Saturday, February 05, 2005
UPDATE: HDTV Super Bowl for Cincinnati
It's finally final. The Super Bowl will be in HDTV on Fox 19 in Cincinnati on Time Warner Cable (Channel 919). Glad to see it happen, not sure why it took so long.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Bacchanalian Society - Winners
Went to the event last night.... what a blast. You need to check out the next one if you have never been. (Bacchanalian Society ). We didn't stick around to the end, but I understand one of the 5 winning shiraz (voted on by the attendees of the wine tasting in a blind taste test) was.... Charles Shaw "$2 Buck Chuck", from Trader Joe's. I have heard about it before Trader Joe's came to Kenwood, but haven't actually tried it. After hearing it was a winner, I need to go pick up a few bottles myself.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Banks Pressure Needed
The State is hinting it may pull it's $11 million grant, if progress is not made on the banks. Anything that can be done to put pressure on to make this project happen, I am in full support of.
Norwoord Blight Fight Appears Near End
It's been over 2 years, but it looks to be coming to a close. The fight to expand Rookwood Commons into Rookwood Exchange appears to be coming to it's final stage so construction can begin. The final few home owners lost their battles and while some appeals are still possible, a victory doesn't seem likely. I've been against these few property owners for a while. You have a community of 60 people being held hostage (in some cases lives ruined, for those that moved out and bought a new house thinking that there current house would soon be bought by the developers), but a very small minority. For a couple of those it was legitimate. They'd lived there whole lives there, and didn't want to move. For most of the 'holdouts' it was about business dollars. They had prime corner locations on a very busy street (made busy by the same developers they are fighting). I think a better solution would have been a deal that allowed those business owners to set up shop in the new center.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
More Smoking News
Fairfield is also debating a smoking ban. I think it's easy to see that in 5 years, the only place you'll be smoking is outside.
One thing I want to point out in the article:
Pat Edmonson, co-owner of Gilmore Bowling Lanes, doesn't smoke, but all but one of her employees do. She fears bowlers would bypass her lanes and go elsewhere if a clean air ordinance was adopted. "Even if we lose just 20 to 25 percent (bowlers), it will put us out of business,'' said Chuck Edmonson, Pat's husband and a former smoker.
This makes no sense to me. Maybe it's only people I know, but seems like everyone walks out of bowling alley's disgusted by smoke. If you ban smoking everywhere, seems to me that people that don't smoke would frequent you business more often. As far as I can tell the bar and restaurant economies in California and New York haven't collapsed. There's not a flood of people spending their Friday night at home because they can't smoke at bars. Hurting business is just not something that happens.
One thing I want to point out in the article:
Pat Edmonson, co-owner of Gilmore Bowling Lanes, doesn't smoke, but all but one of her employees do. She fears bowlers would bypass her lanes and go elsewhere if a clean air ordinance was adopted. "Even if we lose just 20 to 25 percent (bowlers), it will put us out of business,'' said Chuck Edmonson, Pat's husband and a former smoker.
This makes no sense to me. Maybe it's only people I know, but seems like everyone walks out of bowling alley's disgusted by smoke. If you ban smoking everywhere, seems to me that people that don't smoke would frequent you business more often. As far as I can tell the bar and restaurant economies in California and New York haven't collapsed. There's not a flood of people spending their Friday night at home because they can't smoke at bars. Hurting business is just not something that happens.
Smoking Ban Debate Continues
Two days after a Smoking Ban went into effect in Columbus, Cincinnati continues to hold debates, forums, meetings and discussions. I'm all for debate and making sure the decisions you make are sound ones, but there's also a component of leadership in being an elected official. I think this is a problem the city has in general, and why nothing gets done. There are several examples of this, The Banks has been a project in planning since 1998. What we need is leadership that is willing to take a few risks, make decisions that don't always have a 75% approval rating and get some things done.
I personally would love to see a smoking ban in Cincinnati (I think to make it work you need to get with folks in Newport, Covington and other communities). But I agree with Luken for once. Just make a decision. Ban smoking or don't, but enough public forums!
I personally would love to see a smoking ban in Cincinnati (I think to make it work you need to get with folks in Newport, Covington and other communities). But I agree with Luken for once. Just make a decision. Ban smoking or don't, but enough public forums!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Vince and Jake's - Hyde Park - Grand Opening to Benefit Give Back Cincinnati
New restaurant is opening in Hyde Park square. The 'Steaks, Scotch and Marinara' restaurant is taking the place of St. George Cafe on the square. The folks at Vince and Jake's will be opening their hearts as well as the new restaurant on Feb. 9th and donating their profits from operation on opening night to Give Back Cincinnati.
If you can, come join us on Feb. 9th, all Give Back members (sign up at the event if you're not a member), will be eligible for some great prizes.
If you can, come join us on Feb. 9th, all Give Back members (sign up at the event if you're not a member), will be eligible for some great prizes.
Wine Tasting with A Cause
Going to an exciting event tomorrow. The quarterly Bacchanalian Society Wine Tasting Event. If you haven't heard of these events you should check them out. Another great way to meet some new faces, hang out with friends, and at the same time raise money for deserving organizations. Each team (of up to 3) brings 3 bottles of wine, you pay a suggested donation of $10/person, and you get pretty well all the wine you can drink. All the money raised goes to the charity chosen by the society. Great event, and run by a fantastic group of 3 (with the help of lots of committee and event hosts and hostesses. Lots of great prizes and raffles as well.
This event will benefit The Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center.
This event will benefit The Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center.
Home Depot Expo - Gone?
Well, if you're like me you noticed the 'Home Depot Expo - Coming Soon' sign as you drove up I-71 for about the last year at the Center of Cincinnati development (currently has Meijer's, Circuit City, Target, Waffle House, etc). The Expo store is about the only things I was looking forward to. I love Home Depot, great people, great community partner, and great prices (I never shop at Lowe's, because I haven't been able to get them to donate so much as a shovel to a community project in 5 years). And the Expo store is one step up on a Home Depot, with a line of products that's maybe one step up from what you find in the normal HD store. But alas, it looks like the project is delayed, or possibly will never come. I hope they build, but if they don't I hope they sell the land to allow for something else to be built (as long as it's not a Lowe's!)
Monday, January 31, 2005
Inn the Wood and Acropolis No More
For those of you that love Clifton as I do, you may have mixed feelings about the redevelopment happening on the South Side of Campus. I know I do, it's horrible to see businesses like Inn the Wood and Acropolis get pushed out of the neighborhood. They survived the good and the bad, and helped make Clifton the neighborhood it is. However, I'm not shedding a tear to see all the junk food places going elsewhere. They were always an eye sore to the neighborhood, and the amount of trash they contributed in the neighborhood was significant. So sometimes you have to lose some great businesses for the good of the overall neighborhood. This is one of those times I think.
Catholic Inner City Schools
'Save Our City' has an interesting blog on CISE (Catholic Inner-City Schools Education). While I understand that Catholic schools aren't for everyone, I think it's something to note the job that is done in these schools.
There are 8 of these schools in inner-city neighborhoods (Clifton, OTR, Northside, Walnut Hills, Price Hill, West End, Roselawn, East Price Hill). Look at some the stats from the last school year:
Number of Students: 1,269
Average Cost Per Student: $3,611
Percentage of Students living in poverty: 76%
Non-Catholic: 70%
Catholic: 30%
Minority: 72%
Caucasian: 28%
Results: around 96% of CISE students at area Catholic high schools graduate and many go on to college.
I definitely support CPS, and enjoy working with them through Give Back, but those results are impressive, especially at just $3,600 a student (much lower than CPS spends).
There are 8 of these schools in inner-city neighborhoods (Clifton, OTR, Northside, Walnut Hills, Price Hill, West End, Roselawn, East Price Hill). Look at some the stats from the last school year:
Number of Students: 1,269
Average Cost Per Student: $3,611
Percentage of Students living in poverty: 76%
Non-Catholic: 70%
Catholic: 30%
Minority: 72%
Caucasian: 28%
Results: around 96% of CISE students at area Catholic high schools graduate and many go on to college.
I definitely support CPS, and enjoy working with them through Give Back, but those results are impressive, especially at just $3,600 a student (much lower than CPS spends).
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Give Back - Public School Event
I spent my Saturday at Give Back's first volunteer event in 2005. We visited Roselawn and over 110 volunteers came out to spend 6 hours putting 50 gallons of fresh paint on the hallways of the school. It was a great event, and awesome to see so many new faces out at the event. Every event amazes me. I often here people talk about there either being no way to meet new people in Cincinnati, or they indicate that when they go to 'Young Professional' events they simply see the same faces every time. I can tell you that is abosultely not true at Give Back events. I'd say at least half of those that attended on Saturday had never been to an event before. So if you are looking for a way to meet new people, expand your social circle, and while you're at it do some good in the community, then check out Give Back Cincinnati
New Band
So I'm always looking for some new music. Dave over at 'Radio Free Newport' has a fantastic post on the state of 'roots rock'. He's also dug up a great new band, that I'm looking forward to hearing more of.
"Entitled by The Deadstring Brothers.
Check out their website as well as their music.download.com site where you can get a higher quality MP3 of the song"
"Entitled by The Deadstring Brothers.
Check out their website as well as their music.download.com site where you can get a higher quality MP3 of the song"
