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Trees for Tommy is helping to fund the planting of tree groves in Coventry PEACE Park. 3c1b6s

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Coventry PEACE Park has been the jewel of our community for generations. Just as I was happy to help build the playground in the 1990s, I am happy that Trees for Tommy will help plant and care for the park’s trees and native plants for generations to come.

I’ve always been interested in planting trees in the Coventry Village area.During the street renovation project, we picked out the lacebark elms, the Cleveland Select pears, and ginkgo trees that now adorn the whole district.

Even back in the 1980s, my family started purchasing balled Christmas trees that we would plant after the holidays. Now, a large percentage of those trees are over 60 feet tall!

Despite deep roots and proud residents, Cleveland Heights is falling behind in small-business growth, youth programs, school investment, and inter-city collaboration.

Leadership feels stagnant—holding meetings to schedule more meetings—while our streets, storefronts, and sidewalks reflect decline. The city’s north side, where I live, pays equal taxes but suffers from disproportionate code enforcement, housing violations, and rising crime. Since the establishment of the mayoral istration, little has changed.

Code-enforcement reform and property-maintenance ability: With 16 years of national experience in code enforcement, I’ve never seen such high taxes yield so little.

There are too manyad hominemarguments being made these days in Cleveland Heights. And they do nothing to encourage the civility required in our open and accepting community.

"Ad hominem" is Latin for "to the person." Those who study logical thinking note that anad hominemargument occurs when an argument is directed at a person rather than at the argument itself. It is false because it diverts attention away from a topic at hand and focuses instead on irrelevant features of the individual being attacked.

Anad hominemargument might attack character, intelligence, or motives. A good example is the [alleged] frequent use in public of the “f-bomb” by the mayor’s wife, Natalie McDaniel.Another example would be rude comments by Council Member Anthony Mattox Jr. to some citizens at council meetings or to some of his colleagues at committee meetings.

Right now, the education of our children is at risk.

The proposed state budget, as ed by the House, dramatically underfunds public schools throughout the state by at least $2.75 billion over the next two years. Almost 90% of Ohio’s children attend public school. Underfunding the education of 9 out of 10 children in our state is wrong. Every child deserves to get a quality education. The way to make sure every Ohio public school can afford to educate its children is to and fully fund the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP).

I am a parent of two elementary-age children who attend a public school in the CH-UH school district. I believe that public education is one of our nation’s most irable institutions.

Mayor Kahlil Seren’s handling of the Cain Park crisis undermines the people’s trust in City Hall. Seren appears focused on shielding his istration from embarrassment and ability—at the expense of employees and volunteers who endured a culture of fear and intimidation at one of the city’s gems.

The issues at Cain Park first came to the public’s attention when citizens and the media, through public records requests, received an investigation summary from Clemans Nelson, an HR consulting firm hired to conduct an independent investigation.

The summary detailed occurrences during which the general manager, Ian Hinz, is alleged to have repeatedly subjected staff to aggressive and demeaning treatment. Witnesses described Hinz pounding his fists on desks, forcing an employee to repeat (under threat of disciplinary action) “I, Ian, am the boss, and my word is law,” and even shoving a cash box into a volunteer’s stomach, according to the summary.

Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band will headline the 2025 University Heights Juneteenth Celebration.

This Juneteenth, University Heights will celebrate freedom with some old friends.

No strangers to the city, Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band have previously performed as part of the city’s Summer Concert Series and Fall Fest.

This year, Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band will headline the 2025 Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 21, at Walter Stinson Community Park. Known for its uplifting blend of roots reggae and island soul, the band will take the stage at 7 p.m., closing out a day of festivities that runs from 1:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The University Heights Juneteenth Celebration is presented in partnership with Dollar Bank.

"It means a lot to me to be included in a program that acknowledges and celebrates a part of our history that some would rather see ignored or erased,” Jones said.

The monks of the Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour. [photo: Melanie Sullivan]

Six Tibetan Buddhist monks will be staying in Cleveland Heights June 17–30 while they perform cultural programs throughout Greater Cleveland. The monks are from Gaden Shartse Monastic University (GSMU) in Mundgod, Karnataka, India. They are traveling throughout the United States for two years on their “Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour.”

The purpose of the tour is to share Tibetan Buddhist culture and teach practices for achieving inner peace and comion. All funds raised on the tour the monks’ monastery and school.

During their stay in Cleveland Heights, the monks will conduct lectures; art and music demonstrations; healings; empowerments; and business, personal and pet blessings at local organizations, businesses, schools, homes and parks.

A common pitfall in journalism and social commentary is "both-sides-ism," or false equivalence. In the work ofCleveland.comEditor Chris Quinn and Reporter Cory Shaffer, we've seen frequent references to "power struggles" and "tension" between Cleveland Heights City Council and Mayor Kahlil Seren. All too often, they have characterized the executive and legislative branches as equally responsible for dysfunction at City Hall—a building the mayor controls, to which council do not even have keys.

The dozen or so departures by upper-level staff on Seren's watch are common knowledge. But council, too, has experienced a dizzying series of changes due to resignations, replacements and election results. Over the past three-and-a-half years, the seven seats on the dais have been occupied by 10 different individuals.

Natasha Lovelace

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Natasha Lovelace was “shocked” to receive Forest Hill Church’s first Racial Educational Debt Repair Award.

“I’m 37, and at times, it’s been hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Lovelace, a 2005 Cleveland Heights High School graduate. “Receiving this has given me hope; like I’m not doing all this work in vain.”

The Presbyterian congregation will pay off some $65,000 in student debt for Lovelace. “It’s life changing,” she said.

In 2024, Forest Hill Church’sRacial Repair and Restoration Task Forceproposed student-debt relief as a tangible way to address the legacy of systemic racism in its community.

Another school year is in the books.

While learning doesn’t end, the school year does, and it’s a moment to celebrate progress.

The end of school inspires me to reflect on the developmental journey of 180 days in the classroom and what it means to me to participate in that journey as a classroom volunteer.

For more than three decades I have volunteered at Boulevard Elementary School, and I am currently part of a team of eight who meet weekly with a group of kindergartners.

The 47th annual Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival (MBKPF) will honor 43 young playwrights June 5–8. More than 250 students in grades 1–12 submitted plays to this year’s festival, which is the oldest event of its kind in the nation.

Since 1979, MBKPF has been an integral part of Dobama Theatre’s mission to provide educational outreach programming. The festival was created in honor of Dobama co-founder Marilyn Bianchi after her ing.

After students submit their original plays, the plays are read and scored, and select scripts are produced on the Dobama stage in June. This year more than 60 judges contributed to the scoring process.

Blakk Jakk Dance Collective, a CSCA partner.[photo: Adorn Productions, Camara Thomas]

Creative Spaces Cultural Arts (CSCA), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering creativity and community engagement through the arts, is launching a monthlong fundraising campaign this June. The goal is to raise $10,000 to programming for all ages and organizational growth.

Founded in 2022 and operating out of the Disciples Christian Church building on Mayfield Road, CSCA was created in response to a 2020 community visioning process that identified a pressing need for more accessible, high-quality arts education for young people. Since then, the organization has become a dynamic hub where artists, nonprofits, and young people participate in programming that ranges from samba and circus arts to yoga, music, and dance.

This campaign comes at an exciting time for CSCA. In March, the nonprofit was selected as one of the National Benevolent Association’s newest Incubate Partners—a partnership that comes with a $54,000 grant that will be disbursed over two years.

Ukulele players at all levels—experts through wannabee beginners—are invited to the “Heights Uke Jam” now hosted by the Noble Neighborhood Library on the second Tuesday of every month.The next gathering is June 10, with a start time of 7 p.m.

Other acoustic stringed instrumentalists are encouraged to participate in this fun musical experience.

While primarily featuring ukuleles, past gatherings have welcomed guitars, banjos, fiddles, and the occasional cello.Music is provided.Players are encouraged to bring their own music stand.

I saw something out of my window recently that you didn’t see. I mean, I’m fairly certain you didn’t see it. It was a big, super-bright star, low in the eastern sky. I looked it up and it turns out it wasn’t a star, but the planet Venus.

Why do I think you didn’t see it? Because was at 4 a.m. I was not getting up for the day; I was getting ready to go to bed. And this was not unusual. I’m almost always still up at 4. And it’s almost always been that way with me. I can think of a few reasons why, but I’ll mention one of them.

When I was a little kid, I regularly went to story hour at the Coventry library, which, back then, was Cleveland Heights’ only library. Story hour took place one afternoon a week. A librarian—I think her name was Miss Ryan—read a couple of books to kids sitting on the floor in front of her.

One day, in 1953, she read a book calledWhile Susie Sleeps.

Cleveland Heights author and ad man Jim Sollisch.

You know Jim Sollisch. Or somebody like him. He’s that “gray-haired, middle-aged man in jeans and tennis shoes” (his words) in the Heights. “If you ran into me on the street,” he noted, “you might guess that I was a father or a husband. You might think I was a Democrat or the owner of a foreign car.”

Sollisch has just published a collection of his personal essays,How Donating a Kidney Fixed my Jump Shot.He is a copywriter at the Marcus Thomas ad agency and has written two Super Bowl commercials. His side hustle is getting op-eds published in newspapers like thePlain Dealer,The New York TimesandThe Wall Street Journal.

His book contains 74 essays. Sollisch knows how to write; he’s not writing treacly nostalgia about Rocky Colavito. He has a wide-ranging sensibility, and to boot, he likes Cleveland. He is feminine, marvelous and tough (to steal a phrase from poet Ted Berrigan).

Barry Arbreton is the newest member of the Heights Libraries' board.

Heights Libraries is pleased to announce the appointment of its newest board member, Barry Arbreton. His six-year, eight-month term began in May 2025. Arbreton replaces Anastasia McIntosh, who stepped down from the board in March after serving two months.

Arbreton grew up in Cleveland Heights, next to the Coventry Village Library, and attended the city’s public schools. At Boston University, he studied philosophy and psychology, then earned a master’s in education and a teaching certificate in early childhood education.

In his 30-plus-year career, Arbreton taught kindergarten in California and Michigan.

"Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park: A New Beginning" will premiere on June 5.

On Thursday, June 5, the Heights community is invited to Building Heights and Heights Middle School Shorts (HMSS) for the free premiere of“Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park: A New Beginning.”

The documentary film—which showcases and celebrates the park’s revitalization, its deep community roots, and the power of creative collaboration—will be shown at Coventry PEACE Park at 7:30 p.m. In case of rain, the showing will move to the Heights High auditorium.

Directed and produced by multi-Emmy Award-winner Kara White of Hemlock Films, the documentary captures the spirit of transformation: how neighbors, civic leaders, students, and local organizations came together to reimagine Coventry PEACE Park as a space for gathering and joy, working together to build a playground that would become a community in and of itself.

With the 2025 Heights election season already underway, the Cleveland Heights - University Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland (LWVGC) announces it will host a five-forum series on candidates and issues in advance of the Sept. 9 Primary Election and the Nov. 7 General Election.

The forums’ co-sponsors are FutureHeights and Heights Libraries.

Dates, times, locations and topics are as follows:

• Thursday, Aug. 7, 6–8 p.m. -Cleveland Heights Mayoral Primary Election Candidates(to be held if there are three or more candidates); Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd.
• Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6–8 p.m. -Cleveland Heights Mayoral General Elections Candidates(two candidates, as determined by the Sept. 9 primary) and anyCH Charter Amendmentson the Nov. 7 ballot: Cleveland Heights Community Center, 1 Monticello Blvd.

“Raise a Glass to Resistance” is the theme of a special event to benefit Cleveland Heights Democrats on June 11, 6–8 p.m., at the newly reopened Edwins Restaurant (12383 Cedar Road).The event will celebrate the group’s work to resist the dangerous and repressive Trump/Musk agenda, as well as raise funds for the club’s outreach to voters this year.

Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County executive, will be the special guest speaker at the June 11 gathering. Tickets and sponsorships are available atwww.clevelandheightsdems.com.

Cleveland Heights Democrats has seen a significant increase in hip since the 2024 election season, as people have recognized the need to get involved to defend democracy and resist the racist and economically devastating policies of the Trump istration.

Davida Russell (left) with real-estate experts at last year's Pathway to Home Ownership.

If you’ve felt the pinch of rising rent prices in the Heights and Greater Cleveland, you’re not alone. Recent data shows that Cleveland leads the nation in rent increases—a troubling trend that leaves many families wondering if homeownership is even within reach.

But there’s good news, too: buying a home can help stabilize monthly housing costs and build long-term wealth, and a free event in Cleveland Heights is designed to help would-be homeowners take that first step.

“Pathway to Home Ownership” will take place on Monday, June 9, 6–8 p.m. at the Noble Neighborhood Library (2800 Noble Road).

FutureHeights for its next Crowdsourced Conversation, “Another Look: Severance Town Center," on Wednesday, June 25, 6:30–8 p.m. at the Lee Road Library.

The event, co-sponsored by the Severance Action Group, is a follow-up to the first Crowdsouced Conversation about Severance that was held in November 2024.

Severance’s developer, MPact Collective, has made substantial progress in creating a site plan and launching a website to gather and share community ideas (weigh in atwww.severanceclevelandheights.com).

Nema Saleem-Green, founder of The Mindful Mix, hosting a cardio-drumming demonstration at EcoFest '23.

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After a year-long hiatus due to the Coventry PEACE Park remodel, Heights EcoFest returns to the revamped park on Saturday, June 7, noon to 4 p.m.—with plans to be even bigger and more impactful. Hosted by the Cleveland Heights Green Team (CHGT) and Heights Libraries" Coventry Village Branch, the festival connects Northeast Ohio residents with practical, sustainable alternatives to everyday choices, making it easier to live greener and healthier.

“We believe that each of us can make better choices that the environment while also improving personal well-being,” said Maggie Kinney, Coventry Village Library manager and event co-organizer. “But we also realize that people are busy, and finding the right resources can be overwhelming. We want to make it easier for people to access solutions that are close to home and in our community.”

On Friday, May 23, Cleveland Heights City Council held a special Council Committee of the Whole (COTW) meeting to discuss the welfare of the community in the wake of Mayor Kahlil Seren'sMay 21 video statement. The mayor released the statement in response to allegations of anti-Semitism in texts allegedly sent by the mayor's wife, Natalie McDaniel.

(The May 23 meeting video can be viewedhere. Council has scheduled another special COTW meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m., to allow council to propose legislation and conduct new and old business.)

Council President Tony Cuda noted that there had been concern in the community about Mayor Kahlil Seren’s whereabouts and well-being in the two days since the mayor left partway through the Monday, May 19 city council meeting, and Wednesday evening, when the mayor released a video statement. Cuda recognized that the mayor was present at the May 23 noon meeting.

Author Kellie Dubay Gillis. [photo courtesy Keli Schimelpfenig at Shiny Penny Studios]

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Heights Libraries is pleased to announce that Kellie Dubay Gillis’ new book,If You Find a Fawn, will be the first title featured in Coventry PEACE Park’s new storybook loop, set to open on Sunday, June 1, at the library’s Summer Reading Kick-Off event.

The kick-off is planned for 2–4 p.m. in Coventry PEACE Park, at the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard.

The storybook loop can be found along the main accessible walkway surrounding the park and will feature a new storybook each quarter.

Gillis will be on hand at the June 1 event, selling and g her books at the Mac’s Backs-Books on Coventry booth.

“HavingIf You Find a Fawnas the first featured book at the PEACE Park storybook trail is really such an exciting honor! I'm grateful that Suzanne at Mac's Backs suggested it as a possibility,” said Gillis.

UPDATE: Mayor Seren released a video statement on the evening of Wednesday, May 21. Watch ithere.

The mayor's report at the May 19 meeting of Cleveland Heights City Council was brief. In the wakeof new allegations of anti-Semitic texts sent by his wife, Natalie McDaniel; and the related news that his former special assistant, Patrick Costigan, has hired a lawyer and filed a civil rights complaint, Mayor Seren said, "I've prepared a statement, and I'll be releasing that tomorrow. Tonight I'm here to listen to everybody here to speak."

For almost 90 minutes, meeting attendees made public comments. Some referenced a proposed development on Cedar Road at Delaware Drive. Most spoke out against anti-Semitism and condemned the mayor's enduring silence four days after the latest allegations about misconduct at City Hall by McDaniel, who is neither an elected official nor a city employee.

FutureHeights will host its annual benefit, newly dubbed "Elevate the Heights," on Saturday, July 19, 6–10 p.m. at the Heights Theater.

The event will feature live music by Opus 216 and A.J. and the Woods, and food from The Fairmount Cocktail Bar and Luna Bakery and Cafe.

Proceeds from the benefit will FutureHeights programs. These include the community-engagement programs Crowdsourced Conversations, the Neighborhood Leadership Workshop, and theHeights Observer; business programs such as Best of the Heights and the Heights Music Hop; and FutureHomes, the nonprofit organization’s housing revitalization program.

Mary Dunbar displays her six marathon medals.

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Mary Dunbar, the former Cleveland Heights council member and longtime Cleveland Heights resident, has recently published her memoir, chronicling her extraordinary journey—from her early years in Davis, Calif., to becoming a trailblazer in both the private and public sectors.Life & Legacy: Mary Dunbaris available at the Lee Road Library.

Dunbar is widely recognized for her advocacy in fitness and environmental issues. Her city council colleagues have described her as a voice of reason and a mentor throughout her nine-year tenure on council.

Dunbar was deeply engaged in community initiatives, including the Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition. An avid runner, she earned the prestigious Six Star Finisher title after completing all six World Major Marathons—Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, and Tokyo.

The Cleveland Heights Municipal Court is taking proactive steps to address 1) code violations at non-owner-occupied properties, 2) the difficulties many residents have repairing their homes, and 3) the instability created by evictions. Much of this work is being spearheaded by Holly Thomas, the court’s recently hired housing enforcement specialist.

This specialist is key in the court’s housing-compliance efforts.For code-violation cases where the property is not owner-occupied, Thomas tracks progress and reports back to the court before hearings. If a property owner fails to make required repairs or meet other obligations, Thomas alerts the court, prompting further action.Similarly, she tracks and alerts the court about any other conditions placed upon a defendant in a code violation case.

The Racial Repair Task Force. Front row, from left: Marina Grant, chair, Natasha Lovelace, its first recipient. Back row, from left: Mark Chupp, Quentin Smith, Jeannine Gury, and Danielle Cosgrove.

In April 2022, Forest Hill Church created a Racial Repair Task Force to explore tangible ways to address the legacy of systemic racism. After months of research, community dialogue and discussion, the task force proposed a direct strategy: provide substantial relief from student debt to Black college graduates burdened by loans.

On Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m., the church will introduce the first recipient of its Racial Educational Debt Repair Program at a public reception on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m., at 3031 Monticello Blvd.

Community are invited to attend. Seating is limited; to reserve a spot, visitfhc.breezechms.com/form/May15Reception or call 216-321-2660.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and National Bike Month. (The two may be more connected than we think, considering how physical activity provides relief from anxiety.)

Cleveland Heights invites all to celebrate Bike Month as well as Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 16. Community are also invited to participate in a Bike with a Mayor event with Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren on June 8. For additional Bike Month events, visitwww.heightsbicyclecoalition.orgHeights Bike Coalition andwww.bikecleveland.org.

Making Cleveland Heights streets safer for all is a priority for the city.

A scene from the 2024 University Heights Memorial Day Parade.

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As it has for decades, this year’s University Heights Memorial Day Parade will commemorate those lost in service to our country, and celebrate the freedoms they fought for and left behind for us to enjoy.

This year’s theme is “Look Up.”

The parade will once again step off from Silsby Road, west of City Hall, at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day (Monday, May 26), with a ceremony immediately following.

It’s the longest-running eastside parade in Cleveland. The city of University Heights has proudly held its annual Memorial Day Parade since 1966 (with the exception of 2020 when it was canceled due to the pandemic).

“This is not only the oldest and largest parade on the eastside, it’s also the best,” said University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan.

Let’s get ready to rock! Or folk, hip hop, classical, jazz and any other of a multitude of musical genres that will be represented at this year's 13th annual Height Music Hop.

FutureHeights’ Heights Music Hop is a free, annual music festival that promotes local music and celebrates the diversity of Cleveland Heights and University Heights. Launched in 2013, the festival has evolved into a premier celebration of the community’s artistry and authenticity—as well as just a good time. In 2025, FutureHeights continues the tradition of showcasing abundant local talent and ing businesses in the Heights’ commercial districts.

Participants from the Heights and beyond will in the May 17 events for runners and walkers of all ages. [photo: Gabe Schaeffer]

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On your mark, get set, let’s run! This year’s Tiger 5k and Fun Run gets underway on Saturday, May 17, at 9 a.m. on the Heights High track.

At this annual fun community event, 5k runners will start at 9 a.m. after a lively warm-up on the football field. A certified course open to all ages and abilities, the 5k is for runners and walkers alike.The Fun Run, for younger athletes, will begin at 10 a.m.

Heights public elementary school PTAs host the event to benefit all elementary schools in the district. The funds raised are divided equally and provide enrichment events and programs within each school.

The recent resignation of Cleveland Heights’ third city in three years, combined with other discord at City Hall, has attracted more media attention than usual about the goings on in Cleveland Heights government.

City council and the mayor are at odds over a range of issues, and the mayor has been called out in media reports by of the public for allegedly allowing his wife to bully city employees.

Cleveland Heights residents rightly want to know what’s going on—especially in what is an election year for mayor and four of seven city council seats.

In the Nov. 4 general election, Heights voters will choose from among the candidates vying for the following seats: Cleveland Heights mayor, University Heights mayor, Cleveland Heights City Council (four seats), University Heights City Council (three seats), and Cleveland Heights – University Heights Board of Education (three seats).

This article includes the names of candidates who are known to be running for office according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, as of April 29. There may well be additional candidates currently or to come—according to board of elections rules, candidates who pull petitions can do so anonymously; however, they cannot file petitions anonymously.

The November 2020Heights Observerincluded what in retrospect we consider a somewhat naive and idealistic edition of this column. With “Wanted: an excellent mayor for Cleveland Heights,” we hoped to interest talented residents in running for the newly created office of a popularly elected mayor.

In a January 2021 response in theHeights Observer, local communications consultant Bruce Hennes charitably called our opinion piece “accurate and on-point.” But he posited that the city lacked a "civic infrastructure” that could produce a field of capable mayoral candidates.

Few things in life are free, but for income-qualified buyers, buying a home in Cleveland Heights just got a little easier thanks to a new free resource. The Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC) has announced it is offering down-payment assistance to qualified buyers who want to purchase a home here.

The program, funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the city of Cleveland Heights, offers up to $30,000 in down-payment assistance to buyers who earn less than 120 percent of area median income (that's about $75,000 for a single individual; more for couples and families).

A small fraction of the volunteers who work inside and outside, packaging food, placing it in bags and boxes, and loading it into cars, every Tuesday morning at the Abundance Food Pantry at Forest Hill Church.

The first time I can hearing the word “longing” was when I was 5 years old, and my father was telling me and my older brother a story. I didn’t know what “longing” meant, but I figured it out by its context.

The story was that when my father was 8 years old, in 1929, shortly after the Great Depression had started, and he was walking down Coventry Road from his house on Washington Boulevard, behind the then-new library, he saw the waffle man on the corner of Coventry and Hampshire roads. The guy used to come around with his cart and make fresh, hot Belgian waffles.

My father’s family still had some money (which they eventually mostly lost).My father bought a waffle. He said he could hardly wait to take his first bite.

Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren has reportedly adopted a Lean Six Sigma–style management approach. On the surface, that may sound smart—who doesn’t want more efficiency? But Lean Six Sigma was developed for manufacturing, not municipal government. It’s a system that focuses on eliminating defects in production.

City services, programming, facilities, communication, and resident aren’t assembly lines. They require nuance, flexibility, and a focus on people—not just process.

Using Lean Six Sigma as a framework for city management is not just a mismatch—it risks damaging morale, stifling creativity, and weakening the quality of services residents rely on. Government doesn’t exist to maximize profits or outputs; it exists to serve.

This summer, Heights Libraries will provide two paid technology internships to teens as part of its Teen Tech Ambassador Program. Now in its ninth year, the internship provides two qualified high school students with the opportunity to learn real-life job skills through hands-on activities in the library’s Continuing Education Department.

Each intern receives a $1,000 stipend. Internship application packets (application, resume, and copy of school transcript) will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Friday, May 16, and can be found atwww.heightslibrary.org.

The program is open to Cleveland Heights and University Heights residents between the ages of 16 and 19.

Dan Horrigan did not last long as Cleveland Heights City . Nor did Danny Williams and Joe Sinnott, who preceded Horrigan in that position.

The mayor’s personal assistant did not last long either, nor did a marketing specialist, three finance directors, two parks and recreation directors, a communications director, a payroll , or the general manager of Cain Park.

Mayor Seren’s failure to retain so many key employees leads me to question his ability to govern.

The slash-and-burn assault on public institutions and the public good is not just a national phenomenon; it also applies to the state budget drafted by Matt Huffman (R-Lima), speaker of the Ohio House, and the house finance chair, Brian Stewart (R-Ashville).

Their utter disdain for the public has provoked me to revisit my mild-mannered and idealistic language for framing my devotion to democracy and commitment to public education. I fight for public schools because they serve the common good. I reject public funding of tuition vouchers and other schemes that privatize public services because they use public funds to advance private interests and profiteering.

June 2024 Jason West Scholarship recipientsJoseph El Biri,Patrick Burke, and Daniel Martinez, with the organization's president, Lita Gonzalez.

Boss Dog Brewing Company, at 2179 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, will host this year’s Mega Raffle Event to benefit The Officer Jason D. West Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships for Cleveland Heights Police Academy cadets.

The family-friendly event is planned for Sunday, May 18, 5–8 p.m. The event is free and will include finger food and a chance to vie for silent-raffle prizes donated by area businesses.

Regular menu items, beer and other beverages from the bar will be available for purchase.

The memorial organization holds the Mega Raffle each year to raise money for the scholarship fund.

A young girl stands proud after winning tug-of-war with new friends at Kids Day 2024.

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Kids Dayreturns to Coventry Village on Sunday, June 1. This free, family-friendly event will be filled with giant inflatables, live music, games, face painting, creative crafts and the grand opening of Coventry PEACE Park.

The renovated park, which boasts a 30-foot-tall climbable cardinal perched atop the all-new playground, will debut walking trails that tell a story as you stroll, a play field, and a performing art stage.

Next door in Coventry Village, the School of Rock will host four free concerts featuring musicians ranging from 7-year-olds under the lights for their first time to high-schoolers who are (let’s face it) already better than most adults will ever be.

It has been 20 years since the founding of the Reaching Heights Summer Music Camp—a summer enrichment experience for Heights middle-school musicians.

This year, the weeklong camp begins June 9. It is open to this year’s sixth- , seventh- and eighth-graders who are enrolled in their school’s instrumental music program and want to immerse themselves in music, have fun, work hard, and grow by leaps and bounds. The camp experience ends with a public performance for the community on June 14.

Families who reside in the CH-UH district can their musicians until May 15.

Church on The Heights' food pantry.

On the last Friday of every month, the food pantry at Church on the Heights opens its doors to families in need.

In March, the pantry supplied more than 2,000 pounds of pantry staples, meat, and fresh fruit and vegetables, serving 41 households and a total of 127 individuals.

Cleveland-based The Steak Club Foundation, a nonprofit formed in 2018, plays a crucial role in sustaining this mission. With a commitment to feeding the hungry, the foundation provides essential funding; food donations of fresh produce, proteins, canned goods, and other staple items; and volunteer to keep the pantry stocked and operational.

DrummerPapa Assane M’Baye (at right).

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The Resonance Project will present its final concert of the season on Sunday, June 1, 5 p.m., at Forest Hill Church Presbyterian.

Featuring CLE Concierto and Senegalese drummerPapa Assane M’Baye, the performance will be a dynamic celebration of Baroque music and African drums.

The program comprises Vivaldi’s ever-popularL’estate(Summer) with violinistAnn Yu, the newly rediscoveredLa tempestad del marby Spanish composerDavide Perez, and the revolutionaryLe CahosbyJean-Fry Rebel, in a special arrangement by cellistRen Schiffer.

From left: CH AARP Chapter past president Sadie Hatcher, immediate past president Wanda Owens, Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren, Chapter President Deborah Willis.

Cleveland Heights Chapter #5018 of AARP Inc. celebrated its 30th anniversary on Feb. 27 at the Cleveland Heights Senior Activity Center (SAC). The event, chaired by Sherldean Davis and Muriel Craig, included games, a photo booth, a selfie station, an anniversary card g, and refreshments.

The Cleveland Heights Chapter received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Rep. Shontel M. Brown. Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren presented the chaper with a Proclamation of Congratulations. Kalitha Williams, AARP Ohio’s outreach and advocacy manager, and Robyn Kaltenbach, AARP Ohio’s associate state director for advocacy and community engagement, presented the chapter with a Certificate of Achievement.

Poster by Erin MacLean.

Cleveland Chamber Collective returns to Disciples Christian Church (3663 Mayfield Road) on Sunday, May 25, at 3 p.m., with a concert in itsMusic of Americaseries featuring world premieres by local composers.

The concert includes the world premiereThe Percussionists’ Grimoire,a piece for percussion and electronics. (A grimoire is a book of magic spells and, like those texts, numerology and symbolism inspire the musical choices of the work.) Instruments utilized in this collection range from solo tambourine to drum set. There is also an electronic solo comprising sounds from a waterphone; and a work by Missy Mazzoli for solo violin,Dissolve, O My Heart,which references Bach’sPartita in D Minor. It will be performed by Emily Cornelius.

Superior Road Schoolhouse was Cleveland Heights' first landmark.

Since its founding in 1973, Cleveland Heights’ Landmark Commission has worked to safeguard and promote the city’s heritage and historic quality, improve property values, protect and enhance the community’s attractions, businesses, enhance the visual and aesthetic character of the city, and foster civic pride in the historical beauty of its neighborhoods.

Residents are invited to learn more about the Landmark Commission and explore Cleveland Heights’ first landmark, the Superior Road Schoolhouse, at an open house at the building on Thursday, May 22.

For additional information, to apply to the commission or to nominate a property, visitwww.clevelandheights.gov/260/Historic-Landmarks.

The cost of nearly everything is going up, and FirstEnergy wants to make electric bills more expensive, too. But we have a chance to speak out.

FirstEnergy’s subsidiary, the Illuminating Company, provides electric distribution service to Heights residents. In 2024, FirstEnergy applied to increase its rates. Our state regulator, the Public Utilities Commission (PUCO), will decide the rates we pay.

This increase will be costly. In March, the average electric bill for Illuminating Company customers was $161. The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) analyzed FirstEnergy’s proposal andfound thatFirstEnergy wants to make that bill more expensive by $13 each month.

The new Legacy Lab features equipment to help patrons preserve family photos, documents, and home movies.

May is National Preservation Month, and Heights Libraries is celebrating by opening its new Legacy Lab in the HKIC building (2340 Lee Road) at the Lee Road branch.

The Legacy Lab is a free, do-it-yourself space for digitizing and preserving personal memories, such as photos, documents, home videos, and audio recordings. s are provided with instructions on how to use Legacy Lab equipment, and staff are available to provide guidance.

Heights Libraries’ Continuing Education Manager Derrick Mason was inspired by customers to create the lab.

A newly installed LED streetlight in Cleveland Heights casts a harsh, bright glare over Dellwood Road.

The city of Cleveland Heights plans to replace the high-intensity, blue-toned 4K LED streetlights that FirstEnergy recently installed with warmer, lower-lumen LEDs as part of the city’s broader lighting retrofit initiative.

The lighting overhaul is part of a broader city initiative to improve sustainability, reduce energy costs, and align infrastructure with resident well-being.

The decision follows a wave of concern in Cleveland Heights and beyond about the visual and environmental impact of bright, blue-rich streetlights, which replaced the old amber-glow sodium streetlights.

Sustainability Director Andy Boatang confirmed the change—part of the city’s Energy Savings Performance Contract with Leopardo Energy.

While the existing streetlight poles and arms will remain in place, the fixtures will be upgraded where applicable to accommodate new LED bulbs that meet the new city specifications.

CH-UH City School District CFO/Treasurer Scott Gainer accepting a Crain’s Cleveland award in 2014.

After 30 years with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Scott Gainer has announced he will retire on July 31.

"Throughout these three decades, I have been privileged to work alongside exceptional educators, s, board , and district staff, all united by a shared commitment to our students and community. As CFO, I have always strived to ensure fiscal integrity, transparency, and responsible stewardship of the district's resources,” said Gainer. “I take great pride in the collaborative efforts that have resulted in balanced budgets, strategic financial planning, and the ability to invest in programs and initiatives that directly benefit our students and staff. It has been a true honor to play a role in ing the educational mission that defines our district.”

Some of those who gathered at Peace Lutheran Church for the 2025 faith and climate forum.

Peace Lutheran Church, 3740 Mayfield Road, was one of 83 hosts for theNational Faith + Climate Forum 2025on March 27.

More than 2,000 faith leaders, advocates, and community across the country came together, via live stream and in person, for this landmark gathering intended to inspire bold, faith-rooted action on climate change. Hosted by ecoAmerica’s Blessed Tomorrow program, the event broadcast live programming to host locations nationwide and to individuals who attended via online broadcast.

Renowned conservationistDr. Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace, andSen. Raphael Warnock(D-GA) delivered compelling keynote addresses. Both called on faith communities to lead with hope, courage, and action in the face of the climate crisis.

A scene from a past performance of "Yes, And . . ."

On May 17, Dobama Theatre, in conjunction with The Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation, will host a free, one-hour conversation and performance intended to provide new approaches for those experiencing dementia-related communication challenges in a home setting.

Ann McEvoy, a Cleveland-based writer, playwright, and a nationally known actress, created the play “Yes, And . . . Adventures in Communication with Loved Ones with Dementia" based on the work of Anne Basting, Ph.D.

Basting, author ofCreative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Demential and Elder Care,is an expert on aging, memory, and dementia, and on the use of song, dance, improvisation, and theater to elicit joy.

Older adults who choose to stay in their homes rather than move to a group community can sometimes become isolated from their neighborhoods, and experience feelings of loneliness. At its annual meeting in February, the Cuyahoga County Division of Senior and Adult Services discussed the topic.

The theme of the meeting was "Reducing Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Adults." Emily Campbell, president and chief executive officer for The Center for Community Solutions said, “There are currently more residents over the age of 60 in Cuyahoga County than there are residents aged 18 and younger. By 2023, it's expected that 30% of the county’s population will be age 60 or older.”

HYT's 2024 production of "Into the Woods" featured Cleveland Heights residents Abs Burkle and Olivia Bruening. [photo: Daren Stahl Photography]

Heights Youth Theatre (HYT) will present “Cinderella”—inspired by the 1997 teleplay starring Brandy and Whitney Houston—beginning Friday, May 16, at the Wiley building in University Heights.

The show’s cast comprises nearly 60 young actors in grades 1–12.

Director Eugene Sumlin, a Cleveland Heights resident, noted, “Over the years, this classic fairytale has had many variations and adaptations. . . . In our productions, we want to lean into the magic of the story, and real magic does not happen until you believe in yourself.”

One thing is certain: the Heights community knows how to rally behind its local businesses.

Residents responded to FutureHeights’ call for nominations for its 2025 Best of the Heights Awards, and now it’s time to vote for the finalists.

The top three vote-getters in each category appear on the ballot. View the names of the finalists and vote online atwww.futureheights.org, or use the paper ballot on page 16 of the May print issue of theHeights Observer.

Don't delay—voting ends May 15.

The 2025 Best of the Heights award winners will be announced on Thursday, May 29, 6–8 p.m., at an in-person gathering at The Fairmount Cocktail Bar, 2448 Fairmount Blvd.

Severance businesses continue to close or move.

MPact Collective, a partner in the development of the forlorn, much-maligned Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights, recently launched a website seeking the community’s ideas for redevelopment.

According to Ryan Porter, MPact’s managing partner, who spoke at the April 21 meeting of Cleveland Heights City Council, the idea is to get residents thinking about potential future uses for Severance Town Center, and have them rank their choices using a crowdsourcing process.

Heights residents, business owners and stakeholders can as s atwww.severanceclevelandheights.com, then post their ideas along with a description and photos of what they’d like to see built at the site.