hudson clock tower
View of Hudson, with its landmark clock tower at right, on Friday, May 29, 2009. Hudson is tightening its belt and will consider consolidating city services.
(Thomas Ondrey/Plain Dealer Publishing Co.)
AKRON, Ohio -- Summit County manufacturing executives are concerned about a shortage of skilled labor in the area, and local schools are trying to find solutions.
Summit County ranks in the bottom half of the state in people with associate degrees, including the technical degrees required for skilled and semi-skilled manufacturing jobs and hard-hat factory engineers, according to a report in today's Akron Beacon Journal (paywall).
That problem is compounded by a wave of expected retirements in union factory and manufacturing positions, the newspaper reported.
University of Akron Advanced Manufacturing Professor Dan Kandray is trying to extend college credit to local high school students who take prerequisite engineering and manufacturing courses.
Akron Public Schools is also trying to increase enrollment in vocational courses that lend themselves to associate engineering and other manufacturing related college programs.
Cuyahoga Falls anticipates Riverwalk development
Developer Joel Testa is getting wants to build a five building Riverwalk development on Cuyahoga Falls' South Front Street.
Cuyahoga Falls City Council heard plans Monday for the first phase of the project, reported in the Cuyahoga Falls Press. Two buildings will offer 19,701 square feet of retail space and 36 apartments/condominiums.
The first two buildings include an Italian restaurant, coffee shop and a Hibachi Japan restaurant, the newspaper reported.
A building at 1745 S. Front St. will be demolished using Community Development Block Grant money, according to the Falls Press.
City of Hudson tightens its belt
As revenue slowly recovers from a collapse in 2008-09, Hudson City Council is continuing to tighten the belt on the city's budget, the Hudson Hub Times reported.
The city has cut its general fund by $107,427 in its 2015 budget. Now council is looking at cutting engineering department internships and even the city-run public access cable channel.
"We want a deep discussion on how to sustain HCTV," City Manager Jane Howington told the newspaper.
The city is also consider a consolidation of EMS and fire safety budgets, and combining parks, recreation and golf budgets.
Hudson grad produces Shaquille O'Neal's blooper show
Shaquille O'Neal's blooper reel show on TNT, Shaqtin' a Fool, is the work of 2003 Hudson High School Graduate Mike Goldfarb.
The Hudson Hub Times profiles Goldfarb in its Nov. 19 issue. Goldfarb writes, produces and directs the show, a weekly highlight reel of lowlights and screw-ups by NBA stars.
"He'll just trust me and he reads my jokes verbatim," Goldfarb told the newspaper.
TNT executes picked up Goldfarb's concept, including the title, in 2011.
"Mike adds everything to the show he is Shaqtin' a Fool," O'Neal told the Hub Times.
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