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June 2009

A GROWING LATINO PRESENCE
Hispanic majorities at 7 Cleveland public schools prompt call for special help
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thomas Ott
Plain Dealer Reporter

Find this story online at: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/124591881060951.xml&coll=2

Cleveland's near West Side is a school system within a school system. It's dominated by a Hispanic community whose presence is growing almost by default as the city's population shrinks.

The most recent figures for a cluster of seven West Side schools show that Latinos account for 45 percent to 78 percent of the enrollment in each building. Leaders of the Hispanic Roundtable, a regional organization devoted to education and other concerns, say the numbers call out for special help from district Chief Executive Officer Eugene Sanders.

For starters, the Roundtable has asked Sanders to appoint a Latino to the open principal's job at Lincoln-West High School. The group also wants the district to reduce a high Hispanic dropout rate, expand bilingual instruction and place some of its new specialty schools in or near Latino neighborhoods.

The community has taken some steps on its own -- for example, forming a parents group called Padres Unidos. But leaders say their resources are no match for the demand.

"Frankly, I think the school district needs to be challenged," said Roundtable Chairman Jose Feliciano (photo left), a lawyer and former Cleveland city prosecutor.

"They need to focus a lot more attention on our issues."

Sanders said the district works closely with "all segments," including the Hispanic community.

But he was careful in an interview not to promise action on specific Latino issues.

Though many of the good-paying industrial jobs that once acted as a draw have vanished, Hispanic people - primarily from Puerto Rico - still migrate to Cleveland to be among relatives. Latinos made up 8.3 percent of the city's population in 2007, according to U.S. census estimates, but Hispanic leaders believe the proportion will increase significantly in the next few years.

Less than 12 percent of the district's 50,000 students are Hispanic, according to the latest figures, but concentrations soar at Lincoln-West and six elementary schools: Scranton, Buhrer, Luis Muñoz Marin, Clark, Joseph M. Gallagher and Walton.

Many of Cleveland's Hispanic students are born here but grow up in homes hearing a choppy mix of Spanish and English, said Jessica Gonzalez, associate director of Esperanza, an education and economic development agency based at West 25th Street and Clark Avenue. As a result, they fully master neither language, she said.

Esperanza - Spanish for "hope" - provides tutoring and mentoring one day a week at Gallagher and Buhrer. Next school year, with $20,000 from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, the agency will assign a part-time tutor four days a week to Marin, the largest of the near West Side elementary schools.

It's progress, but Gonzalez said much more is needed to carry Hispanic students through high school and over their largest hurdle: the Ohio Graduation Test. She said many students give up early in high school, while others stay longer than four years, only to find they still can't pass the exam.

Hispanic leaders say Cleveland's Latino graduation rate may be lower than the district's overall mark, which the latest state report card places at about 54 percent.

School board member Iris Rodriguez, who came to Cleveland from Puerto Rico, is prodding Sanders to come up with a more effective dropout-prevention plan for all students, not just Latinos. At her urging, the board on Tuesday ordered Sanders to provide regular updates on the steps he has taken.

"We believe we have a good strategy," Sanders told the board. "We're certainly open to having better ones."

Hispanic leaders also want Sanders to consider placing Latinos in charge of the near West Side schools as positions become available. Of the seven, only Buhrer, led by Sandra Velazquez, has a Hispanic principal. In addition to Lincoln-West, Scranton also will get a new principal this summer.

The schools' principals, regardless of their ethnicity, should be sensitive to the difficulty Hispanic children face in adjusting to a different language and culture, said Jessica Gonzalez's husband, Andres, a Roundtable board member and chairman of education issues for the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs. Latinos also could act as role models, he said.

Sanders said the district encouraged the Roundtable to offer candidates for the Lincoln-West job, but he has not heard back since writing to Feliciano in April.

"We don't target positions" for specific ethnic or racial groups, Sanders said. "But we welcome and embrace diversity."

Hispanic leaders fear for the future of their neighborhood schools and bilingual programs. Consultants are studying the financially pressed district's facilities and programs, and their work could set the stage for closings, consolidation and cuts.

The district is likely to continue developing specialty schools and programs, and Latino leaders would like to see some in their part of town.

The district relies heavily on public transportation. When their children are still mastering nuances of English, Hispanic parents are reluctant to send them across town on buses to places like the John Hay School of Science and Medicine or two high schools focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"We are asking them to make a generational leap," said Uruguay native Maureen Dee, an official with Catholic Charities Services. "They need to know they are going to be safe and nurtured and cared for."

Sanders was reluctant to comment on facilities and programs until after the consultants issue their reports.

"The district is very committed to all of our students, regardless of where they live," he said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

tott@plaind.com , 216-999-5739

©2009 Plain Dealer
© 2009 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

 

April 2009

From: The West Side Sun

May Dugan Center doing more despite $200,000 funding cut
Thursday, April 09, 2009
By Kate Spirgen kspirgen@sunnews.com
West Side Sun News

To Read This Story Online, Go To:

http://www.cleveland.com/westsidesun/communitylife/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1239286134112560.xml&coll=4

As the May Dugan Center in Ohio City prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the organization is expanding despite more than $200,000 in funding cuts.

Through a variety of services geared toward helping those in need work toward a better life, the center has been filling basic needs, providing employment and housing assistance to those at risk for homelessness and guidance to new parents.

In the last year alone, the center has seen nearly 4,000 clients through its Comprehensive Case Management Program which offers employment readiness services, housing assistance and counseling.

Barbara Grants, director of development, estimates that 75 percent of active cases are those looking for employment and through the education and resource center scheduled to open before the end of the year, the organization is hoping to improve those numbers.

"It's really difficult when you see client after client and they're just not employable," she said. "They might not know how to make a resume or use a computer and the center would help resolve some of those issues."

The new center will help applicants gain these skills and, in many cases, learn English with the help of tutors.

Health care is also in the works for the center. The organization's new executive director, Rick Kemm, is also hoping to expand the center's medical resources.

"This is a medically under-served area," he said. "So many people come here as a resource for help that if we can increase the services that they might need, not only food and counseling and accessing other services but particularly focusing on prevention and education so that we can begin at least make a stab at lowering some of the shocking statistics."

One of the center's most popular services is the Food and Nutrition program which provides a non-perishable food to those under the poverty line.

Through their partnership with the Greater Cleveland Hunger Network and donations from churches, schools and individuals, the center is able to hand out large bags packed with the supplies for healthy meals every Wednesday.

"Even in the last couple of months we've seen a huge increase," said staff member Carol Romano, noting that in one day this month, the center saw more families than the entire month of February.

Because they offer so many services from Strong Start, which works with young couples to provide a healthy home during a baby's first year, to the Community Outreach referral service, the center is often able to help clients in more than one aspect of their life.

"The beautiful thing for me is that our counselors really look at the whole person," Grants said. "A person may come in for a job and we can help them with that but see that there are other issues and work with them to resolve those."

The May Dugan Center is planning a celebration for the fall to celebrate the local bar owner and philanthropist for whom the building is named.

Donations of food, clothing and cash can be dropped off or sent to the May Dugan Center, 4115 Bridge Ave. in Cleveland.
 

March 2009

Former warehouse back in business
Thursday, March 05, 2009

By Ken Prendergast kprendergast@sunnews.com

West Side Sun News

To read this story online, go to: http://www.cleveland.com/westsidesun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1236263881228150.xml&coll=4

By the end of February, a former Ohio City warehouse of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority began to see new life. More life could be on the way as the property's new owner presses ahead with the second phase for the entire block.

Already moved into the warehouse portion of the block along Church Avenue between West 25th and West 28th streets is the Arts & Sciences Preparatory Academy run by Mosaica Education of Atlanta.

The former warehouse, called the CMHA Administration Annex, houses the charter school and is at the corner of Church and West 28th. The 1960s-era building also once housed Lester Engineering Corp., said developer Rick Foran. He is a partner with Christopher Smythe in West 25th Street Lofts Limited Liability Corp., which is developing the block.

"We're beginning to move along," Foran said. "The charter school moved in a couple of weeks ago. Mosaica has about 70 schools they run nationwide and worldwide. They're a very impressive organization."

West 25th Street Lofts LLC now owns the CMHA warehouse, as well as an older building, part of which dates from the 1870s and faces West 25th. The latter building was mostly recently called Exhibit Builders, 1526 W. 25th. But it was originally built by Jacob Baehr as the Baehr Brewery. It remained a brewery until 1900, Foran said.

It is proposed to be converted into apartments on the second-floor with a commercial space available on the ground floor. Foran said that while the for-sale housing market isn't moving, rental properties are.

That's especially true downtown and in nearby neighborhoods like Ohio City, where many apartment buildings are more than 90 percent leased. West 25th Street Lofts was able to secure tax credits last October from the state to help with its financing package.

"We've been working with Charter One Bank and we're able to finalize the first phase of the deal," he said. "However, for the apartments, we're still developing drawings and funding mechanisms. We're building up the balance of the space."

Patricia Zolten, chair of the Bridge-Carroll-Jay Block Club, said she wanted to make sure the apartments would be leased at market rates and not be subsidized. She said Ohio City already has too much subsidized housing.

"We pressed them (West 25th Street Lofts) on having market-rate housing," Zolten said. "West 25th is a gateway to Ohio City."

Foran and Nate Coffman, executive director of the Ohio City Near West Development Corp., said the apartments would be leased at market rates.

"It's a very large block and it was on the market for a couple of years," Coffman said. "It would be wonderful to see this happen."

Bodnar-Mahoney Funeral Home will leave Cleveland following city's denial of variance
Thursday, February 26, 2009

By Ken Prendergast kprendergast@sunnews.com

West Side Sun News

To read this story online, go to: http://www.cleveland.com/westsidesun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/123566084934800.xml&coll=4

A city panel's ruling against a funeral home's planned expansion is prompting an 82-year-old business to leave the city for the suburbs.

The Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously on Monday to reject a variance request by Bodnar-Mahoney Funeral Home & Cremation Service to build a crematory on its property at 3929 Lorain Ave.

Funeral director Patrick Mahoney Sr. said there will be no appeal. Instead, he will sell the funeral home to someone who approached him last year with a purchase offer. Mahoney declined to identify the buyer or what their intended use of the funeral home will be.

"We will leave the city for the western suburbs," he said. "It's a shame on Cleveland. We're in our 82nd year here. Without concrete and substantial and quantitative data, they said that we're going to harm our neighbors."

Mahoney singled out Matt Carroll, director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health. BOZA relied on his input as the reason for denying the variance for the crematorium. Some neighbors expressed concern about the emission of mercury from tooth fillings that are vaporized during cremation.

"We cannot support this use as currently anticipated (due to) its unique location and its neighbors," Carroll said in a written statement. "In fairness, the immediate health risks from these emissions are not known. But mercury emissions are harmful to the environment.

"Our role is to minimize health impacts to Clevelanders -- to reduce risks and limit exposure to pollutants," he added. "This use will contribute to air pollution, and our responsibility is clear."

"All of the data they compiled is inconclusive," Mahoney said. "He was asked to make a recommendation. He just said he couldn't support it."

Ward 13 Councilman Joe Cimperman wrote a letter to BOZA in opposition to the variance. He expressed concern about emissions as his ward is downwind from the funeral home.

But the funeral home is in Ward 14 whose councilman, Joe Santiago, wrote a letter to BOZA in support of the variance. Neither councilman attended Monday's hearing.

The funeral home has been in continuous operation since 1927 but has contracted out the rising number of cremations which now account for 60 percent of its business.

Mahoney said cremations needed to be done in-house to reduce its business costs. The crematory is part of a $300,000 expansion he hoped to make in the neighborhood, including a new facade and lighted walkways.

The variance is needed because the city's zoning code requires a crematory to be considered first for a general industry district. If the site is within 300 feet of a residential district, the city allows a crematory to be built by special permit.

The crematory would have been within a few yards of homes and within blocks of several schools plus an urban community garden.
 

New Ohio City Blog

Check out the exciting new blog+ at: http://ohiocity.ning.com/

It is free to sign up for this really wonderful "blog+" that helps our neighbors to know one another, share our news, and build stronger relationships with one another.  I've loaded some photos of our church onto my page hoping more folks will connect with our church.  Check it out!

Pastor Allen

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Cleveland Planning Commission
From OCNW:
We would like to keep the neighborhood informed on matters that impact the community. Thus, we have created a web page for information on Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) notices that fall into our service area, and will be adding the Ohio City Design Review Committee agenda as it is made available. There are 2 BZA notices there now that might be of interest to the community. To view these updates and notices, please click here or go to: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9npswxcab.0.ava6wxcab.dlq8upcab.62&ts=S0393&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ocnw.org%2Findex.cgi%3Fid%3D130%26p%3D6414

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St. Ignatius High School names Rev. William Murphy president
Posted by Sun News February 19, 2009 15:20PM

For the original story, go to: http://blog.cleveland.com/westshoresun/2009/02/st_ignatius_high_school_names.html

The Rev. William Murphy, S.J., has been named the 25th president of St. Ignatius High School, effective July 1, 2009.

Rev. William Murphy, S.J., was named president of St. Ignatius High School by the school's Board of Regents on Feb. 18.
The school's Board of Regents elected him Feb. 18 as successor to Rev. Timothy Kesicki, S.J., who left the school last June to head the Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus.

Murphy, 38, special assistant to the president of St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati, was born near Harrisburg, Pa., raised in East Lansing, Mich., and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.

Before joining the Jesuits in 1997, he worked as business manager for the Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville, Ky., and as an auditor and financial analyst for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

During his early years with the Jesuits, Murphy attended Loyola University Chicago, earned an advanced degree from Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, Mass., and taught mathematics for three years at Cincinnati's St. Xavier. He was ordained to the priesthood in June 2008.

Kesicki, a native of Erie, Pa., and 1984 graduate of John Carroll University, served as president of Saint Ignatius from 2000 to 2008. Since then, Rev. John Libens, S.J., a 1957 graduate of Saint Ignatius, headed the school as interim president. Libens will continue to serve on the school's administration as dean of teachers.

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OCNW Membership

Hello,

Click HERE to download the OCNW 2009 membership form.  Members are required to sign up each year unless they voted in last years election. Those who voted are automatically renewed.  (The annual meeting [which will be awesome this year] is on Wednesday nite April 22nd. There's gonna be give aways, raffles, and contests you'll even get to vote on an upcoming community benefit project of the 3 finalists... it'll be a fun nite and you wont want to miss it.

Please print the PDF app attached and get it back to me or to the OCNW office. The cut off date to become a member is March 23rd.

Look for more emails from me as details are laid out in the coming weeks...

Thanks, and here's to a very successful 2009. The organization is poised to do even more Great things this year.

Thank you,

Roger

ps. this is the resident form, if you need a 'business form' email me and I'll fwd one to you!
Becoming a member of Ohio City Near West Development Corporation is one way you can demonstrate your support for the neighborhood. There are three categories of membership:

Voting Member--Resident
Voting Member--Business (representing a business in Ohio City)
Non-Voting Associate Member
I sent this to you because you fit one of these categories.... Please forward this to all residents you know in OC!

Dont forget the Weekend in Ohio City tickets are now on sale at www.ocnw.org  and the 2nd annual Blues and Brews fest is in its planning stage... as it the Run Crawl ... there are always volunteer opportunities available..

Roger Scheve, 440-477-1188 Realtor RE/MAX Beyond 2000

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Weekend in Ohio City, May 16-17

If you’ve ever attended Weekend in Ohio City, you know how much fun it is to get a glimpse into the extremely cool homes of one of Cleveland's most exciting neighborhoods.

“Weekend in Ohio City is a great event for both the neighborhood and for Northeast Ohio in general,” noted Margaret Latch, chairperson of the 2009 event. “We get people from all over Ohio—and even neighboring states. And many people have attended for years. It’s truly an event that people really look forward to every year.”

Weekend in Ohio City comprises two popular events: Evening in Ohio on Saturday, May 16, and the Ohio City Home Tour on Sunday, May 17. Both events offer attendees the chance to experience the vast diversity in housing options in Ohio City and see how neighborhood residents have applied their skills and creative talents to bring alive their visions for their homes.

Evening in Ohio City is one of Greater Cleveland’s most popular social events, and typically sells out weeks in advance. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and features progressive food, wine and beer tasting in six unique homes in the neighborhood. Guests are escorted by Lolly the Trolley to each site, where they spend 30 minutes touring the home, enjoying wine and craft beers from Ohio City’s own Great Lakes Brewing Company, and sampling the food from a variety of Ohio City restaurants and caterers. At the end of the evening, all guests gather for coffee and dessert and to share their experiences of the evening.

The following day, the Ohio City Home Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring nine homes not included on the previous night’s event. Among the homes highlighted on the Home Tour in 2008 were a 140-year-old Italianate saved from demolition and transformed into a showplace residence with Ohio City’s only in-ground swimming pool; a stately Victorian home featuring skylights, exposed brick fireplaces, and keepsakes and art gathered by the owners from around the world; and a circa 1886 structure boasting loads of original woodwork and a state-of-the-art tree house.

Tickets for Evening in Ohio City are $110 per person if purchased before March 15, $125 per person after, and include wine and beer, hearty hors d’oeuvres, guided tours of host homes, a complimentary souvenir wine or beer glass, transportation to all homes via Lolly the Trolley, and admission to the Home Tour the next day. Tickets for Sunday’s tour—which include entrance to all tour sites and rides on Lolly—are $18 if purchased before May 15 or $20 on the day of the event.

This year, a volume discount has been implemented for both events. Any person purchasing six or more tickets for Evening in Ohio City receives an additional $5 off the current ticket price on each ticket. For the Home Tour, an individual buying six or more tickets online before May 15 can do so for $15 per ticket. Tickets for both events can be purchased in advance either at www.ohiocity.com or 216.781.3222.

We hope to see you once again this May during Weekend in Ohio City!

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2008 News

December 2008

Ashbury Towers project gets new owners
Saturday, December 20, 2008 ~ The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Michelle Jarboe, Plain Dealer Reporter
Find this story at: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/business-11/122976572739200.xml&coll=2

New owners might revive the abandoned Ashbury Towers project, an unfinished development on Cleveland's near West Side.

The property, split into two parcels, was sold to local developers Marc Strauss and Doug Perkowski at a private auction Thursday.

Huntington Bank, the primary lender on Ashbury Towers, initiated the auction after the stalled neighborhood project failed to attract bidders at sheriff's sales.

The bank and other lenders, including the city of Cleveland, have been trying to get their money back since Ameri-Con Homes dumped the project.

Auction proceeds won't go far toward covering Huntington's $2.75 million commitment or the city's $668,000 loan.

And they're unlikely to help smaller creditors or contractors waiting to be paid. Strauss bid $375,000 for his parcel, where 12 townhouses stand in various states of completion.

Perkowski bid $255,000 for land and two empty buildings on the former site of the Joseph & Feiss Co. garment factory.

But the sale could bring activity back to the site, where Ameri-Con had planned 150 townhouses and condos, built just a handful and sold only three.

"I'm going to jump right on it," said Strauss, who has built single-family homes in Cleveland's close-lying suburbs. "I just picked up the ability to build 17 more town homes and finish nine for $375,000. You have to look for these opportunities, especially in today's market."

Strauss tried to buy both properties, but Perkowski outbid him on the former factory site.

Perkowski did not return a call seeking comment Friday.

He and his brother, David, have worked on other Cleveland residential projects, including renovations of the Federal Knitting Mills Building on Detroit Avenue and the Merrell and Metzner buildings on West 25th Street.

Strauss hopes to buy surrounding land and explore a larger project, possibly one comprising 50 or 60 townhouses. He plans to start construction soon on the existing homes and offer some for sale next spring.

A few of the townhouses just need minor work, while others have been boarded up and battered by vandals, who cut electrical wires, stole copper pipes and kicked holes in the walls.

Strauss also intends to dump the tainted Ashbury Towers name.

"It has to be different," he said. "It just has to be."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mjarboe@plaind.com, 216-999-4830


©2008 Plain Dealer
© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

 

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October 2008

October 3, 2008 Message From Ohio City Near West Development Corp.:
 A message from Abe Bruckman, OCNW Director of Real Estate Development:
 
 We have been notified by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and by Mr. David Ellison that his project funding request for an "enhanced transit waiting environment" has been approved for funding through GCRTA as part of their "TLCI" program. The site is located at W. 41st and Lorain (the SW corner). This is a high profile site used by thousands of commuters daily, a "gateway" location into Ohio City and the City's near west side.
 
 Enhanced Transit Waiting Environment - What it is: Custom bus shelter and better-than-average site amenities that will include new GCRTA signage package, public art, and integrated site design, landscape treatment, bike rack, waste receptacle, site accent lighting, and security measures.
 
 TLCI (Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative): A Federal funding program administered through GCRTA and NOACA (NE Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency).
 
 Award Amount: $25,000. Project Cost: Approx $57,000 (hard cost. Does not include soft costs - staff time at D.H. Ellison for renderings and technical research. Staff time of OCNW assisting the preparation of TLCI proposal packet and outreach to GCRTA).
 
 Timeline: According to GCRTA, the legal/contractual end of this will be worked out through Oct./ November of this year. This means a likely start of construction to be in the first or second quarter of 2009, or as soon as weather conditions permit site work.
 
 Our Role: OCNW was the steward of this property for a number of years, and this organization was instrumental in helping Mr. Ellison get funding to move this project along (the pending transit project, and some of the demolition work underway on the site).
 
 Next Steps: There will be a public outreach component, public art and historic signage components for this project that will engage the community more actively. The community in a larger sense stands to benefit from this project in many ways, which we will explore later in the fall of the year.
 

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September 2008

Free outdoor movie at Fairview Park -- Friday, September 19th
 

"Enchanted"*

7:00 pizza

8:00 movie

Bring blankets and lawn chairs!

*Rated PG…an animated fairy tale meets modern, live-action comedy. The beautiful princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid - even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home - she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?

ParkWorks park programming is brought to you with generous support from Lutheran Hospital, Charter One Foundation, Councilman Joe Cimperman, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, Friends of Fairview Park, and ParkWorks.

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August 2008

Everywhere a cluck-cluck: Chicken farms spring up in Cleveland
Chicken farms are even springing up in cities like Cleveland
Saturday, August 30, 2008 ~ Cleveland Plain Dealer
Fran Henry
Plain Dealer Reporter
Meagan Kresge knows they're around, lurking in yards, huddling in lean-tos. But unlike those renegades, her chatty flock of 17 hens are legal city dwellers.

They're a fussy bunch though, accustomed to the finer things - lolling in the shade of a large mulberry tree and dining on sun-ripened tomatoes, butter leaf lettuce and pigweed plucked from the soil of Gather 'round Farm, where they live. Kresge and gardening partner Uma Kirkwood got a land use zoning variance to build a chicken coop on the property bordering Lorain Avenue in Ohio City. They also got clearance to have more than five hens.

Getting permission wasn't easy, said Kresge, 37, a serious woman with calloused hands, short fingernails and thick, wavy brown hair pulled into a ponytail.

"An average citizen can't imagine how many hoops you have to jump through," Kirkwood, 27, said.

But in June, Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman proposed legislation to make it easier for residents to keep chickens in the city. It would require a coop to be set back from other residences and businesses "more in the range of 10 feet than the current 100 feet that makes it impossible for most people to keep chickens in their yards," city Planning Director Bob Brown said.

Roosters would be prohibited because they're noisy, he said, and other requirements would include sanitary conditions and fences. Brown expects the law could pass by Thanksgiving.

"It's a new chapter for urban farms," Cimperman said. "Gardens increase community activism, decrease crime and improve property values. If we have enough Meagans in the city of Cleveland, our turnaround is inevitable. Gardens mean people are getting involved."

The former Hofbrau Haus parking lot on East 55th Street, for example, became a magnet for stolen cars, kids doing drugs and fights after the restaurant closed, he said.

"In 2005-2006, the lot generated 50 police calls, but since Emmy and Jeff Levine worked with the Goodrich-Gannett neighborhood to create a garden, it generated zero police calls in 2007," Cimperman said.

Kresge said 60 residents attended the zoning variance meeting to support the farm and chickens, and that interest hasn't waned. "The neighborhood kids named the chickens - including Marigold, Buck Beak, Zappatos, Ja Lioness - and when we had a first birthday party for the chickens, 60 neighbors and friends came to a potluck cookout," she said. "At least two or three people come by every day and say thanks."

Kelly Grimm, co-owner of the Cleveland Auction Co., which deals in fine art and antiques, said the farm is a nice change from the parking lot her auction house faced for eight years. "I believe in urban gardening," she said, "and I think Meagan has a good vision."

Kresge and Kirkwood initiated Cleveland's leap to the growing list of cities where raising chickens is part of the social fabric, such as Portland, Ore., and Houston. Web sites such as www.thecitychicken.com   and www.backyardchickens.com  provide education and a venue for egg farmers to share ideas, and some cities have chicken coop tours, Kresge's partner, Tony Serna, said.

Gather 'round Farm's flock includes 15 heirloom breeds, including a Belgian Bearded d'Uccle Bantam with downy ankles and an Araucana that lays pale green eggs. They eat organic feed and lay eight to 15 eggs daily, which Kresge sells to neighbors on an honor system for $2.50 to $3.50 a dozen. She places the day's eggs in a box in front of her apartment building, and purchasers slide their payments through a gap in the building's front door.

Kresge and Kirkwood hope the garden can become a full-time job. Meanwhile, Kresge is a part-time gardener for Simple Yard Care and Kirkwood is the janitor at Pilgrim Church, both in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. They recently won a $5,000 Cleveland Foundation Neighborhoods Connection grant.

Kirkwood said there's more to egg farming than she expected. "Chickens are very sensitive to getting sick. It's important keeping the poop cleaned up and the air circulating and giving them enough room and clean water," she said. "I guess we've been lucky not having sick chickens."

Five hens were stolen last winter. "We were heartbroken," Kresge said. "People think chickens are dumb, but they have lots of 'chickenality.' " The hens were returned in a couple of weeks, hungry and thirsty.

The farm is built on a vacant lot that owner Mark Pestak leases to Kresge for $1 a year. When she first saw the land, it was an asphalt sea, its cracks bursting with weeds. "I wondered if you can garden over asphalt every time I passed by," Kresge said.

She approached Pestak, her landlord, who told her "he wanted something meaningful on the lot, not just another franchise," Kresge said.

Turning a patch of asphalt into gardening soil has been arduous, Kresge said, dangling a sheaf of pigweed for some hens to feast upon.

She began spreading wood chips on the asphalt in 2006, then added vegetables discarded from the West Side Market, cardboard boxes and all. The top layer is purchased soil. The two women planted their first vegetables this year, and leased some land to mother and daughter Stephanie and Alicia Ross, who grow herbs for farmers markets.

"I like people to know the possibilities," Kresge said. "Our culture has gotten stuck on an asphalt manicured life and it's not sustainable. Where did these standards come from? Why not raise food instead of grass?

"What's the point of a yard?"

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

fhenry@plaind.com, 216-999-4806

©2008
© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

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Great Lakes Brewing Co. celebrates 20th anniversary
Posted by Scott Stephens August 18, 2008 00:38AM
Cleveland Plain Dealer at www.Cleveland.com

Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Where: 2516 Market St., Cleveland.

Call: 216-771-4404.

Online: www.greatlakesbrewing.com .

Brewpub hours: 11:30 a.m-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday (bar open until midnight); 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday (bar open until 1 a.m.). Closed Sundays. Happy hour, 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Reservations: Great Lakes takes reservations for parties of eight to 15 people. For parties under eight, call the brewpub 30-45 minutes ahead and leave your name with the hostess. A credit card number is required to hold the reservation. There is a 48-hour cancellation policy; if the group is a no-show, $15 will be assessed per person.

It's been awhile since brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway made the rounds to area retailers in an old Chevy station wagon, amber bottles of their craft beer clanging like bells every time they hit a chuckhole in the road.
In those days, their fledgling Great Lakes Brewing Co. bottled its beer by hand, a slow process that resulted in only 30 cases a day.

Still, it didn't take long before beer lovers took notice of the hand-crafted ales and lagers from the first new brewery in Cleveland since Prohibition.

"Dan and I were driving down to Akron one time and another vehicle commandeered us to the side of the road," said Patrick Conway, co-founder of Ohio's first and largest microbrewery. "A guy jumped out and said, 'You need to stop now and follow me to my store.' "

Today, you don't have to hijack a station wagon to get a bottle of Great Lakes brew. As the microbrewery prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary Sept. 6, its brand is as synonymous with Cleveland as the Browns, Severance Hall or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

The beer, distributed in nine states, has gained a national reputation among connoisseurs. The medals the suds have won at beer competitions worldwide adorn the wall behind the mahogany bar of the Market Street brewpub like hardware pinned to a general's chest.

In a sluggish economy, the $20-million-a-year operation is tracking a 30 percent growth this year. As other employers cut jobs, Great Lakes is adding positions.

"I think the industry is still looking good for people like ourselves," said Daniel Conway, 47, a former banker. "I'm energized by what we're doing. We're contributing jobs to an area that's very much in need of them."

John Kuntz/The Plain Dealer
Great Lakes' eco-friendly patio was the first in Cleveland to use hay-bail technology as insulation for the east wall and ceiling shades that can be closed in inclement weather. The patio stays open in winter because the floor has hot-water piping in the cement and a stone stove to keep the area warm.

Anniversary events
Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s 20-day countdown to its 20th anniversary begins Sunday and runs through Sept. 6. A special anniversary brew, Imperial Dortmunder, will be available on tap beginning Monday. Here's a sampling of planned activities and events:

Monday: City Fresh Monday, 6-8 p.m.

Wednesday: 20th Anniversary Beer School, 7-9 p.m.

Thursday: All-day happy hours until 9 p.m.

Friday: Customer appreciation night.

Saturday, Aug. 23: Intensive brewery tour day, 1-9 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 26: Brewmaster's Dinner (reservations only).

Wednesday, Aug. 27: Music by Francis Quinn & Friends.

Thursday, Aug. 28: All-day happy hours until 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 29: Customer appreciation night.

Saturday, Aug. 30: Pigskin Classic.

Tuesday, Sept. 2: Science Cafe Cleveland, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 3: 20th Anniversary Beer School with Patrick Conway, 7-9 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 4: All-day happy hours until 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 5: Customer appreciation night

Saturday, Sept. 6: 20th anniversary.

For the complete schedule and more information on any events, go here.

-- Source: Scott Stephens, Great Lakes Brewing Co.

And Great Lakes has established itself in other ways. Its annual Burning River Festival, held last Saturday, is the largest environmental-themed event of its type in the nation. Its brewpub was the first bar in Ohio to go smokeless. The Fatty Wagon, an eco-friendly shuttle bus that runs on restaurant vegetable oil, looks visionary as gasoline prices hover at $4 a gallon.
The brewing complex near the West Side Market almost singlehandedly transformed a run-down neighborhood into a fashionable Mecca of restaurants, shops and watering holes.

"It really revitalized the street," said Jimmy D'Amico, a longtime patron who moved into an apartment across the street 20 years ago. "And it's always been a great place to go."

From underdog to top dog

Like many successful ventures, Great Lakes started small and carefully controlled its growth. A former schoolteacher, Patrick, 60, got the idea that American tastes in beer were changing while he was tending bar at night and attending the University of Chicago by day.

A trip abroad to the pubs and beer halls of Czechoslovakia and Germany reinforced his notion that American beer could also be as fresh and flavorful as home-baked bread.

"Back in the day in Munich, they said they would never sell beer farther away than you could see from the top of the smokestack on the brewery," Patrick said. "We could sell beer all over the country, but it would depart from the genesis of what we're about."

Pooling their resources, the brothers strung together close to $500,000 from second mortgages, savings and bank loans. The dream began to take shape in the form of financial spreadsheets and flow charts. Daniel drew up a budget and secured permits and licenses.

Patrick, meanwhile lured Thaine Johnson, brewmaster at Christian Schmidt & Sons Inc., out of retirement. Schmidt's had closed its Quincy Avenue brewery in 1984. Johnson brought along Charlie Price, an engineer with 35 years of brewing experience.

The trio drew up plans for a brewery based at two buildings on Market Street. The site once was home to the Market Street Exchange, a popular restaurant in the 1980s. Before that, the buildings housed McClean's Feed and Seed store and the Market Tavern, a century-old saloon once frequented by Cleveland Safety Service Director Eliot Ness.

A Vienna-style lager, one of the brewery's first two beers, was named after Ness. The other beer, a Dortmunder-style lager, was named after football great John Heisman, whose Bridge Avenue birthplace can be seen from Patrick's office. But then the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, which owns the marketing rights to the Heisman Trophy, threatened to sue, and the Conways opted to simply call the beer Dortmunder Gold.

The late Michael Jackson, the world's best-known beer critic, in 2002 named Dortmunder Gold one of the five best brews in the United States.

Great Lakes, which started out by brewing fewer than 1,000 barrels annually, now brews about 75,000 barrels a year, ranking it in the top 25 of U.S. breweries.

It's not uncommon to see a half-dozen brews on area grocery shelves. But if the underdog has turned into the big dog on the block, no one seems to be complaining. Even competitors such as Rocky River Brewing Co. brewmaster Matt Cole have nothing but praise.

Cole recalls driving from Pittsburgh, where he worked as a brewer, on his days off just to sample Great Lakes beers and bring a case or two home.

"That's how much it meant to me," said Cole, who would go to work for Great Lakes briefly in the late 1990s. "It's a class act. I was really proud to have worked for them. They take care of their employees. They are an absolute model of what a small business should be."

Those kinds of feelings have helped produce a collegiality among local brewers that makes the industry feel more like a club than a business. It's not unusual, for example, for Cole and Great Lakes brewer Luke Purcell to swap yeast or borrow a bag of barley from one another.

"There's a real fraternity among brewers," Daniel Conway said. "They are always willing to share best practices."

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July 2008

Community Announcements for 7/8/08

1) Clancy is home!
2) The Ohio City Community Wide Yard Sale
3) FREE Outdoor Movies Downtown
4) Ohio City Gardeners’ 5th Annual Garden Tour
5) Save the date for Harvest Moon 2008

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1) Sent on behalf of Patricia Zolten: For those of you following the saga of the missing dog “Clancy”, please be advised that he was found last Thursday and he is back home. Patricia found Clancy off of Train Avenue near W.53rd Street. He was wet and dirty, and after a visit to the vet he was found to be very healthy. The search for Clancy was a great example of how a community came together to help one of our neighbors. Patricia is forever grateful for all of the support and kindness.

---------------------------------

2) Sent on behalf of W.47th Street residents Fay and Sally: The Ohio City Community Wide Yard Sale is scheduled for Saturday August 2nd from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm (Rain date will be August 9th)

• The cut off time for participation and inclusion on the map is July 19th
• $5.00 gets your address on the map, to help offset the cost of newspaper ads
• There are about 20 participants committed so far

To participate, please contact: Sally at (216) 651-3577 or Fay at (216) 651-5803

---------------------------------

3) Sent on behalf of ParkWorks:

FREE Outdoor Movies Downtown! Who needs a star-studded red carpet when you have a field of green grass and all the stars in the sky above? Bring your family and friends and enjoy a FREE evening of movies and popcorn overlooking the lake! Come down early to experience the wonder of puppeteers and stiltwalkers with special appearances by Parade the Circle Artists from the Cleveland Museum of Art. And enjoy a game of bocce, badminton or croquet!

• Blades of Glory at 9:15 pm on July 17 (July 22 Rain)
• The Bucket List at 8:45 pm on August 7 (August 12)
• Hairspray at 8:30 pm on August 21 (August 26)
• Spider-Man 3 at 8:00 pm on September 4 (September 9)

Location: Mall B is located between Lakeside Avenue and St. Clair Avenue, next to the Cleveland Convention Center. Questions? Need Parking Ideas? Contact ParkWorks at 216.696.2122 x 117 or visit www.ParkWorks.org

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4) Sent on behalf of the Ohio City Gardeners:

Eight enchanting urban gardens will be featured on the Ohio City Gardeners’ Fifth Annual Garden Tour on Sunday, July 20. Ticket sales will be from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM and the gardens will be open from 10:00 AM until at least 4 PM. This event is rain or shine. Tickets with the map of gardens on the self-guided walking tour will be available on tour day at the starting point of the tour: 3904 Bridge Ave. Cost of tickets is $10 each. On street parking is available for those who wish to drive to gardens or reach points of information by both foot and car. Homeowners welcome questions and comments about their gardens.

For additional tour or membership information, please contact Anne Frank at HFrank3883@aol.com.
Visit our web site for more club information: www.ohiocitygardeners.com

---------------------------------

5) Sent on behalf of Bill Merriman and Paula Kampf:

Save the date. It's official: HARVEST MOON 2008 will take place on Saturday, September 13th!

More details to come--just wanted to get it on your calendar NOW! Want to help make plans? Let me know via email (ruahkampf@gmail.com).

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To see the current schedule of events in the community, including the events at Fairview Park, check out our Event Calendar on the OCNW website at the following link: http://www.ocnw.org/index.cgi?id=130&p=6342

Bob Shores, OCNW Safety & Outreach Coordinator
2525 Market Avenue, Suite A
PH 781-3222, Fax 781-3252
bshores@ohiocity.org, www.ocnw.org

Near West Theatre Presents: West Side Story
Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Entire Original Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins
Originally Produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince by Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens

July 18, 19, 24, 25, 26
August 1, 2 & 3, 2008

Curtain time: Thursday, Friday and Saturday @ 7:30pm
Sunday @ 3:00pm

“We’ll find a new way of living.
We’ll find a way of forgiving…
Somehow, someday, somewhere.”

Hot moves. Cool tunes. Homeboys and immigrants fighting for life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Fueled by theater geniuses Bernstein, Sondheim, Robbins and Laurents, the world’s greatest love story takes to the streets in this landmark 1957 ground-breaking musical theater classic. Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet” spills into modern day New York City, as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice makes this show still one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

Songs include “Tonight”, “America”, “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere”.

Box Office & Reservation Voicemail
Reservations are accepted up to one hour before curtain time.
216-961-6391

Individual Tickets
Star Seat Single Ticket ($30)
All Other Tickets ($6)

For detailed information, go to their website at: http://www.nearwesttheatre.org/index.html

Season Packages

Be spontaneous and save! A NWT Season Package gives you the freedom to choose the productions you'd like to see and the number of tickets you'd like to use for each show. Come for one show or come for all the shows. Treat yourself. Treat your family. Treat your friends. All packages exclude special event performances.

Star Seat Package ($130)
Buy this package and help NWT continue to offer affordable, high-powered theatre on the Near West Side. Get 6 tickets for any combination of performances plus concession coupons and playbill recognition. ($94 tax deductible)

Family Package ($50)
Save $10! Get 10 tickets for any combination of performances.

Individual Package ($30)
Buy 5 tickets, get one free! Get 6 tickets for any combination of performances.

A season package does not guarantee a seat. Please call 48-hours in advance for reservations.

General Information

Group Sales
Got a group? We've got the perfect outing. Individual tickets prices are discounted for groups of 20 or more. Please call at least 10 days prior to the performance you wish to see to book a group. Great for a company or organization event! Call: 216-961-9750

Family-friendly Matinees
NWT encourages families with children younger than 4 to experience live theatre at our matinee performances.

Curtain Times
Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

General seating for all performances. Special seating arrangements for group sales only.

Near West Theatre is housed in St. Patrick's Club Building on the 3rd floor which is not accessible to persons with disabilities (there is no elevator or chair lift). However, NWT is engaged in a process to build an accessible theatre in the Gordon Square Arts District at West 67th & Detroit. The conceptual design for the new building is completed, and the capital campaign will be announced in the near future.


 

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Community Events at Fairview Park

(b/w W. 32nd & W. 39th, just south of Franklin Blvd.)

Ice Cream Social – Thursday, July 3, 7-9 p.m.

Double Dutch – Wednesday, July 9, 7-9 p.m.

Breakdancing Workshop – Thursday, July 10, 6-8 p.m.

Drumming Workshop – Thursday, July 17, 6-8 p.m.

Cuyahoga County Solid Waste Department Recycling Program – Tuesday, July 22, 6-7 p.m.

Double Dutch – Wednesday, July 23, 7-9 p.m.

Ice Cream Social – Thursday, July 24, 7-9 p.m.

Ice Cream Social – Thursday, July 31, 7-9 p.m.

For a full schedule and a map (in Adobe .pdf format) click HERE!

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New Lutheran Hospital Facility At W. 65th & Franklin Blvd.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

By Joe Noga jnoga@sunnews.com

West Side Sun News

http://www.cleveland.com/westsidesun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1215096005303530.xml&coll=4

For some West Side residents, finding a bilingual doctor that speaks Spanish and English is essential when searching for a primary care physician.

Lutheran Hospital recognized the need for a facility that treats Spanish-speaking patients, particularly in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, so last month the hospital opened a new medical office on Franklin Boulevard at West 65th Street dedicated to serving both English- and Spanish-speaking residents.

The offices house primary care and internal medicine physicians Joy Marshall and Leonor Osorio. Both doctors speak English and Spanish to their patients and have deep ties to the community there.

Lutheran Hospital President David Perse said the hospital has been a part of the community for more than 100 years, and has worked to respond to the needs of its residents.

"We are proud to offer health care in this newly-remodeled, convenient location for near west side residents," he said.

Services offered at the new location include health care for acute illnesses and minor injuries, care for common medical illnesses, physicals, geriatric care, gynecological routine health care and tests, health screenings, patient education and nutrition counseling and preventive medical care for adolescents and adults.

About 100 residents were on hand June 14 to take advantage of free health screenings, refreshments and prizes at an open house to introduce the facility to the neighborhood.

For more information on the practice, call (216) 696-1725.
 

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From The Plain Dealer

Saturday, June 21, 2008

The End' for beloved bookstore No happy ending for bookstore Bookstore writes final chapter Beloved bookstore at The End'
West 25th institution closing due to debts
To read this story online, go to: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1214037101320080.xml&coll=2
 

by Michael O'Malley
Plain Dealer Reporter
Unlike the long-haired cat that lives among the aging titles in the Bookstore on West 25th, the dusty, cluttered shop near the West Side Market will have only two lives.

About 18 months ago, the landmark store was in code blue and failing fast, but patrons and friends of owner Mike O'Brien held a rent party, giving the place a new life.

The revival, however, was short-lived. Now the old Mecca for suburban intellectuals and urban poor people -- who for decades browsed among the wooden shelves and the 25-cent rack -- is in its final hour.

O'Brien, swamped in debt again, is closing for good at the end of the month, ending 30 years of selling used books behind the banging screen door on West 25th Street.

"We've been circling the drain for a long time, so I'm not surprised," O'Brien said.

"In the last few months, no matter what I did, the hole was getting deeper."

O'Brien, like most independent book sellers, has been hit hard by big chain stores and Amazon.com.

He tried to compete by selling books on the Internet, but, without a staff, he said, he couldn't do that and keep the store running at the same time.

"For the city of Cleveland, it's a tragedy," said Suzanne DeGaetano, owner of Mac's Backs Paperbacks in Cleveland Heights, another independent bookstore.

"The Bookstore on West 25th was a hallmark of a great city, a great neighborhood and a great culture. Now people are using the Internet. Is Google changing our brain hardware?"

One person not using the Internet is Bart Ansley, 74, a retired German teacher who lives in Seven Hills. He stopped in O'Brien's store Friday morning to browse the German language section.

"A store like this can offer things those big stores don't," he said.

"But they won't let the little guy have anything. That's the way our world works."

O'Brien has about 50,000 books to unload, along with the long-haired Maine coon cat named Luna who has lived in the store five years. He is holding an auction Sunday. What's left will be heavily discounted starting Monday.

O'Brien owes about $50,000 in back rent, utilities, taxes and lines of credit. "The landlord has been remarkably good to us," he said. "The fact we can't make it in this environment is frustrating."

O'Brien, 64, said he'll continue selling books on the Internet out of his home and look for a job. He said he's leaving the store "with a touch of sadness" and he blamed part of his plight on the region's poor economy.

"We have this mythological belief that these types of bookstores are necessary," O'Brien said. "But if people aren't putting down their dollars, we don't exist."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

momalley@plaind.com, 216-999-4893
 

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June 2008

The North Coast Development Corporation of Cleveland and the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation have partnered to paint the exterior of homes for low-income elderly and disabled residents in Ohio City. The paint is provided by the City of Cleveland’s successful paint program through Sherwin Williams. If you are interested in volunteering to paint a home, please contact our office to complete a registration form. This is a tremendous opportunity to give back to your community!

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May 2008

Gatekeepers for a piece of Ohio City history
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Susan Condon Love
Plain Dealer Columnist
 

Dracula would love it for its ambience and proximity to coffins.

Frankenstein could make it his condo in the city, a summer escape from the castle, so to speak.

It would be difficult to think of anyone else eager to take on the intimidating fixer-upper that used to be the dignified and much-used gatehouse at the nearly 200-year-old Monroe Street Cemetery in the heart of Ohio City.

Difficult, that is, until you meet a group of community activists who have fallen in love with both the gatehouse and the 14-acre cemetery with its many distinctive 19th century structures.

The growing group of people, working with the Ohio City Near West Development Corp., is dedicated to restoring and preserving the mausoleums, archway and gatehouse at the quiet final home of many of Cleveland's West Side founding families -- not to mention purveyors of numerous breweries that kept city denizens happy for decades.

"This is the oldest cemetery on the West Side of Cleveland," said Alan Fodor, an architect with the firm Herman Gibans Fodor Inc. and an Ohio City resident. "We cannot forget that real people are buried here. Letting it go would be devastating."

Fodor, along with fellow preservationist and Ohio City resident Sharon Swagger, were braving an abnormally chilly and damp May morning to give a tour of the cemetery.

The first burial at Monroe, between West 25th Street and Fulton Avenue, was in 1818, before the land was officially a cemetery. In 1836, the land was sold to Brooklyn Township for burials, and in 1854, when Ohio City was annexed to the city of Cleveland, the cemetery was named the West Side Cemetery.

The official name never stuck, and by 1874, when the distinctive arch was built over the entrance, the nickname became permanent. "Monroe St. Cemetery" remains etched in the blackened sandstone.

Even though the whole cemetery needs attention, it is the small and obviously deteriorating 1876 gatehouse a couple of steps away from the arch that seems to be the neediest.

The two-room building was used for grieving families and cemetery records. It needs about $350,000 in work.

Although structurally sound -- "The foundation is in great shape," said Fodor -- all the windows and doors need to be refurbished or replaced. The slate roof is so damaged, it also needs to be replaced, and internal water damage has made the inside downright dangerous. The last time someone entered the building -- a group of contractors working on a repair report -- one of them got injured when the wood floor gave out.

"The only reason he didn't go all the way through to the basement was that he managed to sit down on a part [of the floor] that was still solid," said Fodor.

Fodor and others working on the project have a very specific preservation plan. First, quantify the historical significance of the gatehouse. Second, put together a working plan to repair and restore the structure.

Finally, raise money. Taking a baby step in that direction, the development corporation's Historic Heritage Committee is sponsoring a seminar, "Restoring an Old House on a Budget," at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at Franklin Circle Christian Church, 1688 Fulton Road. The voluntary $5 seminar fee is being donated to the gatehouse restoration.

In addition to speakers from Home Depot and the Cleveland Restoration Society, three Ohio City homeowners will discuss their successful renovations.

An unsuccessful "renovation" of the gatehouse roof is irksome to architect Fodor.

"Some idiot decided years ago to put shingles over the slate tiles," he said, pointing upward.

Yes, slate tiles tend to be indestructible and can last for decades with little care. That is, of course, unless you hammer nails into them. Then they crack, allowing water damage. It will cost about $85,000 to fix the hipped roof.

The fascia running the perimeter of the roof is also damaged, which contributed to and aggravated the water damage, Fodor said.

Records were removed from the gatehouse a number of years ago, and it has been sealed since. No new burials have taken place since the mid-1960s, and the majority of the remains have been removed from mausoleums, probably taken to other cemeteries close to surviving family members.

"Let's face it, this place became a little unsavory," said Fodor, noting that in the past, vandals and squatters frequented the cemetery and got into the structures. But community vigilance and police patrols -- the cemetery is owned by the city of Cleveland today -- have helped improve the safety situation.

Fodor and other community activists are finishing the paperwork for nonprofit fund-raising status and starting to make inquiries for grants and other donations to fix and maintain what they consider to be an important landmark in Cleveland history.

Restoring the Monroe Street Cemetery and its structures "is a grassroots effort by people who care about the history of where they live," said Fodor.

To reach Susan Condon Love:

slove@plaind.com, 216-999-4784

 

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Living Cities' Help Is Welcome
Monday, May 26, 2008
A national nonprofit group that has channeled $25 million in loans and grants to help Cleveland's community development corporations build more than 4,700 homes will soon plow more into revitalizing this city.

New York-based Living Cities will work with state and city officials here to encourage everything from building residents' personal wealth to improving Cleveland's infrastructure.

Some of the assistance will be financial. Some will come in the form of technical assistance. Ben Hecht, president and chief executive officer, says Living Cities wants to help Clevelanders in developing "a comprehensive blueprint of what they want to do and bringing the right people to the table."

It's not clear how much money this will involve or which programs will receive the resources. But what is clear - considering the track record Living Cities has got in Cleveland - is that this is good news for this city.

© 2008 The Plain Dealer
© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reporting streetlights that have burned out
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sarah Hollander
Plain Dealer Columnist
I see so many unlit streetlights at night. Who is responsible for making sure that the lights in Cleveland and surrounding communities are working properly and how should I report problems? I'm tired of driving in the dark!-- Nancy B., Parma Heights

Electric companies are generally in charge of keeping the lights on.

Cleveland Public Power, the city's municipal electric company, has an automated streetlight hot line, 216-621-5483 (216-621-LITE). Just call and leave the location of the problem.

CPP employees repair city-owned lights and forward reports of malfunctioning lights maintained by Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., marketing manager Shelley Shockley said. But in the next couple of months, CPP plans to take over responsibility for all streetlights in Cleveland to consolidate services and eliminate some of the confusion over who's in charge of what, she said.

For communities around Cleveland, including your hometown and Parma, the best bet is to call the city's Service Department. While cities aren't usually responsible for maintaining the lights, they can investigate the problem and relay pole numbers to the electric company.

Streetlight problems can also be reported online at www.firstenergycorp.com .

The Ohio Department of Transportation is responsible for most highway lights. Drivers who spot a burned-out light can call their local district directly. For Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, for example, call Lou Mincek, roadway services engineer, at 216-584-2221, or the general line at 216-581-2100.

The West 14th Street Bridge over Interstate 490 is down to one lane in each direction. This project has been ongoing for almost a year and has resulted in a traffic headache, especially during morning rush hours. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel -- or should I say bridge? -- Terry Husel, Cleveland

There is a light. It's faint, but it's there. ODOT says the project is scheduled for an on-time completion in mid-October. The $2.6 million job began last July and will end with a new deck and renovated bridge.

Could you inform people who are going to the I-X Center that they do not turn at Cargo Road but at the next exit south of Cargo? Wrong turns can really mess up traffic on Cargo and Postal roads. -- Robert A. Webster, Cleveland

The International Exposition Center says it attracts more than 2 million visitors a year, so I can see how confused drivers would cause a problem. The giant consumer and trade show hall actually has its own street. I-X Center Drive is accessible off Ohio 237, aka Snow Road. So if you're tempted to turn onto Cargo Drive, don't. Anyone who's unfamiliar with the area should go to www.ixcenter.com for specific directions before heading out.

FYI:

Lorain County plans to begin its annual sign sweep starting June 1. So if you want to rescue any weight-loss, yard-sale, election or other assorted signs hanging along public rights-of-way, you had better get moving. County litter crews picking up trash along county roads will also remove all unauthorized signs from utility poles. Lorain County Engineer Ken Carney calls the signs a safety problem. They can limit visibility at intersections and distract drivers.

Transportation-related questions and comments may be e-mailed to thecompass@plaind.com, faxed to 216-999-6374, or mailed to The Compass c/o The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland 44114. Correspondence chosen for publication may be edited for brevity and clarity.


© 2008 The Plain Dealer
© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

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Neighborhood Celebrates the Capitol Theater Renovations
Posted by Karen Sandstrom May 15, 2008 07:28AM
http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/05/neighborhood_celebrates_the_ca.html

Chris Stephens/Plain Dealer
The Gordon Square Arts District celebrated renovations to the Capitol theater in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood Wednesday. The theater was open to the neighborhood and the players who made renovations possible.

A little dust, a whiff of popcorn and a lot of optimism floated through the air Wednesday as city planners kicked off construction to bring the defunct Capitol Theatre back to life as an independent movie house.

A groundbreaking ceremony, hosted by the Gordon Square Arts District and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, drew Mayor Frank Jackson, politicians and business people involved in organizing and financing the $7 million project. About 400 people showed up to celebrate.

Construction begins today to turn the Capitol into a three-screen theater specializing in foreign and independent films. The project is the hub of a $30 million investment package aimed at creating an arts-based economy in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

"This is your downtown, this is the focus of the near West Side," Jackson said during brief remarks in front of the old proscenium where the movie screen last flickered in the early '80s.

Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka opened the program with a slide show underscoring the historical significance of the Gordon Square Arcade at West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue, of which the Capitol is a part.

When the arcade and theater opened in 1921, they became the commercial hub of the West Side. A billiards room, men's hotel, food market and retail shops kept the place bustling until hard times hit Cleveland in the late '60s and '70s.

Pianka, one of the founders of the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, was deeply involved in the organization's purchase of the arcade and theater in 1979. The arcade has since been renovated for use as office space and affordable-housing apartments. Renovation of the theater will complete the job.

The improvements have been slow in coming, but they're heartening for residents of the
area.

"You really have to look for the progress; it's subtle," said Frank D'Onofrio, 61, who lived in the neighborhood as a boy, moved out in the early '70s, then moved back in 1986.

As a kid, D'Onofrio was a frequent visitor to the Capitol, as was Theresa Antonucci before him. Now 93, she remembers how the theater would present amateur night, a mishmash display of local talent. Her brother performed there on violin after a mere two lessons, she recalled with a smile.

She also remembered that Capitol management awarded china plates as a promotional incentive. "Every woman in our neighborhood had a set of those dishes," Antonucci said.

Pat DiBello, 83, says her Italian immigrant father bought the house just north of the theater in the 1930s. He took his daughter to the local sweet shop and the movies regularly.

"I think this is marvelous," DiBello said. "I just can't wait until the theater's reopened."

The Detroit Shoreway organization plans for the first films to light up the new Capitol Theatre screens in April 2009.
 

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April 2008

Important Documentary On The Cuyahoga To Air In April
     A powerful documentary on the importance of the Cuyahoga River to Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio will air in April.  "The Return Of The Cuyahoga" will air on WVIZ/PBS on: Tuesday, April 22 at 9 p.m.; Thursday April 24 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 26 at 9 p.m.; and Sunday, April 27 at 7 p.m.

     Pastor Allen viewed this documentary at the recent Cleveland International Film Festival and recommends it to the congregation.  Since our church is so close to the river, and its health affects the health of those who live in urban Cleveland more than anybody else, it would be important for our church members to see and discuss this film.  For more information, go on the web to: http://www.wviz.org/index.php/WVIZ/programming/the_return_of_the_cuyahoga/

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Resources:

For Resources Related To Urban Ministry and City Issues, go to the "God Loves The City" Page!

Ohio City/Near West Side Resources:

January 23, 2008 Announcement:

Ohio City Near West Development Corporation (OCNW) has hired Nate Coffman as Executive Director. Nate has been passionate about the redevelopment of our center city and is excited about the opportunity to continue the revitalization of one of Cleveland’s most important neighborhoods. For the past nine years Nate has worked for the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland (HBA). He brings a wealth of development and non-profit management experience and looks forward to bringing his experience and energy to the Ohio City neighborhood. Nate's first day in the office will be Monday, February 4th, so please extend him a warm Ohio City welcome!

New Ohio City Blog

Check out the exciting new blog+ at: http://ohiocity.ning.com/

It is free to sign up for this really wonderful "blog+" that helps our neighbors to know one another, share our news, and build stronger relationships with one another.  I've loaded some photos of our church onto my page hoping more folks will connect with our church.  Check it out!

Pastor Allen

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Cleveland Mediation Center

Our Mission
Our mission is to promote constructive conflict resolution, especially among youth and to strengthen community ties with an emphasis on mediation and mediation training.

Services include:

(1) Neighbor to neighbor mediation.
(2) Intra-family mediations, that focuses on parent- child mediation.
(3) Public policy and community disputes
(4) Dissolution of Marriage Kits
(5) Training and technical assistance
(6) Group and intra-agency facilitation

(7) Homeless Prevention Program

"Mediation is a rewarding experience. You CAN make a difference. I recommend becoming a mediator – and using mediation – to anyone. CMC helps people from all walks of life and I commend them for their commitment to the community."
Sterling Hickman,
Volunteer Mediator

http://www.clevelandmediation.org/

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Cuyahoga Community Land Trust

The Cuyahoga Community Land Trust is a non-profit organization that secures permanently affordable homes in Cleveland. The Land Trust makes homeownership a reality for low- and moderate-income families by lowering the price of quality homes. Right now we have several exciting homeownership programs, including our Homebuyer Initiated Program--offering 20% off many newly built or substantially rehabbed homes in the city of Cleveland--and the Pear Avenue Green Cottages--a collaboration with the Cleveland Green Building Coalition and the EcoVillage to develop permanently affordable, green-built homes in the EcoVillage.

Today's housing market is full of risks for lower-income families and, as the high numbers of foreclosures and abandoned properties demonstrates, for the larger community, as well. The Land Trust promotes secure and stable homeownership for lower-income families. We reduce the risks associated with homeownership for both homebuyers and their neighborhoods by offering quality homes at substantially reduced prices, assisting our clients to qualify for healthy mortgages, and maintaining the affordability of the homes we sell. These tools allow the Land Trust to help families fulfill their dream of owning a home--effectively creating safe homeownership and fostering stable neighborhoods.
 

To find out more about how we help lower-income families become secure homeowners, or how you can support our work, go to http://www.cclandtrust.org/  above or contact us at 216.334.1620 or info@ccLandTrust.org.

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InterReligious Task Force On Central America

http://www.irtfcleveland.org/

The InterReligious Task Force on Central America (IRTF) is a Cleveland-based interfaith group that promotes peace and human rights in Central America and Colombia. People of faith and conscience founded IRTF after the 1980 execution of four U.S. church women in El Salvador by U.S.-trained soldiers. (The Cleveland mission team lost Jean Donovan and Sister Dorothy Kazel.)

Carrying on the legacy of the martyrs, IRTF educates, advocates, and organizes for peace and human rights, economic justice, and aid to Central Americans and Colombians. IRTF works to change U.S. policies, corporate actions, and consumer behaviors that undermine these aspirations, both here and abroad.

IRTF's offices are in the Clubhouse Building at St. Patrick's Church, 38th St. & Bridge Ave.  Brian J. Stefan Szittai
is IRTF's Program Coordinator.

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Near West Theatre

http://www.nearwesttheatre.org

Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Theatre
There is no cultural arts program in Greater Cleveland like Near West Theatre (NWT). Based in the Ohio City neighborhood, it has a unique identity as a grassroots, intergenerational theatre with the features of a human service agency, with an emphasis on serving youth.

Mission Statement
Near West Theatre, through the theatre arts, delivers an inclusive, self-esteem building process that results in high-quality theatre productions and programming that help build Cleveland's Near West Side and surrounding neighborhoods; educates and raises awareness around issues of social justice, discrimination, and stigma; and provides people of all ages with the ability to nurture their sense of identity and strengthen their purpose as individuals and as a community.

Vision
The soul of Near West Theatre is belief in the healing, transformative power of the theatrical arts. The personal and communal growth possible when participating in an acting, singing, dancing ensemble is most fully realized with both skilled leadership and loving collaboration.

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The Women's Outreach Center of River's Edge ~

A Place for Reflection and Action

The Women’s Outreach Center is a non-profit program designed to support women who have experienced homelessness, are in transition, and in need of support.

Our mission is to accompany and empower women as they strive to realize their potential and attain self sufficiency.

Women’s Outreach Center was founded by the women religious of Cleveland in October of 2004.

Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of the Humility of Mary, and Ursuline Sisters are collaborating on this endeavor.

Our programs are carried out in a warm and welcoming environment where women can feel safe, grow in self esteem, and realize their potential. We focus on building a sense of community where good communication skills are practiced.

Our Staff Includes:

Sr. Pat Gentile, SND
Sr. Felicia Petruziello, CSJ
Sr. Diane Pinchot, OSU
Sr. Virginia Reesing, SND
Sr. Carrie Vall, CSJ
Sr. Elaine Wellinger, HM
 

Our holistic program provides a variety of services:

Job Preparation
Anger Management
Communication Skills
Conflict Resolution
Art Therapy
Relaxation Techniques
Book Discussion
Nutrition/Healthy Cooking
Quilting
Crochet and Knitting

Located at:

1688 Fulton Road
Franklin Circle Christian Church
Cleveland, OH 44113
Enter at the Side Door on Fulton

Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Phone: 216.357.2638

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West Side Community House

Website:  www.WSCHouse.org

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Kentucky Gardens

Website: http://www.kentuckygardens.com

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City Of Cleveland Resources:

To report a street light which is burned out or damaged, go to: http://www.cpp.org/cppcustcarereport.htm

Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University

http://povertycenter.cwru.edu/

Living In Cleveland

http://www.livecleveland.org/ME2/Splash.asp

The Living in Cleveland Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development organization dedicated to promoting the livability of Cleveland neighborhoods. Founded in 1983, our organization works to attract more residents and visitors to the many neighborhoods within the City of Cleveland. The Living in Cleveland Center performs a variety of marketing efforts aimed at creating a positive public perception of Cleveland neighborhoods and the quality of life that is available in our great city.

In 2007, the Living in Cleveland Center launched its LiveCLEVELAND! marketing initiative. The foundation of this campaign is the first edition of the LiveCLEVELAND! guide and this ever-evolving website. Additional promotional efforts and direct marketing services to the City of Cleveland and community development corporations will continue to be a major focus of our organization.
 

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For information on Cleveland's Revitalization, visit:

For an incredible video presentation about Cleveland's Revitalization, visit:

Center For Community Solutions

http://www.communitysolutions.com/

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GreenCityBlueLake

GreenCityBlueLake is the interactive online home for all the discussions and activities that are moving Northeast Ohio toward greater sustainability. It's a community workspace, networking tool, knowledge bank, and facilitator of strategic planning. And you can participate!

New on the site ( http://www.gcbl.org/ )

The GreenCityBlueLake Calendar is the comprehensive listing of sustainability-related events in Northeast Ohio. If you sign up as a registered user of the site, you can post your own events right from your own computer. When scheduling your events, use the Calendar to avoid conflicts.

GreenCityBlueLake is a community service of EcoCity Cleveland. We welcome your comments!

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Northeast Ohio Coalition For The Homeless

http://www.neoch.org/

Franklin Circle Christian Church is a member of NEOCH

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National Resources:

Enterprise
Over two decades ago, legendary urban visionary Jim Rouse and his wife Patty founded Enterprise with the ambitious goal of making sure every American lives in a decent, affordable home.

Who Are We?
We are a national nonprofit with 25 years of experience in the community development and affordable housing field.
We are the leading provider of capital and expertise for affordable housing and community development.
Enterprise helps build affordable housing for low-income Americans by providing financing and expertise to community
and housing developers. Every 80 minutes, someone moves
into a house we helped create. Enterprise Community Partners
is a national nonprofit that provides loans, grants and information resources. Our for-profit subsidiary, Enterprise Community Investment, offers tax credit financing and asset management services.

article about Enterprise from The Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Housing is key to ending poverty

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Patricia Rouse
We need a new way of thinking about the city," my husband, Jim Rouse, said in a speech more than a quarter of a century ago at Cleveland State University.
Jim spent a lot of time in Cleveland, and he understood the components necessary to develop and reinvent urban areas. Jim and I founded Enterprise, an organization that provides capital and technical expertise needed to build affordable housing and rebuild communities. As we celebrate Enterprise's 25th anniversary, we think about Jim's words and work to create even stronger relationships with the neighborhoods and communities that we serve across the country.
On Wednesday, Enterprise opens its annual conference in Cleveland with the theme "Celebrating the past; building the future." What we've done for 25 years is think about cities and rural areas in new ways while staying true to our core mission of moving people up and out of poverty through affordable housing. Cleveland provides a local example of how Enterprise functions on a national level. Officially, we began our work in Cleveland in 1983, even though Bob Wolf from the Famicos Foundation looked to Jim for guidance during the convening of the Cleveland Housing Network a few years before. What came out of that relationship are services that Cleveland still has today. One example is the Lease Purchase Program, which has helped 2,500 residents become homeowners within a 15-year span. We work closely with Cleveland's neighborhood development corporations to reinvent local neighborhoods and make them communities of choice.

Cleveland is the birthplace of one of the very first models of what would become the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Enterprise is currently one of the leading syndicators of LIHTC equity in the country. However, the system is changing, and so we are reinventing ways to build and preserve housing that is affordable and fit, including housing for our teachers and firefighters and for people who are unable to care for themselves because of medical or mental health reasons.
What we've also seen recently in practically every city is the desire to be sustainable and green. We've been able to bring green building techniques and practices to affordable housing with the development of more than 9,200 highly sustainable homes in 25 states. In 2006, Ohio jumped on the bandwagon when Enterprise established the Ohio Green Initiative in partnership with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, the George Gund Foundation and National City Bank. This partnership has resulted in five green, affordable-housing developments in Cleveland alone.
Enterprise believes that community development and neighborhood improvement strategies will be more successful - and certainly more sustainable - if they are linked together. We believe it is a false choice to put one above the other. That's why we intentionally work to provide housing and education and good jobs and good health and environmentally sound development practices. We build economically diverse communities with the explicit intent to end the deadening isolation of poverty.
Permanent affordable housing is the life blood of any movement to end poverty. Thus, we count housing units produced, not because it is the only solution, but because we cannot end extreme poverty without securing access to stable, affordable housing.
Rouse is vice president and secretary of Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.

Check out their website at:

http://www.enterprisecommunity.org/
 

Congress For The New Urbanism

Affordable Housing Initiative - http://cnu.org/node/936
Within neighborhoods, a broad range of housing types and price levels can bring people of diverse ages, races and incomes into daily interaction, strengthening the personal and civic bonds essential to an authentic community.

- CNU Charter Principle XIII
How essential is social diversity to a neighborhood? How far can New Urbanism – and the Congress for the New Urbanism in particular – go in its quest to promote it?
Affordable housing in New Urbanism is seen within the context of neighborhood design, where pedestrian quality, the provision of public space, and walkable access to services become an essential part of the affordability equation. HOPE VI has amply demonstrated the potential of New Urbanism to foster livable, mixed-income neighborhoods. There, as in most new urbanist projects, the emphasis is on mix rather than any one form of housing by itself. New Urbanism elevates the principle of urbanism, within which the quality of diversity is seen as essential.

Melville Charitable Trust

Melville Charitable Trust has a great Resource page for addressing issues of poverty and homelessness.  Go to:  http://www.melvilletrust.org/resources.aspx