It's the Sunday before Christmas and all through the streets, not a creature was stirring, not even a customer.  This is not poetry or haiku; it's reality. 

At Big Fun, we've had some decent "rushes," but not the crowds that we are used to at this time of year.  Friends in other cities have shared the same stories.  There is still hope.  People are starting to think twice about where they shop and who they want to support.  Please continue to spread the word and we all will be better for it.

I had the honor of attending the Height’s High production of Leonard Bernstein’s "West Side Story" on November 7 and 9. I came to the show to support my son in his first performance. My son attends Oxford Elementary School and was a member of the choir. The choir provided vocals for “America” and “One Hand, One Heart.” I came expecting to see the typical high school play, what I saw was a Broadway quality production.

Dominion East Ohio Gas is a trustworthy company. Do not be so sure when buying their water heater repair and replacement plan for $4.95 a month. You may end up spending more than if you hired a private plumber.

Remember when Bill Clinton tacked up the Post-it® note that reminded him, “it’s the economy, stupid?” This clear focus helped him win the presidency.

For the Heights schools the focus is “the instructional core.” And the goal is a high level of student achievement across the board.

Cleveland Heights resident Ralph Solonitz (artist/writer) was born in 1947 in Munich, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors. He began doodling very early on...first in German and a few years later in his new language English. His father gave him motivational advice..."stop your doodling, you are vasting time and vill amount to nutting". Fast forward 55 years, thousands of dollars in therapy and he still can't stop doodling.

Every presidential election seems “the most important ever.” This happens because the stakes keep getting higher. In this election, I support Senator Barack Obama because I believe he will lead our country toward sustainability in a world where everything is going wrong at the same time.

With the financial crisis and the decline of Cleveland’s economy, we need a president with a record of accomplishing real reform, who understands our problems and knows what needs to be reformed.  John McCain is that man.

As a senior at Cleveland Heights High School, it is a very important year for me. Fall of senior year is the time when you begin applying for colleges and scholarships; taking the SATs and ACTs, and making sure your grades are up to par, not to mention involvement in school activities. This is the time when I begin making all of the important decisions that will affect my life. However, there is one more thing that will make my senior year all that more important: being able to vote for the first time in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Cleveland Heights resident Ralph Solonitz (artist/writer) was born in 1947 in Munich, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors. He began doodling very early on...first in German and a few years later in his new language English. His father gave him motivational advice..."stop your doodling, you are vasting time and vill amount to nutting". Fast forward 55 years, thousands of dollars in therapy and he still can't stop doodling.

The Cleveland Jewish Federation is moving to the suburbs...

out of the city they are part of. 

Cleveland Heights resident Ralph Solonitz (artist/writer) was born in 1947 in Munich, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors. He began doodling very early on...first in German and a few years later in his new language English. His father gave him motivational advice..."stop your doodling, you are vasting time and vill amount to nutting". Fast forward 55 years, thousands of dollars in therapy and he still can't stop doodling.

I got concerned when I first heard about the charter review commission for University Heights.

I wanted to know where the idea came from. And more importantly, I wondered why now?

A partial answer comes from council members Steven Bullock, Frank Consolo and Kevin Murphy when they said in the Sun Press that they are interested in a city manager form of a government.  This would require changing the charter. The review commission is the first step.

Saturday morning, August 16, was one of those clear and sunny Northeast Ohio mornings that makes you wonder why anyone would go anywhere else for a summer vacation. It seemed as if half the population of the Heights was out walking, jogging, gardening, or just taking in the day.

The conditions were especially good for a long bike ride, and many cyclists (myself included) spent a few hours on the road that morning. One of us didn't make it home. Miles Coburn was hit and fatally injured at the intersection of State Route 44 and Music Street in Newbury Township.

School reform isn't new to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District. Over the last six years, district educators have been engaged in intensive reflection, research, planning and action guided by more than a dozen educational experts. The process has led to a powerful transformation in expectations and practices, right under our noses! As a result, the schools are on a course that is forward thinking, great for kids and empowering to educators.

In the 1980s, homebuyers saw real estate as a precious commodity. Double-digit interest rates were the norm and the prospect of getting into a home was a lifelong proposition. Achieving the American dream was not easy.

Something changed in the mid-1990s: incomes spiked, interest rates tumbled, and the perception of real estate changed. By the early 2000s we had become a country of quick flippers. Loads of average people tried to win big by buying property at low prices, sinking small amounts of capital into improvements, and then reselling the house for a big gain. It was a win-win for everybody. Communities collected more property tax income while flippers modeled the American dream quickly by moving into bigger and better homes.

Cleveland Heights resident Ralph Solonitz (artist/writer) was born in 1947 in Munich, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors. He began doodling very early on...first in German and a few years later in his new language English. His father gave him motivational advice..."stop your doodling, you are vasting time and vill amount to nutting". Fast forward 55 years, thousands of dollars in therapy and he still can't stop doodling.

It’s getting harder and harder to think globally and shop locally. Armed with my laptop and debit card, I made a stop at my locally-owned and operated pharmacy this morning only to find that a CVS in a neighboring city had swallowed it up. I say “my” pharmacy because I always had a chat with whoever was working behind the counter, I never had to wait long for a prescription, and I usually ran into someone I knew. All that was no more.

Captured at the intersection of Fairmount Blvd. and Coventry Road is a Smart car surrounded by six gigantic SUV's. One wonders how a paleontologist would interpret this scene.

Cooperation, collaboration, regionalism and partnerships are at the top of every community’s “to do” list these days. Far too often, however, communities fail in these efforts. In Cleveland Heights (CH) and University Heights (UH), some of these activities may actually happen as city leaders and citizens begin to discuss the very real potential for a CH/UH merger. So what does it take to merge and why would our two cities entertain such a notion?