The Observation Deck

Thanks to Paula Reed....check it out!

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/ ... 08,00.html

Rhonda Loje[/list]

Very cool.

Very cool indeed. It would be cool to have a summer long project house right here in Lakewood.

It should not be ignored that TOH selected Lakewood as one of the Best Places for Families with Kids to Buy an Old House in addition to one of the Best Places for First-Time Buyers, Art Lovers, Queen Annes, and The Midwest.

Thanks for nominating us, Paula!

Great News. The truth is finally recognized! It's one of the best places to buy and Old House and there are many many people who think olds houses are Good things.

David

Great article in this morning's Plain Dealer:

This Old House magazine ranks Lakewood as a top city

Here's how the Web site lauded the city: "Locally owned shops, restaurants, theaters and art galleries, strung behind vintage storefronts along a former streetcar line, are where families meet in summer - when they're not relaxing by the lake.

Home to a celebrated public library, the Beck Center for the Arts, Lakewood also has great schools that have been making news for their rapid test-score gains and high graduation rates."

I should also correct my first post...This article was also made possible with the help from Marcia Moll...from the Lakewood Heritage Advisory Board. Thank you Paula Reed and Marcia Moll! The article was great on the front page this morning and on the website and hopefully in the magazine.

Thank you for your support of Lakewood! It is because of people like you that this city is so special!

Rhonda Loje

Also picked up by Forbes.com

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/ ... 62051.html

This is really great news! Thanks for posting the link, Bryan! I wonder if there is some way the city can capitalize on this, and work toward a national marketing campaign to attract the best and brightest in the country?

btw, "Jeers" to the PD for including the photo of the $8,800 junker (complete with the graffiti) in their coverage of this story the other day. Hey, no city is perfect, but what a way to sour a positive story!!

I'm with you, John. With so many beautiful homes to photograph, why showcase one of the less than stellar examples? On the front page, no less. . .me thinks that the PD nurses an bad attitude toward Lakewood. At least one might think that, based on its coverage.

Now it's on the front of CNN.com:

Christina McCallum wrote:I'm with you, John. With so many beautiful homes to photograph, why showcase one of the less than stellar examples? On the front page, no less. . .me thinks that the PD nurses an bad attitude toward Lakewood. At least one might think that, based on its coverage.

Conspiracy Theory:

"The success of Lakewood is the failure of regionalization."

The PD, Cleveland Clinic, Tax Free Foundations, Cuyahoga County officials and others are enamored by the concept of "regionalization". The underlying theory is that Cuyahoga County is uncompetative because there are too many small government entities. Left unaswered are:

1. Why did the County do so well for so many years with the same small communites?

2. Why would a less democractic, less responsive. more bureaucratic and more expensive government be more hospitable to economic growth?

3. If County wide government is the key to efficiency and accountablility why is the current County government so corrupt and inefficient?

Perhaps the County should demonstrate some minimum level of competence in its current area of responsiblity before it seeks control of Lakewood's library and schools.

I attempted to email the reporter about her article but the PD email system wouldn't accept the email.

The success of Lakewood is the failure of regionalization

Agreed. But, it goes farther. THe success of ANY suburb makes regionalization less attractive. The PD, Foundations, other powers that be need to foment a "red lining" mentality, rats in a regional sinking ship whose only hope is to cling together amidst the flotsam. When the good ship Lakewood sails past, it destroys their nightmare illusion.

Jeff

Jeff Endress wrote:

When the good ship Lakewood sails past, it destroys their nightmare illusion.

Jeff

Jeff


Which it sickens me to see so many Lakewood "power brokers" selling their souls and our city to the regional nightmare.

Like the strip mall, it seemed like a good idea until any critical thought was applied.

FWIW

Jim O'Bryan wrote: Like the strip mall, it seemed like a good idea until any critical thought was applied.

FWIW

Wait, what strip mall are you talking about?