Next time that your favorite barista etches a flower in your foamy mug of latte, savor it for a moment before you take a sip. He or she may actually be practicing for For the Love of Latte Art, an educational event and latte art throwdown that is being hosted this weekend by Cleveland-area coffee companies.

The event, which is being hosted by a new coffee collective called CLE Brews, will include skill-building workshops for professional and amateur baristas who are inter... Read more >

Tremont has always been a popular neighborhood for animal lovers, with amenities like Lincoln Park, the Clark Field dog park and pet-friendly restaurants and bars adding to the appeal. The neighborhood also has two shelters, a doggie day care and an active community of animal rescue advocates.

Now a new business, Tremont Tails, will allow dog and cat lovers to buy basic goods for their pets without traveling outside of the neighborhood. It also will promote rescue and ado... Read more >

Fixing up an older home can be a daunting task. These days, many homeowners don't know a wrench from a pair of pliers, and even if they are handy, both their tools and their skills may be a little bit rusty.

That's where the Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC), a 40-year-old nonprofit organization based in Cleveland Heights, can help. HRRC offers how-to classes for residents throughout Cuyahoga County and a tool-loan program geared to residents of Cleveland Heights... Read more >

Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, an annual gathering of Cleveland creative types now in its third year, is returning like a blockbuster summer sequel to the Gordon Square Arts District from June 8 through 10. Organizers expect over 1,000 attendees to register, adding to the weekend excitement already taking place in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.

The conference, which will feature 20 speakers, 20 designers, and 30 bands on two different stages near W. 54th and Detroit, ... Read more >

For a teenager, it's the opportunity of a lifetime to spend a week sailing on a 150-foot tall ship -- tying ropes, keeping watch and sleeping in hammocks while learning to work together as a close-knit team.

Through Project YESS -- Youth Empowered to Succeed through Sailing -- a handful of lucky teenagers are offered this rare opportunity each summer in Cleveland.

The program, which is organized by the Rotary Club of Cleveland, began in 2010 during the Tall S... Read more >

Urban gardens can be adventurous affairs, not unlike archeological digs in terms of how they turn up trash and pieces of the past just beneath the surface of the soil. If this isn't your thing, there's always raised beds. But they take time, labor and materials to build.

Thanks to a recently unveiled partnership, 150 families in the Buckeye, Larchmere and Woodland Hills neighborhoods will receive GardenSoxx, which are mesh sleeves stuffed with organic soil that ca... Read more >

May is National Bike Month, but locally the party kicked off last week at Respect the Bike, an all-Ohio-made bike showcase held at the Greenhouse Tavern. Before the event, hundreds of riders cruised through downtown for a traffic-stopping Critical Mass ride, then lined up their bikes along E. 4th Street for a rooftop bar celebration. Elsewhere in the Tavern, diners feted on chef Sawyer's creations as historic bikes hung in the air like flying machines.

It was a fittin... Read more >

New entrepreneurs need all the help they can get when launching a business. The Incubator at MAGNET is launching the Beta Space to help students and entrepreneurs get off to a good start. The 2,000 square-foot space on E. 25th Street offers co-working space, mentorship and free advice from service providers.
 
“There are two main components to the program,” says David Crain, director of entrepreneurial services for the Incubator at Magnet. “One is a ... Read more >

Take a deep breath, says Lisa Damour of the Center for Research on Girls at Laurel School. Remember that parents are just people who have kids.

Once you acknowledge your own imperfections -- something that your teenager will likely be happy to assist you with -- it gets easier to see that your kids are struggling to define themselves in light of you.

However painful teenage rebellion might be for parents, it has historically contributed to innovation, says Damour... Read more >

As a technology-focused school, the University of Phoenix, Cleveland campus, knows the importance of computer education at an early age. So the university recently donated 30 desktop computers with accessories to the Kenneth W. Clement - Boys Leadership Academy in Cleveland.
 
“The University of Phoenix is very committed to technology and education,” says Gina Cuffari, Phoenix vice president of Ohio and Kentucky territories. “We have a 12-year histor... Read more >

Registration for the 2014 Gay Games (GG9) begins in May. This represents an opportunity to sell Northeast Ohio as a welcoming, inclusive region to a global audience, says GG9 Director Tom Nobbe.

"Cleveland represents a blank slate to many people in Western Europe and Asia, and that's both a challenge and an advantage," he says. "We have a compelling story to tell. We can position our region as not only welcoming to outsiders, but also as inclusive."... Read more >

Providence House, the first crisis nursery in Ohio and one of only 70 similar facilities in the U.S., recently broke ground on a $2 million, three-phase project in Ohio City that will allow the nonprofit agency to better serve Northeast Ohio families in crisis.

"We have a waiting list that is 20 to 30 kids long right now," explains Natalie Leek-Nelson, Executive Director of Providence House, which is expanding its current location at W. 32nd Street and Lorain Av... Read more >

Recently, an artistically-minded student at Glenville High School was so inspired by his school's first-ever Sustainability Awareness Day that he painted a rain barrel with the school's signature "G" logo and displayed it at last week's inaugural event.

"It was kind of like a small-scale science fair," says Anthony Body, Community Organizer with the Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit community development organization that serves the neighborh... Read more >

Last week, PNC Bank employees spent time reading "Where the Wild Things Are" to kids enrolled in Head Start, Cleveland Clinic employees shared tips on preparing for the workforce with students at New Tech West, and human resources pros helped people in transitional housing to prepare their resumes.

The events were organized by Business Volunteers Unlimited as part of National Volunteer Week, which rallied more than 1,300 volunteers to participate in 85-plus serv... Read more >

Travis Peebles, who co-owns Blazing Saddle Cycle, displays a Roadmaster bicycle that was made about 80 years ago by the Cleveland Welding Company, located at W. 117th and Berea Road. The rusted, 40-pound bike is not for sale, yet it adorns the shop as a proud reminder of cycling's rich local history.

It is perhaps a little known fact that both Cleveland and Ohio have a rich history in the annals of bike history (those crazy Wright brothers started it all with a Dayton... Read more >

Bizdom Cleveland, a business accelerator that mentors and funds up-and-coming entrepreneurs, launched its first six businesses from the fall program. The six businesses were selected from 350 applicants, who were then narrowed down to 32 participants in a 12-week mentoring program.
 
The six businesses participated in “Demo Day” on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, where they showcased their companies to potential investors.

“Thirty-five inv... Read more >