Emerging Neighborhoods
Rumors of the death of U.S. manufacturing have been greatly exaggerated. As the industry mounts a comeback in Cleveland and other cities, growing companies are discovering it's not easy to find qualified employees. In short, jobs once left for dead are now hard to fill.
In part, the skills gap exists because a generation of workers has been inculcated with the notion that manufacturing is filled with get-your-hands-dirty, dead-end jobs. On the other hand, the traditional model of high school vocational education does not do enough to meet the needs of tech-savvy manufacturers. Today's factories are as likely to be filled with computers as hulking, greasy machines, owners say.
To plug the gap, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District will soon break ground on a new, 165,000-square-foot campus for Max Hayes High School, a vocational school currently at W. 45th and Detroit. The new building will serve up to 800 students -- a one-third increase -- and feature state-of-the-art labs and new academic classrooms to prepare students for today's manufacturing jobs.
"We want to spread the idea that if you go to Max Hayes, you will get a job that can support your family," says Phillip Schwenk, Principal of Max Hayes. "Your job is relevant and it matters. We're trying to transform ourselves into a modern, global institution that really understands the needs of global industry."
The $40 million campus, which will break ground next year and is slated to be completed in 2015, will feature exposed construction elements such as ductwork, columns and steel beams to emphasize the city's manufacturing heritage. Located at W. 65th and Clark, the school will benefit from its proximity to local businesses, the partners involved believe.
"What comes out of this is a beautiful relationship with all of these businesses on the west side looking for people to work there," says Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, who represents the Stockyards neighborhood where Hayes will be built.
Project partners include representatives from manufacturing companies as well as organizations such as WIRE-Net, a Cleveland-based advocacy group. They will come together to create the Friends of Max Hayes to support the school.
Source: Phillip Schwenk, Matt Zone
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In part, the skills gap exists because a generation of workers has been inculcated with the notion that manufacturing is filled with get-your-hands-dirty, dead-end jobs. On the other hand, the traditional model of high school vocational education does not do enough to meet the needs of tech-savvy manufacturers. Today's factories are as likely to be filled with computers as hulking, greasy machines, owners say.
To plug the gap, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District will soon break ground on a new, 165,000-square-foot campus for Max Hayes High School, a vocational school currently at W. 45th and Detroit. The new building will serve up to 800 students -- a one-third increase -- and feature state-of-the-art labs and new academic classrooms to prepare students for today's manufacturing jobs.
"We want to spread the idea that if you go to Max Hayes, you will get a job that can support your family," says Phillip Schwenk, Principal of Max Hayes. "Your job is relevant and it matters. We're trying to transform ourselves into a modern, global institution that really understands the needs of global industry."
The $40 million campus, which will break ground next year and is slated to be completed in 2015, will feature exposed construction elements such as ductwork, columns and steel beams to emphasize the city's manufacturing heritage. Located at W. 65th and Clark, the school will benefit from its proximity to local businesses, the partners involved believe.
"What comes out of this is a beautiful relationship with all of these businesses on the west side looking for people to work there," says Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, who represents the Stockyards neighborhood where Hayes will be built.
Project partners include representatives from manufacturing companies as well as organizations such as WIRE-Net, a Cleveland-based advocacy group. They will come together to create the Friends of Max Hayes to support the school.
Source: Phillip Schwenk, Matt Zone
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When Deej Lincoln bought Interior Products Company two years ago, he thought he would build upon the commercial millwork company’s reputation for creating beautiful libraries. While the company continues to do library work, a new business built on sustainability, recycling and a bit of nostalgia has evolved.
Reclaimed Cleveland harvests wood from Cleveland properties slated for demolition and turns what they find into functional works of art. “We wanted to build the business in a new direction, and we got into wood reclamation,” explains Lincoln. “The idea resonated with our Interior Products Company customers.”
From benches and console tables to bottle openers and iPhone skins, every Reclaimed Cleveland product is stamped with the address of the property from which it came. Much of the focus is on old homes, which have a lot of old-growth wood, and churches.
“Obviously, there’s a sustainability component to it,” says Lincoln. “But there’s an aesthetic component that comes from a talented designer.”
The inspiration to create products from reclaimed wood came almost out of necessity. “About a year ago, we were sitting on all this wood and we had no furniture designed or built,” says Lincoln. “I said we have to have some holiday gift items at a low price point.”
From there, Reclaimed Cleveland made a bottle opener and marketed it through flash sales. “We immediately sold out of them,” says Lincoln. “We were impressed and pleased with the fact it took off as well as it did. I regret as a company, we didn’t do it sooner.” The products have even found a following outside of Cleveland.
Aaron Gogolin, who co-founded A Piece of Cleveland (APOC), joined the company in 2011 He helped produce the original products for Reclaimed Cleveland and helps maintain assembly and design standards. David Meyers joined in 2011 and is key in new product designs and branding of Reclaimed Cleveland. The company employs a total of 12 people.
Source: Deej Lincoln
Writer: Karin Connelly
Reclaimed Cleveland harvests wood from Cleveland properties slated for demolition and turns what they find into functional works of art. “We wanted to build the business in a new direction, and we got into wood reclamation,” explains Lincoln. “The idea resonated with our Interior Products Company customers.”
From benches and console tables to bottle openers and iPhone skins, every Reclaimed Cleveland product is stamped with the address of the property from which it came. Much of the focus is on old homes, which have a lot of old-growth wood, and churches.
“Obviously, there’s a sustainability component to it,” says Lincoln. “But there’s an aesthetic component that comes from a talented designer.”
The inspiration to create products from reclaimed wood came almost out of necessity. “About a year ago, we were sitting on all this wood and we had no furniture designed or built,” says Lincoln. “I said we have to have some holiday gift items at a low price point.”
From there, Reclaimed Cleveland made a bottle opener and marketed it through flash sales. “We immediately sold out of them,” says Lincoln. “We were impressed and pleased with the fact it took off as well as it did. I regret as a company, we didn’t do it sooner.” The products have even found a following outside of Cleveland.
Aaron Gogolin, who co-founded A Piece of Cleveland (APOC), joined the company in 2011 He helped produce the original products for Reclaimed Cleveland and helps maintain assembly and design standards. David Meyers joined in 2011 and is key in new product designs and branding of Reclaimed Cleveland. The company employs a total of 12 people.
Source: Deej Lincoln
Writer: Karin Connelly
Recent transplants to Cleveland arriving from so-called "big-ticket" metropolitan markets say that they are experiencing appreciable cost savings in terms of housing, transportation, entertainment and food. And that translates to a better standard of life with little lost in terms of quantity and quality of offerings.
It's crunch time, folks! In less than three weeks, the 2012 holiday season will be a memory. We feel your pain. To help, we've stitched together a provocative assortment of gift ideas that should knock out your list in no time flat. This year, keep it fresh, keep it tasty, keep it local.
To be truly successful at neighborhood redevelopment, CDCs must change how they do business, says Joel Ratner, president of Neighborhood Progress Inc. They must adopt a holistic strategy that combines bricks-and-mortar development with high-performing schools, social services, and other amenities that residents need and want.
The musCLE house may not be a gym or cable-access bodybuilding show, but it does give Cleveland students the opportunity to flex their musical talents in exchange for a bit of their free time.
Students taking part in the program receive one hour of free music lessons in exchange for volunteering one hour toward philanthropic involvement or community service, says musCLE house co-founder Eric Kogelschatz.
The Detroit native created the program with his wife Hallie Bram Kogelschatz and Cleveland Institute of Music alums Ariel Clayton and Carlos Javier. The musCLE house works with students from Cleveland Municipal School District, although its co-founder would like to expand the program to other districts.
"Music is a basic building block of intelligence," Kogelschatz explains. Due to school districts cutting music programs, "not enough young people have exposure to it."
The musCLE house launched its fundraising campaign this week. Kogelschatz aims to raise $55,000 over the next two months to finance more than 600 hours of music lessons from paid instructors, along with the procurement of instruments, sheet music and more.
With its volunteerism aspect, the program has the tenet of community building at its core, says Kogelschatz. Adding music to the mix is a bonus for the Shaker Heights resident, who grew up playing the saxophone and clarinet.
"We're encouraging kids to get involved with their communities," he says. "Students get to see the change taking place around them, and they're getting a reward."
SOURCE: Eric Kogelschatz
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Students taking part in the program receive one hour of free music lessons in exchange for volunteering one hour toward philanthropic involvement or community service, says musCLE house co-founder Eric Kogelschatz.
The Detroit native created the program with his wife Hallie Bram Kogelschatz and Cleveland Institute of Music alums Ariel Clayton and Carlos Javier. The musCLE house works with students from Cleveland Municipal School District, although its co-founder would like to expand the program to other districts.
"Music is a basic building block of intelligence," Kogelschatz explains. Due to school districts cutting music programs, "not enough young people have exposure to it."
The musCLE house launched its fundraising campaign this week. Kogelschatz aims to raise $55,000 over the next two months to finance more than 600 hours of music lessons from paid instructors, along with the procurement of instruments, sheet music and more.
With its volunteerism aspect, the program has the tenet of community building at its core, says Kogelschatz. Adding music to the mix is a bonus for the Shaker Heights resident, who grew up playing the saxophone and clarinet.
"We're encouraging kids to get involved with their communities," he says. "Students get to see the change taking place around them, and they're getting a reward."
SOURCE: Eric Kogelschatz
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
"Reading is fundamental" is a message that's been transmitted to the nation's children for years. Research shows that's no empty slogan: Kids who are not reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma, says Robert Paponetti, executive director of the Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland.
Enter the Literacy Cooperative's STEP (Supporting Tutors Engaging Pupils) program, an in-school tutoring program designed to help build reading and language skills in underperforming K-3 students. Young participants are taught in one-on-one, structured tutoring sessions that coordinate with classroom curriculum.
The students chosen for the program usually are close to their grade's reading level, says Paponetti. Lessons are delivered twice a week and are designed to develop fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension and word knowledge.
"Reading to a child is one thing," Paponetti says."We are working with the child."
STEP started as a pilot program for first-grade students at Marion-Sterling School in Cleveland during the 2010-2011 school year. Shoreview Elementary was added to the mix for 2012-2013. There's also an after-school program taking place at Warrensville Heights Library this year.
The program, funded by Cleveland Foundation and several other groups, has resulted in positive gains for its young readers, notes Paponetti. Participating students at Marion-Sterling, for example, showed improvement in all measures of reading skills compared to non-tutored students.
Further success will see future expansion of the program. "There's a beautiful simplicity to structured tutoring intervention," says Paponetti. "It could be a real tool for helping children."
SOURCE: Robert Paponetti
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Enter the Literacy Cooperative's STEP (Supporting Tutors Engaging Pupils) program, an in-school tutoring program designed to help build reading and language skills in underperforming K-3 students. Young participants are taught in one-on-one, structured tutoring sessions that coordinate with classroom curriculum.
The students chosen for the program usually are close to their grade's reading level, says Paponetti. Lessons are delivered twice a week and are designed to develop fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension and word knowledge.
"Reading to a child is one thing," Paponetti says."We are working with the child."
STEP started as a pilot program for first-grade students at Marion-Sterling School in Cleveland during the 2010-2011 school year. Shoreview Elementary was added to the mix for 2012-2013. There's also an after-school program taking place at Warrensville Heights Library this year.
The program, funded by Cleveland Foundation and several other groups, has resulted in positive gains for its young readers, notes Paponetti. Participating students at Marion-Sterling, for example, showed improvement in all measures of reading skills compared to non-tutored students.
Further success will see future expansion of the program. "There's a beautiful simplicity to structured tutoring intervention," says Paponetti. "It could be a real tool for helping children."
SOURCE: Robert Paponetti
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
vision for local food system outlined in artsy animation
This animated video premiered at the 4th Annual Sustainable Cleveland Summit in September.
"It illustrates the vision for a local and sustainable food system in the Cleveland region, and how people can get involved," explains Jenita McGowan of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability "As part of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 year of local foods celebration, we wanted to create a video that is fun, simple and easy to understand. It is our goal that this video resonates specifically with residents of Northeast Ohio using recognizable icons, such as the West Side Market.”
This animated video premiered at the 4th Annual Sustainable Cleveland Summit in September.
"It illustrates the vision for a local and sustainable food system in the Cleveland region, and how people can get involved," explains Jenita McGowan of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability "As part of the Sustainable Cleveland 2019 year of local foods celebration, we wanted to create a video that is fun, simple and easy to understand. It is our goal that this video resonates specifically with residents of Northeast Ohio using recognizable icons, such as the West Side Market.”
Seven is a lucky number for North Collinwood's burgeoning arts community, as a like-numbered group of the neighborhood's creative thinkers recently received grants from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC).
The seven artists, most working out of North Collinwood's Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District as part of CPAC's "Artists in Residence" initiative, will get a total of $45,000 in funding for projects including a music education series for local children and an "intergenerational story circle" starring some of the community elderly residents, says CPAC strategic initiative director Seth Beattie.
The grants will address community priorities through arts activities between this month and the end of March. Overarching themes of the grant cycle are residents, community assets and youth involvement. CPAC is awarding the grants in conjunction with the nonprofit Northeast Shores Development Corporation.
"We had 30 proposals this time around," says Beattie of CPAC's second of three grant periods; the third round will come next spring. "These particular ones rose to the top."
The grants are a component of the Artists in Residence program, which is using the North Collinwood neighborhood as "a laboratory" for increasing artists’ engagement with the population, says CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl. Area painters, sculptors, videographers and musicians are given perks like affordable housing with the hope they will be a major participant in neighborhood revitalization.
"Artists want communities where they can live affordably with a great quality of life," says Beattie. "They can be a tremendous force in absorbing space in the neighborhood. Collinwood is poised to see a dramatic turnaround in the coming years."
The Waterloo Road arts district can be part of that transformation, with CPAC's latest granting round a good beginning on getting that done, believe the organization's leaders.
"We're marrying strengths here," Beattie says. "It's about money and developing a system of support that helps artists build up projects now and in the future."
SOURCE: Tom Schorgl, Seth Beattie
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The seven artists, most working out of North Collinwood's Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District as part of CPAC's "Artists in Residence" initiative, will get a total of $45,000 in funding for projects including a music education series for local children and an "intergenerational story circle" starring some of the community elderly residents, says CPAC strategic initiative director Seth Beattie.
The grants will address community priorities through arts activities between this month and the end of March. Overarching themes of the grant cycle are residents, community assets and youth involvement. CPAC is awarding the grants in conjunction with the nonprofit Northeast Shores Development Corporation.
"We had 30 proposals this time around," says Beattie of CPAC's second of three grant periods; the third round will come next spring. "These particular ones rose to the top."
The grants are a component of the Artists in Residence program, which is using the North Collinwood neighborhood as "a laboratory" for increasing artists’ engagement with the population, says CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl. Area painters, sculptors, videographers and musicians are given perks like affordable housing with the hope they will be a major participant in neighborhood revitalization.
"Artists want communities where they can live affordably with a great quality of life," says Beattie. "They can be a tremendous force in absorbing space in the neighborhood. Collinwood is poised to see a dramatic turnaround in the coming years."
The Waterloo Road arts district can be part of that transformation, with CPAC's latest granting round a good beginning on getting that done, believe the organization's leaders.
"We're marrying strengths here," Beattie says. "It's about money and developing a system of support that helps artists build up projects now and in the future."
SOURCE: Tom Schorgl, Seth Beattie
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Cleveland native Marcellus Nealy was "window shopping" for a camera on the Internet when he came across information about Canon’s Project Imaginat10n contest. The contest involves director Ron Howard selecting 91 photos in 10 categories to be made into films by celebrity directors. Nealy decided to enter, and his photo “Sharing a Smoke” was named a winner in the “relationship” category.
"While I was window shopping I stumbled on a site that mentioned last year's contest,” recalls Nealy. “That site made me want to know more about this year's contest. I Googled it, saw that they were still taking submissions, and sent in some photos. I never actually expected to be a winner.”
Nealy grew up on Scoville Avenue and the Lee Harvard neighborhoods of Cleveland and attended John Carroll. He now spends most of his time in Tokyo, or with his sister in Willoughby Hills.
Nealy’s photo is one of the 91 that celebrity directors -- Eva Longoria, Jamie Foxx, designer and co-founder of Marchesa Georgina Chapman and James Murphy -- will pick from to use for their short films.
Nealy shot the photo while on a shoot for a Tokyo-based band. Two of the band members were sharing a cigarette when the inspiration hit Nealy. “Suddenly, I had a vision of them exchanging souls or some cosmic energy or the spirit of creativity or Anima, or whatever you want to call it,” he says. “I thought the smoke would be the best way to express this vision in a tangible way.”
The first five films are scheduled to go into production later this year and early 2013, with five more celebrity directors to be named at a later date.
Source: Marcellus Nealy
Writer: Karin Connelly
"While I was window shopping I stumbled on a site that mentioned last year's contest,” recalls Nealy. “That site made me want to know more about this year's contest. I Googled it, saw that they were still taking submissions, and sent in some photos. I never actually expected to be a winner.”
Nealy grew up on Scoville Avenue and the Lee Harvard neighborhoods of Cleveland and attended John Carroll. He now spends most of his time in Tokyo, or with his sister in Willoughby Hills.
Nealy’s photo is one of the 91 that celebrity directors -- Eva Longoria, Jamie Foxx, designer and co-founder of Marchesa Georgina Chapman and James Murphy -- will pick from to use for their short films.
Nealy shot the photo while on a shoot for a Tokyo-based band. Two of the band members were sharing a cigarette when the inspiration hit Nealy. “Suddenly, I had a vision of them exchanging souls or some cosmic energy or the spirit of creativity or Anima, or whatever you want to call it,” he says. “I thought the smoke would be the best way to express this vision in a tangible way.”
The first five films are scheduled to go into production later this year and early 2013, with five more celebrity directors to be named at a later date.
Source: Marcellus Nealy
Writer: Karin Connelly
A school garden is a real, living world, a type of lab that offers teachers a way to embed creativity, collaboration and love for nature into their curriculum, believes Carlton Jackson, a farmer, self-described "food evangelist" and proprietor of Tunnel Vision Hoops, a provider of hoop houses that allow for year-round food production.
The Cleveland-based company is offering Cuyahoga County public school students grades K-8 a chance to win a hoop house for their school. The Gardens that Teach contest, which runs through February, asks students a series of questions about the preparation, construction and maintenance of a theoretical school garden. Answers will be reviewed by a panel of experts from the realms of food policy, botany and community gardening.
The winning school will receive the greenhouse-like hoop house, while the other participants will learn about the benefits of plants, year-round gardening and healthy eating, says Jackson. "We wanted kids to use their math skills," he adds. For example, "how many pounds of tomatoes can they get? What will the do with the food once it's grown?"
Hoop houses provide a high-temperature environment that protects crops from strong winds, cold and frost, allowing fruits and vegetables to grow during gardening's so-called "off-season," Jackson says.
The concept also is in line with the city's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 project, a movement that in part aims to increase the percentage of locally produced food. Mayor Frank Jackson also proclaimed October 24 to be Food Day, a national venture with the overriding objective of "eating real" and promoting healthy diets among the population.
The Gardens That Teach contest is certainly a nourishing exercise for Northeast Ohio's young students, says Jackson.
"There's a wonderment in watching something grow," he says. "If we can kids back to that, it would be a beautiful thing."
SOURCE: Carlton Jackson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
The Cleveland-based company is offering Cuyahoga County public school students grades K-8 a chance to win a hoop house for their school. The Gardens that Teach contest, which runs through February, asks students a series of questions about the preparation, construction and maintenance of a theoretical school garden. Answers will be reviewed by a panel of experts from the realms of food policy, botany and community gardening.
The winning school will receive the greenhouse-like hoop house, while the other participants will learn about the benefits of plants, year-round gardening and healthy eating, says Jackson. "We wanted kids to use their math skills," he adds. For example, "how many pounds of tomatoes can they get? What will the do with the food once it's grown?"
Hoop houses provide a high-temperature environment that protects crops from strong winds, cold and frost, allowing fruits and vegetables to grow during gardening's so-called "off-season," Jackson says.
The concept also is in line with the city's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 project, a movement that in part aims to increase the percentage of locally produced food. Mayor Frank Jackson also proclaimed October 24 to be Food Day, a national venture with the overriding objective of "eating real" and promoting healthy diets among the population.
The Gardens That Teach contest is certainly a nourishing exercise for Northeast Ohio's young students, says Jackson.
"There's a wonderment in watching something grow," he says. "If we can kids back to that, it would be a beautiful thing."
SOURCE: Carlton Jackson
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
It's no exaggeration to say that Cleveland wouldn't be half the city it was and is without the steady influx of foreign-born peoples. But nowhere, perhaps, is our city's melting-pot pedigree more evident than on the plates served at ethnic eateries throughout town. Every time we tuck into a delicious plate of ethnic food, we have these brave immigrants to thank for it.
Cleveland’s growing urban farming scene has gained national recognition as a creative response to the problems of foreclosure and vacancy. Now the challenge for these homegrown entrepreneurs is to develop business strategies that help turn their startups into year-round businesses.
port's lakefront nature preserve snags environmental enhancement award
Underscoring its commitment to environmental stewardship and public access to the lakefront, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has won an international industry award for opening and managing the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve.
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has awarded the Port its 2012 Environmental Enhancement Award for the preserve, an 88-acre site on Lake Erie that opened to the public on a daily basis in February. Since that time, the Preserve has seen some 14,000 visitors from 39 states and 13 countries.
“We are honored and excited to receive this award,” says Port President and CEO Will Friedman. “We have made environmental stewardship along our waterfronts a major organizational priority, and to be recognized by the AAPA for our efforts is rewarding. We hope this award will further raise the profile of the preserve and draw even more people to enjoy nature and bird watching on Cleveland’s Lake Erie shoreline.”
Read the rest of the good news here.
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has awarded the Port its 2012 Environmental Enhancement Award for the preserve, an 88-acre site on Lake Erie that opened to the public on a daily basis in February. Since that time, the Preserve has seen some 14,000 visitors from 39 states and 13 countries.
“We are honored and excited to receive this award,” says Port President and CEO Will Friedman. “We have made environmental stewardship along our waterfronts a major organizational priority, and to be recognized by the AAPA for our efforts is rewarding. We hope this award will further raise the profile of the preserve and draw even more people to enjoy nature and bird watching on Cleveland’s Lake Erie shoreline.”
Read the rest of the good news here.
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority is asking voters to vote "Yes" on Issue 108, a levy that would cost property owners roughly $20 a year per $100,000. Fresh Water discusses the importance of the levy and more with Port President and CEO William Friedman.
Munchit co-founders Tim Holmes and Jon Dinardo were living worlds apart -- Holmes in London and Dinardo in Los Angeles -- but they had one thing in common: the desire to find a better way to snack.
“I was based in London and lived inside the city and ended up eating a lot of junk,” says Holmes, a native Brit. Meanwhile, Dinardo was living a fast-paced lifestyle on the west coast. The two, along with Holmes’ wife (and Dinardo’s sister) Nicole, were craving something better.
So the three moved back to Dinardo's Ohio hometown to start Munchit, an all-natural snack company. Munchit sells snack boxes, either on a weekly or monthly subscription basis, in which the buyer chooses from 25 wholesome snacks. Snacks feature things like dark chocolate espresso beans, nuts, cranberries, rolled dates and seed mixes. Each box features four different snacks.
“You log in and go through all our snacks,” explains Dinardo. “If you love 18 out of the 25 items we mix it up each time.”
Holmes and Dinardo source their products from small, local companies as well as national family-owned suppliers. “All of our food is 100-percent natural, with no preservatives or artificial colors,” says Dinardo. “The snacks are portion sized and are 180 calories.” They focus on environmental issues, keeping packaging to a minimum.
They decided to start the company in Cleveland to not only be close to family, but also for economical reasons. “Cleveland is a good area logistically because it’s very close to the hub of business,” says Holmes. “The cost of suppliers is right.”
Munchit currently is trying to raise $50,000 by Oct. 25 on Kickstarter. “Our goal right now is to launch and stay afloat in the short term,” says Holmes. “We want to make it past the first year. After that, the opportunities in the market are open to us to grow and expand.”
While right now it is a family affair, Holmes and Dinardo predict they will hire people to help with packaging and fulfillment as they grow. Eventually they plan to hire people to help with finance and bookkeeping.
Source: Jon Dinardo and Tim Holmes
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I was based in London and lived inside the city and ended up eating a lot of junk,” says Holmes, a native Brit. Meanwhile, Dinardo was living a fast-paced lifestyle on the west coast. The two, along with Holmes’ wife (and Dinardo’s sister) Nicole, were craving something better.
So the three moved back to Dinardo's Ohio hometown to start Munchit, an all-natural snack company. Munchit sells snack boxes, either on a weekly or monthly subscription basis, in which the buyer chooses from 25 wholesome snacks. Snacks feature things like dark chocolate espresso beans, nuts, cranberries, rolled dates and seed mixes. Each box features four different snacks.
“You log in and go through all our snacks,” explains Dinardo. “If you love 18 out of the 25 items we mix it up each time.”
Holmes and Dinardo source their products from small, local companies as well as national family-owned suppliers. “All of our food is 100-percent natural, with no preservatives or artificial colors,” says Dinardo. “The snacks are portion sized and are 180 calories.” They focus on environmental issues, keeping packaging to a minimum.
They decided to start the company in Cleveland to not only be close to family, but also for economical reasons. “Cleveland is a good area logistically because it’s very close to the hub of business,” says Holmes. “The cost of suppliers is right.”
Munchit currently is trying to raise $50,000 by Oct. 25 on Kickstarter. “Our goal right now is to launch and stay afloat in the short term,” says Holmes. “We want to make it past the first year. After that, the opportunities in the market are open to us to grow and expand.”
While right now it is a family affair, Holmes and Dinardo predict they will hire people to help with packaging and fulfillment as they grow. Eventually they plan to hire people to help with finance and bookkeeping.
Source: Jon Dinardo and Tim Holmes
Writer: Karin Connelly
Peter Debelak was a frustrated lawyer with a passion for woodworking when he stumbled on a soon-to-be-available woodshop space in a former meat processing plant on Cleveland's near west side.
"There was a woodworker who had been in there for 30 years, and his space opened up," says Debelak, who fell in love with the medium of wood 12 years ago and has worked with it ever since. "The opportunity was hard to pass up."
Still, starting the woodshop was a leap of faith. "I realized it was now or never," he adds. "I could get into the inertia of my next job and it would stay an idea, or I could just do it."
This past July, Debelak opened Soulcraft Woodshop, an artistic space for his own furniture making and a hub for woodworking lessons and workshops. He partnered on the project with fellow woodworkers Jim Doyle and Jim McNaughton.
"There's definitely an existing and growing 'maker' movement among people in their 20s and 30s and retirees," says Debelak. "It's about going back and working with your hands, making your own things and having a connection to objects."
Unless you have a woodworking shop in your basement, there is a dearth of spaces to explore this field, he adds. "Shop class has been eliminated in just about every curriculum in public and private schools. There's a hole in terms of market need."
Soulcraft Woodshop currently offers classes on an ad hoc basis based on inquiries. However, the owners will soon roll out regular classes such as "Introduction to Furniture Making" or "How to Build an Adirondack Chair in a Weekend."
Budding woodworkers can also purchase a monthly membership pass for $120 or a pay-as-you-go pass to complete an individual project for as little as $50 to $80.
Soulcraft Woodshop is located in the Hildebrandt Building at 3610 Walton Avenue.
Source: Peter Debelak
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"There was a woodworker who had been in there for 30 years, and his space opened up," says Debelak, who fell in love with the medium of wood 12 years ago and has worked with it ever since. "The opportunity was hard to pass up."
Still, starting the woodshop was a leap of faith. "I realized it was now or never," he adds. "I could get into the inertia of my next job and it would stay an idea, or I could just do it."
This past July, Debelak opened Soulcraft Woodshop, an artistic space for his own furniture making and a hub for woodworking lessons and workshops. He partnered on the project with fellow woodworkers Jim Doyle and Jim McNaughton.
"There's definitely an existing and growing 'maker' movement among people in their 20s and 30s and retirees," says Debelak. "It's about going back and working with your hands, making your own things and having a connection to objects."
Unless you have a woodworking shop in your basement, there is a dearth of spaces to explore this field, he adds. "Shop class has been eliminated in just about every curriculum in public and private schools. There's a hole in terms of market need."
Soulcraft Woodshop currently offers classes on an ad hoc basis based on inquiries. However, the owners will soon roll out regular classes such as "Introduction to Furniture Making" or "How to Build an Adirondack Chair in a Weekend."
Budding woodworkers can also purchase a monthly membership pass for $120 or a pay-as-you-go pass to complete an individual project for as little as $50 to $80.
Soulcraft Woodshop is located in the Hildebrandt Building at 3610 Walton Avenue.
Source: Peter Debelak
Writer: Lee Chilcote
At the corner of E. 83rd and Carnegie Avenue, a dilapidated building has been transformed into a contemporary, glass-walled resource center. Inside these walls, youth will be mentored, adults will receive financial education and job skill assistance, and seniors will record their history within the community.
This is no ordinary redevelopment project. The PNC Fairfax Connection was designed with maximum community input to address the needs and aspirations of the Fairfax neighborhood, which lies just south of the Cleveland Clinic campus.
“We celebrate the opening of the PNC Fairfax Connection as a demonstration of what it truly means to work together to create a new relationship and a new bond between a bank and its community,” said Cleveland native James Rohr, Chairman and CEO of PNC Bank, in a press release. “PNC closely collaborated with the Fairfax community at every step to ensure the center's design and programs meet the interests and needs of this proud and historic community.”
The $5 million center, which was sustainably built and will likely receive LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is a 6,400-square-foot space that is flexibly designed to meet the needs of the community. Two full-time coordinators, Susan Blasko and Brandon Lipford, will staff it.
Upcoming programs include SPARK, a web-based literacy initiative provided in cooperation with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cleveland; Senior Compass programs that help seniors with help and wellness and technology skills; and Financial Connections, which are weekly financial wellness workshops.
The PNC Fairfax Connection is open daily from Tuesday through Saturday, and programs are offered in the day as well as the evening.
Source: PNC Bank
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This is no ordinary redevelopment project. The PNC Fairfax Connection was designed with maximum community input to address the needs and aspirations of the Fairfax neighborhood, which lies just south of the Cleveland Clinic campus.
“We celebrate the opening of the PNC Fairfax Connection as a demonstration of what it truly means to work together to create a new relationship and a new bond between a bank and its community,” said Cleveland native James Rohr, Chairman and CEO of PNC Bank, in a press release. “PNC closely collaborated with the Fairfax community at every step to ensure the center's design and programs meet the interests and needs of this proud and historic community.”
The $5 million center, which was sustainably built and will likely receive LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is a 6,400-square-foot space that is flexibly designed to meet the needs of the community. Two full-time coordinators, Susan Blasko and Brandon Lipford, will staff it.
Upcoming programs include SPARK, a web-based literacy initiative provided in cooperation with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cleveland; Senior Compass programs that help seniors with help and wellness and technology skills; and Financial Connections, which are weekly financial wellness workshops.
The PNC Fairfax Connection is open daily from Tuesday through Saturday, and programs are offered in the day as well as the evening.
Source: PNC Bank
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A parent can cover their child's eyes when there is violence on television, but who will do that for a child when they're exposed to real-life trauma? That is the question United Way is answering with its 2-1-1 community access line, a 24-hour help number that's part of Cuyahoga County’s Defending Childhood initiative.
United States Attorney General Eric Holder and Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald hosted a news conference September 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. High School to announce a $2 million Justice Department grant that will aid Defending Childhood programs including the community access line.
The phone line is manned by United Way staff members. These trained staffers determine if Defending Childhood services can help a child who has witnessed violence or experienced trauma. Diagnosing and treating children who have lived through violence can be a significant step in helping them avoid trouble later in life, says Stephen Wertheim, president/CEO of United Way.
"The trauma a kid goes through can impact their function in society," Wertheim says. "We're trying to get to these problems at the root."
While at the high school event, Holder participated in a round-table discussion with students and teachers. He later met with a group of law enforcement officers and social workers that were also on hand.
The impact of violence on children has reached "national crisis" proportions, Holder told the audience during the Sept. 28 conference. Assessing and screening the young people victimized by violence must take precedence over merely prosecuting those perpetrating the trauma.
Studies have shown how post-traumatic stress can negatively effect children, says FitzGerald.
"If a child witnesses horrific acts of violence, they're more likely to be involved in the justice system themselves," says the county executive. Through a preventative measure like the 2-1-1 help line, "the idea is to increase public safety rather than just incarcerating everyone."
SOURCE: Stephen Wertheim, Ed FitzGerald
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
United States Attorney General Eric Holder and Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald hosted a news conference September 28 at Martin Luther King Jr. High School to announce a $2 million Justice Department grant that will aid Defending Childhood programs including the community access line.
The phone line is manned by United Way staff members. These trained staffers determine if Defending Childhood services can help a child who has witnessed violence or experienced trauma. Diagnosing and treating children who have lived through violence can be a significant step in helping them avoid trouble later in life, says Stephen Wertheim, president/CEO of United Way.
"The trauma a kid goes through can impact their function in society," Wertheim says. "We're trying to get to these problems at the root."
While at the high school event, Holder participated in a round-table discussion with students and teachers. He later met with a group of law enforcement officers and social workers that were also on hand.
The impact of violence on children has reached "national crisis" proportions, Holder told the audience during the Sept. 28 conference. Assessing and screening the young people victimized by violence must take precedence over merely prosecuting those perpetrating the trauma.
Studies have shown how post-traumatic stress can negatively effect children, says FitzGerald.
"If a child witnesses horrific acts of violence, they're more likely to be involved in the justice system themselves," says the county executive. Through a preventative measure like the 2-1-1 help line, "the idea is to increase public safety rather than just incarcerating everyone."
SOURCE: Stephen Wertheim, Ed FitzGerald
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth