Lee Road Library Closed Due to Flooding

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Main Library expected to re-open Thursday; other branches will remain open Wednesday

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Lee Road Library's basement flooded Wednesday* afternoon, damaging files and old artwork but causing little or no damage to the building, Director Nancy Levin said. Library staff noticed water in the basement at about 1:30 p.m., and Levin ordered the library to close immediately in case the building's electricity and elevators had to be shut off. Water was still rising at that point, she said, and about two inches were standing in the south end of the basement at the flood's peak.  Staff members pitched in to remove files, artwork and blueprints from the file room in the flooded area of the basement. "The staff reacted so quickly," said Levin. The files that were damaged can be copied, she said, and…

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Nikki Ferrell

9:14 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013

Workers were flushing the roof drains, and water backed up into the basement, Levin said.   more ›

Heights Library's New Tech Center to Open June 1

The Lee Road branch will open a new space for patrons to work in the west wing

Heights Library asked community members what they would like to see done with a former gymnasium in its main branch's west wing on Lee Road, and the response was clear: more computers, more work space. So the library listened. This summer, the branch will open the Heights Knowledge & Innovation Center in the space above the Dobama Theatre. The center will be adjacent to the new location of the Small Business Development Center and will have more computers, laptop desks, a small study room, expanded wireless Internet and a special collection of business- and technology-related books and magazines. Some computers will also have software for video and music production. The library will also add an office production room with a copier, …

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Cleveland Heights Author Hosting Book Signing Tonight

Nivi Engineer will talk about her new book, "The Indian Girl's Definitive Guide to Staying Single." She'll also read excerpts from her book at the Coventry Village Library Dec. 11.

In Nivi Engineer's new book, The Indian Girl's Definitive Guide to Staying Single, she portrays parents who are working round the clock to get their kids matched up and married. They use every single seemingly informal interaction as a "Meet and Greet," for example. "At any time, at any place, you may be surprised with a Meet and Greet. Know that any time you come into contact with a boy your age or his parents, you are in a Meet and Greet," Engineer wrote, adding that a mall, restaurant or park can be the setting of such events. But Engineer, who lives in Cleveland Heights and is now married, has a defense plan for this situation and others she writes about in her 80-page book, organized by various rules to follow to help the reader stay …

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Cleveland Heights Working to Make Lee Road Library Crosswalk, Others Safer

The city has started to make a handful of improvements and has more in the works.

The City of Cleveland Heights has begun implementing safety features to the crosswalk in front of the Lee Road Library. Mayor Ed Kelley said city and library officials discussed the safety of that crosswalk a few months ago, but it became a priority after a 23-year-old woman was struck by a car there on the afternoon of Oct. 18. She suffered an ankle injury, said Police Chief Jeffrey Robertson. The city hosted a meeting Oct. 29 to discuss how to prevent an accident like that in the future. "I’m not going to sit around twiddling my thumbs while someone else gets hurt," Kelley said. The city had installed the solar-powered signs in April 2011, hoping to increase safety there. They only flash when pedestrians push a button, unlike other …

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Oxford Elementary, Lee Road Library, Community Center Closed Wednesday Due to Power Outages

All other CH-UH students will have school, branches will be open Oct. 31.

Most Cleveland Heights-University Heights students are heading back to school today. But due to a power outage at Oxford Elementary School, students who attend that school will have another day at home. Lee Road Library also still does not have power. That branch will remain closed. The University Heights, Noble Road and Coventry Village branches will be open at 9 a.m., but patrons will not have computer access. People can check out books and plug in their devices because they have power, but because the Lee Road Library does not have power, the computer system is not available. If the Lee Road Library's power comes back on, it will open at 1 p.m. today. Check the library's Facebook page for updates. The Cleveland Heights Community Center …

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"A Bright New Boise" Comes to Dobama Theatre

Show explores troubled relationship between father and son

Relationships between fathers and sons can often be difficult, but perhaps few are more so than the one that opens this evening at Dobama Theatre beginning at 7:30 p.m. Samuel D. Hunter’s award-winning play “A Bright New Boise” begins its run at the Lee Rd. theater as a father tries to reconnect with a son he gave up for adoption many years ago. Will, a devout evangelical, leaves his small Idaho hometown following a church scandal to work alongside his troubled teenage son, Alex, at the ultra-corporate Hobby Lobby in the city of Boise, Idaho. Along the way, Will encounters an assortment of characters on the job battling demons of their own. While it sounds heavy, director Nathan Motta wants people to understand that Hunter’s play is …

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Cleveland Heights Business Owners: Free Social Media Training

RSVP to Cleveland Heights Patch's Main Street U, to be held 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at the Lee Road Library.

Harvey Pekar Statue Unveiled During Celebration of His Life and Work

The Lee Road Library was packed for the ceremony honoring the late "American Splendor" creator.

The Lee Road Library was filled with family, friends and fans of American Splendor creator Harvey Pekar Sunday afternoon during a celebration of his life and work. The main event was the unveiling of a statue created in his honor. The monument includes a bronze likeness of the late Pekar, who lived in Cleveland Heights and frequented the main branch of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, a desk stocked with art supplies, a few of Pekar's favorite books and a chalkboard where people can leave messages and draw. The ceremony included a biography by Carole Wallencheck, Pekar’s friend and adult services librarian, comments from Joyce Brabner, Pekar’s wife and author, and a presentation from JT Waldman, who collaborated …

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Cleveland Heights Business Owners: Free Social Media Training

RSVP to Cleveland Heights Patch's Main Street U, to be held 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at the Lee Road Library. Scroll down for details.

Cleveland Heights Patch is pleased to announce the launch of Main Street U, a free, two-hour event designed to teach business owners and leaders of organizations how to improve their connection to the community online. Merchants can learn about how to take better advantage of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, with mini-workshops delivered by Patch staffers on how to use Patch and add your own content to the online conversation. Local organizations Lake Erie Ink and the Home Repair Resource Center are among several others who have already signed up. RSVP by filling out the form posted above to attend Main Street U, which is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at the Lee Road Library.   

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WATCH: How The Harvey Pekar Statue Was Made

The Harvey Pekar statue will be unveiled at the Lee Road Library Oct. 14. Before the ceremony, check out this video showing how the statue was made.

Editor's Note: Much of the information in this aritcle was published Sept. 6. Harvey Pekar's widow Joyce Brabner called the Lee Road Library Pekar's "first love and second home." So it's fitting that a statue in his honor will be installed at the main branch of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library next month. A dedication ceremony for the statue is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Lee Road Library. Before the ceremony, check out this video above showing how the statue was made. The acclaimed American Splendor comic book creator and Cleveland Heights resident died in 2010. After he passed, Brabner launched a Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $38,000 for the statue, created by sculptor Justin Coulter. The …

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