Thanks to Janko for pointing this one out. Rep. Tim Ryan and Youngstown State University have teamed up to create a program that encourages "YSU Alumni business owners, company decision makers" and entrepreneurs to stay in step with what resources the area has to offer them in growing their business.

Starting off at the Grow Home Web page, www.ysugrowhome.com, YSU alumni can link to the Regional Chamber’s economic development database at www.regionalchamber.com/economicdevelopment.asp to find details about state and regional business incentives available in the Mahoning Valley.

The site also includes demographics data, information on the region’s technology companies and programs, its labor force, educational resources, available commercial and industrial sites, infrastructure and telecommunications.

Great idea! It's these small steps and these small business that will indeed grow Youngstown now and in the future. We may get lucky someday and land a corporate headquarters, but if we cross our fingers and wait for that, we'll starve in the meantime. Keep up the great work, Tim and YSU!

Last night, at the venerable Arts and Lecture at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Youngstown at historic Wick Park, Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown, Mayor Mike Lyons of the Village of Richfield, Mahoning River Redevelopment Director Dan Mamula, Governor Strickland’s regional representative Arne Clebone, and Youngstown's regional revenue sharing director, Sarah Lown all spoke about the importance and challenges of regional cooperation. Most enlightening were the case studies from other cities and communities and the highlights of the benefits they've achieved.

I blogged last night about some of those case studies ,over at Reason, where it won't be long before the local grumps start pissing all over my comments board about how Youngstown should leave the suburbs alone and just die already. This is challenge number one. Even though the virtual Local news page is a weak reverse-chronological list, where last night's meeting showed up in the eleventh spot and without a picture to draw attention to it, the usual crowd of naysayers already started calling names: "Mayor Jay was part of the community-cooperation panel? Mr. Community-UNCOOPERATION himself with his JEDD with water for income tax blackmail scheme?"

So, I called them out, "[W]here were you last night? . . . Wal-Mart is the one who insists on special treatment. Mayor Williams is following the rules and working to fulfill his duty to his constituents. . . . It's time we expected businesses to do their due diligence and stop expecting special treatment. Yes, they bring employment. But they're only a business because we bring them the business."

I thought the turnout last night was great. And I was glad to see the Vindicator giving prominent Local-section placement to the event. Of course, it's always humorous to see what trumps the most important issues of the day. The 540-word coverage of the regional-cooperation forum was dwarfed by a 1,000-word feature on how those darn kids just love to text. Hey, I'm no dummy; I bet each of those kid's parents bought several copies to send to their relatives.

So, back to regionalism and some successful models:
Twin Cities Fiscal Disparity Program: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

• Most comprehensive, in operation since 1971
• Program embraces seven counties and many taxing jurisdictions
• Contributions to revenue pools are based on growth in commercial and industrial property tax
• Program is credited with creating equality, reducing competition for tax bases and supporting regional land use planning

Allegheny Regional Asset District: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Region

• Promotes economic development and improvement in equity across political jurisdticions with specific attention to core cities
• Funded by an additional 1% county sales tax
• Tax revenues are divided three ways: 50% support regional cultural and recreational assets, 25% goes to county government and 25% is shared with municipal governments

Montgomery County ED/GE Program: Dayton, Ohio Region

• Program has two components: an economic development component in which 70 percent of the funds are distructed through a grant process back to participating communities and a government equity fund, which uses more sophisticated formulats to distribute funds and ensure greater equity among jurisdictions
• Funded by a 0.5% increase in the county sales tax to a total of 6.5%

The success of these programs and the breadth of approaches and solutions offered in the wide-ranging study discussed at last night's meeting are encouraging and show promise for our area's particular needs. If you're looking for more ideas and coverage of communities thinking regionally, click on over to the Regional Communities blog. Tom Christoffel publishes it from the Shenandoah Valley area and sent me a nice note recently.

More ways to--as Tom says--"Think Local Planet, Act Regionally":

1. Read Phase I of the 16-county study on regionalization (cited above) at http://www.revenuestudy.org
2. Read the Mahoning Valley Metropatterns Study, copy available at Mahoning County and YSU public library or from ACTION (330) 518-6970
3. Attend the Summit for Restoring Prosperity in Ohio on September 10 in Columbus. Bus seats available for $10. Register at greaterohio.org. For bus info call (330) 618-6971. Read the Restoring Prosperity Study at www.brookings.edu.
4. Attend the Gray to Green Festival on September 13, 9-5 at historic Wick Park in Youngstown.
5. Call, write, or E-mail your elected representatives to:
   
   • Fix it First! Improve and infill in built-up areas that already have water, sewers, and utilities, and is near roads, bridges and folks who want work and nearby stores, not far away shopping malls or big box stores and jobs in former cornfields.
   • Fund Mass Transit. E-mail tim.ryanweb@mail.house.gov
   • Fast Track Trains with passenger service from Pittsburgh to Youngstown to Cleveland to Chicago, linking to regional rail hub. Contact Ohio Rail Development Commission at http://www.dot.oh.us
6. Support the ballot issue to continue funding the Clean Ohio program.
7. Join the Mahoning River Consortium.
8. Buy your food at the local farmers market (which, incidentally, is on today!).

Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the world as well as being the largest grocery retailer and toy retailer in the United States. The corporation operates more than 3800 stores in the country. Given these accomplishments, one would think that if a community was in favor of welcoming a Wal-Mart into their area, it would be the easiest thing in the world.

Well, it's the easiest thing in the world unless you run into the tar pit that is regional government cooperation in the Mahoning Valley.

To begin with, Mayor Jay Williams should never have attempted to utilize a Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) in Liberty plaza. The area was developed decades ago and is in desperate need of redevelopment. JEDD's are primarily used to encourage economic development in undeveloped areas. If Wal-Mart wanted to develop the land near the 711-Gypsy Lane interchange a JEDD would be appropriate.

Next, we have the Liberty trustees who are encouraged Wal-Mart to build knowing the project would utilize Youngstown city water, without understanding what was involved. Given the recent press concerning JEDD's between Austintown and Boardman and the vehement opposition from those communities, it is unbelievable that the trustees did not read the Youngstown city application for a commercial water tap. The application states that the new business make a best effort to hire at least 25% of their work force from Youngstown. This oversight is especially grievous because the workforce clause has been in effect since Pat Ungaro's term as Youngstown city mayor. Mr. Ungaro is now the Liberty Township Administrator. One has to wonder how this potential roadblock was overlooked by both the trustees and the administrator who initiated it.

Finally, this fiasco has been marred by the public statements from Mayor Williams and Trustee Jodi Stoyak. Both parties have made statements to the press that indicate cooperation is not a priority:

“Wal-Mart could have actually hired more than 25 percent from the city, but by doing this and stopping this project, no one in Mahoning or Trumbull County will see any additional jobs,” Stoyak said. “We are starving for jobs in this area, and this project is being held up by the mayor. Unfortunately, I don’t think Mayor Williams realizes that Wal-Mart is not going to play games with him.”- Trustee Stoyak.

“All trustees can do is work with the press to apply more pressure publicly and let the public know exactly what is going on with this situation,”- Trustee Stoyak.

“... If this [building] program is being put on hold, it is because of the incompetency of either Liberty or the people at Wal-Mart.”- Mayor Williams.

If the project somehow doesn’t move forward, “it’s not our fault,” Williams said. Ungaro should have mentioned it to Wal-Mart years ago, Williams said.- Mayor Williams.

Given those statements it's clear that the interests of township and city residents are being ill served by their leaders. The most important thing is to get the Wal-Mart built so that jobs are created and the Liberty plaza has a strong economic anchor. This petty bickering and finger pointing serves no purpose except to show potential developers how hard it is to accomplish anything in an area where politics trumps all other interests.

Now is the time for regional leaders to come together and do the following:

• Perform a lessons learned study from this project to identify potential problems like the 25% employment requirement.
• Identify the areas best suited to new economic development.
• Decide which areas would benefit local areas best by utilizing a JEDD.
• Develop a list of needs for each political sub-division within the Mahoning Valley that can be satisfied by regional development.
• Develop a marketing plan for attracting business.
  

We have stumbled around in the darkness long enough. It's time for our elected leaders to work together in their approach to economic development.

New, from the Center for Working-Class Studies, comes Working-Class Perspectives: a new blog. The blog "offers weekly commentaries on current issues related to working-class people and communities. Contributors will discuss a variety of issues, from what class means to how it intersects with race and gender to how class is shaping American politics."

I like to give new blogs a bit of time to percolate before plugging them, so Perspectives has been going since July 28th, and has seen great response from its community in terms of visits and comments. The Center for Working-Class Studies is a leading research and teaching center located at YSU and led by John Russo and Sherry Linkon. I urge you to check out the blog and the site.

The Grey to Green Festival planning committee is still hard at work organizing the First Annual Grey to Green Festival. As the month goes on I will certainly keep you apprised of the wonderful activities and entertainment that you will find at Wick Park on September 13, 2008. Please take note that on the day of the Grey to Green Festival RE-CREATE will be having a drop and shop. So start gathering your items to drop off and plan to spend some time shopping.























However, between now and the Grey to Green Festival there are several other festivals happening in the neighborhood. The first is VEX FEST on Sunday, August 17, 2008 in wonderful downtown Youngstown. I don't know about you but one of my pet peeves about all day festivals is that I often can't spend the entire day there waiting for my favorite bands to play and I often don't know in advance what time or where they will be going on stage. For those of you with time constraints like myself I have located the set list for the day and you will find it below so that you can schedule time to spend at least a few hours checking out your favorite bands.
This might be subject to change but as of today it is accurate. The VEXFEST lineup is below:
BARLEY'S MAIN STAGE
11:10-11:40 The Whaling Skies
11:55-12:25 The Slant
12:40-1:10 The Young Stonians
1:25-1:55 Scotfree & the Guilty Plea
2:10-2:40 Haven
2:55-3:25 Aura
3:40-4:10 D-Jones
4:25-4:55 H-Beam]
5:10-5:40 Da Kreek
5:55-6:25 APG
6:40-7:10 Off the Rocker
7:25-7:55 Fuzztub
8:10-8:40 Rosella
8:55-9:25 First in Space
9:40-10:10 Groove Conductor
10:25-10:55 Gingerspittz
11:10-11:40 Frequent Season
11:55-12:25 Bedspins
12:40-1:10 Something to Shelter

WEST/ Chinebox Tattoo's Stage11:25- 11:55 Pro Bono
12-00- 12:30 Acoustic Juggernaut
1:10 - 1:40 Jordan DePaul & The Reputations
2:20 - 3:00 Mystic WIP Hustler
3:40 - 4:10 KKC
4:45 - 5:25 Away from Eden
6:05 - 6:35 Grey Dealer
7:15 - 7:45 Captain Braskey
8:25 - 8:55 5 Elements
9:35 - 10:20 Jones for Revival
11:15 -12:00 VIA SAHARA
12:55 -1:40 Cyrus

EAST 93.3 The Wolf's Stage
12:35 - 1:05 Wake the Lion
1:45 - 2:15 Posture Coach
3:05 - 3:35 Rebreather
4:20 - 4:50 DaBoondox
5:30 - 6:00 Tilt 360
6:40 - 7:10 Grand Fury
7:50 - 8:20 Kenny Ali
9:00 - 9:30 The Kellys
10:25 - 11:10 THE ZOU
12:05 - 12:50 A Sleep

... And then on August 24, 2008 it is Rukus the Festival This festival promises to be great fun. Check out the You Tube Promo below. Hope to see you there!

Must be great news week!

Here’s the latest update out of the Youngstown Business Incubator:

We haven’t talked about SofTek Software in a while. They are kind of our quiet company, offering a proprietary PoS (point-of-sale) software to four major market verticals, while taking customers from industry giants in those spaces like Reynolds & Reynolds and ADP.

And all the while, they have been quietly building all the necessary internal infrastructure, like one of the best customer support systems we have ever seen, to sustain and further grow the company.

Well in 2008, the pay off for all their hard work is finally here and sales are moving off the charts.

How good?

We’re pleased to report that in spite of a very good year in 2007, SofTek sold more systems in the first half of this year than they did the entire previous year. And to support that sales growth,  five new employees started work at the firm just yesterday alone.

Visit SofTek Software to see the next rising star in the Youngstown Business Incubator portfolio.

Jim Cossler
Chief Evangelist
Youngstown Business Incubator

If you've ever visited and wanted to view the slideshow of Youngstown's Historic Fifth Avenue Homes but found the link broken (why doesn't anybody tell me these things?), it's been fixed. So, please feel free to check it out for the first time or all over again. And remember: this is the most affordable historic district in the country. Homes are available!

First, I saw the headline: Legless, drunken driver arrested in Youngstown. "I've got to read this," I thought.

A legless 65-year-old Boardman man naked from the waist down was charged with driving drunk after first hitting a car at the Market Street/Indianola Avenue intersection around 10 p.m. Thursday and then hitting another one a few minutes later at the Market Street/Warren Avenue intersection, police said.

John E. Carlon of Hunters Glen was arraigned today in municipal court on charges of operating a vehicle impaired, failure to maintain an assured clear distance and failure to stop after an accident.

Okay, wow. Legless. Naked. And drunk. This is some crazy picture. The best part was once I scrolled down to see if there were any comments. Jeff Lebowski gets props as a could-be writer for David Letterman: "I'm no lawyer but based on what I've read this guy doesn't have a leg to stand on when this thing goes to trial."

What? Where are they? Jeez guys, get a grip. So Much for regionalization.

a

KDKA: Obama in “Blue Collar” Town

I had a very enlightening breakfast this morning with the remarkable Brian Corbin. Brian has dedicated himself to the Valley for about twenty years, and in his leadership role with Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown he and his group are working to address poverty and racism throughout the six northeastern counties of Ohio. We're fortunate to have them based right here in Youngstown, on Wood Street, appropriately situated across from the The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor.

The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has been working overtime to round up undocumented workers and prosecute them beyond all reason. This happened in Youngstown, and it appears the restaurant in question was as much of a victim--at least at the local level--as the workers.

However, there's a different story going on in Iowa. First, get outraged with one of the most sensible editorials you're likely to read in a while. That's today's must-read:

A slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, develops an ugly reputation for abusing animals and workers. Reports of dirty, dangerous conditions at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant accumulate for years, told by workers, union organizers, immigrant advocates and government investigators. A videotape by an animal-rights group shows workers pulling the windpipes out of living cows. A woman with a deformed hand tells a reporter of cutting meat for 12 hours a day, six days a week, for wages that labor experts call the lowest in the industry. This year, federal investigators amass evidence of rampant illegal hiring at the plant, which has been called “a kosher ‘Jungle.’ ”

The conditions at the Agriprocessors plant cry out for the cautious and deliberative application of justice.

In May, the government swoops in and arrests ... the workers, hundreds of them, for having false identity papers. The raid’s catch is so huge that the detainees are bused from little Postville to the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo. The defendants, mostly immigrants from Guatemala, are not charged with the usual administrative violations, but with “aggravated identity theft,” a serious crime.

Now, for the story behind it.

When federal immigration agents raided the kosher meatpacking plant here in May and rounded up 389 illegal immigrants, they found more than 20 under-age workers, some as young as 13.

Now those young immigrants have begun to tell investigators about their jobs. Some said they worked shifts of 12 hours or more, wielding razor-edged knives and saws to slice freshly killed beef. Some worked through the night, sometimes six nights a week.

[...]

Sonia Parras Konrad, an immigration lawyer in private practice in Des Moines, is representing many of the young workers. She said she had so far identified 27 workers under 18 who were employed in the packing areas of the plant, most of them illegal immigrants from Guatemala, including some who were not arrested in the raid.

“Some of these boys don’t even shave,” Ms. Parras Konrad said. “They’re goofy. They’re teenagers.”

[...]

While federal prosecutors are primarily focusing on immigration charges, they may also be looking into labor violations. Search warrant documents filed in court before the raid, which was May 12, cited a report by an anonymous immigrant who was sent to work in the plant by immigration authorities as an undercover informant. The immigrant saw “a rabbi who was calling employees derogatory names and throwing meat at employees.” Jewish managers oversee the slaughtering and processing of meat at Agriprocessors to ensure kosher standards.

In another episode, the informant said a floor supervisor had blindfolded an immigrant with duct tape. “The floor supervisor then took one of the meat hooks and hit the Guatemalan with it,” the informant said, adding that the blow did not cause “serious injuries.”

[...]

Mark Lauritsen, a vice president for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which has tried to organize the plant, said he remained skeptical. “They are the poster child for how a rogue company can exploit a broken immigration system,” Mr. Lauritsen said.

More round-ups and deportations will not fix our broken immigration system. We need to step back and assess our values. We need these workers and they need us. Let's find a mutually agreeable arrangement. Thanks, Brian, for bringing this to my attention--and now to our attention. Thanks, too, for the work you do for those in need.

The dog days of summer finally hit us (maybe that’s what the Tribe’s bats needed to wake up).  Hopefully, everyone is enjoying their summer vacations.  This issue of positive change comes at a welcome time.  With recent developments in the region, Cuyahoga County in particular, we could all use some better news to focus on.

We’ve recapped a nice selection of positive news from July after the break.

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s July recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.  

July ‘08 Recap

• MemPro Ceramics gains $500,000 grant 
• Hyland Software acquires Calif. company 
• Northeast Ohio industrial sites in demand (some facts and figures)
• Building Biomedical jobs
• Advanced Energy and Northeast Ohio (as in, the story keeps getting better)
• Rainbow given $1M to study childhood cancer
• Cleveland Clinic wins $1.4M grant
• Cleveland State receives two $1M grants
• Eaton wins Cessna fuel systems work
• Cavaliers re-sign Daniel Gibson 
• Orthopedic hospital breaks ground 
• Parker Hannifan wins huge supply contract
• Timken issues upbeat forecast 
• Case engineering school receives $250K gift
• Timken outlook defies “downturn”
• Ohio is committed to technology innovation
• UoA foundation & LCCC team up for tech
• Youngstown’s collaboration recognized nationally
• Babcock & Wilcox unit lands $30M contract
• Ohio ranks high in biotechnology
• $7.5M to provide startup help
• Akron ARCHAngels making an impact
• Profits soar at Steris

This list certainly isn’t meant to be exhaustive, merely a representative sample of some of the more positive articles we saw throughout the month.  We want to hear from you too!  Please use the comment box below to share your thoughts with us here at NEOinc and our other readers.  Come on, you know you want to.

We’re also looking for other blogs to follow that report on positive entrepreneurship and economic development activities throughout Northeast Ohio.  You can review the list below of the blogs we currently follow.  Please post any additional recommendations via the comment box at the end of this post.

NEOinc’s blog reports regularly on entrepreneurial activities within the region, news and successes within the five incubators making up our collaborative, and resources available throughout Northeast Ohio.  If you found this post useful, please consider subscribing to our blog.  Our “Connect With Us” page will give you all the information you need to subscribe via your RSS reader or receive E-Mail updates.

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs.  Please use our “Contact Us” page, or the comment box below, to recommend a blog not on the list.

• Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
• Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
• Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
• Crain’s Cleveland
• NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
• Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.

Do you have favorite family recipes that you cherish? Is there a special dish, bread, or dessert that your Grandmother or Mother always made for certain holiday celebrations? Is there a story behind some of the family celebrations that you pass along from generation to generation? If so, you are not alone. Families share favorite recipes and pass along treasured stories that accompany them. More and more families are preserving these stories in the form of family cookbooks. On Saturday, April 12th from 1:30 – 3:30, the Aurora Historical Society will host Dr. Martha Pallante, (more…)

Interesting article in the Times Sunday about college grads who are "prolonging the intermediate stage between college and the rest of their lives" by simply remaining in their inexpensive college towns and just creating. The big-fish-in-a-little-pond feature is something that appealed to me when I was at YSU and was able to keep busy and make pretty good money playing gigs. How do we ensure YSU students are aware of the opportunities out there for them in the community, so that they aren't only seeing what's within the walls of their campus enclave?

If a disproportionate number of stay-behind graduates seem to be artists who work more than one job, live with multiple friends and play a string instrument, it’s not necessarily a coincidence. College towns cultivate creative types. Providence, R.I., (Brown) and Charlottesville (University of Virginia) are known for their visual arts scenes; Iowa City (University of Iowa) and Missoula (University of Montana) have strong literary communities, while Davis (University of California) and Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina) have their aging activists. Cities like Austin, Tex.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Fargo, N.D., have developed thriving economies in part because software and research companies gravitate toward places with a large concentration of graduates.

What's our brand? If we were listed in this article, how would we be listed? I was talking with a fellow Youngstown blogger this weekend who is getting e-mails from YSU students saying, "How can we help out downtown? We want to be here and pitch in." That's exciting! What are they seeing?

Well, it's the same thing you and I are seeing: A city near the end of an epic tragedy. There are twelve minutes left in the film, and the patient is on the operating table. The elderly doctors are shaking their heads, "It doesn't look good." The monitor starts to flatline, and they start to put their instruments away. But the patient won't give up. A flicker of life appears on the heartbeat monitor, and the camera pans to the patient's hand to see it twitch. The patient's eyes open, and the doctors can't believe it; they had chalked up a lost cause.

But outside hundreds of people are patiently waiting, trusting, knowing this is not the end. There is a sequel on the way--a new chapter to be written in which we will all be co-authors. That creative impulse, therefore, can create merely art in Charlottesville, Virginia or music in Athens, Georgia. But in Youngstown you can create place, renew a city, define a new generation of politics, reclaim a historic property, recycle a landscape. Could there be a more exciting or rewarding place to be?

Well, welcome to the halfway point of 2008.  That went quick, didn’t it?  What started out as a slow month, ended on a high note with lots of positive announcements throughout the region.  We’ve summarized a nice selection after the break.

June also saw one of the blogs we follow “going dark”, as they say.  Chris Varley’s Tech Futures blog, which grew out of a NorTech study around technology-based economic development, signed off this month with the following note:

The TechFutures site will remain up for some time to come, but this will be the last blog post in this forum.  As NorTech adapts to the changes around it, new priorities are emerging and new initiatives are being launched.  We invite you to revisit the stories and history of this project here on this site, but even more than that we encourage you to get and stay involved in the new projects NorTech and other economic development groups in the region pursue in the months and years to come.

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s June recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.  

June ‘08 Recap

• Green technologies could benefit half a million Ohio workers
• Governor Strickland tours Akron accelerator
• Beachwood software company receives $13M investment
• Lorain County foundation gives, receives; Lorain Innovation Fund takes regional view
• Transforming workforce development 
• More wind power developments
• Akron wins All-American city award (for 3rd time)
• SageQuest closes $3.72M investment round
• Twinsburg company lands major power equipment deal 
• Timken gets $3.8M deal from China 
• Cleveland BioTech gets $1.35M
• Cuyahoga County creates $750K North Coast Technology Fund (we’ll have more details later)
• Morgan Foundation awards grants
• Neighborhood Progress wins $500K grant
• Goodyear outlines big investment plans 
• More help to grow your business (new fund announced)
• NE Ohio scores big with Third Frontier grants (ABJ story on how one grant helped keep a promising company in the region); More information on the specific entities getting grants
• Akron SCORE keeps growing
• Free workshops for entrepreneurs
• BioTech training gets $2M boost
• Willoughby firm gets contract for AEP work

This list certainly isn’t meant to be exhaustive, merely a representative sample of some of the more positive articles we saw throughout the month.  We want to hear from you too!  Please use the comment box below to share your thoughts with us here at NEOinc and our other readers.  Come on, you know you want to.

We’re also looking for other blogs to follow that report on positive entrepreneurship and economic development activities throughout Northeast Ohio.  You can review the list below of the blogs we currently follow.  Please post any additional recommendations via the comment box at the end of this post.

NEOinc’s blog reports regularly on entrepreneurial activities within the region, news and successes within the five incubators making up our collaborative, and resources available throughout Northeast Ohio.  If you found this post useful, please consider subscribing to our blog.  Our “Connect With Us” page will give you all the information you need to subscribe via your RSS reader or receive E-Mail updates.

Sources

NEOinc watches the following regional blogs.  Please use our “Contact Us” page, or the comment box below, to recommend a blog not on the list.

• Advance Northeast Ohio - the online home of our region’s economic action plan, which was inspired by Voices & Choices. Learn about the actions our region is taking to grow our economy and engage in conversations that shape the plan and evaluate our performance.
• Brewed Fresh Daily- topical, wide-ranging, and sometimes irreverant, George Nemeth’s blog is a clearinghouse for the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
• Cleveland Plain Dealer’s business blog
• Crain’s Cleveland
• NorTech - NorTech leads the region’s technology based economic development agenda. By supporting and nurturing Northeast Ohio’s most promising technology projects and initiatives, they help to create new technology industries and make the region ’s economy more globally-competitive.
• Ohio Means Business - The OBDC blog is a chance for Ohio executives to share their perspective on how locating in Ohio has enabled them to achieve both their professional and personal aspirations without having to sacrifice one for the other.

Thanks to Jaci Clark for taking most of these fabulous photos.









The Common Ground at Kensington and Broadway on Youngstown's North Side

It's spring and Defend Youngstown found a great post at Celsias about the Greening of Youngstown. I'm thrilled that the "Grey to Green" message of the 2010 plan is spreading far and wide. Meanwhile, this past Saturday, Treez Please planted several hundred trees at the Common Ground. Throughout the day about thirty men, women, and a lot of kids showed up to help. Treezers hope to foster the trees until we find happy homes for them. In the fall we will convert the space into a wild flower meadow.

Also, June 7, 2008 Youngstown CityScape will be having it's 11th annual Streetscape from 8:00 am until 12 noon. Everyone will be meeting at 20 Federal Plaza W. Youngstown,OH 44503. Priority areas for this year's event are: The Wick Park Area;Flower pots along West and East Federal Streets; the oval historic monument in the middle of Market Street and Wick Avenue; The Garden Bunker on the corners of East Federal, Boardman and Champion Street. The stairway that connects Wood Street to Commerce; Gateways into downtown; Smoky Hollow Memorial maintenance and plantings; Hillside between Wood and Commerce Street; and enhancement of the landscape on Walnut Street, Wood Street, and City Hall. For more information contact (330) 742-4040.
[where:20 Federal Plaza West Youngstown OH 44503]

Last week there was an incident in downtown Youngstown at the Stambaugh Building. The Business Journal indicates that workmen were in the process of removing some windows from the building when a window fell from the structure to the parking lot below. The Stambaugh Building has now had over 100 windows removed. The stated reason is that the windows were dangerous and leaky so the developers (Lou Frangos)decided to remove the windows from the historic building.


The Stambaugh Building has a long and historic past. It was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit's most important architects in neo-classical revival design. The building started out as a Euwers Department Store which was one of first department stores to incorporate a restaturant. After the store moved the building became an office building that was later to house Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co., and Standard Slag.

It is a travesty that the windows have been removed from this historic landmark. There is little that is more discouraging than a drive through our downtown only to look up at one of its most prominent buildings to see that the windows have been replaced by plywood. The citizens of Youngstown will not stand for this. The windows must be replaced and very soon. For an ongoing story about the issue go to Shout Youngstown.The Shout Youngstown blog also has links to local talk show radio programs where the issue of the windows is discussed, as well as video of the site. The Reason Blog on the Vindy site has also posted an article about the problem and is asking for comments to be posted. Also please sign this petition demanding that the city take action against the owner/developer of this building.

The citizens of Youngstown are not the kind to just sit passively by while a developer systematically destroys our city. We are an action oriented type of people. In keeping with that fine tradition an action plan has been proposed to the city of Youngstown about the stabilization of the Stambaugh Building. A draft if this proposal may be found a Youngstown Renaissance

What is happening here is demolition by neglect. This term is used to describe a situation in which a historic property is intentionally allowed to suffer from deterioration, potentially beyond the point of repair. Property owners many times engage in this type of affirmative strategy of neglect to circumvent historic preservation regulations. Here, in Youngstown, it appears that the owner of the Stambaugh Building has this in mind. He has told the press that he believes that the building is a lost cause.

The issue of demolition by neglect is becoming a nationwide concern. It is one of the most serious problems affecting the fabric of our historic neighborhoods and cities. The most important tool for controlling demolition by neglect is to pass a carefully drafted city ordinance that requires affirmative maintenance. This ordinance should apply to not only historical buildings but also those buildings that are determined by the city to be significant or contributory to the overall community. Although Youngstown has a design and review committee that addresses the issues of restoration and repair, there does not appear to be an ordinance regarding demolition by neglect.

Such an ordinance might read like this one:

The owner, lessee,or other person in actual charge of a significant or contributory building shall comply with all applicable codes, laws, and regulations governing the maintenance of property. It is the intent of this law to preserve from deliberate, intentional, or inadvertent neglect the exterior features of buildings designated significant or contributory, and the interior portions thereof when such maintenance is necessary to prevent deterioration and decay of the exterior. All such buildings shall be preserved against such decay and deterioration and shall be free from structural defects through prompt corrections of any of the following defects:
1. Facades which may fall and injure members of the public or property.
2. Deteriorated or inadequate foundation, defective or deteriorated flooring or floor supports, deteriorated walls or other vertical structural supports.
3. Members of ceilings, roofs, ceiling and roof supports or other horizontal members which sag, split or buckle due to defective material or deterioration.
4. Deteriorated or ineffective waterproofing of exterior walls, roofs, foundations, or floors, including broken windows or doors.
5. Defective or insufficient weather protection for exterior wall covering, including lack of paint or weathering due to lack of paint or other protective covering.
6. Any fault or defect in the building which renders it not properly watertight or structurally unsafe.

It is also important that this provision come equipped with adequate remedies and enforcement authority. In addition a legal course of action for assessing whether or not demolition by neglect is actually occurring must be developed.

This criteria could potentially include:

1. Identification by the building code inspectors or third parties that a potential problem exists followed-up by an inspection to determine the condition of the building.
2. The findings should then be presented at a public hearing to a Commission set up for this purpose. A report detailing the defects in the building would be presented and the owner given thirty days to respond to the preliminary determination by providing a document detailing the specific work which is necessary to correct the "Demolition by Neglect" conditions and a time limit proposed for starting and completing the work.
3. If the owner fails to respond the matter would then be referred to the Commission for a citation hearing. If after appropriate notices are sent and the owner fails to respond, the building is posted with a notice of the violation in accordance with the provision of the Demolition by Neglect Ordinance and another public hearing called.
4. At the public hearing the owner is given an opportunity to show cause. The Commission would vote regarding whether the citation for Demolition by Neglect is appropriate.
5. If the owner fails to correct the problem or take steps to correct the problem within ten days the matter is turned over to the City Attorney's Office for action in Civil Court.
6. In addition to civil actions against the owner/owners misdemeanor criminal penalties should apply and be strictly enforced. These would include a criminal fine of $150.00 for the first offense. Whoever is convicted of a second violation for a second or subsequent offense within a period of two years from the date of the next prior conviction would be guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree and shall be fined $250.00 or imprisoned for thirty days or both. Each day of the violation would constitute a separate offense.

Please provide your thoughts and concerns about such a ordinance and provision by commenting on this blog.

I am so excited about the news! The Vindicator has announced that shooting will begin this week on a documentary about Youngstown. Ray "Boom" "Boom" Mancini and Jim Napoli are producing it. Their plan is to show the city as a fighter. The film crew will make forays into the community this week to find Youngstowners in their element - so look out folks! Mancini calls it "guerrilla film making."

For anyone who has ever dreamt of being in the movies you may have the chance to be caught on film if you make your way to the city. While here, make sure you check out the new Taft Technology Center,. For a glimpse check it out at Youngstown Pride.

Make sure you walk by the revived Davis Building, and have something to eat or drink at one of our fine eateries, awesome bars, or clubs. In the event you just want to be out on the streets,in hopes that the camera will find you there, just stop by and get an ice cream cone at Touch the Moon Candy Saloon, then wander around, chillout,and enjoy the spring.

As of late I have been reading a book called "Destination Branding for Small Cities". It is written by Bill Baker. He defines destination branding as the totality of perceptions, thoughts and feelings that people have about a a place. He states that, "Destination branding is an organizing principle that involves orchestrating the messages and experiences associated with the place to ensure that they are as distinctive, compelling, memorable, and rewarding as possible."

His theory is that many small cities need to develop a brand strategy in order to overcome dated, confusing, or inaccurate images. Youngstown has clearly suffered from an inaccurate image and it is time to fix that problem and change the perceptions of our fine city in the minds of people near and far. The way to do that is to attract more visitors to our downtown and also revitalize the interest of area residents in the entertainment and recreational values of Youngstown. (You really have no idea what you've been missing if you haven't been downtown in a while. I suggest you hang out after work on a Friday night instead of making a dash back to the suburbs.)

The new urban pioneers living in Youngstown are well aware of the exciting things happening in the city, Mancini's documentary will now get the word spread far and wide. Mancini gets it -and Pavlik gets it, and Defend Youngstown gets it - Youngstown folks don't give up - they get up...and what's more they have a helluva lot of fun while doing it. I don't exactly know how to convert this fact into a "brand" per se, but I'm working on it. I'm going to continue reading about the branding of cities and think about it some more. If you have any ideas or thoughts about this please share them with me by commenting on the blog.

This letter to the editor in Sunday's Vindicator from Youngstown City School student Ammie-Marie Roxanne Littke speaks volumes about the state of the school system and the problems it currently faces. With refreshing honesty she tasks parents and guardians with ensuring students behave properly by providing appropriate role models. This letter deserves as much visibility as possible.

EDITOR:

In efforts to promote the Youngstown City School District, my speech class at East High School gathered information from the Mahoning Valley citizens to resolve violence and the lack of moral respect in our public schools. As an East High student, I must say that this district is by far the most complex, yet caring, system I have been a part of.

Teachers and staff find themselves taking on parental roles due to the lack of discipline at home. Students tend to attach themselves to the authoritative figures outside their home, due to a lack of parental support. We have nearly 1,000 students attending East High School and roughly 100 parents attended the parent-teacher conferences this year.

When I moved to Youngstown in 2005, I found students who lacked basic morals, self-respect, a need to strive for their very best and some who did not want to comply with our society. I was stunned at the value placed on education and the value of life. It seemed like many of the students did not care about the school or what others thought of them and their actions. After a while, I began to believe that the arrogance of some students was so severe that no action could change the behavior.

Vandalism seems to plague the streets and schools of Youngstown, but why? Is it because students find themselves bored and in the desperate mood for entertainment? Are some students angry and relieve their tensions on the property of others? From my knowledge, it’s a sad and humiliating environment for the citizens of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

Thus, some may wonder, why do these students deserve a levy to be passed, why do they deserve to have a multi-million dollar learning facility, and why should the community step in to inform students that it’s not OK to deal or abuse legal/illegal drugs and teen pregnancy is not OK? If you want the district to change direction, if you want the students to change their actions, then you, as our parents