Round up the usual suspects

It is Monday morning and time to round up the usual suspects. You , over there. Yes you , the fatuous one located at East 18Th and Superior a.k.a . da p.d. , da pee dee , or whatever pathos in newsprint you fancy these days. Line up against that wall and shut up already. The Sunday April 6 ,2008 editorial Put It On The Map ,is another great reason why the publisher of a daily newspaper should not sit on the board of director's of a major local institution as in this case the Cleveland clinic. The plain dealer shilling for the Cleveland clinic may be considered business as usual by the slap happy editorial board gang at da p.d.. Others of us find it more to resemble business as unusual at the very least. This editorial makes yet another unashamed plug for a proposed three mile highway linking Interstate 480 with the Cleveland clinic. Dubbed the " opportunity corridor" , one begs to inquire ... Whose opportunity? Yes , the correct answer students is the very Cleveland clinic who da p.d. publisher Terrance Egger sits on the CC Board of Directors of. As we said here some months ago when da p.d. ran an earlier editorial begging for this same self serving road. We said just say no! Governor Ted . Keep saying no to this selfish little land grab. Governor Ted Strickland represents eighty seven other Counties in Ohio as well as Cuyahoga , and in all fairness , short of succeeding from the other eighty seven , the other counties need the public infrastructure funds as well as Cuyahoga does. Last time I looked the entire State of Ohio is looking seedy , aged , and way frayed at the cuff. So consider the rest of the State of Ohio's political opinion concerning the proposed future of basically a private road in Cuyahoga County Ohio? Not very much interest I would guess , and da p.d. should at least be bright enough to admit to this fact. The plain dealer boast in this skewed editorial is " Cleveland can't and won't wait." Suggesting that da p.d. will go negative on Governor Strickland , and work against him politically . To quote this Superior Road gang's own words. " and if Ted Strickland can't promise results ,, it may be tough for Northeast Ohioans to promise votes for this bond plan." Scary kids , scary. OOOOH Scary OLD PAIN DEALER. A hollow threat from the weak and slack jawed jowls of da paper tiger that is da p.d. 2008. ............wcpn the yawning midget of public radio in our listening area should check it's sad self into a hospital to see if they possess a beating pulse much less a heart? Well , no news is old hat at wcpn so line up against the wall you phony " idea stream" cheerleaders. This morning 's nine to ten a.m . gambit was yet another public relations dog and pony show toutin' and shoutin' and placing a positive spin on the 200 million rta Euclid avenue corridor project. No subjective or critical examination needed of the corridor project and the adjoining land usage according to wcpn. Just a jolly good old public relations lovefest...Noted journalist Roldo Bartimole seems to believe differently in that a series of speculative real estate transactions featuring both public and private concerns , and the a list downtown players roles in real estate transactions along the downtown part of the Euclid avenue dedicated bus line is worthy of examination and critical reporting. Roldo's Point of View on this matter is a well described and documented read on the political and private business transactions occurring at the southeast corner of East Ninth and Euclid . Yes , that corner the one with the significant architectural truck in a International stature in the form of the Marcel Breuer Cleveland Trust Tower. This historic corner should be celebrated , as well the remaining buildings on the south side of Euclid Avenue eastward to the point at Huron street. These historic Euclid Avenue buildings are all worthy of rehabilitation . Comprising a nice slice of older commercial buildings perfect for apartment , loft , or condominiums . This building cluster should be included on any Cleveland citizen who is architectural preservation minded map and radar screen, concerning the pending $35 million Willoughby based development plan currently pending transaction with Cuyahoga County. History is at stake here. Short of building the second Breuer Tower on the site , saving these older structures gives a nice model window of what a handsome block of rehabilitated buildings with all the original interior trimmings can be...What is at stake here is a real crosstown intersection for any hospital workers who care to live or relocate to a residence downtown , as option to current suburban digs and the daily drag of an automotive commute. Calabrese of the RTA outfit promises a ten minute trip on the quick side of time between downtown and UC via the " silver line". As little as five or seven minutes in quickest imagined time spent in a simple commute. A new bus leaves the station every five minutes. That is an upside in any event , and only time will tell if any of the proposed developments will really have much impact in terms of retail growth , business start ups , and a critical mass of citizens living close enough to this bus line to fall out of bed and into a bus on the EAC. The true test of social justice will be East Cleveland's share of the project as it continues on to it's eastern point at the Windemere Rapid station. The happiness boys on hand at wcpn received only six telephone calls during the allotted hour , and the final call was from a man in East Cleveland who identified himself as Ojo , and claimed he was a constant caller always given short shrift by wcpn. Guess what? Ojo was once again given short shrift , and his critical comments concerning issues of poverty and employment on the rta silver line ledger were given a cursory kiss off by the wcpn gang. It is not just downtown and the University Circle neighborhoods that this Euclid Avenue corridor bus line should concern itself with. The neighborhoods that border this project have needs that need to be addressed as well. These neighborhoods are unfortunately all victims of terminal poverty ,and are as follows. Hough , Fairfax , and Central. It would be an original "idea stream" , if perhaps one of the Einstein invalids in the wcpn news department could see there way clear to have representatives from these three Cleveland neighborhoods plus East Cleveland , Ohio comment and discuss the impact that the " silver line" might have on their citizens lives. Stay tuned..... It is easy to see that spring is in the air , and perhaps the two news sources discussed above should open their stultified windows and air out some actual Cleveland citizens real time public interests. The proposed " opporotunity corridor ' , is merely a means yet another land grab for the Cleveland clinic , and would do more harm to any hopes of improving the current neighborhoods that it proposes to tear through than help. If the Cleveland clinic is serious about having their workforce closer to theie Euclid avenue campus , perhaps they should consider building housing along the Euclid Avenue corridor. Yet another highway is only a means for automotive futures , not feet on the pavement urban lifestyle futures. Da p.d. seems to only jump as high on their editorial page as the Cleveland clinic asks them to. That is tragedy , and should be addressed from an neutral ethical viewpoint before this matter of an "opportunity corridor " , receives even a lousy penny in Ohio tax funds. If this road is so damn important to the Cleveland clinic and the parasitical pee dee , let them build it.

---

EQUALITY Sifting The Truth Forging The Deed

Reads the banner of the circa world war two American CORE bulletin which falls from the pages of an old book into my lap. Edited by James Farmer and published in this year 1944 in New York City. Meant to be carried in the pages of a book. These tiny "commie rags" , were considered subversive literature , and could cost one dearly his or her personal liberties if found upon a person by a bunko squad member , or hoover g-man.This issue of EQUALITY contains articles on the Fillmore District in San Fransisco County , and the overcrowded living conditions suffered there by Afro American citizens during that big world war. A fascinating read after all these years. Articles addressing jim crow laws and prejudice in Dallas , Texas and Detroit , Michigan. "Equality, sifting the truth , forging the deed " Doctor Martin Luther King died forty years ago this day , and his passing meant for me a strong initial taste of the humorless gravity of politics in America. When Bobby Kennedy fell dead in Los Angeles , shot up like Doctor King and his brother before him , I realized in my young mind that politics in the real big leagues must be a muther! Bless Doctor King on this his day of passing , and may we be wise enough to embrace the dignified path that Barack Obama presents in a field of thorny flowers and bushes , Obama is the rose..... Now the local sports chatter. Cleveland minor league hockey team beats Hamilton , Ontario skaters in a shoot out this evening. Never seen so many people leave town as quick in my life than after this hockey game. These are polite fans who like most decent baseball fans keep their polite manners up while in public , and do not as much as spit on a public sidewalk as if the very concrete they walk upon might as be their own home. Go monsters! mud sharks! sea devils! whatever your nickname is ? Cleveland , Ohio would do well to imitate Detroit , Michigan and attract a NHL franchise. Minor League sports are just that . Minor League. Besides , we have had plenty of minor league teams disguised as major league temas in recent Cleveland sports history to shake a stick at. Seems that save the early sixties and 1964 NFL champeen Cleveland Browns , my entire Cleveland sports youth was comprised of attempting to root for the local professional teams that more resmbled minor than major talents. Except the Cleveland Barons. They were minor league and made no bones about it. The other period teams minor league in nature , posing as major league. I really do love professional hockey , and have many fond Cleveland Barons moments that originated in viewing minor league games in the old Cleveland Arena years ago. Wish Cleveland had a professional hockey team. hell , I wish that Cleveland had a football team entered in the Canadian Football League. Perhaps if we can convince the Canadian Government to accept us citizens who live across from Melonville , Ontario on the southern shore of Lake Erie. I vote we secede immediately. Chances are however they would not take us in unless we gave the very popular and much respected in Canada Dennis Kucinich full control of this Lake Erie region. You see these Canadians believe in a wider field of play , and thus enjoy the fresh political opinions and progressive thought that Dennis Kucinich is capable of. Please check the archives of the Canadian Broadcast ing System's " As It Happens" ,interview with Dennis after his victory in the Congressional primary last month. The Canadians gush forth Love and respect for this evolved human from Ohio our Dennis Kucinich. Canadians are wise enough to put away their superior brand of Football in late November every year as well. Thus allowing for hockey and basketball to take their proper place in the scheme of sporting events that comprise a life. This years CFL championship Grey Cup game will be played in Montreal on November 23, 2008. I like the idea of a Great Lakes Canadian Football League franchise . Lets face the sad facts people North Americans love their football! Perhaps if we ever build the Jim Rhodes proposed bridge to Canada , we could construct a sports arena in the middle of Lake Erie to play our home games on. Seems like a more plausible bet than the likes of the projected success of the currently under construction Euclid Avenue Corridor project running from University Circle to downtown Cleveland. This sad boondoggle corporate usage of Government transportation funds will serve the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals , and the patients they attract will have easy access to downtown hotels via the Euclid Avenue corridor dedicated bus line. What really is lacking is any housing density the length and breadth of this expensive medical toy bus line . No retail entrepreneur in their right mind would consider locating on the automobile parking parched street that Euclid Avenue is becoming. The best addition so far is the new Aldi's store at East 75Th and Euclid. Aldi's is large enough to have their own parking lot. People are leaving Cleveland and Cuyahoga County by the droves these days , and unless a minor miracle occurs and the ten thousand or so people that once lived along this corridor in the nineteen sixties and seventies decide to return and the apartments they lived in reappear as in a mirage come to life. Good luck! I doubt that all the smoke that the happiness boys at wcpn and da p.d. blow up the asses of the Cleveland citizenry in behalf of the politics that brought us this people mover without rails.The efforts of these shills and media hacks pitching hot air for a private little bus line will be to no avail and to little amusement for those that can see their little ruse . East Ninth and Euclid Avenue's future goal should be to regain the prominent epicenter status of Cleveland downtown commerce . Instead a potential future as a deserted bank district looms. Let us begin at the northeast corner and work clockwise. With the demise of National City Bank eminent and awaiting a takeover. With any good fortune a takeover will spell the end to the ugly skyscraper they currently occupy , which more resembles an upside down refrigerator box and is void of any architectural or aesthetic considerations whatsoever .In a mediocre architectural city the likes of downtown Cleveland , this blanco banko bunko vertical bunker is not very pretty to look at and it's little swinging sculpture out front often resembles a swastika or a pair of dancing metal can openers . Moving on to the north east corner of Euclid and East Ninth Street , one of the loveliest of all Cleveland downtown buildings exists in the form of the Union Trust building , currently named the Huntington Bank Building. You see the desecration by the recent exterior lettering slapped onto this gem in the form of loud block letters reading , THE HUNTINGTON BUILDING. Ugly! In a word , These loud letters screaming at anyone who should pass them. Inside , the most charming pair of linking banking rooms. A classical inspired pillared staff of Cleveland history , this building deserves better than having it's primary tenants make a mad rush to the door in haste to occupy the new proposed Flats office building in the Wolstein group's current plan for the Flat's east bank. Huntington Building occupancy could easily dip precipitously , and coupled with a closed National City Bank structure would add to the already closed Cleveland Trust Tower and rotunda that so much of the success of the entire Euclid Avenue Corridor project hinges upon. The Cleveland Trust Tower and Rotunda renovation is perhaps the true measure of the entire Euclid Avenue Project as far as downtown Cleveland is concerned. If the proposed development by the KD Group does not pan out " bar the door Katy". If this current credit crunch that we are suffering as a Nation continues to unravel and more cheap acts like National City Bank are swept out of town or folded into another bank's holdings ,wath out! Any prudent lending institution would be wise to examine the current demographic state of affairs that is Cleveland , Ohio today and really consider the odds of a profitable venture prior to loaning 35 million or better on the future of East Ninth and Euclid Avenue. All the excited media gibberish and blather that wcpn and da p.d. conspire to churn up via their sordid little public relations dance that denigrates the use of our public radio airwaves , is no more than that hot air I mentioned until actual results occur and money is laid down. Show us the money. Follow the money. Show us the tangible results. The larger picture here is the future of our current economic meltdown and how it will affect lender's positions on such local proposed projects such as the Flats East Bank, Cleveland Trust Tower , and to some degree the Robert Stark warehouse district project which I am afraid is trumped by the Wolstein flats project and Stark's decent dream to build on the ugly warehouse district parking lots is dead in the water. One only has to look a scant three miles south of downtown Cleveland to find that corporate America big box retailers expect parking for their customers. And indeed , The Steelyards Commons project is that mere three miles from downtown and perhaps a good look at the Steelyards commons as downtown Cleveland's new shopping district is in order. A system of connecting transit lines would be wise to converge in these Steelyard commons with all the suburban style big box stores a mere three miles from Public Square. We have no density of downtown population to attract those stores featured at Steelyard Commons to reduplicate themselves street level in downtown Cleveland . So downtown living and those that do rely on rta should be given good access to these Steelyard Commons stores. Let us hope that some form of wisdom prevails in this confused City and that the current Huntington Bank tenants are retained , and that the Cleveland Trust Tower development goes through as planned. Not much we can do about National City Bank's future. They reap what you sow , and having never had a National City account in my lifetime consider myself fortunate. ...... Hello to my old chum and lifelong friend Willy Lambdin. A fine scholar and writer of some repute. He now resides in Finland with his lovely wife. During their last Cleveland visit the most wonderful dish of anchovies , fresh butter , and potatoes baked together i oven were prepared in our humble kitchen by these kind visitors. Filling the house with splendid aromas , and then our bodies and minds with culinary pleasure. Willy and the way back machine in my life. I will twist up his arm and ask him if he will share some of his poetry and writing on this very space. Hell , he is much better than I am at putting together a sentence , and we share a lot of space in our lives spent around Cleveland years ago. Perhaps Willy can show me how to use the simple devices on this computer that would enable the creation of sentences and paragraphs. As for the concept of EQUALITY in our lives , please remember to be kind when you can , man.

---

Super Tuesday?

What is so super about this fat Tuesday 2008? With these 24 diverse States participating in their various party line Presidential primaries and caucuses today , one would imagine a plague of locust had ascended upon our soil given the immense media attention paid to these few National candidates.... I simply have lost interest in this most political of seasons. And will sign off on this matter after stating simply that the California should replace the Iowa caucuses by assuming the initial pulse of the nation by checking in first henceforth in 2012. I shut my mouth concerning the 2008 election then until 2011. Perhaps by then we might have found the courage as a Nation to expand our political horizons and to open our system to a more diverse field of candidates , ideas , and new political parties. Until then , see you all later concerning this 2008 business as usual agenda of Presidential politics in America........ The op ed page of da p.d. this past Sunday , Febuary 3 , 2008 , contained a well written article by Brett Larkin concerning the less than salient nature of back room Cuyahoga County politics today , and a great piece of apologetics from Dick Feagler concerning the positive nature of Dennis Kucinich. Feagler's pro Kucinich editorial serves as da p.d.'s bromide for the offensive assult and indictment of Kucinich that appeared a week before on the same op ed page disguised as an endorsement for Kucinich's 10th district congressional seat opponent Joe Cimperman....... Time has come to lighten up on all the usual suspects in the department of media abuse in Cleveland these days. WCPN radio is not about to change the terrible ingrown state of affairs that they are , anymore than the plain dealer will stop hanging around the wcpn studio doors with their political agendas in hand. It is indeed a dire day when the for profit media concerns the likes of the plain dealer are so cozy with the supposed public radio station , wcpn, that this little illicit dance they do together needs to be monitored on a regular basis...... Yet another good reason to lay off the usual suspects , is that it will allow more time for the discussion , potential sale , and more time spent in the selection and description of book's from our inventory. I have a distinct gut feeling that no matter how much America is currently obsessed with political functions , most of this rah - rah political energy will be put away and forgotten by Thanksgiving day. Until then we carry on the best we can in face of the very real threat of fiscal recession in America today , and hope that enough common sense is left in our depleted human strain to keep the whole good ole' USA mess afloat....Book Selling Time! In so many ways the mantle of our greatest living former President in America today must fall on Jimmy Carter. Our Thirty - Ninth President , Jimmy Carter seemed human to a fault , and helped steer America through some inclement fiscal times . Inflation and interest rates were feverishly high during his administration , and his foreign policy in the Middle East was troubled by the Iran hostage situation. These twin events served to limit President Carter to one term. We offer today a signed copy of Jimmy Carter's poetry entitled ALWAYS A RECKONING. At the scant price of $27.90 you can own a signed copy of President Carter's inner most thoughts. Remember President Carter when asked about his thoughts concerning the fairer sex admitted to " lusting in his heart" , when it came to fessing up about the birds and bees routine. Examine President Bill Clinton's slick behavior in light of Carter's frank and honest expression of lust. President Carter thought about lust , yet kept it in check. Hell , enough allready about Bill Clinton. Our barefoot Rhodes scholar from Arkansas is in the news enough these days , struttin' and signifying for his Hillary stumpin' around the campaign trail. I will be happy when all this nonsense of election mad America is put to bed in November. I have heard enough lies allready , and the powers that be in the Democratic bunch kicked Dennis Kucinich off the trail too early for my liking. Might as well start thinking about 2012 now , whatever candidate is elected later this year will inherit quite a mess from the current seated President and his Washington crew.

---

wcpn confused again about Cleveland

Yet another romp around the park on the nine to ten a.m. " sound of ideas" slot this morning on wcpn radio. I smell bacon burning not ideas more often than not while listening to this hour long travesty of radio news gone rancid . Today being no exception due to the constant bloviation of the guest Bill Sheil of the local fox television affiliate . Sheil's windy opines must be better suited for television than radio , though his conspicuous error in describing Dennis Kucinich's crossing political boundries in coming to the aid of the closing of " Saint Vincents" , was factually incorrect , in that it was Saint Alexis Hospital in Cleveland's Slavic Village that Kucinich came to the aid of NOT Saint Vincents hospital which is very much still in business as of this morning. Facts be damned and business as usual on wcpn. Host Dan Moulthrop , did not possess a clue in this local news department gaffe , though I suppose he can be given a pass along with da p.d. State Government reporter Aaron Mitchell who spends his time in Columbus , Ohio , and Mister Sheil as well given his Tulsa, Oklahoma roots. Mister Moulthrop is of relative short residence in the Cleveland , Ohio area , thus making him a natural for an important local radio show host. Having no real sense of the " back stories " that are critical to understanding the historical pathos of local politics , helps Moulthrop become the perfect host for this local news slot , where the " back stories " , are more often than not intregal in regards to the current breaking stories . Mister Moulthrop is more often than not naive and otherwise mallable as host of this radio hour. Just the two characteristics that the local corporate and media powers expect in a public radio station host who deals with sensitive political issues on a regular basis. Keep 'em in the dark like a potato in a root cellar says wcpn. The third guest Jay Miller , from Crains Cleveland News , should have known the difference between the two hospitals , though if he did he did not comment. Once again the arrogance and ignorance of the hired suburban voices heard discussing Cleveland affairs , prove indegestible. Telephone calls from listeners are scarce , and these whole hour long affairs beg for a whiff of the air that is in the wcpn studio , as the host and on air guests often seem to be giddy as if under the influence of nitrus oxide , while peddling to the listeners chloroform....... Being no stranger to bloviation myself , on a daily basis none the less mind you. I must pause and reflect upon the true local masters of bloviation in print da p.d. and it's awe inspiring ' duh editorial board '. Yes , ' duh' , replaces 'the' in the case of this editorial board ,due to the constant chunks and nuggets of spittle and vitriolic nonsense found on da p.d. editorial pages. 'Duh' , being the guttural noise uttered by most of da p.d.'s readers in response to the outrageous stabs at journalism between it's pages. By the advertising copy tone of most of the editorials cranked out from this quilting bee , it would appear that da p.d. editorial men folk grab their loud pink , purple , and bright green pimpin' garments from Mister Albert's clothes on Prospect Avenue downtown . Duh p.d. editorial women folk gussy themselves up in cheerleading outfits to help pump up whatever corporate cause they get behind. In any event JUST SPEND THE EXTRA SEVENTY FIVE CENTS! and purchase the New York Times instead of the insipid likes of duh p.d.......Patzki Time! This past weekend found me out East in Lake County with my destination being Reider's Market on State Route 44 , just south of Interstate 90. This nifty little food market harkens back to the day when grocers took pride in the wares they offer. Reider's still does today. A tremendous fresh produce section equivilant to the Miles Farmers Market. [ Reider's Market purchases their fresh produce from Miles farm Market] A fresh meat and seafood counter which never disapoints in terms of selection or freshness. Do not miss the fresh , ten to fifteen count , wild Gulf shrimp that Reider's feature , or the shrimp and corn fritters they offer. Reider's meat counter has a wide variety of house made sausages on hand , with a staggering varirty of flavors and tastes. Call ahead for varieties at hand. Reider's in house bakery featured Patzci , fried yeast donuts , as their weekly special. We called ahead and special ordered a dozen with poppyseed filling. The dozen poppyseed Patzki were so heavy that they barely fit into their boxes. Delicious , plump, and filled to the top with poppyseed! Now that I have completed such a shameless piece of huckstering in print for Reider's , I invite you to visit them yourselves. Reider's delivers the goods! Good foods that is!.....Book Selling Time! The next time you are faced with the decision of wasting a good hour of your life on the week day morning nine to ten a.m. slot on wcpn or cooking breakfast choose the later. If you need a little local color and help in your food preperation have a look at The Cleveland Ufology Projects OUT OF THIS WORLD COOK BOOK. Yes folks , this is a well illustrated , plenty of ufo's and their peoples , cook book placed for sale by the Cleveland chapter of The Unidentified Flying Object Project often associated with one of it's founders a local character , now deceased , named Earl Neff , who has provided the cover illustration. Two hundred thirty four pages of all forms of[ ouch ] " out of this world" recipes , for your culinary pleasure. This unique Cleveland cook book was published in 1980 . I am certain that like the flying saucers that hover about around here taking notes on our strange behaviors , the saucer pilots can tell the difference between Saint Vincent's hospital and the former Saint Alexis hospital at a glance.

---

Cuyahoga County peddles Breuer Tower , wcpn premature,

Good news for the corner of East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. Home of the historic Marcel Breuer Ameritrust Tower , and the original Tiffany ceiling Cleveland Trust rotunda that adjoins it.Present owners Cuyahoga County accepted the K & D Group of Willoughby , Ohio bid yesterday and both historic structures survival and potential development seem to have found a lasting peace. K & D plans a mixed office , residential ,and hotel for the site. Congratulations to all involved in this forward thinking project.Like most Cleveland renewal projects , the proof is in the actual puddin' and take. In other words completion spells perfection . More often than not in related proposed projects in Cleveland's past projected means neglected or even abandoned due to a slew of reasons often fiscal or otherwise political. Given the projected shape of the current economy in election year America , we will reserve a wait and see attitude on the future of this historic corner. Secure for now that at least an interested developer has stepped forward and envisions the significance of the two former banking buildings that they are willing to lay down thirty five million dollars for. Seems like quite a bargain to me , given the prominent crossroads that Euclid Avenue and East Ninth Street has functioned as in the history of Cleveland. Congratulations K & D of Willoughby!.... And big thanks go out to mindreader Kim from down near Kentucky way. Kim sent a nice copy of a live Charlie Louvin compact disc recorded last year at Shake It Records! Available from ShakeItUSA.com . It is a fine little disc and representative of Mister Louvin's show at The Beachland ballroom in Cleveland reviewed and posted here on December 20 , 2007. [ see Charlie Louvin...December 20 , 2007 ]. Kim's envelope that he mailed the disc in arrived the very day , this past Monday January 14 , 2008 ,that I rambled on at great length here concerning television star Froggy The Gremlin featured on Andy Devine's children show of my youth Andy's Gang. Kim's mailer had a picture of Buster Brown and his dog Tige. Far out! Buster Brown shoes were the sponsors of various children's television shows in the nineteen fifties , including Andy's Gang......WCPN gave me the listening hour off this morning concerning their choice of topics for the nine to ten a.m. slot. A bit premature to discuss the 2007 Presidential candidates , and their opinions and plans concerning the state of our National economy , and what each candidate plans to do to stimulate the economy . In yesterday's National Section of the January 15 ,2007 New York Times , a one half page article by Edmund L. Andrews was dedicated to this very subject complete with a nifty sidebar featuring a bipartisan view of the eight major candidates and their pictures and encapsulated views : " Candidates Economic Stimulus Plans" . To quote Mister Andrews concerning this matter; " The debate among candidates about stimulus measures is largely academic , because economic conditions are almost sure to be entirely different by the time a new president takes office a little more than a year from now." It is a full year until the new President is to be inaugurated , and I am so tired already of the blather and wind spent and expelled from these career politicians mouths! Bad enough we are always offered the less of two evils in a Presidential election , why should we suffer the inanity of our Public and private media playing into the hands of this deflection mechanism called an election , which only raises hopes to have them later dashed for the citizens who are naive enough to believe the trash talk that belches forth in efforts to gain votes . The true sorry fact is that we are kept so far in the dark in most matters , ecological , International relations , and Domestic political realities and plans , that we might has well be turnips or mushrooms. The real story concerning the election is local native son Dennis Kucinich taking another brave run at the White House office , and the continued resistance he meets along the way. Last evening's Nevada debate that candidate Dennis was eighty sixed from , comes to mind as a worthwhile story to examine on the wcpn airwaves. Not so much as a peep was said concerning this matter during this mornings news on wcpn. Seems that both wcpn and their butt buddies da pd have a very vindictive and mean agenda concerning Dennis Kucinich . Da pd continues to run uncomplimentary pictures of Kucinich , and takes great pleasure in serving up negative bias whenever the opportunity presents itself. Using the words objective and Kucinich in the same news articles printed in da pd , proves an impossible task. Of all the candidates at play for 2008 , Kucinich is the only one that really offers an opportunity for " change". Hillary is status quo to a fault . Obama a fine orator , though I am afraid in need of political seasoning for his own sake and survival. As for the rest of the pack , Edwards would make a great vice president , and forget the Republicans one and all. We blue voters have had enough of the damage inflicted by eighth years of that bushcheney republican flavor! Book Selling Time! Today's choice morsel is a rather tough one to chew these days. The Euclid Avenue Corridor project. Connecting Cleveland's downtown by dedicated bus to the area six odd miles east known as University Circle , the ECP has resulted in a complete aversion of Euclid Avenue for those of us Clevelanders who know better than to wander on to a construction zone that seems to just keep getting farther than closer to completion. We offer today a view of Euclid Avenue from it's true glory days in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Jan Cigliano's easy to read and well illustrated history of Euclid Avenue SHOWPLACE OF AMERICA . No kidding , Euclid Avenue was a most exciting street of my misspent youth in Cleveland , Ohio. My Grandmother resided near the East Cleveland / Cleveland border and taking the number six bus from downtown always was a great learning experience. The corner of East 105 and Euclid was a second City in itself , with hotels , nightclubs , bakeries , delicatessens , bowling alley , fine restaurants , book stores , record stores, twenty four hour drugstore , a long diverse public market , and five movie theatres. Today the Cleveland Clinic has expanded to this corner and a rather dull couple of brutal modern buildings now exist where the big cheeses that run this flesh factory park their fancy sports cars by day , before running back to the cozy confines of the convenient East side suburbs. Oh well , I guess that Cleveland will never really become a comeback sort of City until we find a way to recreate such a diverse crossroads. Most of SHOWPLACE OF AMERICA is dedicated to the fashionable homes nad mansions that lined Euclid Avenue in it's heyday , so do not expect to find much concerning the corner of East 105 and Euclid contained within this volume. That book has yet to be penned , just like the plans for the corner of East Ninth and Euclid . When you see it , believe it. Until then , let your imagination be your guide in this here City on the south shore of Lake Erie.

---

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.

---

genus rana versus genus homo on wcpn ,City of Cleveland takes on Wall Street banksters, Breuer Tower, Peter Lewis

WCPN did a fine job in discussing the environmental " canary in a mineshaft " theory concerning the depletion of frogs , genus rana , from the World's ecological grid. As opposed to the often biased political flavors sold by the same radio bunch when serving up da pd's propaganda wishes concerning local pet political projects , this mornings nine to ten a.m. slot , idea stream , worked well when discussing frogs , hell benders , mud puppies and other amphibians that we humans , genus homo , may have evolved from. Wait , take that back , we humans have crawled out of the muck and slime that our amphibious predecessors come from , yet the notion of human evolution still seems a work in progress , and given the accounting of our collective destructive and war like actions not fairing very well. The gist of this one hour frog fest was that as humans we have contributed mightily to the destruction of habitat for frogs and amphibians alike , in some cases existing in extinction . The tragic part of this equation is that the irony may be ours to embrace , seeing that robust frog populations serve as indicators to a healthy environment , and we are depleting these environments all over the world without deriving the important medical and genetic data the genus rana has to offer us. I recall one morning when camping in the wilds of upper Minnesota sometime after Labor Day 1978 , awaking to an entire majestic cover of thousands of bright green tree frogs that covered near every inch of the tent and the National Park area that we had camped in. What a unique sight! The frogs took cover after dawns early light passed , though I have never seen or experienced such frog sitings again in my life. Now if we could only figure a way to turn the politicians into frogs , we would have a better chance at surviving the ecological mess that the politicians and their less than ecological friendly business as usual types have created for us lowly humans. Kudos to wcpn for airing this timely and insightful ecological hour and the good job done by the host and guests alike. Keep up the good work , stay on the objective side of the street , and lay off da pd and civic cheerleader groups political agenda and propaganda that is so often found aired at this hour!.... Continuing on an upbeat note to begin the week, congratulations and kudos to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and City Law Director Robert Triozzi for the gumption and presence of mind to file a lawsuit against twenty one powerful Wall Street Investment banks , using the sound premise of arguing that the banks created a public nuisance by their unsound business practices in the issuing of inappropriate loans that have led to the ruination of some Cleveland neighborhoods when the aforesaid unsound loans defaulted and ended up in foreclosure. Filed in our Cuyahoga County Common Please Court , expect the big Wall Street banks to file motion for a Federal Court venue , and to throw their massive legal machinery against our City's brave and worthy legal efforts. Not since boy mayor Dennis Kucinich took on the greedy kilowatts of the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company in 1977 , has a Mayor and administration shown as much courage to fight for the very critical fallen soul of a City that's population is constantly penalized by the corporate banks and the real estate agents that do their dirty field work.It would behoove Mayor Jackson and Mister Triozzi to enlist pro bono help in this matter from some of the more civic minded Law firms that call Cleveland home. Great amounts of City of Cleveland funds have been paid out to large Cleveland Law firms during the past twenty years , see Roldo Bartimole"s Point Of View for the actual staggering amounts of millions of dollars spent , and it is time to approach these same said Law firms who profited at the citizens of Cleveland's expense to help us out with this righteous fight for our dignity and help us stabilize our neighborhoods and deliver the message to these Wall Street banksters that if you mess with Cleveland , Ohio we mess you up right back with you!....Still more good news! Baseball season is around the corner , and around the corner from this book store the former Jacobs Field stands , just now renamed Progressive Field , as the Progressive Insurance Company paid 3.6 million per year for the next sixteen years for the naming writes to this dubious local landmark. Since 1994 this ball yard has known the nickname " the Jake", and what fun pundits will have in hanging a new nickname on this home of the sorrows and broken dreams of Cleveland American League Baseball fans. Progressive Chairman of the Board Peter Lewis is a well known modern arts patron and philanthropist , and it would serve all of us Clevelanders greatly if he combined business and pleasure in purchasing the Marcel Breuer Cleveland Trust Tower down the block on East Ninth Street , that our Cuyahoga County Government now owns , and completes the second identical twin tower that Breuer had envisioned . While Mister Lewis is at it move a few of the 27,000 odd employees into the Breuer Towers. What a positive effect that could have on the future of Cleveland. The employee taxes gathered alone would help all Cleveland citizens survive a bit better via improved City services. If Marcel Breuer could return from his grave , tap Peter Lewis on the shoulder and ask him the favor to complete his vision of twin towers for this structure I am sure he would. Alas , only a pipe dream , yet one can always hope for logical civic improvement in a progressive fashion from Peter Lewis. If anyone is capable of sound judgement in the field of architecture and urbane affairs it just may be Peter Lewis. Mister Lewis has contributed generously in the past to Case Western Reserve University projects , though has been justifiably critical of the direction of CWRU of late and withdrawn some of his fiscal support. How appropriate it would be for the citizens of Cuyahoga County through our elected public officials to approach Mister Lewis in a polite fashion and enlist his help with regards to the currently vacant seeking tenant Breuer Tower. Pipe dream or not , seems like a sound pairing to me. While we are on the subject of pipes , it is high time to pass the peace pipe to the legion of offended Native Americans that consider the racist " wahoo " mascot the Cleveland Indians enlist as their team logo.Retire the nasty little red faced cartoon figure once and for all! The Cleveland American League team has won a total of two World Series Championships in it's one hundred and seven seasons while playing in the professional American League. Not a very stellar performance. Second place is no place , and all the American League Championships do not mean a thing unless the Cleveland AL team wins the World Series ring! Speaking of rings. Progressive Field has a nice sounding ring about it , and I sure would hate to hear any wag refer to it as a bastardized form of wahoo pee pee tepee ever again as the jake has been refered to in it's recent past. For those who would care to absorb this final nugget of knowledge try on for size the Progressive Insurance slogan in a Cleveland baseball context." It's about you. And it's about time.".Pass the peace pipe now!.....Book Selling Time! Not exactly a household necessity , but the $6.90 price is right. We offer today a copy of Phillipe Vosjoli's 32 page book entitled THE GENERAL CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF HORNED FROGS. Now , I do not really believe that many of you readers are interested in raising frogs , though if the Cleveland American League Baseball team threw over the lousy wahoo logo for a frog themed mascot and logo , I about guarantee you that a chorus of croaking frog sounding "ribbet" cheers would fill the Progressive Field grandstands with good clean green fun , not to metion a new found respect for our genus rana friends. I grew up with the weird Froggy the gremlin popping up from a puff of smoke via Andy Devine's jolly musings and incantation : " Plunk your magic twanger Froggy". " Highya kids , highya highya" ,was Froggy the Gremlin's response to Andy Devine's query . Cartoons and early television children's shows like " Andy's Gang " , warped me good for life. So now you have a better idea why I prefer a humorous frog logo like Froggy to the insipid likes of the racist wahoo as a baseball logo. If you wish to relive these magic childrens show memories with me , click on the link to froggythegremlin.com. Froggy the Gremlin is way too cool for school , and deserves a larger place of recognition in our popular culture mileau! Green is where it's at . Imagine the unique concession stand favorite an imitation boneless frogs leg sandwich would become. I know , tastes like chicken . Could be made from fish sticks to resemble frog legs. Froggy the gremlin sure would make a better team logo than that racist wahoo! And a bunch more green fun ta boot!

---

Ludlow Gang ,Dick Feagler , cold beer and worms , green fallout for digital television mandate

Following up from our January 7 ,2008 entry concerning the tragic crimes committed by a local gang on the person of a Shaker Heights man walking his dog on New Years eve , resulted in no fewer than eight letters to the editor on da p.d.'s opinion page today January 9 , 2008 , under the banner "Feagler couldn't be more wrong about Shaker". All of these letters managed to take Dick Feagler to task for his implied racism as cause and effect of suburban flight that he included in his op/ ed piece that ran in the January 5 ,2008 p.d. It would be interesting to have Mister Feagler field questions and opine concerning this tempestuous Shaker Heights crime via the supposed public airwaves of wcpn , however as is more often than not the case , wcpn is asleep at the wheel again. It is obvious to regular listeners that wcpn and da p.d. are near incestuous in their on air couplings. As I have stated in prior entries , da p.d. and wcpn at times need a chaperon to break up the make out sessions that occur on air replacing the objective coverage on the news topics they purport to cover. Thus exists the benign or mild form of news reporting on wcpn that becomes a series of trivialized forgettable chapters or episodes as opposed to seeking diverse and perhaps controversial opinions as in calling to question Feagler's editorial stance .The lack of incisive moderation via questions and commentary from the wcpn radio host is sorely apparent , and a change in this important local news department long overdue. As bad as the current daily nine to ten news slot is , the former wcpn reporter April Baer did a fine job in this seat before her dep[arture for the greener climes of Portland , Oregon. April's talent is sorely missed , and the current host needs to be found a new task. The " idea stream " , is the oft used jingo that wcpn uses to sell itself as an intellectual enterprise by repeating this absurd notion frequently in the course of a day. Preceding this jingo is what appears to be the audible flushing of a commode. Perhaps wcpn would consider changing their weak " ideas stream " to the more apt moniker diarrhea stream?...... From the bowels of wcpn radio to the bowels of the United States Department of Agriculture laboratory located at Mississippi State University comes this exciting news that should be of interest to pestilent biped lager louts and worms alike. Cheap beer! Seems that a Doctor Frank M. Davis raises a number of worm species , for the purpose of testing corn plants resistance to said worm pestilence , using cheap American manufactured " Milwaukee's Best " beer as the slimy creeping crawling spineless worms taste of choice for help in mating purposes. Doctor Davis claims that the cheap cold beer fed to these caged worms makes them frisky and ready for mating and ovulation action. No wonder there seems to be so many Cleveland sports lager louts milling about downtown after games looking for action. I always suspected these sports louts were worms , and now Doctor Davis offers hope in establishing proof of their heritage......A sad moment will appear for a few million obdurate television viewing Americans in February 2009. Our Federal Government has decided for us that the day has come then to switch from traditional old school analog broadcasting to the new digital format of television reception. Ostensibly this switcheroo is to enable public safety forces expanded usage of the mandated abandoned frequencies , and to enable consumers to utilize advanced multi casting technologies. The sad and dire aspects of this ploy is the abandonment of the millions of soon to become obsolete television sets and the ecological consequences of this heavy load of electronic junk headed for the landfills across America. Bad enough that those consumers that have purchased non digital television receivers will be forced to either purchase a converter or subscribe to cable television against their wills. As is the well honed buying habits of the American consumer , many will choose to jettison the old set into landfills , thus giving the electronics industry a fine cash cow via the efforts of our Federal Communications Commissions decision to abandon the old television technology. Personally , I will not be making the adjustment to the modern. The ancient black and white set that we drag out for odd sporting events has served just fine , and less television viewed produces a personal benefit of more hours spent reading or writing. I shudder to imagine the millions of soon to be obsolete discarded television festering in our shrinking landfills. If the wisdom of our FCC holds forth this massacre , the same said FCC should institute the means to strip out and recycle to the best ability the remnants of these television dinosaurs. Write or telephone your elected Senator or Congressman and demand that they pay attention to this problem prior to it's impending date in thirteen months.This whole mess smacks of the evil side of too much Government , and the influences of the k street lobbyists carrying the ball for the electronics industry. As usual placing the cart before the horse with no regards to the ecological fallout of this potential green disaster. Not to mention the Orwellian aspects of the loss of analog broadcasting being replaced by the big brother cable plugged into your home. Not in my house! ..... Winter is upon us with a fervor and we offer two e complementary recipes for Chili and cornbread. Remember simple is best! In a #8 cast iron chicken pan , or dutch oven fry gently two pounds of fresh ground chuck , sirloin, or ground round , or any combination thereof. Purchase this beef from a butcher , not a chain supermarket , and have the butcher grind it to your taste. When finished cooking remove the ground beef to a stainless steel or ceramic vessel and set aside , leaving the leftover juices in the cooking pan. Add to these cooking juices two or three finely chopped onions and garlic cloves , to taste , and after a few minutes two or three finely chopped , seeded and deveined red , green, or yellow bell peppers and two jalapenos , I prefer one of each color , and cook over a low heat until done to taste though still firm , . If you have access to fresh Roma tomatoes in a separate pan drop a dozen or so Roma's in boiling water and cook for a few minutes , after removing from the water peel of their skins and set aside. Add two pounds of cooked pinto beans , a pound of red kidney beans to the cooked peppers and onions. Add the Roma tomatoes and the following spices , ground white , cayenne , and black pepper to taste. Ground chili pepper , paprika , and a solid one half cup of liquid black coffee , a shot or two of brandy or aged sherry wine. Stir and simmer for at least an hour over low heat , checking to make sure no ingredients stick. Add more liquids if you choose , including canned or jarred tomatoes , tomatoes and green chili's , and at the end of the hour a tablespoon of finely ground cornmeal or masa harina should be stirred in and cooked for another twenty minutes. Take the ground meat from the refrigerator and add it to the cast iron pan and cook for another ten minutes. Remove to a glass container and let sit until cool enough to refrigerate. Serve this chili , with your favorite garnishes , sour cream , cheese , pickled peppers , the next day after reheating what portion you desire with the following never fail homemade cornbread. Never fail cornbread.Heat oven to 450 degrees. Again a #8 cast iron skillet or similar cast iron baking oven is required. Heat a few slices of bacon in the cast iron skillet , remove bacon , pouring and reserving the bacon fat , should yield about a scant quarter cup of bacon drippings , in a glass Pyrex container. Having at room temperature one cup of buttermilk , and one egg combine in Pyrex with bacon fat. Beat wet ingredients together until smooth and set aside. Sift together one and one half cup of corn meal and one half cup of flour with one teaspoon of fresh baking powder and one teaspoon of salt , and three teaspoons of fresh baking powder. Having fresh baking powder and baking soda puts the never fail in this recipe , so go out and purchase some if yours is out dated or stale. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl , adding ground black pepper , and a pinch of sugar if desired. Pour into hot cast iron pan and bake until just set. Using a toothpick or straw strand from a broom to test by inserting into the cornbread middle. Should take twenty to twenty five minutes. Derivations for this and the previous chili recipe are ubiquitous. I find whole yogurt and milk combined to be an able substitute for buttermilk. Crumbled and fine chopped bacon can be added to the batter as well as diced fine chili peppers. As with any baking recipe , altitude as well as attitude conspire to create differences in baking time. Consult a reliable cook book for questions that may occur , and use your imagination concerning your favorite takes on this classic combination of chili and corn bread. I prefer chuck long cooked on the bone shredded with black beans , lamb chili with white beans , Texas style with no beans. All the same to me. Good! Book Selling Time! I like to wash mine down with a cold soft drink. Yeah , wash down the bitter , sour taste of a snarky pseudo public radio station such as the local disaster wcpn and their notion of soft convenient corporate local news. Also wash down the bad taste left in my heart for the FCC ecological disaster in the making analog kaput television scam. One of my faves for washing down the chili and cornbread combo is good old Dr. Pepper. We offer today more than you ever cared to know about this fine carbonated beverage in Jeffery L. Rodengen's THE LEGEND OF DR. PEPPER AND SEVEN UP. A large format well illustrated history of this fine soft drink. Most of you that drink the good Dr. daily at ten, two , and four are aware of the not so secret secret ingredient which is prune juice. I sure wish more of the lager louts that stumble around sports stadiums would take up guzzling Dr. Pepper or Seven Up , instead of imitating the lowly worm and sucking down the cheap beer they seem to favor! Best wishes to all and any who love their chili and cornbread!

---

Shaker Heights , Ludlow gang beating not much news on wcpn

This mornings nine to ten a.m. slot on wcpn was dedicated to discussion concerning the tragic beating incurred by a Shaker Heights attorney who was out walking in his neighborhood on New Year's eve , and severely beaten by a gang of seven youths , with an iron pipe no less , traumatizing and hospitalizing him with severe injuries , resulting in the surgical placement of pins and plates in his legs. A rather sad and sinister state of affairs for a pretty stable suburban neighborhood . Though this man's recovery in a psychological vein will cause this poor victim shock and pain for sometime to come as well as those in his Shaker Heights Ludlow community that feel his pains and admire his courage. Present for the hour were Shaker Heights mayor Earl Leiken , Shaker Heights Council member Al Foster , and a member from the Ludlow Community Association named Chudzinski. The wcpn moderator initially confused the Shaker Heights councilman foster with being the Cleveland councilman , a rather embarrassing moment to be certain , and indicative of the less than stellar preparation that occurs in regards to this time slot. The Shaker Heights mayor elected to introduce himself , and proceeded to carry on concerning the recent Federal crime figures that show a marked decrease in crime in Shaker Heights. Unfortunately for the victim of the Ludlow beating , the gang that assaulted him were not included in this statistical abstract. Councilman Foster stated the obvious need for parental involvement , and claimed that race was not an issue. The victim is Caucasian , the juveniles Afro American. Both of these elected officials seemed sincere and to genuinely care about the fate of the City they represent, though neither had much to offer in the form of suggestions to prevent such occurrences from happening again. The Ludlow community representative Chudzinski expressed optimism , hoping that this was a wake up call for more vigilant neighborhood involvement. A matter of pulling together , not ripping apart his message. What is truly sad here is that no acknowledgement of the obvious sad social condition that acted as a precursor for this criminal condition , " baby childs" , there I said it , received any mention. Yes , " baby childs " , these youth who ganged up on our unfortunate victim were in the age range of fourteen to seventeen years of age , and it is more likely than not that perhaps some of these young men were conceived by young mother's perhaps not prepared to accept the responsibility to raise them . According to 2005 statistics for the City of Cleveland birth records , twenty percent of Mother's giving birth residing in the City of Cleveland were between eleven and nineteen years of age. Not a race issue , as much as a youth pregnancy issue. The usual two thousand ton elephant in the room , youth pregnancy ,was kept cowering in the corner by the participants and callers alike. What can one say in defense of children conceiving children save that it is time to break the cycle. Now! An Akron caller mentioned being robbed and pistol whipped on December 27 , 2007 near Shaker Square. Though this same Akron caller was cut off quickly by the wcpn host when she critically pointed out that the " big football stadium downtown was all good and well , though not of much use when it came down to urban brass tacks such as public safety". A Shaker Heights resident named Steve called in to report purchasing a taser. I think that Steve is a bit light in his expectations of self defense in this choice of weapons. Some small amount of time was spent in mentioning the education of parents concerning their off springs , though the obvious in this matter of parenting is to begin with breaking the cycle of teen childbirth. No more or less. Juvenile gangs again were not mentioned , though much has been written on this subject , and it is human nature that draws together children in a world , and a rereading of William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES is all it takes to begin to understand the sad and sometimes cruel rites of passage that comprise adolescence. Oddly enough the one time that da p.d. should have been present at a wcpn , in the form of editorial columnist Dick Feagler , whose Sunday January 6 , 2008 dealt with this crime and the cultural reality of such events as urban flight and offered this advice via his conversation with a Shaker Heights police officer on walking in Shaker Heights " Go in two's , or get a big dog and walk it. Or take a cell phone with you pre-dialed to 911". Sounds like stern ,stellar and apt advice. Especially the cell phone particular. Police response in Shaker Heights is quick , and had the victim had a cell phone it may have made a difference.It would have served the listeners well to have been able to comment on Feagler's Sunday article , which walked the line between racism and modern urban real time life. Bordering a City such as Cleveland , presents Shaker Heights residents with some odd quality of life issues that can lead to becoming quandaries such as the unfortunate victim of this heinous and violent Juvenile gang crime. Shaker Heights is also around the corner from North Randall , Ohio , and it is only this past Friday evening January 4 , 2008 , that a multiple shooting occurred in a motel in a Northfield Road Motel located in North Randall , Ohio resulting in five men being shot ranging in age from eighteen to twenty years of age. In 2007 Cleveland , Ohio had a rash of violent crimes committed by a South east side , Slavic Village , gang who called themselves " The Goonies" , and beat and robbed many elderly victims. Our Ohio jails are filled to over capacity with these sad young cases of Juvenile / adult crimes. Our maternity words are swollen with children conceiving children. As for solutions , it seems that few quick fixes exist. Keeping the plight of such crimes front and center in our minds and having open dialogue concerning such modern dilemmas as teen pregnancies , and Juvenile crime is a great start.I only wish that I was kidding concerning being pinned down on New Years eve by random gunfire in our East side neighborhood. Staying well put instead of milling about the rather uncertain mean streets of Cleveland , Ohio that evening seems the norm not the exception these days. Perhaps if our political officials worked harder at the social ills of our Cities , and less at the corporate welfare issues that occupy their time , we would fare better collectively. I received a distress call the other day from a visitor to Detroit , Michigan a few days after the New Years. She was worried about taking public buses in Detroit after a middle aged woman was shot in the face for the crime of not having any money to give the assailant that committed a robbery upon her as she disembarked from a Detroit , Michigan Department of Transportation bus. My Friend purchased a second hand purse , and placed ten dollar bills in it to give up quickly if accosted in a similar fashion. What a way to have to consider to live in modern America ! Join a community group or block watch organization. Volunteer some of your hard earned time to participate in inner city youth programs. Sacrifice your nfl football sunday's and become a big brother or big sister. Hell , I do not even begin to know were to offer advice in this terrible matter of Juvenille crime. Start close to home , keep those that you Love and respect in good form , and look out for one another. We are only as good as our collective efforts. Book Selling Time! You guessed it 1 William Golding LORD OF THE FLIES. Most all of us have read this volume at sometime in our life , and the message of the cruel and sometimes violent and difficult adolescent passage has never been better addressed to my knowledge. Best wishes to all victims of terrible crimes such as the one suffered by the Shaker Heights Ludlow resident.Believe in Love and take a moment to care for those that you do. Pass it on.

---

wcpn renames local "regional roundup" morning news slot "benign hour"

Greetings from an eastbound passenger train, passing the Collinwood yards this early morning. "Hope springs eternal."

Only three days into the new year and wcpn is up to the same old tricks that have allowed them to take the public out of public radio on a daily basis. First a two odd minute teaser and hype for a newbie's online site with the moniker "advancenortheastohio.org". Sounds like a cheerleader's sideline chant.

"On Wisconsin," "Advance northeast Ohio" or some other form of drollery.
Rah, rah, arh!

A visit to this site seems to feature more of the usual wcpn sanctioned regular suspects, a link for Cleveland Plus, a "brain gain" section , and an overall cheery, upbeat, naive, head-in-the-sand view of the current sad state of affairs that is contemporary Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding region that it represents.

My favorite little bitty sidebar section on this site is one entitled "transplanted."

I know, begs for jokes about the medical fiscal machinery located here, but trust me, this is comedy at its best when it comes to living in this region. The hallucinatory writing began with a visit to San Francisco and the nerve of the writer to suggest that San Francisco's Mission District reminded him of "Tremont."

Now having spent considerable months in the City of San Francisco for the past forty years, one could never confuse a vibrant dense multi-racial neighborhood such as San Francisco's Mission District with Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.

No way on this Earth do they share much common ground.

The Mission has density in its population mix, aided by two Bay Area Rapid Transit [BART] stops, which serve a bustling Hispanic, Caucasian, and Asian American population. The diverse merchants on Mission and Valencia Streets, the Mission's retail business streets, are comprised of bookstores, groceries, antique stores, and all the service businesses that comprise a neighborhood: banks, dry cleaners, coin laundries, etc .

(Tremont does not even have a grocery store!)

Restaurants of all stripes and forms fill Mission and Valencia Streets and the side streets that connect them. The legendary burritos rolled in the areas many Mexican restaurants have great girth and authentic fresh flavors. A number of personal friends, I know you are surprised I have many, reside either in the upper Mission or the adjoining Portrero Hill neighborhood, and I have walked this neighborhood for hours during the daytime, preferring it to the evening and its nighttime club scene, I don't drink, and visible Hispanic gangs.

The mere inclusion of such unchecked urban comparison between Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood and San Francisco's Mission district only gives this Clevelander's naive vision street cred, only if he fesses up to imbibing in some Bay area LSD, and wandering about mumbling far out man, Cleveland looks just like this here place, duh....

perhaps while under the influence of psychedelics?

Tripe soup, make that menudo, once again served daily by the make believe public radio station with the call letters wcpn. A virtual link to yet another cheer leading agency for the local lost cause.

Let's send a reminder to this advancenortheastohio bunch that politics here are corrupt in an over the top fashion, and that you can throw all the money, just like manure, at pet political projects that are recipients of corporate welfare, University Circle and Downtown Cleveland to be exact, and like putting a dress on a pig, doesn't make it less of a pig, just one that has had a pile of money tossed at it!

As for the weekly regional roundup radio program that aired this morning from nine to ten a.m. the radio gang that is wcpn should consider changing the name of this weak hitting hour to "the benign hour," given the flavor of news served to date.

The local daily fish wrap, da p.d., was of course in the wcpn house. Two other players present as well.

One half hour was spent in discussion of the variety of possibilities and challenges presented to voters due to the mishandling of voting machinery. Not much here was concluded save the obvious need to fix what is broken. Murder and crime and its relationship with regards to public safety and Cleveland Police layoffs, was handled well by da p.d.'s Joe Frolic, and even better by the retired policeman who called in wisely stating the obvious: no leadership in politics, no jobs or way out for low income residents, and that fewer police on the streets equals more crime.

A little blast at Dennis Kucinich and his UFO tales, and we are out of here on wcpn, with not much said for the hour's effort at news from this region. The flavor conjured in this less than stimulating hour of gas was truculent and impacted. Just like that pseudo public radio station wcpn.

A benign hour it was...

Keep thinking about that eastbound train, and what exists on the other end of the line?

New horizons?

Make no mistake of it, the majority of the domestic books we sell online are to zip codes on either coast. Very few to the heartland of this country. Seems to be a lesson here?

Perhaps this dense man will figure the problem out someday soon?

Welcome to the Iowa Caucasus. First stones tossed this evening! Good luck to anyone out there naive enough to still believe in the current state of politics in America, or sanity claus for that matter. Better you go to the race track and look into betting on the favorite horse running.

More times than not that nag has the most money on him, and even when he doesn't win doesn't finish out of the money either. Horses run just like politicians. In the money! Today's Iowa candidates attract and spend money in a major fashion, and believe me when they take money from a contributor they owe a favor. Political life in the good old USA goes on unchecked and more resembles your high school student elections, than any real attempt to affect actual social change it in a fashion that does not come with favors attached to and owed to the players who contribute to campaigns.

I wonder how the majority of these politicians sleep at night?

Book Selling Time!

What better fashion to produce a great evenings sleep these frigid Cleveland winter's nights than curling up with a copy of THE DICTIONARY OF CLEVELAND BIOGRAPHY? - 545 pages comprising a veritable who's who of Cleveland history from the cities inception to the book's publication in 1996.

Do not look for exciting reading here, though pound-for-pound it will provide more excitement and usable content than the regular cast of people that peddle the notion of news on wcpn radio today. If ever a local institution needed a house cleaning and new face this impacted bunch does. Sad fact is the perceived notion of the word "public" mentioned in the same sentence with the call letters wcpn.

---

Charlie Louvin , Detroit, fresh oysters , and da p.d's resident weirdo

Charlie Louvin played a fine two hour plus set this past Friday December 14 , 2007, for the one hundred or so fans in attendance at The Beachland Ballroom on Waterloo Road in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood. Now a spry eighty years of age Charlie Louvin is the de facto voice for country music of the classic not contemporary fashion and is very much still a musical force today.Covering many favorites from his solo career and the career that included his late brother Ira . Mister Louvin performed Great Atomic Power , Cash On The Barrel Head , and the often covered Christian Life. As well as great interpretations of classics by Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton , Woody Guthrie , and a Blue Yodel by Jimmie Rogers among others. A highlight was a song that Mister Louvin addressed as his signature song , See The Big Man Cry. The band that backed Mister Louvin was able and soulful , and his duets with the female guitarist were breathtaking in a sparse beatific fashion. Though I caught Mister Louvin working a cigarette between his lips after the show , his voice is strong and he worked the corners of his vocal range in an upward fashion , gaining strength as the evening progressed. Charlie Louvin remains the humble king of true country music today , and it is a shame that not more fans were about this past Friday to listen to his great voice. The Beachland Ballroom is a true Cleveland treasure , with two owners who book consistently the most interesting , eclectic , and aesthetically pleasing acts on a weekly basis year round. Please support this important local institution , which truly is a gem. Just like old Charlie Louvin...........On to Detroit , Michigan for a quick tour this past weekend. Not much seems to have changed since my last visit a few years back. Sure , a few casinos have sprouted up amid the deserted and decayed streets of the Corktown neighborhood , though no real change seems to have occured save the pair of cookie cutter stadiums for football and baseball. I was glad to read recently in a article concerning the casino biz in Detroit that the homeless that panhandle the area around the casinos are now customers of the slot machines. I truly wish these destitute folk good luck , and I am happy that their money is green and spends as well as the next parties. As we know empirically , crime spikes upward with the advent of legalized gambling , and Detroit , Michigan would do better to work on attracting some of it's former citizens back into the city itself , instead of clipping the paychecks and funds available from the tormented addicted gamblers that casinos attract. I was glad to see that Tiger Stadium was still standing at the historic intersection of Michigan and Trumbell in the Corktown neighborhood. Many great sports memories exist for me and the entire State of Michigan. I would not be at all motivated ever to attend a Tigers game at the new Commerica Park. Seeing Commerica on television proves that another wave of cookie cutter ersatz intimate ball yards have been constructed since Baltimore's Camden yards provided the template for such phony architecture some years ago. Detroit's Tiger Stadium deserves a place on the National Register of Historic Buildings , and is significant in that it is the last standing example of a baseball stadium that was engineered and built with the fan in mind before the lodge holder. Wrigley Field in Chicago was built for a Federal League team , and is as worthy an architectural significant example. Fenway Park in Boston also unique and a valuable National structure worthy of preservation. Baseball has been played on the corner of Michigan and Trumbell since the Civil War , then a picnic grounds with a baseball diamond , and I for one would return every year without fail for a tourist trip to Detroit if Tiger Stadium was again utilized and preserved. As for Commerica Park , tear that abysmal phony ball yard down and move the Tigers back to Michigan and Trumbell. Detroit , Michigan is a great City in severe decline , and as a citizen of a similar City in decline it proves difficult to watch two cities repeat each other's mistakes. Time has come to work on providing safe inhabitable neighborhoods for those of us who remain in these cities , not more corporate welfare for the downtown players , land grab gangs , and greedy interests who pimp out the political system for their personal profit. If we place our elderly and children safety first , and all other concerns as secondary , we as a culture will be headed in the right direction..... Had a great trip across the mighty Cuyahoga , local Native American Indian for crooked, yesterday with my pal Slipsy Junior. Junior was kind enough to treat me to three fine bivalves from the briny Louisiana gulf stream of the oyster variety in their natural juicy selves replete with half shell's. Shucked up of course.Simple is best!Our pal Jose gave us each a pint container of his homemade sofrito as a Holiday gift. Thanks Jose! I will combine your kindness with baccala and eggplant in the Puerto Rican style and eat off it for a week or so. A visit outside to the fine Family concern of the DiCara's produced a lovely bag of fresh sweet English peas , eaten just like the oysters. Raw and naked.Mister DiCara is a old school Market man , and always has the best and freshest selection of seasonal vegetables at the family stand that he now shares with his daughter Mellisa whose seasonal self adornment by means of very creative costumes always speaks for the season or holiday at hand. Do not miss trading with either of these two West Side Market merchants should happen to cross our crooked river. Have your passport in order how ever.....Thanks to P Danny , who read about the volume of Cleveland Stadium Memories in an earlier article and put his money up and purchased a copy.P Danny and his charming bride Greta are great Clevelander's , Greta being quite a good euchre player as well... Dan Oak also checked in on the Cleveland Stadium piece , and as most of us do shared a favorite moment concerning his memories of pater and the Cleveland Stadium. For me it was watching Ted Williams take batting practice on a sunny summer morning prior to a Saturday day game in the year 1959. Standing behind the home plate screen and watching Williams , then into his last years , crack one ball after another into the lower right field stands , the noise from the horsehide hitting the wood seats or adjoining concrete they perched on as audible today as that moment suspended in time nearly fifty years ago. My Father stood with us behind the screen pointing out Williams whip hand and the varieties and strong features of his impressive swing. n Now the sordid 21st century leaves me with a rather morbid vision of the splendid splinter's severed head packed in some sort of cryogenic soup , awaiting resurrection and transplant if the modern medical mavens can produce the means. I prefer the vision of Williams able swing , while my Father's hand was at my shoulder is now a memory flash stored as a lodestone of sanity compared to the hard scrabble science fiction bent antics of the modern world. Such as a nightmare version of Ed Wood's THEY STOLE HITLER'S BRAIN , was recast as " They Pickled The Splendid Splinter ....I have always imagined da p.d.'s Kevin O' Brien to be a weirdo of sorts , if indeed he existed at all. O'Brien"s low humor on the op ed page rivals the comedic slime that Rush Limbaugh pushes or the twisted antics of one National radio syndicated bland white bread sad humorist known as the drudge report. To take the content of any of the above as anything else as stand up humor would prove quite a stretch. Leave it to da p.d.'s butt buddies wcpn radio ,on the a.m. Thursday December 20 , 2007 nine to ten morning radio show , you know the confusing one that pretends to offer ideas , only to deliver pre digested opinions instead. The humor of refering to themselves as an idea stream is not lost on me , and to really seem to prove what a weird piece of work this O'Brien actually is , I can only assume that the pathos is not lost on wcpn either. Seems that O'Brien penned some poetic trashy ditties , reworded versions of Christmas Carols . Pastiches with a political flavor. O'Brien has a " face made for radio" and a voice to match the metaphor. And the mere inclusion of his croaking and belching some nonsense verse about " using awesome powers to tear down the Breuer Tower" to the tune of " Hark , the Herald Angels Sing" , was rather mundane and glibly morbid in it's delivery and content. Did nothing for me at all . Nor did the hour long show do very much for the radio public either , seeing as only three telephone calls were recieved , and the O' Brien muscial / political clips seemed to be added to fill a conspicuous void. O' Brien's odddly resembled in form only the original creative pastiches of Christmas Carols by the brilliant political humorist and syndicated cartoonist Walt Kelly of Pogo fame , and how O'Brien's verse and voice and content resembled some odd bleating and belching of a snarky little wag that fell into the wassail bowl. Whew! This O'Brien really is weird!.... Seems that the Cuyahoga County Government made enough of a mess on the corner of East Ninth and Euclid by purchasing this landmark building , in the first place.The Tower's proposed destruction was sad enough.Any locally and International recognized iconic architectural structure's proposed slaughter by a local Government is bad . The train of thought that arrived at that place to create rubble of acclaimed architecture only seems to further label Cleveland, Ohio as the rube town that it is already perceived as by the majority of the literate world today. Let us exercise at least the modicum of common sense , pausing long enough to prioritize our future as a County Government with declining tax futures. The cooler heads at Cuyahoga County seem to have taken just that pause and should now be rewarded for their current new found fiscal prudence .Let us look at the County's purchase of the Tower as a community asset and reward and sell the spin as just that. Throw some of the " arts money "gathered recently with the cigs tax at renovating the Tower. Try this spin folks?[ As part of an attempt to attract a more intelligent and art savvy tourist class, we the citizens of Cuyahoga County invite civilzed citizens of the world to visit this architecturally significant tower as you would a sculpture in an art museum , and by the way have fun here with the reopening of Cleveland Museum of Art , and look at the renovated Bruer CMA addition as well while you are here....} Sounds to me like hot air , my own wind at that . Yet when I open an envelope with a plea for arts funds , or just some buncha aired out media copy , it more resembles a travel dialogue than copy..... Our civic good fortune placed Breuer's only major skyscraper safely in Government hands . The demographic is increasing for a modernism positive voting generation born after 1970 that will applaud the efforts of an enlightened County Government that would recognize the Tower's significance in accordance with International architectural and design institutions that gave Breuer and the Tower it's due earlier this year by including it in a catalogue of important Breuer design works. This International recognition is well reported in an article by Christopher Magg printed in the New York Times , earlier in this year when the local County Government still had it in mind to destroy the Tower . Please google New York Times , Christopher Magg / Marcel Breuer, for this well written article concerning this Cleveland political art fiasco. So far , so good with regards to the Cuyahoga County Governments ownership of the Tower. It is not uncommon in Europe and other outposts of civilization to leave historic buildings in a form of pre preservation stasis , and it is with sincere hope that this pattern of thought will prevail with regards to the Tower.... Mothballing and taking the time to make appropriate sound planning ideas regarding the fates of the former Cleveland Trust properties , including their original Euclid Avenue buildings East along Euclid from the rotunda. It was on this site that the second Breuer Tower was to have been built as part of his original plans desingened for The Twin Towers . In a sane world the proposed and unbuilt second Tower would be constructed sometime within the twenty first century and Breuer's vision completed and serving as headquarters for a progressive regional government. The Superb Terra cot ta gems of the Halle Brother Buildings and the CAC , and upper Euclid Avenue must be restored as a district if a preservation minded city is to function correctly and aesthetically in concert with smart Cities. Cleveland deserves intelligent Government. We are the people.{ "Look at the peoples", Charles Brown , yet another late great American voice}..... As for O' Brien and his op ed article's in da p.d. , sorry I can't say as to having the pleasure of reading one. I have attempted a few sentences of his churlish prose and having been reminded of my own read on no farther. Without fail have chuckled and departed the column knowing just were this weirdo's efforts were headed. I do not read the funny pages either.My Mother is eighty one years old , Irish as lace , and a good judge of character even now while currently suffering a tough illness. O' Brien's columns are not an illness she can suffer , nor his rabid and sometimes vapid political views. Perhaps , as many former newspaper employee's count upon to do with the shank end of their careers , just prior to visiting God's waiting room and after mowing an eternity of lawns .That is , using the contacts made while in the employ of the media to stagger about a water cooler while employed in the public relations, advertising , or some other poisonous propaganda trade.With the emerging bond crisis to further complicate the foreclosure fiasco , expect 2008 to tank , and some lean years lie ahead for corporate America in the media , entertainment sectors .Layoffs accross the board will follow. All of us will suffer to some degree. Personally try the European Union , their currency is faring better these days , and we will have accrued so much debt that if our bad bets are called in we run the risk of loosing our collective wealth and value as a Nation.... 1801 Superior is a modern architectural and creative failure , and appears to suffer an impending fiscal crisis and failure as well. Prudent media concerns periodically trim dead timber as it will be soft wood that tumbles if you belong to management. Fat salaries and little produced copy should equal liability in terms of most of our current survival oriented careers in the work force. If O' Brien is one of the architects of the current op-ed page on da p.d. , he would seem expendable as a productive or creative force . With corporate profits in peril in the dead tree industries , fatted cattle will be slaughtered..... In a City such as Cleveland, Ohio in the year 2007 , whose downtown offers little in the terms of architectural significance , one less historic structure means quite a bit to those of us in possession of our faculties and some sort of responsible aesthetic selves. O'Brien's sad arse songs provide evidence of da p.d.'s croaking and signing for their suppah's on the public airwaves of wcpn radio. wcpn takes the public out of public radio 24/7/365! Leave the singing to the likes of Charlie Louvin ! Book Selling Time! Time again for a quick look back a mere thirty one years and the great volume penned by Mary - Peale Schofield LANDMARK ARCHITECTURE OF CLEVELAND. Read and view the Marcel Breuer Cleveland Trust Tower on pages 97 to 99. of this fine volume. The sad fact concerning Cleveland architecture is that many of these documented buildings are victims of poor planning and have been demolished in the past thirty odd years. The destruction of the Breuer structure would only provide yet another cultural black eye for a city mostly considered a mid west rube outpost of less than salient aesthetics and ethics. Stop International art terrorism , save the Breuer Tower!

---

wcpn puts the con

in the convention center/medical mart project slated for downtown Cleveland by stacking the deck with two shills from the metaphorically challenged organization positively Cleveland? , dismissing any objective discussion concerning this tax spun project which aired Tuesday December 18 ,2007 on their nine to ten a.m. slot.

Yet another heated make out session between the gutless radio batch that commands our so called public radio for Northeast Ohio and a civic cheer leading organization such as positively Cleveland...

Under the guise of seeking public input for what this convention center should include and it's possible location this dog and pony show dragged on for its entire hour without even a single outside telephone call amounting to any substantive input or value.

One caller suggested that Cleveland would make a great destination as a bird watching venue, some sort of ornithological tourism?

Perhaps this is what will save this mess of an urban disaster, bird watching?

The suggestion to have the caller ride most of the city RTA lines and observe the fellow passengers crossed my mind. Business as unusual per the norm at the live flea circus at playhouse square which passes as a public radio station...

The perfect location for this proposed project would be the property that Cuyahoga County previously purchased, and over paid for, at East 93rd Street and Quincy Avenue, were some actual economic impact might occur that would have a tacitly positive affect on Cleveland and Cuyahoga County citizens...

What was for certain is that for all the blather of the hour we can be certain that whatever is built here in terms of a convention center will be small potatoes, and on a par with small market cities such as Indianapolis, Indiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.

What's the point?

To compete with small market venues a few hours away, not learn from their mistakes in building these moribund convention centers in the first place.

If you are interested in why the modern convention center is not the economic generator that it is painted as such by outfits such as positively Cleveland merely Google the academic source of study undertaken by Doctor Heywood T. Sanders at the University of Texas who has made studying the building and usage of contemporary convention centers his business.

As for the medical merchandise mart that is proposed as part of this deal please refer to Roldo Bartimole and his article concerning the potential conflict of interest in this matter posted earlier this year.

Do you really believe for one precious moment that the Chicago medical merchandise group that is driving this project forward in Cleveland will be naive enough to slide many convention events on our plate instead of keeping the events and monies in Chicago?

Ask yourself as a potential National group seeking a convention venue which city you would prefer as a site?

Perhaps once, though Cleveland, Ohio is not a very exciting place unless compared to Indianapolis or Columbus, so perhaps this small town logic is not as flawed as it seems. Cleveland, Ohio has once again set the bar low in terms of competition and forget constructing a convention center to compete with Las Vegas, New York, or New Orleans.

Truth be told a single urban block in New York City provides more excitement than all of Cleveland has to offer. Ditto New Orleans and Las Vegas.

Do not bother touting the trifling rock n' roll hall of fame as a tourist attraction. One visit to this clothes closet in a lifetime is plenty for any visitor.

Our museums are fine, and we have most professional sports teams in place, save professional hockey. Yet so do the cities we will be competing with for convention business.

As for the actual location of this convention center/medical merchandise mart, if it must be built please consider the large parking area owned by the city of Cleveland that is currently used as a drunken zone prior to Cleveland Oranges football team, also known as the browns.

Take this party lot and turn it into a true Lake Erie view destination complete with RTA rail access. This current under used parking lot as a convention center location seems to make the best sense from a political viewpoint.

Why?

None of the usual competing interests, Woolstein, Forest City, or Jacobs properties come into play... As for the question proposed for the public use of the convention center when not occupied with events, should provide plenty of time, please consider giving back to the citizens of Cuyahoga County who will have paid for this structure access to this facility on a regular basis for meetings, youth cultural and sports activities, geriatric programs, and any community needs that will trump the profit motives set upon us by the greedy likes of positively Cleveland.

It really is a shame when your public radio station is anything but public. Even a scrap or nod at objectivity would be appreciated.

Bad enough that the for profit and civic agenda laden p.d. has their hooks into wcpn in such a large fashion , though stacking the deck with two public relations types and calling the event newsworthy is merely indicative of the lost cause of public radio in contemporary Cleveland.

Book Selling Time!

A true reason for any convention to visit Cleveland would be an evening spent in Severance Hall listening to the Cleveland Orchestra. We offer Robert Marsh's 1967 volume THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA, which captures with great clarity the first fifty years of this world class orchestra.

---

What do you get if you?

Combine two sorry fatuous public relations campaign jingo's into one? Let's try this exercise this morning.

Take "I believe in Cleveland "and combine with "Positively Cleveland", and presto just as quick as you can say regional Countywide Government you get I POSITIVELY BE LEAVING CLEVELAND!

Yes boys and girls, college grads and political back thumping sycophants!

All you swell expense account lackeys lying for a living on our supposed “public radio" station. Harrouuumph, honorary degrees extended to one another?

Amid blasts of ballyhoo and vitriol plenty of back thumping over the radio waves plundered by WCPN this Thursday morning?

These radio jokers let loose on WCPN would give you the idea that they actually possess objectivity when it comes to the fates of the citizenry they are speaking in behalf of.

What hot air!

You radio jokers, political and media hacks alike pay attention! Let us now face some hard facts fellow Clevelanders.

The taxpaying segments of Cuyahoga County want no parts of the City of Cleveland, or East Cleveland for that matter.

A simple question should suffice: If you are in deep shit and drowning and only a finite amount of room exists in a metaphorical lifeboat?

Would you?

A. Drag more weight into the lifeboat and drown all aboard?
B. Paddle like the devil dogs of hell are on your tail and escape the fetid mess?

Most of the communities that comprise Cuyahoga County save perhaps East Cleveland would choose B. Hands down!

Most already have. See how these taxpaying citizens have already run with fervor to the adjoining five Counties that comprise our Northeast Ohio region.

True facts speak for themselves, and the actual number of citizens that have already made the exodus from Cuyahoga County is staggering.

Enough said...

Detroit, Michigan during the 1920's practiced what Columbus, Ohio has been up to in the past thirty odd years in expanding City limits and services via incorporating smaller townships, cities, and suburbs into their City Government.

Note that the greatest difference in City populations between Detroit and Cleveland during the 20th century was due to this expansion that the City of Detroit took on early in the Twentieth Century. Imagine all of Cleveland's inner ring suburbs, and early Twentieth Century developed communities, being a part of The City of Cleveland Government. Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Garfield Heights, Parma ... you get the picture. All those burbs' part of Cleveland.

This earlier attempt at Regional government in Detroit only led to the premature flight of the upwardly mobile taxpayer to the adjoining Counties surrounding Detroit, leaving Detroit the destitute and decrepit carcass that it is today.

Sure, silver linings exist in both Detroit and Cleveland.

Mostly sad attempts to garner tourism via revamping hotels, restaurants, and the sort of white table cloth mentality that exists in the suburbs and comes a slummin' to these cities for a little wine and sin, leaving for the Blisteria Drives that these suburban tourists call home before midnight.

No real significant gains unless you count the corrupt casino culture of Detroit, or the second rate rock n' roll hall of fame blight at the foot of east ninth street as positive? I for one do not. Sad facts about introducing Casinos into a city is that they spike upward crime , and as for the insipid rock and roll hall of fame we can always wish for a

Tsunami!..

What really does make sense is an attempt to upgrade the infrastructure and services that are paid for by the taxpayers in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. The visible benefit of any form of Regional Government would be in the combining of safety forces.

Increased fire, police, and emergency medical teams would better serve Cleveland citizens.

I am all for regional Government, simply because it will serve Cleveland better than it will the suburbs that it will combine with… As for the proposed Convention Center and Medical Merchandise Mart that Cuyahoga County citizens are already paying for via a convenient tax placed in front of them this past hot vacation time month of August.

Just ask dear old Norman Krumholz to explain the reality of the non impact that either of these two pipe dreams will have on the bottom line of the City and County.

Norman Krumholz is a fine gentleman of the old school, but a severe victim of being a pawn in a larger political game that destroyed much of Cleveland during his tenure in City hall. Norman is up in years, and perhaps more than willing to rectify the horrible effects of serving as City of Cleveland Planning chief during the City's period of most severe decline.

Tell the people the truth about the effects of convention centers in the cities that have built them recently Norman. The simple truth is that like sports stadiums, convention centers do nothing in the realm of creating viable jobs outside of the broom, mop, and bucket variety. The for profit Medical Mart taxes should be quickly transferred to a infrastructure improvement for Cuyahoga County fund while some interested citizens still reside here. Let this be a call for citizens of Cuyahoga County to roll back the taxes gathered for the for profit medical merchandise mart into the means to save our crumbling infrastructure. We will need all the help we can get in this matter in the quick years to come...

Book Selling Time! It is a sad day when the same automobile is parked across the street for twenty four hours broken down and with Missouri plates on its hoopty frame.

Inside is a single woman at the end of the line, which in this case is East Ninth Street just north of Bolivar.

She was in the car all night, sleeping the evening in her ride, and I am now about to leave to pick her up a plate of hot food. I will donate the proceeds of the sale of today's book Walter C. Kidney's HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF OHIO, to her cause.

The Kidney volume features locally a fantastic set of architect’s drawings for the Cleveland Arcade, among many other historic Ohio buildings covered in this as new still shrink wrapped volume.

---