• Who pays property taxes to support services when the economy is dominated by nonprofits?

    by Stephanie Czekalinski  This is part three of a series examining the tax-exempt status of nonprofit hospitals in Northeast Ohio and how the loss of tax dollars impacts communities. (Plain Press, September 2022)           Fifty years ago, when Clevelanders needed to fund schools, pay for parks, or expand libraries, they relied on booming tax revenue from large…


  • American Institute of Architects Cleveland hosts 2022 Sandfest at Edgewater Beach – raises funds for scholarships

    PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN Saturday, August 6, 2022, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Cleveland Sandfest, Edgewater Beach: Ten teams competed in a sandcastle and sand sculpture contest. This Route 66 sign was a part of Vocon’s entry in the contest titled “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” which won the prize for Best Sculpture. The…



  • Debate over tax breaks for nonprofit Cleveland area hospitals is also about racism and redlining

    Debate over tax breaks for nonprofit Cleveland area hospitals is also about racism and redlining by Stephanie Czekalinski & Michael Indriolo  This is part two of a series examining the tax-exempt status of nonprofit hospitals in Northeast Ohio and how the loss of tax dollars impacts communities. Plain Press, August 2022        Nonprofit hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic receive…


  • Books, buses and the unexpected – tips for the new school year

    Books, buses and the unexpected – tips for the new school year by Tonya Sams Plain Press, August 2022        August is here and we will soon hear the ringing of school bells. But preparing for the new year is more than just buying clothes and supplies – it is also about preparing for new situations…


  • School Board renames two area schools

    Plain Press, August 2022        At its June 28th meeting, the Cleveland Municipal School District Board of Education voted to change the names of two schools in the Plain Press service area. Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy will be renamed Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy. Louis Agassiz School will be renamed Mary Church Terrell School. The…


  • Education Forward’s report indicates severe impact of COVID-19 on education in Cleveland

    Education Forward’s report indicates severe impact of COVID-19 on education in Cleveland by Chuck Hoven Plain Press, August 2022        At the June 28th business meeting of the Cleveland Municipal School District Board, Cleveland Metropolitan School District Chief Executive Officer Eric Gordon shared some of the findings of a recently completed report by Education Forward titled…


  • Renovation updates for Cleveland Public Library’s branches and StoryWalk introduced at Carnegie West Branch

    Renovation updates for Cleveland Public Library’s branches and StoryWalk introduced at Carnegie West Branch by Bruce Checefsky Plain Press, July 20220                             Cleveland Public Library (CPL) ranked fourth among America’s Star Libraries, earning a prestigious Five-Star rating from the Library Journal, the oldest and most respected publication covering library service. The Library Journal index, published annually, compares…


  • Cleveland nonprofit hospitals get millions in property tax breaks. Many are asking, ‘Is it worth it?’

    Cleveland nonprofit hospitals get millions in property tax breaks. Many are asking, ‘Is it worth it?’ by Stephanie Czekalinski & Michael Indriolo Plain Press, July 20220                             Nora and David Brown live in a two-story single-family home in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood. The modest home on East 100th Street, with a gabled roof and an enclosed porch, is just a block away…


  • Local and state politicians show more empathy to developers than to Cleveland’s children

    Local and state politicians show more empathy to developers than to Cleveland’s children by Chuck Hoven Plain Press, July 20220                             Cleveland’s new tax abatement policy set to start on January 1, 2024, while better than the current policy, does little to address the glaring need to substantially increase the flow of property taxes to the Cleveland…