BOE accepting applications to fill seat vacated by Rick Guy

Longstanding Norwood Board of Education member Rick Guy announced at the January 15th BOE organizational/regular meeting that he is resigning from the board effective February 19. Also during the meeting, members elected Carolyn Atwood as the new president, replacing Ken Miracle.

This announcement on the Norwood City Schools website invites applications from individuals who would like to apply for the vacant seat:

"The Norwood Board of Education is now accepting applications for a vacant board seat. Interested parties can send a cover letter and resume to Steve Collier, Superintendent, 2132 Williams Avenue, Norwood, OH 45212 or email to lamping.s@norwoodschools.org. Deadline for accepting applications will be February 12, 2009."

(h/t to Laura Hobbs)

Xavier hosting X Experience Day for high school students

High school sophomores, juniors and seniors and their families are invited to attend the X Experience Day at Xavier University on Monday, February 16. X Experience Day offers activities and information for students and parents exploring college. X Experience Day is free and begins with an early bird tour and registration with continental breakfast from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the Cintas Center on the Xavier campus. After a welcome by Xavier president, Father Michael J. Graham, S.J., participants will learn about Xavier and the admission process, campus activities, and hear from a panel of current students about the student experience during a light brunch. Events conclude around 12:30 pm.

This program is also open to interested college transfer students.

For more information and to register, go to www.xavier.edu/Xday.

Norwood Community Chorus concert this Sunday

Norwood Times reporter Andy Clark sent our readers a special invitation to the 2nd Norwood Community Chorus concert this Sunday at Norwood Middle School. The 46-member chorus’ first concert last July at Zion United Church of Christ was a smashing standing-room-only success. With Sunday's temperatures expected to reach the 40’s (hooray!), it should be a perfect day to cure cabin fever enjoying some glorious Norwood voices sing patriotic hymns and popular show tunes, including “God Bless America,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and a medley of songs from Les Miserables.

When: Sunday, February 1 at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Norwood Middle School at 2060 Sherman Ave.
Cost: Free, but donations are greatly appreciated
Directed by: Judith White
Accompanist: Allan Martin
Drums: Greg Stevens
Bass: Mark Cook
More information: 576-0197

December, 2008 Earnings Tax Report

A monthly feature

Below is the summary information from the Earnings Tax Department’s December report, which includes the year-end net earnings taxes collected.

December Collections
Individual………$ 46,492.76
Business………...$282,122.43
Withholding…...$814,752.54
TOTAL………...$1,143,367.73

Collections thru December 2008.………...........$15,627,395.02**
Collections thru December 2007.……..….........$15,577,888.24
Increase in collections over 2006....0.32.%.........$ 49, 506.78

Net Tax Collected 2008
Total Collected….........$15,627,395.58**
Less Refunds……..............$ 249,460.65
Net Collected…….........$15,377,934.93

Net Collected 2007.....$15,397,382.38
Net Increase 2008...... $ (19,477.45)

**There's a small discrepancy between these two reported figures.

Update on interview with St. Aloysius Orphanage

We want to thank all of you who contributed questions to our upcoming interview with the St. Aloysius Orphanage official who agreed to answer questions. Yesterday, we submitted these 19 questions divided into the categories of Expansion; Security; School and Students; and Lawsuit. As you might imagine, it will take some time for this very busy official to provide responses to so many questions. There’s a possibility that we may have them back in time to start publishing them in a 3-4 part series the week of 2/1/09. We’ll keep you posted.

Save 20% with new Drug Discount Card

This week, the Enquirer announced the Drug Discount Card for Hamilton County residents who are either uninsured or insured but certain drugs may not be covered under their plans. Click here to read Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper’s blog about the card, and click here for details about how the card works (residents can even use it to buy human drugs for their pets) and locations where you can obtain one. The county has ordered 200,000 cards for distribution. For more information, call 946-1010.

Norwood woman arrested in stabbing

According to the Enquirer, Norwood police have arrested 26-year-old Sherelle Johnson for allegedly stabbing and seriously wounding a man yesterday afternoon. The incident happened on Lawn Avenue at about 3 p.m. The man suffered a punctured lung. His name and condition were not released. Johnson will appear today before a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge.

Xavier hosting Open Houses for MBA programs

You are invited to come to one of the January, February or March Xavier MBA Information Sessions, where you will find answers to your questions about admission, curriculum, and financing for all of the MBA programs offered at Xavier:

The Working Professional’s Evening MBA
The Full-Time Xavier Momentum MBA
The Saturday Weekend MBA
The West Chester, GE, and Deerfield 24-month MBA
The 19-month Executive MBA

Open houses are:
Saturday, January 24 at 10:30 a.m. at the Xavier Deerfield Township campus (Mason, Ohio)
Tuesday, January 27 at 6 p.m. on the main campus in Hailstones Hall
Saturday, February 21 at 10:30 a.m. on main campus in Cintas Center
Wednesday, February 25 at 6 p.m. on Main Campus in Hailstones Hall
Saturday, March 21 at 10:30 a.m. on the main campus in the Cintas Center
Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. on Main Campus in Hailstones Hall

Click here to make a reservation.

If you are unable to attend an open house, you are welcome to make an individual appointment with an MBA advisor by calling 513-745-3525.

Community Breakfast at New Bethel Baptist Church

Councilperson Michael Gabbard just alerted us to another great event this Saturday, January 24. New Bethel Baptist Church invites everyone to a free Community Breakfast starting at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, January 24. The church is located at the corner of Norwood and Forest Avenues. The breakfast will be in the gym attached to the rear of the church. Enter the door off Forest Avenue. ALL are welcome!

2nd Annual Cop-Stache Contest

Councilperson Michael Gabbard alerted us to a unique mustache contest to raise funds for The Shield, Inc., an organization for police officers injured or killed in the line of duty. As you’ll see from the official rules, even women can enter the contest:

Official Rules:
1. Must be completely clean-shaven on Feb. 1st, 2009. No preexisting mustache may be used. Women with facial hair may participate.
2. Must be a current/former law enforcement officer or employee of the court. Including dispatchers, clerks, bailiffs, judges, prosecutors, etc.
3. May only grow a mustache. No beard allowed throughout February.
4. Staches may be enhanced with wax, color, make-up, etc.
5. Must pay an entry fee of $25. 100% of the fee is donated to The Shield.

How to Enter:
Email your name and jurisdiction by Feb. 15th to Betsy Sundermann. Email/call with any questions. dgbetsy@yahoo.com or call 513.307.7676.

Mustache contestants will face a panel of judges to win an array of awards including “The Tom Selleck,” “The Awkward Teenager,” “The Pencil Thin,” “The Fu Manchu,” “The Farva,” and The Grand Prize Trophy.

The contest will be held Sunday, March 1st, at BlackFinn, 19 E 7th St. in downtown Cincinnati. Contestants must pay a $25 entry fee and check in by 9 p.m. Judging starts at 11:00 p.m. There’s a $10 cover charge for supporters. If you can’t attend but would like to make a donation, make your check out to “The Shield” and send it to The Shield, Inc., 7149 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH 45237.

Ballroom dancing comes to Norwood!

Please forgive us for gushing over the fantastic news from Norwood Recreation that ballroom lessons and dancing start this Friday at the Community Center for the incredibly low, unheard of price of only $3.00 per person! Mary Yeager, who began learning ballroom with her parents when she was child, will be giving an hour of dance instruction, followed by an hour of social dancing. Come alone, or bring your significant other, your children, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and, yes, your grandparents, too. Everybody dance!

When: Friday’s starting January 23; dance instruction from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.; social dancing from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Community Center at 1810 Courtland Avenue
Cost: $3.00 per person

December 08 NFD Activities and Statistics Report

A monthly feature

A. Total of emergency responses for the month of December = 349

Medic Runs = 259
Fire Runs = 16 w/breakdown
Average Response Time on Runs = 3 minutes, 15 seconds (city-wide)

Number of incidents by type:
Fire Runs – 16 - (Building, Vehicle, Brush, etc.)
Overpressure, Explosion - 0
Rescue & Medic Unit Assists – 22 - (lock-in, extrications, traffic accidents, etc.)
Hazardous Conditions (no fire) - 7 - (power lines down, arcing, spills, etc.)
Service Call – 5 - (smoke removal)
Good Intent – 7 - (odor of smoke, controlled burning)
False Alarms – 30 - (false alarms, system malfunctions, smoke detector activated, etc.)
Special Incident - 3

B. Fire Hydrant Activity
Checked for leaing w/strap - 652
Extra Hydrants (leakers) - 78
Out of Service - 9

C. Bureau of Fire Safety Activities - 485
Total Inspections – 79 - (residential, schools, churches, businesses)
Total Violations – issued 180
Total Violations – corrected 151
Total Block Inspections – 0 - (Unit #1, Unit #2, Unit #3 – Rental & multi-family)
Additional Activities - 75

Tickets on sale for Ben Folds concert at Cintas Center

Xavier University Student Activities Council and Student Government Association present Ben Folds in concert at the Cintas Center on campus on February 19 at 7:30 pm. Doors will open at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $25 each for the general public. Xavier students are $15 each. The ticket office is at 1624 Herald Ave. on the Xavier campus. Phone 513-745-3411. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Folds is widely acclaimed for his skill as a pianist, composer, songwriter, performer, and multi-instrumentalist. Rolling Stone magazine says, “Folds' aggressive piano playing falls in line with ivory-pounding rockers from Jerry Lee Lewis through Elton John.” Folds has played the college circuit for years and concerts feature him on keyboard and a backup band of guitar and drums. His last album, Way to Normal, is reminiscent of 1970’s-era Randy Newman. His next album, Stems & Seeds, is due to be released February 10.

For more on Ben Folds and to hear a sampling of his music, click here.

Norwood’s Night Out at Grace United Methodist Church

Grace Church is inviting everyone to take the night off from cooking next Wednesday and come to their free community wide dinner. Compared to the current bone-chilling temperatures, the weather forecast predicts 39 degrees that day, so bring the family and grab a bite to eat!

When: Wednesday, January 21; dinner served from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Grace Church at 2221 Slane Avenue

Eric Falstrom performing at Speckled Bird tomorrow

Tomorrow evening, Cincinnati-based singer-songwriter Eric Falstrom is hosting a CD release party at the Speckled Bird Café for his latest disc Love Will Come Through. Matthew Shelton, Chris Haubner and Joseph W. Thomas will also perform.

This recent City Beat article gives a rave review of both Falstrom’s considerable talent and his new CD. Following is an excerpt:

“Singer/songwriter Eric Falstrom has been performing locally for several years, including with the rockin’ Mystery Wagon in the early ’90s. Since then, Falstrom has been working the solo route, releasing records on his own off and on since the end of the Wagon. But Falstrom’s latest disc, Love Will Come Through, feels much like a reintroduction, featuring some of the best writing and performing of his career so far. The album is rich and focused, bringing Falstrom’s strengths (poetic lyrics, a heartfelt singing voice and beautiful arrangements) to the forefront.”

CD release show
When: Friday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Speckled Bird Café at 1766 Mills Avenue
Cost: Free
More Information: 841-2473

X.U.‘s 7th annual Neighborhood Summit features Rep. Steve Driehaus

Although the theme of Xavier’s 7th annual Neighborhood Summit is “Growing Cincinnati,” the university’s Public Affairs Office tells us it is really applicable to anyone interested in working with government and institutions at the local, county and/or state level. The Neighborhood Summit will be held Saturday, January 24 at Xavier University’s Schiff Conference Center located in the University’s Cintas Center from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registration is required by either emailing www.investinneighborhoods.com or by faxing (513) 921-5620. The summit and a provided lunch are free with advance reservation.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory will open the day at 8:15 a.m. Following his remarks, participants will attend breakout sessions. These sessions focus on housing, economy and workforce development. Each session will be offered once during the day by neighborhood leaders, community-based organizations and county, state and city council representatives. At the summit attendees will have a chance to interact with Mayor Mallory, hear state, city, and county officials explain programs and resources, learn how other neighborhoods are successfully addressing community challenges and connect with key area officials.

A pre-summit dinner will be held on Friday, January 23 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Schiff Banquet and Conference Center. The dinner, sponsored by the Community Building Institute, features newly-elected Representative Steve Driehaus. Cost for this dinner is $20 per person. Please reserve a spot at www.investinneighborhoods.com or by faxing (513) 921-5620.

Steven L. Driehaus is the Congressman to the 111th Congress for Ohio’s 1st Congressional district. The district includes the western four-fifths of Cincinnati, as well as suburbs north and west of the city in Hamilton and Butler counties. Driehaus was elected a State Representative in November 2000 and served four terms. He was the Minority Whip of the Ohio House since 2005. Steve formerly directed and now serves as a Senior Associate to the Community Building Institute (CBI), here in Cincinnati. CBI is a collaborative effort of Xavier University and United Way of Greater Cincinnati that promotes citizen-led, asset-based community development. Steve supports community economic development initiatives, has extensive experience facilitating neighborhood planning processes and working with grassroots leaders.

The 2008 Neighborhood Summit is sponsored by Invest in Neighborhoods, Inc., the Community Building Institute, the Department of Community Development, a partnership between Xavier University and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the City of Cincinnati. Support comes from Xavier University and Murray & Agnes Seasongood Good Government America.

WANTED: Readers’ questions for upcoming St. Al’s interview

After reviewing the high volume of comments, 86 total, our readers left under our 12/12/08 and 12/17/08 blogs about the school St. Aloysius Orphanage wants to install on Drex Avenue, we called St. Al’s seeking an online interview. One of their top officials quickly agreed to answer our questions, and we will publish them here, most likely in a 3 or 4 part series format.

The questions we’ve composed are, for the most part, based on our commenters’ concerns about safety and security, i.e., we’re asking about the incidence of police calls to their current Reading Road location. We don’t want to overlook anything important, so we’re inviting our readers to pose questions, too. You can either leave your questions in the comments box or email them to us at betternorwood@aol.com by Tuesday, January 19, and we’ll include as many as possible in the interview.

The Moore’s welcome Elijah Cooper

Councilperson Keith Moore and his wife Lisa are the proud parents of a new 7 pound, 19½ inches baby boy, Elijah Cooper, who made his appearance at exactly 2:03 p.m. on Friday, January 8. Keith tells us, “We will probably call him Eli a lot, but I tend to call kids all kinds of things.” And just what does that mean? He went on to explain that he calls Eli’s older brother Nathan, age 9, “Nate, Nat, Nator Gator, Nate the Great, Nate the Snake, Natbob, etc. And, of course, at times it will be ‘ELIJAH COOPER! STOP THAT NOW!!” Congratulations to Lisa, Keith, and Nate the Great, on the addition of Eli the Baby to their family tree, and, as Mayor Williams put it at last night’s council meeting, for increasing the City’s population.

Annual Warehouse Sale by Friends of the Public Library

Friends of the Public Library have scheduled their 13th Annual Warehouse Sale for this coming weekend. Starting Friday, the 4-day event will feature used hardback and paperback books, videos, DVDs, CDs, audio books, and more for sale at prices so low, your pocketbook will barely notice.

When: Friday, 1/16 from 10 AM to 7:30 PM; Saturday, 1/17 from 10 AM to 5 PM; Sunday, 1/18 from noon to 5 PM; Monday, 1/18, 10 AM to 5 PM; Friends Members’ Only Preview Sale on Thursday, 1/17 from 5 to 8 PM
Where: 8456 Vine Street in Hartwell; 5 blocks north of Galbraith Road
Pay by: cash, check, Visa or Mastercard
More information: 369-6035

Mayor Williams appoints two to local boards

Two letters from Mayor Tom Williams appear on tonight’s council meeting announcing the following appointments he made:

Norwood Health Board: Kathy Hammond is appointed to serve a term that will expire 12/31/13. She has been serving on the board as the food licensing representative, a seat she is vacating to accept Mayor Williams’ appointment as a regular member.

Norwood Recreation Commission: Ron Hughes is appointed to fill and unexpired term ending 12/31/12.

Yoga classes starting at the Community Center

Kathy Hammond with the Norwood Recreation Commission tells us Jen Lile will be teaching an 8-week course in Yoga starting tomorrow night for beginners and up.

Where: Community Center at 1810 Courtland Avenue
When: every Wednesday starting tomorrow, January 14, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $5.00 per class
More information: 531-9798

Apply for U.S. Census jobs Friday’s at ITT Technical Instititute

We want to thank Myra Calder, Recruiting Assistant with the U.S.Census Bureau/2010 Census, for sending us an update with some great news for Norwood job seekers. She wants everyone to know that ITT Technical Institute in Norwood has agreed to host two sessions every Friday for people who would like to apply for hundreds of full and part time jobs with the Official 2010 Census. Candidates will complete an application and other government documents and provide identification before taking a 30-minute timed test of basic skills in math, alphabetizing and map reading. To learn more about the U.S. Census or download a practice test, visit the national website at www.2010censusjobs.gov.

These jobs appeal to all types of people 18 to 80 and older: employed, unemployed, stay-at-home parents, college students, retired folks, basically anyone who likes getting out and meeting people.

Apply
Where: ITT Technical Institute; 4730 Wesley Avenue
When: every Friday at either 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
Appointment required: Call 513-766-3040

URGENT: St. Elizabeth’s studio e needs heaters, blankets

Last Wednesday, the boiler went out in the St. Elizabeth building causing studio e to cancel the next day’s Open Studio. We just received the following email update from the St. Elizabeth Arts folks asking for help:

Since the boiler is still in disrepair, Open Studio is officially cancelled until further notice. In the meantime, if anyone has some heavy duty space heaters or blankets that you aren't using, please consider sending them our way on temporary loan. We want to get back in the studio ASAP, even that means finding creative ways to keep warm! For more information or to schedule a time to drop off a donation (on loan), contact Laura @ (513)578-3069.

We always welcome news tips!

A couple of days ago, one of our readers alerted us that the AOL Hometown web page for our “CBN contact info for news tips” link on the right hand side had been taken down. We immediately clicked on the link and saw an announcement that all AOL web pages were discontinued this past November without notice to their users. Over the weekend we set up another web page for the link with our betterorwood@aol.com email address for readers who want to reach us.

We apologize for this not-so-little glitch, but we also want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who sends us community-related news that we and many of our readers would not otherwise know about. All of you help make our content more relevant and a whole heckuva lot more interesting. Many of our contributors tell us they get good response from our readers, especially when it comes to things like volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and other special events.

We invite all our readers to send us news items. They can pertain to what your church, school, charity or civic organization is doing; local government and school issues; even lost pets (we’ve covered two instances so far). We treat each email we receive with urgency, so you can generally expect a reply from us within hours and likely see your news published within a day or two, sometimes same day. Let us hear from you!

NYP coat drive results, photo gallery, Norwood Pub Crawl

A recent email from Norwood Young Professionals was loaded with news, not the least of which was news about the success of their “Thanks for Giving” coat drive. They wound up donating an entire station wagon and car full of coats, gloves, blankets, sweatshirts, and non-perishables to Norwood Service League following their December 17 celebration at Gordo’s. Click here to see photos of some very happy and, may we say, fine looking Norwood residents and other NYPs enjoying the evening.

The first annual NYP Pub Crawl is this Friday, January 16, complete with a 40-passenger bus that will leave from Rookwood Pub at 7:30 for a round trip tour of 8 of Norwood’s most popular bars, including several of our notable dives. The $20 cost includes a wrist band that gives access to drink specials at each location. If you would like attend, just email norwoodyp@gmail.com to request an Evite invitation. As NYP advises, please drink responsibly and arrange a ride home, if necessary.

Bus. Courier: Rookwood Exchange gets one more approval

The Cincinnati Business Courier is reporting the Norwood Planning and Zoning Board has given preliminary planning approval to the latest plans for Rookwood Exchange. The approval was given at the board’s December 23rd meeting and basically allows developer Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate to do some preliminary land use remodeling. A spokesperson for the firm said there are no plans to break ground on the 12-acre project.

These two paragraphs from the article describe seven planned buildings, three of which would be 15 or 16 stories tall:

The latest preliminary plan follows a series of proposals submitted over the years, as the project was upended by an eminent domain battle. It would include seven buildings, some as tall as 16 stories, built out in two phases. The first would include a 475,000-square-foot, 16-story office tower; a 100,000-square-foot hotel; a 90,000-square-foot building for retail or entertainment; a 120,000-square-foot medical office with retail or restaurants; and a 15-story 330,000-square-foot mixed use building for entertainment or retail and residential space.

The second phase would include a 15-story, 275,000-square-foot building for hotel, office and residential.

Residents' complaints result in drug bust on Marion Avenue

One of our readers tipped us off to a drug bust last evening on Marion Avenue, which Lt. Tom Williams just confirmed. The bust took place at 6:45 p.m. yesterday at 5109 Marion Avenue near Buxton. The Hamilton County Swat Team served the search warrant on the property, along with the Norwood Police. Three suspects were arrested and charged as follows:

1. Andre Powers was charged with 3 counts of trafficking. He also had a previous felony warrant for drug possession from Sharonville, plus a misdemeanor warrant from Hamilton County.
2. Jessica Lilje was charged with trafficking.
3. Pamela Moore-Woods was charged with trafficking and permitting drug abuse.

Lt. Williams said the Norwood Drug Task Force had been investigating 5109 Marion Avenue based on complaints from nearby neighbors and were able to get the search warrant. He said it was his understanding that the neighbors were cheering during the bust, which undercovered crack cocaine at the property. This is a great example of the Norwood Police working with residents to rid our community of drug dealers. Congratulations to all on a job well done!

Planning Commission’s recommendation re St. Aloysius

Following is a letter dated 12/18/08 sent by the Planning Commission secretary to Norwood City Council with the recommendation PC members approved for St. Aloysius Orphanage School. Immediately following the letter is the staff’s recommended condition of approval, which the Planning Commission modified.

Dear President Grote and Members of Council,

At the December 17, 2008 meeting of the Norwood Planning Commission it was voted to recommend to Norwood City Council to approve with conditions the Preliminary and Final PUD (Planned Unit Development) plan submission for St. Aloysius Orphanage School R1-PUD located at 2420 Drex Avenue.

Per the Norwood Zoning code the next step in the process is for the Norwood City Council to set Public Hearing for the above case. Please find attached the staff report and written findings which the Planning Commission based its recommendation with the following modifications to the staff’s recommended condition of approval (page six)**

1. St. Aloysius shall use the facility only for a school as presented in the PUD application. Any expansion of the school beyond what is being proposed is subject to the approval of the Planning Commission and City Council.
2. Operating hours shall be normal school hours and incidental operation uses. Any change in operating hours shall be reported to the City of Norwood to determine if it will create any negative impact to the surrounding neighborhood.
3. St. Aloysius be required to staff appropriate personnel to manage its students and ensure security. Additional security personnel needs may be evaluated jointly by St. Aloysius and the City of Norwood as required.
4. Plans delineating the placement of the proposed fence for the purpose of restricting the outside activities of the individuals attending St. Aloysius along with enhanced landscape plan shall be subject of Planning Commission approval.
5. No office uses, medical uses or clinical uses except as ancillary to the school use (e.g.: school nurse) shall be permitted on the property unless St. Aloysius applies for and receives a zone change to allow for such uses.
6. Plans for the fencing contemplated by St. Aloysius must be submitted and approved by the Building Commissioner.
7. Bus transportation shall be generally limited to small buses and vans no larger than 12 passengers and following consultation with the Norwood Police Department regarding traffic and transportation safety issues. St. Aloysius shall present a plan to the Safety Service Director for approval as to how bus transportation will be handled on the site and the surrounding side streets.
8. St. Aloysius shall present a plan for the landscaping and maintenance of the landscaping, as required in the PUD, to the Building Commissioner for approval.

The Planning Commission is requesting in time for public hearing that the Law Department prepare the necessary ordinance for the suggested public hearing date of Tuesday, February 10, 2009.


** page 6, staff’s recommended condition of approval:
1. St. Aloysius shall use the facility only for a school as presented in the PUD application. Any expansion of the school beyond what is being proposed is subject to the approval of the Planning Commission and City Council.
2. Any change in operating hours shall be reported to the City of Norwood to determine if it will create any negative impact to the surrounding neighborhood.
3. St. Aloysius be required to staff appropriate full-time security personnel to control its students.
4. Plans delineating the placement of the proposed fence for the purpose of restricting the outside activities of the individuals attending St. Aloysius, along with enhanced landscape plan shall be subject of Planning Commission approval.
5. No office uses, medical uses, or clinical uses shall be permitted on the property unless St. Aloysius applies for and receives a zone change to allow for such uses.
6. Plans for the fencing contemplated by St. Aloysius must be submitted and approved by the Building Commissioner.
7. Bus transportation shall be limited to small buses and vans no larger than 12 passengers and following consultation with the Norwood Police Department regarding traffic and transportation safety issues. St Aloysius shall present a plan to the Safety Service Director for approval as to how bus transportation will be handled on the site and the surrounding side streets.
8. St. Aloysius shall present a plan for the landscaping and maintenance of the landscaping, as required in the PUD, to the Building Commissioner for approval.

Nordstrom Rack coming to Rookwood Pavilion

Tuesday’s Enquirer announced that Nordstrom Rack, a discount arm for Nordstrom, plans to open a store in September at Rookwood Pavilion in a former 35,000-square-foot Sofa Express. Mark F. Fallon with Jeffrey Anderson Real Estate called this a “big deal” because, he said, “You're not going to get many announcements of a store opening in this economy.”

Nordstrom Rack sells apparel that was for sale Nordstrom but usually at a significant discount. Interestingly, this Nordstrom Rack web page has a partial listing of their brands but also says this about merchandise they tag with “What’s in a Name?”:

Sometimes we can't come right out and tell you about the great brands and designers that we have. We'd love to, but our agreements with the manufacturers make that a big no-no. Then how do we talk about what we can't talk about?

When you see the 'What's in a Name?' signs at Nordstrom Rack, know that something extra-special is in store. Real designers and the hottest quality and luxury brands in the market—the ones you want to wear, the ones you want to be seen wearing. We may not be able to put their names in print, but we can tell you they're the best.

Wanted: old, used, broken cell phones for Allison fundraiser

Allison Elementary’s PTA has come up with a novel way to raise funds to help fix up the historic school building. Yesterday, we received the following email from Allison PTAer Sarah Horsely explaining how community members can pitch in and help:

I am hoping that you can post something on the blog about a new fundraiser that the Allison PTA is supporting. This is a win-win for both Mother Earth and our school. We have partnered with a major cell phone manufacturer to recycle old, used, or even broken cell phones. 53% of cell phones end up in a landfill, which is really bad. This company recycles the parts which can be used to make new phones. Allison can earn up to $21,000 per year just by doing this. We are asking everyone to turn in their cell phones so that we can earn enough money to start fixing up our building and keep us alive!

Privacy is guaranteed as we have a data eraser that will delete any phone numbers or contacts stored in the phone. For phones that have SIM cards, those will be removed and destroyed.

For now, anyone who would like to donate phones can contact us by email at allisonpta@gmail.com. We’ll let you know if we add a designated drop-off site a later date.

-Sarah Horsely
Allison PTA

David Pepper’s Cincy Peptalk blog

We frequently read Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper’s blog, which he started last July to, as he said in first entry, “ highlight important news in this community and beyond, give my perspective on that news, ask for your input on items and issues of the day, and respond to events and happenings going on around us.” Today, we’ve finally added Cincy Peptalk under our links on the right hand side of the page so readers who are interested in Hamilton County news and issues from his perspective can easily access it.

We recommend three entries he posted yesterday and today. The first invites readers to respond to a 19-question survey about their views on bicycle riding. The responses will be used to create a road map over the next six months of how to make Cincinnati as friendly a bicycle community as possible.

Next, he blogs about a program called Connect2Success, a comprehensive effort to identify Hamilton County high school dropouts and reconnect them to paths of educational, or job training, or both. Does anyone know if NCS is participating in this program?

In the third piece, he says a new means of collecting delinquent property taxes last year brought in about $20 million, most of which was ultimately distributed among all Hamilton County jurisdictions. We take that to mean both the City of Norwood and NCS were probable recipients. At any rate, a lot of property owners quickly paid their taxes because of the threat that tax liens would be sold to a private collector who charges a high interest rate for delinquency.

Not only do we enjoy the content of Cincy Peptalk, we also like the fact that Mr. Pepper responds to questions his readers pose, as he did in his blog about delinquent property taxes.

Quartermania, anyone?

Recently we noticed an ad in the Enquirer promoting something called Quartermania, a monthly charity event at the Norwood Quality Inn. Curious about this mania game we were unfamiliar with, we called the event’s sponsor, First Family Network of Women, to find out more. We spoke with Erica Rooks, FFNOW’s president, who just happens to be an especially warm and vivacious Norwood resident and was more than willing to give us the scoop.

Erica told us that First Family Network of Women is made up of 12 women in the Norwood, Hyde Park, Oakley, Pleasant Ridge area who have home-based businesses. Each month, they donate roughly 60 of their businesses’ products to be auctioned off at Quartermania for either 25 cents for items valued between $15 - $25 or 50 cents for items valued between $26 - $50. Items include jewelry, Tupperware, cosmetics, and candles, but you can click here to get a better idea of their wares.

Proceeds from the auctions are donated to various charities on a rotating basis. Our very own Norwood Service League will receive the proceeds from this Thursday night’s Quartermania.

Quartermania provides plenty of suspense for its players in that winning bids are determined by drawings. Each player purchases numbered paddles that have corresponding numbered chips that are placed in a bucket for drawings after the bidding closes. The more paddles you purchase, the greater your chances are of winning. Here’s more information on how it works from FFNOW’s website:

1. Gather your quarters up (you can bring your piggy bank or rolls of quarters)
2. Get your friends together to share in the fun!
3. Arrive and get your paddles - you pick your numbers!
4. On each paddle there is a corresponding "poker" chip. You put the chip in the bucket and keep your paddles.
5. One by one we'll auction off a fantastic prize for YOU to win!! Each item will be a 1 or 2 quarter bid (we'll tell you for each item). That means YOU can win products valued from $15 to $50 for only .25 or .50!!!
6. You place your bid(s) on each item and then we draw a number (the chips off your paddles) and call the winner!

With attendance between 40 -80 people at the several Quartermania events held thus far, it sounds like this fun auction for charity is catching on. Erica invites everyone to bring their friends and try their hand at it this Thursday evening. For even more fun, whoever brings the most friends will be crowned FFNOW Queen!

Quartermania
When: Thursday, January 8th, 2009; Doors open at 6:00 PM - Bidding starts at 7:00 PM
Where: Norwood Quality Hotel at 4747 Montgomery Rd. Full bar and menu available.
Cost: Paddles are $2 each or 3 for $5 (When you purchase 3 paddles, you will be entered into the Ring Drawing - win a beautiful ring valued at over $80!), plus bring lots of quarters.
Spotlight Charity: Norwood Service League

Click here for future Quartermania dates.

Enquirer: Translators will aid Norwood police

During our holiday hiatus, the Enquirer made an announcement on December 27 about some new technology that really wowed us. The Latino Educational Assimilation Resource Network, Inc. in Hyde Park donated 13 electronic translator devices to the NPD through a $4,000 grant from the Norwood Service League. These are not just ordinary text-based electronic translators; rather, they will enable our police officers to speak in English, then translate their words and broadcast them in Spanish. Likewise, when the speaker responds in Spanish, the device will translate their statements into English. One full-sized device will be at the police station and three others will be in police cruisers. Nine smaller, portable devices can be used outside the cruisers.

Mayor Williams told the Enquirer the devices will improve communication between police and Hispanics and reduce the possibility of misinterpretation by either side. NSL’s executive director Lupe Gonzalez Hoyt said the devices should encourage more Hispanics to contact police about crimes committed against them. She added, "Because of the language barrier, some are afraid to report crimes so they just suffer and bear the brunt of a difficult situation." While there’s no official estimate of the number of Hispanics living in Norwood, she said NSL works with about 100 local Hispanic families.

If this isn’t another example of NSL adding value to our community, we don’t know what is. Kudos to Lupe Gonzalez Hoyt and everyone else involved who brought this amazing technology to Norwood!

Tomorrow's COW meeting canceled

Per the Clerk Council's office, tomorrow night's regular monthly meeting of the Committee of the Whole has been canceled.

November, 2008 Earnings Tax Report

A monthly feature

Below is the summary information from the Earnings Tax Department’s November Report.

Individual………….$ 30,890.09
Business……….…...$ 39,000.18
Withholding…….…$ 1,049,652.56
TOTAL……….……...$1,119,542.83

Collections thru Nov. 2008.….……….....….......$14,484,027.99
Collections thru Nov. 2007.….……..…..............$14,437,511.85
.321% increase in collections over 2007.………$ 46,516.14