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The newly lit Traffic Guardians on the Hope Memorial Bridge - Photo Bob Perkoski
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brain gain group, bar association link up for cleveland pep rally

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 23, 2013
The Brain Gain Cleveland Project (BGCP) has teamed up with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association to stage a lunchtime pep rally for the city they love.

The rally will be hosted by the legal organization and serve as its annual meeting, just with a far more diverse crowd than usual, says Debra Mayers Hollander, deputy director of scouting for BGCP.

Hollander is expecting 1,000 guests to make it to the floor of Quicken Loans Arena for the June 28 event. Among the more famous participants scheduled to appear are Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Senator Sherrod Brown. BGCP members the Cleveland Orchestra and Positively Cleveland will be among the institutions on hand. The event also will include live music, videos about Cleveland, and food from local eateries.

Rally attendees can fill out a registration form online or purchase tickets by calling the bar association at 216-696-3525. Those who miss the daytime event can make up for it that night with a BGCP music and networking get-together at The Tavern Company in Cleveland Heights.

"It's going to feel inspirational," Hollander says. "Everybody coming together in the heart of downtown Cleveland to support one another."

BGCP is a nonprofit advocacy group founded by bar association members to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens. The grassroots effort is led by Jon Leiken, a Jones Day partner and bar association president-elect. BGCP's website launched in 2012 and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members.  

"We hope [the rally] encourages people to join us and become a scout," says Hollander.

 
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

volunteers needed for tall ship festival sailing into town this july

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 23, 2013
The Tall Ships are sailing back into the Cleveland harbor this summer, and are going to need some volunteers to stay afloat.

Okay, nobody will be hoisting the mizzenmast or lifting any bales, but there is a call for greeters, ticket takers, crowd control marshals, hospitality workers, docents, and more once the four-day event kicks off on July 3.

The Tall Ships Festival, returning to the lakefront for the first time since 2010,  is being organized and presented by the Rotary Club of Cleveland with support from the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. Some 500 enthusiastic volunteers are needed to ensure everything runs swimmingly, says Rotary Club member Edward Thomas.

"We can use people to carry water, help people get off and on boats, and drive ship crew members to the grocery store," Thomas says. "Virtually anything that's needed to be done, a volunteer is needed to help out."

Volunteers need to be 18-or-over and available for a minimum of two shifts between July 3 and 8, note festival organizers. Applicants can sign up on the festival website.

The family-friendly happening will bring a dozen replica historic vessels, showcasing the Great Lakes' great past and allowing visitors to experience the heritage these historic ships symbolize, says Thomas. Officials expect about 100,000 visitors for the event.

"It's always good to be around something where there's lots of energy and excitment," Thomas says. "It will be a great experience for those willing to help us bring life to the lakefront."

 
SOURCE: Edward Thomas
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth 

'courage fund' created to help cleveland kidnap survivors

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 23, 2013
The brave escape of three women held captive in a Cleveland home has garnered a philanthropic response from local political and business entities.

The Cleveland Courage Fund was established by Cleveland City Council members Brian Cummins, Matt Zone and Dona Brady to benefit kidnap victims Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Berry's daughter. The funds were set up at the Cleveland Foundation and Key Bank two days after the release of the survivors, and have raised $650,000 to date. The total includes a $50,000 gift from the Cleveland Foundation and a $10,000 donation from Key Bank.

Money can be donated through the foundation's website or at KeyBank branches throughout Northeast Ohio, says Tom Stevens, the bank's vice chair and chief administrative officer. Prospective donors also can mail funds to the Cleveland Courage Fund care of the Cleveland Foundation, 1422 Euclid Ave., Suite 1300, Cleveland, Ohio, 44115.

KeyBank is providing pro bono financial council to the affected women and their families."We hope that through the generosity of the public, we can help these women get the resources they need," Stevens says. "We are delighted to serve as advisors to help ensure that Gina, Michelle and Amanda are able to use the money for their well-being."

Since its inception, the fund has received contributions from all 50 states as well as overseas. Groups including Jones Day, which is providing free legal council to the women, and The Centers for Families and Children are working to get every penny of the donated dollars into the right hands.

"People have been very generous with their contributions," says Stevens.

 
SOURCE: Tom Stevens
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

lakewood pizza shop to donate days' sales to cleveland kidnap victims

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 16, 2013
A local business wants to give some financial comfort to the three long-missing women found alive in Cleveland earlier this month.

Angelo's Pizza in Lakewood will donate 100 percent of its sales today (May 16) to kidnap victims Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. This includes dine-in, take-out and delivery sales. In addition, Angelo's employees will donate their hourly pay to the survivors.

The promotion was conceived by owner Tom Kess after learning that the Berry family ordered a pizza from his restaurant for a celebratory meal. Kess hopes to raise as much as $25,000, money he plans to split up and personally deliver to the impacted families.

"I expect to sell 400 pizzas an hour," says Kess. "I want to use my shop as a vehicle to raise money."

Kess was out of town when he learned about the escape and rescue, and was especially surprised and touched that one of the Berrys' first meals came from his establishment.

"I was so taken by that, I just wanted to reach out to these girls," he says.

Along with the one-day fundraiser, the effected families will also eat free at Angelo's for life. The father of a teenage daughter himself, Kess aims to send a message to the trio of young women who spent so many years in captivity.

"We're showing them there's people that care," he says. "I couldn't fathom what their families went through. I felt I had to help in any way I could. This is the least I could do."

 
SOURCE: Tom Kess
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

black achievement the topic of foundation center's first 'rising tide' event

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 16, 2013
When every sector of a populace thrives, so does the community as a whole. The local chapter of a national philanthropic organization plans to shine a light on this and other issues during a series of programs in 2013.

Philanthropic support of black male achievement will be the subject of the Foundation Center's first Rising Tide program on May 22, says director Cindy Bailie. Nearly every major indicator of economic, social and physical well-being shows that black men and boys in the U.S. do not have access to the structural foundation and opportunities needed to succeed. However, a flood of philanthropic support and social innovation is addressing these challenges head on.

"There's work happening locally aimed at black men of all ages," says Bailie. "This is our chance to change the situation."

The program will consist of three speakers and a panel discussion. The center has also launched a website to spotlight the topic. Connecting people to those working on the problem is only part of the plan.

"We want people to leave inspired," says Bailie. "This is a call to action."

The New York-headquartered Foundation Center is a source of information on U.S. grantmakers. Locally, the organization acts as a library/learning center for those seeking knowledge about the nonprofit sector.

The black achievement program is the first of a planned series of quarterly events "showcasing new ways of solving old problems," says Bailie. Future events could touch on such topics as the impact of arts and culture on the community.

"These [programs] aren't just conversation-starters," Bailie says. "What will you do to keep the conversation going?"

 
SOURCE: Cindy Bailie
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

organization's eclectic mix of programs 'scoring' points with cleveland students

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 16, 2013
Soccer, creative writing and volunteerism might seem like an odd mix, just don't tell that to the students helped by America SCORES Cleveland, an organization that has been providing unique after-school programming for almost 10 years.

The local chapter of America SCORES, which launched in 2004, serves more than 500 youths in 10 Cleveland public schools. The program is designed to create "poet-athletes" through an innovative triple threat of soccer, poetry and service learning, says executive director Debi Pence-Meyenberg.
 
The tri-curricular approach creates well-rounded students, maintains Pence-Meyenberg. Soccer was chosen for its accessibility and minimal equipment needs. Writing and performing poetry, meanwhile, gives youths an emotional outlet and promotes creative thinking. Finally, volunteerism instills in children a sense of compassion, social responsibility and personal worth.

"We want urban youth to lead healthy lives and be involved in their community," says Pence-Meyenberg.

Public school students in grades three through eight can stay engaged through sports and creative writing, notes the chapter head. Participants also choose their own neighborhood-based service projects, like working at a community garden or raising money for Haitian earthquake victims.

On June 22, Cleveland's student-poets will collaborate with Cleveland artists during an event at 78th Street Studios. The Inspired Art Project will showcase the poetry of local youths through original artwork from Cleveland creatives, with sales of these items going to America SCORES. The program, along with the other activities America SCORES offers, can have a positive impact on the culture of an entire school district.

"Our kids and becoming healthier and more engaged," Pence-Meyenberg says.

 
SOURCE: Debi Pence-Meyenberg
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

united way calls for volunteers to help with cleveland schools transformation

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 09, 2013
United Way of Greater Cleveland has been a steady supporter of Cleveland's schools for years. The charity organization is now looking for some outside assistance as the city works to change the fortunes of the struggling district.

United Way is inviting volunteers to invest their time and talent in conjunction with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's initiative to transform its underachieving schools. The CMSD volunteer opportunities have not yet been defined, but United Way president and CEO Bill Kitson knows help will be needed once the new school program launches in the fall.

"We're taking names and we'll get back in touch with people this summer," says Kitson. “We need our entire community to wrap around our kids, their families and their schools.” 

Enrichment programs, mentoring and after-school enrichment opportunities are just a few of the changes afoot for the 13 Cleveland schools impacted by the strategy, the first part of The Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools.

Interested volunteers can sign up online or call United Way 2-1-1. The organization will contact potential participants when opportunities fitting their skills and interests arise. Helpers might be needed to walk to children to school, or to assist with neighborhood cleanups around school facilities.

"There are so many ways to utilize the community," Kitson says.

United Way officials would like to get a couple of hundred volunteers engaged as soon as the schools open. The group views education as a key to the city's success, and publically supported CMSD's 15-mill levy that passed last November.

"Getting a neighborhood involved in its schools goes beyond education," says Kitson.

 
SOURCE: Bill Kitson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

port authority hears call of nature, re-opens lakefront preserve

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 09, 2013
The month of May has brought a stretch of warm weather to Northeast Ohio. The presence of sunny days is a happy coincidence for folks wanting to visit the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve, re-opened by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority on May 1.

The 88-acre wildlife haven had been temporarily closed during environmental remediation of five acres on the site. New soil and seeds were added to the acreage, while a loop trail meandering through the space has also been re-opened to the public.

Since the park's comeback, about 200 nature lovers already have visited the preserve, reports Brian Lynch, the port authority's vice president for planning and development. May is the beginning of the spring bird migration season and a prime time for visitors to walk the trails of the former dredging containment facility along Lake Erie.

Feathered creatures aren't the only animals flocking through the park. According to the port authority, the preserve is also packed with various species of mammals, reptiles and insects, not to mention a healthy stock of plants, trees and shrubs.

"The life cycle is remarkable," says Lynch.

The preserve remediation project was conducted by the port in partnership with Cuyahoga County, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ohio EPA, and the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District. Once the newly refurbished five acres officially becomes green space, Lynch can see the entire park becoming an even bigger destination for birders and people wanting to access the lakefront.

"It's great having this green space on the lake," he says.
 
 
SOURCE: Brian Lynch
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

produce perks improve fresh food access for needy county residents

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 09, 2013
Cuyahoga County residents needing food assistance now have some healthy alternatives thanks to a new program developed by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition.

Twenty farmers markets and two farm stands throughout the county are partaking in the “Double Value Produce Perks” initiative, which offers incentive dollars to customers utilizing the Ohio Direction Card. Produce Perks are tokens given to customers at participating farmers markets who use the card to purchase food. Customers swipe their cards at a central terminal, with the market providing tokens for the transaction in addition to Produce Perks that can be spent on fruits and vegetables. The incentive is a dollar-for-dollar match to every dollar spent (up to $10) using an Ohio Direction Card at the market.

The project addresses healthy food gaps in the region, says Erika Meschkat, program coordinator for community development at Ohio State University Extension-Cuyahoga County, one of the entities making up the local food policy coalition. In creating the program, the coalition has partnered with several Greater Cleveland philanthropies as well as Wholesome Wave, a national nonprofit focusing on food access in underserved communities.

"Some people don't feel comfortable using their Ohio Direction Card at a farmers market, or there's a perceived cost barrier," says Meschkat. "The program incentivizes them to have a good experience."

The impact of Produce Perks has grown since its inception in 2010. Last year, 16 farmers markets contributed to over $27,000 in Ohio Direction Card sales with over $18,000 in incentives redeemed to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

"We want 2013 to be even bigger," Meschkat says.

 
SOURCE: Erika Meschkat
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

organization asks parents to pledge allegiance to their children's education

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 02, 2013
 About 2,000 days pass from when a child is born to the moment he or she enters kindergarten. Officials from The Centers for Families & Children believe every one of those days is critical in preparing a child's educational future, and have created a new campaign to back up that point.

The 2,000 Day Pledge asks parents already involved with The Centers to keep their kids in an early learning program for as many days as possible within the first 2,000 days of that child's life. It also requests parents choose a high-performing elementary school compatible with their young student's learning needs, with graduation from high school being the long-term goal.

Those 2,000 days are a window to prepare children for success in school and life, says Sharon Sobol Jordan, president and CEO of The Centers. "We have this same amount of time with our parents to help them get ready to be good advocates for their children," she says.

Kids who enter kindergarten lacking a solid educational foundation are at risk of falling behind peers who have those advantages, says Amy Martin, the organization's vice president of marketing and communications.

"The gap widens in elementary school, and by high school you start to see the drop-out rate rise," says Martin.

While the new campaign is mostly aimed at existing clients, The Centers' officials hope word about the pledge spreads to expectant mothers and other members of the community.  In addition, The Centers doesn't just ask parents to pledge, but considers the campaign a shared commitment between itself and participants.

"We want to help parents fight for the education of their children," Martin says. "We're partners with them every step of the way."
 
SOURCE: Sharon Sobol Jordan, Amy Martin
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

school crisis program gets funding boost from supporting foundations

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 02, 2013
Every tragedy carries its own story, believes Diane Snyder-Cowan, director of the Hospice of the Western Reserve’s Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Bereavement Center. If that's the case, children in particular may need help in translating those stories into something they can understand.

Thanks to funding the hospice recently received for its school crisis response programs, deciphering scary or sad incidents will continue to be a part of its mission. Earlier this month, the hospice was gifted grants from The Ridgecliff Foundation ($25,000) and The Pentair Foundation ($5,000). The money will assist staff development that engenders the nonprofit's relationship with area schools when death-related crises occur. Both foundations have provided the program annual support since 2007.

"Our grief counselors help meet the unique circumstances" of tragedy, says Snyder-Cowan. Counselors provide on-site support for such incidents as suicides, shootings, accidental deaths, unexpected sudden deaths, and anticipated deaths due to serious illness. Each response is carefully planned in coordination with the school's staff.

The resource is particularly needed in light of recent tragedies in Boston and Newtown, notes the program director. The funding will allow employment of a liaison to assist schools in their crisis planning. It will also pay for "crisis kits" filled with books, arts and crafts, and other materials to help children and teens develop a normalized view of the grieving process.

Snyder-Cowan views the program as an extra layer of encouragement to go along with in-school grief counselors.

"Everyone should have this kind of support," she says. "We're grateful to our foundations for supporting this mission."
 

SOURCE: Diane Snyder Cowan
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cleveland hosts nonprofit building water solutions for african children

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, May 02, 2013
Entrepreneur Ryan White is a Clevelander, but when it comes to providing children with clean water, his thoughts are thousands of miles away.

White, through his work with the local chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), recently hosted Drop in the Bucket.  The nonprofit is dedicated to building water solutions in schools and communities in Africa through wells, sanitation systems and various community involvement programs.

In taking on this philanthropic cause, the Cleveland group and other local organizations helped raise funds to sponsor a well in an African village. Drop in the Bucket, helmed by Los Angeles residents John and Stacey Travis, primarily works in Uganda and South Sudan.

"You have kids dying every day from infections," in part due to lack of clean water, says White, owner of the pricing consultancy firm Price for Profit. He hosted the Travises last week, introducing the do-gooding couple to local business leaders, school officials and others interested in the cause. There are now eight local businesses formally engaged with the philanthropy.

The Cleveland entrepreneur took to the cause himself upon learning of the stark realities African children face when water free of contaminants is hard to find. Not only does unclean water lead to illness, African girls must walk miles to fetch water rather than spending time in school.

White became engaged in Drop in the Bucket on the board level, eventually visiting Africa for himself to see conditions on the ground. The organizational goal is to build a well for each school in the two participating countries.

"We got a great response when we told our story in Cleveland," says White. "People are recognizing the impact they can have."

 
SOURCE: Ryan White
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cleveland hostel raises awareness, signatures for marriage equality

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 25, 2013
The Cleveland Hostel welcomes travelers from all over the world, so it makes perfect sense for owner Mark Raymond to expand that welcoming attitude to an important issue impacting both the country and the state of Ohio.

On April 18, Raymond's Ohio City-based hostel hosted an event that raised awareness and signatures for the Freedom to Marry Ohio movement dedicated to ending marriage discrimination.

Over 75 attendees gathered to support the Freedom to Marry and Religious Freedom amendment, which would grant two consenting adults the right to marry regardless of gender. In addition, the amendment would not infringe upon religious freedoms, meaning religious institutions would be free to recognize or not recognize the marriage.

"I don't see why government would get in the way of gay marriage," says Raymond, 32. "That's not what we're about here [in the U.S]."

Among the hostel event's speakers were Freedom to Marry Ohio co-founder Ian James, who married his partner in Canada in 2003. Changing the state constitution’s definition of marriage while protecting religious groups' freedom to recognize that union is a tricky balance, one Raymond hopes at least get a chance to succeed on the November ballot.

Supporters of the amendment have until July 3 to file at least 386,000 valid signatures with the Ohio secretary of state.
Raymond is proud to be part of the grassroots effort, and would consider hosting another awareness-raising event should the opportunity arise.

"This can be something that leads to change in our country," he says.

 
SOURCE: Mark Raymond
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

heights arts hires rachel bernstein as its new executive director

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 25, 2013
Heights Arts has announced the hire of a long-time Cleveland arts administrator, educator and musician as the nonprofit's new executive director.

This triple threat is named Rachel Bernstein. She will take over the role from Peggy Spaeth, who helped found Heights Arts in 2000 and has led the organization ever since. The switchover is effective as of July 2.

"Rachel shares Heights Arts' mission of the arts being essential to a healthy community," says Spaeth. "She is eager to expand upon that vision."

A New Mexico native, Bernstein has lived in Cleveland Heights for 15 years. A performing cellist and cello teacher, she currently serves as manager of enrollment and customer service at University Circle's The Music Settlement. Her impressive career path and evident passion for the arts gained her the position over nearly 50 other candidates.

"She brings the perspective of an artist and administrator to the job," says Spaeth. "We're a small organization, so there's a lot of multi-tasking."

With an organizational mission of shining a light on regional artists, Bernstein's skills align well with the position, notes the outgoing executive director. Spaeth will make sure the process goes smoothly, staying on board to help Bernstein transition into the role.

There will be an entire songbook's worth of work once the new director takes over. Along with overseeing staff, volunteers, board members and Heights' Arts various programming, Bernstein will be part of the nonprofit's new strategic plan moving forward.

"Rachel has some great ideas to tap the creative potential of the community," Spaeth says.

 
SOURCE: Peggy Spaeth
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

providence house's new wellness nursery to take in kids with chaotic home lives

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 25, 2013
Providence House wants to take some of the strain off local hospitals dealing with non-medical family issues. The solution, believe crisis nursery officials, is a forthcoming facility that will care for children whose households are dealing with emergencies that doctors cannot touch.

It's true that Elisabeth's House -- The Prentiss Wellness Nursery will take in kids with minor medical needs, notes executive Providence House director Natalie Leek-Nelson. But those children might come from such chaotic home situations that even their manageable conditions could blow up into something worse.

"These kids don't have the medical care at home to sustain them, and insurance won't pay for their hospital stays," says Leek-Nelson. A typical wellness nursery client would be a child with diabetes who is not getting the proper insulin treatments living with a drug-addicted or homeless parent.

The model also will offer family support and crisis intervention services for children with family stability concerns. In practice, the operation will allow hospitals to focus on the most serious cases, as children who could otherwise be discharged can now leave the hospitals and be cared for at the wellness nursery. Elisabeth's House is expected to serve newborns to children up to the age of 10.

The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation gave $1 million to Providence House to create the wellness nursery and aid the agency's ongoing campus expansion. The nursery, scheduled to open in September, will be located across the street from the newly expanded "Leo's House" on the Providence House campus at W. 32nd Street.  

 
SOURCE: Natalie Leek-Nelson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

foundation grant sends message, gives financial boost to 2014 gay games

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 18, 2013
The 2014 Gay Games was a great "get" for the Cleveland-Akron area, as the region was selected over larger competing metropolises like Boston and Washington, D.C. The Cleveland Foundation has reinforced the notion of the games' importance with some hefty financial support.

The foundation recently awarded the games a $250,000 grant, forming a partnership that makes the organization the games' top sponsor. The event is now named the 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation, representing the first presenting sponsorship in the games’ 31-year history.

"We saw the games as an important event coming to Cleveland," says foundation executive vice president Bob Eckardt. "This [grant] sends a message about the area as an inclusive community."

As a result of the partnership, a new LGBT fund also is being established at the foundation. Launching at the end of the games next August, the fund will assist LGBT organizations and serve as a donation source for people interested in LGBT causes.

The forthcoming sports and cultural festival, aimed at promoting respect and understanding of the gay community through athletics, is expected to draw about 30,000 people to the region, including 11,000 athletes.

Foundation leaders maintain that the games' social impact on Northeast Ohio is just as important as its potential economic benefits. "Our hope is it will leave a legacy of a region more sensitive and welcoming to the LGBT community," Eckardt says.

That relationship is already growing, says the foundation VP, as games' leaders are now cultivating relationships with local businesses intent on strengthening Greater Cleveland's support of LGBT society.

"This is a great opportunity for the entire community to work together," says Eckardt.

 
SOURCE: Bob Eckardt
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

aquarium lecture series takes education to new depths

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 18, 2013
The third Saturday of every month might go swimmingly for folks fascinated with underwater life.

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium's "Discovery Lecture Series" features aquatic experts and aquarium partners who will share their knowledge with guests. Programs are directed at visitors of all ages interested in the denizens of the briny (or freshwater) depths, says Kayla Ott, aquarium marketing and sponsorship manager.

The programming has no theme beyond the aquatic, but the lecture series will offer something different every week, notes Ott. "People love these kinds of special events," she says. "They will walk away learning something new."

The first opportunity for learning takes place April 20. Ellen Whitehouse, executive director of the Noah's Lost Ark Exotic Animal Sanctuary, will share her group's mission of caring for exotic animals. The aquarium had previously partnered with the organization to house 10 African spurred tortoises last winter.

Future happenings include a presentation on "live rock" in the Florida Keys. In aquatic terms, live rock is rock from the ocean that has been introduced to a saltwater habitat and integrates itself into the closed marine system. The event will be built around the Cleveland aquarium opening its coastal and live rock exhibit later this spring.

The rest of 2013 will be dedicated to similar educational programming, which aligns nicely with the aquarium's mission.
"We often work with children and students, but the lecture series allows everyday people to expand their knowledge of the aquatic industry," Ott says.

 
SOURCE: Kayla Ott
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

greening of cleveland's building sector gets help from grant

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 18, 2013
A nonprofit seeking to create environmentally sound, high-performance building districts in Cleveland recently got a hand with its city-greening mission.

The Cleveland 2030 District, a group that would like downtown edifices to consume less energy and water and produce less greenhouse gases, received a $175,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation, funding that will go in part to the salary of the organization's first executive director as well as additional staff support.

The new executive director is Jon Reidy, who has been with the group of architects and engineers since 2011. The bulk of the grant will allow the group to intensify efforts put forth by the national Architecture 2030 project, which aims to reduce climate-changing emissions from the global building sector.

"We're creating a demand downtown for energy efficient projects in the interest of business development," says Reidy, a 15-year veteran of the architecture industry.

The Cleveland group is an offshoot of Mayor Frank Jackson’s Sustainability 2019 project, an effort to transform the city’s economy by "building a green city on a blue lake."

Cleveland 2030 works with owners, managers and developers within the downtown district to expand the number of buildings participating in the project. Five property owners controlling approximately 3.5 million square feet of Cleveland's brick and mortar are signed up so far.

Reidy hopes more area building owners share the project's vision of a future Cleveland where energy efficiency and a cleaner environment are the norm.

"Sustainability can be the foundation for rebuilding our economy," he says.

 
SOURCE: Jon Reidy
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

clevelander's documentary offers real-life tales of rust belt revitalization

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 11, 2013
For some, the term "Rust Belt" conjures unpleasant images of empty factories, foreclosed homes and unhappy people wandering cracked streets, wondering when times will get better. But what's really happening in some of the Midwest's major cities, and how different is it from the way these cities are often depicted?

Jack Storey thinks he has an answer. The impassioned city advocate has created a documentary chronicling what he believes is a more accurate representation of resilient cities working on reinventing themselves.

"Red, White & Blueprints" is an examination of the strides being taken by Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Youngstown, highlighting the most innovative initiatives, individuals and ideas coming out of these cities.

"It's a positive movie about the Rust Belt, which nobody is really doing," says Storey, 30. "We're showcasing another side of these cities."

Storey, founder of the grassroots community development organization Saving Cities, spent two weeks in the summer of 2011 traveling and taking footage with friend Rick Stockburger. He met steelworkers and autoworkers, entrepreneurs and politicians, all with their own ideas on how to boost their respective homes. Locally, he interviewed figures including Gina Prodan from Unmiserable Cleveland and Katie O'Keefe, better known as "the pink-haired tattoo girl."

Storey, of Collinwood, learned just how tough Midwesterners are. More surprising was how deeply the people he met cared about their city's livelihood. "It was the most educational experience of my life," he says.

"Red, White & Blueprints" debuted this week at Cleveland International Film Festival. (Screens tonight at 6:30 p.m. on stand-by.) Storey hopes the film gives viewers a truer vision of what it means to live in Cleveland and other less heralded parts of the country.
 
 
SOURCE: Jack Storey
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

retro gaming fun the aim of coin-op cleveland crowdfunding campaign

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 11, 2013
Memories of flashing lights, digitized explosions, rock music and quarters being ritually plunked into plastic coin slots have a happy place in the minds of many folks of a certain generation. Two Clevelanders want to bring those sights and sounds back to the city this summer in the form of a pop-up arcade.

Coin-Op Cleveland is a Kickstarter project helmed by John Stanchina and Mike Scur. While arcade gaming collapsed in the 1990s with the ascension of home consoles, the duo believe putting an old-school retro arcade in a West Side neighborhood will attract people seeking to mash some buttons with a few nimble-fingered friends.

Put simply, the pair wants to create a fun, unique place to hang out away from the "barcades" that have a few arcade cabinets alongside the plentiful booze.

"The vibe is being a kid again," says Stanchina, an Ohio City resident. "It's about interacting in a different kind of space."

The $35,000 Kickstarter campaign, which ends at midnight on May 13, will fund the arcade's installation and 30-day operation in Ohio City, Tremont or Gordon Square. A large part of the cost will go toward purchase and maintenance of the arcade machines themselves.

The plan is to run the arcade for a month, but if it receives additional funding, a permanent installation is possible, says Scur of Parma Heights.

The two friends envision a community space that becomes part of the downtown Cleveland nightlife scene, just with neon lights, popcorn and rows of game cabinets instead of a bar.

"Arcades are all about the social element," says Scur. "They've always been a place to play games with people on the same wavelength."

 
SOURCES: John Stanchina, Mike Scur
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

young audiences program teaches bullying prevention through the arts

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 11, 2013
Bullying prevention is a hot topic in U.S. schools. Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio is partnering with Cleveland educators and creative types to curtail such unkind behavior through the arts.

The arts education organization, which promotes innovative arts-infused learning for local children and teenagers, has created a series of anti-bullying and healthy living programs designed to empower students and create a kinder classroom community. About 20 area artists lent their imaginative expertise to upcoming programs that will use literature, dance and film to help students and teachers learn strategies to recognize and prevent bullying.

"Bullying can effect a school's entire culture," says Jennifer Abelson, director of marketing at Young Audiences. "Art is a way of creating a more empathetic environment."

A program from singer, songwriter and storyteller Susan Weber, for example, uses folk tales from diverse cultures to study characters' responses when confronted with unfriendly words and actions. Discussing bullying through stories will allow the program's elementary school-aged audience to grapple with their feelings from a safe place, notes Abelson.

"The idea is to get them young," she says. "Teaching tolerance and empathy is something that can reflect throughout their entire lives."

A program for high school students, meanwhile, uses humor and live demonstrations to share the stories of " real-life action heroes" who overcame obstacles to star on the silver screen. The brainchild of Akron-born fight director John Davis aims to help students break through self-doubt and achieve greatness.

"Soft skills" like confidence and self-esteem can create stronger, more tolerant communities, stopping bullying before it even begins, says Abelson.  

 
SOURCE: Jennifer Abelson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

orchestra gift highlights record-setting granting round for cleveland foundation

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 04, 2013
With a record-setting recent round of grants, The Cleveland Foundation is ensuring, among other things, that a well-loved local institution will continue to make beautiful music.

Last week, the foundation's board of directors approved a best ever $26.6 million in grants for the first quarter of 2013. The funding included a $10 million grant to the Cleveland Orchestra in support of operation and programming efforts as well as the organization's larger initiative to attract a broader audience. Besides the orchestra grant, additional monies totaling nearly $10 million will bolster core neighborhood and youth initiatives.

The orchestra funding is the largest single grant given to an arts organization in the foundation’s 99-year history, notes executive vice president  Bob Eckardt. A portion of the grant stands as a leadership gift to help fund the ensemble's “Sound for the Centennial" strategic campaign, culminating with a century celebration in 2018.

"The orchestra is an important part of Cleveland's brand," says Eckardt.

Another grant recipient is Neighborhood Progress, Inc., which garnered $5 million in support of its strategic plan to forge a new community development network for Cleveland’s underserved neighborhoods.  

Overall, Cleveland Foundation beat its previous grant-giving record of $21.6 million set in the third quarter of 2012. The large orchestra grant helped boost this number, but the nation's slow economic recovery has also grown the foundation's capacity, says Eckardt.

The organization's VP hopes this winter's big gain is just the start of a year that at the very least matches 2012's $90 million in total grants.

"We'll be in that neighborhood again," Eckardt says.

 
SOURCE: Bob Eckardt
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

market fair a day to teach clevelanders how to make their gardens grow

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 04, 2013
A one-day crash course in urban gardening is coming to Cleveland later this month thanks to Fresh Fork Market.

The free-to-the-public event will feature a full day of classes and workshops taught by area farmers, with detailed demonstrations on maintenance, harvesting and anything else participants need to know to make their gardens grow. The April 27 fair will be held at Urban Community School in Cleveland.

Connecting people to local foods is just one goal of the day-long event, notes market founder Trevor Clatterbuck. Bringing folks back to good eating in general is part of the mission, too, he maintains.

"We want to show people how their food is produced, where it comes from and the expertise it takes to grow it," says Clatterbuck, a West Virginia native who came to Cleveland in 2004 as a freshman at Case Western Reserve University.

Along with hands-on gardening advice, vendors selling seeds and other supplies will be on hand. While participants learn how to build their urban gardens, kid-friendly activities will keep the little ones busy.  

Fresh Fork Market provides farm-fresh foods to Cleveland-area customers, working with 108 farms within a 75-mile radius of Cleveland. Its tasty wares include organic and/or sustainable fruits and vegetables, pasture raised meat products, farmstead cheeses, and a variety of baked goods.

Clatterbuck views the fair as a way of giving back to the community. What better way to do that than by teaching Clevelanders how to grow their own healthy eats?

"It's a skill they will be able to appreciate," says Clatterbuck.

 
SOURCE: Trevor Clatterbuck
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cle orchestra to bring its talents to gordon square for inaugural neighborhood residency

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, April 04, 2013
The Cleveland Orchestra is well known for its residencies in cities like New York, Vienna and Miami. Now the famous ensemble is bringing its talents back to where it all began.

In the first of a handful of planned residencies in Northeast Ohio, the orchestra has partnered with Gordon Square Arts District for a week of events May 11 through May 17. Visitors walking the neighborhood are bound to encounter orchestra or youth ensemble musicians performing at one happening joint or another. In addition, musicians will visit local schools for educational programs. All of the events will be free and open to the public

The orchestra has a healthy prior relationship with the West Side district, notes orchestra communications director Ana Papakhian. Ensemble musicians, for example, have played at Happy Dog, and the orchestra has plans to release a vinyl album based on the recordings there. Plans to diversify orchestra activities beyond Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center made Gordon Square an easy call for an inaugural neighborhood residency.

"The district is a natural fit," Papakhian says. "The community has always been supportive of us."

Entertainment is just one aspect of the venture, adds the orchestra official. Musicians will talk about their careers with Cleveland students, while a soccer game will pair local youth with musicians and staff. The idea is to form a bond between participating Clevelanders and performers.

"You get an enhanced concert experience when you have some connection to the people on stage," says Papakhian. "It's about seeing the musicians as real people."

 
SOURCE: Ana Papakhian
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

clc 'boot camp' to take hard look at cleveland poverty

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 28, 2013
Cleveland Leadership Center (CLC) director of engagement Earl Pike can't turn around in downtown Cleveland without seeing a crane or some other piece of construction equipment erecting a new building.

There's certainly good work happening locally, but there's also one critical question that Pike wants answered: With all the development in our region, who is being left behind, and what can we do to ensure that "all boats rise"?

This complex query will be explored through "Making Ends Meet," a series of intensive one-day "civic engagement boot camps" hosted by CLC and Ideastream. The programs, which run from April 22 to May 29, are not "easy" experiences, where participants sit in a classroom and listen to speakers, says Pike.

Instead, the boot camps live up to their name, putting attendees in small groups where they will intimately address key aspects of poverty and economic vulnerability in the region. For example, a planned housing-related boot camp includes a visit to eviction court and a trip to a housing project that supports disabled, homeless individuals.

"There is a hunger out there for an experience that is deeper and tougher than people are used to," Pike says. "We can't just be sitting in a room."

A more profound level of engagement with Cleveland's problems is more likely to create a problem-solving "action group" for further activity, the CLC director maintains. In addition, Ideastream will gather video content from each of the program days to create a documentary on Cleveland's economic vulnerability.

"Cleveland's poverty conversation has taken a back seat," says Pike. "We want to rekindle that conversation."

 
SOURCE: Earl Pike
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

future perfect: program to look at the exciting possibilities for university circle

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 28, 2013
University Circle already holds claim as Cleveland's premier medical, cultural and educational district. But what does the future hold for the rich, square-mile enclave and the neighborhoods around it?

"Building the Circle 2035: Height, Density and Social Equity" will attempt to answer that question during a free panel discussion on April 10 in the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium. The program is part of the Circle Neighbors lecture series sponsored by the art museum's Womens Council in collaboration with the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Women's Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Western Reserve Historical Society.

University Circle is an ever-active neighborhood of "arts, ed and med," says Circle Neighbors co-chair Sabrina Inkley. With development on the rise, the district just four miles east of downtown Cleveland has become an anchor for a city that certainly needs one.

"As Clevelanders we have this inferiority complex," says Inkley. "University Circle is the one of the most unique one-square-mile areas in the nation."

The panel talk, moderated by Plain Dealer architecture critic Steven Litt, will peer two decades into the future to imagine what University Circle might look like, and how the district's rising wealth could benefit struggling surrounding neighborhoods. Panelists will include Chris Ronayne of UCI Inc, developer Ari Maron of MRN Ltd. and India Pierce Lee of the Cleveland Foundation.

Inkley doesn't have all the answers, but she knows University Circle is an enormous linchpin for Cleveland's economic future. New rental apartments and various institutions constructing new facilities are just two examples of the growth taking place.

"It's just very exciting," Inkley says. "There is something for everyone here."

 
SOURCE: Sabrina Inkley
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

aquarium to bring its fish story to cleveland schools this spring

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 28, 2013
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium (GCA) has a fish story to tell. Starting this spring, the aquarium will bring its compelling undersea tale to students throughout the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).

GCA has partnered with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) for the education outreach program designed to teach kids the deep interconnection that Ohio has with its freshwater systems. This will be accomplished through Native-American lore, one-on-one time with native Ohio fish and reptiles, and hands-on activities that teach students the importance of protecting the area's local waterways.

The program, called Keepin' It Fresh, will be rolled out in local schools at the beginning of May, says Kayla Ott, aquarium marketing and sponsorship manager.

The multi-grade level presentations "will reach communities unable to come to the aquarium due to funding," Ott says. GCA is planning 75 school visits for 2013, and in future years hopes to educate up to 10,000 students annually. What's more, the program falls in line with Ohio academic standards in the realm of science.

"Teachers will be excited to jump on board," says Ott. "They'll be building their curriculums and lesson plans by offering this program."

Generating passion about aquatic life and water conservation is GCA's stated mission. With the sewer district's assistance, the aquarium can now bring this mission to Cleveland impressionable youth. 

"We're so fortunate to have a lake right here," Ott says. "Lake Erie is a huge piece of Cleveland. We're teaching students how to protect that resource."

 
SOURCE: Kayla Ott
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

restaurant program teaches culinary arts to area's underprivileged

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 21, 2013
"Ever dream of running your own restaurant as an executive chef, pastry chef or sommelier?"

That is the question asked by leaders of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. Fulfilling that dream would be a challenge for most anyone, but what about a person reentering society after incarceration?

Hoping to provide the answer is Brandon Chrostowski, general manager, sommelier and fromanger at L'Albatros restaurant. He is also founder of EDWINS, a Cleveland nonprofit providing free restaurant training to underprivileged adults. The 26-week program teaches cooking methods, pastry techniques, food pairings, nutrition and other facets that come with the culinary arts.

Ohio's recidivism rate stands at about 30 percent, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Chrostowski, 33, believes these numbers reflect the lack of opportunities available for ex-inmates.

"There's no guidance and no jobs out there," he says. "Our goal is to provide these people with a skill and a solid path."

Students are rotated through every station of a restaurant, providing them with a variety of skills and real-world experience. Over the last two years, the program has assisted about 30 graduates in finding employment as line cooks, dishwashers and servers. Some students have already been promoted from these entry-level positions.

Chrostowski hit his own "rough patch" a decade ago, and was able to go back to school and hone his culinary craft. The restaurateur wants others to have the same opportunity he did. EDWINS' ultimate goal is to open a restaurant staffed entirely by program graduates.

"Everyone deserves a second shot," Chrostowski says. "This is a chance for people to change their lives."
 
 
SOURCE: Brandon Chrostowski
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

group builds community by building the nonprofits that serve it

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 21, 2013
Cleveland Social Venture Partners (CSVP) is an organization that helps the community's helpers. The group of individual donors accomplishes this worthy goal by pooling its varied skills to strengthen the business acumen of local nonprofits.

After getting linked with a nonprofit organization, CSVP's community professionals provide management support in finance, strategic planning, fund development, legal matters and marketing. CSVP also offers a range of information, workshops and resources to further develop the personal philanthropy of its partners.

"These are all the things an organization needs to be successful," says executive director Linda Springer. "Some nonprofits need assistance to thrive and carry out their missions."

Every other year CSVP holds its bigBANG! event to establish a long-term sponsorship with a local nonprofit. This year's event, to be held April 10 at the Cleveland State University Student Center, features eight nonprofits chosen by CSVP. Each organization will give a fast-pitch presentation to the bigBANG! audience, which will then vote for their favorite.

The chosen nonprofit will receive funding and in-depth consultation services from CSVP. Among this year's presenters are City Year, Drink Local, Drink Tap, Ingenuity and Ohio City Bicycle Coop. The organization is currently working with past vote winners Open Doors Academy and MedWish.

"We're looking for innovative ideas," says Springer. "It could be an organization adapting to its current needs, or wanting to make changes to become stronger."

Assisting these groups is beneficial to CSVP's members as well, adds the executive director. "We're strengthening our own skills to become better donors and philanthropists," she says.
 
 
SOURCE: Linda Springer
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

prom group providing a night to remember for young cancer patients

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 21, 2013
Prom night is typically a highlight for teenagers, but the glitz and glamour of the once-in-a-lifetime event may be lost on teens battling cancer. For the last few years, A Prom to Remember has stepped in to give these young people a night they won't soon forget.

Thanks to the Cleveland nonprofit, teens with cancer will be getting their own special prom on April 5 at The Ritz-Carlton in downtown Cleveland. Organizers expect over 100 teens to attend the event.

"The idea is to give these kids something incredible to look forward to," says prom chair Jane Knausz.

The teens are patients from three area hospitals: Akron Children's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. On prom night, they get the red carpet treatment, including limousine pickup, prom photos and entertainment. On hand will be cheerleaders from the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as members of the St. Ignatius Circus Company. 

To prepare the young prom-goers for their big evening, a "Dress Extravaganza" event was held earlier this month at Eton Chagrin Boulevard. About 100 girls selected donated dresses of all sizes, shapes and colors, along with a bevy of jewelry and accessories. Their male counterparts were not left out, receiving tuxedos from American Tuxedo. Funding for accessories like gift bag items is still needed, notes Knausz. Those interested in donating can do so directly on the A Prom to Remember website.

A night away from chemotherapy and hospital gowns is its own kind of therapy, Knausz believes. "These kids can get together with others in the same situation," she says. "They know they're not alone."

 
SOURCE: Jane Knausz
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

young audiences to award local creatives as part of anniversary celebration

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 14, 2013
For six decades, Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio has been promoting creative learning through the arts for local children and teenagers. A 60th-anniversary celebration requires something special, say the nonprofit's leaders. That means awarding residents who are harnessing the organization's arts-infused mission of contributing to the region's vitality.

Young Audiences is currently accepting nominations for its 2013 Arts, Education, and Entrepreneurship Awards. The nonprofit seeks those who have made a lasting impact in the three areas, as the innovation and creative thinking promoted by the arts help individuals succeed across all aspects of life, says development director Jerry Smith. Examples include teaching geometry through dance, or learning storytelling through digital game design.

"It's about the intersection of arts education and entrepreneurship," Smith says. "How does a creative education help drive that next entrepreneur?"

To answer that question, Smith's organization hosts workshops, performances, professional development programs and residencies for young people in the artistic realms of dance, music, theater and the visual arts.

Award nominees are due by April 12. Three winners from the categories of arts, education and entrepreneurship will be recognized at Young Audiences' 60th anniversary gala in September. Winners will receive a commemorative award and a contribution in their name made to the Young Audiences' Fund for Their Future.

An arts background is critical to melding young minds, believes the organization's leadership. Recognizing the individuals shaping that process is a natural step for the group, says Smith.

"Arts and culture are at the core of so much we do and how we succeed," he says.

 
SOURCE: Jerry Smith, Jennifer Abelson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

program connects students with opportunities in own backyard

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 14, 2013
During the mid-2000s, local newspapers ran stories with evocative phrases like "quiet crisis" and "brain drain" in lamenting the flight of young, talented minds from Cleveland.

Bob Yanega saw those negative headlines, too, and decided he wanted to do something about it. Yanega, a self-professed "serial entrepreneur" with a background in commercial construction and real estate, is the creator of Choosing Success Programs, a Cleveland-centric advocacy project aimed at area high school students.

The program provides live, in-school presentations showing students how to connect with the opportunities right in their own backyard. The goal is to motivate youth to become passionate, lifelong residents of Northeast Ohio.

"Many kids don't have parents who expose them to what's great here," says Yanega, of Larchmere. "We need to sell Cleveland to young people."

Yanega has been giving Choosing Success talks at local high schools for the last 18 months. Along with providing students with tips on college and career choices, he also mixes in a "sales pitch" about Cleveland, pointing to the city's affordability, increasing job rate and wealth of cultural options.

Choosing Success, under the umbrella of its parent organization The 1990 Project, recently received a boost as one of the winners of The Cleveland Colectivo's fast- pitch presentation event. The program now has a chance to get some much-needed funding from the giving circle, and Yanega believes his brainchild is worth it.

"We're presenting facts about the city," Yanega says. "Keeping the next generation in town is a powerful, broad-based message."

 
SOURCE: Bob Yanega
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cpl spreads the good word with read in the cle program

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 14, 2013
The librarians at Cleveland Public Library (CPL) love books. No surprises there. Still, there's nothing wrong with spreading love of the printed word, and that's exactly what CPL is trying to do with its new outreach program, Read in the CLE.

The program, which launched last month on CPL's website, features a well-known Clevelander who is sharing the book that he or she is currently reading. A selection of CPL librarians also impart whatever page-turner has them staying up past bedtime, with the goal of giving visitors ideas on a new book to read.

"The focus is to pull people in so they can talk about reading together," says Amy Pawlowski, CPL's web applications manager.

As CPL does not have the user base of other local library systems, Read in the CLE was created to enhance interaction and keep the city's public library top mind. Visitors to the site can leave comments discussing their favorite books with either that month's featured reader or CPL's literate librarians.

"These aren't book reviews," Pawlowski says. "It's very loose and free-flowing. More along the lines of 'This is what I'm reading, do I like it?'"

CPL's first featured reader was columnist Connie Schultz. This month's guest is blogger and restaurant-owner Amelia Sawyer. The program will have a rotating series of notable Cleveland readers on hand for the rest of the year.

"We have some great readers downtown, but people always don't have time to get to the library," says Pawlowski. "This (program) is just a way for them to get more involved when they have the time."

 
SOURCE: Amy Pawlowski
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

trio of projects come out of cleveland colectivo fast-pitch event

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 07, 2013
A student-operated restaurant, a Cleveland-centric advocacy group, and a venture aiming to transform vacant lots into summer program spots for kids were the big winners of The Cleveland Colectivo's fast- pitch presentation event on February 28.

The high-energy affair hosted by Shaker LaunchHouse drew over 125 attendees. They voted on 46 presenters who came with innovative ideas and hopes of getting funding from the Colectivo, a grassroots, Cleveland-based giving circle that pools funds to make contributions in the community.

The three top vote-getters -- Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute, The 1990 Project and Literary Lots -- came with accessible, concisely presented ideas that inspired the crowd, says Colectivo founding member Judy Wright. As the crowd favorite, Edwins took home $770 in donations collected at the event.

Colectivo members will next consider the remaining projects to join the crowd's picks. As many as 12 additional ventures will have a chance at this year's grants, which generally range from $500 to $5,000. Grants will be determined and distributed in May.

"We're not a traditional grant-maker," says Wright. "We spend our entire budget every year, and there's no overhead costs. It's basically people putting cash in a pot and giving it away."

Wright, a Lakewood resident, created the Colectivo in 2004 with a group of like-minded friends from the nonprofit sector. She deems this year's fast-pitch event a success, even if every presenter will not be getting their idea funded. It's always good to see a disparate slice of Cleveland's demography getting together, she believes.

"There's some genuine connections being made," Wright says. "It's exciting and energizing. There is some real value in that."

 
SOURCE: Judy Wright
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

county vote-off secures grants for two large-scale arts projects

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 07, 2013
Cuyahoga County residents have picked which two large-scale projects will get funding through the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) Creative Culture Grants competition.

* Dancing Wheels received $130,421 for a television documentary that will expand on the dance company's performance of the multi-media ballet, Dumbo. The film will explore issues of bullying and social injustice using the life stories of artists and community figures.

* LAND studio was awarded $150,000 to fund a multi-faceted light installation illuminating public spaces in downtown Cleveland.

Both projects were selected by 6,500 county residents in a public voting process held February 1-20. The winning arts programs, scheduled for completion in 2014, were chosen from a list of six finalists selected by an independent panel of arts and culture experts.

Officials from competition sponsor CAC were pleased by the voter turnout, and believe the winning projects will engage the region in creative ways.

"All six finalists had a different spin on how to connect arts and culture to the community," says CAC executive director Karen Gahl-Mills. "The two winners did a great job of reaching out to the general public."

CAC's pilot voting program revealed just how much creativity exists in the area, Gahl-Mills maintains. "It was delightful to see it come forward in new, exciting ways," she says.

The nonprofit is now assessing the program for possible future iterations. Gahl-Mills is not certain CAC will put on an annual public vote, but she can certainly envision county residents stuffing the ballot boxes for future arts projects.

"It's a great investment of public dollars," she says. "It isn't just the organizations that win; the community wins, too."

 
SOURCE: Karen Gahl-Mills
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

it's final: cle charter schools score high in state tests

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, March 07, 2013
A network of free, public charter schools in Cleveland is performing on par with its suburban brethren, according to the final state school report cards released this week for the 2011-12 academic year.

The Breakthrough Schools network, a charter partner of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, kept pace with the Orange and Strongsville school districts in state testing of math, science and reading. Two of the programs -- The Intergenerational School (TIS) and Citizens Academy -- were rated "Excellent with Distinction" (the highest rating possible) by the Ohio Department of Education.

Matching report cards with two historically high-ranking districts is a proud moment for the charter program, says communications director Lyman Millard. The results are particularly telling for an area that does not have the economic advantages of its suburban counterparts.

"This is a dream behind all of our schools," says Millard. "The quality of education you receive should not be determined by the region you live in."

The testing covered over 1,000 Breakthrough students in grades 3 through 8. The program formed in 2010 as a collaboration of three charter organizations: Citizens Academy, E Prep/Village Prep and TIS. Since then, Breakthrough has opened five new schools across Cleveland in partnership with the Cleveland school district.

The final report cards’ release followed a months-long delay prompted by a state investigation into whether some districts improperly removed truant students from enrollment figures. With the numbers confirmed, Breakthrough has proven to be a more-than-viable option for a high-quality academic environment, maintains the program's directors.

"We have great schools with great teachers and high expectations," Millard says. "Cleveland families don't have to move to the suburbs if they want a good education for their children."


SOURCE: Lyman Millard
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

largest urban greenhouse in the country officially opens in central neighborhood

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 28, 2013
Cleveland has gained a reputation nationally for its vibrant local food culture. The city's foodie status has gotten quite a bit bigger - literally - thanks to Green City Growers Cooperative, a 3.25-acre greenhouse that celebrated its official opening on Feb. 25.

Size matters at the hydroponic, high-tech greenhouse, which aims to produce three million heads of lettuce and 300,000 pounds of herbs annually to vendors within a 50-mile radius from its location in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood.
"It's the largest food production greenhouse in an urban area in the U.S.," says Mary Donnell, CEO of Green City Growers.

The greenhouse, which is the size of three football fields, grows its healthy wares in nutrient-rich water rather than soil. The year-round venture, overseen by the nonprofit Evergreen Cooperative Corporation, started harvesting crops in January and is already producing about 60,000 heads of lettuce per week. Green City Growers customers include grocery stores and restaurants.

Planting the leafy goods are local residents. The 25 Clevelanders Green City Growers hired to run the operation will become employee-owners of the cooperative business, receiving a living wage and health insurance.

Besides producing those tasty eats, the goal is create jobs and build financial assets for residents of Cleveland's underserved neighborhoods, says Donnell, whose background includes helping to create a hydroponic greenhouse program for The Ohio State University. The project's key partners include the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Foundation, PNC Bank and the National Development Council. 

Cleveland's new greenhouse is an economic development project that could mean better things for an inner-city neighborhood. "It's wonderful that we have this in the heart of the city," Donnell says.
 
 
SOURCE: Mary Donnell
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

ohio city rec league adds bowling to growing roster of youth sports

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 28, 2013
Last summer, the Near West Recreation League's t-ball league was a hit for Cleveland kids. Organizers believe a recently debuted bowling league will play a similarly big "roll" in the health of a community that didn't have much in the way of organized sports.

The bowling program, open to 70-plus youngsters between the ages of 6 and 10, launched February 16 at Corner Alley in downtown Cleveland. The league is part of a two-year partnership between Ohio Savings Bank and Ohio City Inc. to support recreation activities on the Near West Side. Downtown Cleveland Alliance is also a partner in the new program.

The bowling league was created for children from Tremont, Detroit Shoreway and other West Side enclaves, although similar to the t-ball league, kids have been coming from other parts of the city to participate.

"Sports are a great way of bringing people together at a young age," says Eric Wobser, executive director of Ohio City Inc.

They're also a method of keeping people in the neighborhood, maintain the rec league's leaders. Retaining young families in the 25- to 34-age group has been problematic for Ohio City and downtown. Sports can be another amenity that grows a neighborhood population, while also integrating a community of diverse backgrounds.

"It's improving the quality of life," Wobser says.

If the bowling league proves successful, the rec league will add other sports throughout the year. Plans for the remainder of 2013 include youth-oriented baseball, soccer and basketball. The league may "age up" as well, from young kids all the way to junior high students.

"We've struck a chord with the community," says Wobser.
 
 
SOURCE: Eric Wobser
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

literary lots aims to transform cle's vacant spots into reading zones

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 28, 2013
If  Kauser Razvi has a say in it, underutilized spaces in Cleveland will be a place where a child's imagination can run wild, all thanks to power of the written word.

Razvi, founder of the Cleveland-based project management organization Strategic Urban Solutions, is the book-loving brains behind Literary Lots,  a program that aims to "brings books to life" in a vacant lot, playground or other outdoor space.

To pilot this idea, Strategic Urban Solutions plans to launch its first Literary Lot this summer in Ohio City's Novak Park. In conjunction with Cleveland Public Library, LAND Studio, and Ohio City Writers, Razvi's group will recreate places, concepts, and adventures from select children's books. The space will also host educational programming, with the goal of bringing Cleveland's kids together through the cooperation of the city's cultural institutions.

"Libraries are community anchors," says Razvi. "We thought it would be cool to marry the idea of bringing books to life in places near our libraries."

The summer program spot will have books (of course), poetry readings or a movie based on the book the space is built around. Artists will enliven the space, perhaps decorating a small sandpit in which kids can dig for buried gold,  just like the young adventurer from Treasure Island.

"I think of it as a 'comfortable artistic backyard,'" Razvi says.

Building a nice "backyard" isn't free. A Kickstarter fundraising campaign for the project begins at the end of February, with a minimum goal of $5,500. Razvi believes transforming an underused space into a reading zone for kids is well worth the price of admission.
 
SOURCE: Kauser Razvi
WRITER:  Douglas J. Guth

sailing program provides youth a week of hard work, adventure aboard a tall ship

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 21, 2013
Nautical adventure awaits Cleveland youths this summer thanks to Project YESS (Youth Empowered to Succeed through Sailing), a program that allows local students to spend a week sailing and working on a 150-foot tall vessel.

The program, developed by the Rotary Club of Cleveland, is meant for high school students ages 13 to 17. Starting this year, teenagers will develop leadership and navigational proficiencies during a six-week land-based course. Graduates will then ply the Great Lakes aboard a tall ship, using the skills they learned to become a vital member of their on-board community. Lake-faring activities include reading charts, working in the galley and tying ropes.

"They are physically part of the crew,"  says Project YESS co-chair Anne Kelly. "All of them are sharing in responsibilities and duties from port to port."

The program started in 2010 in conjunction with the Tall Ships Festival. A group of volunteers help raise the $1,500-per-student fee, which includes curriculum materials, meals, and cost of berth. Students with strong leadership skills but who otherwise would not be able to afford the experience are targeted by Project YESS members.

"The kids hold each other accountable and teach one another to step up," Kelly says.

Project officials hope to bring the youth sailing camp experience to 35 students this year. Along with providing direction, confidence and a sense of community, the program can also open students’ eyes to the unique career opportunities that exist in the Great Lakes region, maintains Kelly.

To receive an application for the Project YESS 2013 class, email projectyess@yahoo.com. Applications must be mailed to the Rotary Club of Cleveland by March 15.

 
SOURCE: Anne Kelly
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

time bank gives access to services some normally can't afford

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 21, 2013
"We are all assets," declares the national website of TimeBanks USA, a movement dedicated to building "caring community" economies through an inclusive exchange of time and talent.

Indeed, time can be as valuable an asset as money in terms of the positive impact it has on a neighborhood, says Adam Gifford, director of community involvement at the Stockyard, Clark-Fulton, and Brooklyn Centre Development Office, which, along with its parent Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, is sponsoring a time bank in Cleveland.

The time bank movement works through reciprocation. For example, a landscaper does an hour of volunteer tree-trimming work, then deposits those 60 "time dollars" into his account. When he needs a service done, like getting his dogs walked or receiving help with his taxes, he simply "withdraws" his deposit for the service. There is no monetary value ever attached to any service -- time is the one and only coin of the realm.

"People may not have the money available, but they may have time," says Gifford. "It's about giving people access to services they normally couldn't afford."

Time banks have sprung up across the country. Locally, Kent and Medina are among the communities to use the service. The Cleveland time bank is in its infancy, attracting nearly 100 members putting in about 150 hours of work so far. A program orientation will be held February 26 at The Salvation Army's Clarke-Fulton location, while a Cleveland time bank website is scheduled to go live in March.

The time bank is open to individuals and groups. Gifford views the exchange of skills and services without cash as a method to enrich lives.

"It's a creative way to build a community," he says.

 
SOURCE: Adam Gifford
WRITER:  Douglas J. Guth

cleveland colectivo grants 'spark money' to bright ideas

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 21, 2013
Innovative ideas abound in Northeast Ohio, believes Judy Wright, founding member of The Cleveland Colectivo. Too often, however, those dreams are not big enough to draw the attention of the major grant makers in town.

The Colectivo was designed to fill that gap. A grassroots, Cleveland-based giving circle that pools funds to make contributions in the community, the group is inspired by the traditional practice of immigrant neighbors who invested in each other’s businesses to build a neighborhood.

"Our goal is to support small, innovative projects that need a little boost," says Wright, a Lakewood resident. She and a group of like-minded friends from the nonprofit sector created the Colectivo in 2004.

The group's grants range from $500 to $5,000. Funding supports a wide variety of projects, from enhancements to the kitchen at the Cleveland Hostel to a summer series of free music events at Edgewater Park.

"There's no focus area besides these projects having an impact on Cleveland," Wright says.

The next round of funding kicks off February 28 with the Colectivo's fast pitch presentation event at Shaker LaunchHouse. Up to 40 entrepreneurs and innovators will have two minutes to present their bright ideas, which will be voted on by attendees. The top 10 vote-getters will then move on to interviews conducted by group members. Registration to present at the fast pitch event opens February 25 at noon on the group's website.

Getting a roomful of people to network and be excited about their fellow Clevelanders' brainstorms is a side benefit of the effort, notes Wright.

"A little bit of 'spark money' can be hard to get," she says. "We're just trying to make the process easier."

 
SOURCE: Judy Wright
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

clevelander makes waves through water sustainability education

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 14, 2013
In recent years, Mentor native Erin Huber has flown 7,000 miles just to get the population of a small Ugandan village a drop to drink. That effort is part of a larger endeavor to promote water sustainability both locally and globally.

Huber, founder of Drink Local Drink Tap, a nonprofit organization seeking to connect Clevelanders to local water through art installations and free environmental education, traveled to Africa the last two summers with the mission of getting an impoverished people access to clean water.

The first trip, in 2011, found the activist journeying throughout East Africa to learn about the water situation. Her visit to a rural Ugandan town was particularly eye-opening. Children in the village had to walk over a mile to find a nearby water source, and the water wasn't clean or safe.

Last summer, Huber and her small team returned to Uganda, where they drilled a 70-meter hole into a water table to bring drinkable water to the people of the tiny African community. They filmed their efforts for the documentary Making Waves from Cleveland to Uganda, which Huber hopes to screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

"We struck water 'gold,'" she says of the Africa venture, which now supplies fresh drinking water to about 1,500 villagers.

Huber, with a master's degree in environmental studies from Cleveland State University and fond memories of a childhood spent camping next to lakes, streams and rivers, has three more water-related projects set for a future jaunt to Uganda. Meanwhile, she will continue to educate Cleveland's youth and adults about the enormous local fresh water resource known as the Great Lakes.

"We have to realize how fortunate we are," Huber says. "Everything we see needs water to exist."
  
 
SOURCE: Erin Huber
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

spaeth retirement has heights arts searching for new executive director

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 14, 2013
Heights Arts ' executive director Peggy Spaeth is retiring, but that doesn't mean the nonprofit community arts organization will be taking it easy along with her.

The group currently is searching for a replacement for Spaeth, who helped found Heights Arts in 2000 and has led the organization ever since. Since late January, the group has received 40 responses from those hoping to carry on the "creative renaissance" that Spaeth launched over a decade ago, says Heights Arts' board president Sharon Grossman.

"We're just starting the process," says Grossman. "We would like to hire someone by late spring."

Spaeth will stay on board during the hiring period and help train the new executive director after the appointment takes place. The outgoing director said the decision to leave was made out of a desire to pursue other interests.

"We don't want to lose her, but this is an all-encompassing job," Grossman says.

It was also a job that Spaeth did well, adds the board president. As director, she brought public art projects to city streets and chamber music concerts to local living rooms. In 2011, Spaeth oversaw expansion of the Heights Arts Gallery on Lee Road, growing its floorspace and successfully stretching the organization's reach into the community.

"Peggy has great drive and an ability to see the big picture," says Grossman.

Spaeth established important relationships with local artists, also reaching out to public figures -- among them Cleveland Heights Mayor Ed Kelley and Cleveland Cinemas owner Jonathan Forman -- capable of supporting these artists.

Heights' Arts next leader will have challenges ahead, but the transition doesn't have to be rough.

"That person will have a chance to put their own stamp on the organization," says Grossman.  "Change can be good."

 
SOURCE: Sharon Grossman
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

nonprofit makes getting federal returns less taxing for disadvantaged families

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 14, 2013
Filing a federal income tax return is far from the most enjoyable activity one can do. It can even be intimidating for people who don't understand the process or know they are eligible for an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit providing free tax preparation and other services to low- and middle-income Cuyahoga County residents, aims to bridge the knowledge gap and help hard-working individuals and families keep more of what they earned. Nationwide last year, the average credit handed out was about $2,200, but the credit can provide as much as $5,900.

"About 20 percent of people eligible for [EITC] don't claim it," says Mark McDermott, Enterprise vice president and Ohio market leader. "We get the word out."

That word is spread in conjunction with the Cuyahoga County Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and a host of other local partner organizations. This tax season, Enterprise has recruited over 350 IRS-certified volunteers to assist in the effort.

Eligible residents can access the free service by dialing the United Way of Greater Cleveland's 2-1-1 help line. Appointments are scheduled at one of 25 sites located throughout the country. There are also a handful of Saturday free tax-preparation events taking place right up until filing day.

During the past seven years, more than 55,000 participants have received over $77 million in refunds and saved millions of dollars in fees from paid tax preparers, notes program director Kathy Matthews.

"That's about $13 million going back into the local economy," says Matthews.

Tax help isn't Enterprise's only offering. Those who use the service also have access to benefit screenings, debt management and more.

"The tax work is our foundation," says McDermott. "This has proven to be a great program."
 
 
SOURCES: Mark McDermott, Kathy Matthews
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

negative space charity event comes to the rescue for abused dogs

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 07, 2013
The philosophy of the Public Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is that kindness to animals helps build a better world for all. If that's true, then Negative Space Gallery hopes to set the foundation for a happier planet with an upcoming PAWS charity event.

Negative Space and area band Second Hand Dogs will host the benefit for the nonprofit animal rescue group on February 16 at the gallery. PAWS' emphasis is placed on reform of current animal cruelty laws and adoption of dogs in need.

The event is particularly timely in light of two recent cases of animal cruelty that made headlines in Cleveland, notes Negative Space director Michael Kurtz. In November, a bull mastiff was shot and left for dead in a Cleveland Heights park. Late last month, a Labrador mix was killed with a bow and arrow in Old Brooklyn.

The Negative Space program offers a raffle to benefit PAWS, resource tables, adoption opportunities, and a guest appearance by "Forrest," the survivor of the Cleveland Heights attack.

"There are people whose animals mean more to them than anything in the world," says Kurtz, whose Collie-German Shepherd mix was rescued from a home with poor conditions. "Who can [shoot a dog] and sleep at night?"

Ohio is one of the states with the most lax animal cruelty laws, PAWS officials note. Seven bills dealing with animal cruelty were recently rejected in the 129th General Assembly. Raising funding and awareness for such an important issue is a pleasure for Kurtz.

"There should be public pressure to not allow this kind of behavior," he says.

 
SOURCE: Michael Kurtz
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

nonprofit works to bring 'digital literacy' to cleveland's underserved

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 07, 2013
If Northeast Ohio has a digital divide, then Cleveland-based nonprofit broadband provider OneCommunity wants to lay down enough fiber-optic cable to successfully bridge the gap.

The divide is particularly wide in Cleveland's poorer neighborhoods, says OneCommunity CEO Brett Lindsey. In response, his organization created the Connect Your Community Project (CYC). Since 2010, CYC has provided broadband training, equipment and support for nearly 8,000 Cleveland and East Cleveland residents. The group's work is supported through a $18.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

The organization's new adopters receive a refurbished computer at no cost after matriculating through the training program. They also have the opportunity to receive a free modem and affordable, high-speed home Internet service.

In modern society, everything from job postings to health care information is online, notes Lindsey. The idea is not to give Cleveland's underserved access to solitaire or funny YouTube videos, but an electronic education that will allow them to look up information on their child's school system or connect with far flung family members.

"The haves and have nots in terms of technology are significant," says Lindsey. "This is a way to get people engaged."

OneCommunity is also bringing "digital literacy" to Cleveland families with young people on track for college entry but not currently connected to broadband. Computer training and access can go far in spurring parental engagement in a student's post-high school academic career, Lindsey believes.

So far, so good, says the OneCommunity CEO. In its initial CYC data, 75 percent of parents surveyed used their home broadband connection to communicate with their child's teachers and administrators.

"We have to continue to ensure that people don't get left behind," says Lindsey.

 
SOURCE: Brett Lindsey
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

education the centerpiece of cpl's african american history month programming

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, February 07, 2013
Education is on the forefront of Cleveland's transformation plans. The city is aiming to reform its troubled school system as well as increase the number of youth attending and graduating from college.

Cleveland Public Library (CPL) had Cleveland's goals in mind when planning its African American History Month programming for this year. Throughout February, the library will offer a variety of education- and educator-focused programming, music and events at its main facility and branch locations. 

"We try to focus on topics that resonate with the community," says CPL programming director Aaron Mason. "Education is the topic of the day."

Featured programs and events include:

* A showcase of student-produced music and videos created by Cleveland’s youth through the efforts of Reading R.A.M.M. (Recording Arts Music Media) founder Edward “Phatty” Banks. The February 9 event at the main library is designed to connect area children with reading and education through use of pop-culture-style music and media.

* A performance by Ralph Miles Jones and Baba Issa Abramaleem, otherwise known as "The Seekers of Truth Revolutionary Ensemble." Jones is a multi-instrumentalist and recording artist from Oberlin College. Abramaleem is a composer, visual artist, playwright and percussionist-guitarist. The duo plays CPL's Rice Branch on February 15.

* A free screening of the documentary "PUSH: Madison vs. Madison" on February 22 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. branch. The film covers the trials of a talented but dysfunctional high school basketball team.

This year's round of African American History Month programming is meant to look ahead rather than back at history, notes Mason.

"The library should be a place of learning and engagement," he says. "It's about exposing people to new ideas."
 
 
SOURCE: Aaron Mason
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cleveland clinic wig boutique provides sense of normalcy to cancer patients

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 31, 2013
Studio Fifty-One is a new wig boutique providing free wigs to any woman undergoing cancer treatment at the Cleveland Clinic that results in hair loss. Perhaps the greatest benefit the wigs provide is the sense of normalcy that goes AWOL while a patient is going through the healing process.

"The salon brings our patients comfort at a difficult time of their cancer journey," says Elizabeth Lindecke, director of The Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative at the Clinic.

The initiative partially funds the boutique, which opened on January 24 at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center. Funding is also coming from Margaret Rose Giltinan, a breast cancer survivor who underwent treatment at the hospital. The synthetic and real hair wigs are provided by the American Cancer Society and Jeffrey Paul Salon.

Early response has been "wonderful," reports Lindecke. The salon gave out 15 wigs during its first day of operation. One woman arrived with an old photograph that displayed her pre-cancer hairdo.

"She asked, 'Will I ever see this girl again?'" says Lindecke. "We found a wig that approximated her old hairstyle, and she left feeling like a million bucks."

Since its opening, Studio Fifty-One has received numerous emails and phone calls from people interested in the program. While there are no toupees for male patients, Cleveland's professional sports teams have donated a variety of free hats and caps for them to don during treatment.

For further information on Studio Fifty-One, email studio51@ccf.org or call 216-445-6885.

 
SOURCE: Elizabeth Lindecke
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

county residents have a vote in how cac will award $300k in arts funding

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 31, 2013
Northeast Ohio has a vibrant arts and culture ecosystem, so why not let its patrons be directly involved in growing that environment?

This was a question asked by nonprofit Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) when putting to a public vote which large-scale arts or culture projects will receive funding through the organization's new Creative Culture Grants program.

Starting February 1, voters will be able to pick two winning arts projects from a list of six finalists chosen by an independent panel of arts and culture experts. The project finalists, among them a multi-media ballet led by Dancing Wheels, a multi-faceted light installation from LAND studio, and a community-wide arts collaboration between Cleveland's East and West sides, were chosen based on their creativity and prospective ability to impact thousands of Cuyahoga County residents.

"We wanted something that would be a stretch for these groups; something they may not have tried otherwise," says CAC executive director Karen Gahl-Mills.

The winning projects will get up to $150,000 each through the nonprofit's grants program. County residents can vote in two ways: Online up until 11:59 p.m. EST on February 20 or by mail until 4:30 p.m. EST February 15. Paper ballots will be available for download or by calling 216-515-8303. CAC will announce the winning projects on February 25. The chosen projects will take place between March 2013 and August 2014.

Gahl-Mills views the vote as the public's opportunity to have a real say as to where community dollars are going.

"Any of the six projects can be terrific for the region," she says. "We want the community to help make that decision."

 
SOURCE: Karen Gahl-Mills 
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cpac roundtable asks how arts can foster sustained economic prosperity for cleveland

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 31, 2013
Arts and culture can define a community, creating a critical mass that translates into jobs, business opportunities and, ideally, sustained economic prosperity. These were the words of Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative (NEOSCC) director Hunter Morrison during a January 25 roundtable hosted by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC).

These also are words that CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl likes to hear. The focus of the roundtable event was sustainability, and how the arts and culture community can assist the region as it evolves through population and land use shifts. The local arts sector becoming engaged in these issues can help keep Northeast Ohio resilient, vibrant and sustainable, said Morrison, a notion that the CPAC president shares.

"We have cultural clusters throughout the region, and the ability to communicate on a larger basis with the population about those clusters," says Schorgl. "We need to continue to reach our audience."

The roundtable, which drew over 50 attendees to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's main gallery, was CPAC's first such event of the year. The nonprofit will sponsor similar forums through November, with an overall aim of connecting the arts and culture realm with professionals from sectors including community development and health and human services. Past roundtable speakers have included Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon, and City of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

"The idea is to provide a forum for new ideas around a common cause," Schorgl says.

 
SOURCE: Tom Schorgl
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

lakewood crossfit forms powerful partnership with cleveland big brothers big sisters

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 24, 2013
CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program designed for people of all ages and fitness levels. Jillian Neimeister and Tricia Tortoreti, owners of the recently opened Birdtown CrossFit in Lakewood, believe the program can empower the lives of Cleveland's teenagers in ways beyond physical prowess.

During a fundraising campaign to help purchase equipment for the gym, the pair promised to donate a one-year membership to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland for every $2,000 raised. The duo ended up raising $7,260 through their indieGOGO.com campaign, equating to three memberships for teens affiliated with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

"Our intention is to introduce teens to a larger community of people who are committed to health, and a network of Clevelanders who may encourage and support them," says Tortoreti, a "Big Sister" with the organization for the last five years.

"We're happy to engage a different audience around the benefits of mentoring," says Big Brothers Big Sisters president/CEO Gretchen Faro regarding the partnership. "Fitness is clearly a need for our community."

The business partners expect that participating teens will come to the gym with their Big Brother or Big Sister, but membership affords them use of all classes on offer. CrossFit is not a typical gym, relying more on jump ropes and barbells than elliptical machines and treadmills. The Cleveland-based CrossFit is located in the Lake Erie Building in Lakewood's Birdtown neighborhood.

Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters was an easy call for Tortoreti. Her 14-year-old "Little" was eagerly searching for after-school activities that didn't involve video games or just hanging out with friends.

"CrossFit can do so much for you besides making you more fit," says Tortoreti. "We have a great community spirit here."
 

SOURCES: Jillian Neimeister, Tricia Tortoreti, Gretchen Faro
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

judi feniger ready to roll as gordon square arts district's new executive director

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 24, 2013
Cleveland's Gordon Square Arts District (GSAD) is supported by a strong backbone of dedicated institutions, corporations, merchants, residents and philanthropists, says Judi Feniger, newly named executive director of the West Side arts enclave.

Feniger planned to spend this week meeting with these groups, and looks forward to continuing the relationships that will help make the district even stronger. "It's a dynamic area," says Feniger, successor to GSAD founding executive director Joy Roller, who earlier this month became president of Global Cleveland. "I need to get a sense of what's going on."

What's been happening in recent years is new loft housing, an enhanced Detroit Avenue streetscape, new retail and gallery ventures, and the renovation of the Cleveland Public Theatre complex and Capitol Theatre. The latest milestone occurred in November with the groundbreaking for the Near West Theatre’s first permanent performance venue.

"Gordon Square is a growing part of Cleveland that attracting young residents," says Feniger. "How can we take these great assets and show them to our community?"

The experienced arts and business leader plans to answer that question thanks to a philanthropy and arts background that includes leadership stints with the American Red Cross and most recently the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

"I've been to Gordon Square many times," Feniger says. "It will be exciting to build on the foundation and bring more activity and awareness to the things going on here."

The district's potent combination of housing, new businesses, the arts and neighborhood beautification is attracting national attention and drawing audiences and visitors from throughout the region, notes the new executive director.

"There are many great things to do in Cleveland," says Feniger. "Our challenge will be to get a share of people's time and mind."

 
SOURCE: Judi Feniger
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

expansion allows providence house to help more of the region's neglected children

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 24, 2013
Providence House has spread its arms just a little bit wider to Northeast Ohio abused and neglected children with the recent expansion of its facilities.

The Ohio City-based agency, which stands as the first crisis nursery in Ohio, renovated its current at W. 32nd Street and Lorain Avenue location and added 6,500 square feet of space, which combines the children’s shelter and services. As a result of its growth, Providence House will be able to serve an additional 125 at-risk children each year, notes executive director Natalie Leek-Nelson.

"All of our kids are moved over," Leek-Nelson says.

The expansion is the first part of a $2 million, three-phase project designed to allow the nonprofit agency to better serve Northeast Ohio families in crisis. Providence House has raised $2.3 million since launching its "Protect the Promise" campaign in spring 2011. Not only will the agency be able to provide more short-term housing for kids unsafe in their homes, it will also increase the ages of children served from newborn to six up to the age of 10.

"Now the older brothers and sisters in the same crises as their younger siblings will be helped," says Leek-Nelson. "We've created unique educational spaces with computers and academic resources so these kids can catch up on their schoolwork."

The second phase of the “Protect the Promise” capital campaign will include a new family center that will take over an existing building across the street from the expanded facility. The third and final phase involves construction of a 60,000-square-foot children and family campus.

 
SOURCE: Natalie Leek-Nelson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

educational fair to attract private, charter, public and parochial schools

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 17, 2013
The motto of the Near West Family Network (NWFN) is "Stronger Families, Stronger Cleveland." Good schools are an important means of bringing those families into town, maintains the volunteer group's founders, hence the forthcoming Near West Cleveland PreK-8 School Fair.

The fair takes place February 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Ignatius High School. Sponsored by NWFN and advocacy group Ohio City, Inc., participants will get information about the private, charter, public and parochial schools found in Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway, Tremont and other Near West Side neighborhoods. School representatives will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.

"There will be a gamut of educational options available," says NWFN co-founder and Ohio City resident Norma Polanco-Boyd.

The mother of two daughters expects between 18 to 20 schools to be represented at the fair. "The goal goes back to the reason we started this organization [in November 2012,] says Polanco-Boyd. "We wanted to create a resource-based organization to retain families or attract them to these neighborhoods."

Along with the schools, Polanco-Boyd expects attendance from a handful of non-academic groups as well. These entities will provide yet another source of information for participating parents.

The NWFN website has a list of schools serving the Near West Side. Polanco-Boyd, a community affairs officer with a bank regulator, moved to Cleveland from Chicago with her husband, Joe. At the time, the couple didn't know anyone; Polanco-Boyd helped create NWFN for young families in similar straits.

The school fair is a critical to her group's mission, Polanco-Boyd believes.  "We want to grow Cleveland and help maintain its vibrancy," she says.
 
 
SOURCE: Norma Polanco-Boyd
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

program motivates enlistees to make healthy lifestyle choices

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 17, 2013
With the new year comes the inevitable glut of new year's resolutions. Cleveland Clinic's Fairview Hospital is aiming to ensure people keep their health-related resolutions with its Fit in Fairview Health Challenge fitness program.

The eight-week program, sponsored by the hospital, Gemini Recreation Center and the City of Fairview Park, kicked off January 5. Participants are given an initial health assessment that includes a free lipid profile and screenings of their body mass index and blood pressure. Challengers will be re-screened in early March when the program ends to see how far they have come.

"The challenge is for people to get healthier," says Rosemary Miles, community outreach manager at Fairview Hospital.

Developing strong exercise and eating habits will be encouraged through free fitness classes. Another piece is “Walk with a Health Professional” sessions where body-conscious Northeast Ohioans will hike a track in gradually increasing increments along with a cardiologist, oncologist or dietitian. The walk will be increased by two laps every week.

"It's about upping levels of stamina and working a little harder each week to reach a goal," Miles says.

Prizes will be awarded at the end of the challenge to the top three participants based on involvement in walks, screenings and fitness classes. The program is aimed at people ages 18 and over, and has drawn 180 participants so far. Miles believes the challenge will motivate partakers to make healthy lifestyle choices that keep them out of the hospital.

"People will get sick, but being physically fit helps them fight disease," she says.

To register for the challenge, visit www.activityreg.com. Click on Ohio, then Fairview Park. Select "register for activity" link, then "adult fitness," then "Fit in Fairview." The challenge costs $10 to enter.

 
SOURCE: Rosemary Miles
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

foundation looks to transform masonic space into technologically advanced media center

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 17, 2013
The imposing brick structure of the Cleveland Masonic and Performance Arts Center (CMPAC) has stood in Midtown Cleveland for a century. A local charity seeking to purchase the building sees a unique opportunity to harness CMPAC's historic legacy and create something new and distinctive. 

The Mason Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization structured "to promote the arts and academic excellence in Northeast Ohio," is working to buy the facility, which it would refurbish into a technologically advanced media center while also improving the performance space.

"We want to elevate the entire community," says foundation founder Gregory Mason, pointing to CMPAC's Midtown location as virtually equidistant to downtown and University Circle.

The foundation is now involved in engineering and architecture surveys on the site. The building's current owner is the Cleveland chapter of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, and Mason believes his organization will be ready to purchase the facility before the end of the year.

The centerpiece of the new venture is the "Towne Hall," a 24/7 data center and public space participants can use to access civic and library resources. Other plans include renovating CMPAC's "acoustically perfect" performance space, while the building would also host creative arts classes. Current tenants like the American Red Cross would remain and could even benefit from Mason Foundation backing, says the organization founder.

"We want to help nonprofits reach some of the resources they can't access now," Mason says.

Restoration will cost $30 million, a figure Mason hopes to accrue through grants, donors and private investors. The cost is worth it to unite civic, academic and arts resources in one place, Mason believes.
 
 
SOURCE: Gregory Mason
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

innovative new school emphasizes respect, responsibility and lifelong learning

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 10, 2013
The choices you make in life have an impact on others besides yourself.

That is something the students at Facing History New Tech High School have heard continuously since their school debuted last fall. Happily, the 70-pupil freshman class is taking those words seriously, says founding director Marc Engoglia.

Facing History New Tech is a Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) program now in the middle of its first year with a group of 70 freshmen. Operating out of Charles A. Mooney Middle School, the college-preparatory program blends project-based learning, integration of technology and a strong school culture of trust, respect and responsibility to ready its young charges for college life and beyond.

Students work in groups as if they were members of a workforce, notes Engoglia. "They're responsible for their own learning and [the learning of] other members of the group," he says. "I tell the kids, 'This is your school.'"

The program is a partnership of the New Tech Network and Facing History, groups with the respective goals of implementing innovative schools and teaching students about discrimination in order to develop an informed citizenry. 

"The idea is for students to become life-long learners," says Mark Swaim-Fox, executive director of the local chapter of Facing History. "They have a sense of responsibility in making a difference in the world."

These goals were emphasized by a recent project where participants created a public relations message for a local charity organization. Students then presented their projects to members of the local nonprofit community. Engoglia would like to see his pupils get further involved in the "real world," perhaps working as interns with their chosen organizations before graduation.

"They can be a driving force for change," he says. 


SOURCE: Marc Engoglia, Mark Swaim-Fox
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

legal aid society of cleveland presses on despite budget cuts

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland has become a leaner operation in the last year, but that hasn't stopped the nonprofit organization from continuing to assist low-income Northeast Ohioans in need of council.

Cuts in federal funding forced Legal Aid to lay off eight staff members in 2012. It could have been worse, says director of development and communications Melanie Shakarian, but private donations allowed the nonprofit to keep most of its staff intact.

Legal Aid now has 50 lawyers on hand to give free help to the poor on cases involving evictions, divorce, loss of benefits and other civil issues. The organization still has the capacity to help 25,000 people annually, although the reduction in funding will force Legal Aid to turn away some potential clients.

"We're striving to help as many people as possible, but we're always going to need more assistance," Shakarian says.

The century-old agency receives most of its funding through a federal grant, civil filing fees and interest on money that attorneys set aside in trusts for their clients' legal settlements. With the cuts, Legal Aid must make the difficult determination of what cases are the most desperate.

"We take on pro bono volunteers to take the cases we cannot," says Shakarian.

Legal Aid is fortunate to have nonprofit partners that add value to its legal services, notes the agency director. For example, the organization has three attorneys on site at MetroHealth Medical Center to resolve the legal issues that can become barriers for patients.

Shakarian believes that with additional help, these good works can continue into 2013 and beyond. "The community really stepped up last year," she says. "We're confident that generosity will continue."

 
SOURCE: Melanie Shakarian
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

girls with sole a champion for cleveland's troubled teens

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, January 10, 2013
Physical power is an important component of most any successful sports-related endeavor. However, athletics can also be used as a source of inner strength, a lesson Liz Ferro knows well.

Ferro is founder and executive director of Girls With Sole, a Rocky River-based nonprofit offering athletics programs to young victims of abuse throughout Cuyahoga, Lorain and Stark counties. Since its inception in August 2009, the program has aided nearly 500 girls. The organization offers traditional team sports as well as yoga, dance, Pilates and other wellness and nutrition activities.

"It's an outlet for these girls to expend their negative energies," says Ferro, whose organization brings its programming to different venues throughout the Cleveland area.

Ferro founded Girls With Sole to help girls who have experienced abuse gain self-esteem and mental strength. An abuse victim herself, Ferro used athletics as a source of empowerment when she had nowhere else to turn. Through the nonprofit, local girls have a chance to put teamwork, confidence and plain old fun into their daily routines.

"It's an amazing feeling for them to do something physically," Ferro says. "They can take that and use it in other areas of their lives."

Ferro has numerous success stories among her young clients. One girl, a ward of the state in residential treatment, initially rejected Girls With Sole. Today, she's a marathon runner and triathlete, a far better option than drugs or other unhealthy coping mechanisms troubled teens undertake.

"These kids don't get this kind of encouragement elsewhere," says Ferro. "Seeing positive and healthy people around them makes an impact."

 
SOURCE: Liz Ferro 
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

attorney-run group offers artists free access to legal services

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 20, 2012
The legal and arts world don't seem like a natural pair, barring the occasional tabloid story about a drug-addled starlet backing her BMW into a police car.

The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Committee (VLA) is bringing those realms together in a more positive fashion by providing the local arts community information about the law as well as free access to legal services.

VLA, a committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, refers low-income artists and arts organizations to lawyers for pro bono legal representation, gives informational talks to artists and arts groups, and presents legal seminars to lawyers regarding the arts.

In other words, if an artist needs legal advice about starting a nonprofit arts organization, protecting a copyright, or even forming a band, he or she can turn to VLA, says chairman Todd Masuda, an attorney with Schneider, Smeltz, Ranney & LaFond.

"It's by-need legal work," Masuda says. "Our attorneys will review applications and determine if they meet our criteria" of financial need and relation to the arts.

VLA recently gave a talk to lawyers at the new MOCA. The organization is planning a spring seminar for artists on nonprofit formation issues and health insurance options for the underemployed. 

Steve Day, a VLA volunteer and attorney with Calfee, Halter & Griswold, believes the arts-law connection is an important one for Cleveland.

"If you want an attractive city, you need a lively, vibrant arts community," says Day. "We're helping artists navigate legal roadblocks that would be too expensive for them to handle otherwise."

 
SOURCE: Todd Masuda, Steve Day
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

csu produced second most fulbright scholars in 2012-13

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 20, 2012
Cleveland State University has had a busy year expanding its international reach, and now it has the accolades to prove it.

CSU produced the second highest number of Fulbright scholars in the nation during the 2012-2013 academic year. The second-place ranking was shared among eight universities, with each producing five Fulbright scholars. Tying for runner-up this year with CSU were Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Rutgers, Texas A&M at College Station, University of Florida, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and University of Washington at Seattle.     

CSU's Fulbright grant winners are staff members Jayne Mary Fuglister, Rama K. Jayanti, Brian Edward Ray, Janche Sang and Miena Sterio.

"This is an important distinction," says Joe Mosbrook, CSU's director of strategic communication. "CSU has an outstanding faculty that's been doing some remarkable things."

The Fulbright program allows participants to study, teach and conduct research abroad. CSU's grantees are studying the fields of law, business and computer science, respectively, and within the next year will be headed to far flung destinations including India and Azerbaijan.

The honor is nothing new for CSU. The university achieved the same ranking during the 2010-2011 academic year. With nearly 50 Fulbright grants awarded to CSU faculty in the past decade alone, the school consistently ranks among the nation’s top universities for Fulbright scholars, its supporters note.

"People don't think about Cleveland State as a research institution," Mosbrook says. "Look at the track record and you'll see the work being done. We look forward to continuing that trend."
 
 
SOURCE: Joe Mosbrook
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

brain-gain project acts as online booster club for fans of cleveland

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 20, 2012
Do you love Cleveland?

That's the question asked and vociferously answered by the Brain Gain Cleveland Project (BGCP), a nonprofit advocacy group created to grow the city through the creativity and energy of its citizens.

BGCP was founded this spring by a group of lawyers working with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. The group, led by Jon Leiken of Jones Day, soon realized that the message BGCP was trying to spread wasn't just for legal types, but for Clevelanders everywhere.

Debra Mayers Hollander is no lawyer. She's a freelance marketer also serving as the organization's deputy director of scouting. "We're an online booster club," says Hollander of BGCP's mission. "It's an opportunity for people who love Cleveland to talk about Cleveland."

BGCP's website launched in March and has attracted about 350 “scouts," a term referring to its members, Hollander says. Scouts join for free, and are encouraged to create a profile on the site. Their involvement can include anything from simply adding themselves to the group's email list to creating Cleveland-centric events supporting local brain gain.

The organization has gained backing from local institutions including Greater Cleveland Partnership and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Another supporter is Dan Gilbert, who owns large stakes in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Horseshoe Casino and Quicken Loans.

BGCP is cranking up for a big 2013. The group hopes to surpass 1,000 members soon, and hosts its first event of the new year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday, January 10.

"We have such a diverse group of people committed to this already," says Hollander. "There are many ways to shape a city."  

 
SOURCE: Debra Mayers Hollander
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

benefit seeks to raise funds, awareness of available domestic abuse services

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 13, 2012
Domestic abuse often is treated as a taboo subject and not something the general public likes to admit exists, says Molly Scheetz, development marketing officer at the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center of Cleveland.

This reluctance makes events like the organization's January 5 benefit at Negative Space Gallery vitally important in reaching out to victims of abuse. Funds procured at the gallery will be put toward programming that aids Cuyahoga County residents suffering in-home violence and other forms of mistreatment.

"We'll be grateful for whatever is raised," says Scheetz.

Awareness of the center's programming is just as important as funding, Scheetz believes. The community should know of the variety of services available to teens, adults and families, including:  An education component bringing knowledge about teen dating violence to local schools; a 24-hour family helpline fielding crisis calls and offering referrals for abuse resources; and a shelter available for victims of domestic violence and their children.

"Anytime people can become more educated about the services we provide, it's a good thing," Scheetz says.

The center is working to overcome its own challenges these days. The nonprofit is the result of a merger that took place earlier this year between Bellflower Center for Prevention of Child Abuse and the Domestic Violence Center.

The transition has been fairly seamless, and the organization will continue to shed light on violence shuttered behind closed doors. "We have to acknowledge problems in order to reach solutions," says Scheetz.
 
 
SOURCE: Molly Scheetz
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

(i)cleveland connects college students to city's live, work and play opportunities

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 13, 2012
The current generation of soon-to-graduate college students is not just looking for a job, but also a fun and dynamic city that suits its lifestyle needs, says Christy Walkuski, director of (i)Cleveland.

This reality is the impetus behind an upcoming city-centric event hosted by Cleveland Leadership Center. On January 4, (i)Cleveland, a program of the leadership center, will welcome 150 college students and recent graduates to connect with career, civic and social opportunities in Cleveland.

The Winter Edition event will include a networking lunch with downtown executives, a meet with Cleveland's entrenched young professional community, behind-the-scenes tours of East 4th Street's amenities, and an "employer showcase" of current internship and job opportunities.

Combining job and leadership possibilities with highlights of Cleveland lifestyle trumpets a single, distinct message: "The city wants you here," says Walkuski. "Young people have the ability to make their mark on Cleveland."

Walkuski has read the worrisome headlines about young people leaving Northeast Ohio for the bright lights of bigger cities. The (i)Cleveland director herself lived in Chicago and Florida before returning to her home city.

"When I came back, I saw Cleveland with new eyes," says Walkuski.

Opening the eyes of college students requires a community-wide effort. The "Winter Edition" program aligns with (i)Cleveland's mission of using local assets to build relationships and foster lifelong civic engagement. Registration is limited, so Walkuski suggests prospective participants sign up as soon as possible.

"We have a huge education base here," she says. "We must continue to engage this (college-aged) population, because if we don't recruit them, someone else will."

 
SOURCE: Christy Walkuski
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

art of ornament event to benefit local habitat for humanity

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 13, 2012
A little imagination this holiday season could go a long way to building a home for a needy Cleveland family.

The Cleveland chapter of American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is collecting homemade Christmas ornaments from local creatives during its Art of Ornament event on December 14. The decorations will be auctioned off at 78th Street Studios, with proceeds going to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, a Christian-based organization that constructs homes throughout Northeast Ohio. The only rule is that ornaments can be hung for display and use.

"It's an opportunity for the design community to get together and give back using their natural creative tendencies," says Maggie Durguner, president of AIGA's Cleveland chapter.

All community members can make an ornament for the free, public event whether or not they are employed by the local creative sector. Last year, AIGA collected $2,000 through the auctioning of 80 ornaments. Designs ranged from an intricate depiction of 18th-century women to a tyrannosaurus rex covered in glitter. 

"Some of the designs were incredible," Durguner says.

Ornaments usually sell from $15 to $100. A new element this year has AIGA's corporate sponsors matching the highest bid.  Every dollar counts, particularly when it "hits home" for Cleveland's underserved, says Durguner.

 
SOURCE: Maggie Durguner
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

seminar for current and future board members both educational and inspirational

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 06, 2012
Boards are shaping the nonprofit sector in unprecedented ways. The Cleveland BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence is aiming to mold prospective board members to meet the trials and opportunities facing organizations today.

On December 7, BVU will host The Role of the Board, a seminar for current board members or those just thinking of joining a board. Speakers including David Goodman of Cleveland law firm Squire Sanders will discuss the roles and responsibilities of those that sit around the big table. Insight on leading an organization through change will also be shared, says BVU executive vice president Elizabeth Voudouris.

"We're providing people with practical training," she says. "We want to inspire them to service, too."

In general, boards are designed to hire and support a CEO, set the mission of the organization, and give financial oversight, among other duties. Modern pressures like shrinking resources have altered these best practices, Voudouris says.

"Good boards take a lot of work," she says. "There are significant strategic and financial challenges no matter what [a board's] size."

BVU officials expect the seminar to draw about 80 attendees representing nearly 40 businesses. Over half of the expected audience members currently are going through BVU’s board matching program and are planning to serve on a board in the near future. The December 7 event is sold out, but BVU hosts a handful of seminars a year for people looking to get educated about board life.

"It's a great introduction to nonprofit leadership," says Voudouris.

 
SOURCE: Elizabeth Voudouris
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cleveland salon promotes traditional, even-handed debates

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 06, 2012
Measured discourse is something that's not exactly commonplace these days, notes Jonathan Rodriguez-Lucas. Even this November's presidential debates had the two major candidates talking "at" each other rather than "with," he says.  

The argumentative atmosphere of last election season was a major catalyst for the launching of The Cleveland Salon, a seminar series where traditional, even-handed debate is the rule rather than the exception.

The "social experiment," created by Lakewood resident Rodriguez-Lucas and Andrew Samtoy, encourages participants to share their divergent opinions with others in a respectful manner. There have been two seminars this year, both held at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakwood. The most recent, on November 29, touched on the role of the media and what effect the downsizing or loss of The Plain Dealer could have on local journalism.

Seminars are moderated by a facilitator, who kicks off the topic and then opens up the discussion to the group.
The rules of engagement are simple: "Someone can have a belief opposite yours; that doesn't mean they are wrong," says Rodriguez-Lucas, 28.

That means no shouting, finger-pointing or other unseemly behavior.  "That's always a concern, but it hasn't been an issue so far," says the co-founder.

The first Cleveland Salon was held this past summer at Ingenuity Festival. The idea was not to bring in a speaker to lecture for an hour, but rather allow non-experts to air their own constructive opinions. Rodriguez-Lucas looks forward to continuing the conversation during the next seminar in January.

"Everyone has a voice," he says.

 
SOURCE: Jonathan Rodriguez-Lucas
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cim campaign fulfills wish lists for young cleveland-area musicians

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, December 06, 2012
The national #GivingTuesday movement has a mission to create a day of giving at the start of the holiday season. The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) is taking that one day and expanding it well beyond the holidays in support of the next generation of classical musicians.

On November 27, in conjunction with #GivingTuesday, CIM launched an eight-week campaign to fund the training of students at the Cleveland School of the Arts (CSA). The school enrolls over 700 students in grades sixth through 12. Part of the curriculum covers instrumental music, hence donors are encouraged to give not only monetary contributions, but also fulfill a "wish list" of much-needed musical instruments, accessories and books to the school and its students.

"We wanted to make this about giving, so there's no goal or amount we're looking for," says Karin Stone, CIM's vice president of institutional advancement.

The official campaign ends January 22, culminating with a Black Heritage Concert on January 27 at CIM's Kulas Hall. The music school will present CSA with the collected contributions during the concert event.

CIM staff, faculty and students regularly work with their peers at CSA, says Stone. Last spring, the schools combined their talents for a concert that was "an amazing experience" for both entities.

CIM's grassroots fundraising effort will ensure there will be more such concerts in the future, Stone says.

"Whatever we get the kids, they will be excited," she says. "We have a long-running relationship with CSA, and this is one more way to enhance it."

 
SOURCE: Karin Stone
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

'step' program proves 1-on-1 tutoring boosts reading skills

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 29, 2012
"Reading is fundamental" is a message that's been transmitted to the nation's children for years. Research shows that's no empty slogan: Kids who are not reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma, says Robert Paponetti, executive director of the Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland.

Enter the Literacy Cooperative's STEP (Supporting Tutors Engaging Pupils) program, an in-school tutoring program designed to help build reading and language skills in underperforming K-3 students. Young participants are taught in one-on-one, structured tutoring sessions that coordinate with classroom curriculum.

The students chosen for the program usually are close to their grade's reading level, says Paponetti. Lessons are delivered twice a week and are designed to develop fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension and word knowledge.

"Reading to a child is one thing," Paponetti says."We are working with the child."

STEP started as a pilot program for first-grade students at Marion-Sterling School in Cleveland during the 2010-2011 school year. Shoreview Elementary was added to the mix for 2012-2013.  There's also an after-school program taking place at Warrensville Heights Library this year.

The program, funded by Cleveland Foundation and several other groups, has resulted in positive gains for its young readers, notes Paponetti. Participating students at Marion-Sterling, for example, showed improvement in all measures of reading skills compared to non-tutored students.

Further success will see future expansion of the program. "There's a beautiful simplicity to structured tutoring intervention," says Paponetti. "It could be a real tool for helping children."

 
SOURCE: Robert Paponetti
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

near west theatre breaks ground on first dedicated space after 35 years on stage

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 29, 2012
After 35 years producing theatrical performances in rented spaces, the Near West Theatre finally is getting its own place. The community theater broke ground on its first-ever permanent home on November 27, and its supporters are happily looking ahead to the first show at the stand-alone building.

It will be about two years before the Detroit-Shoreway theater opens at W. 67th Street, just north of Detroit, says chief operating officer Hans Holznagel. Until then, Near West Theatre will continue to operate out of its longtime rented home on the third floor of a hall owned by St. Patrick's Church at W. 38th Street and Bridge Avenue in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood.

The new 25,000-square-foot theater will have extra seating and increased stage space. It also will have rehearsal space and air conditioning, two amenities the current facility has done without for years.

"It opens up all kinds of possibilities for us," says Holznagel.

Hundreds of people from the Gordon Square Arts District, the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood and the local theater community were invited to celebrate the theater's groundbreaking. The project will cost nearly $7 million. This funding is a portion of the $30 million Gordon Square Arts District campaign to revitalize the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood using the arts as an economic catalyst.

A new space won't detract from the intimacy that Near West Theatre shows are known for, promises Holznagel. When it opens in fall 2014, the space will offer the professionally produced, large-scale shows long-time fans have grown to love.

 "We're excited to be part of a diverse, vibrant community that matches with the mission of our theater," Holznagel says.

 
SOURCE: Hans Holznagel
WRITER:  Douglas J. Guth

muscle house set to strengthen young students through music lessons

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 29, 2012
The musCLE house may not be a gym or cable-access bodybuilding show, but it does give Cleveland students the opportunity to flex their musical talents in exchange for a bit of their free time.

Students taking part in the program receive one hour of free music lessons in exchange for volunteering one hour toward philanthropic involvement or community service, says musCLE house co-founder Eric Kogelschatz.

The Detroit native created the program with his wife Hallie Bram Kogelschatz and Cleveland Institute of Music alums Ariel Clayton and Carlos Javier. The musCLE house works with students from Cleveland Municipal School District, although its co-founder would like to expand the program to other districts.

"Music is a basic building block of intelligence," Kogelschatz explains. Due to school districts cutting music programs, "not enough young people have exposure to it."

The musCLE house launched its fundraising campaign this week. Kogelschatz aims to raise $55,000 over the next two months to finance more than 600 hours of music lessons from paid instructors, along with the procurement of instruments, sheet music and more.

With its volunteerism aspect, the program has the tenet of community building at its core, says Kogelschatz. Adding music to the mix is a bonus for the Shaker Heights resident, who grew up playing the saxophone and clarinet.

"We're encouraging kids to get involved with their communities," he says. "Students get to see the change taking place around them, and they're getting a reward."

 
SOURCE: Eric Kogelschatz
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

s. euclid housing project to give injured war vet the dream of home ownership

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 15, 2012
Soldiers are trained to not leave their comrades behind on the battlefield. That commitment shouldn't be relinquished by the public once combat veterans return from war, say supporters of housing solution organization Purple Heart Homes.
The City of South Euclid is partnering with the North Carolina-based nonprofit to build a home for Clevelander Demond Taylor, a veteran of the U.S. campaign in Iraq now suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The city, along with Purple Heart Homes, One South Euclid Community Development Corporation, and the Cuyahoga Land Bank, will renovate the home located at 1171 Avondale Road. While Purple Heart Homes was founded in 2008 by two Iraq combat veterans, the idea to use their services locally was that of retired South Euclid service director and Vietnam veteran Ed Gallagher, says director of community services Keith Ari Benjamin.

The home has not been lived in for several years and needs new windows, flooring, interior walls, plumbing and more. South Euclid is taking cash donations as well as in-kind donations like paint. Contractors willing to help rebuild the home on a volunteer basis are also needed

South Euclid held a mission kickoff event on Monday, November 12, with the eventual aim of  raising $60,000 to $70,000 to refurbish the house. The program drew over 100 people, some of whom have already stepped forward to give of their money or time. "It's great to see so many folks wanting to get involved, but we're going to need more," says Benjamin.

South Euclid has set up a website and Facebook page for those wanting to contribute. Purple Heart Homes immediately contributed $20,000, which will allow work on the house to begin as soon as next week. Construction should be completed by the spring.

The city has implemented several home rehab projects since the housing crisis began. Says Benjamin, It's an honor for South Euclid to give the dream of home ownership to someone who's sacrificed so much.

"Our goal is to welcome veterans like Demond," he says. "We want to take care of him like he took care of us when he served our country."

 
SOURCE: Keith Ari Benjamin
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

arts grants aimed at strengthening north collinwood community and youth

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 15, 2012
Seven is a lucky number for North Collinwood's burgeoning arts community, as a like-numbered group of the neighborhood's creative thinkers recently received grants from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC).

The seven artists, most working out of North Collinwood's Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District as part of CPAC's "Artists in Residence" initiative, will get a total of $45,000 in funding for projects including a music education series for local children and an "intergenerational story circle" starring some of the community elderly residents, says CPAC strategic initiative director Seth Beattie.

The grants will address community priorities through arts activities between this month and the end of March. Overarching themes of the grant cycle are residents, community assets and youth involvement. CPAC is awarding the grants in conjunction with the nonprofit Northeast Shores Development Corporation.

"We had 30 proposals this time around," says Beattie of CPAC's second of three grant periods; the third round will come next spring. "These particular ones rose to the top."

The grants are a component of the Artists in Residence program, which is using the North Collinwood neighborhood as "a laboratory" for increasing artists’ engagement with the population, says CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl. Area painters, sculptors, videographers and musicians are given perks like affordable housing with the hope they will be a major participant in neighborhood revitalization.

"Artists want communities where they can live affordably with a great quality of life," says Beattie. "They can be a tremendous force in absorbing space in the neighborhood. Collinwood is poised to see a dramatic turnaround in the coming years."

The Waterloo Road arts district can be part of that transformation, with CPAC's latest granting round a good beginning on getting that done, believe the organization's leaders.

"We're marrying strengths here," Beattie says. "It's about money and developing a system of support that helps artists build up projects now and in the future."

 
SOURCE: Tom Schorgl, Seth Beattie
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

block group founder thrilled to be part of detroit shoreway renewal

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 15, 2012
It can be said that not only did Buck Harris live and work in Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway neighborhood before it was cool, he also had a hand in making the community cool in the first place.

Harris, a Lakewood native, has lived in the near west side neighborhood for 35 years, opening in 2002 a yoga studio called There’s No Place Like Om. Running a business at that time was a risk, but it wasn't the first Harris has taken when it comes to his beloved community. In 1992, he founded Bridge Brigade, "a guerilla-type community action group" created to push back against the crime that was inundating Bridge Avenue between W. 45th and W. 58th streets.

In those days, street corners were manned by gangs, drug dealers and prostitutes, while the surrounding neighborhood was blighted with dilapidated homes. Bridge Brigade members would patrol the streets in specially marked cars, using a CB radio to inform police of blatant criminal activity. Members also put up signs throughout the neighborhood to let drug dealers know they were being watched.

"We got chased a couple times," says Harris. "Things could get pretty hairy."

This year marked two milestones for Harris and his Bridge Brigade. The block group celebrated its 20th anniversary last summer with a street festival. In early November, the group's founder received an award for his good work from the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization.

Harris, who shared the community service award with life partner and fellow Bridge Brigade member Michael O'Connor, is proud to be one of Detroit Shoreway's "urban pioneers," he says. Along with the yoga studio, Harris also owned a restaurant in the neighborhood, and he's been thrilled to have been at ground zero for such area revitalization efforts as the Gordon Square Arts District.

Bridge Avenue, in particular, has seen an upswing with new townhouse projects and more. "I never would have believed the street would look like what it does today," says Harris. "There are people out jogging and walking. There was a time when people were afraid to walk around."

Ironically, the community's renewal is doing well to make Bridge Brigade nearly obsolete. "Attendance has definitely dropped," Harris says. "There's no longer a threat to fight."

That is not a bad problem to have, notes the block group founder. "I love the diversity here, and the proximity to West Side Market," says Harris. "Helping to create a neighborhood is a nice feather in my cap."

 
SOURCE: Buck Harris
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

blank canvas theatre enjoys fun (if stressful) inaugural season in cleveland

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 08, 2012
Patrick Ciamacco loves the theater scene in Cleveland. However, he sometime finds himself visiting a venue only once a season, as programming tends to run with similar themes to the point where if Ciamacco has seen one show, he's seen them all.

There's nothing inherently wrong with that approach, but the Brunswick native wanted something more out of the stage experience. Thus, the creation of Blank Canvas Theatre, a so-called "Theatre for the People," which is wrapping up its inaugural season on Cleveland's West Side.

Ciamacco, Blank Canvas' founder and artistic director, says that 2012 has been a fun if stressful year. The theater opened in January with The Texas Chainsaw Musical, and is closing the year with Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical.  In between all the blood-letting and singing were three additional shows, including the John Steinbeck classic, Of Mice and Men.

A wide range of shows available at affordable prices has attracted a young, diverse crowd to the new venue, says Ciamacco. "It takes years to build an audience, but with the quality of work we're doing, there's a kind of, 'If you build it, they will come' feeling," he says.

Ciamacco founded Blank Canvas partly as a performance space for The Laughter League, his Cleveland-based sketch-comedy group. The 78th Street Studios, an arts complex bustling with 40 galleries and studios, seemed like a great place to plant a new artistic foothold within the city.

The space is intimate, with no seat more than 15 feet from the stage. Starting off, Ciamacco received support from Cleveland's theater community in the form of tools, lighting and emotional support. The coming year will be spent improving the venue's infrastructure and bringing in a variety of new shows. There already are plans to bring back fan favorite Texas Chainsaw Musical next Halloween for a revival.

Eclectic programming will always be Blank Canvas Theatre's calling card, maintains Ciamacco. "We're going to have something to attract the atypical theater-goer, while trying to get the normal theater fan to go outside the box," he says.
 

SOURCE: Patrick Ciamacco
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

colorful day of the dead festival brings community to west side neighborhoods

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 08, 2012
Skull-faced children and adults danced through the streets of the Gordon Square Arts District last Saturday afternoon, followed by tall, cadaverous puppets and altars overflowing with flowers and other remembrances of those who have passed on to the next realm.

There was nothing to be afraid of, however; the macabre and colorful carrying-on was in celebration of the Day of the Dead, a Latin-American holiday that pays joyful homage to lost relatives. El Día de los Muertos is meant to be more reflective than sad or scary, says Hector Castellanos, the event's coordinator and artistic director.  

This year's Cleveland-centric Day of the Dead festival drew a large crowd to the arts district on a chilly fall afternoon. Attendees enjoyed a parade, music, folk art and food truck fare. Castellanos doesn't have attendance figures yet, but the event has drawn between 1,200 and 1,400 people each of the last two years.

"People came from all over the region,"  he says. "There was a lot of energy and passion."

Gordon Square has hosted the Day of the Dead celebration for five years, with the festival marching through Cleveland's East Side the three years before that. While Cleveland's Latino population was well represented last weekend, many non-Latinos came for the festivities as well. There were many hands involved in building floats and making puppets. Area businesses got in on the fun, too, decorating storefronts with skulls and other symbols of the ancient holiday.

"The whole neighborhood got involved," says Castellanos, a native of Guatemala. "It's a powerful event."

Cleveland artist Bruce Buchanan built an altar representing the surrounding West Side neighborhood and the people who once lived there. The shrine is decorated with rows of colorful houses fronted by abstract skeletons, while tiny flags scrawled with the names of deceased former residents are placed on the alter along with offerings of food, flowers and candles.

"We're helping to build the neighborhood now, but these people built the neighborhood in the first place," says Buchanan. "That's something we should respect."

Meanwhile, Castellanos already is planning to make next year's  celebration bigger and better. "It's spiritual and educational, with so much history behind it," he says. "It also brings the community together, and that's one of the most important aspects for me."

 
SOURCES: Hector Castellanos, Bruce Buchanan
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

abeo turns reclaimed materials into distinctive workstations

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 08, 2012
Daniel Cuffaro has been working in design for 20 years. He knows how an inspiring, eclectic workspace can act as fuel for creative minds, promoting interaction among those who essentially use their imagination for a living.

Such was the idea behind Cuffaro's founding of Abeo Design, a Lakewood-based company that builds aesthetically distinctive office/studio workstations with a sustainable bent. Unlike your typical office furniture, the spindly "Hive" workstations are designed with both functionality and adaptability in mind, Cuffaro says.

Each station is comprised of a work surface and storage shelf embedded with LED lighting. The entire unit is on wheels, making a studio or office easy to reconfigure as projects or teams change, notes Cuffaro. This is not something you could readily do with a set of hard-to-move cubicles.

"Our product is a dynamic and customizable alternative,” he says.

The workstations also fulfill a practical need. They are made of wood and other building materials reclaimed from abandoned Cleveland houses deconstructed during the foreclosure crisis. Cuffaro, head of the industrial design program at The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), first got the idea for Abeo in 2009 when he was developing the layout for the school's design studio. At the time, there was a growing market for raw materials harvested from foreclosed homes, so why not build CIA's studio furniture with those resources?

"I had a desire to turn a bad situation into something salvageable," Cuffaro says.

His first customer also happens to be his current employer. CIA recently purchased a handful of the $6,000-and-up workstations from Abeo, which works with Northeast Ohio companies A Piece of Cleveland and Benchmark Craftsmen to make the product a reality.

A portion of Abeo's profits will support CIA programs. Meanwhile, Cuffaro will continue to live by the company's name. In Latin, Abeo ( pronounced "a-bay-o") means "change" or "transformation." Turning trash into something of value is good for both the company and a sustainable Cleveland, he says.

 
SOURCE: Daniel Cuffaro
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

'gardens that teach' contest imparts to local students the importance of healthy eating

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 01, 2012
A school garden is a real, living world, a type of lab that offers teachers a way to embed creativity, collaboration and love for nature into their curriculum, believes Carlton Jackson, a farmer, self-described "food evangelist" and proprietor of Tunnel Vision Hoops, a provider of hoop houses that allow for year-round food production.
 
The Cleveland-based company is offering Cuyahoga County public school students grades K-8 a chance to win a hoop house for their school. The Gardens that Teach contest, which runs through February, asks students a series of questions about the preparation, construction and maintenance of a theoretical school garden. Answers will be reviewed by a panel of experts from the realms of food policy, botany and community gardening.
 
The winning school will receive the greenhouse-like hoop house, while the other participants will learn about the benefits of plants, year-round gardening and healthy eating, says Jackson. "We wanted kids to use their math skills," he adds. For example, "how many pounds of tomatoes can they get? What will the do with the food once it's grown?"
 
Hoop houses provide a high-temperature environment that protects crops from strong winds, cold and frost, allowing fruits and vegetables to grow during gardening's so-called "off-season," Jackson says.
 
The concept also is in line with the city's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 project, a movement that in part aims to increase the percentage of locally produced food. Mayor Frank Jackson also proclaimed October 24 to be Food Day, a national venture with the overriding objective of "eating real" and promoting healthy diets among the population.
 
The Gardens That Teach contest is certainly a nourishing exercise for Northeast Ohio's young students, says Jackson.
 
"There's a wonderment in watching something grow," he says. "If we can kids back to that, it would be a beautiful thing."
 

SOURCE: Carlton Jackson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

'employee care fund' helps fairview hospital staffers through hard times

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 01, 2012
At most full-time jobs, one is going to be spending eight hours a day sharing the same bit of carpet with a group of people who are tantamount to strangers. With luck, those strangers will become like a second family, one willing to lend a hand when times are tough.
 
Cleveland Clinic affiliate Fairview Hospital has taken that notion to the next level with the Employee Care Fund, a staff-funded repository of donations established to help hospital workers going through financial hardships. The fund was founded in 2005 at Fairview, and is now active throughout the Cleveland Clinic system, says Fairview president Jan Murphy.
 
On October 24, Fairview raised almost $1,500 toward the fund during a cupcake bakeoff. The figure was matched by the facility's corporate sponsors to bring the total to $3,000. The funds will be used to assist Cleveland Clinic employees enduring all matter of money problems, be it facing eviction or needing help to pay for such basic items as food and clothing.
 
 "We had one employee whose home burned down," says Murphy. "We are one big family and want to take care of each other." 
 
Fairview's Employee Care Fund raised $25,500 in 2011. Since its inception, the fund has garnered over $220,000 for 342 hospital employees, Murphy reports.
 
Donations are given to the Community West Foundation. The Cleveland-based grantmaking organization is then charged with disbursing the funds. Employees in need must fill out an application to qualify. Those who are ineligible or who have dipped into the fund multiple times may receive financial planning assistance from the Clinic's human resources department.
 
"We just want to get our people help," Murphy says. "We're not looking to make them feel bad or guilty."
 
Money is just one option for struggling Fairview families. The hospital also runs "Mom's Cellar," a constantly replenished storehouse of diapers, baby formula, food and supplies that employees can access.
 
Ultimately, both the care fund and Mom's Cellar run on the generosity of the Cleveland Clinic "family," says Murphy.
 
"We plan to keep it going," says the hospital president. "There's always going to be a need."


SOURCE: Jan Murphy
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

cleveland bike advocates make push for bike-sharing network

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, November 01, 2012
That's no crass come-on, but rather an effort to advocate for a Cleveland-based bike-sharing network that has become popular in a number of U.S. cities. For a small fee, bike sharing allows patrons to rent a bike at self-service sites scattered about a city, then return the bike to another site.
 
Cleveland's Office of Sustainability recently issued a request to conduct a feasibility and implementation study on the service. Minneapolis, Chicago and Chattanooga, Tenn., are among the cities that have recently launched a bike-sharing network.
 
The local push is being fronted by Bike Cleveland, a group that advocates for the rights of the local cycling community. Earlier this year, the organization teamed with University Circle Inc. and other groups to form a Bike Share Task Force.
 
By providing greater access to bikes, bike-share programs can help increase the number of people biking, decrease the amount of pollutants in the air and improve community health, says Jacob VanSickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland.

"The city has stepped up," he says of the effort. "We have to determine the model that would work in Cleveland."
 
VanSickle would like to see bike-sharing docks placed at locations with high-density populations and job rates, including rapid stations, Public Square, college campuses and the Cleveland Clinic. The bikes would typically be used for short trips -- an office worker taking a bus to Public Square, for example, could use the automated bike station instead of taking another bus to his ultimate destination.
 
Trips of less than 30 minutes would be free of charge. Those using the service more frequently could pay $50 to $70 become annually. They would be charged a fee for treks longer than a half hour.
 
Promoting bike sharing is part of creating a culture that makes a city more attractive, says VanSickle. Along with the bike-sharing program, Bike Cleveland has been advocating for bike lanes and other cycling-friendly amenities. The group plans to keep the wheels turning until more progress is made.
 
"Cities with the bike-sharing program are seen as more livable and friendly," says VanSickle. "That's something we can gain from in Cleveland."

 
SOURCE: Jacob VanSickle
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

two cleveland arts groups to host roundtable with county exec fitzgerald

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 25, 2012
Cleveland's arts community is fortunate that so many local political leaders understand the impact their creativity has on the community, maintains Karen Gahl-Mills, executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC).
 
The relationship is a solid one, but there's no harm in reminding local officials that regional dream makers want to be part of the broader conversation when it comes to economic development in Northeast Ohio. In that spirit, CAC is co-hosting a free roundtable discussion featuring Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald. The event, which CAC is anchoring with the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC), will take place Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Idea Center’s Westfield Insurance Studio Theatre.
 
During the discussion, FitzGerald will share the city's "Western Reserve Plan" for revitalizing the region. Plan initiatives include welcoming immigrants to the community and designing a locally run wellness education program. While these issues aren't directly related to the arts, Cleveland's cultural sector appreciates having an engagement with government, says Gahl-Mills.
 
"This roundtable is part of our role to strengthen the community and make it a more vibrant place for artists to come to together," says the leader of the arts grantmaking organization.
 
Following the presentation, attendees will be invited to participate in an interactive Q&A session. The FitzGerald roundtable is the third such event CAC has held with CPAC, with an audience usually comprised of leaders from both the political and cultural spheres.
 
"It's about what we can do to further the county's agenda," Gahl-Mills says. "How can we be part of the conversation?" 
 
The intersection of arts and the economy can relate to anything from public artwork in neighborhoods like Tremont and Ohio City to artists working with suburban leaders on various projects, says CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl.
 
Events like the FitzGerald roundtable "gives the arts community a dialogue with local leaders," says Schorgl. "It leads to better understanding on both sides."
 
CAC, meanwhile, is expected to invest $14 million in the arts community over the next year, a reflection of benefits like job creation and neighborhood revitalization inherent in a community's overall growth.
 
"We're lucky we have enlightened leadership that understands what the arts can do," says Gahl-Mills.

Click here for event info.
 

Source:Karen Gahl-Mills
Writer: Douglas Guth

artist's film documents the surprising transformation of euclid square mall

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 25, 2012
Euclid Square Mall is hardly abandoned or dead, you just need to take a closer look to witness signs of life, maintains Cleveland artist Jef Scharf. Walk into the mall on a Sunday morning, in fact, and you may hear songs of worship reverberating through its halls.
 
The former large-scale retail center now has nearly 30 churches renting space for services, Bible studies and choir practice. Scharf, an artist-in-residence at SPACES Gallery, spent a year interviewing church-goers and congregational leaders for his documentary, simply titled "Euclid Square Mall Project." 

The film was officially screened at SPACES on October 11, but is available in the gallery's video viewing room until the middle of November.
 
First-time documentarian Scharf is a designer, screen printer, installation artist and musician. His 30-minute movie is a fairly typical talking heads-style venture that concentrates on the people running the congregations rather than the worship services themselves. How the vacant retail space shifted its function from retail to a faith-based community is a subject of fascination for the artist.
 
"There are so many stories to tell," notes Scharf. "You'd walk into this public space and the sounds of singing would bleed into each other. It filled the mall with incredible warmth."
 
The project's genesis was borne from simple curiosity. On a Sunday afternoon in fall 2010, Scharf was shopping at a nearby retail outlet when he stepped into the mall. He was impressed enough by the space's renewed energy to film some of the activity going on that day on his cell phone.
 
"It just stuck with me," says Scharf. "I realized I wanted to explore [the mall] further in that format."
 
It's strange to walk into a retail complex scrubbed clean of bright signage and other signposts that exemplify the typical American mall, Scharf says. Today, the signboard that once carried familiar names like Gap and Banana Republic now are stamped with names of congregations.
 
The film project, in its way, is a story of survival, believes Scharf. "These are people keeping their dreams alive by preserving the vibrancy of a space," he says. The movie "is a documentation of transformation." 

 
Source: Jef Scharf
Writer: Douglas J. Guth
 

'great run so far' for new united way cleveland president bill kitson

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 25, 2012
Bill Kitson's first four months as new president and CEO of United Way of Greater Cleveland haven't been about making dramatic, sweeping changes within the organization. More like internal tinkerings as Kitson continues with the getting-to-know-you phase of his tenure in Cleveland.
 
Kitson took the position in June after seven years with the United Way of Greater Toledo as well as stops in New York, Connecticut and Illinois. He replaced K. Michael Benz, who was the nonprofit's president and CEO in Cleveland for 17 years.
 
The Rhode Island native and married father of two has spent his time so far listening to the worries and aspirations of his new community. "It's been a great run so far," Kitson says. "Cleveland has been welcoming and generous with its time and thoughts."
 
Kitson has been overseeing the Cleveland United Way's annual campaign for health and human services since it kicked off in August. The campaign has raised $20.8 million to date and is more than half way to achieving its $41 million goal, he says.
 
On the policy front, United Way is putting its support behind the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's 15 mill levy that will appear on ballots this November. The levy's failure will lead to a district deficit and staff cuts, both of which would be detrimental to United Way's mission, Kitson notes.
 
"We can't fund youth programs in the city without education," says the organization president. "These kids are critically important."
 
Kitson was also on hand in September when United Way added sexual orientation to its equal opportunity and diversity policy. The new policy, which encompasses United Way and its partner groups, led the organization to discuss pulling its funding from Boy Scouts of America after the group reaffirmed its prohibition of openly gay youth and adults.
 
The $100,000 that United Way gives to a Boy Scouts' inner city youth program could be impacted by his charitable organization's policy shift, Kitson says. However, United Way will still accept contributions designated for the Boy Scouts.
 
"We want to stand up for everyone in our community," he says of the decision. "We can still be partners [with the Boy Scouts] and do some great work."
 
In a more global sense, United Way will continue to fine tune its mission statement, Kitson says. That could mean encouraging donors to further involve themselves in an advocacy role, or finding more creative ways to deploy resources.
 
"We're not satisfied with where we are," says Kitson. "We're always asking ourselves how we can change the community and create a better life for all."

 
Source: Bill Kitson
Writer: Douglas J. Guth

earth day coalition co-founder retires after 23 years with the organization

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 18, 2012
Steadfast. Tenacious and uncompromising. Someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of the issues at hand.

Those are just a few of the plaudits Earth Day Coalition (EDC) executive director Scott Sanders has for his retiring compatriot, EDC co-executive director Chris Trepal, who will be honored on Friday, Nov. 9 during the organization's Instrumental Evening for the Earth.

Trepal co-founded the nonprofit environmental education/advocacy group with Sanders in 1990. As a devoted environmental advocate, she has played an integral role in the community projects EDC is best known for, Sanders says.
Among Trepal's career highlights:

* Helped establish the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve opened to the public in February 2012. The former Dike 14 has 80-plus acres of "wild" activity, including 300 species of birds that live and migrate on site.

* Spearheaded EDC's NatureHood project, which has restored native plants to 32,500 square feet of neighborhood-maintained vacant land. An additional 16,500 square feet of empty lot on the West Side has been converted into a plant nursery.

* Worked on such clean air issues as Diesel Hot Spots, idle reduction, mercury-fish consumption and Cleveland's proposed waste-to-energy project.

Trepal has a drawer full of awards recognizing her accomplishments, including the Greater Cleveland Woman of Achievement Award from the YWCA of Cleveland. These honors are well-deserved, says Sanders.

"Chris is masterful in terms of her knowledge and approach," says the EDC director. "She's one of the hardest working people I've ever known."

Trepal's executive director position retires with her. Earlier this year, EDC named Elaine Barnes as its development and program director. The organization will also be hiring additional advocacy staff to make up for the experience lost with Trepal's leave-taking.

"Our vision has crystallized in the last year," says Sanders. "We want to strengthen our neighborhood focus as well as continue collaborations with groups like the Metroparks."

Regardless, Trepal's leadership will be missed, notes Sanders. "I learned a lot from her over the years," he says.


Source: Scott Sanders
Writer Douglas Guth

foodbank's 'backpack for kids' program kicks off another year of feeding hungry students

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Cleveland Foodbank has a message for Cuyahoga County children as they head into another school year: "You will never go hungry."

The nonprofit food distributor is fulfilling this promise through its annual "Backpack for Kids" program. Throughout the academic year, the Foodbank will partner with 30 schools and afterschool programs to provide children with nutritious meals, says Karen Pozna, the organization's director of communications.

"There are too many kids in Cleveland who don't know where their next meal is coming from," says Pozna.

The program works like this: At the end of each week, backpacks filled with healthy food are discreetly handed out to school children to take home over the weekend. The packages are made up of a variety of items -- cereal, tuna, peanut butter, beef stew, canned vegetables and fruit, soup, pasta, and a kid-friendly treat like peanut butter crackers or yogurt snacks. Each child receives enough food for six full meals.

Food banks across the U.S. are involved with the initiative, notes Pozna. On average, the Cleveland chapter's Backpack for Kids program provides about 3,000 backpacks each week.

Good eating habits are a critical facet of academic success, Pozna says. The backpack program began after teachers noticed their students were coming into school on Mondays feeling sick from lack of proper meals over the weekend.

Statistics further reflect the need for the program, says the Foodbank spokesperson. About 28 percent of Cuyahoga County children under the age of 18 lived in poverty last year, says Pozna. In addition, one third of recipients at local hunger centers are children.

Back-to-school season can be a particularly difficult time for low income families trying to put three square meals on the table each day. "Kids are getting lunch and breakfast at school, but they don't always get proper nutrition at home," Pozna says.


Source: Karen Pozna
Writer: Douglas Guth

former surgeon general stresses need for equality in healthcare during saint luke's talk

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 18, 2012
Saint Luke's Foundation's stated mission is to move the needle in the area of healthcare, effectively impacting the root causes of what the organization deems as inequities in the quality of care received across all economic and social sectors.
 
The foundation has a long way to go to achieve its goals, but at least it knows it has a champion in former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, who spoke to foundation trustees and staff at The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland on October 4.
 
Eliminating care disparities in regards to health insurance, for example, would cut down African-American mortality rates in diabetes, heart disease and HIV/AIDS, Satcher said during his visit, part of the St. Luke's refined grantmaking philosophy that ties funding directly to three main priorities- health, community and family.
 
The talk "was a great opportunity for learning," says foundation president and CEO Denise San Antonio Zeman. "Dr. Satcher is putting these notions into the national limelight and giving them stature."
 
Satcher, who served as surgeon general from 1998 to 2001, is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University.  During his tenure, he wrote "Healthy People 2010," a document written with two goals; to increase the quality of life for all Americans and reduce the inequities keeping all U.S. citizens from getting proper care.
 
Some progress in that department has been made in the years since Satcher stepped down, says Zeman. Still, as highlighted by the recent presidential and vice presidential debates, health care is still top mind for many Americans.
 
"There is more work that needs to be done," she says.  

 
Source: Denise San Antonio Zeman
Writer: Douglas Guth

cleveland heights filmmaker seeks crowdfunding boost for new project

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 11, 2012
It might seem obvious, but making a movie costs lots of money. Grips, props, camera, lighting equipment and special effects all add up. For a small film, just ensuring that the entire crew's gas money is covered can make up a large chunk of the budget. Applying to film festivals so people actually see your movie is yet another expense.

Cleveland Heights filmmaker Tiffany Laufer knows the cost well, and she's looking to get a crowdfunding boost to help her latest project make it to the big screen. Honor Society is a short film about the societal pressures teenagers face and how the friendships they form are often the glue that keeps them together. Laufer already has filmed a trailer starring the two local high school-aged actresses who will appear in the production.

For funding, she is using Kapipal, an international fundraising platform. Laufer's goal is to raise $4,500 by October 16. As of this writing, she has raised nearly $400 for a "nuts and bolts" budget that will top out at about $8,500.

"[Crowdfunding] is a new endeavor for me and I'm excited to try this approach," says Laufer.

The process is as daunting as it is exciting, the filmmaker adds. Laufer has been pushing the project via Facebook, Twitter, her personal website, and the movie's online fundraising home. Laufer plans on submitting Honor Society to more than 30 film festivals. Her previous film, The Acorn Penny, screened at over 16 festivals across the country. 

Even a dollar would offer something in terms of psychological support, Laufer maintains. "You have to hustle and take nothing personally," she says of the crowdfunding experiment. "It's been an interesting learning experience."
Honor Society is getting made whether or not Laufer reaches her fundraising target. She credits her high school friends for getting her through some stormy formative years that included her parents' divorce.
 
Today's teenagers face a society that requires them to be practically perfect, an expectation that's both unrealistic and unfair, she says. Through crowdfunding, Laufer hopes to tell their story.
 
"We need to be there for our teenagers on all levels," she says. "I've come so far [in the filmmaking process] I have to continue."
 

SOURCE: Tiffany Laufer
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

support of youth development, arts and culture among new cleveland foundation grants

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 11, 2012
If children and the arts are two of a community's most precious commodities, then the Cleveland Foundation has got Northeast Ohio covered.

As part of an overall grantmaking surge totaling $21.6 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations, the foundation has authorized monies to separate programs focusing on youth development and arts and culture.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland received $250,000 to expand its reach, says foundation executive vice president Bob Eckardt. The grant will support after-school and summer activities at various club locations. It will also fund a development campaign seeking to raise money for general programming.

"We recognize that Cleveland's youth need more than just schools," says Eckardt. "There's a need for high-quality out-of-school programming."

On the cultural side of the slate, Cleveland Foundation continued its support of two capital campaigns in the arts - Gordon Square Arts District and the Power of Three: Allen Theatre Project. Each program was granted $250,000, bringing the foundation’s support for both campaigns to the $1 million level.

The Gordon Square district on Cleveland's West Side acts as an economic catalyst for the surrounding community, says Eckardt. The foundation's funding will solely be used for renovation of the Cleveland Public Theatre.

The Power of Three: The Allen Theatre Project, meanwhile, is a partnership among Cleveland State University, PlayhouseSquare and Cleveland Play House to build Allen Theatre into a multivenue performing arts and education complex.

Supporting the two arts programs was an easy call for the foundation. "Arts and culture is one of our strengths," Eckardt says, pointing to the thriving arts' enclaves in University Circle, downtown Cleveland and elsewhere. "It's part of our brand as a community and plays into or economic development strategy as a region."

 
SOURCE: Bob Eckardt
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

saint luke's latest grants reflect organization's new grant-giving approach

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 11, 2012
Last year, Saint Luke's Foundation took a good long look at its infrastructure as well as its impact on the region. The result was a refined grantmaking philosophy that ties funding directly to three overarching priorities: health, community and family.

Saint Luke's most recent round of grants reflects its new approach, says president and CEO Denise San Antonio Zeman. The foundation recently awarded a total of $1,385,332 to 13 organizations that advance its trio of strategic priorities

"Our mission-based spending policy allows us to give more than in past years," says Zeman. The new grantmaking strategy also "enables us to go deeper with community partners in ways that address the complex, changing needs of Greater Cleveland’s vulnerable populations."

The grant given to Pew Charitable Trusts in particular mirrors what Saint Luke's is trying to accomplish, says the foundation president. The $301,543 awarded to Pew over the next two-plus years will support Saint Luke's participation in the national Health Impact Project, an initiative to support the growth of local Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) that assess the influence of policies, plans and projects on the well-being of diverse populations.

Meanwhile, Saint Luke's is continuing to refine its grant-giving approach. The next grant cycle is in December, and Zeman expects the foundation to roll out further policy fine-tunings within the next 30 days.

Saint Luke's has been funding solutions to community health concerns since 1997. The foundation's strategy has changed, but its core beliefs remain constant. "The organizations [we award grants] can be our partners in advancing our mission and theirs simultaneously," says Zeman.

 
SOURCE: Denise San Antonio Zeman
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

pnc fairfax connection opens doors of new $5m community resource center

Lee Chilcote Thursday, October 04, 2012
At the corner of E. 83rd and Carnegie Avenue, a dilapidated building has been transformed into a contemporary, glass-walled resource center. Inside these walls, youth will be mentored, adults will receive financial education and job skill assistance, and seniors will record their history within the community.

This is no ordinary redevelopment project. The PNC Fairfax Connection was designed with maximum community input to address the needs and aspirations of the Fairfax neighborhood, which lies just south of the Cleveland Clinic campus.

“We celebrate the opening of the PNC Fairfax Connection as a demonstration of what it truly means to work together to create a new relationship and a new bond between a bank and its community,” said Cleveland native James Rohr, Chairman and CEO of PNC Bank, in a press release. “PNC closely collaborated with the Fairfax community at every step to ensure the center's design and programs meet the interests and needs of this proud and historic community.”

The $5 million center, which was sustainably built and will likely receive LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is a 6,400-square-foot space that is flexibly designed to meet the needs of the community. Two full-time coordinators, Susan Blasko and Brandon Lipford, will staff it.

Upcoming programs include SPARK, a web-based literacy initiative provided in cooperation with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cleveland; Senior Compass programs that help seniors with help and wellness and technology skills; and Financial Connections, which are weekly financial wellness workshops.

The PNC Fairfax Connection is open daily from Tuesday through Saturday, and programs are offered in the day as well as the evening.


Source: PNC Bank
Writer: Lee Chilcote

beachland owner launches new nonprofit to preserve and promote city's rock scene

Lee Chilcote Thursday, October 04, 2012
The way Beachland Ballroom owner Cindy Barber sees it, Cleveland's music glory days are far from over. Yet our music scene could use some better amplification. That's why Barber has created a new nonprofit, Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present and Future, to preserve the legacy of the city's rock-and-roll history while also promoting and shaping its future.

"The past is the legacy project of capturing Cleveland music history, the present is documenting what's happening now, and the future is figuring out what we need to do to grow it," says Barber. "There's already a huge amount of music business here. We need to take stock of what we have and what we're missing."

Barber cites music business startups like Gotta Groove Records, Fortune Drums, Audio Technica and Dr. Z Amplification as success stories. She also wants to highlight the local bands that are touring and getting signed nationally.

"The plan is to create a website to highlight the bands that are getting attention," she says. "If they're out touring the world, they can bring that energy back to share with other people in Cleveland and grow the music business here."

To kick off the project, Barber and others are organizing a series of live interviews with local legends that played a role in Cleveland music history. The first event is scheduled to place on Saturday, November 3rd at 1 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom. Tickets cost $15 and include lunch and the opportunity to participate as Larry Bruner, former booking manager for the 1960s folk music venue La Cav, is interviewed by Steve Traina, DJ for the WCSB radio show "Steve's Folk."

Future plans include working with the Rock Hall to preserve oral histories and promote live music, helping musicians identify investment sources for growing their bands or recording albums, and marketing the music industry here.

"All the clubs that came together as part of the Cleveland Music Coalition [to challenge the city's admissions tax] are part of this," says Barber. "We want to use the nonprofit to support what they're doing to create live music in Cleveland."


Source: Cindy Barber
Writer: Lee Chilcote

attorney general holder touts united way help line during cleveland high school event

Douglas J. Guth Thursday, October 04, 2012
A parent can cover their child's eyes when there is violence on television, but who will do that for a child when they're exposed to real-life trauma? That is the question United Way is answering with its 2-1-1 community access line, a 24-hour help number that's part of Cuyahoga County’s Defending Childhood initiative.

United States Attorney General Eric Holder and Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald hosted a news conference September 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. High School to announce a $2 million Justice Department grant that will aid Defending Childhood programs including the community access line.

The phone line is manned by United Way staff members. These trained staffers determine if Defending Childhood services can help a child who has witnessed violence or experienced trauma. Diagnosing and treating children who have lived through violence can be a significant step in helping them avoid trouble later in life, says Stephen Wertheim, president/CEO of United Way.

 "The trauma a kid goes through can impact their function in society," Wertheim says. "We're trying to get to these problems at the root."

While at the high school event, Holder participated in a round-table discussion with students and teachers. He later met with a group of law enforcement officers and social workers that were also on hand.

The impact of violence on children has reached "national crisis" proportions, Holder told the audience during the Sept. 28 conference. Assessing and screening the young people victimized by violence must take precedence over merely prosecuting those perpetrating the trauma.

Studies have shown how post-traumatic stress can negatively effect children, says FitzGerald. 

"If a child witnesses horrific acts of violence, they're more likely to be involved in the justice system themselves," says the county executive. Through a preventative measure like the 2-1-1 help line, "the idea is to increase public safety rather than just incarcerating everyone."

 
SOURCE: Stephen Wertheim, Ed FitzGerald
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth

creative fusion brings global artists to cleveland to leave lasting impression

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 27, 2012
For the next three months, artists from Sri Lanka, India, Armenia, Mexico and Chile will bring their talents, experiences and cultures to Cleveland through The Cleveland Foundation's international artist-in-residence program, Creative Fusion.

"The Cleveland Foundation does have a globalization agenda for Cleveland, and we think it's important for Clevelanders to see the city as a global, international city and that the rest of the world see us that way, too," says Kathleen Cerveny, Director of Institutional Learning and Arts Initiatives for the foundation. "The arts are a great tool to promote international understanding and exchange."

Creative Fusion brings in five international artists for a three-month stay in Cleveland. The program has been in the pilot phase for the last three years, and this year's roster of artists represents a complete relaunch for the initiative.

"Traditionally, arts organizations will bring in international artists, but there's very little lasting impact," says Cerveny. "We wanted to bring artists here for a longer period of time, especially cultures that are not represented in Cleveland."

While Creative Fusion artists are embedded within a cultural organization, they are required to complete community engagement activities and interact with the local artistic community. Cerveny says that the artists have gotten right to work.

"There's an Indian choreographer at the Rainey Institute who has been here a week and a day, and he's already taught two classes at Hathaway Brown and worked with inner-city kids at Rainey. This program has a significant impact."

Many of the artists consider Cleveland "a second home" after living here, she adds.

The artists are being hosted by Inlet Dance Theatre, Rainey Institute, Trinity Cathedral, Young Audiences and Zygote Press. More information about the Creative Fusion artists can be found on the Cleveland Foundation's website.


Source: Kathleen Cerveny
Writer: Lee Chilcote

new potluck event to build sense of community around local food

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 27, 2012
Everyone loves a potluck. They inspire people to bring their A-game and try new, exciting dishes, showcase diverse cultural backgrounds, and spark conversations about where our food comes from.

This Saturday from 4:30-7 p.m., what one might call the mother of all potlucks is taking place at Edgewater Park. The grassroots "Potluck in the Park" aims to bring residents together from across the city to celebrate local food in Cleveland and share a meal together.

"The idea was inspired when a group of us went to Detroit and learned about their potlucks," says Lilah Zautner, Sustainability Manager for Neighborhood Progress Incorporated and a lead organizer of the event. "They get 200-plus people at their potlucks, a big spectrum of folks. You'll find super-delicious homemade quinoa next to a bucket of KFC fried chicken. Everything goes on the table and everyone eats."

Although the primary purpose of the event is to build a sense of community around local food, the potluck will also celebrate the city's Year of Local Food. Zautner says the effort, led by Sustainable Cleveland 2019, has been a success.

"New farms are coming online literally every week, the strength and number of farmers markets are growing, and we're getting lots of press," she says. "The quality, size and sophistication of these food-based businesses are growing."

Helping urban farmers in Cleveland grow to the next level was also a big topic of discussion at a Cleveland Connects event hosted last week by ideastream and The Plain Dealer. It raised the question, "Can distinctive restaurants, food-related businesses and urban farms nourish the rebirth of Cleveland's neighborhoods?"

"We want to use microenterprise programs to help bring farmers to scale and create value-added products," responded Colleen Gilson, Executive Director of Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition (CNDC). "These products will allow farmers to sell their products for more money and create more jobs."

"People have innovation and drive but not the facilities," Gilson added. "The growth of commercial kitchens would really help to spur more development."

"The sky is the limit," said David O'Neil with the Project for Public Spaces. "Cleveland, you have enormous potential to grow your local food system."

The Potluck in the Park is open to anyone; bring a dish to share and, of course, local food is encouraged. Guests can register in advance on the Eventbrite page.


Source: Lilah Zautner, Colleen Gilson, David O'Neil

international public markets conference offers lessons for success for west side market

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 27, 2012
The West Side Market is celebrating its Centennial year, prompting much discussion of the institution's past, present and future. Among other things, city leaders are discussing how best to ensure that the market remains successful for another 100 years.

Last week, however, the best ideas seemed to come not from local leaders but from others in Detroit, Santa Monica and Hong Kong as 250 market leaders from around the world attended the three-day International Public Markets Conference in Cleveland.

"The roots of our market are in local farmers selling their produce during the growing season," said Dan Carmody, Manager of Detroit's Eastern Market, during a panel discussion on the role of markets in the future of cities. "When I started there, it was a place where wholesale grocers dumped their product at the end of the week. Now we're trying to envision it as a revitalized local food system."

Eastern Market now sells locally-grown produce raised by urban farmers in Detroit, unlike the West Side Market, which only has a handful of vendors selling local produce.

Santa Monica's public market also was held up as an example. It offers valet parking for bicycles, works with a nearby cooking school to do demonstrations, and hosts "Meatless Mondays" to educate people about how to cook vegetarian.

And if you're looking for fresh, you can't get much more so than Hong Kong's Tai Yuen Market, which has fish swimming in tanks and live chickens. (The market recently installed a state-of-the-art ventilation system to deal with the offending odors.)

Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman, who touted his experience working in his uncle's butcher shop as a young man, said that change is coming to the market.

"People at the West Side Market are looking too much at last year's calendar," said Cimperman to the audience. "It won't survive unless they look at tomorrow."

Among the changes that have been recommended at the market are adding more local foods, creating more convenient hours and charging for parking. There is a proposal for a parking fee, but city leaders are still negotiating with vendors.

Cimperman vowed to continue the fight for change. "The city's lease with vendors runs out in 2014,"he said. "It's time to look at the market for the next 100 years."


Source: Joe Cimperman, International Public Markets conference
Writer: Lee Chilcote

old brooklyn connected blankets 90% of community with wi-fi

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 20, 2012
There was no shortage of naysayers when Ward 13 Councilman Kevin Kelley and other leaders launched an effort to provide free wireless Internet access to residents of the city's Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Yet three years later, wireless hotspots blanket 90 percent of the neighborhood, and about 20,000 individuals use the service monthly. Kelley says the project could be a model for other areas that are seeking to bridge the digital divide.

"We learned through [Case Western Reserve University's] NEO CANDO program that about 50 percent of the ward had a daily Internet subscription," says Kelley of the impetus behind the Old Brooklyn Connected project, which also offers a community website. "To me, when you look at how people now communicate and look for jobs, or how kids perform in school, that simply wasn't adequate."

Kelley led an effort to hire a contractor that installed wireless equipment throughout the neighborhood. The City of Cleveland, Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland Housing Network and Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation collaborated to train residents how to use computers.

Although the project cost over $800,000 to implement, Kelley says it was well worth it. "We were looking for a way to invest in people," he says. "That's less than two dollars per month per household when you look at it over a five-year period."

Most of the money came from the city, and equipment is expected to last at least five years before it needs an upgrade. The results speak for themselves, he says. "I'm now getting a better signal from my front porch than from paid service."

Kelley hopes the project will also attract new residents. "How do we make Old Brooklyn a young community, a progressive community? This is a tool for doing that."


Source: Kevin Kelley
Writer: Lee Chilcote

new event aims to put flats' rivergate on map as a recreation destination

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 20, 2012
Mention Rivergate Park in the Flats in conversation and you'll likely be met with blank looks. Yet an eclectic alliance of skateboarders, cyclists and urban recreation groups are trying to change that with Rollin' on the River, an event that aims to put Rivergate on the map as a recreation destination.

Rollin' on the River, which takes place Saturday, September 29th at 1785 Merwin Avenue, will bring together skateboarding, cycling and music for an afternoon of fun.

"A lot of change has come to the Flats over the summer and 2013 will hold even more," said Vince Frantz, Executive Director of the skateboarding advocacy organization Public Square Group, in a release. "We wanted to celebrate that and highlight the amazing recreation organizations doing awesome work in the city.”

Rivergate Park is a new, 2.4-acre Cleveland Metropark that lies adjacent to the Columbus Road bridge along the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. The Cleveland Rowing Foundation also owns acreage there which includes its boathouse. In the coming months, there are big plans for this small slice of urban waterfront.

The City of Cleveland will break ground on the long-awaited Crooked River Skatepark by the end of the year. The Metroparks also plans to develop its new park and offer programming that will include adventure sports, canoeing and kayaking. Rivergate Park is already home to the Head of the Cuyahoga regatta race, the Ohio City Bike Co-op and the Cleveland Dragon Boat Association.

The free, all-ages event starts at 2 p.m. with a pop-up skateboard park, dragon boat rides on the river, live music, beer and food. Bike Cleveland is also organizing rides to Rivergate, and a contest will be held for the best bike carrier for a skateboard.


Source: Vince Frantz
Writer: Lee Chilcote

saint luke's foundation eyes greater impact with narrower but deeper grantmaking strategy

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 20, 2012
Like many foundations, the Saint Luke's Foundation in Cleveland has emerged from the recession with a narrower yet deeper approach to grantmaking. Beginning this year, the foundation has eschewed responsive grantmaking for targeted grants in three primary areas: health, communities and families.

"This year our foundation turned 15, and as we thought about what our successes had been and how to serve the community in the best way possible, there was interest in focusing more narrowly," says LaTida Smith, Vice President of Programming, Outcomes and Learning at the foundation.

The change has been both challenging and rewarding. "This year, we're narrowing and doing responsive grantmaking at the same time," says Smith. "There are some projects we've funded in the past that we won't be able to fund anymore, and even though we've narrowed to three areas, those challenges are still broad."

One area where Smith says the foundation has been innovative and successful is in advancing the understanding of community health. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health was awarded a grant to develop its capacity to complete health impact assessments -- basically, determinations of how planning and redevelopment decisions impact neighborhood health -- while the "Place Matters" speaker series at the City Club prompted a broad discussion of place-based health disparities.

Examples of the foundation's changed grantmaking strategy include an increased emphasis on strengthening families -- as opposed to simply helping kids or adults in isolation -- and a strong commitment to the neighborhoods around the former Saint Luke's Hospital (Buckeye, Larchmere and Shaker Square in particular).


Source: LaTida Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote

neighborhood progress keeps open financial education center in buckeye

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 13, 2012
A local nonprofit has folded, but its services will live on. WECO, a community wealth building organization, dissolved this summer -- but thanks to a partnership between Neighborhood Progress Inc. and Key Bank, its Financial Education Center on Buckeye Road will continue to offer services.

"We are working to help neighborhoods regain their financial footing by starting at the very building blocks of community -- the residents," said Joel Ratner, President and CEO of Neighborhood Progress, in a release.

The Key Financial Education Center, which is located next to the Key Bank branch at 11461 Buckeye Road, has helped more than 16,000 individuals gain skills in financial management and personal investment since it opened in 2004. It offers free classes on topics such as credit, saving money and homeownership.

Neighborhood Progress has hired two former WECO employees to continue offering workshops, classes and coaching. Key Bank also has 140 employees that are certified to provide these services at the Center and in the community.


Source: Neighborhood Progress Inc.
Writer: Lee Chilcote

temporary art display at shaker's horseshoe lake dazzles nighttime hikers

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 13, 2012
Horseshoe Lake in Shaker Heights is a great place to take a walk and enjoy the bucolic, well-preserved Shaker Lakes. Now this setting has been made even more beautiful by the addition of glowing lanterns that dangle from trees like glimmering fireflies.

As part of the Shaker Heights Centennial celebration, artist Barry Underwood has created a new public art installation in Horseshoe Lake Park. The light display illuminates the wooded path along South Park Drive between Park Drive and Attleboro. It opened Labor Day weekend and continues until September 17th.

"Barry was commissioned to create the projects to call attention to the unique setting and natural beauty of the lakes, but to do it in a more forward looking way," says Megan Jones of LAND Studio, a nonprofit organization that partnered with the City of Shaker Heights on the project.

In a news release, the City of Shaker Heights described the lighting installation, which includes very contemporary, brightly colored elements, as "otherworldly."

The ephemeral display, which is drawing camera-wielding visitors, is best viewed from the South Park trail. Underwood is a local artist and faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA). He is currently working on projects for the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) and the Cleveland Clinic.


Source: LAND Studio
Writer: Lee Chilcote

community kitchen, fresh-foods cafe and mobile market to serve kinsman neighborhood

Lee Chilcote Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tim Tramble of Burton Bell Carr Development Inc. tried for years to recruit a healthy eatery to the Kinsman neighborhood of Cleveland. When he found an entrepreneur willing to open a Subway here, however, the corporate chain nixed the idea.

The area, which has been dubbed "The Forgotten Triangle" because of the poverty and lack of opportunity rooted here, is a food desert that does not have a grocery store within a one-mile radius. That is a problem for the area's residents, many of whom don't have their own cars.

Faced with this problem, however, Tramble and his coworkers and board decided to open a community kitchen, healthy restaurant and community space. The $1.3 million project, which aims to create access to fresh foods, encourage healthy eating and support community market gardeners, opens later this month.

"This is a really low income neighborhood without much access to personal transportation, and people have to lug groceries and common things we take for granted," says Tramble of the project, which is called the Bridgeport Cafe. "They constantly shop for just two or three days at a time."

The community kitchen contains spacious, restaurant-style food preparation space that will allow neighborhood farmers to prepare their own foods for sale.

Tramble also plans to launch a Mobile Market, a specially built truck converted to an indoor market. Patrons can enter the truck, which will make stops throughout the neighborhood, pick out produce from two aisles, pay for it and exit the truck.


Source: Tim Tramble
Writer: Lee Chilcote

roots of american music brings music education into low-income schools

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 23, 2012
When musician educators with Roots of American Music hold workshops in Cleveland public schools, it almost goes without saying that they are entering a place that doesn't have a full-time music teacher. Most cannot afford to hire full-time music staff, so they rely on part-time faculty and visiting artists.

The 14-year-old nonprofit organization educates more than 15,000 individuals throughout Northeast Ohio each year, teaching social studies, financial literacy and health education through music.

"We do a lot of songwriting about topics that are important to kids," says Kevin Richards, ROAM's Director. "They work with authentic artist-educators who not only can teach but are also bluesmen, Cajun zydeco artists or rappers."

Richards likens ROAM's educational approach to parents who disguise healthy foods to get their kids to eat them. In general, the artists have little trouble convincing kids to participate. "Kids don't realize they're getting an academic message at the same time as they're fooling around with traditional music."

ROAM's curriculum has changed as educational goals have evolved. When Richards created the organization, the focus was on teaching social studies. Today, such staple courses are supplemented with programs about financial literacy and health education (the latter is in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic).

One popular program called "On the Move" teaches students in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland about migration patterns throughout history. Students learn the song "Kansas City" and change the lyrics to fit their family's story.

Roots of American Music will host its 13th annual Benefit for Education on Saturday, October 6th at the Beachland Ballroom. Multi-award-winning Austin singer-songwriter Guy Forsythe is the headliner. The tickets are $125 for VIP access including dinner and preferred seating, or $15 for the concert only.


Source: Kevin Richards
Writer: Lee Chilcote

innovative program helps neighborhoods fight foreclosure and blight

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 23, 2012
An innovative software program developed by the Center for Urban Poverty at Case Western Reserve University is helping Cleveland neighborhood development practitioners reinvent their urban communities in strategic, data-driven ways.

NEO CANDO, a publicly accessible database, provides one-stop-shopping for anyone looking to research property information in their neighborhood. The site allows users to go beyond researching individual properties and look at snapshots of neighborhoods -- including which properties are at risk of foreclosure and which have been condemned. The site also contains social, economic and census data.

"In the past, information was collected from multiple websites, and by the time it was assembled, it was out of date," says Mike Schramm, a Research Associate in the Center on Urban Poverty in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at CWRU. "We bring data together across domains. Our mission is to democratize data and to create data-driven decisions by both nonprofits and government."

In practice, NEO CANDO is used by foreclosure prevention agencies to research which properties are in danger of going into foreclosure. Armed with this info, grassroots groups can knock on the owner's door and attempt to intervene, thus hopefully preventing another vacant, bank-owned home in the neighborhood.

The information is also used to focus on areas with strategic assets in an effort to better protect them. "You need to know that the house across street from that recently rehabbed home is in foreclosure -- and then do something about it."

Projects like NEO CANDO are helping to facilitate a shift within the community development field towards creating more strategic, placemaking investments.


Source: Mike Schramm
Writer: Lee Chilcote

animal advocate groups work together for welfare of tremont strays

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 23, 2012
During a recent Tremont Art Walk, Lisa Turner took a break from running her busy pet store to chase an ailing, stray dog down Professor Avenue. After she and a friend chased it for half an hour, they caught him and took him to Gateway Animal Hospital. The Friends of Cleveland Kennel donated $1,200 for his surgery, and "Buddy" was put up for adoption.

Turner, who opened Tremont Tails earlier this year, isn't the only animal lover in the neighborhood. Tremont has always been a welcoming neighborhood for pet owners, with many of the restaurants allowing dogs on their patios. Scoops Ice Cream even serves doggie ice cream. Tremont animal rescue advocates are also helping to move dogs and cats off the street and into the hands of responsible pet owners.

"The rescue community is overwhelmed, and I saw a need to bring in more volunteers and raise awareness," says Turner of her boutique, which not only sells pet products but also connects people with animals in need of adoption. "We've been well-received by the community, and we have had adoptions here."

Becca Riker, owner of the Mutt Hutt, is another neighborhood rescue advocate. "Tremont is surrounded by dog-friendly amenities, and a lot of people who are interested in urban living want a dog for safety or companionship," says the 20-year Tremont resident, who also helped to create the Clark Field dog park.

Other Tremont organizations that are involved in animal rescue include the Animal Protective League (APL), Friends of Cleveland Kennel and Gateway Animal Clinic (which is well-known for treating rescued dogs and cats).

It's a goal that is shared by the entire community, says Turner, who has a bull mastiff she rescued from the industrial Flats. "Nine out of ten people who walk in here have a mutt. They're all rescued. People here really care about their pets."


Source: Lisa Turner, Becca Riker
Writer: Lee Chilcote

hands on northeast ohio connects volunteers with worthwhile projects

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 16, 2012
Jeff Griffiths launched Hands On Northeast Ohio in 2007 to "train and equip volunteers to be at the center of change in their communities." In 2011, the startup nonprofit organization helped connect nearly 5,000 volunteers with hundreds of worthy projects throughout the Cleveland area.

Last weekend, volunteers prepped bikes at the Ohio City Bike Co-op, served meals to the homeless, delivered meals to seniors, cleaned cat cages, and lended a hand at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.

Hands On Northeast Ohio offers accessible, well-managed opportunities to serve throughout the community. Volunteers attend an orientation session and sign up for opportunities on the group's website. With a point and a click, they can read descriptions of opportunities, find out which ones are available, and sign up.

"People wanted to help, but oftentimes accessing volunteer opportunities was filled with barriers -- the commitment was unrealistic, the training was too cumbersome, or the agency didn't have a way to recruit or train volunteers at all," says Griffiths. "By us managing projects, we make both parties happy."

In addition to 35-plus managed projects per month, Hands On also manages one-day national events such as the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Griffiths says the organization is part of a national network of similar groups. "We saw a need, took a proven model and adapted it locally to our needs here," he says.


Source: Jeff Griffiths
Writer: Lee Chilcote

civic engagement boot camp challenges people to experience cleveland as they've never seen it

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 16, 2012
When Earl Pike of the Cleveland Leadership Center helped design the new Civic Engagement Boot Camp, he tapped the popular national trend of half marathon benefits as a wellspring of inspiration.

"People want to be challenged," he says. "We didn't want to do the typical thing of getting a bunch of young people in a room to listen to an old person pontificate. We wanted to ask people to do something really hard and put their hearts and souls into it."

The result? A one-day civic engagement half marathon, if you will. The Boot Camp starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m.

"At the end, you'll be exhausted and probably smell bad and be a little frayed," says Pike. "But you'll see every major sector of Cleveland and you'll be engaged in a way that changes you, challenges you."

In June, participants held a behind-the-scenes meeting with the editorial board of the Plain Dealer, worked out with an 82-year-old woman, dug in the dirt at Ohio City Farm, went on a bike tour of Cleveland, and honed their improv skills at Cleveland Public Theatre. And that was just part of the day. It concluded with a meeting of area foundation leaders at the Terminal Tower Observation Deck.

The next installment of Boot Camp, titled "Cleveland from dawn to dusk -- like you've never seen it before," will take place Thursday, October 4th. The cost is $500.

"It doesn't really matter what people do: We love seeing people inspired and getting active in whatever domain they choose," says Pike, who says the long-term goal is combining civic engagement with personal growth. "Now we're beginning to look at the coaching that might come after the experience."


Source: Earl Pike
Writer: Lee Chilcote

thrive to host happiness-inducing events aimed at engaging city's residents

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 16, 2012
Thrive Cleveland, a new grassroots "happiness incubator," wants to amaze you. The goal is to provide experiences that are "surprising," "boundary expanding" and "beyond your comfort zone," according to cofounder Scott Simon.

"What we’re doing is creating what you could call a happiness gym," says Simon. "It will be a series of ongoing, curated experiences for Clevelanders. We want to get them to meet other people, be creative and hear from the best and brightest in Cleveland."

The group is composed of 13 Clevelanders who are volunteering their time to create happiness-inducing events aimed at engaging the city's residents.

The first experience, entitled "WTF? (What's That Food?) -- A Local Farm-to-Table Exploration," will take place on Saturday, August 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will meet at Cafe Benice and then travel as a group to the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Farmers Market, where they'll meet with farmers, taste just-picked produce, and learn how fresh food contributes to happiness and well-being. Afterwards, the group will return to Cafe Benice to participate in a hands-on cooking experience utilyzing the farm-fresh foods. 

According to Simon, the event is part of a national movement towards fostering greater happiness in cities across the country. He cites the Happiness Institute in San Francisco and Life Labs NYC in Brooklyn as two comparable organizations.


Source: Scott Simon
Writer: Lee Chilcote

mayor jackson wants development projects to yield greater community benefit

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 09, 2012
Anyone who says that Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson lacks passion or verve when speaking in public hasn't seen him talk about the need to leverage urban development projects to create jobs and opportunities for Clevelanders.

Jackson recently addressed a crowd of 120-plus economic development officials, labor leaders and policy advocates to stress the need for urban development projects in Cleveland that "benefit the least of us and include everyone in prosperity."

"What are we doing for our children? How are we ensuring success?" Jackson asked the crowd. "If it's a matter of having kids who are willing to go into the building trades, well, I got a bunch of kids! I'm not trying to be onerous or impose anything on [developers]. We know that if people do things because they think it's the right thing, we'll get better results."

Jackson spoke last week during the Community Benefits Symposium hosted by the City of Cleveland and Cleveland City Council. Community benefit agreements are agreements between developers or project leaders and municipalities that ensure projects maximize local benefit. This might include hiring of local residents, workforce training efforts that involve youth from the area or other efforts.

The city already has requirements in place mandating that all projects that receive more than $10,000 in city funding must meet hiring requirements for a certain percentage of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises and Cleveland-Area Small Businesses (CSBs). City projects over $100,000 must also comply with the "Fannie Lewis Law" mandating that 20 percent of construction worker hours be performed by residents.

Unfortunately, the city's existing policies aren't as comprehensive, effective or inclusive as many advocates would  like them to be, Jackson said. Too many private sector projects slip through the cracks, and the laws themselves only apply to projects using public funding. Jackson cited the construction of 300-plus apartments by Polaris Real Estate Equities on the Cleveland State University campus as one example where the city can do better. Some leaders were upset because the developer did not hire many workers who live in Cleveland.

The goal now is to take the city's existing community benefit policies to the next level, Jackson said. "What we're doing now is pulling the pieces together."

Exactly what that means is still being worked out, but the purpose of the symposium was to bring local leaders together to hear from national leaders in the community benefits movement. A key study of disparity in hiring practices is being released this month. Jackson said the city will be crafting a more comprehensive community benefit policy based on its results.


Source: Frank Jackson
Writer: Lee Chilcote

case researchers discover gene that stops cancer cell proliferation

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 09, 2012
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that could stop the proliferation of cancer cells in patients without the need for toxic chemotherapy.

The researchers discovered a mutant form of the gene Chk1. When expressed in cancer cells, it halted their proliferation and killed them. The finding that artificially activating Chk1 alone is enough to kill cancer cells is unprecedented.

"We have identified a new direction for cancer therapy... leading us to a reduction in toxicity in cancer therapy, compared with chemotherapy or radiation therapy," said Dr. Youwei Zhang, Assistant Professor with the Department of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine and a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a release. "With this discovery, scientists could stop the proliferation of cancer cells, allowing physicians time to fix cells and genetic errors."

If the researchers' strategy pans out, then cancer patients could potentially be treated by activating Chk1 in cancer cells, rather than using chemotherapy.

Future research by Dr. Zhang and his team will focus on approaches to artificially activating Chk1 in cancer cells.


Source: CWRU School of Medicine
Writer: Lee Chilcote

larchmere resident runs urban school of self-defense to engage youth

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 09, 2012
It's not unusual for former students to approach Larchmere resident Joe Golden on the street and tell him how much they enjoyed taking his classes. The 60-year-old Cleveland resident has been teaching martial arts out of The Golden School of Urban Self-Defense -- a dojo located in his basement -- for several decades now.

"In the black community, there are a lot of young people who don't have any dads in the house," says Golden. "They're missing a key component for growing up: a male role model. We go in and be that role model for them. We're their dad."

Golden stresses that he teaches people "where they're at" and that his classes are not solely about self-defense, but also about building stamina, endurance, determination and self-confidence to succeed in adverse conditions.

Now that he's retired, Golden teaches classes full-time out of his home and also at Elizabeth Baptist Church, which is located in the former St. Hyacinth Church in Slavic Village. "Kids used to play basketball on our property, and we didn't want that, so instead we opened a gym. Soon, we had 50 to 60 kids in there everyday."

In the long term, Golden's dream is to open up a small storefront on Larchmere Boulevard where he can offer additional self-defense classes to the community.


Source: Joe Golden
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Photo: Kate Montgomery

euclid beach blast helps to envision future of treasured cleveland landmark

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 02, 2012
Stephen Love got involved in helping to clean up Euclid Beach Park when he visited his grandmother in North Collinwood and was shocked by its neglect.

"I visited the state parks and the beaches were terrible," says the Cleveland Heights resident, who works as an Information Specialist at the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "It was a wakeup call to see how I could get more involved."

To capitalize on the artistic energy of the Waterloo Arts District and draw people to Collinwood's diamond-in-the-rough beaches, Love helped organize the first Euclid Beach Blast in 2011. The one-day festival explored the area's relationship with its lakefront parks and challenged visitors to envision a better future.

"The Euclid Beach amusement park defines the past, but this event is really about what you could do in this space," says Love. "We have installations, performance art, murals and pop-up activities. We want people to learn about water quality."

The second annual Euclid Beach Blast takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 4th. Activities include making your own trash art with Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, workshops, games, music, biking and skateboarding. There also will be an after-party with live music at the Beachland Ballroom.

Love and the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team also organize regular monthly cleanups of North Collinwood's beaches. Love says that the long-term solution is for the Cleveland Metroparks to take over management from the State of Ohio, which has deferred maintenance. Recently, the group launched an Urban Beach Ambassador program in partnership with Friends of Edgewater State Park.

"We want to help people take ownership of cleaning up the beach on their own, even if they can't attend the monthly cleanups," says Love.


Source: Stephen Love
Writer: Lee Chilcote

new clinic gives west side better access to quality primary care

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 02, 2012
With mounting evidence that a shortage of primary health care access is one key contributor to health disparities in the U.S., a Cleveland-based health center is plugging a local gap by opening a new primary care clinic on the city's west side.

"To us, health care is having a regular source of care, a place where you can get in to see the doctor or nurse practitioner the day you need service, the first place you turn," says Jean Polster, Executive Director of Neighborhood Family Practice, which is based on Ridge Road in the Stockyards neighborhood. The new clinic will be located in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. "When we looked at the city's west side, we felt that there was more need for primary care than existed."

Neighborhood Family Practice is a federally-qualified health center, which means that it receives federal funding, is governed by a board consisting of at least 51 percent patient users, and is a community-based nonprofit group. It also offers comprehensive services and treats all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, federally-qualified health centers like NFP will play an even larger role in the community as sources of primary care. Recent studies have shown that there is a shortage in primary care physicians and nurse practitioners nationwide. Polster says that while NFP is expanding with an eye on health care reform, it will continue to serve patients if the law changes.

"Access to high-quality primary care really important to keeping communities healthy," she says. "But we're doing it because we saw a big community need. Ultimately, our ability to sustain growth may be tied to health care reform."

The new facility is the result of a partnership between Lutheran Hospital, which holds the lease on the site, and area foundations. The Mount Sinai Foundation, George Gund Foundation and Saint Luke's Foundation all provided grants.

NFP's new clinic, located at W. 65th and Franklin, opens on August 14th.


Source: Jean Polster
Writer: Lee Chilcote

city of cleveland hosts sustainable economic development symposium

Lee Chilcote Thursday, August 02, 2012
The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have invested millions of dollars in public money to help make urban development projects happen over the years. But do they provide the maximum benefit to the taxpayers paying for them?

Amanda Woodrum, a researcher at the liberal think tank Policy Matters, says that Northeast Ohio leaders have not always maximized the public benefits of development projects. Yet cities like Cleveland have a tool at their disposal called Community Benefit Agreements to help ensure the public gets the biggest bang for its buck when it comes to public subsidies.

"Community Benefit Agreements involve an economic development approach that balances the three E’s of sustainability: environment, equity and economy," says Woodrum. "One of the biggest things is ensuring that the workforce involved is hired locally. The second thing is that it is diverse and reflective of the population as a whole. There are other questions, too. Are we behaving responsibly towards the environment? Is there access to the development site for public transit?"

Woodrum adds, "The whole process is done in a very open discussion in which key stakeholders come together. There is a movement nationally to do development this way. In many cases, anchor institutions are voluntarilyy creating such agreements because they recognize that they have stake in community."

Woodrum stated that the City of Cleveland does not have a comprehensive policy towards creating Community Benefit Agreements with developers, and that the absence of such a policy can lead to inconsistent results. She cited the Horseshoe Casino as a potential model project due to its local hiring practices; on the other hand, a new housing development at Cleveland State University has drawn ire from the local building trades union for its failure to hire local workers.

To generate a discussion about Community Benefit Agreements in Cleveland, Policy Matters has helped to organize a daylong symposium with local and national experts at Cuyahoga Community College on Friday, August 3rd. The event is cosponsored by the City of Cleveland and Cleveland City Council.

"If the stakeholders coming to the table decide it makes sense, we’d like to move forward with building a policy that ensures whenever city subsidizes development in any meaninging way, we’re maximizing value to community," says Woodrum.


Source: Amanda Woodrum
Writer: Lee Chilcote

morgan conservatory preserves, shares lost art of papermaking

Lee Chilcote Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tucked away on a hard-to-find, one-way street in a neighborhood full of worker cottages and hulking industrial buildings is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to preserving the art of papermaking.

Wending your way to the Morgan Conservatory, sandwiched between a factory and aluminum-sided Colonials on East 47th Street off of Commerce Avenue, is like traveling into a forgotten world. It's the perfect warm-up to a venue that celebrates paper in an increasingly paperless society.

The gallery and educational center offers classes in the basic process of pulling handmade paper, more complex processes such as pulp painting, the art of sculptural 3D papermaking, Korean and other Asian papermaking techniques, and historic bookbinding techniques such as creating double-book structures.

The mission of the nonprofit Morgan Conservatory is to provide instruction in the art of handmade papermaking, book arts, letterpress arts and silk screening. Despite the increasing popularity if the iPad and other paperless devices, classes are often full. The conservatory also seeks to become a hub and resource center that will keep artists in Cleveland and offer workshops to students of all ages.

"The best part for me is seeing young people get involved," says Tom Balbo, Executive Director of the Morgan Conservatory. "This kind of facility is rare in any part of the country, and there are only a handful of similar facilities. Cleveland offers the affordability to do this; none of the others are nearly this large."

The Morgan Conservatory incorporates many sustainability efforts. Workers capture rainwater on site and uses it to water the garden. Additionally, the venue recycles a wide array of materials, converting many of the items into paper.

Currently, the gallery features work by artists Qian Li and Don Lisy which will be on display through August 26th. The conservatory is located at 1754 E. 47th Street.


Source: The Morgan Conservatory
Writer: Lee Chilcote

300-plus young pros donate 1,200 hours of service to area urban gardens

Lee Chilcote Thursday, July 26, 2012
On Thursday, July 18th, more than 300 volunteers rolled up their shirtsleeves and got their hands dirty during the recent "Summer of Service" event hosted by Business Volunteers Unlimited. The event engaged young professionals in maintaining urban farms and gardens to support the regional food economy.

Some of the projects included constructing hoop houses and helping to maintain a .4-acre forest garden at Community Greenhouse Partners; working as an "urban farm hand for a day" in Detroit Shoreway by building garden beds and fencing; harvesting blueberries for the Cuyahoga Valley Farmers Market; and building a community garden at the Free Clinic. 

“Forty five of our interns volunteered at Schady Road Farm in Olmsted Township for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities,” said Lisa Johnson, Corporate Responsibility Manager with Hyland Software, in a news release. “BVU’s ‘Done in a Day’ program is a great example of how our employees get out there and flex their muscles to help our community. They love it.”

“BVU works with employers year-round to engage their employees in meaningful volunteer service,” added Brian Broadbent, BVU’s president and CEO. “Our annual Summer of Service event is specifically targeted as an opportunity for employers to connect their interns and young professionals to community service.”

The tally at the end of a long day of volunteering was quite impressive: A collective 1,200 hours of service valued at more than $26,000, says BVU.


Source: Business Volunteers Unlimited
Writer: Lee Chilcote

this friday's critical mass ride to be largest yet, with 500-plus expected

Lee Chilcote Thursday, July 26, 2012
The phenomenon of 400-plus cyclists riding past East 4th Street, where diners at Lola and other high-end restaurants have valet-parked their cars, is not something you see every day in Cleveland.

But you do see it once a month -- the last Friday of the month, to be exact. That's when Cleveland Critical Mass, a free monthly ride in which cyclists travel en masse through the streets of downtown and other city neighborhoods, kicks off from Public Square at 7 p.m. Riders normally conclude at a low-key tavern, where the revelry continues.

The Friday, July 27th Critical Mass event, which coincides with a new, day-long event dubbed Car-Free Friday, promises to be one of the biggest yet. Organizer Shawn Mariani, who works at Parker Hannifin, hopes to best the 500 mark.

"When I joined Critical Mass in 2008, we had about 5 to 10 people," says Mariani. "Just through word of mouth, social networking and the Internet, we've been able to grow it based on people going out, having a good time and bringing friends."

Mariani says Critical Mass is a non-intimidating ride that encourages people to get on their bikes and patronize local businesses in the city. "It's a safe ride and all riders are welcome," he says. "We get people on tandems and BMX bikes, too. It's a way to meet people and see parts of the city you might not see otherwise."

This Friday's ride will wrap up at the Cleveland Velodrome. Riders are also invited to check out the Street Repair music festival at East 55th and Broadway Ave.


Source: Shawn Mariani
Writer: Lee Chilcote

trinity urban service corps engages young people to make cle a better place

Lee Chilcote Thursday, July 26, 2012
One year ago, six interns from Dallas, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Boston, Baltimore and Jewett, Ohio, came to Cleveland to participate in the inaugural year of Trinity Urban Service Corps, a project of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Cleveland.

The goal of the program is to engage young people in nonprofit service work that improves the City of Cleveland. It also seeks to build community among members, stimulate faith development and help young people discern their career paths.

Adam Spencer, who organized the program for Trinity Cathedral, says it has been successful and is expanding to eight interns in its second year. A new crop of service corps members are scheduled to arrive in town next month.

"This program is all about working to make the city a better place," says Spencer, a Northeast Ohio native who loves playing the role of tour guide in his hometown. "The service corps members help to do the work we desperately need done in Cleveland. The program also gets young people interested in the city and its issues, and it shows them all the wonderful stuff that's going on here."

Trinity's service corps members live communally in a house in Detroit Shoreway. The program pays for their housing, transportation and health care and provides a modest stipend and shared allowance for groceries and utilities. Interns are encouraged to use public transportation as a way to navigate the city.

Some of the work sites included Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, West Creek Preservation Committee and Leadership Cleveland. Service corps members performed tasks ranging from community organizing to working with homeless men to organizing the Cleveland Mow Goats project.

The Trinity Urban Service Corps is part of a network of similar urban service corps that are organized by Episcopal congregations across the country.


Source: Adam Spencer
Writer: Lee Chilcote

somo leadership labs aims to bring positive psychology to cleveland

Lee Chilcote Thursday, July 19, 2012
Louis Alloro isn't the first non-native to touch down in Northeast Ohio and notice that Cleveland could use a collective mood lift, but he is pioneering a new effort to bring the science of happiness to Northeast Ohio.

The New York City native, who holds a Master's degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania (he is one of the first 100 people in the world to hold this degree), discovered Cleveland's mild mood disorder when he visited his best friend here a few years ago. As soon as he set foot in the city, he had "a visceral sense that positive psychology would work really well here," he says.

After attending the Sustainable Cleveland conference in 2009, Alloro formed key partnerships with other Cleveland leaders interested in positive psychology. Soon afterwards, he relocated here and launched SOMO Cleveland, a project of SOMO Leadership Labs, which aims to "find and leverage the Social-Emotional (SOMO) Leaders around town, those who share a vision for a more positive future."

Recently, SoMo Cleveland hosted a screening of the documentary film "Happy." This film presents the argument that happiness stems not from one's material possessions, but from cultivating a sense of community, fostering experiences and personal connections, and giving back to other people. The film delves into the increasingly sophisticated science of happiness to show that income and material possessions account for only a modest amount of one's level of happiness.

The film also suggests that many Americans, who tend to privilege wealth above community building, relationship building and altruism as a means of creating happiness, are misguided. The science of happiness is directly applicable to Cleveland, Alloro says, because training people to seek happiness within themselves will lead to a stronger city focused on "positive self-growth."

Each month, SOMO Cleveland is hosting a series of free learning labs, book club discussions and film discussions, among other events, to engage Clevelanders.

"We want to give people experiences that help them build their own psychological muscle, then measure how they become more effective change agents," says Alloro. "We want to create an energy that promotes a viral sweep of well-being."


Source: Louis Alloro
Writer: Lee Chilcote