Community

Nominations Being Accepted For Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame

January 21, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

TheDayton Region’s Walk of Fame began in 1996 as part of the Dayton Bicentennial celebration, with over 170 people or groups having been recognized since then. Memorial stones are located in the sidewalks along Third and Williams Streets in the Wright Dunbar Business District. A mural designed by artist James Pate highlights the Walk at the corner of West Third and South Williams.

photo by Cathy Ponitz

Wright Dunbar, Inc. announces that 2018 Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame nomination forms are now available online . A list of past inductees is available on the same website.

Paper nomination forms are also available at the Wright Dunbar, Inc. office, 1139 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402. Nominations must be received by noon on Thursday, March 1, 2018 online or in the Wright Dunbar office.

Individuals or groups from the Dayton region or who have spent a significant amount of time in the region and have made an enduring impact on the local community, the region, the nation and/or world are eligible for nomination. Arts/Culture, Aviation, Business/Corporate, Education, Entertainment/Media, Environment, Government/Military, Invention/Innovation, Law, Medicine, Philanthropy, Science, Significant Personal Achievement and Sports are the categories highlighted. Last year’s honorees were Oscar and Marjorie Boonshoft, Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., Cathy Guisewite, The Honorable David L. Hobson, Allison Janney and Tecumseh.

The Walk of Fame began in 1996 as part of the Dayton Bicentennial celebration, with over 170 people or groups having been recognized since then. Memorial stones are located in the sidewalks along Third and Williams Streets in the Wright Dunbar Business District. A mural designed by artist James Pate highlights the Walk at the corner of West Third and South Williams.

Harry Seifert, president and chair of the Wright-Dunbar, Inc. board, said, “The Dayton Region’s Walk of Fame serves as a great way to educate the public and instill pride in the accomplishments of the innovative contributions to society that have been made by the region’s outstanding citizens. Celebrating them motivates all us as well to do our best for the region.”

2018 winners will be honored at a luncheon at Sinclair College on Thursday, September 27.

Bloombead|freezeframe Returns to Its Roots!

January 19, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

Local family-owned company, Bloombeads|freezeframe, has announced a return to offering 3-dimensional freezeframing flower preservation services after suspending the service for the last year. Freezeframing services involve preserving a client’s meaningful blooms by freeze drying them, re-enforcing and color-stabilizing them, and then arranging them in a protective and decorative display.

Bloombeads| freezeframe suspended the service in 2017 due to an overwhelming demand that led to extended turnaround times for completed orders. The team at Bloombeads|freezeframe spent 2017 completing the backlog, and is excited to announce that they have reopened this service to local customers. Bring your wedding, memorial, or special occasion flowers into their renovated showroom at 905 E. Third Street for a consultation with their team. You can see samples of all of their 3-dimensional offerings, as well as their full line of Bloombeads flower petal jewelry.

Specializing in the field of floral preservation as jewelry and art for over two decades, the Bloombeads|freezeframe team is excited to return to working with the 3-dimensional blooms again. When asked about saving wedding flowers, Bloombeads|freezeframe founder and co-owner Nanci Hames says “It’s not every day that we spend money surrounding ourselves with our favorite flowers, so yes, wedding flowers are incredibly unique, and we have always felt privileged to offer a service that allows our clients to enjoy those blooms for years after the wedding.”

But it’s not just the wedding community that seeks this kind of service. Customers seek out preservation of flowers as jewelry or art for flowers from memorials, births, retirements, anniversaries, etc. “Each of us has relationships that mean the world to us, and sometimes there are flowers that symbolize the importance of those relationships. When flowers help us make and keep those connections, we want to save them. Our company has grown organically over the last 25 years in response to the customer demand for authentic and customized ways to celebrate our connections to one another,” says Bloombeads by freezeframe co-owner Carli Dixon.

Relocating from their original 6,000-square foot building in Clayton, Ohio, to their new home downtown at 905 E. Third Street in 2013 was a dream realized for the ever-expanding company. After 4 years in their downtown location, an 18,000-square foot, late 19th-century warehouse, Dixon & Hames are more excited than ever to see what their future holds. The new location has not only allowed them to expand their Bloombeads flower petal jewelry service nationally, but has also afforded them a unique opportunity to cultivate a venue space as well, called The Brightside Music & Event Venue.

The venue has one room already open and available for intimate parties and events. With a full D5 liquor license, ample off-street parking, and a large adjustable performance stage, the Brightside has hosted rehearsal dinners, fundraisers, intimate concerts, and birthday parties. The larger room is slated for completion by June 2018, and will fill a niche in Dayton for DIY Industrial Chic wedding and event space, with concrete floors, exposed brick walls and expansive wooden beams. “We can’t wait to introduce this space to the community, and to share it with all the talented wedding and event vendors we have come to know over two decades working in this local industry,” says Dixon.

More information about The Brightside Venue can be found on their website. To schedule a tour or book an event, email Carli Dixon.

To see samples of preserved flowers as framed art and jewelry, stop into the Bloombeads|freezeframe showroom, open Monday from 9:00 to 6:00, Tuesday – Thursday from 10:00 to 5:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00. More information about the company as well as photos and samples can be found at Bloombeads.com.

Bloombeads|freezeframe and The Brightside will also have work displayed and information available at the Prime Time Bridal Open House on March 10th from 9-2 at Prime Time Party Rental, 5225 N. Springboro Pike West Carrollton, OH 45439.

A New Kind of Happy Hour

January 19, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

There’s a brand new happy hour debuting tonight which is focused on wellness and feeling good!

According to their facebook page, Tonic is a pop-up, traveling “happier hour” in Dayton, where the wellness crowd is gathering to connect, network, learn, and unwind consciously. The concept for these gatherings began last fall and tonight they will share the concept for these recurring events with the public. Tonight’s schedule includes:

Each event will feature a new collection of local “talent” and artists and feature a themed “playshop” at the start. Playshops range from art classes, to yoga nidra (relaxing and restorative yoga), to laughter meditation, to psychotherapy, to nature and adventure workshops, to educational wellness talks.

Tonights event will start with Matt Parente for Yoga and a Playshop!

Marianne Fink of Wellness Studio at Harmony Farm will lead a very special wellness discussion. Each playshop will be 30 minutes, followed by time to enjoy music, dance, and peruse wellness arts and refreshments.

Refreshments will include healthy options from local restaurants and food trucks as well as unique herbal tea concoctions, Kombucha, coconut and seasonal maple water. Join us and get your weekend of to a healthful start. Chef Matthew Hayden of Meals From Scratch will be bringing some amazing healing treats tonight that you won’t want to miss!

This Friday, after a 10-year hiatus, Andrew White will come out of retirement to mix tunes at the 1st Tonic happier hour!

This will be a traveling event. If you’d like to host one at your venue downtown let the organizers know!

Tonic’s first event will be hosted at WellSpace Dayton at 116 N. Jefferson St. on Friday, January 19th from 5:30-8pm. Tickets for this event are on sale for $20 online.

US Postal Service Price Increase Starts Jan 21st

January 17, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

The United States Postal Service price changes to take effect Jan. 21, 2018. The new prices include a one cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 49 cents to 50 cents.

Postcard stamps and metered letters will also have a one cent increase.

The next couple of days would be a great time to head to the post office and buy some forever stamps, while they are still 49 cents each. Check out the great array of forever stamps available:

Don’t have time to make it to the post office? You can always buy online.

Tour de Donut is Growing!

January 16, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

For its 12th anniversary and its second year in Troy, the Tour de Donut is planning an event bigger and better than ever. The ride will start and end around the square of historic downtown Troy on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Registration for this very unique event is now open. The inaugural event in Troy brought 2300 riders, the largest participation number to date. This number is expected to increase as the demand of interested cyclists grows. Being Ohio’s largest one-day bicycle event, cyclists travel to the Tour de Donut from 30 states.

New for 2018, the Tour de Donut welcomes Be The Match as their official charity partner. For the runners/walkers out there, Be The Match invites you to participate in the Buckeye Donut Dash. This 5k will begin in downtown Troy at 8:30am on Saturday, August 25, 2018 running simultaneously with the Tour de Donut. Registration is now open and information can be found here . The Buckeye Donut Dash raises funds to help patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. With your support in fundraising, you help more patients afford transplants, add potential marrow donors to the Be The Match Registry and make more life-saving research possible.

Mallory Lynn eats a donut during a stop at Gordon United Methodist Church, during the Tour de Donut last fall. Photo from Troy Daily News.

The Tour de Donut is a unique bicycle event in which participants’ ability to eat donuts is just as important as their ability to ride their bicycle. During this timed bicycle event, riders visit donut stops along the course. For each donut the rider will eat (and keeps down), five minutes will be deducted from their ride time. The Glazer, a special donut stop, will return by popular demand. Each donut eaten at this stop is worth a ten minute deduction in ride time. A competition will be held between area donut shops during the Troy Strawberry Festival in June to choose the coveted special glazer donut.

Event organizers will offer three different distances for cyclists in 2018. New and improved routes are being designed, free of trains, that will offer riders a fun, challenging experience through beautiful, rural Miami County.

The Donut Mini, a 16-mile course, will return with one donut stop. The Mini awards its own prizes and allows younger riders and families to take part in the fun due to the shorter distance.

The 32-mile course, the Tour de Donut, will offer two donut stops. And, for the experienced cyclist, the Double D Challenge is a 64-mile ride with three donut stops. Prizes will be awarded for these courses in age group classes. Special awards will be given for the most donuts eaten, fastest time (without donuts), and the coveted golden Tour de Donut championship belt for the best adjusted “donut time”.

A free children’s event will take place at 8 am on N. Market Street. All children participating will receive a free T-shirt, finisher medal and all the donuts and milk they care to eat courtesy of Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio.

Online registration is open. Cyclists should visit www.thetourdedonut.com and runners/walkers should visit www.bethematchfoundation.org/TheBuckeye to get registered.

If your group is interested in assisting with the ride at a donut stop, or would like to volunteer with organizers, please contact the Head Donut.

Luminaries of Dayton: George Newcom

January 12, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

George Newcom was born in Ireland. In 1775, his parents came to America and lived for a while in Delaware. They then traveled on to Pennsylvania where George met and married Mary Henderson and took her on to Cincinnati. They lived there for two years before coming to Dayton.

Soon after his arrival in what was to be Dayton, he built a log cabin. This structure served for him and his wife as shelter and later for a kitchen. Not long thereafter, half of Newcom’s tavern was built with one lower room and one upper. In the winter of 1798-99, two more rooms were added. The first well in the vicinity was drilled nearby. A barn was erected to take care of Newcom’s horses and those of travelers.

Robert Edgar, a woodworker, was employed by Newcom at six shillings a day to build the tavern from hewn logs. Edgar’s board and lodging were not included. However, Newcom indicated that one deer a week would take care of the matter. So Edgar would wait at the river’s edge where the deer came to drink and there shoot his animal early in the morning, so as not to interfere with a day’s work.

Newcom’s tavern was located in the town’s center and was a gathering place for villagers and strangers passing through. In 1810, Newcom purchased the land adjoining his and built the county’s first brewery. The size and output of the brewery are unknown but it was likely a very small facility producing common beer for travelers and a few locals.

When Newcom took part in the war of 1812, Robert Graham assumed operations. Newcom died in 1853 and the tavern building remained standing, although it has now been moved to Carillon Historical Park.

George Newcom died on February 25, 1853 at the age of 82. Mary, his wife, died April 3, 1834 at the age of 69. Mary was removed from one of the downtown cemeteries and was laid to rest with her husband in Section 16 Lot 53 on February 27, 1853

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the UD Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland website.

Pecha Kucha 34 Speakers Revealed

January 9, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

It’s time to welcome the new year and the new management team for Pecha Kucha. Under the guidance of Shayna McConville, with assistance fromRyan Schulte and Katy Kelly, this Thursday, Jan 18th will be the 34th set of 20x20s.

“Transformation” is the theme for the evening with your emcee, Jacobee Rose Buchanan, a speaker from vol. 32 who presented a segment on Fantasy Costume Design.

Fitting right in the the night’s theme, the venue for the event will be The Steam Plant, a former power generating plant that was recently renovated into a gorgeous special event space, yet managing to hold onto the historical charm of the early 1900’s when it was built.

The new year prompts us to consider what can be new and different about ourselves, our lives, our future. Topics will cover stories of changed minds, changing landscapes and changes we can see and feel.

Dayton Corps team members – Dayton Corps
Rachel Dominguez-Benner – Process of Fabric Printing
Bridget Flaherty – 22 States in 30 Days
Jared McPherson – The Reluctant Hunter
Julio Mateo – Embracing the Dayton ‘Zeitgeist’
Brad Price – Transforming Ideologies
Emma Smales – “From LA to Ohio”
Kathleen Tiller – Native Ohio Orchids

Speaker order is determined the week of the event. Beer and wine networking break will definitely be happening midway through the presentations.

As usual, PK is free to attend but donations are so appreciated. Bring a curious friend. Park for free in the lots behind the venue.

PechaKucha Vol. 34
Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 7:30 pm
The Steam Plant
617 E. 3rd Street, Dayton . 45402
Doors open at 7 pm

Sewing Shop On The Move

January 9, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

Needle, Ink and Thread, a local sewing studio, announced they would be moving to a new Beavercreek location at the end of January. A portion of the recently closed Antiques Marketplace of Beavercreek at 3491 Dayton Xenia Rd, will be the studio’s new home.

Currently located at 4005 Dayton-Xenia Rd, Needle, Ink and Thread were founded just over a year ago by Jesy Anderson, previous co-owner of Sew Dayton. As part of the Activated Spaces program supported by the Downtown Dayton Partnership and UpDayton, Sew Dayton opened in Sept of 2012 and closed in August 2016.

“Beavercreek has been an amazing and welcoming community for Needle, Ink and Thread. We are busting at the seams with growth potential, and the new location will provide the space we need. It was perfect timing, and I had to jump on it!” says Anderson. “I have always loved teaching. It’s the biggest and most fulfilling part of the business. This move will enable me to host more clothing/garment workshops (where more space is needed to work).”

About Needle, Ink and Thread

Needle, Ink and Thread offer sewing lessons, group and private lessons, ranging from clothing construction, hand embroidery, home décor, accessories and quilting. Guest instructors teaching specialty classes are also featured. They are also open for alterations on Tuesdays 11-6PM and aslo offer an Open Studio with sewing machine rental available per hour.

Nominate a Top 25 Woman To Watch

January 9, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

It’s time to nominate a Miami Valley watchable woman for the Top 25 Women to Watch Award. for 2018.

These Better Business Bureau awards recognize women who:

Are exceptional in their roles and respected in their industry
Are a catalyst for change in their communities
Have made an impression on their circles of influence

Each woman stands out in some special way – because of her leadership, community service and professional achievements – or all three. Among the criteria for inclusion are:

A woman’s recent professional achievements
Her influence on the marketplace
Her contributions to advancing women in business

By honoring the Top 25 Women to Watch each year, Women in Business Networking hopes to inspire them – and other women like them – to take their professional and personal lives to yet another level. We are watching to see what WiBN’s watchable women have in store for us, themselves and the entire Miami Valley.

The 2017 Top 25 Women to Watch have already been selected and will be honored March 3rd at the Presidential Banquet Center. Tickets are still available for that event.

Nominations for a 2018 honoree are open through March 3, 2018, and may be submitted by completing the form below. The 25 chosen honorees are surprised with this award, so please keep the nomination confidential. The 2018 honorees will be notified and announced late March/early April 2018.

Dayton/Miami Valley BBB employees and past honorees are not eligible. Click here for a full list of past honorees. Only fully completed applications with submitted photos will be considered. Submissions must be received by your Better Business Bureau by midnight, March 3, 2018.

Please contact Melissa Cutcher at (937) 610-2273 with questions concerning the nomination process.

United Airlines Announces Daily Non-Stop Flights to Houston

January 8, 2018 By Dayton Most Metro

Dayton International Airport announces a new addition to its departure schedule: United Airlines will begin a new daily non-stop flight between Houston (IAH) and Dayton (DAY) starting June 7, 2018. Dayton is one of just eight cites chosen by United Airlines to receive new non-stop routes as it extends its flight schedules.

“For more than 30 years, United Airlines has helped connect Dayton to the world,” said Michael Quiello, United’s vice president of corporate safety. “We are excited to announce another new choice for our customers traveling to Houston and connecting to key destinations in the central and western United States and to business and leisure destinations in Latin America including Mexico City, Cancun, Los Cabos, Leon, and Puerto Vallarta.”

“We are extremely excited about United’s decision to bring additional service to Dayton,” said Terrence Slaybaugh, Director of Aviation for the City of Dayton. “Our passengers and business community will benefit from the convenience of this new nonstop flight to Houston. We are proud to be a part of United Airline’s plans to provide optimal service to its customers.”

The daily schedule starting June 7, 2018 will be:

June 7, 2018: Depart IAH 7:40 p.m.; Arrive DAY 11:23 p.m.

June 8, 2018: Depart DAY 7:00 a.m.; Arrive IAH 8:43 a.m.

The addition of Houston marks the 17th non-stop destination from Dayton International Airport.

For more information about Dayton International Airport, visit flydayton.com and follow us at twitter.com/DAY_IntlAirport.

5 Downtown Restaurants & The Dishes That Won’t Ruin Your Resolution

January 5, 2018 By Shana Lloyd

Why I even included the word resolution in the title is beyond me because if there is anything I hate more than the resolutions themselves, its hearing that word from January to February. Am I right? However, it doesn’t change the fact that I am on a wellness journey. Despite my goals and nutrition plan however, there is nothing I love more than a night out at one of my favorite restaurants. When I started this journey I couldn’t bare the idea of not eating out again, I mean that’s like medieval torture. Okay not really, but I mean I love to eat out and downtown Dayton has no shortage of flavor when it comes to do so!

Instead of avoiding those invites out, I decided to start researching menus and see what I can enjoy because my eating habits went from Paula Dean to Ellie Krieger, no offense to Paula – I still love butter, I’m just at an age where my heart valves don’t.

Things I try to avoid are sauces that mention “cream”, anything fried or crispy and a majority of the time red meat and some dairy but every once in while a girl needs beef and cheese.

So here it goes, these are my favorite restaurants and the items I would choose.

5 Downtown Restaurants & The Dishes That Won’t Ruin Your Resolution

Branzino Fish Dish, photo courtesy of Wheat Penny

WHEAT PENNY

Salads

Dressed Greens With Wine Vinaigrette (Try to resist the Buttermilk Dressing)
Kale Salad

Vegetables

Autumn Mixed Grill

Main Dish

Grilled Rock Shrimp, Broccolini and Peppers with Polenta
Crispy Brick Chicken Thighs
Grilled Mediterranean Branzino
Cauliflower T-Bone

Add any of their plate dinner side choices!

LILY’S BISTRO

Sides & Salads

Caramelized Leek & Mushroom Soup
Winter Greens, Baby Kale & Frisee Salads

Small & Medium Plates

Seared Scallops
Red Lentil Cakes
Oysters on a Half Shell
Acorn Squash

Dinner

Steal head Trout
And ask about their specials 🙂

Ahi Salad, photo courtesy of Coco’s Bistro

COCO’s BISTRO

Appetizers

Eggplant Wheels
Pickled Devil

Salads

Ahi Tuna
Black & Blue
Spinach

With salads, I always ask for dressing on the side or bring my own in my purse. It helps me monitor portion.

Dinner

Red Trout
Vegan Pho
Hatch Valley Chop (easy on those hush puppies) 🙂

SALAR

Photo Courtesy of Salar

Appetizers

Yucca and Crab Causa

Salads

Goat Cheese & Marcona Salad
Baby Kale & Goat Cheese

Dinner

Vegan Roots, Nuts & Rice
White Bean Vegan Scallops
Ed Hill Farm’s Chicken
Beef Saltado Style Sans Potatoes
Red Quinoa Encrusted Chilean Sea Bass
Seared Scallops

I was super sad to hear about the recent fire at Salar and look forward to their reopening soon. In the meantime, there is a fundraiser to support their employees will be out of work until the renovations are complete. You can learn more here.

CORNER KITCHEN (My favorite place to nosh!)

Photo Courtesy of Corner Kitchen

Small Plates

Brussel Sprouts
Fish Tacos
Pan Seared Salmon (I will often order as my meal!)

Salads

House Salad
Quinoa Pita Salad

(add chicken, salmon or tofu to make it your meal!)

Dinners

Acorn Squash Wedge
Grilled Swordfish
Mussels & Fries (maybe not the fries if can fight it)

You’ll notice I didn’t include any desserts and its only because I can’t stop when it comes to anything with sugar. However, a progressive approach would be to just go out for dessert and that’s definitely on my list to do this year! Another fun night out, pick a dish from each place and hit them all!

Happy New Year to all of you, and try to remember that living doesn’t stop because you’ve decided to make changes to your diet. There’s plenty of options to fulfill those desires for flavor! Also all of these restaurants always have amazing local fare specials and they’ll tell you all about them. Make the best choice for you.

Now go make reservations, not resolutions 🙂

Join me in my Facebook Group to see more flavor discoveries, meal makeovers and more!

Be well.

Shana

Destressing About Delisting

January 1, 2018 By Brian Petro

Ohio Liquor Control Logo Much ado has been made about the news that the state of Ohio is getting rid of over 700 liquors and spirits from the state liquor list. The state has the power to do so since they control liquor sales in the state through the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. The state having a say on what can and cannot be sold has a long tradition. It was not until 2016, four decades into the growth of craft beer, that we lifted the archaic 12% ABV limit placed on beer brewed and sold in the Buckeye State. In 2016, the state identified over 1,000 items that were just not selling or were no longer produced. In fact, according to the report, they accounted for less than 4% of the liquor sales.

This was happening at the same time they were looking to condense the number of warehouses in the state from four to two. These stores over the years have begun to look like the end scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, with stacks and stacks of liquor awaiting shipment. Instead of moving vast amounts of slow-selling product, they decided they were going to get rid of it.

A high number of the liquors on this massive list are a product of the flavoring craze that hit the industry in the last decade. Some of those flavors are no longer available, like Pinnacle King Cake or Three Olives Dude. There are vodkas with really odd flavors, too. When did you last reach for UV Salty Watermelon? These flavors, while briefly popular, were not in high demand after their fleeting glory waned.

This will still be on the shelves!

In addition to the ephemeral flavors, there are well-known names delisted in this effort. Those listings, however, are specific sizes of the liquor in question. Disaronno was on the list, but only the smaller 375 mL size. The more substantial sizes will still be available for purchase in your favorite store. For Sailor Jerry, it was the 200 mL a half pint removed from the list. To make room for more bottles in their warehouses, they are getting rid of the merchandise that is not selling.

Over the last year, the state has been doing some heavy lifting to update the system they use to get the product to restaurants and liquor stores. In the beginning, it was a severe issue for distillers and bars, with shipments being delayed or missing for weeks on end. They have worked out all of the kinks, and are even advocating for the opening of more stores in the state to quench our thirst.

This purge is one of the last updates that will help improve what is being offered to Ohioans on the shelves of their local liquor store and help ease the rate at which they can purchase it. This is the best Ohio can hope for until they dismantle the antiquated control system. That will be a while since JobsOhio relies on the incredibly profitable liquor business in to fund their program. In 2016, liquor sales soared over $1 billion. That is a considerable amount of funding for a state program. There is still twenty years on the deal they signed with the state. Any efforts to break up that happy partnership would require a way to replace that income.

It remains to be seen what the state will do with all of the freed up shelf space they will have. Bringing in more delightful whiskeys from around the world would be lovely. Or enhancing the number of other spirits the bar community in this state are starting to enjoy, like mezcal and amari, would be fantastic. This is an opportunity for liquor control to listen to advocates and experts in the hospitality industry to bring in the product that will boost Ohio’s economy. Let’s hope they make the best of it for a new year.

Gem City Catfe To Open Tuesday!

January 1, 2018 By Lisa Grigsby

After much anticipation, co-founders Karin Gudal-Johnson and Sabrina Cox have announced Gem City Catfé willl host their grand opening on Tues, Jan 2nd in St. Anne’s Hill. You can meet the kitties, grab a coffee, and explore the upstairs art gallery!

The cafe space serving high-end espresso, tea, and delicious bakery items with a separate cat lounge. The cat lounge is home to 12 adoptable, feline friends from our 501(c)(3) non-profit rescue partner, Gem City Kitties. They also have a separate event space for activities like Yoga with Cats, Photography Classes, and workshops with local artists. All with cats, of course!

The Catfe will offer premium, unique espresso drinks, tea, assorted bottled beverages, and one of a kind, top notch, bakery items. They have partnered with:

Boston Stoker: High quality, ethically sourced coffee beans locally roasted here in Dayton.
Rachel Bakes: Custom baked, cat themed, treats. Rachel is licensed as a cottage bakery here in Dayton and will help us provide delicious vegan and gluten-free options.
Redemarrage Patisserie: Beautiful and scrumptious macarons made here in Dayton!

Guests can view the cats while enjoying their coffee in the shop through the glass walls. The cats will be separated from the coffee bar and cafe seating through a double door “airlock”.

If you’d like to enter the cat lounge- reservations are strongly suggested, as they only allow 12 guests to visit at a time to keep a comfortable environment for the kitties. Entry is $10 for non-members and $5 for members. Membership is only $25 for one year. Members may apply their discounted rate to anyone visiting with them. Read more about how to become a member or make reservations as a member by clicking here.

All of the cats in the lounge are adoptable from their rescue parter, Gem City Kitties. They follow standard rescue adoption counseling practices, we encourage you to read more about them here. Adoptions are able to be approved on the same day and you can take your new friend home with you! We recommend filling out the adoption application online in advance. Click here for the online adoption application.

Visit the Gem City Catfe:

1513 E 5TH ST, Dayton, OH 45403

Mon-Thurs: 7am – 7pm

Fri & Sat: 7am – 7pm

Sun: 10am – 6pm

Equitas Associate Board Announces Masquerage 2018

December 31, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

The Dayton Equitas Associate Board released the announcement today that Dayton Party of Parties will not skip a year, as originally planned. Instead it will return on Friday, Oct 26th at the Steam Plant.

According to Equitas Associate Board member Nick Warrington, “when we met in November to do the recap of Masquerage we all agreed that the excitement from the community was there for the event and the Equitas Board of Trustees agreed that it should go back to being an annual event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPCxLgKqYQI&feature=youtu.be

So planning is underway for Masquerage 2018, contact the Associate Board to get involved.

Equitas also has announced they will move the RED Table Design event, which happens every two years, back to spring, so mark your calendars for April 13, 2019 for that one.

Application Deadline 12/31 for Book Fair Foundation Beneficiaries

December 30, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

The application process to become a beneficiary of the Book Fair Foundation could not be simpler— there’s no form or report or presentation. They only need a letter from your group. Your letter should tell us something about the group’s mission, your role in our community, and how you envision a partnership with the Book Fair Foundation.

There are three requirements for application:

Your group must be a registered organization in the State of Ohio.
Your location must be within 25 miles of the city of Dayton
You must be a 501c3.

Letters must be received by December 31, 2017.

The board will meet early in January to talk about the applications we’ve received. Some of the things that they consider is what kind of “match” the applicant feels like for us— does this seem like a group whose mission is in concert with our own? They also look at the 990-N documents that each organization has filed. We work very hard to make the book fair a success. They’d like the gift we give to have significant impact on the organizations they choose.

It’s possible that they may want to schedule an interview with finalists if they cannot agree on three. They get so many applications from wonderful organizations that choosing just three is quite a challenge.

Dayton Book Fair beneficiaries share equally in the net proceeds generated by the fair– and this year we will again choose three organizations. The amount has generally been around $10,000 per beneficiary.

If your group is chosen as a beneficiary, there are certain requirements you should be aware of.

They require 40 volunteer hours from your organization. It can be 40 people for one hour, 4 people for ten hours, one person for 40 hours— the volunteer hours can be at the sale, or during one of our two roundups or during the year at the Book Loft, or a combination of any of those. At least four of those forty hours must be fulfilled on the afternoon of November 12th, 2018 the Monday following the sale.

Additionally, they expect that you will promote the 48th Annual Dayton Book Fair among your own volunteers, staff and fans– through newsletter, website, Facebook page, emails or tweets. They want the people who love your organization to help support you by supporting the Book Fair.

Letters of application should be sent to the Book Fair Foundation, 2181 Embury Park Rd, Dayton, OH 45414. You are also welcome to drop off your letter at our Embury Park Road office. (Look for the big red sign in the yard.) Letters can be dropped at their office at 2181 Embury Park Rd in Dayton–even if they are closed there is a mail slot in the door.

They will announce the beneficiaries of the 2018 Dayton Book Fair on Thursday, February 2, 2018 on their website, Facebook page and on their telephone greeting.

Donate Your Tree to the Bon Fire

December 29, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

This is the perfect opportunity to wrap up the holiday season and get the very last bit of Christmas cheer out of your beautiful tree!

Join Adventures on the Great Miami for the third annual “Great Christmas Tree Burn“ Jan 6th! Taking down the Christmas Tree can be a bummer but this year you can bring it up to 1995 E. Ross Rd., Tipp City and help us keep the holidays bright just a little longer!

Christmas tree drop off starts Dec 26th at the property, 1995 E. Ross Rd., Tipp City or you can just bring it with you on Jan 6th. Last year they had over 40 trees and they are looking to beat that record this year! And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even camp out over night!

They’ll have smaller bonfires going starting at 5pm, their Adventures food truck will be up and running keeping everyone warm with a special southwest menu, and Harold Hensley will be playing some live music for everyone’s enjoyment! The party starts at 5pm and the bon fire starts at 7pm!

Free entry, drop your trees at the property anytime between now and Jan 6th, 1995 E. Ross Rd. Tipp City, Family Friendly