Final Countdown: Elections!

October 31, 2007 – Part II

CityBeat endorsements are out! From today's print edition:
Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
John Cranley
David Crowley
John Eby
Brian Garry
Greg Harris
Joan Kaup
Roxanne Qualls

With that, all the "newspapers" have now made their endorsements: The Enquirer, CityBeat, and the Downtowner. (There is a nice chart in CityBeat today showing a who’s who of endorsements. The Post is not endorsing candidates apparently.) Bortz, Cole, Crowley, and Harris have endorsements from all three. Cranley and Eby have endorsements from two: The Enquirer and CityBeat. Ghiz has endorsements from two: The Enquirer and Downtowner. Kaup and Qualls have endorsements from two: CityBeat and the Downtowner. Monzel and Thomas have endorsements from only the Enquirer. Berding and Young have endorsements from only the Downtowner. Garry has an endorsement from only CityBeat.

Is it safe to use this information to maybe make some predictions?
Locks: Bortz, Cole, Crowley, and Harris
Near: Cranley, Eby, Ghiz, Kaup, and Qualls
Needs help: Monzel, Thomas, Berding, Young and Garry

Honestly, I am not sure it is that simple but fascinating never-the-less!

Interesting things I see. No newspaper endorsements for Pat Fischer. A month or so ago I would have said he’s a lock to finish in the top nine. I actually would still give him a chance with the money behind his campaign and if the Republican base comes out for him. And I personally love that Charlie Winburn has no newspaper endorsements. His "shoot ‘em up" commercial had me so fuming I have told people NOT to vote for this guy. And that is out-of-character for me. His ad totally preys on fear and I am still mad. But I still give him a chance too to finish in the top nine.

The other interesting thing to me is who of say those three papers best has their pulse on the City. Is any one out of step? (We’ll find out next Tuesday?) And how do some get endorsed while others do not? I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at the Enquirer, for instance, when they decided not to endorse Berding and Qualls. Maybe the endorsement that bother me the most are from the FOP. I cannot imagine a law enforcement organization endorsing Winburn, who in his commercial portrays some sort of lawlessness in the city, or Malone who has run up against the law a few times. (Here is an article in CityBeat and another in the Enquirer.)

Blog Alert: Beit Carr

I came across Beit Carr again after Steve, the blogger, commented on my piece about the Clifton walking tour. The first time I looked at his blog was actually after looking at some of his photos on Capture Cincinnati. And I have actually met Steve in person through an Architreks event. Anyway, I find his site and posts very interesting in spite of the fact, or maybe because, we are somewhat different. But this quote on his flickr account is common ground: "It needn't be said that I love Cincinnati." (And we both like the Bengals and fantasy football I think.) Anyway, enjoy! Here are two photographs of his I thought I’d share . . .



All of Steve’s photos can be accessed through his other website, House of Carr. Find the link to flickr. (General question: I don’t use flickr. Should I be using this? What are the benefits?)

Final Countdown: Elections!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Elections are now less than one week away. I'll be counting down each day (or nearly every day) until Tuesday, November 6.

Here is an article in the Enquirer about the changing face of Cincinnati City Council elections.

I am totally addicted to Cincinnati.com blogs "Today at the Forum" and "Politics Extra" right now. Oh, and Cincinnati Blog too. He's doing predictions on Mondays leading up to the big day. Monday's post has Cranley, Qualls, and Crowley as locks. Agree? Take a look and let him (or me) know your thoughts. I've got four I think I want to vote for as my "locks". Will those four make it in however I am not sure . . .

City Beat endorsements out today! At least that is what I hear. I am waiting with breath that is bated.

The Tarnished Crown

My rant on what’s wrong in the Queen City

Dare I say . . . An unfinished Fountain Square?

Ok, I really do not want to say anything negative. I am a huge supporter of the Square’s redesign and redevelopment. I might have scooted the fountain east a little bit but big picture, they did a fantastic job. It will be even better when the trees grow in and maybe some awnings go up on the DuBois Tower. I love the programmed activities including but not limited to the movies on the big screen, Bengal’s Bash, free concerts, broomball, the fish toss, the flower carpet and the Gemutlichkeit Games.

Photo from CincyImages

That said I am just so anxious for it to be 100% finished. I want to not have to walk around that dumpster on 5th Street. I want to walk through the Probasco Market arcade from 6th Street. I am sure all the involved players are ready for it to be finished too: 3CDC, the City of Cincinnati, Rock Bottom . . . Most of Fountain Square reopened on October 14, 2006 -- slightly (5 weeks) longer than the original 12 month long construction schedule. That was followed by a rolling opening of what is called the North Grove. A June 29, 2007 article in the Enquirer stated, "The final phase, the North Grove at the base of Fifth Third Bank, opens in early September." September came and there was another article in the Enquirer on September 20, 2007 as Cincinnati prepared for Oktoberfest. It stated:

While original construction plans aimed for a September 2006 completion date, 3CDC has been working on a "rolling" re-opening since last October.

"Coordinating construction is really challenging, and just because you've missed a day, because of something like rain, doesn't mean you're off by just one day," Donabedian said. "You have to coordinate with contractors who have different schedules. You have to coordinate with business schedules and make sure lanes are open. We also had an open site and another construction schedule to work around - those are just a couple of the challenges."

"All work on the square should be finished by the end of October," Donabedian said. "We don't want to see any cranes or construction for the holidays," he said. "We just need everyone to be patient a little bit longer."

I more than anyone maybe understand construction delays, coordination issues, street closures, and the like. And I am sure Fifth Third’s much needed façade improvements added to the delay. And I’ll take those improvements over what was there any day. Maybe I would have liked to seen a little more pro-active communication on the status of the project as it continued through the summer and the fall. Maybe post a press release to the myfountainsquare.com website on the status of the project on a more regular basis to keep everyone informed. Last post in the "Press Releases" was on 3/30/07 about an Easter Egg Hunt. But I’ve always gotten a response when I use the "Feedback Form" on the website. And I truly believe everyone involved in Fountain Square, including Bill Donabedian, are working tirelessly to wrap this thing up and make it the best public place they can. (Calls for Bill’s head over "Bearcats vs. Buckeyes" were ridiculous. See article here.) Anyway, they are close to complete and I really do doubt we will see any construction lingering around the holidays. Ah. I just had to get it off my chest. I had to just whine a little, "Are we there yet?"

Construction photos taken on 10/28/07.

The Excellent City Park System

Reading Mike’s CityKid Blog today about Washington Park, I was reminded of a report entitled "The Excellent City Park System" by Peter Harnik, published by The Trust for Public Land. It identified seven factors as key to city park excellence:

1. A clear expression of purpose
2. An ongoing planning and community involvement process
3. Sufficient assets in land, staffing, and equipment to meet the system’s goal.
4. Equitable access
5. User satisfaction
6. Safety from crime and physical hazards
7. Benefits for the city beyond the boundaries of the park.

It is a good read for anyone really. They include key questions under each factor. And they include "Excellent Practice" initiatives throughout the publication. One practice listed that I specifically thought was interesting was in Denver. In their Parks & Recreation Master Plan they mapped all useable parkland (medians of parkways not included for instance), identified a six-block-radius circle around each and developed the mantra that all residents should be no more than six blocks from a park. As of the report date (2003 I think), "more than 9 out of 10 residents live within six blocks of a park." This is partially attainable by not having any one very large park. Parks are scattered and land area is not concentrated in a large park for instance. Actually their total percentage of area of parks in relation to area of city is actually smaller than Cincinnati. Park area as percentage of total area for Cincinnati is a healthy 13.6. In Denver, park land is only 8.2% of Denver's total land area. (Data from 2006 and can be found here.) Nearly 40% of all City of Cincinnati's total park area is contained in Mt. Airy Forest. (Just shy of 1470 acres.) I'd be curious how far off Cincinnati is to having all residents six blocks from a park. And how our park system measures up to those seven factors.

Anyway, the report is available at the Trust for Public Land for free. You just have to provide them with personal information . . .

Blog Alert: Let’s Say You’re Right . . .

So I ran across another blog the other day, Let’s Say You’re Right . . . I got there through Die Fladermaus. Those bloggers in fact live together in the greater downtown Cincinnati area. His name is Jason and his blog, like his partner’s, covers a wide range of topics (and stylishly I might add). But it was also his photographs of the Queen City that I thought some of you would be interested. He actually also has a photo blog, JTT Photography, but not sure it gets updated as often.

The following photographs though are from "Let's Say You're Right" blog entries "The Little Sis Comes to Town" and "Beer, Spatzle, and atomic pop!" Enjoy!

The Queen Speaks

Quotes from and about Cincinnati

". . . The more people who live in the city, the more property taxes that are generated and contributed to our coffers. The more money that people spend in the city, the more sales taxes generated for our city budget. The more money our city has to spend, the more services we can provide to all residents — in all neighborhoods not just downtown.It makes economic sense to focus investment downtown to generate dollars for investment in the inner suburbs and throughout the city." – Joan Kaup, Cincinnati City Council Candidate.

Originally posted by Joan Kaup in the Candidates’ "Today at the Forum" Blog on Cincinnati.com October 25, 2007. Reprinted in the October 29, 2007 print edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Stormtrooper Says . . .

"I believe the dark side of the force is working on these Bengals."

Survey Says . . .

Best places to experience architect Samuel Hannaford in Cincinnati.

Top 6 answers on the board . . .

1. Music Hall (1878)

Music Hall takes first place predominately for its uniqueness as a building type, exuberant High Victorian Gothic details, and its listing as a National Historic Landmark. It edges out number two on the survey because of its setting on Washington Park and proximity to Nast Trinity Episcopal Church, designed by Hannaford and completed in 1880, and Memorial Hall completed in 1908 and designed by his sons.

2. City Hall (1893)

3. Corner of 9th & Race Streets
Including Brittany Apartments (1885), Saxony Apartments (1891), and the Phoenix Club (1893). Also around the corner is the Fechheimer Residence (1862) at 22 Garfield Place.

4. Winton Place
Including Samuel Hannaford Residence (1865), Winton Place Methodist Church (1885), Parsonage (1889), St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (1887), and Norman Chapel (1880) at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Samuel Hannaford served as the only mayor of Winton Place before it was annexed to Cincinnati in 1903. The neighborhood has changed over the years but it as a whole, in my opinion, needed to be included. Individually there are probably nicer buildings that I could have included. Notice the "SH" carved in the gable end of his house. And Samuel Hannaford is also buried at Spring Grove Cemetery (a National Historic Landmark also) in Section 110, Lot 437, Space 9. Oddly enough, he wanted apparently no headstone and his plot remains unmarked. He and his wives basically rest in this area, under and near the tree.

5. Eden Park
Including Elsinore Tower (1883), Eden Park Water Tower (1894), and Pumping Station (1889)

6. Westwood United Methodist Church (1897)

Samuel Hannaford (1835 – 1911) practiced architecture here from 1857 to his retirement in 1904. He worked solo, with various partners, and eventually with his sons, Harvey and Charles, who continued the practice after their father’s retirement and death. Nearly every neighborhood has a building by him and he left a considerable legacy on Cincinnati’s built environment.

For this list, I generally looked at only work completed before his retirement so buildings completed by his sons like the Ohio Mechanics Institute and the Times-Star Building were not considered. Many buildings, structures, and locals have been left off the list. Also-rans for me include Cincinnati Observatory (1873) and adjacent Ormsby McKnight Mitchel Building (1904), Old St. George (1872), and a number of buildings and homes in Clifton (For example Russell House – 1890 and Cox Residence – 1895, both at Brookline & Wentworth Avenues), Walnut Hills, and Avondale.

Do you have a favorite you think should be on the list – Palace (now Cincinnatian) Hotel, Alms & Doepke Department Store, Lombardy Building, Episcopal Church of the Resurrection (now St. Luke’s in Saylor Park), and the Episcopal Church of our Savior in Mt. Auburn to name just a few? Let me know about it.

A great online reference for all these buildings and more is The Legacy of Samuel Hannaford by Betty Ann Smiddy. All research came from that website along with John Clubbe’s book Cincinnati Observed, a 1999 article that appeared in the Cincinnati Post, and from wintonplace.org.

Historic photos from Library’s Cincinnati Memory Project.

Queen’s City Hall

More Cincinnati City Council endorsements came out late last week and over the weekend. In particular, the Enquirer posted their endorsements on Saturday. They are:
Chris Bortz
Laketa Cole
John Cranley
David Crowley
John Eby
Leslie Ghiz
Greg Harris
Chris Monzel
Cecil Thomas

The Enquirer also listed "a second group of candidates as well worth consideration by voters. While they didn't quite make our top nine, we feel any of them would be valuable, productive members of City Council." They were:
Jeff Berding
Pat Fischer
Joan Kaup
Roxanne Qualls
Charlie Winburn
Wendell Young

Cincinnati Blog has a great write up on his perspective on the endorsements.

I also happened to catch "Alternating Currents" on WAIF 88.3 on Saturday. They had a quest columnist pontificating on the political season. An excerpt from the piece entitled "Scary":

"A white lesbian wins by winning all the liberal democrats, straight-ticket
democrats, and by playing ball with enough conservative power brokers to meet
their needs, sometimes by masquerading in Charterite drag…Scary."

Ouch. Council Candidate Joan Kaup was on after. And while the comment was obviously not about Joan, she is a Charterite and she eventually had to follow that. One issue that the columnist brought up was the idea of having direct neighborhood representational voting, a lá Wards. I think if that was done (and I am not sure I agree) some at-large seats would be required. I am afraid it would fractionalize council beyond effectiveness. A council member from the Westside votes "no" on a streetcar because it doesn’t help his or her ward and constituency for example.

City Beat endorsements come out on October 31st. I can't wait!

Program Alert!

Christkindlemart on Main

Merchants of Main are gearing up for their 2007 holiday event. Mark your calendar for "Christkindlemart on Main" on December 1st beginning at noon. Shops will be open, many with extended hours and additional wears will be sold on the street and in various Main Street storefronts. Luminaria will begin around 6:00 pm and Main Street will be aglow for the evening. Organizers are planning a holiday lighting contest for residences and business on Main. And I hear a new Christian Moerlein "Christkindle Ale" will be available in a few bars. Also included will be a special walking tour entitled "Christmas in Over the Rhine" highlighting not only the architecture of Over the Rhine, but also the Christmas traditions of the neighborhood and the United States. Presented by Architreks, this 2:00 pm tour will be a preview of their 2008’s "Christmas in Cincinnati" event.

Photo from Cincinnati Preservation Association's 2004 Holiday Walk in the Pendleton neighborhood.

Review: “anon(ymous)” @ CCM

So I saw anon(ymous) at CCM. I honestly didn’t know anything about it until walking into the theatre and reading the "Director’s Note" in the program. A new play that premiered in 2006, it is "a wonderful modern adaptation of The Odyssey, Homer’s epic tale of a man’s difficult journey home."

What struck me more than most any performance was the direction and set design. At various times throughout the play, the main character is in the ocean for various reasons and with various other characters. The effect that was created in order to achieve that illusion was very striking and effective. The nature of the "sea" also had to change, be it calm for swimming with a goddess or rough during a storm. The performance that did stand out to me was Sarah Beth Tew (right) who played the Senator’s wife, Helen Laius. Hilarious.

Restaurant Review: Nicola's

So like 5chw4r7z, I too went to Final Friday. We walked around Main Street for a bit before dinner and ended with the Pendleton Arts Center after dinner. Nicola's has long been a favorite and since we wanted to stay in Over the Rhine for dinner, I suggested it to my friend visiting from out of town. (I still want to go to Via Vite but this night just didn't seem like the time.) The meal was, in short, utterly fantastic. I really do not know how it could have been improved upon. We both ordered glasses of wine and practically inhaled the bread selection put in front of us. My friend had the Diver Caught Scallops followed the Crispy Potato Gnocchi. (I took bites of both.) I had the Boucheron Goat Cheese Salad and a pasta special of Tagliatelle Bolognese. Absolutely wonderful in all regards. Best Gnocchi I have ever tasted. One of the best salads I think I've ever had. And the pasta was done just perfectly with a wonderful meat sauce. I skipped dessert but my friend had the Panna Cotta. He said it was good. By the time we left around 8:30 the restaurant was full . . . as was my stomach. I worked it off by climbing stairs at Pendleton.

At Pendleton, my favorites of those gallaries open were Joanne Honschopp and Ned Stern's architectural acrylic paintings and Nancy Nordloh Neville's watercolors.

Joanne Honschopp: "City Brite" (from her website)

Ned Stern: "Trilogy" (from his website)

I wasn't able to use/link an image from Nancy Nordloh Neville's website so you'll just have to go there and check them out.

Let's go to the game!

Bengals vs. Steelers: October 28, 2007

Went to the game today. Took a few pictures on the walk down from the apartment. I was cautiously optomistic, but sadly we lost 24 - 13.

A quick stop to Fountain Square . . .

. . . for Graeters.

A beautiful day for a football game.

We're walking. We're walking.

"Yeah, I wish we had that streetcar too."

I feel so much safer with that security.

Welcome to Paul Brown Stadium.

Going up.

Lots of orange.

You people better hurry.

Flyover.

Introducing the Defense. (Yeah, I know. What defense?!)

And finally the kickoff.