Tag: Cincinnati

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Arts & Entertainment News

Cincinnati to celebrate 115th German Day this weekend

The German-American Citizens League (GACL) will be celebrating the 115th Anniversary of the celebration of German Day this weekend in Cincinnati’s center city which has also historically served as the heart of Cincinnati’s German heritage along with the nation’s.

“The celebration is one of the oldest German Day celebrations in the United States, which is not surprising since Cincinnati is one of the three major German heritage urban centers along with Milwaukee and St. Louis,” explained Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzman, President, GACL.

The festivities will kick off on Saturday, June 5 at 11am at historic Findlay Market (map) in Over-the-Rhine with the annual parade and opening ceremonies. The ceremonies will include representatives from Cincinnati-area German-American societies, a discussion on the German heritage of Findlay Market, and German dance and singing performances.

The weekend celebrations will continue on Sunday at Hofbräuhaus Newport (map) where the GACL will offer hourly raffle prizes throughout the day, and a grand raffle at 5:30pm.  All proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit the German Heritage Museum.

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Development News Transportation

Cincinnati installs new bicycle racks inside Fountain Square Garage

Photo by Thadd Fiala
Photo by Thadd Fiala

As part of Cincinnati’s commitment to improving the city’s bicycling community, the City has installed a new mounted bicycle rack inside of the Fountain Square Parking Garage in downtown Cincinnati. The bicycle rack is the first of what will be a wave of new bicycle parking facilities inside existing City-owned garages.

In February, Cincinnati’s Planning Commission approved a bicycle parking ordinance that will require all new or expanded parking garages to provide bicycle parking. The ordinance would specifically require that one bicycle parking space be provided for every 20 motor vehicle spaces. The ratio is comparable to those found in other cities like Portland, New York City, Charlotte, San Francisco, Kansas City and Denver which have all recently implemented similar ordinances.

The Fountain Square Parking Garage currently holds 635 parking spaces for automobiles which would mean should it be constructed today, the garage would be required to provide 24 bicycle parking spaces due to the 24-space cap included in the new ordinance for large parking garages. The new bicycle parking ordinance is the first of its kind in the region and is intended to tackle the problem of a lack of secured, covered bicycle parking spaces in Cincinnati’s center city.

The new rack inside the Fountain Square Parking Garage holds 12 bicycles, cost approximately $1,400 and was paid for through the City’s existing Bicycle Transportation Program. Officials from the City’s Department of Transportation & Engineering say that preliminary discussions are underway to incorporate more of these racks in other City-owned garages, but that public feedback would be helpful as officials determine where to locate them next.

Please share your thoughts on where the City should install these bicycle racks next in the comment section below, by filling out a form on the City’s website, or by calling (513) 591-6000.


View City-Owned Parking Garages in a larger map

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Arts & Entertainment News

Emanuel Community Center to host six-week photography class

The Emanuel Community Center will be hosting a six-part digital photography class this summer that will focus on lighting, composition and technical controls of digital cameras in a way to help those participating develop their own artistic touch. The class will be instructed by David Rosenthal who is the founder and director of Prairie, Inc. and an adjunct instructor of Fine Arts at the University of Cincinnati.

The six-week long class will take place at the Emanuel Community Center (map), but will also take participants on several outings to Music Hall, Findlay Market, the Gateway Quarter and Washington Park in order to introduce the architectural, social and cultural assets of historic Over-the-Rhine.

The class will run from Tuesday, June 22 through Tuesday, August 3 and will take place from 6:30pm to 8pm. Registration costs $120, with only 15 available slots, and can be made by contacting Jenny Mendelson at (513) 241-2563 or eccinfo@emanuelcenter.org.

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News Transportation

New Metro communication system to include real-time arrival information

Thanks to $8.4 million in federal funding made possible through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will be updating Metro’s outdated communication system. The new system from Trapeze ITS will include automated vehicle location utilizing GPS technology, improved radio communications between buses and central dispatch, and new customer information options.

“It is critical that we replace our current outdated system,” said Marilyn Shazor, Metro’s CEO. “The new transit communications system will support our efforts to improve efficiency, enhance safety, and increase customer satisfaction.”

Metro officials expect the new system to be fully operational by late 2011 and to connect the transit agency’s 337 buses, 55 Access vehicles and supervisor vehicles to central dispatch. Once implemented, the new Trapeze ITS system will improve daily operations and emergency response coordination with police, fire and medical.

Customers will benefit most profoundly from real-time arrival and departure information that will be available at Metro’s Government Square transit hub and several other key locations throughout the city. The new real-time arrival and departure information will be available on users’ smart phones and PDAs.

The updated communication system is one of a number of upgrades the transit agency has been wanting to make including a new modernized fare payment system that have all been contingent upon available funding.  Future technological improvements are envisioned by Metro officials to improve the bus system’s operations and overall functionality, but will need the help of additional federal and/or state funding to make them reality.

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

‘Eat Local for the Globe’ at Rookwood Pottery – 6/10

From the Cincinnati Business Courier:

If you’re the kind of person who worries about just how far your green beans had to travel before they made it onto your plate, then this dinner is for you.

The Corporation for Findlay Market will host the “Eat Local for the Globe” event from 5:30pm to 11pm June 10 at Rookwood Pottery. The event is limited to 100 guests, and they will get a five-course “locally sourced” meal prepared by chefs Luke Radkey and Jody Miller along with wine and live music. The cost is $45 per person.

“Purchasing locally grown products provides a boon to the local economy,” Karen Kahle, resource development director at the Corporation for Findlay Market, said in a news release. “‘Eat Local for the Globe’ is a unique event highlighting the talents of local chefs and ingredients.”

Get all the details, and read the full story from Lucy May here.