Health + Wellness
Backers call it a win-win-win: through an innovative development arrangement with Midtown Cleveland Inc., the City of Cleveland is moving forward on a new Third District police station. Leaders say it will make the neighborhood safer, catalyze development and free up two prominent properties in University Circle and Midtown for potential future redevelopment.
The new $17.5 million facility is slated to be built on the former Ward Bakery site at Chester Ave. and East 45th Street. The first new police station to be built in the City of Cleveland in more than three decades, it would consolidate the existing Third District police station at Chester Ave. and East 107th Street and the administrative offices located at Payne Ave. and East 21st Street.
The new station in the heart of the Health-Tech Corridor would also make the neighborhood safer without negatively impacting response times to surrounding areas, leaders say. The long vacant site would be infused with new life that could catalyze development in the area. Finally, the first floor will feature a police memorial and a community room that can be rented for special events.
In a recent community meeting, Ward 8 Councilman Jeff Johnson promised that the project would help to break down barriers between residents and police by emphasizing community policing and offering a welcoming environment.
Midtown Cleveland, which can access grant funding such as New Markets Tax Credits that the city is not eligible for, will develop the property and gradually transfer it to the city. The building will be a green structure that is LEED certified (Leadership in Energy, Efficiency and Design) and will save the city money.
Source: Midtown Cleveland Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The new $17.5 million facility is slated to be built on the former Ward Bakery site at Chester Ave. and East 45th Street. The first new police station to be built in the City of Cleveland in more than three decades, it would consolidate the existing Third District police station at Chester Ave. and East 107th Street and the administrative offices located at Payne Ave. and East 21st Street.
The new station in the heart of the Health-Tech Corridor would also make the neighborhood safer without negatively impacting response times to surrounding areas, leaders say. The long vacant site would be infused with new life that could catalyze development in the area. Finally, the first floor will feature a police memorial and a community room that can be rented for special events.
In a recent community meeting, Ward 8 Councilman Jeff Johnson promised that the project would help to break down barriers between residents and police by emphasizing community policing and offering a welcoming environment.
Midtown Cleveland, which can access grant funding such as New Markets Tax Credits that the city is not eligible for, will develop the property and gradually transfer it to the city. The building will be a green structure that is LEED certified (Leadership in Energy, Efficiency and Design) and will save the city money.
Source: Midtown Cleveland Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Dogs in public parks have a positive impact on safety, says Kerri Whitehouse, a Cleveland Heights resident who wants to see a citywide ban on dogs in parks overturned. Dog walkers are active park users who enhance the safety of public spaces, she argues.
The Cleveland Heights Dog Project sprung from the efforts of the Cain Park Neighborhood Association, a grassroots group of neighborhood residents. Whitehouse says the association formed last year to address crime in the neighborhoods bordering Cain Park, a growing problem in recent years.
Instead of merely complaining, Whitehouse and a group of other residents decided to take action. "We wanted to do something productive that would make the park more of a destination and community hub," she says. "We were looking at ways to increase foot traffic. The presence of dogs has been found to reduce crime."
Whitehouse says that the city, which implemented the ban decades ago to address safety, nuisance and liability concerns, has been receptive to their suggestions so far. Dog Project organizers hope to implement a pilot project in Cain Park that will eventually allow dogs to be safely reintroduced to parks throughout the city.
Over the long term, Whitehouse says, the vibrancy of Cleveland Heights may depend in part upon the city's friendliness towards its four-legged friends.
To garner feedback and ideas and test community support for its efforts, the Dog Project has released a community survey regarding its proposal to lift the ban.
Source: Kerri Whitehouse
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Cleveland Heights Dog Project sprung from the efforts of the Cain Park Neighborhood Association, a grassroots group of neighborhood residents. Whitehouse says the association formed last year to address crime in the neighborhoods bordering Cain Park, a growing problem in recent years.
Instead of merely complaining, Whitehouse and a group of other residents decided to take action. "We wanted to do something productive that would make the park more of a destination and community hub," she says. "We were looking at ways to increase foot traffic. The presence of dogs has been found to reduce crime."
Whitehouse says that the city, which implemented the ban decades ago to address safety, nuisance and liability concerns, has been receptive to their suggestions so far. Dog Project organizers hope to implement a pilot project in Cain Park that will eventually allow dogs to be safely reintroduced to parks throughout the city.
Over the long term, Whitehouse says, the vibrancy of Cleveland Heights may depend in part upon the city's friendliness towards its four-legged friends.
To garner feedback and ideas and test community support for its efforts, the Dog Project has released a community survey regarding its proposal to lift the ban.
Source: Kerri Whitehouse
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Since its launch in February, eFuneral has steadily grown as a resource for families searching for the right funeral provider. Now founders Mike Belsito and Bryan Chaikin are taking the company, which came out of the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business' 10-Xelerator last summer, to another level.
eFuneral recently announced a partnership with Hospice of Dayton. "Ever since we launched, some of our biggest supporters have come from the hospice community," says Belsito. "When patients enter hospice and don't have a funeral home picked out, they rely on hospice professionals for advice, but hospice employees are not allowed to make recommendations."
While Belsito and Chaikin have primarily focused on tapping the Northeast Ohio market, eFuneral decided to approach Hospice of Dayton, which is the second largest hospice in Ohio and one of the largest in the country.
The company has thrived in the Cleveland area -- users can get seven to eight quotes from funeral homes within minutes -- and Belsito is confident they will have the same success down state. eFuneral has hired two additional employees this year, most recently a software engineer.
Source: Mike Belsito
Writer: Karin Connelly
eFuneral recently announced a partnership with Hospice of Dayton. "Ever since we launched, some of our biggest supporters have come from the hospice community," says Belsito. "When patients enter hospice and don't have a funeral home picked out, they rely on hospice professionals for advice, but hospice employees are not allowed to make recommendations."
While Belsito and Chaikin have primarily focused on tapping the Northeast Ohio market, eFuneral decided to approach Hospice of Dayton, which is the second largest hospice in Ohio and one of the largest in the country.
The company has thrived in the Cleveland area -- users can get seven to eight quotes from funeral homes within minutes -- and Belsito is confident they will have the same success down state. eFuneral has hired two additional employees this year, most recently a software engineer.
Source: Mike Belsito
Writer: Karin Connelly
Photo: Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer
Lake Erie is a whole lot cleaner than it was decades ago, yet in the past 10 years, toxic algae has sprouted up en masse here, forcing state officials to post warning signs at popular area beaches.
The Healthy Lake Erie Fund, which was recently passed by the Ohio State Legislature and signed into law by Governor John Kasich, aims to address this problem by directing three state agencies -- the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency -- to work with farmers to help keep fertilizers and manures out of watersheds.
The $3 million fund could also help support projects such as enhanced education, soil testing, water quality monitoring and pilot efforts to reduce algae blooms.
"While we are all able to observe the harmful algal bloom problem, without effective research and monitoring programs, scientists and managers struggle to identify the causes and recommend, implement, and evaluate the most effective solutions," said Dr. Jeff Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab in a news release.
"Our $1 million annual monitoring budget of the 1970s and early 1980s was eliminated in the mid-1980s when people felt our work was done and the Lake had recovered from the 'Dead Lake Years' of the 1960s," he added. "I hope we have all learned that Lake Erie is simply too valuable to ever neglect again."
Source: Ohio Environmental Council
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Healthy Lake Erie Fund, which was recently passed by the Ohio State Legislature and signed into law by Governor John Kasich, aims to address this problem by directing three state agencies -- the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency -- to work with farmers to help keep fertilizers and manures out of watersheds.
The $3 million fund could also help support projects such as enhanced education, soil testing, water quality monitoring and pilot efforts to reduce algae blooms.
"While we are all able to observe the harmful algal bloom problem, without effective research and monitoring programs, scientists and managers struggle to identify the causes and recommend, implement, and evaluate the most effective solutions," said Dr. Jeff Reutter of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab in a news release.
"Our $1 million annual monitoring budget of the 1970s and early 1980s was eliminated in the mid-1980s when people felt our work was done and the Lake had recovered from the 'Dead Lake Years' of the 1960s," he added. "I hope we have all learned that Lake Erie is simply too valuable to ever neglect again."
Source: Ohio Environmental Council
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The National Park Service is proposing over $6 million of improvements to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including up to 10 miles of mountain bike trails, the addition of boat launch sites, and several new bike-in and paddle-in campsites.
The ambitious plan "aims to develop a blueprint that will guide the expansion, restoration, management, operations and use of the trail system and its associated amenities over the next 15 years, while keeping with the purpose, mission and significance of Cuyahoga Valley National Park," according to the NPS website.
The proposal would also add up to 46 miles of new trails, remove 12 miles of existing trails and add 30-plus miles of bike lanes on public roads within the park.
Park officials are holding public meetings to garner feedback this month, and the public comment period lasts until mid-August. The plan requires buy-in from several neighboring communities and park authorities, since only 19,000 of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's 33,000 acres are actually federally owned.
NPS officials hope to adopt a new plan by the end of the year.
Source: National Park Service
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The ambitious plan "aims to develop a blueprint that will guide the expansion, restoration, management, operations and use of the trail system and its associated amenities over the next 15 years, while keeping with the purpose, mission and significance of Cuyahoga Valley National Park," according to the NPS website.
The proposal would also add up to 46 miles of new trails, remove 12 miles of existing trails and add 30-plus miles of bike lanes on public roads within the park.
Park officials are holding public meetings to garner feedback this month, and the public comment period lasts until mid-August. The plan requires buy-in from several neighboring communities and park authorities, since only 19,000 of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's 33,000 acres are actually federally owned.
NPS officials hope to adopt a new plan by the end of the year.
Source: National Park Service
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Anne Hartnett has a love for cycling. She’s been involved in group cycling and has taught spinning classes for many years. But she thinks there should be something more to it. While she burns energy on the bicycle, she wants to harness that energy to create electric power.
Hartnett came up with idea for Harness Fitness, a fitness studio where the cyclists pedal their way to green energy. “I had this idea to harness all this energy created from spinning,” she says. “It’s a concept that’s spreading across the country. The bikes in a group cycling studio should be able to harness energy and convert in to electricity.”
The idea started as a fitness studio that sells sustainable fitness apparel. But when Hartnett brought her business to Bad Girl Ventures’ business class, the studio became a vision of a sustainable energy power plant.
“I did market research to see if the concept would resonate in Cleveland,” says Hartnett. “I felt it was important to have the green component with a local business perspective.”
Hartnett wants to open a studio to teach spinning classes with bikes that are equipped to harness the energy and create electricity. She’s currently researching electric companies that would be willing to match their efforts. Any savings at the end of the month would go to local charities.
“It all goes back into the community grid,” says Hartnett. “It’s triple bottom line impact philosophy. It’s socially responsible -- you will be part of a larger community being part of these classes.”
The studio isn’t open yet, but Hartnett has found a lot of interest in the Tremont and Ohio City neighborhoods. She won a $5,000 loan in the BGV business plan contest and is continuing fundraising efforts to raise the $20,000 she needs to open. She hopes to open her first studio this fall.
Source: Anne Hartnett
Writer: Karin Connelly
Hartnett came up with idea for Harness Fitness, a fitness studio where the cyclists pedal their way to green energy. “I had this idea to harness all this energy created from spinning,” she says. “It’s a concept that’s spreading across the country. The bikes in a group cycling studio should be able to harness energy and convert in to electricity.”
The idea started as a fitness studio that sells sustainable fitness apparel. But when Hartnett brought her business to Bad Girl Ventures’ business class, the studio became a vision of a sustainable energy power plant.
“I did market research to see if the concept would resonate in Cleveland,” says Hartnett. “I felt it was important to have the green component with a local business perspective.”
Hartnett wants to open a studio to teach spinning classes with bikes that are equipped to harness the energy and create electricity. She’s currently researching electric companies that would be willing to match their efforts. Any savings at the end of the month would go to local charities.
“It all goes back into the community grid,” says Hartnett. “It’s triple bottom line impact philosophy. It’s socially responsible -- you will be part of a larger community being part of these classes.”
The studio isn’t open yet, but Hartnett has found a lot of interest in the Tremont and Ohio City neighborhoods. She won a $5,000 loan in the BGV business plan contest and is continuing fundraising efforts to raise the $20,000 she needs to open. She hopes to open her first studio this fall.
Source: Anne Hartnett
Writer: Karin Connelly
Believe to Achieve, a program that teaches young people kindness, caring and respect as a means of achieving lifelong success, this year helped dozens of at-risk girls graduate from Collinwood High School.
Now the leaders of Project Love, the nonprofit that is spearheading the program, are planning to expand Believe to Achieve to 12 schools across the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD). They are currently seeking funding for that initiative.
"l ascribe our success to a very simple formula, and the formula is love," says Stuart Muszynski, President and CEO of the Project Love Remember the Children Foundation. "When people love themselves and understand what they stand for, then they understand the social and emotional part of being successful."
Seventy one girls entered the four-year trial program in 2008, and 51 of them recently received diplomas. Along the way, they were buttressed with constant mentoring, a character-building curriculum, summer jobs and 24/7 support.
Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, also praised the program. "The successes we are celebrating at Collinwood show the power of collaborative investment in the social and emotional learning needs of our students," he said in a news release.
Source: Stuart Muszynski, Eric Gordon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now the leaders of Project Love, the nonprofit that is spearheading the program, are planning to expand Believe to Achieve to 12 schools across the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD). They are currently seeking funding for that initiative.
"l ascribe our success to a very simple formula, and the formula is love," says Stuart Muszynski, President and CEO of the Project Love Remember the Children Foundation. "When people love themselves and understand what they stand for, then they understand the social and emotional part of being successful."
Seventy one girls entered the four-year trial program in 2008, and 51 of them recently received diplomas. Along the way, they were buttressed with constant mentoring, a character-building curriculum, summer jobs and 24/7 support.
Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, also praised the program. "The successes we are celebrating at Collinwood show the power of collaborative investment in the social and emotional learning needs of our students," he said in a news release.
Source: Stuart Muszynski, Eric Gordon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A partnership between Cleveland State University and the Northeast Ohio Medical University hopes to reach students as early as middle school and inspire them to consider a career in medicine.
Now, a recently awarded $500,000 grant from the Mt. Sinai Foundation will help to support a crucial piece of this program -- a mentoring program to ensure the success of students being trained as primary care physicians.
The three-year grant will focus on linking students with educators, clinicians and community champions in the neighborhoods where the students will be placed. The new urban-focused medical school, which will begin enrolling its first students in fall of 2013, aims to place students in neighborhoods throughout Cleveland.
Each year, up to 35 qualified NEOMED students will be eligible for full tuition scholarships if they agree to work in Cleveland for five years after receiving their medical degrees. One of the main purposes of the program is to train primary care physicians to serve in urban areas. Many city neighborhoods are currently underserved, and demand is expected to increase in coming years.
Source: Cleveland State University
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now, a recently awarded $500,000 grant from the Mt. Sinai Foundation will help to support a crucial piece of this program -- a mentoring program to ensure the success of students being trained as primary care physicians.
The three-year grant will focus on linking students with educators, clinicians and community champions in the neighborhoods where the students will be placed. The new urban-focused medical school, which will begin enrolling its first students in fall of 2013, aims to place students in neighborhoods throughout Cleveland.
Each year, up to 35 qualified NEOMED students will be eligible for full tuition scholarships if they agree to work in Cleveland for five years after receiving their medical degrees. One of the main purposes of the program is to train primary care physicians to serve in urban areas. Many city neighborhoods are currently underserved, and demand is expected to increase in coming years.
Source: Cleveland State University
Writer: Lee Chilcote
An Olympic-style cycling track is being assembled by a group of dedicated volunteers on a patch of scruffy, vacant land in Slavic Village where St. Michael's Hospital stood until it was demolished years ago.
The Cleveland Velodrome met its initial $300,000 fundraising goal for the 166-meter, wood and steel banked track thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation and generous lead donors.
Later this month, cyclists should be able to go for a spin on the velodrome, which is the only one of its kind between the East Coast and Chicago. Backers of the project hope to eventually construct a multipurpose domed athletic center that will allow avid Cleveland cyclists and area youth to ride during the winter months, as well.
“After many years of hard work, we are thrilled to bring a velodrome track to Cleveland,” said Brett Davis, Board President or Fast Track Cycling, in a release. “Phase I allows Fast Track to implement youth and adult programming and will serve as a tool to raise additional funds to enclose the track for year-round use. While we are very pleased to reach the Phase I target, fund-raising will continue towards the ultimate goal of an enclosed, year-round track and sports center.”
“This is a terrific opportunity for Broadway Slavic Village,” said Marie Kittredge, Executive Director of Slavic Village Development. “The velodrome is a perfect fit for us, because of our central location, and our community’s commitment to active lifestyles and physical fitness. The velodrome will complement the gymnastics programming at the adjacent Sokol Czech Cultural Center, the community’s two new athletic fields, the First Tee Golf Course, and the Morgana Bike Trail.”
Fast Track Cycling is leasing the 8.4 acre site from the City of Cleveland for $1 per year. The Cleveland Velodrome is located on Broadway Ave. near Pershing Ave.
Source: Brett Davis, Marie Kittredge
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Cleveland Velodrome met its initial $300,000 fundraising goal for the 166-meter, wood and steel banked track thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation and generous lead donors.
Later this month, cyclists should be able to go for a spin on the velodrome, which is the only one of its kind between the East Coast and Chicago. Backers of the project hope to eventually construct a multipurpose domed athletic center that will allow avid Cleveland cyclists and area youth to ride during the winter months, as well.
“After many years of hard work, we are thrilled to bring a velodrome track to Cleveland,” said Brett Davis, Board President or Fast Track Cycling, in a release. “Phase I allows Fast Track to implement youth and adult programming and will serve as a tool to raise additional funds to enclose the track for year-round use. While we are very pleased to reach the Phase I target, fund-raising will continue towards the ultimate goal of an enclosed, year-round track and sports center.”
“This is a terrific opportunity for Broadway Slavic Village,” said Marie Kittredge, Executive Director of Slavic Village Development. “The velodrome is a perfect fit for us, because of our central location, and our community’s commitment to active lifestyles and physical fitness. The velodrome will complement the gymnastics programming at the adjacent Sokol Czech Cultural Center, the community’s two new athletic fields, the First Tee Golf Course, and the Morgana Bike Trail.”
Fast Track Cycling is leasing the 8.4 acre site from the City of Cleveland for $1 per year. The Cleveland Velodrome is located on Broadway Ave. near Pershing Ave.
Source: Brett Davis, Marie Kittredge
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cleveland’s trans fat ban draws national attention
In light of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposing a ban on the sale of large-sized sugary drinks, Joe Palazzolo of the Wall Street Journal points out that citizens need to look no further than Cleveland, Ohio, when it comes to local government determining what can and cannot be consumed by residents and guests.
“The Cleveland city council passed a law last year to ban restaurants from using cooking oils containing trans fats.”
In the meantime, those both for and against the ban have been battling it out in court whether it is within the local government’s jurisdiction to impose such a ban.
On Monday, June 11, “Cuyahoga County Judge Nancy Russo sided with the city, finding that Cleveland was within its powers to outlaw trans fatty cooking oils.”
This might serve as proof that local government may have more say about what its citizens can and cannot do than anyone ever thought.
Read the full WSJ story here.
“The Cleveland city council passed a law last year to ban restaurants from using cooking oils containing trans fats.”
In the meantime, those both for and against the ban have been battling it out in court whether it is within the local government’s jurisdiction to impose such a ban.
On Monday, June 11, “Cuyahoga County Judge Nancy Russo sided with the city, finding that Cleveland was within its powers to outlaw trans fatty cooking oils.”
This might serve as proof that local government may have more say about what its citizens can and cannot do than anyone ever thought.
Read the full WSJ story here.
Before a packed house at Severance Hall, Cleveland Foundation President Ronn Richard touted the city's accomplishments in becoming a hub of innovation and taking bold steps to address big problems at the foundation's annual meeting this Tuesday.
Waxing poetic on the gilded stage for a moment, Richard harkened back to the foundation's early days in the 1910's as a time of tremendous innovation in Cleveland. "I still wonder if the past might be prologue," he mused, noting that the foundation's centennial is just two years away. "Can we envision the spirit of a second renaissance in Cleveland?"
Richard also posed a challenge to civic leaders to remain focused on true economic development and social change within the city. "Physical development, as wonderful as it is, must be coupled with investment in people and placemaking," he said, noting that the building spree of the 1990s was too focused on bricks and mortar projects. "We need to invest in connecting communities."
Among the foundation's projects, Richard touted the Cleveland schools plan that recently passed the state legislature, ongoing investments in high quality urban education, economic development programs such as the HealthTech Corridor and the Evergreen Cooperatives, and programs to connect new audiences to the arts.
Richard also told the audience that later this year the Cleveland Foundation will unveil a new microlending program for entrepreneurs seeking loans under $50,000 to help spur job creation and assist the creation of startups.
Source: Ronn Richard
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Waxing poetic on the gilded stage for a moment, Richard harkened back to the foundation's early days in the 1910's as a time of tremendous innovation in Cleveland. "I still wonder if the past might be prologue," he mused, noting that the foundation's centennial is just two years away. "Can we envision the spirit of a second renaissance in Cleveland?"
Richard also posed a challenge to civic leaders to remain focused on true economic development and social change within the city. "Physical development, as wonderful as it is, must be coupled with investment in people and placemaking," he said, noting that the building spree of the 1990s was too focused on bricks and mortar projects. "We need to invest in connecting communities."
Among the foundation's projects, Richard touted the Cleveland schools plan that recently passed the state legislature, ongoing investments in high quality urban education, economic development programs such as the HealthTech Corridor and the Evergreen Cooperatives, and programs to connect new audiences to the arts.
Richard also told the audience that later this year the Cleveland Foundation will unveil a new microlending program for entrepreneurs seeking loans under $50,000 to help spur job creation and assist the creation of startups.
Source: Ronn Richard
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Chloe Hopson knows firsthand the disparity between urban and suburban arts education programs. Having grown up on South Moreland on the edge of Shaker Heights and Cleveland, she flourished in the arts-rich Shaker Heights school system while many of her Cleveland friends lacked similar opportunities.
That's why Hopson founded the Passport Project 14 years ago. She wanted to provide arts programs to youth living in the Buckeye, Larchmere and Shaker Square neighborhoods, and expose them to different cultures across the globe. "We help kids in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to build literacy skills, and we also help them see that there's a whole world out there," she says.
Now this "local girl with a global perspective," as she calls herself, is working with other arts organizations, residents and businesses in the community to launch Shaker Square Arts. The new organization will offer a range of free programming and classes and will use the historic Shaker Square shopping plaza as its home base.
"We're looking to create a more vibrant neighborhood and one where we get to know each other," says Hopson, who now lives in the Larchmere neighborhood and operates the Passport Project in a storefront at Buckeye and East 128th Street. "We hope to bring people together across perceived lines of difference."
Some of the programs include West African dance and percussion classes, capoeira classes, storytelling workshops and "Drinks and Doodles." This "happy hour with a twist" will invite attendees to draw on a napkin and enter their creation into a contest to win a $25 gift certificate from a local Shaker Square merchant.
Some of the partners involved in Shaker Square Arts include the Passport Project, Lake Erie Artists, City Dance, the Coral Company and area artists and residents. The free classes are supported by a grant from Neighborhood Connections.
A Drinks and Doodles happy hour will take place on Thursday, June 21st from 5-7 pm at Dewey's Coffee Shop. A free West African percussion and dance class will be held this Saturday, June 23rd from 12:30-2 pm right before Larchmere Porchfest.
Source: Chloe Hopson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's why Hopson founded the Passport Project 14 years ago. She wanted to provide arts programs to youth living in the Buckeye, Larchmere and Shaker Square neighborhoods, and expose them to different cultures across the globe. "We help kids in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to build literacy skills, and we also help them see that there's a whole world out there," she says.
Now this "local girl with a global perspective," as she calls herself, is working with other arts organizations, residents and businesses in the community to launch Shaker Square Arts. The new organization will offer a range of free programming and classes and will use the historic Shaker Square shopping plaza as its home base.
"We're looking to create a more vibrant neighborhood and one where we get to know each other," says Hopson, who now lives in the Larchmere neighborhood and operates the Passport Project in a storefront at Buckeye and East 128th Street. "We hope to bring people together across perceived lines of difference."
Some of the programs include West African dance and percussion classes, capoeira classes, storytelling workshops and "Drinks and Doodles." This "happy hour with a twist" will invite attendees to draw on a napkin and enter their creation into a contest to win a $25 gift certificate from a local Shaker Square merchant.
Some of the partners involved in Shaker Square Arts include the Passport Project, Lake Erie Artists, City Dance, the Coral Company and area artists and residents. The free classes are supported by a grant from Neighborhood Connections.
A Drinks and Doodles happy hour will take place on Thursday, June 21st from 5-7 pm at Dewey's Coffee Shop. A free West African percussion and dance class will be held this Saturday, June 23rd from 12:30-2 pm right before Larchmere Porchfest.
Source: Chloe Hopson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Born David Harrill in Mayfield Heights, "Dee Jay Doc" relocated with his wife to the Glenville neighborhood. By helping area youth write and record music, Doc is able to merge his professional talents with his passion to cultivate a better future for the children. Now, giving back to his community and city is his living.
Spice of Life, the umbrella group that includes a restaurant, catering company, and farm-to-table garden plots, is installing new raised beds and a high tunnel hoop house behind its restaurant and offices at W. 58th and Detroit Avenue to satisfy demand for local food in its operations.
"I like the idea of people being seated on the patio and seeing chefs pick herbs, go back to the kitchen and make things out of them," says chef and owner Ben Bebenroth, who also has 10,000 square feet of gardens behind his home. Additional food is sourced on a weekly basis from 30 to 60 Northeast Ohio farms. The food is used at Spice Kitchen + Bar as well as for catering jobs. "My focus now is on transforming ornamentals into edible ornamentals."
Bebenroth, who says that he's always thinking about "what's in season," is building the hoop house to extend his growing season to nearly 10 months out of the year. He is now growing quick crops such as lettuces that he can replant every 45 days.
"I think it's really important to have a hoop house for the neighborhood and the neighborhood kids to see," he says. "It's a shining example of what's possible."
Bebenroth's main motivation for expanding his gardens is that regional farms often have trouble keeping up with Spice of Life's demands for top quality, locally grown foods. By hiring a farm manager and sourcing as much food from his own farms as possible, Bebenroth is better able to keep up with growing demand.
Source: Ben Bebenroth
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I like the idea of people being seated on the patio and seeing chefs pick herbs, go back to the kitchen and make things out of them," says chef and owner Ben Bebenroth, who also has 10,000 square feet of gardens behind his home. Additional food is sourced on a weekly basis from 30 to 60 Northeast Ohio farms. The food is used at Spice Kitchen + Bar as well as for catering jobs. "My focus now is on transforming ornamentals into edible ornamentals."
Bebenroth, who says that he's always thinking about "what's in season," is building the hoop house to extend his growing season to nearly 10 months out of the year. He is now growing quick crops such as lettuces that he can replant every 45 days.
"I think it's really important to have a hoop house for the neighborhood and the neighborhood kids to see," he says. "It's a shining example of what's possible."
Bebenroth's main motivation for expanding his gardens is that regional farms often have trouble keeping up with Spice of Life's demands for top quality, locally grown foods. By hiring a farm manager and sourcing as much food from his own farms as possible, Bebenroth is better able to keep up with growing demand.
Source: Ben Bebenroth
Writer: Lee Chilcote
CellBank Technologies offers a way for surgery patients to plan for future surgeries. The startup company allows patients undergoing knee and hip replacement surgeries to store their own stem cells for possible future procedures. CellBank recently received $25,000 from the Innovation Fund.
“We offer a way to harvest and store stem cells without requiring a second surgical procedure,” explains Rachel Uram, CellBank founder and president. “There are one million hip or knee replacement surgeries each year, and surgeons go in and throw out a lot of stem cell-rich tissue. In 2005, five percent of replacement patients had a second surgery that required a bone graft.”
Using a patient’s own stem cells in a grafting procedure is “the gold standard in grafting,” says Uram. “Ten years ago they would go into the hip and harvest the tissue and use it. There were more patient complications and it was more painful.”
CellBank offers a better solution. “We collect specific tissues, process and store them so the patient doesn’t need a second procedure in situations like bone graft surgeries,” says Uram.
The family-run business has three founders, and they have brought on four part-time consultants. They are in the process of raising $1.5 million in seed money to complete testing. The Innovation Fund money will help bring CellBank closer to accepting customers.
“When we’re up and running we expect to have 15 to 16 employees,” says Uram. “Everybody loves the idea.”
Source: Rachel Uram
Writer: Karin Connelly
“We offer a way to harvest and store stem cells without requiring a second surgical procedure,” explains Rachel Uram, CellBank founder and president. “There are one million hip or knee replacement surgeries each year, and surgeons go in and throw out a lot of stem cell-rich tissue. In 2005, five percent of replacement patients had a second surgery that required a bone graft.”
Using a patient’s own stem cells in a grafting procedure is “the gold standard in grafting,” says Uram. “Ten years ago they would go into the hip and harvest the tissue and use it. There were more patient complications and it was more painful.”
CellBank offers a better solution. “We collect specific tissues, process and store them so the patient doesn’t need a second procedure in situations like bone graft surgeries,” says Uram.
The family-run business has three founders, and they have brought on four part-time consultants. They are in the process of raising $1.5 million in seed money to complete testing. The Innovation Fund money will help bring CellBank closer to accepting customers.
“When we’re up and running we expect to have 15 to 16 employees,” says Uram. “Everybody loves the idea.”
Source: Rachel Uram
Writer: Karin Connelly
trails and greenways conference aims to set goals for regional trail system
When the Cleveland Clinic decided to expand its offices at the Independence Technology Center, it cited the nearby presence of the planned Hemlock Trail as one of the reasons behind its investment.
To Dave Linchek of the West Creek Preservation Committee, who has worked for years to make the Hemlock Trail a reality, that's further evidence that Northeast Ohio's trails and greenways not only add to our quality of life, but also enhance our bottom line.
Linchek and other trail advocates created the Greater Cleveland Trails and Greenways Conference in 2010 to bring together leaders for networking, discussion and collaboration. The second biennial conference on Wednesday, June 6th, has elevated the regional discussion to the next level, says Linchek.
"There are a multitude of individual trail plans out there, but we want to spell out our goals as a region," says Linchek. While many cities agree trails are important, they may lack the funding, know how and political will to build them, he says.
Some of the most exciting developments in Northeast Ohio include the proposed Lake Link Trail from the Towpath to Whiskey Island; the section of the Towpath from Steelyard Commons to the Flats that is being developed; the city of Cleveland's renewed focus on bicycle and pedestrian planning; and the Metroparks' newfound openness to creating mountain bike trails.
Source: Dave Linchek
Writer: Lee Chilcote
To Dave Linchek of the West Creek Preservation Committee, who has worked for years to make the Hemlock Trail a reality, that's further evidence that Northeast Ohio's trails and greenways not only add to our quality of life, but also enhance our bottom line.
Linchek and other trail advocates created the Greater Cleveland Trails and Greenways Conference in 2010 to bring together leaders for networking, discussion and collaboration. The second biennial conference on Wednesday, June 6th, has elevated the regional discussion to the next level, says Linchek.
"There are a multitude of individual trail plans out there, but we want to spell out our goals as a region," says Linchek. While many cities agree trails are important, they may lack the funding, know how and political will to build them, he says.
Some of the most exciting developments in Northeast Ohio include the proposed Lake Link Trail from the Towpath to Whiskey Island; the section of the Towpath from Steelyard Commons to the Flats that is being developed; the city of Cleveland's renewed focus on bicycle and pedestrian planning; and the Metroparks' newfound openness to creating mountain bike trails.
Source: Dave Linchek
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Megan Meister chuckles as she thinks of the unlikely collision of worlds involved in planting four eat-everything-in-sight goats in the midst of Stockyards -- a neighborhood that long ago shed its past as the home of the city's slaughterhouses.
Yet to Meister, the ebullient director of the Stockyards, Clark Fulton and Brooklyn Centre Community Development Organization, the area's new "Mow Goats" program is about the re-greening of the neighborhood, teaching kids and families about urban agriculture, and possibly even saving the city some money.
"Kids in urban areas don't get the opportunity to be around farm animals very often," says Meister, who worked with residents, The County Line Farm in Geneva, Ohio and the City of Cleveland to pioneer the 25-day program. "This is a creative way to address the problem of vacant lots in our neighborhood."
The "ladies," as they're known at the office, have a regular 9-to-5 job mowing a lot at W. 61st and Frontier Avenue. When they're done with that -- soon, based on their seemingly unstoppable appetite for anything leafy and green -- they'll be rotated to another lot. Meister hired a full-time goat herder for the project.
The Stockyards office receives a slew of calls every season about mowing lots. The City of Cleveland mows lots a few times per year and attempts to collect from property owners, but lacks the resources to mow them more regularly.
Meister hopes the project can be replicated elsewhere. She estimates that it would cost about $9,000 to $10,000 per six-month season to rent four goats, which is actually cheaper than what the city typically charges property owners to mow lots. The excess goat poop is being used to fertilize neighborhood gardens.
Source: Megan Meister
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet to Meister, the ebullient director of the Stockyards, Clark Fulton and Brooklyn Centre Community Development Organization, the area's new "Mow Goats" program is about the re-greening of the neighborhood, teaching kids and families about urban agriculture, and possibly even saving the city some money.
"Kids in urban areas don't get the opportunity to be around farm animals very often," says Meister, who worked with residents, The County Line Farm in Geneva, Ohio and the City of Cleveland to pioneer the 25-day program. "This is a creative way to address the problem of vacant lots in our neighborhood."
The "ladies," as they're known at the office, have a regular 9-to-5 job mowing a lot at W. 61st and Frontier Avenue. When they're done with that -- soon, based on their seemingly unstoppable appetite for anything leafy and green -- they'll be rotated to another lot. Meister hired a full-time goat herder for the project.
The Stockyards office receives a slew of calls every season about mowing lots. The City of Cleveland mows lots a few times per year and attempts to collect from property owners, but lacks the resources to mow them more regularly.
Meister hopes the project can be replicated elsewhere. She estimates that it would cost about $9,000 to $10,000 per six-month season to rent four goats, which is actually cheaper than what the city typically charges property owners to mow lots. The excess goat poop is being used to fertilize neighborhood gardens.
Source: Megan Meister
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cimperman profiled at length in spirit magazine
In a lengthy feature titled, "Power of One," Spirit magazine highlights a half-dozen people who discovered their calling. The in-flight magazine of Southwest Airlines devotes a majority of the ink to Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman.
"In his 16 years as a councilman, [Cimperman] has passed pioneering urban farm zoning legislation at a time when no other city in the U.S. had done so, and spearheaded a local food procurement ordinance that gives companies who do business with the city a bid discount for sourcing food locally. In 2009, he sponsored so-called “chicken and bees” legislation, which allows residents to keep up to six chickens and two beehives in their backyards or on vacant lots. He was ridiculed for it at the time -- colleagues did the chicken dance as they passed him in the hallway -- but today both raising hens and beekeeping are popular pastimes in Cleveland."
"In 2011, Cimperman, chair of the city’s public health committee, helped shape Mayor Frank Jackson’s “Healthy Cleveland” resolution, a series of audacious public health goals that was crafted in conjunction with four local hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic. A handful of these have already been passed by City Council: outlawing smoking in public spaces and banning artery-clogging trans fats at restaurant chains and bakeries. Several other pieces of legislation -- including one that would improve food in public schools -- are in the pipeline. Though the trans fat ban was overturned by Ohio’s state legislature last June, the City of Cleveland is now suing the state for the right to reinstate it. Cimperman is leading the effort."
Read more about his good work here.
"In his 16 years as a councilman, [Cimperman] has passed pioneering urban farm zoning legislation at a time when no other city in the U.S. had done so, and spearheaded a local food procurement ordinance that gives companies who do business with the city a bid discount for sourcing food locally. In 2009, he sponsored so-called “chicken and bees” legislation, which allows residents to keep up to six chickens and two beehives in their backyards or on vacant lots. He was ridiculed for it at the time -- colleagues did the chicken dance as they passed him in the hallway -- but today both raising hens and beekeeping are popular pastimes in Cleveland."
"In 2011, Cimperman, chair of the city’s public health committee, helped shape Mayor Frank Jackson’s “Healthy Cleveland” resolution, a series of audacious public health goals that was crafted in conjunction with four local hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic. A handful of these have already been passed by City Council: outlawing smoking in public spaces and banning artery-clogging trans fats at restaurant chains and bakeries. Several other pieces of legislation -- including one that would improve food in public schools -- are in the pipeline. Though the trans fat ban was overturned by Ohio’s state legislature last June, the City of Cleveland is now suing the state for the right to reinstate it. Cimperman is leading the effort."
Read more about his good work here.
Communities in Cuyahoga County are recycling about 50 percent of their waste on average, Diane Bickett, Executive Director of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, told the audience at the recent Cleveland Composting and Recycling Forum.
Austin, Texas has an ambitious goal of reaching zero waste by 2040, which means reducing the amount of trash sent to landfills by 90 percent.
The question now becomes: How does our region advance those goals while encouraging communities with dismal levels of recycling to raise the bar? That was the question that Bickett posed to the crowd during the one-day examination of recycling and composting in our region.
The City of Cleveland has one of the lowest levels of recycling in Cuyahoga County at about seven percent. Cleveland Heights and Lakewood hover around 60 percent, and Pepper Pike is over 70 percent. Bickett said that Cleveland and other cities could improve recycling rates by focusing on new, automated technologies, expanding organic collection, adding more recycling in public spaces, making citywide policy changes, and better educating residents and businesses.
Beyond the sustainability benefits, recycling also creates jobs. "For every job in the disposal industry, 17 are created in the recycling industry," Bickett said.
Given the prowess of the local food and urban agriculture movements in Cleveland, Bickett cited an opportunity to create composting facilities run by volunteers and community organizations that generate nutrient-rich soil.
Councilman Brian Cummins criticized the city's one-size-fits-all disposal fee and unambitious recycling goals (the city aims to recycle up to 25 percent of its waste by building a waste-to-energy facility and rolling out curbside recycling citywide).
Cummins also promoted the idea that recycling could generate local jobs, although he and Bickett acknowledged that recycling programs actually cost cities money.
City of Cleveland representatives were invited to attend the forum but declined.
Source: Diane Bickett, Brian Cummins
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Austin, Texas has an ambitious goal of reaching zero waste by 2040, which means reducing the amount of trash sent to landfills by 90 percent.
The question now becomes: How does our region advance those goals while encouraging communities with dismal levels of recycling to raise the bar? That was the question that Bickett posed to the crowd during the one-day examination of recycling and composting in our region.
The City of Cleveland has one of the lowest levels of recycling in Cuyahoga County at about seven percent. Cleveland Heights and Lakewood hover around 60 percent, and Pepper Pike is over 70 percent. Bickett said that Cleveland and other cities could improve recycling rates by focusing on new, automated technologies, expanding organic collection, adding more recycling in public spaces, making citywide policy changes, and better educating residents and businesses.
Beyond the sustainability benefits, recycling also creates jobs. "For every job in the disposal industry, 17 are created in the recycling industry," Bickett said.
Given the prowess of the local food and urban agriculture movements in Cleveland, Bickett cited an opportunity to create composting facilities run by volunteers and community organizations that generate nutrient-rich soil.
Councilman Brian Cummins criticized the city's one-size-fits-all disposal fee and unambitious recycling goals (the city aims to recycle up to 25 percent of its waste by building a waste-to-energy facility and rolling out curbside recycling citywide).
Cummins also promoted the idea that recycling could generate local jobs, although he and Bickett acknowledged that recycling programs actually cost cities money.
City of Cleveland representatives were invited to attend the forum but declined.
Source: Diane Bickett, Brian Cummins
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Technology, health care, food and rock and roll -- these are just a few of the industries flourishing in the eclectic Midtown neighborhood, its leaders told a sold out crowd at the Midtown Cleveland Inc. annual meeting at the InterContinental Hotel.
Key accomplishments within the past year include a successful lawsuit that stopped the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) from closing Innerbelt ramps until a study has been completed; breaking ground on several new projects within the Health-Tech Corridor; securing a commitment for a new Third District police headquarters on Chester Avenue; facilitating the redevelopment of the historic Agora Theatre; and completing a new plan to transform the East 55th and Euclid intersection into a more vibrant downtown for the neighborhood.
"We are succeeding in reinventing MidTown Cleveland," said Director Jim Haviland.
"A healthy urban core helps all boats to rise, and MidTown is an example," said Len Komoroski, President of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena, during a keynote address that touted the Cavs' investment in Cleveland. Komoroski said the Cavs had spent millions renovating Quicken Loans Arena into a "dynamic urban environment" that attracted people to visit downtown.
Komoroski shrugged off concerns that the new Horseshoe Casino would be a self-contained facility whose visitors would not spend money elsewhere in Cleveland. "This is a decidedly knit-into-the-urban-environment casino," he said. As an example of the spillover benefits of a casino that Komoroski claimed is "underserved from a food and beverage perspective," he cited the fact that Michael Symon recently tweeted about a record night at Lola on East 4th.
Source: Jim Haviland, Len Komoroski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Key accomplishments within the past year include a successful lawsuit that stopped the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) from closing Innerbelt ramps until a study has been completed; breaking ground on several new projects within the Health-Tech Corridor; securing a commitment for a new Third District police headquarters on Chester Avenue; facilitating the redevelopment of the historic Agora Theatre; and completing a new plan to transform the East 55th and Euclid intersection into a more vibrant downtown for the neighborhood.
"We are succeeding in reinventing MidTown Cleveland," said Director Jim Haviland.
"A healthy urban core helps all boats to rise, and MidTown is an example," said Len Komoroski, President of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena, during a keynote address that touted the Cavs' investment in Cleveland. Komoroski said the Cavs had spent millions renovating Quicken Loans Arena into a "dynamic urban environment" that attracted people to visit downtown.
Komoroski shrugged off concerns that the new Horseshoe Casino would be a self-contained facility whose visitors would not spend money elsewhere in Cleveland. "This is a decidedly knit-into-the-urban-environment casino," he said. As an example of the spillover benefits of a casino that Komoroski claimed is "underserved from a food and beverage perspective," he cited the fact that Michael Symon recently tweeted about a record night at Lola on East 4th.
Source: Jim Haviland, Len Komoroski
Writer: Lee Chilcote