Local 392 Family Picnic

My family has been very, very supportive of my campaign but there have been times when my children have said, "Are we going to another festival this weekend?" My kids enjoy themselves when they make it to the festival, but you can only go to so many festivals before they all start to look the same.

On Saturday my family was invited to attend the Plumbers and Pipefitters family picnic at Stricker's Grove. I didn't need to ask my kids twice to attend this event because they love picnics and Stricker's Grove. The Plumbers and Pipefitters do a fantastic job with this event for their families. Free amusement park rides, cotton candy, popcorn, soda and ice cream - a kids dream come true! The park was packed and it was good to catch up with some of my grade school and high school friends who work in the trade. Events like this within the union do more than just provide its members with an afternoon of fun; they build camaraderie.

Thank you Local 392 for the kind invitation to your family picnic. My family thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

96.5 FM City Talk Radio

On Sunday night I had the pleasure of sharing the radio studio with City Council Candidates Greg Harris and Mitch Painter. We were invited by Michael Sweeney and his co-host Tom Schaefer of the City Talk Radio show to discuss our campaigns. I've met Greg Harris several times and I've always been impressed by him. He was well prepared and on top of his game during the interview. This was the first time I've met Mitch Painter and I have to say his energy is infectious. Both men ( like me )believe that Cincinnati's best days are just around the corner, but we need to elect council member's who can think past the eight years that they are on council. It is a crowded field this year and the voters are going to have to be on top of their game. If you are happy with the direction of the city continue to vote for the same group of people, but if you want change than you have to vote for change.

The Sounds of Stanbery

Yesterday, with my family in tow, I visited the Sounds of Stanbery celebration in Mount Washington. The day long music celebration was sponsored by the Mount Washington Community Council and featured Elliot Ruther, the Dancelot Studio, Mr. Bodashius, the Steve Mutter Trio and The Woomblies. The good people from MWCC who organized and ran the event couldn't have asked for a better day. Thank you MWCC we really enjoyed ourselves.

Stanbery Park was dedicated in 1940 and is named in honor of Brigadier General Sanford B. Stanbery who had his home on the park site. The park has a huge shelter, playground equipment, a walking trail and several hiking trails. One hiking trail extends to the Little Miami Scenic River Park on Elstun Avenue and is part of the National Trail System of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Along the Albert Shoop Trail, named in honor of Stanbery's caretaker, you will find wildflowers of all varieties.

St Lawrence Festival Price Hill

Festivals and parades are one of the best ways to meet people in Cincinnati. Every two years city council incumbents and hopeful candidates invade the Cincinnati church festival circuit. Some weekends campaigns will have to attend three different festivals on the same night. This weekend my campaign visited my childhood neighborhood of Price hill and attended the Saint Lawrence Church festival.
This small parish is one the places that makes Price Hill great. The congregation of St. Lawrence was organized in 1868 and the original church was dedicated on June12, 1870. The church architecture is absolutely gorgeous. As an engineer working in the building trades I can't help but marvel at the buildings construction. Those old Deutsch, stone masons certainly knew their craft and practiced it with pride. Stop by the church sometime soon. Meet the good people of St. Lawrence parish and see why it is one of the cities hidden gems.

Fourth of July Parades

The best and most exhausting day of campaigning is the Fourth July. The Fourth of July marks the real beginning of the campaign season in Cincinnati. Of the thirty something candidates running for city council this year at least two thirds of them were in two of the funnest parades in Cincinnati. The communities of Mount Washington and Northside both sponsor parades. Both parades attract scores of politicians, civic minded people, eccentrics and loads of neighborhood residents. The Mount Washington parade is sponsored by the American Legion and Faith Presbyterian Church. The Northside parade is sponsored by the Northside Community Council. In the mission statement for the parade the NCC organizers wrote..

"The mission of the Northside 4th of July parade is to serve as a tool for community building. We believe that the parade offers a way to get to know one's neighbors through a shared, light-hearted activity. We believe that neighbors who know one another and have laughed together will be inclined to want to make their neighborhood a nice place to live. We think they will be more likely to be involved in other neighborhood building, be it subtle or overt, as a result of their participation in the parade."

All I can say is Bravo! Thank you to the good people of Northside and Mt. Washington for letting us participate in your parades today.