PRESSURE LIFEpressurelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Pressure_Issue_3.pdfPressure Life heard that a new escape spot opened on West 6th, we quickly made our reservation. Designed

Creative Director, Owner

Chief Operating Officer, Owner

Editors in Chief

Art Director

Illustrator

Contributors

Distribution

Jim Bacha

John Gardner

Amy KaufmanAmy Sokolowski

Hannah Allozi

Aaron Gelston

Adam DoddAmanda AshleyBrittany DobishDan BernardiDarrick RutledgeGennifer Harding-GosnellHolly KabatIvana BatkovicJaney SchaferKate GuessKatie BachaKevin Naughton Matt McLaughlin Sam GoldbergWill Kmetz

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PRESSURE PEOPLE MEET THE PRESSURE TEAM

JANEY SCHAFERWhen Pressure Life needs a connoisseur in the art of culinary concoctions, Janey Schafer takes the cake. Actually she bakes it, and anything else you could dream of. A Cleveland native, Schafer was born into a big family—a guarantee that someone around was always

hungry—and found herself a natural in the kitchen. This past January, Schafer’s spicy noodle soup was chosen from 12 finalists as the winner of Zoup Soups' 2015 National Recipe Contest, and will soon be available at over 80 locations.

An ironic and dizzying list of food allergies hasn’t stopped Schafer from taking the foodie world by storm, and regularly shares her passion for creative cuisine through her mouth-watering food blog and Instagram account, @FoodsOfJane. (With over 14k followers, she’s kind of a big deal.)

MATT MCLAUGHLIN While Matt McLaughlin has a penchant for reviewing restaurants based on their ability to survive in hypothetical, highly unlikely scenarios, he's somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades outside of the office. He's an ace bartender with a heart of gold and a killer Negroni.

In his off hours, he enjoys acting in short films, particularly those in which he dies, and occasionally moonlights as a stand-up comic, where he’s working to fine-tune an epic, six minute poop joke. On exceptionally odd days, you may even witness him pushing a giant empty cable spool down the road, as he also likes to dabble in the art of construction work.

If you're lucky enough to encounter McLaughlin around town, he'll likely grant you a delightful conversation, as long as you're not distracted by his legendary mustache.Enjoying Pressure Life?

We would love to hear your thoughts.

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Issue 3 | PRESSUREL IFE .com 3 2 PRESSURE L I FE | Issue 3

14CONTENTSS E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5

06 Behind the Beard Tame the wilderness, keep the bush

08 The Great Escape A room full of clues, 3 hints, and your brain — can you escape in 60?

10 Art by Fred Covering hip-hop labels across the country

14 Bomba vs. el Chupacabra Death and tacos

16 The Bark Heard 'Round the World The Cleveland Browns: not just for Clevelanders anymore

21 A Tiny House Experiment It's not the size of the house, it's the strength of the movement

23 Exposing the Truth for a Broader Spectrum A look at the people who knock on your door

26 Close Encounters of a Certain Kind Ohio UFO sightings: Celestial pathway or Alien hot-spot?

29 Hallow CLE Join us for a Cleveland costume party!

30 Franklin Castle What's going on at city's most famous haunted landmark?

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Ohio-native Matt Beaton is not your average man with a beard. As a late bloomer, he was 19-years-old when he first shaved, and 24 by the time he achieved a fully-connecting beard. Today, he’s fulfilled his lifelong dream of having a natural

long beard, and as a new business owner who’s also juggling a full-time job, his life can get pretty hairy.

While on a quest to find the perfect product to help tame his own beard, Beaton was inspired to take matters into his own hands, and after several trials and mad scientist-style experiments, he and a friend launched their own beard oil company in early 2014. Waffen Der Whiskerr, or “weapons of the whiskers” in German, is a natural oil blended with apricot kernel, coconut, jojoba, and hemp seed oil, and design to strengthen, moisturize, and keep facial hair smelling fresh.

Taking over sole ownership of the business in late 2014, Beaton has managed to maintain steady growth, while expanding their line to include seven unique products, including the rum, coconut and mango-blended Tiki Beard, Urban Lumberjack, which offers a subtle scent of vanilla and oak, and even an unscented blend for those who like to keep it au naturel.

We sat down with Beaton to talk shop at the fourth annual Great Lakes Regional Beard and Mustache Championships, benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, co-sponsored by Great Lakes Brewing Company and Waffen Der Whiskerr Oil.

6 PRESSURE L I FE | Issue 3 Issue 3 | PRESSUREL IFE .com 7

PRESSURE PICKS UPCOMING SHOWS TO SEE

FALL OF TROYSeptember 21st // Agora

ARCHIE & THE BUNKERSSeptember 25th // Beachland Ballroom

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY and the CONSPIRATORSSeptember 26th // Hard Rock Rocksino

INSANE CLOWN POSSEOctober 4th // Agora

MARGARET CHOOctober 4th // Hard Rock Rocksino

BRET MICHAELSOctober 9th // Hard Rock Rocksino

GRACE POTTEROctober 7th // House of Blues

STARSOctober 10th // Beachland Ballroom

WISH YOU WERE HEREOctober 10th // House of Blues

UNEARTHOctober 16th // Agora

WELSHLY ARMSOctober 16th // Beachland Ballroom

THE WONDER YEARS & MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACKOctober 22nd // Agora

DANZIGOctober 23rd // Agora

Amanda Ashley

For more about Waffen Der Whiskerr Oil, or to purchase products, visit

whiskerroil.com

Behind the

BEARD 01. Do you consider yourself a lumbersexual, or just a man with a beard? I am a man with a beard. I am often mistaken for a lumber

sexual, because I hunt, fish, love the outdoors and build things from wood.

02. What is the first mistake a man makes when growing a beard? This biggest mistake they make is thinking that they don’t need

product for their beards. Beard hair is like any other kind of hair except it’s more brittle. It needs to be conditioned and maintained—that will keep it healthy and keeping it growing.

03. What are the hardest things to eat or drink with a beard? The two hardest foods to eat are sandwiches and ice cream cones. The

sandwiches have to be torn in to smaller pieces so you don't get a mouth full of mustache hair, and ice cream has to be eaten with a spoon. If not, it’s a giant mess. A good draft beer with foam is one of the hardest things to drink—you end up with a foamy mustache.

04. Do you have a name for your beard? I have not named it, but I do refer to it as my chinsulation.

05. What's the best part of having a beard? It hides my baby face! It keeps my face warm in the winter, and cooler in the summer, but

the absolute best part of having one is getting to go to beard competitions to raise money for charities.

06. What's the biggest misconception about men with beards? There are so many, but I would have to say the biggest misconception is

that most bearded men are either felons or in a biker gang.

07. In addition to Whiskerr Oil, what other weapons do whisker keepers need in their beard survival kit? Good brushes, picks,

and scissors to clip dead ends. Also, a good shampoo with little to no sulfate and chemicals in it—high sulfate and chemical shampoos strip the natural oils from your face and hair.

08. What advice do you have for men who want to grow a beard or stache? Stay away from open flames and moving machinery. Take

your daily vitamins, and try to keep a decent diet—a healthy body produces healthy hair. Also, keep the beard well conditioned and groomed.

FOREST MANAGEMENTImagine the last time you held your breath under water for as long as you could. If you can recall that zen-like feeling of comforting disconnectedness, you can begin to imagine the feeling of listening to the music of John Daniel. Working primarily with electronic instruments, John Daniel produces deeply emotive, ambient music—a music that lends itself to relaxation and meditation. However, Daniel has hopes that his music, which he performs under the moniker Forest Management, might provide a bit more than just that, the way ambient music provided more for him. “Ambient records became the soundtrack of my life. I have had struggles with depression and loneliness, and the ambient music that I owned at the time became really valuable to me,” he explained, while discussing the origins of Forest Management. “Ambient music came along side me, and it was like I was hearing sounds that I felt but couldn’t convey into words.”

Daniel began the project in 2011 while working on Music for Stargazing, an 8-piece environmental ambient composition created for the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Working within the realm of music that provided him solace during personal struggles, he’s since gone on to release a handful of small run cassettes on both international and domestic labels, as well as his first full-length LP, Encounter, released earlier this year.

He’s put out two cassettes in the past two months, and with additional recordings slated for release before the winter, Daniel plans to be on the road more often in the coming year. New tools will eventually be added to his home studio, but he prefers to let his workflow grow naturally. “It’s slowly become more of a processing project in the last year or so,” Daniel said. “ I like to explore the different possibilities with just a few minutes of audio,” which may come as a surprise to those who have listened to his traditionally long-form pieces. Similarly to the way he might begin a piece of work with a small seed of audio, he shared that he “can be inspired by a single moment, or an image that evokes a certain feeling.”

Despite his unorthodox approach, he’s become successful in creating music that comforts in the same way that he found comfort in his first influences. “It’s the reason I make music in that style. It’s really important for my own life, and if it can come alongside anyone else, then to me, that’s incredible.”

Sam Goldberg


ESCAPEA

s a Clevelander, there’s a good chance that you’ve already run the gamut of hometown activities. You've likely watched our sports teams duke it out in their respective arenas, rocked out at a mul-titude of concert venues, stopped by some board game bars, and

maybe slipped into the casino for some risky business. These things never really get old, but if you’re looking for something to shake things up, Cleveland’s newest attraction, Escape in 60, is a total game changer.

Starting in Japan and spreading quickly throughout Asia, the room escape business has become an extremely lucrative one, with new challenges popping up all over the US since 2012. When the crew at Pressure Life heard that a new escape spot opened on West 6th, we quickly made our reservation. Designed by Mo Abdallah and Ali Ibrahim, Escape in 60 consists of three interactive puzzle scenarios, each with a slightly different objective. Using nothing but your wits, your allies, and the contents of the room, for the next 60 minutes you have one goal: escape.

For Ibrahim and Abdallah, setting up shop in Cleveland was a no brainer. “It's our hometown,” Ibrahim said. “We did the market research, and there's around 600,000 Clevelanders between the ages of 15-45 with an interest in interactive games.” Since opening this past July, they’ve seen over 1,000 customers come through their doors, including birthday parties, family get-togethers, and even a couple of first dates.

So when it was finally our turn, seven of us shuffled downtown, fully prepared to dominate these rooms. We could choose from three sce-narios: a jail cell, a bank heist, or the “fanatic”—an attic cluttered with Cleveland sports memorabilia. Each room holds two to six people, so we split up into teams; three slipped into the bank to snag some loot, and the remaining four hopped into bright orange jumpsuits, slapped

on handcuffs, and got locked in the slammer.

When the cell door slammed shut, the heat was on. Our minds were racing. Surrounded by clues and unsure of where to begin, we started putting the pieces together. Now I won't ruin the fun by dishing out

spoilers, but I will say that for as long as we were in that room, it was a total rush.

Each group can have up to three hints, so if you're totally stumped you can get some help. “There are two types of people—those who

ask for help, and those who don't,” Ibrahim told us. “To date, we've had only one group escape without any hints.” Around 30 minutes in, it seemed like our only hope of getting through the two locked jail doors was banging them down for more hints.

With only three rooms, it may seem like there isn’t much re-play value, however the individual challenges aren't as static as they appear. “What you do now is likely going to be different in a week or two,” explained Abdallah. “We want it to be difficult, but we're always tweaking things to find a balance.” Other rooms are in the planning phase as well, including something special in the works for the Halloween season.

As the clock ticked down, we started to realize that the odds of us break-ing out in record time were not in our favor. According to Abdallah, that’s a good thing. “You're not coming here to walk in and walk out. What's the fun in that?”

And fun we had, though sadly, neither of our teams walked out winners. Even with the final components in hand, and all hints exhausted, we didn't escape in 60. Weeks later, we're still kicking ourselves, but we’re also anxiously awaiting our return for a Shaw-shank-style redemption.

Using nothing but your wits, your allies, and the contents of the room, for the next 60 minutes you have one goal: escape.

Dan Bernardi

The Great

Pressure Profile:

Issue 3 | PRESSUREL IFE .com 11

with no grandiose plan in mind other than being a kid and wanting to find something to do with his buddies. “I just wanted to make weird cartoons with my friends.” To date, Lozano has taught himself how to use Photoshop/ 3D, Illustrator, Flash CS6 and Cinema 4D. Time after time, he was studying these various design tools out of enjoyment and searching for a creative outlet.

After barely graduating from Berea High School due to “not being the greatest at attending it,” Lozano paid the bills by bartending. Yet, he realized he did not want to work in the service industry forever. “I basically boxed myself into a corner and needed to come up with a creative way to survive.” The timing couldn’t be more perfect when Tevon Rease, local rapper and friend, approached him to help him with a mixtape cover. Lozano admits that when the final product was posted he thought it was ter-rible. However, much to his surprise, suddenly other hip-hop artists began reaching out in hopes that he would create their respective album covers. That single mixtape cover became the stepping stone that led Lozano down the path to his future career. Even though Lozano was confident he had discovered his path he did not give up on his day job right away, but when he finally did, “it was the most terrifying and best thing ever.”

In the past two years ago, Lozano’s notoriety has rapidly increased. His hobby has since turned into television and print features on Complex, ESPN, VH1, The Plain Dealer and more. Needless to say, with his one man run shop and 50+ clients, the days seem more like 72 hours rather than 24, but Lozano is determined to, “be the green

in a black and white world.” One of the biggest challenges however, is not his lack of formal classes or technique, but rather the ability to maintain his own voice and not allowing himself to become a “product.” Today there are lots of people who fancy themselves designers because they learned a few tricks from YouTube, but Lozano does not want to be spitting out mindless work that does not carry his true point of view. He notes that the best thing he could tell an aspiring designer, especially one who does have to rely on their own ambitions to master their technique, is to do something new,

“go against the wave. I’d rather create a wave than ride one out.”

When Lozano is not working on a com-missioned piece he is teaching himself new skills to further his designs, or jet

setting to Miami to work with various hip-hop artists. He sparks his passion and maintains his commitment by keeping himself hungry. Failure is not an option for Lozano. In fact, it is his greatest inspira-tion. Lozano’s end goal has never been simply ‘Art by Fred.' He has always held a much larger determination: film. “If I don’t do film, I’ll be pissed. Film is the motivation. I tell myself ‘keep learning so you can make films and create what you want.’” Lozano is still learning every day, so all he can do is continue to, “be original and succeed- don’t accept failure.” When can you expect to see a feature film by this Cleveland wunderkind? According to Lozano “Deadlines are bad for creativity. If it happens it happens, if it doesn’t try again.” That is the type of attitude that has kept Lozano’s clientele list growing, his work flourishing and will maintain his eminent hold on the art world. The surface of his vision has only been scratched. His vision and what comes next will only be even more captivating.

Go against the wave. I’d rather create a wave than ride one out.


Hip-hop music is blaring at a deafening decibel, the clock is slowly crawling into the wee hours of the morning. Red Bull cans are stacking up as a cigarette burns to the filter in a nearby ashtray and in the background a foreign film dances

across the TV screen. Amidst the chaos sits Fred Lozano, 23-year-old Cleveland native art director/ graphic designer, toiling away on his latest artistic vision. To most, this computer screen illuminated room would be stressful disarray, but for Lozano it is an integral part of his creative process.

Lozano may not be a household name, but when his work has been recognized by Drake, various Cleveland Cavaliers players

and GOOD Music (Kanye West’s label) while maintaining a client list that includes The Weekend, DJ E-V, Luol Deng,

ANTHM, Blu, Tevon Rease, Sony RCA Records and Souljaboy, it is easy to understand why it should be.

While Lozano’s clientele list includes so many recognizable names one would think that

he had been formally training for years. However, quite the contrary, Lozano

never studied graphic design or for that matter even attended high

school art courses. He is 100% self-taught.

In middle school, Lozano learned

how to use Flash CS6

for fun

ART BY FREDA One Man Art Team

Sarah Maxwell


Directions:

01. Bring 2-1/2 cups of water to a boil. In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a small bowl and set aside. Prepare

two small bowls or ramekins for the ramen buns by spray-ing them with a non-stick cooking spray. (If you don't own ramekins, you can use small circular bowls; just make sure the shape and size make an appropriate mold for a decent sized bun.)

02. Add the ramen noodles and seasoning package to the boiling water. Stir and boil for 5 minutes. Drain.

03. Pour the whisked eggs into the hot ramen noodles and mix by stirring; be sure that all of the noodles

have been coated with the eggs.

04. Split the egg-coated ramen noodles in half and place each half into its own ramekin, covering the bottom

layer with noodles. Press the ramen down so that the layer of noodles is even in each bowl.

05. Place a sheet of wax paper over each noodle layer, then place a weight on top of each one. (I used heavy

circular coasters, but a cup or anything that fits appropri-ately on top will work.)

06. Refrigerate overnight; the noodles will need time to cool down and stick together so that they become firm

and take on a circular bun shape.

07. Spray a medium skillet with non-stick cooking spray and set it on the stove.

08. Carefully remove the ramen buns from the ramekins. (Try to do this so that the ramen bun falls onto a sheet

of wax paper; that way, it can easily be transported to the skillet.)

09. Optional: If you are having trouble with the ramen bun shape, don't worry. You can use a large cup as a

cookie cutter in order to get rid of any stray noodles. (Pos-sibly use with corresponding image?)

10. Once the ramen buns have made it to the skillet, cook them for 5 minutes on each side at medium heat. They

are done when they start to turn golden brown. (Sometimes pressing down on the top with a spatula helps the bun become more firm and consolidated.)

I have been stalking the ramen burger through social media for over a year now; sadly I haven't traveled anywhere close enough to a restaurant or food truck that sells these delicious looking things, and I've never had a chance to try one!

Fellow ramen lovers—I have figured out a way to make them at home, and they are so good that you can even eat the ramen bun all by itself. It's an overnight process, and it involves being extremely careful and patient, but trust me—the wait is so worth it!

Ramen Burger Recipe makes 1 ramen burger

Ingredients: 1 package of Maruchan chicken flavored ramen noodles

2 eggs, whisked

1/2 lb. of ground meat, or one burger patty

Ramen > BunJaney Schafer

12 PRESSURE L I FE | Issue 3

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Lacking the obnoxious rimmed specs and candy caned frock, Pressure Life is debuting our “where is he” bloke. Meet Weir. He’s a curmudgeon, a self-made chameleon; however we find his company so endearing that we can’t resist pursuing his company.

Despite an arduous hunt, our best agents have been ill equipped to find our friend. We’re hoping you can assist. Look for his mug in one of our multiple advertisements and you will win $25.00 gift card if you are the first to submit to @thepressurelife. (via facebook, twitter and instagram).

Well, Weir is he?WEIRS WALDO


As the wind rustles the parking blocks in arid and scenic Rocky River, Bomba is enjoying a pleasant happy hour, a trickle of guests grows happily into a full stream. All are hungry for tacos, thirsty for rum. The pleasant crowd thinks little of the fragile

nature of their safety, paying no mind to the things that may be out there, hungry for their pain and thirsty for their blood. Things like, El Chupacabra. (Note: Cue Spanish guitar.)

Bomba has unwit-tingly built a paradise for El Chupacabra — a kitchen full of savory lamb, pork, and beef (not to men-tion duck, shrimp and

fresh fish). The smell of the Lamb Barbacoa alone is enough to draw the foul creature miles outside of its territory. The question is not whether an attack will happen, but rather, how will they cope?

The open-air dining room is an atrociously easy entry point, grant-ing El Chupacabra full access to the restaurant. The visible kitchen window also means that there is no barring the bastard from clawing his way right into the food, which will only increase his strength. The only thing standing between El Chupacabra and an unlimited supply of fresh meat (human and otherwise) is the bar.

The bar staff are polite and courteous, but seem lacking in the killer instinct required to tackle such a beast on one's own. The best they can hope for is to distract it with their impressive selection of 60+ rums and pre-built Mojitos long enough for someone else to take over the space. Thankfully they have that someone.

Working just outside the kitchen, the last man who touches the plates before they are sent to the tables, is a dark man with a perfectly trimmed mustache. The passion and tenacity he shows for the food, correcting orders, sending dishes back to the kitchen, will serve him well when he meets his foe. This is the man I want by my side (or preferably in front of me) when El Chupacabra comes knocking.

Surrounded by knives, pans, and other impromptu bludgeoning instruments, this man is as prepared as it gets when it comes to making perfectly fatty Slow Braised Duck tacos (paired with crunchy pickled onion and pineapple slaw) or killing a mythological predator.

In the end, the moxie of Bomba’s kitchen staff more than make up for the timidity of the bar. I am confident that they would survive this cryptozoological catastrophe with minimal casualties, and that the staff would cook the survivors some damn fine Yucca Fries afterwards.

Pressure Life gives Bomba 17 out of 20 Pints of Goat Blood.

The question is not whether an attack will happen. But rather, how will they cope?

Matthew McLaughlin // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston

BOMBA Chupacabravs. el

Know the EnemyFirst reports of El Chupacabra came from Puerto Rico back in '95, and haven’t stopped rolling in since. Descriptions of the beast vary from bear sized lizard to a mummified coyote with a second protruding mouth (a la Alien). However, one thing we can be sure of is its undying thirst for the blood of cattle (preferably in taco form).

Can Cleveland’s latest taco sensation survive an assault from South America’snewest cryptid?


Our parents dressed us in terrycloth onesies with orange helmets sewn in the corner of the chest, close to our hearts. They dragged us to training camp in the sweltering heat of summer and games at Muni Stadium in the bitter winds of winter. We still show off that photo of us with Bob Golic from when we met him at Applebee’s in '98. We get on

social media and blast “hack journalists” we felt had put a target on Johnny Manziel’s back. Our brothers, cousins, classmates, and coworkers are Browns fans.

So what about those of us decked out in brown and orange that otherwise have no connection to Cleve-land, or even America?

Steve Maybury, 51, lives in South-end-on-Sea in Essex, England, forty miles east of London. He has been supporting the Cleve-

Cleveland Browns Fans and Players are

Painting the Globe In Brown and Orange

Gennifer Harding-Gosnell // Photography: Casey Rearick

HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLDTHE BARK

land Browns for over thirty years: “In the early/mid 1980s, a new TV channel started screening NFL highlights. Many new fans in the UK followed the big sides such as the Raiders, Dolphins, Redskins, etc., but we were not following the crowd and wanted to identify with a team. The TV programme did a show on the Dawg Pound and Bernie Kosar. Cleveland seemed to be a blue collar city with rabid fans that really cared about their team – pretty similar to where I grew up in an industrial area of South Wales.”

By the "Most Excellent Order" of the British Empire, Steve Maybury now holds the prestigious title of President of the British Bulldawgs, the UK’s chapter of the Browns Backers Worldwide, the Cleveland Browns organization’s official fan club. Chapters exist as far away as Australia and New Zealand; even Antarctica has hosted a chapter, though it was only one (very dedicated) person strong.

Cristoffer Becker, 43, from Oslo, Norway, is the President of the Browns Backers of Scandinavia, with seven official members and over

300 Facebook followers. He became a Browns fan on an extended trip to the US in 1995. “I bought an old car, a 1978 Dodge Aspen for $500, and started my journey across 39 states. I lived most of the time in hostels and at places where I was invited to stay for a couple of nights. On this trip, Cleveland stood out as the nicest place, with a whole lot of warm and friendly people. It was in talks with local people in Cleveland that the Browns seemed to

be the NFL team I should root for. That year, it looked promising for them, but to my surprise, the Browns moved to Baltimore! For me as a European, that seemed so crazy that you could actually sell a team and move it. So I decided to let the NFL rest for a while and got into it again in 1999 when the Browns started their second era.”

Browns fans from Cleveland have done their part in sharing the love worldwide. Many of the international groups include American expats. Ryan Urbon, 26, is from Akron, now living in Iceland. He says, “We have a permanent spot in downtown Reykjavik called Bjarni Fell Sports Pub. They have been very generous letting us watch the games there and it is growing. People see us cheering and come and sit with us, it’s awesome. Some would rather just watch the soccer match, but I think it is drawing attention to us and I love it.”


Alvaro Ramos, 44, of Zaragoza, Spain, has been supporting the Browns for ten years and was brought into the fold by an American. “I was a casual NFL fan until one US friend of mine explained the history and facts of the Cleveland Browns to me,” he says. “I realized there was no supporting club here in Spain, so I did it myself.”

Most international fans use NFL GamePass to watch Browns games. For around $70 US dollars, you can order all the regular season games for one team and watch them at your leisure, a perfect setup for those living in time zones where what we call the “early” games in the US don’t start for them until 3 or 4 a.m.

Many of them have traveled to Cleveland to see their favorite team in action. Steve Maybury says he has been to Cleveland a number of times and has also taken in games in Phoenix, Denver, New York, Green Bay and several other cities, but they’re not like Cleveland. He says Cleveland is a “very underrated city”, he loves visiting, and is

“always amazed at the passion and loyalty of Browns fans.” Cristof-fer Becker was just in Cleveland last year, got field passes from the Browns’ front office and met with General Manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam.

Despite the Browns’ mediocre, often disastrous seasons, international fans remain steadfastly loyal. For those of us in Cleveland that have

Fans aren’t the only ones representing the Dawg Pound on distant shores. Browns’ tight end Gary Barnidge started “American Football Without Barriers” with two college buddies in 2011. They’ve held training camps in Brazil, Turkey and China to spread knowledge and appreciation of American football across the world with the ultimate goal of bringing talented youngsters to the US to be scouted by collegiate teams. “We want to spread the sport we love all over the world while also visiting and helping charities in the other countries”, says Gary.

“We want to give kids the opportunity to do what they want to do.”

The likes of DeAngelo Williams, Marshawn Lynch, Golden Tate, Browns’ linebacker Barkevious Mingo and center Alex Mack have all participated in the overseas camps. Details about their mission and adventures can be found at www.afwbcamp.com.

“We did our first women's camp this past year in Turkey, and it was amazing,” Gary says. “You could truly see how much they loved playing the sport and were eager to learn everything that we could teach them. We actually held their camp at the same time as some of the boys’ camps and watching them compete with the boys and seeing how hard they worked was amazing. They even worked harder than many of the boys and were pushing them, which

American Football Without Barriers (AFWB)Speaking of barriers, let’s break some more....

just goes to show there are no barriers or boundaries that can't be crossed.” We know all work and no play makes for dull boys, so the guys made sure to have a little non-football related fun while on their travels, including a mass snowball fight at the Great Wall of China after AFWB’s inaugural camp in Shanghai in 2013.

“It’s a great memory that won't be forgotten. One of the craziest things was the ski lift ride you have to take up to the Great Wall. It was foggy and high off the ground and a few of the guys were a little scared but no one backed out. It was an awesome trip. We take in the culture of all the places we visit.”

Thanks to satellite broadcasting, the internet, and the efforts of the NFL’s marketing department, the popularity of American football abroad has grown substantially throughout our lifetimes. Browns’ players like Gary Barnidge and fans like Ryan Urbon have gone global as our ambassadors, selling our team and our city to others, while expanding the Dawg Pound into places most of us will never see and to people we will never know. Like distant 12th cousins you’ll never meet, you still know the connection is out there. They wear the same colors, watch the same games, suffer the same lows and ride the same game-winning highs. They are family. They are us.

Browns fans from Cleveland have done their part in sharing the love worldwide. Many of the international groups include American expats.

BROWNS BACKERS First LGBT Cleveland Chapter Starting at TwistThe Browns Backers Worldwide has their first official LGBT Cleveland chapter, Browns Backers With A Twist. The new group will be hosted by one of the city’s most well-known and longest-established LGBT-friendly venues, Twist Social Club in Cleveland.

Club President Scott Swaggerty applied to start the chapter in August with the support of Twist owner Constantine Katsaros and general manager Jack Messer. “Twist has always been heavily involved in sports for the gay community, supporting and sponsoring teams,” Constantine says. “Last season, we were getting a bigger draw when we were showing the Browns games; there’s a huge following for the Browns in the gay community. It’s nice to have a different vibe, people from all [parts] of the community coming together and watching the game.”

Because so many other Browns Backers organizations exist near Twist, Scott’s application was initially denied. He asked the Browns for reconsideration: “I emailed back and said, ‘We’re a LGBT organization, we don’t have any other representation.’”

Scott was told he would have to obtain permission to start the group from the thirteen other local chapters within a 10-mile radius of the club. He says, “I emailed all thirteen of these groups and within three days, all thirteen came back and said ‘Yes, we’re behind you 100%. Start your group’.”

The new chapter already has twenty registered members and nearly 60 followers on their Facebook page and is expecting to grow throughout the season as word of the group’s existence spreads.

Browns Backers With A Twist will host their first fundraiser for the Browns Foundation Thursday, September 24, at Twist, a “Drag Bingo” night will be hosted by Veranda L’Ni and will feature a special guest bingo caller, one of the Cleveland Browns’ most famous fans, The Bone Lady.

You can find more information about Browns Backers with a Twist by visiting their Facebook page. To register with this or any other Browns Backers chapter, go to www.brownsbackers.org.

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The tiny house movement is taking the nation by storm, and it’s making its way to Cleveland. Imagine the smallest New York City studio apartment you can think of and put it on wheels. Toss

all of the materialistic garbage, pack the essential stuff into a Chinese take out container, and you have the tiny house lifestyle. These miniature dwellings are now common on the West Coast, but are increasing in popularity across the nation, including Cleveland. The only thing holding the movement back is zoning laws; in Cleveland, the minimum square footage for a single family home is 950 square feet, while tiny homes can range anywhere from 80 to 800 square feet.

You're probably wondering why anyone would want a house that tiny—who the hell would want to live like that? Sure, these tiny homes are aesthetically pleasing, offer a myriad of impressive tiny features, and can even become mobile, but we shouldn’t lose sight of their true purpose; they’re affordable, can be situated almost any-where, and provide solutions for an ever growing population and city. These homes give young professionals and lower to middle-class people more housing options. They can be financed for the price of an apartment and owned within a few short years, or even bought outright, foregoing a mortgage all together. Utility bills also

drop dramatically; many who already own these tiny homes boast single digit heating and cooling bills. Some have even gone com-

pletely off grid using solar power, collecting rainwater, and composting their waste. In addition to being financially feasible, these homes provide a solution to all of the wasted space Cleveland has laying around. Vacant or abandoned lots deemed “unsuitable” for other types of construction, and spaces too small to fit a traditional home, can now be

utilized for tiny homes. These tiny houses won’t only be a fantastic addition to an awesome city, they can also have a huge impact on the growth of Cleveland as a community.

This is the goal of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO), which has teamed up with Citizens Bank to take on a project called Tiny House Experiment Cleveland. Citizens Bank donated $140,000 to DSCDO, in conjunction with Cleveland EcoVillage, to build a 583-square-foot pilot house in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. An interview with the project manager of Tiny House Experiment Cleveland, Adam Davenport, gives us an inside glimpse into Cleveland’s tiny house future.


suffered through the more dismal years, the concept of people becom-ing Browns fans by choice can be a dumbfounding one. The Drive, The Fumble, The Move, The Factory of Sadness — why would a person intentionally put themselves through all that?

Cristoffer Becker has asked himself that question many times. “ It's like a marriage, one stays loyal no matter what. I have cheered and cried with my team. It’s the feeling of excitement every August before the season starts, hoping this year will be better than the last, the joy of every

win.” Being from Norway, Cristoffer knows he could switch his loyalties with-out any repercussions, but says, “The thought of switching to any other NFL team has never crossed my mind.”

“Old European genetics,” claims Alvaro Ramos.

“The times we win feel fantastic, way better than if I was a fan of a team that was used to winning. I could change my favorite restaurant, change my girlfriend, but quitting my team because they play horrible would be the worst kind of treason!”

Browns fans in general are among the most passionate in the league. It was that display of passion that led Steve Maybury to become one of us, that brought Cristoffer Becker into the fold, and that sparked interest in Alvaro Ramos. The lack of a homegrown connection to the game and this team makes their dedication even more special; they chose to be one of us. They are our brethren in brown and orange, transcending cultural, language, and location barriers that would otherwise divide us. They are us.

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I have cheered and cried with my team. It's the feeling of excitement every August... Hoping this year will be better than the last.

A TINY HOUSEEXPERIMENT

Cleveland's big step towards a tiny future

Will Kmetz

TINY HOUSE continues on page 22

Many who already own these tiny homes boast single-digit heating and cooling bills.


01. Can you tell us about your collaboration with Citizens Bank and why they have an interest in tiny houses? And why they chose Cleveland? They are

a national bank after all.

Citizens Bank approached us late last year about this project. They were formerly Charter One, they were doing a rebranding, and they wanted to get involved in a project in the neighborhood and specifically the EcoVillage area. We applied for some funding and they reached out to us and that’s how it originated. Together this started

out as a true experiment to see if we could do a project like this because it’s never been done before in Cleveland, or Ohio for that matter. There are a few people around the area that have tiny houses on trailers, but none have built them on permanent foun-dations. From there we started exploring sites around the 65th rapid station and a few other areas. We looked at some designs, however we had specific requirements we

wanted to get out of it such as an option for first floor living. We wanted to buy the plans off the shelf, we didn’t really want to design the entire thing by ourselves, but we wanted to modify it—designing an entire house is a huge undertaking. It also had to be appropriate to fit on the site as well as provide most of the common household amenities you normally see. And Citizens is a national bank, but they have been located in Cleveland for some time now. They have an office downtown and one of their outreach directors for public relations and involvement lives in the neighborhood. They knew about us and they knew what we wanted to do around the EcoVillage area, so it was an easy partnership in that respect.

02. Cleveland obviously has some tough zoning laws for tiny houses. Anything considered a single family home has to be 950 square feet or larger. Coun-

cilman Matt Zone has outwardly expressed his interest in the tiny house movement and amending these zoning laws. Has he made any progress with this, and how are you guys working with this problem?

His role has definitely been connecting us with the proper people at the city. We have had many meetings with city planning officials and also have a design review, and we have a more formal committee meeting with the board of zoning appeals in the near future about this small problem. They were very open to it from the start because what it does, essentially, is bring permanent residence to the city, so in that respect, they have been all for it. We will need to get a variance for the house size, we will probably need to get a variance for the lot size also because it will be smaller than what is typically a single family lot. We actually might need a couple more variances, but for the most part, our partners have been very open with this idea and trying to get it to work.

03. You mentioned previously that you guys aren’t designing the house, so are you contracting through a tiny house development company?

We are using Tumbleweed [Tiny House Company] Whidbey design. It’s one of their

few cottage designs, and most of their designs are on a trailer. We have modified it to make it more modern. We did a marketability study a couple months ago where we sent out a survey and received around 300 responses. We also did some focus groups where we asked people what they would want to see in a tiny house, and the contemporary design was one of the things we saw most from those. We took a different approach where we modified the roof line so we would have greater sun ray access during the winter and summer months. We also wanted to heat and cool this home for a very low cost, so we are thinking and hoping for around $500 per year with the help from a mini split system. We are also looking at solar for the roof as well, and on the outside using permeable pavers for the split driveway.

04. How many houses are going to be built, and where?

We are going to build two houses to start. One house we will hold for a period of time and let people rent it out like Airbnb, kind of vacation style, so if people are interested in trying this out as viable option or they are just really interested in it, then they can rent it for the weekend or for a few days. They will be located on 58th and Pear Avenue.

05. And the other one will be up for sale?

Yeah, owner occupant. The second house will be financed by Sutton Builders who is our contracting developer. They have done a lot of work in Tremont mainly and have had an interest in a project like this for quite some time, so we felt that they would lend a huge hand in making this a successful project. They will finance and build the second home and sell it.

06. What kind of impact or results are you guys hoping this project will have in the Cleveland area?

We definitely hope that it can be replicated, that’s the ultimate goal. Since the foreclo-sure crisis, and certainly since some of the neighborhoods in Cleveland have started to rebound, there are very hot markets in Tremont and Ohio City. We’re starting to see a lot of that. We’re also starting to see the rehabilitation of old homes and new construction projects like Battery Park and Breakwater Bluffs over on 58th, north of Detroit Avenue. However, we also want to see a lot of infill development on our vacant lots south of Bridge, so this is definitely a chance to see some of those lots that have been disregarded because they’re smaller sizes and can’t be used as a normal buildable lot, normal buildable lot, which is usually 30-by-120 or 40-by-140. Ultimately, we want to set a precedence for a different design approach where you can build a great house on a smaller sized lot.

[The design] had to provide most of the common household amenities.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are one of those religious groups surrounded by rumors, stereotypes and the occasional, “Oh yeah, I heard they can’t do… (fill in the blank here).” For the most part, people have a general idea of what the religion is like, or know pieces

and parts of the belief structure. Witnesses do not celebrate Christ-mas or birthdays, nor are they permitted to accept blood transfusions.

There is also the well known reaction for most people to hide and not to open the door when a Witness knocks. But there is more, a

lot more than that. I put JW in my search engine and found a website that lists 141 rules that fill in that blank. As a former

Jehovah’s Witness, I have an insight into the faith, an insight that reveals what happens when your mother

opens that door and life as you know it changes.

Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) are known for “preaching” from door to door, trying to

spread the word of God and the Bible. That is exactly how they found us.

My mom chose to take the time to listen to the members that

came to our house and found the core of their

message very invit-ing compared to

her Catholic u p b r i n g -

ing. She

A girl's inside story on growing up as a Jehovah's Witness

Katie Bacha

TINY HOUSE continued from page

21

For more information on Cleveland tiny houses, visit

citizenstinyhouse.com

for a Broader SpectrumEXPOSING THE TRUTH


internal/external struggles that “normal” teenagers experience.

Frustrated with the excessive restrictions that the faith placed on my life, coupled with the realization of the woman that I really was, I decided at the age of 18 to withdraw from this organization that I knew so well. Looking back, this was one of the hardest decisions in my life at that age that I had to make. JW’s have a 3-tier system of punishment, dependent upon the severity of the sin. In my initial encounter with the ‘elders’ or priests, I chose to approach them and reveal my misbehavior. They reassured me that if I invested more time in my relationship with Jehovah and proved to be remorseful for my actions, I would redeem myself. Unwilling to change my lifestyle, I was punished a second via public reproval. At that time I was also warned that if I did not change my ways, I would be disfellowshipped, meaning that I would be excommunicated. Ultimately determined to leave the faith, I willingly continued to reject the rules that I was expected to follow without question. During my third and final interaction, they summoned me. Being called before the elders was absolutely terrible—a complete psychological mind f*ck. I had to sit before three grown men and discuss my actions in detail; ones that most 18-year-old girls tell their best friends and hide from their parents. It was violating and demeaning. I eventually broke down when I was told to recite passages from the Bible that pinpointed the sinfulness of my actions. Ultimately, I was disfellowshipped. As a result of this, other JW’s were not even allowed to greet or make eye contact with me. It was a shunning experience.

Now as a woman many years removed from this experience, I have come to realize the effects of this life experience. Jehovah Witnesses pride themselves for speaking in agreement and being like-minded; however for me I witnessed them creating a com-munity of inclusivity that was extremely judgmental of not only secular society, but the faithful as well. However, most JW’s have not experienced what privately goes on behind the door of a judi-cial hearing as I had. As a result of this, I initially struggled with fostering relationships with others, as I couldn’t find it in myself to trust others. With time and with the support of my family, who left the faith when they witnessed how the elders had treated me, I can honestly say that I do not hold any ill will toward the faith, nor do I experience any regret for the time that I spent as a member of the faith. Ultimately I have walked away with a broader spectrum to empathize with others and have developed a sense of clarity of the world around me.

I have discovered a new click of some of the Jehovah’s Witnesses that grew up with me. We see each other in passing, moving in different social circles that only run into each other as fate would have it. We look at each other and say hello, hug, or just nod. Even though we have left, for some the deprogramming may take months or years. We share our stories with whom we choose. For us there is a certain bond or camaraderie that is unspoken, as we now live our lives as we choose in a free society.

started studying weekly with one of the women and my Dad, although reluctant at first, joined her six months later. After five years, they decided to fully commit. My family became Jehovah’s Witnesses when I was old enough to have expe-rienced celebrating birthdays and tra-ditional Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas, but was young enough that I could be classified as “growing up a Jehovah’s Witness.” On a basic level, JWs hold meetings and read, interpret and apply what the Bible dictates to everyday life. We started attending meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Sunday at the Kingdom Hall, their place of worship. That schedule was tedious and time consuming even though it was the bare minimum. It was also difficult because my immediate family was the only part of my family to leave the Catholic Church and join the Witnesses. It was even harder though to make others understand who or what we’d joined.

In grade school, I could not partake in the holiday parties at school. My mom would pick me up and take me home in the middle of the day. In junior high and high school, I was not allowed to attend school dances or friend’s parties. The faith dictated that I was only allowed to have friends of the same religion. Friendship made with other “worldly” schoolmates was not an option and, for most, highly frowned upon by the faith. Accordingly, unnecessary associating or socializing with non-believers was to be avoided. Fortunately for me, my parents were on the lenient side in their enforcement of these strict rules handed down by the faith. My parents held us to their own scope of accountability and moral value sets within our private household, so the faith did not entirely determine our interaction with secular society. We were permitted to maintain our childhood friendships we had already developed prior to becoming Witnesses and we were given a looser interpretation of the rules than most of my friends’ parents. I was allowed to go to Friday night football games, participate in sports, and attend prom. I went on to graduate from college even though the faith viewed higher

education as an improper use of one’s time in “the last days.”

The JW friends that I did have were my age or older, all of whom were a product of a long family connection to the organi-zation or newly converted, spread across several school districts. If a person of the opposite sex wanted to join my friends and I out, we had to go out in groups. Boys and girls were not allowed to be alone together, for dating was only for those who were ready to engage in marriage. As a result, the majority of my 17 and older friends were getting married right out of

high school, or while in school. Marriage meant that you could have sex and not get in trouble.

Unfortunately, a large portion of my friends from such young rela-tionships are no longer married to their partners, have divorced and have left the organization altogether. Being a witness also meant, that smoking, drinking in excessive amounts or underage, sex before marriage, tattoos, piercing and anything derived from a “worldly” influence and disrespected the “divine standard” was prohibited and accountable for public social punishment.

One would think that the relationships between the JW youth would be that much stronger because we all were raised to value the members of our faith over non-believers. However, the clicks of JW kids were harsher and crueler than I had known. That’s prob-ably when I first knew I did not want to be a part of the faith. The internal gossip and sh!t talk made it impossible to trust anyone. On the surface, everything looked warm and fuzzy, like the white rabbit in Monty Python’s search for the Holy Grail. But internally it was vicious and calculated. It was like everyone was eager to throw each other under the bus, or into the lair of the “terrible monster with nasty, big, pointy teeth.” No one was safe. It didn’t matter where you lived or went to school. Rumors weren’t just spread around the hallways at school, they were spread from city to city. At an impressionable age it was a confusing and an ugly addition to usual

The faith dictated that I was only allowed to have friends of the same religion. Friendship made with other 'worldly' school mates was not an option.


CLOSE ENCOUNTERSAdam Dodd // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston


It's 4 A.M. on Saturday night. My field agent, Jorge Trout, and I are staked out on a strip of beach to which we were tipped off that a series of unusual lights had been seen the previ-ous night. Armed with a pair of flashlights, binoculars, a

camera, and liter of Wild Turkey, we’ve been hunkered down for the past three hours with little to show for our efforts aside from a rapidly diminishing bottle of whiskey. Such is the catch as catch can luck of UFO spotters. As Trout’s frustrations mount he takes to water, a drunken lunatic raving at the whitecaps. I hold my post, keeping an eye to the night sky thinking back to the half century of unexplained phenomena that brought me to this desolate cove in the first place.

According to a report filed with MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, on August 29th 2014, two campers (whose names were withheld at their requests) at Salt Fork state park in southern Ohio went night fishing as they did every Saturday night. At one-thirty in the morning they noticed a pale green light dotting over the tree line, passively drifting left to right and back again. The younger man drew his girlfriend’s father’s attention to the lights then… it was morning, five-nineteen A.M.

More than three hours had inexplicably passed within a blink of an eye for both men. Somehow it was daybreak and the bonfire that had been roaring beside him was now no more than cold ashes. The young man was still pointing to the sky struggling to regain his equilibrium when he regained awareness hours later. The older male experienced the exact phenomena for the same duration of time. Neither had been drinking or consumed drugs of any kind, nor could they account how nearly three hours had passed without the passage of a single heartbeat. It was what is considered in certain circles a case of “missing time.”

The next morning, Thomas Wertman was on the case. Co-director of the Cleveland Ufology Project and charter member of MUFON, he is part of the organization’s Star Team, which is dispatched to any reported cases of possible alien encounters or abductions within Ohio. One of the more tried assumptions of UFO enthusiasts is that they are all kooks and paranoid recluses vying for attention. After attending one of the monthly MUFON seminars at the Westlake library, I learned more about the organization and was impressed at the thorough and procedural methods women and men like Wertman conduct their investigations. He, like the others in MUFON and those who attended the seminar, may be enthusiastic and at times eccentric, but are interested in only one thing, the truth.

Wertman began by pulling up flight paths and found that there were no planes or helicopters within the campers’ line of vision throughout the entire night. He cross-examined them separately to see if their stories aligned. He did not seek to prove his beliefs in alien existence through their report, nor did he approach them with an air of skep-ticism. Forensic tests were performed on the men’s clothing, and

of a Certain Kind Ohio UFO sightings:

Celestial pathway or Alien hot-spot?


THE ROCK HALL In celebration of its 20th anniversary, take your favorite elements of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and mash them

into a wearable collage. Curl your hair like Little Richard, put on a leather Madonna bustier, and shimmy into the tightest pair of Bowie-style Labyrinth pants you can find. Anything inductee related goes, so make it your own. Strap a boom box on your shoulder and blast the classics as you troll for candy.

ACTION MAYOR JACKSON Going on three terms as mayor of Cleveland, Frank Jackson is already a kind of badass, but

he makes a better mayor than a costume. Don't just pop on a suit and glasses, declaring yourself a high ranking official. Cut the sleeves off that suit and grease up your muscles so people see you mean business. Wrap a bandana around your forehead and make it your mission to party. Don't forget a ballpoint pen- a good mayor's only weapon of choice.

THE CLEVELAND STEAMER Hey- it's not what you think. This one's for all you downtrodden sports fans. Pull out your

Browns, Cavs, and Tribe apparel and any sports gear you've got. Once you're repping hard, get steaming mad thinking about the times you've been disappointed by Cleveland teams, and try to maintain a scowl on your face as you roam the party, shouting your words for the rest of the night. Just remember it's only a costume; don't take it too seriously.

THE LAKE ERIE MUENSTER Finally- a punny costume that combines your love for local mythical creatures and pale, semi-

soft cheese. Start with a set of painter's coveralls, then purchase several pounds of sliced Muenster. Take a hot glue gun and let loose, coating yourself with enough cheese to make even Bessie's mouth water. Authenticate it and discourage fellow Halloweeners from devouring your outfit by taking a dip in the lake before you hit the streets.

B.I.G. CHUCK & LIL JOHN You're gonna need a friend or significant other for this one. Straight outta Cleveland, Chuck and

John are notorious for hosting films and sketch comedy. Now for a Halloween hip-hop makeover. The shorty in your relationship can be Lil John. Slap a swim cap on for the bald effect, a thick fake stache, and a sparkling grill. B.I.G. Chuck wears a baggy sweatshirt, jeans, and platform shoes if you need them. Equip sunglasses, bling, and a serious attitude before entering the party.

"EVIL" JESSICA "EVIL" EYE MMA master Jessica “Evil” Eye has been punching her way toward the top of the UFC since 2008, so

sport your love for Cleveland's favorite hometown ass-kicker with a Halloween twist. Gear up in everything Eye would wear for a bout in the ring, and weave your hair into corn rows. Then, as if a single “evil” moniker wasn't enough, pretend like you walked through a portal to hell and back. Satanic make-up, prop devil horns, and pentagram painted on your stomach should do the trick, or treat.

although results were inconclusive, no reasonable explanation has been offered as to where the two victims three hours went. This case might be one of the more enigmatic and recent events within Ohio, but it is far from the first or last.

Ohio is ranked second only to the region around Area 51 in Nevada for possible UFO sightings. I delved into the US government’s newly released Project Bluebook files regarding UFO and alien phenomena for any ties to our hometown and was surprised, if not a little unsettled, at our recurrent entries.

On December 20 of 1960, Ann Corrick of Washington Viewpoint interviewed Lt Colonel Lawrence Tacker, the head of the Air Force Office of Information, and asked why there seemed to be such a preponderance of sighting within the Cleveland area. Tacker agreed, “Cleveland and Akron do have a rather active UFO groups out there…” Less than a year later former WWII B29 fighter pilot, Ernie Stadvec, was flying over Akron and witnessed a bright green orb hovering along the side of his plane. The light then dove at him with alarming speed before pulling a sharp 180-degree turn and disappearing. He was with five passengers, all of whom corroborated his story. Major Robert Fried of nearby Wright Patterson Air force was tasked to investigate. His conclusion was an atmospheric refraction off of the star, Cappella. Stadvec would not be denied. He filed an official refusal of assessment with the FBI and insisted the men from Wright Patterson’s motiva-tions were focused only ridicule and misdirection. He challenged the authorities to explain how light refraction could navigate a precise course around his plane. Adding fuel to the fire, his sighting was independently confirmed by air traffic control operators working at Hopkins airport.

I delved deeper into Bluebook and found a recurrent theme of unex-plained green lights haunting Northeastern Ohio. A year prior to Stad-vec’s sighting, a female writer in Richmond, who wished to remain anonymous, had a report filed with the FBI claiming to have seen a similar green light hovering just above her house before exhibiting the same maneuvers Stadvec would report the following year. Going back even a decade further, according to declassified Project Grudge documents, multiple reports forced a government investigation on April 22, 1949, into a strange sighting. George Andrus, Chief of the Ohio Weather Bureau spotted an unexplained red light hovering over the airfield. All possible man made, atmospheric, and astro-nomical possibilities were ruled out. His account was corroborated by George Beers, Senior Air Traffic Controller at Cleveland Munic-ipal Airport, and Dan Guertin, a fellow control tower operator who alleged to have seen the same strange lights days earlier. The FBI conducted an official investigation but to this day the lights seen in 1949 are unexplained. The Air Force did not rule out the possibility of Russians testing out experimental rockets, which is as illogical as

it is inconsistent considering the vigilance our government otherwise held in regards to Russian aggression at the time.

This is not to say hometown sightings are a thing of the past. On December 14th 1994 Trumbull County officers were called to inves-tigate a series of strange green and golden lights many residents were calling dispatch to report. The call would prove the most baffling UFO phenomena in the area in recorded history. Officer Toby Meloro soon spotted the light and followed it with his squad car, barely able to keep up as the light led him to a dirt road outside of a dense patch of woods. Suddenly, the engine to Meloro’s squad car died, as did all of the elec-tronic equipment aboard. Stepping out of the car, Meloro looked up to see the same light hovering directly above him. Moments later he was

blinded with a brilliant all-encompassing light that turned the woods into daylight according to his recorded account. As soon as it began it was over, the light was gone and with it his car’s malfunctions ceased. He continued the pursuit; however he was not the only one to see it. Fourteen other officers are on record as witnessing the still unexplained phenomena, including Officer James Baker of neighboring Brookfield Township, who reported sighting

three UFOs operating tight aeronautical formations from his vantage point atop a water tower. Captain John Keytack, of nearby Warrens-ville Air Reserve Station, at the time could not attest to what many residents and over a dozen officers had gone on record as seeing, but confirmed there were no aircrafts, experimental or otherwise, that were in flight that night over the area in question.

For at least half a century, Ohio has experienced strange encoun-ters with lights that appear to have sentient maneuverability and/or advanced technology. Despite numerous confirmations among people of reputation including air traffic controllers, WWII pilots and police officers, the FBI, and to a larger extent the United States Air Force, seem unable or unwilling to provide conclusive evidence about the origins or intent of these luminal phenomena. Let us not forget, it was Jerry Ehman at the OSU Big Ear Radio Observatory in 1977 that first intercepted what is now known as the infamous “Wow! Signal,” a yet to be duplicated and an incredibly powerful sound emission that was transmitted from the depths of space. There are many enthusiasts that hold this as proof of an attempted extraterrestrial communication.

Standing on the shores of Lake Erie I was left wondering, what did it all mean? Was there a correlation that tied all of these disparate sight-ings and experiences together? Is Ohio merely under some celestial flight paths or is there a specific interest to which alien intelligence is drawn here? Trout proved to be little help while he wrestled with the undertow, but his midnight howls did incur a series of different lights to our location. They were red and blue and mounted to the top of passing patrol car. As we scurried back into the darkness, we fell over each other laughing. What better way to cap the night than with a close encounter of an altogether different kind?

Ohio is ranked second only to the region around Area 51 in Nevada for possible UFO sightings.

Halloween is creeping toward us, so mix things up this year with some Cleveland- centric costumes that will equally show off your pride in local culture and a level of absurdity no one has experienced before.

HALLOW CLEDan Bernardi // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston

Make any of these Cleveland costumes this year and if you take some pictures, post them online, and tag PressureLife, you could win some cool schwag!

Gennifer Harding-Gosnell

FRANKLIN CASTLE The most famous haunted landmark within city limits is the Tiede-mann House, known as “Franklin Castle” to native Clevelanders. The castle in its current form was built in 1881; the Tiedemann family lived there from 1866 until 1895, when Hannes Tiedemann’s wife, Luise, died and he sold the property to another German family. Rumors abound surrounding the castle, from the “myste-rious” deaths of several of Tiedemann’s family members to the murders of Nazis within the home, fueling supernatural speculations of visitors throughout history.

Tiedemann’s 15-year-old daughter, Emma, was the first to die in the castle. Her official cause of death was diabetes, though many believe she was found hanging in the attic’s rafters. A few weeks later, Hannes Tiedemann’s elderly mother passed away, cause unknown. From 1886 to 1888, three more children would be born and not survive, giving life to a now legendary curse of death. Later stories would include the possible murder of Tiedemann’s niece inside the home and that of a young servant girl he may have murdered on her wedding day in a fit of jealous rage.

Dr. John Grabowski, a professor with Case Western Reserve University, explains, “After the Tiedemann family leaves the house, it still ends up being German. It was then used by a German singing society, a choral group. It later becomes the German Socialist Party’s headquar-ters, including Charles Ruthenberg, a native Clevelander who founded the American Communist party [Communist Party USA] and whose ashes are buried in the Kremlin Wall.”

Stories of political assassinations and espionage carried out by mem-bers of the Party created new legends added to the story of the cursed house. Throughout the late 20th century, the house was sold several times over to families and contractors who spoke of strange occurrences, like finding their children talking to “imaginary friends” on the fourth floor, seeing a “woman in black” in the castle’s turret windows, and finding the skeletons of babies inside sealed rooms. Local news reported renovations by a foreign contractor as recently as October 2014.

I had seen the “woman in black” once. I was out walking around the Ohio City neighborhood taking a mental break from the busy work day. I noticed the castle as I walked up W. 44th St. It was a dark afternoon, no sun to create reflections in the windows. I was across the street from the castle as I turned down Franklin Avenue and happened to be in the

right place at the right time. The uppermost window in the corner tower suddenly produced a strange, slight yellow light, and in its shadow appeared the figure of a person, what looked like the shape of a woman in long, flowing garb. I stopped suddenly and focused on the window and as soon as I did, the shadowy figure appeared to

move away to the right and the yellow light faded away. The whole experience couldn’t have lasted for more than three seconds. I didn’t tell any of my co-workers once I got back to the office, they wouldn’t have believed me anyway, and my right- brained, logical self isn’t the type that believes in ghosts.

I hopped the bus down Detroit Avenue from my home in Lakewood to go explore Franklin Castle by myself. The other writers at Pressure Life had come up with a great idea to explore haunted places for a story and with the help of a little personal suspension of disbelief, I thought taking a solo trip to the legendary castle would result in a fun case of freaking myself out. The best thing that could happen? I actually see a ghost. I would probably piss myself accordingly, but it would be worth it. I could also get arrested for trespassing, but fuck it. That will make up for all the times I should have been arrested for doing some seriously wrong shit but just never got caught.

It was at least 10:30 when I got to Franklin Avenue, the perfect setting for a haunting. I recognized the castle by its large sandstone tower rising up above the trees. That’s weird. There’s actually lights on inside the tower. And no curtains. A chandelier is clearly visible on the second floor.

And then a voice.

“I’m offering free spraydowns...”

What the actual fuck was that? I was looking straight at the castle and never saw the thin man standing there.

He was watering the front yard of Franklin Castle. At 11:00 at night.

“Uh, do you live here?”

“Yeah, sort of. I’m the groundskeeper.”

What the actual fuck was that? I was looking straight at the castle and never saw the thin man standing there...

His voice was raspy, probably from too many years of smoking, evi-denced by the cigarette dangling from his lips as he spoke. He was wearing clothes you’d expect a groundskeeper to be in, a stained old T, faded jeans and boots. His hair was past his shoulders, straight and silver.

I told him who I was and what I was doing here, trying to hide my disappointment that there would most likely be no grand arrest or scary ghosts. Not only were there lights on in the house and this fellow out watering the grass, but a large privacy fence had been put up alongside the castle; no view of the ultra-creepy backyard where all the babies that allegedly died in the house were believed to be buried.

He said it was ‘cool’ that I was doing a story on the house, sounded into the idea of talking to me. He told me it had changed owners again and he now lived in the basement with other tenants residing in the upstairs. I felt I needed to warm him up, so we chatted about the German history of the house, the gargoyles and the gorgeous tower. I kept peering into the windows for a sign of the “woman in black”, or anything that would add some truth to the age-old rumors.

“So, have you ever seen or heard anything weird inside this house?”

Long pause.

“A little.” As he said it, he looked straight ahead, his eyes focused forward as if contemplating, maybe even reliving, one of those weird moments.

“Can you tell me anyth-“

“What about the other tenan-“

“No.”

“I heard it was sold in-“

“That’s correct.”

And then nothing. Suddenly Mr. Friendly offering spraydowns had decided he had nothing to say to me.

With no warning, he shut off the hose and walked around to the side of the house, saying “Goodbye” with his back turned as he walked off. I stood there, not really sure what I was waiting for. He came back around the front and said goodbye again; it was clear my presence wasn’t appreciated there anymore. I eventually trudged off down Franklin back toward the bus stop, occasionally looking back to see if the “woman in black” or any other strange occurrence would bid me farewell. Give me something, for Chrissake! But the cold drab limestone walls of Franklin Castle gave away nothing and eventually disappeared from my view, unforgiving and still holding on to their secrets.


Documents

PRESSURE LIFEpressurelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Pressure_Issue_3.pdfPressure Life heard that a new escape spot opened on West 6th, we quickly made our reservation. Designed