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Ward 17 residents: Meet your new councilman

Ward 17 New Councilmen Charles Slife

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:

  • Development
  • Planning & Sustainability
  • Utilities 
  • Workforce & Community Benefits

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.

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How to contact Charles Slife

Ward 17 New Councilmen Charles Slife

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.

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West Park Wellness: The Gift of Wellness

West Park Wellness YMCA

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.

For details, go to www.clevelandymca.org, and select West Park.

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.

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Horseback riding helps autistic students improve verbal, social skills

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.

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College enrollment up in first year of Say Yes

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



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Still time to drop off a toy for Santa’s Helpers

Santa's Helpers Toy Drive 2019 West Park, Athens Pizzeria, Rocky River Drive, Cleveland, OH

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 

FEATURED IMAGE AND ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN FROM THE SANTA’S HELPERS FACEBOOK PAGE. https://bit.ly/2M47ReW
There’s still time to drop of a toy for the Santa’s Helpers drive. Items will be accepted at places listed above until Dec. 23.

THE PHOTOS BELOW ARE COURTESY OF AND PROPERTY OF THE CITY MISSION.

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Consider our four-legged friends at the APL this holiday season

APL WISHLIST HOLIDAY NEEDS

By Jessie Schoonover

If there’s any extra room on your holiday shopping list this year, consider adding an item for the Cleveland Animal Protective League (APL).
Their wishlist is ongoing throughout the year/ However, at the moment, our four-legged friends at the APL are currently in need of the following:

  • Cat carriers
  • Rachel Ray (roasters)
  • Pup-Peroni dog treats
  • Other soft dog treats
  • Canned squeeze cheese
  • Paper lunch bags
  • Nylabones (all sizes)
  • Easy Walk® Harness (all sizes)
  • Feliway plug in refills
  • Friskies crunchy cat treats
  • Cat scratchers
  • Non-dust cat litter
  • Cat and dog food (particularly wet food)
  • Dog treats
  • Cat and dog toys
  • Office supplies
  • Bleach
  • Gift cards for Marc’s, as well as gift cards that can be used at any store

For the full wishlist, visit https://clevelandapl.org/donate/our-wish-list/.

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“(They) are very much appreciated. That’s what we rely on to care for our animals. But there are many other ways people can help,” says APL Director of Development Judy Hunter. “The wishlist is a great way to collect some items or bring some things in that you have in your home, and then there’s volunteering your time as a volunteer in our shelter, or for foster care.” “We have a wonderful core of volunteers right now who will take the moms and the babies and take care of them until they are big enough to come back to the shelters,” says Hunter. “That really helps us out as well,” she says. Interested in becoming a volunteer for the APL or learning more? Simply go to the Cleveland APL website (https://clevelandapl.org/) and click on the ‘Volunteer’ tab for more information (https://clevelandapl.org/volunteer/). According to Hunter, animals that typically go into foster care include dogs and cats who have just given birth or are about to give birth, along with their puppies or kittens; as well as animals currently being treated for an illness, or recovering from an injury. Those who decide to take in an animal from the shelter as a foster caregiver are given the proper tools and items, such as food, medical care, and amenities like cat litter, which come at no expense to the foster. Individuals are able to purchase things at their own expense, however, if they choose. If this is the case, individuals are often able to write off these expenses on their taxes, as these items are considered to be tax deductible, says Hunter.
For those who become the foster parents of adoptable pets, peer-to-peer as well as staff assistance for questions and more is available any time.
“We have coaches who help fosters,” says Hunter. “Particularly if you are a first-time foster.”
Further information regarding adoption, volunteering, foster care, and more can be found at the APL’s web page, located here. https://clevelandapl.org/

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Join the Westpark Book Club

“Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” by Agatha Christie
12/18/19

“The Nickel Boys”
by Colson Whitehead 1/15/2020

“The Great Unexpected”
by Dan Mooney
2/19/2020
We will also do the Annual White Elephant Book Exchange where we wrap a book (old) to exchange.

  • Please note that the time for meeting has been changed to 6:30 p.m. We convene at Five Points Coffee and Tea, 3600 W. Park Rd.
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Your stories, your voice

West Park Times Northeast Ohio Journalism Collaborative, Cleveland, OH, Ohio, news

Imagine that you wanted to cover the most important story in our community as deeply and creatively as you possibly could. Imagine that you had the resources of a dozen newsrooms at your disposal, from newspapers to radio to television.
What would you want to cover, and how? That’s not just a hypothetical question, and we’d love to hear your answer.
More than a dozen news organizations in northeast Ohio, including our own, are considering creation of a collaborative news organization. Together, the members of this news collaborative would take on maybe one topic for up to a year, aimed at finding solutions to persistent problems.
We’ve discussed a wide range of potential issues, from public safety to public housing. We’ve talked about the risks of gentrification, and the hazards of continued decay in our cities. The need for better social services, and the risks of higher taxes. The need to reduce infant mortality rates, and the need to improve quality of care for senior citizens.
But, mostly, we’ve talked about our need to stay closer to the people we serve. So, one of the first steps we’re taking is to ask what matters most to you, because we realize that you may have ideas we haven’t even thought of.
So, what’s on your mind? What are you most concerned about? What do you worry about, or hope to go better, in your life here in northeast Ohio? If you’d like to help advise us, please fill out the brief survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NEOTopics. Or drop us a note at westparktimes@gmail.com

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Help Wanted: The Wash House & Cafe

Exceptional people wanted to work at The Wash House and Cafe’s new location. We are an upbeat, modern laundromat that also offers ice cream, pastries, and delicious quality coffee. Drop-off laundry services are also something we offer.

High school students are welcome to apply! There are after-school shifts and weekend hours available.

Part-time & full-time positions available.

PAY starts at $10 per hour.

*Cashiers’ shifts are typically from 2 until 8 p.m.

*Food Prep: Shifts from 2 until 8 p.m.

*Assistant Manager (1-year experience required); pay to-be-determined.

Apply in person from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Sunday at 15149 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH 44111.

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West Park Wellness: From trainers to toys, Fitness 19 has you covered

West Park Wellness Fitness 19 Cleveland, OH

Second in a series of stories on local fitness centers
By Jerry Masek
Since Fitness 19 opened in Kamm’s Plaza 10 years ago, more than 2,000 West Park residents have found their way to better workouts.
The family-friendly facility which is open 24/7, offers toys and a play area in a side room for children, so you can drop them off while you work out, says manager Casey Ladiner.
“We try to appeal to many audiences,” he says. “Many members are here to lose weight. Some are senior citizens, or those who want to continue their physical therapy efforts after being injured.”
The staff includes five physical trainers, and at least one of them of them is on duty at all day and evening hours. Although the facility is open 24/7, Fitness 19 also offers less expensive memberships for those who wish to come when staff is present.
“Our goal is to make this place as comfortable as we can, for everyone to enjoy,” Ladiner says. “Sometimes, your first visit to a new facility can be intimidating. Here, we make it easy. I urge people to go our website for a free, one-time guest pass; then call and make an appointment. Let us show you around, and stay for your first workout.”
“Our peak times for users are from 5 to 7 p.m., but even then, you should find openings on our cardio equipment.”
For membership info, services, staff hours, and kids room hours, go to Fitness19.com, or call 216-889-1919.
———Jerry Masek, a certified hypnotist, is active in local holistic circles. If you have a column idea, contact him at jemasek@aol.com.

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8th annual Halloween ComicFest

Carol & John's Comic Shop Halloween ComicFest October Cleveland, OH

This Saturday, October 26th, Carol and John’s Comic Book Shop, 17462 Lorain Ave., will celebrate it’s 8th annual Halloween ComicFest. (See information for times below).

Halloween ComicFest features free comics, candy and photography services. It’s also a great way for children and families to enjoy the ever growing cosplay culture within the shop.

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Twenty eight different comic books have been created especially for the day, and will be given out free to people in costume. These books include Spider-Man, DC Super-Hero Girls, Iron Man, Pokemon, Sonic the Hedgehog and more!

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We also have Laura Wimbels, from the FACESofCLE project, coming in to take free pictures of family, friends and cosplayers in costume.

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“We have a lot of fun on this day, and it’s great to see customers interact with each other in costume,” says owner John Dudas. “A kid really lives up to his Batman costume when he sees the Joker walk in the door.”

*Halloween ComicFest is a national holiday celebrated by over 1,500 independently owned comic books shops across the country.HCF is celebrated on Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The photographer is available from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Carol and John’s Comic Book Shop is a family-owned business that has been serving the Cleveland area for over 29 years. For full details on the event for this day, visit www.cnjcomics.com . For more information on the day at a national level, and to see all the different books that will be available, visit www.halloweencomicfest.com.