When Mansfield Frazier was growing up in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood in the 1950s, he had great expectations. His father, who ran a bar, provided for his family, and Mansfield was a good student with a natural gift for gab. He was accepted to The Ohio State University. But after a high school romance that resulted in a teenage marriage and a couple of kids, his life took a different direction.He spent time behind bars, developed his writing skills and wrote a book in prison. Upon his release, he made extraordinary efforts to turn around his life and his community. He built the Vineyards and Winery at Chateau Hough, hiring those returning from incarceration, created a nonprofit and a magazine dedicated to re-entry, and mentored scores of people deserving of a second chance.   Read C. Ellen Connally’s tribute here.

Mansfield Frazier’s first love was his Hough community where he and his wife Brenda settled, built a home and created a vineyard. There he pursued his mission of “paying it forward” to returning felons; he had once been in their shoes. He had little patience for those — such as former councilman TJ Dow — who benefited themselves at the expense of community members, and his final column addressed Dow’s current attempt at a comeback. Revisit two of Mansfield’s recent columns:

Mansfield’s Final Words

After a rough childhood, Adele Bertei became part of Cleveland’s legendary 70s art punk scene — and one of its great success stories. Leaving Cleveland for New York, with the encouragement of her friend, musician/scene catalyst Peter Laughner, she went found success with a solo career and collaborating with major artists.In the last year, she published a book about the influential Laughner, who died in 1977 at age 24, as well as a volume called Why Labelle Matters. Bertei will be talking about them at Loganberry Books on Wed 10/20, and reading at the Beachland with fellow authors Mike DeCapite and Lucy Sante on Fri 10/15. Read More

You are invited to a public memorial service for Mansfield Frazier taking place on Sat 10/23 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center, 1855 Ansel Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, starting at 11:30am. Admission is free and open to the public. Free public parking is available. Bring proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for admission.Tickets for the viewing and service are recommended. Rather than flowers or gifts, the public is asked to make a donation to Neighborhood Solutions, Inc., the nonprofit Mansfield created using innovative educational and entrepreneurial strategies to assist those returning from incarceration in creating greener, healthier and wealthier places.  Read More

Erick Walker will bring a breath of fresh air, with plans to make better use of the city recreation center located on Woodland, improvement of police response time, and an open and collaborative network of precinct committee people, street clubs and neighborhood groups to keep voters informed and hear their complaints.  Read More

As a lifetime neighborhood resident, Stephanie Howse understands the conflicts between developers’ interests in re-gentrification and the needs of longtime residents, some of whom are low income. Weighing those sometimes-conflicting interests will be an important part of the job of the new councilperson.  It is a task that Howse has the ability and experience to handle.  Read More