The EPA Environmental Justice grants announced below would fit nicely with lead poisoning eradication needs and objectives in Northeast Ohio, as funded by HUD. The Federal Government wants to attack environmental injustice at the core, through collaboration among Federal agencies, like HUD and EPA, with environmental justice organizations in local communities, like in the overly-lead-burdened Cleveland, so proposals to build EPA environmental justice programming to leverage impact of HUD Lead Eradication funding would make sense and likely appeal to grant review committees. Unfortunately, a community must recognize it is victim of ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE to apply for this grant money, and Cleveland has not yet made that recognition. We're the Green City by the Blue Lake.

Let's see if any local Environmental Justice organizations (are there any?) apply for and receive funding from this Federal EPA program for environmental justice, developing programs addressing lead poisoning here, in leverage of the $4.5 million just provided by HUD for lead poisoning eradication, as Obama has determined is a priority here. Let's see if anyone admits we have any environmental injustice here and applies at all.

From the EPA:

Environmental Justice Mailing List

EPA Seeks Applicants for $1.2 Million in Environmental Justice Grants to Address Local Health and Environmental Issues

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting grant applications for $1.2 million in funding to support projects designed to research, educate, empower and enable communities to understand and address local health and environmental issues. Eligible applicants from non-profit, faith-based and tribal organizations working in the community of the proposed project are encouraged to apply.

Google Analytics of weekly realNEO visits and pageviews from December 01, 2008 to January 26, 2011

As I've reported over the past year, while sharing realNEO site statistics with members - most recently, in November, marking our 7th year - realNEO traffic demonstrates very consistent month-to-month and year-to-year growth for visitors, visits and pages viewed. Where there are dips, like each Christmas holiday season, there is year-to-year growth - we've always had strong, consistent, steady performance as illustrated above, since December 2008 (the first month we had reliable Google analytics).

CLEVELAND – Gray’s Auctioneers kicks off 2011 with an eclectic Furniture, Paintings and Decorative Arts Auction on Jan. 25. This auction features paintings and drawings from the 17th century to the 20th century, furniture from Charles II to Mid-Century Modern, antique rugs, and many delightful decorative lots including a collection of Chinese and Japanese bronzes and porcelains.

Location

Welcome Back! We hope that each of you enjoyed the holiday season.

The Social Sciences Department of the Cleveland Public Library will hold their non-fiction book club discussion Thursday, March 10, 2010 at 12:00 PM in the Social Sciences Department (Sports Research Center).  We will discuss the book entitled, "To Kill the Irishman: the War that Crippled the Mafia." (by Rick Porello)

More valuable than all the steel we mill, Cleveland has forged from our blighted, industrial, rustbelted, toxified, sprawling fruited-plains some of the most innovative, transformational music ever heard on Earth, since long before we gave birth to Rock and Roll.

Google Analytics Traffic Data for realNEO.us for October 19 - November 18, 2010 (31 days)

Based on Google Analytics of realneo.us traffic, we are now at a level that exceeds 500,000 unique visitors and 1,000,000 page visits per year, and both metrics have been growing steadily for as long as we have tracked our web traffic metrics... so expect realNEO.us to exceed 1 million hits per year forever hereafter. By how much we exceed these metrics, with what growth rate for the future, is up to our members and community who create the content here that now attracts over 1,000,000 reads a year.

The Social Sciences Department of the Cleveland Public Library will hold their non-fiction book club discussion Thursday, December

OCA Image TV Episode 6 - Cleveland Asian Town Community from Johnny Wu on Vimeo.

It's a toss up to me between my two favorite assets in Cleveland - The Cleveland Orchestra or the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) - so I am always interested in unique perspectives on those worlds. The CMA is especially interesting right now as they near completion of a massive expansion, that is going very well, and they bring a new Director on board - from the Canadian Museum of Art - David Franklin.

In this week's Scene Magazine, Michael Gill offers the most informative and interesting perspectives on recent CMA developments I've seen, with THE MONEY BUSINESS - The art museum's new boss gets a crash-course in American arts funding.

I've had a good feeling about Franklin from all I've read, and this adds to my enthusiasm. He seems like a personable family man who will integrate with and celebrate with the community rather than hover above, as is so often the case with people in such lofty places - we'll be seeing much human interest in this family in the community, and expect people will appreciate the additions to the community - and neighborhoods of Shaker, where the Franklins have settled.

Of interest in Gill's informative reporting are some financials on the museum and it's operations, including - "Its largest and most dependable source of public funding — the cigarette tax — is just a $1.5 million fragment of the museum's $30 million overall budget". As the museum is one of the greatest in the world and one of few that are FREE - YES FREE - I'd say this is one public expenditure worth spending... although I strongly oppose this sin tax. I'd prefer to offer them some SALES TAX, de la MedCon.

American homicide rate over the last century-plus

This is cool, Cleveland - hardcore first-wave thrashings from the lead poisoned capital of America at the height of lead poisoning's impact on Americans... sonic origins don't get any more mutated than that. I'll guarantee the following compilation re-release will take listeners to the depths of our industrial hell, at tis worst... and I haven't even heard the album - sounds awesome and as real as Cleveland music may get:

 EPIC CLEVELAND HARDCORE COMPILATION THE NEW HOPE
Released By Smog Veil Records As Double LP -- Ships November 2, 2010

Chicago, IL, October 26, 2010 – Smog Veil Records is excited to announce The New Hope double LP featuring 64 tracks with performances by ten North Eastern Ohio first wave hardcore bands.

The New Hope comp was originally released on Tom Dark’s New Hope Records in 1983. It included debut performances from The Guns, The Dark, No Parole, Offbeats, Agitated, Zero Defex, Starvation Army, Spike In Vain, Outerwear, and PPG.

1-4 PM Sunday, October 24, 2010

Spinosa returns to NEO

Monday, I watched the sun rise over the New Mexico desert to "Just Another Day"... from Another Day on Earth... the glorious new Brian Eno album... perfect for exploring new frontiers...

We'll say, that was just another time,
One day, we will put it all behind,
We'll say, that was just another day on Earth

The Social Sciences Department of the Cleveland Public Library will hold their non-fiction book club discussion Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 12:00 PM in the Social Sciences Department.

Saturday the kids and I picked our own apples at the Patterson Fruit Farm in Chesterland. It was a beautiful day and a really fun experience. Apple picking is a great way to enjoy Fall. Apparently it is a very popular Fall activity too because Patterson's was packed. Waiting in the line of cars turning into the parking lot reminded me of going to Cedar Point.

My name is Griet. I am a South African Boerboel. You say you have never heard of a South African Boerboel? Few people have. I am a rare breed of dog, a very old breed that was revived in South Africa in the 1980s, in fact I was born in Africa. Boerboels are a type of mastiff. My coat is fawn, I have a dramatic black mask and black ears, and my tail is docked. I have a very athletic build and weigh about 140 lbs.

As a young dog I was brought to East Cleveland by Jordan Pittman of Ohio Boerboels to be a breeder. I have now born over 60 puppies. For over a year now I have lived with Evelyn and Norm Roulet. Last summer Jordan gave me to them with the intention of retiring me. I looked really haggard at the time, having just weaned another litter. Although I am a very  healthy and fertile dog, I didn’t like being a breeder. I hate taking care of my puppies. I always kill off the most annoying ones from each of my litters.

When you think that you are having a bad day think about the lives that these people live. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8c81xHLmw&feature=player_embedded  what are we doing to help these people.

What  if Martin Luther King gave up on his dream and then gave up on his people in his community.  What if Harriet Tubman gave up on her dream and mission. In nature only the weak give up because it is a death sentence. The pup that refuses water to drink will surely die. Rest assured I will never give up

A monthly building-wide art walk showcasing west-side Cleveland’s largest art center, home to world class art galleries, artist studios, and creative businesses

Location

The Social Sciences Department of the Cleveland Public Library will hold their non-fiction book club discussion Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 12:00 PM in the Social Sciences Department.  We will discuss the book entitled, "When Ghosts Speak", by Mary Ann Winkowski.

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.
He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Leaders of University Circle Institutions,

Did you or a representative of your institution attend the EPA public hearing on the Medical Center Company's request to renew their steam plant operating permit Tuesday evening August 10th at the MLK branch of the Cleveland Public Library?

If not, please view this video. You will want to hear the powerful testimony given by citizens who attended this meeting.

Ed Hauser drove community opposition to the current ODOT bridge planning disaster,
just as he drove opposition to port planning on Whiskey Island, and demolition of the Breuer -
seen here in November, 2005, videotaping Paul Alsenas describing a better vision HE lost

As Steven Litt points outs out in the Plain Dealer today, as he slams all the designs and design processes leading to the $3.5 billion boondoggle that is the Cleveland ODOT I-90 bridge replacement disaster...

Several years ago, ODOT rejected a brilliant urban design proposal by Cuyahoga County Planning Director Paul Alsenas, which called for building a single new east- and westbound span further south of the existing right-of-way.

The Alsenas concept would have opened up new land for development around Gateway and shortened the total length of the bridge, producing savings in construction and long-term maintenance.