I accomplished all my resolutions last year. Congratulate Me!
GE Nela Park Christmas light display is no more after 100 years
I had to see it for myself. Having been born in East Cleveland I have fond memories of my family driving through the GE Nela Park campus on Noble Rd. It was magical.
A few decades ago they stopped the drive-through part of the display but still had an amazing display for ½ mile or so along Noble Rd. that you could drive or walk by. I recorded many of these displays in recent years. Nobody did bright and colorful Christmas lighting like GE Nela Park. They were even selected to do the lighting displays in Washington DC for years.
Ingrida Bublys was honored December 6, 2025 as Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture 2025 Person of the Year in Chicago. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.
WNBA Cleveland Rocker star Bonnie Dove
Bonnie Dove
Our Lady of Fatima Church/Community Center in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood hosts an annual Thanksgiving Day turkey (and other food and clothes) giveaway. Once again, members of the Cleveland Chapter of the National Basketball Retired Players Association took part. This included former WNBA star Bonnie Dove.
Bonnie Dove played her high school ball at Cleveland's John F. Kennedy High School and then in college at the University of Arizona. She went on to play for the Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA.
The City of Cleveland named a park in her honor, Dove Park, near East 93rd Street. She told us why she was volunteering and about the WNBA and other basketball topics. Watch.
Margaret Wong interviews Dan Hanson
Immigration attorney and author Margaret W. Wong sat down with Dan Hanson for a special edition of her podcast show. Watch.
Author Melody Chu at MotivAsians Taste of Asia Gala
MotivAsians for Cleveland is a non-profit organization established to cultivate a vibrant Asian community for Greater Cleveland by promoting the attraction and retention of Asian-American professionals. They hosted their 2025 Gala - A Taste of Asia at John Carroll University on November 15, 2025.
Melody Chu told about the writing of her first novel, Mathey Girls. Mathey Girls is a heartfelt, moving novel about a Chinese American woman coming to terms with the evolving nature of family, friendship, and grief after the loss of her best friend. She also read a few pages from the book. Watch.
Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses - Cleveland Museum of Art
The newly opened exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses illustrates how Italy's artistic and cultural heritage is continuously preserved in Italian fashion. If you are a fashionista or just interested in both historic and modern fashion trends from the fashion capital of Italy this is a must see.
It is also a very interesting (and colorful) presentation of historic and modern Italian art and culture.
Tri-C Food Pantry recognizes donors Ann and Lou Frangos
The Westshore Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) dedicated its newly renovated Westshore Campus Food Pantry on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 with a ceremony honoring the "transformative philanthropy" of Ann and Lou Frangos.
Dr. Michael Baston with Ann and Lou Frangos
The Pantry ensures students in need have access to food, essential resources and financial support in an open, welcoming space. The Frangos' gift supports the Tri-C Foundation's efforts to ensure that each campus has adequate, accessible resources to address student food insecurity.
There was a celebratory closing event for Hispanic Heritage Month in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall on Wednesday October 15, 2025. There were vendors, food, resources and entertainment.
A highlight was the Fashion Show by ladies from the Latina Image Leadership Program of Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center.
The Latina Image Leadership Program builds leaders by inspiring and educating young Latina women ages 13 to 17 to achieve their full potential through the power of sisterhood. The participants are taken through an intense 6-month course in which they will learn, including Student Voice, Art Expression, Interview Skills, Social Etiquette, Civic Engagement, Positive Self - Image, Personal Development, Academic Responsibility, Social Media Responsibility, Social-Emotional Development, and Elements of: Diction, Dance, Modeling, and Photo-pose.
Watch a video of the Fashion Show where the ladies wore clothing representing many Hispanic heritages.
Safe Haven Baby Box in South Euclid - 1349 South Green Road
Safe Haven Baby Boxes mission is to prevent illegal abandonment of newborns by raising awareness, offering a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis and offering the Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a last resort option for women who want to maintain complete anonymity.
There are currently 376 baby boxes in the US and just last month, 6 babies were saved because of them. What a great alternative to a dumpster or other dangerous abandonment. The baby can be placed in the box anonymously and the fire department will be alerted and the baby will be taken to a hospital and receive care and enter a program for adoption.
The first Baby Box in Cuyahoga County was set up at the South Euclid Fire Department and a ceremony and blessing was held on October 10, 2025.
Mary Louise Avsec was born as the second of three children into the family of the late William and late Mary (nee Hocevar) Avsec household. The family originally resided off Luther Avenue and moved to Bonna Avenue in the 1940s. Mary Louise attended and was graduated from, respectfully, St. Vitus Elementary School, Notre Dame Academy and then St. John College. In Feb 1953 she responded to the call to enter into the community of the Sisters of Notre Dame. When she took her final vows, she took the name “Sister Mary Bernardine” (as was the custom pre-Vatican II).
Sister Mary’s primary focus and ministry for the next 40 years would be educating young children. In the city of Cleveland, she taught at St. Michael, St. Boniface, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St. Vitus Schools. She also taught at St. Michael (Independence), St. Gregory The Great (South Euclid), SS. Cyril and Methodius (Lakewood), and St. Mary (Avon). Sister Avsec then taught primary and intermediate age levels at St. Mary (Elyria), St. Helen (Newbury), and St. Justin Martyr (Eastlake). She was also an intermediate level teacher at Julie Billiart, a school for children with various types of learning disabilities in Lyndhurst, Ohio.
As she was concluding her teaching ministry, she then began minister for community service at the Provincial Center in Chardon, Ohio. She became a certified pastoral minister in the diocese of Cleveland; and for the past 25 or so years she has been the pastoral minister at her home parish of St. Vitus. In this capacity, Sister Avsec has cared for the elderly, visiting seniors, home bound, or those in an assisted living arrangement; and also, bereavement ministry to families who experience the loss of a loved one.
Sister Mary Avsec and Father John Retar
She has served as a member of the pastoral council, Conference of Older Adults in the diocese of Cleveland, a former board member of the Kovacic Recreation Center and a former board member of the then St. Clair Superior Coalition, now St. Clair Superior Development Corp. She has also been the spiritual directress of the Legion of Mary, conducted Marian devotions, Holy Hours, mini-retreats, faith inquiry class, and has faithfully served on the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society, a ministry that requires one on one encounters as an apostolic mission to then ascertain basic material needs. Sister Avsec has also been inducted into the St. Vitus Hall of Fame.
Margaret Wong and Connie Chung - A Conversation in Cleveland
Immigration attorney and author Margaret Wong hosted a conversation with Connie Chung at the Cuyahoga County Public Library Parma branch on October 1, 2025 in support of Connie Chung's book titled Connie: A Memoir.
In 2013, Debbie Hanson of ClevelandPeople.com created the Food Adventurers Passport Program. Passport holders visited local ethnic restaurants and learned about the food and culture while enjoying camaraderie and a great meal. Passport holders get a special presentation from the staff and a special offer at the featured restaurant.
It was a lot of fun but then Covid hit and Debbie's health took a bad turn so the program stopped. But in her honor (she passed away in April 2025) we are bringing back the group as the Debbie Hanson Food Adventurers.
The first Debbie Hanson Food Adventure was on September 24, 2025 at YYTime.
Mike and Oanh Powell and Johnny Wu at YYTime Adventure
Always wanted to try International Foods but were afraid or not sure what to order?
Love to experiment with other cuisines but your partner/spouse/friends do not?
Not sure what's in some ethnic dishes or how to order?
Interested in the customs and recipes behind foods from other cultures?
Don't have someone to try new ethnic restaurants with?
To be notified of upcoming adventures, e-mail us or sign up here. It's First Come, First Served.
As Irish poet William Butler Yeats said, "There are No Strangers here, only friends you haven't met yet." We hope you can join us.
Debbie Hanson
ClevelandSeniors.com and ClevelandWomen.com co-founder Debbie Hanson passed away April 12, 2025 after a long illness. We are devastated. More about Debbie will be posted soon.
Her wake is Wednesday April 23 and funeral on Thursday April 24.
She will be greatly missed by family, friends and the community.
Debbie Hanson
They're Baaaaaack!
The three young unintentional heroes who solved a series of murders in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens find themselves in the middle of another mystery.
In Murder in AsiaTown DJ, Ren and Peggy, called a modern Mod Squad, discover a decades old murder case from Cleveland’s Chinatown. While working to showcase and document the history of the Chinese community and neighborhood they stumble upon some disturbing news. Their efforts take them all over the Chinatown and AsiaTown neighborhoods of Cleveland Ohio and includes numerous historic facts and stories. When it looks like they have the case solved, a surprising twist emerges.
This is Cleveland author Dan Hanson's second book. The first book, Murder in the Cultural Gardens, is a “whodunit” murder mystery set in the real world Cleveland Cultural Gardens. An unlikely new “Mod Squad” stumbles upon a series of murders in their beloved Gardens and assist in solving the crimes. All 30+ of the Cultural Gardens are covered in the book so readers learn about this treasure while trying to figure out the mystery.
You can find them on Amazon and in local bookstores like Mac'sBacks on Coventry. Or email for autogaphed copies. They make great Christmas gifts!
Now my husband thinks he's a chef
10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Air Fryer
Sure, air fryers achieve a satisfyingly crisp finish with just a fraction of the fat, putting a healthier spin on fried foods. But there’s another reason to love your air fryer: the mind-blowing array of exciting new dishes you can add to your everyday repertory.
Rebuilders Xchange (RBX) buys and sells construction material from ordinary to extraordinary. RBX is in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood in an organized, 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse. It may not be the first business you think of for a woman entrepreneur but it was a dream of founder Jessica Davis and she made it happen.
In this video, Jessica tells the vision behind the project - reusing and repurposing construction materials, bringing wealth to the people of the neighborhood, keeping things out of the landfills and so on. She tells what it's like being a woman in a non-traditional industry. Ron tells of the jump from pipe fitter and welder to starting 16 IT and tech companies and now back to making custom pieces and design in the Fab Lab metal and wood shop in the Rebuilder's Xchange.
Victims of human trafficking find themselves forced or coerced into engaging in specific types of labor or commercial sex acts without their consent. Often, human trafficking remains a hidden crime. Victims fear their abusers as well as law enforcement and suffer such significant trauma that they struggle to reach out for help.
Human trafficking impacts people across genders, races, and ages. Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, and all too often, that victimization occurs in the shadows. Human trafficking traps an estimated 24.9 million people–64% are exploited for labor, while sexual exploitation accounts for an estimated 19% of human trafficking.
Isolation can increase the risk of violence at home. Use this discrete gesture during a video call to show you need help:
Hold hand up with palm facing other person.
Tuck thumb into palm.
Fold fingers down over thumb.
A missing teenage girl was rescued in the US after using a hand gesture that signals distress or domestic violence to capture the attention of a passing driver. The 16-year-old was spotted travelling inside a silver Toyota near London, Kentucky, about 150 miles south-east of Louisville, on November 4th. A driver called police after noticing "a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform TikTok to represent violence at home - I need help - domestic violence," the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on 6 November.
Good idea
Murder in the Cultural Gardens
"It just didn’t seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for “Peace through Mutual Understanding.” But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. “What is the nature of your emergency?” the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, “There’s been a murder in the Cultural Gardens.”
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
ClevelandWomen.Com Book of the Week
The Girl on the Train
The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt. The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.
Intersecting, overlapping, not-quite-what-they-seem lives. Jealousies and betrayals and wounded hearts. A haunting unease that clutches and won’t let go. All this and more helps propel Paula Hawkins’s addictive debut into a new stratum of the psychological thriller genre. At times, I couldn’t help but think: Hitchcockian. From the opening line, the reader knows what they’re in for: “She’s buried beneath a silver birch tree, down towards the old train tracks…” But Hawkins teases out the mystery with a veteran’s finesse. The “girl on the train” is Rachel, who commutes into London and back each day, rolling past the backyard of a happy-looking couple she names Jess and Jason. Then one day Rachel sees “Jess” kissing another man. The day after that, Jess goes missing. The story is told from three character’s not-to-be-trusted perspectives: Rachel, who mourns the loss of her former life with the help of canned gin and tonics; Megan (aka Jess); and Anna, Rachel’s ex-husband’s wife, who happens to be Jess/Megan’s neighbor. Rachel’s voyeuristic yearning for the seemingly idyllic life of Jess and Jason lures her closer and closer to the investigation into Jess/Megan’s disappearance, and closer to a deeper understanding of who she really is. And who she isn’t. This is a book to be devoured. -Neal Thompson
Every Tuesday evening we send an e-mail message to people who are interested in upcoming (the next week) events that have an ethnic or cultural connection. So it may be Opera in the Italian Garden or Puerto Rican Day Parade or Slovenian Kurentovanje or...
You can also sign up to receive more specific free eNews for any groups or groups you may choose (Irish, German, Polish, Chinese, etc.)
It's easy and free and will let you know every week about fun and interesting events that are coming up in the next week.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a pattern of repeated physical, sexual and emotional violence and behaviors that one person in a relationship uses to exercise power and control over the other. Cleveland and Northeast Ohio have many resources for victims of domestic violence.
How about something for the Cleveland foodie on your list?
The Cleveland Cooks Cookbooks are packed with hundreds of the best recipes from Cleveland people. Volume 1 is sold out but there are special offers for Volume 2 and 3.
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