Cleveland's WPSL Team Name, Cavaliers vs Pistons Playoff Preview: CLE Daily

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🥙 Your Next Dinner: Check out our guide to Cleveland Heights's best restaurants. 

🩰 Cleveland Ballet: We caught up with Alexander Guzman, known for his performances and costume designs for ballet dancers.

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ICYMI: Forty years ago, four students were killed at Kent State. Yet the tragedy began long before, when America embarked upon a perilous and paranoid journey.

Today's Trivia

A monument to what War of 1812 hero started out in Public Square in 1860 before moving to Wade Park, Gordon Park, and now its current home at Fort Huntington Park?

Cleveland's WPSL team gets its name.

Sports | By Vince Guerrieri

Cleveland Soccer Group on Tuesday unveiled Astra as the name of the Women’s Premier Soccer League Pro team. In March, the organization announced Forest City Cleveland as the name of the men’s MLS Next Pro team.

• The Meaning: Astra is Latin for "stars" or "of the stars." CSG undertook a yearlong process to develop the name, logo, and colors for Astra, including interviews with more than 3,000 fans.

• Team Colors: The kits feature violet, a black navy blue and gold.

• The Logo: Astra's insignia is the state of Ohio with a compass rose over Cleveland and a bear, a nod to Ursa Major, the constellation used as a navigational aid.

Save the Date: The Cleveland Astra are expected to begin play in 2028.

Read more on Astra.

Talk of the Town

Local government officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the Euclid Beach Connector yesterday. The Euclid Beach Connector is part of the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway, located between East 151st Street and Euclid Beach. The project is adding half a mile of multi-modal trail to the Euclid Creek Park reservation, which is expected to open to the public next year. 

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Akron Zoo received threats on Sunday, leading both zoos to evacuate and close for the day. Similar threats targeting zoos happened across the country. None of the threats in Northeast Ohio were deemed credible. 

Edison's Pizza Kitchen in Tremont and Bless Up Jamaican Restaurant in Slavic Village were among 18 small businesses that received grant money from the city of Cleveland. The funding comes from Steelyard TIF Awards. Over $180,000 was given out. 

The USS Cleveland is expected to cruise past Vermilion and then the Solstice Steps in Lakewood around 9-10 a.m. on May 9. The U.S. Navy ship is expected to dock at the Port of Cleveland around 10:30 a.m. on May 9. 

The Cleveland Clinic is expected to offer pediatric mental health care with the launch of a pediatric hospitalization program this fall. The program is located at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation and will begin accepting patients once renovations are complete. 

Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons playoff preview.

Sports | By Jaden Stambolia

After winning Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Raptors at home on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers are already on the plane to the next series. This time, the Cavs take on the Pistons in a seven-game series starting at in Detroit at 7 p.m. today.

The Big Dog: The Pistons are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and hold home-court advantage in this series, as the Cavs are the lower seed. 

Familiar Face: Former Cavs head coach and current Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff led the Pistons to 60 regular season wins this year. 

• Bickerstaff coached Cleveland from 2020 to 2024, leading the franchise to three straight playoff appearances before being fired. 

Star Battle: While the Cavs have a star-studded backcourt with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, Detroit is led by point guard Cade Cunningham, who averaged nearly 24 points and 10 assists per game in the NBA's regular season. 

• Cunningham is a candidate for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. 

Where To Watch: Today's game airs on NBC Sports Network and streams on Peacock. The rest of the series will air or stream at the following locations: 

• Game 2 (Thursday, May 7) is exclusive on Amazon Prime Video.

• Games 3 (Saturday, May 9) and 4 (Monday, May 11) are on NBC and Peacock. 

Yesterday's Trivia Answer

What aviation pioneer made a record flight in 1910 from Euclid Beach to Cedar Point in Sandusky? Glenn Curtiss

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

My daughter’s primary focus right now is a Willie Nelson Chia Pet. We’ve always had plants around the house, but seeing the growth in real time, just a matter of days, has sparked a fascination in the three-year-old. Every morning she fills his head with water, and she spritzes his leafy braids and bushy beard with a spray bottle each night.

I’d like to foster her interest by growing a garden this year. My grandparents grew lettuce and tomatoes when I was growing up, and I’d like to continue the tradition with my daughter. I don’t know much, other than Mother’s Day being a benchmark for when to start. We’ve shared some tips and tricks over the years, and I’ve started watching Netflix’s new This Is a Gardening Show with Zach Galifianakis for inspiration. I know I want to start small and simple, and I’d like to plant something with a quicker payoff to keep my daughter’s attention.

So, I’m curious: What advice do you have for a newbie gardener in Northeast Ohio? If we get anything good, we’ll share the knowledge with our readers.