^^^Yes, there have been a rash of armed robbiers in Solon.  Last year, the Game Stop which is right around the corner from the police station was robbed not once but twice.  In the same shopping district the Donato's was held up a few weeks ago.  Across town the Giant Eagle pharmacy was robbed by a guy showing a gun.  And just recently the Blue Fig. 

 

Of course this means nothing...suburban crime only happens in the Heights.

I think it's a joke if someone feels they have to arm themselves to go to Tremont or Coventry.  Sorry.... but I do.  JMO.

 

Depends on the time of day.  Coventry's problems are well-documented, though of course can't be talked about here without earning one a week-long suspension.  And Tremont, from all indications, requires much more caution.

Please share these "well-documented" problems.  I am sure the mods will not suspend you if you back up your allegations with actual proof and not just your own skewed perception.  Sure, there was a cop (who probably should not have been medically cleared for duty in the first place) who died while chasing after some low-life who spit on a security guard at Marc's.  I don't remember anyone being shot on Coventry or stabbed.  I don't recall any gun play like we saw in your precious Beachwood this past weekend.  So, go ahead, let's see those documents which back up what I suspect is nothing more than your assumption based on... what is the term you like to use.... oh yeah, "demographic changes"

Why should he provide statistical proof?  Half of the stuff on urbanohio.com is anecdotal.

I didn't ask him for statistical proof.  I only asked him for what is "well-documented"... his words, not mine.

Please share these "well-documented" problems.  I am sure the mods will not suspend you if you back up your allegations with actual proof and not just your own skewed perception.  Sure, there was a cop (who probably should not have been medically cleared for duty in the first place) who died while chasing after some low-life who spit on a security guard at Marc's.  I don't remember anyone being shot on Coventry or stabbed.  I don't recall any gun play like we saw in your precious Beachwood this past weekend.  So, go ahead, let's see those documents which back up what I suspect is nothing more than your assumption based on... what is the term you like to use.... oh yeah, "demographic changes"

 

Well-documented to anyone who isn't blinded by their own biases.  :laugh:  It's not an assumption based on anything but reality.  But it's okay, even if there are crime problems in Coventry Village, you've  got plenty of cops around to protect you.  Well, of course the ones that aren't writing parking tickets or setting up speed traps.  And the ones that aren't medically unfit for service.  Hmmm, maybe CCW isn't looking so bad after all...

 

By the way, there is nothing about Beachwood that I find appealing except for its low taxes, which of course is only made possible by the fact that they've hoarded a large chunk of the business tax base in Northeast Ohio.  But nice strawman argument.

I'm sure the riot at the Coventry Street Fair last week would count as actual proof and not just my own skewed perception as well.

I'm sure the riot at the Coventry Street Fair last week would count as actual proof and not just my own skewed perception as well.

 

I heard about that.  4 juvenille girls got into a fight at the elementary school on Euclid Hts Blvd and Coventry.  All the girls were arrested.  I will make sure to never go back there!!!  I don't want to get beaten up by some 14 year old girls.  Then, there was a larger fight among some males (mixture of youths and young adults) at the intersection of Mayfield and Coventry.  Police put down their radar guns to respond to that incident as well.  5 people were arrested.  No injuries were reported.  Here, let me 'document' those facts for you - http://blog.cleveland.com/sunpress/2010/06/total_arrests_now_at_9_from_fi.html

 

Look, I am not trying to start an argument.  But we all know in a heavily populated area like Coventry which has an abundance of 'watering holes', there are going to be fights.  Name me a similar area anywhere where you would not find these types of incidents, especially when large crowds gather.  Kids are going to fight.  I got into my fair share of fights growing up - including a huge riot at Shaker Hts HS that I could not be more ashamed of.  As a citizen, I am much more concerned about random violence, such as muggings, car-jackings, etc. and I would challenge anyone to provide 'well-documented' proof of such incidents on Coventry.  And I don't mean one incident.  I mean 'well-documented'.... which would, ummmm, mean there are some documents you can share with us.  Google is a lovely tool.

Hts121, judging by your tone, you don't seem too concerned that there were two separate violent altercations witnessed by hundreds of innocent families just trying to have fun, 9 arrests and about 7 or 8 different precincts of police officers rushing to prevent a full fledged riot.  Do not make light of what happened and how close it came to being a true disaster.  My friend's father works at one of the stores close to the Mayfield/Coventry intersection and his father had told him it got very scary at around 8:30 where out of the nowhere a few dozen scumbags seemed to emerge at once, yelling, throwing out the n-words left and right, screaming over each other, aggressively bumping into people and each other, and other loveliness.  This was very bad and close to being out of hand. 

 

And don't say this was kids just acting like kids.  Nothing like this happened at the recent Legacy Village art fair or any Tremont art fair that I've ever attended.  Nothing like this happened at the Geauga Lake Water Park this season.  Nothing like this has ever happened at the Crocker auto shows from last year.  Nothing like this happened has happened at Whiskey Island (where there are tons of kids chilling).  This is not kid behavior - it's criminal behavior and we all know it and I'm seeing it more and more at Coventry when I go.

 

 

Sure, the fight at the intersection where the Coventry neighborhood and "the Jets" collide concerns me.  That triangle neighborhood has always concerned me and I tell people to look elsewhere when searching for rentals.  But this incident in particular concerns me no more or no less as when I hear about some drunken bafoon college kids starting fights on W. 6th (on any given night) or at the St. Patty Day Parade.  There was a large fight at the Applebee's on Mayfield Rd in Lyndhurst the other week when my wife was there.  There was also a near riot outside Bar Louie in Legacy Village just last month.  In the Coventry/Mayfield Rd. incident, it's not like these youths were running up and down the Fair attacking random, innocent people, and contrary to what Clevelander17 might accuse our men in blue of, it seems the police response was swift and adequate to prevent anything worse.

 

And, no, the 4 girls fighting at the school does not concern me at all.  Not in the least bit.  I don't get intimidated by that sort of thing.  To each his own.

 

And I am not sure where you get the idea that either incident was witnessed by hundreds of families.  You do realize that the school is on the other side of Euclid Hts Blvd and was not part of the fair?  The other fight also was at the extrem end of the strip, if not off it, and happened later at night when most families would be getting their kids to sleep I would hope.  The Fair did not extend accross Mayfield Rd.

Hts121, judging by your tone, you don't seem too concerned that there were two separate violent altercations witnessed by hundreds of innocent families just trying to have fun, 9 arrests and about 7 or 8 different precincts of police officers rushing to prevent a full fledged riot.  Do not make light of what happened and how close it came to being a true disaster.  My friend's father works at one of the stores close to the Mayfield/Coventry intersection and his father had told him it got very scary at around 8:30 where out of the nowhere a few dozen scumbags seemed to emerge at once, yelling, throwing out the n-words left and right, screaming over each other, aggressively bumping into people and each other, and other loveliness.   This was very bad and close to being out of hand. 

 

And don't say this was kids just acting like kids.  Nothing like this happened at the recent Legacy Village art fair or any Tremont art fair that I've ever attended.  Nothing like this happened at the Geauga Lake Water Park this season.  Nothing like this has ever happened at the Crocker auto shows from last year.  Nothing like this happened has happened at Whiskey Island (where there are tons of kids chilling).  This is not kid behavior - it's criminal behavior and we all know it and I'm seeing it more and more at Coventry when I go.

 

 

 

Obviously I was not there (living in Seattle as I do) but the behaviour you describe is typical gang behaviour.  When a gang perceives a neighborhood at a tipping point, the gang, in an organized fashion spreads mayhem in a neighborhood.  Once the local proprietors are intimidated (see negative business consequences) the protection racket starts. 

I don't think there are any plans for a protection racket... just more mayem.  Coventry needs to make sure its festivals are well-guarded.  Otherwise they'll go the way of 185th.  At least Cleveland Heights has the police personnel available to get it done.  Collinwood tried charging $2 a head for private security... but all that did was tell people "this ain't your kinda festival."  CHPD needs to be omnipresent, and make sure anyone causing a ruckus is immediately hauled away.

So the fight between 4 young teenage girls at a school at one end of the strip and the yelling, bumping, and "close to being out of hand" situation that escalated between the young men/boys from CH, Cleveland, and East Cleveland could have been an organized effort by a gang to spread mayhem in the Coventry neighborhood?  And these "gangs" are doing this to intimidate local proprietors and, then, extort payments for protection? 

 

Dear God man.... somebody needs to warn Sunshine!

 

...Or maybe you are giving a little too much credit to some kids who got way out of hand on a hot day?  Without knowing the exact story, let me throw out "scenario B" and you tell me which is more likely.  A group of Cleveland and/or East Cleveland kids decided to go to the Fair.  Maybe they parked on Coventry or one of those side streets north of Mayfield.  Or maybe they just walked up the Superior Hill.  As they were leaving, a group of Heights kids, who either live in that Mayfield/Superior/Coventry triangle or elsewhere in CH, crossed paths with them around Mayfield.  Maybe they played football or b-ball against each other in the LEL.  Maybe one of them screwed the others' girlfriend.  Who knows.  Words/looks/whatever were exchanged.  Someone got offended or felt the need to run his mouth.  The CH kids got on their phones and started making calls and "back-up" came pouring out of the triangle neighborhood.  A melee was about to break loose and maybe some punches/objects were in fact thrown.  If I was a betting man, I would assume that someone in that group had a weapon of some sort (similar to Clevelander17's constantly noted weapon).  Pedestrians, residents and businesses all called the police.  Police rushed to the scene and made arrests with a good amount of the suspects probably fleeing like roaches when the lights come on.  As noted, no injuries.  Charges issued for inciting a riot, which carries a heavy penalty. 

 

The fight at the school was probably about a Barbie.  But, who knows, I suppose I can concede that it COULD have been part of the grander conspiracy you propose. 

I heard about that.  4 juvenille girls got into a fight at the elementary school on Euclid Hts Blvd and Coventry.  All the girls were arrested.  I will make sure to never go back there!!!

 

I'm sure glad that you can so flippantly brush the incident off as if it's a non-issue.  While things like that may not scare you off, you better damn well believe that there are undoubtedly dozens of families that will not be returning to the Coventry Street Fair the next time it is held, and countless other potential visitors will simply look elsewhere for summer entertainment.  You seem to fail to grasp simply how damaging these types of crime stories are to Cleveland Heights.  Sure there are some that blow things out of proportion, but let's get real, perception of the city and reality really aren't that far off.  Except for certain folks who will continue to visit the city no matter what, Cleveland Heights' continuously growing negative reputation is going to keep dissuading people from spending time there.

I know that your perception of the City and reality are really far off. 

 

FWIW, I would say that Coventry's popularity and activity are at an all-time high.  It wasn't too long ago that Coventry wasn't much more than a hang-out spot for teenage kids with green mohawks and empty wallets.  It's transition over the past 10 years has maintained all of its best qualities, but increased foot traffic significantly.

We could go on and on about whose perception of the city is closer to reality.  I don't think it really matters, I still spend time there and will continue to do so unless something drastic happens to change my opinion.  However the fact remains that the city has serious problems that seem to get worse with each passing year, and its viability as an entertainment attraction to middle- and upper-class outsiders (which is a nice niche for the city since middle class families aren't choosing to live there anymore) takes a hit every time something like this happens.

 

Whether or not you are threatened by such near riots such as the one that happened last week isn't entirely relevant--if you decide that a moderate risk such as that isn't a big deal for yourself or your family, that's your prerogative.  However as a citizen, you should be concerned about the general reputation of the city and how it is affected by newsworthy events like these, that seem to have every other month or so.  The truth is that things like this don't happen at the Orange Jubilee or Solon Home Days, so please stop trying to gloss it over.  This and other newsworthy "crime events" are simply a reflection of the growing crime problem in the city, even if most of them don't make the news.

 

We're arguing in circles here so I'll simply leave you with this.  It is not in your best interest to downplay the problems that the city has.  There are too many people (like yourself, I'm afraid) in Cleveland Heights who seem all too willing to enable this type of behavior.  It doesn't matter if they were teenagers.  These young thugs turn into adult thugs who, at their worst, shoot each other at bars and kill police officers, and many of the ones that aren't going to that extreme are riding around the neighborhood booming their car systems and dealing drugs.  I hate to say it, but I think you need a reality check.  If I recall, you've already found it necessary to have your kid avoid the CH schools.  That's how it begins for a lot of people.  Next perhaps one day you'll wake up and realize that it's necessary to leave the city altogether.  Maybe CCW isn't your cup of tea, but that doesn't mean that you can't acknowledge the problem and can't fight back against this crap in other ways.

And I'll leave you with this.  Your arguments are almost always based on incorrect assumptions.  I don't live in Cleveland Heights. 

And I'll leave you with this. Your arguments are almost always based on incorrect assumptions. I don't live in Cleveland Heights.

 

So you already skipped out?  Why am I not surprised?

Stop. Now.

What in god's name is going on in Mentor?

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/5_student_suicides_put_focus_o.html

 

5 student suicides put focus on bullying issue in Mentor

 

"MENTOR, Ohio -- Little more than a year after Mentor High School adopted an internationally known program designed to prevent bullying, 16-year-old junior Sladjana Vidovic hanged herself from a bedroom window....."

 

 

There are a few extremely disturbing things here.  First, I am utterly shocked that 5 students in one school committed suicide in 3 years.  I have no clue what the national average is, but this seems extremely high. 

 

Two, in reading the article, it also seems the teachers at Mentor were at best complicit and at worst contributory to the problem.  "The Mentor school district does not acknowledge that bullying has been a problem. "  What?

 

It took 5 years for them to implement some kind formal anti-bullying policy?  Where was the principal during these 5 years?  What about students who would have witnessed the abuses?  Any teachers or administrators nearby?  How come no one came forward and did something? 

 

And what is this crap about "Bullying issue is 'touchy.'"  Explain that one to me.  Suppose the victims were being sexually abused instead of emotionally?  There are laws about harassment and abuse and assault.  What's touchy about enforcing nonphysical abuse? 

 

Third, I can tell everyone here that kids these days are changing for the worse. Or maybe it's just that people are scummier than in year's past.  The other day, I was looking at my youngest niece's facebook messages with some of her peers, and....jesus....I wouldn't be surprised if there was a similar incident at Orange one of these days.  Some of these girls were saying absolutely chilling things about one-another - it's like a whole other level of smack talking that I have never seen before. 

 

Fourth, these bullies from 05-08 are probably now all in college.  I'd be curious to hear reporters interview them a little more.  Do a little more research and see if they're still evil sociopaths or see if they've matured.  Do they regret being bullies?  Do they even realized they contributed to someone's death?  Of course, the article does say, "they told him the allegations had been blown out of proportion" so I guess they don't feel all that guilty.

 

 

 

 

Mentor is too big for its own good.  Twice the size of Heights High, I believe.  I don't understand why they haven't split up their high school like Parma has.

 

Regardless, this is just a case of some really mean kids being at the 'head of the class'.... I hear the football players at Mentor basically run that school and they are ruthless in their tormenting.  The sheep just follow along.

 

Levels of HS bullying, IMO, varies depending on the particular students.  In my one year at U.S.'s upper school, I saw more bullying, tormenting, and over-the-top hazing than I did in my three years at Heights High.  I'm sure that had something to do with the 6'5 300 pound security guards walking around Heights.... but it just seemed like the boys at Heights got along alot better and weren't nearly as cruel to the smaller, weaker kids.  Of course, we had plenty of girl fights to keep the liveliness up.... in my estimation, there was 3x-4x as many girl fights as boy fights at Heights.

2 years ago I had to go into Mentor courts to clear up an issue because of a traffic ticket I neglected to attend to in a timely fashion (don't ask).

 

Nevertheless, while I was waiting for my turn, there were a number of other criminal cases in front of me, mostly for drug use. No less than 4 of them were kids who were either attending Mentor, or 1 year removed, all former members of the football team, and all back on repeat offenses. At one point the judge said out loud "what is going on with Mentor sports?".

 

I think you've got a huge school, that's impossible to police effectively, and parents who are assuming that because Mentor is 'safe', that they can drop their kids off and not worry about them. Nevertheless, the school has some soul searching to go through .

I can't imagine something so tragic for a family as a young person committing suicide, but alot of things have to go wrong for that to happen.  Parents need to be involved in their kids lives enough to know that something is wrong.  Either giving them the tools to be able to deal with bullying or getting the school administration to intervene is a must, but is bullying really a new phenomenon?  I have to think kids are just as cruel now as they were decades before, only now the parents are encouraged to sue the school by some nitwit attorneys...

Bullying has taken on a more visceral side with the ability to say anything you want about someone on the internet. There's the anonymity of it, which emboldens people to say things they wouldn't necessarily say in person, and then there's the fact that the words are dispersed much more efficiently, resulting in maximum pain dispersion for the bullied.

 

We've come a long way from a bully beating up little Jimmy for his lunch money. That at least could be directly addressed. Who addresses cyber-bullying? And what do you do once it's out there?

 

 

There's also something about suicide that is almost contagious.  The more common it is in a group, the more a person sees it as a viable option.  There was an essay in one of Malcolm Gladwell's books about a tiny island nation where the teen suicide rate was incredibly high, and there was no real reason for it...it just all of a sudden became an epidemic.

How big is Mentor High BTW?

 

I think AJ93 hit the nail on the head.  Other than being able to hide behind the anonymity, I think it makes it much harder on the person being bullied when they can't deal with (or simply avoid) the bully since they often times don't even know who it is.  Also, it may seem like many people ganging up on them over the internet when in reality it could just be one or two people, making the situation seem all the worse.

How big is Mentor High BTW?

 

 

It's the largest high school in Ohio.

Bullying of gay teens and the high suicide rate in that particular group is hardly a new phenomenon and has been effectively ignored by many school administrators.  It has just recently become a 'newsworthy' story.... probably because some nitwit attorney brought it to the forefront and challenged the school's hands-off policy on such issues.

How big is Mentor High BTW?

 

I believe it's around 850 students per grade.

My small rural highschool of less than 400 kids averaged at least one suicide per year while I was there. So 5 in the three years at Mentor's mega school doesn't seem that shocking to me now that I think about it. I agree though the internet and camera phones has made bullying easier than 15 years ago.

 

EDIT: wow 850 a class? that is bigger than half of the colleges in Ohio

 

When I look at the ODE enrollment data for Mentor for the last few years, it seems as if they often times have "only" about 700-750 students in 10th grade, around 800 in 11th grade, and around 800-850 in 12th grade.  Also, Mentor High School used to be only 10-12, but a couple years ago they included 9th grade in the high school buildings, so there's around 3,100 students in the building now.

I gotta say, 1 a year seems pretty high.  I only know of one kid who has ever committed suicide

How big is Mentor High BTW?

 

 

It's the largest high school in Ohio.

 

No, Fairfield High School is the largest and William Mason High School is the 2nd largest.  Mentor is in 3rd with a couple schools close behind it.

My small rural highschool of less than 400 kids averaged at least one suicide per year while I was there. So 5 in the three years at Mentor's mega school doesn't seem that shocking to me now that I think about it.

 

I think the point here is the apparent reason for the suicides - bullying while at school.  I realize that these kids were probably already mentally unstable, but the bullying must have been quite severe.  I think certain students at Mentor should be forced to participate in something along the lines of MTV's bully beatdown.  There is really nothing I can't stand more than a bully... usually the kid who can't fight to save his life and just looks for the easy and willing victim to show out in front of his friends.  And there is nothing I love more than when a bully gets his ass called out by a tougher kid who IS willing to fight.... talk about deer in the headlights. 

 

Regardless, one a year sounds high for any school... especially for a school of only 400 kids.  I can't remember one single suicide while I was in HS.  As a poster above mentioned, it can be contagious when the already depressed kids who feel ignored by their parents, teachers, peers, etc. see all the attention the victims receive.

How big is Mentor High BTW?

 

 

 

 

It's the largest high school in Ohio.

 

No, Fairfield High School is the largest and William Mason High School is the 2nd largest.  Mentor is in 3rd with a couple schools close behind it.

 

I read that Mentor was.  :|  Anyway it's bigger than most schools. 

I think it used to be.... during my time in HS (1990s) it was the biggest in the state I believe.  What was it like back in the 1960's, MTS?   

I gotta say, 1 a year seems pretty high.  I only know of one kid who has ever committed suicide

 

There are a lot of kids who want to committ suicide. Many kids try and are unsuccessful.  Those are the kids you hear about, because they are usually admitted into a hospital.

 

As many of you know, as a teenager, I wanted to committ suicide, one of my pet projects is a suicide prevention agency (I been working to have call centers versed in multiple languages and for the disabled).

 

Now with social media and reality TV shows featuring debilitating diseases, suicides are now in the media more than any time in the past, yet, not to the point where it's discussed until after someone committs suicide.  Prime example Alex McQueen (and the suicide of Isabella Blow, who he was acquainted).

 

The internal termoil one goes through is unbearable.  You're hormones are raging, you don't feel as though your parents understand you, you're ostracized in school. 

 

I think it used to be.... during my time in HS (1990s) it was the biggest in the state I believe.  What was it like back in the 1960's, MTS?   

 

 

Take note at 2:12! That's what I'm going to do to you!

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but it's related to safety.  There was a big fire this morning at my apartment complex (not near where my building is).  I'll be interested to find out what exactly happened.  Who is working in their kitchen at 1:30 a.m. except drunks and people who work 2nd shift?

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/fire_damages_12_islander_apart.html

Cooking meth?

I suppose that's possible, but considering the general population of our apt community, I'd find it surprising.

It only takes one.

Grease fire.... I would be willing to bet.  You know how motzarella sticks look to a drunk at 2 am.

Or tater tots.

I don't have the link, but there was another wife & husband murder-suicide reported yesterday in Eastlake.

I don't have the link, but there was another wife & husband murder-suicide reported yesterday in Eastlake.

 

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/09/21/news/doc4c9762b57ff5f417853154.txt

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but it's related to safety.  There was a big fire this morning at my apartment complex (not near where my building is).  I'll be interested to find out what exactly happened.  Who is working in their kitchen at 1:30 a.m. except drunks and people who work 2nd shift?

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/fire_damages_12_islander_apart.html

 

I've been in the kitchen cooking at 1:30 AM before.  Along with posting on UO.  It's not so strange.......

Yeah, but you're a freak. :)

Yeah, but you're a freak. :)

True.  In every sense of the word.

^^^I think they call that 'the munchies'