SHORT TAKES:
Judging from the glossy political mailings that have been flooding voters’ mailboxes lately, county executive hopefuls Ed FitzGerald (the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate) and Republican Matt Dolan (who won the Plain Dealer’s endorsement) have been engaging in a hot-and-heavy name-calling contest.
One recent Dolan mailer pointed out that half a dozen figures named in the FBI’s county corruption investigation, including Frank Russo and Jimmy Dimora, have contributed to the FitzGerald campaign fund. In response, FitzGerald has accused Dolan of spending $430,000 of the Dolan family fortune to fund a “mud-slinging” campaign. The Lakewood mayor also insists that Dolan won the Republican primary “by trashing Victor Voinovich’s reputation.”
Now, wait a minute here. We’ve been wondering: If you accuse your opponent of mud-slinging isn’t that a form of mud-slinging?
In any event it seems possible that, by attacking each other in mail and TV campaigns, the two heavy-spending candidates for the top county job just might be improving Tim McCormack’s chances of slipping through to victory on Nov. 2.
Marc’s Makeover
The Sept. 21 “Grand Re-Opening” of the Marc’s Lakeshore Boulevard store in Euclid revealed some dramatic improvements to the store’s layout and, especially, its presentation of grocery items. The makeover included expansion of the frozen food and dairy sections, as well as a remodeled fresh meat department.
Thanks to the revamped layout, customers are finding it much easier to locate the items they’re looking for, especially those customers who bothered to pick up a copy of the new floor diagram that the store is making available. And, to top it all off, the exterior of the entire shopping strip will be sporting a new facelift as part of the overall downtown Euclid renovation.
Library Art Exhibit
The Euclid Public Library is now hosting an exhibit of 20 paintings and other artwork by Ted Theodore, a former Euclid High art teacher and track coach. The art show is scheduled to run through the end of October. Ted and his wife Irene, by the way, have become known for their globe-trotting travels to take in Olympic Games around the world, including the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Computerized History
Most of the items in the Euclid Historical Society’s extensive collection of records and artifacts of local historical significance have been logged into a computer database. The bad news, as noted in the society’s September newsletter, is that the computer system is “rather old and no longer very user-friendly.” Moreover, the system “doesn’t really lend itself to Internet access.”
Well, that may be about to change. The organization is now working with a consultant to acquire a new computer and software designed specifically for museum use. The new system is expected to provide more rapid access to data.
Making a significant contribution to the society’s data management efforts has been volunteer Evelyn Kubach, who recently catalogued the museum’s collection of obituaries of notable Euclid residents. After completing 1,000 files recently, she put them on a CD and delivered it to Historical Society President John Williams. Previously, Evelyn computerized all of the Euclid Township records from April 1810 to April 1843. The city certainly owes Evelyn a debt of gratitude.
The historical society and museum, located at 21129 North Street, holds its monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. For information, contact John Williams at (216) 289-8577.
Clambake Deadline
There is still time, though not very much of it, to order tickets to the Euclid Pet Pals’ clambake slated for Oct. 22 at the Manor Party Center. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Oct. 19. Proceeds benefit the Euclid Animal Shelter. Tickets are available at the shelter, 25100 Lakeland Boulevard.