It is sometimes difficult to wax poetic (poetical?) about things around here...

But, there is the beauty of the changing colors in the trees to nourish the poetic soul... and never mind having to rake the things up!

And there are the pleasant present temperatures of this moderate clime that follow so closely the mild summer when it didn't reach even 90 degrees. That is stuff on which the poet's mind can dwell... and never the questions about "How nasty will the winter be after a summer like that?"

And there still are songbirds who sing sweet songs.

And never mind the tortured tunes when the fabled fat lady sings!

Around these parts, the fat lady's vocal chords have gotten a real workout of late.

That's not a very cheery greeting (but, hey! the wax poetic stuff was pretty good, wasn't it?) but welcome anyway to these bits of news, notes and nonsense about Cleveland (and environs), its citizens (present, past, and future), its visitors (present, past and future), and anyone else who chooses to read these Cleveland-centered comments.

Okay-- back to the fat lady.

Yogi Berra gets a lot of credit for that quote, or for something similar ("It ain't over till it's over")... but a sports guy, a broadcaster/writer named Dan Cook, may have used it first in April, 1978, during the first game of a Spurs-Bullets basketball series.

Then, of course, there is the fat lady in that funny helmet-kind-of-headdress who does sing to end the opera... (doesn't she?)

For the Cleveland Indians, she began warming up that last Thursday night in September: 44 degrees at 10:56 p.m., extra innings and the Indians lost to Minnesota, 4 to 3. Her vocal apparatus well oiled, the fat lady finally sang a few days later when the Tribe was knocked out of the American League wild card race.

The fat lady has not yet sung over the Cleveland Browns season... but, she's practicing.

Even more distressing is the aria the fat lady belted out for The Cleveland-San Jose Ballet.

Just at the beginning of the 25th anniversary season, the ballet suspended operations: not enough money to continue.

Dancers, costumes, etc. went to San Jose. Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley began.

And the city that built athletic edifices of note would not support an artistic endeavor of note.

A footnote on notes: one of the high notes of Cleveland jazz, Hank Geer, died recently. He was 78.

Joe Mosbrook, a local authority on all things jazz locally, wrote of Geer (born Henry D. Gerspacher) in his Jazzed in Cleveland series (Part 28, 'The Campus Owls') and in his book, Cleveland Jazz History (Page 35; 'Hank Geer Remembers Tommy Dorsey').

Some other lines on writing... and on death:

The Cleveland Plain Dealer, being the city's only major daily newspaper, is in a position much like the 800-pound gorilla: so big he can sit wherever he wants to, and be called whatever he wants to be called... and etcetera ad infinitum with the 800-pound gorilla jokes.

But in the past few days, another image has emerged: that gorilla clinging to the top of the tower and doing a swatting routine (à la King Kong) at the pesky types flying about him with more questions about the newspaper's reporting of the Joel Rose story, and the former broadcast celebrity's suicide that followed that reporting.

In the same week, Cleveland's two alternative newspapers printed major pieces that again look at The Plain Dealer's journalistic integrity in this situation.

And, a national magazine that is a heavy hitter in the newswatch business, Brill's Content, raised questions in its five-page article (November, 2000, edition) under the one-word headline, "Overkill."

One of the bigger questions came in the Cleveland Free Times article ("Still Searching for Clues" by David Morton; published Oct. 4-10) that reported the possibility of another suspect or other suspects, besides Joel Rose, in the investigation. Morton says, "The PD was present to hear prosecutor's arguments (against unsealing documents in the case) involved in the Rose case, in part by saying that there could be another suspect." Morton writes that "The PD was present to hear prosecutor's arguments, but ignored the matter in its pages."

A footnote: another part of Walter Lippmann's talk with the International Press Institute Assembly in London-- don't ask the year; it doesn't matter; content does-- was:

One might want to read that quote a couple of times.

The Plain Dealer's relatively new editor, Douglas Clifton, continues to defend the paper's reporting. Some don't agree.

[You can find part of that argumentation by buying (or picking up free copies) Brill's Content, and The Free Times, and Cleveland Scene, or at their websites:

• www.brillscontent.com

• www.freetimes.com (Oct. 4-10; "Still Searching for Clues)

• www.clevescene.com (Oct. 5; "Death of a Newsman" and "The Unusual Suspect")

Those articles are informative, even if you care for nothing more than background on the still-pending investigation. No charges have been filed. DNA and other tests have not indicated that Rose is "guilty."]

And, as of this writing, the 800-pound gorilla hasn't roared (or even growled) about the articles.

Perhaps the King-Kong-swatting-at-attackers image is overplayed. Perhaps the 800-pound gorilla believes, "If I ignore 'em, they'll go away." And, perhaps, they will.

Or not.

Things theatrical:

A musical version of Eliot Ness came to town. Most of the critics (including the local daily's critic, Tony Brown) didn't like it much. But, at least one (Art Thomas at the suburban WestLife paper) "...really enjoyed... the first-rate cast and innovative design elements (that) combine to give an intriguing look at a Cleveland legend and icon."

Rebecca McFarland liked it, too. She is THE resident authority on all-things Ness! Her one-woman-show talks on the ultimate "Untouchable" are terrific!

Parade came to town. Mr. Brown, of the local daily, liked it a lot; Mr. Thomas wrote that it "falls short of its goals."

Cabaret plays the Palace Theatre from November 7-19... Tony and Tina's Wedding has gotten rave notices at the Hanna Theatre and runs through April 1 (at least)... and, of course, "The World's Most Popular Musical" plays the State Theatre November 1-12. (Oh, well, if you have to ask, it's Les Miserables.)

And, with the timeless refrain, "Do you hear the people sing? Say do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes! Tomorrow comes!"

Ah, well... one does give in to waxing poetic sometimes, doesn't one?

Peace today and when tomorrow comes!