A media source by and for the Cleveland neighborhood of West Park
An estimated 500 persons attended a fundraiser, the West Park Pizza Bake-off, held at St. Patrick’s gym on Monday, January 20.
Judges selected Brothers Pizza #1, and Happy’s Pizza #2. The People’s Choice winner was Brothers Pizza, with Athens PIzza the runner-up.
Paxton Karnavas, age 8, of West Park, certainly ate his fill. (Photos by Jerry Masek for The West Park Times).
CMSD NEWS BUREAU
12/27/2019
Students from five CMSD high schools have revealed videos that can be used to market those schools to prospective students and families.
The students are members of CEO Eric Gordon’s Student Advisory Committee. The videos premiered when the committee met Dec. 20 at Windows on the River.
At a meeting in October, the students’ concepts for the videos emerged as winners in a “Shark Tank” style pitch competition.
Students from Rhodes College and Career Academy, MC²STEM High School and John Marshall’s schools of Engineering, Information Technology and Civic and Business Leadership worked with the District’s communications team to make the videos.
The goal of the videos is to help CMSD students and their families choose from among roughly 30 District high schools. Gordon hopes the strategy will be replicated at other high schools and boost enrollment across the District.
The Student Advisory Committee is made up of 400 or so students representing District high schools. As a part of the state law behind The Cleveland Plan, a customized blueprint for education reform in the city, CMSD students have a voice in their education.
PHOTO CAPTION: Philanthropist and Say Yes to Education founder George Weiss mingles with the crowd at the John Marshall Campus after announcing that Cleveland had been named the nation’s fourth community chapter of Say Yes.
(PHOTO & STORY COURTESY OF CMSD NEWS BUREAU )
The first big story of 2019 — the arrival of Say Yes to Education in Cleveland — was also the biggest story of the year.
But while Say Yes grabbed headlines from start to finish, CMSD had other moments in the spotlight, especially when it came to state and national report cards. The District also set standards for others, inspiring plans to help students nationwide control their emotions and schools in Ohio improve attendance.
Here are the CMSD News Bureau’s Top 10 stories of the year:
The list could have been longer, or other stories could have arguably muscled their way into the Top 10. For example, seven schools — the largest number yet —received state Momentum Awards for academic growth that exceeded expectations. Shoes and Clothes for Kids and school-wear company French Toast launched a three-year pilot program that will provide uniforms and supplies to all K-3 classrooms in five schools in an attempt to improve attendance and reading scores. The Joseph M. Gallagher School chess team won a state championship. Only eight schools started classes with new principals, a testament to District efforts to develop and support school leaders.
Which stories will stand out in the new year? Follow our ever changing content at clevelandmetroschools.org/news and form your own opinions.
Have a story idea for the CMSD News Bureau? Email suggestions to newstips@clevelandmetroschools.org.
Our Lady of Angels School, located at 3644 Rocky River Dr., is scheduled to have an open house from noon until 2 p.m. on January 26.
Visit https://olangels.org/.
e-mail: Rosemary@westparkkamms.org
Phone: 216-252-6559, Ext. 1100
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @westparkkamms
Web site: www.westparkkamms.org
To receive a twice-a-month e-newsletter, sign up on the web site.
Every resident in Ward 17 is being added to the mailing list for a quarterly magazine, West Park.
The staff includes:
Franchesca Bodnar, Healthy Homes Community Engagement Specialist, franchesca@westparkkamms.org, Ext. 1700
Ben Campbell, Director of Commercial and Industrial Development, ben@westparkkamms.org, Ext. 1200.
JD Smith, Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator, jd@westparkkamms.org, Ext. 1300
Mollie Constanzo Wirtz, Manager of Marketing and Communications, mollie@westparkkamms.org, Ext. 1500
By Jerry Masek
Local fans of Steak-N-Shake food must now drive to Parma or Steelyard Commons.
The restaurant, 17325 Lorain Ave., has been closed since last summer. It will soon re-open as Arby’s #8792, the company has confirmed.
No timetable has been announced.
Arby’s describes itself as, “a quick-service restaurant, serving quality meats on hand-crafted sandwiches.”
Arby’s also operates restaurants in Rocky River, Brookpark, Middleburg Heights, and at 1421 W. 117th St., near Detroit Ave. Those sites are open until midnight or later.
During a Jan. 14 visit to the store, there were no signs of renovation work or other activity.
This story will be updated as details become available.
Arby’s may be coming to the site of the former Steak N’ Shake Restaurant, 17325 Lorain Rd.
According to the Director of Commercial & Industrial Development at the West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development Ben Campbell, it is unclear whether things have been finalized as of yet. However, Arby’s has the words ‘Coming Soon’ on their web site, indicating the location at 17325 Lorain Rd.
Find that information here.
https://locations.arbys.com/us/oh/cleveland/17325-lorain-road.html
To be featured in the February 2020 edition of the West Park Times.
Remember, Wednesdays and Thursdays are free dryer days at The Wash House and Cafe. Find more information at The Wash House and Cafe web page.
By Jerry Masek
There are 22,300 persons in Ward 17. New City Councilman Charles Slife looks forward to meeting each of them― but not all at once. Slife, 32, plans to do “Meet and Greet” events throughout the ward.
Communications is key
“Communications is my number one priority,” Slife says. “It’s important that residents know they are being represented. I want to listen to them. They call because an issue is important to them, so it’s important to me, as well.”
This month, Slife is mailing an introductory flier to all residents. He has a work phone at City Hall, an e-mail address, and a Facebook page. He uses the hyper-local social media of Next Door, and is trying to get access to all Ward 17 neighborhoods.
“I want to be an advocate for people who have issues with city services,” he says. “I will be engaged. It’s important to show people how their tax dollars are being used.”
Public policy
The other half of being a city councilman is dealing with public policy. Council meets on Monday evenings at City Hall. Slife is vice chair of the Transportation Committee, which has oversight of Hopkins International Airport. He represents City Council on the Planning Commission, and serves on committees for:
Slife wants to encourage development and create more jobs in Ward 17.
“I know how things are done in other cities, and I want to bring some ‘best practices’ to Cleveland. Let’s make this area the best it can be. Ward 17 has a lot of opportunities for development, and there is a strong sense of community in our neighborhoods.”
Ties to West Park
Slife has lived in West Park for 5 years, but his family has deep roots on the West Side and Lakewood. He and his wife, Holly, attend St. Marks Church, and live on Montrose Avenue with their young son. He previously served on the board of the Kamms’s Corners Development Corp., now known as West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development.
Great resume
Slife has a master’s of public administration in urban economic development. His previous work with the City of Cleveland and The Austen Company has given him experience in economic development, real estate, and urban planning projects; workforce development; attracting business; remediating brownfields; design review, and zoning regulations.
Background
This is the second time in recent years that West Park residents have an appointed councilman. In December 1996, David McGuirk resigned and Council appointed Michael Dolan. Martin Keane served from 2008 to 2019. When he resigned on Nov. 25, he recommended that Council appoint Slife.
Slife said he was surprised when Keane “drafted” him, but now he is determined to make a difference in West Park.
Slife will serve Keane’s unexpired term. He faces election to a four-year term in November 2021.
Council members are paid $83,000 annually. Issues on the ballot March 17 would reduce both the salary and the number of wards in the city. Slife opposes both measures.
A neighborhood favorite, 5 Points Coffee & Tea serves food, pastries, coffee, and tea, and is located at 3600 West Park Road. They also have a selection of signature drinks. Find their menu items here.
Residents have several ways to contact new Ward 17 Councilman Charles Slife.
Phone at City Hall, (216) 664-4239, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
e-mail:. cslife@clevelandcitycouncil.org.
Facebook: Councilman Charles Slife. He lives near Riverside School.
Next Door: The way Next Door is configured, he does not now has access to all Ward residents. That may change.
Profile: https://clevelandcitycouncil.org/ward-17.
What’s coming: Expect an introductory letter from him in the U.S. mail soon. He is planning some “Meet and Greet” events. An article will be posted here, and appear in the next issue of the West Park Times.
By Jerry Masek
This holiday season, consider giving the gift of wellness.
One size fits all. The gift is affordable, and whoever receives it will reap healthy benefits for the next 12 months.
It has been reported that the average person spends five hours a day in front of some type of screen. If that trend continues, it could lead to a shorter lifespan.
One gift to consider — an individual or family membership to the West Park-Fairview Family YMCA, 15501 Lorain Rd., (216) 941-5410.
More than 1,500 members of all ages use this YMCA branch.
Pre-schoolers as young as age four can learn to swim.
Adults hit the workout room at 5:30 a.m. to maintain their health before the workday begins.
Parents use child watch services and care before and after school.
Senior citizens stay young by participating in chair yoga, Silver Sneaker exercise class, and open swims.
“Our programs are designed to be accessible to everyone,” says Wellness Coordinator Delinda Hupka. “We want to be relevant to all ages., and offer a welcoming atmosphere with a personal touch.”
Memberships range from $17.50 a month for youths to $61 a month for families. Financial assistance is available.
Jerry Masek, a certified hypnotist in West Park, is active in local holistic groups. If you have a topic for a future column, send it to westparktimes@gmail.com.
CMSD NEWS BUREAU
12/9/2019
For the past seven weeks, a group of preschool students from Iowa-Maple School have boarded a bus and made the 40-minute drive to the Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls.
Once there, they get familiar with their surroundings by playing educational games and having a snack. Then they put on their riding helmets and mount a horse with the assistance from the Fieldstone volunteers.
Their teacher, Barrie Sandman, an early intervention specialist at Iowa-Maple, called Fieldstone to see if her students, who have autism and are developmentally delayed, could participate in the program.
Sandman says her 4- and 5-year-old students are very athletic, and she finds physical education is important when teaching the whole child.
“We have a lot of speech deficits, a few behavioral and social issues,” said Sandman. “So with many of the activities we try to develop their socialization. And riding horses is beneficial.”
At first the students were hesitant to get on the horses, but Sandman said that by the second week, they grew comfortable being on the animal. By the third week, they were trotting on the horse and the fourth they went on a trail ride.
“My approach to teaching kids is they are kids first and their disability is second,” Sandman said. “When I see them on these horses, they are typical 4-year-olds who are riding horses. It is remarkable.”
She has even seen a noticeable difference in the students’ demeanor. “Their confidence has increased a lot,” she said. “They are braver.”
The students are communicating with the horses. “They have to tap the horse and say, ‘Go.’ And they have to make different sounds to make the horse cooperate with them, which they seem to be doing really well.”
Sandman said the children’s verbal skills have also improved.
“They are talking to the people who are helping, and they are answering questions,” she said. “It is not in the way a typical 4-year-old would do it, but they are pointing, and they are making sounds and they are expressing what they need when they are on the horse.”
A 2018 study by researchers at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus found that therapeutic horse riding led to a reduction in irritability and other positive social and communication impacts on children with autism.
Sandman said this seven-week experience will stay with these students for a long time.
The students’ participation was made possible through a $1,300 scholarship from Fieldstone and through support from Iowa-Maple’s principal, Natalie Smith Benson. The principal came up with the remaining $375 and the cost of bus transportation, Sandman said.
CMSD News Bureau
The percentage of CMSD graduates enrolling in college is up for the first time in five years.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 44 percent of the District’s 2019 graduates enrolled in college for the fall. That was up 4 points from the previous year, and the figure could rise if additional students enroll for spring.
The rate declined from 49 percent in 2014 to 40 percent in 2016 and had stayed flat until now, even as CMSD’s graduation rate, currently at 78.2 percent, continued to set new record highs for the District. Many attributed the trend to the rising cost of higher education.
CMSD graduates received a boost this year from new Say Yes to Education scholarships that pay up to the full value of tuition, minus federal and state aid. The scholarships may be used at all public colleges and universities and Pell-eligible training programs in Ohio and more than 100 private colleges and universities across the country.
Say Yes Cleveland provided $635,000 for scholarships to the Class of 2019 for the fall semester.
“We’re pleased to see that in this first semester, we’ve had a larger increase in enrollment than projected, while at the same time our scholarship payouts came in below projections,” said Diane Downing, executive director of Say Yes Cleveland. “Students are enrolled in college now, thanks to Say Yes scholarships, and we look forward to more and more students taking advantage of the scholarship each year.”
Say Yes scholarship payouts for fall semester have been approximately 40 percent less than projections, due largely to an increase in grant money that Ohio gives to students with high financial need. Many of those students received enough federal and state aid to cover all tuition at their chosen institutions.
The increase in college enrollment was primarily at two-year community colleges, according to the data.
About 28 percent of the class enrolled at four-year institutions, but that number essentially remained flat. One reason could be that many four-year colleges and universities cut off fall admissions before or shortly after Say Yes was announced on Jan. 18.
The largest numbers of students enrolled at Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University, followed by Kent State University and the University of Akron.
Say Yes scholarships are available to graduates of CMSD or eligible partnering charter high schools. Starting this year, students must be continuously enrolled in one of those schools and live in Cleveland or the District from ninth grade until graduation to qualify.
Community leaders have raised $92 million for the Say Yes endowment fund, which is intended to last for 25 years.
For more information on Say Yes, go to sayyescleveland.org
This holiday, share a gift.
Currently, toys are being accepted as part of the Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive throughout locations in West Park, including at Athens Pizzeria, 4341 Rocky River Dr., which has been involved with the drive since 2009.
The final pick-up date is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Items should be new and unwrapped. The age-range for toy donations includes everything from newborns to 18-years-of-age.
Consider picking up something today, large or small; pricey or not. Because what would the holidays be without a little magic and a surprise– something of your very own to unwrap and behold?
DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:
-Athens Pizzeria
-The Wash House and Cafe
-Peace, Love and Little Donuts of Westpark
-Hatfield’s GOODE GRUB
-Brothers Pizza
-Affordable Florals
-Only in Clev
-West Park Station
