Virtual Salon ~ 5/17/12 Part B

---

ARTICLES AND LETTERS

..............................

- My Essay about Fracking and Democracy

- Bill Cahalan's fact sheet on Fracking

- Adorable video of my daughter and family on Mothers' Day: professionally filmed for the gay marriage effort in Colorado.  Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGkJj1edsuM

- Roxanne Qualls' newsletter... juicy!

• • • • ---

    
    

    
    

    FRACKING: Peril to Democracy Itself

    
    

    By Ellen Bierhorst

    5/15/12

    
    

    We have to wake up before it becomes too late.

    
    

    Back in the 60's I used to read a lot of Science Fiction.  Remember the theme of humankind being threatened by rogue robots?  Creatures of humans, these powerful entities threaten to enslave the human race.  Today, the corporations, created by society, programed for maximizing profits only, are threatening to - some say already have done so - take over control of our society.  

    
    

    Fantastic sounding?  But, you say, corporations are led by human beings, so this could never happen.  Here's how it can and it does:

    
    

    Money is tremendously seductive.  The elite corporate managers are invited into a stratosphere of linen napkins in the executive dining room, gourmet meals, hushed servants, locked washrooms, and when they fly, the delights of first class tickets and the first class waiting room.  I was astonished recently on a trip to Israel when I was allowed to be a guest in the first class waiting lounge.  People, it's a whole other world up there!  Gone is the hubbub and anxiety of air travel, the feeling of being herded around, the struggle to decipher loudspeaker announcements in echo-filled corridors.  Oh no, the carpet in the first class lounge is deep, the beautiful snack bar offers complimentary salad, sandwiches, croissants, fruit, etc. Etc.  Plus every beverage you can name.  You can leave your briefcase, your wallet even, sitting in your comfortable swivel armchair while you go get food.  I was astounded by the sense of flattery that admittance to the special waiting lounge gave me.  Emerging again into the main airport, I felt I was in the streets of Calcutta.  How alluring to be admitted into the upper echelons of corporate leadership where such privilege is routine!  

    
    

    You can almost hear the whispers that say, "You are not one of the masses here; you are special.  Because of your unique gifts you are welcomed into this higher space."  So this is how the giant robot co-opts a human being into joining with the corporate agenda, even when it means, as in the case of fracking, permanent destruction of environments, boom-then-bust impoverishment for the people, and accelerating global warming.  The corporate motive does not include environmentalism.  That's too future-minded.  Corporations are structured by their very charters to look only to short-term profits.  If this CEO slows growth because of concern for human beings, then there are plenty of contenders eager to take her/his place.  

    
    

    In Ohio now, the robots of the petroleum/natural gas industry are hot on the trail of huge profits from hydraulic high pressure fracturing ("Fracking") to extract gas and oil from shale below our bedrock.  I've even read that Ohio, if we give the green light to this, could be bigger than Texas as a fuel boom state.  

    
    

    Even here in Cincinnati we are threatened, most especially because due to the "Cincinnati Arch", a geological formation, makes it ideal for "injection wells", where the toxic waste water from fracking is stored deep in the ground.  (see below, Bill Cahalan's fact sheet.)

    
    

    Right now, our City Council is considering an ordinance that would prohibit fracking and injection wells in the city.  You can send an email to all the council members at once by addressing it to:

    cityCouncil@Cincinnati-OH.gov .  Here's the letter I sent:

    Dear Council Members:

    
    

    I urge you to defend the welfare of our city by passing an ordinance banning all fracking extraction or injection wells.  The well-researched paper, "False Promises and Hidden Costs: The Illusion of Economic Benefits from Fracking" fact sheet, March 2012 by the FoodAndWaterWatch.org people the case clearly.  (see http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org )

    Short-term and illusory economic benefits would be overwhelmingly drowned in a sea of costs to quality of life and economic viability for our city.  I am confident that the current council will pass a ban ordinance, but I fear this is not enough.  Future councils may not be so wise.  Let's have a charter amendment on this.  

    
    

    Thank you for serving our wonderful city!

    
    

    Why is fracking so terrible?  It really wrecks the surrounding environment.  Yes, the well penetrates below the water table, below the aquifers, below the bedrock.  That's where they force toxic chemicals, water and sand into the natural seams of the shale, allowing gas and oil to be released.  The biggest problem is that unintended cracks form in the bedrock, allowing gas and oil to invade the drinking water supply.  Studies have shown the prevalence of this.  The second problem is that the extremely heavy equipment tears up the roads for the year it takes to set  up the well.  Finally, the profits and jobs go not to the local economy at all, but to the out-of-state corporate coffers and the migrating special workers who follow the fracking projects.  The property owner gets a fat check, but when the set-up crew leaves, the municipality is saddled with the job of repairing the roads and coping with the ruined land, and the quick boom to the economy turns into bust.  Oh, and did I mention earthquakes?  Clear evidence linking earthquake activity to presence of fracking wells.

    
    

    So if this is so terrible, why are Governor Kasich and the Republicans in Columbus so in favor of it?  Because the industry robots have bought their thinking.  Bought them with loads and loads of money.  "This will make Ohio rich!"

    
    

    You can read all about fracking at foodandwaterwatch.org.  Click on "campaigns" and then select "Fracking".  

    
    

    What can we do about this?  After all, the Ohio House and Senate are Republican controlled.  

    
    

    The organization 350.org, an international climate change group founded by Bill McKibben, has a special project for Ohio this year:  http://www.dontfrackoh.org/

    Because the eyes are on Ohio this election year, it is particularly important for environmentalists and democracy advocates to mobilize and get a lot of attention.  Because we will "have the microphone" of politics this  year, we can make a big impact.  We must raise public awareness about the sell-out of politicians and the evils of fracking.  There will be a huge demonstration in Columbus on June 17, Sunday from 11 to 2, preceded by three well -planned days of organizing and training.  Could you spend June 14-17 in Columbus?  Sign up at www.don'tfrackoh.org.  Could you just go up for the Sunday demonstration?  Fine, let me know.  I'd like to organize a bus that would leave at 8 AM Sunday, returning by 5:00 PM.  

    
    

    This issue has become my priority this year, together with the re-election of the smartest and best president we've had in a way long time.  And at core, we need to re-write the rules for corporate chartering, state by state, insisting on vigilance about human welfare.  And, of course, reform campaign financing, so that the political representatives are not the hirelings of the wealthy corporations and individuals.  To support reform of political campaign financing, join Public Citizen, the advocacy group started by Ralph Nader, here: http://citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=183  or simply:  citizen.org .   Since the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United over 2 years ago, the corporate money sluice gates are open wider than ever, and their effects have been felt.  

    For the issue of corporate power abuses, see: http://www.corporations.org/system/

    To join the movement to amend the U.S. Constitution so that corporations are not protected as people:  http://movetoamend.org/amendment

    For the page about reforming corporate chartering: http://www.poclad.org/

    Anyone over 50 can attest to the decline in quality of life in the US over our lifetimes.  Catherine Austin Fitts calls it the "popsicle index" of life quality:  when you can't send your 8 year old alone to the corner store for an hour to buy a popsicle, that's a degraded society.  We remember when you could.  

    I am convinced that we are in mortal peril of losing democracy as meaningful self-rule.  Please join the movement.  For starters, join me on June 17th in Columbus.  

    
    

    
    

    ---

    • • ---

    
    

    ---

    Bill Cahalan on Fracking: (Bill is a fellow psychologist, friend for decades, lives on Enright Ridge, and has been wonderfully active and knowledgeable about the environment for over 20 years.  Is married to Deborah Jordan, who spearheads the Local Food publication each year.  ellen)

    
    

    FACT SHEET FOR FRACKING AND WASTEWATER INJECTION WELLS

    ·       Fracking (or unconventional gas drilling) is short for high volume hydraulic horizontal fracturing.  It is a way of extracting natural gas (methane), and sometimes oil, from deep shale deposits.  The wells of a single well pad use up to 300 times more water than a conventional well.  A well pad may be 4 acres or more, contain up to 8 wells, which can be fracked multiple times, using millions of gallons of water each frack job, with sand and up to 750 chemicals added each time.  Fracking was first developed in the late 1990's.

    
    

    ·       Wells commonly extend over a mile vertically and up to another mile horizontally, passing through and below aquifers.

    
    

    ·       Fracking has increased rapidly in the U.S. since the 2005 Energy Policy Act, when it was exempted from key federal environmental laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.

    
    

    ·       There are now over 3000 frack wells in Pennsylvania, with similar numbers projected for eastern Ohio Marcellus and Utica shale areas in the next three years.  The headwaters of the Ohio River, source of most of our drinking water, are in PA, and many landscapes and rivers drain water through PA, eastern Ohio and West VA  frack country on the way to Cincinnati.

    
    

    ·       Tanker trucks bringing the water to, and away from (after storage in evaporation ponds) frack operations are often 87-ton 16 wheelers.  There may be 13,000 round trips on local roads for a typical well pad.

    
    

    ·       There have been many reports in Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, etc. of methane in household drinking water and of multiple, chronic health problems since fracking began in these places.

    
    

    ·       The EPA reported last December on a 3 year study of well water in Pavilion, Wyoming.  They found, in both test wells and existing wells, multiple chemicals likely coming from nearby frack operations.

    
    

    ·       The high volumes of water include up to 750 chemicals (kept secret from the public due to the 2005 exemption from federal laws, but tested by researchers nonetheless), some of which are known carcinogens.  When the wastewater (commonly 30 – 70% of the amount pumped in) comes out of the well with the natural gas or methane, it must then be disposed of "safely".

    
    

    ·       Although fracking itself is unlikely in southwest Ohio, St.  Simon sandstone, ideal for injection wells, is closer to the surface here than elsewhere.  ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) geologists reported a few months ago that companies had inquired about storing frack wastewater in Hamilton County.  These wells are a mile or more deep, and store toxic wastewater in perpetuity, which removes it permanently from the water cycle.  

    
    

    ·       Cincinnati's rail lines and freeways also make us ideal for shipping in frack wastewater.  At expected increasingly high volumes of trucking and other shipping, spillages seem inevitable, exposing us to chemicals we don't know about and aren't required to be revealed.  (Wastewater has also been used as a road de-icer.)

    
    

    ·       Since PA mostly forbids storage of frack wastewater in injection wells, Ohio has become the dumping ground for much of the PA wastewater.  At last count there were 177 "Class II injection wells" in eastern Ohio, with 15 new permits recently allowed and 19 currently pending.

    
    

    ·       ODNR  (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the relevant regulatory body) has asserted that an injection well near Youngstown probably caused the 11 earthquakes there in 2011.

    
    

    ·       140 communities in PA and elsewhere have decided to give up on asking state EPA and other regulatory bodies to "regulate" inherently destructive activities like fracking, sewage sludge sold as farm fertilizer, extraction of groundwater for bottling and sale elsewhere, etc.  They have passed community rights-based bans instead, directly challenging state governments swayed for decades by corporations to protect "corporate personhood" and "pre-empt" local control of their business projects.  They are re-asserting their right to protect their citizens' health, safety and welfare and the health of ecosystems on which they depend.  See celdf.org for more examples of this community rights-based approach, including Pittsburg, our upstream neighbor which unanimously banned fracking in 2010.

     

    {SOUTHWEST OHIO NO FRACK FORUM, May 11, 2012} (Emphasis added by ellen.)

    ---

    ---

FROM ROXANNE QUALLS: 

Share This:

In this issue:   Blockbuster attendance at citywide charrette New streets standards coming to council  Lessons from Music City Congress for the New Urbanism turns 20 Neighborhood Summit is May 19th    This year's Neighborhood Summit includes group discussions of three major initiatives that are now moving forward: Plan Cincinnati, Form-Based Codes, and Core Change. The afternoon sessions will cover Priority-Based Budgeting, land banking, greening food deserts, and more.   2012 Neighborhood Summit Saturday, May 19 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. School for Creative and Performing Arts   Check out the full agenda and register online here.    700+ participate in urban design workshop for Cincinnati form-based code   After four years of talking about form-based codes, more than 700 Cincinnatians rolled up their sleeves to participate in the five-day form-based code charrette – a citywide urban design workshop – to finally begin developing this innovative tool for Cincinnati neighborhoods.    Throughout the week, participants learned about obstacles to the kind of walkable, mixed-use development that are embedded in the city's current zoning code and street standards; how Cincinnati still has the 'good bones' that neighborhoods can build on using the right tools, including form-based codes; and why demographic trends give Cincinnati the opportunity to enhance our competitive advantage as a city.   Dan Parolek of Opticos Design likened the current zoning code to Polaroid camera technology in the digital camera age – an ineffective tool for supporting dynamic, diverse urban places.   He noted three trends that support the move toward urbanism:  Current demand for small lot and attached housing exceeds the current supply by 35 million units  30-40% of buyers want to live in walkable urban places and only 5-10% is being provided in any given market  By 2025, 75-85% of households will not have children. In the first of a new two-part blog series on Cincinnati's form-based code, Parolek writes: ...Cincinnati has a tremendous opportunity. In these urban neighborhoods they already have what other cities want and are trying to build: A variety of urban housing types, including some of the best collection of Missing Middle Housing in the country; a network of neighborhood main streets ready to be revitalized; a rich, diverse, and well-built collection of historic architecture; and, easily accessible open space networks created by the topography weaving throughout these neighborhoods. Read the full post here.   Download the charrette opening presentation here.   Millenials want what baby boomers need Kathleen Norris, vice president of Brandt Retail Group, outlined the keys to successful urban retail, noting the transformation of 12th and Vine in Over-the-Rhine in just two years as an example of what can be done. Fortunately for Cincinnati, Norris noted, the needs of aging baby boomers and the desires of millenials (ages 18-32) are the same: mixed-use neighborhods with affordable housing and retail and amenities that give their neighborhood a unique character (Millenials want to buy locally from someone they know instead of from a big-box store or online shopping, according to Norris), and the ability to live without a car (whether by choice or out of necessity). The convergence of the two groups, which include 170 million people, is catalyzing the biggest market change in decades.   Download Norris's presentation here, and watch video here.   Small shops + speed + no parking = retail death Economist Ed Starkie of Urban Advisors reviewed Cincinnati's 41% population decline since the 1950s and other factors that led to disinvestment in the city's neighborhoods.   Throughout the charrette, Starkieand the rest the design team emphasized the importance of slowing traffic through neighborhood business districts to support the  small shops that give each neighborhood main street its unique identity. According to Starkie, traffic speeds need to be at 20-22 mph so that the human eye can actually see the retail stores while driving through. And on-street parking is a must for successful retail. Although 5-7 p.m. is the prime weekday shopping time, on-street parking has been eliminated during the 4-6 p.m. rush hour  on many neighborhood main streets — eliminating half the weekday market through the street configuration.  Starkie used Avondale as an example, noting the neighborhood spends $47 million each year, but $30 million outside the neighborhood because of the lack of retail choices. Read more about what steps Cincinnati neighborhoods can take to re-populate the city to achieve the density needed for thriving neighborhood economies by downloading his presentation here, and access the video here. Read more about the correlation between walkability and housing values in this terrific study by CEOs for Cities.    Over the course of the charrette, the design team worked to develop new 't-zones' specific to Cincinnati that will provide a template for College Hill, Madisonville,Walnut Hills and Westwood to use in developing form-based codes for their neighborhood business districts. Participants, working with the design team, also developed potential plans for 'opportunity sites' in Avondale, Bond Hill, East Price Hill, and Northside.   Watch Jeff Raser of glaserworks explain the opportunity site plans here.    Download the final charrette presentation here.    Next steps Four Cincinnati neighborhoods — College Hill, Madisonville, Walnut Hills and Westwood — will hold neighborhood charrettes this fall to take the code developed from the charrette and apply it to their neighborhood business districts. The code will be presented to the City Planning Commission and City Council for approval by the end of the year, and additional neighborhoods can begin developing their own form-based code if they choose.    Read the Enquirer's coverage of the charrette here and here.   Word on the STREET Council will get proposed new streets standards by end of June   Again and again, members of the charrette team emphasized how designing streets around cars instead of people has destroyed neighborhood business districts and eroded neighborhood character.   Soon, City Council will consider new street standards aimed at improving walkability and slowing traffic in neighborhood business districts. The Department of Transportation and Engineering is finalizing the draft standards that were designeed to: Support economic development and quality of life Provide more and better transportation choices Integrate land use and transportation Vice Mayor Qualls Roxanne Qualls introduced the motion directing the administration to develop livable streets standards in August 2009.   Download Rick Hall's Complete Streets presentation to the Livable Communities Committee here. Watch video of his talk at the final charrette presentation here.   Read more: UrbanCincy Contributor John Yung, 'Cincinnati aims for Complete Streets,' in Next American City   The word on Nashville   Sixty-six people joined Vice Mayor Qualls on our last trip to Nashville March 29 and 30. Enquirer reporter Carrie Whitaker asked several delegation members for their thoughts and included them in this Enquirer story.   For developers, there is more predictability and basically no battles. And once they know the parameters, (developers) can really turn their creativity loose. — Patricia Garry, Executive Director, Community Development Corporation Association of Greater Cincinnati   I was impressed with the way it empowers community stakeholders to shape a new vision for a neighborhood while preserving distinct character. — Mary Stagaman, Vice President, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and Executive Director, Agenda 360   It has been remarkable to see the increase in participation on those trips, which is an indication of the level of interest in form-based codes and the successes enjoyed in Nashville. — David Ginsburg, President and CEO, Downtown Cincinnati Inc.   Congress for the New Urbanism at 20   Here's a great article summarizing an important movement.   Things like zoning and building codes remain a dreary but entirely necessary business for more sustainable cities. Plenty of places still forbid residential over retail in downtowns, or have ridiculous minimum parking requirements. "If the first phase of CNU has culminated in a broader culture acceptance of urbanism as a force for good, the second phase will be defined by successfully pushing for policy and design reform that actually allows urbanism to get built," says CNU president John Norquist, a former mayor of Milwaukee.   — 'At 20th Congress for the New Urbanism, a movement feels its age,'  Anthony Flynt, The Atlantic Cities     Vice Mayor Qualls attended the 20th Congress for the New Urbanism – look for more in our next issue. Qualls also served on the organization's board from 2001-2008. Learn more about CNU.   www.RoxanneQualls.com - info@RoxanneQualls.com  Paid for by Citizens for Qualls, Joan Perkins - Treasurer, 2 Garfield Place 300C, Cincinnati, OH 45202, 513.241.0303

---

• • ---

---

---

LETTERS

write me your ideas, responses.  I'll publish it here.  ellen

From

From

From Gretchen Sher, Virtual Salonista and my dau. in law, commenting on my comment last week on Rabindranath Tagore's poem:

You said: "Also, "To pay all debts in death."  Wow!  I find this poem curiously consoling of the sufferings of life.  I imagine in hoary age, contemplating with courage the pains of one's life, and receiving a jewel, a realization of the  nature of the self, relinquishing all pretense, illusion, ambition of being.  "To pay all debts in death."  Love it."

If you have not seen this music video, you should, and be introduced to one of the most powerful musical covers in history - and understand why I'm linking it to that poem you quoted. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp4UI_FxGLE

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK YET. :)

I will also include the lyrics, just in case parts of it are unintelligible.

This is "Hurt", a cover done by Johnny Cash of a song originally performed by Trent Reznor, better known as Nine Inch Nails. This was a cover Johnny did seven months before his death in 2002  (his wife, June Carter Cash, preceded him in death three months after the filming, and then the house burned down in 2007. The whole thing is just...gods. Depressing).
 
If you're faintly familiar with Johnny, you know he had a rather rough life as a star; adultery, drugs, and some famous stints in jail, so this song was a natural for him. But the way in which it was natural for him...think about that poem, then read the lyrics *first*, then watch the video, is my opinion.

Trent, the originator, is much younger; the song is about his fight with depression and drug abuse ('my sweetest friend" = drugs) However, there's a light at the end; he's still fighting, and he's hoping he still has time in his life to make up for what he's done. 

In the hands of Johnny, though, it turns into solid regret: "I've wasted so much of my life, I'm out of time now, and I'm looking back on all the things I've done." The very same lyrics with a change - "The line "crown of shit" was changed to "crown of thorns" like Reznor's censored-for-radio version, not only removing profanity from the lyrics, but also more directly referencing Christ and Cash's devout Christianity" (from Wikipedia)

Trent paid homage to Johnny's rendition by saying 

" I pop the video in, and wow... Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps... Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore... It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning — different, but every bit as pure."

Enough of my fangirling. Here's the lyrics. 

I hurt myself today 
To see if I still feel 
I focus on the pain 
The only thing that's real 
The needle tears a hole 
The old familiar sting 
Try to kill it all away 
But I remember everything 

What have I become 
My sweetest friend 
Everyone I know 
goes away 
In the end 
And you could have it all 
My empire of dirt 
I will let you down 
I will make you hurt 

I wear this crown of thorns 
Upon my liar's chair 
Full of broken thoughts 
I cannot repair 
Beneath the stains of time 
The feelings disappear 
You are someone else 
I am still right here 

What have I become 
My sweetest friend 
Everyone I know 
goes away 
In the end 
And you could have it all 
My empire of dirt 
I will let you down 
I will make you hurt 

If I could start again 
A million miles away 
I would keep myself 
I would find a way

On Tue, May 8, 2012 at 4:17 PM, Ellen Bierhorst <ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com> wrote:

"On the Banks of the Rupnarayan"

May, 1941, about 6 weeks before his death

On the banks of the Rupnarayan I awoke,

And learnt this life

Is not a dream.

I saw my true form

In letters of blood.

I recognized myself

In blow upon blow,

In pain upon pain.

Truth is hard;

I came to love this hardness:

It never deceives.

Life to the end is a meditation of suffering,

To gain the formidable price of truth,

To pay all debts in death.

       My daughter in law Gretchen recommended Tagore's poetry; I'd never heard of this Indian intellectual/aristocrat from the last century.  I love the lines "Truth is hard; I came to love this hardness: it never deceives."

Also, "To pay all debts in death."  Wow!  I find this poem curiously consoling of the sufferings of life.  I imagine in hoary age, contemplating with courage the pains of one's life, and receiving a jewel, a realization of the  nature of the self, relinquishing all pretense, illusion, ambition of being.  "To pay all debts in death."  Love it.

ellen

From Gary Weiss, Salonista (in response to my asking about the session on Wed. at UC on the Economy, Sustainability, and the End to Growth.)

I would rather add to jeanne Nightgale's spin.
My day was very busy and so help in remembering the details is in order.
I do recall 2 videos of Jeff Sacks at Columbia-preaching to the choir-I thought he was right on,
although the specialist panel of 3 locals took some issue, one was a Krugman fan and Sacks took issue with Krugman.
Sacks said this is a battle of what kind of country do we want.
This in the context of 3 categories the introducer defined-economic, environmental and social, I think.
btw Jeanne showed up late-just missing the first Sacks and some comments.
There was a 3rd video entitled the end of growth, or something like this. 
A propaganda cartoon like video, but sounded right on to me for the most part.
all for now
gary

---

REVIEWS:  BOOKS, MOVIES, RESTAURANTS, VIDEOS, TV, WEB

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR REVIEWS!

======================================

COME ON!  SEND ME YOUR REVIEWS.  

LIKE TO BUY BOOKS?  USED BOOKS?  CHECK THIS OUT:  ABEBOOKS.COM SELLS THEM FOR MUCH LESS THAN AMAZON.  I just got 5 books for $18 including s & h.  ellen

---

   

 

Tri-State Treasures

This is last week's issue of TST, received belatedly... trouble with fuse.net 

 

Tri-State Treasures is a chronological compilation of unique local people, places, and events that may enrich your lives.  These treasures have been submitted by you and others who value supporting quality community offerings.  Please consider supporting these treasures, and distributing the information for others to enjoy.  And please continue forwarding your Tri-State Treasures ideas to jkesner at nuvox.net.

 

Information about Tri-State Treasures and how to submit them, and an explanation of my convention for expressing email addresses and websites is at the bottom of this email.  Please help me by providing all basic information, and formatting your submissions as described below.  Thank you.

Sincerely,  Jim

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

New Ongoing Treasure:

 

Pure Movement Classes [Mondays @ 6:30pm & Wednesdays @ 9:30am]: A holistic approach to healing, fitness & creative expression. This non-traditional aerobic workout centers, stretches, strengthens & energizes the body. $20 per class or $48 for 4-class series; first class is free. Taught by Fanchon Shur at Growth in Motion Studio, 4019 Red Bud Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229. More info at 513.221.3222, info at growthinmotion.org & growthinmotion.org. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Summer Camp Treasures:

 

Summer Horse Camp: Old Stone Riding Center, family owned & operated for 37 years, offers a great summer adventure for your child age 6-16. The Center has a 70-acre farm with rolling hills, woods, a creek & a pond. In addition to riding every morning, the kids will learn about horses, play games & help with basic farm chores. This summer will offer 2 camps: "A Leg Up" is Monday-Friday 25-29 June; & "Horsing Around" will be Monday-Friday 6-10 August. The camps run from 9am - 2pm Monday thru Friday; cost is $205/camper. Before & after camp "child care" can be arranged for an added fee. At Old Stone Riding Center, 2920 Minton Road, Hamilton, OH 45013. More info at 513.868.3042 & oldstoneridingcenter.com/camps. 

 

Musical Theater Summer Workshop Camps: "Annie," "The Sound of Music," "Shreck," "Wicked." These are just some of the musicals kids will learn at the Musical Theater Summer Workshop Camp taught by Katie Davidson. Kids ages 8-12 & 13-18 will learn about musical theater & what it takes to perform a theater showcase. Each child will have the chance to perform a solo or group number at the end of the session in a tribute to musical theater. There will be days devoted to "How to Ace an Audition," "What Song Should I Pick," "Choreography for Music Theater," & more, taught by a guest choreographer. Musical Theater Workshop for Kids 8-12 [Tuesdays & Thursdays June 12 thru July 5 (8 sessions) @ 1-2pm; Musical Theater Workshop for Teens 13-18 [Tuesdays & Thursdays June 12 thru July 5 (8 sessions) @ 11:30am-12:50pm. Both Workshops end with a performance on Saturday 7 July @ 1pm in the Willis Music Performing Arts Center. Tuition is $150; includes a practice CD & T-shirt. At the Willis Music Store, 7567 Mall Road, Florence, KY. More info at 513.375.0554.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Calendar of Treasures:

 

Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister City Partnership ReArt Exhibition - opening [Friday 11 May @ 5:30-7:30pm]: ReArt is an international image exchange operating among Cincinnati's Sister Cities since 2005. The most recent - ReArt/World Garden - includes 12 artists from Cincinnati & Kharkiv, Ukraine. Their 84 images will be a gallery feature of the "Wings of Harmony - Butterflies of the World 2012" show at Krohn Conservatory. The artists are excited to share their experience - that meaningful communication thru art creates new relationships, & that imagery can overcome barriers typically imposed by disparate languages. Cash bar & live entertainment. Tix admit to the exhibit & the Butterfly Show: $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 kids, free for kids under 5. At Krohn Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at president at cincy-kharkiv.org. 

 

Conversations in Wood by Melinda Ramos & Matthew Metzger - opening reception [Friday 11 May @ 6-9pm ] The exhibit features delicate, elegant wooden boxes by Melinda Ramos, & dynamic sculpture & furniture by Matthew Metzger. Exhibit runs thru Saturday 9 June. At 5th Street Gallery, 55 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513.579.9333 & 5thstreetgallery.com. 

 

Celebrate Elementz' new digs & mission [Friday 11 May @ 6-9pm]: Come celebrate the recent relocation of Elementz, the Center for Hip Hop & Respect, now across the street from the SCPA. Tours of the new site will showcase new performances & their expanded mission. All ages welcome for free. At 1100 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at elementz.org. 

 

Spring Plant Sale [Friday-Sunday 11-13 May @ noon-6pm (Fri & Sun) & 9:30am-6pm (Sat)]: Glenwood Gardens is known for its beautiful variety of native flowers & plants, including those for shade, sun & wet habitats. Native plants in your landscape reduces maintenance, limits invasive vegetation & attracts native wildlife. Staff can help you select plants, & will offer these demonstrations: Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape [Sat @ 11am]; Proper Planting Techniques [Sat @ 1pm]; Native Trees for the Landscape [Sat @ 3pm]; Landscape Design Basics [Sun @ 1:30pm]; & Common Cents Landscaping [Sun @ 3:30pm]. Free admission. Nature's Niche Gifts & Books will be open. At Glenwood Gardens, 10,397 Springfield Pike, Woodlawn, Cincinnati, OH. Valid Vehicle Permit needed to enter parks. More info at 513.521.7275 & GreatParks.org. 

 

Music at the Palm Court – Orchids [Friday-Sunday 11-13 May]: Enjoy great music in a gorgeous art deco setting with top-drawer dining. On Friday @ 9pm-1am, enjoy the James Hart Trio featuring Pam Mallory on vocals, Bret Wamsley on drums & James Hart on piano & left-hand bass. On Saturday @ 9pm-1am, the James Hart Quartet will feature Steve Hoskins on flute, sax & clarinet, Bret Wamsley on drums, Doug Richeson on bass, & James Hart on piano. Also, tea guitarist Robert Brown on Saturday @ 2-5pm, cocktail pianist Jim Poynter on Friday & Teddy Rakel on Saturday, both at 5-9pm. On Mother's Day Sunday, pianists Wayne Teager & Jim Poynter will take shifts from 10:30am-5:00pm in the Palm Court, while guitarist Robert Brown will play at the same time in the Continental Room. Admission always free. At Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, 35 West 5th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513. 861.0666 & 513.252.3366. 

 

Tackle Trade Days at Lake Isabella [Saturday 12 May @ 8am-6pm]: Reel in a deal at the Lake Isabella Tackle Trade Days. A variety of new & used vintage lures, rods, reels & more for the experienced & amateur angler, showcasing local fishing equipment vendors in a flea-market style setting; large selection of bargain gear. Free. At Lake Isabella, 10,174 Loveland-Madeira Road, Loveland, OH 45140. Valid Hamilton County Park District Vehicle Permit ($10 annual; $3 daily) needed to enter the park. More info at 513.521.7275 & GreatParks.org. 

 

Blacktop Detox [Saturday 12 May @ noon]: Join Alex Temple of Mobo Bicycle Cooperative for Blacktop Detox, a how-to workshop on bicycling & pedestrian advocacy. Pick up tips from Alex on how to be heard as a tax-paying, bicycle-riding citizen & help get bike things done in our fair city & beyond. At Park + Vine, 1202 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & RSVP at 513.721.7275, info at parkandvine.com & parkandvine.com. 

 

Northside Second Saturday [Saturday 12 May @ 6-10pm]: This monthly event, held the 2nd Saturday of every month, is hosted by participating Northside businesses, & features art exhibits, later retail hours, later restaurant hours, longer happy hours, interactive events & additional food, drink & promotional specials that vary monthly. Participating venues include: NVISION, The Comet, Thundersky Inc., Chicken Lays an Egg, Happen's ToyLab, Sidewinder, Cryptogram Ink, Mayday, Northside Surplus, Fabricate, Prairie, Take the Cake, Sweat Peace Bakery, The Painted Fish, The Listing Loon, Skincraft, Melt, Picnic & Pantry, Northside Tavern, Chameleon, Ko-Sho Japanese Restaurant, Taylor Jameson Hair Design, Helltown Workshop, Tone House Music, Market Side Mercantile, Wilma's Treazures, The Don's Pizza Lounge, Shake It Records, Tantrum, Chase Public, Cluxton Alley Coffee Roasters, Hoffner Lodge, CANCO gallery in the American Can Lofts Building & more. More info at northside.net & the Northside Second Saturdays Facebook page. 

 

MUSE 29th Annual Spring Concert [Saturday 12 May @ 7:30pm]: One Earth. One People. Many Songs. This MUSE concert combines impact of multimedia, the pulse & energy of tango dancing, the wonder & rhythmic dynamism of "Circle of Life," plus a Lady Gaga number. MUSE will celebrate & highlight their participation in the upcoming World Choir Games & the Gay & Lesbian Association (GALA) International Festival in Denver. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, MUSE commissioned a new arrangement of Mimi Farina's version of "Bread & Roses," popularized by July Collins. Suggested ticket price is $20; sliding scale is $8-50. Free childcare. At School for Creative & Performing Arts, 108 W. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & tix at musechoir.org. 

 

Pay No Attention- opening [Saturday 12 May @ 7-9pm]: This exhibit is by the collaborative group Bunk News, that consists of Cincinnati artists Steven Adkins, Ben Brown, Michael Englander, Chris Liedtke, David Howard & Jim Swill, who convert Prairie gallery into a corporate waiting area & executive office, complete with furnishings, a secretary & a performance the night of the opening reception. The exhibit is a commentary on the tension between the individual & the corporation in contemporary society. Free admission. Exhibit runs thru Saturday 2 June. At Prairie Gallery, 4035 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45223. More info at 513.703.5729, info at prairiecincinnati.com & prairiecincinnati.com. 

 

The 44th Annual Duveneck Memorial Art Show [Sunday 13 May @ Noon-5pm]: Take Mom out for a delightful stroll thru art as 55 artisans display their works for sale. Painting, print making, graphics, sculpture, photography, pottery & more. Music, food & fun. At George Rogers Clark Park, Riverside Dr, Covington, KY 41011. More info at 859.431.0020 & bakerhunt.org. 

 

Shirayamadani - Rookwood Pottery Lecture [Sunday 13 May @ 2pm]: The Cincinnati Asian Art Society presents Dr. Elizabeth Fowler lecturing on "An Artistic Ambassador: Kitaro Shirayamadani, American Japanism & Rookwood Pottery 1885-1901." Shirayamadani, one of Rookwood's most important artists, worked in the Pottery from 1887 until he died in 1948. His contribution to American Japanism - the American variant of European Japonisme or "the love of all things Japanese" - is inestimable. His works are significant to both scholars & collectors due to their quality & innovation. Shirayamadani's contributions, however, go far beyond the objects he created. He came to the U.S. as a result of growing American interest in Japanese culture &, while here, actively influenced how Americans understood Japan. Dr. Fowler is Assistant Professor of Art & Design History at Syracuse University & an published authority on Kitaro Shirayamadani. A reception follows in the Castellini Room at 3pm. Free. At Cincinnati Art Museum Lecture Hall, 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513.381.0234.

 

Bones for Life to Be Fit & Sensual [Monday 14 May @ 6pm]: An exploration of how connection with the ground & rhythm informs our physical bodies & our self image. Australian composer, dancers & teachers were inspired by Bones for Life to create the music video "Flow" which will be shown & discussed. Experience flow & rhythm. Free. Registration not required but RSVP appreciated. At Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45215. More info & RSVP at 513.541.5720 & support at futurelifenow.com.

 

Islam & Christianity [Monday 14 May @7:00-8:30pm]: This dialogue series is sponsored by the Franciscan Network & the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). The evenings will begin with brief personal sharings from people of Muslim & Christian faiths about the topic of the evening: May 14 is fundamentalism. Each person can share their own ideas & perspectives on the topic at table conversation. All perspectives, including non-Christian, are welcome. At 110 Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45215. More info at 513.751.2222. 

 

End Slavery Cincinnati FUNdraiser [Tuesday 15 May @ 5-10pm]: End Slavery Cincinnati (ESC) is holding a fundraiser & awareness raising event. There will be music, snacks, after-work beverages, items for sale, door prizes, & good times all around. Music by the Flavor Junkies & Wild Mountain Berries. Cover charge will be $5. We are holding this event to provide a fun, relaxed environment where we can all get together and where we can raise awareness about human trafficking in the greater Cincinnati area. The funds we raise will support End Slavery Cincinnati in our goals to educate the community & coordinate victims' services. At Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH. More info at on.fb.me/escFundraiser. 

 

Iyengar Yoga Classes [Tuesday 15 May & Thursday 17 May @ 6:30-7:30pm]: Discover Iyengar Yoga with certified Iyengar teacher Aaron Fleming. Teaching style is fun, challenging & clear. Free informational classes for all levels. No need to register. At Grace Episcopal Church, 5501 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224. More info at 513.748.9375, aaron at collegehillyoga.com & collegehillyoga.com.  

 

Skilled Labor Workforce - US & European Perspectives [Wednesday 16 May @ 8am-8pm]: Recapitalizing US Skilled Labor Workforce for Economic Prosperity & Global Competitiveness. Conference & Expo is 8am - 5pm. Networking reception & gala dinner is 5-8pm. The conference addresses the issues & challenges the US faces in recapitalizing its skilled labor workforce for economic prosperity & global competitiveness. Speakers from the academic, public & private sectors, among others, will present. Following the conference, join EACC members & the international business community to celebrate 5 years of transatlantic trade & economic prosperity between Greater Cincinnati & Europe at the Gala Dinner. At Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at europe-cincinnati.com.  

 

EACC Gala Dinner: Celebrating 5 Years [Wednesday 16 May @ 5-8pm]: Celebrate the 5th Year Anniversary of the European-American Chamber of Commerce at the annual Gala Dinner, featuring guest of honor & keynote speaker Mr. Joerg Ernst, Executive Vice President, Global Business for Siemens AG. For 5 years, EACC has helped promote transatlantic trade & economic prosperity between Greater Cincinnati & Europe. Support the EACC's mission & be recognized as an international leader by sponsoring a corporate table. The Gala Dinner celebration concludes the EACC's full day conference on the Skilled Labor Workforce. At Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513.977.8670 & europe-cincinnati.com/events/?event_id=196.  

 

The Latest About Pompeii - Insights Lecture [Thursday 17 May; reception @ 6pm; lecture @ 7:30pm]: Dr. Steven Ellis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Classics at University of Cincinnati will present the Insights 2012 Distinguished Lecture. Dr. Ellis is a Roman Archaeologist actively engaged in archaeological research & publication of urban & sacred sites in Italy & Greece. Internationally regarded as a pioneer in archaeological research, Dr. Ellis will talk about the latest results from his Pompeii excavations - a perfect complement to the Cincinnati Museum Center exhibit, A Day in Pompeii. Free. At the Museum of Natural History & Science (reception) & Reakirt Auditorium (lecture), Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45203. More info at 513. 287.7000, information at cincymuseum.org & cincymuseum.org. 

 

Lifelong Learning thru Bones for Life [Friday 18 May @ 1:30pm]: Hear about research with Seniors at the Cincinnati Recreation Commission & see a moving video in their own voices about their experience with Bones for Life. Try out sample movements & learn how they benefit people in their 60's, 70's, 80's & even 90's to maintain independence & quality of life. Free. Registration not required but RSVP appreciated. At Centennial Barn, 110 Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45215. More info & RSVP at 513.541.5720 & support at futurelifenow.com. 

 

Audubon's River Artist's Reception & Presentation [Friday 18 May @ 6-8:30pm]: An informative art exhibit & presentation presented by Cincinnati artist, DeVere Burt, that is based on John James Audubon's exploration of the Ohio frontier. Sponsored by the Greater Milford Area Historical Society. Free exhibit. Tickets for presentation are $10 (adult), $5 (seniors & students), $20 (family). Exhibit runs thru Sunday 17 June. At The Gallery at River Hills, River Hills Christian Church, 6300 Price Road, Loveland, OH 45140. More info @ 513.831.0324, info at milfordhistory.net & milfordhistory.net. 

 

Grand Opening of Phase 1 of Samle Riverfront Park [Friday 18 May @ 6:15pm]: The Cincinnati Park Board will host a grand opening to celebrate completion of Phase I for the new Smale Riverfront Park. A brief dedication ceremony will be followed by a free community concert featuring music ranging from Urban Contemporary & Salsa/Latin to Jazz, Light Rock, Blues, & R&B. Activities for kids will include jugglers, face painters, costumed characters & more. Free ice-cream; food & drink available to buy at the adjacent Moerlein Lager House. Or bring a picnic dinner to enjoy on the lawn. The celebration will conclude at dusk with a Rozzi's Fireworks show. Phase I features include Schmidlapp Event Lawn & Stage; Walnut Street Fountains & Steps; Moerlein Lager House; Bike, Mobility & Visitor's Center; Smale Tree Grove & Ted Berry Promenade. At the park's new Schmidlapp Event Lawn & Stage, along Mehring Way between Walnut Street & Joe Nuxhall Way (formerly Main Street), downtown Cincinnati. More info at 513.352.4080. 

 

Manifest - 2 Art Exhibits [thru May 18]: Botantical - An exhibit of 29 works exploring the theme of plant life, by 25 artists from sixteen states. Plus, the 7th Annual Selections from the International Drawing Annual Exhibition - An intimate look at a cross-section sampling of 10 artworks selected from 126 works from the forthcoming publication. At Manifest Creative Research Gallery & Drawing Center, 2727 Woodburn Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45206. More info at 513.861.3638 & manifestgallery.org. 

 

Music at the Palm Court – Orchids [Friday-Sunday 18-20 May]: Enjoy great music in a gorgeous art deco setting with top-drawer dining. On Friday @ 9pm-1am, enjoy the James Hart Quartet featuring Jack Garrett on vocals, Marc Wolfley on drums, Jim Anderson on bass & James Hart on piano. On Saturday @ 9pm-1am, the James Hart Trio will feature Steve Hoskins on flute, sax & clarinet, Marc Wolfley on drums & James Hart on piano & left-hand bass. Tea guitarist Robert Brown plays Saturday @ 2-5pm; enjoy cocktail pianist Jim Poynter on Friday & Saturday @ 5-9pm; & listen to Teddy Rakel play during Sunday Brunch @ 10:30am-2pm. Admission always free. At Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, 35 West 5th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513. 861.0666 & 513.252.3366. 

 

Ride With Confidence [Saturday 19 May @ 1pm]: Learn the law of riding your bike on Ohio's roadways & strategies for protecting your right to ride as a bicyclist from Bike Lawyer Steve Magas. His presentation touches on the history of bicycling in America, several criminal cases where motorists were prosecuted for hitting cyclists, & hot button issues impacting cyclists today. $5 suggested donation benefits Queen City Bike. RSVP before 18 May tobikelawyer at aol.com. At Park + Vine, 1202 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & RSVP at 513.721.7275, info at parkandvine.com, parkandvine.com& ohiobikelawyer.com. 

 

Book Launch Celebrates Cincinnati's Choral History [Sunday 20 May @ 2pm]: The book launch of A City That Sings: Cincinnati's Choral Tradition 1800–2012, the May Festival's new book is the 1st full-length chronicle of the Queen City's contributions to choral music, ranging from church choirs & community choruses to concert halls & lavish festivals. The program will include remarks by Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conductor John Morris Russell, a brief performance by MUSE Cincinnati Women's Choir, & a panel discussion with the book's 4 authors: Frank Pendle, Karin Pendle, Craig Doolin & Catherine Roma, followed by a book signing. Free. Presented by & at the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Main Library, 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513.369.6900 & cincinnatilibrary.org. 

 

Movement Nature Meant [Monday 21 May @ 6pm]: View the film "When the Moment Sings" & be amazed at the difference between the movement patterns of Westerners & South Africans. Learn about walking like an up-side-down pendulum, which is fundamental to Ruthy Alon's Bones for Life program. Free; small donations accepted for use of space. Registration not required but RSVP appreciated. At Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45215. More info & RSVP at 513.541.5720 & support at futurelifenow.com. 

 

Iyengar Yoga Classes [Tuesdays 22 May - 21 July @ varying times]: Discover Iyengar Yoga with certified Iyengar teacher Aaron Fleming. Teaching style is fun, challenging & clear. Classes for beginners, level 1, level 2, seniors & teens. Sign up by May 18 for discount. Drop-in classes: $15. At Grace Episcopal Church, 5501 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224. More info at 513.748.9375, aaron at collegehillyoga.com & collegehillyoga.com. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ongoing Treasures:

 

Photographs of Reflection: William Messer in Monet's Garden [thru Saturday 26 May]: For 20 years, Cincinnati-based photographer, curator, critic & educator William Messer has been photographing the reconstituted gardens of painter Claude Monet at Giverny outside Paris. Messer works with a small format camera & black & white film, explaining "Black & white enables me to expose more of the gardens' underlying structure & avoid getting trapped in yet another attempt to replicate Monet's palette." Prints from this work have been collected by Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston & la Bibliothéque Nationale de France, & exhibited at the galleries of the French Institute in New York City. The exhibition at PAC Gallery in East Walnut Hills provides a counterpoint to the exhibition of Monet's paintings at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection. At PAC Gallery, 2540 Woodburn Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45206. Gallery hours are Friday & Saturday @ noon-5pm & by appointment. More info at 513.235.4008 & pacgallery.net.  

 

Summer Musical Theater Camps [2 sessions: June 4-15 & June 18-29 @ 9:30am-1:00pm]: Jersey Productions presents its 5th summer of Musical Theatre Educational Programming open to students aged 6-17 in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati area. Hundreds of boys & girls have participated in musical theater activities thru the 2-week Camp Jersey, Camp Jersey Kids & Camp Jersey Intensive. These educational programs offer general & specific musical theater studies, depending on the student's level of interest, background & experience. Participating in performing arts activities helps kids with their coordination, teamwork, public speaking, vocal skills, self-esteem & meeting new friends. At the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info including schedules, tuition & registration at 513.621.2787, kelly at jerseyproductions.org & cincinnatiarts.org. 

 

On Wings of Harmony - 2012 Krohn Conservatory Butterfly Show [thru Sunday 24 June]: Butterflies of the World; 1000s of vibrant, colorful butterflies from every continent (except Antarctica). Icons for flowers, butterflies, light & life will decorate the show sets. A pastel rainbow will run thru the Conservatory. Tickets are $6 (adults), $5 (seniors), $4 (kids under 17), free (kids under 5). Krohn Conservatory, Eden Park, 1501 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Coupons & unlimited admission pins at ButterflyShow.com. More info at 513.543.8109 & 513.324.8610.  

 

Celtic Art Show [thru Friday 29 June]: Cincinnati artist, Cynthia Matyi, opens Names of God: Transformative Power of Celtic-Inspired Art solo art show with a reception. Free. At Christ Church Cathedral, 318 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at matyi at fuse.net &  matyiart.com. 

 

The Jews of Częstochowa: Coexistence-Holocaust-Memory [thru Sunday 1 July]: This exhibition commemorates the Jewish contributions to the Polish city of Częstochowa, the once thriving community of 40,000 Jewish inhabitants before the devastation of their lives by the Nazis. It features photographs & documents, depicting life in the Jewish city before, during & after World War II. The exhibit is presented in honor of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the lives & heroism of Jewish people who died in the Holocaust between 1933 & 1945. At Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info at 513.487.3053 & HUCinci at gmail.com.  

 

Volunteer for 2012 World Choir Games [July 4-14]: Volunteer for the 2012 World Choir Games, an international competition of choirs in 23 categories. Choirs will come from more than 45 countries with 1000's of choir members from more than 400 choirs & many thousands of spectators. The primary competitions will be held in downtown Cincinnati with concerts for the public held throughout the greater Cincinnati area. Volunteers are needed to host visiting choirs, escort assigned choirs to events, assist dignitaries & judges, assistance with the public, & many other activities. There are special opportunities for bilingual students who can act as interpreters. Volunteers will have the satisfaction of meeting people from all over the world, & participating in a world class event that will be the pride of Cincinnati for years to come. Volunteers will be asked to provide their own transportation. More info at 513.977.6354 &2012worldchoirgames.com/Section/2012-games/volunteers/volunteers.  

 

FEMME: Self-Portraits by Danielle Voirin [thru Friday 20 July]: Danielle Voirin grew up near Chicago, but has lived in Paris since 2003. The 40 prints in FEMME sample 3 bodies of work thru which she explores her relation to life & her place in it thru self-portraiture: des Collages, staged tableaux made at the famous "59" coop artists' studios in central Paris; Curiosity, selections from a 200-page flip-book which records the experience of a head-shave; Wakings, a long-term investigation of the physical appearance of the metaphysical space between dreams & actuality, made in the mornings when not quite awake. This is her 1st solo exhibition in the US. At Iris BookCafe & Gallery, 1331 Main Street, Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513.260.8434, 513.381.2665 & Iris' Facebook page. 

 

Queen City Of Song Exhibit [thru Sunday 2 September]: Experience Cincinnati's choral music history thru a dynamic exhibit. The exhibit spotlights Saengerfest dating back to 1838 & its ties to the Cincinnati May Festival & Music Hall; 100 years of church & school choirs; & Cincinnati's African American choral traditions. Also, view early choral music & hymnals published in Cincinnati. Free. Presented by & at the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Main Library, 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info at 513.369.6900 & cincinnatilibrary.org. 

 

Triple L Acres Organic Farm & Produce Delivery Service: Triple L Acres grows & delivers to your home a weekly share of fresh, local, organic produce. The produce is grown using organic & sustainable farming practices, on 5 acres of land on Swings Corner Point Isabel Road in Bethel, OH. How much more local or fresh can you get, when it's delivered to your door the day it was harvested from a local farm? Cost is $325 for the entire season, with an expectations of around 15 or more deliveries. Payments can be made securely via PayPal in 1 complete payment of $325 or 5 automatic monthly payments of $70. More info & sign-up at TripleLAcres.com. More info at 513.295.6451 & Dan at TripleLAcres.com. Spring planting is just around the corner, sign up today.  

 

Employment Opportunities with Hamilton County Park District: Seasonal jobs available in Recreation, Accounting, Food Service, Maintenance & Adventure Outpost in Winton Woods. Seasonal jobs typically work March thru October ranging from 10-40 hours per week. Great benefits include enrollment in Ohio Public Employees Retirement System & free or discounted use of many Park District recreational activities. Employment applications accepted online atgreatparks.org/jobs/; (click "Current Job Postings" to select a position. More info at 513.521.7275. 

 

The EACC is Hiring: The European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) is hiring a full-time program, communication & administration manager to be responsible for planning & developing EACC's programs & communication that support the needs of its members, & to perform administration functions of the EACC office. Qualifications: interest in international business & marketing; organizational, communications & interpersonal skills; polished, confident, self-motivated, detail oriented & punctual; enthusiastic team player who can work independently; & proficient with MS Office, Word Press & social media. To apply, email a letter of motivation & resume to anne.cappel ateurope-cincinnati.com. 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Tri-State Treasures is compiled by Jim Kesner

• Tri-State Treasures are typically transmitted on Wednesdays; send submissions as soon as possible for best probability of being included.
• Event descriptions are typically published for 2 weeks leading up to the event.
• Submit Tri-State Treasures or request addresses to be added or removed from the list by emailing jkesner@nuvox.net; specify "Tri-State Treasures."
• Email addresses are posted in BlindCopy to protect your identity. Email addresses are not shared, given or sold without explicit permission.
• Please submit your Tri-State Treasures in the following format. This will greatly help me & enhance the probability your item will be included:
  Brief Title of the Treasure [date @ time]: Brief description of the treasure; what is it; why is it wonderful & unique. Cost. Sponsor. Location including address & zip code. More info at telephone, email, & website.
  An Example:
  Fabulous Film Festival [Friday 3 May @ 8-10pm]: The first & best film festival in Cincinnati will present live-action, documentary, & short films... Presented by Flicks Я Us. Tickets are $8. At The Movie Theatre, 111 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45200. More info at 513.111.2222, info at filmfestival.com & filmfestival.com.
• I use the following notations to reduce the chance of being deemed a spammer by servers; sorry for the inconvenience:

    <> Email addresses herein are written with " at '" in place of "@"; when you want to use an address, reverse the " at '" back to "@".

    <> Websites are written without their "www" or "http://" prefix; when you want to use a website, copy & paste it into your browser.

• • ---

---

• • ---

---

.

The Virtual Salon Newsletter

A Newsletter published irregularly  from the Lloyd House in Cincinnati 

Email subscriptions: 623+

Our Salon blog is an interactive site:   http://lloydhouse.blogspot.com

If you would like to respond, amend, or correct anything in this Newsletter, please consider using that.  I will receive a copy of anything posted there.

FIVE SECTIONS, including:

Table Notes  (formerly the discussion at the live salon, now just musings by Ellen)

Events and Opportunities

Articles and Letters

Book, Film, Theater, TV, Music, Website Reviews

Tri-State Treasures, compiled by Jim Kesner  

Submissions:  you must have the email copy to me by Thursday morning 9 AM.  Copy the format you see in this Weekly please.  (Times New Roman font, text 14 pt, headlines 20 pt.  Maroon for Opportunities and Events, Navy for articles.)

The Wednesday Night Salon met each week of the year (no break for holidays, weather) from July 2001 until the end of July, 2011, ten years ... in pursuit of good talk.  Now the newsletter will be published sporadically (who knows?).  Other events will be scheduled.  

To unsubscribe from the Virtual Salon, send me an email message and in the subject line put "unsub Salon - #" and in the place of "#" put the numeral (1 - 17) found on this email to you in the subject line after the date.