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Calzones, Community & Culture Works: Help Milano’s support local arts in Dayton

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On select days in May, Milano’s Atlantic City Submarines will be doing their part to help support Dayton’s rich and vibrant arts community.

Every Wednesday in May, Milano’s will donate 20% of each sale to Culture Works, the united arts fund and service agency that provides funds and services for many non-profit art agencies in the Greater Dayton area.

All three restaurant locations are participating in the promotion.

Present this flyer to a staff member at Milano’s on the designated days to donate a portion of your sale to Culture Works.

9572 Springboro Pike, Miamisburg

2260 N. Fairfield Road, Beavercreek

1834 Brown Street, Dayton

May 5, 12, 19 and 26.

Family (Farm) Planning

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Hello, I’m Holly Michael –  farm wife, mother, blogger , DMM crazy headline writer and communications professional who has worked at some of Dayton’s largest companies. I straddle the sometimes equally stinky worlds of agriculture and corporate life, so you don’t have to

Our young but enthusiastic barn crew

Our young but enthusiastic barn crew

It’s absolutely incredible but the farmer I married, a man who can visit the entire grocery and emerge only with the food he needs for the next 20 minutes of his life, chose gilts in August to breed in September to birth in February to sell in April–all so they can be shown at the county fair again in September. Whew.

The output of all that planning ahead culminated in our annual spring pig sale (auction) last weekend. We sell young pigs (about 30-80 pounds) to 4-H members and their parents from across the country. After they leave our sale, the pigs are raised all summer by 4-H kids and then shown at county or state fairs.

As I mentioned above, ensuring you have the right pigs on hand for the sale  involves months of pre-planning. In the weeks leading up to the auction, we also had a lot of work to do. And when I say “we,” I really mean my husband and his helpers.

Each pig selected for the sale was groomed beforehand. My husband and his pig clipping guru, Claude’, gave each pig a haircut. Yes, pigs have coarse hair that is clipped short to make them look more appealing to pig buyers.

My husband and Claude’ spent the week leading up to the sale giving 125 pig haircuts. The morning of the auction, a crew of farmers came over to load five trailers full of pigs to head to the Preble County Fairgrounds. Once they arrived, my husband, kids, nephews and other 4-H members washed all 125 pigs.

Washing a pig is kind of like washing a car–if the car was running in circles and pooping on your boots.

Spring Spectacular Club Pig Sale

Spring Spectacular Club Pig Sale

By afternoon, customers started arriving to check out the pigs and make notes on which ones they want to bid on. I arrived about two hours before the sale to set up my 20 year-old laptop and dot matrix printer that I use, along with a great team of family and friends, to clerk the sale. We give out buyers numbers and take the money as people cash out.

We hire an auctioneer, although, my son is getting pretty good at selling pigs to his brother in the play room.

The sale was a huge success. We sold pigs for $100 to $1,000 each.

Unbelievably, selling 125 pigs didn’t really make a dent in the number of pigs we have here on the farm. My husband still has all the sows (mothers) that had these little pigs. Once we see how they did at the pig shows this summer and fall, it will be time to start this process over again and the man who starts his Christmas shopping on December 21 will plan ahead for yet another spring sale.

Wright State & Downtown Dayton

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Ohio State, University of Kentucky, and even University of Dayton are all located in the middle of a city. Clubs, restaurants, and bars are all in walking distance from the campus and students are offered much to do close by. Having a large number of non-traditional students, Wright State students seek different forms of entertainment. Being located in a suburb rather than downtown of a city, WSU students turn to downtown Dayton as an option to go out. I personally have been downtown numerous times to go out. I feel fairly safe with a group of friends and have a lot of fun at the local dance clubs. But, I wanted to see what other WSU students thought of downtown. So I turned asked some questions regarding downtown and got some answers. I thought that many people would not like downtown, but I was surprised by students actually going downtown.

Junior Caitlin Buenning, enjoys going down for the theater productions. “I generally like Downtown–I think it’s come a long way. The Schuster Center and Victoria Theater bring in a lot of business and really bring a rich variety of arts to Dayton.”  Along with theater productions the festivals and shows bring her downtown. “I’m pretty familiar with Downtown. I love Riverscape in the summers, and I really love going to the Schuster Center. There are some good places to eat, too.” Buenning doesn’t worry too much about the crime, she says that “there is some crime in some of the parts of the city, but mostly just in neighborhoods.”

Sophomore China Taylor has some thoughts regarding the crime downtown. “I really think that people should visit Downtown more. The crime rates scare people away, but in all honesty crime happens any where. Downtown is a fun place to hang out even as college students and I really think people and students should take advantage of all the events Downtown, Dayton.”  Just as Buenning, Taylor enjoys the festivals and shows downtown has to offer.

A fairly positive response to downtown if I do say so myself. From Dragons games to clubbing and theater performances to fireworks shows, Dayton really does have a lot to offer for college students to do. We just have to get up and go rather than expecting the entertainment to come to us. Some WSU students commute up for 45 minutes to come to class, we are all different students. The “traditional” student isn’t necessarily “traditional” for Wright State.  Downtown offers much variety for us when we need to close the books and have some fun.

Grab a glass, a degree and skip town

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Remember freshman year: running through the dorms, partying in the student neighborhood and a little bit of school work thrown in. Now it’s senior year. The hangover has subsided, school is ending and you need a job. Stay in Dayton? This is not the first choice among many University of Dayton students.

Many UD students are forgoing any opportunities to work in Dayton after graduating and prefer to move back home or to a more scenic location. Bigger cities like Chicago, New York and Cleveland continue to draw students away every year.

Even though the university attempts to get its students to stay in Dayton, some of them just don’t like the appeal of the city and how hard it is getting hit by the recession.

Former NCR Corp. office in Dayton, Ohio, in 2009 AP Photo/Dayton Daily News, Ron Alvey

“The city of Dayton doesn’t have a strong job market,” said UD alumni Anthony Fantone. “There are few things that the city could do outside of warming up the economic environment to encourage business back to the greater Dayton area.” With NCR Corporation leaving Dayton last summer, the biggest opportunity for graduating seniors seems to be Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and even that has few openings to students other than ones involved in engineering.

While UD has done more over the past few years to help out its students with various job fairs and internship openings for companies in the Dayton area, a more intensive effort needs to be made. Professors make internships known by mass e-mails and in-office flyers, but many students find it hard to secure themselves an internship close by. “I’ve seen a lot of internship opportunities for the entire semester, but not many really for the summer, which I think would be more logical for UD students,” said UD finance major Matthew Cuculic.

UD created a site called the Hire a Flyer Network that allows students to search for jobs and internships in their specific field. The site was developed to help students find work, but many job postings are for out of state or out of the area work.

The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton where various shows and concerts are performed

The city of Dayton could also do its part to keep students from leaving. “They should highlight some of the gems of the city of Dayton, and try and get people more involved in the community,” said graduating senior Lauren Kort. Some organizations like the Downtown Dayton Partnership try and get students involved in activities other than those found on campus, and make a conscious effort to get them to stay. UD students rarely venture beyond Miami Valley Hospital when it comes to downtown Dayton, so a little push needs to be made to get them involved in the surrounding community.

The university should make it a requirement for each student to apply for an internship, or at least discuss after school plans with their academic advisor. If the university and the city of Dayton do not make some kind of increased effort over the next few years, they will see a further decline in students interested in staying in The Gem City.

Dayton is going to the dogs: Furry Skurry 2010

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The Humane Society of Greater Dayton will hold its 19th annual Furry Skurry fundraiser on Saturday, May 8.

Check-in for the annual event begins at 8:30 a.m. at Miami Valley Hospital South (off Wilmington); the walk begins at 10:00 a.m.  Participants can walk solo (with their pet) or form teams of walkers.

The walk, which starts at Miami Valley Hospital South Campus and ends at the Dayton Care Center in Centerville, will  take place rain or shine!

Furry Skurry 2009. Photo courtesy of Humane Society of Greater Dayton.

Festivities will include:

  • Food from City Barbeque
  • A Flea (less) Market
  • Pet/Person Look-alike, Best Pet Kisser,
    Best Costume and Best Trick contests
  • A raffle, with a chance to win a 50″ flat panel TV, an Apple Ipad, and a $250 gift card to Complete Petmart

You can register for this event in person at the shelter on 1661 Nicholas Road, online at www.humanesocietydayton.org, by mail or by calling (937) 262- 5920.

The Furry Skurry raises funds that provide for the food, shelter and veterinary care of  dogs in the Dayton area.  Last year’s walk attracted more than 1,400 participants.

Click here to download a brochure for Furry Skurry 2010!

East End, Twin Towers, and Dayton’s New Colossus

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Twin Towers, Dayton OhioUnder all is the land. A simple statement that begins the Realtor’s Code of Ethics, but a larger idea that is beginning to drive my thoughts, this idea that real estate creates freedom. I’m not talking about financial freedom, although that is certainly a possibility. I’m thinking of the specific, unique, and completely human independence that land ownership creates. We are a nation of land owners- a remarkable thing, would you agree? Property ownership in America removes dependence on a landlord, or a government, something that many of us take for granted, however, the right to own property, and a government created to protect its citizen’s right to own property, is extraordinary.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Leah Werner from the East End Community Development Center and she told me about the changes that home ownership was bringing to the Twin Towers neighborhood in East Dayton. You know that neighborhood, don’t you? History has not been kind to this community as property values have plummeted, and development and reinvestment has been minimal. A high percentage of renters can create a large community of people who are dependent on someone else for the very basic human need of shelter. The East End CDC is working within the neighborhood to recreate a community of home owners. By tearing down the worst of the blight, by rebuilding property that is secure, safe, healthy, the Twin Towers Community is creating a neighborhood that once again celebrates a citizen’s right to own property. As Leah told me, “Housing plays an integral part in the success of families.”

Leah told me about a young mother and her sons who are moving back to Twin Towers from the suburb of Kettering. This mother wants to live next to her father, a long term renter who lives in rehabbed bungalow. Her sons will take advantage of Ruskin Elementary and the sense of ownership that Ruskin has created among the parents in that area. The mother will live in one of the homes that the East End CDC helped to build- infill housing that will plant roots for a family, and seeds of development for a community.

This work of transforming neighborhoods is hard work. It’s knuckle-busting, red tape slicing, cultural divide leaping work that in older neighborhoods throughout Dayton, can only happen family by family, house by house. In other parts of the country entire neighborhoods are built, one neighborhood right after another. Tidy rows of stucco and red tile roofs, for miles and miles- *Poof* a neighborhood is created. *Poof* a community of like minded people, all with similar experiences moves in and it’s rather comfy that way, isn’t it? The story of Twin Towers, however, is a personal journey taken by each resident, one family at a time: This home is 100 years old, this home is brand new: This family is from Appalachia, that gentleman is from Rwanda: This path to freedom is messier, taken in small steps and private victories.

I’m thinking of what land ownership must have meant to the immigrants in my own family. How did the hills of Kentucky hold the key to freedom for the Irish patriarch who went into the mines every day? What did the home on the banks of the Ohio River mean to the Austrians who left everything they knew, just for the opportunity to create a life from their own hard work?

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. …

The Twin Towers of St Mary stand as Dayton’s New Colossus- a melting pot of Latino, Eastern European, African, Middle Eastern refugees and immigrants who are transforming this neighborhood one family at a time, creating new generations who are beginning to understand that the right to own property is the key to independence and freedom.

… Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
-Emma Lazarus

Ten to Fourteen

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WSUFall of 2012, Wright State will join the rest of Ohio universities on the semester school schedule. Nearly 90% of Ohio’s higher education institutes are on the semester schedule. With everyone on the same school schedule, transferring credits will become easier. A semester credit hour weighs more than a quarter’s credit hour. Wright State is doing everything they can to ensure that the students who will be affected by the semester change don’t fall behind. It is encouraged to meet with university advisers to create a plan to stay on track. I have my own transfer story.

I began my college career at Miami University Middletown, a semester school. When I made the decision to transfer to Wright State I had a year and a half of credits earned. My parents and I were highly concerned that I would lose some, if not all, of the credits I had just earned. Luckily for me, I did not lose a single credit and kept on track for graduation. I didn’t mind the semester schedule. I actually really enjoyed the semester schedule. Being in a class for 14 weeks allowed me to really get to know my classmates and feel comfortable with my professors. I felt like I had all the time in the world to accomplish work and things were slower-paced. Once I transferred to Wright State it was a huge shock. I had been used to having four extra weeks to accomplish work and get used to my classes. Now I was down to ten weeks to do everything I was used to doing in 14. But after one quarter I was hooked on the quarter system. I felt like time flew by, my classes never felt as though they were dragging on and just as they began to, it was time for finals and either winter, spring, or summer break.

AJohn Parkinson lthough he won’t be affected by the change, senior John Parkinson said “I think  overall the change to semesters will help Wright State University. It will allow transferring to be done more smoothly as well as making classes not so rushed. Students will be able to breathe and not always rush to get things done.”

Michelle Coale But for sophomore Michelle Coale, an education major expected to graduate in 2013 the semester   switch is a bit fearful. “I absolutely am fearful that the semester switch will affect my grades. I care a lot about my academic performance, and I try to keep my grades high. However, I’ve often found myself in a class where I’m slowly slipping farther and farther towards a lower grade. I feel semesters will only worsen this habit.”

Watch out Ohio, all of the college kids will be away at school and back at home during the same time soon! Brace yourself!

Will Dayton be among the Bike Friendly?

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images-88Dayton is making it’s move to become the 2nd Bike Friendly Community in Ohio.  In the last few months the City of Dayton has formed a community wide bike and pedestrian task force lead my Commissioner Nan Whaley, striped bike lanes on downtown roads, produced a transportation based bike map for the entire city limits, and most of all, completed and submitted a Bike Friendly Community Application to the League of American Bicyclists.

In the next few weeks the League of American Bicylists plans to announce the 2010 Bike Friendly Community award winners.  Currently only 1 community holds this honor, Columbus, who was named just last fall as the first Bike Friendly Community in Ohio.  Other communities such as Riverside have submitted an application yeilding only an Honorable Mention (meaning, “Not there yet but keep up the good work!”).

2010 submissions were made from two Miami Valley communities, the City of Dayton and the City of Troy.  Both have a very active cycling community and are invested in working toward making the entire Miami Valley a more bike friendly region.  The only other submission in Ohio, to my knowledge, was from Shaker Heights, in the Cleveland Area.

Keep your eyes open for the announcements coming soon.  Good Luck to both Troy and Dayton, the Outdoor Evangelist is rooting for you both.

If you are looking for other exciting cycling related events, visit Drive Less Live More for exciting new programs and event in 2010 such as Bike to the Dragons Games, an expanded Bike to Work Day event list, Bike to It Concert Series at Dave Hall Plaza and of course, one of my favorites, the Courteous Mass and Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights Rides .

3rd Annual Hunks in Heels Event coming May 8th

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hunks_heels-1161An event created so that men in our community can honor the women in their lives and the balancing act they perform by racing around the track at the Greene on Saturday, May 8th at 2pm. While this sounds like great fun, and in fact is, what makes these hunks even more special is that they do all of this to support Clothes That Work. CEOs, community leaders, firefighters, and even that guy down the street are undeniably hunky when strapping on a pair of heels to help provide interview appropriate clothing and image training for those looking to enter or reenter the workforce. Swooning and giggles, guaranteed.  You can enter Hunks In Heels as an individual or a team, contact Lacie at 937-416.8503 for more information.

Last years Best Legs champ, Vince Corrado

Last years Best Legs champ, Vince Corrado

New this year is the online BEST LEGS competition. Nineteen of our true community leaders have let us turn them into eye candy  for a great cause.  With help from photographer Andy Snow, each of our hunks has two photo’s on line for your viewing pleasure.  Help us pick the winner with your votes!  Each vote is $5 and  benefits Clothes That Work. The cost to aid one job-seeker with wardrobe and image assistance is about $135, so vote early and often!

UPDATE!!

Here is a video of the event – special thanks to our friend Sherif Hedayat (always good for a laugh!)

Urban Nights – Spring 2010

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DowntownSkylineYes it is almost time for another Urban Nights in Downtown Dayton!  This twice-per-year event showcases all that Downtown Dayton has to offer and has become one of the most popular events in the entire region.  For more info, check out the clip below:

Spring cleaning in southeast Dayton

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easy-volunteer-activities-for-kids-3Dayton-area residents are invited to participate in Southeast Clean-up Day, scheduled for Saturday, April 24, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will work in targeted areas in southeast Dayton neighborhoods to pick up litter and beautify public areas.

Volunteers should register in advance by calling 225-4999 and report to the Bomberger Teen Center (1306 E Fifth St.) by 8:30 a.m. Parking is available at the Bomberger Center and at the nearby Liederkranz-Turner Center and Stivers School for the Arts. Gloves and trash bags will be provided.

More than 150 volunteers are expected to join in via Global Youth Service Day, a national program encouraging young people to complete community service projects, the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area and Disney Rewards.

Southeast Clean-up Day is coordinated by the City of Dayton Division of Citizen Participation and the Southeast Priority Board.

WSU Annual Military Appreciation Game

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WSUThe Wright State Raiders will square off against the University of Dayton Flyers for WSU’s Fifth Annual Military Appreciation Night at Nischwitz Stadium on Wednesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m.

Military ID holders and one additional guest will be admitted free.

media-C76C9EDEThe WSU Athletic Department will recognize members of the Jr. and Sr. Cadet Corps between innings.  A raffle, interactive games and prize giveaways are scheduled before the game.

Regular admission for the event is $2.00 per person, discounted from $5.00.  Student admission is free.

For additional information, please visit www.wsuraiders.com or call 937-775-2763.

I Remember…

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logo_wsuWhen I was a little girl, I remember going to my dad’s office for take your son or daughter to work day. We always did all sorts of things and I remember how awesome it was to see where my dad worked and what he did every day. Well, Wright State is participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, April 22. This national program will allow kids ages 8-18 visit the workplace and get to see what a day in the life of their parent or close family friend is like. What is cool about bringing a child to a place like Wright State is that they get to see what an extraordinary place a college is; especially one like Wright State. Wright State has so much diversity and that was one of the many factors that drew me to this school.  There is every type of student lingering through the buildings and sidewalks of the campus. It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids and teens see such diversity because many of us grow up in neighborhoods that match our image. For the high school kids, this is an awesome opportunity for them to check out Wright State and consider it for college! The more Raiders the better!

On the topic of diversity, Wright State will be welcoming John Corvino, Ph.D April 20, 2010 at 7:00 in the Apollo Room. Dr. Corvino will be speaking about the myths of homosexuality and morality that have been around since the 1990s, a presentation named “What’s Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?” With homosexuality being such a controversial issue for most, this would be a neat opportunity for anyone and everyone to listen in on. Chances are, you’ll learn something you never knew before, and who knows, maybe it could change your entire opinion. We each like to be heard when it comes to our personal opinions and I believe that what makes us better at standing up for what we personally believe in, is learning about the opposing side. The tickets are free and open to the public.

Lastly, as a follow up on last week’s sports blog, the Wright State men’s baseball team will be battling it out against the UD Flyers Wednesday April 21 at 6:30 p.m. The game is at home at the Nischwitz Stadium behind the Nutter Center. But, what makes this game special is that it is the WSU Annual Military Appreciation Game. All Military ID holders get in free to the game as well as one guest, for any additional guests it is $2. ROTC units from both universities will be there to honor the men and women of the military and a recently deployed OHANG solider will have the honor of delivering the first pitch. There will be baseball bingo, raffle giveaways, concession specials and prizes during the game! So come out, support the Raiders and our military!

Young Creatives Summit – Opinion

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summit-3719Okay – so one more Summit behind us…  Almost 150 participants pre-registered, about 25 people came as walk-ups, and there were 100+ volunteers involved in different aspects of the event.  So – we’re talking about 275 at the Dayton Convention Center working on getting young, creative professionals and students engaged in the region.  Not bad for a few hours on a Friday.  Now for my opinions on it: There were obvious improvements from last year (added professional development and networking opportunities and really, really streamlined the final voting process) and a couple aspects that people didn’t love as much (the move from Saturday to Friday).  Let’s talk about the good and the not-so-good from the Young Creatives Summit.

First – some FYIs:
1)  Keep in mind that the mission of updayton is about young talent retention and attraction.  So – building toward that – the Summit is about getting the largest number of young people excited about these projects.  We’re going for the people who still wonder, “What’s in Dayton?” and “Should I move away?”  And about the projects – would an individual or government taking action implement it quicker, better, and bigger?  Maybe – but remember that we’re about the engagement process, and for that you need lots of people and group buy-in.  Hence the all-powerful dot voting (at least no clickers!).
2)  There’s been a lot of behind the scenes work happening in prep for the Summit, and for every survey, focus group, and session – we listen and actually keep the info people tell us (I hate going to sessions where you share your ideas and then all the work ends up in the trash).  So – if something was “magically unveiled” during your breakout session or if questions were pre-plugged into your workshop session, it’s because over the course of the last two years our participants have stated those concerns and asked for solutions.  Want to know more? Read some of our research here.

Now that you know the “why,” here are some general thoughts.  YEA!  Overall, we are really excited about the success of the Summit and happy with the outcome.  We just came out of a great town-hall where people were engaged and active, and community leaders were seeing young professionals stating their concerns about the region.  We aren’t asking for the government to solve our problems, but we’re letting them know our top concerns – and if they’re smart, they’ll remember what we need/want!  It was good.  And it went smoothly.  And it was fun.  And it’s only 5:20 PM. And as soon as I’m done with this, I’m going to the afterparty.  =)

So – going through the Summit session by session:

Registration went smoothly and participants had the opportunity to have some lunch and learn about some organizations (employers, resources, and YP groups) they might not have known about.  After a welcome from Scott Murphy, the project lead, participants headed off to break-out sessions to get the juices flowing and talk about their ideas for Dayton.  We tried to keep the sessions smaller this year to let the conversation flow and get some really good dialogue.  Still had about 15 people per room, but some great stuff came out of it.

After the break-outs we moved on to the skills workshops.  This was a new part of the Summit, and we’re pretty excited about it.  A lot of people from our 2009 action plans struggled with the actual implementation of their projects.  Kinda like when you’re an entrepreneur – you might be really good at your specialization, but you might not know how to run a business.  We wanted to provide some of the basics of community projects before we sent our participants out the door.  It was also a great way to highlight twelve of the local young professional organizations in the region.  Overall, it went smoothly – people provided the questions they wanted asked during online registration, so we didn’t have to waste time with people raising hands.   Some were exciting and fun – some were a little more “dry.”  The other challenge (con) is that so many people with different backgrounds are in the same session – we had development professionals and people who had never written a grant in their life sitting in the fundraising sessions.  So – there’s no way to meet all needs, but the workshops did what they were intended to do: give a crash course in the skills that people need to advance their projects.  And we are so grateful for our panelists – there are people in the top of their field who took the time to come and share their knowledge with the next generation of community and business leaders.

Then we get to the Town Hall.  Everyone coming back together with only about 25 minutes remaining.  Time to kick-it into high-speed.  Thanks to Andre Wilson (updayton vice-chair who’s responsible for everything starting in 2011), we got back, settled, and ready to go.  The new format seemed to work a lot better.  For those who don’t know (technical difficulties aside), last year EVERYONE got to vote on every project that came back to the town hall.  When devising this year’s Summit, it didn’t seem fair that a some projects didn’t get any love because people weren’t interested in that particular topic.  So, this year people split up in the Town Hall and picked one topic to discuss and make the final decision on.  Although it would have been cool to be in the discussions and hear what everyone else was up to, we wanted participants to know that one project out of their topic will be selected by the end of the day.  There are pros and cons, but overall, I think it led to better focus as well as making it go quicker.  Still ran a bit over, but 5:10 isn’t a problem, especially when the afterparty starts at 5:30.

To end the day, Adam Coatney, chair of one of the 2009 projects got up to talk a bit about how the process works.  Maybe we don’t offer a lot of money and maybe we’re not making a huge impact in highly-visual ways, but when 2009 participants of the Summit drive down Wayne Avenue, they know that it’s because of them that there are murals on those walls, the street is cleaner, and lights are going up to make it more walkable.  And people know that because they demanded an “online resource hub” that Billy and DMM worked with volunteers (and the cash we could provide) to make-over this site.  But it’s not just about the projects, it about the fact that 250 people came together to have their say in making the region more user-friendly – it’s about the involvement.  But project are GREAT.  Feasible projects do come out of the Summit and we’re excited for the ones we’ll be starting soon:

Entrepreneurship – “Make me over, Dayton”  This group is going to connect entrepreneurs to opportunities in building deconstruction.  Groups hope to deconstruct old houses and businesses – get sellable materials out, clean it up, and re-purpose it for another viable project (be it a home office for an entrepreneur or not).  The goal is to clean up the neighborhoods as well as provide a business experience.  The group is aware of Deconstruction Depot and they hope to team with them as they move forward.
Diversity – “Greater Dayton Stories”  This group wants to overcome the negative press by creating weekly videos, radio stories, or press releases that highlight the good news in Dayton.  They want to promote the positive stories from all areas of the region and demonstrate the people who are making Dayton great.
Entertainment – “Street Buzz”  This group will be throwing weekly parties to create some buzz around town.  Young creatives will know that there will always be something happening with the Street Buzz.  They will create hot spots around town by moving to different neighborhoods for the weekly party, and they will advocate to close 5th Ave to street traffic.

Communities – “Howdy Neighbor”  This group will partner with neighborhood associations and priority boards to recognize the good work that is being done by individuals in the neighborhoods.  They intend to highlight the people who are creating vibrant spaces and work to create a sense of community.  Using South Park (and other revitalized neighborhoods) s a model, they can create a weekly newsletter and format other ways to let neighbors know about the good work that’s being done.

At this point, the projects are a little nebulous, but that’s the way these things start.  (Also, I could have missed the point a little bit – there was a LOT going on.)  It’s at the action plan launch that the details will start to come together.  If you want to be a part of it – the launch is on Monday, May 3 at c{space starting at 6 PM.  Although our mission is to engage young creatives in the region, anyone who wants to be a part of the change is welcome to join us.

I know it wasn’t a perfect event – and we’ll make more improvements next year.  So, add your comments below or link to your blog where you can tell us your thoughts.  We can all stand to do a little better, but remember: updayton is a group of volunteers working to plug the brain drain, giving young people a say in the future of the region, and inviting young creatives to dig in and be part of the change that makes the region more vibrant and accessible to them.

And overall – thanks for coming!

(sorry I rambled – long day and off to that after-party now)

Looking for a new furry friend? Humane Society holds adoption event this weekend.

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adopt The Humane Society of Greater Dayton will hold an Adoptathon event at Coldstone Creamery this Saturday, April 17 at the Greene.

Interested parties can find a new friend between the hours of 12 and 3 pm.

All animals have been:

  • Spayed or neutered
  • Vaccinated
  • Heartworm or feline leukemia and FIV tested
  • Examined by a veterinarian
  • Flea treated and microchipped

Below are adoption prices.

Puppy -$120

Adult Dog- $105

Kitten- $65

Adult Cat- $55

Additionally, 15% of the proceeds from ice cream sales during the event will go toward the care of  animals at the Humane Society’s shelter located at 1661 Nicholas Road.

Help give a dog or cat a new leash lease on life!

City seeks name for new recreational center

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DBeatlogoComInThe City of Dayton Department of Recreation and Human Services is seeking public input on the naming of a new recreational facility located at 2014 W. Third St.

The 45,000 sq.-ft. multi-purpose rec center, slated to open in late summer, will house a fitness facility, indoor running/walking track, a senior lounge, a game room, an indoor family aquatic center and a computer room.

Submissions must be received by Apr. 19.

Guidelines and additional information can be found here: