Brewed Fresh Daily

I hope you’ll be supporting ArtsCollinwood. The Waterloo Arts Fest Sneak Peek event is July 31st at 6PM. You’d be surprised at all of the changes that have taken place in the Waterloo District in the past year!

I’m selling tickets, so please email me if you’d like to support a stimulating arts environment and to encourage continuing education in the arts. Click on the image below for a full size view of the postcard:

I’m really looking forward to it. Last year’s event was a ton of fun, and a great way to meet the cool people in my neighborhood. Hope to see you there!

From a Jim Cossler e-mail:

Another national shout out for the exciting and unique managed technology cluster being built by the Youngstown Business Incubator.

This from the national public policy organization PolicyLink in its soon to be released report, To Be Strong Again: Renewing the Promise in Smaller Industrial Cities :

“The Youngstown Business Incubator, which has turned the city into a hot spot for business-to-business software development, is creating jobs and reversing the ‘brain drain’. Against all odds, YBI has made Youngstown the place to be for B2B software developers.”

When so many said we couldn’t, we did. Come see for yourself.

You can review the report in its entirety here.

Here’s an excellent opportunity for the Fund for Our Economic Future to exercise leadership across NEO: Start providing seed funding to the establishment of P-16 councils across Northeast Ohio.

Communities across Ohio have been trying to work together for years to improve education systems across their regions by identifying problems and then coordinating existing resources to address those problems. These P-16 efforts (preschool to higher education, or grade 16) are getting traction, not only as a mechanism to fix what is ailing education systems, but also as a way to link education to economic development needs in this blue-collar state. This effort is called “convergence” by researcher Dennis McGrath, who has spent time studying these P-16 initiatives in Ohio and has just released a report on the topic. In this month’s essay, we offer his thoughts on how P-16 just might help lead Ohio out of its economic slump.

Ohio Communities Linking P-16 to Economic Development

From this week’s PostSecret, toward.

I like inspirational secrets.

From Tim Ferris:

At a time when ridership is making buses bulge at the seams, cutting service and charging more for what remains is the last thing you want to have happen. Service and bus routes should expand; administrative staff should be cut; salaries should be cut; grants should be acquired; general taxes should be levied. But service should expand both in the number of buses circulating each route and in the hours of operation.

We found out recently that GCRTA has no idea how many people actually ride these things. We ride quite often, and the fare boxes are always inoperable.

The shopping areas depend on bus traffic. So do schools. So do the legion of newly minted commuters.

Here’s some input from somebody who buys and uses a weekly ticket at all hours and for all destinations…

I agree. Just when a major shift is happening in people’s transportation habits, discouraging ridership is a bad move. Any other suggestions or comments on RTA’s proposed changes? Will you be attending one of the public meetings?

Tim Ferris: this is just about the last place to cut

Since my Social Security number ended in a 92, I was probably the last batch of people who finally received their government checks. My question to you is what have you done with the money? For six hundred dollars, I can buy a new pair of glasses, pay off some debt, or perhaps the best investment might be purchasing a new set of tires for my car. I think I have waited long enough.

As a woman, I really do not like shopping. My idea of shopping is running into Home Depot, TJ Maxx or Macy’s and having a list in my head, and going directly to that particular aisle and purchase EXACTLY what I need. I, quite frankly, have already contributed to the economy prior to receiving my check. I have purchase many outfits from the Macy’s Winter Clearance rack. I own about several pairs of black pants, sweaters and at least 12 pairs of black shoes. You can never have too many pairs of shoes.

So, I think I will probably do what most people have already done, and take my check to the nearest ATM. I will decide later what I need most, car tires or reading glasses. I also think that my tax deferred, six hundred dollars, as wonderful as that is, that government has given us, will not change how I live my life or put me into a new tax bracket or create a new job for me. I think it is a good start, but we need a more substantial stimulus package that will bring new jobs and employers into the area.

I love free money, but it has not gone far enough. Where is your stimulus package?

I’m in New Orleans at Workforce Innovations and looking at CNN this morning.
They’re doing a story on electric vehicles. The host, Miles O’Brien, started his reporting by driving up in a Sparrow, manufactured by Myers Motors in Summit County.
Several years ago, at REI we highlighted the opportunity of the Sparrow. We had a few of them outside Weatherhead and many of folks at Tuesday@REI drove the Sparrow around the block. Herb Crowther and Phil Lane, as I remember, arranged the event.

The Akron Beacon Journal editorial page this morning has an idea about what should come next regarding the Cost of Government in Northeast Ohio, and it’s all about increasing services to citizens, not eliminating them.

Are we ready to look at what benefits could be achieved by consolidating school districts?

What about an Advance Northeast Ohio commission on government consolidation and collaboration? 

It’s turning into a big media day for me. Besides today’s radio show on WCPN (don’t forget to call in your questions and comments), the video interview for Instructions from the Cook Thomas did last Monday when the book came out is in this week’s issue of CC:

Jack Ricchiuto & George Nemeth, local community-builders, have teamed up to author a new book entitled Instructions from the Cook, a collection of creative recipes and and ideas for engaging and empowering a community to change. Based on zen principles, their book speaks of how small acts can bring big change. Listen to this video interview at their book signing in Tremont with Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready and learn how to initiate conversations, both on the internet and face-to-face, that maximize our individual gifts and talents to build our community.

When is the last time you actually made soup for a senior, exchanged stories with a homeless person or used one of your unique gifts to reach out of your comfort zone and help someone with lesser resources? Dive into this little gem and become authentically engaged.

You can order a copy of IftC at Designing Life Books.

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!