Health + Wellness
Those among us that emerge to the forefront of their professions and community have been honing their leadership skills for some time. Here are a few young African-Americans making waves around town through advocacy, talent and so much more.
Mention the phrase "Paleolithic diet" and many will conjure the image of Fred Flintstone gnawing on a giant dinosaur leg. But nothing could be further from the truth, say adherents. The culinary movement is thoughtful, green, healthy and spreading like wildfire across Northeast Ohio.
If women indeed are the barometer of a healthy cycling city, then making women feel safe while cycling in Cleveland must be a priority, say local biking advocates. Female riders are less likely to cycle without infrastructure that makes them feel safe, including separated bike paths and physical barriers on roads that divide bikes and cars.
Tremont West Development Corporation is pushing a plan to reconfigure W. 14th Street, which for decades has been a busy thoroughfare for residents and commuters, into a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly street that will spur business growth. Under the proposal, the current configuration of two lanes in each direction (plus parking in some places) would be reconfigured to one lane in each direction plus a turning lane. This would create a dedicated parking lane and bike lane.
According to Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West, the proposal was warmly received by residents and stakeholders at a recent community forum. The next steps are to further refine the plan, respond to feedback and seek funding. Riordan wants to see the project done before the I-90 ramp reopens in 2016.
"Now's the time," he says. "There's an opportunity to reconfigure the street prior to the opening, have traffic calming measures in place and create a new experience."
W. 14th is an uncharacteristically wide street for Tremont. Additionally, it serves as a gateway to the community, yet the majority of businesses are located along Professor Avenue or other side streets. Finally, the street can be both confusing for drivers and hazardous for pedestrians. Riordan believes there's a win-win-win opportunity for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and businesses.
"We have a crosswalk at St. Augustine Church, but when people drive 50 miles per hour down the road, it's not a very safe crosswalk," he quips. "The bike community has expressed how dangerous they feel W. 14th is."
Depending on the final plan and available funding, there might be opportunities for streetscape enhancements including public art, decorative crosswalks, curb bump-outs and reconfiguration of the Steelyard Commons roundabout.
The good news is that Tremont has seen a transformation of W. 14th Street in recent years from a place considered hard to do business in to a sought-after location. As Professor Avenue storefronts have filled up, W. 14th storefronts have become more valuable. Riordan believes that's a sign of things to come and sees the potential for even more commercial growth along that street.
Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
According to Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West, the proposal was warmly received by residents and stakeholders at a recent community forum. The next steps are to further refine the plan, respond to feedback and seek funding. Riordan wants to see the project done before the I-90 ramp reopens in 2016.
"Now's the time," he says. "There's an opportunity to reconfigure the street prior to the opening, have traffic calming measures in place and create a new experience."
W. 14th is an uncharacteristically wide street for Tremont. Additionally, it serves as a gateway to the community, yet the majority of businesses are located along Professor Avenue or other side streets. Finally, the street can be both confusing for drivers and hazardous for pedestrians. Riordan believes there's a win-win-win opportunity for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and businesses.
"We have a crosswalk at St. Augustine Church, but when people drive 50 miles per hour down the road, it's not a very safe crosswalk," he quips. "The bike community has expressed how dangerous they feel W. 14th is."
Depending on the final plan and available funding, there might be opportunities for streetscape enhancements including public art, decorative crosswalks, curb bump-outs and reconfiguration of the Steelyard Commons roundabout.
The good news is that Tremont has seen a transformation of W. 14th Street in recent years from a place considered hard to do business in to a sought-after location. As Professor Avenue storefronts have filled up, W. 14th storefronts have become more valuable. Riordan believes that's a sign of things to come and sees the potential for even more commercial growth along that street.
Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Fresh Water Cleveland is one of 22 publications run by Issue Media Group. Week in and week out, our sister sites cover all the latest news in urban innovation and development. This is the first in a new monthly series that will aggregate top news stories from around our network and profile "What’s Next" for cities.
Shaker Heights is seeking to become the next city in Northeast Ohio to earn a bicycle-friendly community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. A crowdfunding campaign launched this month to raise funds for 25 additional bike racks for the city illustrates one way the leafy east-side community has redoubled its efforts to develop cycling amenities.
"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker and the Shaker Heights Public Works and Safety Committee. "One thing the League encourages cities to do is provide bike parking around the community, so we figured that we'd try to focus on that as low-hanging fruit."
So far, the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are the only ones in Northeast Ohio to receive the increasingly coveted designation. Each one has earned a bronze-level award for its efforts. By comparison, Portland, Oregon, is the only major city in the U.S. to earn a platinum-level designation.
The IndieGogo campaign aims to raise $4,500 to help fund racks produced by Metro Metal Works, a project of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries that employs low-income individuals. The bike racks will be installed at public and private locations throughout the city. The goal is to paint them "Shaker Red," pending city approval, Smith says, to enhance the city's brand as a bike-friendly community.
The city also is offering five cycling-related courses through its Department of Recreation, and plans are in the works to add more "sharrows." The next step is to revisit the Lee Road plan and add bike lanes/infrastructure there, Smith says.
"The city is getting serious," notes Smith, citing the fact that Shaker Heights now has a Bicycle Programs Manager and has issued a proclamation designating May as Bike Month throughout the city, similar to other communities around the country.
"It's slow going, but all agree that cycling is an asset to the community, and that cycling improvements improve property values and quality of life," says Smith.
Source: Rick Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker and the Shaker Heights Public Works and Safety Committee. "One thing the League encourages cities to do is provide bike parking around the community, so we figured that we'd try to focus on that as low-hanging fruit."
So far, the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are the only ones in Northeast Ohio to receive the increasingly coveted designation. Each one has earned a bronze-level award for its efforts. By comparison, Portland, Oregon, is the only major city in the U.S. to earn a platinum-level designation.
The IndieGogo campaign aims to raise $4,500 to help fund racks produced by Metro Metal Works, a project of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries that employs low-income individuals. The bike racks will be installed at public and private locations throughout the city. The goal is to paint them "Shaker Red," pending city approval, Smith says, to enhance the city's brand as a bike-friendly community.
The city also is offering five cycling-related courses through its Department of Recreation, and plans are in the works to add more "sharrows." The next step is to revisit the Lee Road plan and add bike lanes/infrastructure there, Smith says.
"The city is getting serious," notes Smith, citing the fact that Shaker Heights now has a Bicycle Programs Manager and has issued a proclamation designating May as Bike Month throughout the city, similar to other communities around the country.
"It's slow going, but all agree that cycling is an asset to the community, and that cycling improvements improve property values and quality of life," says Smith.
Source: Rick Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote
It’s no secret that "destination" development is happening all across Cleveland. But thanks to the diligent work of community development corporations (CDCs), there also is a renewed focus on improving livability for the residents who call their neighborhoods home.
cleveland goes from butt of hollywood jokes to a hub of innovation
In a lengthy feature titled "Hiding Out in Ohio: Bioscience," Tom Thriveni, writing for the digital mag Ozymandias, covers the burgeoning bioscience industry in Cleveland.
"Just as robotics companies in Pittsburgh and high-speed fiber-optic networks in Chattanooga have helped transform the economies of those cities, bioscience entrepreneurship has reshaped Cleveland’s sagging economy," he writes.
"The [Cleveland Heartlab and Cleveland Clinic] partnership was initiated by the clinic as part of its mission to turn its inventions into commercially viable medical products, generating profits for both parties. To date, besides Heartlab, 66 neighboring companies have spun out from Cleveland Clinic ideas since 2000. All told, the clinic has 525 patents and 450 licensing agreements."
Read the rest of the good news here.
"Just as robotics companies in Pittsburgh and high-speed fiber-optic networks in Chattanooga have helped transform the economies of those cities, bioscience entrepreneurship has reshaped Cleveland’s sagging economy," he writes.
"The [Cleveland Heartlab and Cleveland Clinic] partnership was initiated by the clinic as part of its mission to turn its inventions into commercially viable medical products, generating profits for both parties. To date, besides Heartlab, 66 neighboring companies have spun out from Cleveland Clinic ideas since 2000. All told, the clinic has 525 patents and 450 licensing agreements."
Read the rest of the good news here.
The City of Cleveland has installed 40 recycling bins downtown as part of its "ongoing efforts to increase recycling bins and materials diverted from landfills," according to a press release from the Office of Sustainability. The bins, which are being funded by Cleveland’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, are being rolled out as part of the Year of Zero Waste, which is part of Mayor Jackson's Sustainable Cleveland initiative.
“The presence of recycling bins downtown is a visible way for residents, employees and tourists to understand that Cleveland is committed to sustainability and to do their part by recycling,” said Jenita McGowan, Chief of Sustainability, in a release. “These bins not only provide opportunities for the public to recycle in high traffic areas downtown, but also increase the City’s recycling rates. We look forward to collecting metric information from these bins to inform future expansion of recycling in public spaces.”
The blue-lidded recycle bins have been placed next to existing waste receptacles. They are located between West 9th Street and East 12th Street from Lakeside Avenue to Prospect Avenue, and there are also some locations on Euclid Avenue near Playhouse Square and Cleveland State University.
For more information on the Year of Zero Waste, click here.
Source: Jenita McGowan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
“The presence of recycling bins downtown is a visible way for residents, employees and tourists to understand that Cleveland is committed to sustainability and to do their part by recycling,” said Jenita McGowan, Chief of Sustainability, in a release. “These bins not only provide opportunities for the public to recycle in high traffic areas downtown, but also increase the City’s recycling rates. We look forward to collecting metric information from these bins to inform future expansion of recycling in public spaces.”
The blue-lidded recycle bins have been placed next to existing waste receptacles. They are located between West 9th Street and East 12th Street from Lakeside Avenue to Prospect Avenue, and there are also some locations on Euclid Avenue near Playhouse Square and Cleveland State University.
For more information on the Year of Zero Waste, click here.
Source: Jenita McGowan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Cleveland continues to gain momentum in leading the country and the Midwest in biomedical investments, according to BioEnterprise’s 2013 Midwest Healthcare Venture Investment Report. The report, released last month, shows that while overall investing is down nationwide, biomedical investments in health IT and medical devices in Northeast Ohio continue to be on the rise.
Ohio ranked number-one in healthcare venture investments. Cleveland earned the number-two regional ranking with $201.2 million invested in 50 companies, second only to Minneapolis. “It’s a very strong report, particularly for medical devices in the Midwest,” says Aram Nerpouni, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. “There is a strong pipeline of companies coming out of the Cleveland area.”
This is the second year the Cleveland area has seen $200 million in venture capital coming into the medical field, according to Nerpouni. But the ranking has taken years of effort. “As a region, it’s something we’ve been working toward for a decade now,” he says, crediting the area’s healthcare systems, universities and savvy entrepreneurs with the investment increase.
Ten years ago Cleveland’s leaders recognized the region’s assets in the biomedical field and have worked to create a reputation. But Nerpouni cautions we are only just beginning. “Look at it as a very good start,” he says. “We have to strike a balance of celebrating the progress but not getting too confident that it’s automatic.”
Nerpouni cites institutions like Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, and University Hospitals’ Harrington Discovery Institute, and now the Global Center for Health Innovation as just some of the contributors to the region’s growth in the biomedical field.
“Look at how much growth has happened, we’re just seeing this steady progress,” he says. “You begin to find there’s this flywheel gaining momentum.”
Source: Aram Nerpouni
Writer: Karin Connelly
Ohio ranked number-one in healthcare venture investments. Cleveland earned the number-two regional ranking with $201.2 million invested in 50 companies, second only to Minneapolis. “It’s a very strong report, particularly for medical devices in the Midwest,” says Aram Nerpouni, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. “There is a strong pipeline of companies coming out of the Cleveland area.”
This is the second year the Cleveland area has seen $200 million in venture capital coming into the medical field, according to Nerpouni. But the ranking has taken years of effort. “As a region, it’s something we’ve been working toward for a decade now,” he says, crediting the area’s healthcare systems, universities and savvy entrepreneurs with the investment increase.
Ten years ago Cleveland’s leaders recognized the region’s assets in the biomedical field and have worked to create a reputation. But Nerpouni cautions we are only just beginning. “Look at it as a very good start,” he says. “We have to strike a balance of celebrating the progress but not getting too confident that it’s automatic.”
Nerpouni cites institutions like Cleveland Clinic Innovations, the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, and University Hospitals’ Harrington Discovery Institute, and now the Global Center for Health Innovation as just some of the contributors to the region’s growth in the biomedical field.
“Look at how much growth has happened, we’re just seeing this steady progress,” he says. “You begin to find there’s this flywheel gaining momentum.”
Source: Aram Nerpouni
Writer: Karin Connelly
In college, Glenn Harbold followed family tradition and pursued a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. While he was interested in the manufacturing process, Harbold quickly realized that he possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to be a part of bringing new products to market.
That curiosity and spirit led Harbold to buy into Zounds Hearing as a franchisee. He is opening his first of six stores in the area on February 10th, in Brooklyn.
“My career has been a bit of a winding road, but I’m really into entrepreneurship,” Harbold says. After a stint in engineering, Harbold went on to earn an MBA and moved to Cleveland to work with two local technology startups. “I enjoyed getting up every day knowing that the future was in the hands of a small group of people.”
Then last year, Harbold began looking for companies to acquire. He met Sam Thomasson, a fellow engineer and founder of Zounds Hearing. “Sam is an electrical engineer and I loved his passion,” says Harbold. “We really hit it off.”
Harbold was so impressed with the quality and affordability of Zounds hearing aids that he decided to buy into the company. “The price and quality of the technology are really special,” he says. “We’re going to make it a lot easier for some people who couldn’t previously afford high quality hearing aids.”
After the Brooklyn store, Harbold plans to open five more stores in the area. He will employ two people at the Brooklyn store, including an audiologist and a client care specialist. Long-term, he predicts he will employ 12 to 15 people in the six stores.
Source: Glenn Harbold
Writer: Karin Connelly
That curiosity and spirit led Harbold to buy into Zounds Hearing as a franchisee. He is opening his first of six stores in the area on February 10th, in Brooklyn.
“My career has been a bit of a winding road, but I’m really into entrepreneurship,” Harbold says. After a stint in engineering, Harbold went on to earn an MBA and moved to Cleveland to work with two local technology startups. “I enjoyed getting up every day knowing that the future was in the hands of a small group of people.”
Then last year, Harbold began looking for companies to acquire. He met Sam Thomasson, a fellow engineer and founder of Zounds Hearing. “Sam is an electrical engineer and I loved his passion,” says Harbold. “We really hit it off.”
Harbold was so impressed with the quality and affordability of Zounds hearing aids that he decided to buy into the company. “The price and quality of the technology are really special,” he says. “We’re going to make it a lot easier for some people who couldn’t previously afford high quality hearing aids.”
After the Brooklyn store, Harbold plans to open five more stores in the area. He will employ two people at the Brooklyn store, including an audiologist and a client care specialist. Long-term, he predicts he will employ 12 to 15 people in the six stores.
Source: Glenn Harbold
Writer: Karin Connelly
