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pittsburgh leaders want to adopt neo's efficient-gov-now approach
In this Pittsburgh Business News post, eight recent graduates of Leadership Pittsburgh take on the topic of taxing gas revenues from the Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

Not only do they and those they polled overwhelmingly agree that the state should be compensated for the gas being harvested from it, they recommended that Pennsylvania adopt a model now used in Northeast Ohio called EfficientGovNow.

EfficientGovNow is a program that promotes government efficiency through regionalism, which in turn fuels economic development. EGN accelerates government efficiency by providing funds for collaboration projects that residents of Northeast Ohio select through voting.

"We recommend that there should be a tax or fee on Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Drilling and that a portion of the revenue should be used to incentivize local government collaboration that would create greater government efficiency. We suggest that a 'Pennsylvania Municipal Incentive Program,' modeled after northeast Ohio's EfficientGovNow (EGN), should be developed as an approach to drive a culture of collaboration and bipartisan problem solving to local government that could further leverage other investments from both the public and private sectors, long term."

Read the rest of the article here.
discover gordon square arts district (and then parade the circle)
This Saturday, June 11, the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood will be rolling out the carpet to visitors when it hosts Discover Gordon Square Arts District Day.

Taking place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Detroit Avenue between W. 54th and W. 69th streets, the family-friendly event will include live music, classic cartoons in the Capitol Theatre, performances by CPT and Near West, local food, beer and fun.

Also taking place in the neighborhood that day:

Collective Upcycle, a "pop-up" boutique offering handmade goods from 30 reuse artists, will open at the Near West Loftworks building (6710 Detroit). The temporary shop will be open every day but Mondays through Sunday, July 3.

The Urban Sustainability Village at Gordon Square, a workshop for Sustainable Cleveland 2019.

Local art and music from KSU Arch Digital Operations Lab led by Professor Jason Turnidge. Taking place at Grand Avenue Properties at W. 74th Street and Detroit

For folks who plan on attending Parade the Circle, there will be numerous trolleys making the round trip to and from University Circle throughout the day.

the pubcrawl heard 'round the world
In a feature titled "10 Great Places to Bar-Hop Round the World," USA Today rounds up a list of the best bar-friendly neighborhoods across the globe.

Alongside cities like Dublin, Portland, New Orleans and Brooklyn is Ohio City, about which the article states, "This trendy neighborhood is a Midwest crowd-pleaser. Discover its appeal by hopping over to McNulty's Bier Market, a Belgian beer bar that houses Speakeasy, a prohibition-era cocktail bar in the basement. Then, hit up the nationally renowned Great Lakes Brewing Co., or for retro grunge and cheap beer try The Garage Bar."

Drink up the entire article here.
euclid corridor project snags urban land institute's awards for excellence
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Euclid Avenue Transportation Project, aka the Euclid Corridor project, has been selected as a winner of the 2011 Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Awards for Excellence. Ten outstanding developments were chosen to receive the award, widely recognized as the land-use industry's most prestigious recognition program.

The competition is part of the Institute's Awards for Excellence program, which is based on the guiding principle of recognizing best practice through the awards to promote better land use and development. ULI's Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. 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.

The ten winners were selected from 148 entries throughout North and South America.

Describing the winning project, ULI says, "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 transit project has helped catalyze $4.7 billion in spin-off investment and 11.4 million square feet of new and planned development, offering a successful example of the economic leverage potential for BRT."

See the other winner here.

cleveland's hodge podge food truck on 'good morning america'
On Tuesday's "Good Morning America" show, host Robin Roberts catches up with the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race." Taped in Denver, the video segment follows along as host Tyler Florence presents the competing trucks with their challenge for the day.

Cleveland's Chris Hodgson of Hodge Podge truck, along with the other trucks, are tasked with creating an original dish starring morel mushrooms foraged by their own hands.

In the meantime, Hodgson whips up some breakfast for Roberts -- or, as he puts it, "Rock out a little breakfast!"

The show will air this August.

Watch the clip here.


clinic children’s hospital ranked among nation’s best
In the 2011-2012 edition of U.S.News & World Report's "Best Children's Hospitals," Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital was recognized as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country.

The hospital's Neurology & Neurosurgery program earned the highest ranking in Ohio for the fourth consecutive year, and ranked 7th nationally. Overall, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital earned national rankings in all 10 specialties evaluated.

"These rankings are a reflection of our unfaltering dedication to providing the highest quality pediatric care and placing the safety of children first," said Interim Chair Ricardo Rodriguez MD. "In the next year we will continue expanding and integrating our subspecialty programs across the Cleveland Clinic health system to offer individualized care to children facing the most complex pediatric conditions."

In the past five years, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital has added more than 156 physicians. A staff of 350 full-time pediatricians and sub-specialists sees more than 500,000 pediatric visits each year and provides hospital care for an average of 200 children each day.

Examine the rest of the report here.

eater.com runs round-up of must-hit cleveland hotspots
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 first major heat-check of the 216, the pub asked local food writer (and Fresh Water managing editor) Douglas Trattner to describe 10 new places that have locals talking, drooling and, of course, eating. Singled out for inclusion are ABC the Tavern, AMP 150, Sweet Moses, Happy Dog, Dim and Den Sum, Deagan's, Fat Casual BBQ, Cropicana, Washington Place Bistro, and Market at the Fig.

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.


brookings says cleveland faring better than other large metros
In a recently released report titled "How We're Doing: An Uneven Recovery at Home and Abroad," the Brookings Institution boils down the current state of recovery thusly:

"The U.S. economy as a whole is recovering, but that recovery is not broadly shared -- at home or abroad."

Continuing, the reports says that key indicators suggest that the economic recovery in the United States continues to move forward. Output is rising, credit conditions are thawing and firms are hiring.

But the degree at which the recovery is taking place depends on where one resides. And, perhaps surprisingly, it is metropolitan areas hardest hit by the recession, like Cleveland, that are faring the best.

"The differences in the speed of recovery have been striking. Areas heavily linked to the auto industry, such as Cleveland and Detroit, have benefited from the resurgence of manufacturing activity since 2009. On average, the unemployment rates of these urban economies have fallen two percentage points in the past year - double the national decline. Conversely, metro areas that were hit hard because of their exposure to the housing bust, such as Las Vegas and Tampa, have been slow to recover, with their housing markets still facing significant structural problems. Unemployment rates in many of the areas hurt by the housing bust are little changed from a year ago."

Study the rest of the data here.

billboard charts success of 'women who rock' exhibit at rock hall
Writing for Billboard magazine, Jill Mapes offers up a wonderful preview of the new "Women Who Rock" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

The interactive exhibition spotlights more than 70 artists and fills two entire floors of the museum. The exhibit features artifacts, video and listening stations.

"There's no shortage of exclusive artifacts to pour over," says Mapes. "With famous costumes, instruments and handwritten lyrics spread across two floors at the Cleveland museum, "Women Who Rock" is perhaps more comprehensive than one might imagine."

Some of the women rockers highlighted include Wanda Jackson, Ma Rainey, Madonna, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Rihanna and many more. Artifacts include the leather vest Grace Slick wore on stage at Woodstock, Billie Holiday's fox-fur stoll, outfits from Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga's now-infamous "meat dress."

Rock Hall Chief Curator Jim Henke says, "When people look back at the early days of rock 'n' roll, they tend to think of it as a boy's club. The reality is that there were a lot of females playing a hugely important role."

The exhibit runs now through February 2012.

Read the rest of the charts here.

this weekend's cleveland asian festival will build on last year's success
The second annual Cleveland Asian Festival will be held this weekend, Saturday and Sunday May 21 and 22, at the Asia Plaza shopping center and on surrounding streets. The festival is a celebration of the culture, diversity, and people who live, work and play in the AsiaTown neighborhood.

Loosely bordered by St. Clair and Payne avenues and E. 30th and 40th streets, AsiaTown is where many Chinese Americans call home. But so too do recent arrivals from Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. Not surprisingly, the neighborhood boasts a full suite of Asian-owned businesses, shops and markets. Ethnic food fans make almost daily excursions here for the city's finest dim sum, pho, and Korean barbecue. Adventurous home cooks frequent the numerous groceries for hard-to-find imported ingredients.

The event will build upon its remarkable success last year, when over 10,000 attendees showed up at the first-ever event. The two-day fest boosts economic growth in the AsiaTown neighborhood by introducing this ethnic enclave to thousands of Clevelanders who may otherwise never discover it.

Among this year's festivities are appearances by "Last Comic Standing" winner Dat Phan and "Gossip Girl" actress Yin Chang, egg roll and samosa eating competitions, and numerous dance exhibitions. Dozens of food vendors will selling tastes of ethnic specialties.

The event is free and open to the public and runs from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m. both days.

bnet includes cleveland in list of best places to find a great job
BNET, CBS's interactive business network, includes Cleveland among its listing of Fifteen Best Cities to Find a (Great) Job. The list is based on an analysis of Indeed.com job listings.

Coming in at Number Three, Cleveland is listed as the "Comeback City."

"Once a manufacturing town, Cleveland was hit hard as factories closed. But the city fought back, nurturing the service sector and attracting employers from Sherwin-Williams to NASA. Some areas of the city remain rough, but sports fans get a local NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball team and music lovers have the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame."

Also on the list are Columbus, Austin, Baltimore, Seattle, New York, and Boston.

Read the rest of the good news here.

michael symon tells today show that midwest will get its due
In a recent interview with TODAY, Michael Symon comments on this year's James Beard Award winners and the reputation of the Midwest in the nation's food scene.

Lamenting the oft-overlooked culinary talent in the Heartland, Symon says that "It's not often that the Best Chef in America comes out of the Midwest." While Paul Kahan, one of the five finalists for the Beard's Outstanding Chef category, is based in Chicago, the winner was D.C.-based José Andrés.

But the Midwest will get its due, promises Symon.

"For the first time ever, New York is pulling from the Midwest," Symon explains. "The farm-to-table stuff, that's all Midwest -- we're cities surrounded by farms. The movement with pork -- that's Midwest. The love of sausage, of bacon -- all Midwest."

Watch video of the interview here.

explorys investment by austin venture firms in the news
The Austin American-Statesman covered the recent investment of $11.5 million by Austin Ventures and Austin-based Santé Ventures into Cleveland-based healthcare technology firm Explorys.

"Explorys was spun off from the Cleveland Clinic in 2009 to commercialize technology designed to help the hospital system analyze clinical data. Since then, a number of other major hospital systems have begun using Explorys' database of patient information."

Explorys says its system is one of the largest clinical databases in the world, with information on 10 million patients. Explorys told the Statesman that it will use the new money to double its 25-person staff and expand its server complex by adding capacity and data centers.

Austin Ventures general partner John Thornton said in the article, "Explorys is now positioned to quickly and effectively scale to the data needs of the health care providers. We are excited to provide an opportunity for them to continue their forward momentum and drive network growth."

Read the rest here.

more food truck round-ups to pop-up in the 216
While the City of Cleveland sorts out the particulars of the new food truck legislation, food truck operators and fans continue to find ways to congregate.

Now into its third month, the undeniably successful C-Town Chow Down has just announced the specifics of the next tweat-up. Scheduled once again for Tremont's Lincoln Park, the event will take place May 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expected food rigs include Cakes Plus, JiBARO, Nosh Box, Seti's Polish Boys, StrEat Mobile, Zydeco Bistro, Umami Moto and more.

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Momocho, chef and owner Eric Williams decided to host a food-truck hoedown. From 6 to 9 p.m. this coming Monday, May 9, the Momocho parking lot will be filled with popular rigs serving the best mobile fare. In addition to Short Rib One, Rocco Whalen's aptly named Fahrenheit truck, guests can hit JiBARO, Dim and Den Sum and Umami Moto.

Momocho will open its restaurant and patio for seating and drinking only. Traditional margaritas will be offered for $5 and Tecate beer for $2.

For these and all food truck events, bring cash.
wsj calls playhousesquare 'model of economic viability'
Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Joel Henning, arts and culture reporter, calls Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare "a model of economic viability in the arts."

"Several Cleveland performing-arts and public-media organizations are in better shape than their counterparts around the country because they are part of PlayhouseSquare, a unique business model in downtown Cleveland," Henning writes.

PlayhouseSquare, the second-largest performing arts center in the country by audience capacity, boasts 10 performance spaces with a total of more than 9,000 seats. It attracts more than a million visitors to 1,000 performing-arts events each year.

What makes PlayhouseSquare unique, the article states, is that it not only renovated and manages the spaces, but also created a local development corporation that owns and/or manager more than 2.6 million square feet of office and retail space.

Next up, reports Henning, is housing. Quoting PlayhouseSquare's Allen Wiant, "We want to build 58 stories of housing in the next few years."

Unlike years past when few lived downtown, there are now 12,000 downtown residents and the residential occupancy rate is at 95%.

Read the rest of the playbill here.

time mag discusses the 'greening' of cle's fed building
A recent Time article titled "Greening the Skyline" discussed plans to make Cleveland's Celebrezze Federal Building more energy efficient. Built in 1967, the building is getting a new façade made of glass and aluminum that will envelop the original. The new construction will prevent heat loss in the 32-story building.

"Designed by architect Charles Young of Interactive Design Eight, the new facade will stand 2.5 ft. (75 cm) outside the old exterior," the article states. "Airflow between the old and new facade will insulate the building, yielding an estimated energy savings of $650,000 per year."

President Obama's stimulus program will contribute to funding the project.

The Time article also mentions recent improvements made to the Empire State Building, as well as the city of Melbourne's project aimed at reducing the energy consumption of about 1,200 office buildings 38% by 2020.

"Skyscrapers look modern, but they are among the worst culprits in urban areas when it comes to energy consumption and carbon emission, with outdated heating, cooling and lighting systems."

Read the rest of the article here.

pittsburgh contemplates forthcoming ohio casinos
A recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article discusses the development of Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, which will be the first casino in Ohio when it opens early next year. The casino will be located in the historic Higbee Building downtown.

The development of casinos in Ohio will take a toll on already established casinos in Pennsylvania. About 20 percent of regular customers at Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino come are from out of state, mainly Ohio and West Virginia.

But before they can even open, Ohio casinos have a few hurdles to overcome, not the least of which is an ambivalent new Republican governor.

"The state's new governor, John Kasich, voted against the 2009 constitutional amendment referendum that was approved in a statewide vote, eventually permitting the construction of casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati. But now he's charged with helping to craft the rules and regulations that will guide the industry in its formative years."

Kasich will also be the one who ultimately decides whether to sign off on a plan to legalize slot machines at Ohio racetracks. A portion of racetrack slot money goes toward prizes in Pennsylvania and Indiana, making race purses up to three times higher and in turn attracting better horses and jockeys.

Ohio is also in an unusual situation, because while casinos were approved in 2009, the Ohio Casino Control Commission, which handles many regulatory matters, was appointed just two months ago.

Check out the entire article here.

city of cle makes good on promise to pimp food truck policy
As promised, Cleveland City Council passed sweeping new legislation that will help food truck operators succeed. Despite a lengthy -- and at times contentious -- process, City Council not only made good on its promises to modernize and streamline the rules of play, but actually improved upon the proposed package.

Mayor Frank Jackson was expected to sign the legislation this week.

According to Councilman Joe Cimperman, whose ward includes much of downtown, the new legislation would have limited food trucks to only a handful of downtown zones. What passed appears to be broader, with as many as eight permissible spots at which to circle the chuck wagons.

City Council also lengthened the permissible hours of operation, giving truck operators access to the lucrative post-bar business.

Before this revision, truck operators were required to obtain over a dozen separate permits, provide detailed external and internal architectural plans of their rig, fill out a 50-page application, and pay as much as $3,000 in application fees. The prize waiting for those who made it out of that process was confusing, contradictory and business-killing regulations.

This is great news not only for the existing and planned food trucks, but also for the City of Cleveland.

"[Food trucks] are successful micro-economic development engines that are creating independent wealth in one of the worst recessions in decades," says Lizzy Caston, a communications pro who consults with cities on modernizing food truck policy.

massive new wind turbine makes noise in forbes
Forbes featured an article on Cleveland's new wind turbine, stating that "Ohio has gotten a sneak peek at what expanding wind power will look like near Lake Erie."

The turbine, which was made in Germany, arrived Monday at the Port of Cleveland. It will be installed at the Lincoln Electric Co. in Euclid.

The wind turbine will measure 24 stories high to the tip of the blade. "The turbine has blades 165 feet long," the article states. "It will stand about three times taller than the wind turbine at Cleveland's Great Lakes Science Center."

Cuyahoga County made a $350,000 forgivable loan toward the cost of the turbine.

Read the rest here.

cnn reports on cle public school's reorganization plan
CNN recently featured an article on the changes and improvements being made to the Cleveland public school system.

"Within the past year," CNN reports, "the school system has undergone a comprehensive and sometimes harsh reorganization..."

The school system closed 16 schools last year. The federal government's School Improvement Grants are helping 12 Cleveland schools to restart.

"In 2010, the federal government provided $546 million for about 1,000 low-achieving schools across the United States. Districts could use the money to reorganize or close down schools completely. In Cleveland, school officials chose to use a reorganization model for several of their schools, including Lincoln-West and Glenville high schools. To receive the funds, they had to replace the principal and rehire no more than half the school's staff."

And progress is being reported.

Since the reorganization, school officials have reported less violence and better attendance rates. Irene Javier, a principal at Lincoln-West, says, "We actually have an 83% decline in terms of serious incidents that are happening in the building. That includes number of suspensions. So, it directly impacts our attendance."

Academic numbers have yet to be analyzed, but officials at both Lincoln-West and Glenville report that the reorganization is having a positive impact.

Read the rest of the report here.