Regional News Stories Archive: October 2004

Preparing for the VP Debate
Originally aired Friday, October 1, 2004
Staff at Case Western Reserve University are putting the final touches on preparations for Tuesday's debate between vice-presidential candidates John Edwards and Dick Cheney. Getting ready to host a national political event is no small task. In addition to creating the debate facilities there are issues like security, parking and traffic to consider. Case has also been sponsoring two weeks of student and public events leading up to Tuesday night. But as ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports, the university appears to have everything under control.

Influence of the Vice-Presidential Debate
Originally aired Monday, October 4, 2004
John Edwards and Dick Cheney will face off in this year's only vice-presidential debate tomorrow night in Cleveland. Most political pundits agree that debates rarely determine the outcome of a presidential election. But some say that this year could be different, especially in Ohio. The latest polls show Ohio is almost equally divided between the Republican and Democratic campaigns, with less than 6% of voters still undecided. So could what the vice-presidential candidates say sway voters and swing the state? ideastream's Karen Schaefer talked with voters at a local mall.

The Economics of the Vice-Presidential Debate
Originally aired Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Tonight's vice-presidential debate will thrust both Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University into the national limelight. But there's a price to pay for all that publicity. Between them the city and Case will have spent more than $4 million to host the debate. But both communities are hoping to cash in on the wealth of international media focused on the region. They're betting that both short- and long-term paybacks will return their investments tenfold. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

The Youth Speak: No Clear Winner in VP Debate
Originally aired Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Last night's vice-presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland brought out thousands of students from campuses all over Ohio. Along with women and African-Americans, the youth vote is widely considered to be one important segment of swing voters. After the debate students appeared equally divided between Democratic and Republican candidates. But in spite of their support, many thought the debate had no clear winner. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Intergenerational Learning
Originally aired Friday, October 8, 2004
In decades past, generations of families often lived in close quarters. That is no longer the norm, and in recent years, educators and community leaders have tried to make up for this lack of intergenerational contact. You may have seen examples of this - residents from a local nursing home reading to your preschooler's class once a week, or maybe your retired father mentoring at-risk youth. Such programs have been on the rise for 20+ years, and they're becoming more broad-based. ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz reports on a Cleveland charter school where intergenerational learning is built into the educational structure.

Making Change: Community Reinvestment
Originally aired Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Ask most people and they'll tell you there are two big issues the city of Cleveland is facing: poverty and a shrinking population. But when it comes to the number of people living in the city, there is change afoot and Cleveland may not be shrinking at the flood-like rates it used to. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports on the role of the city's bankers in slowing the flow of people to the suburbs.

The Arab-American Vote
Originally aired Friday, October 15, 2004
The first time around, George W. Bush found a constituency that helped put him in the White House. As a group, Arab-American voters chose Mr. Bush over Democratic candidate Al Gore. But, a lot can change in four years. ideastream's David C. Barnett has been out taking the political pulse of Cleveland's Arab-American community.

Voice of a New Generation: “I Am Not a Terrorist”
Originally aired Friday, October 15, 2004
Web Exclusive - Palestinian native Elham Sliman has lived most of her life in Cleveland and is presently a senior at Cleveland State University. She recently spoke with ideastream's David C. Barnett about the upcoming election, about being an Arab and a Muslim, and about feeling like an outsider.

A Look at Small Schools
Originally aired Tuesday, October 19, 2004
High schools throughout Ohio are shrinking. Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, and Youngstown are among 10 school districts across the state that are in the process of dividing large high schools into so-called small schools. Advocates say small schools boost academic achievement and promote closer relationships between teachers and students. Still, not everyone has embraced the concept willingly, as ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz reports.

Small Schools in the Heights
Originally aired Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Web Exclusive - The Cleveland Heights/University Heights school district opened three small schools this year; two more are in the planning stages. In this web-exclusive interview, Meghan Zehnder, small schools coordinator for CHUH, talks with ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz about the change. Zehnder says that CHUH's small schools are divided by learning models, not structured around interest area, as many small schools are.

14th Congressional District Race
Originally aired Monday, October 25, 2004
Political experts will tell you that it is practically impossible for an unknown candidate to unseat a popular, incumbent politician. But, this year's race for the 14th Congressional seat is surprisingly close. ideastream's David C. Barnett brings us this profile of the contenders, and the issues they face.

Paying for the Promise of Education
Originally aired Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Cleveland was hit hard this summer by news that the city's poverty rate had become the highest in the nation, and by word that the school district faced a $100 million deficit. Next week, district voters will decide whether to approve an 11.4 mill operating levy to soften the blow of the shortfall. Levy proponents place the economic future of Cleveland's impoverished citizens squarely on the promise of education, and say that without the new tax Cleveland's educational progress will grind to a halt. Opponents say city residents simply can't afford the $68 million annual price tag. ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz reports.

Making Change: Small Technology with a Big Impact
Originally aired Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Hundreds of scientists, engineers and medical professionals are in Cleveland this week, participating in a series of conferences on Nanotechnology and how this new technology can be applied to medicine, materials and manufacturing. If you've never heard of nano-tech, don't be surprised. It involves the smallest particles you could imagine, but it's a technological innovation that could have a big impact on Northeast Ohio's economy. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports on what role Northeast Ohio is taking on in the development of nanotechnology.

The Impact of the Latino Vote
Originally aired Friday, October 29, 2004
One key to this Tuesday's election may turn on the ability of the Democrats and Republicans to get newly registered people to the polls. For some of these new voters, the election process might seem mysterious, but imagine the confusion if you aren't fluent in English. That's just one issue of concern to Cuyahoga County's growing Hispanic population. ideastream's David C. Barnett prepared this report.