Westwood

Cincinnati's largest neighborhood, Westwood, houses more than 30,000 residents in a six-mile area just west of downtown. With tree-lined streets and architecturally appealing homes, many parts of the neighborhood offer beautiful walking views. Westwood maintains its historic buildings as renovations, new businesses and diverse young residents continue to be drawn to the west side. The community was featured in the Soapbox On The Ground series where we connected with Westwood community members and their many, ongoing initiatives. Want to learn more about Westwood? Check out On The Ground Westwood.

Learning to survive, then thrive, at Junia and Company

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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May 14, 2013

Zakia McKinney knows all too well the heartbreak and inability to reach one’s full potential when trapped in an abusive and unhealthy relationship. “I just thought the world had ended," she says. "I couldn’t trust anyone. I felt I wasn’t worth anything." McKinney was stuck in a cycle that she says lasted throughout her late teens and twenties. But at the age of 30, she made up her mind that she could no longer live in that manner. “I had an instance where a young gentleman had beaten me in the middle of the street,” McKinney says. “And I just thought I can’t do this—I can’t live life like this.” It’s been more than 20 years now since McKinney started helping women, but she says she made a promise to herself that as soon as she was able to help herself, she was going to dedicate her life to helping others by empowering them. And that’s what she’s done through her nonprofit, Junia and Company. “The word ‘Junia’ means ‘pretty flower,’ and we named it that because we believe there’s something beautiful in each woman to give back to society and the community,” McKinney says. Since Junia’s inception, McKinney has helped more then 3,000 women do everything from break unhealthy relationship cycles to gain confidence and leadership skills and move closer to attaining their life goals. McKinney, who recently celebrated her 57th birthday, says a few of Junia’s former clients attended her party to thank her for the changes they were able to make in their lives. “One was a young woman who we picked up from Anna Louise Inn, and our programming turned her life around—she has a beautiful little girl—she’s going to start her own daycare business, and her husband’s going to start a photography business,” McKinney says. “Another, who we found sitting in the corner with her head down with a beautiful head of hair. Now she works as a machinist who does phenomenal work—and she’s looking to move in to other parts of the country utilizing the skills she’s acquired because she had the confidence to go after it.” Through Junia and Company’s Ann’s House—one of three homes in the city that accept women and their children—women are given the opportunity to learn life skills and participate in all of Junia’s programming so they can break the cycle of homelessness and learn to not only survive in their community, McKinney says, but also to thrive. Women learn computer skills. They learn to cook. They contribute to the home once they find employment. They create a savings account. They tend the garden, and they even make a cucumber salsa, which they package and sell at Lettuce Eat Well Farmers' Market. “Whatever proceeds are made for that day, they get to put in their pocket,” McKinney says. “We try to make sure they get what we consider our 55 key life areas to have them sit on their feet, stand on their feet and stay on their feet.” Do Good: • Support Ann's House by partcipating in Ann's House 5K Run/Walk at Winton Woods on May 18. • Call (513) 544-6957 to support Junia and Company by donating. • Contact Junia and Company to volunteer at Ann's House by helping with the garden or collecting and delivering in-kind donations such as sheets and toiletries. 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.

City Council adopts form-base code

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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May 14, 2013

For five years, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls has been working with the City of Cincinnati to develop form-based code for the city. Last Wednesday, City Council officially approved the Cincinnati Form-Based Code. “Cincinnati now joins hundreds of cities that are using form-based code to build and reinforce walkable places that create value and preserve character,” Qualls says. Cincinnati’s neighborhoods originally developed so residents could easily walk to restaurants, shops and grocery stores in and around business districts. Form-based code will allow neighborhoods to return to that original ideal and reinforce or create places where residents can live, work and play, Qualls says. Current zoning code makes creating mixed-use neighborhoods difficult—the new code will help streamline the development process. To start, form-based code will be applied to business districts and adjacent residential areas in four pilot neighborhoods that volunteered for the chance—College Hill, Madisonville, Walnut Hills and Westwood. The code is a result of six Neighborhood Summit training sessions; five years of neighborhood working group meetings, neighborhood walks and training sessions; five delegations to learn about Nashville’s form-based code; a five-day citywide urban design workshop; a four-day neighborhood urban design workshop; and more than 600 public comments on the draft from residents, stakeholders, neighborhood groups and city departments. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter

New doggie daycare on West Side

By Newsroom

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Development News

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May 7, 2013

Three weeks ago, K9 Social Club opened its doors in Western Hills. The doggie daycare offers grooming and boarding, and plans to add training to its repertoire soon. Owner Jamie Stenz used to take her border collie to the daycare when it was under different ownership. When it closed, she decided to lease the space and start her own doggie daycare. “As far as I know, it’s the only daycare for dogs in the largest neighborhood in Cincinnati,” Stenz says. While at K9 Social Club, dogs get their own lockers and interact with other dogs and staff members. They also receive a daily, complimentary organic treat and can watch Animal Planet on TV. The Club also has kennel-free boarding, which includes free daycare during the day and a staff member on-site at all times. And all dogs who stay at K9 Social Club get their photo on the wall in the lobby, like club members. Stenz plans to have a webcam service up and running in the next few days so owners can check in on their dogs while they’re away. “We want to bring a sense of community to Western Hills and be a service that pet owners can rely on,” Stenz says. “We want K9 Social Club to be a fun, safe place to bring your pup. A social pup is a happy pup, and that makes for an even happier pet owner. That’s our goal—happy pups and pet owners!” Daycare starts at $22 per day, and boarding at $38 per day. Before being allowed to be in daycare or board at K9 Social Club, dogs go through behavior evaluations. They also must be up-to-date on all vaccinations. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter

Library garners national attention, celebrates with Amnesty Day

By Newsroom

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Education + Learning

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May 7, 2013

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is one of 10 recipients out of 140,000 libraries and museums across the country to receive this year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The award recognizes outstanding service to communities. So, in appreciation of library users and as a way to celebrate, the PLCHC will offer a Fine Amnesty Day May 15. “We really wanted something to express our appreciation to the community, and we started thinking about what is it that people hate most about the libraries—we all know that—the fines,” says Kim Fender, Eva Jane Romaine Coombe director. “I’ve been here 25 years, and we haven’t done this in my time here at all, but our hope is that people who have not used the library because of their fines come in and have those fines removed and come back to the library and get their cards started up again.” Fender says the library most likely wouldn’t have received the award without the support of the community, because the library’s heavy usage was one reason the Institute of Museum and Library Services was so impressed. With more than 17.6 million items borrowed in 2011, the PLCHC is considered the eighth-busiest library in the nation, and its commitment to providing academic assistance and encouragement to both children and adults is evident through the variety of programs it offers and successfully implements through its partnerships with other community-based organizations. Last summer, for example, the library partnered with Cincinnati Public Schools and the Freestore Foodbank to serve about 7,000 meals to children. “That’s something people don’t normally think of libraries doing,” Fender says. “But when they were in there eating, they could sign up for summer reading or programs.” Fender says the library staff also goes out of its way to make sure children are learning by actually attending school. “If we see kids in the building during school hours and we think they might be truant, we check up and say, ‘What school do you go to?’ and look at the school calendar, and we call someone from the school to let them know because they have to be in school to learn,” Fender says. Fender will travel to Washington, D.C. with Amina Tuki, a local resident who came to Cincinnati from a small village in Ethiopia who was not fluent in her native language, but who learned English by picking up a small book called Coming to America at the PLCHC. “She says it took her all day, but she made her way through it, and she took it home and read it to her husband and children, and her older son started crying,” Fender says. Fender and Tuki will accept the award May 8. Library users can celebrate Amnesty Day May 15 by taking their library card to any local branch. Do Good: • Go to your local branch and have fines removed May 15 so that you can begin to use the library's resources. • Sign up for a library card if you don't already have one. • Support the library. 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.

My Soapbox: Jason Langdon, Cincinnati Mini-Maker Faire

By Elissa Yancey

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Arts + Culture

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May 7, 2013

Louisville had a fire-breathing pony. New York had 3-D printers and makerbots galore. Cincinnati Maker Faire Founder Jason Langdon looks forward to seeing what the local science, DIY and art community has to offer in the city's first all-ages, all-genres celebration of maker culture this October in Washington Park.

Nick Lachey: We’ll raise our son in Cincinnati

By Newsroom

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Cincy In The News

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April 23, 2013

Nick Lachey won’t be a Hollywood parent for long. The 98 Degrees singer and his wife Vanessa plan to raise their son Camden John in Lachey's hometown of Cincinnati. Read the full story here.

Santa Maria promotes healthy living, helps clients navigate healthcare system

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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April 23, 2013

Santa Maria Community Services’ Health and Wellness Program has served as a vital resource for uninsured and underinsured Price Hill residents and Cincinnati community members since 2001. About 30 percent of the organization’s clients are Spanish-speaking individuals who are new to the country and need assistance when it comes to navigating the healthcare system. “We have a pocket here,” says Laura Brinson, director of the wellness program. “Some of the Spanish speakers come from very rural pockets of Central American countries—Guatemala is a big one in this part of town. And a lot of the clients we serve need that extra helping hand to get access to needed medical services.” Brinson says clients are particularly grateful that there are individuals who are willing to help them—so much so that at the organization’s most recent health fair this month, two clients wanted to give back because of the services Santa Maria had provided them in the past. So they and their reggae band played for participants. Santa Maria provides two health fairs a year with free screenings and health-related information, but Brinson says the nonprofit tries to go above and beyond the typical format for a health fair. “We collect results for each person at the health fair, and then instead of sending them on their way and giving them a flier because their cholesterol may be high, we follow up with each and every one of the clients to make sure they understood their results and also help them get into a medical home,” Brinson says. “They might not have a primary care physician to go talk to about their results, so we follow up and help them enroll in a clinic, we provide education, answer questions—we try to work with them throughout the year and make sure they get the help they need to help improve their outcomes.” In addition to offering health fairs and providing general assistance with finding doctors and understanding transportation routes to clinics and pharmacies, the wellness program provides translators who can explain medical information to clients and help individuals fill out financial aid forms for treatment. They even offer cooking classes that emphasize healthy options. “Good health is essential to all things in life," Brinson says. "You can’t be a productive worker at your job if you’re not healthy—you can’t be a parent to the best of your ability if you’re not healthy yourself. So many people lack access to proper care, and I’m passionate about making sure they get the services they need so they’re able to take better control of their lives, their health and feel better so they can be more proactive and productive members of their society.” Do Good: • Take your family to Carnival the Day Away at Washington Park on May 11. All proceeds benefit Santa Maria Community Services. • Support the Wellness Program's efforts by registering to attend the Bienestar Recognition Luncheon. • Support Santa Maria by donating money or items to the organization. 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.

Children, Inc. merges with VISIONS, extends reach to Ohio

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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April 23, 2013

The best communities have a lot of people who get involved, according to Rick Hulefeld, founder and executive director of Children, Inc. Children, Inc., a Northern Kentucky based nonprofit, aims to ensure that young people are successful both in school and in life. And a primary way in which the organization succeeds in doing that is by developing partnerships with schools and other community-based nonprofits in order to maximize resources to help as many as possible. Its most recent partnership is with Cincinnati’s VISIONS Community Services, which sought out Children, Inc., as a partner for a merge. With the merger comes a new division of Children, Inc., which will now operate in both Kentucky and Ohio. As a result of the merger, Children Inc. will continue its programs, which include everything from before- and after-school care to service learning initiatives in schools, while building its programming by incorporating VISIONS’ multi-generational approach. “They had something unique,” Hulefeld says. “They had a certified family counselor on staff who would meet on a regular basis to help—that’s a model that needs to be carefully expanded and taken to the next level. But we want to do something VISIONS has already been doing, and then bring a lot more resources to it.” One way of doing that, Hulefeld says, is to partner with other organizations that have similar goals. “There are organizations who really want to help families to become self-sufficient,” Hulefeld says. “Sometimes, little things get in the way of big dreams.” If organizations could partner to provide families with funds for bus fare to get to job training, and if they could also enroll their children in the center, Hulefeld says the children would ultimately do better in school “because they won’t always be at the mercy of the next financial crisis.” “We can’t live in communities where just a few people do everything,” he says. And it’s this motto that makes its way into the service learning initiatives that Children Inc. sets up in local schools so that students can learn by doing, while also giving back and making a difference during the process. Recently, the organization set up a project for a group of first grade students who were learning about the effects of the sun. “If you get too much of it, it’s bad,” Hulefeld says, so Children’s Inc. provided the school with funds to purchase bracelets that would change color based on how much sunlight the wearer was getting. The students then sold the bracelets and made $843, which they gave to Shriners Hospital for Children to help provide funds for burn victims. “What you really want to teach kids is that you can make a difference—and not some day—you can make it now,” Hulefeld says. “We all know that we cannot by ourselves do what the community needs us to do. None of us can do this by ourselves, but we can get together with other people and figure out, ‘How do we do what we’re doing better?’” Do Good: • Like Children, Inc. on Facebook. • If you are a teacher interested in a service learning program, contact Children, Inc. for free assistance. • Contribute by making a donation to Children, Inc. 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.

Cincinnati Montessori Society celebrates 50 years

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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April 16, 2013

Fifty years ago, a group of parents who were passionate about Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education developed the first Montessori preschool in the area. And following the preschool’s inauguration, the group formed the Cincinnati Montessori Society, a nonprofit whose focus is to promote Montessori education while serving as a resource to countless schools, teachers, parents and students in the community. “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘Follow the child,’” says Heather Gerker, vice president of CMS. “We meet the child where they are developmentally.” Montessori classrooms, which are both child-centered and composed of mixed age groups, are set up so that children can learn through a multisensory approach that allows them to figure things out at their own speed—and the philosophy works, Gerker says. At CMS’s Annual Spring Conference and celebration of 50 years of success, neuroscientist Dee Coulter delivered the keynote address. “This work that Maria Montessori did over 100 years ago is now being proven through neurological work happening now,” Gerker says. “[Coulter’s address] was really affirming and validating to the teachers there.” Not only were teachers excited to go back to work on Monday after hearing Coulter’s presentation, Gerker says, but they also had the opportunity to participate in breakout sessions that were aimed at providing strategies and insight that lead to better education. Topics ranged from promoting mindfulness through music to strategizing ways of better assisting children with ADD and autism. Gerker says she’s particularly passionate about the resources that CMS provides because they’re based on a philosophy that’s now scientifically proven, and she’s seen it work in the lives of her own children. “It gives them a solid sense of self, that they’re so independent and happy, which I think is the ultimate goal,” Gerker says. “I just want to make sure it’s available to all children.” Do Good: • Become a member of CMS. • Check out the resources offered by CMS. • Connect with CMS 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.

Food truck to open restaurant at U-Square at the Loop

By Newsroom

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Development News

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April 9, 2013

Mr. Hanton’s Handwiches started serving up hotdogs out of a food cart to Cincinnatians in 2010. A year later, Brian and Awilda Hinton upgraded to a food trailer; in May, the couple will open a brick and mortar restaurant in Clifton to satisfy late-night cravings as well as devoted followers. Because food carts, trailers and trucks are, for the most part, seasonal mobile restaurants, the Hintons did open a storefront in White Oak a little over a year ago. They then talked to a group of investors and decided to expand Mr. Hanton’s into a chain of restaurants. The Hintons closed the White Oak storefront and are using the space as a commissary to serve as their prep location for the trailer, parties and events. Awilda left her full-time job at P&G to run the restaurant; and Brian will be focusing most of his time on their mobile business. “We had lots of customers in Mt. Adams who were UC students, and they wanted a store in Clifton,” Brian says. So it was an easy decision for the Hintons when a location opened at the U-Square at the Loop development. Mr. Hanton’s is slated to open the last week of May, with an official grand opening around June 13. The menu will be slightly different from the food trailer. For example, they won’t offer a gyro at the restaurant, but there will be a gyro-inspired hotdog, which will feature a sausage made from lamb and seasoned with Mediterranean spices and topped with celery salt, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce, Brian says. “We’ve been hearing that Clifton doesn’t have a large variety of late-night options, and we plan to bring a new late-night option to people,” Brian says. “And it will be something different. You can get a hamburger, tacos, burritos and cheese coneys anywhere in town, but you won’t find anywhere in Cincinnati with a menu like ours.” Mr. Hanton’s offers around 30 different hotdog options, plus a create-your-own dog. The Hintons also plan on bringing a food truck to the streets of Cincinnati soon, and have big plans for their brand coming next spring. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter