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Dan Horrigan with Mayor Seren at Horrigan's Dec. 16, 2024, city council confirmation hearing.

Dan Horrigan resigned as Cleveland Heights’ city administrator on Monday, March 17.

Heights Observer inquiries to the city’s Public Relations Department, seeking additional information and comment, have not yet received a response.

Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren confirmed Horrigan's resignation at the 7:30 p.m., March 17 meeting of Cleveland Heights City Council, where he stated, “I’d like to confirm the news that today the former city administrator, Dan Horrigan, resigned his position.”

CH City Council confirmed Horrigan as city administrator earlier this year, on Jan. 6.

Heights Libraries Director Nancy Levin at the Feb. 16 Coventry PEACE Playground ribbon cutting.

At the March 17 meeting of the Heights Libraries board,  Director Nancy Levin announced her upcoming retirement in February 2026. Levin has served as director of Heights Libraries since 2008 and has been a librarian since 1998.

“I promised the board that I would give them plenty of time to search for my successor and create an orderly transition,” Levin said.

Levin said she is very proud of her time as director, steering the library, and its budget, through the Great Recession, the COVID pandemic, and numerous construction projects, all the while reaching many strategic goals, including a robust DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility) agenda.

“Through Nancy's leadership and years of dedicated service, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Libraries has strengthened our role as an inclusive space that welcomes all residents of our community,” said Library Board President Annette Iwamoto.

On March 19, 6:30 p.m., Cleveland Heights City Council Vice President Davida Russell, in partnership with K&M Partners, will present a free seminar on estate planning in the mini auditorium at Cleveland Heights High School. 
 
Part of Russell’s ongoing series of “You Talk, I Listen” programs, the event is designed to provide vital information for individuals and families who own homes or other assets, and want to learn how to ensure their estates are properly protected, for themselves and their families.

University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan.

In his 2025 State of the City address on March 5, University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan painted a picture of progress, resilience, and community unity, while urging residents to remain hopeful and forward-looking in the face of today's challenging global landscape.

“Look up,” Brennan told an audience of residents, city officials, and local leaders, borrowing from the tagline of this summer’s new “Superman” movie.

This year’s theme was a call to lift one’s gaze beyond negativity, isolation, and divisiveness, encouraging residents to reflect on the city’s strong sense of community and its commitment to a brighter future.

Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan and Chief of Staff Deanna Bremer Fisher discuss the Active Transportation Plan with 19 News Reporter Vic Gideon.

In the not-so-distant future, it may become a whole lot easier to get around town by bike or on foot.

Over the last year, University Heights, Cleveland Heights, and South Euclid have been working in conjunction with a team of consultants to develop the Heights Regional Transportation Plan (ATP). The plan seeks to ensure that travelers of every sort can make their way between our three communities with greater comfort, safety and enjoyment.

An Active Transportation Plan is all about access. Specifically, it is about providing greater access to our transportation networks so that a variety of users may use them with comfort and ease.

The Heights Pollinator path began on Bradford Road.

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The Heights Native Pollinator Path (The Path) is 5 years old!

The Path, a program of Friends of Heights Parks, was an idea that took root on Bradford Road on a cold February day in 2020. A resident sent out an e-mail to neighbors asking if they'd like to be part of a path of pollinators planted in their tree lawns or front yards. By spring, a dozen gardens sprouted up marked with a sign, Bradford Pollinator Path, to signify the intention of the planting. Neighbors from adjoining streets began to ask questions and soon the project expanded to become the Heights Native Pollinator Path.

FutureHeights has launched an audience survey seeking to better understand the impact our programs and services are having on the community and how we can improve.

Please take five minutes to fill out our survey. 

FFHL has launched a new fundraising campaign, Trees for Tommy.

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The Feb. 16 Coventry PEACE Park ribbon-cutting event was fun for all on a snowy Sunday! An overflow crowd joined organizers inside Coventry Village Library for hot cocoa and a few short speeches. Then, it was out to the cardinal for a ceremonial ribbon cutting surrounded by kids and grown-ups enjoying the new play equipment. 

Afterward, the Fund for the Future of Heights Libraries (FFHL) welcomed more than a hundred friends and neighbors to its Cabin Fever Family Friendly Fundraiser at the Grog Shop. With the support of local businesses, guests enjoyed performances by the Heights Barbershop Quartet and Opus 216, as well as a delicious buffet.

Attendance for the Resistance Fair surpassed expectations, with lines going down the sidewalk. [photo: Eric Coble]

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On Saturday, Feb. 9, Resistance Fair 2025 attracted more than 1,500 people to the Cleveland Heights High School cafeteria. Organized by the Cleveland Heights Democrats, the event connected attendees with more than 45 activist and advocacy organizations from across Northeast Ohio, providing a vital opportunity for engagement and action.

People traveled from as far as Elyria, Madison, Medina, and Toledo to take part in event.

The fair, structured like a “trade show” for activism, enabled attendees to move from table to table, learning about different organizations and how they could get involved.

This month, beginning March 4, each Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District elementary school will host a Kindergarten Information Night for incoming and prospective families.

Attendees will have an opportunity to meet school principals and teachers, ask questions, and take tours of the buildings.

To find the school that corresponds to your address, use the district’s online interactive boundary map, at www.chuh.org/InteractiveBoundariesMap.aspx.

"Redd Fox," by Denise Buckley, in the exhibition Regional Perspectives, opening March 14.

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Heights Arts continues its vibrant programming in the literary, musical, and visual arts despite the impact from the recent fire behind its building on Lee Road. The fire, which broke out in an unfinished apartment complex under construction behind the Cedar-Lee movie theater in late January, was contained before it could spread to surrounding businesses and homes.

Heights Arts Executive Director Rachel Bernstein said, “We are grateful our building remains intact thanks to the Cleveland Heights police and fire department, and their unprecedented efforts—a demonstration of our community’s determination to persevere.”

Last month, we described how and why Cleveland Heights came to adopt point of sale (POS) inspections and later added an escrow requirement to fund code-violation repairs. 

On Jan. 28, seven area realtors, all but one Cleveland Heights residents, met with CH City Council’s Housing and Building Committee Chair Jim Petras, Vice Chair Gail Larson, and Council Member Craig Cobb. Committee member Anthony Mattox Jr. was absent. The realtors identified themselves as members of Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors (ACAR) but did not mention (let alone assume responsibility for) ACAR's recent mailer attacking POS.

FOCP board president Gary Lustic and board member Joe Butler raise funds by selling raffle tickets during a summer 2024 concert.

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For 32 years, Friends of Cain Park (FOCP) has played an essential role in supporting Cleveland Heights' historic Cain Park. An all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3  organization, the FOCP Board of Directors raises funds and awareness to ensure the park remains a thriving hub for the visual and performing arts, for local residents as well as visitors. Incorporated in 1993, the Friends' mission is to promote, preserve, and enhance Cain Park as an artistic, historical, and educational resource for Northeast Ohio.  

FOCP is primarily funded through memberships, donations, and fundraising efforts, with membership numbers ranging from 100 to nearly 300 local residents. By selling memberships, organizing raffles, and offering support at events like the Cain Park Arts Festival, FOCP contributes vital resources for Cain Park’s upkeep and programming.

University Heights resident, author, and educator Cassidy Pietrick has released her debut children's book, The Pickle Tails. The story follows Pickle, a lovable little, long dog with a big heart and even bigger emotions. Through her exciting adventures, young readers are invited to explore the ups and downs of feelings while learning to manage their emotions in a fun and engaging way.

“Growing up in a family of artists, I’ve always dreamed of writing children’s books,” Pietrick said. “As a former elementary school teacher, I saw the need for imaginative stories that support social-emotional learning in young children.”

Pianist Irwin Shung, of the Resonance Project.

The Resonance Project at Forest Hill Church continues its inaugural season on March 15, 7:30 p.m., with a candlelight program featuring two Romantic workhorses for the virtuosic pianist.

Join pianist Irwin Shung as he presents Lenten Reflections, a solo piano recital, feturing Rachmaninov's lush and worldly Ten Preludes, op. 23, and Franck's visionary Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue.

As is its custom, the Resonance Project will present this program with a lively talk by Shung, who founded the popular library series "How to Fall in Love with Classical Music."

I don't know why, but this vintage photo from Coventry in the early '80s just popped up. I mean, I didn't mention it in the story or anything, so, you know, pretty random . . .

I was at a party a few months ago, talking to a friend, a longtime Coventry Road business owner. Someone he knew walked over to us, and my friend introduced me to her, saying, “You might read his column in the Heights Observer. He writes about Coventry.”

That surprised me, because this column isn’t about Coventry. But, on the other hand, I guess I do write about Coventry quite a bit. I grew up in that neighborhood, and I was there when it changed, in the late 1960s. And both Coventrys—before and after—were important in my life. And I have a lot of memories of it. Plus, I’ve never stopped going there.

Both of my parents grew up right there, too, so I also know Coventry’s history.

The new federal regime has declared war on the federal government. It’s like an autoimmune disease in which the body turns on itself. The powerful are misusing their power to declare war on people in every community, including ours.

Since the 1930s, when the New Deal expanded the role of the federal government in salvaging American lives and putting the economy back together, detractors have yearned to return to a laissez-faire state where individualism reigns. On Jan. 20—Inauguration Day—they got their chance. The attack on the government, including a pledge to demolish the Department of Education, began immediately.

Our public schools hold the key to the future.

Heights Libraries held a "Memory Disco" in May 2024 as part of 2024's Dementia Week programming. Library Director Nancy Levin, left, dances with her sister, Karen Schneiderman, who has dementia.

Heights Libraries has received a $2,500 grant to provide “Memory Disco” programs to Cleveland Heights and University Heights residents who are living with dementia, and their caretakers.

The library is partnering on the new program with the Day by Day Project, a nonprofit organization that created the Memory Disco model to enhance the health and quality of life for people living with dementia. Day by Day staff will provide training for library staff as well as the necessary equipment.

Memory Discos are group events that take advantage of the neurological benefits of rhythm, movement, and music, all of which have been shown to survive dementia. The Disco uses all three—rhythm, music, and movement—to create powerful experiences for participants that enable them to connect to other people, to their memories, and to their bodies.

Here in the Heights, we’ve experienced a pretty cold winter, with temperatures dipping below zero in January.

In the middle of that cold snap, a Cleveland Heights friend’s natural gas furnace quit, and she was forced to make what she called a “less-than-ideal decision.” She wanted to explore replacing her gas furnace with a heat pump, but her furnace company actively discouraged her. With her house growing colder, she reluctantly purchased another natural gas furnace, thus locking in her house’s methane and carbon heating emissions for the next 15 years.

We homeowners often purchase our appliances in emergency situations. When our furnace or water heater quits, we need to get back to normal operations quickly.

Dobama Anti-Gala poster

On April 5, 6–10 p.m., Dobama Theatre will host the aptly titled “Not Another F**king Gala” at the Grog Shop. The event will mark the theater’s 65th year of bucking the system, creating community, pushing boundaries, and provoking an examination of the contemporary world through Off-Broadway theater productions. 

Curated by Dobama’s Artistic Director Nathan Motta, the entertainment is sure to wow! This alternative-themed fundraiser will feature burlesque performances by Bella Sin and friends, drag performances by local queens including Veranda L’Ni and Dr. Lady J, music by DJ Candi Fresca, and much more. The evening will be hosted by emcee Ken Schneck, executive director of The Buckeye Flame.

A recent column in the Heights Observer discussed the history of point-of-sale ordinances in Cleveland Heights. As a member of City Council in the late 1970s, I co-wrote one version of them. These ordinances once served a useful social purpose; but point-of-sale inspection has become obsolete. This is because provisions for private inspections are standard in real estate contracts.

Government inspections too often miss problems. And the law provides that the city is not liable when they do. Private inspections are more methodical and accurate because the inspectors are qualified. They even are certified by the state of Ohio.

Photo courtesy of the Human Library.

Have you ever made assumptions about a person, only to discover you were completely wrong once you actually talked to them?

Heights Libraries is encouraging everyone to open themselves to new experiences and interactions with its “Check Out a Human Book” program on March 20, 6:30–8:30 p.m., at the Lee Road Library.

The program is part of the Human Library, an international, nonprofit program that provides the public with the opportunity to talk with a person (a “human book”) who is different from them to learn more about that person’s unique life experiences and knowledge.

On the heels of its production of Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Hot Wing King,” Dobama Theatre will present the Cleveland premiere of Sarah DeLappe’s Off-Broadway hit, “The Wolves,” March 7–30. 

A 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist, “The Wolves” has been described as a “dark coming-of-age story” that explores the shifting and complicated dynamics of a girls’ indoor soccer team. The play covers themes such as community, growing-up, humanity, friendship, and much more.

DeLappe said of “The Wolves,” her debut play, “I wanted to see a portrait of teenage girls as human beings—as complicated, nuanced, very idiosyncratic people who weren’t just girlfriends or sex objects or manic pixie dream girls but who were athletes and daughters and students and scholars and people who were trying actively to figure out who they were in this changing world around them.”

Cleveland Heights City Council Vice President Davida Russell.

In a special recognition of community leaders making an impact, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has selected Cleveland Heights City Council Vice President and longtime union leader Davida Russell as one of his Hidden Figures for Black History Month. The honor acknowledges Russell’s commitment to labor rights, advocacy, and community service.

A celebration luncheon will take place on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Cleveland City Hall.

“We are proud to recognize Davida Russell as one of our Hidden Figures for Black History Month,” said Mayor Bibb. “Her work with labor organizations and her dedication to improving the lives of working families exemplify the values of leadership and service. Her impact will be felt for generations to come.”

Skuff Micksun will play Discover Weekly on April 13.

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A free, weekly series debuted at B Side Lounge (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd.) in February, inspired by organizations that support social justice and the music that has soundtracked those movements.

Each Sunday, 5­–8 p.m., through April 27, the “Discover Weekly” series will pay it forward, highlighting a nonprofit as well as emerging musicians from throughout Greater Cleveland.

This programming, made possible by the Live Music Society through the Music in Action grant, encourages people to take their music listening experience off-app and into small venues and listening rooms, ensuring live music remains accessible to all.

Deborah Derrickson Kossmann

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In 2016, Deborah Derrickson Kossmann was living her own episode of “Hoarders,” emptying junk from her mother’s house in suburban New Jersey. It had been almost 20 years since anyone was allowed inside, and nothing, not even a Psy.D. in clinical psychology, had prepared Kossmann for what she found.

She wrote: “(T)here hadn’t been trash put outside for the last fifteen years. All that garbage is here, not only her own excrement but containers filled with leftovers like a liquified turkey club sandwich. There are chicken bones, apple cores, empty milk cartons, and a half-eaten jar of peanut butter, all of it just thrown on top of piles. She’s made her life a literal dump. Why is she unable to part with her own trash?”

A model home built by Rebuild Cleveland in Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. [photo: Rebuild Cleveland]

Rebuild Cleveland LLC and FutureHeights Inc. have embarked on an official collaboration to bring transformative infill housing development to Cleveland Heights. This partnership leverages Rebuild Cleveland’s considered approach to residential development and FutureHeights’ extensive track record of creatively engaging the community to develop exceptional housing that is responsive to the community’s needs and respectful of its architectural heritage.

Rebuild Cleveland is a local real-estate development firm focused on modular construction in Cleveland and its surrounding inner-ring communities.

CH Council President Tony Cuda.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Cleveland Heights Council President Tony Cuda and Council Vice President Davida Russell will present their shared agenda for 2025.

The Q&A forum will take place at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, Rooms 1A and 1B, 7–8:30 p.m.

"One of the most important responsibilities of elected officials is to communicate effectively with our residents," commented Cuda. "To that end, VP Russell and I will hold our fifth 'Town Hall' style event since being appointed president and vice president of city council just a little over a year ago."

The forum is open to the public. No registration is required.

Actors From The London Stage (spring 2025 season)

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John Carroll University (JCU) welcomes the internationally renowned Actors From The London Stage (AFTLS) for a six-day residency, Feb. 17–22. The residency, supported by the Gerard Manley Hopkins Professorship in the Department of English, will feature engaging classroom workshops and performances of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, "Hamlet."

The five-actor troupe will arrive on Feb. 17. Throughout the week, AFTLS will host nearly 30 interactive classroom workshops, offering JCU students a dynamic and hands-on approach to topics such as Shakespearean verse, acting techniques, rhetoric, public speaking, and the power of body language.

Do you have an idea for an innovative project in your neighborhood? Do you need a little funding boost to turn your idea into reality? Look no further! We’ve got you covered with Future Heights Neighborhood Mini-Grants. 

This program awards up to $1,000 for grassroots projects that benefit Cleveland Heights and University Heights neighborhoods. The intention is to offer support for groups that wish to build community by working together to start or sustain a neighborhood project or initiative.

CH City Council Member Jim Petras (at right) reading the SURJ protect-and-resist pledge. Adin Mann, an event emcee, is next to him. [photo by Anne Kmieck]

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On Feb. 1, three elected Cleveland Heights officials affirmed a pledge to protect the rights, safety and dignity of people in our community and resist the Trump administration’s agenda.

CH City Council Members Gail Larson and Jim Petras and Mayor Kahlil Seren publicly signed the pledge as part of a national campaign organized by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). They were among the 37 leaders who signed that day. Council Member Anthony Mattox Jr. reported he signed the pledge after the event. 

Petras stated, “I signed the pledge because it's important for us to speak up during this time when the values that we care about and the people who we love are under attack!”

About 60 people attended the cold but sunny morning rally in front of Cleveland Heights City Hall. The organizers and participants pledged to provide support to city leaders in upholding the pledge. Knowing there will be many opportunities ahead to put these commitments into action, they vowed to work alongside city leaders when those moments come. Sixty similar actions occurred across the country, with more occurring later.

CH lead-abatement specialist Zach Ravanelli at work.

Following a year when the Cleveland Heights Housing Preservation Office tripled its lead-abatement project spending to reach $600,000 in federal Housing Urban Development (HUD) funds to remove lead from windows and doors, the city is poised to invest $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in 2025 to continue remediating lead and repairing the city’s rental and owner-occupied homes.

The city plans to spend another $2.5 million of ARPA funds in home-repair programs to help Cleveland Heights residents who qualify (those who earn less than 120% of area median income), including an exterior home-repair program to replace driveways, trees, sidewalks, and detached garages.

Lee Chilcote

FutureHeights welcomes Lee Chilcote as its new Housing Program Manager and Executive Director. A Cleveland Heights native, Chilcote brings a depth and diversity of experience to FutureHeights at an exciting point in time for the organization. 

As housing program manager, Chilcote will be responsible for the execution of FutureHeights’ new Housing Rehabilitation Program, which will support neighborhood stabilization through strategic acquisition and rehabilitation of distressed residential properties. Following rehabilitation, the homes will be available for lease/purchase by income-qualified residents. Chilcote’s experience in home rehabilitation and historic preservation will ensure homes are rehabilitated to the highest quality while also on-budget and on-time.

FEBRUARY 4, 2025, regular meeting

• Awards and recognitions
• Public comment
• Consent agenda
• Superintendent’s report
• Monticello school name change
• Second reading, policy group B
• Treasurer’s report
• President’s report

FEBRUARY 3, 2025, regular meeting

• Mayor’s report
• City council committee reports
• Directors’ reports
• Council action

JANUARY 27, 2025, work session

• Annual compliance with nutritional standards 
• College, workforce, and military readiness
• FAFSA submission assistance
• Community partnership reports

FEBRUARY 3, 2025, regular meeting

• Public comment
• Mayor’s report
• City administrator’s report
• Council actions
• Council member comments
• Committee of the Whole

JANUARY 27, 2025, organizational and regular meetings

• Organizational items
• Comments from the audience
• Security report
• Fund for the Future of Heights Libraries
• Coventry School facilities assessment
• Board action
• Human resources report
• Director’s report

JANUARY 21, 2025, regular meeting

• Public comment
• Mayor’s report
• Severance Town Center presentation
• Council actions
• Council member comments and committee reports
• Other agenda items

JANUARY 21, 2025 regular meeting

• Public comments
• Mayor’s report
• City council reports
• Directors’ reports
• Council actions
• Council committee reports
• Other agenda items

The red cardinal is a prominent feature of Coventry PEACE Park's new playground. [photo: Jack Valancy]

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On a glorious, sunny Sunday last July, friends, neighbors and community leaders gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the new Coventry PEACE Park. Wearing hardhats and with shovels in hand, groups posed for photos in front of big earthmoving equipment.

The old playground had been demolished the previous November, and trees had been removed so as not to disrupt bat nesting season (seriously). Chain-link construction fences were up; the park was closed. 

Behind the fence, Coventry PEACE Park was being transformed.

The city has entered into a partnership to redevelop Severance Town Center, which is largely unchanged in the two years since this photo was taken. [photo: Kim Sergio Inglis]

New York-based real estate development firm MPact Collective, known for its innovative approach to downtown revitalization, has commenced its process toward the transformation of Severance Town Center.

MPact aims to redevelop the struggling Severance mall into a vibrant, mixed-use community through a public-private partnership.

The Cleveland Heights initiative is a joint venture between MPact and Namdar Realty Group, Severance’s owner. While Namdar’s reputation has presented challenges in gaining community trust, MPact Collective is leveraging its history of success to bridge the gap.

The partnership's 20-month planning phase includes community engagement, rezoning efforts and a conceptual plan to redefine the Severance site. MPact acts as the master developer and brings in co-development partners to build components of the project under rules established though community and municipal collaboration and codified in the zoning and land-use regulations.

This year's Swim Cadets are (top row) Gwendolyn Kinsella and Josephine Norton, (second row) Emily Barr, Sophie Petersal, and Samira Sisson, (third row) Lev McFarland and Margaret Dyck, (fourth row) Amelia McCann, Kat Welfley and Ella Bain, (fifth row) Nora Dew and Tasha Bell, (bottom row) Ruby Jolivette, Clara Walker and Remy Polk. Not pictured: Celia Lyford and Celia Pentecost.

The Cleveland Heights High School Swim Cadets will present “Swim Cadets Turn Super,” the club’s 86th annual show, Feb. 27, 28, and March 1.

The synchronized swim team will perform at the Heights High Natatorium, 13263 Cedar Road, Thursday through Saturday evenings. Each show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 each and available in advance from Swim Cadet members. A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door.

The oldest club at Heights High, Swim Cadets has been entertaining audiences every winter for nearly nine decades. Club members choreograph original routines and collaborate on show themes and music, costume designs, and lighting. The club is self-funded, and relies on its own fundraising efforts, donations, and ticket sales to cover the costs of the show. 

Having a synchronized swimming team is not typical for a high school. The Heights High Swim Cadets has a long history in the Heights community, with generations of family members participating over the years, including Maeve Hackman, who is in her third—and final—year as club advisor.

Hackman was a Swim Cadet from 2014 to 2017 and became the club’s advisor after graduating from college.

Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren and Fire Chief Jim Harry.

After the “devastating fire” that destroyed part of the Marquee development complex over the weekend, Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren said the city is committed to “rebuilding after the initial process of investigation.”

Flanked by other city officials, Mayor Seren said at a news conference on Monday, Jan. 27, that there is no timeline yet for the investigation.

According to CH Fire Chief Jim Harry, first reports of the fire came in at approximately 7:05 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24. When fire crews responded, a “heavy body of fire” was already in the roof and ceiling.

On Jan. 27, at 1:56 p.m., the city of Cleveland Heights issued the following statement regarding multiple social media accounts of an alleged Jan. 26 ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raid on Cilantro Taqueria in Coventry Village:

"A report of a raid by federal ICE officials on the business establishment operated by Cilantro Taqueria located at Coventry and Euclid Heights Boulevard in Cleveland Heights has come to the attention of the City and its Division of Police.

Sarah Wolf, FutureHeights' community-building programs manager.

FutureHeights begins the new year with the news that Sarah Wolf, its long-standing community-building programs manager, has decided to pursue other interests and transition to new opportunities at the end of January.

Wolf has been a dedicated member of the FutureHeights staff, and her work in furthering the Heights community’s interests stands as testament to the importance of grassroots organizing and citizen engagement. She excels at both.

Wolf has left an indelible mark on the nonprofit organization. The torch she lit has sparked conversations among crowds throughout two cities, bringing them together as one community.

It is with sincere gratitude and great honor that FutureHeights carries the torch into this new year, and beyond.

Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan.

As a candidate for mayor in 2017, Michael Dylan Brennan promised he could lead University Heights to “reach new heights.”

In less than two terms, “every goal has been met,” Brennan said. “The things I came here to do, I have done. The things that remain that I have started are well underway and will be done.”

Brennan informed UH City Hall directors and chiefs on Jan. 14 that he will not be seeking a third consecutive term as mayor in 2025.

In his time in office, Brennan said, he has not held back: “You see that in our record and results.”

Beth El-The Heights Synagogue, 3246 Desota Ave., will hold its second annual Trivia Night on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 7:15 p.m. Rabbi Michael Ungar will be the event’s MC. 

A fundraiser that is "more fun than funds," proceeds will fund a new Torah scroll, scribed by soferet Rabbi Rebecca Richamn, who lives in Cleveland Heights and is a member of Beth El. (Sofers—males with the skill to inscribe a Torah—are rare; female soferets even more so.)

Gather a table of eight or fewer participants, and register by e-mailing the names to Natalie Barratt, at nmbarr@gmail.com. Pre-registration is required by Feb. 10.

For many, the journey to homeownership starts with a dream—a charming colonial on a quiet street, a yard for the dog, or simply a place to call one’s own. Yet, the path to making that dream a reality can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? How do you navigate the complexities of today’s housing market?

In 2023, University Heights Library Manager Sara Phillips noticed a growing need for reliable, practical guidance about the housing market. She reached out to two realtors whose expertise in the Heights area made them the perfect partners. Together, they crafted a series of workshops to help renters, first-time buyers, and even seasoned homeowners navigate the often-confusing world of real estate, providing practical tools and strategies.

Last November, many Cleveland Heights homeowners found in their mailboxes a 6-by-11-inch postcard declaring, "POINT OF SALE REQUIREMENTS POSE THREATS TO THE AMERICAN DREAM." For the two of us, receiving that mailing, funded by Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors (ACAR), was like reliving a bad dream.

Next month we will discuss ACAR's efforts to mislead a new generation of would-be home buyers and sellers, and how Cleveland Heights and neighboring communities can resist. For now, we will address how and why, 50 years ago, Cleveland Heights instituted point of sale inspection (POS).

It's easy to assume that things have always been the way they are now—or even that they used to be better.

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John Carroll University students are taking crucial action to combat hunger in Northeast Ohio with the return of “Blizzard Bash” on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Beachland Tavern.

All proceeds of the annual charity concert series will benefit the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland.

The students aim to break last year's record of donating more than 12,000 meals through the power of music.

“Hunger doesn’t end in December, the time of giving is truly year-round,” said Zachary Sinutko, events director for WJCU 88.7 FM.

John Gall lives at the T-bone intersection of South Taylor Road and Fairmount Boulevard in Cleveland Heights. On several occasions, speeding motor vehicles traveling southbound through that intersection have crashed into his house. One crash resulted from a police chase. There used to be a guardrail facing the intersection on Gall’s tree lawn. The city had it removed. Mr. Gall believes that removal has deprived his house of protection from such collisions.

Mayor Seren insists that removal of the guardrail merely “adhered” to guidelines of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The mayor has offered alternative solutions, such as bollards, wooden posts, field stones, or concrete barriers. He even offered to buy Gall’s house. The city now has placed two large boulders on the tree lawn. But Mr. Gall still wants a guardrail. The city still refuses to allow one.

For the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak, Church of the Saviour (COTS), located at 2537 Lee Road, has resumed its regular hosting of American Red Cross blood drives.

The church re-launched its efforts on Jan. 6, at the start of National Blood Drive Month, and on that first day received enough donations to save up to 75 lives.

Going forward, COTS will host two to four blood drives monthly, with the goal of becoming the largest blood-donation source site in the community.

Remember waking up on Nov. 6? Or possibly you didn’t go to sleep. For many of us Heights Democrats, everything that could go wrong did. We lost all our election races: Trump was elected again, Sherrod Brown lost, Issue 1 to end gerrymandering was defeated, and the Republicans retained control of the Ohio legislature, took both the U.S. House and Senate, and the Ohio Supreme Court.

I felt devastated and for a few weeks wallowed, maybe drank too much, considered taking up smoking, and was pretty difficult to engage with. It was bad. So many of us put so much energy, time and money into this election. We felt devastated, uncertain what to do next.

UH's new curbside recycling program is saving the city money.

First reviews of the new University Heights curbside recycling program are in, and residents are crushing it. Not only are residents recycling, they are recycling right.

Under the former recycling program, the city was paying $105.92 to have a ton of recycling collected.

Under the new program, residents are recycling so well that, in January 2025, Waste Management will rebate the city $16.75 per ton of recycling.

An audit from Oct. 1 through Dec. 4 of last year shows that University Heights residents are taking advantage of the new opportunity to recycle cardboard boxes, with cardboard making up 28.76% of all materials recycled.

Cleveland Heights must really be desperate! Instead of expanding its search to recruit from all of the highly qualified and successful professionals with municipal government experience and potential, Cleveland Heights chose to make Akron’s former mayor, Dan Horrigan, one of its top officials?   

What an embarrassment! Cleveland Heights deciding to hire Horrigan as the new city administrator is akin to any municipality deciding to have Timothy J. McGinty, Michael O'Malley, or Jimmy Dimora represent it. It's distasteful and a poor reflection.

By doing so, Mayor Kahlil Seren finally revealed how inexperienced, uninformed and gullible he is to ineffective, out-of-touch-with-reality, underperforming career politicians who are merely recycled rejects from a neighboring city that suffered primarily due to [extremely] poor leadership.

This is not one of my classes at the old Coventry School. But it could have been. See that kid raising his hand? That was never me. And see that kid who's laughing? That was always me.

I have a grandson who’s in the second grade at a Cleveland Heights public school. I was in the second grade at a different Cleveland Heights public school in the 1950s. I had an experience in the second grade that—I’m fairly certain—was life-changing. My grandson will probably not experience that, because I was in school at the height of the Cold War. 

Mine went like this (and I’ve told parts of this story before, but not the whole thing): One day, I was sitting in my second-grade class when a man walked in, someone I’d never seen. He was tall and thin, with a silver crew cut and wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a charcoal-grey suit. He conferred quietly with our teacher in a back corner.

One by one, the teacher called each kid to the back of the room to sit at a little desk with her and the man.

Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District Treasurer Scott Gainer has an interesting responsibility that I stumbled across in my recent effort to understand K–12 education options in Ohio: He is responsible for approving home-schooling requests that exempt children from Ohio's education requirements.

While public schools are free to all and available everywhere, Ohio families can legally participate in four nonpublic alternatives—charter schools; chartered nonpublic schools (i.e., traditional private schools); home schooling; and non-chartered nonpublic schools, which are religious schools that choose, based on beliefs, not to be chartered by the state.

This winter, Coventry Village is abuzz. The unveiling of the new Coventry PEACE Park is upon us, and Fund for the Future of Heights Libraries (FFHL) could not be more excited to share it with the community.

I’m writing this not just to invite you to FFHL’s ribbon cutting on Feb. 16, at 3 p.m., followed by our Cabin Fever Family Friendly Fundraiser at the Grog Shop (although we do hope to see you there). 

In the spirit of the new year and an “out with the old and in with the new" mindset, this is a 20-something’s tribute to her old stomping grounds.

I can no longer sit idly by and stay silent. And while I realize the 2025 budget has priority, the mayor and the city council need to work together in the spirit of transparency and collaboration to do something about these nasty little degrees which inhabit our city.

This morning (Jan. 9) on my way to Stone Oven for morning coffee, I stopped by Marc's on Coventry to buy a New York Times. As I stepped out of the car, I heard a wily little snicker ask, "Cold enough for you old man?" I turned to see a rather grubby looking group of about 18 short little degrees, laughing and pointing to me as they chuckled and sneered. Mean. These guys were just downright mean.