Huge props to the many artists, MCs, DJs, bboys-and-girls, organizers and 100s of real NEOans who turned out for the 7th annual City Xpressions Street Art Festival, August 23, 2008, at West 25th and Lorain, Cleveland. A perfect summer day - great happy crowd - creative vibe and entertainment - and some spectacular urban art. While there weren't as many artists as the last year I attended, what showed was diverse and often pure genius.

August 23, 2008, was the City Xpressions 2008 arts and culture festival, at W. 25th Street and Lorain... one of my favorite annual events in the region... more photos to come!

Yet another reason to push for 'more green' - it can lead to 'more clean' air. Something that both urban areas and their schools need to address. (Not that suburbia is immune to pollution. Dirty air is everywhere)

Harry Bell is a powerful urban artist, well appreciated in Cleveland and beyond. His most famous work I know is the Wall of Sorrows, recently dismantled, under controversy, and now in storage... scheduled for future re-installation. You may know his current work from cruising through Cedar and E.55th, where he is commissioned by a gas station and car dealership to create urban art on their walls, now including the work-in-progress shown above... a memorial tribute to "Houghs Angel", Fannie Lewis, rest in peace.

Michael Pollan speaks at Oberlin this fall!

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 The city of Akron deserves a Green Light Award for moving us into the future. They (and note this is a city, not even a park system) are eliminating ODOT's roadside mowing by using low growing, low maintenance plantings. It's no surprise that Cleveland is being left in the dust and the rust when our neighbor, from the same struggling area, is actively finding and implementing new solutions.

Catch the Wave!  Eco-Fashion Show and Party.  Enjoy gourmet local organic eats, cash bar, and an Eco-Friendly fashion show featuring Cleveland’s green fashion entrepreneurs! $15 per person.  (free for Bioneers conference attendees)

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Bioneers Conference 2008 Bioneers, now in its 19th year is an acclaimed leading-edge forum that features a solutions-based approach, connecting environment, social justice, health and spiritual networks.  For the second year, Great Lakes Bioneers—Cleveland will bring to Northeast Ohio the excitement and energy of the inspiring social and scientific innovators speaking at the national conference and a wide-ranging line-up of regional and local speakers, workshops and tours to communicate and celebrate the trailblazing work taking place in our region.  This year’s conference will emphasize water and the important and diverse role that it plays in the social, economic, and natural environment of the Great Lakes Region.   

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The results of a study on violence in the Cleveland public schools, commissioned by the Cleveland Municipal School District, has their leadership and the Cleveland Plain Dealer finally focusing on lead poisoning as a cause of failure of our schools and school children. In an article in today's PD, "Cleveland schools struggle with finding and helping potentially violent students, study reports", a researcher from the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C., which performed the CMSD study on violence in our schools, is quoted saying "Cleveland's plight is unique because of an unusually high rate of lead poisoning - from paint in aging houses - that can affect behavior and academic performance." CMSD Board Member Louise Dempsey is quoted in the article as saying "I'm very pleased to see a lot of this stuff out in the open," she said. "Let's not kid ourselves, we've got to be honest if we're going to solve the problem." I'm pleased to see this getting CMSD Board-level attention.

From an esteemed colleague--some good news:

If you know of anyone that graduated from CMSD in 2008 there are full scholarships available to them to attend Tri-C.  The link below will take you to the site.  Below there is some extra information.  There is an informational session on August 16 (information below).

40 years ago, a great tragedy occurred at Beulah and Lakeview roads - police officers and citizens of Cleveland died here in one of the longest, most deadly urban gunfights and riots in modern American history... the Glenville Shootout.

well, would you lookee here..

It appears the Rocky River Nature Center has already been dedicated to a most deserving person, Harold Wallin, who was truly the founder of Metroparks Outdoor Education programs including the old Trailside Museum and Rocky River Nature Center.

What's your vision for Cleveland?

Enter to Win $1,000

10,000 Visions of Cleveland Event

Date: September 6, 2008

Today 8/3/2008, Chris Ronayne gets a front page editorial on the Forum page of the Plain Dealer.  Chris lives in Cleveland and drives to work every day.  I know his commute, because I made a similar commute when I worked at Metrohealth Hospital in the eighties.*  My drive time?  Ten minutes from University Circle to Metrohealth Hospital. Sure, sometimes, it was 15-20 minutes, if traffic held me up, or, if it took forever to get out of the parking lot, but I literally made the commute every day with my eyes closed.  It scared me so much to realize that I was driving in a trance, that I committed myself to public transportation. 

Jessica, Aladeen, Mohammad and Mustafa rode their bikes to see the kids perform in Lincoln Park under the stars! 

EXPLORE YOUR FAMILY ROOTS

Friday & Saturday, September 12 & 13, 2008 – Fall Genealogy Conference sponsored by the African-American Genealogical Society

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I had so much fun at the Barack Obama campaign headquarters in East Cleveland, leading up to the March primary, meeting people and feeling part of something important, that I was excited by news the Shaker Heights campaign office was opening, July 24, 2008... hope to see one in EC soon. Sudhir and I stopped by to enjoy the good vibe. Cool to see a group line dancing to the energy. As we left, Sudhir said he'd like to go to a McCain event, just to see how it compares... I suggested he go to church or a gun show in Central Ohio...

The Barack Obama for President Shaker Heights campaign office opened July 24, 2008, at Shaker Square, where a great turn-out of old friends, young and old, all races, came together for change we can believe in.

The Cuyahoga County Fair.
August 4-10th

Old-time family fun.  Take your bike on RTA and ride back.

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CIty Fresh "Fresh Stop" at Huron Road Hospital, July 22, 2008

The most important message communicated at today's press conference kicking-off Lead Awareness Week was that our government leadership at the state, county and municipal level stand united to eradicate lead poisoning in Northeast Ohio by 2010. Publicly expressing their concern about lead poisoning here, and their commitment to its rapid elimination, East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones added important voices to the chorus of public health and social service champions of the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council... a unique, world-class collaboration of around 85 organizations.

The lastest GCLAC Lead Safe Living meeting this past Monday, July 14, at the Lutheran Ministries building on the west side was an informative and particularly timely session, given the imminent arrival of Ohio Lead Awareness Week, July 21-25.  Events have been planned in conjunction with this statewide effort by various collaborators comprising the GCLAC to offer important educational and testing services.  All children 6 and under will receive free lead screenings throughout the week and a special press conference, featuring Mayor Eric Brewer of East Cleveland, (among others) will kick things off.