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Jonathan Larson’s RENT @ C{Space in Downtown Dayton

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Jonathan Larson's RENT at C{Space June 3-5 www.RENTdayton.org

Jonathan Larson's RENT at C{Space June 3-5 www.RENTdayton.org ~ Win Tickets Below!

On June 3rd Encore Theater Company will open it’s summer season of musicals with a show which has become a cornerstone for the musical theater world of the past decade and a half.  ETC will present Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical RENT in C{space on three evenings next week, and if you don’t plan ahead, you just might miss out this highly provocative production in a truly unique downtown venue (Saturday is nearly sold out & tickets are selling fast for the other performances).

The musical, which is based loosely on Puccini’s opera La Boheme, follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York’s East Village.  AIDS and both it’s physical and emotional complications pervade these characters as they struggle to find their place in a quickly changing world.

Maureen & Joanne in RENT www.RENTdayton.org

We think of RENT as this iconic “rock opera” legend but what RENT was saying and how it was saying it was revolutionary in 1996 and the theater world has never been the same.  The number of doors RENT opened for new musical theatre writers was unprecedented.  Shows that have followed – like SPRING AWAKENING & 2010’s AMERICAN IDIOT (Yes, the GreenDay one) –  are indebted to Larson & his show for their success.  RENT’s influence is still profound in shows opening today, fourteen years after it quietly opened it’s Off-Broadway run the night after Larson died of an aortic aneurysm.

When talking with cast members of the show, it’s interesting, almost comical actually, to realize that for many of them, their first knowledge of this show was the 2005 film version.  As depressing as that is to this almost-40-year-old, who could’ve been in the original Broadway cast (if he could act & sing that is), it’s also refreshing.  This cast is approaching this material with such an infectious energy!  They are exploring the souls of these characters, but through a new point of view, in a very different world.

Drew Bown as "Roger" in RENT www.RENTdayton.org
“To be able to experience something so beyond myself in sharing with my fellow castmates and it’s viewers, the very real struggle that these characters live through has been life-changing.  This chance to live in love, to spread the message to carry on and be thankful every single day has been a gift.”

Drew Bowen, “Roger”

JJ Parkey as "Mark" in RENT www.RENTdayton.org
“Being a part of RENT is something deeply profound that I’ve strived for in my art and I finally have the chance to play my dream role.  I’ll carry with me the artistic lessons that I’ve learned from this production as I pursue my stage career.”

JJ Parkey, “Mark”

Since ETC carries as its mission the development and preservation of new musical theatre, it seemed only fitting that we honor Jonathon Larson – the pioneer who made our work and our mission possible.  Along with a unique group of collaborators including C}Space, Sinclair Community College Theatre Department, AIDS Resource Center of Ohio, and Project Runway Finalist Althea Harper, ETC invites you to rediscover why you fell in love with RENT all over again and see this generation-defining musical in a fresh innovative production against the backdrop of one of Downtown’s Dayton’s most unique spaces.

Maureen & Joanne in RENT www.RENTdayton.org

Jonathan Larson’s RENT will play June 3, 4 & 5 in downtown Dayton’s C{space at 7:30pm each evening. An additional 11:30pm performance will take place on Friday, June 4th. Tickets for the event are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.  You can order tickets by visiting www.RENTdayton.org

WIN TICKETS to RENT!

It’s easy!  Just COMMENT to this post before midnight Saturday, May 29th to be entered into a drawing to win a set of tickets to the Encore Theater Company production of RENT.  We will be giving away one set of tickets for each 7:30 performance (Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 1 winner per performance)…but you can help DOUBLE the number of tickets we will be giving away!  If 50 readers “SHARE” this post, by clicking the FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON before midnight Saturday…we’ll give away two sets of tickets for each evening’s performance! Start Sharing!

Your “Traditional” YP Groups: Contemporary and Fun

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When people think of YP groups, I think it’s organizations like DULYP, GenD, and HYPE that come to mind.  Groups of young people – whatever jobs or interests – in a certain region working together to advance professional development, volunteerism, and fun.  There are many YP groups that specialize in serving specific professions or interests, but the Dayton region is the proud home to a few of these comprehensive and more traditional YP organizations as well.  I spoke to Demarus Crawford-White (chair of the Dayton Urban League Young Professionals) and Shanon Potts (chair of Generation Dayton) to get their take on the YP situation in the region – and they had a lot to share.

Crawford-White is Dayton born and bred, and will tell you that she was “tricked” into becoming the chair of the DULYPs.  A friend invited her to a couple of events, asked for help with some event coordination, and before she knew it –  she was the marketing chair andthings have grown from there.  Although she didn’t know what she was getting into, Crawford-White will tell you that the “trick” was one of the best things her friend ever did for her.  Potts moved to Dayton for work from a small Ohio town after a stay in Columbus for college and law school.  She was referred to the Dayton Young Professionals Association (a group founded in 2004 when many YPs determined there weren’t enough networking opportunities) right before a merge with Generation Dayton created the current program affiliated with the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.  Potts has been an active member of GenD since May 2006.

Both women tout the value that a YP org provides anyone who wants to get involved – professional networking, meeting new people,

A group of YPs enjoys YP@Play sponsored by the DULYPs.

and the value of being connected to something larger than the self.  Potts shared that her involvement with Generation Dayton opened the door for her to serve as the young professional representative on the Executive Committee for the successful Five Rivers MetroParks levy campaign in 2009.  Also, the chair of GenD holds a seat on the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees.  Those external leadership opportunities have proved invaluable to Potts as she continues to expand her network and meet new people.  Crawford-White also spoke about the value the YP organizations provide for people looking to grow professionally; being a member provides an opportunity to showcase skills in leadership, management, relationship-building, andso many more traits that employers look for.  Beyond that, membership demonstrates a commitment to community, and that drive based on passion and not the paycheck is important to employers.  Crawford-White has seen many DULYP members receive promotions due in part to the skills they’ve demonstrated through community involvement.

And it’s so easy to get involved – many events for GenD, the DULYPs, and HYPE are open to both members and non-members.  And if you’re not really a “joiner,” the ladies have some advice for you as well.  Potts explains that the benefits received by membership in GenD far outweigh the individual investment.  But if you don’t want to lose that valuable “friend time,” bring your friends along, too!  Crawford-White knows that time is an issue for all of us, but she refers back to the old adage: “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”  The DULYPs provide an easy way to stand with other YPs in the region and bring voices together to make a difference in the community.

Although their missions differ, members of both these organizations are working toward a better Dayton region for young professionals.  I asked both women why Dayton has such a negative stigma in the view of YPs.  Crawford-White knows there are valuable events happening in the region, but says it can be tough for YPs to filter- even though she has been here her whole life, she still is amazed by the great opportunities she learns about every few months.  Crawford-White believes it only takes visiting a couple YP groups and getting on some email lists until you find a group that you “click” with.  Potts agrees with the wide selection of YP opportunities in the region.  A downtown resident and frequent visitor around all parts of the region, Potts explains that Dayton is a very easy community to navigate once you are willing to become actively involved and engaged in an organization like Generation Dayton.  She expresses a specific gratitude to the many businesses and community leaders who are working to open doors to better involve and engage YPs.

A group from GenD enjoys networking and fun at a Dragon's game.

Although the passion these ladies demonstrate for their YP organizations are clear, they both demonstrate a similar passion for the region.  Potts picks Downtown Dayton as her favorite place to hang out, explore and experience.  She most enjoys walking to and from restaurants, Dragons games, the theater, art galleries as well as being at epicenter of the region’s growing system of bike paths with easy access to Yellow Springs, Xenia and Miamisburg.  Crawford-White highlights the MetroParks as her favorite Dayton spot(s) – from Riverscape to the 2nd Street Market, Cox Arboretum and Wegerzyn Gardens – she appreciates that the “the whole system is really a neat and wallet-friendly place to spend the day.”

Hopefully, this expanded highlight of a couple of the region’s most comprehensive YP organizations – and the women who are currently at the helm –  has demonstrated the ease and important value of getting engaged in the opportunities our region offers.  Whatever you’re looking for – social activities, new friends, professional development, volunteering, education or more – could be found with the programs sponsored by Generation Dayton and the Dayton Urban League Young Professionals.  For a final thought – Crawford-White reminds us that Dayton was made famous by individuals who thought outside of the box.  The Wright Brothers, Charles Kettering, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Erma Bombeck all started their fantastic careers here in Dayton while they were “young professionals.”  She asks, “What potential does yet another Dayton YP have to make and impact?”

NOTE: Schedules didn’t work out and I was unable to speak with a representative to HYPE, but if you’re a YP in the Northern Miami Valley area and want to stay a little closer to home – check out this org that provides great opportunities. HYPE will be featured in the future.

Generation Dayton (YPs ages 21-40) is dedicated to connecting young professionals with one another and to the community so that together YPs can become integral components in the future of the success of the region.  GenD offers many unique opportunities  – popular ones include Generation Dayton Day (a community-wide volunteering opportunity), volunteer speed matching, an annual holiday party, and regular “Thirsty Thursdays” for business and social networking.

The Dayton Urban League Young Professionals (YPs ages 21-44) are the auxiliary association of the Dayton Urban League; the DULYPs work to further the five empowerment points of the League.   The DULYPs are affiliated with the National Urban League, and that partnerhsip provides great national experiences for members.  Popular local activities include the professional development series, the Next Level Entrepreneurship Conference, the monthly YP @ Play evenings, and opportunities to volunteer in the community.

Greater Downtown Dayton Plan Update

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The organizers of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan unveiled “the plan” earlier today, and we’ll have more info to share soon – but for now check out the video that Dayton’s Kenny Mosher put together that sums up just how important Downtown Dayton is, and why the entire region should believe in its future.

The Downtown Dayton Plan from Kenny Mosher on Vimeo.

The Connection of the Collective

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The Fifth Annual Sideshow To Be Presented At The Armory

By Kidtee Hello

Walking up the three flights of unfinished wooden stairs, one would not expect to find much more than possibly a storage room filled with forgotten industrial supplies and broken machinery, but upon opening the heavy door to the third floor of the Armory’s loft, you will find nothing but wonder. Dispersed under the exposed and age darkened wooden beams of the loft is a olio of objets d’art. Cascading down from one of these beams is a latticework of vibrantly colored worry dolls, connected, as we all are, by the most tenuous of threads. Your eye will fall upon molten sculptures, hyper-realistic photographs, abstract painting that cry out to the viewer in a silent scream. Stages dot the area, awaiting the humming strum of musicians who will take to them during the Fifth Annual Sideshow to be held on May 14th and 15th at the Armory as a part of Dayton’s Urban Nights.

Across the length of the room, crosswise from the main door, a stark black and white photograph hangs, drawing you across the creaking floorboards. The photograph depicts a woman, head thrown back with her eyes closed in a frozen moment of ecstasy. The large picture is adorned with brightly colored flowers which frame and then flow under and in front of it, creating a descriptive display. The photographer is Kidtee Hello and she is the lead organizer of this, the fifth installment of the Sideshow. In speaking with her, I was able to get some of the back history of how the Sideshow was first developed.

By Deloris Bucanan

“When they first started these events, there wasn’t much going on for your average person or artist. Unless you were a graduate of a really good school and had something to show in a really fancy gallery, there wasn’t really anything available except for small art shows like the ones at the Pearl…which actually kind of sparked the Sideshow.” Kidtee went on to describe how the event began. “Laurana Wong wanted to have an event with a little bit of everything and now you see more DYI type art shows…”

Jeff Opt, through an online correspondence, was able to expound on the early days of the Sideshow, having been involved since the beginning and being a part of all the subsequent Sideshows in one form or another since then.

“The original Sideshow idea started with Laurana Wong…it was her idea to throw an art show where the artists worked together to define the show and one that didn’t cost money to throw. It was a community building exercise. There was no theme to the show other than what the participants worked together to create.” Opt went on to say that, “The first show was so successful that it gave birth to the Dayton Circus Creative Collective, a group of like-minded people who wanted to see the spirit of art and community continue year around in Dayton. Since then, the Sideshow has become the premier event for the Dayton Circus.”

This is a perfect depiction of what the Dayton Circus Creative Collective is: a circular energy that feeds and creates itself. The Sideshow begat the Circus and the Circus now gives rise to the Sideshow. It has become a self-sustaining entity of energy and art whose members both feed off of and feed others with a perpetually positive synergy.

With the help of Kate Ervin and Emanuel Cavallaro, I requested Circus members and Sideshow participants to share there thoughts as

By Sean Baumgardener

to what the essence and purpose of the Sideshow was and is. Within an hour, I had at least ten responses, all eloquently espousing the positive contributions that the Sideshow has made not only to the artists and the patrons, but to the community of Dayton as a whole.

“I think what those of us who have been involved with The Sideshow from it’s very first year probably want The Sideshow to become is a cultural institution in Dayton, an event that people can rely on occurring year after year. This is our fifth year, and I’m extremely proud to be involved.” Cavallaro then answered my query directly by saying, “As for what it means to me, personally? Honestly, all my friends are artists or performers of some sort, and from all different backgrounds. Art is what we do and who we are. The Sideshow is a chance for us to share that with the city. And it’s a chance to celebrate and express ourselves. We’re a motley group, and this is a big undertaking that requires weeks and weeks of preparation and hours and hours of hard work, but we somehow find the time to have fun doing it.”

The responses kept coming, all eloquently passionate about what the Sideshow specifically and the Circus in general meant to each individual artist.

“To me, the Sideshow is a multimedia arts event that recognizes local artists of all ages, races, and social classes. It’s an art event for the community. It may be a grass roots production, or seen as an urban underground show, but it’s also a collection of Dayton’s most progressive and Avant-garde artists.” wrote Christine Gaffney, and aspiring film director said. She then added, “The sideshow is more than just an art show, it’s an experience you can’t have anywhere else in Dayton, and it’s only once a year. Dayton is full of Talent. Much of this talent hasn’t made it’s way into the traditional art gallery yet.”

The belief that the Sideshow provided artists a non-traditional venue I which to express and display their non-conforming works was echoed in many of the messages received and conversations I had with the artists, participants and organizers.

Matthew James wrote, “The Sideshow is an opportunity to get outside of the normal space of commercial artwork, a chance for people whose creative works don’t flourish in the ‘normal’ art world to share their contributions with the community. It’s also an opportunity for artists, performers, musicians, and community organizers to get to know one another and come together around a common cause – two nights of outrageous entertainment!”

The very act of trying to draw together all of these divergent artists, secure a location and coordinate the activities of the Sideshow must be a logistics nightmare. While speaking with Kidtee Hello, I asked if this was her first year dealing with all of this as a lead organizer.

“Yeah. Last year I helped Maggie Ottoson with the Sideshow she put together and then this year, I’m organizing it.”

Margaret “Maggie” Ottoson was very direct and emphatic with her description of what the essence of the Sideshow is:

“Empowerment! Freedom to express in any way you like. A collection of the best music art creativity and activism in Dayton.” Ottoson went on to describe what the overall intentions of the Sideshow are, “What is the purpose of the Sideshow? To bring together like minded people who would otherwise have never met and teach that you can do anything if you simply dare to act.”

Tom Watson III wrote that he used his art as a self imposed art therapy regime to help him rehabilitate from a brain stem stroke he

"Worry Dolls"

had suffered. His artwork has turned something that he has feared to reflects a fascinatingly organic view of the brain and the power that it holds.

“It’s one of the artistic highlights of my year!” Tom wrote. “This is my second year as a participating artist and this year is going to be even better than last year’s event. It is a nice way to show my work in an environment that is conducive to free expression and not as restrictive as many venues tend to be. It’s also an opportunity to meet and interact with a lot of other local artists and musicians. It’s also a reunion of sorts for those of us who’ve done it before.

Another factor, almost more important (if not more important) than getting exposure for the artists is the interaction of the artists themselves. The sheer ability to be exposed to each others forms of expression and be influenced to take their own art into areas that they may have never considered possible. Lisa Alexander wrote to express this very aspect of the Sideshow by saying:

“It gives opportunities to local artists to not only showcase their work but to also be involved in a community-building activity.” Alexander succinctly said. “It gives artists a chance to exchange ideas, make contacts, and make friends. It gives the artists a sense of pride in the work they do to help the entire show go off, not just from creating art. It also gives artists a sense of being involved in something bigger than themselves.”

By way of example, Cathy Jeffers described her own experiences as to how the Sideshow influenced her own artwork.

“It really got me to break away too. I usually do art quilts. Last year I did and installation called Fire and Ice.” Jeffers went on to describe the display. “It was a combination of fabric, streamers (representing fire) and white paper mache, (frozen like) figures. I spent hours on it at home and on sight. I really enjoyed the final look…and I could really see the three dimensional impact of the installation in the space.”

Emanuel Cavallaro brought all the elements of the Sideshow and the influence that it has on the artists, the organization and the patrons alike.  “The essence of The Sideshow is its malleability. It changes every year. New organizers each year, new artists, new performers, new venue. It’s chaotic as well, because there is never a specific theme. So the artwork, installations and performances are remarkably varied.” Cavallaro “Something very intense can be followed by something very subdued, something appalling by something beautiful. So it can be aesthetically jarring at times, but in a good way, the way in which a roller coaster ride is jarring. In that way, there is something for everyone.”

What: The Dayton Circus Creative Collective’s Fifth Annual Sideshow

When: May 14th and 15th from 6:00 pm until 1:00 am.

Where: The Armory –  201 E. Sixth Street (Entrance in rear of building – parking is off of Patterson Blvd.)

Why: See story above

For more information or to see other events that the Circus is involved in, check out their website at  www.daytoncircus.org.

Gem City Circle Walking Tours: Sharing the legacy of Downtown Dayton

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Historians Leon Bey and Nancy Roach of Gem City Circle Walking Tours

Some local historians are offering a unique look into the vibrancy of a city’s past, and the possibilities of an exciting, expansive future.

Leon Bey and Nancy Roach, of Gem City Circle Walking Tours, have recently begun their fifth season of walking tours for downtown Dayton, highlighting the famous and not-so-famous aspects of Dayton history.

Bey and Roach met five years ago in a manner that Roach characterized as “fate.”

“It was meant to be,” said Roach. “I was doing research in the local history room at the [Dayton Metro] library. I asked the librarian down there if he could help me with some of the information. It was Leon, who just happened to be working as a substitute that day.

“We starting talking about our interest in the community. So I asked him, ‘Would you like to research with me and do a walking tour of downtown?’  He looked at me and said, ‘I have a walk and I’m looking for someone to do it with me!'”

The walks were born on that day.

The duo’s excitement and enthusiasm for Dayton’s rich heritage is evident to anyone who goes “walkin’ and talkin'” with them on one of their leisurely downtown walking tours, which are given on the first and last weekends of the month.

Bey and Roach weave together historical accounts, personal recollections and photographic images to create a vivid experience.  That experience is often reciprocated when local residents share recollections of their own visits to downtown theaters, department stores and businesses long gone. “Some of the people on the tours, the older people, they have great memories,” said Bey.

The old Journal Herald building at 111 E. Fourth Street. Look familiar? It's currently occupied by the night club Hammerjax.

The tours, however, do more than simply highlight the city’s past – they also offer glimpses into possible strategic re-uses of some of downtown’s historic structures like the Dayton Arcade, which was purchased last year by two developers who are intent on restoring the beautiful, five-building complex to its former glory. (Leon Bey founded “Friends of the Dayton Arcade”, a non-profit group dedicated to raising awareness and money for the future development of the Dayton Arcade.)

Far from just revisiting the glories of days gone by, the walks also examine the cultural, social and economic contributions of various ethnic groups and nationalities in the area.  The tours provide a very street-level perspective of Dayton history. Many topics are discussed: The 1913 Dayton Flood, Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Dayton and the history of department stores founded in Dayton are explored.

Gem City Circle Walking Tours offers these programs (partial listing):

  • Oregon Arts District
  • Ghosts, Cemeteries and Murders
  • Miami & Erie Canal Walk of Downtown Dayton
  • Historic Downtown Dayton’s Main Street
  • Ludlow Street

The fee for each walk is $10. Tours are approximately 3 hours long, with scheduled breaks, including an hour for lunch.  Advance reservations are required. Groups are welcome.

For walk reservations or additional information, contact Leon Bey at 937-274-4749 or grantsguru501c3@yahoo.com.

FilmDayton Festival goes international, doubles in size, is movie buff’s dream weekend

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Building on the success of the first FilmDayton Festival, the second 2010 edition will present a lively mix of screenings, filmmaking workshiops, parties and special events unlike anything else in town.

It starts Friday, May 14, on Urban Nights, but continues the downtown vibe throughout the weekend at several venues — the Neon, Gilly’s and at a brand new spot: The former Greyhound bus station, now cleaned up and turned into a special lounge area for filmgoers, filmmakers and guests.

The festival will blend Dayton-centric films by local filmmakers, or artists who were trained here in the craft, many from the Wright State Motion Picture program; student films from WSU seniors and talented
high-schoolers who are being trained by FilmDayton and the Muse Machine; international films and documentaries, along with top festival picks from around the nation, that can only be seen at the FilmDayton Festival; and unusual events such as the “Screenless Screening,” an audio-only
presentation by WYSO-FM.  This rare combination of films and events has been stirred together by
combining the talents and connections of the Dayton filmmaking community and pushing it outward.

The festival, of course, is just part of the work of FilmDayton. In the year since the first FilmDayton Festival, the two-year-old organization has worked with Wright State University’s Motion Picture program and the Muse Machine to teach student workshops and film classes; partnered with the Sundog Film Festival to boost young local filmmakers; brought local filmmakers together to network and share ideas at monthly “Film Connections” meetings; revamped filmdayton.com to better promote the area as a filmmaking
location; set up offices at the Dayton Convention Center and brought on a director, Eva Buttacavoli,.

The group’s goal is to establish the Dayton area as fertile ground for making movies, both by helping the filmmaking community that’s already here to flourish and by luring more film activity to town. The FilmDayton Festival showcases and pushes all that forward.


FILM DAYTON FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

As of May 10, 2010. Schedule and screening times are subject to change. Check www.FilmDayton.com for the most up-to-date schedule, as well as for a complete listing of workshops and special events.

FRIDAY, MAY 14

DAYTON ROCKS! (free event)
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Shelly “GladGirl” Hulce, longtime Dayton music insider, digs into local attics, basements and cyber archives to showcase some of Dayton’s best past and present rock videos, skater films and more.

WSU BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL ($5, free with WSU student ID)
7 to 9:30 p.m. // The Neon
Students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screen their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work.

AFTER PARTY WITH THE LAB PARTNERS ($5 or free with Big Lens Film Festival stub)
9 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dayton spacerockers the Lab Partners always put on a unique, engaging listening and viewing experience ― which will be seriously amped when the band is joined by Springfield native Rod Hatfield’s ensemble, The Now Device, and their light and film performance.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI ($5)
10:15 p.m. // The Neon
Catch this comedy classic, starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude, on the big screen.

SATURDAY, MAY 15

ROPEWALK ($5)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // The Neon
What ties together prehistoric tools, Ben Franklin, trust busting, railroads, drug laws, plastics, nanotubes and space travel? Rope, of course. Learn about ropemaking’s forgotten effects on agriculture and industry in Xenia, Ohio, from the Civil War to the present ― and beyond. This award-winning historical documentary film was produced by The Engineers Club of Dayton.

CONVENTION ($5)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // Gilly’s
The story behind the mounting of one of the biggest events of the decade: the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Photography and sound by Daytonians Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert, who were nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for their documentary The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant.

WORKSHOP // KARRI O’REILLY DESTROYS YOUR RESUME ―
AND THEN HELPS YOU FIX IT SO YOU CAN GET A JOB ON A MOVIE (free event)
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Karri O’Reilly has seen literally thousands of production resumes and most of them stink. Find out how to make your resume stand out ― in a good way ― and learn tips that will help you land a job on a feature film. Sign up for 15-minute appointments beginning at 10:30 a.m.

MUSE MACHINE & FILMDAYTON PRESENT STUDENT SHORTS ($5)
noon to 1 p.m. // The Neon
Students who participated in the 2010 48-hour Film Boot Camp and the Muse Machine Film Club at Centerville High School will show off their films.

MADRINA FILMS PRESENTS THE BEST OF INTERNATIONAL SHORTS ($5)
12:30 p.m.  to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Springfield filmmaker Marisha Mukerjee selects the best short films the world has to offer, including the documentary Last Supper for Malthus, winner of the European Independent Film Festival 2010’s audience award. With a billion of the world’s population going to be hungry at night, Last Supper for Malthus sheds light on our permanent food crisis.

RECORDING OF “FILMICALLY PERFECT” (free event)
1 to 3 p.m. // ThinkTV
J. Todd Anderson ― filmmaker and storyboard artists for such directors at the Coen brothers ― and George Willeman ― film archivist, writer and producer ― will record their WYSO 91.3-FM radio show “Filmically Perfect” in front of a live audience.  “Filmically Perfect,” hosted by Niki Dakota, WYSO music director, airs at 12:30 p.m. Fridays on the station, when Anderson and Willeman dissect classic films.

GIRL POWER SHORTS: SUNDAY SPIN / THE ACT / RITE ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Girls with secrets is the theme in these short films. Sunday Spin, written and directed by former Daytonian Nichol Simmons, features a 100 percent Dayton cast and crew. First love, BFFs, lip gloss, barbecued carrots and that boy from eighth grade take Eloise on an unforgettable Sunday spin in this sassy take on the after-school special. The Act was written and directed by Pi Ware and Susan Kraker and filmed by former Daytonian Marco Fargnoli. Rounding out this trio of shorts is Rite, written and directed by Kettering native Alicia Conway.

THE 1ST ANNUAL WYSO SCREENless SCREENING ($5)
3 to 4:30 p.m. // The Neon
WYSO 91.3-FM Director Neenah Ellis and program director Juliet Fromholt present a celebration of Dayton stories, sounds and the art of listening. Hear radio magazine feature stories, such as those on NPR’s StoryCorps and Ira Glass’ This American Life, as you never have before ― in a dark movie theater.

THE LAST TRUCK: THE CLOSING OF A GM PLANT ($5)
3 to 4:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Directed and written by Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar of Yellow Springs, The Last Truck was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, short subject. It tells the story of the workers of the General Motors Assembly Plant in Moraine, which opened in 1981 and closed on Dec. 23, 2008. While the workers are shocked they’ll be losing their jobs, the film shows they’re also losing much more: the pride they share in their work, the camaraderie built through the years and the shared concerns about what their collective futures will hold. The Last Truck offers a snapshot of a moment in America where we may be seeing the end of the blue-collar middle class.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SUNDAY SPIN (free event)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Nichol Simmons, writer and director of Sunday Spin, talks about how the film came to be.

MASTER CLASS // ACTING ($15)
4 to 5:30 p.m. // ThinkTV
This class will be taught by a trio of experts: Dave Gewertz, founder of MidwestExtrasDB.com, designed to be the go-to site in the Midwest for people who are interested in being extras in films, television and commercials; Marianne Porter, Wright State University graduate and one of the stars of feature film True Nature; and Stuart McDowell, chair and artistic director of Wright State University’s department of theatre, dance and motion pictures.

BURMA VJ ($5)
5 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature is the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest. The producer, Lise Lense-Møller, will be in Dayton all the way from Denmark for a Q&A after the film.

FILMDAYTON’S SECOND ANNUAL PITCH-IT! ($5)
6 to 8 p.m. // Gilly’s
Think you’ve got a golden idea for a film? This is your opportunity to prove it. Drop $5 in the hat and pitch your movie in two minutes to a panel of industry experts. The winner takes home the cash and the championship belt, although this lively event is fun for audience and aspiring filmmakers alike. Hosted by Niki Dakota, WYSO 91.3-FM music director, with judges including Stuart McDowell, chair and artistic director of Wright State University’s department of theatre, dance and motion pictures; Nichol Simmons, writer and director of Sunday Spin; and Jennifer Sharp, director of I’m Through with White Girls.

TRUE NATURE MEMBERS ONLY SCREENING**
8 to 10 p.m. // The Neon
Part drama and part supernatural thriller, True Nature is the story of a family reunited when their college-age daughter is found after a year-long disappearance. Written, directed, produced and filmed in Dayton by Dayton’s own Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante. **This screening is for FilmDayton members and Reel Deal and All-Access pass holders only.

RED CARPET, REV. COOL, DJs AND DANCE PARTY DOUBLE FEATURE
8 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dance around the fringe with The Rev. Cool’s Arkestra & Dance Ensemble, joined by popular local spinmasters Ruckus Roboticus and DJ Scorpius Max.
• FilmDayton Fundraiser: From 8-10 p.m., enjoy themed martinis and catered bites while helping support Dayton’s nonprofit organization dedicated to local film and filmmakers. $15
• General admission: $5 after 10 p.m. or free with True Nature stub

INK & FLESH / FUN IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT ($5)
midnight // The Neon
Dayton favorite Andy Copp presents a world and local premiere double feature with classic ’70s era grindhouse trailers in between and a Q&A.

SUNDAY, MAY 16
BOOKSIGNING WITH JAMES GREER (free event)
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
James Greer will discuss and sign his most recent book, The Failure, and host a Q&A session about his current movie project, Cleo, a rock musical of sorts, about Cleopatra. Greer wrote the script for this film starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and directed by Steven Soderbergh, who describes the film asTommy meets Viva Las Vegas, with music by Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices. Greer has been a bassist for Guided By Voices, editor of Spin magazine, and is the author of Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll and the novel Artificial Light.

SUNDOG FILM FESTIVAL ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Originated in Yellow Springs in 2003, this juried competition is open to young filmmakers in grades 8-12.

PANEL DISCUSSION // FILMING UNDER DURESS (free event)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
What happens when your cameras aren’t welcome or in danger zones? Lise Lense-Møller will discuss the perils of filming under less than ideal conditions. Lense-Møller is the producer of Burma VJ, a 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature. It tells the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest.

FILM CONNECTIONS PRESENTS WORKS IN PROGRESS ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Loose, informal and interactive, FilmDayton’s monthly networking program, Film Connections, moves to Gilly’s one time only for this special edition of local works in progress. Hosted by recent Wright State University grad and local filmmaker Rocky Smith.

WORKSHOP // INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING ($15)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Dayton Convention Center
True Nature director Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante present “Beginning to End: A How-to of Local Independent Filmmaking.” From the big idea to opening night, learn how to create an independent film.

DIRECTING PANEL ($15)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Dayton Convention Center
Jennifer Sharp, director of I’m Through with White Girls and Mike Webber, director of The Elephant in the Living Room, discuss the ins-and-outs of directing and give workshop attendees a director’s behind the lens view.

WINTER’S BONE ($5)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // The Neon
Get an exclusive first look at this winner of the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, which doesn’t open to general audiences until June. The film tells the story of a young woman who must fight her way through the Ozark wilderness and local criminal underworld to find her father and save her family.

WSU BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL, TAKE TWO ($5, free with WSU student ID)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Gilly’s
Missed this festival on Friday? No worries. This is your second chance to catch students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screening their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work. The festival will be followed by a meet-and-greet from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

EXPLODING GIRL ($5)
5:30 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This drama is the exquisite portrait of a young girl coming of age and finding a deeper kind of love in New York City. Kettering native Bradley Rust Grey directed this independent feature, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. At Tribeca, its lead, rising indie star Zoe Kazan (Revolutionary Road, It’s Complicated, Me and Orson Welles), won the award for best actress.

I’M THROUGH WITH WHITE GIRLS ($5)
7:30 p.m. // The Neon
In this film, winner of the 2007 Block Buster Audience Award at the American Black Film Festival, Jay Brooks is on a quest to find the perfect woman ― but first he must deal with his commitment issues to win his love. Director and Yellow Springs native Jennifer Sharp will be on hand for a Q&A and discussion after the screening.

The FilmDayton Festival thanks its sponsors, without whom this festival would not be possible: DP&L, Cox Ohio Media/Dayton Daily News,activedayton.com, ThinkTV, WYSO 91.3-FM, The Now Device, Dayton City Paper, Wright State University, the Southern Ohio Council for Higher Education and The Ohio Coffee Co.

Dayton, Ohio – An Official Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly Community!!!

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That is right – after months of hard work by many community players and organizations, it has just been announced that Dayton is joining Columbus as Ohio’s only other official Bicycle Friendly Community (both bronze level) – awarded by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB)!  This is a huge achievement, as LAB has over the years developed a comprehensive framework of guidelines and processes that application cities must follow and implement in order to be recognized.  Other bronze cities in the Midwest include Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Louisville, Lexington and of course Columbus (among several others).  Only Chicago and Ann Arbor have silver status – and only Madison, WI has been awarded gold status in the Midwest.  (click here for a complete national list)

Thirty years in the making…

While much of the recent work leading up to now has had the spotlight, it should be noted that this effort is decades in the making – starting with River Corridor Committee and Horace Huffman Jr. leading the charge in the early 70’s (with the Miami Conservancy District, Five Rivers MetroParks and Greene & Miami Counties following soon after) to begin building what is now over 230 miles of connected bike trail in the Dayton Region over the past 30 years.  During that time, several advocacy groups emerged including the Ohio Bike Federation, Bike Miami Valley, Dayton Cycling Club and the Miami Valley Mountain Bike Association – as well as sixteen area bike retail businesses.  A few short years ago, MVRPC led a group of regional partners to come together and develop a Comprehensive Local-Regional Bikeways Plan for Montgomery, Greene & Miami Counties that included on-road infrastructure (bike lanes), recreation trail extension priorities (such as the SE Corridor) and education, enforcement and encouragement needs for the region.  Safe Routes to School was incorporated and in the last couple years received federal funds for implementation.

In the past five years, the mountain biking community has grown significantly with trail mileage almost tripled – including the MetroParks MoMBA facility that opened in 2007.  During this time, MetroParks has taken the lead in developing an outdoor recreation initiative and advocating for cycling to be considered for alternative transportation in addition to recreational use.  Programs like the Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast at 2nd Street Market, Drive Less Live More campaign, Miami Valley Cycling Summit and this year’s Bike to Dragons Games campaigns have been successful in getting more and more people outside and pedaling.  Five Rivers MetroParks is about to open (this June) the brand new RiverScape commuter bike hub & pavillion – only the third such facility east of the Mississippi and the first in a mid-sized city.  And MetroParks, MCD and University of Dayton have teamed up with the City of Dayton to develop a cycling initiative for the city that became part of the Cycling, Rivers and Active Lifestyle portion of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan (which will be unveiled on May 18).  The bicycle portion of that plan initiative was written by Greg Brumitt & Hans Landefeld and included a path for the City of Dayton to reach bronze level BFC this year, silver by 2012, gold by 2015 and platinum by 2020 (based on Madison, WI’s platinum plan).

Earlier this year, the City of Dayton adopted a Complete Streets policy and city commissioner Nan Whaley continued the push to organize the City of Dayton Walk/Bike task force.  This group (including city staffer Bobbi Dillon, Kate Ervin, MetroPark’s Andy Williamson, MVRPC’s Matt Lindsey, MCD’s Hans Landefeld and others) developed the application that was submitted to the League of American Bicyclists a few months ago, and we are now officially a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly City!

Whew – we’ve done a lot!  …what’s next?

With all that has been done leading up to this designation, it would be reasonable for people to say its time to relax and enjoy our community’s achievement – but we can only rest for about five minutes because there is MUCH to be done.  Adding bike parking facilities and MANY more bike lanes (not just downtown but connecting our city’s many neighborhoods and suburbs), continued advocacy and education programs, and ultimately building a culture and critical mass of bicyclists that ride for both recreation AND transportation alike are the next steps.  It will all take more investment, political will and cooperation/collaboration between organizations and municipalities to make these things happen.  But as this community has proven, it CAN happen.  In the end, this isn’t at all about bronze, silver, gold or platinum – it is about the fact that our community is coming together and accomplishing the necessary things in order to provide a superior quality of life here in Dayton.  Kudos to everybody involved with these efforts thus far!

UPDATE:  We must mention that Troy, OH received an honorable mention this year (as Riverside did in a past round).  Kudos to Troy and ALL of the individual communities surrounding Dayton that are working toward building a bike-friendly region!

Dayton Innovation Legacy reveals the stories and strategies of Dayton Innovators through multimedia.

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An inventor fails 999 times, and if he succeeds once, he's in. He treats his failures simply as practice shots. – Charles F. Kettering

Too many stories of unsung Dayton innovators are forgotten. Let’s bring to light our city’s technical heritage for the next generation—just when Dayton most needs to reinvent itself!

Dayton Innovation Legacy.org is a new website that uses oral history, video and other media to tell the stories of Dayton innovators, especially those less well known. This educational resource will feature local engineers, scientists, educators, aviators, mathematicians and medical professionals.

By bringing Dayton’s Innovation Legacy to light, the web site will help educate, recruit new members, and assist Dayton development. The website is sponsored by the Engineers Club of Dayton Foundation.

Dayton Innovation Legacy features separate multimedia web pages for each chosen innovator. Living subjects will be interviewed on video following best practices in Oral History. Original materials will also be archived for future researchers.

The first profiles are now online. Other features include historical films of the Wright brothers, Charles Kettering and Edward Deeds, archived biographies from the Engineers Club of Dayton and much more.  If you’d like to help fund future biographies, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the “Engineers Club of Dayton Foundation – Legacy”.

Donations may be sent to:

Engineers Club of Dayton Foundation – Legacy

110 East Monument Avenue

Dayton, OH  45402

Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Pop Icon, Cult Comic Performer

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thumb_heywoodHeywood Banks has been making annual visits to Dayton area comedy clubs for over 20 years.  I have to admit the first time I saw him, I was not amused.  But I will tell you, the more I saw him the more he grew on me.  You can’t watch 7 shows a week and not end up with one of his goofy songs stuck in your head. Over time I realized that he’s an amazing musician, a clever writer and a real independent spirit.  When in you stand in the back of the showroom and watch him lead a couple hundred beer drinkers singing a verse of 18 Wheels on a Big Rig and counting in roman numerals, you know you’ve seen an unusual talent.

images-127In the early days Stuart would  appear on stage in character as Heywood Banks, nerdy glasses taped together, a hideous plaid jacket and often mismatched socks and 2 different shoes.  It didn’t matter- the audience adored him.  Just about every show there would be an audience member or two dressed up like him.  And the crowd would clamor to hear their favorite songs. Later with the syndication of the Bob & Tom morning show on local radio, his popularity grew.

heywoodbanksHis songs often inspired by simple every day things, like the  Garden Weasel, Toast and Wiper Blades, became the mainstay of his shows and eventually the shows were less clever wordplay and more like live concerts.  Heywood’s character evolved and the nerd disappeared and the more eclectic Stuart Mitchell came center stage.  Now with hundreds of songs, he has maintained the squeaky clean format, proving that clever can outsell dick jokes, even on the comedy club circuit.  And just like any live concert, the crowds line up after the show to buy his cd’s, books and t-shirts, in what has lovingly been nicknamed Hey- Mart.

If you still aren’t familiar with the singer/songwriter/comic/cult icon I’m describing, then check out this Youtube clip of one of his fastest spreading songs, paying homage to the religious statue on I75:

Heywood’s Big Butter Jesus on YouTube

Heywood’s next local live appearance will be at Wiley’s Comedy Club May 5-7.  For more info call the club at 224-JOKE.

10?’s with KT of Bombshell Bakeshop

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KT dreamt of long hours baking instead of long hours in a cubicle. Luckily, with help from her husband Sam’s business-savvy brain and her own uncanny sweet tooth, they established KT’s Kitchen in June 2008. She and Sam were met with open arms at local events where they began selling yummy sweets. Soon after, KT heard Ana Pascal in Stranger than Fiction say, “I figured if I was going to make the world a better place I would do it with cookies.” This phrase stuck with her and was ultimately the catalyst for a change she needed. She decided to take a huge risk. In June of 2009 she quit her job in social services to bake full time. One year later, they created Bombshell Bake Shop as a new identity to better achieve their future plans for world cookie domination! In the meantime, they are busy providing delicious treats to local cafés and health food stores.  She only uses quality ingredients, such as organic flours and sugars. All sweets are vegan, which means they are free of egg, dairy, or any animal derived ingredient; including honey. Since they use no animal products or hydrogenated oils the sweets are always naturally cholesterol free!

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
thumbs_img_1042Oh, this is easy…SUGAR!  I love sugar in all forms- cane sugar, sucanat, muscovado brown sugar, turbinado, molasses, brown sugar and the list goes on!  In my world there is nothing better than sugar.  I know a lot of people think sugar is “bad” but I think anything in moderation is alright.
As far as baking/cooking there are a million things you can do with sugar.  You can turn sugar into just about any consistency and make things edible you would not necessarily think are edible!  When the purple violets started to bloom in the spring my mom and I would go pick a bunch to candy.  We used to make them using egg whites but it is just as good to use water/sugar.  They are super pretty as decoration but I used to like to just eat them!

What ingredient do you dread?
I don’t necessarily dread anything in particular just for being an ingredient, but there are some ingredients I dread cleaning up after using!  When there is even the slightest bit of static while I carve up a big block of chocolate you better believe those little chocolate shaving go ALL over the place like the iron shards in a Wooly Willy magnetic face.  I also despise washing bowls after making frosting.  I try to pawn that job off on my husband Sam as much as possible!

What’s your favorite dish to make?
I love to make and decorate cupcakes.  After a lot of decorating practice and ugly mishaps, I put a significant amount of time into making each one look and taste like a little piece of delicious art.  I get bored easily, but there are so many possibilities and new ways to challenge myself with cupcakes.

As far as cooking is concerned I love this dish my Aunt Nancy taught me how to make when I was a teenager.  We call it goddess tofu because it is made with Annie’s Goddess Dressing.  This recipe has made many a tofu-haters change their tune.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cut the tofu into thin slices and squeeze as much water out of each piece as possible with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.  (The key to good tofu texture is squeezing all the water out.)

Dip each slice in tamari or lite soy sauce.

Dredge the slice through nutritional yeast.

Do that with every piece and place on a non-stick foil lined, baking sheet.

Smear about 1-2 Tablespoons of Annie’s Goddess Dressing or Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing (they are basically the same) onto each slice.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the slices start to look browned.

Flip over each slice and smear with more Goddess Dressing.

Bake for another 15 or so minutes or until the slices are browned and almost crispy.

Serve with basmati rice or I really like Trader Joe’s brown jasmine rice.
What’s your favorite pig out food?
Salty, crispy french fries and chocolate ice cream.  Yes, I like them together.  Don’t judge me.  J
What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
SamAndKatieThis is a tough question, Sam and I love to eat out and we love to pretend we are food critics!  We started an “eating out” budget when we were married almost 7 years ago and every month without fail we go over budget.  Currently, we have been pretty obsessed with Siam Pad Thai on Wilmington- we have yet to be disappointed by anything there and we have ordered pretty much everything!  Pasha at the Greene has some amazing hummus and I love Tank’s for a good “My Way” grilled cheese.
What’s your best advice for home bakers?
Play music while you bake.  Crank it up, maybe even dance a little.
Preheat your oven then wait at least 10 minutes before putting anything in it.
Don’t be afraid to mess up, you will.  You will also get over it.

Get an oven thermometer and pay attention to it.

Use fresh ingredients.  Don’t ever bake with baking powder that belonged to your grandmother.  My dad has a tin can of McCormick nutmeg from the 1970’s.  Unless you are saving it for nostalgic reasons it is time to throw that bad boy away.


If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
I think most people would take this opportunity to choose guests who may dazzle a reader with their desire for stimulating, intellectual conversation.  Or choose pertinent historical figures that changed the world as we know it.  I, on the other hand, am not going to do this.

Tina Fey– she cracks me up.

Zooey Deschanel– Not only is she a vegan foodie but I have a major girl crush on her.  I would ask her to serenade us after dinner.

Isa Moskowitz of the post punk kitchen- To have the chance to cook/bake for her would make my heart a flutter.

Burt Reynolds– there is no other reason than my love for Burt Reynolds is true and as deep as the ocean.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
I worked with youth in various social services settings for about 8 years before I quit my job to finish my master’s degree and bake full time.  Awhile back I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to figure out a way to start a bakery where I could implement the “counselor” part of me.  Low and behold Elin Ross from my hometown of Frederick, MD starts this non-profit bakery called Cakes for Cause www.cakesforcause.org. She has a ton of experience in social services and she is a pastry chef.  I have been following her and her business closely.  I think she is a pretty cool lady, baker, youth-advocate and business woman.  I admire her on many levels.  I would love to start something like this in Dayton, but only time will tell.

I also adore and admire Natalie Slater of Bake and Destroy.  She describes her blog as a “food blog equivalent to a punch in the throat” and I concur.  She encourages me to be more creative, take risks, challenge myself and bake on my own terms.
What do you do in the Dayton region on a day off?
On a nice day off, I love to play outside!  There are so many awesome outdoor activities to get into in Dayton.   I LOVE going to the metro parks.  Sam and I try our best to find dog friendly activities so our dog, Lola, can join us.  Sam plays volleyball at Setters and Kettering Rec.  I just watch him play because I am awful at competitive sports.  If I feel like being pampered I get my hair done at Cherry Lee’s and get a massage from Stephanie Suriano at Touch of Gratitude.  When the weather outside is frightful we go out to eat!

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
I am a klutz to say the least.  I drop and spill things constantly.  I have dropped an entire bowl of frosting on the floor, knocked over a table full of cookies, spilled a bag of powdered sugar and most recently I broke a fluorescent light bulb over a bowl of cookie dough.  Don’t worry I did not try to salvage any of these major blunders!

An interesting story: In June 2008 we did our first event at the Yellow Springs Street Fair.  We had no clue what we were doing.  It was a well orchestrated disaster to say the least.  Our main goal was to use this venue to see what people thought about our treats.  Friends and family told me my baked goods were great but I needed strangers to give me an idea of whether I should pursue this further.  We were there for 2 hours before anyone bought anything.  I decided to put out a few samples of energy bars.  A lady grabbed one and said “it needs more sugar.”  For a moment I was heartbroken.  Then I realized she thought it was a cookie and in that case, of course it needed to be sweeter!  The main lesson I learned from that was everyone has different tastes when it comes to baked goods and food in general.  I cannot please everybody.  There will be plenty of people who try our treats and won’t like them.  That is ok with me.  It is not because they are crap.  It is because everybody has their own idea of what is good.  I will admit some of the stuff we made for that first street fair was awful.  I have grown as a baker since then and I never want to stop growing.  The day you stop challenging yourself, trying new things, and taking risks in the kitchen is the day you should just stop.

Bonus Question:  Tell us about Bombshell’s commitment to the community:

Every month we donate 10% of our sales to a cause we support.  When we decided to do this, we made a list of local causes and this month its AIDS Resource Center Ohio.   For almost 6 years I did groups on STD/STI and HIV/AIDS prevention.  The first couple years I had people from ARC as guest speakers.  The youth and I always enjoyed their presentations.  I believe ARC does amazing work in the community.  This is just a small way of saying thank you.

Where to find Bombshell Baked Goods:

Where to Buy Locally

Healthy Alternative
8258 North Main Street
Dayton, Ohio 45415

Healthy Alternative-Beavercreek
2235 N Fairfield Rd
Dayton, OH 45431

The Ohio Coffee Company
46 W. Fifth Street at Ludlow
Dayton, OH 45406

The Sidebar (formerly Pacchia)
410 E. 5th Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Meet the faces of Generation Dayton

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A program of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Generation Dayton encourages talented young professionals who live and work in the Dayton region to meet, network, learn, grow and establish themselves as integral components in the future success of the region.  Each month we’ll introduce you to one of their members with a spotlight interview.  So meet our second:

From The Unemployment Line To The Red Carpet

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images-7Last December when the last truck rolled down the assembly line in Moraine, many of the plant workers assisted in a local documentary about the closing.  Local filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert befriended a group of employees, following them in the last days of the plant and even taught some of them how to work cameras, which they snuck into work to document the last days on the assembly line.

Little did they know then, how that story would earn them a trip to Hollywood.  But this weekend, 4 of the former automakers will attend the 82nd Academy Awards in Los Angeles.  Paul “Popeye” Hurst, Kim Clay, Kate Geiger and Kathy Day will all head out to LA to celebrate the nomination of The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, which is up in the documentary short category.

Last Truck Tuxedos

As part of the Cinderella story, Price Brothers donated tuxes to outfit both Clay and Popeye, while the women bought new dresses with funds raised by friends. A  donor “who would prefer to remain anonymous” (my guess- a major cable network) is footing the travel expenses for the foursome.

And while the trip is certainly a treat, all four of the former GM workers have said they ‘d rather be back at work.  None of the 4 have found full time jobs.

Filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, while too modest to admit it, were responsible for convincing HBO to lobby for making the trip to  the awards show possible for these subjects of the film.  It’s that rare sense of compassion these filmmakers have, that built the trust in their subjects in the first place, which made the film so moving and real.  Whether they come home with the coveted Oscar statue or not, the experience these former GM workers will have this weekend are sure to be once in a lifetime moments!

oscargoestoCan’t make the trip to LA to celebrate? Then join FilmDayton for an Oscar Watch party at Geez Pub & Grill on Far Hills Drive in Kettering.  Funds raised will support the local nonprofit who’s mission is to foster the growth of our regional film industry and audience.  The party begins at 7pm and a buffet of pizza, pasta, chicken wings and more are included in the $18 ticket price.  You can buy your tickets online or at the event.  There will be a silent auction for movie memorabilia, including a DVD copy of Last Truck, donated by Steve & Julia.

South Park Sculptor’s Work on Permanent Display at Airport

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stokerrailingLocal metal sculptor, Hamilton Dixon, recently unveiled his latest public railing installation in the new Boston Stoker Coffee shop, located in the lobby of the Dayton International Airport.

Dixon, creator of the Dayton Art Institute railing, explored a new dimension with this railing fabrication, producing an outcome that is both fluid and multi-dimensional. The railing itself runs 30 feet in length, and it swoops and bows at a variety of heights and depths, complete with hand-forged interior components that seem to reflect an “Earth meets Sky” theme.

According to Dixon, the inspiration for this design came primarily from Don Dean of Boston Stoker, who makes a point of celebrating the local artists community. “I appreciate the opportunity that Boston Stoker has given me to have my work seen by so many people arriving to and departing from the Dayton airport, “ said Dixon.

HamiltonsculptsThe forging process used by Dixon is similar to that of an old-world blacksmith.  He begins his process with sticks of mild steel bar, either squared or round, then places them in a forge until they are red-hot.  He then manually removes the heated stick, and with hammer and anvil, hand-forges the steel into its intended shape.  Each and every element of this one-of-a-kind railing was hand-forged by the artist.

Dixon has been sculpting steel as an art form for 20 years. He began working with metal as a welder on an offshore oilrig in the 1980’s. He then attended Turley Forge School in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he learned basic techniques in forging steel, and in 1991 he relocated to Dayton, were he lives with his family in the historic South Park neighborhood.

He has produced a wide range of public art, installed throughout the Miami Valley; Dayton Art Institute Rotunda, Serenity Pines (University of Dayton), Aids Resource Center Kuntz Building, Cooper Loft Lobby, Kettering Delco Park, as well as private installations around Dayton and throughout the U.S.  For additional information about the artist and his other installations in the Dayton area, go to www.hamiltondixon.com.

ham'sbracletTo celebrate this most recent installation, Dixon has produced a line of limited edition, commemorative bracelet, which is currently on display at the Airport Boston Stoker. Bracelet is made of pure, solid, sterling silver,
hand-hammered by artist himself, numbered and signed for $180.  Purchase inquiries can be made by calling the  artists’s studio 228-3555.

The railing at the Dayton International Airport is a permanent installation and can be seen anytime, preferably with a hot latte in hand.

Can you say, “Bike Friendly Dayton!”

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couteousmassIf you haven’t notice by now, cycling is a huge passion of mine, as is supporting the City of Dayton becoming a more bike friendly community.  I’m sure you’ve noticed the bike lane stripping, signage, events and construction going on around the city and are hopefully ready for more to come.  Most of these efforts are products of the BikeWalkDayton Team.

The BikeWalkDayton team is lead by Commissioner Nan Whaley and is comprised of City of Dayton Commission Staff, Police Dept., Planners, Engineers, and outside organizations such as Five Rivers MetroParks, Miami Conservancy District, and Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.  Their mission is to create a more liveable, walkable and of course, bikeable city.

One current project of the team is creating a city wide bike map detailing trails, lanes, and on road suggested routes.  The map is still a work in progress but the BikeWalkDayton team is interested in soliciting your feedback and they asked the Outdoor Evangelist to help them do it.   Download the map here

If you care about the future of our community, want to be able to more safely walk and ride your bike to work and around Dayton then here is your chance to chime in.

Please take a moment to look over the map and consider a few of these questions.

  • Is it user friendly?
  • What other physical info is necessary (i.e. places of interest, cycling obstacles, etc.)?
  • What bike infrastructure should be shown?
  • What information is important to have on the reverse side of the map (rules of the road, traffic laws, bike shop locations, etc)?

After you are done commenting on the map, get your butt in the saddle and out on the streets of Dayton.  The more bikes on the road the safer it is!

Ride Well!

Photo Credit – Courteous Mass Facebook page

10 ?’s with Chef Jenn DiSanto

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6Sometimes you just get a feeling about people.  When I emailed Chef DiSanto to set up this interview she was in Atlanta, visiting with her ill father, yet took the time to send me a rather amusing email about how we could do the interview as she was driving home in the car with her little ones, but that it might be better to wait.  No problem, so we set it up at her Centerville kitchen and she asked me what my favorite foods were.  Of course anyone who knows me can answer this- CHOCOLATE!

I arrived on a snowy morning to her office at The Easy Way Out and Chef greeted me graciously and we headed back to her kitchen, which was spotless and well organized.   We made the usual getting to know you chit chat and in no time at all I was charmed.  And then she went to the cooler to pull out a batter she’d made so it could cook while we talked.  A molten chocolate lava cake-woo hoo-she knows how to please! Of course, as we got to question 2 and her dread of baking I felt pretty guilty- she’d done what she hated most, just to make a good impression on me!

A classically trained chef, she ran her own catering business in Connecticut, then moved to Europe and then came to Dayton about 3 years ago (you can read her official bio here).  She’s a guerrilla marketer, who started her current business by talking to total strangers about her passion and skill for making good food.  And having spent just a couple hours with her, it’s easy to see why she’s making such a big impression on folks, in such a short time in the region.

As we went through the questions over a spread of bleu cheese stuffed figs with balsamic vinaigrette, marinated mushrooms, shortbread cookies and chips with her own special salsa (which by the way was so flavorful and she’ll soon be selling it commercially),  it was so easy to feel Chef Jenn’s passion for food and cooking.  Right in the middle of a question, she’d sit in anticipation as I bit into a taste and wait and watch for my reaction.  She genuinely wanted me to get as much pleasure out of eating the food as she gets from cooking it. And I did!

She told me the story of how she ended up teaching at Dorothy Lane Market School of Cooking– she was ordering fish at the seafood counter, and as a true gourmet cook, wanted it whole- head and all.  A gentleman walked by, heard her talking and asked if she was a chef.  I have to believe he too was blown away by her enthusiasm for great, fresh ingredients because he turned out to be a DLM big wig and just a couple short weeks later she was teaching her first class.  Now she teaches 5 or 6 a month, and be warned, they sell out quickly. She teaches, caters events, prepares gourmet meals for you to purchase  and eventually, when her children are older, she’ll have a full service shop where you can pick out all your ingredients and she’ll whip them into a fabulous, mouth watering menu.

We laughed and talked so much, I felt guilty for taking up so much of her time.  But not so guilty I didn’t enjoy my chocolate cake!  Hope you get the warm feeling I got meeting Chef Jenn when you read this:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
There are so many I love! Saffron, truffles, fresh morels, tomatoes, olives, smoked paprika, really, really good olive oil…so many more I love, but I’ll stop here. Oh, and fresh herbs!

What ingredient do you dread?
I don’t really dread an ingredient, so much but I don’t enjoy precise baking with complicated recipes. I will do it when I have to but I don’t love it. I do however love baking when it comes to breads and foccacias as they give you a little more freedom.

Chef Jenn plating up the bluecheese figs with balsamic vinagrette she made me.

Chef Jenn plating up some of the goodies she made for me during our interview.

What’s your favorite dish to make?
So many tapas dishes I could not begin to mention them all-it’s my favorite type of meal to cook and my favorite way to eat…small tastes of big flavors. If I had to pick a bigger dish I would say paella because it really is an art to me or osso bucco because I just love braised dishes. Braising is really all about creating a relationship with food. You combine flavors, it’s a slow cooking method that tenderizes the meat and it simmers and the smells flirt with you, building you up for the big taste finish.

What’s your favorite pig out food?
Is wine a food? Ok, I guess I would have to say pizza or really good chewy bread with great quality herb butter…and wines of course. I’m really into Spanish wines lately- I like really hearty full bodies reds with lots of tannins.
I’m not a wine snob I just like good wine!

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
I love Meadowlark, Rue Dumaine, The Winds, El Meson to name a few. Oh yeah and Amelia’s Bistro in Bellbrook and Pasha Grille at The Greene.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?
Don’t get so caught up in a recipe-it is merely a guideline-at least in cooking! Relax, have fun and try new things. Also, always start with the best ingredients to end with a great dish. Also if you are making yourself crazy trying to impress a dinner guest, they they may not really be a friend…

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
As you can see there is a theme here…I can’t limit my answers…
First would be my husband, Jim, 4 year old daughter Eva and 2 year old son Max…but my kids wouldn’t be picky eaters at this dinner party. I would also always love to have dinner with my mother and father and six sisters anytime-great food was always a way of life for us growing up. I would also love to have dinner with Julia Child, but what chef wouldn’t? I would also love to have dinner with Shirley O. Corriher (author and food scientist)- oh the stories she has and the knowledge she has is amazing to me. Plus she is so funny and down to earth.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
Again…so many and I truly believe that you can learn from anyone and everyone.  But here are a few:
Alice Waters for how she pioneered the importance of locally grown fresh food
Julia Child-again what chef- especially female chef-doesn’t look up to her?
Jose Andres who master the art of tapas beautifully everyday
and locally Chef Wiley form Meadowlark for running a great restaurant with great food and just being a great person.  Chef Anne Kearney from Rue Dumaine for being so incredibly talented, passionate and gracious all at the same time. Chef Carrie Walters the corporate chef at DLM for being so passionate about food and bringing it to life so beautifully in a more challenging type of food service-dishes that are not made to order.. Also any of the gang at DLM-The Mayne family (who own Dorothy Lane Market) is so passionate about food and this translates so beautifully through all of their employees to the customers- I love to shop there!

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Chef Jenn, Eva and Max

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
Spend time with my family. We absolutely love all the free parks in the Miami Valley. It’s one of the things that really made us love Dayton. After being in Europe where you pay for everything, even to pee, it’s amazing the abundance of open green space. We love to spend a day in Yellow Springs and at Young’s Jersey Dairy. The Boonshoft Museum has also been a wonderful place to explore with my kids.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

We all have a kitchen disaster story but I am pretty good about recovering, picking myself back up and laughing it off.  There was the time I catered for surprise birthday party for a client.  He said there would be about 50 people so we planned the menu to do tapas and then paella for the main meal.  Then a few days before the party, he called and said everyone was so exited about the concept of the party they all decided to rsvp so now the count was up to well over 100.  Ok-no problem, you have to be flexible in catering.  This was to be set outside but I only had an our after he got his wife out of the house to set up…the bar, the tables, the buffet tables for the tapas and burners foteh 5 large paella pans that I would be using.  He didn’t want to have a tent because his wife would obviously figure out something was happening.  Mission accomplished on time and the client was thrilled, but as I was cooking paella out of nowhere it started to rain.  One of my assistants very politely asked if we should postpone or move into the garage, but I was forming the perfect crust on the paella, so we held umbrellas over the paella to keep it protected, while I got completely soaked in my chef whites.  Just as the paella was ready, the rain stopped the guests came back outside and enjoyed the meal.  The guest had a blast, thoroughly enjoyed the party and I had a great laugh!

And of course as I left Chef Jenn’s kitchen that snowy day, she chased me out to the car with one more chocolate dessert for later.  And that reinforced that first feeling I had about her- this lady knows how to charm anyone, and she’s real!


Future of Mountain Biking in Dayton

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DSC_0353What are the first things that come to mind when you think of mountain biking?  Is it teenagers with their hair on fire, X Games extreme athletes in motocross protective padding, or another great way to exercise and enjoy the great outdoors?

Just five to ten years ago most people in the Dayton region would have said flaming haired, pot smoking teenagers and extreme athletes.  The culture has changed, for the better IMHO, so much that recreational activities like mountain biking are being included in regional master planning efforts by organizations such as Five Rivers MetroParks and incorporated into the strategy of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan.

In September, 2007, Five Rivers MetroParks opened up MoMBA, which stands for MetroParks Mountain Biking Area.  This facility was envisioned as a sustainably designed trail system to attract a new user base to MetroParks and provide another way to connect people to nature, which is part of MetroParks’ mission.

According to my first hand observations, the facility has been a success.  Yes, there are a few teenagers on bmx bikes with no helmets occasionally taking to the trailhead but the typical rider at MoMBA by no means fits that stereotype.   On any given day you will see numerous cars in the parking lot, middle age professionals, college students, grey hairs on hybrid bikes, and families out riding the sweet single track.  One could speculate why this is, I would suggest the proximity to local neighborhoods, wide variety of difficulty levels and experiences, and mountain biking is just fun.

Last fall MetroParks held a series of meetings to discuss future plans to expand the core area and develop a more comprehensive masterplan that provides the necessary amenities and increased riding opportunities for all ages to truly create a destination level facility.  The link below details the plan and lists what each stage of the plan will entail.  Word on the street is that the purchase of an adjacent quarry property is in discussion as we speak.  The expansion of the facility would truly put MoMBAon the map and provide opportunities for advanced riders that cannot be found anywhere in the Midwest.  Check out the plans for yourself and keep an eye out for updates on the quarry.  http://www.metroparks.org/documents/recreation/2009-12-16_MoMBA_master_plan.pdf

Click here for more information about MoMBA.   MetroParks hosts numerous programs, events, demos, and group rides throughout the year so Get Out and Ride!