Fresh Water contributor Brandon Baker uncovers compelling success stories from Clevelanders who have overcome untold challenges and crises.

In an unusual community vote, some 520 Collinwood residents chose nine Ballot Box art projects from a field of more than 30. The eclectic efforts will begin unfurling in the north coast neighborhood as soon as this month.

Tucked into unlikely corners across the city, small urban farmers aim to turn food deserts into oases of fresh produce and community engagement.

The Fixers, a series of short films that will be presented in SPACES next month, offers street-level tours Clevelanders would give RNC delegates if given the chance.

Fresh Water updates five major development projects that will prove to conventioneers this July that Cleveland is a city on the move.

Joe Purton had almost two decades in the nonprofit realm when he decided to accelerate into a career as the owner of CycleBar in Beachwood.

Purton, the former vice president of Sisters of Charity Health System, recently opened the high-energy cycling studio in a 3,400-square-foot space at 3355 Richmond Road. Early returns are positive, with CycleBar classes drawing big numbers for what the new entrepreneur calls an intoxicating fusion of mind, body and music.

"It's a kind of multisensory journey," Purton says of an indoor cycling experience that melds thumping electronic music with videos and colorful lighting. "If gives you a feeling like you're in a club."

CycleBar's tiered theater holds 55 custom bikes along with two 80-inch televisions. Rides focus on upper body work and drills of varying speed, while personal data monitors allow participants to go at their own pace or compete with other riders. Instructors, called "CycleStars," lead the classes, which number about 30 a week, a figure Purton expects to increase in the coming months.

Though classes can be rigorous, the up-tempo affair is not meant to be intimidating for newcomers, says Purton, 48.

"That's the beauty of cycling," he says. "You can control  how much resistance you have on the flywheel and make it as difficult or easy as you want."

The Beachwood CycleBar, part of a company with 200 studios nationwide, represents Northeast Ohio's first indoor cycling franchise. Purton opened his studio in mid-March, fulfilling an entrepreneurial spirit for fitness that had been gestating for years.

Purton had been working at Sisters of Charity since 1994, organizing budgeting mechanisms and cost report filings across the faith-based healthcare system. The University Heights resident is also a former cycling instructor who taught classes in the late 1990's. While nonprofit work was lucrative, Purton recognized an opportunity at CycleBar he couldn't pass up.

"CycleBar allowed me to combine my passion for cycling with my accounting and finance background as well as a desire to run a business," he says.

Purton is currently working more hours per week than he ever has; a small price to pay for delivering something far beyond a standard cardio-fitness workout. Within the next two years, the burgeoning business owner hopes to open a studio downtown and another on the West Side.

"Everything I've been putting into this I'm going to benefit from," says Purton. "That (hard work) is what makes it more fun and rewarding."

Beginning today, Monday, April 11, through Sunday, April 17, Panera Bread locations in Cleveland, Akron and Canton will bake a batch of specialty puzzle piece shortbread cookies in support of National Autism Awareness Month via the "Pieces of Hope for Autism" campaign. One hundred percent of proceeds from each cookie sold will be donated to Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism, a leading edge facility dedicated to treatment, education, and research for children, adolescents, young adults and families dealing with autism spectrum disorders.

Get your cookies by pre-ordering online for quick pickup or by visiting your local Northeast Ohio Panera. Not a fan of cookies but still want to show your support? Make a gift here.
 

At the Louis Stokes VA Center in University Circle, the most effective help for vets suffering from PTSD comes from other vets who know the difficult road to coping with the disorder all too well.

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has announced 21 finalists for its 2016 Vibrant City Awards. Winners will be revealed on May 2 at the second annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch, hosted by CNP and presented by Key Bank and Community Blight Solutions.
 
“We are proud to convene community partners and stakeholders to celebrate city neighborhoods. These leading efforts in neighborhood revitalization are what help us all create a vibrant city,” says Joel Ratner, president and CEO of CNP. “The organizations and individuals being honored have displayed tremendous passion, dedication and collaboration. We’re excited to recognize them for their successful efforts in community development.”
 
CNP received more than 70 nominations for this year's awards.

Learn more about all 21 finalists and continue reading.

The colorful history of May Dugan and how she embodied West Side philanthropy shimmers with the emerald green of her family's heritage.

Vision Yoga and Wellness opened its doors on West 25^th Street in Ohio City in April 2011 – bringing to the neighborhood a source for yoga classes at all levels, workshops, massage therapy and acupuncture. The offerings have been so popular, the 800-square-foot single studio space was busting at the seams and owner Theresa Gorski couldn’t meet the needs of her growing clientele.

So in February, Gorski opened a second location, Vision Underground, in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3600 Church Ave. The 2,300-square-foot space will allow Gorski to cater to a broader range of needs. She now offers chair yoga, yoga for children and community-based workshops and certification classes.
 
“I don’t call it an addition, I call it an expansion,” Gorski says of the new space. “When you have only one studio, you have to cater to your clients’ makeup and the majority of the population are able-bodied.”
 
The chair yoga will cater to those who cannot easily get up from or sit down on the floor, Gorski says. The new space also allows Gorski to focus on the wellness aspect of her practice.
 
“There’s a new wave of interest in focusing on wellness and prevention,” she explains, “where people want to take care of themselves.”
 
Gorski hired three additional yoga teachers to help with the 12 additional classes now on the weekly schedule, bringing the staff total for the two spaces to 15.
 
The church itself also has historic significance. Built in the 1800s, St. John’s is the oldest church in Cuyahoga County, Gorski says, and the Vision space was the last stop on the Underground Railroad. The place is also used for Cleveland Public Theatre’s annual Station Hope celebration of the site. Vision Underground will go on hiatus during Station Hope.
 
Vision Yoga hosted Vision Underground’s grand opening on Saturday, March 4 with donation yoga classes taught by Gorski, prizes, discounts on yoga packages and refreshments. Almost 100 people attended the open house and $1,000 was raised through a raffle and donations.