Diversity + Inclusion
writer's goal was to 'walk where langston hughes walked'
Ervin Dyer writes for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that, "In Cleveland, my goal was to walk where [Langston Hughes] walked and uncover Hughes' connection to this grand American city."
In this lengthy feature, she does just that.
"Born 110 years ago, the poet laureate of black Americans is indelibly linked with Harlem," she writes. But Hughes' literary sense was shaped in Pittsburgh's mirror city on Lake Erie.
Langston Hughes, called the poet laureate of black Americans, lived in Cleveland from 1916 to 1920. The first day of February marked the 110th anniversary of his birth. Hughes lived at 2266 E. 86th Street, boarded in the attic, alone, as his mother and stepfather had returned to Chicago for work.
Hughes attended Cleveland’s Central High School, one of the first public high schools to enroll black students before the Civil War. It was there where he began to hone his craft as the editor of the school’s annual and the class poet.
In a 1957 letter, written while living in Harlem, Hughes said that his "most valuable guidance" in writing came in high school.
Read the full Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story here.
In this lengthy feature, she does just that.
"Born 110 years ago, the poet laureate of black Americans is indelibly linked with Harlem," she writes. But Hughes' literary sense was shaped in Pittsburgh's mirror city on Lake Erie.
Langston Hughes, called the poet laureate of black Americans, lived in Cleveland from 1916 to 1920. The first day of February marked the 110th anniversary of his birth. Hughes lived at 2266 E. 86th Street, boarded in the attic, alone, as his mother and stepfather had returned to Chicago for work.
Hughes attended Cleveland’s Central High School, one of the first public high schools to enroll black students before the Civil War. It was there where he began to hone his craft as the editor of the school’s annual and the class poet.
In a 1957 letter, written while living in Harlem, Hughes said that his "most valuable guidance" in writing came in high school.
Read the full Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story here.
Vedette Gavin knows how difficult it can be for any new initiative to take root in an older neighborhood. So, instead of pushing her "Healthy Eating and Active Living" program onto residents of the Buckeye and Shaker Square-Larchmere neighborhoods, she has planted seeds in resident leaders who are growing it from the ground up.
"Place impacts choice and choice impacts health," says Gavin, a Community Health Fellow with the Saint Luke's Foundation, a three-year placement that focuses on community initiatives that support healthy lifestyles. "What I do is help people to wrap their arms around these ideas and make change."
The Healthy Eating and Active Living program is conducted in partnership with the Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities at MetroHealth. Residents, stakeholders and community groups are represented on an Advisory Board.
So far, Gavin has partnered with a local salon and barbershop to introduce "Shop Talk," a series of informal, drop-in conversations about healthy lifestyles; introduced a community gardening program that offers residents simple, low-maintenance ways to grow fresh produce; and organized fun community exercise programs that include line dancing and the ever-popular Zumba.
Gavin, who has a Master's in Public Health and an evident passion for helping to make low-income, urban neighborhoods healthier places to live, says her goal is to ensure that the program lives well beyond her three-year tenure. "We're taking healthy eating and active living and weaving it into the neighborhood."
Source: Vedette Gavin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Place impacts choice and choice impacts health," says Gavin, a Community Health Fellow with the Saint Luke's Foundation, a three-year placement that focuses on community initiatives that support healthy lifestyles. "What I do is help people to wrap their arms around these ideas and make change."
The Healthy Eating and Active Living program is conducted in partnership with the Case Center for Reducing Health Disparities at MetroHealth. Residents, stakeholders and community groups are represented on an Advisory Board.
So far, Gavin has partnered with a local salon and barbershop to introduce "Shop Talk," a series of informal, drop-in conversations about healthy lifestyles; introduced a community gardening program that offers residents simple, low-maintenance ways to grow fresh produce; and organized fun community exercise programs that include line dancing and the ever-popular Zumba.
Gavin, who has a Master's in Public Health and an evident passion for helping to make low-income, urban neighborhoods healthier places to live, says her goal is to ensure that the program lives well beyond her three-year tenure. "We're taking healthy eating and active living and weaving it into the neighborhood."
Source: Vedette Gavin
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Local writer, speaker and entrepreneur Craig James has some big ideas. In fact, he is a regular contributor to NEOtropolis's "What’s the Big Idea" segment on PBS. He and his partner Sue James formed CatalystStrategies, which helps organizations best communicate their message, market and meaning. In this "Letter to Cleveland," James pens an open letter to the city he loves.
There is a surprisingly rich community of accomplished authors living in Cleveland. In fact, if you take a stroll through Cleveland Heights -- and other artsy neighbs -- you might even bump into one of them. Fresh Water recently bumped into three of them: Dan Chaon, Mary Doria Russell and Thrity Umrigar.
tedxcle 2012 details announced
TEDxCLE 2012 will be held on Friday, April 20th, 2012.
TEDxCLE is an annual forum that gathers the region’s big thinkers to "share ideas worth spreading." Organizers -- and recent "brain gains" -- Hallie Bram and Eric Kogelschatz seek to change the perceptions of people who live here as well as those outside the region by sharing stories of success, innovation and inspiration.
TED is a New York-based, international nonprofit whose mission is to spread innovative ideas in the areas of “technology, entertainment and design.” Founded in 1984, TED now hosts conferences in 80 countries.
Bram and Kogelschatz came up with the idea of launching TEDxCLE shortly after relocating in 2009 from Boston to Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
“We realized that there are so many amazing things happening here," explains Bram, "but many people just don’t know about them.”
The first two years of TEDxCLE sold out in literally minutes. Fortunately, this year's conference has been moved to a larger venue -- the Gartner Auditorium at The Cleveland Museum of Art -- which will provide an additional 300 seats.
There is still time to submit speaker nominations. You can send them here until Friday, February 17th.
TEDxCLE is an annual forum that gathers the region’s big thinkers to "share ideas worth spreading." Organizers -- and recent "brain gains" -- Hallie Bram and Eric Kogelschatz seek to change the perceptions of people who live here as well as those outside the region by sharing stories of success, innovation and inspiration.
TED is a New York-based, international nonprofit whose mission is to spread innovative ideas in the areas of “technology, entertainment and design.” Founded in 1984, TED now hosts conferences in 80 countries.
Bram and Kogelschatz came up with the idea of launching TEDxCLE shortly after relocating in 2009 from Boston to Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
“We realized that there are so many amazing things happening here," explains Bram, "but many people just don’t know about them.”
The first two years of TEDxCLE sold out in literally minutes. Fortunately, this year's conference has been moved to a larger venue -- the Gartner Auditorium at The Cleveland Museum of Art -- which will provide an additional 300 seats.
There is still time to submit speaker nominations. You can send them here until Friday, February 17th.
Families in Central know well the distinctive whistle blow of Heaventrain, and that it means hope is on its way. They also know to follow its call to help rebuild their east side Cleveland neighborhood through fostering stronger neighbor-to-neighbor relationships, a mission that the nonprofit Lighthouse Inc. has been fulfilling for more than 30 years.
Heaventrain is a full-size bus that Lighthouse has outfitted as a mobile classroom. It serves more than 1,200 kids every Saturday, providing them with character-based education, fun and games, and a free meal.
"Central is not a neighborhood where parents typically feel safe letting their kids just go out and play," explains Lighthouse Executive Director Andy Batten of the community, which is home to several low-income, subsidized housing projects. "We provide an almost carnival-like atmosphere, and then the kids are fed."
In addition to Heaventrain, Lighthouse runs a tutoring program at East Tech High School that builds in-depth relationships with kids to ensure success, manages a youth basketball program to provide kids with positive alternatives to gang involvement, and provides a summer-long nutrition program.
"One of the high school students on our basketball team turned things around and went from a 1.4 grade point average to a 3.8 grade point average," says Batten.
Yet what he is most proud of is how Lighthouse develops its programs. Rather than repeating programs each year, the organization continually evaluates its successes and failures and how it's serving the community. "We work with residents to build programming, and only develop programs if the neighborhood says it's important and neighbors are willing to get involved."
Last year, the charity rater Guidestar rated Lighthouse the second best charity overall in Ohio, and the third best charity in the U.S. for nutrition programs.
Source: Andy Batten
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Heaventrain is a full-size bus that Lighthouse has outfitted as a mobile classroom. It serves more than 1,200 kids every Saturday, providing them with character-based education, fun and games, and a free meal.
"Central is not a neighborhood where parents typically feel safe letting their kids just go out and play," explains Lighthouse Executive Director Andy Batten of the community, which is home to several low-income, subsidized housing projects. "We provide an almost carnival-like atmosphere, and then the kids are fed."
In addition to Heaventrain, Lighthouse runs a tutoring program at East Tech High School that builds in-depth relationships with kids to ensure success, manages a youth basketball program to provide kids with positive alternatives to gang involvement, and provides a summer-long nutrition program.
"One of the high school students on our basketball team turned things around and went from a 1.4 grade point average to a 3.8 grade point average," says Batten.
Yet what he is most proud of is how Lighthouse develops its programs. Rather than repeating programs each year, the organization continually evaluates its successes and failures and how it's serving the community. "We work with residents to build programming, and only develop programs if the neighborhood says it's important and neighbors are willing to get involved."
Last year, the charity rater Guidestar rated Lighthouse the second best charity overall in Ohio, and the third best charity in the U.S. for nutrition programs.
Source: Andy Batten
Writer: Lee Chilcote
year of the dragon means annual call for artists
Good news for artists who would like to submit their ideas for this year's Lunar Chinese New Year sculpture show, the seventh in a series of popular annual public art campaigns. The deadline has been extended to Friday, January 20.
January 2012 marks the start of the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese calendar. Once again, St Clair Superior Development Corporation (SCSDC) will install numerous fiberglass sculptures -- this year, dragons -- featuring unique designs created by Northeast Ohio artists and organizations. The Dragons will be placed outside Cleveland businesses this spring and will be auctioned off next fall.
Selected artists will be paid an honorarium of $400 upon completion and will receive two tickets to the Year of the Dragon Gala Auction Event (a value of $250).
For more information, visit here.
January 2012 marks the start of the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese calendar. Once again, St Clair Superior Development Corporation (SCSDC) will install numerous fiberglass sculptures -- this year, dragons -- featuring unique designs created by Northeast Ohio artists and organizations. The Dragons will be placed outside Cleveland businesses this spring and will be auctioned off next fall.
Selected artists will be paid an honorarium of $400 upon completion and will receive two tickets to the Year of the Dragon Gala Auction Event (a value of $250).
For more information, visit here.
At the end of last year, Indian-born entrepreneur Radhika Reddy launched Ariel International Center, a one-stop shop for international business development in Northeast Ohio. Located in the former Leff Electric Company building on E. 40th Street, the 100-year-old warehouse with solid brickwork and rough-hewn wooden beams is being refurbished to support this decidedly 21st century venture.
“We offer shared international services for companies that want to locate here and do business globally, and we also help local companies with global potential,” says Reddy, who arrived in Cleveland 21 years ago with little more than a visa and $20 in her pocket, yet has since adopted Northeast Ohio as her home.
The successful businesswoman is one of three women behind Ariel Ventures, an economic development finance firm with $1.5 million in annual sales. Reddy says she wants to grow Cleveland's economy by helping businesses to gain global reach.
“We want to help them with business growth and act as their back office,” she says. “Services that we offer include accounting and finance, international business development, tax advising and export and import documentation.”
Ariel International Center, whose new, four-story home has large windows offering views of downtown and Lake Erie, will also host a fourth floor event space that is geared towards Cleveland’s immigrant community. Once renovations are complete, Reddy also hopes to land an international-themed restaurant that will become a destination spot for the downtown lunch crowd.
“Entrepreneurs like me are always thinking of what’s not there,” she says.
The project received support from the City of Cleveland’s Vacant Properties Initiative as well as a low-interest economic development loan from the city. Reddy says that it is approximately 50 percent self-financed by Ariel’s partners. The 100 percent women-owned firm will move its offices here by February 1st.
Source: Radhika Reddy
Writer: Lee Chilcote
“We offer shared international services for companies that want to locate here and do business globally, and we also help local companies with global potential,” says Reddy, who arrived in Cleveland 21 years ago with little more than a visa and $20 in her pocket, yet has since adopted Northeast Ohio as her home.
The successful businesswoman is one of three women behind Ariel Ventures, an economic development finance firm with $1.5 million in annual sales. Reddy says she wants to grow Cleveland's economy by helping businesses to gain global reach.
“We want to help them with business growth and act as their back office,” she says. “Services that we offer include accounting and finance, international business development, tax advising and export and import documentation.”
Ariel International Center, whose new, four-story home has large windows offering views of downtown and Lake Erie, will also host a fourth floor event space that is geared towards Cleveland’s immigrant community. Once renovations are complete, Reddy also hopes to land an international-themed restaurant that will become a destination spot for the downtown lunch crowd.
“Entrepreneurs like me are always thinking of what’s not there,” she says.
The project received support from the City of Cleveland’s Vacant Properties Initiative as well as a low-interest economic development loan from the city. Reddy says that it is approximately 50 percent self-financed by Ariel’s partners. The 100 percent women-owned firm will move its offices here by February 1st.
Source: Radhika Reddy
Writer: Lee Chilcote
While we pride ourselves here at Fresh Water in having crisp, professional prose, the truth is, without art, a feature is just font on a page. Pictures tell a thousand words, we're told, but the best ones simply leave us speechless. Every masthead and feature image since we launched this pub over a year ago has been shot by Fresh Water shooter Bob Perkoski. Here is a collection of some of his finest work.
cleveland is laying out the 'welcome mat,' says the atlantic cities
"Thinking about moving? You should consider Cleveland."
So begins an article in The Atlantic Cities, which discusses recent investments totaling $7 billion in Cleveland's economic diversification, infrastructure and the arts.
Among projects mentioned are the $560 million makeover for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, $465 million convention center and medical mart, $350 million casino, and development in University Circle, including Uptown and the new Museum of Contemporary Art.
Also mentioned is Global Cleveland, which hopes to attract 100,000 new residents within the next ten years.
And the Ohio Department of Development just launched InvestOhio, a $100 million tax credit program to help small businesses attract investment, grow and create jobs.
Read the rest of the article here.
So begins an article in The Atlantic Cities, which discusses recent investments totaling $7 billion in Cleveland's economic diversification, infrastructure and the arts.
Among projects mentioned are the $560 million makeover for University Hospitals Case Medical Center, $465 million convention center and medical mart, $350 million casino, and development in University Circle, including Uptown and the new Museum of Contemporary Art.
Also mentioned is Global Cleveland, which hopes to attract 100,000 new residents within the next ten years.
And the Ohio Department of Development just launched InvestOhio, a $100 million tax credit program to help small businesses attract investment, grow and create jobs.
Read the rest of the article here.
Global Cleveland, a regional economic development organization, has launched a pilot program: English and Pathways for Healthcare Professionals. The six-month program, launched in October, is designed to help immigrants with their English and find jobs that match the skills they developed in their native countries.
“The objective is to find immigrants jobs in healthcare who were healthcare professionals in their home countries but haven’t been able to find work here,” explains Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “By the time they get out of the program we will help them find jobs, although maybe not at the level they were initially."
The pilot program has 21 participants from around the globe. Among them are four doctors, one RN, one dentist, one dietician and one physical therapist. None of them have jobs in their respective fields. During the six months the participants will study English medical terminology, learn about the U.S. healthcare system, get coaching on finding a job, and have networking opportunities.
“The stories I hear from the program so far is that it’s a frustrating situation for some of them and they’re excited about this program,” says Miller. Participants will also get help in transferring their credentials from their home countries to the U.S.
The program is run in partnership with The Ohio Board of Regents, Cleveland State University, Polaris Career Center, the World Education Services and NE ABLE.
“It’s a really nice partnership,” says Miller. “Everything’s coming together really nicely.”
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The objective is to find immigrants jobs in healthcare who were healthcare professionals in their home countries but haven’t been able to find work here,” explains Global Cleveland president Larry Miller. “By the time they get out of the program we will help them find jobs, although maybe not at the level they were initially."
The pilot program has 21 participants from around the globe. Among them are four doctors, one RN, one dentist, one dietician and one physical therapist. None of them have jobs in their respective fields. During the six months the participants will study English medical terminology, learn about the U.S. healthcare system, get coaching on finding a job, and have networking opportunities.
“The stories I hear from the program so far is that it’s a frustrating situation for some of them and they’re excited about this program,” says Miller. Participants will also get help in transferring their credentials from their home countries to the U.S.
The program is run in partnership with The Ohio Board of Regents, Cleveland State University, Polaris Career Center, the World Education Services and NE ABLE.
“It’s a really nice partnership,” says Miller. “Everything’s coming together really nicely.”
Source: Larry Miller
Writer: Karin Connelly
"My primary objective is to bring 100,000 newcomers to Northeast Ohio," says Larry Miller, newly appointed president of Global Cleveland. Miller brings more than 25 years of talent attraction and international human resources experience to the organization tasked with promoting the quality of life in and around Cleveland.
According to Live Cleveland, there are over two dozen city neighborhoods. But which one is right for you? For urban pioneers, who hope to hit that sweet spot between value and convenience, the answer often is the "emerging neighborhood." Blessed with affordable property, short commutes, and multicultural diversity, these areas possess authentic appeal. And the one ripest for plucking is…
Cleveland’s young professionals are charged with shaping the future of the city. And while there are more than 70 organizations catering to the 15,000 young professionals in the area, there isn't one dedicated to uniting these groups to make a difference and make a change. Engage! Cleveland is striving to do exactly that.
“These organizations are extremely important because they integrate young professionals with the community,” says Andrew Bennett, president of the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. “But think about the full-time resources and coordinating all of the work they are doing. What would it look like if young professionals were fully integrated into the community?”
Engage! Cleveland grew out of Cleveland ConneXion, which sought to provide a unified voice for Cleveland’s YP organizations. It has continued to evolve over the past year as a forum to engage the area’s young professionals, make them want to stay in Cleveland and work at creating a thriving, vibrant business community that people actually want to be in.
“The private sector employers are interested in attraction and retention issues, the public and the non-profit sectors need a better understanding of what young people want. What do they really think? What do they really want?” says Bennett. “Right now there is no go-to central location to tap into the community.”
That’s where Engage! Cleveland comes in.
“I’m constantly asked, ‘How do I get tapped in to the community,’” says Bennett. “We’re trying to make Engage! Cleveland that hub to better enable and capitalize on all the great things happening here.”
Source: Andrew Bennett
Writer: Karin Connelly
“These organizations are extremely important because they integrate young professionals with the community,” says Andrew Bennett, president of the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club. “But think about the full-time resources and coordinating all of the work they are doing. What would it look like if young professionals were fully integrated into the community?”
Engage! Cleveland grew out of Cleveland ConneXion, which sought to provide a unified voice for Cleveland’s YP organizations. It has continued to evolve over the past year as a forum to engage the area’s young professionals, make them want to stay in Cleveland and work at creating a thriving, vibrant business community that people actually want to be in.
“The private sector employers are interested in attraction and retention issues, the public and the non-profit sectors need a better understanding of what young people want. What do they really think? What do they really want?” says Bennett. “Right now there is no go-to central location to tap into the community.”
That’s where Engage! Cleveland comes in.
“I’m constantly asked, ‘How do I get tapped in to the community,’” says Bennett. “We’re trying to make Engage! Cleveland that hub to better enable and capitalize on all the great things happening here.”
Source: Andrew Bennett
Writer: Karin Connelly
shaker is a model worth emulating, says pittsburgh tribune-review
In an article titled "Cleveland's Shaker Heights is a model worth emulating," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writer John Conti describes the attractiveness of this well-planned neighborhood, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012.
Thanks to the Van Sweringen's keen vision and planning, Shaker "appealed to the upper-middle classes in Cleveland in the 1920s, and the result today is neighborhood after neighborhood of stunningly good-looking houses built in the '20s and '30s. Some of these houses are mansions, some are just big, and some are modest. But all are still exceptionally attractive today."
The article goes on to describe with great detail just how the Van Sweringen brothers turned their vision into reality.
"[They] began accumulating land here in the early 1900s. In the teens and '20s, they laid out lots to sell and developed a rapid transit line directly into the center of Cleveland. They also set down the rules for what the owner-built houses in Shaker Heights would look like."
Those rules dictated that "houses were to be in the romantic Tudor, Colonial or French styles popular in the '20s. They had to be individually designed by architects. Brick and stone walls and slate and tile roofs were encouraged. Tudors had to have dark trim; only Colonials could have white. Buff-colored brick and certain colors of mortar were forbidden. Even the look of leaded-glass windows were regulated. Finally, the Van Sweringens had to approve every design."
All that would have been meaningless if the houses were not maintained. So the city inspects the exterior of every home every five years. An architectural review board must approve any changes to the exterior of a house.
"These are undoubtedly some of the toughest municipal standards anywhere in the United States," Conti writes. "And they can cost money. Considering its top-tier school system, Shaker Heights residents pay the highest property taxes in Ohio. Yet real estate people here will tell you that -- though the general real estate market in Cleveland has been abysmal in recent years -- Shaker Heights houses have held their value."
Read the entire report here.
Thanks to the Van Sweringen's keen vision and planning, Shaker "appealed to the upper-middle classes in Cleveland in the 1920s, and the result today is neighborhood after neighborhood of stunningly good-looking houses built in the '20s and '30s. Some of these houses are mansions, some are just big, and some are modest. But all are still exceptionally attractive today."
The article goes on to describe with great detail just how the Van Sweringen brothers turned their vision into reality.
"[They] began accumulating land here in the early 1900s. In the teens and '20s, they laid out lots to sell and developed a rapid transit line directly into the center of Cleveland. They also set down the rules for what the owner-built houses in Shaker Heights would look like."
Those rules dictated that "houses were to be in the romantic Tudor, Colonial or French styles popular in the '20s. They had to be individually designed by architects. Brick and stone walls and slate and tile roofs were encouraged. Tudors had to have dark trim; only Colonials could have white. Buff-colored brick and certain colors of mortar were forbidden. Even the look of leaded-glass windows were regulated. Finally, the Van Sweringens had to approve every design."
All that would have been meaningless if the houses were not maintained. So the city inspects the exterior of every home every five years. An architectural review board must approve any changes to the exterior of a house.
"These are undoubtedly some of the toughest municipal standards anywhere in the United States," Conti writes. "And they can cost money. Considering its top-tier school system, Shaker Heights residents pay the highest property taxes in Ohio. Yet real estate people here will tell you that -- though the general real estate market in Cleveland has been abysmal in recent years -- Shaker Heights houses have held their value."
Read the entire report here.
Like many immigrants, Carlos Vergara came to the United States in search of a better life for his family. His dream -- a quality education for his sons -- was foremost on his mind when the Vergaras made the journey from Colombia to Cleveland. In the end, it was a partnership with his oldest son Juan that returned the favor.
Greg Murray is capturing the true essence of Cleveland through the people who live and work here. As an HR manager and amateur photographer, Murray has set out to capture 100 of Cleveland’s most interesting characters on film for a portrait album he began on August 11.
“I love Cleveland and thought it would be a fun project to undertake,” says Murray. “Our people make our city what it is, so it was an easy choice to focus the project around the people of this city and Northeast Ohio.”
Born and raised in Cleveland, Murray spent seven years in Chicago and Atlanta before returning in 2007. He now has a new appreciation for the city.
“I have a huge amount of passion for our city. I like to support it and show it off with my photography,” he says. “This project is just one way of doing that. We’re nothing without the people that make this city what it is.”
Murray has about 15 portraits in his collection so far, and hopes to add two or three new images each week. His favorite so far is of Samad Samad, a street performer in Ohio City
If given the opportunity to photograph anyone -- living or dead -- Murray goes the political route with Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Dennis Kucinich. “She loved Cleveland and the people she represented," he says of Tubbs Jones. "She was truly an amazing woman. I’d really like to capture Dennis Kucinich. He’s such an interesting person.”
But mostly, Murray wants to shoot average Clevelanders who make the city special. “In the end, I'm not only searching for notable Clevelanders,” he says. “I'm looking for everyday people that call the area their home, are passionate about our city, have a story, or whose work is to continue to make Cleveland a great place."
Source: Greg Murray
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I love Cleveland and thought it would be a fun project to undertake,” says Murray. “Our people make our city what it is, so it was an easy choice to focus the project around the people of this city and Northeast Ohio.”
Born and raised in Cleveland, Murray spent seven years in Chicago and Atlanta before returning in 2007. He now has a new appreciation for the city.
“I have a huge amount of passion for our city. I like to support it and show it off with my photography,” he says. “This project is just one way of doing that. We’re nothing without the people that make this city what it is.”
Murray has about 15 portraits in his collection so far, and hopes to add two or three new images each week. His favorite so far is of Samad Samad, a street performer in Ohio City
If given the opportunity to photograph anyone -- living or dead -- Murray goes the political route with Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Dennis Kucinich. “She loved Cleveland and the people she represented," he says of Tubbs Jones. "She was truly an amazing woman. I’d really like to capture Dennis Kucinich. He’s such an interesting person.”
But mostly, Murray wants to shoot average Clevelanders who make the city special. “In the end, I'm not only searching for notable Clevelanders,” he says. “I'm looking for everyday people that call the area their home, are passionate about our city, have a story, or whose work is to continue to make Cleveland a great place."
Source: Greg Murray
Writer: Karin Connelly
"We're taking boarded-up schools in Cleveland's neighborhoods and bringing them back to life," says Alan Rosskamm, CEO of Breakthrough Schools. "This is about keeping families in the city." With a lofty goal of opening 20 new charter schools by 2020, Breakthrough is on a mission to provide quality education to Cleveland students regardless of zip code. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that charters create a two-tiered education system that siphons off the best students.
A group of residents in the Shaker Square-Larchmere community of Cleveland have organized the second Neighborhoods of Shaker Square Home Tour to promote the neighborhood's many amenities and raise funds for a legacy project in the community.
The home tour will take place on Saturday, September 17th from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. The event will highlight the neighborhood's varied housing stock, showcasing single-family and two-family homes, luxury condominiums and apartments.
To attract tour-goers to "live, work and play" within the neighborhoods around Shaker Square, event organizers are touting not only the unique homes within the area, but also the art, antique, restaurant and entertainment establishments in the Shaker Square and Larchmere commercial districts.
In a press release, organizers also cite amenities such as a grocery store and cinema in walking distance; mouth-watering restaurants and farmer's market; proximity to the Shaker Square RTA station; and financial incentives towards purchasing a home through the Greater Circle Living Program.
The weekend kicks off Friday, September 16th with "Rooftop Revelry Over the Square," a fundraiser that will take place on two Shaker Square condominium rooftops that feature spectacular city and skyline views.
Organizers say they intend to use the funds raised from both events to make an as-yet-to-be-named "legacy gift" to the Larchmere Boulevard enhancement project. This $700,000 improvement project will redevelop the Larchmere streetscape with new lighting, street trees, decorative crosswalks, sidewalks and other amenities.
Tickets to the Neighborhoods of Shaker Square Home Tour cost $15 if purchased online beforehand or $20 on the day of the event. The tour begins at Sergio's Sarava on Shaker Square. Tickets to "Rooftop Revelry" cost $75 and include home tour admission.
Source: Katharyne Starinsky
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The home tour will take place on Saturday, September 17th from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. The event will highlight the neighborhood's varied housing stock, showcasing single-family and two-family homes, luxury condominiums and apartments.
To attract tour-goers to "live, work and play" within the neighborhoods around Shaker Square, event organizers are touting not only the unique homes within the area, but also the art, antique, restaurant and entertainment establishments in the Shaker Square and Larchmere commercial districts.
In a press release, organizers also cite amenities such as a grocery store and cinema in walking distance; mouth-watering restaurants and farmer's market; proximity to the Shaker Square RTA station; and financial incentives towards purchasing a home through the Greater Circle Living Program.
The weekend kicks off Friday, September 16th with "Rooftop Revelry Over the Square," a fundraiser that will take place on two Shaker Square condominium rooftops that feature spectacular city and skyline views.
Organizers say they intend to use the funds raised from both events to make an as-yet-to-be-named "legacy gift" to the Larchmere Boulevard enhancement project. This $700,000 improvement project will redevelop the Larchmere streetscape with new lighting, street trees, decorative crosswalks, sidewalks and other amenities.
Tickets to the Neighborhoods of Shaker Square Home Tour cost $15 if purchased online beforehand or $20 on the day of the event. The tour begins at Sergio's Sarava on Shaker Square. Tickets to "Rooftop Revelry" cost $75 and include home tour admission.
Source: Katharyne Starinsky
Writer: Lee Chilcote