From top-left: Bikers pass walkers in Metroparks; cars on Lorain Ave. bridge; RTA train waits at Hopkins station; Airplanes ready for take off.
The beginning of a new year is a good time to count our blessings. We all enjoy living in West Park, but what part do you enjoy most? For me, it is the ease in getting around. Consider all the wonderful means of transportation contained within West Park’s borders. Here is a listing, in order of speed.
Walk on sidewalks through wonderfully-kept neighborhoods.
Hike on trails in the Metroparks.
Swim at the West Park YMCA, or the city-operated Gunning Recreation Center.
Ice skate at the city-operated Halloran Ice Skating Rink on West 117th Street — the eastern edge of West Park.
Ride a horse in the Metroparks. There is a popular stable at the bottom of the Puritas Road Hill.
Bike on city streets, or in the Metroparks.
Ride a golf cart at one of three golf courses in the Rocky River Reservation — Big Met, Little Met and Mastick Woods.
Drive on a highway. West Park includes parts of three interstates — I-71, I-90 and I-480.
Ride an RTA bus or train. West Park includes six Red Line Rapid Stations, and Triskett — the largest bus garage in Ohio.
Board an airplane at Hopkins International Airport, and fly anywhere in the world.
Visit NASA’s Glenn Research Center to find out more about “space — the final frontier.” You can’t get much higher than that.
Look at these 11 options. They far outnumber those offered by any other neighborhood in Cleveland. May 2022 be a great year — for all of us.
P.S – Did I miss any transportation options? If so, let us know.
On Monday, Dec. 27, Mayor-Elect Justin Bibb announced Bradford Davy as Chief Strategy Officer and Elise Hara Auvil as Chief Administrative Officer, both are newly designed positions replacing the role of Chief of Staff.
“Throughout the campaign, we created a vision for Cleveland that came directly from stakeholder input. We simply have to reimagine our organizational structure to build our reimagined City. With leaders focused on the long-range vision, and on the immediate needs, we can achieve more,” comments Mayor-Elect Bibb.
The Chief Strategy Officer is responsible for advancing the Mayor’s vision and strategic goals across all departments of the administration. As a senior advisor to the Mayor, Mr. Davy will provide counsel on a wide range of highly complex, sensitive issues and act as an accessible and visible ambassador from the mayor’s office. The CSO will lead the team charged with moving forward promises made during the campaign, including initiatives to address racial equity, lead, the West Side Market, arts and culture and more.
Bradford Davy is an experienced government affairs professional, most recently serving as the Director Regional Engagement at The Fund for Our Economic Future where headvised local and national leaders on complex economic issues to inform policy decisions and translate concepts into practical solutions. He also previously served at the International Project Manager for Camcode Global, and as a Research and Policy Analyst for the Center for Community Solutions.
Mr. Davy holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Toledo and a Master’s of Science in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University.
The Chief Administration Officer will manage the day-to-day operations of the mayor’s office, including developing and managing the mayor’s office budget. Responsibilities of the CAO are broad in scope and require a high degree of seasoned government experience and discretion. As CAO, Ms. Hara Auvil will supervise the mayor’s staff, manage cabinet meetings and provide critical briefings to the mayor.
Elise Hara Auvil has dedicated the majority of her career working for government and nonprofit entities. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University Law School, she worked for Cleveland Legal Aid during law school and began her legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Auvil is specialized in human resources and employment law and has served as Associate Counsel for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), General Counsel for Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network, and Director of Human Resources and Employment Counsel for Cuyahoga County. She most recently served the City of Westlake as the Human Resources Manager.
Bradford Davy and Elise Hara Auvil will take the official oath of office on January 3, 2022.
The Hooley on Kamm’s Corners™, West Park’s signature block party, returns June 18, 2022, after a two-year pause. Despite the rain, the 2019 event drew good crowds.
Submitted by the Office of Communications at NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center.
NASA’s Glenn Research Center has been a hub of activity in West Park since breaking ground in 1941. The center employs more than 3,000 highly skilled employees – scientists, engineers, technicians and support persons. Many of them live in West Park.
Here are the center’s priorities in 2022.
Artemis heads to the Moon and back
2022 will be a landmark year for NASA. In February, the Artemis I mission will be the first launch of the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System. In preparation, Glenn tested the Orion spacecraft at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in 2019. Glenn will engage Ohio residents in the mission through public activities and events. See details on the NASA Glenn Web site.
Glenn, along with the European Space Agency and Airbus, also delivered the European Service Module for Artemis II to Kennedy Space Center. The service module will be integrated with the Orion spacecraft in 2022, as the agency prepares to launch Artemis II, the first crewed flight around the Moon and back, no later than May 2024.
“NASA is leading a sustainable return to the Moon with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities,” said Dr. Marla E. Pérez-Davis, NASA Glenn director. “It’s an exciting time for the agency and our local research scientists and engineers play an important role helping to ensure mission safety and performance.”
Launch the Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface experiment to the Moon on an upcoming Commercial Lunar Payload Services flight. The experiment will provide a lunar surface demonstration of multiple solar cell technologies that could be used for future missions, and it will also inform the design of future high-voltage solar arrays.
“Along the way, we’ll engage and inspire future generations of diverse scientists and engineers, who will lead the nation to a net-zero carbon emissions aviation future,” said Dr. Pérez-Davis.
The center also will support the initial flights of the X-57 Maxwell, NASA’s first all-electric X-plane, which will help develop certification standards for future electric general aircraft, and the X-59 QueSST, a low-boom technology demonstrator that will help usher in quiet commercial supersonic flight over land.
New Facilities Support Future Missions
Glenn continues to make progress on its Master Plan, which envisions how the center’s facilities will transform over the next 20 years to support the changing NASA mission.
This spring, Glenn plans to open its new Research Support Building, a 64,000-square-foot multi-use office building, providing office space for approximately 160 permanent occupants. The building will be home to a cafeteria, “hoteling spaces” for employees on part-time telework, exchange store, training rooms, and conference rooms. It will poise the center to support the future of work and begin building the workforce of tomorrow.
In the fall, Glenn plans to complete construction of its new Aerospace Communications Facility, which will be NASA’s premier facility for radio frequency communications technology research and development.
Partnerships boost economic growth
Glenn leaders recognize the growth of this region is bolstered when it partners with others to accelerate technology development. Recent engagements with the University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University are helping to deepen relationships and identify research and development areas.
NASA’s partnership with JumpStart, Inc. continues. It is designed to identify technologies ready for commercialization by local entrepreneurs. Glenn plans to continue to identify and collaborate with strategic partners in academia, industry, and other institutions, like Case Western Reserve University and the Air Force Research Laboratory, to achieve its goals and support Ohio’s economy.
Nickie Antonio (center) takes the oath of office for her first term as District 23 State Senator. Justice Melody Stewart of the Ohio Supreme Court administers the oath, while Jean Kosmac holds the Bible. (2018 photo)
2022 will be the last year of a four-year first term for State Senator Nickie Antonio.
She plans to seek re-election in District 23.
The problem is: Nobody is exactly sure where District 23 is.
The State Map was redrawn after the 2020 Census. A final decision on the map may be announced in early January by the Ohio Supreme Court.
A proposed map shows District 23 covering the majority of the City of Cleveland, a prospect Antonio finds “exciting.”
In 2021, Antonio helped pass “Esther’s Law”, which allows cameras to be installed in patient rooms of nursing homes. She also worked on a bill to enhance stroke protocols, which gives first responders the tools they need to increase survival chances for stroke victims.
The General Assembly’s first session is Jan. 19. There is a lot Antonio hopes to accomplish in 2022.
Abolish the death penalty
She said Senate Bill 103 has bi-partisan support.
“The State of Ohio should not be in the business of executing persons,” she said. “We have a moral obligation to re-consider it. It just does not fit in today’s society. A sentence of life without parole is a better option.”
“To date, Ohio has exonerated 11 people, who were found to be not guilty. If even one innocent person is executed, it is one person too many.”
She said that since the punishment was reinstated in 1976, Ohio has executed 56 people. This means that for every five executions, one person has been exonerated.
Pass the Ohio Fairness Act
She said that Senate Bill 119 has bi-partisan support, and similar bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate.
“This is an economic vitality bill, supported by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and over a thousand Ohio businesses. It will keep businesses in the State, and keep some residents here by welcoming all families and as an issue of fairness, it’s the right thing to do.”
Antonio said that more than 1,000 businesses have joined Ohio Business Competes — a non-partisan coalition that supports non-discrimination policies that include LGBTQ Ohioans. More than 30 Ohio cities and counties have passed local ordinances with LGBTQ inclusive policies, she said.
Justice issues
“We want to end the statute of limitations for rape (Senate Bill 198) and extend the statute of limitations for child abuse and child neglect (Senate Bill 226). We want to bring justice to survivors of sexual abuse.”
She said that under the current Ohio Revised Code, prosecution against a perpetrator of rape or sexual battery must begin within 25 years after the commission of, or attempt to, commit the crime.
“We believe that now, more than ever, the public is on the side of removing the artificial line in the sand that prevents a survivor from coming forward to report such emotionally traumatic and violent experiences. She noted that:”Every survivor processes their trauma in their own time.”
Under current Ohio law, victims of childhood sexual abuse are unable to press civil charges after age 30 and criminal charges after age 43, with another 5 years granted if DNA is found within 25 years. Those limitations should be extended, she said.
Health care issues
“We need to expand access to health care, especially during the COVID pandemic. We want to make our communities healthier and safer.” She said legislators will continue to address the rise in drug overdoses and the opoid crisis.
Capital budget
In 2022, State legislators will also consider Ohio’s capital budget, which provides funding for major projects.
The capital budget funds a variety of eligible infrastructure projects for state agencies, colleges and universities, school districts, and community projects that vary from parks to museums and other types of infrastructure. In 2021, a total of $80 million went to Cuyahoga County, including $23 million for community projects from the capital budget that passed in late 2020.
If you have a question or funding request, write to antonio@ohiosenate.gov or call 614-466-5123.
Leadership roles
A member and former chair of the Ohio House Democratic Women’s Caucus, Antonio is State Director for the National Women Legislators’ Lobby and a Senate Assistant Minority Leader.
Committee assignments
Antonio serves as Highest Ranking Member on three committees* Health* Transportation* Joint Medicaid Oversight.
Antonio plans to continue work with the non-profit Giving Tree. Volunteers have made and donated more than 10,000 face masks in the fight against COVID.
Today is the first day of winter and the longest night of the year. Community activists, homeless service providers, and unhoused people will gather to remember those who died in the homeless community in 2021. The candlelight vigil will be held outside Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church at 2031 W 30 St. in Ohio City.
“Winter is a dangerous and difficult time for people who are unhoused in our community,” says Chris Knestrick, Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. “When we add the Omicron variant to the equation, this winter has the potential to become a nightmare. We need to re-focus on getting people into de-congregate shelters to keep them alive and safe this winter.”
In 2009, Ohio legislators designated December 21 as Ohio Homeless Memorial Day. For 34 years, the Northeast Ohio Coalition For The Homeless has convened the Cleveland community to remember people experiencing homelessness who have passed away. We will remember our family and friends with candles, live music, prayers, and the reading of their names. NEOCH encourages attending guests to wear a mask and to please be vaccinated.
NEOCH exists to eliminate the root causes of homelessness while loving our diverse community through organizing, advocacy, education, and street outreach.
West Park is served by multiple branches of the Cleveland Public Library. Two branches will see major improvements in 2022, thanks to Issue 60, a 2-mill levy passed by voters in 2017.
The West Park Branch, built in 1928, is at 3805 W. 157 St. and Lorain Avenue. It has been closed for renovation since May for a $5.2 million interior and exterior renovation. Ground was broken on July 17, 2021. It is expected to re-open in summer 2022.
The present Rockport Branch, 4421 W. 140 St., houses the state-of-the-art Best Buy Teen Tech Center. It is one of the busiest branch libraries in Cleveland.
Plans call for a new building to be built next door, on what is now a vacant lot, at West 140 Street and Puritas Avenue. The new building will be much larger than the current one. After items have been moved to the new library, the present one will be demolished, and create space for a larger parking lot.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new building could be held as early as spring 2022. The total project is expected to cost $7.5 million-$8 million. For Cleveland Public Library news, go to www.cpl.org. For project updates, go to courbanize.com
By Tonya Sams, Development and Communications Assistant at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Many people think the label “domestic violence” applies only to violent acts against a lover, but it is much more than that.
Domestic violence describes regular, consistent acts of physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse. It not only occurs in spousal and intimate partner relationships, but also in relationships with other family members, including those with children, live-in partners, or people who have children together and are no longer involved in an intimate relationship.
Perpetrators of domestic violence control the target or targets of their abuse through fear. If targets don’t comply with their initial tactics – which can be threats of harm, the withdraw of financial support, and/ or verbal and emotional abuse – then the abuser resorts to physical and/or sexual abuse.
Domestic violence does not discriminate. People of all races, religions, sexual orientations, abilities, and financial status can inflict or suffer from domestic violence.
Targets of domestic violence do not cause the abuse that is inflicted upon them. But, abusers often try to convince them they have done something to cause the abusive response.
Abusers often isolate their targets by having them cut off communication from those that could help them, such as family and friends. Abusers also try to control every aspect of their target’s life. For targets, every decision becomes influenced by how it would make their abuser feel.
Targets of abuse may feel guilt, shame, and failure. They may find it difficult to break away from the relationship for several reasons, especially if they are financially dependent on the abuser
(another tactic commonly used to maintain control).
There are resources available for those who are targets of domestic violence.
OhioLegalHelp.org has a new, web-based domestic violence reporting tool. The tool (which was created through a partnership with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Ohio Domestic Violence Network and Ohio Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence) allows users to fill out and save their forms if they cannot complete them all at once. The site can be accessed on any mobile device.
Help is also available through Legal Aid’s Family Law Group. A Legal Aid attorney can help you file civil protection and temporary protection orders and connect you to other community resources available to people escaping abusive relationships, such as Journey Center for Safety and Healing and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. Apply for Legal Aid help online 24/7 (lasclev.org/contact) or call 216-687-1900 during normal business hours.
Mayor-Elect Bibb has identified Deputy Chief of Police Dornat A. “Wayne” Drummond as Interim Chief of Police to temporarily replace retiring Chief of Police Calvin Williams whose last day will be Jan. 3rd.
“We must maintain top-level expertise in this role while we search for a new Police Chief. Deputy Chief Drummond is highly regarded for his service, and I look forward to working with him,” Mayor-Elect Justin Bibb said.
Deputy Chief Drummond, a deputy chief since 2014, is a 32-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Police. He has climbed the ranks from walking the beat as a patrol officer to serving as commander of the 6th District in 2005.
Other positions he held include Strike Force Detective, Case Preparation Officer and Equal Employment Officer. He also served as Public Information Officer and taught Law Enforcement Ethics at Cuyahoga Community College.
Currently, he oversees field operations, the Bureau of Traffic, which includes the mounted division, and the Bureau of Community Relations.
Drummond graduated from the University of Toledo and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy’s 230th Session.
“I am honored to be selected to lead the force during this period of transition. Keeping Cleveland safe has always been my number one priority,” Drummond said.
Once Mayor-Elect Bibb takes office on Jan. 3rd, the administration will work with an executive search firm with experience recruiting for police departments in major cities across the country. The firm will search far and wide and seek talent nationally and locally. Community engagement will be an important part of the process to determine community expectations for the role.
2022 will be a full year for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. There will be a lot for West Park voters to monitor, so they can cast informed votes. Are you registered to vote?
Dates to remember
Feb. 2: Filing deadlines for all candidates.
May 3: Primary election. Nov. 8: General Election.
Federal positions
Senate: U.S. Senator Robert Portman is not seeking re-election, and other candidates are vying for the open seat.
House: A new map of Congressional districts has not yet been approved.
State positions
Executive: Elections will be held for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Auditor and Secretary of State.
Legislative: West Park is represented by seats in the General Assembly. Both Sweeney and Antonio will seek re-election this year.
Judicial: Some seats face elections in 2022.
Cuyahoga County
Executive: At least 3 persons are running for the County Executive post.
Legislative: Because of staggered terms, only half of the County Council members face elections. The term of Dale Miller, whose District includes West Park, does not expire in 2022.
House Bill 68 protects Ohio jobs and promotes a healthier construction industry across the state
CONTENT SUBMITTED
State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) testified Wednesday on House Bill (HB) 68, her bipartisan legislation with State Rep. Jon Cross (R-Kenton) to ensure that prime contractors are paid promptly and construction projects can move forward across the State of Ohio. The bill passed the House with a strong, bipartisan vote of 86 to 11.
“Contractors rely on timely payments to finance bidding on future work, which creates more good-paying jobs for Ohioans. Late payments jeopardize a contractor’s ability to secure their next job and to ensure reliable paychecks for workers,” said Rep. Sweeney. “House Bill 68 is a reasonable, pro-business, pro-worker bill that fosters a healthy and good-paying construction industry in Ohio.”
The bill closes a gap in state law by amending Ohio’s current Prompt Pay Act. It requires timely payments for prime contractors 30 days after they submit an invoice for undisputed, properly performed work. It creates an even playing field with legal leverage that incentivizes bills to be paid in a timely manner, regardless of if a project falls under the public or private sector.
Ohio law already requires the following timetable for payments, and HB 68 would close the highlighted loophole:
Public Construction Projects
Owner to Prime – 30 days after invoice unless otherwise agreed (R.C. 126.30 and 153.14)
Prime to Sub – 10 days after prime contractor receives payment from owners (R.C. 4113.61)
Sub to Lower Tiers – 10 days after subcontractor receives payment from prime contractor (R.C. 4113.61)
Private Construction Projects
Owner to Prime – No Provision
Prime to Sub – 10 days after prime contractor receives payment from owner (R.C. 4113.61)
Sub to Lower Tiers – 10 days after subcontractor receives payment from prime contractor (R.C. 4113.61)
The information below appeared in the December NOACA newsletter. For more info, go to www.noaca.org > Regional Planning > Overall Work Program.
There is much work for NOACA to do in 2002.
Develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to facilitate access to $3 billion available through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Execute the eNEO2050 long-range plan that identifies comprehensive planning strategies and $14 billion in future transportation and environmental planning projects.
Connect residents to job hubs through our Workforce Accessibility and Mobility Tool and Van Pool Program.
Along with our partners, NOACA will begin construction of the $45 million Irishtown Bend Stabilization Project, and produce a Climate Action Plan.
These projects and others will transform our region to sustain economic growth and quality of life for all.
An on-going capital improvements plan at RTA will result in better air quality and improved service reliability in 2022, said Michael Schipper, Deputy General Manager of Engineering and Project Management. In West Park, RTA operates the Triskett Bus Garage — one of the largest in Ohio — and five Rapid Transit stations along the Red Line.
In early 2022, RTA will retire some buses that outlived their useful life from the Triskett Garage, and replace them with new buses fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG).
“CNG buses produce much lower emissions, so the air quality will be better,” Schipper said. “And, new buses are more reliable than the older ones that are being retired.”
The Triskett Garage maintains all buses used on routes in the western half of Cuyahoga County. At least four bus routes frequently serve West Park — #22, #78, #83, #86. Other capital work affects the Red Line. RTA is stringing fiber optics line along the entire length of the tracks, This will enhance RTA’s ability to communicate with its facilities and vehicles. That effort includes upgrades to catenary poles throughout the West Side. The poles connect electricity to the trains and also support the new fiber optic line.
Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Neighborhood Family Practice (NFP) has targeted efforts to increase awareness, education and outreach and later, testing and vaccines, to at-risk and underserved community members. Those efforts continue today.
“Throughout the past year, we’ve worked independently, with state and local government, and other community partners to increase awareness and knowledge about COVID, along with access to testing and vaccines for the more vulnerable and underserved Black, Hispanic/Latino, low-income and refugee populations in our community – the very populations that have been disproportionately affected by the virus,” says Jean Poster, RN, MS, NFP’s president and CEO.
Since January 2021, NFP has:
provided 29,000 vaccinations to 15,000 individuals
4,250 shots since August
Conducted 100 community vaccination clinics with community partners
Along with participating in The Cleveland Community Health Centers COVID Services collaborative in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, Cleveland Department of Public Health and local hospital systems, NFP partnered with LaSagrada Familia Church, the Hispanic Roundtable. Saint Paul AME Church and other local community organizations to prioritize the information and care provided to communities of color.
“It is not only our mission, but also our obligation as a federally qualified community health center to create and provide systems of care that are equitable and accessible to all Clevelanders,” says Polster. “Our COVID-19 outreach efforts were, and continue to be, very deliberate. We want to help reduce virus-related illness and death among those who are most at-risk.”
In these times when our country is faced with battling the ongoing pandemic along with racial disparity, NFP continues to fight to address both by providing COVID-19 outreach, education and more. Testing and vaccines (including pediatric and booster vaccines) are available by appointment at NFPs seven community health center locations on Cleveland’s near west side.
About Neighborhood Family Practice
Founded in 1980 in response to a concern that residents of Cleveland’s near west side lacked access to primary health care, NFP focuses on providing high quality primary care in the patient’s neighborhood setting. Today, its seven public transit friendly locations offer same day appointments to a service area that spans twelve neighborhoods across Cleveland’s west side and is comprised of a highly diverse mix of residents. Accredited by The Joint Commission and designated as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, Neighborhood Family Practice provides primary care, women’s health and midwifery services, behavioral health, dental and case management appointments to more than 21,000 patients at its combined locations. www.nfpmedcenter.org
Majority of funds are part of President Biden and Democrats’ American Rescue Plan
CONTENT SUBMITTED
Today, Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) voted in favor of Substitute House Bill (HB) 169 to appropriate $4.18billion to support education, expand access to childcare and improve public health, among other investments in Ohio’s working people, families and communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is funded through several federal COVID-19 relief packages, the majority of which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act backed by Democrats and signed into law by President Biden earlier this year.
Hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to Ohio under the American Rescue Plan were at risk of expiring had the General Assembly not taken legislative action on the funds this month.
“This is timely, bipartisan legislation that will ensure we are bringing the full power and resources of the United States to bear against the public health crisis that has upended every aspect of our society,” said Rep. Sweeney. “Learning loss from the pandemic has been devastating, and we cannot allow our children, who are the future of Ohio, to continue to fall behind. That’s why almost 60% of this bill, nearly 2.5 billion dollars, will go towards education. We are only able to make such a sweeping appropriation because of the leadership of President Biden as well as Senator Sherrod Brown and Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Marcia Fudge, Joyce Beatty and Tim Ryan, who are the only members of Ohio’s Congressional Delegation that voted for the American Rescue Plan.”
Sub. HB 169 includes:
$2.48 billion for K-12 schools;
$1.05 billion to help health care providers hire and retain employees;
$639 million in supplemental child care grants to enhance the hiring and retention of staff and improve access to child care;
$250 million in grants for law enforcement agencies;
$91.1 million for the Department of Health to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and address other public health priorities;
$7.3 million to prevent youth homelessness.
The American Rescue Plan is landmark legislation for the Biden administration and advances many long-held Democratic priorities, including investments in working people, families and communities as Ohio and the nation continue to build back amid the COVID-19 pandemic after decades of failing to invest in families and communities.
The Plan will lower health insurance premiums, extend tax credits to families with children and invest in jobs. The American Rescue Plan is widely regarded as one of the most progressive pieces of legislation in history, with targeted aid to families making less than $90,000 annually. No Republican members of Congress voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan.
Sub. HB 169 now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.
District 2 County Councilman Dale Miller — a veteran of 40+ years in public service — has many goals as 2022 begins.
Miller represents Ward 16 and 17 in West Park, plus Lakewood and Rocky River. His term expires in 2024.
Focus On Goals
COVID-19: Getting the pandemic under control is a top priority. “We have to make the vaccine easier to obtain for everyone. Only 56 percent of the County workforce is vaccinated. We need to do better.”
OPOIDS: “700 persons died of overdoses in 2021. That’s just horrible. We need to do more.”
JUSTICE: “The County Jail, the Mental Health Diversion Center and bail reform are all key this year. We need to help keep more people from entering the system.”
CLIMATE CHANGE: “The County needs to use more clean energy, and help reduce the impacts of climate change.”
In 2021, West Park attorney Ross DiBello lost a bid to become Cleveland’s next mayor.
In 2022, he still plans to exercise his First Amendment right to free speech.
“I hope the City puts better policies in place. We need to see a better use of our tax dollars,”DiBello said.
“I’ll continue to comment at City Council meetings, and on Twitter. I hope my campaign inspires more people to run. I will encourage that. We need to keep fighting the good fight.”
Term limits are definitely needed for the Mayor and City Council, he said. “Holding public office should not be a career, or an entitlement. We also need to change the process of filling City Council vacancies.”
DiBello said he has no immediate plans to run for public office again. Besides his law work, he and his wife volunteer at the City Kennel.
In the middle of the pandemic, Ross DiBello collect signatures for his mayor bid.
During the Sept. 14 primary, Ross DiBello greets voters at Gunning Recreation Center.
Sullivan was known for saying, “We’re going to have a really big show.”
And those big shows are coming back to the IX Center in West Park — now open under new management. With more than 1 million square feet, 28 meeting rooms and 7,200 parking spaces, the IX Center is viewed as one of the top 10 convention centers in the nation.
Here’s what’s planned for early 2022.
Jan. 22-23, Today’s Bride Wedding Show.
Feb. 4-13, The Great Big Home and Garden Show.
Feb. 25-March 6, Cleveland Auto Show.
CHANGED TO MARCH 17 TO 20, Cleveland Boat Show. Boat show dates are now March 17-20
