Plain Press

  • Coalition of community groups rally to “Stop Evictions Now!”

    Coalition of community groups rally to “Stop Evictions Now!” by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, November 2021)                 A coalition of groups of community activists from throughout Northeast Ohio converged on Public Square on October 20th for a “Stop Evictions Now!” rally as part of a coordinated national effort to speed the distribution of already allocated federal dollars designed…

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  • Council of Cleveland Neighborhoods presents concerns to mayoral candidates 

    Council of Cleveland Neighborhoods presents concerns to mayoral candidates  by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, November 2021)        With the majority of registered Cleveland voters staying home and choosing not to vote in the mayoral primary, it remains uncertain whether they’ll decide to cast a vote in the general election on November 2 for either Justin Bibb or…

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  • Mayoral candidate Kevin Kelley promises stability

    Mayoral candidate Kevin Kelley promises stability by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, November 2021)        Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley placed second in the mayoral primary with 19 percent of the votes in an election the majority of city residents decided to sit out. Only 15 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. Justin Bibb placed…

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  • Ten Clevelanders address City Council Meeting during its first Public Comments period in over 100 years 

    (Plain Press, November 2021)   Ten Cleveland citizens took part in a historic event, the first Public Comments period at a Cleveland City Council meeting in over 100 years. The occasion was the Monday October 4, 2021 meeting of Cleveland City Council. The ten citizens taking advantage of this public forum to speak to their fellow citizens…

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  • In Memory

    Michael O’Brien 1945-2021 (Plain Press, November 2021)                  Michael O’Brien, a librarian turned bookseller, came to the Near West Side as part of the Catholic activist movement to the neighborhood in the early 1970s and joined the Thomas Merton Community living in their house on W. 38th and Clinton.      O’Brien was the proprietor of the Six Steps Down…

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  • Ward 12 City Council Candidate Survey

    Ward 12 City Council Candidate Survey (Plain Press, November 2021) The three community newspapers that serve areas of Ward 12 – Neighborhood News, Tremonster and the Plain Press — collaborated in creating this survey. The survey questions were asked of Rebecca Maurer and Anthony Brancatelli, the top two finishers in the City Council Primary Election.…

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  • Residents want more notice, better access to information on local government meetings 

    Residents want more notice, better access to information on local government meetings  by Doug Breehl-Pitorak and Rachel Dissell    In June, Cleveland City Council passed a law that allowed it — and other city boards and committees — to meet virtually or in person with 12 hours’ notice for members of the public who might want…

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  • The Pace of Passage: How Quickly City Council Makes Laws and What That Means for Clevelanders 

    The Pace of Passage: How Quickly City Council Makes Laws and What That Means for Clevelanders  by Doug Breehl-Pitorak,  Cleveland Documenters (Plain Press, October 2021)   During a July forum for mayoral candidates, Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley answered what seemed like a simple question: “What are your thoughts on what constitutes adequate public notice and…

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  • Council members balk at $20M ‘blank check’ for citywide broadband pilot

    Council members balk at $20M ‘blank check’ for citywide broadband pilot by Lee Chilcote (Plain Press, October 2021)   A proposal to allocate $20 million to help bridge the digital divide in Cleveland by creating citywide broadband met with some opposition at Monday’s city council meeting, with some members asking why there wasn’t more community involvement or a concrete plan…

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  • Utilities for All holds vigil at City Hall to remember those who died due to utility shutoffs

    Utilities for All holds vigil at City Hall to remember those who died due to utility shutoffs by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, October 2021)           Seven deaths from hypothermia were reported during a single month earlier this year after utility companies shut heat off in the middle of the winter to customers unable to pay their bills.…

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