Ohio City
When musician educators with Roots of American Music hold workshops in Cleveland public schools, it almost goes without saying that they are entering a place that doesn't have a full-time music teacher. Most cannot afford to hire full-time music staff, so they rely on part-time faculty and visiting artists.
The 14-year-old nonprofit organization educates more than 15,000 students throughout Northeast Ohio each year, teaching social studies, financial literacy and health education through music.
"We do a lot of songwriting about topics that are important to kids," says Kevin Richards, ROAM's Director. "They work with authentic artist-educators who not only can teach but are also bluesmen, Cajun zydeco artists or rappers."
Richards likens ROAM's educational approach to parents who disguise healthy foods to get their kids to eat them. In general, the artists have little trouble convincing kids to participate. "Kids don't realize they're getting an academic message at the same time as they're fooling around with traditional music."
ROAM's curriculum has changed as educational goals have evolved. When Richards created the organization, the focus was on teaching social studies. Today, such staple courses are supplemented with programs about financial literacy and health education (the latter is in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic).
One popular program called "On the Move" teaches students in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland about migration patterns throughout history. Students learn the song "Kansas City" and change the lyrics to fit their family's story.
Roots of American Music will host its 13th annual Benefit for Education on Saturday, October 6th at the Beachland Ballroom. Multi-award-winning Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsythe is the headliner. The tickets are $125 for VIP access including dinner and preferred seating, or $15 for the concert only.
Source: Kevin Richards
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The 14-year-old nonprofit organization educates more than 15,000 students throughout Northeast Ohio each year, teaching social studies, financial literacy and health education through music.
"We do a lot of songwriting about topics that are important to kids," says Kevin Richards, ROAM's Director. "They work with authentic artist-educators who not only can teach but are also bluesmen, Cajun zydeco artists or rappers."
Richards likens ROAM's educational approach to parents who disguise healthy foods to get their kids to eat them. In general, the artists have little trouble convincing kids to participate. "Kids don't realize they're getting an academic message at the same time as they're fooling around with traditional music."
ROAM's curriculum has changed as educational goals have evolved. When Richards created the organization, the focus was on teaching social studies. Today, such staple courses are supplemented with programs about financial literacy and health education (the latter is in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic).
One popular program called "On the Move" teaches students in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland about migration patterns throughout history. Students learn the song "Kansas City" and change the lyrics to fit their family's story.
Roots of American Music will host its 13th annual Benefit for Education on Saturday, October 6th at the Beachland Ballroom. Multi-award-winning Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsythe is the headliner. The tickets are $125 for VIP access including dinner and preferred seating, or $15 for the concert only.
Source: Kevin Richards
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thrive Cleveland, a new grassroots "happiness incubator," wants to amaze you. The goal is to provide experiences that are "surprising," "boundary expanding" and "beyond your comfort zone," according to cofounder Scott Simon.
"What we’re doing is creating what you could call a happiness gym," says Simon. "It will be a series of ongoing, curated experiences for Clevelanders. We want to get them to meet other people, be creative and hear from the best and brightest in Cleveland."
The group is composed of 13 Clevelanders who are volunteering their time to create happiness-inducing events aimed at engaging the city's residents.
The first experience, entitled "WTF? (What's That Food?) -- A Local Farm-to-Table Exploration," will take place on Saturday, August 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will meet at Cafe Benice and then travel as a group to the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Farmers Market, where they'll meet with farmers, taste just-picked produce, and learn how fresh food contributes to happiness and well-being. Afterwards, the group will return to Cafe Benice to participate in a hands-on cooking experience utilyzing the farm-fresh foods.
According to Simon, the event is part of a national movement towards fostering greater happiness in cities across the country. He cites the Happiness Institute in San Francisco and Life Labs NYC in Brooklyn as two comparable organizations.
Source: Scott Simon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"What we’re doing is creating what you could call a happiness gym," says Simon. "It will be a series of ongoing, curated experiences for Clevelanders. We want to get them to meet other people, be creative and hear from the best and brightest in Cleveland."
The group is composed of 13 Clevelanders who are volunteering their time to create happiness-inducing events aimed at engaging the city's residents.
The first experience, entitled "WTF? (What's That Food?) -- A Local Farm-to-Table Exploration," will take place on Saturday, August 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will meet at Cafe Benice and then travel as a group to the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Farmers Market, where they'll meet with farmers, taste just-picked produce, and learn how fresh food contributes to happiness and well-being. Afterwards, the group will return to Cafe Benice to participate in a hands-on cooking experience utilyzing the farm-fresh foods.
According to Simon, the event is part of a national movement towards fostering greater happiness in cities across the country. He cites the Happiness Institute in San Francisco and Life Labs NYC in Brooklyn as two comparable organizations.
Source: Scott Simon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The St. Ignatius Reaching MAGIS program is designed to help students get on the track for college in Catholic schools.
“We try to identify young boys in sixth through eighth grade who are promising, rising students, and get them involved early,” explains school principal Dan Bradesca. “These are students from schools throughout the Cleveland area who spend 15 Saturdays in English, test prep and study skills, and computer and graphic arts.”
A specific part of the program includes an entrepreneurship demo. For the second year this summer, Nick Pavlak of BABL Media has led eight MAGIS teams in entrepreneurship and technology education. The teams worked with Pavlak in developing companies and ultimately presenting their ideas to a panel of experts at LaunchHouse.
“The future of technology lives in mobile technology, and this generation is growing up in the digital world,” says Bradesca. “This program gives kids the basic knowledge of mobile application design and development from an entrepreneurial approach.”
The students went from concept to sketching the idea out, to marketing and construction of the business. “They were really doing some intense stuff,” says Bradesca. The culmination was a presentation on July 9 to LaunchHouse entrepreneurs.
The top three companies were The Shoe Finder app, which helps users find shoes at a low price; the Emergency App, which lets people know you’re in trouble; and the Achieving app, which helps people attain their personal goals.
BABL will work with the students later this year on actually developing the top app ideas.
Source: Dan Bradesca
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We try to identify young boys in sixth through eighth grade who are promising, rising students, and get them involved early,” explains school principal Dan Bradesca. “These are students from schools throughout the Cleveland area who spend 15 Saturdays in English, test prep and study skills, and computer and graphic arts.”
A specific part of the program includes an entrepreneurship demo. For the second year this summer, Nick Pavlak of BABL Media has led eight MAGIS teams in entrepreneurship and technology education. The teams worked with Pavlak in developing companies and ultimately presenting their ideas to a panel of experts at LaunchHouse.
“The future of technology lives in mobile technology, and this generation is growing up in the digital world,” says Bradesca. “This program gives kids the basic knowledge of mobile application design and development from an entrepreneurial approach.”
The students went from concept to sketching the idea out, to marketing and construction of the business. “They were really doing some intense stuff,” says Bradesca. The culmination was a presentation on July 9 to LaunchHouse entrepreneurs.
The top three companies were The Shoe Finder app, which helps users find shoes at a low price; the Emergency App, which lets people know you’re in trouble; and the Achieving app, which helps people attain their personal goals.
BABL will work with the students later this year on actually developing the top app ideas.
Source: Dan Bradesca
Writer: Karin Connelly
When Earl Pike of the Cleveland Leadership Center helped design the new Civic Engagement Boot Camp, he tapped the popular national trend of half marathon benefits as a wellspring of inspiration.
"People want to be challenged," he says. "We didn't want to do the typical thing of getting a bunch of young people in a room to listen to an old person pontificate. We wanted to ask people to do something really hard and put their hearts and souls into it."
The result? A one-day civic engagement half marathon, if you will. The Boot Camp starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m.
"At the end, you'll be exhausted and probably smell bad and be a little frayed," says Pike. "But you'll see every major sector of Cleveland and you'll be engaged in a way that changes you, challenges you."
In June, participants held a behind-the-scenes meeting with the editorial board of the Plain Dealer, worked out with an 82-year-old woman, dug in the dirt at Ohio City Farm, went on a bike tour of Cleveland, and honed their improv skills at Cleveland Public Theatre. And that was just part of the day. It concluded with a meeting of area foundation leaders at the Terminal Tower Observation Deck.
The next installment of Boot Camp, titled "Cleveland from dawn to dusk -- like you've never seen it before," will take place Thursday, October 4th. The cost is $500.
"It doesn't really matter what people do: We love seeing people inspired and getting active in whatever domain they choose," says Pike, who says the long-term goal is combining civic engagement with personal growth. "Now we're beginning to look at the coaching that might come after the experience."
Source: Earl Pike
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"People want to be challenged," he says. "We didn't want to do the typical thing of getting a bunch of young people in a room to listen to an old person pontificate. We wanted to ask people to do something really hard and put their hearts and souls into it."
The result? A one-day civic engagement half marathon, if you will. The Boot Camp starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m.
"At the end, you'll be exhausted and probably smell bad and be a little frayed," says Pike. "But you'll see every major sector of Cleveland and you'll be engaged in a way that changes you, challenges you."
In June, participants held a behind-the-scenes meeting with the editorial board of the Plain Dealer, worked out with an 82-year-old woman, dug in the dirt at Ohio City Farm, went on a bike tour of Cleveland, and honed their improv skills at Cleveland Public Theatre. And that was just part of the day. It concluded with a meeting of area foundation leaders at the Terminal Tower Observation Deck.
The next installment of Boot Camp, titled "Cleveland from dawn to dusk -- like you've never seen it before," will take place Thursday, October 4th. The cost is $500.
"It doesn't really matter what people do: We love seeing people inspired and getting active in whatever domain they choose," says Pike, who says the long-term goal is combining civic engagement with personal growth. "Now we're beginning to look at the coaching that might come after the experience."
Source: Earl Pike
Writer: Lee Chilcote
travel writer wasn't prepared to fall head over heels for the west side market
"I know a little about farmers markets and fish markets, I enjoy Pike Street Market in Seattle, but I wasn’t prepared for the West Side Market of Cleveland, Ohio," writes Ernie Hawks of the River Journal.
After a visit to the Market, Hawkes wrote, "It has a 45,000 square foot interior concourse, with a ceiling forty-four feet high and corbels carved to look like produce and animals. There is room for nearly one hundred stalls inside. Around the outside is a covered atrium holding another 85 stalls for fresh produce. On one corner is a clock tower over 137 feet tall."
"It is an imposing building to approach but what I found inside was mind-boggling. The smorgasbord available includes Asian, Irish, German, Slovene, Italian, Greek, Polish, Russian, and Middle Eastern foods."
Read the rest of his colorful account here.
After a visit to the Market, Hawkes wrote, "It has a 45,000 square foot interior concourse, with a ceiling forty-four feet high and corbels carved to look like produce and animals. There is room for nearly one hundred stalls inside. Around the outside is a covered atrium holding another 85 stalls for fresh produce. On one corner is a clock tower over 137 feet tall."
"It is an imposing building to approach but what I found inside was mind-boggling. The smorgasbord available includes Asian, Irish, German, Slovene, Italian, Greek, Polish, Russian, and Middle Eastern foods."
Read the rest of his colorful account here.
St. John's Episcopal Church in Ohio City has a rich and illustrious history. Industrialist and U.S. Senator Marcus Hanna married there in the late 19th century, and at one time the church was one of the very last stops on the Underground Railroad.
More recently, Cleveland-born rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony recorded their first album in a part of the parish hall rented out to a recording studio in the '90s.
Unfortunately, the parish dissolved and the church closed several years ago. Yet the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio recently hired developer Rick Foran to restore the vintage, board-and-batten exterior. Prior to the rehabilitation, the exterior paint was badly peeling and boards were rotting and coming loose.
"It was painted dark brown and the siding was splitting," says Foran of the 8,000-square-foot hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is considered to be the oldest consecrated building in Cuyahoga County. "We took the siding off, turned it over, primed and painted it and reinstalled it."
The Foran Group also added much-needed insulation (because there wasn't any) as well as sheathing and an energy-efficient vapor barrier. Finally, the developer replaced the rotten batten strips with custom-made cedar wood pieces.
The redevelopment preserves a piece of Ohio City's architectural heritage. Well-to-do families living in mansions on Franklin Boulevard built St. John's, whose foundation is built from pieces of stone from the Cuyahoga River, says Foran. He hopes the area's redevelopment will give the property a second life.
The repair will allow the Episcopal Diocese to begin marketing the church and parish hall to a new occupant. "With the growth of the whole Ohio City area, they believe that they can find another church that would occupy it," says Foran.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
More recently, Cleveland-born rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony recorded their first album in a part of the parish hall rented out to a recording studio in the '90s.
Unfortunately, the parish dissolved and the church closed several years ago. Yet the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio recently hired developer Rick Foran to restore the vintage, board-and-batten exterior. Prior to the rehabilitation, the exterior paint was badly peeling and boards were rotting and coming loose.
"It was painted dark brown and the siding was splitting," says Foran of the 8,000-square-foot hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is considered to be the oldest consecrated building in Cuyahoga County. "We took the siding off, turned it over, primed and painted it and reinstalled it."
The Foran Group also added much-needed insulation (because there wasn't any) as well as sheathing and an energy-efficient vapor barrier. Finally, the developer replaced the rotten batten strips with custom-made cedar wood pieces.
The redevelopment preserves a piece of Ohio City's architectural heritage. Well-to-do families living in mansions on Franklin Boulevard built St. John's, whose foundation is built from pieces of stone from the Cuyahoga River, says Foran. He hopes the area's redevelopment will give the property a second life.
The repair will allow the Episcopal Diocese to begin marketing the church and parish hall to a new occupant. "With the growth of the whole Ohio City area, they believe that they can find another church that would occupy it," says Foran.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In 2011, Trevor Shaw was working in sales and marketing for an industrial parts distributor, searching through Google AdWords accounts when his wandering mind struck upon an idea. “I was bored and thinking about the previous weekend and all the fun I had,” Shaw recalls. “So I started thinking.”
Shaw’s thinking led to Barkudo, an iPhone app that allows bar managers to input daily drink specials so customers within a five-mile radius can redeem them on their phones.
“The bar manager goes to the Barkudo website, logs in to their merchant account and creates deals throughout the week,” explains Shaw. “Users open the app within five miles of that bar and will see the specials.”
Barkudo differs from deal sites like Groupon in that users do not prepay for the special, and bar owners do not have to wait for their money. “The bar owners receive their money at the point of sale, up front from the customer,” says Shaw. “There’s no printout. You just have to be at the location to get the deal.”
In just a few weeks -- Barkudo launched at the end of July -- Shaw has commitments from Panini’s on Coventry, The Cedar Lee Pub and Grill, The Fairmount Martini and Wine Bar, and the Blind Pig. More bars are on the way in Ohio City, Tremont and Akron.
“In the next month we expect to be moving quickly as everything starts trickling in and moving week by week," adds Shaw.
Right now, Shaw works with a programmer to help him launch. He expects to hire a technical person and sales reps as the business grows.
Source: Trevor Shaw
Writer: Karin Connelly
Shaw’s thinking led to Barkudo, an iPhone app that allows bar managers to input daily drink specials so customers within a five-mile radius can redeem them on their phones.
“The bar manager goes to the Barkudo website, logs in to their merchant account and creates deals throughout the week,” explains Shaw. “Users open the app within five miles of that bar and will see the specials.”
Barkudo differs from deal sites like Groupon in that users do not prepay for the special, and bar owners do not have to wait for their money. “The bar owners receive their money at the point of sale, up front from the customer,” says Shaw. “There’s no printout. You just have to be at the location to get the deal.”
In just a few weeks -- Barkudo launched at the end of July -- Shaw has commitments from Panini’s on Coventry, The Cedar Lee Pub and Grill, The Fairmount Martini and Wine Bar, and the Blind Pig. More bars are on the way in Ohio City, Tremont and Akron.
“In the next month we expect to be moving quickly as everything starts trickling in and moving week by week," adds Shaw.
Right now, Shaw works with a programmer to help him launch. He expects to hire a technical person and sales reps as the business grows.
Source: Trevor Shaw
Writer: Karin Connelly
Jeff Griffiths launched Hands On Northeast Ohio in 2007 to "train and equip volunteers to be at the center of change in their communities." In 2011, the startup nonprofit organization helped connect nearly 5,000 volunteers with hundreds of worthy projects throughout the Cleveland area.
Last weekend, volunteers prepped bikes at the Ohio City Bike Co-op, served meals to the homeless, delivered meals to seniors, cleaned cat cages, and lended a hand at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Hands On Northeast Ohio offers accessible, well-managed opportunities to serve throughout the community. Volunteers attend an orientation session and sign up for opportunities on the group's website. With a point and a click, they can read descriptions of opportunities, find out which ones are available, and sign up.
"People wanted to help, but oftentimes accessing volunteer opportunities was filled with barriers -- the commitment was unrealistic, the training was too cumbersome, or the agency didn't have a way to recruit or train volunteers at all," says Griffiths. "By us managing projects, we make both parties happy."
In addition to 35-plus managed projects per month, Hands On also manages one-day national events such as the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Griffiths says the organization is part of a national network of similar groups. "We saw a need, took a proven model and adapted it locally to our needs here," he says.
Source: Jeff Griffiths
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Last weekend, volunteers prepped bikes at the Ohio City Bike Co-op, served meals to the homeless, delivered meals to seniors, cleaned cat cages, and lended a hand at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Hands On Northeast Ohio offers accessible, well-managed opportunities to serve throughout the community. Volunteers attend an orientation session and sign up for opportunities on the group's website. With a point and a click, they can read descriptions of opportunities, find out which ones are available, and sign up.
"People wanted to help, but oftentimes accessing volunteer opportunities was filled with barriers -- the commitment was unrealistic, the training was too cumbersome, or the agency didn't have a way to recruit or train volunteers at all," says Griffiths. "By us managing projects, we make both parties happy."
In addition to 35-plus managed projects per month, Hands On also manages one-day national events such as the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Griffiths says the organization is part of a national network of similar groups. "We saw a need, took a proven model and adapted it locally to our needs here," he says.
Source: Jeff Griffiths
Writer: Lee Chilcote
chef line-up announced for west side market centennial gala
The Centennial Gala, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, will officially kick off the Market’s Centennial fundraising campaign. The massive Gala will mark the first day of the next 100 years for Cleveland’s West Side Market.
Co-chaired by Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, the Centennial Gala will also feature a spectacular lineup of national chefs and celebrities.
April Bloomfield, New York City: The Spotted Pig, The Breslin Bar, The John Dory Oyster Bar
Andrew Carmellini, New York City: Locanda Verde, The Dutch (Miami Beach and New York City)
Britt-Marie Culey, Cleveland: Coquette Patisserie
Karen DeMasco, New York City: Locanda Verde
Chris Hodgson, Cleveland: Hodges, Hodge Podge and Dim and Den Sum Food Trucks
Paul Kahan, Chicago: One Off Hospitality Group including Blackbird, avec, The Publican, Big Star, The Violet Hour
Jeff Michaud, Philadelphia: Co-owner Osteria and Amis
Jonathon Sawyer, Cleveland: Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat, Street Frites
Michael Symon, Cleveland: Lola, Lolita, Roast (Detroit), B-Spot
Marc Vetri, Philadelphia: Chef and owner, Vetri, Osteria, Amis, Alla Spina
Eric Williams, Cleveland: Momocho, Happy Dog
Paul Minnillo, Cleveland: Flour
Rocco Whalen, Cleveland: Fahrenheit, Rosie & Rocco’s
Andrew Zimmern: Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern; Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World; Bizarre Foods America on the Travel Channel
On Friday, Nov. 2 -- the West Side Market’s 100th birthday -- the chefs will shop at the Market to purchase items to use in the dishes they’ll prepare for the Gala. The Gala will take place the following day in the West Side Market. In addition, the event boasts a VIP reception, tasting stations, live music and more.
A limited number of tickets are available for pre-sale here with the remaining tickets going on sale next month. The ticket price is $250 and includes valet parking, tastings of the chefs’ signature dishes, an open bar and commemorative 22-ounce bottles of Butcher’s Brew from Great Lakes Brewing.
For more info, watch this video starring Symon and Sawyer:
Co-chaired by Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, the Centennial Gala will also feature a spectacular lineup of national chefs and celebrities.
April Bloomfield, New York City: The Spotted Pig, The Breslin Bar, The John Dory Oyster Bar
Andrew Carmellini, New York City: Locanda Verde, The Dutch (Miami Beach and New York City)
Britt-Marie Culey, Cleveland: Coquette Patisserie
Karen DeMasco, New York City: Locanda Verde
Chris Hodgson, Cleveland: Hodges, Hodge Podge and Dim and Den Sum Food Trucks
Paul Kahan, Chicago: One Off Hospitality Group including Blackbird, avec, The Publican, Big Star, The Violet Hour
Jeff Michaud, Philadelphia: Co-owner Osteria and Amis
Jonathon Sawyer, Cleveland: Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat, Street Frites
Michael Symon, Cleveland: Lola, Lolita, Roast (Detroit), B-Spot
Marc Vetri, Philadelphia: Chef and owner, Vetri, Osteria, Amis, Alla Spina
Eric Williams, Cleveland: Momocho, Happy Dog
Paul Minnillo, Cleveland: Flour
Rocco Whalen, Cleveland: Fahrenheit, Rosie & Rocco’s
Andrew Zimmern: Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern; Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World; Bizarre Foods America on the Travel Channel
On Friday, Nov. 2 -- the West Side Market’s 100th birthday -- the chefs will shop at the Market to purchase items to use in the dishes they’ll prepare for the Gala. The Gala will take place the following day in the West Side Market. In addition, the event boasts a VIP reception, tasting stations, live music and more.
A limited number of tickets are available for pre-sale here with the remaining tickets going on sale next month. The ticket price is $250 and includes valet parking, tastings of the chefs’ signature dishes, an open bar and commemorative 22-ounce bottles of Butcher’s Brew from Great Lakes Brewing.
For more info, watch this video starring Symon and Sawyer:
If Bike Cleveland, LAND Studio and business owner Sam McNulty have their way, a used shipping container will be transformed into sleek new bike parking in Ohio City sometime next month.
The Bike Box, which will feature parking for 15 bikes in a locally sourced shipping container fabricated by Rust Belt Welding, started off as a conversation among cycling advocates about converting a single car parking space into multiple bike parking on West 25th.
"To be honest, I thought the City was going to look at me cross-eyed," says Sam McNulty, who is chipping in money for the project. The Bike Box will be placed on Bridge, outside of Nano Brew, his soon-to-open microbrewery. "Surprisingly, they were very excited about it. This makes a statement and says, 'Instead of bicycles and pedestrians being an afterthought, we're flipping the script and creating a space for bicycles.'"
As far as timing goes, McNulty says the organizers still hope to have the Bike Box up in time for events celebrating the West Side Market's 100th birthday. "We're shooting to have it hit the curb in time for the Centennial next month," he says.
McNulty says the Bike Box will replace one unmetered parking space. He hopes to eventually remove another parking space or two and create a "parklet" -- a streetside pocket park with grass, trees and benches -- but he's focused on the Bike Box first. "The park is more controversial and cutting-edge," he says.
Source: Sam McNulty
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Bike Box, which will feature parking for 15 bikes in a locally sourced shipping container fabricated by Rust Belt Welding, started off as a conversation among cycling advocates about converting a single car parking space into multiple bike parking on West 25th.
"To be honest, I thought the City was going to look at me cross-eyed," says Sam McNulty, who is chipping in money for the project. The Bike Box will be placed on Bridge, outside of Nano Brew, his soon-to-open microbrewery. "Surprisingly, they were very excited about it. This makes a statement and says, 'Instead of bicycles and pedestrians being an afterthought, we're flipping the script and creating a space for bicycles.'"
As far as timing goes, McNulty says the organizers still hope to have the Bike Box up in time for events celebrating the West Side Market's 100th birthday. "We're shooting to have it hit the curb in time for the Centennial next month," he says.
McNulty says the Bike Box will replace one unmetered parking space. He hopes to eventually remove another parking space or two and create a "parklet" -- a streetside pocket park with grass, trees and benches -- but he's focused on the Bike Box first. "The park is more controversial and cutting-edge," he says.
Source: Sam McNulty
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cleveland an 'up-and-coming bike city' according to bicycling mag
Along with New York City, Albuquerque, Long Beach, and Miami, Cleveland was named by Bicycling magazine as an up-and-coming bike city.
"It's no joke," writes David Howard, "The city on Lake Erie has cycling dialed."
"What's to love?" he adds. "For starters, the stretch of bike lane that now runs the length of historic Euclid Avenue, linking the city's two employment hubs. A new towpath just beyond Cleveland's southern border reaches Akron—80 miles away. Plans call for webs of bike paths to unspool east and west as well. To lure tourists in, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance launched a bike-rental program last summer -- it will expand this year into a parking garage with showers and lockers."
"And then there's the diversity. In January, a nonprofit unveiled plans to build an indoor velodrome -- the third of its kind in the country and the only one east of the Rockies. The city is home to the vast Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park and Pedal Republic, which organizes bike-polo tourneys, tall-bike rides and alley cat races."
Read all the news here.
This on top of the recent good news from HGTV..
"It's no joke," writes David Howard, "The city on Lake Erie has cycling dialed."
"What's to love?" he adds. "For starters, the stretch of bike lane that now runs the length of historic Euclid Avenue, linking the city's two employment hubs. A new towpath just beyond Cleveland's southern border reaches Akron—80 miles away. Plans call for webs of bike paths to unspool east and west as well. To lure tourists in, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance launched a bike-rental program last summer -- it will expand this year into a parking garage with showers and lockers."
"And then there's the diversity. In January, a nonprofit unveiled plans to build an indoor velodrome -- the third of its kind in the country and the only one east of the Rockies. The city is home to the vast Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park and Pedal Republic, which organizes bike-polo tourneys, tall-bike rides and alley cat races."
Read all the news here.
This on top of the recent good news from HGTV..
In the best of cases, getting a book published can take one to three years from start to finish. Or, you can do it the way Richey Piiparinen and Anne Trubek did with Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology. The pair of Cleveland writers managed to compress the entire Sisyphean process into an implausible three-month timeframe.
travel writer visits cleveland, compiles list of quirky finds
A travel writer makes a visit to the North Coast and compiles a list of her quirky finds.
"Last month I traveled to northeastern Ohio -- around Lake Erie. The region is shaking its reputation based on the Cuyahoga river catching fire many years ago. Old images are hard to kick, but like other rustbelt cities, Cleveland and its environs is rejuvenating, regentrifying and reclaiming, with lively neighborhoods, farm-to-table restaurants, and a renewed pride in culture and history.
"Here, a few of my images representing some of the quirky happenings of summer in Ohio. The photos speak for themselves, I think."
Stops include the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, West Side Market, Big Fun, Melt Bar and Grilled, Polka Hall of Fame, and the Duct Tape Festival.
Read it here.
"Last month I traveled to northeastern Ohio -- around Lake Erie. The region is shaking its reputation based on the Cuyahoga river catching fire many years ago. Old images are hard to kick, but like other rustbelt cities, Cleveland and its environs is rejuvenating, regentrifying and reclaiming, with lively neighborhoods, farm-to-table restaurants, and a renewed pride in culture and history.
"Here, a few of my images representing some of the quirky happenings of summer in Ohio. The photos speak for themselves, I think."
Stops include the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, West Side Market, Big Fun, Melt Bar and Grilled, Polka Hall of Fame, and the Duct Tape Festival.
Read it here.
The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have invested millions of dollars in public money to help make urban development projects happen over the years. But do they provide the maximum benefit to the taxpayers paying for them?
Amanda Woodrum, a researcher at the liberal think tank Policy Matters, says that Northeast Ohio leaders have not always maximized the public benefits of development projects. Yet cities like Cleveland have a tool at their disposal called Community Benefit Agreements to help ensure the public gets the biggest bang for its buck when it comes to public subsidies.
"Community Benefit Agreements involve an economic development approach that balances the three E’s of sustainability: environment, equity and economy," says Woodrum. "One of the biggest things is ensuring that the workforce involved is hired locally. The second thing is that it is diverse and reflective of the population as a whole. There are other questions, too. Are we behaving responsibly towards the environment? Is there access to the development site for public transit?"
Woodrum adds, "The whole process is done in a very open discussion in which key stakeholders come together. There is a movement nationally to do development this way. In many cases, anchor institutions are voluntarilyy creating such agreements because they recognize that they have stake in community."
Woodrum stated that the City of Cleveland does not have a comprehensive policy towards creating Community Benefit Agreements with developers, and that the absence of such a policy can lead to inconsistent results. She cited the Horseshoe Casino as a potential model project due to its local hiring practices; on the other hand, a new housing development at Cleveland State University has drawn ire from the local building trades union for its failure to hire local workers.
To generate a discussion about Community Benefit Agreements in Cleveland, Policy Matters has helped to organize a daylong symposium with local and national experts at Cuyahoga Community College on Friday, August 3rd. The event is cosponsored by the City of Cleveland and Cleveland City Council.
"If the stakeholders coming to the table decide it makes sense, we’d like to move forward with building a policy that ensures whenever city subsidizes development in any meaninging way, we’re maximizing value to community," says Woodrum.
Source: Amanda Woodrum
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Amanda Woodrum, a researcher at the liberal think tank Policy Matters, says that Northeast Ohio leaders have not always maximized the public benefits of development projects. Yet cities like Cleveland have a tool at their disposal called Community Benefit Agreements to help ensure the public gets the biggest bang for its buck when it comes to public subsidies.
"Community Benefit Agreements involve an economic development approach that balances the three E’s of sustainability: environment, equity and economy," says Woodrum. "One of the biggest things is ensuring that the workforce involved is hired locally. The second thing is that it is diverse and reflective of the population as a whole. There are other questions, too. Are we behaving responsibly towards the environment? Is there access to the development site for public transit?"
Woodrum adds, "The whole process is done in a very open discussion in which key stakeholders come together. There is a movement nationally to do development this way. In many cases, anchor institutions are voluntarilyy creating such agreements because they recognize that they have stake in community."
Woodrum stated that the City of Cleveland does not have a comprehensive policy towards creating Community Benefit Agreements with developers, and that the absence of such a policy can lead to inconsistent results. She cited the Horseshoe Casino as a potential model project due to its local hiring practices; on the other hand, a new housing development at Cleveland State University has drawn ire from the local building trades union for its failure to hire local workers.
To generate a discussion about Community Benefit Agreements in Cleveland, Policy Matters has helped to organize a daylong symposium with local and national experts at Cuyahoga Community College on Friday, August 3rd. The event is cosponsored by the City of Cleveland and Cleveland City Council.
"If the stakeholders coming to the table decide it makes sense, we’d like to move forward with building a policy that ensures whenever city subsidizes development in any meaninging way, we’re maximizing value to community," says Woodrum.
Source: Amanda Woodrum
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When late summer rolls around, my kids and I are desperate for adventure. From our house in the Heights, that usually means we’re heading down the hill to Cleveland, where over the years we’ve discovered countless family-friendly things to see and do. The options are many and growing, but here is our pick for Top 10.
project for public spaces lauds cleveland as a 'market town'
In the lead up to the 8th International Public Markets Conference, which will be held in Cleveland September 21 to 23, the Project for Public Spaces continues to blog about placemaking.
In a recent post titled " You Are Where You Eat: Re-Focusing Communities Around Markets," the writer discusses the importance of public markets like Cleveland's West Side Market.
"If you want to see a Market City in action, you may want to consider attending the 8th International Public Markets Conference in Cleveland this September. Chosen as the host city because of the role that food is playing in its remarkable turnaround, Cleveland illustrates many of the aspects of a Market City, according to David O’Neil."
“From agricultural production areas, to smaller markets, to bigger markets, you can really see things changing in Cleveland,” he says. “For a long time, Cleveland was a Market Town, and now institutions like the West Side Market are leading its post-industrial revival. The WSM isn’t a suburban market, but it’s not right downtown -- it was always a neighborhood market. It’s a good lab for seeing the power that a market can have on its town or district. The Ohio City district has become an attractive place to open up a business because of the market. The effect is becoming so positive that it’s affecting the larger city of Cleveland, itself. The market is becoming a sun, and the city is leaning toward it for oxygen, light, and life.”
Read the rest right here.
In a recent post titled " You Are Where You Eat: Re-Focusing Communities Around Markets," the writer discusses the importance of public markets like Cleveland's West Side Market.
"If you want to see a Market City in action, you may want to consider attending the 8th International Public Markets Conference in Cleveland this September. Chosen as the host city because of the role that food is playing in its remarkable turnaround, Cleveland illustrates many of the aspects of a Market City, according to David O’Neil."
“From agricultural production areas, to smaller markets, to bigger markets, you can really see things changing in Cleveland,” he says. “For a long time, Cleveland was a Market Town, and now institutions like the West Side Market are leading its post-industrial revival. The WSM isn’t a suburban market, but it’s not right downtown -- it was always a neighborhood market. It’s a good lab for seeing the power that a market can have on its town or district. The Ohio City district has become an attractive place to open up a business because of the market. The effect is becoming so positive that it’s affecting the larger city of Cleveland, itself. The market is becoming a sun, and the city is leaning toward it for oxygen, light, and life.”
Read the rest right here.
Voss Industries, an employee-owned aerospace and industrial applications company on West 25th Street in Ohio City, is replacing all the windows on its century-old building -- all 650 of 'em.
The investment will help the company to make key improvements to its headquarters on Cleveland's near west side, where it has been since 1957.
"It's been a rather long project," says Voss President and CEO Dan Sedor with a chuckle. "It's a 100-year-old building, so we're refacing it. What's going on in Ohio City is definitely a renaissance, and our company wants to play a small part in it."
"Small" is not the word that accurately describes the outsized ambitions of this half-century-old company that occupies 240,000 square feet in Ohio City, however. Voss has experienced 20-percent growth annually for the past several years, and has hired 80 workers in the last two years alone. The progress, says Sedor, is due to the improving economy and Voss's competitiveness in the marketplace.
"We're a metal manipulator -- we bend it, roll it, stamp it and machine it," says Sedor. "We've been steadily gaining market share by diversifying the markets we serve and also by providing engineering solutions to many of our customers."
Voss has more than 330 employees. Sedor says he likes Ohio City because it offers a convenient, centralized location for employees, who live throughout the region.
Source: Dan Sedor
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The investment will help the company to make key improvements to its headquarters on Cleveland's near west side, where it has been since 1957.
"It's been a rather long project," says Voss President and CEO Dan Sedor with a chuckle. "It's a 100-year-old building, so we're refacing it. What's going on in Ohio City is definitely a renaissance, and our company wants to play a small part in it."
"Small" is not the word that accurately describes the outsized ambitions of this half-century-old company that occupies 240,000 square feet in Ohio City, however. Voss has experienced 20-percent growth annually for the past several years, and has hired 80 workers in the last two years alone. The progress, says Sedor, is due to the improving economy and Voss's competitiveness in the marketplace.
"We're a metal manipulator -- we bend it, roll it, stamp it and machine it," says Sedor. "We've been steadily gaining market share by diversifying the markets we serve and also by providing engineering solutions to many of our customers."
Voss has more than 330 employees. Sedor says he likes Ohio City because it offers a convenient, centralized location for employees, who live throughout the region.
Source: Dan Sedor
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Coworking is a growing trend whereby freelancers, telecommuters and other mobile workers share space to lessen the costs of facilities and equipment. In Cleveland, The Open Office and Cowork Cleveland are attracting non-traditional workers who are tired of the isolation of working from home or the distractions of jockeying for an outlet at the local coffee shop.
One year ago, six interns from Dallas, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Boston, Baltimore and Jewett, Ohio came to Cleveland to participate in the inaugural year of Trinity Urban Service Corps, a project of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Cleveland.
The goal of the program is to engage young people in nonprofit service work that improves the City of Cleveland. It also seeks to build community among members, stimulate faith development and help young people discern their career paths.
Adam Spencer, who organized the program for Trinity Cathedral, says it has been successful and is expanding to eight interns in its second year. A new crop of service corps members are scheduled to arrive in town next month.
"This program is all about working to make the city a better place," says Spencer, a Northeast Ohio native who loves playing the role of tour guide in his hometown. "The service corps members help to do the work we desperately need done in Cleveland. The program also gets young people interested in the city and its issues, and it shows them all the wonderful stuff that's going on here."
Trinity's service corps members live communally in a house in Detroit Shoreway. The program pays for their housing, transportation and health care and provides a modest stipend and shared allowance for groceries and utilities. Interns are encouraged to use public transportation as a way to navigate the city.
Some of the work sites included Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, West Creek Preservation Committee and Leadership Cleveland. Service corps members performed tasks ranging from community organizing to working with homeless men to organizing the Cleveland Mow Goats project.
The Trinity Urban Service Corps is part of a network of similar urban service corps that are organized by Episcopal congregations across the country.
Source: Adam Spencer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The goal of the program is to engage young people in nonprofit service work that improves the City of Cleveland. It also seeks to build community among members, stimulate faith development and help young people discern their career paths.
Adam Spencer, who organized the program for Trinity Cathedral, says it has been successful and is expanding to eight interns in its second year. A new crop of service corps members are scheduled to arrive in town next month.
"This program is all about working to make the city a better place," says Spencer, a Northeast Ohio native who loves playing the role of tour guide in his hometown. "The service corps members help to do the work we desperately need done in Cleveland. The program also gets young people interested in the city and its issues, and it shows them all the wonderful stuff that's going on here."
Trinity's service corps members live communally in a house in Detroit Shoreway. The program pays for their housing, transportation and health care and provides a modest stipend and shared allowance for groceries and utilities. Interns are encouraged to use public transportation as a way to navigate the city.
Some of the work sites included Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, West Creek Preservation Committee and Leadership Cleveland. Service corps members performed tasks ranging from community organizing to working with homeless men to organizing the Cleveland Mow Goats project.
The Trinity Urban Service Corps is part of a network of similar urban service corps that are organized by Episcopal congregations across the country.
Source: Adam Spencer
Writer: Lee Chilcote