Regional Features: Archive by Date

December 2001

Minority Inventors
Posted Friday, December 28
The forecast for the business of technology is slightly cloudy today. The business technology network reports the recession has hit the industry especially hard - computer and software spending was slowed and the previous quarter indicated a downturn in technology investing. For an inventor, that's not good news. And it may be worse for an inventor who is a minority. Some say even before this recession, windows of opportunities were often closed for people of color. Locally NASA Glenn has been trying to change that - 90.3 WCPN's Tarice Sims reports.

Still Bowling Alone?
Posted Thursday, December 27
Despite the popularity of the recent slogan "United We Stand," some social researchers question just how "connected" American citizens really are. The time constraints on dual-income families, the sprawling of the suburbs, and the hypnotic eye of television have combined to limit person-to-person contact in our culture. While renewed pledges of patriotism in the wake of September 11th may affect this trend toward disunity, there is still a lot to overcome. 90.3 WCPN's David C. Barnett reports.

Surfing Lake Erie… in Winter
Posted Thursday, December 20
According to the National Weather Service, this November was the warmest on record in Cleveland, and Lake Erie water temperatures are about six degrees higher than normal. The warmer conditions are creating opportunities for an unusual group of people who live in Northeast Ohio. 90.3 WCPN's Janet Babin reveals what it is they do.

Steel Mill Blues
Posted Tuesday, December 18
Cleveland's LTV Steel plant sits idle for a second week. The last twelve months have seen the company enter bankruptcy, reorganize, lay off some of its workers - and finally, all of its workers. It's been a struggle to keep the 20th century institution alive. Now it looks like the plant may be a lost cause. After all the legalities of the last year, we thought it time to briefly retrace some of that history and hear some impressions from some of those involved. 90.3 WCPN's Bill Rice prepared this extended report.

St. Luke’s Emergency Room Founders
Posted Friday, December 14
At the end of December, another Cleveland emergency room is going out of business. Saint Luke's Medical Center, on the city's east side, has announced plans to close its emergency room and open a new Urgent Care Center. One of the ironies of the situation is that Saint Luke's as a hospital ceased to exist two years ago. Nearby residents, frustrated by years of changes, are feeling hostile about this transformation. Meanwhile hospital administrators are working to convince their neighbors, clients, and local politicians, that the intent behind this change is based on medical realities, not financial ambition. 90.3 WCPN's April Baer reports.

Interview with Mark Tomasch, Senior Director of Corporate Communications, LTV Corporation
Posted Friday, December 14
Web Exclusive - LTV Corporation has closed its Cleveland Works steel plant, idling most of its remaining workforce and marking the end of nearly a hundred years of steel manufacturing in Cleveland. The company has been operating under federal bankruptcy protection since January, 2001. Back then LTV officials met with local, state and congressional leaders, along with the United Steel Workers of America and its union members, to discuss ways to pull the company back from the brink of financial collapse. In November they abandoned the effort, saying LTV was losing money at some two million dollars a day and that closing was the best option for repaying its creditors. The ensuing bankruptcy court hearings in Youngstown were contentious. As union organizers and members hit the streets in protest, lawyers argued the merits and drawbacks of closing the plant. Those fighting to retain steel production have been very vocal, grabbing as much media attention as they could. LTV officials, in contrast, have generally shunned the media spotlight. But on December 14th, Mark Tomasch, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at LTV, agreed to talk at length about the events of the past year that led to LTV's closing. With his own job expected to terminate with the final closing of LTV, Tomasch gives both the company's and his own insight on what transpired over the past year.

Uncertain Future For LTV Retirees
Posted Wednesday, December 12
The end of LTV Steel would mean the loss of 3,200 jobs. But a greater number of people depend on the company for retirement checks and company sponsored medical insurance. 90.3 WCPN's Mike West looks into the options of former steel workers who are facing an uncertain future.

The Future of Urban Development
Posted Thursday, December 6
Urban development has touched every community in Cleveland. New shopping plazas, retail stores and housing have most residents feeling optimistic about the future of Cleveland's urban neighborhoods. Still, progress in neighborhood development is often slow - and with a new administration on the horizon, community leaders are working to make sure their neighborhoods continue to move ahead. 90.3 WCPN's Tarice Sims reports.

Pay Day Lending
Posted Wednesday, December 5
The effects of the economic slow down were compounded by the 9-11 attacks. A month after the disaster the number of unemployed people in the country skyrocketed from more than 730,000 to more than 7 million. But one industry that hasn't lost steam is Pay Day lending. In fact, business is booming as more and more low-income people, in mostly urban areas, look for quick and convenient ways to do their banking. 90.3 WCPN's Tarice Sims reports on the secret of the industry's success and why some people in the financial world are not happy about it.

Urban Redevelopment and Minority Participation
Posted Tuesday, December 4
The City of Cleveland has been home to several major development projects in urban areas. Northern Ohio Live named the best neighborhood revitalization effort the Lee-Harvard Shopping Plaza. The rebirth of Shaker Square had an honorable mention. Both projects have breathe new life in to declining urban areas on Cleveland's eastside - but as 90.3 WCPN's Tarice Sims reports, some critics say while they're happy these projects are happening in their neighborhoods they also want to see more minority participation.