Nearly 1,000 bicyclists will take to the streets on Sunday, June 13 to raise money for local breast cancer research conducted at the University of Cincinnati’s Barrett Cancer Institute as part of the 4th Annual Ride Cincinnati event. The bicycle ride ranges from 8.2 miles to 62.8 miles depending on the ability and desire of the participants.
Yeatman’s Cove at Sawyer Point, on Cincinnati’s central riverfront, serves as the starting point for all of the courses. From there bicyclists will cross the Ohio River on the Purple People Bridge, ride throughout Northern Kentucky and return to Sawyer Point for the finish and celebration. The first group will depart at 6:30am on the 62.8-mile ride, while the last group is scheduled to leave at 9am on the 8.2-mile ride.
Ride Cincinnati has successfully raised more than $500,000 for breast cancer research in its first three years. This year, event organizers hope to increase the size of the event and the total money raised. So far, more than $204,000 has been raised, with 981 participants. Online registration is currently closed, but late registration is still open at several locations throughout the city and even on the day of the event. A full list of the late registration locations is available online, and donations are being accepted through Wednesday, June 30.
The post-ride celebration will take place at Sawyer Point (map) from 9:30am to 1pm for registered riders and their families.
Since UrbanCincy first covered the news of Cincinnati’s first food truck (Cafe de Wheels) in December, Senor Roy’s Taco Patrol has started operations and been wildly popular. Meanwhile, Taco Azul is poised to start its authentic Mexican food truck operations later this summer, and Gold Star Chili has announced the formal creation of their ‘Chilimobile’ that will serve Cincinnati-style chili throughout downtown and at other special events. The early success of these mobile food mavens should not come as a surprise given the popularity of food trucks nationally.
Policy makers at City Hall are now catching on and looking to help address the issues currently facing mobile food trucks as it relates to where they can and can not set up operations. Cincinnati City Council member Laure Quinlivan has proposed three city-owned “mobile food vendor” locations in downtown Cincinnati that would provide available spaces for these food trucks on downtown Cincinnati’s crowded streets.
“I want to increase the vitality of our street life and spread activity from Fountain Square to other parts of downtown,” Quinlivan stated in a press release sent to UrbanCincy. “I think giving mobile food vendors a few key areas to do business will help accomplish that. This is also an avenue for talented chefs to start a small business.”
The ability for aspiring chefs to take their product to the street allows them to avoid the costly overhead of an actual location where they are paying utilities and a lease for 24 hours of operation. At the same time, the small business owners are unable to move about to find their best customer base. Customers, on the other hand, love the laid back approach and flexibility of food trucks to be where the action is.
Since December, Cafe de Wheels has been found in downtown Cincinnati for the lunch crowd, Over-the-Rhine for Final Friday and other events, Northside for the after-hours crowd, and at special gatherings like WatchThis and other parties. Senor Roys, meanwhile, can pretty much be found everywhere and anywhere – you need to keep a close watch to their Twitter account to stay up-to-speed. And when Taco Azul starts its operations you can expect a more steady location pattern for lunch and special events.
Photo by Thadd Fiala
The problem thus far has not been too much oversight by City Hall on the topic of mobile food trucks, but rather, the lack of any real discussion whatsoever. This has left food truck operators to fend for themselves with vague public policy and inconsistent agreements with private property owners.
Quinlivan’s proposed pilot program has been reviewed by City administrators from six different City departments, and will be discussed at City Council’s Quality of Life Committee meeting Tuesday, June 8 at 12pm at City Hall (map). Quinlivan has the hopes to pass the legislation before City Council goes on summer recess. Free bicycle parking is available, and City Hall is served by Metro bus service (plan your trip).
Cafe de Wheels’ owner Thomas Acito is scheduled to speak at the committee meeting on behalf of the Cincinnati Food Truck Alliance.
Stay up-to-date on all of Cincinnati’s mobile food operations by following UrbanCincy’s comprehensive Twitter list.
Each year those graduating from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning put on a show of their final work for visitors from all over the nation. DAAP Works 2010 will highlight the creative work of students from the internationally acclaimed Architecture, Urban Planning, Digital Design, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Industrial Design programs.
This year’s exhibition will run from Tuesday, June 8 through Saturday, June 12. DAAP Works 2010 is free and open to the public, and is open on Tuesday from 5pm to 9pm, Wednesday through Friday from 9am to 9pm, and Saturday from 12pm to 2pm. The week-long showcase will be highlighted on Friday night with the 59th Annual Macy’s Fashion Show.
The primary DAAP Works exhibition will be held inside the Aronoff Center for Design & Art and the Meyers Gallery both located on UC’s main campus (map). Visitors will be treated to a variety of visual displays including architectural models, product design, digital animation, fashion showcases, art installations and more.
This year’s graduating class includes UrbanCincy writer, and Interior Design graduate, Jennifer Kessler. Jennifer’s final project is a design for a children’s library in Over-the-Rhine that utilizes a historic structure along Clay Street. The Children’s Library of Over-the-Rhine’s design concept is based around a nook concept and will be on display on the building’s 4000 level near the DAAP Cafe.
Considered to be one of the 50 things to do before you die, the 59th Annual Macy’s Fashion Show will take place at 8pm inside UC’s award-winning Campus Recreation Center (CRC) where another sold-out crowd of 1,500 is expected. Tickets are required for this event and cost $40 for general admission to the show or $50 for preferred seating. Tickets are also available for a cocktail reception prior to the show for $40, and the VIA After party for $20. Those unable to attend the fashion show in person are able to purchase $20 tickets for a live simulcast that includes access to the VIA After party located directly outside the CRC. All tickets can be purchased online or by calling (513) 451-6191.
Last year at this time, I too was stuck inside the Aronoff Center for Design & Art as I finished my thesis research paper on urban design and its impacts on sociological patterns, and readied my DAAP Works presentation. Students who attend the College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati know very well the rigors of the studio-based curriculum that places the college among the best design schools in the world.
This time next week the next round of students will complete their DAAP journey as they walk in their respective graduation ceremonies held at UC. In the mean time, take a quick glimpse into the DAAP Slap’d lives these students live. The video is quite comical and fun to watch. Enjoy!
If you liked this song, you might also want to check out Poolside’s Don’t Stop and Pull Me Under singles. After further investigation it appears that Poolside has a slew of songs, does live performances and even has its own label. Not sure what the full story is here, but it’s worth checking out: http://www.poolsideband.com/.
It was announced this week that Wendell Young will replace Laketa Cole on Cincinnati City Council as she leaves to take a job at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Young is a retired police officer and is currently a high school teacher in the Cincinnati Public School District. Young has run three previous City Council campaigns all of which left him on the outside looking in, but now the North Avondale resident will have his chance inside City Hall.
For Cincinnati Streetcar advocates, the departure of Laketa Cole also means the departure of her support for the modern streetcar project in the funding phases now. Much has been made of Cole’s replacement being chosen for his race or willingness to keep certain staffers around, but not much has been discussed in terms of the key issues that Young will face when he begins his new job. Cincinnati Streetcar supporters are certain to like what they hear.
“The streetcar will be a fantastic opportunity to improve our transportation options downtown,” explained Young. “It will fuel job creation and economic development throughout our city, and will help fund city services for our neighborhoods.”
Beyond his support for the Cincinnati Streetcar project, Young has also stated that fixing the City’s budget, improving neighborhoods throughout the city, and improving Cincinnati’s public safety are top concerns of his. It also appears that Young will work to improve the status of minority contracts, a primary issue with the departing Cole, and race relations as he previously served as the president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP.
“I’m also concerned about public safety. I’m a retired cop, I can’t overlook that, but the reality for me is that it doesn’t seem to matter how many police officers you have. The real crime fighters are citizens. The real crime fighters are people who are proud of their neighborhoods, and feel empowered to take care of their neighborhoods, who will not tolerate misbehavior in their neighborhoods.”
Wendell Young will serve out the remainder of Cole’s term which ends November 30, 2011 at which point Cole would have become ineligible to run again due to term limits.
“When you look at our core city one of the things that makes it attractive is the belief that we’re going to eventually get to the place where one day where people don’t have to own a car to get around, that public transportation will be good enough to get around, and that the goods and services they really want will many times will be within walking distance.”
Nearly 1,000 bicyclists will take to the streets on Sunday, June 13 to raise money for local breast cancer research conducted at the University of Cincinnati’s Barrett Cancer Institute as part of the 4th Annual Ride Cincinnati event. The bicycle ride ranges from 8.2 miles to 62.8 miles depending on the ability and desire of the participants.
