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 The Columbia JournalOctober 2008 | |
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CT Calendar
Oct. 11: Cincinnati Fire Department Open House, 1-5 p.m.
Oct. 12: Columbia Tusculum Historic Homes Tour, 1-6 p.m.
Oct. 20 & Nov. 17: Monthly CTCC meetings, 7:30 p.m., Carnegie Center, 3738 Eastern Ave. |
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The Journal gets a new look!
Welcome to your neighborhood's second electronic newsletter. The Columbia Tusculum Community Council hopes you'll find this a handy & informative way to keep up with neighborhood news. Here you can:
- Track neighborhood events, meetings, news
- Learn about city actions that affect you and link to useful resources
- Discover new businesses or proposed developments
- Get to know your neighbors
- Find ways to get involved in the community
The e-Journal will be published 10 times per year. Paper editions will continue to be mailed two or three times a year. If you have only received this hard copy, sign up for monthly email updates using the button below. Please also forward this to neighbors and other interested parties for email sign-up.
-- Your Community Council |
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Historic Homes
on Tour: This Sunday, October 12, 1-6 p.m.
This year's tour features 16 historic houses and public buildings.
Enjoy live music inside many homes and an art show by neighborhood artist Cynthia Matyi at Starbucks on Columbia Parkway. Many of the works depict the rainbows of color that typify so many homes in the historic neighborhood.
Margo Warminski, preservation director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, also will lecture on local architecture at the Columbia Baptist Church, Eastern Ave. |
Tickets are $15 and available at www.columbiatusculum.org, Stanley's Pub, Allyn's and Tostado's. On the day of tour, tickets will be sold at the Carnegie Center, 3738 Eastern Ave. Don't worry about the hills! Free shuttles will be available.
New Business Open Houses
Welcome two new businesses to Columbia Tusculum at their open houses to be held during the home tour. You'll find Tusculum Therapeutic Massage, 3540 Columbia Parkway, by the sounds of Holly Spears, who is playing for this event. Thanks to owner, Bill Hulsizer, for being a sponsor of the tour! BeneFIT studio, specializing in pilates, personal training and group fitness classes will also be open at 3567 Columbia Parkway, across from Starbuck's. See the article "Spotlight on New Businesses" below for details on both new businesses.
We need more than 50 volunteers on tour day as house monitors, ticket sellers and to help keep the tour humming. If you can help out, please contact Angela Lyman at 319-7136.
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| Columbia Tusculum Community Council News |
Changes to Council by-laws approved
The Columbia Tusculum Community Council's by-laws have been revised for the first time in nearly 20 years. By-law changes were approved at the Sept. 15 council meeting. Changes include an expanded Steering Team for broader community input, with the addition of three new Director-At-Large positions.
2009 CTCC Steering Team Elections planned for Nov 17 Council meeting Are you interested in providing more direction for the Columbia Tusculum neighborhood and input to the Council? Want to get more involved in your neighborhood? Consider becoming a CTCC officer or director for 2009. A few hours a month can see your ideas put in action -- and community improvements made important to you and your neighbors.
Elections for four 2009 CTCC Officers and three Director-at-Large positions are planned for the Nov 17 Council meeting. For more information on becoming an officer or director, contact Arlene Golembiewski, CTCC president, at ctcc@columbiatusculum.org.
Beat Crime -- work with the Cincinnati Police
Lt. Williams of the Cincinnati Police has informed us of a new website they have created to make crime information and data more accessible than ever before in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Police Department has joined with Public Engines LLC to put the information on the web site www.crimereports.com.
The format captures crime data in near real time and includes all areas within Cincinnati's jurisdiction. Information is presented in a user-friendly format with a Google Maps interface, allowing a person to search for crime reports by location, date or type of offense, and to zoom in on the map with the click of a mouse. Customized reports are being developed by neighborhood. Search functions will let you investigate history of crime at specific locations. Data are loaded now as of April 1, 2008.
You can now sign up for email alerts of offenses in an area you specify. CTCC will use our email address book to quickly inform residents of unusual crime activity. This puts timely information in residents' hands to be on the look-out for crime activity -- and in turn, quickly alert the police to things they may see.
The website is up and running. To quickly zoom in, you can just enter 45226 in the location box of the front (national) page, and refine your search from there. Try it out, and use this tool to work in partnership with Cincinnati Police to fight crime. |
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Want a Neighborhood Watch group? Cincinnati Police will work with you to set one up:
- First, identify interested neighbors
- Assign a block leader
- Then, contact Officer Germaine Love, Neighborhood Liaison Officer, at 979-4480. She will help your group to get started.
Support our local Fire Department Saturday, Oct. 11, is our chance to say thanks to the Cincinnati Fire Department. All 26 Cincinnati fire stations are hosting an open house from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bring your families for a fun and informative event. Tour fire stations, see fire trucks up close, learn about fire-fighting techniques like thermal imaging and update yourself on smoke detectors.
Come out on Oct. 11 and show your appreciation. Our local fire station is Engine and Ladder No.18, 478 Wilmer Road, at Lunken Airport. You can feel free to visit any Cincinnati fire station for this open house.
Property tax relief for storm damage If you had significant storm damage from the severe winds of Sept.14, 2008, you may be eligible for property tax relief. If there is damage or demolition which will affect the value of your property for tax year 2008, payable in 2009, you may file an Application for Valuation Deduction for Destroyed or Injured Property with the Hamilton County Auditor's Office. Download the form on the Auditor's website, www.hcauditor.org. Click on "Forms," scroll to "Real Property", and download "Real Estate Destroyed or Injured Building Form."
Make your vote count! K ey election season dates are:
- Nov. 1 -- Last day to request an absentee ballot (you no longer need a reason!)
- Nov. 4 -- Election Day
New polling place: The Columbia Tusculum polling place for the Nov. 4 election has changed; it will be in the Carnegie Center on Eastern Avenue.
For additional Information on voter registration, absentee voting or polling place locations, please call (513) 632-7000.
Columbia Tusculum profiled in Soapbox.com Columbia Tusculum was the featured story for the Oct 7th issue of Soapbox Cincinnati. David Lyman, Tusculum Ave. resident, gave a personal profile of Columbia Tusculum residents and businesses for this Cincinnati on-line weekly magazine. View this insider's account at: www.soapboxmedia.com. You can subscribe to Soapbox Cincinnati for free. A new edition arrives in your inbox every Tuesday around 10 a.m.
Curbside recycling -- maximize our tax dollars
Only about 18 percent of City of Cincinnati household waste placed for curbside pick-up is recycled (paper, glass, metal, yard waste). This may be because only a little over one-third of households participate in curbside recycling with the green bins. That's lower than national averages.
Most people would agree recycling is good for the environment. It could also be good for our tax dollars if more households participated. The costs to collect, haul and transfer recyclables are currently greater than the $28/ton the city receives from recycled materials delivered -- a bout $2.1 million a year greater. A higher volume of recycling could cancel out collection costs, or even net a bit of money for the city. Eliminating $2.1 million in those costs could go a long way towards more police and fire protection, snow removal and other important city services.
Mayor Mallory issued a challenge this year to increase the number of households in neighborhoods recycling with the green recycle bins. If you do not have a green bin, call 591-6000 to receive one. If you have a bin, do your part and recycle every week. You'll help the environment and your tax dollars at the same time.
Get involved -- Volunteer opportunities
If you would like to get more involved in your community and make new friends, we have opportunities for you, right now:
- Historic Home Tour -- help on the day of event, Oct. 12.
- Columbia Tusculum Beautification -- planning, planting, weeding, watering, grass cutting around our welcome sign -- we need it all. Help keep us looking sharp. Help plan new projects for a cohesive beautification plan.
- Columbia Journal Editor and support -- Have ideas to improve the look and content of the e-Journal? Stories to contribute? We need someone to take over as Journal editor, as well as help in writing stories.
If you can help on any of these projects -- contact ctcc@columbiatusculum.org. |
| Columbia Tusculum author, Matt Ackerman
publishes children's book |
Antoine goes to Ault Park for his first time. While walking the wooded trails, Antoine sees and hears new things. He trips and falls, and something hits him on the head. This is not what he was expecting! After a visit from the creatures in the park, Antoine has a better undertanding and is ready for his next adventure. |
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Antoine's Ault Park Adventure was written by Matt Ackermann and illustrated by Frederic Pissarro. David Lyman edited the book and Carla Franke is creating a website for the book, which will be up soon. Cynthia Matyi offered Matt much advice on book publishing. All of these people are Columbia Tusculum residents. Matt is proud of the fact that the book was completely produced in the Cincinnati area. This helps to make it a "green" book and promotes local jobs. Matt and Frederic also hope the book will encourage parents to partake in outdoor activities with their children.
Antoine's Ault Park Adventure will be for sale at Starbuck's, during the Columbia Tusculum home tour. This past Saturday, Oct. 4, the book was sold at the Reggae Run in Ault Park, with all profits supporting the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Matt Ackermann, his wife, Lisa, and their 12-year-old yellow Lab, Lizzie, have lived in Columbia Tusculum since 2005. They frequently walk Lizzie on the trails at Ault Park and truly enjoy escaping into nature. These walks are the inspiration for this story. Frederic Pissarro was born and raised in Paris, France. He moved to the United States 12 years ago where he is enjoying great success with his paintings, illustrations and design. He currently teaches graphic design and illustration at the Art Institute of Cincinnati. For copies of Antoine's Ault Park Adventure, contact Matt at: mackermann@fuse.net or visit his website: www.aultparkadventure.com. The book will also be for sale at the Historic Home Tour, Oct. 12 at Starbuck's.
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| Spotlight on new CT Businesses |
Three "healthy" new businesses come to Columbia Tusculum
-- Meet owners at the October 20 Council meeting
Tusculum Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic Massage at 3540 Columbia Parkway, above 24 Hour Blinds, offers massage that helps relieve many types of pain including fibromyalgia, TMJ and repetitive-motion injuries. After several serious injuries over the years, owner Bill Hulsizer credits massage for his good health.
It was the only treatment that helped him recover from a head injury, a baseball accident in which he caught a fly ball only to bounce off a chain link fence 10 feet into the air and a car crash.
"I went to school to learn more about healing myself faster and to help others heal,'' Bill says. "Every therapist I've worked on said I gave them the best massage they ever had. I can do the same for you."
Massage is by appointment; call 505-3541. Entrance is at the rear of the building, off McDowell St.
BeneFIT Studio
Fran Santangelo is opening a new health and fitness studio on 3567 Columbia Parkway across from Starbucks (the former Tusculum Trading Company site).
It will offer personal training and group fitness, including Parallel Pilates (Jessica White's Studio) and yoga, plus weight management consultation and Metaform Massage Therapy (Angela Lucas).
BeneFIT Studio will hold an open house on Sunday, Oct. 12, during the Historic Home Tour. A new web site, www.benefit-studio.com, will be up and running soon.
Anytime Fitness
A 24-hour fitness club is under construction in Columbia Square and plans to open a 4,000-square-foot facility in 90 days. "Anytime Fitness offers a convenient and affordable exercise option for the area,'' says club owner Sean Crotty.
It will offer strength training and cardiovascular equipment as well as tanning. Members can work out any time of the day or night, even when the club is not staffed, by using a security access key. Members also will have access to any of more than 700 clubs across the country.
To reserve an Anytime Fitness membership or to find out more about the club, call Sean at 871-2424. Or e-mail to mountlookoutoh@anytimefitness.com. |
Share your favorite CT scene
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Do you have a favorite view of Columbia Tusculum to share?
A street scene, a local event, a house or landmark detail, your favorite scenic view. We'll feature a picture in each issue of the Columbia Journal and keep a file of neighborhood scenes on our website. Do you have old pictures? We'd love to see those, too. Let's archive the Columbia Tusculum we love -- old & new.
This view of Delta Avenue at Eastern Avenue submitted by Dick Macke is from the early 1900's. The horse drawn buggy is entering Delta Ave from Walworth Avenue.
Send your picture to ctcc@columbiatusculum.org. |
| Share YOUR CT News |
It's easy to send us news. Do you have a local event to tell your neighbors about? Know of someone who's won a award, a new business owner or some other noteworthy news? Send us just the facts, ma'am, (who, what, when, where plus your phone) to ctcc@columbiatusculum.org. |
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