The Nati

In case you've missed it in a previous post, I am taking a trip to Ecuador with Give Back Cincinnati and Habitat Ecuador in October. Before that trip, I am taking a journey. A journey to bike 2,984 minutes over the course of 100 days. The reason? There are 2,984 miles between Cincinnati, USA and Catamayo, Ecuador. I am looking to get folks to pledge me per minute with hopes of having a combined donation of $1.00/minute in order to raise $2,984. You can see the link to the left and/or click here to learn more.

The reason I am writing is two-fold. I am at $0.74/minute with a month to go, and looking for those final few pledges. Secondly, Maggie Downs with the Enquirer wrote an article about it in Friday's paper... check it out.

The Brent Spence...easily the ugliest and scariest of the Ohio to KY bridges in Cincinnati is decaying at a rapid pace. It won't be replaced overnight, but the $45 Million that is in the new highway budget bill in Congress will go a long way to grabbing up land, and designing the new bridge, which will then put Cincy/N.KY in position to get funds for construction in the next highway bill in 2009. That budget request will be in the $750 Million - $1 Billion dollar range, so we've got a long way to go, but we're at least heading in the right direction.

Also in the bill is money to upgrade the Waldvogel viaduct heading west in Cincinnati along the ohio river. This is also good news... I am really hoping that part of the Ohio River Bike Trail is included in this project when they go to construction.

Northern Kentucky Action is a organizing campaigns with the towns in Campbell County in hopes of getting support from all jurisdictions in the county and forcing the hand of the Campbell County fiscal court to ban smoking in all public places. A survey indicates more than 60% of the residents of this N. KY county support a smoking ban.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Cincinnati talked about a smoking ban for 18 months without taking action because of worries that everyone would go to KY if smoking was banned, and then Campbell County took the lead and banned smoking... As a Campbell County Resident.. I say good luck NKY Action, I'd love to see the ban happen!

Someone needs to fix this. It's not clear whether the owner that's getting foreclosed on is the issue, or the banks are the issue, but the closing of Madison Theater in Covington makes no sense. I don't understand how the banks that are foreclosing think they are better off with a vacant, decaying building than they are with a music venue booking regional and national acts. Charles Attal Productions is a huge draw for our area, and it had to be causing Bogart's and Clear Channel fits that they were competing with some of the big names.

I am hoping that CAP doesn't abandon the region, and that they can find a venue in the area to continue operations. I know there is a venue in OTR in the old Emery Center that would be a great location for them, and really bolster the Main St. Entertainment district.

But someone needs to step up, the city of covington needs to see what they can do to keep CAP in place and building the area into something bigger, or they've just taken 10 steps backwards for their business district.

With plans to relocate to Kenwood in early 2006 going through some trouble, and the announcement they are closing today you have to wonder if there isn't more to the story. Originally, the restaurant was to remain open at it's downtown location until relocation was complete. However, the unexpected announcement that the restaurant would close immediately is interesting to me.

Nate Comisar comments, “the decision (to close) was made for us Friday” by investors. That is a very interesting statement that gives an idea on just how bad things were for the restaurant. I think there are some money problems here that go deeper than what is being discussed, and that is the real driver for the move. He needs someone to infuse a lot of cash into the business to pay down debt.... this is my opinion only, but that's sure what it seems like. Has little to do with downtown business climate and a lot more to do with Nate's inability to manage the longest running 5 star restaurant in the country.