REALNEO for all - Making Change

Congratulations to Shaw's 'Best Band In The World'

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:06:32 -0400

When people wonder what is the value of a local daily newspaper, I must point to the story of Shaw High School Band, which was invited to China to perform but could not afford to do that. The Plain Dealer article "Bang a Drum, Proudly", by Connie Schulz, raised enough attention and funding to get them there, from where they just returned in triumph (nicely covered in the PD here, today)... a $500,000 whirlwind phenomenon all occurring in less than 6 months!

Are Cleveland Indians Cursed by Bad Energy of Racist Identity and the Emotional Harm of that on Players, Fans and Society?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:25:51 -0400

Question of the Day: How Is Your Victory Garden?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:40:56 -0400

Now that my family has land that we may use for a while, we are growing our own food... and enough for many other families, it seems. One $1.07 packet of radish seeds planted in May is already many pounds of crisp, bright, beautiful, healthy fresh veggies... and eating my first fresh radish of my life taught me radishes are actually delicious. Same for Kale, and all the varieties of lettuce covering our farmland... really fresh pesto is to die for... can't wait for the carrots and shallots!

CITY GIVES DEVELOPERS BIG BREAK ON MONEY THEY'VE BEEN USING FREE FOR 15 YEARS OR MORE

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:10:39 -0400

UDAG HEAVEN FOR JACOBS, RATNERS

Will Cleveland Council members let Mayor Frank Jackson, Chris Warren and developers steal away UDAG repayments in the millions of dollars from depressed, declining and diminishing neighborhoods?

Where is that Medical Mart that is Costing Us $40 million a year?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:56:55 -0400

It’s been quiet on the medical mart & convention center front of late. However, no news may not be good news.

Wonder why it’s so quiet since the Cuyahoga County Commission voted (privately) to pass a $40 million a year tax to go, go, go.

NEO Excellence Roundtable: Urban Farming with Maurice Small

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:35:35 -0400

Start: 2008/06/24 - 6:00pm

End: 2008/06/24 - 7:00pm

Two weeks ago, City Fresh's Maurice Small met with friends in East Cleveland to discuss City Fresh, urban farming, and how we may convert a typical urban convenient store, Brown's Market, into a pilot City Fresh local foods market. During our discussions, Maurice mentioned that a dedicated urban farmer may earn more than $30,000 per year from sales of food grown on one typical urban lot (say 1/10th an acre). That being the case, and considering our ever-growing need and realigning demand for locally grown food, and the fact food may be grown locally as cost effectively as elsewhere in the world, it occurred to me that the highest and best use for most of the land now cleared, abandoned, blighted and wasted in our urban neighborhoods is for urban farming. So that is a use we are now planning to be core to redevelopment of the Star Neighborhood. Intrigued? Discuss and plan for this reality with Maurice and friends this Tuesday, from 6-7 PM, at that house on Roxbury, in East Cleveland. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

De-canonization of Russert

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:34:11 -0400

It’s always difficult to talk critically about the dead, especially the recent dead.

However, the incredible outpouring of glowing tributes by the news media over the sad death of Tim Russert forced everyone to genuflect to a media celebrity and ignore all faults.

So it’s up to someone as Alexander Cockburn in his Nation column “Beat the Devil” to bring some reason to the Russert sanctification by his fellow journalists.

Cockburn starts with “The delirium in the press at Tim Russert’s passing has been strange. As a broadcaster he was not much better than the average, which is saying very little. He could be a sharp questioner, but not when it really counted and when courage was required.”

With all the adulation, I think Cockburn brings some reality to the elevation of Russert to journalistic sainthood.His full column can be found here: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080707/cockburn

Assuming HEK/MAK/BAK/KAM are people, their reward or punishment for their presence in NEO should be?

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:55:10 -0400

Art of the Day: HEK

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:46 -0400

Two people reported to be HEK and MAK were reportedly arrested, May 30th, 2008. Jeff Buster and I have had a great interest in the work known all around NEO as HEK, and we both seem to wonder if there is really anyone to "arrest" as HEK, for HEK, as HEK seems the identity of many... the voice of many... and is today's Art of the Day.

I GRO EC for City Fresh

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:46:05 -0400

Maurice Small is the most economically and ecologically sensible planner I know.

Joe Stanley, Sudhir Kade and I have been brainstorming with City Fresh's Maurice Small about "I GRO EC" - Independent Green Republic Of East Cleveland. City Fresh already operates a Fresh Stop at Huron Road Hospital - which Maurice reports is doing great - and is active in community farming in East Cleveland. Recently, we've been discussing City Fresh having an involvement converting Brown's Convenient store into a pilot City Fresh Market, which could offer a paradigm-shifting model for bringing local food, farming and their economies into very needy urban neighborhoods, in very innovative and important ways.

Question of the Day - Obama VP Candidate, of these choices

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:06:26 -0400

Real NEO Chiefs

Fri, 30 May 2008 16:37:17 -0400

Dress of Chiefs of the Village of Atonkwa near Elmina, Ghana - Nana Kodwo Eduakwa V and Nana Kra Kwamina II - at a reception at the Ashe Cultural Center in Cleveland

Cleveland Chiefs

Fri, 30 May 2008 16:32:20 -0400

Chiefs meeting in Cleveland

Euclid Tavern is Real NEO, and back in business

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:16:35 -0400

The Euc is back. The Euclid Tavern has reopened and is again setting the scene and hosting diverse live music in University Circle. Long a favorite Cleveland concert club, launchpad for visual artist Derek Hass, favorite mainstage for 1,000s of local and travelling acts, closed since 2001, the Euc was recently bought and renovated by local entrepreneurs of the Ciofani family, owners of Comm Steel, who believe in Cleveland and the Triangle, Star and Circle neighborhoods. They've put up some serious money and invested real sweat equity to make the new Euc a major destination.

Front Page Dream Factory

Tue, 27 May 2008 08:43:58 -0400

Anybody can dream dreams. They don’t deserve big headlines on the front page of our only daily newspaper.

So will the Plain Dealer please stop acting as the public relations outlet of downtown developer dreams! I know that we all want to hear “good news” about our economic progress. However, “good news” that never seems to materialize is “bad news.”