CLEVELAND, Ohio - For generations, Ohio rebounded from hard times.
But the state did not come back from the Great Recession, and is has not recovered from the 2001 recession, data shows. Yet, earlier this month, we learned that middle-class income for most of the country has rebounded.
So what's happening in Ohio? What makes a vibrant community? What makes one tick? And how can a community move in that direction if it's not already there?
The Plain Dealer and more than 40 Ohio media outlets, a collaboration known as Your Voice Ohio, will explore these questions and more in a series of community conversations across the state.
During these two-hour conversations, journalists will engage with area residents to gain a better understanding of how their community's economic state has affected their lives, and the lives of their neighbors, friends and relatives, and to identify sustainable solutions to the struggles facing people across Ohio.
If you would like to be part of the conversation, go to yourvoiceohio.org/events.
Northeast Ohio locations for this first round of discussions are:
Warren: Sunday Sept. 30, 1-3 p.m., Warren G. Harding High School, 860 Elm Road NE, Warren, 44483. Register at: bit.ly/Vibrant_Warren
Akron: Monday Oct. 1, 6-8 p.m., Guy's Party Center, Central Ballroom, 500 E. Waterloo Road, Akron, 44319. Register at: bit.ly/Vibrant_Akron
Stow: Tuesday, Oct. 2., 6-8 p.m., Heritage Barn, 5238 Young Road, Stow, 44224. Register at: bit.ly/Vibrant_Stow
Cleveland: Wednesday, Oct. 3, 6-8 p.m., Lab Studios by GLO, 2460 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland, 44114. Register at: bit.ly/Vibrant_Cleveland
Euclid: Thursday, Oct. 4., 6-8 p.m., Recher Hall, Slovenian Society Home, 20713 Recher Ave, Euclid, 44119. Register at: bit.ly/Vibrant_Euclid