Approximately 200,000 Leap Year babies in the United States celebrate their real birthday once every four years on Feb. 29. This year, if they do so at the area's Hard Rock Cafes' downtown or Northfield Park locations, they'll receive a free entree from Hard Rock Cafe’s "Leaplings Eat Free" menu, items on which include Twisted Mac, Chicken & Cheese; the Veggie Leggie and the Hickory-Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich among others.
 
Get all the details here.

Enrollment for the 2016/2017 school year is underway and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) has new tools to ease the process including an enrollment portal that allows prospective families to create an account, explore schools and submit their choices online.

Per CMSD: "Choosing the right school matters. CSMD has launched a new and improved school choice portal that empowers all families, whether they attend a district school or not, to make school choices right now. Families can visit ChooseCMSD.org where they can learn about new school options, compare school characteristics, and choose the schools that are right for their family in a matter of minutes."
 
CMSD also invites enrolling families to take a short survey so it can best serve its constituency in making choices for the 2016-17 school year. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete.
 

While summer may feel far away, college students will be returning home with their requisite manbuns and proclivity to wear slippers as shoes in a blink. They will soon join area high school juniors and seniors, who are already eyeing residential couches with plans to become one with them from June through August.

It does not have to be this way.

On Sunday March 6 and Saturday March 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cleveland Metroparks invites those students, along with anyone interested in seasonal employment, to attend a job fair. The two events will be held at Stillwater Place, 3900 Wildlife Way in the Metroparks Zoo. Opportunities include food service jobs, camp counselor slots, maintenance positions and many others.

Complete details and registration information are available here.

Joe Calabrese, CEO and General Manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) advocated for more transit funding in testimony on Feb. 16 at the Statehouse.

"RTA is the largest public transportation agency in Ohio. My employees, who reside in 16 of Ohio counties, serve approximately 50 million customers each year in Cuyahoga and several neighboring counties," said Calabrese in his address.

"Public transit in Ohio is a $900 million industry that supports many manufacturers, suppliers and jobs.

Public transit gets workers to work, students to school, connects important destinations, drives economic development and provides mobility to many Ohioans who have no other mobility option due to economic realities or disabilities."

Read his comments in their entirety here.
 

The James Beard Foundation announced today its list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the 26th annual James Beard Foundation Awards.

Selected from a list of more than 20,000 online entries, the prestigious group of semifinalists in 21 categories represents a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations in ten different regions across the U.S.

Bruell and his restaurant Parallax are named in the "Best Chef, Great Lakes" category. Read the entire release here.
 

Local fashion maven Valerie Mayen has returned to Project Runway as an All-Star. The show, which debuted Feb. 11, airs at 9 p.m. EST on Lifetime.

When asked, "What makes you All-Star material?"

The humble Mayen replied, "Honestly…I’m not sure. I feel uneasy saying that I’m an All Star. Who decides that? What’s the criteria? I’m a hard worker and I think I have some interesting ideas and I execute them well. If that makes an All  Star, then call me an All Star. It’s an honor to be one… I just hope I can live up to the name."

Read the whole Q&A here.
 

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

 

Fresh Water contributor Nikki Delamotte for Thrillist:

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

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

"Proprietor Paulius Nasvytis and the bartenders of The Velvet Tango Room are 'torchbearers of tradition.' Since 1996, the bartenders here were serving classic cocktails long before it was trendy. There are more than 80 cocktails on the menu; about 30 of them are house creations, including the India Lime Fizz (a rich, creamy, and powerful cocktail that combines gin, rum, flora India limes, vanilla, and a whole egg). The bar is housed in a space that was once a speakeasy — bullet holes can still be seen in the ceiling. The bar and back bar are made of refinished mahogany and the front room feature a baby grand piano at which music is played nightly by a three-piece jazz combo and a late-night pianist. The second room is reached by walking through a mirror in the coatroom. There's another baby grand piano there, along with a cozy fireplace, comfy leather chairs, and, further beyond, a patio where some of the bar's cocktail ingredients are grown. Both rooms have an old-fashioned black-and-white TV that shows classic movies with no sound. There are limited snacks, like speck, which is locally sourced smoked pork belly made by a German family in Cleveland."

Read the full story here.

On Tuesday, over 500 guests gathered at the Victory Center in the Health-Tech Corridor to celebrate the sold-out Vibrant City awards, hosted by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.

CNP President Joel Ratner told the crowd, “The facts are there. Data shows that our region is gaining brains and income, our city schools are making terrific improvements, and Cleveland’s population loss is ending. We are headed into an era of exciting growth.”

City of Cleveland Community Development Director Daryl Rush was honored with the inaugural Morton L.Mandel Leadership in Community Development Award. Other recipients were:

CDC Catalytic Project/Program Award
Fairfax Renaissance Development -- Intergenerational housing

Urban Realtor Award
Keith Brown and Dave Sharkey – Progressive Urban Real Estate

Developer Award
Keith Sutton and Dave Territo, Sutton Builders

Neighborhood Branding & Marketing Award
Downtown Cleveland Alliance – You and Downtown Video

Community Collaboration Award
Gordon Square Arts District (DSCDO, NWT, CPT)

Corporate Partner Award
Third Federal Saving

"Cleveland has become the San Francisco of craft beer with small batch startups dominating the scene. Check out local offerings from Nano, Market Garden and Platform to make the most of your Cleveland stay."

Read the full story here.

For years, the bold and the bearded poured into Portland, Ore., embracing craft spirits, farm-to-table fare and all things artisanal. Is Cleveland next? Local chefs like Michael Symon say yes, taking advantage of low rents and the Midwestern bounty like Iowa prosciutto at casually brilliant restaurants and urban breweries, including Great Lakes Brewing Company and Buckeye Brewing. At Lola Bistro, owner Michael Symon celebrates butcher cuts like calves hearts with preserved lemon. Jonathon Sawyer, whose Greenhouse Tavern is one of Symon’s favorite haunts, recently opened an opulent Italian spot called Trentina, where the bread course includes an edible beef candle (not a typo) made from aged beef tallow.

Read the full story here.

There are great food markets all over America these days, but few are as ingrained in the community (it’s 100+ years old) or as representative of it (some of the same vendors have been there 60 years or more). Cleveland native Phoebe Connell explains in this quote we had to excerpt the bejesus out of because she gave us two pages of loving notes:

“The West Side Market, THE JEWEL OF CLEVELAND. This isn't a farmers market -- it’s a place where everyone's grandmother used to come to get cabbage and a roast for Sunday dinner. Think of it as being in Williamsburg before Williamsburg was fancy: still in the city, but in an actual neighborhood with working class homes."

Read the full story here.

"It's cheap, their museum is on point, and they have excellent taste in beer." So says Buzzfeed.

Check out what other cities made the list. Read the full story here.

"The rust belt city offers some old-fashioned, even old-world, charms. Readers ranked it at No. 5 for its rich food halls, like West Side Market—with spices, baked goods and delis—which dates back to 1912, when it catered primarily to the city’s immigrants."

Read the full story here.