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COMING SOON! A NEW HEIGHTS OBSERVER WEBSITE
 
The Heights Observer team and FutureHeights are excited to announce that a robust new website is coming at the end of this month. You’ll find new features, an easier-to-use format and better connectivity to social media. Change is good!
 
As part of the transition, the function for submitting content has been temporarily disabled. This ensures that content for the next issue doesn't find its way into the old system before we lose access to it. 
If you have content to submit, please wait until the new site is up and running on July 1. 
 
When the new site goes online, it will contain some brief orientation videos to help you sign in and submit your stuff.  
 
What won’t change? Our commitment to providing local viewpoints and being a voice for residents of Cleveland Heights and University Heights. 
 
Questions about the new site? Email us at info@futureheights.org. 

Grocery Outlet is the latest grocery store to occupy the Ced-Fairmount corner that was once the home of Russo's Stop-n-Shop.

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The new Grocery Outlet store in Cedar-Fairmount is not simply reviving a storefront—it’s aiming to revive a Cleveland Heights tradition. Except for the last few years—after Dave’s Market moved out in October 2022, leaving it empty—the ground-level space at 12438 Cedar Road has a long history of being a grocery store going back to 1939, when it was Russo’s Stop-n-Shop. 

Grocery Outlet co-owner Michael Weber said, “I want to build that camaraderie and community sense again around a grocery store being here. I know it's been empty for a few years now. I would love to bring it back to the days when it was a small-town business—when the Russo family owned it.” 

The discount supermarket will open July 10. The new owners, Weber and Melissa Walsh, relocated from Big Bear, Calif., after working for years at Vons Supermarket in various departments.

Jessica Cohen

I don't remember exactly when I decided elected office was the way to effect the most change in the world, but my mom still has my second-grade notebook where I declared I wanted to be a lawyer and the first woman president. Seven-year-old me clearly made a connection between pursuing justice, helping people, and political office. 

It wasn’t until years later that I really understood what it meant to hold political office and serve the people. When I was 16, I knocked on the door of my U.S. Congresswoman’s district office and asked if they would take me on as an intern. For the next four years, I had a front row seat to one of the most authentic, determined, and pragmatic members of Congress: Carolyn McCarthy.

According to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, current Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren failed to collect the required number of valid signatures to qualify as a candidate in this September's CH mayoral primary election.

In an e-mail sent to city of Cleveland Heights employees, the mayor said he was 39 signatures short.

The mayor submitted his signed petitions on June 11, the deadline to file for CH mayoral and city council candidates.

On June 19, the Heights Observer website as we've known it for 17-plus years will close to new submissions of articles, opinions and calendar listings. This is to enable us to transition to an updated website with an all-new look and function.

The change means a move to a new platform for publishing the articles and opinions the community writes and submits. To be honest, until the new site is up and running, even Heights Observer staff won't know all of its ins and outs. But we know the change will be good—and provide a more functional online publication platform

Here's what to expect:

The Heights Observer will review election-related submissions with a goal of providing fair and equitable access for those seeking office, or taking sides on a ballot issue.

Candidates for office are expected to identify themselves as such when submitting anything for publication.

Candidates' supporters and campaign representatives, and anyone writing about any candidate or election issue, are expected to disclose any personal or professional relationship they may have with any candidate, or with the subject about which they have written. These disclosures are intended to inform Heights Observer review, and will be disclosed to readers when relevant.

This summer, University Heights is rolling out free Tuesday evening yoga sessions at Walter Stinson Community Park. The series got underway on June 10 and will run every Tuesday through at least Sept. 30.

Locals of all ages and experience levels are invited to participate, with certified instructors from Yoga Roots.

Instruction begins promptly at 6 p.m. and lasts for an hour, offering gentle movement, mindful breathing, and community connection in an open-air setting. The free sessions are subject to cancelation due to inclement weather.

St. Alban's is the new home of Artful. [photo: ©A BCD Creative/Brady Dindia]

Artful, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable and accessible studio space, has purchased the former St. Alban’s Episcopal Church at 2555 Euclid Heights Blvd. This marks a major step toward establishing a permanent home for artists in the heart of the Heights, strengthening Cleveland Heights’ reputation as a “Home to the Arts.”

In the coming months, Artful will begin moving artists into the new location, which will house 25–30 permanent studios. The organization also plans to launch programming for artists seeking flexible workspace and storage options.

Artful was among the nonprofits displaced from the Coventry PEACE Building after its owner, the Cleveland Heights – University Heights Public Library System, decided to close the facility.

Davida Russell

I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for mayor of Cleveland Heights—"Leadership You Can Trust." I am running to serve this incredible community with dedication and passion.

I have held leadership positions at the state and local levels, always working to uplift and empower others. As a proud labor leader, I am eager to bring my experience and skills to Cleveland Heights as your mayor. I look forward to working together to make our city even stronger.

I have been a part of this community since 1975—as a resident, a neighbor, and a dedicated public servant. I have served on the Refuse and Recycling Task Force and Cleveland Heights City Council since 2019, and as vice president of council since 2022.

Angele Latham

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education has selected Angele Latham to serve as the CH-UH City School District’s next chief financial officer (CFO)/treasurer.

Since 2021, Latham had served as treasurer of Reynoldsburg City Schools, where she managed a $100 million annual operating budget. Prior to that, Latham was executive director for strategic planning, financial services and grants management at Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), 2017–21. Before that, she held leadership positions in financial services at CMSD for two years.

“When the board launched our strategic search for our next CFO, we knew the ideal candidate would demonstrate exceptional budget development skills, a commitment to transparency, and a servant leadership philosophy. Ms. Latham brings all of these traits along with a wealth of experience in public school finance, and we are excited to welcome her to CH-UH,” said Malia Lewis, CH-UH board of education president.

In December 2024, Friends of Cain Park (FOCP)—an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization—received an unexpected e-mail from the mayor’s staff notifying the group that the city would end benefits for FOCP members (including discounts and special seating) for the 2025 summer season. This means the loss of FOCP’s primary funding source for supporting Cain Park.

The city removed FOCP’s “Become a Member” link from the Cain Park website, leaving the group puzzled by this abrupt change from being a valued fundraising partner to feeling unnecessary.

Amy Rosenbluth, Charisse Bailey and Cynthia Larsen of Lake Erie Ink are among this year's Best of the Heights winners. [photo: Lee Chilcote]

Twenty years ago, FutureHeights established its annual Best of the Heights Awards program to recognize the many unique businesses in Cleveland Heights and University Heights, and to celebrate their contributions to the local economy.

The 2025 selection process began with a round of nominations, followed by voting for the top vote-getters in each category. More than 1,000 total ballots were cast, demonstrating the enthusiasm with which Heights residents support their local businesses. The winners and runners-up in the 2025 Best of the Heights Awards are: 

Best pizza: Dewey's Pizza
Runners up: Vero, Marotta's

With local papers around the country folding or being subsumed into large national publications, a free, vibrant and community-sourced publication like the Heights Observer is increasingly rare.

The Observer’s ability to buck the national trend is a testament to the quality of our local community, and to the many thoughtful and talented people and businesses in Cleveland Heights and University Heights who contribute content for and place ads in each issue of the publication.

Reciprocally, the Observer is itself a critical community asset and bulwark against the erosion of local print media that has been so common elsewhere. It is an invaluable tool for sustaining the passionate local dialogue, individual and group activism and public engagement which sit at the heart of our diverse and engaged community.

The new Heights Observer website (coming soon) is built on the open-source Wordpress content management platform, offering capabilities that weren’t available when the old platform was designed nearly 20 years ago.

Meaningful changes include:

Responsive design: It works on desktop and mobile screens.

News-style home page: Allows displaying multiple article headlines and excerpts for a better view of what’s new without endless scrolling.

Three menus for clearer navigation:

• The main menu, at mid-screen, is all about news and content; it’s for use when visiting the website as a reader.

Plant grouping create movement and texture.

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After a two-year hiatus, GardenWalk Cleveland Heights—a free, self-guided tour of the city’s gardens—is back in bloom for 2025! 

This year’s tour is set for Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20. From noon to 5 p.m. each day, more than 35 gardeners will open their yards to visitors, displaying their love of playing in the dirt and growing things.

A map of the gardens on the 2025 tour will be published in the July issue of the Heights Observer.

Janet Kious created the self-directed tour in 2019, and it continues through the efforts of a group of volunteers as well as the gracious homeowners who open their gardens to others for the weekend.

Cellist Oliver Herbert performed at CLE Urban Winery in June 2024.

During three weeks this June, Cleveland Heights will experience the arrivals (and departures) of more than 30 extraordinary musicians, hailing from around the country and around the world. Many are award-winning artists, and most are between the ages of 20 and 35. They include a composer-in-residence from Scotland, a 2024 Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano, the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition winner, and several Avery Fisher Career Grant recipients.

ChamberFest Cleveland (CFC), now in its 13th season, is bringing these artists to town. It was co-founded in 2012 by longtime Cleveland Heights resident Franklin Cohen (principal clarinet emeritus of The Cleveland Orchestra) and his daughter Diana (concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and recent inductee to the Cleveland Heights High School Hall of Fame). In 2022, Diana’s husband, pianist Roman Rabinovich, joined CFC as a co-artistic director.

A Cooper T-shirt.

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University Heights brand ambassador Cooper the Chicken was given free rein to book bands for the 2025 Summer Concert Series. This year’s lineup will feature return appearances from some of the bird’s favorite bands.

With the familiar comes the new—all shows will feature promotional giveaways, including new concert schedule T-shirts, and the wildly popular stuffed-Cooper doll.

All concerts will be held at Walter Stinson Community Park, with the exception of University Heights Symphonic Band (UHSB) shows which will take place at Hamlin Quad on the campus of John Carroll University (JCU). All shows will start at 7 p.m.

Boaterhead (June 26): Since sailing into The Walt in 2021, Boaterhead has become one of Northeast Ohio’s most in-demand bands—so much so, we needed to schedule them 18 months in advance.

Trees for Tommy is helping to fund the planting of tree groves in Coventry PEACE Park.

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Coventry PEACE Park has been the jewel of our community for generations. Just as I was happy to help build the playground in the 1990s, I am happy that Trees for Tommy will help plant and care for the park’s trees and native plants for generations to come. 

I’ve always been interested in planting trees in the Coventry Village area. During the street renovation project, we picked out the lacebark elms, the Cleveland Select pears, and ginkgo trees that now adorn the whole district. 

Even back in the 1980s, my family started purchasing balled Christmas trees that we would plant after the holidays. Now, a large percentage of those trees are over 60 feet tall!

Despite deep roots and proud residents, Cleveland Heights is falling behind in small-business growth, youth programs, school investment, and inter-city collaboration.

Leadership feels stagnant—holding meetings to schedule more meetings—while our streets, storefronts, and sidewalks reflect decline. The city’s north side, where I live, pays equal taxes but suffers from disproportionate code enforcement, housing violations, and rising crime. Since the establishment of the mayoral administration, little has changed.

Code-enforcement reform and property-maintenance accountability: With 16 years of national experience in code enforcement, I’ve never seen such high taxes yield so little.

There are too many ad hominem arguments being made these days in Cleveland Heights. And they do nothing to encourage the civility required in our open and accepting community.

"Ad hominem" is Latin for "to the person." Those who study logical thinking note that an ad hominem argument occurs when an argument is directed at a person rather than at the argument itself. It is false because it diverts attention away from a topic at hand and focuses instead on irrelevant features of the individual being attacked.

An ad hominem argument might attack character, intelligence, or motives. A good example is the [alleged] frequent use in public of the “f-bomb” by the mayor’s wife, Natalie McDaniel. Another example would be rude comments by Council Member Anthony Mattox Jr. to some citizens at council meetings or to some of his colleagues at committee meetings.

Right now, the education of our children is at risk.

The proposed state budget, as passed by the House, dramatically underfunds public schools throughout the state by at least $2.75 billion over the next two years. Almost 90% of Ohio’s children attend public school. Underfunding the education of 9 out of 10 children in our state is wrong. Every child deserves to get a quality education. The way to make sure every Ohio public school can afford to educate its children is to pass and fully fund the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP). 

I am a parent of two elementary-age children who attend a public school in the CH-UH school district. I believe that public education is one of our nation’s most admirable institutions.

Mayor Kahlil Seren’s handling of the Cain Park crisis undermines the people’s trust in City Hall. Seren appears focused on shielding his administration from embarrassment and accountability—at the expense of employees and volunteers who endured a culture of fear and intimidation at one of the city’s gems.

The issues at Cain Park first came to the public’s attention when citizens and the media, through public records requests, received an investigation summary from Clemans Nelson, an HR consulting firm hired to conduct an independent investigation.

The summary detailed occurrences during which the general manager, Ian Hinz, is alleged to have repeatedly subjected staff to aggressive and demeaning treatment. Witnesses described Hinz pounding his fists on desks, forcing an employee to repeat (under threat of disciplinary action) “I, Ian, am the boss, and my word is law,” and even shoving a cash box into a volunteer’s stomach, according to the summary.

Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band will headline the 2025 University Heights Juneteenth Celebration.

This Juneteenth, University Heights will celebrate freedom with some old friends.

No strangers to the city, Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band have previously performed as part of the city’s Summer Concert Series and Fall Fest.

This year, Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band will headline the 2025 Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 21, at Walter Stinson Community Park. Known for its uplifting blend of roots reggae and island soul, the band will take the stage at 7 p.m., closing out a day of festivities that runs from 1:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The University Heights Juneteenth Celebration is presented in partnership with Dollar Bank. 

"It means a lot to me to be included in a program that acknowledges and celebrates a part of our history that some would rather see ignored or erased,” Jones said.

The monks of the Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour. [photo: Melanie Sullivan]

Six Tibetan Buddhist monks will be staying in Cleveland Heights June 17–30 while they perform cultural programs throughout Greater Cleveland. The monks are from Gaden Shartse Monastic University (GSMU) in Mundgod, Karnataka, India. They are traveling throughout the United States for two years on their “Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour.”

The purpose of the tour is to share Tibetan Buddhist culture and teach practices for achieving inner peace and compassion. All funds raised on the tour support the monks’ monastery and school.

During their stay in Cleveland Heights, the monks will conduct lectures; art and music demonstrations; healings; empowerments; and business, personal and pet blessings at local organizations, businesses, schools, homes and parks.

A common pitfall in journalism and social commentary is "both-sides-ism," or false equivalence. In the work of Cleveland.com Editor Chris Quinn and Reporter Cory Shaffer, we've seen frequent references to "power struggles" and "tension" between Cleveland Heights City Council and Mayor Kahlil Seren. All too often, they have characterized the executive and legislative branches as equally responsible for dysfunction at City Hall—a building the mayor controls, to which council members do not even have keys.

The dozen or so departures by upper-level staff on Seren's watch are common knowledge. But council, too, has experienced a dizzying series of changes due to resignations, replacements and election results. Over the past three-and-a-half years, the seven seats on the dais have been occupied by 10 different individuals.

Natasha Lovelace

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Natasha Lovelace was “shocked” to receive Forest Hill Church’s first Racial Educational Debt Repair Award.

“I’m 37, and at times, it’s been hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Lovelace, a 2005 Cleveland Heights High School graduate. “Receiving this has given me hope; like I’m not doing all this work in vain.”

The Presbyterian congregation will pay off some $65,000 in student debt for Lovelace. “It’s life changing,” she said.

In 2024, Forest Hill Church’s Racial Repair and Restoration Task Force proposed student-debt relief as a tangible way to address the legacy of systemic racism in its community.

Another school year is in the books.

While learning doesn’t end, the school year does, and it’s a moment to celebrate progress.

The end of school inspires me to reflect on the developmental journey of 180 days in the classroom and what it means to me to participate in that journey as a classroom volunteer.

For more than three decades I have volunteered at Boulevard Elementary School, and I am currently part of a team of eight who meet weekly with a group of kindergartners.

The 47th annual Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival (MBKPF) will honor 43 young playwrights June 5–8. More than 250 students in grades 1–12 submitted plays to this year’s festival, which is the oldest event of its kind in the nation.

Since 1979, MBKPF has been an integral part of Dobama Theatre’s mission to provide educational outreach programming. The festival was created in honor of Dobama co-founder Marilyn Bianchi after her passing. 

After students submit their original plays, the plays are read and scored, and select scripts are produced on the Dobama stage in June. This year more than 60 judges contributed to the scoring process.

Blakk Jakk Dance Collective, a CSCA partner.[photo: Adorn Productions, Camara Thomas]

Creative Spaces Cultural Arts (CSCA), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering creativity and community engagement through the arts, is launching a monthlong fundraising campaign this June. The goal is to raise $10,000 to support programming for all ages and organizational growth.

Founded in 2022 and operating out of the Disciples Christian Church building on Mayfield Road, CSCA was created in response to a 2020 community visioning process that identified a pressing need for more accessible, high-quality arts education for young people. Since then, the organization has become a dynamic hub where artists, nonprofits, and young people participate in programming that ranges from samba and circus arts to yoga, music, and dance.

This campaign comes at an exciting time for CSCA. In March, the nonprofit was selected as one of the National Benevolent Association’s newest Incubate Partners—a partnership that comes with a $54,000 grant that will be disbursed over two years.

Ukulele players at all levels—experts through wannabee beginners—are invited to join the “Heights Uke Jam” now hosted by the Noble Neighborhood Library on the second Tuesday of every month. The next gathering is June 10, with a start time of 7 p.m.

Other acoustic stringed instrumentalists are encouraged to participate in this fun musical experience.

While primarily featuring ukuleles, past gatherings have welcomed guitars, banjos, fiddles, and the occasional cello. Music is provided. Players are encouraged to bring their own music stand.

I saw something out of my window recently that you didn’t see. I mean, I’m fairly certain you didn’t see it. It was a big, super-bright star, low in the eastern sky. I looked it up and it turns out it wasn’t a star, but the planet Venus.

Why do I think you didn’t see it? Because was at 4 a.m. I was not getting up for the day; I was getting ready to go to bed. And this was not unusual. I’m almost always still up at 4. And it’s almost always been that way with me. I can think of a few reasons why, but I’ll mention one of them.

When I was a little kid, I regularly went to story hour at the Coventry library, which, back then, was Cleveland Heights’ only library. Story hour took place one afternoon a week. A librarian—I think her name was Miss Ryan—read a couple of books to kids sitting on the floor in front of her.

One day, in 1953, she read a book called While Susie Sleeps.

Cleveland Heights author and ad man Jim Sollisch.

You know Jim Sollisch. Or somebody like him. He’s that “gray-haired, middle-aged man in jeans and tennis shoes” (his words) in the Heights. “If you ran into me on the street,” he noted, “you might guess that I was a father or a husband. You might think I was a Democrat or the owner of a foreign car.”

Sollisch has just published a collection of his personal essays, How Donating a Kidney Fixed my Jump Shot. He is a copywriter at the Marcus Thomas ad agency and has written two Super Bowl commercials. His side hustle is getting op-eds published in newspapers like the Plain Dealer, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

His book contains 74 essays. Sollisch knows how to write; he’s not writing treacly nostalgia about Rocky Colavito. He has a wide-ranging sensibility, and to boot, he likes Cleveland. He is feminine, marvelous and tough (to steal a phrase from poet Ted Berrigan).

Barry Arbreton is the newest member of the Heights Libraries' board.

Heights Libraries is pleased to announce the appointment of its newest board member, Barry Arbreton. His six-year, eight-month term began in May 2025. Arbreton replaces Anastasia McIntosh, who stepped down from the board in March after serving two months.

Arbreton grew up in Cleveland Heights, next to the Coventry Village Library, and attended the city’s public schools. At Boston University, he studied philosophy and psychology, then earned a master’s in education and a teaching certificate in early childhood education.

In his 30-plus-year career, Arbreton taught kindergarten in California and Michigan.

"Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park: A New Beginning" will premiere on June 5.

On Thursday, June 5, the Heights community is invited to join Building Heights and Heights Middle School Shorts (HMSS) for the free premiere of “Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park: A New Beginning.”

The documentary film—which showcases and celebrates the park’s revitalization, its deep community roots, and the power of creative collaboration—will be shown at Coventry PEACE Park at 7:30 p.m. In case of rain, the showing will move to the Heights High auditorium.

Directed and produced by multi-Emmy Award-winner Kara White of Hemlock Films, the documentary captures the spirit of transformation: how neighbors, civic leaders, students, and local organizations came together to reimagine Coventry PEACE Park as a space for gathering and joy, working together to build a playground that would become a community in and of itself.

With the 2025 Heights election season already underway, the Cleveland Heights - University Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland (LWVGC) announces it will host a five-forum series on candidates and issues in advance of the Sept. 9 Primary Election and the Nov. 7 General Election.

The forums’ co-sponsors are FutureHeights and Heights Libraries.

Dates, times, locations and topics are as follows:

• Thursday, Aug. 7, 6–8 p.m. - Cleveland Heights Mayoral Primary Election Candidates (to be held if there are three or more candidates); Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd.
• Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6–8 p.m. - Cleveland Heights Mayoral General Elections Candidates (two candidates, as determined by the Sept. 9 primary) and any CH Charter Amendments on the Nov. 7 ballot: Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd.

“Raise a Glass to Resistance” is the theme of a special event to benefit Cleveland Heights Democrats on June 11, 6–8 p.m., at the newly reopened Edwins Restaurant (12383 Cedar Road). The event will celebrate the group’s work to resist the dangerous and repressive Trump/Musk agenda, as well as raise funds for the club’s outreach to voters this year.

Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County executive, will be the special guest speaker at the June 11 gathering. Tickets and sponsorships are available at www.clevelandheightsdems.com.

Cleveland Heights Democrats has seen a significant increase in membership since the 2024 election season, as people have recognized the need to get involved to defend democracy and resist the racist and economically devastating policies of the Trump administration.

Davida Russell (left) with real-estate experts at last year's Pathway to Home Ownership.

If you’ve felt the pinch of rising rent prices in the Heights and Greater Cleveland, you’re not alone. Recent data shows that Cleveland leads the nation in rent increases—a troubling trend that leaves many families wondering if homeownership is even within reach.

But there’s good news, too: buying a home can help stabilize monthly housing costs and build long-term wealth, and a free upcoming event in Cleveland Heights is designed to help would-be homeowners take that first step.

“Pathway to Home Ownership” will take place on Monday, June 9, 6–8 p.m. at the Noble Neighborhood Library (2800 Noble Road).

Join FutureHeights for its next Crowdsourced Conversation, “Another Look: Severance Town Center," on Wednesday, June 25, 6:30–8 p.m. at the Lee Road Library.

The event, co-sponsored by the Severance Action Group, is a follow-up to the first Crowdsouced Conversation about Severance that was held in November 2024.

Severance’s developer, MPact Collective, has made substantial progress in creating a site plan and launching a website to gather and share community ideas (weigh in at www.severanceclevelandheights.com).

Nema Saleem-Green, founder of The Mindful Mix, hosting a cardio-drumming demonstration at EcoFest '23.

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After a year-long hiatus due to the Coventry PEACE Park remodel, Heights EcoFest returns to the revamped park on Saturday, June 7, noon to 4 p.m.—with plans to be even bigger and more impactful. Hosted by the Cleveland Heights Green Team (CHGT) and Heights Libraries" Coventry Village Branch, the festival connects Northeast Ohio residents with practical, sustainable alternatives to everyday choices, making it easier to live greener and healthier.

“We believe that each of us can make better choices that support the environment while also improving personal well-being,” said Maggie Kinney, Coventry Village Library manager and event co-organizer. “But we also realize that people are busy, and finding the right resources can be overwhelming. We want to make it easier for people to access solutions that are close to home and in our community.”

On Friday, May 23, Cleveland Heights City Council held a special Council Committee of the Whole (COTW) meeting to discuss the welfare of the community in the wake of Mayor Kahlil Seren's May 21 video statement. The mayor released the statement in response to allegations of anti-Semitism in texts allegedly sent by the mayor's wife, Natalie McDaniel.

(The May 23 meeting video can be viewed here. Council has scheduled another special COTW meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m., to allow council members to propose legislation and conduct new and old business.)

Council President Tony Cuda noted that there had been concern in the community about Mayor Kahlil Seren’s whereabouts and well-being in the two days since the mayor left partway through the Monday, May 19 city council meeting, and Wednesday evening, when the mayor released a video statement. Cuda recognized that the mayor was present at the May 23 noon meeting.

Author Kellie Dubay Gillis. [photo courtesy Keli Schimelpfenig at Shiny Penny Studios]

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Heights Libraries is pleased to announce that Kellie Dubay Gillis’ new book, If You Find a Fawn, will be the first title featured in Coventry PEACE Park’s new storybook loop, set to open on Sunday, June 1, at the library’s Summer Reading Kick-Off event.

The kick-off is planned for 2–4 p.m. in Coventry PEACE Park, at the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard.

The storybook loop can be found along the main accessible walkway surrounding the park and will feature a new storybook each quarter.

Gillis will be on hand at the June 1 event, selling and signing her books at the Mac’s Backs-Books on Coventry booth.

“Having If You Find a Fawn as the first featured book at the PEACE Park storybook trail is really such an exciting honor! I'm grateful that Suzanne at Mac's Backs suggested it as a possibility,” said Gillis.

UPDATE: Mayor Seren released a video statement on the evening of Wednesday, May 21. Watch it here.

The mayor's report at the May 19 meeting of Cleveland Heights City Council was brief. In the wake of new allegations of anti-Semitic texts sent by his wife, Natalie McDaniel; and the related news that his former special assistant, Patrick Costigan, has hired a lawyer and filed a civil rights complaint, Mayor Seren said, "I've prepared a statement, and I'll be releasing that tomorrow. Tonight I'm here to listen to everybody here to speak."

For almost 90 minutes, meeting attendees made public comments. Some referenced a proposed development on Cedar Road at Delaware Drive. Most spoke out against anti-Semitism and condemned the mayor's enduring silence four days after the latest allegations about misconduct at City Hall by McDaniel, who is neither an elected official nor a city employee.

FutureHeights will host its annual benefit, newly dubbed "Elevate the Heights," on Saturday, July 19, 6–10 p.m. at the Heights Theater. 

The event will feature live music by Opus 216 and A.J. and the Woods, and food from The Fairmount Cocktail Bar and Luna Bakery and Cafe. 

Proceeds from the benefit will support FutureHeights programs. These include the community-engagement programs Crowdsourced Conversations, the Neighborhood Leadership Workshop, and the Heights Observer; business support programs such as Best of the Heights and the Heights Music Hop; and FutureHomes, the nonprofit organization’s housing revitalization program.

Mary Dunbar displays her six marathon medals.

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Mary Dunbar, the former Cleveland Heights council member and longtime Cleveland Heights resident, has recently published her memoir, chronicling her extraordinary journey—from her early years in Davis, Calif., to becoming a trailblazer in both the private and public sectors. Life & Legacy: Mary Dunbar is available at the Lee Road Library.

Dunbar is widely recognized for her advocacy in fitness and environmental issues. Her city council colleagues have described her as a voice of reason and a mentor throughout her nine-year tenure on council.

Dunbar was deeply engaged in community initiatives, including the Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition. An avid runner, she earned the prestigious Six Star Finisher title after completing all six World Major Marathons—Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, and Tokyo.

The Cleveland Heights Municipal Court is taking proactive steps to address 1) code violations at non-owner-occupied properties, 2) the difficulties many residents have repairing their homes, and 3) the instability created by evictions. Much of this work is being spearheaded by Holly Thomas, the court’s recently hired housing enforcement specialist.

This specialist is key in the court’s housing-compliance efforts. For code-violation cases where the property is not owner-occupied, Thomas tracks progress and reports back to the court before hearings. If a property owner fails to make required repairs or meet other obligations, Thomas alerts the court, prompting further action. Similarly, she tracks and alerts the court about any other conditions placed upon a defendant in a code violation case.

The Racial Repair Task Force. Front row, from left: Marina Grant, chair, Natasha Lovelace, its first recipient. Back row, from left: Mark Chupp, Quentin Smith, Jeannine Gury, and Danielle Cosgrove. 

In April 2022, Forest Hill Church created a Racial Repair Task Force to explore tangible ways to address the legacy of systemic racism. After months of research, community dialogue and discussion, the task force proposed a direct strategy: provide substantial relief from student debt to Black college graduates burdened by loans.

On Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m., the church will introduce the first recipient of its Racial Educational Debt Repair Program at a public reception on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m., at 3031 Monticello Blvd.

Community members are invited to attend. Seating is limited; to reserve a spot, visit fhc.breezechms.com/form/May15Reception or call 216-321-2660.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and National Bike Month. (The two may be more connected than we think, considering how physical activity provides relief from anxiety.)

Cleveland Heights invites all to celebrate Bike Month as well as Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 16. Community members are also invited to participate in a Bike with a Mayor event with Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren on June 8. For additional Bike Month events, visit www.heightsbicyclecoalition.org Heights Bike Coalition and www.bikecleveland.org.

Making Cleveland Heights streets safer for all is a priority for the city.

MAY 5, 2025, regular meeting

• Mayor’s report
• City council reports
• Directors’ reports
• Agenda items
• Council committee reports

MAY 5, 2025, regular

• Recognitions and awards
• Consent agenda
• Presentations
• Superintendent comments 
• Policy readings
• Treasurer’s report
• Board activities
• School funding resolutions

MAY 5, 2025, regular meeting

• Public comment
• Mayor’s report
• New assistant finance director
• Clerk of council
• Myers Manor
• Council actions
• Council member comments
• Committee of the Whole
  
  

A scene from the 2024 University Heights Memorial Day Parade.

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As it has for decades, this year’s University Heights Memorial Day Parade will commemorate those lost in service to our country, and celebrate the freedoms they fought for and left behind for us to enjoy.

This year’s theme is “Look Up.”

The parade will once again step off from Silsby Road, west of City Hall, at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day (Monday, May 26), with a ceremony immediately following.

It’s the longest-running eastside parade in Cleveland. The city of University Heights has proudly held its annual Memorial Day Parade since 1966 (with the exception of 2020 when it was canceled due to the pandemic).

“This is not only the oldest and largest parade on the eastside, it’s also the best,” said University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan.

Let’s get ready to rock! Or folk, hip hop, classical, jazz and any other of a multitude of musical genres that will be represented at this year's 13th annual Height Music Hop.  

FutureHeights’ Heights Music Hop is a free, annual music festival that promotes local music and celebrates the diversity of Cleveland Heights and University Heights. Launched in 2013, the festival has evolved into a premier celebration of the community’s artistry and authenticity—as well as just a good time. In 2025, FutureHeights continues the tradition of showcasing abundant local talent and supporting businesses in the Heights’ commercial districts.

Participants from the Heights and beyond will join in the May 17 events for runners and walkers of all ages. [photo: Gabe Schaeffer]

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On your mark, get set, let’s run! This year’s Tiger 5k and Fun Run gets underway on Saturday, May 17, at 9 a.m. on the Heights High track.

At this annual fun community event, 5k runners will start at 9 a.m. after a lively warm-up on the football field. A certified course open to all ages and abilities, the 5k is for runners and walkers alike. The Fun Run, for younger athletes, will begin at 10 a.m.

Heights public elementary school PTAs host the event to benefit all elementary schools in the district. The funds raised are divided equally and provide enrichment events and programs within each school.

The recent resignation of Cleveland Heights’ third city administrator in three years, combined with other discord at City Hall, has attracted more media attention than usual about the goings on in Cleveland Heights government. 

City council and the mayor are at odds over a range of issues, and the mayor has been called out in media reports by members of the public for allegedly allowing his wife to bully city employees. 

Cleveland Heights residents rightly want to know what’s going on—especially in what is an election year for mayor and four of seven city council seats.

In the Nov. 4 general election, Heights voters will choose from among the candidates vying for the following seats: Cleveland Heights mayor, University Heights mayor, Cleveland Heights City Council (four seats), University Heights City Council (three seats), and Cleveland Heights – University Heights Board of Education (three seats).

This article includes the names of candidates who are known to be running for office according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, as of April 29. There may well be additional candidates currently or to come—according to board of elections rules, candidates who pull petitions can do so anonymously; however, they cannot file petitions anonymously.

The November 2020 Heights Observer included what in retrospect we consider a somewhat naive and idealistic edition of this column. With “Wanted: an excellent mayor for Cleveland Heights,” we hoped to interest talented residents in running for the newly created office of a popularly elected mayor.

In a January 2021 response in the Heights Observer, local communications consultant Bruce Hennes charitably called our opinion piece “accurate and on-point.” But he posited that the city lacked a "civic infrastructure” that could produce a field of capable mayoral candidates.

Few things in life are free, but for income-qualified buyers, buying a home in Cleveland Heights just got a little easier thanks to a new free resource. The Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC) has announced it is offering down-payment assistance to qualified buyers who want to purchase a home here. 

The program, funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the city of Cleveland Heights, offers up to $30,000 in down-payment assistance to buyers who earn less than 120 percent of area median income (that's about $75,000 for a single individual; more for couples and families).

A small fraction of the volunteers who work inside and outside, packaging food, placing it in bags and boxes, and loading it into cars, every Tuesday morning at the Abundance Food Pantry at Forest Hill Church.

The first time I can remember hearing the word “longing” was when I was 5 years old, and my father was telling me and my older brother a story. I didn’t know what “longing” meant, but I figured it out by its context.

The story was that when my father was 8 years old, in 1929, shortly after the Great Depression had started, and he was walking down Coventry Road from his house on Washington Boulevard, behind the then-new library, he saw the waffle man on the corner of Coventry and Hampshire roads. The guy used to come around with his cart and make fresh, hot Belgian waffles.

My father’s family still had some money (which they eventually mostly lost). My father bought a waffle. He said he could hardly wait to take his first bite.

Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren has reportedly adopted a Lean Six Sigma–style management approach. On the surface, that may sound smart—who doesn’t want more efficiency? But Lean Six Sigma was developed for manufacturing, not municipal government. It’s a system that focuses on eliminating defects in production.

City services, programming, facilities, communication, and resident support aren’t assembly lines. They require nuance, flexibility, and a focus on people—not just process.

Using Lean Six Sigma as a framework for city management is not just a mismatch—it risks damaging morale, stifling creativity, and weakening the quality of services residents rely on. Government doesn’t exist to maximize profits or outputs; it exists to serve.

This summer, Heights Libraries will provide two paid technology internships to teens as part of its Teen Tech Ambassador Program. Now in its ninth year, the internship provides two qualified high school students with the opportunity to learn real-life job skills through hands-on activities in the library’s Continuing Education Department. 

Each intern receives a $1,000 stipend. Internship application packets (application, resume, and copy of school transcript) will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Friday, May 16, and can be found at www.heightslibrary.org. 

The program is open to Cleveland Heights and University Heights residents between the ages of 16 and 19.