A New Look at Cleveland, Ohio ~ My Town!

Okay I am a native of this wonderful city but lately I have been looking at her with a totally different eye and seeing things I've never really looked at before, and in some cases never seen before. During a recent walk at lunchtime I pulled out my phone and took a picture of this statue.

Fountain of Eternal Life

No big deal you may say, but what I realized after snapping the photo was I had no clue what this statue was called. Today I know the name of the statue and according to Wikipedia this is the story behind this interesting structure:

The Fountain of Eternal Life, also known as the War Memorial Fountain and Peace Arising from the Flames of War, is a statue and fountain in Cleveland, Ohio designed by Cleveland Institute of Art graduate^[1] Marshall Fredericks and dedicated on May 30, 1964. The sculpture, which serves as the city's major memorial to its citizens that served in World War II, is situated on Memorial Plaza, which is part of the Cleveland Mall.

The fountain was initiated and promoted by the Cleveland Press, which raised $250,000 in donations from private citizens and various organizations for the project. The centerpiece is a 35-foot (10.7 m) bronze figure representing man escaping from the flames of war and reaching skyward for eternal peace. The bronze sphere from which the figure rises represents the earth. Four granite carvings, representing the geographic civilizations of the world, are placed around the sphere. On the surface of the polished granite rim surrounding the fountain are bronze plates bearing the names of 4,177^[2] Greater Clevelanders who perished in WWII and in the Korean War. Following a complete restoration during the construction of an underlying parking garage in connection with the neighboring Key Tower, the memorial was rededicated on Veterans Day in 1991.^[3]

 Another great find while walking downtown was this beautiful branch of KeyBank. It is located in the Key Tower, but I suppose since I don't bank there I had never had a reason to go inside. This particular day I was with a friend who needed to make a deposit. I was floored when I saw just where the tellers were located. Take a peek. Isn't that awesome? Sites like these further solidify my belief that we should not always look for new to be the next best thing.