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A Preview of the 2019-2020 Basketball Team Known as the Cleveland Cavaliers 

By Sam Allard

Hello. This is a season preview for the 2019-2020 Cleveland Cavaliers. It should be consumed less like a trailer for an upcoming Hollywood movie and more like a piece of informational literature for a strict new diet: Here is the roster of allowable foods. Here are the metrics for success. Here are testimonials from recent dieters, excerpted to help strengthen your resolve. The result, you'll no doubt find, is a portrait of a sad and ascetic few months, within which the glimmers of hope are mostly psychological, if not spiritual.

Blaine Griffin, in Authoritarian Speech, Says Those Who Mess with City Council Will be 'Dealt With'

By Sam Allard

Cleveland City Councilman Blaine Griffin gave a speech at Monday's city council meeting that he will soon wish he didn't. The combative, elitist remarks once again fortified council's "us vs.

In Advance of Her Oct. 27 Show at the State Theatre, Trisha Yearwood Talks About Recording Her First Country Album in Years

By Jeff Niesel

Upon the release of Every Girl, her first full-length country record in more than a decade, country singer Trisha Yearwood went down to Georgia to get back in touch with her roots and retrace the steps she took when she first migrated from her tiny hometown to the Music City. “I’m from a small town in Georgia called Monticello that has about 2500 people in the city limits,” she says in a recent phone interview.

Cleveland Play House's 'Pipeline' is a Poignant Look at Race and Education 

By Gwendolyn Kochur

Gwendolyn Brook's 1959 poem "We Real Cool" is a mere eight lines and 24 words. Despite its short length, Brooks is able to pack in themes of rebellion, youth, and morality, especially as it applies to young black men.

The Iconic Ohio Basket Building is Soon to Become a Luxury Hotel

By Laura Morrison

Ohio's famous basket-shaped building is getting a second lease on life. The Newark, Ohio, site — former headquarters of the basket-making company The Longaberger Co.

The Vote on Issue 26 in Cleveland Heights Brings a Contentious Battle to a Close 

By Hannah Lebovits

Among the many and varied political signs along Fairmount Boulevard in Cleveland Heights is one that stands out, mainly for its homemade nature.

Dan Gilbert's Companies Call ProPublica Report Fake News Without Challenging Much of the Reporting

By Lee DeVito

Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert's Rock Family of Companies is on the defensive after ProPublica published a big investigation that found swaths of downtown Detroit, a high concentration of wealth where Gilbert owns dozens of buildings, got an "opportunity zone" tax break meant for impoverished areas after it donated to President Donald Trump. Jared Fleisher, the vice president of government affairs and economic development for the Rock Family of Companies, penned an op-ed on cleveland.com calling the story "simply not true." "I stake my name, my reputation and the reputation of my organization on that," he wrote.

Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (Oct. 30-Nov. 5) 

By Scene Staff

WED 10/30

RUBBERBAND Dance Group to Make Its Ohio Debut on Nov. 9 at the Ohio Theatre

By Jeff Niesel

Earlier this week, Tri-C and DANCECleveland announced that RUBBERBAND Dance Group (RBDG) would make its Ohio debut in a performance sponsored by the two local organizations. The Montreal-based dance troupe performs at 7:30 p.m.

Kerry Freaking McCormack Prepping Legislation to Decriminalize RTA Fare Evasion

By Sam Allard

Cleveland City Councilman Kerry McCormack confirmed Friday that a draft of legislation to decriminalize fare evasion has been prepared and is being reviewed by council's lawyers. McCormack told Scene that he wants to make penalties for fare evasion on Cleveland's Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) vehicles effectively the same as penalties for parking violations.

State and Local Officials in Ohio Provided Millions of Dollars in Subsidies to Amazon for Jobs That Would Have Come Here Anyway 

By Lee Chilcote

On a recent Wednesday morning, as Alexa played a piped-in stringed version of U2's "All I Want is You" in front of a display of Amazon shipping boxes, several dozen Northeast Ohio leaders gathered to celebrate the official opening of Amazon's new 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in North Randall.

Cuyahoga County Again Dealing With Abject Failure of Very Expensive, Very Dumb MedMart Building

By Vince Grzegorek

The Global Center for Vacancies and Taxpayer-Funded Boondoggles (a facility more commonly referred to as the Global Center for Au Bon Pain) is in transition again. Or still, it would be more accurate to say.

'Mean Girls' the Musical Comes to Cleveland This December

By Alice Koeninger

The so-fetch musical version of Mean Girls is coming to Playhouse Square this December as a part of its first national tour. With a script written by Tina Fey, who also wrote the screenplay, Cady Heron and Regina George are just as plastic and back-stabbing as ever in this movie-turned Broadway hit.

Timothee Chalamet Stars in Dry New Historical Epic 'The King' 

By Sam Allard

Timothee Chalamet's bowl cut in the new 15th-century British epic The King instantly becomes the second-most iconic male haircut in Netflix's history, trailing only Cillian Murphy's dramatic undercut on Peaky Blinders. Chalamet leads an all-star cast that also includes Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Sean Harris and Lily-Rose Depp in the Netflix original that's now available streaming. It also screens at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. and Sunday at 8:15 p.m.

Here's Normandy High's Coverage of the Time Pearl Jam Played WMMS Personalities in a 1992 Charity Basketball Game

By Vince Grzegorek

Featuring the exact technical skills, and hairstyles, you would imagine of an early 1990s-era high school AV club/student newspaper, this archival gem of Normandy's own students covering a charity basketball game pitting WMMS personalities against the noted hoop enthusiasts of Pearl Jam is pure joy. The year was 1992 and the band was on tour in support of Ten, which had become a breakout hit.

Why Cleveland Rising Was Doomed to Fail 

By Sam Allard

The night before the Cleveland Rising summit began, City Club of Cleveland CEO Dan Moulthrop texted me an image of a quotation scribbled in black gel ink. "I think there's nothing but good intentions here," it read.

Frank Jackson, Calvin Williams Sued for Wrongful Death, Obstruction of Justice

By Sam Allard

The mother of a 30-year-old man gunned down in August on Cleveland's West Side has sued Mayor Frank Jackson and Police Chief Calvin Williams for wrongful death and obstruction of justice. Andrea Parra, mother of Antonio Parra, has alleged in a fiery legal complaint filed Thursday morning that Jackson's repeated interference in the prosecution of his grandson and great-grandson, including both explicit and implicit directives to the police department he oversees, caused the Mayor's grandsons and their affiliates to believe that they were "above the law." “Andrea Parra has every reason to believe that her son would be alive today if it weren’t for the Mayor’s efforts to cover up for his grandsons’ crimes,” said Peter Pattakos, lead attorney on the case,* in a statement provided to the media.

'The Band's Visit' Proves That Stories of Subtlety and Grace Belong on Broadway 

By Gwendolyn Kochur

When was the last time something you did was so fantastic it could be featured in a Broadway musical?

Damon, Bale Reign in 'Ford v Ferrari,' a Movie With a Very Stupid Name 

By Sam Allard

Ford v Ferrari is a movie title, much like 2016's execrable Batman V Superman, designed for the social media era. It is not clever or memorable, it doesn't effectively convey what the movie is about, and it's unclear how to say it. Are we meant to say "versus" or just "V"? The whole point seems to be creating a title that can double as a hashtag without resorting to acronyms. (That's why "v" is preferable to "vs.") And in this case, the title also functions as free advertising for two big automotive brands that need no assist from Hollywood to sling their sports cars, trucks and SUVs. Bad title.

Mysterious Snow Artist Draws Enormous Spider Web on Cleveland Mall Lawn This Morning

By Laura Morrison

Scene has yet to crack the case of the mysterious snow penis artist from last year, but we may be a little closer to finding out his or her identity. This morning in Cleveland, during the first real snowfall of the year, one lone snow painter was caught on camera creating a huge spider web mural with their feet.

The 2019 Cleveland Gift Guide 

By Scene Staff

You probably have people in your life for whom you must, or at least should, procure gifts this holiday season. You hopefully have disposable income with which to acquire those gifts. You have, likely, not given much thought as of yet to what exactly those fine folks would like to receive from you, but you are a fine person yourself and would like those gifts to reinforce that belief.

Cleveland Fed Says Earnings Gap to Blame for Racial Wealth Gap (Or: Pay Black People More)

By Sam Allard

One of the most striking statistics revealed Monday evening at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, during a panel discussion about the persistence of the racial wealth gap, came from Jill Rizika, Executive Director of the local nonprofit Towards Employment. Towards Employment helps people with criminal backgrounds and other barriers get into jobs, and Rizika explained that her organization had begun a skills-based hiring initiative which sought to "equalize the playing field" for local job seekers.

Genghis Con Cleveland Returns for Its 11th Year of Highlighting Independent Comic Artists and Cartoonists

By Laura Morrison

Genghis Con founder John G. says he never imagined his event celebrating Rust Belt cartoonists and authors would last longer than a decade.

‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ Focuses on Fred Rogers’ Ability to Fix 'Broken People'

By Jeff Niesel

At the beginning of each episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, the PBS program that launched in 1968 and ran for decades, host Fred Rogers would walk into his home, change into a comfy sweater and ditch his dress shoes for sneakers as he asked, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” There was something assuring about his calm, cool and collected demeanor and the way he spoke so slowly and deliberately.

Cleveland City Councilman Martin Keane to Resign

By Sam Allard

Shortly before the Cleveland Browns took the field Thursday evening, Cleveland City Councilman Martin Keane announced at a Ward 17 Democratic Club meeting that he will be resigning from his elected position, effective Monday, Nov. 25.

40 Books Every Clevelander Should Read 

By Scene Staff

With its shortened days and whipping winds, winter in Northeast Ohio is the 10 months each year when we allow ourselves to throw on sweatpants, chug hot cocoa or bourbon and spend long evenings indoors mindlessly scrolling through Netflix's inane personalized viewing options.

Cleveland Once Again Earned a Perfect Score for LGBTQ Inclusiveness on National Scorecard

By Laura Morrison

Cleveland may not be perfect, but at least in one key area the city is reportedly on the right track.

'Queen & Slim' is the Outlaw Story America Needs Right Now 

By Laura Morrison

So many of the crimes we see splashed across the nightly news in this country raise a question: What are the motivations of the people involved? And Queen & Slim gets right into the heart of the matter. No more than seven minutes into the film, after an incredibly blah first date at a diner, a black man (Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out) and woman (Jodie Turner-Smith, making her feature film debut) are driving home in Cleveland (because, obviously) when they're pulled over by a white cop (singer Sturgill Simpson).

Actor Ted Neeley to Appear at the Cedar Lee Theatre for a Special 'Jesus Christ Superstar' Sing-along Screening

By Jeff Niesel

Ted Neeley, the actor who stars as Jesus Christ in the 1973 movie Jesus Christ Superstar, will be on hand when the Cedar Lee Theatre hosts a special sing-along screening of the film at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec.

Cleveland's Pre-Thanksgiving Traffic is Nearly the Worst in the Country, Google Says, And Here's How to Avoid That

By Laura Morrison

It's not all in your head, Cleveland has the second highest concentration of Thanksgiving traffic in the country the day prior to the holiday, a Google Trends analysis called Mapping Thanksgiving has once again reported. According to the 2018 data, as compared to Cleveland area traffic patterns on a regular Wednesday (because, duh, plenty of other cities have bigger holiday backup by volume), more people are traveling through/from the Cleveland area than most spots in America the day before Turkey Day.

Akron's Steve Arrington on 30 Years of Advocacy for Men With HIV 

By Noor Hindi

The year is 1977. Steve Arrington is 25 years old when he walks into his first gay club, Hide & Seek, in Colorado Springs. The music is crisp and everything is chrome: the tables, the bar, the chairs. Red, purple and green strobe lights illuminate a dance floor where men dance with men and women dance with women.

Proposed Ohio Abortion Ban, Including Suggestion Doctors Re-Implant Ectopic Pregnancies, Draws Widespread Scrutiny

By Nick Swartsell

A bill proposing a total ban on abortions now before the Ohio House of Representatives has drawn media coverage from as far away as England over a provision that some say requires doctors to perform the impossible — or potentially face murder charges. House Bill 413 isn't the first time conservative Ohio lawmakers have tried to ban abortions, likely in a move to trigger a battle over the landmark U.S.

Great Lakes Theater's 'A Christmas Carol' Glistens With Holiday Cheer 

By Roman Macharoni

As holiday traditions grow scarcer and scarcer, it's nice to know that one has stayed constant. For 31 years, Great Lakes Theater has been proud to present A Christmas Carol to folks looking for that nostalgic Christmas feel from the beloved Charles Dickens novel, adapted for the stage by Gerald Freedman.

'Dark Waters' is One of the Year's Best Films 

By Sam Allard

Perhaps it's the familiar tones: the serious subject matter, the wintry color palette, the central conflict adapted from an astounding piece of journalism. Or perhaps it's Mark Ruffalo, himself. But whatever the reason, Dark Waters, the new drama from director Todd Haynes about a corporate defense attorney who takes on DuPont on behalf of a West Virginia farming town, feels like this year's Spotlight. It opens Friday areawide.

A Format Change for 107.3 The Wave Could Be On the Horizon

By Afi Scruggs

The beginning of the Christmas season could mark the end of smooth jazz at 107.3 The Wave. Knowledgeable sources say the station is abandoning the format on Friday.

State Rep. Stephanie Howse Unleashes on an Outrageous Abortion Bill and the Destructive Legislating of Ohio Republicans 

By Sam Allard

Ohio's House Bill 413 is one of the most outlandish pieces of abortion legislation pursued to date in the United States. Like Republican lawmakers elsewhere, those in Ohio are salivating at the notion of overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 high court decision legalizing abortion.

Downtown Residents Association Knew the City Would Approve Dan Gilbert's Bad Pedestrian Bridge, They Just Wish the City Had Listened to Their Concerns First

By Vince Grzegorek

Mayor Frank Jackson put the final stamp of approval on JACK Casino's proposed pedestrian bridge today, the second time the company will directly connect parking lots to buildings it owns as to minimize the inconvenience of folks having to face other people, some of whom may not be white, while walking from their car to a slot machine or JACK-owned office building. This, by nearly all accounts, is a poor decision that neglects and ignores good planning in favor of just doing something for Dan Gilbert because he's Dan Gilbert.

Blank Canvas' 'Yippee Ki-Yay' Subverts Parody, Offers Hilarious Holiday Hijinks 

By Roman Macharoni

The debate is finally over. Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and it's gotten the holiday treatment.

13 Cleveland Holiday Markets Here to Help You Score Sweet Gifts This Season

By Alice Koeninger

Instead of giving your money to giant corporations like Amazon, here’s a list of fun places and events where you can shop locally for everyone on your list this holiday season. Holiday Market at the Screw Factory The Screw Factory Artists’ Lofts in Lakewood is open to the public from 6 p.m.

An FAQ on the Lingering Issues at the West Side Market

By Vince Grzegorek

Mike Turczyk last week announced that after 36 years in business, Turczyk Meats would be closing up shop at the West Side Market.

Choose Your Own Cleveland Winter Adventure 

By Scene Staff

It's wintertime in Cleveland and, you know what... That's just perfect. Sure, the cold, the darkness, the wind, the snow will be around but you are not going to let it get you down. You're going to conquer the season. You're going to embrace it, taking Old Man Winter's hand and saying, "Let's go, you pasty grump. There's fun to be had. Grab your mittens and don't waste a second."

Cleveland Councilman Tony Brancatelli Booted from County Dems for Republican Endorsement

By Sam Allard

Cleveland City Councilman Anthony Brancatelli, who represents Slavic Village and portions of Tremont and Old Brooklyn, has been removed from the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party's Executive Committee for endorsing Republican Ron O'Leary in the race for housing court judge last month. The executive director for the County Dems, Ryan Puente, told Scene that Brancatelli was removed in accordance with the party's bylaws, which state that he will be unable to receive a local endorsement for four years.

The Stadium Tour Featuring Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe Coming to FirstEnergy Stadium in July

By Jeff Niesel

Tickets were snapped up so quickly for the first leg of the stadium tour featuring Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts that the bands have announced additional dates, including a July 3 stop at FirstEnergy Stadium. “The word on the street was that fans were overly excited about this stadium tour even before it was announced ...

13 Cleveland Holiday Markets Here to Help You Score Sweet Gifts This Season

By Alice Koeninger

Instead of giving your money to giant corporations like Amazon, here’s a list of fun places and events where you can shop locally for everyone on your list this holiday season. Holiday Market at the Screw Factory The Screw Factory Artists’ Lofts in Lakewood is open to the public from 6 p.m.

Turns Out Clevelanders Didn't Just Search for Porn on Google in 2019

By Laura Morrison

We don't want to alarm you, but 2019 is soon coming to a close. And while we're pretty sure the top Google searches this year had to do with pornography, the search-engine has provided us with a roundup of the clean-ish things that trended on its site not only in Cleveland but also Ohio throughout 2019.

Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland the First Week of the New Year 

THU 01/02

City of Cleveland Now Trying to Cover Ass in Anti-Homeless Crusade

By Sam Allard

Thursday evening, the City of Cleveland issued a lengthy statement attempting to justify its recent code-enforcement actions against a west side church that has stepped in to provide shelter for those experiencing homelessness. On Christmas Eve, the city's department of Building and Housing (B&H) taped a cease and desist order on the door of Denison United Church of Christ (UCC), advising the church that it would be forced to change its official use — currently as a house of worship and assembly — if it planned on continuing to provide shelter to those most in need.

The 10 Best Movies of 2019, According to Scene

By Sam Allard

Twenty-nineteen has been an exhilarating year in filmmaking. Here are our picks for the best movies released in the U.S.

Cuyahoga County Library's 20 Most-Borrowed Books of 2019

By Vince Grzegorek

The Cuyahoga County Public Library has once again shared its list of the 20 most-borrowed titles of 2019, and it's about what you might expect. The full ranking, led by Delia Owens' debut, best-selling novel Where the Crawdads Sing: 1.

Denison UCC, Homeless Advocates Call on Council to Support Cold Weather Plan

By Sam Allard

The Denison United Church of Christ (UCC), which has been operating as an overflow homeless shelter in partnership with the Metanoia Project on the city's west side, has issued a statement in response to the City of Cleveland and its recent code-enforcement actions. Pastor Nozomi Ikuta said that the church is in the process of appealing both a Cease Use notice, which was taped to the door of the church by the fire department on Christmas Eve, and a Dec.

Cleveland's Legislative Body Needs to Change, But Tony George's Punitive Proposal to Cut Council in Half Would be Disastrous 

By Sam Allard

On May 12, 2017, Cleveland City Council's utilities committee met at city hall for a routine hearing on new legislation. Committee hearings are where the meatiest work of city council gets done. It's where city agencies request and defend expenditures and where experts and department heads provide testimony to explain why certain pieces of legislation are advisable.

Bobby George Says He'll Develop Parcel on West 25th He Bought That Was Intended to be Part of Irishtown Bend Riverfront Park

By Vince Grzegorek

The long-envisioned Irishtown Bend Riverfront Park project made significant progress in the last year. Nearly $40 million has been secured from various sources toward the project, which was granted glowing approval from the Cleveland Planning Commission in Sept.

Nine Inch Nails, the Doobie Brothers and Notorious B.I.G. Among the Acts to Be Inducted Into the Rock Hall

By Jeff Niesel

Earlier today, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame officially announced this year’s inductees, and Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers and T. Rex all made the cut.

OCA Greater Cleveland to Produce Documentary on History of AsiaTown and Chinese Immigrants

By Laura Morrison

The OCA Greater Cleveland (OCAGC) is moving forward with plans to create a documentary film on Chinese immigrant history in Cleveland, after receiving $15,000 from the Cleveland Foundation’s Minority Arts and Education Fund. "We are honored to have this opportunity to produce a documentary on Cleveland’s Chinese immigrant community about their history, culture, and economic growth that lead to what has grown and become our AsiaTown today," OCAGC President Lisa Wong said in a statement.

Mayor Frank Jackson Hasn't Attended a Single Weekly Board of Control Meeting Since 2008

By Sam Allard

Mayor Frank Jackson has not attended a single weekly meeting of the Board of Control since May 28, 2008. The Board of Control (BOC) is the body which governs the city's division of purchases and supplies.

Caught Between Here and There: Octavius Williams Was Convicted of Attempted Murder in 2011. Now, He's Free, But Far From Finished With His Case 

By Eric Sandy

"Your name's Tay Tay, right?"

Cuyahoga County Public Library Once Again Ranked Best in Nation

By Vince Grzegorek

Hot on the heels of an agreement between the union representing Cleveland Public Library workers and the library administration on a new contract that avoided a strike comes more good news for the area's library systems. The Cuyahoga County Public Library once again topped the rankings for large systems in the Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service for the tenth year in a row, netting another five-star rating and an overall score of 2,063 points on the ranking system.

Rumored Rolling Stones North American Tour Likely to Stop in Cleveland

By Jeff Niesel

Ever since the Rolling Stones released a video yesterday that hinted the band was "feeling restless," rumors have circulated that the group will hit Cleveland this summer on a North American tour. Billboards have even appeared in town featuring the names of Stones' songs, and the group's logo has also flashed on Terminal Tower as if it were some kind of Bat-Signal.

New Contemporary Metal-Art Show at KSU Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Brutal Student Shootings 

By Laura Morrison

When Anderson Turner first came to Kent State University in 2005, he was tasked with finding the school's Commemorative Medallion marking the May 4 shootings. Somehow the artwork, given as a gift, had been misplaced. Two years later, while up in a rickety loft in the old KSU art building, Turner found the piece wrapped in dusty cloth, still in its neat hickory box with a purple cushion.

Snowy Owls are Officially Back in Cleveland For the Winter

By Laura Morrison

The first reports of snowy owls being spotted in Cleveland this winter are here. Yesterday, Martin J.

As Opioid Overdose Deaths Decline, An Old, Deadly Drug Crisis Comes Back With a Vengeance in Cleveland 

By Zachary Schwartz

Brad wears sandals even though it's the coldest day of December. He and a few friends greet me at a gas station in East Cleveland. I follow them as they cross the street, squeeze through a tight alleyway, and maneuver through a backyard zoo of mutilated grills and scooters. A door opens with a kick and we descend into a chilly concrete basement.

Cleveland Prepared to End Penalties for Low-Level Marijuana Possession, Last Among Major Ohio Cities to Do So

By Vince Grzegorek

Come early February, the city of Cleveland is expected to longer prosecute low-level marijuana possession offenses. As is Cleveland's habit, it will do the right thing, but only after many other cities, nationally and statewide, have come to similar conclusions.

Courtney Barnett Talks About Her Solo Acoustic Tour Coming to the Cleveland Museum of Art Next Week

By Jeff Niesel

Given that wildfires continue to rage in Australia, it was extremely difficult for Aussie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett to leave her native country for the tour that brings her to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium on Tuesday, Jan. 28, for a sold-out show.

That Cleveland-Filmed Episode of 'The Bachelor' is Airing Jan. 27

By Laura Morrison

Filmed in October, the Cleveland episode of The Bachelor is finally making TV airwaves at the end of this month. Destination Cleveland, which was able to somehow lure the love-obsessed reality show to film on the North Coast's shores, announced today that the Cleveland adventures of pilot Peter Weber and his cadre of potential women will run Monday, Jan.

Choking a Woman and Beating Her With a Truck Hitch is a Misdemeanor in Cuyahoga County if You're Related to the Mayor

By Sam Allard

The 23-year-old grandson of Mayor Frank Jackson, Frank Q. Jackson, pleaded guilty Wednesday to drastically reduced charges stemming from a violent encounter in June.

Cleveland’s Drag Scene is Expanding the Boundaries of the Artform and Finding New Audiences 

By Bella Sin

"Drag comes in and out of favor of the mainstream," says Dr. Lady J Martinez, a performer with a decade of experience and a self-proclaimed Ph.D. in Drag Studies and History.

The Scuttling of Council Reduction is Another Sad Example of Cleveland's Anti Democratic Leadership

By Sam Allard

Monday evening, Cleveland City Councilman Joe Jones and Bill Ritter, a leader of the group which gathered signatures to place two council-reduction measures on the March ballot, appeared on a radio show hosted by the Cleveland Clergy Coalition's Aaron Phillips to discuss the council issues.  The show aired only hours after Clevelanders First delivered a signed letter officially withdrawing their petitions. It concluded less than an hour before City Council voted to accept that withdrawal and repeal the authority to put the issues before voters, as required by city charter.

Rewind: 45 Years Ago On This Date Queen Graced the Cover of Cleveland Scene 

By Jeff Niesel

This July, Cleveland Scene will turn 50 years old, and in advance of the occasion, we've decided to dig into the archives on a weekly basis to republish something that appeared in the paper on that date (or thereabouts) during Scene's first decade.

'Anastasia' is Soft and Pretty and a Bit Too Twee 

By Christine Howey

About a century ago the Russian emperor Tsar Nicholas Romanov, along with his extensive family and retinue, had a really bad day. They were executed in an orgy of overkill — shot, bayonetted, doused with acid, buried in a mineshaft — by a revolutionary army led by Vladimir Lenin. Thus, the imperial autocracy ended, and the Bolsheviks rose to power.