, above the CVS. Early in September they have relocated above another CVS - in the northeast quadrant of Shaker Square. The prior tenant, The Crowley Group, moved here in February 2007 after completely remodeling the second floor. It's beautiful space. We hope the Coral Company staff will enjoy their new "digs." It can only help the Square to have them here each workday. Thus - welcome Coral Company.

Doug Katz of fire Food and Drink

A September 7 email from the Cleveland Museum of Art had this news about Doug Katz, owner and chef at fire Food and Drink. Doug is one of the Square's stalwart supporters and fire was the first fine restaurant to open in the Square's renewal ten years ago.

We wish him success in this venture. Don't see this as a sign that fire is leaving. Doug has confirmed that the restaurant recently renewed its lease on the Square.

Senior Wednesdays on the Square 

If you are 60 or older, we hope you'll make Senior Wednesdays on the Square a habit. Perhaps the first joint promotion at the Square in years. Reid Robbins would have called it "small ball" and liked the idea.

We're pleased to announce that Zanzibar Soul restaurant is now participating in these senior specials.

Farmers Market news

The North Union Farmers Market takes a few weeks off for Christmas and New Years, Their winter indoor market will open on January 7, 2012 in a space between DEWEY's and the CVS. learn more ...

To Indians fans

For a page of consolation, click here.

Parking

Good news. Late in May the parking meters around the Square (they're on Coral Company property) have been repaired. Why is that good news? Because without meters, store employees and Rapid Transit riders would take all the spaces.

Bad news. Parking rates have doubled. Your quarter that bought 40 minutes in April 2011, now buys only 20 minutes. Free short-term parking was also ended  In June Peter Rubin assured us that this feature, so welcomed a few years ago, will be restored, but not immediately. Now, six months later, only about 20 percent of the meters have free short-term parking again - but without any labels to tell parkers about it.

The Coral Company does provide two free parking lots. (See a map.)

FYI, the parking meters along Shaker Boulevard eastbound and westbound are City of Cleveland meters. Their rates ($.25 per hour) are set by law. We have repeatedly asked Councilman Ken Johnson to work with downtown and west side councilmen to stimulate retail trade with free short-term parking. No results so far.

What about the Coventry Pointe town homes?

Remember the debate in February 2010 about the proposed Coventry Pointe town homes at the corner of Haddam and Coventry Roads, near Shaker Boulevard. Seven units on a lot that now has only a duplex. In March 2010 Shaker Heights OK'd a zoning variance. Are the developers going ahead? Here's the latest word, from Jane Wood's e-newsletter of January 30:

(In developments like this, the investors finance construction by borrowing perhaps 80 percent of the project's value from banks or hard money lenders.) 

Vacancies on the Square

Now that the space in the southwest quadrant once used for the Obama offices has been rented by the Democrats again (see our page), space is available in only two quadrants:

 ● northeast: two former Joseph-Beth spaces, west of CVS
 ● southeast: the East Coast Custard and the Shaker Beverages spaces (the Collective Upcycle store is now closed.)
 
Considering the economy and where the Square was seven years ago before The Coral Company took it over, we're doing very well.

We wish that one of these vacant spaces could become a community meeting place. See our page About Public Spaces and Community.

New directories

The directories in each quadrant of the Square are helpful. We looked last week and Zanzibar Soul, open since November 2010, wasn't on the directory yet. Nor is the Fashions by Fowler in the NW quadrant listed.

We also wish that a phone number for Coral Company security was posted so a citizen who sees improper behavior on the Square can report it.
    
Website news

This website is ranked #1 by all major search engines. We now have more than 13,000 visitors a month and hope that you find this independent, neighborhood-oriented website useful.

See you on the Square.

Arnie

Thanks for being one of the more than 13,000
persons who visit www.shakersquare.net each month.