ANNOUNCEMENT: New Logo for Downtown Lakewood

[Keith Kopko]

Many non-profits post their form 990 so that public requests for information are instantly available.

I still don't understand why I have to go into the office for it. I will if I have to, but it presents a burden for me.

Sheesh.

Our IRS FORM 990 from 2005, 2006, and 2007 is posted on Guidestar.org.

[sharon kinsella]

Thanks Keith, in the fray I missed this.

[Grace O'Malley]

Sharon

Guidestar requires you to register and provide an email address to view the report.

Also, there is no LakewoodAlive report there. Mary Ann said to look for the LCPI, which apparently is there, but thats not LA.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Sharon

Guidestar requires you to register and provide an email address to view the report.

Also, there is no LakewoodAlive report there. Mary Ann said to look for the LCPI, which apparently is there, but thats not LA.

Grace

I wanted to jump in to point out that the Observer asks for no email addresses, or personal information unless one decides to post comments.

Our mission is to get information out to all without farming email addresses for spam, for sale or for personal purposes.

This is what transparency is all about.

FWIW


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[Gary Rice]

OK everyone, let's BACK AWAY from the precipice, SHALL WE NOW?

Honestly, this is just like watchin' an old-time feud.

Cut the speculation as to who's doing what, whether over coffee, in back rooms, under tables, or at the top of some building... (allusion to that infamous allegorical burning monkey here)

LakewoodAlive, the Lakewood Observer Project, and so many others are ALL working to make our community a better place.

The West End issue is oh so dead and gone....

There is more posturing going on here, than with the peacocks down at the zoo on a sunny Sunday.

Can we try just a litle more to work TOGETHER?

Mary Anne Crampton works with great dilligence with several groups to help improve our city. She regularly appears before the CDBG group to present plans and request funding. In my opinion, she is informed and articulate, and is quite the asset to our city.

As is our own Jim too, I suppose. (sigh)

The city is working with a number of these types of groups in order to achieve solutions to often difficult issues in our ever-changing community.

And...while it's my opinion that nearly everyone connected to this cat fight could probably have addressed various issues better, the fact remains that I'm glad that we all continue to be interested and engaged.

As far as those signs go, all joking aside, I would suspect that the second floor of that ubiquitous building at Cook and Detroit may well have a sign on it one day:

Jimmyville District.

Probably about as soon as we re-name Crampton County...

Now everyone, please- before milk and cookies and your nap time, please write 10 times "I will play well with others"

Remember next period will be your music time....

Where WAS that banjo? Kumbayah all.

[Jim O'Bryan]

As far as those signs go, all joking aside, I would suspect that the second floor of that ubiquitous building at Cook and Detroit may well have a sign on it one day:

Jimmyville District.

I certainly hope not.

I need no signs, no districts.

What we need is a community, and respect for that community.

While one might wonder why the connection between the "West End Debacle" and the current debacle, one might only need to remember
a discussion between one current council member and Jay in the Rivera,
the night it was defeated.

FWIW


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[sharon kinsella]

Gary, once again, I reiterate that the citizens of Lakewood have a right to information from a 501c3.

We have a right to make sure that public monies are spent the way they are supposed to be.

When you take public money you are accountable to the public.

Obviously, accountability has not been recognized and maybe there wouldn't have been so many questions if early answers had been provided.

Then the convuluted way that the answers were provided was uncalled for.

Everyone works hard, that's why they call it work.

No one's work is more valuable than anothers. No one is above being questioned and held accountable unless it is a private venture.

I know you like an end to dissension and would love to Kumbaya this my friend, but this is all unacceptable.

Peace out.

[Charlie Page]

I’m getting a perception that ‘open and transparent’ means posting all information about your group or cause on the Observation Deck. If you’re not posting then you have something to hide.

As Mary Anne stated, the 2005, 2006 and 2007 form 990’s are ready and waiting for review at the Guidestar website. Alternatively, you can hold those 990’s in your hands during LA’s office hours. The 2008 990, according to Mary Anne, will be posted on LA’s website when completed. Their 2008 annual report is already on their website. What could be more open and transparent than that?

As for how much the City contributes to LA’s operations? That’s a fair question. However, the City helps out in other ways. Think of the cost involved in closing part of Detroit for Light Up Lakewood and the Spooky Pooch Parade.

As far as Studio Graphique is concerned, I’m sure it would have been a tough message to deliver that LA went with a local design firm, considering the amount of personal time their Marketing Director devoted to attending LA meetings. However, it’s an even tougher message to swallow that no one in Lakewood has the experience to deliver a top notch sign design. This would have been an excellent opportunity for one or more local firms to get some wayfinding design experience. It would certainly be a resume builder for when other cities decide they need a ‘more inclusive way of assessing all the environmental issues that affect our ability to find our way’.

[sharon kinsella]

Just to clarify my basis for my rights to gather information. I could refer you to a many IRS sites or to the State regs but this site is straight and to the point.

http://www.muridae.com/publicaccess/

[sharon kinsella]

In addition, open and transparent can also be the exchange of information and the LIA website is only set up to present not exchange and their meetings have a preset agenda. I've been doing these a long time. As long as the conversation is controlled, it is not an open conversation.

Additionally, in order to get the additional information I have asked for I have to give the site personal information that I share, but not freely. Then again anyone in Lakewood can find me, sometimes I worry. Not.

[Tim Liston]

What a thread. I know one thing. If I was Mary Anne, I would never post here again regarding anything to do with LakewoodAlive. What little constructive conversation that has taken place is not worth the numerous undeserved potshots she has had to endure.

I've been getting emails about LakewoodAlive goings on for years and appreciate the effort and communication. I've volunteered in small ways in a couple of the LA initiatives. I really appreciate what LakewoodAlive does with what I suspect is a very small budget and I hope that the above nonsense does not deter Mary Anne and the rest of the LakewoodAlive faithful from working on our behalf.

[sharon kinsella]

It either gets held in public or private or by registered letter Tim.

There are answers to questions that need to be spoken of.

This is a place where both sides can converse, this not the reaction that happened and that's truly sad. Involve the citizenry by talking with them not at them. Obviously when questions are asked instead of being forthcoming attempts are made to obscure or discourage or just leave.

That's not being accountable. They are not a corporate entity or a private membership group. Don't any of you understand that?

[Jim O'Bryan]

What a thread. I know one thing. If I was Mary Anne, I would never post here again regarding anything to do with LakewoodAlive. What little constructive conversation that has taken place is not worth the numerous undeserved potshots she has had to endure.

I've been getting emails about LakewoodAlive goings on for years and appreciate the effort and communication. I've volunteered in small ways in a couple of the LA initiatives. I really appreciate what LakewoodAlive does with what I suspect is a very small budget and I hope that the above nonsense does not deter Mary Anne and the rest of the LakewoodAlive faithful from working on our behalf.

Tim

On one hand I would agree, but then there was really nothing out of line.

The conversation came up with an incredible design for the city after being asked by Mary Anne to do so.

Then a person asked the cost and it all spun out of control.

I have watched your posts about the city spending money, and the need to be frugal. So maybe the questioning rose to a shrill, but again legitimate questions.

But then there were four posts that were way over the top. Most centered on "how dare you ask..." When you solicit public funds, and when you ask for money from a city that is cutting back and laying off, this generally makes people angry.

Did it spin out of control, maybe, but a simple straightforward answer always seem the best way to go. As i think back to your posts, they are always informative, helpful, and offering guidance and thoughts. I do not remember a single post that was, "I run BikeLakewood do you not see the good I do..."

The post troubles me, but the mayor, the finance director, members of the school board, the library and many other civic groups have mastered the "art of public discussion and discourse." How come you never felt sorry for me when you guys came with torches and pitchforks.

From the numbers I am seeing we are looking at a quarter million dollars for wayfinding in downtown Lakewood. If I gave that to you, how many bike racks would you put up? Yesterday we called Radioshack, we could get a GPS for every family in Lakewood with another couple hundred that could be loaned at the borders like at the zoo. Oh and gas cards for everyone!

In this economy, questions like this arise.

On the flip side both you and I know how hard Mary Anne works and what a great ambassador she is for the downtown area. I also know just how well she works with Shannon, and others. The city is certainly better thanks to both of there efforts. I can even go farther and say Mikelann Rensel is damn sharp and a good person, she ran the CNDC for years. Jack Gustin and the hospital gold, others on their board are on the LO Board.

But that has never been questioned or thrown to the side. Their goodness, or honesty has NEVER been questioned, never. what has been questioned is the cost and the transparency.

This is why I do not understand them spending the time to attack me, a member and supporter, instead of just being forth coming. Read the paper, that I wrote the night before the attacks, you are in it. It is all pretty positive atuff about Mary Anne and LakewoodAlive.

Tim, many of us do good things for the city. Many do it for free others are paid, that is not even in question. The question is how much are we paying for "downtown" signs, and why was there not an RFP?


FWIW


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[Grace O'Malley]

A quarter of a million dollars? To tell us where downtown Lakewood is? Or to find our way down a straight thoroughfare?


How did we come to find that this was a problem in Lakewood? Were people getting lost walking down Detroit? Was a study done?

If we want to make Lakewood more friendly to visitors, how about some of the suggestions already made in this thread, like signage in I-90? Or more welcoming signage at the entrances to Lakewood, such as entering from Rocky River?

[Jim O'Bryan]

A quarter of a million dollars? To tell us where downtown Lakewood is? Or to find our way down a straight thoroughfare?

How did we come to find that this was a problem in Lakewood? Were people getting lost walking down Detroit? Was a study done?

If we want to make Lakewood more friendly to visitors, how about some of the suggestions already made in this thread, like signage in I-90? Or more welcoming signage at the entrances to Lakewood, such as entering from Rocky River?

Grace

This is a rough after reading the plan, and based on what was spent todate, from what can be found.

The next phase is supposed to be kiosks, as no one in Lakewood can build kiosks, well except for the Lakewood company I hired to build kiosks for Joe Weider and New Balance, and know just how much this stuff can get into.

From what I remember when Tom Jordan landed the grant, there was talk of a study from city architecture that would have totaled over $330,000 just for the study. Tom had a plan for getting the rest of the money but Tom Jordan was a genius at that sort of thing.

I remember the study was strickly for traffic from River to Cleveland, it was Tom that asked, "Crosswalks? Bikes? Pedestrians?" which allowed it to turn into a complete streetscape project.

That is all I know and most came from Tom.

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