Regional Features: Archive by Date

July 2004

Nothing Beats Home Cooking
Posted Thursday, July 29
Northeast Ohio's multi-cultural mix is richer this week with the arrival of 3,000 athletes and coaches who are in town to participate in the International Children's Games. Young people from around the world, aged 12 to 15, will meet in a series of Olympic-styled competitions at various college playing fields around Greater Cleveland. And while many of the athletes are excited about their American adventure, it's hard to escape a feeling of homesickness. Fortunately for the team from El Salvador, a taste of home isn't far away. This past Tuesday, they paid a visit to La Casa Tazumal, a Westside restaurant run by Salvadoran immigrant Maria Martinez. She beamed as she watched the hungry teenagers chow down. "This is a blessing for me," she said. "I never would have believed that this could happen."

Translations - The International Children’s Games
Posted Thursday, July 29
Northeast Ohio's multi-cultural mix is richer this week with the arrival of 3,000 athletes and coaches who are in town to participate in the International Children's Games. Young people from around the world, aged 12 to 15, will meet in a series of Olympic-styled competitions at various venues around Greater Cleveland. But, ideastream's David C. Barnett reports that some of the toughest challenges are taking place off the playing field.

Polish Up Your Protocol
Posted Friday, July 23
Web Exclusive - An interview with Ann Marie Sabath, author of 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy and founder of At Ease Inc., Business Protocol and Etiquette, conducted by ideastream's Marie Andrusewicz.

7th Generation: Return of the Native: Restoring North Bass Island
Posted Thursday, July 22
The state of Ohio has undertaken a project that's rarely attempted: take an island that's been used mostly for agriculture and turn it back into the natural place it once was. Right now they're ripping up the vineyards on North Bass Island to create a state park and nature preserve that will forestall development and recreate the habitat of a hundred years ago. Officials say it will offer visitors an island experience distinctly different from that found on the other Lake Erie Islands. But just how much tourism can a tiny island take? ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Making Change: The Cuyahoga Valley Initiative, Part 1
Posted Wednesday, July 21
On any given day as you commute north toward downtown Cleveland or travel south to the airport or Akron, it's easy to miss the essence of the Cuyahoga River Valley beneath the bustling highways. But a group of businesspeople and government officials haven't missed it; they see the valley as a rich resource and potential wellspring for change. The Cuyahoga Valley Initiative, spearheaded by the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, is a kind of roadmap for creating a place that defines our economy, our recreation, our residences and even our food. ideastream's Shula Neuman has been exploring the valley for our series Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, and has the first of a three-part story.

New Dean for Weatherhead: Myron Roomkin Interview
Posted Thursday, July 15
Case Western Reserve University has found a new dean for its Weatherhead School of Management. Myron Roomkin will take the reins November 1. Roomkin is currently dean of the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington D.C. and he taught at Northwestern University's business school in Chicago. Roomkin takes the helm as the university as a whole is trying to boost its national reputation and take a larger role in Northeast Ohio's development. ideastream's Shula Neuman spoke with Roomkin about his new job.

On the Road to a Better Economy: John Snow Interview
Posted Tuesday, July 13
Toledo native John Snow is the current U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, appointed by President Bush last year. In his post, he's one in charge of overseeing the nation's fiscal policy, and he's trying to improve the job outlook for Ohio and the nation. He came to Cleveland July 13 for a tour of NanoFilm, a polymer company on the leading edge of northeast Ohio's thrust into high technology. Snow was interviewed by ideastream's Rick Jackson.

7th Generation: Witches Save a Highway
Posted Friday, July 9
We've all seen them - those folks in orange vests who come out four times a year to pick up litter along the highway. Ohio is rich in these volunteers. More than 1,700 groups - at least one in each county - give their time to keep our roads and roadside ditches cleaner, saving millions of taxpayer dollars a year. But across the country, some organizations are finding it hard to be accepted into the Adopt-a-Highway program. In some states officials say they won't allow groups with a policy of discrimination or advocacy to put their names on an adopt-a-highway sign. Ohio isn't one of these, even though some signs here are turning heads. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Making Change: The Underground Tech Scene
Posted Wednesday, July 7
Let's review some economic development basics: the more entrepreneurs an area has, the better its economy does. Northeast Ohio has several initiatives underway to support entrepreneurs and encourage more to start businesses. But all of these organized efforts might not compare with the power of untamed technology. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports on how the unseen world of high-tech connectivity is impacting Northeast Ohio's Economy.

Autism Rates on the Increase
Posted Tuesday, July 6
The condition known as autism - or the more clinical term Pervasive Developmental Disorder - is on the rise at an alarming rate, according to some medical authorities. The Autism Society of America says the rate of autism growing by between 10 and 17% a year, and that within the next decade some four million Americans could be afflicted with some degree of the disorder. While the medical community tries to understand and combat rising instances of autism, many families of autistic persons struggle just to cope. ideastream's Dena Mooty has this report.

German Regiments of the Civil War
Posted Monday, July 5
Many of those who fought for the Union Army in the Civil War were not native-born Americans. An estimated 800,000 German-Americans, about a quarter of whom were born in Germany, enlisted to fight for the union cause. Hundreds of those soldiers came from Cleveland, one of the major U.S. destinations for German immigrants. A little-known historical fact is that the union army fielded several entirely German-speaking regiments. At least one of those regiments came from Cleveland. Below are some of the carvings honoring German-American soldiers at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Cleveland's Public Square. All photos by Paul Cox.

New Clinic Center to Address Minority Health
Posted Friday, July 2
The Cleveland Clinic will launch a new center - the first of its kind - to address the health care inequities among minority men. ideastream's Tasha Cook has this report.