Regional News Stories Archive: November 2002

Debating Ohio - The Race for Governor - Debate 3
Originally aired Friday, November 1, 2002
This is the last of three statewide debates with the candidates for governor. It was held in Cleveland and is a partnership between Ohio's public broadcasters and three of the state's leading newspapers. Participants:  John Eastman, Tim Hagan and Bob Taft

Traficant Out, Ryan In the 17th
Originally aired Wednesday, November 6, 2002
One of the only bright spots for Ohio Democrats this election was in Northeast Ohio's newly drawn 17th Congressional District. State Senator Timothy Ryan beat out former Congressman James Traficant, and Republican State Representative Ann Womer-Benjamin. The 29-year-old will represent parts of Summit, Portage, Trumbull and Mahoning counties in Washington. 90.3's Janet Babin reports.

Kelleys Island - Important Bird Area
Originally aired Friday, November 8, 2002
Tourism experts say birdwatching is one of the fastest-growing leisure pursuits in North America. In Ohio alone, more than 23,000 people are members of the Audubon Society, the nation's oldest naturalist group dedicated to an appreciation of avian species. Add to that the thousands of amateur birdwatchers who flock to the shores of Lake Erie every spring and fall for the annual migrations and you get some idea of the tourism potential of birdwatching in Ohio. This fall, a dedicated group of bird enthusiasts came together to designate the whole of Kelleys Island just off the coast of Sandusky in Lake Erie as an Audubon Society Important Bird Area. They're hoping to make people more aware of an abundant natural resource - and bring more tourism dollars to the local economy. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Making Change:  Pittsburgh’s Big Rank Jump (Part 1)
Originally aired Wednesday, November 13, 2002
The Federal Reserve last week lowered interest rates once again in an attempt to jump-start consumer spending. In northeast Ohio, there are many ideas floating about aimed at preventing further erosion of the local economy. The Cleveland area may do well to look just two hours south to Pittsburgh as a role model. Pittsburgh is known as a "rank jumper," or a region that moves up the ranks on scales of economic success. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports on how the Allegheny region was able to jump rank and what Northeast Ohio can learn from it.

Making Change:  Pittsburgh’s Big Rank Jump (Part 2)
Originally aired Thursday, November 14, 2002
The market is down, corporate scandals have made the stock markets seem unsafe and even real estate may be on shaky ground for investors. It's been a bleak economic year throughout the country. All the while, Northeast Ohio has been dealing with the loss of momentum from its renaissance of the 1980's. Yesterday, ideastream's Shula Neuman reported on changes in Pittsburgh that - while small - have helped Southwest Pennsylvania start its own renaissance. Today, Shula reports on factors that have helped create that revitalization.

Mental Health Services Suffering Under Cutbacks
Originally aired Monday, November 18, 2002
It's been a fact of life in 2002: economically speaking, these are lean and mean times. In the government sector the flow of tax revenues has fallen sharply; budget cutbacks at the state and local level are being felt across the spectrum of public services and programs. Providers are weathering the storm - by tightening belts and cutting back services. But there's a growing cry that many of the people needing the services are not. That's the message coming out of Cuyahoga County's community mental health system. 90.3's Bill Rice reports.

Kids Speak out at Cleveland Heights High
Originally aired Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Are adults really listening to what their sons, daughters, and students have to say? Most people tend to lose track of what teenagers are thinking about the day they graduate from high school. ideastream took the show on the road this Tuesday, November 19th, for a live remote broadcast from Cleveland Heights High. Morning Host April Baer chatted with a panel of four seniors to see what was on their minds, in an hour-long discussion exploring their hopes for the future, their thoughts on politics, dating, and parents, and the respect that teenagers crave from adults. Take a listen!

Accents: Why They Came Here
Originally aired Wednesday, November 20, 2002
The identity of northeast Ohio is constantly changing. Years ago, Cleveland and its surrounding communities were built by immigrants and migrants that provided the labor to support the area's economic legs. The region that once drew thousands to work in its industrial centers is now looking to redefine itself as a hot spot for entrepreneurs and technology. So how can we use our historic diversity to help plan for the future? We'll try to answer that question with Accents - our month-long examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. But before we can look to the future, it's important to understand our past. Accents begins today with this history lesson from ideastream's Renita Jablonski.

Accents: Where They Went
Originally aired Thursday, November 21, 2002
There was a time when what you did, dictated where you lived. That's why northeast Ohio's landscape is made up of places like Little Italy, Slavic Village, The Buckeye-Woodland Neighborhood, and countless others. As we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of immigration and ethnicity in the region, ideastream's Renita Jablonski looks back at a time when neighborhoods were necessary in order to make a living.

Accents: Interview with Laura Taxel
Originally aired Friday, November 22, 2002
Interview with Laura Taxel, Author of Cleveland Ethnic Eats

Accents: Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 1
Originally aired Friday, November 22, 2002
You don't have to cross the Atlantic to visit the Old World. Tucked away on the east side of Cleveland is a series of gardens full of fountains, statues, and landscaped plots, all standing as monuments to the ethnic diversity of Cleveland's immigrant population. Today, and throughout the rest of Accents, we'll explore the Cultural Gardens with help from students at Cleveland State University. Brian Pfeiffer is a member of this semester's local history seminar examining the gardens significance. He has this report.

Accents: What They Faced
Originally aired Friday, November 22, 2002
There's no feeling like buying that first car, or your first home. For many immigrants, that feeling was the promise of a new start in northeast Ohio more than a century ago. For some it was the hope of a new life, free from persecution. For others, it was the chance to make some good money and take it back home. We continue our in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series called Accents. This morning, ideastream's David C. Barnett reports on how some of those dreams didn't quite match reality.

Accents: Immigrant Workers - Part 1
Originally aired Monday, November 25, 2002
Cleveland's industrial might was built on the backs of its immigrant workers. They toiled in steel mills and factories doing jobs that others avoided. Today most immigrants come from Europe, but a growing number are from Latin America and Asia. Today we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. ideastream's Mike West has this report on the economic impact today's immigrant workers are having on our region.

Roadside Religion
Originally aired Monday, November 25, 2002
Sometimes the same old beachfront resorts, ski lodges, and amusement parks just won't cut it. This year Case Western Reserve University Professor of Religion Tim Beal decided to do something different for vacation. He piled the wife and kids in a rickety old RV, and hit the road on a multi-state search for religious spectacles: from Holy Land U.S.A. Nature Sanctuary to the Golgotha Fun Park. The oral histories and photos that the family collected are being prepared for publication. Professor Beal told ideastream's April Baer the concept of the trip was something he'd been considering for a long time.

Accents: Immigrant Workers - Part 2
Originally aired Tuesday, November 26, 2002
Immigrants have always played an important role in filling low paying, un-skilled jobs in the United States. Now more American companies are also reaching across boarders to hire highly skilled professionals. Foreigners are being recruited to work in the medical, high-tech and education fields. It's a good thing for many industries, but some wonder why more Americans are not ready to fill these high paying jobs. Today we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. ideastream's Mike West has this report.

Making Change:  Lakefront Development Ideas - From the Public
Originally aired Wednesday, November 27, 2002
More than 1,000 Clevelanders convened at three different community workshops last week to debate what they want to see on the city's lakefront. The city-sponsored meetings were the second round of hearings that relied on public input. These sessions focused less on what to do with the Shoreway and more on what amenities people want to see on Lake Erie's shores. Giving Clevelanders the ability to chime in on lakefront redevelopment is a unique feature of the city's approach to the issue. As part of Making Change: Reinventing Our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports what that input means to the city, the region and its citizens.

Accents: Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 2
Originally aired Wednesday, November 27, 2002
When we talk about northeast Ohio's wide variety of ethnic foods, it's one way of talking about international issues without getting too serious. Cleveland's Cultural Gardens can have the same effect. Trees and flowers and light conversation. We continue our exploration of the Cultural Gardens with help from students taking a local history seminar at Cleveland State University. Class member Jessica Puerta explains that the symbols of peace and brotherhood rooted in the gardens often had deeper meanings.