nominations now open for the inaugural Volney Rogers Emerald Pierogi Award

"This park was conceived in his heart,
and realized thru his devotion."

Volney Rogers was a king among men.

Born on December 1st 1846, Mr. Rogers was the founding father of Youngstown's Mill Creek Park - established in 1891 as the first park district in the state of Ohio.

Today, Mill Creek Park and its gorges and waterfalls wind through the neighborhoods of Youngstown, with hundreds and hundreds of houses bordering its sinuous landmass. Generations of families have enjoyed its trails, its trees, its architecture, and its beauty.

It is with this great history in mind that the the bloggers of Youngstown will be awarding an honor, in Volney's honor.

presenting the Volney Rogers Emerald Pierogi Award:



The first Volney Rogers Emerald Pierogi Award will be bestowed upon someone in 2010.

But first, an individual needs to be nominated for the award.

Names are being sought for potential awardees - people who constantly give of themselves, continually improving Youngstown and the fortunes of its citizens.


It's a simple way of saying thanks.

and having some fun while doing so.


still life with award, bowling shoes, and flowers:


from the wikipedia entry for Volney Rogers...

In 1920, less than a year after Volney Rogers' death, Youngstown Mayor Fred J. Warnock presided over the public unveiling of a massive bronze likeness of Rogers that was designed to honor his achievements. Rogers had been alerted to plans for the tribute before his death and was deeply moved.

The Volney Rogers Memorial still stands near the main entrance of Mill Creek Park. At the time of its unveiling, Warnock captured the sentiments of many community residents when he stated:

"We do not erect monuments to selfishness.... We erect monuments to those who live for the community and whose high ideal is the welfare of the many. That is why we are honoring Volney Rogers today"

thankful for new blogs to add to our local list

more explorations of Youngstown are blossoming on the blogosphere

from the initial oct 28 post of the blog Ytown and Beyond:

"We all have our opinions, I thought I'd share my experiences growing up in The Great Melting Pot of Youngstown, Ohio.

I used to be embarrassed to tell anyone I was from there. Now, it's like a Badge Of Honor!"

The author is "a Baby Boomer that grew up in the Youngstown, Ohio area wearing many hats in school, business, and life events. My Blog reflects that life and times, hopefully with humor."

- - -

from the Screenwriting in Iowa blog:

"My grandfather earned a Zippo lighter for spending 30 years working at Youngstown Sheet and Tube before he died of a heart attack. I’m sure there are a lot of Zippo lighters floating around Youngstown. What I’ve never seen is movie that captures that era.

So the time is ripe for a son of a son of a steelworker (or a daughter) to rise up and write some screenplays and make some documentaries on the area. Watch Gran Tornio (about Michigan in transition) and Country (about the farm crisis here in Iowa in the 80s) and start adding notes into your idea bank.

That’s what regional screenwriting is all about and there is still some magic to tap into down by Yellow Creek . . . there in Youngstown."

- - -

Finally, Reuters just published a series of stories about Youngstown in their ongoing Route to Recovery series.

It's a decent snapshot of what it's like on the ground in Youngstown:
- dreamers trying to marshal the resources to make an impact
- technology-based businesses succeeding and thriving
- how downtown is the location for future businesses
- real suffering exists due to poverty

tenants moving into Realty Towers

nice video up by the Youngstown Vindicator's Bill Lewis:

more info on the building they moved into here.

the beautiful words of Ed Galaida on Youngstown's Mill Creek Park

Don't you love the smell of really really old books?

The Shout Youngstown blog has acquired a very significant old tome, that being an original printing of Edward Galaida's "Mill Creek Park" from 1941.


on page one of this great historical text, one can find the introductory paragraph from the book's forward.


They are some of the most striking words I've read in print, and the SY blog would like to share them with you.

(editor's note: the original words are in paragraph form, but for spacing purposed have been rearranged below.)

From the placid times of the nomad Indians
to the present age,
Mill Creek Park and its flanking acres
have unendingly offered solace to understanding spirits.

Sounds in the waters,
in the underbrush,
overhead in the firry hemlocks and the shady hardwoods,
frightened silences;

colors of the rising and setting sun;

kaleidoscopic changes from season to season;

smells sweet, strange, exotic, heavy, and delicate;

currents of moving air
that arouse moods and stir deep inexplicable sensations--

these make up, to many nature lovers,
the whole significance of Mill Creek Park.

more pictures here, from Hyland Digital Images.

from senseless, stupid destruction grows subtle arson art

Setting intentional fires to vacant properties is a serious problem in many cities.

In Youngstown recently, two fires set during the month of October destroyed four historical structures on the north side - all within the same block. The concentration of the damage and grandeur of the original homes really upset many people.

The Youngstown Renaissance blog covered the arsons particularly well, complete with before and after photos, in addition to a respectful dialogue in the comments section.

It's appalling that firefighters have to risk their lives put out these arsons, and it's suspicious that private construction firms the next day are leaving messages at city hall to clean up the sites for free (to loot any salvageable remains).

- - -

Earlier in the week came word that some signage was popping up around the arson site on Pennsylvania Ave. I went this morning to investigate what others have been talking about:






No comments here on the signage . . . make your own interpretations.

But, if you have any information on the arsons, contact the numbers on this sign:



Tips to 330.782.0055 and 330.743.2141 can lead to a $5,000 award.

the business-journal launches "daily buzz" video feature

Kudos to the folks at the Business-Journal, as they continue to build value around their news-reporting prowess.

Earlier today, visitors to their website were able to view the premiere episode of Daily Buzz, which may become a welcome addition to your own daily media consumption.

You can watch the premiere in a stand-alone webpage here, just in case the tomorrow's edition is displayed on their homepage before you read this post.

- - -

The Business-Journal seems to be spreading its wings of late, incorporating alternative methods for sharing the news they collect with the region and beyond.

For example, the paper is identified as the local content provider for the new mega-regional NEOtropolis show on pbs.

Add to that their recent three-minute local interviews, and now this daily news and business review, and you have top-shelf hyper-local journalism. (as opposed to stuffing a publication with too many canned AP stories)

- - -

If it seems like this blog is heaping praise today, it's because The Business-Journal deserves it.

This blog has never received payment or gifts for writing on a subject or pushing an event (we've been offered on occasion), nor will the SY blog ever do any form of advertising.

This whole blog thing is a four-year experiment in sharing stories, raising awareness, and unintentionally building trust with an audience.

So when recalling the 4th of the 10 Rules of Living of someone I never had the chance to meet face-to-face, we need to give credit where credit is due:

The Business-Journal delivers outstanding journalistic content every day with high value - and it is a joy to absorb their content, both as an in-print subscriber and an online viewer.

shoutyoungstown is now on twitter

have finally made the jump into Twitter for the first time.

access feed here.

- - -

hopefully the SY blog will be used for more in-depth coverage, and the twitter stuff can be used to pass on fun bits.

for example, this video was posted today on YouTube:



a commercial for an establishment "in the new youngstown"

3 new videos total can be seen on their channel.

required watching - NEOtropolis

episode #1 is up and streaming...

click here to watch the premiere.



Mr. Mulready, I'll be tuning in next week.

NEOtropolis premiers tonight, Friday 9pm, on local PBS stations

how often you do receive a press release announcing a tv show that caters just to you?

well, besides this show:



Tonight at 9pm is the premier of NEOtropolis on Western Reserve Public Media, a weekly show that "focuses exclusively on the business and economy of northeast Ohio. The show will tell the full story of the regional economy, sharing both the challenges and opportunities unfolding in northeast Ohio."

from the press release...

The program is hosted by Thomas Mulready, publisher of CoolCleveland.com. Content partners are Crain’s Cleveland Business and The Business Journal of Youngstown.

“NEOtropolis will offer timely information about the region’s business and economy in a fast-paced yet in-depth format,” said Duilio Mariola, Western Reserve Public Media executive producer. “We want to be a vehicle for dialogue about regionalism for the four major cities in our broadcast area — Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown.”

Can someone DeVo this for me?

Mayor Williams one of eight featured "Public Officials of the Year" by Governing magazine

more of the world is taking notice.

strong leadership
leads to supportive press
leads to inquiries for outside investment
leads to realities like this...

"Now we are thinking in 10-year increments moving forward. When we talk about a technology economy, which would have been laughable five or 10 years ago, having a tech core downtown that attracts some of the best and brightest college students, that pays them $50,000 and $60,000 a year right out of college, while they're able to live in an upscale apartment complex that just opened — these are all things we're going to be talking about for Youngstown in 2010, 2015 and 2020. Downtown Youngstown is once again becoming a destination point for people in the region, whether it's arts or entertainment or culture or business."

and repeat.

story here. interview here.

the death of music cassette tapes, and the birth of ohio casinos

think back to the last time you bought a music cassette tape...

it's been a while, hasn't it?

perhaps now you spend your money on audio CDs, or downloadable files from iTunes.

You may be spending about the same amount of your income on music as you did ten years ago, but the format has changed.

You've shifted spending your cash from Product A to Product B.

- - -

What does this have to do with casinos?

let's consider dining at local restaurants, buying gifts for friends and family, and other personal spending decisions to all be wrapped into Product A.

then let's consider someone's spending at casinos to be Product B.

If casinos are placed into Ohio's four largest cities and downtowns, many many people will be buying Product B. That means fewer dollars and less opportunities to buy Product A.

The result:
when casinos go up ... personal spending on other goods such as tickets to the performing arts, dining and family restaurants, and donations to charity go down. That means the people associated with these components within the community will lose their jobs.

Net community-wide job growth is zero.

This is the fallacy of all the "economic development" claims by those pushing casino growth.

If the total amount of money in a community is not growing because of exports or stays the same, all we are talking about here is shifting money, not gaining money.

And like any modern slot machine, the house always wins over time.

Sure, here and there people may be winners or losers at certain instances pulling the handle, but system and machine is designed in the long run that the casino always walks away with profit.

Say No to Issue 3.

and say no to lies about economic development.

best youngstown halloween costume this year

awesome.



actually, there are some palm trees in the background - so we know it's not the south side.

curiously though, the video is tagged "youngstown ohio"

halloween rust belt chic - ballroom dancing in empty buildings

happy halloween all.

lots of events downtown tonight.



last night, the streets were alive with the zombie dead.

friday's zombie crawl meets at Oak Hill Cemetery - makeup to be provided

It seems over 170 people have signed up on Facebook alone for Friday's downtown Zombie Crawl.

Everyone is invited to attend - even those who don't regularly visit social networking sites.

However it's not just a walk through town, but a string of live-action, historical, and downtown exploring events.


(sweet posters!)

The City of Youngstown - The Oakland Center for the Arts - The Mahoning Valley Historical Society invites all the interested and curious to the...

FIRST ANNUAL YOUNGSTOWN ZOMBIE CRAWL!!!!

here is the lowdown:

5pm-6:30pm
Meet at the uber-historic and cool Oak Hill Cemetery / local make-up artists will be onsite with Zombie make-up $5 / The Mahoning Valley Historical Society will be giving organizing tours of the Cemetery.

6:30pm
Zombies and all interested parties will gather at the Mr. Peanut Bridge. (red bridge connecting downtown to the Commons)

6:45pm
All zombies in attendance will saunter over the Mr. Peanut Bridge to West Federal Street and beyond, creating mayhem in the streets. (note: for eating purposes, the YBI has a high concentration of brains in the vicinity)

7:30pm
Crawl ends.... Youngstown Zombie madness parties start all over

8pm - 11pm
the Mahoning Valley Historical Society will host a Halloween Party at the Burt Building (325 W. Fed - where ice cream on a stick was invented) $10 includes haunted tour through the historic Burt Bld. local ghost stories, frightful artifacts, costume contest, dancing, and cash bar.

8pm
the Oakland Center for the Arts will have $10 tix for their opening night of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

Later in the evening, select downtown establishments will offer drink specials for Zombies only. They include:
The Draught House
The Lemon Grove
Imbibe
Rosetta Stone
Barleys
Buffalo Wild Wings
Cafe Cimmento
MVR
The Royal Oaks



if you ever wondered what happened to the Chairman on Iron Chef:

new web site for ybi now up

a revamped website for the Youngstown Business Incubator is now up and running at

www.ybi.org


the Frequently Asked Questions section is especially well done, for those looking to understand what the YBI is all about. (link here for FAQs)

video of casino debate: "Issue 3 enshrines a monopoly in the Ohio constitution"

The decision on Issue 3 is less about a thumbs up/thumbs down vote on gambling in Ohio alone, but instead is more about shortchanging the people of Ohio through large cash shifts to two private companies.

Still not decided?

Well, the City Club up in Cleveland has posted this week's Issue 3 debate online between Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and Quicken Loans' Dan Gilbert on YouTube. After some introductions, the debate begins at the 4:30 mark...



Part 2 here. (10 minutes)
Part 3 here. (10 minutes - questions from IdeaStream)
Part 4 here. (10 minutes - on amending the constitution)
Part 5 here. (10 minutes - on equitable tax rates)
Part 6 here. (10 minutes - final statements)

- - -

Issue 3 as written selects four specific parcels on Ohio to build these casinos, and exclusively embeds those four locations in the state constitution.

The parcel in Columbus is located right in their Arena District, a super-rich area to begin with. Millions and millions of dollars will be flowing from the rest of Ohio into already super-rich Columbus. More of Dayton's wealth into Columbus, more of Southeast Ohio's wealth into Columbus, more of Central Ohio's wealth into Columbus.

watch the videos yourself, and remember to fill out your absentee ballots or vote early if you are able to do so.

the current view from my inner city neighborhood within youngstown ohio

It's wonderful having Mill Creek Park located on the edge of your neighborhood.

A view from Fellow Riverside Gardens overlooking Lake Glacier:


Things are starting to pick up in the Garden District.

An expanded botanical gardens, surrounded by greenspace on three sides, a neighborhood plan, ethnic eats, reasonable commercial and residential space, and most important...GREAT neighbors.

more here.

why you might want to vote "no" Issue 3, regardless of your personal politics

Issue 3, the current push to allow casino gambling in state of Ohio, is a poorly designed and unjust effort.

You, the voter, really need to examine the ballot language on Issue 3 to assist your decision.

Upon reading it, I personally became convinced the current casino plan is an unwise path for our state to follow.

Please vote "no" on Issue 3.

I'll argue in the space below - regardless of your political persuasion - Issue 3 is something that may conflict with your virtues.

- - -

As an economic development professional, I contend Issue 3 is not economic development.

In the field, the present casino proposal is what is known as "bad money" in a local economy.

Please click here to read an old post about concept of "good, bad, and neutral" money.

one regularly-heard beef is that the current design unfairly shifts and redistributes money throughout Ohio, and will exacerbate hardships for many communities and individuals.

but here are some other concerns may more align with your sensibilities:

If your preferences are more Libertarian, Issue 3 stifles competition and creates a monopoly for a handful of entities. How is creating a monopoly in this case in Ohio's long-term best interests?

If Republican - for Issue 3 to take shape, Ohio voters are asked to change the state constitution. Not state law, but the constitution. How is an act like altering the constitution in Ohio's long-term best interests?

If Democrat - Issue 3 if passed will shift billions of dollars from people to the hands of a few. How is massive wealth distribution to make rich people even richer in Ohio's long-term best interests?

If an independent Mahoning Valley resident - Issue 3 if passed gives the shaft to the people of Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. Construction jobs go to places like Cincinnati and Columbus. It ignores the rest of the state. How is building casinos in already more prosperous portions of the state in Ohio's long-term best interests?

Nearby casinos aren't doing well either.

Pittburgh's new casino is performing poorly, already not able to make its payments. Detroit's Greektown casino has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The former Cleveland mayor and retiring Senator George Voinovich has brought up other interesting points recently, including already formed sweetheart deals, low returns to the state, and marginal new job creation.

Little gain for a lot of pain.

After reading the ballot language, please join me in voting no on Issue 3.

it's the diaspora, stupid.

Is a fundamental component of improving a regional economy improving the connectivity to a region's own diaspora?

Today's Youngstown Vindicator highlights the opening of the VXI Center in 20 Federal Place, and tells the story of how the communications company selected the Mahoning Valley as a place to expand:

"Chris Butcher, who started with VXI Global Solutions two years ago in Los Angeles, said he and a few others talked up Youngstown when they heard the company was looking to locate its first call center in the Eastern time zone.

“I said, ‘If you want more people like us, and if you want to get the results we’re getting, come to Youngstown, Ohio,” said Butcher, 35, a Howland native who now lives in Hubbard.

Tobias Parrish, vice president of U.S. operations for the Los Angeles-based company, said executives looked at the area based on employee recommendations and liked what they saw."

"VXI intends to fill up the fourth floor of the building with 500 workers and has talked to the city about adding more workers on the fifth floor as business grows."

This blog reviewed last week the value proposition of expanding your technology-based business to the city of Youngstown:

"Youngstown has some of the lowest prices for office space and skilled labor costs in the United States; Youngstown is in close proximity to some of the smartest places and largest markets in the world (including Pittsburgh of G20 fame); Youngstown is home to its own clusters of IT and advanced materials companies and research; and, Youngstown now has the political and community leadership who are ready and willing to engage you."

Video and Business-Journal story with further details here.

Yesterday, the Greater Youngstown 2.0 blog highlighted some of the political leadership.



fired up . . . ready to go.

flip through ybi's Technology Forward 2009 magazine

The "Youngstown Business Incubator" is a set of three words that has been popping up all over the place.

Whether you've heard the words on the floor of the U.S. Senate, you've read them in this week's international print edition of The Economist, or you've seen them adorn buildings in downtown youngstown, the YBI presence and economic impact is continually growing.

But do you, dear reader, actually knows what goes on within those walls?

If you're curious, or if you know the generalities but not the specifics, then please check out this magazine:


The following link
http://flipseekllc.com/gl2009ybi.html

will take you to a 28 page overview, highlighting the philosophy, the companies, and the various projects that are taking place through the YBI.

in school, it would be referred to "required reading".

read it online, print it out, email to a friend...

and become further informed on what is going on in downtown youngstown.