I am really appreciative, this morning. After posting what was certainly the saddest news I can imagine, about the hardship my staff has suffered as a result of a lack of appreciation from my former business associate, Peter Holmes, I opened up this week's CoolCleveland and found that their crew had featured TWO postings from REALNEO. I am very touched and thankful to Thomas and his team for noticing REALNEO and taking an interest in the thoughts posted here - thank you. Please show appreciation back to CoolCleveland... if you are not a member, see what you've been missing... subscribe at CoolCleveland - all free - this is a real NEO must,  and send feedback to CoolCleveland letters at the links below, and supporting the upcoming CoolCleveland/Tech/Ingenuity party at Fat Fish Blue, July 13, and the Ingenuity Festival, as described below... but first, here's the nice write-up about REALNEO from CoolCleveland today, July 5, 2006:

You may have read in the PD a few days ago that Mark Turner, Case's Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, resigned. I don't think this story has gotten as much press, but it is big news and not just to the Case community; Case has hired a new dean of undergraduate studies... CASE NAMES NEW DEAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Jeffrey Wolcowitz, who served as associate dean for undergraduate education at Harvard University and as former associate dean and chief planning officer of Harvard College, has been named dean of undergraduate studies at Case Western Reserve University. He begins his new duties August 1.

"My first order of business will be to listen and learn," said Wolcowitz, who has either been a student, faculty member or administrator at Harvard for 30 years. "It is one thing to read about a university and quite another to see its processes and culture in person and begin to participate in them."

The new dean, Wolcowitz, who was a senior lecturer in economics at Harvard, also will hold the title of adjunct professor of economics at Case. To learn more about this, go to: http://blog.case.edu/case-news/2006/06/27/case_western_reserve_university_names_new_dean_for_undergraduate_studies

The City of Cleveland Division of Water celebrates 150 years of service (1856 – 2006). This is an outstanding organization that servers water the greater Cleveland. There are some amazing facts that we should all be aware of.

LifeHacker had a great posting showing a USDA resource to find farmer's markets all across the country.

while i'm sure the addition of a bike/ped lane(s) on the innerbelt bridge will certainly add to the cost, will it not also add to the quality of life here in NEO?

what is the cost of our quality of life?  the feds say 20% of the project cost...

It’s finally time to get out and ride your bicycles as the CAAO High Rollers group!

The first meeting and ride will be on SATURDAY, June 17, 2006 at 5:00 P.M. Meet your CAAO members! Connect with old friends and meet new cycling friends! Include your spouse or friends / relatives in our group. Bring your ride ideas!! You can introduce the group to your own favorite ride!

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'Non profits are not working together', is a statement I hear almost on a daily basis.  I actually don't agree with this statement.  I think this problem has been changing in the last 5 years in NEO.  There are many non-profits who have come together (without force from funders to collaborate).  I think the non-profit community has done a bad job in highlighting these collaborations to the community at large.

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...

One of the defenses of the paint and lead industries against litigation over lead poisoning is the paint companies claim there is no way to identify which paint company made which lead paint - they claim is is all one big public nuisance and deny any responsibility.

Knowing I was having a child, I moved from a Cleveland apartment that had significant peeling paint in the window wells and dust in the yard to a "Certified" apartment in Shaker Heights (costing twice as much), where property is inspected regularly and tends to be well maintained. Now that my son is one, and I understand there is not a safe level of lead exposure, and I know blood testing for lead poisoning conducted by my pediatrician is not accurate enough to measure low level lead exposure, I'm looking more closely at my immediate environment and finding many causes for alarm.

While Congress debates energy and gas saving strategies, they should consider one to help North East Ohio residents adopt personal energy and cost saving strategies, by reducing fuel demand,  traffic congestion and promoting improved health.  Congress can help America get out of their car and onto a bike.  Cycling can be an important component in a national energy strategy.   

   This documentary will be shown twice, with a discussion after each showing.
1st show 3:30
2nd show 6:00

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These days green wash comes in many flavors, colors, and varieties.    There are even a few colorful local examples we have been tracking for some time now at Buckeye Sustainability Institute.  Anyone have some good examples of their own they would like to share?

 It is extremely important to control all dust in and around any home where there is a lead risk. Unfortunately, research shows that where there are lead risks dust control alone has little impact in reducing lead poisoning - the reduction in elevated blood lead levels is measurable and worthwhile but not sufficient to have an overall benefit to the child, or surface a solution for society.

Dr. Green's "Caring for the next generation" on Lead Poisoning

Introduction:
Most people aren't aware that lead remains a top environmental health hazard for US children. More than one in 25 American children have blood lead levels high enough to lower IQ or cause learning disabilities, violent behavior, attention-deficit disorder or hyperactivity.

Lots of people know that lead poisoning played a role in the fall of the Roman Empire (lead pipes) but in December 2005 it was learned that Beethoven died of lead poisoning - probably from a combination of pipes, lead seals on wine and documents, crystal, ceramics and paints - they started outlawing lead in Europe at the end of the 19th Century... it took America nearly a century longer...

My son celebrated his first birthday recently. Like most healthy, inquisitive one year olds he is into everything. Keeping him safe during this exciting stage of development is a challenge. Besides plugging up the electrical outlets, putting up baby gates and securing poisonous cleaning products, I decided to have our home tested for lead. We live in a Shaker Heights double built in 1926 – so its very likely that it was painted with lead paint at some point. Overall the house is in good repair, but there is pealing paint on the porch door in his bedroom, some of the window wells have paint dust and there is peeling paint in the garage. We also have some painted antique furniture that I am concerned about.

While looking for lead testing kits and information in East Cleveland, at Silvermans, I slipped into paparazzi mode as I spotted three future leaders of our NEO new economy, chilling on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. They let me snap their pictures, which will be worth a fortune when these guys are famous. It can happen, when we keep our kids lead free.

Thomas P. Moyer1,a, David N. Nixon1 and K. Owen Ash2

1 Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905

2 Department of Pathology, University of Utah/ARUP Laboratories, 500 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
a Author for correspondence. Fax 507-284-9758; e-mail moyer [dot] thomas [at] mayo [dot] edumoyer [dot] thomas [at] mayo [dot] edu.<\/a>'//-->

 Celebrate the Region's Newest Waterfront Park - Wendy Park at Whiskey Island