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Grab Your Mask for Dayton’s Party of Parties “MASQUERAGE”

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As charity fund-raisers go, the AIDS Resource Center Ohio’s Masquerage has earned a reputation as being an over the top, all out bash.  The masked ball was dubbed  Dayton’s Party of Parties by  Ron Rollins of the Dayton Dayton Daily News several years ago and  this themed event has continued to grow.  Started in 2002 by Square One Salon owners Brent Johnson, Doug Henderson and Josh Stucky at Therapy Cafe, the party has grown and moved across town, to such unusual venues like The Merc, The Foundry and it’s latest home- the Roundhouse at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.

Designer Chris Newman

Hundreds of volunteers will spend the week transforming the two story white barn into a fantasy set, under the direction of designer Chris Newman, owner of Cheeky Monkey, an interior design and faux painting company.  Newman volunteered in 2009 to help with one room at the Circus themed event that year, as then stepped up the next year as the creative visionary behind the Heavenly Pleasures and Sinful Delights 2010 Masquerage.   In 2011 the ARC Ohio party celebrated a Decade of Decadence, bringing back some of  the scenery and entertainment of the past 10 years.

Masquerage 2012…Where Evil Can Be Tempting will pay homage to Vixens and Villains.  This theme was chosen to encompass a wide range of costume possibilities- from Gangsters and Molls of the 2o’s and 30’s, to B Movie Vixens, and without a doubt there will be some Disney villains like Cruella De Vil, Ursulas and  Maleficent.  While costumes aren’t required, over the years more and more of the crowd has gotten into the spirit, and  last year about 70% of the crowd were decked out. But the one thing that is required of all party guests is a mask, and whether you choose an elaborate professionally created head, a mardi gras mask or have one painted on, your options are endless.  Make up Artist Kelly Heuss explains “the painted on masks are the most comfortable, as often the plastic ones get pretty hot and sweaty when you’re dancing the night away. ”  You can make an appointment with Kelly  of www.airodynamic.net to get a mask painted on at Square One Salon, the Beauty Box and Mac cosmetics counters are also offering the service.

Cake Hope & Love’s Red Velvet Cupcakes will help raise $ for Masquerage.

What makes Masquerage more than just a dance party is the entertainment.  Over the years there have been Aerialists dangling from silk ropes, escape artists, contortionists, dance crews, fire dancers, knife throwers, and more. While ARC Ohio won’t reveal the line up for this year, they promise to continue the tradition of sexy, sultry and super eye catching performers.

And what’s a party without great food.  Chef Matt Hayden of Scratch Catering has created amazing munchies over the years and always has something tasty planned.  Cake Hope & Love will be featuring some sweet treats this year and has even gone a step further by offering to donate a a portion of all proceeds from the sale of their red velvet cupcakes from their Beavercreek store to ARC Ohio.

All  guests will be welcomed with a Jaegermesiter cocktail and Yeungling Beers and Buckeye Vodka are the barsponsors this year.  General admission tickets are $50, which is exactly what it costs ARC Ohio to administer one HIV test.  Testing is provided free to anyone who asks, and the test is a swab of the cheek with results in just 20 minutes.

If you prefer to attend Masquerage as a VIP, splurge for the Red Ribbon Lounge tickets, which include valet parking by Lexus of Dayton, face painting, all of your drinks, appetizers, entry into the 2nd floor lounge and the always coveted Swag Bag for $150.   Tickets can be purchased online  or at Square One Salons, Lexus of Dayton or Ghostlight Coffee. Tickets will be available at the event, but will cost $10 more there. The party starts at 8pm and runs til 1am, but the fun won’t end then, the official Masquerage After Party is hosted by MJ’s Cafe at 119 W. Third Street.

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Dayton Most Metro Ticket Contest

Dayton Most Metro is a proud sponsor of Masquerage and we’ve got a ticket hook up for three of our loyal readers!  Just fill out the form below, and then leave a comment telling us that YOU want tickets to go to Masquerage from Dayton Most Metro (and what VILLAIN or VIXEN you might go as)  – we’ll announce winners on Wednesday October 17th after 3pm – GOOD LUCK!

CONTEST CLOSED

Congratulations to our winners:

Carol Narigon

Jamie McQuinn

Annette Looper

SummitUp – The Bowman Connection

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David Bowman head shot

David Bowman

Facebook had just 100 million members around August of 2008. That is just a little less than the population of Mexico at the time, which would have put it at fourteenth in the world. The number of Facebook users has recently eclipsed  1 billion people, putting it at third in the world in terms of world population, just behind India. That is a massive amount of eyeballs looking to connect to something: entertainment, information, conversation, the list is endless. Since that explosion, everyone from major companies to small businesses have been trying to harness the power of this ever expanding opportunity to connect. It has become a source of innovative campaigns and beautiful disasters. It is a new frontier, and everyone is still looking for how to make it work for them.

David Bowman was one of those people. He had just come back to Dayton from seeing a presentation from Chris Brogan, and was discussing the experience with Sara McCatherine over lunch. The idea was to bring the top speakers from all over, at the edges of the fledgling explosion of social media, and bring them here. Thus the seeds of SummitUp were born. Through plenty of work and hustle, the first SummitUp in Dayton (2009) was brought to life. Every year it has been growing as social media grows, and this year is no different. David took some of his precious time in the final weeks before the Tuesday, October 16th event to answer a few questions about social media for us.

DMM: Your first degree was in political science. What attracted you to marketing from there? Did you see it as a natural extension, or did your interests change?

David Bowman: In college I was drawn to political science, as it was something that was inherently interesting to me.  I did well in Political Science classes, so decided to major in it, as I really had no idea what I wanted to do professionally.  I had considered becoming an attorney for a while, but ultimately the law did not appeal to me.  Instead I went to work in the business world, where I migrated into sales.  From there I came to discover the field of marketing and have never looked back.  Eventually I got my MBA with a concentration in Marketing, where I began to get a deeper understanding of the field.  In the end, Marketing and Political Science are both based in understanding needs and influencing human behavior.  The principles I learned in Political Science are directly applicable to my job, and probably give me a bit of a different perspective on things.

SummitUp Logo

Another year, another batch of wisdom.

How have you liked your teaching experience so far at the School of Advertising Art (SAA) ? What are some of the things the students are teaching you?

Teaching at SAA has been amazing.  It is one thing to believe you understand something.  It is something else entirely to have to understand something well enough to explain it to others in a way that is clear and compelling.  I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to teach Marketing at SAA.  It is making me a better practitioner of my craft and the energy, creativity, and curiosity of my students is inspiring.

DMM: What is the biggest challenge to creating an event like this, where you will have a significant cross section of new users and seasoned veterans looking for something to take away?

DB: SummitUp is challenging in that we want the event to be appealing to early adopters of technology who demand complexity and bleeding edge information while at the same time delivering content that is accessible to newcomers too.  Compounding things is that fact that the event is a collaborative volunteer effort with a focus on keeping prices low so that we can attract and educate the largest number of people possible.  The goal of the event is not to maximize profits, but rather to maximize the potential of those who attend.  We do our best to attract exceptionally talented speakers and presenters to the event, often at a fraction of their typical speaking fee or for free.  We then pass these savings on to attendees in the form of very affordable ticket prices.  Ultimately, the event has an incredible team of volunteers who work very hard to make sure that those who invest the time and money to attend get value from coming to the event.

DMM: What do you think is the biggest hurdle people have to understanding the value and potential of social media?

DB: People get lost in the incredible amount noise and dizzying pace of change.  Author Clay Shirky describes media as the “connective tissue” that holds us all together, which is a great way to think of it.  Social media is simply about people communicating with one another, and all media is now social.  If people keep things in the perspective of finding ways to use communication to build real and lasting relationships, social media is fairly simple to understand.

DMM: What brands are the best story tellers in the social media realms?

DB: Starbucks, Zappos, Amazon, and Southwest Airlines are some great examples of national brands that are using social media successfully and in very different ways.  Locally, brands like Dorothy Lane Market, Olive, and Dayton Children’s are all great examples.

DMM: What do you see brands or people doing on social media that frustrates you?

DB: Not listening, participating, or considering the opportunity to use social media as more than just a push marketing tool.

DMM: How do you see social media platforms evolving over the next five years?

DB: More mobility, more video, more speed, more content, more noise, more people, more, more, more.  Hopefully, what brands choose is to more carefully integrate social media with marketing strategy.  A recent Duke University Study cites that over 16% of organizations describe their social media efforts as “not at all integrated” with their overall business strategy.  This is something that must and will change, as brands begin to understand the real value that strategic integration can deliver.

DMM: Will social media become more integrated into the media department, or is this a new entity?

DB: They will become one in the same.  Traditional media is still alive and well, but it is becoming ever more social.  As best practices are established and technology matures, social media will become the tradition.  Anytime you have disruptive technology changes it takes a while for people to make sense of it all.  Eventually people begin to figure it out and then shift their focus to execution.  This is currently happening right before our eyes.  It is an exciting time to be a marketing professional.

Books full of storiesDMM: Social media professionals are still wrestling with how to prove the value to CEO’s, CIO’s, and other C-suite people. Are there certain numbers that offer more proof of value than others? It is ROI, or something else out there?

DB: It is ROI but that has to be framed in the context of customer equity.  Social media has the ability to strengthen relationships.  The ROI is less about the platforms and technologies and more about the actions and responses created through them.  Ideally, marketing professionals are moving toward an integrated approach to marketing.  This is more akin to systems thinking as opposed to trying to compartmentalize things.  The revolution in technology requires a paradigm shift.  It is no longer only about impressions or mass attention.  Now it is about connections, loyalty, and long term brand equity that can only come from focused, ongoing communication.

DMM: Are there any social media platforms out there that you can see emerging as a major player over the next few years?

DB: Certainly Pinterest has already shaken thing up in the last year.  Google+ will continue to evolve and grow, particularly as Google continues to integrate it with organic search.  There are countless other projects and platforms emerging to solve niche problems and connect niche audiences.  I will not pretend to have a crystal ball, but I can tell you that we will likely be talking about a whole new mix of tools by this time next year.

David has once again helped to organize an amazing event, bringing talents like Todd Henry, Rohit Bhargava, and Tim Schigel as keynote speakers, and a diverse group of other professionals to run a wide range of breakout sessions. SummitUp tickets are available by phone only, so call and make sure that you have yours. This is going to be a great opportunity to learn about the basics, meet and connect with new people, or refresh and recharge your batteries with new insights. We look forward to connecting with you this Tuesday!

 

Volunteers for Dayton!: Opportunities Oct. 9-16

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Your weekly round-up of ways to get involved in Dayton’s urban revival!

Downtowners and others helping with the Litehouse Community Garden this weekend. A few learned about it through our group and helped make lighter work of a big project!

Train and fund your neighborhood!

  • Nonprofit training: Though not always necessary, some of our urban neighborhood associations and revitalization groups areincorporated as tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofits. On Oct. 19, the WSU Nonprofit Leadership Alliance will present a daylong workshop on more effectively managing your nonprofit, with a keynote by the director of the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Associations, and presentations by our local United Way and FilmDayton. Sign up to help your group run as smoothly as possible!

  • $$$ for your ‘hood: If you do have your 501(c)3 status, you can apply for the next round of discretionary grants from the Dayton Foundation, but you have to attend their November 7th orientation to do so. Register by November 1.
  • Speaking of neighborhood 501(c)3s, since not all neighborhoods have them and they can be a lot of work to set up and maintain, I’m curious if establishing a city-wide fund/fiscal agent would be helpful – it’s something I might like to organize as part of a larger effort. Share your feedback in our group.
  • Public Space $ Awards: Do you know a Dayton public space deserving of a considerable cash award? Nominate them for the Rudy Bruner Award.
  • Take your social media promotions to the next level: A few years back, DMM Publisher Bill Pote and I led a training at City Hall on using social media for community groups and projects. We’ve come a long way from the few Facebook pages that existed back then, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. Neighborhood marketing gurus and others can register now for the SummitUp “Social Media Confab” at Sinclair Community College on October 16. Brian Petro and I will report back for Dayton Most Metro.
  • Need ideas for bringing your community together? I was recently reminded of two of my favorite lists out there, a poster I used to have on my wall, “How to Build Community” has been circulating around Facebook. Another similarly helpful list has been compiled by the Harvard Kennedy School, “150 Things You Can Do to Build Social Capital.” Give ’em a read and share with your neighbors!

Other opportunities

  • The all-volunteer Yellow Cab community art space needs more volunteers to join them! Specifically, they need people to serve refreshments at the Day-Con hackers’ conference after-party on Oct. 13, and staff to help drivers park in their lot during Hauntfest on the 27th. E-mail Jeff Opt for more info.
  • The Day of the Dead celebration that we mentioned last week is now seeking donations of supplies for papier-mache parade puppets, and I’m thrilled that they’ve already received some from our group members! Bring extra newspaper, flour, jugs of Elmer’s glue and fabric pieces in bright blue, orange, purple and yellow. Goods can be dropped off at Missing Peace Art Space, on Dutoit behind Stivers. Contact Cityfolk’s Jean Howat Berry for more info.
  • updayton’s Streetvivial team will be doing some initial preparations for our pocket park at Xenia & McClure this weekend. We’ll prep/prime the mural wall & plant trees Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10am (and probably get lunch together at the market after) and then come back Sunday at 1 to apply chalkboard paint. E-mail me to sign up.
  • Show your art on downtown streets! The new deadline for the last round of Activated Spaces artists installations is this Friday. As an artist, you’re undoubtedly putting a lot of time into your work – get it seen out on the streets and help bring some color downtown in the process!

http://www.visualartillery.net

 

SummitUp, A #Socialmedia Confab

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In the 1920’s, radio broadcasters were looking for more. They knew they had a great way to deliver information into the homes of everyone in the country, but how to get sponsors to buy into it? Radio up to that point had been informational; mainly news and politics delivered in factual and dry terms; nothing really compelling to listen to. Advertisers were not seeing much of a return from the money they were investing, and were leery about investing more. Broadcasters needed to create something that would attract a different audience; an audience that was around the house all day, and was going to make the decisions on what household goods to buy. They decided that fresh content should be mainly about families, and how they lived their lives. They wanted this content to appeal to the housewife, as if they were looking into another person’s house without leaving their own. This new content attracted sponsors in the early 1930’s like Proctor and Gamble, who used these shows to help promote their soaps like Oxydol. Thus was born the “soap opera”, turning what once was used to just a platform for delivering information into a money maker. The Golden Age of Radio boomed, and the soap opera, and eventually the sit com and variety show, boomed with it.

Now, being eighty years removed from radio soaps, marketers are all facing the same questions in a new realm that once simply provided information, or a way to connect, and a few small advertisements. How do we get more Facebook “Likes”? What do we need to do to get more Twitter followers? What makes something that is visually compelling on Pinterest, so we can pin it and tweet about it? And how do we get all of these people we are interacting with to go somewhere to buy our product? On top of that, how do we measure all of this so when people in the C-suite start asking questions, we have good answers for them? We are all asking these questions, some of us longer than others. As we all wander, searching for the same answers, we have a few intrepid people that have found some of the edges of this new realm, and brought back new and exciting information to share. The marketing community of Dayton has helped to organize some of these people at Sinclair Community College on October 16th, 2012, for SummitUp, a full day marketing communications, public relations, and digital information conference.

This event is a major undertaking, involving the efforts of not only many of the top talents in the area, but a small army of volunteers. David Bowman, Chief Marketing Strategist for The Ohlmann Group and one of the organizers of SummitUp, states they want it appeal “to early adopters of technology who demand complexity and bleeding edge information while at the same time delivering content that is accessible to newcomers too.” The speaking talent this year is top notch, with major keynote speakers, local brilliant talent, and opportunities to meet all of the top marketing and communication talent in the area. On top of that, the volunteers help to make the event as affordable as possible to the widest number of people, so more people can experience it. “Ultimately, the event has an incredible team of volunteers who work very hard to make sure that those who invest the time and money to attend get value from coming to the event.”, affirms Bowman.

The day begins at 7 AM at breakfast. It is going to be a full day, and you are going to need all the energy you can get. The first keynote speaker of the day will be Todd Henry, creator of the website and podcast The Accidental Creative, as well as the writer of the highly praised book The Accidental Creative, How to be Brilliant on a Moment’s Notice. He is an expert on how to build an environment that encourages the generation of creative ideas. His podcast interviews some of the top creative minds across a wide variety of industries, and offers insights about everything from generating ideas quickly to getting over the dreaded creator’s block.

After his speech, every attendee will be able to attend multiple breakout sessions. There are twelve sessions total, given by some of the best business and social media thinkers in southwest Ohio and Indiana. Each of the sessions is offered twice in back-to-back time frames, so everyone will have a chance to see six of the speakers. Eight of the sessions will happen before lunch, and the final four sessions will happen after lunch. These breakout sessions are designed to give every attendee the greatest chance to bring the right information back to help the social media and communication strategies of your company.

Lunch will be served around noon, and then it will be time for the second keynote of the day. Rohit Bhargava is the a founding member of one of the largest social strategy groups at Oglivy as well as a professor of Global Marketing at Georgetown University. He is a proponent of bringing the human touch back into the marketing world, touting the importance of being likeable as a major factor in success. He is the author of several highly rated and incredibly popular books, Likeonomics (his most recent book) and Personality Not Included. His books are not just something to read; Likeonomics also offers a website full of useful exercises and ideas to help make you and your brand more likeable, and attractive, to future clients.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”320px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]SummitUp
Sinclair Community College, Building 12
October 16th, 7:00am – 4:30pm
Full Day Ticket Member Pricing: $119.00
Full Day Ticket Non – Member Pricing: $159.00
Click for Tickets[/dropshadowbox]

The final keynote of the day is at the end of the last group of four sessions. If you are familiar with the name of the person who is presenting, you have certainly seen his work on multiple websites. His name is Tim Schigel, and he is the chairman and founder of ShareThis, which has their widgets for social media sharing scattered across the Internet. Tim has done innovative work for some of the biggest firms in the country, from Apple to Procter and Gamble. The impetus behind ShareThis was to start measuring how people share the interesting things that they find outside of search engines, and that involves tracking how people use social sites to share. What is getting shared? How is it getting shared? And what is the future of measuring and sharing data?

The transition to social media presents a new set of challenges, much like the first pioneers into radio media faced. Whether you are in traditional media or cultivating pin boards, if you are new to the game or still think fondly of your AOL marketing efforts, SummitUp is a great way to develop your skills in this new realm. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and a bevy of other new platforms are out there for people to use, integrate, and broadcast from. This is a fine opportunity to take advantage of all this brilliance in a local environment, at a great price. Connect with the best talent in Dayton and beyond, and take your marketing efforts to the next level. We all hope to see you on October 16th!

WSWO Announces Annual Record Sale Blowout

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Vinyl collectors, mark your calendars for November 10th and 11th when low power FM radio station WSWO will hold its annual record sale.  A wealth of music will be available for sale in an event that benefits the community station.

Local sponsors have donated various items for raffle prizes to raise additional money for the station, including a new USB digital turntable and record care accessories from Omega Music in downtown Dayton.

Known as “Ultimate Oldies Radio,” WSWO 97.5 & 101.1FM airs material that charted during the first 3 decades of rock and roll and is accented with jazz, R&B and cross over religious & country artists, also broadcasting Wayne Warrior sporting events and community based religious programming.  The record sale is the nonprofit station’s biggest fundraiser of the year; the rest of its budget is fleshed out by listener donations and sponsorships from local businesses.

WSWO is still taking music donations through November 1st of gently used 45’s, LP’s, CD’s & cassettes (no 78’s) as well as working turntables & jukeboxes. Donations can be taken to The Heights Cafe’ also located in the Huber Center, or arrangements can be made through the station.

 

Volunteers for Dayton!: Opportunities Oct. 2-9

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Your weekly round-up of ways to get involved in Dayton’s urban neighborhoods.

Give Back in the Halloween Spirit!

Volunteering for Hauntfest helps raise funds for the Oregon District!

  • The Oregon District Business Association needs volunteers to sell tickets and serve beer at its annual Hauntfest on Fifth, October 27, 7pm-1am. It’s a great way to meet people and see all the crazy costumes! E-mail Mike Martin to volunteer and ‘like’ their page to stay in the loop. There will be a special beer booth to fundraise for Garden Station – e-mail Lisa Helm to help there. And if you can’t help out, be sure to attend – $5 tickets will be available this First Friday in front of the old Boulevard Haus.
  • Dayton’s costumed Party of Parties, Masquerage, will be held at the Fairgrounds again this year and needs volunteers for everything from selling drinks to taking pictures to simply showing off your “hot body.” Masks required! Sign up at their VolunteerSpot page for this Oct. 20th event. Since 2002, over 10,000 Masquerage volunteer hours have helped raise $1 Million for the Aids Resource Center.
  • I normally don’t feature for-profit organizations here, but I think it’s cool that we have a haunted house downtown. So if you’re favorite pastime is scaring people, sign up to volunteer at the Wayne Avenue Haunted Butcher House on the eastern edge of the Oregon District.

    Step up to help Dayton celebrate Dia de los Muertos. Photo: www.tomascastelazo.com

  • Historic Huffman neighborhood volunteers will be dressing up their beautiful Victorian residences for a Halloween-themed Spirit of Huffman home tour, Oct. 13-14. Your admission will fund neighborhood activities and improvements throughout the year!
  • Not exactly Halloween, but similar – Dayton’s Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) organizers need volunteers for their Community Offrenda, First Friday, Nov. 2, 6-10pm. The Offrenda is organized by Cityfolk’s Culture Builds Community program and Missing Peace Art Space in partnership with an array of Hispanic, school, and neighborhood groups as well as local artists. It will feature workshops, a parade, party, and exhibition. Please contact Missing Peace via e-mail or at (937) 241- 4353 if you’d like to volunteer. And if you would like awesome events like this to continue, please give to Cityfolk’s Post-Festival Campaign at their website.

 

Other opportunities:

  • Can you spare a few bucks to build a bocce court?

    Celebrate the Freedom to Read: The East Branch library in Dayton’s Walnut Hills neighborhood needs volunteers to read aloud for 30 minute or 1hr time slots during Banned Books Week (Oct 1-6). They have a collection of ‘challenged’ books to read from so all volunteers need bring with them is their voice and their enthusiasm for the freedom to read. They are hoping to have readers during all open library hours (MTTH 9:30-8:30; WSa 9:30-6). Contact Samantha or call the branch at 496-8930.

  • Deadline extended for St. Anne’s park fundraiser! St. Anne’s Hill residents hope to raise $1000 to match their City mini-grant for Terry park improvements, including an ornamental gate, bocce courts, and landscaping. Regardless of where you live, can you give $10? If we all give a little to neighborhoods outside our own, we’ll have some great parks! (Plus, you’ll feel entitled when you go there to play bocce.)

    Would this be helpful in Dayton? Image: timebanks.org

Discussions in our group

  • One topic of discussion I raised in our Facebook group is whether there is interest in starting a Time Bank for Dayton. This involves a network of people earning Time Dollars for every hour spent helping others in the network, which they can spend having someone else help them with a project. The exchanges are tracked using simple online software. It’s an incentive for volunteerism, can be helpful for anyone short on cash, and helps build community connections. Share your thoughts here.
  • Another topic that’s been debated in multiple spots this week is what to do with the recently-acquired Hughes Supply property that the City of Dayton recently acquired for development. Obviously it’s a sweet location, being right on the eastern end of the Oregon District at Fifth and Wayne. There are lots of good ideas out there, but the overwhelming majority of commenters on Dayton Most Metro, updayton, and our group hope it becomes a grocery store (BTW – If anyone’s interested in a downtown food co-op, I’ve got a group for that too). What do you think?

Don’t forget to e-mail me your items and report back your successes! And send pictures of your costumed volunteering!

 

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities Sep. 25-Oct. 2

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Get to know your neighborhood

The City of Dayton and it's 64 official neighborhoods. Image: City of Dayton

Some of our most effective urban revitalization comes from the city’s many neighborhood associations, yet a lot of my well-intentioned friends have never been involved with their local group. Some of them don’t even seem to know what neighborhood they live in. (No, all of Southeast Dayton is not Belmont like your realtor told you.) So I thought I’d take a minute to share with you the City of Dayton neighborhood directory and map, divided into 64 unique planning districts. Sometimes the planning district name might not be the same as the common neighborhood or historic district name – for instance Five Points is now known more as Wright-Dunbar and Historic Inner East as St. Anne’s, Huffman, and Newcom Plain. I also asked our Facebook group members to help me compile a list of neighborhoods with a web presence and here’s what we came up with. Let us know what we missed in the comments section below. Once you find your neighborhood, introduce yourself at their monthly meeting!

Get Involved

Twin Towers neighborhood teens meet with updayton to plan a new park for their neighborhood

  • Our updayton Streetvival team is moving forward with plans to turn a vacant lot at the heart of the Twin Towers neighborhood (Xenia & McClure) into an outdoor ‘reading room’ and performance space with an interactive chalkboard mural. This month we met with the neighborhood association and teens from Peace Academy and Camino de Vida after school programs. In October we will host a Fall Work Weekend to lay the groundwork for completing our pocket park at Xenia & McClure in the spring. Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10am (prep/prime wall and plant trees) and Sunday, Oct 14 at 1pm (paint chalkboard). Contact me to get involved.
  • The “Old” Yellow Cab Building is a 7,000 sqft grassroots community arts space at the eastern edge of the Oregon District near Garden Station; both began as initiatives of the Circus Creative Collective. They could always use help from handy volunteers, and in particular are looking for someone with HVAC experience to get furnaces up and running in their garage performance space. Let Jeff Opt know if you’re that person, or if you’d like to use the space for a creative event, contact Christina Lewis.
  • Garden Station still needs more volunteers at their weekly Saturday morning work sessions. Show up at 4th and Wayne from 8:30am to noon and Lisa  will put you to work!

    Bike Miami Valley found some great volunteers for their valet through this column, including these UD students!

  • What to do with that vacant lot?– Got some energy to help clear the weeds next door? Get a head start on next year’s season by registering with the City’s Care A Lot program. Or learn how to take it over as your own through Lot Links.
  • The Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence is hosting a community discussion on what you can do to reduce violence in your neighborhood, Thursday, Sep. 27, 5:30-7:30pm, Northwest Recreational Facility. A nice overview on Dayton’s innovative community policing and its chief can be found here.
  • Walnut Hills Delivery Crew – The mayor’s ‘hood, Walnut Hills, is building a team to hand deliver its new newsletter. So if you live in Walnut Hills, leave a comment here.
  • The last alley sweep of the year will be in Historic Huffman. I’m sure they’d welcome extra hands from everywhere!: Jeff Heath, 301-8556
  • Quick & affordable housing – Check out this cool video of how 100+ Habitat volunteers raised a house in eight minutes last Saturday. To volunteer in the future, visit their website.
  • Don’t forget the downtown dog park cleanup we mentioned last week! Deeds Point, Saturday and Sunday, Sep. 29-30, 9am to 1ish each day. Bring your dog, gloves and any brush removal tool you own. Contact Karen Stephens, 510-6900.

Just For Fun

Volunteers led creative PARK(ing) Day activities in the parklets, from yoga to stories to drumming.

  • Yarnbomb Dayton (or just knit)! – Noticed any colorful ‘knit graffiti’ around the Oregon District? It was probably the work of the Oregon Sip-n-Stitch, which meets every 4th Thursday (e.g. this Thursday) at Deaf Monty’s Inn Port d’Vino from 5-8. Open to any ‘portable handcrafts.’ Wine, beer and light snacks are available for purchase; BYO snacks to share are welcome. Contact Margot.
  • Yogic takeover of the boulevard! When the famous Olmstead Brothers designed South Park’s lovely Park Drive boulevard in the 1880s, I bet they never imagined dozens of yogis praticing their sun salutations. Join the first-ever Yoga on the Boulevard with Practice Yoga, Friday, Sep. 28, 6pm.
  • Meet your Salem Avenue-area neighbors at the Festival of Neighborhoods, Saturday, Sep. 29, 3-6pm, Grace United Methodist.
  • Blanket concert – The Patterson Park neighborhood has planned a community concert on their commons. Sunday, Sep. 30, 6-8pm.

Don’t forget to e-mail me your items and report back with your successes!

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities Sep. 25-Oct. 2

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Get to know your neighborhood

The City of Dayton and it’s 64 official neighborhoods. Image: City of Dayton

Some of our most effective urban revitalization comes from the city’s many neighborhood associations, yet a lot of my well-intentioned friends have never been involved with their local group. Some of them don’t even seem to know what neighborhood they live in. (No, all of Southeast Dayton is not Belmont like your realtor told you.) So I thought I’d take a minute to share with you the City of Dayton neighborhood directory and map, divided into 64 unique planning districts. Sometimes the planning district name might not be the same as the common neighborhood or historic district name – for instance Five Points is now known more as Wright-Dunbar and Historic Inner East as St. Anne’s, Huffman, and Newcom Plain. I also asked our Facebook group members to help me compile a list of neighborhoods with a web presence and here’s what we came up with. Let us know what we missed in the comments section below. Once you find your neighborhood, introduce yourself at their monthly meeting!

Get Involved

Twin Towers neighborhood teens meet with updayton to plan a new park for their neighborhood

  • Our updayton Streetvival team is moving forward with plans to turn a vacant lot at the heart of the Twin Towers neighborhood (Xenia & McClure) into an outdoor ‘reading room’ and performance space with an interactive chalkboard mural. This month we met with the neighborhood association and teens from Peace Academy and Camino de Vida after school programs. In October we will host a Fall Work Weekend to lay the groundwork for completing our pocket park at Xenia & McClure in the spring. Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10am (prep/prime wall and plant trees) and Sunday, Oct 14 at 1pm (paint chalkboard). Contact me to get involved.
  • The “Old” Yellow Cab Building is a 7,000 sqft grassroots community arts space at the eastern edge of the Oregon District near Garden Station; both began as initiatives of the Circus Creative Collective. They could always use help from handy volunteers, and in particular are looking for someone with HVAC experience to get furnaces up and running in their garage performance space. Let Jeff Opt know if you’re that person, or if you’d like to use the space for a creative event, contact Christina Lewis.
  • Garden Station still needs more volunteers at their weekly Saturday morning work sessions. Show up at 4th and Wayne from 8:30am to noon and Lisa  will put you to work!

    Bike Miami Valley found some great volunteers for their valet through this column, including these UD students!

  • What to do with that vacant lot?– Got some energy to help clear the weeds next door? Get a head start on next year’s season by registering with the City’s Care A Lot program. Or learn how to take it over as your own through Lot Links.
  • The Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence is hosting a community discussion on what you can do to reduce violence in your neighborhood, Thursday, Sep. 27, 5:30-7:30pm, Northwest Recreational Facility. A nice overview on Dayton’s innovative community policing and its chief can be found here.
  • Walnut Hills Delivery Crew – The mayor’s ‘hood, Walnut Hills, is building a team to hand deliver its new newsletter. So if you live in Walnut Hills, leave a comment here.
  • The last alley sweep of the year will be in Historic Huffman. I’m sure they’d welcome extra hands from everywhere!: Jeff Heath, 301-8556
  • Quick & affordable housing – Check out this cool video of how 100+ Habitat volunteers raised a house in eight minutes last Saturday. To volunteer in the future, visit their website.
  • Don’t forget the downtown dog park cleanup we mentioned last week! Deeds Point, Saturday and Sunday, Sep. 29-30, 9am to 1ish each day. Bring your dog, gloves and any brush removal tool you own. Contact Karen Stephens, 510-6900.

Just For Fun

Volunteers led creative PARK(ing) Day activities in the parklets, from yoga to stories to drumming.

  • Yarnbomb Dayton (or just knit)! – Noticed any colorful ‘knit graffiti’ around the Oregon District? It was probably the work of the Oregon Sip-n-Stitch, which meets every 4th Thursday (e.g. this Thursday) at Deaf Monty’s Inn Port d’Vino from 5-8. Open to any ‘portable handcrafts.’ Wine, beer and light snacks are available for purchase; BYO snacks to share are welcome. Contact Margot.
  • Yogic takeover of the boulevard! When the famous Olmstead Brothers designed South Park’s lovely Park Drive boulevard in the 1880s, I bet they never imagined dozens of yogis praticing their sun salutations. Join the first-ever Yoga on the Boulevard with Practice Yoga, Friday, Sep. 28, 6pm.
  • Meet your Salem Avenue-area neighbors at the Festival of Neighborhoods, Saturday, Sep. 29, 3-6pm, Grace United Methodist.
  • Blanket concert – The Patterson Park neighborhood has planned a community concert on their commons. Sunday, Sep. 30, 6-8pm.

Don’t forget to e-mail me your items and report back with your successes!

How to Buy a Boyfriend

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Some of the Miami Valley's most eligible bachelors will be up for bid this Friday at the third annual PUSH Dayton Charity Bachelor Auction.

Some of the Miami Valley's most eligible bachelors will be up for bid this Friday at the third annual PUSH Dayton Charity Bachelor Auction.

Jennifer Shinkle tells people she “bought” her boyfriend. And it’s true.

Shinkle’s boyfriend was part of the September 2011 PUSH Dayton Men in the City Charity Bachelor Auction, and the two have been going strong since. This year’s event will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 21, at the Dayton Racquet Club, with an after-party to be held in the adjacent 29 Stories Lounge.

With 17 of the Miami Valley’s most eligible bachelors up for bid, organizers of this third annual event are hoping for yet another love story. After all, the Bachelor Auction is two-for-two: In addition to Shinkle, chair of this year’s event, PUSH committee member Monica Deal met her husband at the first auction, and they’re now proud parents.

But the Bachelor Auction isn’t only about love. It’s about sex, too — sexual health, that is. The event directly supports Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region’s free condom program and sexual health advocacy in the Miami Valley Region. It’s organized by the all-volunteer PUSH Dayton (Professionals United for Sexual Health) committee, which has held more than 20 events and raised more than $20,000 for Planned Parenthood since it was formed four years ago.

“Our goal is to raise awareness about the importance of practicing safe sex,” said Crystal Justice, associate director of development for Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio Region’s Miami Valley area. The organization served more than 23,000 patients in its eight health centers just in the past year, Justice said.

“Our work to promote safe sex and access to testing is crucial to sexual health outcomes in the Miami Valley, which has seen a sharp increase in sexually transmitted illnesses,” she added. “Planned Parenthood makes quality care accessible and affordable for everyone.”

Each bachelor comes with a date package on which interested ladies bid. This year’s bachelors range in age from 22 to 55 and their occupations include business owners, dancers, a state trooper, writer, actor, meteorologist, entrepreneur and adjunct professor. Couples packages also will be available for bidding, so those who already have found their true love still can participate and support the cause.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r8G3myEAB4&feature=youtu.be’]“Last year we raised about $5,000 with about 115 guests,” Shinkle said. “This year, we expect to bring in even more attendees and have a goal to raise $8,000 for the cause. This is a very important year for us because we want to establish this as an annual event the community gets excited about. There is no event quite like it.

“The event not only supports Planned Parenthood, those who attend the event can mingle with like-minded professionals from throughout the Miami Valley,” Shinkle added. “You will meet people outside of your normal social circles at the Bachelor Auction and make new friends.”

Profiles and photos of each of the bachelors are available on PUSH Dayton’s website, as well as on the organization’s Facebook page. Advance tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased online, and tickets are $25 at the door. Appetizers will be served, and a cash bar will be available.

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities Sep. 18-25

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Admiring the work of the You Are Here! team at Urban Nights

Welcome back to my column on getting involved in urban community improvement projects! I hope that you’ve recovered from another fabulous Urban Nights event last Friday. The Downtown Dayton Partnership coordinated the event, which required not only the work of dozens of their own volunteers, but also that of the hundreds providing art and entertainment, and even eighteen climbing experts who kept novices from falling off a 27-story building! I enjoyed guiding visitors on the RTA shuttles and got to see the public art installation You Are Here! which reminded us to be more involved in the place and times in which we live. So with that in mind, here are this week’s volunteer opportunities:

Get your neighborhood outside!

Just because it’s getting a little colder doesn’t mean you have to retreat inside! Its important for urban neighborhoods to have the face-to-face interaction that comes from walking, biking, and being outdoors in general.

  • Bike valet at Oktoberfest: As part of their efforts to encourage biking, Bike Miami Valley is providing a bicycle valet area at various local events. They need a crew of volunteers to staff the valet at the DAI Oktoberfest in Dayton’s Grafton Hill neighborhood this weekend, Sep. 22-23. Volunteers get free admission! E-mail Laura if you can help.
  • Help build a pocket park: Our updayton Streetvival team meets this Thursday to plan fundraising & work days for a new park at the corner of Xenia & McClure in the Twin Towers neighborhood. We especially invite handy people with construction and landscaping knowledge to join our team!  Sep. 20, 7pm at the Trolley Stop patio. Contact me for more info and stay tuned for more efforts to turn Twin Towers into the Street Art Capital of Ohio!

  • Volunteers are needed to staff PARK(ing) Day parks and lead creative activities.

    PARK it in the streets! PARK(ing) Day is a celebration of urban greenspace in which volunteers in cities around the world transform parking spaces into temporary parks. Lisa Helm has instigated local parklets for the last few years and needs volunteers to help with the Garden Station-sponsored space in front of Blind Bob’s, this Friday, Sep. 21. Assistance needed setting up the park at 7am, tearing down at 5pm, and programming/staffing it in between – e-mail Lisa if interested. There will also be City Hall and Library parks as well.

  • Dayton World Soccer Games: Support our immigrant communities through soccer (er, football) spectating at the first ever Dayton World Soccer Games. I’m sure you’ve seen the endless international press the City of Dayton has gotten for its Welcome Dayton initiative – here’s a fun way to take part. Sep. 21-22, Action Sports Center.
  • Dog park clean-up: Dayton Unleashed is organizing a clean-up of downtown Dayton’s new volunteer-run dog park at Deeds Point for the weekend of Sep. 29-30. Bring your dog, gloves and any brush removal tools you own; they’ll start at 9am and work until about 1pm. If you can do both days great, if not, pick a day and bring your best bud. Make new friends for the both of you! Questions? Contact Karen Stephens at 937.510.6900 or e-mail her. Follow their group  for more ways to get involved, discuss downtown dog issues, and get details on the upcoming Doggie Fashion Show.

    Help cyclists and others enjoy the Midwest Outdoor Experience. Photo: On the Run Photography

  • Midwest Outdoor Experience (formerly GearFest) has grown beyond just gear and exploded into a multi-day event, featuring camping, competitions, regional music acts, exciting demos, a Friday and Saturday night beer garden and more! So bike on down to Eastwood MetroPark at the city’s eastern edge, October 5-6. Volunteers can sign up and and find all the information they need, including info an upcoming training, here.

If you must stay inside…

  • Help Dayton school kids succeed! There will be an event this Thursday at Ruskin Neighborhood School Center to show how community members can help the K-8 students succeed in reading and more. Sep. 20, 5-6:30pm, 407 Ambrose Ct.
  • Cityfolk was launched in 1980 by Five Oaks volunteers in a neighborhood park to showcase cultural diversity. In three decades it’s grown far beyond that original series to include the festival, year-long concert series, and educational programming that we know today. Unfortunately a terrible weekend of festival weather threatens Cityfolk’s future and they need to replace the $100,000 loss to allow it to continue. Please donate at Cityfolk.org.
  • I-75 construction update: Learn how the final(!) stage of downtown interstate modernizations will impact you at one of six information sessions ODOT is holding this week. Download the flyer here. Bike Miami Valley is encouraging cyclists to attend the Wednesday evening session to discuss impacts on cyclists.
  • Engage in poverty reduction: Learn about local efforts to fight poverty at the next of the City of Dayton’s 2012 Community Engagement Workshops. More information here and to RSVP, contact Verletta Jacksonor 937-333-3670.

    The brawn behind Demo Day at Fifth Street Brewpub.

Have a great week and remember to share your opportunities and report your successes back here!

Can You Spare 2 Hours on Thursday Night’s?

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Artemis Center provides support and information for victims of domestic violence and their children.  They currently have a need for  responsible, caring, and reliable babysitters for Thursday Nights. Babysitting services are provided so clients can attend support group worry-free knowing their child is having a blast from 5:45 – 7:45 PM. All volunteers working with children are subject to a criminal background check. For more information contact Sarah @ 937-461-5091

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic-affecting people in every community, regardless of age, economic status, nationality or educational background. Violence against women is often accompanied by emotional abuse and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systemic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime.

  • 85 -95% of all domestic violence victims are female
  • About 1 out of 4 women will be abused by a partner in her lifetime.
  • Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the US; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined
  • A woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the US
  • Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive are domestic violence disputes
  • 50% of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence
  • The health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking and homicide by intimate partners exceed $5.8 billion each year
  • In the US, more than 1200 women are killed each year by their intimate partner

In addition to helping people in crisis, Artemis has become a community resource for creating a coordinated response to domesticviolence. Because all systems must work together to protect victims and hold batterers accountable, Artemis and the YWCA joined together to form The Family Violence Collaborative in 1993. This Collaborative has brought together law enforcement, criminal justice, child protection and health care professionals to develop protocols of response.

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities: September 11-18

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Welcome to our new column for urban volunteer opportunities! I’ll be posting all kinds of ways to get involved in city neighborhoods – from hand-on service to crowdfunding to fun community-building events – so if you have items for submission e-mail me or add them to our Facebook group!

Spotlight on: Garden Station

Have you driven on Wayne Avenue downtown and wondered what that raucous splash of color was by the railroad tracks? Or maybe you’re a regular at the many frequent events occurring at this two-acre community art park, such as the weekly Sunday Market or ‘Free Music First Friday.’ Launched in 2008 as an initiative of the Dayton Circus Creative Collective, Garden Station is now a stand-alone organization led by Lisa Helm with a small crew of volunteers. It is an “urban hub where the Dayton community can come together to enjoy art, campfires, festivals, movies, concerts and community gardens.” They always need help on Saturday work days throughout the growing season, and this week, they are holding Wine and Weeding Wednesday to get spruced up for Urban Nights. The garden’s current fiscal sponsorship agreement expires on September 14 and its estimated monthly costs are $300, so they’d love if you made a tax-deductible donation before Friday! Or if you don’t fancy yourself a philanthropist, you can still give by eating at Blind Bob’s on the first Monday of the month and mentioning Garden Station Night. For more information, follow their page or e-mail Lisa.

Some of the 170 K12 & East End volunteers installing the mosaic

Get Involved!

  • Guide our county’s future: Montgomery County is asking citizens to give input through a series of public forums. The topic for Tuesday, Sep. 11th is “Where Do We Stand vs. Other Communities?” Seen any great ideas in other areas that you’d like to bring back here? Chime in!
  • Show your art on downtown streets: Activated Spaces, the Downtown Dayton Plan’s joint project of Generation Dayton and updayton, is conducting a final call for submissions for art to fill downtown storefronts. Artists will appreciate that they’re printing the art on vinyl window clings this time, making installation much easier! Click here for more information and to apply by the September 14th deadline.
  • The November library levy (Issue 70) includes an “upgraded main library that will be a regional information, reading and cultural attraction for downtown Dayton.” Their online volunteer form asks for help with phonecalls, going door-to-door, endorsers, poll greeters, and public speakers.
  • Bike sharing for downtown was recently a hot topic of discussion in our group, and we learned that Bike Miami Valley is exploring the idea. Fill out their brief online survey to share your thoughts on a ‘smart bike’ system!
  • Which urban neighborhoods are on Facebook? Several years ago, DMM publisher Bill Pote and I led a training at City Hall to get more neighborhoods on social media. Let us know how far we’ve come by adding to my running list.
  • Urban Nights: Still a few more slots availablefor volunteers!

    Monica Wirick-Schultz doing some park planting with other volunteers last Friday

  • Clean up North Main Street: Volunteer help is needed for cleaning up litter and overgrown vegetation; supplies such as gloves, brooms and bags are provided. Saturday, Sep. 15, 8:30am-1pm, 2141 N. Main St. For more information, contact FROC Priority Board Coordinator Verletta Jackson at 333-3288 or e-mail her.
  • Demo Day at the Fifth Street Brewpub: Meet at the community-owned brewpub (1600 E Fifth) at 10 am, Saturday, Sep 15 to demo the interior of the brewhouse. Email them if you can make it so they can plan accordingly (e.g: buy enough beer)
  • Community-Police Action Planning: Learn about community-police relations, give feedback, and sign up for volunteer opportunities at the Dayton Community Police Council’s Community Day Party. Saturday, Sep. 15 11am-3pm, Convention Center.
  • Help make peace in Dayton neighborhoods: The Dayton Mediation Center is looking for volunteer mediators to attend upcoming trainings and commit to helping with conflict resolution. More details can be found here.

Success!

  • Adding color to Xenia Avenue: Over 170 volunteers participated in the year-and-a-half long mosaic mural project led by K12 Gallery for Young People in partnership with East End Community Services Corporation. The finished project can now be seen at 504 Xenia Ave. Like K12’s page to get involved in future projects! The new mosaics decorate the facade of the future location of the Corner Cupboard Charities thrift store, a volunteer-run organization that raises money for other local nonprofits. Check them out!

    One of the many streetscape transformations underway in the South Park neighborhood

  • DDR volunteers rocked it!: Over 200 volunteers came out to support the Downtown Dayton Revival Music Fest this past weekend and a good time was had by all.
  • Invest in the city through real estate! Theresa Gasper of Full Circle Development, LLC recently shared some amazing before-and-after pictures of the homes she and partners have transformed in the Historic South Park neighborhood, an area which saw a 23% value increase in the last reappraisal. There are plenty of great urban realtors who would love to get you started!
  • First Friday Park Planters: A dozen volunteers organized through our Facebook group planted about 40 shrubs and perennials at a little downtown park on Friday night before exploring First Friday together. This was made possible by a grant that volunteer Brian Ressler obtained from Keep Montgomery County Beautiful. Thanks everyone!

 

Are you a poet? Would you like people to know it?

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Entries are now being accepted for the Dayton Metro Library’s  annual Poetry Contest.  Entries will be accepted through Saturday, September 29 at 6:00 p.m.  This is the 15th year for the contest, open to residents of Montgomery and adjoining counties (Greene, Miami, Clark, Darke, Preble, Warren and Butler).  There are three age categories:  Teen (age 14-18), Adult (age 19-59) and Senior (age 60 and over).  Winners are selected in each age category, with first place winning $100, second place $75 and third place $50.  Prizes are donated by the Friends of the Library.

 

A panel of judges will read the entries in October, and a Poetry Party is scheduled for November 11 at the Main Library, in which the awards will be presented.  If you are a finalist, you will be notified in advance of the Poetry Party.  The party brings people together, from teens through seniors, to appreciate each other’s poems, enjoy refreshments and celebrate the creative spirit.  The event is free and open to the public, but we encourage all who entered to attend.

Entry forms with official contest rules are available at all Dayton Metro Library locations, on the website here or by calling the Community Relations Office at 496-8901.  Entry forms must be attached to each submission, and don’t forget the deadline.  Entries must be received at any Dayton Metro Library location no later than 6:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29.

Contact the library’s Community Relations Office at 496-8901 if you need further information.

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities: September 4-11

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Greetings MostMetro-land!

Welcome to our new weekly round-up of urban Dayton volunteer opportunities!

Mural by David Kenworthy at Garden Station

As someone who’s been involved in a lot of community improvement projects at both grassroots & government levels, I’ve sensed a need to better coordinate all the amazing energy that people have for our center city these days. I’ll be pulling these from our Facebook group and items that you e-mail me. So if you’re looking for ways to get involved in Dayton’s revival, check back here every week. Be sure to report back what you’ve accomplished!

Get Your Hands Dirty – Help Wanted!

    • Install a mosaic mural:  East End Community Services and K12 Gallery need your help at 504 Xenia Avenue in the Twin Towers neighborhood. Tues. & Wed., Sep. 4-5; drop in any time from 8:30am until 2pm. Bring work gloves if you have them and dress to get messy! For more info call Amanda at 259-1898 or e-mail her.
    • “First Friday Park” Planting & Volunteer Social:  Downtown volunteer Brian Ressler took it upon himself to get a grant to beautify the highly-visible triangle between St. Clair & Patterson at Fifth. Now he needs some extra hands to help plant flowers! Gather for drinks, pizza, and First Friday after. Friday, Sep. 7, 6pm; more info & RSVP here.
    • Downtown Dayton Revival Music Fest: Talk about slacktivism! All you need to do to show your support for downtown is buy a ticket and show up to hear great music. Saturday & Sunday, Sep. 8-9.
Downtown Mural Volunteers

Downtown Mural Project volunteers cleaning. Photo: Carli Dixon

  • Volunteer at Urban Nights: Downtown’s favorite street party needs your help! Visit the Downtown Dayton Partnership and sign up to be a trolley or walking guide, serve beer, or survey guests at this Friday, Sep. 14th event.
  • The Dayton Skatepark Project: Join other skateboarding enthusiasts in their quest to start a downtown skatepark by following their page.
  • Dayton Unleashed is a grassroots group improving a fenced area at Deeds Point for use as a dog park. Learn more at their page and stay tuned for volunteer clean-up dates.
  • Donate Dayton items for the RNNC basket: Each year neighborhood activists represent Dayton at the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference and contribute a Dayton-themed basket (including gift certificates, mugs, T-shirts, etc.) to be raffled off. Contact Sandy Melke to contribute.

Crowdfunding

We know that money is often tight these days, but remember that there is power in numbers – even the smallest donations can add up for grassroots projects!

Future Fifth Street Co-op Brewpub

  • Build a park in St. Anne’s Hill: This historic neighborhood just east of downtown hopes to raise $1500 as a match to their City of Dayton mini-grant. Learn more and contribute on Razoo.
  • Own a brewpub: Speaking of St. Anne’s, their cooperatively-owned Fifth Street Brewpub is still seeking inaugural members, so for $100 you could be an owner too!
  • Cityfolk Post-Festival Appeal: The weather was truly unkind this year, shutting down the downtown festival twice and resulting in a 60% loss compared to other years. To keep the festival, the concert season, and the Culture Builds Community educational program going, Cityfolk hopes to raise $100,000 by the end of the year. Please give at the Cityfolk website.
  • Give a Dam!: Over $3.8 million has already been raised for the River Run project, but now it’s your turn to give a dam.
  • Success! Congrats to Sew Dayton and the Downtown Mural Project for meeting their recent crowdfunding goals (although I’m sure they’ll continue to take your money).

 

You can also join our group to participate in discussions on Dayton activism–this week’s hot topics include food trucks, bike share programs, and the Priority Board system–send me volunteer opportunities, or just check back here next Tuesday!

 

 

Wergerzyn’s Throwing A Garden Party

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Imagine the Wegerzyn Gardens transformed into Alice’s Wonderland on Thursday, September 13th, for this year’s Garden Party!

  • Like Alice, you’ll start your adventure by entering a rabbit hole (our unique Patrick Dougherty sculpture) where you will enjoy cocktails and appetizers. (Served from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.)
  • Pleasant strains of live music will draw you further down the path to a savory table-served dinner by Elite Catering. And yes, tea will be served too!
  • Like the Mad Hatter, you’ll hop to a tantalizing array of exciting adventures and one-of-a-kind creations for your home and garden at our auction tables.
  • When you thought there couldn’t be more, you will be treated a bountiful assortment of irresistible desserts fit for a king or queen–of hearts, of course!
TIckets for this fundraiser run $75 per person and can be reserved online.    Perhaps you’d also like to support the event raffle.  You could win a three-night trip for two to Napa Valley’s romantic Wine Country!  Trip includes round-trip airfare from Dayton to San Francisco; a superior room in the luxurious Meritage Resort and Spa; intermediate rental car; $50 spa credit; and a 5 1/2 hour customized wine country tour including transportation, sampling and lunch.  Thirty-day notice is required. No cash value.  Additional nights can be added at winner’s expense.  Contact Uniglobe VIP Travel for details (888-338-4814 or 937-424-3171).  Raffle tickets are $25 each or 6 for $100.   The winning raffle ticket will be drawn at the Garden Party and you need not be present to win. Proceeds benefit the Wergerzyn Gardens Foundation.

Downtown Dayton is going to the dogs…

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"Woof!" (translation: "We want our own downtown park!")

Just over the pedestrian bridge spanning the Mad River as it converges with its sister rivers in Downtown Dayton, and past the beautiful Deeds Point where statues of a couple of famous Dayton brothers look over the downtown skyline, exists an abandoned park that is getting a new life with the help of some dedicated downtown dog owners with a mission of creating downtown dog park.  The group was started by David Hurwitz, Uli Fiedler, Karen Stephens, Darryl Demure (aka Ms. Demure from Bazzaroworld), and Aaron Sorrell – Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Dayton.

While this team of dog enthusiasts is fairly new and not yet an official non-profit organization, their goal is to obtain their 501 (c)(3) status very soon with money they hope to raise at a benefit on Thursday August 16th at Club Aquarius.  They’ve already made quite a bit of progress in cleaning up the lot and even installing a fence with a double-gate (a must in any dog park), and they have bigger plans that include transforming the existing building that sits on the lot into a hot dog and/or mocha stand.  If they win a $500,000 prize through the 2012 Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest, that could soon be a reality!

To keep up with progress, you can follow their Facebook group page called Dayton Unleashed.  And if you have a dog and live in the downtown area (or even if you don’t), be sure to come out on Thursday night for an entertaining event with Ms. Demure at Club Aquarius.  This is a group that is doing great things and deserves support from the community!