The Nati

Details are beginning to come forward on the plan at the Maisonette site in Kenwood. The restaurant will be part of a larger retail-office development site that will include 3 office buildings (with retail on the bottom) and a 1600 parking space garage. I'll say it again, I think their move is a bad idea (I think they target audience business lunches/dinners, and tourists are not going to make the trek from downtown to Kenwood to eat at a 5-star restaurant), but I do wish them luck.

Here is a great article about the Maisonette and the problems they are having. I will grant Comisar that he sees much less tourist business than he did in the past, so perhaps the move to Kenwood won't hurt him there, but I still think the style (suit jacket and 3 hour dining experience) are not what diners are looking for. They want quality, but they want relaxed and timely.

Well it's still a ways off (construction not set to start until 2007, with completion in 2008), and city and county money is required to make it happen (not a good thing), but the new design for the riverfront park looks great, and it's something that needs to happen down there. ANYTHING happening down there would be a plus. There is a meeting today at 5 PM to unveil the designs and take public feedback. The meeting is at the International Friendship Park next to the Montgomery Inn Boathouse.

Damon Lynch may be respected in the African American community, but if I were a Democrat I'd be upset by the fact that much of the race will focus Lynch's boycott support, and outlandish comments he made about Cincinnati Police Officers. It will likely end up hurting many of the non-incumbent Democrats on the ticket. Charter and Repbulicans will jump on this as an opportunity to pick up seats, especially since 2 Democratic incumbents (Pepper and Reece) are running for mayor and can't run for council.

UPDATE: There was a comment posted asking about Lynch's 'Outlandish' comments. Well here is only a sample, and probably the most prominent. When trying to gain traction for his city-wide boycott, he sent a letter to an unknown number of organizations, entertainers, etc across the country. In the letter (signed by DL III) the most 'outlandish' statment is:

"Police are killing, raping, planting false evidence, and along with the Prosecutor and courts are destroying the general sense of self-respect for black citizens"

I know, it sounds unbelievable that a man running for the City Council of Cincinnati would have made comments like this less than 4 years ago (Read the entire text here). He has never retracted this statement or aplogoized for it. I know that he means well, and I personally would set aside the past if he were to say that comments such of these were ill-advised and that he was sorry for making them.

Yeah, I know.. that's insane. I don't even get in my car for 1,000 miles in a month. But in honor of Bike Month, and to raise some cash for the Lance Armstrong Foundation a good buddy of mine (and best man in my wedding), Chuck is on the path to do just that in May.

He's pulled together a blog to track his progress. Check it out, and even though most of you don't know him, toss $5 his way to encourage him to keep on bikin'. We're about half way through the month, and he's got a lot more riding to do.

How I love thee... but seriously man... how does this happen? I am not worried about Vincent Banks leaving... How do you have a loaded weapon on campus. I just don't get it. Who is giving this kid guidance. Who is telling him carrying a gun is a good idea, and probably more important, what makes him feel like he needs a gun..... You'd hope to use the move to Big East as a fresh start and begin cleaning up the image... apparently the bearcats are striving to make sure everyone remembers that they're rough and tumble.

You've all seen him. I can almost guarantee that. Unless you've lived under a rock, moved to Cincinnati yesterday, or have never made it from the suburbs to downtown for a sporting event, you've all seen him.

The Reds don't deserve our dollars right now. I am not usually the fair-weather type fan, but until they make real adjustments to the lineup, or make an effort to clean-up their act, you should all save your money. Instead of going and dropping $10 bucks on a Reds ticket, and $20 on beer/hot dogs... drop $5 in the bucket of the drummer man, and head to Game Day (on Pete Rose Way), and spend $10 on beer. You'll save some money, and support a great bar... And you'll give the Reds time to show you they really want you to come back to the park.

Enquirer today had a lenghty article on the plans for fountain square. For those unfamiliar with the plans that were release last summer, it's a good refresher. Pretty much zero new information though. Sounds like they are ready to bring it to council, but have a bit more behind the scenes work to do to make sure there is support for the plan, and finalize a couple tennants.