While I'm not sure I'll be in the market for evening-wear or an eyebrow wax anytime soon, I'm looking forward to a second option for sushi downtown.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Good News for Tower Place Mall
The Enquirer reports that Tower Place Mall has attracted at least three new tenants: Elegant Attire; Eyebrows LLC; and Sushi at Tower Place. Right now, it looks like Tower Place's owner, Northeastern, is making good on promises to revitalize the beleagured downtown mall.
POWR PAC Endorsements Are Out
The Westside political action committee has released their endorsements for the City.
For council:
Jeff Berding
Leslie Ghiz
Chris Monzel
Chris Bortz
Amy Murray
Bernadette Watson
George Zamary
Tony Fischer
Cecil Thomas
For Mayor:
Brad Wenstrup
A very mixed group. Funny part, I think maybe one person lives on the Westside?
Guest Post on CPS Superintendent Mary Ronan
Editor's Note: Here's a guest post to the Cincinnati Blog from regular reader Miles.
Give Back Cincinnati had a YP sounding session with Mary Ronan, the CPS Superintendent.
She did her rote presentation, with no changes for the YP crowd. That was disappointing, because it seems like the people CPS needs to attract are those who will otherwise move to the suburbs when they have kids. Instead, it was more of a justification for taxing Cincinnatians to pay for school.
She pointed out the great strides the district has taken since 2000, and the federal and state accolades it's received. She also made it seem like a completely reactionary district that hopes to assuage the Enquirer and its archconservative base.
She said that CPS was trying to rebrand and shed its negative image. When asked about LEED certification, she was defensive and apologetic about the financial investment. CPS is the greenest school district in America, in terms of the number of LEED buildings. Boy, that's an albatross!
She said she no longer saw a need for teachers' unions. I guess, after 30 years in one, Mary got hers, huh? She complained that they prevent her from moving teachers from school to school, without realizing that teachers' unions exists to keep the superintendent from treating them like commoditized capital.
She said she didn't believe in mandatory comprehensive sex ed while bemoaning the fact that there are so many children of poor young mothers in Cincinnati. Guess what? That 17-year old who's dropping out of Mt. Airy because she got pregnant? You're going to have to teach her kid in 5 years! If you want the 5-year olds to be better prepared, prepare your 17-year olds to not get pregnant!
I think she thought we were Republicans. I think she thinks Cincinnati is a Republican city, rather than one that votes 80% Democratic. She can be the superintendent at Colerain if she wants to pander to conservative Catholics.
I understand that I'm about as liberal as they get, but guess what? Liberals have kids too, and there are a lot more of us in your district. Hamilton County shouldn't concern her.
It's kind of sad, because I left the meeting thinking that if I want my hypothetical kid to have a liberal education, with diversity and tolerance instilled in those around her, I'll have to move to another district. After all, I'm not concerned with my kid being liberal; he'll be a DFH. I want to limit her exposure to bigotry and religious conservatism at school, and Mary Ronan doesn't seem prepared to attack those things as vociferously as other school districts do, even those with far more conservative constituents.
Give Back Cincinnati had a YP sounding session with Mary Ronan, the CPS Superintendent.
She did her rote presentation, with no changes for the YP crowd. That was disappointing, because it seems like the people CPS needs to attract are those who will otherwise move to the suburbs when they have kids. Instead, it was more of a justification for taxing Cincinnatians to pay for school.
She pointed out the great strides the district has taken since 2000, and the federal and state accolades it's received. She also made it seem like a completely reactionary district that hopes to assuage the Enquirer and its archconservative base.
She said that CPS was trying to rebrand and shed its negative image. When asked about LEED certification, she was defensive and apologetic about the financial investment. CPS is the greenest school district in America, in terms of the number of LEED buildings. Boy, that's an albatross!
She said she no longer saw a need for teachers' unions. I guess, after 30 years in one, Mary got hers, huh? She complained that they prevent her from moving teachers from school to school, without realizing that teachers' unions exists to keep the superintendent from treating them like commoditized capital.
She said she didn't believe in mandatory comprehensive sex ed while bemoaning the fact that there are so many children of poor young mothers in Cincinnati. Guess what? That 17-year old who's dropping out of Mt. Airy because she got pregnant? You're going to have to teach her kid in 5 years! If you want the 5-year olds to be better prepared, prepare your 17-year olds to not get pregnant!
I think she thought we were Republicans. I think she thinks Cincinnati is a Republican city, rather than one that votes 80% Democratic. She can be the superintendent at Colerain if she wants to pander to conservative Catholics.
I understand that I'm about as liberal as they get, but guess what? Liberals have kids too, and there are a lot more of us in your district. Hamilton County shouldn't concern her.
It's kind of sad, because I left the meeting thinking that if I want my hypothetical kid to have a liberal education, with diversity and tolerance instilled in those around her, I'll have to move to another district. After all, I'm not concerned with my kid being liberal; he'll be a DFH. I want to limit her exposure to bigotry and religious conservatism at school, and Mary Ronan doesn't seem prepared to attack those things as vociferously as other school districts do, even those with far more conservative constituents.
Lang Lang at the CSO
Tonight is a special night for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Not only is it the 2009-2010 season opening, it includes a soloist who is the hottest draw in the classical music world: Lang Lang. He will dazzle his piano talents on Beethoven, here's a taste:
After the concert, you can hit the CSO's Afterburn party. Tickets for the concert are SOLD OUT, but the Afterburn party will have room in the Music Hall Ballroom. Tickets for the after party are $30.
Come out and support a Treasure of Cincinnati and a beacon to the world's arts community.
After the concert, you can hit the CSO's Afterburn party. Tickets for the concert are SOLD OUT, but the Afterburn party will have room in the Music Hall Ballroom. Tickets for the after party are $30.
Come out and support a Treasure of Cincinnati and a beacon to the world's arts community.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Riverfront Park to Have Early Bedtime
Sometimes, it seems that Cincinnati government functions a lot like the Bengals: even when it looks like things are going along pretty well, it manages to shoot itself in the foot. The City may have recently done this with respect to Riverfront Park.
At the September 2 City Council meeting this fairly innocuous-looking motion was on the agenda. Having originated in the Economic Development Committee, it sought to prevent any restrictions from being placed on the use of Riverfront Park (the city-owned and -operated park that will be part of the Banks) as a part of any deal with any developer handling projects on other Banks lots.
Because the September 2 meeting was another chapter in the budget soap opera, I watched the replay on Citicable. Admittedly, I wasn't paying much attention to other agenda items, but my interest became a little piqued when I noticed that Chris Bortz seemed unduly upset about something other than the budget. Thinking it'd be fun to watch Bortz pout, I turned the sound up and started listening. It turned out that this was not just Bortz crying over spilled milk. (Sorry...that was probably overly mean towards Bortz, who I think has acquitted himself well over the past month.)
It turns out that even though the Economic Development Committee had passed the no-restrictions motion back in June, the Parks Department had agreed to place restrictions on the hours during which amplified sound could be played at Riverfront Park. The agreement came in a covenant as part of an overall deal with one of the condo developers planning to build in the Banks. Every Councilmember who spoke on the issue was extremely upset about the contract, which had been signed by City representatives a few hours before the Council meeting. The agreement permits the covenant to be enforced by the condo owners association, which would presumably be formed once the condos are sold.
It never became clear during Council's meeting that day what the time restriction was. Eight at night? Bad idea. Two in the morning? Who cares? And since the last two weeks have been drowned out by budget hysteria, the traditional media haven't reported on this. But I've checked around, and it turns out that the agreement forbids amplified sound in the park after 11:00 at night.
It's an unfortunate agreement that may limit the park's use. On a day-to-day basis, of course, it's no big deal. Who's going to be at Riverfront Park on a Wednesday night in January after 11:00? But plans for the park are still very much evolving. When the park has been discussed here, some have suggested that Taste of Cincinnati (and other Fountain Square events) might move to Riverfront Park. But as it stands now, Taste goes until midnight each night, with live music on several stages. These restrictions would either prevent the move or force the event to end early. One can easily see other events (concerts, music festivals, perhaps even an extended Riverfest or Fourth of July party) for which Riverfront Park will now be a much less attractive venue.
It's not clear why the Parks Department--rather than the City Manager--was in control of these negotiations. It's not clear why the no-restrictions motion wasn't on Council's agenda until after it was too late to matter. And it's not clear how the Parks Department missed the clear direction from the Council Committee. Hopefully, this is an item that can yet be addressed. But as it stands now, it's a step (or at least a half step) backwards for the Banks project.
At the September 2 City Council meeting this fairly innocuous-looking motion was on the agenda. Having originated in the Economic Development Committee, it sought to prevent any restrictions from being placed on the use of Riverfront Park (the city-owned and -operated park that will be part of the Banks) as a part of any deal with any developer handling projects on other Banks lots.
Because the September 2 meeting was another chapter in the budget soap opera, I watched the replay on Citicable. Admittedly, I wasn't paying much attention to other agenda items, but my interest became a little piqued when I noticed that Chris Bortz seemed unduly upset about something other than the budget. Thinking it'd be fun to watch Bortz pout, I turned the sound up and started listening. It turned out that this was not just Bortz crying over spilled milk. (Sorry...that was probably overly mean towards Bortz, who I think has acquitted himself well over the past month.)
It turns out that even though the Economic Development Committee had passed the no-restrictions motion back in June, the Parks Department had agreed to place restrictions on the hours during which amplified sound could be played at Riverfront Park. The agreement came in a covenant as part of an overall deal with one of the condo developers planning to build in the Banks. Every Councilmember who spoke on the issue was extremely upset about the contract, which had been signed by City representatives a few hours before the Council meeting. The agreement permits the covenant to be enforced by the condo owners association, which would presumably be formed once the condos are sold.
It never became clear during Council's meeting that day what the time restriction was. Eight at night? Bad idea. Two in the morning? Who cares? And since the last two weeks have been drowned out by budget hysteria, the traditional media haven't reported on this. But I've checked around, and it turns out that the agreement forbids amplified sound in the park after 11:00 at night.
It's an unfortunate agreement that may limit the park's use. On a day-to-day basis, of course, it's no big deal. Who's going to be at Riverfront Park on a Wednesday night in January after 11:00? But plans for the park are still very much evolving. When the park has been discussed here, some have suggested that Taste of Cincinnati (and other Fountain Square events) might move to Riverfront Park. But as it stands now, Taste goes until midnight each night, with live music on several stages. These restrictions would either prevent the move or force the event to end early. One can easily see other events (concerts, music festivals, perhaps even an extended Riverfest or Fourth of July party) for which Riverfront Park will now be a much less attractive venue.
It's not clear why the Parks Department--rather than the City Manager--was in control of these negotiations. It's not clear why the no-restrictions motion wasn't on Council's agenda until after it was too late to matter. And it's not clear how the Parks Department missed the clear direction from the Council Committee. Hopefully, this is an item that can yet be addressed. But as it stands now, it's a step (or at least a half step) backwards for the Banks project.
Vote for Best Chicken Dance!!!!
It is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati week and beer and brats are a mere 5 days away but you can start of the festivities early by voting for the best Chicken Dance video until Wednesday.
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