Thursday, December 20, 2012

New Hire and New Programming at Stockyard, Clark-Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office

Stockyard, Clark-Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Offices (SCFBC) recently announced the introduction of the new Community Network Weaving Program.


The Network Weaving Program focuses on connecting and inspiring community members by:
  1. connecting neighbors to neighbors in new ways that supports shared learning and building new relationships; 
  2. connecting local institutions and organizations to each and to our residents to build a neighborhood network where we support each other, share ideas and create what is possible in our neighborhood; and,
  3. connecting our diverse population to create more culturally appropriate methods of engaging with each other.
Through the very generous support of the Cleveland Foundation, SCFBC is able to support a new full time position and new programming throughout our service area. Juliana Cole has been hired as a full time Community Network Weaver. Juliana has been with SCFBC since August, 2011 working as a Community Organizing Intern. In her education, Ms. Cole studied community and social development and has focused her interest on methods of organizing within the scope of community development organizations. Over the past year, Juliana has been working closely with the Community Organizing department at SCFBC to develop a new program that explores our community's assets, skills and new ways of being together.

"The beginning of the Cleveland Foundation's mission statement is "to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland...," and this project has great potential to help residents enhance their own lives and the lives of others in the SCFBC neighborhoods. We were impressed with the community planning process that led to the development of the project and believe that aspects of this project may become a model for other neighborhoods in our community." Paul Putman, Program Officer, The Cleveland Foundation.

The Community Network Weaving Program will bring lots of exciting new opportunities for engagement and involvement for everyone in our communities. Look forward to seeing new opportunities and ways of connecting with your neighborhood. Here are just a few ideas and projects that are already in the works:
  • Cleveland TimeBank, exchange your skills and services with your neighbors and take money out of the equation.  Join the Cleveland Time Bank on facebook and mark your calendar for the next Time Bank Potluck meeting being held on January 10th at Archwood UCC in Brooklyn Centre;
  • NeighborCircles, a new way of connecting with neighbors directly on your street to build new relationships and improve trust and safety where you live;
  • Workshop and Learning Series, teach and learn from your neighbors about something you are skilled in such as Pierogi-making, Couponing and more;
  • Near West Side Community Council, help us in providing a supportive community for our youth population;
  • Library Resource tables, monthly resource tables at our public libraries where we can all connect and learn about what is happening in our neighborhood; Network Nights, come and connect with others in the Network to share ideas, interests and start to create with what we already have.
Is there something you look forward to sharing with your community? What are you skilled at that you can teach others? Do you have stories about your community that can help celebrate our neighborhood? SCFBC's door, phone lines and e-mail are open and they are calling on you to share your ideas. Click HERE to check out their Google Calendar which has up to date information about upcoming events, happenings and meetings in our neighborhood. Also check out their Facebook page HERE and find community updates, events and more.

Please contact our Community Network Weaver, Juliana Cole, at (216) 961-9073, ext. 229 or jcole@dscdo.org to learn more about the program and to share your thoughts, ideas and vision for the future. Together we can accomplish so much more!

More Information about SCFBC

SCFBC = Stockyard, Clark-Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office

SCFBC Bi-Weeklyn E-newsletter -- Stay in touch with the staff at SCFBC and keep informed of neighborhood activities and opportunities for engagement by receiving their bi-weekly e-newsletter. Sign-up for the newsletter HERE.

SCFBC Staff Listing and contact information:
3167 Fulton Road, #303
Cleveland, Ohio 44109
216-961-9073

SCFBC 2012 Annual Report
2012 Annual Report - Stockyard, Clark-Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office

Monday, December 17, 2012

CMSD issues Four-Year Strategic Plan, seeks community input on implementing Cleveland Plan

NOTICE - Community Meetings, to discuss The Cleveland Plan: Four-Year Implementation Strategy, 6:00 - 8:00 pm at  John Adams Campus on Wednesday (12.19) and Lincoln-West on Thursday (12.20).  See the flyer below:

On December 4th CEO Eric Gordon provided the Cleveland Board of Education a strategy document titled The Cleveland Plan: Four-Year Implementation Strategy.  He stated that the document will be distributed throughout the community to solicit input and feedback.

“This document will drive our transformation work going forward, and when it’s complete, will be a tool for holding us accountable for results,” he said. “I cannot stress enough how important community feedback and input will be as we refine the document that will guide this important work.”

Over the next six weeks, the CEO said CMSD will aggressively engage in the gathering input throughout the community and will revise the strategies in the plan based on the feedback received. The final version is expected to be presented to the board for adoption in mid- to late-January.

The plan can be viewed below and here - The Cleveland Plan: Four-Year Implementation Strategy, Draft for Public Review, Feedback and Input, December 3, 2012.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District THE CLEVELAND PLAN: Four‐Year Implementation Strategy

Media Coverage:

The first two, of what is expected to be multiple community meetings have been scheduled for this week from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at John Adams Campus on Wednesday and Lincoln-West on Thursday.  See the flyer below:



Facilities Plan Information:
In addition to the 4-year Strategic Plan, the District is also in the process of re-evaluating the Facilities Plan.  The most recent report regarding the Facilities Plan through Phase V can be found here (Master Facilities Plan - Excel file).  See also the latest Bond Accountability Report, Program Progress Update 24, dated July 25, 2012.


Other Voices:
In terms of other alternative voices, as reported in the Plain Press in October,  Ohio Communities United issues a report in September to bring attention to the concerns of parents and education reform advocates.  See the Plain Press article for a report on the document and a copy of the document below.

To learn more about the report, please contact Ohio Communities United at 216-262-6343 and ask for Executive Director Mike Foley or Community Organizer Michael Cook, or email michael@ohunited.org or mike@ohunited.org.

Parent group presents its plan at Board of Education meeting
by Chuck Hoven, Plain Press, 10.12.12

(Plain Press, October 2012) Parents of children in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District presented their own educational plan to the Cleveland Board of Education at its September 25th Business Meeting at Tremont Montessori School. The plan titled Speaking Out of School: Parent Voices on Public Education in Cleveland evolved from listening circles involving 100 to 150 Cleveland parents. Working with parents in developing the plan were the community organizing staff of Ohio Communities United. Staff members from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University and the staff of Innovation Ohio helped with the research and writing of the report that was presented to all the members of the Board of Education.  Click here for full article.

See the 23-page document here:
Speaking Out of School Parents Voices on Public Education in Cleveland

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

WC Reed Park (Brooklyn Centre) closed for environmental remediation and renovation


The following communications concerning the closure of WC Reed Park in Brooklyn Centre were issued today -- Please note the community meeting planned for 6:30 pm this coming Monday 12/17 at St. Barbara's Church.

______________________

Given a recent environmental assessment that indicates certain contaminants were found in the soil that exceed standards for recreational use, the site has been closed for environmental remediation and renovation. We take this action in an abundance of caution.

Please see the attached letter and fact sheets regarding the issues found at the site. There will be a community meeting on Monday, December 17, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Barbara’s Church, 1505 Denison Avenue. We hope you or a representative from your organization are able to attend.

Maureen R. Harper
Chief of Communications, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 216-664-4011     

See the following documents (PDF):

2008 & 1951 Aerial Views of WC Reed Park, Brooklyn Center, Ohio

Sources: Google Maps 2008 & Soil Conservation Service, United States Dept. of Agriculture, images PZ-3G-046 and PZ-2G-174 Cleveland Public Library, Map Collection.


1951 Aerial showing pattern of ravines including
the I-71 Metro-curve area north of Riverside Cemetery

1951 Aerial of Lower Big Creek Valley




Monday, November 19, 2012

Local Progress: A National Municipal Policy Network



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                      November 19, 2012
www.localprogress.net                                                             Contact Benjamin Linsley: (347) 985-2374

AFTER MAJOR VICTORIES AT THE POLLS, LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
SHARE BEST IDEAS FOR CREATING A MORE FAIR AND JUST SOCIETY

New coalition of municipal leaders is founded to advance a
progressive vision for America’s cities and towns

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of a historic election, City of Cleveland Councilmember Brian Cummins traveled to the nation’s capital this past weekend to learn about innovative ways that elected officials around the country are strengthening their local economies and providing better public services to their constituents.

Councilman Cummins joined more than 40 other officials from over 30 small towns and large cities representing 20 States to participate in the founding of Local Progress, a new national municipal policy network dedicated to
“broadly-shared prosperity, equal justice under law, sustainable and livable cities, and good government that serves the public interest effectively.”

“I had a busy weekend meeting some very committed public servants and some policy experts from around the country,” Cummins said. “I’m excited to be a founding member of this new network of progressive local leaders which I know will help me in Cleveland develop a more strategic legislative agenda.

Participants began the gathering by discussing ways to rejuvenate the economy through the creation of good, middle class jobs. “We kicked it off with lively presentations about how cities can foster smart economic growth,” said Wilson Goode Jr.,
the Philadelphia City Councilman who led the conversation.  “Everyone agreed that we have to build an economy where workers are paid a living wage with adequate benefits, sick leave, and the security they need to support their families.”

The elected officials discussed ways in which cities can make government services more accessible for immigrants, create green jobs and vibrant livable neighborhoods, empower community residents to participate in city budgeting decisions, and support parents by strengthening schools and making work rules more flexible.

The attendees said they planned to continue sharing best practices online and in person over the coming months and years. “We’re building a movement for a more fair and just society,” said Nick Licata, the Seattle City Councilmember who is chairing the Local Progress network. “And we’re off to an amazing start.”

Local Progress includes two core partner non-profit advocacy organizations: the Public Leadership Institute and the Center for Popular Democracy.

Local Progress founding conference held November 16 - 18, 2012:



L-R: City Councilmembers - David Alvarez (San Diego, CA), Nick Licata 
(Seattle, WA) and Brad Lander (New york, NY)


L-R: City Councilmembers: David Chiu, (San Francisco, CA), Chuck Lesnick 
(Yonkers, NY), Brian Cummins (Cleveland, OH), and Bill Henry (Baltimore MD).
Progressive States Network & Local Progress reception held Friday evening -
Marcus Madison (Councilmember, Elyria, OH) (left) and Dan Ramos
(Rep. House Dist. 56, Lorain, OH).


Summary of Agenda and Speakers,
Local Progress founding conference held 11/16-18/2012:

  • Mary Kay Henry, International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
  • Policy Panel I, Economic justice:  discussion of policies cities can adopt to create and improve the quality of jobs (living wage laws, paid sick days, green jobs, and community benefit agreements).
  • Policy panel II, Strengthening neighborhoods:  discussion of policies cities can adopt to create livable neighborhoods? A discussion of safe and affordable housing, foreclosure accountability from banks, and transportation policy.
  • Jay Williams, White House Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Relations.
  • Policy panel III, Civil rights and immigrant rights:  How can cities ensure that all residents are treated equally and lawfully? A discussion of policies that affect immigrants and people of color.
  • Organizational development discussion and official formation of Local Progress.
  • Voicing Our Values - Message Framing for Progressive Elected Officials : The coauthors of the book Voicing Our Values: A Message Guide for Candidates will offer a highly interactive workshop on research-based language that progressives should use to address a wide range of domestic issues, including highly-controversial matters like abortion, same-sex marriage, immigration, gun control, and voter ID.  See the Policy Resources and sign up for the Message Guide.
  • Joel Rogers, Director of Center on Wisconsin Strategy, who will provide an overview of his work (COWS, Efficiency Cities Network, State Smart transportation Initiative) and demonstrate a brand-new resource for local elected officials, www.ALICElaw.org.



Thursday, November 15, 2012

2012 Annual Report - Stockyard, Clark Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office.

This annual report was issued at the SCFBC's Annual Meeting held at Lincoln West High School on October 11, 2012. For more information about community development programs and services, please call SCFBC at 216-961-9073.  You can also sign-up to receive their bi-weekly e-newsletter by sending them your email address using this form.

2012 Annual Report - Stockyard, Clark-Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office

Friday, November 2, 2012

Mayor Jackson Holds First Energy Accountable for Hundreds of Potentially Hazardous Down Wires.


NEW ADVISORY - City of Cleveland --

Families encouraged to attend City sponsored Big City Boo held at city recreation centers from 6-8 p.m (Children 12 and under). this Saturday, November 3 and to NOT have children trick-or-treating on City streets this Saturday.  The Big City Boo and Trick-or-Treating was postponed from Wednesday to this Saturday, both from 6:00 to 8:00 pm

-------------------------

CLEVELAND - Late last night, the City of Cleveland received information from First Energy regarding potentially hundreds of locations with wires down that could pose a safety risk. The Mayor immediately called a series of conference calls and required First Energy to establish a plan to assess the reported locations and mitigate the risks as quickly as possible. First Energy has been providing hourly updates regarding their progress and have committed to having their review completed by nightfall today.

Due to this information and in light of yesterday’s tragic event with a 12-year-old child being hurt after touching a downed power line, the City of Cleveland is encouraging families with children twelve and under to attend its annual Big City Boo celebrations held at city recreation centers from 6-8 p.m. this Saturday, November 3.

The City of Cleveland is also asking that families refrain from trick or treating in the interest of safety.

“This decision comes out of an abundance of caution to help keep our residents and children safe from harm as we work to resolve the fallout from Hurricane Sandy,” said Mayor Jackson. “We will continue to work to identify and mitigate risks from power lines and restore power to our residents.”

Cleveland Public Power is also required to regularly report its progress regarding downed wires and power restoration to Mayor Jackson. The process of identifying potentially hazardous downed wires is ongoing and the number of reported wires down is constantly changing as we assess each location and we receive new calls.

Friday, 9:00 am 11.2.2012 Superstorm Electricity Outage UPDATE


Cleveland Public Power
CPP estimates that less than 500 CPP customers are without power at this time.
If you are still without power please call 216-664-3156. 

As of 10:00 pm last night CPP crews cleared up all known locations of wires down and had restored service to all known pockets of outage areas on the east side of Cleveland. Damaged mainline wires across the City are being cut, removed and replaced.  The west side saw significant downed trees and branches that impacted feeders, mainlines, transformers, cross arms, single service lines down and other ancillary equipment.

Major areas with mainlines and feeders cleared in the last 12-hours include: East 149 and St. Clair; East 127 and Lancelot;  East 55th and East 66th; Stickney & Galaxy Avenue area. There still may be instances of individual outages or new wire down locations that were identified from CPP's overnight survey of locations with wires down. These are all individual locations being addressed today.

A double shift of Trouble crews worked overnight. Mainline wires were installed at three locations on the west side. Service was restored to St. Patrick’s Church on Bridge and cleveland Animal Protective League. The Trouble crews cut mainlines in the clear in 15 locations on the west side based on info received from visits to 144 “wire down” locations. There were 18 verified locations where mainlines will need to be put up (beyond the 15 that were cut in the clear last night).. About a dozen poles still need to be installed as part of the service restoration process.

Once repairs are completed to the overall CPP infrastructure, efforts will turn to individual locations of service disruptions, where problems like wires down to individual houses or fuses blown on individual pole mounted transformers are causing customers to still be without electricity. The exact number of those locations is unknown and will be primarily driven by outage calls from customers in areas where our primary distribution infrastructure has been repaired.

FirstEnergy (for outages cal 888-544-4877)

There are approximately 17,500 FirstEnergy customers remaining without power in the City of Cleveland.  There are estimates of 58,500 homes in Cuyahoga County that are still without power; 1,770 without power in Lorain County, and 3,700 in Lake County.

Workers restored electricity to about 47,000 customers in a 24-hour period that ended mid-afternoon Thursday.

CITY OF CLEVELAND - Situation Report, 11.2.2012


  • Cleveland Public Power: All feeders back online. Focus is now on primary and secondary wires. Poles have been broken. Most remaining outages are individualized. Hope to be completed by Friday night (11/2/12). Approximately 58 crews working. Reports of child fatally energized by down CEI line in Collinwood area. Reporting outages, down lines: 664-3156.
  • WPC: All pumps back online. Flood water receding, 664-2513
  • Water: Delivery not impacted. Brecksville tower is on generator, tree cleaning still ongoing. Small, precautionary, boil alert in Parma for 3 apartment buildings until tomorrow morning.
  • Mayor's Office: CEI outlined plan for City officials. Still about 22,000 customers without power (Cleveland). Have regular calls scheduled with CEI. Public Works has had over 400 calls for service, 26 right-of-ways still blocked, trash collection on time. Recreation centers - 16 in service as of yesterday (10/31/12) evening. Mayor hosted meeting with Council, CPP, CEI. 11/7/12 public utilities committee meeting – response to this storm will be discussed.
  • American Red Cross - Current shelter update as of 2:30 PM: Cleveland (31 occupants), Brooklyn (17 occupants, facility will be open overnight), Mentor (location changed to reception center at Fairport Harbor 8 am-8 pm), Lorain (shelter going to Avon Lake, open about 7 PM, waiting on address), Lakewood (92 occupants). Still calling for warming/sheltering. No reported security issues. 216-431-3010
    SHELTER LOCATIONS:American Red Cross will staff shelters, provide food, and cots for sleeping. 

    •  Solon Community Center, 
    35000 Portz Parkway, Solon•  Rocky River Civic Center21016 Hilliard Rd. , Rocky River•  Helen Brown Center
    16100 Euclid Ave, East Cleveland
    •  Seven Hills Service and Rec Center, 7777 Summitt View Drive, Seven Hills•  Thurgood Marshall Rec Center, 8611 Hough Ave, Cleveland• Garfield Middle School, 13114 Detroit Rd, Lakewood• Bedford Rec Center, 124 Ellenwood Ave, Bedford• Mentor Senior Center, 8484 Munson Rd., Mentor• Brooklyn Senior Center, 7727 Memphis Ave, Brooklyn
  • United Way 211: Will get specific call numbers in AM. Dial 211.
  • Cleveland Public Health: no new info.
  • Law Enforcement: LE Staffing of shelter (Thurgood Marshall) will be maintained. 621-1234,http://www.facebook.com/ClevelandPoliceDept
  • Cuyahoga County OEM: No further community requests to office.
  • EOC JIC: Developed one page resource list (utilities, etc) as requested by City Council. Still pushing health/safety/debris clean-up messaging. Flooding concerns forwarded to Water Pollution Control.
  • Public Safety: Normal operations for Kennel, Police, Fire, EMS. Police maintained at approximately 12 locations with downed wires. Will send out updates every four hours, beginning at 8 AM. Fire IP phones not working. EMS network connection down. Both are being addressed by OIT/ITS.
  • Dept of Aging: Increasing reports of no power to Aging office.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Canine Wellness Day Sunday 9/23/12




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PRESS PHOTOS
CONTACT:
Becca Britton
Friends of the Cleveland Kennel
216.534.0624
beck2_2@yahoo.com


FREE CANINE WELLNESS DAY FOR WARD 14 RESIDENTS

Cleveland, OH – ASPCA, Cleveland Animal Control, Councilman Cummins and other local partnering organizations are sponsoring a free community event for Ward 14 residents of Cleveland, on Sunday, Sept 23 2012 from 10a-2p.
**Must provide proof of residency to participate.**

This event will feature FREE
-        Vaccinations
-        engraved ID tags & collars
-         ID microchips

There will also be dog food giveaway & free dog trainer consultations.
 This event is for dogs only.

WHEN:
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 2012
10A-2P

WHERE:
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB (WEST SIDE)
3340 Trowbridge Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44109

*This event made possible by:
ASPCA
Badges for Bullies
Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland
Councilman Brian Cummins
City of Cleveland Animal Control
Friends of the Cleveland Kennel
Stockyard, Clark-Fulton, and Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office
Metropet Vet Clinic


For further information on this event, please e-mail Becca Britton at Friends of the Cleveland Kennel: beck2_2@yahoo.com or call 216.274.9480.




Friday, August 10, 2012

Brooklyn Centre Bi-Centennial Home Tour

Click the image for a complete copy (PDF) of the Brochure.



Bi-Centennial Celebration Events This Weekend



Brooklyn Centre Bi-Centennial



This year marks two-hundred years, 1812 – 2012, since the arrival of the first American settlers on the western bank of the Cuyahoga River, in the neighborhood that we now know as Brooklyn Centre.

The Community is commemorating its Bicentennial with exciting activities designed to bring neighbors together through celebratory events (see “What’s Happening,” on page 2), and to educate and encourage local residents and businesses to make physical improvements throughout the neighborhood.

The Bicentennial started on Memorial Day, with a ceremony at the Brooklyn Centre Burying Grounds, located at 2300 Garden Avenue, behind Aldi’s. The Brooklyn Centre Burying Ground’s first interment was in 1823, and the cemetery was deeded with the name Brooklyn Centre when it was founded in 1835. Memorial Day ceremonies have taken place here for the past 33 years. This historic cemetery is the final resting place for many of the neighborhood’s founding families as well as veterans of every major U.S. war. 


UPDATED - 8/13/2015: 
See below for an inclusion of the Brooklyn Historic District and Home Tour Brochures.


Pioneer Life in Brooklyn Township

In May of 1812, Brooklyn Centre’s founder James Fish arrived with his family to settle at what is now the northwest corner of Pearl Road and Mapledale Avenue, in what was to become Brooklyn Township. This was the first American settlement west of the Cuyahoga River in what would become Cuyahoga County.

Brooklyn Township was born out of the Connecticut Western Reserve.  In 1795, land claims were sold from the state of Connecticut to the Connecticut Land Company for $1.2 million.  In 1796, the Land Company sent a team of surveyors, led by Moses Cleaveland, to the Western Reserve to divide the land into 25-mile square townships.

However, settlement of the area was not possible until several U.S. treaties with Native American tribes and frontiersmen were signed.  For the ten year period between 1795 and 1805, the Cuyahoga River was actually the western border of the United States. It was not until the Treaty of Fort Industry was signed in 1805 that land west of the Cuyahoga River was opened for settlement.

James Fish, with his family and two other families, left Groton, Connecticut in 1811. They traveled by oxen team and lumber wagon and arrived in the area of Newburg early in the autumn of 1811. In spring of 1812, James crossed the river and constructed a log house.  In May, he brought his family to their new home. 

By 1818, over 200 people were living in the area surrounding what is now known as the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood.  The process of clearing the forest and developing a village progressed, and the area from the Big Creek to Scranton Road became the center of Brooklyn Township. On June 1, 1818, Brooklyn Township was formally organized. The village of Brooklyn served as the center of the township until the early 1830s. Through the late 1830s, the neighborhood was known as Brooklyn Centre, and was where the region’s settlers came to vote, attend church, and purchase goods. 

From Annexation to the Twentieth Century

From the 1830s until its annexation to Cleveland in 1867, Brooklyn Centre was a fashionable suburb between the forests, farmlands and small towns to the South and the growing city of Cleveland to the north.  This period was also marked by a great immigration from Europe that brought Germans, Irish and others to America. Brooklyn Village boasted highly skilled tanners, shoemakers and other tradesmen and service providers, so that the shops on what is now Pearl Road met all of the village’s needs.

From the 1900s through the end of World War II, Brooklyn Centre served as a refuge from Cleveland’s bustling city center and the more heavily industrialized Cuyahoga River valley. In the early 1960s Interstate Route 71 was built after the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act in 1956. The freeway displaced many families and hastened changes in how and where the residents of the neighborhood conducted their business and did their shopping. 

Recent interest in protecting and revitalizing Brooklyn Center began in the 1940s and extended into the 1980s. The Southwest Citizens Area Council was formed in 1946. Brooklyn Center Community Association, formerly known as Archwood Denison Concerned Citizens, was founded in 1978, as was the Brooklyn Centre Historical Society. In 1981, the Crossroads Development Corporation was formed. The city recognized the historic importance and architectural significance of the neighborhood with the creation of the Brooklyn Centre Historic District in 1984.

This vital neighborhood continues its legacy of transition and activism with the formation of the Friends of Big Creek in 2005, the Brooklyn Centre Naturalists in 2007, and the designation of the new Jones Home National Historic District earlier this year. Activities planned to celebrate the Bicentennial this August will further highlight the neighborhood’s rich history.  
For more information and details about the events planned for the Bicentennial, go to www.brooklyncentre.net and www.brooklyncentre.com/wiki
.  

Compiled by Darren Hamm and Brian Cummins


The following documents can be viewed as larger images or they can be downloaded as PDF documents.






Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Jones Home National Historic District Announced


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2012


*  PRESS CONFERENCE  *

Announcement of new
National Register of Historic Places Designation

Jones Home National Historic District


Cleveland, OH – Councilman Brian Cummins together with local resident leaders, representatives from the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, Cleveland Restoration Society, Applewood Centers Inc., Stockyard, Clark Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office, and other officials, will announce the newly designated Jones Home Historic District, located in Brooklyn Centre.

See her for link to the district description and map.

  • Where:  3000 Daisy Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44109
    (Parking available across the street at Applewood Centers - Jones Campus parking lot)
  • When:   3:00 pm, Friday, July 13, 2012


Brooklyn Centre, Cleveland, Ohio 44109, USA
February 17th, 2012






DISTRICT BOUNDARIES - The District is bounded on the: north by the rear lot lines of the properties on the north side of Woodbridge Avenue; east by West25th Street; south by the rear lot liens of the properties on the south side of Library Avenue; and, west by a line formed by West 39th Street at daisy south to the southern boundary line, and, northward from Daisy, by the rear lot lines of the properties on the east side of Fulton Road.

[Historical Note: Marvin and Daisy Avenues were named after Marvin Lloyd & Daisy Jones of Carlos L. Jones and Betsey Adelia Brainard.  Source Brooklyn-Centre WIKI



HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The area was originally part of the Western Reserve, surveyed by the Connecticut Land Company into part of what became Brooklyn Township in 1818. The earliest settlers of the area west of the Cuyahoga River were the Brainard and Fish families, who settled here in 1812. The lands were developed early in the nineteenth century into farmsteads, with a row of farms facing onto both sides of what is now West 25th Street.

David Jones arrived in 1831 from New Jersey with his wife Cynthia and family, including son Carlos Lloyd Jones and developed a farm on this site. In 1867, as Cleveland extended to just south of Clark Avenue, Brooklyn Village was incorporated, with the Jones Farm sitting on its northern end. In 1872 a plat was entered for the northern portion of the former Jones farm that marked the initial development of the district into a residential community. By 1874 the farmstead was subdivided in a series of plats that all followed the same plan as the original allotment, with fairly broad streets and spacious lots with alleys in the rear.



DISTINCTIVE PLANNING AND HOUSING QUALITY 

The district is significant for its distinctive street pattern of wider streets, compared to the surrounded area, spacious lots and rear lot line alleys that combined with the Jones Home for Children and its spacious park-like setting to stimulate the development of a turn of the century middle class residential neighborhood that survives largely intact today.

District planning was influenced by the streetcar, as the streets were laid out east-west for better access to the streetcar lines along Pearl and Fulton Roads. The streetcars also enabled industrial activity to be located further from the residential community, unlike neighborhoods to the north where factories were often built within walking distance of residences.

The properties within the district are a microcosm of well-preserved examples of American architectural styles during its period of significance, from 1872, when the area was first subdivided, through World War I, when the area was completely developed. The neighborhood is focused around four streets: Woodbridge, Marvin, Daisy and Library Avenues.  The significance of this neighborhood lies in its overall ambience and its relationship to the Jones Home for Children, a major architectural landmark on Cleveland’s west side as its centerpiece.  Most of the houses in the district are of Colonial Revival in style with Queen Anne and other styles interspersed throughout.  There are 745 structures listed within the District with 695 contributing and 50 non-contributing buildings.


THE NOMINATION PROCESS

The process for nomination of the district started in 1994 when the former Clark-Metro Community Development Corporation hired Steve McQuillin, of Steve McQuillin and Associates, to identify potential National Register Historic Districts within its service area. Of three potential districts the consultant identified, the Jones Home Subdivisions Historic District gained the most favor. Others involved in the process included former Councilwoman Helen K. Smith, Cleveland Landmarks Commissioner Robert Keiser, and neighborhood residents.

In 2008 a neighborhood resident worked with the consultant to update the application, and in 2011 Councilman Cummins had the new Stockyards, Clark-Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office put the finishing touches on the document for final submittal. The updated application was approved by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office and forwarded and approved by the National Park Service on February 17th, 2012, making the new district official on the National Register of Historic Places.  The new National District designation and recognition coincides with the larger Brooklyn Centre area’s bicentennial celebration of the original settlement’s founding.  Events for the Brooklyn Centre bicentennial are being planned for the weekend of August 10th and will include a historic home tour which will include structures located in the new Jones Home District.

REF:




Friday, June 15, 2012

Call for Volunteers for Voter Registration & Board of Elections Employment Opportunities



North East Ohio Voter Advocates, a Community-Based Partnership of the Board of Elections Spanish Language Advisory Board, Tú Decides and NOVA, is sponsoring several Volunteer training sessions for Spanish speakers interested in helping get out the vote and amplify the voice of the Latino community.  See the flyer below for details.




Job Opportunities - In addition to seeking volunteers there is also currently a job opportunity at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and they are encouraging people to apply early for paid-poll-worker positions.  Click on the links below for further information about these employment opportunities.
Temporary Registration Clerk  (PDF)
Employment Dates:  Approximately July 9 to July 20, 2012, Deadline - 2:00 pm. Wed. 6/20/2012.


Poll Workers Positions
Applications accepted on-line.

Links: 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Safety Tips & Information

The following information was recently provided by Commander Keith Sulzer, 2nd District Police.  The information represents some of the materials and advice the police have provided for sometime to active and forming block clubs.  If anyone has any questions about the information or would like more information about participating in block club and safety events, please contact Adam Gifford, Community Organizer/Safety Coordinator at 216-961-9073 x 205.

In addition, here are the most recent crime statistics as provided by the Division of Police for some Citywide information as well as specific statistics for the 2nd District.


Also, if you're not yet connected, please consider signing-on to the 2nd District Community Relations Committee's Facebook page.  The site keeps you up-to-date on meetings and events as well as allows users to share community information.  And, bookmark and keep an eye on the new City of Cleveland, Ohio Department of Public Safety blog



Lastly, be sure to sign-up for the Stockyard, Clark Fulton & Brooklyn Centre Community Development Office's Facebook page as well as their bi-weekly e-newsletter - see the most recent edition here.



Thursday, February 23, 2012

Cleveland's waste-to-energy proposal is faulty; new source of pollution, risk of emerging technology; flawed process and doesn't seek to use best practices for waste management

The following is information gleaned from research and documents provided by energy and waste consultants, U. S. EPA and other sources pertaining to reviewing the Cleveland Public Power proposed waste-to-energy facility.  The report attempts to layout and explain the problems with the proposed project and the need to focus on waste source reductions, re-use, composting and recycling, before pursuing expensive and risky waste-to-energy technology.  It is broken into four sub-sections:
  1. Non-standard faulty process and project phasing and development.
  2. Best practices in waste management not being pursued first, project driven by waste-to-energy goal.
  3. Proposed thermal gasification technology and scale is considered emerging, with too many risks and costs that could jeopardize CPP's viability.
  4. Pollution, Environmental Justice issues and need for stronger public education and involvement.
A big thanks to the following organizations as well as the numerous citizens and businesses that have been involved for the last several months in researching and verifying the information enclosed - Environmental Health Watch, Earth Day Coalition, Northeast Ohio Sierra Club, Ohio Citizen Action.  Links to the project doceuments and other sources of information are provided in a previous post here.

Major points of research and concerns about CREG Center


Here are some select excerpts (from 22 pages) that convey the summary:















U.S. EPA states Cleveland waste-to-energy project must be regulated as a major source of pollution; City of Cleveland submits revised plans in attempt to be regulated as minor source of pollution.

U.S. EPA asserts Ohio EPA issued Draft Air Permit in violation of Clean Air Act

In the first of two separate communications today, U.S. EPA sent a letter this morning to the Ohio EPA asserting that the review and processing of the City of Cleveland's permit application for a waste-to-energy facility was done incorrectly by allowing the application to be considered under regulations for a “synthetic minor”, or new minor source of pollution as opposed to more stringent regulations for a new major source.



REF: 2/23/12 U.S. EPA letter (Scribd on-line document or PDF download)

The U.S. EPA cites Section 169(1) of the Clean Air Act and stated in their letter that “Cleveland Public Power falls within the listed source category “municipal incinerators capable of charging more than fifty tons of refuse per day”.

The letter goes on to summarize that the permit application will need to be modified and re-evaluated.  They then provide an extensive list of sixteen additional comments and concerns about the project.

The release of the letter today coincides with the closing of the official public comment period for the Draft Air Permit which was released by the Ohio EPA for the project.

Cleveland Public Power announces scaling back of project and lowering emissions to be regulated as a minor source of pollution

In what appears as a direct response or move based on anticipating the U.S. EPA affirmation today, Cleveland Public Power announced a modification to their plans for the project to lower project air pollution.


The City stated today that they’ll be “reducing the number of gasification lines from 4 to 3, enhancing the proposed air pollution control equipment and increasing the facility’s stack height from 175 feet to 200 feet.”  And, that these enhancements will significantly reduce the maximum annual emissions…by an average of more than 25% and also reduce the predicted maximum air quality impact in the nearby neighborhoods by an average of more than 50%.”

REF: 1) Comments re: Draft Air Permit; 2) Final comments [mark-up] of Draft Air Permit; and, 3) Final emissions & Air Qaulity Impact Comparisons [w/modified emission calculations].

It is unclear by these two separate communications today what the next steps in the process for this project will be.  It is possible that due to today’s U.S. EPA’s assertions the Ohio EPA may be required to re-issue a new draft air permit which would then trigger a new public comment period and process of review.  It would appear that the Cleveland Public Power is attempting to modify their initial application and by reducing the scale of the project, hoping to have the current draft air permit modified and approved with no further public comments or public process.

Meanwhile, Cleveland City Council is still holding a piece of legislation, introduced back on November 4th, 2011 that would authorize between $200,000 and $250,000 to hire a consultant to review a Request for Information and Qualifications that the City issued back in September of 2011.

In terms of the estimated $2.0 million project costs to-date - in addition to the internal project development within Cleveland Public Power and the Division of Waste, there have been three separate trips to Japan to view technology of Kinsei Sangyo Co., Ltd;  there have been multiple feasibility studies that have included a review of the recycling pilot project by R. W. Beck (2008); a feasibility study that looked only at the gasification project proposed by Tien, conducted by RNR Consulting Inc. (2009); and, Peter Tien and his company Princeton Environmental Group were awarded a $1.7 million contract (Scope of Work) to conduct and preliminary design for the facility and to prepare and submit the air permit application.  And, then most recently Cleveland City Council has been asked to approve authorization (Ord. 1574-11) of up to $250,000 for an additional consultant as mentioned above.

UPDATE 2/27/2012 -- The City of Cleveland's Department of Public Utilities issued a contract default  letter to Peter Tien of Princeton Environmental Group that gives him 10 working days to correct deficiencies in his $1.5 million contract for preliminary design and permit application work.

Considering the changes Cleveland Public Power (CPP) has announced today regarding the number of gasifiers/furnaces (they’ve reduced the number from four, two-batch gasifiers (8) and one furnace (4) to three, two-batch gasifiers (6) and one furnace (3); we should expect to receive additional information regarding the amount of waste that is being proposed to be gasified/combusted.  Prior to today’s announcement the amount was approximately 560 tons per day or approximately one-half of the average daily tonnage of waste processed daily by the City.  In addition, we should expect to get updates on potential cost re-calculations and it was anticipated that CPP would be releasing additional information this week on financing operations for the estimated $180 to $300 million project.

Also affected from today’s announcements is likely the amount of power that would be generated from the facility.  The project was initially planned to generate 20 MW of power and then it was downsized to a project 15 MW of power.  It has also been estimated that the facility itself would require 5 MW of power to operate.

Thanks to Congressman Dennis Kucinich for his work in prompting the U.S. EPA's action today as well as the following organizations that have been leading the opposition to the proposed facility as well as the being the major proponents for a more common sense approach to adopting best practices in waste management that create more jobs and are less risky -- Environmental Health Watch, Earth Day Coalition, Northeast Ohio Sierra Club, Ohio Citizen Action, and too all of the residents in the community that have been involved as well!



Congressman Kucinich's Press Conference at Cleveland's Ridge Road Transfer Station, site of the proposed waste-to-energy facility - 2.23.2012