Another Award for Grapevine

Eggers Picks Grapevine for 2006 Top Ten List

Robert Eggers from DC Central Kitchen (Featured in Grapevine #78) wrote about his "Top Ten People and Places of 2006" in his blog. The Grapevine finished #9, and there is a good write up about Kevin and the other street papers. For those keeping track, his #1 was the national Non-Profit Congress that Eggers is trying to start. The entire city of Burlington VT made #4. Those liberal eastern cities always get all the praise.

Brian

Proof Grapevine Read by Power Brokers

Jon Stewart Reads the Homeless Grapevine

On the last Daily Show of the year 12/20/06, it was revealed that Jon Stewart or one of his writers reads the Homeless Grapevine. On Friday 12/15/06, the Homeless Grapevine went to press and came out on 12/19/06 in Cleveland. In the Grapevine, Kevin wrote this:

"At this point, I am ready to take a cue from Peter Pan and Cleveland.com's commercials: I propose we all just close our eyes, clap our hands, and chant "I do believe in Cleveland, I do believe in Cleveland..." until it comes back to life like Tinkerbell...now where is my $80,000. "

Then on Wednesday of this week, this Jon Stewart exchange:

Stewart: "The call for more troops inevitably re-raised that whole winning question..."
Clip from Bush press conference--
Reporter: "Yesterday you said, 'We're not winning; we're not losing.' Why did you drop your confident assertion about winning?"
Bush: "My comments...(pause) The first comment was done in the spirit...(pause) I believe that we're gonna win (with a Bush-style chuckle).
Stewart: "That's your Plan? Your plan is 'I believe we're going to win.' That can't be your plan!...Unless...Oh, my God...He's Peter Pan...He's Peter Pan and Iraq is Tinkerbell...'If you want to win in Iraq everybody clap your hands (pixie dust descends on the screen and Jon is clapping his hands). I know that we could do it.' (Laughing) Oh, sometimes I am such a dick.

Proof positive that Jon Stewart and the Daily Show writers are reading the Grapevine. You can too by picking up a copy at the West Side Market or by subscription. Support your local vendor by buying the Homeless Grapevine newspaper. A side note...this commentary by Kevin has generated a lot of attention in its first week. Some of our partners are not too happy about the negative reviews for the "Heading Home" Report. I hope that they will send in letters to express their anger for the readers to see the other side of the story.

Brian

P. S. There was a nice story on NPR Weekend Sunday Edition this morning about homelessness and poverty in Cincinnati's Over the Rhine District. It was a good look at homelessness that is not so dissimilar to the problems that every city faces.

Grapevine 79 Hits Streets

Red Issue Now on the Streets for Holidays

Support your local Homeless Grapevine vendor during the holiday season by purchasing a copy of the new Issue 79 newspaper. You can always find the Grapevine at the West Side Market or many times downtown around Cleveland State. The paper features news stories and commentaries about voting in Ohio, the hospital discharge policies, and the Resident Council at 2100 Lakeside Shelter. There is a look at the statistics on the poorest city with Census numbers, and a current look at the two organizations that support organizing around welfare issues--the Empowerment Center and Stop Targeting Ohio's Homeless.

Issue 79 has a less controversial poem by the jungle then his last submission and an expanded section on Local News. Kevin did a nice commentary on the release of the new Heading Home report on homelessness which will soon be on the NEOCH website under solutions. There is a page on National News briefs and the overview of the buddy gray memorial down in Cincinnati. As always the Grapevine has the corner on the market for 16 pages of depression. Now available by subscription with a electronic version available as well. Check it out now. Remember that the vendors keep the profits from the sale of the Grapevine--a true microenterprise.

Brian

Troy Smith Day in Cleveland

ESPN Body Slams Cleveland

Today is Troy Smith Day in Cleveland!!! We do not usually comment on sports or sports news in this space, but don't worry this is poverty related. Troy Smith is the Ohio State quarterback who recently won the Heisman Trophy. As most know, he is the former standout from Glenville High School. Today the Mayor honored him with the key to the City, and he is poised to take a national championship in college football.

On Saturday night, Troy Smith was in New York City as the expected winner of the highest award in college football. ESPN covered the ceremony under the theory that some people will watch anything having to do with sports. ESPN, certainly the finest journalists in sports, did a profile of each of the three candidates for the Heisman. The Smith profile was the most insulting piece on Cleveland ever on television. They tried to show how Smith had overcome adversity to rise to the national stage. ESPN portrayed the absolute worst aspects of Cleveland, and the images were Texas Chainsaw Massacre scary scenes. Cleo Busby of ACT said that he thought a goat was going to appear strolling down the road in Glenville like Smith had grown up in a third world country.

Not that the public should expect much from an all sports network, but someone in Cleveland should raise a stink about this Horatio Hornblower story at our expense. They spread it on thick, and made Cleveland look like Hell on Earth. ESPN needs the rabid fans of Cleveland more than we need ESPN.

Brian Davis