Stories
happy turkey-and-stuffing day!
We all deserve a break, including the hard-working staff of Fresh Water. That's why we'll be taking next week off. There will be no new publication on November 25. We return with another action-packed issue on December 2, however. Read on to see what's coming next.
Remember when your youthful imagination turned a large cardboard box into a race car or a castle? Mike Welsh does, and now he has started a company that gives kids the stuff they need to create the playhouses of their dreams.
Build a Dream Playhouses is a newly launched producer of corrugated cardboard boxes that can be painted, colored and decorated to make one-of-a-kind playhouses. Welsh, a father and an established entrepreneur, thought of the idea and recruited two recent college grads, Andy Carcioppolo and Sam Cahill, to bring his vision to life. With a degree in business and industrial design, respectively, Carcioppolo and Cahill found they could make use of their talents and stay in Cleveland.
Build a Dream Playhouses was created through a collaboration with Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, an industrial design firm based in Cleveland, and Smurfit Stone, a paperboard manufacturer in Ravenna.
"We believe that creating jobs in Cleveland, in the State of Ohio and ultimately across the globe is an important part of Build a Dream Playhouses," says Carcioppolo, who serves as COO. "We're thrilled to have an opportunity to do that in our hometown and to be a part of helping our region grow and thrive."
Build a Dream's products, which range from the "Cosmic Cruiser" to the "Pop 'n Play Kitchen," are made from 80 percent recycled materials, and are 100 percent recyclable.
As part of its launch efforts, the Build a Dream Playhouses team will be at the Children's Museum of Cleveland on Saturday, November 20, where kids can color their own cardboard creations.
SOURCE: Cleveland Children's Museum, Build a Dream Playhouse
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Build a Dream Playhouses is a newly launched producer of corrugated cardboard boxes that can be painted, colored and decorated to make one-of-a-kind playhouses. Welsh, a father and an established entrepreneur, thought of the idea and recruited two recent college grads, Andy Carcioppolo and Sam Cahill, to bring his vision to life. With a degree in business and industrial design, respectively, Carcioppolo and Cahill found they could make use of their talents and stay in Cleveland.
Build a Dream Playhouses was created through a collaboration with Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, an industrial design firm based in Cleveland, and Smurfit Stone, a paperboard manufacturer in Ravenna.
"We believe that creating jobs in Cleveland, in the State of Ohio and ultimately across the globe is an important part of Build a Dream Playhouses," says Carcioppolo, who serves as COO. "We're thrilled to have an opportunity to do that in our hometown and to be a part of helping our region grow and thrive."
Build a Dream's products, which range from the "Cosmic Cruiser" to the "Pop 'n Play Kitchen," are made from 80 percent recycled materials, and are 100 percent recyclable.
As part of its launch efforts, the Build a Dream Playhouses team will be at the Children's Museum of Cleveland on Saturday, November 20, where kids can color their own cardboard creations.
SOURCE: Cleveland Children's Museum, Build a Dream Playhouse
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Each year, the Golden 30 awards recognizes 15 established and 15 emerging top-performing companies in Erie, Huron and Lorain counties. This year's winners represent a panoply of Northeast Ohio businesses serving consumers, healthcare professionals, military and manufacturing.
Among the 15 emerging companies who received 2010 Golden 30 awards on November 16 were Synapse Biomedical, Inc., maker of the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System, which is used in the treatment of chronic respiratory ailments; Military Products Group, manufacturer of lifting and towing components for the military and aerospace industries; and K.M.U. Trucking & Excavating, Inc., which is licensed in 24 cities throughout Ohio and last year had $5 million in sales.
The Golden 30 defines emerging companies as those that have been in business between five and 14 years. Established companies are those in business for 15 or more years.
Established companies recognized by the Golden 30 include Exochem, a 40-year-old company specializing in foundry services and high-quality steel-related products; Jenne Distributors, which distributes business telephony, data, A/V conferencing and security technology products; and North Coast Cancer Care, which was named a Golden 30 winner for the second year in a row.
The Golden 30 Awards are sponsored by Lorain County Community College (LCCC) in cooperation with The Morning Journal and a number of economic development organizations in the region.
You can read about all of the recipients by vising the LCCC website.
SOURCE: LCCC
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Among the 15 emerging companies who received 2010 Golden 30 awards on November 16 were Synapse Biomedical, Inc., maker of the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System, which is used in the treatment of chronic respiratory ailments; Military Products Group, manufacturer of lifting and towing components for the military and aerospace industries; and K.M.U. Trucking & Excavating, Inc., which is licensed in 24 cities throughout Ohio and last year had $5 million in sales.
The Golden 30 defines emerging companies as those that have been in business between five and 14 years. Established companies are those in business for 15 or more years.
Established companies recognized by the Golden 30 include Exochem, a 40-year-old company specializing in foundry services and high-quality steel-related products; Jenne Distributors, which distributes business telephony, data, A/V conferencing and security technology products; and North Coast Cancer Care, which was named a Golden 30 winner for the second year in a row.
The Golden 30 Awards are sponsored by Lorain County Community College (LCCC) in cooperation with The Morning Journal and a number of economic development organizations in the region.
You can read about all of the recipients by vising the LCCC website.
SOURCE: LCCC
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
There are far windier places in the US than Ohio, but there may be few better in which to site a commercial-scale wind farm. Thanks to a combination of factors -- not the least of which is recently enacted legislation -- Ohio finally has reached the wind-power tipping point. Even the faintest breeze promises to send Ohio tumbling to the top of the renewable energy heap.
University Circle's Uptown project took a major step forward last week when the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland board approved plans
for a new home, a dramatic, six-faceted, $27 million structure of
highly reflective stainless steel and glass to be built at Euclid
Avenue and Mayfield Road.
The new building should make quite an impact on visitors to the busy intersection: "Viewed from the exterior, the building will appear as an inventive massing of six geometric facets, some flat, others sloping at various angles, all coming together to create a powerful abstract form," MOCA promises on its web site. "Clad primarily in mirror-finish black Rimex stainless steel, the façade of the new MOCA will reflect its urban surroundings, changing in appearance with differences in light and weather."
The four-story, 34,000-square-foot building will provide MOCA about 40 percent more space than its current home, in the Cleveland Playhouse complex at 8501 Carnegie. The main gallery will be on the 6,000-square-foot top floor, which will be equipped with movable interior walls.
"Flexibility is key to a program that, like ours, embraces aesthetic, conceptual, and cultural diversity, and displays works in a great variety of mediums and genres," says MOCA Director Jill Snyder.
The building was designed by Foreign Office Architects of London, whose team includes Cleveland-based Westlake Reed Leskosky. The MOCA building is FOA's first museum and first American commission. Groundbreaking will occur in December.
Uptown, a $150 million residential and retail development, is a collaboration between private developer MRN Ltd., and University Circle Inc. and area institutions. MRN is the company behind the East Fourth Street restaurant and entertainment district in downtown Cleveland.
Source: MOCA Cleveland
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The new building should make quite an impact on visitors to the busy intersection: "Viewed from the exterior, the building will appear as an inventive massing of six geometric facets, some flat, others sloping at various angles, all coming together to create a powerful abstract form," MOCA promises on its web site. "Clad primarily in mirror-finish black Rimex stainless steel, the façade of the new MOCA will reflect its urban surroundings, changing in appearance with differences in light and weather."
The four-story, 34,000-square-foot building will provide MOCA about 40 percent more space than its current home, in the Cleveland Playhouse complex at 8501 Carnegie. The main gallery will be on the 6,000-square-foot top floor, which will be equipped with movable interior walls.
"Flexibility is key to a program that, like ours, embraces aesthetic, conceptual, and cultural diversity, and displays works in a great variety of mediums and genres," says MOCA Director Jill Snyder.
The building was designed by Foreign Office Architects of London, whose team includes Cleveland-based Westlake Reed Leskosky. The MOCA building is FOA's first museum and first American commission. Groundbreaking will occur in December.
Uptown, a $150 million residential and retail development, is a collaboration between private developer MRN Ltd., and University Circle Inc. and area institutions. MRN is the company behind the East Fourth Street restaurant and entertainment district in downtown Cleveland.
Source: MOCA Cleveland
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
The JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network has
added a new funding resource as part of its group of entrepreneurial
support organizations. The Wooster Opportunities Fund, developed by the City of Wooster
and Wooster Growth Corporation, in collaboration with the JumpStart
Entrepreneurial Network, will offer loans up to $35,000 for early-stage,
high-growth technology companies.
The new loan source is part of an ongoing effort to expand the entrepreneurial community in Wooster, according to Richard Benson, law director for the city and legal counsel for Wooster Growth Corporation. "There are so many new ideas and young companies birthed here, and the fund provides yet another reason for those ideas to turn into big companies right in the City of Wooster."
Entrepreneurs who apply for a loan from the Wooster Opportunities Fund will have at their fingertips additional resources available from the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network, says John Dearborn, president of JumpStart. The JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network is composed of several Ohio Third Frontier entrepreneurial support organizations that together provide specific resources for young companies looking to grow.
An official launch event for the Wooster Opportunities Fund will take place on Thursday, December 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Olde Jaol Restaurant, 215 N. Walnut St., in Wooster.
SOURCE: JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
The new loan source is part of an ongoing effort to expand the entrepreneurial community in Wooster, according to Richard Benson, law director for the city and legal counsel for Wooster Growth Corporation. "There are so many new ideas and young companies birthed here, and the fund provides yet another reason for those ideas to turn into big companies right in the City of Wooster."
Entrepreneurs who apply for a loan from the Wooster Opportunities Fund will have at their fingertips additional resources available from the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network, says John Dearborn, president of JumpStart. The JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network is composed of several Ohio Third Frontier entrepreneurial support organizations that together provide specific resources for young companies looking to grow.
An official launch event for the Wooster Opportunities Fund will take place on Thursday, December 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Olde Jaol Restaurant, 215 N. Walnut St., in Wooster.
SOURCE: JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
It's possible that the success of a company can be measured by the amount of work it actually has to put on hold in order to make room for more pressing client projects. Such is the case with Sideways, a Cleveland-based producer of multimedia, multi-touch digital productions for the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices.
Sideways had recently launched an experimental magazine, called Sideways, which is authored specifically for the iPad. The idea was to create a monthly magazine app that incorporates mobile features, social media and in-app transactions that allow readers to purchase items mentioned in "print."
The company's work with major publishers, however, has recently grown at such a rapid pace that it has decided to put the iPad magazine on hold.
Many publishers are preparing "for the massive shift that the industry is in the midst of experiencing," says Eliza Wing, president and COO of Sideways. While some are waiting until 2012 to jump into the mobile device-publishing waters, Wing says, "others see this as an interesting sea change. The latter are the ones we are targeting and working with."
Sideways' offerings for publishers include Author App, a mobile branding and promotional tool; User-Navigable Maps, which can call up highly detailed location-based information by homing in on where a reader is located; and Multi-Dimensional Object Builder, which makes it possible for readers to carefully examine and explore any object in 3D.
"We grew by thirty percent last year and are up to 20 people," adds Wing. "[We're] always looking for strong mobile developers and a technology manager, and are currently fielding great content producers -- video, writing, images, etc. -- who want to use our technology to build compelling apps."
SOURCE: Eliza Wing
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Sideways had recently launched an experimental magazine, called Sideways, which is authored specifically for the iPad. The idea was to create a monthly magazine app that incorporates mobile features, social media and in-app transactions that allow readers to purchase items mentioned in "print."
The company's work with major publishers, however, has recently grown at such a rapid pace that it has decided to put the iPad magazine on hold.
Many publishers are preparing "for the massive shift that the industry is in the midst of experiencing," says Eliza Wing, president and COO of Sideways. While some are waiting until 2012 to jump into the mobile device-publishing waters, Wing says, "others see this as an interesting sea change. The latter are the ones we are targeting and working with."
Sideways' offerings for publishers include Author App, a mobile branding and promotional tool; User-Navigable Maps, which can call up highly detailed location-based information by homing in on where a reader is located; and Multi-Dimensional Object Builder, which makes it possible for readers to carefully examine and explore any object in 3D.
"We grew by thirty percent last year and are up to 20 people," adds Wing. "[We're] always looking for strong mobile developers and a technology manager, and are currently fielding great content producers -- video, writing, images, etc. -- who want to use our technology to build compelling apps."
SOURCE: Eliza Wing
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Essentially a buy-local campaign on steroids, Evergreen Cooperatives is launching multiple for-profit businesses that leverage the enormous procurement power of Cleveland's largest medical, educational and cultural institutions. And what's now being called "the Cleveland Model" is attracting attention nationwide.
cle orchestra invades south korea
In anticipation of the Cleveland Orchestra's long-awaited return to Korea, the Korea Times published a gleeful article by Lee Hyo-won.
"It would be an understatement to say that much has changed since the last time the Cleveland Orchestra played in Korea, 32 years ago under the baton of Lorin Maazel," writes Hyo-won. "Back in 1978, it was a rare occasion for local classical music aficionados to hear a world-class foreign orchestra live."
Of the performance and performers, the article states:
The top American ensemble, known for its distinct European sound, will present fans a full orchestral program of works by the European masters. It is expected to deliver a powerful, roof-raising experience with Debussy's Prelude "A l'apres d'un faune," Mozart's Divertimento in D major, K. 136 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "Eroica."
Interesting note gleaned from piece: The Severance Hospital in downtown Seoul was established in 1900 by Louis Severance, father of John Long Severance, the namesake of Cleveland Orchestra's residential Severance Hall.
Interested parties can purchase tickets from 60,000 to 150,000 won, the equivalent of $53 to $132 in US dollars.
Read the entire article (in English) here.
"It would be an understatement to say that much has changed since the last time the Cleveland Orchestra played in Korea, 32 years ago under the baton of Lorin Maazel," writes Hyo-won. "Back in 1978, it was a rare occasion for local classical music aficionados to hear a world-class foreign orchestra live."
Of the performance and performers, the article states:
The top American ensemble, known for its distinct European sound, will present fans a full orchestral program of works by the European masters. It is expected to deliver a powerful, roof-raising experience with Debussy's Prelude "A l'apres d'un faune," Mozart's Divertimento in D major, K. 136 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "Eroica."
Interesting note gleaned from piece: The Severance Hospital in downtown Seoul was established in 1900 by Louis Severance, father of John Long Severance, the namesake of Cleveland Orchestra's residential Severance Hall.
Interested parties can purchase tickets from 60,000 to 150,000 won, the equivalent of $53 to $132 in US dollars.
Read the entire article (in English) here.
A refocused business strategy seems to have helped Datatrak International get back on track. The technology and services company, which helps clients streamline the clinical trials process, enjoyed a cash increase in third quarter 2010 over the previous quarter. Laurence Birch, chairman and CEO of the company, says that the $1.8 million in revenue and $11.4 million backlog are due in part to Datatrak's recent investment in additional resources. These included hiring a vice president of marketing and a vice president of clinical and consulting services.
"Execution of our current business strategy is proving successful, as evidenced by our continued profitability, increasing backlog and positive cash flows," Birch says. "Datatrak's solid third quarter results are a direct indicator of the company's re-emergence in the marketplace."
Revenue for third quarter 2010 increased 17 percent over the same quarter last year. For the three months ending September 30, 2010, Datatrak's income from operations was $53,000 compared to a loss from operations in the third quarter of the prior year. Datatrak also announced that it had no non-operating debt.
Datatrak's portfolio of software products is designed to accelerate the reporting of clinical research data from sites to sites to sponsors and ultimately regulatory authorities. The company is headquartered in Mayfield Heights and has representatives in Bryan, Texas, and Bonn, Germany.
SOURCE: Datatrak International
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"Execution of our current business strategy is proving successful, as evidenced by our continued profitability, increasing backlog and positive cash flows," Birch says. "Datatrak's solid third quarter results are a direct indicator of the company's re-emergence in the marketplace."
Revenue for third quarter 2010 increased 17 percent over the same quarter last year. For the three months ending September 30, 2010, Datatrak's income from operations was $53,000 compared to a loss from operations in the third quarter of the prior year. Datatrak also announced that it had no non-operating debt.
Datatrak's portfolio of software products is designed to accelerate the reporting of clinical research data from sites to sites to sponsors and ultimately regulatory authorities. The company is headquartered in Mayfield Heights and has representatives in Bryan, Texas, and Bonn, Germany.
SOURCE: Datatrak International
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
PBS special makes a stop in cleveland
In a one-hour PBS special that airs tonight (November 18th), NOW host David Brancaccio visits communities across America that are using innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity in our new economy.
The special, which is called "Fixing the Future," includes a visit to Cleveland, where Brancaccio highlights the successes of Evergreen Cooperatives. During the segment, he speaks to Mendrick Addison, a worker-owner of Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, and Ted Howard, one of the model's architects.
For more information click here.
Check local listings for time and channel.
The special, which is called "Fixing the Future," includes a visit to Cleveland, where Brancaccio highlights the successes of Evergreen Cooperatives. During the segment, he speaks to Mendrick Addison, a worker-owner of Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, and Ted Howard, one of the model's architects.
For more information click here.
Check local listings for time and channel.
When a Johnny Malloy's sports bar occupied the old Centrum Theatre on Coventry, management "honored" the once-grand movie house by installing an impressive array of video projectors and screens, to show multiple sporting events at once. Johnny Malloy's is now gone, and new occupant Fracas is taking a decidedly different approach.
Owner Phil Romano enlisted the aid of the Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Sherwin Williams to track down the colors the theater sported in the 1920s and '30s, which he describes as salmon pink and grayish green. "Somebody needed to do it right," says Romano, a first-time owner whose cooking resume includes Moxie, Greenbriar, Hyde Park and House of Blues.
Fracas is a gastropub, or as Roman explains, "a restaurant that just happens to have a bar." His menu, which he calls "a finer take on normal comfort and bar foods," will include a duck confit quesadilla, a grouper BLT, short ribs braised in Dogfish Head IPA, and "beer-a-misu," a porter-laced take on the popular Italian dessert.
The expansive bar from the Johnny Malloy's days remains, but all 16 taps now will dispense only local craft crews. Most of the 30 or so options in bottles will be crafts as well. By next spring, Romano plans to be brewing his own on-site.
Fracas will open in early December.
Source: Phil Romano
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Owner Phil Romano enlisted the aid of the Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Sherwin Williams to track down the colors the theater sported in the 1920s and '30s, which he describes as salmon pink and grayish green. "Somebody needed to do it right," says Romano, a first-time owner whose cooking resume includes Moxie, Greenbriar, Hyde Park and House of Blues.
Fracas is a gastropub, or as Roman explains, "a restaurant that just happens to have a bar." His menu, which he calls "a finer take on normal comfort and bar foods," will include a duck confit quesadilla, a grouper BLT, short ribs braised in Dogfish Head IPA, and "beer-a-misu," a porter-laced take on the popular Italian dessert.
The expansive bar from the Johnny Malloy's days remains, but all 16 taps now will dispense only local craft crews. Most of the 30 or so options in bottles will be crafts as well. By next spring, Romano plans to be brewing his own on-site.
Fracas will open in early December.
Source: Phil Romano
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
richman, roker go ga-ga for west side market on today
In a segment that aired earlier this week on the Today show, Adam Richman, the cherubic and itinerant host of the Travel Channel show Man v. Food, sat down with Cleveland ex-pat Al Roker. While plugging his new book titled "America the Edible," a paean to regional cuisine, Richman brings up the West Side Market.
As video of the local landmark rolls on the monitor, Roker and Richman are overcome by a case of the "oohs" and "aahs." Roker calls it his favorite place while Richman dubs it a "food fantasia."
In an accompanying interview that runs on the website, Richman elaborates:
Roker: Places like New York and San Francisco are known for their culinary offerings. What city do you think is the best-kept foodie secret?
Richman: I don't really think it's a secret necessarily, but Cleveland is a really great hidden gem. It has gotten a bad rap because of its history -- going into default, the [Cuyahoga] River fire, bad sports teams -- but it is the heartland, it's near great farmland, there's the historic West Side Market, and you get more bang for your buck there. Some of the best culinary minds, like Michael Symon [of "Cook Like an Iron Chef"], get inspiration there. Cleveland is a special place that often gets overlooked.
Check out the tasty vid and interview here.
As video of the local landmark rolls on the monitor, Roker and Richman are overcome by a case of the "oohs" and "aahs." Roker calls it his favorite place while Richman dubs it a "food fantasia."
In an accompanying interview that runs on the website, Richman elaborates:
Roker: Places like New York and San Francisco are known for their culinary offerings. What city do you think is the best-kept foodie secret?
Richman: I don't really think it's a secret necessarily, but Cleveland is a really great hidden gem. It has gotten a bad rap because of its history -- going into default, the [Cuyahoga] River fire, bad sports teams -- but it is the heartland, it's near great farmland, there's the historic West Side Market, and you get more bang for your buck there. Some of the best culinary minds, like Michael Symon [of "Cook Like an Iron Chef"], get inspiration there. Cleveland is a special place that often gets overlooked.
Check out the tasty vid and interview here.
When it opens in early February in a renovated car dealership, LaunchHouse will symbolize a new direction for the City of Shaker Heights and the Chagrin-Lee neighborhood. The 22,000-square-foot building will be a headquarters for start-up companies, providing space for offices, collaboration efforts and conferences.
LaunchHouse has already created quite a buzz in and around Shaker Heights. The business incubator and seed capital investment company has to date incubated 12 companies by providing funding, facilities, operational support and networking events. Todd Goldstein, who along with business partner Dar Caldwell, established the venture in 2008 (originally named Goldstein Caldwell & Associates), made the push for a move from Cleveland to Shaker Heights, where he has been a longtime resident.
The City of Shaker Heights saw this as a chance to establish an entrepreneurial hub in an inner-ring suburb. The city and LaunchHouse formed a five-year public-private partnership in which Shaker Heights granted LaunchHouse the use of the building at 3558 Lee Road.
"I really look at this opportunity as the cornerstone of our economic development," says Tania Menesse, director of economic development for Shaker Heights. In addition to the start-ups that Launch House will be nurturing, Menesse says the facility will cater to home-based businesses in the area that crave local resources.
LaunchHouse plans to add as many as 15 start-ups to its existing portfolio of 12 over the next year. Goldstein envisions the Shaker facility to quickly "create a community of innovation and entrepreneurship."
SOURCE: City of Shaker Heights, Launch House
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
LaunchHouse has already created quite a buzz in and around Shaker Heights. The business incubator and seed capital investment company has to date incubated 12 companies by providing funding, facilities, operational support and networking events. Todd Goldstein, who along with business partner Dar Caldwell, established the venture in 2008 (originally named Goldstein Caldwell & Associates), made the push for a move from Cleveland to Shaker Heights, where he has been a longtime resident.
The City of Shaker Heights saw this as a chance to establish an entrepreneurial hub in an inner-ring suburb. The city and LaunchHouse formed a five-year public-private partnership in which Shaker Heights granted LaunchHouse the use of the building at 3558 Lee Road.
"I really look at this opportunity as the cornerstone of our economic development," says Tania Menesse, director of economic development for Shaker Heights. In addition to the start-ups that Launch House will be nurturing, Menesse says the facility will cater to home-based businesses in the area that crave local resources.
LaunchHouse plans to add as many as 15 start-ups to its existing portfolio of 12 over the next year. Goldstein envisions the Shaker facility to quickly "create a community of innovation and entrepreneurship."
SOURCE: City of Shaker Heights, Launch House
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
local-food movement could benefit low-income areas most of all
The local food movement could not come at a better time. A new report from the Brookings Institute and The Reinvestment Fund shows that a disproportionately high number of Clevelanders live in "food deserts," communities that do not offer the benefits of a readily accessible supermarket.
Nationwide, an estimated 19 million Americans live in low-access areas, which for purposes of this study were determined not just by distance to the nearest supermarket, but population density and rates of car ownership, according to the report, "Getting to Market." In the 10 urban areas on which the researchers focused, about 1.7 million residents were found to live in areas where it's much more difficult to enjoy the benefits of supermarkets, like lower prices and greater produce selection.
Los Angeles, the largest metro region in the study, led the pack -- until the researchers controlled for size. " In that count Cleveland stands out, with more than 1 in 9 residents in the region living in low-access areas."
Cleveland also showed exceptionally high rates of "leakage," which refers to money leaving a community because its members are forced to shop elsewhere. Leakage in Cleveland was tallied at $508 million annually, second only to Los Angeles.
The Reinvestment Fund, which helped launch a Pennsylvania initiative to spur supermarket development in underserved areas that's since been replicated elsewhere, has posted all of its data online, to assist local policymakers and activists in their planning.
Source: Brookings Institute
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
Nationwide, an estimated 19 million Americans live in low-access areas, which for purposes of this study were determined not just by distance to the nearest supermarket, but population density and rates of car ownership, according to the report, "Getting to Market." In the 10 urban areas on which the researchers focused, about 1.7 million residents were found to live in areas where it's much more difficult to enjoy the benefits of supermarkets, like lower prices and greater produce selection.
Los Angeles, the largest metro region in the study, led the pack -- until the researchers controlled for size. " In that count Cleveland stands out, with more than 1 in 9 residents in the region living in low-access areas."
Cleveland also showed exceptionally high rates of "leakage," which refers to money leaving a community because its members are forced to shop elsewhere. Leakage in Cleveland was tallied at $508 million annually, second only to Los Angeles.
The Reinvestment Fund, which helped launch a Pennsylvania initiative to spur supermarket development in underserved areas that's since been replicated elsewhere, has posted all of its data online, to assist local policymakers and activists in their planning.
Source: Brookings Institute
Writer: Frank W. Lewis
MDG Medical has
been a two-country company for the last nine years. But by March 31,
2011, the developer of automated pharmacy technology equipment and
software will have completely moved its R&D group from Lod, Israel,
to its Aurora location. The company will begin electromechanical
assembly at the Aurora facility in 2011 or 2012.
Mark Saffran, president and CEO of MDG, says consolidating the company operations into one facility in Northeast Ohio is in direct response to MDG's goal of improving customer focus, leveraging resources and reducing expenses.
This is of course good news for Northeast Ohio. MDG has already shown a commitment to the region. At the beginning of 2010, MDG moved its corporate headquarters from Beachwood to the Aurora facility, which tripled the company's warehouse and service space and allowed MDG to expand its call center.
The company will be hiring as many as 30 people over the next several months as it looks to fill programmer, hardware engineer and manufacturing slots.
Founded in 2001 in Tel Aviv, MDG has more than 150 customers in five countries, with 95 percent of its business in the United States. The company's flagship product, ServeRx(TM), is a medication management product that increases patient safety while improving medical staff efficiency.
SOURCE: MDG Medical
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Mark Saffran, president and CEO of MDG, says consolidating the company operations into one facility in Northeast Ohio is in direct response to MDG's goal of improving customer focus, leveraging resources and reducing expenses.
This is of course good news for Northeast Ohio. MDG has already shown a commitment to the region. At the beginning of 2010, MDG moved its corporate headquarters from Beachwood to the Aurora facility, which tripled the company's warehouse and service space and allowed MDG to expand its call center.
The company will be hiring as many as 30 people over the next several months as it looks to fill programmer, hardware engineer and manufacturing slots.
Founded in 2001 in Tel Aviv, MDG has more than 150 customers in five countries, with 95 percent of its business in the United States. The company's flagship product, ServeRx(TM), is a medication management product that increases patient safety while improving medical staff efficiency.
SOURCE: MDG Medical
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Laurence Gartel, considered a pioneer in digital media, lectured a fall semester VMCAD
class via "telepresence," working with students remotely to create and
design 3D models of high-end automobiles. Gartel makes use of modern
technology to provide instant instruction and instant feedback to
students, even though he is hundreds of miles away.
"The interaction between students and artist in real time is the wave of the future," says Gartel. "Students can send files and get critiques immediately, both in front of their peers and independently."
For the project titled "Super Cars," Gartel's lesson was augmented by an in-class teacher, who worked with the students in learning the latest software applications. Gartel then translated some of the constructions into new works of art that will be included in an upcoming publication.
"Telepresence" makes online art classes engaging for teacher and students, according to Geof Pelaia, director of marketing for the college. "A few short years ago, online courses had no two-way dialogue," he says. "Now, Laurence can show and tell as if he were right with us in Cleveland."
Students will have the opportunity to see the work they create -- and their online teacher -- at VMCAD's open house on November 13 from 4 to 6 p.m.
SOURCE: Virginia Marti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
"The interaction between students and artist in real time is the wave of the future," says Gartel. "Students can send files and get critiques immediately, both in front of their peers and independently."
For the project titled "Super Cars," Gartel's lesson was augmented by an in-class teacher, who worked with the students in learning the latest software applications. Gartel then translated some of the constructions into new works of art that will be included in an upcoming publication.
"Telepresence" makes online art classes engaging for teacher and students, according to Geof Pelaia, director of marketing for the college. "A few short years ago, online courses had no two-way dialogue," he says. "Now, Laurence can show and tell as if he were right with us in Cleveland."
Students will have the opportunity to see the work they create -- and their online teacher -- at VMCAD's open house on November 13 from 4 to 6 p.m.
SOURCE: Virginia Marti
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
local filmmaker scores with cleveland response to lebron
Since it was posted last week on YouTube, Dan Wantz's passionate short film "LeBron James 'Rise' Commercial & Cleveland's Response" has gone viral, to say the least. It has been viewed over 3 million times, received well over 15,000 comments, and has become required posting on Facebook. Within a single day, the video appeared on TMZ.com, which quoted Wantz as saying that he "just wanted Cleveland to have a voice" and that James was "more than just a basketball player" to the people of Ohio.
Since then writers for the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Washington Post, even the Canadian Times all have weighed in. The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Jeff Schultz loves the video, saying, "It's pointed, it's hilarious and it makes a completely mockery of Nike's intent at image-making."
Responding to folks who say we Clevelanders are "holding a grudge" and that we should "get over it," Schultz writes, "Remember: It was Nike that stirred things back up again with a commercial. So [Cleveland's] backlash is completely in order."
If you haven't seen the video, check it out here.
Read Schultz's complete take here.
Since then writers for the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Washington Post, even the Canadian Times all have weighed in. The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Jeff Schultz loves the video, saying, "It's pointed, it's hilarious and it makes a completely mockery of Nike's intent at image-making."
Responding to folks who say we Clevelanders are "holding a grudge" and that we should "get over it," Schultz writes, "Remember: It was Nike that stirred things back up again with a commercial. So [Cleveland's] backlash is completely in order."
If you haven't seen the video, check it out here.
Read Schultz's complete take here.
cle-based garick grows company by focusing on triple-bottom line
Cleveland's Garick, LLC distributes, processes and recycles natural resource products for the United States and Canada. The sustainability-focused company follows the triple-bottom line philosophy, which concentrates on the economic, environmental and social value it brings to the marketplace and the community.
Garick's Earth-friendly products include Nature's Helper(R) Soil Conditioner, the Paygro line of mulches and top soils, and Rooflite(R) material for "green roof" applications. Garick has four composting facilities around the country and produces composts and mulches that are 100 percent organic.
Sticking close to the triple-bottom line approach to sustainable business has allowed Garick to grow its company with the most efficient impact possible. Recently, Garick made two executive and three managerial hires. The company is currently looking to fill about 10 new positions, ranging from intern-level to managerial posts.
In September, Garick was acquired by Houston-based Waste Management. Gary Trinetti, CEO of Garick, views the agreement as a win-win situation that will allow Garick to expand its geographic footprint. The ability to leverage Waste Management's existing infrastructure, coupled with their commitment to redirecting organic waste streams to higher and better uses, will help close the loop for our mutual customers in accomplishing their recycling and sustainability goals," he says.
SOURCE: Garick, LLC
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Garick's Earth-friendly products include Nature's Helper(R) Soil Conditioner, the Paygro line of mulches and top soils, and Rooflite(R) material for "green roof" applications. Garick has four composting facilities around the country and produces composts and mulches that are 100 percent organic.
Sticking close to the triple-bottom line approach to sustainable business has allowed Garick to grow its company with the most efficient impact possible. Recently, Garick made two executive and three managerial hires. The company is currently looking to fill about 10 new positions, ranging from intern-level to managerial posts.
In September, Garick was acquired by Houston-based Waste Management. Gary Trinetti, CEO of Garick, views the agreement as a win-win situation that will allow Garick to expand its geographic footprint. The ability to leverage Waste Management's existing infrastructure, coupled with their commitment to redirecting organic waste streams to higher and better uses, will help close the loop for our mutual customers in accomplishing their recycling and sustainability goals," he says.
SOURCE: Garick, LLC
WRITER: Diane DiPiero
Brandon Chrostowski, GM at L'Albatros restaurant in University Circle, made his way from Detroit to Cleveland -- via Chicago, Paris and New York. Now, you couldn't pry the guy out of here with a crowbar. As usual, you can blame -- or credit -- the move on a girl.