May 30 2012

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Brent

cleveland metroparks zoo

Today’s Photo: The Pink Flamingo

From the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo website:

What’s remarkable about a flamingo? Plenty. These birds are pink, have exceptionally long necks and the longest legs, in proportion to body size, of all birds. The beak is uniquely shaped and adapted for pumping and filtering water while feeding on crustaceans and algae in marshes and lagoons. Both in water and on land, flamingos are able to lock their long legs into position for resting and sleeping on one leg.

For info on how you can see more of these amazing birds:

http://www.clemetzoo.com/tour/exhibit.asp?exhibit_id=25

Today’s Quote: Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them? –  Rose Kennedy


May 25 2012

Cleveland Browns Stadium

Brent

cleveland browns stadium

From the Cleveland Browns Website:

“Tradition is such an important part of the Browns, so it’s important to note that ever since they were born in 1946, they have played on the same site on the shores of Lake Erie. From 1946-95, their home was Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Browns won all eight of their league championships there and hosted 17 postseason games. It is also where 16 men — 15 players and one coach – built careers that eventually landed them in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

On that same footprint is Cleveland Browns Stadium, which was opened in 1999. To keep that tradition going, the playing field at Cleveland Browns Stadium runs east to west, just like it did before, and the Dawg Pound can still be found on the east side of the stadium.
But that tradition has been tweaked and enhanced with a myriad of modern amenities and conveniences that give Cleveland Browns Stadium the look and feel of a 21st century facility. It fits right in with its modern neighbors, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center.

Architectural gaps in the seating bowl at Cleveland Browns Stadium at the Southeast and Southwest entrance plazas allow visitors to view the field and the inside of the facility even when the Browns aren’t playing. These gaps and the upper level bridges connecting the sideline and end zone seating also allow ticket holders to see the downtown skyline.

In addition, lighting has been specially designed to highlight the columns and beams supporting the upper deck topped by a halo of light glowing from the sideline canopies.

Day or night, game day or not, Cleveland Browns Stadium adds excitement and beauty to a city and fan base looking forward while at the same time honoring the past.

Architect: HOK Sports Facilities Groups

Construction Manager: Huber, Hunt & Nichols.

Stadium Ground Breaking: Started on May 15, 1997 and was completed in August of 1999 for the first pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Cost: In excess of $290 million with contributions from the city, state, county,
Regional Transit Authority, Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Tomorrow.

Seating Capacity: over 73,200.
8,801 Club Seats.
10,644 Dawg Pound Seats (bleacher seating).
142 Luxury Suites.

ADA Seating: Capable of providing over 1,436 wheelchair-accessible seats.
12 ticket windows”

Fore more info: http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/stadium/about-the-stadium.html


May 24 2012

ZZ Top Eliminator

Brent

zz top eliminator Rock Hall

 

The ZZ Top Eliminator in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This hot rod  became a legend by appearing in several rock music videos.

For more info: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/zz-top-eliminator-hot-rod.htm

Today’s Quote: The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it. ~Dudley Moore


May 18 2012

Old County Courthouse

Brent

cuyahoga county courthouse

2012 marks the 100th birthday of the Cuyahoga County Court House on Lakeside Avenue. The courthouse was designed by Charles Morris along with Lehman and Schmitt and is one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style in the city.

For more info: http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=LAS1

“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space”. – Philip Johnson


May 16 2012

Free Stamp

Brent

willard park free stamp

The Free Stamp by Danish artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen

From about.com:

“The 50-foot tall aluminum and steel replica of a hand stamp sits downtown at Willard Park on Lakeside Avenue, next to City Hall. The artwork was originally commissioned in 1982 by the Standard Oil Company to sit in front of their soon-to-be-constructed headquarters building on Public Square (now the BP Building). The piece was originally to sit with the “Free” stamp facing downward, hidden from view. However, before the piece could be installed, Standard Oil was acquired by the British Petroleum Company (BP) who did not favor the piece. “Free Stamp” sat in storage in Indiana for years before BP donated it to the city of Cleveland.”

More info: http://cleveland.about.com/b/2008/05/31/free-stamp-in-cleveland.htm

Today’s Quote: A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. –Oscar Wilde


May 7 2012

CLEVELAND UNION TERMINAL

Brent

Cleveland Union Terminal

From the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: “The Cleveland Union Terminal and the Terminal Tower, Cleveland’s most familiar landmark, was the largest construction project of the 1920s in the city. Originally intended for the north end of the Mall, the railroad terminal was located on Public Square Oris and Mantis Van Sweringan following a public referendum in 1919. Excavation of the site began in 1924. The entire depot and office complex was designed by Chicago architects Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. The unprecedented engineering for the project included foundations 250′ deep for the tower, the demolition of more than 1,000 buildings, and the construction of many bridges and viaducts for the railroad approaches. Construction on the steelwork began in 1926, and the 708′ Terminal Tower was completed in 1927, the tallest building in the world outside New York City until 1967.

For more info: http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=CUT

Today’s Quote: “All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem”. – Martin Luther King Jr.


May 4 2012

Settlers Landing Park

Brent

 

Settlers Landing Park Cleveland

Settlers Landing Park represents the spot that Moses Cleaveland led a surveying team to in 1796. This park is located on the Eastern bank of the crooked Cuyahoga River in the Flats.

For more info: http://www.examiner.com/article/cleveland-s-settlers-landing

Today’s Quote: Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit. – Frank Borman


May 2 2012

William G Mather

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William Mather Museum

“The Steamship William G. Mather is a retired Great Lakes bulk freighter now restored as a museum ship in Cleveland, Ohio, one of four in the Great Lakes region. She transported cargo such as ore, coal, stone, and grain to ports throughout the Great Lakes, and was nicknamed “The Ship That Built Cleveland” because Cleveland’s steel mills were a frequent destination.”

For more information:

http://www.glsc.org/mather_museum.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamship_William_G._Mather_Maritime_Museum

Today’s Quote: “History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside”. – John F. Kennedy