Our network of writers — including The Land’s Community Journalists — tracked down hundreds of stories this year. Many of them resonated with readers, but a few stood out. We’re spotlighting a few of the pieces that generated significant buzz and conversation over the past 12 months. If you don’t see your favorite story, let us know which piece you loved the most and we’ll try to share it on social media.
“Just do it”: Lakewood eighth-grader heads to Carnegie Hall
Music has taken John Michael “Mikey” Klein, 13, to places that most teenagers could only dream of. He’s already performed in Oxford, England; Charleston, South Carolina; and Carnegie Hall. Community Journalist Kevin McLaughlin looked at what makes Mikey special and the importance of music in this story. Here’s an excerpt.
When the Zoom call flickers to life late on a Friday afternoon, the Kleins come into view — Donna first, offering the sort of apology parents give when technology misbehaves, and then her son, John Michael “Mikey” Klein, 13. He gives a small wave and takes his seat. Nothing showy about him. He looks like any eighth grader at Lakewood Catholic Academy — polite, a little shy and ready to talk about music.
Music, steady and surprising in its reach, has already carried him far beyond the usual school concert circuit. In the past year, Klein has won first prize in the Grand Prize Virtuoso competition in Oxford, England, the Charleston International Piano Competition, and, most recently, the Golden Classical Music Awards. That last win will bring him to Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on December 18, 2025.
Klein’s road to Carnegie Hall began not at a piano at all, but behind a trombone.
Even in the digital age, Cleveland’s Ellen Strong still binds books
As bibliophiles ourselves, there’s something special about the bond between a reader and their favorite book. The way the ink smells as it ages, the unique creaking of the spine as you once again crack it open, the texture of the pages beneath your fingers. But when the book weathers beyond repair, most of us are left with little recourse to protect our book from the trash heap. That’s where Ellen Strong comes in. She’s one of the last book re-binders in America and she’s located right here in Cleveland. Grant Segall profiled her in August. Here’s an excerpt.
It’s sometimes cheaper and easier to buy a new copy of a book than to repair an old one.
But the new one wouldn’t be the same.
“People want their book,” says Ellen Strong of Strong Bindery, which is tucked inside Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Blvd. “They’ve put themselves into their book.”
Steep cuts, rollbacks of services, and closures possible for Greater Cleveland’s public libraries under proposed state budget
Early this year, there were fears that changes at the state level could lead to significant funding cuts for public libraries. The proposed changes would have devastated library systems throughout Cuyahoga County. The Land, along with several other outlets, covered what the loss of services would mean to communities and legislators eventually changed tactics. Here’s an excerpt from the story.
For the region’s largest library system – Cuyahoga County Public Libraries (CCPL) – the proposed cuts could be an existential threat.
“Frankly, it’s a bit scary in terms of the security of our funding into the future,” said CCPL CEO Tracy Strobel.
Strobel noted that CCPL currently has 27 branches across Cuyahoga County, and is the primary library system for 612,000 people, or nearly half of the county. State support through PLF represents approximately 28 percent of CCPL’s total funding, she said.
“We stand to lose about $7 million dollars. That’s a difficult loss to survive and there would certainly be consequences. We haven’t specifically determined what cuts there would be,” Strobel said.
Finding the microwave
One of the more fascinating cultural phenomenons of the year happened right before the clock struck midnight. An abandoned microwave went from inconvenient trash to a holiday totem, a symbol of humanity’s ability to imbue any object with meaning and build makeshift cultures around it. AJ DiCosimo went searching for the microwave … and found a whole lot more. An excerpt is below. You can read more by clicking here.
At some point in the last couple of weeks, as the snow started melting in Northeast Ohio, someone noticed a microwave sitting on a bench outside a Starbucks on South Green Road in South Euclid.
No explanation. No sign.
Just a microwave.
Outdoors.
On a bench.
Word spread the way these things always do now, quietly at first through photos and confirmed sightings, then faster, until it became clear that people were deliberately not sharing the exact location. Not out of secrecy, exactly, but out of preservation. The microwave had become a thing.
The ‘Stories of Us’ exhibit explores the Black experience in Cleveland, America
In August, a new art exhibition came to Cleveland looking to prompt conversation around the Black experience in America. Community Journalist Sharyn Arai went to the exhibit and spoke to each of the local artists involved. She came away with a new perspective on both art and the nation’s history. Here’s an excerpt.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year, co-creator Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye wants to create a discussion around our shared history and the Black experience of living in America. She wants to ask the hard questions.
Since 1776, have we, as Americans, achieved the goals set forward in our Constitution? How have we understood the truths set forward by our ancestors? Have we fallen short of their ideals and goals?
“What does it mean to be a we?” she asks.
Keep our local journalism accessible to all
Reader support is crucial as we continue to shed light on underreported neighborhoods in Cleveland. Will you become a monthly member to help us continue to produce news by, for, and with the community?
P.S. Did you like this story? Take our reader survey!
