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The American Dream can be found in a downtown Cleveland naturalization ceremony

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The American Dream can be found in a downtown Cleveland naturalization ceremony


The city’s diversity and uniquely welcoming atmosphere make it a beacon of inspiration for the international community

New American citizens celebrate during a naturalization ceremony at the Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters. [Photo by Anna Maria Hamm]

On March 21, a cold spring day in downtown Cleveland, you could still feel the warmth in the hearts beating at the Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters. There, 30 individuals from other countries will become American citizens.

For most, this journey took them many years, many miles, or both. Take Eggar Raul for example. He applied just a year ago, but his journey from Mexico started thousands of miles away and his journey to American citizenship took 20 years. At the naturalization ceremony, he had his wife and three children, ranging in age from 3 to 12 years old. celebrating with him.

Just across the aisle sat Carlos Alessandra Cruz Garcia and his beautiful wife, Linda. Carlos has lived in this country 28 years and decided the time was finally right to become an American Citizen.

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When asked what it meant to him to finally have this honor, he replied, “Freedom! It means no more worries, I can finally put my shoulders down. I can vote!”

Carlos met Linda almost 30 years ago online – she was from New York and he was from Guatemala. Linda came from Guatemala as a child and was naturalized immediately. Little did she know she would fall in love and win a scholarship that would take her to college at Case Western Reserve University. The scholarship and her efforts led her to become a social worker and she now works as a trauma therapist. She has been with Carlos for 23 years and sits next to him with immense pride on his day of naturalization. They are living the American dream, they said. But that dream did not come easy and they admit to hardship along the way.

Linda recalls picking Carlos up from multiple restaurants where he worked as a cook. In the past few years, however, he has put down his apron in favor of going into the information technologies field.

First to speak at the ceremony was a representative from Global Cleveland, a nonprofit organization formed in 2011 to advance unity, solidarity, and collective community-building among international newcomers. Their offices are based in downtown Cleveland. According to marketing director Gwendolyn Kochur, “Our job is to ensure that our international community is well cared for. So, we connect international people with opportunities, economic, social, cultural, and make Northeast Ohio a better place for them to call home.”

The naturalization ceremony on March 21 involved new citizens who originally hail from 20 countries – all of whom are now making Cleveland their home. [Photo by Anna Maria Hamm]

Global Cleveland witnessed the naturalization of about 2,600 people in 2023. Cleveland is one of the best places in the country for naturalization, in terms of quick processing time, Kochur said, which makes Cleveland a prime location for growth. Members from Global Cleveland attend every naturalization ceremony, which happens about every two weeks. They provide the new citizens with a packet of resources, letters from the Cleveland Mayor and the Cuyahoga County Executive, and oodles of different information for them so that they can be welcomed properly.

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne welcomed the group and spoke about his own father, who was also an immigrant.

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“We are a county of 120 different ethnic communities, with origins from places all throughout the world,” Ronayne said. “120 different communities strong, put together as one in Cuyahoga County. We are, in this country, a nation of immigrants. We are, in this county, a county of immigrants. Immigrants continue to help make our economy thrive – 20 percent of our newcomer entrepreneurs are immigrants.”

Ronayne also let the soon-to-be American citizens know that a new welcome center is now open for immigrants and refugees with limited English proficiency. The Welcome Center is in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood on Memphis and Fulton Road. A physical place where those new to Ohio, and new to this country, can take the first steps critical to building a future in the United States.

“If they have a leg up on education, on a job opportunity, on a house, we want to be here as a resource to those who might choose Cuyahoga County for their home in the future,” Ronayne said.

The county also partners with outside service agencies, such as Global Cleveland and ReSource Cleveland, to connect residents to resources including housing, job support, educational services, legal support and language services.

Before it was time for the naturalization ceremony, the audience were greeted by Cuyahoga County Council President Parnell Jones.

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“We have a saying in the United States, that we are a melting pot. And when you’re a melting pot, I mean, we all come in and we all melt and it’s all the same, and we’re all one unified group,” Jones said. “That’s not really how it played out. That’s not what you see. And that’s not really what happens. I think it’s more like a pot of vegetables, stew, we all bring our own uniqueness to that stew, it doesn’t get lost, doesn’t have to be lost. You are bringing something to this country. Expect that you bring yourself and you will add value to this community. As you live your life worth playing, enjoying this country … all that it has to offer is here for you.”

“We have a saying in the United States, that we are a melting pot. And when you’re a melting pot, I mean, we all come in and we all melt and it’s all the same, and we’re all one unified group,” Jones said. “That’s not really how it played out. That’s not what you see. And that’s not really what happens. I think it’s more like a pot of vegetables, stew, we all bring our own uniqueness to that stew, it doesn’t get lost, doesn’t have to be lost. You are bringing something to this country. Expect that you bring yourself and you will add value to this community. As you live your life worth playing, enjoying this country … all that it has to offer is here for you.”

Finally, the time had come. All 30 immigrants getting naturalized were asked to stand and raise their right hand as the oath was spoken. Those standing represented 20 countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Bhutan, Burma, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines and Ukraine.

Judge Jonathan de Greenberg, a US Magistrate Judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, swore in participants. Huge applause thundered across the room and hugs were given all around. Each new American citizen was then escorted up to shake hands and take pictures with officials. With hard work and perseverance, they have just begun to live their American dream.


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Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026

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Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026


CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA girls basketball scores from Tuesday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.

Ada 37, Lima Cent. Cath. 19

Amanda-Clearcreek 61, Bloom-Carroll 51

Archbold 51, Holgate 10

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Ashland Mapleton 58, Ashland Crestview 40

Baltimore Liberty Union 58, Lancaster Fairfield Union 50

Bay (OH) 56, Westlake 29

Bluffton 49, Lima Shawnee 48

Bryan 72, Van Wert 34

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Bucyrus Wynford 58, Sycamore Mohawk 55

Carey 48, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 33

Castalia Margaretta 48, Norwalk 28

Circleville Logan Elm 62, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 29

Cle. E. Tech def. Cle. Max Hayes, forfeit

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Cle. Hay 89, Cle. Collinwood 4

Cle. John Marshall 68, Cle. Glenville 4

Clyde 46, Port Clinton 42

Cols. Eastmoor 54, West 39

Cols. Franklin Hts. 63, Bishop Ready 41

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Cols. Grandview Hts. 59, Worthington Christian 39

Cols. Linden-McKinley 53, East 14

Cols. Walnut Ridge 53, Columbus South 28

Continental 47, Defiance Ayersville 45

Delphos Jefferson 41, Wapakoneta 40

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Dublin Coffman 47, Marysville 38

Elida 52, Ft. Jennings 16

Gahanna Cols. Academy 66, Whitehall-Yearling 20

Grove City 43, Hilliard Bradley 17

Hamler Patrick Henry 54, Leipsic 23

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Haviland Wayne Trace 35, Delta 26

Hilliard Davidson 42, Dublin Scioto 30

Independence 43, N. Ridgeville Lake Ridge 19

Ironton Rock Hill 30, Grace Christian, W.Va. 28

Jackson Center 55, Lima Perry 6

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Johnstown 34, Pataskala Watkins Memorial 17

Kalida 50, Van Wert Lincolnview 34

London Madison-Plains 89, Tree of Life 10

McComb 56, McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 37

Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 47, Dola Hardin Northern 39

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Mt. Vernon 64, Newark Cath. 37

N. Robinson Col. Crawford 41, Attica Seneca E. 37

Newark 60, Dublin Jerome 52

Norwood 47, Cin. Seven Hills 42

Oak Harbor 48, Pemberville Eastwood 22

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Ottoville 47, Lima Bath 31

Paulding 48, Convoy Crestview 33

Portsmouth 46, Ashland Blazer, Ky. 32

Seton 46, Cin. Oak Hills 44

Sherwood Fairview 53, Metamora Evergreen 37

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South Point 53, Portsmouth Notre Dame 49

Spencerville 32, St Marys 31

Streetsboro 56, Lodi Cloverleaf 48

Tiffin Calvert 57, Vanlue 28

Tol. Ottawa Hills 61, Lakeside Danbury 24

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Upper Sandusky 52, Bucyrus 10

Utica 43, Pataskala Licking Hts. 39

Van Buren 36, Harrod Allen E. 27

Wauseon 43, Defiance 39



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Cleveland Cavaliers get Max Strus injury update that fans won’t want to hear

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Cleveland Cavaliers get Max Strus injury update that fans won’t want to hear


Cleveland Cavaliers fans are going to have to wait a bit longer until Max Strus makes his debut.

Strus suffered a Jones’ fracture in his foot during the offseason and has yet to suit up for the Cavaliers this season.

On Tuesday, the Cavs issued a statement that said Strus could be sidelined at least another month due to that injury to his left foot. According to the statement, Strus has made progress in his recovery, but additional time is required in order for the fracture to be fully healed.

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“Strus will continue to advance in the rehabilitation and conditioning phase of his recovery along with ongoing medical treatment,” the statement from the Cavaliers said. “He is scheduled for a follow-up evaluation with Dr. David Porter, who performed the procedure, in conjunction with the Cavs’ medical and training staff, within the next four weeks.”

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Following that evaluation within the next four weeks, further updates and next steps for Strus returning to the hardwood will be revealed.

Injury bug has plagued Cavs

The Cavs have dealt with a plethora of injuries this season, as Darius Garland was late to make his season debut due to the toe injury that he suffered in the postseason last year. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have both missed extended time as well.

Recently, the team has worked towards better health and has played better basketball. Unfortunately, the Cavs find themselves 20-17, just three games above .500 as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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A four week evaluation timeline could put Strus’ season debut after the NBA trade deadline on February 5. Even though the Cavs have struggled, they might have a difficult time making significant upgrades to their roster due to constraints set forth by the second apron.

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Certainly, head coach Kenny Atkinson and President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman will be keeping their fingers crossed that the Cavs can keep their head above water until Strus returns. Last season, Strus started with the Cavaliers. Upon his return, he’s expected to come off of the bench, which could be an adjustment. 

Strus played in 50 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging just under 10 points per game. His three-point shooting ability will be a welcomed addition to the Cavs, who have struggled from deep all season long.

Additionally, outside of Donovan Mitchell, Strus was Cleveland’s most reliable player during the team’s last two postseasons. The Cavs have a lot of pressure mounting to get through the second round this season. 

Surely, the Cavs will hope that Strus will be healthy enough to have an impact when games matter most. In the meantime, the team needs to make sure they’re in a comfortable postseason position.

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‘What are you doing here?’ Cleveland transplants say why they stay in Northeast Ohio – The Land

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‘What are you doing here?’ Cleveland transplants say why they stay in Northeast Ohio – The Land


The Cleveland skyline has become a familiar sight for transplants to the region. But why do so many people who visit Northeast Ohio choose to stay? (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

On Felton Thomas Jr.’s first day of work at the Cleveland Public Library, the temperature was eight degrees below zero. 

“I walked down here in my Las Vegas coat,” Thomas recalls, “and everybody waiting for me said, ‘Oh, this is a normal winter day.’”

The library’s new leader was relieved to learn that his colleagues were kidding, sort of. And he’s become one of Cleveland’s many converts: people who come, stay and praise a town that many lifers pan.

So, over his 17 years here, has Thomas acclimated? “Acclimated? That’s not a word in my vocabulary,” he retorts. “When we have those super-cold days, I’m ‘Omigod!’ And three months of no sunshine drives me crazy.”

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And he still hasn’t adjusted to Cleveland’s hours, either. “In Vegas, all the supermarkets are open 24 hours.”

So why has Thomas stuck around? Because of our library, of course, and lots more. “I love Las Vegas, but there’s an inauthenticity to the people. Here, people are who they are.”

And most have roots here. In Vegas, “Everybody came from somewhere else. Here, everyone wanted to know what high school I’d gone to.”

When they find out, they marvel that Thomas has come and stayed. He replies by extolling the library, the Rock Hall and the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he’s on the board. He also tells them that Superior Pho beats every restaurant he’s tried in Vietnam. 

But some locals still don’t understand. “A lot of times,” he says, “folks don’t want to talk about the good things in the city of Cleveland.”

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Felton Thomas Jr. from Las Vegas has led the Cleveland Public Library since 2007. [Photo courtesy of Cleveland Public Library]

Love that Cleveland climate

It might surprise locals, especially this time of year, but President David Sharkey of Progressive Urban Real Estate says that plenty of people move to Cleveland for the weather. “People like the seasons. A young guy moved here from San Diego because he couldn’t stand the sun anymore. And I get quite a bit of people who love seeing storms come over the lake.”

Jen Ferger from Illinois finds our weather at least interesting. She’s a meteorologist who studies weather risks for insurers. “I love watching the radar here. It’s so true that the East Side gets more lake effect than the West Side, like six inches versus a dusting. That’s fascinating to me.”

She also calls Cleveland “ a mini-Chicago” without the traffic or prices. She lives near our lake and says she could never afford to live near Chicago’s coast. 

From Down Under to Up Over 

Craig Hassall from Australia leads Playhouse Square and lauds Cleveland. [Photo by Keith Berr]

Most Cleveland newbies echo Thomas about being welcomed with wonder by natives. Craig Hassall, a native Australian who leads Playhouse Square, says, “I get that all the time from locals, not from other transplants: ‘What on earth are you doing here?’”

Not surprisingly, Hassall replies by praising our arts. “Cleveland punches above its weight in its presentation and consumption of culture.” He also talks up the West Side Market, Wade Chapel at Lake View Cemetery, and the Cleveland Metroparks. “I walk every day to Edgewater Park.”

Any complaints about Cleveland? “I don’t understand why Cleveland hasn’t leveraged the asset that is Lake Erie. I went out to Sandusky and took a boat out onto the lake. There were almost no boats on the water. In Sidney or Vancouver, you’d be cheek to jowl with other watercraft.” 

From transplant to ambassador

Allison Newsome from Alabama has become a Cleveland ambassador. [Photo courtesy of Allison Newsome]

Allison Newsome from Montgomery, Ala., came here to study law at Case Western Reserve University. “A lot of people who grew up in Cleveland have constantly heard it put down,” she says. “So everybody kind of had a tour guide hat on and told me lists of fun activities.”

Newsome was happily surprised by Cleveland’s green spaces, Cultural Gardens and Playhouse Square. She also found that “it was easy to make friends. People were very inviting.”

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She likes it here so much, she volunteers as a resident ambassador for the Cleveland Talent Alliance, advising prospective and recent arrivals.

Ties of love

Bob Kimmelfield from suburban New York City followed a girlfriend to her native Cleveland. They broke up, but he stayed, married another woman and fell hard for the town. Now he plays in a band at local contra dances and leads jaunts for the Cleveland Hiking Club on our streets and our “incredible park system.”

Ivan Muzyka came from Ukraine with his mother to join relatives here. “It was lucky to move to a city with a big, strong Ukrainian community,” he says. “I was lucky to find a Ukrainian boyfriend.”

Some people want to be near family but not too near. Marjorie Preston likes being two hours away from relatives back home in Bowling Green. She chose Cleveland partly because it’s Democratic but regrets its grip by state and federal Republicans.

Boomeranging

Many locals boomerang. They go off to see the world, then come back, often with spouses from elsewhere.

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Jerome Sheriff from Chicago followed his wife to her native Cleveland. He loves downtown’s wealth of parking spaces, mostly free on weekends. He just wishes our drivers wouldn’t stop and rubberneck so much.

Jay Dumaswala from Cincinnati also followed his wife to her native Cleveland. Now he’s another Talent Alliance ambassador. “I love the Cavs,” he says. “I love the Guardians. The Browns? I don’t understand a team that abuses its fans, and people still show up.”

Louis Gideon, an ambassador too, brought his pregnant wife from New York City to his native Cleveland, partly so his family could help with the baby. Now the couple pays less rent for a place 10 times bigger in Westlake than their apartment in New York. 

Gideon likes Cleveland’s few degrees of separation. He met someone downtown who turned out to live a few doors away from him in Westlake, with kids of similar ages. “We are close friends now.”

Coming without connections

Many people move for work, school or family. But Cat Mohar and her husband moved to escape the buzzing mosquitoes and soaring home prices of Durham, N.C. After reading about Cleveland and scoping it out, they settled in Lakewood. “It’s like stuck in a 90s movie about Halloween,” she says, “where kids run freely trick-or-treating.”

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Kate Smith and her future husband came here in 2018 from Truth or Consequences, N.M., with no ties. “We fell in love with the city long-distance,” she says. “The more businesses and arts organizations I began to follow, the more we began to see how unique and scrappy and proud the Cleveland vibe is.” 

Since moving, “We have felt so welcome. The first Easter, neighbors invited us over who’d fostered over 50 kids.”

She also loves the zoo. “My husband proposed to me on the carousel.”

Stefanie and Mike English came from Albuquerque to Cleveland without connections. “We were a little tired of the desert,” she says. They chose Cleveland for its culture, lake and opportunities. They rehab homes and love our architecture. They’ve had trouble, though, finding good contractors and getting loans for properties in struggling neighborhoods.

Stephanie loves our many festivals. She loves our schnitzel. But “I don’t understand pierogies.”

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Gain some, lose some

Of course, Cleveland has plenty of outflow as well as influx. 

Rick Putka left his native Cleveland for Europe this year to flee what he sees as America’s fading economy and democracy. Michael Baron moved to New York City to enjoy its progressive politics, its energy, its diversity and his grandchildren.

Ronald Stubblefield from Baltimore came and went twice. He liked the area’s affordability, culture and strong neighborhoods. But he says, “Cleveland kept looking backward.” He saw institutions competing instead of cooperating. And “Cleveland struggles to retain ambitious Black talent that other regions readily embrace.”

Some departees still tout the town they gave up. Debbie Stone moved to California for her late husband’s career in tech law, but misses Cleveland’s art museum, orchestra and more. “I even miss the roaming deer.”

Many celebrities from Cleveland talk it up from afar. Drew Carey popularized “Cleveland Rocks.” Tom Hanks shouted “Go Tribe!” during “Saturday Night Live.” Filmmaker Joe Russo told cleveland.com that he “grew up with a real work ethic and that kind of tough-nosed Cleveland attitude… that stick-to-itiveness.”

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In Juneau, Alaska, Jeff Smith runs one of the world’s many chapters of Browns Backers. He says, “I miss the restaurants in Cleveland, live music and sports, and some of my favorite places like the West Side Market, Lake View Cemetery, etc. [But] one thing I don’t miss about Cleveland is how much people complain about the weather in winter. In Alaska, people look forward to each new season.”



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