Via the school's Engaged Practice programming, students interact with the real world through their arts — from protecting the fragile Cuyahoga to advocating for the homeless.
 

Ed “Chef Ed” Michalski has opened more than 40 restaurants in his career, but when he opens the doors to The City Diner in the next few weeks, it will be the first time the food service veteran does so as the owner.

“I just want to make sure everything is perfect,” Michalski says. “When guests walk in for the first time, I want to knock their socks off. You never get a second chance.”
 
Michalski cites his roles as executive chef at places like Horseshoe Casino and Progressive Field as “very proud moments,” but when he saw the former Expressway Diner building at 5109 Memphis Ave. in Old Brooklyn, he says he knew he had to buy the building and go into business for himself.

Read more about what Chef Ed has planned for the City Diner here. (Hint: bananas foster stuffed French toast.)

Now in its 28th year, the Star-Spangled Spectacular draws folks of all ages and backgrounds downtown. This year's event will be held on Friday, June 30., and includes free family workshops ahead of the fireworks and festivities.

Preview all of it here. 

MedWish International, a nonprofit organization that repurposes discarded medical supplies and equipment and donates them to 109 developing countries in need, is moving its headquarters from Collinwood to a 50,000-square-foot facility at E. 31^st Street and Payne Avenue in AsiaTown, in the heart of the Health-Tech Corridor.
 
After nearly 25 years in Collinwood MedWish, which works with 116 health care institutions to repurpose more than 500,000 pounds of medical equipment and supplies each year — saving them from going into landfills — has been looking for a new space in a more centralized location.

Find out why MedWish decided to make the move here.

Welcome to "Over The River," a monthly calendar of exciting activities taking place throughout the area. Have a fun event you want to share with your fellow Clevelanders? Drop us an email.
 
Our June listing is packed with summer movie goodness, poetry and a little bit of yoga.

Get all the 411 here.

Is there an east/west divide when it comes to summer's top treat? What's the mystery behind a legendary local malt? Does a secret ice cream menu lurk in Ohio City? Fresh Water's got all the insider 411 on cool faves in the 216.
 

As Cleveland's restaurant and bar scene is heats up alongside the temperatures, Fresh Water is pleased to share a few of the unique outdoor patios where adventurous patrons can sip a Manhattan or hoist a craft beer.

Get our list here. 

Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Water Cleveland's “who’s hiring” series, where we feature growing companies and organizations with open positions, what they’re looking for and how to apply. 

Get the whole list here.

For some people, golf is a slow-moving sport that's expensive to take up, is neck deep in boring etiquette, and requires at least one good pair of dress shorts. Fortunately, the Cleveland Metroparks has come to the rescue with a golf-like alternative where tank tops aren't frowned upon and you never have to worry about plucking the wrong club from your Callaway Odyssey bag.

What's a golf-challenged Clevelander to do? Why .... FootGolf of course! Read all about it here.

For the past 15 years Jeff Heinen and his brother Tom, co-owners of the popular Heinen’s grocery store chain, have focused heavily on carrying locally-grown produce in their 19 Ohio stores.
 
“As a company, for the last 15 years we’ve really worked with increasing fervor at purchasing locally, and now 70 percent of our produce is local in the summer,” Jeff Heinen explains.
 
Then, about seven years ago, Heinen started noticing an increase in local packaged food producers. So the chain began focusing on supporting those food entrepreneurs by carrying their products. Now the Heinen's team is welcoming new purveyors with its upcoming third annual Shark Bank competition.

Read about how to get involved and how to taste the competitors' products here.

Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) has received the 2017 Great Places Award in the Place Planning category from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). The designation is for the group's innovative work with the Making Our Own Space (MOOS) initiative, a youth program focused on engaging and empowering middle and high school students with the skills to transform their neighborhood public spaces.

Get the whole story here.

Last month, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) hosted its third annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch. More than 500 city leaders, stakeholders and community development professionals gathered at Cleveland's Edgewater Park to celebrate leading neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Click here to see who received the honors.

Wall clocks that tell stories, but not time; TRUTH from Detroit; an embarrassment of pickles — it all adds up to a feast of color and content amid MOCA Cleveland's summer 2017 exhibition.

As the summer solstice looms, groups of cycling advocates invite riders to celebrate Cleveland’s best bike year ever amid a host of two-wheeled activities with something for everyone.

Construction is underway at the former Crop complex on Old River Road in the Flats East Bank, and three new tenants will occupy the space before summer’s end, according to Flats developer, Scott Wolstein.
 
Dante’s Inferno, Backyard Bocce and Thirsty Dog Brewing Company will move into the three former Crop spaces by mid-August, bringing a cooperative effort into a varied mix of food, drink and entertainment to the Flats. Construction began last week.

Find out what these three establishments have planned for the area here.

Michael Symon's Mabel's BBQ has smoked up plenty of press since the much anticipated meat emporium opened its doors on East Fourth Street last year. Mabel's may be Cleveland's go-to barbecue joint at the moment, but the city boasts a growing list of savory options for folks seeking to satisfy their carnivorous cravings. Fresh Water is happy to deliver the deliciousness with these BBQ hot spots at points across the 216.

Get the smokin' list — including the 411 on Proper Sloppers and chicken cupcakes here. 
 

After much anticipation, the new 12,000-square-foot Edgewater Beach House opened last Friday. The open air, two-story amenity offers stunning views of Lake Erie and a place to kick back and relax with friends. It also serves as a connection point with walking paths leading to the popular green space from surrounding neighborhoods.

Read more about all the beach house has to offer beach goers this summer.

Tucked away on East 41^th Street just across the way from Tyler Village, Stephen Yusko is toiling away at his studio wherein you'll find milling machines and band saws and the usual residents in a metalworking shop. But Yusko's tools also include anvils, a white-hot forge and the tongs and hammers that transform steel into the smith's graceful designs.
 
"My work is a combination of forging, machining and fabricating. It seems like more machining, but it always starts with a forged … something," says Yusko. "I enjoy that process: heating up a bar of steel and transforming it into a shape."
 
Yusko continues while a cat named M slinks around the shop, completely unimpressed by the craftsman's lofty musings:

Read them here, and find out where this able smith like to sup when he's not manning the forge.