ARTS/MUSIC

ST. PAUL’S STREET STUDIO: Missing a chance to play live music or share poetry in person? Check out the St. Paul’s Street Studio and join us to share music/spoken word in a peaceful atmosphere of respect. We provide a piano, drums, acoustic guitars, and microphones…and an encouraging circle of listeners. All are welcome! Every 2nd Saturday of the month at St. Paul’s Community Church, 4427 Franklin Blvd. Cleve. from 1 to 2:30 pm in the sanctuary. Next two sessions are February 11 and March 11th. For more information, email: heisey2140@sbcglobal.net.

SPACES URGENT ART FUND: SPACES invites Cuyahoga County artists, creators, and curators to apply to The Urgent Art Fund! We will be awarding 12 project-based grants of $4,000 throughout 2023 to artist(s) and collectives based in Cuyahoga County on a quarterly basis for projects that are politically, culturally, and/or socially responsive. All applicants will receive feedback from our jurors. SPACES will be accepting the first cycle of applications until March 20^th at 11:59 PM. Four artists will be awarded $4,000. To apply visit: www.theurgentartfund.org. SPACES provides a number of artist opportunities throughout the year. Check out our website to learn more about current and upcoming calls for artists: https://www.spacescle.org/for-artists

BENEFITS

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) recipients will see a reduction in benefits beginning in March. The last of the emergency allocation in SNAP benefits that Congress approved during the pandemic will be distributed in late February. Call the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Help Center at 216-738-2067 for budget-planning assistance and information about resources available in the community. The Food Bank has an online tool “Find Food Near Me” to assist in locating food pantries and hot meal sites. Help with a variety of assistance programs is available by calling 2-1-1.  SNAP recipients can find out what their standard benefit amount will be by calling 1-866-386-3071 or by visiting spp.benefits.ohio.gov.

MEDICAID CHANGES: As Medicaid redeterminations begin you should keep your contact information up to date with the Cuyahoga County Department of Job and Family Services. You can update information by calling 1-800-324-8680. Help is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CITY COUNCIL

COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT SURVEY: Cleveland City Council will introduce legislation this year to ensure developers who seek financial aid from the city provide real community benefits for residents such as – local hiring goals, job training programs, new parks, playgrounds, new community centers or affordable housing requirements. Please take a minute to fill out the survey. It will help inform how City Council works with developers and contractors to improve the quality of life in the city of Cleveland. To participate please go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiLsRoNBLrmBb-oADgDER-Ue_arSWARRCV1e8P6DuKJhfHBw/viewform.

COMMUNITY GUIDE

PLAIN PRESS will publish the annual Community Guide in the March issue. In the Community Guide, the Plain Press offers nonprofit organizations and government agencies serving residents in the Plain Press target neighborhoods a free listing of their name and phone number. New organizations that have not been listed in the Community Guide in the past should email their contact information to: plainpress@gmail.com. Organizations that have changed their name or phone number should also send that information to the Plain Press. The Plain Press offers ads in the guide for organizations that wish to place additional information in the guide beyond their name and phone number. To advertise in the guide, contact Ed Tishel at plainpressads@yahoo.com.

CONSUMER

MITCHELL BROTHERS ICE CREAM issues voluntary recall for undeclared allergen:Mitchell Brothers Ice Cream, Inc. is issuing a voluntary recall of its Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. Up to 172 pints may contain Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Yogurt instead. Mitchells’ Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Yogurt contains wheat, which is not an ingredient listed in Mitchells’ Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. If you have purchased a pint of Mitchells’ Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream January 6, 2023-January 17, 2023, from the stores below, your pint may contain a wheat allergen. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream is dark brown in color, the color of chocolate. Peanut Butter Pretzel Yogurt is light brown in color, lighter than the color of peanut butter. If you have a mislabeled pint, or if you are not sure whether you have a mislabeled pint, please contact Mitchell’s Ice Cream at info@mitchellshomemade.com, 216-861-2687 x 117. Please be assured that this flavor is perfectly safe to consume for those who are not affected by a wheat allergy. We sincerely apologize for this mistake.   

EMPLOYMENT

STEP FORWARD offers professional development and employment assistance to Cuyahoga County residents on their website at www.stepforwardtoday.org.

ENVIRONMENT

IN THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, Congress included a LOT of tax credits to help make it more affordable to make green upgrades in your life. You can get up to $4,000 towards a used electric vehicle, 30% of your costs covered for switching to solar, and low-income families can get credits to help them with other upgrades! Want to find out what tax credits you can get for going green? Visit WhiteHouse.gov/CleanEnergy. Click on the purchases you’ve been thinking about to find out how much in tax credits you can get. Get more information on the updated credits as they’re released by signing up for email updates at WhiteHouse.Gov/CleanEnergy.

HEALTH

THE ALZEHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION CLEVELAND AREA CHAPTER regularly offers a free education program, Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body: Tips from the Latest Research, in various locations throughout the year. To find upcoming programs near you, visit alz.org/crf and search by your zip code. Those concerned about themselves, or a loved one, can contact the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter office at 216.342.5556 to schedule a care consultation and be connected to local resources that can help. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Helpline can be reached 24/7 at 800.272.3900.

LIBRARIES

CLEVELAND READS CITYWIDE READING CHALLENGE: The goal is for the entire city to collectively read one million books and/or one million minutes in 2023. All Cleveland residents are urged to sign up online at clevelandreads.com and to use the website throughout 2023 to log their books and the minutes they spend reading. Readers will win fabulous prizes and a lifetime of positive results.

PROBLEM GAMBLING

PROBLEM GAMBLING treatment is available at low or no cost to Ohioans. The Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline operates 24/7 at 1-800-589-9966 to provide resources to callers. Specialists can also connect callers with treatment options within 24 hours. Those struggling with a gambling problem, as well as their loved ones, can also visit GamblingHelpOhio.org to find gambling support close to home.

THE CHANGE THE GAME OHIO CAMPAIGN aims to stop youth gambling before it happens and educate adults on the signs of a potential gambling problem in adolescents. For more information visit ChangeTheGameOhio.org.

PROPERTY TAXES

THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY BOARD OF REVISION (BOR) will accept complaints from property owners to challenge their property valuations for tax year 2022 now through March 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. All complaints must be filed with the BOR by 11:59 p.m. or bear a United States postmark of March 31, 2023. Other postmarks are not valid. There are several ways to file a complaint: 1). File online through the BOR’s website: https://cuyahogacounty.us/bor. You can file your Complaint Form online using a valid email address, which bypasses the requirement for a notary. The BOR has created an online step-by-step visual guide to walk residents through this process. 2). Print a hard copy of the Complaint Form, which requires notarization. 3). Contact the BOR office so they can mail you a Complaint Form. 4). Pick up a Complaint Form from the Board of Revision Office located at 2079 East Ninth St., Second Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44115. The BOR website provides additional instructions and examples of different types of evidence that you can submit that relate to your type of property and support your opinion of value. The more evidence you provide to the board, the stronger your case. The BOR office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information, visit https://cuyahogacounty.us/bor, email BORinfo@cuyahogacounty.us, or call (216) 443-7195.

UTILITY ASSISTANCE

SIGNAL CLEVELAND (a new online media outlet in Cleveland)and the Northeast Ohio Journalism Collaborative have created some useful guides for those seeking assistance in paying utility bills: How to apply for help with your electric bill; How to apply for help with your gas bill; How to apply for help with your sewer or water bill; and Tips for applying for utility assistance. To view the guides, visit the Signal Cleveland website at www.signalcleveland.org/civic-resources.

VOLUNTEERS

CAN YOU HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT LEAD SAFETY? Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) needs help to set up a mass mail (500 pieces) in support of reintroducing the Lead Safe Housing for Kids Act? contact clevelandleadsafe@gmail.com.