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Most people at the Mount know her as the department chair for Behavioral Sciences or professor of psychology. People in Over-the-Rhine know her as landlord, sewing teacher, and Findlay Neighborhood Center Director. But after my conversation with Dr. Lynda Crane, I know her as a courageous and energetic woman with a vision.
I knocked on the door to the Findlay Neighborhood Center (FNC) in Over- the- Rhine for an interview with Dr. Lynda Crane the week before Christmas and was immediately immersed in her world of philanthropy when she opened the door with two pieces of cardboard and a roll of packing tape in her hands. Inside, a wooden step-ladder was poised by the storefront window where lace curtains were blowing in the cold draft created by a broken pane above. The room itself was not large—just big enough to comfortably contain a cafeteria-sized table holding a cutting board, scissors and other sewing tools. Colorful fabric, cut-out pattern pieces, and a bright Holly Hobby quilt decorated the walls. A cookie tin containing spools of thread and little baskets full of yarns, buttons, and rolled-up pieces of fabric were cheerfully perched on shelves and displayed on the deep windowsills. Ruffles and quilt pieces were draped over a quilt rack in the corner. The charming room reminded me of a nineteenth century English cottage industry. Dr. Crane was in the process of creating a temporary patch for the broken pane at the top of one of the two large windows facing Race Street. I quickly shed my winter coat, dropped my book bag, and offered my assistance in cutting pieces of tape and steadying the ladder while she balanced on one of the top rungs and made the necessary repair. What is the chair of the Behavioral Department doing patching windows in an Over-the-Rhine building? She’s doing what any landlord would do—taking care of her property. Dr. Crane purchased the two adjacent buildings on Race Street directly across from the Findlay Market parking lot in April of 2004. When Dr. Crane first saw the charming store-front building the previous fall she thought it was the answer to her quest for a new direction in her life following the death of her husband. She thought, “That would be a wonderful place for a little shop”—the shop being a sewing center and an integral part of a larger neighborhood center she envisioned. Dr. Crane saw the neighborhood center as a new mission of sorts for herself. This is not the first mission Dr. Crane has undertaken. From 1996 to 2001 she and her husband owned and worked a farm in Clermont County as an outreach program to demonstrate and teach farming sustainability. They brought students out to learn about ecology and how to take care of the earth. When her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor in October of 2001, that project abruptly came to an end. They sold the farm and moved to Western Hills to be closer to the Mount so that Dr. Crane would be able to both care for her husband and continue to teach. She told me that from the time her husband got sick, she knew her life was going to “need to go in a different direction” and while she had plenty to do being the chair of the department and teaching at the mount full time, “there was a real hole.” As we sat at the work table, Dr. Crane told me about her vision for the Findlay Neighborhood Center. She said that one of her goals from the beginning was to secure a place in the Findlay Market area for a neighborhood residence. With the recent interest in revitalizing that part of the city, there is a fear that the long-time residents of the neighborhood may soon be unable to afford living there. In addition to providing low-income housing, Dr. Crane hoped to provide a neighborhood center where people could gather. At the sewing center, staffed by knowledgeable volunteers and stocked with donated materials and supplies, people could learn how to sew. Dr. Crane told me she chose sewing because, for women in particular, it “forms a bond,” it is “intergenerational,” and it “can create a way for people to get together and form relationships.” In addition to that, she added, “It really does provide an opportunity for the people here to make some money.” Individuals who sell work created at the center keep 70% of the profits and the FNC, a non-profit organization, receives 30%. The sewing center is only part of the vision. Dr. Crane said that along with Dr. Georgana Taggart, director of the Mount’s Paralegal Program, she is hoping to eventually provide a legal clinic at the center. FNC board members Anthony Cockran (a resident of Over-the-Rhine) and Peter Thornton have used a workshop in one of the rooms to train people in the construction trades. A playroom, painted with colorful murals done by young people who live in the neighborhood, has been created for children whose parents are working at the center. One of Dr. Crane’s most exciting plans for the FNC is the Parkside Stage, a theatre she hopes to establish in the large garage space at the back of the building. She envisions a curtained stage and park-bench seating with two large garage doors at the rear opening out to the street. The theatre could be used for cultural activities such as music performances, talent shows, plays, films, and film discussions. Turning the vision for the neighborhood center into reality has been tough going, however. When she bought the two buildings Dr. Crane hoped that the income from rentals would help pay for them, but she soon became aware that much work was needed to make the five low-income apartments in the two buildings inhabitable. A tenant who continued to live there had been without electricity for eight weeks and had a problem with sewage backing up. The apartments have been repaired and are occupied but many of the tenants are not able to consistently pay their rent. As a result, finances at the center continue to be a challenge. Although Dr. Crane is clearly spear-heading this project, she has not been without help. Through the instrumental work of Dr. Georgana Taggart, the FNC received an initiating grant of $6200 from The Gladys Knox Foundation to pay for new sewing machines, shelving, and needed electrical work. Dr. Crane has been awarded a Lead Abatement grant from the city and UC to update the building’s façade and install much needed replacement windows. She hopes to qualify for a rehab grant through the city. In addition to the grants, the FNC continues to receive private donations from interested individuals. Area residents and other volunteers have worked on the buildings’ repairs—the sewing shop’s floor was replaced, ceiling repaired, track lighting installed and walls painted. Anthony Cockran completed much of the early plumbing, electrical, and general clean-up work. Other board members: Dr. Georgana Taggart, Dr. Judy Singleton, student Anne Starkey (all from the Mount), Sr. Roseanne Fleming, Kathleen Riehle, and Peter Thornton continue to support the project with their time and interest. Many members of the Mount’s community have also helped out. Dr. Marilyn Luecke bound the quilt that decorates the shop’s wall. Graphic Arts students developed a Findlay Neighborhood Center logo as a project for their senior design class. Students from the interior design department developed a plan to renovate one of the apartments that they hope to implement this semester. Volunteer help has been offered by the Mount’s alumni organization. The Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity donated a day’s work. Sr. Mary Bookser, Service Learning Coordinator, has been extremely supportive. Students helped during a Service Learning Day organized by Dr. Jim Bodle, and Anne Kroger developed a newsletter as a service learning project. Carolmarie Stock brought Dennis Murphy, a well-known local actor and director, down to the FNC to help evaluate what was needed to get a neighborhood theatre up and running. Many people have donated material, supplies and money. As we sat at the table discussing the neighborhood center and Dr. Crane was interrupted numerous times with phone calls and people coming to the door with business concerning the center or its rehab, I began to realize the enormity of the task she had undertaken. Earlier in our conversation, Dr. Crane told me that after her husband died she began to say to spirit, “Here I am, what should I do now?” Following her description of the continuing challenges and struggles at the center I remarked, “Well, it looks like you found a vocation.” Dr. Crane laughed and replied, “When you say (to spirit), ‘Whatever you say . . .,’ be prepared to go with it.” What most impressed me, however, is that through it all, Dr. Crane continues to keep sight of her vision. When I asked her what one message she would like to convey about the neighborhood center, she thought for a minute, and then said, “There are, in this neighborhood, good, kind, sincere people who, given a little bit of a chance, are doing things.”
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