Downtown
Charles Eisenstat thought he wanted to be a lawyer, but after living in Chicago and D.C. and experiencing their "advanced coffee culture," he realized his true passion lies in brewing the perfect cup of java.
Now, after spending countless hours studying the finer points of law as well as watching baristas make coffee in some of the best coffee shops in the world, the would-be entrepreneur plans to open POUR Cleveland. This new coffee shop in the 5th Street Arcades will offer handcrafted beverages including pour-over-style coffee.
"We won't feature any batch coffee, it will be strictly handbrew or pour-over, individually by the cup," explains Eisenstat, who started his quest by creating a coffee bar at home several years ago. He'd craft the perfect cup before heading off to work at a bank. "We'll be the first shop downtown to feature coffee that way. This is taking a culinary approach to it -- the way people do wine and beer."
POUR was recently named a finalist in the 5th Street Arcades Retail Development Grant Competition, a collaboration between Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Charter One's Growing Communities Initiative and Cumberland Development, the lease-holder for the 5th Street Arcades. Eisenstat has launched a crowdfunding campaign; Charter One will match up to $1,000 of whatever he raises.
In addition to brewing single-origin and estate coffees that would be hard to find in other Cleveland coffee shops, Eisenstat wants POUR to become a center for coffee culture. "We want people to geek out with us and get excited about coffee," he says in his Indiegogo campaign message. He promises "passionate baristas" and low countertops so customers can see how their coffee is being made. He also aims to create a place for coffee education, so classes and workshops will be offered.
Unlike Rising Star in Ohio City, an artisan venue that has a devout following but remains largely a roaster with little seating space, POUR aims to be a comfortable space where office workers and residents can hang out.
If all goes as planned, Eisenstat hopes to open POUR in a retail space with street frontage in July. He plans to buy his coffee from Counterculture in Durham, North Carolina, and the average cup will cost range from $2 to $3. He will launch the operation with little help, but plans to eventually hire six to 10 people.
Source: Charles Eisenstat
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now, after spending countless hours studying the finer points of law as well as watching baristas make coffee in some of the best coffee shops in the world, the would-be entrepreneur plans to open POUR Cleveland. This new coffee shop in the 5th Street Arcades will offer handcrafted beverages including pour-over-style coffee.
"We won't feature any batch coffee, it will be strictly handbrew or pour-over, individually by the cup," explains Eisenstat, who started his quest by creating a coffee bar at home several years ago. He'd craft the perfect cup before heading off to work at a bank. "We'll be the first shop downtown to feature coffee that way. This is taking a culinary approach to it -- the way people do wine and beer."
POUR was recently named a finalist in the 5th Street Arcades Retail Development Grant Competition, a collaboration between Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Charter One's Growing Communities Initiative and Cumberland Development, the lease-holder for the 5th Street Arcades. Eisenstat has launched a crowdfunding campaign; Charter One will match up to $1,000 of whatever he raises.
In addition to brewing single-origin and estate coffees that would be hard to find in other Cleveland coffee shops, Eisenstat wants POUR to become a center for coffee culture. "We want people to geek out with us and get excited about coffee," he says in his Indiegogo campaign message. He promises "passionate baristas" and low countertops so customers can see how their coffee is being made. He also aims to create a place for coffee education, so classes and workshops will be offered.
Unlike Rising Star in Ohio City, an artisan venue that has a devout following but remains largely a roaster with little seating space, POUR aims to be a comfortable space where office workers and residents can hang out.
If all goes as planned, Eisenstat hopes to open POUR in a retail space with street frontage in July. He plans to buy his coffee from Counterculture in Durham, North Carolina, and the average cup will cost range from $2 to $3. He will launch the operation with little help, but plans to eventually hire six to 10 people.
Source: Charles Eisenstat
Writer: Lee Chilcote
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
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
eater dishes with sawyer re: ramen
In an Eater.com feature titled “Noodlecat Chef-Owner Jonathon Sawyer on Cleveland, Expansion, and the Ramen Boom,” Amy McKeever talks to local chef Jonathon Sawyer regarding the one-year anniversary of the Noodlecat spot in Cleveland’s historic West Side Market.
In her lengthy interview she touches on all aspects of the satellite location, from opening to inspiration, to the difficulties of working in a cramped 45-square-foot space. Despite focus on Sawyer and Noodlecat, the West Side Market comes across as the star thanks to outstanding vendor relationships and supplying the ingredients used at both the stand and the brick-and-mortar restaurant downtown.
“I would say if anybody comes to Cleveland and doesn't go to the West Side Market, that would be an absolute shame,” Sawyer states.
We agree wholeheartedly.
Check out the full interview here.
In her lengthy interview she touches on all aspects of the satellite location, from opening to inspiration, to the difficulties of working in a cramped 45-square-foot space. Despite focus on Sawyer and Noodlecat, the West Side Market comes across as the star thanks to outstanding vendor relationships and supplying the ingredients used at both the stand and the brick-and-mortar restaurant downtown.
“I would say if anybody comes to Cleveland and doesn't go to the West Side Market, that would be an absolute shame,” Sawyer states.
We agree wholeheartedly.
Check out the full interview here.
gayot priases cleveland's st. patrick's day hoopla
In a Gayot post titled “The Best St. Patrick’s Day Parades of 2013,” the editorial staff names Cleveland among the best in the country.
“More than 10,000 people participate in bands, floats, drill teams, marching units and novelties in Cleveland's popular parade, which began in 1867.”
Cleveland is ranked up there with some of the nation’s greatest celebrations including Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
“More than 10,000 people participate in bands, floats, drill teams, marching units and novelties in Cleveland's popular parade, which began in 1867.”
Cleveland is ranked up there with some of the nation’s greatest celebrations including Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Check out the full list here.
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
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
Laurel School junior Anamika Veeramani took first place at TiE Ohio’s inaugural TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) Business Plan Competition on March 13 for her online science journal for high school students, En Kephalos Science Journal. Veeramani first beat out her fellow Laurel students in a competition before advancing to the regional competition. She won $1,000 and will compete in the TiE Global competition at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in June.
Competitors were asked to create a business plan for a company that could be started for less than $1,000. The plans were reviewed by a panel of judges based on concept, business model, market analysis, financial analysis and overall presentation.
Veeramani created En Kephalos Science Journal -- which is Greek for “In the Mind” -- during her freshman year as an outlet for students to go more in-depth in their science research. “I had done research since seventh grade,” she says. “I would do really well at science fairs, but there was nothing beyond that and no opportunities to publish in journals.”
Veeramani wanted to provide a vehicle for high school students to share their findings. “I chose the name En Kephalos because I wanted to stress the fact that while age and experience are closely tied, age and knowledge or ability don’t necessarily correlate,” she explains. “You don’t need to be an undergrad or postgrad to be able to conduct meaningful, publishable research.”
En Kephalos has three boards, made up of high school and college undergrads and a board of science professionals. “Our model is different because the majority of the staff is made up of peers,” Veeramani says.
Contributors come from mostly the Midwest and the East coast, but Veeramani says she has contributors from around the country and Canada. One of her staff lives in England.
TiE Ohio sponsored the competition in partnership with the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the Veale Foundation. Second and third place winners came from Magnificat and University School.
Source: Anamika Veeramani
Writer: Karin Connelly
Competitors were asked to create a business plan for a company that could be started for less than $1,000. The plans were reviewed by a panel of judges based on concept, business model, market analysis, financial analysis and overall presentation.
Veeramani created En Kephalos Science Journal -- which is Greek for “In the Mind” -- during her freshman year as an outlet for students to go more in-depth in their science research. “I had done research since seventh grade,” she says. “I would do really well at science fairs, but there was nothing beyond that and no opportunities to publish in journals.”
Veeramani wanted to provide a vehicle for high school students to share their findings. “I chose the name En Kephalos because I wanted to stress the fact that while age and experience are closely tied, age and knowledge or ability don’t necessarily correlate,” she explains. “You don’t need to be an undergrad or postgrad to be able to conduct meaningful, publishable research.”
En Kephalos has three boards, made up of high school and college undergrads and a board of science professionals. “Our model is different because the majority of the staff is made up of peers,” Veeramani says.
Contributors come from mostly the Midwest and the East coast, but Veeramani says she has contributors from around the country and Canada. One of her staff lives in England.
TiE Ohio sponsored the competition in partnership with the Burton D. Morgan Foundation and the Veale Foundation. Second and third place winners came from Magnificat and University School.
Source: Anamika Veeramani
Writer: Karin Connelly
local writer shares city's riches with canadians
In a Canadian Globe and Mail feature titled “Why you should be hot for Cleveland,” local writer and Fresh Water editor Douglas Trattner details the splendor that is Cleveland while tossing around fancy spellings like kilometre and neighbourhood.
“While it’s no secret that Cleveland has experienced a large population decline since its peak in 1950, when it was the seventh-largest city in the United States, things have begun to turn around in a big way,” Trattner writes. “Oft-repeated jabs about burning rivers, blundering sports teams and infinite winters are giving way to reports of bike-friendly infrastructure and a world-class dining scene. Heck, city folk here are even allowed to raise chickens and bees.”
Trattner goes on to share his picks for what to see, where to eat, where to drink, where to sleep, and where to shop for members of both sides of the border.
Check out the full “international” story here.
“While it’s no secret that Cleveland has experienced a large population decline since its peak in 1950, when it was the seventh-largest city in the United States, things have begun to turn around in a big way,” Trattner writes. “Oft-repeated jabs about burning rivers, blundering sports teams and infinite winters are giving way to reports of bike-friendly infrastructure and a world-class dining scene. Heck, city folk here are even allowed to raise chickens and bees.”
Trattner goes on to share his picks for what to see, where to eat, where to drink, where to sleep, and where to shop for members of both sides of the border.
Check out the full “international” story here.
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
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
forbes recognizes the emergence of cleveland's downtown
In a Forbes list titled “15 U.S. Cities’ Emerging Downtowns,” the fine staffers rank our fair city at No. 15.
“Cleveland began revitalizing its downtown in the mid-1990s. Today, more than $3.5 billion is currently invested in furthering the area's redevelopment.”
The Global Center for Health Innovation slated to open this summer is mentioned as a huge boon for downtown, as well as a multitude of other recreational projects such as the finished aquarium and the up-and-coming recreation center.
Forbes also notes that downtown has seen its population nearly double over the last two decades ending in 2010.
“From fourth quarter 2011 through the fourth quarter of 2012, the number of housing units grew about 13%, according to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Another 715 units are expected to come online in 2013.”
Check out the full list here.
“Cleveland began revitalizing its downtown in the mid-1990s. Today, more than $3.5 billion is currently invested in furthering the area's redevelopment.”
The Global Center for Health Innovation slated to open this summer is mentioned as a huge boon for downtown, as well as a multitude of other recreational projects such as the finished aquarium and the up-and-coming recreation center.
Forbes also notes that downtown has seen its population nearly double over the last two decades ending in 2010.
“From fourth quarter 2011 through the fourth quarter of 2012, the number of housing units grew about 13%, according to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Another 715 units are expected to come online in 2013.”
Check out the full list here.
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
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
Intern in Ohio launched last week, connecting thousands of employers and students in internship opportunities across the state. The matching program, which was created by Detroit-based Digerati and sponsored by the University of Toledo, is free to both students and employers.
Intern in Ohio uses Digerati's matching algorithm -- called Classroom to Career -- to match participants based on their skills, interests and requirements. The program saves employers time and money by narrowing down the candidate pool to students who meet the specific requirements for the internships offered. Students are presented with internships that match their interests and skills.
“This is truly a talent attraction and retention effort,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Classroom to Career. “Nationally, 80 percent of interns stay in the region where they interned. Intern in Ohio is another tool to make Cleveland and Ohio an internship destination.”
Digerati launched a similar program in Michigan in 2011, in which 127,000 matches and introductions have been made. Digerati found that 70 percent of interns in Michigan were subsequently offered full-time jobs.
Potential interns and employers are asked a short series of questions about the position and about their personal preferences. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each individual student as well as the business for each position. When a match is made, the employer and the student are notified, and both must select that they are interested before any contact information is shared.
Pittman points out that the program is especially attractive to smaller companies that may not have the resources to find interns with the exact qualifications they need. “If you live outside of Cleveland, you probably don’t know about places like University Circle,” she says. “But what an awesome opportunity if you got matched there.”
So far, 1,200 students have signed up on the site, along with 59 Ohio companies posting 77 positions. Those numbers are growing every day, says Pittman.
Source: Wendy Pittman
Writer: Karin Connelly
Intern in Ohio uses Digerati's matching algorithm -- called Classroom to Career -- to match participants based on their skills, interests and requirements. The program saves employers time and money by narrowing down the candidate pool to students who meet the specific requirements for the internships offered. Students are presented with internships that match their interests and skills.
“This is truly a talent attraction and retention effort,” says Wendy Pittman, director of Classroom to Career. “Nationally, 80 percent of interns stay in the region where they interned. Intern in Ohio is another tool to make Cleveland and Ohio an internship destination.”
Digerati launched a similar program in Michigan in 2011, in which 127,000 matches and introductions have been made. Digerati found that 70 percent of interns in Michigan were subsequently offered full-time jobs.
Potential interns and employers are asked a short series of questions about the position and about their personal preferences. The system then identifies the top seven matches for each individual student as well as the business for each position. When a match is made, the employer and the student are notified, and both must select that they are interested before any contact information is shared.
Pittman points out that the program is especially attractive to smaller companies that may not have the resources to find interns with the exact qualifications they need. “If you live outside of Cleveland, you probably don’t know about places like University Circle,” she says. “But what an awesome opportunity if you got matched there.”
So far, 1,200 students have signed up on the site, along with 59 Ohio companies posting 77 positions. Those numbers are growing every day, says Pittman.
Source: Wendy Pittman
Writer: Karin Connelly
aol travel detects new life in old cleveland buildings
In an AOL Travel piece titled “Cleveland Classics: Five Stylishly Repurposed Buildings,” Sophia Dembling writes of five of our city’s historical buildings that have been transformed and given new life.
Among them are the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, which once housed the former power-generating plant for streetcars and railways located on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River.
The former Higbee’s department store has been transformed into the Horseshoe Casino. The building can best be remembered by some as the scene of the classic holiday film A Christmas Story.
“If you've seen A Christmas Story (and who hasn't), you've seen Higbee's department store, where Ralphie has his horrible Santa experience.”
Check out the rest of the buildings on the list here.
Among them are the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, which once housed the former power-generating plant for streetcars and railways located on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River.
The former Higbee’s department store has been transformed into the Horseshoe Casino. The building can best be remembered by some as the scene of the classic holiday film A Christmas Story.
“If you've seen A Christmas Story (and who hasn't), you've seen Higbee's department store, where Ralphie has his horrible Santa experience.”
Check out the rest of the buildings on the list here.
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
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
For those who don't already know, Cleveland is a place where culture, education, creativity and innovation flourishes affordably. At least, that's the message city boosters are trying to sell to mobile young professionals. According to who you ask, that strategy is either working, working slowly, or not working well at all.
"Jazz is like the kind of man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with." That might sound like a curious quote for a pastor to use in blessing a jazz bar, yet these were Mark Giuliano's words at the opening of the new Take 5 Jazz Club in downtown Cleveland. The quote comes from jazz legend Duke Ellington.
"We know how important live music is for gathering people; we're for that kind of community building," explains Giuliano, Pastor of Old Stone Church on Public Square and President of the Downtown Residents Association. "We want a place where you can have great food and a couple drinks, listen to live music, be able to visit and have a sense of community. What [the owners] have done is take an old, divey bar and brought new life to it."
Giuliano believes Take 5 will fill a gap in the Warehouse District entertainment scene by offering music that's geared towards an older, multicultural crowd.
"There are an awful lot of empty-nesters like my wife and I [downtown]," he says. "We're not really going to be doing the club scene over on W. 6th at two in the morning. This is a place where everybody feels welcome and has a place."
Take 5, which opened on March 21, offers live jazz, R&B and blues from Thursday through Sunday nights. It is located at 740 Superior Avenue, in the former House of Cues and Prime Rib Steakhouse location in the Warehouse District. The venue also offers an extensive tapas menu prepared by executive chef Jeremy Rolen.
Owners Brian Gresham and Claude Carson have renovated the once-shabby House of Cues into an upscale jazz venue that caters to a professional crowd. Gresham says he saw an opening in the scene due to all the development taking place downtown.
"With the casino, med mart and Flats being revitalized, we wanted to fill a niche," he says. "We more or less took concepts from places that were once in the area that did very well -- The Bop Stop, Wilberts and Sixth Street Down Under."
The owners renovated the interior with new lighting and other improvements. A black ceiling makes it "feel like you're in a true musical venue," Gresham says.
Take 5 welcomed trumpet player and vocalist Skip Martin for its opening weekend, and Gresham is currently working to bring Sean Jones to town, as well. The venue's performers will include a mix of regional and national acts.
Source: Mark Giuliano, Brian Gresham
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We know how important live music is for gathering people; we're for that kind of community building," explains Giuliano, Pastor of Old Stone Church on Public Square and President of the Downtown Residents Association. "We want a place where you can have great food and a couple drinks, listen to live music, be able to visit and have a sense of community. What [the owners] have done is take an old, divey bar and brought new life to it."
Giuliano believes Take 5 will fill a gap in the Warehouse District entertainment scene by offering music that's geared towards an older, multicultural crowd.
"There are an awful lot of empty-nesters like my wife and I [downtown]," he says. "We're not really going to be doing the club scene over on W. 6th at two in the morning. This is a place where everybody feels welcome and has a place."
Take 5, which opened on March 21, offers live jazz, R&B and blues from Thursday through Sunday nights. It is located at 740 Superior Avenue, in the former House of Cues and Prime Rib Steakhouse location in the Warehouse District. The venue also offers an extensive tapas menu prepared by executive chef Jeremy Rolen.
Owners Brian Gresham and Claude Carson have renovated the once-shabby House of Cues into an upscale jazz venue that caters to a professional crowd. Gresham says he saw an opening in the scene due to all the development taking place downtown.
"With the casino, med mart and Flats being revitalized, we wanted to fill a niche," he says. "We more or less took concepts from places that were once in the area that did very well -- The Bop Stop, Wilberts and Sixth Street Down Under."
The owners renovated the interior with new lighting and other improvements. A black ceiling makes it "feel like you're in a true musical venue," Gresham says.
Take 5 welcomed trumpet player and vocalist Skip Martin for its opening weekend, and Gresham is currently working to bring Sean Jones to town, as well. The venue's performers will include a mix of regional and national acts.
Source: Mark Giuliano, Brian Gresham
Writer: Lee Chilcote
El Futuro de Cleveland, a collaboration between Global Cleveland, Esperanza, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE), and Cleveland Leadership Center’s (i)Cleveland hopes to retain local Latino talent in Northeast Ohio by offering paid internships to college students.
“The mission is to support the rich diversity of the Greater Cleveland Latino community and ensure it grows and thrives,” says Global Cleveland’s Elizabeth Hijar. There are 62,000 Latinos in Cuyahoga County, and that population grew by 30 percent since 2000. “The Latino community is a bright spot in Cleveland and is growing."
Part of the Global Cleveland Latino initiative, El Futuro de Cleveland is working with Cleveland State, CWRU, Baldwin Wallace and Kent State, in addition to reaching out to schools in Boston and Chicago. “The focus is on young people to help ensure there are opportunities to make them stay in Cleveland, attract them and make sure there’s a pipeline,” says Hijar. “We want to focus on these students and really try to help them get a first start in their careers, whether they are from Cleveland or outside of Cleveland, and think about living here on a long-term basis.”
Nineteen employers already have signed up to provide paid internships through the program. The employers are required to enroll their interns in the (i)Cleveland summer leadership and mentoring program.
Source: Elizabeth Hijar
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The mission is to support the rich diversity of the Greater Cleveland Latino community and ensure it grows and thrives,” says Global Cleveland’s Elizabeth Hijar. There are 62,000 Latinos in Cuyahoga County, and that population grew by 30 percent since 2000. “The Latino community is a bright spot in Cleveland and is growing."
Part of the Global Cleveland Latino initiative, El Futuro de Cleveland is working with Cleveland State, CWRU, Baldwin Wallace and Kent State, in addition to reaching out to schools in Boston and Chicago. “The focus is on young people to help ensure there are opportunities to make them stay in Cleveland, attract them and make sure there’s a pipeline,” says Hijar. “We want to focus on these students and really try to help them get a first start in their careers, whether they are from Cleveland or outside of Cleveland, and think about living here on a long-term basis.”
Nineteen employers already have signed up to provide paid internships through the program. The employers are required to enroll their interns in the (i)Cleveland summer leadership and mentoring program.
Source: Elizabeth Hijar
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland strives to create new energy from old trash
In a Waste Management World story titled “Recycling and Waste to Energy Project Evaluated in Cleveland,” Ben Messenger explains how Cleveland is putting great effort into transforming the city’s waste into a form of locally produced energy.
“Cleveland has been investigating the use of municipal solid waste (MSW) for the production of energy since at least 2007,” explained Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Mayor Frank Jackson.
“Our goals, in part, are to reduce Cleveland’s dependence on fossil fuels, develop local energy generation capacity, and recover marketable by-products, such as recyclables, from MSW," he continued.
The story goes on to explain the vast scope of waste collection from 155,000 homes and a plethora of public buildings, including the West Side Market, fire stations, the Justice Center, and City Hall.
Learn more in the full story here.
“Cleveland has been investigating the use of municipal solid waste (MSW) for the production of energy since at least 2007,” explained Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Mayor Frank Jackson.
“Our goals, in part, are to reduce Cleveland’s dependence on fossil fuels, develop local energy generation capacity, and recover marketable by-products, such as recyclables, from MSW," he continued.
The story goes on to explain the vast scope of waste collection from 155,000 homes and a plethora of public buildings, including the West Side Market, fire stations, the Justice Center, and City Hall.
Learn more in the full story here.
Since its modest beginnings 36 years ago at the Cedar Lee Theatre, the Cleveland International Film Festival has blossomed into a premiere local, regional and national event. Over the years the festival’s attendance has grown by over 600 percent to last year's record of 85,018. Here are four films with a Cleveland connection.
When Tom Nolan was at South by Southwest (SXSW) last year, he was moved by the startup companies on the stage during the business accelerator. “It was inspiring to see the companies go and pitch their hearts out with something they’ve been working on for months and years,” Nolan says. “I remember sitting in the audience and I had the idea for Plotter and I thought, ‘I’m going to go home and work on it.'"
Plotter is Nolan’s social mapping app -- just launched for iPhone on March 1. Plotter allows users to not only perform typical mapping functions, but also lets users interact and view friends’ maps or plot multiple destinations.
Nolan quit his job last September to develop Plotter and hasn’t stopped since. “We kind of hit the ground running in October and November,” he says. “We logged thousands of hours in a short amount of time.”
Nolan and his three partners, Chad Milburn, Tim Zeller and Chris Jungjohann, applied in November to compete in the SXSW accelerator in the social division. In December they got word that Plotter had beat out more than 500 companies for the chance to pitch their app at the conference last week.
The Plotter team made it through the first round, giving a two-minute pitch to judges and investors and made it into the final three in their category. They went on to give a five-minute pitch and a 10-minute Q & A before they were declared the winner.
The next step is to roll out Plotter for Android. Nolan also wants to target the auto industry. “We’re talking to car manufacturers to bring Plotter in dashboards of cars,” he says. “We want to become the first mapping app in cars. The in-dash systems are so outdated.”
Nolan says he plans to keep Plotter in Cleveland and expand the team as soon as possible. “It’s been kind of a whirlwind,” he says. “We need to figure out the next steps and what direction to go in.”
Source: Tom Nolan
Writer: Karin Connelly
Plotter is Nolan’s social mapping app -- just launched for iPhone on March 1. Plotter allows users to not only perform typical mapping functions, but also lets users interact and view friends’ maps or plot multiple destinations.
Nolan quit his job last September to develop Plotter and hasn’t stopped since. “We kind of hit the ground running in October and November,” he says. “We logged thousands of hours in a short amount of time.”
Nolan and his three partners, Chad Milburn, Tim Zeller and Chris Jungjohann, applied in November to compete in the SXSW accelerator in the social division. In December they got word that Plotter had beat out more than 500 companies for the chance to pitch their app at the conference last week.
The Plotter team made it through the first round, giving a two-minute pitch to judges and investors and made it into the final three in their category. They went on to give a five-minute pitch and a 10-minute Q & A before they were declared the winner.
The next step is to roll out Plotter for Android. Nolan also wants to target the auto industry. “We’re talking to car manufacturers to bring Plotter in dashboards of cars,” he says. “We want to become the first mapping app in cars. The in-dash systems are so outdated.”
Nolan says he plans to keep Plotter in Cleveland and expand the team as soon as possible. “It’s been kind of a whirlwind,” he says. “We need to figure out the next steps and what direction to go in.”
Source: Tom Nolan
Writer: Karin Connelly