Piano Lessons Piano Lessons with Peter, M.M. In Your Home. Children and Adults All Skill Levels and Ages. Call: 216-371-2661 Cell: 216-410-8629 Melnick Discusses his Novel Before Packed Library Audience By June Scharf “Life is a vicious dog. It will sink its teeth into you if you let it.” So says one of the characters in Beachwood resident Daniel Melnick’s new novel, The Ash Tree (hardback, 302 pgs, $25, West of West Books). Melnick read passages aloud to a capacity crowd of around 70 people at the Beachwood Library on Monday, June 15, and sold 34 copies at the event. The novel is a story of survival, new life and heartbreak. It is set against the Armenian genocide, 19151923, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed in present-day Turkey and another million exiled by the Ottoman Turks. Melnick was inspired by his Armenian wife, Jeanette Arax Melnick, and her family’s history. He culled his material from stories she told him as well as his father-in-law’s poetry that described difficult conditions and her nephew’s well researched memoir. Jeanette is an artist and created the book’s cover image. Melnick notes that while studying the genocide’s events, he was pleased Daniel Melnick and his wife, Jeanette Arax to discover that there were “righteous Jews” Melnick. who helped save members of the Armenian community. The novel takes place in Fresno, which actually means ash tree in Spanish, ash being suggestive of the dark, tortured past and serving as a metaphor for the purposes of Melnick’s narrative. About 100,000 Armenian farmers settled there because the climate closely resembles that of Turkey and they could continue with their agricultural lives. The plot conveys the staggering effect of being in the midst of genocide, but it takes place 50 years later. He frames the novel with a brutal scene at the story’s outset involving a mother hearing of her son’s murder. Melnick, lively, but somewhat soft spoken with a warm presence, is an English professor at Case Western Reserve University. He has written two other novels and one non-fiction book, and is working on his next piece of fiction, a Cleveland-based story, which he projects might be completed in five years. PET LODGE Pet Lodge USA of Beachwood.com 23370 Mercantile Rd • Beachwood’s Pet Resort 216-342-4652 • Staffed 24/7 CASH • Veterinarian endorsed CHECK • 7-day Check-In and Check-Out • Flagship location with themed villages • Indoor dog exercise track in park setting Tours available anytime during business hours. Hours: Mon thru Sat. 7 am - Noon, and 3-7 pm Sun. 3-7pm TUTORING One-to-One Instruction Reading • Writing Math through Calculus A/B • Study Skills Increase Concentration, Focus, Attention Span and Confidence www.pepperpike.tutoringcenter.com 216 292-HELP (4357) Menorah Park Expands Transportation Services Menorah Park’s Mandel Adult Day Care Center continues to be a valuable resource for caregivers and their loved ones. Due to the demand for its services, it is expanding transportation to serve the city of Euclid and Lake County, allowing for caregivers who work or live in other cities even more reprieve. Menorah Park’s Adult Day Care Center has one flat fee that includes all meals, activities, and other features, including transportation by bus or van to and from the center, throughout the eastern suburbs of Cuyahoga and Lake Counties. Financial assistance may be available through programs like the Veterans Administration, The Alzheimer’s Association, MyCareOhio and PASSPORT. Adult Day Care also provides additional information and access to resources, such as peer and support groups, and caregiver tools. Shared observation and collaboration between the Center and the family can often help with solutions to challenges. For more information about the many benefits of this valuable resource, including a freeday offer with meals, please contact Tina Witt, director of Menorah Park Adult Day Care Center, at 216.839.6673 or Tmwitt@menorahpark.org. ADVERTISE in Beachwood Buzz EVERY RESIDENT EVERY BUSINESS EVERY MONTH! Call 216.297.0200 or email sales@BeachwoodBuzzMag.com today! Advertise August 2015 n Beachwood Buzz 53