Greetings from the Councilman

The Holiday Season is upon us and I wish to thank all of our neighborhood organizations, churches and community leaders for the help they have provided throughout the year.

When I looked out from the stage on November 12th, upon the 2,000+plus “friends” who were gathered at the Collinwood Recreation Center’s Grand Opening, it only reinforced to me how important community participation really is. That day was a culmination of years of hard work, and above all, a belief that by working together we can succeed. 

I learned a very long time ago, that a councilperson cannot do it alone. It is the citizens of the community who set the tone. If we have succeeded, it is because of the good, decent and caring folks of Ward 11 who have worked so hard to make our community the best it can be.

In 2012, we have a whole host of neighborhood projects and initiatives, which we are hoping to see in design stage and/or actually get under way. Projects such as the Waterloo Road Streetscape, the rebuilding of Lakeshore Boulevard, the Euclid Creek Lacustrine Project, the expansion of the Cleveland Industrial Innovation Center (CiiC) on St. Clair Avenue, the implementation of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Curriculum at the Hannah Gibbons-Nottingham Elementary School, and the renovation of the historic LaSalle Theatre on East 185th Street, are just a few of the initiatives under way.

However, none is more important than addressing the tremendous problem with vacant and abandoned properties. We must aggressively pursue each of these addresses and demand accountability from the City’s Department of Building & Housing, whose response has been disappointing, to say the least. On another front, public safety is critical and we must continue to be the eyes and ears with the police. Pay attention to your own street. We must remain aggressive if we are to protect our community from those who wish to do us harm.

 On behalf of the Ward 11 family, I wish all of you a blessed Holiday season and a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.