In this video presented by Ohio City Inc. (formerly Ohio City Near West Development Corp.), organizers lay out their plans for a new and improved "harvest-themed" Market Square Park. The park, originally built in the 1970s, is undergoing a $1.5 million makeover as part of a series of improvements taking place around the West Side Market.

Great Lakes Brewing Company has announced that it has been ranked the 22nd largest American craft brewery. GLBC was previously ranked number twenty-three.

"GLBC reported 91,189 barrels sold in 2010. GLBC also ranked as the 31st largest brewery in the US (Anheuser–Busch Inc. ranked 1st). GLBC does not contract brew; 100% of product is produced onsite in its Cleveland-based brewery."

GLBC made many improvements throughout its brewery last year, including a new centrifuge, additions to the brewhouse for increased speed and quality, a new grain silo, and additional storage and fermentation tanks.

The company also added 15 new positions and plans to create at least nine more in the next few years.

Drink up the rest here.

A recent Chicago Tribune article named "Cook Like an Iron Chef" with Michael Symon as one of "ten food television shows you should be watching." The list also includes Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Top Chef Masters, and Good Eats.

"Cook Like an Iron Chef" debuted in July 2010 on the Cooking Channel. Each episode features a secret ingredient that Symon prepares three different ways.

"If Bobby Flay is the ubiquitous face of the Food Network and its brands, " the Trib article states. "Michael Symon gives it a soul with his quick laughter and self-deprecating sensibility. On "Cook" he has a vehicle that showcases his boundless enthusiasm and displays the formidable skills that have made him the hardest of the Iron Chefs to beat in Kitchen Stadium."

Chew on the rest here.

WebMD reports that Cleveland is one of the top 10 cities for autism care in the nation, according to a recent survey conducted by the nonprofit advocacy group Autism Speaks. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle, Milwaukee and Boston also made the top 10.

The survey is "the first to rank metropolitan areas on how well they provide educational, medical, and recreational resources for children with autism spectrum disorders, and flexible employment policies and respite care for parents. It includes responses from more than 800 people affected by autism in 48 states and the District of Columbia."

Only twenty-six percent of respondents said that they were satisfied with local schools, healthcare, and recreational activities. The other seventy-four percent said community services were generally unsatisfactory.

Says Autism Speaks President Mark Roithmayr, "We really wanted to get a pulse of the autism community across the United States. What were the things that were most important to them, and what were the things that made the biggest difference to them in their lives."

Read the rest here.

The Miami Herald recently reviewed the Cleveland Orchestra's "riveting" final performance of its fifth annual residency in Miami.

"With Czech conductor Jiri Belohlavek in command, the Clevelanders were in top form, all sections playing with high-tech virtuosity and tonal luster," writes reviewer Lawrence Budman.

Belohlavek is principal conductor of London's BBC Symphony and chief conductor designate of the Czech Philharmonic.

The Miami Herald reviewer had nothing but good things to say about the performance, which included pieces by Dvorak, Haydn, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff.

"Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor may be one of the most overplayed warhorses in the repertoire but there was nothing hackneyed about Horacio Gutierrez's take-no-prisoners performance…No less impressive was Belohlavek's finely nuanced conducting. The orchestral strands of a Rachmaninoff concerto have rarely been conveyed with such precision and clarity of detail. With a blazing pianistic display and inspired conducting, this proved the high point of the ensemble's 2011 Miami residency."

Enjoy the rest of Budman's opus here.

The Ohio Business Development Coalition has announced that Ohio has more of the fastest-growing tech cities than any other state.

According to Dice.com, the fastest-growing metro areas for technology job openings in terms of year-over-year growth since February 2010 include Cincinnati with 75-percent growth, Cleveland with 62-percent growth and Columbus with 57-percent growth.

"The surge in Ohio's high-tech job growth is further proof that its purposeful business redesign with a low-cost tax structure is leading the way in creating 21st century job opportunities for the state's high-quality, skilled workforce and making businesses more competitive around the world," states the article.

Ohio's high-tech workforce and education programs, access to markets, low start-up costs, access to business capital and support services, low-cost communities, and low-stress commutes make it an attractive place to start a business.

Ed Burghard, executive director of the Ohio Business Development Coalition, said, "Ohio has proactively redesigned its business climate to support a leading 21st century global economy. Strategic tax reform and economic development incentives encourage global success and make the state an ideal location to profitably compete from in the global marketplace."

Read the rest of the good news here.

According to a recent Comics Alliance article, Top Shelf and ZIP Comics will release Harvey Pekar's "Cleveland," the first of several major works to be printed after his death.

"Cleveland" will be a 112-page graphic novel illustrated by Joseph Remnant, who also collaborated with Pekar on his Pekar Project webcomics series. Pekar completed the script before his death last year. "So our man did get to see the book's beginning and was super-pleased with how the art was shaping up," said Cleveland editor Jeff Newlett.

The novella will be an ode to Cleveland "that weaves historical events in with Pekar's trademark autobiographical style," the article explains.

"The Indians' winning of the 1948 World Series and the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire are among the events that Pekar touches on in Cleveland, which as yet has no release date."

Check out the rest of story here.

According to an article in USA Today, urban centers are attracting more and more educated young adults -- despite overall declines in population.

"In more than two-thirds of the nation's 51 largest cities, the young, college-educated population in the past decade grew twice as fast within three miles of the urban center as in the rest of the metropolitan area -- up an average 26 percent compared with 13 percent in other parts," the article states.

Cleveland is no exception.

Although the City of Cleveland lost 17 percent of its population between 2000 and 2009, the numbers of college-educated young professionals climbed by 49 percent thanks to 1,300 new residents between the ages of 25 to 34. This is good news for the economic future of urban cores.

Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Detroit were among the other cities with high percentages of young people moving downtown. The statistics count college-educated young people who live within three miles of a metro area's central business district.

Read the rest here.

Practice Greenhealth has named Cleveland Clinic Health System as one of eight recipients of its "System for Change" award.

"This award recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to gather data, set system goals, benchmark, and share successes in environmental performance."

Other award recipients include Advocate Health Care, Oak Brook, IL; Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Marriotsville, MD; and Catholic Healthcare West, San Francisco, CA.

"Practice Greenhealth is the nation's leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment."

Check out the full report here.

Urban Land Institute (ULI) has announced 20 finalists for its 2011 Awards for Excellence: The Americas Competition, "widely recognized as the land use industry's most prestigious recognition program."

"The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability."

Cleveland's Euclid Avenue Transportation Project, developed by Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and designed by Sasaki Associates, is one of the finalists.

"The $200 million Euclid Avenue Transportation Project brings bus rapid transit (BRT) and an improved streetscape along 8.3 miles of Cleveland's historic Euclid Avenue, connecting the central business district with major cultural, medical, and education users -- all at one-fourth the cost of light rail."

The project has also spurred $4.7 billion in spin-off investment and 11.4 million square feet of new and planned development.

Other finalists include Riverfront Park in Denver, Broadway Family Apartments in San Francisco, and Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma.

The winners will be announced on May 20 at the 2011 ULI Real Estate Summit in Phoenix.

Read the rest here.

A reporter for the Belfast Telegraph recently made a visit to the Great Lakes region -- including Cleveland -- and filed an entertaining travel guide on the matter in the publication.

"This was possibly one of the best holidays I've ever had," the writer declares at the outset.

While in Cleveland, the Belfast Telegraph writer toured Great Lakes Brewing Company and went fishing on Lake Erie. "Slept well at the Downtown Crowne Plaza Hotel before an early start for perch fishing on Lake Erie. All on board a charter boat with bait, tackle, licences and rods provided."

"I'd never ever gone fishing before but beginner's luck saw me thrilled, yet again, to catch three enormous yellow perch out in the depths."

While in the Buckeye State, the writer also visited Hocking Hills for some heart-stopping zip line and rappelling adventures.

The writer also stopped in Put-In-Bay, Sandusky, and Hell, Michigan.

Explore the rest here.

UPI recently reported on Case Western Reserve University's breakthrough in the development of low-cost hydrogen fuel cells, which will power the electric cars of the future.

Researchers at the university say catalysts made of polymer-dipped carbon nanotubes can outperform traditional platinum catalysts in fuel cells at a fraction of the cost. The cost of catalysts is one of the biggest obstacles to widespread cell use, say scientists.

"Platinum, which represents at least a quarter of the cost of fuel cells, currently sells for about $30,000 per pound," states the article, "while the activated carbon nanotubes cost about $45 per pound."

"This is a breakthrough," professor Liming Dai says in the article.

In testing, the carbon catalyst fuel cell produced as much power as an identical cell using a platinum catalyst.

Read the full report here.

In a recent Huffington Post article, John Dearborn, President of Cleveland's JumpStart Inc., writes about Lorain County Community College's Innovation Fund. It awards grants of $25,000 and $100,000 to fledgling startups.

Internships are another important part of the Innovation Fund. "It might seem obvious or even slightly trivial, but interns offer startups a hardworking, forward-thinking labor pool at a heck of a price."

"This unique and groundbreaking fund has three important tenets: 1) as funds are paid back, they are then re-invested in another startup; 2) the company needs to work with a business mentor at the Innovation Fund's related incubator; and 3) every company that receives an award from the Innovation Fund commits to providing at least one local college student with a work-based learning experience."

The startups receive talent they cannot otherwise afford, and the interns receive a better education than they would ever get in the classroom.

"So far, the Innovation Fund has invested $4.3 million in 60 companies that have sponsored 130 internships. When it comes to slowing the region's "brain drain," this program shows evidence of creating change. The companies have created 100 full-time jobs that, in some cases, have been filled by interns."

Read the rest here.

University Hospitals has announced that its hospitals received high ratings from both U.S. News & World Report and Thomson Reuters.

Four UH hospitals, including UH Case Medical Center, St. John Medical Center, UH Geauga Medical Center, and Southwest General Health Center, were included in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" metro area rankings.

"The new rankings recognize 622 hospitals in or near major cities with a record of high performance in key medical specialties, including 132 of the 152 hospitals already identified as the best in the nation. There are nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide."

UH Case Medical Center has been included in the Thomson Reuters "Top 100 Hospitals" list for the sixth consecutive year. It is the only hospital in Northeast Ohio to be recognized in the top major teaching hospitals category.

"The study found that the 15 top major teaching hospitals had scored better than their peer group of U.S. hospitals in mortality; medical complications; patient safety; average length of stay; expenses; profitability; patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care, post-discharge mortality; and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia."

Examine the rest of the good news here.

NBC Sports recently featured an article on the Cleveland Indians' innovative use of social media.

NBC's Craig Calcaterra writes, "Not that I'll name any names, but a lot of other clubs could take a hint. Some ballparks won't let you bring an iPad in. Others have media relations people who seek out bloggers and try to intimidate them when they write negative stuff. Get a clue fellas."

Last year, the team launched its ground-breaking Social Media Deck, setting aside a portion of the bleachers specifically for heavy social media users. This year, the Tribe upgraded the social-media experience with the Indians Social Suite. The new space moves from left field to an actual suite, giving bloggers and Tweeps a fine new home.

The Indians also released a comprehensive list of the team's active Twitter accounts. Additionally, followers of the team's social media accounts, including their Facebook page and their Twitter feed, can purchase discounted game tickets.

Read the entire feed here.

Area Development, "the leading executive magazine covering corporate site selection and relocation," featured an article on the revitalization of the Rust Belt.

The post focuses on the TechBelt Initiative, a collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, the Cleveland Clinic, NorTech, Team Neo, and the Youngstown Business Incubator that "aims to bring advanced technologies in energy and the life sciences to an area spanning Pittsburgh; Youngstown, Ohio; and Cleveland."

TechBelt is not legally incorporated; it is a collaborative effort that utilizes its partners' resources to benefit the entire region. TechBelt leader Dewitt Peart says, "The last thing we need is another organization. Each of the participants who are involved have their own mission and objectives where there are opportunities to collaborate."

TechBelt's mission is to attract more federal funding for research supporting the energy and life sciences sectors. It has already been successful, winning a $400,000 appropriation from Congressmen Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Jason Altmire (D-Pennsylvania).

"Long term, Peart says TechBelt seeks federal regulations that ease immigration for highly skilled workers, improve trade with Canada, and support a clear energy policy that includes clean coal."

Read the rest here.

Great Lakes Brewing Company, Ohio's most celebrated microbrewery, has announced that three of its beers snagged gold medals at the 2011 World Beer Championships, a rigorous and respected beer evaluation conducted by the Beverage Testing Institute of Chicago.

Conway's Irish Ale, a seasonal offering, received 90 points and an "Exceptional" rating in the "Irish Style Ale" category. Commodore Perry, available year-round, earned 92 points and an "Exceptional" rating in the "India Pale Ale" category. Burning River, also available year-round, scored 91 points in the "American Style Pale Ale" category.

These three beers have collectively earned 17 gold medals at the World Beer Championships since GLBC's founding in 1988.

Drink up the rest of the good news here.

Former New Yorker editor and Cleveland native Charles Michener pens a love letter to his hometown in Smithsonian magazine. After returning to Cleveland four years ago to cover the Orchestra for the New Yorker, Michener decided to stay. He is currently writing a book about Cleveland entitled "The Hidden City."

"Unlike the gaudy attractions of New York or Chicago, which advertise themselves at every opportunity, Cleveland's treasures require a taste for discovery," Michener writes in the piece. "You might be astonished, as I was one Tuesday evening, to wander into Nighttown, a venerable jazz saloon in Cleveland Heights, and encounter the entire Count Basie Orchestra, blasting away on the bandstand."

"I'm sure that every Clevelander was as outraged as I was by Forbes' superficial judgment about what it's like to actually live here," he continues. "Cities aren't statistics -- they're com­plex, human mechanisms of not-so-buried pasts and not-so-certain futures."

"Returning to Cleveland after so many years away, I feel lucky to be back in the town I can once again call home."

Read Michener's entire piece in Smithsonian here.

An Antiques and the Arts article features recent acquisitions made by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

"A singular Jacobean miniature, a Thomas Hope settee, a large and pristine British watercolor and a sculpture by contemporary Polish artist Monika Sosnowska are among the latest works approved by the collections committee of the Cleveland Museum of Art's board of trustees. The museum is continuing to collect across all departments as it moves toward the completion of its transformational building expansion and collection reinstallation in 2013."

"Madonna and Child in Glory," a cabinet miniature, was painted by Isaac Oliver (1565-1617), one of the most prominent practitioners of miniature painting in the Jacobean period.

The neoclassical settee (circa 1802-1807) was designed by English Regency designer Thomas Hope.

William Callow's "The Temple of Vesta and the Falls at Tivoli" is a large watercolor that will complement CMA's collection of British drawings, a recent area of acquisition focus. The painting was based on sketches Callow made when he visited Italy in 1840.

Monika Sosnowska created "Stairs," a steel sculpture based on fire escape stairs, in summer 2010.

View the complete work here.

Project for Public Spaces (PPS), "a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities," has chosen Cleveland to host its 8th International Public Markets Conference.

The 3-day event, planned for autumn of 2012, will align with the centennial celebration of the West Side Market. It will bring together over 300 participants including accomplished planners, designers, market managers, and visionary leaders.

PPS Senior Vice President Steve Davies said, "Cleveland should be proud of the longevity of the West Side Market -- one of the few remaining historic public markets in the U.S, and conference participants will also learn a great deal from the region's expanding farmers markets which are sparking revitalization, job growth and healthy living."

The West Side Market has previously received honors from the Travel Channel, Food Network, and Travel and Leisure magazine, to name but a few. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shop the full release here.