Cleveland's Botanical Garden, located in University Circle, was founded in 1930, primarily as a library of gardening books.

Today, the Garden's exhibits includes a Costa Rica Cloud Forest, a Lily Pond (pictured at right), a Rose Garden, and a Children's Gardens, complete with a tree house and watery bog, one of the few such gardens in the United States. The Garden's exhibits are particularly lovely this time of year.

Join me for a spring walk through Cleveland's Botanical Garden.


^{(Photo © 2006 S. Mitchell; Licensed to About, Inc.)}

Ohio has more than 70 Indian mounds, burial sites of the Adena and Hopewell tribes--the "mound builders"--who inhabited central and southern Ohio from roughly 3000 BC until the 16th century.

Many of these sites are open to the public, including the dramatic and fascinating Serpent Mound (pictured above). Some even have museums and visitors centers accompanying them. Visiting Ohio's Indian mounds makes an interesting and educational summer weekend sidetrip from Cleveland.

^{(US Gov't Photo)}

Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May) is a day of celebration for Mexicans all over the world. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the Mexican Independence Day (that's September 16). Rather it commemorates the brave Mexican soldiers that fought against Napoleon's French troops in the mid-19th century.

These days, Cinco de Mayo is an occasion for a feast, music, and dance. In Cleveland, try Luchita's on W. 117th St. or in Elyria, Mentor, and Hudson; Zocalo on Cleveland's East Fourth Street; or Momocho on Fulton Avenue in Ohio City.

To Learn More About Cinco de Mayo, read:

• The Origins of Cinco de Mayo
• Recipes for a Cinco de Mayo Feast
• Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

^{(Photo © J. Former/istockphoto)}

Allison Krause
Jeffrey Miller
Sandra Scheuer
William Shroeder

We will never forget.



___________________

For those of us of a "certain age," the events of May 4, 1970 helped to mold who we would become as adults. Like the Kennedy assassination before and 9/11 afterwards, many of us know exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard about the shootings that day at Kent State University. If any good could come of such a tragedy, it would be that it made an entire generation more politically aware, socially conscious, and more attuned to current events, government, the abuse of power, and its consequences. Let us never forget those lessons.

Several events are planned on campus this year to honor the four students that died that May afternoon, including a candlelight vigil May 3 from 1030pm to 1224pm on Saturday, the time that shots rang out on the Commons. A commemoration program will also be held from noon to 2pm on the Commons. To read more about this year's events and the tragedy at Kent State May 4, 1970, see www.may4.org and the May 4 Task Force.

^{(Photo courtesy of Kent State University)}