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Come January, Euclid willhave its first new mayor intwelve years, courtesy of CityHall term limits. Te currentmayor, Bill Cervenik, is com-
pleting his third four-year termand is ineligible to run again.
Absentee voting begins October6 and Election Day is Novem-
ber 3.rd is Election Day. Telast day to register is October 5.
On Sept 22 I sat downwith Real Deal Press editorRichard Andrews at the ShoreCultural Center for two-on-one interviews with three ofthe four Euclid mayoral can-didates Kirsten Holzheimer
Gail, Marcus Epps and DavidLynch. Te fourth candidate,Christopher Litwinowicz,
was not available and didnot choose to re-schedule. Weasked each candidate the sameset of questions, designed toelicit their vision and plan forthe city, their assessment ofEuclids challenges, and theirtake on the citys culture in thistime of transition.
Marcus Epps (www.eppsoreuclid.com) is a 4th
generation Euclidian. Ahigh-energy private busi-nessman who buys and sellsbusinesses or a living, Eppsconsiders himsel a commu-nity activist leading the fightagainst the career politicianswho have no vision or the
Clear Choices, Page 11
REALDEALPRESSOCTOBER2015 VOLUME TWO NUMBER SEVEN
Dont Let Misinformation
About Voting With A
Criminal Conviction Keep
Ohioans From Voting
Page 8
FOR EAST CLEVELAND, THE BELL TOLLS Read more on Page 8HOPE Foundation Comes to Cleveland Page 3
CLEVELAND
School of the Arts is University
Circles Newest Jewel
Banker Turned Entrepreneur OffersTips On Being Your Own Boss
By R. T. Andrews
Editor
While milestone commu-
nity celebrations openings,
anniversaries, etc. are a
requent i not commonplace
occurrence in a metropolis
the size o Cleveland, the rib-bon cutting or Clevelands
brand-new School o the Arts
had a special quality about it.
For starters, the build-
ing is gorgeous, irst-class in
utility and design, matching
its intended unction as a
center o arts learning. But
on this day o celebration
Monday, September 17,one o summers last the
structure itsel seemed to
took a back seat to the real
stars its student body
and the many stage hands
who labored tirelessly to en-
sure that this day o victorywould come.
Tese stage hands were
the community supporters,
alumni, past and present ad-
ministrators and aculty, who
had nurtured the dream and
held its realization steadastin the midst o all the usual
suspects the naysayers, the
bean-counters, the covetous
land-grabbers who said a
new and gleaming arts school
UCs Jewel, Page 14
Broadway start Paul Sadler looks on as Daechelle Strange 16, CMSD
CEO Eric Gordon, and DeJohn Hardges 17 cut ribbon.
(Photo courtesy of Amir Saleem)
Ron Jones, CEO, Te Copius Group
Mayoral Candid ates,
clockwise from top left:
Marcus Epps , Dav id Lyn ch,
Kirsten Holzheimer Gail.
ELECION 2015: EUCLID
By Mary Jo Minarik
Press Correspondent
Voters have clearchoices for next mayor
Ron Jones was at the topo his game as a top banker atKeyCorp when he quit in late2001 to become his own boss.
Although he says entrepre-neurism is the hardest thingjob you will ever have, he
Your Own Boss, Page 5
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2
By any measure Larese Purnell is anAmerican success story. He is the ChieFinancial Officer o a multi-million dollarenterprise. He is chairman the board oFaith United Credit Union. He is a trusteeo South Pointe Hospital, a director o theGreater Cleveland YMCA, a publishedauthor, a sought-afer speaker, and a socialentrepreneur. And hes been married to hishigh-school sweetheart or seventeen years.
But as he told attendees at last monthsquarterly Christian Business League breakast,People see your glory, but they dont knowyour story.
Purnell said he ound the spiritualorientation o the CBL orum an inspiration
to depart rom his normal presentationto talk about his personal journey as animpoverished child. We were homeless attimes, he said, and hungry on many nights.He credited his mothers aith or sustaining
their amily, and said his personal lie beganto progress once he was baptized as a youth inBethesda Baptist Church.
Purnell now serves as CFO o TeWord Church, a sprawling mega religiousenterprise with five different Sunday worship
locations, and a cornucopia o ministries andprograms. He has clearly moved on romthe poverty o his youth without orgettingwhere he came rom.
Tat early background provides aninspiration or much o what Purnell strivesto achieve today. He asked and then sharedwith the sixty or so attendees at the ManorBanquet and Conerence Center the amiliarquestion one regularly hears in the blackcommunity: how long does money stay in
our community?His answer: 30 days in the Asian
community, 20 days in the Jewish community,17 days in the white community, seven daysamong Hispanics, and six hours in the blackcommunity.
Tis stark reality led Purnell last year toinitiate what he dubbed Te Real Black Friday,an annual weekend o activities designed tohighlight black business and encourage theirpatronage. Te effort was repeated this summer.
Later this month Purnell expects to rollout what he calls an Empower Card aimedat extending this economic empowermentinitiative. Details may be ound at www.therealblackriday.com.
Rolling With JesusWiring, started in 2008,
has provided electrical
services and support that
involves installation o
copper-based systems,
audio and video alarms
and surveillance, desktop
support, and wireless
data networking. Alongwith wie and Operations Manager Maia Ballard, RWJ
Wiring President/CEO Michael Ballard has parlayed the
principles o sacrifice and discipline into a near six-year
success story.
Mike is a godsend, says Corey Jackson, Building
Manager or the City o Cleveland. Te work hes done
speaks volumes about the quality o the company. RWJ
Wiring was electrical installer or Clevelands homeland
security building.
Ballard has simple advice to go rom zero to an operations
budget that approaches seven figures annually. Be
prepared to work countless hours. Stay away rom people
who tell you what you cant do.
RWJ specializes in the ollowing industries:
commercial
health care
manuacturing
renewable energy solutions
government/public
steel
power generation/energy
institutional/educational
1287 Marquette Avenue Cleveland OH 44114
216.261.7959 www.rwjwiringinc.com
One o a series o company profiles o MBEs/FBEspresented by the Construction Employers Association
and the Contractors Assistance Association. CEA and
CAA support diversity and inclusion as a means o
creating opportunity and building community while
maintaining standards o excellence.
FROM HOMELESS O HONCHO
Rising leader reveals personal
odyssey, posits path forcommunity growth
By R. T. Andrews
Editor
Larese Purnell
Chief of Staff/CFO at HE
WORD Church
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3THE R EAL D EAL P RESS |OCTOBER 2015|
HOPE Foundation comes to Cleveland
By R. T. Andrews
Editor
Saying he came here to
signal that we are sitting in a
moment in history, social en-
trepreneur John Hope Bryant
proceeded to offer a summa-
ry recap o the relationship
between Arican Americans
and the US financial system
since the presidency o Abra-
ham Lincoln.
Te Freedmans Bureau,
he said, was charged with
teaching reed slaves about
money, consistent with Lin-
colns view that this was the
most important thing he
could do or the newly eman-
cipated. Frederick Douglass
signed on to run the Freedom
Bank, which grew to 73,000
depositors beore ailing.
Bryants impassioned mes-
sage about black people and
money included a reerence
to Martin Luther Kings final
campaign linking militarism,
race, and poverty.
Bryant, author o How the
Poor Can Save Capitalism,
came to Cleveland as part o
his mission to finish what
Lincoln started and what King
tried to advance. He wants to
take particular aim against
what he said was a trillion
dollar industry targeting 500
credit score people.
Nothing changes your
lie more than God or love
than moving your [credit]
score up 120 points.
Bryant, 49, has set about
leveling the playing field o
capitalism by creating a net-
work o community centers
aimed at increasing financial
savvy o poor people. His
nonprofit Operation HOPE
has opened 42 centers to
date, and has in the past 18
months received orders or
250 more. Tese centers are
located in such big name a-
cilities as Hyatt Hotels and
Whole Food Markets.
As evidenced by his Cleve-
land-based partnership with
PNC Bank, Bryant has the
support o the nations es-
tablished banking industry,
whose reluctance to serve the
urban poor has opened up
enormous profit opportunities
or payday lenders, rent-to-
own stores, auto-title lenders,
and assorted other predators
who have rushed in to provide
high-cost services to people
with no or little credit. Tese
merchants are more prolific in
low-income neighborhoods
than ast-ood restaurants.
Bryant called Ferguson, MO,
the most unbanked city in
America and correlated that
status to its seven percent vot-
er registration among Arican
Americans.
Bryant said his is the only
nonprofit in US history al-
lowed to sit inside a bank.
He aims to place 2000 cen-
ters in public schools, where
he hopes they will be able to
offer role models o success
that can counter the negative
images o rap stars and drug
dealers. Ultimately, he wants
to have 3000 locations nation-
wide by 2020.
Bryant spoke in Cleveland
on the occasion o the third
anniversary o PNCs com-
munity center, Te Connec-
tion, at East 83 and Carnegie.
His Operation HOPE will be
based there, its silver rights
empowerment efforts direct-
ed by Chris Smith.
John Hope Bryant
NOTHING CHANGES YOUR LIFE MORETHAN GOD OR LOVE THAN MOVING
YOUR [CREDIT]SCORE UP POINTS.
FOLLOW US REALDEALPRESS
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4 VOLUME TWO NUMBER SEVEN
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
LOCALLocal and regional business listings from
around northeast Ohio region.
FOLLOW US REALDEALPRESS
ELECTION 2015: MAPLE HEIGHTS
Automatic Recount
Leaves Uncertainty AsOctober BeckonsBlackwell wins primary but November
opponent in doubt at press time
he Cuyahoga
County Board o
Elections announced
September 24 an
automatic recount
to determine who
will appear on the
November ballot
opposite Annette
Blackwell to deter-
mine who will be the
next mayor o Ma-
ple Heights. District5 councilman Bill
Brownlee held a ive-
vote lea d over or-
mer District 7 coun-
cilwoman Neomia
Mitchell in the uno-
icial count ollowing
the Sept. 8 primary.
Ater resolution o is-
sues involving absen-
tee, provisional and
contested ballots,
Brownlee's margin
over Mitchell shrank
to two votes, 380 to
378. he recount,
required by law, will
take place September30 at county expense.
Blackwell's o-
icial total in the
ive-way prima-
ry now stands at
532. Fourth place
inisher Donald M.
Grossmyer had 361
votes. Fran k Rives
came in ith with
156 votes.
Blackwells pri-
mary victory was a
surprise to some po-
litical observers, who
likely overlooked her
years o work with
parents in the MapleHeights schools.
Early voting or
the November 3 gen-
eral election will be-
gin October 6.
Be among he firs o adveriseon our websie [coming inNovember]. Call 216.672.4301.Raes sar as low as $25/mo.
Super Nova CommunicaionsHigh Sakes Public Sraegy, Poliical Consuling, Voer Oureach
Campaign Managemen
Robo Calls
Tex Messages
Lieraure Drops
Targe Mailing
Timohy M. Bennet, Sr., Managing Parner
216.375.9388
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
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5THE R EAL D EAL P RESS |OCTOBER 2015|
doesnt appear to have regret-ted his decision or a moment.
Jones was the eaturedspeaker at a program spon-sored by the National BlackMBA Association, Clevelandchapter, to inorm those pos-sibly on the verge o quittingtheir day jobs o what theyshould be thinking about.
Jones was well equipped
to make his move. Afer earn-ing a computer science degreerom Dartmouth College in1986, Jones spent the next15 years working in a serieso startups and Fortune 500companies where he learnedthe ins and outs o business.Along the way he initiatednew business ventures with-in the corporate ramework,
acquired an MBA in finance,and made lots o money orother people.
As he shared his career od-yssey that now has the one-timecomputer programmer runningone o the nations largest baker-ies, New Horizons Baking Co.in Norwalk OH [he still writessofware code], it became asclear to his rapt audience as it
must have become to him: hehas an entrepreneurs DNA. Sostrong was the pull o runninghis own businesses that to gainrequisite sales and customer re-lations experience, this naturalintrovert volunteered at a de-partment store or a year sellingties, ladies shoes, and later soldinsurance door to door.
Joness talk was titled, So
You Want to be an Entrepre-neur, and he peppered hisremarks with numerous an-ecdotes to emphasize the riskso being ones own boss.
You never eel like yourethere. I you are not a flex-ible person, entrepreneurshipis not or you. Who canstay alive long enough ortheir idea to happen?
Jones talked about theperils o decision making.A business person will typ-ically make decisions aboutpartners, clients, products,financing vehicles, etc. Everydecision counts, he said. Iyou make the wrong decisionit can cost you your business.
Afer his talk, Jones par-ticipated in a Q&A along with
FOLLOW US REALDEALPRESS
MANOR
BANQUETCENTER
24111 ROCKWELL DR.EUCLID, OHIO 44117
2164818080
THEMANORBCC.COM
Your Own BossContinued from Page 1
Gloria Ware, Principal,Inclusion, JumpStartAn eager crowd turned out
on Saturday , Sept. 19 atJumpStart to hear Ron Jonestalk about entrepreneurship.
Gloria Ware, a JumpStart offi-
cial who is also a ormer bank-
er. Te audience o corporate
employees, small business
owners, and hobbyists had lots
o questions.
Photos by Randy O. Norfus
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6 VOLUME TWO NUMBER SEVEN
ON THE MOVE
Jeanette Saunders is nowpresident and executive director
at Te Presidents Council.
Darrell X. Johnsonis the new
director o the Cleveland office
Minority Business Assistance Center,
housed at the Entrepreneurial Center
o the Urban League o Greater
Cleveland.
Danielle Sydnor,CRPC has joined
the Highland Hills office o MetLie
Premier Client Group o Ohio as
a financial representative. Sydnor,previously with Merrill Lynch,
has total assets under management
o $3.4 million dollars.
Jeffrey L. Johnson is the new
Chie, Ohio Minority Business
Development Division.
REALDEAL
PRESS
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
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7THE R EAL D EAL P RESS |OCTOBER 2015|FOLLOW US REALDEALPRESS
The Greater Cleveland Council, Boy Scouts of America,
CHARACTER CORPS INITIATIVEP R E S E N T S
The 2015 Service Awards Luncheon & Silent AuctionH O N O R I N G
Thursday, October 22, 2015 @ noonVIP Reception & Silent Auction opens at 11:30 a.m. Music Box Supper Club (1148 Main Ave. Cleveland, OH 44113) www.gccbsa.org Space is limited
Contact Dwayne Jones at 216-458-8907 or [email protected] to reserve a table TODAY!
Whitney Young Service Award
Tri-C (Metro Campus)
Vale la Pena Service Award
Jose Feliciano
Distinguished Eagle Award
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Whitney Young Heritage Award
Cleveland Metro SchoolLifting theBadge ofHonor for
NeighborhoodScouting
Space is limited;call or email
for sponsorshipdetails
Medworks Hosing Free One-Day Clinica J. Glen Smih Healh Cener
Now Acceping Appoinmens for General Medical Exams and Mammograms
Medworks will parner wih J. Glen Smih Healh Cener o hosa FREE o ne-day healh clinic on Saurday, Ocober 10, 2015 from8 a.m. unil 2 p.m. The clinic will ake pl ace a he J. Glen SmihHealh Cener locaed a 11100 S. Clair Ave, Cleveland, OH 44108.
Appoinmens can be made by calling he Medworks Appoin-men Line a 2 16.201.9325.
Walkin paiens will also be acceped on clinic day unil 1 p.m.
J. Glen Smih Healh Cener provides a broad range of servicesincluding: infecious disease counse ling, inernal medicine,Medicare wellness visis, nuriion counseling, obserics and
gynecology, reproducive healh, pediarics, childhood immuni-zaions, lead screenings, and social work. Addiionally, he saffand communiy parners a J. Glen believe ha educaion is hebes prevenaive healh measure and work wih paiens o helphem beer undersand heir healh.
Healhcare professionals and suppor voluneers from Med-works, The MeroHealh Sysem, and he Cleveland Deparmenof Public Healh will provide a broad range of se rvices includingmedical exams, mammograms, flu shos, confidenial esing, andlab ess. Each paien will have he opporuniy o mee wi h apaien navigaor o schedule follow-up appoinmens hrough
MeroHealh. All services provided a Medworks clinics are free
of charge.
Since is founding, Medworks has organized 36 free medicaland/or vision clinics. The clinics are made possible hrough he
suppor of many in-kind donors, corporae sponsors as well asfoundaions including he M. Sinai Healh Care Foundaion.Medworks is a non-profi organizaion providing free healhcareclinics o Ohios un- and under-insured.
Wih he generous financial suppor from granors and spon-sors, innovaive collaboraions wih healhcare faciliies, and adedicaed medical and non-medical voluneer corps, Medworksprovides care for is paiens and serves as an access poin forhose individuals o he medical communiy.
For more informaion abou Medworks, visi www.medworksusa.org. Conac Medworks by email a [email protected] or by
phone a 216.231.5350.
Cleveland Clinics Office of Diversiy and Inclusion is hosing amini-case scholarship compeiion for undergraduae and graduae/professional sudens providing an opporuniy for African Americanand Hispanic/Laino sudens o compee for scholarship dollars.
Acceping applicaions hrough Wednesday, Ocober 16. Appli-cans will be noified of accepance by Ocober 23. Case Compei-ion daes: November 12 - 13, 2015
For more informaion, vi si hp://clevelandclinic.org/diversi-yprograms or conac he Office of Diversiy and Inclusion
a [email protected] or 216/445-7323.
HEALTH CALENDAR
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
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8
Member o IFPA Independent
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or Your Community News
We welcome letters to the editor.Please include your name, address,and your best phone number. Wemay edit or clarity and space.
Send letters, press releases,notices, calendar items, andcorrectionstoTe Real Deal Pressvia email [email protected] ax: 216.672.4304.
Published monthly in CuyahogaCounty OH with a currentcirculation o 12,000 copies.
Freely distributed at nearly 300Greater Cleveland locations. Teviews and opinions expressedin this publication do notnecessarily reflect the views andopinions o the publisher andstaff. 2015. Te Real DealPress Inc. All rights reserved.Any reproduction is orbiddenwithout written permission.
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and amplify civic intelligenceand community engagementfor a healthier, strongercommunity.
Publisher & Editor:R. . Andrews
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VOLUME TWO NUMBER SEVEN
For East Cleveland, the bell tolls
East Cleveland was in
state-declared financialemergency rom 1988 until2006. It reclaimed that sta-tus in October 2012 and isunlikely ever to relinquishit except through some pro-cess o merger, annexation,or dissolution.
Much o the problemis structural. Te city hastoo large a concentration opoor people, too ew wealthyones, precious little com-mercial activity, too much
vacant and abandonedhousing, too ew resourc-es, too ew riends, and toomany avaricious buzzardsimpatient or the citys lastgasp so they can swoop inand east on the remaining
and still luscious parts o itsmunicipal carcass.
Even with its myriadstructural issues, shared bymany communities increas-ingly ravaged by deindustri-alization, globalization, dis-investment, sprawl, racism,neglect, the conversion opublic resources or private
gain none dare call it col-lective embezzlement itsnot all impersonal marketorces. Some social groups lets call them amilies, orcommunities rally togeth-er when times are hard. Teylearn to share dwindling re-sources, they discover newones, they find ways to adapt.
O course, those are the rareones, which is why we cele-brate the memory and lega-cy o Louise Stokes, mothero high achievers Louis andCarl. Her husbands prema-ture death lef her a youngwidow with sole responsibil-ity to eed, clothe, shelter andnurture two young boys. For-
tunately she somehow was
up to the task, and those boysgrew up to achieve astonish-ing successes.
While its impossible topredict which way the hu-man spirit will turn in anyindividual case, study andobservation do tell us that asmall percentage o any giv-en number will thrive under
the harshest environments
and emerge to become pro-ductive and even exception-al. We do know that whileAmericas competitive ethoshas driven this country toamass and organize unpar-alleled natural resources andother advantages, includingstolen lands and labor, itsuneven fields have lef lots
o broken bodies and spiritsalong the way.
We dont know the nameso most o the playmates andclassmates o the Stokes boys.But we do know that manyo their anonymous cohortwound up victims o thestreets in one way or another.Many, though certainly not
all, likely suffered the conse-
quences o an economic andracial caste system that wassure to perpetuate 90% pov-erty in that given community,leading to domestic violence,antisocial behavior, and ad-dictive behaviors o all sorts.
When I sit in the pub-lic pews at East Clevelandscommission or council
meetings, I see and hear a
community breaking downrom chronic stress andconstant assault in waysthat parallel those ami-lies trapped in our nationsghettos and barrios. Recentcommentary surroundingthe tenth anniversary o theHurricane Katrina disasterhas highlighted the extent
to which displaced NewOrleans young people ex-hibit signs o Post-raumat-ic Stress Syndrome at muchhigher levels than is typicalo their cohort.
I see this in East Clevelandwhere the municipal stress obeing in fiscal emergency fornearly a generation has clear-
ly taken an immense toll on
the body politic. Sitting onthe commission, Mayor GaryNorton said wryly but withnear devastating accuracy,Nobody believes the mayor,anyway. And he said it to-tally unaware o the extent towhich his own body language,acial expressions, and com-ments oster that view evenwhen he is speaking the truth.
Mr. Nortons disdain orhis colleagues, his contemptor what he construes astheir ignorance and stupid-ity, seems to have becomeendemic to the citys polit-ical culture. At the outset ohis first term, he went in amatter o only a ew weeksrom being President and
leader o City Council to anewly installed Mayor whoshowed no respect to hisormer colleagues and al-lies. It was stunning to see,up to a point.
Te reality is that theleaders in East Clevelandbehave as toxically towardsone another as do the Pales-
tinians and the Israelis. Andwith much less justification.Tus we are not surprisedwhen city councilmanTomas Wheeler, who de-serves applause or expos-ing an attempt to bribe him,instead finds himsel thesubject o a recall effort.
Infighting is ofen most
brutal in inverse measureto the amount o the booty.Tere are ew spoils to di-
vide in East Cleveland, andthe fight over who gets tocontrol them doesnt keephope alive or the city, it de-stroys it.
And thats why the vul-tures circle.
THE MUNICIPAL STRESS OF
BEING IN FISCAL EMERGENCY
FOR NEARLY A GENERATION HAS
CLEARLY TAKEN AN IMMENSE
TOLL ON THE BODY POLITIC.
THE LEADERS IN EAST CLEVELANDBEHAVE AS TOXICALLY TOWARDS
ONE ANOTHER AS DO THE
PALESTINIANS AND
THE ISRAELIS.
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9THE R EAL D EAL P RESS | OCTOBER 2015|
Publishers ColumnDont Let Misinformation About
Voting With A Criminal Conviction
Keep Ohioans From Voting
By Shakyra Diaz
Press Correspondent
An estimated 5.86 million people
are barred rom voting because some
states prevent people rom voting
i they have a criminal conviction,
according to the Sentencing Project.
An overused criminal justice system
that disproportionately impacts
Arican-Americans has resulted in
one out o 13 Arican-Americans
being ineligible to vote.
How did we get here?
In 1792, Kentucky became the
first state in the nation to establish
a criminal disenranchisement law,
excluding people rom voting i they
were convicted o high crimes ormisdemeanors. Many states since
then have ollowed Kentuckys lead.
Nearly 100 years later, the 15th
amendment o the U.S. Constitution
was passed in 1870 and guaranteed
the right to vote regardless o race, skin
color, or previous condition o servitude;
however, criminal disenranchisement
laws still remained.
What ollowed the passage othe 15th amendment were a series
o state voting restrictions that
included poll taxes and literacy
tests that were intended to exclude
black people rom voting.
In 1965, the year the Voting Rights
Act prohibited racial discrimination
and restrictions in voting, there
were 201,895 people in ederal and
state prisons, according to the U.S.Department o Justices Bureau o
Justice Statistics. It wasnt long beore
the era o mass criminalization and
incarceration was born.
oday, there are over 2.4 million
people incarcerated in jails or prisons
making the land o the ree the
number one incarcerator o peoplein the world. So what happened to all
those voter disenranchisement laws?
Some states have laws that
permanently ban people with
elonies rom voting, others have
laws that prevent people rom voting
i they are on parole, probation, or
unable to pay court related ines.
he majority o the people impacted
by voter disenranchisement laws
are Arican-American.
So where does Ohio stand?
Luckily, while Ohio is the seventh
largest prison state in the nation,
people with criminal convictions can
vote. Under Ohio law, an individual
can vote i they have been: convicted
o a misdemeanor, even i they are
in jail; arrested or a elony but notconvicted; convicted o a elony
but not currently incarcerated; and
placed on parole, probation, or
required to live in a hal-way house.
Te only exclusion Ohio is that
people cannot vote i they are currently
incarcerated or a elony conviction,
but they can register to vote with their
new address upon release.
Te problem in Ohio, however, is thatmany people are under the impression
that a criminal conviction prevents them
rom voting, which is not true. Help
spread that word and encourage people
get registered by Oct. 5.
Lets educate, empower, and vote
or our interest.
Shakyra Diaz is policy manager
with the ACLU of Ohio.
We seem to be in the midst o a real spike in the level o sophistication
and collaboration attending the black business community. You may be
aware o it rom your own activities, or you may see it reflected in our
pages.
Cooperative economics is taking hold, as witnessed by the growth o
initiatives spearheaded by Larese Purnell.
Te Presidents Council, an organization comprised o some o this
communitys larger black businesses, has just hired a new president and
executive director with impressive credentials, launched a new business
chamber, and consolidated all o its programs under one executive.
Statewide, the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council has just
established new offices on the west side no less and seems poised
to play a larger role in acilitating black economic development. Te
MSDC now has over 450 certified MBE members statewide, a relatively
small number to be sure, but large enough to wield some influence. And
weve even seen some indication that a statewide chamber o commerce
or MBEs is trying to find some legs.
We have long believed that strengthening the economic base o
the black community is central to the health and welare o the entire
community. Not sufficient unto itsel by any means active political
participation and civic engagement are also crucial.
We cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in the Washington-
DuBois battles. For us in 2015 and moving orward, it has to be both/
and. Te reality is when the black community is sound politically,
economic advancement is more likely. And economic advancement
positions us to be more effective politically.
We are intent here at the paper on becoming a central reerence point
where the commercial affairs and interests o the Arican American
community are respected, valued, and reported. Tis has been part
o our mission rom the beginning. Our business section is right up
ront. Our regular columnists, Burner Crew and Kirby Freeman, both
ocus on business and the economy. We are delighted to see these recent
efforts and will do all in our power to keep you in the know about yourcommunity businesses.
Richard . Andrews
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7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
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VOLUME TWO NUMBER SEVEN
NEW CORNERSTONE
CELEBRATES 10TH
ANNIVERSARY
New Cornerstone Missionary Bap-tist Church o Maple Heights, pastored
by Dr. Blanton Harper, Jr., celebrates its
tenth anniversary all this month.
On Sunday, October 4, at the 11
AM Service, Rev. Roosevelt Watord
will deliver the irst anniversary
message. hen, at 3:30 PM, the Rev.
Richard Gibson will be guest speak-
er and the choirs and congregation
o Elizabeth Baptist Church will bespecial guests.
On uesday, October 6, at 7:00
PM, Dr. A. Charles Bowie will be the
guest speaker.
Accompanying him will be the East
Mount Zion Baptist Church choirs.
On Sunday, October 11, at the 11
AM Service, the Rev. Raimon A. Prince
will deliver the ourth anniversary
message. Ten, at 3:30 PM, the Rev.David Hunter will bring the final anni-
versary message. Accompanying him
will be the choirs and members rom
Bright Star Missionary.
Baptist Church.
New Cornerstone Missionary Bap-
tist Church is located at 18900 Libby
Rd in Maple Heights.
Call 216.672.4301To Place Your Ad!!!
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
11/16
citys uture. His style is direct: heres-
what-needs-to-be-done and Im-the-one-to-get-it-done approach. Askedto speak about himsel, he quickly piv-oted to an indictment o the currentadministration, which he says has nopulse on the community and ignoresthe citys major issues.
Kirsten Holzheimer Gail (kirsten-ormayor.com) is also 4th generationEuclid. Except or a 9-month leave oabsence in 2007-2008, Gail has served
on Council since 1997, first as WardCouncilperson and since 2008 asCouncil President.
She considers hersel a public ser-vant, a notion consistent with her edu-cation and work as a social worker. Shesees her ability to work collaborativelyand to listen to the views o others asthe core o her leadership style. Sheexpresses a clear preerence or a pa-tient, methodical approach with ull
and open discussion as her preerredleadership style.David Lynch (www.lynchormayor.
com) is an attorney with private andpublic practice experience. He servedtwo terms as mayor rom 1988-1995and says he implemented many fiscaland managerial reorms during his ten-ure. Lynch says he is running because20 years later he sees the disintegra-tion o everything I accomplished. A
sel-described municipal governmentturn-around expert, he wants to restorehis earlier reorms. He believes the citymust act with a take-no-prisonerssense o urgency or risk steep decline.
Te Vision TingWhen asked or their vision or Euclid
was, Epps saw it as a powerhouse suburbwhere city hall partners with the people.Gail described a vibrant and innovative
first ring suburb, and Lynch spoke o anactivist government driving economic re-invigoration.
For the most part the three candidatesall agree that Euclid is acing serious chal-lenges in the areas o budget, housing andeconomic development. However, thecandidates differ markedly on the issue oEuclids shared income tax.
Euclid assesses a 2.85% income tax
and shares a portion o the revenue
there rom with the citys schools. Tisshared tax arrangement, which providesabout $5 million annually to the schooldistrict exists nowhere else in Ohio andmany residents would like to end it.
Gail says it would be irresponsibleto end the shared tax without a plan onhow to make up the $5 million in lostincome or the schools. Lynch says heis open to ending the shared tax andsaid the economic development his ad-
ministration would spur would makeup or the schools lost income.Epps avors ending the shared tax and
says the schools have already received a$5 million increase in state support.
Leading the CityA Gail administration would iden-
tiy saety, housing, strengthening thecitys economic base and restoringstrong public services as key issues.
She would use technology and othertechniques to heighten communica-tion with city residents.
A Lynch administration wouldimmediately seek the reinstallation ohis earlier reorms, ollowed by sever-al specific agenda items, including anappeal o the EPA consent decree andan urgent and aggressive drive to bringnew business to Euclid.
Epps also has specific plans or the
first days o his administration, includ-ing appointing Jack Johnson once againas finance director and Kelly Sweeney aslaw director. He would establish com-mercial and neighborhood advisoryboards comprised o local businessesand residents rom across the city. Hewould trim the at in City Hall, bring inresh blood and look to bridge the gapbetween citizens and City Hall.
Economic DevelopmentLynch sees economic developmentas the key component o his Adminis-tration. He would partner with corpo-rate leadership to improve the processo moving to Euclid. He says the cityis losing business opportunities be-cause o a disconnect among city de-partments. He sees the current admin-istration as a budgetary manager that
needs to do much more in the way oeconomic development.
Epps is concerned that the citymay presently be overtaxing andover-regulating local businesses andthen ignoring them when they needassistance. He sees the Mayors roleas key to bringing the city back toinvesting in and supporting its busi-
nesses and its people.Gail would promote economicdevelopment by marketing the citysbest qualities, working to improve thecitys physical appearance, and deal-ing with the citys vacant commercialspace. She would first enorce thehousing codes to maintain the hous-ing stock. Gail would brand neigh-borhoods or their positive character-istics and then market them.
A Changing CityLynch believes everything boils
down to economics. Increase the rev-enue stream and improve serviceswith the money. A better quality o liemakes Euclid desirable. When peoplehave a sense o hope, theyre willing toparticipate. A rising sea raises all ships.I Euclid addresses its concrete issues,
racial concerns all by the wayside.Epps believes that racial issues
are brewing throughout the city andaults the Cervenik administrationor essentially ignoring them. He be-lieves in more effective police train-ing and would establish a CitizensAdvisory Board to take complaints.
Gail acknowledges that the citys
challenges in integrating newer andolder residents. She relates the chang-ing demographics with reluctance bysome to invest in the city. o reversenegative perceptions o Euclid, Gailbelieves Euclid needs to affirm its in-tegration in a positive way.
Ultimately, which candidate ap-peals most to voters may depend ontheir assessment o the citys needs.While Gail seems to represent a steadyapproach ocused on open dialogueand communication, Lynch and Eppsclearly see the need or making large-scale changes. Where Lynch wouldocus on restoration and economicdevelopment, Epps would also ocuson changing the citys culture by find-ing ways to bring government closerto the people.
Clear ChoicesContinued from Page 1
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7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
12/16
12
Te county agency that insures sae
outflow o our wastewater is also invested
in everything rom private water harvest-
ers to an iconic local dessert provider.
Tat was one o several revela-
tions afforded attendees o the annu-
al Northeast Ohio Regional SewerDistrict Open House held September
19 at the Environmental and Main-
tenance Service Center in Cuyahoga
Heights. Te event eatured a tour o
the Southerly Wastewater reatment
Center where demonstrations o water
use, processing, technology and con-
servation were on display.
We wanted to show that the sewer
Annual Sewer District Open House Almost Makes Wastewater Fun
By Derek K. Dixon
Press Conference
district is riendly toward the gener-al public and to educate people to the
value o clean water and to the environ-
ment, said Matthew Miller, a manager
or engineering firm Cosmos echnol-
ogies and a volunteer who signed up
tour goers at the open house. He esti-
mated the event drew more than 1,500
people in a seven-hour span.
Tere was no shortage o inter-
active opportunities as thirty boothsrom outside vendors and twelve
more representing different NEORSD
departments were on-site. At one
booth, representatives rom the agen-
cys inormation technology depart-
ment explained that every aspect o
agency operations is in some way
connected with I. All roads may not
lead to I, but all o them have to go
through it, one representative saidAt a neighboring tent was inor-
mation about the districts new initia-
tive or minority and woman-owned
small businesses to receive increased
government contract procurement op-
portunities. Te anticipated increase
in firms doing business with NEORSD
would result in greater bidding power
or outside small businesses because
the district would act as a support liai-son that backs their bids.
Tere was also reason or pa-
trons o the popular Ohio City-based
Mitchells Ice Cream Company to be
engaged. Spread out across Mitchells
booth were snapshots o its head-
quarters underground water filtra-
tion system. Teir state-o-the-artcistern was recently installed by
Columbus-based Rain Brothers, LLC
provides benefits or every part o
the parlor that uses water. Te new
system helps Mitchells conserve ev-
erywhere we use water, explained
Rachel Sekola, assistant manager at
the Ohio City headquarters. Were
now able to capture six hundred thir-
ty gallons o rain water per day andprocess it cleanly; or everything rom
flushing toilets to washing plates to
temporizing (cooling) dishwater. We
use it or everything except the man-
uacture o the ice cream itsel. Te
increased efficiency o water use cre-
ates an indirect benefit or the com-
panys bottom line, Sekola said.
Jonathan Meier, co-owner o Rain
Brothers, explained that the Mitch-ells project was unique or a business
its size in the Cleveland area. About
eighty percent o our clients have
been private residences, he said.
Weve installed some in Akron and
Canton, but not in Cleveland.
Patron rish Kara o Cleveland
believes this endeavor is just an ex-
tension o Mitchells reputation as a
community-conscious enterprise. Ilike that they use local manuacturers
to incorporate into their business. Its
great how they are open to (partner-
ships with) other vendors.
A 2-minute video tour o waste-
water processing, may be ound on
the NEORSD Facebook page.
Photos by Randy O. Norfus
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
13/16
ClevelandTenants Organization
EvictionsLease questionsHelping an entire buildingQuestions lead hazards &Landlord accountabilityLandlords who have questionsTenants rights
216.432.0617www.clevelandtenants.org
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DAVE'S LANDSCAPING ree Removal Stump Removal Landscaping
216.253.4130
INSURED
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COMMUNITYCALENDAR
Deltas Host CitizensEmpowerment SummitOctober 3, at John Hay HS
On Saturday, October 3rd,
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, In-
corporated - Greater Cleveland
Alumnae Chapter will host a
Citizens Empowerment Sum-
mit to provide more than 400
residents and visitors with a
variety of resources, insight and
information about their rights
when interacting with law en-
forcement.
Moderated by MSNBC Na-
tional Correspondent Joy-Ann
Reid, the Empowerment Sum-
mit will feature three sessions
from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at John
Hay High School, 2075 Stokes
Boulevard. The informative and
interactive sessions include:
Consent to Repair, Restore
and Rebuild- Representatives
from the city of ClevelandsMayors Oce, the U.S. Aor-
ney Generals Oce, along with
State Senator Sandra Williams,
will discuss details and answer
questions pertaining to the
Cleveland Consent Decree, en-
tered into this year by the city of
Cleveland and the United States
Department of Justice; A Tell
of Two Cities: From Ferguson
to Cleveland - Guests from the
front lines of nonviolent pro-
tests will prole the upheaval
and detail the aftermath that
impacted communities follow-
ing recent tragedies in both cit-
ies. Twelve Steps to Nonviolent
Protesting, Educational materi-
als and vendors will be on site.
Joy-Ann Reid will also have a
book signing for her recently
released book, Fracture. The
Empowerment Summit andparking is free for all aendees,
but registration is required at
www.empowerCLE.com .
For additional information about
the Citizens Empowerment Sum-
mit or to register, visit: www.em-
powerCLE.com EmpowerCLE@
yahoo.com #EmpowerCLE
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
14/16
couldnt and shouldnt be
built, especially not on prime
real estate in landlocked Uni-
versity Circle.
Te ceremony itsel was
a airly tight production that
put on display the phenom-
enal talent that resides in so
many o Clevelands maligned
young people. Tey danced,
sang, spoke, hosted and guid-
ed an overflow crowd o two
hundred or so who came
to be a part o a special day.
Tey herded themselves into
the schools Black Box per-
orming arts space or a tight
program that included live
perormances, videos, and
merciully short speeches
even rom several public o-
ficials who seemed to realizethis day belonged to the stu-
dents and the community.
One o those community
members, Cheryl DuBose, is
a longtime CSA volunteer and
the schools designated unoffi-
cial historian. She spoke truth
to power as she recounted
parts o the schools history
that would likely be omittedrom any official account o
the programs rise to become
one o the brightest o the
Cleveland Municipal School
Districts crown jewels, a
high-achieving competitive
magnet school that nourishes
the potential o Clevelands
children and attracts appli-
cants rom many o the areas
tonier school districts.
Many speakers struggled
to control their emotions as
they reflected on the schools
history and what the institu-
tion had come to mean orthem. Paul B. Sadler Jr., who
starred on Broadway during
an eleven-year run with the
Wiz, recalled how the school
had started in six rooms with-
in Jane Addams High, how
his wie o 24 years was also
an alumna o the school, and
how the school had taught
him lessons he carries with
him today.
State Representative Steph-
anie Howse started at CSA as
a 4th grader. Te 1997 gradu-
ate talked about how a acul-
ty member helped her coursecorrect a lie that was head-
ed off-track. It was at CSA,
Howse said, that she learned
lie is not about the glitz and
the glamour but about the
substance and character.
Daechelle Strange, a 12th
grade drama major and,
along with DeJohn Hardg-
es 17, one o two student
M.C.s, drew a warm re-
sponse when she said that
her avorite thing at CSA
was its imaginary double
dutch team.
Te school offers pro-grams in dance, vocal, string,
band, literature and the arts.
Its proclaimed goal is to be a
national model or arts edu-
cation.
One o this reporters a-
vorite program aspects was
the perormance by a CSA
dance troupe. Te twenty-two
dancers, five boys and 17 girls,
radiated intelligence, spirit,
and beauty, while demon-
strating that no color, size or
shape has an exclusive patent
on grace and style.
One aspect o the dis-
tricts presentation that surely
ound avor among the public
officials and parents in atten-
dance was the announcement
that the $42 million building
[2/3 o cost paid by the state]
was finished on time and on
budget. And some were like-
ly to be pleased that MBEsMoody Nolan Architects and
Ozanne Construction were
key members o the team that
achieved that result.
In his remarks just pri-
or to the ribbon cutting,
CMSD CEO Eric Gordon
called CSA the lagship or
what choice should look like
in Cleveland. It would havebeen an impossible task to
ind anyone who disagreed
on this day.
14
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UCs JewelContinued from Page 1
(l) Paul B. Sadler, Jr., CSA alum and Broadway star, (m) Cheryl DuBose, CSA unofficial historian (r) State
Rep. Bill Patmon.
Students celebrate outside following the ribbon cutting.
7/23/2019 The Real Deal Press October 2015 Vol 2 # 7
15/16
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fieds. Determining the value o their service or product is advised by this publication. In order
to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the
readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish
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A Jazz Night Out
Cleveland had a delightful old-timevibe on display at the Renaissance Hotel onPublic Square when the Vanessa Rubin rio
performed several sets for the enjoyment ofa sizable audience. Rubin has a marvelousvoice and an engaging manner. Both wereon display as she entertained a crowd of jazzlovers that was also regaled by the extraordi-
nary sounds of pianist Ed Ridley and bassist
Peter Dominguez.Several lawyers were in the crowd,
courtesy of the Norman S. Minor BarAss oci ati on, whi ch is hop eful tha t thi smight become a regular Wednesdayevent. hat could make Wednesdays thewarmest night of the week this winter. If
you agree, let hot el manage ment kno w
by calling 216.696.5600.
