[???]
BRIAN KELLY: After a stellar season leading the University of Cincinnati football team, Kelly said he fulfilled a personal dream by announcing his departure for Notre Dame. We’re all for following one’s dreams, so we can’t get too angry at Kelly for his lack of commitment, but we also understand the disappointment of UC players and fans. (We do not, however, approve of egging his house.) Let’s see if the coach can work the same magic in South Bend, Ind.: That will tell if he made the correct decision or is just a flash-in-the-pan.
[LOSER]
C.I.R.V.: We have to question the effectiveness of the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) after a rash of fatal shootings and street violence this month. The Queen City reached 60 homicides for the year as of mid-month, and several more shootings have occurred since then. Rather than let one out-of-town researcher — Prof. David Kennedy — call all of the shots about how the program is implemented, police need to involve more local community resources and let CIRV evolve as the community’s needs change over time.
[WINNER]
CORRYVILLE & MT. WASHINGTON: The two Cincinnati neighborhoods were chosen as recipients of the city’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program in 2010. Each will undergo a 90-day blitz in which municipal workers will pick up litter, crackdown on building and nuisance violations, and more. It’s good to see this successful city program enter its fourth year, as its proven useful in Avondale, Clifton, Evanston, Price Hill, Westwood and elsewhere.
[LOSER]
JEFF BERDING & CHRIS BORTZ: The pair of Cincinnati city councilmen refused to submit their lists of proposed budget cuts to Finance Committee Chairwoman Laketa Cole, stating the process just leads to conflict and political grandstanding. Hogwash. This pair refused to offer any suggestions during the campaign season last fall for closing a $51 million deficit, preferring to criticize the council majority instead. Now that they’re safely reelected, they’re taking the cowardly way out again. Try showing some leadership for a change.