(Re)Introducing the Mayor's Action Center,
"Your Connection to City Hall"
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This year, I launched the Mayor’s Action Center (MAC) to give residents a single point of contact for their questions, comments, and requests instead of making them wade through our staff list to find the right person to call.
I’ve designed the MAC to be both high-tech and high-touch. We recently upgraded our Access Cleveland Heights app to handle a broader range of service requests and route them immediately to the appropriate people. The app also allows residents to track the status of their requests.
I hired Todd Walburn, the former Ombudsman at the Cleveland Clinic, to manage the MAC because of his commitment to customer service and deep understanding of how to help people in need. Todd describes his role as helping people interact with their government “on an intimate level, so they can get responses in real-time, and talk to a real person instead of machines” so he can solve their problems and answer their questions. Todd works in my office, just down the hall, so that I can assist him anytime.
You can contact Todd at (216) 291-2323, at MAC@clevelandheights.gov, or through the Access Cleveland Heights app. The app’s easy to use—enter your request, including a location, photo, and any comments, select from one of 37 request categories, and click Submit. You can track City staff’s progress on the app and call or email the MAC if it appears the City isn’t being responsive.
Being more responsive, though, is just the beginning. The MAC will collect vital insight into our performance. Our new Performance Coordinator, Andrea Heim, will use that data to take actionable steps to improve City services and systems.
The last necessary element for all this to work is you—using the Access Cleveland Heights app, calling or emailing Todd, giving us feedback, and making service requests. The MAC, the new Access Cleveland Heights app, and our performance improvement efforts won’t change City Hall overnight, but we’ll learn from each request you make, and over time, they’ll help us transform City Hall.
Please download the Access Cleveland Heights app from Apple's App Store or Google Play today.
Sincerely,
Kahlil Seren, Mayor
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47th Annual Arts Festival to showcase 100+ artists, live entertainment, and food trucks
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For more than four decades, the award-winning Cain Park Arts Festival has presented the work of hundreds of artists. This free, three-day juried arts festival showcases artists whose mediums include wood, clay, glass, painting, jewelry, photography, sculpture, and more. Attendees can also enjoy live entertainment, an interactive mural painting for children of all ages, and a variety of food trucks and concessions.
Voted 2022 Best Arts Event in Cleveland by Cleveland Scene Magazine, the Cain Park Arts Festival has been consistently ranked among the top festivals in the country by the national professional artist magazine, Sunshine Artist.
The 2024 Cain Park Arts Festival is in part curated by Northeast Ohio award-winning artist, George Kozmon. His work is represented in prestigious public and private collections including the Cleveland Museum of Art, (Cleveland, OH), the Akron Art Museum (Akron OH), Hyatt Regency (Cologne, Germany), IBM (Armonk, NY), the Butler Institute of American Art (Youngstown, OH), Astor Residence Hotel (London, England), and the Progressive Collection, (Cleveland OH).
The Cain Park Arts Festival takes place in a municipally owned and operated park in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. A diverse, progressive, vital suburb of Cleveland with nearly 50,000 residents, Cleveland Heights promotes an environment rich in the arts. Minutes from University Circle, Cleveland’s cultural center, Cleveland Heights is a city of exceptional natural and architectural beauty where many artists and artisans call home.
No pets, bicycles, rollerblades or skateboards are admitted. No courtesy vehicles will be in operation during the Arts Festival.
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Kickin' It With Kenny previews Cain Park Arts Fest | |
From Fox 8
If you’re a fan of the arts, you’ll want to head out to Cain Park in Cleveland Heights this summer.
The year-round arts park has a schedule full of visual arts, music, dance, theater and more.
FOX 8’s Kenny Crumpton spent Thursday morning at the park to get a preview of what’s to come.
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Hype Man Performances Begin Tonight! | |
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A rapper, beat-maker, and hype man start to find success making music together, but harmony is harder to find when the interracial hip-hop trio clashes over how to use their newfound platform in the wake of a police shooting. Hype Man by Idris Goodwin is a rhythmically woven drama exploring race, representation, fame and friendship.
Hype Man runs from today, Friday, July 12 through Sunday, July 21.
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South Africa's Thandiswa Mazwai
Saturday, July 13
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Thandiswa Mazwai has been one of the most influential post-Apartheid singers in South Africa. She began her career in 1996 with music groups Jack Knife and Bongo Maffin, one of the pioneering bands of the dance music genre Kwaito. After 6 award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin she ventured onto a solo career. Her first solo project Zabalaza (2004), reached double platinum status and won numerous awards, including a Kora award for Best African Female and four South African Music Awards. Her critically acclaimed sophomore release Ibokwe (2009) and third album, a jazz reinterpretation of South African classics, Belede (2016) reached gold status within a few weeks of release. Her compositions include traditional xhosa music, mbaqanga, funk, jazz, and reggae.
Known for her electrifying performances, Thandiswa has performed all over the world at venues including the Apollo Theatre, The Lincoln Centre, The Cannes Film Festival, Africa Express, BBC World Music Awards, TED, Afropunk, Carnegie Hall Citywide Festival, among others. She has collaborated with artists such as Hugh Masekela, Meshell Ndegeocello (including on her 2024 Grammy Winning album), Fatoumata Diawara, Somi, and DJ Black Coffee.
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Madagascar, Jr. stampedes Cain Park with fun | Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto your stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR. follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. | |
New aerial ladder truck delivered to Cleveland Heights Fire Department | |
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Cleveland Heights took delivery of a new aerial ladder truck this week. According to CH Fire Department Chief James Harry, the truck is an important tool for emergency response.
“It allows us to reach people at higher elevated windows than ground ladders. This allows us to move people and hose streams to and from high-rise buildings.”
In addition, the truck carries many special rescue tools, such as saws, cutters, spreaders, and rescue equipment, such as rescue ropes and lifting/lowering devices.
The vehicle replaces an aging model from 2005 and was planned and budgeted in last year’s vehicle replacement plan.
“It is special because it has a pump and water tank mounted on it. This allows it to operate as a fire engine would, in a pinch," Harry says. "The aerial apparatus is critical in that it allows CHFD to be a truly all-hazards response entity. It is a glorious machine!”
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Coventry PEACE Park breaks ground for renovation | |
From Cleveland Jewish News
The Coventry People Enhancing a Child’s Environment Park held a groundbreaking event the afternoon of July 7, at the site of its current complete renovation, next to the Coventry Village Branch of Heights Libraries in Cleveland Heights.
The PEACE Park has been a staple in the community since 1993, when it was created through volunteer efforts, the Cleveland Jewish News previously reported. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Library purchased the 6 acres, which included the former Coventry Elementary School.
“The PEACE Park was a beloved space long before the library took it on in 2018,” Vikas Turakhia, president of the Cleveland Heights University Heights Library board of trustees, said to almost 100 event attendees.
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Northeast Ohio's gospel scene evolves to reach younger generations | |
From ideastream
Gospel music has deep roots in Northeast Ohio, with a history that stretches back well over a century. Black Americans in the region brought with them the tradition of spiritual music, congregating in churches that have long served as the primary venues for choirs spreading the word of God through song.
However, the local gospel music scene is changing, with church congregations shrinking in recent years and music tastes shifting.
Recently, hundreds of Cleveland Heights High School Gospel Choir alumni joined together for a large reunion concert at the school.
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Feedback needed on Heights communities' Active Transportation Plan | |
Share Climate Solutions for Cleveland Heights at next week's Community Workshop
Tuesday, July 16
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Cleveland Heights Community Center
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On July 16th, the City is hosting the second community workshop as we develop Cleveland Heights’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan. At this workshop, we’ll explore how best to address local climate impacts and co-create solutions to help our city meet its carbon reduction goals, improve community resilience to climate change, and shape a more sustainable future. Join us and share your thoughts on solutions that will make Cleveland Heights a greener, more resilient community. | |
Alcazar Hotel garners $2M historic tax credit to renovate with an eye on preservation | |
From Cleveland.com (no paywall)
Coming off of a $2 million state historic tax credit award to buttress both renovation and preservation efforts at the Alcazar Hotel, architects met initially with the city’s Landmark Commission last week.
The city’s Architectural Board of Review also scheduled an appearance for Thursday (July 11) to hear more about the $16.2 million project for the national landmark that celebrated its centennial last year.
Owners Rico Pietro and Erik Loomis bought the majestic Spanish-Moorish Revival building in 2022 for $2.6 million, and have put together preliminary plans for adding as many as 16 new apartments to the existing 125 suites, some unused.
But nine of those new units would be subdivided in the spacious penthouse, which may be a point of contention under historic guidelines.
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Ahead of upcoming public meetings, Shaker and Cleveland Heights councils get a preview on Doan Brook restoration project | |
From Cleveland.com (paywall)
During a preview of next week’s public updates on the Doan Brook restoration project, several city council members asked how much excess rainfall the new parkland would be able to handle.
While it wouldn’t be as much as the reconstructed dam downstream at Lower Shaker Lake -- up to 26 inches in a 24-hour period -- the restored floodplains near Horseshoe Lake Park should be able to contain and process rain amounts in a 100-year storm.
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Heights Libraries wants your opinion on Coventry PEACE property | |
As Heights Libraries makes plans for the Coventry PEACE Property located at the corner of Euclid Heights Boulevard and Coventry Road, it wishes to know what you think. This survey is anonymous so please be candid. This survey should take around 5 minutes.
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Parks and Recreation Programs | |
Adult Fitness and Wellness | |
Roller Derby Tournament
Coming to Cleveland Heights
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The Guardians Roller Derby Team and the City of Cleveland Heights present the 2024 MRDA Roller Derby Tournament at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, July 20 & 21. Teams from across the United States will visit and compete over the two day tournament. | |
Registration opens for Shaker Lakes Hike & Run | |
The Shaker Lakes Hike & Run is on Sunday, September 15, 2024. It includes the following events: 5k Run/Walk, 10k Run, 1 Mile Run/Walk, 1-2 Mile Family Friendly Hike, 4 Mile Rim of the Gorge Hike, 5-6 Mile Gorge Hike, and 1-2 Mile Shaker Parklands Hike. | |
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Crowdsourced Conversations 2024 Survey 3: Our Public Parks | FutureHeights is conducting a survey before the organization co-hosts a series of action-oriented conversations. The topic, selected by Heights community members, for this, it's third community conversation is "Our Public Parks." They are gathering data about what Cleveland Heights and University Heights students, residents, and other stakeholders see as priorities in order to help us generate questions for the upcoming community conversation on the topic. | | | |
The alumni department at Lutheran High School East is hosting a coed flag football event on September 7, 2024. The goal is to bring alumni, current students, and the community together with the school. | |
Lake Erie Ink Teen Programs | |
Grades 9-12
Mondays & Tuesdays | July 8-30 | 5-8pm | FREE
Calling all podcasters and audio storytellers! In this intensive summer workshop just for teens, you’ll report, write and produce a short nonfiction audio story about your life or community… in just four weeks!
You’ll learn how to gather sound, do interviews, pull tape, write scripts… and get an awesome audio story together. Finished pieces will be shared in a special exhibition at the close of the workshop. Participants who complete the program and share their work at the exhibition will receive a stipend. Click here for more information.
Sign up now; space is limited for this program!
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Grades 6-12
Thursdays | 6:30-8pm | June 13-July 18 | FREE
Poetry in the Park is a teen program that invites young poets and poetry enthusiasts to come together and express themselves in the serene setting of a local park. This program provides a platform for teenagers to share their original poems, engage in open mic sessions, and participate in creative writing workshops.
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Cleveland Heights City Council is on recess during the month of July.
The next City Council meeting will be held on Monday, August 5, 2024, at 7:30 pm, in the Council Chamber.
It will be preceded by a Committee of the Whole meeting at 6:00 pm in the Executive Conference Room. Both meetings may be viewed live on YouTube.
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