Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.

The Tara Seibel Gallery in the Little Italy neighborhood in Cleveland, which has been closed since the beginning of COVID-19, will reopen and have a reception from 1 to 8 p.m. June 4.

The Hospice of the Western Reserve will hold its 2022 Walk to Remember from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 12 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo at 3900 Wildlife Way in Cleveland.

It’s finally spring in Northeast Ohio and while we’re all enjoying the return of warmer temperatures, spring flowers and all things green, chances are the sniffling and sneezing has come back too – especially for those dealing with spring allergies.

Adele Gold (nee Gerstein) passed away on May 25 at the incredible age of 102 years old. Beloved wife of the late (Irving) Gold and loving mother of Shelley, the late (Alvin) Gilmore and Elayne (Stuart) Stein. Cherished grandmother of Stephanie (Tyler) Heymann; Julie (Doug) Bloom and Jodi (Da…

Photo by Andrei Santiago on Unsplash

Photo by Andrei Santiago on Unsplash

As graduation day comes and goes, graduates and their families look to the future, often celebrating with a party, gifts and putting up their diploma somewhere special to continually remind them of all they achieved.

To help navigate graduation season, local professionals gave advice for parties, gifts and displaying diplomas.

When it comes to grad parties, it’s never too early to start planning and working with vendors, said Ryan Harmon, director of business development and sales at Lasting Impressions Event Rental in Bedford Heights. Lasting Impressions, which has a home office in Columbus, rents out tents, tables, chairs, linens and other party items.

For graduation parties, Harmon said renting linens matching the school colors of a graduate is popular. He said it’s important to consider how food, desserts and gifts will be displayed and to make sure you have the appropriate surfaces and linens.

“(It’s) combining what you already own and (considering) what additional ancillary items you need in order to bring your vision together and to life,” he said.

One thing that sets grad parties apart from other big events is they often have an open-house design, where guests come and go across a longer time frame. That means to consider how everyone will flow through the space, making it easy for people to be in and out when the event doesn’t revolve around a sit-down dinner or program.

And with COVID-19 still in the midst, Harmon said tents are popular as to have fewer people inside a home at once. Open-sided tents are especially popular to keep air flowing through. Moreover, Harmon recommended deciding whether to rent a tent sooner rather than later since if you wait to see if it’s rain or shine the day of the party, it may be too late to make rental arrangements, citing the labor shortage and the decrease in available vendors post-COVID-19.

“The sooner, the better, at least for getting the details together,” he said, adding that if you know next December your child is graduating and will have a party in the spring, start having a conversation about necessary vendors then. “... People always ask that – when is too early? It’s never too early. It’s always that it’s too late.”

Additionally, he said any flexibility on the part of the family or planner is “golden.”

“If your event is on a Saturday, allowing a vendor to come in on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday for install, and a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday for removal and pickup, flexibility is golden,” he said. “I think now more than ever.”

While there’s no shortage of thoughtful and useful gifts for graduates embarking on a new phase of life, one idea to bring some memories and color into a college dorm or new apartment is a framed photograph or piece of art. Framing any visual that helps a student feel at home is a good option, said Leslie Kammer, general manager of Wood Trader Framing in Cleveland Heights, which specializes in framing.

“I think whatever is going to make the students feel comfortable away from home, even if it’s photos of family and friends, a concert poster or somebody you admire whose artwork you’ve always liked,” she said.

Adding a frame to a photo or even poster can make the piece stand out and up the decor level. And if it contains meaningful memories, it’s a win-win.

“Like a good meal, it evokes a great memory,” Kammer said of a photo. “It brings you back to when it was taken, what you were doing, your relationship with the person.”

Another gift – one that grows in value – is purchasing an Israel bond for the graduate. Development Corporation for Israel, commonly known as Israel Bonds, is a broker-dealer that underwrites securities issued by the state of Israel in the U.S. Since Israel Bonds was established in 1951, Israel has maintained a perfect record of interest and principal payments.

“It’s a gift of substance because it’s an investment, and they are going to get a return on that investment,” said Thomas Lockshin, Israel Bonds executive director for Ohio and Kentucky. “It’s something tangible.”

Those who receive Israel bonds as gifts not only earn interest at a strong rate, but help Israel by strengthening the nation’s economy, Lockshin said.

He pointed to the eMazel Tov bonds, which have a minimum investment of $36 and earn interest on a five-year term at a rate of 4.35% for month of May, with rates subject to change. Lockshin said these bonds are popular because they require a low minimum investment. They automatically redeem and owners get a check in the mail at maturity.

“Israel bonds have a 70-year history of dependability,” he said.

For those who receive an Israel bond as a graduation gift, Lockshin encouraged visiting israelbonds.com to learn more about the mission and history.

“They would gain a greater appreciation of why the gift is so meaningful,” he said.

A graduate will often frame and display their diploma somewhere they can regularly see it. Especially if the graduate is starting a career, they may want to display it at their new job.

Kammer suggested a simple black frame for most diplomas. She said while some graduates incorporate their school colors in a ribbon or the frame’s mat, many choose to keep it easy.

“Usually simple is better because otherwise you are going to be looking at the frame and not what the person accomplished,” Kammer explained.

And if you are buying for a graduate you don’t know very well, a gift certificate to choose their own frame – either for their diploma or a photo of choice – is always a good bet.

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