Downtown
As summer transitions into fall, we wanted to take a moment to look back on a season filled with family, friends and festive neighborhood gatherings. Throughout it all, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski has been attending and shooting the best summer festivals. This slideshow features captured images from a dozen events.
clinic's cosgrove aims to improve health of residents and city
In a lengthy Forbes feature titled "City Surgeon: Can The Cleveland Clinic Save Its Hometown?" writer Matthew Herper reports on Delos “Toby” Cosgrove's tenure at the Cleveland Clinic and his efforts to leverage healthcare to improve the Clinic's neighborhood and the region's economy.
"The rough old neighborhood is a distant memory, replaced by a gleaming testament to modern medicine stretching out over 46 buildings and covering 167 acres. Protected by a dedicated 141-trooper force of state police, there is a conference center, a fancy hotel and a farmers’ market. Over Cosgrove’s tenure the clinic’s revenues have nearly doubled to $6.2 billion."
But Cosgrove's biggest brainstorm was to build a "giant mall for hospital buyers."
"Think about the things that go into a hospital. Shades, televisions, chairs, tables, wall coverings, all the medical gear, the operating tables, you name it,” Cosgrove is quoted in the piece.
"What is emerging is an Epcot Center for med tech. GE Healthcare, Siemens, Philips Health Care and Cardinal Health are among the 22 confirmed tenants in the soon-to-be-completed center. Next door, Bennett has already booked conventions that will bring 89,395 attendees this year and 100,400 next. By the end of 2016, he says, bookings should be enough to pay back the $465 million it took to construct both buildings."
“It will begin to influence the city as it comes back and make it a destination medical city,” Cosgrove predicts.
Read the rest of the article here.
"The rough old neighborhood is a distant memory, replaced by a gleaming testament to modern medicine stretching out over 46 buildings and covering 167 acres. Protected by a dedicated 141-trooper force of state police, there is a conference center, a fancy hotel and a farmers’ market. Over Cosgrove’s tenure the clinic’s revenues have nearly doubled to $6.2 billion."
But Cosgrove's biggest brainstorm was to build a "giant mall for hospital buyers."
"Think about the things that go into a hospital. Shades, televisions, chairs, tables, wall coverings, all the medical gear, the operating tables, you name it,” Cosgrove is quoted in the piece.
"What is emerging is an Epcot Center for med tech. GE Healthcare, Siemens, Philips Health Care and Cardinal Health are among the 22 confirmed tenants in the soon-to-be-completed center. Next door, Bennett has already booked conventions that will bring 89,395 attendees this year and 100,400 next. By the end of 2016, he says, bookings should be enough to pay back the $465 million it took to construct both buildings."
“It will begin to influence the city as it comes back and make it a destination medical city,” Cosgrove predicts.
Read the rest of the article here.
Nine local biomedical companies were named to this year’s Inc. 5000 list, a tally of the fastest growing companies in the country in terms of jobs and revenue. Inc. measured revenue growth from 2009 to 2012.
The list represents companies across every industry, but the number of area biomed companies named to the list is encouraging to the growing biomed industry in Cleveland.
“It’s a very exciting time right now in Northeast Ohio for the biomedical industry," says Aram Nerpouni, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. “It’s a little bit of validation here that you can really grow and thrive in the region.”
Nerpouni says the list reflects a combination of young startups and more established companies. Cleveland-based Bravo Wellness, founded in 2008, ranked 888 overall on the Inc. 5000 list. The company, which provides health insurance consulting, ranked 68 on the top 100 health companies. Bravo added 94 jobs in the past three years.
Twinsburg-based CoverMyMeds ranked at the top of the Ohio healthcare companies at 96 on the Inc. 5000 list. The company added 32 employees in the past three years.
“You’re beginning to see a lot of young companies looking at the area,” says Nerpouni of the Health Tech Corridor, located between University Circle and the Campus District. “We should start seeing more and more activity.” Already, 500,000 square feet have opened up in the area in the last six months, with 80 percent occupancy.
In 2012, 43 Cleveland biomedical companies raised $227 million in equity funding.
Source: Aram Nerpouni
Writer: Karin Connelly
The list represents companies across every industry, but the number of area biomed companies named to the list is encouraging to the growing biomed industry in Cleveland.
“It’s a very exciting time right now in Northeast Ohio for the biomedical industry," says Aram Nerpouni, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. “It’s a little bit of validation here that you can really grow and thrive in the region.”
Nerpouni says the list reflects a combination of young startups and more established companies. Cleveland-based Bravo Wellness, founded in 2008, ranked 888 overall on the Inc. 5000 list. The company, which provides health insurance consulting, ranked 68 on the top 100 health companies. Bravo added 94 jobs in the past three years.
Twinsburg-based CoverMyMeds ranked at the top of the Ohio healthcare companies at 96 on the Inc. 5000 list. The company added 32 employees in the past three years.
“You’re beginning to see a lot of young companies looking at the area,” says Nerpouni of the Health Tech Corridor, located between University Circle and the Campus District. “We should start seeing more and more activity.” Already, 500,000 square feet have opened up in the area in the last six months, with 80 percent occupancy.
In 2012, 43 Cleveland biomedical companies raised $227 million in equity funding.
Source: Aram Nerpouni
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland among top metros for college grads
In a The Atlantic report titled “The Best U.S. Metros for Recent College Grads Looking For Work,” writer Richard Florida shares a lengthy report on which areas in the United States offer the best opportunities for the newly minted young and educated looking to start life in the “real world.”
While the standard San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and Austin metros continue to receive high marks, others such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles leave much to be desired for they younger generation.
Cleveland may not have broken the Top 10 just yet, but it does place in the Top 20, and is on the move.
“The good news is that Rust Belt metros like Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cleveland appear to have turned the corner. These metros have a lot to offer highly educated recent grads: affordable housing, a low cost of living, authentic neighborhoods, and revitalizing cores, as well as a relatively high level of job openings for in fast-growing highly-educated fields.”
Enjoy the complete report here.
While the standard San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and Austin metros continue to receive high marks, others such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles leave much to be desired for they younger generation.
Cleveland may not have broken the Top 10 just yet, but it does place in the Top 20, and is on the move.
“The good news is that Rust Belt metros like Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cleveland appear to have turned the corner. These metros have a lot to offer highly educated recent grads: affordable housing, a low cost of living, authentic neighborhoods, and revitalizing cores, as well as a relatively high level of job openings for in fast-growing highly-educated fields.”
Enjoy the complete report here.
the atlantic praises new online rust-centric magazine
In The Atlantic, a story titled “A New Magazine Takes on Old Rust Belt Stereotypes” and written by Bonnie Tsui shares information on a new Cleveland-focused “Rust Belt Chic” online magazine titled Belt.
"Rust Belt Chic is a movement," the piece begins. "That’s according to a new online magazine out of Cleveland, Belt, that aims to address the highly specific and often superficial attention paid to a wide swath of deindustrialized America."
In a meaty interview, editor Anne Trubek says the publication will focus on what they can do consistently well: intensely and well-edited long-form journalism, commentary, and first-person essays.
“Our first issue is queued up and ready to go, and it’s fantastic," she explains. "We have a deep dive on the Anisfield-Wolf Awards, a 78-year-old Cleveland-based book award for works that address issues of racism, which has an incredibly high caliber of past and present awardees and famous jurors but an oddly low profile in town and the nation. And we have a hilarious essay, 'S&M in the CLE' by novelist Alissa Nutting, whose book Tampa has been the talk of the literary world this summer.”
Check out the full piece here.
"Rust Belt Chic is a movement," the piece begins. "That’s according to a new online magazine out of Cleveland, Belt, that aims to address the highly specific and often superficial attention paid to a wide swath of deindustrialized America."
In a meaty interview, editor Anne Trubek says the publication will focus on what they can do consistently well: intensely and well-edited long-form journalism, commentary, and first-person essays.
“Our first issue is queued up and ready to go, and it’s fantastic," she explains. "We have a deep dive on the Anisfield-Wolf Awards, a 78-year-old Cleveland-based book award for works that address issues of racism, which has an incredibly high caliber of past and present awardees and famous jurors but an oddly low profile in town and the nation. And we have a hilarious essay, 'S&M in the CLE' by novelist Alissa Nutting, whose book Tampa has been the talk of the literary world this summer.”
Check out the full piece here.
As the nation's first freshwater offshore wind project cranks up off the coast of Cleveland, thousands of people are pledging to pay a little more for a power source that supporters say will improve the environment, create local jobs and advance the nation's energy security.
The historic Colonial and Euclid Arcades in downtown Cleveland suffered from 40 percent vacancy last year, yet this year they added a slew of new shops and have gone from half-empty to nearly completely full.
Renamed the 5th Street Arcades, the once-moribund properties have been turned around by Dick Pace of Cumberland Development, who has breathed new life into the spaces by luring entrepreneurial tenants with fresh concepts and excitement about downtown.
"Step by step, we're getting there," says Pace, who has focused on locally themed retail that serves downtown residents and office workers. "Each month, there's something new going on. Our tenants cross-market and help each other."
Last year, a retail grant competition netted Soulcraft Furniture Gallery, which opened earlier this year, and Pour Cleveland, which will open by November 1st.
Several of the businesses in the 5th Street Arcades will soon add outdoor seating, including Pour, Sushi 86 and a yet unnamed food tenant that Pace is working with.
Additional businesses that will open this fall include Herron Starr Apparel (a shoe store), The Tea Lab (a tea shop run by Bob Holcepl of City Roast), The Olive and the Grape, and a take-out vendor called C'mon Let's Eat (CLE).
Finally, Sushi 86 is expanding to create space for banquets and cooking classes, and Alphonso's, a men's and women's accessories shop, will open later this year.
"Tenants are drawn here because this is becoming known as a retail area, an area for shopping," Pace says. "That says a lot about downtown and what's happening."
Source: Dick Pace
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Renamed the 5th Street Arcades, the once-moribund properties have been turned around by Dick Pace of Cumberland Development, who has breathed new life into the spaces by luring entrepreneurial tenants with fresh concepts and excitement about downtown.
"Step by step, we're getting there," says Pace, who has focused on locally themed retail that serves downtown residents and office workers. "Each month, there's something new going on. Our tenants cross-market and help each other."
Last year, a retail grant competition netted Soulcraft Furniture Gallery, which opened earlier this year, and Pour Cleveland, which will open by November 1st.
Several of the businesses in the 5th Street Arcades will soon add outdoor seating, including Pour, Sushi 86 and a yet unnamed food tenant that Pace is working with.
Additional businesses that will open this fall include Herron Starr Apparel (a shoe store), The Tea Lab (a tea shop run by Bob Holcepl of City Roast), The Olive and the Grape, and a take-out vendor called C'mon Let's Eat (CLE).
Finally, Sushi 86 is expanding to create space for banquets and cooking classes, and Alphonso's, a men's and women's accessories shop, will open later this year.
"Tenants are drawn here because this is becoming known as a retail area, an area for shopping," Pace says. "That says a lot about downtown and what's happening."
Source: Dick Pace
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Bad Girl Ventures recently was honored by the SCORE Foundation as Outstanding Non-Profit Organization for its work with entrepreneurs in starting their businesses. BGV works with SCORE mentors in its business education classes.
“BGV has been using SCORE mentors and services since 2010,” says Reka Barabas, director of BGV Cleveland. “We tap into their expertise and we match up our finalists with SCORE mentors.”
Additionally, BGV is now a Kiva Zip trustee, meaning it can recommend businesses for zero-interest loans for up to $10,000 through that organization. “Bad Girl Ventures is the first Kiva Zip trustee in Ohio,” says Barabas. “We have a two-pronged approach to helping female-owned businesses. We provide education, and if they have a strong business plan and are ready to go, they have access to capital. Having these partnerships really helps our mission.”
Two BGV Cleveland graduates already have been identified as candidates for the Kiva Zip loan. Anne Hartnett received a 2012 $5,000 BGV loan for Harness Cycle, which is opening this fall in Ohio City. Paula Hershman, owner of Storehouse Tea Company, is one of the first Cleveland graduates of the BGV program and will use the Kiva Zip loan to expand her business. One more graduate will be endorsed this year.
BGV business education courses also offer the opportunity to receive a $25,000 low-interest loan. The application deadline for the fall session is September 1.
Source: Reka Barabas
Writer: Karin Connelly
“BGV has been using SCORE mentors and services since 2010,” says Reka Barabas, director of BGV Cleveland. “We tap into their expertise and we match up our finalists with SCORE mentors.”
Additionally, BGV is now a Kiva Zip trustee, meaning it can recommend businesses for zero-interest loans for up to $10,000 through that organization. “Bad Girl Ventures is the first Kiva Zip trustee in Ohio,” says Barabas. “We have a two-pronged approach to helping female-owned businesses. We provide education, and if they have a strong business plan and are ready to go, they have access to capital. Having these partnerships really helps our mission.”
Two BGV Cleveland graduates already have been identified as candidates for the Kiva Zip loan. Anne Hartnett received a 2012 $5,000 BGV loan for Harness Cycle, which is opening this fall in Ohio City. Paula Hershman, owner of Storehouse Tea Company, is one of the first Cleveland graduates of the BGV program and will use the Kiva Zip loan to expand her business. One more graduate will be endorsed this year.
BGV business education courses also offer the opportunity to receive a $25,000 low-interest loan. The application deadline for the fall session is September 1.
Source: Reka Barabas
Writer: Karin Connelly
Len Gray, a young attorney and Memphis native, has relocated to Cleveland to launch his legal startup Inlaw.me, an online recruiting aid that connects legal employers with candidates. What attracted him was the local business community's spirit of collaboration and enthusiasm.
If all goes as planned, an ambitious new supper club with two stages for live music and outdoor dining will open on the west bank of the Flats next spring. Pursuing that dream are Mike and Colleen Miller, marketing and concert industry vets who lived in Chicago before moving back to Cleveland.
detroit transit draws more inspiration from rta health line
In a Detroit Free Press story titled “Metromode: From freeway to busway? The call for bus rapid transit,” writer Kim North Shine details Detroit’s M1 light-rail line, which is set to begin construction shortly.
Shine writes of the inspiration Detroit’s BRT drew from cities such as Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, and Cleveland.
“We were very impressed. We came away thinking if Cleveland can do it, so can we.” [Southeast Michigan Council of Governments transportation planner] Carmine Palombo says. “When you were on it, it felt like a bus, but it looks more like a rail vehicle. Most importantly, it ran quickly. Getting on or getting off was much different than a bus. There are much larger doors, no steps, curb boarding. You could see the economic development. It was clean. You sort of got the best of both worlds there. … You could see how it would work for us.”
Check out the complete article here.
Shine writes of the inspiration Detroit’s BRT drew from cities such as Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, and Cleveland.
“We were very impressed. We came away thinking if Cleveland can do it, so can we.” [Southeast Michigan Council of Governments transportation planner] Carmine Palombo says. “When you were on it, it felt like a bus, but it looks more like a rail vehicle. Most importantly, it ran quickly. Getting on or getting off was much different than a bus. There are much larger doors, no steps, curb boarding. You could see the economic development. It was clean. You sort of got the best of both worlds there. … You could see how it would work for us.”
Check out the complete article here.
Leslie Friend will be the first person to tell you that what she does is dangerous, but it's also a real thrill and great workout. She teaches aerial silks classes, best known as the acrobatic art form of Cirque du Soleil, at two different locations in Cleveland, the Studio Cleveland and Sokol Greater Cleveland.
"It utilizes every aspect of the body: core strength, balance and flexibility," says Friend. "Most importantly for most people, it builds confidence. A lot of people have a fear of doing stuff off the ground, and this builds up their confidence."
Aerial silks athletes climb and perform acrobatic maneuvers on nylon fabrics that are rigged to the ceiling. Friend starts class participants low to the ground, and as they advance in ability, she allows them to climb higher into the air to perform tricks. She's never had an accident, although participants sometimes do get tangled.
"We've had to build a tower of mats to reach them," she says. "We always tell people, 'If you're ever in doubt, back yourself out, lower yourself to the floor.'"
In Friend's classes, silks climbers can reach heights of up to 20 feet in the air. They entwine themselves in the silks to perform spins and hang upside down.
Although aerial silks classes are growing in popularity, there still are very few places in Ohio where you can even try it. Friend's classes have become so popular this year that she's introduced software on her websites allowing people to sign up in advance.
Classes typically cost between $15 and $20, with discounts available for five-class packages. All of the classes are open to beginners as well as more advanced aerial silks athletes.
Source: Leslie Friend
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"It utilizes every aspect of the body: core strength, balance and flexibility," says Friend. "Most importantly for most people, it builds confidence. A lot of people have a fear of doing stuff off the ground, and this builds up their confidence."
Aerial silks athletes climb and perform acrobatic maneuvers on nylon fabrics that are rigged to the ceiling. Friend starts class participants low to the ground, and as they advance in ability, she allows them to climb higher into the air to perform tricks. She's never had an accident, although participants sometimes do get tangled.
"We've had to build a tower of mats to reach them," she says. "We always tell people, 'If you're ever in doubt, back yourself out, lower yourself to the floor.'"
In Friend's classes, silks climbers can reach heights of up to 20 feet in the air. They entwine themselves in the silks to perform spins and hang upside down.
Although aerial silks classes are growing in popularity, there still are very few places in Ohio where you can even try it. Friend's classes have become so popular this year that she's introduced software on her websites allowing people to sign up in advance.
Classes typically cost between $15 and $20, with discounts available for five-class packages. All of the classes are open to beginners as well as more advanced aerial silks athletes.
Source: Leslie Friend
Writer: Lee Chilcote
“The cities of the Midwest are the undiscovered gems of America,” a friend said to me years ago. I've held that thought ever since and look for proof on a six-game, six-day, six-city baseball tour of Midwestern ballparks.
In a city with no shortage of vacant land on which to cultivate gardens, it might surprise some to learn of the growing trend of gardens in the sky. Not only do rooftop gardens offer a place to relax, they reduce a building's heating and cooling costs while shielding the roof from damaging UV rays.
usa today writer praises noodlecat
In a USA Today feature titled “Great American Bites: Top-notch Asian flavors sourced from Ohio,” writer Larry Olmsted praises Cleveland chef Jonathon Sawyer and the two-year-old Noodlecat, inspired by Tokyo and New York noodle houses.
Olmsted opens discussing the unique atmosphere and its popularity in the community, but like all food writers, focuses much of his attention on the important aspects: the food.
"A former downtown pizzeria has been turned into one of Cleveland's hippest casual eateries. Two-year-old Noodlecat, inspired by Tokyo and New York noodle houses, is the work of beloved Cleveland chef Jonathan Sawyer, renowned for his focus on local and sustainable ingredients, food sourcing and extensive in-house, from-scratch preparation."
“While there are a handful of dinner entrees, the bulk of the menu is small plates and noodle dishes, each of which is available as a large full portion ($11) or a half order ($6). This makes Noodlecat great for grazing or tapas-style dining, though the entrees are quite good as well.”
Check out the full travel piece here.
Olmsted opens discussing the unique atmosphere and its popularity in the community, but like all food writers, focuses much of his attention on the important aspects: the food.
"A former downtown pizzeria has been turned into one of Cleveland's hippest casual eateries. Two-year-old Noodlecat, inspired by Tokyo and New York noodle houses, is the work of beloved Cleveland chef Jonathan Sawyer, renowned for his focus on local and sustainable ingredients, food sourcing and extensive in-house, from-scratch preparation."
“While there are a handful of dinner entrees, the bulk of the menu is small plates and noodle dishes, each of which is available as a large full portion ($11) or a half order ($6). This makes Noodlecat great for grazing or tapas-style dining, though the entrees are quite good as well.”
Check out the full travel piece here.
There are now dozens of high-performing charter and public schools in the City of Cleveland. Yet a culture of school choice still is not the norm in many Cleveland neighborhoods, and as many as 60 percent of city families have not yet chosen a school to attend.
With the deadline looming on August 19th, those families that do not proactively choose a school will be enrolled in their neighborhood school, which may or may not be the best option depending on how the school is ranked on State of Ohio report cards.
Perhaps most startling is the fact that many high-performing schools in the city have empty seats waiting to be filled even as kids are enrolled in failing schools.
That's why the Transformation Alliance has launched an unprecedented campaign to "promote one common goal of driving enrollment to high-performing schools," says Megan O'Bryan, a nonprofit veteran who is its new Executive Director.
"The ultimate goal of the Transformation Alliance is to ensure that every child in Cleveland attends an excellent school and every neighborhood has a portfolio of high-quality school choices," says O'Bryan. "Our goal is to fill empty seats in the high-performing schools, and over time, drive demand to these good choices. In the marketplace, that demand will then naturally drive out low-performers."
Parents can learn more about school ratings at the Right School Right Now site. The group has completed three different mailers to 25,000 households promoting school choice options. Fliers have been passed out through local community groups. Families can also call 211 to learn more about school ratings.
"The goal is to get parents to look at the info and say, 'My child's school is in Academic Watch, but two miles away there's a school rated Excellent. Why?'"
Although the Transformation Alliance and this campaign are so new that they do not yet have formal goals, O'Bryan says the aim is a "cultural shift" that will take time. "I took this job because it’s an opportunity to create that cultural shift. It's very important for every single resident and the region that this shift occurs. It's a matter of equality and social justice. It's about economic success for our region."
Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
With the deadline looming on August 19th, those families that do not proactively choose a school will be enrolled in their neighborhood school, which may or may not be the best option depending on how the school is ranked on State of Ohio report cards.
Perhaps most startling is the fact that many high-performing schools in the city have empty seats waiting to be filled even as kids are enrolled in failing schools.
That's why the Transformation Alliance has launched an unprecedented campaign to "promote one common goal of driving enrollment to high-performing schools," says Megan O'Bryan, a nonprofit veteran who is its new Executive Director.
"The ultimate goal of the Transformation Alliance is to ensure that every child in Cleveland attends an excellent school and every neighborhood has a portfolio of high-quality school choices," says O'Bryan. "Our goal is to fill empty seats in the high-performing schools, and over time, drive demand to these good choices. In the marketplace, that demand will then naturally drive out low-performers."
Parents can learn more about school ratings at the Right School Right Now site. The group has completed three different mailers to 25,000 households promoting school choice options. Fliers have been passed out through local community groups. Families can also call 211 to learn more about school ratings.
"The goal is to get parents to look at the info and say, 'My child's school is in Academic Watch, but two miles away there's a school rated Excellent. Why?'"
Although the Transformation Alliance and this campaign are so new that they do not yet have formal goals, O'Bryan says the aim is a "cultural shift" that will take time. "I took this job because it’s an opportunity to create that cultural shift. It's very important for every single resident and the region that this shift occurs. It's a matter of equality and social justice. It's about economic success for our region."
Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When the Gay Games come to Northeast Ohio next August, 30,000 athletes and spectators are expected to descend upon Cleveland, visiting the city’s attractions, staying in area hotels, eating in restaurants and using other services.
Organizers are making sure small businesses know the impact the games could have on them, as well as how they can get their names out there. A local staff of 10 organizers has hosted two events targeted at small business sponsorship. A third event will be held Tuesday, August 27 at Stonetown Restaurant at 5:30 p.m.
"Gay Games 9 will have a $50 million economic impact on the region,” says Mary Zaller, director of development for the Gay Games. “I want as many small businesses as possible to get a piece of that pie.”
Small business sponsorships range from $500 to $14,000, making it affordable for companies of almost any size to get involved. “For just $500, a small business can be a sponsor of the Gay Games and get our logo on their website and their logo on our website, program and social media,” notes Zaller. “It gives small businesses the power to put themselves out there and show their support of the LGBT community and of equality and equal rights.”
Seventy-five percent of the events planned will take place in downtown Cleveland, with the remaining being held in Akron. “You don’t have to be gay, you don’t have to be good, you just have to be 18 to participate,” says Zaller. “We’re all about inclusion, participation and your personal best.”
Cleveland is the smallest city to ever host the Gay Games, which started in 1980 and takes place every four years. Previous host cities include San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Sydney, Amsterdam and Vancouver.
Source: Mary Zaller
Writer: Karin Connelly
Organizers are making sure small businesses know the impact the games could have on them, as well as how they can get their names out there. A local staff of 10 organizers has hosted two events targeted at small business sponsorship. A third event will be held Tuesday, August 27 at Stonetown Restaurant at 5:30 p.m.
"Gay Games 9 will have a $50 million economic impact on the region,” says Mary Zaller, director of development for the Gay Games. “I want as many small businesses as possible to get a piece of that pie.”
Small business sponsorships range from $500 to $14,000, making it affordable for companies of almost any size to get involved. “For just $500, a small business can be a sponsor of the Gay Games and get our logo on their website and their logo on our website, program and social media,” notes Zaller. “It gives small businesses the power to put themselves out there and show their support of the LGBT community and of equality and equal rights.”
Seventy-five percent of the events planned will take place in downtown Cleveland, with the remaining being held in Akron. “You don’t have to be gay, you don’t have to be good, you just have to be 18 to participate,” says Zaller. “We’re all about inclusion, participation and your personal best.”
Cleveland is the smallest city to ever host the Gay Games, which started in 1980 and takes place every four years. Previous host cities include San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Sydney, Amsterdam and Vancouver.
Source: Mary Zaller
Writer: Karin Connelly
If Jon Stahl of LeanDog fulfills his ambitious dream -- as he so often does -- Cleveland could see a string of elevated skylifts along the lake shore. With a planned 11-stop system, the tramway would move passengers between places like the Municipal Lot, Burke Lakefront Airport, the Convention Center, Wendy Park, Edgewater Park, and both banks of the Flats.
All around us are beautiful sculptural elements, affixed to the very buildings we stroll right by on a daily basis. How many of us notice those angels, faces and gargoyles high up on the friezes of our historic structures? Photographer Bob Perkoski does, and he's assembled a few of his favorite images of them.