Mahatma Gandhi famously said that we must be the change we want to see in the world. As Greater Cincinnati's leading media voice for change and progress, we've tried to live those words at CityBeat. Our world has changed a bit since this paper debuted 15 years ago, and we've played a role in changing it. The back and forth has been fascinating to observe and difficult to steer.
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They say when one door closes another opens. I was reminded of that truism last week in Over-the-Rhine. Kris Sommer took me on a walking tour of new housing projects along Vine, Main, Pleasant and Republic streets, many of them developed by the company he works for, Urban Sites. In a former life, Kris was an advertising sales rep here at CityBeat.
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Fifteen years ago this week I began working on a plan to start a new weekly newspaper in Greater Cincinnati. Tom Schiff agreed to fund my business plan, and I had three months to figure out how to staff, sell ads, produce, print and distribute the paper and to project revenue and expenses for the first five to seven years.

Police expert John Linder issued a report to then-Mayor Charlie Luken in 2005 after interviewing Cincinnati Police Department employees and finding that officers didn't trust their supervisors to treat them fairly. CityBeat's Kevin Osborne might be the main reason its findings aren't completely forgotten, as he's written about department turmoil numerous times after discovering that few City Council members have ever seen the Linder Report and no one seems very interested in tracking down a copy.
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If Greater Cincinnati is a conservative region filled with tight-ass people, the Cincy Fringe Festival is a laxative. It loosens us up, gets things moving a little better and smoother. Maybe the Fringe Festival is fiber in our otherwise meat-and-potatoes cultural diet. The annual event helps balance out the rest of our stodgy, by-the-book year.
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I got to thinking recently of Cincinnati archetypes. Let's start with Creative People Who Make Interesting Things, since they basically make life worth living. Some of them host a music/art "campout" in an Over-the-Rhine building (see our Bunk Warehouse report), some start bands to play in bars around town and some work with teenagers to host a temporary Outdoor Museum in Eden Park.
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Americans proudly believe we live in a nation of laws where no one — not corporate executives, celebrities or presidents — is above the law. A place where justice is applied evenly and consistently regardless of class, wealth, race, gender or any other factor.
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Restaurants serve important functions in society in addition to serving us food. We celebrate the big moments of our lives in restaurants, from birthdays and new jobs to wedding receptions and anniversaries. Getting dressed up, spending money and being treated well at a top-notch restaurant makes any special occasion more special.
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As Earth Day arrives once again, it's comforting to know that our political leaders are safeguarding the environment for future generations. Take U.S. Rep. John Boehner, the pride of Southwestern Ohio. He says the climate changes all the time, people breathe and cows do what they do. Hey, shit happens — literally — so stop worrying.
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Is your company going to be receiving stimulus money? Will you be partnering with the state or local government to build something for your community? What, you don’t know how to become part of the stimulus program? You don’t have connections with legislators to get your idea funded? You’re not part of the club? State Sen. Eric Kearney (D-Avondale) feels your pain.
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