Mutt Madness

Mutt Madness Second Round Recap

We are down to our final fluffy, friendly, and free-spirited 32 pups. A big thank you to Buzz Nation for showing up to the polls and exercising our right to vote! We have tallied 44,224 votes so far!

Wesley the Corgi rolled, Basil and Birdie came down to the wire, Max and Moose got the most votes. Maybe it’s just me, but the big dogs seem to be dominating. Something to keep an eye on as we look to find our champion.

There are some major matchups this round with a trip to the sweet sixteen on the line!

Voting is now open on our website:

Want to double your vote?

Instagram votes count too! 👀 Keep an eye out on our Instagram stories around 11 AM.

Community Blend

This Burke Thing Might Actually Be Happening

It might finally be happening. But like the last snow of winter/spring in Cleveland, you never want to call it too soon. (Jodie says I always jinx us by claiming “this is the last snow of the winter”)

The City of Cleveland released initial economic findings of what it would look like to transform Burke Lakefront Airport from the bane of most every Clevelanders existence to a space we can look at and be proud of.

According to Mark Oprea at the Cleveland Scene, the waterfront czar Scott Skinner and Deputy Chief of Staff Jessica Trivisonno are leading efforts to remake Burke in the coming years.

Any development of Burke will incorporate significant engagement by the public, and an initial engagement sprint is currently underway. The potential uses studied include:

• Public promenade with restaurants and marina to provide public access to the waterfront on foot or via boat.

• Youth sports and recreation facilities estimated to bring hundreds of families to downtown Cleveland regularly while providing recreation space for Clevelanders.

• Hotels and RV camping grounds that will bring additional visitors to Cleveland to drive economic impact.

• 7-10 miles of public walking and biking paths.

• Vertiport to serve healthcare industry.

• Public golf course that can also serve as free winter recreation activation with cross-country skiing and/or public park space with features that could include an observation tower, sledding hill, viewpoints, and other open space

Non-Profit Spotlight / Giveaway

Win a 17-inch Chocolate Bunny and Help Your Neighbors

Spring is almost here, Easter is around the corner, and Sweet Designs in Lakewood just found the most delicious way to support your community (and your sweet tooth).

The local chocolate shop is running a free giveaway for a handmade, 17-inch chocolate bunny — and every dollar you donate to the Lakewood Community Services Center earns you an extra entry. Sweet Designs will also match all donations up to $1,000 total.

Here's the deal:

• Enter for free — no purchase or donation required

• Donate $1 to the LCSC and get one additional entry per dollar

• Sweet Designs matches every donated dollar up to $1,000

• Entry closes Tuesday, March 31st at 11:59 PM

Why it's worth your time: The Lakewood Community Services Center provides door-to-door food delivery, housing assistance, and senior services to neighbors right here on the Westside. This is local giving at its most tangible — and the prize is a chocolate bunny the size of a small child.

Mark Your Calendar

Guardians Opening Day 📍 Ohio City

The home opener is one of our favorite pastimes. Tall beers at the Thirsty Parrot. Bouncing around The Jake/Progressive Field. The energy and excitement are infectious and its one of those “high-five strangers for no reason” type day.

Looking for a family friendly version that will make the day special?

Ohio City Inc. is throwing a full-blown block party at Market Square Park on Friday, April 3rd followed by a parade to the Jake — and the lineup is stacked enough to rival the game itself.

Here's the rundown:

• Rally Stage with 92.3 The Fan and live music

• Local Beer Tent featuring a Market Garden collab brew, Great Lakes, and Saucy

• Opening Day Cookout with food trucks, West Side Market vendors, and ballpark fare

• Yard games, kids events, meet the mascots, Sugar Dale Dogs appearance, and a photo booth

• Swag vendors, Guardians giveaways, and a 50/50 raffle

• Market District Crawl with specials at participating Ohio City businesses

• Hope Memorial Bridge Parade featuring Slider as Grand Marshal, a marching band, youth leagues, and fans marching into Progressive Field

Why it's worth your time: This is Opening Day the way it was meant to be celebrated — neighborhood first, then ballpark. Ohio City turns the whole district into a party before the first pitch even drops.

Get there early, explore the Market District, and Go Guards!

Buzzstrip

Pat Geyser, the immensely talented artist who makes the weekly Buzzstrips, does incredible watercolor paintings. He is doing a 1 of 1 painting for the winning pup of Mutt Madness! Check out his work.

Westside Pour Over

🏫 Westlake - Board of Education has agreed to spend up to $79,568 to improve the appearance and ease of entry at the main entrance of Dover Intermediate School.

🗳️ Parma - The BOE will eliminate a controversial property tax levy if an earned income tax is passed on the May 5 ballot. This would shift the tax burden to fund Parma schools from property owners to income earners.

🏟️ Brook Park - The total cost of the new Browns Stadium, much like everything, has gone up. The total cost now stands at $3.6 billion, which the amount the Haslam Sports Group is investing has gone up from $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion. (Crain’s $)

🍽️ Business & Restaurant News

Sushi 86 Quietly Closes Waterfront Doors | Downtown

Rachel and Mike Hsu's beloved Cleveland institution that called seven locations home over 26 years — quietly closed its North Coast Harbor doors late last year. Facing another brutal downtown winter in a spot that drew tourists but never captured locals, the Hsus made the call to cut their losses.

The good news: Sushi 86 isn't gone — they've long powered the sushi programs behind the Browns, the Cavs, and most of the city's major catering companies, and that work continues. What they built over 26 years doesn't close with one location. It just looks a little different now.

Sushi Kuwahata Announces Come Back | Ohio City

Sushi Kuwahata, the exclusive eight-seat omakase counter in Ohio City is coming back! It looks like they got the funding needed to give the business enough time to work. Until then, they will be serving sushi in several pop-up locations. See Instagram for details.

It also sounds like they are slightly pairing down the dinner duration and the cost from 3 hours to 2 hours and the price per seat from $350 to $300. It’s still pricey, but for Michelin-quality sushi, plenty of people are willing to pay for it.