Waterloo & Collinwood

On the move: MedWish takes recycling to new levels in AsiaTown
MedWish International, a nonprofit organization that repurposes discarded medical supplies and equipment and donates them to 109 developing countries in need, is moving its headquarters from Collinwood to a 50,000-square-foot facility at E. 31st Street and Payne Avenue in AsiaTown, in the heart of the Health-Tech Corridor.
 
After nearly 25 years in Collinwood MedWish, which works with 116 health care institutions to repurpose more than 500,000 pounds of medical equipment and supplies each year — saving them from going into landfills — has been looking for a new space in a more centralized location.

Find out why MedWish decided to make the move here.
Neighborhood champions recognized with third annual Vibrant City Awards
Last month, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) hosted its third annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch. More than 500 city leaders, stakeholders and community development professionals gathered at Cleveland's Edgewater Park to celebrate leading neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Click here to see who received the honors.
Bike Scene Social
As the summer solstice looms, groups of cycling advocates invite riders to celebrate Cleveland’s best bike year ever amid a host of two-wheeled activities with something for everyone.
Five things you don't know about ... Citizen Pie
Hop onto any social thread discussing Cleveland's best pizza and you're likely to see Battery Park's CHA on the list. Scotti's Italian Eatery on East 185th surely has it's fans. Others swear by Crust.

But the one place you're sure to find, the one that's been white-hot since opening its doors a little more than a year ago on Waterloo Road in Collinwood, is Citizen Pie, wherein locals cannot get enough of the authentic Neapolitan pizzas served up in the tiny 875-square-foot space that sits opposite the Beachland Ballroom.
 
Now as construction rumbles on at Citizen's second location in Ohio City, we thought we'd uncover a few fast facts about this unique Cleveland biz that you may not know.

Discover them here.
Motorcycle dreams part two: stranger wheels
In this — the second in an unexpected three-part series that takes a closer look at motorcycle dreams, Cleveland style — we meet a man who's jumped head first into the local custom bike scene in the strangest way.
Sparking a 'Chain Reaction' between business and community
Inspired by CNBC's Cleveland Hustles, Cleveland Chain Reaction aims to keep the economic development wave going with up to $1 million invested in five new businesses — all in one neighborhood.
First person: Inside the local fight against human trafficking
Fresh Water contributor Christopher Johnston steps inside Cleveland's human trafficking scene to uncover some dark realities — and the people and organizations battling them.
Trending: countywide co-op fuels residential solar power
Cuyahoga County residents are going green by banding together to reap the benefits of solar energy — and they're saving plenty of green as well.
Street level 'Voices and Vision' inform Cuyahoga Arts and Culture's next 10 years
The organization intends to prioritize programming accessibility and ensure that people across all races, incomes and education levels feel included in its programming and funding.
 
Northeast Ohio agencies prepare for booming 'silver tsunami'
As some 76 million baby boomers retire, they are stirring a “silver tsunami” across the country, testing public and nonprofit agencies as well as the housing market. Fresh Water checks in to see how Northeast Ohio is preparing for the trend.
Lead in Cleveland: confronting a silent killer
Children living in Cuyahoga County have some of the highest lead blood-levels in the Ohio. Public entities, nonprofits such as Neighborhood Connections and – most importantly – residents on the ground are tackling the broad and complex problem.
Small grants lend big support to residents' art and culture projects
Seventy-two diverse projects are set to bloom across Cleveland and East Cleveland courtesy of more than $200,000 in grants from Neighborhood Connections and partner organization Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
First person: A playwright's tale
Fresh off his success of "Selfies at the Clown Motel," Cleveland playwright Christopher Johnston recounts 25 years inside the local indie theatre scene and gives newbies tips on how to break into it.
 
Quiet Land Conservancy tackles blight, spreads green throughout Northern Ohio
From the reclamation of the Henninger Landfill to saving a Russell Township farm, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy fosters thriving urban centers, green space and more by preserving some 5,000 acres annually.
 
How big is Cleveland's heart?
In this special op-ed for Fresh Water, Brandon Chrostowski, founder of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, gives Clevelanders powerful and sobering reminders on the heels of the city's remarkable summer of 2016.
 
Waxing Poetic
Two local record manufacturers are advancing the vinyl renaissance with dazzling multicolored discs. They’re also redefining just what a record can be.
 
PHOTOS: 6th Annual Ohio Burlesque Festival
For those who missed the 6th Annual Ohio Burlesque Festival last weekend at the Beachland Ballroom, Fresh Water's managing photographer Bob Perkoski offers this photo recap.