by
03.23.2009
Have You Hugged Your School Today?
What happens when tree-huggers go to school? You get “Green & Healthy Schools.”
ALLY: Alliance for Leadership and Interconnection is a “citizen’s group providing leadership coaching and strategic guidance for policy development and implementation of environmental sustainability programs.” According to their Web site. And their first significant action in 2004 was to begin the Growing Green and Healthy Schools Network.
by
02.09.2009
Posted In: Social Justice, Public Policy, City Council, Community at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Shafting the Poor: It's What We Do
Cincinnati is once again planning to reduce, limit and even eliminate services for the most vulnerable in our community as a time when people with money are struggling. Those people who called “less fortunate” at religious services are supposedly preventing downtown from developing to its full potential.
by Kevin Osborne
09.14.2011
Explaining OTR's Messy Mound
Many motorists and pedestrians in Over-the-Rhine have wondered what it was, and now CityBeat has the answer. “It” refers to the nearly three-story high mound of dirt located at the corner of Liberty and Race streets.
The dirt, which first appeared a few months ago and has grown in size ever since, lies behind a chain-link fence on a vacant parcel. Some concrete barricades have been pushed against the fence to give it extra support at containing the mess as it expands, but stray bits of soil have spilled over onto the sidewalk and street.
by
03.25.2009
And Toto, Too?
A few rainy days hardly constitute “severe weather,” but
this is
A TORNADO is a violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm. A condensation funnel does not need to reach the ground for a tornado to be present. A debris cloud beneath a thunderstorm is all that is needed to confirm the presence of a tornado.
A TORNADO WATCH is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area. Watches are usually issued for four to eight hours. During the tornado watch, people should review tornado safety rules and be prepared to move to a place of safety if threatening weather approaches. Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or local TV or radio newscasts for up-to-date weather information.
A TORNADO WARNING is issued by the local National Weather Service when a tornado has been detected by Doppler radar or sighted by storm spotters. A tornado watch does not have to be in effect for a tornado to form. If a tornado warning is issued for your area, seek safe shelter immediately. Tornado warnings are usually issued for 30 minutes. Continue to listen to your NOAA Weather Radio or local TV or radio newscasts for up-to-date weather information.
Whether practicing a tornado drill or sheltering during a
tornado warning …
D – Go DOWN to the lowest level
U – Get UNDER something
C – COVER your head
K – KEEP in shelter until the storm has passed
- The best defense when faced with tornado warnings or any severe weather event is preparedness. Know the weather situation. Have a disaster plan. Practice the plan. Make a supply kit. Be prepared.
- Be prepared for severe weather before a storm watch or
warning is issued. Know how to turn off the water, gas and electric at the main
switches.
- If you are a person with special needs, register your name
and address with your local emergency management agency, police and/or fire
departments before any natural or man-made disaster occurs.
- The NOAA Weather Radio has alerting tools available for
people who are hearing impaired. Some weather radio receivers can be connected
to an existing home security system, similar as a doorbell, smoke detector or
other sensor. For additional information, visit the NWS NOAA Weather Radio
link.
- The safest place to be during a tornado is a basement. If
the building has no basement or cellar, go to a small, centrally located room
on the lowest level of the building, such as a bathroom or closet or interior
hallway.
- If you are in a vehicle, trailer or mobile home, get out
immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or storm
shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little or no protection from
tornadoes.
- If you are outside with no shelter, lie in a nearby ditch
or depression and cover your head with your hands. Do not seek shelter under a
highway overpass or bridge. You will be exposed to stronger winds and flying
debris.
by
04.22.2009
Posted In: Social Justice, Public Policy, News, Community, Government at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Re-Integrating Millions
Considering that the United States has incarcerated more of its citizens than any other country in the world, we’ve created a problem we can’t avoid – re-integrating millions of people into mainstream society. With restrictions on employment that bar former felons from even submitting an application for an open position, we’re creating conditions that, at best, force former offenders into lying to get jobs or returning to crime in order to survive.
by Kevin Osborne
03.09.2012
Posted In: News, Charter Committee, 2009 Election, 2011 Election, Community at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Flynn Elected as Charter President
Group endorsed him in '09, '11 elections
He might not have won in November’s Cincinnati City Council elections, but Kevin Flynn has scored a victory elsewhere.
Flynn, who ran unsuccessfully as a Charterite in the 2009 and 2011 council elections, has been selected as the president of the group that endorsed him. The Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati announced today that Flynn has been elected president of the organization, taking over for Dawn Denno, who didn’t seek reelection.
Flynn is a real-estate attorney from Mount Airy who also teaches at the University of Cincinnati's law school. He has been confined to a wheelchair since a serious automobile accident in 2002.
During his first campaign in 2009 Flynn placed 13th among 19 candidates in council elections. The top nine vote-getters are elected to the group.
Last year Flynn finished in 11th place — ahead of three incumbents who lost reelection — among 22 candidates.
Flynn is excited about the new position.
“When we see the high level of partisan politics in our national and state governments, I appreciate the independent, creative leadership Charter fosters in our city,” he said in a prepared statement. “The Charter Committee will continue to focus on bringing the best governance to Cincinnati, including thoughtful changes to the city’s Charter, and to support a budget and budget process which serves the best interests of the citizens of Cincinnati.”
Formed in 1924, the Charter Committee helped end the corrupt political machine operated by “Boss” George Cox, a Republican who dominated City Hall and local politics, arranging tasks like fixing tax rates for friends and contributors.
Charter successfully pushed to create the city manager form of government, which was designed to depoliticize the daily administrative tasks of municipal government.
by
12.03.2010
Help Lay Baldy to Rest
An account has been created at a local bank to accept donations to help pay for the funeral expenses of a homeless man who died last weekend.
William "Baldy" Floyd, 45, died late Sunday night after a fire spread through a camp near Mehring Way and Sixth Street downtown. Baldy was featured in a CityBeat cover story about homeless camps in September.
by
04.30.2009
Talkin' Trash
Not long before Earth Day, Arbor Day and other green-focused days there’s a vast call for volunteers to do all kinds of thing from trash pick up to planting more green stuff. But after it’s all done, there’s little information provided about what was accomplished.
by Kevin Osborne
02.20.2012
Recorder Accepting Griffin Yeatman Award Nominations
Honor recognizes people who work for historic preservation
If you know an individual or group that volunteers their time to preserve and promote historic documents or sites in Hamilton County, you can nominate them for an award.
The Hamilton County Recorder’s Office is accepting nominations for its annual Griffin Yeatman Award. Created in 1994, the award recognizes people who work to help others understand historic preservation and promote public interest in the topic.
Application forms may be accessed here.
Past winners include Gorman Heritage Farm, Cincinnati Police Museum, Indian Hill Historical Society, the Cincinnati Observatory and American Jewish Archives, among many others.
The award is presented for excellence in historical preservation, research or achievement that has contributed to the preservation of buildings, sites, structures and objects pertaining to Hamilton County's history.
Deadline for submissions is March 31.
Griffin Yeatman was a Cincinnati pioneer and the Hamilton County recorder from 1828-35. He ran the Square and Compass Tavern, which was visited by famous guests including George Roger Clark, Andrew Jackson and Aaron Burr. Also, Yeatman was the first recorder elected to the position by Hamilton County citizens.
by
11.16.2010
Smitherman Reelected NAACP Prez
Christopher Smitherman was elected this evening to another two-year term as president of the NAACP's Cincinnati chapter. The former Cincinnati City councilman will focus on increasing the chapter's visibility on issues of health, education and youth violence during his next term, according to a statement he released.
