GCRTA Considers Tax Levy, Meet Mike Kubinski of CLE Clothing, Ferrara's Imported Foods Closed: CLE Daily

⛈️ 77°; Showers and a Thunderstorm

🇮🇪 New Irish Pub: Kearney’s Public House is now open in Mentor.

🌺 Tropical Retreat: A Strongsville pool house transforms a suburban backyard into a retro retreat.

⚾️ 81 Games Left: The Guardians enter the second half of the season two games above .500. 

ICYMI: With a setlist mostly derived from his 10th album, Kurt Vile, the Philadelphia-based rocker continues to find his groove as he ages into indie rock elder statesman status.

Today's Trivia

What Catholic men’s group put on what was one of the largest indoor track meets at various locations in Cleveland, most notably the old arena?

GCRTA outlines three financial futures, including a tax levy.

News | By Ken Prendergast, NEOTrans

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Board of Trustees learned on June 23 that the bus and rail agency is facing one of three potential futures.

While there are solutions to all three, GCRTA staff said only two would offer some benefits in addressing costs that are spiraling out of control.

The Cuts Option: The one option that didn’t involve a large, new source of revenue such as a sales-tax hike would likely require reducing or eliminating bus services on two-thirds of routes in Cuyahoga County each year until January 2029.

Additional service cuts would likely follow until new revenue sources are found.

The Levy Options: Option No. 2 would raise the countywide sales tax by 0.25 percent would allow minor transit service increases in the coming years until inflation might again force service cuts by 2039.

The third option would see a 0.5-percent sales tax increase, which would allow for more frequent services and delay any consideration of service cuts until at least 2064.

Not on the Table: However, cost-saving options like reducing salaries, wages, benefits and staffing, or increasing automation, contracting out bus and rail transit operations, or real estate opportunities were not proposed.

Why It Matters: If the service cuts happen, it could reduce transit access to 524,000 jobs and the homes of 800,000 people.

Of that, about 68,500 jobs and 175,000 people will lose access to transit services offering a departure every 15 minutes or better on weekdays, said GCRTA Service Management Director Joel Freilich.

Read more on the GCRTA's proposed options. 

Mike Kubinski of CLE Clothing Co.

Photo of the Day | By John Skrtic

CLE Clothing Co. was founded in 2008 by lifelong friends Mike Kubinski and Jeff Dykan, who set out to create apparel that captured Cleveland pride in a simple, direct and wearable way. What began with a small screen-printing setup and early designs rooted in local humor and everyday Cleveland identity grew into something much bigger through word of mouth, community support and a genuine connection with the people of this city.

Kubinski, one of the founders, grew up in Sharon Center, attended Ohio Wesleyan, and met his wife, Laura, in Tremont. He now lives in Lakewood with Laura and their children. I took a photo of Kubinski at his Downtown shop and enjoyed talking with him about the long history of Cleveland T-shirts, from Daffy Dan to today, and how wearing the city is something locals understand without needing an explanation.

Meet the faces behind some of Cleveland's favorite haunts.

Talk of the Town

Ken "Mouse" McFadden, a Cleveland State men's basketball legend, was charged with obstructing official business and wrongful entrustment after claiming he was driving a car that crashed into a City BBQ in Beachwood, killing a 3-year-old.

• McFadden's daughter, Jasmine McFadden, was alleged to be driving the vehicle and has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.

Cleveland Police arrested a 42-year-old man for shooting two people with a dart gun on Monday. The man was charged with felonious assault. Authorities have not released the name of the man yet. 

Air quality at Cleveland's ground-level ozone now meets air quality standards per the U.S. EPA. The national standard for ground-level ozone was set in 2015. It took Cleveland over a decade to meet the standard. 

Cleveland Clinic completed the first robotic lung transplant in the United States last month. To do the surgery, it requires a skilled surgical team combined with advanced robotic capabilities, but, in doing so, the clinic says the achievement marked "a significant advancement in minimally invasive organ transplants."

Playhouse Square is promoting Laura Smith from chief operating officer to president. In her new role, Smith will oversee business operations, finance and human resources. 

• Craig Hassall will remain in the role of CEO. Hassall will lead the long-term vision and fundraising efforts for the arts district.

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Meleek Thomas with the 34th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Thomas is a 6-foot-3 guard from Arkansas. The Cavs traded back from the No. 29 pick for this and a 2032 second-round pick. 

Brook Park City Council took the first step yesterday toward creating the Brook Park New Community Authority, a public entity that would own the new Cleveland Browns stadium and lease it back to the team. Questions remain regarding who would finance maintenance and capital repairs. Final approval could come as early as July 15. 

Ferrara’s Imported Foods, a Mayfield Heights staple since 1959, closed.

Food & Drink | By Douglas Trattner

Would-be shoppers and people on their lunch breaks hoping to score an Italian beef sandwich were met by locked doors at Ferrara’s Imported Foods in Mayfield Heights on Tuesday.

The Ending: “I’m thankful for the support of the community all those years. But, it was just time. It was the right time for me,” third-generation owner John Ferrara confirmed to Cleveland 19 News. 

The History: Brothers Alfred and Joe Ferrara opened Ferrara’s Imported Foods 67 years ago.

It was one of the best places to go on Cleveland’s East Side to stock up on imported foods and products from Italy, freshly baked breads and pastries, and some of the best sandwiches and Sicilian pizza around.

Yesterday's Trivia Answer 

What East Side troupe bills itself as the oldest, producing African American theatre in the United States? Karamu House

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question

From the Editor

Cleveland loves its shirts. From CLE Clothing Co. to GV Art and Design, there is something to wear that captures the city's history or the aura of the moment.

I've been meaning to head to East Fourth Street to pick up some shirts, but with it being burger week, this one has become a must-have. CLE Clothing Co. and our sister publication, Cleveland Scene, teamed up to create a special Cleveland Burger Club ($30) shirt. - Jaden Stambolia, Editorial Assistant