The Heights Observer

06/03/2026

The June issue of the Heights Observer has hit the streets. Here are two important deadlines for the July issue:

Monday, June 8: Articles are due. Upload contributions directly at heightsobserver.org.
Thursday, June 11: Reservations for advertising space are due. Visit https://heightsobserver.org/advertise/ for rates and contact information.

Serving Cleveland Hts and University Hts, the Observer is non-profit and written by volunteers.

05/20/2026

Open Mic Night THIS FRIDAY at Sophie La Gourmande 6pm!

05/04/2026

Road construction season officially began in Cleveland Heights on April 23. This budgetary year, Cleveland Heights City Council more than doubled the city’s road resurfacing budget, from $2 million to $5.1 million in 2026, increasing the roads it resurfaces from 11 last year to 27 this year.

Road construction season officially began in Cleveland Heights on April 23. This budgetary year, Cleveland Heights City Council more than doubled the city’s road resurfacing budget, from $2 million to $5.1 million in 2026, increasing the roads it resurfaces from 11 last year to 27 this year. The P...

04/27/2026

For years, the Cedar Lee district has been known as a place to gather—to meet a friend for coffee, catch a film, wander into a gallery or hear music drifting out onto the sidewalk. It’s a place built not just on businesses, but on moments—small, meaningful, and shared. Now, that spirit has a new identity.

For years, the Cedar Lee district has been known as a place to gather—to meet a friend for coffee, catch a film, wander into a gallery or hear music drifting out onto the sidewalk. It’s a place built not just on businesses, but on moments—small, meaningful, and shared. Now, that spirit has a n...

04/23/2026

Opinion:

Alan Rapoport’s opinion in the March Heights Observer argues that Cleveland Heights cannot legally fund legal services for residents facing deportation because 1) federal law says counsel is “at no expense to the government,” 2) paying for counsel would be an impermissible “public benefit” for undocumented people unless Ohio expressly authorizes it, and 3) it would violate Ohio’s public purpose requirement. Each claim deserves correction.

First, the line in federal law that a person may be represented “at no expense to the Government” in immigration proceedings means the federal government is not required to provide counsel in every case; it does not create a blanket prohibition on governments funding legal services. In fact, the federal government itself has long funded legal representation for unaccompanied children and immigrants with mental disabilities, as well as multiple legal-access programs. If government funding of immigration legal services were inherently unlawful, these programs could not exist.

Alan Rapoport’s opinion in the March Heights Observer argues that Cleveland Heights cannot legally fund legal services for residents facing deportation because 1) federal law says counsel is “at no expense to the government,” 2) paying for counsel would be an impermissible “public benefit”...

04/23/2026

FutureHeights is launching a home repair matching grant program for homeowners who live in the Cain Park and Cedar Lee neighborhoods. The Block by Block program is being launched to complement our neighborhood revitalization efforts in these areas. Currently, we are renovating two homes and working with Rebuild Cleveland to build market-rate new construction modular homes.

Here’s how it works. The program is intended for owner-occupants who live in a specific focus area of the city, defined as the residential streets between Cedar Road (to the south), Lee Road (to the west), Mayfield Road (to the north), and South Taylor Road (to the east). Homeowners who earn up to 120% of area median income are eligible. The Block by Block program provides up to $3,000 in matching grant funds for exterior projects such as porch repair, tuckpointing, painting and more.

FutureHeights is launching a home repair matching grant program for homeowners who live in the Cain Park and Cedar Lee neighborhoods. The Block by Block program is being launched to complement our neighborhood revitalization efforts in these areas. Currently, we are renovating two homes and working....

04/20/2026

Cleveland Heights residents are invited to join Mayor Jim Petras for his first State of the City address on Thursday, April 30, 6–8 p.m., at the CH Community Center,1 Monticello Blvd.

The mayor’s address will be followed by a reception featuring refreshments from local restaurants.

Community resources and information will also be available to attendees of the event, as will the opportunity for residents to share their vision for the future of Cleveland Heights.

An RSVP is not required, but will help the city better calculate and plan for the anticipated number of attendees.

Cleveland Heights residents are invited to join Mayor Jim Petras for his first State of the City address on Thursday, April 30, 6–8 p.m., at the CH Community Center,1 Monticello Blvd. The mayor’s address will be followed by a reception featuring refreshments from local restaurants. Community res...

04/20/2026

Opinion: My husband, Chris, and I have a plan for my 92-year-old dad: a small apartment above our garage. His own front door, his own kitchen, 30 feet from ours. Not a nursing home. Not a spare bedroom. His place, on his terms.

We can’t build it. Cleveland Heights zoning doesn’t allow it.

If you’ve walked the older streets of this city, you’ve seen them: two-story garages with windows upstairs, originally built for carriages. They’re part of CH’s architectural DNA. A handful are grandfathered in as non-conforming structures, but new ones can’t be built.

The city wants to change that. On Monday, May 5, 6–8 p.m., a community meeting at City Hall will focus on Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) zoning, which includes carriage houses, backyard cottages, in-law suites. Different names, same idea: a small, self-contained home on a lot you already own, for a person you already love.

My husband, Chris, and I have a plan for my 92-year-old dad: a small apartment above our garage. His own front door, his own kitchen, 30 feet from ours. Not a nursing home. Not a spare bedroom. His place, on his terms. We can’t build it. Cleveland Heights zoning doesn’t allow it. If you’ve wal...

04/20/2026

The city of Cleveland Heights recently launched a citywide contest inviting residents to capture photos of the city in the spring. The winning photograph will be used for the cover of the upcoming spring issue of FOCUS magazine.

FOCUS, once a combined publication of city news and recreation, will continue to provide news, updates and information starting with the spring 2026 issue. (The recreation guide has been spun off as a separate publication.

The city of Cleveland Heights recently launched a citywide contest inviting residents to capture photos of the city in the spring. The winning photograph will be used for the cover of the upcoming spring issue of FOCUS magazine. FOCUS, once a combined publication of city news and recreation, will co...