This Halloween marked the first time since leaving home for college that I haven't lived in an apartment. It dawned on me in early October that we could actually participate in trick-or-treat this year, so in the week before the big day I invested in the requisite bags of Reese's cups, Kit Kats and Crunch bars. The day before Halloween, I bought a pumpkin - one of the few left at the grocery store, crusted with field dirt and flat on one side. No matter. We'd just carve the good side.

We tackled the pumpkin early on October 31. While my boyfriend sketched and carved the vampire face, I remembered a particular photo from my childhood, in which I am five or six years old and my dad and I are carving a pumpkin. There's newspaper spread over the floor of the kitchen, and my dad is reaching in to scoop out the pumpkin guts. I don't remember doing any of that myself, but this year, I eagerly helped scrape and scoop out the insides, greedy for the seeds we'd toast later.

We took our big bowl of candy, our pumpkin and a blanket outside and set up shop on the front stoop. I wondered how many kids would even come by - we were the only house on the street to participate, and it was windy and cold, though certainly spooky.

While we waited, we talked about Halloween memories - our favorite costumes, favorite candy, what a drag it was to have to wear a coat over your costume or a long-sleeved shirt under it. One year, I dressed up as Annie and had to carry an umbrella. That was the same year we did trick-or-treat only on our block, among close neighbors - a spate of Tylenol poisonings had made people wary and many communities canceled, or at least discouraged, trick-or-treat.

With no such pall over the festivities this year, we had hoped for crowds of kids. Maybe it was the weather, or just the nature of being on a dead-end street, but business was slow - a couple of ninjas, a robot, a princess (wearing sweatpants under her gauzy gown) and one particularly elaborate ghoulish doctor costume. As it grew later, we encouraged our few visitors to take as many candy bars as they wanted.

The following night we lit the pumpkin again and enjoyed our toasted pumpkin seeds - traditions from our past, reincarnated. After such a long hiatus, it was nice to be part of a neighborhood again. 

I can't say I'm sad about the leftover Reese's cups, either.

This weekend brings the largest event for the Latino Community in Northeast Ohio: the 26th annual Convención Hispana. On Saturday, October 16, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, thousands of people will gather at St.Ignatius High School in Cleveland to highlight and discuss what is being done to enrich the Latino community.

Convención Hispana is hosted by the Hispanic Roundtable Community Programs and will focus on the organization's "E³" initiative, which stands for "Economic Development, Education and Empowerment".

Convención has always served as an opportunity to address the needs of the Latino community. The event will offer health screenings for those who don't have insurance, a job fair with resumé assistance and public issue awareness education, in addition to complimentary breakfast and lunch, daycare, raffles and prizes, music and much more. Convención also provides a forum to tackle larger issues, such as encouraging local Latinos to run for – and be elected to – government office. There are teams to address various aspects of community development, including Business and Economic Development, Civic Involvement, Community Development, Education, Hispanic Health and Social Services.

More than 2,000 people are anticipated to be in attendance at Convención Hispana, including Mayor Frank Jackson and the event's keynote speaker, the honorable Judge Keila D. Cosme, who is Cleveland's answer to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Sonia Sotomayor. Cosme was the very first Latino ever appointed to the court of appeals in the state of Ohio. It is a very important time in the Latino Community, as census numbers will attest, recording a growing population. 

Convención Hispana, which began in 1984, offers an opportunity for Latinos and non-Latinos to see that they are on the same page. At the end of the day, Latinos want the same things as other Northeast Ohio residents: access to good jobs, health care, elected officials who serve our best interest, and the ability to keep their families here.

WATCH: Preview of Convención Hispana with José Feliciano Sr.

People in Northeast Ohio love to debate when Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee time rolls around. Everyone has their favorite artists who have been slighted and maligned time and again come voting time. With the induction ceremonies returning to Cleveland in 2012, excitement could get remarkably high, especially as it relates to the ceremony itself. The possibility for an extraordinary live show at Cleveland Public Auditorium - perhaps even a revered event like The Concert for the Hall of Fame - exists.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum President and CEO Terry Stewart is never one to predict such things, although he and his staff are working diligently on making the events surrounding the 2012 Inductions every bit as exciting as last year’s to-do at Public Hall. Regarding who'll be honored, Stewart won't speculate. “There are no slam-dunks,” Stewart told Ohio Authority about the potential Class of 2012. “I’ve been doing this for 11 years and you can never bet on a particular act getting in because of the voting process. At this point, it’s undeterminable. I wouldn’t even venture a guess at this point.” 

With respect to Stewart, that won’t stop intrepid crystal ball readers like me to attempt just that.

Submitted for your approval (and cross-referenced mightily through the Rock Hall website and the fan blog/discussion forum Future Rock Legends) here are some of the possibilities for the Class of 2012”that might be rocking (or rapping) in a historic venue near you.

First Time Inductees

N.W.A., the Pixies, Jane’s Addiction and Public Enemy are among that year’s first-time eligibles. N.W.A. basically invented gangsta rap and Public Enemy perfected socio-political rap. Both groups remain viable and influential, with a test for echo appearing in a lot of rock music long after their first records. If Grandmaster Flash and Run-DMC are in, these groups are likely to get in early. (Also, Anthrax just reformed, so the rock-rap summit “Bring Tha Noize” can happen, too).

As for the Pixies and Jane’s Addiction, both acts were hugely influential on the breakout of alternative rock in the 1990s. Jane’s leader Perry Farrell also re-imagined the touring festival concept, introducing mainstream America to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Primus and Smashing Pumpkins. We’re not sure if Kurt Cobain and Nirvana (see also “the most influential band of the 90s”) happens if not for Black Francis and Co. Cobain even said as much in print. Play that chaos theory out: does Warren, Ohio native Dave Grohl end up drumming for Nirvana if Cobain doesn’t hear Surfer Rosa?

On the flip side, do Nickelback or Stone Temple Pilots have a career if not for the Pixies? Only a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon knows for sure.

Still in Play

They haven’t been eligible for that long, but the likes of Tom Waits, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Replacements and the Beastie Boys are all possibilities.

All are alive and kicking, and all have been a peak of influence in their respective genres, although we believe that it would take an act of God to get the Replacements back together on stage for the night. Still, if anyone can perform said divinities, it’s the Rock Hall.

Speaking of divinities, if Guns N’ Roses are still on the board after 2011, expect a full-blown reunion like The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac before them.

Long-Suffering

This is where it gets interesting. In some instances, these bands have been eligible for more that ten years and always inspire a rallying cry from their respective fan bases.

Would a lion’s share of us even be alive to read (or write?) this if it wasn’t for Neil Diamond? (OK, maybe that’s just me.)

Still, Alice Cooper owes some of his macabre to Cleveland’s “Screamin’” Jay Hawkins, but he has been an influence on bands for four decades. Everyone from Kiss to Slipknot owes a debt to Cooper, who proved that rock concerts could (and should, at the edge of sanity) stand as events and spectacles. Then there’s Kiss, who invented music marketing long before Hall of Fame inductee Madonna did.

Does orchestral rock, dreampop or the bands-with-orchestras phenomenon happen without The Moody Blues? Do air guitar-and-drumming, or marathon Dungeons & Dragons weekends happen without Yes, King Crimson, Todd Rundgren, Roxy Music, Peter Gabriel and the ultimate canuck trio, Rush? (OK, maybe it’s just me on that last one, too… but, c’mon! It’s Rush!)

Consider that in April of 2012, you might see any combination of these acts live and on-stage at a public induction ceremony, right in the very heart and soul of downtown Cleveland and beamed around the world for everyone to see. Stewart looks to build upon the success of 2009, offering that the days and events leading to and including the induction ceremony “seemed to work pretty good” for everyone involved.

“Regardless of who is inducted, we’ll be looking to base 2012 on that experience,” Stewart says. “Probably some seven, eight days of activities and some free stuff for residents leading up to the inductions.” Just like that show at the ol’ stadium that happened 15 years ago this weekend? It’s possible. I just hope someone brings the lasers, greasepaint and flashpots that night. Seriously.

For now Stewart is concentrating on the Rock Hall Ball celebrating the Rock Hall’s esteemed 15th Anniversary on Cleveland’s lakefront this Friday, September 3, and a speaking engagement at the City Club of Cleveland beforehand. Details for both events can be found online. Check out Fresh Start for details.

“We’re expecting a great night,” Stewart says. “And we’re happy to be celebrating 15 years of success - beyond which was predicted.”

The school year is underway, and regional officials and administrators are bracing for another rash of "sexting" incidents. Lawyers are having a field day in Ohio divorce courts thanks to well-documented infidelities on Facebook. Corporate attorneys are making the case for libel against local Yelp authors. However, the greatest Internet-led crackdown is occurring on Ohio's motorways, and social media users are willingly giving themselves up. 

Foursquare is among the country's most popular web and mobile applications, allowing registered users of the free service the opportunity to "check-in" at locations, earning them points and "badges". Among obsessives, the "mayor" status is highly coveted, and tells other Foursquare users they visited a certain location more frequently than any other user. Recognizing the public's constant need for acceptance, restaurants and bars are using the application to drive business. Currently, a number of establishments offer discounts, specials and more to Foursquare users who regularly check-in. 

"The FBI developed an algorithm to track patterns of usage among users of social media applications, among them Foursquare," says Ohio state patrolman Frank Itidio. "It was clear that certain individuals most frequently 'checked-in' at bars, night clubs and restaurants. We've been using this algorithm locally, in a unique tracking system that allows us to monitor the whereabouts of certain Foursquare users." 

Itidio won't divulge how users are "red flagged", but notes that "becoming mayor of your favorite bar may make you look cool among your Facepage [sic] friends or on Mytown [sic], but it makes you a problem driver in the eyes of local law enforcement." 

Since the program started in June, officers have recorded 38 arrests for DUI, following stops based on Foursquare user updates. Regina Pantiodano was one of them. 

"I thought it was harmless," says Pantiodano, a 38-year-old marketing executive and blogger living in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. "I wanted everyone to know how often I went out, how often I supported local businesses. I wanted people to know that I had a cool social life. I wish I had just kept it to myself, and enjoyed it for what it was." 

Pantiodano became mayor of her favorite bar (which she prefers not to name) in Columbus' Short North district. "I often went after work with friends," she says. "I went at least four times per week." On Friday, June 4 at 11:45 pm, moments after leaving her favorite Short North bar, Pantiodano was stopped by a special social media mounted police task force, when she failed to indicate at a turn.The mounted task force were waiting for her after her name was picked out by the FBI-created algorithm being used by Columbus law enforcement.

"While I am not familiar with all the details of Ms. Pantiodano's case, I do know that her Foursquare check-ins, in combination with her Twitters [sic] and Facepage [sic] updates indicated a pattern of activity that was perceived as reckless." A visit to Pantiodano's Facebook page, which still contains her Foursquare updates from June 4, indicates 11 different Foursquare check-ins: a grocery store, a beauty supply retailer, her home, a gas station, a restaurant, convenient store and five bars. 

That night, she was arrested and later convicted of a DUI, sentenced to two nights in jail, ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines and lost her mayor status. She has since quit using Foursquare and "only really uses Facebook to update my profile picture and post pics of my dog."

Interviewing people is among the highlights of my work. I enjoy hearing stories, learning new things, meeting new people – it suits my naturally inquisitive nature. I feel lucky to share these stories with the OhioAuthority audience. Transcribing those interviews is another matter.

While journalists will debate the pros and cons of the job, most will agree that transcription work is tedious. Carefully documenting countless hours of interviews, insuring the accuracy of quoted material is critical to producing honest and insightful features, but it takes time. A lot of time.

Faced with more than five hours of interview tape, an office phone that never stops ringing and an email inbox that is constantly bombarded, I took my work outside. As most working men and women made their way home after a long day, I made my way outdoors. After spending all day before a computer, it was nice to let a bit of analog into my life. I was determined to get through a large a portion of the transcription work before fixing a late dinner.

My location in North Collinwood is in walking distance to not only Villa Angela and Wildwood parks, but also the East Shore Park Club, a private neighborhood park with amazing lake vistas. The latter, with its relative quiet and scenic backdrop would help make the transcription process less monotonous.

I was cruising through the transcription, the sun beaming, the lake in view, hedgehogs darting around, when a man arrived with a fan on a trailer. He quickly unloaded the enormous fan mounted to a two-stroke engine, and let it rip. It was loud. If you've ever been to the Everglades, and know the cacophony of an air boat, you'd recognize this sound. It shattered my concentration, but my curiosity was piqued. When the man unfurled a large parachute on the grounds, I was fascinate.

Soon, another man arrived with a similar set-up. He helped the first man strap the sizable fan to his back, like James Bond on his way to grade school, and set the direction of his parachute. With that, he fired the engine, the propeller quickly and loudly spinning, the fan secured to his back, seated on the equivalent of a child's folding chair and managing the now airborn chute with a series of cords. With a few brisk paces, he launched himself of the shore's cliff. I was at once ready to cheer, and at once fearful that I was about to witness a scene that would later air on one of those "when terrible things happen" programs. He quickly vanished from my sight and out of earshot, flying over the lake. His high-flying buddy was quick to follow suit.

I had intended on staying for a couple hours, and lathered my pasty Irish skin in the requisite sunscreen for that time period. It was wearing off, my arms slowly roasting to a fiery red, but I was too interested in the weirdness unfolding before me to depart. With the flyers gone, I resumed my transcription, now committed to wait for their return. I'd seen the take-off, but how were they going to land? Approximately 45 minutes later, both men returned, the first flying by my picnic table-cum-desk, saluting with a thumbs up.

Safely grounded, the men began packing up, and I made introductions, thanking them for the free air show. I met Mike, the first flyer. I learned he'd been paraflying for more than six years, and he's flown as high as 4,000 feet. I learned you don't need a license to parafly. Most interesting, Mike is one of my new neighbors. He's lived in the neighborhood for nearly a decade, and the East Shore Park Club doubles as his airstrip. He's the first neighbor I've actually met. Although I asked Mike a litany of questions, it wasn't an interview. It was a conversation. No transcribing or special skills needed.