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In October 2022, Cleveland City Council passed legislation (Ord. No. 900-2022) allowing the city to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments for a housing gap financing fund to provide grants and/or equity stake in projects that incentivize the renovation and construction of affordable, workforce housing projects, mixed-income, and market rate projects.  

These funds are now available on a competitive basis through a Department of Community Development Request for Proposals (RFP) to allocate up to $34.45 million, including:   

·         $10 million for Affordable Housing Gap Financing (ARPA restricted)  

·         $5 million for Market Rate Housing Gap Financing (ARPA/General fund)  

·         $13.7 million for 30% AMI Affordable Housing Gap Financing (HOME-ARP)  

·         $4 million for Non-Congregate Shelter Gap Financing (HOME-ARP)  

·         $1.75 million for Single-Family Affordable and Market Rate Housing (City Bond Funds)  

This RFP is only for housing development projects that will invest in either affordable housing units, market-rate housing units, or a mix. Submissions will be scored and used to create a slate of projects to be considered by Cleveland City Council. Only approved projects will be eligible to apply for these funds.   

“We are excited for this opportunity to accept proposals for such a wide variety of projects that will bring us closer to our vision for equitable housing across our city,” said Cleveland’s Director of Community Development Alyssa Hernandez.  

Upcoming information sessions will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays — Feb. 1, 8, and 15 — at 9 a.m. RVSPs (required) and questions may be submitted at Department of Community Development Info Sessions RSVP & RFP Question Form (smartsheet.com).   

The deadline to submit questions is Feb. 15, 2023, at noon. Submissions for the RFP are due by Feb. 28, 2023.   

Press Release 

College Club West is offering scholarships for 2023-24 academic year to women who are residents of the Greater Cleveland area.  Applicants must already be pursuing a four-year undergraduate or graduate degree in any area of study. Significant scholarships of a minimum amount of $2,000.00 will be awarded to women who are twenty-five years of age and older, based on their financial needs, career goals, and academic records. Deadline is March 18th. The scholarship application, eligibility requirements and application process can be found at www.collegeclubwest.org/scholarships or inquires to ccwscholarship@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE

Today, state Senator Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) took the oath of office to serve in the Ohio Senate as Senate Minority Leader during the 135th General Assembly. She is the first LGBTQ+ Minority Leader in the history of the Ohio Senate.

“I’m excited to embark on this new chapter as Senate Minority Leader following Leader Yuko, who leaves behind an incredible legacy of service, kindness and bipartisanship,” said Senator Antonio. “As a caucus, we have the opportunity to fight for policies that reflect the diversity of our state and give young people a reason to stay in Ohio, like tackling maternal and infant mortality, ensuring quality childcare for families, supporting our public schools with the Fair School Funding Plan and creating good-paying jobs. Together, we will work for an Ohio that works for all – not just some.”

Antonio will serve as Senate Minority Leader in her second term in the Ohio Senate after previously serving as Assistant Minority Leader. Prior to her election to the Senate, Antonio served four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives for the 13th House District.

She has been a dedicated champion of workers’ rights, high-quality education, local governments, equal rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community, health care for all, fighting the opioid crisis and ending the death penalty in Ohio.

Antonio is recognized as a leader who reaches across the aisle to get things done. As a result, she has worked to pass legislation such as Ohio’s historic adoption open records law (SB 23/HB 61) and a step therapy reform law (SB 265/HB 72). During each of her four terms in office, Antonio introduced the Ohio Fairness Act to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, a bill to end Ohio’s use of the death penalty and an array of other bills focused on improving the lives of all Ohioans. Antonio continues to be an established expert in health policy.

The first in her family to graduate from college, Antonio holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University (CSU) as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from CSU. Antonio is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School Senior and Executive Leadership Program for State and Local Governments.

Daughters Ariel and Stacey, both Lakewood High School graduates, have made Antonio and her wife, Jean Kosmac, very proud as the girls progress through their life journeys.

Leader Antonio will represent the 23rd Senate District, which encompasses parts of Cuyahoga County, including Cleveland (part), Lakewood, Parma, Parma Heights and Bratenahl.
 

Electrical cords, cooking, and holiday safety all covered!

PRESS RELEASE

Whether staying warm or celebrating the holidays, Cleveland Firefighters want residents to be safe this winter. Guidance for residents will be provided this Thursday, December 15, at 2 p.m. at the Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center located at 310 Carnegie Ave.

“Fire prevention is an important part of our mission,” said Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony Luke. “We hope this information will help to keep residents safe during the holidays this winter.”

Among the topics covered will be:

Electrical Safety—Extension cords should only be used temporarily. Never run an electric cord under a carpet or a doorway where it may get worn. When stringing holiday lights, check their cords for damage.

Space heaters need space. Make sure space heaters are 3’ away from anything flammable (paper, furniture, blankets, drapes) and ensure space heaters are turned off or unplugged when not in use.

Never plug a space heater or any heat-producing appliance (coffee maker, microwave, toaster, etc.) into an extension cord. They should be plugged directly into a grounded wall outlet.

Cooking Safety—Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy days for cooking fires. Stay home if you are baking and stay in the kitchen when using the burners on top of the stove. Make sure children know that the oven is hot and not to touch. Keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you are cooking.

Holidays—Keep your live Christmas tree watered to prevent it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. If your holiday celebrations include candles, be careful and never leave a lit candle unattended.

The Fire Museum’s Education Center has great props to demonstrate how to put out a kitchen fire and drive home the safety messaging. Please contact Lt. Mike Norman for any questions.

About the Cleveland Division of Fire

The Cleveland Division of Fire has served the residents of Cleveland, Ohio for more than 150 Years! The Division’s core values center on the protection of lives, property and the environment through preparedness, prevention, public education and emergency response; we place an emphasis on quality services delivered efficiently, effectively and safely. For more information on the Cleveland Division of Fire, visit online at www.city.cleveland.oh.us or on Facebook/CLEFIREdept, Twitter @clevelandfire.

PRESS RELEASE

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Cleveland Department of Public Health will receive $500,000 in grant funding to enhance air quality monitoring. This grant is 1 of 132 air monitoring projects in 37 states that will receive $53.4 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan to enhance air quality monitoring in communities across the United States. The projects are focused on communities that are underserved, historically marginalized, and overburdened by pollution, supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative. The air monitoring projects will ensure these overburdened communities across the nation have the tools they need to better understand air quality challenges in their neighborhoods and will help protect people from air pollution. 

“This grant funding will support our development of a Community Leveraged Expanded Air Network in Cleveland (CLEANinCLE) that will allow our team of partners to expand our air monitoring network into historically redlined Cleveland neighborhoods that are still experiencing negative health outcomes,” says David Hearne, Commissioner of the Division of Air Quality. These communities present with poorer health outcomes, including diabetes, hypertension and pediatric asthma, and have been disproportionately impacted by COVID‐19.   

Community members will participate in the meaningful design of an expanded air‐monitoring network through public forums, the establishment of a resident advisory committee, and through a series of residential interviews. Project outcomes will include public engagement with marginalized communities, expanded air monitoring networks informed by the community, increased data/access, and public health interventions. 

The data obtained in this project will be used to inform local medical providers on the barriers residents are experiencing to asthma management, which will enable the development of neighborhood specific communications to asthma management. Dr. David Margolius, Director of the Cleveland Department of 

Public Health says, “We are thrilled to receive this support from the US EPA and to have the opportunity to engage with the community with the end goal of reducing health disparities.” Cleveland Department of Public Health will partner with Better Health Partnership, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and Ohio EPA.  

The Kiwanis Club of Westpark Clam Bake will be Sunday, Nov. 13, and is by reservation only. Call Cliff to make yours. Telephone: (216) 319-1309.

Doors open at 12:45 p.m. and the game starts at 1 p.m. Funds raised for the clam bake will be used to purchase turkeys for families in need in West Park.

The last day to purchase tickets is November 8.

INFORMATION SUBMITTED 

Alexandros Georgussis, of Holy Name and Our Lady of Angels in West Park, was recently named a National Merit Commended Student. 

He has earned this honor after scoring exceptionally well on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Of the 1.3 million students who took the PSAT/NMSQT, only 34,000 earned Commended Student status. 

Alexandros graduated from Our Lady of Angels and has been at Holy Name since August 2019. He is a member of the Class of 2023 (the senior class). For more information on Alexandros and his many accomplishments at Holy Name, please visit holynamehs.com/news/2022nationalmeritnews. 

Employees celebrate as the ribbon is cut at Ross Dress For Less in the West Park Shopping Center. (Photo by Jerry Masek)

INFORMATION SUBMITTED

There will be free event providing health screenings and education across four Cleveland Clinic locations, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.

It will be at the Crile building lobby, Cleveland Clinic main campus,  2049 E 100th St A Bldg, Cleveland. (Attendees can park at the P2 parking garage located at 2101 East 100^th St.) 

Similar events will simultaneously take place at Akron General Hospital, Lutheran Hospital, and South Pointe Hospital.

Attendees are encouraged to register online at https://clevelandclinic.org/chf.  

The Cleveland Clinic Community Health Fair will be open to all genders with a focus on serving our underserved and minority communities. The Community Health Fair will provide various health screenings to help address the unique needs of our Black/African American, Latinx and LGBTQ communities. The event includes education on many health concerns and screenings for prostate cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, hepatitis C and other conditions.  

In order to comply with public health precautions, masks will be required and social distancing will be encouraged. As the number of attendees will be limited, attendees are asked to please register ahead of time. Offerings may vary by location and are subject to change.  

About Cleveland Clinic 

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 72,500 employees worldwide are more than 5,050 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,800 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 21 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2021, there were 10.2 million total outpatient visits, 304,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 259,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org. 

Below, Senior Vice President of Student Lending at Citizens, Frederick Good, provides some navigational information for when student loan repayment begins:

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Q: How can borrowers prepare for repayment?
A: t’s important for borrowers to refamiliarize themselves with their current student loan situation before repayment starts- how many loans, under what terms, at what rates, and the total monthly payment that will resume.

It’s possible that refinancing could help borrowers simplify and save on monthly payments or interest rates (or both), but needs to be evaluated in the context of potential federal loan benefits, including whether or not they may be eligible for the recently announced forgiveness.

Q: What happens when you refinance a student loan?
A: When borrowers refinance a student loan, their underlying or original loans are paid off in full. The new refinance loan is originated as a single loan with terms and conditions presented to the borrower from their new lender.

Typically refinancing a loan can help the borrower to lower their interest rate or payment (or both) and simplify multiple loans into one, while potentially changing the loan term or possibly removing a co-signer. The underlying loans would be reported on the borrowers credit bureau as paid in full, and a new tradeline with the new refinance loan would be opened.

At Citizens, on average, we have seen our borrowers lower their payments by more than $3,000 annually with refinancing.

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The Ohio Department of Education announced Horizon  Education Centers and their partners were awarded seven Nita M. Lowey 21^st Century Community  Learning Center afterschool grants. The awards provide for five years of free before and after school  programming at selected schools across Western Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties, and together amount to  more than $5.9 million dollars over the next five years.  

The seven schools awarded the 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grants with Horizon Education  Centers are Clara E. Westropp (Cleveland Metropolitan School District), Constellation Schools – Lorain  Community, Constellation Schools – Old Brooklyn Community Middle, Constellation Schools – Westpark Community Middle, Hamilton Elementary (Elyria City School District), Maple Elementary  (North Olmsted City Schools), and Wilbur Wright (Cleveland Metropolitan School District). Horizon’s  community partners include Constellation Schools, West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development  (Clara E. Westropp), and Westown Community Development Corporation (Wilbur Wright).  

This year’s new grant cycle saw 52 grants awarded throughout the state, totaling $10.4 million in new  awards for the current school year. Horizon Education Centers’ 21^st Century Community Learning Center  programs feature extensions of school day learning, tutoring from schoolteachers, college and career  readiness programming, and social-emotional learning and development.  

“We’re very excited to bring Horizon’s 21^st Century afterschool to Maple Elementary,” says Tom  Herbster, Vice President of North Olmsted Board of Education. “The new grant will allow students at our  Maple Elementary school to not only have access to afterschool care, but high-quality support that will  improve learning outcomes, social-emotional development, and provide new opportunities for family and  community engagement. And at no cost to our families!”  

The new programs will begin in early October, and continue through the 2026-2027 school year. Horizon  Education Center’s community partners will support the programming with neighborhood and local  business engagement, service learning opportunities, and other community supports.  

About Horizon: 

Horizon Education Centers’ mission is to provide high-quality early childhood education, care, and youth  development programs to the youth and families of Lorain and Western Cuyahoga Counties in Northeast  Ohio. Founded in 1978 as an afterschool program in North Olmsted, Ohio, Horizon has since grown to  offer high-rated preschool programs, toddler and infant care, and 21st Century, Say Yes, and other high  quality OST programs through its 14 high quality licensed centers and 17 mixed funding school-based  sites.

There is a new donation resource available to those in the Cleveland area. Here, individuals can find where they can take their clothing, furniture, electronics, construction debris and more, throughout the year.

This resource and site was created by dumpsters.com.

“We take waste disposal seriously, and that includes finding waste diversion opportunities whenever possible,” says Jon Behm, who works for dumpsters.com.

Find the directory here. https://www.dumpsters.com/donation-directory/ohio/cleveland

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On August 23, 2022, The Cleveland Department of Public Health began distributing the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine. Approximately 75 doses were given out. The next clinic will take place on Friday 8/26/2022 from 3‐9pm at 1313 E. 26^th Street in Cleveland. Vaccines are free and confidential. No pre‐registration or appointment is necessary.   

Due to a limited supply of vaccine available, individuals must be 18+ years of age and also fall into one of the following categories in order to be eligible:    

∙ Having unprotected contact between a person’s skin or mucous membranes and the skin, lesions, or bodily fluids from a patient or contaminated materials (e.g., linens, clothing) 

∙ Individuals with attendance at events/venues linked to known monkeypox transmission 

∙ Any individual who has or is likely to have prolonged intimate contact that would put them at higher risk of being exposed to monkeypox virus   

∙ Have not previously been diagnosed with monkeypox or do not currently have signs/symptoms of monkey pox. 

∙ Individuals who currently or previously were sick with monkeypox are not eligible because vaccination given after the onset of signs/symptoms of monkeypox is not expected to provide benefit.   

People who get vaccinated should continue to take steps to protect themselves from infection by avoiding close, skin‐to‐skin contact, including intimate contact, with someone who has monkeypox. Fully vaccinated individuals are still recommended to protect themselves against monkeypox and to isolate at home 

Based on the limited supply received, we are committed to vaccinating as many people as possible to prevent disease. As more vaccine is allocated to Cleveland, we will be setting up more clinics to make it available to a larger group of at‐risk persons, as identified above. Please visit our website http://www.clevelandhealth.org for information on monkeypox, announcement for upcoming vaccine clinics, FAQ’s and to stay up to date on the current # of cases. Anyone with concerns or symptoms should talk to their healthcare provider. 

In collaboration with County Executive Armond Budish, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, CDPH will be participating in a virtual press briefing today, 8/24/22 at 2pm to provide information on new county initiatives and updates on COVID‐19 and monkeypox. Media are invited to listen (via https://youtu.be/2plDsmZiRE0) and share the following Facebook and YouTube links on their social media platforms and websites. 

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The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) recently announced the appointment of Gabriel (Gabe) Pollack as director of performing arts. In his new role at the CMA, Pollack  will be responsible for overseeing the internationally recognized performing arts program at the CMA and its satellite locations, including Transformer Station and Community Arts Center on Cleveland’s near  west side.

Pollack will join the CMA in October 2022. Under Pollack’s leadership, the performing arts program will continue to include concerts from classical to contemporary music, will feature global  music traditions as well as dance and will expand to include a wider range of offerings. The CMA looks  forward to sustaining local partnerships, which have become a feature of the performing arts program,  and to fostering new relationships.  

Since 2014, Pollack has been manager and director of Bop Stop at The Music Settlement, an  extraordinarily vibrant music venue that was voted Best Jazz Club in America by readers of All About Jazz in 2019. Under Pollack’s leadership, nearly 20 live albums have been recorded at Bop Stop, including Terence Blanchard’s Blue Note Records release, “Live,” which provides musical commentary on police  brutality in America. During the pandemic, Pollack launched the terrestrial radio program and podcast “Live at the Bop Stop.” Currently, the show airs on 25 stations nationwide and has two international affiliates, and it won “Best Innovation by a Club, Venue or Festival” from the National Independent Venue Association in 2022. 

“We are absolutely thrilled that Gabe Pollack is joining the staff at the Cleveland Museum of Art as the  director of performing arts,” said Director William M. Griswold. “In his work at Bop Stop, Gabe has shown extraordinary vision and leadership. In the past eight years, he has organized more than two thousand concerts on Cleveland’s near west side where he spotlit national and international artists— including more than 180 Grammy Award winners or nominees—as well as featured a broad swath of local talent. We are looking forward to the ways in which Gabe will augment the performing arts program at the CMA at our main campus and at Transformer Station to attract wider and more diverse  audiences to the museum and help us achieve the goals of our strategic plan.”  

A graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, Pollack holds a bachelor of music in jazz entrepreneurship with a concentration in jazz trumpet performance. In addition to a degree in music, he  also holds a bachelor of arts in environmental studies, focusing on sustainable cities, enterprise and education. Serving as director of Bop Stop has allowed Pollack to assist with programming events  throughout Cleveland including the Ingenuity Festival, CAN Triennial and Concrete Concerts. Deeply committed to the future of the performing arts, Pollack is a CollegeNow Mentor and previously was an  adjunct professor in the arts management and entrepreneurship department at Baldwin Wallace  University. Prior to his role at Bop Stop, Pollack worked as an agent, administrator and sound technician  at Jim Wadsworth Production Agency. 

Pollack was the recipient of the Ida Mercer Community Impact Award in 2021, an honor that recognizes  an employee of The Music Settlement who demonstrates dedication, commitment and creativity in  advancing The Music Settlement’s mission and programming throughout the community. Additional  awards won by Bop Stop include Scene Magazine’s Best Jazz Club, Cleveland Hot List’s Best Jazz and  Blues, and Cleveland Magazine’s Best of the West “Live Music Venue.” 

“I’m looking forward to bringing my collaborative spirit to the Cleveland Museum of Art and working  with the community to program a diverse lineup up of multidisciplinary world-class talent,” said Pollack.  “The Cleveland Museum of Art is uniquely positioned to enhance Cleveland’s cultural landscape while  providing exceptional opportunities for performers. Reimagining and redefining what programming  looks like at a world-class institution is an amazing opportunity that I cannot wait to be a part of.” 

Pollack will begin his new responsibilities at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Monday, October 17, 2022.