Like Cleveland Housing Network - the Catholic Diocese now wants in on the money game!  The altar boys Brian Cummins and Tony Brancatelli are only too happy to accommodate - more money in the coffers for them!

Over in Ohio City, Mary Rose Oakar throws stones at Marques Manus to prevent him for being on the board of Ohio City.  Marques is a community activist trying to make up for his past.  Does Ohio City Inc. really think that Marques stands in the way of Dan Budish?

This week our current councilman changed party affiliation, again.

In 2010, he switched from Democrat to Green Party:

I don't know how long major urban centers can play the HUD Funding Game - but it is killing us.  This continued practice only leads to greater income and educational disparity.  (Senior projects denoted with * - I can see the benefit and use of federal monies for these projects)

Just a few points glossed over by the NEOMG and affiliates like WKYC -  

DYK - Metrohealth has 2 new board members? Yep.  And, no one questions the rationale of putting Mitch Schneider and Tony Minor on the board of Metrohealth?  

TWO major red flags -

I am not the first person to see the connection between former council person John Zayac (Jackson council era) , his consultant firm The Project Group and lucrative contracts at City Hall.

Leila Atassi ran a great story in 2014 - and like all things in Northeast Ohio - it was promptly forgotten:

Recently, a blogger/citizen reporter Sarah Karp in Chicago brought down Barbara Byrd-Bennet by asking the obvious questions- you can watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQGj5CruvAg&feature=youtu.be

The media is strangely very quiet on the state of Cuyahoga County finances.  And, for weeks, they have been mining the archive at REALNEO (certainly more reliable than, say, the Cleveland.com archive or the County's website).

 I hope that these former City of Cleveland officials file a lawsuit against the City of Cleveland - Mayor Jackson's gross incompetence can't be blamed on these two officials.

Revisited Pittsburgh this past weekend - to try out the idea of a daytrip via Greyhound (Sadly, the Megabus doesn't cover PITT anymore).  I will explore option of bike aboard this spring via Amtrak.  

Austin, TX, is definitely NOT car-free or carefree. But, it does have sun at the time of year that Cleveland OH's UV rays begin to wane.  So, I took the opportunity to stay with family and crash by the pool for a few days.  

 There have been several favored political stooges in the history of Northeast Ohio.  Surely, Russo and Dimora stand out - and, they operated with an understanding that they, too, were above exposure.  Mike White had his bagman, Nate Gray, who took the fall for him.  But, why does the media in Northeast Ohio protect Jim Rokakis and Gus Frangos (Gus is Lou's brother and partner and heads the "Land Bank")???  

 The Metroparks were recently briefed on the latest plans for extending the "towpath" trail north to Canal Basin Park (and ultimately Whiskey Island and Lake Erie).  Take a look for yourself at the colossal stupidity:

The nights are cooler. We will soon be sleeping longer. Leaves change color and our minds turn inward to the landscape of imaginary worlds. The Migration exhibit at the Cleveland Public Library's Eastman Reading Garden is perfect place to visit before the long winter. To remind children, that birds do return in the spring. And, that friendly lions are forever roaming in the pages of a book.

 The one day I don't bring my camera and I miss photo shoots galore - DAMN.   Saturday in Believeland - CLE was surreal and beautiful.  I needed a swim.

Plan A: had been to swim outside at the City of Brooklyn pool ($9.00 non-resident).  The facility was open, but not the outdoor pool.  Since I was on the granny bike, on to Plan B.

The Aug. 16 front page story, "Abandoned homes dot the area," may have contained as much hot air as the housing bubble.

My summer reading this year included Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard.  I highly recommend that NEO residents pick up the book before the RNC convention.  So much has changed, but so much is the same.  The "spoils system" especially threatens to derail our country - not to mention the seemingly never-ending racial divisiveness.