When the team at the Lighting Innovations Institute at John Carroll University gets an idea, it's not always the proverbial light bulb that goes on above their heads. More than likely, it's a state-of-the-art light that will make a difference in industry and everyday life.

The Lighting Innovations Institute accepts projects that, according to its website, "involve novel ideas and offer a challenge." Led by veterans in research and development in Northeast Ohio, the institute is currently developing projects for such distinguished customers as NASA and the FAA.

"We're focusing on two key areas," says Richard Hansler, director of the institute and a retired GE Lighting research physicist. One of these is lighting for airport runways. Landing lights that allow pilots to see if they are in proper alignment with the runway already exist, but the Lighting Innovations Institute is developing a lighting system that is more energy-efficient and longer-lasting.

The other key area of development is in blocking out the blue spectrum of artificial light that interferes with optimum health. Hansler says that our bodies are built to withstand 12 hours of darkness, not the typical seven or eight hours most of us get. Artificial light prevents the body from making melatonin, a hormone that is believed to play a role in fighting cancer and obesity.

"I worked as a researcher at GE for over 40 years, and when I came here I realized that artificial light is unhealthy," Hansler says. The institute has produced eyeglasses and light bulbs that block blue light; these are sold through a spin-off company, Phototonic Developments LLC.

The Lighting Innovations Institute receives funding from the companies it contracts with to develop products. The institute has a small full-time staff but hires students part-time when funds are available, according to Hansler.


SOURCE: Richard Hansler
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

One of the newest members of the Cleveland organization Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) is an organization known for helping people with special needs. Over the past several months, the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Board of DD) has realized ways to help others while helping the environment and the City of Cleveland.

The organization's CleveLand Crops program, in partnership with Stanard Farms and the Ohio State University Extension, is part of the Board of DD's Solutions at Work (S.A.W.) program, which is the state's largest employer of people with disabilities. S.A.W. also operates a discount store in Parma called Just-a-Buck, employing 15 developmentally disabled residents of Cuyahoga County, and Pulley's, a wi-fi coffeehouse in Cleveland's Tyler Village, which employs three adults in the Board of DD program.

CleveLand Crops gives adults with developmental disabilities the chance to nurture plants and vegetables from planting through harvest. The goal of the project is to provide agriculture and employment training for adults by developing 10 sustainable farms that will employ 100 adults from the Board of DD and establishing an Agriculture Education Center at the Stanard Farm to serve as a farming site for CleveLand Crops. Cleveland Crops intends to operate year-round using various facilities in the area.

All of this leads to another goal: repurposing neglected land using sustainable farming practices. Stanard Farm launched in 2010, and this year the Board of DD will open three new farm sites in Cleveland.


SOURCE: Cuyahoga County Board of DD
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

The idea behind Urban Infant came to Eric Eichhorn when his sister Kelly Friedl had her first child. "All of the baby gear had ducks, bunnies or bears on it," he recalls. "I wanted to get beyond pink and blue to something that had solid, hip colors and was edgy."

Eichhorn and Friedl, who lived in Chicago, dreamed of products that would be geared towards parents "making the conscious decision to raise kids in an urban environment," Eichhorn explains. Friedl's expertise in graphic design combined with Eichhorn's business background led to the formation, in 2001, of Urban Infant.

Today, the Urban Infant has taken on a life of its own and sales are growing. In January, the partners leased a workshop in the 78th Street Studios, a complex of creative-minded businesses in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. "We used to work out of our homes and closets, but then we went to an L.A. trade show, got a rep and began to expand," explains Eichhorn, who moved to Cleveland in 2004.

The Urban Infant's biggest seller is the Tot Cot, an all-in-one pillow, blanket and bed sheet that makes naptime simple for toddlers attending daycare or preschool. The Tot Cot's bedding is made of recycled PET plastic bottles. "It's cool to give someone something that has a previous life," says Eichhorn, who has made sustainability a core aspect of the business.

The Urban Infant also recently created a line of washable bibs made from recycled plastic bags. The bibs, each of which is unique and handmade, feature slogans such as "Thank You" and "American Greetings" (where Eichhorn now works as a business consultant). Priced at $18, the bibs are available at boutiques and museum stores across the country, as well as online.

The bibs are created by fusing together layers of plastic bags using a heat press. Eichhorn regularly scours the recycling bin at Dave's Supermarket in Ohio City for bags, ignoring strange looks from passers-by. He has also enlisted his friends in foreign countries to help collect bags, especially unusual ones.

Although Eichhorn and Friedl have yet to quit their day jobs, Urban Infant has gained a following. In January, the company's products were featured in Parenting magazine and on the Today Show.

Eichhorn and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their daughter Essa. Despite not getting enough sleep, Eichhorn is already working on several new product lines. And now that he has a child of his own, he's even more dialed in to the needs of urban parents.


Source: Eric Eichhorn
Writer: Lee Chilcote

The Neighborhood Connections program provides small financial gifts to community organizations focused on enhancing neighborhoods and engaging residents. Recipients must connect residents in meaningful ways through grass roots projects. Though the grants are small -- from $500 to $5,000 -- they can make a huge difference in the destiny of a neighborhood and its citizens.

Beekeeping can be a life-changing experience that lowers stress, fosters a greater connection with nature, and promotes biodiversity in your neighborhood. Oh yeah, and it provides a near-endless supply of delicious honey.

Yet raising bees is not always easy, and backyard beekeepers must spend time with their bees every day.

"If you don't pay close attention, you could lose the swarm through pests or disease, " Karen Wishner, President of the Greater Cleveland Beekeepers Association, told a crowd of 200 people at last week's Local Food Cleveland forum on raising backyard livestock.

If you are a first time beekeeper, Wishner recommends taking classes or reading articles to educate yourself, as well as joining a local beekeepers association. The first step is to find a location for the hive. It should be located near a windbreak, facing the morning sun and in a partially shaded location. Beekeepers also need easy access to water and enough room to navigate around the hive.

Start-up costs include purchasing new equipment for the hive, buying the bees, and purchasing a veil, hive tool and smoker. Once you obtain a hive, Wishner recommends paying close attention to its progress, keeping an eye out for damage and checking for the queen. A typical hive will yield one or two combs in the first year, and by the second or third year, it can produce three to four gallons of honey.

Many people find beekeeping therapeutic because bees, by their very nature, require their keepers to stay calm and peaceful. "Minimizing stress is the name of the game; that's what bees like," Wishner said.

Beekeeping is permitted in many communities in Northeast Ohio. In 2009, the City of Cleveland passed progressive legislation that allows residents to raise chickens and bees in limited numbers. On a typical residential lot in Cleveland, two hives are permitted. Wishner recommended that anyone interested in backyard beekeeping consult their local municipal officials before purchasing a hive.

For those interested in learning more about backyard beekeeping, the Northeast Ohio Honeybee Conference will take place on Saturday, May 21st at Baldwin Wallace College, Wishner said. The conference, which costs $25, is open to the public.


Source: Karen Wishner
Writer: Lee Chilcote

These days, it seems that everyone is singing Pittsburgh's praises. Our Rust Belt neighbor to the east recently scored a Google corporate office. And last year, perennial Cleveland-basher Forbes Magazine named Pittsburgh the country's most livable city. Ouch. Clearly Pittsburgh is doing something right. Simply put: That city is light years ahead of Cleveland when it comes to bike-friendliness -- and bike-friendly cities are more attractive to young professionals, the creative-class folks who hold the keys to economic prosperity.
 

At first, John Campanelli didn't tell his wife. No, he doesn't have an obsession with pricey Cuban cigars or engage in secret Friday-night poker nights. Rather, he had hatched a plan to raise chickens.

"My wife thought I was crazy at first, but chickens are easier to take care of than cats -- and they're the only pet that makes you breakfast," Campanelli told an audience of 200 during last week's Local Food Cleveland forum on raising backyard livestock.

Three years into rearing his backyard brood, Campanelli says, "My wife agrees it's the best thing we've ever done -- maybe even better than having kids."

Not only is raising chickens fun and relatively easy, but backyard eggs are fresher, healthier and tastier than their supermarket counterparts, Campanelli explained. He touted other benefits too, such as using chicken droppings as garden fertilizer. Chickens also help rid your yard of insects, are great with people and kids and provide hours of entertainment. "I'm convinced that [chickens] are the reason most rural Americans don't have high speed Internet," he joked.

In 2009, the City of Cleveland passed progressive "chicks and bees" legislation that allows residents to keep chickens, ducks, rabbits and beehives (but not roosters, geese or turkeys). A typical residential lot is allowed no more than six small animals and two hives.

For those interested in raising chickens, Campanelli suggested doing some online research (he cited Backyard Chickens), educating yourself on municipal zoning laws and contacting your neighbors ahead of time to avoid complaints.

While chickens are not high-maintenance, noisy or expensive, they do require food, water and a good coop that is cleaned regularly. Would-be chicken farmers should also learn which breeds are known as being cold hardy, better with people and producing tastier eggs.

For hold-outs who aren't yet convinced that raising yardbirds is now mainstream, look no further than the local bookstore, Campanelli said. Right next to the wedding planning guides in the how-to section is where you'll find "Raising Backyard Chickens for Dummies."


Source: John Campanelli
Writer: Lee Chilcote

A proposed $7.5 million indoor cycling track in Slavic Village would be the only such facility of its kind east of the Rockies. The nonprofit organization Fast Track Cycling says the velodrome would attract thousands of cycling enthusiasts while helping to transform Cleveland into a greener, healthier city. Slavic Village supporters say, Bring it on.

Greater Clevelanders are fortunate to live near an abundant source of fresh water. Lake Erie and the Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply. Many places in the world are not so lucky -- in fact, more people die each year from contaminated water than from all forms of violence and war combined.

This month, a group of environmental artists are taking over a vacant space at Tower City Center to create an art display on the importance of water. The exhibit, which will be displayed during the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), from March 24 to April 3, is being organized as part of World Water Day events for Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an effort to create a green economy in Cleveland by 2019.

The sculpture, which will be crafted from decorated two-liter bottles, will educate Clevelanders about the importance of water conservation, and will also raise funds for a water well that will serve an elementary school in rural Uganda. The school, St. Charles Elementary School, is a sister school to Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy, a K-8 public school in Cleveland.

For the project, 150 students at Stokes Academy will carry their own two-liter bottle of water with them on a bus from their school to Tower City on World Water Day, which takes place Tuesday, March 22nd. It's a gesture of solidarity with their pen pals in Uganda, who each fill their own bottles and carry them to school on a daily basis. The artists will also travel to the school to educate students on the importance of water.

Lead artist Nicole McGee and other project leaders will also work with Stokes students to help them decorate the two-liter bottles to represent the meaning of water in their lives.


Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote

A packed house at Monday night's Local Food Cleveland meeting on raising backyard livestock demonstrated growing interest in raising chickens, bees and other animals in urban neighborhoods across Northeast Ohio.

When audience members at the Great Lakes Brewing Company's Tasting Room in Ohio City were asked by event organizer Peter McDermott if they currently were raising backyard livestock or were planning on it, approximately two-thirds raised their hands.

Two years ago, Cleveland City Council passed progressive "chicks and bees" legislation that allowed city residents to raise and keep certain farm animals and bees. Other municipalities in Northeast Ohio also allow residents to keep backyard livestock. Presenters urged audience members to consult their local zoning code and contact their local zoning officials with questions.

The majority of livestock owners in Cleveland tend chickens (not roosters) for eggs or bees for honey, said McDermott, a Network Weaver with Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S). While raising goats, pigs and other animals is also permitted in some places, those animals typically require more land than is available on urban lots.

Despite the growing interest in urban farming and backyard livestock in U.S. cities, many municipalities lag behind. Some zoning codes prohibit or strictly limit keeping chickens, bees and other animals, while others do not address the issue. Presenters urged audience members to educate themselves -- in many Northeast Ohio communities, despite assumptions to the contrary, raising chickens and bees is permitted in some form.

McDermott cited a plethora of benefits to keeping backyard livestock, including saving money on groceries, providing healthy, locally produced foods to residents, and income generation for owners who sell eggs and other products to neighbors or through local markets.

As the local foods movement in Northeast Ohio continues to expand, McDermott challenged audience members to consciously support the infrastructure needed to sustain it, including educating wary public officials at the state and local level.

"Studies show that local food is potentially a $15 billion economy in Northeast Ohio, and in recent years, we've seen a fifteen- to twenty-percent increase per year in local farmers' markets," said McDermott. "The question is, can the market for local foods support continued expansion? Our group is interested in accelerating the progress."


Source: Peter McDermott
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Michele Iacobelli Buckholtz has treasured memories of going to lunch with her dad in Little Italy. He grew up here when it was an Italian neighborhood with markets on nearly every corner. She soaked up the old neighborhood during these childhood visits.

Today, Buckholtz is recreating the tradition of the small Italian market -- with a contemporary twist. She recently renovated an historic storefront at Murray Hill Road and Paul Avenue in Little Italy. It reopened as the Murray Hill Market, which is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and carries fresh produce and groceries.

Patrons of the Murray Hill Market can expect something new with each visit. The specials change daily, based on fresh ingredients and the chef's whim. Some favorites appear consistently, however. Buckholtz offers meatball subs every Thursday, relying upon her mother's recipe of course.

Little Italy has changed since Buckholtz's father grew up here -- there are fewer Italian families now, more students and empty nesters. The small, corner markets have all but disappeared. Yet with the growth of University Circle and sharp condos sprouting up in Little Italy, demand exists for a contemporary market, Buckholtz says. She considers it part of her mission to provide fresh, healthy foods to area residents and employees, an amenity she says is lacking at other neighborhood stores.

The Murray Hill Market is also spicing up the food offerings in Little Italy. Although Italians are no longer the predominant ethnic group here, the restaurants along Mayfield and Murray Hill Roads still offer mostly Italian fare. While Buckholtz specializes in Italian foods, she also offers an array of other ethnic foods, including Jewish and French pastries, Middle Eastern dishes, and Puerto Rican rice and beans.


Source: Murray Hill Market
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When Mayor Jackson promoted Andrew Watterson from sustainability programs manager to Chief of Sustainability, a cabinet-level position, he illustrated in very certain terms his commitment to sustainability. Watterson will have his work cut out for him. Recently, the City kicked off Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an ambitious 10-year initiative to leverage sustainability as an engine for economic growth while distinguishing Cleveland as a "Green City on a Blue Lake."

The Cleveland Conserves Campaign is an effort by the City of Cleveland and local environmental groups to cut waste, save money and boost the local economy. Calling 2011 "The Year of Energy Efficiency," these groups are promoting energy conservation efforts to individuals and businesses.

The Cleveland Indians are among the local businesses championing the initiative. The Tribe has had a comprehensive recycling program since Jacobs Field opened in 1994. The Indians were the first major league team to install solar power at their stadium, a project completed in 2007. They have also installed LED lighting throughout the park.

This year, the Tribe is expanding its composting efforts at Progressive Field. The Indians began composting the waste from concession stands, restaurants and the clubhouse at the end of the 2010 season. In 2011, they will begin composting from the main seating areas.

"Cleaning crews will do three walk-throughs -- for organics, plastics and trash," explains Brad Mohr, Assistant Director of Ballpark Operations for the Cleveland Indians. "It's cheaper to compost than it is to send organic materials to a landfill."

In 2010, the team composted 2.5 tons of food waste from concession stands, restaurants and the club house in only six games. Cornstarch-based beer and soda cups, cutlery, and hot-serve cups are used throughout the ball park, in the front office and in the press box.

The team's marketing message -- Our Tribe is Green ... Are you in the Tribe? -- encourages fans to participate in green activities, including recycling. "We look at ourselves as a business and community leader," says Mohr.

So far, the Indians are pleased with the investment they've made in conservation measures. The team recycled over 153 tons of materials in 2009, reducing trash pickup by over 60 percent, from 254 trash pickups in 2007 to 97 pickups in 2009.

Conservation measures not only protect the environment, they also protect a business' bottom line. The Indians invested $30,000 in balers to make cardboard or plastic into giant cubes. Selling the cubes along with money savings from reduced trash hauls paid off the initial investment within four months.


Source: Brad Mohr
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Slow and steady may win the race, but a quick oil-change company is winning kudos for its sustainability practices. Cleveland-based Lube Stop has been recognized nationally for its formal sustainability program and its re-refined oil change service, EcoGuard. The latest recognition comes from the Institute for Sustainable Development's Green Plus awards, which named Lube Stop a Medium-Size Business of the Year recipient.

This award recognizes a company's ability to affect triple-bottom-line sustainability practices. Lube Stop's sustainability efforts revolve around a five-step process: strategy development, ongoing waste reduction, sustainable operations, individual initiatives and public awareness.

Lube Stop has 37 stores in Northeast Ohio and more than 240 employees. The company adopted its sustainability program in 2007


SOURCE: Lube Stop
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

President Obama came to Cleveland on Tuesday to hear what small business owners say they need to grow their businesses and thus strengthen the U.S. economy. But the President took the time to praise the region for its growth in biotechnology, sustainability and other innovations.

"Cleveland is a city founded on manufacturing," the President said during his closing remarks on the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business, held at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center, which this writer attended.

"A lot of people wrote off Cleveland as a shell of what it used to be, but you knew different," the President said to the small business owners and entrepreneurs who had been selected to attend the forum.

The President talked about the united effort of local universities, hospitals and entrepreneurs to advance innovations in biotechnology and clean energy. "They've made Cleveland a global leader in both fields," the President added.

Cleveland's ability to reinvent itself, the President noted, can be an inspiration for other areas of the country, as well as the United States in general. "How will America reinvent itself?" the President asked the audience.

Obama also pointed out the success of several long-standing businesses in Cleveland, including Miceli Dairy Products, which has operated a facility on E. 90th Street since 1949. Miceli's received a $5.5 million SBA loan to build a new factory and expand its production, according to the President. "This will double the output of ricotta cheese and add 60 workers," said Obama, joking that he'd like some cheese samples once the expansion project is complete.


SOURCE: President Obama
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

When TV crews descended on Slavic Village three years ago, the neighborhood was dubbed the "epicenter" of the foreclosure crisis. While that infamy was brief -- the crisis soon expanded to other parts of the country, with California, Florida and Nevada among the hardest hit -- the damage it left behind was real.

However, this resilient neighborhood is now becoming known for its innovative response to foreclosures. Through its Neighbors Invest in Broadway program, Slavic Village has been acquiring vacant, bank-owned homes and selling them to qualified rehabbers.

"After the housing market collapsed, we began to look at how we could rebuild our neighborhood," explains Marie Kittredge, Executive Director of Slavic Village Development (SVD), the nonprofit community group that serves the neighborhood.

Since launching the program, SVD has acquired 28 homes and sold 17. Eight of these homes were sold to owner-occupants. "When we launched the program, we were selling most of the homes to investors," says Kittredge. "But recently we've had more owner-occupants."

Purchasers, who must demonstrate the financial ability to bring the properties up to code, obtain the homes for $5,000. Such bank-owned properties are often stripped of plumbing and need major repairs. Due to the investment required to repair them, and because supply outstrips demand, they often hold little value. Lenders have been willing to donate the properties to SVD or the city of Cleveland.

After acquiring the property, SVD issues a Request for Proposals. It then selects the most qualified proposal, giving preference to owner-occupants. After selling the home, SVD follows up to ensure the work is completed according to the specifications.

"We want to make sure the home is decent, but it doesn't need a new Jacuzzi or kitchen," explains Kittredge. "We'll work with the owner throughout the process."


Source: Marie Kittredge
Writer: Lee Chilcote