Diversity + Inclusion
If you were among the thousands of people who attended concerts this summer outside the Transformer Station in Ohio City, you have Thomas Welsh to thank. As director of the Cleveland Museum of Art's newly minted City Stages, the Philadelphia native is spicing up his new hometown with musical acts from around the globe.
asiatown neighborhood an example of immigration as job creator
In a Slate post titled “Cleveland Chinese immigration: New people create new jobs,” Matthew Yglesias writes of his experience eating some Chinese food in Cleveland’s “Asiantown” neighborhood -- an area occupied by a growing collection of Asian restaurants and markets.
“I had a meal there that probably exceeds any Chinese cooking you can find in DC proper and would count as quite good even by the standards of the more immigrant-heavy suburbs in Rockville or Northern Virginia," the writer boasts.
Yglesias goes on to detail how the newcomers create “new jobs” by offering an “authentic experience” that might not otherwise be available. And while opponents to immigration fear “outsiders” might appropriate available jobs, consider the possibility of additional job creation that comes with fixing up buildings and delivering supplies.
Check out the full piece here.
“I had a meal there that probably exceeds any Chinese cooking you can find in DC proper and would count as quite good even by the standards of the more immigrant-heavy suburbs in Rockville or Northern Virginia," the writer boasts.
Yglesias goes on to detail how the newcomers create “new jobs” by offering an “authentic experience” that might not otherwise be available. And while opponents to immigration fear “outsiders” might appropriate available jobs, consider the possibility of additional job creation that comes with fixing up buildings and delivering supplies.
Check out the full piece here.
Brittany Gonzalez and Alicia Candelario started La Banana Frita on a dare from friend and comedian Ramon Rivas. He was having a show at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights last May and he wanted his guests to have food. The childhood friends accepted Rivas’ dare and began selling fried plantains, or tostones, at the show.
“We’re by no means chefs,” says Gonzalez. “We just make them like our grandmothers and mothers made them.” The pair has fond memories of growing up as neighbors in South Lorain and smelling the plantains cooking. They enjoy sharing their heritage with Clevelanders.
“We really like watching people try them,” says Candelario. “Right off the bat they really enjoy them, even younger people and children.” The two have been hitting the Cleveland Flea, some comedy shows and even picked up a few catering jobs. “We’ve just kind of been bopping around town, trying to get out there,” adds Gonzalez.
La Banana Frita’s plantains come with some unique toppings. “The people of Cleveland love pulled pork,” says Gonzales. “That, coupled with spicy no-mayo coleslaw and a drizzle of Sriracha. Wow. We sell out every time.” But it seems like whatever Gonzalez and Candelario put on top of the crispy fried plantains, they’re a hit.
“Recently, our plantains with smoked salmon, fried egg, and dill sauce were a huge hit at the Hingetown Market,” says Gonzalez. “We'll definitely be bringing that back again for the folks that missed out.” Councilman Joe Cimperman showed up at their Hingetown stand, but La Banana Frita had just sold out.
La Banana Frita plans to expand to include a mail order business, shipping frozen plantains and sauces around the country. “So whenever they have a craving, they can pop them open, heat, and enjoy,” says Gonzalez. They also hope to get a cart or food truck to hit more outdoor events and expand their catering business in the winter months.
Sources: Brittany Gonzalez and Alicia Candelario
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We’re by no means chefs,” says Gonzalez. “We just make them like our grandmothers and mothers made them.” The pair has fond memories of growing up as neighbors in South Lorain and smelling the plantains cooking. They enjoy sharing their heritage with Clevelanders.
“We really like watching people try them,” says Candelario. “Right off the bat they really enjoy them, even younger people and children.” The two have been hitting the Cleveland Flea, some comedy shows and even picked up a few catering jobs. “We’ve just kind of been bopping around town, trying to get out there,” adds Gonzalez.
La Banana Frita’s plantains come with some unique toppings. “The people of Cleveland love pulled pork,” says Gonzales. “That, coupled with spicy no-mayo coleslaw and a drizzle of Sriracha. Wow. We sell out every time.” But it seems like whatever Gonzalez and Candelario put on top of the crispy fried plantains, they’re a hit.
“Recently, our plantains with smoked salmon, fried egg, and dill sauce were a huge hit at the Hingetown Market,” says Gonzalez. “We'll definitely be bringing that back again for the folks that missed out.” Councilman Joe Cimperman showed up at their Hingetown stand, but La Banana Frita had just sold out.
La Banana Frita plans to expand to include a mail order business, shipping frozen plantains and sauces around the country. “So whenever they have a craving, they can pop them open, heat, and enjoy,” says Gonzalez. They also hope to get a cart or food truck to hit more outdoor events and expand their catering business in the winter months.
Sources: Brittany Gonzalez and Alicia Candelario
Writer: Karin Connelly
cle extends a welcoming hand to immigrants
In a New York Times article titled "Ailing Midwestern Cities Extend a Welcoming Hand to Immigrants," writer Julia Preston highlights cities that have launched programs like Global Cleveland to attract immigrant newcomers and their work skills.
"Other struggling cities are trying to restart growth by luring enterprising immigrants, both highly skilled workers and low-wage laborers," she writes. "In the Midwest, similar initiatives have begun in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Lansing, Mich., as well as Detroit, as it strives to rise out of bankruptcy."
"We want to get back to the entrepreneurial spirit that immigrants bring,” said Richard Herman, a Cleveland immigration lawyer who advises cities on ideas for development based on attracting and retaining newcomers.
Read the rest here.
"Other struggling cities are trying to restart growth by luring enterprising immigrants, both highly skilled workers and low-wage laborers," she writes. "In the Midwest, similar initiatives have begun in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Lansing, Mich., as well as Detroit, as it strives to rise out of bankruptcy."
"We want to get back to the entrepreneurial spirit that immigrants bring,” said Richard Herman, a Cleveland immigration lawyer who advises cities on ideas for development based on attracting and retaining newcomers.
Read the rest here.
Cleveland, like most American cities, has had its challenges regarding segregation. But emerging patterns of desegregation can significantly advance our city's position as a center of innovation. This represents a key opportunity to reconstitute a new American neighborhood model by harnessing the potential of diversification.
As millenials, empty nesters and other demographic groups flock to downtowns across Ohio, business improvement districts -- or BIDs -- are playing an important role in ensuring that these areas are clean and safe and that residents, office workers and property owners have the amenities they need to thrive.
A business improvement district is a defined area in which property owners pay an additional tax in order to fund projects and services that enhance the area. Downtown Cleveland has a BID, and the organization provides basic "clean and safe" services, organizes events and markets downtown to prospective residents, visitors and businesses.
This week, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which manages the downtown BID, organized the first all-Ohio BID conference, bringing together BID leaders from across the state to network and learn about issues they share in common.
"It came from the idea that there's not a unifying organization or conference for BIDs," says Anna Beyerle with DCA. "We can learn a lot from other BIDs across Ohio. The idea was to get in the same room and throw out ideas and best practices."
Topics included food truck legislation, downtown transportation, farmers markets, placemaking, and office and retail recruitment strategies.
Participants also enjoyed several tours of downtown Cleveland and the surrounding area and had a chance to learn from Cleveland's redevelopment.
Beyerle says the conference will help BIDs, such as the one in downtown Cleveland, to become more effective. "We're up for renewal in a couple years, and we're looking at how we can improve."
Source: Anna Beyerle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A business improvement district is a defined area in which property owners pay an additional tax in order to fund projects and services that enhance the area. Downtown Cleveland has a BID, and the organization provides basic "clean and safe" services, organizes events and markets downtown to prospective residents, visitors and businesses.
This week, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which manages the downtown BID, organized the first all-Ohio BID conference, bringing together BID leaders from across the state to network and learn about issues they share in common.
"It came from the idea that there's not a unifying organization or conference for BIDs," says Anna Beyerle with DCA. "We can learn a lot from other BIDs across Ohio. The idea was to get in the same room and throw out ideas and best practices."
Topics included food truck legislation, downtown transportation, farmers markets, placemaking, and office and retail recruitment strategies.
Participants also enjoyed several tours of downtown Cleveland and the surrounding area and had a chance to learn from Cleveland's redevelopment.
Beyerle says the conference will help BIDs, such as the one in downtown Cleveland, to become more effective. "We're up for renewal in a couple years, and we're looking at how we can improve."
Source: Anna Beyerle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
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.
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
Three prominent community development groups in Cleveland have merged, and staffers say the resulting alliance will help strengthen community revitalization efforts across the city, foster more unified advocacy, and allow for greater efficiency in citywide efforts.
Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI), a community development intermediary that provides grants and technical assistance to community development corporations (CDCs), has merged with Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition (CNDC) and LiveCleveland. CNDC is a trade association of CDCs; LiveCleveland helps to market city neighborhoods.
That might sound like a mouthful of acronyms to the average city resident, but Joel Ratner, President of NPI, says the collaboration really is about improving Cleveland's neighborhoods.
"We'll have a greater ability to coordinate the marketing of neighborhoods along with advocacy, capacity building and all the other things we've traditionally done," he says. "This is really about uniting the strands of community development across the city in a way that's integrated and strategic rather than separate."
For example, says Ratner, CDCs will be able to have a stronger voice in education reform and other efforts that affect the entire city, residents will see an increased marketing presence, and CDC employees will benefit from shared services like healthcare. It adds up to more effective efforts to improve all of Cleveland.
"Our mission is to foster communities of choice and opportunity throughout Cleveland," says Ratner, who acknowledges that NPI will still only have resources to provide core operating support to a subset of city neighborhoods. "There are lots of ways we can play a role in lifting up all CDCs and neighborhoods."
CNDC Director Colleen Gilson says that while the merger idea was far from popular among CDCs at first -- they feared losing their independence -- individual leaders saw the value in fostering a citywide community development network that provides more effective services to all neighborhoods, not just a select few.
The merger will be publicly rolled out in September, with NPI moving into its new offices in the Saint Luke's project at Shaker Boulevard and E. 116th by January.
Source: Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI), a community development intermediary that provides grants and technical assistance to community development corporations (CDCs), has merged with Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition (CNDC) and LiveCleveland. CNDC is a trade association of CDCs; LiveCleveland helps to market city neighborhoods.
That might sound like a mouthful of acronyms to the average city resident, but Joel Ratner, President of NPI, says the collaboration really is about improving Cleveland's neighborhoods.
"We'll have a greater ability to coordinate the marketing of neighborhoods along with advocacy, capacity building and all the other things we've traditionally done," he says. "This is really about uniting the strands of community development across the city in a way that's integrated and strategic rather than separate."
For example, says Ratner, CDCs will be able to have a stronger voice in education reform and other efforts that affect the entire city, residents will see an increased marketing presence, and CDC employees will benefit from shared services like healthcare. It adds up to more effective efforts to improve all of Cleveland.
"Our mission is to foster communities of choice and opportunity throughout Cleveland," says Ratner, who acknowledges that NPI will still only have resources to provide core operating support to a subset of city neighborhoods. "There are lots of ways we can play a role in lifting up all CDCs and neighborhoods."
CNDC Director Colleen Gilson says that while the merger idea was far from popular among CDCs at first -- they feared losing their independence -- individual leaders saw the value in fostering a citywide community development network that provides more effective services to all neighborhoods, not just a select few.
The merger will be publicly rolled out in September, with NPI moving into its new offices in the Saint Luke's project at Shaker Boulevard and E. 116th by January.
Source: Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A Shaker Heights High School project about the Kent State shootings will be brought into classrooms throughout the Cleveland area thanks to a nonprofit that believes education is the key to stopping such events from happening again.
Facing History and Ourselves awarded Shaker Heights High School teacher John Morris $3,000 to collaborate with Kent State University professor David Hassler on the project. American history, literature and theater students at Shaker Heights will learn about the ramifications of the massacre through the play May 4th Voices: Kent State 1970. Pupils at regional Facing History classrooms will also be part of the program, says Mark Swaim-Fox, executive director of the local chapter of Facing History.
The play offers different viewpoints from a violent moment in American history, investigating a critical moment in the social protest movement. Stagings of May 4th Voices will take place for students as well as the wider Cleveland community, with help from Facing History staff and educators.
"It aligns with critical thinking of how we remember the past," says Swaim-Fox. "We want this to be a resource for the kids in our network."
Facing History is a Massachusetts-based educational group working across the country to combat racism and prejudice through education. Swaim-Fox hopes the play garners a new audience, with curricular materials about the shootings circulated to a new generation of young learners.
"The play is uncovering untold stories from a chapter of history that sometimes gets passed over," he says. "This will be a great vehicle for students to look at a complicated time period."
SOURCE: Mark Swaim-Fox
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Facing History and Ourselves awarded Shaker Heights High School teacher John Morris $3,000 to collaborate with Kent State University professor David Hassler on the project. American history, literature and theater students at Shaker Heights will learn about the ramifications of the massacre through the play May 4th Voices: Kent State 1970. Pupils at regional Facing History classrooms will also be part of the program, says Mark Swaim-Fox, executive director of the local chapter of Facing History.
The play offers different viewpoints from a violent moment in American history, investigating a critical moment in the social protest movement. Stagings of May 4th Voices will take place for students as well as the wider Cleveland community, with help from Facing History staff and educators.
"It aligns with critical thinking of how we remember the past," says Swaim-Fox. "We want this to be a resource for the kids in our network."
Facing History is a Massachusetts-based educational group working across the country to combat racism and prejudice through education. Swaim-Fox hopes the play garners a new audience, with curricular materials about the shootings circulated to a new generation of young learners.
"The play is uncovering untold stories from a chapter of history that sometimes gets passed over," he says. "This will be a great vehicle for students to look at a complicated time period."
SOURCE: Mark Swaim-Fox
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Summer traditionally is the season for kids to laze about or get shuttled off to camp by their parents. Cleveland Public Library has whipped up an imaginative way keep children engaged in reading during the hot months through its Summer Reading Club.
This year's Make it a Great Summer program will run until August 2. While it is designed to keep the minds of its young participants active and ready for a return to the classroom, that doesn't mean sitting them among dusty stacks and placing books in their hands.
In addition to reading, the club encourages children to build and create through hands-on programs at any of the system's 27 branches as well as the main library, notes Aaron Mason, assistant director of outreach programming at CPL.
"There's the traditional component of kids logging their reading over the summer, but we also wanted them actively involved," Mason says.
Creativity is at the heart of these activities aimed at Cleveland public school students in grades K-12, adds the CPL spokesman. Kids can build their own balloon rocket or balloon-powered rocket car. Another program will have them learn about movie making while creating hand-held movies using flipbook animation.
For children who read and log 10 books or more, the festivities will culminate with a free family trip to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on August 17. Anything that drives young people to their local library is a positive in Mason's book.
"We want to get them engaged," he says. "These activities encourage kids to keep on reading."
SOURCE: Aaron Mason
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
This year's Make it a Great Summer program will run until August 2. While it is designed to keep the minds of its young participants active and ready for a return to the classroom, that doesn't mean sitting them among dusty stacks and placing books in their hands.
In addition to reading, the club encourages children to build and create through hands-on programs at any of the system's 27 branches as well as the main library, notes Aaron Mason, assistant director of outreach programming at CPL.
"There's the traditional component of kids logging their reading over the summer, but we also wanted them actively involved," Mason says.
Creativity is at the heart of these activities aimed at Cleveland public school students in grades K-12, adds the CPL spokesman. Kids can build their own balloon rocket or balloon-powered rocket car. Another program will have them learn about movie making while creating hand-held movies using flipbook animation.
For children who read and log 10 books or more, the festivities will culminate with a free family trip to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on August 17. Anything that drives young people to their local library is a positive in Mason's book.
"We want to get them engaged," he says. "These activities encourage kids to keep on reading."
SOURCE: Aaron Mason
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Fifth Third Bank wants Northeast Ohioans who might be anxious about walking into a financial institution to get on the bus.
The bank has partnered with local community organizations to bring the Financial Empowerment Mobile, or eBus, to nine locations in the region from June 19 to June 29. The eBus is a rolling classroom providing credit counseling, financial literacy, home ownership assistance, and access to banking services directly to where people live, says Rob Soroka, retail executive at Fifth Third.
"People coming on the bus are struggling with their finances," says Soroka. "This is a place where they can get unbiased advice and direction to improve their financial life."
The mobile classroom is equipped with computer terminals for instructor-led or self-directed home ownership and credit counseling programs. Fifth Third community development officers, mortgage professionals and retail banking staff will be riding along to offer financial advice in a relaxed atmosphere.
Now in its ninth year, the theme of this year's program is realizing financial dreams, be it owning a house or starting a business, says Laura Passerallo, Fifth Third director of marketing. The eBus venture, which counts the Call & Post Foundation and The Word Church among its partners, will serve upwards of 1,600 people this summer.
Fifth Third will also hold large community events to introduce people to the eBus. A June 28 get-together at the Hispanic Business Center aims to provide a festive atmosphere for folks curious about what the 40-foot-long bank-on-wheels provides.
"People who need help may be intimated to come into a traditional financial center," says Soroka. "With the eBus, that intimidation goes away. That does some good for the community."
SOURCES: Rob Soroka, Laura Passerallo
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The bank has partnered with local community organizations to bring the Financial Empowerment Mobile, or eBus, to nine locations in the region from June 19 to June 29. The eBus is a rolling classroom providing credit counseling, financial literacy, home ownership assistance, and access to banking services directly to where people live, says Rob Soroka, retail executive at Fifth Third.
"People coming on the bus are struggling with their finances," says Soroka. "This is a place where they can get unbiased advice and direction to improve their financial life."
The mobile classroom is equipped with computer terminals for instructor-led or self-directed home ownership and credit counseling programs. Fifth Third community development officers, mortgage professionals and retail banking staff will be riding along to offer financial advice in a relaxed atmosphere.
Now in its ninth year, the theme of this year's program is realizing financial dreams, be it owning a house or starting a business, says Laura Passerallo, Fifth Third director of marketing. The eBus venture, which counts the Call & Post Foundation and The Word Church among its partners, will serve upwards of 1,600 people this summer.
Fifth Third will also hold large community events to introduce people to the eBus. A June 28 get-together at the Hispanic Business Center aims to provide a festive atmosphere for folks curious about what the 40-foot-long bank-on-wheels provides.
"People who need help may be intimated to come into a traditional financial center," says Soroka. "With the eBus, that intimidation goes away. That does some good for the community."
SOURCES: Rob Soroka, Laura Passerallo
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" has been transferred to the gridiron by Northeast Ohio Pop Warner, an organization inviting the region's children to participate either as football players or cheerleaders.
Kids aged 5-12 can play football, while the age range for cheerleaders is 5-13. The nonprofit is hosting two free preseason football and cheerleading training camps this month for the underprivileged children the program services. The local chapter of Pop Warner is an extension of a century-old youth football organization with over 350,000 kids taking part worldwide.
Mark Wilson is chapter president and coach of the 8- and 9-year-old football team. For its first year of programming, Wilson hopes to have between 100 and 200 children involved between football and cheerleading. The summer will be spent practicing and training, with an 8-game season starting in September.
"The feedback has been great so far," says Wilson. "I've met parents who said they've never experienced anything like this."
The local team will be named the Ohio Village Wildcats. The program is mostly aimed at inner-city Cleveland youth, but young athletes from all over the region are invited to try out. Pop Warner is designed to be an outlet for positive experiences both on and off the field. Along with football, the group hosts picnics and other family-friendly outings. It is also the only national youth sports organization that requires scholastic aptitude to participate.
The local team's name is no accident, either, Wilson notes.
"The mission is about keeping families together, not just showing up to do sports and go home," he says. "We're trying to make a stronger community, period."
SOURCE: Mark Wilson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Kids aged 5-12 can play football, while the age range for cheerleaders is 5-13. The nonprofit is hosting two free preseason football and cheerleading training camps this month for the underprivileged children the program services. The local chapter of Pop Warner is an extension of a century-old youth football organization with over 350,000 kids taking part worldwide.
Mark Wilson is chapter president and coach of the 8- and 9-year-old football team. For its first year of programming, Wilson hopes to have between 100 and 200 children involved between football and cheerleading. The summer will be spent practicing and training, with an 8-game season starting in September.
"The feedback has been great so far," says Wilson. "I've met parents who said they've never experienced anything like this."
The local team will be named the Ohio Village Wildcats. The program is mostly aimed at inner-city Cleveland youth, but young athletes from all over the region are invited to try out. Pop Warner is designed to be an outlet for positive experiences both on and off the field. Along with football, the group hosts picnics and other family-friendly outings. It is also the only national youth sports organization that requires scholastic aptitude to participate.
The local team's name is no accident, either, Wilson notes.
"The mission is about keeping families together, not just showing up to do sports and go home," he says. "We're trying to make a stronger community, period."
SOURCE: Mark Wilson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Young urbanist leaders who were in Cleveland this week for Next City's annual Vanguard conference were asked a provocative question about this city's future. With new development activity happening in neighborhoods across a city that still is devastatingly poor, how can we do a better job of ensuring that these projects will benefit our poorest residents?
"I'm a little concerned that as we build projects, we're creating a city for yuppies and a city for everyone else," commented Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. in a presentation to 40 leaders from across the U.S. and Canada engaged in fields such as urban planning, entrepreneurship and sustainability. "How many cupcake and yogurt shops can a city sustain?"
Heads nodded and attendees laughed as Maron admitted the challenge was as much to himself as others, since MRN owns three of the city's most prominent new developments, E. Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland, Uptown in University Circle and property along W. 25th in Ohio City.
Several attendees noted that they were surprised by how few of the city's larger developments have translated into prosperity for surrounding neighborhoods. Sitting in the newly-built Museum of Contemporary Art at University Circle, leaders asked how that area's success could benefit its low-income neighbors.
Maron cited the Greater University Circle Initiative and local hiring and procuring efforts by University Hospitals and others. MRN has committed to hiring local residents for its projects, and the company now employs 285 city residents.
"When people from the neighborhood work here, they take ownership of the project because it's their neighborhood," he said, citing DoubleTree Hotel as one example of a University Circle project that employees many local residents.
An attendee from Chicago noted that Cleveland appears to be behind in adding bike-friendly infrastructure. He cited the recent addition of separated bicycle lanes to Surmac Avenue in Chicago as a game-changing project for his city. "Cleveland needs to do one really good pilot project," said the attendee.
Next City is a national nonprofit media organization that organizes the Vanguard conference to highlight best urban practices and develop young urban leaders. Updates from the conference are being posted on Next City's daily blog.
Source: Next City, Ari Maron
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I'm a little concerned that as we build projects, we're creating a city for yuppies and a city for everyone else," commented Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. in a presentation to 40 leaders from across the U.S. and Canada engaged in fields such as urban planning, entrepreneurship and sustainability. "How many cupcake and yogurt shops can a city sustain?"
Heads nodded and attendees laughed as Maron admitted the challenge was as much to himself as others, since MRN owns three of the city's most prominent new developments, E. Fourth Street in downtown Cleveland, Uptown in University Circle and property along W. 25th in Ohio City.
Several attendees noted that they were surprised by how few of the city's larger developments have translated into prosperity for surrounding neighborhoods. Sitting in the newly-built Museum of Contemporary Art at University Circle, leaders asked how that area's success could benefit its low-income neighbors.
Maron cited the Greater University Circle Initiative and local hiring and procuring efforts by University Hospitals and others. MRN has committed to hiring local residents for its projects, and the company now employs 285 city residents.
"When people from the neighborhood work here, they take ownership of the project because it's their neighborhood," he said, citing DoubleTree Hotel as one example of a University Circle project that employees many local residents.
An attendee from Chicago noted that Cleveland appears to be behind in adding bike-friendly infrastructure. He cited the recent addition of separated bicycle lanes to Surmac Avenue in Chicago as a game-changing project for his city. "Cleveland needs to do one really good pilot project," said the attendee.
Next City is a national nonprofit media organization that organizes the Vanguard conference to highlight best urban practices and develop young urban leaders. Updates from the conference are being posted on Next City's daily blog.
Source: Next City, Ari Maron
Writer: Lee Chilcote
All women have the right to quality health care, including a full spectrum of obstetrical and gynecological treatment. A network of area women have started an initiative to ensure those needs are met.
Summa Foundation Circle of Women's Health Philanthropists is led by a collection of female executives, professionals and social philanthropists. The group launched in April and has raised over $65,000 in pledges to bring pre-natal care and other critical medical advancements to uninsured or underinsured women, says Circle co-founder Julia Rea Bianchi.
The 15 organization members will choose from a wish list of medical needs by the end of the year, notes Shelley Green, director of principal giving with Summa Foundation. The funds may go directly into the operating budget of the Summa Center for Women's Health and the Women's Health Unit at Summa Akron City Hospital, or be used to purchase new bassinets or a fetal heart Doppler machine for the center.
Through the Circle's work, "there will be great stewardship of those [financial] gifts," says Bianchi, a Summa Foundation board member. "Coming together we can make a powerful and measurable impact."
The group was created in part from Bianchi's experience as a national founder of Tiffany Circle, a growing philanthropic venture affiliated with the American Red Cross. With the Center for Women's Health drawing 15,000 patients annually, Bianchi recognized an opportunity to localize that ambitious endeavor.
"It's tried and true and can work here," she says. "We know we can improve the well-being of women without access to quality health care, and it can done right here at Summa Health System."
SOURCES: Shelley Green, Julia Rea Bianchi
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Summa Foundation Circle of Women's Health Philanthropists is led by a collection of female executives, professionals and social philanthropists. The group launched in April and has raised over $65,000 in pledges to bring pre-natal care and other critical medical advancements to uninsured or underinsured women, says Circle co-founder Julia Rea Bianchi.
The 15 organization members will choose from a wish list of medical needs by the end of the year, notes Shelley Green, director of principal giving with Summa Foundation. The funds may go directly into the operating budget of the Summa Center for Women's Health and the Women's Health Unit at Summa Akron City Hospital, or be used to purchase new bassinets or a fetal heart Doppler machine for the center.
Through the Circle's work, "there will be great stewardship of those [financial] gifts," says Bianchi, a Summa Foundation board member. "Coming together we can make a powerful and measurable impact."
The group was created in part from Bianchi's experience as a national founder of Tiffany Circle, a growing philanthropic venture affiliated with the American Red Cross. With the Center for Women's Health drawing 15,000 patients annually, Bianchi recognized an opportunity to localize that ambitious endeavor.
"It's tried and true and can work here," she says. "We know we can improve the well-being of women without access to quality health care, and it can done right here at Summa Health System."
SOURCES: Shelley Green, Julia Rea Bianchi
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The Brain Gain Cleveland Project (BGCP) has teamed up with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association to stage a lunchtime pep rally for the city they love.
The rally will be hosted by the legal organization and serve as its annual meeting, just with a far more diverse crowd than usual, says Debra Mayers Hollander, deputy director of scouting for BGCP.
Hollander is expecting 1,000 guests to make it to the floor of Quicken Loans Arena for the June 28 event. Among the more famous participants scheduled to appear are Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Senator Sherrod Brown. BGCP members the Cleveland Orchestra and Positively Cleveland will be among the institutions on hand. The event also will include live music, videos about Cleveland, and food from local eateries.
Rally attendees can fill out a registration form online or purchase tickets by calling the bar association at 216-696-3525. Those who miss the daytime event can make up for it that night with a BGCP music and networking get-together at The Tavern Company in Cleveland Heights.
"It's going to feel inspirational," Hollander says. "Everybody coming together in the heart of downtown Cleveland to support one another."
BGCP is a nonprofit advocacy group founded by bar association members to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens. The grassroots effort is led by Jon Leiken, a Jones Day partner and bar association president-elect. BGCP's website launched in 2012 and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members.
"We hope [the rally] encourages people to join us and become a scout," says Hollander.
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The rally will be hosted by the legal organization and serve as its annual meeting, just with a far more diverse crowd than usual, says Debra Mayers Hollander, deputy director of scouting for BGCP.
Hollander is expecting 1,000 guests to make it to the floor of Quicken Loans Arena for the June 28 event. Among the more famous participants scheduled to appear are Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Senator Sherrod Brown. BGCP members the Cleveland Orchestra and Positively Cleveland will be among the institutions on hand. The event also will include live music, videos about Cleveland, and food from local eateries.
Rally attendees can fill out a registration form online or purchase tickets by calling the bar association at 216-696-3525. Those who miss the daytime event can make up for it that night with a BGCP music and networking get-together at The Tavern Company in Cleveland Heights.
"It's going to feel inspirational," Hollander says. "Everybody coming together in the heart of downtown Cleveland to support one another."
BGCP is a nonprofit advocacy group founded by bar association members to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens. The grassroots effort is led by Jon Leiken, a Jones Day partner and bar association president-elect. BGCP's website launched in 2012 and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members.
"We hope [the rally] encourages people to join us and become a scout," says Hollander.
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
rust belt cities reach out to immigrants to boost population
In a The Wall Street Journal feature titled “Rust-Belt Cities Reach Out for Immigrants,” writers Mark Peters and Jack Nicas touch upon how rust belt cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit were a draw to immigrant workers who knew they would be able to find manufacturing jobs.
As time went on, those jobs disappeared, populations began to decline, and immigrants no longer looked to those cities to begin their new life in the United States.
“During the fresh immigration surge in recent decades, however, newcomers largely bypassed Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis as manufacturing there -- and other cities in the region -- dwindled. They opted instead for cities such as Phoenix and Dallas.”
Peters and Nicas go on to explain the steps many rust belt cities are taking in an effort to grow their populations, one of which is luring immigrants back into the area through various grants and other programs.
Read the full feature here.
As time went on, those jobs disappeared, populations began to decline, and immigrants no longer looked to those cities to begin their new life in the United States.
“During the fresh immigration surge in recent decades, however, newcomers largely bypassed Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis as manufacturing there -- and other cities in the region -- dwindled. They opted instead for cities such as Phoenix and Dallas.”
Peters and Nicas go on to explain the steps many rust belt cities are taking in an effort to grow their populations, one of which is luring immigrants back into the area through various grants and other programs.
Read the full feature here.
Near West Theatre's new home will be nothing if not active when it opens next year. It will be filled with youth and adults rehearsing for its signature brand of community theatre -- large ensemble productions that bring the arts to youth and city residents.
And when its shows are running, it will draw up to 275 patrons per show into a new, state-of-the-art theatre that caps off a string of investments in the Gordon Square Arts District.
The building not only will be active -- it will be "passive" when it comes to energy consumption. It will boast a super-insulated, passive design common in Europe but still relatively new in the U.S. The 24,000-square-foot ultra-energy-efficient theatre will be the first of its kind in the U.S., featuring super-thick walls, an energy-efficient heat recovery ventilation system, and a 75,000-watt array of solar panels.
"It will be unlike other buildings in the neighborhood," says Hans Holznagel of the new Near West Theatre, which will be located at W. 67th and Detroit in the Gordon Square Arts District. "We hope people will see the sign and say, 'Wow, that metal building looks pretty cool. What's going on in there?'"
Philanthropists Chuck and Char Fowler earmarked a special gift for the building's passive design, which is expected to save more than 35 percent in energy costs, or about $1.2 million over 50 years. That kind of savings appeals to long-term users.
"In a typical commercial building, 30 to 35 percent of the heat going into the building is just to offset air leakage," says Adam Cohen, a Virginia-based architect and passive house consultant who worked on the project. "There's more interest in passive design now, especially from end users who are going to own the buildings."
The project was far from simple. Most passive commercial buildings have fairly static loads, unlike a theatre whose use varies widely. On any given day there could be people working in offices or large casts rehearsing. Cohen helped NWT to develop a high-efficiency mechanical system that can handle such fluctuation.
Holznagel says the theatre will finally realize its dream of moving into a new home (with air conditioning, he says with glee) that offers the right amount of rehearsal, dressing room and backstage space, not to mention modern administrative offices.
"We'll feel very much at home in this energy-efficient building," he says.
Source: Hans Holznagel, Adam Cohen
Writer: Lee Chilcote
And when its shows are running, it will draw up to 275 patrons per show into a new, state-of-the-art theatre that caps off a string of investments in the Gordon Square Arts District.
The building not only will be active -- it will be "passive" when it comes to energy consumption. It will boast a super-insulated, passive design common in Europe but still relatively new in the U.S. The 24,000-square-foot ultra-energy-efficient theatre will be the first of its kind in the U.S., featuring super-thick walls, an energy-efficient heat recovery ventilation system, and a 75,000-watt array of solar panels.
"It will be unlike other buildings in the neighborhood," says Hans Holznagel of the new Near West Theatre, which will be located at W. 67th and Detroit in the Gordon Square Arts District. "We hope people will see the sign and say, 'Wow, that metal building looks pretty cool. What's going on in there?'"
Philanthropists Chuck and Char Fowler earmarked a special gift for the building's passive design, which is expected to save more than 35 percent in energy costs, or about $1.2 million over 50 years. That kind of savings appeals to long-term users.
"In a typical commercial building, 30 to 35 percent of the heat going into the building is just to offset air leakage," says Adam Cohen, a Virginia-based architect and passive house consultant who worked on the project. "There's more interest in passive design now, especially from end users who are going to own the buildings."
The project was far from simple. Most passive commercial buildings have fairly static loads, unlike a theatre whose use varies widely. On any given day there could be people working in offices or large casts rehearsing. Cohen helped NWT to develop a high-efficiency mechanical system that can handle such fluctuation.
Holznagel says the theatre will finally realize its dream of moving into a new home (with air conditioning, he says with glee) that offers the right amount of rehearsal, dressing room and backstage space, not to mention modern administrative offices.
"We'll feel very much at home in this energy-efficient building," he says.
Source: Hans Holznagel, Adam Cohen
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, a nationally-recognized research organization, service provider and policy advocate that works with older adults and caregivers, is set to open a new 6,000-square-foot administrative headquarters and training center.
"What's new about the facility is that we intend to broaden the scope of our training to a couple of new audiences," says CEO Richard Browdie of the building at Fairhill Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. "There are many professions that interface with older people and their families on a routine basis but may or may not have any training available to them."
The building also provides Benjamin Rose with the first permanent home for its training programs. Traditionally, such programs had been conducted at off-site locations. Browdie finds it poetic that the organization is building its home in the Shaker-Buckeye neighborhood of Cleveland where they've been for many years.
"The board just really came back to the conclusion that, no matter what they did, they wanted to remain here in the city," he says. "We have replications of our evidence-based practices all over the country, but our home is in Cleveland."
The building cost about $7.5 million and the project cost $11.4 million. Funds came from the sale of another facility to Kindred Hospital, New Markets Tax Credits and other sources. Browdie says the facility will also be available for rent for retreats and other events hosted by nonprofits organizations with compatible missions. The hilltop location offers sweeping views of downtown Cleveland.
Benjamin Rose will celebrate with a free afternoon celebration on Sunday, May 19th from 2-4 p.m. The new BRIA training center is located at 11890 Fairhill.
Source: Richard Browdie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"What's new about the facility is that we intend to broaden the scope of our training to a couple of new audiences," says CEO Richard Browdie of the building at Fairhill Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. "There are many professions that interface with older people and their families on a routine basis but may or may not have any training available to them."
The building also provides Benjamin Rose with the first permanent home for its training programs. Traditionally, such programs had been conducted at off-site locations. Browdie finds it poetic that the organization is building its home in the Shaker-Buckeye neighborhood of Cleveland where they've been for many years.
"The board just really came back to the conclusion that, no matter what they did, they wanted to remain here in the city," he says. "We have replications of our evidence-based practices all over the country, but our home is in Cleveland."
The building cost about $7.5 million and the project cost $11.4 million. Funds came from the sale of another facility to Kindred Hospital, New Markets Tax Credits and other sources. Browdie says the facility will also be available for rent for retreats and other events hosted by nonprofits organizations with compatible missions. The hilltop location offers sweeping views of downtown Cleveland.
Benjamin Rose will celebrate with a free afternoon celebration on Sunday, May 19th from 2-4 p.m. The new BRIA training center is located at 11890 Fairhill.
Source: Richard Browdie
Writer: Lee Chilcote