Cygnus

And now, this: Near election, councilman handed out $25,000 checks from foundation to churches Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor presented $25,000 checks to several predominantly African-American churches from a foundation he directs around the time of the 2017 City Council election, according to a person who witnessed one of the gifts and two pastors whose churches received money. One of the checks came before the election, according to a witness to it, one came after, according to the pastor of the church who received the gift, and a third's timing is unclear, with pastor of the church receiving that gift saying he was not sure when it was received. From its founding in 2002 until 2016, the Cincinnati-based Charles L. Shor Foundation for Epilepsy Research has focused its giving on academic and medical institutions, not donating to a church until 2016, according to 15 years' worth of tax records examined by the Business Courier. Shor’s father, David, started Northern Kentucky-based Duro Bag, the world's largest paper bag manufacturer, in 1953; the firm was sold in 2014. Charles Shor has suffered from epileptic seizures since age 25. The foundation had nearly $32 million in assets as of 2016. Cont

Excellent write-up: The Contradictory Case of the Columbus Crew In what industry are customers blamed when a business fails? Who has ever regretfully said “boy, diners should have kept eating the lousy food at that closed restaurant” or “passengers should have kept putting up with the subpar service at that defunct airline.” We of course never say such things because they’re counterintuitive to the inherent goal of any for-profit endeavor: to earn customers’ business. And when it comes to soccer in Columbus, there is definitely business to earn. Ohio’s capital is the epitome of a soccer town. Columbus runs through the very veins of American soccer history. With its passionate fanbase and electric atmosphere, the rally cry of “Dos-a-Cero” against arch-rival Mexico was born in Columbus out of many dramatic US National team victories here. It’s a place that legendary goalkeeper Tim Howard describes as having its own mystique, as playing in US soccer’s spiritual home has become a rite of passage for national team players. But soccer to Columbus is more than just our national team. It’s the type of place where over 80,000 people will show on a Wednesday when top European clubs like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain come to town for an ICC exhibition. Fans here will even wake early on weekend mornings to watch top professional soccer from overseas, as evidenced by Columbus being a top TV ratings market in the U.S. for the English Premier League. Cont

County Commissioners appear to be onboard with whatever the committee chooses (as long as there is no subsidy).

Following WCPO's Amanda Seitz, who is reporting from the Joint Banks Steering Committee meeting today. A couple of early points: "PromoWest's bid expands 2.2 acres, and cuts into park space - which is part of the rub with this bid from what I've heard. Some powerful people in this city want to preserve/add to park space at The Banks." "Meanwhile, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's bid is a $19M concert venue proposal -- and it takes up less space than PromoWest's bid at about .75 acres."

Would your boss take out mortgages worth a total of $550,000 on your behalf? :o Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor's boss and benefactor seeks city help with $500K sewer dispute Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor's boss and benefactor sought relief from the city in January for flooding that he says has cost him more than $500,000. In an email to the city manager's office, businessman Charles Shor said Pastor advised him to reach out for help with the problem. "I would greatly appreciate the City Manager's help in resolving this pressing issue as quickly as possible," Shor wrote in the Jan. 25 email, which was obtained by The Enquirer. Cont

From @AmandaSeitz1: Hmm ... @HamiltonCntyOH ... don't recall "development of public infrastructure" being on the list of reasons a public body can enter into closed session and shield discussions from public.

Additional detail: it would take seven members to suspend the rules and fire him immediately, otherwise, three readings of the ordinance must take place on different days before legislation can be put to a vote. On top of that, in order to take immediate effect, an emergency ordinance must receive six votes. Otherwise the ordinance won't go into effect for, what, 30 days?

The Reds finally pulled the trigger... Price, who never should have been hired as a manager (IMO - great pitching coach), had a record of 279 wins to 387 losses. Reds fire manager Bryan Price after 3-15 start to season The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday morning they have fired manager Bryan Price, who was in the midst of his fifth season with the club. The Reds said in a statement that pitching coach Mack Jenkins has also been fired. Bench coach Jim Riggleman was named Cincinnati's interim manager. The statement said the Reds will conduct a search for a permanent manager "later in the year." The Reds are 3-15 this season, nine games behind the Pirates in the NL Central. Louisville (Triple-A) manager Pat Kelly was named Cincinnati's bench coach and Pensacola (Double-A) pitching coach Danny Darwin was added to the major league staff.

'Nobody is evicted:' Cincinnati scrubs tent city beneath I-71 overpass near Third Street Workers removed torn sheets of cardboard, tarps, bottles filled with urine and other trash under the Interstate 71 overpass near Third Street Friday morning. The dozens of homeless people living under that overpass in tents and makeshift shelters are expected to return. Friday’s cleanup was supervised by the Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. City workers used a Bobcat, pressure washer and a city garbage truck to remove trash that the homeless were told three days ago to leave behind. Police Capt. Michael Neville said residents of the downtown camp will likely return this evening. Cont

Mayor Cranley has called a special (FCC) session of City Council on Monday at 4PM. This will follow the normally scheduled Budget & Finance Committee at 1PM.

I wouldn't be surprised to see her out there repainting the letter.

The streetcar saw its 1 millionth rider this morning.

From last week in Memphis:

Also on Twitter: @ChrisCinciBiz - The price of this stadium keeps dropping. $250 m a few weeks ago, $200 m at Sittenfeld’s press conference, now $175 m at CPS.

From Twitter: @AmandaSeitz1 - Here's a breakdown of what Cincinnati's taxpayers will be kicking in for under FC Cincinnati/city deal proposed today: - $12 million on infrastructure (water, sanitary pipes, gas, electric, road signals) - $7.8M on demolition and site prep - $15M on 750-space surface parking ??? Edited to add source

They are a food truck now... Closed their Court St. location late last year. Might be info as to why on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cubanpetesandwich

Jason Willams, er "PX", gives Cranley a free pass in this clickbait hit piece. Time for Cincinnati City Council's streetcar supporters to step up and 'fix it' Good luck, Greg Landsman. God bless the Cincinnati City Council newbie, but why is he left to shoulder the thankless – and probably impossible – job of fixing the streetcar? Landsman chairs the Major Projects and Smart Government Committee, which will begin to tackle the streetcar's myriad problems in Tuesday's meeting. Instead, why aren't P.G. Sittenfeld, Chris Seelbach, Wendell Young and David Mann leading this effort? These Democrats voted for the project in December 2013 and were re-elected last year.

Cincinnati NAACP: Members vote no on soccer stadium in West End No soccer stadium in the West End, so say members of the Cincinnati NAACP chapter. The local civil rights organization voted Thursday night at its monthly membership meeting to take a "no" position on the proposed Futbal Club Cincinnati stadium behind Taft IT High School on Ezzard Charles Drive. "We believe a soccer stadium in the West End would expedite the further gentrification of another black neighborhood," the organization stated in a text message to The Enquirer. "We want to make it clear we are not against progress, nor or we against soccer. Cont

Low-cost international airline adds another CVG departure before its first flight Wow Air, the latest ultra-low-cost airline to announce service from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, is adding an additional flight before it even celebrates its first takeoff. The Iceland-based carrier is increasing its service from four days a week to five days a week during the summer travel season with a new departure at 12:50 a.m. on Wednesdays available June 4 to Sept. 17. “The reception from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky travelers for our flight service has been phenomenal since we announced the route last summer. Because of the strong demand, we have decided to increase our service from four to five days during the summer. We look forward to bringing affordable international travel to CVG,” Wow Air CEO and founder Skúli Mogensen said in a statement. Cont

The CPS BOE, which has an entire webpage dedicated to FC Cincinnati (https://www.cps-k12.org/about-cps/board-of-education/FCC-proposal), is seeking input from EVERYONE (Survey Monkey). Survey Reguarding FC Cincinnati's Proposal The Cincinnati Public School District Board of Education wants to hear from you about the proposed development of the Football Club Cincinnati Stadium in the West End. FC Cincinnati has proposed building a new Stargel Stadium on property adjacent to Taft IT High School, in order to utilize the land currently occupied by Stargel Stadium for a new FC Cincinnati soccer stadium. The Board of Education values your input and responses — thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback. Take the Survey

Following exits of the Cleveland City Stars (USL) and the AFC Cleveland Royals (NPSL): CLEVELAND SC JOINS THE NPSL 02/19/2018, 12:00pm EST By NPSL Staff The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that Cleveland SC (Cleveland, OH) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the Midwest Region’s East Conference. “Cleveland SC has been built on a strong foundation, bringing players, supporters, and the community together to grow the beautiful game,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “The addition of NPSL teams in Cleveland and Columbus for 2018 shows our league’s commitment to Ohio and the entire Midwest.” The club will be led by President Samuel T. Seibert, who was born, raised, and educated in Northeast Ohio. “Cleveland SC has realistic goals for 2018 both on and off the pitch,” Seibert added. “First and foremost, the team plans on increasing the awareness to the communities in Greater Cleveland that a talented team in the sport of soccer rests right here in Cleveland, Ohio. On the field, we fully expect to compete for the conference title through building a roster comprised of the most talented players and coaches available. Additionally, we fully expect to form and maintain all facets of the team organically through partnerships exclusively from the great city of Cleveland.” Seibert is an MBA Sports Management graduate of Tiffin University with experience in sports media and operations. He is a resident of Lakewood, Ohio. “Cleveland SC is going to bring a fanbase filled with pride,” Seibert continued. “Cleveland has a soccer fan base that is a sleeping giant and we intend to tap into that immediately. Cleveland has the best sports fans anywhere and our opponents will learn that quickly.” More information about the club can be found at www.clevelandsc.com or by following the club on Facebook (@SoccerCleveland), Twitter (@SoccerCLE), and Instagram (@SoccerCLE). “We feel the NPSL has the best model to promote the sport of soccer in Cleveland,” Seibert concluded. “Cleveland SC decided to join the NPSL because of the rich history Cleveland has with the league.”

The Business Courier's poll this week: What grade would you give the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar's performance so far? Of course, next weeks poll should be "What grade would you give the current administration's performance in ensuring the Cincinnati Bell Connector is a success?"

Take a ride in a golf cart?

I loved eating at Woody's as a kid! They had a giant scale to weigh yourself before and after your meal.

1. Let the city run the streetcar. 2. Run the streetcar only on weekends, special events. 3. Sell a streetcar vehicle or two. It ends with: "PX knows some streetcar backers will take offense to these suggestions. These aren't meant as a slight. But nonetheless, PX will now go stand in the middle of Vine Street and prepare to take on the Streetcar Mafia's predictable social media fire."