Finn Fest 2007 !!!
Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 09:59:10 AM
Posted By:JJ
FinnFest USA is a celebration of Finnish & Finnish-American culture, now in its 25th year of annual festivities held all across America and Canada.
Features food, entertainment (music, old-style Finn Hall bands, choral groups from Finland, a symphony orchestra concert, Finnish Rock 'n Roll, dancing nightly), local tours to wineries and covered bridges, museums and historical sites, lectures, sporting competitions, a huge marketplace or "tori", raffles, giant beach party and fish fry, and plenty of fun and hilarity with new friends and old from aroun the world.
Big Bands on the Beach
Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:46:01 AM
Posted By:JJ
Click Here For Pictures
“Big Bands on the Beach” was created in 2006 by Elaine Swanson and Dr. Timothy Kalil. This was part of Manager Cantagallo’s vision of bringing the community together to enjoy one of our beautiful natural resources, Walnut Beach. So far, hundreds of people have come to hear great music from the Big Bands around the area. Lakeside High School students performed parts of the musical performance “Grease” at the June 17th event with Buzz Cronquist and The Pleasant Street Dixieland Band. All you need to bring is a friend and a chair. The event takes place on the lawn in front of the concession stand.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Click here to see pictures of the buzz...
The “Bridge Street Buzz” (It’s what’s Happenning) is a newly created venue on Bridge Street in the Beautiful Historic Harbor District featuring eateries, shops, the Bascule Lift Bridge, Ashtabula River, U.S. Coast Guard Station, the Farmers Market and great entertainment on a weekly basis. There is also the Sam Wharram nature Museum, Marine Museum, Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum and Walnut Beach all within walking distance. Come visit the “Buzz” personally every Sunday (10am-5pm) from June-September or visit them on the web: www.bridgestreetbuzz.comSaints John & Paul Field Day `07
Fri May 11, 2007 at 12:41:28 PM
Posted By:Jason
On May 11, 2007 Saints John and Paul High School elected to hold their field day at Walnut Beach. While walking around, many complimented how clean and nice everything looked (thanks to all who participated in the clean up last week!!).
Throughout the day students were divided into groups and sent to different “stations” for activities. Periodically they would switch by the sound of a siren. Some of the activities included: beach volleyball, bocce, flag football, soccer, kickball and basketball. Of course they had to eat, so teachers and volunteers served them “white” and “red” pizza!! It was nice to see our schools using our beautiful Walnut Beach that volunteers and city employees have put so much effort into the last few weeks. Come back soon for more fun in the sun!!
Walnut Beach
Thu May 10, 2007 at 01:10:37 PM
Posted By:Jason Strong
On May 5, 2007 city employees and volunteers from around the community packed up and headed for the beach! However, it wasn’t necessarily for fun-in-the-sun or to take a dip in Lake Erie. Approximately 40+ volunteers came down to pick up trash and debris scattered across the beach. Chestnut, State Road and Lakeside school students were in abundance with some of their teachers and gave it all they had in their efforts to make Walnut Beach the place to be this summer. A group of young ladies teamed up to haul a huge log to a nearby pile of debris (effort of the day!). Coach Zanelli and some of his cross-country team showed their endurance for the day’s activity. Families with young children came down to team up in the effort with city employees and officials.
“Imagine Ashtabula”, a local non-profit organization, provided direction for students and helped greatly in this effort. Phil’s Catering graciously provided lunch for everybody and Gretchen Friend and Jason Strong provided drinks and snacks. Public Works crews brought the street sweeper, raked the beach, pulled out old bushes around the concession stand, leveled out the road going back to the break-wall and hauled the debris off of the beach with heavy equipment. This was a great effort with direction from the city's Public Service Superintendent, Director of Community Development, Imagine Ashtabula and local teachers organizing crews and volunteers. Nobody complained about anything! Everybody worked so well as a team! This was a beautiful sight of city crews and officials, teachers, students, non-profits, volunteers, local business and others coming together for a common purpose to accomplish a great thing!
City Manager Cantagallo was in attendance as was Ward 2 Councilman James Paulchel whose ward also covers the Walnut Beach area. This is one of three target areas Mr. Cantagallo and his team is focusing on to bring tourism and visitors to the area. With the beach being one of our greatest natural resources and potential for our city, we really need to focus down here. Because of this direction and vision from the city administration, the Housing and Community Development Department is planning on applying for a $300,000 Neighborhood Revitalization Grant for recreation and infrastructure at Walnut Beach and the harbor area.
Walnut Beach is located in the beautiful Historic Harbor District close to Bridge Street where shops are filling up and great food can satisfy any appetite! Walnut Beach is also within walking distance to the Railroad Museum, Wharam Nature Museum, Marine Museum and Point Park overlooking the beautiful harbor area and Bascule Lift Bridge. It will also host the Big Bands on the Beach concert series on several Sundays this summer (we will post the schedule soon). The Harbor Merchants with the newly formed “Bridge Street Buzz”have done an excellent job in preparing this area for activities this summer!
On Behalf of Manager Cantagallo, City Council and Administration, we want to thank every one of you that helped us with such enthusiasm and sacrifice. So many different groups came together as a community should. This is what will be contagious throughout the city and will hopefully change things for the future of Ashtabula. It is going to take efforts like this in every part of our city to bring her back to the place we are proud to call home!
Finn Fest 2007 !!! Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 09:59:10 AM Posted By:JJ FinnFest USA is a celebration of Finnish & Finnish-American culture, now in its 25th year of annual festivities held all across America and Canada.
Big Bands on the Beach Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:46:01 AM Posted By:JJ Click Here For Pictures
“Big Bands on the Beach” was created in 2006 by Elaine Swanson and Dr. Timothy Kalil. This was part of Manager Cantagallo’s vision of bringing t...
Demolition News
Fri May 11, 2007 at 01:15:45 PM
Posted By:JJ
Last year under an initiative to get the housing stock cleaned up in the city of Ashtabula, the Community Development department worked diligently to locate and tag houses that had multiple exterior v...
“Imagine Ashtabula”, a local non-profit organization, provided direction for students and helped greatly in this effort. Phil’s Catering graciously provided lunch for everybody and Gretchen Friend and Jason Strong provided drinks and snacks. Public Works crews brought the street sweeper, raked the beach, pulled out old bushes around the concession stand, leveled out the road going back to the break-wall and hauled the debris off of the beach with heavy equipment. This was a great effort with direction from the city's Public Service Superintendent, Director of Community Development, Imagine Ashtabula and local teachers organizing crews and volunteers. Nobody complained about anything! Everybody worked so well as a team! This was a beautiful sight of city crews and officials, teachers, students, non-profits, volunteers, local business and others coming together for a common purpose to accomplish a great thing!
City Manager Cantagallo was in attendance as was Ward 2 Councilman James Paulchel whose ward also covers the Walnut Beach area. This is one of three target areas Mr. Cantagallo and his team is focusing on to bring tourism and visitors to the area. With the beach being one of our greatest natural resources and potential for our city, we really need to focus down here. Because of this direction and vision from the city administration, the Housing and Community Development Department is planning on applying for a $300,000 Neighborhood Revitalization Grant for recreation and infrastructure at Walnut Beach and the harbor area.
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