Why No Community Development Corporation (CDC) in Lakewood?

[Matthew Lee]

So I'm new to the whole CDC thing that is going on in Collinwood, Lakeshore, etc.

Could someone smarter than me (which is probably the entire Deck population!) explain what it is, how we get one in Lakewood and, more importantly, why isn't there one in Lakewood?

Seems to me it would go a long ways to defining our future.

Thanks!

[Thealexa Becker]

The closest thing that we have is LakewoodAlive, but that is an Economic Development Corporation.

They try, in a nutshell, to improve the housing stock and to help businesses in Lakewood. They also try to sponsor business friendly events in the community to get people out to the local shops.

That's a very condensed description, but if you want more info, you should really go and talk to them, they are lovely people and would be happy to share whatever information you want about their organization. Or you can go on the website.

[Jim O'Bryan]

So I'm new to the whole CDC thing that is going on in Collinwood, Lakeshore, etc.

Could someone smarter than me (which is probably the entire Deck population!) explain what it is, how we get one in Lakewood and, more importantly, why isn't there one in Lakewood?

Seems to me it would go a long ways to defining our future.

Thanks!

Control Freaks have decided they must have their fingers in everything. They know what is
best for everyone so it was decided decades ago by a small group of people that we would
put all of our eggshells in a basket of Economic Development. They lied about Westend,
and the smoke and mirrors continue to this day. One small group using many names.

So our number one industry housing has all been there to be thrown away for the false
promise of Economic Development will keep our taxes lower. Which is a complete falsehood.

Collinwood a very small community has two CDCs and a couple SIDs. Cleveland Heights
has handfulls of them to help. But alas here in Lakewood, that would mean you must
trust others, you might not be able to say no to Lakefront development, no to extending
he gold coast, not to anything but developing the center of the city, to lower the taxes of
people that obviously overbought and over spent. So we have an EDC that now
masquerades as a PAC, a CDC, no a SID, no education, not party, no...



FWIW


.

[Thealexa Becker]

Jim,

What?

[sharon kinsella]

Lakewood Alive has been the recipient of all funds that should have gone to a CDC. They do event planning and smooth the way for chain restaraunt openings, nothing for independent businesses. Just Jay Foran and his buddies. Take a look next to Harbor View or drive along the cliff by the boat club. Another Foran folly. Go east young man and look at the empty lots by the Shore restaraunt.

Damn shame.

They also have functioned as the untouchables and when you dare try and question them they try and trounce you. Here in Lakewood there is a history of treating those who live North of the William Sonoma line as the special people in the city. Deluded excuses for community servers.

It seems they may have actually made a good decision with the new director if we can keep the power hungry from smothering him.

Thealaxia there was a huge mess about 2 years ago, on the deck. Meg or Jimmy can tell you where the postings are.

[Thealexa Becker]

Sharon,

It's Thealexa.

Also, I worked as an intern with Lakewood Alive last summer and I can say that the women who work there are wonderful and the day to day operations of the organization are not diabolical as some people on this board like to characterize them. I am also familiar with that debate and I can say that like most other things on this board, it was blown ridiculously out of proportion.

I think everyone needs to breathe before they post.

[sharon kinsella]

Thea--whatever excuse me for making a mistake with your name. I'm new to you posting. Have you even looked back at the deck?

Don't tell me how wonderful Mary Ann Crampton, she refused to answer questions and talked down to me like I was a dog.

None of the people there, you included, know anything about my accomplishments. They have not done much of anything here. But think what you want. It's up to you to form your own opinions, but take some time and go back through the forum.

By the way, Mary Ann Crampton was informed, many times, that I am disabled. Oh and I am informing you.

Do as you will just make sure you look at all sides of a situation before you believe everything you hear.

[Thealexa Becker]

Sharon,

At the risk of sounding like a picky person, I would prefer to be addressed by my whole name. People messing it up has been a sensitive issue for me in the past.

I do not know nor did I witness whatever you say happened between you and anyone at Lakewood Alive.

I am not sure what you are referring to with your accomplishments or my working with Lakewood Alive, but you need not be so hostile towards me. I am offering my perspective on the issue just as you have offered yours. Just as I am not aware of some things, you really have no knowledge of what work I did over the summer, but I can assure you that I was doing a good deal of outreach to families who needed help and that I had a good experience with all three of the women working there. It was a very professional atmosphere.

Again, this need not be so personal, and I hope that you will not treat it as so. It seems as if you think I am personally attacking you and that is surely the wrong impression.

But to be more on topic, I cannot understand why people in this city cannot see beyond their differences and look at what is best with the city. By no means do I intend to restart the Lakewood Alive discussion, because I thought that, like the current McDonalds debate, got strange very quickly.

Look, we have programs and resources in the area to try to expand business in Lakewood. But I think the people with all of this passion need to sit in a room together and find a way to work out their differences and do what is right for the city.

Do you think we are getting anywhere when every idea suggested gets shot down so quickly without thorough examination? That is not progress.

[sharon kinsella]

Have you looked back on the Deck child.

If you haven't please do so.

I worked for 501c3's for over 30 years.

I worked at a national level and had laws changed at the federal level.

Don't be so sensitive about your name, wait till you have real problems, like many women do. If you were just an intern, you must be in your early 20's. I'm 61 years old and have accomplished a great deal. I'm not hateful but your tone was very disrespectful. I answered you with the same tone you used and you don't like it? That should give you pause.

Please go look at what happened. Until you do,, please refrain from speaking of things you know nothing about.

[Thealexa Becker]

Sharon,

Just because I am 40 years younger than you does not logically imply that you are always right and I am always wrong. We are equally fallible adults. I do not disregard you because I don't agree with you, please give me the same respect and do not dismiss me because you think I'm some upstart who must not know anything. I am every bit as confident and proud of myself as you are of your own accomplishments. It's admirable that you have done what you have done, but you should not try to shut me down based on my age, accuse me of disrespecting you, condescendingly call me child, or angrily retort after I asked to be referred to a certain way. It is insensitive and to be honest, you are the first person to get on my case about my name since I was in high school. Although you are not the first person on this deck to dismiss me because I'm not over 30.

There is no need to rehash LakewoodAlive here because it is a tired issue that I am familiar with, but I have noted that you are a very passionate woman, so I shall endeavor in the future to not take what you say too personally, as I realize I am treading on sensitive ground by holding my position. But please at the very least, do me the kindness of not inserting foul words like "hateful" into my mouth. I never said that. And unless you meant hateful, I think we should all refrain from such incivility. I meant and do not mean any disrespect, I am sorry if you interpreted my words as such as it was never my intention. The internet is not an ideal means of communication.

But back to the real issue at hand here.

People shoot down ideas too quickly. They downgrade the importance of other poster's ideas for arbitrary reasons. They are quick to judgement. They don't like change. They can't see beyond the city of Lakewood.

I am not saying that everyone is guilty of all of these things, but these are all barriers to a reasonable conversation.

I think the city needs more people and organizations with positive, forward thinking attitudes.

As the young person that people keep pointing out that I am, I can assure you, that this city does not cater to my generation at all. It is trying to, more so than it has in years past, but it needs more businesses and less of this desperate clinging to ideas that are not feasible anymore. There are people trying to push this change, but not enough. We keep getting bogged down in silliness like the McDonalds debate and we lose focus on the bigger issues to fight one battle.

It is hard to get a job in this area for a young person, especially if you are looking to enact positive change in Community Development. I am not familiar with the new Lakewood Alive Director, but hopefully he is forward thinking.

I attend a top of the line liberal arts school that has a program here in Cleveland to encourage young people to move here to start careers. I'm surprised that organizations in Lakewood do not try to do the same with college students. We could use more new blood so to speak in Community Development. I know that my school produces many qualified young women but again, this region fails to attract many of them. It's a shame, so many of them would love the area and would do great things.

We really just need some more young people involved in this discussion.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I hate being pulled into this conversation right now, but am always willing to help a bright
young Lakewood college student understand a little better the actual forces at work here.

FIRST! Ian Andrews from all of the digging I have done, and it is a lot, weeks and weeks
worth of digging right down to talking with the person who sold him his house (a person I
have a professional relationship with) a couple weeks ago at a meeting, and people that
work with him. Is a good person, and could be the real deal for Lakewood.
While some are concerned he is not from the inbred gene pool of Lakewood. I think that
could actually work in his and our favor, if he is given support, and has the funding that
allows him to work on many of the things he worked on with Detroit Shoreway. In the end
like many things in life, it matters not as these are the cards we have been dealt. So let's
play them to the best of our ability.

SECOND! LakewoodAlive has a great deal of potential, and could work miracles if only they
their leaders believed it and could learn to trust and empower. I have always laughed when
then worked so hard to paint the Observers as a secret organization with ulterior motives
that could harm Lakewood. Of course, our agenda is accountability, openness, truth
finding, vetting, and empowerment and trust. To watch and OBSERVE the various actions
and powers to be at work and play in Lakewood. Early on, there was some talk of running
Observers in political races, but that was thrown away for a non-political stance. The
opposite of all of this would be LakewoodAlive versions 1-5. What #6 holds for us has yet
to be determined, and Ian has a really tough job ahead of him. It will be interesting in the
coming months and years as Lakewood 2011/2012 unfolds what happens/happened and
why.

While many believe I am against and/or not a fan of LakewoodAlive, that is not true. It
has incredible potential, and everyone that has volunteered for LA or other things in
Lakewood has a special place in my heart for taking the time and effort. Let's hope for
the best.

There are some very simple questions we could ask, if we are serious about having a
discussion about Matthew's Question, and where it all went wrong. Please note I did not
say terribly wrong. One of the very interesting things about Lakewood I have noticed, is
it does have this wonderful ability to wake up seconds before disaster and apply enough
critical thought to avoid the potholes.

1) How was the new director chosen?

2) Can a PAC really morph into a EDC/CDC with all of the same players in control?

3) Can you serve two masters? Can you be pro Economic Development and still serve the
residents fairly? Can you be for regionalization and still be pro-Lakewood?

Matthew, I am not convinced CDC or EDC would make a huge difference in what we are
experiencing. In they end they have nearly the same agenda, and depending on the
thought process of the leaders, they could be exactly the same. After all Community
Development could be Economic Development, and to believe not would be foolish.

When people, politicians, CDC directors, members, look to be measured, they try to
create measurable results. After all that is what they are there for. When looking for
donations, votes, friends, what is better. I saved three houses in Birdtown, or "We brought
5 Guys Burgers in," while accepting an award for something they had very little to do with.
Do we do the very unglamorous work of saving neighborhoods, or the very glamorous
route of Jimmy Johns? (These are not attacks on these establishments)

Then, what happens when you have a program you really believe in, even if based on
falsehoods and lies, but you believe is correct, and you start to lose steam, no matter
how many different times you change the name or shuffle the top 5 people? Well the
advice given, was Spiral Dynamics*, essentially giving everyone something to buy into?
But to do that you have to take your unpopular "plan" underground, and hide behind
the camouflage of the flavor of the moment. For more on spiral dynamics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics

What is actually going on in Lakewood is both fascinating and disturbing, but I have
learned it is going on in many places. Imagine my amusement, when I get involved in
Collinwood, a community Lakewood could learn a lot from, both good and bad. Only to
hear at one of the meetings "NOL" (North of Lakeshore), and how they are controlling
many of the things happening in Collinwood. But in this sliver of a region in Collinwood
are many good people with great hearts.

Which bring up another slew of very real questions.

1) Are they wrong at looking at ways of preserving their neighborhoods, and trying to
keep trouble out and taxes down?

2) Is it wrong either morally or legally to not be for gentrification? A question I ask myself
hundreds of times a day in my travels.

3) How does a community balance any of these forces?

And the million dollar question...

Is it better for Council, School Board, Civic Groups, Regional Groups, Religious leaders,
Civic leaders to be on the same page so that things can go through meetings without
debate, or even a second or third reading. Or is it healthy for the community to have
vigorous active debate, and many, many, many ideas at a table? As General Patton often
commented, "If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isn't thinking."

Could it actually be a better idea to slow down the decision making process?

Well I have rambled on for long enough. If you want to have fun this weekend, go back
though the Observer, and the records and make a list of names on all of the various
groups in town and draw lines between all of the connections. From Alumni to Historical
from LA to Observer, from church to City Hall.

Then maybe you will see I have so much hope for the injection of new genes into the gene pool.

To Ian Andrews, good luck, if there is anything I can do to help, just call.

PS - Any argument between Thealexa and Sharon has incredible potential for good and bad.
I would encourage both of you to weigh your words, and actions. Step away from the
personalities, and stick to the topic. FWIW

[Thealexa Becker]

Jim,

I find it funny that in one sentence you say you have nothing against Lakewood Alive but then in the next statement proceed to list all the things you don't like about it.

But this debate has nothing to do with the Observer versus LA.

Although why on earth did you feel the need to waste weeks and weeks looking into one person? Seems like a waste of a lot of time better used elsewhere.

I don't know enough about your first two questions to answer appropriately, but I can tell you that Economic Development IS in the best interest of the community. The question then is not IS it, but what kind of development? What I mean is, do we really need any more restaurants in the city? The answer is no. We need more of other kinds of stores so that people like me don't need to leave the city to shop for things that aren't food and other basics.

You can be pro regionalism and pro Lakewood. I am. The question in that case is, will anyone believe you when you say it, because they don't like one or the other.

As for measuring the success of the leaders, how else would you do it if not that way? It seems to me like you run into the same problem with teachers and standardized tests. People don't think that is the best measure of their worth, but it's the only one you have.

As for Spiral Dynamics, that stuff is scary. One of the co-authors even disassociated himself from the work because it was too controversial. You'd be better to use evolutionary economics, psychology can get very odd at times.

As for the slew of questions you pose next, no one is suggesting that people just get out of the way and not care about their neighborhoods. There is caring about your neighborhoods for good reasons, and then there are debates like McDonalds, where it's not like someone built a prison on the end of the street, but suddenly it's the end of the world.

If everyone in the system is 100% happy, it's probably not doing it's job. Our system was built on compromise, and that means that those in charge, and those not in charge, need to be willing to meet halfway. So it isn't so much about agreement as it is that one side or the other refuses to budge.

For instance, take my least favorite example, McDonalds. I'm sure the city would have loved to have the Theater renovated and turned into a classy store or whatever, but they cannot stop the private owner from selling to this corporation, especially since no other offers were made. The city is not being unreasonable, but the constant outcry from the residents is getting there. What do they expect the city to do? I mean, the city cannot just jump in and change zoning law every single time someone gets upset. It's just a fast food restaurant for christ's sake. But residents aren't budging. That is not going to get anyone anywhere.

So people shouldn't be thinking alike, but people should pick their battles more carefully. There is a tendancy to get fixated on a few things and not see the bigger picture.

P.S. Jim, I always weigh my words carefully.

[J Hrlec]

Great points Thealexa.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Thealexa

I was answering your Huh? And why there are not more CDCs, or SIDs in Lakewood.
Simply put, second opinions have very little place in our current structure.

There is no versus. LO is a media project, LA is an EDC this week, probably moving
closer to a CDC in the future. Time wasted, hardly. I was able to hang out and have
coffee, beers, lunches and time with a variety of civic leaders, DCD staff members, and
politicians all over the area. I look forward to what Ian will do, after he accomplishes
his single biggest task first.

This is why I underline plans are needed. Many people think block watches are to address
crime in a neighborhood. In actuality they were developed to address the norms in the
neighborhood, fuel discussion and understanding so that when needed, there is a clear cut
idea, plan action to address what needs to be done, not based on that singular problem.
That is their strength.

Economic Development good for a city? I would be curious to hear how and why? I am
not opposed but many, many cities exist quiet nicely with only a modicum of it. With
Lakewood, I am always interested in the point where balance is disrupted, and we start
to fall into the practices of the Donner Party.

I would also love to hear how Regionalism works for Lakewood. I have never been able to
figure that one out. Neither have most of my Republican, Democratic, and Independent
friends. I can talk for hours how it works for East Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Garfield,
Cleveland, and other areas. Just never have been able to figure out how it works for
Lakewood. Nothing but snake oil here.

Many people think my writing and ideas are odd, while I do not have the education or
experience you bring to the table, I hope I can add something to the discussion.

.

[Thealexa Becker]

Economic Development is needed in any city in which there is a union of businesses and residential property. If Lakewood were strictly a suburb filled with only homes and schools, it would be a different story. But we have businesses and developed property and we need to do something progressive with it.

Or outlandish like fill up the empty spaces.

The point is, that we cannot just stick out heads in the sand and say that we are a community of houses and ignore the businesses that exist. Yes, there probably is a tipping point as you say, but I don't think that looking for people to fill those spaces would reach that threshold. That is just common sense. And it is also Economic Development.

Creating a new business is Economic Development. Keeping existing businesses profitable in the new era of technology is Economoic Development.

I will never understand how people think this is a bad thing. It's not like anyone is suggesting that we build factories or giant super malls in Lakewood.