For the 30+ years of my life spent in Northeast Ohio, in childhood and as an adult, University Circle has been at the center of my universe. What Place is at the Center of Your Universe?

We have a problem Plain Dealer.

I finally convinced my significant other to bicycle down to Rockside and we did it today.  He is not too happy with me now that we are home with our sore backsides, but the experience was worth it.

Bill Patmon slammed Mayor Frank Jackson on his “gift” of $2 million to Jeff Jacobs for a proposed fish tank for his Flats project. It’s a proper slam of the mayor.

One day after winning victory by a large margin, Mayor Frank Jackson showed he’s a conventional Cleveland Mayor by offering Jeff Jacobs $2 million gift.

For Mayor Frank Jackson a deep economic recession and an abysmally apathetic public made for a winning combination.

Congratulations to Brian Cummins and Rick Nagin for prevailing in today's primary. I hope you both find the strength to lead and protect the residents of Ward 14 from the predation of developers out to make a buck off of us.

To Nelson Cintron--I express my utmost admiration for your tireless efforts to improve the lives of your friends, your neighbors, and your family who live in Ward 14, and who actually go to the public schools with union teachers in Ward 14. 

Hard to believe that it was 32 years ago that the first tax abatement for the National City Bank building at Euclid & E. 9th Street became a central issue in the defeat of a mayor. Presently, its new owners are seeking a $1,489,500 deduction in its value for tax purposes.

Thanks to REALNEO's lmcshane for pointing out one of the most interesting developments in the American "sustainability movement" ever - what appears to be Chicago's real news source, The Chicago Reader, broke the news, September 4, 2009, that "The Green Mayor's Green Policy Maker Leaves for Vancouver". This is the story of former Cleveland and Chicago area sustainability guru Sadhu Johnston, now set to become the deputy city manager of Vancouver.

RTA tried a pathetic attempt to avoid solving a problem by trying obfuscation that really should fool no one.

The Real Coop Local Food and Info proposal submitted to Cuyahoga County, for new economic and workforce development in Northeast Ohio, is designed to create 1,000s of new jobs in Northeast Ohio in career fields as diverse as journalism, communications, engineering, building trades, farming, food processing, warehousing and transportation.

I sort of don’t pay much attention to the Plain Dealer sports pages. But it’s hard not to read them since there’s so little else to read in the paper. So last week I caught Bill Livingston’s spanking of pitcher Cliff Lee.

WKYC’s Tom Beres remains one of the few serious reporters on local television. That said, it’s shameful that his “Between the Lines” Sunday show too often has conflict of interest written all over it.

Why did Sen. George Voinovich take such a strong slap at Gov. Ted Strickland on the slot machine issue? Health care.

NEWS BULLETIN! NEWS BULLETIN! The Greater Cleveland Partnership backs the County Reform for an executive and 11-member Council that it gave $100,000 to put on the ballot.

Signs continue to suggest disaster for local government as property taxes are ready to tumble. Tower City folk are seeking more reductions in the property value of the Ritz-Carlton.

Cleveland Peace Show

2009 Cleveland Peace Show

A filing by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Partnership/Tower City Avenue LLC - i. e., Sam and the boys, have asked for a value reduction on parcel number 101-23-101F. It is ever so with the Tower City bunch. Reduce my taxes, please!

In 2009 so far we taxpayers of Cuyahoga County have given $8.8 million to benefit the Billionaire Lucky Lerner family.

Cuyahoga County taxpayers now have “contributed” some $68 million for the proposed Medical Mart project. I guess all the great needs of this area have been superseded by special interests again.

Rich people HATE to pay taxes. They pinch pennies. The squeeze real hard.

This is what passes as news at Ch. 8, Fox’s WJW-TV these days.

I didn’t really know until today that the Pee Dee endorsed torture.

I’ve been stirring memories as I look through memorabilia as I near 50 years of news reporting. I came across two long interviews with Dr. Benjamin Spock from 1967.

CPAC invites you to join us at From Rust Belt to Artist Belt II (RBAB2) on Thursday, Sept. 17th, and Friday, Sept. 18th, 2009, in Cleveland's Gordon Square Arts District.  During this two-day event you will have an opportunity to see artist-based community development firsthand and explore the neighborhood’s institutions, including Cleveland Public Theatre, 78th Street Studios, the historic Arcade and the newly renovated Capitol Theatre.