This past Thursday the Junior League of Cincinnati hosted the Cin City Style Spring 2011 Fashion Show at Scene Ultra Lounge in downtown Cincinnati. The event featured new spring fashions from Fetish Boutique, Stella & Dot Jewelry and Amanda Kelly Salon. Luckily for UrbanCincy readers, Thadd Fiala was there to capture it all.
Cincinnati will begin celebrating the 41st annual Earth Day this Saturday. This year’s event will once again be hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition at Sawyer Point in downtown Cincinnati. The official Earth Day takes place on April 22, but as always, Cincinnatians will come together to celebrate the environment throughout the week leading up to the big day.
“The theme this year is ‘One Earth, One Chance’ and the celebration gives families a great opportunity to see first-hand the many innovative ways they can help protect the earth while still having a good time,” said Standish Fortin, President of Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition. “We hope the community will come out to enjoy themselves, learn about earth friendly products and to recognize those who’s efforts make Cincinnatia beautiful place to live.”
Organizers say that there will be lots of family friendly events throughout the day, which run from noon to 5:30pm, including earth friendly vendors, as well as exhibitors from environmental groups, government agencies, local businesses and citizens demonstrating their contributions to the beauty andenvironmental quality of our region.
Additionally, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory will be on hand to present environmental awards to five local recipients who have made a positive impact on the environmental community around them.
At Earth Day 2011, bicyclists are treated to free parking and Metro bus service also provides convenient access to the park. Those attending will also be able to drop off any used batteries, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras and camcorders for recycling courtesy of KPMG.
2010 Cincinnati Earth Day photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.
Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) decided to move forward Tuesday morning and reallocate $51.8 million in state-appropriated federal funds from the Cincinnati Streetcar project. The unprecedented move reverses a unanimous recommendation, by TRAC, in December to support the state’s highest-ranking transportation project based on cost-effectiveness, economic development and environmental impacts.
“We recognize that the prior TRAC recommendations overcommitted the state to more transportation projects than it could afford,” said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. “But I fail to understand why, other than a political agenda dominated by oil, highway and exurban interests, the highest-ranking project in the state was completely eliminated.”
In previous votes, TRAC had approved and recommended money for the modern streetcar project based on a non-political scoring criteria that gave the project 84 out of 100 points. Thus, the removal of all of the project’s funding left many feeling that politics were injected into what is meant to be a non-political process. Out of all fiscal balancing approved on Tuesday, 52 percent came from the neutering of the Cincinnati Streetcar, and more than 80 percent from the Cincinnati region.
“It is unfortunate the State has injected politics into this process,” explained Cincinnatians for Progress chairman Rob Richardson. “We have a vision for providing transportation choices and it’s a shame Governor Kasich doesn’t share that same vision.”
Civic and business leaders descended on Columbus Tuesday morning in a last ditch effort to try to preserve the $51.8 million in funding for the modern streetcar project. It was estimated that nearly 100 people showed up for the meeting with the overwhelming majority showing up in support of the Cincinnati Streetcar project. A total of three people spoke in opposition to the project (Chris Finney, Tom Luken’s daughter and Tom Luken’s neighbor). Conversely, seven people (maximum allowed) spoke in favor of the project.
Specifically, a Christ Hospital representative stated that should the Cincinnati Streetcar be built the hospital would move forward with a planned $350 million expansion. Dustin Clark from the University of Cincinnati Student Government also cited a recent poll that showed 85 percent support amongst the UC student body for the project.
Cincinnati officials and streetcar supporters gather before the meeting [LEFT]. TRAC board members weigh their controversial decision shortly before voting 6-1 to reallocate the Cincinnati Streetcar’s $51.8 million [RIGHT].
Those residents and business owners left defeated, with many feeling cheated in the process. Additionally, All Aboard Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) condemned TRAC’s vote as the “antithesis to its legal purpose, and as anti-urban in its project selection.”
“This reversal of fortune does nothing to help Ohio’s downtowns,” said Jack Shaner, deputy director of the OEC. “It will only cart jobs and economic development to the exurbs and beyond. Steel rails, by contrast, are magnets that help keep downtown urban cores vibrant by attracting investment while reducing tailpipe emissions and raising the quality of life.”
Following the meeting, Mayor Mallory told UrbanCincy that the funding process had clearly become political, and that the City would reassess its strategy. Many expect that the project will still move forward, but with a scaled-down approach that would cut out the connection to uptown in the initial phase.
“The streetcar’s economic impact has been fully vetted by nationally-renowned experts,” Qualls said, citing a new study released last week that showed the streetcar would increase access to 130,000 jobs in the region. “Once again, the facts come down in support of the streetcar.”
Meanwhile at the meeting, Councilmember Quinlivan spoke pointedly to the support of those University of Cincinnati students and other young people.
“We know there’s a new sheriff in town, but he has not performed lobotomies on the TRAC members,” stated Quinlivan. “We’re not building the streetcar for grumpy old men; we’re building it for young people who want it. This is an essential attraction tool for young professionals.”
Photographs from April 12, 2011 TRAC meeting by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.
Monday, April 4 was officially declared the French American Business Alliance (FABA) day by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. And business leaders and citizens from across the region came together in downtown Cincinnati to observe the founding of the institution’s 10th year.
According to FABA, the Cincinnati region area boasts a strong partnership with France, and claims to have helped foster economic, cultural and financial relationships between the European country and the Queen City.
“European countries account for 20 percent of Ohio’s exports and France is among the four largest markets with $8 billion in Ohio exports going directly to France,” said Richard La Jeunesse, President, French American Business Alliance. “FABA is a vibrant, cultural alliance that has played an important role in bringing people of diverse backgrounds and cultures together, to develop business relationships that support Ohio’s exporting efforts.”
What started out as an effort among friends (founding president Gerard Laviec and current European American Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anne Cappel, among others) to help young European immigrants find community in Cincinnati has grown to over 850 active members representing 115 corporations. Recently appointed French Ambassador, H.E. Fracois Delattre, made his first visit to Cincinnati for the FABA anniversary, and had much to say about the strong links between France and the “Paris of the Midwest.”
“Cincinnati is a vibrant city, which is moving forward with innovative new policies, including great new developments in their infrastructure,” noted Delattre. “These new measures make France proud to contribute to Cincinnati’s growth.”
FABA and the European American Chamber of Commerce are continually striving to help connect Cincinnatians together under the umbrella of strengthened business and professional relationships. The EACC offers networking events during the year for young professionals looking to begin and continue connections with other globally minded individuals. The next event is a happy hour on Thursday, April 14.
Photograph of Anne Cappel addressing FABA at the 10th Anniversary Gala. Picture provided by EACC for UrbanCincy.
Since UrbanCincy’s founding in May 2007 much has changed with the website, the city and its people. What began as a humble outlet to share my personal thoughts about the city with whomever chose to read it has become so much more. UrbanCincy now features exclusive and original content, publishes eight to ten times each week, runs a seasonal kickball league, organizes events throughout the year like Bikes + Brews, and has become the place for people to get their news on Cincinnati’s urban core.
For the third time in four years, UrbanCincy has been honored to be voted as one of the best blogs in Cincinnati. This year UrbanCincy was chosen along with Wine Me, Dine Me and 365 Things to do in Cincinnati. Each year I have been honored to even have UrbanCincy considered worthy of such recognition, but it was even more satisfying this year following a great deal of transition internally at UrbanCincy.
Over the past six months UrbanCincy has successfully begun a transition that is shifting more responsibility to Jenny Kessler, who is now Operations Manager for the site. We have also restructured the contributing team to best reflect time commitments and professional capabilities. Additionally, in fall 2010 UrbanCincy entered into an innovative content sharing agreement with the Cincinnati Business Courier which will further stregthen both entities. These moves allow me to take on a greater leadership role, while also maintaining leadership continuity at UrbanCincy when I am traveling domestically or overseas with work.
This transition was not easy. At the end of 2010 the website saw a significant drop in readership when compared to previous growth trends. This was, in large part, due to less content being published on the site. We have, I believe, solved those issues and have reaffirmed UrbanCincy’s long-term position within the Cincinnati community.
The bottom line is that UrbanCincy, while still a labor of love, is better positioned today and healthier than ever. And the team of writers (Andrew Oehlerking, Dave Rolfes, Emily Schneider, Jake Mecklenborg, Jenny Kessler, Nathaniel Hammitt), photographers (Jake Mecklenborg, Thadd Fiala) and general contributors (Bryon Martin, David Ben, Kevin Wright, Travis Estell) at UrbanCincy has you, the readers, to thank for this.
I hope that UrbanCincy can continue to grow and become an even more integral part of the conversation in Cincinnati in years to come. Please let us know how we might be able to do that by contacting us at UrbanCincy@gmail.com. Thank you, and please continue to support Cincinnati’s urban core.