City’s Paint Refund Program starts Kid’s Corner Ordinance to toughen marijuana possession SPORTS MENU TIPS Mayor Frank G. Jackson recently announced that Councilman Zack Reed, Ward 3, recently sponsored Cleveland’s popular Paint Refund Program begins on Wednes- Aaronia Jones, who is a charm- legislation to toughen Cleveland’s law regarding the posses- sion of marijuana. Reed proposed to increase the penalty for day, May 1st. “The city of Cleveland invites its residents to ing nine-year-old, is a third grader at Cavs Have ‘Sweep Joy Of Soy Tasty improve the exterior of their homes with a fresh coat of paint possession of less than 100 grams of marijuana. Currently, any- Dreams’ For Wizards And Good For You this summer through the city’s 2007 Paint Refund Program,” Charles Dickens Middle School. She likes one caught with less than 100 grams of the illegal substance is Jackson said. “We have been able to help thousands of Cleve- math and enjoys playing video games. charged with a minor misdemeanor, which is a ticketable of- land homeowners through this program. It improves neighbor- Jones’ favorite food is greens. She is fense. Under the new law, anyone in possession of less than 100 grams of marijuana will be charged with a misdemeanor of the hood image and pride, and increases quality of life throughout the daughter of Aaron Jones and Felicia See Page 6 See Page 7 Cleveland.” For information on the Paint Refund Program, call fourth degree, which is punishable by a maximum of three days (216) 664-2045 or (216) 664-4053. Chandler. She has a brother, Jamar. Jones in jail and a $100 fine. EVOL.ASTSID 28 No. 17 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 - Friday, May 4, 2007E NEWDaily S ISSUED FRIDAY FREE FREE SERVING: LARCHMERE - WOODLAND, SHAKER SQUARE, BUCKEYE, WOODLAND, MT. PLEASANT, LEE & AVALON, HARVARD - LEE, MILES - UNION, UNIVERSITY CIRCLE AREA, READ ON - WRITE ON WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, VILLAGES OF NORTH RANDALL, HIGHLAND HILLS AND CITY OF EAST CLEVELAND READ ON - WRITE ON “COVERING THE NEWS TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW” Saint Luke’s to get makeover By GEORGE GOLDMAN columns lining the front, will be ity of St. Augustine Health System, renovated for various uses. which was the last owner of Saint After being vacant since Plans are not yet final- Luke’s, is providing the $6 million April of 1999, the 474 bed Saint ized for the brick hospital build- needed to demolish buildings and Luke’s Hospital will have por- ing, though Hoddersen said it clean up the site. tions of its campus demolished will include 140 to 210 apart- As demolition continues, in a $75 million effort to reha- ments, some of which will be set the Cleveland city schools this bilitate and re-use the 28 acre aside for senior citizens. summer will begin construction on site at E. 116th Street and Shaker The number of apart- the new Harvey Rice Elementary Boulevard. ments will depend on other School on a five-acre parcel of the The plan to redevelop potential uses for the 300,000- Saint Luke’s land. the Saint Luke’s property has square-foot structure, which The $13.6 million school been created by the nonprofit could include classrooms, com- will serve 450 students in kinder- development corporation Neigh- mercial space and a health club, garten through eighth grade. Its borhood Progress Inc. Hoddersen said. The building’s opening is set for fall 2008. The The group has plans to auditorium also will be renovated original Harvey Rice Elementary turn the site into a community for use by the community. at 11529 Buckeye Road has been gathering place to make way for According to Hodder- razed. a school, public library, housing sen, financing for the project will The school is expected to and a park. come from public and private share the Saint Luke’s site with the Saint Lukes Hospital at E. According to Eric Hod- sources, including foundations, new Harvey Rice Branch Library. 116th St. and Shaker Blvd. is cur- dersen, president of New Vil- the state and federal governments According to John Hop- rently in the process of having parts of its original building demolished lage Corporation, a development and developers. kins, executive director of the to make room for the Harvey Rice arm of Neighborhood Progress He also said Neighbor- Buckeye Area Development Corpo- School and the Rice Branch Library Inc. which now owns the Saint hood Progress Inc. will apply for ration, in the middle of the campus to be built on part of the property. Luke’s property, said, demoli- government grants for projects will be a park with a playground The hospital which had 474 beds tion work has started on three once it decides what will go into and an amphitheater for school and has sat vacant since its closing in April of 1999. Demolition has al- buildings on the property. the main hospital buidling be- community use. Hopkins has been ready started on the back of the hos- He also said the 80- sides apartments. working with the Neighborhood pital removing additional buildings year-old main hospital building, University Hospitals Progress Inc. on the Saint Luke’s added on to the original property. with its clock tower and stately Health System Sisters of Char- project. The Clock Tower will be the only remaining of the hospital. TeleHighway robbery taking place in Ohio By R.T. ANDREWS the House but was derailed in the their ability to secure political influ- Senate. ence by investing in legislative al- Cleveland was once the Undeterred, the industry lies. big dog among Ohio cities. That giants, led by AT&T and Verizon, Second, the highly techni- status has long since passed to Co- began a state-by-state effort that has cal nature of the industry helps to lumbus, where a distant legislature met with much success. A recent obscure the basic nature of the heist makes laws that often come back victory in Michigan presaged the in- of public assets. to bite us. dustrial march into Ohio. Third, a multi-million While Ohio’s largest Cable companies have for dollar advertising campaign is al- daily newspaper is predicting dire some time been using their beefed- ready underway in Ohio, using front consequences if the General As- up infrastructure to offer services groups to shill for the industry. sembly prescribes limits on how that have cut into the market share of In Ohio, the legislation has close strippers can come to busi- more traditional telephone compa- been introduced as Senate Bill 117. nessmen and tourists, the real strip nies. The latter are trying to catch up The first hearings were held last act is taking place ofstage. by doing an end run around a legal week before the Energy and Public This is where AT&T and system that requires them, like the Utilities Committee. While no fur- other telecommunications compa- cable companies, to negotiate fran- ther hearings have been announced, nies have cozied up to influential chising agreements with each market you can rest assured that the bill’s legislators to introduce industry- they want to enter. proponents are stealthily at work to written regulation that will strip Longtime bitter rivals win passage. Ohio cities of cable revenue, leave over millions of dollars in revenue, To defeat this issue will cable systems and municipalities telephone and cable companies are require strong community organiza- bare of public, educational, and counting on several established tion and political pressure upon state governmental access channels, facts of American political life to se- legislators. Stay tuned, or find your- and most ominously, carpet-bomb cure unfettered access to communal self turned out. the tenuous connections between riches. The writer can be contact- low-income neighborhoods and Foremost among them is ed at [email protected]. It’s Gone! Harvey Rice Elementary School at East 116th and Buckeye Road has been demolished to make way for the wide world of the Internet. a future retail venture on the property. The school was built in 1904 with eight rooms and two stories, the original architect Last year, the giant tele- for the building was done by F.S. Barnum. In 1919, a second floor annex was added to the building by architect W.R. Mc- communications industry tried to Gasoline prices increase drastically in area Cormack. The size of the land is 2 1/4 acres and according to John Hopkins, executive director of Buckeye Area Development accomplish these goals through Northeast Ohio gas that show refiners unable to build Corporation, the property is owned by Neighborhood Progress Inc. The new Harvey Rice School will be built at the Saint Congress. Their measure, known prices continue on the increase up inventories of available gaso- Luke’s property at East 116th and Shaker Boulevard. as the Rush-Barton Act, passed this week with an 18.5 cent rise. line this spring, even as demand The price of a gallon of regular, for fuel increases as the start of Tuskegee Airmen to hold banquet unleaded, self-serve gasoline the summer travel season draws Former Congressman Lou- ment of a private pilot’s license. currently is $2.94. nearer. is Stokes will serve as the keynote Historically, the Tuske- According to the AAA The Department of speaker during the Tuskegee Airmen gee Airmen were dedicated, de- Fuel Gauge, the nationwide av- Energy will release its inventory Inaugural Scholarship Banquet on termined young men and women erage price of self-serve regular report tomorrow. A disappointing Saturday, June 9, at the Hilton Hotel, who enlisted to become Ameri- gasoline is up an additional 11 report showing continued weak- 3663 Park East Drive in Beachwood ca’s first black military airmen.