Ken Duncan: A Tribute to Tobacco

Politry Plus » Blog Archive » A Tribute to Tobacco. Ken Duncan: perspective, wit, & humor. Make sure he's on your RSS feed. You never know when, or what's next.

Jacobs, Hines to build 21-story office tower on Public Square

Jacobs, Hines to build 21-story office tower on Public Square - Cleveland Business News – The Latest Breaking News, Earnings Reports and Stories from The Plain Dealer -- To me, this is incredibly good news. Hines is a class act, as evidenced by their work on the Huntington Building. They seem to understand economy, efficiency, "green," and "sustainable." They seem to be commercial real-estate professionals. What they aren't is lightweights.

a concrete example of Chambers' koan-like slogan, "The network is the platform."

Cisco Delivers On Open Promise - Mobile Blog - InformationWeek -- Here's an update on home-boy John Chambers (Ashtabula, at one time), how Cicso and he are delivering what they said they would, and what this means for open standards and interoperability. I like "Chambers' koan-like slogan, 'The network is the platform.'" It brings to mind Marshall McLuhan's attempt to describe the age we're in now with "the medium is the message."

Click through "Cisco Motion" for more geek talk on "a new business platform that will unify disparate networks, devices, and applications into a centralized architecture." This is important stuff. Suit up, you're starting, and you're on the fast track, too.

Brooklyn Centre Walks-n-Bikes

Dear Blogger-

Brooklyn Centre has been chosen by NOACA as the site for one of four
workshops in 2008 conducted by the National Center for Biking and Walking
(NCBW). NCBW will be conducting the four- hour workshop that will identify
real-world problems and hands-on solutions for making our community a more
pedestrian and bicycle-friendly place.

Trainers will deliver a presentation showing the elements of a walkable
community and solutions to common issues. They will then lead us on an
interpretive walking tour of a predetermined study area. We have chosen the
Pearl Road-Denison Avenue area that includes arthouse, Denison Elementary
School, Brooklyn Public Library, and several area churches as well as a
portion of our commercial district. After our guided walk, we will gather
in small breakout groups to identify specific measures, from the eye of a
pedestrian, to improve conditions for waking and biking. Before the
workshop ends, we will come together to form one large group to share our
findings so that we can form an action plan to create a hospitable community
for bikes and people.

The workshop is free, and the public is invited to participate, but seats
are limited. Please contact Rudy Hauret and Gloria Ferris, coordinators for
this event sponsored Brooklyn Centre Community Association.

When: Tuesday, June 3rd
1:00 p.m. to 5 :00 p.m.

Where: Brooklyn Memorial Methodist Church
2607 Archwood Avenue

RSVP: Space is limited.
Call 216-351-0254 or email Gloria.ferris@gmail.com

If you want some fun, say NOACA Walkable 10 times FAST.
If you want some more fun, say NOACA Walkable Bikable 10 times FAST.
But if you want the MOST fun, join us.

Please feel free to pass this email on to everyone and anyone who you feel
will be interested in participating.

The Elderly Brothers, The Troubadors, and Wilbert's

Bob Rhubart's Weblog: Elderly Brothers at Wilberts, 5/29/08 -- We ran into Bob this past Saturday on Market Square, and he told us about their opening for The Troubadors of Divine Bliss at Wilbert's this Thursday. We'll be picking up our tickets tomorrow.

Memorial Day service at 1100 today at Denison Cemetery

LOOKING FOR A HUSBAND , comment 6050 REALNEO for all -- Here from our local librarian Laura McShane is a timely tidbit buried as a comment. Writing about Jim Rokakis reminded me of the Memorial Day Ceremony down at the old Denison Cemetery, at 1100 this morning. The cemetery is at the bottom of the street where Jim and his brothers and sisters grew up. The house recently was among the huge host of foreclosed & unused properties of Northeast Ohio, in that strange scenario in which banks have begun the ruin of the money system yet are allowed to sit on top of all the real property.

The librarian's comment is replete with good and useful links:

Brooklyn Centre Memorial Day Ceremony
Join us for a service at the historic Brooklyn Centre Burying Ground, also known as Denison Cemetery to honor our military veterans.

11:00 am, Monday, May 26th

Meet at the historic Brooklyn Centre Burying Ground located on Garden Avenue east of Pearl Road behind Aldi’s. This Cemetery had its first burial in 1823 and was deeded the Brooklyn Centre Burying Ground in 1853. Many war veterans, starting with the Revolutionary War are buried in this local historic cemetery. Thank you to the volunteers of our community that pitched in last week to clean and beautify the cemetery…if you’ve not participated in this event previously you are encouraged to do so this year! For more information or questions, please call Rick Nicholson, Brooklyn Centre Historical Society, 216-398-1494 .

REF: Brooklyn Centre Historical Society or Denison Cemetery

· Ruth E. Ketteringham – In Memoriam; http://www.oldbrooklyn.com/rek/
·Interment Information, Michele Danielle; http://www.geocities.com/micheledanielle/Denison.html
-City of Cleveland Cemetery Division; http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/government/departments/parksrecprop/prpparkmaint/cemeteries.asp
· OHIO CEMETERY PRESERVATION SOCIETY; http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcps/mission.html
·Info they have on Denison Cemetery; http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcuyah2/cems/denison/
· Additional site with interment information; http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=40531&CScnty=2057&

this coming Wednesday at noon at the City Club: Jim Rokakis

The City Club - Speakers > Speaker Detail -- Our Wednesday is realigning as we plan to go see Cuyahoga County Treasurer and former Ward 15 Councilman Jim Rokakis speak at the City Club at noon. Here's the blurb from the link:

Speakers > Jim Rokakis

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 12:00 PM

Jim Rokakis
Cuyahoga County Treasurer

Reservation

Jim Rokakis will discuss a proposed Ohio bill to land bank foreclosed properties. Rokakis took office as county treasurer in March 1997 after serving for more than 19 years on Cleveland City Council, the last seven as chairman of the finance committee. He has brought sweeping reform to the treasurer's office, overhauling county property tax collection system by instituting more efficient collection and disbursement of tax revenue. Rokakis has significantly improved the county’s investment function and was recognized as having the best-performing portfolio among Ohio County Treasurer’s. Rokakis also revolutionized the way Ohio counties collect delinquent property taxes by working successfully to pass House Bill 371 that allows county treasurers in Ohio’s largest counties to sell their property tax liens to private entities. Additionally, he spearheaded House Bill 294, which streamlines the foreclosure process for abandoned properties and was instrumental in creating Cuyahoga County’s “Don’t Borrow Trouble” foreclosure prevention program. Rokakis developed nationally recognized linked deposit loan programs that help revitalize the county’s housing stock and reduce urban sprawl. Rokakis has been recognized by local and national organizations for his efforts in strengthening neighborhoods and communities. In 2007, he received the NeighborWorks America Local Government Service Award and the Leadership in Social Justice Award from Greater Cleveland Community Shares, and was named the County Leader of the Year by American City and County Magazine.

caveat emptor: Narrin's, stall #E-11 at The West Side Market

NarrinSpices.com -- We just got back from paying $5.00 apiece at Narrin's, stall #E-11 at Cleveland's West Side Market, for two things we use from time to time: Pickapeppa Hot Red Pepper Sauce (3 oz.) and Try Me Tiger Sauce (5 oz.). We felt as though somebody was taking advantage of us on the pricing, so I checked it out online.

They charged us 100% more than regular retail on the Tiger Sauce, normally $2.50, and 66% more than regular retail for the Pickapeppa Hot Red Pepper Sauce, normally $3.00.

So. Caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware, at Narrin's, stall #E-11, The West Side Market, 1979 West 25th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.

We also paid Narrin's Market Marauders $5.00 for two containers of kimchee, each of which is about 8 oz. Taking this pricing of $5.00 per pint forward, I guess that if 8 pints comprise a gallon, then Narrin would charge me around $40.00 for that amount, probably with a slight quantity discount. When I started relative pricing against Narrin's opportunistic pricing, I found this, which is going to be quite useful:

Homemade kimchi can be purchased at Kim’s Oriental Food at 3700 Superior.
Owner, Jong Kim offers the freshly-prepared salad every Wednesday; a factory
prepared version is always in his dairy case. Although kimchi is always a good
seller with his regular customers, recent publicity has increased sales
enormously, he says. “I have new people coming to my store from greater
Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown,” he says in halting English.

“They are first discovering what we have known all along. Kimchi keeps
your blood flowing and makes you healthy. I cannot live without kimchi; it has
so many nutrients and can prevent colds and flu.”

Kim’s kimchi sells for $7.99 for one half gallon and 11.99 for one gallon.

floor planner: 4022 denison

4022 denison -- I didn't realize what a unique structure we had over here in Brooklyn Centre/Archwood-Denison until I started trying to draw the floor plan, using something called Floor Planner. I needed to figure how the air-conditioning would be allocated this summer.

We understand that our plan may be a knockoff of one of the old Sears craftsman bungalow models. It was designed to grow and change as a family would grow and changed, and as earnings and needs for space increased. It's a very sensible approach to housing from the turn of the last century. Various records say our place was built in 1907 and/or 1911.

This is a work in progress. I did the initial work "freehand," and now I'll go tweak the drawing using actual measurements.

more good work from Mark and Henry

Auditor says Rosemary Vinci's failure to disclose felony record broke no law - OPENERS - Ohio Politics Blog by The Plain Dealer -- Although this one comes without an accompanying audio clip, we appreciate it immensely. Mark Puente and Henry J. Gomez are doing some good reporting for the good of the community, and we hope they keep can keep it up.

We like the part about her lobbying for "developers." Perhaps this all Flats-centric real-estate engineering needs reexamining. It seems that it may not be "organic" or natural growth. It may even be cancerous, and it may need excising.

stained glass windows and the clustering process

Bishop Lennon talks about parish clustering process on Diocese TV -- We heard some scuttlebutt this past week about dismantling of diocesan properties: People are wondering about the code requirements for replacing stained-glass windows. It seems that somebody is entertaining buying the physical property of some of the Catholic Churches of the Diocese of Cleveland. All of which brings to mind, whose property is this, anyway; who's directing the clustering dialogue in the community about disposition of the assets; and should this be about financial transactions, at all?

I'm thinking that, if the diocese cannot support the property the communities have entrusted to it over the years, it should put it back where it came from: Right back into the communities, and the people in the community now can decide its highest and best use. Just because the diocese can't staff the parishes as originally agreed upon doesn't meant that they get to keep the property, too, or to sell it and make a profit. The diocese was entrusted with the assets, not given the assets outright regardless of whether they continued to hold up their end of the bargain.

Perhaps the gold chalices and the candlesticks and other "stuff" should stay with the diocese, but certainly not the real property, the land and the improvements on the land. These are the things that form the cores of many communities, and they belong to the community foremost, regardless of whose name has come to be on the deed.

We must consider how the diocese can avoid breaking faith with the neighborhoods where the clustering process might leave real property unused.

We also must consider the Sacred Landmarks aspects of the property--are these community assets, church assets, God's assets, and should they be subject to financial dealing at all? Should they revert whence they came?

Granted, all this thinking is about "stuff." Should we be thinking of the communities affected, first, and trying to come to holistic solutions before we start divvying up the assets? From what we heard last week about the stained-glass windows, the thinking has gotten around to how can we salvage the highest dollar amount, now that the mission of the diocese in the neighborhoods is compromised.

This is what we used to term an "impure" thought.

Henery posts a heads up for historicity

Lorain County Photographer’s Blog » Blog Archive » Saving Downtown: Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits-- I got this from our friend, Henery Hawk, over in Lorain. We're changing our schedules around to go down to Columbus this coming Tuesday. I'll be attending the all-day session, and Gloria will be focusing on the 106 review session in the afternoon. Here's from Henery's blogsite, with links at the end:

Saving Downtown: Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
May 12, 2008 – 5:51 pm

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 / 9 a.m.-4:00 p.m.Catering by Design Conference Center, Columbus, Ohio

The federal 20 percent Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit for income-producing properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places is a major incentive for preserving and redeveloping historic buildings in Ohio. Owners, developers, architects, consultants, real estate professionals, tax attorneys, and accountants will all benefit from this full-day workshop presented by experienced Ohio Historic Preservation Office staff who advise applicants and make recommendations on Ohio projects.

Participants will receive a workbook and tax credit application materials. The morning session covers specifics of applying for and qualifying for Certification of Significance and Certification of Rehabilitation and includes a discussion of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. A summary of the status of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit ends the morning. The afternoon session covers how the Standards for Rehabilitation apply in a variety of common situations, including additions to historic buildings, retention of interior spaces and features, and what to do about windows. Among the questions to be answered are: Where should the addition go and how big can it be? Which spaces are significant and which can safely be altered? Up-to-the-minute guidance from the National Park Service on Interpreting and Applying the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, issued early in 2008, provides a basis for the presentations.

The afternoon ends with “You are the reviewer” roundtable discussions of individual projects, illustrating how the Standards for Rehabilitation apply to real Ohio rehabilitation proposals.

Who Should Attend? Agency Managers and Staff * Applicants for Federal Assistance, Licenses, or Permits * Archaeologists * Architects * Consultants * Contractors * Developers * Public Officials* Engineers * Historians

Click here to learn more about the Ohio Historic Preservation Office 2008 Workshops.
Click here to register online.

you gotta sorta like this guy

Mummified cat at Fairport Harbor Lighthouse needs a name - Tipoff- cleveland.com -- Here's a Michael McIntyre Tipoff snippet about a guy you just gotta sorta like--I couldn't have phrased it much better myself, but I have been thought to have Tourette's at times:

Cleveland Foundation President & CEO Ronn Richard is quoted with a blunt explanation: "We stopped innovating. . . . We missed the IT (information technology) revolution. We missed it because we were so fat, dumb and happy with our prowess in heavy manufacturing."

Richard said he hasn't caught any flak for that comment and that he stands by it, though "I don't know if I phrased it so politely."

He's more troubled by a quote about our inability to attract immigrants.

"We even have a hard time attracting illegal immigrants," Richard is quoted as saying.

"I was joking," said Richard. "I wish he had said, 'Richard joked.'"

THE CARD

Green Since 1801 - Crane & Co. -- I had to order out some calling cards today. Our business regulatory requirements are getting so out of whack that I can't even use the conventional broker/dealer-approved cards that also say where it is I actually operate. As an industry, we got Spitzerized a few years ago, and the bureaucratic tightening just hasn't let up yet. Hence, my need for an alternative card, something simple, touting a local and personal presence.

In my search for something traditional and tasteful on which to put forth my name and local contact information, I figured I would save some time and opt for doing business with the most established stationer, which in my world of Platonic or iconic forms is Crane's, back in Massachusetts.

Imagine my surprise when I found they had been "green" from the get-go, since their beginnings in 1801. Aside from the embedded elegance, the cachet to be conveyed, the emphasis on green production is probably one reason why every card is going to cost 84 cents, before tax and shipping. I do know, though, that I will be making a number of statements on multiple levels with the stationery, and I'll treat each card as something valuable--something I don't think I've ever really done in the past.

Perhaps I'll ration them, requesting a pedigree or a resume before bestowing THE CARD (the "green" card) on a lucky recipient. I think it would be tacky to go so far as to make anybody beg, so I'll have to achieve the proper balance in my dispensing mien.

The other 2,000 cards, the ones that came from Dupli last month at a cost between 2 and 3 cents apiece, may very well get launched off the top of the Terminal Tower. Waste not, want not. Or perhaps we could engage the Lesic agency to rent another airplane, and do the littering for me.

twittering into oblivion, in the dense information jungle

Friends May Be the Best Guide Through the Noise - New York Times -- Good piece here on how we are, all of us, each others' clipping services. Now we all have additional pairs of eyes and ears constantly at work someplace out there, and somebody is paying attention for us when we're not.

Think of all the other brains yours is slaved off to, in this online community. Try not to hyperventilate. Don't be afraid. We're all moving in generally the same direction, with parallel purposes, and probably whether we want to or not. The question then becomes, How do you opt out, and continue to live according to your purpose? What comprises grave, soul-killing sin in this new age? Having accepted membership and responsibility in the online community, having given and taken, can you turn away?

Friedman vets a treasure trove of talking points

Who Will Tell the People? - New York Times -- Thomas Friedman touches on multiple, useful talking points in this Sunday opinion piece: shoring up our banks using money from city-states like Dubai and Singapore, his Flintstones to Jetsons experience, going shopping instead of ending dependency, saving, building wealth and dignity, big profits and big purposes, and the integration of all things that bring greatness out of potentialities.

There is much material here that needs to enter the public dialogue and stay there; he's reiterating truths learned long ago and forgotten, truths that are timeless, and he's suggesting that somebody needs to have the courage to carry the message back to the people.

I don't think we can count on the candidates, any of them.

(I like the idea of city-states.)

inflicted mental illness

Cleveland Estate Planning Lawyer Nancy Fioritto Patete -- I just came across this article done by one of our attorney friends, on the topic of PTSD. The mess created by the "conventional" warfare of WWII was one thing; the jungle warfare in the Republic of Viet Nam was yet another thing; yet the urban warfare of the past two conflicts is especially insidious in its effects on the men surviving, and its impact on our society. Here's a snippet, but be sure to read the whole thing. Note the material from Martha Gellhorn.

Miller was clearly a casualty of PTSD. According to the stories, he suffers
nightmares, hallucinations, and flashbacks. He is hypervigilant and
claustrophobic. He abuses substances. In one episode, in the closed quarters of
a Navy ship he attacked a sailor who whistled, the shrill sounding to Miller
like a launched rocket grenade. In another, he blacked out but not before
pointing a gun at his then-wife. He drinks most of the time. He needs his space,
to be alone. Then he feels lonely and isolated. He is unable to cry. He works
nonstop. Intimacy becomes especially difficult. He spends time with other
vets.