Detroit Shoreway
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has seen increases in bus and transit ridership for nine months straight, and the number of riders on the Red Line in January was the highest since 1988.
Yet this month, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a surface transportation bill known as H.R. 7 that would eliminate dedicated federal funds for public transit across the country.
RTA is advocating against the cuts by working with Representative Steven LaTourette and other members of Congress to promote an amendment that would restore federally guaranteed funding.
"If you leave it up to chance that public transit gets funded, that's a big chance to take," says Mary McCahon, RTA's Media Relations Manager. The change would require agencies to lobby for federal funding each year, she says. "We provide 200,000 rides per day, and federal funding is our third biggest revenue source."
McCahon says that while the bill has been tabled, it is scheduled to come back to the floor of the House of Representatives for further discussion this week.
RTA's increased ridership is due in part to higher gas prices and ongoing Innerbelt construction, McCahon says. Improved marketing efforts, partnerships with businesses and the popularity of the Health Line are also factors.
For more information about H.R. 7 and the ongoing federal transportation bill debate, visit the RTA newsroom or American Public Transit Association website.
Source: Mary McCahon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet this month, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a surface transportation bill known as H.R. 7 that would eliminate dedicated federal funds for public transit across the country.
RTA is advocating against the cuts by working with Representative Steven LaTourette and other members of Congress to promote an amendment that would restore federally guaranteed funding.
"If you leave it up to chance that public transit gets funded, that's a big chance to take," says Mary McCahon, RTA's Media Relations Manager. The change would require agencies to lobby for federal funding each year, she says. "We provide 200,000 rides per day, and federal funding is our third biggest revenue source."
McCahon says that while the bill has been tabled, it is scheduled to come back to the floor of the House of Representatives for further discussion this week.
RTA's increased ridership is due in part to higher gas prices and ongoing Innerbelt construction, McCahon says. Improved marketing efforts, partnerships with businesses and the popularity of the Health Line are also factors.
For more information about H.R. 7 and the ongoing federal transportation bill debate, visit the RTA newsroom or American Public Transit Association website.
Source: Mary McCahon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Nearly 60 percent of newly-created jobs require a postsecondary degree, yet only six percent of Cleveland residents hold an associate's degree and just eight percent hold a bachelor's degree.
This stark statistic is one of the driving forces behind the fledgling Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, an unprecedented collaboration among 15 colleges and universities, 25 nonprofit organizations, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga County. This new effort seeks to boost the number of college graduates in Northeast Ohio.
"Every day, there are 3,000 jobs that the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Summa Health Center can't fill," explains Lee Friedman, CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, a member organization of the Compact. "If you can't increase educational attainment, then you can't fill jobs. At some point, if these organizations can't find talent, then they can't grow."
While this lofty goal is hardly unusual or unique, what makes the Compact stand out is its regional approach towards addressing the higher education gap. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is increasingly touting the benefits of addressing such problems on a regional level. Cuyahoga County has not historically been involved in education, yet Executive Ed Fitzgerald has joined the Compact. Until now, the colleges and universities involved in the Compact also have not worked together to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.
"It truly takes a village to help students get to school and graduate from school," says Friedman. "Many of the young people we're helping are first generation college students who don't have anyone to help them get on that path. The commitment of these university presidents is truly best in class."
The goal of the Higher Education Compact is to ensure that students are ready for, have access to and graduate from college. To achieve this goal, leaders will create student-focused action plans, educate the community on why college is important, help students become college ready, link them with scholarship and financial aid opportunities and create a College Success Dashboard that measures results.
Source: Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Lee Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This stark statistic is one of the driving forces behind the fledgling Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, an unprecedented collaboration among 15 colleges and universities, 25 nonprofit organizations, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga County. This new effort seeks to boost the number of college graduates in Northeast Ohio.
"Every day, there are 3,000 jobs that the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Summa Health Center can't fill," explains Lee Friedman, CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, a member organization of the Compact. "If you can't increase educational attainment, then you can't fill jobs. At some point, if these organizations can't find talent, then they can't grow."
While this lofty goal is hardly unusual or unique, what makes the Compact stand out is its regional approach towards addressing the higher education gap. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is increasingly touting the benefits of addressing such problems on a regional level. Cuyahoga County has not historically been involved in education, yet Executive Ed Fitzgerald has joined the Compact. Until now, the colleges and universities involved in the Compact also have not worked together to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.
"It truly takes a village to help students get to school and graduate from school," says Friedman. "Many of the young people we're helping are first generation college students who don't have anyone to help them get on that path. The commitment of these university presidents is truly best in class."
The goal of the Higher Education Compact is to ensure that students are ready for, have access to and graduate from college. To achieve this goal, leaders will create student-focused action plans, educate the community on why college is important, help students become college ready, link them with scholarship and financial aid opportunities and create a College Success Dashboard that measures results.
Source: Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Lee Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Steven Peffer cannot easily explain why he calls his new record shop House Frau; he just likes the German-sounding name, which reminds him of dark, wood-paneled bars and frothy steins of beer. Yet the entrepreneur has a crystal-clear view of why he's opening a vinyl record store in a digitally-oriented economy: Shoppers are hungry for tangible shopping experiences, he says, and there's a viable niche market for new and used records.
"Sure, you can fire up a website, sit around in your boxer shorts and look for music on your computer. But I think people want more of an experience," says Peffer, a sound engineer at Now That's Class, a punk club on Detroit Avenue near the Lakewood border. "People took shopping for granted in the past, but now I believe bricks and mortar stores can be successful because they stand out."
Peffer says House Frau will sell new and used records featuring selections of punk, synth, jazz and blues. The store, which opens this month, will also offer curated records from plenty of other genres. Peffer recently finished building record crates and was amazed at how much good stuff he was able to pack into the cozy, 434-square-foot shop. (You'll have to bring your own German beer, though.)
The launch of House Frau continues the renaissance of indie shops on Cleveland's near west side, which has seen dozens of new stores open in the last few years.
Source: Steve Peffer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Sure, you can fire up a website, sit around in your boxer shorts and look for music on your computer. But I think people want more of an experience," says Peffer, a sound engineer at Now That's Class, a punk club on Detroit Avenue near the Lakewood border. "People took shopping for granted in the past, but now I believe bricks and mortar stores can be successful because they stand out."
Peffer says House Frau will sell new and used records featuring selections of punk, synth, jazz and blues. The store, which opens this month, will also offer curated records from plenty of other genres. Peffer recently finished building record crates and was amazed at how much good stuff he was able to pack into the cozy, 434-square-foot shop. (You'll have to bring your own German beer, though.)
The launch of House Frau continues the renaissance of indie shops on Cleveland's near west side, which has seen dozens of new stores open in the last few years.
Source: Steve Peffer
Writer: Lee Chilcote
As the number of local bike commuters continues to increase, so too does the number of savvy entrepreneurs who serve and service them. In recent years, a mini boom of bike-based businesses has developed across Northeast Ohio, including frame builders, messenger bag makers, rickshaw drivers and an indoor bike park that attracts visitors from throughout the Midwest.
Grace Brothers, a seven-acre nursery and garden store in Broadview Heights that previously relied upon the suburban market, is vying for a new, urban market. This month, the family-owned company will open a gardening, farming and pet store in the growing Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Cleveland's west side.
"We were selling to the new home market and kind of living the bubble, but then it evaporated over the last four years and things came to a standstill," says Kevin Grace, who co-owns the company with his brother, Don Grace. "We saw the revitalization happening on the near west side, and attended the GardenWalk Cleveland and saw how people take an interest in their yard. We definitely believe there's an underserved market here that's grown in the last few years."
When the dust settles on their renovation work, the pair will open Grace Brothers Farm, Garden and Pet in a vacant storefront at W. 65th Street and Fir Avenue in the Cleveland EcoVillage. The location is a quarter mile from the Gordon Square Arts District, the centerpiece of a multimillion dollar neighborhood redevelopment. It's also just a few blocks from Zone Recreation Center, whose exterior grounds are being rebuilt into a sustainable, family-friendly park.
Grace Brothers will sell seeds, soils and fertilizers for backyard gardeners (including many organic products). The store will also offer herbs, vegetable plants and fruit trees. Budding urban farmers can purchase chicks here each spring, as well as support products such as chicken and rabbit feed and bird seed. Finally, Grace will market some cost-effective brands of cat and dog food, too.
"We'll be selling organic mulches and other materials that you can't find in Home Depot and other big box stores," says Kevin Grace. "We will also be offering classes in raising chickens, and as part of the fee, you'll get three chicks."
Having watched the urban gardening market soar in other cities, Grace believes Cleveland has similar potential. "Can we make any money on it? I'm hopin'."
Source: Kevin Grace
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We were selling to the new home market and kind of living the bubble, but then it evaporated over the last four years and things came to a standstill," says Kevin Grace, who co-owns the company with his brother, Don Grace. "We saw the revitalization happening on the near west side, and attended the GardenWalk Cleveland and saw how people take an interest in their yard. We definitely believe there's an underserved market here that's grown in the last few years."
When the dust settles on their renovation work, the pair will open Grace Brothers Farm, Garden and Pet in a vacant storefront at W. 65th Street and Fir Avenue in the Cleveland EcoVillage. The location is a quarter mile from the Gordon Square Arts District, the centerpiece of a multimillion dollar neighborhood redevelopment. It's also just a few blocks from Zone Recreation Center, whose exterior grounds are being rebuilt into a sustainable, family-friendly park.
Grace Brothers will sell seeds, soils and fertilizers for backyard gardeners (including many organic products). The store will also offer herbs, vegetable plants and fruit trees. Budding urban farmers can purchase chicks here each spring, as well as support products such as chicken and rabbit feed and bird seed. Finally, Grace will market some cost-effective brands of cat and dog food, too.
"We'll be selling organic mulches and other materials that you can't find in Home Depot and other big box stores," says Kevin Grace. "We will also be offering classes in raising chickens, and as part of the fee, you'll get three chicks."
Having watched the urban gardening market soar in other cities, Grace believes Cleveland has similar potential. "Can we make any money on it? I'm hopin'."
Source: Kevin Grace
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The newly minted nonprofit Bike Cleveland will bring together Northeast Ohio cyclists through cycling events, educational programming and advocacy work, says Jacob Van Sickle, the group's new Executive Director. The group also will provide area cyclists with a unified voice in transportation planning across the region.
Over the course of the next year, Bike Cleveland plans to focus on prioritizing bike investments in the West Shoreway project, collaborating with the City of Cleveland to update and prioritize its Bikeway Master Plan, creating fun biking events and advocating for cyclist-friendly policies throughout the region.
One of the group's first advocacy projects will be to rally against HR 7, the transportation bill that has been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill would eliminate dedicated funding for transportation, cut funding that helps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and shortchange funding for repairing existing roads and bridges and improving roadways for cyclists.
For several years, Cleveland's cycling community has been fragmented among different organizations. The launch of Bike Cleveland last summer and now the hiring of Van Sickle unites cyclists under a common banner for the first time.
Van Sickle says Cleveland's energized cycling community has a lot ot be proud of. The 2010 American Community Survey shows that .8 percent of Clevelanders now use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation to work -- a figure well above the national average of .53 percent. This is a 280-percent increase over one decade, giving Cleveland the highest 10-year increase in the country.
“I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland," said Van Sickle in a press release.
Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Over the course of the next year, Bike Cleveland plans to focus on prioritizing bike investments in the West Shoreway project, collaborating with the City of Cleveland to update and prioritize its Bikeway Master Plan, creating fun biking events and advocating for cyclist-friendly policies throughout the region.
One of the group's first advocacy projects will be to rally against HR 7, the transportation bill that has been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill would eliminate dedicated funding for transportation, cut funding that helps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and shortchange funding for repairing existing roads and bridges and improving roadways for cyclists.
For several years, Cleveland's cycling community has been fragmented among different organizations. The launch of Bike Cleveland last summer and now the hiring of Van Sickle unites cyclists under a common banner for the first time.
Van Sickle says Cleveland's energized cycling community has a lot ot be proud of. The 2010 American Community Survey shows that .8 percent of Clevelanders now use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation to work -- a figure well above the national average of .53 percent. This is a 280-percent increase over one decade, giving Cleveland the highest 10-year increase in the country.
“I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland," said Van Sickle in a press release.
Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Local writer, speaker and entrepreneur Craig James has some big ideas. In fact, he is a regular contributor to NEOtropolis's "What’s the Big Idea" segment on PBS. He and his partner Sue James formed CatalystStrategies, which helps organizations best communicate their message, market and meaning. In this "Letter to Cleveland," James pens an open letter to the city he loves.
The nonprofit organization LiveCleveland has launched a website which provides urban parents with comprehensive school information for the areas in which they live. Our Neighborhood Schools allows parents to search by community and zip code to determine the best educational opportunities available to them across the spectrum of public, private and parochial schools.
"We wanted to battle head-on the perception that there are a lack of school choices in the City of Cleveland," says Jeff Kipp, Executive Director of LiveCleveland. "Our Neighborhood Schools is a searchable database and resource for parents that highlights high-performing schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as well as charter school and private school options."
The new website was made possible through a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and grant funding from the Cleveland Foundation. LiveCleveland shares with CMSD a marketing and web design staff person who works to increase enrollment in the city's public schools.
"CMSD basically had no marketing strategy previously, and was losing hundreds of kids each year to charter schools who were doing a more proactive job," says Kipp. "Now the district is trying to market its own strong schools to parents."
The website, which attracts about 500 unique visitors per month, is a "win-win" for LiveCleveland, CMSD and the city's neighborhoods and schools, Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer : Lee Chilcote
"We wanted to battle head-on the perception that there are a lack of school choices in the City of Cleveland," says Jeff Kipp, Executive Director of LiveCleveland. "Our Neighborhood Schools is a searchable database and resource for parents that highlights high-performing schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as well as charter school and private school options."
The new website was made possible through a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and grant funding from the Cleveland Foundation. LiveCleveland shares with CMSD a marketing and web design staff person who works to increase enrollment in the city's public schools.
"CMSD basically had no marketing strategy previously, and was losing hundreds of kids each year to charter schools who were doing a more proactive job," says Kipp. "Now the district is trying to market its own strong schools to parents."
The website, which attracts about 500 unique visitors per month, is a "win-win" for LiveCleveland, CMSD and the city's neighborhoods and schools, Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer : Lee Chilcote
Last month, Jenita McGowan was sworn in as Cleveland's new Chief of Sustainability, replacing the outgoing Andrew Watterson. A Northeast Ohio resident since 1996, McGowan's an adopted Clevelander in every sense. Fresh Water contributor Erin O'Brien sat down with McGowan and got the lowdown on the status of sustainability in Cleveland.
Liz Maugins of Zygote Press remembers the moment in 2008 when she realized just how fragile her own organization's existence was in Cleveland's ever-shrinking nonprofit ecosystem. Like many nonprofit groups, she was looking at fewer philanthropic dollars during the worst recession in decades. Meanwhile, many foundations were stressing collaboration or proposing outright mergers.
"Like a lot of nonprofit leaders, I was freaking out and wondering what would come our way," recounts Maugins, who worried that her small nonprofit would be wiped out by the tidal wave of the national recession. "So I started sending out messages to other arts leaders to see if they were feeling the same thing."
Not surprisingly, other nonprofit leaders were losing sleep over their situations, too. Yet rather than retreating to their own private islands to struggle in maudlin isolation, Maugins and her colleagues banded together for survival.
"The number one challenge was that we had no exposure, especially with the dwindling arts coverage locally," says Maugins. "Yet we knew that our arts organizations were doing amazing things with education and other programming, and we're the economic engines of our neighborhoods."
Today, Zygote and 27 other groups in Northeast Ohio have banded together to form the Collective Arts Network (CAN), received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, and produced a magazine-style journal touting their work. Ten thousand copies have been distributed to galleries and other hotspots in the city.
Next up, the CAN group is working on other kinds of collaboration, including programming, events and sustaining the journal as a quarterly publication.
Source: Liz Maugins
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Like a lot of nonprofit leaders, I was freaking out and wondering what would come our way," recounts Maugins, who worried that her small nonprofit would be wiped out by the tidal wave of the national recession. "So I started sending out messages to other arts leaders to see if they were feeling the same thing."
Not surprisingly, other nonprofit leaders were losing sleep over their situations, too. Yet rather than retreating to their own private islands to struggle in maudlin isolation, Maugins and her colleagues banded together for survival.
"The number one challenge was that we had no exposure, especially with the dwindling arts coverage locally," says Maugins. "Yet we knew that our arts organizations were doing amazing things with education and other programming, and we're the economic engines of our neighborhoods."
Today, Zygote and 27 other groups in Northeast Ohio have banded together to form the Collective Arts Network (CAN), received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, and produced a magazine-style journal touting their work. Ten thousand copies have been distributed to galleries and other hotspots in the city.
Next up, the CAN group is working on other kinds of collaboration, including programming, events and sustaining the journal as a quarterly publication.
Source: Liz Maugins
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Inefficient, drafty homes in Cleveland not only are an impediment to attracting savvy urban homebuyers, they're also a harsh economic reality for those who must swallow high utility bills. Despite the daunting prospect of renovating an old home, there are simple, cost-effective ways to save energy -- and money -- that don't involve notching the thermostat down another degree or donning Eskimo-like clothing.
That's the impetus behind Cleveland Energy $aver, a new program just launched by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), LAND Studio and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program aims to make 100 homes in Cleveland energy-efficient by fall of this year.
Homeowners who enroll in this program can obtain a complete energy audit for a mere $50, a tidy sum that likely amounts to a fraction of their monthly heating bill. After the audit has been completed, owners will work with program staff to develop a scope of work, seek low-interest financing if needed, and hire a contractor. When the job is completed, professionals will help evaluate the work to make sure it's been done properly. As an enticement, owners will save 20 percent off the top, and another 20 percent when the work is complete.
“Cleveland Energy $aver will provide homeowners with tools they need to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes,” says Marcia Nolan, Executive Director of Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH). “It will also help Cleveland to become more sustainable and competitive to future residents.”
Source: Marcia Nolan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's the impetus behind Cleveland Energy $aver, a new program just launched by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), Cleveland Housing Network (CHN), LAND Studio and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program aims to make 100 homes in Cleveland energy-efficient by fall of this year.
Homeowners who enroll in this program can obtain a complete energy audit for a mere $50, a tidy sum that likely amounts to a fraction of their monthly heating bill. After the audit has been completed, owners will work with program staff to develop a scope of work, seek low-interest financing if needed, and hire a contractor. When the job is completed, professionals will help evaluate the work to make sure it's been done properly. As an enticement, owners will save 20 percent off the top, and another 20 percent when the work is complete.
“Cleveland Energy $aver will provide homeowners with tools they need to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes,” says Marcia Nolan, Executive Director of Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH). “It will also help Cleveland to become more sustainable and competitive to future residents.”
Source: Marcia Nolan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
It's hard not to notice the attractive bike racks that have been popping up around town lately. Much more than simply utilitarian places to hitch your ride, these racks are at once urban sculptures and retail signage for local businesses. Many of them have been designed by Rust Belt Welding, two Cleveland entrepreneurs who are making a living doing what they love.
"We wanted to do creative, bicycle-related projects, and we knew there was a need for more bike racks because we'd ride around town and say, 'I wish there was one here,'" says Grant Smrekar, who created Rust Belt Welding with his friend Lou Erste four years ago in order to build bike frames, something that remains the core of their business. "We wanted there to be an artistic quality to these projects, and for the bike racks to represent the place they're at."
What started out as a small project grew quickly once the bike community and enthusiastic business owners grabbed ahold of it. "The local cycling group Crank-Set Rides offered to help us raise funds to create more bike racks, and that allowed us to make a few of them," says Erste. "Then places like Market Garden Brewery asked us to create custom racks in front of their businesses."
Their most recent creation, which was installed last month in front of Market Garden Brewery in Ohio City, spells out "BIKE" in red, metal letters. Rust Belt Welding has also installed bike racks in front of Phoenix Coffee, Joy Machines bike shop, Blazing Saddles bike shop and other local venues.
"We'll build pretty much anything, but the more that we can build stuff that's fun and creative, that's even better," says Smrekar, who adds that Rust Belt is planning to add more artistic bike racks around town in the near future.
Source: Lou Erste, Grant Smrekar
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We wanted to do creative, bicycle-related projects, and we knew there was a need for more bike racks because we'd ride around town and say, 'I wish there was one here,'" says Grant Smrekar, who created Rust Belt Welding with his friend Lou Erste four years ago in order to build bike frames, something that remains the core of their business. "We wanted there to be an artistic quality to these projects, and for the bike racks to represent the place they're at."
What started out as a small project grew quickly once the bike community and enthusiastic business owners grabbed ahold of it. "The local cycling group Crank-Set Rides offered to help us raise funds to create more bike racks, and that allowed us to make a few of them," says Erste. "Then places like Market Garden Brewery asked us to create custom racks in front of their businesses."
Their most recent creation, which was installed last month in front of Market Garden Brewery in Ohio City, spells out "BIKE" in red, metal letters. Rust Belt Welding has also installed bike racks in front of Phoenix Coffee, Joy Machines bike shop, Blazing Saddles bike shop and other local venues.
"We'll build pretty much anything, but the more that we can build stuff that's fun and creative, that's even better," says Smrekar, who adds that Rust Belt is planning to add more artistic bike racks around town in the near future.
Source: Lou Erste, Grant Smrekar
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Ever wanted to learn about how human beings all are just descendants of quantum flotsam? No? Well, how about the ways in which quantum mechanical jitterings in the universe helped create galaxies, stars, planets and people?
Even if you're not a science geek, you'll probably enjoy a new event at Happy Dog entitled "Life, the Universe and Hot Dogs," which takes place downstairs (Underdog) at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. After all, nothing brings the meaning of life into focus like a pint or two of hoppy IPA.
The series is the latest attempt by the entrepreneurial Gordon Square Arts District venue to spread its wings and form linkages between University Circle and the near west side. The Happy Dog also has partnered with the Cleveland Orchestra to shuttle westsiders to and from Severance Hall for concerts.
"The partnership was created when Happy Dog owner Sean Watterson contacted me," explains Glenn Starkman, Director of the Institute for the Science of Origins at Case Western Reserve University, a collaboration of faculty and researchers across scientific disciplines seeking to understand how complex systems emerge and evolve. "I went down there with a couple of friends and had a few hot dogs and a beer or two, and Sean said, 'How 'bout we do this next week?'"
Starkman is hoping to use the event series as an opportunity to bring scientific understanding to a wider audience. "People think, 'Oh, science is hard,' but so is playing basketball and we watch it without expecting to be able to dunk like Jordon," he says. "We want to increase people's comfort with science and teach them how it is useful in helping us to make decisions about the world."
Source: Glenn Starkman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Even if you're not a science geek, you'll probably enjoy a new event at Happy Dog entitled "Life, the Universe and Hot Dogs," which takes place downstairs (Underdog) at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. After all, nothing brings the meaning of life into focus like a pint or two of hoppy IPA.
The series is the latest attempt by the entrepreneurial Gordon Square Arts District venue to spread its wings and form linkages between University Circle and the near west side. The Happy Dog also has partnered with the Cleveland Orchestra to shuttle westsiders to and from Severance Hall for concerts.
"The partnership was created when Happy Dog owner Sean Watterson contacted me," explains Glenn Starkman, Director of the Institute for the Science of Origins at Case Western Reserve University, a collaboration of faculty and researchers across scientific disciplines seeking to understand how complex systems emerge and evolve. "I went down there with a couple of friends and had a few hot dogs and a beer or two, and Sean said, 'How 'bout we do this next week?'"
Starkman is hoping to use the event series as an opportunity to bring scientific understanding to a wider audience. "People think, 'Oh, science is hard,' but so is playing basketball and we watch it without expecting to be able to dunk like Jordon," he says. "We want to increase people's comfort with science and teach them how it is useful in helping us to make decisions about the world."
Source: Glenn Starkman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Cleveland-based clothing designer iLTHY (I Love the Hype) has opened a new store in the Gordon Square Arts District in Detroit Shoreway. The shop, which is located in a former art gallery at West 54th and Detroit, sells the brand's popular hip hop and sports-themed T-shirts. It's a major move for the start-up apparel company, whose products were previously only available online and at select retailers.
Artist and founder Glen Infante's colorful designs have been worn by up-and-coming rappers such as Machine Gun Kelly, Wale and Mick Boogie. The name iLTHY comes from the notion that the company was built on "hype" and that such grassroots, street-level support helped it to grow rapidly in the first two years. Infante also earned some ink from the media in 2010 after raising funds for a downtown billboard urging LeBron James to re-sign with the Cavs.
iLTHY produced over 50 original T-shirt designs in the past year alone. The company hopes to expand even further in 2012, and to advance its overarching goal of putting Cleveland on the map in the creative apparel industry.
Source: iLTHY
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Artist and founder Glen Infante's colorful designs have been worn by up-and-coming rappers such as Machine Gun Kelly, Wale and Mick Boogie. The name iLTHY comes from the notion that the company was built on "hype" and that such grassroots, street-level support helped it to grow rapidly in the first two years. Infante also earned some ink from the media in 2010 after raising funds for a downtown billboard urging LeBron James to re-sign with the Cavs.
iLTHY produced over 50 original T-shirt designs in the past year alone. The company hopes to expand even further in 2012, and to advance its overarching goal of putting Cleveland on the map in the creative apparel industry.
Source: iLTHY
Writer: Lee Chilcote
It’s not exactly a news flash that tattoos have become decidedly more mainstream. Long the province of drug-addled rock stars, ex-cons and bikers, tats now can be spotted on even the most civilized among us. And as the tattoo market continues to heat up, more talented artists are finding work in Cleveland's new tattoo studios.
If you fancy yourself a fan of Cleveland and its offerings, you have doubtless been asked for a recommendation or three. Having lived and worked in town for 20 years, Nina McCollum considers herself an unofficial tour guide, dispensing advice on everything from food and shopping to arts and entertainment. In preparation for a visit from an out-of-town friend, McCollum has devised her dream weekend in Cleveland.
Last week, Fresh Water participated in a forum entitled "A City of Two Tales: Writing About Cleveland" at the Happy Dog in the Gordon Square Arts District. The event showcased the power of new media to spur civic dialogue and prompted an ongoing debate about telling the city's story to natives and newcomers alike.
The event was organized by Ohio City Writers (OCW), a nonprofit writing center that hosts classes and literary events on Cleveland's west side, and based upon a blog post written by Angie Schmitt of Rust Wire entitled "The Problem with Boosterism."
Following an introduction by OCW Director Frank Lewis, Schmitt kicked off the discussion by offering a critique of pro-Cleveland sentiment in the media and among civic leaders. Northeast Ohio frequently focuses on economic development projects with overstated economic benefits while failing to address genuine problems such as poverty and urban sprawl, she argued. Moreover, she added, Clevelanders often seem unwilling to listen to critiques of regional policymaking, and even become angered by criticisms intended to point out the city's problems.
Other panelists responded by arguing that while Northeast Ohio clearly has a lot of work to do in addressing its problems, the choice between "boosterism" and "realism" represents a false dichotomy. Writing or talking about Cleveland in honest terms typically means walking a fine line between offering a critique of what's wrong with the region and celebrating its successes, they said.
The topic prompted over 100 people to attend the event, which included occasional fights over the mic as well as shout-outs from the bar.
The next day, boosters and non-boosters alike lit up the blogosphere and Facebook with their takes on what happened at the contentious forum. A collection of their blogs can be found on Ohio City Writers' Facebook page.
The event also prompted a discussion about how Clevelanders can convey what's happening here to the national media, who some argued often rely on well-worn narratives about the Rust Belt rather than digging into the region's complexity.
Those looking to join the discussion or participate in future Write to Assemble events (Lewis is planning a poetry slam next) should visit OCW's website.
Source: Ohio City Writers
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The event was organized by Ohio City Writers (OCW), a nonprofit writing center that hosts classes and literary events on Cleveland's west side, and based upon a blog post written by Angie Schmitt of Rust Wire entitled "The Problem with Boosterism."
Following an introduction by OCW Director Frank Lewis, Schmitt kicked off the discussion by offering a critique of pro-Cleveland sentiment in the media and among civic leaders. Northeast Ohio frequently focuses on economic development projects with overstated economic benefits while failing to address genuine problems such as poverty and urban sprawl, she argued. Moreover, she added, Clevelanders often seem unwilling to listen to critiques of regional policymaking, and even become angered by criticisms intended to point out the city's problems.
Other panelists responded by arguing that while Northeast Ohio clearly has a lot of work to do in addressing its problems, the choice between "boosterism" and "realism" represents a false dichotomy. Writing or talking about Cleveland in honest terms typically means walking a fine line between offering a critique of what's wrong with the region and celebrating its successes, they said.
The topic prompted over 100 people to attend the event, which included occasional fights over the mic as well as shout-outs from the bar.
The next day, boosters and non-boosters alike lit up the blogosphere and Facebook with their takes on what happened at the contentious forum. A collection of their blogs can be found on Ohio City Writers' Facebook page.
The event also prompted a discussion about how Clevelanders can convey what's happening here to the national media, who some argued often rely on well-worn narratives about the Rust Belt rather than digging into the region's complexity.
Those looking to join the discussion or participate in future Write to Assemble events (Lewis is planning a poetry slam next) should visit OCW's website.
Source: Ohio City Writers
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Any two-bit picker can wrangle up some cast-offs, display them in a storefront, and call the place an "antiques shop." Walk into Reincarnation Vintage Design, however, and you'll be reaching for your wallet faster than an auctioneer yells, "Sold!" Owners Ron and Cyndy Nicolson don't just clean and sell other people's unwanted items; they grant them a whole new life. "Reincarnation" isn't just a name, you see -- it's a business plan.
While we pride ourselves here at Fresh Water in having crisp, professional prose, the truth is, without art, a feature is just font on a page. Pictures tell a thousand words, we're told, but the best ones simply leave us speechless. Every masthead and feature image since we launched this pub over a year ago has been shot by Fresh Water shooter Bob Perkoski. Here is a collection of some of his finest work.
When Fresh Water launched in September 2010, we promised to highlight Cleveland's most progressive and creative people, businesses and organizations. But more importantly, we endeavored to place those subjects against the most compelling backdrop of all: Cleveland and its wonderful neighborhoods. Each Thursday, our readers are invited to dig a little deeper into this city we call home. What follows is a list of the 10 most-read features of the previous 12 months. Looking at the subject matter of those stories, it's clear that the most important topics to our readers include neighborhood development, sustainability and transportation, and, of course, food and booze.