NEWS WITH A FUSE
As days get shorter, streetlights become an essential tool in keeping residents and visitors safe. These lights not only illuminate neighborhoods, but they provide safe, efficient lighting for pedestrians, and drivers.
Upgraded in 2019 as part of the City of Cleveland’s Safe Smart CLE program, this outdoor lighting source provides residents and visitors with clear images and well-lit pathways. Continue reading “What To Do If You See A Street Light Out”
Legendary entertainer and music icon Donny Osmond has announced that he will
bring his award-winning Las Vegas production to select US cities including Akron on July 6 at Akron Civic Theatre.
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 8 via www.donny.com. Continue reading “Donny Osmond to play the Akron Civic Theater”
(StatePoint) If you’re struggling with access to reliable and affordable wireless home internet, you’re not alone. In fact, more than 20% of Americans living in rural areas and nearly 30% of Americans living in Tribal lands lack internet access, compared to only 1.5% of those living in urban areas. To make matters worse, the average American shells out about $75 each month for internet service, with over a third saying that cost is one of the biggest hurdles in getting their hands on home internet.
As internet usage increases, the United States faces even more of a nationwide digital divide, but federal government agencies are stepping in to help bridge the gap. In December 2021, the FCC launched a $14 billion initiative to provide people across the United States with affordable internet access through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Eligible participants can receive up to a $30 discount per month on fixed or wireless internet access, or up to $75 per month on Tribal lands.
So far, the program has provided discounted internet service to more than 20 million households across the country. Here’s how it works:
• Find out if you qualify through your household income and participation in government assisted programs by visiting fcc.gov/acp.
• If you qualify, apply for discounted service by visiting getinternet.gov/apply. If you’re unable to apply online, print the application or call (877) 384-2575 to have one mailed to your home address.
• Once approved, select an internet provider. Metro by T-Mobile is one provider helping bring awareness to the program. In fact, a recent study found that half of eligible households are unaware of the program’s existence or didn’t know anything about it. Metro is out to change that, offering 5G home internet for just $20 a month with Autopay for qualifying ACP households. It’s easy to sign up with no contracts, credit checks or hidden fees. New customers can visit their nearest Metro store to purchase the internet gateway and a Metro phone line to add home internet to their account. Visit metrobyt-mobile.com/acp to learn more about how Metro is helping to bridge the digital divide.
If you’re not eligible for ACP, there are other ways to save a few dollars when shopping around for home internet.
• Take Advantage of Free Trials: Some internet providers offer free trials or money-back guarantees to test out their internet in your home for a certain timeframe.
• Bundle Services: Check what other services you can bundle to save, like your phone plan, cable television and more.
• Autopay Discounts: Wireless companies often offer discounts for those accounts that sign up for autopay billing.
• Internet Connection Type: The type of internet you purchase matters. Fiber and traditional broadband connected through a cable in the wall tends to be more expensive than 5G wireless internet services that use a wireless connection.
Staying plugged into our increasingly digital world on your terms and budget is totally achievable! Get savvy with your shopping and cash in on initiatives and perks to keep your wallet happy while staying connected.
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PHOTO SOURCE: (c) PeopleImages / iStock via Getty Images Plus
Karamu  House, the nation’s oldest Black producing theatre, continues its 2023/24 mainstage season with the world premiere of It Happened in Atlanta. Written by Cleveland playwright Michael Oatman and directed by Tony F. Sias, It Happened in Atlanta centers around four college friends from Cleveland who come together to reckon with what happened at Freaknik 20 years ago. When dark liquor, weed and a card game, called For Better or For Worse, come out they are forced to wrestle with their secrets about what happened in Atlanta.Â
It Happened in Atlanta will be performed at Karamu’s Cleveland Foundation Jelliffe Theatre from March 8 through March 30, 2024.
Continue reading “KARAMU HOUSE ANNOUNCES WORLD PREMIERE OF IT HAPPENED IN ATLANTA March 8 – 30,”
By Ray Robinson
Al Porter Jr. is a force to be reckoned with. As a cape less crime fighter, he has taken to utilizing the microphone as his secret weapon to bring people together. And, this brother has done a phenomenal job at doing just that.
- During a recent phone conversation with this community advocate, leader and undercover super hero-I asked about his longtime gathering of minds and music at his Hip-Hip Workshops housed on the campus of Cleveland State University and about the many exploits and experiences of the Black on Black organization that he belongs to.
“Black on Black Crime Inc Hip-Hop Workshop was started in January 2004 in the Neighborhood Ping Pong and Chess House which was also the home of BBCI in the Historic city of East Cleveland. The Hip Hop Workshop was started to use Hip Hop to bring families together and with our tagline of “You Can be Mean but keep it Clean” so families can attend”, Porter stated.
Continue reading “Al Porter Jr. spits the truth about crime fighting and his Hip-Hop Workshops”
The late James Brown and his co-author, Betty Jean Newsome, once famously wrote a bestselling song called “It’s A Man’s World.”
The singers weren’t voicing opinions about the workforce that makes up computer science, computer engineering, or most other STEM fields. They may as well have been.
In 2022, females were awarded just 20 % of undergraduate degrees nationally in computer science and 22% of the degrees awarded in computer engineering. The rest of the degrees went to men, who dominate STEM-related industries and educational opportunities.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has an answer to this stark gender inequity. Her name is Tamilselvi (Tami) Sekaran.
Mrs. Sekaran is the 11th and 12th-grade computer science and AP computer science educator at the Cleveland Early College High School on the John Hay campus.
Last month, Mrs. Sekaran was announced as a 2023 recipient of the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award.
With just over 800 schools being acknowledged nationally for their work toward equal gender representation in Computer Science Principles (CSP), the College Board noted that Mrs. Sekaran intentionally provides all her students with the necessary tools and access to excel in the traditionally male-dominated field of computer science.
“Mrs. Sekaran is a once-in-a-lifetime teacher,” said Cleveland Early College High School principal Staci Starr. “There is something to be said about the number of female students that want to take her class. The amount of time and effort she puts into her students is bar none.”
Mrs. Sekaran discovered her passion for computer science during her own high school experience while growing up in India. As she furthered her education, she also grew her self-confidence. She saw a need to help other females who may have been apprehensive to participate in AP-level computer science courses.
“I believe in my kids, and they trust me,” states Mrs. Sekaran.
“I tell them all, if I can do it, you can do it, and whatever I know, I make sure they know. I encourage them all to at least try, and they know not to tell me ‘No’ before they have at least attempted to do their best.”
The College Board’s diversity award recognizes schools that reach 50% or higher female examinee representation in one or both AP computer science courses or whose percentage of female examinees met or exceeded that of the school’s female population.
Mrs. Sekaran saw 86.4% of her students pass the 2019 AP Computer Science courses (before the pandemic led to remote learning) and 63.6% in 2023.
“Mrs. Sekaran has the highest expectations for everyone,” said 9th-grade math teacher Ryan Evensen-Hein. “She wants nothing less than your best effort because that’s what she gives to all her students.”
Mrs. Sekaran, who has taught for 15 years, has affected students and staff with her diligent efforts to identify and encourage students to participate in AP classes.
“I can’t tell you how much I have grown in the last two years working with Mrs. Sekaran,” says Evensen-Hein.
“She encourages kids all year long to just simply try, even if they just join an after-school program such as ‘Girls Who Code,’ offered through CASE Western Reserve; she’s a great motivator,” he added.
Mrs. Sekaran is quick to credit the efforts of Mrs. Chelsy Cook-Kohn, Director of the CMSD Tech Talent Pipeline, for being a wonderful resource for training connections through Cleveland State University.
“I didn’t want just to teach computer science, I wanted to teach AP, so whatever further training I needed during this time to teach AP courses, Chelsy helped make sure I got it with CSU,” she said.
Now, as a nationally recognized educator, Mrs. Sekaran knows that the future of females driving technological innovation starts with girls being introduced to computer science courses in high school or sooner. Using their secondary education as a stepping-stone to other advanced STEM educational opportunities helps prepare them for a bright future.
“I want my students to take AP courses,” says Mrs. Sekaran. “I tell them all to come, try it out, and believe in themselves. I’m just showing them the right path for the present work.”
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They’ve been playing with sour dough at Duplaga Farm. They’ll have bagels and English muffins in the morning along with eggs from their farm, some winter veggies, cheese, beef, and other interesting stuff. |
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 I’m pleased to announce that my fundraiser to provide market food vouchers to veterans raised $594.55 on the Go Fund Me and about $100 more outside of that. This will provide 28 sets of coupons this season. I will kick off the program in June and keep you updated via the FVVP Facebook page. We will continue to accept donations through coitmarket.org. Thank you! This is the first Saturday of the month which means it’s Work Day in the Food Strong Learning Garden. It will be a beautiful morning to check out all the progress! We have a change of hours this coming season. We’re going to slide those Wednesday hours back a bit and do a Tuesday evening market! We will be open Tuesday evenings from 5pm – 8pm. This market will include farmers and the other vendors you would expect at a farmers market but also be open to a wide variety of other vendors like flea market vendors, more prepared foods, more crafts, and pretty much everything. We are seeking vendors for this market so spread the word and bring your unique ideas to the market. Save the date! Saturday April 13th will be our French Toast Breakfast featuring fresh Ohio maple syrup! đź—ˇ See y’all in the morning! 🔪 |
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Winter vendors (Clockwise from the east doors)
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Why did Ella Fitzgerald record no less than eight songbook albums devoted to famous composers–all of them (except Duke Ellington) white songwriters for theater and film? “Because the songs are great!” she said, and many of her African American colleagues from the classic era agreed: Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Hartman, Maxine Sullivan, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Short–the list goes on. Continue reading “Legendary Black Singers Sing Broadway Songs at the Regina Auditorium March 3rd”
Cleveland Clinic is ranked as the No. 2 hospital in the world for the sixth consecutive year by Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2024 list, while also being recognized for its commitment to patient experience.Â
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (No. 186) and Cleveland Clinic Fairview (No. 232) are also recognized among the Top 250 hospitals in the world. Continue reading “Cleveland Clinic Ranked No. 2 Hospital in the World for Sixth Consecutive Year”
