2010 – Page 2 of 90

AMP Electric Vehicles and Northern Lights Energy to bring 1,000 all-electric SUVs to Iceland

By Newsroom

●

December 14, 2010

AMP Electric Vehicles has hit one of its biggest milestones yet. The four-year-old Blue Ash company will introduce 1,000 all-electric SUVs to Iceland.AMP, which moved from an engineering lab into a former Land Rover dealership late last year, has just signed a deal with Northern Electric Lights, a private company in Iceland. Under a letter of Intent, NLE has committed to buy the SUVs from AMP over the next five years.Currently AMP specializes in converting three vehicles to 100-percent electric: the Chevrolet Equinox, Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice. AMP manufactures and installs state-of-the-art, all-electric, high performance engines and transmissions for the vehicles. Details are still being ironed out on exactly what type of vehicles AMP will convert in the deal. In addition to converting vehicles in Blue Ash, the company could also set up a small shop in Iceland and convert some vehicles on site, said company CEO and founder Steve Burns.This marks the largest single order for the startup, and the first time the company has converted vehicles for an overseas buyer."This is a big deal for us," Burns said. "1,000 vehicles is huge for any EV (Electric Vehicle) manufacturer."AMP got the deal after hearing that Reykjavík-based NEL was looking to bring all-electric SUVs into the country as part of its ambitious plan to have every Iceland SUV driver in an all-electric vehicle. "They announced they intended to make it the EV capital of the world. One of our marketing guys saw it in the press. We met (an NEL representative) in L.A. at the auto show and brought along a vehicle to the meeting. We picked him up in it. He drove it and saw it was solid," Burns said.The meeting led to an eventual agreement. Burns said Iceland is the perfect place to experiment with introducing a large number of all electric SUVs into the market (the country only has 200,000 drivers). SUVs are very popular in the Northern European Island, which has some rugged terrain. Gas is expensive, up to $8 U.S. dollars a gallon, because it's all imported. Electricity is cheap and in the last few decades the government has made it a priority to develop the country's renewable hydropower and geothermal power sources.In addition most of the country's densely packed population lives in or near the capital, making the average commute about 30 miles."This is going to be a great test bed," Burns said.AMP plans to get a first vehicle for drivers "to rally around" by January, Burns said. Afterward more details will be laid outlining plans for the next five years.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Steve Burns, AMP founder and CEOYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

Miami immersion in OTR prepares new generation of urban school teachers

By Newsroom

●

Education + Learning

●

December 14, 2010

Educational research has suggested that students in difficult situations - facing poverty, from underfunded urban schools - benefit from working with better teachers. The concept makes sense, but application isn't always the easiest. Many of those high-performing teachers were able to attend good universities thanks in part to their experiences in good primary and secondary schools. They may have the knowledge and theoretical skills to teach well, but the cultural gap between their and their students' experiences can prevent quality learning from taking place.Urban teaching is a lot different than suburban teaching or rural teaching," says Annette Digirolamo, a third-grade teacher at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy in Over-the-Rhine. "There's a big, big difference in training, or should be."Miami University is working to do something about this problem, through an innovative, hands-on program. The Urban Teaching Cohort prepares undergraduate students to become effective teachers in urban schools through a combination of education and immersive experiences.The slogan of UTC director Tammy Schwartz sums up its mission: "Forget no child left behind," she says. "We want every child to absolutely thrive."Accomplishing this mission through better teaching means preparing teachers from a social - as well as an educational - perspective. The UTC curriculum includes specialized courses on urban teaching and the sociocultural aspects of education in the urban environment. Its highlight, however, is its student teaching and service-learning opportunities: students have the chance to volunteer and work in urban areas from their first year on, and all of their student teaching takes place in urban schools. Students are also encouraged to live in the communities they serve, including an intensive, three-week summer internship.Along with helping students through housing assistance and placement, the UTC supports its students through intense school and community mentorship networks. For student teachers from rural or suburban backgrounds, this immersion is key to their success as teachers in the nation's urban schools.According to the program's students, the initiative is working. Students come away with what they say is a much better perspective of - and appreciation for - teaching in the urban environment."This program dispels and confronts the myth of what it is to teach in an urban setting," says student teacher Tierionna Morris. "It's one thing to learn from a textbook, it's another to learn from the people you'll be teaching."For more information on Miami University's Urban Teaching Cohort, visit here.Writer: Matt Cunningham

Earthineer.com social networking site brings sustainable-living minded people together

By Newsroom

●

General

●

December 14, 2010

Covington software consultant Dan Adams' interest in sustainable living practices was stoked by his home garden. The self-satisfaction that came from growing some of his own food led Adams to learn how to can, preserve and pickle."I started reading a lot and getting into general sustainable living practices," he said. "The more I did this, the more I realized the sense of fulfillment that came with it." At the same time, Adams was running his own software constancy ItalkTech. In a sustainable practice of another type, he'd started the business in 2006 after being laid off from a tech company he'd worked at for nine years.It wasn't long before his two passions merged resulting in Earthineer.com. It's an online social networking community for people interested in green living practices. He'd been working on the site as a side project, but this year decided to devote his full-time efforts to getting the site off the ground."I decided that I was never going to get this done in my spare time, so I dedicated all of my time to finishing it," Adams said.He developed Earthineer.com, which is just coming out of beta, as an independent study course at Northern Kentucky University."This is meant to be a social network for sustainable living, eating locally and seasonally, and talking about renewable energy," Adams said.The site has a spot for blog posts for sustainable living "experiments" like different composting, canning or wine making methods. It also has typical social networking features including personal profiles, news feeds and status updates. There's also a members' recommended books section. Though the intention is to create a national network, Adams is developing a trading section where members who live near each other can also share tools and goods."You'll be able to configure a list of things you want and can trade people for them. If one person has eggs and another has milk, they could meet up to trade," he said.The site is designed not just for individuals but for like minded nonprofits, farmers and small businesses."I hope there is going to be enough information on the site on a national level that it will encourage local groups to meet and consume locally," he said. Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Dan Adams, creator Earthineer.comYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

Former UC engineering student to link creatives, business through the web

By Newsroom

●

Higher Education

●

December 14, 2010

A former University of Cincinnati architecture student may have graduated in the spring, but his idea to link the university's creative talent to help solve real-world business problems lives on.Adam Treister, who now works for an Over-the-Rhine real estate developer, is in the process of developing StudentDesigned.com. The social networking website would allow design, engineering, architecture and other creative students to showcase their student work in a central place where business could check it out. Businesses could contact individual students they believe could help them with a project."The idea started from a lot of studio projects we'd done. There is a lot of student and professor time, money and resources that go into creating a fictitious product like a building or a clothing line. It’s basically an exercise where we practice our skills," and those skills could be put to real life use, Treister said. "The creative studios and companies or government agencies could team up and collaborate on projects."Treister entered the idea in a couple of entrepreneur-oriented contests, including Cincinnati Innovates, where he came in fourth place just shy of a monetary award. But the publicity that came along with promoting his idea helped move it forward. He's been profiled by several news sites including his hometown paper the Charleston (W.V) Gazette.He's now working with a well-known software developer, who he asked not be named, to get the site live. He expects it to be off the ground in six to eight months. "I've already received notices from different companies requesting the help of student architects," Treister said. In fact, before the site is up Treister may pair up UC students with a West Virginia company looking for a green renovation of an 80,000 sq. ft. building. Such collaboration is a win-win for those involved."It's providing a really good opportunity to work on real-world projects and to enhance the education experience," Treister said. "The companies will get an unparallel creative product for an affordable price."Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Adam Treister, founder Student Designed.comYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

The 11 best cities for telecommuters

By Newsroom

●

Cincy In The News

●

December 7, 2010

Cincinnati ranked second on Daily Finance's "11 Best Cities for Telecommuters" due to its diverse attractions, universities, and affordable living. Daily Finance considered many factors and chose cities with a big-city experience at a small-town price. Cincinnati has plenty to offer as the headquarters for nine Fortune 500 Companies, the host of America's largest Oktoberfest celebration, the second-most fit city in the nation, and the "chili capital of the world." Read the full story here.

Four people who are very thankful for Chris Henry

By Newsroom

●

Cincy In The News

●

December 7, 2010

Chris Henry, the Bengal's player who lost his life last year, became an organ donor and saved four lives. His mother, Carolyn Glaspy, made the difficult decision shortly after her son's death. Glaspy does not regret her decision because she is thankful that her son saved many lives and she also gained new "family members."Read the full story here.

Tom + Chee goes full time on Court Street

By Newsroom

●

Arts + Culture

●

December 7, 2010

When Corey Ward and Trey Quackenbush decided to sell grilled cheese and tomato soup to ice skaters on Fountain Square last winter, not everyone was convinced it would work. The operators of the Square were skeptical that Ward, a freelance designer, and Quackenbush, a professional chef, could succeed where others had failed."They knew that this was our first venture, and the two [food vendors] before us hadn't done well at all," Ward said. "They were looking out for us, but we hassled them enough that they finally said 'just do it.'" The deciding factor was a batch of freshly cooked grilled cheeses that the men delivered to the 3CDC offices, Ward said.Now, one year after they sold their first sandwich, the two men and their wives have opened a permanent restaurant location for their business, called Tom + Chee, on Court Street. They will serve lunch there starting at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.The Tom + Chee menu offers simple grilled cheeses and tomato soups, but many of their sandwiches have a twist. Doughnuts are a bread option, and ingredients include bacon and bar-b-que potato chips. With the new space and an oven, Tom and Chee will soon offer pot pies and new sandwiches, including a complete line of peanut butter and jelly."It's comfort food for the masses," Ward said. "It's simple food that can be done well."All soups, which are designed by Quackenbush, will have tomato and/or cheese as an ingredient. Quackenbush's wife, Jennifer, and Ward now run the new location while their spouses work other jobs. Quackenbush said that their concept is successful because it's cheap, but most importantly because it offers food that makes people feel good."Some people walk by and they see 'grilled cheese,' and they giggle, then they walk back ten minutes later and order one," Quackenbush said. "If they don't know what they want for lunch, they can settle for some good, old childhood memories."The new location is their first step towards a larger presence in Greater Cincinnati. They plan to eventually open other locations, specifically one near the University of Cincinnati Campus. There, Ward said, some of their more creative offerings will finally reach their full potential."Then you could get a grilled cheese with bar-b-q chips and bacon on a doughnut at three in the morning," he said. "That's the way it should be."Writer: Henry SweetsPhotography by Scott Beseler.

Lululemon clothes fitness buffs, educates about healthier lifestyles

By Newsroom

●

Arts + Culture

●

December 7, 2010

Lululemon is not only a fitness-clothing store, but one focused on educating the public about living a better and healthier lifestyle. The store sells athletic clothing for any kind of fitness activity, including yoga, dancing, and running. Lululemon originated in Vancouver and has opened stores throughout the country including a new showroom in Hyde Park Square.Jennifer Basa, the store manager, had to choose an area of Cincinnati to open the showroom, which is a smaller version of a regular store, in order to see if Lululemon would succeed. Basa researched the area and found that Lululemon's market was already in Hyde Park - an area with a number of health conscious residents. Not only does Lululemon fit the location with its boutique atmosphere, but Basa felt it was easily accessible from many areas in the city. "Hyde Park is a great location for a boutique atmosphere with lots of local businesses. We all help each other out," Basa explained.The store is open three days a week in order for customers to check out the store. The showroom also offers a complimentary yoga class every Saturday morning, taught by yoga instructors in the area from different studios. During the week, five employees seek out local studios and fitness locations to support and help build a fitness community. Lululemon hopes to be the education fitness hub of the city, informing their customers about the top places to engage in fitness activities. "We do the leg work and tell you who you can trust in the community. We want you to leave Lululemon with a great lifestyle," Basa offered.Basa believes Lululemon will thrive in the Cincinnati because of the established fitness community. "All of the powerhouses working together is inspiring," Basa said. "Lululemon can be the catalyst and hub for the studios and business owners that get together and work for a common cause in the community."Lululemon practices what it preaches by getting involved with the community, educating customers about living a healthier and longer life, and maintaining their culture about fitness and goals. "We are here for the community, to educate and to help anyone we can. I am so excited to bring this to Cincinnati because there is so much potential in the city and now I can contribute," Basa said. Writer: Lisa EnsmingerPhotography by Scott Beseler.

Give Back Cincinnati

By Sean Rhiney

●

Talent

●

December 7, 2010

Give Back Cincinnati celebrates its 10th anniversary this Thursday. Soapbox asked Joe Hansbauer, Ryan Rybolt and Jamal Muashsher to share their thoughts on the celebrated young professional volunteer organization they founded a decade ago and why Cincinnati was the perfect fit.

Soapdish: Of Dollars and Sense

By Casey Coston

●

General

●

December 7, 2010

Columnist Casey Coston says don't blame the streetcar for Cincinnati's budget balancing woes - it might just be part of the solution.