Page 894 – Soapbox

Transit authority looking to overhaul Cincinnati’s bus system, improve access

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July 27, 2010

As local transit officials struggle to do more with less, leaders at the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) are examining how they might be able to restructure the Metro bus system to better serve Cincinnatians. The changes may mean that the decades old hub-and-spoke model may finally be on its way out of style. "The hub-and-spoke model in Cincinnati is broken," exclaimed Colin Groth, Government Relations Director, Metro. "Right now, if you're trying to go from say Mt. Washington to Westwood, you have to go Downtown first. This is a problem." The problem is especially pronounced in Cincinnati due to its neighborhood orientation which lends itself to more hub-to-hub trips, rather than spokes leading to a singular hub. According to transportation experts, the solution seems to lie in an option that moves people from neighborhood hub to neighborhood hub. The beginning of such a neighborhood hub bus system in Cincinnati will more than likely start by adding a second hub in Uptown, that will also serve as a facility for the Cincinnati Streetcar, followed by neighborhood hubs in Northside and Walnut Hills. "We have worked with neighborhoods and Parsons Brinckerhoff to figure out where people wanted to see Metro grow, and better access to Uptown and improved crosstown service were at the top of the list," Groth said. Officials say that the goal is to eventually develop a collection of Neighborhood Transit Hubs that will serve as transfer points in the restructured system. The incremental will mean better service for riders within the city as they move from neighborhood to neighborhood, but it will also mean improved service for those traveling in traditional commuter patterns into Downtown and Uptown as buses will be able to travel in a more direct fashion. What transit officials need now is money. The Uptown Neighborhood Transit Hub alone is estimated to cost approximately $6.2 million, but Metro officials are currently working with the Uptown Consortium and the Cincinnati Streetcar Development Partners to come up with the best plan for implementation. Design and engineering work is already underway and is expected to be complete within the next year, and construction will begin as funds are available. In June, Metro received $11.77 million from the OKI Regional Council of Governments through their allocations of two federal transportation programs. Some of this money will go towards the replacement of aging buses, but another chunk of the money will go toward this Neighborhood Transit Hub vision. "The money is to develop the capital infrastructure to support both existing service, as well as, creating the building blocks for a more robust system down the road," Groth explained. "With more neighborhood hubs you can really facilitate center-to-center and neighborhood-to-neighborhood transportation...that's when you really begin to change the system."Writer: Randy A. SimesPhotography by Scott BeselerStay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Northern Kentucky urban development corporation aided by $1M investment

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Development News

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July 27, 2010

Thanks to a $1 million investment by Duke Energy, an urban development fund in Northern Kentucky is now well on its way towards reaching a goal of raising $10 million to invest in development projects in Ludlow, Dayton, Bellevue, Newport and Covington. The fund is the result of Vision 2015 which developed focuses on growth, opportunity, culture, and prosperity. When discussing these priorities, it became evidently clear that part of that focus had to be on the five urban cities located along the Ohio River. After studying "best practices" from around the country, local leaders determined that creation of the Catalytic Development Corporation was necessary. "We noticed that many successful urban areas around the country were utilizing development funds that are privately funded and used to assist real estate developments," said Jeanne Schroer, Executive Director of the Catalytic Development Fund of Northern Kentucky. The $1 million investment from Duke adds to the $1 million investments made by the Bank of Kentucky and Corporex Companies which jump started the fund in late 2008. According to Schroer, the contributions made by the three companies thus far are long-term investments that will be paid back over time. The benefit arises from the fact that the companies do not have to underwrite individual projects, and developers can utilize the money as gap financing for projects that might not otherwise garner the interest from such large companies. "We can take this money to close the gaps on projects that need our help. This will make more projects happen more quickly, and will serve as a catalyst to the other funds involved." Schroer believe that the remaining $7 million can be raised within the next 12 months to meet the goal of raising $10 million for the urban development fund. She says that there are "a lot" of proposals outstanding, and that these interested parties could help make the goal a reality. In the mean time though, the Catalytic Development Corporation is very pleased with its current investors. "Duke is very focused on regional economic development, and a healthy downtown area is important to the health of the larger region," Schroer said. "Urban revitalization is very important to long-term economic health as it serves as important factor for companies and young talent who look for vibrant urban areas." Writer: Randy A. Simes Photography by Tiffani Fisher Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Food program to help low-income residents buy, prepare healthy food

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Development News

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July 27, 2010

The Corporation for Findlay Market has announced a new program that will allow individuals utilizing the food stamp program to shop for healthy, local produce at the farmer's market portion of Findlay Market. Called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Plus, this innovation encourages urban agriculture and healthy eating for low-income residents often plagued with unhealthy food options. The food stamp program with Hamilton County's Job & Family Services is currently utilized using an electronic EBT card to make purchases. This is an upgrade from the old paper system, but farmer's markets only operate using cash, and thus a portion of Findlay Market's consumers have not necessarily had the opportunity to purchase locally harvested produce, dairy, and other artisanal products offered by vendors. Fran Amatulli, Ohio State University Extension Program Assistant with the Family Nutrition Program, is one of the partners in the SNAP Plus program. She works to teach nutrition classes around the city, and states that anyone with a group of people interested in learning more about healthy eating can sign up for a free class. She has worked with various refugee programs in the city, teaching basic cooking skills and quality eating habits to those who may not know. She emphasized the importance of getting the word out to people who can benefit from this program. "It's so easy to sign up and do. The important thing is to let people know about this exciting new program," Amatulli emphasized about the program. Those currently using the EBT food stamp card can now go to the Findlay Market office and purchase tokens in $5 increments for the program. The tokens are only good at the various farmer's market stands, and the vendors later trade them for cash. Program participants have to opportunity to earn bonus tokens by attending cooking demonstrations conducted by chefs from the Midwest Culinary Institute, and classes on healthy eating supported offered through Hamilton County Job & Family Services, Cooperative Extension, the Nutrition Council, the Center for Closing the Health Gap, on-site agencies like senior centers or Head Start locations, and at market itself. There is a series of eight classes offered. Each class attended earns $10 in farmer's market coupons. Attending four or eight classes earns additional bonus coupons, with a total of $120 in matching EBT benefits possible to be earned. "This is a project I'm very much behind," stated Chef John Kinsella, President and CEO of Smart Chefs LLC, one of Findlay Market's partners. "They say that CHEF stands for Cooking Healthy, Edible Food, and the SNAP program is one step closer to that goal." Writer: Jennifer Kessler Photography by Jennifer Kessler Stay connected by following Jenny on Twitter @JenLKessler

Passage Lounge latest to join downtown Cincinnati nightlife

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Arts + Culture

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July 27, 2010

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Local food blogger launches consulting business Food Speaks

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Entrepreneurship

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July 20, 2010

The blogging community knows everywoman restaurant critic Heather Willard best as The Food Hussy. But when she's not talking about her latest eating adventure in Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky, she's working as an experienced internet and advertising professional.At least she was working until two weeks ago when she was laid off, another casualty of the struggling economy. But Willard didn't fret long, and just last week launched Food Speaks. Food Speaks is a consulting company geared toward independently owned small- to medium-sized restaurants. The company will work with eateries on three fronts, Willard, of Pleasant Ridge, said."I look at 'their voice' how they present themselves, their service, food prices and the entire experience of dining. Then I look at the 'people's voice,' what people are saying about them on sites like Twitter or Facebook and other social media. I also look at their Web site to make sure that its user friendly and can show up higher in search engine results," Willard said.She'd been developing the idea for a few months and has consulted with Café Bella in Mason, but decided to launch the company after losing her job."I've worked for entrepreneurs all of my life. I know restaurants around here need help, and I think I can help them. I look at a lot of their web sites and they're terrible. I want to call them up and say, 'If you do these five things it will be better,'" she said.Willard, a University of Iowa grad, has more than 15 years experience working with local businesses to build and improve their internet presence. She also has radio and television production advertising experience. According to UrbanSpoon.com, a nationwide network of restaurant reviews, The Food Hussy is the most read food blog in Cincinnati.Web and social media is a game changer for restaurants, and can offer smaller ones a competitive advantage if used effectively, Willard said. One the other hand, a few negative online reviews can hurt businesses if not handled properly or ignored, she said."In the old days the only voices were newspaper food critics, and they would review the bigger restaurants maybe once a year. Today everyone with a Twitter or Facebook account is a critic. If they have 500 friends and they have a bad experience at a restaurant everyone sees it," she said. "Most restaurants are in a vacuum and aren't listening to their audience. If they don't listen to their customers they won't have a business."Willard said she'll continue to blog, but will not review places that she takes on as clients.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Heather Willard, founder Food Speaks and The Food HussyYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

Ohio invests $150,000 for minority business organizations

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Cincy In The News

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July 20, 2010

The Cincinnati and Akron Minority Business Development Organizations have been awarded $150,000 in support of initiatives for minority and disadvantaged businesses. These funds will help strengthen minority-owned businesses and create new job opportunities for Ohio's diverse workforce. The two organizations will collaborate with EDGE Mentoring Program in order to promote and foster a healthy business climate for all workers in Ohio. Read the full story here.

P&G one of 40 best companies for diversity

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Cincy In The News

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July 20, 2010

Procter & Gamble was selected by Black Enterprise to this year's list of "40 Best Companies for Diversity." The list was based on four different categories including employee base, senior management, board of directors, and supplier diversity; P&G's strengths included the categories of board of directors and senior management. During the recession, African American and other ethnic groups employment rates have risen but the companies that made the list demonstrated a consistent effort of keeping diversity within their company. Read the full story here.

Ohio Governor grants $250,000 to Cincinnati companies for marketing

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Cincy In The News

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July 20, 2010

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland granted $250,000 to Cincinnati companies to create marketing positions in order to strengthen businesses and generate job opportunities in the area. This grant will help the city recover from the recession by creating 200,000 jobs by 2020 with global brand-building partners such as Bridge Worldwide, Landor, and AC Nielsen/Bizzmetrics. Because Cincinnati is known around the world for its consumer good's corporations, officials hope to attract new talent to the area for growth.Read the full story here.

Pierre Foods unveils new line of more nutritious school menu options for students

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Cincy In The News

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July 20, 2010

Cincinnati's Pierre Foods, Inc. announced its new line of more nutritious school menu options known as Smart Picks that will be ready to serve in cafeterias this upcoming fall. The menu includes a choice of sixty different menu items concentrating on foods with reduced sodium and an increased source of protein. Pierre Foods also plans to work with schools' limited budgets, provide expert advice on how to have better eating in America's schools, and develop products that kids will love.Read the full story here.

Keep America Beautiful launches litter prevention campaign in Cincinnati

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Cincy In The News

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July 20, 2010

Keep America Beautiful and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful launched "Littering is Wrong Too" last week in Cincinnati. The three month pilot program will advertise on radio spots, posters at bars and restaurants, billboards, and online ads. The national campaign is being rolled out in Cincinnati before a national release. Read the full story here.