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.
 

Known for its tree-lined streets, opulent houses and sense of community, Shaker Heights officials are asking people to share their views of the city in a photo.
 
In honor of National Preservation Month in May, the Shaker Heights Landmark Commission is having its fourth annual Preservation Month Photo Contest.
 
“We look at it as a fun way to celebrate the community,” says Ann Klavora, principal planner in Shaker’s planning department. “We’re asking for both residents and non-residents – anyone who likes Shaker – to show what makes Shaker a special place to them.”
 
Photos will be accepted in three categories: architecture/building; landscape/nature; and community. Last year, a “unique perspective” category was created for Shaker resident Peter Miller’s submission of four photos of Horseshoe Lake taken with a drone.
 
You need not be a pro to submit a photo, Klavora says, or have a drone. “Whatever strikes someone’s fancy,” she says. “We get submissions from folks who are clearly professional photographers and folks who are clearly not professionals. We’ve gotten all sorts of pictures.”
 
Klavora says communities all around the country hold similar events and projects to celebrate National Preservation Month. “We thought this was a fun way of celebrating,” she says. “You don’t have to go to a meeting, you just have to take the picture.”
 
The photo contest in free to enter. Submissions will be accepted until midnight on March 31. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from the Landmark Commission and will be announced on May 1. The winners will receive name credit for their photos, which will appear on Shaker's Facebook page, and the city will use the photos for social media.

A multi-purpose trail planned for the City of Independence will serve as a connecting point with the Towpath Trail while also catalyzing the region economically, planners say.

Construction of Hemlock Trail is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017 following a $500,000 grant the project received from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Clean Ohio Trails fund. The money will cover a portion of the venture while Independence officials make plans to raise the remaining $1.1 million, says city engineer Donald Ramm.

Partner group West Creek Conservancy, which helped with the grant effort, has been approaching trail advocates for single donations. Meanwhile, the city will call on local foundations to garner additional dollars, says Ramm.

Urgency is the watchword moving forward, as the ODNR grant must be used within 18 months of signing. Engineering for the $3.4 million path began last year and should be completed by the end of 2016. Construction bidding will commence early next year, with work starting in spring 2017. If all goes as planned, the trail will open to the public in 2018.

When complete, the 1.7-mile Hemlock Trail will begin at the intersection of Brecksville Road and Selig Drive, ending  at the Towpath Trail connection on Canal Road in Valley View.  That linkage is significant for a population base that currently has no easy means of accessing the iconic 85-mile track, Ramm says.

"We're excited about it," he says. "Hemlock Trail will be a major link for our residents to get from the center of town to Towpath Trail."

The 10-foot-wide path, designed to cross through private, industrial and national park properties, will have room for both bikers and joggers. Four or five bridges will be built along the trail's snake-like course, along with space for up to 15 parking spots.

Giving Independence residents a new place to walk, run and bike can have a positive impact on local economic development as well, believe supporters.  Officials view Hemlock Trail as one piece of an amenities package that can attract people from outside the region and bolster a downtown redevelopment plan now in the preliminary planning stage.

"As a community asset, the path is going to be significant to the city," says Ramm. 

Fresh Water contributor Nikki Delamotte for Thrillist:

"Admit it, you’re probably reading this while you’re bored at your desk avoiding work, listening to "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" on your headphones and trying not to go all Office Space on the printer. As you're waiting around for your conference call with that cranky client, scrolling through Twitter one more time, and trying to minimize the screen before your boss realizes you’re watching that cat video (again), feel free to lust after 11 of the sickest jobs in the rock and roll city."

Take her advice and get her entire list of cool CLE gigs here.

The Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland is raffling off a Chanel dark red quilted lambskin new medium Boy Bag that retails for $5,200. Tickets are $20 each, with three for $50. The winning ticket will be pulled at the group's annual "All About The Bag" fashion benefit on Feb. 25. Winner does not have to be present to win. 
 
Get all the details here.

 

Fresh Water toured some of Cleveland's lesser-known places for authentic ethnic eats at an affordable price and found bibimbap, tandoori chicken and smoked brisket, just to name a few.

From lumber to antique books and vintage guitars, local businesses share their secrets to success amid big box competition, financial pressures and changing times.

A "fish shelf"  designed to stabilize about 300 feet of riverfront on the Lakewood bank of the Rocky River is on track for completion this fall.

Last June, the City of Lakewood received a $123,000 grant from the Ohio EPA for streambank restoration and construction of the shelf, which will be comprised of former sound barrier walls or other repurposed concrete construction materials, notes city engineer Mark Papke.

The fish shelf will be built near the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks, close to the Lakewood Animal Shelter off Metropark Drive. Bidding will begin in April while construction on the approximately $204,000 venture is scheduled for June. Lakewood will pay $82,000 toward the project cost.

The portion of the riverbank slated for restoration is unstable and eroding rapidly, says Papke. "The trees there have fallen into the river," he says. "There's no vegetation at all now."

While the fish shelf won't replace the 15 feet of land lost to erosion over the last several years, it will protect the bank from further damage, Papke says. In addition, the shelf will prevent the influx of phosphorous-laden sediment into the river. Phosphorous, a primary plant nutrient, is known to play a role in creating potentially damaging algae.

Meanwhile, new trees and shrubs will serve the dual purpose of beautifying and further firming up the space. Gaps in the rubble can provide a habitat for additional greenery as well as animal life.

If planners have their way, the fish shelf will also be site a for sport fishing. The water around the proposed shelf is already known for steelhead trout.

"We met a couple of fishermen last week to show them the plans," says Papke. "They appreciate the chance to have better access to the river."

Partner organization Cleveland Metroparks will conduct a survey prior to and following construction to determine if the enterprise can attract even more fish to the area, Papke says.

City officials estimate the fish shelf to be ready by October. Papke is confident the project will be both an environmental and civic boon for the region.

"It's giving us an opportunity to stabilize the bank and provide a nice place for fishing," he says. 

Well-educated millennials are living in Cleveland, but the city must adapt to their needs if we want them to stay.

Boot-camp style computer coding courses are rapidly growing alongside Northeast Ohio's tech sector. 

Social enterprises strive to not only raise money, but to also make a change in the communities and the people's lives they serve.