Opinion
by Robin Koslen
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.
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Volume 18, Issue 2, Posted 12:04 PM, 01.31.2025
by Tiffany Howell
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.
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Volume 18, Issue 2, Posted 12:12 PM, 01.31.2025
by Caroline Imka
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.
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Volume 18, Issue 2, Posted 12:03 PM, 01.31.2025
by Steven Rowsey
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.
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Volume 18, Issue 2, Posted 12:06 PM, 01.31.2025
by Tony Cuda
There is no way to do a comprehensive review of 2024 in 600 words, but I’m going to give it a try anyway.
Since I became CH City Council president, VP Davida Russell and I have done a number of things to improve the way city council operates. In order to save space in this article for other important topics, please go to our website: www.clevelandheights.gov/524/City-Council and look under “2024 Council Leadership Accomplishments.”
Regarding the recent budget controversy, here is a summary of the many concerns most members of council had while evaluating the mayor’s proposed budget:
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Volume 18, Issue 1, Posted 10:52 AM, 01.02.2025
by Alan Rapoport
If there are any two subjects of crucial importance in governing the city of Cleveland Heights, they would be personnel and finance. Mayor Seren has shown poor skills at delegating the management of either.
Put aside for the moment the loss of not one, but two city administrators. Forget about the loss of a finance director and the need for a temporary acting finance director. Now the city is faced with the loss of that temporary director and the mayor’s desire to install a second “temporary” finance director.
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Volume 18, Issue 1, Posted 10:31 AM, 01.02.2025
by Gail Larson
As a member of Cleveland Heights City Council, I want to reassure residents that we are committed to ensuring the city has a 2025 budget that meets the highest standards of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and planning. We understand the critical role a well-crafted budget plays in maintaining the services, infrastructure, and quality of life our residents deserve, while also safeguarding the city’s financial stability.
Unfortunately, the proposed 2025 budget presented by the mayor during November budget hearings lacks the information necessary to guide our city effectively through the challenges ahead. As of Dec. 9, the State Audit of 2023 was not complete. Council had not received October and November 2024 financial reports.
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Volume 18, Issue 1, Posted 12:40 PM, 12.13.2024
by Josie Moore
According to the Cleveland Heights charter, the mayor is responsible for preparing the city’s budget “in such detail as the Council may require” (Article IX, Section 1). City council’s role is to carefully review the proposed budget to ensure it meets the city’s needs and is financially responsible before approving it. This ensures that the administration engages in high-quality budgetary and financial management. To fulfill this duty, council members must be fully informed by the mayor about the city’s financial actions, status, goals, and plans. Without comprehensive information, council cannot make decisions that best serve the city and its residents.
The mayor’s proposed 2025 budget is incomplete and disorganized, raising significant concerns. A strong municipal budget should present clear, measurable goals, detailed departmental spending estimates, and separate operational and capital budgets for transparency.
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Volume 18, Issue 1, Posted 10:39 AM, 12.13.2024
by Jeanne Gordon
Cleveland Heights currently holds respectable bond ratings of Aa3 from Moody’s and AA- from Standard & Poor’s (S&P), signaling strong financial health and low credit risk. These ratings allow the city to borrow at lower interest rates, saving taxpayers money and enabling investments in critical infrastructure, services, and community projects.
However, the incomplete and underdeveloped 2025 budget proposed by the mayor raises serious concerns about the city’s financial stability and could lead to a bond rating downgrade.
This outcome would carry cascading financial consequences, affecting Cleveland Heights’ ability to borrow affordably, fund vital services, and attract new residents and businesses.
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Volume 18, Issue 1, Posted 10:14 AM, 12.13.2024
by Tas Nadas
Well-maintained streets free of potholes, reliable refuse and recycling, responsive emergency services, robust parks and recreation are all services residents expect from their municipal government. These services, however, come at a cost to taxpayers. The costs and ultimately the tax are determined by so many factors, but for “bedroom” communities without much industry, like Cleveland Heights and University Heights, the most important factor is population.
U.S. Census Bureau data estimates that University Heights has had a 5.1% population loss, and Cleveland Heights a 3.1% loss, since April 1, 2020. Between the two cities, there are estimated to be 2,119 fewer residents in just the last three years.
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Volume 17, Issue 12, Posted 2:28 PM, 12.02.2024
by Ann Harlan
On June 25 I sent a letter to members of CH City Council and Mayor Seren voicing concern regarding the Turkey Ridge development. Each member of city council responded. Mayor Seren did not. And so, I now write a public letter to the mayor:
As a resident of Cleveland Heights for over 40 years, I have always been proud of Cleveland Heights as a city that cares about its residents, cares about the environment and values green space.
Mayor Seren, you appear not to share these values. I am talking about the notion that, as our mayor, you would allow development of the Turkey Ridge site.
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Volume 17, Issue 12, Posted 2:26 PM, 12.02.2024
by Marty Gelfand
On Oct. 8, at a joint meeting of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library and the cities of Cleveland Heights and University Heights, library leaders revealed their planned future for the Coventry PEACE Building. It involves the smell of mothballs. The library’s director, Nancy Levin, and its trustees say that a boarded-up building is worth more than a lively art center currently populated by local nonprofits.
The meeting, which you can watch at bit.ly/CHUHLibMtgVid, exposed tensions between the library and the nonprofits, with Levin referring to the nonprofits as “those people,” suggesting the library doesn't see the organizations as part of its community.
The meeting was intended to explore solutions for preserving the Coventry PEACE Building.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 4:20 PM, 10.31.2024
by Elizabeth Englehart
It's an early Tuesday morning on Glendon Road in University Heights. Today is special—we are experiencing our first curbside pickup of loosely recycled items, deposited directly into an automated recycling truck. We neighbors cheered the service workers in this moment of glee.
It's been a long journey to reach this milestone in our community. Several years of resident surveys addressing trash collection, arguments over the surveys themselves, more arguments over the survey results, local candidates running for office with trash collection preferences stated on their platforms, the powers that be ultimately realizing that the majority of residents wanted to ditch the blue plastic bags for recycled items (irony noted), and lots of negotiating at various local government meetings led to this morning. Opt-in loose recycling with curbside pickup in University Heights is now official.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 4:12 PM, 10.31.2024
by Imre Huss
We live in a city known for its natural beauty (especially its trees) and climate awareness. Cleveland Heights has been designated as “Tree City USA” for over 20 years and prominently features a tree in its logo. Upon his election, Mayor Seren outlined sustainability and climate action as cornerstones of his new government, hiring a sustainability and resiliency coordinator and announcing the creation of a Climate Action and Resilience Plan.
Seemingly, Mayor Seren and the Cleveland Heights government have failed to remember the importance of these ideals in active governance.
From 2011 to 2017, Cleveland Heights saw a more than 10% decline in tree canopy.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 3:53 PM, 10.31.2024
by Elisabeth Plumlee-Watson
I’m a Cleveland Heights resident who’s been working in solidarity with forced migrants for the past year. While I’m very new to this work and have much to learn, I know enough to be concerned by Alan Rapoport’s August 2024 opinion in the Heights Observer: “Illegal migration is potential problem here.”
Mr. Rapoport gestures toward a hypothetically dire future if a range of “what-ifs” occur, while invoking, seemingly without irony, the xenophobic height of Cold War Red Scare media. But he does little to explore what’s already happening for forced migrants in Greater Cleveland, and how many in Cleveland Heights are already taking action to ensure that this remains a safe and flourishing community for everyone who lives here—no matter what citizenship they hold.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 4:09 PM, 10.31.2024
by Alisa Bray
From 2017 through parts of COVID, I, along with other community leaders and parents in the CH-UH school district and Oxford Elementary PTA, identified an issue of equity within our elementary and middle schools that would have a long-term effect on our children's education. Through our then PTA program, we launched Courageous Conversations and held workshops and panel sessions to press the district to answer our long-unanswered questions and encourage parents to speak out. At the time, our specific focus was Oxford Elementary and Monticello Middle schools. What were we eager to bring visibility to, you ask? Redlining and a lack of resources.
As years went by, we continued our fight, and soon 2020 was here and COVID touched all our doorsteps.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 3:57 PM, 10.31.2024
by Alan Rapoport
The recent Heights Music Hop was a great success. It showed how local merchants can provide the public with some services that Amazon cannot offer. Such a success should inspire Hop organizers to expand the concept on future occasions.
There are not enough promotional events for local merchants in Cleveland Heights or in University Heights. It did take a lot of work to organize the Hop. It might not be practical to have frequent Hops. But less ambitious events in commercial districts certainly could be staged on multiple occasions.
More retail shops should have stayed open at night during the Hop. This was a missed opportunity.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 3:54 PM, 10.31.2024
by Moshe Koval
I've lived in Cleveland Heights and University Heights for most of my life. I have a good idea of what kind of people live here. And I know that using rhetoric that dehumanizes those that seek asylum or simply a better life is not a great way to solicit votes in this specific part of Ohio.
Referring to undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border as "invasions by criminals, terrorists, and drug dealers" is incredibly xenophobic, harmful, and innacurate. Multiple studies show that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are far less likely than U.S.-born Americans to commit crimes.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 4:10 PM, 10.31.2024
by Amanda Hill
Before our daughter came into our lives, my husband and I frequented the Cedar Lee district, just a five-minute walk from our house. Those were simpler days, filled with leisurely strolls, spontaneous date nights, and discovering all the hidden gems this neighborhood has to offer.
Now, as parents, it's incredible to realize how seamlessly Gabrielle has fit into our beloved routine. Cedar Lee has not just remained our go-to spot, but has evolved with us, supporting our family in ways I never anticipated.
As a new parent, my appreciation for local businesses has shifted. These places have become touchstones of our community—spaces that have embraced Gabi just as they did us.
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Volume 17, Issue 11, Posted 3:50 PM, 10.31.2024
by Kristen Fragassi
I did something I never expected to do on Sept.3. I went to the Cleveland Heights City Council meeting in my bathing suit. I wasn’t the only one in swimwear; I was joined by the strong and proud swimming community of Cleveland Heights.
We have been asking repeatedly for the return of public lap, water aerobics, and family swimming hours at the new high school pool, which we enjoyed as a community until 2020. Prior to this, we had available swimming hours for years at the South Pool in the old high school building.
Our community has grown tired of Mayor Seren and the school board pointing fingers over the logistics of this amenity offered by countless other communities in Greater Cleveland and beyond.
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Volume 17, Issue 10, Posted 12:21 PM, 09.30.2024
by Alan Rapoport
Cleveland Heights Mayor Seren now has failed in his second attempt to fill the position of City Administrator. And this was not for lack of finding excellent candidates. First, he failed to retain Joe Sinnott. Now he has failed to retain Danny Williams.
I once wrote in the Heights Observer that Mayor Seren found a good man when he hired Danny Williams. Mr. Williams has the right skill set. He is an experienced administrator. He always has worked well with others. As critical as I have been about Mayor Seren in the past, I thought he got something right this time.
Mr. Williams will quit at the end of the year.
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Volume 17, Issue 10, Posted 12:14 PM, 09.30.2024
by Robin Koslen
Fellow Citizens:
Have you ever attempted to watch a Cleveland Heights City Council meeting and found yourself hunting for your therapist's number? I have, and the rancor, disjunction, and verbosity has got to stop now.
When citizens sign up to speak before council, they are given a time limit: three minutes. That might not seem like a lot, but if one is prepared, that three minutes is ample time to make one’s positions known.
When some elected officials speak, it appears that the goal is to win by attrition: If they go on long enough, citizens will either give up or die.
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Volume 17, Issue 10, Posted 12:10 PM, 09.30.2024
by Keara Mullen
As a former colleague of Judge Timothy Clary, I am heartened to see our Cleveland Heights neighbor's endorsement by the Plain Dealer.
Having served in civil and criminal law, as an assistant prosecutor for the state, and for community members as an assistant public defender, Clary has a breadth of experience that is refreshing to see in a member of the judiciary. His ”excellent” ratings from five of six bar associations who evaluated candidates demonstrate the superior qualifications he has accrued over his 13 years of practice.
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Volume 17, Issue 10, Posted 12:02 PM, 09.30.2024
by Tony Cuda
There is a lot going on at Cleveland Heights City Hall, so let’s get to it.
Thanks to vigilant city council oversight—especially council members Petras, Larson and Cobb—our city did not renew the ARPA consultant contract with Guidehouse. The mayor has since hired the Bricker Graydon law firm to take us the rest of the way as the administration disperses the ARPA money allocated by city council in December 2023. As of today, this looks like a much better option.
September begins budget season. Our most important decisions on spending priorities will be made over the next few months. In February, I asked city council members to direct their budget priorities to our clerk of council, to keep a log of our collective ideas. We will be presenting these in the coming months.
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Volume 17, Issue 9, Posted 2:55 PM, 08.24.2024
by Paul Greenberg
I am writing to urge the Cleveland Heights city administration and members of city council to coordinate a forum to address the recent county tax increases. Council and the administration cannot directly intervene in county policy, but can and should convene a discussion for citizens to interact and ask legitimate questions.
In a single tax cycle, the county’s assessed values have increased by as much as 50 to 100 percent. My personal taxes increased 54 percent. In the same three-year cycle, the Consumer Price Index outpaced wages by 300 percent (like many, I live on a fixed income, i.e., a wage growth of zero). I am being commanded to cough up more than $8,000 annually—17 percent of my pension—to live in a 108-year-old, largely original and un-modernized 2,000-square-foot house in a not particularly desirable area of Cleveland Heights, let alone Northeast Ohio. Incredible.
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Volume 17, Issue 9, Posted 4:01 PM, 08.27.2024
by Alan Rapoport
In the 1966 Cold War film “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming,” a Soviet submarine runs aground off New England. It has no hostile intent, but villagers go into a tizzy. The movie was a comedy. All ended happily. But a movie made today might be called “The Migrants Are Coming, the Migrants Are Coming.” Today’s invaders also may have no hostile intent. But what happens after they arrive might not be a comedy. And there might not be a happy ending.
This all occurred to me when I recently heard a rumor that some migrants are illegally occupying vacant housing in East Cleveland. Such occupations happen in other American cities. It is not paranoid to imagine the same might be happening so close to where we live.
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Volume 17, Issue 9, Posted 4:05 PM, 08.27.2024
by Eric Silverman
Many readers may know me from my 12 years on the school board, seven years on the library board, or 15 years running the Cleveland Heights High School Alumni Foundation, but for the last seven years I been exhibiting my photography at venues throughout Northern Ohio. During this time, I have exhibited at over 100 art shows, festivals and events, including all of the “legacy” art shows: Boston Mills, Willoughby, Medina, Chardon, Chagrin Falls, Lakewood, Akron and Cain Park.
After last year’s season, I wrote to Mayor Seren and city council, sharing with them several ways I felt the city could improve the Cain Park Art Show. As I said to them, Cain Park is possibly the best in our region for artists regarding vendor services. The issues I raised to the mayor and council were outside of the ravine, namely marketing the show, polishing the area around Cain Park for visitors, and connectivity to Cleveland Heights businesses.
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Volume 17, Issue 9, Posted 4:03 PM, 08.27.2024
by Larry DeAngelis
It's been a couple of years since my last submission regarding the declining conditions of Cedar Road in Cleveland and University Heights—and things have only gotten worse.
Out-of-town landlords continue to avoid basic maintenance to maximize profits; commercial and residential tenants are held unaccountable for trash, left-out bins, and trash in yards; and the cities set the bar lower and lower with shabby maintenance.
Weeds along Cedar from Westminster Road to Lee Road are several feet tall. University Heights sidewalks are choked with weeds, as is the south side of Cedar Center—especially the section [occupied by] Chicken Ranch and Primo's Pizza.
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Volume 17, Issue 8, Posted 4:22 PM, 07.30.2024
by Chaya Tabak
Jack Slater’s opinion in the July Heights Observer, "CH needs new approach to resolve grocery woes," reflects a wish for government control of food access with the proposed opening of city-controlled/city-owned grocery stores. When has government operated a business efficiently? Governments that nationalize industry or business overspend and the businesses become less productive.
Why? Because those running a government entity will be paid regardless of how much or how little money comes into the entity, while a private enterprise has to bring in money in order for the owners to eat.
Capitalism is flawed, but it is the only system that works overall.
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Volume 17, Issue 8, Posted 4:20 PM, 07.30.2024
by Robin Koslen
What can you do when it seems politics is stacked against you, vital institutions are collapsing before your very eyes, the powerful have wrestled every ounce of venom they can muster to promote their own self-interests, and you are so depressed by it all that you can’t remember when you last laughed?
One answer to this question is the book Democracy or Else: How to Save Democracy in 10 Easy Steps, by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor, with Josh Holloway.
This is not a book review, though it might seem like one. Okay, here’s the part that will seem like a book review: The book is super practical, with chapters like Vote Early and Vote Often, Volunteer, The Buck Stops Here.
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Volume 17, Issue 8, Posted 4:16 PM, 07.30.2024
by Alan Rapoport
After years of inaction, there now is a deal to re-develop Severance Town Center.
Mayor Seren is entitled to take a victory lap. He and his staff managed, against long odds, to get owner Namdar Realty Group to come to the table. And MPACT Collective, the New York development group that signed a “master development agreement” with Namdar, does have a respectable track record. It all looks good.
Good, but not yet great. The proverbial devil always is in the details.
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Volume 17, Issue 8, Posted 4:10 PM, 07.30.2024
by Gary Benjamin
The announcement that there is a developer for Severance tells us that the mayor form of government has given the city the power to create development possibilities. The mayor has proved he can lead this city in economic development projects, which is the direction we need to go.
For decades Cleveland Heights has been losing population. The median income of our residents has been dropping. Tax revenue was dropping. To maintain services and the city budget there were two paths open to the city. Path one is to raise tax rates. Path two is to engage in economic development.
Mayor Seren has long argued that economic development is needed not just to grow the city, but to reverse lost population and income. His administration has multiple projects in various stages of planning or development: Lee/Meadowbrook, Cain Park Village on North Taylor, Nobility Court on Noble Road, Park Synagogue, and Turkey Ridge.
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Volume 17, Issue 8, Posted 4:08 PM, 07.30.2024
by Jack Slater
There has been much discussion about grocery store issues in Cleveland Heights over the last few years, culminating around Sal Russo’s request for a $1 million city grant to update his vacant grocery store space at Cedar Fairmount.
The space was vacated when Dave’s bought out Zagara’s on Lee Road, shuttering the Dave’s on Cedar. Dave’s already operates another supermarket in the moribund Severance Circle, a mile away from its Lee Road location.
Meanwhile, northern Cleveland Heights, neglected as usual, has only a Save-A-Lot budget grocer.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 7:48 AM, 06.26.2024
by Sheryl Banks
At its Monday, May 20, meeting, the Heights Libraries Board of Trustees voted to provide short-term lease options for nine PEACE Building tenants: Artful, Building Bridges, Cleveland Heights Teacher’s Union, Coventry PEACE Inc., FutureHeights, Grace Communion Church, Lake Erie Ink, Reaching Heights, and Singer’s Club.
Each of the nine tenants had an option to extend their lease for an additional 18 months after their current lease expired on June 30, 2024. The deadline for exercising the lease option was April 1, 2024, but none of the nine exercised that option by the deadline.
The board voted to offer a six-month lease to each of the nine tenants, renewable on a monthly basis after that, while the board gathers information and studies options for viable use of the building.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 8:22 AM, 06.26.2024
by Fern Haught
My name is Fern Haught, and I write as a member of the Cleveland Heights art community and a resident artist at ARTFUL.
On Monday May 20, the Heights Library Board of Trustees met and voted to decline the 18 month lease extensions for the current nonprofit tenants in the Coventry PEACE campus. They instead voted to offer a six month short-term lease. Their reasoning stated is mainly financial, speaking about the burden of the building. They have offered 18 month leases beginning June 1 to new tenants like Dance Cleveland. It is unclear how removing all of the existing nonprofits and losing the consistency of their rent payments in six months lessens the financial burden on the library and the taxpayers.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 8:18 AM, 06.26.2024
by Davida Russell
On May 20, I voted against Nobility Court, developer TWG’s proposed 52-unit affordable apartment building development on Noble Road. I hope I’m proven wrong.
While development is critical for economic growth, affordable housing should be strategically placed around our city, not concentrated in one geographical area. It must be approached with a holistic perspective, focusing on long-term sustainability and the well-being of our residents.
Noble Road stretches from Mayfield Road to the border of East Cleveland, and is already home to 67 affordable apartment buildings. Sadly, these properties are in poor condition and have many vacancies.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 8:13 AM, 06.26.2024
by John Janssen
The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education building (BOE) was built in 1960. Due to increases in staff over the last half century—necessary to address the increasing complexity of complying with state mandates, as well as supporting a best-in-class educational system—the building’s office space (currently 31,903 square feet) is insufficient for the administrative staff currently employed by the district.
The district has made it work by housing some district staff in school buildings and the Delisle Options Center. As a result, district staff no longer works together at a centralized location.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 8:15 AM, 06.26.2024
by Edward Olszewski
In the April issue of the Heights Observer, Don King lamented the vacant commercial space at the new Top of the Hill construction, citing the lack of convenient parking as one explanation. The top of Cedar Hill has always been a drive through for traffic to and from downtown, to Cedar Avenue or Euclid Heights Boulevard and outer areas. There is no street parking at the corner of Cedar and Euclid Heights Boulevard. Also, the vacant shops are elevated above the peripheral vision of pedestrians and are at the fringe of the more lively Cedar-Fairmount intersection.
Perhaps the lack of commercial residency has to do more with the high rental rates, as noted by merchants who have been approached to relocate from their present shops in the area. If this practice is successful, it will only cannibalize the neighborhood, creating vacant spaces in one of the city’s most viable neighborhoods.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 8:00 AM, 06.26.2024
by Alan Rapoport
A recent Facebook commentary by Ken Goldberg shows how important the Cleveland Heights Architectural Board of Review (ABR) can be. Ken has a master’s degree in art history, and his observations were thoughtful.
Ken criticized the design of the new addition to the Noble Road public library building. He questioned whether a priority for exterior compatibility had been “thrown to the winds.” He saw no connection with the original building in [the addition’s] brick color, window design or proportions, height, or roofline. He complained that the addition “has no real style and is without trim, while the original Walker & Weeks building is delightfully Georgian Revival.”
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 7:49 AM, 06.26.2024
by Kermit Lind
Heights Observer readers should take special notice of the report on housing code enforcement by Judge J. J. Costello published in the May issue. In it, the judge reports facts and figures that reveal not only what happens in his courtroom, but what is happening in Cleveland Heights neighborhoods.
Here are some highlights:
- 97 criminal cases were filed by the city in 2023 to punish housing code violators.
- The policy of the court is to prioritize compliance over punishment because fixing housing serves the community more than punishment of property owners.
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Volume 17, Issue 7, Posted 7:57 AM, 06.26.2024
by Tonya Horn
On May 20, Cleveland Heights City Council approved TWG’s affordable apartment development, Nobility Court (once known as Noble Station).
Since the community first learned about the development, it has been shrouded with controversy and opposition. This May 20 council meeting was no different. A packed room (the usual early opposers and first-time resident attendees) brought opposition statements, emotions, and disappointment on many levels and [for many] reasons. The intentional and orchestrated effort implemented to shut down this project came too late. Each council member's voting decision was made, after countless meetings, presentations, and discussions since 2023.
Intentionally, from the start, the project and process excluded engaging the community.
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Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 8:46 AM, 05.29.2024
by Miriam Schuman
Growing up in Cleveland Heights, I have fond memories of shopping at Russo's Fairmount store. Like many longtime residents, I feel a sense of sadness seeing it vacant. Seeing it occupied by Dave's Supermarket, which doesn't quite cater to the local market around Cedar Fairmount, was disappointing to me. I don't mean to come off as a snob, but shouldn't we aim for an upscale grocer that fits into a smaller footprint, catering to the residents nearest to Cedar Fairmount?
As someone with experience as a former commercial real estate broker, I believe finding the right fit is crucial for ensuring a store's profitability and sustainability as a tenant in this space. An outlet grocery doesn't seem like the right fit here.
I disagree with the notion that the Heights doesn't need another grocery store.
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Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 8:43 AM, 05.29.2024
by John Janssen
The CH-UH Board of Education (BOE) needs to develop a comprehensive facilities plan to efficiently manage its aging infrastructure. The CH-UH school district owns 14 buildings:
- Heights High: renovated 2017, 372,334 square feet, 1,519 enrolled students (as of Jan. 13, 2023), 245 square feet per student.
- Wiley: built 1954, 147,819 square feet, 0 students.
- Monticello Middle: built 1930, 126,780 square feet, 526 students, 241 square feet/student.
- Roxboro Middle: built 1931, 111,152 square feet, 576 students, 193 square feet/student.
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Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 8:53 AM, 05.29.2024
by Robert Berger
Cleveland Heights is not the only city where community development grants can be abused by developers and landlords for personal gain. This is a national issue. Other cities, however, have attempted to minimize this abuse by providing transparency to residents by instituting the following measures:
- Publish detailed information on the grant application process, eligibility criteria, and selection process. This allows residents to understand how grant decisions are made.
- Create an online portal or database listing all community grant recipients, project descriptions, and award amounts. This provides public access to see how funds are allocated.
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Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 10:54 AM, 05.29.2024
by Alice Jeresko
Quiet Clean Heights—a grassroots advocacy campaign that seeks to raise awareness of the health, hearing and environmental impacts of gas leaf blowers in residential communities—applauds Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren’s support for Air Quality Awareness Week (May 6–9), as well as the city’s Lawnmower Exchange Program, in which 90 Dewalt electric mowers will replace residents’ gas mowers.
Gas-powered lawn equipment is a significant source of greenhouse gas. Our biggest source of direct, local emissions are natural gas furnaces, water heaters, and stoves. With warm weather, lawn maintenance equipment emissions take over. Gas leaf blowers, or blowers of any kind, used to be rare. Commercial lawn care services with large, powerful and loud gas-powered equipment have become increasingly common in our neighborhoods over just a few years.
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Volume 17, Issue 6, Posted 8:49 AM, 05.29.2024
by Sal V. Russo
The Cedar-Fairmount community and neighborhood blogs have been abuzz with discussions surrounding the proposed $1 million [city] subsidy to secure a Grocery Outlet in our neighborhood. The information outlined here is intended to address some misconceptions and shed light on the critical need for this subsidy.
Modernization is imperative: The Cedar-Grandview Building is 100 years old. Times have changed, and so have the requirements of businesses, especially grocery stores. The time-honored business model for grocery stores across the U.S. is to make major capital re-investments every 15–20 years in order to be competitive. When the grocery store was Russo’s, we did major renovations in 1951, 1961, 1969, 1985 and 1992. After Giant Eagle acquired the store, they did a modest remodel in 2001, followed by the mostly cosmetic changes made by Dave’s. Thirty years of incremental updates by our tenants to the grocery space—and the current three-level infrastructure, designed a century ago—plain and simply isn’t conducive to modern grocery operations.
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Volume 17, Issue 5, Posted 10:26 AM, 04.29.2024
by Robert Berger
In January an opinion in the Heights Observer praised Sal Russo as a landlord and member of the community, and stated he would be bringing a new grocer to Cedar Fairmount. In February, Mr. Russo announced Grocery Outlet Bargain Market as Dave’s replacement at a city council meeting. In March he hosted a meeting for the neighborhood, to introduce Grocery Outlet. He stated then that a city subsidy of $1 million would be required to make necessary repairs to the building, to lease the space to Grocery Outlet. When asked if he could apply for a loan, he did not respond. He asked the meeting attendees to engage in a letter-writing campaign to members of city council to [support funding] the remodeling.
I believe that, as owner and landlord of the Cedar Grandview building, he is responsible for its maintenance and repairs. I do not think it is fair that taxpayers be asked to fund its remodeling to meet the needs of a prospective tenant.
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Volume 17, Issue 5, Posted 10:30 AM, 04.29.2024
by Diane Hallum
It is illegal for the city to create barriers to the disabled, according to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The city of Cleveland Heights did, however, bar this disabled person from ready, easy and respectful entry to a city meeting of its Noble Road study module on March 19.
I had notified city staff I required assistance accessing the handicapped entryway for the preceding module held at Oxford Elementary School a month before. They complied.
The March 19 module notice claimed the front door of Monticello Middle School was handicapped accessible. Unfamiliar with the renovated school, I believed that claim.
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Volume 17, Issue 5, Posted 10:23 AM, 04.29.2024
by Alan Rapoport
Cleveland Heights City Council is at it again.
I do not recall any of its members campaigning for election by advertising their foreign policy expertise. But now that they have been elected, they are all committed to expressing official opinions about foreign policy. The most recent example is a watered-down resolution passed unanimously calling for, among other things, a cease-fire in Gaza.
It seems fitting that this resolution was adopted on April Fools’ Day.
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Volume 17, Issue 5, Posted 10:21 AM, 04.29.2024
by John Janssen
The CH-UH school district has an aging building inventory. Excluding the fully renovated high school, the average building age in the district is 77 years. Even well-maintained buildings eventually need to be gutted, rebuilt, or replaced to continue to effectively serve their intended function.
Most buildings, depending on the quality and care of construction, have a lifecycle of 25 to 50 years. Good maintenance can extend the life of a building, some building systems last longer than others, and some systems are easier to maintain and replace. Old heating systems are inefficient and sometimes dangerous. (Anyone still have a coal furnace?) Electrical systems installed 50 years ago are insufficient to support current demands. Changes in code requirements can also lead to costly improvements.
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Volume 17, Issue 5, Posted 10:19 AM, 04.29.2024
by Don King
Fully one year into the opening of The Ascent at the Top of the Hill, there remains no retail establishment that has moved into the first floors of the complex.
From 2016 through its completion in 2023, community meetings were held, questions answered, and promises made that led the community to believe that this project would be a benefit for all of Cleveland Heights. "Density is Good" became an unspoken mantra, while neighbors were assured that no parking problems would ensue, and we could all take delight in the new shops and restaurants that would arrive. Plus, the extra taxes from those services and employees would provide a civic boost.
One year in: crickets.
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Volume 17, Issue 4, Posted 10:53 AM, 03.28.2024
by John Janssen
What is the CH-UH City School District’s plan for Wiley?
Wiley opened in 1954 and was used as a middle school for 60 years. In 2015, the district closed Wiley as a middle school and spent approximately $13 million for it to function as a “swing space” during the renovation of the high school.
The cost of the renovations at Wiley included the lease of temporary modular classrooms. All deferred maintenance and code issues were also addressed at that time. When the students moved out of Wiley, the building was in good condition. Yet Wiley has remained empty since the opening of the renovated middle schools in 2018.
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Volume 17, Issue 4, Posted 11:19 AM, 03.28.2024
by Diane Hallum and Cynthia Banks
Cleveland Heights’ city leaders introduced the Noble Road Comprehensive Planning Study to Noble Road residents during a meeting at Caledonia Elementary School on Jan. 24. This plan includes the entire Noble Corridor, from the Noble-Nela Business District (East Cleveland) to the Warrensville Center and Mayfield roads intersection. (The study can be viewed at www.clevelandheights.gov/1680/Noble-Road-Corridor-Comprehensive-Planni.)
The study is described in greater detail in the Jan. 26 City News Update, on the city's website. Listed were a range of services, amenities, and essential needs we lack here, along with potential economic development related to commercial and residential structures.
The meeting was well attended by Noble residents. However, several residents expressed anger and frustration at having been in this situation before.
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Volume 17, Issue 3, Posted 3:07 PM, 02.28.2024
by Alan Rapoport
In his opinion in the February issue of the Heights Observer, Edward Olszewski offered observations about partisan politics in Cleveland Heights.
He correctly stated that Republicans in the 1970s were first to make local elections more partisan. They used partisanship to obtain political control of CH City Hall. Democrats then became dominant with their campaigns in the 1980s. They took over political control and raised partisanship to an even higher level. (I admit I was as guilty of causing that to happen as Mr. Olszewski.) Ballot language might have made elections non-partisan. But members of the Cleveland Heights Democratic Club during and after the 1980s did not even pretend that they were. And their campaigning shows how effective partisan tactics can be.
The November 2021 election for the CH-UH school board is a good example.
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Volume 17, Issue 3, Posted 3:04 PM, 02.28.2024
by Alice Jeresko
Last year, Cleveland Heights hired a Sustainability Coordinator and contracted with consultant Nutter Inc. to develop a Climate Action and Resilience Plan. Other than a few meet-and-greet events last October, the public hasn’t heard much regarding the plan, and there hasn’t been any public messaging on climate actions for individuals and households.
Climate change is a massive, global train wreck, happening in slow motion, that we can’t stop. But we can stop fueling it and lessen its power, allowing time to prepare and adapt; to minimize damage and suffering. Amid urgent reports, we hear nothing regarding our city’s climate action plan, and no calls to action.
In Cleveland Heights, many of us have resources to stay comfortable in the event of power blackouts or water and gas supply disruptions—for a few days.
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Volume 17, Issue 3, Posted 3:01 PM, 02.28.2024
by Tony Cuda
Davida Russell and I are delighted to have been elected (on Jan. 2) as the new leadership team for Cleveland Heights City Council.
As council president, I wanted to make sure we hit the ground running. At the time I wrote this, on Jan. 14, Council Vice President Russell and I had already met with the mayor, most council members, our council clerk, the law director and several residents.
The first thing we wanted to do was get a plan together and begin executing it. Here is what we were able to accomplish in the first two weeks:
- For the first time since the city’s new form of government was established, we were able to get the packets (legislative agenda) out on the Wednesday, instead of Friday, before our Monday council meetings thanks to the cooperation of our council clerk, the law director and the administration. This will allow council members more time to get questions answered ahead of the Monday meetings.
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Volume 17, Issue 2, Posted 4:57 PM, 01.30.2024
by Alan Rapoport
I appreciate what it can be like for a city council president in Cleveland Heights to manage activities of seven council members. After all, I had four years’ experience performing a very similar job. Once I described it as being like herding cats. Given recent history, new CH City Council President Tony Cuda may find out what I meant.
City council members are equals. As their elected leader, the council president can set the tone and the agenda. But his effectiveness will depend on how much cooperation he gets. Hopefully, each member will put their ego aside and act constructively as part of a team.
The most important job of any city council member is to understand what the city is doing, to appreciate what else needs to be done, and to help articulate action plans in the form of resolutions and ordinances.
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Volume 17, Issue 2, Posted 4:56 PM, 01.30.2024
by Tom Bier
I hope whoever runs for mayor of Cleveland Heights recognizes that the city's future depends squarely on the condition of its homes and apartments. With most properties over or nearly 100 years old, combating deterioration is the top priority by far.
The more that properties deteriorate, the less likely owners (particularly absentee) will be willing and able to make proper repairs, let alone upgrades—and the less likely responsible residents who seek high-quality housing will be willing to live in Cleveland Heights. This, in-turn, pushes remaining constructive residents elsewhere, which weakens property values and tax bases and forces ultra-high tax rates, which is more reason to go elsewhere.
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Volume 17, Issue 2, Posted 4:45 PM, 01.30.2024
by Edward Olszewski
In the December Heights Observer, Deborah Van Kleef and Carla Rautenberg lamented the loss of non-partisan races in Cleveland Heights politics.
Some of our founding fathers argued against political parties as destructive of true democracy, often devolving into pettiness and narrow partisanship.
When my wife and I moved to Cleveland Heights in the 1970s, we were pleased to learn that voting for city offices at the time was non-partisan. As we moved into our new home on Euclid Heights Boulevard and prepared to vote in our first election for city council, we found ourselves receiving mail intended for the previous owner of the house. Among the letters to be forwarded were flyers from the Republican Party recommending lists of candidates who included Marjorie Wright and her Republican cadre.
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Volume 17, Issue 2, Posted 4:44 PM, 01.30.2024
by Jack Valancy
Here’s an e-mail I sent to the Cleveland Heights mayor and city council members:
I met the Russo family in September 1980, when I moved my consulting practice from my home to the Cedar Grandview Building, above Merit Drug (now gone) and Russo’s Stop n Shop. A handshake with Sal was my lease.
In 1993, Sal was on the honorary board of the Coventry PEACE Playground, along with Tommy Fello. We held a fundraiser at the store, with Russo’s local specialty vendors donating the catering. The following spring, Sal and Tommy contributed to Coventry’s Cookin’. The remaining copies are now available at the Big Fun pop-up. Steve Presser will donate the proceeds to the Coventry PEACE Park renovation.
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Volume 17, Issue 1, Posted 11:50 AM, 12.28.2023