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WSU Big Lens Festival To Be Held at The Drive-In

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Wright State University’s acclaimed Motion Pictures program will present its annual Big Lens Film Festival Thursday, April 22nd at 8pm at Dayton’s Dixie Twin Drive-In.

For the first time, in order to accommodate COVID-conscious viewing requirements, the Big Lens Film Festival will take place outdoor, with audience members viewing from the safety of their cars. Big Lens has become an annual tradition in the regional film community as a celebration of the graduating students being showcased.

This year’s films are the culmination of up to two years of preparation and production – all of it made more challenging by an abrupt halt to production, and then the added requirements of following industry standards for COVID-safe conditions for filming, editing and preparing these premieres. The chance to see these films on a very large screen at Dixie Twin will be a joyful culmination to these filmmakers’ four years as students in the Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures.

 

Festival Director, Instructor of Motion Pictures Jeremy Bolden says, “This year’s Big Lens will have films from 2020 graduates, as well as 2021 graduates. Almost everything you’ll see on the screen was either finished, or entirely created during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A large part of the filmmaking process is problem solving, and our students have and continued to put in a tremendous amount of work to create content and tell stories that are important to them.”

The Disaster Mitzvah

Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures Chair, Joe Deer, says, “The Big Lens Film Festival is always a great event. But, this year is special, seeing a group of students that have banded together to make films while much of their industry has had to go on hiatus. I have such admiration for them and for their gifted faculty and staff, who have gone so many extra miles to make this event possible. I don’t think any of these filmmakers will ever forget this festival.”

This year’s films include:

  • Will I Make it Thru the Springtime, Music Video, Directed by Adam Clark
  • 27 Pages of Notes, Documentary, Directed by Parker Bowling
  • MAGGIE & SARAH, Short, Directed by Ella Price
  • Meat*, Animation, Directed by Vincent Short
  • Sick and Tired, Music Video, Directed by Adam Clark
  • CANVAS, Documentary, Directed by Ryder Caldwell
  • The Disaster Mitzvah*, Animation, Directed by Brandon Werwa
  • DEON, Documentary, Directed by Danny Fain
  • You May Feel, Animation, Directed by Joe Greenwell
  • I’m Lonely Even Though I’m Not Alone, Music Video, Directed by Parker Bowling
  • APOTHEOSIS, Short, Directed by Ella Price
  • Gooey Goats*, Animation, Directed by Ben Young

* Denotes 2020 Graduate.

Graduates of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures who have participated in this festival have gone on to win Emmy and Academy Awards and to lead the film and television industry in Southwest Ohio and the nation.

The Festival screening will take place Thursday, April 22nd, with gates opening at 7:00pm. The showings will begin a sunset (approximately 8pm). A suggested cash/check donation of $10 per person can be made at the gate. Patrons are expected to follow COVID precautions while viewing films at the Dixie Twin Drive-In

This article originally appeared on

Wright State Theatre presents Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ in an Outdoor Production This Weekend

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Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures continues its spring festival of COVID-conscious performances with an outdoor production of Sophocles’ timeless tragedy “Antigone.”

Performances will be presented on Saturday, April 10, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 11, at 2 p.m. at Wright State’s outdoor amphitheatre, next to the Medical Sciences building.

A limited number of tickets are available for free but must be reserved in advance by contacting the Theatre Box Office at 937-775-2500. Tickets will not be available on the day of the performance.

“Antigone” is often called one of the greatest, most moving of the ancient Greek tragedies. It continues to be relevant today because of its depiction of the struggle between individual conscience and state policy and its examination of the nature of human suffering and grief.

Wright State’s production has a contemporary quality, in part because of the modern language translation by Nicholas Rudall, and because it resonates with modern political and social moments in the ways it depicts young people challenging government authority in pursuit of justice.

“This play couldn’t be more relevant as it reflects the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who will no longer stand for injustice codified in their governments,” said John Lavarnway, “Antigone” director and a Wright State Theatre staff member.

He said it’s an ideal time to produce “Antigone” since it was written to be performed outdoors and since the original actors wore masks the characters’ expressions were written into the dialogue.

“We have come up with a concept that blends the ancient with the modern in this truly timeless play,” Lavarnway said. “The young actors who have been sidelined for a year are so grateful for the opportunity to perform together in person before a live audience.”

 

 

By Bob Mihalek originally posted in the

WSU presents Streaming musical: The Theory of Relativity

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Wright State University Theatre will present its first streaming musical production of the year, “The Theory of Relativity,” March 26-28.

Audiences can purchase tickets to watch “The Theory of Relativity” at showtix4u.com/event-details/49156. The musical will be available on-demand from 7 p.m. on Friday, March 26, to 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 28.

“The Theory of Relativity” features music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award nominees Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

Through a collection of witty and moving songs, scenes and monologues, “The Theory of Relativity” introduces a group of college students experiencing their first independence and the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection that comes with it.

Wright State’s production is directed by Greg Hellems, head of the Musical Theatre program, and musical directed by R. Wade Russo, instructor of musical theatre.


“The show is unapologetically about recognizing the need for human relationships and the experience of making and losing those interactions,” Hellems said. “The lyrics have taken on a whole new meaning now that many of those connections have been disrupted by the real obstacles presented by COVID-19.”

“The Theory of Relativity” is Wright State Theatre’s first filmed musical. Hellems said shooting the film has been a rewarding new challenge.

“Working without a film crew, the cast and production team have explored the medium of film in the most accessible of ways, our iPhones,” he said.

The collaborative filming process has included students, alumni and staff working together across the Dayton Campus to create art in the midst of the pandemic.

“For everyone working on this production, this was our first chance to be back in rehearsal and in performance since March of 2020,” Hellems said. “I was so moved the first night the cast sang together live, I was teary-eyed. After a year of waiting, having a chance to make art again has been joyful.”

The cast “The Theory of Relativity” features Tommy Cole (Oliver), Jonathan Crawford (Ryan), Austin Gladstone (Adam), Spencer Hall (Anthony 1), Kevin Lausche (Anthony 2), Ben Ohnemus (Mike 1), Nick Salazar (Mike 2), Jake Siwek (Paul), Amanda Astorga (Catherine 1), Nora DeGreen (Jenny), Lauren Eifert (Catherine 2), Tassy Kirbas (Sara), Eliana Taub (Mira), Delaney O’Toole (Amy), Molly Seybert (Caroline) and Ana Smith (Julie) with Tanner Gleeson and Alex Tischer (Male Swings) and Maggie Musco and Elisabeth Mies (Female Swings).

The production staff includes David J. Castellano, production manager/location manager; Katherine Rodriguez, assistant to the director; Aaron Poland, co-sound designer; Kevin Nedberg, technical director; John Lavarnway, props master; props artisans Julia Antoine, Greg Davis, Anna Hunter, Mariana Gonzalez and Murphy Vanbalen; Carly Kimmins, costume shop manager; Emmy Goerling, costumer; and Grace Randall and Lara Sagraves, sound technicians.

 

[email protected], 937-775-3622

Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest

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For the inaugural Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Queer Beer Festival, we’re seeking a talented individual to design some art. We want you to decide what it looks like to be a powerful queer person participating in the craft beer industry or culture. Is it a special beer brewed for Pride? Is it people coming together to brew a beer? Or, is it just a colorful expression of drinking? It can be a design, illustration, or even an inspiring poem. For the Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest show us your best stuff to help us celebrate a resounding, yet often unrepresented community in craft beer*.

From the submissions, the Hop Culture and Samuel Adams teams will choose five semi-finalist winners to have their design featured on 100 limited-edition prints. And, one grand prize winner will additionally have their design featured on 300 limited-edition, exclusive YETI Colsters generously donated by YETI. Known for their coolers built for the wild, YETI is also active in supporting a more inclusive and equitable industry. Both the posters and Colsters will be sold to the public with all proceeds donated to GLAAD, an organization rewriting the script for LGBTQ acceptance and tackling tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue.

Additionally, the final winner will be featured on Hop Culture’s Instagram (@hopculturemag) and profiled in an exclusive editorial piece on HopCulture.com.

The Story Behind Hop Culture’s Queer Beer Festival

pour out your pride design contest

The Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Queer Beer Festival is an evolution of Hop Culture’s women in craft beer festival: Beers With(out) Beards. In 2018, Hop Culture’s Head of Partnerships Grace Weitz launched the festival as a part of her graduate school thesis capstone project at NYU. Over the last three years, this revolutionary festival has attracted over 3,000 attendees and 50 women-led breweries. In the same period, the event has featured 30 events aimed at celebrating the achievements of women across all aspects of the alcoholic beverage industries.

Building on the success of BW(O)B, Weitz — who identifies as queer — conceptualized Queer Beer as a way to celebrate the unique, vibrant, diverse, thriving, and often underserved queer community in beer. Additionally, Weitz wanted to showcase LGBTQ+ drinkmakers and tastemakers, express stories of empowerment from top queer-owned breweries or breweries actively supporting the queer community, and build a stronger culture of inclusivity in the beer industry.

Samuel Adams and Hop Culture Collaborate on the Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest

Samuel Adams is not only one of the world’s leading independent craft breweries, but also a long-time and passionate supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Because of this, they made the perfect partner for Hop Culture’s new event. An inclusive network of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Company coworkers, aptly named Labels Out, recognized the importance of the festival as part of their ongoing mission to support and encourage their peers as members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2020, Samuel Adams announced its partnership with GLAAD, including a $100,000 donation to the organization committed to rewriting the script for LGBTQ+ acceptance in addition to a commitment to education and training for coworkers. The brewery launched Love Conquers All, a Pride platform created in partnership with GLAAD, inspired by Love Conquers Ale, a Blackberry Basil Lime Gose limited release brewed by and for the LGBTQ+ community. To introduce Love Conquers All, Samuel Adams created a powerful video series called Poetry of Pride, to illustrate the power of poetry as a medium and expression designed to unite communities and amplify voices. Filmed inside the historic Stonewall inn, the series featured original poetry written by Teddy Geiger and Richard Blanco, recited by notable Broadway members of the LGBTQ+ community.

All in all, Samuel Adams has made huge strides to support the queer community, and Hop Culture is honored to partner with this revolutionary brewery as the presenting sponsor for its Queer Beer Festival.

So, what does the Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride contest look like? Here’s what you need to know.

What is Hop Culture x Samuel Adams’ Pour Out Your Pride Contest?

The Hop Culture x Samuel Adams’ Pour Out Your Pride Contest is a competition asking people to submit a design, illustration, drawing, or poem that represents what it means to them to be a powerful queer person in craft beer.

Who Can Enter?

This Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States or DC, age 18 or older.

Although Hop Culture is more than happy to take submissions from anyone, we respectfully ask for understanding around the idea that only those who identify as queer will be eligible to win. LGBTQ+ allies and friends are an incredibly important part of our community, but our goals for this contest are to amplify queer voices and provide a platform for a marginalized community.

How Do I Enter?

To submit your design, simply post it on Instagram with the hashtag #pouroutyourpride and #contest. Then follow @samueladamsbeer and @hopculturemag to see the winners. The five-semi finalists will be announced on April 5th, 2020. The final winner will be announced on April 19th, 2021, at which point we’ll be in contact for the art files. And that’s it!

How Long Will the Pout Out Your Pride Contest Run?

March 15th to March 31st at 11:59 PM EST – First round entries will be accepted. From there, a representative panel from Hop Culture and Samuel Adams will choose five semi-finalists.

April 5th – The five semi-finalists will be announced via Hop Culture’s Instagram page (@hopculturemag). Each of the five semi-finalists will be contacted through Instagram and sent an additional questionnaire and art release.

April 14th – Semi-finalist questionnaire due.

April 19th – Hop Culture and Samuel Adams will announce the final winner.

May TBD – The posters with the winning designs from all semi-finalists will go on sale with all proceeds donated to GLAAD!

May TBD – The YETI Colsters with the final winning design will go on sale with all proceeds donated to GLAAD!

What Do I Win?

Five semi-finalists will have their submissions displayed on Hop Culture’s Instagram (@hopculturemag) and printed on 100 limited-edition 18×24 posters that will be sold online. All proceeds from the sales of these posters will be donated to GLAAD, an organization rewriting the script for LGBTQ acceptance and tackling tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue.

And, one lucky finalist will additionally have their winning design showcased on 300 exclusive limited-edition YETI Colsters (generously donated by YETI) that will be sold to the public prior to the festival. All of the proceeds from the Colsters will also be donated to GLAAD. Additionally, the final winner will be featured on Hop Culture’s Instagram (@hopculturemag) and profiled in an exclusive editorial piece on HopCulture.com.

Are There Any Rules on My Pour Out Your Pride Submission?

In order to meet the specifications of the YETI Colster, please note that the final winning design will be printed in a single color. We still encourage you to submit a full-color design because all five semi-finalist designs will be printed in color. However, please know that while we can represent the integrity of your design in full color on social media and on the semi-finalist winning posters, we will only be able to print on the Colster in a single color.

Who Chooses the Pour Out Your Pride Semi-Finalists and the Final Winner?

Winners will be chosen by a representative panel from Hop Culture and Samuel Adams.

What if I Have a Question That Wasn’t Answered?

Didn’t see an answer to your question here? Please direct any additional questions to Grace Weitz at [email protected]

Amtrak proposes five Ohio routes

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Amtrak representatives are making the rounds in Ohio, meeting with leaders in cities where they plan to expand services according to a blueprint the passenger rail company developed in conjunction with state and federal transportation officials. The goal, the Amtrak representatives said, is to pursue passenger rail expansion on five routes that would be initiated using 100 percent federal funds through a proposed new rail program.

The five new routes are:

  • Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3C) Corridor: three daily round trips with intermediate station stops;
  • Cincinnati-Indianapolis-Chicago: four daily round trips with intermediate station stops;
  • Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit-Pontiac: three daily round trips with intermediate station stops, including a possible extension of Wolverine Corridor train service from Chicago;
  • Cleveland-Buffalo-Albany-New York: two daily round trips with intermediate station stops;
  • Cleveland-Pittsburgh-New York: one daily round trip with intermediate station stops via an extension of Keystone Corridor train service.

The new federal passenger rail program depends on support from Congress and the new Biden Administration. President Joe Biden, a longtime passenger rail supporter, has vowed a “second great railroad revolution.” And last year the U.S. House of Representatives passed the proposed new rail funding program but it died in the U.S. Senate. Now, with a split Senate under new leadership, the bill has a good chance to become reality.

All Aboard Ohio understand that Congress could take action in the coming month on approving this new program. Amtrak is requesting $300 million per year from Congress to develop high-potential corridors (corridors are routes under 750 miles). The Ohio routes are among those nationwide that Amtrak identified as having a high potential of success.

However, for Ohio to gain new passenger services, the Ohio Department of Transportation will have to request it from Amtrak or other operators. Once an agreement is in place with a state entity, Amtrak may pay up to 100 percent of the capital costs to initiate new or additional services. Amtrak may also provide 100 percent of the operating costs in the first two years, 90 percent in the third year, 80 percent in the fourth year and 50 percent in the fifth year. After that, the new service must be state supported in the same manner that 16 other states currently purchase service from Amtrak.

Ohio’s General Assembly will soon be reviewing the Ohio Department of Transportation‘s (ODOT) biennial budget which must be approved this spring. In this budget, Ohio needs to authorize the development of federally compliant corridor plans so it can reach a contract with Amtrak or another passenger rail provider. If it doesn’t, Ohioans may have to wait another two years for the next ODOT budget before any progress can begin.

It’s time for Ohio — the nation’s most populous state without a passenger rail program — to finally step up. In the past, Ohio had to pay some if not all of the capital costs of starting up new passenger rail services and purchasing continued services on an annual or bi-annual basis. Yes, there was a risk of failure in that. But the pursuit of success always carries a risk of failure. If Congress and the Biden Administration approve this rail corridor development program, as they are expected to do, Ohio simply isn’t going to get a better deal than this.

Please contact the governor and both of your state lawmakers today!

  • Contact Gov. Mike DeWine HERE
  • Contact your Senator HERE
  • Contact your Representative HERE

SAMPLE MESSAGE: In your own words, politely ask “Please include in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s budget an authorization and a small amount of funding to partner with railroads, communities, other states and the federal government in the planning of routes, stations, services and infrastructure improvements for an introductory level of safe, convenient and cost-effective passenger train services.”

If you have a little more time and motivation, kindly tell your lawmaker a personal reason why you would use an Ohio passenger train service. Unlike statistics, personal stories are often unassailable.

This post by kjprendergast originally appeared in All Aboard Ohio on January 29, 2021

Nan Whaley’s Last Year As Mayor

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Exactly 8 years and 1 month ago, I announced that I was running to be the mayor of Dayton. In the speech I gave, I talked about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Great Dayton Flood and just how strong and resilient our city was. Little did I know how true that would be during my time as mayor.

From the opioid crisis, to massive tornadoes, to the Oregon District shooting, to systemic racism and COVID-19, we have faced our share of challenges. But each and every time, the people of this community came together. We are gritty and resilient. When things get tough, Dayton does what Dayton does best: we take care of each other.

I am proud of what we have accomplished. We took on the opioid crisis and dramatically reduced overdose deaths. We funded universal pre-k for all 4 year olds. We began offering paid parental leave to all municipal employees. We brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment all across our city. And we came together when it mattered most.

But there is much work still to be done over the last 12 months of my term. I’m incredibly proud of our ongoing police reform tables that have engaged the largest, most diverse group of community members I have ever worked with in a policy process. This group gives me so much hope for Dayton’s future. In the coming months, the long empty Arcade will finally reopen and a new community-owned grocery store will be open in Northwest Dayton. And we are now at the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 crisis.

Today, I’m announcing that I will not be running for re-election. I believe we have turned a corner in Dayton. This is the best job I have ever had, but I believe our city can only continue to grow if we give space and opportunity to new leaders and new ideas. I’ll have more news soon about what is next for me, but I am looking forward to finishing out my term strong.

Eight years ago when I announced my campaign I said that, “the mayor of Dayton should matter.” I hope I have lived up to that charge. I will always be your neighbor and biggest advocate, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for our city.

St. Anne the Tart’s Socially-Distanced Holiday Cookie Swap

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For centuries the comforting ritual of cookie baking and exchanging has been one of the sweetest ties that bind neighbors, friends, and community members together during the holiday season. It’s­ the one time of the year when dozens of billowy sugar cookies laden with thick swoops of icing, gingerbread dusted with powdery sugar, and crispy biscotti for coffee-dipping are baked simply with a desire to share and to send a bit of our family roots into the home of another to let them know that they are loved.

Share Some Recipes.  Or Just Eat the Cookies.

This year we’re not going to let COVID have the last laugh on this 400+ year tradition. Let the holiday merrymaking continue!

In a year of pandemic proportions, we will host our cookie swap in the safest way possible. Here’s how St. Anne the Tart sees this unfolding:

Theme: We’re theming this year’s cookie swap around the idea of family stories. In a year when we have never felt more disconnected from one another, our cookie swap will give you the chance to connect through the sharing of memories, allowing you to know one another in a deeper, more meaningful way. We welcome recipe submissions that are inclusive of all holiday celebrations – from Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day and more.

Submissions: We will be accepting submissions for cookies that have a story attached to them. Maybe it was your grandfather’s recipe he brought from his childhood and baked for his grandkids each year. It could be the memory of the cookie you had while sitting on the lap of Santa for the first time and have replicated ever since. It could be the cookies you remember most fondly baking with your kids when they were small. We want to know not just the recipe, but the story. The feelings and the sentiments about the smells, tastes, and experiences of baking them. While we can ultimately only choose 12 cookie recipes for this year’s box, we will work hard to provide the recipes and stories of all submissions to our St. Anne the Tart Cookie Box customers.

Recipe entries accepted: Nov 25-Dec 2

Recipe winners notified: Dec. 4

Box orders: Order Box.  Now through Dec 11 (or until Sold Out)

Box Pickup: Dec 18

**delivery options available within the US. Please email to request assistance with cookie box delivery at [email protected] 

This year we’re not going to let COVID have the last laugh on this 400+ year tradition. Let the holiday merrymaking continue!

In a year of pandemic proportions, we will host our cookie swap in the safest way possible. Here’s how we see this so beautifully unfolding:

Theme: We’re theming this year’s cookie swap around the idea of family stories. In a year when we have never felt more disconnected from one another, our cookie swap will give you the chance to connect through the sharing of memories, allowing you to know one another in a deeper, more meaningful way. We welcome recipe submissions that are inclusive of all holiday celebrations – from Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day and more.

Submissions: We will be accepting submissions for cookies that have a story attached to them. Maybe it was your grandfather’s recipe he brought from his childhood and baked for his grandkids each year. It could be the memory of the cookie you had while sitting on the lap of Santa for the first time and have replicated ever since. It could be the cookies you remember most fondly baking with your kids when they were small. We want to know not just the recipe, but the story. The feelings and the sentiments about the smells, tastes, and experiences of baking them. While we can ultimately only choose 12 cookie recipes for this year’s box, we will work hard to provide the recipes and stories of all submissions to our St. Anne the Tart Cookie Box customers. lease email [email protected] by November 30th. Each submission should have a typed recipe and a written out story behind the recipe. If you have any holiday family photos that would fit well with the story, feel free to send that as well!

Decision: There are no specific criteria for a cookie to be chosen or not, and there is no prize for having your recipe included in this year’s cookie swap box. This is not a lose/win but rather a (tough!) decision our team will make based on a multitude of variables (fragility, complexity, ingredients, shelf-life, processes, to name a few).

After submission, you will be notified by December 4th if your recipe will be making an appearance in this year’s box!

Pre-ordering a box: From our recipe submitters to our cookie eaters, anyone is welcome to pre-order a cookie swap box! Pre-orders for our cookie swap boxes will be available on our online store starting today up until December 11th. Once your box has been pre-ordered, you can either schedule to pick-up or have your cookie swap box delivered (within the US). Boxes will be available for pick-up on the hill on December 18th.

What you will receive: Each festive box will include 12 unique, distinct cookies safely baked in our commercial kitchen space and carefully packaged. Each cookie will come with a story and recipe card so that you can both make the cookies at home throughout each holiday season and learn a bit more about why that recipe is so treasured by someone else.

Dayton’s Newest Mural Celebrates Dayton Firefighters

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Dayton’s incredible artist Tiffany Clark has done it again. Another incredible work of art and in her own words she tells us about this project:

“The Incredible History of Dayton Firefighters Union 136” is now complete. It is located on Buckeye with the timeline starting near Main Street and Ending on Warren (Brown Street).

The idea has taken almost two years to come to fruition. The theme was a collective idea between firefighter/medics and the artist. It is their history.. our history.. reimagined in the style of the Golden Era of Comics.


Most of these heroes are a part of someone’s worst day.. when we’re hurt, scared, and in need they are there to help. They are a part of our history and our memories. But they wanted to be a part of a beautiful memory for this city .. experienced through paint. They want you to see they’re just big kids, with big hearts that wanna make a difference everyday. Here are finished images in the correct timeline, but it’s always a wonderful experience to see public art in person and to scale.


On Thanksgiving we will be launching a website to sell prints of the panels and a comic poster version. Part of the funds will be going to the FF Union 136. They always do so much to give back to this city. 2020 has been especially rough on them for many reasons.. medics during a pandemic, lower funds, and loss of two firefighters this year. So be on the look out for that opportunity to give back and put a piece of Dayton history in your home or as a gift.


Thank you to Station11 for hosting me and being so kind. Thank you to Jimmy and Boomer for being my buddies and muses. Thank you Bryan Stewart for getting this going.. there’s a Dalmatian for you. 😉 Thank you to all of the volunteers who were able to add time, talent, and paint: Atalie Gagnet, Leslea Hipp, Sheena Whittemore, Amy Kollar Anderson, Tabitha Peters-Guidone, Laura Ess, Margie Harrell, Sophia Carey, Sarah Richard, Jordyn Grant, Lillian Herbert, and Jordan Freshour(for rolling out those first panels and for photos).”

 

Gem City Podcast R.I.P.

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When I started podcasting in 2012, I couldn’t find any podcasts about Dayton. Today if you search “Dayton” or “Dayton, Ohio”, a lot of podcasts are available. That makes me happy.

I started podcasting in 2012 with “Tales From The Hardside”, about my life growing up in East Dayton. That quickly became something more than I could have expected. I ended the podcast at episode 313 in 2018.

In 2013 I became a contributor to Gem City Podcast. Eric Ruiz started the podcast and contacted me before he released any podcasts. I advised him, but he had someone set it up.

In 2015, Eric told the group of people working on the podcast he was leaving town. He turned the podcast over to us. At that time it was myself, Libby Ballengee, Mark DaGrossa, and Scott Epic. We had help behind the scenes with Josh Gwin and David Sparks. 

Scott Epic & Izzy Rock are in the Oregon District doing “gonzo” style podcasting while they pub craw

My thought was the podcast should be a local audio magazine, similar to a ‘zine. I wanted three episodes a week that covered various topics.

Monday would be “Community Conversations” with Libby and Mark having long form conversations with personalities, politicians, police, professors, businesses, authors, filmmakers, comics, and also release some important discussions of redlining, disinvestment of West Dayton, and so many more historical conversations. I welcomed Libby to have full creative control of her episodes and would never censor her. It was an honor to edit her podcasts.

On Wednesday’s, I wanted to do Storyteller episodes and cover the local music and podcast community. Offering a voice and support to any and all, uncensored. We featured artists releasing new albums, we did live shows from Sideshow and Miami Valley Music Fest, and during that time I invested researching the various musical communities. I was proud that we gave a voice to hundreds of different musical artists in this historic area for music. 

When it came to podcasting, I didn’t believe in competition. I wanted community. I welcomed local podcasters, wanted to showcase them to the community. I hosted two Dayton Podfests, and a podcast workshop. I began listening in 2006 and they changed my life.

Mark DaGrossa, Libby Ballengee and “Izzy Rock”

I found a local podcast called, You Can’t Make This Up with DJ Killa Kev and Kev Nash of HOT 102.9 and invited them to release their show on our feed for our Friday episode. I believed if we were going to be about Dayton, we needed diversity in our audio magazine. Those guys would release their podcast on Sunday and then it would drop in our feed on Friday. They covered sports, pop culture, and we’re a welcome voice to the community. I love those dudes and thank them for the years of partnership. 

We won Best Local Podcast, I was named Daytonian of the Week, I was respected by my peers, and even Joe Rogan followed me on Twitter. I have influenced many people to podcast and if you’re reading this and want to do it, do it.

We made no money from the podcast because of how it was set up. We did have a GoFund me that raised a little bit of money, but we spent way more of our time and money putting content out because we love this community and believe in the people of Dayton and Southwest Ohio. We inherited the podcast, but did not have the email and phone number associated with the website host GoDaddy.

On the morning of August 10, 2020 I tried uploading Episode 900 and the website was down.

After reaching out to the person who set up the podcast, I was told that they no longer work in IT and could contact GoDaddy, but without the email and phone number of the website or at least someone willing to be on the other end of those, I could not get the website up and running.

I contacted the creator of the podcast for the info and was told, “no idea. social media is social conditioning and virtue signaling thru attention seeking. with countless studies of how it’s actually hurting people i can no longer allow myself to aid in the corruption of other humans, even when the majority of those humans are hypocritical hive minded sheep. good luck. I’m not sure who this is, and I’m not giving another second of my energy to anything on a screen. I got out for a reason. If you need a hug let me know. Sorry for being rude, but I’ve seen enough truths to know which side I wanna be on when this game comes to an end. peace.”

So that’s it. We can’t release a podcast right now and to be honest, we had flirted with stopping at Episode 937 since that’s the area code for the area.

I’m a bit burned out after releasing nearly 1400 podcasts since 2013. I’m not done podcasting by any means and I bought the LLC for Gem City Podcast a year or so ago. And you can still stream those podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Overcast. I could never get on Spotify because of the email situation.

So here we are, the end of an era of Dayton Podcasting. We’re not sure if we’ll return, Libby and myself are effectively ending the current version of Gem City Podcast. We love all of you. We loved having conversations with you. We loved sharing your music and projects and giving a community a voice.

I still love the local music scene. Like a lot. I’ve made some wonderful friends and some legendary memories. I hope 2020 and what we’re all going through makes us all stronger and better off. Please be kind to each other and especially yourself.

Thank you to all the people who made this kid from East Dayton who was inspired by the local scene in the 80’s and 90’s that was being covered by Spin magazine and producing artists like Guided By Voices and Braniac, feel part of the scene.

Terry @TheIzzyRock Martin

Citizen-Led Initiative is Re-Imagining Policing and Public Safety

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A citizen-led initiative to re-imagine policing and public safety has begun as a part of the Re-Imagining America initiative that was launched last month. The present policing model places unrealistic expectations upon police officers and magnifies our community’s inability to address social ills that are often outside the context of policing. Piecemeal solutions, tweaking here and there, promises of better training, and recruiting for more diversity will not accurately address the inequitable structure and culture that prohibits effective relationships between police and community.

The recent protests and acts of civil disobedience are reminders of a need for the community to approach public safety differently. We believe there is a better way to serve and protect our communities. The beginning of that process is to seek input from community members, as we work together to create a framework that equitably addresses the personal and public safety needs of the citizens of the Dayton region.

Re-Imagining Policing / Re-Imagining Public Safety is being led by local subject matter experts, citizens and Social Justice advocates, It is the beginning of what will become a community conversation and co-creation process. Phase 1 of the process begins with the release of a DRAFT Framework and Policing Survey, both of which can be found ​here​. Over the next month, volunteers will begin accepting and curating community input and reaching out to those interested in participating in Phase 2. Phase 2, a series of town hall style collaborative conversations based upon the input of the policing survey results, ​will formulate recommendations, that will be made public and shared with police departments within the Metropolitan Statistical Areas of; Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Preble counties.

“This Re-Imagining Policing project is starting with a clean sheet of paper. It offers a tremendous opportunity for citizens to participate in the process of creating a Department of Well-Being and Public Safety. The expectation is to create an organization that reflects a true partnership between the community and the government, of, by and for the people. Historically, policing, its policies, procedures, and discipline existed without much community input, we aim to change that. The creation of the Department of Well-Being and Public Safety is not about defunding the police but rather creating an organization that meets the needs of the entire community,” stated Peter Benkendorf, founder of The Collaboratory and one of the co-creators of the Re-Imagining America initiatives.

Re-Imagining America: Dayton, Ohio was borne out of the September 2018 Frontline/ProPublica documentary “Left Behind America”. The documentary featured Dayton as a manifest example of what has happened to too many great American cities and the people who live there as a result of our current socio-economic model… they have been behind or in many cases left out. Housed at ​The Collaboratory​, Dayton’s independent, non-profit civic innovation lab, Re-Imagining America seeks to build a more equitable and thriving community by focusing on eight Action Areas: Regional Economy/Employment, Education, Environment, Health and Wellness, Housing, Justice, Media and Transportation.

WSU Foundation Welcomes New Trustees

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The Wright State University Foundation has appointed six new trustees to its board, effective July 1.

Samia Borchers

Samia Borchers, M.D., a dermatologist in solo, private practice since 1984, was a member of the Wright State University Medical School charter class of 1980. She is a past president of both the Montgomery County Medical Society and the Ohio Dermatology Association. She has also been awarded Dermatologist of the Year in Ohio. She is a past chair of the Wright State University Academy of Medicine and is a current board member of the Discover Classical public radio station. Borchers has established an endowed scholarship for students in the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Lauren Macgregor

Lauren Macgregor is a graduate student in Wright State University’s Student Affairs in Higher Education Program. She will be one of two Wright State students serving on the Foundation Board of Trustees.

 

 

 

Gary McCullough

Gary McCullough, a private investor, is a 1981 graduate of Wright State University. For more than 30 years, McCullough served in executive and board positions for such leading companies as TransDigm Group, Inc., The Sherwin Williams Company, Career Education Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and The Procter & Gamble Company.

 

Hernan Olivas

Hernan Olivas is CEO and president of O’Neil & Associates. Olivas has been with ONEIL, a technical publications and training materials firm, for more than 17 years. He serves on the board of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the board of advisors for the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science.

 

Randy Phillips

Randy Phillips is senior vice president for corporate development at Leidos, Inc. Phillips, a 1982 graduate of Wright State University, has held multiple executive roles at Boeing Company, TASC, Computer Sciences Corporation and Alcoa. He most recently served at Ellucian as senior vice president for corporate development.

 

Sharon Honaker Rab

Sharon Honaker Rab is an educator, writer and community activist. Rab taught English for a combined 47 years at Kettering Fairmont High School, Miami University and the University of Dayton. She received a Master of Education in Curriculum and Supervision from Wright State University in 1975. Rab founded the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the only literary prize honoring the power of literature to promote peace in the country.

“We are honored to welcome these outstanding business and community leaders from the Dayton region and beyond,” said Scott Rash, president and CEO of the Wright State University Foundation. “We appreciate their willingness to volunteer their time and talents to the Wright State University Foundation Board of Trustees. They will provide outstanding service to the foundation, the university and our students.”

The foundation board is also bidding a fond farewell to three trustees. Sonja Wolf, an MBA student who recently graduated; Stephen Hightower, president and CEO of Hightower Petroleum; and Barbara Duncombe, a partner at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP, will end their board terms on June 30.

“We are grateful to Sonja, Stephen and Barbara for their contributions,” said Rash. “They all have tremendous passion for Wright State University and our students. Even though they will no longer be serving on the foundation board, I know they will continue to support our students and serve as ambassadors for our great university.”

This article written by By .

Guest Post: Racism is a Public Health Crisis

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This morning Selena Burks Rentschler went to the OH Statehouse to testify in favor of the resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis. Over 200 people submitted written statements for today’s hearing.  She didn’t get the chance to read her  statement. They were running behind and she was way way way down on the list. But next week she’s planning to attend the second hearing for this resolution and hopefully she’ll have the opportunity to read it then.

Written Testimony for Resolution: Racism as a Public Health Crisis and to ask for a working group to promote racial equity in Ohio.

Today, I come here to express my solidarity as a citizen with Sen. Hearcel Craig, Sen, Sandra Williams, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and other Legislators who support the passage of this historical resolution to declare racism as a public health crisis statewide.

I have been an Ohioan all of my life. I was born and raised in Cleveland, attended college and earned my BFA from Wright State University in Dayton, became a wife and mother in Cincinnati and I sit here today as a new resident of Columbus.

I am here to testify and bear witness to the racism I have experienced on an interpersonal, social, institutional and structural level which has directly impacted my physical, psychological and emotional health. Among those health impacts are physician diagnosed Hypertension, PTSD, Depression and Anxiety.

For those of you who doubt that racism is a public health crisis, hear me out. Racism is a plague that has followed me everywhere I go, in all stages of my life. I have been confronted with racism from educators, medical professionals, neighbors, and law enforcement. Constantly being told that my voice had no power, and that I had no place in any of these spaces, has been a major hazard to my health and the health of millions of Black Americans in this state and the US as a whole.

I know what it feels like to be treated with less respect than a dog by a White kindergarten teacher in a predominately white suburban school. At the age of 5, she treated me like a burden and bullied me into silence.

I know what it feels like to be a child and afraid to go outside and play because white neighbors are calling my sister and me animals and niggers and yelling at us to go back to Africa.

I know what it’s like to experience extreme poverty, homelessness and food insecurity. Because my mother didn’t have access to the mental health resources she needed to help her navigate her trauma, she self-medicated through drug abuse. My mother’s trauma became my trauma.

I know what it’s like to be a foster youth, trapped in an overstretched system that’s unable to give foster youth the tools they desperately need to establish a successful start to adulthood. If it wasn’t for my foster mother cultivating in me a love of education and showing me how to grow into womanhood, I would have been lost.

As a Black woman, the shadow of racism still follows me. I’ve had college professors declare that because I’m Black, I’m less intelligent and am incapable of writing at a university level. I’ve walked into breakrooms at places of employment and felt the unspoken threat that as a Black woman I needed to shrink who I am because I wasn’t welcomed there.

I’ve been harassed by local law enforcement because I’m a Black woman – pulled over without probable cause, ticketed in accidents I didn’t cause, followed by cruisers to the driveway of a home I own, without any explanation why.

I have endured White doctors refusing to take my health concerns seriously when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had to go through five doctors in five months and lose over 20 pounds to eventually be put on bed rest with home IVs before I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. I have repeatedly had doctors dismiss my health concerns since. The sting of not being heard, of not having my pain taken seriously never fades.

Neither does the memory of my Mother’s final days. I was 23, it was right before Christmas, and I took my mother to the hospital because she was having complications caused by her Multiple Sclerosis. This was in Cleveland and I lived in Dayton, so my mother encouraged me to go back home after she was admitted. She was under the impression that she would receive some fluids and be discharged in a day or so. I left my contact information with the staff at the hospital, planning to return in a week.

When days passed and I hadn’t heard from my mom or the hospital, I returned to Cleveland sooner than planned. I walked into my mother’s hospital room and saw the awful shape she was in. Her legs and arms were covered with large blood clots and she was jaundiced. Not one doctor had thought to call me to tell me about my mother’s condition and by the time I had any chance to advocate for my mother’s health and treatment it was too late. She died two days later.

As a mother of a Black daughter I have already begun a lifelong conversation about how her brown skin and curly hair will have a direct impact on her life. To explain to her how an educated, accomplished Black woman can still, in the year 2020, be treated as a second-class citizen in this country. I can’t go for a jog without feeling anxious. My heart jumps when I see a police cruiser drive right behind me. I can’t even feel safe getting pizza from a local restaurant without feeling the threat of white supremacy. And some say, with a straight face, that racism isn’t a public health crisis? Would those of you who disagree ever trade places with me and live the life I have lived and still live?

So I implore you to ask yourselves what side of history do you want to be on when our children’s children look back and judge us? The whole country is watching this moment. Now is the time to take Black suffering seriously. To defund police departments who over police Black communities and invest those funds in mental health resources for children of color who are experiencing adult trauma. To combat glaring disparities in health outcomes for Black Americans. The list is expansive, the road is long and there’s a lot to do, but the first step is to acknowledge the pain and destruction that racism has caused to Black lives in Ohio. Take this first step and pass this resolution into law. It is the humane thing to do.

I’d like to thank the members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus for introducing this resolution to declare racism as a public health crisis on a statewide level. And thank you to Rep. Stephanie Howse for posting information about this hearing on social media. It’s because of her post that I am here and able to share my support of this resolution. Thank you.

Selena Burks-Rentschler is an award-winning filmmaker, foster-youth advocate, professional public speaker, film accountant, and now, screenwriter. Her stories reflect her harrowing childhood in and out of foster care and feature strong, self-reliant and creative female characters. Continuing to defy the odds, Selena earned her M.F.A. in screenwriting from David Lynch Cinematic Arts graduate program at the Maharishi University of Management.

Journalist Ron Rollins-Now Retired!

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Ron’s last photo from the Dayton Daily News.

Ron Rollins didn’t go to work today. And he won’t be going tomorrow either,  but we couldn’t let the newly retired journalist off the hook before we gave him one last assignment. We asked him to write about himself:

 

What brought you to Dayton?

I arrived at the Dayton Daily News in December 1986 as an assistant metro editor, working nights handling editing and rewrites on breaking and local news, part of a very talented team of about 6 other editors. Worked from 1 to 10 p.m. on the third floor of our old building at Fourth and Ludlow downtown (now gone; sigh), and it was a great way to learn the city, its stories and people. I worked very closely with my friend Vince McKelvey, who was the other nightside editor with me and who was an amazing mentor and teacher, a fabulous word editor and really taught me all about Dayton, its history and how it worked. He retired years ago, and I attribute a good deal of my success at the DDN to him.

I’ve been fortunate all my life to have great mentors at the times I’ve needed them. At the DDN, I’ve also been able to work with a long line of incredible and fabulously talented, creative journalists, some of the best in the nation. It’s been a gift and I treasure it.

 

Ron many moons ago!

What have your job titles over the years been:

Gosh, a lot. Rather than just dump a resume or CV, I went from assistant metro editor to some other local news editing after a few years, then became the Arts & Entertainment editor, a job I had for a long time and which I truly loved. We had much fun covering the local arts scene, from clubs to the DPO. I wrote a lot, learned a ton (Jazz! Hip-hop! Opera! Impressionism!) and did a weekly arts column that ran on Sundays. Eventually I also become the editor of the Life daily features section, and eventually an assistant managing editor, then one of 3 managing editors who ran the paper. I was usually in charge of features, arts, the photo desk, sports – all the fun stuff, basically. Eventually I helped run our company’s operations in Butler and Warren counties, which then consisted of two daily and six weekly papers, and was editor there. I came back to the Dayton Daily News about 12 years ago to run the opinion section, which we reframed as the Ideas & Voices community and opinion pages that we have today. I’ve had a variety of senior-editor type titles over the last few years; I use old business cards as book marks. During the recent decade when the DDN was aligned with WHIO TV and radio, I had the good luck to be able to do a weekly radio interview show, “Miami Valley Voices,” which I greatly enjoyed – so, add “radio host,” which I never thought I’d get to call myself.

 

 

Tell us about some of the changes you’ve seen in newspapers over the years?

Well, the big obvious one everyone knows about is the advent of and the move to online and digital journalism, which has been a massive change in every aspect of the business. In terms of content, reporting and getting information to readers, it’s been an amazing and wonderful boon, and a lot of fun. In terms of advertising, it’s been a catastrophic hit to the original business model of how newspapers made money, and you’ve seen the results – local news everywhere is on the ropes, trying its best to stay afloat. Here in Dayton, we have done a better job than in many markets of holding our ground, keeping up quality and managing our resources in a way that works best for our company, our staff and our customers. This community is very, very lucky to have Cox and the Dayton Daily News, and I hope and pray it will continue to support the newspaper as it has.

 

Is there a story you’ve felt particularly proud of putting out there? 

That’s a toughie. So many. The biggest stories I was part of were our coverage of the two-week prison riot in Lucasville, about 25 years ago, which I managed on site, and I was lucky enough to be near Centennial Park in Atlanta the night the terrorist bomb went off, and me and two friends got the big national story on that, back in 1996 – an actual “stop the presses” moment. It was scary, and sad, but also, I must admit, thrilling.

I’d say the stuff I enjoyed covering the most in general would be all the arts stories over the 10 years or so I was a part of that. I wrote a lot about the Dayton Art Institute and the local visual arts and music scenes, and really learned a lot and liked it.

Also, I had the chance with the DDN to produce and edit several books about Dayton history – “For the Love of Dayton,” “Dayton Ink,” and “Gentlemen Amateurs,” plus some others, and I still see them around town on shelves. That’s kinda cool. Few papers would have given me a chance like that.

 

Tell us about someone you met through your DDNews work that has become a friend?

All of you! Honestly, journalism is a business that gives you daily, endless opportunities to meet and get to know many, many fascinating and wonderful people – it’s the nature of the biz. A lot of journos say they got into the business because they love to write; I got into it because I enjoyed meeting new people and talking to them. I love interviewing people and getting to know how and why they tick. I’ve made many friends here over the years, and many other close acquaintances that I enjoy keeping in touch with – through the paper and also through the various boards and community organizations I’ve been part of as well over the years. That’s a long list of organizations, by the way, which is probably another story.

 

Ron painting with his grandson Duffy.

What do you envision your perfect day in retirement to look like?

Hmm, looking forward to finding out. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do more hikes in the woods, read even more books, write more poetry, have lunch with folks I’ve been meaning to catch up with, make dinner for my lovely wife a bit earlier in the day, and spend time in my Kettering studio making more art than I’ve had a chance to recently. Oh, and naps.

 

Fighting for charity in KnockOut

What advice you’d give others about getting along in Dayton?

Well, it’s been said a million times before by smarter people that Dayton is a semi-big small town (I like to call it a small town with two tall buildings that aren’t very tall), and that makes it a place where you can get things done quickly and well because it’s easy to connect with a lot of people in a meaningful way. Everyone knows everyone, and is happy to take their call, and say “yes,” if they can. It’s a place, too, where if you want to try something creative or a bit odd, folks will give you a shot and generally be encouraging. It’s meant a lot to me, for instance, that when I tentatively toe-dipped into the local arts community as a painter after years of having covered it, and was fairly shy about doing so, I found a lot of positive encouragement that was quite wonderful, and kept me going. People here are so nice. These things are of course true for lots of other communities, too, but I like the way it works here – our brand and flavor of it. It’s what I know. It’s one of the reasons we stayed.

 

Anything else you’d like to share….

My wife, Amy, also works at the paper and isn’t ready to retire yet; she and I raised two wonderful kids here (both grown now) and have loved our time in Dayton and Kettering (where we live and our kids went to school) and the whole area, and have never regretted that we chose this as a place to live and stay. It’s a great place to be and to make a home, and we consider ourselves lucky.

One of my favorite pictures of Ron, when he ran the Clothes That Work Hunks in Heels evetns!

 

We wish you all the best as you create new adventures Ron!

Having A Bucket List Could Increase Your Productivity

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How often do you spend a little time thinking about (or pursuing) items on your bucket list? Do you even have one? Most of us have some things we’d like to do or accomplish in life, and some actually write a formal list on paper. Others have a list in their head. Often, the bucket list resides in our personal lives, but having one in our professional lives can make us better leaders.

But before we explore that, do you realize that, by definition and logic, if you have a bucket list, you’re thinking about dying? That may seem morbid. But in fact, it’s a good thing to think about what you want to do before you die.

In their 2016 “Book of Joy,” the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu instruct us to consider our own mortality. They rightly contend that this will bring a sense of urgency, perspective and gratitude. Author and pastor Andy Stanley (2014a) similarly tells us that “priority determines capacity.” He points to an ancient Jewish text (Psalm 90) that says, “teach us to number our days” in order to achieve wisdom. “Numbering your days” is thinking about how long you have to live — just as the bucket list has us thinking about specific things that we want to do while we’re still alive. This can be powerful in helping us focus attention both at home and work.

Stanley also challenges us to “compound our minutes” (2014b), noting:

  1. There is a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time in certain activities over a long period. (e.g., exercise; spending time with family; mentoring a new coworker or student)
  2. Neglect is cumulative as well. (e.g., exercise; personal finances; not spending time with family; not sharing your life experiences; not fulfilling leadership opportunities when they arise)
  3. There is no cumulative value to the random things we opt for over the important things. (e.g., surfing the internet; micromanaging instead of delegating)

But if we’re attentive to the limited time we have, we can use it more effectively, and we can accomplish things that really matter. And as leaders, we simultaneously model this approach and behavior for others.

So how does all this come together?

A bucket list reminds us that we have only a limited amount of time here on this earth. Again, that’s not morbid. It’s simply a fact of life. So by holding that in mind, or even occasionally giving it serious thought, we can begin to be more deliberate about prioritizing the most important things in life. That prioritization allows us to say “no” to items of less importance, allowing us to free up time for what really matters. As noted, this increases focus both at home and the office. Prioritization increases capacity.

So do you want to get more done? Do you want to increase your capacity? Make a bucket list. Try having one for home (personal life) and one for work (professional life). Write down those items that are most important — ones you really want to accomplish. Then, start numbering your days. Follow the advice of the Dalai Lama, Bishop Tutu and Andy Stanley. Consider your mortality. I think you’ll be glad you did. If you’re mentoring someone, teaching a class, or leading a team, challenge them with this idea as well.

I might add: There’s a potential added bonus: you just might have some fun (and have time for) checking off one or two of those bucket-list items as well.

WRITTEN BY

Brian Raison Brian Raison, PhD

As first appeared on the Lead Read Today Blog

For additional reference / reading:

Dalai Lama XIV, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World. New York: Avery, 2016.

Stanley, Andy (Nov. 15, 2014). Time Of Your Life 2 – At Capacity. Available at: https://youtu.be/mIsnLZqmk_4

Stanley, Andy (Nov. 15, 2014). Time Of Your Life 3 – Compounding Minutes. Available at: https://youtu.be/YomJ6TUXChM

A day in the life of The Winds Chef Roland Eliason

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It’s 9:30. I set the alarm on the back door and take one last look around a dark kitchen that just faintly glimmers with all the stainless I know is there. No worries. Come morning time she will hum again as MK starts the bread baking and prep for the sweets that adorn our ever changing menu. There will be no moss on the rolling stone that is The Winds.

Essential employees they called us. Granted we had the option to work or not. How could we not work. Kitchens are all we know. We cook for people. Sharing all the good things we come across is why we work tirelessly and tediously day in and day out. Lettuce is finally back. Asparagus season is here! 5 weeks. Thats it.

Unfortunately it seems not a single stalk will likely be served in the dining room. The same dining room that now has a fine layer of dust on it from being idle for so long. The last two butts to warm chairs there were an impromptu dinner for my daughters 2 days after everything came to a halt. They had quiche.
The thing that gnaws at me the most is how do we use this absurdly disruptive event to catapult us onto the way we want to live. I for one am quite enjoying the longer hours with my girls in the morning and better connections with my guests. It sucks not having access to all the usual products from my purveyors but we are cooking even more with what we get from farmers than before. The menus change every two or three days. It is really quite fun. I do miss putting food on plates. The togo boxes just dont complete the aesthetic.


Can we not shed the trappings we have shown we do not need. Everyone that wants to work should have the opportunity. I will never deny that to anyone. We could do with a few more ranchers and farmers in my opinion. I would love to have a good butcher around. Or a cheese monger.


Tipping should die with this pandemic. I hate the practice all together. Hospitality is a profession. Professionals shouldn’t have to work for tips. You may see a slight raise in menu prices. I would rather that than continue to have my guests feel obligated to give my staff monetary compensation after paying for my product. I hope we can find a way to make this reality.


3 guidelines:

Take care of each other
Aint nothin that damn serious
There is always time for a beer

The Winds Café

215 Xenia Ave
Yellow Springs, Ohio
(937) 767-1144
Updated dinner menu
www.windscafe.com/dinner

New Website Providing FREE E-Commerce Storefronts to Local Artists

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Times of crisis can act as a stimulus for the creative spirit. COVID-19 is no exception.

Art by Amy Kollar Anderson

Spending more time in his home office, Mile Two VP of Engineering and Code for Dayton co-Captain Dave Best really began to notice his bare walls. Our #DaytonStrong resilience has been demonstrated by our giving to the COVID-19 fund at The Dayton Foundation to our support for our essential workers, from healthcare to those working in grocery and drug stores to those delivering our mail and packages. Many Daytonians have made an extra effort to support our local restaurants by ordering carry-out or delivery, or purchasing growlers of locally-brewed craft beer. Musicians, on their own or through venues like The Old Yellow Cab, have set up virtual concerts where the audience can donate online.


TwinEbonyUrns by Katie Clark Gabbard



After staring at the walls, the obvious question was “What about our visual artists”? Aren’t they essential to helping bring beauty and meaning to our lives? How can the community help support them at a time when the studios, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants where they typically show their work are closed?

Drying by Eva Lewis

I have known Dave 5+ years. He reached out to me last Friday because on my connections in the art community and because The Collaboratory’s reputation for incubating projects from ideas to action. He  wanted to know if I thought it was feasible. I said hell yes and jumped right in. 

The idea behind Essential Artists Dayton is to offer a FREE (at least through May 30) platform for Dayton visual artists to set up an online storefront. And by FREE, we mean 100% of sales, less any processing charges, goes to the artists. In addition to putting this out to my artists friends and the major artist organization, I specifically reached out to artist Megan Fiely. We met when she came back to town, but really connect when she started raising Tornado Relief funds from the local community of artists. She have been helpful in the co-creation process, beta testing the storefront set-up and getting the word out.

Dayton Arcade by Matt Blair



All art purchased through Essential Artists Dayton will be available for pick-up at The Collaboratory, Monday – Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM or by appointment. The exchange will be made while practicing appropriate social distancing. The Collaboratory is located at 114 West First Street, Suite B, in Talbott Tower.

 
Currently eight storefronts are live and 10 sales have already been completed.
This guest post contributed by Peter Benkendorf, Founder & Catalyst of The Collaboratory