Today 8/3/2008, Chris Ronayne gets a front page editorial on the Forum page of the Plain Dealer.  Chris lives in Cleveland and drives to work every day.  I know his commute, because I made a similar commute when I worked at Metrohealth Hospital in the eighties.*  My drive time?  Ten minutes from University Circle to Metrohealth Hospital. Sure, sometimes, it was 15-20 minutes, if traffic held me up, or, if it took forever to get out of the parking lot, but I literally made the commute every day with my eyes closed.  It scared me so much to realize that I was driving in a trance, that I committed myself to public transportation. 

Jessica, Aladeen, Mohammad and Mustafa rode their bikes to see the kids perform in Lincoln Park under the stars! 

I live about two miles from Lake Erie, and went in the water today, for this pan and header, but I do not consider it safe to swim in the water, which is pathetic. Healthy beaches and a healthy Lake Erie would improve the value of all of NEO by $ trillions... that would be worth far more than all the polluters combined. Imagine being able to take a dip here, safely, wherever and whever you like...

EXPLORE YOUR FAMILY ROOTS

Friday & Saturday, September 12 & 13, 2008 – Fall Genealogy Conference sponsored by the African-American Genealogical Society

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Northeast Ohio has some of the dirtiest water and beaches in the world, because we have some of the dirtiest leadership in the world, and that is very poor for Cleveland's image and economy. Fortunately, it seems the region is now positioned to clean up at least one of our messes.

I had so much fun at the Barack Obama campaign headquarters in East Cleveland, leading up to the March primary, meeting people and feeling part of something important, that I was excited by news the Shaker Heights campaign office was opening, July 24, 2008... hope to see one in EC soon. Sudhir and I stopped by to enjoy the good vibe. Cool to see a group line dancing to the energy. As we left, Sudhir said he'd like to go to a McCain event, just to see how it compares... I suggested he go to church or a gun show in Central Ohio...

The Barack Obama for President Shaker Heights campaign office opened July 24, 2008, at Shaker Square, where a great turn-out of old friends, young and old, all races, came together for change we can believe in.

The Cuyahoga County Fair.
August 4-10th

Old-time family fun.  Take your bike on RTA and ride back.

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CIty Fresh "Fresh Stop" at Huron Road Hospital, July 22, 2008

These photos were taken on my typical walk from my home in East Cleveland to University Circle. Most of the walk is very pleasant, but under this bridge (RTA and railroad) is one of the ugliest sights you will see in Cleveland. It is dark and damp, but worst of all it is littered with so much trash.

Maybe they can leave the roof off and forget about the foundation.

Then maybe Fred Nance, Tim Hagan and Sam Miller can bring that sucker in under a half billion tax dollars.

That, of course, doesn’t include interest in about the same amount, plus generous overruns for contractor friends. Oh, and don’t forget the little items they aren’t talking about subsidizing – parking garages and a new luxury hotel, built, of course, on Sam’s land.

The most important message communicated at today's press conference kicking-off Lead Awareness Week was that our government leadership at the state, county and municipal level stand united to eradicate lead poisoning in Northeast Ohio by 2010. Publicly expressing their concern about lead poisoning here, and their commitment to its rapid elimination, East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones added important voices to the chorus of public health and social service champions of the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council... a unique, world-class collaboration of around 85 organizations.

Join us for the next Women’s Enterprise Network (WENetwork) Conversation & Interactive TV show...

Details
Discussion topic: TBA
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008

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Waterloo Band Culture in Collinwood

Contributors:

Waterloo Band Culture in Collinwood with Cindy Barber, Beachland Ballroom and Tavern; Ryan Weitzel, Exit Stencil Recording Studio & Mystery of Two, band member. Clint Holley, Audio Spectrum Recording & Hayshaker Jones, band member will not be with us tonight. We will be joined by Clint's good friend, Lawrence Daniel Caswell, This Moment in Black History and National Suicide Day, band member and WCPN announcer.
And You...

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July 15, 2008: Updates in Open Source Economic Development

(Or scraping the bottom of the pond)

The Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council (GCLAC) will be holding a Press Conference in recognition of Ohio Lead Awareness Week, which will take place the week of July 20th – 26th, 2008.  Scheduled speakers will address the significant progress made in reducing the number of children affected by lead paint hazards, as well as the importance of continued vigilance and prevention in light of new evidence linking childhood lead exposure to crime, low school-performance, as well as numerous lifelong health problems.  Scheduled speakers, representing a City, County, and State unified effort to eliminate the dangers of childhood lead poisoning are:

• Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners
• Mayor Frank Jackson, City of Cleveland
• Mayor Eric Brewer, City of East Cleveland
• State Representative Mike Foley, District 14
• Stuart Greenburg, Executive Director, Environmental Health Watch
• Nakiaa Robinson, Program Manager, Office of Early Childhood, Invest in Children

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EPA Drops the Value of an American Life Almost a Million Dollars

by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.12.08

Back in January of 2007 I first proposed the application of innovative, sustainably powered aquaponics in tandem with organic farming to uplift underprivileged communities and resolve urban blight.  East Cleveland, where we have worked for years now, to facilitate positive change, remains a tremendous opportunity for Urban aquaponics integration, especially given the extraordinary connections falling into place recently toward the Star Neighborhood Vision.  A two-year quest to secure financially viable and socially redeeming use for the old Hough Bakeries building has finally manifested, through trial and tribulation, with the likely emergence of multiple schools at the Star Village, as it is now called, on Lakeview in East Cleveland.  REALNEO and Star Neighborhood Development founder Norm Roulet deserves kudos for perservering through political turbulence and facilitating the key connections to make this work.  

Graphics speak louder than words, but, of course, the kids know that!!!

I thought perhaps I could stump City Fresh's Maurice Small with the question "what county in the world is the leader in urban farming?", but he didn't hesitate responding Cuba. And the July 8, 2008 I GRO EC roundtable concluded we need to plan a best practices mission to Havana. Next Tuesday, July 15, 6-7 PM, come to the Independent Green Republic Of Star Village, at the Star/Hough Bakeries Complex, to help plan our mission to Cuba and discuss other plans for transforming our region through urban farming.

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I was watching an Indians game recently when the sports announcers went a bit agog about the stadium restaurant as the TV cameras panned the Terrace Club where people were happily enjoying food treats with a view of the baseball game.

Happy people enjoying The Good Life.

Too bad you had to pay for it.

When our neighbor Dr. Pat Blochowiak told us to stop by her garden and pick some raspberries, blackberries and snow peas, I didn't realize the depths of her bounty... or how great blackberries may be. As my kids picked through nature, they chomped down probably $50 worth of the best food in town, when you may find food so good. As I looked at the bowls of berries collected in short time, I felt blessed by my community and nature. Over a fresh berries and whipped organic cream desert, our family celebrated Summer and life in the best way. All that is the certain promise of East Cleveland, with community farming. Help plan that reality with Maurice Small and others as we meet again, today, for what has become an every-other-Tuesday City Fresh I GRO EC brainstorming session, in East Cleveland. This week, we'll meet at the Hough/Star Bakeries complex, and also visit Brown's Market, which we plan to convert into a pilot City Fresh Market.

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Sometimes you have to wonder whether Plain Dealer editors read their newspaper. Now at times I can’t blame them for that, however, it might come in handy at times, too.

Sunday, the PD again helped Tim Hagan and his two buddy Cuyahoga County commissioners sound the “we’re out of money again” cry and offer as a solution another buyout. Just as the one Hagan took (retired & ran and re-elected) and now is back on the job pulling down a full salary.