Northsider Vol.1 | Issue 1

October 2013 volume 1 | issue 1 northsider.northside.net

2 vol. 1 | Issue 1 Oct 13’ life & culture 45223

Ursula Roma is a fine artist, designer and sculptor who studied art and design in New York, Ohio, and

Connecticut receiving both a BFA and an MFA. For over 20 years, she has been doing commissioned design, illustration, and fine art work for local and national clients in various mediums including computer

graphics, acrylic and watercolor painting, collage, and pen & ink. Roma also creates mixed-media wall art and sculptures using found objects and salvaged materials. As a seasoned salvager and recycler, she sees potential in all kinds of discarded shapes and found objects, and repurposes these objects into works of fine art.

Over the past 26 years, Ursula Roma has created numerous illustrations and design work for Northside, where she has lived during that time. Her works include the 2000 Northside Directory, Porch Tour posters, Farmers Market T-shirt, Peacemakers T-shirt, Colerain Viaduct T-shirt and Campaign Art, Northside Art Fair Design, Northside Treasures Illustration and more. In 1995, the Business Association asked Ursula to create a mural design for the Ludlow Viaduct. Northside – Keep it Beautiful, is probably Roma’s most recognizable pieces of art.

Roma also has a line of humorous greeting cards entitled, “SheGrins”. They can be found in the Fabricate shop on Hamilton Avenue, along with her earrings and small paintings.

Roma’s cover design was first created in 2002 with color modifications in 2013. The image is a take off on Saul Steinberg’s 1976 cover of the New Yorker. T-shirts will be available in the coming weeks by emailing [email protected] and on Ursula’s etsy site.

COVER ART | NORTHSIDER FEATURED ARTIST VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 | CONTENT

3 COMMUNITY MILL CREEK

4 FEATURED EVENTS NORTHSIDE PORCH TOUR

BOOK SIGNING

5 SPOTLIGHT WORD PLAY’S ANNIVERSARY

SAV A LOT UPDATE

6 ISSUES CRIME AND SAFETY

EDUCATION

8 FOOD THE BEET EXPERIMENT

9 ARTS MAKER’S FAIRE

10 POLITICS CANDIDATES RESPOND

This issue

The Northsider Mission statement:As an independent monthly communication, The Northsider’s mission is to engage and inform about life and culture in the Northside Neighborhood. As such, The Northsider is committed to providing timely, quality and informative community news and opinions

While embracing the diversity of the neighborhood.

check out northside’s new brand identity: A team of local Northside designers donated their time to help create Northside’s new identity. Northside Community Council and The Northside Business Association voted on all submissions. According to the Branding Committee the new logo: • Personifies Northside in a unique way and builds meaning into the community. • Creates awareness, recognition and buzz• Makes a memorable unified experience visually and verbally• Delivers on a promise• Helps define us, our story, our rally cry “Northside-A Different Direction”

NEW TO NORTHSIDE | BRAND IDENTITYCALL TO ARTISTS | MONTHLY COVER ARTMonthly Cover Art submissions:The Northsider is seeking monthly cover art submissions from local artists. Artists will be paid $40 for published covers. All 2 dimensional pieces will be considered. One stipulation of publication is that the piece or a print be donated to The Northsider Annual Art Auction Fundraiser. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be reinvested in an arts fund to support art projects in Northside. The remainder will help support the paper. If you are interested in having your artwork considered:

email: [email protected] Subject line: Cover Art Submission

CONTRIBUTORSWRITERS:

Robin Corathers, Kathy Dahl, Tim Jeckering, Martha Dourson, Alisa Balestra, Barry Schwartz, Tommy Reuff, James Heller-Jackson, Sue Wilke, Kristen St. Clair, James Kinsman.

artwork: Ursula Roma, Robin Corathers, Kathy Dahl, Libby Hunter, Ingrid Weber, Tommy Reuff, Kristen St. Clair.

volunteer advisory committee: James Kinsman, James Heller-Jackson, Barry Scwartz, Karen Andrew, Mark Christol.

layout and editorial managementJeni Jenkins

Uncaged Bird Print & Design Studio

We are seeking writers, photographers, proofreaders and delivery persons for upcoming issues. If you are interested

contact us: [email protected]

Visit us online at northsider.northside.netFor ad rate info, submission deadlines, to submit event listings or to view the

online version.

3life & culture 45223 vol. 1 | Issue 1 Oct 13’

CommuniTy

About a year ago, the director of the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency visited Mill Creek. When we paused on the Mill Creek Greenway Trail in Northside to talk, a Great Blue Heron swooped down from the sky and did a nose dive into Mill Creek. The heron emerged with a fat fish in its mouth, flew straight up into the sky, dropped the fish that landed with a splat in the river, swooped down again, grabbed the fish in its beak, and flew away triumphantly.

Twenty years ago, when GWC (then called Mill Creek Restoration Project) first started its work, very few species of birds, fish, and other animals existed in and around the Mill Creek corridor in Lower Mill Creek because of the pollution and lack of habitat. In addition, parts of the river in Northside were blocked from view by ten-foot-high chain link fence along Dooley By-pass. Over the last two decades, this urban river and the blighted, derelict land along it have undergone a remarkable transformation! To date, the Mill Creek corridor in Carthage, Spring Grove Village, Northside, Camp Washington, and South Cumminsville has become, once again, a valuable natural resource and an economic asset.

GWC’s work has only been possible through the help of public/private partners and thousands of volunteers -- youth and adults -- who have provided the sweat equity for the Mill Creek Greenway Program. The Mill Creek Healthy People/Healthy River Strategy incorporates:

* Construction of the Mill Creek Greenway Trail that provides free, accessible, and convenient opportunities for outdoor exercise, recreation, and human-powered transportation. About 4.6 miles of the trail are in place in two locations (Carthage/Elmwood Place and Winton Road to the Mill Creek Road bridge), with nine miles still to be constructed. When complete, the trail will stretch from the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Carthage to the Ohio River, connecting to the Ohio River trails to the east and west.

* Ecological improvements of the river, wildlife habitat, streambanks, wetlands, and floodplain areas. To date, GWC has completed thirty of these restoration projects.

* Creation of the Mill Creek edible forest gardens along the river to provide fresh produce and nuts for people and wildlife. This fall, the large edible garden and cornfield in Northside will become a corn maze with fabulous sculptures to be discovered inside. The project partners include PAR Projects (the creative genius!), GWC, the City, and many others. The cornfield/maze is located near the Old Ludlow Avenue and Dooley By-pass intersection in Northside. The tentative date for a kick off event is October 20.

* Year-round environmental education programming for students that includes multiple classroom and fieldwork activities (water monitoring, stream surveys and service learning projects). So far, over 33,000 students have participated since the program began in 1994. GWC is proud to have its office and warehouse in Northside, along the river. For more information, please visit the GWC website: www.groundworkcincinnati.org or email us at [email protected].

UPDATE | MILL CREEK HEALTHY PEOPLE/HEALTHY RIVER STRATEGY

Robin is the founding director of Groundwork Cincinnati/Mill Creek. She has over twenty-five year’s experience in the environmental field, both in paid and volunteer capacities.

BY Robin Corathers, Executive Director, Groundwork Cincinnati/Mill Creek

Lora Alberto, GWC education director, on the Mill Creek Greenway Trail with students, spring 2013 Submitted by Robin Corathers

Worley Rodehaver

The Northside Community formally invites you to a

RECOGNITION CELEBRATIONfor

In honor of his years of service and committment to the Northside Neighborhood

Sunday October 27th2-4PM

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FORMER PUBLISHER & EDITOR

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Call or Stop By Today!

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The 2013 Northside Community Council sponsored Porch Tour will again return to the neighborhood any day now.

Returning for the 9th time, this year’s event is scheduled for Saturday evening, October 12th from 6 until 9pm. Northside’s Citizens on Patrol will be grilling hotdogs, St. Boniface volunteers will be selling beer, soda, water, North Presbyterian Youth Group will be holding a Bake Sale, and all will be treated to the sounds of Northside’s own rhythm and blues band “All About the Music.” Come see Happen Inc.’s & Whiz Kids summer movie “Sisters and the Magic Spindle.” Ride the carriages $4, and listen to an architectural interpretation of the Victorian porches and houses along the way. Walk the route and celebrate out neighborhood!

Departing from the side lawn of St. Boniface at 4223 Pitts Ave. the carriages rides will proceed south on Pitts, east on Hanfield, north on Lakeman, east on Chase, north on

Cherry, and turning westward to St. Boniface along Pullan Ave. At 3/4 mile in length, there will be an estimated 2,000 luminaria continuous along the route as they will be spaced every 5’ along the sidewalk on both sides of the street. The Porch Tour continues to dance around the neighborhood on a new route every time, this year we are departing from St. Boniface. In conjunction with their 150th anniversary, St. Boniface has events planned throughout the year, and NCC is pleased to be a part of their celebration as a neighborhood partner.

In 1997, the Northside Community Council began sponsoring Porch Tours in the autumn of the year as an alternative to the NCC sponsored House Tours. The challenge of putting together a House Tour every year had taken its toll on the House Tour Committee, and the Porch Tour filled the gap nicely. So on the odd number years, Northsider’s are entertained with a Porch Tour and on the even

numbered years, the neighborhood sponsors a House Tour where you see the interiors of houses. Louise Watts, previous NCC President, and mother of the House Tour Committee, resigned last year after a 15 year run, should be thanked from all corners of the neighborhood. NCC is still awaiting a volunteer who will step forward and take charge of that committee for next autumn’s event.

The Porch Tour is designed to be an inclusive event, as everybody along the route receives free luminaria kits. Block Captains are solicited from residents who live along the route, and presenting a group of 10 homes, Block Captains distribute luminaria kits to everybody in their group. They also place the luminaria out for neighbors who do not wish to participate. Members of the porch tour committee began distributing the first round of (3) rounds of flyers informing residents of the Porch Tour in early June, additional flyers have been distributed in July and September with updates and

suggestions. There is a route cleanup scheduled for October 5th, from 9 until 11am, meet on Hanfield St. at Witler St. To volunteer for either date 10/5 or 10/12, contact [email protected]

I would like to salute the new editors and volunteers who have taken the initiative for putting together this newspaper; it is a great community service!

NORTHSIDE PORCH TOUR RETURNSFeaTured evenTs

BY TIM [email protected]

THE DETAILS:DATE |OCTOBER 12TH

TIME | 6-9PMLOCATION | ST. BONIFACE SCHOOL, 4305 Pitts Ave

COST: $4See backpage for event poster.

CANINE CAPERS!! LOCAL AUTHOR BOOK-SIGNING OCTOBER 15

Northside resident Carol Ann (C. A.) Newsome is launching her third book in her Lia Anderson Dog Park

Mysteries, a series of fun, romantic suspense/mystery novels that are inspired by and centered around her mornings at the Mount Airy Dog Park with her trio of rescues (rowdy hooligans).

A life-long lover of fiction, Carol turned to books and audiobooks during her decade-long recovery from a head injury that occurred when she and her bike were struck by a car. Years of immersing herself in popular fiction led to imagining the book she wanted to read, and wondering if she could actually write it. And she has – three of them!

The first book, “A Shot in the Bark”, which features popular Cincinnati places, faces, and canines, centers on the apparent suicide of Lia’s boyfriend and the ensuing relationship between Lia and the investigating detective, Peter. Lia gets plenty of help from her friends at the dog park.

In the sequel, “Drool Baby”, Lia and Peter attempt to correct the unjust incarceration of one of Lia’s friends. Concerned that one of Lia’s dog park friends appears to be picking off regulars, Peter moves in with a reluctant Lia to keep her safe.

The current book is “Maximum Security”, due out November 20th. Peter and his partner, Brent, investigate the death of a dog park regular while Lia copes with the Peter’s desire for a

more serious relationship, an escape-artist foster-dog, and the search for a dead man’s missing canine companion.

Carol will be at the Northside Branch of the Public Library to sign copies of “Maximum Security” on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. Purchase signed paperbacks at Northside Grange. Kindle and paper versions of the books are available at Amazon; audio versions are available at Amazon, Audible and iTunes.

BY Martha DoursonMartha is currently president of Northside Community Council and one of Carol’s friends and neighbors. She is proud to announce Carol’s great work and is very excited about her accomplishments.

THE DETAILS:Book Signing

DATE |OCTOBER 15THTIME | 6:30PM

LOCATION | Northside Branch of the public library


THE DETAILS:

Executive Director and co-founder Libby Hunter describes the first year of WordPlay, a Northside after-school and summer program,

as “a wonderful, deeply gratifying, thoroughly exhausting challenge.” WordPlay celebrated its first anniversary on September 14, 2013.

Since opening in September 2012, WordPlay has served over 500 children, trained 200 tutors, and had nearly 200 volunteers provide “behind the scenes” services. In addition to its after-school program, WordPlay also operates two flagship programs – Lunch Buddies and WordUP – with St. Peter Claver Latin School for Boys in Over the Rhine and Aiken High School.

An Aiken High School student, who participated in the WordUP program this past summer, provided Hunter with her “proudest moment” at the first anniversary event. Speaking at the event, the high school student said the WordUP program helped her complete online courses to recover some of her lost credits; having been held back twice before, the Aiken Sophomore recovered enough credits to complete the tenth grade. Hunter describes the “very bright” Junior as having “found a new home at WordPlay.”

The Aiken Junior is not alone – in one year, WordPlay served more young people than Hunter anticipated. For the time being, WordPlay will continue to serve young people in the after-school program at the same capacity (about

100 students per week). Hunter noted that expansion of the organization will be “careful;” in order to reach more students, Hunter said, staff will hold weekly creative workshops and will grow a volunteer tutor corps to serve students. “Serving a large target audience isn’t the goal for the near future,” Hunter explained, “however, for this year we are very committed to providing a deeper level of service to fewer children to ensure that we are more fully meeting our target population’s needs.”

Community support is certainly one of the reasons as to why WordPlay has “grown and thrived” in Northside. Both long-time residents of the neighborhood, Hunter and co-founder Elissa Yancey cite community support, “the location of our partner schools, the easy accessibility, and the great walk-in traffic for our social enterprise” as key to WordPlay’s success. In turn, WordPlay is very “community driven” – the organization has “an underlying mission to bridge divides in the neighborhood; to engage

children and youth who have largely been marginalized, bringing together very diverse populations of Northside to work together towards a common cause.” Walk past WordPlay when the after-school program is in session (or, better yet, stop in), and you’ll see the organization’s mission in action. You may even see a student reading in a bathtub at the Urban Legend Institute!

Northside’s Newest Nonprofit Celebrates One YearspoTlighT

Students, parents, and volunteers at WordPlay’s first anniversary event. Submitted by Libby Hunter.

Alisa Balestra is a Northside resident and the Director of Community and Strategic Partnerships at Public Allies Cincinnati, a leadership and professional development nonprofit. Balestra also teaches one literature course a semester at Xavier University.

BY alisa balestra

The Northside Community Council organized three meetings to generate ideas for replacing the Sav-a-lot store. The task force has

been pursuing a variety of initiatives that could solve the short-term problems of availability of good quality food and other essentials, while taking steps toward a new, more comprehensive solution. The owner of the building is working closely with the community to come up with a use for the building. Some of the short-term actions include:1. Expanding free bus transportation from McKie Recreation Center to Kroger on Fridays to serve more senior citizens. With enough demand, they could expand to another day.

2. Existing outlets expand availability of quality food, produce, white goods and other necessities through the Healthy Corner Store program.3. The manager of the Kenard Kroger has expressed an interest in allowing residents to order product, which could then be picked up by their neighbors. 4. A mobile food truck.5. Sandy Hamilton has conducted a survey of CAIN customers to ascertain where they currently buy necessities and what the effect of the closing will have on their everyday life.6. A community volunteer will post bus schedules to Kroger and other existing supermarkets at the vacant Sav-a-lot along with a map of existing outlets

for food and other necessities in the neighborhood.Longer-term approaches1. A Real Food Community Center is a building where foods are brought for distribution to members. Members gather at the FRCC for a seminar or presentation, a meal with a friend, to study, and to pick up their food. The idea is similar to a buying club. 2. The Cincinnati Union CO-Op Initiative would set up affordable, quality, walkable, accessible grocery stores in three neighborhoods, including Northside. They have agreed to conduct a feasibility study to use the vacant store or other facility.3. Mary Jo Minerich, a community volunteer and architect, and her firm will complete an internal design for the reuse of the building and propose some attractive graphics on Hamilton Avenue

that could direct people to the store.4. Other volunteers are exploring other options for a small grocery store or bulk food outlet at the Sav-a-lot site.5. The community council has sent a letter to City Council expressing its concern about the closing and requesting assistance.

Sav-a-lot closing- WHAT NEXT?

Interested in tutoring a student or doing “behind the scenes” work for WordPlay? The commitment to tutor a student requires at least 3 hours a month, and volunteers are always needed. WordPlay is also able to host company holiday parties – many holiday events have a charitable cause, and WordPlay staff would be grateful for the support. Community members who are interested in volunteering at WordPlay can e-mail [email protected], or can stop by when the organization is open (Monday-Thursday, 2:30-6 PM and Saturday 12-4 PM). WordPlay is located at 4041 Hamilton Ave.

Barry is a retired city planner and is currently a board member of the Northside Community Council, the Northside COP team, the steering committee of the Northside Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update and convened the task force that is working on the Sav-a-lot replacement initiative.

BY Barry Schwartz

The next meeting is scheduled for Wed, Oct. 9, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at McKie Community Center. We hope to come out of that meeting with an action plan to address these issues.


Though Northside’s overall violent crime rate has decreased consistently and significantly over the past four years, there

have been a lot of burglaries here lately. As our frustrations grow with many “breaking and enterings” happening all over Northside this past summer, we as a community need to consider what we can do in order to help make our neighborhood a safer one.

Northside is lucky to have a strong ongoing dialogue with Cincinnati Police Department’s District 5. The District 5 Police make every effort to engage our residents, reporting at our monthly public meetings, and remaining accessible by phone or email. The first item on the agenda is always a District 5 Police Report at both the Northside Business Association meeting (the first Monday of the month, 6pm at Happen, Inc.) and at the Northside Community Council meeting (the third Monday of the month, 7pm at the McKie Center). This is a perfect time to hear from the local police about current crime issues

and trends in Northside, an excellent opportunity to ask questions, and meet and, perhaps the best thing of all, to meet your neighbors. This police report will often extend longer than what was planned in order to continue the conversation as needed.

Reacting to the increased burglaries in the neighborhood, about 100 concerned Northside residents met with District 5 Sgt. Jason Voelkerding, Officer Joe Boyle, and Officer Melissa Cummins at the McKie Center on September 12. Discussed at the meeting:

• Crime is in fact down (and statistics do bear this out). Often, crime rates aren’t necessarily growing, but access to social media makes more people aware of crimes committed, so often there’s a perception of more crime as a result.

• Citizens on Patrol (COP) is very effective, citizens-based trained group of volunteers that help patrol the streets and reduce blight. The group badly needs additional volunteers.

• A “Good-Guys Loitering”

group would be supported by CPD - police would come and stay with us for a “takeover” of Fergus park, for example.

• Drug deals have changed, it’s no longer kids on the corner, it’s cell phones used to coordinate car pickups, and it’s very difficult to catch or stop.

• Turn on exterior lights and fortify your homes and apartments: CPD will do a security assessment of your home upon request. Lock ALL of your doors and windows and turn on your radio, regardless of how short the time you plan on being gone.

• Don’t leave any visible belongings in your vehicle. Many cars are broken into merely for the loose change visible from outside the car.

• There is safety in numbers; always travel in groups when possible. Avoid poorly lit streets, overgrown shrubbery, and dark doorways.

• Alleys are an issue; cleanups are a must. The city does not cut back growth in the alleys’ public right-of-way as they once did. These alleys are becoming crime-ridden.

• Get to know your neighbors and keep communicating about burglaries. For example: if your neighbor is robbed, chances are much higher that another neighbor will be hit in the following 14 days. Engage with your neighbors. Talk to your older neighbors who may not be tuned in electronically, let them know what’s happening.

• CPD is a presence on several Facebook forums, they use the

information as part of their street-level efforts. Enroll yourself in the NextDoor app as well - sign up at nextdoor.com.

• If you see or hear anything suspicious, CALL DISTRICT 5! Patrols are assigned based on the number of call-ins to the police. If you see a drug deal going down five times a day in front of your house, you need to call in a report to District 5 five times that day.

The bottom line: we need to engage with our neighborhood, yes, we can take it back! Be aware! Talk to the police!

CRIME REPORT: HOW CAN WE FIGHT CRIME IN NORTHSIDE?

Emily Buzek ValentinoSales Vice President

Cell (513) 602-7414E-mail [email protected]

2716 Observatory Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45208

Brokering Fine Homes Since 1946

comey.com

“Northside’s most prolific Realtor” – Cincinnati Enquirer, June 2013

issues: Crime and saFeTy

Cincinnati Police Department Contacts:• EMERGENCY 911• Non-Emergency 513-765-1212• District 5 Front Desk 513-569-8500• Sgt. Jason Voelkerding 513-569-8506 [email protected]• P.O. Melissa Cummins513-569-8595 melissa.cummins@ cincinnati-oh.org• P.O. John Boyle 513-569-8593 [email protected]

James is a Northside resident and business owner, member Northside Community Council Executive Board, member Northside Business Association Executive Board, and member, Northside Farmers Market Advisory Board. Professional Northside Shill.

BY JAMES [email protected]


The Northside Community Council’s Education Committee’s mission is to promote, design and

implement educational programs that service the needs of schools and students in the Northside community.

The Committee in May announced the results of its new mini-grant program for schools in the Northside community. Chase Elementary, Parker Woods and St. Boniface each received $300 grant for use during the 2013-14 school year. These grants were made possible through a generous donation in support of the committee’s goals to strengthen academic outcomes, creative problem solving and character building for students at our partner schools.

Chase Elementary School’s project “Rocket Into Reading with Dramakinetics, was a partnership with Dramakinetics another Northside non-profit. The project, implemented during the Summer Stars program, had 3rd and 4th grade students read books act them out focusing in on vocabulary, sequencing and inference to bring the book to life through acting. Parker Woods Montessori’s grant will support its Capstone Project in grades 4-6 and will be implemented this fall. Students will write and act out a skit on the topic of the colonial protests against

taxation. The grant funds will be used to purchase costumes and materials representing the colonial period. St. Boniface implemented an Anniversary Garden, primarily a vegetable garden, to enable parents, guardians and students to work together and learn the skill of growing their own food. The objective of the Garden project was to provide children the opportunity to learn about growing food by experiencing it. The mini- grant was used to purchase a rotary tiller for ground preparation and the school expects to continue the garden project annually.

In August, the Committee had a booth at the Northside block party which allowed kids to color in bookmarks while committee members recruited parents and friends to serve as tutors at both elementary schools. The bookmarks were designed by Jonathan Sears and printed by Tommy Rueff, members of our Education Committee. Nineteen individuals signed up to tutor and those who signed up were eligible for a drawing of a Kindle. The winner was Marvea Moran, a member of one of our local churches. We continue to need tutors at both schools. If you are interested in tutoring at Chase, please contact Rodger Horton at 746-6521 or Whitney Simmons at 363-6300 for

Parker Woods. You can also sign up at monthly community Council meetings.

The Committee has planned a Meet the Candidates forum with candidates for the Cincinnati Board of Education. It will be held on October 17th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Chase Elementary School and will be moderated by the League of Women Voters. There are nine candidates for four seats on the seven person board. This is an important race because there is only one incumbent running for re-election so there will be significant change in the governing body of CPS. We hope to see you there, and bring along your friends and neighbors. All are welcome.

CANDIDATES NIGHTMEET THE

Presented by

The Northside Community Council and its Education Committee

A Forum for Community Members to learn about and hear from candidates for the Cincinnati Board of Education

October 17

6:30 - 8:30pm

This is your opportunity to meet the nine candidates who seeking one of the four seats on our seven person Board of Education. Ourschools are dealing with many changes including the new state report card, implementation of Common Core standards, and the third grade reading guarantee.

Listen to what our candidates think about these and other important issues, and respond to your questions.

Don’t Miss This Opportunity Cincinnati Board of Education Candidates

in the heart of Northside

Chase Elementary School4151 Turrill Street, 45223

MODERATED BY

T H E L E AG U E O F WO M E N VOT E R S

M e l a n i e B ate s

E r i c k a Co p e l a n d - D a n s by

S a l l y O ’ Ca l l a g h a n

M a rc i a Fu te l

M a r t h a G o o d

B e t s y S h a n k

V i c to r i a S t ra u g h n

E l i s a H o f f m a n

D a n i e l M i n e ra

EDUCATION ROUNDUP

Sue Wilke is a retired P&G and non-profit executive currently on the boards of the Northside Community Council and CAIN. A former school board member, she has a strong interest in improving education for all children.

BY sue wilke

“Fruits of the Garden” Photo: Ingrid Weber

issues: eduCaTion

The Education Committee meets monthly and is open to any interested community member. For more information, contact Committee Chair Sue Wilke at [email protected].


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YOUR WELL-BEING YOUR GROWTH

The experiment below is an example of one of the many seasonal vegetable focused experiments performed every

Thursday from 4pm to 6pm at Gabriel’s Place Market in Avondale. The samples are free and everyone is welcome to cook, shop, garden or just watch. Gabriel’s Place is a non-profit committed to garden to table education and access. Please call us at 513-221-2306 or e-mail at [email protected].

The Beet Experiment

Beetroot and Chocolate CakeServes 88oz butter, at room temperature11oz brown sugar4 eggs, beaten8oz plain white flour2 tsp. baking powder2 heaped tbsp. cocoa powder14oz raw beetroot, finely grated3 1/2oz grated dark chocolate½ tbsp. vanilla Powder sugar to decorate9 in cake tin, greased

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.2. In a bowl mix together the softened butter and sugar until light. Add the beaten eggs little by little, mixing well.3. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the cake batter and stir together well. 4. Add the grated beetroot and grat-ed chocolate to the cake mix. Stir well and add the vanilla. 5. Pour the cake batter into the pre-pared cake tin and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing the center of the cake with a toothpick. If the pick comes out clean the cake is done. If some cake batter comes out on the pick the cake needs to cook for longer. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. Dust the cake with pow-der sugar and serve. 6. This recipe can also make 24 cup-cakes. Bake at 300 degrees for 17 minutes or until the center is set.

Creamy Borscht SoupServes 6 1 onion, diced5 medium fresh beets (about 2 pounds without tops)Kosher salt2 cups chicken stock16 ounces sour cream, plus extra for serving1/2 cup plain yogurt1/2 cup sugar2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice2 teaspoons vinegar (apple cider, white wine or white vinegar will work) 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper2 cups medium-diced cucumber, seeds removed1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts or chives

Place the beets in a large pot of boil-ing salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool. Sauté the onion in a pan with a little oil until translucent then let it cool. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, onions,

yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to me-dium chunks. Pulse the beets in s food processor. Add the beets, cucumber, and scallions to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream.

Kristen is a graduate at The Midwest Culinary Institute. Her role at Gabriel’s Place is to run educational cooking classes, geared toward expanding knowledge on utilizing fresh foods that result in inexpensive and nutritionally full meals. She can be reached at [email protected].

BY Kristen St. Clair, Gabriel’s Place educational Chef

Beet Chocolate Cake. Photo: Kristen St. Clair

Food


Maker Faire is coming to Cincinnati on October 19 in Washington Park and Northside’s Happen, Inc.

will be there with creative activities from all areas of the organization.

Maker Faire is great fit for Happen to showcase all of the programs that it provides to community.

Maker Faires have been produced all over the nation as people come together to demonstrate the DIY spirit. Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers and come from all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this unique community.

The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2013 celebrated its eighth annual show with some 900 makers and 120,000 people in attendance. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in three years to 500+ makers and 55,000

attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Newcastle (UK), Rome, and Tokyo are the home of “featured” 2013 Maker Faires (200+ makers), and community-driven, independently organized Mini Maker Faires are now being produced around the United States and the world—including right here in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The producers of the event describe Maker Faire as a family friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Cincinnati Maker Faire will feature dozens of groups and organizations whose booths you can visit and participate in different maker activities from operating robots to power tool races. In addition to the booths, there will be food trucks, vendors and live music on the main stage.

Look for the Happen tents under the trees on just west of the gazebo right next to the dog park. Activities will start at 12:00pm and run until 10:00pm.

Happen will provide a different creative problem solving session on the hour in the Happen Make It Tent. All sessions are free and space is first come first served.

Happen’s Toy Lab Mobile Unit will be making toys from 12:00pm to 7:00pm. It’s a unique experience where kids or adults can select 7 parts from our collection of donated and recycled toys and with the help of our professors they create their own one-of-a-kind toy. This program focuses on up-cycling old and broken things rather than throwing them in a landfill. Happen’s Toy Lab has produced over

11,500 toys and kept four and a half tons of plastic out of landfills. The cost is $10 (+ tax) to build a toy and all the proceeds go to provide free Happen activities at our Northside studio.

Happen’s Breadwinners tent will be there, too. This is Happen’s first program for 13 - 17 year olds, Breadwinners meet once a week to design and print t-shirts which you will be available for purchase with proceeds going back to the teens and Northside’s Graffiti removal program. Teens learn the basics of screen printing and what it’s like to run a small business. This is your chance to purchase a t-shirt or other merchandise from their fall line and meet the kids from Northside that are making it Happen.

The Happen studio will be providing activities at 12:00pm, 2:00pm 4:00pm, 6:00pm and 8:00pm These include paper sail boat races, wooden car races And at 8:00pm the Happen studio tent will light up with after dark activities that is fun for the whole family.

Happen is also excited to kick off our Scooter Scribble Raffle with Genuine Scooters, Metro Scooter, and the Mighty Ohio Scooter Club. Watch as artists turn a Buddy Scooter into a work of art influenced by kids’ scooter designs. You also have a chance to win the scooter as we start our raffle with the winning ticket to be drawn on New Years Eve. All proceeds go to provide free Happen activities in Northside.

Make it Happen at Cincinnati Maker Faire

Tommy Reuff is Happen, Inc.’s founder and executive director

BY TOMMY RUEFF

arTs

HAPPEN NORTHSIDEArt activities for parents & children

4201 Hamilton Ave (&Chase) HOURS: 3:30 - 7:30pm (Tue.-Thu.) &

10am - 5pm (Sat.) FREE on a first come first served basis.www.happeninc.com (513)751-2345


Mike Moroski’s Response:For 12 years I have served as an

active participant in making Cincinna-ti’s neighborhoods unique, strong, and accepting of diversity. From 2001 to 2011 I worked to rehabilitate aban-doned buildings in Over-the-Rhine (OTR) for affordable housing. During that time I also served as a board trustee for the Drop Inn Center, and co-founded Choices Café whose mission was to “bridge the gap between the affluent & impoverished through education and service.” Out of Choices Café was born the HELP Program which seeks to help returning citizens find & retain gainful employment; this program is currently housed in East Wal-nut Hills. I was also a founding board member, and eventual board chair, of WordPlay Cincy. WordPlay is located in Northside and serves to give the youth in the community the necessary skills they need to achieve in school and in life. I will continue to fight for economic inclusion and equitable neighborhood develop-ment as a City Council member.

I will help to not only restore NSP funding, but help direct the growth of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods, by seeing to it that capital investment dollars are used to actualize real returns which can then be earmarked for the expressed purpose of stabilizing and increasing neighbor-hood outreach. The Tax Increment Financ-ing (TIF) districts are great in principle, but not all of them receive the same attention, and this is something that I plan to address. Furthermore, I fully embrace form-based codes, and expanding the City’s entertainment districts. NSP fund-ing can be restored by setting aside some

of the parking money, revisiting property rollbacks for Downtown properties & using those dollars for neighborhood allo-cation, or through numerous other avenues that all require new thinking at City Hall. Step one is to prioritize development in ALL 52 neighborhoods. Then, and only then, can we begin to make a difference.

I am an advocate for the voiceless, and I always have been. Too many of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods feel as if they do not have a voice, and I fully intend to continue my career of speaking up on behalf of those who deserve representa-tion when I am elected to Cincinnati City Council in November. Greg Landsman response:

“The progress we’ve begun to make in Downtown and OTR is encouraging and crucial to our city’s future success. However, if we want to grow as a city for the first time in 50 years, we must take an intentional approach to working in our other 50 neighborhoods. 3CDC has shown us the model for leveraging private cap-ital to take very strategic approach to development. If elected to council, I plan to advocate for creating a public-private partnership in the model of 3CDC to work with communities and take individ-ualized approaches to revitalization of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods”Yvette Simpson response:

Yvette is dedicated to strengthen-ing our 52 unique neighborhoods. She routinely attends community meetings and organizes neighborhood walks and “of-fice hours” to learn about neighborhood needs and identify solutions. Through building and maintaining strong communi-ty relationships, Yvette helps local leaders

accomplish their goals and achieve a greater outcome. Below are some of the many examples.

Many children in the Avondale com-munity were not engaged in educational activities during summer months due to a lack of opportunity and parents’ fear of letting children out of doors because of increased crime. Yvette worked with the Dan Beard Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America to arrange for a week of free summer camp for Avondale children, including meals and transportation to and from camp.

Building collaborative working rela-tionships with the administration, Yvette has successfully resolved problems in com-munities all over Cincinnati. Specifically by working with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to clean up trash, the Department of Transportation and Engineering to repair and improve streetscapes, and Public Services to address overgrown lawns and litter. Her efforts have improved and beautified the communities of East End, Westwood, Camp Washington and many others.

With the introduction and adoption of form based codes, Yvette was actively engaged in Madisonville’s Community Redevelopment Plan as one of the initial neighborhoods to implement form based codes. She participated in strategic visioning sessions, the neighborhood cha-rettes and remains engaged as they work to make their vision a reality.

The West McMicken area just north of Over-the-Rhine was experiencing a rise in prostitution-related crimes, which increased other criminal activity and neg-atively impacted their community. Yvette

brought community leaders together with organizations working with victims of sex trafficking to address this issue. She also led City Council’s efforts to support State Legislation increasing penalties for prostitution-related crimes, and is working with the Cincinnati Police Department and other City Departments to increase prevention measures in the area.Christopher Smitherman response:

My top priority is smart develop-ment in our neighborhoods. We cannot continue to focus the majority of our development resources downtown and forget about the other 51 neighborhoods. I support the city buying properties in neighborhoods and getting those prop-erties in the hands of responsible citizens who have the resources to develop the footprint. Each of our 52 neighborhoods deserve a thriving business district which I will continue to support through public policy. David Mann response:

I will empower neighborhoods through restoration of NSP funds. We must return to the days when each neighborhood’s priorities were the city’s priorities for that neighborhood. The city should create a scorecard for each neigh-borhood comparing the neighborhood’s priorities with city results. At least once a year, city council should review each neighborhood’s scorecard. If the city has not responded to a particular priority, the result is unacceptable unless the council or the city administration can present a very clear and legitimate reason.

Amy Murray response:“I was President of my Neighbor-

hood Council and on the Board of “Invest

According to a CBSNews Poll conducted May 20-23rd, 2011, 69% of Americans say they have “Not Much” say in what “Gov’t does”. According to a Gallop Poll, reported by Heritage Action for America on August 31, 2011 indicated that each state was pessimistic about the economy, in contrast to Washington D.C. That was optimistic, while Ohio was among the 10 most pessimistic states. In comparison, we have our local representatives for city council. These candidates are responsible for the items that most effect our daily lives, the condition of our roads, the cleanliness of our city, our police and fire departments, and the parks and recreation fields we use regularly. In order to facilitate your participation in the community council election, we solicited a response from each candidate per the methodology below. We asked the candidates, “What, specifically, have you done/ plan to do to help Cincinnati’s neighborhoods flourish especially in light of the recent cuts in NSP funds?” To identify the local candidates we went to the smartvoter.org listing for City Council Candidates. Then we used the email address listed in each profile to contact the candidates with a single question on September 13, 2013. We asked each candidate to respond by September 24th. Of the candidates listed on the site, we received the following 9 responses that we have included here without comment or editing.

cincinnati candidates for council respond

“WHAT, SPECIFICALLY, HAVE YOU DONE / PLAN TO DO TO HELP CINCINNATI’S NEIGHBORHOODS FLOURISH ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT CUTS IN NSP FUNDS?”

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in Neighborhoods”. As a Council Member, I supported our Neighborhood Councils as they are the key to the vitality of our neighborhoods. I would restore funding to NSP - as these dollars are used by the neighborhoods for their most important projects. I have fought to stop the leasing of our parking meters as this will hurt our neighborhood stores and small businesses most. We need to encourage people to shop and play in Cincinnati, not be driven away by higher parking rates and stricter enforcement.” P.G. Sittenfeld

1) I have been a strong voice for a budget that prioritizes high quality basic services in our neighborhoods. 2) I’ve taken the lead crafting legislation that cracks down on big banks who fail to clean up rundown, vacant, foreclosed properties. 3) I’ve supported the City’s Focus 52 Fund, which invests in catalytic projects in neighborhoods across the city. 4) I support the full restoration on NSP funds, as these represent some of the best leveraged dollars in the entire city budget.Michelle Dillingham response:

I have worked on improving my neighborhood from a community orga-nizing perspective while serving on a community council board for 8 years, and now as President for Kennedy Heights – proudly, one of the first purposefully integrated neighborhoods in our city. Due to my long-standing service on a commu-nity council I know first-hand NSP funds support a wide array of initiatives that promote safety, beautification, commu-nications, block watches, neighborhood events, and more. I believe community councils are the life-blood of neighbor-hoods and they need the support from City Hall.

When I worked at City Hall for for-mer Vice-Mayor David Crowley I had the opportunity to staff the Urban Agricul-ture Community Gardens initiative. I was always a garden enthusiast, but imple-menting a city-wide community garden pilot program was a testament for me of the power that community-building and place-making initiatives can have. Another neighborhood effort I worked on in Avondale was “CeaseFire Cincinnati” a youth gun violence prevention program that sought to stop violence by treating it

as a public health crisis. Over the years since then I’ve continued to attend vigils and rallies, joining the mothers and fami-lies for those who died from gun violence in our streets.

When I am elected to City Council I have pledged that I will work to ensure that all of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods have Neighborhood Support Program (NSP) and Neighborhood Business District (NBD) funding. Another important role of city council is to approve a 5-year Con-solidated Plan that sets priorities for fed-eral block grant funding. In recent years due to budget cuts this funding has been used to plug holes by supporting code enforcement personnel salaries. With increased revenues we need to get back to ensure CDGB funds are moved back to the neighborhoods. Quality of Life and Citizen Safety are intended uses of this funding, and as a member of Council I will fight so these funds are re-invested in the neighborhoods where they be-long. I also like to draw attention to the importance of the city supporting Human Services funding. These services have received less than .4% of the City budget yet a full third of our residents are living below the federal poverty line. These funds support shelter, food, after-school programming to prevent youth violence, and services for women and children escaping abuse. Our neighborhoods are still recovering from devastating foreclo-sures and job losses. Cutting the safety net to families desperately trying to keep food on the table is a formula for disas-ter. Our city’s recreation centers are often the only recreation or after-school care many Cincinnati families have access to. We must do better to support these core services, which in turn help our neighbor-hoods. Melissa Wegman response:

I was the NSP Manager for EPHIA (East Price Hill Improvement Association) for the last 4 years as well as the NBD Co-Manager for the same time. I have steered a team that has written and presented for the last 2 years for the NBDIP grants. Equally, I was one of 3 Community leaders selected to work with Invest in Neighborhoods, Nyemah and the Community Development Department to revise the By-laws for the NSP/NBD funds. This was obviously before the

“fallout” debacle! I also represented, from the community leaders point of view, seeking the support of City Council for us to continue to request federal funding for CNBDU.

Needless to say, I think it was always the best money allocated and spent! The communities used this money like it was gold in most cases. I know that with the process of requesting the money, because I was the EPH representative that sat on the NSP Review Panel for the last session prior to this one. I thought it was a great way to gather new ideas and work with other communities who have tried some-thing different. We used N. Avondale’s model for their membership drive for ours. It was great!

I am a stronger believer that the current council has focused on the heart of the city and left the other 50 neigh-borhoods straggling. The NSP money ensures communities the opportunity to get more community involvement and buy-in form these activities from the resi-dences and business owners. Liter walks, safety walks, flower pot and gateway plantings, newsletters, holiday events, parades, banners, summer festivals, etc…this is a short list of the activities that were funded through our NSP. We are now coordinating membership drives with higher fees and donation requests. We are doing fundraisers and asking more of our businesses to give support. We for-tunately have an active CDC that is also looking for additional grants and funding resources.

But I realize that there are com-munities out there like North and South Fairmont that depended heavily on this resource. Now they are looking for those grant opportunities.

We need to restore the function of Invest in Neighborhoods! The mere model of what they did was envied by other communities in our region at the RNNC convention. This is a lifeline to the com-munities that needs to be restored. The Focus 52 will be a good option, but that is for the economic development side…not the community engagement.

BY james [email protected]

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Q

QSaturday EVENING

October 12th

from 6- 'til 9 pm

QQ

DEPARTS

ST. BONIFACE

SCHOOL4 3 0 5 p i t t s av e

Q

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N O R T H S I D Ec o m m u n i t y c o u n c i l p r e s e n t s

Carriage Rides $4+ + + + + + +

Beer | Soda | Hot Dogs | Bake Sale

+ + + + + + +with Sounds by Northside’s Own

A l l A b o u t T h e M u s i c

t w e n t y t h i r t e e n

PORCH TOUR

Northsider Vol.1 | Issue 1

Documents

Transcript of Northsider Vol.1 | Issue 1