The Deen of Food Network Coming to Music Hall

As Polly Campbell reported last week, the Food Network's Paula Deen will do a cooking demonstration in Music Hall on March 7, 2010. Tickets are now available.

The cooking demonstration is at 7:00. For $175.00, you can have a seat onstage. (Prices go as low as $40 for rear balcony.) For $200, you can skip the demonstration, but have a three-course meal and "one-on-one" interaction with Paula at 5:30.

I really like Paula Deen and would love to see her in-person. (Yes, this will subject me to some ridicule in the comments. So be it.) But I have a tough time justifying spending 175 bucks for an onstage seat, even though I know it would be a great experience. I enjoy going to baseball games, too, but can't bring myself to buy a diamond seat at GABP, either.

Have any of you found a rationale (and the willpower) to pony up that much cash to rub elbows with cooking greatness? If so, let me know what you told yourself that made you feel OK about writing that check; maybe it'll work for me, too.

Suit Seeks to Reform Prison System's Transitional and Post-Release Policies

This past Wednesday, the Enquirer reported that a group of former inmates have filed a class action lawsuit in federal court, alleging that Ohio's system for providing for the re-entry of inmates into society violates the Americans with Disabilities Act with respect to the provision of post-release mental health services. The core of the plaintiffs' claims can be found in paragraphs 98 and 99 of their complaint:

98. Defendants’ failure to engage in necessary pre-release planning for these inmates results in a “revolving door” phenomenon in which inmates with psychiatric disabilities are released without adequate support and accommodations, and are then reincarcerated for manifestations of their psychiatric disabilities.
99. Defendants fail to provide Plaintiffs and the class they represent with requisite pre-release accommodations, including but not limited to facilitating the submission of pre-release applications for assistance that would enable eligible Plaintiffs and the class they represent to obtain SSI, SSDI, Food Stamps and Medicaid immediately upon or shortly after their release from prison, connecting the offender with mental health services in the community in which they will be discharged, and insuring that the offender is discharged with appropriate medications. These accommodations could allow Plaintiffs and the class they represent to make a successful transition from the prison and into a community. Defendants could make important improvements in pre-release planning by taking a series of easy steps at little or no additional cost, yet they have failed to do so.

This is an extremely important issue. Every criminal defense attorney in town can talk about representing individuals who are accused of committing new offenses within months of release from an Ohio prison. It happens because there are simply too few resources to help ease the transition between incarceration and freedom. That transition can be difficult for anyone, but can be a nightmare for a former offender with significant mental health issues. The lawsuit seeks to force the State of Ohio to implement more transitional programs. These programs would constitute a "reasonable accommodation" of a disability, a mandate of the ADA.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, and--oh, yeah, our own Jack Harrison of Frost Brown Todd.

Interestingly, a possible solution--though one that has to be implemented locally rather than state-wide--may be discussed in a piece posted yesterday by USA Today. It talks about the success of the Richland County Reentry Court, a specialized docket (much like Hamilton County's drug or mental health courts) designed to put recently-released inmates in touch with the resources they need to survive outside the institution.

OJPC has been extremely successful in achieving statewide reforms with past lawsuits. Over the last five years, OJPC reached agreements with the state regarding the medical care of inmates and (separately) regarding Ohio's juvenile justice system and DYS. It'll be interesting to see what comes of the present litigation.

Winter Shelter Remains Open

The City of Cincinnati has announced that its emergency winter shelter at 1715 Republic Street will remain open for the next four nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), beginning at 10:00 pm each night.

Fair and Classy, a Lesson for COAST

The members of COAST should look to Kevin Osborne for how to act in the on-line and real life worlds. Kevin wrote about a public aspect of the personal life of a member of COAST. There are no mean words. There is no jumping for joy at another person's misfortune. Kevin puts forth a poignant opinion and shows where real life hopefully can be a learning experience for COAST. If nothing else, I will be hopeful that COAST will not repeat their classless behavior.

Winter Shelter Emergency Continues

This afternoon, the City of Cincinnati announced that it will extend the winter shelter emergency through tonight and tomorrow night. So on Wednesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 11, the OTR Community Center at 1715 Republic Street will be open beginning at 10:00 pm.

The weather temperatures are frigid: tonight's low is expected to be 21 degrees, with lots of wind. Tomorrow night, the temperature will drop to 8 degrees.

Cecil Thomas Is Running For Commissioner

First he was in, then he was out, now he is back in the race for Hamilton County Commissioner. I really don't like the Godfather III plot parallels.

Thomas' hemming and hawing does not bode well for him as a candidate. Thomas is not known as a big retail campaigner. Tarbell knows how to campaign face to face well and appears to like doing it, that edge goes to Tarbell. Thomas is an elected Democratic official, while Tarbell ran and won as a Charterite, edge to Thomas. Tarbell may need to get some party allies lined up. I would look see who Roxanne Qualls backs. She is the most popular political official in the city. If Jim can get her supporters along with the suburbanite Dems, he will go along way.

This will be a difficult primary race to analyze. We've not had Dems face off against each other for county wide races since I've been in town, so, almost 20 years.

Winter Shelter Emergency Tonight

The emergency cold shelter in the Over-the-Rhine Community Center at 1715 Republic will be open tonight beginning at 10:00 pm. The City has issued a press release announcing that it has declared a winter shelter emergency. Excerpts from the release:

Cincinnati—Mayor Mark Mallory and Dr. Noble Maseru, Commissioner of Health, today jointly declared that a Winter Shelter Emergency will be in effect tonight and will end on the morning of Wednesday February 10, 2010. This means the emergency Winter Shelter located at the Over-the-Rhine Community Center, 1715 Republic Street, will be open tonight from 10:00PM until 8:00AM. Social service agencies and community organizations should refer persons who are not accepted by existing shelters to the OTR Center.
A Winter Shelter Emergency is declared when temperatures are in the single digits and/or wind chill is in the single digits for sustained periods of time; when it is determined that regular shelters are expected to be filled to capacity; and life threatening conditions could result from lack of temporary housing. In addition the Winter Shelter Emergency communication system remains activated.

The release also offers instructions for anyone wishing to donate time, money or supplies:

Though very much appreciated and valued the OTR Emergency Weather Shelter
is not equipped or staffed to handle unexpected donations. Please advise individuals interested in making food or clothing donations, or volunteering their time, they should first coordinate with Josh Spring of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 ext 13 or 716-7455 (cell).