History is often hidden right before our eyes and no where is this more apparent than in Over-the-Rhine. Follow Soapbox and Seven/Seventy-Nine as they go underneath OTR's churches and former breweries to discover that the history of Over-the-Rhine is the history of the Greater Cincinnati region.
A fresh new application for iPhone is available designed by Cincinnati's ArtsWave. This free application called iSpyArt combines social networking, iPhone photography, and art application under one source. Users can upload photos showcasing everyday life to the ArtsWave website, where other visitors can view these photos.Read the full story here.
Sergeant and member of 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Chad Lawson from Cincinnati, received the nation's third highest medal for his heroics during combat operations in southern Afghanistan. He and his team members were caught in an ambush and Lawson exposed himself twice to save fellow comrades. Lawson received the Silver Star with gratitude and accepted it on behalf of his team.Read the full story here.
The City of Cincinnati is one step closer to beginning phase one of a streetcar system that will connect the Banks and downtown with Uptown and the University of Cincinnati. Locations of 21 stops along the 4.9 mile streetcar route have been determined and include ten stops in downtown, ten in Over-the-Rhine, and one in Uptown. City engineers and staff as well as representatives from Metro (buses and the streetcar will share several of the stops) and local business owners determined the locations. The first loop of the streetcar is expected to carry 6,000 people per day and stimulate a $3-to$1 return on investment for the local economy. The stops along the route were spaced two-to-three blocks apart for functionality, greater accessibility and to maximize economic development. Studies indicate that streetcars generally promote development 2-3 blocks from the line itself.According to City spokesperson Meg Olberding, the stops are "strategically placed to connect areas of downtown and Uptown to promote development…as development grows and other stops are needed, they can be added." That development includes rehabilitation of existing structures along the route for residential and commerical opportunities, as well as new construction."There are 92 acres of surface parking alone that could be redeveloped for a higher and better use. There are stretches of Vine up near Findlay Market especially that are also ripe for redevelopment efforts - storefronts, living spaces, and businesses," Olberding said.Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine stands to benefit from the convenient access downtown workers will have to the Market on a weekly basis, as well as from new residents that the streetcar could bring to the neighborhood. In addition, it could also enhance the Market experience for customers by adding new and unique businesses, according to Corporation for Findlay Market President, Robert Pickford."The new and prospective vendors we're dealing with are aware of the streetcar and the positive impact it will have on the Market and there have been a couple of recent real estate transactions that I am certain were influenced by the streetcar. I think this will increase significantly if the remaining uncertainty about the streetcar ameliorates," Pickford said.In Uptown where the streetcar will reach Clifton Heights and Corryville, Matt Bourgeois, Director of Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, sees the stop at University Plaza as complimentary to the ongoing work CHCURC is undertaking in the neighborhood. The restoration of Old St. George Church and concurrent construction of an adjacent boutique hotel, and a five-story office and parking structure in the stretch of land between Calhoun and McMillan are just some of the planned developments at this important gateway to the University and Hospital community that will benefit."It is going to go right by the doorstep of two of our larger projects. How great to come up the hill and see this 130 year old church restored to its former glory? " he said. Bourgeois added that a contemplated future Uptown transit hub would also connect with development occurring further down Calhoun, and help fill available commercial space along the street."Once people see track being laid it will pick up steam," he said.Writer: Sean Rhiney
Give Back Cincinnati is one of the region's largest and most successful volunteer organizations. With more than 5000 YP members, it's most known for its massive one-day and weekend events where hundreds of people at a time go to Cincinnati neighborhoods cleaning, painting and fixing up deserving homes.But a smaller group of dedicated do-gooders aren't content with lending a helping hand only to fellow Cincinnatians. They're members of Give Back Beyond, a domestic and international volunteer program, in partnership with overseas chapters of Habitat for Humanity. Give Back Beyond started five years ago, with the first of what has become an annual trip to hurricane devastated New Orleans. From there, the group traveled further, with recent trips to Guatemala and Romania. For the first time this year, Give Back Beyond will be heading to Vietnam and has plans to go to Ghana."I first got involved with Give Back Cincinnati a few years ago through going to some of their social events, then I got involved with volunteer events," said Megan Lobaugh, who's organizing this year's Guatemala trip in April. Then she found out about Give Back Beyond."I love to travel. Any opportunity I have to travel, especially internationally, I try to take advantage of it," said Lobaugh, a radiological engineering grad student at the University of Cincinnati. Lobaugh's first Give Back Beyond trip was to Romania.She'll travel with at least a dozen other YPs to Xela, a large city to the Northwest of Guatemala City. While there, the group will build brick and mortar homes and visit a school members' sponsor in partnership with a local anti-poverty charity Cooperative for Education.They'll also get some down time, visiting Antigua's open air markets and shops."It's a great tourist city," she said.Give Back Beyond is still taking applications for Guatemala. You can find out more about the organization, or apply here. The cost for the Guatemala trip is approximately $1,400, which includes a $500 donation to Habitat for Humanity.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Megan Lobaugh, Give Back Beyond member You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites
Over-The-Rhine has always served as a port-of-entry for immigrants in Cincinnati. Now out-of-town professionals are the latest wave choosing to live in the neighborhood for its character, community and opportunity.
Jose Salazar, chef at The Palace, ranked as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of the Great Lakes. A graduate of the New York Restaurant School, Salazar is known for reinterpreting humble ingredients in brilliant ways. His must-try dish is his French onion soup with cipollini onions stuffed with caramelized Vidalias and topped with Gruyère crisps.Read the full story here.
Fountain Square and the PNC Summer Music Series get a big boost from corporate partners PNC and P&G, helping put Cincinnati on the national map as an innovator in the private funding of public events.
Last year, the Office of Environmental Quality, City of Cincinnati, Rumpke Recycling, Cascade Engineering, RecycleBank, and Future Friendly from Procter & Gamble teamed up to bring enhanced recycling to Cincinnati by providing larger recycling carts and reward programs.The idea was to increase the amount of recycling throughout the city by providing larger and more convenient access for recycling. Sue Magness, the Recycling Coordinator at the Office of Environmental Quality, researched that the most successful strategies in the country were to change the bins to carts and to create an incentive reward program. The new carts are larger and easier to use with wheels and lids, therefore more people are then willing to recycle. The incentive program awards participants points based on their volume of recycling that can be used to get $200 worth in coupons or gift cards."We find education programs in theory work but don't change behavior," Magnesss said. "In recycling our goal is to change behavior and incentive programs have been proven to work in the commercial realm and improvement in social behaviors."By rewarding participants and making recycling more convenient, numbers have significantly increased. This past December, over 300 tons of material was collected, the most amount of material collected in one month within twenty-one years of service. In addition to the growth of material collected, the percentage of recycling participants rose from 40% to 60% this year. Final numbers concerning how much each neighborhood collects and how many participants are not yet available due to the recent finalization of distributing cans throughout the city."It is the largest infrastructure change we have made over five years by delivering 90,000 carts within five months," Magness said."There are areas of the city where carts aren't practical, but we have small carts or bins with reward tags for the elderly or for those with limited space," Magness expressed.RecycleBank hopes to hit its goal of 25,000 tons of material collected this year, further reducing amounts sent to landfills in the region. Writer: Lisa Ensminger
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