While looking on Facebook the other day, I came across an advertisement for The Media Club. The ad was looking for members from the fields of film, photography, social Media, web design and art. The ad mentioned interest in students, small business owners, entrepreneurs and media enthusiasts from all areas. So I went on a search and found a gem in Cleveland.

Neighborhood Voice Arts Columnist Lori Ingram

Located on East 40th Street and Lakeside Avenue is a 100,000 sq.ft. building owned and operated by Roderick Braxton. The Braxton Building is a renovated warehouse with the natural lighting, vaulted ceilings, wood and metal beams that photographers and cinematographers love to use for film shoots. This raw beauty has been preserved throughout the building. Braxton, a Cleveland State University graduate in the areas of business and theater, has a vision of uniting peoples' artistic interests into a club where directors, stage-crafters, writers, actors, etc. would all be together sharing ideas and ready for work on projects that present themselves in the Cleveland area. The building also lends itself to be utilized by the members for creative endeavors.

At this time, the Braxton Building houses the 40/40 Loft for parties. This is the third floor of the building, with 10 rooms furnished with different forms of artwork. Braxton commissions ceramics, pottery, paintings and sculptures that patrons may want to purchase. This space has a full bar and events may be catered by the management.  Level 2 holds 100-150 people and has a small dance floor and room for dinner parties and speaking engagements.

There is also the Media Room — a boardroom with a power-point projection screen.  And there is the Executive Suite for Executive members. This is a smaller room with a small bar, plasma TVs, leather seating and small lockers for VIP amenities.

Anyone can become a member. Art enthusiasts can join at the Patron Level for a $99 initiation fee and $19.99/month. This includes club membership, event invitations and access to utilize the various entertainment areas or the Media Room. Executive Membership requirements are available upon request to the management. This membership includes being placed on the posting board roster for business opportunities.

Already listed on The Greater Cleveland Film Commission’s website, Braxton stated that Tyler Perry’s location scout discovered him and took pictures of the building, citing its myriad applications for film and photography. Who knows — this may well be the next place of interest for other movie moguls that come into the area. It  can at least  be a physical place of interest to those who are serious about their craft. 

Lori Ingram, an actress living in University Circle, wrote this article.

Super Refund Saturday includes free one-on-one confidential help in filing personal income tax returns and helps qualifying individuals and families obtain the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), an income-preserving measure for low- and moderate-income workers.

“Filing an income tax return can be challenging  and intimidating,” said Lisa Oliver, president of KeyBank’s Greater Cleveland District, pointing out that the IRS estimated the average taxpayer spent 23 hours on last year’s tax return, more for businesses and those owning rental property. “Super Refund Saturday is KeyBank’s way to help taxpayers file their returns for free and qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, rather than leaving this money on the table. It’s part of KeyBank’s commitment to local communities.” 

KeyBank is offering Super Refund Saturday services for the seventh year, in partnership with community non-profits, to ensure these activities are convenient and accessible. In addition to Cleveland, Super Refund Saturday takes place in 15 other cities across the U.S. where KeyBank has a presence.   

The EITC was originally enacted in 1975 and has been enhanced several times, most recently through the 2010 Tax Relief and Job Creation Act. Getting the EITC does not reduce any other government assistance, but people must file an income tax return to get it, even if they don’t earn enough to pay taxes. The IRS calculates the EITC by comparing the number of qualifying children a taxpayer has to “earned income” – earnings from work and some disability payments. Qualifying children must be under 18 (24 for dependent college students, regardless of age; or if disabled) and must be related by blood, marriage or official decree such as adoption. Children must live with the taxpayer claiming the EITC, within the U.S., for at least half the year. 

To qualify, earned income must be less than: 

·        $43,998 with three or more qualifying children ($49,078, married, filing jointly) 

·        $40,954 with two qualifying children ($46,044, married, filing jointly) 

·        $36,052 with one qualifying child ($41,132, married, filing jointly) 

·        $13,660 with no qualifying children ($18,740, married, filing jointly) 

The maximum Earned Income Tax Credit correlates with the above parameters: 

·        $5,751 with three or more qualifying children 

·        $5,112 with two qualifying children 

·        $3,094 with one qualifying child 

·        $464 with no qualifying child.

To take advantage of Super Refund Saturday, income tax return filers should bring these documents: 

·        W-2 Forms (reporting full-time wages) 

·        1099 Forms (reporting part-time work and interest income) 

·        Unemployment forms 

·        Proof of child care payments 

·        Social Security card for themselves and each dependent 

·        Other IRS forms as appropriate 

·        Bank account information and bank routing number 

·        Valid photo ID 

·        Previous year’s tax return 

“We look forward to Super Refund Saturday every year because we know it creates savings for local residents,” said Oliver. “This community has so many hard-working families, and we are proud to help them.” 

To take advantage of KeyBank’s Super Refund Saturday, phone 216-881-8443 to make an appointment.   

About KeyCorp 
Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $89 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/.         

People fall off health insurance plans for all sorts of reasons. But, fortunately, in our community, Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services can catch them.

There is no shortage of people to catch either. The 2010 census found that almost 50 million Americans and 1.5 million Ohioans had no health insurance that year. By now, those numbers may be even be higher.

So it's a good thing NEON's seven eastside clinics offer comprehensive health services to all — the uninsured and the insured, the poor, rich and in between.

I got to know NEON after I left an employer that provided health insurance for my family of five. I became self-employed like my husband and we lost our health insurance. We went without health care for six years before I gave NEON a try. 

And boy was I glad I did. I witnessed how spotless and professionally run the NEON East Cleveland Health Center is. I almost yodeled when I discovered my son and two daughters could get their long overdue physicals. By the time I left, we had a new family physician and I planned to schedule dental and eye exams and, for me, a routine OB-GYN exam.

NEON Hough pharmacy technician Tiffany Abernathy warms away winter's chill by greeting patients like Mark Jackson with a friendly smile. Photos by M. LaVora Perry

NEON was founded in 1967 and is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center. The US Department of Health and Human Services partially funds NEON and requires FQCHCs to serve "medically underserved" areas or populations. Health and Human Services also says centers like NEON must "offer a sliding fee scale" and "comprehensive services."

That's why NEON treats everyone from pregnant mothers and newborn babies to a great-grandfathers. 

NEON Program Director Kimberly Sanders said NEON's staff includes a nutritionist, social workers and programs for young people and job seekers.

“You might have other concerns like housing and education, food," Sanders said. "We want [NEON] to be a patient-centered medical home. We want patients to be able to get all their needs met here.”

Actually, Sanders said, NEON serves patients so well that some who choose its services while they are uninsured or on Medicaid stay on even after they obtain health insurance through employers. 

What’s more, as NEON President and CEO Willie Austin said, “All [NEON] physicians are board certified [by the State Medical Board of Ohio]. That means they are involved in continuing education and are at the top of their skill level.” 

Austin compared the credentials of licensed NEON physicians to those of the unlicensed medical residents who typically examine patients in hospital emergency rooms.

“If you have to make a choice between to two, who do you want to have take care of you?” he asked.

The answer to that question may seem obvious, but if you are considering NEON, bear in mind that it doesn’t provide everything health insurance covers.

For one thing, because NEON is a FQCHC, its pharmacies must only carry reasonably-priced medications. That way, every patient has an equal shot at being able to afford them. So you'll have to buy expensive medications elsewhere. In addition, NEON is not a hospital, but if you are uninsured and need hospital care, its physicians are affiliated with hospitals and can refer you to one. Also, while NEON has a clinical psychologist and behavioral health counselors on board, it has no staff psychiatrist — at least not yet.

With that said, I'm grateful for the top-notch healthcare NEON provides seven days a week. It's even available for off-hour emergencies at the Hough Urgent Care Center, which is open as late as 10 p.m. 

Whenever you enter a NEON clinic — whether as a walk-in or with an appointment — you can expect to receive the best of care.

NEON sites include the Southeast Health Center on Miles Avenue and, for East Cleveland School District students only, the Shaw Wellness Center inside Shaw High School. The Hough Health Center headquarters is located at 8300 Hough Avenue. Call 216-231-7700 and visit neon-health.com for addresses of the other four NEON clinics, for more information, and to make appointments. 

M. LaVora Perry, an East Cleveland wife, mother and writer, wrote this article.

What is a cottage pie? When I demoed this at the market I watched peoples eyes light up when I said "pie" only to turn to confusion and horror when I listed the ingredients.

"Beef? Turnips? Carrots? That's not pie!"  

After a moment of contemplation, some said, "You mean shepherds pie."

Kevin Scheuring, a.k.a. The Spicehound, works at the Coit Road Farmers Market in East Cleveland.

Nope, I mean "cottage pie." Shepherds pie is made with lamb and only lamb! (OK… maybe mutton.) That's my story, and until someone alerts me to the existence of the secret society of bovine shepherds, I'm stickin' to it. Cottage pie, on the other hand, is most often made with beef, although venison, chicken, turkey, cuy or any other meat is acceptable.

Why all the roots? In a continuing effort to make local foods a larger part of our diets, we often find ourselves in a bit of a pinch this time of year. I tend to push the limit as far as being a locavore, but still struggle to keep my local food intake above 50 percent during these long Cleveland winters. Many cottage pie recipes call for peas and/or corn but, since peas and corn aren't in my vocabulary in January, I thought amping up the root veggie portion of the traditional recipe would be a great way to honor some of the root veggies that many of us have become bored with by now. How many root veggies can you get away with? My version is 75 percent roots to 25 percent meat and that's BEFORE the potato topping. It got rave reviews. 

Which roots? For me, it wouldn't feel right to not use carrots and turnips, so those, along with onion (of course), are a perfect start. You could stop there, but I prefer the use of other aromats such as garlic and celery (not a root, but if you have celery root, use it). And, as I perused the market, sun chokes, (aka Jerusalem artichokes) caught my eye as did sweet potatoes. Both really perked this recipe up.

My food processor gets little use in my kitchen, but it is perfect for mincing all the veggies together. I don't play favorites here. They all go in together and get processed to a very fine mince. Feel free to go at them with a knife or box grater if you like and leave them coarser if you prefer. There are no rules here. 

Next you need to saute the veggies in butter. (Use oil if you like, but it won't taste as good. Bacon drippin's, lard or tallow? I'll love you even more.) The goal here isn't necessarily to brown them but to reduce them and concentrate flavors. Take your time, a little brown wont hurt at all and be sure season with salt, pepper and your herb of choice. Rosemary or thyme are common. I preferred to use savory. Worcestershire sauce is an excellent addition here also. There are no rules here either.

Remove the finished veggies from the pan and brown your meat of choice. Here brown means brown. Not grey stuff boiling in it's own juices. Keep cooking until the liquids evaporate and the meat turns — you guessed it — brown.  You want the relatively small amount of meat to have big flavor and proper browning is the way to do this. While my version of this recipe doesn't necessarily call for stock, it, as well as beer or wine, to deglaze the pan couldn't hurt. Otherwise, a little water in the pan to get the crunchy brown goodness out will work just fine. Combine your meat with your veggie mixture and taste it. It should be delicious.

Next the potatoes. Cook them. How doesn't matter, bake, boil, steam and this is a good time to use up leftover mashers if you happen have them. I tend to boil them and run them through a food mill and prep them like standard mashed potatoes. (That means cream, butter and salt. They are NOT real mashed potatoes without those three ingredients… but I digress) Prep your potatoes any way you like. Smooth or chunky, Real mashers or just loosened up with some stock, milk or whatever. As long as they taste good and are spreadable, they will work. Sweet potatoes for the topping? Winter squash hanging around bored? All or part? Why not? Rules? None.

Assemblage: Spread the meat/veggie mixture in a baking dish of some sort and spread your potato mixture on top. This can be tricky only because spreading the potatoes may stir up the bottom mixture. Take a lesson from those who frost cakes. Do a skim coat over the meat and veggies first and then go back and do your final coat. This will make it much easier to get two distinct layers without just mushing everything together. Bake it at 350 degrees or so, until the top is browned. Dotting it with butter first will make it brown nicer if you like. 

This is easy and very flexible dish that can feed lots of people on only a few bucks and tastes even better as leftovers. You can't ask for much more than that from a locally-sourced meal in the middle of the winter.

Kevin Scheuring, a.k.a. The Spicehound of the Coit Road Farmers Market, wrote this article. The market's winter hours are Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  It is located at 15000 Woodworth Rd., one block west of East 152nd Street and Noble, in East Cleveland. Call 216-249-5455 for more information. 

Customers entering Midtown Farmers Market on Carnegie Avenue will soon be greeted by the smells of fresh pastries and hot coffee at the market’s new news and food stand set to open in February.

Tony Mendolera owns the market at 3400 Carnegie Ave. and knows a thing or two about the food business.  His grandfather opened a store on Cleveland's east side in 1911 shortly after emigrating from Sicily. He started a family legacy that continues to this day.  

Owner Tony Mendolera in the produce section of Midtown Farmers Market on Carnegie Avenue.

“I’m coming back to do what he started doing back then,” Mendolera said.  “I’m one of the last people still in this business who learned from the old-timers.” 

Mendolera’s family has owned the building that now houses the market for several years.  He took over management of the building, formerly Alanbe Food Outlet, in September and now sees it as an opportunity to give back to the community he grew up in.

“I believe in this community,” Mendolera said.  “People have been taking from it for years, but no one ever gives back.”

He said he strives to keep only the freshest produce and other food items in stock and price them affordably, keeping in mind many of his customers are on fixed budgets.

Mendolera said he wants to connect with urban farmers within the city. He currently gets most of his produce from growers within a 120-mile radius. Amish growers account for much of his produce. 

In an effort to keep only the freshest items on the shelves at any given time, he tries to only order as much as he can sell so he’s left with little or no overstock to be thrown away.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, the market sells a variety of drinks and frozen foods both generic and name brand.

An on-site deli makes fresh hot and cold sandwiches daily as well as soups and salads. 

“I’m here for the long haul,” said Mendolera, who came out of retirement after six years to open the market. 

He’s confident his experience will enable his business to continue to grow. 

A young girl performs at the talent show. PHOTO BY JAN THROPE.

Youth from the Central neighborhood set out to showcase their talent Saturday.

With the help of the Central Promise Ambassadors, the children prepared their performances during three months of rehearsals and took to the stage at Cuyahoga Community College's Metro Campus to show parents and supporters what they could accomplish.

The program consisted of dance numbers to current popular songs, children performing scenes from films as well as children singing solo in the spotlight. Though the acts varied greatly, they all had one thing in common: They all celebrated the children and the hope for the future.

“We wanted to showcase our kids and show that they have the talent,” said Malfert Shaw, Central Promise ambassador and master of ceremonies for the afternoon. He also said the event was meant to show that the Central neighborhood was as good as, if not better than, any other.

Children bravely took to the stage. Performances were short, but tightly performed.

Throughout the entire event, the focus was on the children and the neighborhood. Jerome Baker, another Central Promise ambassador, reminded the audience of the great people who came from the area in the past and highlighted the strides that had been made in the community so far.

“If you look at Central then and Central now, you can see we’ve come a long way in building the community,” Baker said as he stood in front of the audience.

At the end of the event, proud parents and others community members joined the children for a final dance number on stage.

Shaw hopes events like this one and others in the future will bring self-awareness to the community as well as reinforce moral values and respect in the neighborhood.

Justin Rutledge, a Benedictine High School graduate, wrote this article. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and is studying education at Ursuline College.

My experience with the Neighbor Circle was enlightening. I learned lots of new things about my neighborhood and the surroundingareas. The people at the meetings were great. We had lots of fun discussing our lives, and the things that have happened in them. We found that we all, old and young, have so many things in common. The young ones taught us, and we older ones taught them. It was great…really enjoyed attending the circle. I would recommend the Neighbor Circle to others.

Officials break ground at the site of a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel in University Circle

A Courtyard by Marriott hotel is coming to University Circle. It is being built just behind the Starbucks at Cornell Drive and Euclid Avenue.

About 40 local officials and business members, including County Executive Ed FitzGerald, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and County Councilwoman Yvonne Conwell, attended the groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 19 in the former Uptowne Grill.

The Courtyard by Marriott – University Circle hotel, being developed by Snavely Development Co. and Concord Hospitality Enterprises, is scheduled to open in spring 2013. It will have eight floors and 153 rooms, and is expected to provide 55 full-time jobs once it opens, according to University Circle Inc., the development, and service and advocacy organization in University Circle.

"This is a $27 million project that's bringing economic development to this community and that's sorely needed," County Councilwoman Yvonne Conwell said.

Conwell's husband Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell and officials from Case Western Reserve University, University Circle Inc. and a variety of other organizations are planning a job fair to give area residents an opportunity to apply for jobs in the Circle. Look for more information about that in our March issue.

There is $700 million in construction going on in the three blocks surrounding the new hotel site, said Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle, Inc. That includes the Uptown project, being developed by MRN Ltd., which is scheduled to open this spring. That project on Euclid Avenue between East 118th Street and Ford Drive will include a Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and a Constantino’s Market.

Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell and officials from University Circle Inc., Case Western Reserve University and a variety of community-based organizations are planning a job fair to be held in March to encourage residents to apply for jobs in the Circle.

“This is the $700 million corner,” Ronayne said, adding that the hotel was one of very few financed in a “difficult economy.”

Ronayne credited the Euclid Corridor project, which rebuilt and widened Euclid Avenue from downtown to the Circle, with paving the way for the development going on in the Circle now.

Said FitzGerald: “Cleveland is building things again.”

Story and Photo by Lila Mills, Neighborhood Voice editor. 

The Cleveland Orchestra’s and PNC Bank are sparking children’s interest in music with programs like the PNC Musical Rainbow Series and PNC Grow Up Great, which won’t break the bank for parents. 

“It’s about introducing kids to the orchestra one instrument at a time,” said Joan Katz Napoli, The Cleveland Orchestra’s director of Education and Community Programs,  referring to Musical Rainbow Series. 

During each show, members of the orchestra and guest musicians teach children and their families about a particular instrument in the intimate Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall. 

The shows go by names such as “The Cool Clarinet” and “The Velvet Viola.” 

To involve the children, who range in age from 3 to 6 years old, musicians play songs such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “B.I.N.G.O.” and “The Alphabet Song.”  The children are encouraged to sing and clap along to the music. 

“We try to engage their natural energy and get them involved with their natural tendency to love music,” Napoli said.  “It’s very accessible to children as well as their parents.”

The musical demonstrations only last about 30 minutes because small children often don’t want to sit still for very long.

“There is a high tolerance for wiggling,” Napoli said.  “But we also talk to them about being a good audience member.” 

As children get older, The Cleveland Orchestra has programs geared toward every age group to keep them engaged with music. 

For 7 and 8 year olds, family concerts are held in the main concert hall of Severance Hall to offer the children and their families a different experience.  These concerts often feature guest performers such as Chad Hoopes, an accomplished violinist who played the venue in 2007 at the age of 13. 

Through the PNC Grow Up Great program, children can enter the “instrument discovery area” where they can pick up and tryout virtually any instrument in the orchestra.

“It’s often the first time kids have had any instrument in their hand,” Napoli said.

Children who pursue instruments seriously often go on to tryout for the Cleveland Youth Orchestra.

The 2011-2012 season of the PNC Musical Rainbow Series began in October of last year and will run through May.

PNC Musical Rainbow Series – 2012 Schedule

Friday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

“Spectacular Strings”

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall

Friday, March 16 at 10 a.m.

Saturday, March 17 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

“The Cool Clarinet”

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall

Friday, May 11 at 10 a.m.

Saturday, May 12 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

“The Velvet Viola”

Reinberger Chamber Hall at Severance Hall

On most commercial airlines, there is a safety demonstration before the airplane takes flight.

The flight attendant says: "In the event of cabin depressurization, the oxygen mask will automatically drop. Place the mask on yourself, and then help your child or others who may need assistance."

Timothy D. Goler is a Sociology doctoral candidate Case Western Reserve University and co-founder of PolicyBridge.

The message? We can’t help anyone else, even those we love deeply, if we haven’t fully secured our own safety and well-being first. We can’t help our children, our significant other or anyone else if we ourselves aren’t mentally healthy. Clear your mind, breath deeply. Then and only then can you think about helping your child.

We have all heard this statement: “Parents are a child’s first and best teacher.”

If that is true, which I believe it is, then it is equally true that mental illness in parents represent a risk for children in the family.

The impact of parental mental illness on a child's well-being can be significant. Children whose parents have untreated mental illness are at risk of developing social, emotional and/or behavioral problems, which can affect how well they do in school. The home environment where children are raised dictates their behavior. It affects their development and emotional well-being.

In effect, mentally unhealthy parents can be a child’s first and worst teacher.  Parents who are not good to themselves stunt the growth and development of their children.  In order for our children to be healthy and to have a better chance to reach their full potential academically and in life, the adults in our children’s lives need to be mentally healthy. We can’t put the cart before the horse, expecting our children to be OK and we’re not.  We have to stop sweeping our pain and suffering under the rug and address our issues. Don’t be afraid to look in the mirror. Addictions, depression, disorders (bi-polar, eating, etc.) and even domestic violence, are all by-products of a lack of self love. Whatever it is that you need to do to love and take care of yourself, do it!

Yes, we should continue to turn to our family, our church and community to cope with our issues, but just know that it is okay to seek help and be adequately served by mental health care providers, such as The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Clinics. The onus is on you. I encourage you to take a look in the mirror and make yourself mentally healthy so that you can be fully available to your child. 

Timothy D. Goler is sociology doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University and co-founder of PolicyBridge. Feel free to share your thoughts with him at Timothy.Goler@case.edu

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is defined as being consciously in the moment and fully aware of our surroundings and actions.

When you say the word “mindfulness” out loud, slowly, what comes to your mind?  In the busy activity of your day, does mindfulness seem attainable? How about in the heat of an argument? Or, is mindfulness a more elusive state, only characteristic of solitude?

Recently, someone asked my daughter to describe me and without skipping a beat she quickly said, “She’s always moving – just busy.”

Natalie Rudd is on the ministerial staff at Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax.

I thought to myself, “Hmm, is that a good thing or a bad thing?” 

I suppose being busy is a good thing if I am productive, but what good is being busy if I am just running around and accomplishing nothing?

Becoming mindful can transform a merely “busy” life into a focused life driven by the things we are passionate about.  Becoming mindful can also decrease stress in every aspect of life. More importantly, becoming mindful can also help quiet our often swirling and chaotic minds (something we all want!).

I am often drawn to the Bible passage in Psalm 46:10. In the New International Version, it reads: “Be still and know that I am God.”

I love the “Be still” part of this passage and frequently turn to it, inserting my own words to calm my spirit. 

“Be still when life seems to be falling apart. . . and know that I am God.”

“Be still when your children seem to have lost their natural mind. . . and know that I am God.”

“Be still when a relationship falls apart. . . and know that I am God.”

The message to take away is that life happens. Ups and downs will come and go.  We must learn to listen to the Psalmist words and “Be still.”   

Practicing mindfulness allows us to be still.

I challenge you, or as we used to say when we were children – I dare you – to start developing the habit of mindfulness. Learn how to be still even in the midst of your busy day. For the remainder of this month, try incorporating one of these three steps into your daily routine. (For you overachievers – go ahead and try all three!).

1. Meditate – find some quiet time every day and meditate on the things that you are grateful for. It can be as simple as saying, "I am thankful for this day and my family."
2. Prayer – is an essential part of our spiritual growth. You can't hear what God has to say if you aren't open to talking and, yes, listening to his answers.
3. Breathe –breathe slowly and deeply, in and out. Focus on your breath, mindfully, and discover the awesome calming of your spirit.

These simple exercises will help you develop a state of mindfulness, allowing you to embrace the knowledge that God has everything under control. All you have to do is “Be still and know…”

This article was written by Natalie Rudd, who is on the ministerial staff at Antioch Baptist Church, 8869 Cedar Ave. Reach her at mindfuldiva@gmail.com.

Dr. Edward M. Barksdale, Jr. is on a mission. The Harvard Medical School-trained chief of pediatric surgery at University Hospital’s Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital (he’s also is a professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve University) wants to do more than just save one life at a time in the operating room. He wants to save hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of young lives.

In order to accomplish that goal, Barksdale knows he must leave the operating room and hit the streets. He must work to restore hope to areas where none — or very little — presently exists. He must reach out to young people on the wrong path before they end up on his operating table.

Barksdale said sometimes he feels like "a physician attempting to save lives in a mortuary.” 

“I’ve been spending my time exploring violence, not because I have an interest in it, but because I have to understand how to help put an end to it in our neighborhoods," Barksdale said. "It’s costing us far too many young lives.”

Neighborhood Voice Columnist Mansfield Frazier

The loss of hope, the sense of not having a future, not having anything worth living for is devastating on young minds, Barksdale said.

“When I grew up, we weren’t rich," he said. "My mother never finished high school. My father spent 12 to 14 hour days working for the Postal Service, but my grandmother lived right next door to us, and I spent a lot of time with her."

"She — as well as my mother and father — instilled in me a desire to ‘be about something’ to matter in this world," Barksdale said. "Everyone needs that kind of encouragement.”

Barksdale knew the field of medicine, but had a feeling — a sense of calling — that he should be doing more.

Dr. Edward Barksdale Jr.

“I was invited to interview at Cleveland Clinic for a position quite similar to the one I hold now, so I drove over from Pittsburgh for the interview, and afterward got lost attempting to find my way back to the freeway. I was in a  community near the Clinic (there were abandoned houses and boarded-up businesses), and I thought ‘Why would I want to work in a city this depressing?’ I turned the job down.”

A few months later, in the jungles of Nicaragua, Barksdale’s “moment of clarity” came.

“I was exploring a medical business opportunity in that country and while I was there, I was asked to take a look at a very sick child," he said. "While tending to that child the thought struck me that I could be helping in a similar way in someplace like Cleveland … where the need is also great. Not long after returning to the States I got the call about the position I now hold … that was a little over four years ago and I’ve been here ever since.”

A favorite teaching tool the doctor uses is a YouTube video entitled “Battle at Kruger.”

Kruger National Park is in southern Africa. Some visitors captured the scene on video. A pride of lions was crouched in the bush, waiting for a few stray water buffalo to get close enough for them to pounce. The lead water buffalo smelled the loins and took flight. However, a small calf was too slow and the lions caught it. As they struggled to kill the calf, they fell into the water where two crocodiles tried to seize the calf from the lions, but the lions prevailed and got back on dry ground.

Just when it looked as if it was curtains for the calf, a herd of 40 water buffalo came thundering to the rescue. They attacked the predators, freed the calf and then formed a circle around the small creature while the large bull water buffalos ran the lions off.

“That’s what we have to do as a community,” said a beaming Barksdale at the conclusion of the video, “we have to do what these water buffalo knew to do — we have to surround our young and protect them from predators.”

In Cleveland, the good doctor has found his calling.        

Mansfield Frazier is a journalist living in Hough. Check out his vineyard Chateau Hough.

Neighborhood Voice regularly features local poets. Submit your poem to info@neighborhood-voice.com.

When I first saw you God knows I didn’t have
a clue
To me what you would soon do
Never did I anticipate the stirring inside that
you would create
With your character How me you would
mentally stimulate
And it caught me so off guard
Because all of these things came about out
From conversations so broad
My thoughts
wow intrigued very refreshing
The more around you the more I seemed to
find very interesting
Men like you really do exist
Keeping me hopeful one day with a man
similar to you
I can truly learn to love settle down and
live/be with
Later on in life that is
He will have what I need
What I’m looking for in a lover/friend in a
companion