In this special op-ed for Fresh Water, Brandon Chrostowski, founder of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, gives Clevelanders powerful and sobering reminders on the heels of the city's remarkable summer of 2016.
 

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.

The Fixers, a series of short films that will be presented in SPACES next month, offers street-level tours Clevelanders would give RNC delegates if given the chance.

Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has announced 21 finalists for its 2016 Vibrant City Awards. Winners will be revealed on May 2 at the second annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch, hosted by CNP and presented by Key Bank and Community Blight Solutions.
 
“We are proud to convene community partners and stakeholders to celebrate city neighborhoods. These leading efforts in neighborhood revitalization are what help us all create a vibrant city,” says Joel Ratner, president and CEO of CNP. “The organizations and individuals being honored have displayed tremendous passion, dedication and collaboration. We’re excited to recognize them for their successful efforts in community development.”
 
CNP received more than 70 nominations for this year's awards.

Learn more about all 21 finalists and continue reading.

Stephen Manka has installed public art throughout the city. His subtle methods, however, reveal myriad connections between Clevelanders, their spaces and their history.

Drink Local Drink Tap's third 4 Miles 4 Water event will be held on Saturday May 7 from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Cleveland Metroparks' Edgewater Reservation. Activities include a one-mile walk, four-mile run, free "All Things Water" festival with concert, and Guinness World Record Attempt. More than 1,500 participants are expected, including more than 500 registered runners and walkers.

Registration fees vary, but all proceeds will go to Drink Local Drink Tap's mission to preserve our fresh water resources and to have a positive impact on the global water crisis by creating more awareness and reconnecting people with the fresh water resources in their own backyards. Here are links to the participant form and the exhibitor form. There are also sponsorship opportunities.

More information is available here.

On Wednesday, March 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Halloran Skating Rink, 3350 West 117th St., the Cleveland Community Police Commission (CCPC) will hold a "Use of Force" town hall meeting. This event is free and open to the public.

Per the March 3 press release, "this meeting is focused on the CCPC's mandate to collect the concerns, experiences and values of the community concerning police use of force policies, training and accountability.

Attendees are invited to fill out a questionnaire available here. Contact info@clecpc.org or 216-755-4272 for more information.
 

While Interstate highways connected Cleveland proper with points across the county and beyond, the street-level impact on dense urban neighborhoods was profound and enduring. Guest contributor Tim Kovach reveals this topic with a sobering bird's eye view.

Joe Calabrese, CEO and General Manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) advocated for more transit funding in testimony on Feb. 16 at the Statehouse.

"RTA is the largest public transportation agency in Ohio. My employees, who reside in 16 of Ohio counties, serve approximately 50 million customers each year in Cuyahoga and several neighboring counties," said Calabrese in his address.

"Public transit in Ohio is a $900 million industry that supports many manufacturers, suppliers and jobs.

Public transit gets workers to work, students to school, connects important destinations, drives economic development and provides mobility to many Ohioans who have no other mobility option due to economic realities or disabilities."

Read his comments in their entirety here.
 

Whether the mild winter continues or Jack Frost breathes chilly air over us and lays a snowy blanket beneath us, the Cleveland Metroparks offers a host of activities for people of all ages and abilities throughout the winter months.
 

A long time in the planning, the W. 73rd Street underpass gives Detroit Shoreway residents east access to lakefront gems.

The expansion of early education in greater Cleveland received a $10 million boost last week when Cuyahoga County Council and executive Armond Budish reached a biennial budget agreement for 2016 and 2017.
 
The two-year investment creates the Cuyahoga Early Childhood Trust, a public-private partnership meant to attract private funds to continue the push for universal, high-quality pre-kindergarten education to children across the county.

It’s the kind of support partners of the PRE4CLE initiative say is necessary to achieve and surpass the original goal of enrolling 2,000 additional children into high-quality preschool seats at public and private schools in Greater Cleveland by 2016.
 
“We are so grateful to the county leadership for this new investment,” PRE4CLE director Katie Kelly says. “It’s going to make a big difference in the amount of kids served across the county. The impact on Cleveland will be significant in not just number of students served, but the quality of our early learning program.”
 
The investment will fund teacher education and retention programs, as well as social, emotional and behavioral support for low-income students. According to the council presentation supporting the investment, there are 20,800 preschool-aged children in the county, but only 4,700 are in high-quality programs.
 
“We know it’s one of the most important factors in providing high quality outcomes for students,” Kelly says of teacher education. “Those additional supports in staff coaching and training on how to help students experiencing those challenges is a big part of quality as well. It can make our already good programs even better.”

Cleveland's tree canopy has declined significantly since it was dubbed The Forest City in the 1820s. Slowly, but surely, area activists are working to once again bring the city true to its nickname.