Buckingham residents endorse Hart for mayor

To the Editor:

We’re sending this letter to announce our endorsement of Melody Hart for mayor of Cleveland Heights. In the information regarding her announcement to run, she emphasizes characteristics such as “responsive,” taking into account “citizens’ complaints,” and “transparency.” From our perspective as residents of the Buckingham Condominium—the lone, four-story, circa 1925 building in the very center of the Top of the Hill (TOH) project—Melody has been the one member of council who has consistently reached out to us in our many concerns.

Last May, just as ground was breaking for TOH, Melody and Davida Russell, another CH council member, went out of their ways on a Sunday afternoon to meet with [Buckingham] residents and listen to our concerns. They could see our need for new tree growth after so much has been razed for development; they understood our concerns for parking (both temporarily during construction, and permanently in the new garage); and they grasped residents’ distaste for a gated, locked, Astroturfed “Bark Park," virtually at the foot of the Buckingham entrance.

In the months since, Melody has continued to take the initiative in reaching out to this community. When problems have arisen with our temporary parking situation, Melody has offered a helping hand. When deep mud threatened to swallow us along our walkway, she helped alleviate the situation. When no one was shoveling the snow in our temporary lot and sidewalks, she saw that it got done. Living at the epicenter of the TOH project has been a bit of a nightmare; when it appears that no one in the city remembers that we’re here, Melody has kept checking in on us.

Melody believes in, and works for, social, economic and racial justice. She uses her faith life to make a difference in the civic arena.  For all of the above reasons, we will support her in the upcoming election.