Change is necessary. But it won’t happen on its own.
CoolCleveland strongly endorses Justin Bibb for Mayor. Everyone knows it’s time for a change in the City of Cleveland. Fresh, young Justin Bibb talks about making City Hall more responsive; his nonprofit and corporate experience lead many to wonder how he’d lead a large metropolitan area. But his opponent Kevin Kelley raises fewer questions; we know exactly what his track record stands for as he served as President of Cleveland City Council: the current woeful status quo. Bibb deserves a chance and our strongest endorsement.Mansfield Frazier stood for nothing if not positive change for our community. He reformed his own life, then lent a hand to hundreds reentering society by hiring them at his Chateau Hough vineyard and winery and through the Reentry Advocate magazine. He then set about transforming his neighborhood of Hough and our entire region through his advocacy, his nonprofit Neighborhood Progress, and his relentless radio, speaking and writing efforts, including as columnist for CoolCleveland since 2007. The public is invited to his memorial service this Sat 10/23 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.
Also making change in the region: Cleveland’s Sustainability Summit, Ingenuity’s neighborhood clean-up party, Fall Fest at Huron’s Chef’s Garden, the Mass Hysteria mini fest, and the Maltz Museum’s new show, Stories of Survival. Change can happen, but it’s up to you.
Mansfield Frazier was a beloved member of the Hough community, the Greater Cleveland civic community, the reentry community he passionately espoused, and here at CoolCleveland, where he served as a knowing and perceptive voice. His Winery at Château Hough earned national acclaim.A public memorial service for Mansfield, who passed away October 7, will take place on Saturday, October 23 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center in University Circle, and also on livestream. Admission is free and all are welcome. Advance registration is recommended. Masks are required, as is proof of vaccination or a recent negative test. Register here
Nwaka Onwusa is the Chief Curator and Vice President of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her love of music and strong connections to its history has made Onwusa one of the most dynamic voices for the organization.Nwaka spoke with Dru Thompson of CoolCleveland about her road to the Rock Hall and life in The CLE — all while passionately dropping some music history nuggets in between.
The Rock Hall inductions are in Cleveland this year and happening on Sat 10/30 at Rocket Mortgage Field House, and this historic event is open to the public. Tickets are on sale now. Read More
Cleveland needs a lot of change. It’s not on the right track and just in need a little energy boost. It’s mired in poverty, violence, desperation, old ideas and stasis, with Mayor Jackson’s last term a case study in going nowhere.In a contest between someone who’s already shown he cares primarily for those on top and someone who might be over his head but who also might reach out to the right people and bring some fresh energy to city hall, it’s not even a close choice. While we don’t think, as some of his followers imply, that Bibb walks on water, he could pleasantly surprise us. Kelley has no surprises up his sleeve. Read More
Cleveland heavy metal band Alternate Reality has just released a new video for its song “Project Wormhole” that’s been five years in the making. No wonder: it features a cast of more than 100, and it’s got Egyptians, Vikings, Civil War soldiers, zombies, dinosaurs and more! Read More
The topic closest to Mansfield Frazier’s heart was reentry. After numerous prison stints for counterfeiting credit cards, he turned his life around and devoted himself to helping others do the same. That led to his reentry nonprofit and his famous Hough Vineyards where he taught returning felons the art of growing grapes in the inner city. He wrote about the topic in his book Behind the Wall and in many of his CoolCleveland columns. Here are just a few of them. Read More
“Reentry has come a long way from when the first committee was formed back in 2003 to address the needs of individuals returning home from incarceration. I was asked by then-Mayor Jane Campbell to serve on the committee since I had such an in-depth knowledge of the issue. I had reentered society from prison a total of five times over a three decades long career as a professional counterfeiter.” Read More
“We must provide alternative housing for young people coming out of juvenile incarceration, housing that also provides mentors who themselves have faced the same challenges. There’s a bunch of us who know how to keep our young men straight — at least the majority of them — we just need to have some way to house and feed them while we get them ready for a good start in life.” Read More
In this column, Mansfield warns against a blanket refusal to give felons a second chance because of one high-profile case where former felon was released and re-employed, only to murder his wife. “Many in society don’t believe in second chances, and would take any opportunity to try to tar, feather and run out of town the entire movement and the folks advocating for fair reentry policies,” he wrote. Read More
