From the Publisher

Our Burning River: A Landmark Event

Once upon a time — 1969 to be precise — a burning river made Cleveland a national joke. Today, that river is ablaze with natural beauty, abundant recreation, lively entertainment and vibrant business.

Since 1969 was not yesterday, there is a good chance Clevelanders may consider the burning of the Cuyahoga River an embarrassing historical event. That would be too bad. The problem of not knowing history is to miss out on the lessons it teaches. The lessons we learned from a burning river changed our city forever.

For it was in 1969 that Cleveland won the triple crown for Sorry Cities. Lake Erie was polluted, race riots ravaged the Hough neighborhood and the Cuyahoga River caught fire. Yet, in spite of all of this, the next 25 years were the greatest period of growth in the city’s history. What happened?

Lesson No. 1: Adversity can lead to success. Shortly after the Cuyahoga River burned, a group of civic leaders got together and said enough is enough. They agreed that business, government and nonprofits would work together to build a great city on a great lake. Not only was Cleveland’s rebirth a case study at Harvard University, but mayors from cities all around the country came to learn the secret of our success.

Lesson No. 2: The better we connect, the better we succeed. Before 1969, Cleveland was a city of individuals. The Public/Private Partnership, as this collaboration became known, was formed as a group of like-minded people with common purposes and goals. Cleveland’s greatest achievement in its 226-year history has been creating community collaboration to achieve common goals.

If we have forgotten what made us who we are — and I believe we have — it is time to remember the lessons learned from a burning river. There is not one person who lived here in 1969 who could have imagined what the Cuyahoga River would become.

It was Winston Churchill, speaking to the British people during World War II, who said, “We have learned a great lesson, and it is this: The better we have connected, the better we have succeeded.”

The definition of a landmark event is that it is prominent and crucial. I hope we will always remember the burning of the Cuyahoga River as a landmark event.

Executive Publisher Lute Harmon Sr. Executive Editor Terry Troy Managing Editor Jennifer Bowen Sima Senior Editor Ann-Marie Vazzano

Managing Art Director Rayanne Medford Art Directors Stacy Mallardi-Stajcar Megan Rosta

Contributing Writers Karen Learner Beis Rhonda Crowder Christina Easter Alex Emerson Linda Feagler Lee Fisher Rachel Hagenbaugh Theresa Neuhoff Pat Perry Bob Sandrick Jill Sell Lynne Thompson Sarah Webb

Contributing Artist Thom Sheridan

Associate Publisher Denise Polverine

Vice President,

Advertising Paul Klein

Senior Account Sarah Desmond Executives Tiffany Myroniak

Account Executive Julie Bialowas

Traffic Manager Corey Galloway

Associate

Marketing Manager Julianne Radish

Associate

Production Manager Alyson Moutz Cowan

Operations Manager Jennifer Roberts

Chief Financial Officer George Sedlak

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