buildingcincinnati

From the 12/7/06 Dispatch: GRAPHIC: Shifting priorities 7 schools on Columbus’ closing list Thursday, December 07, 2006 Bill Bush THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A task force yesterday named seven Columbus Public Schools that could close at the end of this school year because of falling district enrollment. The task force, which had identified nine possibilities last week, yesterday trimmed the list while continuing to discuss how changing enrollment trends should affect the next phase of the district’s $1.6 billion project to update all of its school buildings. After reviewing criteria such as enrollment trends and spare capacity needed to transfer students to nearby schools, the task force targeted four elementary schools and three middle schools for possible closure. They are: Douglas Alternative, Fifth Avenue Alternative, Linden Park I.G.E. Alternative and Medary elementary schools, and Eastmoor, Linmoor and Medina middle schools. The panel removed two alternative middle schools, Franklin and Monroe, from the preliminary list because each had waiting lists of more than 100 students trying to gain admission. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/07/20061207-D1-03.html

From the 11/30/06 Dispatch: GRAPHIC: Forward and back GRAPHIC: Possible closings RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COLUMBUS Schools come, go on district building plan Thursday, November 30, 2006 Bill Bush THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus Public Schools proposed yesterday a reshuffling of its priorities concerning which schools to fix up or rebuild next as part of its $1.6 billion construction plan, citing changing enrollment and more pressing needs. Twelve schools would get knocked off the next segment to make room for eight new projects — including a new school to serve growing Northeast Side subdivisions. The list revising the 2002 plan was presented to a community task force that also will help decide what schools should close because of the district’s falling enrollment. Yesterday, the task force identified nine schools that could close before next school year, but that is sure to change. Any proposals for closing schools and rebuild- ing others are to be delivered to the school board by early January. read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/11/30/20061130-A1-04.html

From SNP newspapers, 11/22/06: Enrollment issues again affect facilities planning By GARTH BISHOP As the committee studying Columbus Public Schools' Facilities Master Plan considers new buildings and innovative programs, the spectre of school closings looms over the proceedings. The district has lost almost 3,500 students during the past year, and more losses are expected this year. Last year, Columbus closed 12 school buildings to save money because of declining enrollment and other factors. Though the committee studying the Facilities Master Plan's first priority is on 21st century schools and assigning appropriate academic programs to the school buildings that have to be constructed, somewhere down the line, the committee will examine the possibility of closing more schools. District leaders have drafted a template that can be applied to schools to determine whether it might be a good idea to close them. It is similar to the template used last year, but unlike last year, the success of buildings' academic programs will be taken into consideration. The template has eight essential criteria that each examined school must meet before being considered for closing. These include low enrollment -- under 400 for elementary schools, under 600 for middle schools and under 800 for high schools -- as well as declining enrollment during the past three years and expected further declines. Read more at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS11-22/11-22_colcpsclosings.html

From ThisWeek Clintonville, 12/7/06: ThisWeek Clintonville: Taking it to state level (11/30/06) Legislators have until Dec. 19 to affect land sale Thursday, December 7, 2006 By RANDY NAVAROLI ThisWeek Staff Writer Two area legislators say they could kill the controversial sale of property willed to The Ohio State University by pulling it from an omnibus bill being considered in the state legislature's current lame-duck session, which ends Dec. 19. State Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus) and state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) are in a position to remove the sale of the property from the pending bill. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=clintonville&story=sites/thisweeknews/120706/Clintonville/News/120706-News-274535.html

Work progressing on new schools in Defiance, Hicksville Defiance Crescent-News, 12/8/06 In the next two years, Defiance County will boast two new state-of-the-art school buildings, an elementary school facility for Defiance City Schools and a K-12 building to house students in the Hicksville Exempted Village School District. Both will be constructed with local funding as well as state dollars from the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC). Two other fairly new schools in the county include elementary schools for Northeastern Local and Central Local schools. In Defiance, work on the $21,886,000 pre-K through fifth-grade building to be constructed along Carter Road could begin in late April with bids opening in February, noted assistant superintendent Ian MacGregor. Barring any construction hitches, the move to the new building "could come any time between Dec. 26, 2008, and Jan. 16, 2009," he said.

From the 12/5/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Mary Beth Brestel, manager of the science and technology department, works in the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. As the library changes in the future, more searches will be self-directed by patrons. The Enquirer/Gary Landers Main library ready for overhaul Changes aimed at improving service BY LORI KURTZMAN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER You enter through the automatic doors, slightly confused. You're not sure what you want and you haven't a clue where to find it. So you fiddle with the racks. You pace up and down the aisles. Finally you hear a voice - "Can I help you?" - and you look up to see a smiling face, a name badge and a headset. Help has arrived. Sounds a little like Old Navy, but this is not a clothing store. This is the future of the downtown library, which is about to undergo a restructuring that will change the way it addresses customer needs - which have shifted dramatically since the library opened 50 years ago at Eighth and Vine streets. The Main Library for the 21st Century plan - ML/21 for short - calls for nearly $1 million in physical changes. These include creation of a first-floor "popular library" that would house high-demand materials, including DVDs, CDs and fiction books, and the installation of informational kiosks throughout the building. Other additions include a center to hold programs and collections geared toward teens, a homework help space and a technology centerstaffed with computer-savvy workers. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061205/NEWS01/612050333/1056/COL02 From the 12/5/06 Eastern Hills Journal: Chestnut Street office plan on hold for now BY LIZ CAREY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MARIEMONT - Mayor Dan Policastro said his investigation into plans to develop an area on Chestnut Street are on hold until after the Resthaven Barn project is under way. Policastro said in October he would investigate the possibility of allowing a developer to put office buildings along a stretch of Chestnut Street and Plainville Road. However, attention must be paid now to the Resthaven Barn renovation. Last month, the Women's Art Club of Cincinnati Foundation bid $55,000 to renovate the Resthaven Barn. On Nov. 28, Policastro raised concerns over whether the group could do the proposed project. Since the bid for the Resthaven Barn has come into question, he said any work on the Chestnut Street area would have to wait. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061205/NEWS01/612050329/1090/Local

From the 12/5/06 Hamilton JournalNews: Cincinnati Enquirer: Lakota parents plan to protest redistricting (11/29/06) Hamilton JournalNews: Feedback could influence redistricting (11/23/06) Lakota parents petition over redistricting plan By Lindsey Hilty Staff Writer Monday, December 04, 2006 LIBERTY TWP. — Lakota schools are redistricting for the long-term, the board stressed Monday night during an emotion-filled meeting that drew about 100 residents concerned with the district's plan. Two neighborhoods presented petitions to the board and several spoke of their frustration about the proposed changes, which are expected to be voted on Dec. 18. "We are asking for a town hall meeting to the board for the whole district to let people voice their concerns for more than three minutes," said parent Richard Martin. The concern expressed by residents shows how much they care about the schools, said Lakota Local School District Board President Joan Powell. "It is an absolute wonderful problem that we have in this district that so many people love their schools," Powell said. However, she stressed that change is necessary to ensure all students get an excellent education and the board meetings are the place people are able to express concerns. She said even at town hall meetings there are three minute limits. While many parents are upset with the redistricting plan, Lakota spokesman Jon Weidlich said they are in the minority. Of the 400 parents that responded to the district's survey, the majority approved of the plan developed by 30 parents representing every Lakota elementary school. The changes have been recommended to eliminate overcrowding issues within the community, district officials have said. Parent Kristen Smith of West Chester Twp., who was not at the board meeting, said earlier Monday she volunteers in the schools and has known about the process since the district's planning committee was formed. "To get involved this late in the game and point the finger — it's just unreasonable," Smith said. "If you want to affect change, you need to get involved at the beginning, not the end." Smith attended the open houses to see what the final result would be, and she said the committee talked to concerned residents. "Negative people can be very loud, so I guess I would just loudly say, get involved earlier." That would have eliminated the "knee-jerk reaction" which Smith said led some residents to mistrust the district's decision. Parent Belinda Billisits, who also did not attend the meeting, agreed. "We felt like (committee members) were very, very open to listen to us," she said. Billisits was part of a neighborhood that was concerned with the redistricting change, which would have caused their kindergartners to move four times in four years. There were also some issues with distance and splitting from the rest of the Union Elementary population. She said neighborhood parents met as a group to discuss the subject and then submitted a feedback letter to the committee asking "very nicely" for a re-evaluation. There was a hope it would be considered, Billisits said, but the group agreed to accept the proposal even if no changes were made. "Part of living in Lakota is accepting change," she said. The committee did reconsider the neighborhood's problem and made the changes necessary to send the small group of children to another schools. Billistits said she has lived through multiple redistrictings in the 18 years she has been in the Lakota district. "Kids handle it awesome," she said. "Parents have a really hard time. There's not a bad school in Lakota." In other business, the board voted to approve five bids for the construction projects at the east and west high schools. Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or [email protected] http://www.journal-news.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/04/hjn120506lakboeweb.html From the 12/7/06 Pulse-Journal: Cincinnati Enquirer: Liberty business limit is extended (12/2/06) Pulse-Journal: Liberty raises roof on development (11/23/06) Petition puts overlay on ballot Liberty Twp. investigating how signatures were acquired. By Eric Schwartzberg Staff Writer Thursday, December 07, 2006 Liberty Twp. residents will get to vote next year on an overlay district approved by trustees in September. Butler County Board of Elections validated Tuesday enough signatures to put the overlay up for referendum in November, said deputy director Betty McGary. The Cincinnati-Dayton Corridor Overlay District would have put new, stricter development regulations on top of the township's existing zoning code. But Steve Miller, manager of SPM Real Estate Georgesville, submitted 1,355 signatures to the township Oct. 17, putting the overlay district on hold until the board of elections could validate those signatures. The board of elections validated 1,060 of those signatures, McGary said. Administrator Dina Minneci confirmed that the township's legal counsel is investigating how the signatures on the petitions were acquired. "Due to the complaints and concerns we received from dozens of residents, we just feel more investigation is needed to ensure their rights are being protected and the information provided to them was accurate," Minneci said. A moratorium on development in the proposed district that began in July remains in effect. Set to expire Nov. 23, trustees last month extended the original 120-day "time-out" an additional 60 days until Jan. 22. The "time-out" freezes all development within the district, except for existing office space and retail businesses or properties already in various stages of the zoning process. SPM was working with Procter & Gamble this summer on a prototype car wash for the Liberty Commons shopping center when trustees enacted the 120-day "time-out," Miller said. The township's zoning department then denied his two applications for zoning permits that were filed under the old code. Trustee President Christine Matacic said the overlay district is part of the township's efforts to plan for the next 15 years so it can afford the services businesses and residents need. "We're trying to balance the growth, so the impact of the tax burden on residents is not as great," she said. Four new overlay districts approved by trustees Monday are scheduled to go into effect Jan. 4. The new overlay districts — which start at Princeton Road and extend south until Hamilton-Mason Road — include all the land included in the original overlay district. Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5126 or [email protected]. http://www.pulsejournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/06/pjw120706petition.html

From the 12/6/06 PD: Charter school to use federal money for Collinwood complex Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Janet Okoben Plain Dealer Reporter Three office buildings just off Interstate 90 in Collinwood are being eyed for a charter school complex that would eventually enroll students from kindergarten through high school... To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4535 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1165400321158890.xml&coll=2 From the 12/7/06 Elyria Chronicle-Telegram: Elyria Chronicle-Telegram: SCHOOL OF DISREPAIR (12/3/06) Residents clamoring for EHS info Shawn Foucher The Chronicle-Telegram ELYRIA — Elyria school officials were pressed for more specifics Wednesday when nearly 100 community members — the largest turnout yet — flocked to a meeting on the new high school the district hopes to build... http://www.chroniclet.com/Daily%20Pages/120706local1.html Input on port agency sought News-Herald, 12/6/06 Community officials in each of Lake County's 23 political subdivisions received a letter this week asking them for their input about countywide port authority options under consideration by county commissioners... Comfort Inn in Austinburg gets a complete makeover Ashtabula Star Beacon, 12/4/06 Now under new ownership, the Comfort Inn on Route 45 at Interstate 90 is getting a complete makeover... You'll pay more to play in Shaker Sun Press, 11/30/06 With a $3.2 million renovation of Thornton Park and its swimming pool well under way, city officials on Monday raised fees for park use in 2007. .. Rezoning request is postponed News Sun, 11/30/06 Local developers are waiting for the city to approve a proposed 3.4-acre project at the corner of Lewis and Bagley roads... S. Euclid buys way out of neighborhood woe Cleveland Plain Dealer, 11/15/06 The city will pay $1.6 million to buy nine duplexes and rid itself of tenants who have long wreaked havoc on Greenvale Drive...

From the 12/4/06 Milford-Miami Advertiser: Clermont Lumber Yard condo deal falls through BY JESSICA NOLL | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MILFORD - After three years of working on a development contract, the condos once meant for the Clermont Lumber land in Milford are no more - but a new development deal is in the works, said land owner Brian Critchell. There was some disagreement between land owner and the developer (Tom Hume of Great Traditions) about four months ago, said Milford Mayor Lou Bishop. "All we know is that it was called off," he said. Hume, who was the developer working with the city on the project was disappointed and frustrated that the deal fell through, he said. "We could not reach an agreement on the terms and conditions ... We had been working on this for a long time - but at the end of the day, the land owner decided to sell the property," said Hume. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061204/NEWS01/612040366/1119/Local From the 12/5/06 Miami Student: PHOTO: The Hard Hats organization is in the process of raising $1.6 million to improve the center. Media Credit: Andrea Lohse Local residents raise funds to renovate art center David Matthews Issue date: 12/5/06 Section: Community A historic uptown establishment is in need of repair, and to help fund renovations an organization called Hard Hat has found a solution that will resonate with many students: Throw a party. Hard Hat is an organization of community members who have organized to fund-raise for the renovation of the Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC), by hosting a holiday party from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at the Oxford College Ballroom. The holiday party, featuring the acoustic band Wildwater, is the second of three events the organization is hosting to fund a $1.6 million renovation of the building, which is located on High Street, according to OCAC employee Sarah Michael. The group's goal is to make the OCAC handicapped-accessible and to provide a solid electric infrastructure to the building. For more information, see www.oxfordartscenter.org. MORE: http://www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2006/12/05/Community/Local.Residents.Raise.Funds.To.Renovate.Art.Center-2521743.shtml?norewrite200612071934&sourcedomain=www.miamistudent.net

From the 12/4/06 Middletown Journal: City set to award contract for Cin-Day widening By Ed Richter Staff Writer Sunday, December 03, 2006 Orange barrels will be in bloom in 2007 as Middletown continues to widen Cincinnati-Dayton Road north of Ohio 122. The project will widen the busy road to three lanes from Towne Boulevard north to the Central Avenue/Coles Road intersection with a September 2007 completion date. According to David J. Duritsch Jr., engineering and environmental services director, an emergency ordinance will come before City Council Tuesday to award the project contract to Sunesis Construction Co. of West Chester Twp. The firm was the best of the seven companies that submitted bids, according to Duritsch's memo. A planned capital improvement project for 2007, it will cost just more than $1.8 million, which was about 2.6 percent less than the engineer's estimate, according to a memo from Duritsch. Of that amount, $650,000 will come from Ohio Public Works Commission funding or Issue 2; $100,000 will come from Warren County; $574,315 will come from the city's general capital fund; $256,734 from the city's water capital fund; and $227,940 from the city's storm water capital fund, according to Duritsch's memo. Duritsch said the city usually allots about $900,000 for capital improvement projects each year. In addition to widening the road, the project will also include the construction of storm sewers, curbs and gutters, the realignment of Locust Lane with Bavarian Drive at a new traffic signal, and the upgrade of the traffic signal at Central Avenue/Coles Road, according to the memo. The project will also include the replacement of the existing 12-inch water main running along the road, according to the memo. Duritsch said a start date for the project has not yet been determined. However, he said the contractor might begin after the holidays with the some of the underground work on the new storm sewers and water main. Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or [email protected]. http://www.middletownjournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/03/mj120406dixie.html From the 11/30/06 Pulse-Journal: Mercy opening medical center in Liberty By Eric Schwartzberg Staff Writer Thursday, November 30, 2006 One of the region's largest health care providers is adding to the growing local medical corridor. Mercy Health Partners announced Wednesday it will lease 20,000 square feet of a planned two-story, 40,000-square-foot medical building in Liberty Twp. Slated for Cincinnati-Dayton Road about a mile north of Ohio 129, The Mercy Center for Advanced Medicine will offer primary care and specialty physician offices, plus comprehensive outpatient and diagnostic imaging center, said Greg Ossmann, director of public relations and marketing for Mercy Fairfield Hospital. "It's consistent with our overall plan to provide health care that meets the growing needs of our communities," Ossmann said. "We've been in Butler County since 1978 so it's nothing new to us to expand our services and keep pace with the needs of the community." Mercy Health Partners operates The Mercy Diabetes Center in West Chester Twp. The health care provider plans to staff its Liberty Twp. location with 10 to 20 Mercy employees, in addition to employees of the physicians' practices that will occupy the center, Ossmann said. The center will be open to patients in January 2008, he said. The move to Liberty Twp. was in the works many months before the announcement of two other medical facilities planned for the area, Ossmann said. A 200,000-square-foot Cincinnati Children's Hospital pediatric outpatient medical center and is expected to open in August 2008, on 65 acres of land between Ohio 129 and Interstate 75. Tri-Health is expected to begin development on 15 acres of the same land of a 120,000-square-foot medical center within the next 18 months, just east of the Kroger Marketplace in Liberty. Trustee Vice President Patrick Hiltman said such growth is what he campaigned on last year and exactly what township officials hoped for. "I think it will steer the community in the direction that we had hoped — a medical hub," he said. Todd Crawford, managing member of Liberty Falls LLC, said he is excited to bring the advanced medicine concept to Liberty Township in partnership with Mercy Health partners. "We believe this will bring the latest in medical advancements, coupled with unprecedented convenience to the community," he said. Crawford also is planning two 10,000-square-foot retail centers for the corner of Cincinnati-Dayton Road and Wyandot Lane. A bank or restaurant on an outlot north of The Jain Center of Cincinnati will occupy the remaining 6,000 square feet, he said. The entire project will cost $13 million, Crawford said. Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5126 or [email protected]. http://www.pulsejournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/11/29/pjw113006mercy.html From the 12/1/06 Oxford Press: Thoroughfare plan: Public concerns voiced at forum By Sean Strader Staff Writer Friday, December 01, 2006 More than 40 speakers aired a long list of concerns, grievances and frustrations with the existing draft of the Oxford Thoroughfare Plan at a special forum meeting of the Oxford Planning Commission Tuesday. With nearly 100 area citizens in the audience, the speakers vocalized many concerns about housing development and questioned the necessity and legality of proposed "roads to nowhere" cutting through existing properties. The issue of city control over township planning also was a major concern. Many complaints stemmed from general frustration about the lack of public input reflected in the planning process itself and unresponsiveness of TetraTech, the firm that released its final version of the plans this November, which will be considered by both Planning Commission and City Council. "The maps in the draft thoroughfare plan are exactly the same as the maps in the final thoroughfare plan. I thought that all public comments were going to be incorporated into the plan," said Jenny Gelber of 5508 Brown Road. Oxford Twp. Trustee Larry Frimerman spoke about the need for the city and township to plan together and how the plan will affect many township residents who say they are being treated like "second-class citizens." Frimerman said he was concerned that many of the proposed new roads "are outside the city's purview and most of the residents speaking today are outside the city's purview. They are feeling disenfranchised." Commission Chairman Paul Brady stressed that this meeting represented only the beginning of a long process of public input before the commission presents a recommendation about the thoroughfare plan to city council. A commission thoroughfare plan work session was tentatively scheduled at 7 p.m. for Dec. 13 at a location to be determined. It will be open to the public. City Council Representative Dave Prows said that a question and answer session also was needed so questions from citizens could be directly addressed. The commission did not directly respond to any public comments at Tuesday's forum. Many of the speakers were affected because proposed thoroughfares were shown to pass through their property as a series of dots on the map. "My house is directly underneath a dot (on the map), and I would hate to lose my house to a connection between two neighborhoods that don't need to be connected," said Jim Oris, of 35 Hidden Creek Drive. Many Oxford Twp. residents on Brown Road north of town and Booth Road south of town spoke up about proposed bypass routes through their neighborhoods, arguing it would ruin the rural character of the areas and lead to new housing developments and suburban sprawl. Charles Stevens, of 5774 Brown Road, said he opposes the plan because he believes it opens up Oxford to development on the scale of the fast-growing Cincinnati suburbs. "I'm not willing to live in West Chester here. If I wanted to, I could move there," Stevens said. "Oxford does have a few traffic problems, but ... it does not seem to fix much; it does open up a lot of farmland to development," Stevens said. Doug Coffin of 81 Lantern Ridge Road said he didn't believe the new roads would improve traffic in the city. "Just building more roads leads to more development and more people. It doesn't alleviate traffic at all, it only makes it worse," Coffin said. "People who moved here because it is a small town would like to see it remain a small town." Another major concern dealt with the fact that the thoroughfare plan is being addressed one year before the Oxford Comprehensive Plan is to be reconsidered. Several speakers said the thoroughfare plan should be tabled until the comprehensive plan is completed and called for moratoriums on city annexation and real estate developments until then. "The thoroughfare plan happens to be timed extremely awkwardly. It's inappropriate to approve it a year in advance of the next comp plan," said Jim Rubenstein of 1 Oak Hill Drive. Rubenstein said the level of emotion and criticism shown at the meeting reflect a general frustration with the way the thoroughfare plan has been handled. "What's happened here tonight shows you that things didn't work quite right in terms of citizen input," Rubenstein said. http://www.oxfordpress.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/11/30/op120106forum.html

^ Yes. See the topic in Ohio Politics...there are several stories about hookah cafes and cigar bars in there.

That is an excellent question. No one has an answer for that. All they say is "remove the ashtrays and post signs". They don't tell you what to do, except for a complaint number to call to the state department of health, who can't help you because there are no rules. They should have worked this all out ahead of time. In fact, it should have been in the ballot language. Expect lawsuits.

From the 12/6/06 Fostoria Review Times: Smoke 'em if you got 'em; ban begins Thursday By RUSS ZIMMER staff writer State officials have six months to formulate rules for implementing and enforcing the comprehensive smoking ban. During the meantime, several local clubs and bars are going to wait for further instruction. "They weren't ready for this themselves," Gary Hagan, owner of G.P. Slammers, said of the state. Read more: http://www.reviewtimes.com/News/backissues/2006/Dec/ar_news_120606.asp#story4 From the 12/6/06 Logan Daily News: Smoking ban hits Hocking Amendment goes into effect Thursday Miranda Miller LOGAN - Jason Matthews comes to the Easy Street Bar to smoke his favorite brand, socialize and relax after a long day. However, beginning Thursday, Dec. 7, Matthews won't be able to enjoy this ritual any longer. He and other Ohio smokers won't be permitted to smoke in public places, due to the smoking ban approved by 58 percent of voters on Election Day. Read more: http://www.logandaily.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=121779 From Whitehall News, 12/6/06: Local businesses brace for smoking ban The statewide ban goes into effect today. By AARON REINCHELD Diners at Ohio restaurants and patrons of local businesses will have one less decision to make as indoor smoking is taken off the menu this week. The move is getting mixed reviews from Whitehall businesses. Effective today, the state law, approved by voters last month, bans smoking in enclosed public places, which include restaurants, bars and bowling alleys. Read more: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS12-6/12-6_whsmoking.html

From the 12/6/06 Lima News: Smoking ban begins Thursday BY KIMBERLY R. SIMMONS - Dec. 6, 2006 LIMA — Lickity Split has been a gathering spot for retirees in the community for as long as G.G. Watters can remember. Watters, who works at the restaurant owned by her husband, Jeff, and his mother, said many of them sit around the counter or at tables for hours just talking. Read more: http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=32863 From the 12/6/06 Mansfield News Journal: No smoking signs going up around area By Linda Martz News Journal MANSFIELD -- Victor Arredondo knows Ohio's ban on smoking in public places -- which goes into effect Thursday -- has lit habitual smokers' sense of outrage. Arredondo, a tobacco treatment specialist for Community Action for Capable Youth, tried posting copies of the official "no smoking" signs at entrances to Longview Center, where his agency is located. The signs will be required in public places. "I put up signs this week -- and somebody's been taking them down. Tonight I'll put them back up. They'll probably be gone again by mid-morning," he said. "It's going to be challenging." Read more: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/NEWS01/612060308/1002/rss01 From the 12/6/06 Alliance Review: Local restaurateur laments lack of choice in his establishment Joni Bowen December 6, 2006 The Review Local restaurant and bar patrons will be met with cleaner air -- and an ash-tray free dining experience -- come Thursday. In accordance with the passage of Issue 5, all Ohio businesses and organizations are required to comply with the state's indoor smoking ban statute beginning Thursday. What this means for local businesses -- according to the Ohio Department of Health -- is that signs must be posted and ash trays and other smoking receptacles must be removed by that day. Read more: http://www.the-review.com/news/article/1134101 From the 12/6/06 Ashtabula Star Beacon: Butts out: No-smoking law lights up Thursday :roll: :roll: :roll: By MARK TODD Staff Writer [email protected] Smoking sections in restaurants - - indeed, puffing in any public place - - will be a thing of the past come 12:01 a.m. Thursday. That's when a state law voters strongly approved in November takes effect, dousing cigarettes in all but a few locations. The air will clear in many places where smoking had once been an option, including restaurants and taverns. Read more: http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_340073047 From the 12/6/06 Washington Court House Record Herald: Smoking ban starts tomorrow People to light up for last time in public buildings, work places Ryan Carter Staff Writer Fayette County smokers are ready to "light up" tonight for one final time inside their favorite restaurants and bars. "I'm not happy about the new law," said Tom Garringer of Washington C.H. "When I go out to a bar, I like to smoke and I feel that this is taking away my freedom to do so. I don't like it one bit, but on Wednesday I'm going to celebrate my last night of smoking." Read more: http://www.recordherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=126910&TM=42120.68

From the 12/6/06 PD: Smokey to ticket smoking truckers? But law won't touch out-of-state haulers Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Harlan Spector Plain Dealer Reporter Big-rig driver Steve Kerr was surprised to learn that Ohio's new public smoking ban allows the arm of the law to reach inside the cab of his truck. The workplace smoking ban, which takes effect Thursday, extends to company vehicles of all types based in Ohio. And, like bars and restaurants, trucks have to get rid of ash trays and post no-smoking signs at all entrances, said an Ohio Department of Health spokesman. Geez, what's next for truckers, mandatory decaf? Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1165398946158890.xml&coll=2 From same: Who you gonna call? Smokebuster line opening Wednesday, December 06, 2006 Health officials say a phone line to report violators of the new state smoking ban will become operable when the law takes effect Thursday, even though there are no enforcement provisions. The state has until June to devise enforcement rules for the sweeping anti-smoking law approved by 58 percent of voters last month. In the meantime, the Ohio Department of Health will warn businesses by letter or telephone when the state receives complaints, a spokesman said Tuesday. Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1165398063158890.xml&coll=2 From the 12/6/06 Toledo Blade: STATE LAW TAKES EFFECT TOMORROW As smoking ban begins, enforcement plan hazy By ROBIN ERB BLADE STAFF WRITER The ashtrays in Ohio's bars, restaurants, and other public places are to be removed tonight as they must go smoke-free beginning tomorrow. But there are no precise penalties in place - at least not yet - for scofflaws of the first statewide smoking ban in the Midwest. "It's akin to traffic laws," explained Kristopher Weiss, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health. "People are expected to follow them even if there's not an officer on the side of the road." Read more: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/NEWS24/612060417/-1/NEWS From the 12/6/06 DDN: Smokers get their last puffs in indoor setting before ban The clouds of smoke will vanish from almost all indoor, public places on Thursday. By Steve Bennish Staff Writer Wednesday, December 06, 2006 DAYTON — Amid a blue haze of smoke, Summer Brading rolls a perfect set of cigars. While not serving drinks at a club at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, she shows off her expertise with fresh leaf tobacco and wooden molds. Brading, 30, of Bellbrook was a star attraction at Tuesday's Cigar Lovers' Dinner at Dublin Pub. It was a time for deep indulgence — with every pork chop dinner came a custom-rolled cigar — and wistful longings for a time when anti-smoking forces didn't show up in so many numbers at the polls. Officially, it was a last hurrah for indoor smokers in Ohio who prefer to cap off their mashed potatoes with a few choice puffs. A state law effective Thursday for the most part forbids indoor smoking in public venues. Read more: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/05/ddn120606smoke.html From the 12/6/06 Elyria Chronicle-Telegram: Bars and restaurants preparing for unknown Joe Medici and Lisa Roberson The Chronicle-Telegram Smoke-free Ohio is becoming a reality Thursday, a little too soon for restaurants and bars left with more questions than answers. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said second-generation bar owner Curt Brugh. “People who come in here smoke, and now that they can’t, I wonder if they are still going to come in here at all.” Brugh said he hasn’t outfitted his establishment, Herb’s Tavern in Rocky River, with the necessary literature to warn customers yet, but he knows come Thursday he will be throwing away his ashtrays. Read more: http://www.chroniclet.com/Daily%20Pages/120606head13.html From same: Smokers blazing mad about statewide ruling Lisa Roberson The Chronicle-Telegram The statewide smoking ban approved by voters last month goes into effect Thursday — leaving droves of smokers out in the cold, scrambling to obey the law one puff at a time. The law comes with restrictions on where smokers can light up and stipulates how far from a building’s entrance they must be before lighting up. Ask most smokers how they feel about the new law, and the response generally includes colorful language not fit to print. “It’s a bunch of bull,” said Walter King, 49, of Elyria. “I have never been to a bar and not seen someone smoking, because people know that’s what people do when they drink.” Read more: http://www.chroniclet.com/Daily%20Pages/120606head15.html

From the 12/5/06 Newark Advocate: Smoking ban includes outside business doors Ohio ban begins Thursday By LIZA MARTIN Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Exactly 30 days after voters enacted Ohio's Smoke Free Workplace Act, the statewide smoking ban goes into effect Thursday, and most local agencies and businesses anticipate a smooth transition into a smoke-free Ohio. Read more: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061205/NEWS01/612050303/1002/rss01 From the 12/5/06 Wooster Daily Record: Officials worry over lack of clarity Holmes commissioners concerned about funding, details of smoking ban December 5, 2006 By JUNE CHANDLER-WHITE Staff Writer MILLERSBURG -- Many of the same ash receptacles found at Holmes County's government buildings have been around long before Commissioner Dave Hall took office, back to the days when Hall's dad, Sonny, worked in maintenance. "They've made their migration from being inside in the '70s to outside in the '80s, and now they are gone," Dave Hall said. Read more: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/1130292 From the 12/5/06 Alliance Review: Some bar patrons, owners defiant about smoking ban Gayle Agnew December 5, 2006 The Review "I never was a smoker and I don't like it (smoke)," Betty Zurbrugg said. Her husband, Leland, said, "I used to smoke and after quitting, I realized how dirty it is. It gets into your house, clothes and hair. Somebody that never smoked notices it much more than a person who smoked." Opinions were varied as people, smokers and non-smokers, were asked how they felt about the smoking ban that goes into effect on Thursday. Read more: http://www.the-review.com/news/article/1130822

From the 12/4/06 PD: Snuff 'em out: It's the law Employers hurry to comply, figure out what happens if they don't ban smoking Monday, December 04, 2006 Henry J. Gomez Plain Dealer Reporter Perhaps as soon as this week, your favorite neighborhood watering hole or cozy little eatery will toss away the ashtrays. Come Thursday, the Ohio Department of Health expects all businesses to be in compliance with Issue 5, the statewide ban on smoking in public places that voters agreed to last month. Restaurants and, in particular, bars - where owners worry about losing regulars who enjoy a cigarette with their drink - have received most of the attention. But the new law also will have significant implications for employers, at least the relative few that had not already forced smokers to catch their fix outside the building. Some of these companies, which range from large auto-parts suppliers and manufacturers to small, family-run shops, are scrambling to comply and struggling to understand what happens if they don't. Read more: To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-5405 http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/116514062629880.xml&coll=2 From the 12/4/06 ABJ: Ohio ban starts Thursday By Rick Armon Beacon Journal staff writer Ed Gazdacko figured he'd inject a little levity into the whole smoking vs. nonsmoking issue. So the day after Ohio voters approved a tough new anti-smoking law, the owner of Sto-Kent Family Entertainment typed a message into an electronic sign outside his Stow bowling, bar and volleyball business. It reads: "Big Sale. Ashtrays. $1.00 Each.'' Read more: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/state/16159578.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news From the 12/4/06 Lorain Morning Journal: Packing away the ashtrays By: SCOT ALLYN, Morning Journal Writer 12/04/2006 The law, voted in by 58.7 percent of Ohio voters on Nov. 7, prohibits smoking in all enclosed public places and work places in the state. Although smokers can still light up at home, outdoors and in a handful of retail tobacco stores and private clubs, a match has been set to the tradition of the cigarette and a cocktail or beer in a smoke-filled saloon. All businesses must display "No Smoking" signs at entrances and throughout their premises, according to the Lorain County General Health District Web site. The signs include a toll-free number to call for reporting violations: (866) 559-6446. Sample signs can be downloaded from the Web site, www.loraincountyhealth.com. Read more: [email protected] http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17546033&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6 From the 12/4/06 Zanesville Times Recorder: New smoking law draws mixed feelings By HOLLY RICHARDS Staff Writer ZANESVILLE - At least one, and sometimes multiple packs of cigarettes a day, were part of Brent Moore's life for 25 years. At age 35, Moore was diagnosed with coronary artery disease, and within a few months, he underwent separate angioplasty procedures on both legs to open plugged femoral arteries. While smoking was not a direct cause of the disease, Moore's surgeon said it most likely contributed to and encouraged the early onset. Moore continued to smoke for a few years, but he suffered another blockage so severe that it could only be cured by an arterial bypass. "My surgeon wanted to delay the operation as long as possible because I was under 40, but the condition worsened, and on my 39th birthday I went under the knife," Moore said. "I smoked my last cigarette that morning, and have not smoked in over 10 years now." Read more: http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061204/NEWS01/612040303/1002/rss01 From the 12/4/06 Chillicothe Gazette: Locals preparing for new smoking ban By JONA ISON Gazette Staff Writer No rules have been made to enforce the statewide smoking ban passed last month, but the Ohio Department of Health maintains the state is to become smoke-free starting Thursday. Area restaurants and bars have begun making plans to pitch ashtrays, post signs and inform customers to head outside before lighting up, even though some aren't too happy about it. Read more: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061204/NEWS01/612040317/1002/rss01 From the 12/4/06 Greenville Daily Advocate: Patrons unhappy over smoking ban Can new law actually add to local customer base? Bob Robinson Managing Editor GREENVILLE - "It seems the fun Nazis have their way again…" More than a dozen patrons and employees at two local bars expressed their opinions about the new smoking ban that goes into effect Thursday. They aren't happy. "I would imagine that as it gets colder I won't be going out as much," said Kevin, a customer at Sportzters on South Broadway. "I won't want to step out into 10-degree weather to have a cigarette." Read more: http://www.dailyadvocate.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=122586&TM=865.305

From the 12/3/06 Warren Tribune Chronicle: Smokers face new challenge By BILL RODGERS Tribune Chronicle Ohio’s ban on smoking in public places takes effect Thursday. The law, which made Ohio the 15th state to adopt such a ban, has some area businesses studying how to avoid fines and how the law works. ‘‘I have no clue what’s going on,’’ said James Heilman, manager of the Up A Creek Tavern in Howland. ‘‘We’re not letting anyone smoke on Thursday. I know that.’’ Read more: http://tribune-chronicle.com/articles.asp?articleID=11908 From the 12/3/06 Springfield News-Sun: Some workers face adjustment Smoking cessation programs will be offered at some companies. By Kelly Baker Staff Writer Sunday, December 03, 2006 Beverly Michener has warned her co-workers that she might not be her cheery self after Thursday. The International Truck and Engine Corp. employee, who has been a smoker for 33 years, will have to give up about half of the cigarettes she normally smokes during the work day because of Ohio's new smoking ban. Read more: http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/02/sns120306smoker.html From the 12/3/06 Marion Star: Ohio set to snuff smoking Enforcement vague, but ban goes in effect Dec. 7 By JOHN JARVIS The Marion Star MARION - Enforcement of a statewide smoking ban may be inconsistent initially, but the owner of a local eatery and watering hole plans to make sure no one inhales nicotine in her establishment. Karen Gillespie saw the transition that took place in restaurants she managed when a smoking ban was enacted in Columbus a year ago. Now president of OK Café and Catering Inc., 734 E. Center St., Gillespie welcomes the statewide ban of smoking in enclosed public places, which takes effect Dec. 7. Read more: http://www.marionstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS01/612030301/1002/rss01 From same: It's the law So change to smokefree Ohio expected to be uneventful By JOHN JARVIS The Marion Star Life is going to change for smokers and public places Dec. 7 in Marion and the rest of Ohio when a statewide smoking ban takes effect. Marion resident Brian Jester expects the transition will be uneventful. "It doesn't bother me at all," he said, while sitting at a table in the OK Café on East Center Street. "I think it's going to be better for the business owner. I lived in Los Angeles for three years, and it's the same way around there. As long as owners are courteous it shouldn't be a problem." Read more: http://www.marionstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS01/612030302/1002/rss01 From the 12/3/06 Coshocton Tribune: Business owners transition to comply with law By HOLLY RICHARDS Zanesville Times Recorder and JOSIE McCORMICK Staff Writer COSHOCTON - With the success of Issue 5, restaurants, bars and other public businesses now have the challenge of attempting to enforce nonsmoking procedures. One Coshocton restaurateur has already been told how to implement the ban's policies. Bob Clark, owner of Clarks Bar and Grill, said the Health Department informed him that if there is a complaint of somebody smoking, it will be checked out. Read more: http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061203/NEWS01/612030343/1002/rss01 From the 12/3/06 Wooster Daily Record: Smoking ban gets mixed reviews December 3, 2006 By CHRIS KICK Staff Writer WOOSTER Ohio smokers are just four days away from the onset of a smoking ban that will prohibit smoking in public places and places of employment, and owners and patrons of local businesses are divided over what effect the ban will have. Voters approved the ban Nov. 7 when they passed Issue 5, which prohibits smoking in most restaurants and bars, and requires proprietors to remove ashtrays and post "No Smoking" signs, which must include a telephone number patrons can call to report violations. Read more: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/1127101

From the 12/2/06 Times-Reporter: No butts about it - smoking out Dec. 7 :roll: :roll: :roll: By KYLE KONDIK, T-R Staff Writer It is unclear as to who will eventually enforce the state’s new ban on smoking in most public places, but it will go into effect Thursday nonetheless. Issue 5, which passed with about 58 percent of the vote last month, bans smoking in most enclosed public places. Read more: http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=61507&r=1&Category=1

From the 11/30/06 Youngstown Vindicator: Crowd airs concerns on details of new law Some club and bar owners at the forum say they're afraid they'll lose business. By WILLIAM K. ALCORN VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER AUSTINTOWN — There were more questions than answers Wednesday at the first of three public meetings aimed at informing business owners and individuals about Ohio's new Smoke Free Workplace Act. But if the standing-room-only crowd at the Austintown Township government building is any indication, there is plenty of interest in finding out how the new law will affect establishments, including manufacturing facilities, private clubs, restaurants, outdoor sports venues and bars. The next two meetings, conducted by the Mahoning County, Struthers City and Youngstown City health departments in partnership with the Regional Chamber, are at 10:30 a.m. today at Oakhill Renaissance Center, 345 Oakhill Ave., Youngstown; and at 2 p.m. Friday at the Boardman Township building, 8299 Market St., Boardman. How will law be enforced? Business owners asked how to enforce the law, since no rules have been developed by the Ohio Department of Health. The ODH has until June 7, 2007, to interpret the act and develop rules to enforce it. Read more: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/306679485248928.php From the 11/30/06 Massillon Independent: Bingo parlors trying to sidestep smoking ban By PAUL E. KOSTYU Copley Columbus Bureau Chief Bingo parlors are searching for ways to get around the smoking ban that takes effect Dec. 7, but that might be trickier than they think. The Children’s Toy Fund bingo parlor at 2401 Swiss Ave. S.W. in Perry Township has circulated a flier saying smoking will be allowed at the parlor because it is turning into a private club effective Friday. Private clubs are exempt from the smoking ban, which was passed statewide on Nov. 7 with 58 percent of the vote, as long as they meet several conditions: Be a charitable organization: Read more: http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?ID=12172&r=5&Category=3

From Big Walnut News, 11/29/06: Businesses prepare for smoking ban By ANGIE SCHMITT In 2005, it swept through Columbus. Then it moved across Powell, Dublin, Worthington and several other Central Ohio communities. Now, smoking in public places statewide will be squelched Dec. 8 as a result of voter approval of Issue 5 on the Nov. 7 ballot. Soon Sunbury and Galena will be smoke free, and local business owners are preparing to clear the air. Read more: http://www.snponline.com/NEWS11-29/11-29_bwsmoking.html

From the 11/28/06 Defiance Crescent-News: Confusing, bothersome, irritating November 28, 2006 By HEATHER BAUGHMAN [email protected] The ban will begin Dec. 7, but some area establishments are not ready ... or even willing to admit defeat against the smoking ban. Others, however, are simply prepared to put away the ashtrays and abide by the law. State Issue 5 was passed by Ohio voters on Nov. 7, creating Ohio's indoor smoking ban. This new law requires all "public places" and "places of employment" in the state to be smoke-free as of Dec. 7. These business and organizations must also post "no smoking" signs that contain the telephone number 1-866-559-OHIO (6446) for reporting violations, and remove ashtrays and other smoking receptacles from the buildings. Read more: http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/393191 From the 11/28/06 Eaton Register-Herald: Area businesses, patrons differ in smoking ban opinions Elizabeth Saunders Staff Writer With the passage of Issue 5 on the Ohio ballot earlier this month, as of Dec. 7, smoking will be prohibited in public places and places of employment. Though this bill passed in Ohio, Preble County residents, employees and business owners seem to have differing opinions on the subject. Audrey Burke, a server at Bob Evans Restaurant, said, "The option to have a smoking section has been taken away from us and I think a lot of people are upset about it. I think it's going to affect our business." Read more: http://www.registerherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=124271&TM=2030.083

From the 11/27/06 East Liverpool Review: Statewide no smoking law begins Dec. 7 By MARY ANN GREIER ([email protected]) LISBON — A new statewide law against smoking in places where employees or the public gather takes effect Dec. 7, supposedly bringing an end to smoky bars and smoking sections in restaurants. The public shouldn’t expect to see the smoking police snuffing out cigarettes of offenders right away since the Ohio Department of Health has six months to write the rules. Read more: http://reviewonline.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=4842

From the 11/26/06 Toledo Blade: Clubs probe for loopholes in smoke ban Few exemptions likely in strict new Ohio law By JIM PROVANCE BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU COLUMBUS — Forget the cigar with your drink at the country club after a round of golf or after a hard day at the office. And don’t think about lighting up at a wedding reception at the Elks Lodge or at the Veterans of Foreign Wars fish fry. Local VFW and American Legion posts, Moose lodges, and other private clubs across the state are scrambling to see if they can qualify for an exemption after voters decided Nov. 7 to make Ohio the first Midwestern state to ban smoking in nearly all indoor public places. The law, which takes effect Dec. 7, is so narrowly tailored that many not-for-profit clubs and fraternal organizations are expected to be classified as smoke-free workplaces. Read more: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061126/NEWS24/61126001/-1/NEWS From the 11/26/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Smoking ban takes effect Dec. 7 By CARL BURNETT JR. The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] LANCASTER - People caught smoking in public places and places of employment could be fined $100 in less than two weeks, and businesses allowing it could be fined up to $2,500 for repeated offenses. The fines are part of the Smoke Free Workplace Act, which becomes law in Ohio on Dec. 7. Ohio voters passed the act Nov. 7. It requires public places and places of employment to be smoke-free as of Dec. 7. Lance Poling, 32, of Amanda, took his child to the River Valley Mall on Friday and said he was glad the smoking ban was going into effect, but understood there would be challenges. Read more: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061126/NEWS01/611260302/1002/rss01

From the 11/25/06 Dispatch: Hookah lounges drop food items Smoking ban orders changes if businesses want to offer smoking Saturday, November 25, 2006 Dean Narciso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH At least three Columbus hookah lounges will remove healthful foods from their menus to comply with the statewide smoking ban, which takes effect Dec. 7. Issue 5, which voters approved on Nov. 7, permits smoking in businesses where tobacco sales are at least 80 percent of gross revenues. That means that the Shisha Lounge in the University District, and others that offer Middle Eastern-style water pipes and tobacco, will remove nutritional juices, fresh meats and sandwiches. The three-year-old shop’s tobacco sales complied with Columbus’ smok- ing ban, which allowed smoking as long as tobacco sales accounted for at least 65 percent of revenues. Read more: [email protected] http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/11/25/20061125-D1-05.html