Ohio City
Those among us that emerge to the forefront of their professions and community have been honing their leadership skills for some time. Here are a few young African-Americans making waves around town through advocacy, talent and so much more.
Mention the phrase "Paleolithic diet" and many will conjure the image of Fred Flintstone gnawing on a giant dinosaur leg. But nothing could be further from the truth, say adherents. The culinary movement is thoughtful, green, healthy and spreading like wildfire across Northeast Ohio.
ceo of breakthrough schools testified to u.s. house on education reform
On March 12, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), held a hearing entitled, “Raising the Bar: The Role of Charter Schools in K-12 Education.” During the hearing, members discussed ways charter schools are empowering parents, pioneering fresh teaching methods, encouraging state and local innovation, and helping students escape underperforming schools.
Alan Rosskamm, CEO of Breakthrough Schools in Cleveland, described Breakthrough’s success in raising the bar on student achievement.
“In 2012-2013, Breakthrough students, on average, outperformed their peers across the city, county, and state in every subject,” Rosskamm said. “Nationally, Breakthrough Schools were recognized as 1st in reading growth and 4th in math growth among urban charter school networks in the United States in a study by the CREDO Institute at Stanford University.”
Mr. Rosskamm’s remarks underscore the unique relationship that Breakthrough Schools has with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The district sponsors eight of Breakthrough’s 10 schools, including Lakeshore Intergenerational School, which will open in Collinwood this August. Four of Breakthrough’s schools are housed in former district buildings and a fifth, Near West Intergenerational School, is in space leased from the district for $1 a year.
“Half of Cleveland’s top performing schools are public charter schools,” John Zitzner, President of Friends of Breakthrough School, added in a release. “Replicating high performing charters like Breakthrough Schools is critical to turning Cleveland into a championship city for education.”
Read more about the hearing here.
Alan Rosskamm, CEO of Breakthrough Schools in Cleveland, described Breakthrough’s success in raising the bar on student achievement.
“In 2012-2013, Breakthrough students, on average, outperformed their peers across the city, county, and state in every subject,” Rosskamm said. “Nationally, Breakthrough Schools were recognized as 1st in reading growth and 4th in math growth among urban charter school networks in the United States in a study by the CREDO Institute at Stanford University.”
Mr. Rosskamm’s remarks underscore the unique relationship that Breakthrough Schools has with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The district sponsors eight of Breakthrough’s 10 schools, including Lakeshore Intergenerational School, which will open in Collinwood this August. Four of Breakthrough’s schools are housed in former district buildings and a fifth, Near West Intergenerational School, is in space leased from the district for $1 a year.
“Half of Cleveland’s top performing schools are public charter schools,” John Zitzner, President of Friends of Breakthrough School, added in a release. “Replicating high performing charters like Breakthrough Schools is critical to turning Cleveland into a championship city for education.”
Read more about the hearing here.
If women indeed are the barometer of a healthy cycling city, then making women feel safe while cycling in Cleveland must be a priority, say local biking advocates. Female riders are less likely to cycle without infrastructure that makes them feel safe, including separated bike paths and physical barriers on roads that divide bikes and cars.
The 2014 Gay Games kick off August 9th with an expected 8,000 to 10,000 participants competing in some 40 sports. The comprehensive event will serve as the latest memo to the world that Cleveland is a sought-after host for large-scale events that add millions to the local economy.
pittsburgh post-gazette writer 'gets market buzz in cleveland'
In a feature titled, "Getting a Market Buzz in Cleveland," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Diana Nelson Jones compares the West Side Market to her city's eclectic Strip District, as that city plots a course for a grand future marketplace of its own.
"Except for the selection of dried beans at Urban Herbs, the West Side Market in Cleveland doesn’t sell anything you can’t find in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. What they have that we don’t have is a grand work of marketplace architecture," she writes.
She adds that "the trip prompted many thoughts about what we have and don’t have and led to a rumination on the potential of the Pittsburgh Public Market and the Terminal Building on Smallman Street to be long-term additions to the scene."
"As I toured the West Side Market, I caught myself oohing and aahing, wondering why at first and then realizing why -- the intensity of consolidation. It is Wholey’s, Penn Mac, Stamolis, Parma Sausage, Sam Bok, Stan’s, Labad’s, La Prima and every farmers’ market all together in one big teeming, gleaming -- and at times overwhelming -- place."
"But the certainty I came away with from Cleveland was that a great city needs a great indoor market scene and any city that still has its old-world market house is blessed, lucky, farsighted or all three."
Read the rest of the story here.
"Except for the selection of dried beans at Urban Herbs, the West Side Market in Cleveland doesn’t sell anything you can’t find in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. What they have that we don’t have is a grand work of marketplace architecture," she writes.
She adds that "the trip prompted many thoughts about what we have and don’t have and led to a rumination on the potential of the Pittsburgh Public Market and the Terminal Building on Smallman Street to be long-term additions to the scene."
"As I toured the West Side Market, I caught myself oohing and aahing, wondering why at first and then realizing why -- the intensity of consolidation. It is Wholey’s, Penn Mac, Stamolis, Parma Sausage, Sam Bok, Stan’s, Labad’s, La Prima and every farmers’ market all together in one big teeming, gleaming -- and at times overwhelming -- place."
"But the certainty I came away with from Cleveland was that a great city needs a great indoor market scene and any city that still has its old-world market house is blessed, lucky, farsighted or all three."
Read the rest of the story here.
Thanks to a bevy of new accelerators and incubators -- all grooming startups to be the Next Big Thing -- the art of the pitch is more important now than ever. Whether it’s a casual elevator pitch or an intense 20-minute address to potential investors, there are some definite dos and don’ts to giving an effective pitch.
brite winter fest previewed in indy star
In an article titled "Cleveland embraces cold with Brite Winter Festival of music, art," Indy Star Correspondent Ashley Petry features a preview of this weekend's Brite Winter Festival, to be held in Ohio City.
"All winter, Cleveland residents endure cold temperatures and lake-effect snow, but that doesn’t mean they stay cooped up inside."
"Instead, the city celebrates blustery weather at the annual Brite Winter Festival. Now in its fifth year, the outdoor event features live music, art installations and carnival games -- along with gallons of free hot chocolate."
"On Saturday, Feb. 15, more than 20,000 people are expected to pack the hip Ohio City neighborhood. The schedule includes more than 70 performances by local, regional and national bands, who will perform on 10 stages, including four outdoor stages."
“There are fires outside, outdoor beer gardens and food trucks, and it’s just a magical scene,” said Thomas Fox, the festival’s director of programming and marketing. “It was 19 degrees and a blizzard last year, and we doubled the attendance.”
Read the rest here.
"All winter, Cleveland residents endure cold temperatures and lake-effect snow, but that doesn’t mean they stay cooped up inside."
"Instead, the city celebrates blustery weather at the annual Brite Winter Festival. Now in its fifth year, the outdoor event features live music, art installations and carnival games -- along with gallons of free hot chocolate."
"On Saturday, Feb. 15, more than 20,000 people are expected to pack the hip Ohio City neighborhood. The schedule includes more than 70 performances by local, regional and national bands, who will perform on 10 stages, including four outdoor stages."
“There are fires outside, outdoor beer gardens and food trucks, and it’s just a magical scene,” said Thomas Fox, the festival’s director of programming and marketing. “It was 19 degrees and a blizzard last year, and we doubled the attendance.”
Read the rest here.
Some storefronts sparkle with inviting merchandise, while others languish behind a layer of dust. For the latter, Cleveland's Storefront Renovation Program has been lending a helping hand to entrepreneurs for almost two decades with financial assistance for exterior improvements and signage.
We often don't give our old neighborhood restaurants a second thought, but they stand both as witnesses of and agents to change. As the world evolves all around them, they stand firm but flexible, preserving a delicious taste of the past while serving the ever-shifting needs of today's clientele.
Even as the economy recovers, Americans are driving less and taking public transit more. With all that demand comes congestion and backups at major rail hubs. But smart cities are anticipating and adapting so that the transit station of tomorrow is a true neighborhood amenity.
Dan Young, owner of DXY Solutions, has been a busy man. The mobile app developer has hired additional staff, opened West Coast and international offices and is expanding his company's breadth of capabilities. “We started off as a mobile company,” explains Young. “Mobile apps are very popular, but we’re looking to put mobile technology in the palm of the user’s hand. We’re looking at design and connectivity to the user’s environment.”
One area where DXY has thrived is in the medical field. For instance, the company designed an interactive iPad application for the Cleveland Clinic to better assess concussions. The app works with sensor devices to provide more accurate and comprehensive information than solely relying on human observation.
Young also is developing apps that interact with home automation devices and interactive android-based kiosks to help with way finding on large hospital campuses. “Users can walk up to the kiosk and they are directed where they need to go,” Young says. “We’ll be ready to deliver to clients this summer.”
To facilitate all these projects, DYX opened offices in Seattle and Berlin and brought on seven new employees, bringing the total to 23, 20 of whom are in DXY’s new Ohio City offices. Kate Hawk, who was brought on as marketing manager last summer, moved to Seattle to oversee business out west.
The Berlin office came out of a group of interactive designers Young employs there. “Berlin is the hot technology scene right now in Europe,” notes Young. “Last year was quite a bit of growth. It’s been stressful, but it’s been a fun ride.”
The coming year is shaping up to be just as exciting. DXY will launch an interactive web site for the Akron Public Schools in February, is launching this spring a new version of its virtual historical tour guide Curatescape, and will continue to grow its relationships in the medical community.
Source: Dan Young
Writer: Karin Connelly
One area where DXY has thrived is in the medical field. For instance, the company designed an interactive iPad application for the Cleveland Clinic to better assess concussions. The app works with sensor devices to provide more accurate and comprehensive information than solely relying on human observation.
Young also is developing apps that interact with home automation devices and interactive android-based kiosks to help with way finding on large hospital campuses. “Users can walk up to the kiosk and they are directed where they need to go,” Young says. “We’ll be ready to deliver to clients this summer.”
To facilitate all these projects, DYX opened offices in Seattle and Berlin and brought on seven new employees, bringing the total to 23, 20 of whom are in DXY’s new Ohio City offices. Kate Hawk, who was brought on as marketing manager last summer, moved to Seattle to oversee business out west.
The Berlin office came out of a group of interactive designers Young employs there. “Berlin is the hot technology scene right now in Europe,” notes Young. “Last year was quite a bit of growth. It’s been stressful, but it’s been a fun ride.”
The coming year is shaping up to be just as exciting. DXY will launch an interactive web site for the Akron Public Schools in February, is launching this spring a new version of its virtual historical tour guide Curatescape, and will continue to grow its relationships in the medical community.
Source: Dan Young
Writer: Karin Connelly
On the heels of a successful merger that brought together under one roof three nonprofit community development organizations, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has made a key hire to lead its policy and advocacy efforts. Alesha Washington, a Glenville native who most recently served as Director of Executive Administration and Government Relations at the Centers for Family and Children, recently joined CNP as its Senior Director of Advocacy, Policy and Research. Washington will lead strategic policy initiatives at the city, county, state and federal levels and identify and use academic research to inform community development strategies.
"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."
"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."
In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.
Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."
"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."
In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.
Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Great neighborhoods require great cafes. These so-called "third places" provide residents with a neutral place to meet, talk and take part in the daily discourse of life. Thanks to a maturing coffee movement, most of Cleveland's neighborhoods are now blessed with just such a place. Here are some of our favorites.