Cuyahoga County residents are going green by banding together to reap the benefits of solar energy — and they're saving plenty of green as well.

Three architect-builder teams—ranging from international to local—have risen to the top in a design competition that focused on three lots in Shaker Heights' Moreland district. The prize-winning results are innovative, energy-efficient and appropriate for middle-income housing.

From Annie Knox and Kim Palmer, with additional contributors, for Reuters:

President-elect Donald Trump aims to open up federal lands to more energy development, tapping into a long-running and contentious debate over how best to manage America’s remaining wilderness.

The U.S. government holds title to about 500 million acres of land across the country, including national parks and forests, wildlife refuges and tribal territories stretching from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico. They overlay billions of barrels of oil and vast quantities of natural gas, coal, and uranium.

The article goes on to include the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) as one federal holding pertinent to the controversy. The CVNP is one of the nation's few parks that already allows drilling on account of privately owned mineral rights.

Per this article by Kabir Bhatia for wksu, however, park officials do not foresee an expansion:

Right now, there are 91 wells within Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s 33,000 acres. Last fall, the rules governing those wells* were overhauled to give the parks more control. Lisa Petit, head of resource management for the park, says she doesn’t foresee new wells being added in the next several years; instead the focus will be bringing the existing wells in-line with the new rules.

The greenspace is a local mecca for hikers, bikers and those who enjoy watersports on the Cuyahoga River. It is Ohio's only national park.

Further reading: 100 miles of the Towpath Trail, one step at a time

*link added
 

Fresh Water pulled into the funky co-working space on Lee Road and met up with four of the resident businesses to get their stories and hear about what motivates and excites them.

For those wanting to take back control of winter after the recent reminder of what ol' Jack Frost can shovel out, here are three activities to choose from around the Metroparks for tomorrow.

All events are free and open to the public. Follow the links for more information.

Chickadee Feeding Hike, Rocky River Reservation, 10 a.m.

Wild black-capped chickadees can be remarkably friendly. Join a naturalist-led walk for an attempt to lure this gentle creature to your hand. We'll supply the black oil sunflower seed.

Mill Creek Dog Walk, Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, 10 a.m.

Take a brisk walk with your pup along scenic Mill Creek. Enjoy the flora and fauna as well as hearing a bit of the history of the area. Dogs must be leashed and waste picked up. Walkers without dogs welcome.

Sunday Drop-By: Snowflake Matching, Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek Reservation, 1 p.m.

Stop by the Watershed Stewardship Center to celebrate this snowy season with a fun game. Bring your friends to this friendly competition while learning about snowflakes. Are snowflakes truly unique?
 

Walking the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail reveals the details of fascinating sights, from stunning infrastructure and industry to magical cities and even a ghostly wetland.

From the reclamation of the Henninger Landfill to saving a Russell Township farm, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy fosters thriving urban centers, green space and more by preserving some 5,000 acres annually.
 

Orchestrated by regional organizations and led by residents, this grassroots initiative tackles climate change where it has a disproportionate impact: amid lower income citizens.
 

Whether it's a national design competition, kids making their own space or locals splashing color amid an active greenspace, Shaker Heights' Moreland district is alive with art and community collaboration.

Local artists Gary and Laura Dumm mix the likes of Frankenstein and vampires with pesticides and global warming - along with a side of humor - in an evocative new show.

In its quest to have bicycles be a primary form of transportation in the city, Lakewood recently added two new dedicated bike lanes along the entire stretch of Madison Avenue. The addition is part of the city’s Bicycle Master Plan, adopted in 2012 as a way to encourage cycling.

“We want to establish cycling as a main means of transportation in Lakewood,” says Bryce Sylvester, the city’s senior city planner. “The goal is to be recognized as one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the country.”
 
City officials began implementing the plan back in 2012 with shared bike-vehicle lanes, known as “sharrows,” on Detroit Avenue and dedicated bike lanes on Franklin Boulevard.  The lanes are clearly marked as sharrows or dedicated lanes.
 
In addition to the traditional bike lane markings, the new lanes on Madison implement two new bicycle infrastructure signs. The lanes will have “door zone” patterns – small diagonal lines – to mark areas where people in parked cars may be opening their doors into the lane. The idea is to reduce the number of run-ins cyclists have with abruptly opening car doors.
 
Dotted markings through intersections along the route will reinforce the fact that bicyclists have priority over turning vehicles or vehicles entering the roadway – alerting traffic, both bike and vehicles, of potential conflict areas.
 
“Our hope is to make it a safer ride down Madison Avenue,” says Sylvester.
 
The city also has installed more than 100 bike racks in front of businesses since 2012, with the aim of installing 20 racks per year.
 
Sylvester says the Bicycle Master Plan and its execution are in response to the residents’ demands. “The people have built an environment of cyclists here,” he says. “People use their bikes to get around. We’re taking a proactive approach of active living in Lakewood. We feel infrastructures like this allow out residents to be active.”
 
Lakewood has been awarded a bronze award for its efforts by the League of American Bicyclists
 
"We're doing okay," says Sylvester of the plan’s progress.

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

A conversation with Nicole McGee about the Upcycle Parts Shop and her work as a community organizer, fundraiser, and creative reuse artist.
 

Last Friday, a group of visitors gathered in the lobby of the new Hilton Cleveland Downtown as they readied for the 2016 Transplant Games of America at the adjacent Convention Center. They blilnked in awe at the beauty of the 32-story hotel and also marveled over the professionalism of the staff of 350.

The positive reaction is exactly what the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials aimed to achieve when construction on the nearly 614,000-square-foot hotel, operated by Hilton Worldwide, began in 2014.
 
The 600-room Hilton was designed by the Atlanta architecture firm Cooper Carry to show off all of Cleveland’s assets while providing a world-class stay, says Carolyn Deming, director of public relations for the hotel.
 
“Nearly 500,000 visitors who have never been to Cleveland are expected in the first year,” she says. “We already have business groups on the books through 2020. There are really exciting things happening here and this is a chance to see what Cleveland has to offer.”
 
A mural composed of 2,800 selfies embodies that assertion. Located at the bottom of the escalators to the connecting Convention Center, the photos were submitted in the #MyClePhoto contest last year and were collected and assembled into a Cleveland skyline mural by North Carolina-based hospitality art curator Kalisher.

Get all the details on the new Hilton and see a host of gorgeous photos here.