Walnut Hills / E. Walnut Hills

Walnut Hills was the first Cincinnati neighborhood to participate in Soapbox's On the Ground series, an embedded journalism approach to learn what's happening in the underrepresenting neighborhoods that are being transformed. Stories covered everything from business and community development, arts and culture and education to health and wellness, crime and food insecurity. A community newsroom was held at Caffé Vivace hosted by the champion of 45206, Kathryn Gardette.

Growing Edthesportsfan.com caters to the thinking sports fan

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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May 3, 2011

Are you one of those sports fans who'd rather see your favorite player on reality TV than on the field? Do you devour the latest tawdry gossip on your favorite baller's private life?Then Edthesportsfan.com is not for you."Some of the popular sports blogs rely on salacious news, rumors and conjecture, and those things just aren't important to me," said the blogzine's founder Eddie Maisonet, of Walnut Hills. "I don't care who's dating who, or who's doing something on reality television. I care about the sport. I love sports; it's the ultimate reality TV. It's got comedy, horror, sci-fi, history. It's got it all."Maisonet's passion for all things sport is evident in his writing and on Twitter, where you can catch him Tweeting about a live college football, NFL or NBA game, draft picks, the latest sports news or links to his latest thought-provoking post. The articles are written in a brief, readable essay 2.0 style, often accompanied by videos or photos. The 'zine has a Cincinnati flair, with articles about University of Cincinnati, Xavier, the Bengals and the Reds, but the site is national in scope with a little good humor thrown in. Some of the most popular headlines are "Five tips to help women survive football season," "Forgotten powerhouses of college football series," "The Prototype: The baddest women covering sports," and "The real ten best NFL running backs of all-time.""Sometimes it's philosophical, or we talk about the lifestyle, or the culture of being a fan. We don't try to be experts. We're just fans; that's the only perspective we know," Maisonet said.Along with Maisonet, there are two other contributors Kenny Masenda, of Dallas, and Phil Barnett, of Bakersfield, Calif. Together they reach 1,500 readers a day. Going multimedia, the trio also hosts the Unsportsmanlike Conduct show on Blog Talk Radio Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST.Maisonet started the site three years ago when he was in between jobs. He's now working in consumer market research for The Nielson Company, but Ed The Sports Fan is thriving. It was named the 2008 and 2099 Best Sports Blog by the Black Weblog Awards Association and the Best Black Blog by Best of Black Cincinnati.Maisonet has contributed to several sports websites and magazines including one of his favorites SLAM Magazine, which he's read since he was a kid.Soon the Ed The Sports Fan team will further contribute to the sports wring world with the launch of a sports fan journal, which is set for a June debut. It will feature sports writers from across the country, guest commentary and more. While Edthesports.com has one update a day, the sports journal will have up to a dozen daily articles that will tackle not just sports, but music, culture and fashion.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Eddie Maisonet, founder Edthesportsfan.comYou can follow Feoshia on Twitter @feoshiawrites

Hughes students learn retail ropes at Macy’s

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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May 3, 2011

The Macy's boardroom, with sweeping views of downtown and the riverfront, was all atwitter. Not with social media messaging, but with nearly 30 female teenagers, all students from Hughes STEM High School presenting final projects as part of an intercession project they'll never forget.In its second year, the program offered high schoolers a chance to spend a week immersed in the world of retail planning and development as they worked in teams to create a new juniors department for Macy's. Their final presentations, judged by a panel of Macy's experts, included research, merchandising, store design and construction, marketing and financial plans."I learned a lot more than expected," says ninth-grader Makennah Searles. "I learned what the design, construction, area research and human resource areas do and how they work. We were given time to talk to them and ask questions."Cecilia Matos, vice president and head of area research for Macy's, coordinated the program, which was created as a diversity outreach project. She explains that the benefits of the program go both ways. Macy's employees can help Hughes students learn about business strategies and making professional presentations while the students offer insights into their young customers' mindsets.?After the groups presented their findings and proposals, judges awarded a winning team while other Macy's staff compiled a list of ideas to consider for potential future implementation. Do good:• Get involved with Hughes. Opportunities include mentoring and helping with a creative intercession program.• Learn more about what's going on at Hughes.• Join the Hughes recruiting class on Facebook.By Elissa YanceyPhoto courtesy of Macy's

Walnut Hill’s leaders reshaping neighborhood’s image

By Soapbox

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Architecture + Design

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April 26, 2011

A group of Walnut Hills visionaries are spearheading efforts to revitalize their neighborhood, with the latest effort including 14 buildings along East McMillan Street.The buildings, spanning five blocks of East McMillan, make up the McMillan-Peebles Corner Project. They were acquired by the city of Cincinnati's department of community development. Among the buildings are a historic firehouse and a brownstone, and a former Graeter's ice cream location. Many have been condemned as unlivable in their current state. Some, like the firehouse and brownstone, will be preserved because of their historical significance. Others will be demolished for new apartment developments, according to Greg Loomis, Executive Director of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation (WHRF). A building located at the corner of Concord and McMillan streets was demolished in February.The McMillan-Peebles Corner project is still in the assessment phase, he says. It's a partnership between the city and Walnut Hills community leaders, who call on outside consultants. Jeff Raser of architectural firm Glaserworks is creating designs for the forthcoming developments. The Cincinnati Preservation Association is deeming which buildings are historic.Loomis says "the community is aiming for a diverse mix of affordable and market-rate housing, including both apartments and houses that would appeal to, among others," workers of the forthcoming Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, expected to open downtown in late 2012.Kathy Atkinson, president of the Walnut Hills Area Council, says the McMillan-Peebles Corner project is a step toward revising the general perception of Walnut Hills. "The perception is that we are an underachieving, unsafe neighborhood in decline."She adds: "We know that we're deeper than that; we know we have more to offer than that, and we know that if we change the face of McMillan and restored it to what it once was, that the perceptions of Walnut Hills will change, and therefore the economic viability going forward will also change."Writer: Rich Shivener

Fuel Cincinnati brainstorm event asks: What is Cincinnati? What could it be?

By Newsroom

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Innovation News

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April 26, 2011

In the grind of day-to-day life and responsibilities it can seem frivolous to spend time thinking about what could be. But without vision, goal-setting and planning, our lives - and our city - will grow stale. Fuel Cincinnati, the innovation arm of the volunteer organization Give Back Cincinnati, is helping move forward the envisioning conversation with its first brainstorming event. Noted local brainstorming facilitator Joel Kashuba, author of the BlissProject, will lead the Fuel Brainstorm Idea Generation session. The free, open event will be April 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cincy Coworks, 2400 Gilbert Ave. in Walnut Hills. Lunch will be provided. You can register for the event here. Kashuba, principal of design innovation at Procter & Gamble, wrote and created the BlissProject, a book and seminar series designed to help people "build a sense of purpose, influence, and control" in their careers through "inspiration, action, and influence." He's been published in Innovations magazine and has spoken at design conferences across the U.S. "Joel approached us wanting to help Cincinnati, using skills from his professional career to give back," said Beth Gottfried, Fuel board member and communications director. Fuel provides small grants to help young professionals launch projects that impact the region. Past projects include Cincinnati Coworks, a bike trail into Devou Park from the nearby Lewisburg Neighborhood and Kicks for Hope, a nonprofit that builds kids' leadership skills through soccer. "There are a lot of people who have ideas, and lot of people who are implementers of ideas. We introduce them to one another so we can get things moving," Gottfried said of Fuel. "We want to channel some of that into community building." Brainstorming participants will be asked what Cincinnati is today, and what it can offer in the future. "When we see some common themes about where people want (the city) to go, we'll talk about those images and what needs to happen to make it a reality," Gottfried said. Participants will leave the session with concrete action steps, and will partner with leaders who can start the process to push forward action. Writer: Feoshia Henderson Source: Beth Gottfried, Fuel board member and communications director You can follow Feoshia on Twitter @feoshiawrites

Brazee Street Studios and arts consortium bring life to Oakley arts scene

By Soapbox

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Arts + Culture

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April 5, 2011

Brazee Street Studios is a driving force behind efforts to raise awareness of art happenings in Oakley and surrounding neighborhoods. The resource center houses the Brazee Street School of Glass, Gallery One One and more than 20 artist studios. Now it's looking to expand on those efforts and reach out to art businesses beyond Oakley. Let's start with the most immediate effort: Oakley After Hours, which was rescheduled to avoid conflicts with other art events in the Cincinnati area. Happening 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, April 8, the event highlights businesses in the neighborhood, mainly along Madison Road and Oakley Square. It's organized by the Oakley Community Council and happens the second Friday of each month through August. Brazee and other art houses such as Redtree Art Gallery and Coffee Shop and The Brush Factory will stay open later than usual."Brazee has been really excited about the support we've received in Oakley from families and artists," says creative director Leah Busch. "It's a nice eastside vantage point. We're just trying to be a bulls eye for art here." Collage artist Sara Pearce, a former arts editor at the Enquirer, rents a studio space at Brazee. She had approached Oakley Community Council about moving Oakley After Hours, formerly happening the last Friday of each month, to the second Friday. The move was inspired by Redtree, which had been keeping its doors open then. The "2nd Friday" concept works, she says, because it doesn't conflict with Final Fridays in Over-the-Rhine or First Fridays in Covington. "It just seemed like an opportunity to carve a new niche on a different weekend," Pearce says.Councilmembers Lindsay Hooks and Gina Brenner are planning After Hours. Hooks says places like Brazee, Country Club art gallery and Voltage furniture are developing the neighborhood's identity as an arts district. "I'm really hoping that (After Hours) brings more awareness to what we have here," she says. Brazee will open its artist studios from 7 to 9 p.m. April 8. It's previewing a new concept, too. Called "Art Between the Lines," an outdoor market for artists, designers, food vendors, event organizers and non-profits. They can purchase a nine foot by eight foot space outside the studios. Busch says Brazee is in the "infant stage" of organizing an art walk that weaves through Oakley, Hyde Park, Madisonville, O'Bryonville, or "pinpoints eastside art destinations on (and around) Madison Road." The visionaries behind this effort include Busch, Pearce, and Lisa Merida-Paytes and Tom Funke of Funke Fired Arts, based on Wasson Road. "It seems like there is a lot of going on in eastside art, but there's no unifying thread," Busch says. "There's no web site you can go to; there's no postcard that says 'Here are the hotspots where you can see.' We want to make it a 'You can make a night out of it' idea."Writer: Rich ShivenerPhotography by Scott Beseler.

Cincinnati Association for the Blind celebrates 100 years

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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March 22, 2011

When Marsie Hall Newbold visited the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired offices for work, she felt a familiar tug. Within weeks, she had signed up to take a pronunciation test and revisit a volunteer effort from her past: reading the newspaper aloud to those with visual impairment."I like the people that we serve as volunteers," she says. "You tend to get to know the people you are reading for. The CABVI is a big family."As the CABVI celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, Newbold joins with other volunteers and members of the community whose lives have been touched by the Walnut Hills-based non-profit. Since its beginnings as a show where adult blind men made brooms and mops, CABVI has provided services to more than 100,000 people. CABVI's programs range from helping parents whose children have visual impairments learn how to cope and thrive to adaptive computer skills training to manufacturing items for the visually impaired. Newbold's role reading newspapers through a telephone voicemail system, once part of a separate Radio Reading Service, has been part of CABVI since 1998. In the last year alone, CABVI increased its annual service load by 55 percent. Thousands more people of all ages are expected to face vision impairments in the year ahead, along with the resulting problems with transportation, employment and regular access to information.Providing access to news and local stories gives the sweet-voiced Newbold renewed inspiration as well as satisfaction. "I'm excited about doing it again," she says.Do Good:• Read out loud, make a friend. CABVI's current reading needs include both on-air and in-person positions.• Make a Facebook friend. Check out what the non-profit is doing whenever you update your status.• Join the 100th birthday party on Fountain Square. On May 4, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., CABVI celebrates its centennial with music from the Clark Montessori Steel Drum Band and the Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band. By Elissa Yancey

Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council website offers one-stop shop for international orgs

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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March 15, 2011

Like any successful metro area, Greater Cincinnati has a strong and growing international community making a mark on local culture, business and education.Now the Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council has launched a website to link those organizations, and their work. The site, "Global Cincinnati: Gateway to the World" aims to offer a one-stop shop for the region's international and interethnic organizations, as well as to give them wider exposure throughout the community. "Globalcincinnati.org is a way for any citizen in Cincinnati to get in touch with global resources and engage in global forums to improve their business, coursework, or career," said GCWAC Executive Director Erika Dockery. "Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council is the center of excellence for international education and citizen diplomacy in the Tri-state."The site includes links to foreign chambers of commerce, businesses and trade associations as well as non-profit and educational organizations. There's also a section listing local experts with knowledge of specific fields, like history or language, along with their contact information. They can be reached for media interviews or speaking engagements.Perhaps the most dynamic portion of the site is the events calendar which will be constantly updated with a wide variety of international educational, cultural and business events across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.The Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council is a longstanding, non-partisan organization founded in 1923 to build "global understanding and promotes international awareness through education, information and exchange of people and ideas."The site is just part of the council's web outreach. You can also follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Greater Cincinnati World Affairs CouncilYou can follow Feoshia on Twitter @feoshiawrites

Divine Inspiration: New Uses for Old Churches

By Sean Rhiney

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General

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March 1, 2011

A recording studio, boutique hotel, and arts center are just some of the innovative approaches Cincinnatians are taking to preserve and reimagine our historic houses of worship.

WAY builds relationships for youth success

By Elissa Yancey

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Education + Learning

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February 22, 2011

They have been diagnosed as bi-polar or ADHD. They have schizo-affective or reactive attachment disorder. And they are 12 to 16 years old. All of the 99 youth involved in Lighthouse Youth Services Work Appreciation for Youth (WAY) program have diagnoses that qualify them for mental health services. Many live in either foster or group homes. Many have been kicked out of traditional schools. The WAY program, a non-traditional effort to provide stability and critical life skills for young clients, launched five years ago, says program director Shannon Kiniyalocts. "Some of it is just advocating for the client," she says. "Some of it is communication skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills."Young WAY participants' case managers are called "life coaches." They meet at home and in communities, not mental health facilities. Teens learn how to choose the right Metro route to get where they need to go. They learn how to prepare for a job interview.The five-step program, adapted from a model in New York City's Children's Village, focuses on keeping some of Hamilton County's most challenging youth in environments where they can develop lasting relationships. Life coaches can stay with participants up to three years through five phases of accomplishments."We provide services and skill-building activities to assist them in breaking down mental health barriers," says Kiniyalocts.Whether it's learning how to navigate public transportation, how to prepare for a job interview or how to manage medications, WAY includes practical lessons in responsibility and independence. Kiniyalocts notes that youth in the program may never have had a relationship with an adult that lasted three full years.As youth move through the program, they begin to complete monthly community service projects and have opportunities to practice new skills. They earn nominal salaries for completing chores, open their own bank accounts (with Lighthouse support) and then gain experience with bigger jobs within the program.Advanced participants create art at Essex Studios in Walnut Hills two to three times a week. They learn about photography and Photoshop, painting and drawing. Tasks range from creating art for note cards to baking dog biscuits. In spring, they oversee a garden plot in Northside, sell their harvest and take home leftovers. They sell their garden products, along with their other creations, at Northside and Findlay markets. "They are generally the ones selling to the community members," says Kiniyalocts. Interacting with the public, as well as seeing the impact and popularity of their work, goes a long way toward building self-esteem and creating a sense of hope and possibility for bright, productive futures.Do Good:• Write a letter to your friend. Use WAY artist note cards to share news about your world.• Give your dog a treat. Bags of WAGS start at just $1.50. Email to reserve your treats.• Clean your closet. Lighthouse Youth Services has a never-ending wish list, including furniture, household items and much more.For Good News Editor: Elissa Yancey (Sonnenberg)

The Year In Photos

By Soapbox

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Architecture + Design

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December 14, 2010

Managing photographer Scott Beseler takes a look back at the photos from our top stories of 2010, showcasing some of the people, places and things that define our region.