Cincinnati

Chill Shaved Ice brings cool twist to summer treat at Findlay

By Soapbox

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June 14, 2011

Just in time for rising temperatures, a new business at Findlay Market is bringing natural ingredients to an old summer standard: shaved ice. Cincinnati local, Alia Ali, started Chill Shaved Ice to share her passion for natural ingredients and healthy eating through a tasty summer desert. Stationed at Findlay Market on the weekends, and at other local mobile destinations during the week, Ali has already received positive feedback for her new and exciting idea. Ali, a fitness instructor, always wanted to increase community awareness about the importance of what you eat. "I feel passionate about eating healthy and showing people that there are other alternatives and how it is not as hard as one may think," Ali explained.So two months ago she began experimenting with different fruits, flavors herbs and natural cane sugar to make her natural syrups. She recently made watermelon mint syrup by cooking and mixing cane sugar. Ali said she adds other herbs to weaken and strengthen the flavor of the syrup. Her first taste-test weekend at Findlay Market was a success as many people were pleasantly surprised with the new twist on an old favorite. "People were a bit hesitant at first, asking questions because it wasn't something they were used to like your standard chemically processed syrups. But customers were pleasantly surprised, asking questions about the process and other services I may provide," Ali said.She plans to stay at Findlay Market for the whole summer on the weekends and travel around to different local destinations during the week."Findlay Market is a neat place. I love the people and the energy at the market. I feel like there are a lot of progressive people involved at the Market, which makes it a nice environment for me as a beginning business owner," Ali said.Ali said future plans include selling bottles of her syrups, selling her product to local bars to provide a new alternative for mixed drinks, and maybe even opening up her own store. Writer: Lisa Ensminger

Latest in Cincinnati

Wasson Way bike path advocates hope to transform rail spur

By Soapbox

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Development News

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June 14, 2011

A group of residents from several Cincinnati neighborhoods spoke at the June 7 meeting of Cincinnati City Council's Quality of Life Subcommittee. Their subject? A recently closed railroad spur and a proposal to change it into a 6.5-mile cycling and walking path."This could really serve as an important connector for the many [multiuse path] projects Cincinnati has going on," said project advocate Jay Andress.The proposed project would convert a Norfolk Southern Railroad spur into a path that would connect with the Little Miami bike trail in Newtown and run into the heart of downtown. Advocates at Tuesday's meeting pointed out that the path would only cross seven roads in its entire length, making it a true rarity: a nearly uninterrupted trail running through several neighborhoods in a major urban area.But beyond the health benefits and transportation options that the path could provide, some residents at the meeting brought up another point: building the path could resolve a growing problem with the semi-abandoned line.Hyde Park Neighborhood Council President Anne Gerwin said the point where the line crosses Wasson Road has been a maintenance and safety issue for years. "We struggle many times each year to have the city and railroad maintain it," she said. The neighborhood's council passed a resolution supporting the project.Likewise, Hyde Park resident Lindsay Felder, who said her home is within sight of the track, said there's been a visible deterioration of it - and an uptick in people loitering along the weedy path - since it became inactive in 2009."We've always wondered about the tracks," she said, explaining that she began going door to door to drum up local support after meeting Andress and learning about the proposed project."We see it as a great upcycling of existing property that is underutilized," she said.Subcommittee chair Laure Quinlivan said there are a number of details to clarify before the project moves further forward, such as determining if Norfolk Southern has future plans for the line, and if an arrangement can be made that would allow the city to adapt the path into light rail if that becomes a future transit option."This is really a great proposal," she said. "The best ideas don't always come out of City Hall. If we could make this happen, it would be such a great asset to so many residents."Story: Matt CunninghamPhoto: Wasson Way Project

Teens find glee in Cincinnati Harmony Festival

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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June 14, 2011

While their classmates may be hanging out at the pool or lounging on vacation, nearly 100 hopefuls pack their bags and head to Northern Kentucky University for a chance to learn new songs, discover new ways of singing and meet like-minded teens. They mix multi-part vocals and specialized choreography. And after four days and three nights of professional vocal music education, rehearsals and coaching, they perform. Oh, yes, they perform.At the sixth annual Greater Cincinnati Harmony Festival, teens create a Glee-like evening of song and dance. "Gone are the days when families would gather around a piano and sing together for fun, so we strive to support the school music programs in their efforts to encourage?young people to find the enjoyment of making music," says Paul Coleman, music chair of the Harmony Festival and director of The Delta Kings Chorus.The festival celebrates the American folk art of barbershop singing, which blends four parts of a cappella voices together in tight harmonies that when executed perfectly, creates the sound of a fifth voice, also known as expanded sound. As performed since the late 1800s, barbershop mixes African-American musical devices, European hymn-singing culture and the American tradition of social, recreational singing.The festival also gives teens from around the region a chance to live on a college campus and get a sneak preview of college living. After three nights in a dorm, they are ready for the festival's finale, a public performance alongside their peers and professional singers, including coach Brody McDonald, whose high-school ensemble The Eleventh Hour competed on NBC's "The Sing-Off" last year.Do Good:• Watch the video. Find out more about the Harmony Festival when you watch participants in action.• Go to the show – for free! Doors open at 7 p.m. on June 25; show starts at 7:30 p.m. Be sure to arrive early to Greaves Concert Hall to snag a good seat.• Sponsor a scholarship. It costs less than $300 to sponsor a camper. You can even donate online.By Elissa YanceyPhoto courtesy of Greater Cincinnati Harmony Festival

Energy assessments offer layers of savings for homeowners

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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June 14, 2011

For a limited time, homeowners in Hamilton, Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties can spend just $50 for a $400 to $500 review of potential energy inefficiencies in their homes, and then apply that $50 toward improvements that will help lower their energy bills.An initiative of the non-profit Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, the discounted three to five-hour energy assessment includes an in-depth examination of how well your home's heating and air conditioning are working, as well as trouble-shooting for potential leaks and gaps in insulation. "It doesn't matter if a home is five years old or 105 years old, there are cost effective energy upgrades in almost every home we've ever looked at," says Andy Holzhauser, GCEA's executive director. "It's our job to make the process easy and affordable for everyone in our community."Holzhauser believes connecting homeowners with local contractors who have been trained to find affordable, environmentally sustainable ways to retrofit homes creates a powerful motivation for living green. So, after the energy assessment, the GCEA will discount up to 35 percent of the cost of projects that assessors recommend. "We make the retrofit more affordable," Holzhauser says. "In the case of a $5,000 retrofit, we will put $1,700 to $1,800 of our dollars on the table right alongside the homeowner's investment."Best of all, there are no income restrictions on the discounted assessments and retrofit projects, both of which can lead to lower monthly living costs and better environmental stewardship. "The notion of an investment on a home actually generating a cash return back to you is something that is new," Holzhauser says. "It's at the heart of what we do."Do Good:• Watch a home energy assessment in action.• Find out how much you could save. Sign up to learn your potential savings and request an audit of your own.• Tweet and learn. Follow GCEA on Twitter.By Elissa Yancey Photo by Scott Beseler

New research could shift cities to emulate

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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June 14, 2011

We have issues. Specifically, health, social and economic issues in Greater Cincinnati that local researchers explore and write about on the Community Research Collaborative Blog.Monthly entries feature content from researchers at the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati http://uc.edu . On the blog, three 2011 Community Research Collaborative fellows, along with other community contributors, work to describe the socio-economic health of our community.Each month a new post offers a new analysis. The May 2011 post, for example, compares the 1999 and 2009 data about Cincinnati's income growth, which is a measure of all sources of personal income, including wages, health insurance and a wide range of other benefits. The results showed significant progress as well as sobering realities. While the metropolitan area moved from 58th to 24th place out of 366 areas around the country, Cincinnati, along with many of its regional peers, grew slower than the national average. But Cincinnati wasn't alone. Nearly all of the regional competitors that the CRC uses to track our region's progress posted slowed growth. Those cities include: Austin, TX, Louisville, Charlotte, NC, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, NC and St. Louis. CRC fellow Janet Harrah, who serves as the senior director of Northern Kentucky University's Center for Economic Analysis and Development, suggests that it may be time to examine similarly sized cities that are managing to beat the national averages when it comes to personal income. Those include Oklahoma City, Virginia Beach, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.Do Good:• Educate yourself. Read about 2010 Census data for our region and see what you could do to make a difference.• Subscribe to CRC's newsletter so you will get the latest news and updates from the researchers.• Check more data. You can download the 64-page report online.By Elissa YanceyPhoto by Scott Beseler

Writing makes for change during young women’s summer camp

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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June 14, 2011

The teen's dark, fragmented poems wove a narrative of pain and isolation. "Nobody understands me," she wrote. "Nobody cares." It was the beginning of summer camp at Women Writing for (a) Change in Silverton, and the young woman's story was all too familiar. During camp, she kept writing. She also created art, danced and gave Pilates a try. By the fall, her mother noticed a shift in the tone and depth of her poems. She expressed confidence. She communicated a sense of belonging. She had found her voice.Executive Director Emilie Davis hears stories about the impact of Women Writing for (a) Change every day. But in the summer camps, she sees a rare chance to open girls' eyes to the power they can wield with their words. "This is an opportunity for young women to write about what matters to them," says Emilie Davis. This year, the leader of the 20-year-old non-profit hopes to enroll 60 girls and young women ranging in age from fourth grade and up. In half and whole-day camps, campers find safe places to explore their thoughts, their lives and their writing abilities. The focus is on encouragement, support and empowerment. "Nobody gets out a red pen here," Davis says.An "Arts in My Own Backyard" grant from Artswave, plus support from the Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation, provides scholarships for young women from Silverton who might not otherwise be able to afford the sessions. Davis says this year one 15-year-old participant will be nine months pregnant; another is dyslexic. "Her mother says she writes beautiful poetry," Davis says. "Her teacher criticizes her spelling."In addition to writing, young women in the camp spend time creating art and moving. From Zumba classes to artwork, the program takes a holistic approach to the summer camp experience. "It's all about making movement and exercise fun," says Davis.She points to notes the students have written on "soul cards," or evaluation tools, as evidence of the camp's power:"I like knowing I'm not the only one who is lost.""I like feeling I wasn't alone. I was loved.""This class has changed the way I think."Do Good:• Sign up for camp. Sessions start June 20 and run through July 22.• Catch a podcast. Be inspired by teachers, writers and authors, including Freedom Writers' founder Erin Gruwell. • Offer support. Donations can help provide scholarships for specific programs or provide operating funds to fuel WWf(a)C's mission.By Elissa YanceyPhoto courtesy of WWf(a)C

Recycled plastic bottles to become casino uniforms

By Newsroom

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Cincy In The News

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June 14, 2011

Cintas introduced new shirts for casino workers that are partly made from recycled plastic bottles. Each shirt uses five recycled bottles, and comes in five different colors that are machine-washable. Cintas also has a recycled apparel line for hospital staff including scrubs and polo shirts. Read the full story here.

My Soapbox: Rome Ntukogu

By Sean Rhiney

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General

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June 14, 2011

Utilizing his knowledge of the local music and business communities, Rome Ntugoku set out to connect venues, artists, and sponsors to people seeking unique, diverse experiences that can't be found in your average bar or entertainment venue. Along the way, he and his staff at Far-I-Rome have helped change the perception of what a 'night out' means in Cincinnati.

Hunger Walk donations still welcome to help stock Freestore Foodbank

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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June 7, 2011

Claire Darley walked in solidarity with others working to fill the gaps of food and resources that many families and individuals experience. Walker Karl Miller recalled delivering a cake to a grandmother so that she could offer her granddaughter a birthday treat.This year's Memorial Day Hunger Walk along Cincinnati's riverfront drew thousands of supporters of programs and services around the region that give food to those who need it most. "At the Hunger Walk, you can experience yourself as part of a much larger group, working to fill the gaps of food and resources that many families and individuals experience occasionally or often," says Darley, a Northside resident and a professor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.Darley regularly volunteers at CAIN, Churches Active in Northside. "The CAIN guests are often under great stress in handling children, unemployment, illness," Darley says. Proposed cuts to federal and state programs -- including the WIC program for Women, Infants and Children -- will only increase that stress on the thousands of residents who currently visit the Freestore Foodbank or one of its more than 300 affiliated food pantries, like CAIN. Families who live in poverty have already taken significant cuts from government support. In 2010, Ohio's federal WIC funding dropped by nearly $9 million from 2009 levels of support, according to the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service data. Cuts outlined in current legislation have gotten even hard-core foodies like New York Times food writer Mark Bittman pushing themselves away from the table in symbolic fasts to draw attention to proposed cuts in programs that provide essential help for the hungry.Do Good:• Help the Hunger Walk. Though the Memorial Day 5K is done, you can still donate online until June 20.• Seal that gap in your window. Seriously. This summer, Champion Windows will donate 50 pounds of food for every in-home call and 100 pounds of food for every project ordered by Aug. 31. It's called "Close the Window on Hunger," and it could just increase your energy efficiency while providing food for some of the 300,000 children in the Cincinnati region who don't know where their next nutritious meal will come from.• Learn about proposed federal budget cuts. The non-profit Bread for the World provides a handy online resource about hunger and the U.S. budget.By Elissa YanceyPhoto courtesy Freestore Foodbank

Artfully Disheveled: Fashion is Business

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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June 7, 2011

Cincinnatians, Chris and Trey Berre, and Michael Palmer founded Artfully Disheveled, a growing brand that meshes the classic gentleman look with an edgy twist inspired by their Midwest roots. Read the full story here.