Connelly Rice
Karin Connelly Rice

Stories by: Karin Connelly Rice

Karin Connelly Rice enjoys telling people's stories, whether it's a promising startup or a life's passion. Over the past 20 years she has reported on the local business community for publications such as Inside Business and Cleveland Magazine. She was editor of the Rocky River/Lakewood edition of In the Neighborhood and was a reporter and photographer for the Amherst News-Times. At Fresh Water she enjoys telling the stories of Clevelanders who are shaping and embracing the business and research climate in Cleveland.
Five houses in eight days: Habitat for Humanity and Ply Gem transform blighted Buckeye homes
Yulonda Amey and her three children, Nayira, 16, Ni’Shawn, 13, and Richard, nine, will be moving in to one of five Buckeye neighborhood houses recently renovated by North Carolina-based Ply Gem, a leading manufacturer of exterior building products, and the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity as part of Ply Gem’s Home for Good project.
Beauty Shoppe opens coworking location in Ohio City’s historic Seymour Building
Cleveland's small business community is buzzing with the opening of Beauty Shoppe, a 24-hour coworking and office space designed to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and the accompanying Foyer coffee shop. Both entities are located in the burgeoning Seymour Building, which was originally constructed in 1876 and now springing back to life via the Snavely Group.
Ohio City Masonic Center ready to be reimagined as a rock climbing center, yoga hub, and maker space
A Lyndhurst native and St. Ignatius alum, Kevin Wojton left the Cleveland area for a technology career in New York and Hong Kong. But his true love is rock climbing, having even becoming a sponsored athlete in the sport—and his mission is to spread that love by bringing the ultimate rock climbing experience to Cleveland.
Getting down to the roots of Cleveland's first African-American "surrogate suburbs"
This Saturday, Surrogate Suburbs author Todd Michney will lead a guided bus tour hosted by the Cleveland Restoration Society. Titled "The Roots of Black Sub-Urbanization," the tour will dive deep into the rich histories of the Mount Pleasant, Lee-Harvard, and Lee-Seville (Miles Heights) neighborhoods. “It’s basically about the struggle to achieve the American Dream,” Michney says. “It’s the history of Cleveland’s Black middle class and looking toward the edge of the city for African Americans [who] started moving in the early 1900s."
Construction to begin on a tiny, yet complex, section of Towpath Trail
Stage One of the Towpath Trail Extension Project—an effort to connect 100 miles of biking and hiking paths from New Philadelphia to the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland—is scheduled to get underway next week, and the public is invited to attend a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday, July 30, at Steelyard Commons.
Here's the scoop on Mason’s Creamery’s upcoming morning dance party
Just as there are few things more refreshing than a scoop of ice cream from Ohio City-based Mason's Creamery on a hot summer night, owners Helen Qin and Jesse Mason think perhaps the one thing Clevelanders need to get them though the work week is an early morning dance party.
A design lover's inside look at the newly renovated Agora Theatre & Ballroom
The newly renovated Agora is ready to rock. On Monday, July 23, the 1913 building complex at 5000 Euclid Ave.—best known since 1986 as the Agora Theatre & Ballroom—officially opens to the public. With more than $3 million in improvements and renovations made in the past year, Agora owner AEG Presents has brought the Cleveland Agora into the 21st Century while restoring the building to the original glory of the 1913 Metropolitan Theatre opera house, the emergence of pioneering rock-and-roll radio, and the debuts of countless rock performers.
Breakwater Bluffs poised to become CLE's newest lakefront living hotspot
When Knez Homes broke ground last spring on the first phase of Breakwater Bluffs (high-end townhomes on the shores of Lake Erie at W. 58th Street and Breakwater Boulevard), the Gordon Square Arts District was just coming into the spotlight as one of Cleveland’s hot new redeveloped neighborhoods. A little more than a year after construction began, Breakwater Bluffs completed phase one about two months ago—featuring five traditional homes (known as The Bluffs) and nine townhomes (known as Skyline).
CIA's new Great Lakes Research exhibition puts the region's art culture FRONT and center
Certain images may come to mind when considering the art culture in different parts of the United States—the East and West Coasts, or the Desert Southwest. But what stands out about artistic culture in the Great Lakes region? That's exactly what Michelle Grabner set out to explore when she launched a yearlong tour of artists’ studios around the Great Lakes last year, investigating the heart of the Rust Belt and its influence on the art created in major cities.
CLE native Dale Schwartz comes home to open his 10th Pinstripes location
When the bowling and bocce balls start rolling this weekend at the new Pinstripes at Pinecrest, it will also mark a homecoming for owner Dale Schwartz as he opens the doors to his 10th location. Memories of bowling at the iconic Pepper Lanes—now replaced with Eton Chagrin—helped spawn the idea to create his classic bowling, bocce, and bistro chains across the country, and Schwartz is thrilled to return to his roots.
New UH medical center on the leading edge of community healthcare in Midtown
University Hospitals has opened the doors to its new 40,000-square-foot, three-story community healthcare facility: the UH Rainbow Center for Women and Children. Located at the corner of Euclid Avenue and E. 59th Street, the center will follow a unique healthcare model that will not only offer complete medical care to patients, but also serve as a community resource to meet the demands of the neighborhood.
Heroes unite in Public Square to mark major fundraising milestone for United Way
For more than 100 years, officials at United Way of Greater Cleveland have worked tirelessly to make sure local children get a quality education; help residents find food, shelter, and transportation; find jobs for those seeking to rise out of poverty; and tackle prevalent issues around health, substance abuse, and violence. Through all their work, the United Way acknowledges who the true heroes are in the organization’s mission: the people of Cleveland. This evening, the organization recognized those “superheroes” by urging the community to come fly their hero capes at a thank-you event in Public Square.
Old Brooklyn's Crooked River Exploration Camp will connect city kids to CVNP
Kids in Cleveland’s neighborhoods don’t always get a chance to experience all nature has to offer in the summer months. Officials in Old Brooklyn want to change that factor and introduce elementary school students to the abundance of beauty in their own backyards with the brand-new Crooked River Exploration Camp, which will showcase all Cuyahoga Valley National Park has to offer.
Hue Jackson wants to make the world a safer place for human trafficking victims—starting with CLE
Although Ohio ranks fourth in the country for reports of human trafficking cases, there are just six beds available in Cleveland for rescued victims of modern-day slavery—and all six beds are in Cleveland’s Salvation Army Zelma George Family Shelter. Starting in July, Cleveland will have a total of 18 beds for human trafficking victims—thanks to a joint effort by the Hue Jackson Foundation and the Salvation Army Northeast Ohio Division.
Metroparks sails into a new era with first phase completion of historic Coast Guard complex
A historic U.S. Coast Guard station is now serving a new purpose following Cleveland Metroparks' first phase of renovations on the 1940 three-building complex. Situated on West Pier at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Whiskey Island, the station is now home to some of The Foundry’s sailing programs and the Metroparks' learn-to-sail classes, as well as an ideal location to appreciate Lake Erie’s beauty.
Cleveland's baby boomers will soon have better healthcare in the neighborhoods that need it most
Almost 20 percent of Clevelanders are over age 60, with another 15 percent between 50 and 60 years old. Cleveland’s population is aging, and with that comes the need for comprehensive healthcare. Chicago-based Oak Street Health is answering that call with plans to open three healthcare centers this fall in medically underserved Cleveland neighborhoods.
Salvation Army fights the war on hunger in West Park with produce distribution
For the fifth year in a row, the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland West Park Corps is waging war on food deserts in the West Park neighborhood by partnering with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank for its first Free Produce Giveaway of the summer. The West Park branch of the Salvation Army will give away 24,000 pounds of fresh produce on Friday, June 15, at its offices (12645 Lorain Ave.) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cain Park celebrates 80 years of outdoor arts in Cleveland Heights
For 80 years, Cain Park in Cleveland Heights has entertained audiences under the stars with quality theatre, nationally-known musical and comedy acts, and arts showcases. Read our retrospective of the outdoor amphitheater's history and highlights here.
West Elm opens in Pinecrest with a local twist
Even through the popular retailer has stores in more than 85 cities nationwide, West Elm's arrival in Cleveland has a local spin. In addition to its selection of home goods and decor, the 11,000 square feet store carries a selection of goods from eight Ohio makers—five of which are based in the Cleveland area—and boasts a décor that gives a nod to Cleveland’s manufacturing history.
Lake Erie starts here: Why Cleveland Heights storm drains will soon have a new look
Throwing anything down a sewer is the equivalent of throwing that item—be it dog waste, motor oil, lawn fertilizer, or other contaminants—into Lake Erie itself. The Doan Brook Watershed Partnership wants residents to keep in mind that Lake Erie actually does begin on their streets, no matter how far from the shores they are, and they're taking the first step with a Storm Drain Stenciling project slated for Saturday, June 16.