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Sinclair College Music presents Sounds of the Season

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The Sinclair College Music Program will present its third annual “Sounds of the Season” Concert on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at the Centerville Campus Auditorium at 3 PM.
The concert will feature the Sinclair Jazz Ensemble, Faculty Combo, music faculty, and students. The concert will conclude with the Sinclair Chorale and the combined choirs of Kettering Fairmont and Springboro High Schools performing Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare.  The more than 100 voice chorus will be accompanied by a chamber orchestra comprised of faculty and students played side-by-side with alumni and community musicians.

Bike Share to Roll Into Dayton Spring 2015

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Community leaders gathered at Second Street Public Market today DSCF0919to announce the required $1 million in capital funding has been secured to launch a bike share program in Greater Downtown Dayton in 2015.  Earlier this month, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) approved 2014 funding from the Federal Highway Administration Surface Transportation Program to cover capital costs for 22 bike share stations.  Mayor Nan Whaley announced that the City of Dayton has committed to providing $250,000 which includes a needed local match to secure the capital funds and partial operating support to launch the program.

bikeshareDayton’s bike share, which will launch in spring 2015, will feature 22 strategically located stations, all within an approximate two mile radius of downtown Dayton. Each station will contain six to ten bikes, totaling more than 200 bikes. Stations will be placed within 1/4 mile of one another so it users will not have to walk more than 5 minutes to find an available bike. All bikes are securely locked, require a membership or credit card to access and will allow for GPS tracking. Customers – who range from one-day users to annual subscribers – are able to take unlimited trips on the bikes. Trips may be up to 30-45 minutes in length and may go to any other station or back to the original location.

Brian Martin, Executive Director of MVRPC shared, “The role of alternative transportation modes—such as bike share—in enriching their communities is extremely important, and our own bike share program will enable Dayton to keep pace with similar cities who already enjoy the benefits of bike share.”

The Downtown Dayton Partnership has seen evidence that that bike share programs bolster urban vibrancy, are a major factor in downtown livability, and maximize the connectivity of existing public transit infrastructure. Dr. Michael Ervin, DDP Co-Chair said, “Advancing Dayton’s cycling culture is an important strategy in the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan.”  But it’s not just the Downtown Dayton Partnership who want to see this happen. Ervin continues, “Organizational partnerships have been crucial to the establishment of a viable strategy for Dayton’s bike share program, and they are a testament to the community’s enthusiasm for this initiative.”

The organizations that have stepped up to implement the bike share program include Greater Dayton RTA, Bike Miami Valley and MVRPC. Bike Miami Valley be securing staff over the next year to oversee customer management, sponsorship outreach, customer memberships, organizational partnerships, and marketing and promotions with plans to hire an Executive Director in late summer or early fall. Once the program is launched, RTA will maintain the bike share equipment and balance the distribution of bikes across the station network.  MVRPC identified the capital funding source and will provide additional support, including office space for bike share staff. Combined, these partnerships will lower the annual bike share operational costs by more than $135,000 each year.  Immediate next steps will be to issue an RFP (a required step since bike share will be run by a public agency) to select an equipment vendor and develop the program branding and name.

Mark Donaghy, Executive Director of Greater Dayton RTA sees bike share as a “last mile connector” and a long-anticipated asset DSCF0938in better serving RTA patrons and promoting bus ridership. Users can ride the bus into downtown and pick up a bike to get to their exact destination with fewer transfers and more convenience; bike share adds to a system of transportation options within the downtown area. Donaghy says, “We look forward to seeing this important community asset grow.”

Andy Williamson, with Bike Miami Valley shared, “Bike Miami Valley is excited that Dayton will join the collection of more than 25 cities across the U.S. with bike share transportation systems.”

Although bike share is growing in popularity across the nation, Dayton is the second city to announce that they’ve completed the process of securing the needed capital funds. An appropriate fit since Dayton was designated in 2010 as a bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists (with the goal to reach platinum level by 2020). Cincinnati is currently fundraising with hopes to launch Cincy Bike Share in the near future, and both Cleveland and University of Toledo are in research/planning modes with hopes to create their own bike share program.

But is Dayton ready? Scott Murphy with Bike Miami Valley says yes. Murphy explained, “We set out about a year and a half ago to study the feasibility of bike sharing in the Dayton region by benchmarking our community against others of similar size who have done bike sharing successfully. We looked at factors that correlate to actual bike share usage in other cities; things like population density, job density, where young people are clustered in our community.  What we found surprised us; not only does Dayton measure-up to these communities, we actually outpace other bike share cities of similar size for key bike share design factors.  The community is ready to do this.”

The idea is there, the plan is set, the money is confirmed: the reality of bike share roll out for Dayton in spring of 2015.

Christopher’s Restaurant: Saintly and Sinful

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Mushroom Bisque one of many homemade soups

Some say the food at Christopher’s Restaurant is like a religious experience.  That would make sense because the eatery is named after St. Christopher, the patron saint of travel.  Owner/Chef Chip Pritchard and his staff have developed a cult following with the locals, and a favorite stop of foodies who are passing through town.  Why?  Because it is comfort food.  It is not pretentious, just good solid food.  We met the owners at a farmer’s market and it has been a favorite Food Adventure stop ever since.

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Known for their extensive, fresh menu it is a salad, soup and sandwich lovers paradise.

— Vegetarian and Vegan friendly choices make it a favorite healthy dining spot.  Many gluten free menu items to choose from as well.

The Black Bean Burger: not just for vegans anymore

— Breakfast menu that rivals anyplace in Dayton.   Most overheard quote at Christopher’s  “you gotta come back for breakfast.”  Tasty indeed.

— Christopher’s employs two bakers who make the desserts from scratch twice a week.  Check the revolving choices and make sure you don’t miss out on these sinful offerings.

— Thursday nights are “theme nights.”    Probably our favorite time to visit Christopher’s.  Guaranteed great foodstuffs in a fun, inviting atmosphere.  Most recently, we went to Caribbean Theme Night on September 12th.

— Christopher’s uses local farms, local produce, naturally raised beef, organic salmon (from Foremost Seafood), local free range eggs, and organic coffee and teas.

Speaking of which, The Big Ragu and crew have to tell you about …. the MUST EATS at CHRISTOPHERS

Many organic items like Ice Teas served with fresh, local mint sprigs

— THE CHRISTOPHER SPECIAL:  A bacon sandwich with avocado, tomato, Neufantel cream cheese and bean sprouts. We crave this and get nights sweats thinking about this specialty sandwich.

— THE MEZZA PLATE:  House Hummus, falafel, feta cheese chunks, kalamata olives, tomato slices, cucumbers and carrots surrounded by pita chips.  This ain’t your grandparents vegetarian menu…

— BUFFALO CHICKEN SOUP:  Phenomenal homemade soup with a kick better than Pelé.  Eat some and become a Buffalo Soldier like The Big Ragu.

— THE BLACK BEAN BURGER: Even if you are not a vegetarian, you gotta try this delicious and filling burger.

— MUSHROOM BISQUE: One of our all time fave soups is simply divine.  Creamy goodness in every spoonful.

— CARROT CAKE:  The homemade icing will have you saying “dude, seriously?”  Try it, your tummy will thank us.

— BUMBLEBERRY PIE:   Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  Yes, 3 berries, one pie.  Served cold or hot, you can’t lose with this fresh, local creation.  Big Ragu approved !

— TWO GOOD BREAKFAST: Two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two pieces of sausage and two pancakes or French toast.

Delicious, Fresh Breakfast Choices

Honorable Mention: Bacon & Tomato Omelette, Honey BBQ Chicken and The “Decent Breakfast” which features choices of fruit or home fries, choice of meat, 2 eggs and a biscuit, toast or English muffin.

This quaint dining establishment is a great place for a date, or a visit with your grandmother.  Expect great service, as the staff is friendly and very knowledgeable.  The eclectic menu at Christopher’s Restaurant is a great place for a serious eater.  From healthy, to vegan, from ethnic to good old fashioned American comfort food, they have it all.  It fits the bill for practically any occasion.  Best of all, many ingredients are fresh and local.    Give it a try next time you are near the corner of Woodman Dr and Dorothy Lane. They are open Monday – Saturday: 7:30am – 9pm.  They use organic to make meals that are fantastic.

Browse the many dishes in our photo album below from our many meals at Christopher’s.

Love Facebook?  Want some more from your favorite “foodies in their forties?”  Then check out Food Adventures on Facebook   —> HERE

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Inside Couture – Looking for hosts to cover Dayton Fashion Week

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On Saturday April 7, 2012 from 10a-1p Miami FL and the Miami Valley will be partnering up when Dayton Fashion Week holds a casting call looking for four hosts to cover DFW for Miami, FL based fashion series Inside Couture—the casting call will be held at Sun Watch Indian Village located at 2301 W. River Rd, Dayton, OH 45418.  You will need to bring a recent head and full body shot, with your name, phone number, and email address the back.

When I first heard that Inside Couture would be coming to cover Dayton Fashion Week and would need four hosts, I immediately grabbed one of those spots—when you are the Director of Operations you can do things like that!   However, as I started to learn the ins and outs of my position I began to question whether or not I would have the time to run around doing interviews for Inside Couture AND make sure that everything is in order and running smoothly during Dayton Fashion Week.  A question that was answered this past Saturday at our Pre Launch Soirée which was a HUGE SUCCESS, everyone really enjoyed themselves and we reached capacity—but at the same time, I found myself running around like a chicken with its head cut off and that was just a one day event that lasted a couple of  hours.  So with that being said I made the decision to give up my spot as a host and to focus on making sure DFW is a success. To see more photo’s from the Pre Launch please “Like” our page.

Dayton Fashion Week's Pre Launch Soiree

Junda (The Founder of DFW) first introduced me to McKinley Pierre, the owner and Executive Producer of Inside Couture a couple of months ago and he has been  a strong supporter of DFW and the  go to person for both Junda and I for advice on how to handle the stress and pressure that comes along with planning an event of this magnitude. We find ourselves calling him almost on a weekly basis and the conversations normally last a couple of hours.  So when I called McKinley this week, he was out on his boat fishing but he made the time for a quick interview to introduce himself  and his show to the people of Dayton, OH and we talked about a little surprise for a couple of the host selected from our casting call this Saturday.

Dayton Fashion Week: Can you introduce yourself and your show to the people from Dayton, OH?

McKinley Pierre:  Hello, my name is McKinley Pierre and I’m one of the owners for Inside Couture, and I’m the Executive Producer, and basically our show Inside Couture is about fashion– started on the concept of me and my friends who are in the business but you never hear about the people behind the scenes. The stylist, hair and makeup artist, designers the models, the PR– So we are bringing the people from the back to the front!

DFW: What are you looking for in a host for Inside Couture?

MP: What I wanted to do with the show is give people the opportunities who ordinarily wouldn’t have the chance and introduce them to the fashion world, so that they can learn the behind the scenes happenings.  I want them to learn how to act, how to present themselves, and better themselves because it might introduce them to other things, they might become an assistant, or get into production and etc–it’s all about having fun with it.

Basically, I want somebody excited to be there, somebody who likes to have fun, and somebody who commands attention—yet knows how to talk to people.  You don’t have to have experience but I want you to know how to bring it!

DFW:  Had you ever heard of Dayton, Ohio before we had Dayton Fashion Week?

MP: Oh I definitely have heard of Dayton, OH–everyone has heard of Dayton, OH but not in the Fashion World. When Junda called me and said that she was thinking about putting together a Fashion Week in Dayton, honestly I started to laugh because when you think fashion it’s in Europe, Miami, New York, and L.A. and I didn’t think there was fashion in Dayton, OH!! So, I told her if you’re serious about it I will help you do whatever it is you’re wanting to do in Dayton—you can use our show to promote DFW because we have the big names from Roberto Cavali, Custo Barcelona, Nicole Miller, photographer Mike Ruiz who shot the Beckhams and the Kardashians, and anyone that you can think of in the Industry, we have the stylist James Santiago from Sex and The City and Burn Notice, we have access to all of the behind the scenes happenings in the fashion industry.

Editor and Chief of Elle Magazine - Robbie Myers talks to Inside Couture about the first Elle Spa in the world. Photo by Inside Couture

DFW: So what are you looking forward to the most with Dayton Fashion week?

MP:   Aside from the great fishing I hear Dayton has, I want to  bring a couple of the hosts that you selected down to Miami and let them do some interviews here in South Beach, so we are going to work some things out for that too!  I want to bring you guys down here to have some fun, get some experience and you never know where this could go and what other opportunities that this might lead to, you never know who’s going to see you, and you never know who’s watching!

We had Miami Fashion Week here a couple of weeks ago and I actually had the chance to meet a couple of hair stylist and makeup artist from Dayton and they were so excited that they were finally having something right there in their own back yard!  So I look forward to seeing the people in Dayton having fun if you can’t have fun don’t even show up!

DFW:  What makes a great Fashion Week?

MP:  Fashion Weeks are only as good as your models!  if you have a good model they’ll make a trash bag look good!  It’s the model, it’s the hair, it’s the makeup, a lot of people don’t realize that it takes a whole team to make somebody up, it’s not just one person.  It’s the people behind the scenes that determine the success of a show–they’re the ones that are running everything.

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DFW:  You have been getting bombarded with emails from people in Dayton who have questions about how to prepare for Saturday, what advice to do you have for the people coming out to the audition?

MP: Oh yeah,  we’ve had a lot of people contact us via our Inside Couture website, they’ve been sending their reels, they’re trying to get a head start on the competition.  In any type of business you have to hustle and have a step up on people.  So show up, act like you want to do something and dress the part. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SKINNY TO BE A HOST FOR INSIDE COUTURE!!!  We want to see diversity, we want somebody who knows how to talk and have fun.  A lot of people want to exclude people for certain things and people sit at home wanting to do this but they don’t think that they’ll be chosen, how will you know if you don’t get off of the couch and try?

Don’t come in sounding like a Newscaster, we don’t want that, we don’t like that.  Don’t come in acting like you know everything, if you know everything, I’m not going to be able to work with you because if you know everything, you can’t grow.

I look at it like this—you either got it or you don’t!  Don’t be fake people can see right through that talk to them like you’re talking to your cousin or your friends, if you get star struck and start asking to take pictures with them they aren’t going to want to do other interviews with, they’re not going to invite you their parties.

I want to show people the lives of celebrities and let people know that you don’t have to sell your souls or lay down on the casting couch to make it in the industry.  These young models need to learn that everyone is not their friend, people lie, there’s always that person outside of the club telling you to do something that won’t get you into the club.

DFW:  What else do you want to share with Dayton about what you have going on?

MP:  We also have a music show that we are going to be casting for and I plan on doing some stuff there it’s called IA Live, it’s music, fashion, and art.  We’ve had interviews with Akon, Lady Gaga, to David Getta, and Justin Beiber.  One of the alst interviews I had was with Flo Rida and Lil Wayne who is my neighbor

DFW:  When we spoke a couple of weeks ago, you talked about knowing your Host weakness and you mentioned that you were friends with Lenny Kravitz and I freaked out because I love Lenny Kravitz and you said ok you are going to keep me away from Lenny, why is it important to know your Host weakness?

MP:  Yeah, I live down the street from Lenny, one of my host Lechelle won’t do any interviews with Trey Songz, she melts if you talk about him.  So I like to know who their weakness is, so when you said Lenny Kravitz is your weakness, when I bring you down here for some interviews, I’m keeping you away from Lenny(me and my big mouth Insert sad face and tear drops here).  I like to know the weakness and the genre of music people listen to.  Some people prefer to only interview the celebs that they aren’t fans of to make things easier—it’s all about having fun!

For more information check out the Inside Couture website.