I swung on up to Ohio City last night for some sushi from Kimo’s before going to the last night of interviews for this round of Neighborhood Connections Grant-making. Kimo’s was closed again. The third time in a row this has happened to me. I know he does the sushi for the Indians, and that its a big account for him, but it is a hassle to get there and find out he is closed. I guess I’ll have to start calling first. Maybe he could use a website to keep folks informed? Instead I went to Heck’s again. I’d last been there over a year ago with Patrick in our quest for the best burger in Cleveland. I wasn’t impressed with their burger then, and I wasn’t impressed with the pasta dish I got last night. The food was good enough, but I can and have made better at home.
The six interviews we had last night switched back and forth between sports/exercise programs and educational programs. Unfortunately the same problem we’ve had in the past also came through with several of these groups. Most or all of the money would go to pay themselves or their business. I’m sorry, but if you request $5000 and all of that money is going to pay for memberships to the business you own you aren’t going to get the money. Similarly, if you request $5000 and all of that money is being split between the workers at the business while claiming their hours as in-kind contributions, you’re not going to get the money. I think that is one of the positives having community activists as the grant-making committee. We know all of the tricks people will use to make a buck. I wonder what it says for the Cleveland economy that small businesses are so desperate for patronage or cash that they’ll create one-off programs and hope the funding source doesn’t look too closely at their application.