Kathy McDonald has lived in Slavic Village for 39 years. She moved to the city from Connecticut on Labor Day weekend in 1986, lured by her mother-in-law and a promise of plentiful work opportunities. 

“Back in ’86, it was very easy to get a job anywhere, especially here in Cleveland,” she said.

McDonald and her husband fell in love with a home in the neighborhood and decided to settle. Over time, McDonald began to notice serious issues in the neighborhood that she felt needed to be addressed.

“There was a group of teenagers who were terrorizing the neighborhood, who called themselves the Goonies.” McDonald said. “They would go into the area bars and shoot them up. They were even just shooting at people who were out and about walking. I knew something had to be done.”

After talking with her neighbors, she decided the best path forward would be to form a block club, which they named the Lost Nation Block Club. McDonald and three other members worked with police to identify the Goonies and put an end to their violence.

At one point, the work became overwhelming. McDonald stepped back from holding block club meetings for two years, but she said she continued to work behind the scenes to get things done in Slavic Village. Feeling refreshed and energized, she started a new group, the Hyacinth Block Club.

There’s only one official mayor of Cleveland. But across town, in neighborhoods and on city blocks, there are many unofficial mayors who advocate for their neighbors, take care of their communities and stir up some good trouble. Signal Cleveland will share the stories of these folks, who they are and what they mean for our city. Want to nominate someone? Fill out the form at the bottom of this post.

Like mother, like son

The Hyacinth Block Club hosted its monthly meeting at Hyacinth Park on a warm, sunny day in September. Prior to the meeting, I had the opportunity to chat with Ed McDonald, the oldest of Kathy’s three children. He shared his thoughts on the leadership role his mother has taken on in the neighborhood. 

“If I vote for you, that means I have some kind of faith that you are actually going to get things done, that’s an effective mayor to me” Ed said. “Even when people are telling you it’s not going to get done or they can’t do it, you have that person you reach out to when you want to see some real progress. I think my mom has become that person.”

Ed has childhood memories of accompanying his mom to neighborhood meetings. In addition to being a hands-on mom, he considers her one of his first mentors.

“My mom would bring me to block club meetings when I was very young,” Ed said. “That’s what got me into the realm of community engagement. Being the aggressor I am on city issues, is all because of her.”

Ed McDonald is known for not being afraid to voice his opinions to community leaders. That unapologetic confidence hasn’t always been received well by others. 

“At one point, my mom had a brick thrown through her bedroom window,” Ed said. “There was a note attached to it, essentially warning her to watch her back. She cleaned up the mess, boarded up the window and called the police. In her eyes, she wasn’t going to be bullied or threatened for pushing an issue that she believed in.”

Ed said watching his mother handle that situation with courage and grace is something that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

“We were always taught not to be intimidated,” Ed said. “I have to believe in my mission and what I’m doing. My mom would always say, ‘If you think there is an issue, you should speak your truth.’ That is probably the best lesson she has ever taught me.” 

The brick-thrower was never caught.

A political future?

Kathy McDonald arrives at the block club meeting 15 minutes early. Soon, other members begin to trickle into the park.

“The meeting will be starting at 6:30 p.m. sharp,” McDonald said. 

Kathy says she’s a go-getter. Taking initiative, she said, is a quality a strong leader needs to have. 

“Anytime anyone has a problem, they call me. If I can’t get the answer, then I find the answer for them. I’ve connected residents directly to different council members and guided them to necessary resources,” she said. “I follow up until I get what is needed. At the end of the day, people know that I will get things done.”

McDonald is currently working on multiple neighborhood initiatives, including the renovations of a playground and an old baseball field in the neighborhood, pushing for more video surveillance, tearing down and repairing abandoned homes and bringing in a dog park.

Every November, she hosts a holiday potluck for her neighbors who live on the block to recap their year and celebrate their successes. Her block also collected the most socks for a recent clothing drive. 

However, she has no plans to enter the formal arena of Cleveland politics.

“I have considered it, but I won’t,” McDonald said. “I feel like I can get more done on the outside.”

Connecting with the constituents

Over a dozen community members are at the block club meeting. On the agenda are Richard Starr, who is running to represent Cleveland’s new Ward 5, and Laverne Gore, who is challenging incumbent, Justin Bibb, in the race for mayor. 

I take my seat on the bench next to longtime Slavic Village resident Joan Sickora. Sickora relocated to Cleveland from Anchorage, Alaska, in 1967. She met McDonald in the early 2000s after attending a block club meeting that Kathy was hosting.

Sickora has seen her share of changes in her 58 years in Slavic Village. Increased crime, fewer people and a lack of new businesses were just a few of the changes that concerned her. 

When she shared her sentiments with Kathy, they worked together to brainstorm solutions. Sickora said she appreciated McDonald’s long-term approach to tackling issues.

“She’s a woman of her word. If she tells you she is going to do something, it gets done,” Sickora said. “That’s a quality that isn’t always easy to come by.”

Fixing problems in real time

After Starr and Gore addressed the small crowd, members of the club were able to ask them questions in an interactive Q&A period. Starr fielded questions about new ward boundaries and voter turnout. Gore shared her vision for Cleveland if she were to be elected the next mayor. 

During the meeting, some residents voiced their concerns about a young man who has been riding his dirt bike at high speeds throughout the neighborhood. They have reported him to the police but have yet to be able to identify him. 

Minutes later, the young man made his way past the park on his dirt bike at what appeared to be a high speed. Starr and Ed McDonald are able to flag him down to have a conversation with him about his speed. The young man pulled over to listen to them for a few minutes, then drove off at a more reasonable pace.

Starr has worked closely with Kathy during his tenure as council member. He offered praise for her work in the community.

The meeting concluded, and some members hung around to chat and catch up. 

McDonald thanked everyone for coming. She packed her chair in her car and drove off into the sunset on Waterman Avenue with another day of service under her belt.