'This is a Public Service...Anouncment'

Do you have a right to protest on Fountain Square or can the City's Agent require you to have liability insurance? Answer? I don't know.

I really like what the team running the square is doing. The broomball league was a great a idea. Their upcoming schedule looks great. I hope to hit as many events as my time allows.

From the beginning when I heard about 3CDC taking over the management of the square the issue of public use of the facility become a concern. I am a firm supporter of the first amendment. I believe public space should be open to all groups. If there is a procedure they must follow to hold an event, then they must comply. If there is a cost, that is something that should be minimal. Insurance is not minimal. The requirement of insurance should be clarified by the City and 3CDC. If a group follows the application process correctly, they should not be prevented from executing their rights to peaceably assemble.

That being said, I don't want the square turned into a haven for extremists, nut cases, or sad sacks out there charging at windmills. (Yea, like the Greg Flannery's around town) Where's the balance? How do we have fun on the square, but keep our free society?

Boch Beer

Last evening I partook in the 15th annual Bockfest. I got the full experience with the food and the beer. Oh the beer! I had my fill of the beer, and then some. Much thanks to my designated driver! I think I made it home before midnight!

I was privileged to know a couple of the parade judges who donned jester hats and braved the wind to pick the float winners. I was at the fest last year, but I didn't get a chance to see the ceremony at the end of parade. A priest blessed the beer complete with holy water being whipped around into the crowd. (None hit me, so I don't have acid burns) The mayor spoke, Jake Speed played, the Sausage Queens presided, and then everyone drank.

If you missed it last night, you can still catch it tonight. Jake Speed is playing at the old RBC's, which should be good beer drinking song filled set.

Battle of the Weeklies

Score one for CityBeat's Blog, CiN Weekly's coffee issue had a small little problem, one of the coffeehouses it listed as open has apparently been closed since last year.

It's a Friday

The Sun is out, for now. The beer was nice last night. Arnold's crowned co-sausage queens. Bockfest is in full swing. Sing, Drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may have to sing, drink and be merry again. Save the off day for Sunday.

Shh!!!! Don't Tell Larry Gross, Again

Last night I made my way to the City Beat Swizzle party at Sully's, the new bar/restaurant located at Race and 7th Street in the former Redfish space. Larry Gross, also of City Beat, complains loudly when ever a downtown business closes. I've not yet read anywhere about Sully's opening in his column or on his blog. Does he not get the City Beat internal memos about company events? I think I got about 5 emails telling me about it. The full page age about the party, with the address on it in today's City Beat should have sent Larry over the edge with glee. Well, I'll check his blog today for a glowing story about the rebirth of the former Redfish. If I missed his glowing article, please let me know and I'll be sure to link to it.

Pre-Pre-Bock Fest Online Toast Competition

Tomorrow, Bockfest is having a toast competition on Fountain Square to kick off Bockfest. I'm going to kick it off here with an online version. Best one gets a free beer if you find me during Bockfest. Here is my entry:

Raise your glass
Shout your name
Shut up you fool
You are an ass

Cheer Spring Forward
and Boo Fall Back
Peter Bronson
is Still a Hack

If you can't do better than me, then you really aren't trying.

Roll Out the Barrel!

Christian Moerlein is bringing Hudy Bock Beer back for this weekend's Bockfest. It will be on tap. I would suggest trying it out at Kaldi's.

Ask Donald Murphy About Mixing Religion and National Parks

From comments we get word that the incoming Freedom Center CEO has a soft spot for letting religious documents adorn National Parks. Was he asked about that before he was hired? In a side note, the Freedom Center doesn't seem to be very up front about the new CEO's salary.

More on Berding's Fundraiser

The Dems are splitting a bit on supporting Jeff Berding. The split appears to be some of the grassroots of the party vs. the party leadership. One issue to remember is that the more money Berding gets, the more he will have to help out other Dems. If Berding can't spread around the wealth in the local Democratic Party, then he will get a swift kick in his wallet out the down of the HCHP headquarters.

Obama Vists Cincinnati - Anyone Go?

1,000 people turned out downtown for a Barack Obama fundraiser. Anyone go and care to provide a report?

Jake Speed and Tracy Walker

Prude Is As Prude Does

If you have to say "I'm not a prude" 7 times in an article about advocating prudishness, then you are a prude. Bronson would be a prude even if he never denied he was, but adding the denial increases the prudishness.

Birmingham Hires John Elkington

It would appear that someone has been suckered again by John Elkington.

BockFest Cometh!

Get Up and head to Bock Fest starting this Friday with a Parade. Check out more at www.bockfest.com.

On Thursday the 1st, there's more too:

Study of City Core Great Step Forward

More great news on people moving forward on improving the City Core. Getting a better undstanding of our urban center and getting other business leaders convinced that the urban center is key to a vibrant metro region is a big picture plan to improve the City's image.

Candace Klein, chair of the Mayor's YP Kitchen Cabinet came up with the idea initially, but for some odd reason this effort didn't get included in the Mayor's speech this week on the State of the City. Odd.

New Boss At Freedom Center

Pepper is stepping down effective May 1st when Donald Murphy takes over as CEO. Murphy is a former deputy director of the National Park Service. The Freedom Center needs permanent leadership and a direction that can build it as an institution. It still feels to me like it has not found it purpose.

OTR Loves Coffee

This is great news and a great problem for OTR Area. This business is very forward looking. When the new SCPA goes in, the line out the door for coffee will be around the block.

The interesting part is that the coffeehouse is moving from Northern Kentucky to OTR.

Some FAF Grants Out

Good news for New Stage Collective, Inktank, and Cincy Blues Fest, all need the funding.

Gov Supports Cincinnati Streetcars

Gov. Ted Strickland wants to help find federal money for streetcars in Cincinnati.

State of the City - The Day After

Mallory gave his speech last night. Anyone go? Anyone have an opinion on it? Was it worth hearing? The text of the speech is here (doc).

It sounds like the YP Kitchen Cabinet is doing next to nothing:

Last year, my office created the Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet to help develop strategies to attract and retain young professionals. They are an energetic and passionate group, and they are already working on all types of ideas.

In fact, my office is about to launch one of their ideas. The Young Professionals Kitchen Cabinet with the help of the Youth Council and Rumpke will be running a pilot recycling program in 6 Cincinnati Public Schools. Recycling containers are being delivered this week, and the students will be competing to see which school can recycle the most.

How does this do anything for YP's? A big thing for people to understand is that YPs most of the time DON'T HAVE KIDS!. Sure volunteering is a plus for some YPs, but this is not going to do a damn thing to attract more people to town, it does nothing to keep people here, and it doesn't make the city more interesting for suburban YPs. What real ideas did they have and is the Mayor going to consider or act on any of them? If this is the best they can do or if this is the only thing Mallory can (or will) announce, then I think the YP Kitchen Cabinet is, so far a failure, and waste of time.

UPDATE: CityBeat's blog has more.