Sunday, August 31, 2008

WLWT Reporter in New Orleans

WLWT's John Bateman is blogging from New Orleans during the storm. Check in for firsthand info on what is happening on the ground.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Earth Shattering News

Stop the Presses! Chad Johnson is now legally named Ocho Cinco. This news will certainly affect us all greatly, jersey sales aside.

More from Bengals.com.

Breen on the Bastards

No, CityBeat's Mike Breen has not joined the circus and is not going to be playing triangle in the traveling version of the Heartless Bastards, which I think might be best called the New Old Heartless Bastards, or NOHB, which is going to be my new weekend acronym that I will use incessantly, to the disdain of my readers.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

DAAP Fashion

I never went to UC (in case you missed my Miami coverage) so I don't know much about UC's various programs. What I never fully understood was the level that DAAP includes fashion design. I am impressed.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Repsonse on Streetcars

I was working on a response to this post over the weekend, but UrbanCincy.com took care of that.

Here is most of my rant anyway:

Here's a blog post from QueerCincinnati.com against the streetcars, which I am posting in part so people can't say I aways only give attention to things I agree with. The other reason is because it is a thoughtful post. I think the is assumption that Streetcars must be looked at from a Public Transportation for the poor point of view. The Streetcar plan is not designed to replace the bus. It is designed to help with economic development and create a better and more environmentally sound way of living. The problem with comparing it to bus service creates the false pretense that it is a means to serve those without a car. It instead should be viewed as a way help reduce the use of cars and maybe even reduce the need for a car. More importantly it should be viewed as a tool to further push the revitalization of the OTR and the Banks and the Uptown area into a more vibrant urban living corridor.

CEA Theatre Winners

In case you missed it the CEA's for Theatre were announced Sunday Night. A great showing for the New Stage Collective with 7 wins for 4 different shows.

MidPoint Blogging

Check out a newish local music blog by Nate Rosing covering the 2008 Midpoint Music Festival and the local music scene. The blog has a great listing of local band links.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

"North of the Border" Info

In addition to the event Brian has posted below, the Obama campaign will be hosting a "watch party" for the senator's acceptance speech to the DNC convention on Fountain Square this Thursday, August 28, 2008, beginning at 9:00 pm.

The gathering on the Square for hiss address to the NAACP convention was a blast, and I expect a similarly festive atmosphere on Thursday.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

NKY Obama Speech Watch Party



For those North of the Border, I'll keep you posted on events, as soon as someone tells me!!!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Monzel Vindicated? Maybe?

This didn't happen in the City of Cincinnati, but an ice cream truck driver allegedly tried to lure 2 girls to his home in exchange for ice cream. Chris Monzel, councilman, made a big stink a few years ago about requiring screening of Ice Cream truck driver/operators. Does this in any way vindicate his actions? I think a little bit? What will be interesting to see next year is how much Chris uses this. Will that issue be brought up again for the 2009 council elections? Will he use it to get some attention this year? If he doesn't us it, I'll be surprised, even though I've brought the issue up here.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

I'm A "Wing-Tipped Phony," And Proud Of It!

Today, Peter Bronson takes on the contoversial issue of . . .

Crocs.

Somehow, he segues his ode to Crocs into a jibe at every Democrat he can think of while arguing that Senator McCain wears Crocs (I'll look for this at the RNC convention). We'll put that aside, for the time being. Instead, let's focus on Crocs as fashion.

I'm convinced that the rubber-like shoes with holes should not be worn by anyone over the age of 7. They might be OK for adults on the beach or a boat. But that should be about it. If you're over seven and don't go to the beach or boating at least monthly, Crocs should not be part of your wardrobe.

Bronson's insistence that Crocs are acceptable public attire reminds me of the popular Jenny Joseph poem that opens with "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple." I don't think that Bronson is old enough, though, to have earned this amount of eccentricity.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Restaurant Week

Yay! Another Restaurant Week. I'm glad they're doing this twice a year, now. The list will be announced next week, but I'm sure that it will be similar to last time.

It looks like they're redoing the website, too: The Greater Cincinnati Originals.

OTR in the NYT

A wow article in the New York Times about street cars and how it helps out communities. It includes comments from Jean-Robert de Cavel while being interviewed at Lavomatic. Great press for street cars, OTR, Cincinnati, and urban development.

Chabot Wasting Time

As usual, Steve Chabot cares more about controlling women than he does about helping his district combat crime and a whole list of problems. Why do I say that, because as the article points out clearly, the clinic moving WILL NOT PERFORM ABORTIONS. It will provide help and assistance to women. That help I believe would include providing education and assistance on birth control. What does birth control do, HELP PREVENT ABORTION. If the extremists like Chabot really cared about prevent abortions, they would be handing out condoms and paying for women's birth control pill prescriptions. Instead we get the most crass election politics from a hack like Chabot who has no campaign other than pushing the buttons of the idiot once issue voters to get them all frothed up to actually get off their ass and vote for him. They have another anti-abortion candidate to vote for this time, so Chabot had to take extreme action to get their attention.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Motorin' . . . To Phoenix

Adam Dunn has been traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pile of navel lint and two dust bunnies to be named later.

Sounds like the Reds got fair trade value for Dunn, who is currently batting .233.

While the Enquirer report doesn't cover it, under the terms of the deal the D-backs are paying Dunn a $40.00 signing bonus--just enough to purchase a map and compass to help him find his way around left field. Those items weren't in the Reds' budget this year.

We now resume our regular programming.

MidPoint Venues Take Shape


A scan of the Midpoint website lists out the venues for the festival. I am very impressed with the structure and the varied locations. The multiple hubs of OTR, Downtown, and Newport will add a unique vibe that will differ from prior fests. I look forward to seeing how the schedules and the musical style mix at each venue/hub. Part of the fun of Midpoint is walking around from place to place catching a song from an artist you might never have thought you would want to hear. This venue plan still allows this key element and with the transportation I've heard about, I will tell you to get your 3 day pass now!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Alleged Police Misconduct Costing Cincinnati $500,000

According to the Enquirer, the City has agreed to settle a civil rights lawsuit against it brought by former Bengal Matthias Askew for $500,000. As you may remember, in 2006, Askew was tased by police following an encounter that began with a parking ticket. He was charged with resisting arrest (always charged after an officer uses force), obstructing official business, failing to comply with the order of a police officer, and disorderly conduct.

Initially represented by Ken Lawson (now serving an indefinite suspension from the practice of law), Askew was acquitted on all counts by Republican-endorsed Municipal Court Judge John Burlew (who narrowly lost his re-election bid to Dwane Mallory in 2007).

The Enquirer reports that the Citizen Complaint Authority found that the arresting officer used excessive force. (For CCA's summary, click here and scroll down to page seven. For what it's worth, it'd probably be difficult for the City to defend the suit, given the City's Manager's concurrence with CCA's finding of excessive force.) Apparently, the high-dollar settlement (excessive force claims are rarely worth this much in the absence of permanent injury) is because the City feared that a jury could have determined that Askew was released by the Bengals because of his arrest, and awarded him lost wages accordingly (which may have run well into the millions).

Congratulations to Lisa Meeks of Newman & Meeks for achieving this excellent result on behalf of her client. No word on whether Lawson had worked on the civil rights case prior to his suspension (which might entitle him to a share of the attorney's fees).

Foolish People

I never ceased to be amazed by people who take extreme actions without thinking about repercussions. The efforts of anti-government zealots who will do anything to create a community based only on self reliance does more to destroy a community than a natural disaster. Furthermore, what these fools don't understand is that their township or their county government will have to pay for what ever Amelia is trying to pay for with the tax increase. You can dodge responsibility only so long.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

The Collaborative: Kalmanoff Gets the Last Word?

It's interesting what Google turns up. In searching for something that had nothing to do with the topic of this post, I found this document, published sometime in the last year (I can't figure out exactly when).

Some of you may remember that after the City, the FOP, the ACLU, and the BUF negotiated the Collaborative Agreement in 2002, Judge Dlott appointed a monitor to oversee police reforms. Her pick was Dr. Alan Kalmanoff of California, whose tenure lasted only a few weeks before he imploded in spectacular fashion.

The linked document is a report he's written on his brief experience as Collaborative monitor. It's essentially a 38-page recrimination: he blames everyone (but himself) for his lack of success: Judge Dlott, the City, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Douglas, the Enquirer, and the Loch Ness Monster.

I didn't find the document terribly persuasive, but it was at least interesting to read his account of why he was run out of town on a rail. This article from the Seattle Times suggests, though, that Kalmanoff doesn't typically make friends or win admirers in his projects, and doesn't seem to have much of a record of success. But at least we now have his side of the story. His perceptions, though, seem flawed in light of the fairly glowing report Saul Green, who ultimately ended up as Collaborative monitor, issued last month.

On the Docket: New City Solicitor

City Manager Milton Dohoney announced the hiring of a new City Solicitor, a position vacant since Rita McNeil's resigned this past February to become Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's vice president of government affairs.

John Curp, now a partner at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, begins his duties as City Solicitor next month. Here's an excerpt from Taft's biography of Mr. Curp:

JOHN P. CURP is a partner in the Columbus office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. He graduated with University Honors and as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he received his undergraduate degree in business finance. Mr. Curp earned his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law. He has a multidisciplinary business practice with an emphasis on real property, commercial transactions, land use, enterprise zone, tax issues and creditors' rights. He is a member of the Ohio Bar Association, and as a member of the Columbus Bar Association, he serves as Chair of the Professionalism Committee and as a member of the Admissions Committee. Mr. Curp is also a Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and a member of the 2008 class of Leadership Columbus.

No doubt Griff will be pleased by the relocation of another Miami grad to Cincinnati. Seriously: congrats both to Mr. Curp and the City, and welcome to the River City!!!

Good Eats: Javier's Getting Even Awesomer

One of my favorite downtown lunch spots is Javier's. I don't go there nearly often enough, but I'm never disappointed when I do.

Javier (yes, there's an actual Javier) recently installed a bar in the restaurant. I stopped in for lunch yesterday (after a tough morning, I needed some comfort food, and there's nothing more comforting than Javier's chicken enchilada with mole sauce). I asked when the bar would open. The answer? In the next couple weeks.

When the bar opens, look for lots of new stuff at Cincinnati's best Mexican restaurant (located at Walnut and Eighth, for those who don't know). Expanded hours: the bar will be open until 2:00. Dinner service will last until 10:00. And with the extra hours will come an expanded menu. And finally, Javier's planning to have Latin music on Friday and Saturday nights.

So for those of you who "hate" the chains, make sure to pop into Javier's to support a truly locally-owned business. And even if you like chains, visit Javier's to find out how good Mexican food can taste even if it isn't prepared by someone named Don Pablo.

You can check out the Enquirer's 2004 review of Javier's here. Back then, the restaurant was in a small storefront on Court Street. Now, it's in a space previously occupied by Busken's, and is much larger and more airy.

NB: When I got the scoop on Javier's plans for the future, I was just having a casual conversation (he was actually washing the windows at the time). I never thought about blogging the info until much, much later, so any errors are mine or my fault: Javier had no idea he was speaking for public dissemination.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Even Less Local News

The fewer the employees the Enquirer has, the less local news they can cover. It is just that simple. Sure, they can claim they've reduced staffing in areas that were non-content and were either outsourced or eliminated via technology, but in the end, with less hands on deck, there is more swabbing for the rank in file reporter. The more swabbing, the less reporting. With the increase in apathy about local news from many quarters, it isn't a wonder.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Fire at Bootsy's

I am glad they have made an arrest for the fires set, but is there any word on the level of damage at the under construction restaurant on Walnut Street in Downtown? It was reported to be opening in November (other reports said September), any word on how much will this delay it?

More Portman Speculation

The Enquirer is fueling the effort to get Rob Portman chosen for McCain's VP. I'm not seeing it. Portman is too unknown. All he can do is help get Ohio. Even if McCain get's Ohio, that may not be enough. That assumes McCain even has a chance to get Ohio, which could turn into a long shot.

Portman was on CNN's Late Edition today, so it is likely Portman would like the job.

Congrats to Councilmember Leslie Ghiz

She gave birth to a son.