B-14 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE Pride Guide 2006

Join Arktos for fun, friendship and Bears in the Woods

by Chuck Phillips

Cleveland-The Arktos Bear Club is one of northeastern Ohio's oldest social bear clubs, formed in 1989. Arktos raises money through its charitable efforts for AIDS organizations within northeastern Ohio's LGBT community. Meetings are held every third Sunday of the month.

Arktos is a group of gay men who have joined together with a mutual interest in the gay bear community. Members share an

acceptance and pride in being gay, the understanding of the tenuousness of life and the desire to live it in a full and rich way. They have a willingness to work together to contribute to the club and community.

The purposes of the club is to provide a social outlet for members, to promote friendships and become a force in the LGBT community while supporting other worthwhile

causes.

The club's annual run, Bears in the Woods XII, is August 12-14 at Camp Davis in Boyers,

Pa., about 40 miles east of Youngstown. The run is a camping weekend for bears, cubs, and their admirers, sponsored by Arktos.

For more information about Arktos and club meetings visit the website http:// www.Arktos-online.com or e-mail webmaster@Arktos-online.com.

There are also other resources for bears and their admirers in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

The Ohiobears2 Yahoo group is an online forum for information, event listings, news,

and for men to meet men within Ohio and abroad. With over 1,400 members in its membership, it has become a great resource to help bring news and information on the Ohio bear community.

Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ ohiobears2 to join.

There is also the Cleveland Bears, www.clevelandbears.org, or the Columbus Ursine Brotherhood, www.columbus bears.org.

Chuck Phillips is the webmaster and event co-organizer for Arktos.

Victorian opulence magnificently restored in Ohio City

101

Unbelievably gorgeous skyline views from beautiful lakefront homes

The serene, sophistication of Neo-Industrial Architecture at Lake Pointe

Two-story units in the Joshua Hall Building Downtown Gateway

Taking pride

in who we are and what we do.

Gorgeous homes.

Great locations.

Reinventing the condo at Fries & Schuele

at Market Square

Elegant living in Edgewater Park

A Civil War era mansion in

Ohio City

Regards from Dashiel tool

GLSEN chapter now has 30county scope

by Mika Major

Cleveland-The city's chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network has made significant changes this year. First of all, the name was changed from GLSEN Cleveland to GLSEN Northeast Ohio to reflect the wider influence the chapter expects to demonstrate.

JCU.EDU

Second, taking this on means that over 30 counties will be targeted to receive outreach and support. This was in response to the overall commitment to embrace the struggles of our rural students and faculty and support the progress many rural schools are making to create safer schools for LGBT students. This year's annual dinner on June 3 at Sweetwater

Landing in Lakewood will

also recognize the progress and contributions of

Jen Merritt

many students, faculty and allies to creating safer schools for children.

Among this year's Pathfinder award winners are John Carroll University assistant professor Jen Merritt, for commitment to include LGBT student issues in curriculum to educate future teachers; Cleveland State University student Willow Witt, an LGBT Community Activist; Carol Jaggars of Strongsville Schools for Educator Activist; and Erica Bohannon and Eric Meinhardt, both of Berea High School, for the Student Activist award.

The keynote will be presented by Lynne Bowman, executive director of Equality Ohio, addressing the statewide efforts occurring on behalf of our children.

The event begins at 6 pm, with entertainment provided by the North Coast Men's Chorus.

Sweetwater Landing is at 1500 Scenic Park Drive in the Rocky River Metropark; use the park entrance at the east end of the Detroit Road bridge and follow the signs to the marina.

For more information,

www.glsenneo.org.

go

to

Mika Major is the co-chair of GLSEN Northeast Ohio.

Jim Robinson

ABR, CRS, GRI

216-272-9284

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Absolute perfection in

Western Lakewood

joward

H

annan

SMYTHE CRAMER

jamesrobinson.howardhanna.com

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