Visionary Alignment for Lakewood

[Rhonda loje]

Can anyone publish a link or the content of this?

I don't want to become an Eloi (although they were very pretty...but....I don't like to be herded!)

[Jim O'Bryan]

Can anyone publish a link or the content of this?

I don't want to become an Eloi (although they were very pretty...but....I don't like to be herded!)

Rhonda

It is really something I would rather not publish. As I said simple steps to save Lakewood,
while I am out working with other cities, I live here. I would prefer to continue to roll it
out here when it can be done.

Is it real. Steve Davis, Dan Slife, Mel Page, Margaret Brinich, and others have seen the very
real list, and how it needs to be rolled out.

Does it work? The Lakewood Observer is proof, and look how that is spreading like
wildfire. Seven years ago the term Hyper-Local and Civic-Journalism did not exist.
LEAF Community another product of it. MAMA and DADA came out of the program. Certainly Bike Lakewood and Lakewood Is Art also came out of the group, but those
empowered with the reigns, choose different routes. As this is about empowerment of
citizens and not control, they have leaked away.

Rhonda you have lived as both Morlocks and Eloi. You and Mel can certainly speak for
the very different feels to VAL and other ways.

One is empowerment, the other complete control.


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[Rhonda loje]

Do we have to live as a Morlock or an Eloi?
Or is there another choice?
Can we be in control like H.G.Wells?

[Rhonda loje]

Yes I have lived among the Morlock and the Eloi.

First as an Eloi, I believed everything was wonderful and beautiful. And the everyone told the truth and everyone did what was morally right. (I was a child of the 60's and blonde.....you have to forgive me!)

And then I slowly became a Morlock.

But being a Morlock required more from me than I realized. Being a vegetarian, I would have to give up all my principals and ethics. I was told to eat the Eloi or I would be banished and maligned. I could not abandon my principals or ethics. (Again that child of the 60's thing!)

So I can never be a Morlock ever again!

I find the eating of meat abhorrent.

End of Fairy Tale!

Now I'm looking for another choice?

Does H.G.Wells have the answer or is that only in the movies?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Does someone have a decoder ring for all of this??

If we're railing against backdoor discussions and dealings, shouldn't we all be sharing here?

Bob

Please, let me know what I have to do to get those that are desperately trying to control
the conversation, the city, the future of the city into this discussion. You have seen first
hand how hard it is to take part in any of these discussions. You have brought good ideas,
comments and questions to the Deck and into the light of open discussions.

You see the problem is that many in this city HATE open, unscripted discussions, they need
to control every facet of every discussion because the vast unwashed masses of the
city might ask impossible questions like, "How much did it raise?" "Why are we spending
nearly $100,000 on letting Lakewoodites know where downtown is?" "Why did we have
design meetings for something already created months before?" "Why did we spend
nine months in committees just to have everything thrown out when it did not agree
with a very shallow ill thought out conclusion from before it was started?"

Shelly, Rhonda, Gary, Sharon, Ed FitzGerald, Kevin Butler, Matt Markling, Stephen
Eisel, Steve Davis, Betsy Voinovich, Meg and many others have no problem discussing
their ideas, plans and hopes for the city. Why do others RUN and HIDE from open discussion?
Why do some believe in a drunken stupor that they are somehow "gifted"?

The day I tell you what to post, write, do or say, is the day this Deck deserves those questions
until then ask those those questions to those that are silent and cannot stand the light of
day, nor the discussion on their plans.

On the other hand you have every right to ask any question in this forum.

Facebook! Email blasts? The folly of high school mentality. Hiding from questions.

Want to move this city forward in a way best for all? Then do it publicly!

In the end it will always be OUR city.

Nice meeting you the other night.

You add much to these discussions, and in turn, the city.

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[Bob Mehosky]

Jim,

It was very nice meeting you as well.

Thanks for the compliments, but I think they're unwarrented - I just like to find a way for my feeble little mind to understand the conversation. If I can shed some light for the next schlub that wanders in here, it's a bonus!

I had a half page response written, but I started rambling, and no one needs that.

Maybe it's just the self-reliant type in me, but it seems like the way you change isn't by name-calling and protesting, it's about providing concrete solutions in a way that makes it impossible to ignore.

It's way to easy to sit back and criticize someone for doing things in a way that you don't agree with. It's a lot harder to show them how the job should be done.

There's no reason this group of citizens could do the necessary research to draft legislation that could be presented to Council for a vote, or put on the ballot as a referendum. If we were as serious about wanting to make improvements as we say we are, we could do that in a heartbeat! There's only what? 45,000 people in this town?

If you want people to hear you, you've gotta package the message. What's your solution? How does it help them? How does it help us?

Frankly, for all the vitriol spouted by everyone the past few weeks, I don't see that much difference. We all want to make the town we live in better, the question is, how do we best do that?

[Rhonda loje]

Bob,Shelley and Jill,
I have to apologize.
I was just having a bit too much fun with Jim and his Time Machine references.
It was not meant to be serious....well a little bit...but...all in fun.
From now on I will say what I mean clearly...so you can all fully understand what I am trying to say.
I don't want to hide anything and had to intention in doing so.
I agree about transparency and have for along time!

I love hearing from all of you and appreciate all your contributions to the deck and the conversation on the deck and your ideas about the City of Lakewood.

Rhonda

[Rhonda loje]

providing concrete solutions in a way that makes it impossible to ignore.

There's no reason this group of citizens could do the necessary research to draft legislation that could be presented to Council for a vote, or put on the ballot as a referendum. If we were as serious about wanting to make improvements as we say we are, we could do that in a heartbeat!

Bob,
If you have any ideas...I'm in...

Rhonda

[Jim O'Bryan]

Maybe it's just the self-reliant type in me, but it seems like the way you change isn't by name-calling and protesting, it's about providing concrete solutions in a way that makes it impossible to ignore.

It's way to easy to sit back and criticize someone for doing things in a way that you don't agree with. It's a lot harder to show them how the job should be done.

Bob

You might call me the self reliant type as well. I am also the kind that works hard to find
solutions and help find solutions that work for all, or as many as possible.

There is no name calling, just a call to those that ask for public dollars and support to be
honest and forth coming. To do what they are legally bound to do. And as a side note
give us a hint of how you are changing the city,using our money and support.

I do not see that as any huge problem.

I feel the problem comes when a very small group grabs the funds, and belittles tax
payers for merely asking what the deal is?

Everyone here adds to the conversation, and the conversation is mostly about the city.

Thanks again for taking the time.


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[Bob Mehosky]

I've got lots of ideas, I'm just not sure if anyone wants to hear em.

You've gotta start with questions first - and to me the question is:

"Why would I choose to live in Lakewood, and not move to some McMansion in Avon or Westlake?"

We've all got different answers, but I'd list the following reasons why I'm here (in no particular order:

1) Proximity to downtown / east side
2) Walkability
3) Diversity
4) Availability of the arts
5) Less of a "strip mall hell" feel
6) Architectural appeal of houses
7) Decent schools

It's the basic "clean, safe, and fun" (someone mentioned that to me the other night) that I think everyone can agree with.

So, I'd focus on maintaining / improving the housing stock, developing a stronger sense of community by trying to turn renters into homeowners and attempt to help business owners build a "critical mass" of retail and entertainment in Lakewood.

I spent a couple of years living in DC during the week and after seeing Georgetown and Dupont Circle at 10pm on a Tuesday just shows what potential we have here.

I'd like to start looking at the possiblities of:

- Converting doubles into singles, or encouragement of owner-occupied doubles
- Point of sale inspections
- Working with arts and cultural organizations to provide city facilities for their use or low rent or perhaps having them work with schoolchildren
- Finding ways to fill vacant storefronts

We're not like the outer ring suburbs, we can't just throw up another development and try again. We've got the buildings, the people and the infrastructure that we have and it's obvious that doing things the way we've done things for the past 100 years won't always work for the next 100. There are creative solutions out there if we put our heads together.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I'd like to start looking at the possiblities of:

- Converting doubles into singles, or encouragement of owner-occupied doubles
- Point of sale inspections
- Working with arts and cultural organizations to provide city facilities for their use or low rent or perhaps having them work with schoolchildren
- Finding ways to fill vacant storefronts

We're not like the outer ring suburbs, we can't just throw up another development and try again. We've got the buildings, the people and the infrastructure that we have and it's obvious that doing things the way we've done things for the past 100 years won't always work for the next 100. There are creative solutions out there if we put our heads together.

Bob

Words of wisdom.

All make sense except for the doubles to singles. Hard to take a $250,000 double,
spend $60,000 and expect it to be worth more than say $180,000 in most Lakewood
neighborhoods with doubles. That said, I am glad it was studied, and that the city now
can address it when it comes up.

But you seem to miss much of the point.

If all of this flows through one very small group, then generally what flows out is ONLY
they want to allow to flow out, and there in lies the problem.

Hence the call for transparency, and public discussions.

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[Betsy Voinovich]

Jim---

Did the Visionary Alliance for Lakewood acknowledge what was already good about this city and have some method of protecting and preserving it? The first step I guess would be sharing it, celebrating it, recognizing that it came out of people taking care of this city for decades before we came along. What did they do right, that we were able to inherit this most inhabitable of places? Are we losing any of their skills, do we need to find them again? My grandparents were from here. I wish I could walk down Baxterly and sit on the porch and talk to them. I know that my uncle, who lived on Brown, went to every single School Board meeting, knew what was going on and asked questions, long after his own kids had graduated from college. I know this because Ed Favre told me that he knew my uncle from the many conversations he'd had with him at School Board meetings, and told me how much he respected a person who took that kind of care with his city, and how much he missed him.

The refrain that seems to pop up under everybody's signature is really starting to haunt me. "You don't know what you've got til it's gone." Did you Visionary guys recognize what we've got? or had? did you have any methods in there for passing that torch?
...
Betsy Voinovich

[sharon kinsella]

Betsey, I was not part of the Visionary Alignment conversation, but, I love this town. I have since I was a little kid. It was a great place to grow up, parks, pools, two places to ice skate.

There much more but I just woke up.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Jim---

Did the Visionary Alliance for Lakewood acknowledge what was already good about this city and have some method of protecting and preserving it?

Betsy

I am running late for an appointment in Kent but feel so strongly about this let me try to answer quickly.

Yes, what the VAL did was look clearly at the history of the city and where we were
right then. Then it looked forward taking into account hundreds of different scenarios.
As I mentioned one we never saw coming was the price of silver going up 500%. This
would have killed community currency as we had laid out the plan, which was backing "grinders"with silver.

We looked at what Lakewood had, and what could be done from easy to hard to make
the city stronger and more desirable in the future for all. We had also looked at the
dwindling tax base and identified that the city had about $320 more they could have
given in taxes, before it would become painful.(this was five years ago) And that the
schools and very soon the city would need to ask for more. Based on that they were all
programs that needed little if any government funding.

We considered Lakewood 80% to where we really needed to be by 2010-2015. I think
this is one of the saddest things going on. While some ice the cake that is not baked,
others are desperately working to drastically change the recipe, to what is quickly
becoming the WheepWow cake of the Little Rascals.





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[Jim O'Bryan]

JOB said:
"The VAL contained plans for all of the empty schools, and the dying Catholic churches."

Jim, small point of order ... the Catholic church closings are clearly the most publicized but, unfortunately, there are many churches of all denominations with for sale and for lease signs around town.

Paul

Paul

I agree, however I was not part of that discussion, two Jesuits were.

So that people understand what the VAL was, and how it came to be.

It was a variety of discussions among members of the community. Issues and ideas
were raised, and then vetted as quickly as possible with as many as possible. This
was reaching far and wide through some very intersting networks that were built.

So an example would be, Empty space at Lake Erie Screw. The group would look at
various ideas and vet them and add to them. You had to be ready to have your input
hacked to pieces, knowing full well at the end of the process, it would be a stronger
idea for all. We looked at art lofts, manufacturing, green space etc. Very quickly it
was decided that if we could get some form of college into the city, it could help shore
up the area, and provide education to residents. So if you are going to try to get the
biggest punch for the least amount of effort, we then looked at who and where. The VAL
wanted the project to add to Lakewood reputation. After all aim high, build the brand.
We spoke with many people from many areas of commerce and education, during the
process a person arrived at a meeting with great contacts in China, and we inquired
about the University of Bejing. Contacts were made, discussions started, I believe 25
discussions were had. Our hope was bring in a newsworthy partner, and Lakewood
becomes cast in a more "global" light. It was our belief that this would add to filling
the doubles, renovation in Bird Town, and east of Clarence, and bring in professors
and facility. A win for everyone, with no real pain on the city. At that point like all
VAL projects it was handed off to someone to proceed. Contacts, ideas, focal points,
etc. As often happens the person taking charge lost sight of the "light." As UOB was
hard to deal with, hours, conversations, requests etc slipped away and it became a
toss up between University of Akron and Cleveland State. While both were fine schools
neither would have the impact the University of Bejing would have had. We also
realized that if the UOB had ever said no,which they never did. As they are a top leader
in the world of Universities, we could go almost any other University to build off of what
we learned from UOB. However when CSU said no, it does not leave as many options
open for the next opportunity.

What is amazing these conversations happened over weeks with mere residents taking
part in the discussions. We knew the city would have stepped in if needed, but this was
merely an entry level discussion with a good chance. In the end we got another
screw company.

But imagine if you dare, the University of Bejing at the edge of Bird Town, and what
could have been.

It pays huge dividends to think out of the box, and engage the top leaders in their fields
and then vet the process to kick it around publicly, and find the weaknesses and
strengths as fast as possible, for the betterment of many.

This is why the Deck was built. To vet ideas, and bring the public into the discussion on
a level they had never been invited before. As I mention all ideas, even the cure for
cancer, needs to be tested and vetted. Had the Deck existed before the WestEnd Debacle
many could have seen eminent domain as a stumbling block and worked around it. This
is why ideas need to be vetted, and the public deserves to know what people have
planned in their city. Unfortunately many of the "powers to be" know just how weak
their ideas are, and prefer win at all costs instead of brining the community in. This is
why things are decided first, then the community is tricked into thinking they did it.

If we could just trust one another, and not lie, deceive, and manipulate this city would
stand out like the gem in the region some of us know it is. However it seems like many
would prefer to muddy the differences and turn us into just another inner-ring suburb in
the region. While it would be easy to say they are merely underachievers, when you
find out they are doing it for personal rewards, legacies, and power it becomes inexcusable.

FWIW


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