Economy

The face of a tech native: looking across the digital divide

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 11/22/2006 - 03:03.

 

I've had many "chicken or egg" discussions about the digital divide with many people over many years. To some, the divide is about economics and access to technology and the Internet. To some, it is about environment and culture. To some it is about usability and functionality. I believe a person's position relative to the digital divide is influenced by all these factors, over time, influenced by personal capabilities, and I tend to view the challenges to be overcome to bridge the divide in about that order, starting with economics and access to technology and ending with functionality of technology, applications and information services. I'll point to my 19 month old tech native son Claes and some friends and family to explore this issue further. 

Cleveland Museum of Art finally showing Viñoly

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 11/21/2006 - 20:58.

 

I was at the Cleveland Institute of Art today to review the subtle "Home House Show" of green affordable housing and noticed across the street the extravagant, stony Cleveland Museum of Art expansion is really taking shape. While not scheduled to open until Summer 2008, contractors are already adding the skin to the East Wing and it is now possible to visualize what the finished product will look like. Most visually dominant, the surface of the addition is covered in marble that is similar to the light gray of the original 1916 Beaux-Arts building, transitioned with horizontal thin dark gray lines in a pattern lifted from the more recent 1971 Breuer addition, and the new structure is overall very much in that modern, brutal style. Still to come is all the glass, which should give the structure greater lightness. I now look forward to the end result.

Panel discussion on "Sustainable, Affordable, Innovative Housing Design in Cleveland"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/20/2006 - 19:56.
12/06/2006 - 17:00
12/06/2006 - 19:00
Etc/GMT-4

As part of the "Home House Project," the Cleveland Institute of Art will host a panel discussion on "Sustainable, Affordable, Innovative Housing Design in Cleveland." Participants will include Cleveland City Planning Director Robert Brown; developer Nathan Zaremba; Columbus architects Beth Blostein and Bart Overly; and Jeffrey Bowen, director of the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity.

Location

Cleveland Institute of Art
11141 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH
United States

Now this is progress: Green Affordable Housing showing at CIA

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/20/2006 - 18:01.

 

Cleveland Institute of Art Reinberger Gallery Director Bruce Checefsky has a deep personal interest in green affordable housing, so I was not surprised to learn the CIA was hosting an exhibition on the subject. Still, when I had the pleasure to preview the show "The Home House Project", I was overwhelmed by the breadth and originality of the content. This is an innovative exhibition on innovation in planning, design, construction and architecture, which is timely and opportune to help this community move from generally bland, resource depleting sprawl to intelligent community redevelopment for an age of global conservation, smart planning, urban renewal and economic transformation. This show is all about visioning our new economy at its foundations, literally, as it explores 100s of concepts for building "green" affordable housing... the anti-McMansion show came to town, and it is fascinating.

Rembrandt in the Rust Belt - what makes art work in Erie may work in NEO

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/20/2006 - 17:16.

A friend sent me the folllowing article from the Wall Street Journal, suggesting it may be an excellent model for Northeast Ohio. I'll plan to make a visit and report further some time I'm passing through Erie, which is frequently. In the mean time, this article paints the picture well, and makes a good case for "Rembrandt in the Rust Belt"

East Cleveland not being intimidated by Sherwin-Williams

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/18/2006 - 15:50.

I was very pleased to be joined by the new Director of Development for East Cleveland, Tim Goler, last Monday, November 13, 2006, at the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council (GCLAC) Steering Committee meeting. Tim has an undergraduate degree in early child development, and has taught kindergarten and 4th grade, and he has a master's degree in urban planning from Cleveland State University, and has been active in that field, nationwide, including working in environmentalism in NEO. So, he is an excellent addition to the team in East Cleveland, and to the war against lead poisoning in our region. Short story, he has assured me East Cleveland is not intimidated by Sherwin-Williams suing them for suing the paint industry over the public nuisance of lead poisoning in that community, nor efforts of State Rep. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, who hopes to tweak previously passed legislation that would prevent cities or anybody else from using the state’s public nuisance law to sue the lead pigment manufacturers - Tim Goler is in step with East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer and their law department in pursuing due process and justice and they will drive an aggressive battle against lead poisoning in this region.

Targeted Grants to Reduce Childhood Lead Poisoning, Request for Proposals for FY 2006

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 11/16/2006 - 22:58.

EPA is soliciting grant proposals from eligible entities to conduct activities to reduce incidences of childhood lead poisoning in vulnerable populations, including projects to: (1) Reduce lead poisoning in areas with high incidences of elevated blood-lead levels; (2) identify and reduce lead poisoning in under-studied areas with high potential for undocumented elevated blood-lead levels; and (3) develop tools to address unique and challenging issues in lead  poisoning prevention, especially tools that are replicable and scalable for other areas. Activities eligible for funding include outreach and public education, data gathering, monitoring, training, inspections and assessments, and demonstrations of new and innovative approaches for identifying or reducing lead poisoning. EPA is awarding grants which
will total approximately $3,000,000. The Agency anticipates awarding individual grants of $25,000 to $100,000.
http://epa.gov/lead/pubs/nofa2006.pdf
The closing date for applicants to submit proposals under this announcement is January 12, 2007.

Sherwin-Williams Plain Dealer posts latest in the war to save 1,000s of NEO youth from lead poisoning each year

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 11/16/2006 - 01:21.

In an article that makes one wonder whether the mayor of Akron is perhape lead poisoned, the Cleveland Plain Dealer today gleefully reports " The City of Akron has dropped its lawsuit against Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW) and other former manufacturers of lead pigment, but it’s not saying exactly why"  and "Motley Rice partner Jack McConnell said it’s his understanding that (Akron Mayor) Plusquellic wanted the suit dismissed for the time being, but that when the outside lawyers working with the city wanted to meet with the mayor to discuss his intention he refused." I'll point out that in the term of this mayor it is safe to say more people in his domain have been lead poisoned than died in 9/11, and than the Americans who have died in Iraq, and if it is not the fault of Sherwin-Williams it is Mayor Plusquellic's fault, and he should be subject to litigation. He has been mayor for five terms and, as Wikipedia reports: "He is widely praised and criticized by both sides of the aisle--and some affiliated with neither Parties. In 2006, it was announced by an independent watchdog group that the city was 1.1 billion USD in debt, more per capita then any other city of its size in Ohio. The public school system has suffered due to a very strong tax abatement structure Plusquellic employed to bring new development to downtown Akron. Some complain that the City does not run like a municipal body but a business, complete with press releases and news conferences." More to follow on this shift of responsibility for lead poisoning to the Mayor of Akron.

Can we try it in NEO, now that it is in the NYTimes? Entrepreneurs See a Web Guided by Common Sense

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 11/12/2006 - 21:36.

The NY Times has caught on to what I've been proposing to NEO leaders for two years as a cluster for future economic and workforce development here (don't expect this story in the PD). Can we now show some common sense and give smart IT a try here - connecting social computing, artificial intelligence and cognitive science within our context of regional development... read on and read all the historical links throughout the TOPSOIL area of this site, and let's move on to be leaders in this important sector of the global economy.

Fascinating alternative energy entrepreneur in Toronto: founder of Beach Solar Laundromat

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 11/08/2006 - 15:13.

 

Dozens of best practices to be learned in this posting... From the North Coast of Lake Ontario comes the following story of an entrepreneur for sustainability in Toronto who has found “There is no longer a paradigm conflict, Renewable energy doesn’t have to cost more”. This entrepreneur, Alex Winch, found his strategy for retrofitting a run-down Laundromat to solar has paid off... "He’s kept prices low—lower than his competition—while tripling revenues and charting an annual 10% rate of return on investment." I'm exploring working with Alex and Toronto-based glass and neon artist Alfred Engerer to use solar and perhaps wind to generate the electricity for a major off-the-grid, hand blown neon installation in Toronto, while, in the big picture, Mondial is looking to go public. As you'll read below, "Alex Winch puts his money where his mouth is and, these days, he laughs all the way to the bank." For all the attention leadership of this community puts on renewable energy, what do we really have to show in the community. Perhaps a NEO Solar Laundromat would be the best next step.

John Jackson show powerful and exciting - thank you Zygote Press and John's family and friends

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/04/2006 - 01:40.

 

I was thrilled today to see a large collection of the small sculptures, prints, sketches and drawings of John Jackson exhibited at the remarkable Zygote Press, on E. 30th Street and St. Clair. As john Passed away this year, this is an exclusive opportunity not to be missed.

Cleveland Club of Washington, DC, hosts post election analysis at National Press Club

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 10/30/2006 - 20:31.
11/14/2006 - 12:15
11/14/2006 - 14:00
Etc/GMT-4


Phillip Williams and I are pleased to have developed and host the social network for the near-50-year-old Cleveland Club of Washington, DC, at http://clevelandclub.org, and I just posted their next event, which sounds great... so I thought I'd post it here as well, in case any of you will be in DC Nov. 14th or know Clevelanders there... you/they should contact Brooke Stoddard (info below) to attend. Here's the invitation:

Location

National Press Club
529 14th Street, N. W. McClendon Room of the Reliable Source Restaurant, 13th Floor
Washington, DC
United States

Really interesting string on NEO economic development issues Brewing Fresh Daily now

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 10/28/2006 - 14:17.

There is an excellent string of postings on Brewed Fresh Daily worth checking out and interacting with here! Enough said.

ClevelandBikes Letter to ODOT Regarding West Shoreway Proposal

Submitted by Kevin Cronin on Fri, 10/27/2006 - 19:28.

Below is nonprofit ClevelandBikes' letter to the Ohio Department of Transportation regarding the ODOT plans for the West Shoreway. Individuals wishing to add their views on the plan can visit the ODOT website (http://www.innerbelt.org/Lakefrontwest/Lakefronthome.htm) or email project officers (craig [dot] hebebrand [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us, Lora [dot] Hummer [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us).  

Imagine this in University Circle... MoCA has, and NEO will soon see a fantastic reality

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 10/27/2006 - 11:50.

Steven Litt shared very exciting news today in the Plain Dealer - the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) has announced their choice of architect to design their relocated facility in University Circle, and the potential for something spectacular is astounding. The choice is Foreign Office Architects, of London, which Litt calls "one of the hottest young architecture firms in the world", and their portfolio shows some exciting designs from around the world (some examples posted above and below) - it seems the MoCA project will be their most important ever in the USA... they will be working with Cleveland's Westlake Reed Leskosky. Also mentioned in Litt's column, University Circle Incorporated seem to be making progress working with MRN, Ltd. (developers of E. 4th Street), and Zaremba, Inc., for remaining planning of the Triangle area, so a complete development picture for this important zone is coming into focus.

E-Mail from Barack Obama

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 10/26/2006 - 22:12.

Last week, my lifelong Republican now Democratic parents told me there is a promising candidate for President in 2008. Barack Obama. They are entusiastic, and even gave me a Time Magazine about Barack. I hadn't had a chance to think too much about this until today, when I got an email from Barack encouraging my support for the Democratic ticket this year. So I went to his website, and saw something very positive about the man... "Since coming to Washington, Senator Obama has made the elimination of childhood lead poisoning one of his top priorities." Add to that, "Senator Obama has been a strong supporter of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and is a cosponsor of the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act (S. 508)" "He is a cosponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act (S. 1151)"... etc.

Lessons learned from OCAD for CIA and NEO

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 10/26/2006 - 02:08.

While I still “live” in NEO, I now largely work in Toronto, and post most of my insight from there. I believe such global insight sharing offers unique perspectives to NEO not otherwise available and encourage more cross-boundary insight trade. As someone long associated with the Northeast Ohio economy and arts, I can't help but compare what I experience in Toronto (and Canada) with my experiences in Cleveland (and the USA), and I feel lessons learned far and wide, like in Toronto, will help NEO develop a stronger new economy at home. For those far and wide, I encourage you to post your observations here!

Happy 2nd B-Day, REALNEO

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 10/26/2006 - 01:22.

Two weeks ago saw the second birthday of REALNEO. I started REALNEO in October, 2004, to provide “Regional Economic Action Links for North East Ohio” and implement for the region some exciting open source social networking technology. While the outcomes have not been entirely what I expected, and these years have in ways been rough, I've been thrilled to help drive and support some great developments in the community.

Try the "Just One Thing" approach

Submitted by Evelyn Kiefer on Thu, 10/19/2006 - 14:32.

 “Even when it comes to a problem as big as global warming, doing Just One Thing can have an enormous, positive impact on our planet. For instance, replacing four light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs will keep a ton of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that causes global warming, out of the air. And if everyone in the U.S. unplugged their electronics, such as TVs, computers, DVD players, and stereos when they're not using them, we'd prevent 18 million tons of carbon from being released into the atmosphere. Just One Thing is so easy--and so effective.”

Trick My Vote: Science, Intellectual Courage, and the Battle for America's Soul" topic of a free public lecture by Ken Miler

Submitted by Evelyn Kiefer on Thu, 10/19/2006 - 12:48.
10/26/2006 - 11:30
10/26/2006 - 13:00
Etc/GMT-4

Trick My Vote: Science, Intellectual Courage, and the Battle for America's Soul" is the topic of a free public lecture by Ken Miller, biologist at Brown University, expert witness at the Dover, PA "Panda Trial," and author of the book Finding Darwin's God. He will explain why every college student must vote. Program will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, October 26, in Ford Auditorium, Allen Memorial Medical Library. Visit /scholars/Events.htm for more information.

Location

CWRU, Ford Auditorium, corner of Euclid and Ford
corner of Euclid and Ford
Cleveland, OH
United States

Beck Board, Lakewood and their schools propose great vision for arts in the inner-ring

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 10/19/2006 - 07:01.

 

The Plain Dealer published early details for a wonderful vision that has been developed by the Beck Board of Directors, with the City of Lakewood and the Lakewood schools, that will offer all of NEO a wonderful arts and learning asset for the future. "The Beck Center for the Arts will stay in Lakewood and form a partnership with city schools to create an arts-education academy that would anchor a possible cultural district in Lakewood's west end." "Other potential partners could include colleges and businesses." Sounds like a great opportunity for the CIA, and perhaps Kent State, wo have a valuable presence on the West Side!

Shaping Regina... Brett says that in our culture people tend to find fulfillment through material consumption

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 10/18/2006 - 16:24.

In today's Plain Dealer, columnist Regina Brett posted an editorial acknowledging the decline of PD readership and asking readers to offer suggestions. " How should we change? What do we do to attract young people without alienating the faithful?" I can offer an easy answer: " “When we talk about moving toward sustainability, we need to talk about at least three things,” he says. “Changing the economic structure we’re all working in, changing the culture we live in, and changing our own individual consumption patterns.”

Panel discussion opens Cleveland Institute of Art exhibit showcasing green, affordable housing designs

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 10/18/2006 - 13:37.
11/03/2006 - 17:15
11/03/2006 - 19:00
Etc/GMT-4

An eye-opening exhibition on environmentally friendly design of affordable housing opens with a panel discussion at The Cleveland Institute of Art at 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2006. The traveling exhibition, HOME House Project: The Future of Affordable Housing, will be on view in the Institute’s Reinberger Galleries from November 3 – December 22, 2006. See images from the exhibition at the Weisman Museum here. Read On:

The exhibition began in 2003 with a competition sponsored by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Designers and architects were challenged to create appealing, affordable single-family house designs using Habitat for Humanity house plans as a starting point. The 440 entries originally submitted by designers from the U.S. and six countries were judged on their design appeal, affordability and use of environmentally sustainable materials, technologies and techniques.

Location

Cleveland Institute of Art
11141 East Boulevard Reinberger Galleries
Cleveland, OH
United States

What the USEPA does not want to know about PIPS

Submitted by Zebra Mussel on Mon, 10/16/2006 - 20:47.

Once again the 'agency' makes a move towards increasing the likelyhood of exposure to frankenfoods.  Check it:

On Oct. 11 in the Federal Register notice (71 Fed. Reg. 59,697) the  USEPA has issued a draft rule that exempts some plant incorporated protectants from the EPA's regulatory requirments for pesticides.

Greater Ohio briefs candidates

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 10/16/2006 - 15:16.

Want to know what Greater Ohio has been saying to gubernatorial and legislative candidates this election season? It's in the book - the Greater Ohio's briefing book for candidates, officially titled, "If Sprawl Meant Jobs, Ohio Would Have Full Employment: Policies for Redeveloping a Great State" (also available from Greater Ohio's home page).