Downtown

Downtown Cincinnati is the place to live, work, and play populated by restaurants, cafes, bars, arts and culture venues around every corner, plus a long-awaited and busy Kroger's that anchors recently-renovated Court Street Plaza. The downtown urban core is alive with programming, including music during the summer and ice skating in the winter, and features the largest living room 'television' in the region overlooking The Genius of Water at Fountain Square. Downtown has experienced dramatic expansion and population growth with residential developments, including condos and apartments in all price ranges, many of which boast scenic views of the hillsides and the river and offer unparalleled access to nightlife and recreation.

Talent Management LLC releases Talent Snapshot

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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April 2, 2013

A local company has just released a web-based employee evaluation tool that goes beyond mere checklists. Talent Snapshot is designed for mid-sized companies that are looking to develop existing talent, which is specific to job type. Think of it as employee evaluation 2.0. "It's really designed for employee development," says Jackie Messersmith, president of Anderson-based Talent Management LCC. "It sets benchmarks, such as 'Where am I today and what do I need to work on?' Employees can be evaluated quarterly, semi-annually or however often you need." The seven-year-old HR consultant company created Talent Snapshot from its real-world experience with clients. Many companies where dissatisfied with assessment tools currently in the market, Messersmith says. "There are various tools and evaluations out there, and usually they're done because it's a company policy," she says. "They don't take a long-term view. It has nothing to do with training or coaching, or what you need to do to become a better employee. At the core of the system is how to make employees become more productive. It looks at competencies required for certain jobs, and areas that people can shore up." Talent Management is a three-person partnership, and Messersmith has more than 16 years experience in workflow improvement projects as president of Workflow Dynamics. Vice President of Product Development and Vendor Relationships Allan Payne was a top human resources executive for Cincom Systems and Kahn’s. And Vice President of Marketing and IT Infrastructure Mike Meszaros is a software and marketing entrepreneur who created PPC Communications. Talent Snapshot is the company's first software product. It was released in January, and the company is working to sell it through an affiliate network of HR-related professionals. The company, which has been self-funded, is also preparing for an investment round, Messersmith says. By Feoshia H. Davis Follow Feoshia on Twitter

Video At the CAC: DJ Rupture

By Dutty Artz

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Arts + Culture

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April 2, 2013

A Brookyn-based artist premieres his reinvisioning the work of a pioneering gay African-American composer, pianist and vocalist in a multimedia performance at the Contemporary Arts Center. Soapbox offers a preview of DJ/Rupture's work in advance of his two-night stint, April 5 and 6.

From Guatemala with love: Deeper Roots partners with growers for richer roasts

By Robin Donovan

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General

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April 2, 2013

What do a dairy barn in Mt. Healthy and this year's TED conference have in common? A shared love of top-quality coffee from a Guatemalan village that locals know thanks to relationships nurtured with Deeper Roots, a local roasting company and coffee consultancy.

CORE Resources wins Star Award for job creation

By Newsroom

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Development News

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March 26, 2013

Every year, the Over-the-Rhine Chamber awards a handful of businesses for their strides in categories like Property Development, Nonprofit of the Year, New Business of the Year and Business of the Year. This year, CORE Resources won in a new category, Job Creation of the Year. CORE—a builder and developer of retail, office, restaurant and healthcare facilities—was founded in 1990. In 2010, it employed nine people; today, CORE has 34 employees and plans to hire 10 more in 2013. “We’re thrilled to be having a growth spurt and hiring people again,” says President Paul Kitzmiller. “We hope that with further recognition in the community, CORE’s services can help grow the surrounding community and further participate in revitalization.” For the past few years, CORE has been involved in revitalization and renovation projects in OTR. Some of its OTR projects include the Color Building (home of CORE’s office), KAZE, Quan Hapa and Washington Park. CORE is getting ready to start the renovation of Eli’s BBQ on Vine Street and the apartments above. At Sixth and Walnut, CORE has worked on the Righteous Room, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse and Nada. They’re getting ready to open Sotto, and in the next 30 days, they’ll be opening Boca. CORE is also the general contractor for the anchor restaurant at U Square at the Loop—Keystone Bar and Grill. “In the future, we want to be involved with more projects and help create a wonderful neighborhood,” says Kitzmiller. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter

NKY celebrates educational leaders

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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March 26, 2013

When it comes to preparing students to become future leaders and contributors to society, schools have a huge responsibility. And while their work is often recognized from within, it’s not often enough that it's honored on a community-wide basis. The Northern Kentucky Education Council and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce seek to remedy that, however, with their 2013 Excellence in Education Celebration—though it’s not just the work of students and educators that they plan to recognize. “We started thinking about the awards dinner and others in the community who are also driving action in the excellence in education besides our educators, and realizing it goes beyond the scope of the school day,” says Polly Page, NKYEC’s executive director. “It’s the responsibility of our entire community to make this happen for our children.” According to Page, students, teachers, administrators, school board members, mentors and businesses within the community all play a role in the education of younger generations, and it’s important to come together to let those individuals and organizations know that their work does not go unnoticed. Students will be recognized in various categories for academic performance and leadership skills. And this year, there’s a new award that recognizes one’s ability to overcome obstacles and succeed in school, despite barriers that may have occurred along the way. “Those stories were really very heartwarming, and folks don’t really think about Northern Kentucky having students with a lot of trials and tribulations,” Page says. “But these were really pretty poignant about what the students have experienced in their lifetimes.” With educators, businesses and community members, it’s all about what they’re doing “to go beyond the requirements” at their positions, Page says. “There are many companies in Northern Kentucky that have a solid partnership and are really thinking about ways they can make a difference in the classroom,” says Page. “Employees are working in the classroom and teaching side by side with instructors and working with students.” Kentucky was ranked 10th in the nation in Quality Counts this year, which Page says is huge because the state was more than 30 positions behind that ranking in past years. But it’s all about moving forward and making sure “students and young adults are prepared for college.” “We want to take it up and meet national standards,” Page says. “It’s a time for everybody to just hit the pause button and take some time to celebrate what’s going on in our community—who is driving action?” Do Good: • Register to attend the 2013 Excellence in Education Celebration, which takes place March 28. • Volunteer as a mentor or literacy coach in the One to One program. • Encourage your business to partner with its local school district in the B.E.S.T (Business Education Success Teams) program. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.

Annie Ruth honors local women with Dada Rafiki

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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March 26, 2013

At the age of 3, Annie Ruth began her work as a visual artist, and during her freshman year of college, she read her first poem aloud in response to her nephew's death. Ever since then, she’s worked as a community-based visual and performing artist with the goal of bringing together diverse groups of people. Though Ruth’s first art exhibit was at the age of 3 (on the flaps of blank pages of her family’s encyclopedia set, she says), she never expected it to be a career path. “For the longest time, I was headed down the path of becoming a doctor because my mom was sick a lot when I was growing up,” Ruth says. Ruth, now 49, grew up in College Hill. She says her career transition from doctor to artist didn’t happen until her high school years when she and a friend were involved in a serious car accident while on the way to a football game. “I finally realized I had been blessed with this tremendous gift of art, and it was my art that helped build bridges and connect to people’s hearts,” Ruth says. “So I would be a doctor, but my art would be that healing mechanism.” Since the mid-'90s Ruth says she’s dedicated a lot of her work toward celebrating and empowering women, and in 2005, she created Dada Rafiki—a photo exhibit that honors women. It garnered recognition and a yearning for more stories. “When people came to view the exhibit, they said they needed to see more of it, so in 2006, I moved the exhibit to the Community Action Agency, which had just opened a new building in the Jordan Crossing area," she says. "So I pulled in other artists and poets as well, and we were able to actually donate a 22-piece permanent collection to honor 22 women, and it’s kind of grown since then.” Now Dada Rafiki: Sisters of Legacy, which celebrates the lives of 40 women who are 65 years and older, makes its debut at a nationally renowned establishment—the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Ruth says the intention of this installment is to “begin to create intergenerational dialogue so we can really have a chance to sit at the feet of our elders and hear some of their stories and know why they did some of the things they did that impacted Cincinnati and the rest of the world.” In addition to the exhibit’s three-month display at the Freedom Center, replicas will travel to 59 different venues in the Cincinnati area where community members can view the art and participate in different programs, which range from concerts and lectures to intergenerational talks with young mothers. “When I think about my ultimate outcome, there is a mission,” Ruth says. “Because Cincinnati is known for being such a separated community, I want to highlight that the whole community is not that way and that many of us dream of a world where people can come together and appreciate each other for the uniqueness that everyone brings to our city." Ruth says her focus is on what she believes can bring people together—music, poetry and song—“a universal language.” “I hope that people, from viewing and experiencing things going on in Dada Rafiki, will celebrate the contribution of women, but also appreciate the uniqueness that true diversity has to offer,” she says. “True diversity is about building bridges and connecting. It doesn’t mean we’ll always agree, but creating mutual respect for all types of art forms.” Do Good: • View Dada Rafiki: Sisters of Legacy at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. • Support Annie Ruth in her educational efforts to connect underserved communities with the arts through the Eye of the Artists Foundation. • Like Eye of the Artists and Dada Rafiki on Facebook to keep up with the latest news and events. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.

Madcap Puppets immerse audiences in artmaking

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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March 26, 2013

Entertaining audiences and making children laugh is not the only goal of Madcap Puppets. It aims to educate, share cultural experiences from around the world and engage children in artmaking while fostering growth and an appreciation of the various genres of art that merge together through puppeteering. The primary ways troupes interact with children are through their performances of “fractured fairytales,” which reach audiences in about 500 elementary schools per year, says John Lewandowski, Madcap’s artistic executive director. “It connects well to literature, the study of geography and regions and countries because they do come from all over the world,” Lewandowski says. “This is something that we have as a human culture. We have this fairy tale interest in our literature, and that’s in every culture—just like puppets. It's in every culture, in every country.” One piece the troupe performs extends beyond the reach of elementary schools. It takes the stage across the country as puppeteers pair up with symphony orchestras to present “The Firebird,” which tells the story of a magical bird that brings both good and evil to its captor. The story is based on a Russian fairy tale. “We perform it during youth concerts that have been organized to try and develop younger audiences,” Lewandowski says. “This is a major problem with large orchestras—that their audiences are 75 and 80 [years old] and getting smaller and smaller—and they use us to try to pull in family audiences.” According to Lewandowski, it’s vital that children are exposed to and have the opportunity to engage with musical, visual and performing arts because the benefits to other areas of their development as a result of doing so are too great to be ignored. “It builds those key elements in their growth and formation, self-confidence, teamwork, the ability to express themselves and to think in a divergent, problem solving way,” Lewandowski says. “These are all essential elements in growing up, and these are what the arts bring.” Do Good: • Book a show. • Contact Madcap Puppets to volunteer and help the organization set up its new facility in Westwood. • Donate to Madcap and help the organization in its efforts to build an education center and 200-seat theater in its new facility. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.

Monkey in My Chair provides comfort, keeps classrooms connected

By Newsroom

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Education + Learning

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March 26, 2013

When Heidi Feyerherm’s daughter Chloe was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, the family was given a bear that wore a backpack so when Chloe was away from school receiving treatment, her classmates could keep in touch. “Her brother would bring the bear home on weekends, and the backpack had all the notes in it that her classmates had written,” Feyerherm says. “Chloe Bear is something we used during her first grade year until she passed away in 2007.” The stuffed bear played a significant role in the lives of both Chloe and her classmates, Feyerherm says. When Chloe passed away, Feyerherm wanted to expand the program and make it available to more people, but with added components. “We lived three hours away from the nearest Children’s Hospital, so there was no opportunity for a social worker to go to her school to explain what was going on,” Feyerherm says. “It was on my shoulders as the parent to talk to the classroom and talk to the teachers, so I thought if I wrote a book, it would make it easier for everyone going forward.” So Feyerherm started the Love Chloe Foundation and the Monkey in My Chair program—Chloe loved monkeys. In 2009, she began sending families monkey kits, which include a large stuffed monkey and a backpack that contains Feyerherm’s book, a journal, a camera, pens and paper and a teacher companion guide with lesson plans to help elementary school students cope with the extended absence of a classmate. Initially, the Kansas-based program reached four hospitals, but in 2011, Feyerherm developed a partnership with Cincinnati-based nonprofit The Cure Starts Now Foundation, and Monkey in My Chair now reaches children across the country and is in more than 130 hospitals nationwide. According to Feyerherm, the concept of cancer is a difficult one for children to accept, and in the time of need, it’s important that they, too, have a source of comfort. “Most of them—if they’ve had any experience talking about cancer—it’s been a grandparent or a great-grandparent,” Feyerherm says. “But the monkey gives them something physical to keep in their classroom and something they can hold on to. They might take turns—one might be responsible for carrying it to gym class, or they might take it to where they read their books—or they might hold it if they’re feeling sad.” The stuffed monkey also provides a sense of security for the child with cancer who misses extended time from school, Feyerherm says. “If a student’s been gone for seven or eight months out of the school year, it’d be easy for a teacher to take that desk out, and having the monkey physically there prevents that from happening,” she says. A recent development, which was implemented about a year and a half ago, is online access to Monkey Message, which allows the student to connect with his or her teacher and classmates at any time via email and photo sharing. “Sometimes the child will write about what they’re going through and take pictures of themselves going through their treatment and then send it back to the classroom, or it works the opposite way in the classroom for them to document what’s going on while the child is away,” Feyerherm says. “It makes them feel like they’re still there even if they’re not.” Do Good: • If you know a child who has been diagnosed with cancer and you think they might benefit from a monkey kit, they can request one here. • Contribute by making a donation or sponsoring a monkey kit. • Like Monkey in My Chair on Facebook and spread the word by sharing the page with friends. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.

Toronto’s ‘Grey Cincinnati’ and Montreal’s Black Fashion Week look to expand racial boundaries

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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March 26, 2013

Ryerson fashion professor Henry Navarro's "Grey Cincinnati" show challenges fashion stereotypes. Read full story here.

Cincinnati plan to privatize parking sparks backlash

By Newsroom

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Cincy In The News

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March 26, 2013

Cincinnati has plans to privatize parking, but not everyone is happy about the idea. Read full story here.