43
Untitled document
The curtain's coming down on Chuck Sammarone's term as Y-town mayor...but, has Y-town Business Incubator's Jim Cossler un-curled and come out from under his desk??
Jim Cossler, Youngstown Incubator's self-named: "chief evangelist" is one of America's technology incubator pioneers.
I remember the first time I had Jim in-studio - a bright, forward-thinking hipster that could have moved to the Silicon Valley and fit in like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle - the piece that had slipped between the couch cushions and now fit as tight as a rooted turnip.
Yeah, Jim came to the old WHOT , east side studio "high atop the hill overlooking beautiful Oakland Field. Jim Cossler came to the same studio that the crew from ABC's Nightline came to talk Traficant with me. The same East Youngstown that housed police protected, after-hours gambling joints and whore houses and infamous mobster Joey Naples' headquarters. Jim Cossler did a lot of work, verbally repaving the bloody, crime - reputed streets, with an asphalt made from dreams of a NEW, high-tech Youngstown.
Jim fought a mentality that screamed: 'this place was better when the mob ran the town"
I've wondered aloud: when Jim brought out 'o towners here, did he hoodwink them, blind fold them or put them in the trunk of his car until he had them at the YOUNGSTOWN BUSINESS INCUBATOR?
That was then, now , just a bit over a decade later, YBI's named:http://ubiindex.com/global-top-list-2013/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> # 11th - GLOBALLY _ of University Business Incubators ! Jim, congratulations and THANK YOU
for elevating us !
for elevating us !
Jim Cossler went from tryin' to flyin' !!!
All around the world, tech-eyes focused on our town, Youngstown.
Then, just this past October, he,the 'accountability mayor', spoke, loudly, again:
and said :
http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/oct/24/city-to-crack-down-on-workers-cellphone-/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">“Cellphones and computers are the lazy man’s way of communicating,”As Y-towners and YBI-ers hoped that the tech world was NOT listening,
I visualized Jim Cossler, in fetal position, trembling under his desk, in shock.
Ah,just a few more weeks, Jim, but as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcyKMbjNqWo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Counting Crows' Adam Duritz says " it's a long December".
Subscribe Today
Sign up for our email newsletter to receive daily news.
Want more? Click here to subscribe to either the Print or Digital Editions.