- The 216 Scoop
- Posts
- Trades, winter monsters, Devo, Parma hot dogs & a curse -- The Scoop!
Trades, winter monsters, Devo, Parma hot dogs & a curse -- The Scoop!
Together With
Good morning, Cleveland! Welcome to The 216 Scoop — your red-hot fix of Cavs trades, Winter Monsters, De-evolution, Parma hot dogs, and a curse that’s coming fast for you!
Don’t keep us a secret: Share the email with friends (copy URL here)
In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:
Cavs boost defense and scoring with big trade for De’Andre Hunter
Fuzzy, feisty monsters are coming to save us from winter… Kurentovanje!
Oh no, it’s Devo: Legendary Akron band is back for ‘50 Years of De-evolution’
Hard work is done. Now it’s all downhill for Cedar Point’s hot roller coaster
Parma Hot Dog Diner to stop barking. Will it find a new home?
John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura
🎉 Advertise with Us! 🎉
Get your brand in front of over 20,000 highly engaged Clevelanders every single week! Whether it’s boosting your visibility or driving traffic to your events, we’ve got you covered. Let’s connect you with an audience that’s excited about what’s happening in the 216.
📩 Reply to this email to get started today!
IN THE NEWS
Cavs boost defense and scoring with big trade for De’Andre Hunter
Photo courtesy NBA/Atlanta Hawks
It’s risky to make a trade when you’re doing well – and even riskier when you have the best record in your conference.
Of course, it’s less so when you’ve struggled against the teams that stand in your way of your ultimate goal: an NBA Championship.
The Cavs took the risk yesterday by trading for Atlanta forward De’Andre Hunter. In exchange, to Cavs sent Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to the Hawks, along with three second round picks and pick swaps.
Hunter, 27, has been a target for the team since he was picked by the Hawks fourth in the 2019 draft. (The Cavs took Darius Garland one pick higher that year.)
He satisfies a number of needs for Cleveland, which has been overmatched by teams with athletic, physical teams with wings – teams like Oklahoma City, Houston and Boston.
Hunter, 6-foot-8, isn’t a lockdown defender, but his size and length allow him to guard the opponent’s best perimeter players. He will be tasked with defending wings the Cavs will face in the playoffs: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Mikal, Andrew Wiggins and Paul George
The deal opens up a roster spot and saves Cleveland roughly $3.4. Hunter makes $21.7 million; Levert and Niang make $25.1 million combined.
The savings will put the Cavs under the NBA luxury cap threshold, which gives the flexibility to sign players who could get bought out in the coming days. Keep an eye out for Brooklyn Net Ben Simmons.
A MEESAGE FROM ACTIONHEAT
Stay Warm, Stay Active with ActionHeat!🔥⚡
Experience revolutionary battery-powered heating technology that keeps you comfortable in any weather. From gloves and socks to jackets and vests, our premium heated apparel delivers warmth where you need it most. Trusted by thousands with 4.5+ star ratings, ActionHeat's rechargeable battery systems power through winter's worst.
Whether you're commuting, hunting, or enjoying outdoor adventures, our versatile designs and professional-grade heating elements have you covered. With savings up to $110 on select items, there's never been a better time to transform your winter experience.
ActionHeat - Warmth Without Limits.
Fuzzy, feisty monsters are coming to save us from winter
Photos courtesy Kurentovanje Festival
Groundhogs are cute and all. Whispers of baseball’s arrival are dandy. But we need something ferocious to scare this frigid beast of a winter.
Summon those furry, scary Slovenian monsters to send old man winter into a nursing home.
Woohoo, Cleveland Kurentovanje is back for a 13th year. The eight-day festival culminates with one of the city’s most popular and colorful parades filled with clanging bells, laughs, beer, food, music.
Of course, there are also the stars of the parade: those fuzzy, feisty monsters adored in sheepskin costumes that hop up and down and all around to scare winter away.
They’re called kurenti – ancient, mythological Slovenian creatures who summon mythical powers to deliver us spring and fertility.
You see, Kurentovanje is a sort of Slovenian Mardi Gras, whose roots go back to pagan times. It’s also a celebration of ethnic and neighborhood pride.
Organizers are expecting to bring 100,000 people over eight days to the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, which was once the epicenter of the Slovenian community. In the middle of it all is Slovenian National Home, 6417 St. Clair Avenue, which will act as a hub during the festival.
Kurantovanje runs Friday Feb. 21 through Saturday March 1 and features a ‘Kurent Jump’ dance to rouse the monsters, a 5k run, wine tastings, movie screenings and a bus tour of iconic Slovenian spots.
The parade is the blowout finale and rolls out jumpy polkathons, hearty comfort food, folkloric dancers, three stages of live music and an army of fuzzy creatures out and about to save us from winter.
Even if they fail, there’s always a shot of slivovica to keep you warm. For a full schedule, go here.
Oh no, it’s Devo: Akron legends are back with ‘50 Years of De-evolution’
Photos courtesy Devo
In the 1970s, Devo preached an anti-Darwinian "de-evolution" concept that saw humans evolving backward.
Well, it looks like the legendary band Akron is looking back, also.
Break out those old yellow jump suits, red power domes and spud-boy antics… Devo has announced “50 Years of De-Evolution.”
The North American tour features 18 shows, including a Cleveland Masonic Auditorium stop on May 11.
“Join us as we celebrate five decades of de-evolution with a mind-melting live experience,” the band announced. “Expect high-energy performances, iconic visuals, and all your favorite anthems of de-evolution!”
In the ‘70s and ‘80s, the robotic rock band that parlayed anti-Darwinism into a pop phenomenon with songs like “Whip It,” “Girl U Want,” Uncontrollable Urge” and “Mongoloid.”
The concept of the band – Devo, short for de-evolution – goes back further. Co-founders Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis came up with idea of mankind devolving while attending Kent State University in the late-‘60s.
Hard work is done. Now it’s all downhill for Cedar Point’s highly-anticipated roller coaster
Photos courtesy Cedar Point
Get ready to get cursed. Construction crews have installed the Cedar Point tallest and most difficult to install section – the ‘tilt track’ -- of its much-hyped Siren’s Curse roller coaster.
It’s all downhill from here.
“This 45-ton, 61-foot-long section of track is the ride’s signature terrifying element,” said Cedar Point in a statement. It will teeter the coaster’s train into a 90-degree vertical position “before locking into place and releasing riders into the 2,966 feet of twisting track below.”
The tilt move will lasts 10 seconds to create maximum extension before shooting riders downward. Cedar Point also released a video that simulates the experience.
Siren’s Curse is billed as the fastest, tallest and longest tilt roller coaster in the U.S. and is expected to become a national attraction for the Sandusky amusement park. It’s expected to open early summer.
Cedar Point also announced that the much-anticipated Top Thrill 2 roller coaster will be ready for opening date, May 3.
The ride – a spin-off of the the park’s Top Thrill Dragster – opened in ’24, but closed eight days after opening due to mechanical issues.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LIFE LINE SCREENING
Take Control of Your Health Today! ❤️
Your health is your greatest asset—so why wait for symptoms to show up before taking action? Life Line Screening offers fast, affordable, and painless preventive screenings to help you stay ahead of potential health risks.
Here’s why it’s a game-changer:
✔️ Quick & Non-Invasive – No hospitals, no hassle. Just simple, accurate screenings.
✔️ Early Detection Matters – Identify risks for heart disease, stroke, and more before they become serious.
✔️ Convenient Locations – Screenings are available at local community centers near you.
Your future self will thank you for taking action today. Prioritize your health and book a screening now!
The 216 Rundown
Panty partyers go on mad dash for a good cause
Don’t judge people by the clothes they wear. It’s what’s underneath that counts. Come Saturday, they will all reveal themselves as more than a bit crazy.
Make way for the Cupid Undies Run.
Saturday, the annual event features half-naked people doing a mile run/walk to raise money to assist in research to find a cure for neurofibromatosis, a genetic tumor disorder that affects one in every 3,000 births.
Undies Run will take off at Draft Room at Huntington Bank Field, snake around downtown and then return for to party-hearty in underwear. Participants will start gathering at noon; the run starts at 2 p.m.
MIX at CMA serves up a Spanish elixir for the cold
The endless winter has left you hopeless and despondent and your teeth chattering like the feet of a tap dancer? Well, there’s still hope for you… at least for a night.
Get hot and sweaty at MIX at CMA.
At 6 p.m. Friday, the monthly party at the Cleveland Museum of Art -- 11150 East Boulevard – will break out a warm celebration for its Picasso and Paper exhibition.
Shine on, it’s MIX: España. The bash features dancers from Abrepaso Flamenco and music by Dominick Farinacci and Friends. LOLO will spin Spanish electro music, techno and house.
Also, the CMA will serve up Spanish food and drinks. For more info, go here.
Chain restaurants in West 25th? Chipotle in, Soho out in 2026
West 25th is getting a little less local. The street will lose Soho Chicken + Whiskey when its lease runs out in the Fall 2026.
For 13 years, the bar and restaurant was the go-to place for fans of southern cooking and a deep cocktail and spirits list – not to mention it’s so-ho – short for Southern hospitality.
Moving into the 2,300-square-foot space is Mexican fast-casual chain Chipotle.
On the bright side, chef-owner Nolan Konkowski is planning to re-open elsewhere.
🏡 Today’s Hot Property
Amazing Single-Family Residence in Lakewood – 2180 Bunts Rd
💰 Price: $279,900
📏 Size: 1,524 sq. ft.
🏡 Built: 1924
🛏 4 Beds | 🛁 2 Baths
NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
Photos courtesy Parma Hot Dog Diner
Parma Hot Dog Diner to stop barking. Will it find a new home?
The Parma Hot Dog Diner and Burger Co. feels like some classic ol’ Cleveland place, even if it’s only been going for 25 years.
(I guess you could say that’s kind of a long time, given the wild turnover we’ve seen in the food scene since Covid.)
The family owned-and-operated eatery boasts a cozy vibe, homey décor and fun takes on old-fashioned staples. Check out those dogs (sauerkraut, hillbilly, firecracker) or the pierogi, burgers, tots and sandwiches. It’s located in an old Taco Bell, which makes it even more fun.
And now the bad news: The beloved spot, 5494 Pearl Road, will serve its last dog on Saturday. What a bummer.
But wait, there’s a plot twist...
“This decision is bittersweet, but it comes with exciting news,” read an announcement. “We are moving to a new location, which we will be announcing soon!”
I’ll miss this place, but look forward to seeing what’s next.
VINTAGE CLEVELAND
West 25th has seen a number of transformations over the decades. Is a new one coming? The arrival, in 2026, of Chipotle signals a new kind of tenant: a chain restaurant. Here’s the area back in 1950… The West Side Market and the intersection of Market Avenue and West 25th Street.
Cleveland Memory Project
Each edition of the 216, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Cleveland (and surrounding areas 😉). Where are we? Only true Clevelander will know. Tell us your guess on Instagram or Facebook, or simply reply to this email.
And don’t forget! Tag @The216Scoop to get your photos in the Scoop!
Extra Sprinkles
Ready for Your Plot Twist? 🌍
Hey wanderlusters and budget-savvy dreamers! Let's be real – we all have that Notes app full of dream destinations, but somehow our wallet keeps saying "maybe next year." Well, guess what? Affordable World is here to flip that script faster than you can say "passport ready!" Think of us as your travel fairy godparents (minus the bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, but with all the magic), turning your "someday" into "pack your bags!"
Whether you're yearning to channel your inner Marco Polo through Asia, chase romance down cobblestone European streets, or have a Lion King moment on safari (singing optional, but encouraged), we've got the perfect package waiting. While you're daydreaming about your next Instagram-worthy shot, we're handling all the headache-inducing details. Let Affordable World be your backstage pass to adventure – where your travel dreams and bank account finally become besties. Ready to write your next chapter? Your passport is waiting! ✈️✨
For the Love of Healthy Pets 🐾
Hey pet parents and furry family CEOs! Does your cat think they're royalty? Does your dog deserve a crown? (Of course they do!) Well, EntirelyPets Pharmacy is here to be your pet's personal health concierge, minus the fancy bow ties and white gloves (though we're not judging if that's your thing)! Think of us as your one-stop shop for everything from prescription meds to supplements that'll have your four-legged friends feeling fresher than a new tennis ball.
We're talking trusted brands that'll make your vet nod in approval, delivered faster than your pup can say "squirrel!" And the best part? No more wrestling with Fluffy to get to the local pet store - everything's just a click away! Ready to give your pet the royal treatment they clearly think they deserve? Click here and let EntirelyPets turn your pet care routine from "ruff" to remarkable! Because let's face it - your pet already runs the house, we're just here to keep their kingdom healthy! 🐱🐶✨
WEATHER
Friday
28°F 🌡️ 24°F | 🌤️ | 0% | 💨 W 15 mph (13 knots)
Saturday
35°F 🌡️ 27°F | ❄️🌧️ | 80% | 💨 SW 10 mph (9 knots)
Sunday
30°F 🌡️ 24°F | ☁️ | 20% | 💨 NW 12 mph (10 knots)
Note: This forecast is based on data from weather.com.
Live Shows in the 216
Friday - 02/07
Saturday - 02/08
Sunday - 02/09
The 216 Sports Area
Upcoming Games
Cavaliers
Away vs. Washington Wizards, 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7
Was this information helpful? Will you be going to any of these events?Your answer help improve the newsletter! |
Thanks for reading The 216 Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who Hates Cleveland Winter Weather.
Follow us on social media for the latest updates:
Reply