Etheostoma Caeruleum

If there is enough room for a decent department store... I would love to see one re-introduced into the place. What are the chances of this happening?

^ I remember the pet shop. It was actually clean and higher quality too.

^ "The buses and trains are much cleaner than the buses or trains in Boston, Philly, Chicago and DC (the stations are nice and clean but the vehicles reek of urine)" First, I don't want to act like just because its dirty somewhere else, that it allows us to have our fair share of filth too. (in respect to public transport) I want to be better than them and set the examples--not follow. Besides, one reason they may be cleaner here is probably because there aren't many people riding them here as there should be. The question always goes back to "WHY?" The basics I am talking about should not carry a huge budget to be able to implement. Most of it is the extreme basic that if a business cannot master, then they needn't be in business in the first place. Customer service skills? From operators often poor mannerisms, road bullying.... to administration not Returning emails, calls, or letters? Simply litter clean-up. I can tell you in another story how I know such trash and/or litter has been setting in the same place for years. Don't get me wrong, I am all for being explained why this or that may not seem as it is....however....Why is it that nearly everytime someone offers some constructive criticism or suggestions on anything related to Cleveland, how to improve something, or the fact there needs to be improvement, you have to rationalize, excuse, or reason away as though the complaints/comments/suggestions are invalid. Its time to stop saying WHY we cannot do this or that around here......and focus on HOW WE CAN. As for the remarks about the signs...those were more out of making the point that fancy advertising cannot always cover up the realities/problems.

^ "And RTA has been very short on people skills." "trust me, plastering window-blocking stickers touting a 2007 Best Transit System in N. America on RTA vehicles, when rail cars, buses and rail right-of-ways are filthy, there's a seeming lack of aggressive participation and/or rail/commuter rail expansion (or even discussion of such) by the GM, when such is happening in other cities -- other economically DISTRESSED cities like Cleveland (Pittsburgh, Detroit, the Twin Cities, St. Louis... and others – and even here under JoeC’s RTA predecessor; the same predecessor who, according to KJP and others, had numerous expansion “studies” shut down by JoeC), isn't going to win RTA many friends... even when there are the cool, slick-looking, new buses cruising down a slowly rebuilding Euclid Ave.... " I second these sentiments 110%!!! Get the basics right before anything else can happen! Such as what is described above, does not make anyone want to take the transit. That's the inconvenient truth that no amount of signs and sugarcoating can hide.

^ What is this? I clicked on it and not much but a reference to the flats and photo of the Sydney harbor.

There are other tenants moving into the building soon to use part of it.

^ I believe there are some offices that are going to be utilized in the space. Work is being done right now.

Just wanted to share this photo of a Coca-Cola advertisement for the snack bar that used to be on the upper floors in the TT. when it first opened. Look closely at the black and white checkered floor, the seemingly wooden walls....the telescope... and if you can....(sorry about poor quality) try and read the ambitious advertisement that has the TT boasted a crowning achievement!

Speaking of this building, I spoke with someone who does some management at the Halee Bldg....who found out from FC that there has been the intent to restore the flags on this building on the Ontario side...but the poles are made of teak and need to be restored because they cannot support the flapping and blowing around of flags. I believe it would cost thousands of dollars to restore each flag pole. I think flags on that avenue would provide a very classy look. Maybe flags with the old Higbees logo on them. Halees, by the way, intends to do their flags once they get the lift machine back. There is intent to have flags with the big green 'H" on them. Right now, however, with lower funds available, the city is down to duct tape.

SFBOB is one of the best Cleveland advocates out of state we have... He has roots here and who knows, may decide to come back here and encourage others to do so as well. His original post did not mean anything of the sort that Ohio City had little to offer. He basically meant that it has come a long way and continues to do so. Anytime we get someone in San Fran where there can often be a 'west is best...east is least' attitude (my very own two sisters who live there!), who says good things about Cleveland, we need to keep the welcome mat out all the time for them. Enthusiasm can be difficult to generate about our city, especially on the coast, so let's not diffuse it. I think there was a simple misunderstanding here. C'mon guys... Shake on it! :-D

Creepy photos taken in Woodland Cemetery..and video in Franklin Castle. Notice the orb in the Woodland photo that appears to have a screaming face. Real? No? Those who took the photos insist authenticity. You be the judge! Have a look! http://www.creepycleveland.net/

Congrats Buckeyes!

Thought I would share this great video about coral reefs and impacts of climate change...... I am not sure if this is the exact thread for it...but relative, no doubt. If it needs a more specific one, no problems with it moving. http://www.vimeo.com/7962248

^ "(see: not the usual sit-on-your-ass sports bar-ish type joint downtown has in abundance)." Thank you!...That's for sure!

I try not to respond, but there is activity in the warehouse district and tower city and other venue throughout downtown. As things are developed more will come as Cleveland is a foodie town. Let me rephrase: I would like to see more activity outside the 'districts' to fill in other dead zones.

Philosophically speaking....Within the state...this reminds me of the sort of thing we are doing to each other as suburbs and counties and townships and so on, right now...in terms of competing for the parts of the tax pie......... Now it is state versus state in terms of competing in terms of the union/non-union thing. One state's loss is another's gain... Not very "united" sounding to me. But, I am not against the institution, concept or the need for a union, per se....I just don't like a lot of what has become of them as they have often become dysfunctional and corrupt and controlled...and bad performance hides under the protection of filing a grievance with the union. I have worked in places like that and it drove me up the wall was was gotten away with by employees. However, the roots of the union had noble cause (Gompers, Kovac, (sp? etc.) and a need because companies were treating employees like crap and working conditions were rotten. Left totally unabated, the fear is that it could happen again. Why should people change as long as the bottom line is profit at any cost. Scruples and ethics and moral compasses as to how employees are treated need be in the hearts of those who run the companies as we cannot make a law to govern everything like that. But, they obviously weren't, nor would there have been the push to unionize in the first place. People need to stop being treated as a 'resource' that is expendable, but that will never happen as long as we value profit at any cost before people. That was a part of the thinking by companies that spawned the union movement in the first place. But to think any other way...well, IMO...It would take a different philosophy that I think we're still a few hundred years away from understanding. I think Chomski mentioned something like "Organized violence at the top...breeds disorganized violence at the bottom" I think that is where we are right now...or always have been, really. Maybe Plato would understand......don't know.

With an area with the population such as ours, where most of the population has shifted around, instead of leaving completely....going in the direction of structuring government this way makes sense. I felt this way 20 years ago, but most people thought I was nuts for thinking like this. But if we can just get beyond the 'imaginary line' mentality that has us all acting like every man for himself on the sinking Titanic......fighting amongst each other for a share of the economic/tax pie....and instead work together, the ultimate outcome of creating region wide government and standards can result in a lot of good things and lay out an overall healthier region, socially, economically, and environmentally. One such component to this issue that is especially concerning to me is stopping the piss poor planning and unnecessary willy nilly urban sprawl (which in my own opinion, aside from all else, is simply making Ohio look UGLY)----and the 'pin-the-tail-on-the donkey' approach to planning that progresses blindly---where we will build a complex of shopping malls, for example.... of the same sort, right next to the exact same thing down the street. (where a market study would not demonstrate the need for it in the first place) Once the blindfold is removed, we discover that where such a place was built, is like we 'pinning the tail' right on top of another tail! This is the scenario where only the developer make out but stakeholders often lose when we see the stream of empties that follow with overbuilding.... or the cannibalization of other businesses...loss of locally owned and independent businesses, their tax contributions and their employees. The part in the article that states: "If the region's local governments can coordinate planning, Currin said, Northeast Ohio could protect its agricultural and green spaces by reinvesting in core cities where infrastructure already exists and by establishing development zones for commercial, industrial, retail and residential growth." --- Is crucial to pay close attention. To promote this our planning has to have input from more diverse a body than allowing only developers/politicians to dictate it. Then we can achieve the diversity that breeds the stability in the economy--and the environmental sustainability as a cherry on top of the ice cream, we all would like to see.

I don't have any photos yet... But let me just give an update on some of these windows.... Projects we are working on: finishing Statler.... The Chesterfield and will do 811 Prospect. I have contacted May Company and a few others. One person I contacted about doing this is very interested but cannot comment on it until his higher ups return. I think we are all in for a treat at The Chesterfield. This is going to be a 3 window display that will fill the emptiness on that part of 12th and will look absolutely awesome! Myself and a couple participants have discussed eventually creating a sort of outdoor window display art walk---but would like to get a few more going first. Of course, ideally, we'd all like to see empty spaces be utilized with something of need and quality, but hey, in the meantime...what a great way to take advantage of the times. With the glut of empty storefronts and art collecting dust in storage, there is no need to have thew windows remain empty. We came up quickly with something like the following, which will be placed on those little map cards such as used in the Tremont Art Walk or other advertising. Welcome to Downtown Cleveland’s “OUTDOOR, SELF-GUIDED--STOREFRONT WINDOW SHOPPING--ART WALK!” A unique experience deserves quite a name like that! Please follow the path listed on the map to find showcase windows in many prominent/historic buildings featuring the art of many local artists. On behalf of the participating property owners and artists, we appreciate your support---so, if you like the art, OR, would like to purchase any specific work, please make a direct connection at the contact information provided in the windows. We’d love to hear from you and what art you liked best about this walk! You can also phone XXX-XXX-XXXX for comments or questions! Anyway, I will eventually collect some photos for this project, but if McCleveland or even Cluless-Ohio can be so kind as to take some to post HERE, that would be appreciated by many who have helped out so much with this project. Lastly, I am working on getting that 14th and Bolivar exhibit fully lit. (across from Gray's Armory)

I don't see why the round-a-bout concept could not be applied to this. Can anyone find a large one in Europe that accommodates a lot of traffic that can serve to suggest that it can be done here?

^ I answered this in a personal email. The response is totally irrational.

I somewhat agree with this. But the problem is making Public Square more pedestrian friendly. If we just renovate the existing space, I think we would also need pedestrian bridges (or tunnels?) to connect the four sections. I agree with what Hts. says here to a point. The point is that working with what you already have instead of gutting the whole thing...maximizing its potential as it is...and all the things Hts mentions is definitely needed. To do this, we need to work to change the perception, and doing that means doing what Hts suggests. But it seems we cannot take constructive critique to do this without a race card dealing. Like Joe or Mary Strongsville or not, and indeed, this IS all they seem to notice..But...these people have familys too (to bring into the city).....and money to spend, and we need to make downtown inviting for them to expand the demographic--so that such is NOT the only thing they notice. There is simply not enough diversity in the square. After hours, if there is mainly one demographic on the square... sorry, but that is not diverse! I don't live in the burbs. I live on Franklin, go downtown a lot, and in ways consider our adjacent near neighborhoods as an appendage of downtown and part of it.....and I notice things we cannot pretend do not exist at our square. Things that detract from making this into the kind of place with the people activity as pictured in the renderings. The minute we take note to them, then the ideology comes up that suggests..."there aren't any problems...its just that those who notice this are being to 'suburban' " I see this attitude being 'inner city snobbish' in its own right. In reality, we have a lot of people who come from the burbs and region to spend a lot of dough in this town and while we may like it or not, it is important to get the place appealing enough to draw more and more people inward to engage in even more activity--but, if you want it on the front room of the city...the image it often attracts right now, is not conducive to attracting this visionary scene on the square. Safety first. The suburbanites can be a potential gain and ally for Cleveland. What is the matter with working to change their perceptions. We are a 'gateway into the burbs..and they are a gateway into the core' we need to work together. Having said all this, I totally agree about working with what we have on the square. Maybe if the basics were instituted such as Hts suggests, it would be what makes it more of what we want it to be.

I see what you mean. Perhaps that because these were rural farming areas not far from Atlanta----and meanwhile in the Cleveland area we already had solidly established suburbs at equal distances from the core---made it easier to get those sort of places included in their SMA? Thoughts on that? Remember... Cleveland, etc. was already very 'mature' when those surrounding areas in those cities contained only Uncle Jesse and Daisy. I just wonder if such a scenario makes it easier for such a place like Atlanta to gobble those areas up into their SMA since there was really little to anything there (in the surrounding areas) until the last 35 years. And this area of Ohio had many more 'metro areas' than did Atlanta. (Yo. Akron, Canton--well established by themselves) I remember years and years ago...there was just Atlanta, the city..and once outside the proper...it was flat out more rural. Only until recently have many in N.E. Ohio taken a more regional perspective at how they view what can be considered "the Cleveland area" --or the SMA--or what the visitors bureau now calls "Cleveland-Plus" There was always "Greater Cleveland" But that historically mostly included the inner ring burbs..and not so much the extra counties outside Cuyahoga. Just wonder if all this has anything to do with why they get to include those extended areas?

^ The top...the cornice and the front of the top.....this will be a true floor, right? Not a facade? This is the area where more suites will be, no?

I wonder if any of this has anything to do with NAFTA?

Yes.. Norcross Georgia is pretty far out of Atlanta, yet it is considered part of Greater Atlanta, is that correct?