Post thoughts and comments regarding education and preparation of NEO residents to take health care jobs

Post thoughts and comments regarding getting more whole foods and organics into grocery stores

Post comments and thoughts regarding the best ways to leverage world class health facilities in the NEO region

Post comments regarding greater access to quality healthcare

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Over a period of roundtable "world cafe" discussions, participants at the Storm the Palace table wrote the following summary ideas on a flip chart or post-it to the idea wall - each idea is being posted to the "Community Forums: Health" on REALNEO focused on this category... read on:

Dear Friends of Lake
Erie ~

Location

Public comments are being accepted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) on a draft plan for conserving the remaining open spaces and natural areas in the Lake Erie Region. In addition, as part of the state's efforts to meet eligibility on the federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, Ohio will hold two public meetings in November to solicit feedback on the draft plan.

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As dusk approached on a dreary, rainy Cleveland 1st of November, the skies suddenly cleared and around 80 diverse NEO Stakeholders gathered at the Palace Theater for a shared experience of insight from Mayor Campbell and Next Generation Consulting CEO Rebecca Ryan followed by "world cafe" collaboration. See the results linked below.

Around 80 diverse people from around Cleveland came together Halloween Night for a arts, culture and intellect filled evening of brainstorming and discussion on what we as a region need to do to make this a "more better" place, especially considering making NEO attractive to the next generation. Visit the links below to see the results.

Market Gardening

A new training program for
Cleveland area residents from
the community food project
City Fresh

Would you like to…

· earn money selling produce from your garden

· learn useful business and entrepreneurial skills

Location

Over a period of two evenings - October 31 and November 1, 2005 - around 150 folks from all walks of life and corners of NEO came together at two spectacular places - the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Palace Theater - to participate in "world cafes" introduced by futurist Rebecca Ryan. The response and outcomes were fantastic. Highlights and content created is posted in two books below:"Making NEO "More Better" at the CIA - October 31, 2005" and "Storming the Palace for a sustainable NEO - November 01, 2005" - more will be added for quite some time so check back frequently - the most important outcome is the development of ideas surfaced during these events, which are posting to our "Community Forums"... go there to participate in making NEO "more better" . To those who joined us, thank you so much!!!

I thought a good forum starter would be the many preventative strategies we as citizens can take to foster healthier communities. Nutrition and Fitness speak volumes here - envision, for example, the possibilities when East Clevelanders can afford quality organic produce (an initiative being championed by the Botanical Gardens) and thus benefit from the superior nutritional value - so kids can study better, sleep better and live better. There is also merit to several civic initiatives promoting physical education and fitness. We have, for far too long, relied so heavily on automated transportation, computers, and fast-food culture that we have sacrificed the opportunity to get healthy via bike and pedestrian travel and regular exercise. The common excuse of 'not enough time' no longer flies - most workplaces have instituted in-house fitness centers. A final word on diet - quantity reduction can be just as important as quality enhancement - most restaurants serve portions much too large for a healthy single meal. Though customers might feel they really get their money's worth , health suffers. A smart workaround would be eating a reasonable amount and doggie-bagging the rest. It makes economic sense as well - to pack away the next day's lunch. Any other thoughts?

Alternative Energy is a global opportunity, to improve economies and ecologies, and NEO is taking an aggressive approach by developing enterprises and resources in this cluster. This book explores economic development and entrepreneurship related to Alternative Energy!