Etheostoma Caeruleum

If we start it as monthly, aside from dead winter when all is snow, etc... Can we commit to every 4th Saturday of the month....same time...meet at same place. Hubz, if you can participate as you say and recruit a lot of volunteers for a weekly thing....then that would be a great way to get it noticed. The more it is kept after, the easier this becomes.

:-o If there is one thing lacking here, it is burgers.

This is just for fun. I am posting several classic Cleveland news cast openings, and a couple other related. Times have changed. I rarely watch mainstream news anymore....But...These days saw each local station with very local personalities, original programming and character, even the 'late night movie'...and a real sense of community. And you could identify with them. These days all seems running on auto pilot after 11:00 PM...same same....same. The jingle on the 5 is actually humorous and the retro 'page-flipping' and psychedelic graphics. You will also catch a glimpse of a much younger Al Roker at Channel 3. One clip features Dorothy Fuldheim...and even a classic 60's Higbees Commercial. How many on UO are old enough to remember any of this? Each clip is relatively short. Enjoy! :-D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYmmiyu2s2k# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GsJesinpZc&feature=related# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEqVDkbvt2o&feature=related# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV6sI5Lmy98# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfT1TwWbNos&feature=related#

^ I agree...Businesses, or someone needs to set some sand tastefully looking cans outside...Still, personally, just because there aren't any... I wouldn't throw it on the ground. My friend just puts it out on his shoe and pockets it when it cools off. What do you think of the "Don't Be A Tosser- Bin Your Butts" campaign description in one of the links? Maybe the cans can say: "Don't Be A Tosser-Bin Your Butts"

^ OMG! I concur totally!!! I have said the same thing... The Raddison Inn on Prospect (or is it on Huron?) used to be romantically lit at night... It looked so nice.. The lights have not worked in years. You hit the nail on the head... Burned out lights are a yet another sign of not getting the 'tie your shoes...zip your pants' concepts of doing the little virtually cost free things to make a much better perception. Also, I don't know how many times I have called CPP about outed streetlights downtown. Anyway, that is not a peeve... Its a clear demonstration of negligence and lack of pride by those responsible for looking after such. It only gets bigger and bigger...to create the issues as I have outlined in my Shopkeeper article above (domino effect/broken window theory, etc) Now here is my problem of the day..... People using the tree planters and sidewalks to constantly flick cigarette butts down. Look at all the tree planters on Euclid.. How many millions were spent on this street-scape and this is how it is treated? Take note....Every one is full of cigarette butts, which contrary to popular myth, are NOT bio-degradable anytime soon. They can last years or more and still be in tact. Collectively, these butts make a big visual problem that simply put.... looks like crap! At least, lets get some sand bins down there. Because of this, it has spawned another idea....and one of the first window art themes I am going to use is one of promoting an anti-littering mindset and philosophy, which is severely lacking in this city right now. Sure, we clean it up in many places.. But why are we throwing it down? Instead, it will in a clever way, promote more recycling...and placing other trash and those eco disaterous cigar tips and cigarette butts into the trash can. There is not a piece of litter we do not throw down that will not eventually make it into our water...our lake, our biggest asset in so many ways, which its good health is directly linked to creating the quality of life and clean environment that will make people want to move here...much the same reason they move to a Portland. How embarrassing is it to bring people near the water and see it looking like a toilet of litter. Have we not learned yet? So, If there is one suggestion I would have for DCA... Please..please..please... we can never be too vigilant or let-up on litter issues. I know the ambassadors do a great job...but there are some target areas like along Euclid and P.S. that really could use a little more aggressive boost. Cigarette butts are litter too. Even when they're hashed and smashed out on the walk..the ash eventually stains the walks/brick work. This is not an issue of one or two now and then... It is hundreds at a time. It needs to be addressed. Remember.. "Bin Your Butts!" Or.. when riding..."The Earth isn't your ashtray...please keep your butt in the car" The more people see..the more they are apt to throw down. Here are a couple resources about impacts of butt litter: This is from the "Bin Your Butts" campaign http://www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/for_households/out_and_about_2032.html And here is the "Don't Be A Tosser" campaign: http://www.yass.nsw.gov.au/news/pages/7686.html ...And... CBS News.. "Cigarette Litter Remains A Beach" http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/07/national/main2896929.shtml

A Report On Today's Litter Sweep.... Thanks so much to the handful of people who showed up to make a difference on the shoreline. As this snowballs and we establish a visual presence regularly, people, even the careless pigs, are less apt to throw trash down because they will see that people actually give a damn! Its all a psychological thing. May Day explained it well today. I am also ok if anyone wants to send a note to the paper about doing choosing to do this on a regular basis. Edgewater is a front room and natural green focal point of the shoreline. These areas are going to be a target priority. One of the things I want to address more are the cigarette butts and plastic cigar tips...bread bag ties and bottle caps..collectively, create a huge problem for water quality, visual aesthetics, and wildlife, both aquatic and terrestrial. Next time I will bring a rake and scoop for that. In the meanwhile, any writing to ODNR Division of Parks and even The Division Of Wildlife which suggests strong support for litter prevention and clean-up, will help to sway their focus on such. The comforting thought in all of us is that sometimes we think there is 'someone who will take care of it" In reality...there isn't... WE are it... We are the ones who have to start the seeds for developing the kind of mindset and culture that reveres its natural shoreline. It would be good for those who can show up weekly... Just to say "Yes"..then go out and just do it... Those who can make it monthly... Great!!! This means that any given weekend, or month there will be someone there. I will also register us as a group with the state offices. We can use this thread as the communication source to get all on the same page. On a side note, but very related...I was also downtown today. As I walked along Euclid, I was disappointed to see that everyone seems to think the tree planters are for discarding cigarette butts. This is not so. It is littering as well. Through the window display program I am working on.... Maybe some of the art can be themed around a "bin-your-butts" subject. Some bins for discarding such would be good. Anyway, the point is...that what some see as small...adds up to be a lot.. and if collectively, we can all be a part of the problem...then by equal logic, we have to be a part of the solutions. We spoke to a nice person from Italy today and he was appalled to see how so many people here carelessly toss litter onto the ground...and worse yet, to discover that some actually think this is their freedom to do so..what has actually been illegal all along. Sometimes it takes looking at ourselves through the eyes of the rest of the world to see how inappropriate things like this are. Ok, we snatched some 6 full bags of trash in only two hours. You would be amazed at what a difference this makes in such a short time. I hope many more will help out. Again...Thanks for the first steps in helping to take parks back from this sort of assault on them. With just 12 people, we can do Upper and Lower Edgewater in a couple hours! Imaging the rewards...imaging the lead-by-example opportunity this presents.. Just two hours of time in the whole week or month. We will do it again really soon... First to be there say "I" That's the report... Ohio's natural heritage thanks you! In the future, we can try to make this an afterwards social as well. It was good to start to meet some of you as well! Best, Robert P.S. If anyone is interested... This is some interesting information on "Butts on The Beach" And I don't mean the kind at which we enjoy staring! :-o Here are a couple resources about impacts of butt litter: This is from the "Bin Your Butts" campaign http://www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/for_households/out_and_about_2032.html And here is the "Don't Be A Tosser" campaign: http://www.yass.nsw.gov.au/news/pages/7686.html ...And... CBS News.. "Cigarette Litter Remains A Beach" http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/07/national/main2896929.shtml

I love the arcades. Here is one that I find very underrated. It was completed not too long after Cleveland's....and is a bit of a different style...a bit longer, but not as wide...and with a different color scheme. The photos don't do it justice as actually being there. They have a website...but not too many decent photos, as I was surprised. Don't know why I never took photos of my own... Rats! Just thought I'd share.... http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2061213441_9e4b557fd4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/etoile2802/2061213441/&usg=___VMbP9wlj0qIVdL3ve_J9gM4XsI=&h=336&w=500&sz=204&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=giDeVKONLjHQyM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstrand%2Barcade%2Bsydney%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

This is a shame. Little more than 230 years and this is what has become a part of many US cities. There were some good buildings in there. What was interesting...is that even the 60's 70's sprawl plaza was ghost....sprawl more and more and more....until there is NO more.

If anyone knows where to contact the owners/operators...send the 411 my way and we will contact them to offer free storefront displays.

Just a last minute reminder.... tomorrw...11:00 AM-ish.... small lot in upper Edgewater. Scroll back to see the details. Thank You!

I welcome the help... I have a pretty good rolling start on this so I think I work best when I have less people involved who will be more active...than more who are kind of on and off. We'll see how it goes first.

Maybe creating additional programs would help bolster the popularity of this sort of thing.

Rocky River Park is also a nice place to be near the water.

That logo is probably not staying on there... This is just a sample. I have not had any feedback from DCA on this so far, so I am just going at it on my own as my personal time allows. The logo was there because of the possibility of working with them on it. If they want to assist, I am all for it... But I would like to get it going because it actually is a very simple doable concept that needn't take an act of congress to move along with. If someone came to me when I had a building for rent once with this concept... I would have said 'go right ahead and do it' No one is paying for anything, except the volunteers who give their time/effort. This is a win, win, win situation.

If casinos are the best any given place can do for economic development sparks... I just shake my head in sigh and pity.

Ok, here is the idea... Who would like to get some copies of these, once the final print is complete to pass out to storefronts/business owners...in mailboxes, etc? I can explain all the details of the program to those who would place their phone numbers on the flier...so we're all on the same page. Sorry about the size of this thing on here.

Wouldn't it be nice if at least one structure downtown boasted an outdoor elevator? Although I don't fancy this image... It does look like it could accommodate one of those.

Wow! How nice that would look! Does anyone know yet...if plans would include restructuring the little dome bell tower on the top? It is not there anymore. I also wonder...if at the time, anyone was opposed to covering this building up with this material. It seems that in many cities this was the trend. If you remember the old Walt Disney movie "Sammy" (about the seal).... you would remember a scene where Sammy escaped in an office building.... where the mayor and other town shakers were promoting to 'modernize' the town...and there was a model showing before and after. It was all about the time this era started covering these buildings with modern looking siding. Wow. I am sure that industry made a lot at that time. I also have no doubt this will be one of the most handsome buildings downtown when finished.

^ One thing at a time.... Maybe we can make that a part of the plan I am working on... free snow removal.

^ Exactly! I am working on a program right now with a friend to attempt doing this. If you want to help...please PM me. We are ready to go with it and need a few volunteers. By the way...an example of a really nice feeling street downtown...East 6th Street. Here is a nifty little street, but the storefronts on the Leader Building are very tired looking. It would be amazing at just what a little paint and/or frequent washing could do--even if there are empty fronts.

^ Well, perhaps it does have something to do with that. But for me, I always thought it was about simple pride--which is FREE--And whether renting or owning, pride can still show. Personally, I am apt to taking care of a place even more so, if I were renting.....than if I owned---Because...I know that it is NOT mine and would want to take all the better care of it. Somewhere along the way a mentality came into play that demonstrates the "I don't care...it's not mine" attitude. I always blow the whistle on that sort of dysfunctional thinking when I hear it. Many downtown storefronts could do a much better job on simple virtually cost free maintenance.. Wash windows at the door once a month? Helloooo??? Noooo.. Every day before you open. (on the door area where there is a lot of handling) Not only does this little thing make a big impression...but it is also away of reducing the spread of cold and flu....and believe me, I am not Howard Hughes by a long shot, but this is as simple logic as washing hands before dinner. Dirty windows, restrooms, facades are off putting. There is one place in the Warehouse District, I noticed immediately one day that made a great daily effort to do exactly what I am talking about and I complemented them on how much I and others really appreciate them doing those simple things. I had food and drink at this place a few times but for the life of me cannot remember the name! Anyway, If not doing those simple things in places like that... we're on the path of becoming just another eventual scene of grungy bars. If I ever do organize enough to actually get a shop going downtown, I will make every attempt to show these examples in my business, as I have in the past with a small shop...and people will definitely see the difference.

This is turning into a soap opera.

What a ditz!

Hey.. Just wanted to pass along this nice Cleveland blog. I think the author does a great job writing interesting things about Cleveland/N.E. Ohio.... Check it out..Let her know you appreciate it. http://allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com/

I agree with this to an extent...... about the statement being ignorant.... However..... it is about time we stop being 'prejudiced' and labeling people 'racist' just because what they say does not conform to someone's idea of what a non-racist is. I am sick to death of that.... And it seems that the word 'racism' these days, is always referenced to, in white to black terms... When we never seem to acknowledge the reverse discrimination and racist attitude many blacks have to whites for no other apparent reason than having that chip on their shoulder with some inferiority complex. The prevailing environment regarding racism between blacks/whites seems to be that blacks can call out whites as being rascits, but whites cannot call out blacks if they sense they're being racist? It's time we stop being soooo overly politically correct to the point the truth in what we all really want to say gets buried. My roots were from Europe...and my kin endured their sad share of racism...and if we acknowledge that there is a rest of the world out there beyond the US borders...we realize this is not something that is exclusively about difficulties between Americanized Caucasians/Af. Am....and in reality.... what becomes a BIG part of a drain on population in cities goes back to the simple aspect of bad neighbors and bad behavior causes a lot of people to move in any given area at any given time. People live where they have a sense of safety, peace, and comfort in their own home and neighborhood... Much of the dramatic behavior that steals that sense often is concentrated in the core, OR, at least associated with it. Am I allowed to acknowledge that? Or am I being a racist? Would I be a racist if I said I hate suburban life because of the frequently occurring noises and lawn chemical poisons coming from incessant lawn care freaks? ...and that this behavior steals my sense of peace? (I really do hate that part about what has become a lot of the mentality of the burbs these days) Well, if one can be labeled one for making note at a truism associated with the inner city..then to be fair...the same should be applied for making notes at the truisms of suburban environments. By that logic, I guess I am a racist. ;-)