In the weeks and months that have passed since  Councilman Cimperman’s porch fire on July 28, 2008, there has been no further news of what caused the fire.  Check the internet.   There have been no arrests, and the FBI, the Cleveland Fire Department Arson Squad, and Mr. Cimperman have added nothing new about what caused the blaze.    The impression left from the incomplete investigation is that Mr. Cimperman was most certainly attacked by an arsonist.

Everyone knows I loathe any link to the Dirty Dealer, but this Vinci death seems of consequence .. thanks to lmcshane for the head's up.

Take a journey out of the realneo and into the quite unreal Gloucester with

Beatrix Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester

one of our favorite stories at Christmastime

Listen here at the BBC

Life is just one long road and the trip can be painful and it can be beautiful. Yes--deep, deep (possibly creepy) thoughts, but the experience at La Strada, the new restaurant, is not sad, or painful--just beautiful.

BREAKING NEWS!!! WHO NUKED TREMONTER?

WHICH ONE OF THE USUAL SUSPECTS WILL GET THE BLAME?

HENRY, DEBRA, JERLEEN OR DID CAPTAIN CODE ENFORCER PULL ONE LAST PLUG?

BETTER YET, DID ANYBODY GET A GLIMPSE OF SANTA AND THE BAG OF LOOT OR WAS SAMUEL AND HIS JOHN DEERE  LURKING ABOUT?

Folks, the much enjoyed Tremonter closed it's blog site for good this evening.  Some say the truth hurts and others say the truth sets you free.

Please read and sign the online petition. 

In response to several pieces posted on this site, all of which relate to historical significance of legendary architect, Marcel Breuer, I've decided, at the urgings of fellow blogger and preservationist, Susan Miller,  to post a piece that specifically concerns Breuer's final, monumental, public commission (completed in 1980) that site being The Atlanta-Fulton Central Public Library.  And while I am fully aware that RealNeo is a site devoted to all things Northeast Ohio, because there has been so much discussion concerning local preservation efforts for Breuer Buildings in Ohio, it can only help to bolster both local and national efforts towards educating the public-at-large about the importance of the relationship between civic identity, cultural wealth retention, socio-political integrity and fiscally sane, environmentally sound preservation. 

Peace and tidings of goodwill to NEO and all the world

Ward 13 Councilman Cimperman was attacked in his Tremont home by vicious forces, which caused him personal harm and made him homeless. His trauma was relatively brief, as Councilman Cimperman is a powerful man with powerful friends and considerable resources at his disposal - it is safe to say he had insurance against his losses and could borrow money at a reasonable interest rate to rebuild.

I was searching for the request for Tremont retail recommendations and I can't find it this morning, so I'm posting from scratch.

While retail is still a tough go in Tremont, we have more establishments now than ever before!  Have I also mentioned that if you take a step back and look at the Tremont Entrepreneurs... a big majority are women!   

Here is a run down of the latest and greatest retail establishments (no offence to the restaurants & pubs, but most are already famous) ;) 

Attached are minutes from an October 2007 meeting of City of Cleveland Planning, Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority, URS and US Army Corps of Engineers. Ed had these issues in mind (among numerous others) when he left us. Let's catch up a bit. Can anoyone give an update as to how these questions have been addressed more than a year later?

Highlights include:

Today the Detroit BIG 3 claim that it is the credit markets which have caused their near bankruptcy.

That is a lie. A Big Lie.

Between the 4 dollar gas over the last few quarters, and the crap vehicles that Ford, BM and Hedge Fund Snow make- none of the THREE were selling any of their dogs - including Cerberus. And that was before October credit issues.

The BIG 3 all have terrible Karma.

In the same week that Ohio Governor Strickland vetoes a bill to create a tax credit for those creating film and video production jobs in Ohio, the Illinois Governor (yeah, that guy, the one who's been in the news lately), signed a bill to expand their 20% tax credit to 30%. Do you think he knows something that Governor Strickland does not?

So, while I'm fighting to save my home (reference Tremont Social Capital Thread) my personal and professional life have been severely suffering (duh).

When do we shut it down?

The latest tax figure for collection of that quarter percent sales tax for the Medical Mart & Convention Center cost Cuyahoga County taxpayers totaled $3,479,373.20 in November.

Despite the recessionary impact on consumption, the tax continues to be higher than predicted. The November figure is a bit higher than the $3,427,717.90 in September.

The total collected since January when the tax started is $38,712,692.71. That’s $38 million extra in sales taxes paid by Cuyahoga consumers this year thus far.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority – better known as RTA – apparently has trouble knowing the purpose of its business.

Hint. It’s transportation. Not parking. Not tourism. Not beautification.

For those who say there are no Angels, boy do we have a testimonial for you! When trying to figure out where to have such a large event- an angel by the name of Cindy Barber offered us her establishment and made the time to meet and spend precious time with us in order to help plan this event.

Ed Hauser’s death was a tragedy that didn’t have to happen. It was a death that should not have happened. In many other countries, it would not have happened. The circumstances of his death may be the reason many more will die today and tomorrow. Ed died because America doesn’t have the decency to protect its own citizens with the health care that’s basic in all other industrial societies. The American aversion to universal health care is killing people by neglect. It must be corrected. Ed didn’t have health insurance.

Here is the Winter Reality for those of us under the superstructure of the reinforced concrete bridge.

Color      brilliant   detail

On hard concrete surfaces  cold InFRASTRUCTURE

Illegal

which we made REAL

in winter 

in Cleevland 

tell me it's rong 

Tremont, other sections of the West Side, Downtown Cleveland, and a large portion of the East side of Cleveland were waterless this morning due to a water main break on Hamilton west of E 40th.

But to see the number of media reporters on the scene, you would have thought there was real important news to collect. 8 TV rigs were there, and one of the cameramen was already talking overtime.

Below is a message that has been sent to Steve Esrati, a former Plain Dealer copy editor. Esrati distributes comments, gripes and memories of former Plain Dealer editorial people to others.

The following is an honest appraisal, in my opinion, of the demotion of Rosenberg from his position of music critic at the PD, with the help of PD editor Susan Goldberg and the management of the Cleveland orchestra.

The writer, Bob Finn, is retired and the highly respected former music critic of the Plain Dealer.

Here’s a report from an organization in Brooklyn, N. Y., about Cleveland’s Forest City Enterprises and the real estate company’s activities in New York.

Why is it that Cleveland and Cuyahoga County citizens are NOT as active in protecting its citizens, for example, on the debacle being pushed by Forest City around the Medical Mart and Convention Center, a project made at Tower City’s executive offices.

It's been quite interesting attending events like the recent Local Foods conversation held at AJ Roccos and coordinated by Josh Klein of CityFresh, among others. Reading through the main tenets of the recent co-proposal of the Land Lab of Kent State's CUDC and Neighborhood Progress, Inc provided a good overall game plan with a systems-oriented lens - certainly an understanding of all of these various systems as part of a greater system comprising our region was heartening to see.

The Probate Judge who appointed Tana Carney to the Cleveland Foundation is John J Donnelly, who also appointed the Cleveland Metroparks Commissioners. The longest serving is Fred Rzepka, a developer (who was reportedly on the site committee for the Browns stadium).