Three city owned?  Is that a mistake?  If not who owns the fourth?

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Overnight curfew approved for Cleveland Public Square

 

Posted by Susan [email protected] August 08, 2007 21:50PM

Categories: Breaking News

 

Cleveland City Council approved a curfew today for Public Square.

 

No one can loiter in the three city-owned quadrants near Tower City Center between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

 

Also, the council voted to create an adult entertainment district in the Flats. The district will be limited to two existing strip clubs: Diamond Men's Club and Larry Flynt's

Hustler Club.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/08/overnight_curfew_approved_for.html

 

 

 

I may just be an out of touch suburbanite, but when I think of Cleveland city government, another meaning of "dope" comes to mind....

That may be the easy answer, but I've worked as a reporter covering Cleveland City Hall for two years now, and covering city governments in the suburbs (Avon Lake, Westlake, Fairview Park, Rocky River, North Olmsted) for the preceding 12 years. I've seen some pretty horrific political battles and incompetance in the suburbs, just as I've seen in the city of Cleveland. Before I came to cover Cleveland and was expecting even worse things than I saw in the suburbs. Guess what? It's no better or worse. In fact, Cleveland does many things better than the suburbs, like more creative financing for infrastructure, fast approval of development plans (faster than nitpicky Westlake!), aggressively seeking grants for safety programs (trying to bring this back around to the thread's topic) and more.

 

I know we hear nasty stuff about Cleveland government. But despite our alleged home rule state, municipalities have little control over their fates when state and federal policies, institutionalized in the post-war era, are stacked against developed communities. We can debate this, but I'd prefer to do it in another string such as....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3595.0

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5363.0

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=7292.0

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=11534.0

Oh, I'm not saying that concept isn't all to often applicable to suburban governments.  After all, I grew up, worked, and until recently lived in Maple Heights.

 

Still, the dichotomy was irresistable to a punster such as myself. :)

E Rocc must be related to KOOW!  lol

Three city owned?  Is that a mistake?  If not who owns the fourth?

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It was discussed earlier in the the thread, Soldier&Sailor is County Owned.

Three city owned?  Is that a mistake?  If not who owns the fourth?

---

 

 

It was discussed earlier in the the thread, Soldier&Sailor is County Owned.

 

I missed that!  Lo Siento!  OK, lets hope they join in this as well.

*

"Finally, under my 5th amendment rights, I should be able to come to this forum all that I want and complain and offer no solutions."

 

This isn't directed specifically at you but I suppose it applies - this forum is not, and has never been a democracy. Your participation here should be considered a privilege, and not a right. No one would ever ban you for simply venting, but if that's all you're going to do - prepare to get an earful. 

 

That said, you are aware that Cleveland and Pittsburgh are located in two separate states, correct? Are you aware of the constraints on funding that's allocated by the feds and the state? You sound like the people who complain that the schools should just divert funds from the construction/rebuilding levy and hire additional staff - but have no real knowledge of how the system works. Have you ever tried to obtain additional state funding for anything, much less hiring additional staff for the safety forces of a major city? 

 

"Poor handing of funds- 3 millions dollars is being given to a strip club on the city's east side to relocate for a homeless shelter, when there are tons of vacant buildings for pennies that could be used for this same thing."

 

You've explained just how much knowledge and understanding you have with that comment.

Finally, under my 5th amendment rights, I should be able to come to this forum all that I want and complain and offer no solutions.

 

I'm not lawyer, but I'm fairly sure your constitutional rights regarding due process and legal procedure have absolutely nothing to do with this website.

 

Perhaps you meant the 1st amendment?

 

Either way, what MayDay said.

 

You've explained just how much knowledge and understanding you have with that comment.

Cleveland City Council press release issued today.....

 

Demand for inappropriate billboard to come down successful

 

The efforts of Council Members Michael D. Polensek, Ward 11; Nina Turner, Ward 1; and Phyllis Cleveland, Ward 5, along with the community, were successful in quickly causing an inappropriate Seagram's Gin billboard on E. 185th Street at Hiller Avenue to be replaced.

 

The questionable billboard pictured a caricature of a young African-American woman claiming "I bring DOPE style and laughs – What do you bring to the party?"

 

Community outrage and the quick response of Council Members to this message glorifying a sub-culture of violence, disorder and disrespect, referencing drug usage and exploiting women, caused the billboard to be replaced within 24 hours.

 

"Seagram's Gin takes pride in being a responsible marketer and we take the concerns raised by Councilman Polensek very seriously.  We appreciated him bringing these concerns to our attention and we have acted as quickly as possible to remove the ad in question from the billboard," said Mark Orr, Vice President of Public Policy for Pernod Ricard USA, Seagram's parent company.

 

The new billboard put up by Clear Channel delivers a welcome and positive message: "Be your kids' biggest fan.  Get them to graduate."

 

"I thank Seagram's and Clear Channel for responding to concern and erecting a new billboard that promotes education and the importance of graduating from high school," said Councilman Polensek.  "This truly was an example of residents and businesses coming together to say we expect better in our neighborhoods.  It goes to show that when we come together we can make a difference."

 

"The success of this effort proves that the community does have the power to make change," said Councilwoman Turner.  "We must continue to come together and work for what we believe is right, fair and equitable."

Great, now how bout you get some of the real kids off the street and out of the culture of violence, disorder, and disrespect?  Is this what we elect councilpeople for?

Great, now how bout you get some of the real kids off the street and out of the culture of violence, disorder, and disrespect?  Is this what we elect councilpeople for?

 

Depends - which councilperson did YOU vote for and why?

Cimperman.  Because he sees the value of creative and high tech small enterprise, and while I don't agree with every position he takes, he generally is pro "urban" development.

 

Oh yeah, and he brings dope style and laughs to the party!

Agreed.

Now the real question is, who voted for Polensek and why?

I wonder why I have never heard/read anywhere that the mayor of Bay Village, the city council in Chagrin Falls, the police in Chardon are/is the reason why that city is a wonderful place to live? Really, I don't wonder why. The reason is because none of them make the city a desireable place to raise a family. People can complain all they want about Frank Jackson, any and all of City Council, CPD, Eugene Sanders, and so on. This City will never change until the citizens themselves change. If that were to happen (I don't see it), this City would turn around in a skinny minute. How to accomplish this? Legally, I don't know. But I do know that the easy and often elected way is to flee to another city/town where the residents don't make the 6 o'clock news regularly.

The answer is to have a huge middle class population in the city again. A middle class that takes care of its property and neighborhood makes an area desirable and safer. Additionally more people in the city on its streets and in its houses is a crime deterrent in itself.  The addition of things like the CSU and Case college towns as well as the downtown megaprojects and the smaller projects that are starting to piece together will get people to realize that affordable, safe and convenient urban living can be had in Cleveland and these pilot projects could be the light near the end of the tunnel of urban decay in Cleveland. It will no doubt be a long fight, but it can happen, and if this city wants to return to its glory days, it has to.

This is more of an economic stream of thought, but I also think it would be helpful to have more of a mix of education levels, for lack of a better term. I think that as the "brain drain" will get plugged and the city will begin to attract more and more working professionals, I think neighborhoods will continue to improve and change. Until that diversification in our economy happens, though, I think the city will be somewhat stuck.

I agree, but I think the recent data has signaled that the economy in Cleveland has significantly diversifies, its just manufacturing jobs keep disappearing. I

True, and while I feel bad for those that are losing manufacturing jobs and while I feel that Cleveland definitely needs its manufacturing jobs, I think it will also force some people to adapt to these losses, meaning going to school and getting a degree. I think that good can come out of these losses if people are able and willing to adapt. But overall, I'm not sure if Cleveland should necessarily look at those losses as completely negative.

True, and while I feel bad for those that are losing manufacturing jobs and while I feel that Cleveland definitely needs its manufacturing jobs, I think it will also force some people to adapt to these losses, meaning going to school and getting a degree. I think that good can come out of these losses if people are able and willing to adapt. But overall, I'm not sure if Cleveland should necessarily look at those losses as completely negative.

 

Again I agree. I know we as a region and as a nation need manufacturing, but I think its in Cleveland's best interest to get out of that industry quick. Its not so much manufacturing, but what we're manufacturing. Relying on ford for thousands of jobs isn't a good idea. Perhaps we should be building on strengths and focus on the manufacture of medical technoology and equipment. Still manufacturing, but in a much healthier (NPI) sector.

If that were to happen (I don't see it), this City would turn around in a skinny minute. How to accomplish this? Legally, I don't know. But I do know that the easy and often elected way is to flee to another city/town where the residents don't make the 6 o'clock news regularly.

 

Or you could accomplish it by waving your magic wand and making manufacturing a booming and labor intensive industry that thrives on employing mass quantities of under-educated inner city denizens.

I wonder if that would really do it.  Would a bunch of good paying, but hard work jobs popping up all of a sudden get the drug boys off the corner and the addicts out of the gutter?  I have to agree with KTM that the culture that these kids are growing up in needs to change.  If they valued school and hard work, they would get through school and find a job, one way or another.

Just say no to Cleveland panhandlers

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Patrick O'Donnell

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Say no and walk away.

 

If a panhandler holds out his hand for help, walk on by.

 

Yes, it sounds cold. But the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving Cleveland's downtown, is passing out fliers to downtown businesses and apartment residents with the message "Don't Give Where It Can't Help."

 

...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1187254832252820.xml&coll=2

I think this is a very good point. Panhandling doesn't lessen homelessness/poverty; if anything, I think it encourages it because I think to some degree it maintains that poverty mentality that these people are a prisoner to. Organizations and social groups need to provide these people with a way out, with help to overcome their situation and get back on their feet. But it's largely up to them; I believe any outreach to them by larger organizations needs to be continued and improved.

 

I never give to panhandlers.

I thought this was interesting. I didn't realize that Cleveland had this. I wonder how good the cops are on enforcing this?

 

Akron curbs nuisances by billing landlords

Posted by Plain Dealer reporter Donna J. Miller August 16, 2007 12:15PM

Categories: Crime

 

Every city dweller knows of one; that house on the block that draws police cars like pigeons to popcorn. The house with the barking dogs, loud parties, drunken marital disputes, unruly kids, fireworks displays or worse -- drugs and guns for sale.

 

Police call the residents of those homes "frequent flyers." Akron found a way to clip their wings.

 

For the last year, Akron has reduced police calls by 80 percent to houses where landlords were put on notice that they would have to pay for future police calls.

 

Landlords are put on notice after police have been called three times in six months. Those who don't eliminate the nuisance, or the nuisance tenants, have to pay the officers' salaries the next time they spend time at the house, plus 10 percent or $200, whichever is greater.

 

Of the 40 nuisance homes identified in Akron since Aug. 1, 2006, just four continued to require police attention, city spokesman Mark Williamson said.

 

Several Northeast Ohio suburbs have similar laws. Cleveland implemented one in December.

Geez, Cleveland's nuisance law was reported in Sun Newspapers!  :wink:

My family's experience with renting out my grandparents old house causes me to ask one question: 

 

Are these landlord-responsibility laws combined with ways to make it easier to evict problem tenants?  Last I saw, Cleveland Housing Court was backlogged and very pro-tenant.

Geez, Cleveland's nuisance law was reported in Sun Newspapers!  :wink:

 

Hey, better late than never! :)

I've had 2 experiences with the housing court.  The first, then tenants had disappeared, but left furniture, trash, and I couldn't tell for sure if they were ever coming back!  I had to post a 3-day notice to allow access, then I had to schedule a hearing date.  When they didn't show up, I was given an eviction order, but had to arrange with the sheriff to have the stuff removed.  It was my responsibility to hire movers, pay them to haul the stuff away.  We were not allowed to do it ourselves.  So yes, it is very tenant friendly.

 

The 2nd time was easier as the tenant didn't leave anything, but we mediated an agreement for him to pay his back rent.  When he didn't pay, he left on his own with all his belongings.  Of course, the expenses were outrageous to go back for the official paperwork.

 

 

Drama in Tremont:

I was woken up at 2:30 am by gun shots and some girl screaming. I eventually made my way outside in a daze and someone on my corner was calling 911 for gunshots and 911 hung up on them. Then, the police showed up a minute or two after my venturing outside,  so I walked down the street on W 10th toward Starkweather. After walking to the corner at Starkweather, some blonde girl and her boyfriend said someone in their party had been robbed and shot at gunpoint. The ambulance came and left but I could not confirm that anyone was actually in it and I didn't really get the whole story of what really happened. Nevertheless she was screaming the neighborhood wasn't safe and the boyfriend said to leave them alone.

Anyway, great to have moved into the city 2 weeks ago and experience this. Whats funny is the 4 police cruisers that showed up were gone within 30 minutes and I have been up for well over an hour and i haven't seen a police cruiser yet go down my street.

 

You hear gun shots and so you go OUTSIDE to investigate?!?

^^I guess your next post will say this would have never happened in Pittsbugh right?

And for the record, I can't find any information about this supposed crime anywhere on cleveland.com, and we all know how this would be top headline news if it happened.

If someone scammed Reggie Regalbuto, they probably chose prison for safety reasons.

"You hear gun shots and so you go OUTSIDE to investigate?!? "

 

Well it depends on what friends you bring along.  I might as long as I had Mr. Smith,  Mr. Wesson, and 15 of their little buddies along...

 

As for Housing Court, unless landlords are given the authority to deal with problem tenants, "nuisance laws" are nothing more than pass-the-buck political posturing.

If someone scammed Reggie Regalbuto, they probably chose prison for safety reasons.

 

Tell that Allie Calabrese!

Body found in car near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

 

Posted by Amanda Garrett August 18, 2007 22:32PM

Categories: Breaking News

 

Cleveland police are investigating the death of a 19-year-old man whose body was found this evening slumped in the driver's seat of a car at an employee parking lot near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Sgt. Daniel Fay said.

 

...

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/08/body_found_in_car_near_clevela.html

Well a good 10 minutes passed before I ventured outside, and the authorities had just arrived.

A robbery would not make cleveland.com. I wasn't able to get much information (I didn't try that hard), but my guess is that someone was robbed and shots were fired but no one was hit.  My gf ran out of gas the following morning at 8 am (yesterday morning on w 14 th) and the police rolled his window down and said to get in the car and lock the doors until I got there with the gas container, saying there was a shooting last night, looking around ducking, as if the perpetrator was just around the corner. She said she lived here, and he said "well you know the neighborhood".

Nevertheless, yes I understand we live in an urban environment, and you have to watch your back in any city, but you cannot deny that Cleveland's problems are severe. Currently, Philadelphia is being called Killadelphia, but our murder rate (using census population estimate for 2006) is 19 murders per hundred thousand, will philadelphia's is 17.56.  Although murders per say maybe irrelevant to many of us, it does underscore the need for more preventative, investigative police work rather than the police simply being there to react, as it seems right now.

In the meantime, I have to slow my car down for those stupid traffic cameras and watch for the police hiding out in the woods doing radar in camouflouge.

Why do you have to slow down for the traffic cameras?

 

Americans make me laugh. The cameras are everywhere in UK/Europe. No one complains. Saves a ton of money on police traffic enforcement and reallocates officers to walk/bike/drive their beats where they're needed.

 

Cops are jaded. Ask people in a variety of occupations what is the fate of society, and I'll bet that cops will be the most pessimistic. Cops are even more jaded when they don't meet and talk with the residents they are sworn to protect, and instead encounter them only when they commit offenses or need help from those who do. Get police out of their cruisers and on foot/bikes, maybe on a rotating basis!!

 

Don't move out of Cleveland. You'll only make it worse. The only solution for Cleveland is for the middle class to take it back, not to surrender to the enemy by fleeing to the suburbs (aka Vichy Cleveland).

HI person you are correct armed robberies rarely make the news. I understand you would be a little rattled moving to a new community and feeling vulnerable. I would go to a neighborhood block club  (http://www.tremontwestdevelopment.com/twdc_meetings.htm)    , so you can feel you are getting to know the community and get involved. Hopefully your club won't be one of the petty squabble type ones.  Sometimes there is representation of police, council etc. Yes Cleveland crime problems are severe, yet, I think if someone has their wits about them coupled with a little luck, you can live safely in Cleveland. Once you are more settled here, you can take a deep breath and start to enjoy it all. I think we (here at UO and in the city leadership) can also lay off the defensive  "if you don't like it, leave" attitude toward people that are moving in from out of the area and have questions and concerns. They have a perspective (whether flawed or insightful)  locals may no longer have.  let people talk and then listen a little, and provide respectful thoughtful feedback.  I have not had coffee yet, a little cranky.

Why do you have to slow down for the traffic cameras?

 

Americans make me laugh. The cameras are everywhere in UK/Europe. No one complains. Saves a ton of money on police traffic enforcement and reallocates officers to walk/bike/drive their beats where they're needed.

 

Cops are jaded. Ask people in a variety of occupations what is the fate of society, and I'll bet that cops will be the most pessimistic. Cops are even more jaded when they don't meet and talk with the residents they are sworn to protect, and instead encounter them only when they commit offenses or need help from those who do. Get police out of their cruisers and on foot/bikes, maybe on a rotating basis!!

 

Don't move out of Cleveland. You'll only make it worse. The only solution for Cleveland is for the middle class to take it back, not to surrender to the enemy by fleeing to the suburbs (aka Vichy Cleveland).

 

Exactly!!

 

I keep saying the CPD needs to start having foot patrols through neighborhood streets on a daily bases and maybe several times a day during the summer. Have them come at random times, but make sure they come. This way police meet the people in the neighborhood, find out who/what the problems in the neighborhood are and deter crime.

 

People have to start to realize that moving from Cleveland will not keep the city from declining. This decline is already creeping into inner burbs and if it continues for another 20 years will end up on the exurban doorsteps of Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Portage and Medina counties.

Thanks for your message Peabody,

There are many things we have enjoyed here. I usually play devil's advocate on this forum to see how the others get rowled up. I am not in the least bit jaded so far, as Tremont is overall a pretty nice area and i have lived in some really crappy ones in other cities.

People have to start to realize that moving from Cleveland will not keep the city from declining. This decline is already creeping into inner burbs and if it continues for another 20 years will end up on the exurban doorsteps of Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Portage and Medina counties.

 

This is probably what people don't realize most of all. I'm so sick of people trying to escape the problems of where they live. I can understand that mentality because it's the easy way out. But what people don't realize is if they try and flee, the problems will only grow. I feel like a lot of people in the Cleveland area are clinging to their white bread, boring suburbia, and when something interrupts that bucolic life, they up and leave. Whatever happened to doing something about it?? This stuff won't stop at Cleveland. It will spread, as it already is. And unless we protect this region and fight for change, the region will decay and die.

http://www.tremonter.com/

 

has some good information and forums specific to tremont.  it seems fairly active.

last night the traffic lights at huron/prospect and east 9th were out, as well as street lights on prospect, euclid, etc.

 

so, i called the 216-621-1234, cleveland police "non emergency" line to report the traffic light outage.  first call - put on hold.  after 2 minutes, hung up.  called again.  on hold again for 2 minutes.

 

i can't believe they can't answer the phones at the dispatch center.  i'd like to see some call volume numbers and staffing numbers to see what is really going on.  it is pretty crazy to get put on hold calling the police.

http://www.tremonter.com/

 

has some good information and forums specific to tremont.  it seems fairly active.

 

It's alright, but the moderation is a little lax and from time to time, they get some oddballs ranting incoherently. Then again, I guess UO isn't immune to the latter :lol:

last night the traffic lights at huron/prospect and east 9th were out, as well as street lights on prospect, euclid, etc.

 

so, i called the 216-621-1234, cleveland police "non emergency" line to report the traffic light outage.  first call - put on hold.  after 2 minutes, hung up.  called again.  on hold again for 2 minutes.

 

i can't believe they can't answer the phones at the dispatch center.  i'd like to see some call volume numbers and staffing numbers to see what is really going on.  it is pretty crazy to get put on hold calling the police.

 

Call or email to Martin L. Flask, Michael McGrath and your council person.  That is crazy.  The city wants to repopulate itself with responsible and proactive citizens but fail miserably with customer service issues.

 

The very reason you state is why I always, always, always ask for a name when making a call.

"The very reason you state is why I always, always, always ask for a name when making a call."

 

And if it's really atrocious, complain to their higher-ups all the way up the chain. urbanlife, don't worry about someone losing their job, worry that your tax dollars are being wasted because one of YOUR public servants are inept. I have the absolute highest respect for our safety forces but they work for ME and every resident and taxpayer of the city - most of them do a good job, but those who are so inept that they're unable to fulfill basic requests deserve the same fate they'd face in the private sector.

FYI - Streetlight outages should be reported to the power company. I think in Cleveland it is First Energy. The city is only going to call the power company anyway. Here is a link to report streetlight outages:

 

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/forms/streetlight/reportStreetLightProbInit.do