Sustainability + Environment
next american city recaps reclaiming vacant properties conference
If you didn't have an opportunity to attend the Reclaiming Vacant Properties conference held here two weeks ago, we urge you to read this thorough rundown in Next American City.
Reporting for the mag is Cleveland-based sustainability writer Marc Lefkowitz, a frequent Next American City contributor.
Cleveland was chosen to host the conference, explained keynote speaker Alex Kotlowitz, not simply because the city is plagued by foreclosures and vacant properties, but rather because Cleveland is "pushing back."
Lefkowitz writes that Kotlowitz was particularly inspired by Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka's efforts to adjudicate and fine banks in absentia. And during a session titled "Re-Imagining America's Older Industrial Cities," the writer quotes Presley Gillespie of Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation as saying they are "taking a page from Cleveland" by demolishing vacant properties to turn into community gardens. "We're talking about cities that are smaller but stronger," adds Gillespie.
The conference kicked off with tours of Cleveland's vacant land reuse efforts, which earned attention for creating a common language and roadmap for change, Lefkowitz says.
Read the entire conference report here.
Reporting for the mag is Cleveland-based sustainability writer Marc Lefkowitz, a frequent Next American City contributor.
Cleveland was chosen to host the conference, explained keynote speaker Alex Kotlowitz, not simply because the city is plagued by foreclosures and vacant properties, but rather because Cleveland is "pushing back."
Lefkowitz writes that Kotlowitz was particularly inspired by Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka's efforts to adjudicate and fine banks in absentia. And during a session titled "Re-Imagining America's Older Industrial Cities," the writer quotes Presley Gillespie of Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation as saying they are "taking a page from Cleveland" by demolishing vacant properties to turn into community gardens. "We're talking about cities that are smaller but stronger," adds Gillespie.
The conference kicked off with tours of Cleveland's vacant land reuse efforts, which earned attention for creating a common language and roadmap for change, Lefkowitz says.
Read the entire conference report here.
Last summer, planners in the Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown areas
spent two intense months assembling a consortium of 21 public- and
private-sector entities and applying for a new type of grant available
from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Now the real
work begins.
Last week HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan visited the Cleveland-based offices of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) to announce that the consortium had been awarded $4.25 million dollars available through the Sustainable Communities Initiative. The initiative is part of the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which seeks to coordinate the efforts of HUD, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation in helping cities rebuild. The Northeast Ohio Consortium for a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, as the 21-member group is called, was one of 45 chosen for a grant.
The money will allow the consortium to set up and oversee a private nonprofit that will explore ways in which the 12 counties — and nearly 500 municipalities — of the Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown regions can work together, according to Sara Maier, senior planner for NOACA. The three-year study "will give us a tool box of what we can do as a region moving forward," Maier explains. Issues like housing, sustainability, transportation and economic competitiveness, she adds, "don't stop at county lines."
As for the longterm goal, the application stated it thusly: "We envision a "Green City on a Blue Lake.' Over the last decade many factors have converged to make now the optimal time for the 12 counties, four [metropolitan planning organizations] and more than 480 governments in Northeast Ohio to unite for the purpose of planning for sustainable development. It is over the last decade that we have come to accept the reality that our economy is truly regional."
Participants hailing from Cleveland include officials from NOACA, Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland State University's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Fund for Our Economic Future (which organized the application effort).
Consortium members have also pledged more than $2 million in matching grants, exceeding the HUD requirement.
Source: NOACA
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Last week HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan visited the Cleveland-based offices of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) to announce that the consortium had been awarded $4.25 million dollars available through the Sustainable Communities Initiative. The initiative is part of the Obama administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which seeks to coordinate the efforts of HUD, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation in helping cities rebuild. The Northeast Ohio Consortium for a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development, as the 21-member group is called, was one of 45 chosen for a grant.
The money will allow the consortium to set up and oversee a private nonprofit that will explore ways in which the 12 counties — and nearly 500 municipalities — of the Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown regions can work together, according to Sara Maier, senior planner for NOACA. The three-year study "will give us a tool box of what we can do as a region moving forward," Maier explains. Issues like housing, sustainability, transportation and economic competitiveness, she adds, "don't stop at county lines."
As for the longterm goal, the application stated it thusly: "We envision a "Green City on a Blue Lake.' Over the last decade many factors have converged to make now the optimal time for the 12 counties, four [metropolitan planning organizations] and more than 480 governments in Northeast Ohio to unite for the purpose of planning for sustainable development. It is over the last decade that we have come to accept the reality that our economy is truly regional."
Participants hailing from Cleveland include officials from NOACA, Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland State University's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Fund for Our Economic Future (which organized the application effort).
Consortium members have also pledged more than $2 million in matching grants, exceeding the HUD requirement.
Source: NOACA
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
cleveland offers a road map for other struggling cities, says MSN
Cleveland's progressive stance on urban farming continues to draw positive national attention, proving that even this crisis boasts a silver lining.
In her article titled "Faded glory: Suffering cities take aim at urban blight," MSN Real Estate reporter Melinda Fulmer shines a bright light on Cleveland's attempt to reinvent its future be reimagining its vacant property.
Of the ground-breaking Ohio City Farm she writes: "In years past, this industrial city probably wouldn't have embraced such a back-to-basics business as beets and beans. But after decades of heavy job and population losses -- and a particularly rough ride in the foreclosure crisis -- this six-acre urban farm on a former public housing tract has become symbolic of the many imaginative ways a shrinking city can reinvent itself when heavy industry leaves."
The article quotes OCNW executive director Eric Wobser as saying, "I think urban farms like this one will reposition the way people think about Cleveland. The local food movement has really caught on fire here."
Fulmer credits Cleveland as the first large shrinking city to adopt a master plan that acknowledges its reduced footprint and attempts to redesign a more vibrant and sustainable future around it.
And what's more, that progressive and sustainable policy, including the city's recent ordinance allowing chicks and bees, is precisely the type of efforts that attract new residents. She quotes Neighborhood Progress' Bobbi Reichtell in the following paragraph.
"This encouragement of a greener future — through 56 urban-farming and green-space grants on city-owned vacant property — is catching the eye of younger eco-friendly entrepreneurs, who have big dreams for more sustainable livelihoods in the city. The city has been very progressive. They recognize the scale of the challenge they face."
Dig into the entire story here.
In her article titled "Faded glory: Suffering cities take aim at urban blight," MSN Real Estate reporter Melinda Fulmer shines a bright light on Cleveland's attempt to reinvent its future be reimagining its vacant property.
Of the ground-breaking Ohio City Farm she writes: "In years past, this industrial city probably wouldn't have embraced such a back-to-basics business as beets and beans. But after decades of heavy job and population losses -- and a particularly rough ride in the foreclosure crisis -- this six-acre urban farm on a former public housing tract has become symbolic of the many imaginative ways a shrinking city can reinvent itself when heavy industry leaves."
The article quotes OCNW executive director Eric Wobser as saying, "I think urban farms like this one will reposition the way people think about Cleveland. The local food movement has really caught on fire here."
Fulmer credits Cleveland as the first large shrinking city to adopt a master plan that acknowledges its reduced footprint and attempts to redesign a more vibrant and sustainable future around it.
And what's more, that progressive and sustainable policy, including the city's recent ordinance allowing chicks and bees, is precisely the type of efforts that attract new residents. She quotes Neighborhood Progress' Bobbi Reichtell in the following paragraph.
"This encouragement of a greener future — through 56 urban-farming and green-space grants on city-owned vacant property — is catching the eye of younger eco-friendly entrepreneurs, who have big dreams for more sustainable livelihoods in the city. The city has been very progressive. They recognize the scale of the challenge they face."
Dig into the entire story here.
Someday the Medical Mart may make Cleveland an essential destination for healthcare professions. But the city has already achieved such status among those who study blight, which is why Cleveland is hosting the third national Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, which continues through Friday at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel on Public Square.
"This is by far the biggest," says Jennifer Leonard of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Progress, which organized the conference with Cleveland's own Neighborhood Progress, Inc. "Today, there are more places that are being challenged by vacant properties."
Cleveland, of course, would be at or near the top of any such list. But that's not the only reason CCP selected the city for this gathering, which occurs every 18 months. Cleveland also boasts an impressive array of dedicated advocates and innovative approaches to the problem, such as the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Judge Raymond Pianka's Housing Court.
Various parts of the city will serve as backdrops for discussions. "Mobile Workshops" will take participants to Euclid Avenue, as an example of using transit to spur development; a vineyard in Hough and other sites that have been reclaimed for farming or greenspace; Slavic Village, where the foreclosure crisis is combated with a "resident-driven approach to finding a new identity," and the hip and booming Detroit Shoreway community.
"It's actually kind of hard," notes Leonard, "to make sure the conference isn't too focused on Cleveland."
The conference is sold out, but more information is available at the web site.
Source: Center for Community Progress
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
"This is by far the biggest," says Jennifer Leonard of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Progress, which organized the conference with Cleveland's own Neighborhood Progress, Inc. "Today, there are more places that are being challenged by vacant properties."
Cleveland, of course, would be at or near the top of any such list. But that's not the only reason CCP selected the city for this gathering, which occurs every 18 months. Cleveland also boasts an impressive array of dedicated advocates and innovative approaches to the problem, such as the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Judge Raymond Pianka's Housing Court.
Various parts of the city will serve as backdrops for discussions. "Mobile Workshops" will take participants to Euclid Avenue, as an example of using transit to spur development; a vineyard in Hough and other sites that have been reclaimed for farming or greenspace; Slavic Village, where the foreclosure crisis is combated with a "resident-driven approach to finding a new identity," and the hip and booming Detroit Shoreway community.
"It's actually kind of hard," notes Leonard, "to make sure the conference isn't too focused on Cleveland."
The conference is sold out, but more information is available at the web site.
Source: Center for Community Progress
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
pittsburgh's pop city spreads the word about fresh water
In last week's issue of Pop City (yes, it's a sister IMG publication), writer Deb Smit reported on our dear publication.
"Fresh Water launches this month with the goods on Cleveland, news as it pertains to innovation, jobs, healthcare, lifestyle, design and arts and culture," she writes." The bubbly, blue homepage comes to life each Thursday with a fresh issue featuring vibrant photography and stories on the people shaking things up and the great places to visit."
Smit even encourages smitten Pittsburghers to subscribe. Thanks, Pop City!
Read all the news that's fit to pop here.
"Fresh Water launches this month with the goods on Cleveland, news as it pertains to innovation, jobs, healthcare, lifestyle, design and arts and culture," she writes." The bubbly, blue homepage comes to life each Thursday with a fresh issue featuring vibrant photography and stories on the people shaking things up and the great places to visit."
Smit even encourages smitten Pittsburghers to subscribe. Thanks, Pop City!
Read all the news that's fit to pop here.
community greenhouse partners to spend $3.4M on urban farm and greenhouse on vacant cleveland lot
First, a tree grew in Brooklyn; now a massive greenhouse will be built in Cleveland.
Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners recently announced that the organization has made an agreement to buy the site of the former St. George Catholic Church to build a greenhouse. The estimated $3.4 million project will realize Community Greenhouse Partners' goal of selling organic vegetables at low cost to low-income families.
Community Greenhouse Partners had been searching for property in an economically distressed area of the city. The concrete lot outside St. George, which closed its doors in 2009, is located at East 67th Street and Superior Avenue.
The proposed greenhouse will have a polycarbonate-plated shell, which will allow it to operate no matter the weather. The project will make use of green technology and sustainable practices.
Smith estimates that Community Greenhouse Partners will initially employ three to five people for the project and eventually grow that to more than 25. Part of the nonprofit organization's mission is to employ local residents and teach sustainability and earth science to youngsters.
Community Greenhouse Partners estimates it will bring $1 million in annual payroll and $2.5 million in annual sales to the area. The revenue estimates are based on production volumes from Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based urban farm project. Down the road, Community Greenhouse Partners plans to generate revenue from the sale of compost, rental of the greenhouse to other organizations and education dollars from local school districts.
Source: Community Greenhouse Partners
Writer: Diane DiPiero
Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners recently announced that the organization has made an agreement to buy the site of the former St. George Catholic Church to build a greenhouse. The estimated $3.4 million project will realize Community Greenhouse Partners' goal of selling organic vegetables at low cost to low-income families.
Community Greenhouse Partners had been searching for property in an economically distressed area of the city. The concrete lot outside St. George, which closed its doors in 2009, is located at East 67th Street and Superior Avenue.
The proposed greenhouse will have a polycarbonate-plated shell, which will allow it to operate no matter the weather. The project will make use of green technology and sustainable practices.
Smith estimates that Community Greenhouse Partners will initially employ three to five people for the project and eventually grow that to more than 25. Part of the nonprofit organization's mission is to employ local residents and teach sustainability and earth science to youngsters.
Community Greenhouse Partners estimates it will bring $1 million in annual payroll and $2.5 million in annual sales to the area. The revenue estimates are based on production volumes from Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based urban farm project. Down the road, Community Greenhouse Partners plans to generate revenue from the sale of compost, rental of the greenhouse to other organizations and education dollars from local school districts.
Source: Community Greenhouse Partners
Writer: Diane DiPiero
So how deeply has the sustainability movement taken hold in Northeast
Ohio? Three organizations that already have a lot on their plates
recently collaborated to save some grass.
Mind you, this wasn't just any grass. This was native prairie grass that until recently was part of an art installation on Mall B. But the installation must make way for the Medical Mart, for which ground will be broken later this month. So last spring, Cleveland Public Art contacted Slavic Village Development to see if it could find a new home for the Big-Blue Stem, Side-Oats Grama, Awlsledge and other oddly named varieties of grass that might otherwise now be decaying in a mulch heap.
"I said sure, we'd find a place to replant them," says Marlane Weslian, development officer at Slavic Village. She rented a Toro Dingo and rounded up volunteers to dig 500 holes along the Morgana Run Trail, between Aetna Road and Marble Avenue.
Meanwhile, contractors removed and transported the grass, thanks to a grant from ParkWorks. "It's a lot of work," Weslian says, but the transplant was a success. The grass has already gone dormant, she notes, but should grow strong and green again come spring.
Next week, another contractor -- again paid with grant money obtained through ParkWorks -- will relocate oak trees, already six inches around, from Mall C to a planned "savannah" behind a new Slavic Village housing development adjacent to the trail. Some of these trees are already 25 feet tall, Weslian says, and she's excited to see them make the kind of impact that usually takes decades to achieve.
"And talk about sustainable reuse!" says adds.
Source: Slavic Village Development
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Mind you, this wasn't just any grass. This was native prairie grass that until recently was part of an art installation on Mall B. But the installation must make way for the Medical Mart, for which ground will be broken later this month. So last spring, Cleveland Public Art contacted Slavic Village Development to see if it could find a new home for the Big-Blue Stem, Side-Oats Grama, Awlsledge and other oddly named varieties of grass that might otherwise now be decaying in a mulch heap.
"I said sure, we'd find a place to replant them," says Marlane Weslian, development officer at Slavic Village. She rented a Toro Dingo and rounded up volunteers to dig 500 holes along the Morgana Run Trail, between Aetna Road and Marble Avenue.
Meanwhile, contractors removed and transported the grass, thanks to a grant from ParkWorks. "It's a lot of work," Weslian says, but the transplant was a success. The grass has already gone dormant, she notes, but should grow strong and green again come spring.
Next week, another contractor -- again paid with grant money obtained through ParkWorks -- will relocate oak trees, already six inches around, from Mall C to a planned "savannah" behind a new Slavic Village housing development adjacent to the trail. Some of these trees are already 25 feet tall, Weslian says, and she's excited to see them make the kind of impact that usually takes decades to achieve.
"And talk about sustainable reuse!" says adds.
Source: Slavic Village Development
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Among the many services provided by the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD) is job training and placement for adults. As local manufacturing jobs have dwindled, the board has had to look elsewhere. One solution that seems promising is local farming.
"We're trying to be more entrepreneurial," says spokeswoman Lula Holt Robertson.
The effort began last year with a single farm at East 55th and Stanard. The site, formerly a school, was donated by the city in 2009. Work began in June, with assistance from The Ohio State University Extension. Today 10 CCBDD clients are employed there, plus a manager and employment specialist.
The program has been so successful that the board hopes to establish nine more gardens over the next five years, and develop relationships with local restaurants, as well as farmers' markets.
The next site will be downtown. Cleveland City Council recently approved gardening on City Hall property, near the Free Stamp, thanks to legislation introduced by Councilman Joe Cimperman. Holt Robertson says that to her knowledge the CCBDD is the first entity of its type in the nation to launch an urban farming program.
Source: Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
"We're trying to be more entrepreneurial," says spokeswoman Lula Holt Robertson.
The effort began last year with a single farm at East 55th and Stanard. The site, formerly a school, was donated by the city in 2009. Work began in June, with assistance from The Ohio State University Extension. Today 10 CCBDD clients are employed there, plus a manager and employment specialist.
The program has been so successful that the board hopes to establish nine more gardens over the next five years, and develop relationships with local restaurants, as well as farmers' markets.
The next site will be downtown. Cleveland City Council recently approved gardening on City Hall property, near the Free Stamp, thanks to legislation introduced by Councilman Joe Cimperman. Holt Robertson says that to her knowledge the CCBDD is the first entity of its type in the nation to launch an urban farming program.
Source: Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
brookings institute says great lakes metros like cleveland are ideally suited for next economy
In this paper by Brookings Think Tank fellows Vey, Austin and Bradley, the Great Lakes region is described as being uniquely suited for growth in the New Economy.
"As the American economy works its way slowly out of the Great Recession, a consensus is developing among public and private-sector stakeholders that simply re-constructing our old economy, one based on highly-leveraged domestic consumption, would be a serious mistake," the report argues. "The nation must instead focus on building the next economy, one that is oriented towards greater exporting, powered by a low-carbon energy strategy, driven by innovation, and that creates opportunities for all. The Great Lakes region... could show the rest of the country the way forward to the next economy."
Citing the following factors, the report finds that the Great Lakes region, particularly its metropolitan areas, has significant resources essential to creating the next economy.
- Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois are among the top states in terms of green tech patenting, focused on new technologies in battery power, hybrid systems, and fuel cells.
- The 21 largest Great Lakes metros are home to 32 major public and private research universities, which attract substantial federal research investment. The region produces approximately 36 percent of America's science and engineering degrees each year.
- The region is rich with community colleges, which help the region's workers develop skills and credentials necessary to secure jobs in the region's industries, and in so doing maintain a pool of skilled employees to attract and support them.
Read the report here.
"As the American economy works its way slowly out of the Great Recession, a consensus is developing among public and private-sector stakeholders that simply re-constructing our old economy, one based on highly-leveraged domestic consumption, would be a serious mistake," the report argues. "The nation must instead focus on building the next economy, one that is oriented towards greater exporting, powered by a low-carbon energy strategy, driven by innovation, and that creates opportunities for all. The Great Lakes region... could show the rest of the country the way forward to the next economy."
Citing the following factors, the report finds that the Great Lakes region, particularly its metropolitan areas, has significant resources essential to creating the next economy.
- Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois are among the top states in terms of green tech patenting, focused on new technologies in battery power, hybrid systems, and fuel cells.
- The 21 largest Great Lakes metros are home to 32 major public and private research universities, which attract substantial federal research investment. The region produces approximately 36 percent of America's science and engineering degrees each year.
- The region is rich with community colleges, which help the region's workers develop skills and credentials necessary to secure jobs in the region's industries, and in so doing maintain a pool of skilled employees to attract and support them.
Read the report here.
$4 million reinvestment helps cleveland's bluebridge offer clients 'uninterruptible power supply'
Power is king. To hear Kevin Goodman repeat that mantra again and again, one might imagine him standing in front a dozen snarling transformers spitting out noise and smoke, sucking up all the juice from here to Katmandu.
Instead, Goodman, director of business development at BlueBridge Networks, is standing in front of a row of four sleek Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) towers in the Cleveland company's electrical staging room. These towers will help BlueBridge ensure that its clients receive safe and effective data storage solutions.
BlueBridge provides disaster recovery and business continuity services for clients like Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, Olympic Steel and Southwest General Hospital. Thanks to its reinvestment efforts, BlueBridge is able to offer clients a broader range of solutions.
The UPS towers are new, and they replace the large, hulking batteries that once filled the now cavernous space. "UPS power is more reliable," Goodman says. "Today we have a more dense amount of power even though we have fewer pieces of equipment."
Efficient, state-of-the-art equipment is just one part of the $4 million reinvestment project that BlueBridge has undertaken to broaden its offerings and increase its bottom line. Goodman says that BlueBridge is experiencing its most successful quarter in its six-year history. And, he adds, "We have no debt."
To keep up with the latest technology, the company has hired several new engineers. BlueBridge is committed to recruiting local talent or bringing former Clevelanders back to the area, according to Goodman.
SOURCE: BlueBridge Networks
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Instead, Goodman, director of business development at BlueBridge Networks, is standing in front of a row of four sleek Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) towers in the Cleveland company's electrical staging room. These towers will help BlueBridge ensure that its clients receive safe and effective data storage solutions.
BlueBridge provides disaster recovery and business continuity services for clients like Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, Olympic Steel and Southwest General Hospital. Thanks to its reinvestment efforts, BlueBridge is able to offer clients a broader range of solutions.
The UPS towers are new, and they replace the large, hulking batteries that once filled the now cavernous space. "UPS power is more reliable," Goodman says. "Today we have a more dense amount of power even though we have fewer pieces of equipment."
Efficient, state-of-the-art equipment is just one part of the $4 million reinvestment project that BlueBridge has undertaken to broaden its offerings and increase its bottom line. Goodman says that BlueBridge is experiencing its most successful quarter in its six-year history. And, he adds, "We have no debt."
To keep up with the latest technology, the company has hired several new engineers. BlueBridge is committed to recruiting local talent or bringing former Clevelanders back to the area, according to Goodman.
SOURCE: BlueBridge Networks
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
What's it like to be a Cleveland locavore? Spend a day with Dan Scharf, an attorney who smokes meat, cures ham, and raises chickens, and you'll find out. Hint: It involves a lot of shopping.
arisdyne's technology helps ethanol producers increase output at same cost
Everyone knows that powdered sugar will dissolve more quickly in your
coffee than a sugar cube — and that stirring will help either dissolve
even faster. Applying that principal to manufacturing is not so simple,
but new technology from Cleveland-based Arisdyne Systems is helping corn ethanol producers achieve higher yields from the same raw materials and energy.
Arisdyne's hydrodynamic cavitation technology harnesses the power of cavitation, the tiny implosions that occur in any turbulent fluid. As the company's web site explains, "The system is calibrated to produce optimum process conditions. Shockwaves resulting from the implosions impact the surrounding process fluid. Tiny droplets or particles result producing high-quality emulsions and dispersions."
And greater yields. The technology has helped Corn Plus of Minnesota increase production by 4 percent, according to Arisdyne vice president Fred Clarke. "Which, if you think about it, is like getting free money," he adds. Corn Plus licensed the technology in June, after two months of testing, and in July reported in its newsletter that "data from the first couple of months are very promising and the unit's operation has been consistent."
Arisdyne installed another system just two weeks ago, and has signed contracts with two other clients, Clarke says. The outlook for next year? "It's bright," Clarke says. There are about 200 ethanol plants in the U.S., and Clarke estimates that 120-140 posses the "downstream" factors necessary to benefit from Arisdyne's system.
Source: Fred Clarke, Arsidyne
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Arisdyne's hydrodynamic cavitation technology harnesses the power of cavitation, the tiny implosions that occur in any turbulent fluid. As the company's web site explains, "The system is calibrated to produce optimum process conditions. Shockwaves resulting from the implosions impact the surrounding process fluid. Tiny droplets or particles result producing high-quality emulsions and dispersions."
And greater yields. The technology has helped Corn Plus of Minnesota increase production by 4 percent, according to Arisdyne vice president Fred Clarke. "Which, if you think about it, is like getting free money," he adds. Corn Plus licensed the technology in June, after two months of testing, and in July reported in its newsletter that "data from the first couple of months are very promising and the unit's operation has been consistent."
Arisdyne installed another system just two weeks ago, and has signed contracts with two other clients, Clarke says. The outlook for next year? "It's bright," Clarke says. There are about 200 ethanol plants in the U.S., and Clarke estimates that 120-140 posses the "downstream" factors necessary to benefit from Arisdyne's system.
Source: Fred Clarke, Arsidyne
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The main entrance resembles an unrolled Torah. The color scheme
throughout the building is inspired by vegetation mentioned in the
Bible.
Every detail within the new Fuchs Mizrachi School in Beachwood has significance, whether it's about Jewish faith and culture or the latest in high-tech design. More than 400 preschool through high school students walked through the doors of the school on August 30, marveling at the architecture, the amenities and the space--something that had been dearly lacking for years.
In fact, Fuchs Mizrachi occupied two separate buildings in order to accommodate its students. Now, they all gather under one roof in a state-of-the-art setting.
Fuch Mizrachi is an Orthodox Jewish, Religious Zionist college prep school that seeks to grow students into young men and women who are capable of "swimming in all waters." The school was founded in 1983 as Bet Sefer Mizrachi of Cleveland and later renamed for major donors Leonard and Susan Fuchs.
Shaker Square's Bialosky + Partners designed the 100,000-square-foot school to consolidate the two existing campuses. In addition to respect for Jewish heritage, the campus design incorporates eco-friendly details: an advanced lighting control system, high insulation values, a geothermal HVAC system and energy recovery ventilators to improve fresh-air transfer from the outside. The project earned LEED Gold Certification.
Students may not immediately recognize the sustainability features in and around their new school. But they will drink in the beautiful beit midrash, or "hall of study," with its three-tiered ceiling and dramatic use of beams and pendant lighting. The new school also boasts two gymnasiums, a large music room and a theater.
On the day the school building was dedicated, Leonard Fuchs said that Fuchs Mizrahi "has become part of my body and soul." With a new location and a fresh look, the school will no doubt become an important part of its students' formative years.
SOURCES: Fuchs Mizrachi, Bialosky + Partners
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Every detail within the new Fuchs Mizrachi School in Beachwood has significance, whether it's about Jewish faith and culture or the latest in high-tech design. More than 400 preschool through high school students walked through the doors of the school on August 30, marveling at the architecture, the amenities and the space--something that had been dearly lacking for years.
In fact, Fuchs Mizrachi occupied two separate buildings in order to accommodate its students. Now, they all gather under one roof in a state-of-the-art setting.
Fuch Mizrachi is an Orthodox Jewish, Religious Zionist college prep school that seeks to grow students into young men and women who are capable of "swimming in all waters." The school was founded in 1983 as Bet Sefer Mizrachi of Cleveland and later renamed for major donors Leonard and Susan Fuchs.
Shaker Square's Bialosky + Partners designed the 100,000-square-foot school to consolidate the two existing campuses. In addition to respect for Jewish heritage, the campus design incorporates eco-friendly details: an advanced lighting control system, high insulation values, a geothermal HVAC system and energy recovery ventilators to improve fresh-air transfer from the outside. The project earned LEED Gold Certification.
Students may not immediately recognize the sustainability features in and around their new school. But they will drink in the beautiful beit midrash, or "hall of study," with its three-tiered ceiling and dramatic use of beams and pendant lighting. The new school also boasts two gymnasiums, a large music room and a theater.
On the day the school building was dedicated, Leonard Fuchs said that Fuchs Mizrahi "has become part of my body and soul." With a new location and a fresh look, the school will no doubt become an important part of its students' formative years.
SOURCES: Fuchs Mizrachi, Bialosky + Partners
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
tremont electric takes the i-stage
On October 18, venture capitalists, engineers, journalists and tech
geeks from around the world will gather in San Francisco for i-stage, a
competition in which inventors and developers vie for VIP access to the
massive International Consumer Electronics Show in January. For the
finalists who will present their creations, it's an opportunity of a
lifetime — and not just because of the $50,000 prize. Imagine if the
NFL held open tryouts, and the winner got to play in the Super Bowl.
Among the finalists this year is Aaron LeMieux, founder of Cleveland-based Tremont Electric. LeMieux will present the product he's been developing since 2006: the nPower PEG, or personal energy generator. The nPower uses the kinetic energy of your movement — running, walking, or hiking, as LeMieux was when he dreamed up the device — to recharge your cell phone or MP3 player.
LeMieux, a Westlake native, says he's honored to represent Northeast Ohio at the event.
"There are not many consumer electronics companies in Cleveland — I can count them on one hand," he says. So Tremont Electric's presence at the CES is good for the whole region — especially considering that about half of his suppliers are also in Cuyahoga County, and most of the rest are based elsewhere in Ohio.
At i-stage, the nPower's competitors will include a remotely controlled robotic avatar and wireless power transmission devices that will make outlets and cords obsolete. The nPower rivals both, in terms of far-reaching applications of the technology. "We can make this device the size of an automobile," LeMieux says, "we can put this technology into the lake and harvest wave motion."
For now, however, he's focused on keeping up with orders for the nPower and preparing for i-stage. "Nobody wants to fund someone who's trying to boil the ocean, as we say," he quips.
Source: Aaron LeMieux, Tremont Electric
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Among the finalists this year is Aaron LeMieux, founder of Cleveland-based Tremont Electric. LeMieux will present the product he's been developing since 2006: the nPower PEG, or personal energy generator. The nPower uses the kinetic energy of your movement — running, walking, or hiking, as LeMieux was when he dreamed up the device — to recharge your cell phone or MP3 player.
LeMieux, a Westlake native, says he's honored to represent Northeast Ohio at the event.
"There are not many consumer electronics companies in Cleveland — I can count them on one hand," he says. So Tremont Electric's presence at the CES is good for the whole region — especially considering that about half of his suppliers are also in Cuyahoga County, and most of the rest are based elsewhere in Ohio.
At i-stage, the nPower's competitors will include a remotely controlled robotic avatar and wireless power transmission devices that will make outlets and cords obsolete. The nPower rivals both, in terms of far-reaching applications of the technology. "We can make this device the size of an automobile," LeMieux says, "we can put this technology into the lake and harvest wave motion."
For now, however, he's focused on keeping up with orders for the nPower and preparing for i-stage. "Nobody wants to fund someone who's trying to boil the ocean, as we say," he quips.
Source: Aaron LeMieux, Tremont Electric
Writer: Frank W. Lewis