Douglas Heuer, superitendent of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, delivered the State of the Schools Address on Thursday, Feb. 4, at Cleveland Heights High School.

He made the following major points in his speech:

• CH-UH teachers and staff are working hard to improve academic achievement. This work includes enhancing teacher effectiveness and instruction, as well as increasing instructional time.  
• The district needs to reshape its infrastructure in order to truly meet the needs of a 21st-century education.
• The cities of Cleveland Heights, University Heights and South Euclid need to partner with the district so it can improve community outreach and continue to attract and retain good students and families.

In Ohio, property taxes are collected twice per year and are billed at the end of the year in which they are assessed. Thus, taxes billed in December 2009 (and due in January 2010) were the taxes assessed for the first half of 2009. Second-half bills arrive in June and are due in July. Exact due dates are noted on the bill. Residents can pay once per year or in monthly installments, and payments can be withdrawn automatically from a bank account.

A payment is considered late at midnight on the due date. Property owners paying within the next five days are assessed a 5 percent penalty. After that, a 10 percent penalty applies.

The University Heights Council Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7p.m. to discuss the Exceptions Analysis prepared by the Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office has been cancelled. A new date will be set next week.

The Exceptions Analysis made recommendations about how the city could save money by outsourcing services and collaborating more with other municipalities.

About 90 people crowded an echo-filled rotunda at the Cleveland Heights Community Center on Wednesday evening (Feb. 3) to discuss how the now-closed Oakwood Club might be preserved as some kind of green space.

Eight Cleveland Heights High School football players and one lacrosse player signed letters of intent on Wednesday, Feb. 3.  It was National Signing Day in college football, the first day that Class of 2010 high school recruits can sign binding letters of intent with college programs.

Presentations were made by Athletic Director Kristin Hughes, Superintendent Douglas Heuer, Head Football Coach Jeff Rotsky, and Girls Head Lacrosse Coach Terry Saylor.

Athletic Director Kristin Hughes said to the crowd of students, parents, and reporters, “Signing Day is one of my favorite days of the school year because it represents everything that is good in athletics. It will always be the goal of this athletic department to get our players to the next level in their academic and athletic careers.”

Coach Jeff Rotsky spoke with passion and excitement as he stated, “Every player in our program should aspire to be sitting up here during their Senior year. The student-athletes we celebrate today possess a vision that encompasses academic and athletic success.  We are so proud of them and wish them the best of luck.”

Angee Shaker is the coordinator of communications and community engagement for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.

University Heights residents packed city council chambers on Jan. 19 to hear how the city could save money by outsourcing services and collaborating more with other municipalities.

The recommendations for outsourcing were extensive: fire & rescue, garbage pickup, snow removal, leaf pickup, street salting, payroll, housing inspection, jail facilities, police investigations, human resources, information technology, training-planning-management and purchasing.

These recommendations were part of a $25,000 study, which the city contracted for last January with David Akers, founder of Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office. Ebie Holst, a principal of Strategic Gear, partnered with Akers to conduct the study.

Superintendent Douglas Heuer will deliver the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District’s annual State of the Schools Address on Thursday, Feb 4, at 7 p.m. in the Cleveland Heights High School Social Room, 13263 Cedar Road. Superintendent Heuer will recap the previous year and show how CH-UH educators are working to prepare all students for success and build on the district’s progress.

A recent report based on U.S. Census data raised eyebrows among those with connections to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District. It indicated that 39 percent of eligible K-12 students in the district are enrolled in private schools—the highest such rate in Ohio.

A look at more detailed projections from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that's only part of the story. There is a dramatic difference in the way the district's two communities Cleveland Heights and University Heights utilize the schools. 

A community meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 3 to talk about the possibility of purchasing Oakwood Golf Course for use as a public greenspace. There will be a brief panel presentation by community experts and government representatives, followed by an open discussion. The meeting will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Boulevard, at the corner of Mayfield and Monticello.

For more information contact Severance Neighborhood Organization, 216-381-5356, e-mail sno@heightsSNO.org or visit www.heightsSNO.org.

Fran Mentch is a 20 year resident of Lynn Park Drive, a civic activist, and president of Severance Neighborhood Organization.

Sophie Fleischer, a second grader at Canterbury Elementary, has been named a finalist in a national package design competition sponsored by Marzetti Old Fashioned Caramel Apple-Dip. Her design was one of three chosen in the 1-to--8-year-old category. More than 1,500 designs were entered nationwide.

If Sophie wins, Canterbury Elementary School art program will receive 10 Wacom Bamboo Tablets (for drawing on computers). The winner will be determined by the number of votes registered at Marzetti’s sweepstakes Web site, www.udipsweepstakes.com. 

Jeff Milchen, cofounder and director of the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA.net), will visit the Heights in late March. He will present the AMIBA model of community organizing to promote locally-owned independent businesses the evening of Wednesday, March 24.

He will hold a morning workshop, on Thursday, March 25, to explore, in more detail, the potential of creating an independent business alliance here.

One of the goals of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District is to provide a first-class education to its students to prepare them for the future. Part of achieving that goal is providing students and parents with the technology to communicate with educators and stay informed and involved in the classroom. Infinite Campus is a district-wide program that will offer new opportunities for educators, parents and students.

Infinite Campus is the official grade book for the district. Until now, it has been used only internally, but  it is now open to parents of students in grades 6-12. The parent portal for grades 3-5 will open in the fall of 2010. 

If the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) implements service cuts as planned for April, Cleveland Heights and University Heights will become unique among inner-ring suburbs in that they will have no direct public transit service that is, without a transfer to downtown Cleveland. Several citizens expressed their concerns at a public hearing Jan. 6 at the Cleveland Heights Community Center.

What’s in the newspaper is only a portion of what we’re reporting. The rest is online at www.heightsobserver.org.

If you haven’t visited lately, here’s what you missed:

On the Observer Forum (www.heightsobserver.org/deck): You would have known a month before anyone else that the Oakwood Club was merging with Mayfield Country Club and trying to sell its golf course, clubhouse and other facilities valued by the county at $5.9 million. (Dec. 14)

Perhaps the most frequent compliment I hear about the Heights Observer is that so much of its content is worth reading and important to the community.

Even so, when the editorial committee meets, we spend a lot of time discussing what doesn’t seem to get covered well. Here’s a partial list:

• Sports—the high school, middle school, and private school teams, and local clubs, such as Eastside Kickers soccer and Heights Recreation basketball;
• Programs offered by the religious congregations of Cleveland Heights and University Heights;
• Community groups—from neighborhood organizations to block parties, scout troops and book discussion groups;
• Private-school events and activities;
• Activities of the various school clubs and parent groups;
• All those interesting individuals who have unique hobbies, passions and pursuits.

I cannot let January 2010 pass without acknowledging the 10th birthday of the organization that led to not only the Heights Observer, but has given the residents of Cleveland Heights, and now also University Heights, many opportunities to be active citizens and make a true difference in their communities. 

In January 2000, in response to Giant Eagle's plans to build a 50,000 square foot store on Cedar Hill, more than 350 people from the neighborhood came together at a town meeting to voice their concern that drastically changing the historic physical fabric of the area would not be in the long-term best interest of the community.

DECEMBER 21, 2009

Vice Mayor Phyllis Evans excused

Cedar-Lee businesses worried about crime

Speaking on behalf of the owners and operators of businesses in the Cedar-Lee business district, many of whom were present, John Zagara, owner of Zagara’s Marketplace, expressed frustration with drug activity and related crimes at Quinn’s and other locations in the neighborhood and the insufficient action being taken. Declan Synnott of Cleveland Heights Boulevard and owner of Parnell’s Pub stated his displeasure with drug activity near CVS and the high school and hoped that the city would not let it get out of control. Mayor Kelley responded that business people should call the police readily about any type of questionable activity. He stated that five police officers would be reinstated early next year.

The City of Cleveland Heights will host a “Countdown to the Census” meeting on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, located at Monticello Boulevard and Mayfield Road.

The Cleveland Heights Municipal Court has started the fourth year of its mediation partnership with Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

The program makes mediators available twice a week for small claims, evictions, rent deposit cases and other civil cases. Yuri Linetsky and Andrew Pollis, visiting assistant professors of law, currently run the Civil Litigation and Mediation Clinic at the law school. Law students volunteer through the clinic to work with litigants, under their professors’ supervision, in a meeting room located in the same building as the court.

Mayor Rothschild’s final meeting

Mayor Rothschild reminisced about her 32 years as mayor of University Heights. She urged the incoming mayor and council to address issues that are still undone and for John Carroll University to see itself as part of the larger community.

Last November, University Heights residents, in large numbers, became actively engaged in the political process during a heated mayoral race and in reaction to proposed changes to the city charter. Residents elected the first new mayor in 32 years and voted "no" on ballot issues that would have made a city administer the CEO of the city.

Last month we asked Mayor Infeld about her plans for the city. This month we talked with members of City Council about their plans for University Heights.

You pay taxes and about $400 billion of our tax money is put in a pot to be given back to communities. But, if you want a piece of that $400-billion pie in federal funds, you’ll have to complete and return the 2010 census report. Otherwise, your tax dollars will go to communities that do respond, maybe in Alaska.

“Yikes!” you say, “what do I have to do to get my tax money back here?” 

Wise Up! A Literary Fest lauded

The board recognized Bruce Hennes, Regina Brett, Brendan Ring and Dierdru Ring for planning and producing the fundraiser held at Nighttown with a sold-out crowd.

Noble Library renovation plans

The board authorized the director to contract with Studio Techne in an amount not to exceed $10,000 to produce preliminary plans and budget for the Noble Library’s renovation. Upgrades are needed for carpeting, painting and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Coventry Village Library has joined forces with Appletree Books, Mac's Backs and Saint Ann Church to create the "Cedar-Coventry Local Author Series," to highlight local writers. Launched last fall, the series resumes on Wednesday, Feb. 3, with a talk by Dr. Maria Siemionow, the Cleveland Clinic doctor who performed the first face transplant in the United States.

Don't miss any of these great library programs:  

Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400  

Baby Bop, Fridays, Feb. 5-26, 9:30 a.m.

Babysitting Clinic, Feb. 10-12, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

The Friends of the Heights Libraries will hold a book sale at the University Heights Library from Thursday, Feb. 18 to Saturday, Feb. 20.

Through book sales and other activities, the Friends support the Heights Libraries by providing funds for library programs, scholarships and staff support. New volunteers are always welcome.

DECEMBER 15, 2009

All board members present.

Recognitions

·  Vincent Nemeth, physical education teacher at Monticello Middle School, was recognized for receiving a $10,000 grant to improve student health.

·  Students from the 2009 summer STRETCH program were recognized for their Heights Mural Arts course and the mural for the boardroom.

·  Michael Cicero was recognized by CH Council Member Ken Montlack, School Board President Kal Zucker and Superintendent Doug Heuer for his board service.

Matt Zucker and Nataja Roberts, two Cleveland Heights High School seniors, have been named semifinalists in the first round of the 55th annual National Merit Scholarship Program and 46th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program. Zucker is a National Merit semifinalist and Roberts is a National Achievement Scholarship semifinalist. 

Heights High seniors Alexandra Miller and Lewis Pollis have been named National Merit Commended students, and seniors Erin Morris and Jaiye Sampson are National Achievement Outstanding Participants. 

The R.E.A.L. School at Heights High School was decorated in orange during the week of Nov. 9-13 to publicize the “Not For Sale” campaign sponsored by Stephanie Ashford’s African-American literature classes.

Whent the unit on the literature of slavery was completed, Ashford shared some staggering statistics with her students about the number of people who are victims of modern-day slavery in the United States and worldwide.

The City of Cleveland Heights has announced the winners of the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Essay, Art & Poetry Contest.

Contestants, who included students from kindergarten to Grade 12, produced essays, poems and posters on the topic: “What does Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy mean to you?” 

Winners were recognized and had an opportunity to read their entries at the City’s annual Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Jan. 13.

Congratulations to the following students:

The CH–UH City School District has been recognized as a model for providing students with 21st- century skills, such as communication, collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking.

The Hanover Research Council recently released a report profiling 15 public school districts from across the country and two independent high schools in Ohio, all identified as providing students with these skills.

CH-UH and the other districts were cited for their traditionally high graduation rates, assessment scores and attendance rates.

Winners of the American Math Competition 8, held in November, were announced recently by the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.

The American Math Competition 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice exam in mathematics, designed to help students develop and enhance their problem-solving skills.

On Nov. 17, when the exam was held for this school year, 93 of the district’s 5th grade ACT math students and 335 of its middle school students participated.

The 85 freshmen in the Mosaic Experience small school at Heights High will visit the Kent State University Campus on Thursday, Feb. 4. Mosaic teachers planned the trip to help freshmen see the opportunities open to them if they go to college.

“If our freshmen can see themselves on a campus enjoying the exciting academic and social life available, they might be be more motivated to succeed in high school,” said Mosaic science teacher Rick Gurski.

Q.  For several reasons my husband and I have decided not to send our almost three-year-old to preschool next year. It seems like most kids today get some kind of formal school before kindergarten and I am worried about him not being ready for school when he gets to kindergarten. Will he be behind the other kids?

On Nov. 22, Cleveland Heights High School senior Reggie Evans received the second-place award in Facing History’s Young Artists Speak Up art exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland. The exhibit runs through Feb. 26 and is part of Facing History’s Choosing to Participate community programming.  

Reggie won for his self-portrait set in his Noble neighborhood, with the stars and planets visible. Reggie describes his style as realism with flair. He started taking art classes at Cleveland Institute of Art when he was 10 years old.

You would be impressed, as I was, to meet Clayton Harris, this year’s Youth of the Year at the Heights Youth Club.

Sound character, leadership and the willingness to serve are the qualities that make a Youth of the Year; qualities young people need in order to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. 

Seventeen-year-old Clayton, a senior from Cleveland Heights High School, has been attending the HYC since it opened in 2007.  Back then, he thought the brick building with the white steeple at Lee Road and Washington Boulevard was a church, but a friend mentioned that the space had been converted into a great place for kids.

I am often asked how to educate oneelf about wine. My answer is to drink as much as you can as often as possible. Although this usually meets with a few chuckles, it is the truth. I get this question a lot, I thought I would outline a few strategies for those of us living in the Heights. 

First, pay attention. If you like a wine, jot down the name and as much information about the wine as you know. Chances are, you will like other wines that have something in common with this one, e.g. grape variety, origin, style. 

If you’ve been missing chicken and waffles in the Heights since Phil the Fire left Shaker Square a few years ago, check out Mama Joyce’s soul food on Lee Road, which offers carry-out comfort food.

The space, located near Anatolia Café, is petite, but the flavors are mighty. Sample chicken, fish and pork dinners in addition to burgers and Polish Boys; and don’t forget a side (or three), including mac 'n’ cheese, yams, greens, cornbread and more.

When a friend and I visited, we were touched by the hospitality of the staff, who shared how excited they are to open a space in Cleveland Heights because of the warm welcome they received from the community.

On Tuesday, Feb. 16,  Whole Foods Market is donating 5 percent of the day’s net sales to Heights Arts, and customers can help simply by showing up to shop. 

This 5% Day will launch Fencepiration, a Heights Arts temporary public art project in partnership with Whole Foods, The Coral Company, and The City of South Euclid.  Artists Carol Hummel and Debbie Apple Presser will involve community members in transforming a utilitarian construction fence on Cedar Road into a visually interesting, inspiring, and attractive streetscape element during the multi-year construction process.  Fencepiration will use recycled materials and recycle them upon completion.  A prototype will be on view on 5% Day.

When you watch the movie “Those Lips, Those Eyes” starring Frank Langella and Tom Hulce, you’ll notice a strong resemblance to Cain Park. That is because this coming-of-age story, about a young man who works behind the scenes at a summer theater in the 1950s, was actually filmed at Cain Park in 1979.

The movie doesn’t look exactly like Cain Park does today though, because it was filmed before the amphitheater’s major renovation. The film provides not only a look at life in the 1950s in the Heights and the rest of the country, it's also a real historical documentation of the original Cain Park. Back then, Cain Park's amphitheater did not have a roof, and the show was usually over if it started raining hard. Also, the theater had stone and concrete boxes and wooden benches, rather than the seats it has today. 

Ensemble Secundum Silentium, composed of alumni and students at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University, made its debut last February. The group, which is “dedicated to programming music that is both rarely performed and embraces devotional qualities,” celebrates its first anniversary with what it calls a “musical journey through eclectic compositions.”

"Generation gap!" The term became popular as recently as the 1960s. It describes the cultural differences between insufferably dull, judgmental parents and their hip, enlightened and often eye-rolling offspring. Yet generational schisms have always existed within families and are fascinating things to watch - from the outside, at least.

Incidentally, “HIP” is also an acronym for “historically informed performance,” and describes part of the mission of Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, which further pledges “to engage widespread audiences in its joyous pursuit of artistic excellence.”

It takes courage to put your high-mileage life up on the lift and give it a good, hard look.

         -- Meredith Holmes

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library and the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Society for Industrial Archeology (NOCSIA) will sponsor a showing of local filmmaker Valda Lewis’s 52-minute documentary, "Devil's Oven: The Fire in the Heart of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds." Following the screening at the Lee Road library on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m., Lewis will discuss the making of the film and answer questions.

When I walked into the Heights Youth Club on Lee Road, something in the air was sharply reminiscent. I suddenly recalled the days when my own kids, growing up, spent time at a Boys Club.

FutureNow, a new committee to support the work of FutureHeights, presented its first event on Jan. 14, a musical fundraiser at the Grog Shop. The event featured the entertainment of an all-Heights line-up of old boy, Twelve 21, Sixes and Sevens and Max Stern. The Grog Shop provided a forum for friends, merchants, Heights residents and music lovers to come together to celebrate life in the Heights. More than 150 people attended and raised more than $700 for FutureHeights.

On Jan. 23, nearly 200 Heights-area residents and other friends of Jon Lash gathered at the the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern in Cleveland, to dance, party and help a friend in need.

The event, dubbed Benefit for a Buddy, was the work of Big Fun owner Steve Presser, a close friend of Lash since childhood. Each attendee paid at least $10; Presser continues to accept  donations at Big Fun on Coventry from supporters who couldn't attend.

Q:  Valentine’s Day is around the corner and I’m anxious. I’m romantically challenged and have no clue what to do for my wife. Can you help?

A:  Valentine’s Day in our culture can be a bit intimidating, but the definition of romance is very simple. Romance means, “You matter to me,” and can be expressed in small or large ways. To help you send this simple but meaningful message to your wife, here are 10 ideas:

“This would meet many of our needs!” That was the sentiment of one of 30-plus attendees at a meeting to discuss community currency and exchange systems in the Heights. The Jan. 20 meeting, sponsored by FutureHeights and the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee, addressed how a local complementary currency could help both area residents and small businesses who may be short on dollars but plentiful in goods, services or time. A community currency is a tool to facilitate exchanges of goods or services that otherwise wouldn’t take place.

Meals on Wheels of Cleveland Heights, Inc. is in need of volunteers to fill the following positions: deliver to homebound seniors any weekday 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; pick up food at A.M. McGregor Home and deliver to Fairmount Presbyterian Church any weekday 9:30-10:30 a.m.; package food at Fairmount Presbyterian Church any weekday from 10:30-11:30. Call Mary Sayre at 691-9337.

In October, nine-year-old Riley O'Neill of Cleveland Heights welcomed Jingle, a service dog from 4 Paws For Ability, to help her with her Asperger's syndrome.

Riley and her family traveled to the 4 Paws headquarters in Xenia, Ohio, to receive training with Jingle. The family spent 10 days receiving full-day training. While in Xenia, they learned commands for Jingle and how to walk her, among other things.

Jingle's training began long before she met the O'Neill family. The one-year-old dog, part Australian shepherd, and part boxer, is now in her fifth home. After being rescued at a Kentucky shelter and taken to 4 Paws, Jingle was placed with a foster family, where she learned basic obedience.

Now is a good time to look at your yard and garden and make plans for the upcoming season. Home or yard improvement projects often feel overwhelming, if you're unfamiliar with the work involved. Even avid do-it-yourselfers find occasion to call on the expertise of a professional contractor to help them through certain aspects of a challenging project.

Jewish Family Service Association is accepting applications for the Jack W. and Shirley J. Berger Scholarship. The fund was established in 1988 by two former Clevelanders to help and encourage students entering college to attain academic excellence in a secular institution.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education has tabled a decision to extend the elementary school day until April. The board received a proposal to extend the school day by 25 minutes at its Dec. 15 board meeting.

Currently, the school day runs from 8:45 a.m to 3:05 p.m., with a 2:05 p.m. early release day on Tuesdays. Students in kindergarten through third grade receive five hours of instructional time a day, while students in fourth and fifth grade receive five hours and fifteen minutes a day, due to one less fifteen minute recess period. This is the shortest amount of time in school districts in the region, with other elementary school days up to an hour longer. The proposal moved dismissal time to 3:30 p.m., keeping the Tuesday early release day.

Thirty-six-year-old Uri Gofman, of Beachwood, was indicted last summer by a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury "in a conspiracy that prosecutors say involved 453 homes in Cuyahoga County and $44 million in fraudulent loans," according to a report at the time by The Plain Dealer.

Now, a more recent report by WKYC-TV3, indicates that for roughly three years before the indictment, Gofman was getting help from Cleveland Heights Housing Manager Rick Wagner – exacerbating the impact of Gofman's alleged mortgage fraud to the city and its residents.

According to the WKYC-TV3 report, Wagner isn't accused of doing anything illegal; he claims he was helping the FBI in its investigation of Gofman. But in so doing, he allowed Gofman to purchase more homes here than otherwise would have been possible. The FBI didn't comment.

Here, according to the report by WKYC investigative reporter Tom Meyer is what happened:

Cleveland Heights Mayor Ed Kelley gave the following speech at the Jan. 4, 2010 Cleveland Heights City Council Meeting. The Heights Observer prints it here with his permission.

I would like to thank the voters of Cleveland Heights for re-electing me. Thank you.

I would like to thank my family for all their support during the last campaign and the last sixteen years on Cleveland Heights City Council. Without your love and support I could not serve on this City Council.

To my wife Mary Beth, thank you for your continued support and guidance on my journey. To my friend and lifetime supporter Brendan Ring, thank you for swearing me in tonight. But more importantly, thank you for your sage advice and the use of Nighttown Restaurant as my office and my home away from home. Thank you to Dennis Wilcox and Cheryl Stephens for your nominations.

To my colleagues in City Council, specifically Bonnie Caplan, Mark Tumeo,  and Cheryl Stephens. Congratulations on your outstanding election victory in a crowded field of ten. To Vice Mayor Phyllis Evans, Councilman Ken Montlack  and Councilman Dennis Wilcox, I look forward to working with you again for at least another two years.

These two years that are ahead will set the course for Cleveland Heights for many years into the future.