Your article [“New Black City,” November 8] caught my eye as a long time Euclid resident. I moved recently to Cleveland Heights, a city very similar to Euclid as far as cultural diversity goes. But I feel that I can speak on Euclid just a tad more intelligently than you.
Like any inner ring suburb, Euclid is going to have issues. That said, Euclid is not the horrible place you make it out to be in your skewed article. You make it seem as if all of the black people are equivalent to the devil. Not so fast, my friend.
My parents have lived in Euclid since 1975 and they have witnessed many changes. They stayed put in what they consider to be a diverse, comfortable community. My parents and I are white — we didn’t fly for “higher ground,” as you put it. The main reason is because we are not racist.
The problem is not black people coming in — there are thousands and thousands of great black people in Euclid. The problem is white people afraid of change leaving as soon as they see someone with a different skin color moving in on their street.
Another problem is the fact that some moving in — whether they be white, black, or anything else — are renters. The people who own homes in Euclid or anywhere else care to keep their property up and therefore care about their fellow neighbors.
Euclid is too big to make a brash generalization on. There are pockets that could use some work, as you mentioned — Euclid Square Mall area is one very good point.
However, your interview with the white-trash guy in Paddy’s Pour Haus is not a very good representation of Euclid. You picked the trashiest bar in a city of 50,000-plus residents and then proceeded to have a conversation with the trashiest man to find out the problems with Euclid? Wow! What great journalistic prowess you have. Why didn’t you try the library or a coffee house? Heck, why not go to a high-school football game, where you won’t find drunk fools? The same article could be written about any inner-ring suburb in the country. But you and the team of geniuses at Scene decided to put down your own neighbors.
Just because a city is all white doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Just ask Mentor — $18 million in school debt. White people who have already fled to “higher ground” need to look themselves in the mirror and ask why they are racist.
As for the piece of trash you spoke with at Paddy’s Pour Haus, please move. You are giving Euclid a bad name.
John Wolchko
Cleveland Heights
This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2006.
I’m so tired of everything being blamed on a black or white issue. I lived in Slavic Village for 20 years and watched as the neighborhood changed drastically. I had no problems with black people moving into my area ( if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m white ). What I had a problem with was the fact that the councilman and the police force in the area just didn’t care about good solid citizens like myself.
I put up with rude children cutting through my yard. When I asked them to stop so my dogs would not bite them they proceeded to break out some $400 picture windows, not once but three times. The police responded by saying my only recourse was to video tape them and submit the evidence to the prosecutor. After I filed police reports the same people poisoned and killed one of the most gentle dogs I owned.
At this point enough was enough. I defaulted on my mortgage and moved on to greener pastures. Let the hoodlums have the area because I got tired of fighting a losing battle. If the people that are responsible for keeping us safe in our neighborhoods won’t step up to the plate then let urban blight take hold.
Euclid can and has been a great area in the past but let some responsibility fall on the shoulders of the elected officials and those payed to patrol our streets, not on the people asking for help to keep what they have worked so hard for to be yanked out from under thier feet.
John Wolchko of Cleveland Heights… Great response. I agree with you 100%. Whoever wrote this at “scene” has not “seen” the light of day.