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I've been pretty amazed how popular the sculptures have been. Seems like every weekend their are groups of people posing and taking picture with them....probably for the photo contest sponsored by the Downtown Dayton Partnership. They have posted some of the entries on their website.

The last lakefront development plan ended up as a ©£µ§T€®ƒµ©K. More info @ this post.

I was listening to some past episodes of Carol Coletta's Smart City radio program and came across an episode that seemed somewhat relevant to this discussion. It features guest Sean Safford, who wrote Why the Garden Club Couldn’t Save Youngstown and analyzes how Youngstown ended up in the situation it is in while some similar cities had different fates. [mp3=200,20,0,center]http://smartcityradio.fluidhosting.com/2007/05-May/053107_SmartCity.mp3[/mp3] Here is an abstract from his report.... This paper seeks to understand how the structure of civic relationships shapes trajectories of economic change through an examination of two well-matched Rust Belt cities: Allentown, Pennsylvania and Youngstown, Ohio. Despite sharing very similar economic histories, Allentown and Youngstown have nevertheless taken dramatically different post-industrial paths since the 1970s. The paper analyses how the intersection of economic and civic social networks shape the strategic choice and possibilities for mobilization of key organizational actors in response to two historical junctures that were critical in shaping the cities’ economic trajectories. The analysis shows that differences in the way that civic and economic relationships intersected facilitated collective action in one and impeded it in the other. However, in contrast to much of the literature on “social capital” the results suggest the downsides of network density, particularly in times of acute economic crisis. Rather, it is more important that the structure of social relationships facilitate interaction—and mobilization—across social, political and economic divisions. The full paper is available here.

Council plans to hire downtown manager Celina Mayor Sharon Larue was authorized by city council members last week to enter into a consulting agreement for a downtown manager in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Development's Small Cities Community Development Block Grant. At last week's regular meeting, council members approved the emergency ordinance, which transfers $10,000 from the contingency fund to the community development department for contractual services of the future manager. http://www.dailystandard.com/archive/story_single.php?rec_id=3622

Grassroots Great Dayton has about a dozen videos (mostly sprawl and streetcars videos) on its YouTube page that may be of interest to people on here. I'm not going to embed all the videos, but they are available here.

And here are "Letters to the Editor" in response to above article.... Section Eight article irresponsible I write in response to the Register’s July 24, 2007 article entitled “Section Eight housing going up across Shroyer Road”. Simply put, the article is replete with misinformation and factual distortions. The article’s headline implies that Section Eight housing will be constructed across Shroyer Road. That is untrue. Rather, DMHA recently purchased four apartment buildings on Telford in Kettering. Each building consists of four units. In short, DMHA now owns 16 units on Telford, nothing approaching “eight hundred units of Section Eight housing” as suggested by the article. Importantly, DMHA has invested over $800,000 in the renovation of the 16 units, hardly bad news for the Oakwood/Kettering community. In a city of approximately 58,000 residents, 170 Kettering residents use Section 8 housing vouchers. 15 Oakwood residents use Section 8 housing vouchers. DMHA has owned one four-unit apartment building on Shroyer in Oakwood since 2004 and, contrary to the article’s tenor, the sky hasn’t fallen. Further, DMHA’s Director of Planning and Development confirms DMHA has no plans to purchase additional units in the area. More importantly, DMHA carefully screens all its applicants via thorough background checks for felony convictions and drug and sex-related offenses which automatically disqualify any DMHA applicant. Oakwood residents should be more concerned about the criminal proclivities of their next door neighbors than DMHA applicants. Most regrettably, the article postulates that the “complexion” of Oakwood and Kettering will change, a poorly veiled and racially-charged reference calculated to frighten skittish Oakwood citizens that “darkies” may be coming to our neighborhood. I am sick and tired of tacit acceptance of racial stereotyping in our community. Oakwood, thankfully, has become more racially, ethnically and religiously diverse during the 40 years I have lived here. It’s about time. I was most frightened by the article’s anecdote regarding an Acorn Drive “resident” armed with his 38. Cal. Revolver “for good measure” who saw fit to “confront [a suspicious pair]” outside his property and then allegedly follow them in his car. I hope this vignette was merely poetic license. The spectre of Oakwood residents, armed to the teeth and prepared to exact vigilante justice, is hardly something welcomed by intelligent citizens or our Oakwood Police Department. Here’s a tip, if you see suspicious activity, report it to the Police Department and leave the gun play, should any prove necessary, to our outstanding professionals. I have lived in Oakwood for over 40 years. My wife has lived here all her life. Our four children were educated in Oakwood City Schools. I love Oakwood. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. I resent irresponsible articles which merely serve to denigrate our community and frighten its citizens. Steven K. Dankof, Sr., Esq. Oakwood Kettering & Oakwood city managers issue joint response to article about Section 8 Housing Dear Readers: The front page article in the July 24 issue of the Oakwood Register (“Section Eight housing going up across Shroyer Road”) regarding Section 8 housing was both inaccurate and insensitive. Not only was the article filled with false information, but its tone was such that the article could spread fear and animosity among neighbors and citizens. This is very unfortunate. So much so that we felt this issue necessitated a joint response from both City Managers. Let’s begin by addressing the inaccuracies of the article: The Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority (DMHA) recently purchased four – 4-unit apartment buildings on Telford Avenue in the city of Kettering, and they have invested $800,000 in renovations to these four buildings. There are no plans to establish 800 Section 8 housing units in Kettering. DMHA is establishing a total of 16 public housing units, four in each of the four buildings. DMHA began leasing the 16 units on Telford within the last two weeks and about 10 of those are currently leased. Parkside Apartments have been in the process of closing down for many years. There are currently 101 families at Parkside. They will be relocated to places of their choosing throughout Montgomery County. Most have chosen to stay in the neighborhoods in which their families, friends and places of worship are located. Before a resident is placed in one of the units, they are carefully screened and a thorough background check is done. Histories of felony convictions, drug offenses or sex related crime automatically disqualify a person from the program. Kettering and Oakwood have had low-income residents for decades. The apartments in the Shroyer Road area have always been affordable. DMHA’s presence in the neighborhood will not change the “complexion” of the neighborhood and reference, whether deliberate or not, to the racial make-up of residents is racist and discriminatory. Despite what was written in the Oakwood Register, no Kettering official has ever stated that 79 families from the Parkside Apartments have moved to this apartment plat. Kettering’s Planning and Development Director spent almost one hour on the phone and “on-the-record” with Mr. Winkler explaining the facts regarding the apartments. Mr. Winkler chose to ignore these truths and stated that he could not get a straight answer. At no time did Mr. Winkler contact Kettering City Manager, Mark Schwieterman, or Oakwood City Manager, Norbert Klopsch, to discuss this issue. Now, set aside the fact that the article is laden with untruths. Perhaps the most disturbing element to this whole article is that it excites anxiety about the one thing that is very near and dear to all of us, and that’s our home. Living in a safe and secure environment is probably the top priority for all Kettering and Oakwood residents regardless of income. The goal of DMHA housing is to provide decent, safe, affordable housing to people in need. Shouldn’t our focus here be on helping our neighbors to achieve greater success in life? We urge the residents of both Kettering and Oakwood to consider the facts of this issue. If you would like to discuss this issue further, please contact us at: Mark Schwieterman: [email protected] or 296-2412 Norbert Klopsch: [email protected] or 298-0600 Response from the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority Below are the responses to the allegations that appeared in an article published by the Oakwood Register on July 24, 2007: The Housing Choice Voucher program, which is also known as Section 8, is a program that is available to private landlords who are willing to participate by renting their units to clients who possess a Housing Choice Voucher. Although the Housing Choice Voucher program is administered by Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority, DMHA is not currently an owner of Section 8 units. Tenants are responsible for finding an acceptable unit that meets Housing Quality Standards that are set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for all Section 8 units. If the unit passes inspection and the rent for the unit falls within what is rent reasonable for the client based on their income, then the tenant can enter into a lease with the private landlord. Public housing units are DMHA owned and managed units that receive rental subsidy under the HUD public housing program. DMHA has purchased five apartment buildings across Shroyer Road on Telford Avenue. These units are public housing units, not Section 8. • In July 2004, DMHA purchased one building containing four one-bedroom units at 2018 Shroyer Road in the City of Oakwood. • In November 2005, DMHA purchased four buildings each containing four one-bedroom units on Telford Avenue in the City of Kettering. DMHA has spent in excess of $800,000 to renovate the Telford units. The Telford Avenue units are not being held or committed specifically to Parkside residents. The units are available to all potential clients that require a one-bedroom unit and are currently on the DMHA public housing waiting list. Units are committed to residents based on family size. Parkside residents have been offered the choice between a Housing Choice Voucher that can be used in the private housing market or a public housing unit. The residents have been given this option to increase their housing choices. To date, four units at the Shroyer Road property are occupied and ten units are leased out of the sixteen units at the Telford properties. Leasing of the Telford units began June 7, 2007. Leasing of the Shroyer Road units began January 31, 2006. There are 101 families currently remaining at Parkside Homes. Forty-eight families have been relocated from Parkside Homes; one individual has been relocated to Telford and thirty-two families have been issued vouchers to be used in the private market. DMHA currently is not in negotiations to purchase any additional properties in either the City of Kettering or the City of Oakwood. Although DMHA is currently not purchasing property in either jurisdiction, that does not preclude DMHA from purchasing property in the future (Ed.). DMHA feels that affordable housing options should be available to all of the residents of Montgomery County no matter where they want to live and the agency will work to increase those options for our clients. DMHA has stated to both the City of Kettering and the City of Oakwood that they will inform the jurisdiction of any plans to purchase property prior to entering into an option to purchase. DMHA is also required to enter into a cooperation agreement with any jurisdiction where public housing units are to be located. FYI on DMHA I appreciated your article about the DMHA moving into the apartment complexes in Kettering. My main question is what criteria do they use to determine a target area for their “mission”? Their website provides very little data and is outdated to say the least which along with their various scores indicate a shoddy enterprise. It provides very little useful information. Given Oakwood’s history with this type of housing along Shroyer (the police calls were numerous) I can only assume that the spillover from Kettering will become our problem as well. Bexley in Columbus is a beautiful city but it is surrounded by blight such as DMHA housing. I would be curious as to what experiences they have had? Just some comments from a concerned citizen. From their website: HUD dated Nov. 15, 2004: Indicator #3 - Determination of Adjusted Income: 20 points possible; 0 points scored (How can they NOT check this item?!?!) DMHA earned 82 percent of the 140 potential points. Performance Rating > STANDARD. DMHA will check criminal history for all adults in the household to determine whether any member of the family has engaged in drug-related or violent criminal activity. For the purposes of this policy, drug related or violent criminal activity will be construed to mean that if a member of the current family has been arrested within the past three-year period. For 2005, the income limits for the Section 8 Program are: 1 person - $21,050. 2 person - $24,100 3 person - $27,100 4 person - $30.100 5 person - $32,500 6 person - $34,900 7 person - $37,300 8 person - $39,750 David S. Oda, CFA Oakwood Build community, not fences I was saddened to read your article in The Oakwood Register that sensationalized the addition of Section 8 housing across Shroyer Road in Kettering. You and the “concerned citizens” who contacted your office about this issue seem to have forgotten something. The people who live in Section 8 housing are human beings. They have hopes and dreams for their families just as we do in Oakwood. Just because someone is living on a limited income does not mean that they are a criminal. For Oakwood residents who are concerned about this issue I have two suggestions: Wouldn’t it be better to welcome our new neighbors instead of criminalizing them before they even move in? Don’t you think that our new neighbors want to live in a neighborhood without crime too? Lt. Keith Benson, as quoted in your article, talks about Neighborhood Watch systems. If Oakwood residents are concerned about crime why not reach out to the residents living in the Section 8 housing and work together in the planning of such a program? And instead of picking up a gun as the resident on Acorn Drive did, I wonder what would happen if concerned citizens picked up the phone and called to inquire about volunteering for one of the many organizations in the Miami Valley working hard to address the root causes of poverty in our community. If those concerned citizens got to know someone living in poverty, they would realize that they actually have much in common. I challenge you to rethink this issue in a positive light – Let’s make this an opportunity to build community, not fences. There are enough issues out there that divide us from our fellow human beings. We don’t need another one. Yasmeen Khan Oakwood Minimal attention paid Thank you for the informative article last week concerning the section 8 housing project under way directly on our eastern border. This project is certain to negatively impact all citizens of Oakwood and Kettering. In conversation with many Oakwood residents, we are unanimously appalled by the absence of appropriate action from our elected city officials. All of us are outraged with this proposal and wonder how a project of this magnitude could evolve to this level with minimal attention or intervention. I assume that the Sugar Camp Project occupied all the efforts of city officials. The recently reported tax windfalls from the Sugar Camp Development will almost certainly be negated by the loss of our property values and increase in security expenses as a result of the adjacent section 8 housing project. We all hope that you and the OR will keep the good citizens of Oakwood alerted as to any developments. Additional reading is found: http://www.mcohio.org/revize/montgomery/Montgomery/home/docs/DMHA_5_15_07_Compatibility_Mode.pdf http://louisville.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/02/19/story3.html?jst=s_cn_hl Best Regards, Greg Marquart 311 Greenmount Blvd.

Just look at the July 24, 2007 edition of the Oakwood Register... Section Eight housing going up across Shroyer Road By Lance Winkler “Did you know there’s going to be eight hundred units of Section Eight housing going up in Kettering?” “What’s going on with this Section Eight housing deal?” “Is it true Parkside Homes is moving over to the plat across from Shroyer Road?” “I’ve been told that they are relocating people from the low income housing north of downtown to the apartments across Shroyer, because the same developer owns both, and the low income housing downtown, which was a haven for drugs and crime, is being razed.” Over the past nine months, these questions have been asked by concerned citizens in the area who have contacted The Oakwood Register by phone, letter, e-mail and office visits, all either telling what they have heard from local officials, “on the grapevine”, and asking if the rumors are true. “Were you aware that the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority has bought three apartment buildings in the 500 block of Telford in Kettering, just across the street from Oakwood?” one concerned Oakwood citizen e-mailed us and who asked not to be named. “I spoke to a DMHA official who said people will start moving in from the Parkside Homes project as soon as the buildings are refurbished. He (the DMHA official) also said they plan to buy all the apartment buildings that go up for sale in the area on the east side of Shroyer Road. That is an eight-block area full of those apartment buildings. I feel we are in for a big ride and crime, drugs, etc, will follow. This will be a devastating blow to Kettering and Oakwood. The complexion of both communities is about to change. This and the possibility of a Metro Government sure doesn’t make me want to stay in this area,” she wrote. In talking with Kettering officials, they did in fact confirm that 79 families from the Parkside Homes project have since moved into the apartment plats across Shroyer Road in Kettering. http://www.oakwoodregister.com/

Salvation Army nears $7.5 million goal for community center By Margo Rutledge Kissell Thursday, August 09, 2007 The Dayton Corps of the Salvation Army is trying to raise the final $200,000 in its $7.5 million fundraising campaign for a Kroc community center. To achieve that goal, the Dayton command's Major Tom Duperree said the non-profit organization has sent letters to its "substantial donors" known as Red Kettle members and will run information with pledge forms attached in suburban newspapers Aug. 15-16. Read full article here: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/08/09/ddn080907armyweb.html

Gorgeous. Everyone I know that has visited there raves about the place. Looks like the perfect place to get away from it all and relax.

Jeff, if you are interested in the Fitz Center, there is a good article that was published in the Journal of Metropolitan Universities that explains the history and philosophy of the Fitz Center. It is available here.

^ mrnyc, I think the doll was removed for awhile to be refurbished, not replaced....but i could be mistaken. Also, an interesting fact is they used to use a car turntable before they enlarged their parking lot. Instead of backing out of the lot, a car would pull onto the turntable after which it could be manually turned around, since there wasn't enough room for the cars to make the sharp turn. You can still see the outline of the turntable in the parking lot. Founded in 1923, there were more than 200 Kewpee restaurants before WWII. Each location was run independently and often had different menus. The shortage of ground beef during the war drove many locations out of business. And an attempt to collect royalties/franchise fees for the name bought by a Toledo man led to further closures and changes to Kewpee locations that remained. Today there are only 6 remaining locations--3 in Lima, 1 in Racine, WI, and 2 in Lansing, MI. The downtown Lima Kewpee location in opened in 1928, is the only remaining example of the "original" Kewpee building architecture. The Kewpie doll was popular in America in the early 1900's. They were based on stories and illustration that Rose O'Neill created for Ladies' Home Journal. It was really basically an early form of a comic strip and then became popular as a doll. At the 1939 New York World's Fair, the time capsule contained a Kewpie doll. Also, Anne Frank wrote in her diary about getting a Kewpie doll. So it I guess it was quite popular when Kewpee Hamburgers was founded in 1923 and throughout the restaurants' heyday and has remained its namesake and mascot. I've always loved the contrast in size between the tiny Kewpee building in downtown Lima and the Thomas Savings Building/City Loan & Savings Building next door.

Very nice. Where exactly are these neighborhoods in relation to the Chatham-Arch neighborhood?

Tenneco may buy Delphi plant The company has reached a tentative agreement with the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America. By Lisa A. Bernard Staff Writer Thursday, August 09, 2007 DAYTON — A Fortune 500 auto parts supplier is looking to buy Delphi Corp.'s Kettering plant. Tenneco Inc., headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., is named as the potential buyer for the Forrer Boulevard plant, according to bankruptcy court filings. The company has reached a tentative agreement with the Delphi plant's union, the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America. The union represents about 300 of the more than 600 workers at the site. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/08/08/ddn080907tenneco.html Delphi's Moraine plant may be idle by October By Lisa A. Bernard Staff Writer Thursday, August 09, 2007 MORAINE — Operations at Delphi Corp.'s Moraine plant could be completely idle by October, according to a top union official. Late Sunday, the bankrupt auto parts maker and the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America signed off on a tentative four-year agreement that impacts nearly 2,000 Delphi workers, of which nearly 1,000 work in Montgomery County. The agreement, which officials have said is contingent upon a membership vote, calls for the closure of two Delphi facilities, including the Moraine plant. The plant has nearly 300 union employees. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/08/09/ddn080907delphimoraine.html Delphi agreement calls for wage buy-down Some production workers would go down to $10 an hour while skilled workers would make $21 an hour. By Lisa A. Bernard Staff Writer Wednesday, August 08, 2007 DAYTON — Buyout and wage buy-down options for union employees of Delphi Corp.'s Kettering and Moraine plants are among the terms outlined in a more than 200-page document filed in federal bankruptcy court. Late Sunday, the bankrupt auto parts maker and the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America signed off on a tentative four-year agreement that impacts nearly 2,000 Delphi workers, of which nearly 1,000 work in Montgomery County. Among the highlights of the agreement is the establishment of a "site plan," which outlines the fate of the Kettering and Moraine operations. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/08/07/ddn080807delphifolo.html

^ Exactly. Any "Best Dayton Pizza" list that doesn't include Joe's is meaningless in my opinion.

Continued from Part 1 Although these aren't really city photos, needless to say, the Biltmore is Asheville's most famous home and is America's largest privately owned home. The Biltmore Estate has a $351 million annual economic impact on Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Yellow Springs expects a tax loss of $140,000 with Antioch closing By Christopher Magan Staff Writer Tuesday, August 07, 2007 YELLOW SPRINGS — Village and school officials expect about $140,000 of income tax revenue to disappear when Antioch College closes next year. The village government will see the biggest loss. Village Administrator Eric Swansen said he expects to lose $100,000 in income tax collections when the college closes its doors next spring and 160 jobs and 300 students leave town. Villagers barely passed an 8.4-mill property tax levy in November 2006 to help the government keep up with growing expenses and aging infrastructure. Wintrow worries some village amenities could suffer because of the loss of revenue. "For a community our size we offer a lot of services," Wintrow said, citing a large park system and one of the area's few public pools as an example. Full story at http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/08/07/ddn080707yellowsprings.html

Traffic at Dayton airport takes big jump By Lisa A. Bernard Staff Writer Tuesday, August 07, 2007 DAYTON — Passenger traffic at the Dayton International Airport is up nine percent compared to this time last year, according to airport officials. In June the airport saw a 13.4 percent increase in passengers, and AirTran Airways topped out as the month's busiest carrier with 28, 925 flight boardings, according to the airport. Delta Airlines and US Airways followed AirTran, with 24, 808 and 21, 455 passengers, respectively. Full article at http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/08/07/ddn080707airportweb.html

I think Potbelly's opens today. I stopped in yesterday for a free sandwich and it was alright, but I prefer Penn Station or Submarine House. And as was posted in the Dayton restaurant thread, it sounds like Buffalo Wings & Rings wants to open up a restaurant in University Place. I would assume that they would be located in the space on the corner, since that has outdoor patio space.

Exit 149A, Richmond, Indiana

Great stuff. If you go into the Peoples Federal Savings & Loan, they seem to be quite proud of their building (and rightfully so). They encourage people to look around, take pictures, sign the visitor registry, and even have a brochure printed up with infomation about the building and Sullivan. They definitely seem to be good stewards of their architectural history. Ink, did you have a chance to eat at The Spot?

I didn't have much time in downtown Asheville, but found the city to be fantastic--lively and full of character. The surrounding natural landscape is beautiful (easy to see why George Vanderbilt chose to build his Biltmore Estate in Asheville) and downtown is full of art galleries, bars, restaurants (including a good number of sidewalk cafes/al fresco dining options), a reportedly good live music scene, some great art deco architecture, and a liberal/bohemian atmosphere that makes the city great for people watching. However all this good stuff means that people are apparently moving there in droves. The sense that I got is the locals resent the new residents for driving up the cost of living and changing the character of the town. Here are pictures from a quick stroll through some of downtown Asheville.... This is the weekly Friday night drum circle in a downtown Asheville park. Apparently with the gentrification of Asheville, some downtown residents started filing noise complains last summer about the drum circle. Obviously the drum circle continues, but I guess it is another example of the new and old Asheville's divergent points of view (although there does seem to be a good mix of hippies and yuppies at the drum ciricle).

Wow, downtown Fort Wayne is even better than I remember it. I'm glad Starbucks was convinced to save the old building. It is certainly more unique than anything they would have built. Rob, what's the latest on the Harrison Square project?

I disagree. Usually these city-county mergers involve the consolidation of services and the elimination of redundancies. These are actually structural changes in government that can reduce bureaucracy and produce synergies and operating efficiencies, not just inflated population numbers. Anyone who says their city is the X largest city and ignores where the entire metro population ranks is trying to skew the facts, IMHO. LOL, but no need to worry about that happening. :lol:

I lived in Cincinnati and commuted to Dayton for a couple of months, before I moved back to Dayton, but it was just a temporary thing. I've toyed with the idea of applying for jobs in the Cincinnati area, but always come to the same conclusion--that commute time is wasted time that I can spend better and more enjoyably. That's just me though and obviously other people have different considerations and priorities. I know of a few people that live in the Dayton area and commute to the Cincinnati area--usually northern suburbs like Mason, West Chester, and Evendale. More common seems to be people living in Mason and West Chester and commuting to Dayton--presumably sometimes with the other spouse commuting to Cincinnati. Also, I know of a couple of people that commute between Dayton and Columbus.

Looks good. One time I was going to go to a Mud Hens game, but decided to go to the horse track instead. I'll have to head up there sometime and catch a game. It looks like a great stadium and I especially like how it looks like they fit it into the Warehouse District.