Power to the polka people in Cleveland

The Plain Dealer, Cleveland's paper of record, gets down and dirty today with Cecilia Dolgan, president and COO of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame in Euclid, Ohio.

The Q&A serves up some cool polka history (dance moves like the "Polish hop," Cleveland style vs. Chicago style, etc.), and reveals that Dolgan recorded a polka disco album in the '70s. (It didn't catch on.)

Unlike some polka purists, who get all bent about instrumentation and following the "rules," Dolgan seems to have a great attitude about "alternative polka" bands. She sums it up like this: "The more the merrier." That's our kinda polka pal.

Hope we have time to stop by the museum when we're in Cleveland to play Wilbert's Food & Music on Aug. 31.

P.S. You've gotta love a paper like The Plain Dealer that includes a polka Q&A alongside stories like "What's brewing in the world of beer" and "River poisoning intentional, meant to kill lamprey."