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Spring will soon be in the air and the gates to Cedar Point will soon open its doors. The famous amusement park in Sandusky gave a glimpse of its hottest attraction to its Facebook fans by showing off their newest rollercoaster which is called the Gatekeeper in a new photo.

Cedar Point wrote:

At 2 p.m. today, GateKeeper officially became a full-circuit roller coaster! Talk about a great way to celebrate T-72 days until Opening Day.

The Gatekeeper replaced two mainstays at the track in The Space Spiral and Disaster Transport which were demolished to make room for the fifth Wing Coaster model in the world. In classic Cedar point style, it will be the longest, have the longest drop, and feature the most inversions of any Wing Coaster ever built to date.

The 37th Cleveland International Film Festival, presented by Dollar Bank, is proud to announce that its Opening Night film on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 will be TOY’S HOUSE. This CBS Films release is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and produced by Chagrin Falls native Tyler Davidson, along with Peter Saraf, and John Hodges; with Chris Galletta as screenwriter.

Premiering to rave reviews at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, TOY’S HOUSE stars Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

The film is a unique coming-of-age story about three teenagers who, in the ultimate act of independence, decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods. Free from their parents’ rules, their idyllic summer quickly becomes a test of friendship as each boy learns to appreciate the fact that family - whether it is the one you’re born into or the one you create – is something you can't run away from.

Opening Night of the 37th CIFF is sponsored by The George Gund Foundation in loving memory of George Gund III (1937-2013) – father, husband, philanthropist, hockey lover, film enthusiast, and a CIFF founding board member.

Not everyone knows or remembers that Case-Western Reserve University was a center of anti-war and peace activities during the long Vietnam War. I remember because, although I wasn’t a student, I spent a good deal of time on campus.

On May 4, 1970 I remember being in my car when I heard news of the Kent State shootings on the radio. I don’t remember where I was going. I do remember changing my direction.

I drove my car to the CWRU campus.

It’s hard to believe that it was 40 years ago tomorrow. It’s difficult to believe that we as a nation are engaged again in far off war – this time two wars.

I remember joining students and others who of their own volition began to sit down in the street to block Euclid Avenue. Reaction to the news had begun to spread. It was their protest of the shooting. Four students had been killed in 13 seconds of rifle fire by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State. The shootings occurred at 12:24 p.m. As I remember it, the protesters sat and stood in the street as a blocking body across Euclid Avenue in front Thwing Center. Vehicle travel, of course, came to a halt.

The demonstration happened spontaneously. There was no Twitter or Facebook at that time to rally people to action. It wasn’t required. People knew automatically what to do.

As usual, we turned to Thistledown publicist Bob (Railbird) Roberts for his Kentucky Derby Pick and here it is.

Sidney's Candy 5-1

Bob had a gaudy reputation as a skilled handicapper when he was the racing writer for The Plain Dealer in his previous life. Remember that in 1993 he picked Sea Hero and he had back-to-back winners in 2006 and 2007 with Barbaro and Street Sense. One of his great triumphs was picking Lemon Drop Kid to win the 1999 Belmont Stakes at 30-1.

So, why Sidney's Candy in this year's Derby?

"I'm a big workout guy," Roberts explained. "I like to see a horse get to Churchill Downs early and get a feel for the track. He's had two sensational workouts. He's feeling good and likes the track."

That is important because this will be his first race on dirt. Sidney's Candy has been campaigning on artificial surfaces in California. He won the Santa Anita Derby to give him a record of four wins and one second in six starts.

Roberts says he doesn't like the number 20 post position, but Sidney's Candy has too many other things to like.

The horse is owned by Jenny Craig of weight losing fame. She named it after her husband, Sidney, who died not long ago.

His second choice is Paddy O'Prado at 20-1. This horse was second in the Bluegrass. He also has had quick workouts and he is trained by Dale Romans who does well at Churchill Downs. Paddy O'Prado is starting in the middle of the field from the number 10 post position.

Roberts' third pick is Mission Impazible, also at 20-1, starting from the number 14 gate. Trainer Todd Pletcher has four horses in this race and this could be the best of them. Mission Impazible won the Louisiana Derby, his first race under Jamaican jockey Rajiv (Rod) Maragh who had a great winter riding at Gulfstream and continued his hot streak this spring at Keeneland.

To complete his ticket, Roberts picks 3-1 favorite Lookin At Lucky who drew the unfavorable number one post position.

"I'll box the four of them in the exacta, trifecta and super tri," said Roberts. "If they come through in that order I'll buy a box of your books."

If they finish that way I'll take the Railbird to dinner at the Baricelli Inn because I'm going to do the same thing.

Thistledown windows are open all day Friday for advance wagering on the Derby. I'll be out there in the afternoon to pick up a fistful of tickets. That's all for now. Good luck.

This article reprinted from CoughlinUnplugged.com, through a partnership between Dan Coughlin and The Cleveland Leader. To read more of his writing, visit his website.

I hear that the Big Ten is ready to throw open the doors to a brave new world. Quiet talks are well under way with five new members to create a 16-team super conference with overwhelming market coverage.

The schools are Notre Dame, Missouri, Pitt, Syracuse and Rutgers. Sixteen is an important number for a two-division alignment, setting up a highly lucrative championship game in football. Most major conferences now have championship games. The Big Ten and Pac-10 are notable exceptions. They can't sit on the sidelines much longer.

Furthermore, the Big Ten's scope of media influence will add the TV markets of New York City, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Kansas City. No college conference in the country will even approach the impact of the Big Ten. The Big Ten commissioner will be the most powerful man in college sports.

Here are some questions I would appreciate answered from the Cuyahoga County Commissioners and/or their attorney Jeffery Applebaum. I don’t believe any of the questions would interfere with the sticky problem of negotiating the best prices for the project. That’s the excuse being used to keep the public in the dark, it appears.

Presumably, proper plans and a proper lease would answer these questions.

Here are my questions. Somehow I ended up with 13 categories of questions. I hope I didn’t jinx the project:

- Will Cuyahoga County taxpayers pay for the site and construction of the medical mart to be used as a private business of MMPI of Chicago? (Actually, we already know. The answer is yes.)

- Will Cuyahoga County taxpayers consider the MMPI Medical Mart a property tax exempt building? In other words, will it ever pay any property taxes? (I think we already know this answer, too. It’s yes.)

- Will Cuyahoga County taxpayers finance the furniture, furnishings, telephones, computers and all the other office equipment needed for the MMPI Medical Mart? (Don’t know but quite likely it will happen.)

- Will Cuyahoga County taxpayers finance any new restaurants in the Medical Mart or Convention Center – restaurants that will serve not just conventioneers but the general public?

Returning to Cleveland after a week stay with my daughter Karin in New Rochelle, I came across the obituary for John Morrell. The Plain Dealer gave John a fitting obit, noting his “Park Bench” murals downtown.

I claim another piece of John’s work.

In 1968 when I decided to start a newsletter, one of Cleveland’s top advertising men and a friend, George Sapin, was good enough to hook me up with graphic artist John Morrell. John was small in stature but large in talent and heart.

Morrell, he said, would pro bono design a format for my newsletter. With a stipulation, however. Morrell wasn’t going to work for someone whose work he disapproved. He had to meet me, George said, and test my work against his ethics. John was generous but fussy about whom he would support. If he didn’t agree with me I wouldn’t get his free work. Nor, I imagined, could I coax him with money.