Author: admin

CLEAN IT UP CLEVELAND-NORTH EAST OHIO!

LITTER, TRASH, ILLEGAL DUMPING ISSUES NEED TO BE COVERED MORE BY THE LOCAL PAPERS—AND THE CITY NEEDS TO BE ASSERTIVE IN ADDRESSING AND BEING PRO-ACTIVE ABOUT SOLVING THE PROBLEM.

I have a story idea that needs attention drawn to it:

How about the litter/trash/debris problem all over all the corridors into the city on the highways. In ditches, under embankments, bridges, waterways, along shoulders, in medians, and the list could go on. This cost Ohio 3 to 4 million last year to clean up—mostly because people have still not learned what a trash/recycling can is for. Should have learned that 38 years ago when the Indian cried on the commercial.

If we have not even learned how the above situation leads to a declining quality of life, property value, bad images, etc. then its hopeless. The burning river cast a grim shadow on our city in the past—we know the struggle it has been to take years to shed this image, as much of it still exists—so why are we inviting, and leaving go unabated, yet another legacy of community and environmental abuse that will secure another 50 plus years of Cleveland bad mouthing?

C’mon people, pitch in and get with it! C’mon PD…ADDRESS this issue and offer solutions. All those who participate in clean-ups once a year is not enough. To make this problem better, we need to make keeping after it a lifestyle–and maybe start reminding people that dumping/littering in OHIO is illegal–and Cleveland is not exempt. While the problem is pervasive, can we spare the complacent comments like “Weeelll.. its everywhere” and at least do OUR part to clean up our corner of the state?

This problem is among the first things people will notice when coming into our region/city… and it casts a strong message about where the civic pride has gone and a lack of respect for the environment as well–at a time when we should darn well know better to at least be able to curb this very preventable problem. It is quite embarrassing.

Is this the image we want to project of ourselves to all who come here—especially during the Rock Hall inductions? It is bad enough we have to continually clean up after people in neighborhoods who find it convenient to pull up along a curb and dump their McDonald’s trash onto someone’s tree strip, let alone all the crap that does not adequately get cleaned up on the main streams into the city.

Just because times are tough, just because there is poverty, and just because people may be stupid……does not mean we have to look as though we play the part perfectly; being slobs! Hey Cleveland… Get this.. CIVIC PRIDE is FREE!!! Doesn’t cost a DIME to embrace it and start using it, no matter what walk of life you come from—but it costs all of us millions when we DON’T exercise this pride!

Adopting such pride again means we foster a populous that will not allow the kinds of things to happen that end up tearing down a city and region in the first place; the kinds of things people spend all day winging about on these posts, but offer to do NOTHING about, and instead become a part of the problem by telling everyone how they cannot wait to take the next train out of here!

Please cover the trash/litter, illegal dumping issues, PD.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 8:39 AM

Please Ohio, Once Again—Just Say NO To The Gaming Industry Hype!

Here is my rather redundant editorial on the latest gaming proposal idea!

Ohio… Psssst.. Listen up.. Please STOP being sold a bill of garbage that casinos are the be all end all cure for economic woes. Just because many surrounding states bought on to this bandwagon, does not mean we have to follow the leader and do a “monkey see monkey do.” Nor does it mean they’re right and we’re wrong.

We should not be trying to build an economy around this sort of thing…. Something that simply has no accountability where the money goes. If people read closely through the proposed issues (as in the past you will find that there is NO guarantee we’d make anything from these entities. Too many loop holes; too many empty promises. We should not be building an economy around entities that help to produce and foster bad and self destructive habits—that in the long run, could be a cost burden on the state, Example: bankruptcies, etc. I can see it now, already economically depressed…..what a time for gaming promoters to pitch their goods! (especially when their own industry is in decline!) People gamble and drink when depressed…and we see people peeing away their government assistance checks on gaming! This will NOT attract high end gaming enthusiasts as Vegas. We will NOT be the gaming destination place like Vegas. Gaming promoters are in business for one thing: PROFIT! NOT charity to states! Please see past the smoke and mirrors, Ohio.

Even if proposed right… I am still not sold on this idea. If we want to help our economy, we’d be trying to lure and promote high tech jobs and workforces that perhaps can have our region being the hot pit for cutting edge green technologies, such as windmill manufacturing, alternative fuels, green vehicles, solar panels, recycled product manufacturing, etc. Such would display a contrast and total change from our industrial polluting past manufacturing base. The jobs that could result in a green economy…. could help foster a better populous in body, mind, and spirit by creating a healthier environment—and hence—this could help keep people living here long term and raise their family. Can you see how such an economy would be a contrast to what depending on the tobacco, booze, fast food, and gaming industry, helps to trickle down produce in the population?——A sad sap bunch of obese mental numb heads who are so down and out and misinformed, that somehow they become deluded into thinking gaming will cure everything from world hunger to cancer! Absolutely pathetic if this is the best this entire region can do for economic re-development.

Let me reiterate…. How about Cleveland and Ohio in general, being a world leader in green or other future technologies? For every product produced, there is a job behind making it, marketing and selling it. It is time Cleveland and N.E. Ohio re-invent itself from the past economies—and placing a band-aid on the economic woes right now with the gambling hype is NOT going to sustain a long term future economy—nor should we build one around such that ultimately is a contributing factor in producing the mediocre mid-west ‘Kielbasa Kid” mentality that is so pervasive throughout our region.

Every state, every city in this region having a casino, is the same as seeing the big box “Sprawl-Mart” stores all over the place—and what is so very special about that? Would such a scenario have people coming from all over to see just another casino? I don’t think so, and rather, I see the scene as a soon to be a dated one…so pase. Seen one seen ’em all! Please, Ohio, don’t follow this extremely deceptive bandwagon and instead…. discover all the other alternatives to build the economy–and the entertainment sector, in particular, that really will lead to making Cleveland, N.E. Ohio a place people will want to live, work and play—and visit. Let all the others who thought this was the answer, look at Cleveland/Ohio and envy us for something we have that they do not—all because they were all too busy following the leader…to a road that leads to nowhere, nonetheless!

Lastly, I plead again…..Many think Ohio is a joke because they have voted the gaming down so many times. Ohio is only a joke if many of you posters actually believe this is going to salvage the economy…and are duped into thinking this is the only thing we can do to make the city/state shine and be attractive for the future. When people are desperate, they’ll latch onto anything that sounds promising with little question, as long as the hype is all the tootie fruttie nonsense people want to hear. The casino hype is a classic example of what I am talking about. Why do you think promoters hit this whole part of the country hard in the first place? It is easy to lure the hungry and desperate. Please tell me you’re not this desperate Ohio, that you will allow anything at any cost set up shop in your state, as long as the promoters spew all the right ‘jobs and taxes’ B.S.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 8:45 PM

Improving The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Experience

Since an airport is one of the first things travelers will see when arriving into any destination, it only stands to reason that it should offer the best possible aesthetic and welcoming image. At Cleveland Hopkins, I am sure most of the needed improvements can be accomplished by reaching to the depths of creativity by those who’s building renovation specialty is taking a rather mundane situation—and making people turn around and say “WOW!” after all the construction dust clears!

Improvements at Hopkins to make a big difference could be as follows: Let me start with the INSIDE of the airport…..

First there are obvious improvements to be made. Start by removing dropped ceilings and adding some skylights to open up the place and make use of natural lighting. Fresh coats of paint with timeless colors that will not look too dated in 5 years, and natural stone flooring would make a notable immediate difference in the otherwise dated facility. Oh, and please, NO MORE CARPET!!! Carpet in such places like airports or malls, where there are high volumes of foot traffic, does not only present a dirty germ laden condition (as carpet is actually a dirty thing), it also presents an ongoing cost factor to have to replace is ever 10 years or so. As far being cleaner, a timeless, and better flooring alternative that will add in making the place seem more roomy and less ‘boxed-in’ would be natural stone tile. It is also durable. In fact, the original flooring IS tile. As in Chicago O’Hare, for example, the only place I think carpet is acceptable is in places where people wait for flights in the chairs.

Other basic improvements could be a better selection of stores—many should be local “Cleveland” entities like Great Lakes Tavern, or Malley’s Chocolates, and local coffee shops that actually serve coffee in a glass mug should you chose to sit down at the establishment—and not serve it in wasteful styro-foam. Real classy, Starbucks! Please no more Starbucks!

Now how about basic cleaning at our airport? Better and more frequent washing of windows, and maintenance around door jams and frames as such gets used a lot would make small but noticeable differences. Having cleaner restrooms is something that good management should never have to be reminded about for an airport—or any place where a higher volume of people travel. It should be an ongoing thing all day every day as soon as crews get a break to go in and clean.

Now to address some of the décor and things that promote Cleveland and N.E. Ohio for visitors. I would suggest adding a lot more local artwork that displays the history, human made and natural, of Cleveland and the region. We need to put on a show for visitors who may happen to be wondering what the region offers in terms of things to do, places to go. This can be achieved by asking the visitors bureau to make their information booths available in more areas where travelers exit planes.

This brings us to the people who we see everyday at the airport. As for the staff at Hopkins, I am often surprised at much of the ‘dead head’ attitude of much of the help. These people, and their attitudes is not the first thing I would want visitors—or locals to experience when coming into or going out of our city. We need to hire people who are actually enthusiastic about living here, KNOW what the region offers, and people who want to see it become better. Yes, we DO exist amidst the pervasive culture of the Cleveland/North East Ohio inferiority complex.

Hopkins should not be hiring or maintaining people who exercise no class, and give us a bush league simple image, by shouting at their fellow employees from across the halls talking about what they are going to do Friday night and so on. It really is embarrassing for those of us who are proud of our city and trying to do good things here. Again, why this is important for the airport people to really have this sink in their heads is because the airport and personnel is what visitors will first likely encounter here. Overall friendlier help at the airport does much to leave people with a better image of your city and people.

Better signage and cleaner better lit RTA facilities would round out my immediate improvements on the inside of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. .

Now for the OUTSIDE…..

Airports are often in areas where the air quality is really bad. Traffic from cars, planes is commonplace, naturally. We are next to Ford and Ford is next to the airport—and this does not make for the freshest air around. People getting off of flights which contain bad air to begin with usually cannot wait to step outside and get some fresh air. Since airport air is not exactly a fresh breath of country air, we should do all we can to ease the poor air conditions.

What can the airport do about this? Simple…plant many more native tree species suitable for the grounds. (Ala Orlando–Beautiful!). This will make the airport look much nicer outside of the terminal. Trees filter air and provide oxygen, as well as offer a general healthier feel. Kindly asking smokers to stand clear of doors would be a plus. I personally do not enjoy inhaling second hand smoke the second I walk out the door, or have it whisked back inside by opening and closing doors—and people going in and out—if I am awaiting my baggage!

Better landscaping, litter clean-up and follow up on maintenance would be very noticeable as well. Just offer a little more earth and a bit less concrete as a general rule–and try implementing NATIVE OHIO plant species. I also notice that the airport can do a better job in sprucing up the outside building look as well by maybe painting, cleaning existing facades , and keeping up after litter bugs…maybe pressure washing certain areas as well. Better cleaning of the outside terminal structure needs to be performed, and that means maybe some pressure washing from time to time, or a new coat of paint.

Lastly, we NEED to employ a recycling program. Many airports have recycling programs. Why have we not joined the progressive examples? Airports generate an incredible amount of senseless waste. Can we do a little to at least show wee care? These are some of the improvements I see should be implemented at our airport. Many are simply BETTER and basic maintenance and follow up routines–which require a staff that actually takes pride in its work. The others are renovations that can be all completed in a year or more. Seeing the changes should not take 10 years. Oh and by the way, for people groaning about walking too far in the terminals. I say this to you….Unless one is totally incapacitated and cannot move there is no excuse to not get off your rear and walk. You will have plenty of time to sit and cramp-up on flights or rides home. North East Ohio should be the last place anyone complains about walking because obesity and laziness is out of control.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 2:04 PM

CLEVELAND PORT RE-LOCATION: THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU BUY INTO THE IDEA!

In a time when everywhere you look, someone or someplace is jumping on the “going green” bandwagon it never ceases to amaze me how such efforts to take big leaps forward become futile when I see a huge leap backwards in the community.

My most recent example will have to focus on the idea of re-locating the Port of Cleveland to the East 55th street area along the Lake Erie shore. At this site, not far, we have a lovely green strip of a state park—part of the Cleveland Lake-front State Park system—Gordon park—under threat from the desires of the Port of Cleveland to be re-located there from an area downtown already used and abused over the years for such seagoing trade/merchant functions that ports carry out on a regular basis. Note I say “already used and abused’”

Yes, the port is a place of concrete, docks, warehouses, and slag piles—and a host of other industrial clutter that is not on any visitors number one wish list of “must sees” when coming to Cleveland. I don’t even think the toughest weed will grow in the cracks of the concrete! Nevertheless, it serves a function no matter how large or small in the local economy, and can actually co-exist with well planned future development in the same area, that would be more visitor and resident friendly–such as parks, residential and retail development, or restoring some natural lake-front such as is the case at Wendy Park on the west side of the Cuyahoga River.

Relocating the port to Gordon Park area, however, we would see a loss of much of the green-space and natural areas that connect neighborhoods with their water-front–to be converted to the same industrial use at the current site. We will lose what little green-space we have on our lake-front, while decentralizing the port from the CBD, where most major urban activity should take place. With little space for natural lake-front settings and places to hike, bike, fish, stroll and simple relax… What “green” sense does it make to destroy that for the sake of a few benefits of the port?

The Port can remain where it is, or explore several sites up river—and still be flanked and co-exist with the kinds of development many people envision in its place should it abandon the current site. Not far from it would be the on-hold Flats East Bank Project, Wendy Park, and Flats West. The Gordon Park area is about trees and natural greenery along our lake-front. Let’s not follow the same archaic poor land use planning practices of the past and lose this emerald gem to convert it to more industrial space when we are currently under-utilizing areas already converted for such–that are much more central to downtown. Yes, locating the port to Gordon Park is a big example of taking a big step backwards in being green, an effort Cleveland is trying to achieve—at times we take little steps forward—and is not conducive to a more sustainable Cleveland and North East Ohio.

I am including below, a few articles submitted to me from an associate of mine in the advocacy for making Cleveland and North East Ohio a cleaner and greener and healthier place. The articles were submitted to a major Cleveland business magazine as well as a commentary in the Plain Dealer. You will have to click the link. In these writings, you will see detailed compelling information that helps me reaffirm my thoughts on the issue, especially how the decision to re-locate the port being totally out of proportion with following the Lake Front Plan already in the books–which is a good one, implementing green space–and making Gordon Park a big part of that green-space. These are the arguments we seldom hear at meetings–as we mostly hear the opinions of those few who have the best interests of the port in mind.

Following Letter to Crain’s Cleveland Business Magazine from Barbara Martin, chairman & Bill Gruber, vice chairman
Dike 14 Nature Preserve Committee

■ We believe that it is important to clarify a number of points set forth in the Jan. 5, Page 3 story headlined, “Port Authority’s transformation begins long before move.”

■ Timing: The story says it will be nearly 10 years before the Port begins its move to its proposed new site at East 55th Street and 20 years for the move to be complete. In fact, the Army Corps hopes to begin filling a new Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) at East 55th in 2015. Considering the projected CDF capacity and the Corps’ actual annual dredge amount of at most 250,000 cubic yards, it will take about 28 years ― or 34 years from now ― to complete filling all 200 acres of the proposed CDF. The first phase is likely to be filled by about 2024 ― 16 years from today. Once the filling is done, the wet dredgings must dry out and settle, a process taking several years. The infrastructure work for utilities, roads, rail connections and structures will take additional years to complete.

■ Fill it faster: The Port says it will try to fill the CDF faster than the normal dredge deposit process would take. But it has no agreement with the Army Corps to allow the Port to fill the federal CDFs with non-dredge fill material, and for good reason. Federal law and regulations limit what the Army Corps may use its federal funds to build and fill. The Corps needs a new CDF for its harbor dredge program to keep shipping lanes open, not to build a new Port facility. If the Port seeks to build its own facility for fill, that cost will add greatly to the already immense projected cost of its proposed move.

■ Cost of a new port: As the article says, the new Port could cost up to $1billion of taxpayer money. But the Army Corps will only be paying 75% of the cost to build the dike that will hold the dredge material, which is projected to cost about $200 million. So the Port will have to come up with $50 million of the dike’s cost and a total of about $750 million (not the $250 million suggested in the article).

■ City lakefront plan: While the Port’s plan to move to East 55th might free up the existing Port’s downtown location for private development, as intended by the city of Cleveland’s comprehensive Lakefront Plan, that move would also obliterate the remainder of the city’s plan as to the entire East Side lakefront, which Cleveland’s residents and the city’s Planning Commission concluded just a few years ago should be reserved for parks, marinas, fishing piers and public access to the lake, not replaced by a 200-acre industrial facility.

■ Port attempted sell-off of public trust property: The Port wants to sell its current location for private development, but neither the Port nor the city owns that land. The Port is currently situated on formerly submerged (filled) lands that Ohio’s Constitution and Supreme Court say are held in trust for the public by the state of Ohio, and may not be sold off. The land can be developed for public access or water-related commercial use under submerged lands leases issued by the state, just like the leases issued for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center and Browns Stadium. Expensive and protracted legal fights could result if the Port tries to raise funds for its move by trying to sell off this public land to private developers.

■ Growth in port business: The Port claims it needs to expand from the 70 acres it currently uses on the downtown lakefront to 200 acres at East 55th because of all the container shipping that is sure to come if the new site is built. But the Port’s own study of the possibility of container shipping coming to Cleveland projects the modest amount of one ship every two weeks and cautions that container shipping here is only of a “limited potential.” And for such a limited possibility the Port wants our community to invest $1billion of its limited resources.

Barbara Martin, chairman
Bill Gruber, vice chairman
Dike 14 Nature Preserve Committee

Another Letter submitted to Crain’s Cleveland Business Magazine from Ken Vinciquerra

Dear Messrs. Dodosh, Miller and Tucker,

As a long-time subscriber of Crain’s and a concerned citizen of Cuyahoga County, I feel I must respond to the January 5, 2009 analysis “Port Authority’s transformation begins long before move.”

There were a number of ironies in that article. In one breath, Mr. Wasserman berates “people haphazardly approaching the public sector for its land,” and in the next he proposes usurping public access to precious State parkland from E 55 to E 72 and beyond for a 200-acre industrial port. In approaching the public sector for this land and seizing it, the Port hopes to have found its new home. But in the process, the proposed move of Port facilities to E 55 will destroy E 55th St. Lakefront State Park and Marina, and dramatically and negatively impact InterCity Yacht Club, Gordon Lakefront State Park, and Dike 14 Nature Preserve.

Mr. Wasserman also claims that “We think we have support from the community.”

Does he have the support of the community? During the 32-month planning process conducted just a few short years ago, Connecting Cleveland: The Waterfront District Plan (WDP) attracted more than 5,000 people to over 200 community and stakeholder meetings, large and small, and generated thousands of ideas on how to best reshape Cleveland’s Lakefront and improve access between the shoreline and the adjacent neighborhoods.

At the site of the Port Authority’s proposed 200-acre CDF/Container Cargo site, the community consensus WDP envisions:

· New land masses, not for a large, brightly lit, industrial zone, but for “water-related activities, specifically overlooks and fishing platforms, new marina, aquafilter, watercraft beach, relocated public boat launch, and fisherman’s harbor.” We’re talking same location, but two entirely different visions for our future dredged materials.

· E. 55 St. State Park and Marina expansion and enhancements

· Quay 55 residential complex expansion

· Enhancement of nearby Gordon Lakefront State Park and Dike 14 Nature Preserve

Then, last June 16, out of nowhere at just the second public meeting sponsored by the Port to share the 200-acre industrial port plan with the public, CPC Director Brown stood up at the microphone and stated that this port plan somehow fulfills the vision laid out in the Waterfront District Plan. Really?

· What happened to the “continuous green ribbon at the water’s edge”?

· What happened to expansion of the E 55th St. Lakefront State Park and Marina?

· What happened to the “new land masses that will provide opportunities for new beaches, expanded marinas, overlooks, fishing platforms, boat launches, and a fisherman’s harbor, giving the city’s residents an exciting variety of opportunities to access their waterfront?”

· What happened to the collaboration with Quay 55 ownership to expand that beautiful development into “a gateway to a new celebratory promenade at the E55th Street Bridge?”

· What happened to enhancement of Gordon State Park, “which long ago was severed in half by interstate highway infrastructure,” but which will “enjoy a renaissance under the Waterfront District Plan?”

· When was all of this abandoned, as if the (somewhat miraculous) public consensus forged by CPC had never even occurred? Who decided? Behind which closed doors was this scheme devised? Why weren’t the citizens of Cleveland and Cuyahoga Co made aware of this and involved in the process? The WDP speaks of the legacy we’ve all lived with since the severing of Gordon Park. How will our children and future generations of Clevelanders feel about this latest, and most grievous, mistake on the lake?

What could possibly be the rationale for a 180 degree about-face from the well-thought out consensus for lakefront development? Mr. Wasserman has promised jobs and economic opportunity. Your analysis states that “Mr. Wasserman said he also believes the existing docks are underused and that worldwide maritime conditions offer the opportunity to expand the port’s cargo operations immediately.”

Did the Port president also mention the long term stagnation and/or decline in business at the existing port? Did he mention that the Port-financed feasibility study itself states “While these analyzes maintain that there may be a potential from a transit time and relative cost perspective, and that diversion to a feeder service serving the Port of Cleveland at this time appears to have some merit, …there are many key issues that need to be addressed in order for successful implementation,” including but limited to “seasonality of shipping, relatively small local Cleveland market for shipped goods, and lack of growth of the Port of Halifax capacities relative to other coastal competitors.” [my emphases]

That is hardly a ringing endorsement for a proposal that will devastate the natural splendor one sees as one rounds the bend on I-90 at MLK heading west towards the city. It is also hardly a ringing endorsement for the inevitable exorbitant cost and the disregard of the voiced consensus of the tax-paying public.

To the extent that Mr. Wasserman may have some level of community support, I would simply say: It is one thing to sell a publicly financed scheme when only one side of the debate is ever presented and when opposing opinions are limited to occasional LTEs and 3 minute shots at a microphone; it is a whole other challenge to bring it before the public in an honest and open public forum for rational debate on the merits.

In the 10 months prior to his untimely death in November, Citizen Ed Hauser (the “Mayor of Whiskey Island”) was devoting all his considerable civic energies to stopping this latest insult to our shoreline (and the citizens who cherish it). Please honor his memory and the principles for which he fought, and for which many individuals continue to fight against all odds, by probing into the costs of this proposal (financial, environmental, recreational), as well as its prospects for ROI and purported benefits. This city has too long suffered from being a one-newspaper town, from having major decisions made behind closed doors, from having debate on important issues quashed. Crain’s has been a trusted and dependable source of unbiased reporting for many years, and I would encourage you not only to continue to follow this story very closely, but to initiate dialog and honest debate about its costs and realistic benefits.

As always, keep up the fine work informing Northeast Ohioans of the business of Cleveland. I look forward each day to the appearance of “Today’s Headlines and Blogs”, “This Week’s Issue”, and “The Morning Roundup” in my Inbox!

Ken Vinciquerra
Cleveland Hts, OH
January 20, 2009

Finally, here is a letter submitted to the Cleveland Plain Dealer commentary section:

Cuyahoga County port’s relocation proposal has serious flaws

Sunday, January 25, 2009
Dominic A. LoGalbo

Recently, on these pages, Michael Wagar, the out going chairman of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, championed a vision of a new, 200-acre port he claims would be the catalyst for some 50,000 jobs, signaling an economic rebirth for the region. In a city struggling to attain a renaissance on so many levels, the message held out much needed hope. I believe, however, Wagar’s projections should be taken with a dash of reality, for the plan may be more of a mirage than a manifestation of economic prosperity.

To appreciate the potential folly of this project, one needs to consider the process that led to its birth and the arrogant manner in which it has been presented to a public that is expected to pay for it without questioning its feasibility.

I have spent a lifetime of involvement with the lakefront, first managing Dock 20 for the Cleveland Stevedore Co., and later representing eight international steamship lines for F.C MacFarlane Steamship Co.

My experience on the waterfront made me aware of the need for better planning if the city was ever to enjoy the acclaim and prosperity a beautiful shoreline would bring Cleveland. That planning seemed to take shape during Mayor Jane Campbell’s administration.

Like many others, I attended scores of meetings designed to draw ideas from the public and piece them into a master plan. Considerable time and money went into what would finally emerge after 200 meetings as the 2004 Lakefront District Plan.

The remarkable thing about the plan was its consensus. In a city known for its contentious nature, virtually every business, civic and political entity endorsed the plan. In all probability, it was the most extensive study of the lakefront since Cleveland emerged from the wilderness in the 18th century.

Then, in an astonishing move, made without public explanation or input, the plan was cast aside. It was replaced by a hastily conceived idea promising to be the largest public works project in the city’s history, costing upwards of a billion dollars and adding a new ribbon of industrial clutter to the shoreline.

At the meeting at which it was introduced a year ago, port officials explicitly stated that the public could not question officials about the plan. Since then, very little has been revealed about its progress.

The plan coincided with the arrival of Adam Wasserman in 2007 as president of the port authority and was based on two sketchy studies by consultants without even a façade of public debate. One of the port’s own studies concluded that the Wasserman plan was virtually a roll of the dice.

Even more alarming than the further marring of the shoreline’s aesthetic was the lack of economic data supporting such a costly endeavor. There was no projected return on investment on such a massive expenditure of public money.

Compare that cost to the fact that – in a good year – the port makes only about $1 million annually from maritime use and recently has lost money in its operations. While the port claims to have created thousands of jobs through its efforts, studies find only a few thousand that can be associated with its maritime endeavors.

At the crux of Wasserman’s plan is the establishment of a new port that would handle such substantial container business that it would create an economic development zone adjacent to it that would ultimately create 50,000 jobs. This would be achieved in 20 years.

Today, the Port of Toledo is in a position to handle all the container business available. But very little of this business exists, and there is little likelihood of any significant increase.

The shipping business as a whole has fallen off here over the years. When I first started at the port in the 1960s, there were 21 steamship companies operating here, and the Port of New York maintained offices in the Terminal Tower. These companies are long gone.

The loss of so much manufacturing in Ohio has had a serious effect on the port.

Ships entering the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence Seaway prefer not only to deliver cargo but to pick it up as well, but there is little to export here.

Currently, rail and truck transport is favored by the container industry. No better example can be found than in Maple Heights where the Norfolk and Southern Railroad maintains a container facility. Each day some 1,400 containers pass through the facility, about 900 by truck and the rest by rail.

The likelihood of Norfolk and Southern relocating its transportation hub to a downtown site is remote, and there is no dramatic increase in Great Lakes shipping anticipated in the future.

In addition, the shipping season usually runs from April to late October, which means the port is idle for five months, hardly an encouraging factor for such a staggering investment.

The concerns around this project are legion and include environmental and recreational issues as well as the quality of life available on our waterfront. The port needs to conceive a realistic facility as was presented in the 2004 Lakefront District plan.

LoGalbo studied transportation at John Carroll University and served with the U.S. Army Transportation Corps. He was the first commodore of the E. 55th Street Marina.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 4:50 PM

What Does Superman And Cleveland Have In Common?

I was never a huge comic book action super hero fan. More so, I find interest in the nostalgic aspect of old comic books and periods where most of the technology we depend upon today for entertainment was absent. I admire the time when using the imagination would lead us to all kinds of adventures outside and inside—Inside, especially on a rainy day, when younger kids may have whipped out their latest comic book to read about the continuing adventures that would have greed and bad facing off with the good with so many super hero characters to chose from!

Probably the most popular super hero of all time, the one whom many movies, television series, books, and spin-offs were created—even to this very day would have to be ‘the man of steel’ A.K.A. Superman! Over several years, Superman has gained worldwide acclaim and adoration as the protector of our world from all that is wrong. While in the story, we all know that Superman was from a distant and extremely advanced world on a planet called “Krypton” He fled the planet searching for a new world on the verge of his planet’s destruction and luck would have it that he found planet Earth. He began a life here working as a newspaper reporter under the disguise as the shy mannered ‘Clark Kent’ for the ‘The Daily Planet’

Most of us know the story of Superman’s birthplace in fiction. How many are aware that his real birthplace was not in some far off exotic place—in fact, far from it… and was a lot closer than you think. He was born right here in North America in Cleveland, Ohio more than 70 years ago in the Cleveland neighborhood of Glenville. Superman was the result of the imagination’s of two Glenville High School students, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Schuster.

Recently, efforts have been pushed forward to restore the original home of Jerry Seigel and eventually create a city landmark that would attract interest from around the world. It is already marked as a city historical landmark home. The house could be a place where Superman fans from everywhere, and all walks of life can get a glimpse of where the story all began–and to say thanks for saving the world from greed and destruction so many times as Superman does! While visitors come to Cleveland, they may want to travel downtown to get a glimpse of the art deco styled building, the AT&T Huron Road Building (SBC/Ohio Bell formerly), which is said to be the influence for The Daily Planet building where Clark Kent worked as a reporter.

To read more about the restoration of the Superman home, there is a myriad of information on Google from NPR news to local blogs like this one…to magazine and website articles from around the world—or, you can start by reading the following great article in The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/02superman.html

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 9:15 AM

HIP HOP—MASS MARKETED UNPARALLELED CULTURE OF SELF DESTRUCTION

The following letter was written by an associate of mine in the anti-noise movement. I am posting it because I unequivocally share the thoughts expressed in the article. Based on personal experiences, I have come to the conclusion that what is expressed in the following article is a part of what contributes to the declining of the day to day peace and quality of life in neighborhoods across the country.

The promotion by “The Merchants Of Cool” of noise and loud behavior, disrespect and regard for the law and rules, and the disrespect for other’s right to peace–has been for a long time, unprecedented by any previous generation–and with no end in sight. Please read the following and share your thoughts if you can see the problems in promoting bad behavior as ‘cool.”

I am likely going to share personal and deeper thoughts about this issue in another post, but this was so compelling, I had to post the article below right away. Thank you Mike Smith of Pulaski, Virginia. To my understanding, you have endured more noise assault in your neighborhood than should ever be humanly expected to be tolerated.

Glamorizing Disaster – Today’s Hip-Hop Culture

By: Michael W. Smith, January 11, 2009

The past couple of decades have been witness to the making of a new culture amongst young people – known as the Hip-Hop Culture. Never before have young people from every walk of life been as easily influenced as they have been during this time. Every generation since the beginning of human kind has had their own identity and popular culture – known as right of passage.

Today’s youth, and that of the past couple of decades, suffers from social ills like no other generation has in the past. Young people today have been raised by TV shows, violent video games, computers/internet and Gangsta RAP music compounded by absent parental guidance. Peer pressure amongst young people today has taken on a whole new meaning as it has formed the very character of our youth – not to mention their legacy.

Peer Pressure has given over to the “Cool Phenomenon” thus once deemed cool the youth adopts that way of life regardless its social characteristics. Regrettably such cool trends center on loud music, defiance, aggression, violence, sex, drugs, disrespect, rudeness, and dumbing down intellectually. Culture Spies infiltrated the youth underground and determined these cool trends only to market them back to the youth regardless the negative social impacts on society. Corporate America has become “Merchants of Cool”.

Corporate America has realized that use of “cool” marketing concepts reaches the easily influenced youth today. Thus Corporate America has stooped to the lowest possible social level in promoting everything from cars to hamburgers as being cool. Knowing that the word cool is a cash-cow, Corporate America is now influencing young people as early as 2-3 years of age as they plant that seed glamorizing “cool”.

Now the matured Hip-Hop Culture rips at the very fabric of our society as they inflict our neighborhoods, city streets, and even department stores with loud anti-social behavior. Our streets and neighborhoods have become loud and violent all across America and the innocent suffers silently in their homes. Most police departments across the country suffer from budgetary restraints and out-of-date laws as they yield to this activity.

America has been reduced to the lowest negative social norms in history and suffers form ills like “the broken-window syndrome” that has degraded quality of life for everyone. The broken-window syndrome was brought on by out-of-control youth as they glamorize the Hip-Hop Culture with no end in sight.

Many have approached solutions to the ill affects of the Hip-Hop Culture only to be accused of making a racial statement. But the truth is that the Hip-Hop Culture in America has nothing to do with race whatsoever – thus playing the race card is inappropriate. Blacks fathered RAP music that the Hip-Hop Culture embraced as the main genre of music but now more White Rappers are joining the ranks of those so-called artists of mayhem. Main Street America suffers from the loud anti-social behavior of this culture without discrimination and regardless the ethnic recipe.

The fact remains in any society that our youth is our future. The Hip-Hop Culture is refused by the majority today so how will it be accepted as our future? America is doomed unless new laws are enforced and this anti-social trend reversed. Corporate America needs to be held accountable for their promotions and marketing strategies.

To Glamorize Hip-Hop is to Glamorize Disaster on a grand scale.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 12:24 PM

Cleveland’s League Park—A Treasure Worth Bringing Back!

How precious is this place! Cleveland’s League Park baseball field.

As I skimmed through various articles and photos about the stadium and surrounding neighborhood circa 1890’s, I imagine stepping back in that time era as a kid around 12 years old on a hot summer sunny day…riding my bike up to the out field wall trying to get a glimpse of the drama inside about to unfold! I can only hear from the crowd that something exciting was about to happen! The bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, the score, Cleveland 3, New York 2.…batter down to his last strike and the famed Cy Young pitching for Cleveland. One hit means two runs could score placing the opposing team ahead. The crowd urges on for the final strike–up on their feet. The pitcher looks on, the set, the wind up…the next pitch… …a moment frozen in time as 20 thousand behold….AND…STRIKE THREE CALLED… Cleveland wins!

Yes, coming back from that little day dream, I feel this park is an example of part of the birth of baseball–even pre-dating the last of the great big old parks today. League park represents an era not only in baseball history, but an era when such a park was a part of the neighborhood–a great community venue that brought people together. It represents a time when people didn’t live their lives in cars. League Park was situated in such a way where you would sit on your front porch and hear the game—or walk across the street to attend one!

The architecture is simply beaconing, warm, charming and romantic–evoking a lost period often imitated but never duplicated. I am surprised that many more in the baseball world have not reached out to help make the current restoration a reality as it is part of the heritage and evolution of the game. Many firsts in baseball happened at League Park.

Restoring such a facility could also spur rejuvenation of the surrounding neighborhood. Although, only fragments of the original park remain, the heart and soul lives on forever. Restoring the park again could very well be a real life Field of Dreams story! I would enjoy hearing your comments about League Park and the chances it can become a reality again. This place could draw visitors nation and worldwide. For complete information about League Park including history, photos, and information on current restoration efforts, please see : http://www.leaguepark.org

 

BOOM-A-BOOM…. THUMPITY THUMP!

A fellow colleague of mine involved in the anti-noise pollution movement who has worked ever so diligently to restore reasonable peace in the neighborhoods, recently had the following article to express about the problems boom cars are creating in neighborhoods across the country. Shame on the manufacturers of such who promote the kind of anti-social behavior which tears at the very fabric of societies–our neighborhoods.

BOOM-A-BOOM…. THUMPITY THUMP!

It’s five minutes after three in the morning and here you come, booming and thumping down my street, rattling my windows, shaking my doors, and making sure, as you cruise by ever so slowly, that no one sleeps while you’re on the prowl. My double-paned thermal windows are closed, my ear plugs are in, but there is no defense against your invasion. Love those lyrics, too – the one four-letter combination that functions so conveniently as verb, noun, gerund, participle – the one-word-serves-all approach for the poet of limited vocabulary.

You are breaking the law, violating the peace, damaging your ears and those of the helpless babies you strap like sacrifices into the rear seats of your tricked-out cars. In 4 or 5 years your hearing will start to go but you won’t notice because you live life so loud all the time, it won’t be a problem to just ratchet up the decibels another notch or two. Your children will go to school with impaired hearing and learning disabilities because your selfish addiction to loud is more important to you than their wellbeing.

All over the country police departments strain to respond to complaints for what used to be soothed over with an apology, a polite request, a little courtesy. Tax dollars now go to field a constant barrage of angry citizen complaints, night and day, because no one any longer gets a good night’s sleep, or keeps a thought in his head at the computer, or enjoys his front porch or even his back yard because of your relentless barbaric yawp. Whole towns have lost their sense of self because of you and your unholy racket.

Hospitals, school zones, libraries — these are all the same to you. You do not discriminate. Everyone gets to suffer.

Car alarms go off. Babies wake up shrieking in the night. The sick and the dying call out, “Make it stop, make it stop.” Sensitive humans find themselves with nausea, trembling, chest pain, a racing heart; blood pressures soar. Innocent animals are frightened. Police, fire, and EMT vehicles go unheard by you at intersections because you’re too busy imposing your little hobby on those who never asked for it, in your roving night club! Yes, you do good work. You are efficient, you are thorough, and above all you are as constant as the morning star – we can all go to bed every night confident that you will come by, regular as the newspaper carrier and the mail man, but a whole lot louder.

And should you get a ticket, how you scream! It’s freedom of speech! you bark. I have a right! you shout. I paid a lot of money for this system and I’m going to use it! you protest. You resent being picked on, singled out, noticed. But if you don’t want all that attention, why are you making so much noise?

Why are you making so much noise? Do you feel unloved? Unwanted? Unsuccessful? Unnoticed? Do you have to call attention to yourself to be sure you’re really here? Or maybe you’re just young and foolish and think making a big racket is just harmless fun. Whatever your reasons, noise obviously works for you, satisfies you, makes your life worth living. And the rest of us, well who cares, right? It seems you use your so called ‘freedoms’ to hurt and not help others–and you actually think you’re entitled to do what you do. It seems the angrier we get, the more pain we feel, the happier you are. And that is good enough for you.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 8:03 AM

FISHES OF OHIO’S HOCKING HILLS REGION

People who are familiar with Southern Ohio’s Hocking Hills are quick to take notice to the many stunning rock formations found in the hollows and gorges in the region, such as Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave. No less noticed, is the abundance of water spilling over rocks forming the many pools and streams which slice through the many gorges. In addition to the many waterways and natural works of rock art sculpted by nature over long periods of time, this region holds many best kept secrets of its diverse animal and plant life.

One such fascinating secret lies beneath the surface of the many streams you are likely to hike near during your visit. There are many small fishes schooling about lazily. Have you ever noticed what kind of fishes they are?

This is a general introduction guide to the fishes of the Hocking Hills region, especially focusing on some of the more abundant, yet lesser known species of the waterways. Interestingly enough, North America fosters the most diverse temperate fish fauna in the world, and the Hocking Hills are an ample part of this diversity!

The following observation of the fishes of the Hocking Hills is not from an angling perspective, but rather what a “fish watching” perspective, in just the same way bird and butterfly enthusiasts explore their creatures of affection!

Let’s begin with the DARTERS

Darters are a family of fish that include the familiar perches and walleyes. They could be represented as “underwater hummingbirds” because of their size, quickness and colors. They are small, colorful or intricately patterned fish, seldom exceeding 5 inches in length. They require clean, clear running streams for their optimum survival. They are elongate fish, with a physique designed perfectly for remaining stable in swift moving water on stream bottoms. In the Hocking Hills they feed on small insect larvae, worms, crustaceans and other small organisms. Darters swim along the bottom of streams in a quick “darting” fashion, hence the name “darters.”

Hocking Hills, of course, is a haven for many kinds of darters, including the endangered eastern sand darter. Other darters finding home here are the rainbow darter, fantail darter, Johnny darter, banded darter, greenside darter, verigate darter and more. It may be surprising that one of the world’s most colorful fishes makes Hocking Hills its home! If you ever happen to be a part of one of the park naturalist’s stream life observation programs, be sure to look closely at the rainbow darter as the naturalist holds the fish up into the sunlight light for viewing purposes in the viewing container.

Next up, the MINNOW family.

There are approximately 231 species of minnows in North America., so the next time you gaze down into a stream while crossing a trail bridge try to identify which kinds of minnows you’re spotting. Even the most camouflaged or mundane colored minnow seems to come alive with the color and shine of sparkling jewels during spawning season when stream waters warm up a bit (approximately late March to late May). Watching a group of spawning minnows can be a sight to behold! You know something unique and complex is happening. Such a scene is similar in appearance to a flock of birds all darting about in tight formation in every direction.

Some minnow species, such as redside dace are indicators of higher water quality, while others, like the creek chub are more tolerant to the erosion and sedimentation that can occur in the gorges where trails are heavily hiked or after heavy rains. By the way, just a small tip for leaving a light footprint on aquatic environments: It is best to not hike too close to stream banks, because trampling plants along erosion sensitive banks eventually kills the plants, and ultimately the root structures stretching into sandbanks.

Southern red belly dace are another type of small minnow which are found in the Hocking Hills headwater streams and in clean, clear, quiet pools, such as those at Ash Cave. During spawning season, southern reds are surely to capture your attention easily, as they are brilliantly colored with a bright “stop sign red” underbody, yellowish- green fins and dark black stripes running the length of the body from near the head to tail.

The central stoneroller is colorful and easily recognized in the Spring. It sweeps clean the bottom of streams by eating excess algae off of rocks, as well as a host of other small organisms. This is a fish that keeps streams clean without anyone paying any extra taxes!

Among many other types of minnows likely to inhabit Hocking Hills streams, are blacknose dace, sand shiners, bluntnose minnow, horny head chub, common shiners, silver jaw minnows, rosefin shiner, creek chub, mud minnows, northern hog sucker, white sucker, and trout perch. Some of the fishes names are as interesting as their physical features! You can identify most of these native fishes in the PETERSON’S FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN FISHES

NATURE’S SIDESHOW!

Now let’s have some fun visiting nature’s fun house side-show in exploring the many ODDITIES OF THE STREAMS……. Hurry hurry, step right up…right here you see the scary looking …mottled sculpin….The sculpin is a small but voracious eater, which like darters, are bottom dwelling fish, never turning away at the chance to lunge up and swallow an unsuspecting baby minnow! They have larger mouths than most small fishes so this is quite easy for this little guy. Against the stream bottom, the sculpin’s camouflage can fool even the sharpest eye. The easiest way to describe the sculpin is that it has the body of a darter, with the head of a toad, or even resembling a bull dog. This description may sound silly, but when you actually see the fish, this description will make sense!

Brook Lamprey is another strange fish. Lamprey are one of the native fishes that have been swimming around in fresh waters before the dinosaurs, and have changed little in millions of years. Resembling eels, an interesting role lamprey play in the underwater environment is preying off of sick and dying fishes. By doing this, the lamprey help to keep the overall fish population strong and healthy, by “removing” those sick fish which may spread disease to others! They literally attach themselves to the weaker fish with their jawless and sucker-like mouth and suck fluids from their prey, eventually killing them! I guess you can call them the “Draculas” of the creek!

The lamprey is different from all fish because it is actually jawless and as mentioned earlier, most notably resembles an eel and slithers along the bottom of the stream like a snake searching for food. Certain native lamprey species are endangered in Ohio and are excellent indicators of cleaner water quality. Like most fishes which are either threatened or endangered, loss of habitat and poor water quality contribute to their declining numbers.

Continuing with nature’s sideshow, Hocking Hills streams are home to Madtom catfish. Madtoms are small catfish usually inhabiting grassy and weedy river and stream banks, in shallow, moderately calm waters. They are very small fishes usually found under 5 inches and can deliver a nasty sting if handled improperly. A common species of madtoms found in the Hocking Hills region is the mountain madtom.

Yet another oddity lurking in the hills are the stickleback minnows. Sticklebacks are small, elongate fishes, olive green and yellowish in color with small spines jutting up from their backs. They are a distant relative of the salt water seahorses and pipe fishes, and resemble a little wind up bath tub toy, as they propel through the water with great precision, stopping instantly in mid-water like a helicopter hovering still in midair! During spawning season, sticklebacks become little carpenters with fins. Carrying in their mouths, they will actually move small detritus (sticks, leaves, stones, and other small debris) to a safe spot, where a family nest can be constructed and guarded!

Lastly, let us not forget the gars. Gar fish are also fishes which have changed little since the days of dinosaurs! If an alligator could do it’s best impression of a fish, it would look like a gar fish! In fact, one gar fish, although not found in Hocking Hills waters, is appropriately named the alligator gar–a fish that has historically been known to reach a length of 12 feet! Short-nosed and long-nosed gar, however, are found in the larger deeper rivers in the Hocking Hills region in backwater pools and along quiet banks where there is heavy weedy vegetation. They are passive predators feeding on other small fishes. Gars often swim just under the surface of the water basking in sunlight. Most gars reach a maximum length of 3 feet.

Now let us finish up our tour of the Hocking Hills waters taking a brief look at the popular SUNFISH FAMILY.

The following covers the most familiar fishes of the sunfish family, which are also found in certain waters of the Hocking Hills. In North America, this group of fishes comprises roughly 30 species. Many angles mistakenly refer to various species of sunfish as bluegill, when in fact, bluegill are just one particular species of sunfish. For example, one who is fishing may refer to what is actually the brightly colored central long ear sunfish or the pumpkinseed sunfish as a bluegill. Looking closer, however, there are distinct differences. As mentioned earlier, as with all of the fishes previously mentioned, these too, can be identified in the Peterson’s field guide.

The sunfish have all the earth-toned colors that seem to emulate and mimic the very same colors of the Autumn time woodlands to which they are indigenous. If you happen to enjoy fishing, examine the differences between these fishes in your catch. If you are catching and releasing, be sure to not handle a fish with dry hands, as this irritates their slime layer. The “slime layer” is a protective thin smooth coating over the body of fishes which helps to protect them from infection and disease. Some common types of sunfish similar in appearance, but which are not all bluegill, are rock bass, warmouth sunfish, red ear, shell cracker sunfish (named because of this fishes’ appetite for small snails), orange spotted sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish and green sunfish. Sunfish prefer habitats ranging from weedy shallows to open pools in a particular river system.

Well, there you have it, an introduction to some of the fishes in the Hocking Hills region. If your interest in exploring fish in the Hocking Hills has been “baited,” learn more about what you can do to keep our streams healthy and clean. Contact your state wildlife division to learn more, or consider joining their “Adopt-A-Stream“ program. Additionally, you may want to consider joining or starting a local watershed stewardship group. There are other components of this region’s unique wildlife assembly that deserve just as much attention to conservation and appreciation as others, no matter how small, large, pretty or not they may be! To lose these local species of fishes through habitat neglect, is to begin to lose the clean water and life support systems that ultimately support our own lives–as well as lose an integral and delicate part of our region’s diverse natural heritage.

Note: You can search Google Images to find many photos of all the fishes mentioned in this article. To learn more about native fishes of North America, contact The North American Native Fishes Association http://www.nanfa.org or to identify all of the above mentioned fishes, obtain a copy of Peterson’s Field Guide To North American Fishes available at local book stores or from your local library.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 7:40 PM