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The Columbia Journal February 2009 | |
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CT Calendar
Feb. 16: CTCC meeting, 7:30 p.m., BeneFIT Studio, 3567 Columbia Pkwy
March 16: CTCC meeting, 7 p.m., Historic District Night at Riverview East Academy, 3555 Kellogg Ave.
May 3: Flying Pig Marathon's Mile 20.5 water station, Carnegie Center
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Join our Mailing List
ctcc@columbiatusculum.org
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| Taking the Council to the community
CTCC is taking its show on the road in 2009, holding some meetings in different locations in the neighborhood. We want to expose the community to local organizations and the services they provide, support our growing business district and spice up our meetings a bit.
First to host a Council meeting on February 16 will be BeneFIT Studio, a fitness and personal training studio at 3567 Columbia Parkway (across from Starbucks).
The evening's agenda will include:
7:30 - 8:30 p.m.: CTCC business meeting
8:30 - 9 p.m.: BeneFIT business overview and Q&As
9 p.m. - on: Meet at Stanley's Pub for reduced-price drinks
Fran Santangelo, BeneFIT owner, and her staff will be available to advise how you can best get in shape and address your individual problems. On hand will be a registered dietitian, 3 certified trainers, a massage therapist, 3 certified yoga/Pilates instructors, and a certified energy worker (Reiki therapist).
Also at the February meeting are The Carnegie Center Board seeking input on direction for the Center, and the Riverview East Learning Center reviewing classes available to the community and their Community Time Capsule project.
Parking is available behind the studio and at Columbia Square immediately to the side with connected stairway.
Stay tuned for CT Historic District night -- March 16, 7 p.m. Hear a Cincinnati Preservation Association presentation and learn about CT history and our historically significant buildings. This evening at Riverview East Academy will include an abbreviated CTCC business meeting. Come see our neighborhood K-12 school, now in its third academic year.
Please note, we are moving to a 7 p.m. starting time for CTCC meetings, as of the March 16 meeting. |
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Columbia Tusculum Focus On ...
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The economic downturn: how has it affected our community?
When the economy goes down, it's fairly predictable that crime will go up. It's also understandable that nonprofit groups serving the lower income segment of the community can be hit the hardest when times are tough. Read on in this month's newsletter about crime in CT, what we can do about it and who needs our help.
How to reduce the risk of crime |
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Cincinnati Police regularly provide crime statistics for our neighborhood. The good news is we remain one of the lowest crime areas in the city, second only to Mt. Lookout. The bad news is crime, even in CT, is going up as of the end of 2008.
Crime type and frequency are calculated over a seven-year period for average crime rates. CT has a "normal" monthly car theft rate of 0 to 1, and a monthly rate for other thefts (grand and petit) of 0-6. In December 2008, CT experienced 4 car thefts and 13 other thefts (home/business, thefts from garages, property, construction sites and robberies on the street). All December incidents occurred from Columbia Parkway south to Kellogg Avenue. One felonious assault occurred on Eastern Avenue north of Wortman Avenue (considered the Linwood neighborhood).
January 2008 numbers appear to be down, but still higher than typical norms. (Maybe it's been too cold even for criminals to be out and about.) We can reasonably assume increased crime rates will continue as we progress into 2009.
We can, however, reduce risk of crime in our neighborhood. Cincinnati Police emphasize community involvement and being proactive as the best crime deterrents. So, what can each of us do?
Protect your home, car and property:
** Keep your home, garage and car locked at all times. See article below for additional details on avoiding car theft, our "hot spot."
** Install motion detection lights on your house and/or garage. Hyde Park neighbors with a rash of break-ins cite this as a key in stopping crime.
** Make your house look lived in when not there: lights and radio on timers. Let neighbors know you're out of town. Have papers and mail picked up.
Be proactive:
** Sign up for email alerts on www.crimereports.com for almost real-time information on crimes in your area. Forewarned is forearmed. Just enter 45226 as location on the website's front page and follow from there. ** Participate in a Neighborhood Watch group for your street. Don't have one? Talk with your neighbors and agree on who can lead one. It's simple. Then contact Officer Germaine Love, our community liaison officer, at 979-4480 or germaine.love@cincinnati-oh.gov. ** If you see suspicious behaviors or evidence of possible criminal activity anywhere, inform the police. See end of the newsletter for phone numbers to keep handy.
Do more:
** Cincinnati Police sponsor a Citizens on Patrol program (COPP) as part of the community-oriented policing strategy. Volunteers patrol their neighborhoods around problem areas, acting as the eyes and ears of the police. COPP units deter crime by their presence and visibility to the public. Using police radios and cell phones, team members communicate directly with officers and report crimes in progress. The COPP units also report quality of life issues that contribute to criminal activity. Volunteers may also give feedback on home or car crime prevention "readiness."
COPP volunteers complete 12 hours of classroom training and an 8-hour ride-along with a police officer. Volunteers need to be available at least three hours per month for patrols. Riding, biking and walking patrols are available with at least three volunteers.
If you have more questions or are interested in becoming a Citizen on Patrol, contact Jack Karsh, COPP volunteer coordinator, for the Lunken area at 871-1111. Jack will at the Feb. 16 CTCC meeting to answer questions. The next training session is scheduled for March 13.
Do you have more questions on crime activity and prevention in Columbia Tusculum? Bring them to CTCC monthly meetings for discussion with Cincinnati Police (they're always there), contact Officer Love directly, or email us at ctcc@columbiatusuclum.org.
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| Columbia Tusculum Community Council News |
Expanded CTCC Steering Team installed for 2009
By-law changes in 2008 expanded the CTCC Steering Team from four to seven members. Individuals for two open director positions were nominated and approved at the January Council meeting:
-- Fran Santangelo, owner of the BeneFIT Studio on Columbia Parkway
-- Beth Fiore, Missouri Avenue resident.
Two positions approved at the November 2008 meeting were rearranged and again approved. Matt Ackermann, McDowell Street resident and 2009 treasurer, became 2009 vice president, an open position. Josh Phillips, Walworth Avenue resident and director, was approved as 2009 treasurer. The team agreed to share duties for a seventh unfilled position of secretary.
With Arlene Golembiewski, President, and Andy Holzhauser, Director, this gives us six enthusiastic and committed Steering Team members ready to lead the way for 2009. Feel free to contact any Steering Team member with any issues you have, especially if you are unable to attend monthly Council meetings.
The Carnegie Center Board of Directors seek input
The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum is a nonprofit organization separate from the Columbia Tusculum Community Council. Its Board of Directors is currently reviewing the organization's goals and objectives for the operation of the Carnegie Center. The Board wants input into what the Carnegie Center has meant to people in the past and what they envision for the Center's future. You're encouraged to "be creative" in your input.
Board members will be at the Community Council meeting on February 16 for a brief discussion on what they have been working on over the past year. They will hold their annual meeting in the Carnegie Center EAST basement on February 26. Look forward to the Carnegie Center engaging the community in the coming months. Expect to see change.
Historic District Night: hold your calendar open for March 16, 7 p.m.
Margo Warminski of the Cincinnati Preservation Association spoke on the history of Columbia Tusculum and its architecture at the October 2008 Historic Home Tour. For those of you who missed this informative and fun talk, Margo has agreed to come back again for our March 16 Council meeting. Other topics we'll cover are:
-- Update on current city Historic District Guidelines and how they affect property owners
-- What is the Federal Historic Registry and which CT properties are registered; what's involved if you wish to register a home
-- Owners of historically significant buildings will be invited to give a little history on their homes. Any property owner can share their "extreme home make-over."
Do you have an "extreme home makeover" or remodeling you can share? Just a few pictures (digital if possible) and a few words are all we need. Let us appreciate the work you or previous owners have done.
Note, this meeting will be held at Riverview East Academy beginning at 7 p.m. with an abbreviated business meeting.
Do you have specific questions on our historic district? Send them in advance to ctcc@columbiatusculum.org. This will allow us to get a head start on finding information.
Flying Pig Marathon Mile 20.5 Water Station
CTCC will once again take charge of staffing a water station for the Flying Pig marathon on Sunday, May 3. See the whole spectacle of the race from a front-row seat in front of the Carnegie Center.
Fran Santangelo, CTCC director, will organize the water station. She needs 30-40 volunteers to set up/clean up and hand out water to runners. It's a lot of fun and you'll receive a 2009 Flying Pig marathon T-shirt.
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Are you feeling comfortable with your own economic situation and wondering how to lend a hand to those less fortunate? Here's a worthwhile nonprofit group helping lower-income people in our own Columbia Tusculum backyard -- and how you can assist:
There's no sign announcing the Parkside Christian Church's Outreach Ministry and Wellness Center on Eastern Avenue near Tusculum Avenue, just a plain wooden cross in a window. But without advertising, the two small side-by-side storefronts help up to 200 area families a month with emergency food, clothing, medical aid and mentoring and spiritual support. Parkside, a nondenominational church on Salem Road in Anderson Township, has been reaching out to an underserved population for nearly 25 years.
Newer residents in Columbia Tusculum may not be aware of the East End's history and the fact that for generations, it has been the home of people with roots in Appalachia. Those who remain are working poor or retired, says center director Jennifer Cowgill, who has held the part-time job for 22 years. Many are grandparents raising grandchildren. The country's economic slide has been tough for folks who just hang on with minimum-wage or part-time jobs and see their hours cut, she said. Sometimes they need help to make it to the end of the month.
That's why the highly organized outreach center's 84 volunteers work hard to be careful stewards of the donations and grants it receives. "Nothing goes to waste,'' Jennifer says. "We even recycle rubber bands." And donated clothing that isn't used here is shipped by the church to charities in Ukraine, says Stu Carey, a volunteer coordinator of the clothing program along with his wife, Jean. They no longer have room for furniture but can make referrals to find some.
The center gets some financial help from the Mount Washington Presbyterian Church and Mount Carmel Christian Church. It also coordinates with other Cincinnati social services, such as the Freestore Foodbank, of which it's a member, and United Way 211, a telephone referral system for human services. The food bank helped the outreach team determine which ZIP codes were underserved, Jean said.
So, people who get help from Parkside's outreach center must live in the 45226, -230, -206 or part of the -202 ZIP codes. Proof of residency and applications are required.
The volunteers make every effort to help those with multiple problems get on their feet, using their computer to help with job searches or to find shelter. "We network with the (Greater Cincinnati) Coalition for the Homeless,'' Jennifer adds. "There were seven homeless people on the riverbank last year. This year, zero."
One volunteer, a Cincinnati Christian University student, became a legal guardian of a homeless mentally ill man. Now, the man gets benefits he didn't know he was eligible for, including Social Security disability income, and has housing.
Five years ago, the Parkside group opened a wellness center. There are no geographic restrictions for the free clinic, Jennifer said, because "there's not another one like it anywhere around." A volunteer registered nurse sees patients and can make referrals to optometrists and dentists who donate their services. Over-the-counter health supplies come from Freestore and the nurse can test for diabetes and advise clients on healthier eating.
The center's volunteers enjoy organizing a toy giveaway every Christmas, for which applications are required. And in the fall, they give school children new coats and shoes, says Jean, who also leads a Bible study group called the Soul Sisters. Her dedication to the center was cinched one fall years ago, when a little girl about 6 came in. Her only wish was a pair of pink tennis shoes.
Jean found some and she "lit up like a Christmas tree,'' Jennifer recalls. "Then the little girl hugged Jean so hard, she almost knocked her over."
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The Parkside Outreach Center can especially use these donations: |
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**Sugar-free foods and low-salt soups, canned tuna
**New bed pillows, clean bedding, low-heeled shoes, black slacks for men and women (for work)
**Toiletries including basic shampoo, bar soap, deodorant and dish detergent
**Mail checks to 3710 Eastern Ave., Cincinnati 45226
NOTE: The center is open different limited hours Monday-Thursday. Call ahead at 871-8611.
We'll continue to report on local organizations needing our help. If you know of one you would like to publicize, tell us at www.columbiatusculum.org.
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Columbia Tusculum People in the News
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Meet Columbia Tusculum's newest business owner: Fran Santangelo
Fran opened BeneFIT Studio, a family-oriented exercise and wellness center, at 3567 Columbia Parkway a few months ago because she loves the neighborhood. "It has such unique character." The 30-year-old Hyde Park native also has volunteered to serve on the Columbia Tusculum Community Council and is looking for an apartment in the area. Her studio also is unique.
"We call it a fitness and wellness boutique,'' because it specializes in personal attention and small classes, she says. "People like the cozy spaces. It's not your usual fitness center, with a lot of people staring at you.''
Fran started out very young as a competitive gymnast until she was sidelined by a back injury. Then, in high school, she met a personal trainer and learned how to stay strong and healthy. "My passion for fitness grew" and so did her interest in helping young people, she says.
She has produced a fitness DVD for teens called "More Power 2 U Fitness" that's available on Amazon.com. She previously worked with Cincinnati Action Center, a multi-sports facility for kids and teens that lost its lease on Duck Creek Road last year.
Now, she has assembled a team to help people at every age and level of fitness. Consultations are available with her or two other personal trainers on staff. "We can check in with someone's doctor or chiropractor" to make sure an exercise plan is right for them, Fran says.
Other professionals at BeneFIT offer Metaform massage, Pilates and yoga instruction and even military-style workouts for the hard core. For more information and class schedules, visit www.benefit-studio.com or call 533-2673.
CT residents featured in Footlighters production of "1776"
Mark and Amy Waldfogle, Morris Place residents, will be appearing in the Footlighters, Inc. production of *1776*. Shows are scheduled through the third week in February.
 The show "1776" is often not done because there are so many men's parts and only two women's parts. "We're all pretty excited," Amy said, "to be doing a show about the founding of our government so close to the inauguration of our first minority president. That connection is especially felt since the issue of black slavery is a major plot point for the story of the show."
Mark is playing Josiah Bartlett and Amy, Abigail Adams. Plays are presented in the Stained Glass Theatre, a converted church at 802 York St., Newport, KY.
Tickets are available online at www.footlighters.org.
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Columbia Tusculum Neighborhood Yahoo Group created
Who hasn't at sometime wished they had an easy way to query neighbors with the need of the week? A recommendation on a pet sitter, a baby sitter, a reliable painter or chimney sweep for our old houses. A quick loan of a chain saw to take out a fallen tree limb. Your car's in the shop and you need a ride across town to work. Last minute tickets you can't use and want to give away. Something you want to to sell. A used treadmill you need to walk off those extra winter pounds. You see a problem and want to know who else is experiencing it and would work with you to resolve it, like speeding cars on your street.
Thanks to Missouri Avenue resident Mark Sickmiler, we now have an easy way to answer these and other questions. Mark has set up a CT Yahoo Group you can sign up for.
If you are not now a Yahoo Group member, you will first need to sign up on Yahoo's Group page. Then connect to the CT group. You can do both from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/columbiatusculum/
Thanks again to Mark for initiating this great idea and giving us something we can all really use.
Riverview East Community Learning Center
Riverview East Academy, a K-12 Cincinnati public school at 3555 Kellogg Ave., includes a community learning center with classes and activities for the whole community. Patrice Tiggs, Learning Center Resource Coordinator will be at the February 16 Council meeting to review the classes and programs available.
Patrice will also discuss the Center's Community Time Capsule project and request documents and objects for the Capsule. Today's everyday objects are tommorrow's artifacts. How would you profile Columbia Tusculum for generations to come?
Community Winter Specials:
Clay Play and Pottery
Mondays, 3:30- 4:30 p.m., grades 3-6
3rd Wednesday of each month, 4:30- 5:30 p.m., teens and adults
Power Walk with the Wellness Team
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30-4 p.m.; Wednesdays until 6 p.m., all ages welcome
Write Now: Strengthen your writing skills
Thursdays, 2:30-3:30 p.m., especially for teens and adults
Basic Computer Skills for Older Adults By appointment, contact Mr. Willis, 403-1897
Coming Soon:
Ride Riverview Ride Bike riders will kick off National Bike Month on May 2
Healthy Kids Day Math and Science Carnival May 16
East Side Time Capsule Historical documents and objects can be submitted by the community
Riverview East Academy's very first graduation May 28
For more information contact: Patrice Tiggs, Resource Coordinator, Riverview East Academy Community Learning Center, ptiggs@cincinnatiymca.org or 363-3489.
Home Foreclosure Hotlines
Are you concerned about possible home foreclosure? Hotline counselors are available to discuss your problems and recommend solutions. Banks are recognizing it's to their advantage to keep homeowners in their homes. Call a counselor now to help you plan your options.
** NeighborWorks -- 24-hour hotline with HUD certified counselors, 1.888-995.HOPE
** State of Ohio -- Save the Dream 1.888.404.4674
** Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, 241-9100
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Get involved in Columbia Tusculum
If you would like to get more involved in your community and make new friends, we have volunteer opportunities for you:
- Flying Pig Water Station: Help set up/clean up and hand out water to runners. Interested volunteers can confirm with franniesantangelo@yahoo.com or 484-3395.
- Beautification Committee: Planning, planting, weeding, watering, grass cutting around our gateway welcome sign -- we need it all. Help this group over the winter 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.
- Website development: Help update the organization and maintain content for www.columbiatusculum.org.
- Special project help: Is your time limited, but still willing to help on an ad hoc basis? We can match you with current needs. Let us know your time availability or the kind of skills you have to offer.
Contact ctcc@columbiatusculum.org if you can help on any of these.
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Protect yourself from car theft
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Practical advice from Cincinnati Police on protecting your car from thieves
** Always take your keys out of your vehicle.
** Always lock you car.
** Park in well-lit areas and attended lots.
** Leave only the ignition/door key with attendants.
** Completely close car windows when parked.
** Leave no valuables in plain view (only in trunk).
** Use your garage. Lock vehicle and garage doors.
** Replace T-shaped locks with straight locks.
** Engrave expensive items left in car.
** Use tire/wheel locks.
** Install an audible alarm.
** Take out removable radio and face plates.
** Avoid parking between large vehicles acting as
cover.
** Do not approach your car when a stranger is
near it. Call 911 or security for an escort.
** Be aware garage door openers mounted in cars
work and open garages when car is turned off.
Typical entry methods include:
** Breaking glass
** Doors left unlocked
** Pried/jimmied
** Windows rolled down or half way
** Window vents, sunroofs, sliding windows left open
Watch for suspicious actions:
** Pulling door handles; looking in windows
** Checking alarms by hitting or bumping windows or bumpers
** Odd clothing for time of year (coat in summer)
** Look-outs, person looking nervous
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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 an award, started a new business or some other noteworthy news? |
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Important phone numbers:
Emergency Calls: 911
NonEmergency Police Calls: 513.765.1212
8am - 4 pm:
Officer Germaine Love, Neighborhood Liason Officer 513.979.4480
Sergeant Cassandra Tucker, Unit Supervisor 513.979.4470
Lt. Joe Williams, 1st Shift Commander (7am-3pm) 513. 979.4438
Lt. Michael John, 2nd Shift Commander (1pm-9pm) 513.979.4437
Lt. John Rees, 3rd Shift Commander (9pm-5am) 513.979.4439
District 2 Police Front Desk - 24 hours 513.979.4400
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