Free Coffee Today

Check out Cleveland Jim's Bargain Hunter's website. Not just for the free coffee (and yes, apparently Denny's is giving it away today in honor of Tax Day), but because it's a cool, fun site. I love seeing what he ferrets out as freebies.

Thanks, Jim! Peace Out- 3C

Mayor Jackson Announces the Clean Cleveland Initiative

My parents (and their siblings) were very serious about Spring cleaning. They washed walls, curtains, blinds, driveways, the street got swept! Turns out the City of Cleveland is going to start doing some Spring Cleaning of it's own. Maybe this is not a new initiative, but, it's the first I've heard of it.

The Clean Cleveland Initiative kicked off today. Apparently we can expect to see various City departments at work giving Cleveland a good Spring cleaning (this is what it says on the City website).

Along with that, they want residents to be the 'eyes and ears' for them. For example:

1. Report high weeds, graffiti, traffic light outages, abandoned vehicles, etc.
2. Report illegal activity (!) around abandoned buildings

You know how there can be vacant or abandoned lots and the back sides of shopping strips that seem to be magnets for people to dump trash? The City would like us to call 216-664-DUMP (3867) and report illegal dumping.

I guess it's time for me to get out and clean up my yard for the first time this year. Not to mention trim back the wild rose bushes before they start to sprout. Now while we are all cleaning up, apparently we will have company...City workers! Well, from 8am to 4pm anyway lol.

If you want to commend (or otherwise) any of the work that is done by the various City departments, you can call The Clean Cleveland Hot line at 216-664-2510 or you can email them at: cityofchoice@city.cleveland.oh.us.

Peace Out - 3C

Do You Remember Yuri Gagarin?

Every now and then, when I turn to Google to search for who knows what, I know something special is up by the change in the logo. Lo and behold, today, April 12th, is the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's launch into space....in 1961! This was when the 'space race' between the U.S. and The Soviet Union was in full force. He became the first human to orbit the earth. A thorn in the side to the U.S. government, because Nikita Khrushchev took great delight in promoting the U.S.S.R's superiority due to this accomplishment. Politics aside, it feels good to be able to celebrate such a pioneering event and fellow human's success on the anniversary of his orbit.

According to Wikepedia, Gagarin is called the 'Columbus of the Cosmos' in Russia. Cool name yes? He enjoyed quite a bit of celebrity, as you can imagine, until his untimely death in a plane crash in 1968. NASA does a good job on their website called Starchild (geared appropriately for young people) explaining Gagarin's accomplishments.

Here is a Time Magazine article from May 1961 when Alan Shepard was launched into space; it talks about both Shepard and Gagarin's flights. They say Shepard was fired into space and it all sounds so primitive now compared to the Space Shuttle.

Okay, so it's not Cleveland news. I couldn't help myself, it fascinates me... people were/are willing to be 'the first' at something like this. I mean, no one knows if it's really going to work or not! So Happy Anniversary Yuri.

And a shout out to Google for doing this. The next time you see the Google logo looking a bit different...they just might have other historical events to learn about and celebrate. Who says the Internet is evil :-) Peace Out - 3C

Would You Believe: Cleveland Ranks in Top Five Hottest Job Markets According to Monster Board

Ok, MonsterBoard, the job finding phenomenon, looked at job growth as it related to on line job demand, and came up with some interesting statistics. These are the five hottest job markets, according to Monster:

1. Houston
2. Dallas
3. Atlanta
4. Cleveland
5. St. Louis

For more of the story, check out the source at Monster® By the time you get to number 27 and 28 on the list (San Diego and Washington DC - Washington DC?) there was zero percent job growth on line. Surprised me! And btw, Monster stats show Cleveland with a 10 percent growth in one year. Peace Out - 3C

Tax Abatement Changes Proposed By Mayor Jackson and the City of Cleveland

Apparently the Cleveland Community and Economic Development department has made a recommendation to Mayor Jackson that some changes be made to the tax abatement policy.

Instead of a 100% across the board abatement, it would be more like this:

• 100 % Abatement for 7 Years on new construction
• Increased Abatement Policies on Rehabbed Homes
• Homes Meeting Certain Energy/Green Standards Could Receive an Additional 5 Yrs of Abatement

I'm personally in favor of the increased abatement on rehabbed homes. And a 7 year abatement sounds like a reasonable compromise. I may be in the minority on this, I'm not sure. There are arguments about how suburban 15 year abatement might now win residents over Cleveland. But we certainly can't afford to keep giving blanket abatement. Just my opinion. For example, taxes are lower in Cleveland anyway, so 7 years at 100% and then a lower tax than some of the suburban communities....that has to still be enticing.

I would have liked to see longer abatement for some of the still 'needy' neighborhoods...identified in the Mayor's CIP Plan as fragile. Maybe there is more news on this as the plans - proposal becomes available to the public.

Joe Cimperman, whose district has benefited greatly from abatement, has lent a disapproving comment or two about this. To read more about it, check out the story by Jay Miller in Crains Cleveland.

It would be nice to see the economic figures to back this proposal up....can they show that the tax monies received will outweigh a potential loss of new residents due to the lower abatement period? Inquiring minds want to know. At least I do! I know the CSU study was very bullish on abatement. Peace Out - 3C

April 17th Update: Local WKYC news showed a reporter ( I could not catch the name) taking a straw poll of sorts, asking Cleveland's Councilmembers if they wanted to continue the current abatement program or support Mayor Jackson's plan and there seemed to be no hands up in support of his plan.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cancels Festival -- Is That Anyway to Get the Ceremony Moved to Cleveland?

I've avoided blogging about this but remain aggravated. And now there is an editorial in Crain's Cleveland that pretty much says it the way I feel it. Read what Jeff Stacklin has to say.

I realize rock stars have no vested interest in where the ceremony is held...but couldn't the RRHofF&M get some funding from them for the Festival? Peace Out - 3C

Need a Job In Cuyahoga County? These Jobs May Be Waiting For You

According to today's Plain Dealer, in an article written by Allison Grant, there are unfilled jobs - chronically hard to fill because the nature of the jobs. Here is the list:

1. Sales representatives
2. Teacher
3. Mechanic
4. Technician
5. Management Executive
6. Truck Driver
7. Driver/Delivery
8. Accountant
9. Laborer
10. Machine Operator

This list is from Manpower, Inc. They interviewed upward of 2,400 employers across the U.S.
According to the Manpower study, engineers and nurses came off the list and teachers and mechanics moved up to second and third place. If you browse our local, available job listings, there are usually teaching jobs 'going begging' and they are almost always in Early Childhood areas, Special Education or Math and Sciences.

I know from interviewing Rebecca Kusner of WIRE-NET a few months ago that local manufacturers are working with them on training programs so they can fill their unfilled job positions.

I was wondering what employers are doing to help meet their goals and the Manpower Study has some answers, at least from those they interviewed. Flexible work schedules and improved benefits were mentioned as changes offered to entice prospective employees.

To view the entire Manpower White paper survey follow this link to the pdf files on line.
Peace Out - 3C

4/10/07 (During the news tonight I saw a commercial. I swear it was called 'Dream It, Do It', and it talked about being a machinist and what it means in today's world. Paid for by a bunch of people, including NEO manufacturing companies. I wasn't dreaming myself, was I?)

Curiosity just got the better of me so I headed to Craigslist. They have a substantial employment section and under manufacturing? Steady job listings. For example:

1. A Mentor company looking for a Precision Grinder (well it actually said precision grider and since I'm not in manufacturing, that may or may NOT be a typo!) Familiarity with blue prints needed. Pay is hourly, they said $14 and up.

2. Two positions as a welder in a Cleveland company; all in all, over 14 jobs listed in the manufacturing field since April 1st.

Lends credence to the original article/survey done by Manpower Inc, yes?