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

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.

twa greyhunds visit a graveyard

Cleveland's prestige graveyard is Lake View. There is a spot, they call Daffodil Hill. There is a regular parking spot before it, for a dozen plus vehicles. To-day, would reach near 80º, that lot was near full when we came. The twa greyhunds found their way into the blooming bulbs.

My twa greyhunds tour cultural gardens

Well, i am going to have a journal on 'my twa greyhunds'. I have taken fotos of them already. The title is from one of the many variants of Child Ballad 114. The greyhounds are an ancient and storied breed, known to Egypt and Greece in the centuries before Christ. Here they visit Dante Alighieri, the greatest of poet of the Middle Ages.

 Here, Captain America (left) and Cassius (right) inspect a time capsule.

The twa greyhunds visit Rupintojelis, the Lithuanian Pensive Christ. This folk sculpture can be found in Poland, and Germany. This is the antecedent of Rodin's 'Thinker'.

Gandhi is sculpted walking the Salt March, and as times before, someone has given him a scarf for the winter.

 The Ukrainian garden is in bloom, as April blossoms on a warm day after winter's end.

Cassius

I read that April is Greyhound adoption month. This past Saturday was the 1ˢᵗ, a day the French pin paper fishes to people's backs; other people pull pranks too. I got a second hound from a greyhound half way house, Cassius.

Cassius was an historical figure, now known to many through Shakespeare. Cassius will not live under tyranny. Cassius is manipulative. Shakespeare has Caesar say, "Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous."
Antony replied, "He is a noble Roman and well given."
Caesar responded, "I do not know the man I should avoid so soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; he is a great observer and he looks quite through the deeds of men..."

Sunday my nephew snapped the hounds on their first return trip from Lakewood Park, Captain [right] is cool in sharing the back seat, Cassius [left] is antsy and the car needs to travel before he settles down.

Greyhounds are an abused breed. Most of those in private hands are rescues. It is rare to see a greyhound pup in public. Many do not see their first year, others will never see their fifth. For a large breed, they are quite healthy. It is not unusual for a greyhound to live a natural life of past fourteen years. The racing line are a cost of doing business, and in America the lauded businessmen are lauded for cutting costs. There is another line as show dogs.

People who choose to adopt greyhounds have a great tendency to fall in love with the breed. It is almost like a 'cult', but a nice, safe one. I am thinking, whether, i should write a diary on Cassius.