Quality of Life

Bold Fusion puts ‘Genius Under Fire’

By Soapbox

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August 16, 2011

From an accidental creative to the minds behind the Old Spice guy and PNC's Virtual Wallet, this year's Bold Fusion marks its seventh anniversary with plenty of new energy. Hosted by he Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's Harnessing Young Professional Energy (HYPE), Bold Fusion has grown into the largest YP summit in the region, an event for networking, creative inspiration and a chance for the city's young professionals to voice their thoughts about the city. Goals include increasing YP retention and sparking creativity among Cincinnati worker. The event is part of a larger, long-term effort. Cincinnati USA Chamber Marketing Manager Jennifer Young says the concept behind Bold Fusion came early in the city's drive to attract YPs."The first Bold Fusion was long before we had HYPE or other talent attraction initiatives," she says. "I think it was when people were just starting to use 'YP,' and they were looking for an event where they could make themselves heard."Attraction and retention remain central to its mission. "If folks are thinking about leaving Cincinnati, something like this might make them reconsider," says HYPE Program Manager Julie Bernzott. "They might learn something new or meet great people through networking."And that positive energy could extend deep into the business community, she adds."They might take that energy back to their companies, which then could lead them to more attraction efforts," she says. "This could be the first time they've heard of HYPE."This year's Bold Fusion takes place Aug. 18 at the Westin Cincinnati and focuses on the theme "Genius Under Fire." In addition to presentations, look for heavy Twitter activity by following the #cincyhype hashtag, part of a continued social media push. "We find that adds to the conversation," says Cincinnati USA Chamber Director of Public Relations Chris Kemper.Kemper says Bold Fusion, along with HYPE's other efforts, impact the city's demographics. The Greater Cincinnati region lost 14 percent of its 25- to 34-year-olds from 1990 to 2005, but reversed that trend to add more than 10,000 YPs - a 3.9 percent increase - to the region between 2005 and 2010."We're starting to see the fruits of that labor," he says.By Matt CunninghamFollow Matt on Twitter @cunningcontent

Latest in Quality of Life

Final preps being made for Western Southern tourney

By Newsroom

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Cincy In The News

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August 16, 2011

Final preparations are being made in Mason for the Western and Southern Open. The tournament opens Saturday at the Lindner Family Tennis Center and will include many of the sport's biggest stars.Read the full story here.

Mural, mural, on the wall

By Scott Beseler and Elissa Yancey

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Arts + Culture

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August 16, 2011

From an homage to Frank Duveneck to an original C.F. Payne to the spoils of a TED prize, MuralWorks by ArtWorks brightens more than city walls.This week, we tour of a few of the finest with Soapbox photographer Scott Beseler.

Salad bars in pork city

By Newsroom

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Cincy In The News

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August 16, 2011

Cincinnati isn't the only town in the country that's bringing salad bars to its public schools (there's New Haven, and New Orleans), but it has the rare distinction of once being known as Porkopolis, from the time – the early-to-mid 19th century – when herds of hogs roamed its streets, and it was the biggest pork-packing center in the country.Read the full story here.

Head of the class: Mary Ronan, CPS superintendent

By Elissa Yancey

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General

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August 16, 2011

This fall, Cincinnati Public Schools celebrate higher test scores and make a plea for critical funding. As CPS students head back to school this week, Soapbox quizzed Ronan about the year ahead, the district she loves and her favorite school supply.

Cincy Metropolitan Orchestra celebrates 15 years

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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August 16, 2011

Whether you prefer a symphony by Beethoven or the soundtrack of a Hollywood blockbuster, the Cincinnati Metropolitan Orchestra offers affordable, accessible music. Performing to a full house at the Seton High School Performance Hall, the CMO kicked off its free Summer Concert Series, which commemorates 15 years of service to the community. President Gail Harmeling, who is also first violinist and concert master, was one of the orchestra's founding members. "We all felt a mutual calling to form a group where non-professional musicians could play," says Harmeling. Ranging from high school students to senior citizens, orchestra members hail from a variety of careers and backgrounds. Conductor David F. Allen draws on his lifelong experience as a music director, teacher and pianist to balance and unify the ensemble. Although the orchestra performs throughout the area, Seton High School is its primary rehearsal and performance space. "We're very grateful to them for allowing us to use their beautiful auditorium," Harmeling says.In addition to being free and open to the public, CMO concerts appeal to various age groups and musical tastes. "We do perform classical music, but also Broadway, Big Band and Pops," Harmeling says. "There's something for everyone."To celebrate the 15th anniversary, CMO musicians and members of the vocal ensemble selected popular pieces from past concerts. Entitled "Back by Popular Demand," the Summer Concert Series includes music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Dance, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Upcoming concerts will be held outdoors. "Little kids can run around and enjoy the music without having to be quiet," Harmeling says. With such a lively program awaiting the public, children won't be the only ones cheering for an encore.Do good:Make a donation. Become a Patron or purchase tickets to the October Broadway Concert.Volunteer with the Metropolitans. Email to find out how you can help behind the scenes.Audition. The CMO currently has openings for string musicians. Call (513) 921-4919 for more information.By Laura Thompson

Breakthrough helps students stay ahead

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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August 16, 2011

Johnneca was encouraged by her teachers to apply to Breakthrough Cincinnati's intensive summer program. Hesitant to give up six weeks of her summers for the next four years, she made the leap and was immediately hooked. Always the smart kid in class, she never did more than was necessary to get by in school. After beginning at Breakthrough, Johnneca's outlook changed. "Being around Breakthrough really brought out this other side of her," says Meghan Morgan, executive director of Breakthrough. "She is now in her second year as an education major at UC. She has also been a teacher in our summer program for the past two years and tutors throughout the school year."Johnneca personifies Breakthrough Cincinnati's goal to motivate and train talented youth in under-served schools. Started as a summer program, five years ago Breakthrough switched to a year-round educational enrichment program that has seen a 100 percent high school graduation rate and 87 percent matriculation rate of students enrolled in the program. While there are myriad remedial programs geared to students who have fallen behind, very few work to help keep students who have performed well in school, stay ahead. With an intense application process that begins in fifth grade, Breakthrough students must commit to four years of summer school, complete with parent-teacher conferences, final exams and hours of homework each week. The program is difficult, but Morgan attributes the program's success to peer-to-peer learning. "Our middle school students are positively impacted by these high school and college students who devote their time and energy to becoming teachers," Morgan says. "The student teachers then get excited about working with kids and making a difference and end up pursing education in some way."Do Good: Donate. Breakthrough Cincinnati runs its tuition-free program by raising its own funds.Apply. Fifth graders can enroll in December for the next year's summer program.Teach. Breakthrough Cincinnati is recruiting teachers and tutors to work with middle school students on Saturday mornings.By Evan Wallis

TANK’s GM helps public transit grow

By Newsroom

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Environment + Sustainability

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August 16, 2011

After taking over as general manager of TANK a little more than one year ago, Andrew Aiello has already made meaningful changes in the community that have been recognized. Aiello was recently awarded with the first Young Visionary award from Vision 2015 for his work with TANK. "It's always inspiring receiving recognition for the work you do. It just makes you want to work harder," says Aiello.Vision 2015 is an organization that was launched in 2005 to develop a 10-year plan to create a vibrant and sustainable community in Northern Kentucky. One of Aiello's noteworthy accomplishments is the U-Pass program that teams up with NKU to give students free access to all of TANK's bus routes. "In our discussions with NKU and the market research we had done, we realized that one of the biggest hurdles for people using public transit is that leap people have to take public transit for the first time," says Aiello. "Removing barriers is an easy way to ease that step and NKU was willing to help offset the cost so more people take that first step and start riding public transit." Aiello and his team at TANK have continued to work with NKU to make positive changes to their programs, many of these focus on technology. Again, teaming up with NKU, TANK has installed Wi-Fi technology, they have also created iPhone and Android apps to help ease finding bus routes and making rides more productive.As a smaller public transit system, TANK is able to look at regional and national transit companies and learn from them. "Just based on geography, we aren't competitors to other transit systems, so there is a very open exchange of information in the industry," says Aiello. "Since we are smaller we have the ability to sit back and see which technologies are really gaining traction." This keen eye for changes that encourage people to use public transit has made Aiello successful in his short time as general manager of TANK and help create a more sustainable community.Do Good:Buy a pass. TANK offers many different passes to meet your public transit needs.Ride. TANK offers several Park and Ride locations. Bus it to work!Volunteer. Vision 2015 is always looking for volunteers who want to help in many different ways.By Evan Wallis

Good food, good eats at Grailville

By Newsroom

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Education + Learning

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August 9, 2011

In today's fast-paced society, many people pick up dinner at the drive-thru more often than they pick it from their gardens. Grailville's Good Earth/Good Eats Program is here to remind us where our food comes from and how we can change our eating habits to build a better world. Nestled in the hills of Loveland, just 35 miles from Cincinnati, Grailville is dedicated to empowering women through creative expression, spiritual development and ecological awareness."Grailville has a long history of women who made major decisions about what they put into their bodies and how they wanted to treat this earth," says Pauletta Hansel, a poet and creative writing teacher who has served as co-director of Grailville since 2007. In addition to conducting writing workshops for both girls and adult women, Hansel recently became a student herself when she attended the Good Earth/Good Eats Program. Each workshop features local growers and artisans who share their diverse skills, from growing herbs and harvesting wild edible plants, to making bread and cheese, to raising bees and backyard chickens (legal in Cincinnati as long as they don't become a nuisance). Hansel recommends the program for "anyone interested in how they might live and eat more sustainably."Unlike books or websites, Grailville's organic gardens offer hands-on experience. "You have the opportunity to get your hands dirty and do the work in order to learn the work," Hansel says. "You [also] meet women who are living modern lives and still reaping the benefits of living more simply." Hansel, a Paddock Hills resident, applies the principles she learned from Grailville in her urban garden. "One thing that is covered is permaculture, which involves thinking about the whole environment, what fits into one's lifestyle, and what vegetables one would actually use." Like many poets, she draws inspiration from the natural world. "The garden becomes part of my metaphoric registry, the process of going down deep and reaping what you sow. It's also a way to balance head work with the work of the body." For those who wish to cultivate this balance in their lives, more workshops are forthcoming. Learn how to brew fermented tea with Introduction to Kombucha, preserve the fall harvest with Introduction to Canning, improve soil quality with Gardening from the Ground Up, and make sweet breads with Stollen for the Holidays.Do good:• Make a donation. Donate online, select Grailville as your charity of choice on DealsThatGiveBack.com, or organize a workplace campaign through Community Shares.• Become a garden volunteer. Contact Mary Lu Lageman, 513-683-2340, for more information. • Buy fresh organic vegetables from Grailville's produce stand or purchase fair trade items at its online store. By Laura Thompson

Local bookstores fill niches as national chains falter

By Soapbox

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General

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August 9, 2011

The publishing and bookselling industries bore witness to the death of a giant last week when Borders ran out of options to stay in business. But as the second largest bookstore chain in the nation closes its doors for good, a new generation of the stores it once replaced say the future looks bright.Richard Hunt, co-founder of Roebling Point Bookstore in Covington, says the year-old store is gaining a steady following of patrons who appreciate its focus on travel and outdoor recreation titles, as well as its large selection of books on local topics and by local authors."We wanted to be a resource for people here," he says. "Our grand aspiration is to be the best resource for these categories."Hunt says the bookstore is expanding to add a community meeting room, more shelf space and possibly a coffee shop. That may not be much different from the features of the large chain bookstores, but he notes that Roebling Point's knowledge of local authors, and its ability to find the niche books desired by its patrons, give it a leg up in the market."That's one of the things the bigger bookstores don't focus on so well," he says.Serving profitable niches is a specialty of another successful independent bookstore in Cincinnati: Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore in Oakley. Events Coordinator Kelli Gleiner says the small store's deep knowledge of its customers is a huge tool in keeping the business vibrant."We're such a small store with a small staff, that most of our customers know the staff well," she says. For Blue Manatee, that means providing programming that customers won't find in big-box bookstores. The store offers the story times one might expect, but also hosts weekly yoga classes and brings in authors for book signings with the frequency one might only expect for a store catering to adult readers. Again, it's simply a response to customer demand, Gleiner says."We have to know what they want, otherwise we wouldn't be here," she says.Ben Vore, general manager at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Norwood, says the parallel themes of greater customer awareness and adaptability to customer desires are more than just good marketing plans for independent bookstores."I think that, to me, is the only way we're going to continue to survive, and to thrive," he says. "With Borders going down, I feel that, with fewer bookstores out there, we're going to really need to be very rooted in the community and in tune to what's going on around town."Story and photos by Matt Cunningham Follow Matt on Twitter @cunningcontent