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The Columbia Journal October 2009
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October 19 Monthly Community Council Meeting
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Riverview East Academy
-Don Monney, Treasurer, Cincinnatians for Progress and Mark Miller, Treasurer, Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) will present their respective groups platform regarding Issue 9; the proposed charter amendment that would require a referendum or referendums before the city invests money in mass transportation projects and planning. |
NOTE: We have moved the meeting start ime to 6:30 p.m. due to the school's need to close the building by 8:30 p.m.
The door to enter Riverview East Academy will be open from 6:15 to about 6:45 for a 6:30 pm start time. Please enter by the stairway door at the entrance to the parking under the school. It's right where you enter from Stanley. We have a CTCC sign on the door. Our meeting room is at the top of these stairs, to the left. |
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CT Calendar
October 19: CTCC meeting, 6:30 p.m., Riverview East Academy, 3555 Kellogg Ave.
October 22: City of Cincinnati Comprehensive Plan Community Input Meeting, Madisonville Recreation Center, 6:00 pm
November 4: Streetcar Discussion - Lebond Recreation Center 6-8 Eastern Avenue
November 7: Riverview East Academy Market Fair, 10-3:00 pm, 3555 Kellogg Ave.
November 16: CTCC meeting, 6:30 p.m., Riverview East Academy, 3555 Kellogg Ave.
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| Columbia Tusculum Community Council Notes |
September CTCC Meeting Notes
-The start time for community council meetings has been moved to 6:30PM.
-Jim Coppock, Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering, informed the group that a bike path will connect the Lunken Trail to Carrel St. and a temporary path, with signage, will direct bikers from Carrel St. to Eastern Avenue to Congress Ave.
-The Irish American Theater Co, purchased McKinnley School.
-Council voted to support land near the Montomery Inn Boathouse as the location for the 3C rail station terminus. The vote was 17 in favor, 1 oppossed, and 0 abstaining. See more on the proposed terminus in City of Cincinnati News.
-Council chose not to take a position on the public library levy ballot issue.
-Council voted to financially support the Riverview East Academy Extreme Agency Makeover, Green the Block Project by donating $500. The vote was 17 in favor, 3 oppossed, and 2 abstaining. See more on this project in Neighborhood News. |
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CTCC Focus Areas
What does a Community Council do? The short answer is, we do what we choose to do. Community Councils are not a branch of city government. We are an independent, State of Ohio nonprofit organizations set up to promote and improve our neighborhood, and to address issues of concern to residents and business owners.
The CTCC Steering Team looked at overall objectives we've worked to address and projects now on our plate. This is a short review of the Council's focus areas identified for 2009-2010 and current projects. A few are legacy projects we maintain with long standing value to the neighborhood. Others are current initiatives.
This is by no means a fixed list. This is your chance to help shape the work of the Council and to get involved. Tell us what you think is important. Let us know of other projects you would like CTCC to consider sponsoring. Most of all, let us know where you would like to get involved in making Columbia Tusculum a better place to live and work. You can always reach us at ctcc@columbiatusculum.org.
Promote Columbia Tusculum as a community: A community newsletter and promoting the neighborhood with the biennial Historic Home Tour are both more than 25 years old. The newsletter went electronic last year. We now need to revamp our webpage and better use local media to publicize CT events and projects. We plan to install new neighborhood banners on the Parkway and use signage to announce events. We want to look at sponsoring other annual events like a local race to publicize who we are as a neighborhood.
Support Business Development: The growing group of Columbia Parkway businesses gives us a basis to kick off a new CT Business Association (see below). We've also applied for a grant to introduce another public art project; this one to bring attention to Columbia Square.
Clean, Safe, Green: Clean and green neighborhoods are inherently safer and communicate a sense of pride. CTCC maintains four beautification projects: two gateway sign parks, a pocket park at Eastern Ave. and Airport Road, and the streetscape trees and median strips around Columbia Square. We need help with some of these! With the recent uptick in crime, CTCC facilitates Neighborhood Watch groups and participation in Citizens on Patrol. We've initiated direction from the City on how to most effectively deal with unmaintained private property.
Promote consistency in zoning and integrity in building codes & public land use: We are one of the hottest neighborhoods for new construction and many of these involve zoning variance requests. CTCC is freqently asked to input to variance requests and provide letters of support. We play a watchdog role in maintaining the integrity of our historic district. City projects involve opportunities for us to input to public land use in our neighborhood: rail lines, park land useage, bike paths, public view corridors, etc.
New residents and businesses have been asking how can they get involved in the neighborhood. This is our list. We welcome and need help in all four areas. New ideas are most welcome. Whether you want to lead or participate, contact us at ctcc@columbiatusculum.org. |
Columbia Tusculum Business Association Meeting Notes
Columbia Tusculum Business Association's (CTBA) first meeting was held 9/28/09 at Allyn's. The purpose was to gauge the interest for such a group and what it wants to accomplish. The mission of the group is to serve as a resource for existing businesses in CT and to promote economic growth in our neighborhood.
There will be no dues paid for the first year. This may be modified by the assocation for future years. There was a lot of excitement, as the group discussed the following:
-listing and linking their businesses on the, soon to be arriving, new Columbia Tusculum website
-finding a project manager for the potential move and operation of the Farmer's Market to an alternative location, yet to be determined
-funding available
-a block walk stopping at various businesses
-a fall community event dedicating the mural and featuring local businesses
These ideas will be further discussed at the next meeting at 6:00 pm, October 26, 2009, at Allyn's. All business owners are invited to attend. If you have questions please contact Fran Santangelo at 513-533-CORE or fran@benefit-studio.com. |
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Forum with Candidates for Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, October 20th, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Community Action Agency - Auditorium
1740 Langdon Farm Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45237
Come meet the candidates and learn where they stand on the topics that matter most to the families of Cincinnati, including:
* Economic development and jobs
* Protecting our neighborhoods
* Youth and family programs
Questions will also be taken from the audience.
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Bicycle Master Plan Survey and Interactive Map
In the September journal we announced the recent kick-off of the City of Cincinnati planning process for a new Bicycle Master Plan. The City hopes to increase the number of cyclists in the area by making it easier for more people to choose bicycles for trips around town.
Your input has been requested! Please visit the following link, Online Survey, to participate in the Bike Plan survey. The survey will help collect information about where, how often, and why you ride, as well as what the City can do to get more people on bikes. The survey also includes a "reportcard" section that asks you to grade how the City is doing on several different aspects of creating and maintaining a healthy bicycling environment.
In addition to the survey, the City is providing an interactive map to gather comments from the public about bicycling conditions. They are looking for information about streets and routes that you use, routes you believe are bicycle-friendly, or un-friendly, and areas where you think improvements are needed. Please visit the following link, Interactive Map, to view the said map. You will need to login in order to add to the map; please use the login: bikecincy, and password bikecincy (case sensitive).
For more information about the bike plan, visit www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bikeplan.
Thank you for participating in making Cincinnati a more livable city. |
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Remaining Streetcar Information Open Houses
The City of Cincinnati is hosting a series of open houses throughout the city to provide information on the proposed modern streetcar system. City staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public and present information about topics such as what the modern streetcars look like, the economic benefits, the costs, how they operate, and the route.
Additionally, the public will be asked to provide comments on the system and particularly the "connector route" to Uptown. This is the path the streetcar will take from its downtown route to Uptown, which includes the area aroundthe University of Cincinnati, the hospitals, and the zoo. These are the city's two largest employment centers with about 130,000 workers everyday. The proposed system does not currently include a route that circulates through
the streets in Uptown.
The remaining open house schedule is:
Tuesday, October 20, 6:30-8:30 pm, College Hill Recreation Center, 5545 Belmont Ave 45224
Tuesday, October 27, 6-8 pm, Corryville Recreation Center, 2823 Eden Ave. 45219
Wednesday, November 4, 6-8 pm, LeBlond Rec Center, 2335 Riverside Drive 45202
Tuesday, November 10, 5-7 pm, City Hall, Room 115, 801 Plum Street 45202
Wednesday, November 18, 6:30-8:30 pm, Price Hill Rec Center, 959 Hawthorne Ave 45205
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Lunken Airport seen as "temporary" solution for Cincinnati's 3C Corridor station
This is an article written by Randy Sims from the 9/29/09 issue of Soapbox
Officials looking to restore passenger rail service between Ohio's largest cities have announced a temporary location near Lunken Airport for Cincinnati's primary train station for the 3-C Corridor. Previous discussions about a station near the Montgomery Inn Boathouse near Downtown were quickly squashed with concerns from nearby residents.
At the meeting held in Cincinnati just over a week ago, many Cincinnatians expressed concerns over the station not being located at Cincinnati's historic Union Terminal which is currently used for Amtrak service to Chicago and Washington D.C. Officials have long stated though that the Union Terminal location is problematic due to the enormous volume of freight rail traffic and congestion experienced along the rail lines leading to the terminal.
This is all symbolic of the "quick-start" approach that Ohio officials are using to restore the service. Over time the temporary location near Lunken Airport might eventually be replaced by a more prominent location at Union Terminal once additional funds are made available to significantly increase train capacity through Queensgate, and once upgrades are made to Union Terminal to be able to accommodate the additional passenger rail traffic.
Legislative and public affairs associate for the Ohio Environmental Council, Coby Williams says, "Union Terminal is clearly the best permanent location. Being a native of Cincinnati, I know it's a well recognized landmark. It also has existing shops and museums, and it's near downtown. There is also room for more development nearby, and of course, it's already a train station."
Williams goes on to caution that, "if Union Terminal's track conditions cannot immediately support increased traffic, and if refusing to consider a temporary station will imperil Ohio from getting federal stimulus funds, then a temporary facility, as long as it's only temporary, would be satisfactory."
Ohio officials are currently competing against a slew of states who are all looking to get a part of the roughly $8 billion available for rail projects as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. Last week, United States Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced $700,000 for the larger Ohio Hub for improving the capacity of passenger and freight trains which is seen as a critical component of the plan.
Should Ohio secure the necessary funding for the initial $517 million system connecting Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Cleveland, then train service with top speeds of 79 miles per hour (6.5 hours from Cincinnati to Cleveland) could be operational by 2011, with peak speeds of 110 miles per hour (3.5 hours from Cincinnati to Cleveland) operating within a few years after that depending on available funding. |
Cincinnati to Host Comprehensive Plan Community Input Meetings
Citizens encouraged to provide vision for Cincinnati's future!
Have a vision for Cincinnati's future development? If so, the Department of City Planning and Buildings invites you to attend one of two remaining community meetings held in October to provide input for the City's first Comprehensive Plan in 30 years.
What is a Comprehensive Plan? A Comprehensive Plan is a plan that will guide the City's neighborhood and business growth for the next 10 to 20 years. The plan contains specific recommendations that enable the City to better understand current development and plan for future improvements. As a vision for the City's future, the Plan recommends policies, prioritizes key projects, and determines implementation partners on a City-wide basis.
Additionally, an updated Comprehensive Plan allows the City to better manage and strategically apply its resources. "The development of a Comprehensive Plan for a large city like Cincinnati will act as the primary guide for the physical development of the City for many years to come," said Charles C. Graves III, Director of City Planning and Buildings.
The input and brainstorming process will take place at community meetings. The community meetings represent a critical step in the approximately 18-month comprehensive planning process, as information generated from the meetings will provide the basis for the content of the Plan. Participants will begin to identify the greatest issues and opportunities to be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. The meetings are also designed to coordinate with the Neighborhood Summit, which will take place in early 2010 and be devoted entirely to the City's Comprehensive Plan.
Information gathered at the community input meetings will provide direction for the Neighborhood Summit and act as the building blocks for the formulation of goals for the Comprehensive Plan, which will be established during the Neighborhood Summit. "It is critical for community members interested in the physical development of the City of Cincinnati to actively engage in the planning process. The completed Comprehensive Plan will, in large part, be a product of those who choose to be involved," said Graves. "The time is right for Cincinnati to critically analyze our challenges and strengths, and establish goals that will guide the future development of our City."
Attend a community meeting at one of the following locations:
October 15, 2009, 6 p.m. - College Hill Recreation Center
October 22, 2009, 6 p.m. - Madisonville Recreation Center
For more information, visit the Plan Cincinnati website at www.plancincinnati.org or call 513-352-4845. |
Criminal Investigation of 2005 Styrene Leak Incident
The Southwest Environmental Crimes Task Force, comprised of members from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati Fire Dept, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Ohio Attorney General's Office is looking to speak with residents who may have been exposed to the chemical styrene, during the styrene rail car release that occurred Aug, 28-30, 2005. Anyone with information pertaining to this event is encouraged to contact:
Lt. Rick Jones, CFD, 513-263-8227
Special Agent Victor Dvorak, U.S.E.P.A. 440-250-1764
Special Agent Brent Kirkpatrick, Ohio A.G 614-644-1921
Investigator David Combs, OEPA 937-285-6058. |
Riverview East Academy Extreme Agency Makeover Project
Each year United Way hosts Community Care Week, an opportunity for companies and groups to volunteer at agencies around the region. This fall, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati is hosting an 'Extreme Agency Makeover' Competition. Through this competition, teams of volunteers will lead projects to address an issue at a local school and implement a plan to solve the issue.
A project is being done in our area, near Riverview East Academy, to clean-up and transform an overgrown plot of land into a sustainable vegetable garden. This transformation will turn unused space into an area that will provide learning opportunities, increase safety, and foster pride for the students of the school and members of the community. The vision is to offer a space filled with flowers, fruits, and vegetables, providing students and residents the chance to garden and literally harvest the fruits of their labor. The space will be complete with a multi-use shelter area, which can be used as an outdoor classroom, neighborhhod farmer's market, or school concession stand.
The leaders of this project are looking for support in donating any of the following items or providing cash or gift cards, in which to rent or purchase the items:
*Wood chipper (for use on clean-up day)
*Building materials for picnic shelter
*Building materials for raised planters (handicap accessible) and storage shed/container
*Mulch and crushed stone (for planting beds and pathways)
*Perennials, shrubs, bushes, etc. for gardens (focusing on edible plants, vegetables, and fruits)
*Tables, seating, and demonstration area (counter) for shelter area
Building of the structures, laying out of the gardens, and planting of perennials, will occur through November 7th. Additional work will be done in spring to help the students and community fill the garden with fruits and vegetables.
On Saturday Nov. 7th, 10-3 pm, Riverview East Academy will host a Market Fair, in conjunction with completing the project. Columbia Tusculum businesses are invited to participate as vendors or to advertise their businesses.
Donations are needed now and any help is appreciated.
If you have further questions or wish to make a donation contact Gina Szweda, Project Lead, United Way Volunteer.
Phone (513) 337-3056
Cell (330) 554-4203
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Cyndi Matyi Exhibit Opening
Cincinnati artist and musician Cynthia Matyi, a Columbia-Tusculum resident for 28 years, will be featured in an upcoming solo exhibit at Hyde Park Framers in Oakley. The exhibit entitled, Our House, will emphasize approximately 30 of Matyi's original oil impressions of Columbia-Tusculum Victorian houses. Hyde Park Framers is located off Oakley Square at 3071 Madison Road, Cincinnati.
An opening reception for Our House will be held Friday, November 6, 5:00-9:00 p.m. and the exhibit will hang through December 11, 2009. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
"While the Victorian style has a definite character range, each house is so unique that I never tire of depicting the 'painted ladies' in their entire splendor," said Matyi. "The
paintings in this show are all 'happy' works and would make very affordable art gifts."
Matyi uses palette-knife technique in her landscape paintings with oil as her medium of choice. The works show a very loose brushstroke style suggestive of an Impressionist approach.
Matyi holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the College of Mt. St. Joseph (Cincinnati, 1993), and her education includes post graduate studies in Irish Language at UC. She has presented various workshops on Celtic art, history and spirituality around the country and received
a Post Corbett "Extraordinary Event" award for her work as artistic director of the Celtic Festival in 1997. Matyi has participated in many juried shows and exhibits in Cincinnati and
throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to her work as an artist, Matyi is an active member of Silver Arm - a Cincinnati music group specializing in traditional Irish music. |
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You52 Contest
Young professionals (YP's) moving around and into the city from all across the country want to know more about Cincinnati's neighborhoods and the treasures they have to offer, which is why the Housing Committee of The Mayor's Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet is bringing us the You52 Contest. This is a 60-second video competition among Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods. Each of Cincy's community councils (or another neighborhood group) have the opportunity to create a video highlighting the uniqueness of their neighborhoods & the opportunities it has to offer to Young Professionals. Mayor Mallory's Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet Housing Committee will review the videos and select the winner to be featured on Channel 12 Newsmakers. Each neighborhood gets to keep the finished product and the video will be featured on Fountain Square's Jumbotron, an opportunity that will encourage people to shop, dine and live in your neighborhood.
Representatives of each community work with Media Bridges, Cincinnati's Community Media Center learning the basics of video production and editing for this project. Matt Ackermann and Steve Sayer have been compiling a video for our neighborhood. The videos are due November 9, 2009. |
Get involved in Columbia Tusculum
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If you would like to get more involved in your community and make new friends, consider volunteering. Newsletter and Website support continue to be our top needs!!
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.
CTCC 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.
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Columbia Tusculum For Sale
Columbia Tusculum Padfolios: These black faux leather padfolios hold a standard 8 1/2 x 11 tablet on the right and have pockets of several sizes on the left. A large outer pocket and zipper enclosure make these perfect for both work and school. A large CTCC urn and flowers logo is embossed on the front, letting people know we are "Cincinnati's Oldest Neighborhood." $18.00
Let people know you're from Columbia Tusculum with a CT tote bag. This heavy organic cotton canvas tote bag holds a lot because it's 17 in. x 13 in. with deep 7 inch side panels. Something old, something new with both CT logos front and back. A classy bargain at $12.50.
To place your order: send a check & identify items ordered to CTCC, P.O. Box 26085, Cincinnati, OH 45226. Include your name, address, email address & phone #. If orders cannot be left on your porch, give delivery instructions. |
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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
Non-emergency police calls: 513-765-1212 (use this for most, nonemergency calls)
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.:
Officer Germaine Love, Neighborhood Liaison Officer 513-979-4480
Sgt. Cassandra Tucker, Unit Supervisor 513-979-4470
Lt. Joe Williams, 1st Shift Commander (7 a.m.-3 p.m.) 513-979-4438
Lt. Michael John, 2nd Shift Commander (1 p.m.-9 p.m.) 513-979-4437 Lt. John Rees, 3rd Shift Commander (9 p.m.-5 a.m.) 513-979-4439
District 2 Police Front Desk - 24 hours 513-979-4400
Street Corner Unit - 352-2555
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