2nd YBI building open for business

Turning Technologies heads to its new home
from the Youngstown Vindicator

"The company’s local staff has grown from 50 to 125 in the past two years as schools, universities and corporate trainers have rushed to adopt its audience response system. It allows presenters to receive real-time feedback from audience members using small response cards.

All of the new workers have been shoehorned into small offices on four separate floors of the Youngstown Business Incubator on Federal Plaza West.

The adjacent Technology Center offers a much different environment. The front and back walls are made mostly of glass, allowing plenty of natural light to spill into the offices. A glass-enclosed shaft has been built through the third floor to allow sunlight to reach into the middle of the second floor.

For Broderick, the best feature is the open-floor environment. Most of each floor is without interior walls, and the work stations have movable petitions so that workers can easily gather in teams.

“There aren’t any private offices in the building, not even for me,” Broderick said.

The design is meant to help people in the same department share ideas and work together."

Last month, the Shout Youngstown blog reviewd the design of the new building. Check out the photos here

Reactions to Senator McCain's Visit

Yoments comments on the visit:

It seems that with every election cycle, we’re aggressively courted by the hopefuls, and it’s worthwhile to listen to what they have to say. It’s also easy to get caught up in all of the excitement and momentum of a presidential election.

What to me is particularly interesting about McCain’s visit is that he is here because he (or his people) sees Youngstown as a disenfranchised pocket of poverty. Youngstown has been, without question, struggling economically for some time now; however, if the hopefuls didn’t see a stop in Youngstown as worthwhile, they would’ve moved on by. Yet, we’ve been visited multiple times this election cycle. In other words…we’ve got potential.

While it’s fun to be visited by the famous folks, it’s important to remember that there are local activists who live and work daily with their beliefs in Youngstown’s potential . This month’s issue of The Sun magazine features an interview with political/spiritual writer Andrew Harvey, who speaks of radical humility and sacred activism. He speaks against “top-down” organization: “it is often authoritative and patriarchal and driven by an agenda.”

Here's the real shocker: Steel Valley Outdoors gets... political?

[E]ven though I started this blog to help promote the area, I have not been too political here. Until Now…

Retraining will not work for Youngstown- Retraining is why our population is shrinking. If you have a skill or know a trade, you will leave Youngstown and go where you are needed. We have less engineers here than either the state or national averages, even though YSU still has a major, well known engineering school pumping out the graduates. We have less College graduates than the national and state averages. We have a larger percentage of retirees. All these are symptoms. We do not have the business or industry to support college graduates. Until we do, things will not improve. Asking our young to get an education, then waving as they leave will not help us.

Promote The Right Benefits- As long as I can remember, this region has been promoted as “Halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh and halfway between New York and Chicago.” Great. We’re also halfway between China and China. In the global economy, and with the collapse of manufacturing, these benefits no longer matter. There’s a lot of disparagement locally about the “Service Economy” because around here “service” means restaurants. That’s not what the service economy is. It’s Banks and Insurance and Computers and the industries that support these businesses. And these businesses and these entrepreneurs don’t care where they’re located, so long as they have an educated workforce and can keep them happy. They want Arts, Culture and Leisure Activities, which we have in spades, one of our last remaining legacies of the power the mills had.

Entrepreneurship begins at home- Nobody is coming to rescue us. Not the state, not the feds, not GM or Toyota or China. We are not going to get Barge missiles, Pentagon Payroll facilities or blimp factories. The economy of the future cannot be one or two large facilities and the businesses that support them. It will be many small businesses that create a network of jobs. Offices, factories, storefronts and homes that can be enticed to do business here. And we have to do it ourselves. And to do this, we have to stop thinking of Business as “Them” and workers as “Us.” After all we’ve been through, we still have this top-to-bottom Mill mentality. That we only do what we’re told, when we’re told and it’s somebody else’s responsibility to make the decisions. This has to change. We have to help and promote those small businesses that want to support our area and do business here, whether it’s a small manufacturer, a laborer with a buyout following his dreams, or a new business idea in the incubator. This means supporting them with tax incentives and grants, good press and a positive attitude.

Regionalism begins at home- Any Organization that has “NEO” in its name is designed to do one thing: Bring state and federal pork to Cleveland and Akron. Youngstown will always be the ugly stepchild of these two bigger, more powerful siblings. Really, for all the good press Cleveland Plus is getting, does anyone think it’ll benefit us? In order to compete for these resources, we’ll have to start doing it ourselves. And that means looking for funding in ways and areas we’ve never done before. Tim Ryan understands this. Jay Williams understands this.

A Little Earth Day for Ya

Two Earth Day posts to feature today. Here's photographer Jaci Clark:

In honor of Earth Day, here are some fun or not so fun facts:

* We, as Americans, make up 5% of the world's population but use 25% of the world's resources.
* Americans use over one billion plastic bottles a week.
* Plastic takes up to 500 years to decompose.
* In one year, we generate enough hazardous waste to fill the New Orleans Superdome 1,500 times over.
* In 1987, Americans generated almost enough trash to fill a 24-lane highway one foot deep from Boston to Los Angeles. Disposable diapers alone make up enough trash to fill a barge half a city block long, every six hours, every day! (Can you imagine how those numbers have changed today?)
* Each person throws away approximately four pounds of garbage every day.
* The amount of wood and paper we throw away is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
* 14 billion pounds of trash is dumped into the ocean every year.
* Computers pose an environmental threat because much of the material that makes them up is hazardous. A typical monitor contains 4-5 pounds of lead.

I'm certainly not one to say you must change your lifestyle and be green but there's gotta be at least one thing you can do. One less paper towel a day, bring your own coffee cup to work, catch a ride with a friend. One thing across the span of the world can change a lot!

And here's Jean Engle's letter to the Vindy editor, courtesy Youngstown Moxie:

[O]ur individual choices magnified a billion-fold add up to disaster for the planet. We in the post-industrial nations won’t feel the pain in our own lives for a while. If I read the papers or listen to the news, I’ll know that the Haitians are starving, right in our Caribbean back yard, in part because the price of staples like corn has skyrocketed, now that corn is going into wealthy nations’ gas tanks and not into poor nations’ bellies. I’ll know that the Arctic ice cap is melting rapidly and that the magnificent polar bear is probably doomed. But those of us in relatively privileged nations will be the last left standing, and, while the fate of the polar bear is tragic, there seems to be little we can do to prevent it. Maybe the zoos can keep them going for a while.

So is that all? Do I just shrug and walk away from it? Do I just go fill up the tank and run some errands, buy some more stuff to distract me from the pain I might feel? Maybe. Or maybe I join the millions of people who are finding ways to do things differently, in ways that sustain the environment rather than deplete it. Maybe I change my incandescent light bulbs to low-consumption compact fluorescents; maybe I put up a clothesline — the original solar dryer; maybe I turn lights off when I’m not in the room; maybe I install an on-demand water heater in my house; maybe I plant some new trees in my yard; maybe I ride my bike for short errands and carpool or take a bus to work (and vote for the WRTA levy); maybe I get involved with non-profits like Treez Please and Grow Youngstown that are working to make a difference at the local level.

Be sure to click and read more. Support your local bloggers!

Exploring NEO revenue sharing

A story in the Akron Beacon-Journal discusses some possible future directions as a region:

"Mayors and community leaders in 16 Northeast Ohio counties are studying a proposal for regional planning and the sharing of new tax revenue to boost economic growth and reduce suburban sprawl.

The Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association will vote next month on whether to pursue recommendations from the Regional Economic Revenue Study, a group of elected officials, business leaders and educators who have been analyzing land use and tax sharing nationwide"

You can explore the webpage of the Northeast Ohio Regional Economic Renevue Sharing project here.

jaci's review of the stage

Some incredible photos were just posted from the latest Stage. See one woman's many steps to becoming a drag queen.

"I had a great night! BTW...the next Stage will be May 22nd at 8:00pm so if you're local, get your bootie down to the Oakland!"

More here.

Options

Looking for something to do Thursday? Head out to the English Festival:

My favorite YSU event is going on right now–the YSU English Festival. This year’s is the 30th, and while I’m not on campus today, I’m conducting workshops tomorrow and Friday. And I plan to spend much of Friday morning being a festival groupie and autograph seeker (the perks of being an insider).

Or check out the Warner Brothers exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art:

This exhibition, curated by Steve Schneider, features original drawings, paintings and animation cels from Warner Bros. created from 1930 to 1969. At their best, Warner's "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" starring Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Sylvester, Tweetie et al., were the zaniest and most inventive of all the movie cartoons. This exhibition chronicles Warner's animation growth and development over four decades, and features all the major characters and their unique personalities. Factual matter on the directors, artists, and other talent as well as many animation drawings, layout sketches, background paintings, and color cels are displayed in this exhibit.

And at night, be at the Oakland for The Stage for the most eclectic mix of talent in the valley. It's sure to be fodder for your Friday-morning watercooler conversations:

Dr. Ray's Sideshow of Science promises new amazing acts including the World's Tiniest Box of Blades, and the incredible writing duo Panning and Liller will be debuting their skit, "Rock n' Roll Jesus," complete with live action photos (pending we get the projector set up). Don Connors is developing something or a cult following at the Stage, and he'll be back with a few songs.

Smorgasbord

Today we catch up on a variety of posts from the past few days, so buckle in.

Youngstown Renaissance covers a panel discussion with Korean journalists at City Hall:

But what was being suggested, again, was that the media was manufacturing this false working-class representation of our city, when in reality YSU's Center for Working-Class Studies went to great pains to work with the Wall Street Journal to arrange the interviews.

We as a region and as a nation won't start addressing our problems until we drop our cynicism about media misrepresentations and face our weaknesses and hard truths. I'm not suggesting we believe everything we read. But let's be realistic about the challenges we have yet to overcome rather than pretending we're all innocence and roses.

Steel Valley Outdoors plugs an upcoming Bass Tournament at Mosquito Reservoir:

On April 19, Head out to the Northern Open Anglers Association Bass Tournament at Mosquito Reservoir, 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m., State Park Ramp. Two-angler teams.

Shout Youngstown plugs Tim Ryan, though you wouldn't know it from Google:

That lack of macro-perspective and ability to anticipate and assist the future needs of a region is exactly why leadership matters.

The great tragedy of Youngstown's past Congressional leadership was its inability to prepare a region for the future. That's why we as a region are twenty years behind other regions in some matters.

Not that that awesome responsibility should lie in the hands of one person, but the burden of leadership is to take the hard steps to ensure the growth and prosperity of future generations - and not the growth and prosperity of your own wallet and ego. Very little of the personas on local talk radio seem to comprehend this fact.

And, finally, Lincoln Avenue highlights the 30th English Festival at YSU:

Our interview can’t fully convey the behind-the-scenes story of the Festival, but as a member of the English department, I see it all the time. Planning goes on all year. The committee, which includes both YSU faculty and area teachers, meets regularly to select books, identify guest speakers, organize the distribution of materials, plan the Festival schedule, recruit volunteers, and judge contests. While a dozen or so people do all the planning, another cadre of volunteers steps in during Festival week to lead discussions, staff information tables, and run workshops. It’s a time-consuming project, and the organizers commit incredible amounts of time and energy.

Why do all that work, year after year? Because the English Festival makes a difference for so many students in our community. By promoting the value of reading for pleasure as well as for study, by engaging students in creative writing and production of several kinds (essays, songs, videos, and more), and by recognizing the power of young adult literature, the English Festival helps to foster literacy and an appreciation for education among young people in our Valley. It also reminds students that reading and talking about literature can be fun. It all sounds very serious, but playing language games, debating aspects of the Festival books, and listening to visiting writers talk about their work is also a good time.

Getting Serious

Some blogs like to chronicle the little quirks of life, not that there's anything wrong with that. But we know there are hard-hitting subjects out there that need to be considered. Thank goodness there are blogs with the moxie to tackle them, like Youngstown Moxie's spotlight on the 15th Anniversary of the Lucasville Prison Uprising:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio opposes capital punishment under all circumstances because it violates the Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. It is administered arbitrarily and unfairly and fails to deter crime or improve public safety.

More often than not, the quality of a defendant's legal representation determines whether or not he or she will be sentenced to death. Most currently sitting on death row could not afford a qualified attorney.

Another determining factor is whether or not a prosecutor on a case decides to pursue capital sentencing. Unfortunately, the race of the victim often determines whether or not the prosecutor will do so.

In September 2007, the United States Supreme Court heard Baze v. Rees, a case challenging the constitutionality of lethal injection procedures used in Kentucky. As a consequence there have been no executions since the end of September and there will almost surely not be any until after the court decides the case.

Conversations

Yoments laments having "the conversation" with students and the point of no return:

Every semester, I have to have the it-isn’t-mathematically-possible-to-pass-this-course conversation with a student. And it usually happens during week ten or eleven of the semester when the student has gotten around to adding up his or her grades. Sometimes, the student has spent the past ten weeks skipping, texting, and making excuses for late work.

A Commonplace Book shares a story of spring:

While we were eating, Mira stopped in midbite, and with the wrinkliest of eight-year-old noses asked, “Mommy what’s in your hair?”

Jaci is relieved to find her son retains his innocence for another day:

"At McDonald's, when we were playing, there was boy who said, 'she said the "S" word and the "A" word.' " Then he says, "I know what the "S" word is but I don't know what the "A" word means?"
Me, semi-mortified: "You know what the "S" word means?!"

how to get a 1936 Ford

order one from Clarencedale Cakes!

check out their latest creation.

10,000 books and counting

The First Book of the Mahoning Valley blog discusses an important milestone:

"To date, First Book- Mahoning Valley has distributed over 10,000 books to children in the Mahoning Valley.

While we would love to stop and celebrate this wonderful achievement, there are countless children in our area who still do not have their own new books at home. Having these books at home to read at their disposal increases test scores, literacy skills, and often inspires children to look forward to futures that they may not see in their immediate environments.

Help us continue to get books into the hands of the children who need them. There are several events you can participate in:"

click here to find out more about upcoming event.

plus, the group has a few items for its wishlist.

can we as a community help them?

a voice from the inside

a student from East High School writes a letter to the paper:

"As an East High student, I must say that this district is by far the most complex, yet caring, system I have been a part of.

Teachers and staff find themselves taking on parental roles due to the lack of discipline at home. Students tend to attach themselves to the authoritative figures outside their home, due to a lack of parental support. We have nearly 1,000 students attending East High School and roughly 100 parents attended the parent-teacher conferences this year.

When I moved to Youngstown in 2005, I found students who lacked basic morals, self-respect, a need to strive for their very best and some who did not want to comply with our society. I was stunned at the value placed on education and the value of life."

- - -

"Bottom line, don’t give up on them, don’t you dare give up on these students. They are the immediate future of Youngstown. Children are considered to be miniature figures of their parents or guardians, and if you do not find our students to be appealing, we have learned our values from you"

read the whole passage here.

follow the comments on federal street

The Reason blog considers if moving forward on the West Federal Street plans are the best move for the city at the present moment.

Looking at some of the comments . . .

"Substandard ideas breeds substandard cities. We can be small, but something completely different from other cities if we have planners who are bound to banality."

Read more here.

Get out and get trout

Apparently it's time to get your trout on. So says the region's Premiere Outdoor Enthusiast Weblog today:

Trout fishing starts on April 12th in the western part of PA.

To find a list of stocking locations, click here.

If you're in the mood to share your political thoughts, local author Chris Barzak posted a notice about an upcoming publication:

Tin House is putting together another interesting issue for this coming fall. If you’ve got stories involving political trends, you might try them out

A relative newcomer in blogland, at least to my radar, "A Commonplace Book", muses about trashy television:

My current fixation is Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York City. The show focuses on the lives of five very wealthy New York women, four of whom are married with children. The fifth is a reality TV veteran (from Martha Stewart’s Apprentice) and also very wealthy. I wouldn’t consider any of these women “housewives,” but the title refers more to Brie, Susan, and Gabriella, than to say, June Cleever.

As any show that focuses on the relationships between women, Real Housewives draws its drama from highlighting the differences between the women and focusing on the conflicts that arise. During those reality-tv “confessional” moments, they criticize and make fun of each other’s lives, spouses… even kids’ names aren’t off-limits. Granted, some of these moments are truly funny, like when Bethenny took a shot at Alex’s obsession with making her kids bi-cultural by insisting that the au pairs (yes, she has more than one) speak French exclusively with her children, one of whom is named Francois.

These women, despite their status (one is actually a Countess) are depicted as petty, jealous, and undermining. Their relationships seem based on class and maintaining the right contacts, but yet, they whine about not being invited to each other’s parties; they compete through their children; they compete through their marriages. And although they see themselves as supportive, these women regularly exchange thinly veiled snide comments and send gossipy text-messages about the others.

The most tantalizing post of the day goes to Phil Kidd, over at "44503 LIVE":

2008 BUDGET AND 2007 EXPENSE REVIEW. Review finished and figures finalized. To be posted May 1st with release of 2008 Summer Calendar of Events.

What does the Youngstown Kidd have in store for downtown? Inquiring minds want to know! Stay tuned, indeed...

Good Humor, in multiple senses

Shout Youngstown highlights a hopeful bit of news today:

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS) will be expanding its operations to create a new History Center downtown. The 132 year old organization recently purchased the 22,000 sq. ft. Burt Building (continuously occupied since 1935 by Ross Radio) for renovation. It was at this location that Harry Burt first produced his patented invention in the early 1920s: the “Good Humor” ice cream bar on a stick, now famous all over the world.

The History Center will include:
- permanent space for exhibits and education
- climate controlled storage and conservation facilites
- exhibition space for traveling history shows
- downtown space for community activites and group events

And if you missed out on the good humor of April 1, The Vindicator compiled a round up of some April Foolery:

John Conti, a Boardman Rotary member, said fellow members used the jokester’s day to have fun with Lou Young, a longtime club member who has since died. Young was known for his perfect Rotary attendance.

One year at the annual Maple Syrup and Pancake Festival, practical jokers including Conti placed a piece of cardboard in between cakes in Young’s pancake stack.

“He was trying to cut and trying to cut through his pancakes, and he couldn’t get through,” he said.

I think the pancake joke is alright, but the stolen car jokes seem a bit too far for me. In fact, I thought the Vindicator came up a bit short in their search for April Fool's jokes. Anybody want to top them? Post yours in the comments here. If you missed the Pavlik joke, check it here.

If you missed your New Year's resolutions, well, spring's here, so you've got another excuse to start anew, and Jaci Clark's posted a thought on how you can think positive in your personal finances.

Finally, if you're not listening to Lincoln Avenue Wednesday nights on WYSU, you're missing out on some of the most thought-provoking talk in the valley. You can catch it on podcast if you miss it live at 7:30pm. This week's topic is building global solidarity:

This week’s Lincoln Avenue interview might be a bit tough for listeners in the Mahoning Valley, because it focuses on the problems faced by Chinese workers – the very people who are doing some jobs that used to be done here. So the first thing I asked my guest, Katie Quan, is why Americans should care about the situation of Chinese workers.

The answer isn’t revolutionary, but it does matter: it’s not just about human rights but of fair economic competition and the broader interests of workers around the world. Chinese labor is cheap because it’s so exploitative. Workers are regularly not paid; have almost no rights to object to their hours (she describes how some people work 17 hours days, 7 days a week), working conditions, or treatment; and don’t have the knowledge or skills to organize to stand up for themselves. Quan argues that the American labor movement can help Chinese workers fight for better conditions and better pay, largely through outreach that brings workers together across global divides.

news: 1 Apr 2008

Mahoning Valley Comm. College to Open in 2010
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"YSU took the lead on the local community college issue two years ago when its board of trustees directed the university administration to begin looking at the process and to develop an implementation plan.

However, it now appears that the Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees public higher education in the state, will be in the driver’s seat.

Fingerhut said the board of regents has received a grant from the Raymond John Wean Foundation in Warren to hire state and national experts to help devise a local community college plan for the Mahoning Valley.

It will be accomplished in collaboration with YSU, Kent, Jefferson Community College and the adult work force centers, according to the 10-year plan."

- - -

"With the development of a local community college relieving some of the pressure YSU has been under to provide remedial courses for incoming students, the university will be freed to pursue a more focused mission in the field of economic research and development, the chancellor said.

That can change the face of a city like Youngstown, he said, noting that the University of Akron has done a similar thing for the Akron community.

The state will authorize and support undergraduate and graduate programs that focus on quality and have relevance to economic rebirth, he said."

more here.

lincoln, canals, cuban coups and ytown

The YSU Archives and Special Collections blog finds some amazing things.

On Lincoln:

"I came across a local tie to one of the nation's most well-known events, the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Quoting from John Turk's book The Musical Danas of Warren, Ohio page 6.

"On the evening of April 14, 1865, when President Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded, not only was the Vice-President away from the city but the Secretary of State, Frederick Seward, lay seriously wounded as the result of a similar assassination attempt. Setting up an office in the room across from where Lincoln lay, Stanton took full control of the government. With Dana at his side, he spent the night dictation orders and telegrams to alert the country, keep the military advised, and attempt to solved the crime. For a period of almost twenty-four hours, Charles Anderson Dana was the de facto Vice-President of the United States."

Charles Anderson Dana was the uncle of William Henry Dana, founder of the [YSU] Dana School of Music in 1869."

more here.

On canals:

"An entire chapter is also devoted to Kirwan’s favorite project: The Lake Erie-Ohio River Inter-Connecting Waterway.

Kirwan envisioned the cheap waterborne transportation of goods into the American heartland, as well as the creation of a connecting link between the Atlantic Ocean (via the St. Lawrence Seaway) with the Gulf of Mexico (by way of the Mississippi River). Kirwan fought a thirty-year struggle for the Waterway's construction, but failed in the end when the Republican governor of Pennsylvania, Raymond P. Shafer, killed the Waterway by refusing to grant a right-of-way passage through his state. Would the canal have provided the economic benefits that its supporters promised?"

more here.

On conspiracies:

"I highly recommend visiting this site, not only to inform one self about the hidden history we sometimes miss (and incorrectly label as conspiratorial). But to get a better understanding of what an archives does and can accomplish for a society."

more here.

news: 30 Mar 2008

The city of Akron and Summit County are looking into becoming more efficient by cooperating regionally.

"The Summit County sheriff will help run Akron police for the next 18 months while the departments see if they can save money and boost crime fighting.

Mayor Don Plusquellic on Friday assigned his new deputy mayor of public safety, Larry Givens, to work with Sheriff Drew Alexander on a plan that may be the first step toward a metropolitan police department, the first in Ohio."

more here.

YSU's Dr. Carroll gets to the $4 million point for his work on nuclear isomers.

"YSU’s Isomer Physics Project concentrates on discovery research, trying to develop a better understanding of the fundamental processes with new experiments, he said, rather than looking for applications.

Grant funds pay student wages and research release time for Carroll, buy materials and equipment, and pay the research team’s travel expenses. Carroll plans to take a group to Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago later this year for some off-site experiments there, and another experiment may be scheduled at a facility near Tokyo."

more here.

everyone needs a 3rd arm

The Jambrain blog features some local cooperation:

"Jason Tibolla is on a musical mission: he and his cohorts are making a market for original, local music. Their Pre-Pat Party Saturday at Salty Grog’s was one shining example of their work.

Tibolla, Viking Jim and Pete Drivere host the Sunday night (9-10) Home Grown show on Clear Channel 93.3 which they started this past Thanksgiving to feature local bands doing their original work."

"Most of their shows are at Salty Grog’s (where Commesso tends bar), Barley’s downtown and the Cellar in Struthers. “We are putting 3-5 bands in each show,” Tibolla explained. “They get part of the door, so they know they’re getting something. We take care of all the up-front costs: venue rental, sound, lights, security,” and then make sure it works with a very visible presence.

Cooperative contacts with promoters in other tri-state areas are broadening the exposure for local bands and bringing other bands to Youngstown."

more here.

OMG, it's the RJW.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is stepping up big-time to the plate to assist the urban communities in the Mahoning Valley. You can go to their website for more information about this great organization and the grant programs they offer, especially for neighborhood development.

Here are some highlights of their recent March 2008 awards:

"A group that has created a national model fighting foreclosures will receive $50,000. The group, based in Cleveland and known as the East Side Organizing Project, brings subprime lenders to the table through organizing. Homeowners who have mortgages with ballooning payments are then offered an opportunity to renegotiate their loan. The money will be used to hire an organizer for the Mahoning Valley.

Lien Forward is Mahoning County's effort to return vacant lots to usage. After the properties become abandoned, the County Treasurer is able to pass the lots on to local residents who own adjacent property and are seeking to use the lots. A grant of $50,000 will allow Lien Forward to expand its outreach capability.

Three groups in Youngstown will receive funding to hire community organizers. These grants are part of a neighborhood organizing initiative that the Foundation is supporting. The Northeast Homeowners and Concerned Citizens Assn. will receive $65,000, and on the North side a group of stakeholders will oversee an organizer ($60,000), as well as the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition ($60,000) on the City's Southeast side.

The Youngstown-Downtown Revitalization Committee is a project to bring residents and stakeholders together to discuss improving Wick Park. A grant was made to support Youngstown Cityscape's involvement in the process. The Kent State Urban Design Coalition will also be a resource to the group in its efforts ($70,000)."

more here.

tonight's event is free, no euros needed

First off, Art Youngstown is having a community-wide gallery showing tonight, March 14th from 7pm to 10:30pm in the Ohio One Building downtown.

This event is free and open to the public.

If it's similar to the last gallery event on Federal Street, there will be plenty of people, art covering every corner of the space, food, drink, and excitement.

Everyone in Ohio and Pennsylvania is welcome to attend.

The Youngstown Artblog has been really cranking out posts recently. First, here is a post about the space for the reception this evening:

"Art Youngstown is having what promises to be a great show. How could it be otherwise in a venue known as The Great Room?

This fantastic space is five thousand square feet , has 25 foot high ceilings and is completely decorated in heavy wood work to nearly the ceiling. There are even hand carved wood griffins above the entry. The lighting is seductive and warm and the space is an incredible place to display original art. If you have never seen the Great Room in the Ohio One building this is your chance to enjoy the splendor and grandeur of Old Youngstown."

more on the space here.

Next, he shows his love for the interesting lady known only as Rita.

"I receive so many benefits from the city that at times I am actually glad to pay. These days so many organizations get a chunk of my money, including the Church and various art and cultural organizations, that I figure I am paying my dues to be a part of a club of 85,000 members.

Consider what you are getting for your money: great location in the state, great inner city parks, a convocation center, impressive downtown events to name just a few. So take my advice: pay it, shut up and enjoy the city."

This post made me chuckle. Read more here.

And next, a very interesting post on the devaluation of the dollar, the rise of the euro, and how Youngstown artists can take advantage of this:

"The American Dollar continues to fall like so many dead leaves from Autumn trees and a cold winter wind is blowing. The Euro however is rocketing into prominence like a 4th of July firework. Many reports are coming out of Manhattan stating that Europeans are spending Euros like mad on American Art and Antiques, because of their currency's strength against the feeble Dollar. In fact signs saying "Euros Only" are appearing in gallery windows."

"To reiterate what I have been saying in this blog, we have a tremendous resource in the artists of our Valley. Many of us have been selling our work to those very collectors for years now. We can easily tap into the National and International Art Markets in a much more profound way if we can work together and get REAL support from the powers within our community.

Here is a list of things I would like to accomplish in the next 6 months: Create a stronger unity amongst Valley artists, Use this unity to promote Valley art nationally and internationally, establish strong contacts with European collectors, and establish Youngstown in the Manhattan and European mindset as a Cultural Mecca. To help assist in accomplishing these goals I would be happy to hold meetings to discuss and formulate plans.

Email me: Artbake777(at)aol.com."

more on this topic can be found here.

If you are surfing the internet instead of being downtown tonight, well, then you need to get out more. (if you are physically capable)

Yes, that means you Aunt Betty.

If I can do it, you can do it.

support the arts in downtown youngstown

sticks and stones

Very interesting post in the Reason blog today:

"Of course I'm not equating Kern and Ferraro. It was just interesting to contrast two free speech items in the news this week. Kern is a zealot and a bigot who clearly needs to get out some more and meet cooler people. I feel sorry for her and hope all the gay and lesbian friends she doesn't know she already has don't take her comments to heart. I believe that Ferraro is an intelligent woman with her heart in the right place. She just needs to polish her rhetorical skills. There was a message in what she said that could have been delivered more effectively. I'm imagining her words might go something like,

"Senator Obama has found himself in a remarkable position in this campaign, and it's hard for many people to look away. They want to be a part of that movement, even if it's about history and not Mr. Obama himself."

More bite, less perceived racist tenor."

More to read here.

wo we think we are

Meditations in an Emergency considers a recent New York Times article about how Barack Obama is doing in fairly mixed-race states:

The growing counties an hour’s drive from Cleveland and St. Louis are filled with white voters whose parents fled the industrial cities of their youth before a wave of African-Americans and for whom social friction and economic competition, especially in an age of declining opportunity, are as much a part of daily life as traffic and mortgage payments. As Erica Goode wrote in these pages last year, Robert Putnam and other sociologists have, in fact, found that people living in more diverse areas evince less trust for others — no matter what their race. Maybe it shouldn’t surprise us that while white Democrats in rural states are apparently willing to accept the notion of a racially transcendent candidate, those living in the shadow of postindustrial atrophy seem to have a harder time detaching from enduring stereotypes, and they may be less optimistic that the country as a whole would actually elect a black candidate.

"What I find interesting about this is that we can no longer think along lines of urban/suburban/rural. The mention of communities that are somewhere between these categories, and in existence outside of formerly successful urban empires, is a new sort of population that’s only recently beginning to enter the cultural consciousness for many Americans who assumed that everything was either New York City, the suburbs of Desperate Housewives, or Mayberry. There are many different kinds of communities between each of those sorts of points on the scale."

Read more at Meditations here.

And a very interesting article on Barack Obama's mom who died of ovarian cancer at 53 in the New York Times here.

news: 12 march 2008

Akron-Canton airport to launch $110 million expansion
in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Akron-Canton Airport will make room for international flights, three more gates and a new airline over the next decade as part of its $110 million plan announced this afternoon.

That means bigger parking lots, a new ticket counter, a 25-percent-bigger passenger screening area and a runway long enough to send planes anywhere in North America."

Helpers Sought to Beautify City
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"Youngstown CityScape is looking for volunteers to help with its Streetscape beautification program.

Among the focus areas for the June 7 event are Wick Park, East Federal Street, the John Young Memorial, the Police Memorial, near the Choffin Career Center and near city hall."

more info here.

$500,000 pledged for YSU Business School
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"Youngstown State University graduate Jocelyne Kollay Linsalata has pledged $500,000 to help in the construction of a new building for YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration.

In recognition of the gift, YSU will name the Gallery in the new business building in Linsalata’s honor."

Consultant to Study Scholarship Plan
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"The board approved a contract Tuesday with Hodge Cramer and Associates Inc. of Dublin, Ohio, a national philanthropic consulting company, to determine if the Youngstown Promise will work. The cost will be covered with grant funds.

The plan is to model the scholarship program after the Kalamazoo Promise in Michigan, which has proved to be beneficial to public education partnerships with higher education by providing college scholarships for Kalamazoo high school graduates to attend any state college or university in Michigan."

North Side to Get $3.4 Million Rec Center
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"Plans for the 15,800-square-foot Arlington Heights Park and Fitness Center include an all-purpose gym, workout equipment and weights, a patio, conference rooms and a cafe. The facility is to be surrounded by an 11.5-acre park complete with basketball courts, two playgrounds, a tennis court and a picnic shelter."

People in this town still have a lot of money
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"The event was expected to raise $100,000 for U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who won last week’s Ohio primary by 10 percentage points over U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Though Zoldan didn’t count the cash, he said the amount raised surpassed the $100,000 goal.

Harry Meshel of Youngstown, Mahoning County coordinator of Clinton’s presidential campaign and a former Ohio Senate president, said the candidate’s husband did “a terrific job explaining why Hillary should be president."

a terrific job.

release the hounds!

feel like it's time to bombard the midwest with our thoughts?

GLUEspace has some ideas how:

"If you agree that it’s been way too long since our nation had a plan for fixing our cities’ problems, you could make your voice heard, by either: (1) writing to the presidential frontrunner of your choice, or (2) writing to the editor of your local paper. Below are some samples that you could follow (See full list of Great Lakes papers with links to editorial/letters pages below). Just some ideas to get you going."

more here.

Also, props to Abby for making it into Newsweek this week. Read more here.

can't keep up with the burgh

look.

here is the math:

aggressive blogging by Jim + work week travels + eating/sleeping in the margins = needing to play major catch-up with the Burgh Diaspora blog.

Here are some of the ones (among many) that received by attention over the past four weeks:

On Top of the Political World

"Hillary Clinton appeals to Pittsburgh's old guard and Barack Obama is the voice of Pittsburgh's ongoing transformation. The same scenario played out in nearby Youngstown during the Ohio primary. Clinton used Youngstown as a backdrop to highlight the failures of NAFTA. What she ignored, apparently to considerable political gain, are the agents of change infusing the region with energy and hope.

While I appreciate the more nuanced perspective of the region, Newsweek incorrectly identifies Mayor Luke Ravenstahl as the face of "newer Pittsburgh." Ravenstahl represents business-as-usual, quite different from the situation in Youngstown with Mayor Jay Williams."

Pittsburgh's Near-Abroad

"Regardless, the national and international impression must be one of the entire Rust Belt as depressed, backwards, and pissed off. While shrinking cities share many of the same problems, there still exists quite a bit economic geographic variation within the region."

Cleveburgh Globalization Project

"I propose a Yo Cleveburgh pilot, making good use of the Youngstown urban laboratory to develop a set of best practices for addressing the inherent instabilities of globalization. The goal is to develop the Cleveburgh Corridor into a world city on par with Chicago. One of the solutions that Longworth puts on the table is educational reform, though doing so is notoriously difficult.

My hunch is that Youngstown would be more open to innovative approaches in education than just about any other Rust Belt city."

Jim is setting the table for you Youngstown, read more here.

Rust Belt High Skill Immigration Zone Update

"Renowned Law Professor/Author William Hing, UC Davis School of Law, member of Senator Obama's Immigration Policy Group, has picked up on the "High Skill Immigration Zone" proposal and is spreading the word!"

SBIR/STTR workshops in town

Hey knuckleheads, this is important:

"The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) and TechLift are presenting a series of workshops on the Federal SBIR and STTR programs. The Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR and STTR programs fund a billion dollars each year in early-stage R&D projects at small technology companies - projects that serve a DoD need and have commercial applications."

"Knowing the ins and outs of how the program works, how best to apply, and what you need to do in order to increase your odds of an award is the basis of the OAI/TechLift workshops."

As a region our SBIR/STTR numbers are very low or non-existant compared to other portions of the state, and definitely other parts of the country.

youngstown's treasures moved to other communities

While it nice to see this story about the renovation of the Idora Park Carousel, one can't help but feel Youngstown's history is being taken away from it:

"Now, the carousel is on display in a storefront in Brooklyn, waiting for its final resting spot to be determined. But it won’t have to travel far. Walentas and her husband — a real estate developer — had selected a site for the carousel before the couple ever set eyes on the 1922 Philadelphia Toboggan model that delighted generations of children in Youngstown.

Walentas’ career with the Idora Park carousel began in the early ‘80s, when her husband was charged with revitalizing a former industrial neighborhood known as DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). A partner in the project suggested that the derelict park in the neighborhood’s center — with its striking view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge — would be an ideal spot for a merry-go-round."

"The Idora carousel was a rare find in more ways than one, Walentas said. Handcrafted by master woodcarver Frank Carretta, it was one of the few Walentas that hadn’t been dismembered or relocated. It was one of the most detailed, as well.

Youngstown helped to build this country, and now piece by piece, this history is being removed.

irish to go

FREE event today from the Mahoning Valley History blog:

"The [Mahoning Valley Historical Society] Young Leaders Advisory Board is pleased to announce the next event in the popular History to Go lecture series: Irish in the Valley.

Join the Mahoning Valley Historical Society on Monday, March 10th at 6:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 1410 Oak Hill Ave. in Youngstown, for a presentation on the rich history of the Irish in the Mahoning Valley by Sally Murphy Pallante of The Irish American Archival Society."

more here.

what to do on friday

The Youngstown Moxie blog writes:

"I have sometimes heard people in the Youngstown area complain about the lack of things to do. I've even heard people say they are bored. Well, as Dorothy Parker said, "The cure for boredom is curiosity..." Obviously, the bored folks around here merely need a good dose of it.

I then recommend they have an adventure. "But where?" you say?

Downtown Youngstown of course.

Let me offer a suggestion or two for an adventure in Youngstown next Friday night, March 14th.

read Moxie'sitenary here here.

Plus, a bonus post on artist and entertainers from youngstown was also posted. read this list here.

connecting to expats

the Steeltown Entertainment Project:

"The mission of the Steeltown Entertainment Project ("Steeltown") is to nurture promising talent and to incubate meaningful and commercially viable entertainment projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania by connecting former Pittsburghers who are working in the entertainment industry with the region's human, cultural, educational and economic resources."

Yes, PeCan!

New Obama-inspired ice cream flavors via Slashfood.

Can you choose an ice-cream flavor that represents Hillary?

what's at the Trumbull Art Gallery

The Youngstown Art blog discusses Jim Pernotto:

"Jim lived in worked in Youngstown during a time when many were fleeing the city for greener pastures, and when he did eventually work for a time in Manhattan as the director of Pacifico Fine Art Gallery, he made sure his peers from Ytown found art connections in his new home. Even while in NYC he still found time to have his hand in Youngstown art concerns.

I'd like to thank Jim for the time and effort he has put into helping me with my art career over the years. When I arrived at the YSU Art Department from the deep country side of Central Ohio, I was a young, brash redneck boy with a lot of energy and not a lot of brains. Jim saw my talent, encouraged me in his printing classes, and was one of the very few people I knew that took a real concern for my future as an artist. Throughout the years he has given me valuable and hard to come by art business advice and even today, when my stubborn redneckedness rears its ugly head, he has enough patience and vision to point me in the right direction."

more here.

a request from the fly YNG blog

From the Fly Youngstown blog:

"Once again I would request everyone to join me in a grassroots effort to attract Skybus Airlines to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Below is a link that is a Contact Form that allows passengers and airport supporters like myself to voice support for our local airport."

more here.

the value of street art?

Subpopular posts a neat video with an interesting question:

How is public art perceived here in Youngstown? Would people stop and ponder it or want their photos taken next to it?

"For over an hour, Jeremy Gibbs stood across the street from a fresh piece by Banksy on Essex Road and filmed people who stopped to look at the piece and take photos. What we find to be most important about the video is the diversity of the people who stopped, noticed, and most importantly - appreciated - the work. The video is a terrific testament to the "value" of street art."

read more here.

news: 7 March 2008

Physicist wins Congressional Seat in Illinois

The Av, the Golden Dawn, and Jay on npr

$5,000 down payment voucher for pruchasing homes in the city

JEDDs report is online

Available at the Youngstown 2010 site, or here.

btw, whoever wrote this report in Cleveland needs to do some proofreading.

It looks really bad when words are spelled incorrectly in the Executive Summary of a study, especially one you have been working on for many many months. Folks, disregard this statement if they re-edited this document by the time you downloaded the report.

100 parks within 100 miles

Cool idea from the Steel Valley Outdoors site:

The list of 100 parks and rec areas within 100 miles of Youngstown.

check it out

How To Use this List:
I’ve kept State Parks and related State Forests as two lines. This might be cheating, but they usually offer different experiences.

Each Link goes directly to the appropriate site, not to a directory, wherever possible.

Scroll down to your favorite area. Look right above it.

Have you been here? How about the area right below it?

YSU Joins Polymer Research Consortium

From a story/press release in the Business-Journal:

"Youngstown State University now is affiliated with the National Science Foundation's Center for Layered Polymeric Systems. Led by researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, the $19 million center focuses on layered polymers -- combining thin layers of plastic or other synthetic materials to create products ranging from packaging materials to optical switches."

"At YSU, the academic collaboration will include work in polymer physics and polymer engineering within the physics and chemical engineering programs. Facilitators are Jim Andrews, professor of physics; Doug Price, associate professor of chemical engineering; and Tom Oder, assistant professor of physics.

Andrews, who has spent most of his career researching optical materials and polymers, said YSU was chosen as an affiliate because of its growing research programs, its strong focus on undergraduate education, and its educational outreach in the YSU service area. “The research leaders at Case were impressed with the way YSU’s new College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics facilitates collaboration among the engineering and science disciplines,” he said."

how the falling dollar impacts the economy

good story from the News Hour with Jim Lerher:

Dollar's Falling Value Ripples Through U.S. Economy

As the value of the dollar has fallen, the U.S. economy has had to adjust in a multitude of areas. While some sectors have benefitted from cheaper U.S. exports, others have felt the pinch of inflation. Paul Solman examines the impact of the dollar's value.

Youngstown, this globalization train is moving fast, with or without you. We need to figure out how to have advantage of the system in addition to complaining about it.