Lee Chilcote
Thrive Cleveland, a new grassroots "happiness incubator," wants to amaze you. The goal is to provide experiences that are "surprising," "boundary expanding" and "beyond your comfort zone," according to cofounder Scott Simon.
"What we’re doing is creating what you could call a happiness gym," says Simon. "It will be a series of ongoing, curated experiences for Clevelanders. We want to get them to meet other people, be creative and hear from the best and brightest in Cleveland."
The group is composed of 13 Clevelanders who are volunteering their time to create happiness-inducing events aimed at engaging the city's residents.
The first experience, entitled "WTF? (What's That Food?) -- A Local Farm-to-Table Exploration," will take place on Saturday, August 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will meet at Cafe Benice and then travel as a group to the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Farmers Market, where they'll meet with farmers, taste just-picked produce, and learn how fresh food contributes to happiness and well-being. Afterwards, the group will return to Cafe Benice to participate in a hands-on cooking experience utilyzing the farm-fresh foods.
According to Simon, the event is part of a national movement towards fostering greater happiness in cities across the country. He cites the Happiness Institute in San Francisco and Life Labs NYC in Brooklyn as two comparable organizations.
Source: Scott Simon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"What we’re doing is creating what you could call a happiness gym," says Simon. "It will be a series of ongoing, curated experiences for Clevelanders. We want to get them to meet other people, be creative and hear from the best and brightest in Cleveland."
The group is composed of 13 Clevelanders who are volunteering their time to create happiness-inducing events aimed at engaging the city's residents.
The first experience, entitled "WTF? (What's That Food?) -- A Local Farm-to-Table Exploration," will take place on Saturday, August 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will meet at Cafe Benice and then travel as a group to the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Farmers Market, where they'll meet with farmers, taste just-picked produce, and learn how fresh food contributes to happiness and well-being. Afterwards, the group will return to Cafe Benice to participate in a hands-on cooking experience utilyzing the farm-fresh foods.
According to Simon, the event is part of a national movement towards fostering greater happiness in cities across the country. He cites the Happiness Institute in San Francisco and Life Labs NYC in Brooklyn as two comparable organizations.
Source: Scott Simon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
When Earl Pike of the Cleveland Leadership Center helped design the new Civic Engagement Boot Camp, he tapped the popular national trend of half marathon benefits as a wellspring of inspiration.
"People want to be challenged," he says. "We didn't want to do the typical thing of getting a bunch of young people in a room to listen to an old person pontificate. We wanted to ask people to do something really hard and put their hearts and souls into it."
The result? A one-day civic engagement half marathon, if you will. The Boot Camp starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m.
"At the end, you'll be exhausted and probably smell bad and be a little frayed," says Pike. "But you'll see every major sector of Cleveland and you'll be engaged in a way that changes you, challenges you."
In June, participants held a behind-the-scenes meeting with the editorial board of the Plain Dealer, worked out with an 82-year-old woman, dug in the dirt at Ohio City Farm, went on a bike tour of Cleveland, and honed their improv skills at Cleveland Public Theatre. And that was just part of the day. It concluded with a meeting of area foundation leaders at the Terminal Tower Observation Deck.
The next installment of Boot Camp, titled "Cleveland from dawn to dusk -- like you've never seen it before," will take place Thursday, October 4th. The cost is $500.
"It doesn't really matter what people do: We love seeing people inspired and getting active in whatever domain they choose," says Pike, who says the long-term goal is combining civic engagement with personal growth. "Now we're beginning to look at the coaching that might come after the experience."
Source: Earl Pike
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"People want to be challenged," he says. "We didn't want to do the typical thing of getting a bunch of young people in a room to listen to an old person pontificate. We wanted to ask people to do something really hard and put their hearts and souls into it."
The result? A one-day civic engagement half marathon, if you will. The Boot Camp starts at 6:30 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m.
"At the end, you'll be exhausted and probably smell bad and be a little frayed," says Pike. "But you'll see every major sector of Cleveland and you'll be engaged in a way that changes you, challenges you."
In June, participants held a behind-the-scenes meeting with the editorial board of the Plain Dealer, worked out with an 82-year-old woman, dug in the dirt at Ohio City Farm, went on a bike tour of Cleveland, and honed their improv skills at Cleveland Public Theatre. And that was just part of the day. It concluded with a meeting of area foundation leaders at the Terminal Tower Observation Deck.
The next installment of Boot Camp, titled "Cleveland from dawn to dusk -- like you've never seen it before," will take place Thursday, October 4th. The cost is $500.
"It doesn't really matter what people do: We love seeing people inspired and getting active in whatever domain they choose," says Pike, who says the long-term goal is combining civic engagement with personal growth. "Now we're beginning to look at the coaching that might come after the experience."
Source: Earl Pike
Writer: Lee Chilcote
St. John's Episcopal Church in Ohio City has a rich and illustrious history. Industrialist and U.S. Senator Marcus Hanna married there in the late 19th century, and at one time the church was one of the very last stops on the Underground Railroad.
More recently, Cleveland-born rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony recorded their first album in a part of the parish hall rented out to a recording studio in the '90s.
Unfortunately, the parish dissolved and the church closed several years ago. Yet the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio recently hired developer Rick Foran to restore the vintage, board-and-batten exterior. Prior to the rehabilitation, the exterior paint was badly peeling and boards were rotting and coming loose.
"It was painted dark brown and the siding was splitting," says Foran of the 8,000-square-foot hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is considered to be the oldest consecrated building in Cuyahoga County. "We took the siding off, turned it over, primed and painted it and reinstalled it."
The Foran Group also added much-needed insulation (because there wasn't any) as well as sheathing and an energy-efficient vapor barrier. Finally, the developer replaced the rotten batten strips with custom-made cedar wood pieces.
The redevelopment preserves a piece of Ohio City's architectural heritage. Well-to-do families living in mansions on Franklin Boulevard built St. John's, whose foundation is built from pieces of stone from the Cuyahoga River, says Foran. He hopes the area's redevelopment will give the property a second life.
The repair will allow the Episcopal Diocese to begin marketing the church and parish hall to a new occupant. "With the growth of the whole Ohio City area, they believe that they can find another church that would occupy it," says Foran.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
More recently, Cleveland-born rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony recorded their first album in a part of the parish hall rented out to a recording studio in the '90s.
Unfortunately, the parish dissolved and the church closed several years ago. Yet the Episcopal Diocese of Northeast Ohio recently hired developer Rick Foran to restore the vintage, board-and-batten exterior. Prior to the rehabilitation, the exterior paint was badly peeling and boards were rotting and coming loose.
"It was painted dark brown and the siding was splitting," says Foran of the 8,000-square-foot hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is considered to be the oldest consecrated building in Cuyahoga County. "We took the siding off, turned it over, primed and painted it and reinstalled it."
The Foran Group also added much-needed insulation (because there wasn't any) as well as sheathing and an energy-efficient vapor barrier. Finally, the developer replaced the rotten batten strips with custom-made cedar wood pieces.
The redevelopment preserves a piece of Ohio City's architectural heritage. Well-to-do families living in mansions on Franklin Boulevard built St. John's, whose foundation is built from pieces of stone from the Cuyahoga River, says Foran. He hopes the area's redevelopment will give the property a second life.
The repair will allow the Episcopal Diocese to begin marketing the church and parish hall to a new occupant. "With the growth of the whole Ohio City area, they believe that they can find another church that would occupy it," says Foran.
Source: Rick Foran
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Jeff Griffiths launched Hands On Northeast Ohio in 2007 to "train and equip volunteers to be at the center of change in their communities." In 2011, the startup nonprofit organization helped connect nearly 5,000 volunteers with hundreds of worthy projects throughout the Cleveland area.
Last weekend, volunteers prepped bikes at the Ohio City Bike Co-op, served meals to the homeless, delivered meals to seniors, cleaned cat cages, and lended a hand at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Hands On Northeast Ohio offers accessible, well-managed opportunities to serve throughout the community. Volunteers attend an orientation session and sign up for opportunities on the group's website. With a point and a click, they can read descriptions of opportunities, find out which ones are available, and sign up.
"People wanted to help, but oftentimes accessing volunteer opportunities was filled with barriers -- the commitment was unrealistic, the training was too cumbersome, or the agency didn't have a way to recruit or train volunteers at all," says Griffiths. "By us managing projects, we make both parties happy."
In addition to 35-plus managed projects per month, Hands On also manages one-day national events such as the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Griffiths says the organization is part of a national network of similar groups. "We saw a need, took a proven model and adapted it locally to our needs here," he says.
Source: Jeff Griffiths
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Last weekend, volunteers prepped bikes at the Ohio City Bike Co-op, served meals to the homeless, delivered meals to seniors, cleaned cat cages, and lended a hand at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Hands On Northeast Ohio offers accessible, well-managed opportunities to serve throughout the community. Volunteers attend an orientation session and sign up for opportunities on the group's website. With a point and a click, they can read descriptions of opportunities, find out which ones are available, and sign up.
"People wanted to help, but oftentimes accessing volunteer opportunities was filled with barriers -- the commitment was unrealistic, the training was too cumbersome, or the agency didn't have a way to recruit or train volunteers at all," says Griffiths. "By us managing projects, we make both parties happy."
In addition to 35-plus managed projects per month, Hands On also manages one-day national events such as the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Griffiths says the organization is part of a national network of similar groups. "We saw a need, took a proven model and adapted it locally to our needs here," he says.
Source: Jeff Griffiths
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that could stop the proliferation of cancer cells in patients without the need for toxic chemotherapy.
The researchers discovered a mutant form of the gene Chk1. When expressed in cancer cells, it halted their proliferation and killed them. The finding that artificially activating Chk1 alone is enough to kill cancer cells is unprecedented.
"We have identified a new direction for cancer therapy... leading us to a reduction in toxicity in cancer therapy, compared with chemotherapy or radiation therapy," said Dr. Youwei Zhang, Assistant Professor with the Department of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine and a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a release. "With this discovery, scientists could stop the proliferation of cancer cells, allowing physicians time to fix cells and genetic errors."
If the researchers' strategy pans out, then cancer patients could potentially be treated by activating Chk1 in cancer cells, rather than using chemotherapy.
Future research by Dr. Zhang and his team will focus on approaches to artificially activating Chk1 in cancer cells.
Source: CWRU School of Medicine
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The researchers discovered a mutant form of the gene Chk1. When expressed in cancer cells, it halted their proliferation and killed them. The finding that artificially activating Chk1 alone is enough to kill cancer cells is unprecedented.
"We have identified a new direction for cancer therapy... leading us to a reduction in toxicity in cancer therapy, compared with chemotherapy or radiation therapy," said Dr. Youwei Zhang, Assistant Professor with the Department of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine and a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a release. "With this discovery, scientists could stop the proliferation of cancer cells, allowing physicians time to fix cells and genetic errors."
If the researchers' strategy pans out, then cancer patients could potentially be treated by activating Chk1 in cancer cells, rather than using chemotherapy.
Future research by Dr. Zhang and his team will focus on approaches to artificially activating Chk1 in cancer cells.
Source: CWRU School of Medicine
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The emergency room at Fairview Hospital was built to serve 35,000 patients, but it likely will see 76,000 before the end of 2012, says President Jan Murphy.
That's a testament not only to the fact that a growing number of uninsured or underinsured families are too often waiting until they're forced to seek care, Murphy says, but also to the rising number of baby boomers who are growing older and in need of care.
To address the space crunch, Fairview broke ground on a 135,000-square-foot, $83-million expansion project last year that will be completed in early 2013. The expansion will add a state of the art emergency room to the hospital, which is a Level II Trauma Center and also serves both high-risk mothers and infants.
"At a time when the economics were a little bit against us, we're replacing a dated facility with a state-of-the-art intensive care unit," says Murphy. "We're committed to the Kamm's Corners neighborhood, and this project is bringing the Cleveland Clinic standard of world-class care into the neighborhood."
Fairview Hospital's addition is being built on the former site of the physicians' parking lot, which is being moved into a newly expanded parking deck. The project also includes the renovation of 25,000 square feet of existing hospital space.
Source: Jan Murphy
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's a testament not only to the fact that a growing number of uninsured or underinsured families are too often waiting until they're forced to seek care, Murphy says, but also to the rising number of baby boomers who are growing older and in need of care.
To address the space crunch, Fairview broke ground on a 135,000-square-foot, $83-million expansion project last year that will be completed in early 2013. The expansion will add a state of the art emergency room to the hospital, which is a Level II Trauma Center and also serves both high-risk mothers and infants.
"At a time when the economics were a little bit against us, we're replacing a dated facility with a state-of-the-art intensive care unit," says Murphy. "We're committed to the Kamm's Corners neighborhood, and this project is bringing the Cleveland Clinic standard of world-class care into the neighborhood."
Fairview Hospital's addition is being built on the former site of the physicians' parking lot, which is being moved into a newly expanded parking deck. The project also includes the renovation of 25,000 square feet of existing hospital space.
Source: Jan Murphy
Writer: Lee Chilcote
If Bike Cleveland, LAND Studio and business owner Sam McNulty have their way, a used shipping container will be transformed into sleek new bike parking in Ohio City sometime next month.
The Bike Box, which will feature parking for 15 bikes in a locally sourced shipping container fabricated by Rust Belt Welding, started off as a conversation among cycling advocates about converting a single car parking space into multiple bike parking on West 25th.
"To be honest, I thought the City was going to look at me cross-eyed," says Sam McNulty, who is chipping in money for the project. The Bike Box will be placed on Bridge, outside of Nano Brew, his soon-to-open microbrewery. "Surprisingly, they were very excited about it. This makes a statement and says, 'Instead of bicycles and pedestrians being an afterthought, we're flipping the script and creating a space for bicycles.'"
As far as timing goes, McNulty says the organizers still hope to have the Bike Box up in time for events celebrating the West Side Market's 100th birthday. "We're shooting to have it hit the curb in time for the Centennial next month," he says.
McNulty says the Bike Box will replace one unmetered parking space. He hopes to eventually remove another parking space or two and create a "parklet" -- a streetside pocket park with grass, trees and benches -- but he's focused on the Bike Box first. "The park is more controversial and cutting-edge," he says.
Source: Sam McNulty
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Bike Box, which will feature parking for 15 bikes in a locally sourced shipping container fabricated by Rust Belt Welding, started off as a conversation among cycling advocates about converting a single car parking space into multiple bike parking on West 25th.
"To be honest, I thought the City was going to look at me cross-eyed," says Sam McNulty, who is chipping in money for the project. The Bike Box will be placed on Bridge, outside of Nano Brew, his soon-to-open microbrewery. "Surprisingly, they were very excited about it. This makes a statement and says, 'Instead of bicycles and pedestrians being an afterthought, we're flipping the script and creating a space for bicycles.'"
As far as timing goes, McNulty says the organizers still hope to have the Bike Box up in time for events celebrating the West Side Market's 100th birthday. "We're shooting to have it hit the curb in time for the Centennial next month," he says.
McNulty says the Bike Box will replace one unmetered parking space. He hopes to eventually remove another parking space or two and create a "parklet" -- a streetside pocket park with grass, trees and benches -- but he's focused on the Bike Box first. "The park is more controversial and cutting-edge," he says.
Source: Sam McNulty
Writer: Lee Chilcote
George Vlosich has been creating Etch-a-Sketch art since he was 10, but more recently his artistic creations have landed him on Oprah and earned him millions of views from followers on YouTube.
Now the arts entrepreneur, who has also launched a line of Cleveland-centric apparel and painted 40-foot murals of local sports icons inside Positively Cleveland, is opening a gallery on Professor in Tremont.
"Being on Oprah opened up opportunities for me, and now I create artwork for people literally across the world," says Vlosich, founder of GV Art and Design. "I'm trying to do things that take the Etch-a-Sketch and go beyond the red frame. I worked in advertising for the last nine years, but now I'm going full-time."
Vlosich's new storefront gallery is located in the space that formerly housed Asterisk Gallery. The artist is renovating the interior and restored the prominent storefront windows, which had long been covered up by a false, wooden facade painted blue. The gallery is scheduled to officially open sometime in October.
"I want to grow beyond Cleveland," says Vlosich of his future business goals. "I also want to start doing stuff that makes an impact on the community. We already do a lot of charity events, and we're going to get kids involved with artwork."
Source: George Vlosich
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now the arts entrepreneur, who has also launched a line of Cleveland-centric apparel and painted 40-foot murals of local sports icons inside Positively Cleveland, is opening a gallery on Professor in Tremont.
"Being on Oprah opened up opportunities for me, and now I create artwork for people literally across the world," says Vlosich, founder of GV Art and Design. "I'm trying to do things that take the Etch-a-Sketch and go beyond the red frame. I worked in advertising for the last nine years, but now I'm going full-time."
Vlosich's new storefront gallery is located in the space that formerly housed Asterisk Gallery. The artist is renovating the interior and restored the prominent storefront windows, which had long been covered up by a false, wooden facade painted blue. The gallery is scheduled to officially open sometime in October.
"I want to grow beyond Cleveland," says Vlosich of his future business goals. "I also want to start doing stuff that makes an impact on the community. We already do a lot of charity events, and we're going to get kids involved with artwork."
Source: George Vlosich
Writer: Lee Chilcote
It's not unusual for former students to approach Larchmere resident Joe Golden on the street and tell him how much they enjoyed taking his classes. The 60-year-old Cleveland resident has been teaching martial arts out of The Golden School of Urban Self-Defense -- a dojo located in his basement -- for several decades now.
"In the black community, there are a lot of young people who don't have any dads in the house," says Golden. "They're missing a key component for growing up: a male role model. We go in and be that role model for them. We're their dad."
Golden stresses that he teaches people "where they're at" and that his classes are not solely about self-defense, but also about building stamina, endurance, determination and self-confidence to succeed in adverse conditions.
Now that he's retired, Golden teaches classes full-time out of his home and also at Elizabeth Baptist Church, which is located in the former St. Hyacinth Church in Slavic Village. "Kids used to play basketball on our property, and we didn't want that, so instead we opened a gym. Soon, we had 50 to 60 kids in there everyday."
In the long term, Golden's dream is to open up a small storefront on Larchmere Boulevard where he can offer additional self-defense classes to the community.
Source: Joe Golden
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"In the black community, there are a lot of young people who don't have any dads in the house," says Golden. "They're missing a key component for growing up: a male role model. We go in and be that role model for them. We're their dad."
Golden stresses that he teaches people "where they're at" and that his classes are not solely about self-defense, but also about building stamina, endurance, determination and self-confidence to succeed in adverse conditions.
Now that he's retired, Golden teaches classes full-time out of his home and also at Elizabeth Baptist Church, which is located in the former St. Hyacinth Church in Slavic Village. "Kids used to play basketball on our property, and we didn't want that, so instead we opened a gym. Soon, we had 50 to 60 kids in there everyday."
In the long term, Golden's dream is to open up a small storefront on Larchmere Boulevard where he can offer additional self-defense classes to the community.
Source: Joe Golden
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Photo: Kate Montgomery
Thanks to the efforts of numerous neighborhood activists, once-blighted properties in Glenville and throughout Cleveland are being transformed into orchards, gardens and inviting green spaces. These incremental quality-of-life improvements are helping to craft a smaller city of higher quality.
The Cedar Center North project, envisioned as a bold, mixed-use development featuring a midrise condo building above new shops and restaurants, is a far cry from what the original developer and community backers had hoped for originally. Gone are the high-end condos, replaced by an upscale strip retail center filled with familiar national chains.
The Coral Company and DeVille Developments broke ground on the project, which has been in the works since 2001 but stymied by the recession that began in 2007, this spring. So far, they've secured leases from Piada, PetSmart, Menchies, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Jimmy Johns, Five Guys, Sprint, Sport Clips, Little Caesar's Pizza and Huntington Learning Centers, among other tenants.
When Piada Italian Street Food opens this fall, it will be the first location for the Columbus-based restaurant chain. For the most part, the other new tenants that have leased space at Cedar Center North already have locations in Northeast Ohio.
Despite the downscaled nature of the project, Patrick Sirpilla of co-developer DeVille Developments says that many members of the community are simply happy that the project has broken ground and is well on its way to completion.
"We're getting a great response from the community and people are excited about the types of tenants going in," he says. "We've gotten a lot of great comments on the design, which has nice architectural features and lots of brick and stone."
Sirpilla says that three of the tenants he is currently negotiating with are retail operators, and that he hopes to ultimately see more stores within the project.
Two new retailers, Gordon Food Service and Bob Evans, opened locations here last year. Although it is scaled back, Cedar Center North is much more pedestrian-friendly than its predecessor, a maligned strip mall dominated by parking lots. It features outdoor dining, bike racks, community areas and varying architecture.
A mile away, First Interstate Development recently broke ground on Oakwood Commons, a large new retail center off of Warrensville Center Road that will feature a SuperWalmart and other tenants that have not been announced.
Source: Patrick Sirpilla
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Coral Company and DeVille Developments broke ground on the project, which has been in the works since 2001 but stymied by the recession that began in 2007, this spring. So far, they've secured leases from Piada, PetSmart, Menchies, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Jimmy Johns, Five Guys, Sprint, Sport Clips, Little Caesar's Pizza and Huntington Learning Centers, among other tenants.
When Piada Italian Street Food opens this fall, it will be the first location for the Columbus-based restaurant chain. For the most part, the other new tenants that have leased space at Cedar Center North already have locations in Northeast Ohio.
Despite the downscaled nature of the project, Patrick Sirpilla of co-developer DeVille Developments says that many members of the community are simply happy that the project has broken ground and is well on its way to completion.
"We're getting a great response from the community and people are excited about the types of tenants going in," he says. "We've gotten a lot of great comments on the design, which has nice architectural features and lots of brick and stone."
Sirpilla says that three of the tenants he is currently negotiating with are retail operators, and that he hopes to ultimately see more stores within the project.
Two new retailers, Gordon Food Service and Bob Evans, opened locations here last year. Although it is scaled back, Cedar Center North is much more pedestrian-friendly than its predecessor, a maligned strip mall dominated by parking lots. It features outdoor dining, bike racks, community areas and varying architecture.
A mile away, First Interstate Development recently broke ground on Oakwood Commons, a large new retail center off of Warrensville Center Road that will feature a SuperWalmart and other tenants that have not been announced.
Source: Patrick Sirpilla
Writer: Lee Chilcote
With mounting evidence that a shortage in primary health care access is one key contributor to health disparities in the U.S., a Cleveland-based health center is plugging a local gap by opening a new primary care clinic on the city's west side.
"To us, health care is having a regular source of care, a place where you can get in to see the doctor or nurse practitioner the day you need service, the first place you turn," says Jean Polster, Executive Director of Neighborhood Family Practice, which is based on Ridge Road in the Stockyards neighborhood. The new clinic will be located in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. "When we looked at the city's west side, we felt that there was more need for primary care than existed."
Neighborhood Family Practice is a federally-qualified health center, which means that it receives federal funding, is governed by a board consisting of at least 51 percent patient users, and is a community-based nonprofit group. It also offers comprehensive services and treats all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, federally-qualified health centers like NFP will play an even larger role in the community as sources of primary care. Recent studies have shown that there is a shortage in primary care physicians and nurse practitioners nationwide. Polster says that while NFP is expanding with an eye on health care reform, it will continue to serve patients if the law changes.
"Access to high-quality primary care really important to keeping communities healthy," she says. "But we're doing it because we saw a big community need. Ultimately, our ability to sustain growth may be tied to health care reform."
The new facility is the result of a partnership between Lutheran Hospital, which holds the lease on the site, and area foundations. The Mount Sinai Foundation, George Gund Foundation and Saint Luke's Foundation all provided grants.
NFP's new clinic, located at West 65th Street and Franklin, opens on August 14th.
Source: Jean Polster
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"To us, health care is having a regular source of care, a place where you can get in to see the doctor or nurse practitioner the day you need service, the first place you turn," says Jean Polster, Executive Director of Neighborhood Family Practice, which is based on Ridge Road in the Stockyards neighborhood. The new clinic will be located in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. "When we looked at the city's west side, we felt that there was more need for primary care than existed."
Neighborhood Family Practice is a federally-qualified health center, which means that it receives federal funding, is governed by a board consisting of at least 51 percent patient users, and is a community-based nonprofit group. It also offers comprehensive services and treats all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
As the Affordable Care Act is implemented, federally-qualified health centers like NFP will play an even larger role in the community as sources of primary care. Recent studies have shown that there is a shortage in primary care physicians and nurse practitioners nationwide. Polster says that while NFP is expanding with an eye on health care reform, it will continue to serve patients if the law changes.
"Access to high-quality primary care really important to keeping communities healthy," she says. "But we're doing it because we saw a big community need. Ultimately, our ability to sustain growth may be tied to health care reform."
The new facility is the result of a partnership between Lutheran Hospital, which holds the lease on the site, and area foundations. The Mount Sinai Foundation, George Gund Foundation and Saint Luke's Foundation all provided grants.
NFP's new clinic, located at West 65th Street and Franklin, opens on August 14th.
Source: Jean Polster
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Until recently, there was a void in Cleveland's art scene: the lack of a community darkroom, studio and photographic gallery. That will change with the opening of Cleveland Print Room, an educational organization located in the ArtCraft Building.
The organization "aspires to build awareness and foster appreciation for fine art, hand-processed photography," according to its Facebook page. Cleveland Print Room will offer workshops, affordable work space and collaborative exhibition space. Its members are devotees of shooting and printing film manually.
"When my daughter began looking for photography classes to take around 2005, we found that high schools, arts centers and universities and colleges were actively disassembling or downsizing their darkroom facilities," explains Shari Wilkins, founder of Cleveland Print Room. "This is a troubling trend and we lamented the lost possibilities. When one of the local art centers began selling off their art supplies and photography equipment, we were there, buying the photo equipment up. At that time, we were not even really sure why we were doing this."
Yet that prescient moment led to the creation of the Print Room. "After researching the need in the gap in services along with the resurgence of 20th century emulsion-based photography, it was an easy decision," she says.
Members will have full access to the space nearly 24 hours per day, and there will be a darkroom, studio and exhibition space. Wilkins hopes to be open by the fall.
The venue is located at 2550 Superior in a building rife with studios and galleries.
Source: Cleveland Print Room
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The organization "aspires to build awareness and foster appreciation for fine art, hand-processed photography," according to its Facebook page. Cleveland Print Room will offer workshops, affordable work space and collaborative exhibition space. Its members are devotees of shooting and printing film manually.
"When my daughter began looking for photography classes to take around 2005, we found that high schools, arts centers and universities and colleges were actively disassembling or downsizing their darkroom facilities," explains Shari Wilkins, founder of Cleveland Print Room. "This is a troubling trend and we lamented the lost possibilities. When one of the local art centers began selling off their art supplies and photography equipment, we were there, buying the photo equipment up. At that time, we were not even really sure why we were doing this."
Yet that prescient moment led to the creation of the Print Room. "After researching the need in the gap in services along with the resurgence of 20th century emulsion-based photography, it was an easy decision," she says.
Members will have full access to the space nearly 24 hours per day, and there will be a darkroom, studio and exhibition space. Wilkins hopes to be open by the fall.
The venue is located at 2550 Superior in a building rife with studios and galleries.
Source: Cleveland Print Room
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have invested millions of dollars in public money to help make urban development projects happen over the years. But do they provide the maximum benefit to the taxpayers paying for them?
Amanda Woodrum, a researcher at the liberal think tank Policy Matters, says that Northeast Ohio leaders have not always maximized the public benefits of development projects. Yet cities like Cleveland have a tool at their disposal called Community Benefit Agreements to help ensure the public gets the biggest bang for its buck when it comes to public subsidies.
"Community Benefit Agreements involve an economic development approach that balances the three E’s of sustainability: environment, equity and economy," says Woodrum. "One of the biggest things is ensuring that the workforce involved is hired locally. The second thing is that it is diverse and reflective of the population as a whole. There are other questions, too. Are we behaving responsibly towards the environment? Is there access to the development site for public transit?"
Woodrum adds, "The whole process is done in a very open discussion in which key stakeholders come together. There is a movement nationally to do development this way. In many cases, anchor institutions are voluntarilyy creating such agreements because they recognize that they have stake in community."
Woodrum stated that the City of Cleveland does not have a comprehensive policy towards creating Community Benefit Agreements with developers, and that the absence of such a policy can lead to inconsistent results. She cited the Horseshoe Casino as a potential model project due to its local hiring practices; on the other hand, a new housing development at Cleveland State University has drawn ire from the local building trades union for its failure to hire local workers.
To generate a discussion about Community Benefit Agreements in Cleveland, Policy Matters has helped to organize a daylong symposium with local and national experts at Cuyahoga Community College on Friday, August 3rd. The event is cosponsored by the City of Cleveland and Cleveland City Council.
"If the stakeholders coming to the table decide it makes sense, we’d like to move forward with building a policy that ensures whenever city subsidizes development in any meaninging way, we’re maximizing value to community," says Woodrum.
Source: Amanda Woodrum
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Amanda Woodrum, a researcher at the liberal think tank Policy Matters, says that Northeast Ohio leaders have not always maximized the public benefits of development projects. Yet cities like Cleveland have a tool at their disposal called Community Benefit Agreements to help ensure the public gets the biggest bang for its buck when it comes to public subsidies.
"Community Benefit Agreements involve an economic development approach that balances the three E’s of sustainability: environment, equity and economy," says Woodrum. "One of the biggest things is ensuring that the workforce involved is hired locally. The second thing is that it is diverse and reflective of the population as a whole. There are other questions, too. Are we behaving responsibly towards the environment? Is there access to the development site for public transit?"
Woodrum adds, "The whole process is done in a very open discussion in which key stakeholders come together. There is a movement nationally to do development this way. In many cases, anchor institutions are voluntarilyy creating such agreements because they recognize that they have stake in community."
Woodrum stated that the City of Cleveland does not have a comprehensive policy towards creating Community Benefit Agreements with developers, and that the absence of such a policy can lead to inconsistent results. She cited the Horseshoe Casino as a potential model project due to its local hiring practices; on the other hand, a new housing development at Cleveland State University has drawn ire from the local building trades union for its failure to hire local workers.
To generate a discussion about Community Benefit Agreements in Cleveland, Policy Matters has helped to organize a daylong symposium with local and national experts at Cuyahoga Community College on Friday, August 3rd. The event is cosponsored by the City of Cleveland and Cleveland City Council.
"If the stakeholders coming to the table decide it makes sense, we’d like to move forward with building a policy that ensures whenever city subsidizes development in any meaninging way, we’re maximizing value to community," says Woodrum.
Source: Amanda Woodrum
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Cleveland's near west side will gain another signature community park when the redeveloped outdoor space at Zone Recreation Center, which is comprised of 22 acres of land south of Lorain Avenue between W. 53rd and W. 65th streets, reopens this Saturday.
A public ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. The celebration will include a farmers market, food trucks, kickball, skateboarding, three-on-three basketball tournament and dog park dedication. Residents and visitors are encouraged to bring their dogs.
The multifaceted park is one of the largest in Cleveland. Features include new tennis courts, resurfaced basketball courts, new water-spray park and playground, new ballfields and a new dog park. The new Zone Rec also includes water-saving features and sustainable landscaping that reaffirm the City's commitment to weaving sustainable design into its community parks.
"The City administration really wants to move forward on low impact development that respects the tag line, 'Green city on a blue lake,'" says Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, whose father fought the State of Ohio's proposal to build a highway here 50 years ago, ultimately leading to the development of the recreation center that bears his name. "We want to build it and design it from not only a functionality standpoint, but also lessening our carbon footprint."
Last year, the City of Cleveland opened the new Collinwood Recreation Center in a former Big Lots store along Lakeshore Boulevard. The building is a creative reuse of an existing space that includes many energy-efficient and sustainable features. The new Zone Recreation Center demonstrates similar outside-the-box thinking.
Zone Recreation Center is located in the Cleveland EcoVillage, an area dedicated to sustainable living within the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The EcoVillage features a green-built rapid station, large community garden, many eco-friendly homes, a new garden store and a slew of gardens and green spaces. Residents here have long struggled with blight along Lorain Avenue, and many hope that the new Zone Rec will help catalyze other, similar improvements to the faded corridor.
The multipurpose pathway that weaves its way through the new Zone Rec green space will eventually connect with the Towpath Trail via Walworth Run, and to Edgewater Park and Lake Erie via bike lanes planned for W. 65th Street.
Source: Matt Zone
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A public ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. The celebration will include a farmers market, food trucks, kickball, skateboarding, three-on-three basketball tournament and dog park dedication. Residents and visitors are encouraged to bring their dogs.
The multifaceted park is one of the largest in Cleveland. Features include new tennis courts, resurfaced basketball courts, new water-spray park and playground, new ballfields and a new dog park. The new Zone Rec also includes water-saving features and sustainable landscaping that reaffirm the City's commitment to weaving sustainable design into its community parks.
"The City administration really wants to move forward on low impact development that respects the tag line, 'Green city on a blue lake,'" says Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, whose father fought the State of Ohio's proposal to build a highway here 50 years ago, ultimately leading to the development of the recreation center that bears his name. "We want to build it and design it from not only a functionality standpoint, but also lessening our carbon footprint."
Last year, the City of Cleveland opened the new Collinwood Recreation Center in a former Big Lots store along Lakeshore Boulevard. The building is a creative reuse of an existing space that includes many energy-efficient and sustainable features. The new Zone Recreation Center demonstrates similar outside-the-box thinking.
Zone Recreation Center is located in the Cleveland EcoVillage, an area dedicated to sustainable living within the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The EcoVillage features a green-built rapid station, large community garden, many eco-friendly homes, a new garden store and a slew of gardens and green spaces. Residents here have long struggled with blight along Lorain Avenue, and many hope that the new Zone Rec will help catalyze other, similar improvements to the faded corridor.
The multipurpose pathway that weaves its way through the new Zone Rec green space will eventually connect with the Towpath Trail via Walworth Run, and to Edgewater Park and Lake Erie via bike lanes planned for W. 65th Street.
Source: Matt Zone
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Stephen Love got involved in helping to clean up Euclid Beach Park when he visited his grandmother in North Collinwood and was shocked by its neglect.
"I visited the state parks and the beaches were terrible," says the Cleveland Heights resident, who works as an Information Specialist at the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "It was a wakeup call to see how I could get more involved."
To capitalize on the artistic energy of the Waterloo Arts District and draw people to Collinwood's diamond-in-the-rough beaches, Love helped organize the first Euclid Beach Blast in 2011. The one-day festival explored the area's relationship with its lakefront parks and challenged visitors to envision a better future.
"The Euclid Beach amusement park defines the past, but this event is really about what you could do in this space," says Love. "We have installations, performance art, murals and pop-up activities. We want people to learn about water quality."
The second annual Euclid Beach Blast takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 4th. Activities include making your own trash art with Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, workshops, games, music, biking and skateboarding. There also will be an after-party with live music at the Beachland Ballroom.
Love and the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team also organize regular monthly cleanups of North Collinwood's beaches. Love says that the long-term solution is for the Cleveland Metroparks to take over management from the State of Ohio, which has deferred maintenance. Recently, the group launched an Urban Beach Ambassador program in partnership with Friends of Edgewater State Park.
"We want to help people take ownership of cleaning up the beach on their own, even if they can't attend the monthly cleanups," says Love.
Source: Stephen Love
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I visited the state parks and the beaches were terrible," says the Cleveland Heights resident, who works as an Information Specialist at the Cuyahoga Land Bank. "It was a wakeup call to see how I could get more involved."
To capitalize on the artistic energy of the Waterloo Arts District and draw people to Collinwood's diamond-in-the-rough beaches, Love helped organize the first Euclid Beach Blast in 2011. The one-day festival explored the area's relationship with its lakefront parks and challenged visitors to envision a better future.
"The Euclid Beach amusement park defines the past, but this event is really about what you could do in this space," says Love. "We have installations, performance art, murals and pop-up activities. We want people to learn about water quality."
The second annual Euclid Beach Blast takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 4th. Activities include making your own trash art with Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, workshops, games, music, biking and skateboarding. There also will be an after-party with live music at the Beachland Ballroom.
Love and the Euclid Beach Adopt-a-Beach Team also organize regular monthly cleanups of North Collinwood's beaches. Love says that the long-term solution is for the Cleveland Metroparks to take over management from the State of Ohio, which has deferred maintenance. Recently, the group launched an Urban Beach Ambassador program in partnership with Friends of Edgewater State Park.
"We want to help people take ownership of cleaning up the beach on their own, even if they can't attend the monthly cleanups," says Love.
Source: Stephen Love
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Coworking is a growing trend whereby freelancers, telecommuters and other mobile workers share space to lessen the costs of facilities and equipment. In Cleveland, The Open Office and Cowork Cleveland are attracting non-traditional workers who are tired of the isolation of working from home or the distractions of jockeying for an outlet at the local coffee shop.
Voss Industries, an employee-owned aerospace and industrial applications company on West 25th Street in Ohio City, is replacing all the windows on its century-old building -- all 650 of 'em.
The investment will help the company to make key improvements to its headquarters on Cleveland's near west side, where it has been since 1957.
"It's been a rather long project," says Voss President and CEO Dan Sedor with a chuckle. "It's a 100-year-old building, so we're refacing it. What's going on in Ohio City is definitely a renaissance, and our company wants to play a small part in it."
"Small" is not the word that accurately describes the outsized ambitions of this half-century-old company that occupies 240,000 square feet in Ohio City, however. Voss has experienced 20-percent growth annually for the past several years, and has hired 80 workers in the last two years alone. The progress, says Sedor, is due to the improving economy and Voss's competitiveness in the marketplace.
"We're a metal manipulator -- we bend it, roll it, stamp it and machine it," says Sedor. "We've been steadily gaining market share by diversifying the markets we serve and also by providing engineering solutions to many of our customers."
Voss has more than 330 employees. Sedor says he likes Ohio City because it offers a convenient, centralized location for employees, who live throughout the region.
Source: Dan Sedor
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The investment will help the company to make key improvements to its headquarters on Cleveland's near west side, where it has been since 1957.
"It's been a rather long project," says Voss President and CEO Dan Sedor with a chuckle. "It's a 100-year-old building, so we're refacing it. What's going on in Ohio City is definitely a renaissance, and our company wants to play a small part in it."
"Small" is not the word that accurately describes the outsized ambitions of this half-century-old company that occupies 240,000 square feet in Ohio City, however. Voss has experienced 20-percent growth annually for the past several years, and has hired 80 workers in the last two years alone. The progress, says Sedor, is due to the improving economy and Voss's competitiveness in the marketplace.
"We're a metal manipulator -- we bend it, roll it, stamp it and machine it," says Sedor. "We've been steadily gaining market share by diversifying the markets we serve and also by providing engineering solutions to many of our customers."
Voss has more than 330 employees. Sedor says he likes Ohio City because it offers a convenient, centralized location for employees, who live throughout the region.
Source: Dan Sedor
Writer: Lee Chilcote