Discard Documents Safely This Weekend

The Lee Road Library will offer free shredding services this Saturday.

Residents who have documents they'd like to discard safely need not worry — Lee Road Library will host a free shredding day from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Buckeye Industries, a local non-profit, will collect the sensitive papers and shred them at an offsite facility. For those who can't make it this Saturday, the City of Cleveland Heights will also offer free shredding services at the City Hall Parking lot from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 19. For more information, visit the Heights Libraries website and the City of Cleveland Heights website.

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Share Your Thoughts On The New Cleveland Heights Website

The redesigned clevelandheights.com is live. What do you think about the page?

The redesigned website for the City of Cleveland Heights is live. The makeover for clevelandheights.com has been in the works since the city hired Vision Internet to modernize its page last June. The site was supposed to be unveiled last fall but was delayed because the company wanted to add more interactive features, Mayor Ed Kelley said in November. Cleveland Heights Patch will provide more details soon, but for now, we'd like to know what you think. Visit the site, and after, take our poll and share your thoughts below.

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City Manager's Swift Departure Remains A Mystery

Do you think residents are owed an explanation?

Former Cleveland Heights City Manager Bob Downey's swift departure remains a mystery. His resignation letter, dated April 12, gave no indication for why he was resigning. And he left a day later, did not attend the council meeting to hear officials' kind words about his service and he did not receive a proclamation. Mayor Ed Kelley said he did not know of Downey's plans in advance. Downey did not return calls or emails from Cleveland Heights Patch. In contrast, when longtime Cleveland Heights Finance Director Tom Malone retired, he was given a proclamation, complete with a shamrock to honor his Irish heritage. Council members thanked him for his service. His wife was there, and he became overwhelmed with emotion. He even played the …

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City Says Goodbye To Bob Downey; Does Not Give Reason For Resignation

City Council members approved Downey's resignation and appointed Vice City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil as acting city manager.

Cleveland Heights City Council members said goodbye to former City Manager Bob Downey, but he was not there to hear their kind words. Downey, who worked for the city for more than 30 years, submitted his resignation letter, dated April 12, to Mayor Ed Kelley, and wrote that his last day would be effective in 24 hours. He did not cite a reason and did not attend Monday night’s regular council meeting. Kelley said he had no indication Downey, who retired in 2008 and was rehired, was planning to resign. He thanked him for his service to the city. “I do want to thank Bob. I wish him and his family good health and happiness in the years to come,” Kelley said during the meeting. Later, he said, “I’m very confident that Bob will land on his feet…

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Michael Conkey

4:14 pm on Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I agree with you Fran. If this was his decision then he shouldn't be paid a dime more. Any place I worked, if you don't give enough notice (more then two weeks) you lose your vacation pay and sick hours should never be paid out, Oh yea I'm sorry he's a goverment worker.   more ›

Cleveland Heights to Receive More Block Grant Money Than Anticipated

The city will get about $250,000 more and will likely use it to pay for street and water line maintenance

Cleveland Heights City Council members have made it no secret that cuts made by the federal government to the vital Community Development Block Grant hurt the city. But they finally got some good news. The city will receive about $250,000 more in block grant money than officials originally thought. The program helps pay for street and sewer maintenance, housing programs, youth programs, food banks and senior programs, just to name a few. Nancy McLaughlin, development officer in the Cleveland Heights Department of Planning and Development who administers the grant, has to guess several months in advance what the Cleveland Heights allocation will be. Her decision comes in August, but the actual number sometimes isn’t released until as late …

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linda jenkins

10:27 am on Friday, February 3, 2012

Hope South Taylor will get some of these monies for a project that's more people friendly .   more ›

City To Offer Property Owners Vacant Lots For $100 Plus Other Costs

Cleveland Heights City Council approved a new ordinance that allows City Manager Robert Downey to sell some of the city-owned residential spaces for $100 plus closing costs

Cleveland Heights owns several vacant, residential lots around the city. And that number is only going to grow as more homes destroyed in the foreclosure crisis are bought by the city through various grants and are demolished. In order to get rid of some of that land, the city is offering some of the bare yards it doesn't plan to use to the owners of adjoining properties for $100 plus closing costs. Cleveland Heights City Council passed an ordinance at Tuesday night’s meeting with new procedures for transferring the titles of city-owned lots that won’t require approval from council members. “Neighbors have put up with eyesores next to them probably for years,” said Vice Mayor Dennis Wilcox after the meeting. Residents will now be able buy …

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Michelle Simakis

9:44 am on Friday, January 20, 2012

Once the program starts, I'm going to ask council about that based on some specific examples and sales. I'll ask about the closing costs, additional property taxes, how many people have expressed interest and the number of vacant lots they own that they want to offer to the adjoining property owners. Some of the details weren't available at the meeting. Thanks for reading, Ted. I am not sure if I…   more ›

Mayor Ed Kelley: It’s Time To Take Our Streets Back Here in Cleveland Heights

Kelley spoke at the Cleveland Heights City Council meeting Jan. 3 about his goals and concerns

Cleveland Heights City Council voted to appoint Ed Kelley to his eighth term as mayor at the Jan. 3 meeting. Council votes on a mayor and vice mayor every two years. During the meeting, Kelley discussed his concerns and goals. Here is his statement from that meeting: I would like to thank my family for all their support during the last eighteen years that I have served on City Council. Without your love and support, I could not serve on this City Council. To my wife, Mary Beth, thank you for your continued patience and guidance on this journey.  To my friend and supporter, Judge Anthony Russo, thank you for swearing me in tonight. I want to thank Dennis Wilcox and Cheryl Stephens for demonstrating their support for me by their nominations…

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Tara Pesta

10:34 am on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Regarding the police adapting their techniques, I've heard that they are monitoring social media to stay aware of any potential large gatherings, etc. They also have begun posting updates on Twitter for sharing quick messages with the community. I've personally seen two large groups of teens gathering at Cain Park recently, and there were multiple police cars there just keeping an eye on things. …   more ›

5 Things You Need to Know Today

5 Things You Need to Know About Cleveland Heights This Week

Heights Libraries closed Friday, CHUH superintendent to speak about report cards and more

1. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library system will be closed Friday for Staff Day. Branches will reopen Saturday. 2. The city of Cleveland Heights is celebrating the city’s partnership with Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business and the Small Business Development Center, which moved its offices into City Hall in February. The reception will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall. 3. The Cleveland Heights Community Center is now accepting team entries for the 2011-2012 women’s and men’s basketball leagues. For information and entry forms, call Larry Shaw at 216-691-7260. 4. The Friends of the Heights Library has organized a community art contest. The piece of artwork must be based on the theme “books …

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Curfew Debate Continues at City Council Meeting

About 50 or 60 people packed Cleveland Heights Council Chambers to weigh in on the controversial law

The new curfew ordinance in Cleveland Heights continues to be a hot topic. More than 50 people packed into Council Chambers at Monday’s regular council meeting, some to share their thoughts on the new law that sets curfew at 6 p.m. for people under 18 in the Coventry and Cedar Lee business districts, with several exceptions. And a group of people protested outside of City Hall shortly before the meeting, some who were concerned the law would target black youth. “I’m worried there will be an unfair application of this law, and it will go against black kids,” said Cleveland Heights resident Valerie Robinson. “I think it’s repressive and counter-productive, and I want to know, what have the events that took place at a public gathering of 25,…

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Video: Cleveland Heights Poet Laureates Share Their Work at City Council Meeting

Newly appointed poet laureate Cavana Faithwalker and former poet laureate Gail Bellamy read poems at the City Council meeting

Heights Arts appoints a new poet laureate for the city of Cleveland Heights every two years. This year, the nonprofit arts organization chose Cavana Faithwalker for the role.  Poet laureates share their work and promote the creative writing form in the community, said Peggy Spaeth, executive director of Heights Arts. Gail Bellamy, the city's most recent poet laureate, introduced Faithwalker, and each read a poem at the City Council meeting April 20. 

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