'Advance Northeast Ohio' Website Launched

Voices and Choices is an organization we will keep hearing about and it seems as if people are listening to them. The latest of their suggestions to be 'taken' is a website (I found it by lurking on the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Website) It's a new website called Advance Northeast Ohio. It's interactive, I just signed up to be able to leave messages when I want...they might be sorry lol. Anyway, there are four 'initiatives' from Voices and Choices - the website seems like a way to keep everyone honest about progress. I recall that was the goal of Mayor Jackson when he announced the City of Cleveland's Five Year (CIP) Plan and then put the outline and then increasing detail about it on the City website. (It's still in pdf form so let's get it interactive guys!)

Anyway - here are the four initiatives:

• Business Growth and Attraction (who can argue with that?)
• Workforce Preparation & Educational Excellence (WIRE-NET? Max Hayes? Design Ctr?)
• Growth Through Racial and Economic Inclusion
• Government Collaboration and Efficiency

Voices and Choices completed a study and had (I think) at least 3000 participants in this written study - and these initiatives came out of the research V & C did.

The new website hasn't gotten a ton of exposure yet. And of course it's late at night so no one was logged in when I was logged on. There is a web page where you can add topics for discussion or add to already existing topics...a forum page! I like that. What I don't like? No one has participated yet! I know what I will be doing this weekend: getting familiar with the website.

There is also a page that outlines in a little more detail what could? will? happen to advance the four initiatives. For example :

Regional High-Tech and Health Care Jobs Portal that will shine a spotlight on the large number of available jobs in the region’s health care, technology and biosciences industries.

and,

Minority Business Accelerator to assist mid-sized to large minority-owned enterprises to boost sales by more than 20% and more than double employment. Supported through $1 million grant by the Fund for Our Economic Future

There is also something there about a National marketing campaign to promote all that Cleveland has to offer; I try not to roll my eyes, but, can you say 'Believe In Cleveland?' Anyway, I like Voices and Choices so I will give them the benefit of the doubt but seems like money is better spent on 'doing' rather than promoting. Anyway, check out the website and get involved from the comfort of your own home: Advance Northeast Ohio Peace Out-3C

Connecting Cleveland Planning Commission Meetings: Ten Down Two to Go:

The Planning Commission has already been to ten Connecting Cleveland neighborhood meetings. That included one I attended tonight at the Urban Community School on Lorain Avenue. They did a presentation, and had plenty of time for Q & A from those of us in the audience. I'm going to do a broader post about the whole thing after going to at least one more neighborhood meeting. Maybe I will see you there? The next one is:

Thursday Night, March 1st at St. Philip and James Church on Bosworth 7:00 PM

and the last one is:

Saturday Morning, March 3rd at Gunning Recreation Center on Puritas Ave. 10:00 AM.

Seeing the presentation boards lined up around the room is reason enough to go; they outline transportation plans (an emerald bracelet bike path for example) mixed use development, too much to post here - just passing on mtg. information. Peace Out - 3C