Difference between presidencies

Chagrin Falls Main Street, where the pumpkins roll.  This retaining wall was built by the WPA in 1938, eighty-years ago.  I have come across so much that was created during Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, and much of it still stands.  On this it is not signed Franklin Roosevelt.  Orange Caligula is putting his name on everything he can think of, often enough garishly, and certainly undeservedly.  His monuments will not last so long.

Roosevelt's work left, bottom right not Roosevelt's.

why Cuyahoga Metroparks tax wins so easily

new work on the far eastern bit of Euclid Reservation, in or by Richmond Heights, six days before Election Day

Same day, deer looks at us, until the hounds bark.

Part of an old trail, that will connect with the new trail gets a picturesque fence, so that you do not fall into the creek below.

We met Miss Jane Marple who was snooping about for an investigation. We walked towards her to avoid a temporary Jehovah Witness pioneering and travelling book selling team. They had been setting up in public spots, before the virus came. The porch hopping was replaced by letters, and phone calls.

Two days later we were at Garfield Heights Metropark. Roosevelt's WPA did some great stone work here, nearly 90 years ago. As i have noted, so much was built under the New Deal that was good, well done, necessary, and would not have been done without it. America is still enjoying the fruit of those labors, and if Republicans remained in charge it would never have happened.

The metroparks manage properties well. They have taken over city, and state parks, and have improved them. Places that were avoided by thousands, are now being enjoyed by those thousands. They do something that is very rare in the USA—upkeep, and maintenance. The parks are clean from careless discarded trash that covers this country. They place trash bins, and doggy poop bag dispensers on pathways. They operate the Cleveland Zoo, and have nature programmes for the public. They cleaned, and keep Edgewater Beach clean, their stewardship of it was magnificent compared to prior management. Their tax levy comes around once in a decade, and is easily passed, because people see the value. Greater Cleveland has a bunch of failures, and bad conditions that are glossed over by hype and public relations bullshit, but these parks, and the public libraries are among the best in the nation.

Major landscaping is underway. A marsh is being replaced with a pond that was in place when the stone bridge and steps were put in.

Looking at the once, and future pond from the bridge.

said pond

Massillon Tigers

"In the beginning when The Great Creator was drawing plans for this world of ours, He decided there should be something for everyone. He gave us mountains that reach to the sky, deep blue seas, green forests, dry deserts, gorgeous flowers and gigantic trees. Then he decided there should be football and he gave us Massillon. He created only one Massillon. He knew that would be enough."  — Ron Maly, Des Moines Sunday Register

Here is more of the mural, which has the Maly quote. Eric Grohe. 1997. Massillon.

AP National Champions 1935, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961 

Massillon was the Notre Dame, New York Yankees, and Boston Celtics of high school football.

Tiger Stadium was also a 1939 WPA project. In 1976 it was renamed Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.The current year's schedule is posted. Normally, one would expect a team's schedule would be half at home, and half on he road. Other teams, including out of state teams, want to play Massillon. This year, they have 7 home games, and three on the road.

under the Eye of the Tiger, cue Survivor

Paul Brown starting quarterback 1923-24 (15-3)

Paul Brown's Massillon Washington High coaching record: 1932–40 (80–8–2)

Brown went on to coach the land grant agricultural college team in Columbus. He was drafted to coach in the Navy. He started a professional team in Cleveland, and then in Cincinnati. The Cleveland team was named after him, it has a statue of Brown outside the stadium, it is of some other Brown.

In Berea, i drove up to see the building that is the indoor training facility. Massillon has such a building too, but it is larger. I saw a statue outside, i went to take a picture. I was surprised, it was not of Paul Brown; but a former owner of the expansion Browns. Then i started to walk over to take a foto of the Lou Groza outdoor mural. Someone came out of the building, and told me to leave the property immediately. In Massillon, before i could take a close up of the Paul Brown statue, the grounds keeper took me, my nephew, and our two greyhounds inside the stadium for a quick tour.

They have a great logo, and mascot, "Obie". Paul Brown, in 1938, had a struggling football player dress up in a tiger skin. Since then, there has been a sideline mascot. From 1970 to 2020, a caged tiger was brought to the big rivalry game with Canton McKinley.

They have fans inside the school, and outside the school.

 part of the next door neighbour's display

a view from the rubble mound

 

Nearly a century ago, Cleveland was either the fifth or sixth most populous city in the 48 states. It was an industrial city that attracted residents who laboured in those enterprises. The Works Progress Administration beginning in 1935, put men to work when private industry could not. The WPA built public housing. In 1939-40 the Valley View Estates [projects] were built on a bluff over the Cuyahoga on the old South Side [now called Tremont], with 528 apartments in two storey brick buildings. In 1990, Interstate 490 came through. In 2004, the remaining apartments were demolished. Recently, some of the rubble has been fashioned into mounds by Cleveland Metroparks. Climbing to the top of the tallest mound, a 360° view can be seen of some of the city. It was sunny day, but not quite clear.

former Clark Freeway, I-490

Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency, beginning in 1970, the smokestacks are releasing far less noxious compounds. Now the plumes are mostly steam.

Cassius (L), and Karma (R) came to look at the choo-choos at West 3rd.

Cleveland's Terminal Tower was, for a time, the country's second tallest building.

In the center is the model for Superman's Daily Planet. In the foreground of it is the Indians' ballpark.

Perhaps, the most iconic building in the city, definitely in the neighbourhood is St. Theodosius.  St. Theodosius was partly built with money from Czar Nicholas II. It was a church of the mostly Rusyn immigrants, it had been both Greco-Catholic, and Russian Orthodox.

Valleyview Estates

By St. Theodosius in 1939 Valleyview Estates public housing was built. There was a WPA clay tile mural of the street map with six laboring men (some architects, and an artist, some construction), tools, compass points, a steam shovel demolishing old housing, and the sun by Leroy Flint and Henry Olmer.  The map had barrack style units representing the houses. St. Theodosius is not marked, but the St. Olga Street is. The terra cotta was cleaned by art conservators and re-installed, behind glass, at the successor project Tremont Pointe. It is not easy to see in daylight. These pictures were taken night time.

 

look, there is much about you in the industrial Middle West

Saint Theodosius viewed from metropark with mounds formed from the rubble of Valley View Estates.

Two of these were at top of the main entrance of John Marshall High Cleveland in 1932 (art deco). A few years ago the old school was demolished, and the new one has the eagles flanking the doors.

Clark by Scranton intersection, Cleveland

Next to the marina by the Lorain Impoundment there is a promenade, on one side of the promenade there is a fence. People have begun placing lovelocks on it, as they do some bridges in Europe.

flowering pear petals on the court

portion of  WPA clay tile map of  Valley View Estates, now behind glass, and very hard to see in daylight

If the weather is not bad, i think one could go out everyday, and not so very far, and see something to photograph. This is part of a house on East 55th in Newburgh. The house is falling in on itself. A slice in a dome is a spot a telescope peeks out in an observatory.

Jednota building was a house that was expanded with art deco features to serve as a commercial building. Notice the canes in the windows, not too many other windows were made that way. The fence is from the property next door.

soap box

The marker says that Myron Scott saw a kid's race in Dayton Ohio. In 1935, the first Soap Box Derby was held in Akron Ohio. In 1936, Franklin Roosevelt's, and Harry Hopkins, Federal Work Projects Administration built Derby Downs.

view from the starting block

The building to the left is the Akron Rubber Bowl.

Glendale Steps

The Federal Works Projects Administration (WPA) had men cut stone for this staircase on a 200 foot slope between streets in 1936-7. Amongst the walls, and spaces for gardening, 242 sandstone steps were installed. The park was never completed.

This is the lower level. Above the wall seen here as top, there are more steps that reach Walnut Street. The big bare space has had plants.

Cassius (L), and Captain (R) stand at mid level. Behind them are five paintings, four with text, one defaced.

Frances Perkins (Secretary of Labor), Franklin Roosevelt (President), Harry Hopkins (WPA) are pictured in this panel. The 1930s were a time of great economic hardship, the federal government (and these three individuals) did much to alleviate it. The Works progress Administration employed many for years building and doing good and important things that the private sector would never do.

                                               these two fotos are of the upper level

This needs some rehabilitation, but we do not have a Roosevelt, or a Hopkins, or a Perkins.

Many stones are loose, or broken.  There is a road closed sign between Glendale Cemetery and the steps, beyond the steps is a car repair business and a fence that closes the road. These obstructions and diversions are part of the new road rebuilding.

Landscape planting is now, only on the very bottom.