Opinion

I am sure everyone knows about the new Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cleveland. It has been written about in The Plain Dealer many times since its opening. First as a new venue for local jobs and then as a resource for tourism...

But I have many unanswered questions that should be answered by a casino representative:

1-What happens with the millions of dollars that the casino makes? Where is all this money going? Does the City of Cleveland get a portion? If so, how is it used? 

2-Do the Horseshoe Casino owners know why they have had less revenue than expected these last months? 

I can answer that. I was a visitor to the casino last month, and my visit was not pleasant. I speak for others, also!

First: When I arrived, I wandered around in the blinking, beeping, gold lighted arcade through a maze of machines that felt like being inside some strange new world from "The Twilight Zone." Ready to suck us in. There was a fakeness and emptiness and strangeness, from all the gold lights. A bizarre feeling. When I ended up at the back of the building, and saw the old Higbee's steps--the only remembrance that was left--I thought "What have they done to this building?" What a shame!

Youth violence is widespread, and is the second leading cause of death nationally for people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. These statistics are heart-wrenching, and the pain and suffering is felt profoundly by families and the wider community.

I was intentionally going to begin this article with statistics on the murder rate of our community but I figured the number isn’t zero so it doesn’t matter because one murder is too many especially for my neighborhood. But the question that so many seem to not have an answer to in this community is “how do we stop youth violence?"  

Then again maybe we do have an answer but are taking the wrong approach to fix the problems. And then again maybe the people in this community are all talk and no action. When was the last time you contacted your councilman or political figure in your community to just ask, “What are you doing about youth violence?”

If you haven’t done this or can’t remember the last time, then you are a part of the problem (all talk and no action). It’s time the people of this community come together to answer the question, “What do we do about youth violence?” so that we can take the correct approach to zero tolerance of crime in our community.

Does anyone agree with me, that cursive writing should not be eliminated from being taught in public school classrooms?  If no one leans how to write, how will anyone be able to put their signature on documents? How will people sign their names when opening a bank account, or using debit cards, or registering for college, or buying a car, buying a house, or...the list is endless. Will people revert to the olden days and mark their "X" on the signature line? 

Will anyone still know how to write in the future? Men or women? Professors or elite groups of society? Will women be excluded? Should parents start secretly teaching their children how to write in longhand? Didn't some people secretly teach women how to read and write in the past, when women were not allowed to know how? 

Will learning how to read be the next thing to be eliminated from our schools? With audio books on the market, will ours become an illiterate society?  

Not many neighborhoods in the U.S. are fortunate enough to sit on the coast of a major body of water. Collinwood is one of the lucky few with this unique amenity. With that kind of advantage, all of us should strive to keep the lake as well as the rest of our neighborhood clean. At times, large amounts of litter may be seen on sidewalks, lawns, vacant lots and especially under the freeway underpasses of our neighborhood. This should not be acceptable. No one would want to see this kind of trash on the floors of their house, the same values should be carried over to our streets. This is our home. The difference between a subpar neighborhood and a great one is the mentality of its residents.

With summer approaching, many are eager to take the steps towards getting in shape. Our new Collinwood Recreational Center, which is a great facility by the way, has a walking club that takes those steps towards health every Wednesday and Friday at 8am.

It would be great to see this sort of activity become more widespread in our community as many people may not be able to make it to the rec center due to obligations. I think it would be great for our community to form walking clubs in their particular sections of our neighborhood that could meet on maybe a couple evenings out of the week or weekend afternoons. It would be a great way for everyone from the young to the elderly to burn off some calories with like minded people while encouraging a social atmosphere amongst our neighborhood.

If you are interested and/or have any locations or routes you think should be organized, please visit www.collinwoodobserver.com click on observation deck on the left side, create a log-in, and submit your ideas on the forum.

Or you can visit and make your suggestions at one of the monthly neighborhood meetings, at the following times: Collinwood Homeowners' and Tenants' Association: First Wednesday, 7PM, St Mary's School, 15519 Holmes Ave, E 185th St Block Watch: Second Tuesday, 6PM, Lithuanian Village Hall, 877 E 185th St, Nottingham Civic Club: Third Tuesday, 7PM, Nottingham United Methodist Church, 18316 St Clair Ave, East 156th St Block Watch: Third Wednesday, 6PM, B&M BBQ, 15116 Lakeshore Blvd.

Dennis Freeman is a young adult interested in the advancement and sustainability of Collinwood and it's youth.

Much is going on in the city, in regards to new development and reinvestment. Most notably in areas such as Collinwood's own Waterloo neighborhood, University Circle, downtown, and quite a few west side areas. Optimism is seemingly climbing and respectability is returning to many different neighborhoods. Amidst all of this South Collinwood is often viewed as a second-class neighborhood outside of Collinwood, throughout the rest of the city, from my experience.

If you talk to people outside the neighborhood about the area south of the CSX tracks, many view it as some kind of war zone or crime haven. This couldn't be farther from the truth as Fifth District statistics prove that South Collinwood is the second lowest crime area on the northeast side(second only to North Collinwood). At the same time, one can almost see how outsiders could come to that conclusion considering how the news and the mainstream local media seem to portray the neighborhood with an imbalance of light being shed on bad news as opposed to the good. This can also be understood when noticing the amount of empty storefronts along St Clair, signifying a possible exodus of some kind, which normally leads people to ask the question, what's wrong that caused this?

This perception can be changed by educating folks on the good of South Collinwood. Remind people of the beautiful stadium near the Five Points intersection. Remind people of the beautiful newer school facilities that are Hannah Gibbons and East Clark as well as the one and only Job Corps Center, providing young adults with valuable skills so that they can excel. Inform them of the two businesses in the neighborhood serving fresh, locally grown produce: Cavotta's Garden Center and the Coit Road Farmers Market that sits on the border our neighborhood shares with East Cleveland. Tell them of the sidestreets lined with well-kept properties and people who still care about their neighborhood. Invite people to come and see what the neighborhood has to offer.

The Northeast Shores Collinwood area should have a job club for residents who need support in their search for employment. Since there are many diverse job seekers, in the North Collinwood area, ranging from students to adults reentering the work force, I suggest that a "North Shores Collinwood Job Seekers Group" be started.

It could be different from other job clubs in surrounding suburbs, in that it would be accessible to local residents, and cover a wide variety of topics, including information for our many older workers and people with disabilities. The topics covered and suggestions from members could be endless...

As an example: local merchants and companies could volunteer a half hour of their time to speak at meetings and give participants an idea of the employment picture in our neighborhood. Librarians and school teachers could give resources on the fundamentals of online websites. And a fax service, with copy facilities, could be provided (for a nominal fee) by the new Collinwood Recreation Center, which has a computer lab.

There could be widespread community involvement, with employers and job seekers meeting and getting to know each other which would be very beneficial to everyone involved.

Meetings could be held at the Memorial-Nottingham library, or at Villa-Angela St. Joseph High School.

Anyone with suggestions and ideas, please call 216-268-1818. Or submit responses to the Collinwood Observer. Go to www.collinwoodobserver.com, click in Members Center, sign in and submit.

Jeanne Coppola is a life long resident of the Collinwood neighborhood, and is interested in art and writing. She graduated from Collinwood High School, and attended Cleveland State University (CSU).

September 8th is International Literacy Day, created 45 years ago by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate literacy and remind the international community of the obstacles that still remain to global literacy.

continued.

I’ve always had happy memories at the Grovewood Wine Bar, especially in the winter, when the bartender has the best prescription for the cold: a sturdy Manhattan or a high-octane microbrew on tap. What makes an even happier experience there is when you arrive in time for the $5 at 5 happy hour menu, which features a great list of food and drink for only five dollars each. It runs Monday through Friday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, which means you can shake off that bad day just in time to catch that show, or the Ohio governor in my case, at the Beachland Ballroom.

I would like to suggest a new column where residents can show their appreciation and ask questions of  local merchants. 

     It is wonderful to hear all the great news about the revitalization of the Waterloo, E. 185th Street, and Lakeshore neighborhoods. I am happy to see the residents of Collinwood taking such an active role in drawing people to the area, and making it an enjoyable place to live, eat and have fun. However, it seems that people forget that Collinwood does not end at the train tracks, there is still half of the neighborhood south of the CSX terminal. And for the those folks that are aware of South Collinwood, there is more to our humble half than Holy Redeemer, Mirable's and the high school. Please don't take this article the wrong way because as a person from Collinwood, I view success anywhere as a success everywhere. It would just be nice to see all the effort being put into North Collinwood, equally implemented in South Collinwood. It seems there is an endless supply of Community groups (I.e. Northeast Shores, Collinwood-Nottingham, Euclid Beach, Lasalle Marquee) that have done a wonderful job to restore great neighborhoods to their former glory and then some. My challenge to the people of South Collinwood, business owners and residents alike, myself included, get together to see what we can do to get back on par with the northern half of our community. We need to take a hands on approach because neighborhoods do not revitalize themselves, but I'm willing to put in the time and energy if you are. So people that are serious about coming up with ideas and willing to meet and discuss them please feel free to contact me at ctalusheff@yahoo.com.

At this time, the country is experiencing 9.5 percent of folks being unemployed. More and more people are out of work for longer and longer. The number of people out of work for more than six months rose by 169,000 to 6.9 million, which is 45.9 percent of all the unemployed. 

With so many people not working, people are starting to rely on themselves for their own security, and tapping into skills they have not used. There seems to be a movement of “I can depend on myself to take care of myself.  I want to control my own destiny”. 

Being laid off can be used as a time of relaxation, reflection and freedom. Not having to concern one’s self with setting the clock, upper management issues, and fighting traffic, one can become free.

The list in last month's paper hit the highlights but I have thought of a few more: Radell's Sausage, the St. Anthony procession and festival at Holy Redeemer, the garden behind Memorial Nottingham library, Christmas Midnight Mass at St. Jerome, Cavotta's Nursery and Coit Road Farmer's Market. 

Living by the lake and great neighbors top my personal list!

This is an open letter to the RTA. On Thursday June 24th, I was almost seriously injured riding the Westbound Healthline Bus #2914 that arrived at Public Square at 3:36 pm. I wanted the stop near East 6th street. The bus was standing-room only, as usual. I have a disability and trouble walking. I can NOT walk on a moving bus. I had to wait until the bus stopped before I could make my way to the rear exit.

Well this is my favorite Observer so far. We have a little bit of everything. We have festival maps, a whole summer full of fun events, good news, bad news, and weird stories. We have some actual newsworthy serious and important stories. But we are still missing one thing. We do not have your story.

Tell us about the Collinwood railroad yards and what it was like to work there. Tell us where you were  on Friday, October 20th, 1944 when half of Cleveland blew up. Tell us about your first date at Sandy's Ice Cream on Lakeshore blvd. (If you have not yet had the foot long hot dog with chili and onions - go there - now.) Tell us about the polka jam sessions at Zele's bar - which is now the Art's Collinwood cafe. We want to hear these stories.

We are Cleveland's Best Kept Secret! And why? We all know how enjoyable it is to be a part of the north shore neighborhoods  (although, with the recent real estate market, we have, no doubt, felt "under siege"...)  Now is a good opportunity to remind ourselve of what it is we love: so.... like the poem says... "Let me count the ways...!"  

1. The  LAKE!

2. Wildwood Park

3. 15 minutes from downtown

4. Affordable housing

5. Walkability

6. Awesome restaurants

7. Good schools kids walk to

8. Waterloo arts scene!

9. Boating

10. Places of worship

11. Family friendly!

12. Block watches

13. Cool coffee shops

14. Neighborhood pride!

15. Bicycling

16. Fabulous rentals!

17. Yummy bakeries

18. Diversity

19. Independent businesses

20. Galleries

21. Fun pubs!

22. Excellent transportation

23. Great neighbors

24. Shopping variety

25. Pet friendly

26. Lots of ethnic eateries

27.  ICE CREAM!

28. Community gardens

29. Events on E. 185th

30. Sunsets!

31. The Beachland Ballroom

32. Investment opportunities!

33. Banks and Post Office

34. The LaSalle renaissance

35. Gyms

36. The Collinwood Observer

37.  New community center!

38.  Hospitals

39. Concerts at East Park

40. Shopping variety

41. Euclid Beach carousel

42. Block parties!

43. VASJ Viking pride

44. Variety of housing

45. Close to EVERYTHING

Why stop at 45?  Let us know YOUR top reasons! Go to www.collinwoodobserver.com, click on Member Center, click on Submit and title is, "Reasons we love Collinwood."

Vilija Nasvytis Klimas is a REALTOR®,  specializing in the NorthEast Shores neighborhoods. Contact her at  vilija@mysuitehome.com

It's about a week since the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970. As you've no doubt heard, Earth Day sparked the environmental movement that gave us such improvements as the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts and dozens of other environmental laws that resulted in the indoor and outdoor air and water quality we enjoy today.

Possibly, living in North Collinwood, you have also heard about the latest planned improvement by the North East Ohio Regional Sewer District to Lake Erie's water quality, the Euclid Creek Tunnel, a 3.4 mile colossus, writhing through North Collinwood 200 feet underground towards the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, where the tunnel will deposit stored, combined rain and sanitary sewer runoff. Without construction of this tunnel, treatment of the combined sewer overflow cannot be accomplished due to the age and low technology of our sewer structures. 

"Health Care Brawl," the article written by Mike Gallagher was a good article detailing the positive aspects of the new health care legislation. It was great to see the Collinwood Observer tackle the contentious issue of health care reform.

There were a few points mentioned in the article which need to be amplified and commented upon.

Letter to the Editor, 

Jeanne Coppola raises some excellent points in her letter, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to respond.

#39F -- The #39 route changed as of April 4. The #39F route is rush-hour only and was not affected.

SRO -- The #39F may be standing-room-only at times, and that is allowable under RTA’s policies. Transit riders stand on buses in most cities in the country; it shows that our service is being fully utilized. I ride the Red Line to work every day, and I often stand.

NO AC – When you drive a car, you can switch from heat to air-conditioning with a flip of a switch. Bus coaches and rail cars are not easy to change. Each vehicle must be prepped for the summer by a mechanic, and with 400+ vehicles, it takes some time. The unseasonably changeable weather does not help either.

President Obama and the U.S. congress have passed landmark health care legislation. It is being hailed as the most significant health care legislation since the passage of Medicare in 1965.

The Collinwood Observer wanted to talk to some our citizens (neighbors) and hear their thoughts about the new law.

C.J., a customer at the Phade Away Barbershop on E.185 feels: "This has been a fight between those who have, and those who don't, between those who have plenty and those in need..." Even with the passage of the new law, C.J is somewhat skeptical. "I'm concerned that we who need it most, may not see it."

Bill Gibson, of Blue Sky Bicycle on E185, wonders how the new legislation will affect him as a small business owner. "Small business is the backbone of our country. Health Care Insurance for all is a noble thought, a great idea.. hope springs eternal.. I just hope that it will work for the average guy.."

In response to RTA's Media Relations Manager, Jerry Masek's article, "RTA service changes affect Collinwood" (March 1), I have many questions and issues which I feel require greater attention and clarity.

We have a great opportunity being presented to us with this topic of a theater and what use can be made of it.

The fighting and animosity over new health care legislation continued right through the passing of the historic law. At times it was almost as bad as the stadium parking lot after a  Browns- Steelers game. Based on some of the criticism of the plan, you would think that the bill was written by Karl Marx himself..

The writers of the Collinwood neighborhood have amazed us again. We were overwhelmed with excellent articles for the March issue. If your story did not make this issue we apologize; it will be in the next paper, or online. I would like to thank Betsy Voinovich and our layout magician, Meredith Pangrace for fitting five pounds of stories into our three pound paper. If you have not written your story yet, join us. We want to hear from you.

Happy New Year to "The Collinwood Observer" and all of its readers. 
May this year bring happiness and blessings to all of you!

The holidays are over, our phony tree is stored away in the basement, and the kids are back to school. But like that spoiled kid who can't stop saying more, more, more.. I want more too, so here's my belated health care wish list:  

Two aspects of our health care system need serious improvement, and candidate Obama promised to address them both. First, some forty-plus million Americans lack any form of health insurance. Second, health care is far more expensive in the USA than in most of Western Europe and people in those other countries get care enough to live healthier lives than us and to live longer.

In this article I will tell you of my experience in forty some years of using Kaiser Permanente as the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) for our family and why I believe the low costs of Kaiser and the quality of their service indicate how both of these problems can and are being effectively addressed.

Since there has been so much media attention on the date 2012, and the Mayan calendar that predicts the end of the world, I expected the movie 2012 to be better than it was. The movie poster (of one lone Himalayan monk standing on the snow covered mountain tops) gave the impression that this would be a spiritual movie...a transcendent movie.

Everyone in the Collinwood area who rides the bus, should know that the RTA is making changes to most of their bus routes on December 13th. (The buses that serve Collinwood and surrounding areas are: #1 St. Clair, #37 East 185-Taylor, and #39 Lakeshore.)  With the new changes, the buses will only run once an hour!  

The Senate is in the process of duking it out over a healthcare plan, and one of the biggest pieces they're debating is the so-called "public option."  The fate of some type of healthcare legislation agreement may ultimately rest on the public option.

This is my first article on health care. The first item on this subject is to set up a human health care Bill of Rights for everyone and not just the uninsured. This Bill of Rights would include everyone alive and being born.

Recently the Plain Dealer ran an article(October 17th & 18th) “BIG MAN ON CAMPUS” on two outstanding athletes from The Sims Raiders Football Team – these two young men have some outstanding goals and opportunities ahead of them along with other team members of The Raiders and the Raiderettes (cheerleaders) who, in this author's opinion, are the best in their league. The author is partial to this article due to being a Sims fan and grandparent.

Previous editions of The Collinwood Observer have asked readers to submit ideas and suggestions for topics that could be included in the paper. As a resident of the Collinwood area, I think a section about what items (street signs, lights, potholes, etc.), need repair in our neighborhood would be very helpful.  A column titled, "What Needs to Be Fixed" would be convenient for everyone.  Readers could submit their suggestions on the website, after signing onto the Observation Deck.

The article, "Health Care Reform" (Collinwood Observer, November 19), raised a lot of questions. While it is true that our current health care system is a "for-profit industry," an overhaul of the system will not change the fact that it is all about making money. The big questions about health care reform still are: How will you pay for your medical care?

Imagine living next to world-renowned health care facilities yet being unable to access medical care. Imagine being forced to choose between purchasing food and life-sustaining prescriptions.  This is reality for thousands of uninsured or under-insured residents in my Congressional District. There may soon be a new reality.

 

When my husband and I opened Blue Arrow Records on Waterloo Road last March, we were oblivious to the large number of feral homeless cats struggling desperately to survive within a few blocks of our business. It didn’t take long before I noticed kittens and adults roaming the neighborhood looking for food. There was a poorly managed colony near our building, where someone was feeding the cats but not tending to their other physical needs. (Feeding cats only keeps them healthy enough to breed rapidly….a pair of cats can produce 2 or more litters per year and the math gets crazy after that.)

I have been in contact with a group of concerned residents in the Euclid Beach area that are volunteering their time and money to manage several feral cat colonies. I have learned a lot about managing a colony.

In neighborhoods throughout Cleveland, trap-neuter/spay-return programs (TNR) have proven to be effective in humanely managing feral and stray cats, while at the same time reducing their numbers. With TNR, the cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies, ear-tipped and, if they’re feral, returned to their original territories. A trained caretaker then provides food and shelter, and watches for problems or newcomers.

    It seems as if everyone is talking about scary movies this year. One that you should definitely go see is "Parnormal Activity." This movie stars Katie Featherson and Micah Sloat as themselves. The setting is in Katie and Micah's two story suburban San Diego home. Even though the camera work is poor and not nearly as high quality as most films, the plot of the movie is more than enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

    Katie is very frightened of the evil entity that a paranormal investigator, Dr. Fredrichs, claims is in their home. When Micah asks her for more information, Katie's only explanation is that the entity has haunted her since she was a little girl. This adds to the coincidence that Micah finds a childhood picture of Katie in the attic.

They read in the papers and hear on the air
Of stealing and killing and crime everywhere
They sigh and say as they notice the trend,
'This young generation, when will it end? '
But can they be sure that it's our fault alone,
That a part of the problem they should claim as their own?
Are they less guilty who place in our way,
Objects and subjects that lead us astray?
Too much hating, not enough love
Maybe we should give peace a little shove
Too much money and too much idle time
Too many movies of passion and crime
Too many books not fit to be read
Too much evil in what we hear said
Too many children encouraged to roam
Too many parents who never stay home
We don't make the movies or publish the books
We don't paint mean pictures of gangstas and crooks
Drugs and alcohol, they trouble our brain
They're done by older folk who are greedy for gain
Delinquent teenagers, oh how you condemn
The sins of a nation and you blame it on them
By the laws of the blameless, the savior made known~
Who shall cast the first stone?
For in so many cases
It's sad but it's true
The title DELINQUENT fits older folk too

Remember the days when newspapers had as much, if not more good news than bad news in their pages? This paper is a good place to revisit those days, in fact, bring back the good old days and let us enjoy the good new days together.

To that end, we're looking to start a Sunshine column to mark the arrival of new babies, celebrate weddings, honor milestone anniversaries, retirements, degrees bestowed, homecomings, and so on. We can even run pictures—the more recognizably Collinwood the better, so a photo of the baby coming home and the proud family welcoming them on the front porch is probably more appealing than those pruney-looking hospital pictures! For example, the Galgoczy's of Baker Candies welcomed an addition to the family last week. Wouldn't we all like to see a photo of her first visit to the shop her daddy and grandma run?

The great Dr. King had dreams, dreams that one day this place in which we reside will become a place where people can resolve issues without violence. Well, sad to say, unlike Dr. King, I have nightmares, nightmares that another mother and father will become childless and that another child will become mother and fatherless. I have nightmares that another young man will die over a street or block that he doesn’t even own. I just pray for the day when my young people realize that a street is just a temporary place that you live, you should be thinking about your future and trying to progress. You’re willing to die for this street or block that you claim. If I come back 20 years later and you're still claiming this same street or block that tells me that you haven’t moved forward or made progress in your life.

 

Hello, my name is Donald Holcombe and I always have been proud of my community, I feel as if it is my duty to be the voice of the youth in our neighborhood. When someone asks me where I am from, I graciously hold my head high and say, “The Lakeshore area.” When everyone says our community needs change, I have this saying, “our community doesn’t need change it just needs to be revised.” I never wanted to be a hero in my community because to me heroes save the world, me, I just want to save one helpless child at a time, and then the world would transform. It has been my effort to make children who are non-believers believe and those who are non-achievers achieve.

As a resident of Collinwood, I want to offer my comments and opinions about The Collinwood Observer, which I have been reading since its debut issue in September.  I believe every neighborhood needs a local paper. And since The Sun Press is no longer published in this area, our residents have needed a community newspaper for quite awhile. The Collinwood Observer impresses me a lot, because it's different than other newspapers, since it "is entirely written by the community."  This gives everyone a chance to get involved, and offer their ideas and opinions, and learn about upcoming events in our neighborhood. 

The Collinwood Observer:

I received the first and second issues you printed from a friend in Cleveland. A local paper representing the views of the community is truly a welcome sight. I wanted to take the time to give it the justice it deserved and read it thoroughly. It surely brings back fond memories.

Every five years, Cuyahoga Community College must go to County residents to get a vote of approval for continued funding. On November 3, the College will ask County residents to support a property tax that will enable the College to continue meeting its mission. 

When a levy expires the College needs to secure continued approval from the County voters to renew and/or replace the monies in order to keep the College tuition affordable, provide quality programs, and remain financially stable. The November 2009 ballot request is Issue 4, a replacement of the current $1.6 million and an increase of $0.3 million for a ten year period.

I am quite certain that by now you are as tired of the commercials for and against Issue 3 as I am. I support this issue because I believe a casino downtown would be an asset for our city. Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has said that he would not build a hotel as part of his casino, as the other downtown hotels are against that. Many people have commented to me that a casino without a hotel would mean that people from out of town who are staying overnight would have to leave the casino to get a hotel room. This of course would mean revenue for the hotels. Also, because people would not be staying at a casino hotel they would have the opportunity to see the other downtown businesses. I realize that people against the casino have made claims that area businesses would be forced out of business, but that isn't necessarily true. The Q, Progressive Field, and Browns Stadium all have various locations for fans to purchase food and beverages. However, numerous fans patronize area businesses before or after the game. Many cities build a casino in a neighborhood isolated from other businesses, this would not be the case downtown.

Janet and I love Northeast Ohio.  We are proud to call Collinwood our home and have lived in the same neighborhood for over 45 years. We care about our neighborhood, our city and our county. That is why I have fought for decades to keep casino gambling out of Ohio, and Ohioans have seen through the casino gambling sham time-and-time again – voting it down four times statewide.

Today, we are once again being forced to defend against an attack against Ohio’s families and the people who live in our neighborhood. I am especially concerned this time around because I know our state is struggling and many leaders are desperate for what they view as a quick economic fix, which the promoters of Issue 3 are exploiting with their multi-million dollar advertising campaigns.

Issue 2 would “require the state to create the Livestock Care Standards Board to prescribe standards for animal care and well-being that endeavor to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families.”I don’t comment much on politics, since the Neighborhood Notes are meant for all readers, whether they agree with me or not. But a friend asked me recently what I felt about Issue 2 (the proposal to establish a state board to set livestock-rearing standards) and I had to reply that I knew pretty much nothing about it; neither side has been very talkative. Then I read my favorite column in the Jefferson Gazette (by a retired farmer who gets very crotchety with people who worry about growth hormones in their milk) which restated his frequent assurance that Ohio farmers are dedicated to producing the best and purest food, and went on to declare that the Humane Society of the United States has a concealed agenda of ending animal agriculture and closing down zoos. Which struck me as a bit extreme – and when someone becomes extreme, he becomes less trustworthy..Then I got an email listing the organizations that oppose Issue 2: Ohio Farmers Union, the Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance, League of Women Voters of Ohio, the Ohio League of Humane Voters, and the Ohio Sierra Club, as well as the editorial boards of the Columbus Dispatch, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal, and Dayton Daily News.To be fair to the other side, the board is to comprise 13 Ohio residents, including representatives of Ohio family farms, farming organizations, food safety experts, veterinarians, consumers, the dean of the agriculture department at an Ohio college or university and a county humane society representative. (Bear in mind that family farms may be of several thousand acres; bear in mind also that not all big farmers keep their chickens in cages “the size of a piece of paper.”)

Cuyahoga County government is in crisis, and two competing issues have emerged from the fallout of this still unfolding saga. The stated goal of both these Cuyahoga County issues is to improve county government by reforming it. These are Issue 5 and Issue 6, and chances are this is not the first time you have heard of them.

 

Here comes the dollar invasion

Offering continuing education

Upgrade skills

Deviant thrills

Stake your shirt

As you flirt

Lose your house

And sorry spouse

Con cunning mass

Discount local lass.

 

Ante up, ducky!

Today you’re lucky!

**

Dear Clevelander,

…remember the blankets with small pox.

Forecast:

Ohio …. “The Sin State” Cleveland …. “ Sin City of the Midwest”

Personal Misery Indexes shall skyrocket.

The economic bonanza

shall NOT be enough

to bail generations of souls out of hock.

Please re-think your approval of a casino in Cleveland,

Re-think your approval of

Places like the Executive Den and Diamond Men’s Club.

But only do this if you love your mother, sister, wife, daughter,

Female cousin, niece, friend, and yourself.

Scars are lifelong and passed on from generation to generation.

They become “tradition” and “genetic inheritance”

Thank you for reconsidering these fundamental matters.

You can stop the negative-returns cycle.

Say YES to the Growing Bamboo Business!

Say NO to a Casino in Cleveland.

 

August is the month when summer both peaks and begins to end, and we have to remind ourselves that in our beneficent lakeshore climate, gardens will grow on for another two or three months. But in the vegetable patch, August is urgent: everything is ripening at once, we’ve been waiting for it since May and we don’t want to lose a single green bean.