Samaria Rice is Working For Tamir

Photo Credit: Sheehan Hannan

"Since the senseless shooting of my son Tamir Rice, I have had many sleepless nights and days," said Samaria Rice during a morning press conference in front of the Justice Center. "It's almost a year now — no justice, no peace."

The announcement came in response to Prosecutor Timothy McGinty's decision to release two reports — one by a Colorado prosecutor and one by a retired FBI special agent — last Saturday that called the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by officer Timothy Loehmann "objectively reasonable."

On Nov. 22, 2014, Tamir was playing in the park with a toy gun that had the orange safety tip removed when a 911 caller alerted police to a black male who was “probably a juvenile” carrying a gun that was “probably fake.” But when the dispatcher failed to relay all of the information, officers Frank Garmback and Timothy Loehmann responded to the call. Video shows the officers driving onto the grass within 5 feet of the boy and firing on him within two seconds of arrival. Now, one year later, Samaria is still waiting for McGinty to present his investigation into her son's death to a grand jury.

"I would like for [McGinty] to step down and allow an independent prosecutor to take over Tamir Rice's case," Samaria said.

Photo Credit: Sheehan Hannan

Samaria's lawyers delivered the request for removal to McGinty prior to the conference in an eight-page letter that cited two separate incidents this past year in which officers were quickly indicted on murder charges in South Carolina and Baltimore. If McGinty refuses to step aside for a independent prosecutor, Samaria's lawyers requested that he publicly state whether he will seek an indictment in the case.

"When a tragedy like this happens, people want justice," said attorney Jonathan S. Abbey, who is one of three lawyers representing the family. "What is justice in a situation like this? Justice in a situation like this involves accountability, it involves holding people responsible and accountable for what they’ve done. Justice involves impartiality, it involves holding people responsible for the wrongdoing that they committed. We are concerned. We are upset. We are frustrated. We are angry because we feel justice is not in process and not in motion in this case."

Cleveland Magazine's story "For Tamir," which will appear in the November issue, is available online here.

Cleveland Community Police Commission Starts Up with First Public Meeting

The members of  the Cleveland Community Police Commission. ( Photo by Sheehan Hannan)

The Cleveland Community Police Commission held its first public meeting last night at St. Paul’s Community Church on the West Side.  Eleven commissioners were in attendance at the meeting in the church’s gym, seated in a row opposite a mural on the wall — a cross, modeled after the one outside the church, a rainbow of light exploding from its center. The 13-member commission, which was mandated by the city’s consent decree with the Justice Department, was sworn in Sept. 8. Here's a snapshot.

• The program focused on bias-free policing and the civilian complaint review process. Ronnie Dunn, a professor at Cleveland State University, presented his research on the Civilian Police Review Board. For more on Dunn and his research, read my profile from April.
• Absent were representatives from Mayor Frank Jackson’s administration and Division of Police brass, with the exception of Office of Professional Standards Administrator Damon Scott.
• Taking the microphone, Scott expressed frustration with the commission’s decision to ask Dunn about the inner workings of the Office of Professional Standards rather than asking the department directly. After a brief verbal tug-of-war with co-chair Rhonda Williams, he calmly explained the civilian complaint procedure. Scott also clarified how the Office of Professional Standards handles complaints by minors, a question posed by commissioner Dylan Sellers. A guardian must file a complaint on their behalf; they cannot file on their own, he said. Scott may give a presentation at a later meeting.
• There was a healthy City Council contingent. I spotted council members Matt Zone, Zack Reed, Brian Kazy, Dona Brady and Brian Cummins. Charles See, a member of the consent decree monitoring team and the head of the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries Community Re-Entry Program, popped in for the latter half.
•  Co-chair Mario Clopton said afterward that the Jackson administration has been very supportive. Police chief Calvin Williams has even shared his personal cellphone number with the commissioners, Clopton said.
• The representatives from the three police associations — Steve Loomis of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, Lynn Hampton of Black Shield and Timothy Higgins of the Fraternal Order of Police — were mostly silent. Higgins and Hampton asked Dunn a few clarifying questions during his presentation. Beyond introducing himself at the beginning of the meeting, the usually outspoken Loomis stayed silent, though he appeared to be taking copious notes. For now, the more activist commissioners seem to be in the driver’s seat, headlined by the three co-chairs: Williams, Clopton and Craig Boise.
• The commission is obviously still in its infancy. The group has not approved a set of comprehensive bylaws yet — something Clopton said he hopes the group will complete by the end of October. When ratified, the bylaws will be publicly released on the commission’s nonexistent website. After a suggestion from councilman Joe Cimperman at a City Council Safety Committee meeting earlier in the day, the commission will soon be setting up social media accounts. Notably, the commission doesn’t seem to have a city email address yet either, instead giving out a Gmail address.
• There’s also no word on what the commission’s budget will look like — whether there will be an allowances for staff or office space, in particular. Currently, the commission relies on two volunteers to take meeting minutes: one from the Cleveland Foundation, the other from the city’s Community Relations Board. “We’re all our own researchers right now,” said Clopton.
• Councilman Cummins said he hopes the commission will get the resources they need, though he prefers public funding over private — both of which are options outlined in the consent decree. “I’m very concerned about your capacity as a commission, given the fact that you all have full-time jobs and commitments,” he said, emphasizing the need for a full-time staff. “If we have to rely on private funding, I really question and am concerned about the sustainability of the commission’s work.” He is committed to finding sufficient funding for the commission within the city’s budget, he said. 

Future meetings will alternate between the East and West sides. All are from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.. Scheduled so far:

• Oct. 28 at Elizabeth Baptist Church
• Nov. 11 at Cudell Recreation Center
• Dec. 3 at Trinity Cathedral
• Dec. 17 at West Side Community House

Tastes Like Sweetest Day

Sweetest Day, the sugary-sweet alter ego of Valentine's Day, is Oct. 17. Impress the one you love or treat yourself with a series of truffle-making parties hosted by The Bom — a 2014 Best of Cleveland winner.

Grab a partner and select a bottle of your favorite wine from one of the three participating wineries. Carolina Martin, owner and chocolatier behind the Bom's boozy treats, will provide all the dry ingredients to make your own 21-and-over truffles.

You'll leave with five boxes, or about 20 truffles, just in time for Sweetest Day. But we won't blame you if you keep them for yourself.

Register by calling 216-941-7643 or send an email to carolina@thebom.us.


Thursday, Oct. 1
6-8 p.m.
Paper Moon Vineyards, 2008 State Road, Vermilion
$25 per person

Wednesday, Oct. 14
6-8 p.m.
Sharon James Cellars, 11303 Kinsman Road, Newbury
$30 per person

Thursday, Oct. 15
7-9 p.m.
John Christ Winery, 32421 Walker Road, Avon Lake
$30 per person

Fine Prints For All

If you always thought having an art collection was out of reach financially, think again. The Cleveland Museum of Art wants to jump-start your print collection with the 31st Fine Prints Fair, the second oldest continually running print fair in the United States, from Sept. 24-27. The prints, which span from 16th century to today, come from 15 dealers throughout the country and are guaranteed originals. These hand-selected dealers, along with with the Inter-Museum Conservation Association, a nonprofit conservation laboratory, are at the fair to educate visitors and hopefully inspire someone to collect. "Dealers will have prints starting at $100 so that students or young people can start collecting," says Jane Glaubinger, the Cleveland Museum of Art's curator of prints. "There is such a wide variety of prices and something for everybody."

Morris Blackburn Forms, 1945, color screenprint. Courtesy of Dolan/Maxwell

Forms by Morris Blackburn 
Abstraction was nothing new by 1945 when Blackburn made this print, but the artist's use of dimension is definitely exciting. "The artist has removed the idea of three-dimension by using these spots of very bright, solid colors," says Glaubinger. "He used the areas of flat, bright colors to flatten out the space."

.Henri Riviere La Montagne, 1897, lithograph. Courtesy of Pia Gallo

 La Montage by Henri Riviere 
The Parisian artist, who spent his summers in Brittany, France, was inspired by the colorful landscapes he saw during his time in northwestern France. Replicating those vibrant images, which were made in the 1890s during the height of lithography in France, required a lot of skill. "For each color, you're printing from a separate stone or different plate," Glaubinger says. "It's complicated to print a lot of different colors and to register the paper perfectly each time you print."

Martin Lewis Little Penthouse, 1931, drypoint. Courtesy of The Old Print Shop, Inc.

Little Penthouse by Martin Lewis 
The artist, who lived in New York, was not afraid of the dark. In fact, he often used night scenes and added a few light effects. "He would have a dim scene and then would include a bright light like a lamppost or something," says Glaubinger. "In this print, he uses the window as his light source." Lewis was also never tempted by color, as he was skillful in black and white. "They don't always want to work in color," adds Glaubinger. "There's something about the contrast of the black ink of the white paper."

Bowl Like a Boss

Earlier this month, the newly improved Corner Alley reopened its doors to show off the results of a two-month overhaul of the downtown location. With 16 lanes (including a few in a tucked-away corner for groups), two full bars, 24 beers on tap, a dining room with more than 50 seats and three dozen shareable appetizers, snacks, sliders and pizzas, there are a lot of reasons to love the refreshed space. We can't (and probably wouldn't) share our fried fish sliders ($10) here, but if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, our photo tour is a good place to start. Bowlers waiting for their turn on the lane can take in a game (or four) on overhead high-definition TVs. Floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor patio spaces offer lots of people-watching opportunities. Though the main bowling space is huge, there's more below with a soon-to-open arcade game downstairs. Clean and modern lanes offer stuffed chairs, in-lane food and drink service and vintage tabletop arcade games. Awash in light, a tabletop shuffleboard beckons to a second bar and more secluded lanes. What goes better with bowling than bourbon?  Also find about 18 cocktails, a dozen wines and 60 brews available here.  Bowling lanes can accommodate up to eight bowlers at a time. Friday through Sunday lanes cost $25 per hour before 5 p.m. or $35 per hour after 5. Weekdays are $15 per hour before 5 and $30 per hour after 5. Shoe rental is an additional $3.50 per person or free from 2-6 p.m. The Corner Alley Downtown, 402 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-298-4070, thecorneralley.com; Sun-Thu 11:30 a.m.-midnight, Fri & Sat 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.

Love Reigns: Nathan and Lukas Trayte

Nathan and Lukas Trayte

Lukas needed a change. He was in a stormy relationship and had been chatting with Nathan for months on the social networking app Grindr. So when Lukas broke up with his boyfriend, he moved to Florida to start a new life. But it didn’t last long. After just a month, he returned to Ohio and moved into Nathan’s house in Berea. Now, six years later, the two live in Cleveland Heights and wed July 10 in Ohio before hosting a private wedding ceremony in Puerto Vallarta July 30. We spoke to them about the importance of family and the benefits of finally being able to publicly announce their love for one another.

Nathan: I spent many years trying to be straight. I had previously been engaged to a woman. So, I had kind of a mental block with the whole marriage thing. Coming out of what would have been a sham wedding, I just had a hard time wrapping my head around that. I knew Lukas was the right person, and even then it still took a while. The winter after we had moved to [Cleveland Heights], we had a house, we were living this life together. It finally clicked. Lukas is fiercely protective, not only of me, but of our family unit. I know that he always has my back.

Lukas: I wear the pants in the relationship, but he’s the belt that holds them up. He’s never held me back from anything. I’ve always admired the fact that he is so family-oriented. My parents came up with my sisters and all their kids right after Thanksgiving last year. I pretty much said, “You either want a relationship or not. Nathan and I are getting married. I want you to meet him. I want you to see where we live.” I frantically decorated the house for Christmas. I got it done an hour before they showed up. It was important to me. You want your parents to accept who you’re with, and they accepted my brothers-in-law. Well, I found someone and I want to show him off too. I always wanted to get married. I wanted a family. I wanted kids. — as told to James Bigley II

Editor’s Note: In the September issue of Cleveland Magazine, we interviewed 10 same-sex couples that were engaged or married following the June 26 Supreme Court decision. Check back every Wednesday for more stories through Sept. 30. For all the stories in this series, click here.

Cocktails for Kids

Crop Rocks' Steve Schimoler, chef and owner, and beverage manager Ryan Wilkins 

Guzzle for a good cause this Friday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. when the Gala speakeasy fundraiser takes over Steve Schimoler's new On Air Studio (part of the new trio of Crop venues in the Flats that also includes Crop Sticks and Crop Rocks).

Benefiting Cleveland Clinic Children's, the event features hors d'oeuvres by Crop Rocks, craft cocktails by representatives of the United States Bartenders Guild and live music by Brazilian jazz quartet Moises Borges and the David Thomas Jazz Trio.

Crop Rocks beverage manager Ryan Wilkins shares his Silk Road cocktail recipe, which he will serve on Friday to complement the Asian-influenced cuisine.

"We're trying to incorporate some Asian flavors and ingredients not only because they fit [Crop Sticks ] thematically, but because they go well with the food," says Wilkins. The drink features vodka, yuzu (a mild Asian citrus fruit) and fresh shiso.

If you're unfamiliar with the herb, you're not alone. "It's not a direct parallel to a more common herb in Western cooking," Wilkins explains. "It has a very vibrant, slightly spicy flavor with a little undertone of bitter. [It's like] a cross between cilantro and arugula."

Though shiso makes an appearance in a few other Crop Sticks cocktails, "This time I wanted to work with the shiso flavor but in a cocktail that would be very smooth and balanced without aggressive acidity," he says.

Order up on Friday or try your hand at mixology with the following recipe:


Silk Road

2 ounces Chopin Potato Vodka
3/4 ounce oleo-saccharum syrup (see recipe below)
1/4 ounce yuzu juice
small handful shiso leaves
small pinch salt

Dry-shake shiso leaves to bruise, then add other ingredients. Shake well and double-strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with microshiso leaf.

Oleo-saccharum syrup

Peels from two grapefruits and four limes (remove bitter white pith with a sharp paring knife or peeler)

3 cups sugar

3 cups water

Combine sugar and citrus peels in an airtight container and allow to macerate overnight. Remove citrus peels (straining sugar through sieve if necessary) and add sugar to medium saucepan. Stir in water, then simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool. 

Tickets to the Gala are $40 presale or $50 on the day of the event.