Walden Life - March 2023

The

Music Makers of Walden

WALDEN MUSICIANS

Our creative community boasts big talent, from instrumentalists to vocalists of every genre.

16

Nature Notes Birds Signal Spring

COVER PHOTOS OF GREG, ANNE AND TRACEY BY MARIA BIEL

FROM THE EDITOR/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MIRIAM CONNER

Welcome back to all the snowbirds!

Spring in Walden is a lot of fun. Soon, it will be time to trade out your boots for flip-flops and your sweaters for T-shirts. The weather is changing, neighbors and friends are coming home, golfers are getting out any chance they can, and the walking path is seeing more walkers and dogs, including some award-winning pooches you will meet in Neighbor to Neighbor on page 12.

The migrating birds are also returning. You can read all about their return in this issue’s Nature Notes on page 16. Speaking of songbirds, I am always amazed at all of the talent here in our neighborhood. You can read about some fantastic Walden musicians on page 18.

Finally, we have the opportunity to help our Aurora neighbors by donating money to Food2Share now, and then food donations for the April food drive. Find the details in Worth Noting. Looking forward to seeing you out and about!

Walden

P.O. Box 586 Aurora, Ohio 44202 330-822-4011

Publisher Brad Mitchell

Brad@MyWaldenLife.com

330-714-7712

Editor/Associate Publisher Miriam Conner Miriam@MyWaldenLife.com

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Assistant Editor Estelle Rodis-Brown Estelle@MyWaldenLife.com

Sales/Account Executive

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Art Director Graphic Design

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Photography Maria Biel mariabiel@me.com

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Kathleen Mitchell

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Mar/Apr 2023

Publisher of Member of

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Worth Noting

Meet the Board

DOUG URBAN

Doug Urban is the President of the Meadows of Walden Condominium Association. Get to know him better with this little Q&A.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

BY MIRIAM CONNER

century modern architecture and the natural beauty of the community.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT LIVING IN WALDEN? We enjoy all four seasons, the Club, the pool, the restaurants, the social life, and the walking paths. It’s absolutely the best place ever. It’s like being on a permanent Staycation because, from morning to night, you never have to leave Walden!

ACTIVITIES/HOBBIES: Club Walden, swimming, working out, golf and yoga.

I grew up in Medina, where my parents owned an Open Pantry Food Mart and Dairy Knoll ice cream stand just off the town square. Later, we moved to Brecksville, where I attended Brecksville/Broadview Heights High School.

EDUCATION: I went to Kent State University, became a Resident Advisor at Twin Towers, and graduated with a BA in Marketing.

CAREER: I began my career in 1985 at P&G as a Field Section Manager located in Pittsburgh, where I achieved Bronze Club for outstanding sales achievements. Later in 1997, I changed careers, joining Nestle USA at the Solon HQ as a Customer Development Manager for the Club and Channel businesses, and a Customer Shopper Development Manager for Toll House, Carnation, and Libby’s brands. I am currently a Sales Operations Manager for the Frozen Stouffer’s & Lean Cuisine Meals Retail Division, where I lead the Sales Business Planning Process for over 440 retail representatives and act as the primary interface between the Nestle Retail Sales Organization and the Nestle Marketing Division for the Frozen Meals Category and Brands.

FAMILY: I met my wife, Denise, at Kent State University when I was a senior, and she was an incoming freshman. We will be celebrating our 37th wedding anniversary this year! We have two adult sons and a growing number of grandchildren.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN WALDEN? We have lived seven years in The Meadows.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WALDEN? After our sons graduated from college and launched into their adult lives, we decided to “right-size” our home. In looking for the perfect condo, we fell in love with Walden’s mid-

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRESIDENT OF THE MEADOWS? Five years. I joined the Meadows Board in 2017 as Vice President, became President in 2018 and recently began my third term this year.

WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED UNDER YOUR PRESIDENCY? Actually, a lot (LOL). The Meadows Board and I have been very busy implementing our five-year strategic plan that follows our reserve studies capital replacement schedule. The schedule is created to provide our association a roadmap to address the inevitable: the Meadows’ aging infrastructure.

The largest and most challenging project to date was redesigning and rebuilding the lake’s retaining wall between the Meadows and the Gardens, which needed to be done to protect the foundations of the condo buildings adjacent to the lake. The old lake wall was in desperate need of replacement since it was bowing and beginning to collapse.

The project took over two years to complete, beginning with hiring a civil engineering firm to evaluate and design the retaining wall for long-term structural integrity. Based on the engineers’ recommendations, we researched and interviewed several contractors that had capabilities for such a large-scale project and invited them to bid on the project following the engineers’ directions.

The lake wall project was completed summer of 2022 using 5,000 stone Allan blocks, 12 tons of rock, four cement drainage pipes, an overflow dam and a vault to retain the water and regulate the flow to the lower lake along Walden Blvd.

Board members have been busy making significant improvements to the Meadows' aging infrastructure.

In addition to maintaining the overall property elements, the association is also required to repair exterior building elements specifically outlined in our governing documents. Over the past five years, we have completed many other projects. Just a few are listed below:

• Stained/painted all 52 units, including repairing/replacing the cedar siding, as needed

• Resurfaced and sealed all of the Meadows’ private roads, driveways and visitor parking areas

• Shared in the expense of re-milling Ridgeway Drive, which is not a public road but a private drive for the residents and guests of the Meadows, Concord Downs, the Willows, High Point, and the Barn

• Systematically replaced or eliminated the use of railroad ties

• Rebuilt failing masonry chimneys

• Rebuilt collapsing catch basins (the Meadows has more than 72!)

• Raised our tree canopy to preserve and extend the life of our shake roofs

• Aerated and overseeded the grounds while expanding our landscaping and grounds maintenance contracts to include both Common and Limited Common areas, essentially 360-degree landscape coverage

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ACCOMPLISHED?

Continue to improve our units and the Meadows’ property while remaining fully funded. This is a delicate balancing act that requires realistic, long-term strategic planning that follows what our association is required to do, based on our governing documents, while still being responsible fiscal stewards for the residents. Moving forward, the Meadows Board’s mission over the next 12 years is to continue to aggressively save reserve funds to address future scheduled capital projects, such as replacing 52 units’ roofs and re-milling our roads.

Sun Halo

Martin Moleski (Claridges) took this photo of a sun halo on January 29.

A sun halo is caused by the refraction, reflection and dispersion of light through ice particles suspended within thin, wispy, high-altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. As light passes through these hexagon-shaped ice crystals, it is bent at a 22° angle, creating a circular halo around the sun. The prism effect of light passing through these six-sided ice crystals also separates the light into its various color frequencies, making the halo look like a very pale rainbow, with red on the inside and blue on the outside.

New Trivia Question:

TRIVIA

Name the type of bird migrating 600 miles to return to Northeast Ohio this spring, each weighing the equivalent of four paper clips.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Walden Life magazine celebrates its second anniversary with this issue! Thank you to all of our readers and business partners. Here’s to a wonderful Year Three!

Answer to last issue’s question: February is the month with the most record snowfall in Aurora. Not this year, though!

(Source: Farmer’s Almanac)

Worth Noting

CALENDAR

For more information about these events, please visit yourwalden.com

BRIDGE EASTER BUFFET

Join fellow members to play contract bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. Members must know how to play. Lessons are periodically available; contact Donna Brown at djbrown1978@ aol.com. For more information on playing, contact Chris Campbell at c.s.campbell@live.com.

CHILDREN’S EASTER EGG HUNT

April 9

WALDEN ASSOCIATION NEWS

WALDEN COMMUNITY PHOTO DRIVE

The Walden Association needs your help! During 2023, there will be a year-long drive to generate new images/photos of our community for the Association’s website update. The campaign is very simple: Submit your favorite photo or photos (regardless of the season) of the Walden Community.

All photos should be taken in a horizontal/landscape position/view, which best fits the Walden website image format

Submit as many photos as you like Deliver your photo files and email any questions to thewaldenassociation@gmail.com.

AUTOPAY YOUR SEMI-ANNUAL FEES

The Walden Association is asking all owners to pay their semi-annual fees with AUTOPAY, if possible. Using this method will ensure timely payments, eliminate potential

late fees, remove possible owner legal fees and minimize check fraud. Today, autopay is one of the most common bill-paying methods. Approximately 150 Walden residents are already using AUTOPAY. Please contact Steve Avner at Carlyle Management Company for AUTOPAY registration information at savner@ carlylemanagment.com or 216-4647465, extension 241.

AURORA FOOD DRIVE

The city-wide Food Drive will take place on April 20-22. Detailed information for this very important campaign is located on page 11 of this issue of Walden Life magazine.

2023 ASSOCIATION PROJECTS

• Walking Path repair and sealing (Deer Island Drive – Brandon Circle)

• Entrance landscaping updates

• Refreshing Walden Drive shoulder material (TBD)

April 8 - Contact Club Walden for details

Princess Prom

Help Feed Our Neighbors Now

Support City-Wide Food Drive, April 20-22

By Bruce Harris, Food2Share

While relative prosperity has commonly graced Aurora residents, an increasingly difficult economy has cast a broad shadow on the lives of families in communities everywhere. There is no category of need more critical than food insufficiency.

In each of the last two years, Food2Share’s city-wide, spring food drive yielded 24,000 pounds of food that was distributed to local pantries. That’s normally a sufficient amount of food. While the 2021 food donations lasted until January 2022, last year, the same amount of food nearly ran out in August!

Compounding this issue is that the federal/state pandemic relief plan used to provide an extra $200 to each individual in need to help them buy food. But at the end of February, the government food support plan ended in Ohio and all other states. So, despite the huge increase in food costs, a qualifying senior, who was getting $247 per month for food, now receives only $47 per month.

Food pantries will see demand for food go way up. How can Walden residents help? Donations of cash or Aldi’s gift cards are more valuable than food, because pantries can select the specific food that they are running short of instead of hoping that food donations will match the actual need.

A cash or gift card donation will assist Food2Share to help those most in need until the city-wide drive on April 20-22 this year.

Please make any checks out to Food2Share, Inc. (an Aurora-based charity serving Aurora and Mantua pantries, exclusively.) Send either checks or Aldi’s gift cards to 279 Ben Shaw Rd., Aurora. All donations are tax-deductible.

OOOPS!

Sorry for the typo in our previous issue. We would like to apologize to the amazing Chef Rebecca Hess. She has been a big part of Walden for 28 years.

The National Honor Society of Aurora High School hosted a Princess Prom on February 4. Club Walden hosted some royalty for dinner. Some princesses enjoyed dinner with their dads at Club Walden before the event.

Merlot & Izzy and Their Owners

Amanda Bell & Michael Barnes

By Miriam Conner

Walden members Amanda Bell and Michael Barnes were married in 2015 and moved to Aurora in 2017. They were familiar with the area and wanted a dog-friendly home with some character. They went to an open house at a home right across the street from Walden. Sadly, their chocolate lab, Casey, passed away in 2022. But when they saw the house, it was perfect for Casey because it had a pond where she could swim! They fell in love with the house, and the location so close to Walden was a bonus. Being able to walk the dogs in Walden was a big perk. The last couple of years has kept them busy with home renovations.

Amanda, who works in IT and project management, grew up in a suburb of Toledo and Michael, who works as a market manager in the snow and landscape industry, grew up in Elyria.

The couple saw signs for Walden’s food and wine fest and that piqued their interest in Walden. They attended and were hooked. “We could then see ourselves coming to

Walden for meals and other activities.”

A lot of Amanda’s time involves her hobby, which is training her dogs — a 3-year-old fox red lab named Merlot and a 13-year-old miniature schnauzer named Izzy — and working with them in dog sports competitions.

In December 2019, Merlot was going to puppy school. But a few months later due to Covid, the dog schools closed; this also meant a lack of socialization opportunities for Merlot. Merlot’s breeder posted pictures of a red lab, Merlot’s great grandfather, Oscar, dock diving at Duke’s K9 Dash N’ Splash Dock Diving facility in Windham. It turns out, dock diving was in her DNA. The facility has over 10 acres dedicated to their sports facility for dogs of all sizes, ages and athletic ability, including two outdoor pools, barn hunt, a frisbee field, FastCAT 100-yard timed dash for dogs, obstacle course, and a soonto-be-completed indoor pool. Amanda, Michael and Merlot went for a lesson and the next weekend, Merlot was swimming and jumping off the dock into the pool in her first competition.

They have traveled for competitions all over North America including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Missouri, Michigan, Florida, and even Canada.

Last April, Merlot qualified for the AKC Diving Dogs Premier Cup, which is a competition of some of the best diving dogs in the country, televised on ESPN. Merlot was one of 10 dogs competing in Air Retrieve, one of the events in dock diving where the dogs run down the dock and jump to grab a toy suspended over the water at a certain distance. Every time it was moved farther away; Merlot grabbed it at 16 feet. Her personal best is 20 feet. Six months after watching Merlot on TV, they found out that she had her very own GIF. “This was a fantastic experience for us. We met a great community of people and made many friends,” Amanda says.

Both Merlot and Izzy compete in Barn Hunt, a sport that involves dogs sniffing around a barn or barn-like course for

Amanda with her award-winning, competitive pups.

Mike’s involvement in the dog competitions is one of more moral support; this is Amanda’s hobby. “He humors me,” Amanda says.

rats. It’s a game of hide-and-seek for dogs and their owners. The trained rats are placed in protective, breathable tubes and hidden in hay bales. There are many different titles that a dog can receive based on their proficiency in the job performed. Izzy began competing in Barn Hunt two years ago at age 11. She and Merlot both attend barn hunt classes once a week in Windham at Duke’s. Barn hunts are good for older dogs, as they help to exercise their minds.

Both dogs have brought home some nice titles and placements: Izzy for Barn Hunt, AKC Trick Dog, and The Canine Good Citizen title, and Merlot has many dock diving titles, several placements at regional competitions, and

has competed at the national level with International Dog Sports and North America Diving Dogs. Her personal best for Distance Jump is 23 feet, 5 inches.

Mike’s involvement in the dog competitions is one of more moral support; this is Amanda’s hobby. “He humors me,” she says. Mike was excited to drive to Springfield, Missouri for a national competition in 2021 and then to Ocala, Florida in 2022

Izzy is still competing at age 13. She has no plans to stop. She has fun at barn hunt class, competes in trials, and uses her treadmill at home during the winter months.

Merlot was a “Covid puppy,” so socialization has been tricky. Mike and Amanda have to do extra work with her to get her used to some situations and people. Amanda works with her on long walks in Walden. Merlot will keep competing and can’t wait for the outdoor dock diving season to begin in May.

They all enjoy living across from Walden’s Hole #3. Merlot watches golfers from the porch.

Amanda says, “Walden is such a cool, unique place.” Amanda used to work in building and design and thinks it is fascinating to walk around and look at the homes and unique features.

Be on the lookout for these two award-winning dogs this spring, walking around Walden. Say “Hi” to their owners, too.

Award-winners Izzy and Merlot are at the top of their games.

SPA WALDEN

STAFF PROFILES

KATELYN (KATIE)

RAMIREZ

Title: Cosmetologist

Family: Married to my high school sweetheart (no kids)

Hobbies: Crocheting, sewing

Movie: “The Breakfast Club”

Music: ‘90s country/ love songs

Food: Sushi

Favorite thing about Walden: The location & environment

CARLY SWEET-BRYAN

Title: Master Stylist & Nail Tech

Family: Just got married in October!

Hobbies: Spending time with my new husband and walking my dog, Jade.

Movie: “A Walk to Remember”

Music: All music, from hip-hop to show tunes. I love it all.

Food: My mom’s chili

Favorite thing about Walden: The whole story behind the creator of Walden and the passion and thought that went into each and every detail is amazing.

TATIANA SHATOHIN

Title: Nail Tech

Family: Husband & two children

Hobbies: Being outdoors, hiking in a park, swimming at the beach.

Movies: “The Game” with Sean Penn and Michael Douglas

Music: Jazz & blues

Food: Seafood

Favorite thing about Walden: Walden is a best company in Ohio, offering the best hospitality products and experience.

Signs of Spring | Birds on the Wing

By Estelle Rodis-Brown

Winter is finally easing into springtime at Walden. Some days, it’s hard for us to sense it. But the migrating birds provide a sure sign that a new season truly is here and the weather will soon spring into a convincing warm-weather pattern.

True harbingers of spring, songbirds and waterfowl that spent the cold-weather months down South are now returning in waves to Northeast Ohio. If you observe your bird feeders, treetops, lakes and ponds, you will see different species of birds returning from one week to the next, like an ongoing parade of fluttering colors.

According to Kim Pease of nearby Moebius Nature Center and Dr. Jim Tomko, President at Moebius and the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland, the birds’ instinct to take wing and fly back here is a response to the increasing stretches of daylight (longer photoperiod) as spring approaches … despite fluctuating weather.

Our earliest avian returners are the raucous and colorful male redwing blackbirds, who have overwintered down along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. By the first week of March, they hurry back here to find mating territory along the water’s edge, marshes and deep ditches, where they can lure later-coming females with ideal nesting habitat among the cattails and bullrushes.

Tree swallows are also among the first of many swallows to return here (and the last leave in autumn) to feed on berries and insects. You’ll likely see them skimming over the surface of a lake or pond, catching flies.

Around late March-early April, you might also see a

returning woodpecker, the yellow-bellied sapsucker (bigger than the downy woodpecker). They are attracted to certain species of trees, where they will drill wells to suck the sap and eat burrowing insects. The drab grey eastern phoebe with its distinctive up-and-down tilting tail also arrives back in late March.

Next, you’ll notice bright blue flashes of color along the edges of woods and meadows. While some bluebirds stay here for the winter, many more will migrate back here by April. The male bluebirds are seeking leftover berries and emerging insects to feast upon while establishing ideal nesting territory for their mates, who lay their first brood of eggs by May. (Bluebirds and tree swallows share the same habitat but the swallows — who likely overwintered in Central America — return here by late April-early May).

Some American robins stay here for the winter, as long as their habitat is moist enough to provide soft ground for insect-hunting and leftover fruits on crabapple trees. But you’ll see more robins return as the ground thaws and worms emerge in late March-early April.

Also in late March, look to the treetops for the distinctivelymarked and colored rose-breasted grosbeaks, scarlet tanagers and Baltimore orioles. These canopy specialists each have characteristic calls and songs that set them apart. You can lure them to your feeders so you can get acquainted with the dynamic sights and sounds they create.

It can be difficult to learn bird songs and calls unless you have some help. Turns out, there’s an app for that! Jim and Kim recommend downloading the Merlin Bird ID app to

A male bluebird perches among berries while establishing nesting territory for his mate.

A sure sign of spring: Robin's eggs in a nest.

identify the birds you see and hear. The app will identify which bird is making a call or song in real time. You can also upload a photo of a mystery bird to learn its name.

Finally, by late April-early May, the tiny ruby-throated hummingbirds (each the weight equivalent of four paper clips) will arrive after their 600-mile migration from South of the border. They need to feed on nectar from May’s blooming flowers.

You should put up your hummingbird feeders by May to help sustain these ethereal winged creatures. Just be sure to keep your feeder in the shade rather than open sun to inhibit mold growth, and clean out the feeder with a 1:10 bleach/water solution every few days, Kim advises.

Speaking of bird feeders, the naturalists say that you can keep them filled with seed and suet throughout the warm-weather months so you can enjoy viewing the active birds. This won’t inhibit their ability to thrive in the ‘wild’ or interrupt their natural migrating patterns. (The same goes for birdbaths.) Again, just be sure to keep them clean so viruses, mold and bacteria cannot gain a foothold and threaten the vitality of the birds.

Birdwatching can be a fun solo pastime but it can also be a social event! Look for spring bird walks scheduled at Moebius Nature Center (mymnc.org) or the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland (clevelandaudubon.org) and other nearby parks. Whether you see them at your feeders or out in their natural habitat, enjoy the parade of migratory birds returning this spring!

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE

Music Makers of Walden

By Estelle Rodis-Brown

Music enriches our lives in countless ways, from stirring our emotions, to setting the mood for a special occasion, to making the miles melt away on a long road trip. And while most of us enjoy listening to a certain style of music as a backdrop to our daily lives, relatively few of us actually make that music.

Tracey Bell

That’s why we asked the musicians in our midst to allow us to showcase their talents in Walden Life magazine. These music makers represent a diverse group of creative souls who call Walden home, representing a wide range of genres, from jazz and blues to rock-n-roll, standards, sacred music

and everything in between. Some have made music their vocation while others pursue it as a hobby or volunteer passion. In any case, we hope you enjoy this sampling of Walden’s noteworthy vocalists and instrumentalists (listed alphabetically) below.

THE MUSIC: Diversification was an early skill mastered by Tracey Bell. She taught herself how to play the piano, organ, guitar, fiddle and more instruments. While pursuing her graduate degrees, she graced various piano bar venues in Ann Arbor and Detroit during the ’70s and ’80s with her Baldwin (Model L) grand piano.

After earning her Montessori Certificate, Tracey went on to own and operate a Montessori School for preschool through third-grade levels, and wrote musical theater pieces for young children. She has provided musical support for the Lutheran Church, and toured with a vocal group, Roots & Wings, which performed all original songs for faith-based audiences.

After her school was forced to close due to mounting

insurance costs, Tracey ran Black Sheep Tavern in Manchester, Michigan as an interim diversion. Taking yet another sharp turn, she left cooking and music behind for a career in finance with an airline to secure a better retirement.

Tracey says, “Now, I play piano for my own enjoyment, strictly by ear, mostly show tunes and jazz.”

THE BACK STORY: Tracey was born in Cleveland, but was raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. “Growing up in tiny Lititz, I was a life-long member and child soloist with the

Moravian Church, a Bavarian sect with a rich music tradition,” she explains. “That experience turned out to be my roots for future wings.”

Tracey earned a bachelor of arts degree in theater from Connecticut College, then a master’s in musicology and music theory from Indiana University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). She also earned a Montessori Certificate in London. Even after all of that professional training and exposure, Tracey says she has “no

Greg Grandillo

THE MUSIC: Greg got an early break as a teenage trumpet player who found himself performing with the Cleveland rock band, Tom King and the Starfires, which later became The Outsiders. (Remember the 1966 national hit, “Time Won’t Let Me”?)

After leaving the Starfires, he joined Starfires drummer Jimmy Fox to form The James Gang (prior to future Eagles member Joe Walsh joining the band). Not one to hide from the spotlight, Greg grew into his musicianship and never stopped performing, adding vocals to his repertoire.

Decades later, Greg is still singing and playing live shows as a member of his latest band, Still Standing. He and fellow “Old School” band members Jim Mass (bass and vocals), Jimmy Miragliotta (keyboards and vocals), and Tony Mazzone (drums and vocals) play cover songs ranging from rock and blues to R&B and funk, “bringin’ it every night we play!”

Greg says, “I love playing ferociously. I try my best every night, giving it everything I’ve got. Otherwise, I might just as well stay home. I live for the moments when we’re out playing and it’s right. We call them magic nights. I’m 74 now, but I still need to let the tiger out. I feel positively 65!”

If you want to see and hear Still Standing in and around Greater Cleveland, check out the band’s Facebook page, #stillstandingohio, for updates.

THE BACK STORY: Greg describes his early teenage self as “a pudgy little guy with black-rimmed glasses from Cleveland Heights.”

He’s been in too many bands to name, playing British rock, American pop, rhythm-n-blues and Motown. Notably, he

fancy certifications or Hollywood interest.”

THE WALDEN CONNECTION: After her many travels, Tracey finally relocated to Walden, where she is enjoying a legacy home left to her by her mother, Audrey May, who was one of the first residents of the Meadows. Tracey adds, “Walden also embraces my husband, Gary Bell, a retired petroleum engineer, who manages to put up with my creative flights. He fixes stuff. Our daughter, Erica Bell, lives in Connecticut as a marketing executive with Pitney Bowes.”

was a vocalist and guitar player for the Rainbow Canyon rock band that recorded with Capitol Records. Along with having one of his compositions recorded by Three Dog Night, Greg toured with Rainbow Canyon, playing The Agora Ballrooms throughout Ohio, and opening shows for Queen, the Beach Boys, Aerosmith, Argent, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Mott the Hoople.

“Because I was basically a yeller, good for rock-n-roll, but not a real singer, I eventually lost my voice toward the end of Rainbow — so I went into hotel lounge bands as an instrumentalist,” Greg recalls.

“Finally, in my early 30s, I took formal singing lessons, and my voice returned. My vocal coach, Marietta Richards, changed my life. I learned how to breathe, form my vowels, carry my body, work my diaphragm… She turned me from a yeller into a polished singer… and a much better trumpeter, as a result.”

Greg attended Baldwin-Wallace College, majoring in psychology and taking classical guitar and trumpet lessons at the B-W Conservatory.

While he went back to playing in bands after graduation, Greg also maintained a 38-year career in industrial advertising sales.

THE WALDEN CONNECTION: Greg married “a good Catholic girl” 12 years his junior. Kathy’s parents lived in Fairington Court and Kathy wanted to also live in Walden, so they moved to a condo in the Landings in 1989.

After Greg and Kathy started raising their sons, Sean and Kyle, they rented out the condo and bought a house on Cross Creek Oval. Eventually, they sold the house and stayed at the condo.

Sadly, Kathy passed away last year after battling cancer. “We will not see the likes of her again,” Greg says.

“I could have gone down the drain after my wife died. Kathy was everything to everyone. But our sons saved me, helped turn me around. I am still learning new things and having exciting revelations. I can still bring it!”

And Greg is always happy to come home to the Landings after a long night of music-making out in the city. “This is my safe zone, where I can close the door behind me and find peace and balance.”

Erin Keckan

THE MUSIC: Erin is a juggler of sorts. She is a professional jazz singer, a nursing student, a wife and a mother.

Specializing in vocal jazz and the music of the Great American Songbook, her most recent performances have been at The Bop Stop in Cleveland (including a recent performance with Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Big Band), BluJazz in Akron, and Con Alma in Pittsburgh. If you want to see and hear Erin perform, follow her on Facebook, where she keeps fans, friends and family updated on her upcoming gigs.

While she could enjoy a full booking schedule, Erin says, “I try to keep performances limited because I am very focused on my family and current studies as a nursing student.”

THE BACK STORY: Erin was born in Buffalo and moved to North Olmsted when she was in elementary school. She began singing for an audience by the age of 6.

“I performed for anyone that would listen — even if that meant standing on a table with a hairbrush as a microphone at a family gathering,” she recalls. “There was always music playing in my house growing up and my dad is a singer, too. He led a couple of bands in Buffalo in the ‘70s and ‘80s and even opened for Meat Loaf!”

Erin’s father bought her a Billie Holiday box set when she was 10 years old, introducing the budding singer to the Great American Songbook. Fortunately, Erin also had a teacher in high school, Chris Venesile, who had a passion for vocal jazz. He mentored Erin and prepared her for the respected vocal jazz program at Western Michigan University. “I sang there for a year and decided it wasn’t for me,” Erin says. So she returned to Cleveland and enrolled in the Tri-C Jazz studies program, where she became their first vocal major.

“The Tri-C Jazz Fest is very well known and their jazz education programs are wonderful,” Erin explains. “My teachers were also working musicians and they would eventually invite me to join them on their gigs. Ernie Krivda, a legend in the Cleveland jazz scene, was my improvisation

Marsha Newman

THE MUSIC: Since childhood, Marsha has been a jazzsoul singer and songwriter. It didn’t take long for her to find appreciative audiences, from her household to her church, then to legendary nightclubs, country clubs, jazz festivals and concerts

teacher. He had a band called Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Big Band and invited me to sing with them when I was 20. He had never invited a singer to join his band until then. Twenty years later, I am still singing with him, including his annual birthday show — Still Swinging at 78.”

Erin spent most of her 20s singing every weekend in Cleveland and with a band in Pittsburg, The Boilermaker Jazz Band. She has also performed in New York City, Boston, Baltimore and Chicago. Most recently, she has been the featured vocalist on two albums — “Jive at Five” with the Boilermaker Jazz Band — and “Madd for Tadd” (a tribute to a Cleveland jazz musician, Tadd Dameron) with a band made up of jazz educators from the East Coast. You can listen to both on iTunes and Spotify.

Erin says, “These days, I sing to keep this music alive. They don’t write songs like they used to! Each song in the Great American Songbook is like a tiny piece of art. Some of them are so simple— but there is so much beauty in their simplicity. Others are surprisingly difficult, with winding and haunting melodies that make you turn your head and wonder, How did they come up with that? Did you know the song “God Bless America” was written by Irving Berlin? The same person that wrote “Cheek to Cheek” and “White Christmas”? There is so much history in this music.”

THE WALDEN CONNECTION: Erin lives in Walden Farms on Bonnie Lane with her husband, Joe, and their four children. “My husband’s parents have lived here for years (on Rainbow’s End) and we’ve been hoping to end up here since we moved to Aurora in 2011,” Erin says. “Our piano room overlooks the horse pastures and it's my favorite room in the house.”

on tour. She went on to sing with her husband in the Art Company Orchestra and later created her own act, the Marsha Newman Jazz Quartet. Marsha also performed with The Dave Banks Big Band, The  Dan Zola Big Band, and received a standing ovation at the Tri-C Jazz Fest’s Women in Jazz concert.

“My vocal style has always been soulful,” Marsha reflects. “While I’ve sung my share of pop — even rock gigs — my vocal style is jazz and soul. I like to improvise. I like the

musical flexibility of singing jazz. Sometimes on a tune, you want to just sing the melody, but most of the time, I want to bring something else to it. We’ve all heard the song a million times; do something more — or less — just different, and see what happens.”

Marsha’s varied career has revolved around vocal music performance, band management and wedding/event planning.

These days, Marsha has been writing some gospel tunes. “I’ve been enjoying the sheer relevancy of church hymns. I’m rediscovering some artists I haven’t paid enough attention to, and listening to some new artists and what they’re bringing. Time to listen and create is essential.”

She is also planning to do some recording, which has been a missing component in her career. “It’s not for an event or on anyone else’s meter. It’s just for me, and what is born of that will be my what’s next.”

THE BACK STORY: Like so many musicians, Marsha started singing in church. “Mom loved country and Dad loved Big Band music. I loved gospel and anything that smacked at jazz and soul,” she recalls.

In school, Marsha got involved in glee club, choir, and all-city/all-state solo contests. At home in West Park, she listened to Carmen McRae, Karen Carpenter, Rev. Charles Watkins, Walt Wanderley, Burt Bacharach and Joni Mitchell.  She says, “This music was a lot more interesting and evoked ideas beyond teen pop.”

After high school, Marsha studied vocal music at Ohio University but was lured back to Cleveland one summer for a role in a show at the State Theater. While that didn’t pan out, she auditioned for a lead singer spot with the Snapshots at Swingos Keg and Quarter. “It was a very respected group at the time and Swingos Hotel is … well, legendary,” she says.

“I got the gig and was there for a few years, six nights a week, with Joe Neira (piano/ arranger), Jesse Lozano (drums) and Phil Caruso (bass). Joe wrote some beautiful vocal harmonies for us. It was one of the most satisfying sounds I’ve ever been a part of. I owe those guys a lot.”

Afterward, Marsha traveled with the floorshow style groups of the ‘80s “until I got sick of the road, which didn’t take long. I went home, got my Associate in Business and began working in the wedding planning industry. I was missing singing when I met saxophonist Art Newman. Art was a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and had led bands all his life. Amazing that we hadn’t met before. We decided to make up for lost time and got married in 1990. We’ve lived in Walden nearly all of our very happy 32 years.”

Art and Marsha formed the Art Company Orchestra for the benefit circuit and high-end weddings. The 12-piece orchestra carried a rhythm section (piano, bass, drums and guitar), five horns, Marsha and two other front

singers plus sound and lighting. They had a harpist and a Latin percussionist, as well.

“Such full, exciting sound,” Marsha recalls. “We played every country club and major event space in Ohio and contiguous states for 30 years. We had some wonderful musicians and were blessed with success, playing for a lot of very special people. It was very rewarding work.”

Meanwhile, Marsha worked her wedding planning around that schedule, and pulled weeknight gigs in area restaurants with her pianist. That birthed the Marsha Newman Jazz Quartet so Marsha could sing more jazz.

“I’m one of a few female vocalists in town who have stepped into the leadership role and managed this size group. I did all the bookings, advertising, hiring, set-lists, you name it.”

THE WALDEN CONNECTION: Marsha first moved to the Walden neighborhood when she joined her then-new husband, Art, in his Claridges condo back in 1990. Soon after, the couple bought their dream home in Arbor Way, where they enjoyed family, entertained friends, rehearsed music and conducted business for the next three decades. Recently widowed, Marsha now lives in Fairington and works as Sales and Catering Manager for The Bertram Inn, planning weddings and other events.

“Now I’m taking a step back. Maybe two,” she says. “Concurrent with the COVID shutdown, Art passed away in 2020 and I miss him every day. The band was halted during COVID, and now is the perfect time to ask myself, musically, what’s next? Fresh starts are a blessing, if you take the opportunity. Change is interesting; the nexus of jazz and music and all creative process. Even artists get in a rut, supplying the expected. It’s a good thing to not have any expectations and see what you come up with.”

“A good singer or musician is going to be able to sell the soul out of something that speaks to them, based on what we know. Singing is telling a story. As we live and we have different experiences upon which to draw inspiration, we develop different and more tools in the toolbox. Right now, I’m enjoying getting to know my voice more intimately. It’s amazing how that doesn’t happen while you’re singing for everyone else.“

Anne Ramsay

THE MUSIC: Anne’s childhood piano lessons helped her become an expert accompanist and soloist on piano and pipe organ at her local church before she even hit high school. By seventh grade, she was also an accompanist for many junior high and high school choral groups. What followed was a long and full career in music as an accomplished pianist, organist and preschool music teacher. After playing for hundreds of community performances, weddings and funerals, and years in the classroom, Anne has enriched countless lives in and around Aurora with her music.

“I have loved music since I started piano at 6 but always wanted it to be enjoyable, not a job,” Anne says. “I’m hoping to pass that love on to my three grandchildren.”

THE BACK STORY: While growing up in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Anne became a pipe organist at her local church by the time she hit the eighth grade. She explains, “Our church had a need and the Episcopalian priest asked if I thought I could learn the organ after having had seven years of piano lessons. I took organ lessons while starting to play at the church and have played as either a sub, interim or full-time organist ever since, for many years.”

Anne attended Grove City College as an Elementary Education major. While there, she sang and played piano for the Touring Choir. She went on to teach elementary school until her daughter, Sara, was born; and then taught preschool after her children got to middle school. She taught preschool music for 25 years, 21 of those at Hope Christian Nursery School in Aurora.

She played piano and pipe organ at The Church in Aurora for 21 years until 2020. During her 30 years living in Aurora, she played piano for Aurora Community Theater (ACT) special musical productions, several high school musicals, and accompanied for several years of middle school and high school OMEA vocal and instrumental competitions.

“I have taught many Walden children over that time and love running into them and seeing how they’ve grown,” Anne says. “I left my job during COVID, knowing I couldn’t teach 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds music with a mask on, or sanitize after every class the many “extras” we use for teaching music. I miss the children very much and am sorry to not be playing at the church but my husband Kent and I have filled in the space with new things,” she says.

THE WALDEN CONNECTION: Anne and Kent moved to Concord Downs 15 years ago when their children (Kyle and Sara) were grown. They were drawn to the open floor plans of the Walden condos, the golf course and the Walden community. Finding fellow musicians here, Anne has collaborated with Walden vocalists Marcia Newman and Muriel French.

Eight years ago, the Ramsays built a house in Walden Farms. “We love our house and this was our last move!" Anne says. "I enjoy opening the sunroom doors in the spring and fall and playing my baby grand. I just hope the neighbors enjoy it, too.”

Walden’s music-makers are a talented lot with so much heart and soul, they can’t keep their gifts under wraps. We hope you get to know them and their music, if you haven’t already.

“I have loved music since I started piano at 6 but always wanted it to be enjoyable, not a job,” Anne says. “I’m hoping to pass that love on to my three grandchildren.”

PAM COWPER | REAL ESTATE

Our Walden journey began in 1988 when a close friend told us about this wonderful neighborhood named Walden. We were living in Bainbridge and golfing at Aurora Country Club but had never heard of Walden! When we first drove down Walden Drive, it was spring and we were captivated by the beauty surrounding us.

So, we decided to sell our Bainbridge house and purchased our first condo in The Meadows in 1989. Thirty-four years and two condos later, we are still here and still loving our lifestyle.

Here's my story of how I got to where I am today, selling Real Estate!

Selling was always a part of my profession. In the mid-1970s, I worked for an electronics distributor, Cramer Electronics, which was then purchased by Arrow Electronics. We sold electronic components to the OEM market. I worked in customer service, servicing orders and solving problems. I was an inside salesperson asking for business and taking orders. I became a product manager, purchasing and managing inventory and negotiating market pricing. I became an outside salesperson, managing my accounts and designing our products for purchase. The electronics industry at that time was very fast-paced and fluid. Pricing fluctuated on a monthly basis, as new products and new manufacturers came into the market. Little did I know, at the time, that the sales, customer service, problem-solving skills and pricing strategies that I mastered would serve me in a future career in Real Estate.

I met my husband, Wally, at the beginning of my electronics career and we tied the knot in 1980. He was the ultimate salesman, and I truly believe he could have sold ice to an

Eskimo! We decided that between us, we had all the contacts, skill sets and experience necessary to start our own manufacturers’ representative company, and we did so in 1986. Five Star Electronics was born! We had nothing to sell, and I guess you could say, nothing to lose. We knew the lines we wanted to represent, so we started interviewing and selling ourselves, hoping to convince them to take a chance on a new business that was being run by seasoned veterans of the industry. Through much hard work, we grew our company to 11 people and yearly sales from zero to 23 million dollars. We sold our company in 1998.

Starting in 1990, we became very active in Club Walden. We golfed every chance we got and won our fair share of awards along the way. We were on numerous committees and spent much time at our club. I had much fun working with our new Club Manager, Patrick Cunningham, in 1999! We planned many events together

By Pam Cowper

with other committee members.

For the past 14 years, I have been an active member of The Walden Association, starting in 2009, as the Landscape Committee Chairperson. Eventually, I became the trustee of the Gardens Association. I am the secretary of the Walden Association, first as a Walden Association executive committee member and then as a committee member on the Walden Architectural Committee.

I started in real estate in 2008 when a friend in real estate told me I might as well get my license and begin selling homes. I had called

this person so many times, giving names of people I knew who were either wanting to move into or out of Walden. It wasn’t anything that I had thought of doing, but it was time for another career, so I jumped in with both feet! It was then that I realized that the many years of honing my skills in sales, customer service, problem-solving, pricing strategies and management were the exact same skill sets that I needed in my real estate career.

Pam Cowper

"SELLING WAS ALWAYS A PART OF MY PROFESSION."

Top: Club Walden Fashion Show, 1995. Bottom: Walden Women's Golf League.

Comfort Foods of Walden

As the cool, moist air of early spring lingers, warm up with these comfort-food recipes from our friends and neighbors.

LAMB CURRY

Charlie Fink- Ravines

RAVIOLI

Debbie Kuehm - Claridges

CHICKEN POT PIE

Charlie's lamb curry with homemade pear chutney and naan (paired with an IPA) is a great way to use leftover leg of lamb after Easter.

TORTELLINI SOUP

Kaye Lowe - Meadows

Debbie's beautiful homemade butternut squash ravioli hits the spot as either a main entree or side dish.

CABBAGE ROLLS

Lea Echan & Leslie Fletcher

Debbie's dairy-free chicken pot pie featuring flaky pastry tastes as great as it looks!

GRADUATES

Kaye's creamy tortellini soup is mellow, comforting food for both belly and soul.

Mother-daughter duo Lea (Ravines) and Leslie (Glen Eden Ct.) enjoy making stuffed cabbage rolls together. They made 52 in this batch!

Do you have a child or grandchild graduating from preschool, kindergarten, high school or college this year? Send us any photo of your choice and the information to be included in the next issue of Walden Life.

miriam@mywaldenlife.com

The following two pages are brought to you by Club Walden

Spa Walden #1 in Ohio

Let us introduce the dynamic and highly skilled Salon Staff at Spa Walden: Carly, Tanya and Katie. They all are here to create your complete look, albeit fabulous style, elegant chic or a daily casual vibe. Our Spa Walden stylists are experts in their field and are specialized in customized hair and nail care.

Carly has been a hairstylist and nail tech in the salon at Spa Walden for seven years. She is an integral part of the excellence of Spa Walden. Carly states, “Walden’s salon is one like no other. It’s a zen, quiet atmosphere which relaxes our clients and guests. The pretty, natural views enhance the experience, whilst one is receiving a pedicure, manicure or salon style. During your treatments, you can see nature pouring in through the windows.”

Carly believes that this excites her clients to return for a little escape from reality. Carly and Katie can both create a personalized hairstyle that gives definition, texture and health to your hair. Why not stop in this week for an awesome, fresh look? During your consultation time, they will discuss your hair goals with their expertise.

At Spa Walden, we only use top-of-the-line products. Wella is our professional color line, Kevin Murphy and Brazilian Blowout (a fabulous hair straightening, frizzremoving service) are our styling products, and Dazzle Dry covers your nail needs. Dazzle Dry is an innovative, groundbreaking, long-lasting nail care line that increases nail growth and strength, is vegan, and is not tested on animals. The Dazzle Dry four-step system is uniquely formulated to look incredible while promoting nail health. Our pedicures are extremely luxurious; probably our most popular nail service. Guests love receiving a wash and blowout as well. It’s a quick and easy service to receive after a massage or just to get yourself feeling good for a night on the town.

Carly states, “I think my favorite thing about working in the salon is the relationships I create with my guests, most of whom have been with me the entire seven years. It’s just really something special we have going on in the salon at Spa Walden. I hope everyone gets the chance to experience it.”

Katie, star stylist and wonderful nail technician, shares why she truly enjoys her career. “Spa Walden is a calm, caring environment that allows me to give the best service possible. Doing both hair and nails allows me to take care of my clients to a fuller extent. I feel that I work to help improve their hair and

Ease into the luxury Spa Walden offers.

nail health with amazing products and my professional care. I am always willing to learn new techniques and cater to clients’ needs to make the salon at Spa Walden the best possible experience.”

She continues to share her thoughts on her most popular services at Spa Walden: “Luxe manicures and Luxe pedicures are the most popular and frequently requested. My clients come to experience these services on a regular basis, because they are more in-depth. Also, my clients love the exclusive, en-suite pedicures for their privacy and convenience. Many clients like blowouts after their spa services so they leave ready to go to dinner or errands. My frequent clients really love any color service in the salon because it’s calmer and quieter than a normal salon plus we offer fun and delicious beverages.”

Tanya, a master at her craft and an expert in nail care, has been in the industry for 24 years and began at Spa Walden upon its opening. She shares, “I am so blessed to be a part of the Walden family. Everything that I do to make my clients happy, in turn, makes me happy.

“Products here are the best quality for our customers. We specifically have chosen to use Dazzle Dry polish, a green, natural product. Dazzle Dry is the best nail care company in the industry today. I really enjoy performing great pedicures in a private salon suite room. It’s a very spacious room with huge windows looking out onto the pine tree garden. Massaging pedicure chairs and hot towels are included with service. Clients love the foot masks that make your feet feel comfortable and soft… enjoyable not only for women but also for a man, too. The pedicure service is a true treat! We have room for couples’ side-by-side pedicures with exclusive privacy, as well. All salon and spa services include a complimentary beverage. We have many clients who visit us during their stay at Inn Walden, traveling for business or for pleasure.”

Tanya also shares her most popular services and which are her most popular color choices for nail polish: “Pedicures, for sure, are my favorite service to perform. I like it because it’s challenging and I can be creative with a foot massage. Sometimes, clients ask me very direct questions about the health of feet and nails. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with them. Our most popular color choices during nail services are nude and red. Nude for a naturally fresh, clean look and red, for sure, is a classic color.

“Spa Walden is the number one spa in the state of Ohio! Plain and simple, you can’t go anywhere in Ohio that’s better. It’s also ranked in the top 50 in the country. That means you don’t have to go further than five minutes away from your house to your Spa Walden pedicure station or your private suite with massage table, for that matter. There isn’t a community in the USA that can boast such an amenity and we’re proud to share it with all of you.”

Call for your appointment at 330-995-9772 or book online at yourwalden.com. Mention this article in Walden Life magazine and receive 10% off your salon hair or nail service.

Experience the ultimate pedis and manis at Spa Walden.

WALDEN KITCHENS

FROM WALDEN’S OWN CHEF REBECCA HESS

GRANOLA RECIPE

Ingredients:

n 5 cups rolled oats

n 2 ½ cups raw nuts (any assortment)

n 1 cup brown sugar

n 2 tsp. cinnamon

n ½ tsp. nutmeg

n ½ cup warm maple syrup

n 1 cup melted butter

n 2 cups dried fruit (any variety)

Directions:

Place the oats, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl of a stand mixer. (Make sure the bowl is a 16-cup-sized bowl. Otherwise, make the recipe in two batches.)

Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix the oat mixture together.

Melt the butter and maple syrup in the microwave in one-minute increments until the butter is fully melted.

Add the butter mixture to the oats and mix on low speed until all of the oats are moistened.

Spread all of the granola mix in a thin layer onto a large cooking sheet pan. (If it won’t all fit, use two pans.)

Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 35 minutes or longer, until dried out (stir the granola at the 20-minute mark). Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Add the two cups of dried fruit. Package in an airtight container for up to three weeks. Enjoy!

Nita Tartabini | 32 Years and Counting!

By Miriam Conner

Nita and her late husband, Joe, lived in Independence for 27 years before moving to Walden. They had five kids: Joe Jr., Danny, Ray, George and Lorna. The Tarabinis had been married for over 69 years before Joe passed away in 2022.

An avid tennis player, Joe joined Walden and then became an avid golfer. When Joe and Nita lived in Independence, Joe would come to Walden as often as he could to golf. He tried to talk Nita into moving to Walden but she did not want to move.

About six years after joining Walden and trying to convince Nita to move here, she agreed to come and take

a look with Manny. They looked at lots and gave Manny a check as a deposit. When they went home, Nita changed her mind! Another year later, Nita said she felt sorry for Joe because he was driving to Waden so often to golf, so she agreed to come and meet with Manny again, who never cashed their check, and start all over again. They finally chose a lot and created plans with Manny. Their home on the lake was built in Deer Island 32 years ago.

Nita ended up loving Walden. She enjoyed spending a lot of time at the Club and participating in different activities there. One of the things she enjoyed the most was having lunch

followed by ice cream at the Club. She said that she and Joe did that with friends very often. They were also in a card club at the Club.

Joe continued to golf as much as he could. He was happy to see Nita trying golf for a couple of years, but it wasn't her thing.

Every Saturday, Joe and Nita would go to dinner at the Club with a group of friends. Nita continues to do that with their friends and looks forward to that.

Nita enjoys the landscaping and trees in Walden and the upkeep of the grounds. “When you drive in, it looks so beautiful,” she says.

These days, she also spends a lot of time with her “little buddy,” her granddog Tommy. They take walks together and he likes to follow her around the house all day long.

Nita is thankful that Joe was able to finally convince her to move to Walden 32 years ago.

Nita with her late husband, Joe.

Nita with her "little buddy," Tommy.

“When we walk, we naturally go to the fields and woods: what would

us, if we walked only in a garden or a mall?”

— Henry David Thoreau

“Love Displayed”

Love Displayed… The sun shines through The earth renews

The world repeats His promises are true. Love Displayed.

Photo by Captured Moments by Liz Roberto

Original song lyrics to chorus by Marsha Newman