The Writers and Readers Series at the Cleveland Public Library is bringing author, journalist and urban planning expert, James Howard Kunstler, to the Stokes Auditorium of Cleveland Public Library’s Main Branch on Sunday, March 14, at 2 p.m., (325 Superior Avenue, Downtown).

Kunsler is known as one of the foremost social critics of the modern era. His books The Geography of Nowhere (1993) and Home from Nowhere (1996) established him as a fierce critic of suburban sprawl and the high cost of a car dependent culture. Kunstler says he wrote The Geography of Nowhere, "Because I believe a lot of people share my feelings about the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and ravaged countryside that makes up the everyday environment where most Americans live and work."

Free tax assistance is currently available for low and moderate income families in Cuyahoga County who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or make less than $49,000 a year.

The Cuyahoga Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition provides free income tax preparation for those who qualify for the EITC, a refundable tax credit available to working adults. In the past, families with three or more children received the same EITC as families with two children. The federal stimulus created a new EITC category for families with three or more children and increased the credit amount for all EITC filers in 2009 and 2010. The maximum EITC will now increase to $5,657, and the average is roughly $2,000.

The Cleveland Heights–University Heights City School District announced that Jeffery Talbert has been hired as assistant superintendent. Talbert is currently the superintendent of Osnaburg Local Schools in East Canton, Ohio, a district ranked Excellent with Distinction by the Ohio Department of Education. Talbert’s official contract starts August 1, but the district will employ him on a daily basis prior to August 1, dependent upon his availability.

Alex Hamberger of University Heights and his partner Kim Sullivan of Cleveland, were the winningest team on Got*City Game!, a local web-based game show established last November by Barbara Oney and T.L. Champion, two greater Cleveland marketing executives.

In January, a story by Channel 3’s investigative reporter Tom Meyer indicated that Cleveland Heights Housing Commissioner Rick Wagner, at the urging of the FBI, may have exacerbated the impact of an alleged mortgage scam on Cleveland Heights. Specifically, Meyer’s report said Wagner waived escrow requirements to repair housing violations, allowing homes to change hands before repairs were made.

In the context of the alleged mortgage fraud—the subject of a 266-page indictment announced last August—escrow waivers allowed the homes to sell faster, ultimately ending up in the hands of unqualified buyers, and later to fall into foreclosure or abandonment.

After the story broke, City Manager Robert Downey asked Cleveland Heights Law Director John Gibbon to review the matter and report on the city’s role in the FBI investigation and its impact on the city.

Andrea "Rea" Robinson lived a short life, but she made a difference in that time.

Rea, a 2009 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and a freshman at Ohio University, died Feb. 17 after being hospitalized for bacterial meningitis. 

While at Heights High, Rea was on the tennis and lacrosse teams, captain of the swim team, a member of the Heights Singers and a student in the Renaissance School. She was known for her friendly spirit, and was liked by many.

The day after her death, students at Heights High signed a banner in her memory, and members of the Heights Singers sang "For Good," from the musical “Wicked,” as a dedication.

Perhaps you’re wondering, where to get advice on remodeling a kitchen or making an older home more energy efficient.

Try the Home Remodeling Fair on March 20 sponsored by the Home Repair Resource Center. The event will be held at the Lee Road Library. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., presentations begin at 10 and end at 2:15.

The computers distributed to approximately 1,500 students in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District have the same anti-theft capabilities used by the Lower Merion School District (Ardmore, Penn.) to spy on students.

The Heights is Greater Cleveland’s best asset—next to the lake, of course. The Heights has fantastic restaurants and it’s just up the hill from nationally recognized health care facilities. It has viable local merchant districts, neighborhoods with fine homes, is adjacent to the cultural icons of University Circle, and it’s inhabited by the most diverse demographic of Northeast Ohio. We should do more than celebrate this community; we should fiercely protect and grow the Heights as innovatively, efficiently and aggressively as possible.

Artist and writer Ralph Solonitz was born in 1947 in Munich, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors. He now makes his home in Cleveland Heights.

Calling all friends of Forest Hill Park: your favorite place to (check one) walk, run or hang out with (check one) your boyfriend, girlfriend, children or dog, needs your help. 

Forest Hill Park means much to many people. With its huge old-growth oaks, large open meadows, and steep wooded ravines, it is a natural treasure—an old-world deer park transplanted into the middle of an American city.

The Shaker Lakes show their winter beauty.

Tuesday is my least favorite day in Cleveland Heights because it is trash day. I’m not opposed to trash, but I detest the remnants left over each week from our failed waste and recycling programs.

I walk my dog several times a week, and Tuesdays are frustrating. Instead of enjoying the walk through my beautiful neighborhood, I maneuver a gauntlet of chicken bones, pizza boxes, candy wrappers and unknown, unrecognizable food remnants, hoping my dog does not digest any of this dangerous smorgasbord. 

One reason FutureHeights launched the Heights Observer was to encourage community dialogue and engagement among Heights residents—engagement with the local government, community and businesses. Another reason was to serve those businesses.

The local commercial base is a big part of what gives the Heights its unique character. By helping those businesses thrive, the thinking goes, FutureHeights helps maintain the community’s charm.

JANUARY 19, 2010

Vice Mayor Phyllis Evans excused.

Designations sought

Mary Dunbar of Fairfax Road said that she was working with city officials on the designation of the Fairfax neighborhood as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places and of Cleveland Heights as a bike-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists.

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.

SPECIAL MEETING—JANUARY 11, 2010

All council members were present.

Appointment of Nancy E. English

Due to illness, Nancy E. English was unable to attend last week’s meeting where council members were sworn in. Council voted to reappoint English as clerk of council and she was sworn in.

Where is city council taking our town, UH residents wondered after sitting in a packed council chamber to watch a 47-slide presentation by the Northeast Ohio Sourcing Office on Jan. 19. The slide show recommended that the city privatize, outsource or collaborate with other cities for most of the services it provides, including fire department, garbage pick-up, snow/leaf removal, housing inspection and many others.

JANUARY 25, 2010

Choose to Read Ohio grant

The board accepted the Choose to Read Ohio grant in partnership with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District in the amount of $5,211, with a local match of $1,736. One of the two books featured, You Remind Me of Me, is by Cleveland Heights author Dan Chaon. Activities will take place in the spring and will include author visits.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library's art study group’s spring series will explore themes, images and literature that relate to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s newest exhibition, “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.”

The series, a collaboration between the library and CMA’s Ingalls Library, will be in three sessions.

Don't miss any of these great library programs:   Coventry Village Library
1925 Coventry Road, 216-321-3400
NIA Coffeehouse, Tuesday, March 2, 6 p.m.
Shadow Puppet Theatre, Monday, March 8, 6:30 p.m.
Baby Sign Language, Saturday, March 20, 11 a.m.
Ukulele Jam, Tuesday, March 30, 7 p.m.

Heights Libraries and the CH-UH schools are the proud recipients of a Choose to Read Ohio grant. Choose to Read Ohio is a project designed to promote reading across the state to all ages.

WORK SESSION- JANUARY 12, 2010

All board members present.

Extension of the elementary school day

Superintendent Heuer explained the need for more instructional time in the elementary schools and how the district compared with other school districts. According to the superintendent, his plan to extend the student day until 3:30 p.mm (except for Tuesday) could be done within the contract with the teachers’ union.

Cleveland Heights High School is expanding its school day to increase instructional time for students. This change takes effect in August, at the beginning of the 2010 –2011 school year. The new school day will last from 8:25 a.m. to 3:33 p.m. Currently, the Heights High school day is seven periods long, with an optional 35-minute period where students can seek extra academic assistance.

There’s a pattern to learning in Sharon Riley’s 5th-grade class, and her student Mallea Simmons can describe it: “First, we see Mrs. Riley do the work, then we do the work and talk about it with each other.” Talking and thinking about the work is important.

This was clear when four of Riley’s students were at the Smartboard, an interactive white board. Students took turns reading paragraphs and then, as a group, chose one of three answers that identified the topic sentence of the paragraph. This required understanding and analysis of the text.

The Heights Youth Club’s (HYC) Girls Volleyball team is taking on all comers. Compared with last year’s statistics, this team has made dramatic improvement. Its current record is 6:3 compared with last year's record of 1:6. The team is in second place going into the finals in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland Girls Volleyball League.

The team’s success has not come by accident. Teamwork, leadership and coaching have helped the girls achieve their winning season. Coach Eboni Daniels, a Heights High alum and master’s degree student at Cleveland State’s School of Social Work, put the emphasis on teamwork, training and practice. The growth and development of the girls is evidence that her dedication to the team is paying off.

The Cleveland Heights High School Swim Cadets presents this year’s show, “Swim Cadets Save The Day,” Thursday through Saturday, March 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s pool at 13263 Cedar Rd. Tickets are $6.

The girls’ basketball team at Monticello Middle School, affectionately called the Lady Cardinals, are the Jr. Lake Erie League Girls’ Basketball Champions for 2010. The 10:1 Lady Cardinals (13:1 overall) knocked off an undefeated Shaker Raider team to claim the title. 

The victory was sweet as Shaker was the defending Jr. LEL Champion last year, and went undefeated during the regular season this year. The Lady Cardinals' only loss this year was to Shaker. Last year Shaker defeated Monticello in the championship.

Coached by Monticello teachers Angela Kirkland and Jason Jeske, the Lady Cardinals are enjoying their championship victory and were recognized during at the Heights Tigers home game on Feb. 6. 

The Tavern Company has a new owner and a new menu.

Chris Armington, who worked for 12 years at Brennan’s Colony as a bartender, server and manager, now owns The Tavern Company, also known as TavCo. “It’s always been a dream of mine to own my own business,” he says.

After signing the papers last November, his dream came true, and in January, Armington introduced a new menu for 2010. “If you’re a bar on Lee Road, you have to have wings and burgers, so we do that. But we also wanted to offer things that are a little more high end, and not be like every other bar on Lee Road.”

What should you do if your car won’t start?

Many times a customer will report that the engine cranks but does not turn over.  If all of the usual noises occur when the key is turned, the engine is turning over.  In this case, get the car to a mechanic because there are many factors that can prevent the car from starting.

A fixture on Lee Road for 43 years, Verne & Ellsworth Hann Inc. has roots in the Heights community going back to 1907. Now Bill Hann and his brother, Chris, carry on the four-generation family tradition of heating and cooling service, begun over 100 years ago by their great grandfather, William Hann.

An inventor and pioneer in the heating industry, Hann codeveloped the first low-pressure steamheat system, working with architects, Harlan Shimmin and Meade & Hamilton, to install it in many of the large homes in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights.

“Prior to the development of the new system, heat was either on or off. My great grandfather’s invention kept noise to a minimum, and, for the first time, allowed radiator heat levels to be adjusted,” Chris Hann explains.

Today, 80 percent of Verne & Ellsworth Hann’s business remains in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights, and 95 percent of it is residential.

Jeff Milchen, cofounder of the American Independent Business Alliance and an international leader in helping communities build vital local economies, is coming to town. He will be conducting "Strength In Numbers," a 2-3 hour workshop for locally-owned businesses, on Thursday, March 25, at 8:30 a.m., at the Lee Road Library..

The 34th Cleveland International Film Festival (March 18–28 at Tower City Cinemas in Tower City Center) has grown to nearly 67,000 admissions. The festival features more than 300 films from more than 80 countries that are showcased during this annual spring film festival.

For the fifth year in a row, the CIFF will present a special evening at its original home to honor the memory of one of its founders-Rick Whitbeck. The event is a special screening of "Hipsters" on Wednesday, March 24, at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights.

University Heights celebrated Black History Month in council chambers on Feb. 16 with a musical presentation by the Wiley Middle School Challenge Choir, and an address by Rev. Marvin A. McMickle, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church. Before making its trek to perform at the Capitol this spring, the choir performed for Mayor Susan Infeld, members of the University Heights city council and residents. 

More than 30 voices sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" followed by "Total Praise" a composition by African-American composer Richard Smallwood.

This May, the choir will spend four days in the nation’s capital on a music competition tour. Last year, the choir competed in the Midwestern region and was awarded 1st and 2nd place in the categories of gospel and show choir respectively. The choir also secured a 1st place soloist ranking.

Beethoven called Luigi Cherubini "the greatest living composer" and claimed that if he himself should write a requiem, his only model would be Cherubini's"Requiem in C minor." The piece was performed at Beethoven's memorial service.

The Western Reserve Chorale will present the Cherubini's work as part of its second concert of the 2009-10 season, on March 21, at 7:00 p.m., at Grace Lutheran Church, 13001 Cedar Road. 

Benefit supports arts in CH-UH schools

“C’est la vie” is the theme of this year’s benefit and auction to support RoxArts, a nonprofit that brings enhanced arts education to students at Roxboro Elementary and Middle schools. The annual fundraiser will be March 5, at 7 p.m. at the Heights Rockefeller Building. Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door. To make reservations, call Susan Ford at 216-932-2223. For general questions or to donate items, call Chesca Hadden at 216-932-7169.

Like many young Clevelanders, I twiddled my thumbs after graduation and looked for jobs in exotic (and expensive) cities. But unlike most of my peers, I discovered that the universe had other plans. I received a phone call announcing that an internship had opened up at International Partners in Mission, a small international nonprofit based in Cleveland Heights.

She has lived in the Coventry neighborhood for 32 years, since she arrived from what was then the Soviet Union. She is a friend of Tommy Fello, of Tommy’s, whom she calls the "unofficial mayor of Coventry," and has had her art exhibited at his restaurant. When she goes into Hunan Coventry, waiters greet her warmly and the chef makes a special dish for her, something that is not on the menu. Coventry is her stomping ground.

Jeff Milchen, cofounder of the American Independent Business Alliance, will speak Wednesday, March 24, 7 p.m., at the Cleveland Heights Community Center.

Milchen, a nonprofit entrepreneur, writer and speaker best known as an advocate for independent businesses, community economic vitality and representative democracy. He frequently facilitates trainings for communities organizing independent business alliances, "buy local" campaigns, prolocal policy and other programs designed to enhance local economic development centered on local entrepreneurs.

Take a trip back in time and explore the Heights and all of Ohio using historic maps that have been georeferenced in Google Earth, a free program that manages multiple map layers so you can easily see how locations have changed over time.

A hands-on workshop exploring these maps and the Google Earth application will be offered at the Lee Road Library on Sunday, March 7. Register in advance atwww.heightslibrary.org.

In 2008 and 2009 Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park was voted “Best place to take your kids” in the FutureHeights “Best of the Heights” poll. Twice a year, the community gathers to clean and maintain it.

But do you know how the playground came about?

If someone had given you $100,000 on your 18th birthday, no strings attached, what would you have done with it? Would you have spent part on your college education, then saved the rest for a down payment on a house? 

More likely you would have thought, “I’m rich!” Then spent the money on a new fully loaded car or a vacation.

One common misconception is that trusts are only for the wealthy. But, not only can a properly executed and funded trust make the administration of an estate easier, it can ensure that children are provided for until they are adults.

The Home Repair Resource Center’s Home in the Heights subsidiary is about to complete the renovation and reclamation of another previously vacant and foreclosed property in Cleveland Heights, at 3519 Edison Road. 

The public is invited to an open house on March 20 to see the results of this energy- and green-conscious overhaul that includes a new roof, deck, bathroom fixtures, and heating and air-conditioning systems; a new kitchen complete with a bamboo floor; rebuilt front steps; and a remodeled basement complete with rec room and working fireplace.

It’s never too early to start planning for post secondary education. Cleveland Heights High School (13263 Cedar Road) will host the 16th Annual Cleveland Northeast Suburban College Fair on Thursday, March 11, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to meet guidance staff, college admissions officers, and alumni representatives from over 140 colleges, universities and technical schools at the fair. Students and their families are invited to gain information about a wide variety of schools, specifics about student life on campus, programs and majors at each school, admissions and financial aid.

Heights High English teacher Sylvia Stewart-Lumpkin was nominated for the WEWS Terrific Teacher Tribute by a former student. “She’s a tough teacher, but when you walk out of her class, you are so much smarter than you were when you walked in. She makes you earn everything,” the student, who wishes to remain anonymous, wrote.

Stewart-Lumpkin was recognized on WEWS Channel 5’s morning show, Good Morning Cleveland, on Feb. 8. Watch the video clip at http://www.newsnet5.com/news/22508031/detail.html.

Jackie Elfvin is the administrative assistant in the Office of Communications and Community Engagement for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.

 

C’est la vie: Good food. Good friends. Good times.

That’s the theme of this year’s benefit and auction to support RoxArts, a not-for-profit organization of parents and community members who share a common goal: to bring enhanced arts education to students at Roxboro Elementary and Middle schools in Cleveland Heights.

The annual fund-raiser will be held Friday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the Heights Rockefeller Building (3101 Mayfield Road, at the corner of Mayfield and Lee roads) in Cleveland Heights. Party-goers will enjoy French food, drinks and live entertainment, while bidding on fine arts and jewelry by local artists, tickets to sporting events and museums, a vacation getaway and much more in silent and live auctions.

Heights High is the common link that brings together two Lee Road neighbors, Reaching Heights and Clyde’s Bistro and Barroom, for an event on March 8 that benefits the Heights schools.

Clyde’s is the new restaurant in the former diners at Lee and Overlook, next door to the Reaching Heights office. Considering that Clyde Mart, the bistro’s namesake proprietor, is a 1949 Heights High graduate, it was a natural fit when Reaching Heights sought a venue for a benefit dinner. The result: Hot Jazz on a Cold Night: Reaching Heights Night at Clyde’s, which will feature the musical stylings of a jazz ensemble of current Heights High students to accompany Clyde’s culinary stylings.

The Cleveland Heights–University Heights City School District will host its annual Kindergarten Information Night Thursday, March 11, at Boulevard Elementary School (1749 Lee Road) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This informational evening will be an opportunity for parents to meet CH-UH kindergarten teachers and have questions answered about the kindergarten program and the school district. Topics to be discussed include kindergarten readiness, kindergarten curriculum and related services. Parents will learn more about the before and after school programs, student services, food service, transportation and more.

Escape the winter doldrums by spending the evening at Fairmount Church Cooperative Nursery School’s Second Annual Winter Carnival. After the fantastic turnout for the 2009 carnival, the school is again preparing for a fun-filled night of great food, raffles, carnival games with prizes. The festival is the main fundraiser for the parent-run cooperative preschool. Dinner tickets are $8 for ages 6 and up, $5 for ages 3-5 and free for ages 2 and under. The school is located in Fairmount Presbyterian Church as 2757 Fairmount Blvd. (at Coventry) in Cleveland Heights. For more information, contact the school at 216-321-5800.

Christina Hidek is a volunteer at Fairmount Presbyterian Church.

Last winter, Jeannette Sorrell, founder and director of Apollo’s Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, conducted an all-Mozart concert at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The soloist that evening with the student orchestra was acclaimed pianist and faculty member Sergei Babayan. When Apollo’s Fire decided to return to Severance Hall for its upcoming concert titled “A Mozart Celebration” on March 13, Sorrell knew she wanted Babayan as the piano soloist.

Experienced cyclist John Ludway is offering a new course at the Cleveland Heights Recreation Center: Bike Riding (Made Simple and Safe). Ludway is a 35-year veteran of bicycle touring and commuting. He wants to teach riders how to ride safer, saner and with a greater sense of accomplishment.

The course is offered 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, from March 16 to May 4, and there is a charge to participate. For more information, call 216-691-7373.

Tetelestai—a contemporary musical portrayal of the trial, execution and Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah—is returning to the Heights area after a 15-year absence.  

Gesu Parish in University Heights will host Tetelestai on March 19 at 8 p.m., March 20 at 8 p.m., and March 21 at 3 p.m. in Gesu Church at 2470 Miramar Boulevard

Ever wanted to dance in a ballroom with a live band? Perhaps you didn’t try because you didn’t know how. Well, Sunday, March 21, is your chance to take a quick lesson, then dance to the music of the 17-piece Prime Time Big Band in the ballroom of The Alcazar.

You’ll also get a chance to take a tour of The Alcazar, a Cleveland Heights landmark at 2450 Derbyshire, built in 1923 in the Spanish-Moorish style. Its Grand Ballroom will be the site of dance instruction from 1-1:45 p.m., followed by dancing to the Prime Time Big Band from 2-4:30 p.m. and refreshments including appetizers, desserts, non-alcoholic punch, coffee and tea.

Without a doubt, Cleveland has made its mark on the culinary map. And while we may have an opportunity to occasionally dine at the most celebrated independent local restaurants; it's a rare treat when we can enjoy cuisine from more than 7 prominent chefs – all in one evening, at one event!

Walkability is as important as location in choosing a home. So says a new study by the CEOs for Cities, a group of urban redevelopment advocates.

“Take Nine” brings their special blend of poetry and performance to The Alcazar in Cleveland Heights on Monday, March 1, at 7 p.m., as part of the First Mondays reading series.

The March 1 program features Gail Bellamy, Kathleen Cerveny, Katie Daley, Meredith Holmes, Bonnie Jacobson, Darlene Montonaro, and Cindy Washabaugh. 

University Heights native Daniel Rush is the 2009 recipient of the Helen and Morris Zupnick Scholarship, awarded through Jewish Family Service Association’s Joint Educational Loan Committee (JELC) college financial aid program. Rush is studying nursing at Ursuline College. Before embarking on a nursing career, Rush attended high school at the Hebrew Academy and graduated from Cleveland State University in 1996 with a degree in Communications. He spent six years as a producer for CNN in Atlanta, before moving back to Cleveland to work in local television, public relations and real estate. Rush and his wife have two children and live in University Heights.

Becky Rocker is the marketing and public relations specialist for the Jewish Family Services Association.

The Ninth Annual Discover Cedar Fairmount Festival will be held  from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8 at the corner of Cedar Road and Fairmount Boulevard in Cleveland Heights. The event is free and will feature entertainment for the entire family, including the Euclid Beach Rocket Car, a pet fantasy land, pony rides, arts and crafts, children's games and more.

Nonprofit organizations and arts and crafts vendors who would like to participate in the fair should call the Cedar Fairmount Special Improvement District office at 216-791-3172 or visit www.cedarfairmount.org.

Kaye Lowe is the executive director of the Cedar Fairmount SID.

Heights Community Congress has scheduled its Heights Heritage Tour for the weekend of Sept. 25 and 26. The preview party is Saturday night, Sept. 25, and the tour of homes and gardens will be held Sunday afternoon, Sept. 26, rain or shine.

The tour will feature several Cleveland Heights homes and gardens, showcasing a diverse array of architectural styles. For more information, call Heights Community Congress at 216-321-6775.

Sally Fahrenholz is a volunteer with Heights Community Congress.