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Cleveland Heights engages the community as part of its safe streets planning. 

There were more than 7,000 crashes in Cleveland Heights in the past 10 years—a staggering number of incidents that killed 20 people. Eleven of these fatalities occurred within the past three years alone. Some of the crashes involved cars, while others affected pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, there were 98 serious injuries during this period. 

A new Cleveland Heights traffic safety plan aims to ameliorate this situation and make the city safer for all. With a $200,000 grant from the Federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program, the city set out in January of last year to begin developing a strategy for preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Now that the process is complete, Cleveland Heights City Council adopted the Comprehensive and Equitable Safety Action Plan (CESAP) at its April 7 meeting.

Cleveland Heights City Council at its April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting.

At its April 7 meeting, Cleveland Heights City Council considered developing legislation to limit keycard access to Cleveland Heights City Hall by non-employees. This was in response to the alleged unauthorized use of a keycard by Mayor Khalil Seren’s wife, Natalie McDaniel. Council members also discussed legislation that would give them additional oversight of city contracts following revelations that the mayor signed a contract with Burges & Burges Strategists for resident surveying that city council was not aware of. 

Former city administrator Daniel Horrigan resigned on March 17 after less than three months on the job, alleging in an Akron Beacon Journal article that a member of the mayor’s family had created a “hostile work environment” at City Hall. E-mails that Horrigan sent to the mayor prior to his resignation confirmed the family member was McDaniel.

Mayor Seren addresses Cleveland Heights council members at the April 2 special meeting.

In a special council meeting on April 2, Cleveland Heights Mayor Khalil Seren refuted allegations that his wife, Natalie McDaniel, created a “hostile work environment” at City Hall—a complaint lodged by former city administrator Daniel Horrigan, who resigned his position on March 17, effective at the end of that day, after less than three months on the job.

Horrigan is the third city administrator to resign in the last three years and, according to Council President Tony Cuda, is the 12th director-level employee to leave the city administration in that same period.

“Your wife’s presence here at City Hall has led a number of employees to feel uncomfortable and on at least one occasion, unsafe,” Horrigan wrote in an e-mail to Seren before his resignation.

Since 2005, FutureHeights has conducted the Best of the Heights Awards to recognize the unique attributes of businesses in Cleveland Heights and University Heights, and their contributions to the local economy. The Best of the Heights Awards help promote the importance of shopping locally by celebrating Heights businesses.

The formal nomination process for the 2025 Best of the Heights is open now, giving Heights residents the opportunity to nominate favorite businesses in a variety of categories through April 15. The top three vote-getters in each category will be announced in the May issue of the Heights Observer, with the voting period for finalists ending May 15.

FutureHeights is launching a new membership program, and invites you to be part of it—and attend the upcoming spring mixer on April 17 at CLE Urban Winery. 

All FutureHeights members and prospective members are invited to attend this spring mixer—a casual opportunity to meet other Heights residents and business owners and chat with the nonprofit’s staff and board of directors.

All are welcome, regardless of giving status—if you donated during the end-of-year 2024 giving campaign, or already in calendar year 2025, you are a member. Not sure of your giving status? Send an e-mail to info@futureheights.org.

Is there a home renovation project on your to-do list this spring? Learn how your home can become more energy efficient, less costly to operate, and more sustainable at the second annual University Heights Sustainable Home Fair.

The event will take place on Sunday, April 27, 1–4 p.m., at the Wiley School building, 2181 Miramar Blvd. It is free and open to the public.

Bring the whole family to enjoy games and crafts with recyclable materials.

On Thursday, April 24, 6:30–8 p.m., at the Noble Neighborhood Library, FutureHeights will host its first Crowdsourced Conversation event of 2025. The community-driven forum, "Getting Tactical: Improving Road Safety in the Heights," will address safety issues for people walking, biking or rolling Heights streets, providing a close look at tactical urbanism and how residents can get involved. 

According to Wikipedia, tactical urbanism is a low-cost, temporary change to the built environment, usually in cities, intended to improve local neighborhoods and urban gathering spaces. It's also sometimes referred to as guerrilla urbanism, pop-up urbanism, city repair, DIY urbanism, quick-build infrastructure, and other similar terms.

Noble Elementary teacher Lynne Gaines with students from the Noble Naturalists club.

Every April, communities across the planet celebrate Earth Month, a global observance dedicated to protecting the planet and fostering sustainability. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Month has grown into a monthlong opportunity to raise awareness about environmental challenges and inspire collective action.

“From planting trees to reducing waste, participating in clean-up efforts, or advocating for sustainable policies, every action counts,” said Cleveland Heights Green Team (CHGT) member Tami Masuoka. “This is why this is our fourth year organizing a wide range of activities for Heights residents of all ages and capabilities to join in the action.”

Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren is known to be a policy wonk; and excellent policy is vital in government. But it's only a starting point. Policy with insufficient resources and inadequate implementation ultimately will not succeed.

As an example, let us consider CH housing policy and programs.

Recognition that, for a mature bedroom suburb like ours, charming homes close to city amenities constitute our primary “industry” led CH to develop comprehensive policy and programs for housing preservation. Systematic exterior inspections as well as interior/exterior inspections at point of sale (POS) were adopted nearly five decades ago and became regional models.

What is and isn't accepted at the recycling drive.

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Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene (EPS), is a common material found in coffee cups, takeout containers, and packaging for electronics and furniture. Despite its convenience, Styrofoam poses significant environmental challenges due to its non-biodegradable nature and the energy-intensive process required to produce it from petroleum.

Once discarded, Styrofoam lingers in the environment for centuries, breaking down into tiny microplastics that infiltrate the food chain. This means that virtually every piece of Styrofoam ever produced still exists in some form.

Jeff McNaught, owner of Edgewater Surf in Rocky River, is tackling Styrofoam recycling head-on, and the Cleveland Heights Green Team (CHGT), in partnership with Heights Libraries, has planned a Styrofoam recycling drive for Sunday, April 27, 1:30–4:30 p.m., at the Lee Road Library parking lot. Only clean, rigid foam #6 will be accepted.

I kept trying to go back in time, to the '70s, and take a picture of the Heights Art Theater, but Mitchell's Candy shop kept photo-bombing me. I finally gave up and went into 1970s-era Mitchell's, instead, for one of their homemade popsicles, an intense cherry-flavored cylinder in a little paper cup. Actually, I might have just imagined that. I'm not sure . . .

You wouldn’t think a church would be very controversial. Of course, it is in Cleveland Heights, so it has that potential. And it is located in Coventry Village, further increasing its chances.

But, wait—it wasn’t a church when it was controversial; it was a movie theater. Though, still, you wouldn’t think a movie theater would be that controversial, either. But it was—at least a couple of times. It never meant to be, but local law enforcement—and the political temper of those times—made it so.

The Heights Theater, located at the curve on the west side of Coventry Road, where it becomes Euclid Heights Boulevard, opened 105 years ago, in 1920. That was one year before my father was born. By the time my father was 5, he lived across the street from the theater.

I applaud our noble leaders for the courage to look at the results of a survey on changing the name of Monticello Middle School and select the choice to scrap the name that earned only 35% percent support from those who responded.

We all know that the tradition of democracy is about leadership asking society a question, getting an answer, then saying "nah" and doing what they want anyway. I am also confident that they had a long and nuanced conversation, including students and parents, about President Jefferson, Monticello, and the full scope of his life's work, such as the fact that his approval of the Louisiana Purchase more than doubled the size of the United States by adding lands that today contain or are part of 15 states.

Michelle Smith

Heights Arts has named Michelle Smith its 12th poet laureate. She will serve a two-year term beginning in April. Heights Arts’ Heights Writes Community Team selected Smith, a poet and literary advocate, from more than a dozen applicants to be the Heights poet laureate for the cities of Cleveland Heights and University Heights.

Heights Arts Executive Director Rachel Bernstein said, “We are very excited to welcome Michelle Smith as our 12th Poet Laureate. Her enthusiasm for the role combined with her compelling poetry, civic engagement history, and community connections will serve to elevate this art form to the highest level in the Heights communities. I can’t wait to see her in action."

 “I am grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to a wonderful two years,” said Smith. “I thank Heights Arts and everyone that participated in the selection process.”

Alan Rapoport’s opinion piece in the March Heights Observer, “Point-of-sale inspection is obsolete,” suggests waiving city point-of-sale (POS) inspection when there is a private inspection. However, his proposed alternative to current practice is incomplete, and his opinion is full of the tired arguments impatient realtors use against anything that slows down a sale.

I hope we agree it’s necessary to maintain the condition of Cleveland Heights’ housing stock. The city’s housing standards keep residents safe and neighborhoods attractive. When sellers haven’t made needed repairs, POS inspection prevents housing-standards violations from passing to a buyer who is unaware or doesn’t care.

Cleveland Heights parkland. [photo: Peggy Spaeth]

Join the Friends of Heights Parks in strolls through Cleveland Heights’ city parks. These monthly, informal strolls, planned for April through October, are an opportunity to walk together, exploring the human and natural history of the city's parklands. There’s no formal lecturing or program for these strolls, just easy walking and occasional talking about what we see as we walk.

Cleveland Heights’ 135 acres of urban parkland have historic and literal roots in three watersheds—the Dugway, the Doan, and Nine Mile creeks—which are tributaries to Lake Erie. Its parks are parks for a variety of reasons: early developers couldn't build in the creek ravines, flooding was often an issue, and some parklands were seen as amenities to surrounding housing developments.

The city of Cleveland Heights expects to break ground this spring on construction of a tiered, amphitheater-style seating area and an ADA-accessible ramp at Cain Park’s eastern end. Flanking the park’s popular sledding hill, the $1.292 million project will be paid for with a federal government grant to the city from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. 

“We are extremely excited to see this project enhancing the public space of Cain Park come to fruition,” said Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren. “In supporting great local projects like improving parks and green spaces, our tax dollars are at work. The federal grant to support this project provides local construction jobs, is a key piece in Cleveland Heights’ economic development plans, and improves the livability of our city.

A yard sign from Church of the Saviour's "Kindness Campaign."

You may have noticed signs in yards around the Heights that read "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Those signs are part of a project we call the Kindness Campaign at Church of the Saviour.

They serve as a reminder that we are all better when we take care of each other. It’s something of a golden rule in my faith, and the message is ever more poignant today. Right now, a lot of people around us are hurting. Their pain may not be obvious, but it’s real. The question we face is whether we’ll turn inward to protect ourselves or reach out to others with love. Will our words and actions add to the suffering, or will we try to bring healing?

Like many, I am disturbed by the level of division in our society. The anonymity of online culture over the past two decades has encouraged sharp criticism and emotional outbursts. And the distance between us is only growing.

The March issue of the Heights Observer creates a definite impression that Cleveland Heights is a truly “progressive” community. No wonder many describe our city sarcastically as the “People’s Republic of Cleveland Heights.”

The “Heights of Democracy” column praised point-of-sale inspections as if overly expensive and highly intrusive government activities that threaten freedoms will save our city from ruin. An article, “CH leaders sign protect-and-resist pledge,” suggests that a perceived threat posed by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement could be avoided if only we join hands and sing Kumbaya with line-jumping criminal migrants. Another article reports on a “resistance” trade show held by progressive activists to demonstrate how they offer Trump Derangement Syndrome as their only solution for real problems.

Community members discuss housing issues and possible uses of a vacant lot at a block party led by Forest City CLT in 2024.

Forest City Community Land Trust (CLT), a grassroots organization founded by Cleveland Heights community members, will host a panel discussion on Sunday, April 27, 2–4 p.m., at the Lee Road Library.

The event will be open to the public and invites community participation and discussion. The panel will discuss why a community land trust is needed in Cleveland Heights, how CLTs work to keep housing affordable, and what's in it for homeowners and renters alike. 

Panelists will include Josiah Quarles of Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless; Marge Misak, CLT consultant; Dennis Keating, professor emeritus, Levin School of Urban Affairs; and a representative from the Franklin County Land Bank.

On Aug. 5, 2024, Cleveland Heights City Council passed Ordinance 102-2024(AS), establishing the Cleveland Heights Climate and Environmental Sustainability Committee (CESC). The committee comprises eight members: seven Cleveland Heights residents appointed by council and Andy Boateng, the city’s climate resiliency and sustainability coordinator. Council Member Gail Larson serves as council liaison to the CESC.

CESC serves as an advisory body to the mayor and council, providing recommendations to enhance the environmental sustainability of city programs, services, equipment and facilities. It also seeks to raise awareness of sustainability issues among residents and businesses while promoting environmentally conscious activities in the community.

Heights Observer columnists Deborah Van Kleef and Carla Rautenberg have highlighted an emerging debate over whether Cleveland Heights should maintain its 1976 point-of-sale ordinance and its 2001 escrow amendment.

This debate was sparked by the Akron-Cleveland Association of Realtors (ACAR), which has launched a campaign resembling a political attack on the approximately 20 Northeast Ohio municipalities with point-of-sale ordinances.

Fortunately, Cleveland Heights City Council is not currently considering any revisions to the existing legislation.

The University Heights Symphonic Band.

As it embarks on its 55th season, University Heights Symphonic Band will present its annual free spring concert on Sunday, April 6, 3:30 p.m., at John Carroll University's (JCU) Dolan Science Atrium, under the direction of Music Director Devlin Pope. The performance is partially sponsored by the city of University Heights.

The concert's theme is "Stories and Folklore,” and each selection in the program will have a story behind the music. The concert will include music by George Gershwin, Leroy Anderson, Richard Wagner, Samuel R. Hazo, Steve Reineke, Moises Molerio, Richard Saucedo, John Philip Sousa and more.

When it comes to addressing fairness in funding public education, the Ohio legislature acts like quicksand: The better the solution, the more likely that solution is to slip into oblivion.

I’ve been following the public education funding riddle since the 1980s. Thanks to the Fair School Funding Plan (fairschoolfundingplan.com/about), adopted in 2021, we have never been closer to a funding formula that provides for the two essentials of fair funding: 1) adequate state spending and 2) equitable distribution of funds, so that living in a lower-income community does not prevent access to a quality education.

The Woods at the Edge of Lake View Cemetery, by William Reed Simon.

A series of paintings by Cleveland Heights artist, jazz violinist, and educator William Reed Simon will be on view at The Wine Spot through May 31.

The exhibition's theme is "A Street at Dawn."

The Wine Spot is located at 2271 Lee Road.

Theo, Alex, and Beatrice Leslie water a new tree planted by Heights Tree People in their front yard.

Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time to notice and celebrate the Heights’ legacy urban forest.

Trees shade our homes and sidewalks, saving money on air conditioning and making neighborhoods more walkable. Large, healthy canopy trees clean the air of pollutants and have been shown to reduce air pollution, which, in turn, has been shown to reduce all kinds of health problems, such as asthma, strokes, and heart attacks–-and even some mental health problems. Of particular relevance to the Heights, trees mitigate stormwater runoff, resulting in less overflow into Lake Erie. Trees are the only part of a city’s infrastructure that increases in value with time.

Heights Tree People plants trees in Cleveland Heights and University Heights front yards for free.

Davida Russell with Mayor Bibb at a Feb. 27 celebration luncheon for the mayor's "Hidden Figures" honorees.

In a special recognition of community leaders making an impact, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb 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 acknowledged Russell’s commitment to labor rights, advocacy and community service.

In announcing the honor, Bibb stated, "“We are proud to recognize Davida Russell as one of our Hidden Figures for Black History Month. 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.”

To close out its 2024–25 season, Dobama Theatre will present the world premiere of “Rust: A Story of Steel and Grit,” directed by Laura Kepley. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays, April 25 through May 18.

The play, adapted by George Brant from the memoir by Eliese Colette Goldbach, is based on the true story of a young woman in Cleveland whose unanticipated slog in the bowels of a steel mill spurs a journey into the recesses of her own mind.

Dobama Theatre commissioned the play, reaching out in 2020 to Brant, a Cleveland resident at the time, to gauge his interest in adapting Goldbach’s celebrated memoir for the stage.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The musical “King! Jackson!” will be presented, free of charge, on Saturday, April 26, 2:30 p.m., at Forest Hill Church, followed by a jazz concert. The event is presented by the Racial Equity Buddies of Greater Cleveland along with Leonard DiCosimo, the executive secretary of the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor and Local 4 Music Fund.

“King! Jackson!” explores the friendship and partnership between the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the world-renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Jackson, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, was a close friend and confidant of King.

Dan Horrigan resigned suddenly as Cleveland Heights’ city administrator on Monday, March 17, after less than three months on the job. Now, in an Akron Beacon Journal article, the former two-term mayor of Akron has commented on his experience working at Cleveland Heights City Hall.

“I raised a number of workplace safety and hostile work environment issues that involved a member of the mayor’s family that were not addressed,” stated Horrigan in the article.

“I just never got a response to the issues,” noted Horrigan, adding, “If you’re not going to make those changes that make it safe for employees, then you kind of become complicit in that atmosphere, and I wasn’t going to be complicit.”

CH City Council passed the city's 2025 budget on March 17.

After four months, and much debate, Cleveland Heights City Council passed a 12-month budget for 2025 at its March 17 meeting. Members of city council, who received the mayor’s appropriations on Nov. 15, 2024, requested additional information from the mayor’s office before voting on the budget. On Dec. 19, council adopted a temporary three-month budget that was set to expire March 31.

The $105 million budget provides funding for a range of programs and projects, notably $2.8 million for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs including home repair grants and sidewalk repair programs that serve low- to moderate-income residents; Economic Development Department programs that help to redevelop vacant properties in the city; and Cain Park, which received $1.8 million to operate the city’s arts park and venue in the upcoming season.

Cleveland Heights City Council voted unanimously to pass a full-year budget on March 17. It wasn’t easy, but at the end of the day, city council did its job; first, by not rubber stamping the mayor’s substandard, incomplete budget on Dec. 16, and then by passing a temporary budget on Dec. 19 that gave the administration more time. Eventually the administration provided most of the necessary information council requested, and the result was a much-improved budget for 2025. (Please visit the city’s website for details.)

If you have not been following the budget saga, there were a lot of red flags along the way, such as:

• No finance director was hired in 2024 after the prior director resigned in January of that year.
• An overwhelmed interim finance director quit during the budget hearings last November after calling the budget “an embarrassment.”

Demolition of the fire-damaged Marquee building is expected to begin March 24. [photo: city of Cleveland Heights]

Flaherty and Collins, the developer of the much-anticipated Cedar Lee building complex known as the Marquee, is now set to begin demolition on the north-facing property that was damaged by fire on Jan. 24. While the fire irretrievably damaged this building, it left the complex’s additional building, which faces Lee Road, completely intact. Additionally, the parking garage owned by the city was not damaged and reopened to the public on March 7. 

The Cleveland Heights Fire Department investigative unit, the state fire marshall, and private insurance stakeholders spent a month and a half investigating the cause of the fire before they issued the demolition order. Because the blackened building posed a risk of potential collapse, Cedar Road between Lee and Goodnor roads was closed for nearly two months while the situation was examined.

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.

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. He had been on the job since January of this year.

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.”

According to Cleveland Heights City Council President Tony Cuda, who spoke to Horrigan on March 18, Monday was Horrigan’s last day at City Hall. “He was absolutely the right guy for this job,” commented Cuda. “This is a big loss for the city.”

On March 20, the Heights Observer received a press release from the city, dated March 19, which confirmed that Horrigan's March 17 resignation took effect "by the end of" that day.

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.

MARCH 3, 2025 regular meeting

• Public comments
• Directors’ reports
• Council actions
• Council committee reports
  
  

Present were Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan and Council Members Michele Weiss (vice mayor), Christopher Cooney, Brian J. King, Threse Marshall, John P. Rach, Sheri Sax, and Win Weizer. Also present were Clerk of Council Kelly Thomas, Law Director Bradric T. Bryan, Finance Director Dennis Kennedy, and City Engineer Brenda Mockbee. The meeting ran two hours and 47 minutes.

FEBRUARY 18, 2025 regular meeting

• Public comments
• Mayor’s report
• Starfish IT services
• Directors’ reports
• Council actions
• Council committee reports
  
  

Present were Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan and Council Members Michele Weiss (vice mayor), Christopher Cooney, Brian J. King, Threse Marshall, John P. Rach, Sheri Sax, and Win Weizer. Also present were Clerk of Council Kelly Thomas, Law Director Bradric T. Bryan, Finance Director Dennis Kennedy, and City Engineer Brenda Mockbee. The meeting ran for 76 minutes.

MARCH 4, 2025, regular meeting

• Treasurer search
• Awards and recognitions
• Student report 
• Public comment
• Consent agenda
• Ohio High School Athletic Association
• Superintendent’s update.
• PreK Curriculum 
• Policy Group B
• Policy Group C
• Student death
• Treasurer’s report on three things
• President’s report
• New business
• Monticello name change
  
  

Present were Board President Malia Lewis and Board Members Gabe Crenshaw, Dan Heintz, Jodi Sourini, and Phil Trimble. Also present were Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby and Treasurer Scott Gainer. The meeting ran for three and one-half hours.

FEBRUARY 19, 2025, special meeting

• Treasurer search proposals
• Board discussion
  
  

Present were President Malia Lewis, Gabe Crenshaw, Dan Heintz, Jodi Sourini, and Phil Trimble. Also present were Treasurer Scott Gainer and Assistant Superintendent Paul Lombardo. The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. and adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 18, 2025, work session

• Strategic plan goals and key data targets
• Attendance and absenteeism
• Literacy and math achievement
• Graduation rates
  
  

Present were President Malia Lewis, Gabe Crenshaw, Dan Heintz, and Phil Trimble. Also present were Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby and Treasurer Scott Gainer. Jodi Sourini was not present. The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. and adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

MARCH 3, 2025 regular meeting

• Public comment
• City administrator’s report
• Clerk of council’s report
• Dorian Pace
• Council actions
• Other agenda items
• Committee of the whole
  
  

Present were Mayor Kahlil Seren and Council Members Tony Cuda (council president), Davida Russell (vice president), Craig Cobb, Gail Larson, Anthony Mattox, Jr., Jim Petras, and Jim Posch. Also present were Law Director William Hanna and City Administrator Daniel Horrigan. The meeting ran for one hour.

FEBRUARY 18, 2025, regular meeting

• Public comment
• Economic development report
• Council actions
• Council member comments
• Committee of the Whole
  
  

Present were Mayor Kahlil Seren and Council Members Davida Russell (vice president), Craig Cobb, Gail Larson, Anthony Mattox, Jr., Jim Petras, and Jim Posch. Council President Tony Cuda was excused but attended on Zoom. Also present were Clerk of Council Addie Balester, Law Director William Hanna, and City Administrator Daniel Horrigan. The meeting ran three hours and 18 minutes.

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

• Comments from the audience
• Board action
• Director report
• Public service report
• Unfinished business
  
  

Present were President Annette Iwamoto, Dana Fluellen, Anastasia McIntosh, Vikas Turakhia and Halle Turnberrez. Vice President Patti Carlyle and Tyler McTigue were excused. Meeting lasted one hour and 40 minutes.

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.