From 1999 to 2002, “Mama Says” was a hard copy newsletter serving a small community on the Near West side of Cleveland, Ohio. Its intention was to help families raising children in the central city to find fun things to do, to find resources, and to find each other. It was successful well beyond the expectations of its founding publishers, Kelly Kupcak and Laura Fratus.
In Summer 2002, the newsletter gained a web presence and its readership increased significantly over the next eighteen months.
Then, in December 2003, regular monthly postings of the newsletter ceased, and this site was dormant for a year. Meanwhile, Laura began publishing a monthly “Mama Says” column in the Plain Press, a free local monthly serving the Near West side.
In January 2005, this website was slightly modified in format. It is now the personal blog of Laura Fratus. As a publicly-accessible blog, comments and feedback are welcome, and some of that which is of general interest will be posted within the blog, at my own discretion.