Travis and Taylor Are Married. CGRTA's Half-Percent Sales Tax Is Headed to the Ballot. CLE Daily

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Today's Trivia

What dairy and convenience store – noted even today for its chip dip – has no stores anymore in Ohio, but a tremendous presence in Japan?.

GCRTA's half-percent sales tax is headed to the ballot. The question is when.

Transportation | By Ken Prendergast

A half-percent sales tax increase to expand the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and stave off deeper service cuts is going before Cuyahoga County voters. Whether that happens this November or in November 2027 will be decided by the GCRTA board July 7.

• The Stakes: Waiting past this November means major service cuts over the next two years — two-thirds of all bus and rail routes would lose frequency, evening service or both before any new levy money arrives. The half-percent tax would raise $140 million a year, enough to stabilize the agency for 40 years.

• The Case for Now: GCRTA management wants the levy on the November 2026 ballot, which requires filing with the Board of Elections by Aug. 5. "The faster we can get to the ballot, the better," said trustee Jeffrey Weston Sleasman, calling the tax "a pretty good insurance policy" for a county whose workforce depends on transit.

• The Case for Waiting: Board President and Bay Village Mayor Paul Koomar says November 2026 is "way premature," arguing GCRTA needs time to get the business community on board and stand up a political action committee to fund the campaign.

If the levy passes, GCRTA plans the opposite of cuts: buses or trains at least every 10 minutes on 10 routes, more frequent service on 75% of all routes seven days a week, restored park-and-ride express buses from Westlake and North Olmsted, Blue and Green Line trains running to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and HealthLine service every 7.5 minutes.

• CEO India Birdsong Terry: "We're not asking for money just to ask for it. This results in a service reduction if we don't get the support of the community."

Big Picture: GCRTA hasn't sought a new tax in its 51-year history, but Cuyahoga County has lost nearly a quarter of its population since the 1970s, eroding the 1% sales tax the agency was built on. Decades of fare hikes and service cuts have driven away riders — fares now make up just 10% of revenue.

Read the full story.

Jaja shakes up its kitchen as Intro plans two new restaurant concepts.

Food & Drink | By Christina Rufo

Just seven months after reopening from a 15-month hiatus, Jaja in Ohio City is changing course again. JJJ Hospitality, the Minneapolis group behind all food and beverage at Intro, parted ways with executive chef Logan Abbe last week — a move Abbe says blindsided him.

• New Partnership: For "Phase 2" at Intro, JJJ and developer Harbor Bay have teamed up with Minneapolis chef Daniel del Prado, whose DDP Restaurant Group runs more than a dozen hot concepts in the Twin Cities.

• New Chef: Colin Eakins, a key member of the Le Burger team since 2024, takes over Jaja's kitchen and will work with DDP on a menu makeover with new dishes and expanded offerings.

• What's Next: Phase 2 brings two new restaurant concepts to Intro, to be announced in the coming weeks, plus a design review of all the building's public spaces. Le Burger isn't going anywhere — "it will continue to be a cornerstone of the project," says rep Gates Lindquist.

Read the full story.

Talk of the Town

Cleveland Heights' most famous tight end is officially off the market. Travis Kelce — who grew up on the East Side and starred at Cleveland Heights High School before NFL stardom — married music superstar Taylor Swift on Friday in front of 1,000 guests at Madison Square Garden, in a ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler with Paul McCartney handling the music. Jason Kelce served as best man.

Cleveland's Abdullah Mason kept his WBO lightweight belt on home turf July 4, stopping Toledo's Albert Bell in the 12th round before a Wolstein Center crowd. The 22-year-old — boxing's youngest male world champion — survived a rocky middle stretch before dropping Bell twice in the final round, improving to 21-0 in his first title defense. Bell, a late replacement, took his first career loss.

Sherwin-Williams cuts the ribbon July 7 on its Morikis Global Technology Center at 6701 Miller Road in Brecksville. The state-of-the-art campus brings the paint giant's scientists, engineers and technicians under one roof to develop the next generation of coatings. The ceremony runs 3 to 4 p.m.

Pinecrest goes to the dogs July 9 with Yappy Hour, a free pet-friendly party on Park Avenue in Orange Village from 4 to 7 p.m. Sponsored by Diamond Canine, the event features dog-themed activities, onsite training sessions and local pet vendors — leashes welcome, humans optional.

Right after completing their merger, Gannon University and Ursuline College sued the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in federal court in Cleveland, seeking to block the league from ending Ursuline's full membership after the 2026-27 academic year. The schools argue the conference violated its own bylaws and Title IX.

Things To Do This Week

Usher and Chris Brown at Huntington Bank Field (July 7): With a sold-out opening night last Friday, Usher Raymond and Chris Brown are bringing The R&B Tour to Cleveland this week. Their three-hour set is packed with the greatest hits from both stars, sure to hit you with some 2000’s nostalgia. 7 p.m., $93-$750, 100 Alfred Lerner Way, Cleveland, ticketmaster.com

Borderlight Theatre Festival (July 8-10): Spend the end of your week in the Playhouse Square District to experience the innovation, culture and discovery of theatrical performance. Through 40+ productions across 15 stages, artists from all around the world will bring the unconventional into the spotlight. Try out an interactive show, go behind-the-scenes with some of the artists for a workshop or catch an international performance bringing global culture to Cleveland. Wednesday: 7 p.m.-9 p.m., Thursday: 5:15 p.m.-10:15 p.m., Saturday: 5:15 p.m.-11 p.m., $10-$156, varying locations across Playhouse Square neighborhood, borderlightcle.org 

Cleveland Metroparks Summer Concert Series (July 9): Come out and dance as the sun sets over Lake Erie this Thursday. Forecast with Serena Wynn will be bringing some contemporary jazz to Euclid Beach Park, where you can listen while you enjoy a happy hour at the Leinenkugel beer garden and some food truck bites. Free, 4 p.m.-8 p.m., 16301 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland, clevelandmetroparks.com 

Walkabout Tremont (July 10): It’s the second Friday of the month, which means it’s time for Walkabout Tremont! Stroll up and down Professor Avenue and find lots of local vendors, street performers, delicious food and plenty of drinks. It’s the perfect excuse to get outside, meet up with some friends and support the local businesses of Cleveland. Free, 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Professor Ave., Cleveland, experiencetremont.com

Thursday's Trivia Answer 

What Clevelander briefly played minor league baseball before a lengthy political career, serving as municipal and common pleas judge, mayor of Cleveland, governor of Ohio and U.S. Senator? Frank Lausche

From the Editor

The dog days of summer have arrived. Many vacations are over, and a lot of our attention will be turning back to school, fall clothes and the holidays. Hey, don't yell at the messenger. 

But for the past decade, it seems to me the weather actually continues to feel like summer into late September. While I love all the seasons, as I get older, I appreciate the warm weather and being able to go outside more and more. 

Get those Christmas lists in order, and NFL training camps start at the end of the month. 😉

— Ron Ledgard, Managing Editor

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