The FREE 6th Annual Water Quality Exposition will be held Saturday July 8, 2006, from 9am-5pm, at Rockefeller Park Lagoon.  Activities include water quality testing demenstrations, fishing instructions, and guides to Lake Erie fish.  Along with music, and other misc. family activities.  For more information contact David Wright, Nature Center Naturalist at, 216-321-5935 ext233.  Or e-mail at Wright@shakerlakes.org.

Ever thought you wanted to learn more about solar panels and whether they could work for you? REpower SOLUTIONS is offering a two-day workshop for solar energy enthusiasts, July 8-9,2006.

Come learn how solar electricity works by participating in the installation of a solar-electric lighting system for a business in Shaker Heights. Each day of the workshop will include instruction to address the basics of solar electricity, the equipment, and their functions as applied to the installation. Participants will complete the installation by the end of the workshop.

The two-day workshop costs $290 and includes lunches, instructional materials, and a certificate of completion. Space is limited. For more information or to register, visit www.repowersolutions.com/education.html, or contact erika@repowersolutions.com.

You are invited to join us for a night among the vines, featuring a multi-course wine tasting menu prepared with the freshest, locally grown ingredients. Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy presents 'the Good Food Feast.' Out-of-the Ordinary Eating, in an Out-of-the-Ordinary Landscape. Saturday, July 8th at  6 pm - 9:30 pm $175 per person Reservations are required & limited seating is available for this intimate event. Proceeds to benefit CVCC's Countryside Farmers' Markets. See attached invite for more details. To make reservations, call 330-657-2542.

Ever thought you wanted to learn more about solar panels and whether they could work for you? REpower SOLUTIONS is offering a two-day workshop for solar energy enthusiasts, July 8-9,2006.

Come learn how solar electricity works by participating in the installation of a solar-electric lighting system for a business in Shaker Heights. Each day of the workshop will include instruction to address the basics of solar electricity, the equipment, and their functions as applied to the installation. Participants will complete the installation by the end of the workshop.

The two-day workshop costs $290 and includes lunches, instructional materials, and a certificate of completion. Space is limited. For more information or to register, visit www.repowersolutions.com/education.html, or contact erika@repowersolutions.com.

Environmental brown bag lunch on the state of urban forests and the Heights area with Jen Braman of Peace of Nature Landscape and Garden Design.

Building Gaming and Simulation Networks

Mike DeAloia, Tech Czar for the City of Cleveland, and a team of collaborators discuss efforts to establish a downtown Gaming Center, with deep ties to regional game design and development networks in the region.

Learn more here.

The tall ships are returning to Cleveland -- more than 20 ships will set sail for Cleveland's Northcoast Harbor, one of the legs in a race from Cleveland to Chicago. The Parade of Sail, where the ships enter Cleveland harbor, is from 3-6 p.m. on July 12. Visitors can tour the ships from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 13-16 for $10.

Training session offers a refreshing alternative to the old fundraising mentality that "ultimately builds sustainable funding and gets the organization off the treadmill of year-to-year fundraising." Presenter: Tammy Zonker.

Free. To register: Go here, scroll down to this session, and click “Register.”

For more information.

Hear the sound of 1,000 drums. Listen to live jazz, hip-hop, folk, techno, classical, rock, polka, and more. Experience opera, theater, ballet, step dancing, breakdancing, contemporary dance and more. Enjoy exhibits, concerts, poetry slams, stilt walkers, jugglers, parades, food, flowers, and activities for kids, all transformed by technology.

That’s Ingenuity 2006, and it’s happening this July in The Festival Village at Prospect Avenue and E. 4th St. in downtown Cleveland.

Go here for event schedules and information about how to get involved.

Come to a FREE screening of "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit" this Thursday night at 9 PM; the movie will be shown on a 20 foot outdoor screen.

This event is part of ParkWorks' "Meet Me on the Mall" series and will be preceeded by lawn games like bocce, badminton and croquet. Visual entertainment in the form of stilt walkers and puppeteers will start at 7:30 and snacks will be available as well.

Youngsters and those young at heart are especially welcomed. It might be a good idea to bring lawn chairs or a beach blanket. Ample parking is available on the streets surrounding Mall B.

Mall B is located Downtown, off of Lakeside Avenue, next to the Convention Center.

The "Meet Me on the Mall" series is presented with the generous support of The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, 90.3 ideastream, RTA, the citizens of Cuyahoga County and the Board of County Commissioners.

FREE guided, historic walking tours on select Thursdays throughout the summer: Today's tour is FRANKLIN CIRCLE.

Call (216) 781-3222 or email info@ocnw.org

Hear the sound of 1,000 drums. Listen to live jazz, hip-hop, folk, techno, classical, rock, polka, and more. Experience opera, theater, ballet, step dancing, breakdancing, contemporary dance and more. Enjoy exhibits, concerts, poetry slams, stilt walkers, jugglers, parades, food, flowers, and activities for kids, all transformed by technology.

That’s Ingenuity 2006, and it’s happening this July in The Festival Village at Prospect Avenue and E. 4th St. in downtown Cleveland.

Go here for event schedules and information about how to get involved.

FREE popular public lecture on Healthy Breathing Habits presented on Friday, July 14 at 7 PM at Lakeshore Dance and Gymnastics, 701 Beta Drive, Unit 27, Mayfield Village.  Toll free number for registration is 1-888-748-8874.  Could the way that you are breathing be making you sick?  Discover healthy breathing habits to increase stamina and stop symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, nasal drip, congestion, poor sleep, snoring, allergies, GERD, headaches, chronic fatigue, plus much more. The Buteyko breathing method is a safe, simple, natural solution that treats the source of the problem which is dysfunctional breathing.  Restore normal breathing 24/7 by practicing breathing techniques which prevent asthma, sleep apnea, nasal polyps, high blood pressure, panic attacks and about 100 other ailments caused by hyperventilation syndrome.  By retraining the respiratory control center in the body, the need for expensive medications/machines, along with their negative side effects is eliminated and quality of life improves.  Breathe well, be well.  Discover how at this educational event.  Contact: carol@correctbreathing.com or visit www.correctbreathing.com 

The day the first high speed passenger trains of the Ohio Hub System roll into your city is not the time to unlock the old depot or break ground for a new station. It's also not the time to be planning for transit-oriented development. Join a discussion hosted by Ohio Rail Development Commission about what makes the best location for a station and more. Lunch w/fee.

Principles of downtown real estate development workshop with Donovan Rypkema, an international expert in downtown revitalization and historic preservation.

Sponsored by Heritage Ohio, Sandusky Main Street Association, and Chase.

To register, go here for more information.

Hear the sound of 1,000 drums. Listen to live jazz, hip-hop, folk, techno, classical, rock, polka, and more. Experience opera, theater, ballet, step dancing, breakdancing, contemporary dance and more. Enjoy exhibits, concerts, poetry slams, stilt walkers, jugglers, parades, food, flowers, and activities for kids, all transformed by technology.

That’s Ingenuity 2006, and it’s happening this July in The Festival Village at Prospect Avenue and E. 4th St. in downtown Cleveland.

Go here for event schedules and information about how to get involved.

Come to see and learn about the unique forested and wetland "Oxbow" area and its importance as a potential trail link between the Metroparks' Brookside and Big Creek Reservations and its connection to Memphis Avenue and Brooklyn's "Civic Center."

Sponsored by Friends of Big Creek. For more information call 216-661-4998.

Hear the sound of 1,000 drums. Listen to live jazz, hip-hop, folk, techno, classical, rock, polka, and more. Experience opera, theater, ballet, step dancing, breakdancing, contemporary dance and more. Enjoy exhibits, concerts, poetry slams, stilt walkers, jugglers, parades, food, flowers, and activities for kids, all transformed by technology.

That’s Ingenuity 2006, and it’s happening this July in The Festival Village at Prospect Avenue and E. 4th St. in downtown Cleveland.

Go here for event schedules and information about how to get involved.

Monthly meeting of the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnerhship for Biodiversity, the regional collaboration for conservation.

For more information, contact Renee Boronka at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. 216-231-4600, x3505. 

The Cuyahoga County Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC) will answer questions about the fourth round of Clean Ohio conservation funding at a workshop. Go here for more information, or call 216-443-3700.

The next deadline for Cuyahoga NRAC applications is September 15.

In the interest of advancing a proposal for regional/commuter rail service, All Aboard Ohio and Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough invite you to attend a meeting of stakeholders along the Norfolk Southern railroad from Cleveland west into the West Shore communities of Cuyahoga, Lorain and Erie counties. This is first step toward realizing a long-sought economic development asset for the region.

What have some of our leading builders, architects and developers learned in pursuing their urban projects? What design elements appeal to potential Cleveland buyers? How are successful deals put together? Are tax abatements necessary? What is the prognosis for the future of market-based housing in Cleveland?

Panelists: John J. Carney, managing partner, Carney & Carney; Paul Volpe, president, City Architecture; and Nathan Zaremba, president & CEO, Zaremba Construction.
Moderator: Keith Brown, president of Progressive Urban Real Estate.

To make reservations, call 216.621.0082 or visit www.cityclub.org

The Lakefront West Project is a portion of the designated Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Scenic Byway. This public meeting will explore transportation alternatives such as pedestrian and bicycle connections to city neighborhoods and to the lake as the Ohio Department of Transportation prepares a plan for the West Shoreway. One goal is to balance east-west movement with north-south multi-modal access.

The Birdtown Historic District in Lakewood will be considered by the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. A public hearing on the nomination will be held on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lakewood Public Library, Madison Branch, 13229 Madison Avenue, Lakewood. A representative of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office will be there to discuss the nomination and answer questions.

Northeast Ohio group of the Sierra Club gathering for members and the public -- picnic and tour at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island.

Mingle with other nature-minded people on the boardwalk of the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. Refreshments and music.

Register here or by calling 216-321-5935.

Cleveland Restoration Society's 34th annual membership meeting and preservation awards.

For details, go here or call 216-426-1000.

Meeting information at http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/about/meetings.html

This event brought you by Cleveland365.com and The Civic Innovation Lab will bring together young professionals, entrepreneurs and The Honorable Mayor Frank Jackson. Providing an opportunity for Northeast Ohio's professionals to engage in a community dialogue with the Mayor.

Hors D'oeuvres, cocktails and live music. Complimentary tickets available online.

Come hear Richard Stuebi speak about his new role as the BP Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement at the Cleveland Foundation, and answer, What does a regional energy agenda include?

Stuebi has nearly 20 years of experience as an executive, entrepreneur and consultant in the energy industry, with most of the past decade focused on advanced energy technologies and business opportunities.

He works with various public and private sector stakeholders to promote commercial activity in advanced energy in the Cleveland area.

Lunch is provided so PLEASE RSVP to Bethany Pope bethany.pope@case.edu

Are you looking for a business idea to launch in the sustainable economy? Perhaps you are looking for a job with a business that values sustainability principles and you want to help them implement these ideas? Join your peers the fourth Tuesday of each month at the E4S Connection and Learning Center to get linked to the sustainability economy!

Click here for more information and to register.

Dike 14 Nature Preserve Committee Meeting. Agenda items include update on city actions and environmental education updates. Also, discussion of next steps to making Dike 14 a nature preserve.

For more information, email. 

An event for tech companies to find small business clients and non-tech companies to obtain help with technology needs.

Go here for registration information.

The U.S. EPA will hold a public meeting for comments on a proposed cleanup plan for the Ford Road Industrial Landfill, which is along the Black River in Elyria.

Documents are available for public viewing at the Elyria Public Library West River Branch. For more information, call 800-621-8431.

You have your dream job... your own business. Now how do you find time to work "on" your business and not just "in" your business? Bring your business development questions to the E4S Connection and Learning Center on the fourth Thursday of every month. E4S staff, our monthly guest experts (accountants, lawyers, successful entrepreneurs, business plan coaches, marketing and HR professionals) and your peers will be on hand to help you move quick around the barriers that may be challenging your business and your time. We have found peer roundtables to be one of the quickest ways to get the answers to those nagging business challenges and connections with other business owners that may lead to new business opportunities.

July Guest Advisor on Raising Funds from Friends & Family: Lauren Wolf, CPA, Wolf Business and Financial Solutions.

Click here for more information and to register.

FREE guided, historic walking tours on select Thursdays throughout the summer: Today's tour is FRANKLIN BLVD. / GARDENS.

Call (216) 781-3222 or email info@ocnw.org

Come hear Richard Stuebi speak about his new role as the BP Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement and work with various public and private sector stakeholders to promote commercial activity in advanced energy in the Cleveland area. 

• Is a regional advanced energy plan on the horizon for NE Ohio?
• What does a regional energy agenda include?
• How is a regional advanced energy plan developed?.. What questions are asked and of whom?
• What are the implications for consumers, entrepreneurs, and researchers?
• What impact would increased commercial activity have for the region’s environment?
• What would the impact be on NE Ohio’s economy?

Lunch is provided so PLEASE RSVP to Bethany Pope bethany.pope@case.edu
Even if you are interested in attending the talk, but won’t be having lunch, we still ask that you RSVP

Richard Stuebi has nearly 20 years of experience as an executive, entrepreneur and consultant in the energy industry, with most of the past decade focused on advanced energy technologies and business opportunities.  Richard shares his perspectives on energy and environmental matters on a weekly basis through www.cleantechblog.com.

Rocky River Watershed Council monthly meeting with program on the fishes of the Rocky River and electrofishing demonstration by Mike Durkalec, aquatic biologist for Cleveland Metroparks.

The first two candidates for the position of Cleveland Urban Design Center Director will be visiting in the next few weeks. It’s customary for the candidates to give a public lecture. In this case, we’ve asked the candidates to give an overview of their design philosophy, their work and their research interest.

Today, hear Terry Schwarz, AICP. Terry is a planner and urban designer, and currently is Senior Planner at the CUDC.

Join Green Energy Ohio for the regular monthly meetings of the Northeast Ohio Clean Energy Network, held every last Thursday. Meetings feature a guest speaker on a clean energy topic, an overview of clean energy news and projects in Ohio, and plenty of networking time. July 27 guest speaker Bill Spratley, GEO Executive Director, will discuss recent GEO activity at the SOLAR 2006 National Conference in Denver, held July 8-13, plans for SOLAR 2007 as the conference moves to Cleveland next July, and GEO's upcoming Ohio Solar Tour scheduled October 7-8 across the state. For more info, please contact Christina Panoska or call 216-526-5545.

Ted Steinberg, Professor of History and Law at Case Western Reserve University, has worked as an environmental historian for nearly twenty years. He is the winner of the National Outdoor Book Award and a two-time Pulitzer Prize Nominee. His new book, American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn, chronicles the history of the suburban mania for green yards, and the impact this quest has had on the environment and public health.

Steinberg's indictment of American lawn culture with its carefree adoption of hazardous materials, muffler-less machines, and wanton water use will make you think twice before throwing down the weed and feed and turning on the sprinkler. Come with a sense of humor and a willingness to see your yard through different-colored glasses.

This Friday, July 28th, is the next ClevelandBikes' organized Bike to Work Day.

Once again we'll be meeting all over the region and riding to AJ Rocco's in downtown Cleveland for breakfast and coffee. Start a trend, tell your friends and coworkers and meet us for the July Bike to Work Day!

Click here for details on where to meet.

WVIZ Channel 25 in Cleveland will broadcast "Lake Erie: Ohio's Great Lake," a new high-definition documentary that profiles the lake and its impact on history, recreation, and industry.

Monthly meeting. Topics will include protecting the Mohican State Forest and stopping the Gorge Dam hydro proposal on the Cuyahoga River.

Environmental brown bag lunch series -- Building with clay and straw with local builder Susan Clellan.

OhioVOTES, a statewide effort to encourage civic debate and voter participation, will share its plans at a meeting August 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Playhouse Club.

OhioVOTES, a project of COHHIO (Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio), plans to work with nonprofit organizations throughout the state to help them in ongoing efforts to mobilize Ohio voters. Speakers at the event include George Pillsbury, co-founder of MassVOTE and director of the new voter engagement network; Bill Faith, executive director of COHHIO; and Shelley Metzenbaum, government performance management expert.

Additional information here. 

Connect to the creative and technology industry in NEO. With the support of National City Bank. If you missed the July 6 event, read about it here.

Speaker: Len Steinbach, CIO, Cleveland Museum of Art.

Hosted at Webtego.

Presentation hosted by the Cleveland Green Building Coalition (check their site for information and registration).

The Northeast Ohio premier of “Community Solution: How Cuba survived peak oil”. This groundbreaking film developed by Community Solutions in Yellow Springs, OH, documents the “special period” after the collapse of the Soviet Union when the people of Cuba had to retool their society to operate with little or no oil. This film offers tremendous insights into the critical role of locally based agriculture.

In addition to the film, there will be a networking lunch and updates from local governments, non-profits and others about what is new and in process for farm conservation and viability in Northeast Ohio.

Call the Farmland Center of Northeast Ohio at 330-657-2355 for more information or to make reservations. Cost is $10 (includes lunch).

Whipps Ledges has 310 million-year-old Sharon Conglomerate.  Join Rocky River Watershed Council and Joe Hannibal from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for a lively and informative field trip to a unique natural area popular among rock climbers and birdwatchers.

Take I-71 or I-77 to Route 303.  Drive to State Road (east of I-71 and west of I-77).  Turn south on State Road, go past Bellus Road, Whipps Ledges is on the left.

 See our website for additional events:  www.myrockyriver.org/.

See Cleveland in a whole new way: without your car! Rockefeller Park and the Cultural Gardens will be open for you to enjoy because MLK Jr. Drive will be closed to cars.

Ride your bike: The Lakefront Bikeway starts at Edgewater Park in the west and Euclid in the east. It brings you right to the northern end of MLK Dr.

Free activities in Rockefeller Park include:

• Plays by local theaters
• Inline skating lessons
• Music by new artists
• Chalk festival
• History of the Cultural Gardens
• Bicycle safety classes
• Yoga + Tai Chi
• Ultimate Frisbee tournament
• Ethnic dancing

Go here for more info or to volunteer.

August 6, 2006, Sunday 11:00 am join Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society's Weeders in the Wild (www.wcasohio.org) invasive plant pull at the Cleveland Metropark's South Chagrin Arboretum.  We will cut, pull and dig up invasive Buckthorn that is actively crowding out the native Cranberry patch.  Gloves are recommended.