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By Ron Calhoun
Slavic Village is comprised of several unique neighborhoods with amazing block clubs. These clubs were formed out of a passion for the neighborhood and building community by residents coming together to help each other and sponsoring events and initiatives.
The Warszawa Block club is concerned with (1) keeping the neighborhood clean, (2) helping each other beautify, and (3) addressing traffic safety in a highly dense residential neighborhood. There are a lot of children in the area who play on the street and ride bikes, and parents are concerned with cars not stopping at stop signs, speeding, and the lack of basic traffic enforcement.
The group met consistently for almost two years. The result is what the group calls “Street Lace,” beautifully painted curbs and street paintings at various locations throughout Slavic Village. The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) will supply funding along with materials including paint and ADA ramps from its street supplies program. The City of Cleveland’s Traffic Engineering department helped coordinate and advise the group on the process as well as following city ordinances and obtaining permits.
The Cleveland Observer found Joy Cummings, Anthony and Tiffany Andreolli, and other neighbors and friends including “The Rocker” Scott Pickering, completing the finishing touches on the project. Andreolli mentioned how drivers are “becoming more aggressive in neighborhoods.” Cummings said, “Temporary speed bumps over the summer months every year would be a great addition to the Street Lace.”
Neighbors coming together to help each other seems to be a relic of the past. Cleveland was a city of strong neighborhoods with vibrant street clubs. Some might remember annual spring-cleaning programs, which entailed older members as well as the youth raking leaves, painting houses, whitewashing trees and curbs, and landscaping.
History
The street club organizations also held street club bus trips to amusement parks and “Back to School” dances for the children which included refreshments, prizes, and music. The Fairfax neighborhood was known for picnics and banquets. Some Street clubs would have holiday focused events. Street clubs, also known as neighborhood clubs or civic clubs, were prominent, especially in Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods, such as Fairfax, Glenville, and Hough. An annual meeting called “Street Club Organization Day” started in 1968 to bring together street club presidents to lead combined efforts to address problems plaguing the community. Workshops were led by the Street Club Presidents League, as well as representatives of various community non-profit organizations such as Citizens for Better Housing Inc. and the University-Euclid Development Center.
Through the meetings, combined club efforts yielded clean-up campaigns and an award banquet. Street clubs also participated in yearly beauty contests known as “The Beautiful Block Contest” and “The Bright and Beautiful Contest,” once sponsored by the Call and Post.
Source: cleveland historical.org
“Kudos” to The Warszawa Block club, a neighborhood leading the way back to the community building basics. Wouldn’t it make Cleveland great if all the neighborhoods had a functioning street club?
