Regional News Stories Archive: October 2002

Free Times Closes Shop
Originally aired Thursday, October 3, 2002
It was tagged Ohio's largest news, arts and entertainment weekly - with a circulation of 90,000 and hundreds of thousands of readers - but not anymore. Without warning to its 99 full- and part-time employees, The Cleveland Free Times newspaper announced yesterday it would close its doors by the end of the day. The decision came just one week after the paper published its 10th anniversary issue. The Free Times parent company is blaming the shut down on the poor economy. ideastream's Janet Babin visited the paper yesterday, as staff members were preparing to leave work for the last time.

NASA Plum Brook - Part One
Originally aired Monday, October 7, 2002
Nuclear power problems have been big news in Ohio this year. The Davis-Besse plant near Toledo was shut down last February because of a hole in the reactor. Both federal regulators and the plant owner admit the incident should have been prevented. But not all Ohio nuclear facilities have had a bad track record. This year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration began decommissioning the only reactor the agency ever built. The NASA Plum Brook test reactor near Sandusky operated successfully for eleven years before going into cold storage in 1973. Designed to test the effects of radiation on materials used in space flight, the facility was also an opportunity for the nascent nuclear industry to learn how to safely handle other aspects of nuclear technology. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

NASA Plum Brook - Part Two
Originally aired Tuesday, October 8, 2002
NASA's Plum Brook test reactor near Sandusky operated safely for 11 years. Lessons learned at the facility in the 1960's were disseminated throughout the growing nuclear industry. Today that chapter of history is closing, as NASA prepares to decommission the reactor. But former engineers says there's still a future for nuclear power, even in the aftermath of Three Mile Island and recent events at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

NASA Plum Brook Retirees Interview
Originally aired Tuesday, October 8, 2002
Web Exclusive - 90.3's Karen Schaefer spoke with four Plum Brook retirees, whose jobs ranged from plant construction to reactor operation to hot cell experimentation to health monitoring. These were some of the pioneers of nuclear engineering and safety, who came from places like Westinghouse and General Electric in the private sector and went on to develop new guidelines for the industry in the newly-formed Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Read below for what they hoped to accomplish, what they believe they achieved, and what they believe the future of nuclear power to be. Who we are and what we did at the NASA Plum Brook Test Reactor

Gay Community Helps In Preservation
Originally aired Thursday, October 10, 2002
This week Cleveland is showing off its historic sites. About 2,000 people are in town for the National Preservation Conference. The week-long event features dozens of tours to historic buildings, mansions and neighborhoods. Leaders of the National Trust For Historic Preservation are also publicly recognizing a group of people they say have helped save and rehabilitate historic places in Cleveland and elsewhere. ideastream's Mike West has more.

Making Change:  Attracting Foreign Firms to Cleveland
Originally aired Monday, October 14, 2002
As autumn approaches, change is beginning to take place everywhere - and it's not just the changing of the leaves. Efforts are underway to make significant changes in our local economy. Last January, this region's business community sought change by going overseas, when a group from Northeast Ohio went on a mission to Israel. The goal was to attract bio-science companies to this region. While the mission did not result in a slew of bio-tech firms immediately knocking down the door to set up shop, it did create a flurry of interest-both here and abroad. This morning, ideastream begins "Making Change: Reinventing Our Economy," its goal? To find out what it takes to bring the color, mostly green, back to the local economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports.

Debating Ohio - The Race for Governor - Debate 1
Originally aired Tuesday, October 15, 2002
This is the first of three statewide debates with the candidates for governor. It was held at Dayton's public television station and is a partnership between Ohio's public broadcasters and three of the state's leading newspapers.

Philanthropy Feature 1: E-Philanthropy
Originally aired Wednesday, October 16, 2002
Halloween has yet to arrive, but you may have noticed that the malls are already putting out their Christmas and holiday dsiplays. Once again, many of you will be shopping on-line this holiday season, and now, you may also get the chance to support your favorite charity in the process. As more than 700 CEO's from non-profit foundations prepare for a conference in Cleveland, 90.3 is examining this month, the business of philanthropy. ideastream correspondent Tanya Ott reports this morning on "e-philanthropy."

Philanthropy Feature 2: High Impact Philanthropy
Originally aired Thursday, October 17, 2002
The future of non-profit organizations will be the focus of a major three-day conference this month in Cleveland. More than 700 CEO's from non-profit foundations and corporations will gather here to discuss public and congressional scrutiny in the aftermath of September 11th. This month, 90.3 is examining philanthropy as non-profits nationwide grapple with fewer donations and an increase demand for services. Ideastream correspondent Tanya Ott reports.

Philanthropy Feature 3: Art Philanthropy
Originally aired Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Americans give billions of dollars to charity each year - with roughly three percent of that going to arts and culture organizations. But some in the field are worried that percentage is on the way down for some traditional arts groups as audiences get older. This "aging of philanthropists" is one of the main reasons why Cleveland is playing host later this month to a gathering of more than 700 CEO's from non-profit organizations. ideastream correspondent Tanya Ott reports.

Cleveland Movie Industry Blooming
Originally aired Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Northeast Ohio is in the spotlight like never before. Several movies are on the big screen, or will be there soon. The shooting of a TV drama series is also in the works. Local showbiz types say building our film industry means millions of Hollywood dollars for local businesses and additional jobs. The challenge is keeping the momentum going. ideastream's Mike West has this report on the competition for attracting the film-making to Cleveland.

Philanthropy Feature 4: Transfer of Wealth
Originally aired Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Americans have donated $1.5 billion to charities helping the victims of the September 11th attacks - and while that number sounds staggering, it's less than one percent of the total amount we gave to charity the previous year. Whether these record-setting levels of charitable giving will continue, though, is a matter of great debate in the non-profit sector. Much of that debate will take place in Cleveland in a few days, as more than 700 CEO's from the non-profit sector meet to discuss the future of philanthropy. Ideastream correspondent Tanya Ott concludes her series of report on philanthropy today with this look at the transfer of wealth.

Debating Ohio - The Race for Governor - Debate 2
Originally aired Wednesday, October 23, 2002
This is the second of three statewide debates with the candidates for governor. It was held in Columbus and is a partnership between Ohio's public broadcasters and three of the state's leading newspapers.

Therapist E-Counceling Just a Click Away
Originally aired Thursday, October 24, 2002
Whether it's taxes or something else driving you over the edge, help can be just a click of the mouse away. Like many other things you can get over the internet, some therapists are offering e-counseling. As 90.3 continues coverage of mental health issues, we're going to talk with counselor Tim Warneka of Willloughy Hills. He joins us by phone this morning.

Mental Health Board Cutbacks
Originally aired Thursday, October 24, 2002
This week will be the final week of work for some staffers at the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board. Like so many public agencies that depend on state money, the mental health board has had to find ways to get by on a shrinking budget. For that reason, it's eliminating some jobs. The chief executive officer of the board, Bill Denihan, is with us by phone this morning.

Focus on Issue 4 Campaign
Originally aired Thursday, October 24, 2002
The vote on Issue 4 is getting a lot of attention heading into the November 5th. The referendum that will decide whether or not to leave the school system in the hands of the mayor is touted by some as the most crucial item on Cleveland's ballot. We've heard much about the arguments for and against - the right to vote versus the needs of the children, accountability to the mayor versus accountability to the people. Today we take a look at the campaigns - where the support is going, and how the messages are getting out. 90.3's Bill Rice reports.

Urban Retail Could Bring New Profits
Originally aired Friday, October 25, 2002
Cleveland's downtown and inner-ring suburbs used to be home to bustling shopping districts. That changed when the street car tracks were torn up and suburban shopping centers replaced main streets as retail hubs. But things may be slowing changing. Shopping developers are finding the inner city could be the next happy hunting ground for profits. ideastream's Mike West has this report.

Making Change:  Ohio’s Shrinking Political Clout
Originally aired Monday, October 28, 2002
When voters go to the polls next week, their choice may rest on whom they think can best bring home money for local projects. Frequently, the link between who is in Washington and which initiatives get funded is closer than you might think. Often, the amount of pork a local politico can bring home comes down to connections and clout. Remember, one person's pork is another's gold. Northeast Ohio's representatives are clearly not as experienced as their predecessors. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports on how this area's loss of political clout in the nation's capital is affecting the region.

Jailed Traficant Running For Congress
Originally aired Tuesday, October 29, 2002
For the first time since 1984, there's a good chance that citizens in Ohio's 17th congressional district will be represented by someone other than James Traficant, who was convicted of federal corruption charges and expelled from the House this summer. Traficant is seeking election to the newly drawn district as an independent. His campaign is scheduled to begin television ads today and his supporters are working hard at the grassroots level, even as Traficant is locked in a federal prison in Pennsylvania. 90.3's Janet Babin caught up with some of them at a high school football game - she files this report.

Citizens All
Originally aired Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Many critical issues will be decided in this year's off-year election, among them a citywide ballot question for Cleveland that could influence the educational future of tens of thousands of children. Cleveland is one of a few cities in the country whose school district is controlled by its mayor. On November 5th voters will decide whether they want to keep the mayor in charge of appointing the school board, or return to electing school board members. Citizens All is a documentary piece that explores the origins of mayoral control in Cleveland, and how citizens feel about how well it's served those citizens in the making - the students. It was produced by ideastream's Bill Rice, who has been covering education for 90.3 for the past two years.

School Progress Under Mayoral Control
Originally aired Wednesday, October 30, 2002
The education journal Catalyst for Cleveland Schools wanted to know how teachers feel about the progress schools are making under mayoral control. So staffer Caitlin Scott took a survey. She talked about it with ideastream's April Baer.

State Treasurer’s Race Heats Up
Originally aired Thursday, October 31, 2002
Normally the state treasurer's race doesn't attract a lot of attention. But this year, accusations leveled by Democrat challenger Mary Boyle against Republican incumbent Joe Deters have caught the attention of newspapers and voters statewide. (Boyle charges that Deters accepted large campaign contributions from people who do business with the state treasurer's office. Deters responds that's perfectly legal - and that Boyle has her own accountability problems, dating from when she was Cuyahoga County Commissioner.) In the wider political arena, pundits say this is the only race where a Cleveland area Democrat has a realistic chance for statewide office. ideastream's Karen Schaefer lays out the issues.