I am not the first person to see the connection between former council person John Zayac (Jackson council era) , his consultant firm The Project Group and lucrative contracts at City Hall.

Leila Atassi ran a great story in 2014 - and like all things in Northeast Ohio - it was promptly forgotten:

Recently, a blogger/citizen reporter Sarah Karp in Chicago brought down Barbara Byrd-Bennet by asking the obvious questions- you can watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQGj5CruvAg&feature=youtu.be

The media is strangely very quiet on the state of Cuyahoga County finances.  And, for weeks, they have been mining the archive at REALNEO (certainly more reliable than, say, the Cleveland.com archive or the County's website).

 I hope that these former City of Cleveland officials file a lawsuit against the City of Cleveland - Mayor Jackson's gross incompetence can't be blamed on these two officials.

Revisited Pittsburgh this past weekend - to try out the idea of a daytrip via Greyhound (Sadly, the Megabus doesn't cover PITT anymore).  I will explore option of bike aboard this spring via Amtrak.  

Austin, TX, is definitely NOT car-free or carefree. But, it does have sun at the time of year that Cleveland OH's UV rays begin to wane.  So, I took the opportunity to stay with family and crash by the pool for a few days.  

 There have been several favored political stooges in the history of Northeast Ohio.  Surely, Russo and Dimora stand out - and, they operated with an understanding that they, too, were above exposure.  Mike White had his bagman, Nate Gray, who took the fall for him.  But, why does the media in Northeast Ohio protect Jim Rokakis and Gus Frangos (Gus is Lou's brother and partner and heads the "Land Bank")???  

 The Metroparks were recently briefed on the latest plans for extending the "towpath" trail north to Canal Basin Park (and ultimately Whiskey Island and Lake Erie).  Take a look for yourself at the colossal stupidity:

The nights are cooler. We will soon be sleeping longer. Leaves change color and our minds turn inward to the landscape of imaginary worlds. The Migration exhibit at the Cleveland Public Library's Eastman Reading Garden is perfect place to visit before the long winter. To remind children, that birds do return in the spring. And, that friendly lions are forever roaming in the pages of a book.

 The one day I don't bring my camera and I miss photo shoots galore - DAMN.   Saturday in Believeland - CLE was surreal and beautiful.  I needed a swim.

Plan A: had been to swim outside at the City of Brooklyn pool ($9.00 non-resident).  The facility was open, but not the outdoor pool.  Since I was on the granny bike, on to Plan B.

The Aug. 16 front page story, "Abandoned homes dot the area," may have contained as much hot air as the housing bubble.

My summer reading this year included Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard.  I highly recommend that NEO residents pick up the book before the RNC convention.  So much has changed, but so much is the same.  The "spoils system" especially threatens to derail our country - not to mention the seemingly never-ending racial divisiveness.

 How long does the Greater Cleveland Partnership through Northeast Ohio Media Group - keep the CON alive?

How many milllions of dollars are given to Cleveland Schools and the "Land Bank" - two entities that have no accountability built into the equation?

The administration of the Mayoral-controlled Cleveland Metropolitan School District has had a longer time to play their con and NEOMG can always spin the achievements there - but the "Land Bank" established in 2009 - should it be able to run on fumes for a bit longer??  

This past week - I tried to pick up a WiFi signal on the CWRU campus - NADA.  While, I was in rural Frostburg and Cumberland MD - I never had a problem picking up a strong and free WiFi spot.  Is this something we should consider and prepare for with the RNC coming to town???  

 The Edward Belz House and the Frederick Wirth House on Denison Ave. in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood of Cleveland are still ENDANGERED - 

Centers for Families and Children Director Elizabeth Newman has announced that CFC will close the Old Brooklyn-Brooklyn Centre neighborhood daycare on July 31st this year.  FTR - the Archwood United Church of Christ building PASSED all federal inspections and staff received highest rating 5 stars!

The Greater Cleveland Partnership will have you believe Frank Jackson has been good for Cleveland based on improvements seen downtown, but let's review some of the big ticket projects hatched under Frank Jackson as Mayor.

Credit to Leila Atassi for her series in 2013 - I have added the ratings:

Public Square Makeover - ? 

Schools Transformaton - FAIL