• Mavrik Development to build TREO Apartments on Southwest Corner of 25th St & Swift Ave

    Mavrik Development to build TREO Apartments on Southwest Corner of 25th St & Swift Ave  by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, February 2021)             Lincoln Heights Block Club Chairperson Henry Senyak had an idea. He wanted to ask developers in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood to provide a levy benefit to longtime residents in the form of a fund…


  • Next Gen RTA Committee recommends route changes to the Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees

    by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, January 2021) Joel Freilich, Director of Service Management, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), reminded board members at the RTA Board & Next Gen RTA Committee meeting on December 15th that working closely with Jarrett Walker & Associates and local stakeholders, the public had spoken, and he listened. Priority trips…


  • RTA’s NEXT GEN planning process for changes to the 2021 bus routes raises questions about equity

    RTA’s NEXT GEN planning process for changes to the 2021 bus routes raises questions about equity by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, December 2020)           In 2019, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) facilitated a study for improvement of the bus network with Jarett Walker + Associates. Jarrett Walker, PhD, an international consultant in public transit network design and policy,…


  • Cleveland City Council removes the city’s requirement to hire off-duty police officers at neighborhood block parties

    Cleveland City Council removes the city’s requirement to hire off-duty police officers at neighborhood block parties by Lee Chilcote, The Land (Plain Press, December 2020)           Spurred by a grassroots, citizen-led petition that garnered more than 1,000 signatures, Cleveland City Council passed legislation at its November 18th meeting to remove the requirement for hired police at block parties. The…



  • Monument to the Unelected


  • Planners seek community input on bringing bus rapid transit to West 25th Street

    Planners seek community input on bringing bus rapid transit to West 25th Street by Ken Schneck (Plain Press, November 2020)  25Connects, a community planning effort led by RTA that aims to support walkable, transit-oriented development on West 25th Street between Detroit Avenue and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, is hosting a virtual public meeting on Wed., Oct. 14 at 6 pm.…


  • In Memory — Ted Thelander

    In Memory Ted Thelander (Plain Press, November 2020)                 Ohio City resident Ted Thelander died at age 85 on June 11th of this year. Ted Thelander was instrumental in offering advice, sharing his expertise, and mentoring Near West Side residents in many battles with political corruption and troubling nightclubs. Thelander also became involved in addressing a number of…


  • Boys & Girls Clubs opening sites on Cleveland’s West Side

    Boys & Girls Clubs opening sites on Cleveland’s West Side (Plain Press, October 2020)           Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO) is opening two new ClubSmart Learning Centers – places where kids doing digital schoolwork can get in-person help — on Cleveland’s West Side.             A ClubSmart Learning Center will open Monday, Sept. 28 at The…