So I thought I’d overshare for a bit, given that the sold-out audience was limited to about 700 folks at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium. That leaves thousands of TEDxCLE virgins remaining, all of whom deserve to hear, first-hand, if it was everything I’d hoped for.

Short version: If I hadn’t stopped smoking cigarettes nearly 22 years ago, I would have had one when the event ended.

Long version: There are so many ways to slice and dice this, and I’m an overthinker as it is, so let’s do it like this:

I moved to Cleveland for graduate school – that joint degree in law and social work which I thought would lead me to juvenile court, truly. That’s what I wanted to be – a juvenile court judge. And so when I landed a clerk position in juvenile court after my first year of law school but before my first year of social work school, I felt like the luckiest person.  I was placed in the courtroom of a brand new judge in the late spring of 1989, the courtroom of Peter Sikora.

How many people know or recall that he was in the courtroom in Playhouse Square? Yup. That’s where I went – I took the bus. Every day.

Although the first thing most people may have noticed about Peter was that he was in a wheel chair, I remember what I consider to be an iconic smile. I think of how he used his hands and his chair and seemed about as mobile as an Olympic athlete.  And what seems so ironic about that is that indeed if he hadn’t had the trampoline injury he suffered at age 17, maybe he would have been.

I got to see all kinds of sides of Cleveland because of meeting Peter, who I actually had a really hard time calling anything other than Judge Sikora – because that’s who he was to me.  Dining places, social gathering places, people – all totally utterly emblematic of Cleveland, which he always always loved, just loved – at least that’s the impression I believe he gave nearly everyone.

I met his family members many, many times – his mother may she rest in peace and sibling and nieces and nephews. Then the other people in the courtroom – it was like a family in many ways, the good and the bad.

Two people I remember very well meeting I believe even the first summer I was invited to view July 4th fireworks from near his West side home: Jimmy Dimora and Bill Denihan. And for years after, I would always think when they were in the news, “Yeesh – those guys? They seemed like they’d been around a lot when I met them in 1989!”

I remember his runs for office and the campaigning – the events. I recall very well the ethnic events he organized, at least a couple of times if not more than that held in Playhouse Square venues, full.

Something about him made me be loyal as a friend and we remained in touch for years after I graduated from law and social work school – but not after I spent more time in juvenile court working in the diagnostic clinic and clerking for other attorneys who had cases in juvenile court and when I was at Bellefaire – not a lot of occasions but a few to get there.

Peter never ever wanted or for as long as I knew him engendered pity of any kind – I certainly never felt pity for him in the least. And the reason I believe is because he presented and acted so clearly like a judge, using all his faculties and then some, compensating perhaps – I don’t know. But I never felt he had any deficits when it came to his work. Disagreements – arguments – policy and otherwise? Sure – with people in the court and beyond like the attorneys or family members in his courtroom? I’m sure.

But nothing I ever detected that made me regard him as anything other than a role model for how to make a difference in the life of young people – something I’ve always wanted to do.

For 23 years, this man was a juvenile court judge.  I imagine there are many people who cannot imagine what that must be like.  But thank God there are good, smart, caring people willing to not just imagine but be that, through thick and thin, for so long, even with higher aspirations because why not.

As we say in Judaism, may he be of blessed memory. I called my parents who met him several times over the years and would often ask about whether they might get to see him when they came to town and I said to my mother, I think I just can’t believe he is gone.  I think I’m going to feel that way for a long time.

And don’t forget locally – tons of judicial races and our County Prosecutor.

Here’s the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website where you can see a ballot before you go so you don’t choke up.

NOW GO VOTE!

Here in Northeast Ohio, Monday morning shattered when news of a high school junior shooting several of his schoolmates started streaming into my inbox via news alerts.

At 8:18 a.m., I read: Breaking News: Report: Geauga County Sheriff’s Department and OSHP heading to Chardon High School (the original item isn’t even there anymore, there’ve been so many updates)

I didn’t have to read another word before saying the trifecta out loud to an empty house, “G-ddamnit. Shit. Fuck.”

Even as I write this, my stomach cramps up, my lower lids fill up and I bite my lip drawing in a huge sigh.

I thought that the first thing I’d write about in this post would be about what we know. But ha. Really — just ha. Because I also think about all that we don’t know. And what of either category simply doesn’t matter?

For anyone wanting to keep up or catch up, so far, the best source for information has been the Cleveland Plain Dealer and you can find all their reports on the Chardon shooting here. I’ve heard multiple news outlets congratulate them throughout the week, and I’d say they’re deserving.

Read my full post here. Many thanks to BlogHer.com for letting me contribute there.

The Following election poll was conducted over a seven day period from February 20 – 27, contacting 3200 likely primary voters of each major party, divided equally over the 16 congressional districts.   All calls were made in person, to landline phone numbers researched on whitepages.com, from registered voter lists supplied by the Secretary of State:

Ohio U.S. Senate Republican Primary Polling
Name            TOTAL        Men         Women         Under 50      Over 50
Dodt                 1%           1%             0%               0%             1%
Glisman            23%         15%            32%              17%           24%
Gregory             3%           5%             2%               5%             6%
Mandel             17%         20%           14%              22%           13%
Pryce                6%           9%             4%               4%             6%
Undecided         50%         50%           48%              52%            50%

Take a look at that undecided number!

Ohio’s open primary system means that its large portion of voters who identify as independents, and women in particular, can really affect the outcome of this race.  Turnout is notoriously low for primaries – I heard yesterday on one of the cable shows that it can average just 10-20% nationwide for the presidential primary race. Ouch.

Donna Glisman – you go girl! I don’t know a thing about her, I’m not voting a Republican ballot and I do know who I’m supporting in November – but I always like seeing women run.  Check out her League of Women Voters’ information here.

I won’t be voting for any of these candidates in the primary or the general, but for those of you who really want to vote for a Republican, you clearly do not need to follow the narrative that because Josh Mandel has the money, he has the win.

Go be civic and really make your vote count on March 6 – whichever way that goes for you.

Here’s the link.  Read more about what might be said here.

Definitely check out the cleveland.com comment thread – be sure you’re sitting down, even if you’re used to the tone they sometimes take on.  And also browse this comment thread on Connie Schultz’s Facebook page.

Folks, we have a long, long way to go.  If this cause inspires you, please check out Name It Change It, an effort to catalogue and call out, on a non-partisan basis as you will see from the examples, just how rampant the sexism is, especially when politics is involved.

However, into the fray went my colleague, Dan Moulthrop, at the Civic Commons where he is moderating a fantastic online forum with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Candidates.  This forum is a SUPERB way to interact DIRECTLY with people who want to be elected to office. They want to be your public servant, you better believe they should be engaging in the public & this forum does that.

Today is the last day so please go read & ask and comment. It’s your county and your vote.

No surprise, it’s about the wills and the will nots – as in, will merge/consolidate/collaborate/partner/share versus the will not merge, collaborate, partner, share.  Please strike up a conversation there – the commentary upon which it’s based expresses feelings a lot of folks have expressed. We need to get this all out there so we can move forward.