Celebrating an Eventful Year

Thank you to all our volunteers who worked so hard to support Edgewater Park this year. We have a long list of accomplishments: Conducted seven beach clean-ups over the spring and summer with hundreds of volunteers in partnership with Drink Local Drink Tap and the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Received a grant from the Cleveland Colectivo to support concerts in the park and held the first two musical events Installed a narrarated tour-by-phone system in the park Funded and coordinated the installation of landscaping at the entrance to the park with Key Bank volunteers, and maintained the landscaping through the summer Worked with Euclid Adopt-a-Beach and Drink Local Drink Tap to start the Urban Beach Ambassador Program in partnership with Cleveland Lakefront State Parks and the Cleveland Metroparks Weeded and mulched the exercise stations on the bike path Serviced the recycling bins in the park Organized maintenance / clean-up of the historic stables on park property by community service workers Sponsored a DJ for a summer beach party organized by the park naturalist Served on the Potluck in the Park event committee Created an initial strategic plan for the organization which will continue to be developed with input from additional stakeholders Participated in the Friends for the Preservation of State Parks, an umbrella group for Ohio State Parks Friends groups. Our work is entirely funded by memberships, grants, and donations. Please consider contributing to the Friends of Edgewater State Park. We appreciate your support.

Holiday Party and Annual Meeting Join the Friends of Edgewater State Park at the Battery Park Wine Bar on December 18th, 5-7pm, as we celebrate the holiday season and look back at the accomplishments of the past year. We’ll provide appetizers and goodies. We’ll also hold our Annual Meeting and election of officers. There will be two open seats on our board – an opportunity to get involved. Anyone who is current on their membership dues can vote and run for office. You can renew your membership at the party (or at the address below). Everyone is welcome, even if you are not a member. Hope to see you there! Winter Naturalist Programs The park naturalist has a continuing lineup of programs throughout the winter. Check out http://www.clevelandlakefront.org/NaturalistPrograms.html Support the Friends of Edgewater State Park Send donations to: Friends of Edgewater State Park, PO BOX 602411, Cleveland, OH 44102. To donate to a specific project, please indicate the project on the memo line, i.e. “Music in the Park.” Annual Membership dues are $10 individual, $15 family, $100 business. Thank you for your support to help our park reach its full potential!

Urban Beach Ambassador Training Wed, Sept 5

Do you find yourself wanting to talk to park visitors about caring for the park?  We want to help you make a difference for Edgewater Park with our new Urban Beach Ambassador Program. Modeled after a similar program in Chicago, the UBA program is designed to engage park visitors in a positive way through a survey about park-related issues. UBA volunteers will also report park conditions and may help with litter pick-up and recycling as needed. You can choose your own park area and schedule. You will receive a free t-shirt and supplies. To become an Urban Beach Ambassador, attend the training on Wed, Sept 5, 6:00-7:30pm at the Edgewater Park beach pavilion. Optionally, RSVP on facebook at  www.facebook.com/#!/events/349712255122880/ and check out the Urban Beach Ambassador page. The program was created in partnership with Friends of Edgewater, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Euclid Adopt a Beach, Drink Local Drink Tap, and Cleveland Lakefront State Parks.

August 19 update: Cats on Holiday at Edgewater

Cats on Holiday plays Edgewater Park The Friends of Edgewater State Park ‘s free music series continues with Cats on Holiday this Thursday, August 23rd at 7pm, at the Edgewater Lower Pavilion. We are excited that Cats on Holiday is celebrating Edgewater Park with us! Please invite your friends and family to enjoy an evening of great music, a beautiful sunset, and Honey Hut ice cream. Cats On Holiday is a hard rockin’, swamp poppin’ outfit serving up a healthy dose of American influenced roots, country, cajun and blues. Reigning from the Cuyahoga Music Valley on the shores of Lake Erie, this band has been pleasing crowds from barrooms to outdoor festivals and concerts for the last 15 years. Armed with an arsenal of well-crafted original tunes and an eclectic blend of party songs, it’s hard for most listeners not to swing and sway. Check out www.catsonholiday.com and optionally, rsvp on facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/events/432168213500844/ . Music in the Park is made possible by the generous support of the Cleveland Colectivo.

Volunteer for Potluck in the Park: 1st Annual Local Food Feast Volunteers are needed for the potluck of the year at Edgewater ‘s Upper Pavilion, Sept 29th 4:30-7pm. Potluck in the Park is a celebration of local food and a chance for Clevelanders to share a meal together. To volunteer, contact Christa Ebert, NPI, at 216-453-1448 or cebert@npi-cle.org . For more info visit www.npi-cle.org/blog/potluck Wagner Statue Story in Plain Dealer Donald Rosenberg highlights the history of the Wagner Statue and music appreciation at Edgewater Park. www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2012/08/wagner_statue_in_edgewater_par.html   Upcoming Events 8/23 FOESP Board Meeting 5:30pm, Edgewater Lower Pavilion 8/23 Music in the Park: Cats on Holiday 7:00pm, Edgewater Lower Pavilion 9/1 Monthly Clean-up 10am-12pm, Edgewater Lower Pavilion 9/1 Naturalist Program: Farewell to Summer Beach Party 7-9:30pm, Edgewater Park Beach 9/8-9/9 OSEK Cleveland Kite Festival 11-5pm, Lower Edgewater Park Support the Friends of Edgewater State Park Send donations to: Friends of Edgewater State Park, PO BOX 602411, Cleveland, OH 44102. To donate to a specific project, please indicate the project on the memo line, i.e. “Music in the Park.” Annual Membership dues are $10 individual, $15 family, $100 business. Thank you for your support to help our park reach its full potential! http://friendsofedgewater.wordpress.com/

July 28 Update: Create Your Own Volunteer Schedule at Edgewater – Become an Urban Beach Ambassador

Create your own volunteer schedule: become an Urban Beach Ambassador Do you wish you could make our clean-up events but Saturdays are just too busy? Do you pick up litter on your own time and want to get recognized for your efforts? Do you find yourself wanting to talk to park visitors about caring for the park but can’t get up the nerve? We want to help you make a difference for Edgewater Park with our new Urban Beach Ambassador Program. Modeled after a similar program in Chicago, the UBA program is designed to engage park visitors in a positive way through a survey about park-related issues. UBA volunteers, working with a partner, will also report park conditions and may help with litter pick-up and recycling as needed. You can choose the park area to work in and the general times when you want to volunteer.  You will receive a free t-shirt and supplies. To become an Urban Beach Ambassador, attend the training on Thursday, August 9th, 6:30-8pm at the Edgewater Park beach pavilion. If you can’t make it on the 9th, there will be another training at Euclid Beach Park, at the pavilion 6:30pm on Thursday August 16th. The program was created in partnership with Friends of Edgewater, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Euclid Adopt a Beach, Drink Local Drink Tap, and Cleveland Lakefront State Parks.

August 4th clean-up starts at 3pm, then head over to Euclid Beach Blast Last month volunteers braved the heat to collect 28 lbs of recyclables and 87 lbs of trash. Thank you! Our clean-up this coming weekend will start later than usual, at 3pm Saturday at the Edgewater beach pavilion. A contingent from Bike Cleveland will stop by to help out before riding over to the Euclid Beach Blast (5-8:30pm) at Euclid Beach State Park. We’ll be heading over to the Beach Blast ourselves after the clean-up.  Euclid Adopt-a-Beach still needs to raise funds for the event! Please support them at www.kickstarter.com/projects/1481657468/euclid-beach-blast-2012 before August 1. Music in the Park Nate Jones, pictured above, kicked off our Music in the Park series with a fantastic evening of great music on July 12. We’ll be posting the rest of the summer music schedule soon. Music in the Park is made possible by the Cleveland Colectivo. Tell Governor Kasich to Visit the Cleveland Lakefront State Parks so he can see that our wonderful parks deserve more state funding! Sign the petition here: www.change.org/petitions/gov-john-kasich-plan-a-visit-to-cleveland-lakefront-state-park Upcoming Naturalist Programs Carol Ward, the park naturalist, has some interesting programs to share with you.  - 8/17 NOCTURNAL NATIVES 7 PM—8:30 PM. **Meet a resident owl from Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Nature Center, learn about bats, and more. Live animals and hands on activities. Meet at the north side of the beach bath house at Edgewater.  - 9/1 Farewell to Summer Beach Party @ Edgewater 7 pm-9:30 pm   New manager at Cleveland Lakefront State Parks Brian Andrews is replacing outgoing Cleveland Lakefront State Park manager Jim Seikel. We wish Jim the best in his new role with the State Parks and look forward to working with Brian. Brian was formerly the manager of Findley State Park. Friends of Edgewater featured in Freshwater Cleveland Check out the article here: http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/forgood/edgewaterconcerts071212.aspx   Upcoming Events 8/4 Monthly Clean-up 3pm, Lower Level Beach Pavilion 8/9 Urban Beach Ambassador Training 6:30-8pm, Lower Level Beach Pavilion 8/17 Naturalist Program: Nocturnal Natives 7-8:30pm, North of Bath House 8/23 FOESP Board Meeting 5:30pm, Latitude 41n 9/1 Naturalist Program: Farewell to Summer Beach Party 7-9:30pm, Edgewater Park Beach   Support the Friends of Edgewater State Park Send donations to: Friends of Edgewater State Park, PO BOX 602411, Cleveland, OH 44102. To donate to a specific project, please indicate the project on the memo line, i.e. “Music in the Park.” Annual Membership dues are $10 individual, $15 family, $100 business. Thank you for your support to help our park reach its full potential!

July 2 Update: Cell phone tour, Music in the Park

Cell Phone Tour Provides History of Park

The next time you are in the park, check out the FOESP cell phone tour. Our signs are now up! At stations throughout the park, you can listen to interesting facts about the park and its history by calling the number listed. Funding for this project was provided by the Cleveland Waterfront Coaltion.

Nate Jones plays Edgewater on July 12
We are proud to present the first of four free musical performances in the park this summer. Need an excuse to enjoy the sunset and ice cream by the lake? Nate Jones, singer-songwriter, will play from 7-9pm at the beach pavilion on Thursday, July 12. This program is made possible by the Cleveland Colectivo: www.clevelandcolectivo.org

Microplastic Sampling Event
11 am, Saturday, July 21, on the beach, join Dr. Marcus Eriksen from The 5 Gyres Institute as he demonstrates how to sample small bits of plastic, or microplastics.  Learn how our beaches compare to other Great Lake beaches and how to prevent plastic pollution on our beaches and in the Lake.  Contact Cathi Lehn for more information (clehn@cmnh.org).  Sponsored by The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo/Cleveland Zoological Society and the Burning River Foundation. To read more about Marcus and his research visit: http://www.5gyres.org and http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/06/plastic_pollution_study_to_be.html

Lakefront Parks Get PD Press
Mark Naymik of the Plain Dealer has targeted Edgewater Park in several columns: http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/ . Mark has pointed out the urgent need for more resources and funding for the lakefront parks, in the context of the Metroparks’ interest in the lakefront. Let us know what you think on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Friends-of-Edgewater-State-Park/109223987019

Interested in becoming an Urban Beach Ambassador?
Help us design and implement this program – to provide eyes/ears and a helpful, friendly presence in the park – around your schedule by filling out this quick survey. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dGdtenpyMW1HbGdyNmN3eGJhek9fRGc6MQ

Support the Friends of Edgewater State Park
We are grateful for your donation to: Friends of Edgewater State Park, PO BOX 602411, Cleveland, OH 44102. To donate to a specific project, please indicate the project on the memo line, i.e. “Music in the Park.” Annual Membership dues are $10 individual, $15 family, $100 corporate. Thank you for your support to help our park reach its full potential!

May 30 update: Key Bank Landscaping and Beach Party

Friends of Edgewater State Park Awarded Cleveland Colectivo Grant for Music In The Park

We are excited to announce FOESP is a 2012 Cleveland Colectivo Grantee! We will use the $1000 award to support four informal musical events in the park this summer. We’ll announce the schedule of events soon. Find out more about the Cleveland Colectivo at http://www.Clevelandcolectivo.org .

Trash and Pancakes

FOESP and Drink Local Drink Tap continue our first-Saturday-of-the-month clean-ups by partnering with the Sierra Club’s annual clean-up and free pancake breakfast at the park this Saturday, June 2.  Pancakes will be served at 9 and the clean-up will follow. FOESP will provide coffee and OJ.

Urban Beach Ambassador Meet-and-Greet over Pancakes
Chat about the Urban Beach Ambassador Program over pancakes this Saturday at 9am and stay for the clean-up.  This initiative will be launching this summer (with our partners Drink Local Drink Tap and Euclid Adopt a Beach). Check out the UBA facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/urbanbeachambassadors 

 Summer Beach Party

Kick off summer with a family-friendly beach party June 16 1-4pm! Music, dancing, and games with prizes are all part of the fun organized by the Cleveland Lakefront State Park Naturalist! Last years’ event was a big hit. FOESP is providing the DJ and will have a table at the event.
 
Key Bank Volunteers Install Native Plants

On May 24th, volunteers from Key Bank landscaped the lower level Welcome Sign area of Edgewater Park, as well as several smaller areas at Euclid Beach Park. The landscaping is designed around low-maintenance, native plants from Biodiversity Landscaping. Drink Local Drink Tap provided the landscaping design, FOESP provided funding for the plants and topsoil at Edgewater, the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition also chipped in for the plants, and the Cleveland Lakefront State Park provided the mulch. FOESP will be responsible for maintaining the area on an ongoing basis.

Exercise Stations and Stables Maintained

Members weeded, spruced up and mulched the exercise stations in the park, and worked with Court Community Service to continue to secure and maintain the historic stable building in the park (south of Shoreway).

Park Summer Calendar

Check out the park naturalist summer calendar at http://www.clevelandlakefront.org/NaturalistPrograms.html  

Support the Friends of Edgewater State Park
You can send a donation to: Friends of Edgewater State Park, PO BOX 602411, Cleveland, OH 44102. To donate to a specific project, please indicate the project on the memo line, i.e. “Music in the Park.” Annual Membership dues are $10 individual, $15 family, $100 corporate. Thank you for your support to help our park reach its full potential!

April 22 Update: Record Setting Clean-Up

Happy Earth Day from the Friends of Edgewater State Park!

Become a Park Ambassador: Meeting Wednesday, April 25
Walk or bike the park regularly? Want to take advantage of the time you spend in the park to be part of an organized effort to welcome visitors and provide positive suggestions for park visitors? Please attend a planning meeting this Wed, April 25, at 5:30-7pm at the Edgewater Beach Pavilion. In case of bad weather we will move to Sweet Moses at 6800 Detroit Avenue. There will be an informal presentation on a grant application that was submitted for this effort. Please RSVP to FriendsofEdgewater@hotmail.com

April Clean-Up Sets New Record
The results are in – and we collected a record-setting 513 lbs 13 oz of trash at the clean-up season opener April 7th. A big thank you to all 51 volunteers!

Strategic Planning Underway
The FOESP Board recently held a retreat to discuss a new strategic plan for the organization. The planning session was facilitated by Tom Romito. We’ll be discussing the strategic plan at our monthly board meeting, which will be held this Tuesday, April 24th, 5:30pm at Latitude 41n, 5712 Detroit Avenue. Next steps include refining our mission statement and continuing to engage key stakeholders.