DELHI PRESS
Your Community Press newspaper serving Delhi Township and other West Cincinnati neighborhoods
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021 | BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
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‘WE’RE ON THE FRONTLINE’ East Westwood looks to City Hall for help after shooting
Cameron Knight Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
Robert Moore, the vice president of the East Westwood Community Council, was on his way to a cookout June 12 when he got the call. Two children and two teenagers had been shot at a store on McHenry Avenue. A 6-year-old and an 8-year-old were injured. More than a week later, the older child remains in the hospital. One of the two teens who were shot was arrested and charged in the incident. Four days later, Moore was at City Hall with his colleagues pleading with city leaders. “I’m not here to point any fi ngers, but to ask for support,” Moore said. “We’re on the frontline. We just need support. It’s hard to do it by ourselves.” For Moore and the others on the community council, the violence is personal. In 2007, before he was a teacher at Carson Elementary and before he started up his youth sports non-profi t, he was shot at the exact same convenience store. He was 22 and was home from Central State University for the weekend, he said. He had gone to the store on the corner of McHenry and Cavanaugh avenues for some snacks when two men in masks attempted a robbery and started shooting. He tried to run, but was struck in the leg, he said. In that shooting, much like the one this month, two children – girls 12 and 15 – were hit by stray bullets.
‘Your absence sent a message’ For years, the people of East Westwood felt like they didn’t have a home. Some considered it North Fairmount, the police said it was Westwood, others said it was South Cumminsville. It wasn’t until 1990 that the community got together and lobbied to be their own neighborhood. They felt overlooked, like they were in a “limbo,” according to an Enquirer article from the time. Westwood representatives even complained about the name they chose. Unfortunately, Moore and other leaders say the feeling still exists. Westwood seems to focus on its core, they said, while the city focuses on development elsewhere. Meanwhile, East Westwood tries to take care of its own. The neighborhood has had its ups and downs with violence. It was once even touted as a success story. In 2017, the Cincinnati Police Depart-
A memorial to a homicide victim outside the convenience store where two children were shot on June 12. PHOTOS BY CAMERON KNIGHT/THE ENQUIRER
ment created a documentary about its eff orts to lower violent crime there and in a portion of Westwood. The small neighborhood of about 2,500 shares a border with Cincinnati’s biggest neighborhood of Westwood, but is also clustered next to Millvale, English Woods and the Villages of Roll Hill. These smaller neighborhoods are (or were) mostly made up of sprawling apartment complexes. Now, crime is back up – at least on paper. Between 2019 and 2020, incidents of crime rose 40% in the neighborhood while Millvale, Westwood and the Villages of Roll Hill all saw decreases in overall crime. For TeAirea Powell, this points to another problem the neighborhood is having with the city: a lack of communication. She said she’s heard rumors that the boundaries of East Westwood were changed by the city, which could have See SHOOTING, Page 2A
Community leaders and members of the community council in East Westwood.
New classic-style arcade now open in Cincinnati Emily DeLetter Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
A new arcade is here, and it's ready for you to come inside and play. Wondercade Cincy, a classic-style arcade, held its grand opening June 19-20 at its location in Westwood. It initially opened in mid-March to only private parties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, co-owner Leslie Mattie Rich said, but Wondercade is now offi cially opening to the general public. The arcade features seven pinball machines, foosball and bubble hockey. There are also three cocktail style tables and over 40 upright cabinets for arcade games and a projector wall for games like Smash Brothers and Mario Kart. The arcade is located at 3143 Harrison Ave. and will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
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Wondercade Cincy, a classic style arcade, held a grand opening June 19-20.
Regular hours will be from 6 to 11 p.m. Fridays, 2 to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 2 to 9 p.m. Sundays. The arcade will be available for private rentals from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
News: 513-903-6027 Retail advertising: 768-8404, Classified advertising: 242-4000, Delivery: 513-853-6277.
Wondercade Cincy has seven pinball machines, foosball and bubble hockey. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LESLIE MATTIE RICH
Admission is $8 per person all day, and children ages 5 and under are free. The arcade remains all ages until 9 p.m.,
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and is 18 and older after. All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult, according to the website.
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