"There's only one thing more depressing come October than the end of baseball season: the sight of an empty ballpark," Emily Badger writes for The Atlantic. "It's a bitter scene for baseball lovers. But it’s an economic conundrum for cities, too."

Noting that most cities with both pro baseball and football teams now possess separate stadiums for each, the article points out the economic imprudence of multimillion dollar structures that attract tourists just 81 days out of the year.

But what to do with an open-air baseball stadium in the Midwest in mid-winter? the writer asks rhetorically.

"Progressive Field in Cleveland may have come up with the best solution yet to the empty ballpark. Last year for the first time, the team converted the field into a vast winter playground," says the writer, referring to Snow Days.

“When you have lemons, you make lemonade,” says the Cleveland Indians' Kurt Schloss. “In our particular case, we wanted to embrace the cold, embrace Northeast Ohio, because that’s what it is. You can’t put up palm trees and hope for sand.”

New this year is an ice rink that will host youth hockey tournaments and the Jan. 15 marquee matchup between Ohio State and the University of Michigan, which is expected to sell-out of the stadium.

"This is really kind of a brand new concept, it’s taking it into a wholly new dimension,” says Joe Marinucci from Downtown Cleveland Alliance. “I can’t imagine why a franchise would not want to use a facility like this,” he says, “when normally it would be dormant for four or five months.”

Read the rest of the report here.

"There will soon be a new homerun target for batters at Progressive Field," writes Alice Henly, a research fellow with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "At the top of the south-east corner of the ballpark, down the first base line, the Cleveland Indians will be installing a micro wind turbine in March 2012."
 
The Tribe has partnered with Cleveland State University’s Fenn College of Engineering on the project, which features an innovative helical design. The 18-foot wide cylinder rotates constantly to find the most turbulent wind to keep the four 6-foot turbines spinning. The project hopefully will boost regional renewable job opportunities by providing a real-world test of a locally-manufactured technology.
 
The turbine is anticipated to generate a minimum of 40,000 kWh/year, the amount of energy it takes to power four average American households for a year. The turbine joins the Tribe's other green measures, including a 42-panel solar electric system, a comprehensive composting program, only purchasing paper products made of 100 percent post consumer content, and only using Green Seal certified cleaning products.
 
Read the rest of the program here.

Eater.com, a national website that covers restaurants, chefs and food personalities, recently ran an article titled "The Eater Cleveland Heat Map." A regular feature of the publication, the Heat Maps tell readers about "newish locales that have been garnering serious buzz."

For the Cleveland article, Eater's second major heat-check of the 216 in a year, the pub asked local food writer (and Fresh Water managing editor) Douglas Trattner to list 10 new places that have locals talking, drooling and, of course, eating. Singled out for inclusion are Crop Bistro, Flour, Ginko, Market Garden Brewery, Noodlecat, Orale, Barroco Grill, Luna Bakery, Dragonfly and Club Isabella.

Accompanying those listings is an interactive map.

In addition to the national version of Eater, the website features city-specific sites devoted to foodie locales such as New York, Chicago, Portland and Seattle. For now, Cleveland will have to fall under the province of Eater National.

Digest the entire meal here.

For the 10th straight year, PNC has earned its way onto Working Mother's list of Best Companies.

"Working Mother readers want flexibility and they want it now," say the editors of the magazine. "In survey after survey, working moms rank flexible work arrangements as the most desired benefit they seek, even higher than compensation or paid days off."

The Working Mother 100 Best Companies are judged on answers to 650 questions, including data on the access and usage of flexible work arrangements, parental leave, childcare, health and wellness support and the advancement of women to all levels of management.

Jennifer Owens, Editorial Director of Working Mother said, "The reason flexibility is so important to working moms is that they want to do their best at home and in the office.  Flexible work arrangements allow moms both. The Working Mother Best Companies want to win the war for talent and productivity -- especially in a down economy -- and they have figured out how to make flex work.”

See the full list here.

In the popular "Dub the Cubs" campaign, fans of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo were asked to vote on one female name and one male name each from a list of five potential choices. The names were selected by the zoo to represent the history and geography of the cubs’ home state of Wyoming.

Votes were cast from 41 different states, with 1,415 being cast for the female cub and 1,364 being cast for the male cub.

In the poll for the female cub’s name Cheyenne finished with 43 percent of the votes cast. The race for the male cub’s name was only a little bit closer with Jackson finishing with 42 percent of the vote.

Cheyenne and Jackson joined Montana grizzly cub brothers Cody and Cooper on exhibit last week. All four cubs are about 7 months old and weigh between 70 and 85 pounds.

Read the report here.

Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute received a $3 million gift from Barbara and A. Malachi Mixon III in recognition of the sight-saving care Mr. Mixon received at the Institute.

The gift establishes the Barbara and A. Malachi Mixon III Institute Chair in Ophthalmology. Daniel F. Martin, MD, Chairman of Cole Eye Institute, is being honored as the first physician to hold the newly established chair. As chair holder, Dr. Martin will continue his research initiatives to better understand eye diseases and to pioneer new treatments.

“We are grateful for the generosity of the Mixon family,” Dr. Martin said. “This gift will provide resources to advance our research efforts, including increasing involvement in clinical trials and serving as a catalyst for cutting-edge research programs.”

Read the rest of the good news here.

Held in Cleveland October 12 through 15, the Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS) is a performance poetry tournament designed for individual competition. Poets from all over the world meet and compete in a multi-day performance poetry contest.
 
For more info, click here.

For the "Changing Your City for the Better" contest, Siemens asked people to create short videos that explore how improvements in sustainability, energy supply, urban infrastructure and mobility can change a city for the better.
 
Working under very tight deadlines, local filmmakers Joe Baur and Dave Kiss produced this extremely insightful short film.
 
"We found out about the contest pretty late and, long story short, had only 48 hours to put the project together," says Baur. "We're very grateful that Mary McCahon, Ken Prendergast and Will Tarter, Jr. were able to fit us in at the last minute. Not to mention grateful to the Healthline for showing up pretty much every time we needed it to!"
 
Winners will be selected in the next few weeks, with prizes ranging from $550 to $15,000.

It took local filmmaker Johnny Wu roughly nine months to produce &quot;S: A Superman Fan Film,&quot; an 18-minute tribute to the Cleveland-born Man of Steel.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&quot;We did it cause we wanted to pay tribute to our Cleveland born hero Superman,&quot; Wu says.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The lengthy process required about three to four months in preproduction, four and a half days of shooting, and about five months in post-production, explain Wu, who acted as director, producer, and editor on the movie.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Wu says that he will be submitting the live-action comic book film to several festivals that accept fan films.<br />
&nbsp;<br />

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SDADP0MLZHQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

A new partnership between a leading China-based biomedical development company and the Cleveland Bio Fund (CbF) will result in a $100 million fund to invest in U.S companies, including those in Cleveland. The Cleveland Bio Fund will help identify and invest in small- to mid-size medical device companies looking to enter the Chinese market.

“[Cleveland Bio Fund] will provide both capital and know-how for device companies looking to expand their products into China. It is a unique boutique style investment strategy needed for that market,” explains Eddy Zai, CEO of CbF

Executives are traveling to Cleveland this week to meet local officials, tour the Health Tech Corridor, and meet with companies that could take advantage of this unique business model.

Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson welcomes the investment in Cleveland from China.

"Investments in the City of Cleveland are good, whether they are made locally or by foreign investors. We welcome the opportunity to partner with the Cleveland Bio Fund as it will better connect Cleveland to the global economy," said Mayor Frank Jackson.

Read the rest here.

"Unemployment in the South is now higher than it is in the Northeast and the Midwest, which include Rust Belt states that were struggling even before the recession," announces a recent article in the New York Times.
 
While unemployment figures are high nationwide, the finding is surprising given the fact that the South entered the recession with the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. It now struggles with some of the highest rates according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 
Highlighting the fact that regions are recovering at different speeds, the Rust Belt is outpacing the Sun Belt in reducing joblessness.
 
Whether or not the trend is going to continue is unknown, of course.  
 
“Because the recovery is so painfully slow, people may begin to think of the trends established during the recovery as normal,” Howard Wial, a Brookings fellow is quoted in the article. “Will people think of Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona as more or less permanently depressed? Think of the Great Lakes as being a renaissance region? I don’t know. It’s possible.”
 
Read the rest here.

Each week for the past two months, Cleveland food truck fans -- and even those who aren't -- ardently followed Chris Hodgson on the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race." During the show, the local chef competed against other national food truck operators for the grand prize of $100,000.
 
Hodgson, as we all know by now, made it all the way to the final episode. His truck, Hodge Podge, as we also know by now, was bested by Lime Truck.
 
In this item on the USA Today blog Pop Candy, writer Whitney Matheson says that she was particularly moved by Hodgson's class up to and including the very end.

"I thought it was particularly moving when chef Chris Hodge (sic) noted that, because of the competition,'Me and my sister got closer, me and my girlfriend got closer -- (and that's) the greatest win of my life.'"

Read it all here.

For the past four months, visitors to the PNC SmartHome exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History enjoyed a prototype of an ultra energy-efficient abode that stays comfy year-round without need of a furnace. In Cleveland.

In preparation for the home's move and eventual sale, many of the interior artwork and furnishings -- much of it sustainably produced -- will be offered for sale to the public. Designed by Cleveland-based Doty & Miller Architects, the house was as attractive inside and out as it is green.

Items include work by artists such as Susie Frazier, Judith Brandon, Nicole McGee, Liz Maugans and Charlotte Lees.
The sale will be help Sunday, October 9, noon to 4 p.m.

For a more info, including a list of items up for sale, visit here.

Writing for the sustainable transportation and living blog Streetsblog, Angie Schmitt covers the recent victory in Cleveland City Hall regarding so-called "complete streets" legislation.
 
Titled, "In Cleveland, A Slow Evolution Toward Sustainable Transportation," Schmitt writes that, "Last night was a big moment for sustainable transportation in Cleveland. With a small group of helmet-toting onlookers in the wings, City Council finally gave their nod to a Complete Streets ordinance -- the culmination of more than five years’ struggle."
 
The news was especially welcome given recent and major defeats, such as ODOT's refusal to add cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to the new Innerbelt Bridge. Riders instead got a $6-million commitment to add bike and pedestrian improvements to the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge.
 
Cleveland's current bike-advocacy movement, argues Schmitt, began to coalesce in recent years thanks to Sustainability Director Andrew Watterson, whose multi-day Sustainable Cleveland 2019 birthed the Sustainable Transportation Action Team (STAT).
 
"Over the past two years, Cleveland’s Critical Mass has been booming, culminating in nearly 450 riders at the August 2011 ride. Growth in the cycling community was further amplified by the creation of a unified cycling advocacy group. Bike Cleveland appointed a board and held a two day summit attended by more than 100 to mark their official debut earlier this month. They plan to hire full-time staff within the year."
 
"Cleveland’s Complete Streets ordinance requires that 20 percent of every road project’s budget be spent on green amenities like permeable pavement, or cycling and walking amenities. City Council went further, inserting a rider into the legislation that requires the council member from the affected ward to be notified before a road project is exempted from the requirement."
 
Of course, law and reality are two vastly different things, a fact not lost on John Mitterholzer, a STAT member.
 
“Its time to celebrate it and thank the mayor for a good policy,” Mitterholzer is quoted in the article. “But we also have to make sure it’s implemented.”

Read the rest of the post here.

A recent article published in the Houston Chronicle covers the newly announced collaboration between Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell, private art collectors, and the Cleveland Museum of Art to open a gallery on the near-west side.

To be housed in an attractive brick building that long housed a transformer station, the 3,500-square-foot gallery is expected to open in late 2012.

"The boxy brick station, located in a blue-collar neighborhood across the Cuyahoga River from downtown Cleveland, was built in 1924 to provide power for streetcars. It was used as a transformer station until 1949 and later housed an art foundry.
The museum said it expects to present at least two shows per year at the location."

David Franklin, the museum's director, is quoted as saying, "The project would enhance CMA's reputation for contemporary art and community involvement "in creative, unexpected ways."

Read the rest here.

Launched in 2009, "State of the Re:Union" is a public radio program that sets out to explore what American cities are doing to create community in light of challenging circumstances. In this episode on Cleveland, the hosts delve into how a new generation of entrepreneurs is helping to transform the city.
 
"Cleveland, Ohio is a city that was made by entrepreneurs, but for decades, it’s been known as a city that’s a shell of its former manufacturing-era glorious self. However, Cleveland is being embraced by a new generation of entrepreneurs as a place to put their dreams in motion."
 
In large because it is an affordable city, argues observers, Cleveland is birthing a new wave of entrepreneurs who have less to risk than they would in pricier metros.
 
"Cleveland is a city of second chances," says Councilman Jay Westbrook.
 
This engaging broadcast includes Ray Petro of Ray MTB, Jennifer Coleman of CityProwl, Ray Leach of JumpStart, Evergreen Cooperatives, plus many others
 
Listen to the whole thing here.

 
With the highly publicized debut of "The Chew" hitting the airwaves next week (September 26 at 1 p.m. on ABC), the hosts are popping up everywhere. That includes Cleveland's Michael Symon, who along with the show's other personalities, is featured in a New York Times article titled, "Throwing Out the Recipe for Daytime TV."
 
"The Chew," as writer Julia Moskin points out, is the first new daytime show on ABC since the “The View” went on the air in 1997. The show, as we have heard loudly and clearly from diehard soaps fans, is filling the spot of the long-running “All My Children,” which was canceled after one million years.
 
"As of Monday, Susan Lucci’s cheekbones will be out, bone-in chicken will be in," pens Moskin. "'The Chew' has five full-time hosts: Mr. Batali; Ms. Hall; Michael Symon, the 'Iron Chef' stalwart and Cleveland native; Clinton Kelly, who is also a co-host of the fashion show “What Not to Wear”; and Daphne Oz, the 25-year-old daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz (yes, that Dr. Oz), who plays her role of wide-eyed cooking apprentice beautifully. Together, they will cook, chat, taste and — if rehearsals are any indication -- refer frequently to their own lives and stories.”
 
Moskin interestingly points out that much of an original cast was discarded in favor of the present one, which apparently sat better with test audiences.
 
“'The Chew' is not a celebrity gabfest with a food hook, like Rachael Ray’s," adds Moskin. Nor is it the typical “dump and stir” half-hour cooking show, which relies on "precut, premeasured ingredients and swaps – the usual tricks that speed up the cooking process on camera." Rather, she writes, "it’s an attempt to engage daily with Americans about home cooking."
 
Read the rest of the article here.

Newly minted graduates require two things to make life easy: a job requiring less than a year of experience and a place to live that doesn't require a forklift of cash. Cleveland, according to a recent analysis by CareerRookie and Apartments.com, has both.
 
"Newly graduated and ready for a change of scenery? The best city for recent grads is Hartford-New Haven, Conn. On its heels are Cleveland, Boston and Denver."
 
CareerRookie and Apartments.com ranked the cities based on the population of young adults between the ages of 20 and 24, number of jobs requiring less than a year of experience, and the average rent of a one-bedroom apartment.
 
Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Cleveland is $695.
 
See the rest of the ranking here.

In the race to roll the first set of dice in Ohio, it appears that Cleveland will be the big winner among the four new casinos. Cincinnati, according to this item in the Enquirer, likely will be the last.

"Latest timetables show the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati opening at Broadway Commons in spring 2013, a year after a Horseshoe Casino opens in Cleveland. Hollywood Casinos will open in Toledo in the first half of next year and in Columbus in the latter half."
 
Delays caused by the recent state tax budget fight are to blame for pushing back the opening of the Cincinnati casino. Because the Cleveland casino is a renovation rather than new construction, the delays were less detrimental.
 
"Until the tax dispute last spring, Cincinnati was on track to open its casino in late 2012. But Rock Gaming halted construction at its casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland while a settlement was worked out, delaying the opening here until spring 2013. Cleveland was less affected. Unlike Cincinnati, where a new building is rising from the ground, Cleveland is renovating an existing structure for the opening phase of its casino."

The article adds that Rock Gaming officials in Cleveland have already begun hiring staff, including dealers and managers.

"Once destined to be the last to open due to site difficulties, [Cleveland] city officials convinced Rock Gaming early this year to open the Cleveland casino in two phases, putting it first."

Read the rest here.

The push to plant the nation's first freshwater wind farm just offshore from Cleveland has just received some financial assistance from The Department of Energy. The grant is part of a $43 million package intended to speed technical innovations, lower costs, and shorten the timelines for wind energy deployment.
 
Freshwater Wind, a private Cleveland-based developer selected by Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) to build the initial 20-30 megawatt offshore wind project, is the recipient.
 
“This award from the DOE validates the work done thus far by LEEDCo and Freshwater Wind and confirms the Lake Erie project is the farthest advanced project in the Great Lakes. Our next step is to gain policy backing from Ohio that will ensure Ohio remains in a leadership position,” says Chris Wissemann, Managing Director at Freshwater Wind.
 
Read the rest of the good news here.