I am sure that you heard the news by now that at the CMSD School Board meeting on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, Dr Eugene Sanders, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District recommended to the Cleveland Board of Education, that Ginn Academy should remain in its present location at the former Margaret Spellacy School site. I cannot begin to tell you what a victory this is for the students, parents, administrators and the greater Collinwood community. 

On Tuesday, February 23rd, nearly 100 supporters attended the 2nd annual North Collinwood Taste of the Neighborhood and Awards Dinner. The event was a fundraiser to support the efforts of Northeast Shores, the local community development corporation improving the North Shores Collinwood community.

On Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 10:45 AM, Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Board of Control passed a long anticipated resolution authorizing the City to enter into contract with Panzica Construction for the development of the new state-of-the-art Collinwood Community  Recreation Center to be located at 16300 Lakeshore Boulevard at the former K-Mart / Big Lots property. This facility will be like no other center constructed in the history of the City of Cleveland.  

As we all know the Economy has hit us hard this year. This has caused some of us to abandon or give up our pets. About a month ago a family found a playful puppy in the Villa Angela/Lake Erie area. The family has been fostering this dog for about a month and needs someone to either take him into their home or foster him.

So far the family is calling the dog ‘Sandy’. He is black and brown and needs a good amount of attention. The family Sandy is with now has to keep him in the basement away from their older dogs, so he is very hyper. But the family is sure that if Sandy was able to walk around the house he would calm down. If you are looking for a dog or are interested please call: (216)-692-0667.    

RTA officials have finalized spring service changes that take effect on Sunday, April 4. Some of those changes affect Collinwood riders. 

Stand up, sit down, lie down, it doesn't matter what you are doing, as long as you are counted.

Just don't let that census form that will be arriving by mail in mid-March sit at the bottom of your junk mail pile.

Please open it up and fill in the 10 simple questions, doing so is vital to the health of our neighborhood, our city, and our state.

This could be the single most important thing that you do in the next couple of weeks.

I would like to introduce a new section, called Health Watch.  It does not need to be a column, just a box with current health information-- where anyone can submit items of interest. 

The Historic LaSalle Theatre Building located at 819-829 East 185th Street is about to undergo repairs to the limestone façade and roof repairs. The repairs are being funded by the Ohio Finance Fund in the amount of $100,000. Northeast Shores applied for and received funding for the project through a competitive process. The building was purchased by Northeast Shores in October of 2009 from Park View Federal Savings and Loan with financing provided by Village Capital Corporation.

Henry Longfellow and Collinwood High school have been involved in a project called vertical teaming. Vertical teaming is when a high school partners up with our elementary school and staffs from each building work together on various projects. One such project has been “My Buddy Reading Program”.  Each week members of the Collinwood ROTC come to Henry Longfellow and read to students in Pre-K thru the 2nd grade. This program benefits each building. Students from the Collinwood ROTC earn service hour credits and Longfellow Students develop a relationship with the high school students. Our upper grades at Longfellow are involved with the English classes at Collinwood in a pen-pal program. This program benefits writing communication skills between the schools. The writing provides insight to the activities offered at both buildings.

St. Jerome Elementary School has been the stoic brick fixture at the corner of 152nd and Lakeshore since 1922. After decades of changes in the community, the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, and in Ohio education, St. Jerome remains a jewel for the Collinwood neighborhood.

The OGT Breakfast held on Saturday, March 6, 2010 was a great success for Collinwood's students. Many students attended school early Saturday morning because of their determination to pass all FIVE parts of the Ohio Graduation Test. About 11:00 a.m. students and parents joined together in the first floor cafe to enjoy a hot breakfast featuring eggs, bacon, grits and pancakes. 

 

Imani, Gregory and Mariah had an educational adventure writing about their amazing characters. They encountered many animals in the Big Books of our reading series. They found many fascinating facts in the Big Books and were eager to write about the animals after the stories. They became the illustrators for our class book. It was fun drawing and coloring the pictures for each story. Mariah’s favorite story is "Clyde the chameleon". Gregory liked "The Hibernating Bear" best. Imani enjoyed the story about "Farfollina the Caterpillar."  We are enjoying our student treasures.

Jonathan Newsome was a member of St. John Class of 2005. Five years later, he and his teammates enjoyed Ohio State's Rose Bowl victory on New Year’s Day.  After graduating from Glenville High School last year, Jonathan chose to continue his education at The Ohio State University.  He is a member of the Ohio State Football team and is now a Rose Bowl Champion. Jonathan was a pleasure to have as a member of our St. John Nottingham Family.  Congratulations to Jonathan and we wish him God’s richest blessings at Ohio State.

St. John Nottingham has once again accomplished school history. Last year the 7th and 8th Boys Basketball Team made school history by winning the city championship of the Cleveland Lutheran Elementary League. This year they repeated as the champions once again, once again making school history.  Congratualtions St. John Jets. They will represent Cleveland in the All-Ohio State Basketball Tournament held this year at Lutheran High School East.

In the beginning of the year I really wanted to join the Techno Team. Being able to compete in the first competition was very exciting. Also, getting an envelope telling us that we were going to compete in the state competition was very exciting.

On February 9th, the East 185th St. Block Watch hosted an Information Fair in lieu of their regular monthly meeting. There were representatives from over 25 city and county services at tables all around the hall. The water department was there explaining the new rates and bills. ESOP was there to help those in danger of foreclosure.

Noble Academy Cleveland’s Kindergarten celebrates Dr. Seuss Week! The festivities of crazy hats and socks and reading Dr. Seuss books during our mandatory Noble Reads period ended with a party of Oobleck! Kindergartners and teachers read "Bartholomew And The Oobleck" and then created their own kingdom that needed to be rescued from the Oobleck. Our Kindergarten teachers, Mrs. McCarthy(Thing 2), Ms. Kortemeyer(Thing 1), and Ms. Harris(Cat In The Hat) engage the students’ minds and creative thoughts by playing the roles of Dr. Seuss characters.

On February 11, 2010, OH Perry School Parent Organization sponsored the Second Annual Valentine's Father-Daughter/Mother-Son Dance. The evening was filled with music, dancing, food and good company. The parents enjoyed dancing with their children as well as each other. The dance was organized by family liaison, Mrs. Chunn. The next SPO event at OH Perry is the second annual Carnival Night on Thursday, March 18, 2010. Contact Mrs. Chunn at 216-481-7528 for more information.

Rose-Mary Center, located in Euclid, and other related organizations celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March and invite you to consider the true meaning of this year’s theme, “Just Like You.”

On Monday, March 1, 2010, OH Perry students put on their Black History Program, which included singing, story-telling, and reciting of poems. Students in grades PK - 8 participated in the program that was planned by Social Studies Area Specialist, Rita Little. The program was a culmination of the research students had done during Black History Month in February.

Don’t miss your chance to witness the Spring musical performances of one of Northeast Ohio’s hardest-working children’s theater companies, UpStage Players. From March 26th through March 28th, the group will be producing and performing Aladdin, Jr., where many all-time favorite characters come to life in this stage adaptation of the Disney hit.

UpStage Players’ opening performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 26th at the Slovenian Workmen’s Home (15335 Waterloo Road; Cleveland), their permanent performance residence. The group’s second show will commence on Saturday, March 27th, also at 7:30 p.m. Their final performance of the Spring will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 28th.

The Cleveland-based HELP Foundation is proud to announce the expansion of its Adult Day Support Program into the City of Euclid. This program provides a daytime, community-based, recreation and socialization program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a newly renovated space on Euclid’s Shore Center Drive. Featuring group activities, classes, field trips, and a welcoming, congenial clubhouse atmosphere, the program’s popularity continues to grow. Serving nearly 50 enrolled participants, the Euclid location now reaches individuals and families that have been challenged with limited options for appropriate daytime services in their area. The HELP Adult Day Support Program is a supportive, community-based full day program that provides adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a stimulating, casual, and enriching environment. The program is designed around the individual and their need for social interaction, community involvement, and interesting activities in a group setting. The HELP Foundation was founded in 1965 to ensure children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the homes, environments, and opportunities to be valued members of their community. HELP serves some 500 individuals each year through our signature Six Chimneys Apartments, children’s homes, semi-independent apartments, Adult Day Program, and Summer Program for Children. For more information on Help Foundation services and history please visit www.helpfoundationinc.org 

Dear Ladies,

My kids do not pick up the house.  It gets to a certain point and yelling is involved, and then they pick up.  As soon as it’s picked up they start messing it up again.  I don’t have time to stand over them; I feel like throwing out all their stuff.  Please help.  Thank you, Single Dad.

Hospice of the Western Reserve, for the first time, is recognizing a teenage volunteer with the Chair’s Award. Dewon Hudson, of South Euclid, received the award during the 32nd Annual Meeting at St. Josephat Arts Hall. The Chair’s Award recognizes outstanding contributions that further the mission of Hospice of the Western Reserve. At 16, Mr. Hudson is the youngest person to receive this honor.

On February 20th,  the SS&W Boardwalk hosted a benefit party for the recently laid-off Cleveland Police officers. We are proud to share that $2,600 was raised and will be directly distributed to those officers.

Every Irish-American family I know seems to have its own tradition of soda bread, a quick bread whose leavening comes from baking soda rather than yeast—with no two recipes just alike. This recipe is from my mother's family, the Mullallys (the stone carvers, not the funeral directors) and I don't offer it as the definitive "Irish" loaf at all. It's sweeter than most I've tasted, owing to the iberal sprinkling of butter and sugar on the top. It's the one time of year I have occasion to buy buttermilk, although the lady in front of me in line at Dave's was delighted to see I'd found the buttermilk (in fact, I'd had to request it from the dairy manager, who graciously brought some out from the back cooler) as she was shopping for her mom and was going to have to make another stop otherwise. Apparently it's good over cornbread. Can you make it with dark raisins? With less sugar or more? With ground nuts? You may, and you'll be on your way to developing your own family's tradition of soda bread. . . 

Nottingham Civic Club meets the 3rd Tuesday every month.

THIS MONTH’S MEETING: March 16, 2010, 7 pm

NOTTINGHAM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 18316 ST. CLAIR AVE.

Guest Speaker, Russel White of ‘In Focus’:Come learn about our good neighbors and how they are helping troubled youth. 

Bring a friend and get a free raffle ticket.  Show your up-to-date membership card and get a free raffle ticket.

Come as a new neighbor & receive a free Welcome Bag

Today it is 22 degrees, Fahrenheit. With the wind chill factor, it is about 13 degrees and snowing. It’s February 25, 2010; it’s doing what’s expected. Thus far this winter, it has snowed a total of 59.1 inches…a better than normal winter for this region. However, with approximately 1 ½ months to go of snowy and or cold weather…it’s a wonder that a superhero hasn’t flown to the North Pole to turn off the snow machine… 

It’s cold and snowy days like these that we begin to think more about warm weather and summer: summer vacation, summer school, summer camp. You know how fast time flies…before we know it, it will be summer.  Summer, yeahhhhh! The beach, boating, swimming, no coats, no boots, no snow!  Just fun in the sun!

On January 18, 2010, fifty students and thirteen teachers from Collinwood High School chose to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s memory by participating in a “day ON, not a day off.” Joined by City Year corps members, community volunteers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the students and staff of Collinwood painted over 25,000 square feet of hallways and helped Collinwood Principal Deborah D. Moore launch the “Be Like Lebron” campaign, a school-wide initiative to foster teamwork and collective responsibility amongst the students.   

The thing that makes this newspaper project unique is that all the articles are written by members of the community. School kids, moms and dads, grandmas - all have contributed. For many the idea of writing for a newspaper was very new, yet they have done a marvelous job.

I am sure that you read by now about the proposed relocation of Ginn Academy from the former Margaret Spellacy School on East 162 Street to Glenville High School for the next school year.

Many of you know that I worked diligently with Coach Ted Ginn, Sr. over the last three years to find a permanent suitable location to house “Ted’s dream” of a stand–alone, all boys, single gender, academy; one that placed safety, security and academic excellence as its core values. To hear that Ginn Academy is now being proposed to be relocated into a general high school is a tragic turn of events.

After CMSD put $2.5 million into renovating the present building, their consultant from Boston recommends, in order to shore-up Glenville, that the District should place Ginn Academy in the building with an all-girls academy, as well. This would totally defeat what Ginn was supposed to be about from day one. Time is of the essence. We cannot let them destroy this vision because “Ted’s dream” is working.

I am in the process of organizing parents, concerned citizens and anyone else who believes that the young men in Ginn Academy have a right to succeed and to become somebody. I urge you to contact CMSD Board members at (216) 574-8585 or email them via Kevin Burtzlaff, Board Liaison, at kevin.burtzlaff@cmsdnet.net or mail a letter to them at the Board of Education, Administration Building, 1380 East Sixth Street, Room 152, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, to express your outrage and concerns. Members names are online at www.cmsdnet.net.   

Hello. My name is Robin Belcher and I am the State Representative for House District 10. On May 27, 2009, I was appointed to the vacated seat by a unanimous vote of the Ohio House Democrats. I am a native of Cleveland, born and raised. As a matter of fact, I have lived in House District 10 for most of my life, outside of the years spent obtaining my education: a B.A. in Political Science from Bowling Green State University; Master’s in Public Administration from The Ohio State University; and Juris Doctorate from University of Missouri-Columbia. I usually boast of my pride and joy at being a graduate of Collinwood High School. As a student, I stayed quite active in sports and organizational activities. 

Where E.156th Street meets Waterloo Road, Gadi and Sarit Zamir are creating a most appropriate intersection of their own. Within the walls of the old Jepson’s Pharmacy and Abby Theatre buildings on the southeast corner, development is merging with sustainability and art to bring a unique new vision to the heart of the neighborhood. 

It's February. By now you've received 2009 tax forms from your employer and any other forms you need to deal with your taxes. If you're feeling confused about filing (Do I need to file some schedule? Can I claim the Earned Income Tax Credit that can bring a refund of several thousand dollars? And how can I get my refund faster?) you might be thinking about taking your taxes to one of the tax preparing businesses that, like winter's slushy piles of snow, are suddenly all over Collinwood. 

To help eligible Ohioans claim tax credits and public benefits, Governor Ted Strickland is supporting an initiative called the Ohio Benefit Bank, www.governor.ohio.gov/obb.

Seasonal Positions are available with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cleveland Lakefront State Park which includes Euclid Beach, Villa Angela, Wildwood, Edgewater, Gordon and Headlands Beach Parks.  Applicants may express an interest in these positions by visiting: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/hr/jobinterest/job.aspx

Natural Resources Specialist ($7.39/hr.)

Lifeguard (hourly rate varies)

Although it was not a sure bet, I would have wagered the farm on the Health Care Reform bills becoming law.

This past Christmas instead of bonuses 67 Police Officers got pink slips. Due to city budget cuts they lost their jobs, and countless others took demotions or switched departments to stay on the force.

On Thursday, January 28, 2009, OH Perry held their annual Science Fair. Nearly 300 students entered. This year, Science Subject Area Specialist and fourth grade teacher, Karen Shepherd earned a FUSE Grant from Case Western Reserve University. Through the grant, Perry received funds to support the fair. We also had the support of Case engineering students volunteering their time to assist the students with the completion of their individual Science Fair Projects. Various members of the community, including Case students and retired teachers, served as judges. Parents were invited to view the projects on Friday afternoon. Thank you to Ms. Shepherd for all her efforts to plan the fair and to promote the learning of scientific researching skills in our OH Perry students. Bravo to all the OH Perry students who worked very hard to complete a project this year!!

The U.S Congress passed a resolution declaring September 23, 2009: "National Job Corps Day" to acknowledge 45 years of Job Corps training which has helped over three million disadvantaged American youth. The Job Corps delegation heading to Columbus to celebrate included Governor Ted Strickland, State Representative Robin Belcher, Job Corps student Mandisa Black and Congresswoman Marsha L. Fudge. Job Corps is the largest and most successful academic and vocational training program in the U.S. It is administered by the Department of Labor. Their brand new residential 25-acre campus is located in the South Collinwood area.

What can I do?

I've asked that at times. What can I do to help? There is so much need around and my resources are so low: little money, no extra time, my own family to care for!! How can I help lift up the neighborhood when I have so little?

Denise Wright and Mike Clark may help me answer by having so little themselves and yet helping so much. They recently moved to the neighborhood, don't own a car, don't have steady jobs, but give what they can to help out. So they joined the Nottingham Youth Center and now head the tutoring program. About 10 elementary kids twice a week and only 3 or 4 adults at a time. Some of the children need one to one attention but that can be difficult without a couple more helpers. Mike and Denise give what they have but they can only stretch themselves so far. 

While not a real person, Cupid was the God of Love to ancient Romans, and many Italians believed in his powers. Even in the modern world, references to Cupid and his bow and arrows of love are found everywhere on Valentine’s Day.

Arts Collinwood is proud to be sponsoring The Portfolio Project, a collaboration between teenagers and senior citizens, and is now accepting student nominations from teachers and others familiar with student work.

This project is a unique intergenerational experience in which a small group of high school students work with senior citizens to create poetry, oral history, video, still photography and portraiture. The sessions will be led by artists pre-eminent in their fields, who will also teach the young artists how to develop a portfolio, curate an exhibit and participate in the jurying process -- by helping to select a finalist for a mural installation at the Arts Collinwood center. 

A CALL TO ARTISTS

The All-City Art Show, sponsored by the National Arts Program, will be held at the Arts Collinwood gallery March 26 to April 9, with an official opening reception on April 1. Submissions are due by March 22. The exhibit is judged by professional artists and art educators in Amateur, Intermediate, Professional and Youth classifications. Entry is free. Participants must live in or work for the city of Cleveland, or belong to a city employee’s family. All entries must be the artist’s own original work (no kits!). There’s $1800 of prize money for the nine adult classes; $600 for the eight under-eighteen classes; and the possibility of an Honorable Mention, besides a Certificate of Participation for all entrants. For information and registration forms call: 216-664-2562, or visit www.nationalartsprogram.org.

“Dear Grandmothers, Up until recently I have been a stay-at-home mom with several small project-based jobs I could do online for extra money during early morning hours.  In October, I took on a real online part-time job, because our family needs the money, with paycuts (but no cuts in hours) that have been made by my husband’s employer. I now work on my laptop at the kitchen table while I cook, while the kids do homework, etc. and my kid time (I have two, 6 and 8) has been severely cut. My kids are unhappy, “hating mommy’s job,” acting out, making it hard to concentrate when I HAVE to. I feel bad for them, and want things to be better but I have to keep this job. Any advice?” – Samantha R., Lakeshore Blvd. 

Dear Samantha,

Just before receiving my Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1989 as a drawing major, I was introduced to enameling. In my 4th year, a friend showed me pieces of copper she had covered with some sort of colorful, durable coating. She explained that it was enamel, and briefly told me about the class and the process. I’d never heard of this, but was very intrigued and so enrolled in the class at the start of my 5th and final year at CIA, to learn some of the basics of the medium.

Ben Parsons and Mary Zodnik, proprietors of Azure Stained Glass Studio, will soon begin exterior improvements to their 15602 Waterloo location in the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District. Azure specializes in the restoration of leaded glass windows as well as the design and fabrication of new leaded glass products. The plans for the exterior improvements have been underway for two years with the business receiving technical assistance from the City of Cleveland Storefront Renovation Program (SRP) as sponsored by Northeast Shores Development Corporation, The City of Cleveland, and Councilman Michael D. Polensek. SRP is funded by the City of Cleveland through its federal Community Development Block Grant allocation. 

Azure worked closely with SRP Design Specialist Tim Barrett and Northeast Shores to define the scope of the building improvements, which will include: tuck pointing and masonry repairs; painting of window frames and entrance improvements; comprehensive signage package; new entry door adjacent to the parking lot and glass canopy with associated hardware above the front entrance door.