How do we get a Field of Dreams in Brooklyn Centre?
(Little known secret--Paul Alsenas, Jim Kastelic, Howard Maier, Andy Vidra and Jan Rybka played softball here.  Believe it, or not, all great ball players).

and was also a 21st congressional district representative at the 1940 democratic convention, according to the politicalgraveyard.com website 

Reed made it in an issue of Time Magazine on Sept 4, 1939 over the Cleveland mayoral elections

Traditionally Democratic Cleveland, Ohio last week found it must choose as its mayor in the October third primaries one of two Republicans, either incumbent Mayor Harold H. Burton or John O'Donnell of the School Board. Behind this novelty was a pretty piece of Democratic boggling. Two equally powerful party factions fought themselves into the ground, refused to compromise. Desperate leaders turned to the local version of Texas' Maury Maverick, Councilman William C. Reed, begged him to accept the nomination. On a strict "no strings" platform, Mr. Reed accepted tentatively, if a $25,000 campaign fund were raised without macing the utilities, gamblers, contractors, racketeers. Hampered by this restriction, leaders did not find enough funds. Mr. Reed withdrew promptly; filing-day came & went with no Democrats on the ticket

  Oh, DWeller, I can see that we are friends.  Thank you for the information on WC Reed, the councilman.  This is insane.  Follow the bouncing wrecking ball--why does the environmentally disasterous WC Reed Field/NRP senior development location, proposed on the buried headwaters of a creek(?!), and the more logical Memphis/NRP senior development location get denied?

  I once got a call from a very popular local softball league at the Brooklyn Centre library.  When the coach realized he had the "wrong" library, he quickly got off the line, despite the fact that I could have given him the name of several outstanding athletes.  I wonder why?  We can do better.   Did Brooklyn Centre get the green light on the NRP project , because we meet the "poverty" equation? 

Simple math:

Poverty=$$$$$

Everyone was out and about today enjoying the great outdoors in Brooklyn Centre.  

Find more photos like this on Friends of W.C. Reed Field and Cleveland Parks

  Jeff B, I have experimented with ning.com, slideshare.net, and slide.com.  I know it can also be done with Flickr.  I am not, by any means, proficient at slideshows, but Jeff Schuler and Jeff Sugalski (what is it with all these Jeffs?!) could probably give us some feedback on the relative merits of each program.

Anastasia, who recently joined REALNEO, is working on a date for a Drupal/Social Media meet-up downtown.  Stay tuned to this site for more information coming soon.

Unrelated note--and request for expert opinion--I took many photographs of the sewer grates in my neighborhood.  In the eastern half of Brooklyn Centre, streets like Forestdale, Willowdale and throughout Riverside Cemetery have two parallel grates on each side of the ROW every 100 ft.  I have not had the time to get the sewer maps, but it would seem to me that this indicates a fairly complex, dare I say, extensive, and OLD sewer system. 

Do these pipes run to the NEORD Southerly Plant for treatment or are they strictly storm sewers that drain directly to the Cuyahoga River?

Who are fighting the effort by the City of Cleveland to bulldoze our beloved park -  there is a meeting on Monday, August 26th at St. Barbara's - John Baran and Roland Kausen have sent out press releases:

PRESS RELEASE / W. C. Reed Park, Cleveland, Oh.

August 22, 2013

The local Cleveland News Media is being asked to Review and investigate the following:

Citizens of our community need answers, and are seeking the help of independent experts relating to this issue.

The Cleveland News Media is requested to be present at a community meeting with the Federal EPA, and City of Cleveland Officials. This meeting will be held on Monday, August 26, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting location is at: Saint Barbara’s Church Hall, 1505 Denison Ave., Cleveland.

The issue of concern is: The Remediation Plans for W. C. Reed Park.

Residents concerned with the preservation of this park have set-up a web site concerning this issue:(http://freindsofwcreedfield.ning.com/)

Last summer, our neighborhood park soil was tested for planned improvements. This park, 12.5 acres is known as W. C. Reed, and is located in Ward 3 in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood in City of Cleveland. The soil tests resulted in the finding of low levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s).

The PAH contamination is thought to have been caused by the dumping of industrial debris most likely in the 1940’s and 50’s. The park area was once a ravine which became a land fill.

Lifelong neighborhood residents living in this area have established a timeline relating to this land fill. The City acquired ownership and title of this land back in 1949. W. C. Reed Park was created shortly after that, sometime in the early 50’s. The far northeast end of the present park area was still being used as a City Dump, up until the year of 1965. (Contacts can be given upon request)

The park was closed last fall for environmental remediation and renovation.

The City has obtained funding from the Federal EPA.

The community has had meetings with City Officials and the EPA. (Names can be given upon request) These meetings concerning the park have resulted in the following recommended actions. The remediation of the park soil problem will be addressed by the removal of the top 2 feet of soil, and the placing of a protective barrier with the back filling of clean top soil. The community was informed that all park trees, numbering in the amount of 44 will be cut and cleared for this project. The community was also told that this was the decision of the EPA, and not of the City.

The community has been shut of out of the planned remediation process and has organized a united effort to openly object to it.

On June 07, 2013 a letter of assistance was issued to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. The office of the Congresswoman issued a congressional inquiry to the District 5 headquarters of the Federal EPA located in Chicago, Illinois. This inquiry was answered on July 11, 2013. The written answer to Congresswoman Kaptur stated. "The EPA was working with the City of Cleveland, to discuss potential cleanup options and community concerns. The EPA will make every effort to maintain the existing natural features of the Park, including the trees. However, decisions about maintain or removing the trees in the Park ultimately rest with the City. "

The present Administration of the City of Cleveland has been caught lying to this community.

Recently, the City has informed residents that they will try to save 8 trees. This number is far too few and is unacceptable to the community.

The community is questioning and objecting to this decision. This park is known for the large beautiful trees. Many of these trees are 60 year old oaks, with one oak tree estimated as a century old oak. Many feel that the easiest way possible is now being given concerning the site cleanup of this park, without any consideration being given for preserving the interest of nature. If the soil beneath these trees is so bad, why are these trees so healthy? It is also believe that the decisions to remove these trees are primarily a maintenance issue. Any park with large tree requires routine maintenance of which the City has always failed to do. Federal money has now been obtained and this permits the City to rid itself of basic park maintenance concerning trees. This is an abuse of federal tax dollars.

The EPA plans for a scorched earth approach to this park must not happen. This community openly objects to this act of remediation for this park, and do not believe that this plan is the best and only solution to this soil problem. With ground excavation and removal of soil by truck though out the community, it is feared that a release of toxins into the air will cause health problems.

When considering the history of our EPA, relating to remediation issues. Is this cleanup of this slight level of contaminates in the park soil a new policy? Other site remediation's must have been addressed concerning soil problems without exposing a community to toxins, and the total destruction of living plant life with the removal of healthy trees.

Just recently shocking news was discovered. While investigating this issue, old surveying maps of this neighborhood were discovered. These maps known as the 1913 Sanborn Maps, have detailed boundaries of the old ravine. Apparently, as the old ravine was filled. The land parcels were squared off. Many land parcels in this area were given part of the old land fill. Approximately, 95 land parcels abutted the old ravine of which 66 land parcels were and are presently affected by this.

Click here: Cleveland, Ohio Ravine from Garden Ave. to W. 22nd Pl.

Click here: Cleveland, Ohio Ravine from W. 22nd Pl. to W. 18th St. (Park Pl.)

Click here: Cleveland, Ohio Ravine from W. 18th St. (Park Pl.) to Riverside Cemetery

This fact is still unknown to many of the residents. This matter been brought to the attention of the City of Cleveland and EPA. It is believed that the City had intended to keep this quite. To date, both the City and the EPA have chosen not to address this concern.

The City has a plan to clean up their park because of soil contaminates. Now residents are beginning to question, what about their own yard soil? How will this possible soil problem affect the health of residents, and the value of their homes within this community?

It is believed that this remediation project will begin shortly after the August 26, 2013 community meeting, and that all plans for this project have now been finalized.

Is the correct approach being given concerning the remediation of W. C. Reed Park?

The local Cleveland News Media is now being called upon for help. We in this community have far too many concerns and questions, and seek help concerning a review and investigation of this issue.

Please help us to find the answers to this issue, and questions that this community is now facing.