PRESSURE PEOPLE
MEET THE PRESSURE TEAM Hannah Allozi
PRESSURE LIFE Creative Director, Owner Chief Operating Officer, Owner Editors
Jim Bacha John Gardner Amy Sokolowski Sarah Maxwell Ryan Novak
Art Director
Hannah Allozi
Illustrator
Aaron Gelston
Senior Writers
@gelston.design
Adam Dodd Will Kmetz
Staff Writers
Dan Bernardi Matt McLaughlin Kevin Naughton
Contributors
Casey Rearick
@caseyrearickphoto
Anthony Franchino Alex Bieler Ben Diamond Thomas Grinnell Darrick Rutledge Stephanie Ginese Jae Andres Brittany Dobish Distribution
PMK Logistics
A talented art director professionally, Hannah Allozi is the layout mastermind behind PressureLife, helping hand craft our particular look and feel. Aside from being a graphic design wizard, she dabbles with art, having created a beautiful pastel series of hats, cars, burgers, and shoes — all with a cherry on top, which her old drawing professor described as “perverted.” Hannah absolutely loves cake and stuffing, and conversely is a newbie runner who prefers a nice, uninterrupted jog with no musical accompaniment. Hannah's all time favorite show is The Golden Girls, and her favorite character is Sophia, which makes sense- they both share a sharp sense of humor and shoot straight from the hip.
Dan Bernardi
Dan Bernardi is PressureLife's self-proclaimed resident goofball (seriously, he's proclaiming it right now.) Whether he's writing silly bios, weird holiday stuff, or the occasional sincere Cleveland story, Dan strives to bring something different to the reader whether they like it or not (sorry, Mom.) Dan's an ardent movie lover, and when he's not writing for PressureLife, he's started a collection of his own ignored, unproduced screenplays such as his most recent script, the retro horror/sci-fi slasher flick, Flashback. Dan is also a fraction of Aldous Mustache, a local comedy group known for absurd internet videos and their underground sketch show, Public Axis. When it comes to The Golden Girls, Dan's a total Blanche.
Enjoying PressureLife? We would love to hear your thoughts. pressurelife.com/feedback Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 3
CONTENTS JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016
10
30
06 Mouthwatering Success
Getting to know one of Cleveland’s youngest entrepreneurs
08
08 Banter vs. The Yeti
Sausage and Havoc
10 How to Drink Better
Coffee in Cleveland
Not all coffee is created equal
06
13 Nuclear Cleveland
28
What effects did a WWII era uranium enrichment facility have on our city?
18 Music’s Forgotten Middle Men
Championing Local Music from Behind the Spotlight
22 Deus Ex Jib Machine
The lowdown on John Templeman and his homegrown record label
13
24 This Is How We Roll
Cavs on Wheels are Cleveland’s Real Basketball Champions
26 Good Luck and God, Speed!
Adventures In Speed Dating
28 Changing Hairy
A glimpse into Northeast Ohio's most mythic and enigmatic resident...
30 Resolve Your Resolution
Out with the old, in with the newbs
FOLLOW US Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Instagram @thepressurelife
18
26
S ED CARD STOCK AT O C N U & S S LO G N ew! 3 2 P T.
DEAR FRIENDS... HEADING INTO 2016
we are five issues in and we couldn't be more excited about all of the support and feedback that we have received from our readers. Thank you all for making PressureLife such a success. We are looking forward to the upcoming year, as we have so much more to offer. That's where we need you. We welcome any feedback that you may have and/or talent that you may want to share with us. We're always open to hearing from new contributors, so please visit our website www.pressurelife.com if you have a smashing Cleveland themed idea that you'd like to explore with us. Also, if you'd like to advertise with us, we welcome your contribution. Let the PressureLife team hightlight all that your business has to offer. We're equally stoked about this year. Our web presence is growing, and for you, that means additional stories, real time venue reviews, cues to upcoming events and giveaways. We've also expanded our video presence, so you will not want to miss the opportunity to see our ingenius posts. We will be featuring local shows, spontaneous skits and much more. It's going to be worth it folks, trust us. In addition, we now provide the convenience of home delivery with the subscription price of only $20.00 a year. Our issues go quickly, so this ensures that you will always have the latest copy on hand. So here's to another year in The Land. We would be remiss, however, if we did not mention in our parting remarks that our endearing Weir is missing, yet again. We need your help friends. Find him and you receive a cash giveaway. His presence is precious to us, so please look for him in an ad in this upcoming issue and help us track him on our website. The escape is real.
Cheers, PressureLife Family
k i c � T a r t Ul
S D R A C S S E BUSIN
PAIRS WELL WITH EYE-CATCHING DETAIL Add dazzling upgrades like foil stamping, embossing and painted edges. You'll thank us later!
1000 GLOSS
181
$
32 pt. Gloss Card Stock / 3.5x2” Full Color / Full Bleed / Painted Edges / No Setup Fees
1000 UNCOATED
162
$
32 pt. Uncoated Card Stock / 3.5x2” Full Color / Full Bleed / Painted Edges / No Setup Fees
SAVE 40 $
Off Your Order of $149* or more. Use Promo Code
ULTRACARD216 *One-time use code. Expires 3/31/16. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Valid on retail pricing, only. Discount does not apply to taxes or shipping charges.
Call 216.622.6360 Click jakprints.com
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 5
MOUTHWATERING
SUCCESS
Although he is only in his early twenties, Ethan Holmes has already turned his high school vision into a successful business Darrick Rutledge // Photography: Anthony Franchino
E
than Holmes’ Mouthwatering Applesauce has gone from being sold in Zagara’s in Cleveland Heights to being sold in over 60 supermarkets throughout Ohio and Illinois in just one year. I reached out to the Shaker Heights native to find out more about the man whose business has him cranking out one of the most delicious snacks to ever come out of the Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen, a shared space which incubates local businesses.
First and foremost, I’m curious to know more about you as both an individual and a brand. What inspired you to get involved in the applesauce market? When I was a kid, I loved the concept of entrepreneurship, anything from selling lemonade to landscaping. My family noticed that early, and I was given a book by my godmother entitled Reallionaire. The book told the story of Farrah Gray, an African-American boy who made a million dollars at the age of 14. After seeing someone so successful and close to my age, it inspired me to start my own legitimate business venture. I chose applesauce because after studying the market, I saw there were only three major companies and the world needed something in between that had high quality ingredients, community values, and a passionate story.
You’re not even 23 years old yet, and you have achieved a great deal of success and it’s only continuing to grow. Did you envision this when you were 15 years old and still in Shaker Heights High School? To be honest, I always knew that the product would be successful, especially when others didn’t. It’s the only thing that kept me going. I had classmates laugh at me and tell me I was too stupid or that applesauce was a terrible product. However, I stayed true to myself and used my dreams of something better to fuel my persistence.
I had classmates laugh at me and tell me I was too stupid or that applesauce was a terrible product.
6 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
I think it’s really commendable that 10% of your profit goes to charity to fight childhood obesity because I know the percentage of children who suffer from obesity in America is growing annually. Why is giving back to this cause important to you? Since the beginning, giving back was always the goal and embedded in our mission. Child obesity is a major issue that affects millions of children annually. If we can help alleviate that issue through charity and bringing a healthy food product to market, then why not?
When you look back on the journey you took to get to this point, what’s something that you wish you knew then that’s almost
common sense to you now? There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs. Can you explain a little more in depth the “made by kids, for kids” aspect of your business? Made by kids, for kids was our slogan in 2014-2015, and it represented one of our missions: to create a product developed by a kid that other kids would enjoy. We created a program that allowed high school students around Ohio to help assist us in the production of our applesauce, receive a stipend, and gain volunteer hours for graduation. With the students, we were able to create over 10,000 jars of applesauce in just one year and give thousands of dollars in stipends to students around Ohio. A few big name retailers carry your product — Zagara’s, Heinen’s, and The Wine Spot — how did these monumental partnerships come about? Are there any other retailers in the works to be next to sell your applesauce? Those partnerships came from being 80% persistent and 20% annoying. I got in my first supermarket, Zagara’s Marketplace, in November 2014. I was producing a couple hundred jars at a time, very small. I wanted the big guys, so I called Heinen’s two to three times a week for almost a year until they gave me a yes. I did the same thing with Giant Eagle, Marc’s, Dave’s, and Whole Foods, but they all eventually picked up the product [in 2015], placing Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce in over 60 various supermarkets from Ohio to Illinois. As a founder and CEO of Ethan Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce, what is next for the expansion of this company as both a product and a brand? Our goal has always been to capture the market share in Ohio and eventually expand to other states. We are now going after supermarket giant Kroger and venturing into new revenue streams: schools, daycares, nursing homes, prisons, etc. We are raising more capital for marketing, greater distribution, and have even moved out of The Cleveland Culinary Launch Kitchen, to our own mass production facility. Has there been anything that has made you stop, take step back, and look at the fruits of your labor and say to yourself, “I made it”? In October of last year, I reached out to Matthew Dellavedova of the Cleveland Cavaliers and got him to endorse my applesauce product. He even came out to my city of Shaker Heights and signed autographs for over 200 fans. The event had live music, food trucks, and of course applesauce. Being from Australia, Dellavedova had never eaten applesauce before, but once he tried it, he was hooked.
GET CAS H
FIN D HIM
Weir is He This Time? Happy New Weir, everyone! While most people are struggling with their resolutions, our friend Weir is blissfully up to the same old shenanigans. Weir has once again concealed himself in one of PressureLife's advertisements, daring you to find him. Last issue, only mere hours into the manhunt, our keen-eyed reader TJ earned himself a gift card after discovering Weir secretly getting his drink on at Bistro 83. We were sure that after his last charade, Weir would stay visible and located. We were wrong. Weir skipped out of the Bistro and slipped through our fingers once again, but he's not your average fugitive. Rather than search every warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in the area, Weir is surely hidden here within the pages of PressureLife. For your chance to win a $25 gift card, locate the elusive Weir stashed away in one of our adverts and be the first to submit his location to @thepressurelife (through facebook, twitter, or instagram). Now go... bring Weir home.
Want to wear Weir? Pressurelife.com has your size.
In November of last year, I had the chance to share the stage with Daymond John of Shark Tank. I had met him back in 2011. He was the judge for COSE’s business competition. At the time, I only had a business card with no supermarkets carrying my product. So seeing him five years later and having the chance to share my story to him and over 400 people was an amazing experience.
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 7
BANTER vs. THE YETI Fear the Beast, Love the Sausage
8 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
Matthew McLaughlin // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston
T
he winters in Gordon Square (near Westside Shoreway) are as, if not more, brutal than the rest of our fine city. The proximity to the lake and the lack of tall buildings leads to stronger gusts and more dangerous snows than some of it’s more southern cousins. But still the neighborhood persists, and thrives in fact. This daring neighborhood has opened many fine restaurants and bars, from XYZ to Spice to Stone Mad, all offering a variety of different cuisines and atmospheres. But recently, one brave business has opened its doors, directly challenging the natural predator of the area. With snow dusting it’s doorsteps, Banter Bottles Sausage and Poutine has challenged the Abominable Snowman.
Challenging the Natural predator of the area ... The Abominable Snowman
Knowing full well the consequences of their actions, Banter opened their doors on 74th and Detroit, enlisting Chef Adam Lambert as their first line of defense against the yeti. The wisdom in this decision is immeasurable, as the yeti’s first insatiable thirst is for sausage, and Goddamn do they have it. The Duck Dog is an incredibly savory delight, sure to stay the massive monsters rampage as he tears through the first of Banter’s three rooms. With a perfectly crunchy bun and sweet carrot slaw topping, the albino beast will have to pause to appreciate. Equally interesting and demanding of the Snowman’s attention is the Rabbit Pot Pie, a glorious testament to the word “Poutine,” savory, fascinating, and beautiful. The “Vladimir Poutine” is a great pun, but inevitably the beast will treat it as the over-thought joke that it is. Full and distracted on it’s way through the three rooms of the new restaurant, the beast of the Himalayas (and the Flats) lands in the wine and beer rooms. This foolish beast could only be expected to pick what it knows from their fine selection, as cans of Underwood Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are cracked and spread asunder. Also, bottles of Ballast Point are certain to be found among the wreckage. However, the yeti may be surprised to find a smaller selection of local brews available. Now thoroughly drunk, the beast may in fact sleep, with minimal employee limbs removed. Mostly satisfied, but hoping that the selection of wine and beer grows.
KNOW THE ENEMY: The ape-like “Mountain Man” known as the Yeti, was first seen in Tibet, and later found to be indigenous to most barren arctic climate zones, including Lorain, Ohio. The Snowman is usually between 7 and 8 feet tall, covered in thick white fur. Though largely peaceful, the Yeti has been known to be dangerous when angered.
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 9
How to Drink Better
COFFEE IN CLEVELAND
Coffee snob or not, a better cup awaits you. Ben Diamond // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston // Photography: David Lowry
A
friend of mine recently told me, "I want to drink good coffee, but I don't want to be like you" Ouch. This was meant as a joke, but he definitely had a point. In the past year, I had tasted truly amazing coffee for the first time and, in doing so, started a chain reaction that caused me to "go full-barista." I began to amass a collection of all things coffee. I weighed my beans on a digital scale like a small-time drug dealer stretching my stash. I packed a travel brewing kit for long drives, lest I had to stop at a Dunkin' Donuts on the turnpike. I even bought an old-school popcorn popper on eBay so I could roast my own raw coffee beans.
Now that I knew just how good coffee could be, I couldn't go back. And I wanted to spread the good news. "You, with the Folgers: there's so much more out there!" But, many hold dear to their way of doing coffee, and my soapboxing rubbed them the wrong way. So, I had a dilemma: how do you get people to buy into better coffee without pissing everyone off?
10 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
I would need to recruit some help. I wanted to see if people were asking for better coffee in Cleveland and if the city could deliver. In a country where mediocre to poor coffee is the common currency, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleased to find a healthy, growing community of roasters, baristas, and entrepreneurs who were leading a grassroots campaign to bring coffee, and the city, the respect it deserves. One of the figures in the fight for better coffee is John Johnson, the Director of Quality at Rising Star Coffee Roasters. We met at their roastery, just south of their Ohio City cafe. Music blasted as the roasters hummed, and shouting was the only way to converse across the warehouse floor. The best part was the exhaust from freshly roasted coffee, which was spicy, sweet and warm, like good home baking. "It's my perfume," chimed one employee. I got the feeling Johnson could talk about almost anything with passion as he shared his thoughts on hating football, loving basketball, and cherishing the Lakers ineptitude. We eventually got to
coffee, and he described an early formative experience: after years of bad coffee, he was taken by Ethiopian coffee that had sweetness, acidity, and a personality. He added, "That was the most eye opening thing I ever had. It was almost like a psychedelic experience in a way. It totally destroyed my notion of what coffee was." The experience also led him to actually consider where his food came from, an idea that is now essential to his role at Rising Star. Johnson seeks out and builds relationships with farmers from Rwanda to Nicaragua in order to ensure that the best quality coffee makes it back to Cleveland.
So I had a dilemma: how do you get people to buy into better coffee without pissing everyone off?
Since opening in 2012, Rising Star has become one of the larger specialty coffee operators in Cleveland with its three locations. Another is Phoenix Coffee, which has been in business for over 25 years and has four locations. These establishments, along with some upstarts, helped Cleveland earn a nod as one of America's Best Coffee Cities 2014 in Travel & Leisure magazine. But, since Cleveland has established itself as a great beer city, its coffee still has some catching up to do. Johnson estimates that the nation's specialty coffee scene is about ten years behind. Many future establishment companies are still independent, and you can still hear people griping about the cost of a latte in Rising Star's new downtown cafe.
Aeropress Like a Rising Star When a customer walks into a Rising Star cafe and asks how to enjoy better coffee at home, John Johnson says, "Buy an Aeropress. Just get an Aeropress right now. You'll be so happy." Johnson is like most of us shortly after waking up. Coffee snob or not — he just needs his coffee. And the Aeropress is his method of choice when he's too groggy to face the world. You can make an excellent cup in under a minute simply by following the directions on the box. The Aeropress is very forgiving, endlessly hackable, and nearly indestructible. Loved by coffee professionals and Average Joes alike, and at around 30 dollars a pop — what have you got to lose? Here's how the pros at Rising Star use the Aeropress in shop.
Step 1:
Step 2: Filter. Place paper filter in the filter cap; rinse. Step 3
Johnson believes in educating consumers about why their coffee is different, and why you're paying three dollars for it. "Once you taste a really well made cappuccino in one of our shops, you don't need it to be explained to you after that." Tasting is believing when it comes to fresh craft coffee, but some people never make it inside, believing that all third-wave cafes harbor snooty baristas with art degrees. In Cleveland, however, things work a little differently. "There's no pretense," Johnson said. "People just want to make good coffee. I hear this all the time from other coffee professionals, 'Everyone was so friendly. It's so refreshing.' It's like, yeah, there's no reason to be a dick about this stuff." Peter Brown, founder of Six Shooter Coffee, is another member of Cleveland's friendly coffee community. He left the coffee-rich neighborhoods of Columbus to establish himself in the Collinwood neighborhood. "I kind of just wanted a baptism by fire," he explained, "in a place that wasn't blinded by superficiality." He believes that character matters in Cleveland, where the quality of his product is paramount. And though Six Shooter takes it's name from President LBJ's cowboy-coffee, rumored thick enough to float a revolver, Brown stays true to the third-wave "exhibition of the bean" nuanced pursuit. When his Collinwood cafe opens, set tentatively for February, he'll gives his customers
Dose. Weigh 36g of coffee and grind fine, slightly finer than table salt.
Brew Part 1. Set up Aeropress in inverted position on the scale. Using funnel (if needed), add grounds. Add 130g of fresh hot water, just off the boil (205 degrees).
Brew Part 2. Start timer and stir for 30 seconds. Secure filter cap in place. Let sit for additional minute.
Step 5
Plunge. At 1:30, carefully flip Aeropress to sit on top of mug or glass. Using steady pressure, plunge; plunging should last for about 20 seconds.
Step 6
Dilute. Dilute with 210g of hot water, and enjoy!
Step 4
a wide range of roast profiles from light to dark. "I don't want to tell people what's good and what's not," he said. "If you're enjoying your cup of coffee, then it's a good cup of coffee." To win over a Folgers or Starbucks diehard, Brown suggests a side-by-side comparison taste test. Then try reason. If you like his coffee more, would you pay an extra dollar? Because that's typical cost of pour-over. And percolated drip coffee from Brown’s shop will be around the standard two dollars that many have come to expect. But, this all depends on whether the party in question is willing to keep an open mind. "I have a lot of working class buddies that will never come around," he said while laughing. "That's ok, I don't care." Still, Brown shows that you can have it both ways, and that refusing one type of coffee or another doesn't mean you're sacrificing your authenticity. "I drink Folgers. I drink gas station coffee if it’s around. I don't turn up my nose to anything."
I drink Folgers. I drink gas station coffee if it’s around. I don't turn up my nose to anything.
If you still need a reason to buy local coffee, there are benefits that stretch far beyond the cup. When you buy from an artisan roaster, you can be sure they have respected the beans that were painstakingly harvested halfway across the world. Also, knowing where your coffee comes from may not seem like a big deal, but it's a blow to the rampant anonymity behind consumer goods. Johnson loves it when he gets to give direct feedback to his farmers. He'll say, "Dude, our customers love your coffee. That's something they've never heard...We're trying to recognize the work that farmers are doing." Also, coffee shops are reflections of their community and supporting local coffee is also a bid to support Cleveland. There are plenty of craft coffee options in Cleveland and around Northeast Ohio. There's the multi-roaster Pour, which showcases a variety of third-party roasters. Loop in Tremont is a record store/coffee shop combo with an impressive display of new and used vinyl. Grab a Guinness-like cold brew draft pulled with nitrogen from Bent Tree in Kent. Duck Rabbit is another up and coming Cleveland roaster, and Cold Bloom Coffee will deliver a six pack of cold brewed coffee to your doorstep like oldschool milk. And Akron has added Artisan Coffee and Akron Coffee Roasters. If you look at industry trends, craft coffee may become mainstream in the very near future. But in the meantime, if you want to drink better coffee in Cleveland, it's right there waiting for you.
12 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
NUCLEAR CLEVELAND Does the Recent Demolition of Cleveland’s Former Uranium Enrichment Facility Make Up for 70 Years of Radioactive Contamination?
Kevin Naughton
T
he site is located at 1000 Harvard Avenue, just south of Steelyard Commons. If you take the Jennings Freeway between I-71 and I-480 to work, you drive by it twice a day. As just another smattering of nondescript, rundown, and abandoned all-brick buildings, it really didn’t stand out much from the rest of Cleveland’s stagnant industrial sprawl, and as of early December, it’s even less remarkable as a pile of rubble. However, despite its apparently ordinary appearance, the site is fenced off and under 24-hour security surveillance to prevent public access. That’s because during the second World War, the Harshaw Chemical facility helped enrich uranium as part of the Manhattan Project, the secret government program that developed the first atomic bomb. The site’s history is unsettling, to say the least: episodes of prolonged and unsafe radiation exposure, long-forgotten hazardous material, contamination and leaks that went undiscovered for more than half a century, and all sorts of other cringe-worthy details. Try not to squirm too much.
until 1998, and chemical giant BASF purchased the dormant site in 2006, electing to leave it inoperative. Aerial photos from 1946 reveal a drainage ditch emptying into the Cuyahoga that begins less than 100 yards from the building that handled most of the uranium, but it is, of course, merely speculation to say whether that actually posed any danger. It should also be noted that radioactive dust, blown easily by wind and washed away even more easily by water, is a primary concern of the subsequent investigations.
During the second World War, the Harshaw Chemical facility helped enrich uranium as part of the Manhattan Project
Bulk uranium enrichment started at the Harshaw Chemical Company in 1942, when hundreds of pounds of uranium ore were processed each day as part of the atomic weapons research program. In 1944, the U.S. War Department ordered the facility to dramatically increase the amount of uranium ore it was processing to a whopping 3,000 pounds per day, and the company duly complied. However, as the dangers of radiation exposure and hazardous waste came to light, enrichment gradually slowed, finally stopping in 1953. The facility was shut down entirely in 1958 as part of the Department of Energy’s Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). Chemical processing continued in select areas of the plant
It’s also worth highlighting that the facility’s open storage area sat right on the riverbank, but whether any radioactive material was stored in this manner is unknown, although a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) report from 2007 (on file at the Brooklyn branch of the Cuyahoga Library) suggests the possibility. However, since the plant dealt primarily with hazardous chemicals, radioactive or not, the stored material was very possibly something we wouldn't want in our water supply. To digress further, chemical processing plants like the Harshaw Chemical Company have dotted the Cuyahoga River shores for over a century, which might have had something to do with Cleveland’s infamous "burning river."
Regardless, further aerial photographs show substantial amounts of unidentifiable material flowing directly from the middle of the site into the river throughout the uranium processing period, as well as before and after, to the point that an island, complete with vegetation, formed temporarily in the 1960s just offshore of the facility. Again, whether the sediment was dangerous or not (as well as how much of it was carried from upstream) is impossible to know, but its proximity
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 13
to the plant’s storage yard certainly raises some concerns. It may be of note that the shoreline opposite the plant experienced “vegetation stress” (layman’s terms: the goddamn plants and trees all died) between 1945 and 1948, the height of the uranium processing (and possibly after). It is estimated that around 1,500 employees worked at the facility while uranium was being processed, and around 10,000 throughout the site’s entire history. In the late 1940s, according to a 2000 USA Today article, medical officials reported high levels of radiation exposure amongst at least a third of the employees. In certain areas of the plant, it was found that “concentrations of radioactive uranium dust in the air reached 200 times the safety limits of the day,” and that was before the dangers of radiation exposure were fully realized. Reports steadily grew worse as operations continued and scientific understanding of radiation progressed, and the article alleges that both the Harshaw Chemical Company and the government suppressed these findings.
Meanwhile, average citizens can only sit, wait, and hope that nothing out of their control negatively affects them.”
non-Harshaw-owned properties, which include a bar and grill right across the street from the site and residential neighborhoods just blocks away.
The same USA Today article included a tragic interview with John Smith, a Harshaw retiree who once worked on the uranium-processing operation. Smith was quoted as saying, “Most all the guys are dead now. Cancer, kidneys, lung problems, you see a lot of that,” and went on to say, “I feel lucky to be alive, but I'm worried. It makes you bitter, them knowing about the risks and not telling. If I'd known, I would have quit.” More than $5.5 million was eventually paid by the federal government to the families of the exposed workers at Harshaw Chemical as compensation.
Radiation safety has always been controversial, all the way back to the discovery of x-rays in the 1890s. The inherent conflict between the usefulness of the associated technologies and the dangers of implementing them mirrors the type of arguments we see surrounding climate change and financial interests can color the debate. Science can never seem to prove the danger of a technology to the satisfaction of the parties who benefit financially (or otherwise) from utilizing it, so the debate stalls. Meanwhile, average citizens can only sit, wait, and hope that nothing out of their control negatively affects them.
Tasked with cleaning up hazardous sites created by the Manhattan Project, the USACE conducted numerous investigations (along with EPA and various other agencies) in the decades following the plant’s closure. All of them found evidence of widespread radiation contamination. In the decades following its closure, sections of the facility were periodically demolished and various contaminated materials were removed. However, the process was incredibly slow: according to a Cleveland.com article from 2010, hazardous materials were taken away as recently as 2008.
The facility at 1000 Harvard Ave. was not the only Cleveland site that handled radioactive materials. According to company correspondences from 1958 that were included in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report, after Harshaw Chemical was ordered to cease uranium enrichment, materials were removed and temporarily stored at the company’s headquarters located at 1945 E. 79th St. The same USACE report mentioned results from a 1985 survey that found evidence of radiation contamination in several rooms of that building, which, at the time, was owned by the Cleveland Clinic.
In 2007, USACE concluded overall that the site was safe to the general public, but their findings were hardly reassuring. The report says that “over a person's lifetime, with 25 to 30 years of daily exposure on the site, there are long-term human health risks related to the radiological contamination at the site,” and that “uranium is present above background levels in buildings, soils, sediments, and groundwater.” Levels vary with location, depth, etc., but the report concluded that, overall, there were “no unacceptable risks identified for human health or ecological receptors.” The word "unacceptable" in that sentence is a tad unsettling. Furthermore, no readings were gathered (or at least not published) from the surrounding
The total demolition of the facility was ordered relatively recently in 2014. This is likely due to the fact that the recently constructed Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath, an approximately 100 mile bicycle route extending from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, was found to be passing right by the Harshaw facility. Understandably, this renewed the already long-existing safety concerns and prompted more investigations, and those concerns appear to have been well founded: in May of 2014, the EPA discovered that the site was leaking radioactively contaminated water right into the Cuyahoga River.
14 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
Shockingly, the only legal violation was that it was happening
without a permit, suggesting that in some places it’s okay to dump uranium and other radioactive material into a water supply as long as the government signs off on it. Regardless, it was a detail that prompted another pause in the facility’s total demolition. When asked how long the leak persisted, an EPA spokesman referred us to an existing press release (which does not address the question, unfortunately) and responded, “EPA declines to comment further on a pending enforcement issue.” The recent, total, and final demolition process began in 2014, and it has been ongoing for over a year. Site G, allegedly the most dangerous of the contaminated sites, was torn down first. Footage taken by an activist at OrganicSlant.com showed workers with (and some without) protective suits gradually tearing away at the building with heavy machinery. The Towpath is scheduled to be rerouted away from the site by 2019, and according to the same EPA spokesman, “EPA anticipates that BASF will complete the remediation required under the RCRA Order by 2020.” It should be noted that many (if not most) of the contaminated sites have been renovated or demolished, brought up to existing safety standards, and declared safe by the relevant government agencies. They really do seem to be doing everything in their power to safely deal with an extraordinarily complex and delicate situation that is the consequence of past ignorance to the dangers of handling and processing radioactive material. “For perspective, there are more than 3,700 corrective action sites in the country,” the spokesman at the EPA pointed out, and this number includes over 250 in Ohio alone. The scope and scale of the undertaking is truly massive, and contrary to what the conspiracy-minded among us might tell you, our government is “only human.” However, there is no way to fully address the damage that has already been done by decades of leaks, exposure, oversights, etc. Furthermore, safety standards and dangers to public health have been underreported or underestimated in the past (both accidentally and deliberately), so we, the humble and long-suffering citizenry, have no choice but to take the agencies at their words that the sites do not, in fact, pose a threat. And more still, though the contamination levels fall within the USACE’s range of "acceptable risks" to public safety, there is nothing that can be done about the contaminated soil and groundwater that seeps into the Cuyahoga River and ultimately Lake Erie, the city’s source of drinking water. Meanwhile, all we can do is sit, wait, and hope that a 200-foot-tall lizard doesn’t rise out of the lake and attack the city. The USACE did not respond to our inquiries regarding recent developments at the site. P.S. - If any of this made you a little uncomfortable, imagine how the Japanese must feel about the still-ongoing Fukushima disaster.
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 15
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 17
18 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
MUSIC'S FORGOTTEN MIDDLE MEN
Sarah Maxwell // Photography: Casey Rearick
Championing Local Music from Behind the Spotlight
E
very time you read about the Cleveland music scene the same bands and names are constantly gaining high praise, dominating headlines or making coveted "To Watch" lists. Akin to Hollywood juggernauts topping the charts such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Drake, they all had one dream in mind when they began, making it big. How one makes these lists or gains headline notoriety on any level is the big question. Outside of the obvious answer of talent, you need someone behind the curtain to amplify your ability, master your sound and achieve the edge to make an impact. You, my friend, need a kick ass producer. The aforementioned "cream of the crop" Cleveland bands seem to all have one thing in common, when it comes to their producer selections. More times than not, they work with one of two Cleveland production titans: Jim Stewart of Jim Stewart Recordings and Evan McKeever of Savage Audio. It is not always, or really ever, the case, but today is the day that the people hidden in the shadow gain a small glimpse of the spotlight they have helped so many bands achieve.
We were expecting a battle between these two giants. Analog this, digital that, but to the contrary, as we mentally (and physically) prepared ourselves to witness some serious discourse, we realized we were pretty far off base. While these two absolutely have differ-
 Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com  19
ences in opinion on the way they prefer to work or create, differences in the their process, and differences in how they got to where they are now, overall they both agreed on this sticking point from McKeever: “there are a million tools to build a house, no matter how it gets built, as long as it does, that’s all that matters.” McKeever and Stewart started down their parallel paths by discovering their passion for music during their high school days and finding themselves in need of quality production. Both discovered the recording options available to them resulted in spending an exorbitant amount of cash for a product that left a lot to be desired. Stewart was left with the feeling he had been “taken for a ride.” Simultaneous light bulbs went off in their minds and shifted their trajectories towards recording.
dles everything from conception. “I want to invest myself into the band; that's why I take a hands on approach.” McKeever noted that bands come to him for his ideas, agenda and sound. Part of the role for him is actually shaping the sound and developing the band. “I am willing to do whatever it takes to get bands signed. All my years trying to get there lights the fire under my ass.” This is one of the points where the two do differ slightly; Stewart makes it a point to not “impart my stuff on a band. Ideally I want the band’s style to come through. I try not to push my sound. I track live, full takes of the band together. I will do whatever is needed after that, but keep in mind what the band had in mind for tone. I’ve done three and a half hour recording sessions for an album and I’ve committed two and a half years. I try to let them carve out their own path,” said Stewart.
Ideally, I want the band’s style to come through. I try not to push my sound. I track live, full takes of the band together.
Stewart started off with what you might call a more traditional route, attending Record Workshop, studying the fundamentals. He found that for him, school was a great stepping stone, but actually immersing in production is how you really develop your skills. Stewart did exactly that after school and started working at various studios. Meanwhile, McKeever took a more direct means and went straight into the workforce at Jungle Studios. It was there Brian Patrick and his Pops (who was working there at the time) took him under their wings and showed him the proverbial ropes. He then toured the country playing in various rock bands. First, McKeever was touring with Before Their Eyes and then moved onto Downplay (now Starset) where they were signed by Epic Records. It was with Downplay that McKeever says he saw the record industry fail first hand after a shelfed record ended up being dropped by the label. Experiences like this only further engrained his passion for producing and awakened his desire to run his own studio. Presently, McKeever and Stewart man their respective studios with all the knowledge they picked up or was imparted upon them along the way. These two powerhouses make being a skilled producer appear to be easy, but it is quite the contrary. A lot of moving pieces have to meld together to create one cohesive sound and body of work. One of the biggest challenges is simply defining the job responsibilities and outlining the details of the role. “The lines get blurred on a what a producer really is,” Stewart said. He continued that one of the most important attributes to possess is, “personality; someone who is easy to be around, decisive, can ‘drive the bus’, has a good perspective and can be an unbiased third party.” Stewart followed up with a laugh, “As an afterthought, doing a good job.” McKeever agreed that it is hard to truly define the role and stated that “the producer digs into the guts of the song. You’re half-part babysitter and half-part song writer.” He considers himself more of a manager since he helps develop the band’s image, sound, writes songs and han-
20 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
However, defining what that role will be with each gig is vital. Both have been burned in the past by not doing just that. Stewart noted that when that happens “you feel like you did this together and then they didn’t value your work at the end of the day. Carving out that role and dictating what you were hired for is key.” When you are working with different musicians with ranging goals and personalities, it is a struggle to "own the role" and fight for what you know is the right direction. “To be in a band, you have to have an ego. Bands get really into their own specific parts,” Stewart explained. According to McKeever, “That is what makes songs great, though. Everyone’s individual ideas and conflict, the resolution is the best part playing through.” He added that the notion that “sometimes the vocals are the best, sometimes it is the guitar or drums; however, the clash of all the moving parts is where you find the potential for greatness.” Many times McKeever and Stewart share the same experience with bands that hire them to help them find the best version of their sound only to turn around and fight them on it. When Stewart experiences this, he tries to focus on collaboration and make the best version of the song. McKeever sometimes will send two copies: one their way and one his way. “Sometimes, the Frankenstein is the best version. Options are never bad,” McKeever concluded. It is hard enough to deal with the inner turmoil that exists within bands; however, with the music industry constantly changing by the minute, it creates an entirely new level of chaos. “There is barely a music industry,” Stewart stated. “The public wants music right away which leads bands to trying to be resourceful on a shoestring budget.” Stewart mentioned that some bands are turning to crowdfunding, which affords them the ability to have the fans do it for them. Outside of music consumption, bands want changes and they want them fast. They want to just record on their own, send it over and
have everything get to where it should be instantaneously. Problem being, if it wasn’t right at the beginning it will never be as good as it could have been if someone had been there to guide them. Another item they both agreed on? Cleveland music is fantastic. “Bands are really supportive of other bands. Cleveland is like a weird island. If you know about this thing, then you know about it,” said Stewart. “How do you break out of Cleveland? These bands sell out places like House of Blues and can’t get shows outside of Cleveland. You end up seeing the same pamphlet of shows over and over.” “You used to be able to jump on any show in Cleveland because you were a good band; that’s gone now. The Foundry is a great venue and side note, they have good tacos,” McKeever continued, “The lack of success stories in Cleveland starts to pit everyone against one another.” They noted that there are few really good bands from the area that stand out and once they do see a little success, they definitely feel the wrath of other area bands. Turning Cleveland into a recording hub would be a huge success for the city. The hope is to let bands know they can come here and
Who is our Hot Cover Chick? We know you are all wondering
who the angelic beauty gracing our cover is, while she clearly resembles a cover model she is no other than local Cleveland musician and artist Jenna Fournier. Fournier has been a staple in the Cleveland music scene for just shy of a decade now- that is if you count the solo coffee shop gigs that got her started. As the female linchpin in Nights, formed New Year’s Day in 2010, Fournier has played some of the best live music venues in Cleveland. She cites her favorite venues as The Grog Shop, Beachland Ballroom, and Happy Dog, “I’ve had countless great nights at all those places over the last decade, playing shows and watching shows. They are all dear to me.” If you ask her about what some of those fun nights have included though, she is keeping mum, “We only drink tea and never get into trouble.”
receive high quality work and follow in the veins of what Matt Squire was able to accomplish in Boston. For Stewart, that would be the goal, having bands ideally come to him here in Cleveland, especially now that he has been in his new studio, Jim Stewart Recordings, for about two months. At the end of the day, Stewart says, “I’m making music full time, so that’s all I can hope for.” McKeever has been in Cleveland for ten years, but eight years of that has been spent on the road touring with various bands. This year, Savage Audio will be moving into its own space and his next move is “to dig my claws into Cleveland. I want to focus on building a scene at home.” From all the appearances, these two are night and day. McKeever is rock’n’roll to his core, complete with the "don’t fuck with me boots" and leather jacket. Stewart, on the other hand, has a more laid back, even-keeled, yupster (Is that a thing? It is now.) vibe. Stewart primarily records analog, meaning live, while McKeever produces almost everything digitally. Ultimately, I was really hoping for a bitch fest from these two seemingly opposites. In the end, the musically unsung heroes have more in common than anyone could have anticipated. Stewart summed up the battle royale we all expected with, “This hammer or that hammer. Both hammers work.” And as McKeever mentioned, no matter how you achieve, the end result is really the key. “When you can hear the magic and the long hours, you did something, you made a piece of art.”
Some of her most memorable shows outside of Cleveland have included solo gigs, previous bands and Nights. “A favorite moment with Nights was actually in a teeny tiny room on tour where I played acoustic for only a few people, and my bandmates all hummed melodies and tapped drums with their hands and feet. It was so intimate and improvisational,” Fournier reminisced. As far as a memorable solo gig, she had the opportunity to play Tokyo, Japan. “It was packed and I was so nervous, but when I started, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It's amazing to be given that kind of respect and really allows me to open up completely on stage.” Fournier is not only a beautiful singer/songwriter but she also is an accomplished artist. She describes her style as, “a little surreal, a little abstract, a little whimsical, and sometimes a little dark.” To her painting and music feel very separate, “I'm the only one who touches that canvas, but music is collaborative. I suppose they might both intend to express something similar though.” Forced to choose music or art she understandably struggles with the thought but there is a distinct devotion to her art, “Both ebb and flow and weave in and out of front position. I suspect one day I won't want to haul gear around and sing in front of blasting amps, but I will probably paint until my bones deny me of it.” You can find Nights’ music at NightsBands.tumblr.com, catch them on their upcoming US spring tour or if you are up for some travel, catch them in July while they takeover Japan.
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 21
Deus Ex
JIB MACHINE John Templeman shares the inner workings behind his well-oiled underground music machine Dan Bernardi // Photography: Stefanie Merkosky
H
idden within Cleveland's infinitely vast musical landscape lies a collective of like-minded, die hard musicians so devoted to their cause that even after eleven years of flying under the mainstream radar, they're still cranking out epic jams and blowing the doors off nearly every club in town. It's just what they do best. These artists comprise the family of Jib Machine Records, and John “Charlie” Templeman is the godfather of that family.
Templeman has been at the grind since 2004 when he co-founded Jib Machine with the goal of garnering exposure for his music. He's president, producer and an active musician, offering his own solo work and contributing his musical skills to multiple projects. Involved with every aspect of Jib since conception, Templeman was naturally the label's first recording artist under the solo handle J TEMP 13.
RISE OF THE MACHINE
“I went to NYC to record a demo with a friend of mine who had produced stuff for me in Cleveland,” said Templeman on the origins of the label. “We recorded in his apartment, just me and an acoustic guitar.” Those songs ended up on Jib's first release, the melodic bootleg NYC Acoustic Demos/Restoration. After the initial recording, Templeman dusted off a couple albums that never got a fair shake from his defunct bands. With these albums Jib Machine Records was born. In 2008, Templeman formed his own production house, 13 Recordings. As sort of a cousin company to Jib Machine, 13 Recordings produces some of Templeman's solo and label mates' work, but also music from other artists in the Cleveland area, and offers a ton of music related services. Between 13 Recordings and Jib Machine, there have been fifty-five releases to date, and John Templeman is just getting warmed up.
22 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
Over the years, Templeman has accrued a lineup of raw, unadulterated artists who, like kismet, found their way onto the Jib Machine bill. “I have to be friends with the artist/band to really respect them as people if I'm going to promote their art,” Templeman noted of his musical brethren. “Jib Machine has always been more like a family than a record label...like a gang of misfits that helps each other out. Almost like we were meant to find each other for some reason or another.”
THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER
The current Jib Machine lineup definitely houses a few misfits. Poppunk band The Drug Fux have been writing, recording and honing their flavor of low-fi garage rock for over twenty years. Brazen “barncore” band Hostile Omish routinely tear up Cleveland's punk scene, exciting crowds with their popular onstage butter churning. Jib Machine is also home to acoustic solo artists such as the folksy Brad Demiter and the quirky Eli “Guitarman” Fletcher. “Ultimately, the artists set us apart from other labels,” says Templeman. “Our family atmosphere contributes to our uniqueness as well.” Last year the label lost one of their greats, “Slowhand” Jack Labgold, a local legend and guitar maestro. In honor of his memory, and as a testament to the bond of the Jib Machine crew, some of the bands recorded cover versions of Labgold’s songs and subsequently, released a CD including Labgold’s final recording and some rare unreleased tracks. “Going through that experience, realizing what our label meant to him and his life,” said Templeman, “you realize this is why I do this. Yeah, you do it to make money and have fun, but you do this to basically change people's lives.” With such an uninhibited and diverse presence, Jib Machine is perfectly at home in the city of rock. Cleveland is proudly Templeman's base of operations, but his musical roots stem from his hometown, Youngstown, Ohio,
SEEDS OF THE PAST
where his parents met while playing in a band together. “Because of them, I've been doing what I do since I can even remember,” he reminisces about his folks. “I can recall going to band practices with my parents and just being enamored watching everyone play and the process they went through rehearsing songs.” He is literally a product of music. Templeman's roots continue to influence the state of Jib Machine today. He frequently dips into the past to re-introduce old-school virtuosos to a new generation. Speaking to his character, the connections Templeman has made with these retro artists has lasted a lifetime. “When I was about six or seven years old, my mom was in a band called Frost. Their keyboardist, Danny Shapira, is still a friend of mine today and played on two tracks on my new solo EP.” “One thing I want to get into is re-issues,” says Templeman, as he goes on to gush about some of his favorite lost groups. “There's a lot of musical rock history in Northeast Ohio.” Templeman is hoping to form a compilation of music from lost local bands, but he also teased the re-release of the mid-80s album Sleepless Nights, by his uncle's group The Yazz Band. If you thought his flair for nostalgia ended there, Templeman is also looking to bring back cassettes for some upcoming releases. After years of the label evolving, Templeman has been the steady beat at the heart of it all. Last year he celebrated the tenth anniversary his the hybrid metal, punk/rock trio, Hot Ham & Cheese, one of the staples of Jib Machine. Earlier this month, the group was honored to play the final show at the legendary Cleveland dive, Spitfire Saloon. “We played one of the most intense sets in the 11 years we've been together,” Templeman said. “It was bittersweet, but an awesome night.” Making history is only part of Jib Machine's promising future.
LONG ARM OF THE JIB
Discover the sensational flavors of a seasonally-inspired menu and an international wine list in a casually-sophisticated atmosphere. Our dining choices are expertly designed to excite and surprise the palate, featuring wine selections that personalize the dining experience. 36033 WESTMINISTER AVE., N. RIDGEVILLE, OH Mon.-Thurs. 11AM-10PM Fri. & Sat. 11AM - 11PM
THE PREMIER BISTRO AND WINE BAR ON THE WESTSIDE
One of their freshest artists is also the label's first hip-hop act. Templeman became friends with hardcore Cleveland rapper 9E$V$ (pronounced Jesus), and after years of working together on smaller projects, the time was right and he signed to the label. “A couple months ago, I was listening to everything we collaborated on and thought, 'holy shit this is awesome!’” Templeman raved. “We talked about it, made a plan, and his EP This Ain't No Movie Mixtape will be out in a couple months.” With ample friends and allies in the business, Templeman is ready to cash in his favors and go big. “For a while we were running a record label like we were running a party,” states Templeman. “But if I'm gonna do this, it's time to start taking things to another level. I've dedicated my life to music. I live and breathe it.” And it shows. After over a decade of ebb and flow, Templeman continues to rock on, with Jib Machine Records steadily evolving into a paragon of DIY record labels. Keep your ears out, Cleveland.
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 23
This is How
WE ROLL
Meet Cleveland’s Only Championship Basketball Team SHOP | CREATE | HOST OPEN DAILY
3910 LORAIN AVE. CLEVELAND, OH 216-309-1090 | Canopy-Collective.com
Thomas Grinnell // Photography: Aaron Gelston
“P
ush Hard or Push Home!” That is the mantra of the Cleveland Wheelchair Cavaliers, a group of nine competitive, spirited young men and their long-time coach, Tim Fox, who prove having mad basketball skills doesn’t necessitate the use of two lower limbs. The athleticism, competitiveness, and excitement you expect from a conventional basketball team – these guys are no different. Veteran Wheelchair Cavs player Vince Momosor remembers playing against athletes at Oberlin College. “All their basketball players would get in chairs against us. For the first half, we would beat them 30 to nothing, so at halftime we would switch scores. We gave them our points and we would take it from zero. And even then, we still beat them by like, 38-30.” Wheelchair basketball is badass. The actual chairs used aren’t your typical wheelchairs; they’re built specifically to be as maneuverable as possible with deeply angled rear wheels and specialized front wheel-sets. The fundamental basics of wheelchair basketball aren’t that different from traditional basketball, though there are a few key differences in strategy and rules. Because there is such little lateral movement with no lower body action, there is a much larger emphasis on teamwork and communication. In traditional basketball, players have a tendency to ignore these fundamentals and try to do too much on their own. In wheelchair ball, however, these principles are wholly practiced. Wheelchair basketball utilizes the same set of rules as NCAA college basketball with games consisting of two twenty-minute
24 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
halves. Players are allowed two wheelchair pushes per dribble without being called for traveling and are allowed five fouls before fouling out. The three-second rule is also not called when a player is blocked in the key under the basket by opposing players. The Wheelchair Cavs are athletes playing in Division III in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. The league is tournament-based with multiple divisional contests nationwide throughout the year from October to March leading to the invitational national tournament in April. Practices take place at the Brunswick Recreation Center once a week and are open to the public. They also make two to three appearances at The Q during halftime of the "other" Cavaliers games, as well as appearing to speak at various schools and charity events throughout the community. The heart of the Wheelchair Cavs lies within their nine players, who collectively refer to themselves as a "brotherhood." Darron Lewis, 31, is a Wounded Warrior who served in Afghanistan with the infantry. He lost his leg in an IED blast and was down on his luck until he discovered wheelchair basketball during rehabilitation in Texas. He was fitted with a prosthetic, returned home, to Cleveland and his family, and decided to join the Cavs. “The main thing that got me going was my girls,” said Lewis. “When I was in the hospital bed, I didn’t want to do anything, but they were like, ‘Don’t you want to be strong and walk again for your girls?’ So that was my motivation. My youngest girl was born on Veterans Day in 2014.”
what was I thinking?’” Being a comic book fan, Momosor has taken lessons from his favorite character, Spider-Man. As he points out, “He would get hurt, but he would still keep going.” Like any Cleveland sports team, their ultimate goal is bringing championships home, a feat they accomplished in 2010, the same year LeBron James left the Cavs for the Miami Heat. And because this is Cleveland, of course it wasn’t easy. “Our team had been losing for about five years, so it was really a big turnaround for the team to win a championship,” said Momosor. “We felt in the past like maybe we didn’t have all the pieces together, and then all of a sudden, with a couple new players coming in, we changed to thinking, ‘Let’s be competitive. Let’s not just do it just to play basketball.’”
We put our shoes on one at a time just like everyone else does.
Erik Whetstone, 35, is a wheelchair Cavs veteran player suffering from spina bifida, a birth defect that leaves him with almost zero walking ability. His parents taught him never to feel sorry for himself; he was taught to cook, clean, and to be independent. “We as a team, we’re normal just like anyone, even if we have a so-called disability,” said Whetstone. “It’s an active sport. It’s very competitive. We put our shoes on one at a time just like everyone else does.”
Vince Momosor, 38, is another longtime Cavs player. He suffered an accident that left him unable to walk at age 18, having been thrown from a sunroof of a car going 80 miles per hour. Momosor feels he is lucky to even be alive. “When I was first in the wheelchair, I disliked being associated with other people in wheelchairs because it made me feel like I was disabled, but then about 4 to 5 years into my accident, I thought, ‘I’m going to go try this game out,’ and since then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,
Whetstone says about that year, “We had a lot of key injuries throughout the season. Once everyone got healthy, the season and going down to nationals, the momentum just took over and we got our stride back together. We’re trying to repeat course and do it again.” These men are proof that with the right mindset and motivation, anything is possible. The Wheelchair Cavaliers have given a city with otherwise dismal luck in sport a championship-caliber team truly worthy of your support.
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 25
Good Luck and
GOD, SPEED One Woman Gets More (and Less) than Expected from Speed Dating in the CLE Kristina R. // Photography: Anthony Franchino
T
ext message from the best friend: “How did your speed dating thing go? Did you get any pussy? ;) ” ... “No, only two of the guys picked me, the two foreigners, so what does that tell you? ; ) ” ... “That they didn't know any better. Maybe the American guys thought you were a man. You didn't talk about football the whole time, did you ??? ” Well, sort of. I promised myself I wouldn’t talk about football, but the first four guys, I talked about football. Once they said they were “into sports” or “I’m a Browns fan,” I couldn’t shut up about it. Maybe I ruined this myself?? Speed dating is an unusual animal: so many variables, so many things that can go right or wrong and such little time for them to happen. It’s touted as a way for single people to meet each other under the premise that we’re all professionals with such amazing, busy lives and so certain of what we want that a six to eight minute conversation with a total stranger can bring us to the person of our dreams, or scratch them because we don’t have the time to be investing in the wrong person.
It makes sense; the more people you are exposed to, the more you’ll meet, the better the chance you’ll find someone suitable. Speed dating offers you the opportunity to meet people in double-digits in one shot who are all guaranteed to be looking for partners just because they paid the money and signed up. I found a local speed dating event and registered for a $45.00 fee. The venue was a lovely romantically-lit restaurant on the East Side. My first impression of the candidates, both men and women, was pretty good. Some were total lookers; they would likely get matches based on physical attractiveness alone. No one seemed unusually nervous or tortured. Each woman was given a table to stay at permanently while the men would be asked to change tables once every six minutes. We were all given name tags and a blank sheet to write each person’s name into a table with two boxes, one that said, “Let’s talk!” and the other, “No thanks!” You circle one of those boxes for each person you meet. Within two days, the event coordinators email everyone a list of contact information for the people that chose them. If a man and a woman
***Names and some minor details have been omitted and/or changed to protect the identities of individuals portrayed in the piece. Everything else really happened.***
26 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
each picked each other, they were a “match.” We would also get the contact info of the people who chose us even if they weren’t picked in return, I guess as a consolation prize if none of us had full matches. There were ten men in this group and only three of them were men I could see myself actually dating. I want someone with a dynamic personality, but in this group, of the three guys that fit that criteria, two of them were complete dicks. It’s a common problem for women who demand interesting, Renaissance-type men; they are a rare breed and so many of them can be arrogant pricks because they know just how interesting they are. One actually gave me the impression that he thought he was doing me a favor by sitting down at my table. I picked him anyway for the sake of having the experience, but thought later maybe I should not have, just to drop his ego a notch.
positive. He was one of the three that met my dynamic personality criteria, the only one who was not a dick. He picked me, too, so I sent him an email right away. I received the contact info from the other man who had picked me, but he was not someone I had picked. I remembered him being very nice and very normal (read: boring) with zero common interests between us, so I didn’t bother wasting both of our time contacting him back. I then received an email from another guy from speed dating, one who I had picked and had my contact info sent to, but did not pick me. My first thought was, “Well, that’s promising.” So I emailed him back, gave him my phone number and asked him if he enjoyed the event. He texted me later saying no, he did not enjoy the event, seemed very emphatic about it, and asked me if I was the black art student.
Maybe the American guys thought you were a man. You didn’t talk about football the whole time, did you?
Six minutes is not much time. I expected to get to the deal-breakers straight away, I mean, that’s the point of speed dating, right? You get six minutes to eliminate people you know will never be a match and since it’s speed dating, shouldn’t you expect to get asked those deal-breaker questions? I had a list ready; I wanted to ask about religious and political beliefs and kids, as those are topics that can immediately make or break a potential mate for me. Much of the research I’d done on speed dating prior to this event had advised not to ask those questions, but for fuck’s sake, I paid $45 for this and I’ll have to pay when I’m on the date as well, why would I waste my time and money on someone I should have eliminated the first time? But those questions never happened. It was six minutes of small talk: football, weather, what we did for a living. By the time we got through that it was time to move on, and six minutes just wasn’t enough time for me to feel comfortable enough to ask the deal-breaker questions. This was obviously mutual as no deal-breaker-type questions were asked of me, either, which brings us to a standstill. Small talk is something that doesn’t require much of a mutual interest between people, which leaves physical attractiveness as the only true criteria by which the speed-daters are judging each other when no deal-breakers are questioned. Now we’re equating speed dating with a middle-school dance where the ugly kids are still standing on the wall, but at least your dignity stays intact because none of the other participants will know no one picked you and you don’t ever have to see any of them again anyway.
The best thing about the experience was finding myself being more open-minded about the guys I would date here than if I were just at a bar checking out the line of men bellied up to it. The one guy I did end up matching with was someone I would not have picked based on looks alone, but he was terribly interesting! He had lived and worked all over the world, was sharply-dressed and came across happy and
Great. This guy has no idea who I am. There were no black women at the event, so where does he think he met me from? I explained who I was and immediately get a flood of text messages about how lonely he is, that I said I was looking for a friend (I did??) and if I would be his friend. More messages followed, some of them very personal and none of them very positive, certainly not things you would tell a woman you’re trying to impress. Paranoia, desperation, self-harm, anger - it was disturbing enough that I couldn’t bring myself to respond anymore and just kind of disappeared from the conversation. My girlfriends were excited to hear the details of how the speed dating event went, so I filled them in on everything, even the unpleasant text messages. I went to dinner with one of them, also named Kristina, and let her read the texts directly from my phone. Her face went from slight concern to downright horror. “Kris, I know him.” “What?” “I know him. He found me through Tinder and contacted me earlier this week. I gave him my number. I didn’t mention it to you because I didn’t plan on it going anywhere, but he told me the same things he told you, and the number that’s on your phone? That’s a New York area code. He told me he was from New York. That’s the same number he texted me from.” “Oh God. So when he asked me if I was the black art student, he actually thought I was you bec-“
GOD SPEED 31 continues on page Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 27
CHASING HAIRY
A glimpse into Northeast Ohio's most mythic and enigmatic resident...
Adam Dodd // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston
D
ateline: June 24, 1980; Bellefontaine, Ohio- “I was unloading eight pigs I had bought about 11 p.m. I shut off the light in the barn and went around the corner to see what my two dogs were raising Cain about.” So starts the Ohio Daily News’s account of police officer, Ray Quay. Quay was “dumbfounded and surprised” to find a “seven-feet tall, hairy animal” lurking in the corners of his barn. Other officers were sent to corroborate his account, but to Quay’s frustration, nothing was found. Tales like this are as apocryphal as they are abundant for Northeastern Ohio. According to local Bigfoot researcher, Marc DeWerth, the Allegheny mountain range, which spills into Northeastern Ohio, possesses an “abundance of water, a huge deer population, and lacks of any natural predators like cougars and wolves. The Sasquatch are on the top of the food chain,” he contends, “and Ohio has an abundance of food that they may take advantage of with little or no competition.” Dewerth coordinates his investigations through the Bigfoot Research Organization (BFRO), which claims to be the “only scientific research organization exploring the Bigfoot/Sasquatch mystery.” According to the site’s database, aside from Northern California and the Florida Everglades, there is no other state with more recorded sightings than Ohio. So replete are Bigfoot sightings in Eastern Ohio that famed cryptozoologist and founder of the Cryptozoology Museum in Portland,
28 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
Maine, Loren Coleman, has stated in his book, Mysterious America, “Besides California, I don’t know of another state that has as many Big Foot investigators.” I held a conversation with a person whose 2013 case prompted an independent investigation. “Suzy” did not want her real name revealed, but shortly after moving to the rural area outside of Loudonville, she encountered a lumbering figure in thick black fur leaping before her car as she passed some grazing horses. Her family was quick to assure her that it must have been a bear, but the spark had been lit. “It changed my life,” she admitted. The months following her experience found her descending into rabbit holes of personal research and meetings with members of the BFRO as well as the team from the television series, Finding Bigfoot. “I spent the next two and a half years trying to figure out what happened … the only thing that really saves my sanity is the science.” It was not long before her burgeoning obsession would begin to raise eyebrows. “Both sides of my family were just like, ‘Wow, what happened to Suzy?’” Paul Hayes, of Stark County, had a similarly profound experience in 2011, which led him to create his own Bigfoot investigative branch known as the Genoskwa Project. He told me that it all started “on a regular night, one of those sleepless nights.” Stepping out for a
midnight smoke, Hayes was met with a thunderous guttural howl erupting from the nearby pines. Intrigued, Hayes took his son into the woods in search of the sound’s origin several days later. “My son was standing in a small clearing. The grass is ten inches tall, degraded.” Hayes described the fateful night, the event still fresh in his mind these years later. “There were still leaves on the trees. I hunched down and there he was … I couldn’t even tell you how long the sighting even lasted. You were just in a shock where time stood still. It was amazing.” His tone went from sensational to somber when he added, “It changes you drastically. When you walk into the woods, you’re constantly looking over your shoulder, jumping at every twig snapping.”
The Patterson-Gimlin video, that famous 1960s shaky-cam footage of an apparent Bigfoot sighting within the forests of Northern California, is paradoxically the most damning of evidence for or against the creature’s existence, depending on one’s personal interpretation. Believers will defend the footage, despite multiple confessions by supposed guilty parties throughout the years. While some “confessions” have been discredited, there are others that remain, casting a dubious pallor over the entire enterprise. I pressed DeWerth on the film’s validity and he answered as any true believer would, “There's little or no doubt that the [film] is an authentic female Bigfoot creature. Having been to the actual location … would convince even the hardest skeptic.” When asked what it was about being there that made such a compelling argument, he answered, “It’s so many miles away from the beaten path, and I mean the beaten path, that it would just be absolutely impossible for someone to be dressed in a suit just waiting back there.”
I hunched down and there he was … I couldn’t even tell you how long the sighting even lasted. You were just in a shock where time stood still. It was amazing.
Both Hayes’ and Suzy’s encounters are listed in the BFRO database, but the site’s primary function is its hotline. Here, people can call or email reports of potential sightings, not only in Ohio, but throughout the country. From there, researchers, like DeWerth, are dispatched into the field to follow up alleged sightings with a discriminating eye. Despite ruling out ninety percent of the cases he has investigated as either misidentification, a prank or hoax, when pressed, DeWerth contends that the remaining ten percent have proven compelling enough to keep the faith.
According to Dewerth, Holmes County and the area near Mohican State Park is currently the most active area, with over twenty ongoing sightings within the last thirty months. While the region around Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County serves as the state’s Sasquatch Mecca. Due to the park’s prolific amount of sightings, it serves host to an annual Bigfoot Convention, of which DeWerth helps coordinate. The event is more than a weekend of fanfare for enthusiasts; it also doubles as a de facto support group. Witnesses are able to open up and share their experiences with others caught up in the same unexplained mystery. Unfortunately, the specter of forgery has persistently haunted the credibility of the American Bigfoot legend since its inception. During one of our conversations, DeWerth recounted how “Bigfoot” was first named. “In 1958,” he explained, “Gerry Crew was out bulldozing roads in Northern California and found huge tracks around his excavator, it just happened that there was a reporter from the Eureka Times there interviewing someone about the road development. They saw the cast in [Gerry’s] hand and asked what it was. He answered, ‘a bigfoot.' It hit the AP wire and that was that.” However, it should be known that the brother of the man who owned the construction site came out after his death and confessed to manufacturing the prints as part of a hoax. This confession was also corroborated by several members of the man’s family.
Many enthusiasts see challenges to credibility as tests of faith rather than condemnations of their pursuits. As any true devout could attest, their unwavering belief is not without consequence. Whether the rest of the world will ever accept the accounts from people like those generous enough to share their experiences with me is irrelevant postscript. The lives of those that the Bigfoot touches are genuinely affected in profound and lasting ways. “Usually, when people go into the woods they play in the creek and they just have a good time,” Hayes lamented in our conversations. “When you have an experience like me, that good time is gone. You will never get that back. That’s something that you get robbed of.” I asked Suzy the same and she answered without hesitation, “Absolutely. One hundred percent, absolutely. I hate to say it, but you become obsessed with it.” Whether there is actually a mythic beast roaming across Eastern Ohio, or whether it proves to be our own hearts’ desires that we’ve been chasing all these years, the answer is the same. As we push ourselves deeper into forests of the unknown, whether what we are seeking is the truth or merely validation, whether our motivations are rooted in attention or the basic human need for acceptance, one thing is clear: we are not alone.
To learn more or to report a sighting please visit the Bigfoot Research Organization @ www.bfro.net
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 29
RESOLVE YOUR RESOLUTION Out with the old, in with the newbs
Dan Bernardi // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston
We've
officially kissed Y2K's quinceaĂąera goodbye and are moving on to its big sweet sixteen. Knuckle deep into the new year means it's time for a progress report. Have you failed your New Year's resolution yet? Maybe you forgot to make one..? Hey, nobody's perfect! Even if you already blew it harder than Cleveland's frigid January wind, don't give up just yet. It's never too late to improve yourself or try something new. Here's my guide to a few classic resolutions despite annually botching my own, so take it with a grain of salt...unless, of course, you're trying to cut back on salt. They say winners never quit and quitters never win, but if you smoke a pack a day and practically live at the bar, it might be time to get on the wagon. It's usually tough to give up anything that comes with a sin tax, but breaking these habits could possibly save your life. In other unfavorable cases, you're enjoying too much of a seemingly harmless thing. Whether it's binging on Netflix, creeping on social media, or spiraling into a vortex of increasingly odd Internet porn- be honest with yourself; you know when it's overkill. Total abstinence may not be your thing; however,s even cutting back on the bad stuff is a huge benefit. It's true; that red meat isn't gonna eat itself, but if you can manage to trim down the portions, you may just be able to add a few extra months to that miserable,vice-less existence of yours.
Diet and fitness are two words that in practice, burn calories. Out loud, they burn ears. You keep telling yourself that this year's gym membership is going to be more than wallet padding, but you end up routinely eating your fourth meal at three in the morning, and it turns out that you've never even had a gym membership. Your body is a temple, yet you treat it like an outhouse, so here's an exercise for you: get completely naked and look at yourself in the mirror. If you like what you see, keep it that way and don't get cocky. If it's not your ideal, perfectly sculpted slab of sexcellence, or if by some freak occurrence the mirror shatters at the sight of you, it's time to shape up your body. But that's only half the battle. Your mind is equally important, so kill two birds with one stone by jogging to your next therapy session.
With over seven billion people on the planet, botched relationships are to be expected. Maybe you've burned some bridges or just slipped into an interpersonal rut, but that doesn't mean you're relegated to being a boring spouse, an intolerable, insufferable asshole boss (I'm looking at you, Tom), or a lousy friend for the rest of your life. No matter what your standing is in any relationship, you can always improve the connection. Be considerate, put in the time, and for God's sake, avoid talking anything controversial because chances are that's what fucked you in the first place. When you're done mending fences with family and friends, or if you're a sad sack of shit with none of either, consider finding a way to contribute to the world in which you live. Volunteer or donate; a few of the seven billion could use it.
Variety is the spice of life, so if your life is starting to taste like hospital oatmeal, you may need to shake things up a bit. With the sole hope of injecting a shred of excitement into our ho-hum lives, some of us have a burning desire to pursue interests or activities that are so out of the ordinary and out of our comfort zones, we'd have to be out of our minds to follow through with them. Buy a Rosetta Stone and learn to sing in fluent Choctaw, teach yourself how to crochet sleeved blankets out of animal hair, or get totally bonkers and read a whole book. If you want to experience something you've never done, somewhere you've never been, taken there by someone you've never met, get out there and get daring, or get roofied. Until then, a little daily spontaneity can go a long way. Surprise yourself.
LESS IS MORE
TIES THAT BIND
30 PRESSURE LIFE
| Issue 5
WORK IT OUT
TAKE THE LEAP
GOD SPEED 27 continued from page
PRESSURE PICKS UPCOMING SHOWS TO SEE Yo La Tengo Jan 28 // Beachland Ballroom
“Because we have the same name, yep. We’re both Kristinas.” “And you’re-“ “A black art student.”
Bleep Bloop Jan 30 // Beachland Ballroom
Breaking Benjamin "Unplugged" Feb 5 // House of Blues
Fuck. She pulled up his photo from Tinder and we confirmed it was the same guy. We Googled our names just to make sure our personal information wasn’t floating around out there online for him to find us. Meanwhile, the one guy I actually matched up with hasn’t contacted me at all, which is quite disappointing. He would have been fun to hang out with, regardless of whether we were dating or just friends. I feel like the open-mindedness I had going into the event served me no purpose. And what was the point for him of going to speed dating then, or did he just waste $45, too? It’s possible he had another match and they’re working out fine, but he wouldn’t have known that within a week or so after the event, so why no attempt? For what it’s worth, I’ve concluded that speed dating isn’t such a bad thing. For those who really are that busy or work odd hours and can’t meet people in the normal course of their day, it is a semi-useful way to get around that. There are no magic bullets when it comes to meeting people, but there is strength in numbers and the more potential partners you meet, the more likely you are to find someone. Though I didn’t follow through on it, I would definitely ask those deal-breaker questions, it’s what you’re there for. If you don’t ask them, you’ll end up wasting your time and money on people who aren’t proper matches for you. If you are not a conversationalist, don’t go; you only have six minutes to talk someone into your life and though being not-so-expressive verbally isn’t indicative of your personality, it doesn’t leave a good impression in a situation where conversation is the primary medium for communicating who you are. I won’t be speed dating again any time soon. The experience of dealing with the guy who should stay away from girls named Kristina was a bit too much for me, and damn the one who was a match and isn’t contacting me. It’s not a total wash, either. Go into it with no expectations other than to have fun and you’ll probably get, at the least, that much.
Lost in the Woods Feb 6 // Rustbelt Reclamation
Reel Big Fish Feb 9 // House of Blues
Lauren Lanzaretta Feb 13 // Grog Shop
Ventana Feb 13 // Agora
Brite Winter Festival Feb 20 // West Bank of the Flats
Wolf Eyes with Timmy's Organism Feb 23 // Now That's Class
Naughty By Nature Feb 23 // House of Blues
Lupe Fiasco Feb 26 // House of Blues
I See Stars Feb 27 // Agora
Platform Concert Series Feb 27 // Lake Affect Studios
Issue 5
| PRESSURELIFE.com 31
CITRADELIC TANGERINE IPA IS BREWED AND BOTTLED BY NEW BELGIUM BREWING FORT COLLINS, CO
Turn on, tune in, and hop out with New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA. Set adrift on a kaleidoscopic wave of hoppiness brought to you by a mystical marriage of Citra hops and Tangerine. Elevating each sip onto a plane of pure tropical, fruity pleasure.
CITRADELIC TANGERINE IPA
TUNE IN. HOP OUT. NEWBELGIUM.COM