From vintage Springsteen covers to old cigar boxes, David Lackey reanimates objects by transforming them into handcrafted one-of-a-kind guitars.

Fresh Water contributor Nikki Delamotte offers up a perfect slice of Cleveland with an insider's tour of the Cedar-Lee neighborhood.

Meet Italo Gonzalez. He rides 6.6 miles to work most every day – including those marked by rain, sleet and snow. And he's not alone.

Carlos Jones of I–tal, First Light and the PLUS Band is now serving up a steaming cup of joe alongside his legendary reggae efforts.

On July 27, 1981, the Inn on Coventry opened amid the chaos of the Coventry Village Street Fair, offering a simple menu of eggs, breakfast meats and $1 pancakes. After 35 years on the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights, diner owners Debbie Duirk and Mary Haley are still serving "comfort food at comfortable prices," and have no plans on stopping anytime soon.
 
To celebrate, the dine-amic duo will be dishing up tasty grub at 1981 prices during a July 27 "Throwback Wednesday" anniversary event. Hungry attendees can arrive for the free coffee and $1 buttermilk pancakes, and stay for raffle prizes including diner gift certificates and an authentic Coca-Cola bike.
 
"This (anniversary) shows our success and how many great people we've met along the way," says Duirk.
 
The three-generation, family-friendly neighborhood restaurant was initially founded as the "in place to be" by Duirk and her business partner. Haley's mother, Amy, served as the establishment's first chef, helping cement the Inn's iconic status with her banana orange waffles and other scrumptious goodies until she passed away in 1997.
 
While banana orange waffles are no longer available, the Inn's vast menu has nine different versions of Eggs Benedict as well as a variety of spicy selections including huevos rancheros. 
 
"We say we're still doing home-style cooking after all these years," Duirk says.
 
In preparation for the anniversary festivities, the Inn will close from July 11 to July 23, using that time to add new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint. When reopened, the diner will look much the same as it did on that July day over three decades ago, Duirk promises.
 
The years in between have seen the Heights' very own "breakfast Cheers bar" fill bellies at a fair price. Not all those days have been easy ones, either. Duirk recalls a fire in the district that closed the Inn for several months in the mid-80s. Then there were the street remodelings in the 90s that made it difficult to attract customers. And of course, the loss of Haley's mother a week before her 97th birthday was a blow to the owners and patrons alike.
 
Despite it all, the Inn has persevered as a Cleveland Heights institution that Duirk looks forward to shepherding along for another 35 years. The diner's success can be ascribed to a few simple yet critically important reasons, its co-owner says. 
 
"Quality, consistency, cleanliness and a hospitable staff that makes you feel like you're home," says Duirk. "That's what people look for when they go out to eat." 

Tucked into unlikely corners across the city, small urban farmers aim to turn food deserts into oases of fresh produce and community engagement.

The nationally syndicated columnist chats about the state of feminism in America, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Dropping that plastic water bottle into a recycling bin is just the beginning of the story. And far too often, we're all making big recycling mistakes.

Fresh Water invites readers to enjoy this unique round-up of neighbors that you've likely never met even though they've been around longer than the oldest Clevelander you know.

Meet urban winemakers and visit a vineyard in an unlikely corner of the city in this closer look at NEO's fledgling winemaking movement.

A whirlwind tour of Cleveland with zip lines, sailboats, and bicycles; uptown, downtown and midtown - all packed into a wee two and a half minutes!

The Cedar Taylor Development Association (CTDA) would like to commission a permanent art installation for the Cedar Taylor Business District. The budget is $3,000.
 
The art must be installed in the Cleveland Heights portion of the Cedar Taylor business district. Artists are invited to submit any range of concepts, from mural to sculpture. No specific medium is preferred.
 
The CTDA board of directors will vote on the entries to determine three finalists. Those three proposals will be voted on via the CTDA Facebook page over a one-week period. The finalists will be posted separately and the one with the highest number of “likes” will be the winner. 
 
Proposals are due by April 30 and should be submitted via email to the president of the CTDA board of directors, Kevin Smith.
 
Get all the details here.
 

Nine American boxers stepped into the ring on Thursday at the Americas Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eight were hoping to exit as United States Olympians, but only four accomplished that feat including 18-year-old Charles Conwell of Cleveland Heights, who is now officially off to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
 
"It feels wonderful," Conwell said. "It’s a dream come true."
 
Get the whole story here.

A young local entrepreneur is on the verge of introducing a unique portable studio to the world and giving everyone a chance to be a professional recording artist, wherever they may be.
 

On Friday, April 1, Big Fun, the uber-quirky toy store at 1814 Coventry Rd., will mark its 25th anniversary. To celebrate, every item in the store will be discounted 25 percent and customers will be invited to enjoy a slice of cake.

The store will feature special giveaways, gifts and entertainment throughout the weekend, with a 15 percent discount offered on Saturday’s purchases, and a 10 percent discount offered on Sunday.

Get the whole big and fun story here.