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museum's receipt of $10m anonymous gift in the news
Antiques & Fine Art magazine writes that "The Cleveland Museum of Art announced that it has received a $10 million gift from an anonymous donor to further strengthen the institution's mission and core principles, which focus on scholarships, artistic excellence and community engagement. Thanks to the donation, the museum has established two endowments -- one to support community engagement activities and another for interpretation of its permanent collection."
Fred Bidwell, interim director, was quoted as saying, "This incredibly generous gift really touches upon the fundamental initiatives of the Cleveland Museum of Art."
Check out the entire article here.
Fred Bidwell, interim director, was quoted as saying, "This incredibly generous gift really touches upon the fundamental initiatives of the Cleveland Museum of Art."
Check out the entire article here.
Tremont West Development Corporation is pushing a plan to reconfigure W. 14th Street, which for decades has been a busy thoroughfare for residents and commuters, into a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly street that will spur business growth. Under the proposal, the current configuration of two lanes in each direction (plus parking in some places) would be reconfigured to one lane in each direction plus a turning lane. This would create a dedicated parking lane and bike lane.
According to Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West, the proposal was warmly received by residents and stakeholders at a recent community forum. The next steps are to further refine the plan, respond to feedback and seek funding. Riordan wants to see the project done before the I-90 ramp reopens in 2016.
"Now's the time," he says. "There's an opportunity to reconfigure the street prior to the opening, have traffic calming measures in place and create a new experience."
W. 14th is an uncharacteristically wide street for Tremont. Additionally, it serves as a gateway to the community, yet the majority of businesses are located along Professor Avenue or other side streets. Finally, the street can be both confusing for drivers and hazardous for pedestrians. Riordan believes there's a win-win-win opportunity for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and businesses.
"We have a crosswalk at St. Augustine Church, but when people drive 50 miles per hour down the road, it's not a very safe crosswalk," he quips. "The bike community has expressed how dangerous they feel W. 14th is."
Depending on the final plan and available funding, there might be opportunities for streetscape enhancements including public art, decorative crosswalks, curb bump-outs and reconfiguration of the Steelyard Commons roundabout.
The good news is that Tremont has seen a transformation of W. 14th Street in recent years from a place considered hard to do business in to a sought-after location. As Professor Avenue storefronts have filled up, W. 14th storefronts have become more valuable. Riordan believes that's a sign of things to come and sees the potential for even more commercial growth along that street.
Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
According to Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West, the proposal was warmly received by residents and stakeholders at a recent community forum. The next steps are to further refine the plan, respond to feedback and seek funding. Riordan wants to see the project done before the I-90 ramp reopens in 2016.
"Now's the time," he says. "There's an opportunity to reconfigure the street prior to the opening, have traffic calming measures in place and create a new experience."
W. 14th is an uncharacteristically wide street for Tremont. Additionally, it serves as a gateway to the community, yet the majority of businesses are located along Professor Avenue or other side streets. Finally, the street can be both confusing for drivers and hazardous for pedestrians. Riordan believes there's a win-win-win opportunity for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and businesses.
"We have a crosswalk at St. Augustine Church, but when people drive 50 miles per hour down the road, it's not a very safe crosswalk," he quips. "The bike community has expressed how dangerous they feel W. 14th is."
Depending on the final plan and available funding, there might be opportunities for streetscape enhancements including public art, decorative crosswalks, curb bump-outs and reconfiguration of the Steelyard Commons roundabout.
The good news is that Tremont has seen a transformation of W. 14th Street in recent years from a place considered hard to do business in to a sought-after location. As Professor Avenue storefronts have filled up, W. 14th storefronts have become more valuable. Riordan believes that's a sign of things to come and sees the potential for even more commercial growth along that street.
Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Larchmere Boulevard might just be Cleveland’s best-kept secret. This classic commercial strip has never earned the attention of Coventry, W. 25th Street or East 4th Street, but it offers one of the best examples of a “complete” neighborhood in the region, chock full of retail and residential within a walkable, transit-friendly neighborhood.
Craig Lewis, Andrew Schad and CJ Valle, CWRU and Cleveland Institute of Art students and founders of Sprav Water, won the 2014 Ohio Clean Energy Challenge at Cleveland State last week for their wireless water meter. Sprav won $10,000 and will advance to the regional competition in Chicago in April, where they will compete for the $100,000 grand prize and a place in the Department of Energy’s National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Although Lewis says the competition was “fairly stressful,” it was a good opportunity to showcase Sprav. “I think it means a lot because we’re entering a beta phase where we’re going to start testing it,” he says. “And the cash prize helps.”
The Sprav meter helps users conserve water in the shower by measuring water temperature and usage and relaying that data to a smartphone or tablet.
NorTech director of Cluster Acceleration Rick Earles served as Sprav’s mentor during the competition. “He was really helpful and added a lot of value,” says Lewis. “He gave us access to contacts at manufacturers in Northeast Ohio, which will be very valuable moving forward.”
In fact, Sprav is now a part of NorTech’s Speed to Market Accelerator. “It’s a lot of fun working with promising startups like Sprav Water,” Earles says. “These guys are so passionate about what they do. They have created a beautifully designed product and really understand what it takes to get it to market.”
Sprav just signed contracts with CWRU and Baldwin Wallace to test the meters in 60 of the universities’ showers. “We want to see how people’s behavior changes when they have real-time feedback with our device,” says Lewis.
Eight other teams from around the state competed in the Clean Energy Challenge, five from CWRU, and one each from University of Cincinnati, Wright State University and Ohio University.
Sources: Craig Lewis, Rick Earles
Writer: Karin Connelly
Although Lewis says the competition was “fairly stressful,” it was a good opportunity to showcase Sprav. “I think it means a lot because we’re entering a beta phase where we’re going to start testing it,” he says. “And the cash prize helps.”
The Sprav meter helps users conserve water in the shower by measuring water temperature and usage and relaying that data to a smartphone or tablet.
NorTech director of Cluster Acceleration Rick Earles served as Sprav’s mentor during the competition. “He was really helpful and added a lot of value,” says Lewis. “He gave us access to contacts at manufacturers in Northeast Ohio, which will be very valuable moving forward.”
In fact, Sprav is now a part of NorTech’s Speed to Market Accelerator. “It’s a lot of fun working with promising startups like Sprav Water,” Earles says. “These guys are so passionate about what they do. They have created a beautifully designed product and really understand what it takes to get it to market.”
Sprav just signed contracts with CWRU and Baldwin Wallace to test the meters in 60 of the universities’ showers. “We want to see how people’s behavior changes when they have real-time feedback with our device,” says Lewis.
Eight other teams from around the state competed in the Clean Energy Challenge, five from CWRU, and one each from University of Cincinnati, Wright State University and Ohio University.
Sources: Craig Lewis, Rick Earles
Writer: Karin Connelly
the logistics of moving 100 cleveland orchestra musicians, instruments
In advance of the Cleveland Orchestra's upcoming performance in Austin, Texas, the Austin Chronicle published a sort of behind-the-scenes peek at the logistic of travel.
"The Cleveland Orchestra is known around the world for its rich sound, but some of the most important members of the organization don't play an instrument and are never seen or heard by the audience: They're with Operations, the team responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes planning for the orchestra," writes Natalie Zeldin.
That work falls on the lap of Julie Kim, director of operations of the Cleveland Orchestra, whose job it is to oversee transportation, hotel bookings, meals…
"But that's only the easy half. There's a second whole itinerary for the cargo: the assortment of precious cellos, basses, harps, gongs, and even all of the tuxedos that need to be transported for the performances."
"The goal," Kim is quoted as saying, "is always to make sure the cargo and people get there before the concert!"
"So when you hear the Cleveland Orchestra play -- and you should -- don't forget to clap for the people you don't see, too."
Read the rest of the article here.
"The Cleveland Orchestra is known around the world for its rich sound, but some of the most important members of the organization don't play an instrument and are never seen or heard by the audience: They're with Operations, the team responsible for all of the behind-the-scenes planning for the orchestra," writes Natalie Zeldin.
That work falls on the lap of Julie Kim, director of operations of the Cleveland Orchestra, whose job it is to oversee transportation, hotel bookings, meals…
"But that's only the easy half. There's a second whole itinerary for the cargo: the assortment of precious cellos, basses, harps, gongs, and even all of the tuxedos that need to be transported for the performances."
"The goal," Kim is quoted as saying, "is always to make sure the cargo and people get there before the concert!"
"So when you hear the Cleveland Orchestra play -- and you should -- don't forget to clap for the people you don't see, too."
Read the rest of the article here.
Fresh Water Cleveland is one of 22 publications run by Issue Media Group. Week in and week out, our sister sites cover all the latest news in urban innovation and development. This is the first in a new monthly series that will aggregate top news stories from around our network and profile "What’s Next" for cities.
author, huff post writer tracks progress of 'sustainable cleveland 2019'
Michele Hunt, who attended the 5th annual Summit of Sustainable Cleveland 2019, is tracking the progress of this bold 10-year initiative, which began in 2009. In a feature for Huffington Post titled "Sustainable Cleveland 2019: A Community of DreamMakers Creating a 'A Thriving Green City on a Blue Lake,'" she offers a comprehensive look at the halfway point.
"The people of Cleveland are mobilizing around a compelling vision to transform their communities into a flourishing city. They have the courage to dream a magnanimous vision for their city in the face of tremendous challenges," she writes.
"At the Summit, I was surprised to see hundreds of people from diverse sectors of Greater Cleveland working together. They came from the local neighborhoods, businesses, government, education, nonprofits, as well as advocacy groups from the sustainability community. They were highly engaged, enthusiastic and clearly committed to transforming their vision into reality."
These are not merely dreams, she adds, five years into their journey Clevelanders are delivering on their vision. Their results are impressive:
• Last year the 50-member Climate Action Advisory Committee, published the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, which has six focus areas, and 33 actions Clevelanders can take to strengthen the economy, clean up the environment and improve health and wellness.
• There has been a 50 percent increase in recycling since 2006.
• LEEDCO (Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation) is building the first offshore freshwater wind project in North America in Cleveland.
• Over 200 community gardens and local food initiatives have grown up around the city.
• Cleveland is transforming abandoned buildings and vacant lands into green spaces, local parks, urban gardens, as well as restoring homes.
Read the rest of the green news here.
"The people of Cleveland are mobilizing around a compelling vision to transform their communities into a flourishing city. They have the courage to dream a magnanimous vision for their city in the face of tremendous challenges," she writes.
"At the Summit, I was surprised to see hundreds of people from diverse sectors of Greater Cleveland working together. They came from the local neighborhoods, businesses, government, education, nonprofits, as well as advocacy groups from the sustainability community. They were highly engaged, enthusiastic and clearly committed to transforming their vision into reality."
These are not merely dreams, she adds, five years into their journey Clevelanders are delivering on their vision. Their results are impressive:
• Last year the 50-member Climate Action Advisory Committee, published the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, which has six focus areas, and 33 actions Clevelanders can take to strengthen the economy, clean up the environment and improve health and wellness.
• There has been a 50 percent increase in recycling since 2006.
• LEEDCO (Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation) is building the first offshore freshwater wind project in North America in Cleveland.
• Over 200 community gardens and local food initiatives have grown up around the city.
• Cleveland is transforming abandoned buildings and vacant lands into green spaces, local parks, urban gardens, as well as restoring homes.
Read the rest of the green news here.
Since 2001, Cleveland Public Theatre's Big Box program has been fostering original work by independent Northeast Ohio artists by providing access to CPT's resources. Next up for the program is "La Femme," which runs in the James Levin Theatre this weekend. Here's slideshow preview.
publication takes a winter road trip to cleveland
Writing for Trib Total Media, Mark Kanny takes his Western PA readers on a winter-themed road trip to Cleveland.
"Perhaps the only way Pittsburgh doesn't mind being beaten by Cleveland is in annual snowfall," he writes. "Located on Lake Erie, Cleveland always wins that contest because of lake-effect precipitation."
"Taking challenge as opportunity, Cleveland Metroparks offers many winter activities, including tobogganing. In addition, there's a free skating rink in University Circle and the local Boston Mills/Brandywine ski resort just south of the city."
Also highlighted are the Rock Hall, Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall.
Check out all his great wintertime suggestions here.
"Perhaps the only way Pittsburgh doesn't mind being beaten by Cleveland is in annual snowfall," he writes. "Located on Lake Erie, Cleveland always wins that contest because of lake-effect precipitation."
"Taking challenge as opportunity, Cleveland Metroparks offers many winter activities, including tobogganing. In addition, there's a free skating rink in University Circle and the local Boston Mills/Brandywine ski resort just south of the city."
Also highlighted are the Rock Hall, Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall.
Check out all his great wintertime suggestions here.
With the loss of the United Airlines hub in Cleveland, LeanDog Software owner Jon Stahl say's he's discovered a way perhaps to cut down on the size of his team while traveling to visit clients. It's a robot named Gilligan -- made by Double Robotics – that roams about the LeanDog boat, checking in with team members on a project.
The investment might be one solution to reduce air travel for businesses that go to customers or bring customers to their offices.
Stahl got Gilligan in January to cut down on the number of team members he needs when traveling to call on customers. “Instead of taking a large team to customer sites, we can send less people and then drive the robot around the boat and talk to anyone we need to,” Stahl explains. “I don’t need to have as many people travel with me just in case I need them in a meeting.”
Gilligan also helps Stahl stay in touch with his staff when he’s on the road for long stretches of time. “I can also use the robot to look at our visual management walls, attend our daily standup meetings, and just make an appearance,” he says. “We have been on the road for three weeks straight, and it’s nice to pop in when we can.”
Stahl finds the robot to be a more flexible alternative to video conferencing, which requires scheduling a time for the meeting. “With Gilligan, we can wake him up and drive him around the boat and talk to someone at any time,” he explains. “Soon, we can even drive it to the recharging docking bay. We tried to use Skype phones in the past and gave them to our customers – we bought 20 of them, but you need someone to answer the phone, so that solution didn’t work so well."
The only disadvantage to Gilligan is that he can’t climb stairs; he has wheels for legs.
LeanDog has a client in San Francisco who also is trying out the robot. Together, the two companies are experimenting with their robots to see if they might replace, or reduce, travel and improve communication.
Source: Jon Stahl
Writer: Karin Connelly
The investment might be one solution to reduce air travel for businesses that go to customers or bring customers to their offices.
Stahl got Gilligan in January to cut down on the number of team members he needs when traveling to call on customers. “Instead of taking a large team to customer sites, we can send less people and then drive the robot around the boat and talk to anyone we need to,” Stahl explains. “I don’t need to have as many people travel with me just in case I need them in a meeting.”
Gilligan also helps Stahl stay in touch with his staff when he’s on the road for long stretches of time. “I can also use the robot to look at our visual management walls, attend our daily standup meetings, and just make an appearance,” he says. “We have been on the road for three weeks straight, and it’s nice to pop in when we can.”
Stahl finds the robot to be a more flexible alternative to video conferencing, which requires scheduling a time for the meeting. “With Gilligan, we can wake him up and drive him around the boat and talk to someone at any time,” he explains. “Soon, we can even drive it to the recharging docking bay. We tried to use Skype phones in the past and gave them to our customers – we bought 20 of them, but you need someone to answer the phone, so that solution didn’t work so well."
The only disadvantage to Gilligan is that he can’t climb stairs; he has wheels for legs.
LeanDog has a client in San Francisco who also is trying out the robot. Together, the two companies are experimenting with their robots to see if they might replace, or reduce, travel and improve communication.
Source: Jon Stahl
Writer: Karin Connelly
Bialosky and Partners Architects, a design firm in Shaker Square known for its design, historic rehab and new construction projects, recently promoted five of its younger employees to senior level positions.
“This particularly young set, all under 40, join the senior leadership at Bialosky and Partners with a high energy, high motivation approach to how we design and how we do business,” says Jack Bialosky, Jr. “We take pride in growing our own. By empowering hard-working and self-confident individuals early in their careers, they end up gaining experience beyond their years.”
David W. Craun was promoted to principal and continues to be one of the firm’s key design leads. Brandon Garrett was named associate principal. Both Craun and Garrett were key players in the development of Crocker Park. Paul Taylor was named associate principal. Craun and Taylor started their careers at the firm as interns.
Taylor has played instrumental roles in projects such as the award-winning designs for Tri-C’s Hospitality Management Center. Ryan Parsons was named senior associate. Parsons currently leads the team in the adaptive reuse restoration of the Schofield Building at E. 9th Street and Euclid Avenue. John Guzik was named senior associate in addition to his role as the firm’s director of sustainability.
“These young and empowered leaders are continuing the virtuous cycle of attracting new talent to the firm,” says Bialosky. “By knowing the skill set and mindset it takes to succeed early in their careers, these newly promoted leaders can effectively seek out compatible hard-working individuals who will stay will one day become principals themselves.”
Bialosky and Partners won numerous design awards and national recognition last year for its projects and designs.
Source: Jack Bialosky, Jr.
Writer: Karin Connelly
“This particularly young set, all under 40, join the senior leadership at Bialosky and Partners with a high energy, high motivation approach to how we design and how we do business,” says Jack Bialosky, Jr. “We take pride in growing our own. By empowering hard-working and self-confident individuals early in their careers, they end up gaining experience beyond their years.”
David W. Craun was promoted to principal and continues to be one of the firm’s key design leads. Brandon Garrett was named associate principal. Both Craun and Garrett were key players in the development of Crocker Park. Paul Taylor was named associate principal. Craun and Taylor started their careers at the firm as interns.
Taylor has played instrumental roles in projects such as the award-winning designs for Tri-C’s Hospitality Management Center. Ryan Parsons was named senior associate. Parsons currently leads the team in the adaptive reuse restoration of the Schofield Building at E. 9th Street and Euclid Avenue. John Guzik was named senior associate in addition to his role as the firm’s director of sustainability.
“These young and empowered leaders are continuing the virtuous cycle of attracting new talent to the firm,” says Bialosky. “By knowing the skill set and mindset it takes to succeed early in their careers, these newly promoted leaders can effectively seek out compatible hard-working individuals who will stay will one day become principals themselves.”
Bialosky and Partners won numerous design awards and national recognition last year for its projects and designs.
Source: Jack Bialosky, Jr.
Writer: Karin Connelly
The 2014 Gay Games kick off August 9th with an expected 8,000 to 10,000 participants competing in some 40 sports. The comprehensive event will serve as the latest memo to the world that Cleveland is a sought-after host for large-scale events that add millions to the local economy.
Winter shows no signs of abating with the impending arrival of another Polar Vortex and more of that white, fluffy stuff.
But have no fear! The Kurents are here. These mythical fuzzy creatures from Slovenia will be out in force this weekend at the second annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, an all-ages festival that seeks to ward off winter with a fun parade and day-long party.
"We have 10 fuzzy Kurents this year, six of which are waiting for us in customs right now," says Michael Fleming, Executive Director of St. Clair Superior Development, the nonprofit agency spearheading improvement efforts in the area, who expects a good crowd. "There's a lot of excitement this year."
Fleming and his co-organizers ordered the outfits directly from the city of Ptuj in Slovenia, which, in case you don't know, is the capitol of all things Kurentovanje.
Cleveland Kurentovanje takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair, with an after-party set for Sterle's Country House. The parade steps off at noon from St. Vitus Church, and will feature fuzzy Kurents, marching bands from area schools, floats from area businesses, and a DJ Kishka float. Family-friendly activities will take place in the basement of the Slovenian National Home, and kids can also march in the parade.
There will be plenty on tap at the Slovenian National Home, including krofe and sausage sandwiches, wine, beer, music, dance and crafting stations for kids.
Fleming says the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair and Sterle's on East 55th have become focal points for redevelopment activity in the area. The National Home has attracted new tenants including the Slovenian Genealogical Society, a dance studio and a bakery. Sterle's has reinvented itself with additional live music geared towards a younger crowd and an outdoor beer garden, yet it has retained the beer-and-schnitzel atmosphere that has worked for the past half century.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
But have no fear! The Kurents are here. These mythical fuzzy creatures from Slovenia will be out in force this weekend at the second annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, an all-ages festival that seeks to ward off winter with a fun parade and day-long party.
"We have 10 fuzzy Kurents this year, six of which are waiting for us in customs right now," says Michael Fleming, Executive Director of St. Clair Superior Development, the nonprofit agency spearheading improvement efforts in the area, who expects a good crowd. "There's a lot of excitement this year."
Fleming and his co-organizers ordered the outfits directly from the city of Ptuj in Slovenia, which, in case you don't know, is the capitol of all things Kurentovanje.
Cleveland Kurentovanje takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair, with an after-party set for Sterle's Country House. The parade steps off at noon from St. Vitus Church, and will feature fuzzy Kurents, marching bands from area schools, floats from area businesses, and a DJ Kishka float. Family-friendly activities will take place in the basement of the Slovenian National Home, and kids can also march in the parade.
There will be plenty on tap at the Slovenian National Home, including krofe and sausage sandwiches, wine, beer, music, dance and crafting stations for kids.
Fleming says the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair and Sterle's on East 55th have become focal points for redevelopment activity in the area. The National Home has attracted new tenants including the Slovenian Genealogical Society, a dance studio and a bakery. Sterle's has reinvented itself with additional live music geared towards a younger crowd and an outdoor beer garden, yet it has retained the beer-and-schnitzel atmosphere that has worked for the past half century.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
pittsburgh post-gazette writer 'gets market buzz in cleveland'
In a feature titled, "Getting a Market Buzz in Cleveland," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Diana Nelson Jones compares the West Side Market to her city's eclectic Strip District, as that city plots a course for a grand future marketplace of its own.
"Except for the selection of dried beans at Urban Herbs, the West Side Market in Cleveland doesn’t sell anything you can’t find in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. What they have that we don’t have is a grand work of marketplace architecture," she writes.
She adds that "the trip prompted many thoughts about what we have and don’t have and led to a rumination on the potential of the Pittsburgh Public Market and the Terminal Building on Smallman Street to be long-term additions to the scene."
"As I toured the West Side Market, I caught myself oohing and aahing, wondering why at first and then realizing why -- the intensity of consolidation. It is Wholey’s, Penn Mac, Stamolis, Parma Sausage, Sam Bok, Stan’s, Labad’s, La Prima and every farmers’ market all together in one big teeming, gleaming -- and at times overwhelming -- place."
"But the certainty I came away with from Cleveland was that a great city needs a great indoor market scene and any city that still has its old-world market house is blessed, lucky, farsighted or all three."
Read the rest of the story here.
"Except for the selection of dried beans at Urban Herbs, the West Side Market in Cleveland doesn’t sell anything you can’t find in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. What they have that we don’t have is a grand work of marketplace architecture," she writes.
She adds that "the trip prompted many thoughts about what we have and don’t have and led to a rumination on the potential of the Pittsburgh Public Market and the Terminal Building on Smallman Street to be long-term additions to the scene."
"As I toured the West Side Market, I caught myself oohing and aahing, wondering why at first and then realizing why -- the intensity of consolidation. It is Wholey’s, Penn Mac, Stamolis, Parma Sausage, Sam Bok, Stan’s, Labad’s, La Prima and every farmers’ market all together in one big teeming, gleaming -- and at times overwhelming -- place."
"But the certainty I came away with from Cleveland was that a great city needs a great indoor market scene and any city that still has its old-world market house is blessed, lucky, farsighted or all three."
Read the rest of the story here.
Shaker Heights is seeking to become the next city in Northeast Ohio to earn a bicycle-friendly community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. A crowdfunding campaign launched this month to raise funds for 25 additional bike racks for the city illustrates one way the leafy east-side community has redoubled its efforts to develop cycling amenities.
"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker and the Shaker Heights Public Works and Safety Committee. "One thing the League encourages cities to do is provide bike parking around the community, so we figured that we'd try to focus on that as low-hanging fruit."
So far, the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are the only ones in Northeast Ohio to receive the increasingly coveted designation. Each one has earned a bronze-level award for its efforts. By comparison, Portland, Oregon, is the only major city in the U.S. to earn a platinum-level designation.
The IndieGogo campaign aims to raise $4,500 to help fund racks produced by Metro Metal Works, a project of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries that employs low-income individuals. The bike racks will be installed at public and private locations throughout the city. The goal is to paint them "Shaker Red," pending city approval, Smith says, to enhance the city's brand as a bike-friendly community.
The city also is offering five cycling-related courses through its Department of Recreation, and plans are in the works to add more "sharrows." The next step is to revisit the Lee Road plan and add bike lanes/infrastructure there, Smith says.
"The city is getting serious," notes Smith, citing the fact that Shaker Heights now has a Bicycle Programs Manager and has issued a proclamation designating May as Bike Month throughout the city, similar to other communities around the country.
"It's slow going, but all agree that cycling is an asset to the community, and that cycling improvements improve property values and quality of life," says Smith.
Source: Rick Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The city just finished its second application," explains Rick Smith of the advocacy group Bike Shaker and the Shaker Heights Public Works and Safety Committee. "One thing the League encourages cities to do is provide bike parking around the community, so we figured that we'd try to focus on that as low-hanging fruit."
So far, the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Lakewood are the only ones in Northeast Ohio to receive the increasingly coveted designation. Each one has earned a bronze-level award for its efforts. By comparison, Portland, Oregon, is the only major city in the U.S. to earn a platinum-level designation.
The IndieGogo campaign aims to raise $4,500 to help fund racks produced by Metro Metal Works, a project of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries that employs low-income individuals. The bike racks will be installed at public and private locations throughout the city. The goal is to paint them "Shaker Red," pending city approval, Smith says, to enhance the city's brand as a bike-friendly community.
The city also is offering five cycling-related courses through its Department of Recreation, and plans are in the works to add more "sharrows." The next step is to revisit the Lee Road plan and add bike lanes/infrastructure there, Smith says.
"The city is getting serious," notes Smith, citing the fact that Shaker Heights now has a Bicycle Programs Manager and has issued a proclamation designating May as Bike Month throughout the city, similar to other communities around the country.
"It's slow going, but all agree that cycling is an asset to the community, and that cycling improvements improve property values and quality of life," says Smith.
Source: Rick Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thanks to a partnership between the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), Sherwin-Williams, the Cleveland Foundation and Towards Employment, CMHA residents are getting hands-on training in commercial painting skills.
Sherwin-Williams instructors come in and teach participants about brush technique, taping and masking baseboards, cutting in and mixing paint. Students get one week of classroom instruction, followed by a week of hands-on training.
“We, as a housing authority, identify residents to participate and identify locations for painting,” explains CMHA manager of youth and adult services Robin Holmes. “We have plenty of housing and we always have plenty of areas for painting. It really benefits our residents in looking for opportunities to get training and get employment.”
About 60 percent of the program graduates have gone on to get jobs or start their own painting companies.
The program also provides classes in demolition and asbestos abatement. Participants can enroll in job readiness training and job placement assistance.
John Fitcheard is one such resident who took the class and went on to get a job thanks to it. While he has some interior painting experience, he figured he’d brush up on his skills. “I enrolled in the program because I was sitting at home and not doing anything else,” he says.
Fitcheard went on get a job with Precision Environmental doing asbestos abatement and continues to do painting jobs on the side.
Sources: Robin Holmes, John Fitcheard
Writer: Karin Connelly
Sherwin-Williams instructors come in and teach participants about brush technique, taping and masking baseboards, cutting in and mixing paint. Students get one week of classroom instruction, followed by a week of hands-on training.
“We, as a housing authority, identify residents to participate and identify locations for painting,” explains CMHA manager of youth and adult services Robin Holmes. “We have plenty of housing and we always have plenty of areas for painting. It really benefits our residents in looking for opportunities to get training and get employment.”
About 60 percent of the program graduates have gone on to get jobs or start their own painting companies.
The program also provides classes in demolition and asbestos abatement. Participants can enroll in job readiness training and job placement assistance.
John Fitcheard is one such resident who took the class and went on to get a job thanks to it. While he has some interior painting experience, he figured he’d brush up on his skills. “I enrolled in the program because I was sitting at home and not doing anything else,” he says.
Fitcheard went on get a job with Precision Environmental doing asbestos abatement and continues to do painting jobs on the side.
Sources: Robin Holmes, John Fitcheard
Writer: Karin Connelly