REALNEO members and visitors will have noticed some technical difficulties over the past few months and especially over the last few days, for which I appologize. This has been the result of a combination of too few people doing too much hard, complex work, and the enormous growth of our community and response of the world - we are now supporting dozens of virtual communities world-wide, and 100,000s of hits a month at REALNEO alone. All this with what has been largely a volunteer corp. Well, all that is now changing for the better, and further growth. To insure a stable future for the community, we are pleased to have the great talent of Derek Arnold back on our team - welcome back and thanks, Derek.

A unique opportunity to explore a piece of Cleveland’s lakefront - As part of an ongoing process to promote an appreciation and stewardship for Cleveland’s ecological systems and natural resources, the Dike 14 Environmental Education Collaborative will sponsor the:Cinco de Mayo Migration at Gordon State Park area of Cleveland Lakefront State Park (E. 72 St. and N. Marginal). Last hike begins at 11:00 AM and ends at noon.

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As a core group of innovative urban planners and developers move forward creating a new way in East Cleveland, it is exciting to look back along the main street that brought us to today, and that will take so many deserving citizens past those with little insight who have driven so much of this region into poverty. Looking back, and forward, here is a powerful set of perspectives from CIA graduate and Kent Urban Design graduate student Joe Stanley, of NEO Main Street, from two years ago, under a former administration. Now, under Mayor Brewer and his staff, redevelopment of this community is underway  - thanks for your vision and keeping the faith, Joe!

"ITS A NEW DAY IN EAST CLEVELAND"

Go "Citizen" Ed Hauser. Doing good to do good, so all may do well! Here is his latest mapping of the landscape of redevelopment of NEO as abstracted by the powers who be to do well for themselves and their friends. Reply requested! I agree with Ed's conclusion:

Looking forward to presenting innovative solutions for the future of development.  I'm so there.  Let's present the following in mind-blowing, art-form fashion:

This is the vision for :  A Sustainable Future - my exhibit to be first presented at Ingenuity Festival this July 19-22.   Don't miss it!  These also happen to be four ideas to spark regional economic evolution.  Here are some key ideas to change the world - starting with East Cleveland and NEO...

From  Bill Cohen-Kiraly on Cleveland Web SIG Yahoo Group - I don't know anything about the case in question but find the question this columnist raises about who is a journalist and who is not intriging and worrisome. In an age when publishing, and through podcasts now, broadcasting, are increasingly in the hands of the people and the amateurs, who should be covered under some of the special privileges we give to journalists?

How many people in NEO could have an uplifting, inspiring and positive documentary film made about them - how many people in NEO would come out looking all good... great? "Citizen" Ed Hauser is surely unique to Northeast Ohio, having stood up to many other "citizens", including NEO community and government "leadership", in a 9-year fight for what Ed felt was best for all in the community. The documentary "Citizen Hauser", about Ed's battle, which officially led to victory on March 02, 2007, has aired on public television in Northeast Ohio - an outstanding work by Blue Hole Productions - will be featured with other short films at the Cleveland Film Festival, as posted below.

Let's make this a victory party!

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Whiskey Island Land Uses - Resolved After Nine Years!

In response to the  “Blog Talk, Blog Tech" promoted last week on Realneo and held last Saturday at Arabica,  the following blog enthusiasts took the time to attend:

This in today from Cleveland Tech Czar Michael DeAloia and CIA Future Center Director David Moss... their personal invitations to all to join them at Future Center for a reception for artist Guy-Vincent Ricketti's Identity Remix... read on... hope to see you there.

Now Showing : Indentity Remix

Stop into FUTURE Gallery and experience the work of Guy-Vincent Ricketti and the thought-provoking Identity Remix.

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I just found on Case Management Professor Sandy Piderit's blog, concerning the branding of Case, AKA Case Western Reserve University, that acting President Eastwood has declared that "that Case Western Reserve University by any other name does not smell as sweet to many people". Several years ago the university hired an out of state identity firm to remake the brand, which included shortening the name to Case and adopting a new logo that is described as a fat man carrying a surfboard. They spent $ millions, including for new signage, letterhead and brochures, cards, and all the other identity stuff out there in the local and global community - a bigger thing than it seems at first. The response was from indifferent to hostile - especially about shortening the name, as many alumni went to Western Reserve and loved that brand. See below the relevant excerpt from President Eastwood's letter to alumni announcing that "The University's official self-identification program should acknowledge Western Reserve as an equal partner with Case and formally represent itself in the market as Case Western Reserve University." Also in the letter, "In the coming days, the university will form an implementation group which will be charged with developing and implementing a process for recreating and adapting the university's graphic identity guidelines at minimal cost."

This was tucked away in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Business section today, straight out of Associated Press, without any local perspective - yawn, how boring is this subject. Well, over the next few months expect to see it is not so boring!

The marketing and advertising industry is constantly teasing us with trendy, cool and largely superfluous products. To judge by investment in advertising, it takes more and more to achieve the same effect. With all that stimulation it is an effort asking just what we stand to gain.

Northeast Ohio bloggers and would-be bloggers - all are invited to Arabica- University Circle(upstairs) this Saturday, the 24th from 1:30 -3:30.   We will help anyone who's interested  learn  technical skills:how to post images, events, use the embedded email program and more.  This is an opportunity for readers and contributors to get to know one another face to face. Complimentary coffee and pastries. An RSVP and/or a submission of suggestions for technical help needed via "write to author" (at the bottom of this post) would be helpful.

In what represents significant progress with a very positive trend, the Cleveland Institute of Art has announced their selection of one of the world's most respected hip young architecture firms, MVRDV, to design the new campus for CIA. Based out of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the new CIA design will be MVRDV's first work in North America. Add this to the selection by MOCA of Foreign Office Architects of London, for their new museum and we have two of the hot creative properties in the world focusing their best efforts on two of NEO's most important institutions and design projects, both located within strolling distance in the University Circle redevelopment area called "The Triangle." 

For the second consecutive year, East Cleveland Mayor Brewer met with Meet the Bloggers today for a very candid and fascinating discussion recorded on audio for Meet the Bloggers podcast, and on video for other Internet release in the future. I was pleased to participate and found the discussion and Mayor Brewer's insights remarkable. I believe the other participants agreed. I'll post a comment here when the podcast is posted on Meet the Bloggers and you should be certain to listen! For now, some thoughts from this morning...

View of Lake Erie and the Historic Coast Guard Station from the frozen beach of Wendy Park, on Whiskey Island, taken 02/15/07 around 5:30 PM, after a classic NEO blizzard, in Cleveland, Ohio.

George Nemeth and Tim and Gloria Ferris of Meet the Bloggers are sitting down with East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer tomorrow to capture what no other media outlet even attempts, being news in the words of newsmakers. Feel free to join them at East Cleveland City Hall at 10 AM February 16, 2007

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Today, a growing movement for sustainable agriculture and locally grown food has emerged in Northeast Ohio, garnering increasing support and acceptance. Not only does this movement address many environmental and social concerns, it also offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, consumers, policymakers, home gardeners, and many others in the food system. As this quiet revolution takes shape across the United States, activists in Northeast Ohio are on the leading edge and have the ability to transform the region.

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Thanks to Susan Miller for pointing out an important article in the 02/03/07 Plain Dealer regarding the war to eliminate lead poisoning in our region by 2010 - an outlandishly aggressive objective, as Cleveland ranks among the top five cities nationally for lead poisoning. In 2004, St. Luke's Foundation funded what has been the most important collaboration ever for the future of Northeast Ohio: the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council (GCLAC), aligning over 80 agencies and organizations at local, regional, state and federal levels toward the common objective of lead eradication in our region within the next three years. On February 1, 2007, St. Luke's brought together the leadership of many other foundations for the expressed purpose of convincing as many foundations as possible to join them in funding the next three years of GCLAC initiative. The article states the objective of raising $3 million from foundations to leverage for far greater support from government sources.

These  Five (5) requests regarding the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (Port Authority): from Ed Hauser are really worth reading. As soon as today the Cuyahoga County Commissioners may reappoint Carney or hold off - that will be very signficiant. Ed is keeping track of all this and asked me to make sure this letter posted below is very visible.

I watch the BBC 11 PM World News, rather than the local Northeast Ohio news, because I want an international perspective on affairs in America and world-wide. To learn what is happening in Northeast Ohio, I use the Plain Dealer as one frame of reference but depend on personal research, involvement in the community and connectedness through networks and alternative media, increasingly found through the Internet, to know what is happening in the region.  The main reason I find it necessary to look outside the US mainstream for news is well documented by a project out of Sonoma State University called Project Censored, "which tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. From these, Project Censored compiles an annual list of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the country's major national news media."  Below is their list of stories over-looked and/or self-censored by the country's major national news media in 2007 - how does this fit with your observations on the world as reported by mainstream media in NEO and America?