wcpn reviews Mayor Jackson's new safety plan,

This morning's nine to ten a.m. slot on WCPN radio was an examination of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's new get tough on crime Public Safety Plan , which entails getting both gangs and the guns that gangs would brandish off Cleveland streets in an effort to reduce homicides and violent crimes. A great idea. The wcpn host was joined by Cleveland council representative Nina Turner who was "encouraged" ,by Mayor Jackson's plan , and stated that " desperate times call for desperate measures". A point well taken. Also on board was Professor Ronnie Dunn from Cleveland State Universities Department of Urban Studies , who felt that a " community awareness component " , was an important consideration in this plan that was not addressed directly , and he expressed concern for the potential abuse of of racial profiling when Cleveland police start enforcing this plan. Guns are color blind , and the felons that use them in committing crimes come in all colors , ages , and demographic profiles. Callers to the show were of mixed opinions , though the distinct majority seemed to agree in principle with the mayor's plan , with the exception of a concerned mother of a five year old , who stated she was " against Mayor Jackson's plan" , citing concerns of the potential abuse of racial profiling as her reason.Professor Dunn departed halfway through the program , and was replaced by Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association representative Steve Loomis , who assured that the rank and file officers will work within the letter of the law in enforcement of this plan , not be overly aggressive or punitive in their approach. Loomis also stated that due to thin ranks officers were more often than not " reactive , not proactive" , when working with crime in Cleveland these days due to the Cleveland Police layoffs of 2004 .He also stated that "politics , simply politics" , play a major role in the diminished number of police on the streets at any given time. Adding that the City needs to add 300 officers to the 1500 that currently serve. With Cleveland's population at the 478,000 figure The ratio of even 1800 police officers to 478,000 citizens appears to be quite a low percentage. In checking the police to citizen ratio in Cuyahoga County's second largest city , Parma ,Ohio , I found that Parma employs 128 police officers to serve 85,655 citizens , an average of 1.03 officer to every thousand citizens. Digging even deeper I discovered the National average of police to citizen ratio per city is 2.8 to one. It does not take an Einstein to see how thin the Police Department in Cleveland , Ohio is in comparison to other cities. This numerical disparity translates to a very thin blue line indeed , and it would perhaps serve wcpn to research and include similar statistics in their future programs concerning Cleveland Police and their relationship to fighting crime. Severely understaffed seems an understatement! Some discussion occurred concerning the origin of the firearms that exist in Cleveland's streets. No one seemed to get the big picture , that firearms are big business , and that money on the streets of Cleveland can purchase just about any old item one desires for the right price. I sited in my January 2 , 2008 post entitled RESOLUTE , that a group of us were pinned down by gunfire on New Years eve , and it is an odd week that passes when some type of gunfire is not heard in our East side neighborhood. The obvious solution is to hire more Police officers to fight crime in all American cities afflicted by heinous and violent crimes. Our Federal Government currently has placed us in great debt by mustering the mostly United States troop strength in Iraq and Afghanistan for the purpose of holding fragile peace in those Countries and establishing democracies. Well politicians , democracy begins and ends on our home battlefields , and cities like Cleveland , Ohio and Detroit , Michigan could sure use the efforts of soldiers , police , or the United States Marines to fight crime and hold the fragile peace that exists in our war torn urban neighborhoods! How can any of these Federal politicians keep up the ruse of fighting a war to hold a peace overseas , when our own citizens face similar warlike conditions on a daily basis in America? Time has come for breaking the cycle of crime and poverty that send adolescents into gangs as a means of survival on Cleveland's tough streets. Prevention is always a better strategy than the proactive interventions that result after the crime is committed , and leads to increased incarcerations. The WCPN host did a credible job with regards to addressing this ongoing urban problem , but would better serve his audience with a bit more preparation prior to taking the airwaves.....On a sad though similar subject. One week ago , on Tuesday January 8 ,2008 , a high school friend , Jim Cappetto was struck from behind and knocked out in the hallways of Cleveland's South High School while attempting to break up a fight between gangs at the high school. Jim was best man at a mutual friends wedding some years ago , and he was the leather lunged voice at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium who vocalized the cheer JULIOOOO! , whenever Julio Franco stepped up to the plate for the Cleveland Indians. Jim Cappetto is quite a nice man , possessing an easy demeanor and smile , and a dedicated teacher for thirty plus years in the Cleveland system , and please keep him in your thoughts and prayers for a complete and quick recovery. An interesting and scary fact is that on the day of January 8 , 2008 when Mister Cappetto was attacked and injured , two Cleveland police officers and six security guards were present on the South High School campus. Not a small number of people to hold the peace. Enough said! Book Selling Time! The spike in Cleveland's murder rate in 2007 is reason for concern , though we must note that a decrease in other crimes was concurrent. We offer today an earlier view of the same sorry fatal subject the 1947 edition of CLEVELAND MURDERS , edited by Howard Beaufait. Merely one volume in a series on the subject by City in America. CLEVELAND MURDERS chronicles the notable examples of this sorry subject , including the Kingsbury Run multiple murders that remain unsolved to this day. Not exactly an uplifting read , but take note that events do not change that much through the years in Cleveland , Ohio. Not for the better at least.

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Heads and Tales

Writing as a daily practice is habit for me since the early 1970's. The following tale is about some bovine heads and tails tumbling down a chute from the fifth floor of an abattoir at the corner of west 65Th and Storer Avenue. My original story is securely lost in my personal papers , the buildings and bloody enterprises that the area plied long gone.......Cleveland's stockyards district was a working wholesale area for the slaughter of live cattle , sheep , and pigs from the nineteenth century until the late 1970's . The west side of West 65Th street between Clark and Storer Avenues provided this fertile killing ground , and if you look around those parts today you will still see some of the vestiges of this trade 's buildings that remain in reuse today. At the northern edge of west 65Th street stands the stately building the offices of The Cleveland Union Stockyards , with it's animal heads in relief , and affording a solid business like presence to those who enter. The parking lot for the K-Mart and the K-Mart itself the actual former penned areas for the routing of the animals awaiting slaughter. Actual urban cowboys on horseback worked the animals paths to the chutes from the adjoining railroad tracks to the pens. Fairly exciting viewing replete with the animal noises and often a very heavy odor of a variety of manures to complement the experience......The entirity of West 65th street on it's west side ws comprised of slaughterhouse concerns. DiCillo, Krasny , weinberg , among many others. At the southern edge of West 65Th street stood the largest of all the local slaughterhouses Gibbs Meats. One sunny morning I was walking from up near lake Erie down West 65Th street taking in the sights and sounds of our still bustling city. At one side of the Gibbs plant was parked a large stake truck , and I was quite amused by the sounds and sights that greeted my eyes and ears. A long terrible mooo!followed by a loud pop as if a gun exploding , then first a severed cow's head , then tail down a long chute and landing with a audible thud into the trucks body. I had missed the event of the cattle being led up the ramps to the killing floor , though it ws not to hard to figure out how and why they arrived. Where these spare parts were headed was still a mystery. Perhaps to another rendering plant near bye for further processing. Being no stranger to beef tongue , I assumed that this part of the head had been prior removed. The tails and area about them , often synonymous with a biped politician , a larger mystery? What does one do with the severed chunk cow's ass , tail attached ? I am aware now that these less than appetizing beef chunks are trimmed and turned into hamburger...... The east side of West 65Th street was comprised of packing houses , most of which purchased the killed and dressed carcasses from the slaughterhouses across the street and turned pigs into bacon or chops, lamb and beef into the many and diverse meat products consumed by Clevelanders. All the major national packers were represented , Swift , Cudhay, and Morrell to name but a few. The POC and Standard breweries plants were on the northern edge of this district along Clark and West 65Th , and the spent grains were sold as feed for the animals awaiting slaughter..... All of this is but memory now , and the feedlots are many States away and these animals are now killed and processed by the tens of thousands per hour instead of a a day. Beef tasted better back then , and I do miss the stockyards! Book selling Time! Clay Herrick's CLEVELAND LANDMARK'S will suffice for today. A well produced volume documenting Cleveland architecture. No stockyards photographs , alas. Best wishes to all my Family , John and Kim , Get well Orley!

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NatWest Three

deserve the ball and chain treatment for their trans Atlantic collusion and involvement in the criminal sacking of Enron Corporation in 2002. These three British bankers ; Giles Darby , David Bermingham , and Gary Mulgrew just now pleaded out to guilty for one count of wire fraud apiece , instead of the seven counts per they stood accused of, in Federal Court in Houston , Texas. They faced 35 years per man at seven counts , and it looks like they will skate with just 37 months per. This is a travesty of our justice system , and it is time to set a stern example to those not citizens of this country just what dire consequences white collar crime committed against citizens of the United States will hold! These three criminals are English citizens , and in the year 2002 conspired with former Enron chief financial officer Andrew S. Fastow , who is now serving six years in Oakdale Louisiana for his part in the Enron swindle. These three Brit Bankers flipped a phony Enron shell company for a quick 7.3 million dollar personal profit with the assistance of Mister Fastow. The comparison between bankers and confidence men is a long standing reality. These three pinstripe gangsters , all the age of forty five years , deserve a diet of bread and water and the hard labor that a chain gang provides for their crime on our soil. Ultimately the Enron rank and file workers and stockholders suffered economic hardships , lost jobs , and terrible consequences from the criminal activity of these three banksters. Let the punishment fit the crime. The NatWest Three harmed a multitude of good American citizens by there criminal actions , let them pay a stiff price for their greed! Send your letters to the Federal Court in Houston , Texas expressing your desire to see these limeys get their due! While we are at the subject of banksters in America , do not forget that the largest lobby in Washington, D.C. belongs to the banking industry. Yes , the same banking industry whose greed plays a major role in the current loan business resulting in both the credit meltdown , and housing foreclosure travesties that curse American economy today. Time has come to scrap out k street , and dole out a severe policy curtailing the mixing of bank bribes to our elected politicians for the purpose of influencing our laws and increasing their profits.Let these three pay mightily for the crimes they have committed! ................. We honor the kind request of Matthew Lewis who has asked us to post via this site the notice for the First meeting of the GK Chesterton Club in Cleveland's first meeting on December 2 , 2007 at 2:00 p.m in the John Carroll University Library . I will be unable to attend due to a previous appointment , though I do wish this GKC Club the best of luck and recommend your attendance!............... This is it for November musings , so lets leave it were we began on the sunny side of the street. In this case the street is Payne Avenue just East of downtown Cleveland and the attractions to this most international of all Cleveland neighborhoods. Plenty of Oriental flavors here . Today I will recommend those at the intersection of East 37Th street and Payne. Great unique sweet and savory buns and festive bubble teas and other treats daily at the Koko Bakery. No shnecken , but do not miss the barbecued pork bun , or the raisin filled sweet " Mexican Bun". Most of these treats are under one dollar per , and serve as a great treat after having lunch at the Garden Cafe next door. The Garden Cafe is your standard Mom and Pop Oriental Restaurant , with nice box lunches and a full Oriental menu towards dinner time. Clean , freshly prepared , and generous servings the rule here! Across the street is the Seoul Hot Pot Restaurant , a Korean establishment that gives you the feel of sitting in the kitchen of a friends home. Cleveland has only a handful of Korean Restaurants and the SHP is in a converted pizza parlor , which still bears the interior signage of the previous red sauce regimen. Do not be put off by the lack of ambiance. This food is real , the service is a bit slow but steady, and certainly always worth the wait................. Book selling Time! G.K. Chesterton remains a unique and large literary and Religious figure of the first half of the Twentieth Century. A large man in girth as well, 6'4' , 290 plus pounds , and perhaps is best known today for his great Father Brown mysteries. Gilbert Keith Chesterton was a prolific writer of diverse scope , eighty plus books published, and the kindest compliment that I can pay him is that his works remain challenging and refreshing to this day. Let us not forget salable as well! John Carroll University in it's wisdom has a fine private collection of Chesterton materials in it's special collections at Graselli Library. Attend the December 2ND meeting and enjoy a tour of this important and unique collection . We offer his 1932 volume of COLLECTED POETRY for your enjoyment.......

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Tremont , a Cleveland neighborhood

was quite a scary place to live or pass through in the late 1960's and 1970's.

Today being October 31st and All Hallows Eve, reminds me of many scary tales of Tremont.

Seedy housing and acrid polluted air ruled this neighborhood, perched just southwest of downtown Cleveland, and full faced into the constant blasts from the steel mills and industrial flats in the valley just below.

Not a pretty site at all back in the day, and from a pollution standpoint not much better today.

Lincoln Park was a twenty four hour illegal drug supermarket, infested to boot with a legion of drippy nosed paper bag glue-huffers, whose main avocation in life was to stumble up and down the Scranton Road hill to Train Avenue and the giant vats of chemicals available for these toluene tortured souls to zombie up on.

Most of the apartment buildings surrounding Lincoln Park were either shooting galleries for the junkies, or shady dens of ill repute of one form or the other, including the usual gamut of illicit activities such as after hours joints, gambling and prostitution.

Arson was a free form Olympic style event, with sirens shrieking away most evenings, and a much despised "Tremont arsonist", available for hire when a home or apartment building could not be sold , or a landlord wished to evict a tenant without using the court system.

Both daily newspapers wrote feature articles concerning this heinous criminal activity of arson and it's affects on the Tremont neighborhood, though this was a part of the city that in the 1970's, more resembled an out of control lawless free for all , than a nice place to raise a family.

Needless to say the drop in population in Tremont was dramatic.

The 1920 census shows a population of 36,000 residents of which only 8600 remain in the 2000 census figures. The construction of a large interstate highway divided the Tremont neighborhood, contributing to it's population loss, and to this day a direct walking route to downtown Cleveland is a feet of navigation involving a detour into the neighboring Ohio City via Abbey Avenue, or a grimy stroll through the industrial flats.

Tremont today still suffers the highest cancer rates, along with its East rim neighbor Slavic Village, in the entire city of Cleveland.

Now filled with trendy restaurants, art galleries, and ice cream parlors, contemporary Tremont has managed to capture the fancy of a young Cleveland crowd despite its obvious shortcomings.

Most of Tremont's housing stock is comprised of late nineteenth century single and two family homes without much architectural character or charm. These cheap homes were built to accommodate the waves of mostly Eastern European immigrants whose families migrated to Cleveland for work in the steel mills, most of the original families that occupied them moved into the suburbs post world war two, and they were then occupied by waves of Appalachian Americans, Puerto Rican, and Afro American families working hard for success and to duplicate the "American dream."

Now these same said homes are fine starter homes for single Clevelanders in their twenties and thirties, but like those before them they will move into the suburbs with great haste when faced with the dilemma of the current state of Cleveland schools, and the problems of raising their children in a marginal neighborhood like Tremont. Crime is still a major deterrent to any long term growth, and the visible scars of the arson activity of the sixties and seventies are visible today in the numerous empty lots that remain.

I have never understood the fascination of the contemporary set with this ugly smelling place known as Tremont.

Its citizens and businesses are a distinct positive contribution to life in today's Cleveland, the stench and belch of the fetid industrial valley below enough to keep me away.

Not to mention the scary hangover that remains from stepping around Tremont in my youth.

Book selling time!

In keeping with the spirit of Halloween, we would like to offer you the works of Clark Ashton Smith, DARK CHATEAU, GENIUS LOCI, and THE ABOMINATION OF YONDO.

These volumes were purchased from a crumbling neglected home in the adjoining Duck Island section of Tremont some years ago, and are looking for a scary collector to take them home.

We feature many other ARKHAM HOUSE titles as well for your holiday of haunted souls.

Best wishes for a safe and happy Halloween. All of my family, John and Kim, and all the costumed celebrators of this witchy old holiday

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