Cleveland

In May 2009, Forbes ranked Toledo as the worst job market among mid-sized cities, citing massive industry decline in the past decade. However, the plight of our community is not isolated; Cleveland, Dayton and Youngstown make the list for worst job markets in the nation, and businesses continue to hemorrhage from our borders. National Cash Register abandoned Dayton over the summer, and this month American Greetings announced plans to possibly relocate from its Brooklyn headquarters.

Plain Dealer editorial:

Cleveland schools CEO Eugene Sanders may not yet realize it, but the cloak-and- dagger tactics of Daniel Burns, the district's former chief operating officer, are casting grave doubts on Sanders' ability to manage his promised turnaround of Cleveland's failing schools.

The stakes are too high to let that happen -- which is why Sanders needs to be as open as possible about why top school officials spent money that should have been used to educate kids to spy on school critics instead.

You can pick up and read the story in El Tiempo.
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El Tiempo Article Kevin Milliken

Former TPS Administrator Ordered Probes of Private Citizens Investigations Occurred at Taxpayer Expense

The former business manager at Toledo Public Schools hired a private investigation firm at taxpayer expense to look into the backgrounds of five people who were private citizens at the time, including three people who would eventually be elected to the TPS board of education.

Pick up this week's El Tiempo for the story.
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El Tiempo Article Kevin Milliken

Ah, ask and ye shall get. I wondered this morning, that Dan Burns' investigations discovered in Cleveland had to start earlier and we find out they have. According to the Blade, Burns investigated Robert Torres, Darlene Fisher, Steven Steel, Steve Flagg, and Francis Dumbuya. I was not on the list. I don't know how I feel about this. Read more in the Blade. But now we go from stealing to having the district get all J Edgar Hoover on people. That is an interesting shift of events.

This is another one of those questions, did he really just start doing this in Cleveland? I don't think so, but because no one watches for this locally, we probably will not know.
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From the Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland school board Vice Chairwoman Louise Dempsey apologized Friday to the community, saying she's sorry that the district hired private investigators to keep tabs on employees.

"What happened was unconscionable. The board does not condone this practice at all," Dempsey said. "We will never condone this behavior."

Remember this theft happened while Larry Sykes and Eugene Sanders stood up with their financial oversight committees and said everything is good, trust us. TPS continued to say trust us, then Dan Burns gets caught in Cleveland. TPS scrambled saying we have no clue how much he took from us. Well now we trust you never will look after our money even when you tell us to trust us. For many years, board members including Larry Sykes said that the rest of the State looks up to us. Well I don't know how may districts had 700k stolen from them right under their noses.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer published the latest on the Burns saga. Again, one has to wonder if this was the first time he did it-I would put money on no. Dr. Sanders is of course denying knowledge.
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Former Cleveland schools Chief Operating Officer Daniel Burns had a private firm conduct undercover investigations of three high-ranking district administrators, probes that cost tens of thousands of dollars but failed to find anything suspicious, Chief Executive Officer Eugene Sanders says.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/12/cleveland_schools_ex-official_1....

Another local name name is now involved in the Burns scandal, Steve Cotner who performed background investigations. In Cleveland he performed 20k of services which were not rendered. One has to wonder if he was related to another Sander's employee Craig Cotner who was one time district academic officer.

Wow, who would have thought Dan Burns would be indicted for stealing money in Cleveland. What could have caused such a praised man here in Toledo to mysteriously become corrupt. Larry Sykes, when he was on the board before, said everyone looks up to TPS and had nothing but praise for Dan Burns. One has to wonder why he went to the dark side so quickly or was it quick????

From the Plain Dealer, the only newspaper to follow this story.
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Rep. Blessing invites colleagues for open discussion to solve casino shortfalls

Columbus– Issue 3 passed and Ohio is facing the possible development of casinos in its four largest communities including: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. State Rep. Louis W. Blessing Jr. (R-Cincinnati) announced intentions to support legislation that will be placed on the May ballot, when enacted it will require the construction of these casinos and defines the timelines of each.

WKYC details what it is all about:
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CLEVELAND -- Should budget-crunched Ohio borrow $200 million to pay Mideast conflict era veterans a bonus for their service?

That's the question facing voters Election Day in Ohio Issue 1.

Ohio has traditionally given veterans bonuses for their service. The tradition dates back to World War I.

World War II, Korea, and Vietnam-era veterans also got small "thanks" payments, to show Ohioans' appreciation.

GOP Leader Batchelder to Dems: start the conversation today, Ohio can’t wait

Columbus—House Republicans today announced in press conferences across the state the Republican alternative to failed Democrat leadership, the “Future of Ohio” plan. House Republicans engaged stakeholders in discussions with the business community early this summer on their ideas for jumpstarting Ohio’s economy. The resulting package of proposals was announced at the press conferences. House Republican Leader William G. Batchelder issued the following statement:

Rockets will be in Cleveland taking on the Buckeyes. It will be a hard decision for some Rockets fans. Let us know what you think.

In via e-mail.
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In June of 2009, the Scott Alumni Association through its president Robert Davis requested that TPS form an oversight committee for the Scott High School
building process. Two meetings were held with school board member Lisa
Sobecki, to discuss this formation. The last oversight committee was selected
during the term of former Superintendent Eugene Sanders.

http://www.tps.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=119

The last minutes of the TPS Community Oversight Committee meetings

More coverage on the record breaking cool July.
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Cool July is breaking records, but in Cleveland it's only in the Top 10 of coolest Julys

What is this, Christmas in July?

Not quite, but this unseasonably chilly midsummer month is about to break cold-weather records throughout the Midwest -- some more than 100 years old.

Meteorologists from Madison, Wis., to Chicago to Toledo, Akron and Columbus -- and dozens of cities in between -- are watching their thermometers as the month winds down.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/07/cool_july_is_breaking_records.html

I don't know if you have seen this or not.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Initially, you had to donate money to Toledo's athletic department if you wanted tickets to Ohio State's first football game in Cleveland in 18 years. On Monday, donations are no longer prerequisites. But you will have to drive to Toledo.
http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/07/tickets_for_ohio_...

Ben Williams has set up a meeting with the U.S. Dept. of Education Regional
Office from Cleveland. *The meeting will be held on Friday, June 26 at
11:00 at the Frederick Douglas Center at 1001 Indiana - 1st Floor. Please
plan to be there by 10:30.*

Mr. Williams expressed that there is an interest at government level which
is why they have agreed to this meeting. This is a great opportunity to
express concerns regarding Scott's building plans, curriculum and any other
concerns. Mr. Williams has worked hard to keep officials informed of our

Smoke on the Water - Ribs for the Red Cross Features Presidents of the
United States of America, Chuck Wicks as Headline Entertainment

The American Red Cross Toledo Area Chapter is proud to announce the
headline entertainment for the 2009 Columbia Gas Smoke on the Water -
Ribs for the Red Cross event.

Saturday, August 1- Presidents of the United States of America

This twice Grammy-nominated alternative rock band is best known for the
songs "Lump" and "Peaches" from their 1993 triple-platinum self-titled
debut CD. The Seattle based trio rose from the post-grunge scene of the