Arts + Culture
Moving counter to the assertion that Print is Dead!, two local optimists have just launched a new print magazine. Edible Cleveland is a new print quarterly that focuses on the local food scene -- not just restaurants and chefs, but also farmers, history, tradition and lore. FW's Erin O'Brien brakes bread with publishers Noelle Celeste and Jon Benedict.
the rust belt brain gain, creatives flocking to cleveland
A multi-part spread in Details magazine trumpets the remarkable rise of the so-called "Rust Belt."
In the piece titled, "Talented, educated, creative people are no longer fleeing the region -- they're flocking to it," the writer kicks off with:
"Rust connotes decay and neglect -- and indeed, the Rust Belt's decline coincided with a massive brain drain. But in the past half decade, the region has retained more of its homegrown talent while drawing the best and brightest from across the country."
Cited in the article is a Brookings Institution report that found "cities like Pittsburgh and Columbus have increased their college-educated population in recent years, and Cleveland and Buffalo are on their way -- having stanched their decades-long outward migration."
Called out for special attention are Clevelanders Eric Kogelschatz and Hallie Bram.
"In Cleveland, Eric Kogelschatz founded the think tank shark&minnow with his wife, Hallie Bram Kogelschatz, after both fled high-powered marketing jobs in Boston; besides organizing TEDxCLE (last year's sold out in two hours), the organization collaborates on events with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Museum of Art. What prompted the move? "We really didn't know what we were getting into," Eric admits. "But we were tired of Rust Belt cynicism."
Read it all right here.
In the piece titled, "Talented, educated, creative people are no longer fleeing the region -- they're flocking to it," the writer kicks off with:
"Rust connotes decay and neglect -- and indeed, the Rust Belt's decline coincided with a massive brain drain. But in the past half decade, the region has retained more of its homegrown talent while drawing the best and brightest from across the country."
Cited in the article is a Brookings Institution report that found "cities like Pittsburgh and Columbus have increased their college-educated population in recent years, and Cleveland and Buffalo are on their way -- having stanched their decades-long outward migration."
Called out for special attention are Clevelanders Eric Kogelschatz and Hallie Bram.
"In Cleveland, Eric Kogelschatz founded the think tank shark&minnow with his wife, Hallie Bram Kogelschatz, after both fled high-powered marketing jobs in Boston; besides organizing TEDxCLE (last year's sold out in two hours), the organization collaborates on events with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Museum of Art. What prompted the move? "We really didn't know what we were getting into," Eric admits. "But we were tired of Rust Belt cynicism."
Read it all right here.
Blame it on the recession or chalk it up to a generation of people who prefer vinyl records to MP3s, but the trend toward creative entrepreneurship is real and rising. People value authenticity, and that often comes in the form of a handmade object with pedigree and a good story to boot. These folks have all traded in their "day jobs" to pursue their passion of making things by hand.
details detalis cleveland's rising stars
As part of the multi-part spread in Details magazine, the article "The Rust Belt Revival: What's Happening in Cleveland, Ohio" highlights "Pioneers have brought back made-in-the-Midwest fashion and opened an assortment of innovative bars and restaurants."
Included in the spread are features on:
Midwest Fashion Makes a Comeback
Starring Danielle DeBoe and Sean Bilovecky of Dredgers Union.
"The Dredgers Union is bringing back made-in-the-Midwest style."
The Architectural Upcyclers
Starring Chris Kious of A Piece of Cleveland.
"His team then transforms the southern yellow pine, maple, and oak into furniture and architectural elements. APOC sells its smaller creations -- wine racks, benches -- to heritage-hungry consumers and tackles commissions for clients like Starbucks and the Cleveland Institute of Art."
The Beer Evangelist
Starring Sam McNulty of Market Garden Brewery.
"His latest contribution to the now-thriving hood is Market Garden Brewery & Distillery, a bar-restaurant in a former slaughterhouse that lets you store perishables from the West Side Market while sipping one of 32 craft brews made on site (and soon small-batch whiskey, rum, and vodka, too)."
America's Next Great Chef
Starring Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern.
"Culinary wunderkinder often leave cities like Cleveland; they rarely come home. But after stints in New York City at the now-defunct Kitchen 22 and Parea, native son Jonathon Sawyer returned with dreams of owning his own place."
Read more here.
Included in the spread are features on:
Midwest Fashion Makes a Comeback
Starring Danielle DeBoe and Sean Bilovecky of Dredgers Union.
"The Dredgers Union is bringing back made-in-the-Midwest style."
The Architectural Upcyclers
Starring Chris Kious of A Piece of Cleveland.
"His team then transforms the southern yellow pine, maple, and oak into furniture and architectural elements. APOC sells its smaller creations -- wine racks, benches -- to heritage-hungry consumers and tackles commissions for clients like Starbucks and the Cleveland Institute of Art."
The Beer Evangelist
Starring Sam McNulty of Market Garden Brewery.
"His latest contribution to the now-thriving hood is Market Garden Brewery & Distillery, a bar-restaurant in a former slaughterhouse that lets you store perishables from the West Side Market while sipping one of 32 craft brews made on site (and soon small-batch whiskey, rum, and vodka, too)."
America's Next Great Chef
Starring Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern.
"Culinary wunderkinder often leave cities like Cleveland; they rarely come home. But after stints in New York City at the now-defunct Kitchen 22 and Parea, native son Jonathon Sawyer returned with dreams of owning his own place."
Read more here.
cle film fest shatters attendance records once again
It is staggering to believe, but this year's Cleveland International Film Festival -- the 36th annual -- once again broke the previous year's attendance figures.
The 11-day film festival, which wrapped up on Sunday, April 1, checked in a record total of 85,018 filmgoers. This is a 9-percent jump from the previous year and a whopping 143-percent increase from 2003.
What's more, the festival saw it's largest single-day attendance on Saturday, March 31, with 13,176 coming to see a film.
See you next year for another record-breaking festival?
The 11-day film festival, which wrapped up on Sunday, April 1, checked in a record total of 85,018 filmgoers. This is a 9-percent jump from the previous year and a whopping 143-percent increase from 2003.
What's more, the festival saw it's largest single-day attendance on Saturday, March 31, with 13,176 coming to see a film.
See you next year for another record-breaking festival?
Fresh Water is giving away tickets to some of the events leading up to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. For your chance to win, simply "Like" Fresh Water on Facebook, and write a post on our wall stating which concert in this list you'd like to attend and why. We're going to cut off the contest on Wednesday morning in order to get tickets out in time. Fresh Water will pick winning entries based on wit, brevity, panache and other wholly nebulous standards.
Many teachers and graduates of Cleveland School of the Arts, the acclaimed, arts-focused school that sits at the edge of University Circle, have been patiently waiting for more than 30 years for a new school.
"We've had a makeshift arts school for 30 years," says Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts. The historic school building was built atop the culverted Doan Brook and does not have a cafeteria or facilities suitable to teaching the arts. "Now they're building us a real arts school. This is part of a premier arts specialty system that's being put into place in the district, and our goal is to write the curriculum to create a conservatory-level 9th-12th grade school."
The demolition of the former Cleveland School of the Arts began earlier this month. Current CSA students are housed at another district school until the new campus is ready. Bluso says that the district plans to break ground on the new, state-of-the-art school in June and open it to students in August 2014. The green-built facility will feature an outdoor plaza and new interior spaces such as art galleries and music rooms that are specially built for arts classes.
"Each arts program will have an area of the building," says Bluso. "We plan to serve 775 students in grades 6-12, and our goal is to be very competitive district-wide. We want students from all over the city to apply."
Bluso says the new school is part of a renewed emphasis on arts education that is flourishing under CEO Eric Gordon. "He's really made arts education a priority," she says. "This is a critical component of the Transformation Plan."
Friends of CSA raises $650-750,000 to support arts programs at the school each year. Bluso says that arts-based education teaches students to think creatively and keeps them motivated in school. CSA has a high graduation rate and many of its students go on to graduate from college and pursue careers in the arts.
Source: Christine Bluso
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We've had a makeshift arts school for 30 years," says Christine Bluso, Executive Director of Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts. The historic school building was built atop the culverted Doan Brook and does not have a cafeteria or facilities suitable to teaching the arts. "Now they're building us a real arts school. This is part of a premier arts specialty system that's being put into place in the district, and our goal is to write the curriculum to create a conservatory-level 9th-12th grade school."
The demolition of the former Cleveland School of the Arts began earlier this month. Current CSA students are housed at another district school until the new campus is ready. Bluso says that the district plans to break ground on the new, state-of-the-art school in June and open it to students in August 2014. The green-built facility will feature an outdoor plaza and new interior spaces such as art galleries and music rooms that are specially built for arts classes.
"Each arts program will have an area of the building," says Bluso. "We plan to serve 775 students in grades 6-12, and our goal is to be very competitive district-wide. We want students from all over the city to apply."
Bluso says the new school is part of a renewed emphasis on arts education that is flourishing under CEO Eric Gordon. "He's really made arts education a priority," she says. "This is a critical component of the Transformation Plan."
Friends of CSA raises $650-750,000 to support arts programs at the school each year. Bluso says that arts-based education teaches students to think creatively and keeps them motivated in school. CSA has a high graduation rate and many of its students go on to graduate from college and pursue careers in the arts.
Source: Christine Bluso
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are preparing to break ground on two major roadway improvement projects in University Circle and surrounding neighborhoods that will improve vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle access to the area while making it safer and easier to navigate.
First, the City of Cleveland plans to break ground in the next few months on the rebuilding of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The scenic roadway wends its way 2.63 miles from University Circle through Rockefeller Park to the lakefront. The work includes repairing curbs, adding new ADA ramps, drainage improvements and new parking areas. The latter is the biggest change for those accessing the park by car, as there will finally be a (legal) place to park along MLK Drive.
Second, Cuyahoga County will start this fall on the reconfiguration of the much-maligned traffic circle at East 105th Street and MLK. The new intersection will be a traditional, four-way stoplight. The project will not only make the area safer for drivers, but will also enhance access for cyclists and pedestrians.
"This traffic circle has one of the highest rates of vehicular accidents in the region -- they're mostly fender benders, because people are just confused by it," says Chris Bongorno, Director of Planning with University Circle Incorporated (UCI). "The new configuration will definitely be more pedestrian and bike friendly, and will also help to connect people to Rockefeller Park and University Circle."
The reconfiguration of the traffic circle will create sidewalks on both sides of the street and better connect the Harrison Dillard bikeway to University Circle. A new boardwalk will be constructed on land freed up by the project, and pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross the intersection at one, signalized location.
The City of Cleveland has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the MLK rebuild project on Tuesday, April 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library (1962 Stokes Blvd.). City officials will be on hand to discuss the project timeline and specifics and to answer questions.
Bongorno says the two projects are evidence of University Circle's commitment to enhancing access to the area's cultural amenities for all users. He also says University Circle employees are biking to work in greater numbers with each passing year, and these types of improvements will better serve them.
Source: Chris Bongorno
Writer: Lee Chilcote
First, the City of Cleveland plans to break ground in the next few months on the rebuilding of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The scenic roadway wends its way 2.63 miles from University Circle through Rockefeller Park to the lakefront. The work includes repairing curbs, adding new ADA ramps, drainage improvements and new parking areas. The latter is the biggest change for those accessing the park by car, as there will finally be a (legal) place to park along MLK Drive.
Second, Cuyahoga County will start this fall on the reconfiguration of the much-maligned traffic circle at East 105th Street and MLK. The new intersection will be a traditional, four-way stoplight. The project will not only make the area safer for drivers, but will also enhance access for cyclists and pedestrians.
"This traffic circle has one of the highest rates of vehicular accidents in the region -- they're mostly fender benders, because people are just confused by it," says Chris Bongorno, Director of Planning with University Circle Incorporated (UCI). "The new configuration will definitely be more pedestrian and bike friendly, and will also help to connect people to Rockefeller Park and University Circle."
The reconfiguration of the traffic circle will create sidewalks on both sides of the street and better connect the Harrison Dillard bikeway to University Circle. A new boardwalk will be constructed on land freed up by the project, and pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross the intersection at one, signalized location.
The City of Cleveland has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the MLK rebuild project on Tuesday, April 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library (1962 Stokes Blvd.). City officials will be on hand to discuss the project timeline and specifics and to answer questions.
Bongorno says the two projects are evidence of University Circle's commitment to enhancing access to the area's cultural amenities for all users. He also says University Circle employees are biking to work in greater numbers with each passing year, and these types of improvements will better serve them.
Source: Chris Bongorno
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Noted Cleveland bookseller Richard Gildenmeister, who first began selling books at Higbees in 1955, opened Richard Gildenmeister at Shaker Square in the 1970s and worked at Joseph-Beth Booksellers until two years ago, is returning to Shaker Square to open a pop up store in a vacant storefront and sell off his private collection.
"We all have dreams and nightmares," says Gildenmeister, who turns 80 this year. "Well, one night I had a dream with all these books moving around in my brain. I woke up and thought, 'Maybe this is a message. I've lived in this apartment 42 years and haven't thrown a scrap away. It's time to get moving.'"
Gildenmeister, who lives in a three-bedroom suite on North Moreland by Shaker Square, soon got on the phone with Peter Rubin, CEO of the Coral Company, which owns Shaker Square. He readily agreed to lease Gildenmeister a vacant space beside Dewey's Coffee Shop, jumping at the chance to bring the beloved bookseller back to the Square, even just for a few weeks.
The near-octogenerian bookseller, whose sale starts April 18th and lasts until the books are all sold, has a collection of 2,000+ volumes that he's held onto for many years. They include signed editions, coffee table books, Cleveland books and poetry, all of which will be sold at deeply discounted rates in this final sale.
Although Gildenmeister is generally gloomy about the future of large bookstores, he believes we are entering a new era in which smaller, independent bookstores will thrive. "The city had a lot of independent bookstores in 1955, and one by one they were knocked off, and then came the big guys. Now they're getting knocked off. I believe many more independent stores will open in niche markets."
Although witnessing the closure of Joseph-Beth was no fun, Gildenmeister says he "never regretted a moment of his career and had a blast." As someone who organized thousands of book signings, Cleveland's book czar hobnobbed with the likes of Lauren Bacall, Barbara Walters and James Baldwin in his time.
Through it all, Shaker Square has remained his home. "I fell in love with Shaker Square when I was a small child. I saw the lights when I was nine years old at Christmastime. Although I live by myself, I never feel alone and always feel connected. When I open my windows, I see the neighborhood going by."
Source: Richard Gildenmeister
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We all have dreams and nightmares," says Gildenmeister, who turns 80 this year. "Well, one night I had a dream with all these books moving around in my brain. I woke up and thought, 'Maybe this is a message. I've lived in this apartment 42 years and haven't thrown a scrap away. It's time to get moving.'"
Gildenmeister, who lives in a three-bedroom suite on North Moreland by Shaker Square, soon got on the phone with Peter Rubin, CEO of the Coral Company, which owns Shaker Square. He readily agreed to lease Gildenmeister a vacant space beside Dewey's Coffee Shop, jumping at the chance to bring the beloved bookseller back to the Square, even just for a few weeks.
The near-octogenerian bookseller, whose sale starts April 18th and lasts until the books are all sold, has a collection of 2,000+ volumes that he's held onto for many years. They include signed editions, coffee table books, Cleveland books and poetry, all of which will be sold at deeply discounted rates in this final sale.
Although Gildenmeister is generally gloomy about the future of large bookstores, he believes we are entering a new era in which smaller, independent bookstores will thrive. "The city had a lot of independent bookstores in 1955, and one by one they were knocked off, and then came the big guys. Now they're getting knocked off. I believe many more independent stores will open in niche markets."
Although witnessing the closure of Joseph-Beth was no fun, Gildenmeister says he "never regretted a moment of his career and had a blast." As someone who organized thousands of book signings, Cleveland's book czar hobnobbed with the likes of Lauren Bacall, Barbara Walters and James Baldwin in his time.
Through it all, Shaker Square has remained his home. "I fell in love with Shaker Square when I was a small child. I saw the lights when I was nine years old at Christmastime. Although I live by myself, I never feel alone and always feel connected. When I open my windows, I see the neighborhood going by."
Source: Richard Gildenmeister
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A recent visit to PlayhouseSquare for "dinner and a show" confirmed that the neighborhood is on a roll. The combination of unseasonably warm weather, a hot new restaurant opening, and a world-class whodunit resulted in a string of sold-out shows filled with well-fed theatergoers.
The Cleveland Plus Marketing Alliance is celebrating its fifth birthday promoting Northeast Ohio as a vigorous regional entity. Like any proud parent, Cleveland Plus executive director Rick Batyko is eager to show off the campaign's accomplishments over its first five years of life. Fresh Water writer Douglas J. Guth spoke with Batyko about the campaign's successful past as well as the Wadsworth native's hopes for the region's future.
Since the financial crowdsourcing website Kickstarter was founded a few years ago by New York entrepreneurs, it has helped to raise millions of dollars for artistic projects, including many in Cleveland.
Just how important is Kickstarter for arts funding? A recent New York Times article reported that the organization expects to raise $150 million in contributions in 2012. By comparison, the National Endowment for the Arts has a budget of $146 million.
Next week, Kickstarter is coming to Cleveland as part of a Midwest tour to showcase how artists can land DIY funding for their creative-minded startups. The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) and the Foundation Center of Cleveland partnered to create the event, which takes place on Thursday, March 29th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Idea Center's Miller Classroom at 1375 Euclid Avenue.
"Kickstarter is important not only because it helps artists raise funding, but also because it leverages their ability to get the word out," says Susan DePasquale, Program Manager with CPAC. "There aren't many opportunities for artists to be funded directly. Kickstarter also allows givers to feel like entrepreneurs."
Source: Susan DePasquale
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Just how important is Kickstarter for arts funding? A recent New York Times article reported that the organization expects to raise $150 million in contributions in 2012. By comparison, the National Endowment for the Arts has a budget of $146 million.
Next week, Kickstarter is coming to Cleveland as part of a Midwest tour to showcase how artists can land DIY funding for their creative-minded startups. The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) and the Foundation Center of Cleveland partnered to create the event, which takes place on Thursday, March 29th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Idea Center's Miller Classroom at 1375 Euclid Avenue.
"Kickstarter is important not only because it helps artists raise funding, but also because it leverages their ability to get the word out," says Susan DePasquale, Program Manager with CPAC. "There aren't many opportunities for artists to be funded directly. Kickstarter also allows givers to feel like entrepreneurs."
Source: Susan DePasquale
Writer: Lee Chilcote
bbc writes about world's first rock concert in cleveland
In the lead-up to the 27th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, articles on the birth of rock and roll are as inevitable as the encore at a rock concert.
Writing for the BBC, Jude Sheerin delves into the start of it all, right here in Cleveland.
"Sixty years ago the world's first rock concert was staged in Cleveland by two men whose passion for music bridged the racial divide in a segregated U.S.," says the writer.
Those "two men" were Alan Freed and Leo Mintz.
"One of them was the [Moondog Coronation Ball] MC, Alan Freed. The other was Leo Mintz, owner of a music store on the fringes of Cleveland's black community."
Sheerin goes on to describe the coining of the phrase 'rock 'n' roll, the events that lead up to the "world's first rock concert," the Moondog Coronation Ball, held March 21, 1952 in the old Cleveland Arena, and the pandemonium that ensued when gatecrashers stormed the 10,000-seat venue.
Spoiler Alert: It did not end as planned.
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
Writing for the BBC, Jude Sheerin delves into the start of it all, right here in Cleveland.
"Sixty years ago the world's first rock concert was staged in Cleveland by two men whose passion for music bridged the racial divide in a segregated U.S.," says the writer.
Those "two men" were Alan Freed and Leo Mintz.
"One of them was the [Moondog Coronation Ball] MC, Alan Freed. The other was Leo Mintz, owner of a music store on the fringes of Cleveland's black community."
Sheerin goes on to describe the coining of the phrase 'rock 'n' roll, the events that lead up to the "world's first rock concert," the Moondog Coronation Ball, held March 21, 1952 in the old Cleveland Arena, and the pandemonium that ensued when gatecrashers stormed the 10,000-seat venue.
Spoiler Alert: It did not end as planned.
Read the rest of the liner notes here.
Just moments before they took the dais for the Lockwood Thompson Dialogues, presented by the Cleveland Public Library in partnership with LAND studio, local author Michael Ruhlman and award-winning photographer Penny De Los Santos sat down with Fresh Water. The free-flowing conversation touched upon topics ranging from the local food movement to the Cleveland dining scene to food photography. Have a listen.
University Circle Inc. has made exploring the neighborhood and finding new things to do a little easier thanks to a new iPhone app. Developed by FORM in Shaker Heights, the app allows visitors to navigate and learn about University Circle. The app complements the organization’s recently revamped website.
“Our goal was to create a much more visitor friendly website with the app,” says Erika McLaughlin, UCI’s public affairs manager. “We had to address the complaint: I don’t know where to go once I’m there. When the app is open, you’re immediately there.”
The free app has a “You Are Here” feature, which tells users, well, exactly where they are in University Circle. It also provides up to date information on and photos of the museums, restaurants, galleries, schools, entertainment and shopping venues in the area. The app also lists parking locations around the circle.
A GPS feature provides exact directions to where the user wants to go. “It focuses on the gems of University Circle,” says McLaughlin. “Whether you’re walking, driving or riding a bike, the GPS gets you there."
An events section lists timely offerings for the day, week or month. “If you want to check out what’s going on in the Circle, you have it in the palm of your hand," says McLaughlin. “Our goal is to bring you back. If you’re here for one event, you might come back if you know what’s around you. It’s going to enhance your experience in University Circle, whether you’re a visitor or a resident.”
Source: Erika McLaughlin
Writer: Karin Connelly
“Our goal was to create a much more visitor friendly website with the app,” says Erika McLaughlin, UCI’s public affairs manager. “We had to address the complaint: I don’t know where to go once I’m there. When the app is open, you’re immediately there.”
The free app has a “You Are Here” feature, which tells users, well, exactly where they are in University Circle. It also provides up to date information on and photos of the museums, restaurants, galleries, schools, entertainment and shopping venues in the area. The app also lists parking locations around the circle.
A GPS feature provides exact directions to where the user wants to go. “It focuses on the gems of University Circle,” says McLaughlin. “Whether you’re walking, driving or riding a bike, the GPS gets you there."
An events section lists timely offerings for the day, week or month. “If you want to check out what’s going on in the Circle, you have it in the palm of your hand," says McLaughlin. “Our goal is to bring you back. If you’re here for one event, you might come back if you know what’s around you. It’s going to enhance your experience in University Circle, whether you’re a visitor or a resident.”
Source: Erika McLaughlin
Writer: Karin Connelly
A newly unveiled school facilities plan in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District (CH-UH) has the potential to blend historic preservation and neighborhood schools with cutting edge, 21st century learning environments, school leaders say.
The plan calls for eliminating several schools, tearing down 70s-era additions to older, historic buildings that will be preserved, and creating new interiors and additions to facilitate a technology-oriented, interest-based curriculum. Additionally, Wiley Middle School will be torn down and rebuilt.
The plan also retains neighborhood-based schools that are highly valued by the community. It calls for converting several primary schools to K-3rd grade buildings and converting three middle schools to 4th-8th grade buildings.
School leaders arrived at the new plan after presenting an earlier plan that was harshly received at community meetings. The earlier plan called for closing a larger number of buildings and effectively eliminating neighborhood schools. It would have created several large K-8 campuses in addition to the high school.
To gain additional input, CH-UH school leaders will host a series of community meetings at elementary schools in the coming weeks. Then the final plan is expected to be rolled out at a meeting at the high school on April 18th.
“As we move forward in the master facilities planning process, we want to assure our community that we are hearing and respecting all of the input we are receiving,” said Superintendent Doug Heuer in a news release. Heuer also noted that the plan is not yet final and additional refinements can still be made.
Source: Doug Heuer, CH-UH School District
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The plan calls for eliminating several schools, tearing down 70s-era additions to older, historic buildings that will be preserved, and creating new interiors and additions to facilitate a technology-oriented, interest-based curriculum. Additionally, Wiley Middle School will be torn down and rebuilt.
The plan also retains neighborhood-based schools that are highly valued by the community. It calls for converting several primary schools to K-3rd grade buildings and converting three middle schools to 4th-8th grade buildings.
School leaders arrived at the new plan after presenting an earlier plan that was harshly received at community meetings. The earlier plan called for closing a larger number of buildings and effectively eliminating neighborhood schools. It would have created several large K-8 campuses in addition to the high school.
To gain additional input, CH-UH school leaders will host a series of community meetings at elementary schools in the coming weeks. Then the final plan is expected to be rolled out at a meeting at the high school on April 18th.
“As we move forward in the master facilities planning process, we want to assure our community that we are hearing and respecting all of the input we are receiving,” said Superintendent Doug Heuer in a news release. Heuer also noted that the plan is not yet final and additional refinements can still be made.
Source: Doug Heuer, CH-UH School District
Writer: Lee Chilcote
What makes a neighborhood thrive? Is it a coffee shop? A fistful of chef-owned bistros? What about a grocery store and dry cleaners? When it comes to Cleveland's various neighborhoods, some seem to have all the pieces in place. Ohio City, Tremont, Detroit Shoreway… these budding burgs appear to have everything a resident could want and need. But do they?
On the heels of St. Patty's Day, which gives cause for merriment whether you're Irish for one day or your entire life, comes Dyngus Day. And Justin Gorski, aka "DJ Kishka," invites you to dig deep to find your ethnic roots and celebrate Cleveland's Polish heritage in style.
"I'm Polish, and I always had pride in that," says Gorski, who created the Polka Happy Hour at the Happy Dog seven years ago. "My grandmother made pierogi and potato pancakes. It's great to be able to celebrate the ethnicity of Cleveland."
Gorski was inspired to create a Dyngus Day celebration in Cleveland after he traveled to Buffalo two years ago to perform. Dyngus Day festivities there attract more than 60,000 people each year. The event is a traditional pagan holiday that began as a celebration of the rites of spring, but was co-opted by a Polish Catholic king many eons ago. Today, it is widely celebrated as the Polish version of Mardi Gras, and always takes place on the Monday after Easter.
Last year's event attracted 1,500 people, and DJ Kishka is hoping for 5,000 at this year's celebration. Bars and restaurants in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood have banded together to promote the event. Organizers are planning an Accordion March along W. 58th Street, the traditional crowning of Ms. Dyngus (kind of a polka-themed talent show), live music and an appearance by Big Chuck.
Gorski says Cleveland's strong Polish community will keep Dyngus Day growing, and it will help attract visitors to the revitalized Gordon Square Arts District.
Dyngus Day will take place on Monday, April 9th. The crowning of Ms. Dyngus will take place at 5 p.m., with the Accordion March immediately following.
Source: Justin Gorski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I'm Polish, and I always had pride in that," says Gorski, who created the Polka Happy Hour at the Happy Dog seven years ago. "My grandmother made pierogi and potato pancakes. It's great to be able to celebrate the ethnicity of Cleveland."
Gorski was inspired to create a Dyngus Day celebration in Cleveland after he traveled to Buffalo two years ago to perform. Dyngus Day festivities there attract more than 60,000 people each year. The event is a traditional pagan holiday that began as a celebration of the rites of spring, but was co-opted by a Polish Catholic king many eons ago. Today, it is widely celebrated as the Polish version of Mardi Gras, and always takes place on the Monday after Easter.
Last year's event attracted 1,500 people, and DJ Kishka is hoping for 5,000 at this year's celebration. Bars and restaurants in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood have banded together to promote the event. Organizers are planning an Accordion March along W. 58th Street, the traditional crowning of Ms. Dyngus (kind of a polka-themed talent show), live music and an appearance by Big Chuck.
Gorski says Cleveland's strong Polish community will keep Dyngus Day growing, and it will help attract visitors to the revitalized Gordon Square Arts District.
Dyngus Day will take place on Monday, April 9th. The crowning of Ms. Dyngus will take place at 5 p.m., with the Accordion March immediately following.
Source: Justin Gorski
Writer: Lee Chilcote
To conduct an authentic test of what it's like to be a tourist in Cleveland, Positively Cleveland recently sent several Northeast Ohioans on all-expenses-paid trips to parts of the city with which they were unfamiliar. The outcomes of this "mystery shopper" test were revealing, if not exactly surprising: Safety, wayfinding signage and public transportation ranked among participants' top concerns.
Lexi Hotchkiss, Communications Manager with Positively Cleveland, says the "Tourist for a Day" effort was part of a larger, regional initiative to make Cleveland a more visitor-friendly destination. The "Destination Cleveland" project has been launched by Positively Cleveland and other civic-minded partners in anticipation of $2 billion in tourism-related development that is currently being invested in downtown Cleveland.
"Our new President and CEO, David Gilbert, started the process when he joined the organization," explains Hotchkiss. "We knew it was time to look at Cleveland in a different way, and really examine how we look, act and feel as a destination."
In November, Positively Cleveland held a summit with over 200 community ambassadors, ranging from government officials to hotel managers. This unprecedented, collaborative effort to take Cleveland's tourism economy to the next level resulted in 11 focus areas. Top government officials also signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to work together on this effort.
In a few days, tourism leaders are set to unveil and begin implementing a new, five year plan to improve Cleveland as a travel destination. Positively Cleveland and its partners are holding the Destination Cleveland Travel and Tourism Outcomes Launch on Tuesday, March 27th from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the House of Blues. The event is free and open to the public.
"Tourism is the fourth largest private sector economy in Ohio," says Hotchkiss. "One of the things we really want to do is engage locals as ambassadors of our city."
Source: Lexi Hotchkiss
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Lexi Hotchkiss, Communications Manager with Positively Cleveland, says the "Tourist for a Day" effort was part of a larger, regional initiative to make Cleveland a more visitor-friendly destination. The "Destination Cleveland" project has been launched by Positively Cleveland and other civic-minded partners in anticipation of $2 billion in tourism-related development that is currently being invested in downtown Cleveland.
"Our new President and CEO, David Gilbert, started the process when he joined the organization," explains Hotchkiss. "We knew it was time to look at Cleveland in a different way, and really examine how we look, act and feel as a destination."
In November, Positively Cleveland held a summit with over 200 community ambassadors, ranging from government officials to hotel managers. This unprecedented, collaborative effort to take Cleveland's tourism economy to the next level resulted in 11 focus areas. Top government officials also signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to work together on this effort.
In a few days, tourism leaders are set to unveil and begin implementing a new, five year plan to improve Cleveland as a travel destination. Positively Cleveland and its partners are holding the Destination Cleveland Travel and Tourism Outcomes Launch on Tuesday, March 27th from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the House of Blues. The event is free and open to the public.
"Tourism is the fourth largest private sector economy in Ohio," says Hotchkiss. "One of the things we really want to do is engage locals as ambassadors of our city."
Source: Lexi Hotchkiss
Writer: Lee Chilcote