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M. LaVora Perry

Knitting Together Friendship

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Eleanor Bergholz (2nd from right) with Lynette Wright (foreground) and other members of the knitting club she started at Harvey Rice Library. PHOTO BY M. LaVORA PERRY
A group of knitters in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood have transformed into friends in recent months. Eleanor Bergholz, 69, started the knitting circle in September at the Rice branch of the Cleveland Public Library. With outside temperatures creeping upward, Bergholz polled members of the knitting circle to see if they needed a break over spring and summer. Their response? “No way!” To get the group going, Bergholz originally asked a.
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From Empty Lot to High-Tech Farm

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L-R: Leonard Davis, Jerome Pannell, Keneth Jackson and Mark Pannel with the seasonal high tunnel they erected March 10, 2013 on East 130 Street and Arlington. PHOTO by M. LaVORA PERRY
Leonard Davis’ dream of urban farming grew from a seedling to a garden. It's located on the corner of East 130th Street and Arlington Avenue in the Glenville neighborhood. In 2008, Davis’ godfather allowed him to plant a garden on the large plot of land. In 2011, Davis bought the plot and gave away what he grew to anyone who wanted some. Now Davis' garden has gone.
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Protecting Our Bridges

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NV Columnist M. LaVora Perry
I've been thinking about the old saying "Don't burn your bridges." I've considered how, contrary to those words, sometimes it's actually best to let a bridge burn. Of course, the saying isn't about bridges made of steel, concrete and other raw materials. It's about bridges that take you from where you are now in life to where you want to be. It was a a recent incident.
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“Playing” Tai Chi for Health

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Susan Cady's T'ai Chi for Health Class at American Cancer Society Community Resource Center, February 25, 2013. PHOTO BY M. LaVORA PERRY
Susan Cady’s students strike proud royal poses when they walk — they hold their heads high and keep their chests wide. Cady, the founder of T’ai Chi for Health, teaches students to work out kinks in their bodies while in bed and keep good posture. She believes in standing tall, as if someone had just told you “You’re about to receive a medal at the Olympics!” Cady.
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A Valentine from NV

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Justine of University Circle shared her thoughts on love with NV for Valentine's Day 2013. PHOTO BY M. LaVORA PERRY
As a valentine to our readers, NV found people in our eight neighborhoods and asked them to share their thoughts on the subject of love. Some are in relationships, some aren’t. Some live or work in our neighborhoods, others don’t. Three happen to be named "John." Watch as each one answers our questions in our video “NV's 2013 Valentine” at www.youtube.com/NeighborhoodVoice, and read their comments.
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War on Drugs Creates Permanent Underclass

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What a difference “except” makes. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says no one can be enslaved, EXCEPT a prisoner. It reads:  “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” On Oct. 25, Michelle Alexander talked about this and more to an audience in John Hay High School’s auditorium. Alexander.
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Mental Health Forum Next Month

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Foreground: Latisha James with author Terrie Williams, April 9, 2012 at Case Western Reserve University. Background: Mental Health Forum committee planning meeting at CWRU, November 9, 2012.
Untreated mental illness wrecks lives and ends them early. That's the view of Michael Baskin, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness' Greater Cleveland chapter. In a recent interview, Baskin echoed what is says on NAMI's national website: Untreated mental illness leads to "disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives.” Given this reality, the time is right for the public forums on.
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Student Loan Repayment Based on Income, Not Loan Amount

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I have a friend I’ll call Morgan Rachelle Jones. She goes by Rachelle. For years there was a certain ritual that went on between her and her land-line phone. If the caller, a stranger, asked for "Morgan," she would say, "He's not home.” This usually confused the caller, who would ask, "Huh? Is Morgan a man or a woman?” And suddenly, Ms. Morgan Rachelle Jones turned into.
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Does Your Silence Make You Guilty?

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Did it ever occur to you that NOT saying something is just as bad or worse than saying the wrong thing? A friend of mine asked me this question. She said that she had a friend, or an associate, who was engaging in what she thought was inappropriate, though not necessarily illegal, behavior. My friend said she felt compelled to say something but, out of.
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“There’s Room for Everybody”: Mayor Gary Norton Re-Imagines East Cleveland

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It was June 30, hot and sunny outside. A small crowd stood in a vacant lot on Idlewood Avenue to kick off of the Re-Imagine East Cleveland movement. A burned down house once stood in that same lot, the location of the day's ground-breaking ceremony. That lot is one of four properties on Idlewood slated for renovation or rebuilding. The fire-damaged house beside it is another one. According.
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What’s in a Name? Civil Rights Hero Unhappy about Cable Series Using Her Name

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Diane Nash,  74, says the USA Cable television network stole her name. Maxine Walker Giddings, 72, recently emailed me a link to a letter Nash posted on July 26. Both women are civil rights heroes. Nash explains in her letter that USA's series, "Political Animals", portrays actress Vanessa Redgrave as the first openly gay Supreme Court justice. Her name? Diane Nash. But Nash is African American while Redgrave is of.
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What Dreams Have You Had?

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Dreams. Wikipedia defines dreams are defined as a succession of images, ideas, emotions and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams may not be definitively understood, but there has been scientific speculation as well as philosophical and religious interest throughout history. People dream. Dreams sustain us and help us get through life. They can help us know our purpose and.
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Ashbury Computer Center Closes Digital Divide

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 Wanda Davis had a dream 10 years ago. She envisioned teaching computer skills to seniors who wanted to help their grandchildren with homework.  With every click of the mouse, Davis imagined, these seniors would help bridge the digital divide that locks certain groups of people out of the computer age and the knowledge that comes with it. Davis turned her dream into reality when she created Ashbury Senior Computer Community.
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Charles R. Drew Academy: For Teens Interested in Medicine, Dentistry, Research

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  Good news 10th to 12th-graders of color who like medicine, dentistry or medical science. If your cumulative GPA is 3.5 to 4.0, the Cleveland Clinic, in partnership with the Health Legacy Project, holds the Charles R. Drew Academy for students like you. The academy's 2013 application deadline is October 12, 4:30pm. This paid internship takes place on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus and runs for 12 Saturdays in.
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What is Freedom?

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Freedom. When you think about that word it becomes painfully clear that we do not understand nor comprehend the full meaning of the word. How do I know this? Because on a daily basis I see people abuse their freedom. Freedom is NOT the right to physically, verbally or mentally abuse one another. Freedom does NOT give one the right to do whatever they think it is they want to do without thinking.
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