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The Gallery at Waterloo Arts has been dark since March, when it closed down due to the pandemic, right before opening the annual DayGlo exhibit. In April there was a virtual preview of the show on Zoom and on September 4th, Waterloo Arts is excited to open the doors and let the public in to view the artwork in person. Those who are familiar with the event will remember the opening reception as a crowded and lively affair and not one of social distancing. While we love the energy of that celebration, we obviously cannot do it this year so instead we are providing a safe way for everyone to experience the Magic of DayGlo. As always, the gallery will be lit with black light and the artwork will be glowing. It is a unique experience that is delightful for all ages so bring the whole family.

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Originally published on WISHcleveland.com

Brittainy Quinn didn’t eat a lot of fresh veggies growing up. “My mom has always planted beautiful flower gardens and enjoys being active outside,” she says, “but growing up, it was always canned vegetables with dinner. It wasn’t until I moved out that I really started having fresh vegetables and an eventual interest in eating cleaner.”

Still, she couldn’t have imagined where her life’s path would take her: “I never thought back then that I’d be running a community garden!” says Quinn, 33. By day, she’s an arts educator at Cleveland School of the Arts, but for nearly a decade, she’s also been operating the Collinwood Friends Garden, which she co-founded in 2011 with friends.

While doing research for a Cleveland State class on community gardening, Quinn reached out to her local community development corporation to learn more–and was surprised to be invited to serve as a garden leader for a plot of vacant land on East 156th Street, in the Collinwood neighborhood where she lived.

“Even though I had no clue what I was doing, I said, ‘Sure, why not?’” she says. She reached out to two friends who also lived and worked in the area, and as the trio started brainstorming ideas for the space, Collinwood Friends Garden was born.

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One of the ways Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Cheryl Stephens has always kept in touch with her constituents is by getting to know the people and organizations that serve them. Since early 2019, this has included monthly volunteer visits and an ongoing relationship with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank in Collinwood.

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CLEVELAND (Aug. 14) - - Dennis J. Kucinich, Cleveland’s former mayor, who staked his career on a long and successful battle to save Muny Light, (now known as Cleveland Public Power) today said that while a just uncovered 2019 consulting report cited CPP’s utility rates as being on average 12.7% higher than the area’s private power company, CPP has been sitting on massive and growing surpluses since at least 2017.  Kucinich called for an immediate rate cut for CPP customers.  

“It is unconscionable that at a time when people are hurting financially, and when CPP’s rates are higher than First Energy’s, for the city to be stockpiling cash.”

Kucinich cited figures from the most recent Mayor’s Estimate, which showed an actual $18.5 million surplus in CPP’s account in 2017, increasing 15% to $21.3 million in 2018.  In 2019, the unaudited surplus climbed to $26.4 million, or an increase of 24%.  

CPP, based on its own numbers, is looking at a 2020 surplus of anywhere from 24% to 38.5% in 2020 (1.6 rate of progression from 15% to 24%), which means the CPP surplus could reach between $32.8 million to $36.6 million.

Dear Friends -

What a summer! I, like most of you, would like to forget 2020. It has become a bad dream. Who would have imagined in early February we would be dealing with over 175,000 Americans dead as a result of COVIC-19 and their families devastated? What about the economy with massive unemployment, hours cut, and social distancing invoked to a point where many businesses city-wide have gone under or are about to go under?

It has been a perfect storm so far this summer. Now, we see city wide and nationally a major increase in criminal activity, especially homicides, felonious assaults and robberies. I find it interesting that my office was bombarded weeks ago with emails by individuals demanding the defunding of the Cleveland police department and yet, out of the hundreds of emails, only four (4) were from the northeast side of the city. It is unbelievable that someone living in Pepper Pike, Waite Hill, or some other affluent suburb, has the audacity and ignorance to suggest that we should disband or defund the Cleveland Police Department. Do I believe that CPD is operating as efficiently as it can or has a command staff in place that “really gets it?” My response would be, “No.” There is no doubt in my mind that the Cleveland Police Department has to regroup and better understand the severity of the problems and the social issues we are really dealing with today. In the city, we really need to see community policing as we once had with the mini-station program. It is 2020 and CPD is operating in a time warp. This has to change.  However, defunding or eliminating the police department will only lead to more division or more violence in our city.

 David Blunt, director of operations at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s men’s shelter, shows how the hallways are demarcated into two lanes to reduce contact between people walking through the shelter. Photo by Conor Morris.

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It’s a hot Friday morning at 2100 Lakeside Avenue as director of operations David Blunt walks out into the yard of the homeless shelter for men in central Cleveland. 

He eyes some residents hanging out at a table, watching TV and talking, noticing something quickly.

“Hey fellas, put those masks on… put those masks on, gentlemen!” Blunt hollers.

Blunt said there’s plenty of things the shelter, run by the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, has done to keep its residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic: Mandatory temperature checks at the door; mandatory mask wearing (residents are given a mask if they don’t have one); removing the top bunks from the beds in the shelter’s congregant-living area, and reducing the shelter’s capacity of roughly 400 beds by half.

But there’s one key piece that was missing in the beginning of the pandemic, back in March: Access to COVID-19 testing to make sure that the dangerous disease doesn’t endanger the lives of the homeless staying in shelters. 

Recognizing that major gap, in early May, workers with MetroHealth Systems – in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health ­­– tested almost 1,100 people living and working in homeless and other shelters in the Cleveland area for COVID-19.

As of late July, they found that 33 people were positive for COVID-19 through that effort (about three percent), according to MetroHealth spokesperson Dorsena Drakeford.

Compare these findings to a federal Centers for Disease Control study of homeless shelters in Boston, for example, where roughly 36 percent of homeless shelter residents and 30 percent of staff tested positive for COVID-19 at one point in time back in early April.

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Navigating around the E. 185 Street area will get easier soon as major work on the Relief Sewer Project is beginning to wind down. The project is still on track to be completed by year’s end.

Never pile yard debris or grass clippings along stream edges.

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We all know that it is not acceptable to dump tires, machine parts, plastics and other unnatural trash into our waterways. But many still believe it’s okay to put yard debris like grass and leaves onto a streambank, in a storm drain, or into a ditch.

Dear Community Member,

This map, provided by Cuyahoga County, shows the various Census tracts in the county layered with data from the 2017 American Community Survey on households’ access to broadband.

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With Cleveland Metropolitan School District soon returning to school in a remote-only format, the District is currently in a mad dash to prepare students, teachers and families for their first week of school with the COVID-19 pandemic still looming large.

The District has its work cut out for it. By some estimates, Cleveland is one of the worst-connected large cities in the country -- and school begins as early as next week for some students.

The COVID-19 pandemic in spring revealed a glaring divide: Two-thirds of students at the largest school district in the city, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, didn’t have access to a device, and 40 percent of families didn’t have Internet access at home, according to a survey of parents conducted by CMSD after schools shut down in Ohio last March and youngsters were forced to take online classes with their teachers.

To combat that, the district  has purchased or ordered a total of about 27,000 laptops and tablets and about 13,500 WiFi hotspots (for a school district with an enrollment of about 40,000 students) as many Northeast Ohio schools, including CMSD, chose to return to remote classes for the fall because of the pandemic. That’s come at significant expense.  The district has paid about $11 million for the devices and $3 million for the hotspots and one year worth of data, funded through a mix of school funds, federal CARES Act money and grants, according to a CMSD spokesperson.

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MetroHealth. Centers for Families and Children. United Way of Greater Cleveland.
Cleveland Public Library. Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. Esperenza, Inc. Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Murtis Taylor

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Cleveland Public Library - Collinwood Library

Ploggers pose triumphantly outside the Collinwood Rec Center after an evening's haul back in July! 

Hey neighbors!   

VASJ COVID-19 Resource Center

The health and safety of our VASJ students and families is our top priority. Our administration has been hard at work creating a plan for a safe and responsible reopening of the school. 

Clark Kellogg ’79

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In this time of COVID-19, death, disruption, economic suffering, racial turmoil, social distancing and uncertainty, I’ve spent plenty of time praying and thinking about the state of our communities and country and how might I “be” better while “doing” better for others.

Drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing will be offered at the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) during fall semester through a partnership with Care Alliance Health Center. 

Cleveland Clinic Euclid Hospital received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s (AHA/ASA) Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Silver Plus achievement award.
The award recognizes the hospital’s continued success in using the AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines®– Stroke program. The program promotes following established guidelines for stroke care, which has proven to improve patient outcomes.
Euclid Hospital is one of several Cleveland Clinic hospitals to receive the recognition. “Earning this recognition demonstrates that our stroke program follows national guidelines regarding quality and patient safety, which can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients in our community,” said Teresa Dews, MD, president of Euclid Hospital.

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GCDC, Famicos Foundation and Councilman Anthony Hairston partnered to bring Graffiti HeArt to Euclid-Green for a mural installation that celebrates the history and community of the Cleveland Ward 10 neighborhood. The mural, extending over 100 feet long and 12 feet at its highest, is located just east of Ivanhoe/ Belvoir on Euclid Avenue and can be seen at its fullest on the north side of the street.

GCDC, Famicos Foundation and Councilman Hairston sought community input for themes and images to be included in the mural. Among those included for visioning sessions were Euclid Park School and Ward 10 residents and stakeholders at Greater Faith Baptist Church and Five Pointe Community Center. Graffiti HeArt attended the visioning sessions to provide insight to the mural project.

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Volunteers banded together Saturday August 8th for a Clean & Green event hosted by Waterloo Arts, Praxis Fiber Workshop and The Collinwood Collective. Volunteers landscaped planter beds on the street from 10AM - 6PM, from E. 152nd St. to E. 162nd St.

Beachland Ballroom and the organizing partners were on site to coordinate the distribution of landscaping tools provided by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress’s Clean & Green Trailer. Raddell’s Sausage Shop provided a surprise lunch for volunteers at noon.

The event garnered the attention of small business owners and residents of Waterloo Arts District, and volunteers could be seen chatting with residents and business owners as they landscaped the beds.

More information is to come about beautification efforts on Waterloo. Please follow GCDC, Waterloo Arts or The Collinwood Collective on Facebook for upcoming events.

Renee Jones Empowerment Center, a local non-profit working to eradicate human trafficking in Northeast Ohio, hosted the 5th annual Collinwood Community Resource and Empowerment Fair, Saturday August 15th.

Arriving, one could immediately perceive the buzz of a splendid and well-organized day of community, togetherness, and empowerment.

Located at the People’s Church of God in Christ at 900 East 152nd Street, participants had the opportunity to play a sort of community resource hopscotch in which each person received a sticker after successfully visiting each respective community organization, easily facilitating a quick but comprehensive summary of the resources available.

Additionally, there was a separate track for both adults and kids, with personal care items and school supply giveaways awarded to each upon successful completion of visiting each organization.

This Is Clean, a division of Destination Cleveland, recently launched a new Clean Committed business program that encourages small businesses to pledge their commitment to Covid-19 health and safety practices. The guidelines are simple and set forth by the Cuyahoga County Department of Health and Cleveland healthcare providers to help slow the spread of Covid-19.

THINGS TO DO

Try the new beer at the MillFill. Have a rainbow lunch bowl at the Juicery. Visit a gallery: Photocentric, Framed and Shiffler Photo all welcome visitors, with precautions. Have breakfast at Six Shooter (those biscuits!) and lunch at Citizen Pie (those pizzas!).  Waterloo

Shop at the farmers’ market on Coit: the stands are piled with everything fresh (that will vanish in a couple of months. Needham Gardens’ motto: Blanch and freeze, blanch and freeze.”)   Market

Get a real book from the library; Mem-Nott and E152 are both open – with limits.  Libraries

Read the voting information forwarded by a thoughtful neighbor.  Voting   Here are some basics:

Register to vote or update your registration: https://olvr.ohiosos.gov/

\Request an absentee ballot to vote by mail: https://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_boe/en-US/Applications/VBM2020.pdf

Greater Collinwood Development Corporation hosted Community Covid-19 Testing August 12th in partnership with Aspinwall Church of God and MetroHealth. The event provided over 50 Covid-19 tests to residents who had pre-registered and to those who walked up.

The economic impact of COVID-19 caused more people to become eligible for free legal assistance from The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. As a result, Legal Aid is taking on an increased number of cases, especially in the areas of housing law and employment law. Already, compared to the same time last year, the organization has seen a 25% increase in landlord-tenant cases and a 46% increase in work-related issues such as unemployment.

Taking the US Census has never been easier, faster or more secure than it is today. Offered in 59 languages, 13 offered online, the US Census is an important count of every person living in all 50 states, D.C, and five US territories.

The Census helps to paint a picture of our nation and determines how government resources are allocated locally. The US Census not only impacts Ohio and Cleveland; it impacts Collinwood.

More than $675 billion in federal funding will be spent according to US Census response, for schools, roads and other public services for communities across the nation. The Census also determines where congressional districts are drawn and the number of seats Ohio will have in Congress, as well as representation in US government at all levels.

CITY OF CLEVELAND

The City of Cleveland is currently seeking a qualified applicant to fill a vacant seat on the Civilian Police Review Board. The selected applicant would be appointed to a complete four-year term that runs through August 8, 2024. Requirements: Persons applying to fill a vacancy on the CPRB cannot be employed currently as a law enforcement officer and cannot be a current or former employee of the Cleveland Division of Police. Also, such persons cannot be currently employed by the City of Cleveland or any public agency having a connection with the City of Cleveland including county agencies and community development corporations. The applicant for this vacant position must be a Cleveland resident. To apply, please submit a resume with work history and a cover letter to Tracy Anderson, Government & Internal Affairs Manager, Boards & Legislative Liaison, at TAnderson@city.cleveland.oh.us by Sept. 14, 2020.

WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTER OF NORTHERN OHIO

The Women’s Business Center, hosted by the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) is currently seeking a Cleveland Office Marketing Intern. ECDIs mission is to invest in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change. The intern is responsible for providing communication and administrative assistance to ECDI clients and WBC Members in the Northern Ohio Office. Interested applicants should possess excellent customer service and organizational skills. This internship will enable the individual to acquire financial literacy coaching knowledge. Appropriate for applicants currently enrolled in college. Pay is $10-15 per hour. For more information, please click here.

Ashen Ward Sr. '08 joined VASJ's boys basketball team as head coach earlier this year.

Ashen Ward Sr. is a 2008 graduate of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School. During his time at VASJ, Ashen maintained a 3.8 GPA, was captain of the men’s varsity basketball team, and was named the Division III Player of the Year in 2007 and First Team All-Ohio in 2008.

An appreciation for learning begins at home. One idea which may encourage success is by creating an environment in your home conducive to learning. Creating a quiet, well-supplied area for your child to study may help him or her make better use of time spent doing class assignments.

After a 2-week shutdown during a COVID scare, the Hunger Center CCC3 Hunger Center on Lakeshore in the Collinwood Community is NOW open!

Collinwood Counts, a new voter and Census engagement initiative from Greater Collinwood Development Corporation, is gearing up to launch a series of pop-up events to provide information about the importance of civic engagement, registering to vote and responding to the 2020 Census. The initiative and events aim to assist residents of Collinwood in taking the 2020 Census, registering to vote and applying for absentee ballots.

The Warehouse Sale is back!

Join us Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13. 

Welcome Back to our loyal customers! The sale will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Enjoy shopping on our two sales floors for a variety of quality furniture, housewares and jewelry!

For your shopping safety we are following State of Ohio COVID-19 guidelines. Please note the following changes:

• Masks and social distancing of at least six feet are required at all times
• We’ll be taking customers’ temperatures at the door. Anyone with a 99.5 F or above temperature will not be permitted to shop
• The sale will be across two floors now and all shopping aisles will feature marked one-way paths that must be followed
• Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the space
• Checkout areas will be clearly marked, and plexiglass barriers will keep cashiers safe
• The number of patrons allowed in at once will be limited and crowd size will be monitored throughout the sale

Save the Date! Meet & Greet for Grades 5-8, Join by clicking the link on September 3rd at 6 pm, https://bit.ly/3b2RUAY

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St. John Nottingham Lutheran School is a special place. Founded in 1892 in what was then the tiny little village of Nottingham, Ohio, the Lord has blessed us with 125 continuous years of educational ministry in North East Ohio! I first came to SJN as a wet-behind-the-ears teacher 17 years ago, and this is more than just a school to me. It's where I really learned to be a teacher. Oh, I learned the theory and the philosophy and the techniques up at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, but it was here, in the classrooms of St John Nottingham that I learned how to teach, that I learned how to put students first, that I learned how to faithfully and carefully cultivate education in each individual student, regardless of what level they might be on. It's where I learned how to roll up my sleeves and get to work serving the Lord and His children. SJN is my home.

Okay, Collinwood neighbors - It is officially election season!

If a little part of you is open to the idea of voting, this article will be sharing information with you about how to navigate the 2020 election and how to contribute to the process we all cherish.

September 22, 2020 is National Voter Registration Day. First observed in 2012, it is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. To date, nearly 3 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday. Celebrated the fourth Tuesday of each September, volunteers and organizations from all over the country will “hit the streets” in a single day of coordinated field, technology, and media efforts; working to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. (How Cool!)

Greater Collinwood Development Corporation and Dress For Success Cleveland will be hosting a sidewalk sale of professional work attire, Saturday September 19th, from 11AM - 2PM. The sidewalk sale is one of three DFSC inventory clearance sales hosted in Cleveland.

Shoppers will pre-register for the sidewalk sale here. Social distancing and masks will be required. Shoppers will fill their own bags from a selection of 15 racks at $20/first bag, $10/each additional bag, $10/coats and prom dresses.

To register for the DFSC sidewalk sale, please visit this form or contact Krystal Sierra, GCDC Economic Development Specialist, to register by phone at 216-268-2138.

Greater Collinwood Development Corporation and Washington Wellness Institute will host a PPE distribution, Saturday September 5th, 11:00AM - 3:00PM. The distribution event will be held at Five Points Plaza at 1010 E. 152nd Street.

GCDC and Washington Wellness staff will be onsite to distribute masks, hygiene products and PPE supplies, as well as providing voter registration and absentee ballot applications. They will also assist residents in taking the 2020 Census right at the event.

Pre-registration is not required. Social distancing will be required and face masks will be provided. For more information, please contact Kristian Hunter or Krystal Sierra at 216-268-2138.

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U.S. Census Bureau recently announced that the deadline for 2020 Census completion is now September 30th, 2020. The change moves the Census completion deadline UP from October 31st, a full thirty-one days sooner. It is now more urgent than ever to talk with your friends, neighbors and families about the importance of taking the Census.

As we get ready for the imminent start of our school year on September 9th, one main concern (beyond our Lord and Savior, of course) is what MORE can we do to maximize the safety of our students and staff. SJN made the decision to offer on-campus instruction this year, and to allow those students who wished to to attend school online. Not with work packets or with remote assignments, but actually attending the same classes as their on-campus peers, receiving the same instruction, and being responsible for the same assignments.

We are doing this by livestreaming our classes using Google Classroom. Students who are attending online get up in the morning at the same time they always did, dress in school dress code, and log in by 8:55 for attendance. From that point forward they are in class, attending school as normal. The only difference is that they are present via their computer rather than physically. The idea is to get the school day as normal as possible, to provide the student with a routine that is familiar, that FEELS like school. That routine, that sense of normalcy is incredibly important to our kids, and we feel that, as a school, we should be trying to get as close as possible to it.

Jacob McClellan of Cleveland Hts. enjoys helping out as a reception desk volunteer at David Simpson Hospice House.

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Are you looking for a way to give back to the community to make a positive difference? Hospice of the Western Reserve (HWR) is seeking reception desk volunteers at David Simpson Hospice House, its hospice inpatient care center located on E. 185th Street on the Lake Erie waterfront. 

At East Academy, students physically distance using vinyl decals on the floor as visual reminders.

ACCEL Schools in Collinwood are reopening with new programming and leadership for the 2020-21 school year. East Academy and Lake Erie Preparatory School are tuition-free, public charter schools serving K-8 students.
Dr. Sheila L. Sherman joins East Academy as principal with over 25 years of experience. The staff has worked over the summer to brighten the campus and reopened on August 20th offering three learning options to families: Traditional (5 days at school), Online (5 days at home), and Hybrid. About one-third of students are attending traditionally and are observing strict safety guidelines outlined by the Ohio Dept. of Health such as daily temperature checks, wearing facemasks, frequent handwashing, bringing their own water bottle, and more.
Award-winning leadership standout Denecia Dillard returns as principal of Lake Erie Preparatory School, one of the top-performing schools in Cleveland for Value-Added gains (the amount of learning students accomplish in a single school year). Lake Erie Prep reopens on September 8th with an emphasis on social-emotional curriculum which will be taught as a new specialty subject and supports student wellness and empowerment in response to current events. Lake Erie Prep is reopening Online for the first nine weeks of school.
Both schools are loaning Chromebooks to students and just announced an Internet Reimbursement Policy. “Grab & Go” breakfast and lunch will be free for pick-up as part of the National School Lunch Program.

Save the Date! Meet & Greet for Grades PreK-4, Join by clicking the link on September 2nd at 6 pm, https://bit.ly/2CWbsu0. We will share again via text and Class Dojo.

Locally-owned stores seek part-time and full-time team members

CLEVELAND, Aug. 20, 2020 – Domino’s franchise-owned locations are looking to hire about 700 new team members across 73 stores throughout Greater Cleveland. The positions include delivery drivers, customer service representatives, assistant managers and managers.

“Domino’s works hard to serve local communities across the country and this area is no different,” said Brian Distin, a Cleveland-area Domino’s franchise owner. “The increased demand for deliveries has amplified the need for additional team members. Stores across the region are continuing to provide pizza to those who are looking for a delicious, hot meal, and at times like this, staffing is critical.”

Domino’s stores throughout the area have implemented several cleanliness and sanitization precautions based on advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include wearing a mask at all times, and increasing the sanitation of all frequently touched surfaces.

Why does the government consider many of us non-essential workers and forbid us to work, and close businesses, and make companies go bankrupt, while the politicians get to keep their jobs? Why should we vote and give jobs to the politicians when they take our jobs away from us?