If you read REALNEO, you know the huge burden of lead poisoning on our region's children and adults, the community's quality of life, and our education system and economy, and you know that, since May, East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer has been planning to work with Motley Rice to bring litigation over lead poisoning to Ohio courts. Today, the Plain Dealer published word the litigation is finally here, as East Cleveland is expected to file suit in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court over the public nuisance lead causes in their community, as has been done in 27 other states to date. East Cleveland is the leader bringing such litigation to our state, and it appears other cities and the state of Ohio are preparing to follow suit. I take great pride that I helped advance this development, and I look forward to helping East Cleveland, NEO and all Ohioans win, as a result.

The origins of REALNEO.US live at http://clevelandcause.tribe.net/ where I first organized this revolution, while I was based in Northern California and fighting to help the real NEO economy from afar. Read the manifesto that was the CAUSE for REALNEO.US  below... the very first copy sent to my friend and co-conspirator with REALNEO.US, Louis Carl Edwards, via Tribe.net on December 21, 2003 at 4:19 AM, West Coast time:

When I saw last week a preview for the Thursday, June 29, 2006, WVIZ "Ideas" program featured PD Arts and Architecture columnist Steven Litt and Cuyahoga County Planning Director Paul Alsenas discussing the state of ODOT's plans for a new bridge to replace the current I-90 span across the Cuyahoga River, I thought I was having déjà vu. Yes, this was an issue a year ago... even six months ago, but since then ODOT had so thoroughly railroaded the bridge and trench planning process through the public mind-space that it seemed all topics of discussion about this near $billion project had moved completely behind closed doors and forgotten. Well, it seems Litt and Alsenas have very different ideas about that, as they shared in an excellent "Ideas" this week, and as Litt writes at length in today's Plain Dealer. Be sure to read that article... and great work on Ideas, Steven and Paul!!! Read on...

Last week, I had a chance to catch up with Constant Systems' Aiden Audouy for a report on their progress for basing some operations of this exciting biotech company in Northeast Ohio (see scenario here). The news for Constant Systems world-wide is all great, offering incredible opportunity in the coming months and years for NEO, may we close Constant Systems. Read on...

 The following story with its links ran in CASE Daily (Case's online newpaper) today. Do feel like you have entrepreneurial genes? I think I do! Please post your thoughts
"Do genes influence who will be entrepreneurs?"

ABC News (Reuters), June 5, 2006
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2041245

Northeast Ohio is about to see an explosive, high profile, living, learning and enlightening force hit the scene and landscape, as area filmmakers, learning institutions and the public come together to create NEO Central - a bleeding-edge collaborative media arts center for NEO now and the future.The center will be based on like-minded initiatives around the world, and will provide shared film/media education, incubation, production, distribution, business and technology resources, and facilities, which are currently located in the historic landmark Gillota Building at 300 Central Viaduct (Carnegie) and will be expanded significantly as part of an area economic development plan. More on all of this is found in the links below, which will grow...

Constant Systems' Aidan Audouy and Diane Brown drew a diverse audience for a roundtable dedicated to closing the economic development loops needed to attract their company to Northeast Ohio. Roundtable attendees had the one challenge: to learn enough about Constant Systems to determine who we know who may help Constant Systems succeed here - an experiment in viral social networking, open source economic development and the power within very few degrees of separation. In other words, among the diverse thirty-or-so folks who came together for the Excellence Roundtable, we expect to be able to connect the representatives of Constant Systems with the people they still need to meet here to succeed... customers... very specialized customers, primarily in medical-related R&D, of which NEO has many, and access all world-wide.

The grand theater of the Cleveland City Hall rotunda was the perfect setting to see NEO filmmaker Laura Paglin's acclaimed documentary "No Umbrella – An Election Day In The City". Thanks to Mayor Frank Jackson "Arts and Cultural Initiative", probably 100 citizens clearly enjoyed the free showing immediately preceded the city council meeting. The "star" of the documentary, long-standing and much-beloved councilwoman Fannie Lewis, was the star of the screening as well, as she and filmmaker Paglin answered questions following the show.

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I'm pleased to say the 03.21.2006 Excellence Roundtable featuring Steven Fong gave PD Architecture Critic Steven Litt a chance to catch up with Dean Fong, and be the first to learn huge news for this region... See http://www.cleveland.com/weblogs/entertainment/

KSU dean wants architecture grad program moved to Cleveland
Kent State University will move its entire graduate program in architecture to Cleveland "as soon as possible."

So says Steven Fong, the new dean of KSU's College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

Fong, who assumed the post at KSU in December, described his plans publicly for the first time Tuesday in an interview following a public forum at the university's Urban Design Collaborative in Cleveland.

March 21, 2006, REALNEO and the Kent State University Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC)  hosted a wonderful open-house and Excellence Roundtable featuring, Steven Fong, the Charter Dean of the KSU School of Architecture and Environmental Design, which is based in Kent, Ohio, of which CUDC is part. In prime roundtable form, the attendees were as diverse and remarkeable as is Steven, driving a fascinating hour and half brainstorm through Steven's world of fantastic projects that he's worked on around the world, down to today's reality of NEO, viewed from 30,000 feet down to the streets.

Please come together at the Charter One Global Enterprise Center for a very special Excellence Roundtable with a specific purpose - Closing Constant Systems.

For this proactive lunchtime discussion, Constant Systems' Aiden Audouy and Diane Brown will demonstrate their technology and explore with us the factors influencing whether their company will locate valuable business operations in NEO, or Research Triangle. By being at this Roundtable, you can help them determine NEO is the best location in the nation and prove that to their CEO.

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Join Steven Fong, the charter Dean of the Kent State College of Architecture and Environmental Design, for a March 21, 2006 Excellence Roundtable at their Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC - http://www.cudc.kent.edu/index.html). Steven will share his vision on his college, CUDC, Cleveland, NEO, and urban and regional planning here - we shall discuss the future of planning NEO's future.

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Please join a casual collaboration of Northeast Ohio leaders interested in supporting "Film" as a cultural, educational, technological and economic engine of this community. "Film" is an important factor in the NEO economy, with many talented "film" professionals involved here in management, production, creative and other roles, creating $ millions in spending and wealth and making NEO a more interesting and fulfilling place to grow up and live. But, what is film, and what matters to the community and our economy?

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Please join a casual collaboration of Northeast Ohio leaders interested in supporting "Film" as a cultural, educational, technological and economic engine of this community. "Film" is an important factor in the NEO economy, with many talented "film" professionals involved here in management, production, creative and other roles, creating $ millions in spending and wealth and making NEO a more interesting and fulfilling place to grow up and live. But, what is film, and what matters to the community and our economy?

"Film" is an important factor in the NEO economy, with many talented "film" professionals involved here in management, production, creative and other roles, creating $ millions in spending and wealth and making NEO a more interesting and fulfilling place to grow up and live. But, what is film, and what matters? Read on below:

Ohio Congressman Bob Ney is certainly entitled to have the facts proved before he’s considered guilty, but it’s a disservice to voters to claim the charges against him are “just politics” or “the way things work in DC.”  By asserting that these allegations are “the way things get done,” supporters drag politics and government lower and give disgusted voters more reasons to give up on government.  To really understand the accusations and why the allegations are more than routine, readers need to understand the nature of the charges and the facts at hand.

Inputs and outcomes from the January 24, 2006 Excellence Roundtable at the City Club featuring East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer.

People on REALNEO’s website are used to thinking about new ideas and the way we can help create the city and region we want to live in. Rather than passive acceptance, readers at REALNEO are active shapers of the community.  Our area is increasingly considering the importance of health activities, lifestyle and the comfort and attractiveness of the region.  As a region, we are focusing on regional assets, including our parks and lake.  With that in mind, I want to discuss ClevelandBikes, a two year-old nonprofit, and our project to develop an asset to meet these goals…a bike station, a new piece of the transportation infrastructure.

Carol Cartwright, President of Kent State University. gave an engaging presentation on the importance of higher education before a diverse group of civic entrepreneurs and concerned citizens at the City Club Tuesday. Carol announced that she will be retiring soon, closing a chapter in a remarkable and distinguished career in higher education that has spanned over forty years. Carol began with a reminder that there are 170,000 college students in Northeast Ohio, representing 25 colleges and universities. Over 36,000 of these students are Kent State students collectively this highly educated population represents a $2.2 billion dollar economic force and it is clear that we need retain and attract college students and graduates. Though Ohio is slightly above average in High School Graduation rates the state needs 440,000 more college educated citizens to reach the national average- put another way, only 2 of 4 NEO residents have college degrees, while 4 of 10 people do nationally. Cartwright attributed this mainly to legacy of blue-collar jobs but it is clear, she indicated, that times and economics are drastically changing such that this can no longer be the prevailing paradigm. The shortage of college-educated citizens in Ohio is a serious issue that must be dealt with, either through attraction or retention, or both. Many agree there had been a dramatic change in need for college education, but the fear is paying for it - state support has been very low, and there has been a strong inverse correlation between state support and state tuition. Ohio ranks 43rd in the nation in taxpayer support for higher education with one of the highest average college tuition rates nationally. 

The NEO Excellence Roundtable is very pleased to host Kent State University President, Dr. Carol A. Cartwright, as our guest discussion leader at the December 13th, 2005 Roundtable at the City Club of Cleveland. The discussions will center around the role of education in the future of our region, leveraging Dr. Cartwright's unique experience leading one of the nation's largest university systems, among her many career achievements.

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REALNEO is hosting our November 22nd NEO Excellence Roundtable at the City Club with the Innerbelt Bridge Plan featured as the discussion topic. We will be joined by Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Director Paul Alsenas, and we have invited representative of the Ohio Department of Transportation. One outcome we hope to see from this process is increased support for developing a new "Signature Bridge" for Northeast Ohio. We invite you to attend and participate in these discussions.

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