Answering 10 simple questions this month can make all the difference for economically stressed Cleveland Heights.
With one of the shortest questionnaires in history, the 2010 Census, arriving on your doorstep soon, asks for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship and whether you own or rent your home. It takes only about 10 minutes for the average household to complete.
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.
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)
The benefit will be held beginning at 8 p.m., Saturday Jan. 23, at the Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland (link to map: http://bit.ly/6Osdwa).
In these tough economic times, many local restaurants are struggling. Some have met this challenge by cutting back on staff, portion size or quality--much to the dismay of their customers. Others have relied on creative solutions and new ideas. The Mad Greek, at the top of Cedar Hill, is one of the latter.
Through the end of January, at least, they are offering any bottle of wine on their list for only $22. While they still have very good wines by the glass, at $22 you can put a little more zing into your meal. If you don't finish the bottle, Ohio law allows you to bring it home.
The Ohio House of Representatives today approved a bill sponsored by State Representative Barbara Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) to expand insurance coverage for patients with diabetes, helping people get the supplies and education they need to self-manage their diabetes. The vote was 58-38.
“An estimated 380,000 Ohioans have diabetes, and many of them are under-insured. This places a massive economic burden on people who are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Rep. Boyd. “Residents of this state deserve to have insurance coverage that provides benefits for diabetes equipment, supplies and medication. They should not have to choose between paying for food and treatment.”
With the holidays here, it’s time to enjoy some sparkling wine at celebrations with friends and family. If “real” Champagne (from the Champagne region of France) is out of your budget this year, there are lots of good alternatives at reasonable prices.
Sparkling wines are made all over the world and in many different styles. Unfortunately, the shelves include some less-than-stellar ones that are, for my tastes, industrial swill.
Now, if you happen to like Korbel or Martini & Rossi, more power to you. Everyone’s taste is different. If however, you are looking to step it up a bit, without hurting your wallet too badly, here are a couple of my
An especially interesting election season is coming up in Cleveland Heights and University Heights. All of the local races will be contested.
Races include:
· Cleveland Heights City Council: Four seats with three incumbents up for reelection.
· University Heights City Council: Three seats, two incumbents up for reelection.
· University Heights Mayor: With longtime Mayor Beryl Rothschild stepping down, this race is complicated by a city charter reform issue that could change the character of the mayor’s job.
· Cleveland Heights–University Heights Board of Education: Three seats, two incumbents up for reelection.
Annalena Weissman of Cleveland Heights a sixth grader at Ruffing Montessori catches up on the news from home while visiting the Giants Causeway at County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK.
Heights Observer writer Tom Woodworth shares the Heights Observer vibe with Paris, France.
Our April 09 issue contained a Cleveland Heights crossword puzzle which was enjoyed by many.
Mr Robert Haas enjoyed the first puzzle so much, he created a different kind of puzzle for your intellectual pleasure.
Feel free to print out and try the puzzle for yourself here.
The solution can be found here.
Enjoy!
The Heights wine scene is fortunate to have several wine bars. The oldest is La Cave du Vin on the corner of Coventry and Euclid Heights. It offers an assortment of wine and beer from around the world, and a limited food menu. Many wines are available by the taste, glass or bottle; others only by the bottle.
I began with a glass of 2005 Laurenz Gruner Veltliner from Austria. The wine was crisp and delicious with flavors of minerals, lime and a pinch of white pepper. I tasted three wines from Portugal, each a healthy 2-ounce pour. The 2006 Urban, made from a Spanish Tempranillo grape, was luscious and full bodied with complex cherry fruit. The Irreverante, made from Touriga Nacional grapes grown by a co-op in Portugal, is light and easy to drink. Its bright acidity goes well with food. The last, Aliança Terra Boa Old Vines, unfortunately, came from an off bottle, but I was not charged for it.
Some very nice wines are made right here — in our own backyard. Ohio winemakers deserve our support as much as our local merchants and farmers. Here are three Rieslings that are great on their own, before a meal, or with lighter summer fare.
Ferrante (Harpersfield, Ohio) 2007 Golden Bunches Dry Riesling at $13 is one of the best wines being produced in the state. Last winter, when I served as a judge for a competition of the best Michigan and Ohio wines, this was one of the top wines! It is so good that you don’t need to qualify that statement by saying "for an Ohio wine." It has plenty of fruit and complexity. The wine goes well with chicken, fish or vegetarian dishes. It is not bone dry and its only sweetness comes from the ripeness of the fruit. I bought my bottle at Heinen’s in University Heights.
The Cleveland Orchestra notes with sadness the death of former Orchestra member Steven Witser, who died last week from a heart attack at his home in Pasadena. He was 48 years old.
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Witser was appointed to The Cleveland Orchestra in 1989 by Christoph von Dohnányi. He served as Assistant Principal Trombone (1989-2007), Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager (1994-2007), and Acting Principal Trombone (2003-04 and 2005-07). He was also active in the Blossom Festival Band and Orchestra. While in Cleveland, Steve was a member of the faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He performed in the Center City Brass Quintet, High Anxiety Bones, and Myriad. A California native, he became principal trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007.
Last week, while shopping at Severance Town Center, I walked into Dave’s Market to meander through the wine department. They have a large variety of wines at very affordable prices. The store is cool and the wine display is well maintained. Always on the lookout for new wine finds, I bought these two bottles. Both were very good.
2007 Jekel Vineyards Riesling Monterey $11.79
This dry Riesling is very easy to drink. Warm California temperatures, moderated by the cooling ocean breezes, make Monterey a great place for growing grapes. These climate contrasts add a nice complexity to the wine, which has lovely aromas and flavors of orange and tangerine. This Monterey Riesling will go well with lighter summer fare, such as salads, seafood and poultry.
It’s been 15 years since Barb Seidel opened the doors to her home sewing studio in Cleveland Heights and began teaching local kids a unique set of skills. An accomplished seamstress with a background in art education, Seidel combined her passions for teaching and sewing to create a successful series of after-school and summer classes for kids from ages 8 to 18.
Today, her simple studio is equipped with modern machines and a variety of supplies, giving students everything they need to learn to sew. Ever-committed to personal attention and fun, Seidel’s classes are small, encouraging a warm, close-knit learning environment.
Cleveland Heights resident Karen Johnson achieved her personal best time of 3 hours 34 minutes and 40 seconds at the Boston Marathon on April 20.
This was her fifth marathon and her first Boston Marathon.
Karen is a registered dietitian, part-time personal chef and full-time mother of three.
“You Too Can Write the News,” a free workshop for citizen journalists, will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, in Meeting Room A of the Noble Neighborhood Library, 2800 Noble Road.
The workshop, hosted by the Heights Observer and FutureHeights, is the first in a series, and is designed to help people who want to foster discussion of community issues by writing in the Heights Observer or any other citizen journalism project.
Topics covered in the first workshop are vital reporting skills and techniques to make the writing process fast and easy. They are comparable to those taught in college-level journalism courses.
The workshop will be conducted by Bob Rosenbaum, an award-winning reporter, editor and publisher -- at local, regional and national newspapers and magazines -- for nearly 30 years.
In the late '80s, Dave Kolb and his wife Alice, both professors in organizational behavior at Case Western Reserve University, were playing softball in a league made up of various university departments. They eventually became uncomfortable with the level of competitiveness in the league. Dave and Alice believed softball was "too much fun to be left to those who do it well." So, in 1991 they took their department team out of the league and started a Sunday morning pick-up sides softball game for a group of diverse individuals to play, free from an emphasis on skills but with a focus on having fun.
When was the last time you had someone in your home that did not look like you? That is the challenging question that forms the foundation of the book Racing Across the Lines: Changing Race Relations Through Friendship by Dr. Deborah L. Plummer.
As the president and CEO of the YWCA of Greater Cleveland, whose mission it is to eliminate racism and empower women, I was embarrassed to admit my difficulty in answering that question. I work in a very diverse professional world but I socialize and worship in same-race communities. This book challenged me to consider the patterns of my social interactionsHeights residents are feeling the recession this winter as surely as the cold. Many wonder how to keep their budgets on track as expenses rise. Joe Daugirdas, also known as The Coupon Guy, has tips to share.
For starters, there are many sources of coupons. The Sunday Plain Dealer and the Heights edition of the Sun News have coupons nearly every week. The Cleveland Heights Main Library at Lee Road even has a coupon swap area, available to all.
You're opinion doesn't count unless you vote.
There are three Ways to Vote:
1. Vote early (in-person) at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
from Sept. 30 through Nov. 3
2. Vote early by Mail.*
3. Vote on Election Day (in person) Nov. 4
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
How are we doing?
The Heights Observer is a new community supported citizen media project of FutureHeights. We hope to stimulate discussion, inform people about issues that are meaningful in the Heights, support the local economy, and reflect the unique flavor of our communities.
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Send to:
Heights Observer Editor
2163 Lee Road, Suite 103
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
or info@heightsobserver.org
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.
--George Jean Nathan (1882-1958)
Have you moved recently? Changed your name or address? Turned 18? Recently become a citizen? Been apathetic but want to change your ways?
Register to vote today.
Our recent trip to England, Scotland, and Wales, plus last month’s piece by Matthew Williams is perfect timing for this story.
My craving for craft beers started while stationed in Germany in the late sixties. In Germany, one drinks one’s beer at guest houses. In that era, in addition to the local pilsner, the main choices were Lowenbrau or Becks. Back to the states and it was a 20 year taste drought until Great Lakes Brewery came along in 1988.
The many commercial districts in Cleveland Heights and University Heights define our communities. They are notable for their numbers—upwards of twenty, depending on how you count them—as well as their variety. Some are large and extensive in their offerings; others are small and specialized.
Paula Sonkin CHHS Class of '75 catches up on the hometown news in Los Angeles!
Stop by your local merchant and pick up a copy of the inaugural edition of the Heights Observer, a project of FutureHeights.
FutureHeights' stakeholders encouraged us to continue to innovate and to find new ways to promote community involvement, public expression, and communication. Study of the increasingly popular concept of “hyperlocal journalism” - and a timely encounter with the publishers of The Lakewood Observer - convinced us that our communities need this new voice, the Heights Observer.
