Join the Irish community in celebrating the dedication of the Irish Cultural Garden’s new fountain, a replica of a Dublin, Ireland fountain and made in Ireland, on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at NOON.

Free and open to the public.  Free parking along either MLK Jr. Blvd in front of the Garden at 1201 MLK Jr. Blvd, or above the Garden on East Blvd.  The Irish Garden is immediately north of the Superior Road bridge over MLK Jr. Blvd.

This marks the completion of the new additions to the north end of the Irish Cultural Garden which includes, besides the fountain and its surrounding terrace and irrigation system, seven granite pillars featuring the literary giants of Ireland and prominent local Irish community supporters, and plaques for Lonny McCauley and Bernadette Murphy.

See, below, a photo of the Dublin fountain which this new one is a replica of:

Original, Dublin fountain which Irish Garden's is modeled on

Join the Italian Cultural Garden Foundation and the Italian community in marking the 2nd annual Monte Grappa Commemoration on Thursday, November 11, 2010 from 1 to 2 PM in the Garden at 990 East Blvd, Cleveland OH 44108; at the intersection with Parkgate Avenue.

US veterans are especially invited to be present.  Among those present will be some Buffalo soldiers plus Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland Council members Jeff Johnson and Matt Zone, as well as Marco Nobili, Consul of Italy.

Admission is free and all are welcome.  Free parking will be available along East Blvd.  Refreshments will be served.

The Italian Garden has a block of stone hewn from the side of Monte Grappa in northern Italy, in honor of the many northern Ohio members of the 332nd Regiment of Infantry, who fought on Italian soil during World War I.

The plaque on the stone bears the inscription:  “In this garden, sacred to the glories of Rome, the Italian War Veterans of Cleveland have placed this rock taken from the torn slopes of Monte Grappa, a lasting memorial to the mutual sacrifice that in the heroic moments of WWI bound America and Italy, effecting a bond of imperishable friendship in the fruitful work of peace cemented by the blood of some fifty soldiers of Ohio’s 332nd Infantry who fell on Italian soil.”

See photo below courtesy of Robert Angeles of the Cleveland Photographic Society:

Monte Grappa Memorial Plaque & Stone

Ben Stefanski and the Polish American Cultural Center orchestrated a remarkable dedication of the replacement Chopin bust in the Polish Cultural Garden on Sunday, October 17, 2010.

The Garden looked immaculate and the centerpiece fountain never has looked as attractive and verdant.  Artfully arranged chairs in great number occupied the center of the octagonal

Centerpiece, octagonal fountain never looked better

shaped Garden as well as above and outside the center in five areas.

The speakers were both highly informative as well as brief and to the point.

Featured performer and Chopin raconteur was Dr. David Dubal, Professor of Performance and Piano at the Julliard School of Music in New York City.  Not planned, however, was the happy coincidence that Professor Dubal grew up one block away from the Garden and has family in Cleveland.  Assisting Dr. Dubal in his lecture-demonstration on Chopin’s life and works was Ms. Dongning Yang, a protege of Dr. Dubal, now in residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  The Steinway piano was provided by Steinway Hall in Akron.  It sounded spectacular thanks to the artists and the remarkable sound system brought in specially for the occasion.

The Polish American Cultural Center is to be congratulated on its exemplary re-dedication as well as its ongoing commitment to restore the historic cultural figures in the Polish Cultural Garden.

For extensive and full color photos of this event click on the following Polonia Cleveland link in Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/poloniacleveland/5096638922/

Dr. David Dubal lecturing and demonstrating on Chopin's life and music

Piano virtuoso Ms. Dongning Yang performs

Polish folk costumed youngster

Polish urban folk costumed greeters met guests at the Garden entrance

Dedication of Frederic Chopin b0ronze bust in Polish Cultural Garden.

Free and open to the public excepting luncheon which is $10.00 at the door of the Polish American Cultural Center.

Begins with 10 A.M. Mass at St. Stanislav Shrine Church,  3649 E 65th with full Orchestra and Choir playing Chopin’s Glorious Music!

Immediately following Mass you are invited to a reception and lunch at the Polish American Cultural Center, 6501 Lansing Blvd., Cleveland OH. ($10 fee)

The dedication of the Chopin bust will be in the Polish Cultural Garden at 2PM, 820 East Blvd. at St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44108.  No fee or admission.

As part of the re-dedication ceremonies, there will be a piano recital shortly after 2pm, by David Dubal, Professor of Piano Performance at the Juilliard School.

The Guest of Honor will be the Polish Counsel General of New York:  Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka.

Free parking along East Blvd.

Limited amount of folding chairs on site.  Bring your own or something to sit on, just in case.

Restroom facilities 1/2 mile north on East Blvd at the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse.

The Polish American Cultural Center, under the leadership of Ben S. Stefanski III continues their project of restoring or replacing the missing original busts in the Polish Cultural Garden.  Any support for this project would be much appreciated.

Chopin Bust--replacement made and installed 2010

Beautiful pink/orange granite is re-discovered when the Peace bust in the American Legion Peace Garden of the Nations was cleaned.  Installed on October 8, 2010, this is the first step in a series of restorations in the Garden.  Within the next month, the Peace pillar should be cleaned and a replacement plaque, for that missing from the pillar under Peace, will be installed.  While the new plaque will have precisely the same text and size as the original, the new plaque will be of black granite with text in metallic gold to dramatically contrast with the white granite pillar and to provide the security that the original’s bronze metal could not at all.  Additionally, like plaques in color and material will be installed on top of the vault in the same Garden along with another, like plaque in the States portion of the American Legion Peace Garden.

Peace bust--American Legion Peace Garden/Nations

Peace bust's rear view--American Legion Peace Garden/Nations