polishing the gem city with a old t-shirt

Local Young Inventors on TV

2008-05-15T19:00:00.001-07:00

Invention lands local fifth-graders on national TV

An invention to make canines everywhere more comfortable has landed Huber Heights fifth-graders Holly Thomas and Becky Goerling on national television.

The girls will appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today, May 15 at 4 p.m. on CBS for a segment on kid inventors. Eric Pierce, a third-grader at Valerie Pre K-8 School in Dayton, and two other elementary school students are also featured.

Look, it's cute. And they're in 5th grade and thinking outside the box. That, my friends, is important.
Technorati Tags: dayton, inventors, young, celebrity

City Statues: The best - and worst - of Dayton

2008-05-14T03:32:00.001-07:00

Not that the statues are bad. I really like them:

Statues enliven downtown Dayton

When you see them, go ahead and stare all you want. Take a photograph if you like.

That's what the organizers of City Life '08 want people to do when they view the 20 lifelike bronze sculptures by contemporary artist J. Seward Johnson Jr.

The worst comes in when you read some of the comments at the bottom. Dayton has a huge history - like much of Southwest Ohio - of minorities living in one section of town and whites living in another. This is changing, but it's a slow change, and sad prejudiced comments like this one by "Wordell"

Bronze…low melting point. I suspect your statues will be gone and at a recycler and melted down before you all can flail your arms up in disbelief and wail: “It can’t be!!! How can one not appreciate the arts!!!” Daytonians>>>You live in a city run by the scum of the earth. Make downtown safe for white “honkey/crackers”, and all complaints will stop. You then will see an increase in tax revenues, (honkey/crackers spend money when they’re safe), and we then can fleece them even more.

That person has probably lots of reasons (in their mind) for feeling that way, but it has got to be painful to live in a world that mean and frightening.

It must be painful to live in a world that doesn't really exist. I think commenter dsto summed it up well:

Welcome back creepy life-like statues! I personally love ‘em. We used them as part of a scavenger photo hunt for my daughters birthday.It was a blast! It’s real dangerous downtown?…Have any of you people actually been here? EVER? Or does Mister Rogers lock the door to your room? Pulease. Anyone scared of downtown..stay away..the look of fear on your faces ahould be an embarassment to you. It is nothing but a lie and a bigoted self delusional response to things you will never understand.

Technorati Tags: dayton, statues, race

Area Elementary Students Invited to Participate in Coloring Contest

2008-05-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

Miami Valley South Health Center (MVSHC) and Washington-Centerville Library are
teaming up to hold a children's coloring contest. Between May 18 and 24 coloring
forms can be picked at Centerville Library, 111 W. Spring Valley Rd., or Woodbourne
Library, 6060 Far Hills Ave. The coloring contest is being held to celebrate
Emergency Medical Services Week.

Any student in preschool through fifth grade can enter. A winner from each grade will
be selected from each library location. Winners will receive a $10 gift certificate
to a local bookstore and will be invited to a special tour at MVSHC on June 6.
Students will be coloring a picture of "Abby" the mascot of the children's area at
MVSHC.

Library patrons can help kick off Emergency Medical Services Week on Sunday, May 18
when both libraries host guests from the Washington Township Fire Department and
Miami Valley Hospital's Mobile Intensive Care Unit. Personnel from both units will be
on hand to offer sneak peeks of equipment they use to fight fires and rescue victims
from accidents. Stop by the Centerville Library between 1 and 2 p.m. or the
Woodbourne Library between 3 and 4 p.m.

Building Green In Dayton

2008-05-12T19:03:00.001-07:00

Energy-efficient housing cropping up in downtown Dayton

"For Dayton, building green is now a reality," said Margie Rivera, of Dayton-based Litehouse Development Group.

The Litehouse team combines Rogero Buckman Architects, the marketing and design firm Visual Marketing Associates, and Burhill Financial Services.

The development under way in Dayton, at First Street and North Patterson Boulevard, will contain 40 midsize townhouses. The West Carrollton project along Pease Avenue will contain single-family homes.

Dayton Land Bank

2008-05-12T19:01:00.001-07:00

Dayton plans to acquire 1,000 properties this year

The city of Dayton plans to aggressively snatch up properties for land banking, with a goal of acquiring up to 1,000 properties this year.

The eventual goal: reduce the supply of excess housing in the city, identify potential areas for new development while creating parks, neighborhood squares even nature preserves.

Congressional candidate David Esrati has some negative things to say about this plan on his blog. While he has some good points (the need to figure out why these properties are abandoned is a good start, I agree), he seems to have missed this final paragraph in the paper:

A quasi-government authority, composed of city staff and volunteers, would hold the properties, but input from the citizens of Dayton would determine future reuse. There is no time frame set to establish this authority, but Whaley said she expects it to happen quickly...

For now, the city is merely acquiring the properties. The second step, according to Whaley, is creating a vision for what the city will look like in the future.

"The city in front of us is probably going to look different from the city behind us," John Gower, the city's director of planning and community development said. "We can take the best in the community and move those forward with us."

Esrati's right - you have to figure out how you got where you are at... but you can't afford to let things stagnate while you're busy ruminating either.
Technorati Tags: dayton, ohio, land bank

Local Dayton-area Parks

2008-05-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

The Dayton Daily News has a local park guide so you can find all the dozens of parks and picnic areas in the Miami Valley. If you've never looked at the available park system before, you'll be amazed at how much there is, and how nearby as well.
Technorati Tags: dayton, parks, ohio

Oklahoma! - Playhouse South

2008-05-11T18:14:00.001-07:00

My wife is a theater geek, and loves the musical Oklahoma!. So it was a no-brainer to take her to see the Playhouse South's production of Oklahoma.

I have been a long-time fan of community theater; I spent enough time at small Army bases where the only theater was community-based. When Playhouse South used to be based in Miamisburg, we saw (and were blown away) by their production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

But we moved to the far side of the greater Dayton area, and that was a heck of a drive.

Now, they're more centrally located in Kettering, and still have the same great values. For a reasonable price you get great live performances in an appropriate - but intimate - setting. Their next production this year is MacBeth, and I'm looking foward to the rest of the 2008 season.

There is still one more weekend left to catch Oklahoma!; it's well worth it.

You can also see them on MySpace.

[news] Celebrating the Deaf Community Center

2008-05-09T15:03:00.001-07:00

Deaf community to celebrate center

At the Deaf Community Resource Center, which has its grand opening from 4 to 8 p.m. today, May 9, employees said they know intimately the challenges of their deaf clients and families. That's because most of the staff is deaf or hard of hearing.

The center, at 3333 Stanley Ave., is a dream come true for many in the local deaf community after years of planning and hard work.

Cutting Pollution

2008-05-09T15:01:00.001-07:00

Pollution-cutting program to include 8 area companies

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has announced that 55 industries statewide, including eight in Southwest Ohio, have proposed dramatic cuts in pollution by voluntarily participating in the agency's Tox-Minus pollution reduction challenge.

OEPA Director Chris Korleski extended an invitation to all state companies.

[News] Expensive Enforcement

2008-05-09T14:57:00.001-07:00

Clearing the air costly to county

Enforcing Ohio's indoor smoking ban costs big bucks, and the fines issued to violators don't come close to paying for it, local health department officials have discovered.

Officials with Public Health — Dayton & Montgomery County say they've shelled out roughly $70,000 on the effort since May 3 last year, when Ohio began enforcing the law voters approved in November 2006. Costs stem from extra man hours, mileage and other added expenses.

RTA Redesign

2008-05-07T15:57:00.001-07:00

One of the redesign elements will be dropping "Greater Dayton" from the name. I can understand why... but the region's bedroom communities really need to begin to understand and accept their reliance on Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Until they become economic centers in their own right (something that might be in the future, due to oil prices) their future is tied to the cities about them.

RTA gets new name, new design for buses

Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority buses will have a new look this fall, starting with the arrival of 13 buses.

"This is going to be a surprise to the community, seeing a big green bus," said RTA Trustee Annesa Cheek on Tuesday, May 6.

Cedar Bog to be run by Historical Society

2008-05-06T15:41:00.001-07:00

Ohio Historical Society strikes deal to run Cedar Bog

The Ohio Historical Society announced Monday, May 5, that it has reached a 15-year agreement with the Cedar Bog Association to manage the Cedar Bog Nature Preserve near Urbana.

"The Ohio Historical Society Board of Trustees is pleased to entrust the management of this unique natural history site to a group who has devoted itself to the protection of this delicate ecosystem for many years," said William K. Laidlaw, society executive director and CEO.

World A'Fair - 16-18 May

2008-05-05T15:30:00.001-07:00

A World A'Fair

Soin International and the Dayton International Festival, Inc. present the 35th annual International Festival, A World A’Fair —Dining Around the World.
The festival is a celebration of diversity that showcases the food,
dancing, music, costumes, and cultural exhibits representing the
ethnic backgrounds and cultures of Dayton and the greater Miami Valley.

Preserving Historic Barns

2008-05-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

Historic timber-framed barns moved for new uses

People are dismantling, moving and rebuilding some timber-framed barns to preserve the old structures, many of which have been lost due to neglect, housing developments and natural causes.

Rudy Christian has a family business in Wayne County that dismantled a Civil War-era barn in the Dayton suburb of Miamisburg and moved it to George Rogers Clark State Park near Springfield. He estimates at least one-third of Ohio's timber-framed barns — many of them built in the late 1800s — have been lost.

The Hispanic Community in Dayton

2008-05-05T12:59:00.001-07:00

Hispanic community, stores support one another

At the Dayton store where Adrianna Sotelo works, having an accent isn't a problem. At La Favorita Supermercado on East Third Street, Spanish is the dominant language. La Favorita is one of at least seven stores in Montgomery County specializing in foods from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Dayton Police History - 3 May to 31 October

2008-05-01T17:58:00.001-07:00

Dayton police history to be shown

The local law enforcement community and area historians want to send you on a 200-year journey through the history of the Dayton Police Department, from run-ins with Chicago gangster George "Bugs" Moran to the plight of women and black officers on the force.

Dayton History - formerly Montgomery County Historical Society - and the police department will debut the exhibit, "Patrolling the Streets of Dayton - The History of the City of Dayton Police Force," on Saturday, May 3, at Carillon Historical Park.

Cost: Normal price of admission to the park: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $3 for children. Members and children 3 and younger get into the park free.

Fair Housing at the Greene?

2008-04-30T15:20:00.001-07:00

Fair Housing Lawsuit at the Greene

The Miami Valley Fair Housing Center has filed a housing discrimination lawsuit against the developer of the Gilbert Court apartment units at The Greene.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, April 30, alleges that Steiner & Associates failed to comply with federal accessibility standards in the design and construction of their properties at the Greene and other locations.

Where's the privacy statement?

2008-04-28T16:21:00.001-07:00

This program sounds like any number of "preferred shopper" programs - like those at Kroger or other grocery stores. What is conspicuously absent, however, is the privacy information. Or any up-front information. Or any information (at least that I could find) online, except for a lot of news organizations parroting a press release. I've e-mailed Greg Lashutka (the program director) and hope to find out more. This could be a great program - or a shady privacy-violating deal. Stay tuned!

Ohio Drug Card

As a resident of Ohio, you and your family have access to a FREE Prescription Drug Card program. Simply download your Prescription Drug Card and receive savings of up to 75% at more than 50,000 national and regional pharmacies. You may create as many cards as you need. Participating pharmacies include the following: Kmart Pharmacy, Rite Aid, Marc Pharmacy, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens, Meijer, Discount Drug Mart as well as thousands of independent pharmacies. Please enter your name and e-mail address below and we will generate a printable membership card for you. These cards are pre-activated and can be used immediately. You can generate as many cards as you need! Note: Each family member must have their own card.

Technorati Tags: privacy, consumer, ohio, prescription

Encouraging News...

2008-04-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

Although I'm sure that after today, all the news outlets will return to their normal "If it bleeds it leads" format.

Crime Continues Downward Trend In First Quarter - News Story - WHIO Dayton

DAYTON, Ohio -- Crime in Dayton continues a downward trend, with the first quarter of 2008 showing significant declines in nearly all major categories when compared to the same period last year or the previous quarter, police said.

The greatest declines in first-quarter crime when compared to the same period last year were in these categories: commercial armed robbery is down at 53.57 percent; theft of motor vehicle parts is down at 50.3 percent; rape and attempted rape is down at 29.55 percent; motor vehicle theft is down at 28.03 percent, police said.

Appropo to Earth Day...

2008-04-22T19:46:00.001-07:00

North American Windpower: Content / FYI / Dayton Power And Light Offers Green Choice

Dayton Power and Light (DP&L) in Ohio has begun offering a green pricing program for its customers to support the continued development of renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar and landfill gas, through renewable energy credit purchases.

Outrage!

2008-04-19T10:03:00.001-07:00

This may not seem like a big deal... until you realize that they're letting a @#$% paycheck advance place move in to the same complex. Those folks are the lowest of the low, preying on those whose luck has shoved them into a lose-lose situation. It is a direct attack on Dot's, since Dot's also provides paycheck cashing (but not advances and the other predatory crap).

Dot's Market in Dayton faces eviction

The landlord for Dot's Market want to evict the grocer from its location of more than 50 years, the latest salvo in a dispute over lease rates, utility payments and capital improvements at the property. The eviction sought by Greenmont Mutual Housing Corp. against Dot's will be heard May 2 by a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court magistrate, court documents state.

Technorati Tags: dayton, dots, outrage

Revitalizing Downtown

2008-04-18T17:31:00.001-07:00

Revitalized city may begin with new life for old buildings

The City of Dayton hopes to promote transformation of vintage downtown Main Street buildings with financial incentives for developers who take them on as projects.

Target reuses, determined by the market, will be housing, jobs and amenities.

Technorati Tags: dayton, renewal, urban

Activism in Dayton - 19 April 2008

2008-04-15T17:59:00.001-07:00

Downtown Dayton Partnership

Apr. 19 • 3rd Annual Dayton Peace Accords 5k run/walk
Dayton Peace Museum, 208 W. Momument; registration 7:30 a.m. 9 a.m.. Run
Designed for both serious and casual runners, the Dayton Peace Accords 5k is a timed run that is United States Track and Field sanctioned. Walkers of all ages and those who just want to enjoy the beautiful Dayton scenery along the River Corridor are most welcome. Call for cost. 227-3223.

Apr. 19 • Dayton Rally For Darfur
Courthouse Square, Third & Main; Dayton Convention Center; 1- 4 p.m.
After rallying at Courthouse Square, we will make a short march to the Dayton Convention Center where there will be additional speakers. We will have literature, lobbying materials, and Darfur-related merchandise. Free.

Technorati Tags: dayton, activism

Ask the Residents

2008-04-09T18:29:00.001-07:00

Life in Dayton: City residents speak out

"We use this as a benchmark to access where we are. This is a good way for us to get a reality check," Dayton City Manager Rashad Young said.

The survey of 1,345 Dayton residents gives them an opportunity to voice their opinions and views on city government, resources, services and quality of life.

Technorati Tags: dayton, resident, survey

Quest for Community - 18 April 2008

2008-04-07T15:39:00.001-07:00

Wright State University: Quest for Community: A Call to Action

On Friday, April 18, 2008, Wright State University (WSU) will host Quest for Community: A Call to Action. The Quest Conference is an annual, state-wide conference that explores diversity issues in higher education. The purpose of the conference is to bring together students, faculty, staff, and community to encourage an understanding of and commitment to diversity issues as well as offer opportunities to exchange resources related to diversity enhancement. The eighth annual conference will continue to explore ongoing efforts to create inclusive environments, programs and curricula; initiatives to improve campus climate; and opportunities for educational access and success, especially for traditionally underrepresented populations.

Technorati Tags: conference, dayton, wright state