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Ice skating season is almost here…

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Photo by Leah Stahl

(from Five Rivers MetroParks)

The region’s largest outdoor ice skating rink was a hit when it debuted in 2010, and this year, MetroParks Ice Rink at RiverScape MetroPark (229 E. Monument Ave., Dayton) is set to open Friday, November 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Admission is only $5, which includes the cost of skate rentals.

MetroParks Ice Rink will be open every day of the week—even special holiday hours—through Sunday, March 11, 2012. Patrons can take advantage of concessions at Café Vélo, which will be open during skating hours, serving snacks, such as hot pretzels and also featuring healthy options, such as chicken snack wraps. Visitors can warm up with seasonal favorites like hot chocolate and cappuccino.

Work off Thanksgiving indulgence calories on the ice and enjoy holiday music during the grand-opening weekend:

  • Friday, Nov. 25, 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 26, 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, Nov. 27, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Patrons who bring their own skates can skate for free Mondays through Thursdays when there is no admission to the rink. Rentals are available for $3 on these days. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays cost a $5 admission fee, which includes the cost of skate rentals.

MetroParks Ice Rink will be open during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays as well as several more holidays and special events throughout the season. Visit metroparks.org/IceRink to find the complete schedule. Lessons and other skating programs also will be hosted at the rink throughout the season. Visit metroparks.org/Skating or read the winter issue of ParkWays to learn more.

Season passes are available for purchase: $60 family passes cover admission and rentals for up to five people, and $25 individual passes cover the same costs. Visit the RiverScape MetroPark Facebook page for a chance to win a family pass!

Slots are still available for businesses, church groups, youth clubs and anyone else interested in renting the rink for a private function. Private rentals include 50 pairs of ice skates and 50 cups of hot chocolate for $200. Call (937) 274-0126 for more information and a list of available dates.

To learn more, visit the website or call the skating office at (937) 278-2607.

Photo by Leah Stahl

Nominate a Women of Influence

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The YWCA Dayton is seeking nominations for its 2012 Women of Influence Awards. This award honors women in the greater Dayton/Miami Valley community who have made a positive influence on the lives of others, as part of their careers, as volunteers, as role models or mentors.

Nominations are accepted from the community and honorees are selected by a panel of community leaders. Nominees do not have to be active in the YWCA. They should reflect the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.  Additionally, nominees should also exemplify community spirit, leadership, volunteerism and making a difference in the lives of others. To nominate a Woman of Influence, go to the YWCA Dayton website and complete the online nomination form. Deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, December 9, 2011.

A luncheon celebration will be held on March 15, 2012 at the Dayton Convention Center to honor the award winners. For more information on tickets and sponsorship, please call 937-461-5550, ext. 118.

YWCA Dayton is a nonprofit organization located in Dayton, Ohio. YWCA Dayton has been dedicated to the mission of eliminating racism and empowering women for over 140 years. YWCA Dayton offers a variety of programs and services including the only domestic violence shelter in Dayton and Montgomery County. The full range of programs and services offered by the YWCA Dayton include: affordable and transitional housing programs (HomeShare, SRO, Safe Haven), teen services (Girls Inc, walk-ins), affordable childcare, and professional services including case management, group therapy, counseling, crisis intervention, hotline services, advocacy and economic empowerment programs.

For more information about this release, please contact Donna Sizemore, Director of Development, YWCA Dayton, at 937.461.5550 ext. 118.

What is the Price of Beauty?

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In a day of age where women not only want to feel beautiful but are expected to it comes as no surprise that we spend lots and lots of money on it. I am sure for most of us budgeting in our monthly beauty habits has become a fact of life. Do I get my nails done or do I buy a bottle of wine? (personally I would like both please) Many women now are sacrificing certain things in their lives in order to look and feel a certain way. Starvation used to be the disorder of choice but have we now developed a beauty disorder?

Everyone talks about the price of beauty – we fake everything from our hair color to our body shapes, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise that it is beginning to cost us and not just in our purses but in our mental stability. When I look at my monthly calendar it is full of beauty rituals, waxing, hair color, hair cut, manicure, pedicure, and eyelash extensions… when did it all become so complicated? I remember when buying a new lip gloss was enough to get me excited and now I can’t possibly live without all things listed above. My husband will often ask me why I need fake eyelashes, why do I need to constantly change my hair? There really isn’t a great answer other than I need them to feel pretty. I shouldn’t need them to feel beautiful and I think that is his point but as women we are expected to look a certain way, especially when you are in the beauty industry. No one wants their makeup artist to show up with one furry eyebrow and skin that looks like its been to the North Pole. You have to represent your product but how do we learn to represent ourselves in a real way that is affordable and also makes us feel special?

For the last few years I have been working on and researching this very issue. Although I am guilty of overindulging in the beauty world, I have also learned to cut some corners. I believe that women have a right to beauty and the answer to your next facial may be in your fridge. In this blog I will continue to discuss ways to cut back your beauty budget but also look and feel beautiful.

… Of course we will also have to talk about all those fun goodies we have seen in the magazines but in the meantime I have to know what is the one thing in your beauty ritual that you can not possibly go without?

Toxic Brew Company Needs Letters of Support For Zoning Variance to Open in Oregon District

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Local entrepreneurs Shane Juhl and Jason Hindson are working hard to rehab an old building at 431 E. 5th Street in the Oregon District in hopes of opening a Brewpub.  There goal is for Toxic Brew Company to  “celebrate the craft brewers of the area and try to have an eclectic mix of craft beer drawing inspiration from multiple places including Dayton history, American craft breweries, and European traditions.” according to Brewmaster Juhl.  But before they can even think about promoting the beer,  they are trying to work their way through the many obstacles that seem to face so many new businesses in this town- zoning.

If you’d like to see the first Brewpub in Dayton since the prohibition era, help make their dream come true by writing a letter of support to get variances for 18 parking spots, off-street loading/unloading area and to allow their hours of operation to go beyond 11pm.  You can email letters to [email protected] and copy [email protected] who is the staff contact at Zoning Appeals.

You may remember that  Kimberly Collett, owner of Olive- an urban dive and Shane Anderson of the soon to be open Ghostlight Coffee also had to appeal to the public to help obtain the necessary variances to get their businesses past similar hurdles.  So if that’s what the city needs us to do  to help get more locally owned business, let’s help them!

I for one can’t wait to try more of Toxic Brews!  I still have a craving for more of their pepper beer I got to try at the Big Beer and Barley Wines event last month!

For more info, you can check out the file from Toxic Brewing Company below:

City_of_Dayton_Variances for Toxic Brewing Company

A Groupon Garden Station Fund Raiser

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(From Lisa Helm of Garden Station)

Today is the last day of a three-day fund raising campaign on Groupon for Garden Station, a local community garden and art park.

Groupon generally does online coupons for goods or services using the “collective action” model, which means that a minimum number of people need to pledge to buy the deal, before the deal is good.  This minimum is called the “Tipping Point”. This also applies for G-Team fund raising campaigns on Groupon.  Garden Station needed a minimum of 32 donations to “tip” the deal and release 100% of the donations to Garden Station. That minimum is actually just over 20% of the total amount needed to complete the project goal of 9 accessible garden beds.

Garden Station is an all volunteer organization that in the past 3 years has completely changed the corner of 4th and Wayne in downtown Dayton. For the 50 years previous to that, the area was overgrown and trash filled and regularly a camping spot for homeless.

Since then, hundreds of volunteers and over 50 businesses and local organizations have participated in the creation of Garden Station and it has become one of the most unique attractions and venues in the area.

Because the project is all volunteer, your donations go a long way.  For example the new entryway that is currently under construction originally had bids between $5000-$9000 just for the block and concrete work and since organizers at Garden Station were able to solicit volunteers and donations for most of that, the entire finished project, including landscaping and mosaic work will end up being less that $2000 in material costs only.

That being said this Groupon fund raising campaign is not “extra” to their budget.  It IS their budget! Without donations and volunteers from the community Garden Station would never happen!

There are just a few more building projects planned, including a stage and a buffet area to support the increasing number of potlucks and receptions there. Once those projects are finished, Garden Station organizers anticipate being able to cover all their own regular expenses.

This campaign is a win-win for everyone. The community will have an asset for years to come that is truly built FOR the community BY the community.

For more information about Garden Station please visit their Facebook page or call 937-610-3845.

You have until midnight tonight to donate at http://www.groupon.com/deals/gt-garden-station

Ohio’s Issue 2 – Where do YOU stand?

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Governor Kasich

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been barraged with rhetoric from both sides of the Senate Bill 5 issue. Rhetoric is often persuasive, but it doesn’t really give a person any solid facts to stand on. So what is the bill really about?

At its core, SB 5 (also known as Issue 2) is another effort put forward by government officials to cut spending in the public sector with the bill largely affecting public and government workers. Although many Americans are pushing for stricter spending budgets in the government, SB 5 allows for some big changes that have been causing a lot of controversy.

For teachers, SB 5 eliminates the “step raise” statutory salary schedules in favor of performance-based-pay determined partly on student performance. It abolishes all continuing contracts for teachers except for those made before July 2011. It removes seniority and length of service considerations from decisions regarding layoffs. The bill also eliminates current rules of leave and places the authority to set new policies on the Board of Education.

For health care benefit costs, SB 5 limits public employer contributions to 85 percent. So public employers will still be helping significantly with health care benefit costs and still more than what the majority of employers offer in the private sector. The bill also removes unions’ most effective bargaining tool: the strike action.

Perhaps the most controversial issue in the policies in SB 5 lies in changes to collective bargaining rights. Many of the bill’s policies reduce the types of collective bargaining that public workers with public employee unions can do. Specifically the bill states that bargaining for things like class sizes, wages, hours of employment, and terms and conditions of employment cannot be collectively bargained for. The bill also limits new collective bargaining agreements regarding sick leave and the certain types of leave that can be accumulated. However, the bill continues to allow collective bargaining for some benefits like pensions or health care as well as work safety issues.

Although collective bargaining and striking is out of the question in SB 5 it doesn’t limit what an individual public worker can bargain for. In that way, SB 5 seeks to put public employees in the same shoes as private workers. It’s not that a public worker can never try to get their pay raised or change the terms and conditions of their employment – they just have to do it individually, as it is done in the private sector. They also align more with the private sector workers in that the ability to gain a pay-raise is more performance and result based. Seniority may play a factor in job security, but no more than it does in the private sector should SB 5 be brought into law.

The reason collective bargaining and strike action removal is such a big issue goes back to the founding of the first unions. Unions were created to put enough power in the hands of employees to match or nearly match the power the employer had. They emerged during the Industrial Age in response to jobs that had poor and often dangerous working conditions for minimal pay and benefits. The individual worker had so little bargaining leverage that there was usually nothing they could do to improve their situation. However, together in a union the workforce became strong and able to level the playing field and demand better terms in the workers’ interest. The unions’ biggest and most effective weapon against unfair management was the strike.

This is why SB 5 is so controversial. It breaks down something that has been in place for nearly a century. To go back on anything that has such a long history is never easy and often worrying. After having the ability to collectively bargain, strike, and more for so long, the unions are concerned that the dissolution of them will cause public employees to suffer.

Those in support of SB 5 argue that it deflates the bloated levels of power public workers have had for many years now. They believe unions have become too effective and have abused their power and allowed many public workers to become lazy and entitled. Their view of SB 5 sees the bill as a way to cut costs in hard times where it can and needs to be cut. Many have largely supported the performance-based-pay and job evaluations as a much needed change in the public work sector. They argue that cutting workers who don’t perform in their jobs will increase efficiency and encourage better working practices in other public employees. Supporters believe that the necessity for union abilities like collective bargaining has lessened as standards are more easily enforced and that it’s time for each public employee to be hired or fired on their own abilities.

Those opposing SB 5 see the bill in a very different light. Some have even gone so far as to label it as dangerous, unfair, and detrimental to the economy. They are also keen to point out that while government officials are cutting from the public sector, politicians have failed to make cuts in their own benefits and wages. Opponents also believe the changes will lead to things like decreases in emergency task forces and cause shortages in health care workers and lead to overpopulated health care facilities with limited staffing. They say public sector employees have already had to take enough cuts and believe Ohio’s budget trouble stems from big corporations. They are concerned that without collective bargaining, individual workers will once again fall prey to greedy management and return to working conditions that existed prior to the rise of the union.

Wherever your opinions fall on Issue 2, I hope you’ll take away something from this article and make your voice heard November 8th at the polls.

By the numbers: A Dayton real estate market report

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Today we look at some Dayton real estate market stats. Both buyers and sellers need to know what is going on in the market, so let’s see the numbers.

I pulled the numbers on a very specific area- Hills and Dales in Kettering. The Dayton Area Board of Realtors defines this area as generally north of Dorothy Lane, east of S. Dixie Hwy, south of Schantz, and to the west of Hills and Dales Park. I chose this area because it’s got a little bit of everything as far as housing stock goes- vintage, newer, custom-built, affordable, starter homes, move-up homes, upscale homes, it’s all represented here. Plus it’s an area that most people reading this will be at least somewhat familiar with, also, this neighborhood would have been affected by the economic issues Dayton has dealt with over the past 6 years including both GM and NCR pulling out of Dayton so we can see how the real estate market responded.

This is a year over year Market Report for Hills and Dales. I’ve searched for single family homes only, no condos, land, or multi-family homes. We are looking at the averages here- just a big picture snapshot. DOM= Days On Market. I went back to 2006 which is generally considered the peak of the real estate market. One other thing, I only searched for sales from Jan. to Oct. for each year So let’s take a look.

Year # Sold Avg List Price Avg Sale Price % List/Sale Price Avg DOM
2011 YTD 27 $123,296 $118,885 96% 111
2010 41 $111,926 $106,037 94% 95
2009 29 $115,112 $109,359 95% 156
2008 24 $99,877 $97,116 97% 124
2007 37 $132,130 $126,854 96% 107
2006 50 $138,440 $134,051 96% 123

Pretty much what you expected? This Buyer’s Market you keep hearing about has a lot to do with the interest rates on loans, which are at historic lows. Home prices for many areas are coming back, and loans themselves are more difficult to qualify for. Buyers are still paying about 96% of asking price- that’s remained fairly consistent, and all those great deals you might hear about? They often sell within days of being listed and with multiple offers which drive up the price.

If you are selling your home, things are looking up, although whether or not home prices return to 2006 levels is anybody’s guess. But still, a well-prepared and well-priced home will sell and seller financing is still a good way to take advantage of the current market and get a better price than a sale with lender financing.

Finally, I can’t say this often enough- real estate is local. This one small area of Dayton and your neighborhood is going to have unique challenges and opportunities, so get informed before you make a decision about how to make the most of the current real estate market.

The Formal Name… the “Gateway Arch…”

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Call it the city with a handle… Or MAYBE the city with just a little bit of an identity crisis?

Is it “St. Louis,” as in… oh, say the St. Louis Cardinals (now referring ONLY to a baseball team, now that the pesky “football Cardinals” moved on to some southern hospitality… not to say southern MONEY). Or is it “Saint Louis,” as in… Well, the newscasts who spell out the name. ESPN, for example, when they tell us how things went sports-wise. Baseball and such.

So, yeah. TV spells it “Saint Louis.” Newspapers spell it “Saint Louis.” Only radio sticks with “St. Louis…” (At least, that’s what it sounds like to me!)

Yep: I was born and raised in good ole’ St. Louis… south St. Louis, to be specific. And, yes… St. Louis. Yep: pesky habit, to this day. Still… at one point, my home sweet home when was a kid.

Oh. And I was kind of sure St. Louis was gonna’ be where I lived for my whole life.

Didn’t turn out that way, though. Nope.

If whatever powers that be have decided these days to get real real holy and proper about spelling the name of the place… the LAST batch of “powers that be,” the ones who were in control for most of my life, decided that St. Louis was… appropriate. That’s the word.

Worse… Whoever “they” are… Well: they also decided that St. (or Saint) Louis would grow OUT. Not UP. Out, by the way, as in “way WAY out.” Drive a long way “way WAY out.”

So here’s where little bitty (then and VERY MUCH now) Dayton comes in.

Having graduated with “yet ANOTHER” degreee from the University of Dayton, I was headed back “home,” to Saint (or St.) Louis University to work on a Doctoral degree, to begin life as an even MORE grown up person. First step: become a “teaching assistant” at “SLU.” Pronounced… well, “SLU.”

What it all meant I thought… naive little me… I BELIEVED I was finally home from my life’s travels.

That FEELING of “being home” lasted for exactly ten days: TEN DAYS.. Ten days of going down to to “SLU” from my childhood home in the “suburbs…” and ten days, one after another, in which I witnessed fatal auto accidents on what “we” Saint Louis-ans (I guess that’s correct)… what we called the “Mark Twain Expressway.” Yep: ten days, one after the other. Watching cars crash and people dying.

My home sweet home.

On the “Mark Twain Expressway…” aka: Interstate 70.

That’s when I knew I was NOT going to live there, but that I’d go back to Dayton as fast as possible when the whole education trip was over. Now, it’s not that I suffered or anything for the next two and a half years. Nope: it’s just that I consciously lived as a tourist. I went to Gaslight Square and enjoyed good jazz, went to Hrdlicka’s. and enjoyed a fantastic local restaurant specializing in “deep fried in beer batter chicken,” which did make me think about buying my own franchise (for Dayton, of course). I went to the wonderful “Muny Opera” in Forest Park, enjoyed the free seats as off-Broadway” musicals were presented (in case you’re curious: in Dayton, I would discover, we called this “The Kenley Players”)

Best of all that, though, was that I DID get reacquainted with lots and lots of my huge circle of relatives who had, when I was a kid, lived within blocks of our family “flat” in South St. Louis (from here on in, if you want it to be “Saint Louis,” you’ll have to do the transform yourself). That St. Louis, I think it’s safe to say, was small in size, still small enough for a kid to go VISIT anyone of the friends and relatives by walking.

But when I got back… aunts and uncles who had lived down the block or around the corner or next door in the same flat as my family lived in… well, now these aunts and uncles lived thirty… forty… even FIFTY miles away. Still in “St. Louis County,” but far, far away in the County. Well, you know: none of us, in those wonderful late ’60’s day, knew anything about “urban sprawl.” All those aunts and uncles and cousins and friends had just… moved. And it was never REALLY far… “why,” they’d say, “it’s just off highway 70.”

Of course, back then we didn’t complain about the amount of gas it took to make a hundred mile round trip to visit an aunt or an uncle. Nope: we always had gas wars to keep the “price at the pump” dirt cheap. No, the only thing we decided not to notice was how long an afternoon visit would really take.

But when I’d drive up with my wife and kids to VISIT good ole’ Dayton… well, people were nice and lived close even though there was this thing called “Interstate 75.” Sure, it was there. You just didn’t have to USE IT. The Interstate was for folks going to Florida from Michigan or vice versa.

In St. Louis, a traffic jam on OR off the freeway could take an hour or so to unwind. BUT Dayton… Dayton’s traffic jams?? Back then — and even NOW — traffic jams off the freeway back then and now take ten minutes or so to unwind.

But all in all, in a few very short years, St. Louis drew itself into being a big, big city: even had a new stadium back then — as it does now, as a matter of fact: a NEWER new Stadium — and a good thing back then was I could go see the Cardinals play in the World Series a couple of years in a row. But… the Cardinals and the NEW new stadium. You know what: that’s another story.

Oh. And another OTHER story was living with all those little restaurants in some of the living rooms in neighborhoods of… well: politely now. Italian Heights. Yep: helped my mom even back then kick the cooking habit. But again: you know… That’s another story.

But here in Dayton: it’s the same old story.

Yes sir. Yes INDEED.

Speak your mind…

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I’m only one person….

My vote doesn’t matter….

I don’t really know the issues that well….

I don’t live in the city limits….

NO MORE EXCUSES!

Everyone is fed up. Between ‘tea-partiers’ upset at government and ‘occupiers’ upset at corporations – everyone has an opinion. Now it’s time to hear how opinions manifest into action for the City of Dayton. What can the City of Dayton Commission do to make our region a place for young professionals to live, work and play? How will you vote on Issue Two: is it asking everyone to pay their fair share or is it a violation of rights? Learn more – be informed – come to the updayton election forum.

Regardless of where you live, what happens in the City of Dayton affects your neighborhood
and everyone in Ohio votes on State Issue 2!

You are one person and your vote does matter.

Participants at updayton election forum

On Wednesday, October 26 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, updayton will host their third annual Election Forum. The Election Forum provides young creative professionals the opportunity to ask the questions that matter to them about State Issue 2 and to question City Commission candidates on their plans for Dayton. The forum will take place at Harmon Business Center (530 N. Main Street). In partnership with updayton, the forum will be co-moderated by Monica Schultz and Gary Leppla of the League of Women Voters of the Greater Dayton Area.

As part of their mission of attracting and retaining young talent to spur economic growth, updayton advocates to local, state and national leaders. The Election Forum has become a mainstay of updayton programming. This yearly event provides this younger demographic a chance to ask tough questions to area candidates and learn about important issues.

Scott Murphy, updayton chair, welcomes young creatives to election forum

Updayton advocacy chair, Shanon Potts, stated, “Updayton is relentlessly devoted to collecting data on young talent attraction and retention, but we can’t stop there. We must use this data to advocate for our future in this community. Updayton’s Election Forum is the exclusive pre-election event dedicated to accepting questions on behalf of young, creative professionals and then connecting them with candidates and issues of importance to them.”

All are welcome to attend, whether you are a City of Dayton resident or “young” professional or not. Questions and important issues may be submitted in advance for consideration online at http://updayton.com.

Potts would like to see the forum encourage young people long after the final question is asked. She says, “We hope that our dynamic Election Forum may even serve to motivate and inspire more young leaders to run for office!”

Confirmed speakers include:

How to attend:

Where: Harmon Business Center, 530 N. Main Street, Dayton

When: Wednesday, October 26, 2011; 5:30 Registration/Networking,
6-8:00 PM Forum

How: Free to attend, but please RSVP to [email protected]

Occupy Dayton, Wall Street… and The World

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Photo Credit: Marc A. Pitman

In a time of economic upheaval, the Occupy Wall Street movement has created national and international buzz that has become hard to ignore.

The movement is described as a “leaderless” movement by its organizers and participants. Even the OccupyWallSt.org website is labeled as “unofficial.” The website states the people involved with the movement have horizontally structured themselves. Basically this means everyone is a leader and organizer. As such they all have the same responsibilities and – most importantly – no one person is above another.

In recent weeks the movement has gained incredible momentum and taken root in many cities across the United States. The demonstrations have breathed new life into the debates over multiple issues, but largely focus on wealth inequality and corporate influence over government. Occupy Wall Street is a grassroots movement but it is clearly a potent one.

In fact, the occupy movement has become so strong that it has landed in our backyard: Dayton.

Like the Wall Street movement, Occupy Dayton emphasizes that they are a non-violent protest movement welcoming people from all walks of life to join with them. It’s even become something of a community that gathers and distributes supplies like blankets or food for fellow “Occupiers” within the crowd. They accept supplies like these as donations. Occupy Dayton also holds general assembly meetings to make decisions democratically where every protester who attends votes and has a say in decisions.

Photo Credit: Brooke A. Medlin

“Everyone that is a part of the movement is behind it,” said Shawn Cassiman, an organizer of the Occupy Dayton movement. “People are volunteering their skills and expertise in order to build the movement.”

Fellow organizer Christina Hull pointed out local issues that helped to spark the Dayton movement. “Dayton has been hit hard by corporations such as NCR, Mead, and GM leaving with our jobs and leaving a lot of Daytonians without an income or health insurance,” she said.

“We do not have millions of dollars to buy lobbyists to make sure our agenda’s are pushed or our voices heard,” said Hull. “This is the people’s movement. We all stand together as the 99% of American’s who want their voices heard.” She and Cassiman stated the Dayton group is not funded or run by any particular outside organization or political party. The support they receive comes from within their ranks.

Photo Credit: Brooke A. Medlin

Occupy Dayton held its first civil protest on the October 5th in Courthouse Square. Since then, the localized movement has begun to grow and has reached over 1,600 followers to date on its Facebook page. The organizers are moving quickly to utilize social media in the same manner as the overall Occupy movement.

Taking inspiration from the Arab Spring, “Occupiers” are tweeting, Facebooking, Flikring, tumblring, texting, and emailing their way into the forefront of the public’s awareness. This is no exception for our own Occupy Dayton movement. The Facebook group has successfully arranged and held three official gatherings with plans for three more listed for this week. Currently, they are working on setting up a blog and a permanent website to help their exposure and information accessibility.

Photo Credit: Marc A. Pitman

“We believe that Dayton is a great city with wonderful people and we want to bring awareness to them about corporate greed and it’s hand in our legislation,” said Hull. “This is America, the richest country in the world and our citizens are struggling for their lives on a daily basis.”

“This movement is for the long haul. It has to be. We haven’t even been around for a week, so we have some work to do,” said Cassiman. “Real change takes time, and can be messy.”

For more information on the Occupy Dayton movement, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/occupydayton and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/#!/OccupyDayton.

Hot Talent Cool Gems Fundraiser Returns to Dayton

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The seedling Foundation has announced the return of the Hot Talent Cool Gems fundraising auction to support Stivers School for the Arts. The event is back by popular demand and is sure to be an evening to remember.

The seedling Foundation fundraiser is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 5th at Dayton’s Packard Museum with a 30’s-inspired theme. The event will hold a silent and live jewelry auction, have catered food, and feature artistic performances. So far, some of the high-interest items slated for auction are items gifted from celebrities like Martin Sheen, PBS celebrity chef Ming Tsai, Hope and former governor Bob Taft and others. The event took a break after it’s last appearance in 2008, but according to the foundation many supporters of Stivers have requested its return. Bill Pflaum, the president and trustee of the seedling Foundation, said in an interview that there will be a total of 100 pieces for the silent auction.

The Hot Talent Cool Gems will be catered by Coco’s Bistro, offering a wealth of gourmet hors d’oeuvres with a signature drink and dessert. The entertainment provided for the evening will feature student performances from all magnet areas of study at Stivers. Some of the night’s headliners will be the nationally recognized Stivers Jazz Orchestra and the dance program performance.

Stivers’ students, who often work elbow to elbow with professionals, are heavily involved in fundraising for their school and programs. Often, they raise money used to replenish art supplies and fund programs with their own art or performances. Pflaum gave a proud nod to the student fundraising efforts.

“The kids get very engaged,” he said with a smile. “They recognize that they have to put in if they’re going to get out, and they do. That’s a very strong ethic here.” He added that the seedling Foundation matches student fundraiser totals. The foundation is largely made up of Stivers student parents but also host community members on the board as well. Pflaum believes each person brings their own unique perspective and experience to the foundation.

The foundation hopes to bring in $50,000 worth of funding from Hot Talent Cool Gems. Pflaum believes reaching that amount is critical due to severe 2011-2012 school budget cuts. Like many other schools and organizations, Stivers has been hit by the downturn of the economy.

“It’s imperative that we get that community support to be able to sustain the kind of things that are happening for the kids right now,” said Pflaum.

For ticket prices and more information on the event or donations, visit the seedling Foundation’s website at www.theseedlings.org.

Stivers School for the Arts is a grade 7 through 12 public magnet school for the arts in Dayton with a national reputation for leaderships in arts education. Students audition to attend the school and once accepted are able to pick from eight areas of artistic studies (band, choir, creative writing, dance, piano, orchestra, theatre, and visual arts) to include in their education curriculum. The school is among the highest performing schools in the Dayton area.

Below is a television ad students at Stivers created with help and direction from their teachers.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx3Ux_lzGPU’]

updayton First Friday Scavenger Hunt

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The updayton First Friday scavenger hunt is back on October 7th! Don’t miss this opportunity to check out some of the best locations downtown.
To get started on the hunt, pick up your clue sheet at the following locations:

  • Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery (520 E. 5th)
  • 5th Street Wine and Deli (416 E. 5th)
  • Olive: An Urban Dive (416 E. 3rd)
  • Attend Live at the Embassy with updayton on Thursday, October 6th (one day before the hunt)
  • Pick one up at SMAGmare (dance performance that will be outside Trolley Stop) on October 7th – look for updayton volunteers
  • Inside the First Friday Passports available at any downtown gallery

    • All Hunt participants will be admitted to the Scavenger Hunt After-Party at the Cannery Lofts (500 E. Third) where FREE beer, wine, and snacks await. The beer is complimentary of Bonbright Distributors.

    The First Friday Scavenger Hunt is made possible by updayton, the Downtown Dayton Partnership, and sponsored by Bonbright Distributors and DaytonMostMetro.com.

    October First Friday to Bring Thrills and Chills

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    Plan ahead for the next free monthly downtown art hop ― which will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7 ― because there’s a frightening amount of fun to get into.

    SMARmare's ghoulish performance in 2010.

    A free outdoor performance of SMAGmare will be held in the Oregon Arts District next to the Trolley Stop, 530 E. Fifth St., from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Set to popular music, SMAG Dance Collective, Zoot Theatre Company, Sandstorm Dance, musician Al Holbrook and local hip-hop dancers will present this tale of an evil woman luring her innocent sister to a moment of indiscretion between her mother and another man. The chance viewing causes the sister to lose touch with reality, and she creates a twisted vision of her mother and the lover as zombies controlled by her evil sister. Prepare for scares, surprises and even heartfelt moments as vampires, werewolves, the undead and the dead brought back to life, witches and warlocks, and fiendish ghouls manifest on stage.

    First Friday also is a chance for visitors to win a $1,000 travel gift certificate from AAA Miami Valley by completing a First Friday Passport. Each month, AAA will award two prizes of one-year classic AAA memberships, with free renewals for existing members. Everyone who enters for the monthly prize now through Dec. 2 also will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize of a $1,000 travel gift certificate.

    Visitors can pick up a First Friday passport at participating locations (click here for a list). The passport must be stamped by at least four locations, and once visitors have all four stamps, they fill out their contact information and drop their passports in any of the First Friday Passport boxes that will be at all participating locations.

    Explore downtown with the First Friday Scavenger Hunt. Sponsored by updayton, participants should pick up a clue sheet in a First Friday Passport and be prepared to venture into the Oregon Arts District and along Wayne Avenue. Everyone who completed the hunt will end at a party at the Cannery Lofts, 500 E. Third St., featuring free beer, wine, snacks and a live DJ.

    The First Friday Passport Program is a great way to explore downtown.

    K12 Gallery for Young People/TEJAS, 510 E. Third St., will host Round 2 of Art-Off. The winners from Round 1 will battle new participants in this Iron Chef-like competition in which contestants compete with surprise materials. Audience members will vote for the artists, and Round 2 winners will compete for the Knot Award, a metal sculpture handmade by Hamilton Dixon, at a final event on Nov. 11. To sign up to participate, contact Kelly Sexton at 937-461-5149 or [email protected].

    Steamroller Prints: Flat-Out Fun will be held on the street level of the Transportation Center garage on the corner of Fifth Street and Patterson Boulevard (near the former Greyhound Bus terminal) from 5 to 9 p.m. as part of the second annual statewide gathering of Ohio print cooperatives. Watch master printers from throughout Ohio create enormous images made by inking a 4-by-4 foot linoleum block, covering it with paper and rolling over it with a steamroller.

    In addition, 45 smaller blocks carved by community members will be printed using this steamroller method. A limited number of blocks are available at the Dayton Visual Arts Center, 118 N. Jefferson St., which is hosting the event. Blocks are $10 each, which includes the opportunity to bring your block to the event, ink it and have it printed. Each participant will keep one print and the original carving; one signed print will be donated to DVAC.

    Print co-op members from throughout Ohio also will participate in an open portfolio at ThinkTV, 110 S. Jefferson St., from 5-9 p.m. Many unframed prints will be exhibited and offered for sale for a very reasonable price.

    Come taste Buckeye Vodka at the Victoria Theatre before the Projects Unlimited Variety Series presentation of The Flying Karamazov Brothers from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. The tasting includes free appetizers. For more information and a special price for the show, call Ticket Center Stage at 937-228-3630.

    Shakespeare for Life, a marathon relay reading of the Bard’s works, will start at 8 p.m. during First Friday. Free Shakespeare! and Optum Nurses for a Cure, a registered team with the Centerville chapter of Relay for Life, will present the relay 24 hours a day through 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at the Blue Sky Gallery, 33 N. Main St. The event kicks off with a reading of Julius Caesar, with the goal of reading all 37 plays, 154 sonnets and five poems credited to William Shakespeare. The event is a fundraiser for Optum Nurses for a Cure and Free Shakespeare! To volunteer or make a conation, contact [email protected].


    Each month, numerous downtown art galleries stay open late for the public.

    Gem City Circle Walking Tours will host two tours highlighting local history. A tour of the Oregon Arts District will meet in the Jay’s Seafood parking lot at 5 p.m., and the Ghosts, Cemeteries and Murders Walk of Downtown Dayton will meet at Courthouse Square at 7 p.m. All walks are $10 per person, and advance reservations are required. Contact Leon Bey, tour guide, at 274-4749 or email [email protected].

    A variety of roaming performers will provide entertainment (weather permitting). Courteous Mass, a community of bike-minded individuals, will meet at Don Crawford Plaza in front of Fifth Third Field at 5:15 p.m. for an urban street cycling ride through the city and First Friday action.

    Galleries and other venues throughout downtown will host exhibit openings, sales, live music and other special events, and restaurants, retail shops, bars and clubs, and other establishments throughout downtown will be open. For regular updates about this event, follow First Friday on Facebook or text “FirstFridayDayton” to 90210. First Friday is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership with support from AAA Miami Valley, the Oregon District Business Association, and WYSO-FM 91.3. The Downtown Dayton Partnership’s website has a complete list of downtown’s arts and cultural amenities, as well as a dining guide, parking map and much more. Click here for a complete list of events.

    The Waterski Team at the University of Dayton

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    Quack: (n) 1. The harsh, throaty cry of a duck or any similar sound. 2. Charlatan.

    -According to Dictionary.com

    Photo Credit: Jessica Harrigan

    Do you know the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the utterance of this onomatopoeia? The University of Dayton’s Waterski Team. No, this great group of people is not, by any means, going around pretending to be doctors as the second denotation of this word may suggest. There isn’t one member on the team that is a duck farmer, either. Actually, this word is what we chant while cheering each other on during the collegiate weekend tournaments. Yep—you guessed it. We proudly don the duck as the mascot of the UD Waterski Team.

    I know exactly what you’re thinking—“UD has a waterski team??” Yes. In fact, we do. The waterski club team was born about 12 years ago by three university students who had a passion for water sports and wanted to share this with their peers. Actually, one of the co-presidents has literally inherited his love for the team; George Cressy is the younger cousin of one of the students responsible for making it an official club sport at UD.

    So a special thank you to Jim Cressy for putting in all the hard work of originally organizing this club, which “is one of the best things you can ever do in your life,” according to fellow co-president Jessica Harrigan’s testament. Along with accumulating years, our team has grown in skill and number since its beginning over a decade ago. Most recently, we have added a South American Champion skier, a sophomore international student named Michael Woodman. But, more important than anything, the love of the sport has grown over the years through the members of this tight-knit skiing community, as well as our love for one another. I’m probably embarrassing Jesse by including this, but our co-president (Jesse) and social chair (Jack Klass) literally found love through their years with the Dayton Waterski Team and are engaged to be married next September! But overall, the experience of being part of this unique club team has been described as “awesome”, “superb”, and “pretty darn great”.

    So you’re probably wondering what exactly we do at these tournaments besides make great friendships and get to hang out at a lake all weekend. Being my first year on the team, I am by no means an expert on the happenings of tournaments, but with a little help from George and Jesse, I hope to be able to give a pretty accurate description. So here are the basic need-to-knows:

    1. There are three events: slalom, trick, and jump. You get two attempts to “get up” for each event.
    2. Slalom— Scoring depends on the speed of the boat, the length of the ski rope, and how many buoys you are able to go around consecutively. First, you must make it through the “gates”—two buoys located at the beginning of the course (which always happens to be my downfall). After the gates you must zigzag around six buoys and then make it through another set of gates at the end of the course. A skier receives more points for making it around all six buoys, even at a lower boat speed.
    3. Trick— Certain tricks are performed on trick skis (short and fat skis without fins which equal super-squirrelly skiing) or a wakeboard. Each trick is assigned a certain number of points.
    4. Jump— In the words of George Cressy: “It’s a distance thing, in feet.” So, you strap on some huge jump skis, a helmet (don’t worry moms and dads), a cushioned jump suit, and some gloves. You pick what speed you’d like and before you know it, you’re headed at a 5-foot tall ramp. Now how do you land a jump? Jesse’s key piece of advice: “Knees, Trees, Freeze.” This translates to bending your knees, looking up at the trees in the distance, and freezing your posture. Then, hope for the best. The best part about jump, in my opinion, is sitting lakeside and watching the really great skiers hit distances in the 140 foot range and also watching the newbies have some pretty epic crashes into the water.

    NOTE: NO SKIERS WERE HURT DURING THE RESEARCH FOR THIS ARTICLE

    Below is a video of one our co- presidents, Jesse Harrigan, jumping in our first tournament of the year:

    [yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsiRMH0Q5Wc’]

    Video provided by Jessica Harrigan

    But the best part of the tournaments as a whole? No one is critical of how skilled you are as a skier. In fact, at some of the tournaments a few people got up on two skis for the first time in their lives. I think Jesse phrased it best when she said, “Everyone just wants to help each other do their best.” This camaraderie really makes the waterski tournaments a great time to be had by all.

    Basically, as George described, we are “an organization devoted to having fun while skiing, not necessarily winning competitions.” So, if you’re a UD student, step out of your comfort zone and try something a little different and extremely fun. I’m sure if you have any questions, George and Jesse would be more than happy to answer them. And all those not enrolled at Dayton, come out and support your local waterski team or start a club of your own! Who knows? You might even be lucky enough to find your fiancé, but one thing is for certain—you’ll eat more than enough $0.88/pack hotdogs to last you a lifetime and you’ll have a blast while doing it.

    But as for finding the love of your life—Jesse and Jack may just be “lucky ducks”. Now that’s a knee-slapper.

    Tweetin’ at the Opera

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    Friday Nite Tweet Seats – Tweet from your Seat!

    New this season, The Dayton Opera is excited to extend an invitation to local young professionals and their guests to experience an opera-tunity to network and socialize before and after Dayton Opera performances. Friday Nite Tweet Seats — sponsored by DP&L –will allow you to let your Twitter followers know what’s going on at the opera in a reserved seating section. As an exclusive offer only to young professionals, enjoy a pre-performance gathering prior to the show, reserved seating for the performances and an after-party at the Dayton Racquet Club with the cast and crew … all for only $15.

    Join the party for the Friday October 21 performances of La Bohème, the Friday, February 24 performance of Romeo and Juliet, and the Thursday May 17 and Friday May 18 performances of The Tragedy of Carmen and tweet and text your thoughts about the opera! Tickets are available online at www.daytonopera.org and, when ordering, enter the code TWEET. You can visit or call Ticket Center Stage in the Schuster Center at 228-3630 and ask for a Friday Nite Tweet Seat.

    Please remember…Texting and tweeting during performances is permitted only in designated Friday Nite Tweet Seat areas. Phones must be muted and phone conversations are not permitted.

    Do College Students Vote?

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    It’s no secret that college students can be counted among some of the most opinionated people when it comes to politics. As a college student, I’ve had more conversations about politics when I’m on campus than I do when I’m off campus. But if students can be so fired up about politics, why don’t we see more of them at the polls on a regular basis?

    As a habitual voter myself, I didn’t have the answer. So I sought out a few of my fellow students and asked about their voting habits. The majority of the students I interviewed claimed to have never voted or only for the presidential elections. Only one student, James Reeves, said he voted regularly, knew what was on the Ohio ballot for this November, and planned to vote in the coming months. The response was about what I had expected from my peers, but I came away with a better understanding behind their choices.

    The overall theme coming from the non-voting students or those who only voted for presidential elections was the accessibility and convenience of voting, or lack thereof from their perspective.

    “I would love to [vote] but I can’t.” said Rebecca Crouse. She went on to say that although she wants to vote, she finds that her school schedule is too packed during fall quarters on Tuesdays. Crouse added there wasn’t time to drive half an hour back home to vote when the polls opened and by the time her classes ended on Tuesdays, the polls were closed. Kelsey Chance says she never votes because she doesn’t have a car to make it home to vote.

    “I would vote more often if I was at home,” said Jason Johnston. As a student from Pennsylvania, getting home to vote is out of the question. “It’s an inconvenience that I can’t deal with right now.”

    So when it comes to voting in-person, it seems that time and transportation are the biggest factors keeping students from the polls. I noticed that when interviewing Reeves, he mentioned that his designated polling station was less than a minute from his house and he had a car to get there. The same could be said for me, I have a car and my designated polling station is around two or three minutes from my apartment. These two factors of time and transportation might indeed be the difference between voting and non-voting students.

    When the topic of absentee ballots came up, all non-voting and irregular voting students were frustrated with the idea. For them, absentee ballots are a pain to get and one more thing to do in their busy schedules. Most students have to go through a few extra, and sometimes irritating, steps to get their absentee ballots. This is because the mailing services that many colleges and universities give students are P.O. Boxes or similar. Most, if not all, absentee ballot processes will not allow the mailing of a ballot to a P.O. Box and students who can’t make it home to pick up an absentee ballot before the deadlines are out of luck.

    This November, at least in Ohio, we have some pretty big issues on the ballot including Senate Bill 5 and Federal Health Care. These are issues that fire up any political conversation, perhaps particularly on a college campus. However, although they are charged about what’s going on in politics, student voters like Johnston and Crouse aren’t following what’s going on the ballots or in state politics.

    “Not being able to vote, what’s the point in keeping track?” Crouse said. It seems like many college students are reactionary when it comes to politics. Unless it gets high media attention, they don’t go out of their way to find out what’s going on in state legislature. They want to have their say in politics, but feel they’re blocked from doing so from a lack of accessibility to polling stations and the inconvenience of absentee ballots.

    Perhaps in a society that increasingly demands convenience, students and others would like to see more accessibility when it comes to voting. Currently, the difficulties of voting outweigh the importance of voting for many students. For students going to colleges out of state, students without cars, and students who feel they don’t have the time to spare, the solution isn’t entirely clear. What is clear are the powerful feelings that spark across the campus when it comes to politics. At the very least, many students have every intention of voting more regularly when they have the transportation and time to spare to participate.