Stories
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Any beer lover in Cleveland is painfully aware that the growth of the craft brewery industry leaves little time to try all of the available options. Bob and Shelle Campbell solve that problem with the Cleveland Brew Bus – a 22-seat party bus that takes riders on tasting tours of Cleveland’s most popular breweries.
Started in June 2013 by the Campbells, the tasting tour takes riders on a five-hour tour of three local breweries. Each stop features three to four sample sized beers and the opportunity of order food. While on the bus, tour coordinator Leslie Basalla educates and entertains riders with brewery and beer facts.
“Every tour is a little different,” Basalla explains. “We have home brewers, craft brewers and people just along to have fun. We play to the varying levels of knowledge.”
Basalla, who is in the process of buying the business along with boyfriend Brian McCafferty from the Campbells, joined Brew Bus after serving as front of house manager for Market Garden Brewery. Basalla is a certified beer steward through the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.
There were about seven breweries on the tour list when Basalla joined the business in 2014, and that list has grown exponentially as Cleveland’s brewery scene has grown. “There are new breweries opening up constantly,” she says. “We’re adding one brewery about every two months. It’s a small community where everyone knows each other.” Recent additions include Platform Beer Co. and Brick and Barrel.
Tours are primarily in Cleveland and the suburbs, but the Brew Bus occasionally will travel to Akron and Lake County for tastings. Private tours are available as well, although Basalla recommends people call at least two months in advance from July through October to book a Saturday night. “Sundays are wide open,” says Basalla. “If you have at least 10 people and you want a tour, I’ll give you a tour any day of the week.”
Tickets for public tours can be purchased on the Cleveland Brew Bus website.
Started in June 2013 by the Campbells, the tasting tour takes riders on a five-hour tour of three local breweries. Each stop features three to four sample sized beers and the opportunity of order food. While on the bus, tour coordinator Leslie Basalla educates and entertains riders with brewery and beer facts.
“Every tour is a little different,” Basalla explains. “We have home brewers, craft brewers and people just along to have fun. We play to the varying levels of knowledge.”
Basalla, who is in the process of buying the business along with boyfriend Brian McCafferty from the Campbells, joined Brew Bus after serving as front of house manager for Market Garden Brewery. Basalla is a certified beer steward through the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.
There were about seven breweries on the tour list when Basalla joined the business in 2014, and that list has grown exponentially as Cleveland’s brewery scene has grown. “There are new breweries opening up constantly,” she says. “We’re adding one brewery about every two months. It’s a small community where everyone knows each other.” Recent additions include Platform Beer Co. and Brick and Barrel.
Tours are primarily in Cleveland and the suburbs, but the Brew Bus occasionally will travel to Akron and Lake County for tastings. Private tours are available as well, although Basalla recommends people call at least two months in advance from July through October to book a Saturday night. “Sundays are wide open,” says Basalla. “If you have at least 10 people and you want a tour, I’ll give you a tour any day of the week.”
Tickets for public tours can be purchased on the Cleveland Brew Bus website.
Beaumont School, a Catholic school for girls in Cleveland Heights, unveiled its new STEM addition with a ribbon cutting on Monday, January 5th, re-emphasizing its commitment to science, technology, engineering and math and education with the $9.5 million building. “Our science facilities were over 50 years old,” says Beaumont president Sister Gretchen Rodenfels. “I graduated in 1965 and we were using the same science equipment today.”
The movement to improve STEM education for girls has been growing, and Rodenfels says Beaumont has proven in recent years that girls do excel in science and math. “Really, in the United States, students are not as prepared in science, technology, engineering and math as other developed countries,” says Rodenfels. "Now we have eight science rooms, four prep rooms and all new equipment. Each room is dedicated to a different area of the curriculum.”
In fact, Rodenfels says a STEM education provides well-rounded preparation for any field the students choose. “If you are strong in STEM skills, that can be transferred to any career – deductive reasoning, collaboration, problem solving.”
For the past two years, Beaumont students have participated in the Alliance for Working Together's (AWT) annual RoboBot Competition. “The first year we had the only all-girls team and the guys were making wisecracks,” says Rodenfels. “The following year we came in third at nationals.”
Additionally, the new wing has administration and guidance offices, a clinic, a two-story student common area with outdoor patio and a new front entrance. Construction began on the 25,000 square-foot building in September 2013.
The movement to improve STEM education for girls has been growing, and Rodenfels says Beaumont has proven in recent years that girls do excel in science and math. “Really, in the United States, students are not as prepared in science, technology, engineering and math as other developed countries,” says Rodenfels. "Now we have eight science rooms, four prep rooms and all new equipment. Each room is dedicated to a different area of the curriculum.”
In fact, Rodenfels says a STEM education provides well-rounded preparation for any field the students choose. “If you are strong in STEM skills, that can be transferred to any career – deductive reasoning, collaboration, problem solving.”
For the past two years, Beaumont students have participated in the Alliance for Working Together's (AWT) annual RoboBot Competition. “The first year we had the only all-girls team and the guys were making wisecracks,” says Rodenfels. “The following year we came in third at nationals.”
Additionally, the new wing has administration and guidance offices, a clinic, a two-story student common area with outdoor patio and a new front entrance. Construction began on the 25,000 square-foot building in September 2013.
Fortified with grants of $25,000 and $75,000, respectively from the Gund and Cleveland Foundations, Habitat for Humanity will be opening the area's second ReStore location this spring at 4601 Northfield Road.
Similar to the existing ReStore at 2110 West 110th Street, the North Randall location will sell a mix of new and used furniture, appliances, housewares and construction materials. The new location is adjacent to a number of discount retail outlets as well as a Salvation Army thrift store, but ReStore director Matt Haren feels confident that the venture will add a new dimension to the existing competition.
"I think we're bringing in that uniqueness of furniture and building materials and household wares," he says.
The new 22,000-square-foot space requires some updates. The work is being financed by the grant money and will include flooring repair, new restrooms, a delivery door and a new employee/volunteer lunchroom to accommodate the planned staff of five and diverse volunteer pool. ReStore attracts volunteers through organizations that cater to the disabled, low-income and disadvantaged such as Bridges Rehabilitation Services, Towards Employment and LEAP.
The new site, which formerly housed a Unique Thrift outlet, will feature a 16,000-square-foot showroom and the same policies, product mix and layout as the successful West Side store, which turns around its inventory in a brisk 90 days.
"We're going to try and mimic the same philosophy and culture we have here and transport it over to the east side," says Haren. One of the reasons the formula works is that it's a win-win-win, for customers, workers and even the folks supplying all the merchandise.
"The donor population sees us as being able to move stuff into the community in both a recycling aspect and repurposing aspect," says Haran, "but also in taking those proceeds and applying them to our mission of putting families into homes."
The grand opening is tentatively scheduled for April 2. Haren hopes the day marks a new partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the North Randall community, as well as that entire southeast quadrant of the county.
"From our perspective," he says, "it's a community center. The community will shape what we're going to be all about."
Similar to the existing ReStore at 2110 West 110th Street, the North Randall location will sell a mix of new and used furniture, appliances, housewares and construction materials. The new location is adjacent to a number of discount retail outlets as well as a Salvation Army thrift store, but ReStore director Matt Haren feels confident that the venture will add a new dimension to the existing competition.
"I think we're bringing in that uniqueness of furniture and building materials and household wares," he says.
The new 22,000-square-foot space requires some updates. The work is being financed by the grant money and will include flooring repair, new restrooms, a delivery door and a new employee/volunteer lunchroom to accommodate the planned staff of five and diverse volunteer pool. ReStore attracts volunteers through organizations that cater to the disabled, low-income and disadvantaged such as Bridges Rehabilitation Services, Towards Employment and LEAP.
The new site, which formerly housed a Unique Thrift outlet, will feature a 16,000-square-foot showroom and the same policies, product mix and layout as the successful West Side store, which turns around its inventory in a brisk 90 days.
"We're going to try and mimic the same philosophy and culture we have here and transport it over to the east side," says Haren. One of the reasons the formula works is that it's a win-win-win, for customers, workers and even the folks supplying all the merchandise.
"The donor population sees us as being able to move stuff into the community in both a recycling aspect and repurposing aspect," says Haran, "but also in taking those proceeds and applying them to our mission of putting families into homes."
The grand opening is tentatively scheduled for April 2. Haren hopes the day marks a new partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the North Randall community, as well as that entire southeast quadrant of the county.
"From our perspective," he says, "it's a community center. The community will shape what we're going to be all about."
Natalie Bauman, founder of Sunrise Sunset Documentaries and the Digital Mosaic, an iPad app that allows people to record their memories and life stories, has produced a documentary chronicling the experiences of four Holocaust survivors living in Cleveland.
The Remembering Project, which was made with a grant from the Saltzman Youth Panel of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, brought on board four area high school students to help with the production and learn first-hand about the Holocaust. The film will premiere Tuesday at Montefiore Home.
The piece tells the survival stories of Irene Weiner, Roni Berenson, Michael Pupa and Alex Zelczer. “This is a piece of history; this matters,” says Bauman. “This is not your everyday work project – these are moments in someone’s life. They chose to dredge it up and speak about it to teach others.”
Weiner, who lives at Montefiore with her husband, Marvin, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Irene came to the United States as a teenager, but with the help of Marvin tells her story because she doesn’t want the personal horrors of the Holocaust to be forgotten.
“People should know what they did,” Weiner says. “I was lucky I survived because I was young.”
Sarah Axner, a social worker at Montefiore, says the experience has been good for the Weiners and other residents. “As an aging services agency guided by Jewish values we recognize the importance of speaking about their experiences,” she says. “Hopefully there is therapeutic value in it and will encourage other survivors to speak out.”
The Remembering Project will debut Tuesday, January 13 at 7pm at Montefiore’s Maltz Auditorium. Admission is free.
The documentary will also be available online and through Montefiore’s YouTube channel. Organizations and schools can contact Melissa Adell about obtaining a copy of The Remembering Project. A study guide created by Daniel Weiss, Judaic Studies teacher at Gross Schechter Day School, is available as well.
The Remembering Project, which was made with a grant from the Saltzman Youth Panel of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, brought on board four area high school students to help with the production and learn first-hand about the Holocaust. The film will premiere Tuesday at Montefiore Home.
The piece tells the survival stories of Irene Weiner, Roni Berenson, Michael Pupa and Alex Zelczer. “This is a piece of history; this matters,” says Bauman. “This is not your everyday work project – these are moments in someone’s life. They chose to dredge it up and speak about it to teach others.”
Weiner, who lives at Montefiore with her husband, Marvin, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Irene came to the United States as a teenager, but with the help of Marvin tells her story because she doesn’t want the personal horrors of the Holocaust to be forgotten.
“People should know what they did,” Weiner says. “I was lucky I survived because I was young.”
Sarah Axner, a social worker at Montefiore, says the experience has been good for the Weiners and other residents. “As an aging services agency guided by Jewish values we recognize the importance of speaking about their experiences,” she says. “Hopefully there is therapeutic value in it and will encourage other survivors to speak out.”
The Remembering Project will debut Tuesday, January 13 at 7pm at Montefiore’s Maltz Auditorium. Admission is free.
The documentary will also be available online and through Montefiore’s YouTube channel. Organizations and schools can contact Melissa Adell about obtaining a copy of The Remembering Project. A study guide created by Daniel Weiss, Judaic Studies teacher at Gross Schechter Day School, is available as well.
Cleveland's entrepreneurial scene is increasingly vibrant, with new small businesses and technology startups being launched at a fast clip. Here are six companies started in the last year that are poised for rapid growth.
Learn to swing dance, check out cutting-edge local theatre or participate in a conversation about social justice.
The Cleveland Leadership Center, along with Bernie Moreno’s Collection Auto Group, are asking individuals to pitch their best ideas for civic improvement – no matter how wild an idea.
The civic pitch completion, Accelerate 2015: A New Model for Change is designed to solicit ideas that can be one-and-done projects or sustainable, ongoing efforts that make Northeast Ohio a better place.
“We came up with the idea 18 months ago, thinking about the opportunities in Cleveland for the business sector and entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas,” recalls Marianne Crosley, president and CEO of the CLC. “But there really isn’t a way for people with civic visions to pitch. What better way to impact and transform Cleveland than to open things up to the public to pitch their ideas and make a difference in the community?”
Pitches will be accepted in five categories: quality of life; economic development; educating for tomorrow; community change; and transformative arts and culture. “We’re open to anything, from how do you transform a street corner or empty lot to how do you impact youth,” says Crosley. "There’s nothing traditional about this event.”
The only parameters are the presenters must be individuals and the pitches must be civic-minded. No organized groups or businesses will be heard.
Panels of judges will select a winning pitch in each category, and those category winners will pitch to a larger audience. The audience will then vote on an overall winner. The the four finalists each receive $1,500 and the winning pitch receives $3,000. All winners will receive mentorship and an opportunity for community support.
ThomaMoreno is co-chairing the event along with Thomas E. Hopkins, CLC board chair and senior vice president of Sherwin-Williams, to celebrate Collection Auto Group’s 10th anniversary and as a way of saying thanks for their success and growth in Cleveland.
The deadline to apply is Monday, January 12. The competition will be held on Wednesday, February 25. Pitches begin at 4:30pm, followed by the audience judging and reception at 6pm at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Tickets are $35 for the general public, $25 for CLC Partners, and $20 for students.
The civic pitch completion, Accelerate 2015: A New Model for Change is designed to solicit ideas that can be one-and-done projects or sustainable, ongoing efforts that make Northeast Ohio a better place.
“We came up with the idea 18 months ago, thinking about the opportunities in Cleveland for the business sector and entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas,” recalls Marianne Crosley, president and CEO of the CLC. “But there really isn’t a way for people with civic visions to pitch. What better way to impact and transform Cleveland than to open things up to the public to pitch their ideas and make a difference in the community?”
Pitches will be accepted in five categories: quality of life; economic development; educating for tomorrow; community change; and transformative arts and culture. “We’re open to anything, from how do you transform a street corner or empty lot to how do you impact youth,” says Crosley. "There’s nothing traditional about this event.”
The only parameters are the presenters must be individuals and the pitches must be civic-minded. No organized groups or businesses will be heard.
Panels of judges will select a winning pitch in each category, and those category winners will pitch to a larger audience. The audience will then vote on an overall winner. The the four finalists each receive $1,500 and the winning pitch receives $3,000. All winners will receive mentorship and an opportunity for community support.
ThomaMoreno is co-chairing the event along with Thomas E. Hopkins, CLC board chair and senior vice president of Sherwin-Williams, to celebrate Collection Auto Group’s 10th anniversary and as a way of saying thanks for their success and growth in Cleveland.
The deadline to apply is Monday, January 12. The competition will be held on Wednesday, February 25. Pitches begin at 4:30pm, followed by the audience judging and reception at 6pm at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Tickets are $35 for the general public, $25 for CLC Partners, and $20 for students.
"Rust Belt-chic town for art and culture vultures, basketball fans, and stalwart foodies."
That's how Fodor's Travel describes Cleveland in its new list of top 25 travel destinations in 2015.
The article also praises "culinary kings like Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, an orchestra rated one of the top five in the nation, and a major new wing at The Cleveland Museum of Art."
Read the full story here.
That's how Fodor's Travel describes Cleveland in its new list of top 25 travel destinations in 2015.
The article also praises "culinary kings like Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, an orchestra rated one of the top five in the nation, and a major new wing at The Cleveland Museum of Art."
Read the full story here.
New research suggests that innovation districts, whose growth is fueled by anchor institutions, companies and startups working in close proximity to one another, may be growing faster than traditional downtowns.
