Month: May 2017

Ohio State Men’s Volleyball Wins Third National Championship

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OSU mens volleyball

“Buckeyes fans were once again filled with excitement upon hearing that Ohio State has won the national championship,” noted Victor Bierman, Ohio lawyer and business expert. And this was not the first win. OSU also won the national championship in 2011 and 2016. All tallied the OSU men’s volleyball team has now won the national championship three times in six years.

Considering that the team began the season as champions and finished as champions, 2017 has been a great season. And Pete Hanson, Ohio State coach, feels his team deserves the credit. To him, his players were great this season to the extent that he cannot point out what they were unable to do on the court.

OSU’s final game was against BYU, a match that was played in front of a huge home crowd of 8,205 rooting fans. And Hanson states that senior setter Christy Blough, junior outside hitter Nicholas Szerszen, and senior opposite hitter Miles Johnson have also been great this year. They helped OSU beat BYU in straight sets; winning the first set 25-19, the second set 25-20, and the third 25-22. This is the second consecutive time Ohio State has registered a similar win over BYU, a clear indication of how well the team has improved since 2011. The game brought out the best of Szerszen who managed 16 kills. Johnson and junior outside hitter Maxime Hervoir also showed their value to the team by managing 9 and 10 kills, respectively.

But Ohio State did not just win their third national championship trophy since 2011; they also managed to register an overall record of 32-2. Pete Hanson has been at Ohio State for the past 32 seasons, and it is this consistency that’s rapidly turning OSU into one of the teams to beat in the national championship. In fact, Ohio State is only the third straight school to win back-to-back titles. Others include UC Irvine which won crowns in 2012 – 2013 and Loyola that became notable for winning crowns consecutively in 2014 – 2015. Pete Hanson is assisted by Kevin Burch who has also helped to shape this season’s men’s volleyball team and turning them into title contenders.

According to Blough, Coach Hanson told players that they need to treat each game they progress as the best game. And it is that spirit which has made Ohio State become ambitious. Winning the third national championship in just six years is no easy feat. It requires total commitment and hard work, which Hanson has managed to bring into the team. As a result, fans should expect a lot more excitement in the upcoming seasons.

Image Credit: KLM volleyball

Record Number of Tourists Visit Cleveland, Up 30 percent since 2007

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cleveland-ohioThe number of tourists visiting Cleveland and Cuyahoga County has been steadily increasing since 2007, according to the 2015 Convention & Leisure Metric Report recently released by Destination Cleveland. The report showed tourism in Cleveland grew 3.7 percent after welcoming a record number of 17.6 million business and leisure travelers to the Northeast Ohio region. In fact, the rate of tourist growth in Cleveland has outpaced the U.S. since 2011, according to a study published by Tourism Economics.

In 2007, there were 13.7 million tourists who visited Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. And within eight years this number jumped to 17.6 million; an increase of almost 30 percent. Cleveland has been registering a consistent rise in tourism for the past several years, giving a much needed boost to the local economy. The increased tourism resulted in an $8.1 billion economic impact supporting 65,900 local jobs and $1 billion in sales tax revenue.

The big increase in Cleveland tourism has also been a boon for the hotel industry with over 5 million hotel rooms sold in 2015, representing an increase of 5.2 percent from the previous year. It was the largest increase ever recorded in the past five years. Additionally, the number of hotel rooms sold in Cleveland outpaced the number of rooms sold nationally by 0.7%. “Growth in nearly every metric we report shows that more people are motivated each year to visit and discover more about Cleveland for themselves,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Destination Cleveland. “Research shows that continued short-term gains in travel and tourism are the foundation for broader economic success as many of those who move to a new city often had a favorable visitor experience first.”

So, why are so many tourists visiting Cleveland? “There are a lot of exciting attractions throughout the Cleveland Metropolitan area including The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar Point Amusement Park, A Christmas Story House, Cleveland Aquarium, and Cleveland Botanical Garden, among others that are attracting visitors,” said Victor Bierman, Ohio lawyer and business expert. Also, many business travelers come back with their family to explore the region. In addition, the city has beautiful waterfront parks, a lively shopping and entertainment district, a world-class convention center and top-rated hotels that attract business and leisure travelers from around the globe.

Image Credit: Tim

Why Birders From Around the World Are Flocking to Ohio

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Northern Cardinal in Ohio

Every year in the month of May, birders from over 32 countries around the world flock to Ohio. The shores of Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio, in particular, is a birders paradise of sorts and has rapidly gained popularity because the area is a popular migratory path for hundreds of species of birds that fly hundreds of miles from their wintering grounds in the tropics to places where they nest in the forests of the northern U.S. and Canada. Migrating birds stop at the Lake Erie shores to rest and hunt for food before they continue on their long journey home.

According to Stacy Wiseman, the Holiday Inn Express GM in Oregon, the flocking of birders to Ohio is amazing, and one may find it hard to believe that thousands of visitors flock to Ohio to see birds. But why does Ohio have such an incredible number of birders in May? Kimberly Kaufman, executive director of Black Swamp Observatory in Oak Harbor, explains that Lake Erie has a rich habitat that attracts birds of all kinds. They are attracted by the easy availability of food, which most find handy when it comes to regaining energy.

Birds such as warblers, finches, blackbirds, and sparrows really like this place. And it is not uncommon to find them in large numbers along the shores of Lake Erie. Most of them are colorful and melodic, which makes this place a stunning destination for birders. “Wherever there are birds, birders will undoubtedly follow,” says Kaufman. Warblers and other species of birds often create this incredible bird watching scenery from the end of April to mid-May. And this prompted Kaufman and others to start a festival dubbed “The Biggest Week In American Birding”. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has made many people more aware of birds than ever before.

“Guides, lectures, and other programs offered during the festival help birders appreciate bird watching even more,” noted Victor Bierman, Ohio lawyer and business expert. Most of them will always come back to Ohio every May to be part of the spectacular migration. Kaufman says that every year from the end of April to mid-May, over 90,000 birders visit Northwest Ohio alone to view various species of birds. This is a large number that is great for the tourism industry, considering that birders arrive before summer, giving a nice boost to the local economy. In fact, studies indicate that birders spend nearly $40 million during their stay in Ohio.

Ohio’s habitat is ideal for numerous species of birds (a total of 408 species). There are many popular birding locations including East Harbor State Park, Great Egret Marsh, Magee Marsh Wild Area, Maumee Bay State Park, and Erie Marsh Preserve.

Image Credit: Jen Goellnitz