buildingcincinnati

From the 6/13/07 Ironton Tribune: Local clubs join fight against smoking ban By MARK SHAFFER/The Ironton Tribune Wednesday, June 13, 2007 10:52 AM CDT An attempt to get Ohio’s smoking ban at least partially overturned for private clubs and some businesses hit a snag this week, but the fight goes on. The Partnership for Job Preservation presented a proposal for the November ballot that would have allowed smoking at bowling alleys after 6 p.m., at bars where no more than 10 percent of sales are food and at private clubs, such as Veterans of Foreign War posts. But the initiative didn’t have enough valid signatures to get it on the ballot. On Monday Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann said the group produced only 776 of the 1,000 signatures needed to get a required petition certified. Read more: http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2007/06/13/news/news261.txt

From the 6/13/07 Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune: Lakota board looks to back state issue By Suzanne Herman, Correspondent RISINGSUN — Lakota Board of Education members discussed Monday a petition to put an amendment on the Ohio ballot on how public schools are funded. Board members were urged to collect as many signatures as possible between July and August in order to ensure a goal of 1,220 signatures is reached. “Between 8-10 percent of signatures are usually disqualified due to people not being registered voters, etc., so let’s just get as many as we can,” board member Fred Keith said. “We need this petition to help get schools funded more constitutionally.” ... http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/articles.asp?articleID=8677

From the 6/13/07 Dispatch: Panel rejects first bid for Darby Creek development Wednesday, June 13, 2007 3:25 AM By Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Steve Rainey clearly wasn't happy that his plan for luxury homes was the test case for the new panel reviewing developments near Big Darby Creek. Especially when the group voted 7-0 against his plan for 18 homes between Amity and Walker roads in Brown Township. The proposal, the first considered by the Big Darby Creek Advisory Panel, called for homes costing at least $500,000, most on lots of at least 5 acres. Rainey's Walker Amity LLC is in contract to buy the property. Although the board's decisions are advisory, he'll return with something he hopes it will recommend. "We take the accord panel very seriously," said Kevin Kershner, a consulting engineer with R.D. Zande & Associates, which represents the partnership. Yesterday's meeting was the first for the new panel to review plans to make sure they conform to the principles of the accord, which is to guide development while protecting the creek and its tributaries. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/06/13/DARBY.ART_ART_06-13-07_B3_1370O9H.html[/b]

From the 6/13/07 Elyria Chronicle-Telegram: EHS lays out plans Homeowners voice concerns over bid to purchase properties Shawn Foucher | The Chronicle-Telegram ELYRIA — Less than half of about 40 property owners whose homes will be razed or land purchased to make way for a new Elyria High School showed up at a Tuesday meeting where school officials laid out their plans for the coming months... Contact Shawn Foucher at 329-7197 or [email protected]. http://www.chroniclet.com/2007/06/13/ehs-lays-out-plans/ Council next to weigh in on clocktower plans Aurora Advocate, 6/13/07 Now that the planning commission has given its approval for a conditional zoning certificate and site plan for a City Center clocktower, City Council will weigh in on the project... Planning required for industrial park Ashtabula Star Beacon, 6/11/07 Developing a light industrial park at the Ashtabula County airport in Denmark Township will take lots of planning, money, a sufficient water supply and prospective companies to lure here... Metroparks property could be outdoor enthusiast's heaven News-Herald, 6/10/07 Lake Metroparks officials are thinking long-term as they determine uses for the park system's new Outdoor Skills Center in Leroy Township...

From the 6/4/07 Findlay Courier: Developer marketing shopping center site By LOU WILIN STAFF WRITER At the shopping mall industry's recent convention in Las Vegas, the hundreds of potential sites on display included a field on the northwest edge of Findlay. The 58 acres southwest of the intersection of Interstate 75 and County Road 99 is the proposed site of a large shopping center. Potential tenants for the proposed "Findlay Town Center" are being sought by Developers Diversified Realty (DDR) of Beachwood, Ohio. DDR hopes to build and open the shopping center within a couple of years. Target and Kroger have been rumored as potential anchors for the center, which also would include 12 specialty retail stores and restaurants. However, a Target spokesman in Minneapolis said Friday that the chain has no plans to locate one of its discount department stores in Findlay. Kroger did not return phone calls asking about its plans. More at http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2007/Jun/ar_news_060407.asp#story2

From the 6/13/07 Enquirer: CiTiRAMA event is on Thursday THE ENQUIRER Officials will break ground Thursday for Brodbeck Place II, the development to be showcased in this fall's CiTiRAMA, the every-other-year event to show off new housing in the city limits. Mayor Mark Mallory said the development off Westwood Northern Boulevard will include 26 single-family houses priced from $180,000 to $220,000. The city contributed $725,000, he said, mostly spent on public infrastructure necessary before houses could be built. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070613/NEWS01/706130365/1056/COL02 North Avondale: Multi-family at 3816 Reading Building Cincinnati, 6/8/07 A new multi-family building is coming to 3816 Reading Road in North Avondale. Permits are in route, but the details are sketchy. I have been able to dig up some documents regarding HUD and I have reason to believe that this may be either a VA inpatient facility or a facility for homeless vets. I still don't know how many units, but I do know that it will contain offices, which leads me to believe that my suspicion is true. The land at 3816 Reading, which is across from Seasongood Square, is currently vacant and has been so for at least 11 years. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW GOOGLE AERIAL VIEW http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com/2007/06/north-avondale-multi-family-at-3816.html Owner: Subsidized housing may be built on Sherwood Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 6/13/07 Following half a year of debate, and with council president Dick Donley breaking a tie vote, the Hillsboro City Council voted Monday evening to leave the zoning of a piece of property in the area of Sherwood Drive as it stands. However, the owner of the property in question said bordering residents will still see the land developed, with subsidized housing a likely candidate for construction. The matter has been discussed by council, its committees, and the Hillsboro Planning Commission off and on for the past seven months, since it was introduced to the planning commission in November 2006. The real estate agent and attorney for one of the property's owners, John Dragoo, have each petitioned council to change the zoning of the eight acres, known as the Hauke/Dragoo property, from Residential A, one of the most restrictive zonings, to Residential B, a less restrictive zoning. The change was being sought so the property, the Hauke/Dragoo property, may be used for the construction of condominiums by Leatherwood Associates. Boy Scouts seek final approval for new headquarters site Cincinnati Business Courier, 6/11/07 The Dan Beard Council may have the go ahead to build its new home in Evendale by week's end. The village of Evendale's council Tuesday night will hold a second hearing of a proposed ordinance to lease a portion of village property adjacent to the Gorman Heritage Farm on Reading Road to the Boy Scout unit, now headquartered in Walnut Hills. A third hearing will happen on Thursday night, after which council members will vote. If passed, the ordinance will be effective immediately. Construction on the $5 million, 28,000-square-foot building would begin next spring. "As far as I know, council is ready to see this happen," said Jack Cameron, assistant to Mayor Don Apking. The Dan Beard Council, which employs 55 people full-time, has a $2 million annual payroll. The village would earn $24,000 per year in earnings tax revenue from these new jobs. In return, the village would lease the land to the Boy Scouts for $1 per year for a term of 99 years. Work begins on Rozzi's Fireworks site Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/10/07 Symmes Township has begun preliminary work to prepare for the development of the Rozzi's Famous Fireworks site between Lebanon and Union Cemetery roads for athletic fields and other recreation. Symmes Township trustees have approved a contract with Lee Nordloh Inc. for up to $9,000 to survey the 50-acre site, which the township has agreed to buy for $7.5 million in April 2008. The township also has hired the Payne Firm, an environmental consulting company in Blue Ash, to conduct an environmental study of the property. The money to purchase the property comes from an additional 0.9-mill levy Symmes voters approved last month. The Rozzi family will continue to operate their business in Symmes until they move it to a site in Clinton County.

All from the 6/13/07 DDN: Antioch cites inability to compete for 'new millennium student' in closing By Stephanie Irwin Gottschlich Staff Writer Wednesday, June 13, 2007 YELLOW SPRINGS — — When Antioch College temporarily shuts its campus on July 1, 2008, the school will try to overhaul its finances, academic programs and overall structure to emerge in 2012 as a viable institution with its offbeat character intact. Previous cost-cutting measures — postponing building maintenance, faculty and staff layoffs, and academic program changes — have not only failed to bring the college back to financial health, school officials said Tuesday, the measures have eroded the confidence of students and parents in the school's ability to educate. Full story at http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/12/ddn061307antiochreax.html Noteworthy Antioch College graduates By Staff reports Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Olympia Brown, 1860: Was a suffrage activist and the first ordained female minister in United States history Leland C. Clark Jr., 1941: Worked for Fels Research Institute on the chemistry of human development and later did other research on chemistry in the service of humankind. He developed more than 60 inventions, including the first practical heart-lung machine, and published more than 500 papers on scientific discoveries and medical technology. A. Leon Higginbotham Jr., 1949: Was the first black to serve on the Federal Trade Commission. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. Rod Serling, 1950: Screenwriter, TV playwright, and host best known for The Twilight Zone. Coretta Scott King, 1951: Prominent civil and human rights leader. She is founder and chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, which is named after her husband. In 2004, Mrs. King returned to Antioch College to accept the prestigious Horace Mann Award, presented by the Antioch College Alumni Association, for her determination to promote nonviolent social change. In 2005, Antioch College initiated the Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural & Intellectual Freedom. Mark Strand, 1957: is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and was poet laureate of the United States from 1990-1991. He won a Pulitzer prize for his book of poetry Blizzard of One. Stephen Jay Gould, 1963: Was an internationally noted paleontologist and best-selling author whose award-winning books included The Mismeasure of Man and Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes. Listed as one of the "Smartest People in the World" by Parade Magazine in 1991. John Flansburgh, 1983: Is the guitarist and songwriter for the musical group They Might Be Giants. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/13/ddn061307antiochgrads.html

From the 6/13/07 Youngstown Vindicator: Pooches back on patrol in Youngstown Ninja and Jocko's partners want to get trading cards with the dogs' photos. By PATRICIA MEADE VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER YOUNGSTOWN — (The "Cops" theme, sing along) "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do — whatcha gonna do when they come for you?" If you stop dead in your tracks, good choice. If you run like the wind, still a good choice, but not for you — for Jocko and Ninja. They're large dogs trained to apprehend a runner by biting whatever body part is available, usually an arm or leg. If you stop running, they'll bark — only — until their partner arrives. They love their work. Their partners love them. The revived Youngstown Police Department K-9 Unit is operating again with Jocko, a mottled black/brown Dutch shepherd, and Ninja, a mostly golden Belgian Malinois (pronounced mal-in-wah). The 2-year-old male dogs, after five weeks of training with their partners in Columbus, are officially on duty taking commands in Dutch and English. Full article at http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/351834571352770.php

Both links contain photos. Both from the 6/13/07 Blade: ACCUSED IN DETECTIVE'S SLAYING Jobe being held separately from adult prisoners Policy isolates juvenile inmates By CHRISTINA HALL BLADE STAFF WRITER Robert Jobe will be tried as an adult in the fatal shooting of a Toledo police vice detective, but the 15-year-old won't be spending time with the adult inmates in the Lucas County jail. And if he's convicted, he won't be with adult inmates in a state prison until he's 18 and maybe not until he's 21. The North Toledoan was booked into the county jail Monday after retired Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge James Ray ruled that the youth should be tried as an adult for aggravated murder in the Feb. 21 death of Detective Keith Dressel. ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070613/NEWS02/706130432/-1/NEWS Alleged Jobe associate Powell gets July trial date The accused companion of a 15-year-old Toledoan charged in the fatal shooting of a Toledo police detective yesterday received a trial date in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070613/NEWS02/706130452/-1/NEWS

^ That's messed up, man. Link contains photos. From the 6/13/07 Enquirer: 'Strangler' goes to the grave '60s saga concludes with Laskey's death BY DAN HORN | [email protected] Posteal Laskey Jr. never admitted he was the "Cincinnati Strangler," one of the city's most notorious serial killers. His accusers were frustrated for years by Laskey's denials because they believed he raped and killed as many as seven women in 1965 and 1966. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070613/NEWS01/706130350/

From the 6/13/07 Oxford Press: Thoroughfare Plan going to Oxford council By Sean Strader Staff Writer Wednesday, June 13, 2007 After eight months of hammering out all the details, Oxford Planning Commission recommended the Thoroughfare Plan to city council Tuesday. Amid continued vocal opposition by a large group of citizens who packed the courthouse Tuesday evening, the commission voted 6-1 to put their revised version of the plan into council's hands. Council will begin discussion of the plan July 17 at earliest, said Community Development Director Jung-Han Chen. Council can then adopt, revise or reject the plan. Designed to be a guiding document for future transportation improvements in and around Oxford, the current version includes a bypass running south and west of the city connecting both ends U.S. 27, a route north of the city from College Corner Pike to Brown Road and a bike path that would encircle the city. Other major features include the possible connection of Kehr Road to Main or Locust Street, a possible Amtrak station and an underpass beneath the railroad on Locust Street. The current version of the plan can be found at the city's Web site at cityofoxford.org. The proposed new roads along the outskirts are contingent on city annexation and new development there, said council representative Dave Prows. A thoroughfare plan requires developers to build specific connective roads and prevents only rows of cul-de-sacs leading nowhere, Prows said. "I feel for once we are being proactive and are coming out ahead here," said commission chairman Paul Brady. "We have a legal basis for dealing with these annexation requests coming in and ... requiring connectivity." However, the Thoroughfare Plan has been strongly opposed by a group of Township residents troubled by the potential bypasses, which they say would open up more agricultural land to sprawling residential development. Jenny Gelber, of 5508 Brown Road, said planning new routes in the countryside would encourage development and lead to problems in the future. "A weakness of this plan is it sets the stage for future use of eminent domain. It only works if every parcel decides to develop." Orie Loucks, of 6195 Fairfield Road, said the plan suffered from a lack of both vision and citizen consensus. "There's still no vision as to what the Thoroughfare Plan is that Oxford residents aspire to," Loucks said. "It is not a vision of how we want Oxford to look and function in the future." Bill Brewer, the only commission member to vote against recommending the plan to council, cited dissatisfaction with the process and the current plan, while noting the hard work done by the commission. "We have struggled valiantly," Brewer said. "But ... it shouldn't be this way, it shouldn't happen this way and I can't recommend this for council." http://www.oxfordpress.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/13/op061507thoroughfare.html

From Cincinnati.com, 6/12/07: Deerfield Township planners ask residents for opinion on growth Contributed By Carrie Whitaker | The Enquirer Deerfield Township holds the first community-wide comprehensive planning process meeting at 7 p.m. on June 27, at the Board of Trustees meeting room located at 4900 Parkway Drive. In May, the Board of Trustees approved a contract with McBride Dale Clarion Associates, Inc. to help create a development plan for the township. It is the same group that created a comprehensive plan for Oxford, Ohio in March. “A comprehensive plan becomes the framework for decision making. It puts all of these issues into an appropriate context for the organization and the community as a whole,” Community Development Director Lois McKnight said in a press release. http://rodeo.cincinnati.com/getlocal/gpstory.aspx?id=100227&sid=114000

Both from the 6/13/07 Springfield News-Sun: Second wind test tower approved in Union Township By Natalie Morales Staff Writer Wednesday, June 13, 2007 MUTUAL — The Union Township Zoning Commission Board of Appeals voted Tuesday evening to allow a second wind energy company to place a wind measuring device on the property of a township resident. The board voted five to one in favor of permitting Chicago-based Invenergy to construct the temporary 196-foot tower on the property of Bill and Carol Black at 22049 Talbot Road. The Blacks contracted with Invenergy for the device to be placed on their property to test wind speeds to determine if the area is viable for the possible future construction of wind turbines, said Black's son, Paul. "If the wind's not there we don't want any turbines, if it is then built them," Paul Black said after the meeting. "People can build houses where ever they want, you've got to catch the wind where it blows." Invenergy Senior Development Manager Eric Miller said the test towers, which look like thin pole anchored to the ground by angled wires, usually stay in a location for two to six years to gather an adequate sample. In the variance agreement approved Tuesday, Miller said Invenergy would agree to leave the tower on Black's property for a maximum of five years. Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/12/sns061307wind.html Couple awaiting appeal on wind test tower By Natalie Morales Staff Writer Wednesday, June 13, 2007 A wind test tower similar to the one Chicago-based wind developer Invenergy will place on the Blacks' Talbot Road property already exists on the Ault Road property of Boyd McCarty. Adjacent property owners Bob and Diane McConnell filed an appeal with the Champaign County Common Pleas Court, petitioning the Union Township Zoning Commission Board of Appeals decision to allow New-York-based wind energy developer Everpower to construct the test tower on McCarty's property. The test towers — at 190 and 196 feet tall — are temporarily built to test wind speed and determine if the area is a viable place for proposed future wind turbines. "We're not against wind energy, we're against its placement in a semi-residential area," Diane McConnell said. Everpower has proposed building several 500-foot turbines throughout Union, Wayne and Salem townships in Champaign County and also through some townships in Logan County. The Ault Road test tower was constructed before the McConnell's appeal was filed, they said. "We were hoping that by filing an appeal, there would be a delay in the process, for more time to look into this," Bob McConnell said. Full article at http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/12/sns061307windside.html

From Business First of Columbus, 6/13/07: Report: Ohio had 5th highest foreclosure rate in May Business First of Columbus - 9:48 AM EDT Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Ohio had the fifth highest foreclosure rate among the states last month, as the national rate ballooned 90 percent compared with May 2006, RealtyTrac Inc. said. With 13,214 foreclosure filings last month, RealtyTrac said the state had one foreclosure for every 362 households. Ohio also had the third highest number of foreclosure filings for the third straight month. California had the most, with 39,659, followed by Florida, with 21,704 filings. ... More at: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/11/daily14.html?from_rss=1

From the 5/23/07 Dispatch: Zoo floating water-park names Public will vote on a replacement for 'Wyandot Lake' Wednesday, May 23, 2007 3:28 AM By Matt Tullis, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The water and amusement park, now owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, is to reopen on May 17 next year after a $20 million makeover. The public will get to vote on the names, starting Monday through June 17, on a Web site accessible from the zoo's site, www.colszoo.org. More at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/05/23/PARKNAME.ART_ART_05-23-07_B1_H36Q1NA.html?type=rss&cat=21

Hmm...back to Ohio for a second.... From the 6/12/07 Blade: Smoking ban foes fail to get enough signatures for vote BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU COLUMBUS - Bars, taverns, bowling alleys, and private clubs were dealt a serious blow yesterday in their effort to ask voters in November to revisit Ohio's strict new ban on smoking in indoor public places. Attorney General Marc Dann determined that supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment fell well short of the 1,000 valid signatures of registered voters needed just to put the proposed language before him for review. Read more: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS24/706120387/-1/NEWS

Firm takes dip into student housing Business First of Columbus - June 8, 2007 by Brian R. Ball, Business First Crawford Hoying affiliate Olentangy Commons Columbus Associates LLC paid $58.3 million June 1 for the complex, with plans to invest another $6 million to $7 million on renovations. "We see an opportunity," said Brent Crawford, a principal in the firm. "Our goal is to restore that (apartment complex) as the place to be." The 76-acre complex dates back to the early 1970s when the first parts opened. Crawford said it historically has attracted students from Ohio State and other colleges. About the deal Transaction: Sale of a large apartment complex catering primarily to college students Address: Leasing office at 4765 Blairfield Drive off Jasonway Avenue Property size: Complex of 827 apartments spread over 76 acres Price: $58.3 million Financing: $49.6 million mortgage through KeyBank Seller: Olentangy Commons LP/Dial Equities Inc. of Omaha, Neb. Buyer: Olentangy Commons Columbus Associates LLC/Crawford Hoying Ltd. of Dublin Brokers: Ed Joseph of CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. represented the seller, while Brent Crawford, through the Crawford Hoying Smith Real Estate Services brokerage, represented the buyer. Property management: Crawford Communities LLC Leasing rates: Monthly rent for a one-bedroom, 710-square-foot unit not yet renovated begins at $610, while a 2,145-square-foot, three-bedroom unit costs about $1,360 after renovations. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/11/story5.html

From the 6/12/07 Canton Repository: Developer receives zone change despite opposition By FELLICIA SMITH REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER JACKSON TWP. When Township Trustee Bill Burger voted to adopt the Zoning Commission's recommendation to rezone land on the northeast corner of Portage Street and Lutz Avenue NW, his vote outweighed the rejection by the other two trustees. Essentially Burger's vote changed the zoning for the 28 acres of land from rural residential to R-3, which will allow Akron based developer David Hart to build 51 single-family homes on smaller lots. "The way the township has developed, I see there is a need for this," Burger said... http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=359461&r=13&subCategoryID=

New Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins coming to Avondale Building Cincinnati, 6/7/07 A Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins outlet is coming to Avondale. The combined restaurant will be built on the southwest corner of the MLK/Harvey/Vernon intersection. Buildings on the site were recently demolished. (These buildings can be seen on the Windows Live link.) One, 3033 Vernon Place, was an old office building built in 1953. The other, an amalgam of small shops at 435-439 Martin Luther King, was damaged by fire and condemned in late 2005 and wasn't able to fulfill its economic potential anymore. The nearest Baskin Robbins locations are on Dixie Highway in Fairfield and on Buttermilk Pike, just off of the I-71/I-75 exit. The latter location is also a combined store. The nearest Dunkin Donuts location is downtown. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW (looking west) GOOGLE AERIAL MAP http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com/2007/06/avondale-new-dunkin-donutsbaskin.html Whitewater Twp: Glendower Place Building Cincinnati, 6/7/07 Site plan: Click to enlarge Drees is looking to build a 199-lot subdivision in Whitewater Twp. Glendower Place would be built on 83.3 acres off of Harrison Road, a half-mile east of Strimple Road. The topography of the site is a challenge. Drees is proposing streets and homes along the tops of the ridges, with the most steeply sloped portions (near the I-74/I-275 interchange) remaining a greenbelt. Three homes currently on the site would remain, as would the lake, which would be used as a detention pond. The Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission has approved of the preliminary subdivision plan. Essentially, the project is a go unless there are changes made to the subdivision plan that cause it to no longer conform with the county's subdivision design standards. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW GOOGLE AERIAL MAP http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com/2007/06/whitewater-twp-glendower-place.html Residents launch drive to halt Montgomery Road development Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/11/07 A group of residents wants the city to buy 10 acres along Montgomery Road slated for development and preserve it as a municipal park with walking and bicycle paths. Citizen Action for a Livable Montgomery launched a petition drive this week to place the issue on the November ballot. "We think the voters ought to have a say in what the community looks like," said Connie Pillich, a member of the group. "There is no other place to expand our park system." But Montgomery Mayor Gerri Harbison said it would not be prudent for the city to buy the property. "If the city has to come up with the money, other city services will definitely suffer," she said. "We have set aside money so we can keep our roads in great shape." Erlanger ready to rehab homes Erlanger Recorder, 6/11/07 David Hahn knows city residents would gladly get behind the Erlanger Housing Development Corporation...if they only knew about it. Hahn, the city's economic development director, is one of eight members of the housing development committee looking to fix up some Erlanger neighborhoods. The city is looking to purchase abandoned, foreclosed or neglected properties, fix them up, and re-sell them. "This is definitely not something we're looking to make a profit with, but rather just to keep our neighborhoods looking good," said Hahn. 'This isn't a real big problem in the city, but we're just trying to stay on top of it to ensure it doesn't become a big problem." Council member John Dunhoft, who heads the committee, said they have only purchased one house to date, and actually had to sell it to another re-modeler after learning the cost of fixing it up would put them in a financial hole. He said the committee, which has it's own line of credit to purchase houses, broke even on that deal, and learned some valuable lessons. Mt. Orab to develop Ashley Grove Georgetown News Democrat, 6/10/07 Mayor Bruce Lunsford discussed with council Tuesday, June 5, a recent proposal from Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities, Inc. and Creative Housing Solutions to add a senior citizen apartment complex on the property called Ashley Grove. The property is located behind Best Western off of a currently empty road named Grieshop Street and will provide housing for 30 seniors. Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities, Inc., is a community minded organization that deals with family planning and housing. "I think it (a senior citizens complex) would be an asset to the community," Lunsford said. Mt. Orab has a number of senior citizen complexes already, but the proposed building at Ashley Grove is much different in design. The building will be three stories high with one main entrance, instead of the usual one floor with separate entrances. The apartments would be available to people 55 and over. Rent for the complex would be based on the individual's retirement or income. The overall goal is to make a place where seniors can easily afford to live and not rent out the units at market rate. Historic church gets painted Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/10/07 Historic Immanuel United Methodist Church, East Fifth and Greenup streets in Covington, is getting an exterior makeover this month. Workers say they expect to finish painting the outside of the 140-year-old church within 2½ weeks. The Gothic structure was built in 1867, thanks largely to financial assistance from Covington businessman and civic leader Amos Shinkle, a devout Methodist and superintendent of the church's first Sunday School in 1867-92. A plaque erected by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet notes that the First United Methodist Church split over slavery in 1846, prompting the temporary formation of a second church several blocks away. The two churches reunited in 1939, and the current building was rebuilt after a fire in 1947, the plaque says. Friarhurst to be reborn Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/10/07 The Friarhurst Chapel and Retreat Center, which has been closed since the end of 2005, will once again become a place of prayer and religious worship. SonRise Community Church, a nondenominational church that has been holding services in Mariemont High School, has purchased the 16-acre hillside site from the Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist. The church draws an average of 235 people each Sunday. The Franciscans had owned Friarhurst since 1919, when they bought it from the descendants of the man who in 1845 built the site's farmhouse that was expanded later and still stands. They closed Friarhurst because the retreat house, a narrow building with 37 tiny, cell-like rooms, was obsolete. SonRise plans to build a facility on the site that will hold religious services and provide outreach to the community. "We want to have a church that isn't too big," church pastor Jeff Arington said. "We want it to feel like a community."

From Business First of Columbus, 6/11/07: SKETCH: Winding Road Ventures’ condos at Buckeye Lake will include access to a boat launch. Courtesy Winding Road Ventures Michigan firm bringing condos to Buckeye Lake Business First of Columbus - June 8, 2007 by Kevin Kemper Business First Thanks in part to Michigan's poor economy, an Epcon Communities Inc. franchisee is coming to Central Ohio with plans to build a $30 million condominium development on Buckeye Lake. Troy, Mich.-based Winding Road Ventures Inc. plans to break ground in July on its first development project as a franchisee of Dublin-based Epcon. The project is a 176-unit complex on 51 acres near the lake's historic cranberry bog. Called the Landings at Maple Bay, Wolney said the development will be the first Nantucket-style community under the Epcon name. Each of the two- or three-bedroom units will include a two-car attached garage and a private boat slip in the community's marina, which Winding Road plans to construct. The community will also include a clubhouse, swimming pool and fitness center, all planned for the 98-unit first phase of construction. Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/11/story9.html

Link contains photos. From the 6/12/07 Blade: JUDGE CITES CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY Jobe to be tried as adult Teen won’t face death penalty in officer’s slaying By ROBIN ERB BLADE STAFF WRITER Charged with the shooting death of a Toledo police officer, 15-year-old Robert Jobe will stand trial as an adult, becoming the youngest Lucas County resident in recent memory to face adult time if he’s convicted of aggravated murder. Yesterday, just 20 minutes after retired Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge James Ray announced his decision to send the teenager to adult court, the youth was moved across Spielbusch Avenue and booked into the Lucas County jail on a $500,000 bond. His arrival at the adult jail marked the end of a grueling process in juvenile court that stretched over three months to answer this question: Should the boy — who had turned 15 two weeks before the shooting — be tried as an adult or juvenile in the Feb. 21 death of Toledo police vice Detective Keith Dressel? ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS02/70612002/-1/RSS

Both from ThisWeek Delaware, 6/10/07: Record project headed to city council Sunday, June 10, 2007 By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Staff Writer The largest commercial project in Delaware's history is one step closer to reality after receiving final plan approval from the city's planning commission. The Delaware Planning Commission on Thursday unanimously endorsed final development plans for a 561,392-square-foot retail center and 337 single-family homes near the intersection of state Route 521 and U.S. Route 36. The development, to be called Glennwood Commons, now will be considered by Delaware City Council. If approved there, it would be anchored by a 207,364-square-foot Meijer retail and grocery supercenter with an accompanying gas station, a 128,883-square-foot Home Depot, and an as-yet unnamed big-box store. "This is the largest single (development) footprint in the history of the city," said David Efland, Delaware planning director. "... We're very pleased to add Meijer and Home Depot." The project is being proposed by Lakewood, Ohio-based Zaremba Group LLC. Company officials said Thursday they hope to open at least one of the stores by fall of next year. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/061007/Delaware/News/061007-News-368985.html Wal-Mart scores initial victory Sunday, June 10, 2007 By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Staff Writer After suffering an upset of sorts last November, round one of the rematch last week went to Wal-Mart. Although it involved a review of preliminary plans, Wednesday's meeting of the Delaware Planning Commission had the feel of a heavyweight fight that went the 15-round distance. Maybe that's because the planning commission and Delaware City Council have publicly reviewed multiple versions of Wal-Mart Corp.'s proposal seven times since the company announced plans to build a "supercenter" south of Cheshire Road and east of U.S. Route 23 in December 2005. Or maybe it's because the latest review -- Wednesday night at City Hall -- spanned more than two hours and stopped about a minute shy of 11 p.m. This time, the result was different. After being rejected twice by the planning commission and once by city council last year, Wal-Mart on Wednesday received approval of revised, preliminary plans for the supercenter by a 6-1 vote. Despite continued protests from a number of neighbors of the store's proposed site, the company received initial support to build a 176,312-square-foot retail and grocery center on 22.12 acres in the as-yet undeveloped Shoppes at Delaware. MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/061007/Delaware/News/061007-News-368986.html

Link contains a photo. From the 6/12/07 Coshocton Tribune: Community welcomes ethanol job applications By KATHIE DICKERSON Staff Writer COSHOCTON - Employees of Coshocton County Job & Family Services were greeted by about 40 to 50 people waiting outside the building at 725 Pine St. Monday morning -the first day applications were accepted by Altra Biofuels for about 45 positions at Coshocton Ethanol, LLC. After signing a log-in sheet applicants were seated 10 at a time in the lobby area to fill out a registration form for JFS. From there they moved downstairs to fill out the job application. http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS01/706120306/1002/rss01

From the 6/12/07 Enquirer: Multimedia Examine the Superintendent's budget (PDF) Budget keeps CPS spending flat 'We can't go any further' in cutting, Blackwell insists BY BEN FISCHER | [email protected] Six months ago, leaders of Cincinnati Public Schools realized that radical changes were necessary to avoid slipping into a deep budget deficit next year. Monday, Superintendent Rosa Blackwell unveiled the end result of those radical changes: a balanced, $428.3 million budget that keeps spending essentially flat for the third straight year. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070612/NEWS0102/706120376/

From ThisWeek West Side, 5/13/07: Other jurisdictions to share cost Prairie to aid search for Accord consultant Sunday, May 13, 2007 By CARLA SMITH ThisWeek Contributor Prairie Township trustees approved a participation agreement to aid in the selection of a consultant charged with the creation of the Big Darby Accord Town Center Master Plan. The action took place at the May 9 board of trustees meeting where the board approved spending no more than $4,167 of the $25,000 cost of a facilitator. The facilitator will help a steering committee choose the consultant to design the Town Center Master Plan. Township administrator Tracy Hatmaker said four jurisdictions -- City of Columbus, Brown and Prairie townships along with Franklin County -- are pitching in to help pay for the cost of the facilitator. The cost has been split four ways with Columbus and the county each paying one-third of the amount and the townships picking-up the rest, he said. All four jurisdictions recently adopted the Big Darby Accord plan which is designed to protect the water quality and natural resources of the watershed area. More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/051307/West/News/051307-News-354301.html