A few years before the Peace Corps assigned me to St. Joseph’s College, Sasse, in West Cameroon, Father Cunningham, a Mill Hill missionary, was made principal of the school and ordered to take back control from unruly students.  Father Cunningham hired Mr. Tansinda to be Master of Discipline.  The two of them figured out who the trouble makers were.  They expelled some and allowed the rest to stay after being caned, for this was a boarding high school for about 400 boys in the British tradition.

Dr. Michael Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, is one of the developers of the Real Age test on the Internet.  You know your chronological age, but go to www.realage.com and take the test to find out what your “real age” is.  The test tells you how well you are taking care of yourself.  Your lifestyle – what you eat, how much you exercise and so on – can make you more vulnerable to degenerative diseases of age such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke or dementia.  Or it can make you much less vulnerable.

On August 7, I completed my first ever Olympic-length triathlon.  I came in #1 in my age/gender group.  By finishing first in my age/gender group, I qualified on my first try for the National Triathlon competition later this month.  What a surprise!

There’s so much to do in a campaign for Cleveland Heights City Council that it’s hard to find time to blog.  While I’m looking for that time, click on “Read the full story” for  a list a articles I’ve written over the past three years for the Heights Observer.  I am now gathering new ideas and perspective as I meet more and more voters, but these articles represent some of my interests and thoughts.  They especially support my vision for Cleveland Heights as a healthy, activity community with outstanding opportunities for growth and excellence.

You missed the fundraiser on August 11 to help elect Mary Dunbar to Cleveland Heights City Council, but it’s not too late to make a donation or get involved.  Just click on the Donate button on the menu bar above to learn how to make a contribution.  Click on the Volunteer button for a list of some ways that you can help the Dunbar campaign.

Let’s be honest:  I have found that the Cleveland Heights  Bicycle Coalition could be a full-time job, because there’s so much to do to encourage and facilitate bicycling in our city!  Fortunately, lots of people embrace this cause and want to help.

The Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition, of which I am a co-founder, is an action-oriented group.  Our program at 7 p.m. on July 20 on bicycle commuting at Denison Park was well attended, and many of the people present tried loading their bicycles on to an RTA bus to facilitate commuting.

Last night, I went to fascinating presentations at the Superior Schoolhouse celebrating Preservation Month.  The Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, FutureHeights and the Cleveland Heights Historical Society sponsored the talks by Korbi Roberts and Mark Souther on Cleveland Heights’ most recent Historic District to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Grant Deming’s Forest Hill Allotment.

My vision for Cleveland Heights sees a healthy, active community.  Being active can keep you healthy.  The data is compelling.  The World Health Organization (WHO) says that lack of exercise in the main cause of 21%-25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and 30% of heart disease around the world.  WHO recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week.  That’s five 30-minute workouts – not much, really.

For more than a year, I and a team of neighbors have been working on an application to have the development of what was once Shaker farmland in Cleveland Heights listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  This area is a major community asset.  The application is based on the architectural merit of the gorgeous homes and other buildings constructed in the district between 1906 and 1935. The Ohio Historic Preservation Office (OHPO) in Columbus is currently scrutinizing the application for the second time.  If/when OHPO and the state board approve it, it will go to the national level for final approval.  We are confident of eventual listing.