Providence House, the first crisis nursery in Ohio and one of only 70 similar facilities in the U.S., recently broke ground on a $2 million, three-phase project in Ohio City that will allow the nonprofit agency to better serve Northeast Ohio families in crisis.

"We have a waiting list that is 20 to 30 kids long right now," explains Natalie Leek-Nelson, Executive Director of Providence House, which is expanding its current location at W. 32nd Street and Lorain Avenue. "Phase I of the expansion will allow us to have 250 kids per year in our crisis nursery, and it will also increase the ages of the kids so that we can take older siblings."

Providence House provides short-term housing for kids who are unsafe in their homes because they're at risk of abuse, neglect or generally unsafe conditions. The agency is unique because it offers intensive therapy to help families stay together. More than 95 percent of families whose children end up at Providence House are eventually reunified. The facility also offers housing to kids whose parents are unable to care for them (for instance, because they've suddenly gotten sick).

"Parents don't want to give up their kids, so things often escalate until they're out of control," says Leek-Nelson. "Providence House is an alternative to the emergency foster system. We let families know it's okay to get help."

When asked why Providence House's work is important, Leek-Nelson cites a statistic that 75 percent of high school dropouts are abused kids. "Is it the school system or something at home that keeps them from succeeding?" she asks.

Providence House has already raised about 75 percent of the funds that are needed to complete Phase I of its expansion plans. "It's been a big challenge, but the community has really stepped up," says Leek-Nelson. "We have more than 300 individuals, foundations and businesses that have donated."


Source: Natalie Leek-Nelson
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Recently, an artistically-minded student at Glenville High School was so inspired by his school's first-ever Sustainability Awareness Day that he painted a rain barrel with the school's signature "G" logo and displayed it at last week's inaugural event.

"It was kind of like a small-scale science fair," says Anthony Body, Community Organizer with the Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit community development organization that serves the neighborhood and hosted the event at its Community Service Center on Ansel Rd. "Each student created a display," which included hydroponics, aeroponics and rain barrel displays.

The program is part of an effort to imbue sustainability practices into Glenville in partnership with residents. The goal is to teach people about sustainability, help them grow and access healthy, local food and make them more self-sufficient. Famicos has partnered with the NEO Restoration Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes community gardening and green jobs, to create the program.

"At first, it was like pulling teeth," says Body of his experience working with high school students. "Then they bit into it more and had more hands-on experiences. We went on field trips to the Rockefeller Greenhouse and Galleria and they learned vermicomposting. They saw how it could relate to their homes."

Although most of the students do not have gardens at home, Body says that two students have started gardens at their homes and one actually now has a hydroponics system. "It opened their eyes," he says.

Body says the area is a "food desert," and that most of the local corner stores do not sell fresh produce. He touts the Circle105 Farmers Market, which is now in its second year and kicks off June 15th, as a viable alternative. The farmers market will accept food stamps and offer additional specials for residents this year.

"I see a lot of people who leave Glenville and never come back and engage the youth," says Body, a graduate of Glenville High School as well as Malone University in Canton, Ohio. "The youth need to be educated on how to do this."


Source: Anthony Body
Writer: Lee Chilcote

In a January opinion piece in TechCrunch, entrepreneur Jon Bischke suggested the most successful urban leaders are those who view cities like startups. CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders dedicated to creating next generation cities, will examine that premise at its 2012 Spring National Meeting: The City As a Startup -- Creating Demand, Attracting Talent, Taking Risks and Going to Scale.

The meeting is set for May 17-18 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and is made possible with support from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. Former AOL Chairman and CEO Steve Case will deliver the morning keynote and also sit on a panel conservation about Startup America.

CEOs for Cities will also release its latest City Vitals report, a framework for measuring the success of cities. Other panels include considering Songdo, South Korea as the planet's smartest city and using the collective impact approach to catalyze social change. There will also be opportunities to tour Cincinnati attractions and examples of success.
 
Register here. View a draft agenda here.

The Cleveland Council on World Affairs held an international career conference at John Carroll last week for students and young professionals considering a job in the international field. About 60 students from area high schools and colleges attended the event on Friday, April 20. The conference provided an opportunity to hear international professionals talk about their experiences and give career advice in getting into the field.
 
“The purpose of the international career conference was to expose attendees to jobs in international non-profit, business and government,” says Jana Krasney, director of speaker programs for CCWA. “They were creating personal connections with people who are in the international arena sharing their stories.”
 
Sherry Mueller, president emeritus of the National Council on International Visitors and co-author of Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange and Development, was the keynote speaker.
 
Attendees learned that an international career does not mean leaving town. “One of the main emphases of the conference was to show that to have an international job, you don’t have to live out of the country, says Krasney. “You can have an international career in Cleveland.”
 
Global Cleveland president Larry Miller also spoke about the number of international companies in Cleveland and the importance of international awareness of other cultures. “Throughout the conference he spoke in a lot of different languages,” says Krasney.
 
Breakout sessions were held for those who wanted to learn more about international careers in government, nonprofit organizations and business.

 
Source: Jana Krasney
Writer: Karin Connelly

As the Circle East Townhomes near completion, 60 percent of the units are pre-leased, and eight of the 12 leased units have been snatched up by University Circle area employees. This proves the viability of new housing options in the area, says Chris Ronayne, Executive Director of University Circle Inc. (UCI).

"This is a great moment in time where the Circle is meeting East Cleveland," says Ronayne of the project, which features 20 townhouse-style apartments that are being developed on a former parking lot on Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland. "The fact that Circle area employees are leasing the apartments means that our Greater Circle Living program is working. Employees can get one month's free rent through this effort, and institutions and foundations are putting money into it."

Circle East Townhomes are being built on 1.5 acres of land along Euclid between Lakeview Road and Auburndale Avenue. The $5 million project is being co-developed by UCI and the Finch Group, and partial funding comes from federal Neighborhood Stabilization Funds. The three-story units have 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and two car garages. Rental rates are $930 per month, and tenants can earn up to 120 percent of area median income (about $60,000) and still qualify.

"Circle East is really a new neighborhood where University Circle meets East Cleveland," says Ronayne, who adds that the project would have remained on the drawing board without the leadership of East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton and support from Cuyahoga County and the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "We've been planning this for a while, and now we're starting to see development."

UCI and East Cleveland are now seeking planning grants for Phase II of the project, which would bring an additional 20 units to the site. Ronayne ultimately envisions a mixed-use housing and office development, including technology companies or services related to University Circle's anchor institutions.

The first residents are expected to move into Circle East Townhomes by June 15th.


Source: Chris Ronayne
Writer: Lee Chilcote

NEOSA Tech Week 2012 was held last week at various northeast Ohio locations, promoting the region’s technology companies and the work they are doing in the field. This is the second year for the event, which increased participation by 80 percent with more than 900 people attending nine separate events.
 
“It was awesome,” says Brad Nellis, NEOSA director. “The main goal is to raise the profile of the technology industry in Cleveland.”
 
The week kicked off with Tech Pitch night at the 100th Bomb Group, where 10 companies pitched their businesses to IT executives. “The purpose was for business development and to make business connections,” explains Nellis. The audience voted for the most intriguing company, most wanted product and best pitch.
 
A talent networking event linked 100 young professionals and college students with 25 area companies -- from small employers to international power companies. “We heard from a number of companies who participated about how good it was for them,” says Nellis.
 
The sixth annual Best in Tech Awards recognized outstanding tech companies and impressive tech entrepreneurs in the region. Six companies out of 60 nominations were named as winners in various categories. Sparkbase was named Tech Company of the Year. The CIO of the Year awards were also announced in four categories.
 
The Cool Tech Challenge invited 31 area high school teams to compete in web site design. Seventy students on 43 teams competed. Six students on three teams from Mentor High School, Beaumont School and Copley-Fairlawn High School each received $1,000 in scholarships.

 
Source: Brad Nellis
Writer: Karin Connelly

Bizdom Cleveland, a business accelerator that mentors and funds up-and-coming entrepreneurs, launched its first six businesses from the fall program. The six businesses were selected from 350 applicants, who were then narrowed down to 32 participants in a 12-week mentoring program.
 
The six businesses participated in “Demo Day” on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, where they showcased their companies to potential investors.

“Thirty-five investors from throughout the region came to meet the inaugural Bizdom class and take a look at all the hard work they’ve done,” says Paul Allen, team leader for Bizdom Cleveland. “This is just the start of fundraising activities for these six new businesses. They will continue to meet with investors in the region and outside the region.”
 
The businesses received up to a $25,000 investment in exchange for an eight percent equity share in the new company. The startups will remain in Bizdom’s offices for three months. The companies must remain in Cleveland once they branch out on their own.
 
The six companies are: BigRiver; BOOM; InStoreFinance; Urban Matrix; SafeCare; and On Demand Interpretation.

“They’re all operating in technology, web and software space and all are performing at a really high level,” says Allen. “Our strategy is on product design and we have high expectations on sales and they are all doing really well.”
 
Bizdom accepts applications quarterly for sessions.  Seventy entrepreneurs applied for the April session, of which four will be selected. The next session begins in July.

 
Source: Paul Allen
Writer: Karin Connelly

Studies show that kids who don’t have good literacy skills by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out before finishing high school, making it unlikely they will find productive jobs as adults. The Literacy Cooperative’s Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program helps prepare kids for kindergarten and ultimately get them off to a good start.
 
“The SPARK program started in Canton six or seven years ago and they’ve seen measureable improvement,” says Literacy Cooperative executive director Bob Paponetti. “By third grade, the SPARK children are doing better than standardized testing.”
 
The SPARK program began last year with four-year-olds getting ready to enter kindergarten in seven schools in three school districts: Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Maple Heights. The program pairs a parent partner who goes to the child’s home once a month and guides the child and parent through a proven curriculum and teaches parents ways to incorporate learning into daily home activities.
 
The results have been encouraging, showing a higher percentage of kindergarten-readiness in the participants. “Children who participated in SPARK showed a significant marked improvement over kids in the same classroom,” says Paponetti. “We’re very pleased with the first year and we will continue to track them.”
 
The program targets kids early on so that they have a better chance of finishing school, going to college and being prepared to compete for good jobs.

“There is a clear connection between how they do early on and how they do later in life,” explains Paponetti. “The jobs that continue to be created require more than a high school diploma. There are 400,000 adults in Cuyahoga County who don’t have those requirements, so it’s important to get kids off to a good start. The investment in early childhood really pays off."

 
Source: Bob Paponetti
Writer: Karin Connelly

Former Reddstone chef Josh Kabat and his fiance and business partner, Kiaran Daily, have opened Cleveland Pickle, a gourmet downtown sandwich shop. The venue specializes in eclectic sandwiches made from fresh, often local ingredients. Many of the sandwiches are also creatively named after local Cleveland landmarks.

For instance, the Terminal is a savory and sweet sandwich featuring black forest ham, brie, spinach, roasted tomato pesto and apricot jam. The Payne Avenue panini is a twist on the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, with a touch of chipotle for extra zest.

"Everyone loves sandwiches, and these are sandwiches that people have never seen before," says Kabat. "We use all top of the line ingredients, similar to what you'd find in a fine dining restaurant. Kiaran and I wanted to take our experiences working in chef-driven restaurants as well as bars and bring it all together."

Kabat and Daily make pickles out of their home, adding fresh, delicious chunks of pickle to many of their signature sandwiches. "Love is what sets us apart," says Kabat. "We pour our blood, sweat and tears into this meticulous process."

Cleveland Pickle joins a host of new restaurants and eateries that have opened on Euclid Avenue, including Hodge's, Colossal Cupcakes, Nexus Cafe and Potbelly.

Cleveland Pickle is open Monday to Friday from 9 am until 4 pm. After Memorial Day, the owners plan to stay open Saturdays and until 8 pm during the week.


Source: Josh Kabat
Writer: Lee Chilcote

You know the old saying: Once you start allowing chickens in your neighborhood, any four-legged creature can walk right in off the street.

Well, there goes the neighborhood!

Despite cries of fowl play, it appears that the City of Cleveland Heights is poised to allow residents to raise up to four chickens in their backyards. A group called Hens in Lakewood is lobbying their city to allow chicken-rearing too, yet the group is battling resistance from other residents and skeptical city council members.

The City of Cleveland Heights, once the pristine province of those fleeing the city for greener (yet livestock-free) pastures, may soon return to its roots. A century ago, many small farms flourished here. Although the proposed changes will not allow market gardening (where gardeners sell their wares), they will allow residents to raise their own eggs.

In a few weeks, the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission will consider new, sustainable zoning code recommendations that include allowing up to four chickens. If the board accepts the Planning Department's recommendations, the city will become one of the first suburbs in Northeast Ohio to allow chickens.

"We received a lot of phone calls about this issue, but the pro-chicken people were more vocal," says Karen Knittel, a City Planner with the City of Cleveland Heights. "Concerns were raised around chickens not being well-kept and attracting rats. We're easing into this to make sure people don't disturb their neighbors."

The proposals require chicken coops to be at least 10 feet from a resident's property line, and would-be chicken keepers will have to apply for a conditional use permit from the city that can be revoked if health or safety issues arise.

Despite the widespread flaps about backyard chickens, Jaime Bouvier, a Visiting Legal Writing Professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, says that genuine problems are actually quite uncommon.

"In cities across the country, backyard chickens are always very contentious," she says. "Yet the issue causes more concern than warranted. Typically, there aren't huge amounts of people that do it, and it doesn't get out of control."

Bouvier has written extensively about the legal issues surrounding backyard chickens and aggregated model practices around the country. She has organized an Urban Agriculture Symposium that takes place at CSU this Friday.


Source: Karen Knittell, Jaime Bouvier
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Great customer service keeps Embrace Pet Insurance growing strong. Embrace has already exceeded its projected 25-percent growth in new policy sales this year. In fact, Monday was the company’s biggest sales day in its history. Now in its ninth year, Embrace's co-founder Laura Bennett credits her customers’ experiences with much of the company’s success.
 
“You can’t always assume it’s all the things you are doing, and you can’t always assume it’s the improving economy,” says Bennett. “People do their research and they always end up looking at Embrace because we have great customer service and a great product. There’s also a growing awareness of pet insurance.”
 
Embrace posts testimonials from pet owners about their positive experiences with the company and the cost savings from having pet insurance. “It can take a year or two or three before you need a claim, so we rely on client reviews,” says Bennett. “And we’re doing more marketing with outreach to veterinarians because people listen to them.”
 
Embrace recently added two positions to its contact center and is looking for an IT person and an internal process manager. They’ve grown from 23 people a year ago to 30 today. “It’s nice to be hiring,” says Bennett.

 
Source: Laura Bennett
Writer: Karin Connelly

Turning commuters, suburbanites and Joe and Jane Doe into "choice riders" -- those who choose public transit over driving -- has been an ongoing battle for mid-size transportation systems across the country, and Cleveland is no exception. Locally, that task falls on the shoulders of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority, which is taking significant steps to cultivate a new generation of riders.

A new initiative being pioneered by Cuyahoga County, Policy Matters Ohio and a bevy of partners aims to create more energy-efficient municipal buildings and catalyze the creation of green, living wage jobs.

Now that advocacy within the green jobs movement has shifted away from the state and federal level -- where activity is slow or nonexistent -- organizers are counting on this new initiative to help create a new model for energy-efficient construction as well as stimulate good, union jobs in Cuyahoga County.

"We were pushing on the national level, but when the cap and trade legislation fell apart, we still lacked a comprehensive energy strategy," says Shanelle Smith, local organizer for the Emerald Cities Cleveland-Cuyahoga County project. "We had the economic stimulus, but now that the money is on the ground, it's about organizing locally so it benefits all of us."

Emerald Cities, which was approved last week by Cuyahoga County Council, aims to "create a clean energy economy by developing community workforce opportunities, enhancing environmentally sustainable practices and working to make government buildings more energy efficient," according to a release.

The initiative aims to make municipal buildings in Cuyahoga County 20 percent more energy-efficient by 2020. Emerald Cities will achieve this by seeking financing mechanisms to help local governments pay for projects, creating community workforce agreements to help foster union jobs, and participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge.

"We want to build a pipeline to unionized apprenticeships for underrepresented communities," says Smith. "Our goal is to help create family-sustaining jobs."

Now that the initiative has been approved by Cuyahoga County, Emerald Cities partners are working together to assemble a strategic plan for implementation.


Source: Shanelle Smith
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Developers of the long-awaited Flats East Bank development broke ground in the worst economy in generations by hook or crook, breaking the project into phases and layering public-private financing together in a deal that was dizzyingly complex.

This week, they're singing a different tune as they celebrate new leases from five high-profile restaurant tenants, including well-known Akron restaurateur Ken Stewart and national country music venue chain Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill.

Four new restaurants will open as part of Phase I, which is expected to be complete in 2013. I Love This Bar and Grill will open as part of Phase II, which the developers hope to break ground on next year if they can assemble financing.

Ken Stewart's, well-known for steak and seafood, will add a new name to the downtown restaurant scene. Lago will move its successful Tremont location to a new, larger space in the Flats East Bank. Flip Side is a gourmet burger bar with two locations in Hudson and Columbus, while Dos Tequilas will be a high-end, urban taqueria.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill will add a new element to the downtown music scene. The developers hope the venue, a barbeque joint that will be shaped like a guitar, will tap into an unmet demand for live country music in Cleveland.

"We had interested operators from the beginning, but we took our time to select those that were most exciting," says Randy Ruttenberg with Fairmount Properties. "We're currently working on the capital stack for Phase II, which will feature around 150 residential units, waterfront retail and entertainment."


Source: Randy Ruttenberg
Writer: Lee Chilcote