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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE December 2, 2005

ROGRESSIVE

REAL

P

ESTATE

URBAN

INC

Not Your Typical

Real Estate Company

OPEN SATURDAY DECEMBER 3

OHIO CITY: 11:30-2p 3107 Clinton Townhomes of Ohio City. Taking luxury living to a new level with 2+ BRS, 3.5 BAs, 3,000 SF floor plan, 2-car grg, gourmet kit w/granite, hdwd flrs, 2 rf decks w/views. Tax abatement, special financing. From the upper $400's

OPEN SUNDAY DECEMBER 4 DOWNTOWN: 12-4p Stonebridge Condominiums 1500 Old Detroit (near swing bridge in Flats). New construc. w/amazing views. Lg windows, hdwd flrs avail, tax abatement & special financing. Over 85% SOLD! 1 BR units from $139,900, 2 BR $179,000

DOWNTOWN: 2-4p The Pointe at Gateway 750 Prospect Ave.. Walk to House of Blues! 1 BR condos w/lg wndws, hdwd flrs & ceramic tile under $100K. 2 BR, 2 BA condos w/walk-in closets in the low $100s. Tax abatement & special financing!

SAINT LUKES: 2-4p 11507 MLK Dr. St. Luke's Pointe (E. 115 & MLK) Near Shaker Sq, a new neigh. of single-family hms & twnhses. 2-3 BRs, 2.5 BAs, skyline views. Tax abatement, spec. financing. From $154,900.

EUCLID: 2-4p 1777 E. 230 $129,900 4 BR 1.5 BA Bung, professionally redone! Hdwd firs, 1-car gar, spacious yd.

SOUTH EUCLID: 12-2p 1500 S. Belvoir $184,900 4 BR 2 BA Col w/lg rms, library w/built-ins, eat-in kit.

TREMONT: 2:30-4:30p 2393 Tremont A&B, 2397 Tremont $249,900 -$329,900 3 New construct Tremont Commons twnhms w/2 BR 1.5-2.5 BAs, 2-car gar, 1st flr flex space, perfect for live/work, maple cabs, vaulted MBR, tax abatement. TREMONT: 2-4p 2319 W. 11 $174,900 2 BR 2 BA Bung w/updated kit, hdwd, vaulted ceils.

TREMONT: 2-4p 2327 W. 11 $164,900 3 BR 2 BA Bung w/hdwd firs, steps away from Lincoln Pk.

TREMONT: 12-2p 1015 Literary $249,900 4 BR 2.5 BA Renov'd Col. All new mechs & finishes. Hdwd flrs, stainless appl's. REDUCED! OHIO CITY: 2-4p 1932 W. 52 $159,900 3 BR 2 BA Renov'd Col w/maple cabs, appl's incl, 2-car garage. DETROIT SHWY: 2-4p 5807 Bridge. Bridge Square Townhomes Phase III, new construction w/eye-catching exterior design, 1-2 car grg. 2-3 BRs, 2.5-3.5 BAs, maple cabinets, generous allowances, tax abatement and special financing. Starting at $189,900. CLEVE WEST: 2-4p 1211 W. 69 $304,900 2 BR 2.5 BA Belvedere Twnhs w/stunning views. Walk to Edgewater Park! WEST PARK: 2-4p 4507, 4519, 4521 W. 193 $188,900-$200,900 Puritas Park new construct townhms. Lg wrap-around front porch, eat-in kit w/all appl's. Lots of storage, 1st flr laundry. 15 yr abatement. Many add'l options/upgrades available. Near Metroparks.

NEW! and REDUCED!

NEW! DOWNTOWN: $116,900 1 BR 1 BA Grand Arcade Condo w/hdwd firs. Twrminal Tower view Tax abatement thru '08. NEW! DOWNTOWN: $138,900 1 BR 1 BA Grand Arcade Condo w/breathtaking views. Stainless steel appl's, hdwd firs, upgrades. NEW! CLEVE EAST: $68,000 5 BR 2 BA Col can be modified for 2family Rehab funds available.

NEW! TREMONT: $69,000 3 BR 2 BA Col near Tremont neighborhood Great investment.

NEW! DETROIT SHWY: $79,500 2 BR 1 BA Col w/new furn & H20 tank Near Eco Village & RTA.

R

20

evening'sout

ANNIVERSARY The bittersweet bird of youth

EAST: 216.397-5607 07. WEST: 216.619.9696

Why we're different...

We are skilled professionals that live where we work and promote neighborhood living.

We specialize in sales of existing homes, condos and new construction.

In honor of our 20th Anniversary, Progressive Urban invites you to participate in our Dream Home In the City Contest. Describe, in 200 words or less, your dream home in Cleveland. The home you describe does not need to be

an existing home. For contest poster & prize information please visit our website.

NEW! CLEVE WEST: $83,500 5 BR 1 BA Col great for first time buyer or investor. Great location.

NEW! CLEVE EAST: $169,900 2 BR 1 BA. Huge space w/lots of nat'l light! New wndws. 12 yr tax abatement.

NEW! BRUNSWICK: $109,900 2 BR 1.5 BA Bank-owned Ranch

is a great opportunity for Laurel Hills buyer.

NEW! NORTH COLLINWOOD: $229,900 3 BR 1.5 BA Lakefront Col w/2 add'l lots! Spectacular views.

NEW! CLEVE HTS: $349,900 4BR 2.3 BA Brick Col w/gracious foyer, formal DR, Euro kit, screened porch, hdwd firs.

NEW! TREMONT: $120,000 3 BR 1 BA Bung in desired location. Kit appl's stay. Near library, park & eateries. REDUCED! DOWNTOWN: $609,900 3 BR 3 BA 3-story Stonebridge Penthouse w/dwntwn lake & river views. 1st fir hdwds, granite ctrtps.

REDUCED! DOWNTOWN: $549,900 3 BR 2.5 BA 3-story Stonebridge Penthouse w/amazing views. Open fir plan, hdwd flrs, 3rd flr wet bar.

REDUCED! NORTH ROYALTON: $234,900 3 BR 2.5 BA Col w/priv deck. Cer tile, wet bar in bsmt.

REDUCED! CLEVE EAST: $83,000 3 BR 1.5 Ba Col w/security sys, new gutters, unfin'd brick addition.

REDUCED! TREMONT: $169,900 3 BR 1 BA side x side w/nat'l wdwk, oak firs, separate bsmt. Many updates.

REDUCED! TREMONT: $89,900 Clean double w/ 2 BR 1 BA up and down. Great investment opp.

REDUCED! LAKEWOOD: $134,900 Nice dbl w/2 BR 1 BA ea unit. New roof & ext. paint. Hdwd firs, nat wdwk. 2-car gar. REDUCED! CLEVE EAST: $92,000 3 BR 1 BA Col w/built-ins, fresh exterior paint, new dishwasher & H20 tank. REDUCED! OHIO CITY: $344,900 2 BR 2 BA Fries & Schuele condo. 2-story PH w/views. Wet bar, fir-to-ceil wndws. REDUCED! CLEVE EAST: $58,000 Double needs work but has potential to be a great money maker.

REDUCED! BROOKLYN: $79,900 Great investment property on wooded street. Separate utilities.

www.progressiveurban.com

family holiday

on

Ice

Take a skate break

with "family" before the holiday rush begins!

Sunday, December 4th 2:00pm 3:45pm

Dispatch Ice Haus (AT NATIONWIDE ARENA)

Tickets available at the door: $10 adults, $5 youth and seniors (TICKET PRICE INCLUDES SKATE RENTAL) All are welcome!

Stories of childhood and adolescence take flight in these books

by Anthony Glassman

Adults have a tendency to forget how stressful being young really is.

They lose track of all the times they wished they were adults already, that magical time when they would have revenge on the bullies, get dates, drive nice cars, stay up as late as they want.

Somewhere in between having those dreams and having those dreams shattered, the memories of being an outsider dim, vanish in a haze of getting up early for work, stopping by Starbucks even though you support fair trade and mom-and-pop shops but it's on the way to the office.

Paying bills fills the mindscape where once unicorns frolicked about with that cute redhead in second period health class. CNN's reality of death and destruc-

first came to the United States to live with her that, in order for prayers to be answered, they had to be written in the form of letters. She sent letters to God. He sent them to Montgomery Clift, who he saw flickering on the television screen as he watched old movies.

Unfortunately for Bong Bong, Clift seems no more interested in answering his letters than God does Auntie Yuna's.

Living with an alcoholic who has sex with her landlord to pay the rent doesn't help the young man, and he winds up in the foster care system, where he begins a descent into mental illness.

All throughout his young life, however, he prays/writes for the same thing: He wants to find his mother, who sent him away from an oppressive regime to find freedom in the United States.

tion takes the place of Sesame MONTGOMERY Street's fantasy of accep-

tance and togetherness.

Adulthood sucks.

Of course, so does childhood. For evidence, just look to literature.

Kathe Koja, who has proved herself far more than the enfant terrible of horror fiction (as she was billed almost 15 years ago when she first rose

to fame) with a slew of novels over the last decade and a half.

The most recent of these is Talk (Frances Foster Books, $16, hardcover), which splits its time between the point of view of Kit, a gay teenager who tries out for the school play to

Talk

help him come out of his shell, and that of Lindsay, the grand dame of his high school's theater department, who stars in all the shows.

Kit, surprisingly, is cast as the male lead in a challenging play dealing with government control, longing, and transgression. Lindsay falls for Kit, but her love is more for her reflection in Kit's eyes. Kit, meanwhile, is in love with a tennis-playing, jazz-making, openly gay older student.

When the school bars the play from its grounds after a protest organized by the mother of Lindsay's ex-boyfriend, tensions start to mount as the master actress cannot separate Kit from his role and gets lost in that reflection she saw earlier.

Koja's novel is intended for "young adults." However, a certain 32-year-old reviewer found that the book held his interest at least as well as any book on his shelf, a testament to the author's skill.

Despite the bullying he faces and Lindsay's betrayal when he comes out, Kit has it easy compared to Bong Bong Luwad, sent as a boy from his home in the Marcos-era Philippines to live with his aunt in the United States.

Noël Alumit's Letters to Montgomery Clift (MacAdam Gage, $25, hardcover, and Alyson, $13.95, paper) tells Bong Bong's story in a heartbreaking first-person narrative, interspersed with letters to a long-dead actor.

Bong Bong's Auntie Yuna told him when he

In trying to find her, left behind years ago in a far-off country, he might find his redemption. What is far more certain is that, if he can find his mother, he can find her redemption.

Loose End

Chiropractic Health Services, Inc.

Pn

lap { Cayeta

iting his audience.

Letters to Montgomery Clift is Alumit's first, and thus far only, novel, although he keeps busy with his one-man shows The Rice Room: Scenes from a Bar and Master of the (Miss) Universe. He would do a far greater service to the LGBT community were he to write more fiction, which can be distributed more widely, than sticking to the stage and lim-

Ivan E. Coyote's Loose End (Arsenal Pulp Press, $14.95, paper) is anything but that. As usual, her writing is touching, to-the-point and involving.

While not all of her stories deal with childhood, there are some astonishing portraits of youth in this collection. From a sixyear-old tomboy who scopes the author as a lesbian while her mother believes Coyote to be a young man, to her godson whose uneasy toeing of gender lines is mandated by the bullies at school, the only way to describe Coyote's work is through the clichés that are never present within it: "I laughed, I cried." She can evoke so much emotion in such small bites of literature, it's amazing.

Coyote's own youth is often discussed in her writing, which fluidly traverses the line between autobiography and fiction. The author herself is as fluid as her work, playing with gender roles as much as she can.

Her usual style of dress is very masculine, yet she is mostly female-identified. Being a tomboy from the Yukon perhaps gave her a different kind of freedom than she would have had were she raised in a more urban setting. Apparently, in the Yukon, fathers can be proud of butch daughters who like to work on engines.

Going to Vancouver and getting called a faggot or a "fucking dyke" illustrates that not everywhere is home, even when that is where you make your home.

But what stands out the most is her examination of youth—hers, her godson's, the girl in the first story. It is in Ivan Coyote's writing that the magic of youth truly shines through all the hardship that accompanies it.

Profits equally benefit

the following community

BRAVO

BRAVER

organizations

E

stone wall

EQUALITY OHIO

Skating assistance provided by "Ohio Mayhem with the Ohio Gay Hockey Association.

For questions Contact Stonewall Columbus at 614 930 2262 or Equality Ohio at Lynne@Dequalityohio org

DAVID A. BUDNY, D.C. 16900 DETROIT AVE LAKEWOOD, OHIO 44107 216-228-6622

Dedicated to your wellness