A snip from this link -- http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/another_gray_morning_editors_p.html

 

And Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson writes a column to protest negative thinking: "Cleveland's biggest impediment to achieving civic greatness is the pessimistic, unenthusiastic mindset of many within our region." This could apply to you commenters as well as us headline-writers....

 

Bold highlight mine...

A snip from this link -- http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/another_gray_morning_editors_p.html

 

And Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson writes a column to protest negative thinking: "Cleveland's biggest impediment to achieving civic greatness is the pessimistic, unenthusiastic mindset of many within our region." This could apply to you commenters as well as us headline-writers....

 

Bold highlight mine...

 

this is one for the cleveland.bomb favorite quotes thread.

 

Again, can this be reviewed and possibly moved to the Frank Jackson thread?

It could probably be in either... the letter in question was a letter to the editor of the plain horrible... it also seems to be spinning a lot of spin off conversation of Jackson stepping up.  hmmmmm....

A snip from this link -- http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/another_gray_morning_editors_p.html

 

And Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson writes a column to protest negative thinking: "Cleveland's biggest impediment to achieving civic greatness is the pessimistic, unenthusiastic mindset of many within our region." This could apply to you commenters as well as us headline-writers....

 

Bold highlight mine...

 

this is one for the cleveland.bomb favorite quotes thread.

 

 

That is actually the link to the story on cleveland.bomb, not a comment. If that says anything about cleveland.bomb.

A snip from this link -- http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/another_gray_morning_editors_p.html

 

And Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson writes a column to protest negative thinking: "Cleveland's biggest impediment to achieving civic greatness is the pessimistic, unenthusiastic mindset of many within our region." This could apply to you commenters as well as us headline-writers....

 

Bold highlight mine...

 

this is one for the cleveland.bomb favorite quotes thread.

 

 

That is actually the link to the story on cleveland.bomb, not a comment. If that says anything about cleveland.bomb.

 

I realize that as that article has no comment section available, but since written by a pd staffer, that comment, in my mind, certainly deserves to be recognized in the cleveland.bomb quotes thread.

 

Understand?  ;D

Franky is starting to grow on me.  I really disliked him at first.... well, I disliked his whole crew and I still think that he needs smarter people around him.  However, I can't question his viewpoint on what is right and wrong in our community. 

 

I too think that the negativity and pessimism of locals is what really holds us back.  I remember when I moved back here from North Carolina and most people I talked to asked me "why?" with a kind of "what the hell were you thinking" tone.  Of course, most of those people have never lived anywhere else.

Just once I would like to see the media in this town point fingers at business "leaders" building glass boxes in the suburbs rather than the political figures in the city.  I mean honestly I'm not sure what more the political figures in the city can do other than clean up downtown (check), and pledge to build infastructure for any needed developemnets (check)... i mean at some point the business leaders simply have to invest in the core or be called out on it.

More from Roldo on Real Neo

---

 

http://www.realneo.us/content/pd-staff-members-dress-black-today

 

PD STAFF MEMBERS DRESS IN BLACK TODAY

Submitted by Roldo on December 2, 2008 - 1:29pm.

 

See addition below article (also note that Damian Guevara took the buyout and wasn't relieved of his job, as did Copeland and Jesse Tinsley).

 

Plain Dealer editorial staff dressed in black today, according to staff members, as the news dribbled in that colleagues had gotten the dreaded call that they were no longer needed.

 

The sorrowful tone at the Plain Dealer offices reminded some news watchers of the demise of the Cleveland Press in 1982.

 

The names of people who received the call from Editor Susan Goldberg this morning include some well-known bylines and a number of unfamiliar names to many readers. They receive two weeks pay for every year they worked at the newspaper.

 

Those dismissed include David Briggs, religion writer, long-time reporters Terry Oblander and Maggie Martin, photographers Roadell Hickman and Brynne Shaw, Melissa Hebert, home section writer, Brenda Junkin, food, Janet Filmore, also a religion writer.

Others included desk and editorial people – Jennifer Gonzalez, Susan Patton, Merlene Santiago and Melissa Hebert.

 

We had reported here earlier the names of Sam Fulwood, Scott and Chris Stephens, Alana Baranick, Wally Guenther, Karen Sandstrom, Molly Kavanaugh, Joel Rutchick, John Campanelli, Fran Henry, Mary Vanac and Chris Seper. Some of those who decided to leave were not staff members the Plain Dealer wanted to lose.

 

Management “basically could lay off anyone it wanted,” said a reporter, noting that seniority – often the major factor in layoffs where there are unions – was only one of a number of determining factors, and not the top factor.

 

Staff members, I was told, also were wearing a sticker that said, “Pledge,” a take on the Newhouse owners’ “pledge” of no layoffs for management people. Some believed that had a number of unnecessary managers been forced to retire more of the editorial staff jobs could have been saved.

 

Editorial staffers will be meeting tonight at 6 p. m. at Becky’s, a bar on E. 18th street, not far from the downtown PD editorial offices to “drown sorrows” and “commiserate,” said a PD reporter.

 

Addendum: Campanelli re-upped (those who took buyouts had period of time to change minds) and has been kept at the PD.

 

Goldberg was quoted by a reporter as having said to those dismissed that "you were selected" to be dumped. Not exactly the best choice of words to hear.

 

Others reported told they were being dismissed include the following:

Sara Hollander, April McClellan Copeland, Damian Guevara, Eric Marched, Linda Stewart Degraff, A. J. Janke, Lisa Higgs, Milan Ketchum, Amy Richard, Diane Behrens,Carl Matzelle, a 35-year employee, a reporter who was a librarian at the PD, Greg Richards, Doris Staneff, Bill Bevins and John Spetz, a long-timer at the PD and a wonderful individual with a very large family.

 

I don't know all these people but certainly there are tragic stories with each one, as there are with so many workers now facing the loss of jobs.

 

Yet another Roldo article on local media

---

 

NEWS OUTLET CUTBACKS NOT ONLY AT PD - ALSO TV

Submitted by Roldo on December 2, 2008 - 11:52am.

 

http://www.realneo.us/content/news-outlet-cutbacks-not-only-pd-also-tv

 

It may seem odd that there’s so much attention paid to those being laid off at the Plain Dealer when so many others are losing their jobs by the hundreds and by the thousands.

 

However, there is something different about the news media because of the importance of news to a democracy. We are dependent upon these sources for the information as citizens.

 

We need the products produced by workers, however, the work product produce by news gatherers provide the fodder of community decision-making.

 

The truth is that the mainstream media provide much of the information that allows the public insight into what’s going in their communities. Even if the information is shaded – in my long experience – to the status quo and to the benefit of unelected and unknown people who make decisions for the rest of us, without it we are blind to the actions that affect our daily lives.

 

I can remember when Cleveland City Hall, where I reported for years, would be crowded with reporters not only from the Plain Dealer and Press but numerous radio stations and TV news operations. Now, there are reports that even the Plain Dealer will staff City Hall with a single reporter. The trend even when I left covering City Hall in 2004 was that PD reporters wouldn’t be at hearings that in the past would be staffed not only by the PD but the Press with more than a single reporter.

 

The need for an alternative source of gathering the everyday news from the many governmental and private entities grows daily.

 

Local television news also has experienced cutbacks in news staffs.

Channel 3, WKYC-TV, for example, has or will lose shortly lose some of its veteran reporters, including anchor Tim White, long-time newsman Obie Shelton, Bill Safos, Lydia Esparra and Jennifer Murphy.

 

Channel 8, WJW-TV has shed Gary Stromberg, Dray Clark, Gary Liberatore and numerous people who work behind the scenes of the news operation.

 

Now we are hearing cost cutting talk that there may be a combining of news staffs of local TV stations. It has already happened in Youngstown, I’m told with ABC and CBS competing stations combining operations.

 

Ch. 19 and Ch. 4 here have combined news operations but they have a common ownership.

 

“The grand old days of TV news are over,” said one veteran TV newsman. He also noted that as the stations rid themselves of higher paid staffers the owners are not putting those savings back into the news staffs.

 

PD reporter Maggie Martin's brother in law died three weeks ago.  :(

And another article - it's a shame that National City "reporter" (Theresa something) isn't included

 

http://www.woio.com/global/story.asp?s=9443668

 

Paper Cuts: Plain Dealer Employees Laid Off With Morning Phone Call

 

 

Cleveland, OH - The Plain Dealer has laid off 27 newsroom employees because of the struggling economy.

 

The cuts on Tuesday were part of a previously announced reduction of 50 jobs at Ohio's largest newspaper, representing 21 percent of its unionized newsroom staff.

 

The Plain Dealer first announced the cuts in October, citing poor advertising revenue and a struggling newspaper industry. The paper said it would begin layoffs if enough employees did not volunteer to leave.

 

Editor Susan Goldberg says 27 employees were informed of the layoffs by phone. She wouldn't comment on whether the other 23 employees took buyouts.

 

There were 299 employees in the newsroom, 238 of them represented by the Northeast Ohio Newspaper Guild.

 

The Plain Dealer is owned by Advance Publications Inc. and has a daily circulation of about 345,000.

 

When news (in print or on TV) becomes nothing more than a "profit center" to the management and corporate owners, this is what happens.  It is a sad, miserable process that winds up draining both talent and experience from a news operation. What's worse is that the stations and newspapers too often wind up hiring younger, cheaper and less-experienced people to fill the positions of those laid off.  (Can you say "age discrimination"?) 

 

I went through it myself at the last two stations I worked for in Ohio.  Both times, the next reporter hired came from a much smaller market and at a decidedly lower rate of pay. Neither of them were worth a damn and were soon let go themselves.

 

And then you all wonder why local news is so awful?  It may not be the whole reason, but it is at least a major part of the reason.

When news (in print or on TV) becomes nothing more than a "profit center" to the management and corporate owners, this is what happens.  It is a sad, miserable process that winds up draining both talent and experience from a news operation. What's worse is that the stations and newspapers too often wind up hiring younger, cheaper and less-experienced people to fill the positions of those laid off.  (Can you say "age discrimination"?) 

 

I went through it myself at the last two stations I worked for in Ohio.  Both times, the next reporter hired came from a much smaller market and at a decidedly lower rate of pay. Neither of them were worth a damn and were soon let go themselves.

 

And then you all wonder why local news is so awful?  It may not be the whole reason, but it is at least a major part of the reason.

 

Thats usually true with "affiliates".  Corporate owned stations usually do better.

 

However, this years election was a profit center as many people were tied into it on many levels, now that it's over, stations local and cable and networds are retooling...I mean "re enginering".

 

 

My last two stations were corporate owned (Fox and GE/NBC) and they were worse than affiliates as far as the bottom-line mentality.  It was even less about good journalism and public service.

 

That's one reason why you see so many young faces on the news....they are cheap, usually fresh out of journalism school or a very small market like Butte, Montana, very little knowledge of the local market and even less experience just living life (worldliness).  Then they are told to crank out as many as upto a half-dozen different stories a day and several version of those stories for several different newscasts.  They are literally making "news widgets" and not doing any of the in-depth journalism that we (the public) can draw some benefit.  It's all about "news you can use" (usually great insight into the obvious) instead of telling us things we need to know.

 

As I said, my experience is on the TV side...but I see the same thing happening to the print media.  If it weren't for National Public Radio and a few remaining good national newspapers, I'd be starving for good information.

If it weren't for National Public Radio and a few remaining good national newspapers, I'd be starving for good information.

:wtf:

My last two stations were corporate owned (Fox and GE/NBC) and they were worse than affiliates as far as the bottom-line mentality.  It was even less about good journalism and public service.

 

That's one reason why you see so many young faces on the news....they are cheap, usually fresh out of journalism school or a very small market like Butte, Montana, very little knowledge of the local market and even less experience just living life (worldliness).  Then they are told to crank out as many as upto a half-dozen different stories a day and several version of those stories for several different newscasts.  They are literally making "news widgets" and not doing any of the in-depth journalism that we (the public) can draw some benefit.  It's all about "news you can use" (usually great insight into the obvious) instead of telling us things we need to know.

 

As I said, my experience is on the TV side...but I see the same thing happening to the print media.  If it weren't for National Public Radio and a few remaining good national newspapers, I'd be starving for good information.

Well you said Fox.  No need to explain, it's FOX!  ;)

 

GE/NBC seemed to have their shit together, especially since they have cash cows Bravo and Telemundo.

 

But they are run very different than our networks.

More Roldo on the PD firings.  (If you guys don't know Roldo Bartimole, check this out.)

---

 

http://realneo.us/content/day-after-badly-handled-pd-firings

 

THE DAY AFTER BADLY HANDLED PD FIRINGS

Submitted by Roldo on December 3, 2008 - 5:32pm.

 

How badly handled was the layoff plan at the Plain Dealer?

Very badly, I’d say.

 

It seemed designed by lawyers to set tensions at the high level.

 

Plain Dealer staff people yesterday themselves had to wonder who had gotten the ax. Nobody knew. Those who came to work nervously watch who else came to work and who didn’t. That was how they determined whether colleagues were still colleagues or out on the street with no health insurance.

 

The reason for this clumsy and embarrassing situation was the lack of any notice to the staff of the decisions that had been made. Couldn’t they at that point have provided a list of the unlucky?

Editor Susan Goldberg and Publisher Terry Egger didn’t have the intelligence to at some point after 9:30 a.m., when calls to those dumped had been by Goldberg, to put up a list for everyone to know who the unlucky were. It would have relieved the tension and doubts.

 

Editorial workers have been facing the doom day for some time. They have known that 50 people – either by choice or by dismissal – had to be gone from the editorial offices at 1801 Superior.

 

This, according to staffers, made everyone nervous, even those who likely knew they were not going to be among the losers.

 

In addition to wearing black clothing, I’m told that every person in the city room yesterday wore a printed sticker the size of those “Hello. I’m…” labels that said “Our Pledge – Unity.”

That was a slam at the PD owners, the Newhouse family’s policy that insures no management layoffs.

 

Egger, I’m told, hasn’t been showing his face around the city room lately where editorial workers toil.

 

However, Goldberg made an appearance later in the day and talked with individual people telling them that she knows it was a difficult time and appreciated their work.

To the question whether there will be any more cutbacks, I’m told she responded that she hoped not.

 

The editorial staff now sits “about at 185ish,” said one. That possibly is about half of what it was at its height.

 

Plain Dealer people met at Becky’s on E. 18th Street, near the editorial office building last night.

 

In a message, former PD staffer Lou Mio wrote, “Just got back from Becky’s where almost wall-to-wall reporters, photogs, copy desk folks, few retirees, etc. gathered for a combination commiseration/glad I made the cut list get together.”

 

The call received by those dismissed was scripted, it was said, with Goldberg essentially reading from the script to some 27 dismissed. The remainder for the 50 came with people who choose to leave the PD. Unfortunately, for the newspaper some people left that the editors didn’t want to see leave.

 

The people told not to report to work have been advised to come to retrieve their belongings and sign legal papers on Saturday. They have been told to come in the back door.

 

In a last act of defiance, some said they would take the front door.

“What are they going to do, fire me?” was one reaction.

 

I figured you'd want to take a crack at the people at Metro Networks (located in Independence or Valley View, I believe) for writing this awful headline, despite the fact that transit ridership in Greater Cleveland is the 17th largest in the U.S. (see: http://www.metro-region.org/files/planning/03a_2006_Annual-Transit-Trips.pdf). The headline appeared on all the Cox Communication home pages in Cleveland:

 

http://cleveland.cox.net/cci/newslocal/local?_mode=view&view=LocalNewsArticleView&articleId=3914807&_action=validatearticle

 

People In Cleveland Don't Use Public Transportation

 

12-09-2008 4:01 AM

 

(Cleveland, OH) -- Numbers for public transportation use have risen all across America, but not in Cleveland. National ridership numbers jumped six-point-five-percent from July to September, but in Cleveland the numbers were unchanged. The Greater Cleveland Transit Authority says they blame the low ridership on Cleveland's economy. They say when downtown jobs are lost, ridership goes down. They also say the numbers could dip even more, because the RTA just raised fares and eliminated routes.

 

Copyright 2008 Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Company

This was in the PD, too.

Trouble on CBS-radio: 92.3 K-rock has devolved into a "DJ-less" alternative rock station.  I think the national show Opie and Anthony is gone, which is no loss in my opinion.  I had noticed that their commercials were from cheaper and cheaper sponsors.  Out with Chevrolet and in with Puff-n-Stuff.

 

I really loved that station about two years ago when the station was "everything alternative" and very much like The End.  They still have "The Inner Sanctum" on their website, so "Pat the Producer" must still be around.

http://www.radio923fm.com/

I gotta admit I miss the antics of Opie and Anthony, it made for an enjoyable ride into work.

I like DJ-less.  I never understood why I should want to listen to some vacant head prattle on.

I like DJ-less. I never understood why I should want to listen to some vacant head prattle on.

 

I haven't listened to mainstream radio in years.

I haven't listened to mainstream radio in years.

In my dreams the "second and third channels" on HD radio would make room for some interesting niche programming.  I followed a link from Magic 105.7 's website to about five HD-only feeds from Cleveland and dozens from around the country.  I didn't find what I wanted, which would be something like "college radio" from the 1980s.  www.wmji.com/cc-common/hdradio/

I haven't listened to mainstream radio in years.

In my dreams the "second and third channels" on HD radio would make room for some interesting niche programming. I followed a link from Magic 105.7 's website to about five HD-only feeds from Cleveland and dozens from around the country. I didn't find what I wanted, which would be something like "college radio" from the 1980s. www.wmji.com/cc-common/hdradio/

 

Pandora.com is my new best musical friend.

 

Also, iTunes has some great internet radio stations. I listen to both very frequently.

 

Unfortunately, neither of these can play in your car.

I must be a freak, because I really like 90% of what I hear on the local, free radio stations I listen to.  Of course, I only listen to a few, select stations because I hate most modern/popular music, so I pretty much strictly listen to 98.5 and 105.7.  During the day at work I listen to the Wave, it's the only background music I can actually get work done while it's playing instead of it being distracting.

I must be a freak, because I really like 90% of what I hear on the local, free radio stations I listen to. Of course, I only listen to a few, select stations because I hate most modern/popular music, so I pretty much strictly listen to 98.5 and 105.7. During the day at work I listen to the Wave, it's the only background music I can actually get work done while it's playing instead of it being distracting.

 

I'm guessing that most Cleveland UOans don't listen to the Wave or to 105.7. You're not a freak, you just have a different taste in music.

I must be a freak, because I really like 90% of what I hear on the local, free radio stations I listen to.  Of course, I only listen to a few, select stations because I hate most modern/popular music, so I pretty much strictly listen to 98.5 and 105.7.  During the day at work I listen to the Wave, it's the only background music I can actually get work done while it's playing instead of it being distracting.

 

I'm guessing that most Cleveland UOans don't listen to the Wave or to 105.7. You're not a freak, you just have a different taste in music.

 

Actually I listen to Wendy Williams at 2 PM.  Its a train wreck.  But I love that garbage!

Has anybody found a good soul station on the internet?  I have done searches and found stations that call themselves soul but play hip hop.  I am looking for soul/funk, ranging from from Otis to Stevie.  You know, Motown.

Has anybody found a good soul station on the internet?  I have done searches and found stations that call themselves soul but play hip hop.  I am looking for soul/funk, ranging from from Otis to Stevie.  You know, Motown.

AOL Radio had decent stations.  Have you tried them?

http://music.aol.com/radioguide/bb

Click RnB, then select Motown.

I must be a freak, because I really like 90% of what I hear on the local, free radio stations I listen to. Of course, I only listen to a few, select stations because I hate most modern/popular music, so I pretty much strictly listen to 98.5 and 105.7. During the day at work I listen to the Wave, it's the only background music I can actually get work done while it's playing instead of it being distracting.

 

I'm guessing that most Cleveland UOans don't listen to the Wave or to 105.7. You're not a freak, you just have a different taste in music.

 

I can see UO people not listening to the wave, but I'm probably opening myself up to something bad here, what's wrong with classic rock?  I shut of 105.7 whenever they get into "motown" mode but 60s at 6, 70s at 7, a glance at their typical playlist, it's mostly classic rock.  I would think SOME UO folks like classic rock. 

I can't stand terrestial radio.  Way too many commercials and the DJ's are intolerable.  When Howard Stern left, so did I.

I don't mind the Wave for background music - it's easy listening and that's the point (like rockandroller said - for something in the background but not something so engaging that it distracts you from the task at hand). I always listened to it while driving when I commuted from Hudson to downtown because they usually played something mellow and they had good traffic reports.

 

The Wave was a much wiser selection than the times I listened to a mix of industrial music (Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, NIN, KMDFM, etc.); it made for one h#ll of a soundtrack as I blasted around the knuckleheads on I-77, though. :evil:

Has anybody found a good soul station on the internet? ... I am looking for soul/funk, ranging from from Otis to Stevie. You know, Motown.

AOL Radio had decent stations.   Have you tried them?

http://music.aol.com/radioguide/bb

Click RnB, then select Motown.

Wow.  Several good stations!  Thanks a lot.

 

I listen to the Wave 107.3 also.  I like the way they can tie instrumental fusion jazz songs together with songs by Al Stewart that are of a very different style.

Thank you boreal and mayday for not making me feel like some kind of fuddy-duddy for listening to the Wave :)  During the day they play things like Chuck Mangione, Steely Dan, I think it's pretty pleasant "background" music.

I will listen to local radio occasionally just to get an idea of what kind of crap is being shoved down my kids friends throat (my kids know better), or just to hear the news.

 

Otherwise, its a mix of Soma.com, DI.fm, and Last.fm (much more functional then Pandora). My signature at the bottom of my posts show what I've recently listen to on Last.fm.

 

There is a thread for this conversation:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13005.msg213262.html#msg213262

Thank you boreal and mayday for not making me feel like some kind of fuddy-duddy for listening to the Wave :)  During the day they play things like Chuck Mangione, Steely Dan, I think it's pretty pleasant "background" music.

 

I call it "white noise" and that's not a racial comment.  You just need something too drown out others.

I also listen to the Wave at work - after the young'n secretaries up front argued endlessly about whether to listen to Q104 or KISS-FM or 92.3, our management decided on the station all of them could hate on. "One oh seven three-ee, the Wayyyyyyayyyayyve."

I also listen to the Wave at work - after the young'n secretaries up front argued endlessly about whether to listen to Q104 or KISS-FM or 92.3, our management decided on the station all of them could hate on. "One oh seven three-ee, the Wayyyyyyayyyayyve."

 

It's called "consensus building" in management circles.

I also listen to the Wave at work - after the young'n secretaries up front argued endlessly about whether to listen to Q104 or KISS-FM or 92.3, our management decided on the station all of them could hate on. "One oh seven three-ee, the Wayyyyyyayyyayyve."

 

It's called "consensus building" in management circles.

 

There must be a great deal of consensus in our organization - today they announced an "internet appropriateness audit" looking back on all user accounts for the past six months.  Why not just cut the interim steps out and discipline everyone now?  (To make this on-topic to local media, they're gonna find a lot of time in my account on cleveland.bomb and of course, UO [hopefully UO will not join the list of banned sites, or I'll have to resign.  Seriously.])

I also listen to the Wave at work - after the young'n secretaries up front argued endlessly about whether to listen to Q104 or KISS-FM or 92.3, our management decided on the station all of them could hate on. "One oh seven three-ee, the Wayyyyyyayyyayyve."

 

It's called "consensus building" in management circles.

 

There must be a great deal of consensus in our organization - today they announced an "internet appropriateness audit" looking back on all user accounts for the past six months.  Why not just cut the interim steps out and discipline everyone now?  (To make this on-topic to local media, they're gonna find a lot of time in my account on cleveland.bomb and of course, UO [hopefully UO will not join the list of banned sites, or I'll have to resign.  Seriously.])

 

Lord!  LOL

As if we didnt know how much of a rag the PD and Cleveland.com are already...this morning the cover story on Cleveland.com was that there was a hostage situation at Notre Dame COllege where a student had been shot, and many more were being held hostage....There was a poster who said that he called a friend and that it was a simulation to train for such situation...5 minutes later, the story was off the website.  SO I guess any alleged rumors or news can make the news if they think it will get hits...Imagine being a parent of a student there and reading that.  The Cleveland.com should be penalized for irresponsible reporting.

"Imagine being a parent of a student there and reading that."

 

You ain't just whistlin' Dixie!!!

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/police_use_notre_dame_college.html

 

Police use Notre Dame College for training drill

Posted by Plain Dealer staff December 15, 2008 08:20AM

Categories: Breaking News

 

SOUTH EUCLID — Area police departments used a Notre Dame building to practice their hostage-rescuing skills this morning.

 

A drama unfolded about 8:15 a.m. on police scanners about one person being shot and four armed men holding hostages in a laboratory building.

 

None of it was true. It was a staged event.

I wasnt the one who posted on the site since my work computer wont let me post comments to clevelend.bomb (i can log in but i cant post). But my heart was racing and pretty much out of my chest when i read that story, my best friend who ive played hockey with since about 4 years old, his younger brother, and dad all work at the school and their younger sister goes to the school. I immediately called him paranoid asking if he was safe and ok, which he got a pretty good laugh out if and then told me it was a staged training excercise.

 

Commenting on the quote in this article....

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1235208805176220.xml&coll=2

 

"It could be devastating," he said. "Look what happened to Euclid Avenue [during reconstruction]. I'm going to try to stay open."

 

What a moron! Another person who relies on the PD for news on what's happening downtown... Two already shaky Euclid Avenue businesses closed -- the Cleveland Athletic Club and a restaurant near CSU. But while the PD reported that while the CAC was faltering, the Union Club across the street was gaining business. Not a peep about that. Hmmm, I guess reporting that would have been contrary to the PD's anti-downtown agenda.

I couldn't find a basic Plain Dealer forum, so hopefully the moderators will either be cool with me using this one orl move the post to a more appropriate forum.

 

Laura Johnson and the editors that okayed this story should be ashamed.  I really do start to wonder if the cleveland.com posters are right about the PD being out to "get" the city.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/02/are_you_a_victim_of_crime_in_d.html

 

Are you a victim of crime in downtown Cleveland? Share your story

 

Posted by Laura Johnston/Plain Dealer Reporter February 27, 2009 07:16AM

Categories: Crime, Real Time News

 

The Plain Dealer wants to talk to victims of crime in downtown Cleveland for a story on safety, in light of the recent shootings on East 12th Street. If you've been robbed, assaulted or victimized downtown recently and would like to share your story, please e-mail Metro reporter Laura Johnston at [email protected].

 

If the PD comes up with a laundry list of trouble, it should put more pressure on the police to reassign some people and solve the problem.  Downtown's image is secondary to whether or not we're sufficiently policing it.

All I can say... is that they better fact check the hell out of the responses. They are on a really slippery slope with this one.

All I can say... is that they better fact check the hell out of the responses. They are on a really slippery slope with this one.

 

Agreed.

Wow.  For the first time, I think ever... I was delighted to read the comments section on Cleveland.com.  Please check them out.

 

This really is a new low for the PD.