Heath Gmucs sees his world in living color. As pressing operations supervisor for Tyler Village-based record pressing plant Gotta Groove Records, Gmucs started to see a more colorful potential behind the traditional black vinyl records he's been turning out since 2010.

The "People's University" will enter its next era with an ambitious, library-wide revitalization project and a yearlong CPL150 celebration, along with the announcement that it will now be fine-free.

How can Cleveland get its entrepreneurial scene on par with places like Austin, Boulder, Chicago, and Silicon Valley? By encouraging startup founders to break bread together, naturally. And that’s exactly the point of StartInCLE, a growing collective of entrepreneurial types that meets monthly for informal group dinners and other events.

Cleveland and Pittsburgh may have a legendary rivalry when it comes to football, but Matt McMonagle and his wife, Lisa, are taking that rivalry to the condiment arena. As supporters of locally-owned businesses, Matt and Lisa noticed that everyone in Cleveland was serving Pittsburgh-based Heinz ketchup. “We saw a lot of [local] mustard, hot sauces, and barbeque sauces," says Matt. "But why are we buying ketchup from a Pittsburgh company?” 

Anyone who set foot in the Beachland Ballroom last Saturday might have thought the rumors of print media's demise have been greatly exaggerated. At the sold-out Concert for Truth, more than 450 people gathered to show their support for local journalism and those who bring us the news every day. The event featured 11 local musicians who volunteered their time and talents to raise about $5,000 for the 24 Plain Dealer employees who are being laid off after March.

With 20 cities in the running, Cleveland’s chances of becoming the next Say Yes to Education chapter—and only the fourth in the country to receive the distinction—were just a paltry five percent. Yet according to Say Yes founder George Weiss, it was no contest.

Plain Dealer arts and entertainment reporter Laura DeMarco was so pleased with the reactions to her book Lost Cleveland­—a chronological look at beloved city landmarks and institutions that no longer exist—that she decided to write a second book on Cleveland’s living landmarks.

For many writers, the payoff comes when they see their work in print, performed onstage or screen. But at this Saturday’s inaugural Cleveland Drafts festival, works-in-progress will be the star of the show. Spearheaded by Brews + Prose, the daylong festival will feature 24 writers of all experience levels across the genres of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and playwriting.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

In 1969, Cleveland became the butt of jokes when an infamous burning river attracted national attention. Beyond the punchline, the incident on the Cuyahoga became the precipice of the country’s environmental movement—inspiring Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the passage of the Clean Water Act. This is just one example of how Cleveland has impacted the nation, and the first Cleveland History Days celebrates that legacy (and so much more).

Standup comedian Ramon Rivas II—named one of Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch”—has said that “the Cleveland comedy scene has never been more abundant.” So does Cleveland really need another comedy troupe? Ryan Santa and Beau Buccilli answer that question with a resounding yes, and they’re launching a new company, Common Room Theatre, to prove it.

A new generation of farmers is taking shape, both in Cleveland and around the country. According to the latest Census of Agriculture, the number of farmers under 35 years old is increasing for only the second time in the last century. Meet four young Clevelanders who are venturing outside the city limits to pursue new agricultural adventures: Carl Harp Nursery, Bellwether Farm, and Frayed Knot Farm.

It’s planting season in Northeast Ohio, and Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners (CGP) is ready to help people get their gardens started with more than 1,000 heirloom tomato plants.

Three years in the making, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) is ready to release its Progress Index to the public. Aimed at fostering inclusive Cleveland communities of choice and opportunity, the Index had previously been available to Cleveland’s 31 community development corporations (CDCs), who helped test and fine-tune the tool.

A piece of Cleveland’s manufacturing history will be honored when the 1922 Mueller Electric Company factory building is transformed into Mueller Lofts—51 apartments in the heart of AsiaTown. In addition to creating a new residential option in the neighborhood, residents will have the opportunity for a portion of their rents to go back into the community via a volunteer program.

A drive through Shaker Heights, Bratenahl, Lakewood, or any number of cities in Greater Cleveland will confirm what most loyal residents of the Land already know: Cleveland has no shortage of one-of-a-kind homes. Take a virtual tour through a converted firehouse, a Downton Abbey doppelganger, and more via our carefully curated list.

Alex Wittenberg loves a good cup of coffee. So much so, he envisions a world where Cleveland’s coffee shop patrons share their love by buying their neighbor—whether it’s a friend, the next guy in line, or even an unknown stranger—a cup of joe. To that end, Wittenberg, along with co-founders Sebastian Thimmig, Adam Fishburn, and Edward Liu, have created CoffeeQ, an online app that allows users to do just that.

The vision for Cuyahoga Greenways would connect every community in the county through a network of greenways, trails, parks, transportation routes, and neighborhoods. A joint plan between the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACCA), and the Cleveland Metroparks, the project has entered its second phase with officials asking for public input on the concept and initial plans.