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Jason Harmon · CMSD & Art Education
August 14th, 2008
MaryBeth Matthews writes:
[T]he average supply budget for art teachers in the Cleveland Municipal School District is $300 for the school year. Most high school teachers have five or six art classes totaling 150-170 students. Let’s do the math kids…That comes to approximately $1.76-$2.00 per student to spend on art supplies for a school year that lasts 36 weeks. And how much do you think $2.00 buys in today’s economy? At the dollar store I can buy a pack of 20 pencils and two pink erasers.
Unlike suburban schools, we cannot charge parents a materials fee, in fact, we are not even supposed to ask students to bring in their own supplies…
The district claims to support the arts, but it seems to me those claims are mostly lip service. I wish that they would finally put some money where their mouth is.
How about this idea? Hire one less consultant and double the money for art supplies. Eliminate an administrator, and triple the art supply budget. Then maybe our students could have an arts experience comparable to the kids in the suburbs.
George Nemeth · Fannie Lewis – A Cleveland Original and a Treasure by Roldo Bartimole
August 11th, 2008
Fannie Lewis didn’t have a degree from Harvard University but her common sense wisdom could often exceed the judgments of the Ivy League learned.
I can’t count the hours I spent with Fannie at committee and Council meetings over 20 or more years. I do know she took up a lot more of my time than I wanted. She could go on and on and on.
Yet there were times during those long disputations when Fannie – that’s what most people called her – would zero in smack on the problem everyone else was dancing around. Read the rest of this entry »
George Nemeth · Seeking Sponsors for the Waterloo Arts Fest
July 15th, 2008
ArtsCollinwood is seeking sponsors for this year’s Waterloo Arts Fest. In it’s sixth year, the fest is a vibrant and lively day of music, art and demonstrations that grows bigger and more exciting each year. With over 3,500 visitors expected to wander through downtown Waterloo, there will be something to catch every eye, from family friendly hands-on activities to dazzling street performers to live music. With some of the city’s best music close at hand, and great food to sample from local restaurants, the event caters to diverse tastes, and lets residents and visitors explore an eclectic array of buyable and unusual art.
Help support the arts scene in Cleveland. Details available in this Waterloo Arts Fest Sponsor PDF. There’s still time to be included in our Cleve Scene and Free Times ads!
George Nemeth · Callahan’s Cleveland Charter Change Proposal
July 12th, 2008
From Bill:
Finally, Commission member Bill Callahan (that’s me) distributed a request for consideration of two proposals as part of any plan to reduce Council ward representatives. The first (“Collaborative Government”) is specific language for my 1988 proposal for Neighborhood Service Districts. The second (“Transparent Government”) would require the Mayor to make all public records of departments and bodies within his jurisdiction available to the public on line by a Charter-specified deadline.
It’d be a good idea to see what the GCP is proposing in this post too.
George Nemeth · Focus on people
July 9th, 2008
From the Lincoln Land Institute via Otis White:
One of the longest standing debates in community economic development is between “place-based” and “peoplebased” approaches to combating poverty, housing affordability, chronic unemployment, and community decline. Should help go to distressed places or distressed people?
Barry McBride · Why Does Cleveland Tolerate the Dolans?
July 9th, 2008
Let’s get this straight, right off the bat: I love the Cleveland Indians. I always have, even though our relationship has been distant in recent years.
In high school, I could recite the name of every pitcher the Indians had on their staff since the early 70s, when I started following the team. While in grad school, I spent nearly every Tuesday night at the Out-R-Inn off of High Street, watching some surprisingly decent teams of the early-mid 80s play on Channel 43 (games started at 7:30, the drinking started around 7).
I thought dealing Blue Moon Odom for Roric Harrison was a steal. I remember Greg Swindell’s huge strikeout game, in ‘86, I believe. I remember the old Stadium selling out thanks to a gas station promotion and Don Schulze pitching one of the best games of his career. I remember Angelo LoGrande, Luis Medina, and Joe Charboneau. To me, Len Barker’s perfect game is as clear as yesterday.
When the team went to the World Series in 1995, it might have been the greatest experience in my life as a fan, exceeding even the Buckeyes resurgence under Jim Tressel and their national championship.
After all, it was newspaper headlines from the Indians 1995 division clinching game, featuring a brightly smiling Kenny Lofton, which were preserved in picture frames in my rec room. I kept scrapbooks of every newspaper article I could find during that 1995 run.
My wife and I took my infant daughter to a game to sit in the bleachers a few months after she was born in 1989. They gave her a free t-shirt which served as her night-gown for many nights as a toddler. The memory is as clear as day, like many of that team which was so special to me.
And this is why it is so hard for me to watch the Dolan family destroy the franchise. Read the rest of this entry »
Derek Arnold · A Love Letter to President Schwartz
July 3rd, 2008
Steven Litt, the PD’s architecture writer wrote a post about the legacy of outgoing Cleveland State University President Michael Schwartz. His analysis was centered around, no surprise, the new architecture that was a part of Cleveland State’s Campus.
Litt’s praise is based on the replacement of some of the more drab elements of CSU’s campus: Read the rest of this entry »
George Nemeth · Councilman Cummins’ Restructuring Proposal
July 3rd, 2008
In an email the Councilman writes, “I’ll be proposing to the Charter Review Committee tomorrow morning a council restructuring recommendation of a mixed-system of 14-ward and 3-at-large seats.
In the attachment, I’ve included additional considerations for a reduction to 15-ward seats as well as a possible make-up of 14-ward with 1-at large seat.”
Douglas Craver · How does your neighborhood score?
June 25th, 2008
Great example of the programmable web in action. Walk Score will only increase in popularity and usefulness as gas prices go up:
Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking.
Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:
- 90 - 100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
- 70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
- 50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
- 25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
- 0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!
George Nemeth · Cleveland—Mostly Eroding?
June 23rd, 2008
What are you noticing about Cleveland today?
This Monday starts the deconstruction of Stanard School in the St. Clair Superior Neighborhood. This deconstruction project is headed by Ward 13 Councilman Joe Cimperman, The Department of Building and Housing, and the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation with technical support from the Ohio EPA.
Most of the usable wood has been reclaimed and the bricks will be re-used by community and market gardens among others. The New Agrarian Center has been documenting the process with video. The goals: keep construction waste out of landfills, make the deconstruction pay for itself through sales of some of the materials, provide materials for community groups in need. I hope this is one of many projects like this.
