The Mandel Foundation's Neighborhood Leadership Development Program (NLDP) has been producing neighborhood leaders since 2006. The younger Community Development Corporation Leadership Program (CDCLP) successfully empowers CDC leaders to create positive change in the communities they represent. Both programs are now looking for the next cohort of community leaders.

Live music has been a staple at the East Cleveland Public Library, thanks to former library executive director Greg Reese. A jazz lover and sax player, Reese first started the Sunday Concert Series at ECPL as a way to attract more Black men to the institution in the 1980s, and the series is going strong and will resume in August.

The International Horror Hotel Film Festival will screen more than 150 films nominated to win in more than two dozen categories. Held at the Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport, the festival features networking, competitions, and expert advice for both aspiring and successful filmmakers, as well as for horror film fans.

At age 16, Ronnie Cannon was an average kid who made some bad decisions and served nearly 20 years in prison before turning his life around. Upon his release, he found Towards Employment, which helps individuals overcome barriers to employment and a career path to success. Cannon and two others will share their stories of personal and career transformation at Towards Employment's fundraiser A Chance to Advance this Friday, June 14 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on the Case Western Reserve University campus.

Architectural photographer and Shaker Heights resident Lauren Pacini this week published “Empire Builders: An Illustrated History of the Rise and Fall of Cleveland's Van Sweringen Brothers,” the story of the eccentric Van Sweringen brothers' successes and failures in developing Shaker Heights as an exclusive residential garden community and their eventual demise during the Great Depression.

Ralph Horner writes about growing up near St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park, how he met Father Pete and became an altar boy and “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII,” and incident during one Mass where the accidentally spilled the incense.

Renowned author Amy Tan visited the Cleveland Museum of Natural History last week to talk about her newest book, "The Backyard Bird Chronicles"—about Tan’s ventures into backyard birding, nature journaling, and drawing. Before the event, Tan sat down with FreshWater Cleveland to talk about her inspiration and motivation to write and draw about birds, instead of the fiction she is usually known for.

This past Friday, May 3, Fifth Third Bank Northern Ohio regional president Tom Partridge and TNT Sports sideline reporter Allie LaForce greeted 48 babies born on “Fifth Third Day” (5/3 on the calendar) by giving their parents $1,053 to be put toward a 529 college savings account.

Towards Employment is hosting its annual fundraising event, "A Chance to Advance" in June, with early bird tickets now on sale through May 14 for $25 off per ticket to an evening of musical entertainment with jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci.

Today only, the Cuyahoga County Library has a special offer exclusive to FreshWater subscribers: Get $15 off tomorrow's Books & Bites fundraiser with Chefs Rocco DiSpirito and Rocco Whalen, get a free copy of DiSpirito's "Everyday Bites" cookbook, and support the Cuyahoga County Library Foundation!

The Cuyahoga County Public Library will host Books & Bites: A Culinary Literary Affair with Rocco DiSpirito at its Parma-Snow Branch—a culinary literary discussion between celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and Cleveland chef Rocco Whalen on DiSpirito's new book, "Everyday Delicious.” The event is Cuyahoga County Library Foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year for the —allowing CCPL's 27 branches to provide programs and services throughout the region.

April is National Volunteer Month, and SCORE Cleveland needs additional volunteers to help entrepreneurs and startups in Northeast Ohio realize their lifelong dreams of starting and owning a successful small business.

The last time Cleveland experienced a full eclipse of the sun was June 16, 1806. While there are apparently no first-person accounts of the event, Western Reserve Historical Society historian John Grabowski shares his insights.

For a limited time, visitors to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History can view the "Discovering Dunkleosteus terrelli" exhibit and the learn the story behind the discovery of the armored fish that lived about 360 million years ago and is affectionately known as "Dunk."

After years of planning and collaborating, the next step in Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation's Innovation Square Neighborhood Plan—Aura at Innovation Square—became a reality this week with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Cuyahoga County Public Library launched the second half of its Writer Center Stage Series last week with author Hernan Diaz. Attendees can look forward to hearing the stories of Rebecca Makkai, Kiese Laymon, and Imani Perry later this spring.

St. Patrick's Day is less than a week away. The annual parade—one of the largest in the country—kicks off at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. The Kimpton Schofield Hotel is offering food and room specials to ensure downtown visitors can plan for a safe holiday.

Lakewood City Schools teacher Laura Balliett's pitch for The Cool School Comics won the grand prize at the 10th annual Accelerate: Citizens Make Change competition last Thursday, Feb. 22. Twenty-six entrepreneurs presented their business concepts. Read about the winners and their pitches here.

As a youngster, Addie Balester participated in many of Playhouse Square Education Department's programs. As an adult, she experienced her first Jump Back Ball last week, hosted by Playhouse Square Partners. She shares her experiences during the themed evening of Villains Unleashed: A Night of Chaos.

Ohio-focused Advanced Manufacturing Fund, a collaborative effort between MAGNET, JumpStart, and a group of private stakeholders, works with a variety of early-stage physical product and manufacturing ventures like—SweatID, Insitu Foods, and Octet Scientific—puts great ideas on the fast-track to success.