Jay Leno behind the steering tiller of his 1909 Baker Electric.

By DEXTER FORD

Last week's Live Better Sustainability Summit, held just outside of Bentonville, Arkansas, was yet another in what seems to be an accelerating series of "whoda thunk" moments. Bentonville, of course, is  hometown to Wal-Mart, which sponsored the event, a daylong conclave that brought together more than a thousand people to a nearby convention center. It was all part of Wal-Mart's latest crusade: to "drive profitable product innovation" into its supply chain.

I had the opportunity to attend, not as a participant but as an observer, one of a small handful of media and bloggers admitted to the event. (Another was Sami Grover of Treehugger, who's report can be found here.)

Thanks to Crain’s for bringing this into the light. 

Bill Callahan, a private concerned citizen (where’s the County in this expose?), has taken a keen, focused interest in minding the "sub-prime" statistics.  

Roy Richardson (left lower photo signing “Young Eagles” certificates), one of the original   Tuskegee Airmen, hosted a group of 35 parents and kids at Burke Lakefront Airport on Saturday, October 13, 2007. 

The voyeur in me likes to read the personal descriptions of other realNEO personalities.  Here is a hopeful one.

City of Cleveland Mayor Jackson and Cleveland Metropolitan School District Superintendent Eugene Sanders held a “news conference” in the Mayor’s Chambers this afternoon.  The security magnetometer at the Mayor’s City Hall second floor office suite doorway sensed metal (my camera?) and buzzed when I went in, but it buzzed for everyone.  No one was minding it.  Anyway, I’m sure there was not any concealed carry in the City Hall because the yellow sign on the front door of the City Hall said “guns not allowed”.

 

When you visit downtown Chicago or Toronto you can feel those places are more civically healthy than downtown  Cleveland. 

This is what's wrong with Neo,- (NOTE: 1.1.13 CSU has changed the link - now it goes to a Jackson pc, not eggs with the Fixer - sorry) we keep wearing the   painful shoe which has nails which bloody our soles. >Fred foisted the dog Brown stadium on the ratepayers and through Squire Sanders billed the City over half a million to put the City in bond debt for a annually empty facility which will continue to pull Cleveland down financially for decades.

I am thinking of wishing people "have a Greener day", rather than “have a nice day.”

by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 10. 5.07

by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 4.07

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to float in.  Yesterday, I attended a wedding shower for two people who represent everything hopeful about this region.  Smart, smart people.  My smart friend's smart mom arranged the party at the Henn House in Sims Park along the lake.  Henn House has been renovated by volunteers who see the value of fixing and restoring.  After the party, I found myself in the same position as another woman, who wandered down to the beach to admire the sun

Now that I'm settling into East Cleveland, expect to see posted to REALNEO and my other communities many amazing pictures of urban cores of this NEO-Plum... healthy, ill and dead.

The last two realneo headers are pans of a site I pass often, on my way between the East and West sides, which is bounded by East 105, Wade Park and East Boulevard, in one of the most important historic and cultural neighborhoods in America, where I was shocked to find a group of significant apartment buildings being demolished.