Guest Contributor

5 Stunning Foliage Hikes in Ohio

October 19, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Ohio is a beautiful state for going out on long hikes and taking in the scenery of nature. And when it comes to breathtaking foliage, you’ve come to the right place. Experience the change of seasons to its fullest with these five stunning foliage hikes in Ohio!

1. JOHN BRYAN STATE PARK

John Bryan State Park is the most beautiful state park in Western Ohio. It has over 752 acres to explore containing an extraordinary limestone gorge cut by the Little Miami River.

2. MOHICAN-MEMORIAL STATE FOREST

Mohican-Memorial State Forest has 32 miles of hiking trails that provide beautiful foliage and scenery for you to spend the day enjoying. The trails curves through the primitive and scenic areas of the forest.

3. SUGARCREEK METROPARK

Sugarcreek MetroPark has oak trees that are estimated to be over 550 years-old, a tallgrass prairie, and woodlands. The scenic Sugar Creek beckons visitors. Much of the 618-acre park used to be farmland but now provides scenes of gorgeous foliage!

4. SCIOTO TRAIL STATE PARK

The Scioto Trail State Park is an idyllic 218-acre state park, nestled in the 9,000-acre Scioto Trail State Forest. The ridge tops and snaking forest roads offer awe-inspiring vistas of the Scioto River Valley in a beautiful remote setting.

5. CONKLES HOLLOW STATE NATURE PRESERVE

Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve is 87 perfectly-preserved acres of forest land with beautiful foliage in Hocking County. Its sheer cliffs of Black Hand sandstone rise almost 200 feet above the valley floor and the gorge is 100 feet wide in places!

This piece by By Mat Stevens first appeared in Step Outside.

https://stepoutside.org/

Find fall color, qualify to win during final months of MetroParks Trails Challenge

September 24, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Those who have registered for the MetroParks Trails Challenge have a little more than one month to check off the trails they wish to complete. Luckily, the cool weather, fewer insects and beautiful views make conditions perfect for hiking, cycling, paddling and more.

The MetroParks Trails Challenge is a fun way to explore the region’s trails. It’s also a fun way to stay active outdoors on your own time and at your own pace.

The 2021 challenge runs through Oct. 31.
It includes 28 trails for hiking, walking, cycling, paddling, running, mountain biking and even horseback riding.
Trails selected allow participants to customize their adventures and work up to more challenging trails.
Trails vary in length, from 0.71 to 6 miles, so there are many opportunities to invite family — including younger ones — on your outings.

2021 MetroParks Trail Challenge

You can participate by completing just one trail. And because you explore the trails in your own way, it’s easy to practice safe social distancing while participating in the challenge. Indeed, the MetroParks Trails Challenge is a convenient way to improve your physical and mental health while connecting with nature and enjoying an active lifestyle.

You can also win awesome prizes for checking off trails on your log. Completing just one trail enters you for the chance to win a prize. Learn more about how you can win a Huffy mountain bike, Kids Adventure Pack and more.

The 2021 MetroParks Trails Challenge is presented by Huffy with additional support from Dayton Children’s.

Find fall views and complete challenges

MetroParks Trail Challenge participants who want to experience all the colors of fall should make it a priority to check off the following trails in their log as the leaves start to change. Because fall color is so depended on temperatures, it’s best to check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Map to stay up to date on the changing leaves.

MetroParks also will post updates on social media when staff notice colors changing in the parks. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all the fall happenings – including leaf peeping opportunities – in MetroParks.

Hills & Dales MetroPark: Adirondack Trail (Hike) – Trails Challenge #11
Taylorsville MetroPark: Yellow Trail (Hike) – Trails Challenge #15
Wolf Creek Paved Trail (Walk/Bike) – Trails Challenge #3
Mad River (Paddle) – Trails Challenge #2
Twin Creek MetroPark: Orange Trail (Hike) – Trails Challenge #23
Stillwater River Paved Trail (Walk/Bike) – Trails Challenge #4
Sugarcreek MetroPark: Green Trail (Hike) – Trails Challenge #25

Fairmont Cheerleaders Spread Community Spirit

September 10, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Here’s a great story to end your week, shared with us by Fairmont Cheer Coach, Carrie Kihn:

For two years now there has been a resident of The Carlyle House that watches soccer games out her windows and cheers for the Firebirds.

Our cheerleaders heard her rooting on the Firebirds one day, and started waving to her during every game. Earlier this year, a staff member came out and told the cheerleaders that the lady never has visitors, and cheering for the Firebirds at the soccer games is all she talks about.

This week the cheerleaders asked if they could visit the resident, and the staff member said yes…but outside only! The staff members told the resident that she had some visitors, but that she didn’t believe them, because “nobody ever comes to see me!”

To say that the resident was surprised when she came out and saw all the cheerleaders gathered there in the parking lot is an understatement! They presented her with a cowbell, a set of pom-poms and a T-shirt. She was tickled, and they have made arrangements to visit again and to continue waving at her during every game.

Now how’s that for “We Are Firebirds” Spirit!?!

Walking Tours of Dayton’s Historic Neighborhoods

April 22, 2021 By Guest Contributor

A series of self-guided walking tours in the 10 historically-zoned district areas in Dayton are now available courtesy of Preservation Dayton, Inc. The walking tours highlight architectural and historical features of each area.

“Each tour highlights the unique architectural heritage of the area and the citizens who helped Dayton thrive through the centuries,” said Monica Snow, the organization’s president. “The leisurely designed walks allow ample time to pause and appreciate the architecture, the streetscape, and the amenities of each area.”

The Daniel G. Fitch House, a Greek Revival home on South Williams Street in the Wright-Dunbar Historic District, was built around 1856 and is one of Dayton’s oldest homes. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Made possible by a $3,500 grant from the City of Dayton, 12 volunteers devoted more than 400 hours to create the web-based tours. PDI developed the first printed tour guides in 1994 with a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.

This Victorian Italianate home on Linden Avenue in the Huffman Historic District was built for Charles P. Huffman, founder of the Huffy Bicycle Company. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Easy downloadable audio and print formats with photos and Google maps are provided online at https://www.preservationdayton.com/walking_tours.html. Free tours are available for the following historic neighborhoods: Dayton View, Five Oaks Squirrel Forest, Grafton Hill, Huffman, McPherson Town, Paul Laurence Dunbar, South Park, St. Anne’s Hill, West Third Street and Wright-Dunbar Village.

Russell H. Bates, a partner in D.L. Bates and Brothers, a manufacturing company, built this home on Grand Avenue in the Dayton View Historic District around 1900. At the time this Free Classic Queen Anne cost $10,048.21. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Originally founded in 1983 as the Dayton Area Coalition of Historic Neighborhoods, Preservation Dayton is a non-profit corporation that promotes the restoration, renovation, and rehabilitation of historic structures and settings as economically viable activities and enhancements to the public welfare.

This Colonial Revival house on Belmonte Park in the Grafton Hill Historic District was built in 1931 for Judge T.A. Ferreding. The stone wall came from an early 1800s barn on the family homestead, the site of the former Salem Mall. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Contributions to PDI’s Endangered Property Fund can be made online at preservationdayton.com/endangered or by check made payable to Preservation Dayton, Inc. Fund #8630 and mailed to Preservation Dayton, P.O. Box 3614 Dayton, OH 45401.

WSU Big Lens Festival To Be Held at The Drive-In

April 13, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Wright State University’s acclaimed Motion Pictures program will present its annual Big Lens Film Festival Thursday, April 22nd at 8pm at Dayton’s Dixie Twin Drive-In.

For the first time, in order to accommodate COVID-conscious viewing requirements, the Big Lens Film Festival will take place outdoor, with audience members viewing from the safety of their cars. Big Lens has become an annual tradition in the regional film community as a celebration of the graduating students being showcased.

This year’s films are the culmination of up to two years of preparation and production – all of it made more challenging by an abrupt halt to production, and then the added requirements of following industry standards for COVID-safe conditions for filming, editing and preparing these premieres. The chance to see these films on a very large screen at Dixie Twin will be a joyful culmination to these filmmakers’ four years as students in the Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures.

Festival Director, Instructor of Motion Pictures Jeremy Bolden says, “This year’s Big Lens will have films from 2020 graduates, as well as 2021 graduates. Almost everything you’ll see on the screen was either finished, or entirely created during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A large part of the filmmaking process is problem solving, and our students have and continued to put in a tremendous amount of work to create content and tell stories that are important to them.”

The Disaster Mitzvah

Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures Chair, Joe Deer, says, “The Big Lens Film Festival is always a great event. But, this year is special, seeing a group of students that have banded together to make films while much of their industry has had to go on hiatus. I have such admiration for them and for their gifted faculty and staff, who have gone so many extra miles to make this event possible. I don’t think any of these filmmakers will ever forget this festival.”

This year’s films include:

Will I Make it Thru the Springtime, Music Video, Directed by Adam Clark
27 Pages of Notes, Documentary, Directed by Parker Bowling
MAGGIE & SARAH, Short, Directed by Ella Price
Meat*, Animation, Directed by Vincent Short
Sick and Tired, Music Video, Directed by Adam Clark
CANVAS, Documentary, Directed by Ryder Caldwell
The Disaster Mitzvah*, Animation, Directed by Brandon Werwa
DEON, Documentary, Directed by Danny Fain
You May Feel, Animation, Directed by Joe Greenwell
I’m Lonely Even Though I’m Not Alone, Music Video, Directed by Parker Bowling
APOTHEOSIS, Short, Directed by Ella Price
Gooey Goats*, Animation, Directed by Ben Young

* Denotes 2020 Graduate.

Graduates of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures who have participated in this festival have gone on to win Emmy and Academy Awards and to lead the film and television industry in Southwest Ohio and the nation.

The Festival screening will take place Thursday, April 22nd, with gates opening at 7:00pm. The showings will begin a sunset (approximately 8pm). A suggested cash/check donation of $10 per person can be made at the gate. Patrons are expected to follow COVID precautions while viewing films at the Dixie Twin Drive-In

This article originally appeared on BWW News Desk.

Wright State Theatre presents Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ in an Outdoor Production This Weekend

April 8, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures continues its spring festival of COVID-conscious performances with an outdoor production of Sophocles’ timeless tragedy “Antigone.”

Performances will be presented on Saturday, April 10, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 11, at 2 p.m. at Wright State’s outdoor amphitheatre, next to the Medical Sciences building.

A limited number of tickets are available for free but must be reserved in advance by contacting the Theatre Box Office at 937-775-2500. Tickets will not be available on the day of the performance.

“Antigone” is often called one of the greatest, most moving of the ancient Greek tragedies. It continues to be relevant today because of its depiction of the struggle between individual conscience and state policy and its examination of the nature of human suffering and grief.

Wright State’s production has a contemporary quality, in part because of the modern language translation by Nicholas Rudall, and because it resonates with modern political and social moments in the ways it depicts young people challenging government authority in pursuit of justice.

“This play couldn’t be more relevant as it reflects the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who will no longer stand for injustice codified in their governments,” said John Lavarnway, “Antigone” director and a Wright State Theatre staff member.

He said it’s an ideal time to produce “Antigone” since it was written to be performed outdoors and since the original actors wore masks the characters’ expressions were written into the dialogue.

“We have come up with a concept that blends the ancient with the modern in this truly timeless play,” Lavarnway said. “The young actors who have been sidelined for a year are so grateful for the opportunity to perform together in person before a live audience.”

By Bob Mihalek originally posted in the Wright State Newsroom

WSU presents Streaming musical: The Theory of Relativity

March 23, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Wright State University Theatre will present its first streaming musical production of the year, “The Theory of Relativity,” March 26-28.

Audiences can purchase tickets to watch “The Theory of Relativity” at showtix4u.com/event-details/49156. The musical will be available on-demand from 7 p.m. on Friday, March 26, to 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 28.

“The Theory of Relativity” features music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award nominees Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

Through a collection of witty and moving songs, scenes and monologues, “The Theory of Relativity” introduces a group of college students experiencing their first independence and the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection that comes with it.

Wright State’s production is directed by Greg Hellems, head of the Musical Theatre program, and musical directed by R. Wade Russo, instructor of musical theatre.

“The show is unapologetically about recognizing the need for human relationships and the experience of making and losing those interactions,” Hellems said. “The lyrics have taken on a whole new meaning now that many of those connections have been disrupted by the real obstacles presented by COVID-19.”

“The Theory of Relativity” is Wright State Theatre’s first filmed musical. Hellems said shooting the film has been a rewarding new challenge.

“Working without a film crew, the cast and production team have explored the medium of film in the most accessible of ways, our iPhones,” he said.

The collaborative filming process has included students, alumni and staff working together across the Dayton Campus to create art in the midst of the pandemic.

“For everyone working on this production, this was our first chance to be back in rehearsal and in performance since March of 2020,” Hellems said. “I was so moved the first night the cast sang together live, I was teary-eyed. After a year of waiting, having a chance to make art again has been joyful.”

The cast “The Theory of Relativity” features Tommy Cole (Oliver), Jonathan Crawford (Ryan), Austin Gladstone (Adam), Spencer Hall (Anthony 1), Kevin Lausche (Anthony 2), Ben Ohnemus (Mike 1), Nick Salazar (Mike 2), Jake Siwek (Paul), Amanda Astorga (Catherine 1), Nora DeGreen (Jenny), Lauren Eifert (Catherine 2), Tassy Kirbas (Sara), Eliana Taub (Mira), Delaney O’Toole (Amy), Molly Seybert (Caroline) and Ana Smith (Julie) with Tanner Gleeson and Alex Tischer (Male Swings) and Maggie Musco and Elisabeth Mies (Female Swings).

The production staff includes David J. Castellano, production manager/location manager; Katherine Rodriguez, assistant to the director; Aaron Poland, co-sound designer; Kevin Nedberg, technical director; John Lavarnway, props master; props artisans Julia Antoine, Greg Davis, Anna Hunter, Mariana Gonzalez and Murphy Vanbalen; Carly Kimmins, costume shop manager; Emmy Goerling, costumer; and Grace Randall and Lara Sagraves, sound technicians.

By Bob Mihalek

[email protected], 937-775-3622

Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest

March 16, 2021 By Guest Contributor

For the inaugural Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Queer Beer Festival, we’re seeking a talented individual to design some art. We want you to decide what it looks like to be a powerful queer person participating in the craft beer industry or culture. Is it a special beer brewed for Pride? Is it people coming together to brew a beer? Or, is it just a colorful expression of drinking? It can be a design, illustration, or even an inspiring poem. For the Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest show us your best stuff to help us celebrate a resounding, yet often unrepresented community in craft beer*.

From the submissions, the Hop Culture and Samuel Adams teams will choose five semi-finalist winners to have their design featured on 100 limited-edition prints. And, one grand prize winner will additionally have their design featured on 300 limited-edition, exclusive YETI Colsters generously donated by YETI. Known for their coolers built for the wild, YETI is also active in supporting a more inclusive and equitable industry. Both the posters and Colsters will be sold to the public with all proceeds donated to GLAAD, an organization rewriting the script for LGBTQ acceptance and tackling tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue.

Additionally, the final winner will be featured on Hop Culture’s Instagram (@hopculturemag) and profiled in an exclusive editorial piece on HopCulture.com.

The Story Behind Hop Culture’s Queer Beer Festival

The Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Queer Beer Festival is an evolution of Hop Culture’s women in craft beer festival: Beers With(out) Beards. In 2018, Hop Culture’s Head of Partnerships Grace Weitz launched the festival as a part of her graduate school thesis capstone project at NYU. Over the last three years, this revolutionary festival has attracted over 3,000 attendees and 50 women-led breweries. In the same period, the event has featured 30 events aimed at celebrating the achievements of women across all aspects of the alcoholic beverage industries.

Building on the success of BW(O)B, Weitz — who identifies as queer — conceptualized Queer Beer as a way to celebrate the unique, vibrant, diverse, thriving, and often underserved queer community in beer. Additionally, Weitz wanted to showcase LGBTQ+ drinkmakers and tastemakers, express stories of empowerment from top queer-owned breweries or breweries actively supporting the queer community, and build a stronger culture of inclusivity in the beer industry.

Samuel Adams and Hop Culture Collaborate on the Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest

Samuel Adams is not only one of the world’s leading independent craft breweries, but also a long-time and passionate supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Because of this, they made the perfect partner for Hop Culture’s new event. An inclusive network of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Company coworkers, aptly named Labels Out, recognized the importance of the festival as part of their ongoing mission to support and encourage their peers as members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2020, Samuel Adams announced its partnership with GLAAD, including a $100,000 donation to the organization committed to rewriting the script for LGBTQ+ acceptance in addition to a commitment to education and training for coworkers. The brewery launched Love Conquers All, a Pride platform created in partnership with GLAAD, inspired by Love Conquers Ale, a Blackberry Basil Lime Gose limited release brewed by and for the LGBTQ+ community. To introduce Love Conquers All, Samuel Adams created a powerful video series called Poetry of Pride, to illustrate the power of poetry as a medium and expression designed to unite communities and amplify voices. Filmed inside the historic Stonewall inn, the series featured original poetry written by Teddy Geiger and Richard Blanco, recited by notable Broadway members of the LGBTQ+ community.

All in all, Samuel Adams has made huge strides to support the queer community, and Hop Culture is honored to partner with this revolutionary brewery as the presenting sponsor for its Queer Beer Festival.

So, what does the Hop Culture x Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride contest look like? Here’s what you need to know.

What is Hop Culture x Samuel Adams’ Pour Out Your Pride Contest?

The Hop Culture x Samuel Adams’ Pour Out Your Pride Contest is a competition asking people to submit a design, illustration, drawing, or poem that represents what it means to them to be a powerful queer person in craft beer.

Who Can Enter?

This Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States or DC, age 18 or older.

Although Hop Culture is more than happy to take submissions from anyone, we respectfully ask for understanding around the idea that only those who identify as queer will be eligible to win. LGBTQ+ allies and friends are an incredibly important part of our community, but our goals for this contest are to amplify queer voices and provide a platform for a marginalized community.

How Do I Enter?

To submit your design, simply post it on Instagram with the hashtag #pouroutyourpride and #contest. Then follow @samueladamsbeer and @hopculturemag to see the winners. The five-semi finalists will be announced on April 5th, 2020. The final winner will be announced on April 19th, 2021, at which point we’ll be in contact for the art files. And that’s it!

How Long Will the Pout Out Your Pride Contest Run?

March 15th to March 31st at 11:59 PM EST – First round entries will be accepted. From there, a representative panel from Hop Culture and Samuel Adams will choose five semi-finalists.

April 5th – The five semi-finalists will be announced via Hop Culture’s Instagram page (@hopculturemag). Each of the five semi-finalists will be contacted through Instagram and sent an additional questionnaire and art release.

April 14th – Semi-finalist questionnaire due.

April 19th – Hop Culture and Samuel Adams will announce the final winner.

May TBD – The posters with the winning designs from all semi-finalists will go on sale with all proceeds donated to GLAAD!

May TBD – The YETI Colsters with the final winning design will go on sale with all proceeds donated to GLAAD!

What Do I Win?

Five semi-finalists will have their submissions displayed on Hop Culture’s Instagram (@hopculturemag) and printed on 100 limited-edition 18×24 posters that will be sold online. All proceeds from the sales of these posters will be donated to GLAAD, an organization rewriting the script for LGBTQ acceptance and tackling tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue.

And, one lucky finalist will additionally have their winning design showcased on 300 exclusive limited-edition YETI Colsters (generously donated by YETI) that will be sold to the public prior to the festival. All of the proceeds from the Colsters will also be donated to GLAAD. Additionally, the final winner will be featured on Hop Culture’s Instagram (@hopculturemag) and profiled in an exclusive editorial piece on HopCulture.com.

Are There Any Rules on My Pour Out Your Pride Submission?

In order to meet the specifications of the YETI Colster, please note that the final winning design will be printed in a single color. We still encourage you to submit a full-color design because all five semi-finalist designs will be printed in color. However, please know that while we can represent the integrity of your design in full color on social media and on the semi-finalist winning posters, we will only be able to print on the Colster in a single color.

Who Chooses the Pour Out Your Pride Semi-Finalists and the Final Winner?

Winners will be chosen by a representative panel from Hop Culture and Samuel Adams.

What if I Have a Question That Wasn’t Answered?

Didn’t see an answer to your question here? Please direct any additional questions to Grace Weitz at [email protected]

Amtrak proposes five Ohio routes

February 1, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Amtrak representatives are making the rounds in Ohio, meeting with leaders in cities where they plan to expand services according to a blueprint the passenger rail company developed in conjunction with state and federal transportation officials. The goal, the Amtrak representatives said, is to pursue passenger rail expansion on five routes that would be initiated using 100 percent federal funds through a proposed new rail program.

The five new routes are:

Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3C) Corridor: three daily round trips with intermediate station stops;
Cincinnati-Indianapolis-Chicago: four daily round trips with intermediate station stops;
Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit-Pontiac: three daily round trips with intermediate station stops, including a possible extension of Wolverine Corridor train service from Chicago;
Cleveland-Buffalo-Albany-New York: two daily round trips with intermediate station stops;
Cleveland-Pittsburgh-New York: one daily round trip with intermediate station stops via an extension of Keystone Corridor train service.

The new federal passenger rail program depends on support from Congress and the new Biden Administration. President Joe Biden, a longtime passenger rail supporter, has vowed a “second great railroad revolution.” And last year the U.S. House of Representatives passed the proposed new rail funding program but it died in the U.S. Senate. Now, with a split Senate under new leadership, the bill has a good chance to become reality.

All Aboard Ohio understand that Congress could take action in the coming month on approving this new program. Amtrak is requesting $300 million per year from Congress to develop high-potential corridors (corridors are routes under 750 miles). The Ohio routes are among those nationwide that Amtrak identified as having a high potential of success.

However, for Ohio to gain new passenger services, the Ohio Department of Transportation will have to request it from Amtrak or other operators. Once an agreement is in place with a state entity, Amtrak may pay up to 100 percent of the capital costs to initiate new or additional services. Amtrak may also provide 100 percent of the operating costs in the first two years, 90 percent in the third year, 80 percent in the fourth year and 50 percent in the fifth year. After that, the new service must be state supported in the same manner that 16 other states currently purchase service from Amtrak.

Ohio’s General Assembly will soon be reviewing the Ohio Department of Transportation‘s (ODOT) biennial budget which must be approved this spring. In this budget, Ohio needs to authorize the development of federally compliant corridor plans so it can reach a contract with Amtrak or another passenger rail provider. If it doesn’t, Ohioans may have to wait another two years for the next ODOT budget before any progress can begin.

It’s time for Ohio — the nation’s most populous state without a passenger rail program — to finally step up. In the past, Ohio had to pay some if not all of the capital costs of starting up new passenger rail services and purchasing continued services on an annual or bi-annual basis. Yes, there was a risk of failure in that. But the pursuit of success always carries a risk of failure. If Congress and the Biden Administration approve this rail corridor development program, as they are expected to do, Ohio simply isn’t going to get a better deal than this.

Please contact the governor and both of your state lawmakers today!

Contact Gov. Mike DeWine HERE
Contact your Senator HERE
Contact your Representative HERE

SAMPLE MESSAGE: In your own words, politely ask “Please include in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s budget an authorization and a small amount of funding to partner with railroads, communities, other states and the federal government in the planning of routes, stations, services and infrastructure improvements for an introductory level of safe, convenient and cost-effective passenger train services.”

If you have a little more time and motivation, kindly tell your lawmaker a personal reason why you would use an Ohio passenger train service. Unlike statistics, personal stories are often unassailable.

This post by kjprendergast originally appeared in All Aboard Ohio on January 29, 2021

Nan Whaley’s Last Year As Mayor

January 6, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Exactly 8 years and 1 month ago, I announced that I was running to be the mayor of Dayton. In the speech I gave, I talked about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Great Dayton Flood and just how strong and resilient our city was. Little did I know how true that would be during my time as mayor.

From the opioid crisis, to massive tornadoes, to the Oregon District shooting, to systemic racism and COVID-19, we have faced our share of challenges. But each and every time, the people of this community came together. We are gritty and resilient. When things get tough, Dayton does what Dayton does best: we take care of each other.

I am proud of what we have accomplished. We took on the opioid crisis and dramatically reduced overdose deaths. We funded universal pre-k for all 4 year olds. We began offering paid parental leave to all municipal employees. We brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment all across our city. And we came together when it mattered most.

But there is much work still to be done over the last 12 months of my term. I’m incredibly proud of our ongoing police reform tables that have engaged the largest, most diverse group of community members I have ever worked with in a policy process. This group gives me so much hope for Dayton’s future. In the coming months, the long empty Arcade will finally reopen and a new community-owned grocery store will be open in Northwest Dayton. And we are now at the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 crisis.

Today, I’m announcing that I will not be running for re-election. I believe we have turned a corner in Dayton. This is the best job I have ever had, but I believe our city can only continue to grow if we give space and opportunity to new leaders and new ideas. I’ll have more news soon about what is next for me, but I am looking forward to finishing out my term strong.

Eight years ago when I announced my campaign I said that, “the mayor of Dayton should matter.” I hope I have lived up to that charge. I will always be your neighbor and biggest advocate, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for our city.

St. Anne the Tart’s Socially-Distanced Holiday Cookie Swap

November 29, 2020 By Guest Contributor

For centuries the comforting ritual of cookie baking and exchanging has been one of the sweetest ties that bind neighbors, friends, and community members together during the holiday season. It’s the one time of the year when dozens of billowy sugar cookies laden with thick swoops of icing, gingerbread dusted with powdery sugar, and crispy biscotti for coffee-dipping are baked simply with a desire to share and to send a bit of our family roots into the home of another to let them know that they are loved.

Share Some Recipes. Or Just Eat the Cookies.

This year we’re not going to let COVID have the last laugh on this 400+ year tradition. Let the holiday merrymaking continue!

In a year of pandemic proportions, we will host our cookie swap in the safest way possible. Here’s how St. Anne the Tart sees this unfolding:

Theme: We’re theming this year’s cookie swap around the idea of family stories. In a year when we have never felt more disconnected from one another, our cookie swap will give you the chance to connect through the sharing of memories, allowing you to know one another in a deeper, more meaningful way. We welcome recipe submissions that are inclusive of all holiday celebrations – from Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day and more.

Submissions: We will be accepting submissions for cookies that have a story attached to them. Maybe it was your grandfather’s recipe he brought from his childhood and baked for his grandkids each year. It could be the memory of the cookie you had while sitting on the lap of Santa for the first time and have replicated ever since. It could be the cookies you remember most fondly baking with your kids when they were small. We want to know not just the recipe, but the story. The feelings and the sentiments about the smells, tastes, and experiences of baking them. While we can ultimately only choose 12 cookie recipes for this year’s box, we will work hard to provide the recipes and stories of all submissions to our St. Anne the Tart Cookie Box customers.

Recipe entries accepted: Nov 25-Dec 2

Recipe winners notified: Dec. 4

Box orders: Order Box. Now through Dec 11 (or until Sold Out)

Box Pickup: Dec 18

**delivery options available within the US. Please email to request assistance with cookie box delivery at [email protected]

This year we’re not going to let COVID have the last laugh on this 400+ year tradition. Let the holiday merrymaking continue!

In a year of pandemic proportions, we will host our cookie swap in the safest way possible. Here’s how we see this so beautifully unfolding:

Decision: There are no specific criteria for a cookie to be chosen or not, and there is no prize for having your recipe included in this year’s cookie swap box. This is not a lose/win but rather a (tough!) decision our team will make based on a multitude of variables (fragility, complexity, ingredients, shelf-life, processes, to name a few).

After submission, you will be notified by December 4th if your recipe will be making an appearance in this year’s box!

Pre-ordering a box: From our recipe submitters to our cookie eaters, anyone is welcome to pre-order a cookie swap box! Pre-orders for our cookie swap boxes will be available on our online store starting today up until December 11th. Once your box has been pre-ordered, you can either schedule to pick-up or have your cookie swap box delivered (within the US). Boxes will be available for pick-up on the hill on December 18th.

What you will receive: Each festive box will include 12 unique, distinct cookies safely baked in our commercial kitchen space and carefully packaged. Each cookie will come with a story and recipe card so that you can both make the cookies at home throughout each holiday season and learn a bit more about why that recipe is so treasured by someone else.

Dayton’s Newest Mural Celebrates Dayton Firefighters

November 13, 2020 By Guest Contributor

Dayton’s incredible artist Tiffany Clark has done it again. Another incredible work of art and in her own words she tells us about this project:

“The Incredible History of Dayton Firefighters Union 136” is now complete. It is located on Buckeye with the timeline starting near Main Street and Ending on Warren (Brown Street).

The idea has taken almost two years to come to fruition. The theme was a collective idea between firefighter/medics and the artist. It is their history.. our history.. reimagined in the style of the Golden Era of Comics.

Most of these heroes are a part of someone’s worst day.. when we’re hurt, scared, and in need they are there to help. They are a part of our history and our memories. But they wanted to be a part of a beautiful memory for this city .. experienced through paint. They want you to see they’re just big kids, with big hearts that wanna make a difference everyday. Here are finished images in the correct timeline, but it’s always a wonderful experience to see public art in person and to scale.

On Thanksgiving we will be launching a website to sell prints of the panels and a comic poster version. Part of the funds will be going to the FF Union 136. They always do so much to give back to this city. 2020 has been especially rough on them for many reasons.. medics during a pandemic, lower funds, and loss of two firefighters this year. So be on the look out for that opportunity to give back and put a piece of Dayton history in your home or as a gift.

Thank you to Station11 for hosting me and being so kind. Thank you to Jimmy and Boomer for being my buddies and muses. Thank you Bryan Stewart for getting this going.. there’s a Dalmatian for you. 😉 Thank you to all of the volunteers who were able to add time, talent, and paint: Atalie Gagnet, Leslea Hipp, Sheena Whittemore, Amy Kollar Anderson, Tabitha Peters-Guidone, Laura Ess, Margie Harrell, Sophia Carey, Sarah Richard, Jordyn Grant, Lillian Herbert, and Jordan Freshour(for rolling out those first panels and for photos).”

Gem City Podcast R.I.P.

August 28, 2020 By Guest Contributor

When I started podcasting in 2012, I couldn’t find any podcasts about Dayton. Today if you search “Dayton” or “Dayton, Ohio”, a lot of podcasts are available. That makes me happy.

I started podcasting in 2012 with “Tales From The Hardside”, about my life growing up in East Dayton. That quickly became something more than I could have expected. I ended the podcast at episode 313 in 2018.

In 2013 I became a contributor to Gem City Podcast. Eric Ruiz started the podcast and contacted me before he released any podcasts. I advised him, but he had someone set it up.

In 2015, Eric told the group of people working on the podcast he was leaving town. He turned the podcast over to us. At that time it was myself, Libby Ballengee, Mark DaGrossa, and Scott Epic. We had help behind the scenes with Josh Gwin and David Sparks.

Scott Epic & Izzy Rock are in the Oregon District doing “gonzo” style podcasting while they pub craw

My thought was the podcast should be a local audio magazine, similar to a ‘zine. I wanted three episodes a week that covered various topics.

Monday would be “Community Conversations” with Libby and Mark having long form conversations with personalities, politicians, police, professors, businesses, authors, filmmakers, comics, and also release some important discussions of redlining, disinvestment of West Dayton, and so many more historical conversations. I welcomed Libby to have full creative control of her episodes and would never censor her. It was an honor to edit her podcasts.

On Wednesday’s, I wanted to do Storyteller episodes and cover the local music and podcast community. Offering a voice and support to any and all, uncensored. We featured artists releasing new albums, we did live shows from Sideshow and Miami Valley Music Fest, and during that time I invested researching the various musical communities. I was proud that we gave a voice to hundreds of different musical artists in this historic area for music.

When it came to podcasting, I didn’t believe in competition. I wanted community. I welcomed local podcasters, wanted to showcase them to the community. I hosted two Dayton Podfests, and a podcast workshop. I began listening in 2006 and they changed my life.

Mark DaGrossa, Libby Ballengee and “Izzy Rock”

I found a local podcast called, You Can’t Make This Up with DJ Killa Kev and Kev Nash of HOT 102.9 and invited them to release their show on our feed for our Friday episode. I believed if we were going to be about Dayton, we needed diversity in our audio magazine. Those guys would release their podcast on Sunday and then it would drop in our feed on Friday. They covered sports, pop culture, and we’re a welcome voice to the community. I love those dudes and thank them for the years of partnership.

We won Best Local Podcast, I was named Daytonian of the Week, I was respected by my peers, and even Joe Rogan followed me on Twitter. I have influenced many people to podcast and if you’re reading this and want to do it, do it.

We made no money from the podcast because of how it was set up. We did have a GoFund me that raised a little bit of money, but we spent way more of our time and money putting content out because we love this community and believe in the people of Dayton and Southwest Ohio. We inherited the podcast, but did not have the email and phone number associated with the website host GoDaddy.

On the morning of August 10, 2020 I tried uploading Episode 900 and the website was down.

After reaching out to the person who set up the podcast, I was told that they no longer work in IT and could contact GoDaddy, but without the email and phone number of the website or at least someone willing to be on the other end of those, I could not get the website up and running.

I contacted the creator of the podcast for the info and was told, “no idea. social media is social conditioning and virtue signaling thru attention seeking. with countless studies of how it’s actually hurting people i can no longer allow myself to aid in the corruption of other humans, even when the majority of those humans are hypocritical hive minded sheep. good luck. I’m not sure who this is, and I’m not giving another second of my energy to anything on a screen. I got out for a reason. If you need a hug let me know. Sorry for being rude, but I’ve seen enough truths to know which side I wanna be on when this game comes to an end. peace.”

So that’s it. We can’t release a podcast right now and to be honest, we had flirted with stopping at Episode 937 since that’s the area code for the area.

I’m a bit burned out after releasing nearly 1400 podcasts since 2013. I’m not done podcasting by any means and I bought the LLC for Gem City Podcast a year or so ago. And you can still stream those podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Overcast. I could never get on Spotify because of the email situation.

So here we are, the end of an era of Dayton Podcasting. We’re not sure if we’ll return, Libby and myself are effectively ending the current version of Gem City Podcast. We love all of you. We loved having conversations with you. We loved sharing your music and projects and giving a community a voice.

I still love the local music scene. Like a lot. I’ve made some wonderful friends and some legendary memories. I hope 2020 and what we’re all going through makes us all stronger and better off. Please be kind to each other and especially yourself.

Thank you to all the people who made this kid from East Dayton who was inspired by the local scene in the 80’s and 90’s that was being covered by Spin magazine and producing artists like Guided By Voices and Braniac, feel part of the scene.

Terry @TheIzzyRock Martin

Citizen-Led Initiative is Re-Imagining Policing and Public Safety

August 11, 2020 By Guest Contributor

A citizen-led initiative to re-imagine policing and public safety has begun as a part of the Re-Imagining America initiative that was launched last month. The present policing model places unrealistic expectations upon police officers and magnifies our community’s inability to address social ills that are often outside the context of policing. Piecemeal solutions, tweaking here and there, promises of better training, and recruiting for more diversity will not accurately address the inequitable structure and culture that prohibits effective relationships between police and community.

The recent protests and acts of civil disobedience are reminders of a need for the community to approach public safety differently. We believe there is a better way to serve and protect our communities. The beginning of that process is to seek input from community members, as we work together to create a framework that equitably addresses the personal and public safety needs of the citizens of the Dayton region.

Re-Imagining Policing / Re-Imagining Public Safety is being led by local subject matter experts, citizens and Social Justice advocates, It is the beginning of what will become a community conversation and co-creation process. Phase 1 of the process begins with the release of a DRAFT Framework and Policing Survey, both of which can be found here. Over the next month, volunteers will begin accepting and curating community input and reaching out to those interested in participating in Phase 2. Phase 2, a series of town hall style collaborative conversations based upon the input of the policing survey results, will formulate recommendations, that will be made public and shared with police departments within the Metropolitan Statistical Areas of; Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Preble counties.

“This Re-Imagining Policing project is starting with a clean sheet of paper. It offers a tremendous opportunity for citizens to participate in the process of creating a Department of Well-Being and Public Safety. The expectation is to create an organization that reflects a true partnership between the community and the government, of, by and for the people. Historically, policing, its policies, procedures, and discipline existed without much community input, we aim to change that. The creation of the Department of Well-Being and Public Safety is not about defunding the police but rather creating an organization that meets the needs of the entire community,” stated Peter Benkendorf, founder of The Collaboratory and one of the co-creators of the Re-Imagining America initiatives.

Re-Imagining America: Dayton, Ohio was borne out of the September 2018 Frontline/ProPublica documentary “Left Behind America”. The documentary featured Dayton as a manifest example of what has happened to too many great American cities and the people who live there as a result of our current socio-economic model… they have been behind or in many cases left out. Housed at The Collaboratory, Dayton’s independent, non-profit civic innovation lab, Re-Imagining America seeks to build a more equitable and thriving community by focusing on eight Action Areas: Regional Economy/Employment, Education, Environment, Health and Wellness, Housing, Justice, Media and Transportation.

WSU Foundation Welcomes New Trustees

August 3, 2020 By Guest Contributor

The Wright State University Foundation has appointed six new trustees to its board, effective July 1.

Samia Borchers

Samia Borchers, M.D., a dermatologist in solo, private practice since 1984, was a member of the Wright State University Medical School charter class of 1980. She is a past president of both the Montgomery County Medical Society and the Ohio Dermatology Association. She has also been awarded Dermatologist of the Year in Ohio. She is a past chair of the Wright State University Academy of Medicine and is a current board member of the Discover Classical public radio station. Borchers has established an endowed scholarship for students in the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Lauren Macgregor

Lauren Macgregor is a graduate student in Wright State University’s Student Affairs in Higher Education Program. She will be one of two Wright State students serving on the Foundation Board of Trustees.

Gary McCullough

Gary McCullough, a private investor, is a 1981 graduate of Wright State University. For more than 30 years, McCullough served in executive and board positions for such leading companies as TransDigm Group, Inc., The Sherwin Williams Company, Career Education Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and The Procter & Gamble Company.

Hernan Olivas

Hernan Olivas is CEO and president of O’Neil & Associates. Olivas has been with ONEIL, a technical publications and training materials firm, for more than 17 years. He serves on the board of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the board of advisors for the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Randy Phillips

Randy Phillips is senior vice president for corporate development at Leidos, Inc. Phillips, a 1982 graduate of Wright State University, has held multiple executive roles at Boeing Company, TASC, Computer Sciences Corporation and Alcoa. He most recently served at Ellucian as senior vice president for corporate development.

Sharon Honaker Rab

Sharon Honaker Rab is an educator, writer and community activist. Rab taught English for a combined 47 years at Kettering Fairmont High School, Miami University and the University of Dayton. She received a Master of Education in Curriculum and Supervision from Wright State University in 1975. Rab founded the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the only literary prize honoring the power of literature to promote peace in the country.

“We are honored to welcome these outstanding business and community leaders from the Dayton region and beyond,” said Scott Rash, president and CEO of the Wright State University Foundation. “We appreciate their willingness to volunteer their time and talents to the Wright State University Foundation Board of Trustees. They will provide outstanding service to the foundation, the university and our students.”

The foundation board is also bidding a fond farewell to three trustees. Sonja Wolf, an MBA student who recently graduated; Stephen Hightower, president and CEO of Hightower Petroleum; and Barbara Duncombe, a partner at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP, will end their board terms on June 30.

“We are grateful to Sonja, Stephen and Barbara for their contributions,” said Rash. “They all have tremendous passion for Wright State University and our students. Even though they will no longer be serving on the foundation board, I know they will continue to support our students and serve as ambassadors for our great university.”

This article written by By Kim Patton.

Guest Post: Racism is a Public Health Crisis

June 9, 2020 By Guest Contributor

This morning Selena Burks Rentschler went to the OH Statehouse to testify in favor of the resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis. Over 200 people submitted written statements for today’s hearing. She didn’t get the chance to read her statement. They were running behind and she was way way way down on the list. But next week she’s planning to attend the second hearing for this resolution and hopefully she’ll have the opportunity to read it then.

Written Testimony for Resolution: Racism as a Public Health Crisis and to ask for a working group to promote racial equity in Ohio.

Today, I come here to express my solidarity as a citizen with Sen. Hearcel Craig, Sen, Sandra Williams, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and other Legislators who support the passage of this historical resolution to declare racism as a public health crisis statewide.

I have been an Ohioan all of my life. I was born and raised in Cleveland, attended college and earned my BFA from Wright State University in Dayton, became a wife and mother in Cincinnati and I sit here today as a new resident of Columbus.

I am here to testify and bear witness to the racism I have experienced on an interpersonal, social, institutional and structural level which has directly impacted my physical, psychological and emotional health. Among those health impacts are physician diagnosed Hypertension, PTSD, Depression and Anxiety.

For those of you who doubt that racism is a public health crisis, hear me out. Racism is a plague that has followed me everywhere I go, in all stages of my life. I have been confronted with racism from educators, medical professionals, neighbors, and law enforcement. Constantly being told that my voice had no power, and that I had no place in any of these spaces, has been a major hazard to my health and the health of millions of Black Americans in this state and the US as a whole.

I know what it feels like to be treated with less respect than a dog by a White kindergarten teacher in a predominately white suburban school. At the age of 5, she treated me like a burden and bullied me into silence.

I know what it feels like to be a child and afraid to go outside and play because white neighbors are calling my sister and me animals and niggers and yelling at us to go back to Africa.

I know what it’s like to experience extreme poverty, homelessness and food insecurity. Because my mother didn’t have access to the mental health resources she needed to help her navigate her trauma, she self-medicated through drug abuse. My mother’s trauma became my trauma.

I know what it’s like to be a foster youth, trapped in an overstretched system that’s unable to give foster youth the tools they desperately need to establish a successful start to adulthood. If it wasn’t for my foster mother cultivating in me a love of education and showing me how to grow into womanhood, I would have been lost.

As a Black woman, the shadow of racism still follows me. I’ve had college professors declare that because I’m Black, I’m less intelligent and am incapable of writing at a university level. I’ve walked into breakrooms at places of employment and felt the unspoken threat that as a Black woman I needed to shrink who I am because I wasn’t welcomed there.

I’ve been harassed by local law enforcement because I’m a Black woman – pulled over without probable cause, ticketed in accidents I didn’t cause, followed by cruisers to the driveway of a home I own, without any explanation why.

I have endured White doctors refusing to take my health concerns seriously when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had to go through five doctors in five months and lose over 20 pounds to eventually be put on bed rest with home IVs before I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. I have repeatedly had doctors dismiss my health concerns since. The sting of not being heard, of not having my pain taken seriously never fades.

Neither does the memory of my Mother’s final days. I was 23, it was right before Christmas, and I took my mother to the hospital because she was having complications caused by her Multiple Sclerosis. This was in Cleveland and I lived in Dayton, so my mother encouraged me to go back home after she was admitted. She was under the impression that she would receive some fluids and be discharged in a day or so. I left my contact information with the staff at the hospital, planning to return in a week.

When days passed and I hadn’t heard from my mom or the hospital, I returned to Cleveland sooner than planned. I walked into my mother’s hospital room and saw the awful shape she was in. Her legs and arms were covered with large blood clots and she was jaundiced. Not one doctor had thought to call me to tell me about my mother’s condition and by the time I had any chance to advocate for my mother’s health and treatment it was too late. She died two days later.

As a mother of a Black daughter I have already begun a lifelong conversation about how her brown skin and curly hair will have a direct impact on her life. To explain to her how an educated, accomplished Black woman can still, in the year 2020, be treated as a second-class citizen in this country. I can’t go for a jog without feeling anxious. My heart jumps when I see a police cruiser drive right behind me. I can’t even feel safe getting pizza from a local restaurant without feeling the threat of white supremacy. And some say, with a straight face, that racism isn’t a public health crisis? Would those of you who disagree ever trade places with me and live the life I have lived and still live?

So I implore you to ask yourselves what side of history do you want to be on when our children’s children look back and judge us? The whole country is watching this moment. Now is the time to take Black suffering seriously. To defund police departments who over police Black communities and invest those funds in mental health resources for children of color who are experiencing adult trauma. To combat glaring disparities in health outcomes for Black Americans. The list is expansive, the road is long and there’s a lot to do, but the first step is to acknowledge the pain and destruction that racism has caused to Black lives in Ohio. Take this first step and pass this resolution into law. It is the humane thing to do.

I’d like to thank the members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus for introducing this resolution to declare racism as a public health crisis on a statewide level. And thank you to Rep. Stephanie Howse for posting information about this hearing on social media. It’s because of her post that I am here and able to share my support of this resolution. Thank you.

Selena Burks-Rentschler is an award-winning filmmaker, foster-youth advocate, professional public speaker, film accountant, and now, screenwriter. Her stories reflect her harrowing childhood in and out of foster care and feature strong, self-reliant and creative female characters. Continuing to defy the odds, Selena earned her M.F.A. in screenwriting from David Lynch Cinematic Arts graduate program at the Maharishi University of Management.

5 Stunning Foliage Hikes in Ohio

1. JOHN BRYAN STATE PARK

2. MOHICAN-MEMORIAL STATE FOREST

3. SUGARCREEK METROPARK

4. SCIOTO TRAIL STATE PARK

5. CONKLES HOLLOW STATE NATURE PRESERVE

Find fall color, qualify to win during final months of MetroParks Trails Challenge

Fairmont Cheerleaders Spread Community Spirit

Walking Tours of Dayton’s Historic Neighborhoods

WSU Big Lens Festival To Be Held at The Drive-In

Wright State Theatre presents Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ in an Outdoor Production This Weekend

WSU presents Streaming musical: The Theory of Relativity

Samuel Adams Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest

The Story Behind Hop Culture’s Queer Beer Festival

Samuel Adams and Hop Culture Collaborate on the Pour Out Your Pride Design Contest

What is Hop Culture x Samuel Adams’ Pour Out Your Pride Contest?

Who Can Enter?

How Do I Enter?

How Long Will the Pout Out Your Pride Contest Run?

What Do I Win?

Are There Any Rules on My Pour Out Your Pride Submission?

Who Chooses the Pour Out Your Pride Semi-Finalists and the Final Winner?

What if I Have a Question That Wasn’t Answered?

Amtrak proposes five Ohio routes

Nan Whaley’s Last Year As Mayor

Share Some Recipes. Or Just Eat the Cookies.

This year we’re not going to let COVID have the last laugh on this 400+ year tradition. Let the holiday merrymaking continue!

In a year of pandemic proportions, we will host our cookie swap in the safest way possible. Here’s how St. Anne the Tart sees this unfolding:

This year we’re not going to let COVID have the last laugh on this 400+ year tradition. Let the holiday merrymaking continue!

In a year of pandemic proportions, we will host our cookie swap in the safest way possible. Here’s how we see this so beautifully unfolding:

Dayton’s Newest Mural Celebrates Dayton Firefighters

Gem City Podcast R.I.P.

Citizen-Led Initiative is Re-Imagining Policing and Public Safety

WSU Foundation Welcomes New Trustees

Guest Post: Racism is a Public Health Crisis

Trivia Night at Alematic

Fun Trivia! Prizes!

Dayton Pride 2026

Dayton Poetry Slam