If you’ve ever considered contributing an article to the Heights Observer, learn how in our upcoming online seminar

How to Write for the Observer
Thursday, Jan. 21
7 – 8:15 p.m.

Bob Rosenbaum, a lifetime Cleveland Heights resident, an award-winning journalist and editor with more than 30 years of background in publishing and media management, will lead the webinar. He is principal of The MarketFarm, a consultancy that focuses on strategic communication and the use of content in community and nonprofit marketing. He is co-chair of the Heights Observer Advisory Committee, volunteers as an editor and writer, and manages advertising sales. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism (BSJ) from Northwestern University.

Agenda:

1. What the Observer publishes
2. How community organizations can leverage it
3. How to submit contributions
4. A simple process to make writing easier

Register

Thank you to all who participated in the survey, sent in video clips and attended “Electing Our First Mayor: Moving Cleveland Heights Forward” on Feb. 3, 2021.

FutureHeights and Citizens for an Elected Mayor hope that participants found the discussion engaging and that candidates for all local elected offices will find the dialogue helpful as they develop their platforms.This is an important time for Cleveland Heights as voters prepare to directly elect a mayor for the first time in our 100 year history.

A video recording of the forum is available to view on the FutureHeights YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/dCfgizC88xM.

Stay tuned for more ways to continue the discussion.

Neighbors sit down, share stories, and talk honestly to learn what divides us and what brings us together in the cities of Cleveland Heights and University Heights.
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We invite you to participate in Heights Conversations: Let’s Talk about Race.  Each small group will be facilitated by trained facilitators.

Like an increasingly polarized country, The Heights is faced with issues of race and equity, discrimination, poverty and political division. We recognize that we’re seeing racial disparities throughout our community, but we also see an opportunity. The Heights is filled with amazing people, and these conversations can serve as a place to help talk with and listen to your neighbors and discuss ways to build bridges and solutions to help all people live as equal citizens in our community.

While we would prefer to sit together for these conversations, we continue to follow the guidance of public health professionals who recommend we not gather together in large groups.  For this reason we will be hosting this event on the ZOOM platform.  After you register to participate you will receive an email from info@heightscongress.org with the ZOOM information.  Please don’t share this info with others, instead ask everyone to register so that we can have an accurate head count and assign everyone to a small group.

Coordinating the Heights Conversations is a group of representatives from The Heights Community Congress, FutureHeights, Reaching Heights, Heights Libraries, Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, and the Home Repair Resource Center. The goal of this event is to raise awareness of our communities’ challenges with race, racism, and equity, and to begin generating ideas for positive change while building community.

To learn more, or sign up, visit https://heightscongress.org/heights-conversations.html.

Save the date for our 2020 Annual Meeting, which will be held virtually/via Zoom on Wednesday, July 29th @ 4pm. Learn more about some of our key programs, including updates on the Cedar Lee Mini-Park, Noble Road Corridor Project, FutureHomes Program and more — including an opportunity for community members to vote for one of our mini-grant recipients to receive some additional funding for their neighborhood projects.

Register here.

THIS EVENT IS FREE and open to the public.

Join us on Zoom or Facebook Live on Thursday, July 23rd, at 7 p.m. for a conversation with CH Council Member Kahlil Seren and community organizer and representative from Safer Heights,Tatyana Atkinston, facilitated by FutureHeights Board Member Pastor Anthony Mattox. We’ll learn about and discuss local responses to national instances of police brutality and social injustices that we’ve all witnessed far too long, and far too often. We are grateful to have this opportunity to learn about conversations happening in our community–from the grassroots to the policy level—and hear from visionary leaders about the work to build a just and safe community for all. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held virtually.

Register here:

Like many across the nation, we at FutureHeights are appalled by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and similarly troubling incidents elsewhere. We stand in solidarity with people of color, who have endured injustice and inequality for far too long. As a grass-roots, citizen-based organization, FutureHeights has worked for decades to engage and empower all residents, regardless of race, age, income and gender. With a mission “to inspire and facilitate collaboration and empowerment across our communities to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for Cleveland Heights and University Heights,” we know that this cannot be achieved until all voices and experiences are valued and respected. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to our key values—among them “diverse, inclusive, active and informed citizen participation in community decision making.” Despite our past efforts, we know we can do better and are committed to doing so. Our staff, board and volunteers will work even harder to incorporate the principles of racial equity, diversity and inclusion in all of our work and nurture an environment that reflects and supports the entire community we serve.

Heights residents, please refer to our Covid-19 Resource Guide for clickable links and information related the impact of the global pandemic on our communities.

If you have additional resources you think would be important to include, please e-mail info@futureheights.org.

Show your appreciation for the many amazing local businesses in the Heights by voting for your favorites in the FutureHeights 2020 Best of the Heights Awards contest!

There are 12 categories for this year’s ballot, including Best New Restaurant or Bar, Best New Business (other) and Best Heights Vibe. Vote online or fill out the paper ballot that will appear on the back cover of the January and February print issue of the Heights Observer and return it to the FutureHeights office by mail or e-mail.

Voting will conclude Feb. 15 and winners will be announced in the April issue of the Heights Observer.

All Cleveland Heights and University Heights businesses are eligible to be nominated for each of the categories.

Since 2005, FutureHeights has conducted the Best of the Heights to recognize the unique attributes of locally owned Heights businesses, and their contributions to the local economy.

FutureHeights is grateful to its members and donors who have made 2019 an amazing year. Learn more by reading this year’s Annual Report.

On July 18, FutureHeights shared the consultants’ latest iteration of the Noble Road Corridor Plan. See the presentation here.

Give us your feedback on the plan here: https://conta.cc/2XVpSyZ