European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Veland on the lake1 gets a face lift in not already there in arms of spirit and Pride says Pauline Tarver executive director for the local chapter of the National association for the advancement of coloured people. In the Central business District office space has grown almost 25 percent or 3.4 million Square Leet in the past five years. With All me naw construction vacancies in downtown offices Are at an All time High improved performances by the City s previously lacklustre Storfa franchises help stimulate Pride. The Cleveland indians last year had their first winning season since 1979 and Drew 1.4 million fans the baseball club s Best attendance since 19s9. And lha Cleveland Browns won their division in the american football conference narrowly missing a trip to the super bowl n an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. Greater than anything else perhaps winning Storla teams bring people together and make them As one says David Mode the Browns director of marketing. It energizes people and allows people to believe in the  the upbeat attitude of he Community is exemplified by the new Standard Oil co. World Headquarters a $250 million Structure that is the largest corporate office building in Ohio. Other projects have been developed outside the downtown area. The Cleveland clinic foundation which has become the City s Fargel employer has undertaken a $ 1b5 million expansion on the City s East Side including a $72 million outpatient building completed in Fate 1985. The heart of the City s revival Hough continues to be downtown. In addition to the galleria Higbee s and the May co., the City s major downtown department stores have made combined improvements of nearly $25 million. A $177 million Tower City Center project is adding further retail space while upgrading the historic terminal Tower the City s main rapid transit Center. Officials with the Rock a Roll Hall of Fame chose Cleveland Lor their multimillion Dollar Hall and museum Complex alter a nationwide Competition last year for those who like to party a $36 million restoration of playhouse Square and its three Heaters is almost finished. Later this year the first stage of an $80 million entertainment residential office Complex will be Complete on the West fits of the Cuya hoga River. In the 60s and 70s, we d jump on a plane and go to new York for Broadway shows says Brian Switzer president of us Market research. People go to the Heaters downtown  the improvements have perked up the City s night life. It s the in thing to do to go to the Flats Seltzer says. Kids from Oberlin and Kent state will drive 45 minutes o get  much of the credit Lor the change is Al in mod to the development of a Strong partnership Belv Oen Iho Buci Fiss Community and leaders such us mayor George v Voynovich and City Council president George Forbes. I think in was More characterise of the corporations in the past to remain fool. Remain apart or Independent of politics and the problems of Iho City ils Oll says Ronald Busch associate professor o political science at Cleveland stale University. I Don t really think Cleveland would have declined to the extend that in had if the corporations i Illy had been  Clevaland tomorrow a Commil Loo of 4-1 chief executive officers from the City s largest companies was organized five years ago to Loster economic vitality after the business Community grow tired of witnessing its decline. The downtown development and the attempt to make the City s manufacturing base More Al Tractive to High tech industries have been lop Priori lies. A Survey by Case Western Reserve University Las summer showed that business and Community leaders agreed that downtown is Mere viable now than it was five years ago. Nearly 70 percent of the companies plan to increase employment in the City in the next five years and More than half plan to increase he number of jobs within a year. Railroads booming in 1972, there were Only about 200. About 150 have been formed since 19bo along. By 1990, Dorsey estimates the total May be close to 500. The Short line Boom was torn in 1970 Wilh the bankruptcy of the Perm Central which. Led to the formation of Conrail in 1976. Through the consolidation of seven bankrupt or unprofitable Eastern lines. In 1980, Congress passed a Law that seeded an simplified procedures Tor Large railroads to abandon their Short unprofitable.  brought a new interest in -1 railroads by entrepreneurs Dorsey says. And created a natural mix that has. Blossomed since 1980." a among the ingredients o that mix is the  absence of costly and restrictive work rules that govern Large roads. A typical Short line has a lean versatile non Union. Staff. Like Many Shornin presidents Jim Stuckey often drives a locomotive himself. As the big railroads prune their systems 1 through abandonment the entrepreneurs move in and turn the Short lines into profitable enterprises usually As Reight haulers. In recent years Dorsey says you can count on your hands the number of failures in Tho Short line Railroad  he to concerned though about the business s future. One priority of organized labor in the new democratic Congress is to Siren Glen Protection for Short line employees. Strong restrictions on management would kill the Short line Boom that we be seen in recent years Dorsey says. Prospects Lor future growth would be  he and others acknowledge 1,1 railroading s romantic Aura the durable mystique that attracts Many of the entrepreneurs in the first place. But Dorsey says i Don t know of anyone that s invested As a tax write off or solely because he has a lot of spending Money gained in some other area. As far As 1 know they re All Good solid businessmen looking Lor the Buck in the old fashioned  Stuckey does l fit that Mold. He is a soft spoken alabamian. A retired army veterinarian and a lifelong Lover of trains. He and a Small group of investors bought the Maryland Midland in 1970, began operations on 18 Miles of track in 1980, and acquired 37 More Miles in 1983. It has t been easy. On the very first run of the new line the locomotive s brakes weren t working the big diesel slammed into a loaded freight car and according to a history of the Road while Many Well wishers shared our embarrassment. No. 102 limped off on one diesel engine to Walkersville for inspection and  in Many respects it s an extremely Lough business there s no two ways about it Stuckey says. You essentially walk a Tightrope at any  Maryland Midland almost fell Oil the Tightrope Inlo bankruptcy during the 1982 83 recession he says but the initiation of passenger hours Inlo the nearby Calo tin mountains saved in the Tours remain an important part of Tho business. Maryland Midland s troubles Pale compared Wilh those of the South Branch Valley Railroad in Moorefield. W. A. Most of that Road s 52 4 Miles wore knocked out of commission by a Dev Aslog flood in november 1985 South Branch perhaps the Only slate Short line railroads Are becoming profitable enterprises usually As height haulers. Operated Short line was really looking like o Railroad a few months before the flood nays Donald j. Baker. Or execute director of the West Virginia Railroad maintenance authority Tho estimated damage was $9 2 million and included Tho loss of our major Bridges. Repairs have started and a nine mile segment is poor atm. In contrast the Suras Bim a Hoard. Wilh its  a Rimini uru a Vinyl age set Eim locomotives and past vex Chis in Rivas As an excursion Lino each tourist season it a Nils a Iii Hun 300.000 riders on a nine mile Login it trip Iron its East Suras Burch. A. Term anal i Hough Amish Larm country to Paradise a april 22,1987 the stars and stripes Page 15