Nice one, Norm.  And yes, everyone - that is me on the far left of the last photo.   Memories.   See you there, Norm -  I won't go 'skin-head' again, but I will donate and down a cold one!  Look forward to it - see you 'round one.

Norm, your piece brought back some old-school memories - we've really had a history that goes, way back - with Brendan and AJ Rocco's.  Its little wonder that the once-home for our realneo endeavors - anyone remember the NEON signs, fashioned by neon legend Dana Patterson,  we proudly displayed in our Caxton Building office window?   Yes - our very own, original realneo top-of-page taxonomy,  I designed to represent holistic quality of life in six-sphere fashion.   Those spheres were, of course:  arts and culture, education, environment, economy,  health, and technology.   They were the same spheres we showcased at the Palace theater, with each neon anchoring a facilitated roundtable to discuss core issues around a sustainable economy.  I still take to heart the late great Eddie Hauser confiding to me:  'Hey Sudhir, everyone's curious about the neons - David Beach keeps asking about them'.   So a bit later, I took the liberty a bit later to illuminate the story around these Dana - produced illuminatons.    Holistic quality-of-life representation.    Soon afterward, we saw a similar (albeit more complicated) taxonomy emerge with a new sustainability-site  - Green City Blue Lake.

So many memories from the Rocco's era - we can, I'm sure recall hosting meetings to discuss core things we needed to do, to help uplift underprivileged communities like East Cleveland - and after much trial and tribulation we are finally getting there, years later.   We helped connect - way back then - local foods guru Maurice Small and AJ's to ensure a composting solution would carry on from that time on.

We hosted several wonderful realneo roundtables at the City Club, with great keynote speakers like Chris Ronayne of UCI, Paul Alsenas with the County Planning Commission, Scott Rourke and Mark Ashbury of One Community - and so many others.   Our goal was not only to break bread, but break ground - toward meaningful and lasting positive change for our great city and region.   Eddie Hauser and I diligently assisted with and attended every one of these,  dragging our 'REALNEO' neon in tow.   So many fond - and not-so-fond memories: the changes we advocated were clearly not embraced by all - but we fought, as community development - concerned citizens for so long - and change IS coming!

I am proud to have been there, from day one - always striving to help improve our city and community - to make positive change.

Five years ago, we started down this realneo road.   What an amazing and convoluted tale we could tell -  but a rewarding one, ultimately, I know!  Now we have a robust co-op team, rather than a lonely three.  And we are amazing - doing it without major financing, as a grassroots collective.   We rock!

Norm... at St. Baldrick's 2009

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