Stories
The members of the Fund for Our Economic Future (the Fund), a philanthropic collaboration, have approved $3 million in funding to advance business development and job creation in Northeast Ohio, with the end goal of growing the regional economy so that all people benefit.
The recipients include:
Team NEO: a one-year award of up to $650,000 to support the advancement of a shared, regional economic competitiveness strategy, business development and economic research.
BioEnterprise: a two-year award of up to $800,000 to support its efforts to grow the bioscience cluster.
MAGNET: a two-year award of up to $900,000 for its PRISM initiative to help mid-size manufacturers with high-growth potential innovate and prosper.
JumpStart: a two-year award of up to $500,000 for its Scaleup Initiative to support high-growth potential companies; and a one-year award of up to $150,000 to support its startup network.
Get all the details on this announcement here.
The recipients include:
Team NEO: a one-year award of up to $650,000 to support the advancement of a shared, regional economic competitiveness strategy, business development and economic research.
BioEnterprise: a two-year award of up to $800,000 to support its efforts to grow the bioscience cluster.
MAGNET: a two-year award of up to $900,000 for its PRISM initiative to help mid-size manufacturers with high-growth potential innovate and prosper.
JumpStart: a two-year award of up to $500,000 for its Scaleup Initiative to support high-growth potential companies; and a one-year award of up to $150,000 to support its startup network.
Get all the details on this announcement here.
On Saturday, April 9, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the Warren A. Sill Fund (WASF) will host "Spring out of Hibernation," at the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, 1309 Euclid Ave. Two hundred attendees are expected to celebrate the launch of the Fund’s early education program and its past scholarship recipients.Tickets are $35 and can be purchased here.
The WASF board of directors will unveil an innovative partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and the Children’s Museum of Cleveland (CMC) that will provide quality extra-classroom experiences to 20 underprivileged pre-kindergarten students at Euclid Park Elementary, 17914 Euclid Ave.
“Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Euclid Park PreK-8 School are excited that we were given the opportunity to join this incredible partnership. Through the generosity of The Warren A. Sill Fund, our PreK students will benefit greatly from hands-on, inquiry-based learning through the Children’s Museum of Cleveland,” Qianna Tidmore of CMSD’s Office of Early Childhood Education said in a release.
“The Fund’s greatest quality is its ability to dream – beyond the tragedy of Warren’s passing and now beyond the parameters of traditional education philanthropy,” Tyler Allchin, chair and cofounder of WASF added.
“In partnership with two tremendous institutions, the Fund has the opportunity to deliver an extraordinary return on a strategic investment in Cleveland’s PreK population,” said Allchin in the release.
The WASF board of directors will unveil an innovative partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and the Children’s Museum of Cleveland (CMC) that will provide quality extra-classroom experiences to 20 underprivileged pre-kindergarten students at Euclid Park Elementary, 17914 Euclid Ave.
“Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Euclid Park PreK-8 School are excited that we were given the opportunity to join this incredible partnership. Through the generosity of The Warren A. Sill Fund, our PreK students will benefit greatly from hands-on, inquiry-based learning through the Children’s Museum of Cleveland,” Qianna Tidmore of CMSD’s Office of Early Childhood Education said in a release.
“The Fund’s greatest quality is its ability to dream – beyond the tragedy of Warren’s passing and now beyond the parameters of traditional education philanthropy,” Tyler Allchin, chair and cofounder of WASF added.
“In partnership with two tremendous institutions, the Fund has the opportunity to deliver an extraordinary return on a strategic investment in Cleveland’s PreK population,” said Allchin in the release.
The colorful history of May Dugan and how she embodied West Side philanthropy shimmers with the emerald green of her family's heritage.
Stephen Manka has installed public art throughout the city. His subtle methods, however, reveal myriad connections between Clevelanders, their spaces and their history.
Drink Local Drink Tap's third 4 Miles 4 Water event will be held on Saturday May 7 from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Cleveland Metroparks' Edgewater Reservation. Activities include a one-mile walk, four-mile run, free "All Things Water" festival with concert, and Guinness World Record Attempt. More than 1,500 participants are expected, including more than 500 registered runners and walkers.
Registration fees vary, but all proceeds will go to Drink Local Drink Tap's mission to preserve our fresh water resources and to have a positive impact on the global water crisis by creating more awareness and reconnecting people with the fresh water resources in their own backyards. Here are links to the participant form and the exhibitor form. There are also sponsorship opportunities.
More information is available here.
Registration fees vary, but all proceeds will go to Drink Local Drink Tap's mission to preserve our fresh water resources and to have a positive impact on the global water crisis by creating more awareness and reconnecting people with the fresh water resources in their own backyards. Here are links to the participant form and the exhibitor form. There are also sponsorship opportunities.
More information is available here.
Ever since Parnell’s Irish Pub opened three years ago in Playhouse Square at 1415 Euclid Ave., it has been a hotspot for the working crowd, serving up perfect pours of Guinness Stout and a selection of 90 whiskeys and bourbons. The pub has been so popular that owner Declan Synnott decided it needed more room, so he bought the vacant restaurant space next door and began building an 800-square-foot addition in January, which is expected to open later this month.
“It turns out business is better than I thought it would be,” Synnott says. “What we really need now is just more space so people can be more comfortable.”
The original Parnell’s Pub opened in Cleveland Heights in 1995 after Synnott moved to the city from his native Dublin, Ireland. He opened his second location in Playhouse Square in March 2013 to take advantage of the area’s nightlife scene. The upcoming extension, Synnott suggests, takes influence from the recent development on Euclid Avenue.
The renovations, which were carried out by Turner Construction, were funded by Synnott and Playhouse Square.His wife, Liz, did the interior design, the majority of which features repurposed items. For example, the extension includes a 250-square-foot private room with an 18-foot-long U-shaped table made from old church pews. Light pendants fashioned from old bourbon-barrel wood and sconces made from the barrel’s aluminum wrap illuminate the space. They also rescued barn doors from an old downtown firefighter training facility, which they are using to section off the room.
Parnell’s is slated to host live bands and folk sessions in the new space by September.
Adding three new employees and space for about 45 additional patrons, Synnott is sure adding the new space was a no-brainer, especially because he estimates as many as 4,000 people on any given night descend on the district’s five block radius.
“It’s nice being shoulder-to-shoulder,” Synnott says, “but I want my patrons to be, first of all, comfortable, you know? That’s the atmosphere we’ve projected since we started [in Cleveland Heights] 19 years ago: a place to go after a hard day’s work.”
While Synnott planned for a St. Patrick’s Day finish, city permit delays – due to construction projects for the RNC – pushed completion to a late March opening, but Synnott, who’s awaiting his second child, isn’t too bothered by missing the St. Patrick’s Day goal.
“Would I like the space done? Yeah, of course,” he says. “But one day ain’t going to make us or break us.”
“It turns out business is better than I thought it would be,” Synnott says. “What we really need now is just more space so people can be more comfortable.”
The original Parnell’s Pub opened in Cleveland Heights in 1995 after Synnott moved to the city from his native Dublin, Ireland. He opened his second location in Playhouse Square in March 2013 to take advantage of the area’s nightlife scene. The upcoming extension, Synnott suggests, takes influence from the recent development on Euclid Avenue.
The renovations, which were carried out by Turner Construction, were funded by Synnott and Playhouse Square.His wife, Liz, did the interior design, the majority of which features repurposed items. For example, the extension includes a 250-square-foot private room with an 18-foot-long U-shaped table made from old church pews. Light pendants fashioned from old bourbon-barrel wood and sconces made from the barrel’s aluminum wrap illuminate the space. They also rescued barn doors from an old downtown firefighter training facility, which they are using to section off the room.
Parnell’s is slated to host live bands and folk sessions in the new space by September.
Adding three new employees and space for about 45 additional patrons, Synnott is sure adding the new space was a no-brainer, especially because he estimates as many as 4,000 people on any given night descend on the district’s five block radius.
“It’s nice being shoulder-to-shoulder,” Synnott says, “but I want my patrons to be, first of all, comfortable, you know? That’s the atmosphere we’ve projected since we started [in Cleveland Heights] 19 years ago: a place to go after a hard day’s work.”
While Synnott planned for a St. Patrick’s Day finish, city permit delays – due to construction projects for the RNC – pushed completion to a late March opening, but Synnott, who’s awaiting his second child, isn’t too bothered by missing the St. Patrick’s Day goal.
“Would I like the space done? Yeah, of course,” he says. “But one day ain’t going to make us or break us.”
Vision Yoga and Wellness opened its doors on West 25th Street in Ohio City in April 2011 – bringing to the neighborhood a source for yoga classes at all levels, workshops, massage therapy and acupuncture. The offerings have been so popular, the 800-square-foot single studio space was busting at the seams and owner Theresa Gorski couldn’t meet the needs of her growing clientele.
So in February, Gorski opened a second location, Vision Underground, in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3600 Church Ave. The 2,300-square-foot space will allow Gorski to cater to a broader range of needs. She now offers chair yoga, yoga for children and community-based workshops and certification classes.
“I don’t call it an addition, I call it an expansion,” Gorski says of the new space. “When you have only one studio, you have to cater to your clients’ makeup and the majority of the population are able-bodied.”
The chair yoga will cater to those who cannot easily get up from or sit down on the floor, Gorski says. The new space also allows Gorski to focus on the wellness aspect of her practice.
“There’s a new wave of interest in focusing on wellness and prevention,” she explains, “where people want to take care of themselves.”
Gorski hired three additional yoga teachers to help with the 12 additional classes now on the weekly schedule, bringing the staff total for the two spaces to 15.
The church itself also has historic significance. Built in the 1800s, St. John’s is the oldest church in Cuyahoga County, Gorski says, and the Vision space was the last stop on the Underground Railroad. The place is also used for Cleveland Public Theatre’s annual Station Hope celebration of the site. Vision Underground will go on hiatus during Station Hope.
Vision Yoga hosted Vision Underground’s grand opening on Saturday, March 4 with donation yoga classes taught by Gorski, prizes, discounts on yoga packages and refreshments. Almost 100 people attended the open house and $1,000 was raised through a raffle and donations.
So in February, Gorski opened a second location, Vision Underground, in the basement of St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3600 Church Ave. The 2,300-square-foot space will allow Gorski to cater to a broader range of needs. She now offers chair yoga, yoga for children and community-based workshops and certification classes.
“I don’t call it an addition, I call it an expansion,” Gorski says of the new space. “When you have only one studio, you have to cater to your clients’ makeup and the majority of the population are able-bodied.”
The chair yoga will cater to those who cannot easily get up from or sit down on the floor, Gorski says. The new space also allows Gorski to focus on the wellness aspect of her practice.
“There’s a new wave of interest in focusing on wellness and prevention,” she explains, “where people want to take care of themselves.”
Gorski hired three additional yoga teachers to help with the 12 additional classes now on the weekly schedule, bringing the staff total for the two spaces to 15.
The church itself also has historic significance. Built in the 1800s, St. John’s is the oldest church in Cuyahoga County, Gorski says, and the Vision space was the last stop on the Underground Railroad. The place is also used for Cleveland Public Theatre’s annual Station Hope celebration of the site. Vision Underground will go on hiatus during Station Hope.
Vision Yoga hosted Vision Underground’s grand opening on Saturday, March 4 with donation yoga classes taught by Gorski, prizes, discounts on yoga packages and refreshments. Almost 100 people attended the open house and $1,000 was raised through a raffle and donations.
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 invites everyone to be a part of "The Year of Sustainable Transportation" and get involved in some of the organization's 2016 projects on Wednesday, March 16, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Great Lakes Brewing Company, 2701 Carroll Avenue. This free public event will feature networking along with free happy hour appetizers and a cash bar.
Attendees are asked to register for the event here.
Attendees are asked to register for the event here.
Last month, local artist Dana Oldfather completed her second commission for the MGM Resorts International's Aria Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The work consists of two large pieces, Reflexive 1 and 2, which measure roughly 10 ½ by 12 feet each. She completed her previous commission for the hospitality giant in 2013 when she was seven months pregnant.
"I'm sure glad it went well because it provided the opportunity to make the largest paintings I have every made," says Oldfather of this second commission. She finished both Reflexive pieces on February 13 then prepared them for shipping by dismantling and rolling them. The works will eventually unfurl in the resort's exclusive Sky Suites Lounge.
"It's been a long process," says Oldfather, "about two months of planning, building and ordering, and four months of painting. I am so thankful for my family and all the help they provided so that this project would be possible."
Get more details on the artist and her process here.
"I'm sure glad it went well because it provided the opportunity to make the largest paintings I have every made," says Oldfather of this second commission. She finished both Reflexive pieces on February 13 then prepared them for shipping by dismantling and rolling them. The works will eventually unfurl in the resort's exclusive Sky Suites Lounge.
"It's been a long process," says Oldfather, "about two months of planning, building and ordering, and four months of painting. I am so thankful for my family and all the help they provided so that this project would be possible."
Get more details on the artist and her process here.
"That's so gay" is a phrase common in most high-school settings, says Liz O’Donnell, co-founder of Dare2Care, a Cleveland nonprofit aiming to create a harassment-free environment for lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-questioning (LGBTQ) students.
The slur's casual nature, often used alongside words like "fag" or "dyke," typifies the many insidious ways LGTBQ students are bullied, says O'Donnell. According to the Human Rights Campaign, nine out of 10 students who identify as LGTBQ experience harassment and nearly two-thirds feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.
Dare2Care is shedding light on what group officials believe is a hidden issue by training students as anti-bullying ambassadors. The goal is to inspire these young people to create communities free of harassment and intimidation.
"(LGBTQ) is often a taboo topic among school administrators," says O'Donnell, a mental health professional who launched the organization in 2011 with co-founder Don Wismer. "But students who attempt suicide are far more likely to identify as LGBTQ, or are perceived by their peers that way."
The nonprofit will endeavor to educate Greater Cleveland high school students on the importance of leadership and diversity through a free workshop on March 11 at St. Edward's High School. The workshop, held in partnership with the Global Youth Leadership Institute, will address color, culture and class, with participants encouraged to share their personal stories. About 90 students are expected to attend the program, along with 17 faculty members from representative private and public schools.
"We wanted to invite different schools that normally wouldn’t interact with one another,” says O'Donnell. "In that space, we'll already be creating a level of diversity that requires students to think differently."
Ideally, attendees will leave with an understanding of their personal identities, while recognizing their fellow students without the crutch of harmful stereotypes. The event, the second such program offered by Dare2Care, is reaching people at that critical stage of development where identity is being shaped, O'Donnell says. Those emerging from the workshop, meanwhile, will ostensibly have the tools to confront bullying in a non-punitive manner.
"Kids should be able to understand the impacts their words can have," says O'Donnell. "It's more than anti-bullying: We want to give students skills that allow them to make broader decisions in the larger world."
The slur's casual nature, often used alongside words like "fag" or "dyke," typifies the many insidious ways LGTBQ students are bullied, says O'Donnell. According to the Human Rights Campaign, nine out of 10 students who identify as LGTBQ experience harassment and nearly two-thirds feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.
Dare2Care is shedding light on what group officials believe is a hidden issue by training students as anti-bullying ambassadors. The goal is to inspire these young people to create communities free of harassment and intimidation.
"(LGBTQ) is often a taboo topic among school administrators," says O'Donnell, a mental health professional who launched the organization in 2011 with co-founder Don Wismer. "But students who attempt suicide are far more likely to identify as LGBTQ, or are perceived by their peers that way."
The nonprofit will endeavor to educate Greater Cleveland high school students on the importance of leadership and diversity through a free workshop on March 11 at St. Edward's High School. The workshop, held in partnership with the Global Youth Leadership Institute, will address color, culture and class, with participants encouraged to share their personal stories. About 90 students are expected to attend the program, along with 17 faculty members from representative private and public schools.
"We wanted to invite different schools that normally wouldn’t interact with one another,” says O'Donnell. "In that space, we'll already be creating a level of diversity that requires students to think differently."
Ideally, attendees will leave with an understanding of their personal identities, while recognizing their fellow students without the crutch of harmful stereotypes. The event, the second such program offered by Dare2Care, is reaching people at that critical stage of development where identity is being shaped, O'Donnell says. Those emerging from the workshop, meanwhile, will ostensibly have the tools to confront bullying in a non-punitive manner.
"Kids should be able to understand the impacts their words can have," says O'Donnell. "It's more than anti-bullying: We want to give students skills that allow them to make broader decisions in the larger world."
Terry Schwarz
Terry Schwarz is the Director of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, a combined urban design graduate program and urban design practice nonprofit that uses planning and design to address social issues in neighborhoods throughout Northeast Ohio.
The Cuyahoga County Public Library invites patrons to reduce their library fines throughout the month of March by bringing in up to four of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's "Super Six" food items, which include peanut butter, cereal and canned soup, vegetables, beef stew, and tuna. Patrons will get a $1 reduction in fines for every food item donated, up to $4 per visit, per account.
Cash donations will also be accepted during the entire Harvest for Hunger campaign.
Get all the details here.
Cash donations will also be accepted during the entire Harvest for Hunger campaign.
Get all the details here.
According to online mortgage resource HSH.com, a homeowner must earn $32,523 in order to own a home in Cleveland. The only city with a lower threshold was Pittsburgh, for which the figure was $31,134. The highest must-earn income for home ownership was $147,996 for San Francisco.
From HSH.com:
"HSH.com took the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2015 fourth-quarter data for median-home prices and HSH.com’s 2015 fourth-quarter average interest rate for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages to determine how much of your salary it would take to afford the base cost of owning a home - the principal, interest, taxes and insurance - in 27 metro areas.
We used standard 28 percent "front-end" debt ratios and a 20 percent down payment subtracted from the NAR’s median-home-price data to arrive at our figures. We've incorporated available information on property taxes and homeowner’s insurance costs to more accurately reflect the income needed in a given market."
Get all the details here.
From HSH.com:
"HSH.com took the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2015 fourth-quarter data for median-home prices and HSH.com’s 2015 fourth-quarter average interest rate for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages to determine how much of your salary it would take to afford the base cost of owning a home - the principal, interest, taxes and insurance - in 27 metro areas.
We used standard 28 percent "front-end" debt ratios and a 20 percent down payment subtracted from the NAR’s median-home-price data to arrive at our figures. We've incorporated available information on property taxes and homeowner’s insurance costs to more accurately reflect the income needed in a given market."
Get all the details here.
On Wednesday, March 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Halloran Skating Rink, 3350 West 117th St., the Cleveland Community Police Commission (CCPC) will hold a "Use of Force" town hall meeting. This event is free and open to the public.
Per the March 3 press release, "this meeting is focused on the CCPC's mandate to collect the concerns, experiences and values of the community concerning police use of force policies, training and accountability.
Attendees are invited to fill out a questionnaire available here. Contact info@clecpc.org or 216-755-4272 for more information.
Per the March 3 press release, "this meeting is focused on the CCPC's mandate to collect the concerns, experiences and values of the community concerning police use of force policies, training and accountability.
Attendees are invited to fill out a questionnaire available here. Contact info@clecpc.org or 216-755-4272 for more information.
Cross-pollinating Cleveland's charter and CMSD schools by transferring educators between them - along with their experience and ideas - helps advance the Cleveland Plan's goal of ensuring quality education for all students.
Fresh Water managing photographer Bob Perkoski rarely lets a Cleveland icon go unrecorded no matter how humble it may be.
Liz Ferro, founder of Girls With Sole, is on a mission to help girls turn to fitness for healing in the long run.
The Saint Luke’s Foundation recently awarded a grant to the Hebrew Free Loan Association (HFLA) of Northeast Ohio to provide interest free loans of up to $5,000 to the residents in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood who are in need of home repair or funds to purchase side yards.
Qualifications include income that will allow repayment of the loan, a co-signer and quotes from an insured and bonded contractor. Loan checks will be written directly to the service provider. Perfect repayment of this loan will allow applicants to qualify for future interest free loans.
For additional information click here or call 216-378-9042.
Qualifications include income that will allow repayment of the loan, a co-signer and quotes from an insured and bonded contractor. Loan checks will be written directly to the service provider. Perfect repayment of this loan will allow applicants to qualify for future interest free loans.
For additional information click here or call 216-378-9042.