Tremont
The Foundation Center launched Grant Space to aggregate its most popular content in one easy-to-navigate location and be responsive to its audience. The website features video chats with grant makers and a calendar of trainings. It also allows visitors to quickly interact with Foundation Center staff.
Now the Center has launched Grant Space Mobile, a new version geared towards mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Foundation Center Cleveland Director Cynthia Bailie says the website, which she developed and is now being used across the country, is one more way the Foundation Center is innovating to serve its customer base. The site is helping grant seekers to become more savvy about using technology to do good in their communities, she says.
"The world has increasingly gone to mobile devices, and we wanted to give our audience what they need in a user-friendly way," says Bailie.
Despite the at-your-fingertips information that is now available online, visits to the Foundation Center Cleveland, which is located in the Hanna Building at PlayhouseSquare, have not declined. Bailie believes that this is because the Center's online presence and physical location actually complement each other.
"We decided to put everything online and offer high-touch in-person services; we've found it has increased our visibility and people still come in," she says.
Making technology more accessible to grant seekers helps them to access funding more easily, identify new sources, strategize ideas and solicit a national and even international audience of grant makers, Bailie says. Recently, the Foundation Center Cleveland hosted a "Good Gone Mobile" networking and information night. The event highlighted two mobile trends, giving and advocacy, and allowed attendees to network with each other and learn from others in the field.
"There's a greater appetite for experimentation with new technologies. We've created a gateway that allows people to quickly tap in and get what they need."
Source: Cynthia Bailie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Now the Center has launched Grant Space Mobile, a new version geared towards mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Foundation Center Cleveland Director Cynthia Bailie says the website, which she developed and is now being used across the country, is one more way the Foundation Center is innovating to serve its customer base. The site is helping grant seekers to become more savvy about using technology to do good in their communities, she says.
"The world has increasingly gone to mobile devices, and we wanted to give our audience what they need in a user-friendly way," says Bailie.
Despite the at-your-fingertips information that is now available online, visits to the Foundation Center Cleveland, which is located in the Hanna Building at PlayhouseSquare, have not declined. Bailie believes that this is because the Center's online presence and physical location actually complement each other.
"We decided to put everything online and offer high-touch in-person services; we've found it has increased our visibility and people still come in," she says.
Making technology more accessible to grant seekers helps them to access funding more easily, identify new sources, strategize ideas and solicit a national and even international audience of grant makers, Bailie says. Recently, the Foundation Center Cleveland hosted a "Good Gone Mobile" networking and information night. The event highlighted two mobile trends, giving and advocacy, and allowed attendees to network with each other and learn from others in the field.
"There's a greater appetite for experimentation with new technologies. We've created a gateway that allows people to quickly tap in and get what they need."
Source: Cynthia Bailie
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, a major public initiative to help move Northeast Ohio towards a more sustainable, resilient future, will launch a public engagement process in the next few months. Young professionals are among the first constituencies being targeted in this effort to create a sustainability plan for the region.
"We're looking at how we are using land through the lens of sustainability," explains Jeff Anderle, Communications and Engagement Manager for the NEOSCC, which received a $4.25 million grant from the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities initiative and launched in January 2011. "We want to make Northeast Ohio more resilient to change, help our governments to be more collaborative and provide the tools for communities to engage in more sustainable planning."
The NEOSCC has five different work study areas: economic development, environment, communities, connections, and quality, connected places. Consortium members include city governments, planning agencies and other public entities throughout the 12-county planning area. According to Anderle, NEOSCC's members are working together because they realize it is in their self-interest to help ensure that the region's resources are used more sustainably.
"We're starting to see collaboration happening in government because resources are getting tight, and moving forward, we believe collaboration will become essential," he says. "People are waking up and coming to the table."
Over the next few months, the NEOSCC will publish an existing conditions report and begin public engagement. "We're partnering with the Civic Commons," says Anderle. "We want to empower people to become a part of the process."
Source: Jeff Anderle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We're looking at how we are using land through the lens of sustainability," explains Jeff Anderle, Communications and Engagement Manager for the NEOSCC, which received a $4.25 million grant from the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities initiative and launched in January 2011. "We want to make Northeast Ohio more resilient to change, help our governments to be more collaborative and provide the tools for communities to engage in more sustainable planning."
The NEOSCC has five different work study areas: economic development, environment, communities, connections, and quality, connected places. Consortium members include city governments, planning agencies and other public entities throughout the 12-county planning area. According to Anderle, NEOSCC's members are working together because they realize it is in their self-interest to help ensure that the region's resources are used more sustainably.
"We're starting to see collaboration happening in government because resources are getting tight, and moving forward, we believe collaboration will become essential," he says. "People are waking up and coming to the table."
Over the next few months, the NEOSCC will publish an existing conditions report and begin public engagement. "We're partnering with the Civic Commons," says Anderle. "We want to empower people to become a part of the process."
Source: Jeff Anderle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In this Fresh Water video, Cleveland chefs Jeff Fisher, Dante Boccuzzi and Zack Bruell talk about their culinary style, their restaurants, and their fondness for the farm-to-table movement. With decades of experience between them, they are able to put into context the dramatic progress the Cleveland restaurant scene has made over the past 10 to 15 years.
gund foundation grants $700k to 'bold' cleveland schools plan
The George Gund Foundation awarded a $700,000 grant to support the bold strategy to reinvent public education in Cleveland proposed by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon.
"The Foundation has been investing in a portfolio of new, innovative and excellent schools in Cleveland for many years in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation, and we enthusiastically support the expansion of this investment as outlined in Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools," said David Abbott, executive director of Gund.
"This plan calls for a transition from a single-source school district to a new system of district and charter schools that work in partnership to create achievement gains for every student. The plan is built upon growing the number of excellent schools in Cleveland, regardless of provider, and giving these schools autonomy over staff and budgets in exchange for high accountability for performance."
The grant was among 75 totaling $3,645,349 approved by the Foundation’s board at its first meeting of 2012.
See the rest of Gund's recent grants here.
"The Foundation has been investing in a portfolio of new, innovative and excellent schools in Cleveland for many years in partnership with the Cleveland Foundation, and we enthusiastically support the expansion of this investment as outlined in Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools," said David Abbott, executive director of Gund.
"This plan calls for a transition from a single-source school district to a new system of district and charter schools that work in partnership to create achievement gains for every student. The plan is built upon growing the number of excellent schools in Cleveland, regardless of provider, and giving these schools autonomy over staff and budgets in exchange for high accountability for performance."
The grant was among 75 totaling $3,645,349 approved by the Foundation’s board at its first meeting of 2012.
See the rest of Gund's recent grants here.
As more people and businesses settle in downtown Cleveland, the need is greater than ever for safe, beautiful and active public spaces. Who, then, will steward the dialogue around the importance of good design to the quality of life and economic competitiveness of our region? LAND studio will. The recent union of Cleveland Public Art and ParkWorks has given rise to LAND, an organization focused on (L)andscape, (A)rt, (N)eighborhoods, and (D)evelopment.
symon pulls off three-peat at south beach burger bash
Just as every chef clears his or her schedule to attend the annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival (they don't call it Spring Break for chefs for nothing), so too do members of the media, all promising to swap ink for access.
It's no surprise then that media outlets from all across the nation gladly trumpeted news of Cleveland chef Michael Symon's win at the annual Burger Bash. Besting chefs from around the globe, Symon claimed top honors for an unprecedented third year in a row at the sold-out event.
B Spot served up approximately 2,100 Porky burgers, beef and pork patties topped with pulled pork, slaw, spicy pickle and Stadium Mustard.
When asked what his secret was, Symon told reporters, "You want to know the secret? Great people -- that's the secret."
Read one example here.
It's no surprise then that media outlets from all across the nation gladly trumpeted news of Cleveland chef Michael Symon's win at the annual Burger Bash. Besting chefs from around the globe, Symon claimed top honors for an unprecedented third year in a row at the sold-out event.
B Spot served up approximately 2,100 Porky burgers, beef and pork patties topped with pulled pork, slaw, spicy pickle and Stadium Mustard.
When asked what his secret was, Symon told reporters, "You want to know the secret? Great people -- that's the secret."
Read one example here.
Tremont West Development Corporation has launched a new Storefront Incubator program that aims to help pop-up shops and startup businesses grow into permanent, bricks-and-mortar retailers, ideally right in the heart of historic Tremont.
Through a competitive process, Tremont West will select a fledgling retailer to occupy the 370-square-foot storefront it owns at 2406 Professor. The retailer will be offered three months of free rent as a sweetener. After the nine month lease term, the startup may renew for an additional three months, yet the goal is to help that business establish a permanent space elsewhere in the neighborhood.
"We've used our storefront successfully for pop-up shops, so this is really for someone of that quality who wants a longer-term run to see if their business is actually viable," says Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West.
As part of the lease agreement, Tremont West plans to work with the startup to help them grow their business. The nonprofit will links entrepreneurs with available financing, vacant space and other businesses in the community.
The long-term goal is not to compete with existing property owners, but to support new types of businesses, says Riordan. He cites service-oriented businesses as one gap within the neighborhood's retail mix.
Riordan says that supporting small startup retailers is one positive way forward for neighborhoods that are slowly emerging from the recession. "We can help create niche businesses that lead to neighborhood recovery."
Responses to the Storefront Incubator RFP are due by Friday, March 16th.
Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Through a competitive process, Tremont West will select a fledgling retailer to occupy the 370-square-foot storefront it owns at 2406 Professor. The retailer will be offered three months of free rent as a sweetener. After the nine month lease term, the startup may renew for an additional three months, yet the goal is to help that business establish a permanent space elsewhere in the neighborhood.
"We've used our storefront successfully for pop-up shops, so this is really for someone of that quality who wants a longer-term run to see if their business is actually viable," says Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West.
As part of the lease agreement, Tremont West plans to work with the startup to help them grow their business. The nonprofit will links entrepreneurs with available financing, vacant space and other businesses in the community.
The long-term goal is not to compete with existing property owners, but to support new types of businesses, says Riordan. He cites service-oriented businesses as one gap within the neighborhood's retail mix.
Riordan says that supporting small startup retailers is one positive way forward for neighborhoods that are slowly emerging from the recession. "We can help create niche businesses that lead to neighborhood recovery."
Responses to the Storefront Incubator RFP are due by Friday, March 16th.
Source: Cory Riordan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Someday, perhaps, we'll power our ever-growing number of personal electronic devices with something sustainable like biofuels or sunlight. Until then, the nPower PEG (personal energy device) will do nicely. Tremont Electric's clever gadget converts the motion of walking or running into energy, which it stores in a battery until you're ready to recharge your cell phone or iPod.
Cool, right? The only problem to date has been getting hold of one.
"The last 18 months have been pretty challenging," says vice president Jill LeMieux. The supplier of the custom battery used in the original design proved unable to keep up. At present there are about 2,000 nPower PEG's in use -- and 5,000 on back order. That's an encouraging but precarious situation for a small company.
But things should improve in late March; that's when Delta Systems in Streetsboro begins mass-producing nPower PEGs. Would-be owners' reward for waiting will be greater energy efficiency in the new models -- which Tremont Electric founder and CEO Aaron LeMieux attributes to advances in microprocessors -- and a standardized battery that holds twice the charge of the older ones.
Delta Systems has been "very supportive," Jill adds, fronting the tooling costs until sales ramp up. She expects to sell at least 1,000 units per month. In the near future they'll only be available through the website, but some retailers already are expressing interest. The product is a natural for stores serving runners, hikers and campers.
"What we've seen since the rollout of this product is overwhelming demand for it," says Aaron.
The company hears frequently from users who "love" the PEG, including servicemen in Afghanistan, who report that it has worked "flawlessly." And like the deal with Delta, a military order would be another big, energy-generating step forward for the tiny company. The PEG is also a finalist in the Edison Awards, which will be announced April 26. Tremont Electric also continues to work with universities and others on deploying buoys that would convert the motion of waves into large-scale energy production.
Notes Aaron, "It's going to get interesting around here, I can say that much."
Sources: Jill and Aaron LeMieux
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Cool, right? The only problem to date has been getting hold of one.
"The last 18 months have been pretty challenging," says vice president Jill LeMieux. The supplier of the custom battery used in the original design proved unable to keep up. At present there are about 2,000 nPower PEG's in use -- and 5,000 on back order. That's an encouraging but precarious situation for a small company.
But things should improve in late March; that's when Delta Systems in Streetsboro begins mass-producing nPower PEGs. Would-be owners' reward for waiting will be greater energy efficiency in the new models -- which Tremont Electric founder and CEO Aaron LeMieux attributes to advances in microprocessors -- and a standardized battery that holds twice the charge of the older ones.
Delta Systems has been "very supportive," Jill adds, fronting the tooling costs until sales ramp up. She expects to sell at least 1,000 units per month. In the near future they'll only be available through the website, but some retailers already are expressing interest. The product is a natural for stores serving runners, hikers and campers.
"What we've seen since the rollout of this product is overwhelming demand for it," says Aaron.
The company hears frequently from users who "love" the PEG, including servicemen in Afghanistan, who report that it has worked "flawlessly." And like the deal with Delta, a military order would be another big, energy-generating step forward for the tiny company. The PEG is also a finalist in the Edison Awards, which will be announced April 26. Tremont Electric also continues to work with universities and others on deploying buoys that would convert the motion of waves into large-scale energy production.
Notes Aaron, "It's going to get interesting around here, I can say that much."
Sources: Jill and Aaron LeMieux
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
When asked if she has a dream project she'd like to fund, Cleveland Carbon Fund Fellow Joanne Neuberger rattles off the top of her list. "I'd love to see a project that capitalizes on the 'Year of Local Food' and helps ramp up Cleveland's local food system while reducing our carbon footprint," she says.
These are the kinds of big ideas which organizers of the Fund hope to spur through their grant making, which supports carbon reduction projects with community benefits. The Carbon Fund recently announced that is it seeking applications for projects up to $10,000. The deadline is March 16th.
The Cleveland Carbon Fund was created in 2009 by the City of Cleveland, Green City Blue Lake Institute at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Gund Foundation, Cleveland Foundation and Cleveland Clinic. Its goal, as Neuberger puts it, is to "think globally, green locally." While there are plenty of other carbon funds, ours is the first community-based, open-access fund in the U.S.
The Carbon Fund has supported two past projects whose goal was to install 10,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs in the Slavic Village and Detroit Shoreway neighborhoods of Cleveland (organizers installed nearly 5,000 in the end).
As the Carbon Fund continues to grow, Neuberger says that its leaders will seek additional donations from individuals and businesses. She hopes it will become a popular way to reduce our region's carbon footprint and support local initiatives.
Source: Joanne Neuberger
Writer: Lee Chilcote
These are the kinds of big ideas which organizers of the Fund hope to spur through their grant making, which supports carbon reduction projects with community benefits. The Carbon Fund recently announced that is it seeking applications for projects up to $10,000. The deadline is March 16th.
The Cleveland Carbon Fund was created in 2009 by the City of Cleveland, Green City Blue Lake Institute at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Gund Foundation, Cleveland Foundation and Cleveland Clinic. Its goal, as Neuberger puts it, is to "think globally, green locally." While there are plenty of other carbon funds, ours is the first community-based, open-access fund in the U.S.
The Carbon Fund has supported two past projects whose goal was to install 10,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs in the Slavic Village and Detroit Shoreway neighborhoods of Cleveland (organizers installed nearly 5,000 in the end).
As the Carbon Fund continues to grow, Neuberger says that its leaders will seek additional donations from individuals and businesses. She hopes it will become a popular way to reduce our region's carbon footprint and support local initiatives.
Source: Joanne Neuberger
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Major corporations have long conducted sophisticated research to figure out what kind of consumer you are. Now, a new initiative that is being launched by two young city residents aims to find out what kind of Clevelander you are -- and use the results to engage citizens and drive policy change in the region.
By surveying residents' attitudes towards living in Northeast Ohio, as well as our preferences for urban amenities, the creators of the Clevelander Report hope to place useful information in the hands of policymakers shaping our region's future.
"For all of the studies that have been done on our city, very few of them focus on citizens," explains Hallie Bram, a Detroit Shoreway resident who co-founded the Cleveland Report with Eric Kogelschatz. "Our goal is to create the most comprehensive study of Clevelanders that's ever been completed. We want to use that information to bridge the gap between organizations, government and citizens, and help our policymakers to make informed decisions."
The Clevelander Report surveys residents on such topics as whether or not they are natives, boomerangs, expatriates or have relocated from another city; where they currently live; which cultural institutions and businesses they have visited; their level of interest in urban living; and their attitudes towards the city.
Bram says that the survey has been well-received so far, garnering over 500 responses since it launched one week ago. She and Kogelschatz plan to continue the Clevelander Report through the summer, and then compile an Executive Summary that can be provided to residents as well as policy makers.
Bram and Kogelschatz are the founders of TEDxCLE, a popular annual event that features curated talks by some of Northeast Ohio's biggest thinkers. This year's event will take place at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday, April 20th.
Take the survey here.
Source: Hallie Bram
Writer: Lee Chilcote
By surveying residents' attitudes towards living in Northeast Ohio, as well as our preferences for urban amenities, the creators of the Clevelander Report hope to place useful information in the hands of policymakers shaping our region's future.
"For all of the studies that have been done on our city, very few of them focus on citizens," explains Hallie Bram, a Detroit Shoreway resident who co-founded the Cleveland Report with Eric Kogelschatz. "Our goal is to create the most comprehensive study of Clevelanders that's ever been completed. We want to use that information to bridge the gap between organizations, government and citizens, and help our policymakers to make informed decisions."
The Clevelander Report surveys residents on such topics as whether or not they are natives, boomerangs, expatriates or have relocated from another city; where they currently live; which cultural institutions and businesses they have visited; their level of interest in urban living; and their attitudes towards the city.
Bram says that the survey has been well-received so far, garnering over 500 responses since it launched one week ago. She and Kogelschatz plan to continue the Clevelander Report through the summer, and then compile an Executive Summary that can be provided to residents as well as policy makers.
Bram and Kogelschatz are the founders of TEDxCLE, a popular annual event that features curated talks by some of Northeast Ohio's biggest thinkers. This year's event will take place at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday, April 20th.
Take the survey here.
Source: Hallie Bram
Writer: Lee Chilcote
whalen's food praised at taste of the NFL
Chef Rocco Whalen of Tremont’s Fahrenheit restaurant continues to get national praise not just for his weight loss efforts on Food Network’s "Fat Chef," but also for his food. Lou Harry of the Indiana Business Journal listed the chef's Nuekse’s Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Chorizo among his favorite dishes at the popular Taste of the NFL event.
"Nuekse's Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuff with Chorizo courtesy of Rocco Whalen, chef for Cleveland's Fahrenheit Restaurant. Note to self: Next time in Cleveland, it's date night at Fahrenheit," wrote Harry in his Arts & Entertainment column.
The charity event, this year supporting Gleaners Food Bank, is held annually the evening before the Super Bowl. The event features chefs from each of the NFL team cities as well as an autograph friendly alumnus from that town’s team.
While Whalen continues to receive attention for his physical transformation, his food continues to be praised wherever he is.
Read the full Indiana Business Journal story here.
"Nuekse's Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuff with Chorizo courtesy of Rocco Whalen, chef for Cleveland's Fahrenheit Restaurant. Note to self: Next time in Cleveland, it's date night at Fahrenheit," wrote Harry in his Arts & Entertainment column.
The charity event, this year supporting Gleaners Food Bank, is held annually the evening before the Super Bowl. The event features chefs from each of the NFL team cities as well as an autograph friendly alumnus from that town’s team.
While Whalen continues to receive attention for his physical transformation, his food continues to be praised wherever he is.
Read the full Indiana Business Journal story here.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has seen increases in bus and transit ridership for nine months straight, and the number of riders on the Red Line in January was the highest since 1988.
Yet this month, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a surface transportation bill known as H.R. 7 that would eliminate dedicated federal funds for public transit across the country.
RTA is advocating against the cuts by working with Representative Steven LaTourette and other members of Congress to promote an amendment that would restore federally guaranteed funding.
"If you leave it up to chance that public transit gets funded, that's a big chance to take," says Mary McCahon, RTA's Media Relations Manager. The change would require agencies to lobby for federal funding each year, she says. "We provide 200,000 rides per day, and federal funding is our third biggest revenue source."
McCahon says that while the bill has been tabled, it is scheduled to come back to the floor of the House of Representatives for further discussion this week.
RTA's increased ridership is due in part to higher gas prices and ongoing Innerbelt construction, McCahon says. Improved marketing efforts, partnerships with businesses and the popularity of the Health Line are also factors.
For more information about H.R. 7 and the ongoing federal transportation bill debate, visit the RTA newsroom or American Public Transit Association website.
Source: Mary McCahon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet this month, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a surface transportation bill known as H.R. 7 that would eliminate dedicated federal funds for public transit across the country.
RTA is advocating against the cuts by working with Representative Steven LaTourette and other members of Congress to promote an amendment that would restore federally guaranteed funding.
"If you leave it up to chance that public transit gets funded, that's a big chance to take," says Mary McCahon, RTA's Media Relations Manager. The change would require agencies to lobby for federal funding each year, she says. "We provide 200,000 rides per day, and federal funding is our third biggest revenue source."
McCahon says that while the bill has been tabled, it is scheduled to come back to the floor of the House of Representatives for further discussion this week.
RTA's increased ridership is due in part to higher gas prices and ongoing Innerbelt construction, McCahon says. Improved marketing efforts, partnerships with businesses and the popularity of the Health Line are also factors.
For more information about H.R. 7 and the ongoing federal transportation bill debate, visit the RTA newsroom or American Public Transit Association website.
Source: Mary McCahon
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Nearly 60 percent of newly-created jobs require a postsecondary degree, yet only six percent of Cleveland residents hold an associate's degree and just eight percent hold a bachelor's degree.
This stark statistic is one of the driving forces behind the fledgling Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, an unprecedented collaboration among 15 colleges and universities, 25 nonprofit organizations, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga County. This new effort seeks to boost the number of college graduates in Northeast Ohio.
"Every day, there are 3,000 jobs that the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Summa Health Center can't fill," explains Lee Friedman, CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, a member organization of the Compact. "If you can't increase educational attainment, then you can't fill jobs. At some point, if these organizations can't find talent, then they can't grow."
While this lofty goal is hardly unusual or unique, what makes the Compact stand out is its regional approach towards addressing the higher education gap. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is increasingly touting the benefits of addressing such problems on a regional level. Cuyahoga County has not historically been involved in education, yet Executive Ed Fitzgerald has joined the Compact. Until now, the colleges and universities involved in the Compact also have not worked together to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.
"It truly takes a village to help students get to school and graduate from school," says Friedman. "Many of the young people we're helping are first generation college students who don't have anyone to help them get on that path. The commitment of these university presidents is truly best in class."
The goal of the Higher Education Compact is to ensure that students are ready for, have access to and graduate from college. To achieve this goal, leaders will create student-focused action plans, educate the community on why college is important, help students become college ready, link them with scholarship and financial aid opportunities and create a College Success Dashboard that measures results.
Source: Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Lee Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
This stark statistic is one of the driving forces behind the fledgling Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, an unprecedented collaboration among 15 colleges and universities, 25 nonprofit organizations, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Cuyahoga County. This new effort seeks to boost the number of college graduates in Northeast Ohio.
"Every day, there are 3,000 jobs that the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Summa Health Center can't fill," explains Lee Friedman, CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, a member organization of the Compact. "If you can't increase educational attainment, then you can't fill jobs. At some point, if these organizations can't find talent, then they can't grow."
While this lofty goal is hardly unusual or unique, what makes the Compact stand out is its regional approach towards addressing the higher education gap. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is increasingly touting the benefits of addressing such problems on a regional level. Cuyahoga County has not historically been involved in education, yet Executive Ed Fitzgerald has joined the Compact. Until now, the colleges and universities involved in the Compact also have not worked together to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem.
"It truly takes a village to help students get to school and graduate from school," says Friedman. "Many of the young people we're helping are first generation college students who don't have anyone to help them get on that path. The commitment of these university presidents is truly best in class."
The goal of the Higher Education Compact is to ensure that students are ready for, have access to and graduate from college. To achieve this goal, leaders will create student-focused action plans, educate the community on why college is important, help students become college ready, link them with scholarship and financial aid opportunities and create a College Success Dashboard that measures results.
Source: Higher Education Compact of Greater Cleveland, Lee Friedman
Writer: Lee Chilcote
chef symon brings b spot to horseshoe casino
Celebrity chef and Cleveland native Michael Symon is expanding his culinary empire once again with the opening of his fifth B Spot location, inside the city’s soon-to-open Horseshoe Casino, according to a PR Newswire press release on the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch.
In addition to his B Spot -- a gourmet burger bar -- concept, Symon operates the acclaimed Lolita in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, his flagship Lola on E. 4th Street, and Roast in Detroit.
B Spot will join Corky & Lenny’s Deli in the casino’s three-restaurant food court. The establishment will also feature a 400-seat buffet restaurant, all expected to open in May. The menu will feature a selection of his award-winning burgers such as the Fat Doug, his signature Lola fries, and unique milkshakes. The new location will create about 20 jobs.
"We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking project in the heart of the greatest city in the nation," said Symon. "We can't wait to fill the Horseshoe with the aroma of our delicious burgers, brats and bologna."
Read the full Wall Street Journal story here.
In addition to his B Spot -- a gourmet burger bar -- concept, Symon operates the acclaimed Lolita in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, his flagship Lola on E. 4th Street, and Roast in Detroit.
B Spot will join Corky & Lenny’s Deli in the casino’s three-restaurant food court. The establishment will also feature a 400-seat buffet restaurant, all expected to open in May. The menu will feature a selection of his award-winning burgers such as the Fat Doug, his signature Lola fries, and unique milkshakes. The new location will create about 20 jobs.
"We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking project in the heart of the greatest city in the nation," said Symon. "We can't wait to fill the Horseshoe with the aroma of our delicious burgers, brats and bologna."
Read the full Wall Street Journal story here.
cleveland's 'fat chefs' mentioned in time
There is no denying that Rocco Whalen, chef-owner of Fahrenheit in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, is one of the most beloved people in Cleveland. His warm personality and outgoing demeanor still could not hide the fact he was morbidly obese.
While the mainstream media depicts the modern chef as a healthy tattooed rock star, in many kitchens across the country and in Cleveland, chefs often battle with their weight due to “tasting” during the day and large “gorging” meals when work is done for the evening, only to continue the same pattern day in and day out according to the TIME article "When Chefs Get Fat," written by TIME food writer Josh Ozersky.
Whalen appeared on Food Network’s “Fat Chef” along with Auburn Township’s Kimberly McCune Gibson, a chef-caterer. The show chronicles the struggle of chefs and their attempt to lose the weight they have packed on over the years.
While sometimes hard to watch, the show is also remarkably inspiring. As for Whalen, he has shed well over 100 pounds and is now living a healthier lifestyle as he continues to work toward his goal weight.
Read the full TIME story here.
While the mainstream media depicts the modern chef as a healthy tattooed rock star, in many kitchens across the country and in Cleveland, chefs often battle with their weight due to “tasting” during the day and large “gorging” meals when work is done for the evening, only to continue the same pattern day in and day out according to the TIME article "When Chefs Get Fat," written by TIME food writer Josh Ozersky.
Whalen appeared on Food Network’s “Fat Chef” along with Auburn Township’s Kimberly McCune Gibson, a chef-caterer. The show chronicles the struggle of chefs and their attempt to lose the weight they have packed on over the years.
While sometimes hard to watch, the show is also remarkably inspiring. As for Whalen, he has shed well over 100 pounds and is now living a healthier lifestyle as he continues to work toward his goal weight.
Read the full TIME story here.
As the number of local bike commuters continues to increase, so too does the number of savvy entrepreneurs who serve and service them. In recent years, a mini boom of bike-based businesses has developed across Northeast Ohio, including frame builders, messenger bag makers, rickshaw drivers and an indoor bike park that attracts visitors from throughout the Midwest.
The newly minted nonprofit Bike Cleveland will bring together Northeast Ohio cyclists through cycling events, educational programming and advocacy work, says Jacob Van Sickle, the group's new Executive Director. The group also will provide area cyclists with a unified voice in transportation planning across the region.
Over the course of the next year, Bike Cleveland plans to focus on prioritizing bike investments in the West Shoreway project, collaborating with the City of Cleveland to update and prioritize its Bikeway Master Plan, creating fun biking events and advocating for cyclist-friendly policies throughout the region.
One of the group's first advocacy projects will be to rally against HR 7, the transportation bill that has been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill would eliminate dedicated funding for transportation, cut funding that helps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and shortchange funding for repairing existing roads and bridges and improving roadways for cyclists.
For several years, Cleveland's cycling community has been fragmented among different organizations. The launch of Bike Cleveland last summer and now the hiring of Van Sickle unites cyclists under a common banner for the first time.
Van Sickle says Cleveland's energized cycling community has a lot ot be proud of. The 2010 American Community Survey shows that .8 percent of Clevelanders now use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation to work -- a figure well above the national average of .53 percent. This is a 280-percent increase over one decade, giving Cleveland the highest 10-year increase in the country.
“I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland," said Van Sickle in a press release.
Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Over the course of the next year, Bike Cleveland plans to focus on prioritizing bike investments in the West Shoreway project, collaborating with the City of Cleveland to update and prioritize its Bikeway Master Plan, creating fun biking events and advocating for cyclist-friendly policies throughout the region.
One of the group's first advocacy projects will be to rally against HR 7, the transportation bill that has been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill would eliminate dedicated funding for transportation, cut funding that helps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and shortchange funding for repairing existing roads and bridges and improving roadways for cyclists.
For several years, Cleveland's cycling community has been fragmented among different organizations. The launch of Bike Cleveland last summer and now the hiring of Van Sickle unites cyclists under a common banner for the first time.
Van Sickle says Cleveland's energized cycling community has a lot ot be proud of. The 2010 American Community Survey shows that .8 percent of Clevelanders now use a bicycle as their primary mode of transportation to work -- a figure well above the national average of .53 percent. This is a 280-percent increase over one decade, giving Cleveland the highest 10-year increase in the country.
“I am looking forward to working with current and future Bike Cleveland members, and the greater cycling community, to continue to grow the cycling movement in Greater Cleveland," said Van Sickle in a press release.
Source: Jacob Van Sickle
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Local writer, speaker and entrepreneur Craig James has some big ideas. In fact, he is a regular contributor to NEOtropolis's "What’s the Big Idea" segment on PBS. He and his partner Sue James formed CatalystStrategies, which helps organizations best communicate their message, market and meaning. In this "Letter to Cleveland," James pens an open letter to the city he loves.
The nonprofit organization LiveCleveland has launched a website which provides urban parents with comprehensive school information for the areas in which they live. Our Neighborhood Schools allows parents to search by community and zip code to determine the best educational opportunities available to them across the spectrum of public, private and parochial schools.
"We wanted to battle head-on the perception that there are a lack of school choices in the City of Cleveland," says Jeff Kipp, Executive Director of LiveCleveland. "Our Neighborhood Schools is a searchable database and resource for parents that highlights high-performing schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as well as charter school and private school options."
The new website was made possible through a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and grant funding from the Cleveland Foundation. LiveCleveland shares with CMSD a marketing and web design staff person who works to increase enrollment in the city's public schools.
"CMSD basically had no marketing strategy previously, and was losing hundreds of kids each year to charter schools who were doing a more proactive job," says Kipp. "Now the district is trying to market its own strong schools to parents."
The website, which attracts about 500 unique visitors per month, is a "win-win" for LiveCleveland, CMSD and the city's neighborhoods and schools, Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer : Lee Chilcote
"We wanted to battle head-on the perception that there are a lack of school choices in the City of Cleveland," says Jeff Kipp, Executive Director of LiveCleveland. "Our Neighborhood Schools is a searchable database and resource for parents that highlights high-performing schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District as well as charter school and private school options."
The new website was made possible through a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and grant funding from the Cleveland Foundation. LiveCleveland shares with CMSD a marketing and web design staff person who works to increase enrollment in the city's public schools.
"CMSD basically had no marketing strategy previously, and was losing hundreds of kids each year to charter schools who were doing a more proactive job," says Kipp. "Now the district is trying to market its own strong schools to parents."
The website, which attracts about 500 unique visitors per month, is a "win-win" for LiveCleveland, CMSD and the city's neighborhoods and schools, Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer : Lee Chilcote
Last month, Jenita McGowan was sworn in as Cleveland's new Chief of Sustainability, replacing the outgoing Andrew Watterson. A Northeast Ohio resident since 1996, McGowan's an adopted Clevelander in every sense. Fresh Water contributor Erin O'Brien sat down with McGowan and got the lowdown on the status of sustainability in Cleveland.