Moses Cleaveland left here 200 years ago, shortly after he arrived, and he apparently didn't miss the place at all.

He never came back.

But what the heck, the town was named after him anyway (and never mind that along the way the "a" in Moses's name got dumped from the town name.

And many others who leave certainly do miss the place.

Richard Vinson left Cleveland about 30 years ago. He now lives in Phoenix. He came back "home" last year, and says, "I was very impressed with the wonderful things that are presently going on. Keep up the good work."

It was 20 years ago, when Daniel Boggs left town. He's in Indianapolis now.

"Cleveland is my hometown," he writes, "and I miss family and the people of Cleveland very much."

Well, Richard, in the short time since your last visit, "...the good work" has continued. And Dan, we miss you, too.

So, come on home!

The message the Cleveland Bicentennial Commission is trying to get out to all former Clevelanders (yes, and everyone else, too) is, "We're 200; we're celebrating; we want you here!"

To get those who used to live here back here, a whole series of special bicentennial events has been and is being planned from before Labor Day through Thanksgiving weekend.

Aug. 24-25: National City Triathlon. Ten years ago, it began with fewer than 300 athletes. This year, more than 3,000 top athletes from as many as 60 countries are expected to swim, bike and run in what is now the Triathlon Word Chapionship. The 1.5K swim in Lake Erie is followed by an eight-lap, 40K criterium-style cycle course around Cleveland Stadium, and ends with a 4-lap, 10K run finishing on Lakeside Avenue.

The two racing days (the professional race is Saturday with Junior and Age Group and other races Sunday) are preceded by three days of Expo exhibitions, entertainment, speakers, parade and parties.

If a swim-cycle-run combination of physical torture doesn't sound like fun-and-games to you, then you might want to content yourself with the party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Sunday night.

The National City Triathlon office: (216)-575-2525.

Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Cleveland National Air Show. This year, in the city that once was called, "The Laboratory of the Air," the Air Show honors Cleveland's role in aviation history. Featured will be re-enactment of the first woman's air derby here in 1929. Plans still are in the works for that and for a special tribute to Cleveland and aviation by the famous Blue Angels acrobatic jet team.

Other weekend "homecoming" specials are in planning.

The whole gee-whiz series of spectaculars is capped off Thanksgiving weekend with the annual holiday lighting on Public Square, Nov. 29, and the homecoming parade, Saturday afternoon, Nov. 30.

A couple of footnotes here:

Moses Cleaveland and Tom Johnson (the Public Square statues) have gotten bicentennial facelifts of a chemical to give the gentlemen bronze coloring.

And, putting that homecoming parade together is Paul Olingy. Olingy lives here now, and is recognized as a parade expert. For several years, he was with the Orange Bowl Parade creative team; last baseball season, on short notice, he pulled together the Cleveland Indians championship parade.

There'll be much more on Cleveland Bicentennial Homecoming events with the firming up of more plans.

Meanwhile, a chain letter (hold on, now! It's not that kind of chain letter) is moving around the country from Clevelanders inviting friends and relatives who are former Clevelanders (yes, and anyone else who can make it here) to "Come on home for the party."

The big birthday bash of last month around the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock Hall at North Coast Harbor, and by the Cuyahoga in the Flats is over, and the party-goers have gone home (at least, we believe all of them have gone home).

But, they haven't blown out the candles yet.

OTHER BICENTENNIAL STORIES by John Herrington

RETURN TO Cleveland, The New American City

CLEVELAND BICENTENNIAL home page

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