Mt. Auburn / Prospect Hill

Cincinnati's first "suburb" sprung up when downtown and Over-the-Rhine dwellers began to crawl out of the once sooty basin seeking the fresh country air of the surrounding hillsides. At Mt. Auburn's base, homes in the eclectic Prospect Hill Historic District cling to the swift rising slope (stop in at Milton's Prospect Hill Tavern if the climb up Sycamore Street proves too much) providing gorgeous, panoramic views of downtown, Mt. Adams and Northern Kentucky. At the top of the hill, the Flatiron Café anchors the southern edge of the business district, once a Mt. Auburn millionaire's row, now home to medical offices and organizations along modern day Auburn Avenue (including the birth home of bathtub-bursting U.S. President and Supreme Court Justice William Howard Taft). Home to Christ Hospital, one of the oldest medical facilities in Cincinnati and a perennial national contender for top heart hospital, and three city parks and tennis courts, you're sure to keep your ticker in tip top shape here. This diverse community offers multiple, affordable living options including single family historic homes, student apartment housing and gorgeous Italianate mansions.

Uptown Consortium partners with Urban League to promote job growth

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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February 12, 2013

Uptown Consortium, an organization dedicated to building up and revitalizing the neighborhoods of uptown Cincinnati, currently has about $700 million worth of development that has been completed, is underway or will be completed in the next 12 months, says Beth Robinson, president and CEO of the nonprofit. “We were looking for a way we could reach out to the residents and make sure they’re participating in the economic and development boom here in Uptown,” Robinson says. So the organization partnered with the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati to sponsor and modify sections of its SOAR Program and Construction Connections apprenticeship. Robinson says the Urban League’s programs are a perfect fit because they have high job-placement rates for their graduates and are also located in Uptown. “A few years ago, we did some work in this area and did a session with HR representatives from the big institutions up here—an informational session—and from that, we learned job readiness is something that our residents here who are out of work could really benefit from," she says. To help address that issue, SOAR, which is a three-week program that provides training in areas like resume writing, interviewing and employer expectations, will help to prepare Uptown residents and then help them gain employment. Once participants complete SOAR, they are encouraged to take part in the Construction Connections program if they show an interest in the trade. Through the eight-week program, participants learn the basic skills needed to secure employment. “Urban League is great because they have working relationships for job placement with all the big construction companies in town,” Robinson says. Uptown Consortium is looking at its sponsorship of the two programs as a pilot project, but Robinson says she’s confident that it will be successful. If all goes as planned, about 25 Uptown residents will go from unemployed to employed in the coming months, with 15 of those residents working on the construction and developments in their community that will improve livability and promote place-making. “We’re really excited,” Robinson says. “We feel like it really adds value for Uptown residents.” Do Good: • Learn more about SOAR and similar programs by visiting the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati's website. • Keep up with all the news from Uptown Cincinnati by liking its page on Facebook. • Be a part of community building in Uptown by checking out the events happening in the area. 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.

ESCC helps nonprofits maximize output

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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January 15, 2013

In 1995, a small group of retired business executives came together with the intent of giving back to their community by investing their time and talents in work that would assist nonprofits. Now, nearly 18 years later, Executive Service Corps of Cincinnati is the recipient of an $85,000 award that will help more than 130 volunteers provide low-cost, high-quality strategic thinking, planning, training and coaching to other nonprofits in need. The recent funding will help the ESCC implement its Community Benefit Business Model, which, according to Andy McCreanor, executive director and CEO of the organization, is a model that has essentially always existed within the nonprofit, but has now been refined and strengthened. The model helps nonprofits maximize results so that they may receive additional funding to better fulfill their missions, which ultimately works to improve the communities they serve. “It enables investors to get more out of the nonprofits that they’re investing in, and secondly, it helps the nonprofits because we’re affordable," says McCreanor. "We’re merely a vehicle so that the community gets the benefit that they’re trying to get." The ESCC has worked on long-term projects with more than 500 nonprofits in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana since 1995, including most recently the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. ESCC also offers a 10-month program at its Nonprofit Leadership Institute each year; and at its culmination in June, more than 100 nonprofit leaders from Cincinnati will have graduated. McCreanor says that because of the recent economic downturn, nonprofits have suffered and organizations are reevaluating and assessing their goals and missions. “We’re here to help,” he says. “If you’re struggling out there, it really doesn’t cost anything to talk about what you’re dealing with, and if in fact there is a way for us to help, it’s going to be done at a very low cost, so it’s kind of the best of all worlds.” Do Good: • Sign up to attend classes at the Nonprofit Leadership Institute. • Volunteer your business skills and experience to serve other nonprofits. • Reach out to the ESCC if you are a nonprofit that could benefit from its services. 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.

Shield gives back to those who give daily

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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January 8, 2013

The Shield started in September 2000 during a crisis. A Cincinnati police officer was killed in the line of duty, and his family, which was from out of town, couldn't afford to fly in on short notice. Tom Streicher, who was Cincinnati’s police chief at the time, knew something had to be done; he offered up his credit card to ensure the officer’s family was where they were needed—by the fallen officer’s side. “It was a leadership issue,” says Satch Coletta, a retired officer and trustee for the nonprofit that was soon to launch. “What are the odds, should something happen? Something should be there.” In that moment of need, police chiefs came together to make contributions and began to fund a new nonprofit. The organization has continued to operate ever since, thanks to community donations, and in large part, to the willingness of officers who take payroll deductions to contribute. The organization’s board, which is composed of 10 officers—current and retired—works entirely on a volunteer basis. They meet monthly during lunch breaks to fulfill The Shield’s mission: to assist the families of officers killed or critically injured in the line of duty. Policing is a dangerous job, and according to Coletta, “It’s not a matter of if we’re going to pay money out, it’s a matter of when and how much.” The funds are available to families immediately—prior to workers’ compensation or life insurance, says Coletta. “If it happens at one in the afternoon, at 1:01 p.m., there’s a benefit committee that’s ready to spring into action to aid an officer or his family.” Coletta knows the circumstances surrounding the loss of an officer all too well. In 1978, Officer John Bechtol, next-door neighbor and friend whom Coletta trained with, died after a vehicle struck his police cruiser. There was no immediate support available for the family . “Back then, policemen, not that they make a great fortune now, made even less; and to be able to set funeral arrangements and getting people in and situated—things along that line…” were very difficult, he says. The funds are not just meant for funeral arrangements and families’ transportation, however. “Say he would have survived the crash,” Coletta says, “he would have been in very serious condition, say in ICU for a long time. You would expect the spouse to be there in ICU. If their job doesn’t pay, The Shield would entertain paying the spouse’s wages because they’re already down one. We don’t want them to suffer additionally.” In times of need, Coletta says people always want to help, but the organization’s goal is to create an emergency fund that can create interest, so that there is enough money available to families, prior to the moment when the unthinkable occurs. “The family knows what’s needed, and we work on the things to try to aid them,” Coletta says. “But it’s one of those things where at the time, that’s one less thing they have to worry about.” Do Good: • Provide corporate or community support by donating to The Shield. • Contact The Shield about volunteer opportunities and upcoming events. • Connect with The Shield and share the organization's page on Facebook. 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.

Breaking the cycle of bad eating, one banana at a time

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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December 11, 2012

The Nutrition Council of Greater Cincinnati is working to break the cycle of unhealthy eating habits, one banana, one yogurt parfait and one recipe at a time. And, they are doing it one family at a time. The Council, in its 35th year, just wrapped up its latest series of "What’s Cooking?" classes for parents and caregivers of kids in Camp Washington and Winton Hills. The classes, offered each fall and spring, are a four-part series that meet for about an hour after the school day ends at schools with Head Start programs. They are designed to show parents how to make quick, affordable and healthy meals for their families. Each week is themed, and participants receive take-home tools like measuring spoons and grocery cards. Parents also get multiple recipes that encourage cooking at home, rather than relying on packaged and processed foods. The classes and the Council’s work come at a time when the nation—and Cincinnati—is getting fatter. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Currently, one in four Cincinnati Public School kindergarten students is overweight (13.9 percent) or obese (11.7 percent). “I think what strikes me is that things I am aware of and take for granted, not everyone does,’’ says Tracy Wilking, the nonprofit’s special project manager, who worked at the Winton Hills location this fall. In 2011, nearly 100 families participated in the cooking sessions. And of those, according to the Council’s web site: • 85 percent reported they changed one action to improve a targeted health behavior.• 67 percent of families increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables.• 67 percent said they decreased their child’s sweetened beverage intake. Wilking says it is not uncommon to hear parents share how the instruction really does change cooking habits, from eating as a family to introducing fresh fruits and vegetables at meals. One recent participant told one of the Council workers that she had completely changed how her family was eating. The Council targets very young children, before habits are established and before they start kindergarten. Wilking says many parents may not have been taught how to eat healthy, and the earlier the Council and others can share information with parents, the more likely the cycle of poor food choices can be broken. In addition to the cooking series, the Council also visited 38 Early Childhood Education classrooms in the Cincinnati area over 17 days to teach parents and their kids how to make healthy snacks. Recently, they made fruit and yogurt parfaits. “A little education really can go a long way,’’ says Wilking. “This work is reaching individuals and those with the power to reach someone else.” Do Good: • Make a donation • Volunteer your time or skills. • Like the Council on Facebook.• Follow the Council's news on Twitter. By Chris GravesChris Graves, assistant vice president of digital and social media at the Powers Agency, is using several of the Council’s recipes at home with her two teens.

Faces Without Places founder wants to see homeless program expand

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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November 13, 2012

Karen Fessler has a message she wants you to hear loud and clear: Faces Without Places is alive, well and kicking. For years, the nonprofit, grassroots organization that has provided nearly $1.5 million in educational support for homeless children in Greater Cincinnati was affiliated with the Cincinnati Public Schools. But about two years ago--and for a variety of reasons--the organization split with the school system, says Fessler, who is a board member and a founding member of the 17-year-old group. But its mission remains intact, says Fessler. “The most important part of the program is that we get kids out of shelters, we get kids off the streets and we show them that education is a way to experience a larger world,’’ says Fessler. “We want to broaden our reach. We want to broaden our horizons.” Fessler declines to discuss what led to the parting of ways, but adds the founders of the program all left their jobs at CPS as well. “But none of us lost our passion for the kids and the mission of Faces Without Places,’’ she adds. “I want people to know that we are here, and we are committed to providing services. We are toughing it out through thick and thin--for the kids.” The nonprofit helps about 3,000 school children annually in Greater Cincinnati. Last year, the group provided 7,702 services to 3,013 children, according to its website. Those services included providing taxi services to school for 112 students, uniform vouchers for 777 students, backpacks and supplies for more than 839 students and Payless gift cards for 320 students so they could get a new pair of shoes, a luxury for many, Fessler says. The nonprofit is best known for its Yellow Bus Summer Camp, which completed its 15th year this past summer. Last year, 152 children attended the eight-week camp that focuses on reading and day trips. Earlier this month, the group’s biggest fundraiser--the Yellow Bus Ball--raised more than $23,000, most of which will go to fund the camp. “The ball is critical because we have to have money to pay teachers and buy supplies,’’ Fessler says. “We can get grant money for field trips, but the fundraiser really helps us be able to put on the camp to the degree we have always done it.” Fessler has worked with thousands of homeless children over the years, and she readily admits she is biased toward teens. “A lot of people don’t realize this, but these kids are completely out on their own; they are either staying at friends' or living eight, nine, 10 kids piled up in an apartment,’’ she says. “They are squatting and some are living on the streets trying to negotiate life … they are all living life on the edge. I am most impressed by their sheer tenacity and their desire to find a better life.” Do Good: • Register for the Mt. Adams Yellow Bus Pub Crawl on Saturday, Nov. 17. • Attend the 5th annual Chili Taste Off on Dec. 9 at Northside Tavern. • Contribute to Faces Without Places' wishlist of school and personal hygiene supplies. • Sign up for the monthly email newsletter. • Give back while you shop. By Chris GravesChris Graves is the assistant vice president of digital and social media at Powers Agency

Big plans in the works for Cincinnati

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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October 23, 2012

As many areas of Cincinnati are being rejuvenated, including OTR and Washington Park, the City of Cincinnati approved a comprehensive approach to focus on development in the city as a whole, not just targeted neighborhoods. Last Friday, the City Planning Commission approved and adopted Plan Cincinnati, which was designed with input from residents. The Plan is an opportunity to strengthen what people love about the city, what works and what needs more attention, says Katherine Keough-Jurs, senior city planner and project manager. The idea is to re-urbanize suburbanized Cincinnati; in a sense, to return to the strengths of the city's beginnings. Cincinnati was established just after the American Revolution in 1788 and grew into an industrial center in the 19th century. Many of those industries no longer exist in the city, which is part of why Cincinnati has become more suburbanized in the past 50 years. One of the long-term goals of the Plan is to bring new industries to Cincinnati. With a new approach to revitalization, Cincinnati is blazing the trail for other cities. With a focus on building on existing strengths rather than tearing down structures and creating new ones, the Plan aims to capitalize on the city's “good bones” and good infrastructure. Cinicinnatians had a huge role in developing the Plan. The first public meeting for the Plan was held in September 2009, when residents offered their insights into “what makes a great city?" and "what would make Cincinnati a great city?” A steering committee of 40 people representing businesses, nonprofits, community groups, local institutions, residents and City Council helped develop the Plan. The Plan also got support from a grant from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which the City received in 2010. The grant allotted $2.4 million over three years to support the Land Development Code, which combines and simplifies Cincinnati's codes, reviews the development process, implements Form-based Codes and considers more creative uses for land. The grant allowed the city to start implementing some of the ideas voiced in public meetings. Visionaries included youth, too. City staff worked with community centers and Cincinnati Public Schools to develop an art project for children. They were given clay pots and asked to paint their fears for the city on the inside and their dreams for the city on the outside. The children saw the big issue was quality of life, just like the adults did. “It was an interesting way to get the kids involved and thinking about the future,” Keough-Jurs says. The Plan aims to strengthen neighborhood centers—the neighborhoods’ business districts. It maps out areas that people need to get to on a daily basis and found that most are within about a half-mile of the business districts. But in some neighborhoods, residents can’t access their neighborhood centers. The accessibility of a neighborhood center is based on walkability—not just for pedestrians, but also about how structures address walking. For exampke, if a pedestrian can walk from one end of the neighborhood center to the other without breaking his or her pattern (the window shopping effect), the area is walkable; if he or she has been stopped by a parking lot or vacancies, it’s not walkable, Keough-Jurs says. The neighborhood centers are classified in one of three ways in the Plan: maintain, evolve or transform. Some neighborhoods have goals to maintain levels of walkability, whereas others need to gradually change or evolve. Still others need to completely transform in order to strengthen their business districts. “Cincinnati is at the heart of the region,” Keough-Jurs says. “If we strengthen Cincinnati, we strengthen a region.” The next step for the Plan is to go before the Cincinnati City Council, specifically the Livable Communities Committee, which is chaired by Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter

Stairways to stories: Students trace steps of history

By Keith Rutowski

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General

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October 2, 2012

NKU undergrads Shane Winslow and Andrew Boehringer began a labor of love by climbing dozens of Cincinnati's public staircases every week. Now they're writing a book about those steps, many of which led from downtown to the city's first suburbs. These modern history detectives see them as keys that unlock important stories of the city's past.

Entrepreneurs on a roll: Food trucks navigate complex elements

By Emily Lang

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Entrepreneurship

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September 11, 2012

In Cincinnati’s gritty food truck subculture, there are few avenues of support and even fewer guarantees. Tom Acito of Cafe de Wheels and his food truck brethren have chips on their shoulders, real skin in the game and a cult-like following.

Cincinnati Parks summer camps get kids outside

By Jen Saltsman

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Arts + Culture

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May 22, 2012

In 1927, naturalist Esther Stephenson organized Cincinnati Parks’ first summer camp. Cincinnati naturalists say that Stephenson, an early advocate of environmentalism and the outdoors, would carry large signs on the bus to advertise her day camp while on her way to work. Today, Cincinnati Parks’ summer camp program gives children ages 3-13 chances to learn about nature and explore the outdoors. The 19 different camps, which run from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., are now open for registration online and include five days of outdoor activities and planned lessons from nature specialists. “Kids spend so much time playing video games or surfing the Internet—those things keep them inside,” says Ruthann Spears, manager of Cincinnati Parks’ Explore Nature division. “We want to show them that getting muddy is OK.” Through their program, Cincinnati Parks naturalists hope to engender a sense of curiosity in their campers. Their goal is to get children and adults outside to explore Cincinnati’s parks on a regular basis. “We want to shows kids that being outside isn’t scary,” says Spears. “We want to give them a chance to connect with the outdoors and instill in them a love of nature that they’ll share with parents and friends when they get home.” Cincinnati’s park system--what Spears calls “everyone’s backyard”— comprises 70 neighborhood parks in locations ranging from Mt. Washington to Mt. Airy. Cincinnati Parks’ summer program offers camps in more than 10 of the 70 Cincinnati parks. In 2009, summer camp employees served more than 5,400 children from all 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods. But camp isn’t just for kids: Last year’s biggest success was Grand! Camp, an outdoor bonding experience in Ault Park for young children and their grandparents. The camp premiered last year, and sold out within the first few weeks of registration. Spears says the most popular camps in the program are the Astronomy Camp in Burnett Woods, the Grand! Camp and the Nature Camps in Ault, French and Stanberry Parks. Following the path of Esther Stephenson, Cincinnati Parks naturalists look forward to another summer of outdoor learning. Spears, who wishes she could sign up for camp herself, says reconnecting with nature helps people to connect with themselves and each other. “We should be outdoors most of the time,” she says. “That’s just how we were built.” Do Good: • Register: your child for one of Cincinnati Parks’ summer camps. • Like: Cincinnati Parks on Facebook.• Visit: any of the area's parks. By Jen Saltsman

Kennel-free Dogtown offers 24-hour care for local pets

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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May 15, 2012

"There’s a lot of people who, if I turned them away, would not have anywhere to take their dogs, and I would feel terrible turning them away," says Megan Gourlie, who runs Dogtown Cincinnati, a pet daycare and boarding facility in Mount Auburn. "I’m really close to my customers and for the most part know everybody by name." The facility already has plans for expansion, and its employees have cared for as many as 90 dogs at once, with about one handler per every 25 to 35 dogs. This number varies based on how many rooms are in use and the time of day. Because the Dogtown is a 24-hour facility, the business offers both daytime and night-hour staff. Gourlie’s pretty well-connected to her customer base. After all, she was once a frustrated pet owner herself. After rescuing a dog who, it turned out, "couldn’t be left alone with having a total breakdown," Gourlie struggled to find care for him during the day. She didn’t want to leave the Weimaraner puppy in a doggie daycare that used kennels, kept dogs indoors most of the day or would drain her wallet with extra fees for walks or administering medications. Eventually, she sat down and did some research. It turned out that there were plenty of people looking for the same thing: a kennel-free, 24-hour facility where dogs would have plenty of time to roam freely, play and nap. When she opened Dogtown Cincinnati, second-shift workers finally had a place to leave their pets overnight in a "homelike environment," and Gourlie even worked out a way to introduce new dogs slowly to smaller packs so new dogs felt comfortable. These days, pet owners can watch their dogs and cats (there’s a separate area for felines at the facility) online through 15 live webcams, as well as periodic photos posted on Facebook. "We are the place that allows you to have a dog if you couldn’t have a dog before," Gourlie says. "A lot of people are actually getting dogs because we’re here. In college I could never have a dog because I didn’t have the time and resources. We cater to second shift. We love second shift people; we’ll do overnight; and we’re really good for business travelers who don’t want to kennel their dogs." By Robin Donovan