Can Youngstown Save Lakewood?

[Rhonda loje]

you might want to go to the april 18th meeting.

http://www.lakewoodchamber.org/site/

[Jim O'Bryan]

Maybe because CLE+ is about the region of Northeast Ohio of which Lakewood is a part. It's not just about 3 cities.

It's no different than trying to sell your house in an area with a bunch of blighted, foreclosed properties. Only in this case, we're trying to sell Lakewood.

Bryan

Go back and think about what you are writing, then go back and drive through Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown.

Then tell me if it makes any sense to pretend we are part of the "Northeast Ohio"(Youngstown?!) group? While I would underline why hang with ledearship that has caused one city to close off half of their city, or another that is quickly losing every factory left in town, or Cleveland a gem without a compass. Medical Mart?

Or should the LAKEWOOD Chamber of Commerce be working to bring in business? I am not even attacking the snake oil sold by CLE+, I am talking our Chamber pushing that, OVER Lakewood?

I caqn argue the value of CLE+ branding, but I am sure Shawn Juris and Charyn Compeau will jump in to argue that cities trying to define their brand is stupid for me. As they did when we were talking about defining the Lakewood brand.

Even in this "regional group" the war for any crumbs stumbling in will be fearce. They all have thousands of acres with abatements. Right over the border we can find abatements lasting up to 30 years for new homes, or help with building offices. How do we compete?

I think these cities and groups think of Lakewood as chum at best for their vision. Will still does not get away from me being told that businesses moving to Youngstown will help Lakewood.

We can argue all day long about the city being helpful with new or old business, we can argue all day about filling Lakewood homes and store fronts. But while we have a local group pushing Youngstown and Mentor it will only make our job harder.

Don't you think?

How many CLE+ meetings did the Chamber attend? Or was it more like, well ___________ drop them off and we thought they were cool? As I was told! And if the Lakewood Chamber has become the tool for regionalism for as far away as Youngstown, are they also working to regionaliz the schools? Library? Fire? Police? City Services? Should we not know where our local groups stand when selling us down the river?

I think it is a great way to bulk buy, which is already being done. But a terrible way to save Lakewood or move it forward.

FWIW


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[Justine Cooper]

Excellent,

Now all we need is for Jim to drop off a big box of all that cool Lakewood stuff. I've got a folding table and some chairs. We could set up a pro-Lakewood kiosk.

Interesting Chamber Note: While there web site is designed by a Lakewood firm Linear Creative. The actual development was farmed out to a (name withheld) mentor company. FFT

I find that fact incredibly disturbing, given the fact that Lakewood is filled with companies that could have designed the site. It is indicative of an agenda that is puzzling beyond words. It is as disturbing as our own schools here going outside of Lakewood and paying triple for their website, instead of getting quotes right here in Lakewood. I hope all those lunches and incentives from the "outside" company were worth our tax dollars. All the while the taxpayers are paying dearly and many of the people making these decisions leave Lakewood to go "home".

Instead of asking small businesses for donations for high priced and exclusive dinners to fund their own agency, how about any effort to show they actually give a damn about these businesses, many in debt and working eighty hour weeks to provide services to our town.

We also have a couple of bigger businesses on Madison who are in the Chamber and have gotten the message from the Chamber that joining MAMA, a free group working together for the good of Madison, is a conflict with being in the Chamber. I would love to have that one explained. If I sound negative it is because in the midst of midterms and family and work, I am out on the streets trying to get businesses signed up for an art walk (along with Ruthie and LIA and POP SHOP and other busy people) to bring SOMETHING to Lakewood that is positive and wondering "where in the bleep are the people who are in positions to bring innovative events for this city?" Why aren't we utilizing our parks with Artsy open air markets like Cleveland and Crocker, making money while supporting artists and providing something really cool? Why aren't there any events on Madison except the Car show and now MAMA, both brought by non-profit groups?

When people worry about "another business closing", I also see other new businesses opening, or some expanding! Let's support every single one of them! We cannot depend on any agency, evidently, to keep Lakewood thriving, so it is up to every single one of us to support every event we can, even if we just show up. The art walks, the bands coming this summer of Lakewood's kids, the businesses' grand openings and any time after they open that you need a holiday gift or bite to eat or a shovel for the snow.

We can't change other people's agenda, but hopefully we can keep Lakewood's agenda all about thriving and innovative and unique while others are touring Youngstown.

[Jim O'Bryan]

We also have a couple of bigger businesses on Madison who are in the Chamber and have gotten the message from the Chamber that joining MAMA, a free group working together for the good of Madison, is a conflict with being in the Chamber.

Please tell me this is not true.

So the Rocky River head of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, who is working to get business in as far away as Youngstown and feels it is a great idea to take other Lakewood businesses to Mentor for a day is bad mouthing a FREE Lakewood business group that meets for FREE and has alway said, feel free to join the Chamber, as they support Lakewood also?!

They are bad mouthing MAMA after years of treating them treating Madison businesses as the ugly stepchild? They are telling people it works against the Chamber?

Justine, what you are doing for Lakewood with help is amazing. It is even more amazing when I think that it was the closing of your business on Madison that caused you to join and form MAMA to help those that were still there.

pitiful if true.

Maybe it is time for Mary Anne Crampton to take over the Chamber. She lives here and bleeds Lakewood. Started LakewoodAlive, and now is doing a great job with MainStreet.

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[john crino]

Jim,
seems like the 9 people who have responded top this post have no idea what you are talking about....clarity for the sake of a clear discusion?

John

Of all people talking of clear discussion!

CLE +, why is the Lakewoood Chamber pushing a group trying to find development for Youngstown, Akron and Cleveland?

Was just curious.

I was thinking maybe they should be pushing and working on some Lakewood stuff.

FWIW
Unless Jim meant something else. Maybe he meant Youngstown's AWESOME Brier Hill Pizza. Youngstown can certainly save my pizza craving with that.

Edit- Whoops. Just read Jim's response to John's. I was completely off base. What are you talking about?

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See how that facilitated a clear topic discussion?and you want to own a newspaper dynasty.

[Jim O'Bryan]

See how that facilitated a clear topic discussion?and you want to own a newspaper dynasty.

John

I thought if we took on one city at a time.

As for owning a dynasty, you could not be farther from the truth. I own not one part of any of the papers that are starting up. Matter of fact we insist that they are all locally owned and operated.

I think you will be surprised at an announcement coming out later today, that will once and for all put to rest the idea of me wanting to own a newspaper dynasty, and/or wanting to control the Lakewood Observer.

NOTHING is farther from the truth.

As you will see.


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[john crino]

See how that facilitated a clear topic discussion?and you want to own a newspaper dynasty.

John

I thought if we took on one city at a time.

As for owning a dynasty, you could not be farther from the truth. I own not one part of any of the papers that are starting up. Matter of fact we insist that they are all locally owned and operated.

I think you will be surprised at an announcement coming out later today, that will once and for all put to rest the idea of me wanting to own a newspaper dynasty, and/or wanting to control the Lakewood Observer.

NOTHING is farther from the truth.

As you will see.


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Like I said I was just busting your balls.Had no idea it was a touchy subject. Sorry.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Like I said I was just busting your balls.Had no idea it was a touchy subject. Sorry.

John

It is not a touchy subject. It is a subject I love speaking about, and have, as have others on our board.

The Board believes in Hyper-Local media. That every city should be responsible for creating the frames for their issues. This is what has made the Lakewood Observer stand out in a field of wannabes.

When these other cities have come to us, they all tell the very same story we told when we started. Regional papers only showing up for crime or bad stories, and that all they do is suck money out of the local economy, while adding very little to curing or even discussing there more serious issues.

How can I preach hyper local, then try to own their papers? Besides, the Observer Project is no longer me. It is the current Advisory Board and the Board of Directors that have some true heavyweights of the publishing world joining in. Many think I am kidding, but the Lakewood Observer has become the Gold Standard for Hyper-Local journalism around the world.

Last year 950 hyper-local projects started, 95% were out of business in 12 months or less. Yet the magic we have caught in the bottle grows, and thrives.

I have no interest in owning the Greater Cleveland Observer, it should be owned by Clevelanders. Why would I want to own the Vista, California Observer? The Cypress, Turkey Observer? The Long Island Observer?

I live here, I work here and I believe the secret for every city's long term survival is Hyper Local journalism as we have preached and laid out.

I love talking about this project.

As I mentioned the next group of announcements will lay to rest, many of the rumors flying around this city.

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[Justine Cooper]

As I mentioned the next group of announcements will lay to rest, many of the rumors flying around this city.

?????? What does this statement mean?

[David Lay]

Maybe it is time for Mary Anne Crampton to take over the Chamber. She lives here and bleeds Lakewood. Started LakewoodAlive, and now is doing a great job with MainStreet.

I agree. Mary Anne is tireless in her work for Main Street Lakewood.

Speaking of Main Street Lakewood, their 2007 Report is online:

http://www.mainstreetlakewood.org/PDF_F ... al-web.pdf