Wal-Mart backs away from public trough
I don't expect to have to do this often, but in this case I want to give credit where credit is due. The State of Ohio in its infinite wisdom created a mandatory tax abatement for companies developing land that was previously contaminated. This means that Wal-Mart's Steelyard Commons store, already a threat to neighboring businesses, was going to save a nice chunk of change in taxes, handed to them by the state.
Today's headline was a big surprise, and a welcome one. Wal-Mart decided to forego the abatement and pay its taxes, which are desperately needed by the Cleveland school system. A significant portion of the taxes will also be used to complete the Towpath Trail through the Flats to the lake.
I love the Towpath Trail, and the idea that I'll be able to easily ride my bike to a connecting trail nearby and join up with the trail that runs south past Akron makes me...well...almost want to run and buy something at Wal-Mart.
Not.
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Getting ready for the competition
Between trying to wrangle my Body & Soul project into shape, and putting together a group of student entries from Tri-C, the local AIGA Design Competition has consumed the past couple of days.
I'm a die-hard procrastinator, always working on things right up to the deadline. I've had many a last-minute dash to the post office/FedEx place to get things in under the wire. And I've been burned a couple of times, either by having to pay late fees or missing the deadline altogether. The only thing I can say in my defense, and the point I try to make to my students is that if you wait til the last minute and something goes wrong, don't whine about it. I just chalk it up to another (painful) learning experience.
So I've got all my CDs burned and most of the paperwork filled out. Tomorrow I drop everything off and hope for the best. The college is paying the hefty $40 entry fee for each of six student entries, and I think at least two should get awards—one poster and one animation. Two other animations and a couple of book covers merit serious consideration too.
We'll see. So much of any competition depends on the tastes of the judges, and I have no clue about the folks judging this one.