REALNEO for all - Dear Peter

Art of the Day: Houghs Angel, by Harry Bell

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:14:51 -0400

Harry Bell is a powerful urban artist, well appreciated in Cleveland and beyond. His most famous work I know is the Wall of Sorrows, recently dismantled, under controversy, and now in storage... scheduled for future re-installation. You may know his current work from cruising through Cedar and E.55th, where he is commissioned by a gas station and car dealership to create urban art on their walls, now including the work-in-progress shown above... a memorial tribute to "Houghs Angel", Fannie Lewis, rest in peace.

Not So Secret Agents Of Change, Flobots Concert Rises Above Mean Spirit of Unreal NEO

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:30:03 -0400

Thanks to Sudhir, I had the opportunity to check out the Flobots at Peabody's, Sunday night. If I'd browsed the Cleveland Scene Magazine concert preview, beforehand, I probably wouldn't have bothered going. The 100s of fans who enjoyed the show agreed that would have been a mistake.

Catch the Wave! Eco-Fashion Show and Party

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:18:04 -0400

Start: 2008/10/17 - 6:00pm

End: 2008/10/17 - 8:00pm

Catch the Wave! Eco-Fashion Show and Party. Enjoy gourmet local organic eats, cash bar, and an Eco-Friendly fashion show featuring Cleveland’s green fashion entrepreneurs! $15 per person. (free for Bioneers conference attendees)

Art of the Day: "Electric Chair"; Glenville Shootout Memorial, by Cleveland Public Power

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:50:47 -0400

40 years ago, a great tragedy occurred at Beulah and Lakeview roads - police officers and citizens of Cleveland died here in one of the longest, most deadly urban gunfights and riots in modern American history... the Glenville Shootout. The site is still scarred, and an Electric Substation was placed dead center to where one would memorialize or reflect upon this event, cutting off Beulah Road like a huge electic chair, being the intended fate of the prosecuted ringleader of the black side of the story, a "militant" named Evans. This Death Chair Memorial illustrates the racism, stupidity and insensitivity of the Cleveland establishment. This should be a park, with a reflecting pool. It shall soon truly stand out for being surrounded by farms (although not growing food within 75 feet of this EMP nightmare and web of high voltage lines electrocuting the neighborhood). This is at the center of the Star Neighborhood, one block from the Hough/Star Bakeries complex and Browns Market... Glenville Shootout Ground Zero... now in redevelopment as a City Fresh affiliated intergenerational living and learning neighborhood center, spanning many blocks. Peace and emotional harmony shall come to this electrified place at last, by and for the people.

Question of the Day: Which NEO leader should replace Dimora?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:54:11 -0400

Northeast Ohio has some of the dirtiest water and beaches in the world, because we have some of the dirtiest leadership in the world, and that is very poor for Cleveland's image and economy. Fortunately, it seems the region is now positioned to clean up at least one of our messes.

Bloggers for Obama, Part 2

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:41:44 -0400

I had so much fun at the Barack Obama campaign headquarters in East Cleveland, leading up to the March primary, meeting people and feeling part of something important, that I was excited by news the Shaker Heights campaign office was opening, July 24, 2008... hope to see one in EC soon. Sudhir and I stopped by to enjoy the good vibe. Cool to see a group line dancing to the energy. As we left, Sudhir said he'd like to go to a McCain event, just to see how it compares... I suggested he go to church or a gun show in Central Ohio...

Welcome Back Barack

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:36:11 -0400

The Barack Obama for President Shaker Heights campaign office opened July 24, 2008, at Shaker Square, where a great turn-out of old friends, young and old, all races, came together for change we can believe in.

Putnam Collection Sculpture by Richard Fleishman, REALNEO Header 2

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:04:51 -0400

The nearly completed Richard Fleischman addition to the Putnam Collection, in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio - photos by Evelyn Kiefer - Logo by Norm Roulet - 07/17/08

I GRO Cuba to Grow NEO?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:36:37 -0400

Start: 2008/07/15 - 6:00pm

End: 2008/07/15 - 7:00pm

I thought perhaps I could stump City Fresh's Maurice Small with the question "what county in the world is the leader in urban farming?", but he didn't hesitate responding Cuba. And the July 8, 2008 I GRO EC roundtable concluded we need to plan a best practices mission to Havana. Next Tuesday, July 15, 6-7 PM, come to the Independent Green Republic Of Star Village, at the Star/Hough Bakeries Complex, to help plan our mission to Cuba and discuss other plans for transforming our region through urban farming.

Let Them Eat Fresh, Local, Organic Raspberries and Blackberries They Picked In Their Neighborhood For Free

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:08:10 -0400

Start: 2008/07/08 - 6:00pm

End: 2008/07/08 - 7:00pm

When our neighbor Dr. Pat Blochowiak told us to stop by her garden and pick some raspberries, blackberries and snow peas, I didn't realize the depths of her bounty... or how great blackberries may be. As my kids picked through nature, they chomped down probably $50 worth of the best food in town, when you may find food so good. As I looked at the bowls of berries collected in short time, I felt blessed by my community and nature. Over a fresh berries and whipped organic cream desert, our family celebrated Summer and life in the best way. All that is the certain promise of East Cleveland, with community farming. Help plan that reality with Maurice Small and others as we meet again, today, for what has become an every-other-Tuesday City Fresh I GRO EC brainstorming session, in East Cleveland. This week, we'll meet at the Hough/Star Bakeries complex, and also visit Brown's Market, which we plan to convert into a pilot City Fresh Market.

Congratulations to Shaw's 'Best Band In The World'

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:06:32 -0400

When people wonder what is the value of a local daily newspaper, I must point to the story of Shaw High School Band, which was invited to China to perform but could not afford to do that. The Plain Dealer article "Bang a Drum, Proudly", by Connie Schulz, raised enough attention and funding to get them there, from where they just returned in triumph (nicely covered in the PD here, today)... a $500,000 whirlwind phenomenon all occurring in less than 6 months!

NEO Excellence Roundtable: Urban Farming with Maurice Small

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:35:35 -0400

Start: 2008/06/24 - 6:00pm

End: 2008/06/24 - 7:00pm

Two weeks ago, City Fresh's Maurice Small met with friends in East Cleveland to discuss City Fresh, urban farming, and how we may convert a typical urban convenient store, Brown's Market, into a pilot City Fresh local foods market. During our discussions, Maurice mentioned that a dedicated urban farmer may earn more than $30,000 per year from sales of food grown on one typical urban lot (say 1/10th an acre). That being the case, and considering our ever-growing need and realigning demand for locally grown food, and the fact food may be grown locally as cost effectively as elsewhere in the world, it occurred to me that the highest and best use for most of the land now cleared, abandoned, blighted and wasted in our urban neighborhoods is for urban farming. So that is a use we are now planning to be core to redevelopment of the Star Neighborhood. Intrigued? Discuss and plan for this reality with Maurice and friends this Tuesday, from 6-7 PM, at that house on Roxbury, in East Cleveland. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Assuming HEK/MAK/BAK/KAM are people, their reward or punishment for their presence in NEO should be?

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:55:10 -0400

Art of the Day: HEK

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:46 -0400

Two people reported to be HEK and MAK were reportedly arrested, May 30th, 2008. Jeff Buster and I have had a great interest in the work known all around NEO as HEK, and we both seem to wonder if there is really anyone to "arrest" as HEK, for HEK, as HEK seems the identity of many... the voice of many... and is today's Art of the Day.

Cleveland Chiefs

Fri, 30 May 2008 16:32:20 -0400

Chiefs meeting in Cleveland