Axios Cleveland

February 09, 2023
Happy Thursday! Troy and Sam are back in Cleveland. What did we miss?
π§οΈ Today's weather: Showers, breezy with a high of 62.
β€οΈβπ₯ Sounds like: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by The Darkness
πΆ Situational Awareness: A new study from Smart Growth America names Cleveland as the city with the most equitable walkability in the U.S.
- Take that, rising gas prices.
Today's newsletter is 574 words β a 2-minute read.
1 big thing: Afghan community wants to plant flag in Clark-Fulton
The former Emanuel Apostolic Church on Daisy Avenue. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
Cleveland's Afghan Community Association is on a Herculean fundraising mission to purchase a community center in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood.
Driving the news: The association is trying to raise more than $250,000 through a GoFundMe page to acquire and renovate a former church at 2806 Daisy Ave.
The big picture: The Cleveland Afghan population has surged from about 30 families to more than 300 in the past two years.
- Refugees arrived in Northeast Ohio in an unprecedented wave after the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in 2021.
Why it matters: With limited resources and often little or no English-language proficiency, refugees require intensive social and cultural services.
- The association has been providing ad hoc services every other Saturday at a Cleveland mosque β matching families who have specific challenges with a roster of community volunteers β but a physical community center would provide those services on a regular schedule.
- Plus: They could offer English classes and Afghan cultural education and appreciation.
What they're saying: "We do anything a social worker would do," Ahmad Farid Aria, the leader of the Afghan Community Association, tells Axios. "We have people who have never waited for a bus, never requested an Uber, don't know how to schedule a doctor's appointment, and who don't speak English."
The latest: Aria says they have raised roughly $20,000 so far, but are short of expectations due to the inability of the Afghan community to contribute much on its own.
- "Most of these families live paycheck to paycheck and can barely save a few dollars for themselves," he says.
π Sam's thought bubble: The Afghan Community Association officially formed in March last year, shortly after the publication of a story I wrote in Scene examining Cleveland's Afghan immigration boom.
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2. π₯° Valentine's Day events to make you swoon
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Love is in the air throughout the Cleveland area as Valentine's Day nears.
- Here are five lovely events to give you all the feels.
Tower City's Love in the Land Valentine's Day party includes music, a ballroom dance demonstration and a sweetheart candy bar.
- 3-6pm Saturday.
- Free.
Cupid's Undie Run will see hundreds of Clevelanders running in their underwear and pajamas downtown in support of those suffering from Neurofibromatosis.
- Noon-4pm Saturday.
- Tickets start at $45.
Cleveland Bazaar is hosting a day of art, food trucks and drinks at Lake Affect Studios. Local artists will be selling Valentine-themed gifts.
- 10am-6pm Saturday.
- Free.
Sylk's in Maple Heights will feature Ohio R&B singers Willie Mac and Arielle Hall performing the baby-making music of Babyface and Toni Braxton.
- 4:30-10pm Saturday.
- Tickets start at $50.
"I Do" Weddings at Market Square in Crocker Park offers couples a chance to avoid expensive wedding costs with short but sweet ceremonies.
- 2-7pm Tuesday.
- Registration is required; the ceremony fee is $100 (and yes, you'll be legally married).
Go deeper: Check out Eventbrite's listings for more ways to celebrate Valentine's Day.
3. The Terminal: Not just links about trains
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
π¨πΌβπ€ Duran Duran brings its latest tour to Blossom Music Center on Sept. 10. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's education programs. (Billboard)
π₯ͺ Karl's Inn of the Barristers, which has been serving up sandwiches in the Warehouse District for more than 30 years, is closing next month. (Cleveland Scene)
π Gov. Mike DeWine has applied for federal money to study the feasibility of Amtrak expansion in Ohio. (Cleveland.com)
β½The Cleveland Crunch are looking for somewhere to play the final two home games of the season in March after parting ways with the I-X Center. (News 5 Cleveland)
4. πΈ Pic du jour: King James
He's been bringing it for nearly 20 years. Photo: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James takes the court for his NBA debut on Oct. 29, 2003, at Arco Arena in Sacramento.
- Now, almost 20 years later, he is the NBA's all-time scoring king.
Thanks to our editor Lindsey Erdody and copy editors Rob Reinalda and Yasmeen Altaji.
Our picks:
π Troy is the same age as LeBron James and feeling like a total underachiever.
ποΈ Sam is proudly on Team Hotel in the hotels vs. Airbnb debate.
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