GCRTA’s Pitch: More Buses, Rail to Hopkins or 20% Cuts: CLE Daily

⛅️ 67°; Mostly cloudy

🍽️ Moxie Is Back, Seven Years Later: The Beachwood bistro that Esquire once named one of America's best new restaurants reopens today at Legacy Village in the former Bar Louie space, bringing back crab cakes, crispy calamari, the Moxie burger and bread pudding. Co-founder Brad Friedlander is teaming with his EVOO partner Michael DuBois, and a 35-seat cocktail lounge called The Seven opens in the coming weeks.

🐶 A Third of Midwesterners Are Dressing Up Their Pets: A Harris Poll survey for Meijer of more than 1,000 adults in six Midwest states, including Ohio, found 33% plan to put their pets in costume this Halloween. Most (91%) plan to buy candy, with chocolate the top pick at 78%. Nearly half eat something quick like pizza on Halloween night, and 1 in 4 plan to spend less this year.

🍇 Cleveland's Grape Man Is Still Keeping Home Winemaking Alive: Since 1945, the Cocita family's Collinwood Grape Co. has sold California and Washington grapes by the box to Clevelanders making their own wine. Business has dropped from about 90 semitrailers a season to roughly a dozen as the tradition fades, and Carl Cocita, 74, says "the writing is on the wall."  

🏈 Browns Win Again: They started slow but turned the tide and engineered another fourth-quarter comeback, beating the Titans, 27-24, to move to 5-2 and remain tied with the Steelers for first place. Here are DMan's Thoughts.

ICYMI: Remember The Thrifting Tree in Berea? Baldwin Wallace grad Noah Mowery turned an online side hustle into a vintage shop specializing in '80s, '90s and Y2K sportswear and streetwear, and one of his Instagram posts of rare soccer jerseys drew more than 2 million views.

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Today's Trivia

Cleveland Trust President Frederick Goff was instrumental in the founding of this organization, regarded as the first of its kind in America and a mainstay in the community today.

Transit: RTA lays out what riders could get from a bigger sales tax in 2027.

By  Ken Prendergast, NEOTrans

Facing a fiscal cliff by 2029, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority showed its board three sales tax options that could go before Cuyahoga County voters next May or November. The board could decide as soon as next month.

• The Options: A 0.25% increase, about $70 million a year, would bring back park-and-ride express buses to North Olmsted and Westlake and fund planning for bus rapid transit. A 0.35% tax, about $112 million a year, adds rapid bus lines on Broadway, Lorain, Superior and Detroit. The biggest, a 0.5% tax raising about $140 million a year, funds rapid bus service on all 12 priority corridors and makes rail extensions feasible. Any of the three would let RTA run Blue and Green line trains to Hopkins.

• The Cost of Doing Nothing: Without new money, RTA says it would have to cut bus and rail service hours by 20%, affecting 75% of its 40 routes and eliminating seven bus routes.

Worth Noting: At the top rate, staff estimate shoppers would pay about 50 cents more on a $100 purchase. Groceries, gas, prescription drugs and rent wouldn’t be taxed.

Read the full story.

Talk of the Town

Downtown businesses have until Friday to enter WinterLand's storefront decorating contest. More than 45 businesses have already signed up for the second annual competition, which lights up Euclid Avenue, Prospect Avenue and other Downtown streets for the holidays and lets visitors vote for their favorite display. The winner takes home $500. 

Cuyahoga County is asking voters for more money for social services. Issue 11, a 2.5-mill increase to the county's Health and Human Services levy, would cost about $87.50 a year per $100,000 of home value. County leaders say that without it, programs for seniors, child protection and homelessness prevention face $16 million in cuts. 

Clevelanders filed more than 5,000 illegal dumping reports in the past year, but citations have dropped by nearly half. Councilwoman Nikki Hudson's proposal would let waste collectors issue tickets on the spot and add security cameras at dumping hot spots.

Case Western Reserve University opened a $300 million research building. The 189,000-square-foot Roger E. Susi Interdisciplinary Research Building on Euclid Avenue, named for the alumnus who gave $50 million, houses about 300 researchers working on everything from energy storage to neurorobotics. 

A fire destroyed more than 2,000 toys meant for local kids this Christmas. The Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland lost about $30,000 to $40,000 in donated toys, affecting roughly 800 children, and is asking the community to help restock with new, unwrapped toys or gifts through Walmart's online Angel Tree. 

Things To Do This Weekend

By Chloe Banno

🏀 Cleveland Cavaliers at Home (Oct. 26 and 28): Catch the Cavs early in their season as they take on both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards at home this week. You have two chances to see some great NBA matchups and have a night of fun at Rocket Arena, so don’t pass them up! 7 p.m., $29-$1,337, 1 Center Court, Cleveland, nba.com

🏒 Cleveland Monsters vs. Milwaukee Admirals (Oct. 30): Sports fans have a busy week! If you can’t make it to the Cavs, you still have a chance to see the Monsters back in action at home this Friday. Join them in celebrating First Responders Night, as well as a tribute to the Columbus Blue Jackets with special CBJ themed jerseys. 6 p.m., $28-$201, 1 Center Court, Cleveland, clevelandmonsters.com 

🧛 The Vampire Circus at Akron Civic Theatre (Oct. 30): This Tim Burton/Cirque du Soleil-style performance is a mix of circus, cabaret and theatre. Acrobats, contortionists and more will bring guests into the underworld for a 90-minute experience. There’s no better way to get in the spooky spirit in time for Halloween. 7:30 p.m., $43.80, 182 S Main St., Akron, akroncivic.com

🎃 Pumpkins and Piranhas with the Greater Cleveland Aquarium (Oct. 30): If you’re looking for something fun for the whole family, this will be the event for you. This Friday, the aquarium is holding its final Pumpkins and Piranhas event. Come in costume, and enjoy the creatures of Lake “Eeeerie” after-hours with underwater Halloween decor and spooky music. Scuba divers, animal encounters, a fortune teller, a cash bar and more will make this a night to remember for kids and adults alike. 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m., $18.95-$19.95 (children under two get in free), 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, greaterclevelandaquarium.com

Friday's Trivia Answer 

Browns owner Mickey McBride’s other business interests led to what phrase, still occasionally used today to describe a football team’s practice squad? Taxi squad

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

One week from tomorrow, Ohioans pick a governor, a U.S. senator and everything in between, and a lot of you are already done.

Early voting started Oct. 6 and runs through Nov. 1, and turnout so far is running well ahead of 2022. If you haven’t voted yet, make a plan this week: check your polling place, since more than 40 Cleveland precincts moved, and look over our voting guide. 

Then go cast your ballot. 

— Ron Ledgard, Managing Editor

Let us know what is on your mind at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

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