Regional News Stories Archive: May 2003

Making Change: Sustainable Kent
Originally aired Friday, May 2, 2003
With a shaky state budget and Northeast Ohio counties strapped for cash, many cities throughout Ohio are looking for innovative ways to generate funds. The city of Kent is rewriting its comprehensive plan and has turned to sustainable development to reinvent its economy. This means that every initiative in Kent's future must balance economic, environmental and social issues-while not allowing any one aspect to dominate. If it works out, Kent will be the first city in Ohio to officially adopt sustainable development principals. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports on the process and prognosis for Kent's transformation to a sustainable city.

Fear of SARS
Originally aired Monday, May 5, 2003
This week, the World Health Organization announced that the global death rate from SARS is rising. Earlier estimates put the risk of dying from sudden acute respiratory syndrome at 6-to-10%. Now the estimate is as high as 15%. While no deaths have occurred in the U.S., people here have been inundated with daily coverage of the outbreak. Two Cleveland cases temporarily alarmed local public health officials and many area residents have changed travel plans to Toronto and Asian cities where SARS has claimed lives. Even Cleveland's Chinatown has suffered a drop in business as people shy away from potential contact with SARS. But local health experts and media watchers say excessive fear of SARS is misplaced. They say normal health precautions - along with public health preparedness - should be enough to keep people in Northeast Ohio safe. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

AFL-CIO Gives Boost to Issue 15
Originally aired Monday, May 5, 2003
Last week the Cleveland AFL-CIO reconsidered its decision to remain neutral regarding the Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services levy up for replacement on May 6th. The tax funds things like child care, in-home care for seniors and other social and medical programs for needy residents, as well as Metrohealth's trauma care center and the emergency airlift service LifeFlight. While AFL-CIO is the late-comer in lending its support, its arrival gives the pro-levy campaign both a symbolic and practical boost, and leaves just one local union voice strongly opposed. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Euclid Corridor Plan in Jeopardy?
Originally aired Tuesday, May 6, 2003
The future of the Euclid Corridor plan may be in jeopardy. The head of the project to create a transportation corridor from downtown to University Circle resigned last week. There are also new questions over federal funding. In the meantime, a high-profile hotel officially opened its doors within the corridor, despite setbacks with the project. ideastream's Mike West reports.

ideastream Focus on Housing: Affordable Housing Series Kick-Off
Originally aired Thursday, May 8, 2003
At last count, some 45,000 Northeast Ohioans needed assistance finding affordable housing, but many of them didn't get it. Over the next few months, ideastream will be examining the issues surrounding this critical need. The list of those seeking either rental or permanent supportive housing ranges from abused women and children to the mentally ill, and, of course, the poor. This morning, 90.3's Janet Babin outlines the series for us, which will culminate with a one hour, interactive special on WVIZ/PBS.

Small Business Regulations
Originally aired Monday, May 12, 2003
Small business owners pray they never get in trouble with agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. Breaking government rules can lead to costly fines, shut-downs or even jail. President Bush says he wants to help small business owners overcome problems with federal regulations. The administration hopes by being more helpful it will change the image of government agents and foster cooperation instead of fear. It's a tall order because federal inspectors and auditors have a reputation of punishing first and asking questions later. Part of the effort includes an upcoming public hearing in Cleveland. ideastream's Mike West has more.

Standoff at Peter B. Lewis Building
Originally aired Monday, May 12, 2003
Police expected to file charges today (Monday May 12th) against a man suspected of killing one person and wounding two others during a shooting spree at Case Western Reserve University. It started Friday afternoon at the Peter B. Lewis Building on University Circle. It ended seven hours later, when the man was cornered by police and FBI swat teams. ideastream's Janet Babin reports.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: A Conversation with William Harper
Originally aired Monday, May 12, 2003
The executive director of Lorain County's Community Mental Health Board has a broad range of experience. A native of Cleveland, William Harper worked for several years in southwestern Ohio before coming home to the northeast. ideastream's April Baer talked with him earlier this year about some of the funding and policy challenges facing the region.

Amish Country Gets Children’s Clinic
Originally aired Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Next week a new clinic will open its doors in Geauga County. The Das Deutsch Center will offer comprehensive treatment for special needs children suffering from a variety of genetic and metabolic disorders, specifically in the region's Amish community. Along with treatment, the staff at the DDC Clinic is working to understand and prevent the illnesses that plague a growing number of the population's children. ideastream's Renita Jablonski reports.

Author Ruhlman Provides Window on Select Surgical Team
Originally aired Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Cleveland Heights writer Michael Ruhlman specializes in giving his readers a unique understanding of people and places that are a bit off the beaten path. His last book, Soul of a Chef, delved into the lives students at an exclusive culinary institute. He's also written about shipbuilding, exclusive boys schools, and other subjects. His work has been published in the New York Times, the LA Times, and other sources. His newest book is called Walk on Water - Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit. It's a study of a Cleveland Clinic team that performs open heart operations on infants. He spoke about the book with ideastream's April Baer.

Making Change: Image Matters
Originally aired Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Meetings to redesign Cleveland's lakefront are underway this week. The goal is to come up with a plan that best reflects the essence of Cleveland. In other words, it's all about image-the image Northeast Ohio projects to the world and to itself. The choices the region makes about the lakefront, or the convention center, or arts institutions or sports facilities-all reflect who we think we are. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman spent some time in a Cleveland neighborhood whose image makeover is enhancing the area's economic picture.

Welfare Lawsuit
Originally aired Thursday, May 15, 2003
Cuyahoga County and the state government have locked horns over federal funding of welfare reform. Today is day four of a trial that began more than a year and a half ago. The lawsuit filed by the county after it suffered a major cutback in federal welfare dollars was a bold move. The case is complicated, steeped in both ethical sparring and legal hair-splitting. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

ER’s Innes Coming to Cleveland
Originally aired Thursday, May 15, 2003
NBC just announced that its popular medical drama ER will continue for at least two more years. The series has broken a lot of ground in it's 9-year run. In addition to advancing the careers of actors like George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, and Julianna Margulies, it has brought TV's first physically-disabled lesbian character to the small screen. Actress Laura Innes's portrayal of Dr. Keri Weaver has won two Emmy nominations - and the approval of the show's fans. Laura Innes is coming to town this weekend to speak at a Human Rights Campaign fundraiser. She took a few minutes to talk to ideastream's April Baer about Dr. Weaver's evolution.

Interview with Peter Forbes
Originally aired Monday, May 19, 2003
As sprawl continues to gobble up open space around our cities, many urban dwellers are losing a connection to the land. For Peter Forbes, that's a troubling trend. Forbes is co-director of the Center for Land and People at the Trust for Public Lands, a national organization based in California dedicated to land conservation. He was in Cleveland last week to speak his new book at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It's called The Great Remembering. Forbes spoke with ideastream's Karen Schaefer about why we should care about the land and how we can think about land differently in our daily lives.

Making Change: Special Report: Public Investment in the Arts
Originally aired Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Do Northeast Ohioans have a vested interest in helping to fund local arts organizations? Expect an hour of lively conversation as Making Change presents a special broadcast from the City Club of Cleveland on public investment in the arts. Moderating the discussion will be Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman. Panelists include Tom Schorgl of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture; Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones; and Steve Sims, Director of Economic Development for the City of Cleveland.

Making Change: Radio Call-In Show: Image Matters
Originally aired Wednesday, May 21, 2003
When you were a kid, did your parents scold you because your hair was messy or your clothes wrinkled? They said, "people will think you're a slob!" At the time you might not have cared, but now you know better, right? Well, just like a person, a region's image makes a difference. Good morning, I'm Shula Neuman and today we bring you Image Matters, a special call-in show as part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy. We're going to explore the impact our image is having on our economy and what that image means in the civic decisions we face. We hope you'll call in or e-mail to participate in the discussion as Making Change delves into how Image Matters.

ideastream Focus on Housing: Transforming Dire to Desirable
Originally aired Thursday, May 22, 2003
Thousands of people in Cuyahoga County are desperate to get into subsidized rental apartments, and remain on waiting lists. Despite the great need, many of the available units are run down, unkempt, even dangerous. While tenants are making great strides at improving subsidized housing, ideastream's Janet Babin reports that a commitment from a private owner can transform a site into a desirable place to live.

Welcome Home Ethiopia: The Art of Rev. Albert Wagner
Originally aired Thursday, May 22, 2003
The soul of a five-year-old boy dwells within the body of a 79-year-old East Cleveland man, and together they create art from what others might call junk. The Reverend Albert Wagner claims that his child-like work is inspired by heavenly messages, but his themes are rooted in the real world. For almost three decades, Reverend Wagner has attracted international visitors to a museum filled with stories of hope and redemption. ideastream's David C. Barnett recently paid a visit.

Clear Skies
Originally aired Thursday, May 22, 2003
This month the summer smog season comes into full swing, when the inevitable "ozone alerts" remind us that a growing number of children and adults have trouble breathing due to air pollution. Ohio's air is some of the worst in the country. It's estimated that nearly 2,000 Ohioans die prematurely each year due to dirty air. On a recent trip to Cleveland, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman defended the President's Clear Skies initiative. It's a plan for reducing air toxins through market forces and voluntary compliance that's been sharply criticized by environmentalists. But behind this and other recent initiatives is a fundamental shift in federal regulation local groups fear could gut the Clean Air Act. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: The Mental Health Safety Net - or Lack Thereof!
Originally aired Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Last year some 250,000 people across Ohio sought and received help for mental health problems. But there is evidence that others are slipping through the cracks. In Cuyahoga County, suicides outnumber homicides three to two. While there are many different agencies designed to catch mental illness before it becomes devastating, critics find the safety net lacking. ideastream's April Baer reports.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: Mental Health Wrap-Up
Originally aired Tuesday, May 27, 2003
May is Mental Health Month. Many people are reluctant to believe that mental illness will touch their lives. But clinical experts say the longer you live, the more likely you are to deal with it - either for yourself or a family member. Researchers are building their knowledge base on life-long wellness. Meanwhile, the local mental health system has been on a roller-coaster ride over the past five months. The battle to fund local services continues at the Statehouse-and here. Cuyahoga County passed a Health and Human Services Levy which will raise millions of dollars for services. But these campaigns have opened political wounds that have yet to heal. Our observance of mental health month concludes today with this update from ideastream's April Baer.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: A Visit to 2100 Lakeside
Originally aired Tuesday, May 27, 2003
It's not uncommon for people with a severe psychiatric disorder to lose their ability to support themselves, and become alienated from family. Too often, the road to recovery takes people to the streets. ideastream paid a visit to Cleveland's emergency homeless shelter, at 2100 Lakeside Avenue, where the Salvation Army provides beds and a meal on a night-by-night basis. We spoke with the man in charge of this considerable job, and with a former shelter client who's now helping administer mental health services on site.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: The Free Clinic Tries to Pick Up the Slack
Originally aired Tuesday, May 27, 2003
People with severe mental illness can count on at least one thing: the federal government's Medicaid program will be there to cover their doctor's visits and medication. But those who are living just above the poverty line - or who suffer from certain less severe conditions - are NOT assured of getting help. For them, Cleveland's Free Clinic has become an important resource. The Clinic's picking up slack in a number of other ways as well. Since budget cuts have forced the countywide Mobile Crisis Line to limit its hours, the Clinic's hotline gives people a trained professional to talk to between 8:00 PM and morning. We visited with the Free Clinic's Medical Director, Dr. Steve Wyrick, to see what else is going on.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: Hopewell Plants Seeds of Healing
Originally aired Tuesday, May 27, 2003
What does a treatment center look like? Most of us picture big-city buildings with long white corridors and industrial-scale kitchens. This is sometimes the best the community mental health system can offer to people with brain disorders. But in the heart of Ohio's Amish country, Hopewell Farm has created a new model for treatment. It's a working farm, where people with severe mental illness spend their days in a pastoral setting, working the land - with therapeutic results. We sent ideastream intern Elizabeth Walker to check it out.

Making Change: Sustainable Businesses
Originally aired Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Innovate or die. That's the motto drilled into the heads of business students everywhere. The maxim can also be applied to Northeast Ohio's quest for economic revitalization. An emerging group of business owners says it has the key to innovation. The concept promotes running a business so that people, the environment and profits all benefit. It's an idea that's been around for a while, but interest in it has recently grown dramatically. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman explores explains what the concept means for business and for the region.

ideastream Focus on Mental Health: Frese Family Album
Originally aired Thursday, May 29, 2003
Amid discussions of policy and funding, it's easy to form an idea of mental health consumers as victims - tragic figures. We recently met a family that blows away the steretype. Dr. Fred Frese and his wife Penny live in Hudson. He's a psychologist who spends part of his time working with the Summit County Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board. He's also a schizophrenic. The story of his family's journey is most unusual. We asked Fred Frese to begin by telling us how he first learned of his illness.

Interview with Dr. Julie Gerberding
Originally aired Friday, May 30, 2003
Dr. Julie Gerberding is director of the centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Her agency has been on the front line of many recent public health issues, among them SARS and West Nile Virus. The South Dakota native studied medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, graduating magna cum laude before moving to California to complete her residency. Last year, her husband contracted West Nile. He's fine now, but that experience gave her a finer appreciation of the challenge of dealing with infectious disease. Dr. Gerberding was in Canton yesterday speaking to a packed audience of students, professors and health officials at the Stark County campus of Kent State University. She says the outlook for West Nile this summer is hard to predict, but 13 states have already reported dead birds killed by the virus. ideastream's Karen Schaefer spoke with Dr. Gerberding. She asked about the scientific evidence that spraying pesticides can reduce people's risk of infection from West Nile.

To Spray or Not to Spray
Originally aired Friday, May 30, 2003
West Nile Virus season is just around the corner and many Northeast Ohio health districts are grappling with the big question - to spray or not to spray? Last year's outbreak hit Ohio hard. Public health officials in many communities decided to spray pesticides on adult mosquitoes, hoping to reduce the chance of infection in humans. But spraying was met by a public outcry from some residents concerned about the immediate and possible long-term health effects of the chemicals. This year, some health departments have chosen to focus their control efforts on killing mosquito larva before they hatch with chemicals that are relatively benign. Others still plan to incorporate spraying into their total pest management strategy. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports on the thinking behind the different responses to this summer's West Nile Virus threat.