Heights Guitars Closes Its Doors the Turkey Ridge CRA, Ordinance No
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E Volume 7 FREE ON E Number 4 TAK April 1, 2014 HEIGHTS OBSERVER READ LOCAL. SHOP LOCAL. Published by Written by volunteers for Cleveland Heights and University Heights • Read more at www.heightsobserver.org INSIDE Sweet Melissa opens first East Side restaurant in UH 11 St. Baldrick’s James Henke event raises more than Sweet Melissa, the restaurant that has $100,000 become something of an institution on Cleveland’s West Side, finally has a loca- tion on the East Side. The new Sweet Melissa is on John Carroll Boulevard in Fairmount Circle in University Heights. 13 It’s in the space previously occupied by Krista Hawthorne the North Park Grill, and it opened on is new Reaching March 24. Heights director The restaurant had a “soft” opening the weekend before its official open- KE ing, and on Friday night, the place was N packed. Matthew Ullom, the owner of Sweet JAMES HE Restaurant owner Matthew Ullom with his wife, Melissa. 15 Melissa, said that the building’s owners wanted a restaurant in the space, and taurant was named after his wife Melissa, Heights High place “that had healthy choices, a nice junior Emoni they thought that Sweet Melissa was a who had also worked at Max’s, as a server. atmosphere and could be a neighbor- Brown-Bey to perfect fit for the community and for In fact, the couple met at the deli some hood place.” The restaurants are open study in Japan John Carroll University. “We always kept 18 years ago. They now live in Bay Village, seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch our eyes open in case the right opportu- and have four children: Kaden, 11; Emilia, and dinner. nity came about,” Ullom said. “And after 9; Beatrice, 6,; and Eloise, 4. They also Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. on visiting the site, we thought that the area have a dog, Jake, a Labradoodle. weekdays and until 2 p.m. on Saturday was very similar to Rocky River, where Ullom also owns Café Melissa in and Sunday. On Sunday, both locations 25 our other restaurant is located.” Avon Lake. “It’s smaller than the Sweet also offer a brunch, which includes eggs, Mickie McGraw: Ullom opened the first Sweet Me- Melissas, and has a lighter feel to it,” he potatoes, toast, a choice of sausage pat- art therapy lissa on Detroit Road in Rocky River in said. “It has more of an outdoor feel.” ties or Applewood smoked bacon, and pioneer April 2008. It replaced Max’s Deli, where As for the Sweet Melissa restau- a cup of fruit with a scone, all for eight he had been a kitchen manager. The res- rants, Ullom said he wanted to create a continued on page 8 Heights High spring concert season highlights Cleveland Heights senior soloists Council votes to create Turkey Ridge CRA Florence D’Emilia Deanna Bremer Fisher The Cleveland Heights High School Instrumental Music Department Cleveland Heights City Council voted (IMD) spring concert series includes to create the Turkey Ridge Community eagerly awaited performances by se- Reinvestment Area (CRA), granting tax nior soloists, a tradition that started abatement to two economic develop- in 1929. ments projects, at its March 3 meeting, Ben Sperl and Josh Perelman-Hall on third reading. Council passed the showcase the breadth and depth of measure 6-1, with Council Member Jeff the music program at Heights High. Coryell casting the dissenting vote. Both are experienced musicians. “Income tax provides more than ALL H - Deliver to addressee or current Deliver resident 50 percent of the city’s revenues,” said On Friday, May 2, double bassist N Ben Sperl will perform “Fantasy on Mayor Dennis Wilcox in explaining his ERELMA Themes from La Sonnambula” by P reason for voting for the ordinance. “I ID VV A asked myself, ‘Will the city be better Giovanni Bottesini. He will be ac- D companied by the string section of This year’s Heights High senior soloists are Josh today with or without this project?’ ” the Heights High Symphony, under Perelman-Hall on tenor sax and Ben Sperl on “I have deep misgivings about this double bass. the direction of Daniel Heim. legislation,” said Coryell. “I am not con- “[Fantasy] is probably one of the cause “it’s flashy and fun, and really vinced that the proposed Turkey Ridge most challenging pieces for bass,” melodic and singing with lots of fast town homes are the type of development FutureHeights FutureHeights #103 Lee Road 2163 Heights, OH 44118 Cleveland said Sperl. He selected the piece be- continued on page 19 upon which such a large incentive—a 15-year, 100 percent property tax abate- ment—should be lavished.” Heights Guitars closes its doors The Turkey Ridge CRA, Ordinance No. 8-2014, includes three sections of properties. James Henke The closing came as a shock to the The first are vacant parcels along Edgehill store’s employees. Darrell Branch, one Road, currently owned by the city, that are Heights Guitars, the independent gui- of the store’s managers, said he got a planned for development as 10 housing units, tar store that had been a fixture in the call from the store’s owners on Monday, with starting prices of $600,000. These Cedar Lee Business District since 1992, March 3, telling him they were closing units are eligible for 15-year, 100 percent KE has closed its doors. the store. The next day, they began N abatement on improvements that raise the A post on the store’s Facebook page clearing everything out of the store. value of the property. The prior value of the AMES HE J stated in part: “We are closing, don’t Samantha Wandtke, the store’s Heights Guitar store managers Samantha Wandtke land itself will remain taxable. know how else to say it, our sister store other manager, was visibly upset by and Darrell Branch. The city signed a letter of intent au- is staying open and doing well, any con- the closing. Both she and Branch said thorizing the sale of the land to Visconsi signments/repairs will need to be picked they had no idea the store would be acknowledged that the store hadn’t been Companies for development, subject to up, we’re making the calls, or call us to shut down. They blamed the closing on performing as well as it had in the past, passage of tax abatement, last fall. The set up time. Any gift certificates or trade competition from the big-box musical- but both nonetheless said they were city discussed the Turkey Ridge project slips can be used at the Toledo shop, or instrument retailers, including Sam surprised by the decision to close it. with the CH-UH Board of Education at u can come pick up a check. .” Ash and Guitar Center. The managers continued on page 12 continued on page 6 Heights Observer April 1, 2014 1 www.heightsobserver.org OPINION Letters Policy The Heights Observer welcomes letters to the editor. They must be FutureHeights seeks to engage residents submitted electronically, along with the writer’s name, phone number and e-mail address, to: through public forums and speakers www.heightsobserver.org/members or e-mail: [email protected] OPENING On May 7, FutureHeights will hold planning as the act of residents—and HEIGHTS OBSERVER THe OBSeRveR its annual meeting at the Cleveland other stakeholders—coming together The Heights Observer is a citizen-based news source Heights Community Center. We’ve to think about the opportunities and published monthly by FutureHeights, a nonprofit, invited Jamie Greene, principal of the challenges facing their neighborhoods 501(c)3 organization dedicated to civic engage- ment and quality of life. Columbus-based firm Planning Next, and work out potential solutions. It’s a 2163 Lee Road, #103, to speak about neighborhood planning. grassroots process that may involve city Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 Deanna Bremer Fisher 216-320-1423 The annual meeting is open to the pub- staff or professional consultants, but is Copyright 2012 FutureHeights, All rights reserved. lic and Heights residents are invited and not led by them. Having a plan enables In addition to publishing the Heights Reproduction is forbidden without written permission. encouraged to attend. a neighborhood to be proactive, rather Observer, FutureHeights encourages PUBLISHER What is neighborhood planning? than reactive, and to respond quickly to Deanna Bremer Fisher civic engagement by hosting speakers [email protected] In the words of Bernie Jones, author of both opportunities and threats. It may and facilitating public forums. Editor-IN-CHIEF Neighborhood Planning: A Guide for Citi- become a catalyst for action, either by On April 1, FutureHeights will Kim Sergio Inglis zens and Planners (APA Planner’s Press, the city or residents themselves. [email protected] host a public forum entitled “Snow, Chicago, 1990): “If residents are to have Look for more information about ADVERTISING Sidewalks and Shovels.” In the past, any impact on their surroundings, they our annual meeting in the weeks to Bob Rosenbaum we’ve published articles about keep- 216-401-9342 need to develop a plan for its future, come. In the meantime, if you have an [email protected] ing our sidewalks clear for pedestrians rather than trusting their interests will idea for a community forum or want during the winter, and many residents Editorial advisorY coMMITTEE be taken into account and protected by more information, call the Future- have weighed in on the importance Deanna Bremer Fisher, Carrie Buchanan, David Budin, those various large decision makers. If Heights office at 216-320-1423. Jeff Coryell, Greg Donley, James Henke, Eleanor Mallet, of doing so given our commitment Jewel Moulthrop, Vince Reddy, Bob Rosenbaum, Kim Sergio residents wish to be empowered, they to being a walkable community.