The Heights Observer

Tiger TV News: For students by students

Joy Henderson — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:07:00 EDT

Heights High junior Antonio Harper (left) and senior Bryan Clark are members of the Tiger TV News club that produces a regular news program for and about Heights High students.

The Tiger TV News Club at Cleveland Heights High School is producing a new program: “Tiger TV News: For Students, By Students.”

Perhaps the best news is that anyone can watch it. The first edition is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gm5nVaMEAs

Posted in late March, the first show includes coverage of the school talent show auditions, reviews of the video game “NBA 2K13” and the movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” season overviews of the bowling and boys’ basketball teams, and a feature on Heights alumus Jon Hayden and his Coventry Road shop, Focused Tattoo.

HRRC offers carpentry repair classes for women

Rebecca Stager — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:13:01 EDT

2012 Home How-To for Women participants learn to repair windows from volunteer instructor Eliot Watts. Photo by Rebecca Stager.

Designed for women who want to learn how to make home repairs themselves, HRRC’s Home How-To for Women course in Carpentry Repairs will cover how to install ceramic tile, repair windows, build handrails, repair plaster and drywall, and complete other carpentry projects. The Carpentry Repairs module will include eight two-hour classes, held on Wednesday evenings from June 5 through July 31 at HRRC’s Teaching Center in Cleveland Heights.

Applications are now being accepted, and early registration is suggested. Only 18 spots are available, to encourage small-group learning. Tuition is $120 for Cleveland Heights residents and $150 for nonresidents; low-income participants are eligible for reduced rates.

Cleveland Heights - University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights 5-7-2013

League of Women Voters — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:16:59 EDT

MAY 7, 2013

Heights High musicians recognized
Continuing contracts
Lay Facilities Committee (LFC)
Gearity 4th grade trip
School transportation options
Teacher evaluation policy
Donations
Property tax collection
Heights tennis team champions
Acknowledgements

All board members were present.

City of CH extends RFP deadline

Deanna Bremer Fisher — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:57:33 EDT

On May 15, the City of Cleveland Heights announced that it has extended the deadline for submittal of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) until June 6 for five city-owned properties.

Links to the RFPs for new development on Euclid Heights Boulevard near Lee Road, at the intersection of Cedar and Coventry roads, on Noble Road near Greyton Road, at the Turkey Ridge site on Edgehill Road, and at Noble Road between Greyton and Woodview roads can be found at http://www.clevelandheights.com/index.aspx?page=365.

Kosovo Youth Exchange Program seeks host families in the Heights

Madeline Rife — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:44:25 EDT

The 2012–13 KYEP class, with CCWA Executive Director Maura O'Donnell-McCarthy.

The Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA) is seeking host families for its Kosovo Youth Exchange Program (KYEP) for the upcoming school year, when Cleveland Heights High School’s Renaissance International School will welcome up to three students. The application deadline is May 25.

“Opening myself up to a new family and a new culture was the best decision of my life,” said Dorotea, one this year’s KYEP students. A sophomore from Pristina, Kosovo, she is studying at Magnificat High School, where she’s made friends, joined the debate team, and made the honor roll. Along with other Cleveland-based KYEP students—Gresë, also a student at Magnificat, and Arbias, enrolled at Mayfield High School—Dorotea is taking advantage of what the program has to offer. Gresë agrees that her experience has been life-changing: “The friendships I have created are priceless. I am very lucky!”

Cleveland Heights City Council meeting highlights 5-6-13

League of Women Voters — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:34 EDT

MAY 6, 2013

Citizen comments
Bicycle legislation
National Preservation Month
Savings on bonds interest
Community Development Block Grants
Special Improvement Districts (SIDs)
Water and sewer code
Equipment purchases
Zoning variances
Bluestone Mayfield development
Tax abatements
Nighttown expansion
Phoenix Coffee loan
Building code alignment
Amusement devises
New ambulance

Council Member Janine Boyd was absent.

City requests help with AT&T utility boxes

Heights Observer Editor — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:28:32 EDT

The City of Cleveland Heights is asking residents to help identify AT&T utility boxes at which landscaping should be replaced. Residents should send photos of the box and the location (the nearest building’s address) to Richard Wong, director of planning, at rwong@clvhts.com, by May 24.

AT&T has offered to improve the landscaping that surrounds the boxes, however, it would like to initiate all of the work at one time. The company identifies its boxes with stick-on letters and numbers, such as those in the adjacent photo.

Brick streets are one of the city's many assets

Larry Anderson — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:20:40 EDT

To the Editor:

I am worried about one of the opinions expressed by Mary Dunbar in her article "Cleveland Heights road repairs" [Heights Observer, April 1]. Ms. Dunbar wrote, "Though charming, Cleveland Heights's few remaining brick roads can be cost prohibitive to maintain. Covering them with asphalt improves driving safety and makes repairs affordable."

This seems to me to be a curious statement from a member of Cleveland Heights City Council. Cleveland Heights is blessed with many charming homes, commercial buildings and parks. If we only consider cost, I guess it is true that all of our charming assets could be replaced with alternatives that would make them less "cost prohibitive to maintain," but then Cleveland Heights would be just another suburban clone community.

Bicyclists ride to CH City Council meeting

Deanna Bremer Fisher — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:42:15 EDT

HBC members (from left) Corrie Holliday, Ian Hoffman, Greta De Meyer, Brandon Henneman, Walter De Meyer and Joy Henderson rode to the CH City Council meeting on May 6, along with HBC member Lee Reis, who took the picture.

To mark the start of Bike Month, a group of Heights Bicycle Coalition (HBC) members rode from the arch at Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park to Cleveland Heights City Hall to address the city council at its May 6 meeting.

At the meeting, Brandon Henneman, HBC spokesperson, thanked Cleveland Heights City Council and staff for making the city more bicycle-friendly and suggested new ways of collaboration.

Henneman thanked council for designating the month of May Bike Month. He also thanked the city for increasing the number of bike racks in commercial districts, including bike officers on its police force, adding designated bicycle lanes to North Park Boulevard, adding bicycle-friendly provisions to the city’s Sustainable Zoning Code, collaborating with HBC to improve connections between University Circle, and adding bicycle infrastructure to the resurfacing project at Edgehill Road.

CH Mayor Kelley helps dedicate Montford Community Garden

Mary Weems — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:53:18 EDT

Mayor Ed Kelley helps cut the ribbon to dedicate the garden.
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Saturday, May 11, was a good day for community, sharing and—dirt. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Montford Community Garden Association (MCGA) members, including Patrick Byrne, John Ludway, Laurel Freeder, Diane Frederick, Curt and Suzie Coker, Michael Jones, Leslie Bates, and others assembled raised beds and filled them with soil in preparation for planting, which will begin in the next two weeks.

Several young people were on hand to help. Olivia Jones and her friend, Ashlee Woldman, took a break from shoveling and raking to help Mayor Ed Kelley cut a ribbon, tied between two Fiskar’s shovels, to dedicate the garden.

Church volunteers produce 100,000 life-saving meals

Loretta Dahlstrom — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:57:46 EDT

Hundreds of Church of the Saviour volunteers and community members will work to feed thousands of starving children in the developing world. Through a partnership between the church (at 2537 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights) and Minneapolis-based Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), volunteers will prepare 100,000 potentially life-saving meals at an FMSC MobilePack event on Saturday, May 18, in the church’s Great Hall

Thank-A-Teacher program enables community to recognize outstanding educators

Krista Hawthorne — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:24:47 EDT

Zoe Cook

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As the school year winds down, Reaching Heights, a nonprofit that supports the CH-UH public schools, is holding its annual Thank-A-Teacher drive to recognize teachers and foster an atmosphere of appreciation in our schools.

Parents and community members can pay tribute to a Heights teacher by making a contribution to Reaching Heights in honor of that teacher. The teacher receives a note of thanks, the teacher’s principal is notified about the honor, and Reaching Heights uses the donated money to fund its small grants program to enable school-based projects at CH-UH schools.

“Teachers are vital to the success of all students,” said Patrick Mullen, director of Reaching Heights. “Reaching Heights invites the community to thank the people involved in creating safe and productive school days for our children for the work they do.”

Following are a few of the notes of appreciation written by Cleveland Heights High School seniors.

Zoe Cook

Mrs. McDade was my ninth grade World History teacher and my AP US History (APUSH) teacher. She truly cares about each of her students and always pushed me to do my best while also being very supportive. APUSH was definitely the most challenging course I have taken at Heights. Her personal story of being in the Peace Corps was very inspiring and sparked my interest to travel abroad.

Date set for public records trial regarding Taylor Road rehabilitation project

Douglas Whipple — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:34:46 EDT

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A common pleas judge has rejected an attempt by the City of Cleveland Heights to block a public records case from going to trial.

[We], Cleveland Heights residents Douglas Whipple and Susan Tuck-Whipple, had submitted two public records requests to the city in 2011--before the project began. They sought records relating to the conduct of city council and the administration leading up to the rehabilitation of Taylor Road. The project narrowed South Taylor Road and allocated all of the resulting green space to the commercial east side of the street and none to the residential west side.

Heights Community Garden Network to host seed swap and sale

Deanna Bremer Fisher — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:38:41 EDT

On Sunday, May 19, the Heights Community Garden Network will host a seed swap and plant sale in the auxiliary parking lot of Fairmount Presbyterian Church, across the street from the church at the corner of Fairmount Boulevard and Coventry Road. The Seeds & Starts, Swap & Sale will feature several plants and seeds—mostly edibles and herbs—just in time for the planting season.

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights 4-23-13

League of Women Voters — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:53:45 EDT

APRIL 23, 2013

High school ISSN field trip
Reduction of teaching staff
Safety and security plan
New policy adoptions
Mathematics textbook

All board members were present.

University Heights City Council meeting highlights 4-15-13

League of Women Voters — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:41:50 EDT

APRIL 15, 2013

Public comments
Arbor Day
Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Figure skating honors
Utility vehicle purchase
Fernwood, Channing water lines
Internet auction of city goods
Street resurfacing
Former Fuchs Mizrachi School
Overnight parking
Electronic device use while driving
John Carroll University banners
Back taxes found
University fencing
Home exterior inspections
Executive session

All council members were present.

LFC to present school facilities recommendations to BOE tonight

Deanna Bremer Fisher — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:52:28 EDT

The Lay Facilities Committee (LFC) will present its recommendations for a school facilities master plan to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education (BOE) at the board’s May 7 meeting. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Deborah S. Delisle Educational Options Center, 14780 Superior Road.

The public is invited to attend, and the meeting agenda includes an opportunity for audience members to make statements following the LFC's presentation. [Note that BOE meeting protocol requires that audience members wishing to speak at the meeting sign in prior to the start of the meeting. Anyone wishing to make a statement should arrive early to sign in.]

ChamberFest Cleveland returns for second season on June 20

Daniel Budin — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:21:30 EDT

Franklin and Diana Cohen, of Cleveland Heights, are co-artistic directors of ChamberFest Cleveland.

Following the success of its inaugural season last year, aptly themed “Big Bang,” ChamberFest Cleveland is expanding its 2013 schedule to include more concerts and new venues.

ChamberFest’s 2013 season, “(IT’S) ABOUT TIME,” begins on Thursday, June 20, and runs through Sunday, June 30. In addition to a concert, the opening night festivities will feature an after-party at L’Albatros in University Circle as well as a free pre-concert recital showcasing this season’s resident young artist, cellist Gabriel Cabezas.

ChamberFest Cleveland is an intensive chamber music festival, featuring world-class musicians and innovative classical music performances in unique venues. Diana Cohen, a Cleveland Heights native, founded ChamberFest in an effort to bring an international-level chamber music festival to the Cleveland area. Despite its rich cultural and musical traditions, Greater Cleveland had never hosted a festival of this caliber. Cohen and her father, Cleveland Orchestra principal clarinetist and Heights resident, Franklin Cohen, are co-artistic directors of the festival.

Roxboro 8th-grader wins prize in Maltz Museum essay contest

Deanna Bremer Fisher — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:52:43 EDT

Soli Collins
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Soli Collins, a Roxboro Middle School student, is the first-prize winner among the 8th-grade finalists in the Maltz Museum’s fifth annual "Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out!" essay contest. The awards ceremony was held May 2 at Severance Hall.

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage created the annual competition in 2008 to encourage middle- and high-school students to focus attention on the corrosive effects of hatred, discrimination and intolerance, while developing critical thinking and communication skills.

This year, more than 1,600 students from seven Northeast Ohio counties submitted essays. The students’ essays address a variety of issues, including cyber-bullying, racism, anti-Semitism and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues, and offer heartfelt and innovative solutions.

The Heights celebrates Bike Month

Simone Quartell — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:51:26 EDT

Juliette Godard and her father, Lance, were among several participants at Roxboro Elementary School in last fall's Walk or Bike to School Day in the CH-UH district.

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In observance of National Bike Month, many bike-related events are being held this May throughout the Heights.

At the May 6 Cleveland Heights City Council meeting, council members passed a resolution designating this month Bike Month in Cleveland Heights. Prior to the meeting, bicyclists gathered at the arch at Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park and rode together to city hall, to thank the city for making the community more bicycle-friendly.

On Wednesday, May 8, Boulevard, Canterbury, Gearity and Roxboro elementary schools and Monticello Middle School will participate in National Bike or Walk to School Day. According to the Heights Bicycle Coalition (HBC), kids who walk or bike to school are better able to learn, get the exercise they need for optimal health, navigate neighborhoods and avoid polluting the environment.