Beekeeping can be a life-changing experience that lowers stress, fosters a greater connection with nature, and promotes biodiversity in your neighborhood. Oh yeah, and it provides a near-endless supply of delicious honey.

Yet raising bees is not always easy, and backyard beekeepers must spend time with their bees every day.

"If you don't pay close attention, you could lose the swarm through pests or disease, " Karen Wishner, President of the Greater Cleveland Beekeepers Association, told a crowd of 200 people at last week's Local Food Cleveland forum on raising backyard livestock.

If you are a first time beekeeper, Wishner recommends taking classes or reading articles to educate yourself, as well as joining a local beekeepers association. The first step is to find a location for the hive. It should be located near a windbreak, facing the morning sun and in a partially shaded location. Beekeepers also need easy access to water and enough room to navigate around the hive.

Start-up costs include purchasing new equipment for the hive, buying the bees, and purchasing a veil, hive tool and smoker. Once you obtain a hive, Wishner recommends paying close attention to its progress, keeping an eye out for damage and checking for the queen. A typical hive will yield one or two combs in the first year, and by the second or third year, it can produce three to four gallons of honey.

Many people find beekeeping therapeutic because bees, by their very nature, require their keepers to stay calm and peaceful. "Minimizing stress is the name of the game; that's what bees like," Wishner said.

Beekeeping is permitted in many communities in Northeast Ohio. In 2009, the City of Cleveland passed progressive legislation that allows residents to raise chickens and bees in limited numbers. On a typical residential lot in Cleveland, two hives are permitted. Wishner recommended that anyone interested in backyard beekeeping consult their local municipal officials before purchasing a hive.

For those interested in learning more about backyard beekeeping, the Northeast Ohio Honeybee Conference will take place on Saturday, May 21st at Baldwin Wallace College, Wishner said. The conference, which costs $25, is open to the public.


Source: Karen Wishner
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Brian Cook stands in the oval-shaped dining room of an apartment at Ludlow Castle, a signature Tudor-style building off Shaker Square. The distinctive room has hardwood floors and opens up to a sunken living room with wood-burning fireplace and a wall of windows overlooking the street.

"My wife would kill for an oval-shaped dining room like this," Cook says, "and for the closet space in these units."

The neighborhoods of Shaker Square have long been a popular draw for individuals and families that are seeking the conveniences and amenities of apartment living. Now, a Cleveland real estate developer is restoring and rejuvenating many of the apartment buildings on North and South Moreland, a densely populated apartment corridor.

Cook represents Crossroads Property Management, a real estate management and development firm owned by Paul Gabrail. CPM operates 14 buildings on North and South Moreland between Larchmere Boulevard and Buckeye Road -- a concentration of over 300 units, or nearly half of the total units on these two blocks. Over the past few years, the owner has steadily upgraded and improved these apartments.

"We want our buildings to set the tone for the street," says Cook.

Asked why he has chosen the Shaker Square area to focus on, Cook cites the fact that he and his wife are homeowners who are raising a family in nearby Shaker Heights. "I believe that Shaker Square and the surrounding neighborhoods have to stay strong," Cook says. "We have a great city neighborhood -- a dense, walkable community with affordable housing that's close to public transit."

The redevelopment of North and South Moreland apartment buildings is a sound investment, Cook and Gabrail argue, since the neighborhood continues to attract apartment dwellers and maintain relatively low vacancy rates. Tenants range from the "Meds and Eds" of University Circle to downtown-commuting professionals and long-time neighborhood residents seeking a low-maintenance lifestyle.

Cook is confident that his buildings will hold their value and prove successful over time. As the quality of the properties have been improved, he and Gabrail have been able to increase rents and improve resident-retention rates, thus garnering a more professional tenant base while maintaining the economic diversity of the neighborhood.

"These properties were built very well and the improvements we are doing will secure their place in the market for many years to come," Cook says.


Source: Brian Cook
Writer: Lee Chilcote

"Bioscience is one of the driving forces in Cleveland," said Baiju Shah, president and CEO of BioEnterprise. In case you need hard numbers to back up that claim, Shah noted that more than 600 healthcare related companies exist in the region.

Shah served as moderator for the 4th Annual Summit on Leadership, which was presented on March 10 by the Cleveland Business Leaders Committee of the Union Club.

What does Cleveland have that innovators in biomedicine and healthcare seek? According to Hiroyuki Fujita, founder, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), it's the established presence of top-notch healthcare, research and educational institutions. "Cleveland is known throughout the world in the healthcare industry," he said. "With major players like Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, it's a one-stop shop."

Backed by this level of support, entrepreneurs, inventors and researchers feel confident developing technologies and creating start-ups in Cleveland. "The surgeons at the Clinic take time to work with medical companies," said Patrick McBrayer, president and CEO of AxioMed Spine Corporation. "I have never seen a more nurturing group."

Gil Van Bokkelen, chairman and CEO of Athersys, Inc., agreed. "Cleveland is a good place to establish a company and get things started. There's a lot more energy here than I anticipated."

And there's potential for much greater growth in the next 10 to 15 years, according to Geoffrey Thorpe, founder of NDI Medical. "People are leaving California for the first time, which means there's an opportunity for the Midwest to be competitive."


Sources: Baiju Shah, Hiroyuki Fujita, Patrick McBrayer, Gil Van Bokkelen
Writer: Diane DiPiero

James DeRosa purchased the old Marshall McCarron's bar at Randall and John Avenue in Ohio City with dreams of reviving it as a hip restaurant.

Then, in 2008, the economy did a spectacular nosedive. Unable to get a loan to make even basic repairs on the dilapidated property, DeRosa and his partners put their dreams on hold. A mounting list of code violations soon landed them in housing court.

"We were faced with the option of tearing the property down or fixing it up," says DeRosa. "The neighbors thought it was important that this corner building be saved, and we didn't want to create another vacant lot in the city of Cleveland."

Eventually DeRosa and his partners Beth Kalapos and Thomas Stickney were able to obtain rehabilitation financing through Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), a nonprofit whose mission is to revitalize Cleveland neighborhoods through repair and rehabilitation lending.

"This project wouldn't have happened without the CASH program," says DeRosa. "They helped us get a reduced interest rate on our rehab loan so the project would have cash flow."

CASH uses Community Development Block Grant funds from the City of Cleveland to subsidize rates through a linked deposit program. The interest rate that CASH offers is 3% below the typical bank rate -- right now, the rate is 2.6%. The nonprofit also helps owners to hire a contractor, develop a list of repairs, and complete inspections.

Today, the old Marshall McCarron's has been renovated into two new market-rate apartments -- a two-story, townhouse-style unit on the street and a three-story apartment in the back. There's also a new, stamped concrete patio where the bar's patio once sat.

The tavern, which was built in the late 1800's, has an illustrious history. The original property had likely been two separate houses, DeRosa says. They were pulled together -- most likely by horses -- to create the tavern.

"When we renovated the property, we found the seam between the two original houses, and we put the dividing wall back in to create two apartments," he says.

In the end, the historic tavern was not only saved, but handsomely restored. "We made mistakes, but we learned a lot and are proud of the project," says DeRosa.


Source: Jamie DeRosa
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Part internship, part scholarship, part co-op: The New Pathway program recently launched by Cleveland State University paves the way for students to earn funds for college while teaming up with a local company that may become their employer upon graduation.

New Pathway is part of CSU's "Engaged Learning" endeavor, which seeks to create hands-on approaches toward education and career development. A major goal of New Pathway is to engage area employers in the educational and career-transition processes.

Students who take part in the New Pathway program connect with local businesses or organizations that sponsor students for internships and help them transition to permanent employees upon graduation. While doing so, students earn funds for their tuition.

CSU President Ronald Berkman says that New Pathway creates a win-win situation by helping students pay for school and develop careers while helping employers nurture talented individuals. Dennis Lafferty, whose resume includes 14 years as vice president for government and community affairs for the Greater Cleveland Partnership, serves as executive-in-residence of New Pathway.

The new CSU program has the potential to impact many students while driving the local economy. At this early stage, CSU has no hard numbers regarding students who could be involved or the number of jobs that could translate into, according to Joe Mosbrook, director of strategic communications for CSU.


SOURCE: CSU
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

Homeowners were taking out equity loans with alarming abandon just a few years ago, yet now many are reluctant to invest money in their homes. "With housing values falling, demand for home repair loans has also fallen," says Larry Slenczka, Vice President of Community Development for Dollar Bank.

Yet Dollar Bank continues to finance home rehabs through a partnership with Cleveland Action to Support Housing (CASH), a nonprofit whose mission is to revitalize Cleveland neighborhoods through home repair lending.

"CASH has been successful in identifying projects driven by investors," says Slenczka. "Their transactions tend to be very solid loans that have a very low default rate." CASH offers investors and owner-occupants a reduced interest rate. Currently, that interest rate is 2.6%.

Even as the average homeowner sits on the sidelines, some rehabbers are jumping in and finding deals. And the glut of vacant properties in Cleveland has presented an opportunity for savvy investors; while foreclosure rates nationwide reached their lowest level in four years last month, Cleveland still has a backlog of empty homes.

Yet while it seems anyone with a credit card can snap up a cheap foreclosure -- plumbing optional, of course -- that's just the beginning of the process. Getting a loan is no simple feat. Struggling with unsold inventories, many banks are cautious about lending to investors, while others aren't lending at all.

That's where CASH comes in. The nonprofit's partnerships with Dollar Bank and other lenders help owners get financing. In addition to offering a reduced rate, CASH helps owners to pick a contractor, develop a list of repairs, and inspect the work.

"Everybody wins," says Slenczka. "The neighborhood benefits from reinvestment, the benefits from private investment, and the bank benefits from a healthy market return."


Source: Larry Slenczka
Writer: Lee Chilcote

When you grab a quick cat nap during the day, you run the risk of either sleeping too little so that you're yawning in front of your co-workers or sleeping so much that you snooze right through your 2 p.m. sales meeting.

Local inventor Jonathan Husni wants you to get the ideal 20 minutes of quality sleep so you can be your productive self. Husni's Power-Nap Machine is a pocket-sized media player that produces inaudible sound waves that induce REM sleep -- the short, deep rest that accounts for about 90 to 120 minutes of a good night's sleep. While the sound waves work their magic, the user hears only a pleasant waterfall. At the end of it, the Power-Nap brings "the user to a refreshed state of heightened wakefulness," Husni says.

The nap machine is part of the Power Nap group of sleep products that includes CDs filled with computer-generated sound waveforms. Power Nap line of products was created by Acendex, a Beachwood-based network technology firm. Husni is president and founder of Acendex.


SOURCE: Jonathan Husni
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

On Saturday, February 26, about 1,000 of Cleveland's most colorful characters attended the 20th Annual Jump Back Ball at the tony State Theatre. The theme of the event, which benefits the not-for-profit performing arts center PlayhouseSquare, was Passport to Party. And as Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski so capably captured, attendees dressed accordingly. Grab your own passport and enjoy the show.

The Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center (GCIC) on the Cleveland Clinic campus has taken another step toward advancing cardiovascular technology with the addition of Irish medical device solutions provider Creganna-TactX. Specializing in the design of minimally invasive innovations, Creganna-TactX has opened its Cleveland office to support local medical device manufacturers while partnering with the Clinic to develop further advancements.

"Our key markets are in cardiovascular, periferovascular and neurovascular technologies," says Randall Sword, business development director for Creganna-TactX. "Our technologies are not readily available in the Cleveland area. Part of our mission is to support local businesses and hopefully grow a presence."

In addition to its headquarters in Galway, Ireland, Creganna-TactX has locations in Campbell, California; Marlborough, Massachusetts; Plymouth, Minnesota; and Singapore. The new Cleveland office "provides us access to the Clinic and their world-class physicians," Sword says. The Clinic's resources could offer input into development and manufacturing to benefit current customers while helping to evaluate new projects to meet future demands, according to Sword.

The Cleveland office will initially be staffed with one or two part-time employees. "We'd like to grow that as soon as possible," Sword says. "Our intention is to try to grow to a small lab that can work with the Clinic and their physicians and support local small businesses in development."


SOURCE: Randall Sword
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

A packed house at Monday night's Local Food Cleveland meeting on raising backyard livestock demonstrated growing interest in raising chickens, bees and other animals in urban neighborhoods across Northeast Ohio.

When audience members at the Great Lakes Brewing Company's Tasting Room in Ohio City were asked by event organizer Peter McDermott if they currently were raising backyard livestock or were planning on it, approximately two-thirds raised their hands.

Two years ago, Cleveland City Council passed progressive "chicks and bees" legislation that allowed city residents to raise and keep certain farm animals and bees. Other municipalities in Northeast Ohio also allow residents to keep backyard livestock. Presenters urged audience members to consult their local zoning code and contact their local zoning officials with questions.

The majority of livestock owners in Cleveland tend chickens (not roosters) for eggs or bees for honey, said McDermott, a Network Weaver with Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S). While raising goats, pigs and other animals is also permitted in some places, those animals typically require more land than is available on urban lots.

Despite the growing interest in urban farming and backyard livestock in U.S. cities, many municipalities lag behind. Some zoning codes prohibit or strictly limit keeping chickens, bees and other animals, while others do not address the issue. Presenters urged audience members to educate themselves -- in many Northeast Ohio communities, despite assumptions to the contrary, raising chickens and bees is permitted in some form.

McDermott cited a plethora of benefits to keeping backyard livestock, including saving money on groceries, providing healthy, locally produced foods to residents, and income generation for owners who sell eggs and other products to neighbors or through local markets.

As the local foods movement in Northeast Ohio continues to expand, McDermott challenged audience members to consciously support the infrastructure needed to sustain it, including educating wary public officials at the state and local level.

"Studies show that local food is potentially a $15 billion economy in Northeast Ohio, and in recent years, we've seen a fifteen- to twenty-percent increase per year in local farmers' markets," said McDermott. "The question is, can the market for local foods support continued expansion? Our group is interested in accelerating the progress."


Source: Peter McDermott
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Michele Iacobelli Buckholtz has treasured memories of going to lunch with her dad in Little Italy. He grew up here when it was an Italian neighborhood with markets on nearly every corner. She soaked up the old neighborhood during these childhood visits.

Today, Buckholtz is recreating the tradition of the small Italian market -- with a contemporary twist. She recently renovated an historic storefront at Murray Hill Road and Paul Avenue in Little Italy. It reopened as the Murray Hill Market, which is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and carries fresh produce and groceries.

Patrons of the Murray Hill Market can expect something new with each visit. The specials change daily, based on fresh ingredients and the chef's whim. Some favorites appear consistently, however. Buckholtz offers meatball subs every Thursday, relying upon her mother's recipe of course.

Little Italy has changed since Buckholtz's father grew up here -- there are fewer Italian families now, more students and empty nesters. The small, corner markets have all but disappeared. Yet with the growth of University Circle and sharp condos sprouting up in Little Italy, demand exists for a contemporary market, Buckholtz says. She considers it part of her mission to provide fresh, healthy foods to area residents and employees, an amenity she says is lacking at other neighborhood stores.

The Murray Hill Market is also spicing up the food offerings in Little Italy. Although Italians are no longer the predominant ethnic group here, the restaurants along Mayfield and Murray Hill Roads still offer mostly Italian fare. While Buckholtz specializes in Italian foods, she also offers an array of other ethnic foods, including Jewish and French pastries, Middle Eastern dishes, and Puerto Rican rice and beans.


Source: Murray Hill Market
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Last October, Cleveland's ViewRay unveiled a research radiation therapy system to the medical device community. Now comes word that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted ViewRay clearance for its radiotherapy treatment planning and delivery software, a key element of the radiation therapy system.

This is a critical step toward FDA approval of the system, according to Gregory M. Ayers, M.D. and Ph.D., president and CEO of ViewRay. "It's exciting to see such progress with a product we believe will offer an advancement in radiation therapy," he says.

Combining MRI and radiotherapy delivery, the system provides a continuous MRI during radiation treatment. This helps doctors to see exactly where the radiation is going and to deliver precise treatment.

A recent $20 million Series C financing will help ViewRay in the final stages of development for commercial distribution. For now, the ViewRay system is only used in non-human settings.

A team of physicians and researchers leads the privately held medical device company. ViewRay is currently in growth mode and building its staff in quality assurance, software engineering, clinical science and sales.


SOURCE: Gregory M. Ayers
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

It all started with pencils.

Faber-Castell was founded 250 years ago in Germany as a pencil manufacturer. Today, the company produces professional art supplies sold around the world. Cleveland is home to Faber-Castell USA, which in 1999 acquired Creativity for Kids, a Cleveland company that makes  activity kits for children.

In spite of an onslaught of electronic gadgets and high-tech toys, Faber-Castell USA and Creativity for Kids have remained lucrative and kept an 80-person staff. "We have had two record-setting years in 2009 and 2010," says Jamie Gallagher, CEO of Faber-Castell USA.

How does the company stay sharp? "We have a nice portfolio of product lines that enable us to be diversified during challenging times," Gallagher says.

Creativity for Kids helps Faber-Castell build brand awareness in the United States, according to Gallagher. Often, this is accomplished by combining products from the two lines into a single kit. For example, Creativity for Kids' Do Art Drawing Power, which teaches children sketching and drawing techniques, includes Faber-Castell Color Grip EcoPencils.

Gallagher says the goal of Faber-Castell USA is to deliver "opportunities for creativity and self-expression while highlighting the importance of quality. Despite difficult times, we haven't compromised that or tried to reinvent our brands."

That doesn't mean Faber-Castell USA isn't interested in growing. The company recently launched a line to expand interest in papercrafting for adults. "The product line, Design Memory Craft, features products that make designing with color simple to do," Gallagher says.


SOURCE: Jamie Gallagher
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

As the saying goes, "you've got to spend money to make money." With a new $35 million award in tax credits from the U.S. Department of Treasury, Cleveland Development Advisors (CDA) plans to spur economic development in the city by financing projects that lead to more business opportunities.

CDA, an affiliate of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, was one of six entities in Ohio to be awarded this latest round of federal tax credits. CDA plans to use the award to focus on economic development in the areas of technology, business and industrial expansion and retail, residential and hospitality projects.

In a statement released by CDA, Mayor Frank Jackson called the federal tax credits another sign that Cleveland's economy is growing. "Tax credit financing, afforded by the allocation, together with local bank commitments and city investments, will make high-profile job-producing developments feasible in our neighborhoods and downtown," Mayor Jackson said.

Past awards from the Treasury Department resulted in the financing of 20 projects that, according to CDA, generated 2,800 jobs, 390,000 square feet of office space, and 450,000 square feet of industrial space in Cleveland. The East 4th Street neighborhood, Capitol Theatre in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, Arbor Park Plaza in the Central Neighborhood and the UpTown project in University Circle all have benefited from CDA's investment in federal tax credits.


SOURCE: CDA
WRITER: Diane DiPiero

When Sam McNulty opens his Ohio City-based Market Garden Brewery later this year, he will join four other micro-distilleries scattered about the state. Cincinnati's Woodstone Creek is the oldest, followed by Columbus' Middle West Spirits, Grandview's Watershed Distillery, and Tom's Foolery in rural Geauga County. Others, too, are waiting in the wings. Sadly, Ohio, a state rich with entrepreneurship and agricultural resources, makes it nearly impossible for them to succeed.

The Cleveland Conserves Campaign is an effort by the City of Cleveland and local environmental groups to cut waste, save money and boost the local economy. Calling 2011 "The Year of Energy Efficiency," these groups are promoting energy conservation efforts to individuals and businesses.

The Cleveland Indians are among the local businesses championing the initiative. The Tribe has had a comprehensive recycling program since Jacobs Field opened in 1994. The Indians were the first major league team to install solar power at their stadium, a project completed in 2007. They have also installed LED lighting throughout the park.

This year, the Tribe is expanding its composting efforts at Progressive Field. The Indians began composting the waste from concession stands, restaurants and the clubhouse at the end of the 2010 season. In 2011, they will begin composting from the main seating areas.

"Cleaning crews will do three walk-throughs -- for organics, plastics and trash," explains Brad Mohr, Assistant Director of Ballpark Operations for the Cleveland Indians. "It's cheaper to compost than it is to send organic materials to a landfill."

In 2010, the team composted 2.5 tons of food waste from concession stands, restaurants and the club house in only six games. Cornstarch-based beer and soda cups, cutlery, and hot-serve cups are used throughout the ball park, in the front office and in the press box.

The team's marketing message -- Our Tribe is Green ... Are you in the Tribe? -- encourages fans to participate in green activities, including recycling. "We look at ourselves as a business and community leader," says Mohr.

So far, the Indians are pleased with the investment they've made in conservation measures. The team recycled over 153 tons of materials in 2009, reducing trash pickup by over 60 percent, from 254 trash pickups in 2007 to 97 pickups in 2009.

Conservation measures not only protect the environment, they also protect a business' bottom line. The Indians invested $30,000 in balers to make cardboard or plastic into giant cubes. Selling the cubes along with money savings from reduced trash hauls paid off the initial investment within four months.


Source: Brad Mohr
Writer: Lee Chilcote