It recently came to my attention that one of the most serious sources of pollution in Cuyahoga County is literally in my back yard. Less than two kilometers upwind from my home are the coal and natural gas fired external boilers at the power plant shown above, at University Hospitals, operated by Medical Center Company (MCCo), polluting the surrounding neighborhoods since the 1930s.

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?

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.

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.

If nothing else, today proved to me the power of magic realism.  Nelson Cintron is a good man, a kind man and a man gifted with the power to transform.  He is not a perfect man, but like all of us, when he tries, he can perform magic. 

How will reform help county government become more efficient?
How will council members be elected?
How will health and human services be affected?
The push to reform Cuyahoga County government is on and so is the debate over what the restructuring should look like. Competing reform plans are slated to appear on the November ballot. On September 17, a panel of representative from each of the reform proposals will inform you about reform.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Registration and Reception, 5:45 p.m.
Program 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Location

In an effort to un-depress myself, I am trying to conjure in my mind the most charming places in NEO to go to when you want to watch people and feel hopeful about life.  Now, I know I can go to the middle of a forest somewhere and meditate, but I need to hear laughter and watch boats bobbing on the water. 

Why is it so hard to make it happen here in NEO?  Do you have a favorite place to share???  Please post your thoughts here.

Max Eternity - While it's not advisable that we create a clean energy "monoculture", research does show that with a small amount of land mass devoted to harvesting solar energy, all the energy needs of the entire planet can easily be met. 

Click here to see enlarged chart(s) and to read more.

Cleveland Peace Show

2009 Cleveland Peace Show

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn’t slow a train very much, a billion of them would .   With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American.

Good idea . . .   one light bulb at a time . . . .

After reading the story in today's Cleveland.com, "Owner of razed Cleveland warehouse still fighting city, Precision Environmental over lost vehicles", about a second Frank Giglio in Cleveland - this one on the East Side - named Michael Ayers, who had his property condemned, stolen and destroyed under the direction of the Cleveland Building and Housing Department...

Max Eternity - While the Bush response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is most often cited as "inept", such a description inevitably sanctions Bush as patently stupid, though nonetheless innocent. 

As Jeff Buster reported on REALNEO, this summer there was some severe weather activity in the Shaker Heights area, where  my parents live, that took down a huge number of huge trees.

ARGENTUM! CAF Annual Benefit

 

Location

In both areas of Cleveland's West Side where I've lived, I knew there were chickens and roosters nearby (some I saw, and some I heard), but I haven't come across any fowl life on the East Side of Cleveland, or in East Cleveland. I wonder if there are any other chickens in my part of town? There certainly were chckens on every property back when this was farmland, 100+ years ago.

I am very excited that Cleveland Public Library is participating in the National Endowment for the Humanities Picturing America program.  I have always felt more comfortable explaining concepts visually and, lo and behold, today--a wonderful man contacted me today with a visual explanation of Web 3.0.  Enjoy.  Transform.

Enter your photographic vision--See Levin College Forum for details.