A.J. Rocco's Bar will be hosting a viewing party from 7-9 pm for the Citizen Hauser video that will air at 8 pm on WVIZ (PBS). A.J. Rocco's is located at 812 Huron Road in the Caxton Building (across from the Winking Lizard near E.9th). Feel free to come early and and stay late.
If you cannot make it to the viewing party, please consider setting your television to WVIZ (PBS) on Thursday, January 19th at 8 pm, to watch Citizen Hauser. WVIZ will air this profile piece on Ed Hauser's efforts to preserve Whiskey Island as a parkland and a public recreational marina, on its Ideas program. The program will be aired again on Sunday morning, January 22nd, at 11 am.
Both, the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, eventually agreed that the Cleveland Metroparks should own and manage the Whiskey Island property and that the historic Coast Guard Station should be the terminus of the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.
The video was produced by local independent film makers Jonathan Shick and Ryan Rodriguez, with Blue Hole Productions. The video is unique both in its approach and subject matter as it directly highlights the struggle of one citizen participating in the public process to make Cleveland a better, more sustainable place to live. In addition, there are comments from local public officials including Tim Hagan, Jimmy Dimora, Peter Lawson Jones, Matt Zone, Paul Alsenas, and Chris Ronayne along with environmental activists Elaine Marsh and Peter Griesinger.
However, the battle for Whiskey Island may not be over, according to a quote in the Westside Sun News on January 12, 2006. John Carney, the port authority's incoming board chairman, said "We also have to get part of Whiskey Island and I think that will happen. While Wendy Park (on Whiskey Island) will stay a park, we plan to acquire the land we need from Cuyahoga County by (this) year."
Send your opinions and thoughts on the video by calling or emailing WVIZ at its websitefeedback box--http://www.wviz.org/feedback.aspx [1]