Great news for Cincinnati came yesterday with the vote to support Streetcars. We have a long way to go before I start hearing the cars go by my OTR Condo, but we are closer to have a date when that will happen.
Local Bloggers shared the news:
5schw4r7z had the celebration.
Urban Cincy has analysis.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Glass Bleg
I have to get my windshield replaced, and it's unlikely my insurance will cover it (long story). Any suggestions on who's good/reliable/reasonably priced?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Please Make Sure Your Trash Is Pre-Approved
I couldn't help but laugh at the following line from this article in the Enquirer:
I'm glad the Republican Party is working so hard to protect us from the evils of "big government." But wait: there's more:
Really? A big, new government program to keep the citizenry safe from "inappropriate garbage"? And a bureaucracy devoted to tracking complaints about trash cans?
It's heartening to see the GOP stepping forward to take on such a critical issue. In the post-9/11 world, we must be safe from inappropriate garbage!
Monzel wants a $100 fine for anyone caught by police putting inappropriate garbage in the cans.
I'm glad the Republican Party is working so hard to protect us from the evils of "big government." But wait: there's more:
He also wants a quarterly report from public services to council's neighborhoods committee, including the number of all can calls and how quickly the complaints were resolved.
Really? A big, new government program to keep the citizenry safe from "inappropriate garbage"? And a bureaucracy devoted to tracking complaints about trash cans?
It's heartening to see the GOP stepping forward to take on such a critical issue. In the post-9/11 world, we must be safe from inappropriate garbage!
How Loud Is Too Loud?
An interesting article in Sunday's NY Times explains that because of a new European Union worker protection law governing the amount of noise to which workers can lawfully be exposed without hearing protection, European orchestras have had to alter the way they rehearse and perform.
Our own Cincinnati Symphony is just returning from a twelve-concert European tour. I wonder if the law impacted their performances and rehearsals (or if the Europeans aren't all that concerned with the hearing loss of an American-based group of musicians).
I also wonder how Paavo managed to schedule 12 concerts without a single performance of anything by Mahler....
Our own Cincinnati Symphony is just returning from a twelve-concert European tour. I wonder if the law impacted their performances and rehearsals (or if the Europeans aren't all that concerned with the hearing loss of an American-based group of musicians).
I also wonder how Paavo managed to schedule 12 concerts without a single performance of anything by Mahler....
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Northside Tavern Expanding
CinWeekly's Soundcheck is reporting that that Northside Tavern is expanding with the addition a new room, doubling the size of the bar. I can't picture where it is and what the new room will look like, but the story indicates the improvements should be complete by late May or early June, so I won't have to wait long to find out. Will there be a second bar as well? Most important to the expansion is that you should be able to see the band playing. Let's also hope they get a new sound system. I love the Tavern, but for rock bands, the sound usually sucks.
Sunday Morning In Downtown
Since moving to OTR last year I've been trying to go for walks weekend mornings when the weather is passable. Sunday's end up being the best bet. I brought along my camera today, so here a few shots.
The Banks and Section 8
Last Tuesday, the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority voted to ask the county and city to set aside as much as ten percent of the housing to be built at the Banks for tenants with Section 8 vouchers (Enquirer coverage here). This looks like a political move by conservative West Siders to attempt to reduce subsidized housing on the West Side by moving it to the Banks. If we set that aside, though, I think there's two interesting questions that are raised:
First, is there a good argument for the inclusion of subsidized housing in Banks project? This is a public works project of enormous magnitude; isn't there a case to be made that everyone, including the region's poorest residents, should be able to be part of it? Or does the presence of subsidized housing depress a given housing market enough that financing for the Banks would disappear if developers were forced to include units that would include Section 8 tenants?
Second, Pete Witte is quoted as saying that the Banks "will become the 53rd neighborhood of the City of Cincinnati." Is this really true? Fifteen years from now, will we be discussing Downtown and The Banks as two separate neighborhoods, or will the Banks be considered part of "downtown"? (And will there be a streetcar to take me there?)
First, is there a good argument for the inclusion of subsidized housing in Banks project? This is a public works project of enormous magnitude; isn't there a case to be made that everyone, including the region's poorest residents, should be able to be part of it? Or does the presence of subsidized housing depress a given housing market enough that financing for the Banks would disappear if developers were forced to include units that would include Section 8 tenants?
Second, Pete Witte is quoted as saying that the Banks "will become the 53rd neighborhood of the City of Cincinnati." Is this really true? Fifteen years from now, will we be discussing Downtown and The Banks as two separate neighborhoods, or will the Banks be considered part of "downtown"? (And will there be a streetcar to take me there?)
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