jar3232

Just a quick update, I went in front of the Zoning Appeals Board this morning and I am proud to say I am the first city resident with a legal wind turbine in the city. Apparently there is a gentleman from Tremont planning to put one on top of an apartment, does anyone know anything about this?

Some of this is TOTAL off subject, but an extended school year IS coming to Ohio (Thanks to H.B. 1 and TS) as well as the rest of the US. I know there are costs associated with extending the school year, but it doesn't have to be "class room hours" American students, on an average, all ready spend more "instructional" time in school than their foreign counterparts. http://yesbuthowever.com/president-obama-presses-for-longer-school-year-8136124/ I think education needs an overhaul, at least what the goals of our educational system are. Like I said before TS has taken a great first step with H.B.1 Though currently we have a system that if it did work (every kid went to college), it would be devastating. Education needs to be more flexible, whether it be urban v suburban schools. I truly believe that under the current system, schools rated excellent get to stay the same, schools rated below have an extended school year based on how poor their rating are. Though I am not against a full year calendar for all schools, but I don't believe it should add NO more than 20 days to the schools year. I would like to see flexible scheduling during summer months as well to incorporate civic and cultural studying during that time. I also like the point that someone raised about colleges focusing more on career training than remediation and that truly should be the "job" of K 12 education. I would love to see better alignment between senior year of high school and freshman year of college. I think we waste a TON of money on those services, and that job is better served by community colleges.

How is it illadvised? He is adding 20 days that is phased in over a long period of time and most schools will only need to add 10 days. In fact, the president is only just starting to talk about the same subject: http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/11448 Let's be honest, kids need time off, but they don't need 3 months. There are ways to do an all year calendar that adds minimal days to the 180 school year and still enables the students to be kids. Also he is instituting all day kindergarten, eliminating the OGT's, added language to make it easier to dismiss bad teachers, changed in part the school funding formula (first time) and kept schools funded for the next 2 years so districts didn't have to go back to voters. I think H.B.1 was a great success for Ohio and it's schools. 48 states cut funding to education this year, Ohio was not one of those. :clap: I think it was the best education plan that has come out of C-bus in a veeeery long time. It's not perfect, but it was a great first step. I will be voting for Strickland. Again, they kids can get July off still and most schools end in mid June, have summer school until mid-July and start the 2-3 week of August anyway. There are ways to do it right. Time off is important, but it can be used better.

I saw a comment on cleveland.com that 69% percent of Clevelander's are "functionally illiterate" (reading at a 4th grade level). I thought there was no way that could be true, so I started searching around the iterwebs and I came across this website: http://www.seedsofliteracy.org/index.php/facts They're associated with all the big literacy programs in Cleveland and list the literacy rate of city residents at 69% and as high as 95% in some neighborhoods. I just cannot believe that these facts are correct. Anyone know anything about this or "seeds of literacy"?

I have been following this thread since the start and just reread it, but I am lost. Where are we exactly on this project. What is left to do?

Opps, sorry Mayday, posted the wrong link...My 2 articles are cleaned up... http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,5774.msg302864.html#msg302864

This thread needs cleaned up: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,8513.msg124235.html#msg124235

This always happens to useful things. I like the free exchange of information and ideas this website represents. To me UrbanOhio is a time capsule. It details and documents not only the history of Ohio, but the current attitudes and views of today that will be useful information tomorrow. While I understand revenue and the need to make money to be a business. UrbanOhio is not evil, no one is getting rich off the information and the only reason I EVER visited any of these news papers websites (which was more often than not) was because of UrbanOhio. I to plan on boycotting these news papers and never giving them a cent of my money personally. Boooooooo the man, via la urbanohio

While not Dayton proper, I was in the Fairborn/Beaver Creek area this past weekend for the first time and it wasn't bad. Seemed like most of Ohio suburbs around a sizable city. Had a university, cul-de-sac housing, bunch of the same old stores and a nice park system (Ohio does parks well). I just got a brief pass through Dayton itself and it didn't look bad, kinda like Akron, just a city. I thought Wright State looked out of place and didn't look like it belonged there. Though they did have a pretty sweet softball tournament. I probably wouldn't plan a day trip or weekend getaway there, but I would go back for functions and events.

Doesn't Greene = Crocker Park? I hope that isn't the best Dayton has to offer

I am into anything that is worth seeing in Dayton. It will be my first trip to the city and I just want it to be a decent experience. Are the museums and such open after 5 on Saturdays though, I assume they will not be? Is the Oregon District the best hood to see? I am taking my bike down, where is the best place to bike? I intend on trying either Coco's or Pacchia on your recommendation.

I am playing in a softball tournament in Dayton (Fairmont) this weekend and was wondering what I should do while there. I play until 4-5 on Saturday and Sunday, after that I have all the time in the world. I will be traveling with someone and would like to find a nice restaurant and other points of interest that will keep us busy. Price isn't a concern. Any help would be appreciated.

Nope, but I am putting one up around it.

Well here is the finished turbine. All wires from the turbine are buried, slab covered, and guy wires installed. I think the project came out pretty nice. Another view I like, looking up. I still have some interior wiring to do, but for the most part, all of the hard work is done. I hope to be done with the wiring tomorrow.

A little Cleveland wind power history for your reading. Well I was hoping to be the first resident in Cleveland to be wind powered, but I was roughly 120 years to late. In 1887 Charles F. Brush designed and erected the world's first wind-powered electric generator in Cleveland, Ohio. It operated for 12 years delivering 12 kilowatts of power to Brush's home on 37th and Euclid Avenue. During the winter of 1887-88 Brush built what is today believed to be the first automatically operating wind turbine for electricity generation. It was a giant - the World's largest - with a rotor diameter of 17 m (50 ft.) and 144 rotor blades made of cedar wood. Note the person mowing the lawn to the right of the wind turbine. The turbine ran for 20 years and charged the batteries in the cellar of his mansion. Despite the size of the turbine, the generator was only a 12 kW model. This is due to the fact that slowly rotating wind turbines of the American wind rose type do not have a particularly high average efficiency. It was the Dane Poul la Cour , who later discovered that fast rotating wind turbines with few rotor blades are more efficient for electricity production than slow moving wind turbines. The Brush turbine on Euclid Ave. Mr. Brush's Windmill Dynamo, Scientific American, 20 December 1890

A friend of mine had the tower at their parents house, it is an old TV antenna tower. It was really easy to adapt to use as a turbine tower. Minimal metal working skills were needed. This type of tower is pretty easy to come by these days and you can find them cheep everywhere. They have a flagpole type tower you can buy for around $150, but this setup gives me the flexibility to climb it and do maintenance if I have to. CD, I followed the guidelines and safety instructions for installing a TV antenna. I kid you not, for a 100 ft tower you are supposed to go down 5 ft. On my 30ft tower I went down 4 and a half and poured the larger slab just to be safe. Think of the slab as a stabilizing top, it keeps it from leaning or moving around in the original hole. All together there are 18 - 80lbs bags of concrete that hold the tower up. It isn't going anywhere. To be honest, you cannot see it from the street at all. It is pretty well hidden. You will have to come over and check it out.

I will be more than happy to share any information I gather. I have a weather station at the top of the tower which records wind speed, direction, and a ton of over information. I will periodically post my readings for anyone who is interested. Today I poured the base slab. A picture of the prep work for the slab 10 - 80lb of concrete were poured to make the slab A friend untying the support ropes

Well today I put the turbine up and anchored her in. 5 guys put it up and poured the concrete in just under 2 hours. Went very well. View from the neighbors yard. Bottom brace Full View Turbine at dusk I like this view Now I just need to lay a slab and trench the wire to the garage. Project is going along nicely so far.

Tonight on Fox news "On The Record" they did a really nice piece on the Cleveland Clinic dealing with healthcare and obesity. Pretty well done, considering it was fox news

So the weather and some other obligations have kept me from the project, but here is a little update. All that is left to do is to cement her into the ground. I need two days of decent, no rain, weather to do it. Here is to hopping it is this week. My 4ft hole for the tower filled to the top with mother nature...Boooo her All wired up and mounted. Still have to figure out a way to hold the slip ring in place. Turbine is painted and the collet I made even works. Yeah metal working skills. She is officially named the NCC-1701 J, yes a very bad joke, but what else would you expect? View of everything mounted, wired, and ready to go, including my new wireless anemometer to run to a pc.

That's a good thread, but the last post was 2 years ago and most of the info is from 05. Thanks for the post though, I appreciate it.

My old camera decided to stop working, so I am in the market for a new one. My budget is between $200-300. I just want to do simple things like details projects, the occasional photo day around the neighborhood, and print a photo once in a blue moon. I wouldn't even consider myself hobbyist material, more of a lazy amateur. Any advice would be appreciated.

You should try looking at the Old Brooklyn and South Hills neighborhood of Cleveland. There are several forum members, including myself, who live in the neighborhood. This Saturday is the home and bike tour of the neighborhood. It is called "All-Access", details can be found here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,18864.0.html General Old Brooklyn Thread http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13801.0.html Old Brooklyn Pictures http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15668.0.html Old Brooklyn Commercial District Pictures http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16813.msg309127.html#msg309127 South Hills Pictures Pictures http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=16732.0 Good luck in your home search.

Everything still moving along...Got the turbine in today. It's an ARI-450 Another view, still have to paint it and name it. The charge controller for the turbine. Shuts down the turbine if the wind is to high and monitors the charge of the battery pack. Option for controlling solar panels in the future. Hope to have it up and running the garage by next Friday.

I like the zoo idea, put it on the old go kart site next to the zoo. It overlooks the city and zoo. Pretty neat spot. Make it into one giant green space with only the carousal, open and run on zoo hours. The kids would love it.