Code,999036
Subject,Chuck Hoven
Date,6/9/2007
Interviewer,Mark Souther
Abstract,"In this 2007 interview, 51 year old Chuck Hoven, a life long resident of the west side of Cleveland, and managing editor for the Cleveland Plain Press, talks about the neighborhoods of the west side of Cleveland in which his family (his father was of German descent; his mother of Lebanese) has lived since the 1860s.  He also talks about the history of the Cleveland Plain Press, a west side community newspaper, and articles that it published about some controversial events in Cleveland since the 1970s, including the controversy involving I-90 and the Zone Recreation Center and court-ordered busing.  Mr. Hoven also discusses his community involvement in a number of different organizations, including one in which he was involved while a student at CSU, which helped to prepare Cleveland children for attendance at magnet schools.  Mr. Hoven also talks generally about the decline of Cleveland in general, and the Detroit-Shoreway area in particular, over the course of his life.  In addition to busing issues, he also talks about the proposed closing of west side Catholic Churches by the Diocese, and other problems associated with the precipitous decline in Cleveland's urban population."
Special Notes,
minutes:,68
0,His positions with the Plain Press.  Born at St. John's hospital here in Detroit-Shoreway in 1956.
1,Grew up on 89th Street--south of Clark--just a little outside of Detroit-Shoreway. Still lives there--in the house of his grandparents and parents.  Mother's family was from 85th and Madison.  Current house purchased by his family around the time of WWII.
2,
3,"""Redlining"" of his father's neighborhood when I-90 was being constructed on the west side.  Father was insurance agent for Nationwide.  Lost all his customers in the City."
4,Political opposition to I-90 in old Ward 2 (now Ward 19) in the 1960s.
5,
6,"Houses getting ""knocked down"" for I-90. The Press paper routes between Clark and Lorain, and between 73rd and 80th, that he, his brother and sister got as a result."
7,
8,
9,Impact of freeway construction on St. Colman and St. Ignatius parishes.
10,
11,Story about Lamson-Sessions at W.85th and Madison.
12,How his parents met on the west side.
13,His mother was from the Shalala (Lebanese) family.  His father's family German/Dutch came to Cleveland in mid 1800s.
14,
15,Another story about Lamson-Session and his Aunt who worked there for 48 years.
16,How related to Donna Shalala (HHW Secretary under Clinton).
17,Story about his family's doctor and dentist in a building at 88th and Lorain.
18,How he became involved in the Plain Press while he was in grad school at CSU.
19,Getting a grant from the Gund Foundation in the early 90s to restart up the newspaper.  History of the newspaper that originally started in 1971.
20,
21,Issues covered by the newspaper in the 1970s.
22,
23,"His scrapbook of articles from various issues of the paper, including the ""battle for the Rec Center.""  (In the path of proposed I-90.)"
24,Historic churches in the path of proposed I-90.
25,
26,
27,How I-90 affected the west side--the large number of houses razed.  The people that left for the suburbs.
28,
29,"Retail stores also gone.  Streets gone, 82nd by Clark for example."
30,
31,
32,Zone Rec Center built on the land.
33,
34,
35,The foresight of leaders in Detroit-Shoreway to convert old factories sites into new residential sites.
36,
37,Increase in poverty in Detroit-Shoreway area when factories closed.
38,
39,Community spirit in the Detroit-Shoreway area today.
40,Discussion of pros and cons of tax abatement; impact on education.
41,Our Lady of Mount Carmel's school.
42,
43,Discussion of busing in Cleveland.
44,"""Welcome"" organization--helping with desegregation of schools.."
45,
46,His work with magnet schools while at CSU.
47,
48,
49,Discussion of clustering and pairing schools on east and west sides for busing in the 1980s.
50,
51,The lawsuit that resulted in court-ordered busing.
52,
53,
54,
55,How & why court-ordered busing eventually came to an end.
56,Impact of parochial school system.
57,
58,Dramatic decline in public school population in Cleveland; how education is so important for revitalization of Cleveland.
59,"Untold story of peaceful integration of west side, partly as a result of busing."
60,
61,
62,"Cleveland trying, but still on the decline.  Discussion of proposed church closings by Catholic diocese."
63,
64,Possible alternative uses for churches that may close.
65,
66,
67,Involvement between church and community.
68,END of CLIP
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,